Part 2
"I can see it in your eyes. You found Zimmil Ma." Cricket said as soon as Emma and James entered the house.
"What?" James asked. "How did you know?"
Cricket was sitting on the edge of a bowl on the dining room table in the house. He reached into his coat and dug around for several seconds before producing the Signet Ring of the Orcish Emperor, which was glowing.
"It's glowing. The Orcish Shamans told me it will only glow when the time has come. It's time for a revelation. Go to the library, I'll be along in a moment." Cricket said, placing the glowing ring back inside his coat. "I need to fetch someone first." With those words, he vanished from sight immediately.
"I think this just got even more serious, James." Emma said as they walked to Jakob's study.
"Heather, you catch all that?" James asked, noticing her sitting on a bookshelf above them.
"Yeah. I already know where he's gone, too. Or rather, when, I should say." Heather said, fluttering over to the chairs.
"When?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's a secret for another day, but he's gone to get Emperor Lazarus himself." Heather revealed, taking a seat in the custom made fairy chairs on the table between the larger full sized chairs.
"A most clever fairy." A rough voice could be heard saying from the next room. Emma and James turned and found themselves face to face with a man straight out of legend, the Last Orcish Emperor himself, Emperor Lazarus. "So, the lost Imperial Capital has been rediscovered at long last?"
Emma bowed before speaking. "Yes, your majesty. I found Zimmil Ma far below the surface in Southern Itari."
"And the Orcish people?" Lazarus asked, crossing his arms.
"They have been nomads for thousands of years, your majesty. They only refer to Zimmil Ma as an 'unspeakable shame' and they wait for the day that the right descendants come to wash away the Emperor's Wrath." James answered.
Lazarus closed his eyes and lowered his head. When he raised his head again, he spoke much more softly. "Yes, it was the fault of the mighty Lazarus. You are not Orcs, so you will not be told what happened. It is not for you to understand. You as well, tabaxi." Lazarus said, looking at Norio.
"Norio would never impose on someone as great as you, your majesty." Norio replied, bowing.
"Even so, the time has indeed come. You finding Emperor Lazarus's lost capital was no accident, Mrs. Hargrave."
"What?" Emma said. "He's not my husband!"
"Not yet. He will be, do not fight fate." Lazarus replied, smiling broadly. "But no, the time is not yet now. What the proud subjects of the great Lazarus were never told was Zimmil Ma was never meant to be rediscovered."
"Please, explain."
"You are very fortunate you did not stay there long, Emma. The curse would have swallowed you, another ghost cursed to guard the ruins of the Imperial Capital forever. Even now my magnificent soul feels the tug of time, telling me Lazarus must return to his eternal guard. Only an Orc may enter Zimmil Ma. They will learn the truth of what happened, and decide if the legacy of the legendary Lazarus is something to be kept, or to be swept in the rubbish heap of history." Lazarus said, his voice still soft. "In any case, Zimmil Ma will never be raised. It was buried for a reason, and some secrets are best left forgotten. However, the three of you will not be unrewarded for your efforts. Approach."
Emma, James, and Norio, slowly but unsurely approached Emperor Lazarus. When they knelt before him, they felt a surge of power from from Lazarus's soul.
"Be careful who you kneel to." Lazarus advised. "The Mighty Lazarus could have taken all three of your souls, and escaped his prison, were he so inclined. You are safe, though. No, instead the magnanimous Lazarus will mark your souls. Let it be known that Emperor Lazarus has accepted your findings, and you must be rewarded. You as well, Cricket."
"Me? Really?" Cricket asked, speaking up for the first time.
"You've kept my Signet Ring far from prying eyes for more than a century, Syndra Valmaris." Lazarus said with a smile. It seems no lie could escape his gaze. "Now as for the other fairy, Lazarus can sense the trouble in her soul. Let it be known that Emperor Lazarus can see through any lie, even those told by the Gods." Lazarus was looking directly at Heather now. "Come forth now, Neville Hargrave, and properly greet your son who has mourned you for all these years. Let it be known that not even the Gods can exact judgement upon you for revealing the cold truth, for you are protected by the mighty Lazarus!"
James looked like he'd seen a ghost. What was the Emperor talking about? He glanced over at Heather, only to see her looking almost... guilty? What was going on?
"James... Jimmy... I'm sorry." She said, the facade cracking under tears. "If only I had known I could have told you the truth earlier."
"Dad?" James asked, his eyes welling up with tears. "Really?"
"Really. You've grown into such an upstanding man, you've surpassed all of my expectations. Margaret would be so proud of you." Heather said, pausing to cry more. As she choked back tears, she smiled. "Now it's time for one final test. Cricket, give it to him." Heather said. "He'll make the right choice."
