Echoes of War, Ch 33: Coronation (Patreon)

By the judgment of the High Artificer of Aster Fall, a new King of Aethra has been crowned. The World Law’s voice covered the Kingdom of Aethra, chiming like a great bell as golden trumpets accompanied it.

Welcome King Osander Nephral of Aethra to the throne!

May he live long and rule well.

In Veritan, the green-silver leaves of the World Tree fluttered in the breeze, releasing motes of golden and rainbow light that drifted across the city like magical fireflies, making everything glow with radiant energy. After a dramatic pause for the swelling music of the notifications to sound out, the World Law continued.

In celebration of his coronation, King Osander has decreed a Year of Royal Blessing. This ancient rite has not been performed in Aethra for the last 426 years. The king’s guards will spread through the land to offer free healing, restore defenses, plow abandoned fields, gather in harvests, slay monsters, and hear your complaints.

The royal guards will collect your wishes for the king’s health, your hopes for the kingdom, and assist you wherever possible. This is your opportunity to ask the king for anything you need.

The wave of energy with the announcement covered the city and passed outward, heading for the distant borders of the kingdom. A sense of royal decree and magical law flowed along with it, resonating with all the great treaties in the palaces of the kingdom’s neighbors, with the nobles who held titles by royal decree, and all binding agreements made in the name of Aethra.

Beneath the World Tree a little while later, the new king was seated on a simple chair made of golden wood that Farzen had found for him in one of the smaller palaces. His eyes were clear now and they held a bright warmth, but despite that he looked a little lost.

The Year of Royal Blessing was something he’d decreed on his own. He’d read about it once when he was younger, or perhaps he’d heard it in a story. In the midst of his foggy memories, he couldn’t remember which it was, but it was the event itself that was important.

The World Law recognized certain actions of a king, including things like this, and there was a window of opportunity to accompany his coronation where it would assist him with announcements. It was a good time to make use of his new authority to spread the word of his coronation and to start off on his best foot with the kingdom.

His Royal guard force was damaged by his father’s death, but many of them had just run away. They were already returning from other areas of the capital. There were even more royal guards who weren’t inside the capital. If they still weren’t enough, he would just have to recruit more of them.

As for why he’d chosen to do it, he’d needed something positive to show he was already working hard as king. That giant golden being had commanded it and he couldn’t refuse.

“High Artificer of Aster Fall...” he said to himself as he looked up at the sky through the branches of the tree. The magical ship of the High Artificer was up there, but it was already turning away, its prow pointing at the horizon. Between one moment and the next, it turned into a streak of icy blue light and was gone. The king’s mind was split between fear and rejoicing as he watched it go.

He’d never expected to be king.

The thought simply hadn’t entered his mind. That was his father’s position, not his. Some of that belief was due to the curse that had been on him, but the rest was just naivete of youth, something that his father had always encouraged rather than allowing him to deal with more important things.

He was aware of what had happened to him now and how he’d been manipulated by his father, but at least his memories were intact. The spell had altered his behavior and perception, but it hadn’t damaged his mind at a deeper level. Everything he’d experienced throughout his life was still there, although most of it was nothing to be proud about. He’d been a true idiot for most of it.

He looked down at his hands, where he was holding a slender golden crown that flared at the front into three diamond-shaped peaks. This was not the standard crown of Aethra that his father and ancestors had worn, but rather something new. It used to be the golden coronet that he’d always worn as prince, but it had been reshaped by the High Artificer’s hands into this. Runes and some type of silver magic that made his heart tremble burned along the surface.

The three peaks at the front of the crown resembled mountains with the tallest in the center, and he felt a sense of oppressive weight from them like he was being judged. It felt as heavy in his hands as the mountains it represented. He had the feeling that if he slammed it into a boulder, it would be the boulder that broke first.

When the High Artificer had handed it to him, he’d warned him that he would be watching and that it was no good tossing it away. It was his now, a royal responsibility and a personal obligation. His life and freedom, such as it was, for this crown.

