Stephen Zimmer - Dream of Legends

The onlookers had been stunned at the fulmination of the monk, as the Unifier appeared to all to be an Archon of the light, a figure of peace and reason unprecedented in humanity’s long-suffering history. More shocking, the monk was not simply some unknown renegade, or irascible malcontent that was always at odds with the people.

Martin hailed from the fabled monastery at Clarvas, where the White Monks had truly found their voice and gone on to flourish as one of the most renowned orders in Ave. Being a monk of the reform-oriented order conferred an outright status on him from the moment of his initiation, but Martin had distinguished himself prominently. Over the years, he had gained a great reputation, with many already comparing him to St. Fulbert, the fiery monk that had catalyzed the monastery at Clarvas, preached the Second Holy War, and supported by his argumentation the formation of the Knights of the High Altar. Great things had been expected in the young monk’s future by many, from the ranks of commoners to the heights of the Western Church.

The stunning, abrupt confrontation in public had brought a tense, ominous pall over the vast crowd that witnessed it, such that every person’s attention was fixed upon the two figures to the exclusion of everything else. The Unifier had shown no outward displeasure at the monk’s heated denunciation. Wholly surprising to all of the onlookers, He actually had held a serene expression on His face, as He quietly faced the fiery and vocal young monk. He had looked entirely unconcerned with the substance of the harsh, grave accusations.

Many recalled that the Unifier had then calmly asked the monk, in a voice that all could hear, whether He could call upon nature, if He was an outright enemy to a true god. The monk had then grown hesitant, if not appearing to be a little perplexed by the Unifier’s strange response.

The Unifier then had proceeded to invoke fires from the sky itself, calling for the destruction of whichever one of the two of them was not a true servant of a true god. He had made a bold statement iterating that if He was indeed the false one, then He wished for the monk to scoop His ashes from the ground that very day.

A massive column of flames had rushed down from the sky just a moment after the last word had left the Unifier’s lips. The searing mass of flames had encompassed and consumed the young monk in a handful of seconds, leaving nothing remaining of him but ash that was scattered randomly about in the breezes. There was nothing for the Unifier to even scoop up, as the monk’s remains were dissipated in moments upon gusts of wind that swept through the area following the stunning event.

It was a tremendous sign recognized by the people as testimony to the Unifier’s authority from the heavens themselves. They had also seen it as a dire warning to any foolish enough to blaspheme His name.

The incredible story spread quickly throughout the lands, and it came to be widely regarded that the Unifier held direct, divine authority. It was the final event that catalyzed the broader union of kingdoms and realms under His guidance, an authority that had been recognized for well over two decades.

The lessons from those two Great Signs had not been ignored in the years to come, by either the soon-compliant rulers or their general populaces. It was during those formative years that the Unifier had cultivated His new brood of Sorcerers, within the heart of Avanor. When they had emerged, the rulers and people had been awestruck. The performer of the two Great Signs had brought forth an order of miracle workers.

The new Sorcerers were individuals who went beyond simple healing, communicating, or other menial types of magic, and were able to call great powers out of nature itself. There were many that felt that the new Sorcerers could possibly rival the powers of the ancient Wizards of legend and lore, who were among the First Born.

While these Sorcerers were not of the First Born, it became conspicuously obvious that they had been spared the passage of age within their bodies. They had come to be known as the Sorcerers of Avalos, and their lack of aging, and apparent grace of immortality, was seen by many as yet another vibrant demonstration of the divine favor bestowed upon the Unifier.

Yet even with the goodwill held by most, some rumors were spread that the Sorcerers’ power derived from Jebaalos, the Lord of Fire and the Dark Abyss. The claims were swiftly dismissed as mere paranoia, for the Sorcerers had mainly used their powers to bring rain to parched lands, dryness to flooded ones, and a multitude of other benevolent acts serving the various kingdoms that had pledged loyalty to the Unifier.

But they had also been used in combat. The Sorcerers, during the course of the subjugation of some minor rebellions, had been used quite formidably in the art of war. They had worked some incredible feats, including such powerful acts as calling lightening down from the sky, and inducing destructive earthquakes. It was powers such as those that had kept many of the realms’ leaders from airing any dissatisfactions with the emerging order, right as they watched their sovereignty erode under the will of the Unifier.

Most often, the Sorcerers were kept within Avalos, inside of the Citadel. They were rarely seen, even among the guards in the main palace fortress. For the most part, they stayed to the fifth terrace of the complex, the one closely resembling a monastic compound. From time to time, they were sent out as individuals on some charge, or appeared at assemblies within the palace.

Relatively, they were very few in number, but their concentrated presence indicated their great importance to the Unifier. None would dare speculate as to what tasks they performed deep within the chambers of the soaring mountain-palace.

That they would now be sent forth in full number, dispatched to accompany the emissaries and lend their aid in a faraway war, was a very momentous, unprecedented development. After the initial shock wave had passed through the emissaries, and more fear had swelled within them, the Unifier resumed his address.

“I know that all of you understand that my gift of the Sorcerers to you is of no small matter, and I will avail you with the greatest of My powers. Go, therefore, with haste, and send My charge to your lands. The ships will be at Thessalas. The Seven Kingdoms of the First Alliance must participate in the support and organization of the force. The Empire of Theonia must provide ships and men. The realms of the Sunlands, from my esteemed friend, Khalif Al-Hakim at Caiandria, to the Great Sultan of Saljuka, must provide supplies, more ships, and men.”

At the mention of the Sunland realms, He paused to consider a particular, stately group of men gathered down below, just to the left of Him. They were clad in long, white, flowing tunics of the finest linen, edged with exquisite brocade of golden thread. Panels of fabric woven intricately with inscriptions were wrapped around their arms at the shoulder.

Over these lavish tunics they wore ornate, loose robes, made from cloth-of-gold. Their heads were also covered in turbans of a golden textile, out of which flowed a hanging length of cloth under their chins. The men wore richly jeweled necklaces of gold. On their feet, they wore an exquisitely comfortable, luxurious type of slipper-shoe.

Their dark eyes held a glint of surprise, as if they suspected that The Unifier was looking right into their thoughts. As an elite delegation from the Fahtamid Khalif, they still had one major petition remaining that they had not yet been able to bring before the Unifier, and Avanor’s ruler was very conscious of that.

“And tell Khalif Al-Hakim that I know of the emergence of Ibn Amal, and of the difficulties that his rise presents to you during these times. I do not wish to become involved in your inner matters, though I will turn my attention to this Ibn Amal. It seems that he does not recognize the authority of the Khalif… or My authority. Let it be known that I will not let him strike from his newly-inherited lands to threaten Caiandria, so that you may send more ships without worry. I shall have his full allegiance, or his destruction, soon enough.