[IC] Formaroth: Battle for the Throne

[TheDuncanMorgan]

Battle of Ralda

“Get the westhold militia outfitted with whatever weaponry you can” Godwyn barked at his quartermaster “and hurry we don’t have much time”.

“But my lord we don’t have enough weaponry or armour to outfit them all and what I do have left is either broken or rusted” The quartermaster was clearly flustered. He had been given the impossible task of outfitting twenty eight thousand militia in the space of less than a month. For the past fortnight men and women from all over Ralda had been flooding into the capital of Fishgrove. The town port was too small to accommodate everyone and the army had assembled outside the towns palisade wall. The military camp was larger than the town itself.

“Then get the blacksmith’s to repair it as best they can” Godwyn replied “And scrounge up whatever you can for whoever is left”

“I will try my best, but I’m telling you some of these poor bastards are going to fighting with pitchforks and clubs”

Godwyn sighed “just do what you can” he responded before turning round and mounting his horse. He gave his horse a sharp kick before riding through the encampment. Godwyn’s was brawny man with dark eyes and brown curly hair. Moral was low, Godwyn could tell just by looking. Though the professional soldiers and knights were well suited for battle the same could not be said for the Militia. Most of them were only armed with either a spear and a small rounded wooden shield or a hunting bow. Some of the luckier ones possessed a leather cuirass, but most were without armour. However their poor equipment was not their only disadvantage; Ralda’s militia force had no formal training. Most of them had never even held a spear until a few weeks ago.

“How goes the preparation” The voice had come from behind Godwyn and as he turned round he saw that it had been his sister Dilys who had spoken and she was currently riding towards him. She was a small and dainty woman with blond hair and green eyes. Alongside her rode Godwyn’s Brother Ian; a man of medium height with a handsome face and striking green eyes

“As well as can be expected” Godwyn said glumly “truth be told me should have left Ralda and joined up with the rest of the Manshrew alliance while we had the chance”

“It’s too late for that now” Said Dilys “Besides, father will never abandon Ralda, regardless of our situation”

“You two are too pessimistic” countered Ian “We still outnumber house Anjervine and have the advantage of Fishgrove’s defences” he replied confidently. Ian was an idealistic man who had led a rather sheltered life. Unlike his brother and sister he was still blissfully unware of the hardships that life had to offer.

“A pessimist is simply what an optimist calls a realist” Godwyn replied sternly “Even if we win the causalities will be severe” Ian opened his mouth to protest but a glace from Dilys quickly silenced him. Godwyn turned to face his sister “Where is father”?

“He is atop the palisade” Dilys replied “despite wanting to join the soldiers on the battlefield I convinced him that with his leg he would only be a hindrance to them, from the palisade he can inspire the troops without getting in their way” Godwyn eyes widened as if his sister had just performed a miracle

“You actually managed to make father change his mind, I’m impressed”

“The last thing he would want to be is a burden” Dilys responded “he may be stubborn but he isn’t foolish. Besides his-” Dilys was cut off by the sight of a rider galloping at full speed towards them. She identified the man as a member of a scouting patrol she had sent out yesterday. Both confusion and fear gripped her mind; where was the rest of his patrol and why was he back so soon? As he got closer to them, there was a clear look of panic on his face.

“My lord” he cried out as he rode up beside them, he was out of breath and exhausted. Godwyn was the first to reply, there was a look of concern on his face.

“Calm down and catch your breath, what has happened? Why are you back so soon? Where is the rest of your patrol”? The three siblings waited for the scout to catch his breath before listening carefully to his response.

“My lord, the Imperial concord’s army is only a day’s march away, my patrol was spotted and hunted by their trackers. I managed to lose my pursuers, the other scouts were not so lucky” He said remorsefully. Shock grasped the three siblings at this revelation

“How did they get so close so quickly” cried Ian “How could an army cover so much land in so little time”

“That’s not all my lord” Said the scout “It is not just house Anjervine, the entire host of House Greensworth has joined them as well. We are greatly outnumbered”

_____________

Alicja stood in the middle of Fishgrove’s church. The church, like all the buildings in Fishgrove, was made of a mixture of birch and oak wood. The sides of the church had large glass windows, allowing the sunlight from outside to fill the room. Most of the furniture had been removed to make room for the make shift hospital that Alicja had been preparing. The only original furniture that remained was the stone alter which had been too heavy for anyone to carry. The church had been filled with improvised beds made from linen and various potions and medical supplies. Asides from Alicja there were three other people in the church. Two of them were members of the Church; a priest and a church sister. The other person was Alicja’s childhood friend Christian, a servant who had been working in the Mazeltof household since he was a child; they were roughly the same age. Christian was a tall man with short blond hair. This was in stark contrast to Alicja who was of medium height with long brown wavy hair and green eyes. However like Christian Alicja had little talent for fighting and her skills were with healing people rather than killing them. Yet like the rest of her family she was going to put her skills to use for the upcoming battle.

“Do we have enough Yarrow”? Alicja asked as she continued to pace up and down the central aisle

“We only have what you brought in last week” Christian replied

“That’s not enough” Alicja sighed “Once the fighting is over we will have hundreds of people to treat and a handful of herbs I collected for fun isn’t going to help them” Alicja said as she continued to pace, the stress of having to find enough supplies for the aftermath of the battle had started to set in.

“I could take a quick trip into the countryside and collect the ingredients I need. It’s not far I could be back in less than two days”

“Impossible” A voice from the opened chapel door caught her attention as both Alicja and Christian swivelled round to see who had spoken. The source of the voice was Alicja’s younger sister Pearl Mazeltof. She was younger than Alicja by three years and had short brown hair which matched her brown eyes. She was currently wearing a leather cuirass with linen trousers. By her side hung her sword; a long rapier that she had named ‘Nightfall’.

“Father has forbidden any of us to leave Fishgrove until the enemy has left our land. If they were to capture us then House Anjervine would gain a valuable hostage” She said as she closed the church doors behind her

“And how many people will succumb to their injuries if we do nothing at all” Alicja answered defiantly, she would not be deterred so easily.

“Well you could try your best to leave without father knowing” Pearl said with a smile as she started to walk toward Alicja “all you would have to do is sneak past 40,000 soldiers without any of them noticing you, sounds easy enough” she finished with a smirk. Alicja looked away in annoyance, she knew Pearl was right.

“I assume you are here for a reason?” Alicja said

“I just came in to let you know that you may want to light the candles in here, there are dark rain clouds heading this way and the outside light isn’t going to last much longer”. As Pearl finished a man burst through the entrance leaving the double wooden doors wide open. The priest spoke out in protest at the way the man had so violently entered a place of peace and worship; however the man ignored him as he made his way towards Alicja and Pearl, both of them immediately turned to face him.
“My ladies, I bring grave news. Both house Greensworth and House Anjervine's forces are less than a day’s march away”.

