Lilac Child Chapter 8

It was a bright morning when they arrived at The Grand Temple. Throngs of people gathered behind ranks of clerics and soldiers, all hoping to see their new Emperor as he arrived. The best spot was by the steps leading up the enormous bronze doors, but a ring of soldiers kept the commoners away, reserving them for the nobility and the government officials.

“I can’t see,” Pfeiffer said. Unable to climb with his sprained wrist, he’d been forced to wait at the foot of the statue while the other children sat on the plinth. They were all excited and driving Zini to distraction. Each one had demanded that she help them up, but when it had come to Pfeiffer, Mother Olo had told him to keep his feet on the ground.
“Okay, come here.” Zini squatted and picked the boy up in her arms. He was half her size, but Zini managed to raise him to her own eyeline.
“You spoil him,” Mother Olo said from her lofty position on a stool. Zini hadn’t seen her bring it with her, but when she’d finished getting the children settled, she’d turned around to find Mother Olo standing a foot taller than usual. Where it had come from was a simple question, but Zini wasn’t in the mood to ask. Sleep had been an inconsistent visitor, and her eyes ached under the harsh sun.
“We should have waited by the fountain,” Zini said. “Son’dali offered to get us in the Pilgrim’s Door.”
“And miss the empire’s finest as they arrive? No, no, this is a rare chance to get eyes on our betters.”
A line of carriages started on the other side of the Iron Bridge and ran all the way up the slope to the temple doors. The horses heaved from the strain as they came to a stop to let their occupants step down. A steady stream of Nesher’s most powerful and important citizens had been arriving for the past hour, some by carriage, others striding up the road with their retinues. The crowd of commoners watched in respectful silence, but when it was the turn of the elves, they were met with murmurs and whispered comments. The delegation from The Black Mesa wore the typical dress of the high elves, robes of muted colour and little adornment. Their long legs and purposeful strides carried them quickly to the steps of the temple and away from the scowling Human faces.
“They’re a dour bunch,” Mother Olo said, watching them closely. It was good to see her out of the carpet shop, thought Zini. Despite the growing heat of the sun, the older woman was enjoying the spectacle.
An array of faces from every corner of the empire and beyond paraded past their station. The children were growing restless, and Pfeiffer was getting heavier, but Zini held on to him.
As another group of elves alighted from their coach, Pfeiffer perked up and pointed excitedly. They were as tall as the high elves, but they wore vibrant silks and elaborate headdresses that swayed as they walked. Marsh Elf servants followed behind them, holding up the hems of their gowns. “Who are they?” the boy whispered into Zini’s ear.
“The Jurati.” Zini knew them well, having learnt everything she could about them. “They’ve come all the way from the jungles of Karalon.”
“Did they walk here?” another child on the plinth asked.
“They came by ship,” Mother Olo said without taking her eyes off the elven party. “A special voyage of The Karalon Cruiser. They don’t have any ships of their own, not seaworthy ones at least. I’m sure the captain charged a pretty penny.”
Next, it was the turn of the senior imperial ministers, including Minister Snellen. They were a large group, numbering in the hundreds, with elves making up a significant cohort. Some people in the crowd mumbled their disapproval but kept it under their breath.
The first of the imperial carriages arrived, and the crowd pushed forward, eager to see. Those at the front were stopped from getting any closer by a wall of shields and the harsh words of imperial soldiers.
Drawn by four grey horses, the golden carriage gleamed, sparking a round of admiring applause. Footmen assisted four children out of the carriage, and Rufus ushered them in the right direction. Tell’ha and Sar’ha led the way, their regal robes stressing their composed demeanour. Both held their heads high, walking with practised ease. Ex’ha and Sas’ha found the procession much more challenging and kept reaching for the steward’s hands, only for Rufus to gently push them away.
“They look so small,” Pfeiffer said.
The crowd cheered and clapped. The noise startling both groups of children, with Pfeiffer holding tightly to Zini’s neck. Sar’ha let her head drift to the people on either side and her eyes crossed past Zini before snapping back. She smiled and raised a hand before Rufus stopped her.
“She waved at us,” one of the children said in awe.
“She did,” Zini said happily. “They’re nice.”
Following the children was a procession of nobles from around the empire, along with some foreign dignitaries. A large man, clad in heavy furs despite the oppressive heat, stepped out from a plain carriage. He adjusted his crown and then extended an arm for an equally overdressed woman.
“The King of Dragsmund and his lady,” Mother Olo said. Zini wasn’t sure how she knew who everyone was, but her employer seemed to be ticking names off a list as each new person arrived. “They get a new king every few months, so I’ve no idea who this one is. Ralph the fifth, maybe. All their names seem to begin with an ‘r’. Rolly, Ronald, something like that.”
“What do they do with them?” Pfeiffer asked.
