Of War and Religion
"War is war, is war, is war, is war. Har har, reflexive property."
-Mathematician Transvit Bakon
Priest Karzt was, by now, an old man. No longer did he take his daily walk around the palace grounds to look at the perpetually unfinished Monuments of Karholm. He hadn't liked this part of becoming old. The walks had slowly become more and more exhausting, until it became weekly, and then monthly, and now he just sat around the palace. He sighed. Maybe he wouldn't get to see the finished monuments upon completion.
And, plus, he could just hear the gossip around the town halls. Zekat visited him every day to tell him the news and such, the juicy gossip that his silly advisor Sevin Floumite didn't want him to hear. So he knew about the rumors flying that he had made an unholy pact that granted him a long life. He hadn't liked this part of getting old either.
To make matters worse, there was the whole Extinction Doctrine thing. Every single day, the Swade diplomat bothered him.
"Today is a fine day for killing Oneists, am I right?"
"Hey, you know what you should do? Destroy all the Oneists!"
"Come on, you know you want to slay them, just like we did!"
Of course, he didn't say that to his face, but Zekat told him of their dealings, and with the people, trying to create an anti-Oneist mindset. Yet, that would never work in Karholm, he knew. Under his decided neutrality, Karholm had grown into a cultural center, a magnet for philosophy and a shelter for peace within the storms of war that blew around.
One day, he thought. One day, we shall even rival the Citadel.
And now, to complete the negative sandwich, his thoughts drifted again to the impeding problem of the heir, just because his brain wanted to keep him up , late at night, in the twilight of his life. Yes, evidently, he had been blessed with this hard decision to make. Only the One knew which way would be best.
Aagi had not stabilized with time. Indeed, he had become more handsome, with exquisite long golden hair and blue eyes as bright as crystal, but his mind still remained an anachronism, childish and delusional. Now in the supposed prime of his life, he was still as crazy as ever. Karzt held no ill feelings toward this bête noire. At least he was happy, his head filled with adventures, people, tales, and such.
Still, he absolutely would not do. He honestly would have rather had Zekat sit the throne, and this he was tempted to do, despite the controversy it was sure to bring. Zekat had grown handsome too, but in a darker way, with jet black hair and haunting, taunting brown eyes. Really, Karzt did not know where they had gotten their beauty, but it surely didn't come from him, nor his now deceased wife.
Zekat was ahead of his time in brains too. He was cool and calculating, and yet he loved to party. Karzt still remembered the bash the prince had thrown on his marriage day. If he recalled correctly, and he usually did, the prince had ridden up and down the palace stairs with his friends on horses and even swung from the palace chandelier. He was wily too, for he had gotten the king drunk enough not to care until later. The king smiled. Yes, Zekat would be good. It all balanced out in the end.
Priest Karzt was interrupted from his thoughts by a light clicking of boots, which signaled Zekat's daily visitation. He always came at promptly three in the afternoon, just in time for his afternoon tea.
"Father," he said, as he entered.
"Son."
"I bring news."
"Speak."
"I trust you have heard of the Extinction Doctrine." Of course he had. That was talked about every bloody day. What should Aryie do? What could she do?
"Yes. And you are my Bladeist son."
"Yes. I've decided on one thing, Father. You might not like it."
Regicide, perhaps? Killing the king would make the most sense, since it had called for the extinction of all Oneists. Karzt found himself indifferent. Was this how he was to die, not caring?
"Go on."
"I've decided that I'm not going to heed the doctrine. I'm going to urge the populace not to either. It's stupid. I figured you might not like it because you've always taught me to honor religious figures who probably know more than I do. I know one thing though. I may not be a good Bladeist in the eyes of Evern III Wilipi, but I've decided, there is no way the Blademaster would condone it. I shall get my just desserts in the end, as will the Oneists. No offense, Father."
He nodded, almost disappointed that the solution of finding a heir wasn't going to be so easily solved with his murder. They talked about trivial things, and at least, Zekat left.
Forged from Bladeist fury and Aryian temperance. Yes...he would make a fine monarch.