Sanguine Prince | Chapter 11: Reckless Curiosity (Second Draft)

Arcturus ran a hand through his hair as Angela watched him, waiting patiently for him to find the words to his question.

“Okay,” he said finally. “Inquisitors, huh? Walk me through that concept, if you could?”

“Of course,” she assented with an amused look. "The Inquisitors of the Church of Eternal Light are a staple of the Empire, and have been since its earliest years,” she began, and stopped upon seeing the look that had overcome his features. “I can see the surprise on your face. You really had no idea?”

“Of course not!” he exclaimed with utter, bewildered disbelief. “What sort of backwards nutcracker organization actually creates an Inquisition!?”

“Nutcracker…?” Angela asked with apparent confusion.

“It’s a joke, forget it,” Arcturus said with a shake of his head. “Back to the point, I can't believe there are actually Inquisitors. I didn’t realise the ‘Holy’ part of the Empire was that big a deal. I thought it was more of a loosely associated title.”

“No, not at all,” Angela said, voice firming into something serious once more. “You should be aware of this; it could save your life. Mocking or demeaning the Church within the Empire’s borders can result in a one-way trip to the executioner’s block, even for a Daeva. Maybe if you were powerful enough, you could get away with it, but—and no offense here, kid—you seem about as intimidating as a baby deer, right now.”

“Plenty of people seemed ready to run from me in the streets,” Arcturus muttered with a glance at his drink.

“Yes, that’s because you look like you’re from Archon stock. Mundanes won’t want to risk an encounter with you if they can help it, especially since you probably looked so odd, perhaps even a little desperate. A desperate Archon is disturbing, never mind the other implications. Besides! Most people are too scared of being pulled into a House War.”

[Perception Check] successful!

[Insight Gained]: Imperial Society! Your background in political science on Earth and remarkable level of ingenuity have allowed you to gather a more solid comprehension of Imperial society, granting you awareness of its feudal aristocratic structure and religion-backed authority. Reminiscent of Augustan Rome, you now have a functional understanding of Aquilan society in its most basic form!

“Okay, there’s a lot to unpack there,” Arcturus said after a moment of taking note of the alert and shuffling the information away, before leaning back against the workbench next to the forge and frowning. “What exactly are Archons, Angela? I thought they were just another word for Nobilis Imperia, or some sort of sect within their ranks.”

“You’re right, and you’re wrong,” she replied with faint amusement, while seeming to weigh her words. “All Archons are considered Nobilis Imperia, but not all Nobilis Imperia can become Archons. It takes a certain level of Aetheric ability and a lot of natural warrior instinct to become an Archon.”

“So, even regular people can become Archons?” Arcturus clarified.

“You mean common citizens and residents? Yes,” Angela said with an affirming nod. “If a child is born with the aptitude and the Aetheric talent, they can ascend to join the ranks of the Empire’s Archons. It’s usually the start of a new, extremely minor house in the Nobilis Imperia—though few of those lineages ever last more than a handful of generations.”

“Ill-prepared, right?” he ventured as a guess.

“Yep,” Angela said with a wry smile. “Baseborn people don’t often have the guile or wits to survive highborn society, even if they’re capable of becoming Archons. Rising to that level alone is not a guarantee of solvency, especially not if they anger the wrong House.”

“I’m guessing that’s where a House War comes in,” Arcturus said with a grimace.

“Quite so,” Angela said in a voice that had slowly transitioned to something more formal. “Archons are still rare enough that they’re extremely valuable in most Houses, and if it comes down to a House War, the larger number of Archons almost always guarantees a crushing victory. Even two extra Archons can be the difference between triumph and defeat.”

“So why doesn’t everyone just recruit every Archon they can?” he queried with a curiosity he couldn’t deny.

“Only the Great Houses and High Houses have enough resources and influence, and thus enough Archons, to where House Wars are almost unheard of, mainly because of the level of destruction that kind of conflict would unleash.”

“Great Houses and High Houses?” Arcturus asked again, feeling as if he were back in class, but fully aware that the information could be crucial. “I studied Political Science on Earth. I’m guessing they’re some form of special upper class within the upper class?”

“Yes,” Angela said with a pleased smile. “The major cities within an Imperial Dominion are controlled by a coterie of High Houses, with one family officially ruling the dominion itself as a Great House.”

“How are they selected?” Arcturus asked immediately, mind racing.

“The lineage is hereditary, and the only way it can be challenged is if one of the High Houses contests the incumbent King during his week-long coronation.”

“Hold on,” Arcturus said with a raised eyebrow. “King? So each dominion is a nation unto itself?”

“That’s right,” Angela said with another pleased smile and nod. “The Kings rule each Imperial Dominion, and are the sworn vassals of the Emperor, who holds the secondary title of High King. The Emperor himself derives his authority from the gods, whose Cardinals and Avatars ensure the purity of the Empire is maintained.”

