Chapter 06: The Emperor's Story

Kaer rose slowly, his imposing stature suddenly dominating the crowded hall. In the flickering candlelight, his features seemed carved from granite, and his gray eyes gleamed with a troubling intensity. Arthur noticed that all the conversational noise had ceased, as if the entire inn was holding its breath.

- "Long ago," Kaer began in a deep voice that carried to the most remote corners of the room, "before most of you were born, Aethermoor was not the Empire you know today."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the captivated audience.

- "In those days, order was maintained by an ancient and noble brotherhood: the Phoenix Guardians. These exceptional men and women had been chosen by the phoenixes themselves, those majestic creatures that embodied justice and rebirth. Each Guardian was bound to their phoenix by a sacred pact, and together, they watched over the peace of our lands."

Arthur felt a shiver run through him. This story resonated strangely with his recent discovery, as if Kaer's words were awakening something deeply buried within him.

- "The Guardians possessed extraordinary powers," Kaer continued. "They mastered Aethrim, the ancient language of power words, and could accomplish feats that we would today call miracles. But above all, they were incorruptible, united by an oath to protect the innocent and serve justice."

One of the imperial soldiers snickered softly, but the look Kaer gave him silenced him instantly.

- "Among these Guardians was a brilliant and ambitious young man named Cinereus. He was considered one of the most gifted of his generation, bound to a phoenix with feathers as bright red as blood. Cinereus was intelligent, charismatic, and many thought he would one day become the leader of the order."

Kaer paused again, and Arthur could see fascination painted on every face.

- "However, one day, during one of his missions to maintain peace, his phoenix was accidentally killed, and the loss of a partner for a Phoenix Guardian is worse than losing one's life. He went completely mad, so mad that he demanded the order provide him with a new phoenix as a partner. However, the order refused to give him an egg or let him take the tests, judging him too unstable. So he waited for his moment, and when a new Phoenix Guardian was chosen by an egg and it hatched, he killed this young person and replaced him by having first contact with the young Phoenix. Outraged, the Phoenix Guardians hunted him but without success..."

Kaer caught his breath.

- "And power corrupts, my friends. And Cinereus, who had previously begun to question his brothers' methods. Why be content with maintaining order? Why not use their power to govern directly? And he believed that the peoples of Aethermoor needed a firm hand, a single leader who would make the difficult decisions. His ideas had already found echo among some other Guardians, men and women of any race who shared his vision. They met in secret, plotted, prepared what they called 'the Great Reform' and joined him. When the other Guardians discovered their intentions..."

Kaer's face darkened, and his voice took on a darker tone.

- "What followed was an unspeakable tragedy. Cinereus and his supporters attempted a coup, seeking to seize power through violence. Civil war broke out within the order itself. Guardian against Guardian, phoenix against phoenix, in a conflict that tore the sky of Aethermoor for months."

Arthur swallowed hard. He could almost see these epic battles, these magnificent creatures killing each other in the clouds.

- "But Cinereus was more cunning than his adversaries had imagined. He had discovered forbidden secrets, corrupted power words that gave him a terrible advantage. One by one, he defeated his former brothers, killing them or forcing them to submit to his will."

- "And the phoenixes?" asked a trembling voice in the audience.

Kaer smiled sadly.

- "Ah, the phoenixes... These noble creatures could not survive their partners' corruption. When a Guardian fell into darkness, their phoenix died of grief and shame. One by one, they faded away, their eternal flames dimming until they became ashes."

A deathly silence now reigned in the inn. Even the imperial soldiers seemed troubled by this tale.

- "All of them?" murmured Isabella, who had just arrived and slipped near Arthur.

- "Apart from the emperor's phoenix and those of the traitors... yes... but there are rumors that no," Kaer replied. "A legend says that three eggs were saved, hidden by the last faithful Guardians before their death. But since that day, no phoenix has hatched in our world."

Arthur felt the stone in his satchel pulse faintly, as if it were reacting to the storyteller's words. His heart began to beat faster.

- "Cinereus emerged from this civil war as absolute victor," Kaer continued. "He proclaimed himself emperor, built his empire on the ashes of the old order, and systematically erased all trace of the Guardians' existence. He spread new tales, presented the Guardians as tyrants from whom he had liberated the people, painted himself as a savior."

- "But how can he still be alive?" asked Mordred. "This happened centuries ago!"

Kaer's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.

- "Ah, excellent question, young man. You see, when a living being becomes a Phoenix Guardian, the pact between them and the phoenix is not just a pact for show - they exchange many things, and the lifespan of a phoenix is one of them."

- "Cinereus then became something more and less than human. Immortal, yes, but eaten away from within by guilt and corruption. His soul gradually transformed, becoming as cold and cruel as the ashes of his victims. And that is how he has ruled for centuries, maintaining order through terror, surrounded by corrupted creatures that serve as his instruments."

One of the merchants, visibly uncomfortable, spoke up:

- "Master Kaer, with all due respect, these are only legends. Emperor Cinereus protects us from barbarians and monsters!"

Kaer turned such a piercing gaze on him that the man instinctively stepped back.

- "Legends?" he repeated softly. "Tell me, good merchant, have you ever seen the emperor with your own eyes? Have you ever gazed upon his face?"

- "Well... no, but..."

- "No one has seen him," Kaer interrupted. "He remains cloistered in his capital, governing through his governors and his... creatures. For you see, immortality has a price. What remains of Cinereus is no longer truly human, devoured by madness and hatred."

Arthur shivered, thinking back to the terrifying tales about the Reapers and the emperor's other servants.

- "But then," a young woman timidly intervened, "if the legend is true, what became of the eggs and where are they? Those that were saved?"

Kaer's face lit up with a mysterious smile.

- "Ah, now that's the real question! For you see, my friends, the prophecies speak of a return. One day, it is said, when darkness is at its peak, the last eggs will hatch. New Guardians will rise, and they will restore the old order."

He swept his gaze over the audience, and Arthur had the strange impression that the storyteller's eyes lingered on him a moment longer than on the others.

- "The signs are there, for those who know how to read them. Vrath attacks multiply because the emperor is gradually losing control of his own creations. Rebellions break out because peoples are beginning to remember what true justice was. And somewhere, in a remote corner of our world, perhaps a phoenix egg awaits the moment of its awakening... If one day you see a stone that resembles no other, perhaps it is a phoenix egg."

Absolute silence greeted the end of this tale, soon broken by the door opening. Master Orel and Aunt Isabella entered the tavern. Arthur felt his heart beating so hard he was convinced everyone could hear it. The stone in his satchel now seemed burning against his leg.

Finally, one of the imperial soldiers stood up abruptly, his face red with anger.

- "Enough!" he cried. "These words border on sedition! Emperor Cinereus is our legitimate sovereign, and these Guardian stories are nothing but children's tales!"

Kaer looked at him calmly, without the slightest trace of fear in his gray eyes.

- "Of course, sergeant," he said in a soothing voice. "These are only stories, after all. Old legends without any foundation. Isn't that exactly what I just said?"

The soldier hesitated, destabilized by the old man's response. Around them, the villagers held their breath, sensing the tension rising dangerously.

- "Come now," Kaer continued with an engaging smile, "the evening is young! Who wants to hear the story of the Golden-Haired Princess? Now there's a perfectly harmless tale!"

Gradually, the atmosphere relaxed. Conversations resumed, the soldiers sat back down, and Kaer indeed began a traditional and reassuring tale. But Arthur was no longer listening. His mind was buzzing, connecting the storyteller's words to his own discovery.

- "Whoa, what did I miss? The atmosphere is a bit electric," she said, sitting down at the boys' table.