[M:0]
Post by Nathan on Jul 9, 2009 14:53:37 GMT -6
Nathan was sitting at his desk in the palace when a light blinked silently on the communications panel built into the top of his desk. He pressed the light and a lieutenant of the Detached Imperial Guard of the Order of the Armored Goats appeared on the screen. "Majesty, there is a man here who claims to be sent to... pardon me sir... but he has been sent to summon you on the authority of a higher power. He will only tell you who this power is, we asked him. He will, however, tell us his name. Huieri Nightpine, if the name didn't give it away he is obviously a Hazzer."
"Lieutenant, please no ethnic slurs. The Hazel may be secretive but they are an important and equal partner in the empire. I have much respect for them, their former leader was a dear friend of mine. I will be down shortly to talk with Mister Nightpine." And he cut off the transmission as the lieutenant's face contorted to an odd mixture of confusion and disappointment.
It had been many years since an actual Hazel had been in Lindstrom City, Ryan Grass was the last one in fact. Hazelwood City, despite its size, was almost entirely populated by every other ethnicity in Natopia. The Hazel kept to the inland forests and left the coast to the ethnic Mehl, Andi, Haas, Neemites, and even some Klaasiyans. Without the native population, somehow the conglomeration of Natopians were able to build a metropolis based on the trade routes of the Raynor Sea. The Natopians that live in Hazelwood City are referred to as Hazelwoodian, to differentiate from the ethnic group.
Nathan walked into the elevator and it zipped him down to the main floor. He then walked down a few corridors and ended up in the grand public lobby. A group of area 4th graders were touring the capital and gasped and giggled and pointed as the emperor himself walked past them. He reached the security checkpoint where the guards had kept Huieri Nightpine. Nathan extended his left hand in salutation, the way his old Hazel friend had shown him many years ago. Huieri shook his hand without hesitation, then blinked. "Majesty, it is my understanding that the custom in most parts of the world is to make salutations with the right hand...."
Nathan smiled and Huieri abruptly stopped. "Yes Mister Nightpine, that is so. However I was a good friend of a Hazel long ago. He told me the traditional greeting should I never need to have an audience with any of his people," the Hazel visibly relaxed, "you must be hungry and tired, follow me."
Nathan and Huieri walked out of the lobby and down a long corridor to a fenced courtyard with goat topiary. "Please sit and tell me what would compel a Hazel to come to the big city. It must be of life and death!" Nathan laughed as he sat down as Athlonian servants brought out bagels and juice for refreshment.
Suddenly, Hueiri remembered why he was there and despite the sun, got even paler, even for a Hazel, "Actually... it may be. I have been sent as a messenger... of my master's master." As he brought a cup of juice to his mouth, his sleeves fell down his arm revealing deep scratches, deliberate and straight as if done by a knife.
"What happened to your arm Mr Nightpine?" Nathan inquired as he spread some cream cheese on a bagel.
Hueiri's hand immediately went to his arms and his finger tips gently touched one of the cuts before he answered. "These are why I came to you Emperor. We have been forced to sacrifice out own blood to a new deity, one never encountered before in any of our histories or legends. He is a cruel being, taking delight in our suffering. He has blackmailed us into worshipping him. If we do not he will tear away the Woods, which is our life force, and expose us to the civilization that we seek to hide from. It was part of the deal bringing Hazelwood into Natopia that we would remain in our glades and forests, undisturbed. However this being has no respect for the laws of people. He mocks us as our blood falls before him."
Nathan was clearly upset by this turn of events. What sort of being could have this much control of the Hazel? "Mr Nightpine, how was it that you were able to leave the Woods to come here. Surely such a malevolent being would keep tight control over such a small population as the Hazel."
Hueiri nodded, "Yes surely he does. However as I said before Majesty, I am here as a messenger. The demon has chosen my master Jaies Timberpine, the High Prophet-Druid of my people, as his chief priest. Thus, I have been sent as a messenger of the demon," now Hueiri took a deep breathe, "the demon... wants an audience with you."
Nathan's eyes opened in surprise. "Me? What could a forest demon want with me?"
The Hazel held up his hand, "With all respect, this demon is not of the forest. It's form is not like that of any forest animal native to Yellow Island or Tapfer. Its skin is soft, unable to protect it from the thorns and branches of the thicket. This being is entirely foreign. It knows you by name, and sent me to find you nearly as soon as it appeared in the Sacred Glade. I dared not think it, but I regretfully assumed you and the demon have some sort of connection for it to request you by name so suddenly. Emperor, I beg you if you control this demon please free us from it!" and now he had dropped to his knees, "We can no longer take its evil... the Sacred Glade is poisoned by the beast, its shade has lessened and the ground is covered in dead leaves, a phenomenon that has never happened in the Glade...."
Nathan grabbed the young man by the elbows and steadied him as he sat up. "I do not control any demon Huieri Nightpine. And if some clandestine connection does exist between me and this demon I will not allow it to torment any of my citizens. I assure you. The Hazel are a people I greatly respect. I am curious though, what does this demon call itself, if anything?"
The Hazel had become almost translucent in his desperation, he looked up at Nathan and said, "Its name does not nearly convey the terror and evil possed by the being, but for some strange reason the demon refers to itself as the Butter Bull."
"Euchomai he osios bous" Nathan whispered then shook his head, "euchomai he osios ... tauros."
Hueiri looked at the Emperor, "That... that language... the... the demon's tongue sounds very similar... you.. you are connected to it..."