____________________________

Dusk had fallen over Ralda and the rain had finally set in. As soon as Godwyn had found out how close the Imperial concord’s forces were he had immediately set about preparing his army: The encampment had been taken down, though there had been little time and various tents and supplies still scattered the terrain. Godwyn and Dilys were with the knights in the vanguard. The knights of Ralda were the best soldiers that the Mazeltof forces had to offer and had been placed at the center front of the army. They were in full plate and were armed with steel longswords and a small kite shield. The soldiers made up the rest of the front lines and were armed in full chain mail with an iron chestplate and helmet. They were armed with a variety of weapons, most carrying a large kite shield and a spear with either a sword or hand axe at their side. Behind the soldiers and knights were the militia. It was clear that the sudden news of the impending army had lowered their moral. Many of them were not even standing in straight lines and their entire formation was a mess. They stood in front of Fishgrove’s wooden palisade. Both archers and mages stood atop the wall giving them a good vantage point and protecting them from the risk of close combat. The archers were mostly made up of militia who had been lucky enough to have been given a bow. The Imperial concords forces had been spotted hours ago, but it wasn’t until now that Godwyn had realised just how outmatched house Mazeltof was: Not only was the army twice the size of theirs, they were also better armed and better trained. Their soldiers wore a mixture of chain mail and iron plated armour and were armed with spears, longswords and a large kite shield. Not only that but House Anjervine had brought their famed heavy cavalry, something that Godwyn had not had time to prepare a counter for.

“Where is Ian and Pearl” Godwyn said to Dily’s. Like the knights they were both wearing full plate armour. Godwyn was armed with a long sword made from dwarven steel while Dilys was armed with a steel halberd.

“Pearl is back with the militia, she should be safe there. I managed to convince Ian to make use of his archery skills on top of the palisade, despite him wanting to join us in the vanguard”

“Good, I don’t want either of them near the front lines, once the enemy charges in it will be a bloodbath”

“THE ENEMY APROACHES” shouted a man from behind. Godwyn immediately looked forward to see the full force of the imperial army charging towards them. They had only been a few hundred meters away, and they were closing the gap between them fast. House Anjervine’s famed heavy cavalry was making their way towards the vanguard while the rest of the infantry would be charging into their front lines at any moment.

“ARCHERS READY YOUR ARROWS” Commanded Godwyn, various officers throughout the army could be heard repeating his command and the archers on the wall nocked their arrows. However it was clear that Henri Anjervine had had the same idea. The air was suddenly filled with arrows, crossbow bolts and mage fire, all of it heading towards the Mazeltof force. Though the mages on the palisade tried to extinguish the flames it was to little avail. A rain of arrows and fire fell upon the militia behind the front ranks and the small wooden shields did little to protect them. A few even managed to hit some of the bowmen on the palisade as they tumbled off the wall and collapsed onto the ground. Godwyn was briefly distracted before he finally came back to his senses

“RELEASE!” he cried as a volley of arrows flew overhead towards the oncoming charge. Though their ranged attack had not been nearly as devastating as his opponent’s, Godwyn noticed numerous enemies fall as the arrows hit their mark, though it did little to slow the charge of the oncoming enemy. The cavalry was mere seconds away from him and there was little he could do to stop them

“Knights stand fast” Godwyn commanded as the entire vanguard readied themselves for the incoming attack. As soon as the cavalry hit them, the entire vanguard was thrown back. Both knights to the left and right of Godwyn were impaled by lances and Godwyn would have suffered the same fate had he not countered. Instead he was thrown off his feet and landed two meters away from where he was previously standing, knocking his helmet off. Godwyn quickly got back up, he briefly saw Dilys knocking a man of his horse with her halberd before he lost sight of her in the chaos. Godwyn caught sight of a rider charging towards him, the rider raised his sword before swinging it at Godwyn’s head. Godwyn swiftly dodged the attack and at the same time sliced through the rider’s chest. His dwarven steel sword cut through the man’s iron armour with little effort as he fell off his horse and collapsed onto the muddy ground beneath. The blow that Godwyn had struck had killed him instantly. Soon another rider approached; as he rode towards Godwyn he smashed his mace into a Ralda knight’s head, crushing the helmet and killing the man immediately. This time Godwyn countered by cutting the horse’s un-armoured front legs causing it to fall over and trap the rider under its weight. Godwyn then finished the man by stabbing him in the neck.

___________

“GET BACK INTO LINE!” Henry Mazeltof shouted to the soldiers bellow him. He was currently stood atop the palisade alongside his son Ian. Henry was a tall man, with mid-length untidy hair and beard. He had been watching the battle from the top of the palisade’s gateway for over an hour and it was clear that they were losing. The imperial concord had engaged their forces on all fronts with an overwhelming force, and in some places they had already broken through and were now effortlessly carving their way through the militia. Furthermore the imperial archers were now aiming towards the palisade and many of the archers on the wall were starting to fall.

“Our commanders are trying father” Pleaded Ian “They need time to…” Ian stopped in mid-sentence as his attention was immediately drawn to the sky. There were a dozen fireballs reigning down, each one the size of a small boulder. Most were extinguished by the remaining mages on the palisade but a couple still remained and landed in Fishgrove. One of them hit a house that was near the palisade’s gateway, sending burning debris through the air, impaling the woman whom had been standing next to Ian in the neck. She collapsed to the floor in a crumpled mess. Ian watched in horror as his home slowly started to burn

__________

Godwyn was exhausted; he had been fighting for over an hour and had slain over twenty soldiers. The enemy had almost broken through the vanguard and only a small number of the knights were left. Godwyn hadn’t seen Dilys since the beginning of the battle and he feared the worst. The men and women who had been fighting beside him had fallen and he was currently facing off against five footmen by himself. One of them came charging at him, stabbing his spear wildly at Godwyn, who simply parried the man’s attack before stabbing him through the chest. The remaining four soldiers took several steps back, realising that Godwyn’s skill surpassed their own.

“Stand aside. He is mine to fight” Commanded a voice from behind them. The soldiers did as they were ordered, revealing a man who Godwyn soon identified as Erock Greensworth; a man who was considered to be one of the greatest swordfighters in Fomaroth. He was currently wearing full plate armour but without a helmet. Like Godwyn he carried a longsword made from dwarven steel. The sword was covered with blood and it was clear that he had already slain numerous opponents this day. Godwyn knew that he had little hope of defeating him at his best, let alone in his current exhausted state. He turned round to see if he could retreat away from Erock only to realise that it was not an option. He had been cut off from the rest of the Vanguard and was currently surrounded by imperial soldiers. The only choice he had was to fight Erock.

“You disappoint me Godwyn Mazeltof” Said Erock confidently “I thought that house Mazeltof had more honour than to run from their enemy” Godwyn slowly turned back to face Erock before raising his sword

“Very well, then I shall disappoint you no further” Godwyn said as he charged towards Erock. With both hands he swung a powerful overhead strike at Erock who in turn deflected it. Godwyn followed up the attack with a forward strike aimed at Erock chest. Once again Erock deflected the attack and pushed Godwyn back at the same time. While Godwyn tried to regain his footing Erock thrusted his sword towards his neck with a ferocious speed. Godwyn barely managed to parry the blow before once again having to defend against another attack. The speed at which Erock moved was near inhuman. As the two continued to parry blows Godwyn could tell that he was greatly outmatched. Godwyn couldn’t win this based of skill alone; he had to catch Erock of guard. As he once again went on the offensive he struck at Erock with a one handed overhead strike while with his left hand he pulled out his dagger from his belt. As Erock went to block the sword Godwyn aimed his dagger at Erock’s heart. Though it was no use, Erock had seen straight through Godwyn’s attack and had dodged out of the way before the dagger even got close to him. At the same time Erock brought his sword down on Godwyn’s now exposed left hand, cutting it clean off. As Godwyn cried out in pain Erock proceeded to disarm Godwyn’s sword, leaving him completely defenceless. As Godwyn knelt on the muddy ground, with blood pouring from where his hand used to be, he knew that he was a dead man.

