Prologue
The Hour Before Dawn
Ahorazed, Kingdom of Zand
01 Lesh BE 001
The Chamber of the Stars was a remarkable feat of engineering, the likes of which could not be replicated even with the cutting edge of modern technology. A model of the planets and their orbits was crafted into the floor with movements precisely timed. The scale was skewed to make the planets visible or their world would be about the size of a bacterium. In a few paces you could cross the distance from their world to the sun. There was a time when Man could perform such feats, but such wonders were lost long ago, sealed away during this Age of Penance, but soon the days would be fulfilled and the Age of Promise would be upon them.
It was for this very reason the Mowbadan Mowbad stood in the gallery overlooking the Chamber of Stars. The twin doors at the far end of the gallery opened and in walked the Padishah Hormazed II, accompanied by the Shahzadi Darya, the Grand Vizier Parvez Ravan and his son Osman, and the Hazarbed Narseh. A pair of men from the Royal Guard posted themselves on either side of the doors while the Padishah and his entourage approached the Mowbadan Mowbad. They knelt before him, showing deference not to the man but his role as Keeper of the Sacred Flame. The Padishah greeted the Mowbadan Mowbad in the Old Tongue and he responded with a benediction in the same.
Reverting to the Common Tongue, the Mowbadan Mowbad said, "Arise, I pray, Majesty, Highness, my lords."
Although the Padishah was not so old, an injury from his youth made it difficult for him to rise up unassisted, but the Shahzadi and Hazarbed were well-practiced in helping him to his feet in such a way that gave some concealment to his infirmity.
"I answered your summons as quickly as I was able," the Padishah said.
"I trusted you would do your duty," the Mowbadan Mowbad replied. "Truly the will of the Lord of Wisdom is made manifest that you have lived and reigned to this day."
"For three hundred years we have waited..."
"It has been far longer than a mere three hundred years," the Mowbadan Mowbad said. "This Age of Penance is but a single link in the chain of eternity, but the time draws near for us to cross over to the next link."
"The Age of Promise..."
"Yes... The summons have been sent to Cevilla. The Child of Promise must begin his pilgrimage down the Warrior's Road until he arrives here."
The Mowbadan Mowbad gestured to the floor below and said, "There, upon the model of our sun, the Child of Promise and the Shahzadi shall be united and so unite the destiny of us all. At the dawn of the new era, the Light to Guide Us shall shine upon a new path."
"May it be so," the Padishah piously intoned.
"May it be so," his entourage echoed.
And with that, it would have been well to leave the moment as it was, but the younger Ravan felt the need to speak up.
"To cross some seven thousand kilometers on foot in nine months' time, it would be no mean feat."
"The Warrior's Road is not meant to be a mean feat, my lord," the Mowbadan Mowbad replied.
"I am told the Child's Protectors are excellent," the Padishah said. "They have been training for generations for this day."
"But will it be enough?" Vizier Osman asked. "There are many who fear the Prophecy, many who would bend it to their advantage. The Child is but a pawn in all this. Will these Protectors be enough?"
"They must be," the Mowbadan Mowbad said, "and the Child must be true, or else the Age of Promise will not come. The Lord of Wisdom has granted us this opportunity, but we must rise to challenge."
"It would seem that it is these Protectors who must rise to the challenge," Vizier Osman said.
"We have our part to play in all this," the Grand Vizier said, "and play it we must."
With no small hint of irony in his voice, Vizier Osman said, "May it be so."
* * *
In a chamber modeled after the twelve-spoked Wheel of Time, there was a cauldron of flame in the alcove at the end of each spoke for the twelve common months with a thirteen cauldron in the center representing the holy month of El. Normally there would be no fewer than eight priests tending the flames at all times, but at this time there was only a single white-clad mowbad standing before the flame representing the current month of Lesh. Although these flames were of a lesser degree of sacredness when compared to the Royal Fire in the inner sanctum, they were holy all the same and it was unusual for the chamber to be so empty, but this was all according to design.
Apart from the Padishah's entourage, the Vizier Osman entered the chamber and approached the lone mowbad.
"Should I offer some prayer?" the Vizier asked the mowbad. "Or should you?"
"Can the voice of mere mortals with their polluted lips reach the ears of the Lord of Wisdom?" the mowbad asked in turn.
"I do not need to tell you that the Padishah has met with the Mowbadan Mowbad," Osman said.
"You do not," the mowbad replied.
"He believes in the Prophecy."
"As do I," the mowbad said, "but it is the object of his belief that is the problem."
"You think the Grigori Society made a mistake when it identified the Child?"
"They cling to a false hope."
"And yours is the true hope?"
"My trust is in nothing so uncertain as hope. Our plan is a sure one."
"I would not have thrown in my lot with you if it were not," the Vizier said, "even though the whole world stands against us."
"On the contrary," the mowbad said, "you will find that the world stand against the beacon of false hope, as he and his Protectors will come to learn to their grief."
"If we are wrong..."
"Caution tempers your ambition, my lord, but I know you fear what would happen if were are correct and fail to act more than if we are wrong."
"The Mowbadan Mowbad said that we all have a part to play in this," the Vizier said. "I will do mine and I trust you to do yours."
"The Child will not reach this place so long as my Shields and I draw breath."
"Then a prayer for your breath, I suppose."
"You are impious, my lord," the mowbad said, "but the Lord of Wisdom will make use of any manner of tool."
Vizier Osman knew that the mowbad fully put this philosophy into practice. It was almost enough to move him to pity the so-called Child of Promise and his vaunted Protectors.
