Chapter 48

"But have you seen the ethereal rays of moon beams descending into the heart of the ocean?

As if the light years between the heavens and the land made not sufficient destination till the face of the earth, that it yearned to plunge deeper yet; that is how I desire to dive into the very depths in pursuit for answers and truth."

~

Head-Quarters of Tristendyre's News Corporation,

City of Shillingston,

Kingdom of Tristendyre,

The first Phrinight of the Second month,

XXI Year of Regency

Lord Lucious Reid walked around the hall of the main office restlessly, raking his hands through his teal hair.

The night brought the most bustling hours of engagement to the port of journalism, where they wrote the various accounts and reports and news to the people.

The chamber of the bureau was large, scaling a great distance in both spread and height with long windows ranging over the upper portions of the stone walls.

Shafts of moonbeams descended from those into the halls, where various scribes were engaged in calligraphing various copies of the news.

On their completion of the reports, the envoys would arrive by a few hours prior to the break of dawn to distribute the pages of news across to the bulletins of each city or town or village wherefrom the common folks would read to acquire the latest reforms and proceedings and events.

In order to obtain admission to the news, the people would pool their fees and the head of the province shall make weekly payment to the Company for the receipt of the papers and articles.

There were also the news-birds trained to be messengers, carrying personal pages of news to the wealthy or distinguished families and Nobles. However, the winged couriers would not accomplish their service as appropriately on days when a thunderstorm was impending.

Of course, there were larger birds, which were equipped with more than a single pair of wings, possessing the calibre of delivery, but such winged creatures were a greatly unusual breed in Tristendyre, such that they never were found.

There were great candelabra chandeliers propelled from the very loft ceiling and shed light to the writers that were hard at work.

As the hours passed, Lord Lucious' tension grew steadily in correspondence.

The company that produced the news in the Kingdom was of the Reid Family. Although it was an autonomous establishment, exercising such self-governance was not their granted privilege.

Where the warnings of Dragon Raids were the most sought-for news in the land, it was the power of the Chief Eccleissor to foresee the same and announce to the Kingdom.

Thus, his favour was entreated in exchange for reporting such accounts as per the grant of the Imperial Castle in the official papers of news.

However, whilst business proceeded so, there was a great blow to the reputation of the Company with the advent of a very elusive 'Nathan, the Prophet that warns'.

The element of mystery from the ambassador bought the curiosity of the people and the articles he exposed greatly assaulted the charged against the State.

The body of people across the Kingdom preferred Nathan's flashes of newscast even though they were rare.

The News Corporation could no more exercise monopoly and was prepared to meet any extreme that invited the thirst of the people to what they fed in their pages of press.

There had been about a few weeks of suspicious silence from the faceless news-bringer, Nathan, which was both relieving and unsettling for there was no guarantee of the end of his carrier, yet he could be far collecting messages of ample tonnage.

However, there had been several strange occurrences in the Kingdom which had gone officially unaccounted. His absence should, however, have been expected, for he had mentioned in his last report that there was chance it was his final.

Lord Lucious Reid had neither more opportunity to await the reality of his lack of survival, nor the chance to entertain rumours that Jehu was potentially the body behind the vigilante's front.

In the latter case, the Pillory's victim was said, that dawn, to have escaped his impending Death sentence (dictating that he may or may not proceed with writing). A counter-criminal was even executed in such place for having been his aide.

The News forum needed to make means to earn the favour of the people in casting the office to the pleasure of their attention.

In satisfying the lavishness of their content, there were a various deal of incidents, but the Company was hindered by the Government itself from publishing those.

The single path to achieving the people was to overstep such imposed frontiers of the Imperial Castle and to work in autonomy.

Whilst one of the chief authors brought him the draft of articles, he inspected the report before he could hand the same to the scriveners that produced various copies.

It had featured the Execution of a damsel from the Imperial Castle who had assisted the escape of the criminal on the Pillory.

Sanctioning the draft, he awaited the next that would compose the herald regarding the recent fire in the Village of Lyre.

His reporters had brought information of the count of the victims to the combustion and the houses that were ruined to rubble, leaving families destitute.

None of his journalists had been able to trace the source of the flames, but he had received word, prior to their arrival in the office, from a certain damsel named Erys Luna-ward who was a native of the village that the fire was caused by levins of the rainstorm.

The story was unconvincing, but she had mentioned that such was the decree of the Arch Eccleissor and Lord Lucious was expected to incorporate the same. It had been a while since she had arrived and she left just as immediately.

The man mopped around the office waiting for the finalisation of the article whose drafting was underway.

As he tapped his fingers impatiently, there was an entrance made and he looked up to find the Royal Chief of Artillery, Sir Jaycob Oreius step into the hall.

"Greetings", said he and Lord Lucious bowed to welcome.

"An honour to have your esteemed presence, Sir; what has invited your coming?" asked the man that managed the helm of the Establishment.

"I bring you news regarding the fire of Lyrishveil", said the masked man and Lord Lucious offered him a seat.

The Archer of the Imperial Castle, that commonly smelt fresh, brought with him the scent of cinders and flames.

It was then that Lord Lucious realised that he had not detected like odour from the others that had reported. It was potential that this man was in the heart of the fire.

"I listen with ready ears", said the man with cerulean hair.

The men leaned forward in curious conversation as Sir Jaycob broke his share. "I assume you have begun the accommodation of the event into your columns of news?" asked he, and Lord Lucious nodded.

"The process is under performance", was his reply. "Is there any that I must add?"

The Royal archer rubbed his chin curiously before enquiring: "What have you written to have offered birth to the fire?"

"Thunders after the storm", said the Chief of the Company.

"The rain could easily have washed the flames to their death. But I was there when the ignition commenced. It was not a natural disaster, it was a deliberate arson", said the dark-eyed Archer.

Lord Lucious raised his brows in stunned consideration. "And do you know who the arsonist was?" asked the man and watched as Jaycob Oreius seemed like he was pondering.

"Consider the person an agent of the Government", said he and turquoise-haired man paused to think.

It was reasonable that such was the true cause, for the news he had received specifying the cause of the fire was from the State.

"A woman by name Erys Luna-ward arrived earlier to bring to our heed that the lightning had caused a revving fire in the Village of Lyre", he disclosed to the Archer.

The masked man seemed curiously inclined as he asked, "Did she bear any evidence of embarking from a flame-afflicted hamlet? Such as burnt hems of robe or like other?"

"Well, if it brings us notice, she did not even slightly bear the scent of fire. In fact, she smelt all too much fresher than even my men that had visited the site to bring numbers and count", stated the lord.

"And when had she arrived?" the Archer interrogated further.

"It must be about a three hours passed by now", said the man from the company.

Sir Jaycob Oreius reasoned: "It has only been about a couple of hours and a half since the flames began."

~