Shazir Heart of the Flame was playing with his two boys at their mothers bedside.
Aether and Charon were both smiling while Priestess Nyx, their mother looked on.

Shazir was watching her with all his attention. They both knew their were not many more days like this. The boys were too young to know.

I need to make a way so you will never be forgotten my sweet and fragile Oracle. For our two nations and our two sons. Even after I am gone too.

She looked up and smiled at him. A single happy tear rolled from her eye. Shazir wiped it from her young and alabaster pale cheek. Raising it to his own lips as he shed one of his own. Five years of life with her was never going to feel like enough.

I will make a Games to show the strength and Life We two brought to two tribes, like we brought to these two boys. A show of all we have proudly done together. A Celebration of Strength and Partnership.
Along with a small reward for the champions I will also award a statue of you, in rose marble and bronze.
I will make them myself with artisans from both our tribes.

Lifting both boys up to hug their mother Shazir turned to rest his head on her shoulder and began writing Invitations in a clay tablet. This would be copied and sent across land and sea.

QUOTE:
To all who know and Honor the Oracle of Nyx,

I send you Greetings from the united Nations of Cappadocia and Cillicia!
A Games will be held to honor the Unity of our warriors and friends. I will mark it to the date of the middle festival of the year! (16 June 295BC=15Mar2010) Also this is to honor the woman who has blessed her nation and myslef with new life. The Oracle Priestess Nyx of Cappadocia.

We choose these warm days for their beauty and tranquility. A time she will have to watch and enjoy from the Next world. She wants to see a happy show but has envisioned her own death here beside me in less than 3 cycles of the moon (IGM).

For the victor of a Grand Battle of all willing to join it shall go a small icon of her and 30 silver.
For the victor of a series of 1 on 1 duels is also to be given 30 silver and an icon of her.

Please honor Our people and Her and Our two sons. Come to feast and compete with us in Killikia,
the Cillician capital.
For the small entry fee of 5 silver you may leave home with 6 times your donation.
The silver is to help us start in building a memorial of Strength and Partnership in Her name. A Mausoleum mirroring the great beauty and eternal glory of she who willingly served for all.

Come Celebrate and Compete with Honor. All who can arrive may enter.

Archon of Cillicia,
Husband of Priestess Nyx,
Father of Aether and Charon by Priestess Nyx,

~Shazir Heart of the Flame

While she and the boys slept Shazir watched them engraving the sight on his memory.

Eventually he sent for the librarians to copy and send out this decree. It was destined to all the world he knew. By the fastest ships and riders possible.

He watched alone all night as his family slept, promising them this would be worthy to keep her memory.

After Hamilkar in Carthage heard notes about great games in Cilicia, he deeply thought and said:

"My warriors need to be known in big world, so we may go and join this games..."

Then he ordered his suffets and serens to ask all warriors, who wants to join this games and many hands up was given up. He smiled and said again:

"Soon we will celebrate another victory, this time in games, because one of our warriors will win them..."

The melee had been a wecome battle of all the visitors.

A way to check each others styles before the powers of luck paired each warrior with a sigle opponent.

The first day ended with a good feeling of fellowship between the Cappadocian, Cillician and Carthaginian warriors.
The Cillician Corsairs especially celebratd loudly because two of their own were the final fighters..the last was a favorite of them all. The Cillician Wisdom of the Blood, Tigrania.
Such a combination of Beauty and Death....but some made jokes. The jokes were because a few thought her husband may have resisted a little in trying to beat her. High Lord Beranos, had come out second in the melee.
Some of jokes included suggestions of a more valuable prize than silver being his that night.

For his own part The Cillician Archon, Shazir Heart of the Flame, and Host of the Games had not finished badly. He had participated with a sword. This was an unfamiliar weapon to him because he preferred the axe.....but he was looking to enjoy the new weapon and not winning the tournament. When it came duels he would be using axe. He also thought it helped continue goodwill among the games other Nations. The Carthaginian King, Hamilkar had not been as lucky to break clear of the opening crowd.
Shazir had worked his way to a less crowded area and so was able to handle the opponents more easily.
King Hamilkar had been tripped at one point and was quickly forced to withdraw.

