It had been one year.
One year ago, the Lankan and Arshnocian governments had agreed that today, at daybreak, Lankan soldiers would leave T'ien Ch'i.
Their galleons were in the harbour and near the coasts, waiting, their waterlines high as they waited for their cargo to be loaded.
Arshnoc officials had woken up early. They were to be ready as a ceremony was to be performed on daybreak, as per the treaty: The doors of the biggest fortress of T'ien Ch'i, T'iesh Noc, would be opened at dawn and the Lankans would move out and walk down to the harbour, lining up to leave the northern continent forever.
The officials were both excited and grumpy. It was cold, and early. While some of them were ascets and didn't mind fasting and staying awake for many nights, meditating about the harshness of the material world, some officials were nobles used to nights spent drinking wine with beautiful courtesans, many of whom could be found in T'ien Chi. Waking up early wasn't much to ttheir taste, but this was to be a historical day.
Not surprisingly, these nobles were the first ones to whisper and ask questions. Who was the fool who had woken them that early? They were supposed to raise one hour before dawn, and they had been waiting for at least two hours now. Who was in charge of watching the hour? Couldn't one of the astrologers read hour in the stars?
According to the stars, they were still one hour away from daybreak.
Except it was not one hour before daybreak. It was one hour past.
And still no sun.
Arshnoc wizard-priests wrote to Stheran on a sheet of magic paper. They sent messages to Arshnoc, where everyone told them that the sun was shining normally, but it was well known that the sun rises earlier in the east. They should just be waiting.
When news came that the sun had risen in Caelum to the west, and that still nothing shone upon T'ien Chi, Arshnoc officials got really upset.
They sent a delegation to the fortress, demanding that Lankans open the gates.
High over the gates, a figure appeared.
"What do you want, good Arshnoc people?"
"Sir, we want to talk to your leaders, for it is time for you to leave, according to the treaty between our nations."
"I am the leader. I am the Mandaha Vibhishana. I am in charge. I promise you that as soon as sun shines upon me, I'll order the gates open. Now begone, we still have afew preparations to do."
The Arshnoc delegation cowered back in fear. They had seen the silhouette over the gate. It was a big winged man of some kind, and he was shrouded in darkness darker than the night itself. The officials were tired and afraid of staying near him.
As they came back to their tents outside the fortress, they realised that, as long as Vibhishana would stay in T'ien Chi, the sun wouldn't dare show itself in the province.
According to the treaty, the first daybreak wasn't going to occur. Ever.
