Game of Thrones: Paladin of Old Gods - Chapter 163: Yellow Robe...

Chapter 163: Yellow Robe…

******

Dear Readers, I will publish “only” this chapter in this week’s… It’s a very long and very long-suffering chapter. The original plan was to split it into two parts, but I did not have the heart to do so. To cut it in half was an abomination…. So, here you are served a “Two for the price of one!” chapter.

Have a great week, everyone, and happy reading!

***

Ps: May the Yellow dynasty always reign long!!!!!

******

POV: Author

Once upon a time, there was a boy. A boy bright and shining in all his wits and worldview.

A rare fruit spawned from the seed of a prince of the Yi Ti Empire of the ancient and royal Chai Dynasty and from the womb of the third-born Daughter of an influential Lord Sorcerer of Asshai. The seventh son of a prince, seventh in succession to the Golden Throne of the Yi Ti Empire. An empire in decline for generations, consumed by countless civil wars over the line to the throne.

Various Factions descended from the Ancient Lineage of the Hundred Sons of The God-On-Earth were in an eternal, bloody struggle.

The boy witnessed the decimation of his own family, remaining as the last representative of the Yellows faction…

The “Sea Green” faction of the Jar dynasty prevailed against the Chai dynasty, or at least until the boy matured and became a man…

Not even a decade later, from the fall of the Yellow Faction, the 68th Emperor of the Jar was defeated in the field by the last heir of the Chai Dynasty, losing his throne.

The 69th Emperor of the Golden Empire was feared, loved and respected throughout the East-his name was known from the meanders of the Sunset Sea to the Sea of Shivers, from Oldtown to Carcosa.

Duq of the Chai Dynasty had not inherited a title or an Empire by birthright; he had earned it in Blood and Gold. Nevertheless, he chose to take the reins of an Ancient and once Glorious Empire on the brink of ruin and restore it to the pinnacle of its former glory.

Political struggles, civil wars, foreign invasions, famines, epidemics, betrayals… The God-Golden Emperor prevailed over all threats that undermined the foundations of his vision, raising The Golden Empire to the heights of Ancient Valyria in just a few decades.

Reaching the summit of the highest mountain, man evolved into Phoenix and began to fly, dancing among the skies with the most resplendent Daughter of Fire in creation. Chai Duq met and married his great Love…Aenyra Dhorais, heir to the most influential family among the Dragonlords Archons of Valyria…Aenyra, “the Jewel of Fire,” as they called her.

Many cultures despised incest and close unions among Valyrians. But few knew the reason behind it… The purer the Blood of the Sons of the Gods was, the more difficult it was to interweave between the different progenitor elements, especially for the Sons of Fire…

Varied were the attempts and crossings, but Fire burned them all away, prevailing over all other elements. Only the Andalus blood could bear the entanglement, but at the cost of diluting the power of the Divine Blood…

And it was there, after several attempts and tragic miscarriages, that the Golden Phoenix experienced “the Brightest Hour” that life could offer him.

The Magical World was blessed by an event that had not occurred since the time of the First Emperors of Dawn…

The birth of his most precious treasure, the miraculous fruit between Fire and Light, the jewel that for Duq and Aenyra embodied the purest essence of Love, Beauty and Magic… their child and heir, Amys. She who was baptized by the High Priestess of R’hllor herself as the “Spark of Dawn” and blessed by the three guardians of the World in the name of the three great powers.

All the prominent figures of the Known World came to the City of Yin to pay homage to the birth, Kings, Lords, High Priests of all creeds, and representatives of institutions…

The Golden Emperor commemorated the birth of his daughter by proclaiming an entire year of festivities throughout the Empire. Sharing nectar and golden celebrations with all the people, sealing covenants of peace, opening the gates of the capital and extending the invitation to all the nobility of the known World:

Magicians, Valyrians, Rhoynars, First Men, Ghiscarians, Andals, Braavosians, even the Jhats of the Jogos Nhai and the Khals Dothraki…. all would share in some of the happiness of the Golden Empire.

But the warmest and brightest light also attracted the coldest and darkest darkness…

Not even three years after the festive event, day after day, the Sparkle of Dawn glow grew dimmer and dimmer… No one knew what disease, poison or dark spell afflicted the child. It was no common disease or poison… No earthly evil could afflict the Children of Fire. The blood of the Dragon God burned everything. It was not ordinary magic. The Guardian of Magic blessed the maiden by awakening the dormant power in the Dynasty of Light… The Emperor’s most precious treasure was cursed.

