Of Towering Things
This is an extra scene from my nano novel (Dark Divisions book one, Horizon Lines), it was originally a flash back one of the two main characters has when thinking about how he met a close friend, but was cut due to not fitting in anywhere, and not really being needed. I still really like the scene, and have since written a few other scenes to go with it, kinda a character building exercise wherein I write about the characters pasts so I can write the present better. Yah...anyways.
Title- Of Towering Things
Characters- Prince Zalen Ashnard and Seraphan Regant
The observatory at the top of the mages tower has always been Zalen's favourite place in the castle grounds. From the domed top of the tower, one can gaze out for miles, taking in the fields around the castle and the capital city beyond. Set up like a miniature toy town on the horizon to the north. The view form the south puts on the endless Zeanian Black forest on display, towering black oak trees stretching out for miles that look like inches until they appear to collide with the rising peaks of the Glacier Mountains. At night time, the forest looks like an ocean of black while its opposite view of the city lights up the distance as torches and lamps are lit to fend off the dark in peoples windows.
The best view of all comes from looking up. Warped and charmed, the glass roof of the observatory is specially designed to make the night sky appear to be an arms length away, stars shining and glowing in blue whites and yellow reds. The sight is breath taking and awe inspiring, and never fails to make Zalen think of how simple and mediocre people are in the face of the majesty of the world and the sky beyond it.
When he had been a page and was tense from a days training, or when he has had a fight with his brothers, Zalen would climb up to the tower and sit on the stool in its middle to take in his kingdom with the eyes of a simple man and not a prince or knight. The old bitter High Priest had often caught him there, sending him away with curt words about the tower belonging to the priests and mages, not anyone else. Zalen would leave, and be twice as careful the next time he went soul searching so as not to be caught.
If he really wasn't allowed there, his father would have been made aware of the transgressions and Zalen would have been ordered by him to stop. The High Priest may think himself all important, but he wasn't the be all end all of castle laws.
Or hadn't been. The Priest was no longer an issue, this would be the sixth night Zalen climbed the tower without fear of being caught or sent away. High Priest Samsol was dead, and while Zalen knew it not entirely appropriate, he was glad. Not just because he could stargaze in peace-at least until a replacement came along-but because the old mage had been a menace. He'd often heard hiss father and the court complaining about the war minded Priest being a bane to the efforts of peace and prosperity the kingdom was undergoing. With a new priest being selected by the Masters of the Holy City, hopefully the castle mages will be unified with the court by a more peace seeking leader.
Assuming whomever was selected was not as bad as Samsol.
“Ah, Excuse me, am I interrupting something?”
Zalen startled to his feet at the rough voice behind him, spinning around to face the trap door down into the tower proper. So much for being uninterrupted, a man loomed up out of the open door, scowling in Zalen's direction.
The man's legs still hidden down the steps his head and torso alone were nearly as tall as Zalen was, and he looked about as fat as a set of sticks tied into a vaguely man shaped effigy. He'd be unimpressive with his dower hawk nosed face and shaggy mess of black hair, if not for eagle sharp gold eyes gazing at Zalen as if they could see into his mind. If the flowing black robes and golden mages eyes were any indication, it was entirely possible the man could. He was not any mage Zalen had seen around the castle before, his age and simplistic robes marked him as a full fledged mage, most likely from a outlining village visiting the castle to pay respects to the dead High Priest.
“The tower is free for all mages to use. I was just making use of the starglass.” Zalen pointed up as he spoke. Hopefully the mage was not going to press the issue that, dressed in his plain riding tunic and cloak after a days trip hunting with the Royal Hound Master, Zalen was clearly not a mage himself. He could pull rank on a visiting mage and be allowed to stay without fuss, village priests were mostly all high brow want to be suck ups, but he didn't want to make a scene. There was plenty of room for two people atop the tower.
The hawkish man took the last steps up into the observatory proper, eyes darting up toward the ceiling as if to see what Zalen had been gesturing at. His face didn't change from its slight scowl, but he let out a slightly impressed sounding hrmph.
“The Master of Words wrote about this in his grimior. He claimed it made one able to see into the future if they stared up long enough.”