“I think they throw them into the sea,” Mother Olo replied. Pfeiffer seemed puzzled by the answer, so she explained, “Dragsmund’s far to the north, where it snows for months on end. The people up there don’t like being told what to do, so kings often get asked to leave.”
“That’s the man I saw at the temple,” Zini said, pointing to a tall, stick-thin man dressed in black who had just stepped down from a carriage. Despite his thin frame, he moved with a fluid, almost animal grace.
“The swordsman with the gaunt face? He’s an odd-looking fellow.” The man reached back into the carriage and helped his companion step down. Mother Olo made an appreciative sound as a beautiful woman emerged, wearing an ashen gown with red embroidery on the bodice. They walked the short distance to the steps together, the woman smiling at the crowd while the swordsman scowled, his face set in a perpetual sneer. “That must be the Queen from the lakes. I heard she was a rare beauty.”
“He didn’t strike me as kingly.”
“He’s the consort of Queen Galean of Arshen,” Mother Olo said. “I need to discover her secret.”
“How do you mean?” There was something enchanting about the queen as she turned her head to smile at those on either side. Sunlight touched a large ruby adorning the queen’s neck, and it glowed with an inner fire.
“The woman’s the same age as me.”
“Never, she’s beautiful.” Zini did a double take of Mother Olo and the queen.
“Thank you, my child.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. She looks youthful.”
“You can stop now.” Mother Olo nodded at the queen’s consort as he escorted her up the steps and into the temple. Despite the ban on weapons in the Grand Temple, he wore a sabre at his side. As the holiest site in all Sondara, only those tasked with its defence could enter with a weapon, but the tall man passed unmolested. “What intrigues me is the consort’s involvement with the temple of Roggon. I wonder what they could gain from causing trouble in Nesher. I’ll have to keep a close eye on them.”
Their attention was drawn by the thunderous arrival of a troop of cavalry from the direction of the Iron Bridge. An open carriage from the palace was being escorted by at least a hundred riders on grey horses, wearing eagle wings sprouting from their backs. As they passed the crowd, they split off to the right, towards the rear of the temple. The carriage was now alone, yet the road remained guarded by hundreds of soldiers from the city barracks.
A team of eight horses pulled a golden carriage the size of a house that shone in the morning light. In the back sat Ell’ha, almost lost in his regal robes. He looked small and alone to Zini, and she wanted to go to him and stand at his side. The carriage rolled to a stop by the steps and Ell’ha stepped down. He had some difficulty with the heavy robes, but servants helped before stepping back to leave him to his solitary walk. A thousand faces turned to follow as he strode to the steps of the temple and climbed them one by one. He walked tall and kept his gaze fixed on the open doors. He looked the part, thought Zini, and she felt a touch of pride. No longer the spotty child that used to torment the servants, he was now a man and soon to be the leader of an empire.
“We need to get inside before everyone else if we want to secure a good spot,” Mother Olo said, steering the children through the crowd. While most were still gawping at the carriage and the cavalry that had just arrived, some people had the same idea as Mother Olo and were rushing to get in. The bronze doors were so colossal that ten men standing on each other’s shoulders would still fall short of the lintel. They were more suited to dragons and giants than the people shuffling inside. Each one bore a series of panels depicting the founding of Nesher and the creation of The Unified Temple, the institution that had helped unify the empire.
“We should have gone to the fountain door. At least then we’d be closer to the front,” Zini said. She held onto Pfeiffer and another child as the others squeezed between her and Mother Olo. Using her footstool as a battering ram, Mother Olo soon got them through the door and into the cool, vast interior of the temple. With the relief from the glare, Zini could finally open her tired eyes fully. Candles and magical lamps dimly lit the temple, casting long shadows into the far corners of the roof. Every time she entered, the power on display awed Zini. To have built something so large, so imposing that not just one Religion but all of them considered it their spiritual home must have taken a strength of will that Zini found breath-taking. If the palace on the opposite hill was the empire’s mind, then the Grand Temple was its heart. Even emperor’s bowed upon entering.
The children gasped as they got their first look at the cavernous interior, pointing at the enormous painted figures staring down at them. They passed behind imposing pillars of greenstone and red marble as they made their way deeper. The design of the temple radiated from a central hub where steps led up to an altar, high enough that even those at the back of the thousands-strong crowd could see. Soldiers from all the imperial legions stood guard around the emperor’s coffin, their flags and banners fluttering gently as a breeze swept through the open doors.
At the centre of the temple was an enormous dome adorned with images of the gods, each of the cardinal deities looming over another part of the temple. Now that she knew what to look for, Zini spotted the windows and the faces of clerics peering down at them. She pointed them out to the children, but they were too overwhelmed to notice.
