SOL (ON HOLD)

CHAPTER 16

We sat with Kostik on the grass before the Miriope tower, the evening light shining weakly on us, as Fyn and River recounted their time in the Frost Plains and Pelias and Ele described our experience with Elimes.

I frowned as I noticed that he completely left out our encounter with the vulcans, while Ele went into tremendous detail about them but I shrugged it off as we headed to the Great Hall for an early supper.

After a filling meal of jasmine rice and quail stew, we remained seated and Asriel gave us a brief lesson on the history of the Masquerade.

"The White King has been hosting his party for as long as can be remembered," he began, somberly, raising his hand.

You would think I'd have gotten used to the misty visions but they still awed me every time. Now, swirling before my eyes, was a magnificent ballroom, every surface and corner and crevice encrusted with jewels.

"Before the Dragon Age, even before the Era of Aquarius, the White King held his party faithfully," he continued.

He flicked his hand and the mist changed, now displaying a long, intricately carved table completely hidden under plates and plates of rich, opulent food from as far as August to Amarna.

"It is said that the first party was the Making."

I knew this story. Every Eurusian, possibly every Aurican, knew this story.

At the Start, when the lines between man, beast and earth were not only blurred, but completely nonexistent, the Origins roamed freely. They were solitary creatures, who sought nothing more than to be left alone to their eternity. But one, the dragon named Eurus, sought to unite them.

So Eurus went to each Origin, and she stole from each of them something they valued dearly.

From August, the great two headed bear, she stole a tooth. From Amarna, the fierce lion, a whisker. From Heim, the clever sea serpent, a silver scale and from Orien Laen, the righteous eagle, a single feather.

The Origins were furious, each one now incomplete and it was then that they recieved the first Invitations, something that another had lost. August received Hiem's scale, Orien Laen, August's tooth and so on.

They came together at Aurica's Peak, wearing masks to conceal themselves and ready to accuse each other. They expected a battle and instead met a banquet, with Eurus at the head of the table, also masked.

They forgot their rage and wined and dined. In the merriment, each Origin received what they lost and they came together to form the world we now know.

"It is from there that the legend of the White King's Masquerade comes. Of course, that is Eurusian mythology. I'm sure the Amarnans and Laenians will have differing views," he finished.

The haze thickened, revealing a younger Asriel, dressed in the finest of fabrics.

"I went to the last Masquerade," he said, a faraway expression on his wizened face, "but I was Invited. Haven, however, Journeyed."

Then, suddenly, he lowered his hand and the mist vanished, revealing Haven sitting demurely beside him, as beautiful and terrifying as ever.

"The Journey is as terrible as the Masquerade is wonderful," she said, simply, "but why tell you, when I can show you?"