Ocular to the Dying Sun

Aft Diary Entry, Burned; part 1

▓▓▓▓▓

Events of the attack on the ceremonial grounds brought concern and sorrow to several citizens within the central city of the All-Monarch Kingdom; especially the citizens worry about the Prime Magician. Knowing of her constitution during the time of her trip to their Slitark Sun, many have given prayers to the crystal in the sky to bless her and guide her.

Acknowledgment of her pregnancy and the child birthed from that incident is well anticipated before they returned. There were talks of simple joys and parties around to give gratitude to her newborn, perhaps out of their sincere kindness as a conglomerate of morals to their “Prime Magician.”

However, their curiosity will remain unanswered when a greater issue overlaps everything the moment the Prime Magician returns. She was embroiled with several obligations, more so of the news about the supposed attack of Dire-eaters and rebels that were declaring themselves to be Kabay faction.

Such declaration of sentiments towards the Prime Magician holds sway of conflict in both political parties of the Sagan versus the Kabay. Of course, the Kabay faction would not agree to such blatant slander, knowing only the words of simple commoners that hold statuses of mercenaries or outsiders from the central city are the ones telling the story.

That doesn't mean that the Prime Magician and the Militia would not investigate further the claims, since the Kabay and Sagan factions coexist to the point one will not operate with the other. But they truly do hold governing power over the lands and every person at present.

Claiming one side to desire a rebellion for any reason is grounds for treason, and it will affect how the people and their governing state dissuade trust in their abilities and principle views in contributing to their Kingdom. This warranted several weeks-long debates of each representative household about what they must do about this matter.

Sagans and Kabays have always worked separately but never bordered over each other's business, long as they do not breach any territory or concern from the other. They may have separate factions albeit a joined council of parliament, it is still an ever-growing concern of the eighteen families about the power that leads them as one kingdom united.

Currently, all conversations of their heated debates about their strife versus each other have always been stopped at the advent of their choosing to listen more to economical concerns. Enough was enough, however, and this was the last straw.

Especially when such actions put the distribution of the most precious blessing of the sky, their most reliant resource for their kingdom's advancement in danger of being depleted or lacking.

“How long will this investigation even keep going? The stir of terrorism towards the citizens has brought trifle anxiety to my people that they've begun bordering up on the state outskirts. Simple people aren't easy to be dissuaded by their paranoia, I want clear compensation for this slander!”

“We all know you Kabay will resort to violence the same way you try to invade by force during the olden times, how are we to know you're not putting up an act to cover up for your failure of an attack on the ceremonial grounds. Of all places, and against the Prime Magician at that.”

“Surely, you’re just being biased, listen to yourselves. The Prime Magician since time immemorial has been from the household of Saturni and has unfairly sided with most of the Sagan's plights more than the Kabays. There's no wonder that common citizens would think they are higher than the others, there will be prejudice rife in lower lands. That's an example brought within your faction's animosity towards our past. We Kabay have proven time and again that we have left our ways of greater barbarism.”

“Oh, so you do agree that your side has always been incorrect and intolerant of change?”

“Don’t put words in our mouth, unlike us, we've tried to mend ways to our people and your people. But none of you would honestly tell any fault and act all high and mighty. As if none of you had ever, not done a crime against our people. You haven't all apologized, yourselves, about the great poisoning of the Balete Canto forest tribes.”

“Excuse me? Why are you referencing an event we have all investigated, and none of the families under the Sagan faction have any hand with that matter.”

The debate, more like petty squabble, about prejudices and bias from an age-long feud continued, only for four of the eighteen representatives in the table of council members. The other fourteen pleasantly conversed with as civil as they could, knowing the unnecessary noise in the forefront shouting their angry lungs out would soon settle.

Entering the chamber of Erienda at this time of the day, usually holds few members or officials, since it’s a room within the court of the All-Monarch Council that serves as an unofficial meeting room for all the delegates. It’s the largest room that is imbued with the shard of Silencing, to the outside world, established by the Prime Magician.

Every corner of this chamber is scenic in ambiance, with polished floors and marble walls, built to withstand natural disasters such as hails or storms, even earthquakes however rare it is. Above is the expansive space between the ceiling and the ends of the tallest chair on the long table, almost thirteen meters of air that one would think such a tall and expansive place could only be used for a simple meeting.

But Erienda isn't even, originally, a room built with the intent of housing eighteen or so people. The intent was to let other creatures within and other citizens spend time with nature. This used to be a norm, living with nature in the confines of the All-Monarch Kingdoms city proper, with an open skeletal roof letting the light of Slitark shine thru between the leaves that surround and grow from the gardens.