That being had killed his father and freed him from a curse, but he’d also made him the new king. He hadn’t needed to do that...he could have appointed someone else. The World Law seemed to do whatever he wanted, so he clearly had the power to do that. Osander wasn’t sure whether to hate him or to thank him. His emotions were a mess.

When he thought about the death of his father, thoughts of revenge flickered at the edge of his mind, but they were only idle thoughts. His father had been the one to curse him, keeping him chained as a pet instead of giving him the life a prince should have had, so he didn’t deserve that type of revenge.

As for whether or not he could get revenge on that being, the very idea of it sent a shiver down his spine and he tossed away the idea as soon as he thought of it, his face pale. That was not an existence he could afford to offend. It would be better to get revenge on his father instead.

He was the one who cursed him.

Osander’s eyes turned cold as he glared down at the crown, wishing he could reach back to the curse that had been on it and crush it himself. His hands twisted on the edge of the crown and he felt his bones protesting as the edge began to cut into them. Steel would have warped into a mangled strip under that pressure, but the crown didn’t even tremble.

He let out a deep breath as he let the rage disappear and calmed down again. Thoughts of revenge and even of digging up his father’s ashes just to burn them again flared through his mind and disappeared.

He couldn’t go overboard. Keres had been his father, so there were some things he couldn’t do. He couldn’t disgrace his family or kill his bloodline. Even speaking badly of him would harm the unity of the kingdom. No, the best revenge would be to be a better king than his father had ever imagined and prove how a true ruler should behave.

And at the same time, to erase his father from history.

His father had always been obsessed with power and gaining more of it. Being forgotten would be like pouring acid onto his memory. A smile quirked on Osander’s lips at the thought. If he was great enough, he could ensure that barely anyone remembered him. Keres Nephral would be relegated to a footnote in history, a king who was never mentioned. All people would hear about was the glory of King Osander.

That would show respect to the High Artificer at the same time as letting him make a name for himself. The being had spoken with him briefly before leaving so that he would understand his responsibilities as king and how best to defend the kingdom. From that conversation, he’d learned that the giant was an Astral Titan, some type of great race from the stars, and he’d discovered many things about Aster Fall’s situation, the World Seal, and its place in the Void. If he used that information the right way to motivate people, the kingdom could be stronger than ever before.

More than that, the High Artificer had told him explicitly that if he messed up this job, there was always another king to take his place. He let out a sigh as he turned the crown around in his hands. It wasn’t much of a choice. If he wanted to have a life at all, he had to follow the titan’s instructions.

He closed his eyes for a moment, letting all the events of the day flow away from him like the motes of mana from the World Tree beside him. He took a deep breath and let it out. When he opened his eyes again, they were clear. Slowly, he straightened his back and set the crown on his head.

*****

A couple of hours later, an elderly priestess with long silver hair and a young initiate from the church were walking slowly beneath the branches of the World Tree, not far from where the king had been sitting. The area was clear now, cordoned off by both the king and the church’s forces until they could determine that it was safe.

The church officials had been in awe of the World Law speaking and had chosen not to get in the way, but once the battle calmed down, they rushed over as soon as they could. Unfortunately, they weren’t quick enough to speak with the High Artificer, and it was something they deeply regretted. Most of them had spread out below the World Tree’s branches and were studying what the High Artificer had done here, but the priestess and the young man had the unique honor of walking alone near its trunk. Everyone else kept a dignified distance, their breaths hushed so as not to disturb the priestess.

The initiate’s name was Harrow, and he didn’t know why the priestess had chosen to bring him along. He didn’t have any real connection to her or to the major forces in the capital. He’d just been tending a small healing clinic in a poor district of the city when she walked by and before he knew what was happening, he was following along to keep her company, unable to even protest. He’d been too nervous to speak at first, but something about her put him at ease and before he knew it, he was chatting and asking questions like she was his grandmother.

Now, the two of them were staring at the tree and at the shining diagram of Aster Fall in the Void that had suddenly appeared here as they discussed what this event meant for the church and kingdom.

“Won’t the old king’s death cause trouble in the kingdom?” Harrow asked with confusion.

