The Brothers Uran
DAL-SAM, RAEGAL, NUMERIt was merely a year ago. Merely a year ago when the Ensi Vashim the Great died at his first son's wedding, shocked by the betrayal of his second. He had fought in the Death Wars, battled alongside the heroes of every nation at the Dead Plains, and lived to rule the vast and ancient holy land of Numer for many a decade. The people had called his reign 'Haasahma'. Enlightened. Now he was gone, preserved in the Temple of Sepris with his ancestors. Bloodshed and intrigue, which had always thrived in Numer, returned in full force.
Ithiba, the second son of Vashim, had unintentionally ended the his father's life when he invoked 'Larvishi' during his brother Belbazzar's wedding feast. It was a dark and mysterious ritual, as old as the sacred rivers themselves; only invoked three times before in all of Numerian history. At a heavy price, the death of a lover and the cutting off of one's own end finger, Ithiba was given the right to challenge his brother's inheritance. A chance to usurp the Ivory Throne. The ritual called for all claimants to battle to the death immediately; the three sons of Vashim battled before their father right at the wedding feast, to the dismay all present. Vasurassur, youngest of the brothers and a famous scholar, was immediately struck down by Ithiba, his blood splattering across the mud-brick floor. Belbazzar, eldest of the Uran sons and at his own wedding, was a warrior through and through, quickly defending himself from his cunning brother.
With the fury of an enraged bull, Belbazzar wreaked vengeance on his brother in the great hall of the Uran palace. They dueled for nearly an hour; none were allowed to interfere. Finally, knowing his strength was running out, Ithiba lit a small bag of powder and threw it upon the ground with great force. Dark clouds of smoke filled the room. When the billowing black dust had finally cleared, he was gone. The Ensi died that night, weeping in his sleep.
As usual, Belbazzar, being the eldest, was left all of the House Uran estates and businesses in Vashim's will; he was declared Ensi Belbazzar of Numer the next day. He vowed his rule bring Numer to the height of his power, though his reign would not be a peaceful one. He quickly moved to establish his dominance over the other Houses and quell any thoughts of rebellion. Ithiba fled to the from city to city, living in secret amongst Houses who had supported him, ever on the run from Belbazzar's assassins...SoundtrackIt was a bright and beautiful day in the western mountains of Raegal. Flocks of brightly colored birds flew upon the horizons as stealthy tigers stalked prey in the dense jungle. A pack of mischievous monkeys hopped to and fro above the heads of the two men on horseback following a rocky road through the dense foliage.
They had no time to take in Numer's beauty, for they faced the wrath of its people. The two riders seemed to fly along with the summer breeze, their speed sending gusts of wind throughout the plants and trees along the sides of the road. The heat was no burden to them at such a pace. They continued for miles upon miles, neither saying a word to the other, each ever suspiciously glancing behind them for followers. They were clearly Numerian; they had the tan skin, black hair, and brown eyes of the race.
So traveled Ithiba and his loyal slave, Idusur. They had been staying in House Zalaal's rural estate in the Raegal province division of Dal-Sam when the assassins attacked the wealthy lugal family's home; Ithiba and Idusur narrowly escaped, and now fled to the border nearby. Ithiba had thanked the gods the Zalaals had not been home for the attack, though he grimaced as he remember the brutality of Numerian politics. The entire family would be picked off one by one for helping Ithiba; revenge was cruel in Numer, and none could be spared for betraying the Ensi. Ithiba grew furious with himself when he remembered little Heteri, the Zalaal's youngest child. He prayed to Numera to spare the baby girl.
The two men finally halted their steeds atop a vast mountain peak. The temperature was still hot, though across a barren valley they could see the snow-covered peaks in the lands between Numer and the Imperial lands. It would be a long a perilous journey to reach the Empire of Man, but at least it would be safer than Raegal. The Imperials actually had written laws, not unspoken religious and trade customs alone like in Numer. Ithiba was not destitute either; around his neck he kept hidden a massive gem and reknowned artifact, the Eye of Numera. He could buy an army with the necklace.
Ithiba and Idusur dismounted and smiled to each other. Ithiba looked toward the Numerian jungles and then back to the barren valley before them. "Paradise lost, old friend. I guess this is where we depart."
Idusur gave him a world-weary look, and then suddenly hugged his master. They had been raised together; they had been brothers. "What shall I do now?"
Ithiba got atop his black Numerian stallion and turned toward Idusur, suddenly raising his hand and holding his ring finger to his thumb while keeping the other fingers raised; it was the holy sign of Numerian priests. "I free you from your bonds of slavery. I am no longer your master; you are a free man," He continued with a prayer, suddenly belting out his words with a powerful emotion, "May Numera give you beauty, Semphis give you health, Raggesh give you protection, Valnur give you wealth, Apohat give you freedom, and Serin let you know yourself."
And with that, he was off, riding at a furious speed down into the valley, Idusur riding in the opposite direction back into Numer.
SEPRIS, NUMERThe bustling metropolis of Sepris, the capital of the Numerian Empire, was alive with a flurry of activity despite the sun just rising over the horizon. Within its temples hymns of praise to Numera and Semphis seemed to incarnate the heavens as the heavy smell of incense indicated a holy ritual was taking place. Within its many bazaars all manner of goods both for practical and luxury purposes could be seen as merchants and traders haggled in both Numerian and hundreds of other tongues. Slaves labored in both homes and outside, some making the best of their situation while others grumbled and yearned for freedom. Craftsmen practiced their skillful arts within workshops while children played nearby. Elders and scholars sat and enthusiastically talked within teahouses while other more deviant souls already found themselves in taverns and brothels.
