Page 19 of The Night Prince

Rohannan shifted the toothpick from one corner of his mouth to the other.With a rather engaging smile he said, “It might.My brotherisan idiot. Anyone who claimed otherwise would be a liar that I wouldn’t listen to.”

Rhalyf’s eyes slid to Aquilan.His best friend’s expression was smooth, but Rhalyf knew that Aquilan had a touch of respect for this plain-speaking Separatist.He knew he did.

“Just because my father will not do as you wish does not make him an idiot!”Elasha hissed.“Especially when it is to preserveruinsinstead of making a new world–”

“Your world.The new world isyourworld,” Rohannan cut in, his voice surprisingly thick with emotion.The two young men behind him shifted uncomfortably, but Rohannan held up a hand to keep them from reacting further.“Your people, King Aquilan, talk about wanting to preserve our society and our history while you destroy even thememoryof it.”

“But you do not live in those cities,” Aquilan pointed out.“You have made your own… compound, yes?”

Rohannan chewed the toothpick.“Your point?”

“That you recognize these cities are no longer appropriate for you to inhabit,” Aquilan said.

“That’s because they’re crawling withplants,” the young man to Rohannan’s right growled.“Damn things grow back faster after you burn them!”

Rohannan left up a hand to quiet the young man then he said, “Your magic is making them uninhabitable for us, King Aquilan.”

But Aquilan shook his head.“That is not true.There are far more problems than simply the foliage that keeps you from living there.For one, there are no longer enough of you to fill a quarter of the nearest city.You have no power sources that can sustain it.It is not set up for our magical ones either even if you would accept them.And, most critically, the rifts open more frequently in former large human population centers than anywhere else.It would not be safe for you to be there.”

“That’s your judgment.Not ours,” Rohannan shook his head.

“These cities cannot be used for their original purpose.Nor can they be sustained as museums.It is, in fact,dangerousto continue to allow them to lie fallow,” Aquilan stated calmly.“When we reclaim the land we–”

“Put more of your great, bloody white buildings on it?Drown it all with flowers?”Rohannan chewed angrily.

Rhalyf wondered what the Sun Elves would have done to Kindreth cities.He was sure that they would find them just as objectionable as the human ones.They’d likely strip them down for parts, too.

But something precious would be lost.There is value in history,Rhalyf thought, not that he was terribly sentimental.But he had always been a fan of history.That was where many powerful magics were found.

Rohannan pointed at the ruined city as he explained, “That is proof that humans created great cities!Great civilizations with incredible technology!We sculpted the land, we reaped the vast wealth of it, and turned it to our purpose.Our kids and our grandkids’ won’t know that from descriptions in a damned book.A few illustrations by your damned Aravae Scribes who don’t even know what they’re sketching won’t capture who we once were.Who we could beagain! All they’ll know isyourways andyourgreatness and how we can’t even protect ourselves withoutyourfucking noblesse oblige!”

The two men with Rohannan nodded their heads and said, “Yeah.Damned straight.Trying to erase us.Not right.You shouldn’t get to decide.”

Rhalyf pursed his lips.These were interesting arguments to be sure.But then there was the cold hard truth.Humanity could not protect itself.And the Aravae had no interest in keeping this world a museum for a few mortal youngsters to gawk at.He was sure that many believed that humans would be better off not remembering the way things had been anyway.He wasn’t certain though if Aquilan was one of them.

But Aquilan did promise these lands to the big Houses,Rhalyf thought with a twist of his lips.They won’t let the cities remain.They might not let the Separatists either.That will be an interesting moment for all to experience when those two forces collide.

His eyes slid to his best friend.Aquilan’s gaze was steadily upon Rohannan.He did not appear angry or defensive like Elasha clearly was.Aquilan was intently listening.It was a skill that few leaders had in Rhalyf’s estimation.Normally, leaders thought what they had tosaywas the only important thing and others should listen.But Aquilan was nothing like that.

“Most of it’s already gone.That city sprawled for fucking miles.”Rohannan spread his arms as if to explain its size.“Now, it’s just a small section of the downtown left.A couple of the skyscrapers.You don’t even get a sense of the scale of what it was.But your brother won’t even let us keep that much!”

Aquilan let Rohannan’s anguished words sit between them for a moment.Again, Rhalyf knew there was truth in what this man said.But that didn’t mean the city shouldn’t be razed.Having such a ruin so near Tyrael with all those rifts opening letting who knew what out of the Under Dark would be a mistake.Aquilan likely understood why Vesslan had been so resistant to keeping even a vestige of this place.

“You want to hang onto the past,” Rhalyf said, not mockingly, but in empathy.He gave a sad, withered smile. He normally did not speak like this, but he found himself moved to do so.The Kindreth knew what it was like to lose everything and have to begin again.Maybe what they had learned could help these Separatists understand. He felt Aquilan’s eyes upon him as he said, “You believe that you cannot achieve greatness again if you forget the greatness that came before. But it’s not true. There isfuturegreatness.But you can’t get there from here by looking back.”

He felt the warmth of Aquilan’s regard for his words.Yes, his king liked him showing empathy to this weathered, worn man.But he doubted what he’d said had reached Rohannan.There was too much fresh hurt and deep anger in the Separatist’s heart.

“You want to infantilize us! You want us to feel we’re nothing!”Rohannan spat with more “yeahs” from his crew.“If we forget ourselves, we have only how you see us to define us!”

“We do not wish that upon you or feel that way about you,” Aquilan dissented and held up a hand when Rohannan was about to dispute that.“But you clearly believe otherwise.”

“Because itisotherwise!”Rohannan glared at him.Rhalyf could feel that glare through those dark glasses.“I’m just here to tell you that if you so much astouchthat city, there will be hell to pay.”

“Are youthreateningthe king?”Rhalyf’s voice was edged even as his smile grew.

But just as Rohannan was about to answer him, the four horsemen arrived.The leader of this group was a regal-looking man with ebony-colored skin and a bald head.He wore a long, brown, suede coat, cut up the back so that it laid neatly on either side of his saddle.The flared collar framed his angular face that was set into an expression of grimness.

In Katyr, Elasha explained, “That is General Michael Baston.The one I was telling you about earlier, Uncle.”

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