Zalen had heard as much said by people before, though he'd never seen any proof of it in all his own experience with the tower. “I'm afraid I just like it because it looks pretty.”
The mage laughed, the sound rough and disused to Zalen's ears. Here was not a man that laughed often. “I imagine that is all it is good for, outside of giving one a neck crick from looking up so long. No, men who wait for answers to fall into their laps from the sky like rain, are only going to find themselves wet.”
“Your probably right about that. But I will leave mystical debates to those better suited for it.”
“Nobody is suited for mystical debates, or else all the secrets of the world would have long since been solved.” The mage had given up his inspection of the sky to walk the circumference of the room, looking out the north and south windows as he passed each in turn. “Still, mystical or not, this would be a wonderful place to test different time sensitive and nocturnal magics, or to simply relax and think on things in peace.”
The last bit was accompanied by a long look in Zalen's direction, one that made him grin and shrug in response. “Like I said, I leave debates to those suited for it.”
The mage hummed and returned to his inspection. Clearly dismissed form the mans attention, Zalen could not decide if he should leave him in peace or resume his seat upon the centre stool. Eventually, the fact that if he left he'd have to explain to his brother why he'd missed dinner in the great hall, Zalen choose to sit back down. He managed to forget the other mans presence on the most part, for awhile.
Until the mage walked up directly behind him to tap him on the shoulder.
Zalen didn't jump out of his seat a second time, but only because there was a bony fingered hand holding him in place.
“Sorry to bother you again. I was just finished here, and was wondering if you could do me a favour and help direct me to the High Priests quarters.”
The man did not sound sorry. He sounded amused. “The high priest passed on already, if you weren't aware. His body is in view in the royal mausoleum, all mages are welcome to go pay respects whenever they wish.” Had the mage left to see the High Priest when news of the mans illness reached the outer kingdom, but not been informed of the mans death since arriving?
“I already visited the former Priests tomb, it was the first thing I did on arrival. I wish to know where his rooms at the tower use to be.”
Zalen frowned. “The rooms are sealed until the arrival of the new High Priest and the ceremonial swearing in of him under the Kings Oath.”
“Hmm...I had heard as much. I had hoped I could get a peek, before all the pomp and ceremony. It's why I got here half a day early, and did not go see the King right away. I had hoped to trick someone into letting me in early.”
“Early?” Zalen shifted out of the mans grip to turn and look up at his smirking features. “Wait, you can't...You can't be who you seem to be implying. You can't be older then 28, the youngest Royal Priest in history was thirty two, and that was generations ago!”
“I am not twenty five, thank you very much.” The mage stood straight up, all seven plus feet of bony frame scowling down at Zalen. “And I know fully well how old the youngest Priest on record is, I have had the fact quoted at me my entire life I assure you. I am, however, breaking the record and am fully qualified for the position or I would not be here.”
Zalen shook his head. It was hard to argue with that level of damaged ego, but Zalen still had a hard time accepting the mage’s words. “I just, the king-he never announced a Priest being selected, if he had the court would be in action working to prepare the welcoming party.”
“I was coming to offer my condolences to the court for the High Priests loss, when a message reached me that the Masters and King had agreed on placing me in the Royal position. The king would most likely not have received word yet that I was so close.” The man relaxed his tight pose, stepping away from Zalen's space to wander to the north view window, most likely to gaze down-wards to the central castle grounds. “I was hoping to avoid some of the welcoming pomp, to be honest.”
“Well, I'm sorry to inform you I can't help you bend ceremony farther by breaking into the Priests rooms. You really do need to see the king and be named officially for that, there are spells and such.” Zalen shrugged. He had no idea what kinds of spells, just that the tower in general was chalked full of magical protections, put down by every mage and priest to ever walk its floors. The ones over the rooms belonging to the High Priest would only bend to the will of a Priest protected by the Kings Oath.
“I figured as much, but it couldn't hurt to ask.” The Master, you had to be a Mage Master to be considered for Priesthood and the man wasn't yet a Royal Priest, clapped his hands together in front of himself. “Why don't you take me to the King then-it isn't to late, I am sure he would still be awake.”