“Why should it?” the priestess replied calmly as she shook her head. “One king is gone and another has taken his place. To most people, this does not change their daily life. If there had been a war and their fields were burned, that would be different, but this was quick and painless for the kingdom.”

“You...approve of it, then?” Harrow asked as he furrowed his brow. “I thought the church was supposed to stabilize the kingdom?”

“We stabilize the kingdom, not the king,” the priestess said with a shake of her head. “You’ll understand in time. Look around you though...does the city seem damaged, are the people rioting? What is the result of this day that you can see?”

“It’s...calm?” Harrow recalled the scenes of the city as they walked here. There hadn’t been anyone who looked angry. At the priestess’s encouraging look, he added more details. “The people were confused, or shocked, or in awe, but they weren’t rioting. Why is that? Shouldn’t they be angry that the king has changed?”

“Not when a force higher than the king has come personally to set their kingdom on a better path,” the priestess said with a faint smile. “That is why they are in awe. They don’t know what to do but accept it. For those who follow the church, the World Law has authorized this change. For those who don’t...the church will do its best to make sure they also accept it, but so far it doesn’t seem like they will cause trouble. They are too shocked by the High Artificer’s appearance and his strength. To cause trouble, they would first need the ability to challenge him. Right now, they don’t dare to act out.”

“But people have rebelled before,” Harrow said, “and sometimes against people much stronger than them. They could again.”

“That is the difference between a just and unjust ruler. When the ruler is unjust, the people will rebel out of necessity.” The priestess shook her head. “But this time, it was justice. The old king was a blight upon the kingdom. Even I did not know how deep his corruption went until the World Law showed us his connection to the evil races and his own personal desire for power at the cost of his kingdom. Then the World Law sent the High Artificer as its hand to solve the problem. That has never happened in this kingdom before. I hope it is the beginning of a new era of prosperity.”

“But what if the new king is like the old king?” Harrow asked hesitantly. “Won’t it just happen again?”

“I don’t think the High Artificer’s judgment is so poor,” the priestess answered confidently. “But we will work more closely with the new king to ensure that he is better than his father. Most importantly, the High Artificer has left us this gift.” Her attention turned to the World Tree as she looked up at its towering branches.

“With this tree visible from all across the city, no one will forget about the World Law or the blade of justice anytime soon. But if only the High Artificer had stayed a little longer. His presence here has laid open so many mysteries.”

“Are these secrets that he revealed, lady?” Harrow asked as he looked around the diagram and read the inscription on the stone slab nearby. “About the World Core and the Nexus? I’ve never heard of these things before, or about the Void outside of Aster Fall. Is the World Law really a giant sphere outside of the world?”

“These are not true secrets,” the old priestess replied slowly as she also turned her attention to the diagram of the World Core, “but rather the deeper mysteries of the world. Most people understand these things in time, once they’ve reached the peak of personal strength, but it is not common knowledge. It seems the High Artificer wants to change that and to make it known by everyone.”

“Perhaps he thinks the world will be better for it, to correct a misunderstanding?” Harrow asked. “Will it change things if everyone knows?”

“Yes, I think it will,” the priestess agreed. “It will change our view of ourselves. More people will desire to leave Aster Fall, but it might decrease conflict if people see they are all from the same place. With the World Seal so clearly under attack, the High Artificer seems to want to use it as a unifying idea.”

“Who is the High Artificer?” Harrow asked with a frown, “I’ve never heard of him before.”

“You’ve heard of the Horned Hunter of the Moons though, haven’t you?” the priestess replied with a smile. “He seems to be the same figure from this kingdom, but he is more powerful than I thought.”

“He made the World Law speak on his behalf,” Harrow said hesitantly, as if he still couldn’t believe it. It was nearly unheard of for something like that to happen. “Or is it heresy to say that?”

“At most, they are on the same side,” the old priestess answered with a shake of her head. She didn’t seem to be upset at the idea. “The World Law is the power of Aster Fall itself. It cannot be suppressed so easily. The High Artificer has some influence and his power is at the top of all the legends of Aster Fall, but this day was the result of them working together. That is what is truly miraculous. I do not know the last time the World Law favored someone so much.”

