~A KING'S SCHOLAR~

THE SEER TOWERS were the Great beacons of the South. The OBELISCOLYCHNY as the famed scholars liked to call them. The monoliths stood proud as four colossal monstrosities that rose with peaks that nested eagles. They were so high that their blurry rise could be seen from the Carrean sea; a great landmark to ships sailing across the emerald waters, hence the alias 'obeliscolychny' which translated as Lighthouse.

The towers were made of sturdy stone, with windows of Syveria's mined treasure: sapphire glass. The massive constructs all stood in close quarters, boasting a mystifying architecture that could only be actualized by the most brilliant minds of the realm. Great thinkers that could turn metal into magic, and spin straw into gold in a manner of speaking.

For mere acceptance alone into the Seer Clave, one had to undertake the Test of Thoughts. Applicants were subjected to the most rigorous mind-blowing questions, riddles, reading of stars, naming of elements, distortion of planes and angles, scripts of antiquity; all the far reaches of ingenious men of old spun into examinations by the Overseers: the highest rank in the Seer Clave.

These applicants were only accepted into the clave after successfully passing the test. The Overseers were four aged men, each headed a tower division and were the sole proprietorship of the clan. They selected each graduant into the fold.

Every single one of the towers were named after the principal works performed within.

The South-facing tower was called HEARTHSTONE, the grand forge of Calipsos. This monster beauty housed all the notable craftsmen and artisans of the summerlands, and many ironsmiths struggled to be accepted into this guild. Hearthstone was the great smelting pit that made the armory of the Royal guard, the Kingsguard, and the Blue Cloaks.

The North-facing tower was called GREYSTONE. It housed all the raw materials for the Seers inventions; from the chunks of wood to great plates of steel. Greystone was a warehouse of sorts, managed by men versed in book-keeping and numeracy.

The East-facing tower was called BIRTHSTONE; the House of Creation. It was in this stronghold that the men crafted new ships, vessels and implements that made life easier. Men found in this hold were those of inventive minds.

The West-facing tower was named in honor of Nihila, the first Pierran and the golden knight. It was named GOLDSTONE. This tower was solely devoted to the kingdom's prosperity. It was the meeting place of the Overseers, where they gathered to discuss important matters of state. Goldstone was the capital's seat of power.

The high horn of Calipsos.

It also had grounds open for visiting merchants. The wealthy foreigners spent more than enough coins admiring the gilden walls, and the coffers of Syveria swelled from the tourists who emptied their pockets to behold the innards of Goldstone.

The Four Seer Towers were the beating heart of the Summerlands. To destroy the towers would be to destroy the empire.

Patrol officers around the fortresses were specially trained by the Royal Guard and selected for the sole purpose of defending the towers. Hearthstone, Greystone, Birthstone, and Goldstone made Syveria the wealthiest of all empires of the known world.

The Tower guards marking the grounds went into high alert when a dark carriage rumbled to the front of Goldstone. The men instantly gripped their scabbards.

They were surprised when the Commander himself pulled aside the swarthy drapes and climbed off the carriage. The men let go of their weapons and walked to him. There were three of them marking the front steps leading up to the tower. The man in the lead walked up to the carriage.

"Lord Commander!" he saluted. Latchlon regarded the man with a small smile.

"Lieutenant Byron, how are you?"

"Steady as always, Lord Commander," Byron replied. "How can the tower guards be of assistance, Ser?"

Latchlon levelled his gaze on him and Byron's already rod-like back went straighter.

"I require the discreet passage of the package in this vessel into the gilded halls."

"I can arrange that Ser, but due to the tower's fortification, can I ask what we will be conveying inside the hall, Ser?

"No," Latchlon boomed. "It's a matter of state security."

"Yes Ser," Byron nodded.

He gestured to the other guards and they came running. A swift order was given and in mere moments, a group of four taller, chiseled officers came pounding out the tower's entrance. They took the steps two at a time and stopped before the carriage.

The officers gave a quick bow to Latchlon, followed by series of a deep, echoed 'Lord Commander!'

They each marked the four helms of the carriage, then in a collective heave, they lifted up the litter, pulling the box away from the main wheels.

The horses in front gruntled at the men as they pulled up the entire weight of the carriage. With a unfied forward movement, they began a slow ascent up the stone steps of Goldstone.

As the soldiers wandered further up, Latchlon turned to the Lieutenant.

"Byron?"

"Yes Ser," the man replied immediately, his stance formal and sure.

"Ready your men to await a royal reception. The King will be arriving shortly."

"Yes Ser!" Byron boomed. Latchlon turned away and with his two following Blue Cloaks, he too began the upward glide up the front steps of the tower.

Lieutenant Byron Krissoff was left alone once more with his two officers by his side. As soon as Latchlon and the following Blue Cloaks disappeared into the tower's wide doorway, one of the men walked close to Byron.

"Lieutenant," the man began. "What by the Pantheon is going on?"

Byron looked slightly to the man.

"I don't know but it's well above our rank."

The second officer walked close too.

"I think I did hear some deep sounds coming from inside the litter, like a man's voice."

"Yes, I did hear them also," the first officer put in again. "Maybe a young lad—"

"Enough, you two!" Byron growled at the men. They shrank a little at the authority of his voice. "I just told you it's above our ranks. Now, go mann your posts. The king is coming."

The men nodded and went back to stand watch behind him.

Lieutenant Byron knew his men spoke truth for he had heard the deep sounds too. Someone had being chained in the carriage. Who? He couldn't possibly guess. But for a royal visit to Seer Towers meant only one thing.

A threat to the Crown.