A procession of venerable clerics emerged from one of the four towers that formed the corners of the temple. They were all adorned in their finest robes and carried small wooden icons clasped to their chests. They shuffled along to stand before the glass casket and a hush descended on the gathered masses.
The funeral proceedings began, with each of the recognised orders taking their turn to perform the funerary rites. It soon dragged on and only the most fervent of worshippers kept their attention on the altar. Others fell to gossiping quietly in groups while children fidgeted and strained to be let free. Pfeiffer would’ve run if Zini hadn’t kept hold of his hand. As it was, he took to talking to himself and plotting his way up the wall. The thought of a junior climbing partner appealed to Zini, but she was too focused on searching the crowd for Queen Galean and her consort. They were in the temple somewhere but lost among the throngs. She did, however, spot Son’dali standing behind the altar among hundreds of other priests, all chanting prayers in unison. The academics among them looked disinterested, even while they were playing their part.
At a signal from The Temple Guardian, the singing stopped, and they stepped onto a raised platform set before the casket. All could see her as she raised her arms to the dome and then turned to bow, once to the dead emperor and then to the empty throne.
A ripple of excitement passed through the crowd as Ell’ha emerged from the front ranks to climb the steps to the altar, his ceremonial outfit gleaming in the focused light of a hundred magical lamps. Two clerics flanked him, helping him kneel before the coffin. The temple guardian placed a hand on Ell’ha’s bare head and spoke in a tongue only understood by those donned in the temple’s robes. Zini could decipher only a few words, archaic phrases meant to bind the ruler to the land and its people.
As the chanting subsided, the guardian moved aside, leaving Ell’ha alone before his father’s coffin. A darson of Dromae approached the casket to lift Dromae’s Eye from its cushion, careful to hold it by the gold chain. It was Loder’dars, Zini realised as she turned and held the emerald high enough for all to see.
The high cleric gently took the precious necklace and looped the chain over Ell’ha’s head, ensuring it was properly positioned before stepping back.
A child’s cry pierced the air, but the choir soon drowned it out as they began to sing, their voices resonating throughout the temple. As their song filled the space, the casket began its descent into the crypt. It moved slowly, but as it reached halfway, the platform came to a juddering stop. There was a moment of confusion before two clerics ran forward to crouch at the edge of the shaft. Ell’ha stayed kneeling, but he swayed under the weight of his vestments.
Murmurs spread through the congregation as the casket refused to descend. Another child’s crying joined the first and soon there were more. A vibration ran up Zini’s legs, and she stared at the marble beneath her feet. It came again, but no one near her seemed to notice. The proceedings entranced mother Olo, as it did everyone else.
Suddenly, a high-pitched wail rang through the temple, a shrill cry that made most cover their ears and bow their heads. Zini clamped a hand over her ear and held Pfeiffer close, pressing him to her side and muffling his head with her arm.
A dark shadow erupted from the casket and rapidly expanded to fill the void beneath the dome. The black cloud turned in on itself, twisting and turning until limbs broke free and a howling face emerged from the chaos. Flames boiled off the monstrous demon as the smoke grew thicker and features formed on its shifting surface. Arms made of ash and fire lashed out over the retreating crowd, setting light to banners.
Burning fragments showered down onto the screaming congregation as they turned to flee, but they were too densely packed to escape.
“You should not be here!” A voice boomed out, stilling some of the panic. The demon rose higher as smoke poured from the casket, feeding its body in an endless conflagration. The temple guardian stepped forward, unbowed despite the looming monstrosity. She looked small and alone as she marched up the steps toward where Ell’ha cowered, frozen in place. “The gods will punish your trespass! Begone before they turn their eyes on you and tear you apart!”
The demon turned its fiery eyes onto the small human, daring to stand against it before lashing out with a shadowy arm and knocking the guardian into the mass of clerics at her back.
Ignoring the approaching soldiers, the demon drifted toward Ell’ha. Zini tried to break through the crowd, but Mother Olo held her back. “The emperor has greater warriors than you,” she said, releasing her to lift a child.
A bone-chilling roar from the demon reverberated through the temple and Zini and those around her flinched while a few fell to their knees. Through the pain, Zini kept her eyes open, desperate to witness Ell’ha’s fate. People collapsed all around her, and she caught sight of Minister Snellen with her hands over her ears, tears streaming down her face, while to her right Queen Galean’s consort stood grinning. He stared up at the demon with such rapture that Zini half expected him to run to it with arms outstretched.
