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A HIGH LIFE.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Okay.
I'm concentrating on 3 parts of a longer story, Testimony of the Dead.
1. Denied Redemption
Main characters: Camarie (Arie), Kyros, Elan, Li.
Secondary characters: Faolan, Lael, Aitana, Michele
DR starts out with Part One: Camarie. It begins as a coming of age story with a talented but emotionally weak female protagonist. She and her twin brother Li are born of both Halcyon and Aureolian parents. They lived in a scanty village in the unwelcome, ungracious land outside of the capital Aureole.
~~~~~~~~
Note - Halcyon were a glorious golden people who in the past created the largest empire the world has known. They allied with the demons against the Lesser People, who in turn made a pact with the spirits (elements, plants, animals). However, the Lesser People didn't think the odds were good, so they made another
agreement with the gods, which entailed that the gods would be on their side if the Lesser People
consented to have their former allies, the spirits, sent to hell because the gods were afraid of their power.
The Lesser People won the war, and became the Aureolians (the Limber), while the Halcyon (once the Great), who once had brute strength and might, degenerated as a people. Hundreds of years later DR begins.
The Aureolians are a supple, flexible people who are known for their cunning and cleverness.
~~~~~~~~
Li and Camarie's father was abusive and a drunkard, while the mother was sickly, so the twins left home at an early age and joined a group of gypsy-like people. After some disagreement over what was owed, Li and Camarie left again and arrived at the capital of Aureole.
Having learned some tricks, they performed for people in the streets and thereby earned some money. A few chapters dedicated to their lives: a fire, market day, public execution, Halcyon horse-stock show, New Year, etc.
Entertainment in the streets is banned because it clogs up traffic. Camarie becomes a prostitute, and Li a “model” for artists, for whom he does more than just posturing.
During this time, the Halcyon and the Brosians are plotting against the Aureolians because they both have a grudge against them.
~~~~~
Brosians have divine blood in their veins. They’re a beautiful, physically frail people who have immense spiritual and mental powers. They look down on everyone else and rule an empire of conquered peoples, not of those of divine blood like themselves. Only the ruling family and nobles are god-like.
They began as a cast-off group of godlings who everyone ostracized, but eventually came together, realized their powers, and overcame others.
~~~~~
10 years ago, an alliance between the Brosians and Aureolians were attempted. King Cairbre of Aureole sent his sister Calista as a wife to the Brosian Emperor Naveen. They had a son, Elan. However, Calista was assassinated by those at court who desperately wanted a war with the Aureolians. Feeling he could not protect his son, Naveen sent his son to the wilderness with three guards and five priestesses to tend for his needs.
Back to the present. A few chapters dedicated to explaining life in the palace and Kyros’ (crown prince) and Aitana’s (sister, princess) character. A noble wedding, a royal death, incompetence, luxuries, etc.
Li and Camarie know a haphazard fighting style they picked up from everywhere they’ve been. Li taught it to Camarie, and although she’s more of a dancer and gymnast, she can adapt.
Camarie wins a martial arts contest, and becomes Kyros’ teacher (the Aureolians are very liberal in that they allow their women nearly equal status, while the Halcyon treat their women as beasts of burden and the Brosians pretend females can do nothing but look lovely). Camarie and Li surreptitiously learn to read and write. Kyros turns out to be a prodigy in martial arts, albeit an unbearably loud and arrogant one.
A treacherous advisor (present king’s brother) hopes to kill Cairbre and become regent, manipulating the weak Kyros. His plan fails, and he blames Camarie and Li. Kyros is confined to his rooms. The twins are thrown in prison awaiting execution.
They escape and head out to sea and become separated during a storm. Knowing only that the other is still alive, they search for one another. Li assumes that Camarie went to capital of Brose and goes there; however, she ran to the Brosian wilderness. She finds Elan, and swears to take care of him when her pursuers catch up to her and kill all of Elan’s caretakers.
~~~~~
To protect his identity and his life, the Brosian gods took away Elan’s mind, leaving him trapped within a child’s limitations, the age when he was sent away. He is now 17, but is unable to think as one.