It was over an hour still till midnight, the King would be finishing his daily report readings in his private chambers, or having a late drink with his close friend the palace Sword Master. If or if not the Master was a charlatan could be put to rest by a quick visit to his father.
“Fine, I'll take you to the king.”
Title- Of Towering Things
Characters- Prince Zalen Ashnard and Seraphan Regant
The observatory at the top of the mages tower has always been Zalen's favourite place in the castle grounds. From the domed top of the tower, one can gaze out for miles, taking in the fields around the castle and the capital city beyond. Set up like a miniature toy town on the horizon to the north. The view form the south puts on the endless Zeanian Black forest on display, towering black oak trees stretching out for miles that look like inches until they appear to collide with the rising peaks of the Glacier Mountains. At night time, the forest looks like an ocean of black while its opposite view of the city lights up the distance as torches and lamps are lit to fend off the dark in peoples windows.
The best view of all comes from looking up. Warped and charmed, the glass roof of the observatory is specially designed to make the night sky appear to be an arms length away, stars shining and glowing in blue whites and yellow reds. The sight is breath taking and awe inspiring, and never fails to make Zalen think of how simple and mediocre people are in the face of the majesty of the world and the sky beyond it.
When he had been a page and was tense from a days training, or when he has had a fight with his brothers, Zalen would climb up to the tower and sit on the stool in its middle to take in his kingdom with the eyes of a simple man and not a prince or knight. The old bitter High Priest had often caught him there, sending him away with curt words about the tower belonging to the priests and mages, not anyone else. Zalen would leave, and be twice as careful the next time he went soul searching so as not to be caught.
If he really wasn't allowed there, his father would have been made aware of the transgressions and Zalen would have been ordered by him to stop. The High Priest may think himself all important, but he wasn't the be all end all of castle laws.
Or hadn't been. The Priest was no longer an issue, this would be the sixth night Zalen climbed the tower without fear of being caught or sent away. High Priest Samsol was dead, and while Zalen knew it not entirely appropriate, he was glad. Not just because he could stargaze in peace-at least until a replacement came along-but because the old mage had been a menace. He'd often heard hiss father and the court complaining about the war minded Priest being a bane to the efforts of peace and prosperity the kingdom was undergoing. With a new priest being selected by the Masters of the Holy City, hopefully the castle mages will be unified with the court by a more peace seeking leader.
Assuming whomever was selected was not as bad as Samsol.
“Ah, Excuse me, am I interrupting something?”
Zalen startled to his feet at the rough voice behind him, spinning around to face the trap door down into the tower proper. So much for being uninterrupted, a man loomed up out of the open door, scowling in Zalen's direction.
The man's legs still hidden down the steps his head and torso alone were nearly as tall as Zalen was, and he looked about as fat as a set of sticks tied into a vaguely man shaped effigy. He'd be unimpressive with his dower hawk nosed face and shaggy mess of black hair, if not for eagle sharp gold eyes gazing at Zalen as if they could see into his mind. If the flowing black robes and golden mages eyes were any indication, it was entirely possible the man could. He was not any mage Zalen had seen around the castle before, his age and simplistic robes marked him as a full fledged mage, most likely from a outlining village visiting the castle to pay respects to the dead High Priest.
“The tower is free for all mages to use. I was just making use of the starglass.” Zalen pointed up as he spoke. Hopefully the mage was not going to press the issue that, dressed in his plain riding tunic and cloak after a days trip hunting with the Royal Hound Master, Zalen was clearly not a mage himself. He could pull rank on a visiting mage and be allowed to stay without fuss, village priests were mostly all high brow want to be suck ups, but he didn't want to make a scene. There was plenty of room for two people atop the tower.
The hawkish man took the last steps up into the observatory proper, eyes darting up toward the ceiling as if to see what Zalen had been gesturing at. His face didn't change from its slight scowl, but he let out a slightly impressed sounding hrmph.
“The Master of Words wrote about this in his grimior. He claimed it made one able to see into the future if they stared up long enough.”
Zalen had heard as much said by people before, though he'd never seen any proof of it in all his own experience with the tower. “I'm afraid I just like it because it looks pretty.”
