64 THE GREY MAIDEN 6

A beautiful day at the Imperial palace, the sun shine brightly on the blue sky. Birds chirping on the tree's foliage, amidst the ringing of the wind chimes outside the study room of the palace. Emperor Lam sitting there on his ironwood "Phank", a kind of divan-like furniture, but larger and usually have square shape, use by every Varlanner, rich or poor. Next to him is a pile of old dusty books, leaning against a tall pillow, resting his temple on his fist, he's thinking. Thinking about some weird thoughts he had lately, about the behaviours of a person dear to him. The person that is his wife and the thought of she's hiding something from him.

In recollection, Emperor Lam recalled some of her behaviours from past events.

When she learns about the origin of the stolen artefacts of the disciples of Ochwesi, she was… highly concern? No… more like she was… panicking, Emperor Lam think, very difference to her usual calm and collected self, at least to him, she seems to too adamantly to following him to help… or rather she wants to resolve that incident herself, and seem very reluctant to let him going to Mei Lin by himself. Another occasion is when they were exploring the Elvas ruin in the swampland around Jar Dee, he has noticed her behaviour is strange when she discovered those writing on the wall. While Empress Aucelen staring at those writing, a strange dreadful expression fixed on her face, Emperor Lam did catch that expression of her, but he doesn't think much of it at the time. Then another occasion, it happened not long after their marriage, when he told her about some old story, one of those was a weird incident his and his father, former Emperor Suk Luo Tu, encounter with an evil tree and a stranger village. After heard his story his wife just disappeared from the palace for a whole month without telling anyone, only leave behind a note on their bed, vaguely say about some personal business she has to attend to.

And then the incident with lady Hue and her child has made him suspicious the most, after Lady Hue and the infant disappeared she was frequently stay in her private library for research purpose, sometime all day and all night, even missed meal, some servants overheard Empress Aucelen alone in her private library, having a conversation with someone. But they don't understand what those conversations are about because Empress Aucelen was speak in Elvas tongue. The only explanation for that is Empress Aucelen was communicate with her people through the magic mirror device in her library. Not just the servant only, one more than one occasion Emperor Lam too witness that, and some of her conversation with her people seem to be tense, when he asks what is it about, she just brush it off at personal matter.

But her behaviours must be explained. How? How do Emperor Lam explain his wife behaviours? What does he know so far? What make her behave like that?

The Old Gods.

Yes, the Old Gods, that seem to be what triggered those behaviours from her. An artefact and tome of magic which dated back to the time of the Old Gods. Some weird writing one the altar of a bunches of cultists who worship a monster mean to be a holy beast for the Old Gods. A child created by some ancient magic that only her people know about, a child who created by a mad man who's in possess of that ancient tome of magic, a mad man who claimed to heard the whisperings of the Old Gods. Is this it? Is this the pattern? What does the Old Gods have anything to do with her? What does his wife know about the Old Gods who he just found out were not just mere legend and myth from a bygone age?

With that in mind, Emperor Lam turn to the old tales. Because he once heard that every myths and legends, no matter how absurd they sound must started somewhere in the truth. Maybe, just maybe he'll find some kind of clue that show some connection between his wife and the Old Gods, and in turn explained her behaviours. So he started at the beginning, the oldest of tales.

The old tales says: "In the beginning there was nothing but chaos, in that chaos born Quelas'Airuth. Then Quelas'Airuth created the sky above and the earth below, and all the things that live between. His creations were so beautiful that it attracted the other gods to inhabited it and felt in love with it, thus the mighty Quelas'Airuth give the other gods the right to rule over all of the creations on his behalf. After Quelas'Airuth went into reclusion among the stars, the other gods also try their hand in creation, the gods look to the black fertile soil of the earth and deem it was good. Thus with it they created a kind of being in their own image, the Black Ones. The gods taught them magic, ancient language, how to worship the gods and all manner of civilisation. Then due to fatigue, the soil they collect was lacking and impure. Some mix with yellow river mud, so born the Downers. Some mix with white clay, so born the Uppers. Some mix with green moss, so born the Orc. Born last was the Dwarf, due to lack of material and mix with stone, so they were short and love the mountain. Then the gods commanded the Black Ones be their delegates and gave them the right to rule over all other."

The old tales say: "In the beginning, there only a sea of chaos, emerged from that sea was a cosmic egg. From that egg hatched Quelas'Airuth, and with the two haft of that cosmic egg, Quelas'Airuth created heaven and earth, between heaven and earth Quelas'Airuth created all manner of living things. Then from the good black soil, the Qumui were created to be Quelas'Airuth companion, taught them secrets of magic. From the image of the Qumui, Quelas'Airuth created other beings, but Quelas'Airuth was exhausted after created so much, thus losing concentrating. Some soil mix with the yellow river sand, thus birthed the Downers. Some soil mix with the white limestone, thus birthed the Uppers. Some soil mix with leaves, thus birthed the Orc. Some was make hastily, mix with stone and lack of material, so become the Dwarf and they were short and love the mountain. So before took rest among the stars, Quelas'Airuth commanded the Qumui will be the messenger between the people and the heaven, and so be the Qumui are the guide of the people."

