A magnificent eagle beat its wings. Its broad pinions stirred the air as it spiraled slowly down from the mountaintop, its keen eyes searching the ground for prey.
The thin, cold air at that height blew ceaselessly against it, but its dense covering of fine feathers easily kept out the chill, maintaining its body's warmth. Talons as sharp as iron hooks were tucked beneath its belly, ready at any moment to snap its prey's neck.
Layers of gauzelike cloud and mist obstructed its vision, only to be pierced effortlessly one after another. They became a thin film of droplets, which rolled briefly across its oily feathers before falling away.
By nimbly adjusting its tail feathers and wings, this spirit of the sky could reach any place it wished.
The eagle passed through another thick bank of mist. Its view suddenly opened, and a magnificent mountain appeared before its sharp eyes.
The mountain was so peculiar. No other range connected to it. It stood like the hideous spine of an enormous beast crouched on the plain. Peaks that looked as though they had been hewn by blades and axes lined the ridge as densely as a forest of spears.
Not even the best-climbing blue sheep or the most agile ape could find a place to perch on them. So fierce and treacherous were they that they seemed less a creation of nature than a peril deliberately fashioned by human hands.
Yet a magnificent city had actually been built on this precipitous mountain. Numerous spires and bell towers rose proudly from the massive black-stone walls running along its middle slopes.
The distance between each was absolutely precise, measured hundreds or thousands of times. The seams between the stones were so narrow that not even the thinnest blade could fit inside.
Exquisitely carved, elaborate statues filled every building. Full-figured, graceful women, warriors in helmets and armor, mighty warhorses with heads held high... Each had been sculpted with astonishing lifelikeness, adorning every corner of the city.
Its roads were paved with fine blue-gray flagstones. A complete sewer network ran throughout the city. Channels flowing with clear water appeared at every street corner, supplying the needs of the entire population...
It was impossible to imagine how vast an expenditure of labor and resources it would have taken to build such a miracle...
The eagle swept an indifferent glance over it. This city held none of the prey it needed. Without hesitation, it beat its wings and crossed the sky above the city, leaving that awe-inspiring spectacle behind.
Only a single light feather remained, drifting with the air currents. It tumbled and flew on and on before finally settling on a golden glazed roof tile.
* * *
"Traitor!! Traitor!!..."
That word issued from countless throats. With trembling lips, they shouted themselves hoarse.
A dense crowd jostled together, dressed in all kinds of clothing. Some wore luxurious silk, others only ordinary hemp. Yet they pressed together without distinction. Nobles and merchants, artisans and commoners, all were angrily shouting the same word.
Their raised fists looked ready to strike something. Every face was red with fury. Their terrible, violent emotions were like a mighty tidal wave, threatening to overwhelm everything before them.
The tiny feather was lifted by that immense wave of sound, then drifted unsteadily down again onto a guard's helmet. It slid along the smooth steel to his shoulder and caught between the closely arranged scales of his armor.
There it fluttered in the breeze like a tiny helmet plume, lending the guard a little splendor.
The furious crowd was gathering in the square before the palace. Although they did not rush the soldiers' defensive line, they continued to roar at the tops of their voices.
All raised their right arms in unison, venting their feelings like swords brandished in a battle formation.
"Tesolys is a despicable traitor!! He's inflicted enormous losses on our country!! Carve his name on the monument of shame!! That despicable traitor!"
"He destroyed our elite troops! More than a thousand cataphracts were wiped out because of his bad decisions! He's a criminal!"
"Punish his family!!"
...
The outcome of the Battle of Kolhenlid was already known... Contrary to all expectations, the Empire had suffered unexpectedly heavy losses. A full thousand cataphracts had become trapped within layer upon layer of enemy encirclement because of their commander's mistaken decision. Their prospects were believed to be grim.
The glorious consul Arius had acted in time and withdrawn the army, thereby averting even greater losses. A meeting was now being held inside the imperial palace...
