After the incident with the hill and the squid, Celeres found his position in the company much improved. The gold masks held him in the same category as the leaders, carefully avoiding offending him. Their perception was only reinforced by Prince Emhyr’s subsequent adoption of the blood knight into the social circle that included Katchen and Colonel Rafe. The Prince seemed to find Celeres’ vague contempt for him amusing, leading to many occasions of riding at his side.

            That is how he ended up in discussion with the Prince as the ruins of Kagayaku came into view. The path that had risen gently for hours reached its peak and below them lay a valley filled with tumbled buildings, valiantly struggling against the green that threatened to consume it entirely. Between the green piles were broad avenues, still blue-green with roadweed after all the centuries since the city’s fall. A broad river crept through the valley, cutting the ruins in two.

            “Look,” Prince Emhyr said to Celeres, “it still stands.” He was pointing to a large gray ziggurat that still loomed proudly at the center of the valley, dwarfing the smaller lumps around it. Something bright glittered on the top of it.

            “What is it?”

            “Zonneshin’s tower.”

            Celeres double-checked, but the object stubbornly remained a precisely shaped hill. “Tower?” he asked.

            “It was originally built as one. The pyramid grew up around it later,” the Prince explained.

            “Oh.”

            “Colonel Rafe, send some scouting teams down to check out the city. Zonneshin once told me he kept this place clear, but there’s no sense in taking chances.”

            The Colonel nodded and rode forward, calling out names to bring those gold masks to him.

            “Where are we?” Celeres asked.

            :Kagayaku,: Katchen answered from where she rode behind them.

            “The first capital,” the blood knight said.

            “This is where it started. This is where the first steps of unifying the empire were taken,” the Prince said reverentially.
            “Blood and steel,” Celeres sniffed.

            “It made Zonne a better place,” Prince Emhyr argued.

            “The Treffens might argue with that. For that matter, so might my fellow blood knights.”

            “There are always some malcontents,” the Prince said dismissively. “Look,” he said, pointing down to the city, “the Granite Gates.”

            The company rode into the city, picking their way along the deserted roads while the Prince regaled them with stories about this or that feature of the city. To Celeres’ ears, the ruins were eerily silent as the songs of birds faded into the distance, leaving only the buzzing of insects to break the white noise of nature. The scouts returned to report on the extensive nature of the unnatural silence, but they found no sign of anything of danger to the humans. Despite the Prince’s reassurances, the lack of animals made the gold masks nervous.

            Resigning himself to his company’s state, Prince Emhyr led them deep into the city, to the base of Zonneshin’s tower. While the gold masks set up camp, the Prince lead Colonel Rafe, Katchen, and Celeres up the steps of the ziggurat. The gray edifice showed every sign of stubbornly resisting any encroaching plant life. A patch of dead, brown roadweed circled its base, and the walls were spotted with burnt spots that show signs of being once living moss.

            The temple at the top of the ziggurat had once been painted yellow, but wind and rain had scoured away all but a few patches of the paint. Protected from the elements, the frescos inside had survived except for cracks in the paint. Illuminated by sunlight passing through crystals set in the ceiling, the pictures amazed Celeres. In brilliant colors, they depicted the most important events surrounding Zonneshin. Near the entrance, the Elohim arrived within the sphere of time. The first of their number, Tauret, sat creating the Firstborn. Celeres noted with amusement that Zonneshin’s birth was shown outshining even the creation of the first of the Firstborn, Cheldar. Next came the creation of the universe and the betrayal of Meskhenet. Afterwards, the journeys of Zonneshin and Maand in the first universe were depicted in loving detail, despite the lovers later falling out. Opposite the entrance stood a second door, surrounded by a painting of the destruction of the first universe.

            “Unbelievable,” Colonel Rafe said.

            :The skills displayed here far exceed what can currently be produced in Tagerden. The portrait artist for the imperial family is not half as good.:

            “Disasters often disrupt the knowledge great masters can teach. Artists must have forgotten how to produce such works in the chaos of the Shard War,” Prince Emhyr said.

            “Something to keep in mind when contemplating future disasters,” Celeres said archly.

            The Prince smiled wanly and led the way into the second room. This one was larger than the first, although here the wall were decorated in flowing abstract designs and glass sculptures. Much of the roof consisted of a single, unbroken pane of glass that framed the sky. It was matched by another giant pane on the floor, revealing a pit below it that drifted down into the darkness. On the glass over the center of the pit, a gold stand held a hundred pound crystal, its many facets glinting under the daylight. After a few moments admiring that bounty of matter and light, Celeres turned his attention to the glass of the ceiling and floor, trying to determine how much monstrous sheets could have survived the centuries since the fall of Kagayaku.

            Katchen walked boldly across the clear sheet, ignoring the pit below her to stare up at the sky above. She paused and shifted position to examine the spot from several angles. :There’s no distortion in the glass,: she said.

