Chapter 16 The Omen

Empress Minerva gives birth to a son and named him Grand Prince of Blythe. Emperor Dion celebrates his son’s birth with banquets and prayers to the gods. Prince Hadrian is appointed advisor to the emperor’s council and appears daily at court. Prince Darius remains at hand at the young emperor’s council and parades Prince Linos through the fortress. Soon, Enki and his unicorn wife head back to the Olin Mountains. Eurick brought Linos to see his brothers in Atalissa. They both were married with children of their own now. Poor Prince Rodric appears miserable, with an adult wife waiting for him to grow up. Linos entertains the boy the best he can. They ride on Kiko to see Eurick’s cousin Pippi in Isis. She was at her wits end with her insane father and learns he was jailed after murdering a man walking home from a tavern. Queen Boudicca keeps him imprisoned because he is Hadrian’s brother-in-law. Eurick is allowed to visit him once chained to a wall and fed him pea soup. He first thought death would be the best comfort for him. Then fate steps in and his uncle Laeos dies of a coughing illness. Pippi publicly mourns her father. Eurick arranges his uncle’s burial. There is a law that forbids criminals to be buried in hallowed ground and Eurick is arrested after the funeral. He argues with the judge in Brightsburg that Queen Boudicca refused to sign his death warrant. Therefore, his uncle deserves burial next to his father Cossus the Dragonslayer. The judge agrees and releases Eurick. Next, Eurick, with Linos, returns to his cousin Alani’s home in the Olin Mountains to marry a middle-aged


Princess Madoni. Hadrian and Alexis travel by mirror to Alani’s home.

The ceremony was sweet and simple. The blind bride wore a white gown and carried a bouquet of yellow roses. Iris conducted the ceremony. The reception afterwards provided another surprise, Hadrian learns his daughter Amalia is betrothed to her cousin Max. He knew then his dream of the afterlife was real. The newly appointed god of thunder Max was deeply in love with a sprite living in the Black Forest. Then, Max’s sister Toralyn poisoned the sprite and she left for the afterlife. Max entrapped Toralyn inside a mirror as punishment. She never gave an explanation for her behavior other that he should not marry that sprite. Poor Max had to tell Iris, arriving to congratulate him on his betrothal with Amalia, that his beloved is buried under a tree she loved to perch in. Iris offered her daughter in marriage in her condolences and Max accepted. Andos’s response to his granddaughter’s marriage to his enemy’s son was hostile. Great thunderstorms and floods rocked Eartha to the pleasure of Max flying

down in the form of a thunderbird. Iris also introduces Hadrian to his twin sons, Aelous and Laeos. Hadrian embraces the toddler gods in tears.

Next at the reception, Alani betroths his daughter Leah to Felix’s second son Justin. Felix’s first son Damon has already been betrothed to Darius’s first daughter Sophia. Hadrian is bewildered how they even met each other. Alexis had to explain that

Felix’s wife Kaitlyn brought her sons over to the palace and his inn for messages from her husband. Alani brought his daughter over to the inn to see cousins Amalia, Lilia, and Lexie. Alexis played matchmaker and quite proud of himself. Eurick introduces his human bride to his family of gods and goddesses. His aunts Lixi and Gilda fuss over the pretty princess. His uncles Elexi and Daxus greet the woman with utmost manners for

gods. His cousins Elmo, Iceni, Circe, Alani, Manda, Leah, Lilia, and Max embrace the human and welcome her into their family. Amalia entertains the princess with stories of Eurick as a child in Illium. Eurick and Madoni set up housekeeping in Hadrian’s old home near Aurora Falls. Hadrian and Alexis swiftly come back through magical mirror to bring back Prince Linos. Alexis was disappointed Lanie did not arrive to see Lilia, but shrugged it off. Hadrian suggests perhaps she was present in another form Alexis would not recognize. Alexis agrees that was possible.

