Jin and Gerlath, Luca Guez [reading strategies book txt] 📗

the greater the power, the more painful the price. As your body changes, so does your mind. Not a single part of it shall remain the same taking away a part of your humanity. And if you happen to be not strong enough to stand the power of the Sun, it will overwhelm you leaving nothing but golden sand. I strongly advise, do not put your head on the block! Ascension is not a necessity and you know that too good. You were never destined for the throne but you climbed there with your own power from the inside.

Gerlath

Do not listen to him, my lord. The ceremony is as safe as houses and I guarantee it to you with my own life. I have studied all the books in the Great Library and such extreme cases that Nasus described happen only to those too weak to bear so much power. And you? You are the leader of your people. They have put all their trust and hopes in you. Will you let them down? Will you let your people suffer, when you have the power to change it all?

A'ir

Nasus, I have had trust in you ever since I become an emperor. Never did I leap in the dark without you standing right next to me ready to light my way. In all my decisions I put your opinion above all the other advisors’ and never did I regret my choice. Therefore I stand between two uncomparable choices. Should I listen to my never-mistaken advisor whom I would entrust my own life or should I end the lament of ever-tired nation which fights every day for a drop of water for their families.

NASUS

You should not put all your eggs in one basket, o my dear lord. Even if you are able to bear the name of the Ascended, ceremony is a hidden danger in itself that many overlook. The power of the Sun is always given for one man. No man can steal this power as an unspeakable energy would be unleashed and terrible events would be to come.

Gerlath

Too many human lives are at stake! Maybe Nasus the Wise, the Curator of the Great Library, does not have time to spend on the needs of Shurimans. But I do. Their condition is getting worse every day and it will not improve unless radical actions are taken.

On the side

Do not play safe. Live dangerously! Think about the power that you will bear in your hands! No other nation will stand against us. All our opponents will be crushed. The Shuriman Empire will grow as never before making you remembered as the greatest emperor in the history. Isn’t that what you wanted? To show that you can achieve greatness despite the lack of faith in you even from your father?

A'ir

I have decided. The Ascension ritual is to begin the next dawn. Gerlath is right. The people need me and I will not let them down.

STASIMON ICHORUS

O how poor is our emperor

To be damned for eternity

Over him even his father

Tried to renounce his paternity

With hard work he gained more power

Than anyone ever wished him

Now tis his pinnacle hour

CHORUS

 

EPEISODION II

Enter A'ir and Gerlath

Gerlath

Why is it that you call me here so shortly before the ceremony, my master?

A'ir

You need not call me master any longer, dear Gerlath.

Gerlath

Is it...

A'ir

Tis right, I’m setting you free.

Gerlath

O my lord, what an honor it is for a humble slave. I will praise your name for the whole eternity. But tell me, which of my actions made me deserve to be liberated?

A'ir

I presume your speech is only a formality. You know best that this whole time I have seen a true brother that I have never had in you, not a servant, let alone a slave.

Gerlath

I’m delighted to hear these words. But will this be well received within your people? The society of Shurima is relying upon the slavery, and the emperor liberating his slave might lead the people to rito.

A'ir

My people know of our relation and understand it perfectly.

Gerlath

Our relation might be different than many people perceive it to be.

A'ir

The decision will be accepted.

Gerlath

You are skating on thin ice, my lord. You can never predict the reaction of the masses.

A'ir

The die is cast and you are no one to dispute over it. Are you not pleased with your new social status?

Gerlath

I am, my lord. Highly...

A'ir

Then why do you advise me against it?

Gerlath

Tis out of concern for your status, my lord.

A'ir

Let my status be of no concern to you. The emperor of the Great Shuriman Empire never has problems with having his people respect him.

Gerlath

Thy will be done.

Gerlath kneels

A'ir

So be it. From this point in history you shall be known not as my slave, but as my partner, faithful adviser and an eternal brother. Your deeds have made you more than worthy of this title. It was you who saved me in our early days, and from then on you did nothing but confirm that slavery is no place for you.

Gerlath stands up, bowing to A'ir

With the power that I am going to achieve through today’s ascension, I will liberate not only you, but also all of the slaves in our nation. Shurima shall be led by a great ruler that never relies on mistreated workers to fulfill his tasks. And I… shall be known as the greatest emperor in the history of this land, the one that brought freedom and prosperity.

Gerlath

Tis extremely noble of you to make such great use of your powers. O, Shurima is truly blessed with a great leader that knows the will of his subjects.