            Colonel Rafe knelt at the edge of the pit and hesitantly tapped the glass cover with a fingernail. “Impossible. At the age this stuff must be, it should have warped a great deal.”

            “Do you really think On. Zonneshin incapable of such a feat, Colonel?” his liege asked.

            “No, but it seems a very small detail for him to maintain. He may have kept large animals from moving into Kagayaku, but he did not stop the plants. His tower is clear of those, but the paint on the temple and whatever decoration lined the terraces are long gone. To correct the distortions on the glass when they would not be obvious at a distance strikes me as unlikely to catch On. Zonneshin’s attention.”

            “You may have a point.”

            :He does, but in the case, it’s a moot point. The ceiling, floor, and that gigantic crystal in the middle are all diamond.:

            Colonel Rafe and Celeres took that revelation in stunned silence. Even the Prince was impressed. “Maand’s eggs! Where did they ever find something so big?” he asked.

            :They didn’t. It was created by proxy, although with such skill, I had to search for it. The true names were entwined so slickly that they almost rival what the universe can create. There are some old proxies on the outside of them to reinforce their strength as well. This is almost undoubtedly Firstborn work, maybe even Cheldar himself.:

            “More likely Zonneshin’s. It is his tower,” the Prince said.

            :Possibly. Their alliance is complicated enough that the Sun Lord may not have wanted to take more from Cheldar than he had to,: Katchen admitted.

            “I’m amazed no thief has tried to steal at least the one on the stand,” Celeres said.

            “That would probably earn them a surprise,” Prince Emhyr grinned nastily.

            “Why?”

            “In the morning, little thread. I think it’s a bit too late in the day right now. Come, let’s see how dinner is going.”

            They descended the ziggurat and rejoined the company at the base of the building. They ate and spent the rest of the evening at ease while Prince Emhyr tried to tell the entire history of the city, from Palos the Strong to Anri the Last. They went to sleep late, but the Prince roused them early, with the nightglow still strong in the east.

            Foregoing breakfast, the Prince led his inner circle up Zonneshin’s tower and into the inner chamber with the diamonds. He pointed to a sculpture along the back and said, “Colonel Rafe and Celeres, move that, please.”

            They approached the glass figure of a man with an insect head and took hold of its stone base. Grunting, they lifted it and moved it forward. Celeres felt his fingers slipping but willed them still. He was relieved to set it back down.

            The Prince strode forward to examine the hole their actions had revealed. It sat in the floor, a grim black spot in the pre-dawn gloom, like a killer waiting patiently for the careless to approach. The Prince peered into the blackness and nodded in satisfaction. “Just where he said it would be.”

            :There appears to be no stairs or ladder down. Do you want us to get a rope from the camp?: Katchen asked.

            “That won’t be necessary. I’m told the fall is easily negotiated by those with Zonneshin’s gift,” Prince Emhyr said.

            The island mage coughed delicately.

            “I’m quite sure you can find an equivalent for yourself, Katchen,” he said, grinned mischievously, and stepped off into the hole.

            Celeres cursed and rushed over to the edge. He heard the Prince thump solidly to the ground below him.

            There was a pause, and then the Prince’s voice floated back. “It’s awfully dark down here. Perhaps I should have had you make a light for me first, Katchen.”

            Colonel Rafe guffawed.

            The island mage grew her own mischievous smile and asked, :You think?:

            “Katchen,” the Prince said dangerously.

            Her laughter echoing in their minds, Katchen twirled her fingers and sent a small white light dancing down the hole. Celeres could see Prince Emhyr standing on a landing looking up at them. A narrow spiral staircase disappeared into the ground on his liege’s right.

            The Prince noted it as well and immediately started down it. “Follow me as you can.”

            Celeres leapt down straight away, compelled to ensure his liege’s safety. Colonel Rafe came next, and then Katchen at a leisurely plunge controlled by her magic. The staircase spiraled for many stories before ending in a hallway that led back toward the center of the ziggurat. It opened up to reveal the floor of the pit. Far above them, they could see the diamond floor of the temple and beyond that, the starry sky.

            “Katchen, extinguish the light, please,” the Prince ordered.

            The light drifted apart, graying out the room and making it hard to see the items scattered the pit. A collection of ancient glass mirrors clung high to the wall, looking back at a diamond pedestal in the center of the room.

            “Now what?” Colonel Rafe asked, cautiously scanning the room.

            “Now we wait,” the Prince answered, sitting on the stone floor.

            Celeres shrugged and wandered over to the pedestal to examine it. In the dim light, he had trouble making out the design. Tracing his fingers along the chiseled grooves, he reached the conclusion that it might be a disk being shattered by a burst of light.

            The dawn had dribbled down into the pit while Celeres worked, gently illuminating the floor through rays reflected through diamonds above and the mirrors below.

            “Time enough,” Prince Emhyr declared, rising to his knees. “Little thread, come away from the pedestal, please.”

            The blood knight raised an eyebrow but did as he was told. Katchen and Colonel Rafe knelt down slightly behind and on either side of the Prince, facing the pedestal. Curious, Celeres knelt next the gold mask and waited.