~~~~~
As Li travels thru Brose, the emperor (not Elan’s father, he already ascended to become a god) gets his hand on a statue of Li (from artisans’ modeling) and thinks how great it would be to have the real thing. So Li has to dodge the Brosian government as well as the Aureolian.
Kyros also escaped from his rooms and, dressing as a woman, searched for Camarie.
Kyros and Camarie are reunited just as a plague strikes Aureole, encouraged by Brose. Kyros becomes ill and Camarie tends to him, then their situation reverses. Their relationship builds.
Li and Camarie reunite. They hear that their father died of the plague and that their mother died years before. Li and Kyros both disapprove of Elan because he is such a handicap to Camarie, but Camarie stubbornly keeps him.
Li and Aitana (Kyros’ sister) fall in love. However, Aitana is sent by Kyros (who becomes king because his parents and many of the court also died of the plague) to become Hiero’s (boy emperor of Brose, who wanted Li to add to his pretty collection) concubine. The boy is so pleased with his gift that he ignores his advisors, who want a war with Aureole. Because Camarie escorted Aitana to Brose, Li never forgives either Kyros or Camarie. He leaves to wander.
Camarie and Kyros are together, and she and Elan move into the palace. Elan starts showing signs of mental instability. Kyros dislikes him because he thinks Elan is smarter than he lets on. An idyllic time – Camarie sleeps with Kyros, plays with Elan, etc.
Li, Camarie, Kyros, Elan cease to age, for reasons unknown at this time.
The Brosian Emperor Hiero has grown to be a man, Aitana has died, and Brose finds it’s time again to attack Aureole (Brose is a mighty empire and Aureole is a small country almost directly on its borders). They use the pretense of Aureole harboring a threat to the Brosian throne (Elan) to offer war.
Kyros must marry a princess, Hadassah, from a neighboring country in order to create a coalition strong enough to fend off the Brosians. Camarie, strangely enough, becomes Hadassah’s servant and has to listen to Hadassah gripe and complain about Kyros’ harlot. Camarie becomes pregnant, Hadassah finds out Camarie’s real identity, and Camarie soon runs away with Elan to a place called Haven.
Since its creation, Haven has always been a sanctuary for the chosen of those who seek it.
Kyros searches for Camarie but cannot find her. When he does, he is not allowed into Haven and cannot invade it for fear of war with surrounding countries, who have pledged their help to it in times of need.
Camarie and Elan rest for a time in Haven. Camarie has a son, Dae. Still with the mind of a child, Elan becomes jealous and kidnaps Dae, intending to kill him. However, he cannot do it, and leaves him on the steps on a hut in some village.
Camarie looks for Dae, but cannot find him.
Elan wanders, lost, until a brotherhood of priests find him. Because the mentally retarded/insane are regarded as touched by the gods, they take Elan to force divine answers from him (they do not know of his true identity). Elan eventually kills his tormentors. Because they were priests, the gods punish him by restoring his mind. He goes insane and kills more people, earning himself the name God of Death because he’s caused so much destruction.
Li finds Dae, realizes him to be Camarie’s son, and from old loyalties brings him to Kyros because he doesn’t know where Camarie is (no, the cell-phone was not invented yet). Their way is perilous and filled with danger, but Li protects Dae nearly at the cost of his life.
Li succeeds in bringing Dae to Kyros, but Kyros doesn’t recognize his son. Camarie dresses as an old man (Kyros doesn’t know her either) and becomes the teacher of martial arts novices at the palace. Dae joins their ranks.
Elan wanders again, killing any who cross his path, and eventually ends up at the palace and tries to kill Kyros (as a former object of Camarie’s affections).
Resolution unresolved.
Li, Elan, Kyros, and Camarie part ways.
Li’s Section. Seemingly random adventures that continually push Li, Camarie, Kyros, and Elan into each other.
The East has fragmented into colors. Halcyon, Brose, and Aureole are gone. Kyros is green, a justice-seeker. Camarie is yellow, a healer. Elan is light blue, a wanderer. Li is red, a nearly peerless warrior.
Red wants to be the most powerful group. Black and White are the most prominent, but they fight too much amongst themselves and are falling from their pedestals.
