16 The Chamberlain.

Claus Ummberland was the last of his line. A line of long lived Chamberlains whose services to the Great city of Triberias had lasted for generations. His father before him had served for five. Five Generations that had seen his years hit the two century mark and his father before him had been born in the time of the last Ancient. Claus himself was about to hit the one century mark only shy of it by a decade yet his features did not show it. His hair however held the tell tale signs of an ageing man or one that had been cumbered with so much serving that the very hairs on his dark head were now turning grey.

He was weary to say the least, of many things. The greatest of this being the state of the city and the city that was crumbling all around them. Then there was the issue of the fading newborns and the elders that were crying out for blood. The blood of the innocents and high among these was the Appriser who all but delegated his tasks to that young girl he seemed unworthy of his apprenticeship.

It bothered him how hard the elder had fought to dispose himself of her and we'll... the others, they were all driven by fear, the fear of a man who managed to wield it so well as a weapon rallying them behind his hidden motives and even more senseless agendas. What could he himself have done differently? The guilt clawed at his own heart even though he dared not show it. Maybe he could have taken her in as his own apprentice, instead, he handed her off to the Appriser. With her knack for hope crystals...he remarked at how much they could have done around the Sanctum, but the girl had strived to hide it even from her own mentor and had he himself not sensed it within her, he too could have also been fooled. A high affinity for the Second Virtue blended with the First Virtue... She did not know it but she was already so advanced despite her perceived weakness in the First Virtue.

That aside, he needed to find answers and fast and with the growing useless of the council's Appriser, the Chamberlain took to reading the scrolls himself. How he found the time,even he himself could not tell, but the circumstances they were in were dire enough to warranty his attention and sleepless nights if it came to it.

"My lord," his black head with streaks of grey hair turned even as the chamberlain looked up from the scroll he had been perusing to gaze into the face a stout faced Sanctuary official that was one among his many assistants.

"What now?" He asked in that bored monotone that was his signature voice.

"The scales your excellency." The Sanctuary official replied, his stone face expression doing well to masking the growing panic that was raging inside him. "Something has happened."

Without another word, the scroll disappeared from his hands even as he breathed out a tired sigh and stood up to follow after the blue robed assistant. They walked down a series corridors and up a long flight of stairs that led up to the inner Sanctum, the highest point on Triberias. This entire area was made up of crystal and it shone like a big bright diamond in the never setting light of the Hope of Triberias. The walls glistened at every turn, the numerous prisms within every crystal bathing its walls in every shade of colour that was maginable to the human mind. A rainbow of colours and despite its clear walls, the walls remained as impenetrable as ever even as a thick white mist obscured its interiors from the prying eyes of the curious passers by.

"We noticed it at the end of the last cycle." The Sanctuary official told him just as they came to a stop in one particular section that was made up of a long winding corridor that sourrounded the inner Sanctum like a ring all around it.

"What exactly did you notice? "The Chamberlain asked him as he gazed upon rows and upon rows of crystal glass scales with three golden bars within each. Some glowed brightly while others were an ashen grey. Among those that glowed brightly, one thing was common; none of them had the third bar functioning. It was dull and brown, like unpolished gold, sticking out like a sore thumb in the beauty of the rest.

"This one." The Sanctuary official said even as he pointed to one scale that was neither shining nor the ashen grey of the banished. The Chamberlain was quick to notice the golden seal on the scale to its right and his eyes glowed in wonder.

"An Elder's child?" The official nodded his head in agreement before adding, "This is the second time something like this has happened."

"Yes, but this is different. The other one turned black before completely disappearing." The Chamberlain replied.

"But she died." his assistant protested.

"No, disappeared." The Chamberlain replied in that same bored monotonic drone before turning to walk back the way they had come.

"I want you to closely monitor the scales and if there is any change, I would like you to update me immediately. That scale should not be left unattended at any one time." The Chamberlain turned to face his assistant once again and the man nodded his head in agreement.

"Will you inform the council?"

"And tell them what exactly?" the Chamberlain snapped, the slightly inflection in his voice being the only indication that he had been vexed by his assistant's prodding. At this his assistant pursed his lips and turned to look away in displeasure.

"Deacon, I insist. This is to remain within our circle and unless I authorise it, I do not want any word of it getting out. Do you understand me?"

"Yes your Excellency." The assistant replied as he donned on his stone faced expression once again.

"Good." With that, the Chamberlain turned and walked down the stairs leaving behind the assistant to watch the scales alone.

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