Chapter Thirty Eight

*** Convocation of the Ordained ***

In the presence of Ordained Entities floated the shattered being whose form was light and dark and of Leo Cazador. The power at his command, its essence floated between the two. Beyond the realm of light and darkness and in the realm forged for the ethereal entities of the universe a judgment was taking place.

Fate ~ “Today we gather to decide an ordained reaction to the foreign presence known as Leo Cazador. He has defied me, my threads have not sung to my will.”

Yin Yang (balance) ~ “Balance has been disrupted, his influence does not belong.”

Mother Nature ~ “His abnormality has allowed him to make my forces his own. His Will threatens mine.”

Father Time ~ “Already he invades my territory. Time must not be tampered.”

Yin Yang (life and death) ~ “His soul has taken the place of another. His presence must be righted. A soul left in stagnation is blasphemy.”

Yin Yang (war and peace) ~ “He will disrupt the normal flows of war and peace. If left unchecked what was once to be will not be what it once was.”

Father Time ~ “The predominant flow is no more. His presence has changed what once was to be.”

Death ~ “He has the potential to defy me.”

Master of Space ~ “His will enters my domain. If left unchecked even this convocation is in danger.”

Yin (morality) ~ “His concept of morality clashes from the morally acceptable censused by the sentients of his realm. It presents the potential for abuse.”

The Judge ~ “The grieved have been heard.”.

Free Will ~ “It was allowed by the creator. He cannot be removed. Will cannot be ignored.”

Yin Yang (balance) ~ “Our influence does not belong. It cannot be imposed beyond its place. Fate has committed imbalance.”

Yin Yang (hubris and humbleness) ~ “He is aware of what could have been. His hubris was mortal and his humbleness immortal. He plans no blasphemy in the realm of nature.”

Free Will ~ “Where there is a will there is a way. Time is not forbidden to the mortal realm.”

Yin Yang (birth and death) ~ “The soul has not been born yet. Balance can be righted.”

Change ~ “I am undeniable. Fate is not absolute.”

Life ~ “All things come to an end, to live is only to eventually die. He will only give me strength and vibrancy, but you will not be denied Death.”

Hubris ~ “He will approach the sun at his own peril Master of Space. No mortal may enter the ordained realms. Here our will is absolute.”

Yang (immorality) ~ “He is not without morals.”

The Judge ~ “The apposed have been heard. Fate has committed imbalance and the balance must be righted. Elimination is an act of imbalance, it cannot be applied. Free Will cannot be denied. Blasphemy of life cannot be left unchanged.”

The attention of all these beings suddenly focused on the conundrum before them, the split pieces of the once mighty Leo Cazador.

Death ~ “Let the stagnant soul be born.”

Fate ~ “My threads will only be twisted more and another stagnant soul will be forged.”

Life ~ “Give him children. Give him twins.”

Yin Yang (birth and death) “Yes, his existence allows it. No souls were set aside for the children of this being. The stagnant soul is damaged. Give him twins, two vessels to carry the soul.”

Yin (morality) ~ “The souls have no physical vessel. No human female can survive the transplant.”

Life ~ “It does not need to be human to carry the soul.”

The Judge ~ “I haved passed judgement. It has been ordained. Return the souls to their rightful planes. Fate may stand guard over the planes of the Ordained, but the imbalance must be righted..”

*** Bastion Cazador ***

I looked around nervously, though it did not show on my face.

My son had said that it would happen as soon as he was coronated as first prince. Every chieftain from the isles around Boraia were present including most of the nobility and persons of note.

We were all gathered within the Central Hall, the largest chamber in all the castle and easily spacious enough for all the guests and their accompanying party. Only my father and son were present, I had opted to ask my wife to wait within her chambers with the girls, there was no need to place them in any kind of danger.

“My son has decided to step down as heir to the throne,” my father began. His voice carried easily across the entire room as all quieted to hear the words of their king. “In his stead will stand my grandson and now your future king as the First Prince of Boraia, Leo Gregorio Vorian Cazador II.”

“I present my crown to my father,” I said stepping forward, my family standing behind me. I removed a simple gold ringlet from the crown of my head, it was engraved in ancient runes and bore the twin daggers and spear, the coat of arms of the Cazadors.

My father took the crown into his hands and moved forward towards my kneeling son, his face was a mask of calm. As the crown of the First Prince settled on his own crown my son closed his eyes and his face revealed only a small flittering moment of nervousness before opening his eyes again and shining with brilliant resolve.

He stood and turned to face the crowd, many among them were murmuring their disapproval. How could a cripple take the crown? That is what most of the voices circled around, many were dissatisfied with this turn of events, but in a short while it would not matter any more.

I felt the beating in my chest as the voice of my son rang out through the chamber.

“With the approval of my grandfather and your king I will now announce some changes to be made to the country and its form of governance,” he said looking across the room. There were many who became restless. “First of all let me assure you that everything that I am about to do is for the sake of the country and for the prosperity of its people and its ideals.

“For those of you that survive this day, know that you will be living under my mercy, you are not strong and you will never be strong enough to be a challenge to us. Descend from above Nocturnum Soles.”

*** Leo Cazador ***

I watched as from above, from the ceiling of the great chamber, thirty of the best the Illuminated had to offer dropped down unclipping from the hooks that held them in place. They revealed themselves releasing the illusion magic that kept them hidden as they struck ground. They wasted no time as they quickly secured all the entrances and started subjugating everyone in the room. Five came to stand before me and my family to make sure that we were not attacked.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Earl Duran, governor of Odea, resisted as one of my men pushed him down to his knees.

A group of men entered from one of the entrances, they were dressed in the same dark gear as their fellow soldiers.

“These men that have just entered will lead those whom I chose to spare into the gardens outside,” I said motioning for the men to come and escort my family out.

As soon as father and grandfather along with the servants were outside I began selecting the leaders I viewed as necessary for the empire. The look of relief on their faces as each family was selected brought a grin to my lips, I quickly corrected myself. I could not allow myself to become drunk with power again, it had cost me dearly once already.

When the last family I was choosing to spare was escorted I sat down on the throne and had a table brought to me. A servant entered carrying the table with another servant following close behind with a stack of scrolls and a third followed with a chair.

“I will now tell you what will happen next,” I said speaking clearly, I did not have to speak loudly, no one dared make a sound. “This is for the chieftains, if you wish to live and have your families spared step forward. Know that when you sign the scroll here before me you are signing away much of your sovereign rights, you will given a scroll with the new laws and your responsibilities. It will describe what you are allowed to do and not allowed to do, it will also tell you what I expect of you.

“I care not for your lives only for the prosperity of the empire. The first chieftain has ten seconds to step forward...ten...nine...eight...seven...three...two…”

“Wait my lord!” The first chief stood up, he was escorted by two towards me.

“You family will remain here in the capitol,” I said. “You willingness to cooperate will dictate the length of their stay. While here they will be protected from all harm.”

“I...I understand,” the man nodded bowing his head in defeat as he sat to sign his name on the scroll. One servant helped the one carrying all the scrolls by taking the scroll for the chieftain and handing it to the man.

“Take him outside with the rest,” I nodded to the two escorting him.

“Ten seconds for the next chieftain…” It became the last time I needed to make a countdown.

Only the most obstinate refused to sign.

Once I was escorted out by the five who had at first guarded me the final nail was hammered into the coffin of Boraia’s past governing men and their bloodlines.