The Queen Reclines Upon Her Couch [Chain/Alma Torran]

Zuzu Mansur · 1 The Queen Reclines Upon Her Couch [Chain/Alma Torran] 30/09/20, 06:01 pm

Zuzu Mansur

A-Tier

Character Sheet
Magoi:

(390/390)
Stamina:

(390/390)

Job Details:

ZUZU MANSUR

The nestling Sun slept soundly within the sky's rosy-armed embrace whilst Zubaidah leafed through her many notes. It had been three evenings since she had continued reading that fascinating book, her days preoccupied with other pursuits and her nights spent with other occupations. But, finally, she was free to settle down in her carriage under the beautiful sunset and continue the tale she had left:

This is the tenth chapter of my recount, comprising my familiarity with the strange city and its deceased ruler, as well as my leaving of its walls.

The Emir Musa shed tears in his enchantment of the beauty contained within the palace’s verses. Afterwards, having given orders to me that I should write these verses, he went into the interior of the palace. There we beheld a great hall, and four large and lofty chambers, each one fronting another, wide, decorated with gold and silver and with various colours. In the midst of the hall was a great fountain of alabaster, over which was a canopy of brocade. And in those chambers were places containing decorated fountains, and tanks lined with marble. Channels of sparkling water flowed along the floors of those chambers, the four streams meeting together in a great tank lined with marbles of various colours.

We found in another chamber that there was a great armoury and, lo, it was filled with arms and weapons of war. The stylised coats of mail which they supplied their Berserker brethren and their massive maces, the bows of Kheiron’s kin and arm-bands made for Euryale’s tribe. I recognised these things as products of the Cyclopean forges, the magnificent achievements of which we all were familiar and common with.

Once we had marvelled at these wonders, we passed through the hall and into a woman’s bedroom (or should I say hall, since it was so large). In it was a pavilion of brocade, raised upon columns of red gold which were surrounded by chiselled birds, the feet of which were made from emeralds. Beneath each bird was a net of brilliant pearls, spread over a great fountain, and by the brink of the fountain was placed a couch. Watching over the couch were two statues, one of platinum and another black tungsten, their chests adorned with pearls and jewels and jacinthes.

Upon this couch lay a giantess resembling the shining sun. Eyes had not beheld one more beautiful. On her person was a garment of brilliant pearls, on her head was a crown of red gold, with a fillet of jewels, on her neck was a necklace of jewels in the middle of which were refulgent gems, and on her forehead were two jewels the light of which was like that of the sun. She seemed as though she were looking at the party, and observing them to the right and left.

When the Emir Musa beheld this damsel, he wondered extremely about her loveliness and marvelled at her beauty and the redness of her cheeks and the blackness of her hair. Any beholder would imagine that she was alive for this beauty, and not utterly dead. But below her beauteous body, resting against her couch, was a stone tablet that was engraved thus,

"O thou, if thou know me not, I will acquaint thee with my name and my descent. I am Pyracmone, the daughter of Arges, who ruled this city with equity. I possessed what none of my predecessors possessed, for I ruled with justice and acted impartially towards my subjects. I gave and bestowed, and I lived a long time in the enjoyment of happiness and an easy life. I had hundreds of female and male slaves at the beginning of my rule, at its end I had just as many freedmen and women. Thus I did until the summoner of death came to my abode, and disasters occurred before me. And the case was this:"

"Some months ago, I was visited with messengers demanding that I allow the sons of Jehoahaz manage my treasury. I paid them no heed, having better men who measured my estate, and turned them away. They did not go without their words, claiming that disaster would befall our city and those we loved. And truly disaster did. Seven months in succession came upon us, during which no water came from Ilah’s abode, nor did any grass grow for us on the face of the earth. So we ate what food we had in our dwellings, and after that we fell upon the beasts and ate them, and there remained nothing. My people became weary, their limbs heavy and their minds heavier. Upon this, therefore, I caused the wealth to be brought, meting it with a measure. I gave it to trusty men, who journeyed for other cities to seek for some food or a remedy to our ailment. But they did not return. We instead received a message from them:"

"We have brought death in our steps, and doomed many towns. Death followed us from your towers, and we cannot endanger more in our recklessness. We have made our tomb. You should make yours."