The mage laughed, the sound rough and disused to Zalen's ears. Here was not a man that laughed often. “I imagine that is all it is good for, outside of giving one a neck crick from looking up so long. No, men who wait for answers to fall into their laps from the sky like rain, are only going to find themselves wet.”
“Your probably right about that. But I will leave mystical debates to those better suited for it.”
“Nobody is suited for mystical debates, or else all the secrets of the world would have long since been solved.” The mage had given up his inspection of the sky to walk the circumference of the room, looking out the north and south windows as he passed each in turn. “Still, mystical or not, this would be a wonderful place to test different time sensitive and nocturnal magics, or to simply relax and think on things in peace.”
The last bit was accompanied by a long look in Zalen's direction, one that made him grin and shrug in response. “Like I said, I leave debates to those suited for it.”
The mage hummed and returned to his inspection. Clearly dismissed form the mans attention, Zalen could not decide if he should leave him in peace or resume his seat upon the centre stool. Eventually, the fact that if he left he'd have to explain to his brother why he'd missed dinner in the great hall, Zalen choose to sit back down. He managed to forget the other mans presence on the most part, for awhile.
Until the mage walked up directly behind him to tap him on the shoulder.
Zalen didn't jump out of his seat a second time, but only because there was a bony fingered hand holding him in place.
“Sorry to bother you again. I was just finished here, and was wondering if you could do me a favour and help direct me to the High Priests quarters.”
The man did not sound sorry. He sounded amused. “The high priest passed on already, if you weren't aware. His body is in view in the royal mausoleum, all mages are welcome to go pay respects whenever they wish.” Had the mage left to see the High Priest when news of the mans illness reached the outer kingdom, but not been informed of the mans death since arriving?
“I already visited the former Priests tomb, it was the first thing I did on arrival. I wish to know where his rooms at the tower use to be.”
Zalen frowned. “The rooms are sealed until the arrival of the new High Priest and the ceremonial swearing in of him under the Kings Oath.”
“Hmm...I had heard as much. I had hoped I could get a peek, before all the pomp and ceremony. It's why I got here half a day early, and did not go see the King right away. I had hoped to trick someone into letting me in early.”
“Early?” Zalen shifted out of the mans grip to turn and look up at his smirking features. “Wait, you can't...You can't be who you seem to be implying. You can't be older then 28, the youngest Royal Priest in history was thirty two, and that was generations ago!”
“I am not twenty five, thank you very much.” The mage stood straight up, all seven plus feet of bony frame scowling down at Zalen. “And I know fully well how old the youngest Priest on record is, I have had the fact quoted at me my entire life I assure you. I am, however, breaking the record and am fully qualified for the position or I would not be here.”
Zalen shook his head. It was hard to argue with that level of damaged ego, but Zalen still had a hard time accepting the mage’s words. “I just, the king-he never announced a Priest being selected, if he had the court would be in action working to prepare the welcoming party.”
“I was coming to offer my condolences to the court for the High Priests loss, when a message reached me that the Masters and King had agreed on placing me in the Royal position. The king would most likely not have received word yet that I was so close.” The man relaxed his tight pose, stepping away from Zalen's space to wander to the north view window, most likely to gaze down-wards to the central castle grounds. “I was hoping to avoid some of the welcoming pomp, to be honest.”
“Well, I'm sorry to inform you I can't help you bend ceremony farther by breaking into the Priests rooms. You really do need to see the king and be named officially for that, there are spells and such.” Zalen shrugged. He had no idea what kinds of spells, just that the tower in general was chalked full of magical protections, put down by every mage and priest to ever walk its floors. The ones over the rooms belonging to the High Priest would only bend to the will of a Priest protected by the Kings Oath.
“I figured as much, but it couldn't hurt to ask.” The Master, you had to be a Mage Master to be considered for Priesthood and the man wasn't yet a Royal Priest, clapped his hands together in front of himself. “Why don't you take me to the King then-it isn't to late, I am sure he would still be awake.”
It was over an hour still till midnight, the King would be finishing his daily report readings in his private chambers, or having a late drink with his close friend the palace Sword Master. If or if not the Master was a charlatan could be put to rest by a quick visit to his father.
“Fine, I'll take you to the king.”