“Any last word” Erock said as he stood over him

“None that wish to waste on you” Panted Godwyn in a final act of defiance.

“A shame” Said Erock as he lined his sword up with Godwyn’s neck. As Godwyn closed his eyes he could her someone calling his name. It was Dilys, he was sure of it. So she was still alive, that was enough for him to leave this world with a smile on his face.

__________

Dilys watched in horror as her brother was beheaded in front of her. As hard as she had tried to fight through the enemy ranks she couldn’t get to him in time. Dilys stood frozen in a state of shock. Despite seeing it with her own eyes she still couldn’t believe it. The sound of shouting in her ear brought her back to her senses. As Dilys turned to see who it was, she saw it had been one of the few surviving officers. She had no idea how long he had been shouting at her.

“WHAT ARE OUR ORDERS” He shouted at the top of his voice to be heard over the deafening noise of the fighting “Our forces have completely broken formation and are getting annihilated, the soldiers on the far right and left flank have started to rout. What are our orders” Dilys paused for a moment before replying

“Order a full retreat; get everyone who is still alive into Fishgrove. We have lost this battle”.

_____________

The retreat had turned out to be a massacre, many were killed while they were routing. Others had been left outside the walls after the gates had closed in an effort to keep the enemy out. The imperial soldiers had brought up a makeshift ram and were currently trying to break down the wooden gateway. Fire had continued to reign down from the sky and now that the Ralda mages had pulled back, the intensity of the flames had greatly increased. As a result near half of Fishgrove was now on fire. Dilys was stood in front of what used to be her family home. The flames had destroyed it and now nothing was left excepting burning rubble. She was standing opposite her father with Ian standing beside her. Behind them stood the three surviving officers of the Mazeltof army.

“We must leave father, Fishgrove is lost” she pleaded

“I SAID NO” he yelled back “I will not let those De Reimer snakes take Ralda. This is our homeland and I will do anything in my power to protect it” Dilys looked to Ian for support though it was pointless. Ian was still frozen in shock after hearing that Godwyn had been killed; he was standing still with a blank expression on his face. In a matter of hours he had watched his home been destroyed and his countrymen slaughtered. And now he had been told that his brother was dead. Dilys looked at him in pity before turning back to face her father.

“There is nothing left to do. Ralda is already lost. The only thing we can do is retreat to the Manshrew Alliance in the hopes that we may one day take back our homeland” Dilys said defiantly

“Have you forgotten our words” Henry barked “We never quit, we never give up and we never surrender” he finished proudly as he gave Dilys a cold harsh look. In response Dilys did the same, she had had enough of her father’s pride

“Fine then you stubborn old goat”! She yelled “You can stay here and die a pointless death, while I will actually lead our people. I am not surrendering father, I am living to fight another day” With that she turned her back on Henry and faced the officers behind her “Give word to the remaining troops; they are to board our fleet with as many supplies and weapons as they can carry. Order the captains to cast off and get ready to sail. Be quick the gate won’t hold back the imperial forces for long”. The officers first hesitated; they were sworn to take orders from Henry before all else. However it was clear that if they did, both they and the remains of the Mazeltof army would be slaughtered.

“At once general” they said simultaneously before running off to carry out her commands

“COWARDS” yelled Henry. He gave Dilys a venomous glare; furious at her defiance. Dilys gave her father on last look before running towards the docks with Ian following closely behind her.

_______________

“I can’t stop the bleeding” cried out Alicja as she desperately tried to seal the wound. The church was filled with people, both injured and dead. The days she had spent preparing for this had not been enough, there was not enough healers or supplies to go around and most of the patients were on the brink of death. Flames could be seen outside the window and it was clear that all of the neighbouring buildings had caught fire. Had it not been for the surviving mages outside the church, it too would have suffered the same fate. The man in front of her had a severely deep cut across his chest. Despite her best efforts it was clear that he was not going to survive.

“Alicja”! A voice called from behind her. As Alicja turned around she saw that it had been pearl. She was running up the main aisle as was quickly as she could and was soon face to face with Alicja.

“Pearl, what are you doing here?” questioned Alicja

“I have come to pass on a message from Dilys; you and anyone who is still able to walk needs to leave now. We are abandoning Fishgrove and heading to Rathikun” Alicja looked at Pearl in shock.

“I can’t just leave these people here” said Alicja firmly “Their lives are my responsibility and I will not abandon them”

“Half of them are already dead” snapped pearl “we need to…” Pearl was violently interrupted by the roof of the church erupting into flames. A large ball of fire had smashed its way through the roof and engulfed the entire left side of the church in flames. Either the mages outside had decided to retreat with the rest of the army or they simply were unable to defend against the incoming attacks any longer, it was now clear that the church was no longer safe from the imperial mages attacks. Alicja watched in horror as the patients she had tended to were consumed by fire.

“WE NEED TO GO NOW” shouted Pearl as she ran towards the entrance. Alicja froze for a second, still in shock at what had just happened, before quickly running after her sister. However before she could make it to the entrance a large burning wooden beam had fallen from the ceiling and landed right in front of her, cutting her off from both Pearl, and the only exist. As the beam hit the stone floor, several pieces of burning wood hit Alicja in the face causing her to scream in agony. She could hear Pearl frantically calling her name, but it was pointless; there was no way either of them could past the inferno that now separated them. A hand grabbed Alicja’s arm, as she turned round she saw that it was Christian.

“This way”! He cried as he pulled her towards the back of the church, further away from the entrance. Where were they going? There was no way out this way and the windows were too high to jump out of. As they passed the stone alter Alicja figured out Christian’s plan. He was taking them to the crypt; the only part of the church that was made completely out of stone. The church collapsed around them as they desperately tried to get into the crypt in time. As they tumbled down the stone stairs into the crypt, the debris collapsed over the entrance, enveloping both of them in darkness.

[AndrewCooper]

Palace Throne Room
A lot of things had occurred in Formaroth since the last meeting that had involved Andrew. As he walked down the long hallways towards the throne room he thought about what had happened. Ralda, the region that belonged to House Mazeltof, had been invaded by the Imperial Concord. The rumours were that it had been a crushing defeat for House Mazeltof and the majority of the army had been wiped out, with only a handful of survivors being able to escape. Andrew felt terrible, as he knew he could have done something to help the Mazeltofs. But it was too late for that; all that Andrew could do was to find a way to help the survivors while focusing on his war efforts.
Andrew had finally entered the throne room as the giant doors slowly closed behind him he could see Alun and George looking over the map of Formaroth. They then turned to the door and as they saw Andrew they both bowed their heads in respect to him.

“My lord” said George.

“Please my friends you don’t need to bow to me, not after what we have been through and what we have done for Uzgob.” replied Andrew.