[Perception Check] successful!

“What a convoluted system…” Arcturus responded with a mutter before suddenly realizing another implication. “Wait, so that means that the Emperor can also be challenged?”

“Now you’re getting it,” Angela said with a grin. “Specifically, the Imperial Crown-Prince can be challenged for the Throne during the full month of his coronation. Until the Luminous Cardinals and Herald of Radiance, with the gods’ blessing, place the Crown of Light on the new Emperor and validate his reign, anyone can challenge for the Throne.”

“That’s insanity...” he said in disbelief. “How has this Empire persisted? This all sounds like a recipe for anarchy and disaster.”

Yes, insulting her entire way of life is definitely going to ingratiate you.

Angela frowned at his depredations but didn’t offer recrimination when she answered.

“The Empire was founded on principles of service and strength, by the will of the gods. A challenge can only be made if the challenger can prove they believe that a change of power better serves the national interest. Of course, this can be anything from moral objections to simply believing the reigning King or Emperor to be too weak.”

“So, wait, the Emperor or a King can be challenged after their incumbent period?”

“Only by a qualifying Grand House or High House, respectively, whose leader and heir are also Archons, yes,” Angela clarified with specificity. “Weakening the throne in either context is unacceptable, so the prerequisites are strict.”

“So, strength of arms is imperative to the national interest?” Arcuturs clarified.

“Absolutely,” Angela affirmed without hesitation. “The Empire possesses the single greatest military force on Terra. Without strength, that power can’t be properly harnessed.”

“So any idiot that’s talented in killing and happens to have the right bloodline can become Emperor?” Arcturus asked, feeling more and more dubious about the sanity of the Empire’s citizenry by the minute.

“Don’t be reductive,” she chided him with a frown. “You can’t become an Archon without proving yourself intellectually capable, and it’s unheard of for the Emperor not to be an Archon. The simple reality of that means that our rulers are always strong in both mind and body.”

“You never mentioned female rulers,” Arcturus said after a moment’s consideration, and a kernel of wary preparation for something ass-backward and horrifying. “Why?”

“The Empire is patrilineal,” Angela explained without a hint of issue with the idea. “Women can’t inherit Houses or rule dominions, let alone become the Emperor!”

She laughed as his expression shifted to one of disapproval.

“It isn’t about capability, kid. Women are just as capable of being Archons as men; they simply serve a different role. From the Emperor down to the local Lord, the men of the Empire’s ruling class are its political and military leaders, but it’s we women who handle the actual administration of the Empire. Taxes, infrastructure, social programs, education, medicine, public affairs… You name it! Women run the Empire, men just dictate its direction, within reason.”

“That seems…” he paused and then continued, “well, not fair. But definitely not as horrible as I imagined,” Arcturus finished thoughtfully, swallowing the last of his hot chocolate as he pondered what he’d been told. He’d feared initially that he’d somehow teleported into some horrible Victorian wish-fulfillment incel fantasy. What he was hearing was much more palatable.

“Though, doesn’t that mean that women can’t fight with the men?”

“The Legions and Imperial Guard are completely open to both sexes, don’t fret,” Angela said and winked at him as he gave her a wry smile. “Besides, most women who want to make a real impact become Valkyries, assuming they have the aptitude to do so.”

“I’ve heard that name before,” he said thoughtfully. “What are they?”

“The Inquisition’s enforcers! Paladins will defend the Church and its assets, and may even serve as bodyguards and escorts to important enough functionaries, diplomats, or clergy," she said and grinned. "It’s the Valkyries, though, that are charged with enacting the will of the Church’s Inquisition.”

“I’m guessing that I’ll want to avoid them for a while.”

“That’s probably wise!” Angela agreed with a knowing laugh.

Arturus stared thoughtfully into his cup.

“You’ve given me a lot to consider, and I feel like we barely scratched the surface. I suppose the last question I have is whether or not there’s any kind of democratic system at play here, or is it strictly an aristocracy that’s in charge?” 

As an American, there was a part of Arcturus that just couldn’t accept an entirely hegemonic, caste-based system of governance. He understood why it was successful, but the patriot in him wanted to wave the stars and stripes and raise hell.

“The Senatus Imperialis and Senatus Regalis are both elected democratically. It’s how mundanes are granted the right to representation and effective petition, in fact. Any laws or amendments they propose and vote in favour of have to be approved by the Emperor or Kings, though, depending on whether it’s the Imperial Senate or Dominion Senate, but there usually isn’t much of an issue there.”

She looked back at her prior project and collected her strange tool again before continuing.

“Senators understand that the balance of power requires mutual respect, and they’ll never waste time with a law or amendment that they know would be unacceptable.”

“Well, that’s something, I suppose,” Arcturus conceded thoughtfully, his mind racing with his Poli-Sci knowledge. “And you’re obviously allowed to bear arms, which is a plus. I take it that applies to everyone, including mundanes—which I assume is the common way of referring to people without notable Aetheric capability.”

“Yes on both accounts,” Angela said with a laugh, “you sound like a scholar.”

“No, just a proud American,” Arcturus answered promptly, smiling to himself as he did.

“A what?” she asked with a confused glance.

“Don’t worry about it,” he reassured her, knowing she wouldn’t press him.

In the silence that followed, his attention was drawn back to the forge.

He could feel… something… emanating from it, as if some aspect of it was awry. He set his mug down on the workbench beside him to free up both hands and moved closer to the forge, inspecting it once again. He wasn’t about to bother Angela with strange hunches, but perhaps if he could simply find the correct method of interacting with it, he could figure out what it was that kept needling at his senses.

Yes, let’s mess with the mysterious magical device. What could possibly go wrong?

Arcturus clicked his tongue in annoyance at his subconscious and frowned as he explored the runes along the forge again, more cautiously this time. His eyes picked out the shapes and forms of the elegant sigils as his gaze trailed along the length of the metal, noting that they seemed to form a perfect ring around the object's center of mass. There was what appeared to be some sort of repeating pattern in the circle, one that Arcturus couldn’t quite make out. He could almost feel some kind of lack or emptiness in the forge, as if it were incomplete.

It was like it was missing part of itself, as mad as it sounded even to his own mind.

You’re definitely insane. I exist, don’t I?

Careful not to accidentally catalyze anything, Arcturus focused on where he vaguely perceived the void in the forge’s existence to be and drew on his Aether, directing it carefully towards the crevasse of nothingness that he just intrinsically knew shouldn’t have been there. His brows furrowed as he drew more deeply again, to push energy toward where his instincts told him it had to go, filling the void in the forge with careful precision until it was full… and the interior erupted with light.

[Arcana Check] successful!

Arcturus staggered backwards as the circle of runes lit up with crackling white energy, blending into a solid circle that seemed to absorb all the metal within itself—and reveal a paradoxically silent white flame in an otherwise empty, cavernous interior—the heart of the fire a black core which seemed to suck in radiance towards it.

He heard Angela’s angry, surprised exclamation behind him as he stared at the forge in bewilderment.

Congratulations! [Enchanting] (Active, Level 1) Unlocked!

Your preternatural ability to send the aetheric composition of things has manifested into the ability to perform rudimentary enchantment! You’re very Lucky, in fact, that you managed to succeed in what should have been an impossible task for an amateur! Once again, you changed Fate by your mere presence, but don’t let it go to your head.

Congratulations! [Enchanting (Runic Materials)] Unlocked!

Congratulations! [Aethersmithing] (Active, Level 1) Unlocked!

Your strange and limitless potential for odd talents manifests once again, allowing you to activate a Runic Forge you really have no business being able to operate! What are the odds that you have a talent so rare it’s considered a prodigious gift? Whatever they may be, it appears that you once again defied all expectations to achieve something amazing. Great going, you overachieving abomination!

Congratulations! [Aethersmithing (Infusion)] Unlocked!

Congratulations! [Aethersmithing (Diffusion)] Unlocked!

Arcturus turned to Angela when she rushed to the forge, her hands hovering just above it as the faint hints of magic filled the air around her, buoyed by her evident casting of spells to investigate and ascertain the solvency of her most precious and integral item. He immediately felt guilt and shame start to seep through him as he really considered what he’d done, recklessly messing with the livelihood of the woman who had shown him some of the only genuine kindness he’d experienced since coming to Terra.

Arcturus opened his mouth to apologize, but snapped it closed when Angela whirled on him, her look of fury fading into an almost girlish amazement.

“What did you do? I’ve never seen Aether this potent! The forge is barely able to contain that flame, and the energy just seems to be constantly renewing itself! I may never need to restart it again. That Aether… It’s so pure, like it’s water straight from the stream. How did you do that?”

“I don’t really know,” Arcturus said in a mildly flustered tone, happy he hadn’t destroyed her entire livelihood in one fell swoop. “I just felt this sort of, uh, need to fix it, and then that happened. It was like the thing was broken, and I just put in the missing piece.”

“Gods be good. Who are you, kid?”

That’s when he realised he had never given her his name, despite everything. “Arcturus,” he said after a moment of hesitation, his gaze apologetic. “Arcturus Valoura. I’m sorry for not introducing myself earlier; I know it was rude. I just didn’t think…”

He trailed off when he saw Angela was staring at him, and this time, there was a mix of disbelief and fear on her face when she spoke.

“You’re supposed to be dead!”

Which, of course, was the cue for everything to go to hell.