A Dream

Written by James Woodwright

Meta Quote: This is from Book 2 Story 3 - The Fallen Crown, Chapter 14, of The Artistocracy Chronicles.

I wanted to include it here because it includes some of my Discord/Twitch friends and I am going to need this chapter for a future Brainstorm redeem for Sable's Stream.

If you manage to catch this when it is still published, then count this as free advertising for Book 2 (when Book 1 is not up yet)

Chapter 14

Thomas finds himself outside by the main doors of Lavandula Palace. Seeing Lavandula Square full of people milling about and holding books. Off in the distance he sees a tiger. It make a “come this way” gesture with its head. Thomas walks over. The tiger leads him to a large statue of a man holding a mace and knife.
The tiger puts its paw to the plague which reads; Thomas Roberts, First Grand Artisan. Thomas smiles.
The tiger leads him away and into the Palace, he finds himself at the entrance hall of split levels with stairs leading up to them. Along the walls are floor-to-ceiling bookcases, all with purple ridged books.
Walking past a table of students studying and stopping to one of the bookcases himself, Thomas is drawn to a book titled The Importance Of The Three Tigers In The MT Laws. Taking it off the shelf he flips to an illustration of three tigers.
The left and the right are pointing away and the central one looking out and holding the tails of the others by its paws. The left looks to have a metallic quality, while the right is wearing a cloak and the central is made out of bread.
Putting the book back, he looks at the top of the shelf for the subject.
Thomas: Alchemy!

The tiger brushes past and Thomas gets the hint. He is taken to a classroom with its door open. Seeing the lecturer with black lecturer’s robes, she has chestnut hair and black-framed glasses. She is standing in front of a map of Willinghurst Cray and a blackboard.
Lecturer: It is important that in the trade of Cartography, you depict the important in a colourful but practical way.

A student puts their hand up.
Lecturer: Yes?
Student: What's the difference?
Lecturer: Thank you, for giving me this opportunity to address this.

The tiger makes an indication to move on.
They go up the stairs. On the next level are rows of desks for quiet study. Next a level of printing presses with people with blackened hands. Next, a room of forges and metal workers. On the following level, a man with broad shoulders and bushy beard uses a mallet and chisel to shape a wooden beam. They continue up and in the next room, are devices that Thomas doesn’t know what their purpose of. They are working without an operator with a base of tarnished copper.
Going up again, he is led by the tiger to a lecture room with the same type of blackboard.
The lecturer has dirty blond hair.
Lecturer: It is important - no, critical - to the barrel’s function that the wood grain be in the right orientation.

The Lecturer looks outside to see Thomas. They lock eyes. The Lecturer looks back to the class.
Lecturer: Yes, Simon?
Simon: Of course, but we passed our tests to gain admittance to the University, of course we know about this. Why would we not know this?

The Lecturer smiles and looks at Thomas.
Thomas: [Surprise whisper]William!
William: Before our Artistocracy, I taught an apprentice. He said the exact same thing.

William pauses.
William: Isn’t that right, Thomas?

The students look behind themselves and see Thomas. Standing in unison, and dip their heads respectfully.
Students: Grand Artisan.
Thomas: Indeed you are right.

Thomas smiles and comes to William, but the tiger doesn’t follow. Thomas shakes hands and William looks confident and well rested.
Thomas looks out the window to Draurough, with its temple and chapel prominently in view. Many places have productive smoke coming from buildings below, he smiles.
Thomas: Good to see you are well, William.

Thomas leaves and William gives him a smile as he does so.
The tiger leads him up to another room with people in the same robes discussing laws. Again he is moved on by the tiger and up more stairs and into a King’s court.
The tiger stops by the entrance, allowing Thomas to go in first. He is spotted by one of the people in the room.
Advisor: [Proud]Thomas, Draurough has never been higher.

Thomas hugs the tiger. The tiger reciprocates.
Advisor: Thomas, Thomas…

The voice changes from that of the Advisor to someone much more familiar.
Benjamin: Thomas, Thomas wake up.

Thomas wakes up to find himself in his Medica bed.