Of course Andrew” said Alun “It is time to discuss our next plan of attack”

“Yes lets” said Andrew. As they all approached the table Andrew said “First I want to talk about the problem that concerns the Mazeltofs”

“Certainly” said George. “How do you want to deal with this situation?”

Andrew replied “First we will offer the survivors a safe haven in Uzgob but we can’t keep them here forever so we will have to find a region they can move to start over again so I suggest that we invade Orog.”

Both Alun and George were shocked by this idea. They both looked at each other and at first they didn’t know what to say. Alun finally said “But Andrew we need to focus on our war efforts”

“I know that is why we won’t be helping them invade Orog, we will asks other to help our cause. We will try to make allies with House Wulfrick, so far they are neutral in the war and we desperately need allies. So I suggested that the remainder of the Mazeltof army and the Wulfrick army invade Orog.” Said Andrew

“You know House Wulfrick will want something in return” said George.

“I already have that planned they will own half of Orog while the other half will be given to the Mazeltofs while they rebuild what they lost. If we win the war the Mazeltofs will be given back Ralda and Wulfrick will have the rest of Orog. Hopefully Wulfrick will agree to this offer and they will help us to win this war. Alun I want you personally to go to Nash to give this offer to Wulfrick.” said Andrew.

“Of course Andrew, let’s just hope this works.” said Alun.

“Yes it’s a gamble but it could help us later if this works out.” said George.

“Yes, now let’s move on what else do we need to discuss” said Andrew.

Alun replied “Our scouts have reported that they have spotted a large army amassing near Telmarion we believe that this army may attack either House Lanistark or House Humber. What do you think we should do to deal with this matter?” Andrew thought long and hard before replying “Ok I suggest we go on the offensive and move the army to Telmarion to confront the army, if we get Humber and Lanistark to join us in this assault then we may stand a chance to fight against this force.” Said Andrew.

“I will relay this to the army myself” said Alun.

“Very good then is that all?” said Andrew.

“I believe that is everything” said George.

“Very well then this meeting is adjourned” said Andrew. As the meeting ended both George and Alun collected their documents and left the throne room leaving Andrew by himself. Andrew knew that they were taking a gamble on these tactics and that this could either help the Manshrew Alliance or completely destroy it. Andrew took his leave.

The Dream of Dread
Andrew was in his bed robes, they were an orange colour made out of the finest silk in Uzgob. He was entering though the gates of Fishgrove. Andrew was horrified with what he could see. The streets were layered with corpses of Mazeltof soldiers, blood covered the ground and Andrew looked down to see that his feet were stained with the blood. Andrew decided to move on; as he walked he could see entire buildings which once stood majestically had been reduced to rubble. Once Andrew reached the end of the street he could see something but he couldn’t make it out, but as he got closer the horror finally reached his eyes. It was Godwyn Mazeltof’s headless body. His armour was stripped off his corpse only leaving a partial under garment. The body was nailed to a wall and it was battered and bloodied. Andrew was only able to identify the body due to the spear which was stood up wards with Godwyn’s decapitated head place upon it. Andrew slowly approached the head, he did not know why he was doing this, it was like some higher purpose was calling him to do so. Andrew was almost face to face with the head; suddenly the head came to life “You let us all die!” It screamed before blood started to flow out of the eyes and mouth. The sight was terrifying. Andrew woke from the nightmare sweat was running down his face. As he looked around his personal chambers he soon realised that the horrors he had seen were nothing more than a dream. The room was dark but the light from the moon slightly illuminated his surroundings.

“Another nightmare?” said a voice. Andrew turned his head to see Diana who had awaken from her sleep.

“Yeah” replied Andrew.

Diana rose up and put her arms around him “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I was in Fishgrove. The place was in ruins, bodies everywhere and I saw Godwyn, or what was left of him”. Andrew paused for a moment before continuing “it’s all my fault” he said mournfully as he placed his head in his hands.

“You shouldn’t blame yourself.” Said Diana as she tried to comfort him.

“I could have done something I could have sent some men to help them they would be alive if I helped but I didn’t and now they’re all dead.” replied Andrew. “Now the Imperial Concord has the upper hand and they might win and knowing Duncan he will kill me and kill you and the girls as well”

“Now listen to me Andrew.” said Diana. “You are a great man and a great leader and you couldn’t do anything to help the Mazeltof family; if you sent some of your men they might have died with them and you would be with a weakened army. You didn’t kill those men, it was the De Reimer family and their so called Concord. That is why you must put a stop to them. You don’t need to worry about us, everyone here in Uzgob is with you to the very end and I wouldn’t change a single day with you.”

Andrew then turned his head to look at Diana. She was just as beautiful now as the day he first met her in her family’s ball. “I love you” said Andrew as they both kissed before then they then embraced each other and the both went back to bed.

The Counter Plan – Andromeda Market Place

Andrew was walking within the midst of the market place. The market place was in its prime; numerous market stands were placed around the square and people were flowing in and out of the market, it was another peaceful day in Andromeda. Andrew was wearing clothing more practical than what he usually wore. He was wearing sandals on his feet and baggy trousers along with a sleeveless shirt as well. He did not want to show off his nobility to the citizens of Andromeda. Behind him were half a dozen of his best guards, vigilantly looking out for anyone attempting to cause harm to their lord. As he walked through the market the odd merchant would bow his or her head to him and he would do the same in return. As Andrew looked ahead he could see Alun quickly approaching him “Andrew” cried Alun “We must talk immediately”

“Ok, but not here there are too many people around.” replied Andrew.

Both men left the market with Andrew’s guards following closely behind. Andrew was concerned with how Alun looked, he look like something terrible had happened. Andrew prepared for the worse. He then saw a little alleyway and as he pointed towards it both men entered. “What is it Alun, you look terrible” said Andrew.

“Our spies have reported that an assassination attempt took place in Alenius and Giles Blackwell was the target” said Alun

“My God” replied Andrew.

The worse is still to come the assassin was wearing a Manshrew seal so the Blackwell’s think that we tried to kill one of their family members and have named us enemies” said Alun.

“Ok we need to prove our innocence, send one of our diplomats over to House Blackwell to tell them that we had no part of this attack and if they are not convinced I will go down there myself to prove House Manshrew’s innocence. We need to resolve this as quickly as possible.” Andrew quickly replied

“Of course. I will sort this out as quickly as possible” said Alun. As he did this Alun left the alleyway and headed towards the palace leaving Andrew by himself.

“Damn you Duncan” said Andrew. For Andrew this was another problem he had to resolve but Andrew had faith in Alun that he would be able to resolve it quickly.

[Klomster]

After a days travel with good winds, albeit a bit of rain the first transport ship of the imperial fleet reached the shores of Telmarion.
Making sure he was first, only a single sailor which tied the small landing boat to the shore before Claus jumped down upon the soil of the east.
He took a deep breath of the summer air, a breeze gently made the feathers in his helm sway and Claus got a good feeling of his upcoming endeavours.
Behind him troopers were beginning to unload and unpack things, while another landing boat with several people on board gently beached nearby.
Claus had had the fleet unload the Steel fist just a bit south of the Tuania encampment in the north, he was roughly a days march away or so he guessed, for an army. With that he helped his scouts disembark the boats. They were roughly fifty men from all over the steel fist, for this task they left their polearms and their shields at the camp which some of the other men were beginning to build up.
It was a temporary encampment, just for having a reinforced landing for when the fist were being transported the upcoming days.

