The Empires (Erafeen, #6)

by David F. Farris

And she was a Strasan.

Okay, so the ranks go Branian, Pogu, Strasan, Empress. I thought I also saw this word before.

“We’ll test that theory when I speak with Naipa, Magnifica, or Rhysel.” He shook his head, disgust in his face. “Yes, run to the Strasan. As if spending your life in pursuit means you’re going to catch up. Again, you’re just a Pogu.”

The three Strasan, I guess. And Magnifica is from Gatal Accus, first of five. I do not know how I remembered this.

Above the Pogu are the three Strasan. Of the four tiers, they are the second most powerful. If the Branian are guardians and the Pogu executioners, consider the Strasan as specialists. They have specific skillsets that fit specific needs. And they are not to be crossed if you value your life.”

This is so interesting to learn about.

“Only one person occupies the highest tier, and that is Empress Tonitrua. She is absolute. She is law. Any questions so far?”

What happened to give her the power she has, and what went wrong with Mialo?

Kuki Sphaira has five true gods, but we’ll place our focus only on two in this meeting because they are what matter most to the empires: Tahar and Mulawith, neither of which holds gender.”

Gale Thrasher (for sure), earth shaker? Tide drifter(somewhat know)

That means each Gate Tower holds an important element of Tahar’s being.

Gates of energy… the law of energy gates.

Thornstorm’s lips pursed. “And why do you think we’re at war? Because we don’t want to find out. With each death of a powerful mortal in the kingdoms—especially a royal firstborn or Royal Head—Tahar or Mulawith weaken depending on the energy of the person snuffed. When the Prim Prince was assassinated years ago, the Dark Empire felt that loss. Mulawith’s Morality Cavity vanished, the balance between the two realms thrown askew. Just recently, every royal of the Power Kingdom was annihilated, marking the disappearance of the Courage Cavity… and Emperor Mialo has grown desperate because of it.”

So everything was so much more important than we could have imagined.

“Gatal Accus,” the man said. “Sephrina Jordan,” the woman followed. And for the first time since arriving in the Light Empire, Bryson recognized a historical name. He was sitting within a few paces of fairy tale legends: the First and Second of Five.

And one of the characters in Accus's is a (forgotten word)

“I slapped a woman.” The statement ripped their eyes away from the sculptor and onto her. “Excuse me?” said Apoleia with the unusual expression of genuine shock on her face. “She hit a young boy for nothing and then tried to argue her case—rather boldly might I add—in front of the refugees who had seen it. She refused to respect my attempt at talking her down, which made me angry and ashamed of our kingdom, so I hit her in the face.” Titus smirked and then chuckled. Before a few seconds passed, he broke into laughter. Apoleia grinned. “They made you … angry?”

Then the ice melted, as her side of passion overtook the stillian. I think.

As long as your documents bare his seal, then you should be fine.”

300,000 wordsis a lot to edit.

Most bad people had good qualities.

Pretty much anyone but Mendac. The only things he did that were good were results of him doding something bad.

All eyes followed the pair as Sunshine stepped outside his shop and flung the burly man into the tar-paved street. As pedestrians gave the limp man a wide berth, York stepped outside and handed his boss a towel. Creep wiped the blood from his knuckles and finally remembered the name Ophala had called this stupid, yet fiery, young man. Thank you, Sal.

So Sal is helping him gain a following of sorts.

Solace didn’t reveal much in his face, but his body showed signs of ticking gears. He placed his hands on his flat stomach, thin fabric of his button-up crinkled at the waist band of his pants. He tapped his fingers, eyes locked on Soraku. “I recall a rather young woman who decided it wise she share our secrets with a man she’d claimed was the love of her life … only to wake up one day and find that man had left the village.”