Some of the Other Carthaginians and Cappadocians remained and all in all most were pleased with their own nations warriors.

The only sadness had been the delay for Ulin, King of the Cappadocians.
When the Priests began the Blessings over the games at sunrise King Ulin had not returned.
He could not participate. He did arrive that night though to hear the stories from the celebration.
Many good laughs and congratulations went around.

Shazir smiled while his two sons fella sleep at the feast. Their excitement all day had been a treat.
Aether had said My dad would have won if mommy was here!
His little boys pride for his father made him a blessing to watch. When he began to pout Shazir just gave him the sword he had used....asking him to take care of it. Of Course Shazir had tied a knot in a copper wire that could not easily be undone by the boy. The blunted tournament weapon was no real risk after all.

As the first snores began in the chamber among the celebrating guests, Shazir rose and quietly left.
His protectors, knowing where he was bound, remained with his sons.

As he stood over the sarcophagus of his wife Shazir smiled....
Priestess Nyx, my sweet love.
I hope we all did you honor today in the games. The fighting was ...interesting....to say the least.
Then he paused as if listening to her reply. Even nodding his head as they had talked before.
I know. I know. Of Course this is better! This crowd of people from three nations sitting in peace and brotherhood. It is more than I had hoped for my Love.
Again he paused.
Thank You my heart of hearts. We miss you too Love. The boys both wanted you to be there. I had to tell them you lked the cool in this temple better.
A pause again.....a slow tear rolling down his cheek.
Yes Love. I will hold them every year. As soon as they are old enough, I will have the boys take care of them.To honor you by their own works. The games will be in Cillicia as long as our bloodline lives here. And always...always ...they will be open to everyone, as you were open to everyone. Friend or foe.
Shazir lays his cheek against the stone sarcophagus and then kisses the image carved there of Priestess Nyx face.
Wish me luck in the duels My Love. I want to do well and make you proud.
A pause and a hand held up in mock defense as if to hush her words...
I know you always were Love. I know it still.
I must return to our guests and continue with them as you would have. I cannot have it said you taught me know manners. Sweet dreams my beloved Oracle. Sweet dreams.

Shazir kissed the cold stone of a face made like that of his lovely wife again. Wiping some kind of wetness off his face he returned to his guests and another day of games.

It was the last day of the tournament.
Day 4 of the duels.

The last contestants were Cillicias best.
The day before had seen the Cappadocian, Conan, beat by Tigrania and the Cillician Archon , Shazir Heart of the Flame, had lost to the great Hero, Beranos.

The last battle was expected to go either way.
Tigrania had won the Great Melee....but Beranos was the greatest threat on many of Cillicias battles.

In the end, it was Beranos who had won. A great win it was too.

The last two days Shazir had been meeting and making the Carthaginian Melek, Hamilkar, and his wife, Medea, very comfortable. The young King of the Cappadocians was also invited to spend much time with them.

Nobody was to leave these games disapointed. The Oracle, Priestess Nyx, would not have been happy with her husband if they had. Her power was still felt by him in this world.

At the closing ceremony Shazir announced the winners again and presented them each with small bronze and gold statues of the lady priestess Nyx. The metal was cast in such a fine way and smoothed with such skill that the feel of it was like a small living being.

As the young married couple both held their prizes up, Shazir smiled.
Tigrania and Beranos! he shouted allowed to the cheers of the, mostly Cillician, crowd.

It was right that a young couple had won both. Seeing them together, Shazir knew his dear wife would have approved.

The games will be held again every two years my friends....the Oracle will be honored and our friendships will be resealed. Each of you will be tested and your Strength celebrated!
We thank you for being such a great warmth as my wife and the Cappadocians first queen is laid to rest!

In the applause Shazir hugged his two sons as they took down the "mommy light" which had been burning for the entire games and he carried them all out of the arena.
That light would be kept burning beside her sarcophagus until the God's or Oblivion itself put it out.