Back in Illium, Alexis and Hadrian drank up much of Alexis’s profits as Linos slept in a room upstairs. They reminisce about the old days living in Leesville and fighting the Elf War. Alexis’s brothers Oden and Kali still are brownies living in the Haunted Forest picking herbs for Alexis to add to his meals. Returning to the present, Hadrian spoke of Emperor Dion desiring an omen for his future and his newborn son. Hadrian promised to give it to him. He picks up his daughter Lexie and great-niece Lilia and holds them as the old friends speak. Amalia serves them a meal and eagerly listens to the conversation. Sensing her needy emotions, Hadrian places his arm on

the back of Amalia’s chair and whispers secrets of Alexis to her. She listens intently about Gilda changing Alexis into a cat, their apprenticeship, their first loves, and Alexis’s heroics saving Lanie from Andos. Before now, her father never spoke about Nix or the coin he obtained from Athena. Hadrian pulls out the old coin with Emperor Olic’s face on it and a year 397 for the years since the Blythans left their home island. He explains to her that this coin is precious because it is all he has of Athena’s friendship. Amalia secretly wishes he loved her mother enough to marry her. Iris raises her twin brothers alone. Treynor left Iris to seek his fortune in The Ice Mountains. Her father

remains quite a puzzle to her. The best friends say good night. The next morning, Hadrian and Linos leave the inn to go back to the palace.

The Wizard Hadrian mixes a potion and burns incense in prayer to the fate goddess Freya. A cloud of smoke arises and Hadrian the Great looks deep into Dion’s and his heir’s futures. He proclaims a golden era will abruptly come to an end when Emperor Dion is murdered by his wife’s command. The Conquered Lands will unite

back to Lotan and Blythe will lose all the land Emperor Rurick gained. A Kingdom of Blythe will renew itself and its legacy in history. His heir shall be banished as he escapes the wrath of another queen. A hero, his heir will not be, until he reclaims his throne from his enemy. Then will be forgotten by his subjects as a boy king takes his place. Then, the elf recited prayers thanking Freya for the clairvoyance. Emperor Dion is most displeased with his omens and orders Hadrian out of the palace. Later in the day, he has Hadrian arrested for slandering the empress and banishes him to the Haunted Forest where no man will tread into. He strips Hadrian of all his titles and possessions. Next, he forbids anyone in his empire to speak Hadrian’s name or recite tales about him. A troop of soldiers have orders to escort the respected elf, his goddess daughter, and his mermaid daughter out of Illium. They are apologetic to their prisoner and ask the wizard for omens of their own futures. Hadrian delights and disappoints his escort. He then tries not to be eager at going home. He carries his most treasured objects before Dion confiscates it all. He walks out onto the plank of the ship with his clothes, weapons, and gifts in a knapsack. The two layer boat made nowadays sailed off in silence to the Narva reef next to the Haunted Forest. Hadrian, Amalia, and Lexie took a last glance at the capital.

The crew brings them north along the coast Alaric the Brave sailed when he sought aide after the Battle of Leesville. They stop at the eastern village of Kara to

forage supplies. Hadrian the Great sells services of omens and herbal medicines, going back to his beginning reputation. He makes quite a bit of money more from his escorts than the people in Kara. During Hadrian’s fall from power, many elves who migrated into Illium after the Elf War also return home in Lotan and the Conquered Lands. As the Narva reef appears at sunrise, Hadrian summons his daughters to the upper level of the ship. Packed with their meager possessions, his daughters follow their father into the seawater. The crew stunned at their jump off the ship sailed on before turning around to return to Illium. The banished wizard swam his way home. Eurick and an ill

Madoni welcome Hadrian home again. After his homecoming meal, The Wizard travels to Etonville, Medea, Brightsburg, and Isis to sell his wizard abilities. Centaurs rejoice at seeing their hero at their water holes.

