C10(3) "The..."

"The Hatred Tribunal"
(WC 2185)

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Months passed and Chulon fell into a routine. He rarely thought about his duty to the southern kingdoms any more, so deeply had he repressed his true identity. Outwardly, he acted every bit like a true believer in the Nhymiggai cause. It was a fine line he walked, twisting his disgust and hatred for the Nhimyggai into an apparent hatred toward the southern kingdoms.
Dremmech had relentlessly examined the minds of all his followers, keeping a sharp eye on them at all times. It was obvious he trusted nobody. As the time passed, his army grew, filling out with more and more eager recruits. Some were from other clans, but Chulon noted that Lom did not question or prevent their addition to the ranks of the Nhimyggai. Those who possessed knowledge of magic were more highly valued than the rest, and were promoted accordingly. Chulon exhibited no magical ability to his superiors, not wanting to rise in the ranks or appear as anything other than mundane now. Dremmech was descriptive enough of the Nhimyggai plans to eventually bring him all the information he would need. The only movement within the ranks Chulon did attempt was to ingratiate himself to Dremmech in the hope of attaining information more quickly.
He had come to fear and respect the power of the Nhimyggai as time passed. Though their magical abilities were questionable and obviously no match for the power of Dour Gujhest, he started to recognize a different power within their ranks. It was a festering sort of persuasion that seeped outward from their very presence. They were hidden and insidious, an aspect which might just grant them enough of an edge to seriously damage the order of the southern kingdoms. Little by little, Chulon was becoming a believer, but not for the sake of hope – for the sake of despair.
He began to wonder if simply bringing warning to the Ortakij would be enough. It would be difficult enough to secure their belief about a hidden source of power like the Nhimyggai. Chulon also recognized an arrogance in himself which would hinder any real preparation against the threat of the Nhimyggai. Once he revealed the Nhimyggai, there would still remain an overconfidence in the southern kingdoms – an unwillingness to believe there could be any power they may need to fear. The Ortakij had been burned by such arrogance before, the loss of Celeukra was a testament to this. Perhaps it was the Nhimyggai who has orchestrated that assault as well. But history would be no teacher here, the Ortakij believed themselves to have prevailed against the might of the northern tribes. They were vigilant, but unshaken.
The Nhimyggai respected the southern kingdoms, if nothing else. They understood the power of their enemy and it inspired them to leverage every ounce of cunning and strategy they possessed. Chulon thought it best to wait for an opportunity to not simply reveal the Nhimyggai and their plans, but to expose them in a moment of true power so the southern kingdoms would be able to see and understand the truth of their enemy.
Revealing Nhimyggai power would be a difficult task. As much as Chulon had come to respect the mysterious group during his involvement, there were very few examples of their ability he could directly point to. Theirs was mostly a campaign of propaganda and endless meetings. Over and over again, the recruits were hounded by Dremmech with generic messages of impending triumph. With every meeting Chulon felt a little more despair creep in. Every time they gathered to speak together about the inevitable triumph of the Nhimyggai, Chulon believed it a little more. He felt the weight of their philosophy enveloping his mind. It was suffocating, filled with a power and presence he had not experienced before. He searched out their words for the taint of magic, thinking they were casting some sort of spell on their audience, but he could find no hint of it. They were leveraging a power he had not experienced before, yet Chulon could not spare the honesty to contemplate it. Revealing his inmost thoughts would be too dangerous. So he took it all in instead, slowly sinking into despair as he came closer to Dremmech.
This routine was interrupted, though, when Dremmech announced a special induction to a secret meeting of the higher powers within the ranks of the Nhimyggai. There was another tier as Chulon had suspected and he was interested to discover who the players would be at this level. As part of their training and preparation for the war ahead, they were to learn new details about the grand plan of the Nhimyggai. Ponyeth assured them war was close at hand.
This new meeting was an enormous gathering, led by Tiernanuu himself. Though Chulon was extremely interested in discovering all he could about this new player, he could also feel a tinge of danger the minute he joined the assembly, as though the power of Tiernanuu's presence were a heat which singed him as he approached. He sensed this new player was far more potent a threat than the creeping presence of Dremmech. They would all be allowed to speak with Tiernanuu, Ponyeth assured him, it was the final step in their training and preparation.
“The Southern Kingdoms have made an error,” Tiernanuu began the meeting with a jubilant tone, “and our time of victory is at hand.”
Everyone fell silent in anticipation, wondering what mistake the great enemy might have made.
“For centuries, the three lands of Akij have been held together by the strength of their greatest bond. They respect each other. They hold each other up. They provide support and aid in times of trial. When the tribes of the north came together against the Ortakij with the biggest display of power this island has ever witnessed, the potency of their attack was dulled by this very bond. We took back Celeukra, we pushed their border south, yet the Ortakij were bolstered anew when the Jaltikij donated supplies and lands to the Ortakij. They were refreshed when the Sinzakij sent their own armies to the new border to support their patrols and build a new bulwark. We spent our collective resources, drained ourselves in the effort, and they were rejuvenated almost immediately. They recovered before we could lick our wounds and forced us to resort to trickery to stave off their recourse.
