As when from mountain tops the dusky clouds

  Ascending, while the North wind sleeps, O'respread

  Heav'ns chearful face, the lowring Element

  Scowls ore the dark'nd lantskip Snow, or showre;

  If chance the radiant Sun with farewell sweet

  Extend his ev'ning beam…

  John Milton, Paradise Lost

  ***

  The camp sprawled in a low-lying hollow, surrounded by hills, beyond which began a sullen forest, still not fully awakened from its winter stupor. This place lay far from all roads, protected on one side from prying eyes by a dense thicket, and on the other by a narrow local river, across which there was not a single bridge in the surrounding area. The only trail by which one could reach the camp with horses and carts had been carefully blocked with deadfall and piles of leaves to conceal the wheel tracks. The trail was marked with barely noticeable signs carved here and there into the trunks of trees.

  Had a wandering peasant, lost in the forest, stumbled upon this path and followed it to its end, he would have found himself in an open clearing about an acre in size, dug through with deep trenches, as if an army of giant moles had been at work. Along the edges, at the foot of the hills, stood tents. Around a dozen Nocturn workers toiled there from dawn till dusk, digging more and more new pits. Several sentries stood guard around the camp, day and night.

  One misty April morning, Kairu arrived here, seated on the Hellsteed behind the sullen Professor Petros. At the very edge of the thicket, a spear-wielding sentry bowed politely, and he and Petros exchanged a few short phrases in the Nocturn tongue. Near one of the tents, Petros halted the horse, dismounted, and offered Kairu a hand.

  “This is where you’ll be living,” he said, pointing at the tent. “I’ve ordered that you be given a sleeping bag, a change of clothes, and a basin for washing. You can take your meals from the workers’ common pot. You’re free to walk anywhere within the grounds, up to the river. Amuse yourself as you like. But I ask you—don’t try to escape. The sentries have orders to let no one in and no one out.”

  “So I’m a prisoner?”

  “You’re under my protection. Including protection from your own stupidity.”

  Kairu grimaced, but found nothing to say.

  “What’s going on here?” he asked, changing the subject. “Where are we? What is this place?”

  “Didn’t I tell you I’m an archaeologist? For a year now, I’ve been working on one strange problem that concerns both you and the Lake of Aktida, curse it. I could have solved it much faster if I hadn’t had to take a rather long break from my work… But now I’ve returned to my research, because many signs seem to me worthy of attention. Your appearance on the stage. The appearance of the Lake of Aktida. Saelin’s first moves. Perhaps… has it ever occurred to you that the world develops in a spiral? Something happens… and you find yourself thinking that you are witnessing an exact repetition of events from days gone by?”

  “I was never much interested in history,” Kairu said dryly. “So I’ve got nothing to compare it to.”

  “Well then, here’s your chance to broaden your horizons. I have a field library here, with some very interesting books on geography and history. I’ll be traveling for some time, and you’ll have to wait here. Now that the first pawns have been moved, I will have to work hard. This is a very important game, and I cannot afford to lose it.”

  Petros frowned, gazing thoughtfully at the sky. Kairu once again felt irritation rising in him.

  “You still haven’t answered my question. What’s going on here? Are you looking for something? And what does it have to do with me?”

  Petros sighed.

  “Of course I’m looking for something. I have several such camps across the Southern Province, but I think we should start searching here. What am I looking for specifically? First of all, any trinkets from the era of the ancient Nocturns, any chronicles, historical monuments connected with the Lake of Aktida. They were a great help to me during my earlier expeditions, and they will help me again now. In Vaimar, I found a description of an ancient library— it might have been somewhere in this region— and I’m already beginning to notice various objects around that suggest I’m on the right track. And… I have another object of my search, but I’ll tell you about it later.”

  “Also buried somewhere around here?” Kairu asked darkly. “What are you, a treasure hunter?”