The demon loomed over Ell’ha but Queen Galean sprang forward, using her body to block its path. “Come no closer!” she said, her voice echoing through the temple. But the demon ignored her call and lashed out with one of its enormous arms. As it arced down toward the queen and Ell’ha, it struck an invisible shield and the air crackled with dissipating energy. “Roggon, defend your servant!” the queen cried, thrusting her hands palm out toward the demon.
It lashed out but was once more repelled by the unseen Magic. The demon drew itself back to bring all its might to bear, but light coursed through Queen Galean’s body before erupting from her fingertips as fire. Gouts of flames streaked toward the demon, blasting a hole through the roiling mass of its body. It shrieked and launched itself upward away from the fire, only to be pulled the other way and collapse back into the casket, vanishing as quickly as it had arrived. The queen raised her fire, directing it into the vaults before it ended in a loud crack that shook the temple, sending dust raining from the ceiling.
With the demon banished, soldiers rushed to the emperor’s side, but the queen reached him first and helped Ell’ha to his feet. Everyone saw the young emperor’s awe-struck expression as he looked at his rescuer. Queen Galean held him close as he regained his footing, only letting go once the soldiers had formed a protective circle around them.
A disquieting silence fell over the temple, broken only by the echoing cries from outside as the public tried to get in. Ell’ha’s face was pale as a sheet, but Queen Galean whispered to him soothingly, pressing her fingers to his brow. The young emperor’s colour returned, and he nodded gratefully.
“It is Ell’ha’s wish that we continue,” Queen Galean announced, her voice echoing in the vast temple. “Loder’dars of the temple of Dromae, come forward. Let us crown an emperor.”
Clerics scurried around to tend to the injured, while Loder’dars stepped forward to take control of the proceedings. Queen Galean remained by Ell’ha’s side as the glass casket finished its descent into the crypt and the giant stone slab slid across, sealing the underworld from view. With the path to the throne now clear, Ell’ha could continue with his coronation.
Zini watched the rest in a daze, unable to comprehend what had happened. Pfeiffer cried at her side, and he wasn’t the only one. Men and women wept openly as they stared wide eyed at the altar and Ell’ha, as the darson of Dromae, led him through the oath of service and finally anointed him with waters collected from every river in Sondara.
“All hail Emperor Ell’ho, rightful ruler of The Sondaran Empire, protector of the Unified Temple, and the master of all Nostvary.”
Rapturous applause broke out among the congregation as a wave of emotion rolled through their ranks. People screamed and shouted Ell’ho’s name, declaring their love for him. But even as they surged forward, a few stood firm, stunned by what they’d witnessed. Mother Olo and Zini among them.
“I need to go home,” Mother Olo said, clutching Zini’s arm. She looked pale, sweat dotting her brow. The children were crying and clinging on as adults jostled their way forward.
“Lead the way, Zini. Everyone, hold tight to each other and don’t let go.”
With Pfeiffer’s hand clutched tightly in hers, Zini pushed her way to the bronze doors, shoving people as she went. Despite her stature, Zini had learned from the best and knew how to move someone twice her size with a well-aimed prod.
They soon emerged from the temple into the dazzling sunshine. After the gloom of inside they were momentarily blinded, and they clung together as Zini led the way to the road.
“Get us a cab across the Iron Bridge. We’ll walk down the hill,” Mother Olo said from the back.
“Are you sure? I haven’t got much money on me,” Zini said as she grabbed another of the children’s hands. The crying ceased once they left the temple behind and emerged into the light of day. The children stumbled and clung tightly to Zini and Mother Olo, too scared to let go.
“I just want to get away from here.” Mother Olo glanced back at the temple. Never in her life had she seen a crowd react like that, and it terrified her to her core.
“Are you okay? Do you want to sit for a moment?”
“No, no. We must put this place behind us as quickly as possible. I don’t care if it costs a sildari, I’m not staying here.”
They joined the throng of people leaving the temple, many of whom appeared similarly disturbed by the recent events. People were crying openly or arguing loudly in the streets. The city watch hurried to break up the fights before soldiers had to intervene. As they waited for a carriage, Zini cast one last look at the temple. It seemed to sit lower on the hill, as if it were sinking into the ground.
“What was that thing?” Pfeiffer asked, clinging to Zini’s side.
“I’m not sure. I’ve read of demons but never thought to see one,” Zini said. Even with her eyes open, staring at the surrounding faces, she could still see the demon looming over them. The sound it had made resonated in her body, leaving her feeling sick and unsteady. As she looked around her, she could tell she wasn’t the only one that felt that way.
“It’s gone now,” Mother Olo reassured the child, wiping her brow with a handkerchief. “Zini will protect you from it. She won’t let any harm come to you.”
The children looked up at Zini, eyes wide with trust and fear. Pfeiffer hugged her. Zini didn’t feel as confident in her abilities, but she would do her best. Someone had to.

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Parent Plot

The Lilac Child

Related Characters

• Mother Olo
• Queen Galean
• Zini

Related Locations

• The Grand Temple