Chai Duq sought every possible help, appealing to every known healer, priest, sorcerer, shaman or maesters. Bowing his head to his friends, bending the knee to his enemies, promising riches, lands, ancient treasures, even his own throne–the man would sacrifice every earthly good for his daughter’s sake.

The God Emperor sought the help of his ancestor, The Archwizard Lo Tho, but all Magic was useless…

The Father invoked help from the Lord of Harmony, but Love could not stop the unknown evil…

The desperate man came in person with the creature in his arms to the far end of the World, to the abode of the Green King, but the Guardian of Beauty failed where the guardians of Magic and Love failed…

Amys went out, and “The Darkest Hour” descended on The Golden Empire…

The Red Jewel went mad in grief. Aenyra attempted a suicidal feat to embrace her missing child again, flying in the saddle of her Red Dragon, Creglhak, into the dawning sun… No one ever saw either Dragon or Rider again. Attempts at recovery or sighting of the Empress’ body were utterly futile.

The Phoenix lost its light…

The fury and grief of the Emperor consumed in a few years all that he had built over decades of sacrifice and hard work. Chai Duq knew that “someone” or “something” was responsible for a such misdeed, and he vowed in the name of The God-On-Earth to find him and unleash the full wrath of his Dynasty against it. But “When you push the World, the World, in turn, responds by pushing…”

The continents were reeling from the pain and devastation of World War III, and no one wished for a Fourth…

The 69th God-Emperor was ousted from the throne and forced into exile. Duq of the Chai Dynasty lost everything…

But the Phoenix of Light rose from its ashes. Light and Shadow were two sides of the same coin, and Chai Duq chose to walk a darker path… The apprentice mage climbed step by step the way of the Arcane, learning, struggling and assimilating all that Magic had to offer. The man had no interest in reaching the pinnacle of the Confederation Hierarchy…Chai Duq’s obsession was the quest. The sorcerer would keep his word, exploring every inch of the Abyss to unravel the mystery of Amys and find the one responsible.

Time, effort and sacrifice were not an issue.

The Phoenix searched and waited…

Four centuries later, an unprecedented event shocked the Confederacy and the Guardian of Magic himself. Somehow the ancient runic circles of the Fourteen Fires collapsed, and the Great Disaster decreed the end of one of the Greatest Magical Empires in history.

“Someone” or “Something” had succeeded in breaking an ancient and powerful magic of the 10th Circle–magic created and used by God-On-Earth himself, The God of Magic.

At that point, Chai Duq confirmed his suspicions… An entity, unknown and of boundless power, the same one that had managed to stop the combined power of Three Guardians, lurked in the Shadow of the World.

Andals, Dothraki, Braavosians, Sons of the Harpy, whoever it was, was correlated with the forces at the Head of the World, using them at its will as puppets. And so, the Phoenix understood what had to be done to unveil the great predator…

Set the Great Forest ablaze and force all the creatures of creation out into the open–“A World War.”

But to achieve this, the man had to climb back to the top of the hierarchy and stand as King among Mages.

From the City of Bones to Asshai, rumours began to swirl of a portentous and brilliant Hermit Sorcerer always dressed in peculiar yellow robes…

Of an old fallen Emperor of the past who had sacrificed everything in the name of Magic…

He passed through the gates of the Starry City with the title of mere “Apprentice of the Arcanum” and came out the following day with the honorific of “Great Wizard.”…

He passed through the gates of the City of Shadow by accepting innumerable dangerous Spellbreaker (Rogue Wizard Hunter) assignments and, in less than a year, revived the gates of Asshai with a hundred heads…

He revolutionized the Wizarding World, creating new spells, contributing to alchemical research, restoring the stagnant art of Forgemasters, discovering new magical resources, bringing lost Ancient Runes back to life, training and leading new platoons of War Mages, and achieving countless military successes in the disputed lands of Sothoryos.

He faced and stood up to even the Lord of Oldtown armed with the dreaded “Keeper of Knowledge” artefact, snatching numerous victories in the various skirmishes between Magicians and Andals. An achievement that not even the previous Lord of Carcosa was able to achieve…

But the most memorable event of all was the proclamation officiated by the God-Guide of Magic himself, Lo Tho himself, who, in the presence of the whole of Carcosa, bestowed upon his new disciple the title of “Heir,” proclaiming him as the next Guardian of Magic and bestowing upon him the most coveted symbol of magical power among magicians… the stirrup of power “Valunday G’ho Ras”.