  “This object can’t be dug up at all, or pulled from the ground with your hands. It’s invisible. I hope to find it in the mountains northwest of Nalvin, and we will soon go there together.”

  “And what have I got to do with it?” Kairu shouted. “How can I help you in this search when I don’t understand a thing about archaeology, history, or any other science? I know how to dig with a shovel, but I won’t, and I doubt you dragged me here for that…”

  “Of course not.” Petros studied him closely. “I’ll explain everything in due time. For now, just take my word for it: this is the safest place in all of Aktida for you right now. So please, settle in, behave yourself, and wait for my return.”

  An hour later, he swung into the saddle and disappeared into the thicket.

  ***

  Several weeks passed.

  Kairu was dying of boredom. During the day, he wandered around the camp, watching the crew at work. New trenches, in which anything of value had been found, were fenced off with palisades and marked with signs in a language he could not read.

  The only Nocturn who spoke even a little of the common language was the foreman, a man named Mbagwa.

  "What are you looking for here?" Kairu asked him once, sitting on the edge of a trench and swinging his legs. Workers bustled below, and Mbagwa stood at the rim, issuing directions in a businesslike manner.

  "Excavations, sir," he answered politely. "We’re searching for what our ancestors left behind, those who lived here two thousand years ago."

  "And what have you found so far?"

  "If you know where to look, you can find a lot. Professor Petros knows. Pottery shards. Skulls. Weapons. Jewelry. Sometimes, if we're lucky, whole statues, or inscribed tablets."

  "And what do you do with the finds?"

  "We sort them. Set them aside for the professor, and he decides what to do next. The things he’s not interested in—we take them to Rikutiam. There, they can be sold. Many people are interested in history, and many just hope to find some ancient magical artifact…"

  "Mbagwa, what do you know about the Lake of Aktida?" Kairu asked.

  "Oh!" the Nocturn said with obvious pleasure. "That’s an ancient legend. The books say our ancestors knew things we can’t even imagine. There are buildings—we don’t know how they were built! But not only buildings. Many wondrous things that didn’t survive, but the books speak of them. And they also knew the future! They knew everything that had happened, and everything that would. And why? Because they had Darius. That’s what we call the Lake of Aktida."

  "They knew the future…" Kairu repeated thoughtfully.

  "Yes, they did. It’s said that the books still exist. They predicted all the great events. The war a hundred years ago, and all the wars before it. Even the ones that haven’t happened yet, they’re all foretold. And they knew that one day Elysium would come. A beautiful world without wars or disease, where everyone would be happy. Our ancient kings knew what had to happen before Elysium arrived. But now we’ve forgotten. Or maybe not. Maybe everything is going according to plan, and Elysium is almost here. Or maybe not for a long time…"

  "Have you read those books, Mbagwa?" Kairu asked.

  "No, Master Kenai. Very few have. Kings and patriarchs keep them secret. So that no one changes what is destined." He paused, sighed. "Or maybe there are no books. Maybe it’s just a legend passed down for two thousand years. From grandmothers to grandchildren. Maybe Darius doesn’t really exist. Maybe Elysium will never come. All we can do is work honestly and pass our knowledge to our children."

  "You know, Mbagwa, maybe that’s already enough for Elysium to come one day," Kairu said and patted the Nocturn on the shoulder. He didn’t truly believe his own words, but he could tell Mbagwa appreciated the support.

  "Does Petros pay you well?"

  "Oh, no problems, Master Kenai. The professor pays excellently. This job is better than any other in Rikutiam."

  "Tell me about Rikutiam," Kairu asked, and Mbagwa eagerly launched into stories.

  The Nocturn spoke of his homeland with love, but the picture of life on the Islands that formed in Kairu’s mind from Mbagwa’s stories was far from bright. It seemed that most people in Rikutiam lived in poverty, jobs were scarce, and those that existed paid very poorly. For the Nocturns, the main way to make it in life and earn a decent living was to get to the mainland and find work as servants for wealthy Alvens or Kalds. Very few in Rikutiam could read or write. Those who managed to cross the ocean and land in Aktida often perished because they couldn’t find housing, obtain documents, or get a job.