Dae, Kyros and Camarie’s son, has created this new world order. He is the one pulling the strings, and his true allies/enemies are the Stellars. Stellars (tentative name) are vengeance spirits who inhabit random bodies and maintain order and uphold the laws. They are his enemies because they keep Dae to his word and he cannot cross them.
Red suddenly attacks Blue without warning. They issue an ultimatum: one warrior from each color come forth and fight. If Blue wins, the Red will give the Blue a month to prepare then attack again. If Red wins, they will wipe out all the Blue. This leads to a fight between Elan and Li Elan loses badly, but Li declares that he is the one who has lost and retreats. The Red commander becomes angry and is about to cut off Elan’s head when a Stellar appears and cuts off his head because it is dishonorable to interfere in a fight that is not his.
Because of this incident and because so many Red are jealous of Li’s meteoric rise, lies are spread about him and Li is pounced upon by his enemies. He manages to escape and crawls, incidentally, to Camarie’s feet. She tends to him.
Li goes on trial for his crimes, despite his recent good acts. Camarie defends him.
Kyros and Li search for strange mirrors that are hypnotizing people but cannot be taken away from them because then the people will die. Li gains power over demons.
More mishaps and adventures happen…
Camarie is taken hostage, and Kyros rescue her. Camarie gains power over demons as well.
These and other odd events are precursors to a war between the color groups (this is not a racist statement!)
At the end, Dae challenges Kyros, Li, and Elan for a final battle to determine the winner of deciding the East-order. Kyros is reluctant to fight his own son, but consents. Li is anxious to allow people to live as they will, which they cannot as things are. Elan, a self-proclaimed coward, flat-out refuses.
Resolution unresolved.
Hallo,
I was reading over your questionnaire answers, and all I can really say is that it sounds like an intriguingly original, quirky work. You answer succinctly and well, and if I read your summary on the back of a book I would read it. Is there anything I should comment on?
You clearly know more of what you're doing than I do. :) I was telling my sister how I was stumped by your basic questions, and she warned me not to lose you! ^_-
So you kill all your main characters. Fair enough. Which death scene do you obsess the most on? How does it happen and why? Why is is interesting to you?
I obsess on the deaths of Elan, Lycoris, and Merle.
Elan - He has true sight; he can see the future that is permanent. Others have the changing sight; the future is not set in stone.
I’m interested in his death because he makes the first throw in a game in which everyone loses. Camarie dies inside because of his death, Kyros is spiritually defeated, and Li is brought face-to-face with his mortality (note to self – must include more Li).
Elan’s section. Kyros fights against the Brosian-successors, those people with perhaps a smidgen of divine blood in them but who claim godhood. He and Camarie have gotten back together.
After discovering that Camarie is more selfish than altruistic, more homebody than breadwinner, Kyros leaves Camarie. Elan finds her, broken and emotionally dead. He cares for her, much as she did for him. In a burst of overwhelming feeling she does not at the moment realize she will experience for the rest of her life, Camarie gives Elan a gold bracelet Li fashioned for her in brotherly affection (he’s wonderful with his hands) as a token of her gratitude and eternal love.
After ensuring that she is relatively all right, Elan leaves Camarie to think about their relationship, or lack thereof, because Camarie still pines for Kyros.
The goddess Michele, the shining symbol of the East, speaks with Elan about his heritage and his destiny. As Kyros is soon fated to die, she believes this is the perfect opportunity to take his place as Lord of Men, rule the East, and conquer the West. Elan thinks on their conversation.
Elan finds Kyros. He spies for him among the BS as an ancient relic of old Brosian times during their heyday. He cares for the old emperor, who is dying of a foul, terminal disease, and for this, the emperor loves him more than his own son. The son hates Elan. The daughter adores him. Almost everyone admires and respects him. This is the only place Elan has ever been completely accepted for what he is. The son discovers Elan’s duplicity and nearly kills him. However, the old emperor, out of his great love for Elan, allows him to escape and dies shortly afterward. His son, who bitterly hates Kyros, becomes emperor. Elan returns to Kyros.
Kyros and Elan have a conversation, during which Kyros impresses Elan with his superiority to other men. The princess sneaks into Kyros’ camp at the risk of her own life in order to see Elan and get some answers. Elan learns that Kyros is supposed to die. Elan then leaves and makes a deal with Fate to exchange his life for Kyros. It turns out that their lives even out, that they would have made equally great impact on destiny (I’m going to make this make sense. Really).