All the wizards of the Confederation began to love, fear and respect the Arcanist Rising Star, always dressed in extravagant Yellow Robes…appealing to him as a point of reference, a guide, the bringer of a new Age of Magic… a King among Sorcerers.

And so, not even a century later, after a myriad of achievements and accomplishments, through merit, ingenuity and magic, a new Overlord of Carcosa rose to power…

“The King in the Yellow.”

****

End POV.

****

POV: The King in The Yellow

A few dozen steps away from a pensive dwarf.

Seconds before the final act of the play began…

World War IV was imminent. It was a matter of a few years, if not mere moon cycles…the Sorcerer felt it deep inside.

This time, no Guardian would stop the great forest from burning… The Phoenix Hunter was ready.

Duq of the Chai dynasty had waited for this moment for nearly half a millennium…

The Giant was still awake, not quite lucid or yet ready to throw himself back into the great fray called “Politics.” A battlefield in which Chai Duq no longer had any interest and which, whenever and wherever possible, he delegated to leading minds in the Council of Carcosa more interested in personal ambition than in magical research. But now, after a long and forced hibernation, the brightest and sharpest mind in the East was awakening from its long slumber…

“2,700,000!” Thundered furiously in reply to the Stag King.

“2,800,000!” Replied Prince Dornian a moment later.

“3,000,000!!” The False Storm King. At that point, his assistant Quaithe turned to him, whispering (In the High Yi Tiìn):

“Master… The Crowlands Faction, Stormlands and The Vale should have less liquidity. I suspect that King Robert disposes of the favour of Casterly Rock.”

“Don’t look at the figure of the Lion, Quaithe — focus on the shadow behind it.” Replied the Sorcerer King in a firm tone.

“… Do you mean the Titan, Noble Master? But that means-” Chai Duq anticipated him:

“We cannot prevail for the first position… The Braavosian was shrewd and bold.” Then the Sorcerer turned to his Guardian friend. “But in any case, that fiend of your protégé had already staked out 2nd place for Carcosa… Am I right, dear Zick?”

“… I am not accustomed to the complex political games, dear Chai. I haven’t the faintest idea what possesses for that boy’s mind. Not even old Zishua is clear about Bloody Snow’s future moves.” Responded Zick defensively with his usual fake [I’m only a Master of Arms] look.

“Pff… We’ll find out the truth together at Isle of a Thousand Faces, Old Fox. I can’t wait to hear what a ‘True-Guardian-Neutral’ will say about your actions and those of your protégé…Have you ever met him in person? Of course, I’m talking about the Druid King.” Chai asked as the auction continued…

“3,100,000!” Prince Doran decreed after a good minute of exchanging advice in his faction.

There was still time before his move.

“Never had the pleasure of meeting the Green King. The Guardian of Beauty has always used animals and beasts as a conduit to communicate directly with me.” The Sorcerer sneered in reply, “You are not the only one in this Vast World skilled in reading people… It will be an interesting meeting.”

Zich scrutinized him carefully…The Watcher seemed to have noticed his awakening, abandoning his jovial gaze to replace it with a more serious one.

The Sorcerer King stopped teasing the Old Man of Old Tower, intent on eavesdropping on the part of their talk and began communicating in a “real” secret language. The Ancient Lost Language of the Empire of Dawn… A language that only the high officials of Carcosa and a foreign Watcher knew…

{“Mh mh mh! The Green Knight is forcing my hand… Quaithe, at the moment, how much grain does the North have and produce?”} Asked the Sorcerer, searching the balconies for the gaze of Zick’s pupil.

{“Here…House Cerwyn, Tallhart, and Manderly are the largest producers and importers of grain in the North, master… Unfortunately, given the brevity of the spring and the simultaneous Greyjoy Rebellion, we do not have an accurate estimate. But we know that during the last quarter of production in the previous summer, the total harvest and import from the Reach was around 3,000,000 Bushels of grain, master.”} Responded to the assistant, slightly aback by the requested information.

{“Would you also like to share some of your unquestioned and unerring foresight with us, Chai?”} He asked the only person in the World who was allowed to use his middle name as his first name. Every time Zick pronounced “Duq”, he burst out laughing… In the Common tongue, the pronunciation and form of the word were similar to the term “Duck…”

Before condemning the unfortunate outsider, the Witch King, who had dared to mock him, proudly explained that “Duq” in Ancient Yi Tiìn meant “Shining…”

[“Pff… spuzz…! Gh… I beg your pardon! Sprzzz… Ahah… ahahahahahah!”