Claus left two of his lieutenants and Katrina in charge of the landing, while he himself joined his scouts and set off for the Tuanias encampment.
The scouts were fit men, you know those people with a bit more spring in their steps, they wore slightly smaller cuirasses and had more tight fitting clothes for moving more simply.

The small force set out at high speed for the encampment in the north, Claus not used to the way the scouting group moved slowed them down a bit so the group made contact with Tuania's scouts the same evening.
While the scouts moved out once more, Claus met up with Orland and Grandin Tuania in the command tent of the encampment.

-"Welcome to Telmarion, the home of the Tuania's!" Grandin said with a welcoming voice, shaking Claus's hand.
They both turned and faced a table with a map on.
-"Orland i presume?" Claus asked the younger man, his response was.
-"Yes, i am Orland Tuania, son of Grandin Tuania, i will be the commander of our forces in this conflict." While speaking of Grandin he faced him.
-"I heard you sent out scouts of your own, do you not trust our judgement or our scouting forces?" Grandin suddenly asked, he had doubt in his voice but made a good effort of hiding it.
-"It is true, however i don't mistrust your scouts mister, i just want to hear about the lay of the land from a familiar point of view." Claus responded with a broad smirk.
The response from the two was some sort of silent acceptance.
The meeting went on with one or two similar remarks, or more like hints. While going over the battle plan Claus naturally asked questions, and requested to speak to one of the Tuania scouts to get another view on things and decided upon changes of the deployment.
He couldn't help but notice a slight dislike from the two Tuania's against him. Claus couldn't blame them though, the concord had appointed him leader of the defense of their homeland instead of them.

-"It is time i return to my own post, at the stronghold Clarn. I will leave this to your capable hands." Grandin expressed some time into the meeting, before leaving the tent and joining up with his honor guard and ride off.
Somehow when he said it, the words seemed aimed at Orland while simultaneously ignoring Claus. Claus couldn't help but feel insulted or ignored or something, but said nothing of it.

The planning went on for some extra time, followed by Claus and Orland taking a stroll around camp and inspecting the troops at their disposal. The soldiers were well armed, good armour and shields. There was also a great number of longbowmen who looked competent when Claus watched them do some practise shooting.
The much more numerous militia however had rather poor equipment, but Claus's skepticism wasn't really convinced of Orland's claims of their excellent training.
Later they returned to the command tent to continue the planning.
-"So Orland, you will deploy here on the left flank while i deploy in the rear of the vanguard. The main tactic is to wait for them to come to us while we rain fire upon them." Claus watched the estimated numbers, and it didn't look overly convincing, but he felt his plans would give victory in the end.
-"So you get all the glory i see." Orland suddenly remarked, Claus turned to him in surprise and gave him a questioning look with a raised eyebrow.
-"Glory? I am going to lead the vanguard personally, and seeing that the vanguard is my men i'd say i am most suited for leading them." Claus noted with a firm tone, he didn't like where this conversation was going.
-"Oh i know you mercenary types, seeking glory in battle and stories to tell your wenches. I suggest i lead the vanguard!" Orland responded, he was not in the least convinced.
-"Look here, i am by far a more experienced battlefield commander, i am also by far a better swordsman than anyone around here and finally, it IS MY MEN!" Claus began to raise his voice at the final words, he didn't want to but he was getting annoyed.
-"I have been raised since i was a child in the art of leadership, i have also been teached by a arms master in the art of swordsmanship since even earlier, how long have you trained in these arts?" Orland spoke with a calm voice, raising his right eyebrow at the final question. Claus calmed himself for a few seconds before speaking.
-"I've been in the Steel Fist for ten years, six of which i have led them in battle. I have been with them in both victory and defeat, i have fought in Formaroth and Beilokias and even further east than anyone else probably have. Three times i have annihilated my opposition and returned triumphant. I have been at war half my life, and was trained as a man-at-arms since i was nine. I am not sure if that means i have less battlefield experience than you and frankly i don't care. Patrick De Reimer have appointed me as the commander of the defense and as such i will command and you will listen to my orders. Understood?" Claus went over the facts as briefly as possible, he tried to be calm but a hint of annoyance shaped his words, hearing the amount of time Claus had been in the fist staved his claims.

-"UNDERSTOOD!?!" Claus yelled, this caught Orland of guard who twitched before straightening his back.
-"Understood." Orland said simply. Claus did not like this, it always went sour when he spoke to the fine folk and this one didn't seem to fancy him much.
Claus rubbed his eyes.
-"It seems we have been at this for too long, our tiredness is getting to our mood. Don't ya think?" Claus made his best at cheering up and finished the sentence with a smirk.
-"Hmph, it would seem so." Orland just realised it, but it was very late and they had been at this for several hours just in the second sitting. He realised his tense eyes and heavy shoulders.
-"So i say we retreat to our quarters, there is more time tomorrow and there is much to plan." Claus just left the tent there, too tired to bother with anything else for today.
-"I suppose." Was heard from within the command tent. Claus just kept walking to his arranged tent.

The following days the defence forces were being gathered, and the encampment enlarged to accompany the growing numbers, but in the end all planned forces were ready to march off any day, they were fed and had equipment.
Claus and Orland's relations improved slightly as well, but Claus couldn't really say he liked the man, and Orland would probably say the same if asked about Claus.
What really improved the captain's, now general's mood was seeing Katrina do a superb job with the logistics.
The part that Claus always disliked the most, was now handled with excellent care by an newfound expert. Which made him relax a whole lot more. Up to this point the operation had gone very smoothly, Claus had high hopes for the coming battle.

[Sundered Echo]

Collab by @TheDuncanMorgan and @Sundered Echo

Lana noted with disgust as the men of the mercenary company marched past her carriage. She tried not to let the degree of her disdain for them show on her face, but only encountered moderate success. Not that it mattered. They would simply see her as an uptight noblewoman annoyed at the noise they were making, not knowing the true reason for the scowl that marred her otherwise pretty face. She clambered into the carriage as quickly as she could to escape their presence.

The trip was as uncomfortable as usual. The carriage was too bumpy, the air too stuffy, and it all took far longer than it needed to as they snaked a route through the winding streets of upper Nyhem. When she arrived at Miserth keep and stepped out of the carriage, she composed herself, wiping the irritated expression from her face and ensuring her illusory jewelry spells were all still cohesive. Duncan had not come down to meet her. Of course not. She was not that important, and he was almost certainly far busier now than ever before. The coronation may not have occurred yet, but Lana suspected that the man had not wasted any time in taking on all the rights and responsibilities of the King already. He didn’t seem like the type to get caught up in technicality.

She had heard so much about Duncan De Reimer, and of course seen him in court in passing, but never really met him. This would be interesting indeed.

The kings chambers was not to Duncan's liking. The room was too big and filled with pointless ornaments, half of which he didn't even know what they were. The room had a wooden floor that was fully covered by a thick red carpet and smooth stone walls. A bed that was five times bigger than his former one was positioned in the middle of the room. The rest of the room was filled with lavish dressers and tables with ornaments of gold and silver resting upon them. The only thing that was familiar to Duncan was the desk he had taken from his room. The desk was very clearly out of place what with it basic design, however it was the only furnishing in the room that he actually liked. It was also where he was currently sat as he went through various documents regarding the coronation. There was a knock on the door before Alenius walked in.

