‘Yes, of course I remember you, Rei,’ and for a moment she had a look of utter elation. But he went on. ‘I have remembered for as long as youhave, cursing you every day as you held me captive but,unlike you, I have turned my back on who I was. We have lived under the curse of Marrag Lin for so long that we have forgotten weeachhave our own free will. Our memories fade over the years but,each time our master returns, we relive the same troubled lives of our past. We cannot keep on doing this forever, Rei. I refuse. I want to be a better man than that.’
‘No,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘What are you saying?’
‘I know who I am, but I do not love you any more. I have been a slave long enough and I will make my own choices from here. You have kept me prisoner in your palace and kept me from my wife and son. I harbour no ill will towards you, but I will stay no longer. You can do as you wish, but do it without me.’
‘What do you mean, Edmond?’ Samuel asked.
The man turned towards Samuel. ‘I am no more Edmond Calais than I am Andor Ferse. I have been countless different people, but I am no more any one of them than I am the man born so many Ages ago called Thann,as she is not truly Rei. Once upon a time,we were lovers, but we have both died countless times since then. We are no longer the people we were. We have been blended and merged with the souls of so many others. It is pointless to lay claim to our old selves. I realised that when my memories first came creeping back to me but,for some reason,she cannot seem to reach the same conclusion.’
‘Don’t leave me, Thann! We have only just found each other. How can I live without you?’
‘Wake up,woman! Nothing will change while we keep re-enacting our old lives. We are not those people any more. I want nothing of you orofbeing Thann.’
‘It is because of that child!’
‘It is. For some reason I cannotfathom, fate has granted me a son and this tiny improbability has finally given me hope. I admit that I am incapable of having feelings for his mother, but she is a good and intelligent woman and she will raise our boy well. I will take them into some deserted part of the world and we will do our best to escape Lin’s return. When I die, I will be reborn within another and it will all begin over again, but I will not think of that now. Who knows what will happen in the future? But at least I will have a son. For a short time, perhaps I can be happy. What will you do, Rei, but follow his commands until the end of time-a hollow woman with a hollow life, raising armies to do his bidding?’
‘Lin will find you! He will kill you,too!’ she declared, pointing an accusing finger towards him. ‘As his strength returns, so will yours, and your memories will overpower you!’
‘Perhaps, so. But I can have my hope. Perhaps this time, things will be different.’
‘
‘You mean the stories are true?’ Samuel said, interrupting their argument.
‘Yes, Samuel,’ the man who was once Emperor replied, ‘Lin is coming and there is very little time.’
‘How did this happen?’ he said, feeling defeated by the news. ‘After all we have been through,after all the battles we have fought and all the lives lost, how did we possibly fail? Was it her? Did she put the relics together? I thought she didn’t know how to do it?’
‘Sometimes these things happen instinctively, Samuel. It is too late now to do anything about it. Lin’s return is certain, but is not a sudden event and he will not raise his head for some years to come. It will take time for him to gather his strength and make himself known. Go to your woman. Raise your child. Enjoy these final days as much as you can. That is certainly what I plan to do.’
‘What about the rings? Were they not the relics we were seeking?’
‘The rings are not related to his return at all. These are just as Rei has said-aids for those who are learning to master their magic-children’s toys in our time. When Lin left this world he took our powers from us, but now, in these days of his return, our power is returning along with our memories. In a short time, we will have our full power at our fingertips.’
‘But, I thought the rings had great power? Have we wasted all our time?’
‘They have no power of their own; that is why one ring is no more useful than two. Relics like this were common in those early days when we were learning how to control our magic and were teaching it to others. We also made staves and rods and a multitude of devices used to manipulate the energy of the ether, but most of them are now long gone. Some of the hardier ones had innate methods of preserving themselves. These rings, as you know, transform into great metallic blocks when lost, which simply makes them easier to find. It was nothing more mysterious than that.’
‘It was Dividian who changed the ring from the stone,’ Samuel said. ‘He used the Ancient Lick to form the Great Spell that transformed it.’
‘Such foolishness. If only he had found the proper spell,it could have been done easily. The Ancient Lick can accomplish much, but it is a power that does not belong to us. Its use is forbidden, even to me. Never use it, Samuel. Forget it; destroy any scrap of it you may have learnt.’
‘Why is that?’
‘It is an evil language, rampant with dark power.’
‘I thought it was the language of the Ancients?’
‘Not at all. It was first found in that time, and it is true we Ancients did foolishly play with it-little knowing what it would do-but it is not the language we spoke. It is the tongue of evil, which beckoned to us from other realms. Evil calls to all in this world who become powerful, for power is a beacon for beings that seek to devour it. We knew no better and gave ourselves to that evil and,because of that, we became what we are. We fended off that evil in the end and regained our selves, but we are left forever changed by it. Lin made the ultimate sacrifice, becoming little more than a demon himself to save us. ’
‘So what are you?’ Samuel asked him. ‘Why is it that you live forever like this, taking the bodies of others?’
‘We are two of the last three surviving Ancients. Lin cursed us for our role in his creation and left us to walk the earth in his absence. We can be killed easily enough, but our spirits will readily fill the body of another. Our memories fade with time, whether we die or not, but our nature is difficult to change. Every age we become kings and queens and raise our empires and armies, just as we did back them. It is an eternal curse that we cannot escape.’
‘But to what end?’
‘For Lin. He thrives on destruction and the souls that are releasedhe gathers for his own purposes. They empower him. Every death upon the earth fuels him and makes him stronger.’
‘Is it something to do with the star? Is it truly a portent of his return?’
The man with many names shook his head. ‘I have never seen its like before. The comet’s presence can only be a coincidence. At least, it is not as a result of Lin’s power.’
‘You mentioned another-a third Ancient.’
‘Poltamir,’ the man responded. ‘I have not spoken with him in many Ages. He may be in hiding, and if he can accomplish such a thing, then perhaps I can, too. I’m sorry, I must go now. I hate to leave you here, but I think you can manage on your own. I don’t think she will bother you further,’ and he gestured towards the broken woman as she lay weeping upon the floor, ‘and I must find my Lillith and Leopold. If they have returned to Cintar, I will need to remove Rei’s army before they threaten any more of my people.’
‘Will you return to being the Emperor?’ Samuel asked him, but the other only shook his head.
‘No. I have had enough of crowns and empires. I will slip away with my family and leave the ruling for others. Goodbye, Samuel. I am genuinely honoured to have met you. You have done well.’ He strode towards the broken balcony, looking out the gaping hole over the ruined city. ‘You have acted nobly when all others around you have been corrupt. Please don’t feel disappointed in the way things have worked out. Perhaps in the next age things will be better.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I suggest you follow my example and go to your woman while you can. Enjoy your time together. The child may be born any moment. The mother will need you.’
‘I don’t know if I know how to be a husband or a father.’
‘Don’t be foolish, Samuel. She loves you. You two were made for each other. Go. Be with her.’ He then turned once more to look at the sorry woman lying on the floor. ‘Goodbye, Rei. Please, let them enjoy their final moments. Put aside your petty jealousy for once in your pitiful existence. Their lives will be hard enough.’