* * *
"You filthy bastard, you stupid parasite, you vile, lowly maggot!! If you dare insult my brother again, I'll draw my sword this instant and settle this the way a man of the Empire should. I'll cut off that fat head of yours!! Then I'll throw it into the cesspit out back, so your skull can be filled with what belongs there."
The speaker was a tall imperial general. Closely fitted scale armor covered his entire body, with a heavy lining of mail hanging to his knees. His heavy iron boots stamped hard against the smooth marble floor.
His right hand already gripped the heavy sword at his waist, its blade a palm wide, ready at any moment to cleave the fat man arguing with him in two. The corner of his mouth, marked by a thick scar, twitched slightly. Indescribable fury gathered in his black eyes.
That terrifying presence made everyone around him step back involuntarily, even though they were not his targets.
"Natamus, are you trying to shield your brother?!! Every general on that battlefield can testify for me. It was plainly his disobedience, his attacking without orders, that brought this about... Under imperial law, he should be sentenced to death even if he escapes!!"
A terrifying roar suddenly erupted from the center of the gathering. Without hesitation, Natamus charged the fat man. Several people tried to stop him, but he casually knocked them aside like chicks.
Like an enraged beast, he made everyone retreat again and again.
"You have no honor whatsoever! Do you really think you can fool everyone?!! My brother had already broken through the Hols formation. Their archers and crossbowmen had been completely wiped out. All you had to do was advance your legion a little, and victory would have been yours...
"But to murder my brother, you actually stooped to something so vile and shameful!! Arius, I'm going to tear your head off today!! I'll see whether it's stuffed full of fat too, and give it a good cleaning out!!"
With his immense strength, Natamus reached out and seized the fat man's collar. He lifted him as easily as hauling up a sack of cotton wadding.
Although the pressure on his neck flushed his face red, a smug smile appeared on the fat man's face.
"Stop, Natamus!! Will you behave so disrespectfully before the emperor?"
Someone suddenly barked the furious rebuke. Natamus's face flushed with anger, and his clenched fists creaked. He had torn Arius's collar to shreds.
In the end, however, he did not break the man's neck. Instead, he angrily flung him onto the floor, deliberately using considerable force. The violent jolt to Arius's internal organs left him lying there for a long time, unable to get up, doing nothing but gasping for breath.
"All of you, return to your places... The truth of the matter has not yet been established, and you're already rushing to conclusions... Do you have no regard for me as your emperor?..."
A clear, ringing voice suddenly sounded in everyone's ears. The generals and nobles, who had been arguing without cease, turned their attention back to the raised dais.
There, gold and silver intertwined and fitted together. Great quantities of metal had been worked into thin feathers to form a majestic double-headed eagle, wings poised to beat as it took flight. Four enormous gems, red and purple, formed its eyes.
Every detail had been perfected. Even the patterns on the feathers could be clearly distinguished.
Beneath this towering double-headed eagle stood the magnificent imperial throne. A tall, full-figured figure in purple robes reclined upon it, regarding her subjects with an indifferent gaze.
Those brilliant golden eyes, like molten gold, held an indescribable fury. Everyone fell silent in fear and lowered their heads in awe.
Looking at these seemingly loyal subjects, the emperor clenched her pearly teeth slightly. Her vivid red lips curved in contempt, but the expression vanished in the blink of an eye. She resumed her indifferent look.
"Until definite information has been established by an investigation, every one of you will keep your mouth shut. Arius! Don't think I don't know about your little maneuvers. What do you mean by sending your household servants to stir up the people in the city? Do you think you can dictate my will?!"
The emperor's anger made the fat on Arius's face tremble. Then he bowed still more submissively and humbly.
"Your honored Majesty, I would never presume... It's only that I believe every citizen of the Empire has this right and duty..."
"Until Tesolys returns, you would do better to stop urging the citizens to fulfill that duty... He will never die there. Once he returns, the whole truth will become clear. Until then..."
The emperor leaned forward slightly. Silvery-white hair, smooth as silk, flowed down over her shoulders. Through clenched teeth, she pronounced each word distinctly.
"Any attempt to incite the people will be treated as treason!"
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