"In our desperation for help, we had not realised that the ailments we thought bad were but part of something worse. We resolved to lock away ourselves in our city, a tomb as we had been told to make. We each took our places, the merchant in his market and the soldier in his barracks, and submitted our weary bodies to the decree of Ilah, leaving what we had built and what we had treasured. I alone stayed awake, long enough that I might write this history. But soon shall I too fall asleep, into the final slumber of death. This is the end of my history and, after the substance, there remaineth not aught save the vestige."

mag/mag | word/3053 | stam/stam

❅

Tales of Torran:

Last edited by Zuzu Mansur on 23/11/20, 09:32 am; edited 2 times in total

Zuzu Mansur · 2 Re: The Queen Reclines Upon Her Couch [Chain/Alma Torran] 06/11/20, 10:22 am

Zuzu Mansur

A-Tier

Character Sheet
Magoi:

(390/390)
Stamina:

(390/390)

ZUZU MANSUR

The Emir Musa, when he heard these words, wept for the city and its fair queen. After he had recovered, he bade me write all that we saw, admonished by what he witnessed and suspicious about mentioning the sons of Jehoahaz, who he knew to be the Orthodoxy. He then said to his companions that his men should bring sacks, and fill them with part of the riches and vessels and rarities and jewels. And thereupon, Talib, son of Fahl, said to the Emir Musa,

"O Emir, shall we leave this sharif with the things that are upon her, for they are things that have no equal, nor is the like of them at any time found, and they are more than the riches thou hast laid eyes upon in the houses of the Faithful."

But the Emir chastised him for his quickness, and demonstrated a smaller stone tablet knocked upon the floor. And he set it upright besides the other tablet, whereupon we beheld upon its surface marked wards,

"Whoso arriveth at our city, and entereth it, Ilah facilitating his entrance into it, let him take of our wealth all that he can, but not touch anything that is on my body. For this is the covering of my person, and the attire with which I am fitted forth from the world. Therefore let him fear Ilah, and not seize aught of it, for he would destroy himself. I have caused this to be an admonition from me unto him, and a charge which I give him in confidence. And peace be on you! I beg Ilah, moreover, to save you from the evil of trials and sickness."

And Talib, son of Fahl, understanding the Emir Musa’s kindness, dared not contradict his words. But another man, a commander of the army, drew near to the steps, thinking he might not be seen. And he ascended them until he reached the spot between the two statues (the ones mentioned before, and quite handsome I must say). Then, lo, one of these two smote him upon his back, and the other smote him with the sword that was in his hand, striking off his head, and he fell down dead. And the Emir Musa shed not a tear, saying,

"May Ilah not regard with mercy thy resting-place! There was, in these riches, a sufficiency, and covetousness doubtlessly dishonours the person who wished more."

He thereupon gave orders for the entry of the troops, who accordingly entered, and they loaded the camels with part of those riches and minerals - what was to be presented as the last vestiges of this city. And, afterwards, the Emir Musa commanded them to close the gate as it was before. We journeyed back until we came to the borders of Erum, and greeted a messenger of the Saltan Gusion. Thereupon the Emir Musa acquainted him with all that we had seen, and all that had occurred to him with respect to the verses and histories and admonitions, and made sure word reached the Saltan that the Orthodoxy were moving.

There was a slight shift in the cold air when Zubaidah read that word, like something sinister was moving. Then, a new sentence forced itself upon the page afterwards, the words echoing in her head as if someone was speaking directly into her mind:

You shall learn its meaning soon...

mag/mag | word/3053 | stam/stam

❅

Zubaidah's Notes: