“Of course,” the young man brightened. “Studying history without primary sources would be like singing a song without words. Virilan is nothing but history. It has no present, at least for us. The country is closed.” His words came faster. “Nobody knows what their current state of affairs is. You must know that they only trade with the Capotians who have just one small trading post on the coast. They have only limited contact with outsiders.”
“So that’s what you will be writing about,” Ronko said. He ran his index finger along a shelf of books just so that he could demonstratively blow the ancient dust from his finger. “But here’s my advice. Don’t write in Virilan, or else you will forget what you are doing and no one will be able to read it.”
Uni smiled at the unexpected joke and began to relax.
“Tell me one more thing, my friend,” Ronko continued his questioning. “Have you ever attempted to speak Virilan?” He paused. “But of course you haven’t. There is no one for you to speak with here. And nothing to speak of. I keep forgetting that Virilan is a dead language, at least as far as we are concerned.”
“Why not?” Uni burst out. “Sometimes senior master Barko speaks to me about interesting passages from the ancient texts. And sometimes I…well, when you read those old histories, you can’t help but imagine the wars and the old heroes. You imagine what it would be like to be one of their wise men, or their commanders, or their lords…”
“Do you mean to tell me that you read their dialogues aloud? Like a shadow theater in the bowels of the imperial archive? How very interesting!”
Uni felt himself blush to the tips of his ears, but there was no retreat. And he didn’t want to retreat. The unexpected proposal was much too exciting for that.
“It’s not as odd as you think. You see, when the Virilans conquered the Five Kingdoms four hundred years ago, all the people who refused to accept their rule sailed away to the four corners, including our Empire. They were soon absorbed by the Empire, and the few books they brought with them are all we know about the country, its residents, and their language.”
“I’m not casting doubt on your methods of study. That very fact may come in useful.” He looked closely at Uni. “I had no idea that this meeting would be such a success!”
“I will do everything I can to deserve your trust. When does the document need to be ready?”
“Noon tomorrow would be perfect,” Ronko said with a shrug, his eyes wandering over the shelves.
For an instant, Uni felt as if his heart and the rest of his organs had fallen to his feet. “What? Noon tomorrow?” His voice came from somewhere near his feet, too.
“Of course,” Ronko sighed. “Now you see how lucky I am that you will be taking care of this for me.” He snapped his fingers. “Indeed, if the Heavenly Lord decides your fate, he is capable of leading you over a bridge as thin as a hair.”
“Of course,” it was Uni’s turn to mumble. His face reflected none of his illustrious companion’s pleasure. “Have no fear, the report will be ready on time, and it will be quite complete,” he added with weak enthusiasm that fizzled as he exhaled.
“Excellent. I won’t keep you. Until tomorrow.” Ronko was delighted, like a child who has been given a long-awaited gift. Normally, Uni would have found his reaction amusing, but not today.
His client disappeared around the corner and Uni was left leaning against the stacks, desperately trying to wrap his mind around the tragedy and the challenge of the moment. Why did fate choose to mock him even as it delivered a rare prize into his hands? After a long four years of pointless work in the archive, someone at the court had finally noticed his talent. This could be his one chance to break out of the archive’s dingy basement and prove himself in an important matter. If he did well, perhaps with time he would be offered a serious position, one where he would not be treated as an errand boy, instead issuing orders to a staff of his own. Why did this much-anticipated opportunity have to show up just in time to prevent him from achieving success in another, no less important, area of his life? Why were all his friends and acquaintances seemingly able to combine their careers and their private lives, while he had to sacrifice one or the other?
Uni gritted his teeth and leaned back, knocking his head against the wooden panel of the wall behind him. Skipping out on that evening’s engagement was just as impossible as giving up the miraculous opportunity to show off his skills in the Virilan report. There was only one thing to do: he would accomplish both at the same time.
“This always happens to me,” he thought. “It’s always everything or nothing.” He made some rapid calculations. “I’ll go on the walk with Siana this evening and tell her I love her right when the sun goes down. Romance on a tight schedule. But it’s better this way. I’m too busy to be nervous. Sorry dear, I have to run. Can’t keep the Emperor waiting, you know… Technically, that’s true, and what an effect it will have! After I win Siana’s heart, I’ll run back to the archive and spend the night in a creative fever writing a brilliant report worthy of the Great Lord’s praise. The precise details! The breadth of knowledge! The style, noble yet straightforward! I won’t use shorthand – the whole thing will be in the most elegant script!” He tried to remember the last time he had used his calligraphy skills. “It may kill me, but I’ll write so beautifully that all the courtiers will be shocked! Who is the author of this phenomenal text? Unizel Virando? The assistant to the senior master? How could you have overlooked him? You aren’t making the most of his talents! Immediately make him a department master. No, appoint him personal advisor to the Emperor! Who else possesses such wide-ranging knowledge of all the foreign powers? Sure, that’s highly unlikely, but they won’t be able to ignore me any longer after I complete this heroic work.”
Suddenly, Uni froze. “I still need permission from Barko to work here overnight.” He took off running. “Falcon, I'll catch up with you soon!”
Chapter 2. Shattered Heart
“The Arincils only worship two gods, unlike all the other pagans. The first of them is Pulimentel, the god of death, for they believe that death is the only reality that touches each of us equally. It doesn’t matter if you’re strong or weak, good looking or ugly, rich or poor. Eventually, you are going to die. Thus, death stands over us all and holds the greatest power over all living things. Personally, I find much here in common with our belief in the Heavenly Deity that gives its light to all living things in equal measure. That said, while the Arincils’ god represents fear of the unavoidable end and reflects the essence of their ruthless society, our Heavenly Deity shines over the fair lands where our empire’s wisest and most humane minds are born. Their second god, Alintepel, is the god of military fortune. When two equally strong warriors meet in combat, victory is often decided by chance. It can turn on something so small. Even an experienced warrior can find himself helpless in the face of a terrible stroke of bad luck that cuts through his lifeline like a sword…”
“You know so many interesting things. It’s a pleasure to hear you talk,” said the attractive brunette with a fine profile and unusually beautiful, emerald eyes who had been walking for over an hour with Uni along the winding pathways of the gardens of Archomena, enjoying the warm evening breeze, the deepening red sunset and her erudite companion. Uni had been surprised at how easy it was to interest the unattainable heroine of his dreams – all he had to do was tell her, one after another, all the things he had learned while reading in the archive.
“This is going well,” Uni thought to himself. “I’ll tell her about the bride selection ritual of Torgendam, and then it will be time for the main event: Dearest Siana, I have known so many lovely women from beyond the seas, but none of them – and none of our empire’s fair women – can compare to you, not even the princesses of past ages. You are the princess of my soul. You are its queen, and my eyes are locked on you forever…”
She turned her smile on him. “I’m glad you found time