Nathan got up with out acknowledging what the other man said, he motioned for a guard, "Yes, please escort Mr Nightpine to a guest room. He will be joining me on my jet on our trip to Hazelwood tomorrow," and he left the courtyard without another glance to the frightened Hazel.
"Lieutenant, please no ethnic slurs. The Hazel may be secretive but they are an important and equal partner in the empire. I have much respect for them, their former leader was a dear friend of mine. I will be down shortly to talk with Mister Nightpine." And he cut off the transmission as the lieutenant's face contorted to an odd mixture of confusion and disappointment.
It had been many years since an actual Hazel had been in Lindstrom City, Ryan Grass was the last one in fact. Hazelwood City, despite its size, was almost entirely populated by every other ethnicity in Natopia. The Hazel kept to the inland forests and left the coast to the ethnic Mehl, Andi, Haas, Neemites, and even some Klaasiyans. Without the native population, somehow the conglomeration of Natopians were able to build a metropolis based on the trade routes of the Raynor Sea. The Natopians that live in Hazelwood City are referred to as Hazelwoodian, to differentiate from the ethnic group.
Nathan walked into the elevator and it zipped him down to the main floor. He then walked down a few corridors and ended up in the grand public lobby. A group of area 4th graders were touring the capital and gasped and giggled and pointed as the emperor himself walked past them. He reached the security checkpoint where the guards had kept Huieri Nightpine. Nathan extended his left hand in salutation, the way his old Hazel friend had shown him many years ago. Huieri shook his hand without hesitation, then blinked. "Majesty, it is my understanding that the custom in most parts of the world is to make salutations with the right hand...."
Nathan smiled and Huieri abruptly stopped. "Yes Mister Nightpine, that is so. However I was a good friend of a Hazel long ago. He told me the traditional greeting should I never need to have an audience with any of his people," the Hazel visibly relaxed, "you must be hungry and tired, follow me."
Nathan and Huieri walked out of the lobby and down a long corridor to a fenced courtyard with goat topiary. "Please sit and tell me what would compel a Hazel to come to the big city. It must be of life and death!" Nathan laughed as he sat down as Athlonian servants brought out bagels and juice for refreshment.
Suddenly, Hueiri remembered why he was there and despite the sun, got even paler, even for a Hazel, "Actually... it may be. I have been sent as a messenger... of my master's master." As he brought a cup of juice to his mouth, his sleeves fell down his arm revealing deep scratches, deliberate and straight as if done by a knife.
"What happened to your arm Mr Nightpine?" Nathan inquired as he spread some cream cheese on a bagel.
Hueiri's hand immediately went to his arms and his finger tips gently touched one of the cuts before he answered. "These are why I came to you Emperor. We have been forced to sacrifice out own blood to a new deity, one never encountered before in any of our histories or legends. He is a cruel being, taking delight in our suffering. He has blackmailed us into worshipping him. If we do not he will tear away the Woods, which is our life force, and expose us to the civilization that we seek to hide from. It was part of the deal bringing Hazelwood into Natopia that we would remain in our glades and forests, undisturbed. However this being has no respect for the laws of people. He mocks us as our blood falls before him."
Nathan was clearly upset by this turn of events. What sort of being could have this much control of the Hazel? "Mr Nightpine, how was it that you were able to leave the Woods to come here. Surely such a malevolent being would keep tight control over such a small population as the Hazel."
Hueiri nodded, "Yes surely he does. However as I said before Majesty, I am here as a messenger. The demon has chosen my master Jaies Timberpine, the High Prophet-Druid of my people, as his chief priest. Thus, I have been sent as a messenger of the demon," now Hueiri took a deep breathe, "the demon... wants an audience with you."
Nathan's eyes opened in surprise. "Me? What could a forest demon want with me?"
The Hazel held up his hand, "With all respect, this demon is not of the forest. It's form is not like that of any forest animal native to Yellow Island or Tapfer. Its skin is soft, unable to protect it from the thorns and branches of the thicket. This being is entirely foreign. It knows you by name, and sent me to find you nearly as soon as it appeared in the Sacred Glade. I dared not think it, but I regretfully assumed you and the demon have some sort of connection for it to request you by name so suddenly. Emperor, I beg you if you control this demon please free us from it!" and now he had dropped to his knees, "We can no longer take its evil... the Sacred Glade is poisoned by the beast, its shade has lessened and the ground is covered in dead leaves, a phenomenon that has never happened in the Glade...."
Nathan grabbed the young man by the elbows and steadied him as he sat up. "I do not control any demon Huieri Nightpine. And if some clandestine connection does exist between me and this demon I will not allow it to torment any of my citizens. I assure you. The Hazel are a people I greatly respect. I am curious though, what does this demon call itself, if anything?"
The Hazel had become almost translucent in his desperation, he looked up at Nathan and said, "Its name does not nearly convey the terror and evil possed by the being, but for some strange reason the demon refers to itself as the Butter Bull."
"Euchomai he osios bous" Nathan whispered then shook his head, "euchomai he osios ... tauros."
Hueiri looked at the Emperor, "That... that language... the... the demon's tongue sounds very similar... you.. you are connected to it..."
Nathan got up with out acknowledging what the other man said, he motioned for a guard, "Yes, please escort Mr Nightpine to a guest room. He will be joining me on my jet on our trip to Hazelwood tomorrow," and he left the courtyard without another glance to the frightened Hazel.