The city was a living being, an ancient testament to the will of the Numerians and their gods. At least that's what the Ensi thought about as he looked down upon Sepris from a balcony in his massive palace. Ensi Belbazzar had sat upon the Ivory Throne for a year now, and had already earned the respect of the Houses that supported him since the beginning as well as the fear of those Houses who would question his rule. Three assassination attempts by minor lugal Houses in Kad had already been thwarted. Two of their heirs, that of House Bashar and House Makdur, were poisoned in retaliation. The third heir sat before him.
Ensi Belbazzar Uran was not alone atop the balcony of the pristine palace. He sat atop a wooden cedar chair, with a decorated cedar table in between him and his company. He wore purple silk garments and the dark pelt of a panther. Belbazzar quietly sipped herbal tea from an imported porcelain cup; he was a warrior at heart, but he still did not mind the refined tastes of his father. Varduk of House Assukam sat across from him. They were both very young, in their twenties, yet Belbazzar had the aura of a hardened veteran about him that most men did not gain until they were in their forties. Varduk was heir to House Assukam, a minor House that dealt in spices in Kad. The Houses of Kad yearned to be ruled by their own Lugalesh, rather than the Isis, Belbazzar's wife. It was a problem that arose every succession, and one that was quickly put down. Varduk was no idiot; he knew the other Houses of Kad who had made an attempt on the Ensi's life had lost their proud heirs. He knew he was next, and so arranged the meeting to personally swear his innocence. He was weary of Belbazzar's reputation.
"Great Lord of the Rivers, I am sure you know why I come to you today," Varduk said carefully, not wanting to sound haughty or arrogant. The young lugal made sure he was tactful.
The Ensi surprisingly looked away from the view with a bright smile. "Of course, my friend. Have some tea first," He said amiably, pouring the lugal some of the hot drink in another porcelain cup. Varduk felt relieved. He smiled back and sipped some of the liquid, noting the spice tang and hint of mint in the drink. He immediately identified which spices made up the tea; he was a spice trader, after all.
The Ensi spoke in friendly tone that made Varduk feel like he had been over worrying. "It's relaxing, right? I try to do this every morning. Enjoy the view with some tea. Now, let me understand. I know your House Assukam has tried to assassinate me," He chuckled, "Quite an ambitious endeavor. One would wonder what the gods would think of killing their High Priest. Nonetheless, I understand you had no idea of your father's plots. You're innocent; my quarrel is not with you...it is unfortunately with your father. If you have come here to beg for his life, do not worry. I will not have him killed in retaliation."
Varduk smiled and hesitated before replying. "Of course, my Ensi, I am relieved to hear your merciful judgment...But I must confess, I am a little unsettled. The heirs of both House Bashar and House Marduk were recently...assassinated. I simply do not wish for the same fate...not that it was you who ordered these murders, of course."
Ensi Belbazzar kept his friendly demeanor. "I promise you," he grew serious, "that it was not I that had them killed. You know how politics are, Lugal Varduk. They probably made some enemies in Kad, rival traders, you know, the usual suspects. I hope that you never felt endangered under my rule."
He seemed sincere. Varduk smiled and felt another wave of relief. He quickly rose and bowed before the Ensi. "Thank you, Holy Son of Semphis. You have put my fears to rest. I apologize for the inconvenience." The Ensi waved his head and grinned. "No need for apologies. Go to your home and enjoy your family- but warn your father to never attempt such a thing again."
Varduk respectfully nodded before walking inside from the balcony into the ornate and large library of the palace. As he walked, however, he felt a great tingling all over his body, like pins were entering him everywhere. He suddenly could not move well, and let out a small yelp as he fell to the floor. A trickle of blood fell from the young Numerian's mouth as the life flowed from his eyes. He was dead.
Two slaves quickly entered to remove the body and clean the fine artisan carpet now stained with crimson blood. Behind them was Narat Harundek, Belbazzar's spymaster and one of his chief advisors. "Kulsu is quite the poison. You're lucky I had you build up an immunity as you boys grew up. The look on your mother's face when I told her I had been putting small doses in your meals," He chuckled, "How are you?"
Belbazzar looked sad for a moment, and then resumed an austere stoicism. "Good...I wish that I did not have to kill one so young and naive, but his father should've seen this coming when he tried to do the same to me. Now he will learn the hard way not to cross the Urans."
"Frankly, I can't believe a spice merchant was unable to recognize the taste of it. It's so minty!" Spymaster Narat look surprised and chuckled again, "Probably thought it was something else, I suppose."
Ensi Belbazzar rose and began to walk through the halls of the palace toward the great hall to sit upon the Ivory Throne for court. He whispered to Narat as some servants followed close behind to announce his presence. "Have we caught sight of you-know-who?"
Narat grew serious and nodded. "He's finally made it. He's left Numer and is heading to the Empire of Man. I'm going to need some more men if we are going to pursue him into the Achesian lands."
Belbazzar gave him one last look and spoke before putting a up a benevolent smile and entering the court. "Done."