Queen Boudicca sends a message of sorrow of his demise. He answers not be sad for him, he is home. Lexie befriends river mermaids. Eurick buries his wife in a human funeral near Aurora Falls. Amalia loves living in the elf home compared to the palace. She soon leaves to live with her mother before she marries Max. Out of the blue, Grand Prince Rodric comes one day with a letter from his mother Boudicca requesting her son be trained as a warrior. He hands his hero a pouch of coins for his training. Hadrian is flattered and recalls meeting Cossus. Rodric works hard chopping wood, digging for roots, and climbing the mountainside for herbs. Enki comes by one day as a unicorn and leaves an impression on Rodric. When Rodric first saw the beast, he hurled rocks at it because it resembled a mountain goat or mountain sheep at a distance. Enki came closer to dodge more stones. He swiftly changed forms into a human and asked the boy to quit throwing rocks at him. Rodric fell over in shock and

gaped at the human changing himself back into a unicorn. The beast snorted and galloped away to his mentor Hadrian’s home. Enki came to announce that he is now a father. Rodric never again hurled anything at a unicorn. He learns quickly to fight and follows his hero around the villages. Since Emperor Dion forbids the name of Hadrian

spoken or written, Blythans simply call him The Wizard. Others call him The Hermit from living by himself and refusing many daughters to be his new wife. He is loved by many, but is friends to few.

The years pass with Amalia’s and Max’s wedding. They both change into thunderbirds that light the sky during thunderstorms. Amalia was appointed to be goddess of fertility. News of Felix’s sons getting married came and Hadrian appeared in the form of a raven. He learned of the great marry off of Prince Darius’s daughters and

Kaitlyn’s sons out of fear of Minerva’s control of her husband. Kaitlyn’s elder son Damon married Darius’s daughter Sophia and moved outside Illium into an estate near Kara. Then Kaitlyn’s younger son Justin married Alani’s Leah to become god of justice and goddess of floods. They moved into a home in the Victyrian Marshes. Darius’s stepdaughter Tatiana married a courier from Kadacia and took residence in Nalia’s home village of Sarai. The younger daughter Dyna married a palace guard who served Emperor Rurick in the war and moved to Ronace along the Anasazi border. Empress Nalia appeared healed from Rurick’s passing and enjoyed the company of her grandson who she carried all over the marriage ceremonies. For better access of messages from Felix, Kaitlyn decided to move into Alexis’s inn after her sons moved away. She cuddled Lilia like a daughter and the goddess sent her caretaker to her husband Felix for a day.

Emperor Dion and Empress Minerva lavished in the fruits of victory coming from Anaki and Helos to gain a most egocentric reputation spread all over the Blythe Empire. Unrest in the air, Rodric announced one day that his mother was planning someday to reunite Lotan, but her cousin who is the heir of grandfather Dylan made the plan difficult to place into action. Hadrian assured his pupil that unrest in the Conquered Lands and in Blythe will be Empress Minerva’s undoing. Meanwhile, Lilia, still in childhood, entertains inn guests with stories coming from her omen potions. Word spread to the ears of the Empress of Lilia’s powers. She requested the girl attend court and rebuke Hadrian’s predictions for her family. Alexis escorted her to the palace. She predicted what she thought Empress Minerva desired to hear, but added the omen of Lotan reuniting against her that Hadrian foresaw before. Nervous of these dire predictions coming true, Minerva ordered the goddess to stay in a palace tower to be called when needed. Alexis refused the position for his daughter and used his magic to escape the clutches of this evil empress. He grabbed Kaitlyn out of her room and rushed to boats heading to the faraway city of Kara. Lilia confessed that the emperor would be murdered that night and all subjects loyal to Rurick would be expelled by Minerva.

Emperor Dion’s advisor Prince Darius also fled with his son Linos on the same boats when Minerva ordered Alexis arrested for disobeying an order. It appeared that Hadrian’s omens were about to come true. Emperor Dion was found strangled to the death the following morning when his valet entered his bed chamber to wake him. The

emperor’s assassination spread throughout the palace. Word spread to the outer reaches of the empire and into Lotan of the death of the Emperor and his wife assuming the Regent position. When Hadrian heard the message of the Emperor’s murder and the Empress ordered the beheading of the killer, many suspected the empress of having her lovers doing her dirty work. Hadrian overheard a Blythan elf

comment how it is rumored by the palace guards that Minerva’s lover killed the emperor and another lover of hers executed the betrayed one. Blythe mourned the loss of their Emperor with bonfires and prayers for the unfortunate heir trapped in the palace. Hadrian felt for Empress Nalia also entrapped in Minerva’s clutches.