“You still dare to mock me, you demented lunatic?!!! What do you find so funny about my name??!”

“… Nothing… Nothing, Honorable Overlord of Carcosa. It’s just that–no, never mind.”

“Speak, Coward!!! Or I’ll have your tongue ripped out and stuffed to use as a pendant monkey for all future visitors!”

“That’s… emm… It’s just that, now that I know the meaning of it, every time I repeat the word “Duq” inside me, I think of “A Shining Duck”… That’s all.”

“… Let jhattar Kutan go to hell, and screw diplomacy too!

I would have had anyone else whipped, skinned and boiled…but for you, young outsider, I want to give myself time. Time to carefully ponder the “just punishment” you deserve… …{BY ORDER OF YOUR LORD, THROW THAT CRAZY AND ALL HIS COMPANIONS INTO THE MOST ANGST, DARKEST AND SUDICIOUS CELL IN THE TOWER!!! GET THEM OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!”} ]

But The King in The Yellow also recalled how, with just a few words, The Watcher managed to foil the condemnation and forge a unique bond with the Head in Chief of the Confederation of Mages…

But a voice awakened him from his memories.

{“Chai…? Has your spark of lucidity gone out yet, by any chance?} the Sorcerer shot him a murderous flash. {“I’m as clear-headed as ever, villan! I was just…thinking!”} Zick raised his hands playfully in surrender, and then Chai Duq elucidated:

{“You have raised the most diabolical of Demons, Zick…

Your pupil wants to buy time, shifting the gaze and fury of the giants to Sothoryos. Bloody Snow wanted the Titan to get his hands on the Damascus before us to give him an advantage and a quick rich prize…

Oldtown will depend on the benevolence of Braavos. When the Coincounters tear up the most profitable and advantageous agreement between the two factions, they will join forces with the Andals to beat the crap out of us on the Magic Continent.

We will lose ground, that’s for sure… But if the Confederacy focused its defences on the critical points of our domains, sacrificing herds and crops to safeguard our Magical Blood supplies, the damage would be “sustainable.”

All to replicate the same arrangement, forcing the Magicians to depend on the First Men…

Bloody Snow does not want to use the need for armaments as a means of pressure to force us into an alliance beneficial to the First Men, but hunger…

The North will compensate for the lack of food in our lands in exchange for our riches.”} The brilliant Former Emperor took his time to consider and promulgated:

“{Pff…I bet the first future “Great Financial Maneuver” of the Never Winter Bank will be to grab every single ounce of grain available on the market and attempt to sell the surplus to the Confederacy.”}

His assistant stiffened at the shocking revelation. Quaithe grew gloomy at the idea of all the political and economic repercussions that “she” would have to manage in the immediate future.

The Northern manoeuvre was hazardous… the Confederacy would fall back as far as the Wyvern Promontory. The food supplies produced in the outposts south of it would feed nearly ¼ of the inhabitants from Ulthos to the Grey Desert.

Had Torrhen’s Square and the Never Winter Bank failed to compensate for the severe lack of food sources for the hungry mouths of the inhabitants of Asshai, Carcosa, City of Winged Men, City of Bones and K’Dath, the consequences would have been disastrous for both Magicians and First Men…

But his longtime friend did not seem to care.

{“Well… What can I say? Duncan has always been a very bold and adventurous boy. Just like his master! Ahahahah!”}

Chai Duq ignored Zick’s antics and remonstrated with his thoughts and memories.

‘I wonder how you will transport your grain from the North to the other end of the World, boy… The Titan will never allow you to cross his waters. So what are you going to do, Duncan of the Tallhart dynasty?’ Two things were certain in Chai Duq’s mind.

The first was that the former Emperor was looking forward to sitting at the negotiating table with the Demon of the North. The days and nights of waiting, ahead of the meeting arbitrated by the Guardian of Beauty and the Guardian of Love in the Green King’s abode, seemed to pass so slowly…

The Second was that if Bloody Snow found this arduous solution to the problem, the wait for the Great Hunt would be over in a few years…

Duq of the Chai Dynasty turned his eyes toward the possible spark for the longed-for fire… A potential spark even more captivating and revolutionary than “The Watcher”…

The beginning of a flame that could have illuminated the depths of the vast Ocean to awaken the Dark Leviathan hidden for so long… The Immundant creature patiently awaited and sought by the “Vengeful Phoenix Dressed in Yellow.”