Kyros and Elan become separated from Kyros’ men and are on the run from a large detachment of the enemy. They escape underground, where they discover lives a dangerous man-eating monster with children. The two come face-to-face with the monster, and for one of the few times in his life, Kyros is afraid because he sees his death in the monster’s human face but animal body. No one except Li and Camarie has ever defeated him in a single battle.
They run and the monster gives chase, but they escape. Kyros becomes injured in a rock fall saving Elan. Elan tends to him as best as he can, and, hiding from the monster, they have a talk. (I’m tentatively thinking about a very strange sex scene here as each wonders what Camarie sees in the other. It’s an intense melding of personalities and a discovery of what each of them could have been).
Kyros and Elan come across the monster children and are forced to kill them. The mother finds her dead offspring and goes on a mad rampage. Finally Elan and Kyros are cornered by the monster, and they both realize one of them has to fight the monster while the other finds a way out. The monster is charging, and in its fury is bringing down the caverns. They stare at each other and then Elan runs for the monster and a few moments later Kyros searches for an escape.
The cavern is falling all around them. Kyros runs around, finds an escape route, and comes back in time to see the monster hurl Elan against a rock wall. However, he deals it a fatal blow the instant before, so it soon dies, leaving Kyros and Elan alive, for the moment.
Elan is simply standing there, seemingly oblivious to the chaos all around them, so Kyros pushes Elan ahead of himself and they both run to the outside world, falling unconscious as soon as they arrive.
When Kyros wakes up, Elan has just died moments before from internal injuries. Kyros sits there, numb with shock, and discovers that Elan has placed his precious gold bracelet from Camarie in Kyros’ palm, Elan’s fingers still loosely curled around Kyros’ closed hand.
~~~~~~~~~
2. After Life
Main characters: Thiery, Janus, Lycoris,
Secondary Characters: Bianca, Darius, Aradia, Michele
Hallo,
I was reading over your questionnaire answers, and all I can really say is that it sounds like an intriguingly original, quirky work. You answer succinctly and well, and if I read your summary on the back of a book I would read it. Is there anything I should comment on?
You clearly know more of what you're doing than I do. :) I was telling my sister how I was stumped by your basic questions, and she warned me not to lose you! ^_-
So you kill all your main characters. Fair enough. Which death scene do you obsess the most on? How does it happen and why? Why is is interesting to you?
I obsess on the deaths of Elan, Lycoris, and Merle. I’ll bore you with the lives and deaths of Elan and Lycoris, but save Merle for later in case you don’t want to hear anymore. Also, I haven’t filled him out as much as the others.
Elan - He has true sight; he can see the future that is permanent. Others have the changing sight; the future is not set in stone.
I’m interested in his death because he makes the first throw in a game in which everyone loses. Camarie dies inside because of his death, Kyros is spiritually defeated, and Li is brought face-to-face with his mortality (note to self – must include more Li).
Elan’s section. Kyros fights against the Brosian-successors, those people with perhaps a smidgen of divine blood in them but who claim godhood. He and Camarie have gotten back together.
After discovering that Camarie is more selfish than altruistic, more homebody than breadwinner, Kyros leaves Camarie. Elan finds her, broken and emotionally dead. He cares for her, much as she did for him. In a burst of overwhelming feeling she does not at the moment realize she will experience for the rest of her life, Camarie gives Elan a gold bracelet Li fashioned for her in brotherly affection (he’s wonderful with his hands) as a token of her gratitude and eternal love.
After ensuring that she is relatively all right, Elan leaves Camarie to think about their relationship, or lack thereof, because Camarie still pines for Kyros.
The goddess Michele, the shining symbol of the East, speaks with Elan about his heritage and his destiny. As Kyros is soon fated to die, she believes this is the perfect opportunity to take his place as Lord of Men, rule the East, and conquer the West. Elan thinks on their conversation.