"Pardon the interruption my lor-" She paused for a moment before correcting herself "your grace" She was still getting used to the change in title "Lady Lanaya Dionisa has arrived to speak with you"
"Very good" Duncan replied "send her in, lets hear what she has to offer".

As Lana entered the lavish quarters allotted to the King, she couldn’t help but admire them. She would give a great deal to be able to call such an environment her own. She couldn’t understand why Duncan looked so uncomfortable with his surroundings.

“Your grace.” She said by way of greeting, before bowing. A small part of her cried out against showing such deference to a mundane, but she was far too disciplined to let it show. “It is a great privilege to meet you. I am Magister Lanaya and I come to you with an offer I think you will be very interested in.” She wasted no time cutting to the chase. She knew the new King would be busy with all manner of tasks, and she didn’t want to come across as wasting his time.

“I am here to represent a collective of circle mages who desire to work for the crown aiding the war effort. Before you dismiss me out of hand, I am not here to ask for a ludicrous fee, I do realize the unfortunate state of the Kingdoms finance.” She spoke with as sympathetic a tone as she could muster - she wasn’t here to insult the King, it wasn’t his fault that money was scarce. In fact by all accounts Duncan had significantly improved the kingdoms finance in the short time he’d been King, something she was quite impressed by.

“I have a different offer, if you’d hear it.”

As Lanaya Walked into the room Duncan looked at her from head to toe. She was a woman of average height and had pale skin. Her eyes were green while her hair was copper red. After she finished her introduction Duncan gestured to the chair opposite him.

"Please take a seat" He said. He waited for her to sit down before he continued. "Aurelia has spoken highly of you. Tell me, what do you have to offer"?

Lana took the offered seat before continuing.

"Forty Mages, ranging from healers to battle-mages, willing to serve your cause." She began, pausing a moment to let the number stand. "We ask a mere tenth of the usual fee for our services, as well as several new laws protecting our kind…” She was not entirely sure of herself asking this now that the time had arrived to actually do it. It was one thing to plot it, thinking of the king as an abstract, but now she was actually here in front of the man himself. What if he turned her down? Or worse?

“We ask that the burning of mages be considered murder and villages carrying out such acts of barbarism be punished as any other murderous mob would be. I understand that it is already frowned upon, yet little has been done to stop it from occurring. In addition, we ask that should a capital judgement need to be carried out on a mage, it be the same as it would be for any other citizen, and not burning.” Once had begun speaking, it was less daunting to make the requests - she had been over what was desired in her head so many times before.

She went into detail on several other minor requests improving the law’s treatment of mages, though never did she aim to make them superior in the eyes of the law to the common people.

“Finally, we ask that when a mage is judged for any sort of crime, a representative of the circle be present to advise the judge.”

Duncan listened carefully to Lanaya's offer. His facial expression remained static for the most part, though he did occasionally raise his eyebrow at some of her proposals. Once she finished he paused for a moment before replying back to her
"Tell me, what benefit would your mages give me exactly? After all we already have several hundred mages under our command, Cawanor alone has up to 150 battle mages for the imperial concord. What do your mages have that they don't" Duncan asked, intrigued at potential these mages may have to offer the Imperial Concord. "As for your requests: I have no issue with many of them, both Aurelia and I have been looking for ways to improve the status of mages. I was already thinking about abolishing burning as a execution method, afterall the law should judge everyone equally, regardless of who they are". Duncan paused for a moment "The only request that I would have to deny is the execution of villagers for witch hunts. You must understand that I do indeed agree with you, those who break the law should be punished accordingly. However if we were to start executing or severely punishing villages for Witch hunts then it would cause an uproar among the country-folk and even a possible riot. They would consider it a betrayal on my part for siding with the mages over them. I do hope you understand" Duncan said sympathetically.

“I understand. It pleases me to hear that you are so partial to improving life for mages. After the way King Heylot treated my kind, a sympathetic ruler is welcome indeed." She shuddered visibly at the recollection of the Mad kings reign. Though she had not been present, she had heard the news of burnings all too often. "I’m sure that through the progressive application of law and education, the barbaric practice of witch hunting will be abolished during your reign. Many a mage would be forever in your debt. But for now, I see why you cannot implement such harsh punishments.” Lana’s tone conveyed that she was genuinely content with his statement that he was happy to accept many of the laws but had to deny one. She hadn’t really expected him to agree to every law right away, and though this was by far the biggest of them, it was one that she would acknowledge could be tackled better slowly at a later date.

“As for what my mages bring to the table, many of them are healers.” She continued, addressing his earlier point, beginning in a serious tone. “Whose services off the battlefield could be quite invaluable… Besides, accepting my proposal would mean you would have 190 mages in the service of the Imperial Concord. Who says no to a near one third increase to overall troop strength for one tenth the normal price?” She finished with a mirthful smile.

Overall, her impression of the new King was shaping up to be a good one. He was already in favor of supporting mages. It wouldn’t take much to steer him towards mage centric edicts. Of course she also had to avoid ruining his impression of those with the ability to bend reality to their will.

"A good point. I accept your offer, after all it would be foolish not to. The mages under your command will be very useful in Telmarion; a battle will be approaching soon and Claus Rotstein will have need for more mages" Duncan said as he reached for a jug of wine on the table. As he started to pour a goblet for himself he looked up toward Lanaya before pouring another goblet for her "A toast to our new founded alliance" He finished with a smile.

Lana took the goblet, raising it into the air and added, with a coy smile "To our alliance, and to the new Monarch. May his reign be long and prosperous." Goblets clinked and Lana drank, noting the quality of the wine.

When the glass touched the table again, silence descended. The deal was done, but Lana did not get up to leave. After a moment, she spoke again, this time in a more cautious, guarded manner. "Your Grace... If I may be so bold as to ask something of a more personal nature..."

She began before continuing quickly. "Aurelia has told me often of how good a friend you are to her and I was wondering... She has not been herself for a time. It is quite unusual for her to be so reserved. I was wondering if she might've told you what is bothering her so? I ask only from a desire to help a good friend..." She was both worried she might somehow offend the King, and also extremely curious as to what his response would be. Thus, she watched him intently, picking up the goblet again and sipping it, as much to obscure her face as enjoy the liquid.

Duncan smiled as he raised his goblet in response to Lana's toast before drinking. However as Lana asked her next question Duncan's expression hardened and the smile on his face slowly disappeared.
"I too have noticed her being more reserved than usual, though I am afraid I have no idea why" Duncan lied. Though he couldn't know for sure, but he was near certain that this was linked to his last conversation with Aurelia. "Though I thank you for bringing this to my attention, I will talk to her soon in regards to this. Now if you pardon me I have a lot of things that I still need to do, unless of course you have something else you would like to discuss"? He continued as he quickly tried to move away from the subject.

Lana noted Duncan's swift reply, he was clearly concerned. Yet he was also clearly very eager to move away from the subject. Lana immediately became suspicious - he likely knew more than he was saying, but she also knew that if he hadn't said it upfront, he likely wasn't going to. She knew when not to push. She would just have to press Aurelia more later.