The basis of some rumors came from a palace maidservant who thought she heard Dion’s voice arguing with someone that he was the emperor and ordered someone to leave. She claimed a low voice answered “Not anymore” and then a commotion ensued. She ran to retrieve a palace guard to rescue the emperor. The palace guards laughed at her and ignored her requests to check on the emperor.

When the maidservant saw the lack of horror from Minerva, she fled towards Isis to beg for sanctuary from Queen Boudicca. Her plea was granted and she became the maidservant to Grand Princess Persephone. Many tales of Empress Minerva and her lover controlling Blythe reached the Conquered Lands. More stories were confirmed

when Darius, Linos, Kaitlyn, Alexis, and Lilia showed up in Laurel. Prince Darius rode a horse to Tenochtilan to inform King Dylan and his nephew of the Blythe Empire’s prosperity coming to an end. King Dylan vowed sanctuary to the exiled Blythan royalty. Darius’s next meeting took place in Isis where Queen Boudicca enacted the end of tribute to Illium. From Darius, Hadrian received the impression that the monarchs were thinking of more than just reuniting Lotan. His suspicions were warranted when Persephone arrived at Aurora Falls with a letter from Boudicca.

Her Majesty appointed Hadrian to travel into Anaki to bring King Xerxes home because her cousin has died from fever. A newly reunited Lotan needs a king. The

infamous Lady of the Lake will only give the magical sword to Xerxes. Lexie is left in the care of Alexis and Lilia as Hadrian stepped onto a ship bound for Anaki. He met General Felix first and delivered his wife to him. Felix took in the travelers and sent a messenger to General Kia further inland. General Vim and Prince Xerxes are with her. General Felix embraced his wife and spent all night catching up. Hadrian presses General Kia hard about returning to avenge Dion’s murder.

“You must restore order in Blythe, Kia. You can no longer expect supplies arriving from Illium anymore. Minerva is squandering everything for herself and Rurick’s empire is falling apart. There are no longer conquered lands for you to inherit from your father Rychan. You must leave Anaki.” encourages Hadrian. General Kia reluctantly

agrees to action.

A grand rebellion on this scale to overthrow Empress Minerva will take some time. King Xerxes left for Lotan and addresses a reunited Lotan in Tenochtilan. A year later, King Dylan dies and is buried next to his nephew. Darius’s sons were given positions as officials in the new government. Darius remains in Atalissa tending to his land and peasant villages who farm it. Queen Boudicca’s horse mistress Pippi arrives in King Xerxes’s palace to announce the invasion of the Blythan army set on collecting overdue tribute payments by destroying every village they cross. Amazingly, Atalissa

withstands the invasion until King Xerxes arrives with a united Lotan army. Lilia remains popular as ever in Laurel and grew rich from omen payments. After Minerva’s magician tried to kidnap the goddess, Alexis brought his daughter to Aurora Falls to hide her under the waterfall to be her new home as he waited for Hadrian’s return.

Lilia from now on is known as The Prophetess of Nix. Alexis builds a footbridge over the river and inspects oracle seekers before conversing with The Prophetess. Eurick visits often and grows very fond of Lilia.

Though engaged to Elmo’s Circe, he shows Lilia all the wonders of the Olin Mountains and Alani’s palace. Alexis was wary of Eurick’s affections towards Lilia, but did not question the intentions of his best friend’s son. He discovers later how enamored Lilia was over Eurick. Grand Prince Rodric learned fast from Hadrian and made a journey into Kadacia to see his wife’s family. Grand Princess Persephone reported to her mother Queen Anamosa of the treachery and deception of Emperor Dion and Empress Nalia. They give the monarch a request from Queen Bouidcca of Lotan to attack from the Anasazi border and from the sea into Blythe to revenge their dishonor. Boudicca promised to invade from Lotan and burn the capital city to test Minerva’s power. She assures the monarch of support for Princess Kia’s ascension to the throne.