Legacy

Chapter 22 - Ambitions Slave

The prince woke early the next morning tired and feeling weak. His head was sore from too many glasses of wine and the last thing on his mind was getting out of bed. A flicker of shame came flooding back to him as he remembered lying on the floor and the laughter. There was a pile of books on the night-stand that he could pick from to read, but that seemed like far too much effort at this point and he was in no mood to read anyway. The sound of laughter came from outside his window seemingly mocking him again until he recognized it as Dawn Marie.

She was out there with Kane who seemed completely devoid of after-effects from the previous night's feast. They were preparing to go on another morning run, just like they did almost every day. Where she found the energy he couldn't imagine. The prince knew he'd struggle to run a quarter roheck, but not her. Dawn Marie came back each morning with a smile on her face and a pleasant glow. He knew that Archon would be pushing her hard but he seemed to be enjoying himself. But then, how could he not?

The prince thought briefly that it might be fun to join them one morning but just seeing them stretch beforehand was enough to tire him out.

There came a quiet knock on the door. "Would the young master care for some breakfast?" Seven enquired.

"Isn't it a bit early for breakfast?"

"It has gone nine bells already. But Caladus has said you may take the day to rest. He has business in the city and so will be unavailable to teach you."

"Nine bells already, I thought it was much earlier than that. I think I'm going to have a little more rest."

"But of course, young master. Sol Uno Kabel will be here at twelve bells. Would you like me to call you before he arrives so you have time to prepare?"

"Hmm? Sure, that would be fine." The young prince fell back into bed and stared up at the ceiling. The Chronicle was hidden in its locked box beneath the bed and despite his exhaustion and sense of loathing, the temptation to take a peek at it to see how much his one lesson had paid off was too much.

He took the stone book from the locked box and began to flip through its tantalizing pages of azure light. After two hours of scanning the book it was still as incomprehensible as it had always been; his hard work had all come to nothing. He was not even one step closer to his goal or understanding what his ancestors had left for him. Frustrated, he was prepared to give up then and there but the sounds of laughter outside struck a chord deep within him and he knew that nothing would be gained by giving up and surrendering. No, what he needed was dedication and ambition.

He flipped through the sections again, scanning the headlines for anything that resonated until he found one that seemed to call to him. There on the first page was a series of complicated diagrams and instructions. It seemed to be a formula or ritual but there was one word in the title that he understood with absolute certainty. It was the word "Awakening".

By the time the young prince had gotten over his excitement he had barely enough time to get cleaned up before his next lesson in the Ancient Tongue. And Sol Uno Kabel was not one to tolerate lateness or fools. The lesson began promptly at twelve bells regardless of the fact that the prince was still feeling poorly. Kabel forced to him study a new set of verses and cobble together new sentences. It was fun but hard work and difficult to focus clearly through his headache.

Kabel was not in the least bit forgiving or considerate of the prince's plight and simply told him not to indulge so much in the future. The lesson continued for the next six hours as the words of the ancient tongue were drilled into the mind of the young prince. As time passed, the fog of confusion lifted and the meaning of symbols was becoming more and more comprehensible.