CREEEEEEEEP

Kadlest said nothing, eyes landing on Mendac as if hoping for his defense. He didn’t give one. Rhyparia shook her hand as shocks continued pulsing through her nerves, returning her attention to him. She was curious of his relationship with Kadlest. The woman seemed tied to him like a dog on a leash, yet he seemed the kind of man who wouldn’t bother taking the dog out to enjoy a walk in the first place. There was a disconnect, and Kadlest’s loyalty to him was pathetic in Rhyparia’s eyes. As far as she could tell, he had never abused the woman, but there was something about him that commanded Kadlest’s will.

Kadlest does seem like that, but it's all in her plan.

That continued to befuddle her: the mixing of genetics from separate realms creating any kind of combination involving the cavities of the two parents. That meant Olivia could have ended up with any pair of Intel, Dev, Still, or Passion Energy, given they were opposite energies. It didn’t matter that her parents were Intelian and Stillian, for Dev came from the Knowledge Cavity just like Intel, and Passion came from the Emotion Cavity just like Still.

That makes sense, but what I do not understand is how she could get both passion and still, from the same cavity.

It was her wake-up routine—a morning routine had it not been midnight.

Midnight begins morning.

His thoughts escaped him, fingers growing tingly before fading to numbness. He smacked his lips, eyebrows furrowed. Since when did water have a bitter aftertaste? He smacked his lips again and this time couldn’t feel his tongue at all. He saw Quincy’s face, his bald head shining beneath an Intelight. It was distorting, blurring around the edges. His eyelids grew heavy. Idiot, he thought to himself as his head fell forward and thudded against the table.

That's why she went somewhere else, I guess. Was that the test?

No more. He’d never be weak again.

Toshik starts as this jerk and becomes such ana amazing, hardened character.

cementing their roles in society as normal people.

This sums up the entirety of my life.

Himitsu was to assassinate this man who called himself a lord, but he was faced with a major dilemma … Kaylee was his daughter.

I thought I had heard is name before.

“This is a Cavity of Mulawith,”

Like the energy gates.

He may have marveled at the Warpfinate each time he walked inside, reminding himself that Neeko had once wandered the same depths, but it wasn’t until he retrieved Tonitrua’s chronicle from the seafloor when he learned the answers for which he’d searched his entire life were in the Warpfinate’s greatest depths the entire time.

I find it crazy how much we already know about this world, and that we will learn more.

serve as a meat shield

Apoleia cut off without context is perfect.

“I have orders from Orias, passed on from Mialo,” Brenson continued. “It’s been two years since anyone above a Bewahr has traveled to the Light Empire, but with the murder of the Power Prince, circumstances are now dire. I am to execute a mission, pushing deeper into Celeste’s heart than we have since declaring war five years ago. Antigrafi, you will be joining me … as well as Rhyparia and Mendac.”

They will meet again.

He read through the attributes thrice more before spotting the connection: hazel eyes; caramel skin, accented beneath with a golden hue; sleek raven hair that usually didn’t fall past her shoulders. Yasmine’s appearance aligned perfectly with the waitress’s, which meant she had been an actor disguised to look like the Fuhren. He pounded his fist atop his knee, victorious. He’d been too enamored by the fantastical when he should have been paying attention to the normal.

This will help when she attacks Celeste University.

Chelekah’s death sparked the discord among the Diatia and wardens, and Ronossius was very much the soulless engine that powered it.

Just like Jilly was the engine that powered the Jestivan. Cyn and Spirit are opposites.

So be on the lookout for a boy—sixteen, seventeen perhaps—with long red hair. You might cross paths. He is not an enemy.” She left the room.

Simon.

“You didn’t inherent your mother’s genes.”

This was either not enough time or hard to search through, but I have seen a lot of small mistakes like this. Except, kind of, if it were used in the law form.

She had Soraku’s violet hair, sure, but what about the gifts that truly mattered?

I just noticed. Soraku said Yama's father was not one of them. Likely not, but Creep?

Selfless Sliv was the name that the people of Rim called Mother.

Naipa is from Rim. Cool.