Elan finds Kyros. He spies for him among the BS as an ancient relic of old Brosian times during their heyday. He cares for the old emperor, who is dying of a foul, terminal disease, and for this, the emperor loves him more than his own son. The son hates Elan. The daughter adores him. Almost everyone admires and respects him. This is the only place Elan has ever been completely accepted for what he is. The son discovers Elan’s duplicity and nearly kills him. However, the old emperor, out of his great love for Elan, allows him to escape and dies shortly afterward. His son, who bitterly hates Kyros, becomes emperor. Elan returns to Kyros.
Kyros and Elan have a conversation, during which Kyros impresses Elan with his superiority to other men. The princess sneaks into Kyros’ camp at the risk of her own life in order to see Elan and get some answers. Elan learns that Kyros is supposed to die. Elan then leaves and makes a deal with Fate to exchange his life for Kyros. It turns out that their lives even out, that they would have made equally great impact on destiny (I’m going to make this make sense. Really).
Kyros and Elan become separated from Kyros’ men and are on the run from a large detachment of the enemy. They escape underground, where they discover lives a dangerous man-eating monster with children. The two come face-to-face with the monster, and for one of the few times in his life, Kyros is afraid because he sees his death in the monster’s human face but animal body. No one except Li and Camarie has ever defeated him in a single battle.
They run and the monster gives chase, but they escape. Kyros becomes injured in a rock fall saving Elan. Elan tends to him as best as he can, and, hiding from the monster, they have a talk. (I’m tentatively thinking about a very strange sex scene here as each wonders what Camarie sees in the other. It’s an intense melding of personalities and a discovery of what each of them could have been).
Kyros and Elan come across the monster children and are forced to kill them. The mother finds her dead offspring and goes on a mad rampage. Finally Elan and Kyros are cornered by the monster, and they both realize one of them has to fight the monster while the other finds a way out. The monster is charging, and in its fury is bringing down the caverns. They stare at each other and then Elan runs for the monster and a few moments later Kyros searches for an escape.
The cavern is falling all around them. Kyros runs around, finds an escape route, and comes back in time to see the monster hurl Elan against a rock wall. However, he deals it a fatal blow the instant before, so it soon dies, leaving Kyros and Elan alive, for the moment.
Elan is simply standing there, seemingly oblivious to the chaos all around them, so Kyros pushes Elan ahead of himself and they both run to the outside world, falling unconscious as soon as they arrive.
When Kyros wakes up, Elan has just died moments before from internal injuries. Kyros sits there, numb with shock, and discovers that Elan has placed his precious gold bracelet from Camarie in Kyros’ palm, Elan’s fingers still loosely curled around Kyros’ closed hand.
~~~~~~~~~
Hundreds of years later.
Lycoris is a sickly young king who dies of illness. He is the younger brother of Thiery, once the crown prince of _________ who was exiled by his father because he possessed too much intelligence and talent. Thiery and Lycoris are the only brothers of the same mother and are very close.
When he was a young boy, Thiery found a simple but exquisitely wrought gold bracelet (the same one as Camarie’s. That makes sense somehow) in the treasury. He was beaten for trespassing, but kept it, and before he left, gave it to Lycoris. Lycoris keeps this jewelry as a treasured memento of his beloved older brother.
Thiery has an entire history, but I can stick to saying here that he meets a young boy, Janus, whom he befriends. Thiery is later falsely executed for espionage for the West, and thereafter, perhaps strangely, Janus hates the West with all of his being and is unwaveringly loyal to the East. Before he dies, Janus promises him that he will take care of Lycoris because Thiery has always been afraid that Lycoris, intelligent but emotionally weak, will be manipulated by their father to be a sick perversion like him.
Janus travels to the palace and becomes Lycoris’ personal bodyguard. The young prince has become intensely religious and prejudiced (a stuck-up little snot), and Janus cannot see anything like Thiery in him. Despite this, the king is growing to fear Lycoris because of his abilities and his youth, and when a discontented mob attacks the palace, the father leaves Lycoris to die. Janus saves him by knocking him unconscious and putting him into a bloodied sack to pretend he is a bag of spoils taken from a stubborn victim and pretending to go along with the intruders.
The king regains power and pretends to mourn the death of his son Lycoris, but secretly rejoices and plans for his near-retarded, spoiled favorite son to ascend the throne after him.