The old tales say: "At first, there is just chaos, from chaos birth an egg, from that egg born Quelas the male and Airuth the female, the firstborns, the first beings, they slept for thousands of years long before awoken. After awakened, with the first haft of the egg shell they form the heaven and other haft to create the earth. With heaven and earth formed, they have intercourse for hundreds of years and gave birth to all things that holy, and all things that mortal, after their intercourse they when to heaven and rest among the stars. The things that holy became the many gods and goddess, and they find the world the Firstborns left behind is so beautiful they felt in love with it, but boring and stupid were other mortal things. So they will create a new being with the black soil that they deemed was good, tirelessly they work and the First Folk was born. But overtime the gods was tired and mistake happened, the soil they collected was lacking and impure. Some mix with yellow mud, so born the Downers. Some mix with white sand, so born the Uppers. Some mix with grass and born the Orc. Some formed carelessly, thus they were short and become the Dwarf. Then to the First Folk, the gods taught them magic, taught them how to speak, taught them rituals to worship the gods, and be given the right to rule over other folks."

There is something in these creation stories, some kind of pattern, something in common that they all share. What can that thing be? Emperor Lam think, then he realized what that common things shared between these stories are. His wife, or rather her people, the Elvas. They're nowhere to be found in all of these stories, the oldest of tales, even all the tales down the line, in the Age of Gods, in the Age of Wandering, nothing, nothing mention about a people that known as today as the Elvas, why?

"Maybe the tales did mention them, but in a difference name?" Emperor Lam think. A knock on the door interrupted his thought, a servant outside the study room's door spoke, informed Emperor Lam that lunch has ready, and said that his wife is waiting to eat with him. Leaved the study room, Emperor Lam head to the dining hall, considering on confront his wife about his suspicions.

Reached the dining hall, Emperor Lam told all the servants to leaved them along before the surprise of Empress Aucelen, sat down on the chair next to her, look deep into Empress Aucelen eyes, Emperor Lam spoke.

"Do you still love me Aucelen?"

"Wh… what on earth are you talking about?" Empress Aucelen stumped at the question "Of course, I am still love you. What is this all about?"

"Are you hiding me something?" Emperor Lam continued

"Wh… what? Me? Hiding something from you…" Before Empress Aucelen can finished, Emperor Lam cut off her sentence

"You was behaving strangely lately, like you're hiding something from me. What with all the secrecy? Why can you tell me? You become very anxious since the incident with lady Hue and the infant, and kept locking yourself in your library, and kept meeting with your people in secrecy, I, myself has caught some of those conversation, by the sound of them, they were stressful to say the least. You were clearly panicking when you learn about the artefacts of Ochwesi, very difference from your usual self. The dreadful look you had when we found those strange writings on the wall at the monster altar in the Elvas ruin." Emperor Lam stood up and walk around the table as he spoke with a steady and calm voice. "And the most importantly where have you been for the whole month after you heard of my story of the evil tree?" Before Empress Aucelen can said a word the emperor continues

"With all of that, make me curious of your behaviour, as if anything that have the slight relate to the Old Gods triggered you. It's like there some kind of connection between the Old Gods and you, or rather your people, that you don't want me to know, or anyone to know. So, I had done some reading in the past week in the royal library, and I think I'd found something interesting in those myths and legends. That is, none of them, not single one of those tale mention anything about the existence of your people." Emperor Lam sat down again in front of his wife "But they do mention about a kind of First Folk, some kind of messenger or servant of the Old Gods. Kwanjobo once said, the Old Gods are real… so I think… maybe your kind, the Elvas, have something to do with them. The legends also said, the Old Gods fought among themselves, bring about unspeakable catastrophes, and drowned the old world, and those messenger or servant of the Old Gods participate in their war, fought for them like champions and foot soldiers. Those messengers, servants that those tales mention." gently hold her face with his palms, Emperor Lam look into his wife's eyes. "Are they your people?"

Empress Aucelen turned her head avoid his gaze. Emperor Lam squeezing her hands say "Come now Aucelen, I'm your husband, you can tell me anything. Please trust me, if you still love me please don't kept any secret from me. Have I kept any secret from you?"

Empress Aucelen thinking. What should she say now? Come up with some excuse? Lie? Completed brush his question off? She sighed loudly, and gazing into the air.

With great sadness in her voice she spoke "My people called it… the Great Shame. A… secret, that all Elvases keep in their heart, like… a kind of racial sin that we felt responsible for. You know… world destroying calamities and you people were…" Empress Aucelen sigh, with slightly trembling voice "… it is not something you can be proud of."

"Oh, you silly, foolish girl…" Pulled his wife into his embrace, Emperor Lam whisper "…why hide from me? You think I'm going to hate you just because your people involved in some catastrophe from eon ago? And I thought you're supposed to be wise."

"Uhm… maybe because of the love I have for you had turned me into a simpleton." Empress Aucelen smiled, snugged her head into her husband's chest "And… there was another reason for my secrecy."

"What other reason?" Emperor Lam asked

"I know what Hua Xia is plotting with the creation of the child Li." Empress Aucelen said.