"You're sure, Heather?" Cricket asked, eyeing Heather. Seeing her nod, he nodded back, and reached into his coat pockets and began to dig. After several minutes, Cricket seemed to find what he was looking for, and motioned for James to approach him.
"Yes Cricket?" James asked.
"I found it, but it's far too heavy for a fairy to lift it. Don't ask how it can fit in my coat pockets, just reach in and you'll be able to grasp it."
James, slightly confused, saw Cricket's coat grow just enough for him to reach his hand into the pocket. Immediately he felt it, and began to pull it out.
"Now why did you have this, Syndra?" Emperor Lazarus asked, smiling. "That shouldn't exist."
"And yet her we are, your majesty." Cricket said. "The Corpse King's Amulet."
James looked down at the amulet. In the centre was an ornate carving of a skull made from a large ruby, surrounded by red sapphires. The amulet felt like it weighed as much as a thousand page book, but it was the size of the palm of his hand. "Dad, what is this?"
"Now this is certainly something." Jakob suddenly said, making his arrival known. "The Amulet allegedly found around the neck of King Xolarand, the Demon General of Vordea. I must echo the Emperor's question, why did you have this?"
"Because I stole it a thousand years ago." Cricket answered. "It was why I was slain for the first time. Nobody steals from Lady Vordea and lives to tell of it. It seems Lady Eigengrau was quite cross about this though. I watched them fight for decades over my rotted corpse before Eigengrau suddenly reincarnated me." Cricket started smiling, looking at the amulet James was holding. "Heather wanted to test you, James."
"A test, what do you mean?" James asked, looking at the amulet in his hand. It seemed to be calling to him, telling him to put it on.
"It can grant your dearest wish, any wish you desire." Cricket explained. "But the price it extracts is high." Cricket saw James becoming entranced by the amulet and continued. "The person you love the most, their soul will be consumed by the amulet. The weight of that amulet is the weight of all the souls it's consumed. "Knowing this, what would you do with this amulet?"
"I... No. It's not worth it. No power would be worth that price. Take it!" James said, shoving it back into Cricket's pocket. Cricket smiled, seeing James's immediate disgust at such an object.
"Are you satisfied now, Emperor Lazarus?" Cricket asked.
Emperor Lazarus laughed roughly. "Yes, indeed, Miss Valmaris. James Hargrave, your reward is my sight, to see the truth that lies in a man's soul. Be it black wickedness, or pure goodness. Emma... Rawlinson." Emperor Lazarus said, pausing slightly before saying her last name, and revealing a slight smile. "For your ability to track down the Imperial Capital, your gift is my foresight, to know what will come to pass long before it does. Now, for our tabaxi friend. Take yourself to where the Steppes meet the sea, and you'll find your gift there. Emperor Lazarus commands it!"
"Thank you, your majesty." James and Emma said, bowing once more.
"Now, the great and mighty Emperor Lazarus must be going, as much as he would like to stay. Miss Valmaris, if you would?" Emperor Lazarus said, looking over at Cricket. Cricket nodded and the both of them instantly disappeared, leaving no trace they were ever there. In a few seconds, Cricket returned alone, looking happier than he had in many years. Before he could explain, however, a knock was heard at the front door, before it was kicked in with enough force to turn it into sawdust. As the dust settled, a figure wearing a blue and white cloak entered, with hair the colour of fire. Sirene Ignitis.
"You have some explaining to do, Syndra." Sirene said, arms crossed. "Time magic? Without my Master's approval?"
"What's she going to do, kill me again?" Cricket asked tauntingly. "I've been waiting my entire life to die."
Sirene smiled, before seemingly teleporting to Cricket and grasping him in her hand. "Say the word, Syndra, and I'll send you off to Eadola with the squeeze of my hand." Sirene squeezed her hand, and Cricket squirmed but to no avail. "Or perhaps you're afraid of death, and always have been, and that's why you're the Fairy King?" Sirene squeezed harder still, until she heard a small pop. Cricket had stopped struggling and was limp. "No matter, my Master will come for you one day, as is fate. Here, she's not dead yet." Sirene handed Cricket to James, who took him gently and placed him on the table next to Heather. "The crime she committed here is against my Master, who gave her her second chance. Remember that, lest you seek to judge me for my punishment. Had my Master come, she would be dead. Heed my warning."
As Sirene turned to leave, she paused, reached into her pocket and handed a bag of coins to Jakob, before pointing at the sawdust. She nodded, and upon seeing Jakob nod as well, she left through the front door. Emma ran outside to follow her, but she was already gone.