Janus and Lycoris embark on a three year journey, meandering aimlessly and well away from the king and the palace. They meet some interesting characters along the way and bicker and fight as they go, and finally, Lycoris, afraid that he is getting attached to a mere peasant (Janus is a farmer’s son), tries to leave and promptly gets captured by a pirate.
Janus has to rescue him, but gets hit by a poisoned dart and becomes blind and deaf. Suffering an extreme attack of conscience, Lycoris tries to find him a doctor. However, they all say it’s a lost case for Janus and that he will remain so for the rest of his life. For a great warrior like Janus (taught by Thiery) being so physically crippled is his worst nightmare and he feels he would rather die. Lycoris refuses to give up. But now they have no money and without Janus, no way of earning more quickly.
Lycoris pleads for an audience with the most eminent doctor (and most expensive), but the secretary doesn’t let him through, due to his ragged appearance. Desperate, because the doctor is due to leave for another faraway city the next day, Lycoris accosts the doctor’s daughter as she ventures outside her home to buy some trinkets. At first she refuses to pay attention to him and nearly denounces him as an insane beggar littering the streets, a crime punishable by being thrown into the madhouse (a horrible prison no one ever leaves alive). As he persistently pleads, however, she takes pity on him and gets her father to talk with Lycoris.
The doctor is reluctant to treat Janus because Lycoris has no money. Lycoris tells him that he can read and write and speaks many languages. By this, and the expensive bracelet on Lycoris’ wrist, the doctor deduces that this is not an ordinary poor boy. At last the doctor agrees, for the price of Lycoris’ skills and bracelet. After a long moment of struggle, Lycoris gives the latter over. The doctor also agrees to delay his vacation journey. The doctor gives the bracelet to his daughter, who, once she sees the handsome, golden Janus, becomes infatuated with him and gives it to him. Janus, once cured, thinks that Lycoris fell in love with the girl and thoughtlessly gave it to her as a lovelorn gift. He puts it in his pack and intends to give it back to Lycoris, but forgets.
They return to the palace. The king, never popular, has become immensely hated for his extravagances and slovenly ruling, and does not dare to get rid of Lycoris, yet. Lycoris proves himself extremely capable in leadership roles and slowly takes on more and more responsibility. Eventually he forces his father to step down, and the people accept him.
Close advisors, who are aware of just how frail Lycoris’ health is, urge him to get a wife. He demurs at first, then at Janus’ insistence (Janus believes his obsession with the responsibilities of kingship is killing him, and that a woman will ease his burdens) agrees and makes an alliance with a neighboring country.
The princess Bianca arrives, or so she seems. She is a darkly gorgeous woman, a bewitching beauty who causes all men (and women) to melt before her. In reality, she is a Western witch (rudimentary) who has disposed of the true princess and taken her place. Her superiors are Western leaders who want Eastern countries to fail from within so the Westerners can easily take them over without much bloodshed on their part. Janus is immediately infatuated with her (potions, perfumes, etc), and by now almost totally dependent on Janus as his only companion, Lycoris grants his blessing on the liaison between his wife and friend. As Lycoris is asexual (or homosexual) this arrangement supposedly does not affect him.
Lots of mad crazy sex between Janus and Aradia. Aradia gets a guard of the palace, Tahmores, on her side.
Aradia (the witch) is commanded by her superiors to break up the friendship between Janus and Lycoris, because it is fairly well-known that Lycoris is devoted to Janus, who genuinely cares for him in return but does not realize how much until it is too late. Aradia gets Janus to give Lycoris bad advice on governing, which Lycoris fortunately disregards. When it comes to his country, Lycoris is unshakeable, even by Janus. Then Aradia whispers lies about Lycoris to Janus.
Nothing seems to mar Lycoris’ ruling ability (although the strain on his weak physical constitution is telling on him), and Aradia’s superiors are getting impatient. Wearing an especially potent perfume, she seduces Lycoris, and artfully times their little session at the same moment Janus enters the room. Janus storms out of the room, and Lycoris runs after him despite raging, awakened teenage hormones. Janus yells at Lycoris for betraying his trust, and Lycoris, perhaps unwisely, doesn’t call him out on it. Lycoris asks Janus why their relationship has been falling apart, but Janus cannot answer and turns to go to his room. Lycoris tries to reason with him, but Janus impatiently pushes him out of the way and leaves.