            Prince Emhyr spoke in a voice that was half commanding and half beseeching. ‘On. Zonneshin, we have gathered here in the first rays of your daily light. Your honorable servants ask that you turn your eyes upon us, so we may benefit from your wisdom. On. Zonneshin, come to us.”

            Silence reigned for half a minute. Then the light in the room dimmed noticeably, while over the pedestal, a radiant cloud slowly coalesced into a gold man. The wall opposite and the slightly warped mirror on it was clearly visible through his translucent body, but the aura of his presence left Celeres with no doubt that Zonneshin himself had joined them. The light from the Firstborn’s body warmed the room and danced through the diamond pedestal below.

            Zonneshin turn his handsome features toward them and smiled. “Little prince, it has been far too long since we had a chance to talk.”

            “Crawling across the ground leaves one with few opportunities to pause with the sky, honorable.”

            “Indeed. And how goes the crawl?”

            “The thief is only a few days ahead of us. We expect to catch him before we reach the north-out vent.”

            “I have further information that may help your hunt.”

            “Indeed?” the Prince asked, surprised. “I thought the thief had succeeded in hiding himself from you entirely.”

            “Mostly, yes. That in itself suggested certain avenues to explore. It seems the thief is one of my brothers: Vogel.”

            The Prince’s eyebrows scrunched together in concern. “That one is the trickster’s companion, is he not?”

            “Yes, although I cannot say what role Meskhenet plays in this venture. That one’s motives would baffle Tauret.”

            :They may wish to keep the Firstborn in the universe. They were responsible for the entrapment in the first place,: Katchen offered.

            “Those two have switched sides too often for such speculation to be useful,” the Firstborn said dismissively. “Do you feel strong enough to wrest the Isole from our thief, little prince?”

            “I have a number of gold masks at my disposal, as well as the Colonel and the island mage. In addition, this blood knight has shown impressive skills during the months he has been in my service,” Prince Emhyr said, indicating Celeres.

            “One bearing my gift, I see. Few enough of them have found their way into the ranks of those loyal criminals.”

            “Hardly a condition I wanted in either case,” Celeres said, unconsciously toying with his red woof staff.

            Zonneshin raised an eyebrow but said, “I’ve found time often takes us in unexpected directions.”

            “True in its way, I suppose. I met another of your brothers some months ago. He left much to be desired,” the blood knight said.

            “Who?”

            “Thacker. I met him at Whisper Point. He behaved quite poorly.”

            That peaked the Firstborn’s interest. “Thacker mentioned that meeting to me. He mentioned companions you had. What happened to them?”

            “That is something I was hoping to discuss with you, honorable,” Prince Emhyr answer. “His companions have pursued us across the north-out arm to rescue him. They retrieved the Nameless Sword in order to remove your gift from him. We were wondering if you had prompted them to that action.”

            Zonneshin scowled terribly. “Definitely not.”

            “Then perhaps Cheldar? He has as much history with that blade as you do.”

            “There are still centuries before the wordsmith would require the sword. No, this is her doing. What on Tiran is Meskhenet playing at this time?”

            “I must admit we did nothing to discourage their pursuit, in case you wanted the sword in our hands for some reason. Have I made an error?”

            The Firstborn pulsed balefully before regaining his equilibrium. “Yes, but it was not an unreasonable assumption with the information you had. I should have made an effort to contact you earlier. How far behind you are they?”

            :A few days. They may catch us before we catch the thief,: Katchen said.

            “Unacceptable. The sword could destroy the power we would gain from the Isole. We must open the crystal before they can close with the blade,” Zonneshin said.

            “A backup plan then,” Colonel Rafe said, “to stop us if we caught up with the thief. With respect, On. Zonneshin, Meskhenet has always been reported as unfond of you. She undoubtedly arranged the theft and the sword just to annoy you.”

            The Firstborn grinned wolfishly, “She may find her plans falling a bit short then. When you reach the Isole, the island mage will know how to open it without waiting for my assistance. Hurry to catch our thief, but delay your pursuers however you think appropriate. Your future, and to some degree mine, is in your hands, little prince.”

            “Yes, On. Zonneshin.”

            Smiling in benediction, Zonneshin’s inner light disperse like butter on a warm frying pan.

            Running a finger against his upper lip, Celeres removed slick beads of sweat that had gathered there. “It’s warmer than it was.”

            :We stood before the Sun Lord. What did you expect?:

            “Be glad it’s only dawn. Summoning him here to this pit at noon would have cooked us alive, even bearing his gift,” the Prince said.

            “Delay your pursuers,” Colonel Rafe grumbled.

            “Troubles came with the job, Colonel, and they grow closer with every moment we waste here.”

            The four left the pit, oblivious to the mirror behind them. Its melted, warped glass held a distorted reflection of the room, changing the pedestal’s carving into an image of beams of light fusing a disk together.