Few of Seranthia's residents had turned out to welcome their new allies to their city. Melovar had even seen some of his priests and templars make the sign of protection when they'd seen the white eyes of the draugar. No matter. They would be thankful enough when the lands from the Great Western Ocean to the Tingaran Sea were pacified, and there was peace throughout the realm. Never fear, Melovar wanted to tell them, he would cleanse the world of lore while using lore to do so.
The previous day, the Primate had held a Chorum, the first since the war started. He had changed the format somewhat, and unlike before, he controlled events and decided who would speak. It had been a strange affair, and one that had left him dispirited. High Lord Dimitri Corizon of Vezna was proving difficult to handle — the elixir was taking its toll — and High Lord Koraku Rolan of Torakon could barely hold himself together. Melovar's main concern was that Dain Barden would discover something about the elixir; however the ruler of the Akari made a surprisingly warm speech of thanks at his welcome back to the Empire. Altura and Halaran were conspicuously absent, and Melovar knew he needed to subdue them quickly or lose credibility for his new order. All in good time; the Akari were here now. Zavros had returned from the north; soon the Primate would have his own supplies of essence, and a renewed source of elixir.
When the time came, Dain Barden would fall under the Primate's power just as had Tessolar of Altura, Raoul Maul of Loua Louna, Koraku of Torakon, Dimitri of Vezna, and Xenovere of Tingara. In the end, none of them could resist the elixir.
The parade was over, and Melovar withdrew from the balcony. The Imperial Palace, huge as it was, was too small, he found, and not high enough for his liking. He missed Stonewater, but sometimes this was where he needed to be.
Melovar walked over to where Zavros was seated on a plush velvet chair, thoroughly engrossed by the book of the Evermen in his hands. "I can almost see what it is," Zavros said. "Such a strange shape. It looks like the chamber is inside something, like a mountain."
"I would say it was inside Stonewater, if I didn't know for myself that it isn't there," Melovar said.
"The Akari expect you to tell them where it is, Your Grace," Zavros said, placing the book to the side. "You've promised them a great deal of essence and the most powerful relic the Evermen ever created. Dain Barden Mensk isn't a man to take promises lightly."
"Which is why you've been learning their secrets, Zavros," Melovar said. "We just need to develop our own source of essence before the Akari find out how we've seized power. We must also be the first to find the relic and use its power for ourselves. So tell me, what have you learned?"
Zavros nodded. "I can do it, Primate. I can build the vats. I know how to extract essence from the dead."
"Excellent," Melovar smiled.
"But, Primate, the amount of life energy in a human is still not that great. For what you're asking for the war effort you will need mountains of the dead. The Akari themselves cannot field the draugar in battle for long, not with the amount of essence they possess, and not in this climate, which is warm by their standards. Where do you expect to find so many of the dead?"
Melovar's smile broadened. "Why, where else do the dead come from? From the living. Zavros, I've already begun. The prison camp in Halaran was the first, but we can set up more, here in Tingara."
"Prisoners? Primate, they aren't dead," Zavros said flatly.
"Easily remedied. Oh, surely you aren't having a crisis of conscience now, Zavros? The things I've seen you do. And think, you will have free run of the camps. You can perform any experiments you want on them. Think of all you will learn."
"There is one experiment." Zavros looked up. "You wouldn't let me do it before."
"That? Zavros, you can have an entire camp to yourself, where you can do whatever you want. I will give you books, apparatus, assistants, anything gilden can buy. You can build your quarters and laboratory right next to the camp."
"The apparatus do not come cheap."
"Anything, Zavros, provided the essence takes precedence. Go and build the vats. Moragon knows nothing takes greater precedence — you can look to him for whatever you need. Bring me essence and bring me elixir. We are in a race against the Akari. Dain Barden cannot see any weakness."
Zavros stood and bowed. "It will be done."
21
AMBER lived in constant fear for her life, and that of her unborn child. Life in the prison camp in Halaran was hard, but since Moragon had taken over the running of the camp it had grown worse. Much worse.
She'd almost died, after her failed escape attempt. The guards had beaten her remorselessly, the hilts of their swords knocking her to the ground and their heavy boots kicking again and again at her head and back as she curled up and waited for the end.