"I see. I'm sure she it's nothing too severe. If she were in need of assistance I'm sure one of us would know." Lana stated, sure that that reply would reassure the King. "That was all I wished to discuss. It has been a pleasure meeting you properly your Grace, and I look forward to when next we meet." With that she stood, bowed once again and left the opulent room, satisfied with the meetings results.

[TheDuncanMorgan]

“How much longer will we have to wait?” Duncan whispered to Alex. It had been a while since he had ordered Henry to be dragged to the throne room and the nobles in the main hall were getting restless.

“I am sure they will arrive soon your grace, I am unsure what is taking the guards so long” Alex whispered in response. Duncan was sat upon the throne while Alex stood next to him. This had been the first time he had ever sat upon the throne and despite Duncan’s distaste for its décor he as least appreciated that it was comfortable. The hall felt very spacious now that the various tables and chairs from the meeting had been removed. The rows of benches had been moved closer to the center of the room and a large number of nobles were sat upon them. As the doors of the great hall slowly opened Duncan could hear a great deal of shouting coming from the other side. The source of the shouting soon became apparent as Henry Mazeltof was dragged in by four guards, all struggling to keep him under control. It was now clear what had taken the guards so long, it was likely Henry had been resisting them the entire way. One of the guard’s lower face was covered in blood and it was clear that Henry had broken his nose. As they dragged him down the hall the various nobles started to jeer and taunt. In retaliation Henry continued to shout and curse, this time at the nobles rather than the guards. Henry only stopped shouting once the guards forced him to kneel before Duncan, despite his best efforts to stop them. Duncan looked down on Henry from his throne. Even though he was still five meters away, Duncan could easily tell that Henry was now a broken man. His clothes were filthy and his hair and beard were in a tangled mess. Alex stepped forward

“Henry Mazeltof” He announced “You have been brought before the king to answer for your crimes. You are guilty of the crimes of treason and supporting the usurper Andrew Manshrew…” Alex was abruptly interrupted by Henry spitting at the dais of the throne prompting the nobles to cry out in protest, to which Henry ignored

“The only treasonous fuckers around here are the De Reimer snakes and anyone that supports them” Henry shouted as looked Duncan directly in the eyes “First you murder house Hieze, then you backstab Heylot and now you are willing to fuck over all of Formaroth just for your own personal gain”. Despite Henry’s insults, Duncan’s face remained calm and unchanging

“The throne is mine by right” He replied confidently “I was entrusted by John Remonnet to rule Formaroth in his absence. All who deny this simple truth are my enemy. You willingly sided with the usurper Andrew Manshrew despite him having no claim to the throne. However there is no need to discuss this. Your guilt has already been decided by the high council, this is merely a sentencing”. Once again Henry spat on the floor

“If you are going take my head then be done with it and stop wasting what little time I have left in this world” Henry replied spitefully. Duncan slightly tilted his head as he started to smile smugly. For years Henry Mazeltof had spoken out against the De Reimer family and now he was finally at their mercy.

“That needn’t be necessary. You can avoid such a fate under the condition you atone for your actions. If you support my rightful claim to the throne and denounce the false king Andrew Manshrew then your life will be spared” Duncan said with a spiteful smile; the offer was only to make himself appear as a merciful ruler, he knew that Henry would never summit to him.

“You must either be mad or stupid if you think I would summit to the man who murdered my son and burnt down my home” Snarled Henry

“Very well” Duncan said as he stood up “Henry Mazeltof, I sentence you to death. The execution shall take place tomorrow, you will be taken from your cell to the main plaza where you will hang from the neck until death” Duncan nodded to the guards who proceeded to drag Henry towards the door.

“Remember our words snake” Henry shouted defiantly “We never quit, we never give up and we never surrender. House Mazeltof will continue without me, and we will have our vengeance, I swear it”.

[TheDuncanMorgan]

The crypt of Fishgrove’s church was shrouded in complete darkness. Alicja was unsure how long both she and Christian had been trapped but she knew it had been a couple of days at the very least. Though their water skins had kept them alive for now, their water levels were starting to run low. Despite their best efforts to escape from the crypt, the debris that was covering the entrance was too heavy for them to move. Though she dare not admit it Alicja was afraid. She did not want to be buried alive in this terrible place; no one would even know what had happened to her. Though the burning pain was now less severe than before, she could still feel the pain radiating through her face. Alicja was currently sat upright against what she believed to be one of the stone coffins. Neither she nor Christian had spoken much since they failed to get out and the silence was torture. However the deathly silence was soon broken from voices outside. The voices were nothing more than murmuring and Alicja couldn’t make out what they were saying. Alicja then heard the sound of creaking wood followed by loud crashing sounds. Someone was trying to remove the debris from the entrance. Relief filled Alicja as she realised that she would not die down here as she had feared. However a new sense of dread soon emerged as she realised that whoever was trying to get into the crypt was unlikely to be an ally.

“Christian”? She whispered as the first rays of sunlight broke through into the crypt.

“I know I can hear them” Christian replied “Be on-guard whoever they are, it is likely they are with the Greensworth army”

“What should we do” replied Alicja as she started to stand up.

“I have a plan. When they come down I need you to distract them” Whispered Christian

“What do you mean ‘distract them’” snapped Alicja. She waited for a response and yet no answer came. As more light started to illuminate the room she realised that she couldn’t even see where Christian was. “Christian where are you?” said Alicja, though she tried to keep her voice down panic caused her to speak louder than she intended

“I think I heard something” came a woman’s voice from above

“You’re hearing things” a man’s voice replied “help me move this would you” he said as the last wooden beam was lifted out of the way. As they moved it small pieces of wood and ash collapsed into the crypt. Alicja quickly hid behind one of the stone tombs. The tomb was that of her great grandmother, a woman whom had ruled Ralda over a hundred years before Alicja was born. As she peaked out over the tomb she could see two people making their way down into the tomb. The first one to come down was the woman. She was of medium height and had short black hair. She was wearing leather armour and had a longsword sheathed at her side. The second person to come down was the man. Unlike the woman he was wearing chainmail and a metal breastplate. Alicja couldn’t see his head as it was covered with a metal helm. Both of them bore the Anjervine crest.

“Should we tell the others” The woman said as she walked into the center of the room

“Are you mad? I have been scrounging around this ash heap of a town for days and found next to nothing” the man said gruffly “If I find anything down here I’m not sharing it with any of those Greensworth cunts”. Alicja was at a loss of what to do. She knew that she would be captured once they inevitable found her. The only thing she could do was follow through with Christians plan, whatever it was. Alicja stepped out from her hiding spot, startling both soldiers and causing the man to immediately draw his weapon.

“Who the hell are you?!” He demanded as he pointed his sword at Alicja and started to approach her. Before he could get any closer however, Christian leaped out from behind one of the tombs closest to the stairs. Before the man even knew what had happened Christian had stabbed him in the back of the neck, right between his helm and breastplate. As the woman turned round she started to draw her weapon as Christian ran at her, knife in hand. By the time she had drawn her weapon it was too late as Christian thrusted his knife into her heart causing both of them to collapse to the floor. Alicja watched in horror as the ordeal played out in front of her; she had just watched her closest friend murder two people right in front of her. It had happened so quickly that Alicja was having difficulty coming to terms with what had just happened.