****

End POV.

****

POV: Author

In the Throne Room of a Magical Tower of an Ancient and Shining City.

Year 257 BC, 11th day of the second moon.

Some thirty-three years earlier from the discovery of a possible second spark…

“…{BY ORDER OF YOUR LORD, THROW THAT MADMAN AND ALL HIS COMPANIONS INTO THE MOST CRAMPED, DARK AND FILTHY CELL IN THE TOWER!!! GET THEM OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!}” Ferociously promulgated the ruler in the Ancient and Unknown “Language of Dawn.”

The Twelve Shields and Arcane Guard responded promptly to the Lord of Carcosa’s call, surrounding the twelve hapless youths on all sides, unsheathing their blades.

The madman’s eleven doomed and unarmed companions seemed ready to sell their skins dearly and defend the group’s leader at the cost of their lives.

But the frail man in his early twenties simply raised a hand in surrender, stopping the suicidal intentions of his comrades…

Before two Magic Knights could lift a finger to the young man, he said in the same language:

“{Supreme Lord of Carcosa, Duq of the Noble Chai dynasty, I request the honour of one last wish before the end}.

“{STOP…! You. How do you know the Language of Dawn?! Speak! Who taught it to you?!}” The Sorcerer King asked in dismay, snapping to his feet from his throne.

“{I learned it right here in the last hour, thanks to you and your heralds, Noble Lord…As for my wish?}” The man asked, smiling.

The Former Emperor of Yi Ti had heard all kinds of lies in the past nine centuries. However, Chai Duq could tell that the man was not lying…

“{What do you want?}” The Sorcerer King asked in a calmer, more thoughtful tone.

“{Just an answer to a personal curiosity of mine, Sorcerer King. Nothing else}” Replied the young man.

After a moment’s consideration, the Lord of Carcosa agreed to the request with minimal gestures of assent.

“{During our stay in the domains of the Jogos Nhai, I have had the opportunity to hear many stories about the Legendary and Dreaded Sorcerer Lord of Carcosa…Many Jhats refer to you by nicknames such as “The Sorcerer King”,… “Scourge of the Zorses”,… “Ruler of Light and Shadow”…or “A One-Army-Man”…But there is neither one more widespread from Merchant City to Yin…

“The King in The Yellow… May I know the story behind the latter, Noble Duq of the Chai dynasty?}” The Sorcerer concealed raised his guard and, after gathering his most convincing mocking grin, enacted loudly:

“{Ahahaha! Fool of a foreigner! You have wasted your last wish… The answer you seek could have been found in any corner of Yi Ti!}” The small court joined in the laughter and mockery of the Lord Supreme, but the young man waited patiently with the same irritatingly curious smile…

“{Ahahah! The answer is obvious, young stranger! Because I love to wear my yellow robe! My symbol of pride that always reminds everyone of my Ancient and Noble lineage!}” The laughter and jeers died after a single, outrageous reply…

“No, it doesn’t.” Sentenced the young man in the common tongue.

With hardened defensive instinct, the Sorcerer stiffened and cast a spell from the school of the Abjuration*… All twelve Valyria’s Steel blades pointed in response to the possible threat.

But the Chief Sorcerer found nothing–no Legilimency’s spell* had been used, and only the Guardian of Magic could break through Archwizard Chai Duq’s mental barriers.

Yet, some kind of Sorcery unknown to him was going on… Those peculiar, piercing, blood-tinged eyes were peering deep into him.

For the first time in centuries, Chai Duq felt stripped of all his magical and impassable protections… The stranger had not forced his defences… no. It was as if someone had simply knocked on the gate of the impregnable fortress and convinced the castellan to enter.

And then the young man continued…

“I believe that the moniker of which you are so proud, ‘The King in the Yellow,’ is yes related to your robe, but for reasons much deeper than just noble lineage or a throne–a reason related to an ‘Unbreakable Love,’ am I right?” Silence descended in the hall, and then, a captain of the guard was carried away by the moment.

“You! I will tear out your tongue for such an outrage! You dare not insult the Lord Sorcerer Supreme any further in my presence!” Before the captain could even manage to unsheathe his dagger, the man found himself below, smashing into the high ceiling and dying on impact…

The peculiarity, which aroused the surprise of the outsiders, was that the body and the pool of blood formed by the poor unfortunate man continued to flow on the ceiling as if the attraction of the earth had reversed…

No one from Nefer to Asshai was to test the will of the Chief Sorcerer Supreme, let alone challenge an Archwizard in his Arcane Tower…

And no member of the Confederation dared move a finger or even utter an unsolicited sigh in the presence of the guarded and thoughtful Lord Supreme.