She turned and watched him leave. Kadlest followed him, grabbing his hand as they passed through the wall. Had he come out here just to help her? Rhyparia was beginning to believe he was a good man, but misunderstood, thrust into unfavorable situations as a general that forced him to choose between lesser evils. And seeing Kadlest’s hand in his, she felt envious of that.

First, you are wrong. He is extremely evil. Second, Kadlest was right.

He swung through the trees of Phesaw Park, shrouded in the pink canopies of its cherry blossoms. The sensations of this vessel were jarringly different than the rest. Elation flooded his chest, a sense of spirit that made him feel as if he was flying. He couldn’t hear himself, but he knew by the stress of his cheeks and jaw that he was laughing hysterically. He looked down and saw that he was barefoot, each toenail painted a different pastel: shamrock green, sky blue, rose pink, soft yellow, etcetera. The air resistance, caused by the speed at which he moved, tossed golden hair in his face. Something was tied around the front of his neck and hung loosely down his back. This vessel must have been a girl, and a very happy one.

This seems like Mendac is having a vision of Jilly. Sunhat, joy.

“Yes, there are three family names that served as the foundation to future families. It started with me, a Kawi, but I had five children with my wife. She had been a normal Adrenian, for I was the only Adren Assassin in the world. I passed on the assassin trait to only three of my children, a son and two daughters. My son married and had children, carrying on the Kawi name. Each daughter married into a different family of non-assassins, adopting their last names and passing them onto their children. Those two families were known as Skimentis and Fuuna.”

Yama lacks the trait.

“Kawi, Skimentis, and Fuuna,” Bryson repeated. “Like some sort of legendary trinity.”

Bryson does not even notice. It has been years, though.

“The other seven Originators—Tonitrua originally believed it was all eight, but later learned Dimiourgos hadn’t been present because of a feud with Stonebody—chased after Tonitrua and Mialo, deeming them traitors. The two of them couldn’t fight back, for they had weakened and aged from not harvesting in years, but instead fled to an island at the center of the Sea of Light. They were caught and sunk, which was ultimately their deaths.

What went wrong between them?

A common Devish can move medium-sized items at short distances without physically touching tem.

I will try not to point out more errors, but tem.

“What you saw happen to that squirrel is only a minor fate when compared to what can happen to a person. You see, the soul of a human is infinitely times more complex than a mere rodent, which means they can be twisted in an infinite number of ways by several methods, not all of which require much effort on my part.” His gaze drifted toward Evelyn, and she narrowed her eyes. “I have exercised these techniques quite recently, and they’re irreversible.”

Tashami.

After waking with a foul case of halitosis,

Halitosis was a term invented by Listerene, even though it is not a real thing, to sell mo- oh. No one wants to know this.

Gratitude swept over his face at the rejection.

It makes sense, but it's still funny.

Tashami was going to die, but not without a confession long overdue.

First, the title thing. Second, I am worried. Third, love?

“I thought you said it belonged to the previous owners.” “My parents.” Silence, but before he could reply, she added, “They’re not dead.” He stood and returned his hands to his pockets. “Thank you.” “For what?” “I was thanking the universe,” he said. “Had they been dead, I wouldn’t have known what to say, and then this would have been …” “Awkward?” she asked.

Yeah, it would.

He narrowed his eyes. “The real question is where the hell Bryson is?” “From my observations over the years, that boy’s never been one to shy away from the spotlight. He always winds up in it somehow, whether it’s placing himself there are tripping his way into it.” Her eyebrows furrowed as she gave it some thought. “Matter of fact, maybe that’s why the royal sisters are doing this. There has to be a reason why he’s been absent from the public. He’s going to strike back, if necessary … and unexpectedly. His absence has seemed to make the rebels forget about him. I’d imagine if he had been walking the streets these past several months, their confidence and progress wouldn’t be the same.”

He is kind of like that.