  "They don’t like migrants," Mbagwa complained, staring thoughtfully at the horizon. He was always cheerful and kind to Kairu, but the young man soon sensed that the Nocturn harbored a deep, quiet resentment toward the mainlanders, perhaps a bitterness passed down with his mother’s milk. "Even those who found work and bought a house. They say a free Nocturn is a bad Nocturn, you see? Alven children throw stones at Nocturn children on the streets. Not long ago, Nocturns were considered the best slaves. After the war, slavery was banned, but who listens to that? My people have gone missing on the streets, kidnapped, and forced to work for free. It’s very hard, master! But it’s okay. That’s our fate, the price for the sins of our people, and we must bear it until the end of time."

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  ***

  That night, he was awakened by hoarse cries and the distant clanging of swords.

  He woke, staring at the dark ceiling of the tent, feeling his heart begin to pound faster, a cold, unpleasant chill creeping down his spine. For several seconds, he lay still, listening. Then, still half-asleep, he clumsily wriggled out of his sleeping bag, sat up, hastily pulled on his boots, grabbed his sword, pushed aside the tent flap, and came face-to-face with Mbagwa.

  “Everything’s fine, sir,” the foreman said, though his face showed deep concern. “It was just the magical alarm. The danger’s already been dealt with.”

  “What danger?” Kairu asked, breathless with excitement.

  “We don’t know yet. But the professor’s here. He’ll sort it out.”

  “I want to see.”

  Mbagwa shrugged and set off quickly along the path, climbing the hillside toward the thicket. In the darkness among the trees, torchlight flickered, human silhouettes moving. When they drew closer, Kairu saw over the workers’ shoulders two bodies in black cloaks lying face down on the ground. Both clutched short daggers in their hands. Both were Nocturns. A sentry stood nearby, gripping a spear, from whose tip blood was still dripping.

  Petros approached one of the bodies and rolled it over. The man lay limp as a rag doll, his mouth frozen in a ghastly grimace; the torch flames wavered in his glassy eyes, and a black stain had spread across his chest. Kairu felt a wave of nausea. Petros calmly unfastened the corpse’s cloak, tore open the shirt, baring the black body, murmured something softly, and one of the workers brought a torch closer. In the unsteady light, Kairu managed to glimpse a small tattoo on the dead man’s shoulder. Then Petros turned and spotted him.

  “Go back to sleep,” the professor said wearily. “There were only two of them. No need to rouse the whole camp.”

  “Who were they?”

  Petros carefully fastened the dead man’s cloak again, stood, and nodded to the workers, who immediately lifted both bodies and carried them off into the depths of the forest. The professor came over to Kairu, looking him straight in the eyes.

  “I don’t know. They fought far too well; couldn’t take them alive. But I think they were spies. And they’re looking for you.”

  ***

  By morning, the camp was in an uproar. Workers were dismantling their tents, packing tools and the field kitchen onto wagons, harnessing the horses.

  After breakfast, Kairu stepped into Petros’s tent. The professor sat at a small table, glasses perched on his nose, reading a letter. Before him on the table lay a blank sheet of paper and an open inkwell, and beside it, wrapped in a crumpled piece of freshly unfolded cloth—a large, glossy, black sphere.

  “Ah, there you are,” said Petros before Kairu could greet him. “Excellent. I’ve told the servants to pack your things. We need to leave. This place has been compromised. And besides, it seems my search here has been a failure anyway.”

  "What is that, Professor?" Kairu stared at the sphere lying before Petros without looking away.

  "Hmm? Oh, that?" Petros tore himself from his letter. "On the way back, I visited Nubel’s estate, or rather what was left of it. Even the crows had already scattered the bodies. But this thing, fire doesn’t touch it. It was lying in Nubel’s bedroom, right next to his body… It’s a magical orb he invented a while back to allow communication between mages over long distances. He organized their production for the Academy of Sciences and made a fortune off of it. I have one too, a very useful device, but you see, each orb is tuned to connect with only a few others. You can’t just call up any mage or scholar in Laugdeil. This particular sphere can connect to the Castle of Saelin."

  "You think he’ll answer you?"

  "Oh, he’ll answer. He has no choice."

  "Getting letters from family?" Kairu changed the subject, sitting down in front of him at the table and glancing at the sheet in the mage’s hand.

  Petros looked at him grimly.

  "I don’t have any family, Kairu."

  "You’re not even married?"

  "No. I live like a hermit, my calling doesn’t allow me to stay in one place for long. When I die, the Petros line ends with me." Petros shrugged and smirked ironically. "And this letter is from a mutual acquaintance."

  "We have a mutual acquaintance?"

  "Yuffilis."

  "Where is he now?" Kairu leaned closer, but Petros folded the sheet and covered it with his hand.

  "Not for prying eyes, Kairu. Sorry, but this is our business, it has no relevance to you. I don’t deny that Yuffilis is your best friend, but this is a job assigned to him and me, and we have to see it through."

  "How do you even know Yuf? He told me he worked for Nubel…"

  "Yes, for Nubel. And now for me. You have no idea how useful he can be."

  "At least tell me where he is, if that’s not a secret."

  Petros looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.

  "It's a secret, but I can tell you," he finally answered. "You and I will have to work together, so I would prefer that we could trust each other. Yuffilis is in Mainor. At the royal palace. The closest position to Emerlun I could secure. I have many spies. I don’t want the government to know about me, but I want to know everything about the government."

  "So Yuf spies for you?" Kairu laughed humorlessly. "Maybe you’re a criminal too?"

  "A political one. You see, I…" Petros hesitated. "Let’s just say the kings of Aktida have been watching me for a long time, and there were three of them during my lifetime. I’ve held… hmm, particular political views since I was young. I believed that if we had a limited monarchy and were ruled by a cabinet, it might still be bearable. But the king keeps grabbing more power for himself, and he’s got less brains than a pauper’s got gold."

  "Maybe they should put you in his place," said Kairu. "I wonder how you’d handle such a vast country, running both trade and military affairs, keeping everyone happy, preventing uprisings, and making sure there’s enough bread for all. That doesn’t sound easy to me, Professor!"

  "That’s exactly the point, Kairu," Petros smiled sadly. "You’re young and haven’t seen much of the world yet, but you’re not stupid. You grasped the problem immediately. Aktida is too big. The empire was stitched together by the Winver dynasty, conquering and uniting regions that historically hated each other. Each province used to be its own country. They even lost the right to their own names, now they’re just called West, East, North, and South Province. Running all of that effectively and staying clean of corruption? Impossible. All the money is held by nobles, merchants, and royal governors, and ninety-nine percent of the population lives in poverty. Governing Aktida is extremely difficult, Kairu. And the king is failing at it. You think everyone gets an equal share of bread? You spent several months in Petista. Did you ever try talking to people on the streets and see how easy it is for them to get bread?"

  Kairu shook his head, feeling chastised. In Petista, he mostly spent time with Viggo and Remiz, and they spent the money given to them by Professor Nubel without a second thought.

  "When life throws you into a big city again, take a closer look," said Petros with a sigh. He wasn’t angry, but he looked like a teacher hearing a top student suddenly give a foolish answer. "You were lucky, Nubel paid your ticket into the big world. But that worked against you too—you haven’t truly experienced life. Ask Yuffilis, next time you see him, what his first year of wandering was like. You talk about keeping people happy and preventing uprisings? Uprisings happen, Kairu. And they are brutally crushed. But you won’t read about that in the papers. The prisons and labor camps are overflowing with political prisoners. The Secret Chancellery has eyes everywhere. And they arrest any free thinker in an instant."