Seconds later, the Sorcerer King grabbed his own stirrup made of Valyrian Steel and descended one by one the steps of the Great Golden Throne adorned with runic veins of the same steel, opening up the array of guards and forcing every member loyal to Carcosa to kneel as he passed until he came within a few paces of the smiling man still standing…

The experienced Legiliment intensified eye contact, sensing a raw but powerful resistance in the man’s mind. A patina of concentrated sheer will, fluid and elastic, that pushed back any attempt to unblock… But the Sorcerer King, firm in his wits and experience, tempered and pinned his battering ram, overheating the tip and spinning it on itself to exponentially intensify its penetrative capacity until he succeeded in the feat…

However, the young man did not seem to mind–in fact, he seemed to be amused by it.

As soon as Chai’s mind stepped inside the man’s memorial chest, an endless Tsunami of images overwhelmed him… There were too many! Simply too much information to assimilate, even for the most capable mind in the East!

This was no ordinary eidetic ability… No, it was something much more unique. It was as if the mind had acquired millions of images and assimilated them into its own paintings and tapestries with personal details and adjustments…

The man was deliberately crushing the intruder with avalanches of useless and meaningless information. The Sorcerer King was forced to instantly break the mental link…

After a few moments to recover from the cerebral damage, scrutinizing the most mysterious man he had ever encountered to the best of his ability, the Old and Mighty Sorcerer asked a simple question:

“…Who are you?”

The man relaxed his face, abandoning the gaze challenge with his opponent and, in a calm and friendly tone, answered simply:

“Some people know me as “The Watcher”, but if you like, you can simply call me by my name… Zick.”

******

824 years before a peculiar group of outsiders passed through the gates of Carcosa…

In the City of Yin, in a corridor of an imposing, thousand-year-old Golden Palace…

“Chai! Chai, come quickly!” The Golden Emperor turned to greet his wife, Aenyra, and the almost three-year-old girl in his arms with a loving smile. Their most precious jewel, Amys.

“Amys darling, tell Dad what you told me earlier.” Incited the mother by tickling the hesitant child’s belly.

“Ghihihi…funny Dad…! Ghihi! No! Funny Yellow Robe!” spat the child in laughter.

“Aenyra, please… You shouldn’t encourage her.” Whispered the Emperor with a hint of concealed annoyance.

“Shh, hush… She is not finished.” Dismissed Aenyra with condescension, forcing the most powerful man in the empire to back away.

Almost every lunar cycle, his wife pestered him with some elaborate prank… And now, the Empress was training a valuable ally day after day.

The Emperor took the child in his arms, kissing her on the cheek and lifting her into the air.

“… Amys, what else do you want to say to your Dad?” The Emperor indulged in the game.

“Dad Yellow Robe! Dad Yellow King! Ghihihi!” replied her daughter, slightly disarming her father with a playfully offended face.

“No, my love, that would be “Emperor in the Yellow”…Dad is an “Emperor”, not a commonplace “King”…can you say that word? “E-M-P-E-R-O-R”…?”

“No, Yellow Empepot! King! Yellow Robe, Yellow King! King…emm…in the Yellow! King in the Yellow!” Fired the bright little brat.

“Pff! mh, mh…ahahah!” The Red Jewel also laughed, almost making the haughty Emperor’s nerve pop… But Duq of the Chai dynasty did not know the word “Defeat.”

“No, honey, it’s “EMPEROR in the Yellow”… On repeat with Dad, E-M-P-E-R-O-R…” Replicated the father a second time.

The confused and indecisive child sought help in the face of her mother, who promptly shook her head to the rescue.

“No Empetot! King! Ghihih! KING in the Yellow!””

….

End Chapter.

****

*Note Author: [The abjuration school of magic encompasses protective spells. They create a physical or magical barrier, negate magical or physical abilities, harm trespassers, or even banish the spell’s subject to another plane of existence. (Material drawn from the world of Forgotten Realms)

– The Legilimency is a particular magical art that makes it possible for a mage to read into another’s mind his intentions or the course of his thoughts. (Material belonging to the fantasy world of J. K. Rowling)]