His smile deepens. “If you’d like.”
Close enough. “Also, could you tell me more about the hierarchy of Oriziah? I understand that the High Orizians are accepted rulers but that hold is tentative at times. I don’t know much about the other races.”
“Certainly. I wouldn’t call them races, but rather, they are entirely different types of beings. Species is more correct, though it doesn’t always translate well based on Earth’s understanding where there is only one high-order species. In Oriziah, there are dozens of sentient species with complex reasoning capabilities. Species with their own cultures and languages, capable of creating meaningful change to the overall society of Oriziah. I’d prefer using the term clans, for these subgroups, though it is slightly more complicated than that. Though these species do have a tentative hierarchy, you should be careful assuming any one group to be lesser than another.”
I nod and begin taking notes.
Orizian clans.
“A majority of these clans willfully hold on to their more animalistic natures, but again, remember, they are not animals in the way humans tend to think of animals. They have the ability to create change within the world as a whole. These clans are predators who hunt prey, sometimes consisting of their own kind. To them, only the strongest thrive and are able to procreate. That is the essence of what drives them, and they have no desire for anything different. Some studies refer to that subsection of Orizians as the beastly class. I’m not a fan of such language, but you’ll see it written on occasion.”
Beastly. Scary but not beasts.
“This subsection tends to be the most supportive of the High Orizians.”
My attention darts back up to them. “Oh,” I mumble. “I hadn’t expected that.”
“If the only benefit of the High Orizians was their intelligence, they would not accept them as rulers. But the High Orizians also have powerful magic. These groups have no problem with a powerful race ruling the world. That being said, they also have no problem challenging them. If a rebellion begins, they join quickly just to see if the current structure will crumble under opposition. If the ruler’s strength holds up, they back down and fall in line.
“On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the Nahar. They are the spiritual leaders of the planet. Each of the three enlightened clans contributes a judge to create the Nahar Muhakham, which translates roughly to Bright Tribunal. That council is trusted even beyond the royal family.”
Bright Tribunal. Spiritual judges.
“They make rulings like judges on Earth?” I ask.
“Only on spiritual matters. Have you done any studies on the Amelisian War?”
My brow pinches. “It sounds familiar. Is that the war that was resolved quietly and the rest of the interdimensional community doesn’t fully understand how?”
I read about that war vaguely when I first started at Shadow Hills. The war and its resolution are shrouded in mystery.
“It is indeed. That is simply because the Bright Tribunal made a ruling based on the spirit of the people. Once the council made a firm ruling, the rebellion was dismantled.”
“So,” I say slowly. “What was the ruling? Or am I not meant to know?”
Their expression doesn’t change. They’re calm and cool, hands clasped together. “I will tell you only what is common knowledge is, and perhaps you can fill in the missing pieces yourself. The core of the conflict was the belief that the royal bloodline was too diluted to be considered truly Orizian any longer and therefore they had no right to rule the planet. Can you wager a guess at what convinced the Bright Tribunal they were still true Orizians?”
My lips part. I look down at my notes, but there’s nothing there that would even hint at an answer to this question. Nothing I can figure out from this conversation at all. They still seem to assume I have the required pieces to solve the puzzle, though, so maybe it’s beyond this session. I think through many of the things I’ve learned about Oriziah.
The spirit of the beast inside.Bea called it her “demon” side once.
She is also the one that explained,to earn the love of your chosen is to earn your right to rule.There’s so much to unpack in that conversation and that topic, but even so, it all comes back to that one particular thing, doesn’t it?
“V’rta,” I mumble.
Professor Zyair doesn’t respond, but their eyes turn bright and their lips spread into a wide grin.
That word, I learned when I was actively taking Orizian as a class, which simply means “chosen.” But I’d learned previously that word is significant to Orizians. It’s what they call their mates.
“The Bright Tribunal are only called upon in times of great trouble. When the very structure of society is called into question.”
“Has the Bright Tribunal been called for the current conflict?”
“No.” Their eyes remain steady on mine. “Not yet.”
17
Another Test