It is New Year’s eve, and the palace is nearly empty, as almost everyone has gone out to celebrate the occasion.
After he recovers from his fall, Lycoris rushes after Janus and knocks against Janus’ door, begging his friend to forgive him. Janus doesn’t respond, and Lycoris has a nervous breakdown. One of the palace guards (now Aradia’s creature) manages to lead him to the witch’s apartments, where Aradia does her temptress thing and Lycoris falls for it. They have mad crazy sex.
For some grievance, the guard has a grudge against Lycoris and a few of his companions beat him almost to death. Aradia tries to stop them, but the guard Tahmores hits her and she gets knocked out.
Janus, determined to leave once and for all, doesn’t notice that the begging and knocking has stopped. As he rummages through his pack, he finds the bracelet, and the obsessed fog in his mind suddenly clears. He can’t believe all the things he’s done and flings the door open to apologize fervently to Lycoris. But Lycoris isn’t there, and Janus runs wildly around, looking for him. He finally thinks of Aradia’s rooms. Janus sees the scenarios, goes into a desperate rage as the guards block his way, and cleaves Tahmores in two and quickly dispatches the rest. He runs over to Lycoris, but his friend is dying quickly. Janus cries out to the goddess Michele that he will pledge his existence to her if she saves Lycoris, and she appears, warning him that if he breaks his oath, he will die an incredibly shameful and agonizing death. He agrees, and she keeps her word.
A few days later, Lycoris wakes up and remembers everything. He banishes Aradia even though she claims to know she has conceived and will bear his son. He can’t stand the sight of Janus, but Janus begs and pleads for a chance to prove his loyalty, so Lycoris sends him to find the true princess Bianca.
Aradia couldn’t kill her as her superiors had ordered, so she had her sent to a remote abbey. Janus finds her and brings her back. On the journey, she and Janus become more than a little attached to each other. Lycoris receives her coldly and dismisses her, as he now distrusts everyone.
Janus and Lycoris quarrel over Lycoris’ decision to open up his country to Western immigrants and trade. Janus leaves. Now that he is gone, Lycoris and Bianca slowly become closer.
A Western general, Melaney, comes and takes charge of the country as his reward for many years of faithful service. His son, who had met Thiery and become fond of Easterners, converted and went against his own father and people. The last thing Melaney saw of his son was his dead body on the battlefield, so now he’s a very bitter man. The general knows nothing of ruling and thinks only of his army, so he sets about undoing everything Lycoris has done. Mentally distraught over Janus’ absence but refusing to outwardly show it, Lycoris feels he has no strength to fight him.
Bianca yells at Lycoris for being a weakling and says that he won’t ever be the man Janus is. Lycoris stares at the wall and thinks that she’s right. He sets about writing a letter to Janus, which never arrives. Melaney appears with another change in law, and this time Lycoris refuses his signature. Melaney becomes enraged and there is a fierce argument. Bianca comes in and sees that Melaney is going to hit Lycoris, so she gets in the way and is thrown to the ground. Lycoris tries to protect her and gets a concussion for his pains.
Melaney sees his dead son flash before his eyes. Things happen, and eventually, as Lycoris convalescences and the general sees how he’s trying his hardest to ensure the best for his people as Melaney’s son once tried for the East, Melaney sees Lycoris as his son.
Lycoris, always sickly, becomes seriously ill and no doctor can treat him. He slowly deteriorates, and eventually is forced to take to his bed. From there he instructs Bianca in what he knows of state and government. One day, near dawn, he gets up to his desk and begins writing a letter of farewell to Janus.
Bianca finds him at his desk and smiles to herself, thinking that he has fallen asleep, as he often does. As the sun rises and he does not move, she discovers that he is dead. At the news, Melaney goes back to die in the West.
Janus hears of the king’s death and races to the palace, all injuries, imagined and real, forgotten. He finds the letter and collapses in grief.
3. Sacred Scion
Main characters: Janus, Merle, Eden, Aya, Farren, Etienne,
Secondary characters: Shan, Ren, Jinn, MicheleLabels: writing
-------------------LIVE HIGH!LIVE WILD!--------------- ; {7:15 PM}
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