  "And of course, you know better than everyone else what to do about it?" asked Kairu, still not hiding his irony.

  "I study history, Kairu. You know what's the funniest part? The ancient Nocturns figured it all out two thousand years ago. They found the ideal structure for a state, described it in books, and even tried to build it themselves. But they didn’t manage it: our ancestors, yours and mine, sailed over from across the sea, conquered Laugdeil, drove the natives into Rikutiam, and established a monarchy here. And for two thousand years now, we've lived the same way. Nothing changes, except with every dynasty, power becomes even more foolish… And yet all it would’ve taken was to read a book and, for once, do something that would benefit the people."

  Petros fell silent, lost in thought, tapping his fingers pensively on the table.

  "How are the searches going?" asked Kairu, wanting to change the subject. "I don’t really understand all of this. Right now, what matters most to me is understanding what you want from me. To be honest, in your absence, I thought you’d completely forgotten about me…"

  "Well, that was impolite of you." Petros looked at him closely. "For your information—and I have explained this!—everything happening in this country and with me directly affects you."

  "Then tell me in more detail. You promised to do that a week ago."

  "I did? Now, let me remember what exactly I wanted to tell you… Ah yes, about Saelin. This story connected to the Lake of Aktida and the Seers started a long time ago, when Nubel, Saelin, and I had just become friends…"

  "You were friends? But why did Saelin kill Nubel?"

  Petros gave him a grim look.

  "That was a long time ago. We had a falling-out, and I had to go into hiding. I lived for many years in remote villages in Vaimar, where no one knew my face, waiting for things to quiet down… Oh yes, I know how to wait. Then came years of wandering, trying to restore old connections, start fresh. And a year ago, I decided the time had come. I met a drifter who was happy to become my assistant in exchange for food and a roof over his head, then I met Miss Rita, whom you know—she struck me as an unusually intelligent young lady. With their help, I was able to get my money back, hire workers, and resume my research. The authorities weren’t particularly interested in me. Then I learned about Nubel’s plans and decided: I’ll take a different path. But I needed you."

  "Why? Stop beating around the bush, Petros. Spit it out."

  Petros gave him a strange look and chuckled into his beard.

  "There’s the old Kairu Kenai… never one for useless chatter. Good. I’m searching for a strange phenomenon. A natural phenomenon connected to the activity of the Lake of Aktida. I would even say it can only be created with the direct involvement of the diamond. The thing is, when the ancient Nocturns left the continent two thousand years ago, they hid the Lake of Aktida from the conquerors. But throughout Laugdeil, traces remained of how they used the diamond while all power was still in their hands. And around those traces, they typically built sanctuaries. If we find another sanctuary, we have a high chance of finding the phenomenon I’m interested in."

  "But what is it?"

  "In due time. I’ll explain when I find it. What matters now is that you can respond to this phenomenon. I don’t know exactly how. Maybe your senses sharpen, maybe the line between ordinary life and a glimpse into the future becomes thinner, and you can see farther ahead than ever before. Or maybe it’s just that your inner voice will tell you when your goal is near. Because everything connected to the Lake of Aktida is connected to each other… No, that’s not quite right. Everything connected to the Lake of Aktida is connected to you."

  Kairu stared at him, stunned.

  "One more thing," Petros added slowly. "When my search is over, I may leave you. And everything I’ve said now, and may say later, you need to remember. It will be important because you will have to continue the research and discover what I never could. Because now, this is part of your life. That’s all. Time to get ready. We move out in one hour."

  "Where to?"

  "Northeast," said Petros.

  Thus began the life of the road.

  Now, we will leave Kairu for some time in the vice grip under the protection of mysterious Professor Petros. Do you think he is going to be alright?

  The next few chapters will bring us again to the king's court in the capital, where we will meet quite a few new characters - as well as some old friends.