“The only thing more dear to a Stillian woman’s heart than their ice abilities is their art. It doesn’t matter if it’s dance, painting, or music, they hold that skill above all others. It’s where they funnel their emotions after spending days in an apathetic state. And they hide this emotional discharge behind closed doors. What your mother did was a big deal. Not only did your mother play the piano in front of a crowd of a hundred people, but she did it with you by her side, playing in rhythm. She brought you into her most personal act. She shared that with you. It was more than a truce; it was a cry for love and bliss and … forgiveness. And I don’t mean her forgiveness of you, but vice versa.” “I don’t get it.” “When it came to her broken relationship with you, it wasn’t your fault,” Tonitrua said. “She was the one who did you wrong. That moment at the piano was the most sincere apology she could have made as a Stillian. And if she was willing to give you that, then she wouldn’t care if you could use Still Energy.”

There are so many spots here where it shows Tonitrua is so wise, but this is just amazing.

Bryson sniffled and wiped at his nose. This woman was not the typical Intelian. She was the wisest person he’d ever met.

Wait it says that right after.

Another boy entered the house, and Tashami could tell by the look on Father’s face that he hadn’t been expected a second guest. This boy’s hair was stringy and black, but slate gray at the roots. He looked to be eight or nine when standing next to his companion. The pair wore the same dead expression. Father eyed the second boy suspiciously as he closed the door behind them. He instructed the orphans to give them some space, and Mother appeared on the overlook. She paused and stared, then said, “I know he’s Chelekah, but who is the other one?” “What’s your name, son?” asked Father. “Ronossius. Chelekah’s cousin.”

I thought Tashami and Ronossius had a past. If not, why Tashami?

Nina eventually let Tashami go, but he fell to his knees as the small ones were escorted up the stairs by the older orphans. He looked up at Panelle, who stood lifeless on the stairs. His eyes were dead. Face, blank. It was as if he wasn’t there. He was normally so animated. This was the same child who had cracked a joke just a few weeks ago.

I am noticing that each of these flashbacks gets worse and worse.

Another person walked down the stairs, against the flow of children who fled upward. He stood next to Panelle and placed a hand against his back. It was Ronossius, his expression just as dead as Panelle’s. He looked down at Mother, Father, and Joni. And then he spit on them.

Ronossius must have done something to Panelle.

“No last names?” she asked. “I suppose that’s only fair. I don’t have one myself … never did.” The final words made her eyes glaze over, gaze distant. For a brief moment, she actually looked like a proper Cynnish, devoid of life. Then it was gone, replaced by vitality. “I’m Nina.”

I thought this place seemed like The Unbreakable's. It isn't, I think, but it is lively.

“He took me to his home, where other children played and laughed without any signs of depravity. Turned out they were orphans just like me. He had an ability to restore our spirit, a pregnant wife who cooked and took care of us, and a child of his own around my age who led the children. It was one long dream that spanned across seven years, during which his wife birthed another son, orphans came and went, and I developed my first crush on the eldest son. “It came to a tragic end when I was thirteen. The orphanage took in two boys who became the first children too broken to be fixed. Their haunted hearts and souls infected one of the more impressionable orphans to commit an atrocious act against the wife, leading to a shift in the house’s atmosphere and morale of everyone in it, including its leader.”

This is a concise way of telling the story. Tashami, the diatia, and so on.

“I did. The Spirit Kingdom was a marvel, truth be told. I can’t accurately describe what it’s like for someone to experience wind for the first time in their life. That invisible pressure that blows past you, cooling your skin and sparking life, swaying the branches of green trees and tossing your hair to the side … simply enthralling. It was frustrating trying to learn how to speak louder. The low volume of my voice, developed from a life of mumbles and whispers here, didn’t translate well there. I also suffered from hearing damage that night everything went to crap at the foster home. But I learned a lot from my brief stint in the Spirit Kingdom, and I vowed to return to the Void to heal it. I don’t want it to stay this way forever.”

She must be Spiritian, I think. Wind, spirit.