087 - Resonance

Two tall wooden doors were shut tight, a dozen Alchemists stood before them in hushed conversation, a dozen more were spread throughout the hall, along with several Martial Cultivators and a few clad in the colourful garb of the Mithraic Seers.

In front of the shut doors a shrew faced woman clad in pristine white cultivators robes paced back and forth, muttering to herself and growing increasingly agitated.

"Delays, always more delays. What is wrong with the Alchemists these days! You, Alchemist! I demand to see my son at once!" She bore down on a young Alchemist unfortunate enough to be standing near the doors. "Where is he? What have you done with my Dong-Geun?"

"Eh . . eh eh eh . ." The Alchemist stuttered, stumbling over himself in a hurried retreat.

"Come back! Dong-Geun! What have you done with him!"

The young Alchemist scurried away, disappearing down a connecting corridor.

"You!" She switched focus, grabbing another Alchemist by the sleeve. "What’s going on? Has the marking mission finished? Where is my son? ANSWER" Her shrill voice focused into a blade of yellow energy.

"I don't know! I don't know! Eeek! Let me go! The Magisters have sealed the forum, please let me go!" The Alchemist babbled, struggling to free himself.

An elderly Alchemist in a red robe approached. "Madame, please, a little decorum . ."

"Hmmph!" She let the young Alchemist scurry free. "Well? Can you answer me? What the blazes is going on?"

"Alas . . all I know is that the marking mission was not successful, the high Magisters are now conferring. All we can do is be patient." The red robed Alchemist sighed.

"Is that all you really know? SPEAK! Tell me the truth!" Again, a yellow force shot out from the shrew like womans mouth, this time the elderly Alchemist countered the force with a wave of his sleeve, a glyph flashing through the air and absorbing the yellow force in an instant.

"Please, I must insist - do not attempt that again Madame." He replied in a level tone. "Decorum must be maintained, patience . ."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Madame, I -"

"I am Yi Bangja, Consort to his Royal Majesty Eumin Byoek-Geun, ruler of the Imperial Segye Palace!"

"Madame Yi, my name is Antonius Magister Caelo, my daughter, Domitia, was a part of the mission. I assure you that if -"

"Pswha! Rot! I don't need your pitiful assurance, Alchemist! What I need is to see my son!"

"If, if -"

"Don't waste my time!"

Clack clack clack . . hurried footsteps echoed the length of the hall. From a room on the far side a tall figure dressed in a shimmering silver Alchemist's robe entered, striding down the centre of the hall towards the doors.

"Who is that? A student? I've never seen an Alchemist wear silver . ."

Antonius did not respond to her shrill questions, his eyes going entirely round - staring at the approaching figure. All the Alchemists in the hall turned to look, all stared in silence.

"Imperator . . "

"Imperator . ."

Those Alchemists who had been slouching straightened their postures, looking at the silver robed figure with a mixture of fear and respect and bowing their heads.

A pale face, almost entirely devoid of any colour - except for the eyes. The Imperators left eye was entirely gold, the right entirely blue - a deep azure. Both shone like gemstones set within high cheek bones and floating above delicate lips - impossible to tell whether it was the fine features of a woman, or a effeminate man. The Imperator moved without hesitation, marching the length of the hall.

"You!" A shrill voice broke the respectful silence - Yi Bangja turned her nose up at the silver robed Alchemist, stepping out to bar the path.

"Madame! Stop!"

"Unhand me! You! Imperator or whatever, you are a high ranking Alchemist, correct? Where is my son? What have you done with Dong-Geun!?"

The Imperator came to a halt, a hint of displeasure showing for an instant.

"I demand answers! SPEAK!" Yi Bangja stamped her foot, shooting a beam of Mens at the Imperator, washing over all those near them and covering the closest Alchemists and Martial Court Cultivators with a thick yellow aura, compelling them all to begin speaking at once.

Amidst the noise and confusion the Imperator maintained a stoic silence, fixing the Segye Imperial Palace's consort with a malevolent eye.

Bang!

Regret . . for Yi Bangja it was too late for regret, the second the Imperators eyes fixed upon her an immense pressure descended. Even with her high levels of cultivation she felt like a mountain had been placed across her back, forcing her to the ground like a squashed toad.

"Tsk." The Imperator tutted, waving a silver sleeve. With a mechanical pur the marble floor beneath Yi Bangja opened and swallowed her whole, closing back up in an instant. "This sort of attitude is not welcome in my tower."

On the outside of the Revolving Tower a small segment of white marble retracted revealing a chute - with a buzz Yi Bangja, Imperial Consort to his Majesty Eumin Byoek-Geun, Ruler of the Segye Imperial Palace, shot out of the chute and into the depths of space.

The silver robed Imperator walked on through the rest of the hall, the Alchemists and Cultivators quickly moving out of the way and clearing a path to the two wood doors, Antonius back slick with sweat as the Imperators eyes swept over him. The Martial Court Cultivators who had taken half a step forward instantly halted in their tracks - frozen in place before the gold and blue eyes of the Imperator. The doors swung open, the Imperator passed through and they quickly swung shut once more.

The room on the far side of the double doors was a vast circular amphitheatre with a raised podium in the centre, the podium large enough to house a whole village. Around the podium at the edges of the circular room were arranged dozens of gardens, giant flowering trees and plants and herbs of all descriptions from all corners of the universe.

On the podium itself were only three people, three Alchemists of noble bearing wearing red and gold vestments. They stood next to a large formation of Animus, in the center of the formation were seven beds with seven bodies laid prone.

"Imperator!"

The three greeted the silver robed Alchemist with a bow as the Imperator crossed the gardens and brusquely entered the formation,

"Dominus, is this all of them?"

"Yes Imperator!" A stern faced Alchemist with shocking red hair flipped over his hand, the seven beds rearranging themselves within the formation around the Imperator.

"Imperator, these are the seven who took part in the marking mission as directed by the forum! We have only just received the Seers from their world!"

"Six dead . . one in a coma. Three Alchemists . . a Magister at that . . what are your conclusions?"

"Imperator, the deceased show no signs of Celestial attacks, only the Cultivator has indications of withering!"

"Imperator, the mission to mark in the Ether has provided no marking or anchor glyphs apart from the initial markings!"

The Imperator looked over the bodies of Pontius and the others, turning at last to the single survivor - Dong-Geun. Breathing . . his heart beating . . blood circulating normally, every seemed as it should - as if the Martial Prince were still in his meditation and within the Ether. Everything, except for his leg. Below his knee Dong-Geun's leg had withered, become like a dry twig growing out of an otherwise healthy appendage.

The Imperator reached out and touched the corner of Dong-Geun's eye - his eyes opened - a single strand of blue Animus pierced into the Martial Prince's eye, one swift motion - in and out - on the tip of the blue thread was a single speck of white. The Imperator held it up, examining it carefully.

"Imperator, we have ready another group to delve into the Ether! Three of our expert Magisters are preparing to form a -"

"No. Belay that order."

"But, Imperator, we . ."

"No more missions. We are to cease all searches for Celestials in the Ether." The white speck of light . . strange . . no . . not strange at all. The Imperator sighed, the speck of white light reflecting in the gold and blue eyes "Orpheus . . "