Erienda is once a glorified greenhouse that now covered all its walls with window doors. The skeletal roof fairly tinted by the imbued dust of the shards on its glass keeps the rays of the warm sun cool. Several doors on every wall can open to the garden but one main door serves as a path to the main hall, skipping the garden in its entirety.

Sometimes, they would say one could easily get lost in the halls of the All-Monarch central palace, but if you arrive in the Erienda you will easily find your way back to the start. Not because it leads to the front of the building, but because it naturally clears your mind from the earthly atmosphere.

Dark brown hardwood laid sturdy in the middle, in place of the old tables and scattered fallen bark from an ancient tree that the people used to keep the balance of the earth and people in check. Almost cover the entire ground, but smack middle, this long table was made by a prominent family of the northwest, along with the chairs with long back rests carved with leaves and vines.

This set was made by magic of ancient, using the shards to perfectly cut the wood without having them waste their essence since the trees they used to make the base of the table came from another ancient tree. Choosing those trees was decided by the years of its age, the older it gets, the sturdier its outer bark becomes.

It can fit twice the number of the council members, just it also served as table space for any prospect of long documented arguments or conversations if they needed to take careful notes or record, the matters of their parliament, or any governing decisions and planning they want to achieve at the year-ender. Along with any necessary members of their house they want to be included with them.

Right now, it’s not the year-ender but a gathering for the events from the end of the Ocular, the blessing and cleansing of crystals. About every person on the chair brought their concerns beforehand as if they were putting all their might putting one hand ahead of everyone so their problems could be raised without worrying about the delay.

Unfortunately, the heads of both factions remained unwavering in their stand on not letting any unfair hand dealt on issuing or raising concerns. Their form of help towards their council leader, a simple Sagan nobleman who looked like he was sleeping but is reading his slate. These two representatives of the Kabay and Sagan remained steadfast about the first stance on, as of current, the results of the investigations, especially the interrogation of the captured rebels.

These “Kabay” rebels are, of course, released only to be held in the citadel until the end of their trial. This gives much time for deliberation for any concerned part within the situation. Speaking with which all civilians have but little resolve to remain their stay of loyalty to the cause if they’re trapped in a jail cell until it’s further discussed.

Many of these rebels, or so-called terrorist Kabay, have expressed guilt and regret in letting themselves attack the Prime Magician at a crucial time of the shard season. There was no joke when both Kabay and Sagan nobility abhor their action enough to wish them years of imprisonment for stepping on the importance of the cleansing ceremony.

Warranting them enough mercy from the proposed panel of civilian jurors during the court trial that took place once the justice council was sorted, in the same place, the citadel. Since their numbers are too much and all of them are not required any special treatment or solo trial.

No nobility was involved. No greater authority. Just, mere civilians egged on by an ideology that was pushed on them. Forgetting the laws of their kingdom, even though they know of the laws, none of them thought twice.

Truth be, some of the jurors admired their supposed patriotism but the significance of the Prime Magician still precedents them by leagues of importance to society. Not saying they are not welcome once their loyalty is changed or considered to be harmless and unable to participate in such acts in the future.

Beyond the scope of mercy, their sentences are to serve in the citadel and specific locations under the faction of the Sagan that’s held by the Prime Magician. They’re stripped of any relation to a Kabay province and would be considered a no-state citizen and will not receive any help until the end of their service.

This much was discussed as a fair trial and judgment even if there are words of opposition from a few Sagan nobles who disagree that they should be given responsibility for implementing this sort of punishment. At least their banishment from their state was a good service they thought fit well.

In the end, the Prime Magician herself forgave their wrongdoings and issued their utilization in the borders near the wild provinces, the areas where monsters reside and live their days protecting the lands from those infected by the poison of uncleansed shards. This option was forced upon these rebels and will be watched and well-implemented in the coming weeks once everything has been sorted.

These were only the first few weeks after the end of the Ocular, anything else beyond this will be seen as countermeasures against these now banished citizens. Subtly hinting that these people are expendables, death comes naturally to them, and any other protection is none of the Kabay’s governing faction’s responsibility.

Even the Sagans will not help them, or at least they're allowed to, given the bare minimum. Treating humans outside the scope of the kingdom's citizenship laws is simple and terrifying, considering the world they live in, infested with creatures easily influenced by a shard unblessed.

Lifting to the next page as this short chapter of the rebel’s quick trial ended, the mystery of who truly hired these people into the farce that pretends to help them fulfill a goal built for the good of their kingdom, remains at large. Leaving this stone unturned, at least for these few weeks, small steps remain their only action for the growing case of this blatant attempt to destroy the Prime Magician and their potential.

╪