“The Hatred Tribunal, they called it, when we came together at last because we were united by our hatred for their kingdoms. They laugh at us now, emboldened by their eventual victory. They forget the sting of our fury. They mock our hatred as though it were a weak bond, unable to stand against the might of their mutual respect and admiration. We have learned to respect the power of their bond. We do not respect it because it is superior; we do not respect it because it is unbreakable; we do not respect it because we desire it. We respect it because we understand it and we understand our need to defeat it before we can at last be rid of their tyranny. This island belongs to us! It is ours not theirs! It is our birthright!”
The assembly leaped to its feet in thunderous approval, shouting their agreement in a cacophony of noise which inspired a smile from Tiernanuu.
“For years we have sown dissent amongst them, capitalizing on their differences. The Jaltikij hate the mages, the Sinzakij hate the priests, the Ortakij... the Ortakij are the key.” Tiernanuu paused thoughtfully. “The Ortakij believe in an ancient prophecy. They believe their king is the true king of the island and their lust for this prophecy's fulfillment makes them the most vulnerable. For centuries they have stood proudly against the armies of the northlands, fighting zealously for the hope of crushing our clans. Their dream is to unite the northlands so they can unite the southlands. They see this island as one kingdom – their kingdom, ruled by their king. The Jaltikij and Sinzakij rely on the might of the Ortakij armies to protect them from our attacks. They hide behind their brother kingdom, enjoying a life as free of war and strife as if we did not even exist. They have grown weak and soft, and the Ortakij know it. The Ortakij rely on the weakness of their neighbors, they trust in it. They know their kingdom is the only one with enough power to subjugate the entire island. They know once they conquer Vechtazul it will be a trifling matter to overcome the borders that separate their three lands. The Ortakij are filled with vision. But it is this very vision which will be their downfall!”
More cheering followed. Chulon joined in with every ounce of exuberance he could muster. Somewhere deep in his heart, though he knew no Ortakij soldier would ever admit it, there was a desire present to see the whole of the island united. Tiernanuu, though twisted in his vision, was not far from the truth with his words.
“Our spies have learned of a secret pact between the Jaltikij and Sinzakij, an agreement between their kings. The Ortakij have no knowledge of what is coming, but we will be prepared. We will use this pact to our advantage, opening the door to victory. Even now the leaders of the clans are gathering together to plan strategies. A sort of... new hatred tribunal. Dihloch has created a master plan which will tear the southern kingdoms apart. Their bond of strength will at last be broken and then, when the time is right, we will strike! We will pierce a hole through their hearts so deeply the names of the Akij will become a curse to our sons and grandsons.”
Chulon shuddered at the mention of Dihloch. He knew that name. Somewhere in the recesses of his memory recognition was sparked. He could not place his finger on it, though. Where had he heard that name before? It was not good, he remembered that much.
The meeting had ended and Tiernanuu was working his way through the crowds of recruits, touching their hands, looking into their eyes. Chulon was consumed with trying to pinpoint where he had heard Dihloch's name before. He pushed those thoughts down, trying to regain his composure as Tiernanuu approached. He needed to regain control, he had to find his starting point. He had to settle his mind. He could feel waves of deception coursing through him, and he shuddered at how suddenly and obviously he was out of place in this assembly. He needed to calm himself to subdue this distraction, but he knew the quiet he needed to regain his composure would give him away as surely as the doubts and fears overtaking him now. Tiernanuu still approached, looking into the eyes of the men around him. Chulon could not shirk or step away from this moment. He must stand his ground or lose his place in the Nhimyggai and perhaps his life as well.
He could feel Tiernanuu working his way through him, feel the presence of his inquiry before the man ever turned to look in his eyes. The situation was desperate now as the Nhimyggai's hold began to close around him, searching out his mind. Chulon was sinking fast. He had lost track of his focus, his training in the physical stream of power was failing him in this moment. He grasped reluctantly at the last option before him, forced to open floodgates kept diligently sealed since he walked away from Dour Gujhest so many years before. As Tiernanuu turned his gaze toward Chulon and grasped hold of his hand, Chulon dove mindfirst again into the stream of magical power, calling upon his training in the magic of presence to subdue and mask his innermost thoughts. His eyes met Tiernanuu's with confidence at last in that final moment. He was a Nhimyggai, nothing else. There was nothing concerning about Chulon's presence in this Nhimyggai assembly.
Chulon was amazed at how quickly his magical power came back to him. Like an old hand, he deftly wove magical deception all around himself, hiding away any hint of truth from Tiernanuu's insightful gaze. He could feel the power of the Nhimyggai seeking him out, but it was no match for the strength of his magical ability. He easily deflected and absorbed all inquiries, sliding through the moment with ease.
Tiernanuu paused, nevertheless, looking again at Chulon with interest. The magic so suddenly called upon was noticeable to the Nhimyggai. He could not pinpoint what Chulon was doing, but he knew with certainty that this man possessed strong magics. It aroused Tiernanuu's interest and he noted that he should speak with Dremmech later about Chulon, to find out what uses had been found for him.
As Tiernanuu moved away, Chulon let go of his enchantment, feeling the draining effect of magic, magnified by his lack of practice. He shuddered again, knowing this brief relapse into magic would cost him dearly in the days ahead.