“Do we call it the World Core now, instead of the World Law?” Harrow frowned with concern. “It will be difficult to change our habits.”

“The World Core and the World Law are the same thing,” the priestess said with another shake of her head. “Many know this, but it is easier to call it the World Law when it speaks to us, since very few are able to understand the World Core. That will not change.”

“You mean the church has always known?” Harrow asked with surprise.

“At a certain level, the World Law will teach you the history of the world and our purpose in aiding it,” the old priestess replied mildly. “Move past these thoughts. Instead, think about why this happened.”

“The High Artificer must gain something from it,” Harrow said after a while. His tone was doubtful. “But I don’t know what he would want.”

“If my guess is right, it is part of his intention to free people from the World Limit that everyone has heard about,” the priestess said. “He is using this as a foundation to gather fame, and to show his power to everyone, so that they will believe that he is capable of it and come to the Conclave of the Moons. Look at this diagram and his inscription...he is showing us that he has stood in the Void above the world, that he is not bound by the World Limit. This will get him attention, but it makes me wonder how he’s going to deal with our old enemy.” Her voice was quiet as she looked up at the sky.

“An enemy?” Harrow asked as he followed her gaze to the blue sky. “What one?”

“The World Limit protects us from a great monster from the First War,” the priestess replied with narrowed eyes. A flicker of a dangerous aura made the air around her boil before everything returned to calm, causing Harrow to jump. “One that is capable of consuming worlds. It is why the church has never tried to leave Aster Fall. We trust in the World Law’s judgment.”

“Maybe it left?” Harrow asked slowly. “It’s been a long time since then.”

“The World Law believes it is still nearby.” The priestess shook her head, and Harrow eventually went back to studying the World Tree and thinking about what the High Artificer had done here.

“But will the word of this spread?” he asked as he looked at the tree and diagram. “Aethra is only one kingdom. Even spreading the word here will take a while, much less elsewhere. Do you think the High Artificer wants everyone on Aster Fall who has reached the World Limit to come to his conclave?”

“Yes, I think he does,” the priestess said calmly. “As for telling everyone, the World Law will announce it soon enough. The High Artificer has already promised it. For Aethra and the neighboring kingdoms, there will be no trouble even without that. I’ve issued an order to record this day as the Birth of the World Tree and the Crowning of the King by the High Artificer. The news will spread within a day to every major power nearby, along with word of this diagram as proof. Many will come to see it for themselves.”

Her eyes were on the tree as she spoke. She shook her head as she ran her fingers along the golden swirls on the bark, causing a tiny flare of elemental mana.

“Some are calling this day the Coronation of the World Tree instead,” she added. “They are insisting that the tree is the real king of Aethra now, an artifact chosen by the World Core to rule the kingdom, but the church is prepared to support the king. The High Artificer has set him in power, and we will respect his wishes. If the tree is as powerful as it seems, it will last through ages’ worth of kings. One more or one less will not matter. Now, put these thoughts aside and help me record everything here into a viewing crystal.”

“Yes, High Priestess,” Harrow replied quietly as he bowed to the most powerful member of the church in the kingdom.

*****

In the darkness of the Void, the stream of rainbow energy from the World Tree flowed like a tiny river into the distance. It was small, but already seemed endless as it blended through the nearby dimensions. From every direction, elemental energy poured toward it in an answering stream, creating a current.

In the silence between the stars, a current from that rainbow energy flowed past a stony moon that was orbiting a dead planet. There was no life on the planet’s surface, just short mountains broken from meteor strikes, but there was one strange location scorched black like a battle had been fought there. Ashes still drifted across the rippled stone of an old fortress half-buried in the ground.

As the World Tree’s energy brushed the surface of the moon, a small shudder went through the surface, disturbing the rocks resting on it. They floated upward as a range of mountains along the surface rose and fell again. They protruded from the surface of the moon like the spine of a great creature. Far away on the distant edge of the moon, a storm of small rocks flew away as a dark pit opened beneath them. The surface of the pit swept closed and then opened again.

Inside that pit, a baleful yellow eye looked out, its attention fixed on the distance.