Exit A'ir

Gerlath

O, mighty sun that shines above us, giving us life and peace, hope and mainstay, power and authority. Why are you making me suffer this pain? The very one that I was planning to betray alleviated my pain and made me his brother. Now, with a lifelong debt to him, I have no option but to revoke the conspiracy that I was planning. I would never betray a brother. In these few seconds A'ir has given me more than anyone will ever give me. If I stay by his side, I will have access to his power and I will flourish like never before. I would become the person with second highest influence in the empire. But what is second highest compared to the highest? My whole life I have been striving to achieve reign over Shurima and with one simple act A'ir transforms all of my plans into relicts of the past, not even worthy to be mentioned, let alone executed. It doesn’t matter that A'ir made me nearly as powerful as him, if my goal was to overcome him and emerge as a being greater than he has ever been. As long as my ambition has not been fulfilled, I have to persevere and work towards fulfilling it. I cannot forsake my faithful followers. Since they joined the cult, they have been living with the hope of their leader overthrowing the emperor and giving them the privileges they deserve. I have established every last detail of the plan long ago, so I have no power to change it now. I have a close bond with my cult and I cannot afford to break it, for betrayal is the worst kind of crime.

STASIMON IICHORUS

The Shuriman Sun is golden

Intangible in its greatness

Tis how great the hole has grown in

A heart earlier filled with hatred

He enslaved and with no glory

Now the finest from the palace

Will he make the Stairs turn gory?

CHORUS

Now the ceremony’s nearing

And the time has come for treason

But one cannot kill his brother

And justify it with reason.

Staying faithful to his cultists

And giving them a new order

 Would be for them doing justice

EPEISODION IIIA'ir

The ceremony of Ascension is to begin. Where is Nasus? My consultant would be more than welcome in such an important moment for Shurima.

Gerlath

Nasus had to intervene on the edges of the empire. 

CHORAGOS

Praise A'ir, our beloved emperor as it is him who ascends so that we may prosper.

A'ir

O Sun, you who light our days and see everything we do, did and will do from above. You who watch for those who wield power and guide those in need. Today I, A'ir, the Emperor of Shurima, ask you for this power for I shall become Ascended to lead Shurimans to the brighter days where no man will suffer poverty but every one will witness the wealth spreading across the nation. Therefore I ask you one more time for your power not as an emperor but as a Shuriman.

A'ir ascends the stairs

CHORAGOS

The time has come. The Ascension ceremony has begun.

A brief pause

Who else is there? Is it Gerlath? The eternal brother of the emperor, the slave who was acknowledged as nearly equal to the throne? He uses his arcane magic to stop A'ir’s ascension! Gerlath is now the one standing in the light of the Sun when A'ir has fallen down the temple. But what is happening? The power obtained by Gerlath was not meant for him. The Sun is overwhelming Gerlath. His body is getting filled with pure energy tearing apart his skin and muscles. A huge burst of blue flame is released turning whole proximity into ashes and dust leaving Gerlath teared from all his human flesh.

Gerlath descends the stairs

Gerlath

Never did I feel so much power… No one can now stand against me! Kneel you all! Your Shuriman emperor has died by my own hand. He who foolishly believed that one noble act can revert all the humiliation I have experienced for all these years. The very same A'ir who sought the power and used his nation as justification for his thirst. Now Gerlath, the only true Emperor of Shurima, shall rule this land! The Sun has blessed me with its power making me invincible. I shall fly on the seat of my pants and rule the nation my way. For who is there to stop me?

EXODOSCHORUS

O A'ir, our great protector

Thy feats for our land are countless

Enemies always feared our land

When thou wast walking around us 

Treason incomprehensible

Today has fallen upon you

Now thou art indefensible 

CHORAGOS

From sacred steps to quietus

Thou hast fallen in an instant

We shall meet again one more time

In a land that’s very distant

There will be no slaves and monarchs

In the place to which you’re going

Just like the visions of Karl Marx

CHORUS

Now the power over people

Walking the sands of Shurima

Has the now-ascended Gerlath,

A political hyena

Now our empire’s a wasteland

Everywhere it’s filled with deserts

And slaves at Gerlath’s command

CHORAGOS

The emperor sails close to the wind

For his people may betray him

Thus repeating the same story

From A'ir they might repay him

O be careful our dear master

For if you take no precautions

You shall face frightful disaster

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Publication Date: 06-07-2020

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