“What did you do” cried Alicja

“Keep your voice down” Said Christian sharply as he quickly stood up “There may be more outside”

“You just killed them” Alicja exclaimed

“And what other choice did I have. If they found us you would be captured and I would probably be killed” Christian paused for a moment as he calmed himself “Alicja I need to listen to me, we need to get out of Fishgrove now. The fact that they were here means that Fishgrove is still surrounded by enemy soldiers and if we don’t leave now they are bound to find us” Christian spoke more softly than he had done before. He knew Alicja was still in shock, but he also knew that they needed to leave now.

“And how are we supposed get out of Fishgrove, like you said it’s still surrounded by house Greensworth and Anjervine”. Alicja said. Christian nodded at the two soldiers that he had just killed.

“We take their armour and disguise ourselves. Hopefully no one will acknowledge a couple of Anjervine soldiers wandering through Fishgrove.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Both Alicja and Christian had finally finished putting on the Anjervine soldiers gear. Neither of them had ever put on armour before and the process of doing so had taken longer than expected. Alicja was wearing the man’s chain and plate armour. Though she found it heavy and uncomfortable she couldn’t risk being identified, and the helmet provided the best way to cover her face. They were finally ready to leave the crypt.

“Are you sure this will work” Asked Alicja “If they find out who we are then they will kill you for what you did to the Anjervine soldiers”

“I can’t know for certain, either way we don’t have much of a choice” Christian said. Alicja and Christian briefly looked at each other before walking out of the tomb into the ruins that Alicja once called her home.

[MacabreFox]

When Words Are Pried From Under Lock and Key

A collab by @Sundered Echo and I.

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With no sound permeating the walls of her chamber, save for the gentle crackling of burning logs in the hearth, Aurelia gazed steadily into the licking flames of dancing light with fingers curled around the carved arm rest of her high-backed chair. The only light source in her room came from the light of the fire, which cast long shadows over the objects in the chamber, though she didn't mind the lack of light therein, as the sole source provided enough illumination. Her mind wandered over the events of the day, she had ventured down to the Grand Library earlier to search through the private collection kept under lock and key, and returned to her tower with several tomes and scrolls concerning the matter of magickal growth. After pouring over the dusty tomes for hours on end, she decided a break was well deserved, and now, as she contemplated the possible outcome of her research, Aurelia knew that she was running out of time. The problem that perplexed her presented itself in the fact that enchanting the land, or the water to produce more crops, particularly cotton, would prove quite difficult. In fact, she began to wonder if the feat itself, that she desperately tried to accomplish, was out of her reach. She knew that plants, and animals could be enchanted, and they would grow exponentially larger, yet the problem came when storing energy. With a shake of her head, she pushed herself out of the chair and sauntered over to her desk, where a half-empty bottle of wine stood. Grasping it by the neck of the bottle, Aurelia shunned pouring herself a cup, and decided that drinking straight from the bottle would suffice. She sank into the soft cushions of her chair with a sigh, bringing the lip of the bottle to her mouth, the sweet flavour of wine washed over her parched tongue. As she placed the bottle in the crook of her arm, her eyes returning to the hearth fire, an idea presented itself vividly in her mind.

Lana…

Nearly a month had passed since she had last heard from her friend, and in the back of her mind, Aurelia knew that Lana could suggest ideas that she had yet thought of, her lips curled upwards at the corners into a delighted smile. Now if only she could rise from her chair and make her way to her desk, perhaps write a letter and have it sent out by early morning tomorrow.

At that very moment, a small nightingale with a decidedly out of place red patch around its neck landed on the balcony of the tall tower. Lana could see that Aurelia had a half empty bottle of wine in her hand... Not even having bothered to pour it. Her friend looked haggard, clearly over-working herself. That wasn't entirely unusual, but usually she managed to remain a little more composed. The bird hopped to the middle of the balcony and was suddenly engulfed in magickal energy.

A moment passed, and where before a bird had been, now a pale skinned woman stood. A shiver ran through Lana as she realized she was not dressed for the nights cold air - she still had her finery from her meeting with the King on, though now without the illusory baubles. A quick wave of her fingers over the door handle and a spell undid the doors latch, allowing her to open it and quickly step in, closing it behind her before too much cold air washed in. This wasn't the first time she had payed her friend a surprise visit, nor would it be the last - while Aurelia was happy to write letters back and forth, Lana preferred to speak face to face.

"Hello. I hope that bottle's not empty yet..." She said, walking over to the fire and holding her hands out to warm herself.

"Lana!" Aurelia cried, starting at the sound of the balcony door opening. Her cheeks flushed as she sat up straight in the chair, placing the bottle of wine on the floor.

"I didn't expect to see you so late..." She began, eyeing her friend's attire as she realized, that for once, without the use of illusion, Lana had gone to great lengths, and put on a fashionable dress, not that her friend lacked such attire, rather that she knew Lana preferred the use of her magick skill to trick the mundane folk into thinking she appeared wealthier than she was, or at least tricking them into realizing how stupid they were, there were some occasions when Lana had gone completely in the nude, yet wore the illusion of her being fully dressed.

"Nonetheless, I am happy to see you. I was just encountering some issues with my research. Where did you come from? A ball of some sort?" She teased as her lips curled into a playful smile. She pushed herself hastily to her feet, and picked the half-empty bottle of wine off the floor beside her chair. She moved to her desk, and whispered a cleansing spell over the bottle. Then she proceeded to empty the contents of the red wine into two silver chalices.

Lana smiled at Aurelia's surprised reaction. She took perhaps a little too much enjoyment from making people jump like that. Aurelia, of course, was not caught entirely flat footed. She made a face at the comment about her bothering with a full on gown, but when she spoke it was clear it was all part of the fun, she wasn't really annoyed. "I went to see the King today. You'll be pleased to know that we are now legally safe from burning... Since then, its been ceaseless letter writing and coordinating with some of my more warlike colleagues. Even knowing that their service will bring about change for the better for our kind, some of them still wanted more coin..."

She stopped herself then, taking the offered chalice as she realized she was babbling. "But I digress. Its good to see you with a smile on your face." She said, smiling herself and taking a sip of the wine before continuing. "Its been too long since I tackled a magical problem instead of a political one. How can I help?"

When Lana received the offered chalice, Aurelia caught a glimpse of the women in the reflection of the silver mirror hanging on her wall, where a curious impression crossed her mind, fire and ebony, though she let the thought be when she came to understand the full meaning of her friend's words. "Legally safe from burning, eh? Marvelous work Lana, 'tis a new day for all mages!" She raised the chalice in her hand as a proposed toast, hoisting it into the air as a sign of victory. "You will come to understand, if you are not fully aware by now, how tedious politics really are, especially for our kind. Now... as for my problem..." She brought the lip of the chalice to her mouth and drank heavily before casting it aside by placing it on her desk.

"I have permission to conduct royal research, you see, as I am certain you would know as well, that the Empire is in great debt to the Ironbark Bank. To level the increasing debts of this newly found war, I have proposed we use the means of producing lace to combat the looming deficit. Any woman would love to have lace as apart of her wardrobe, now you see, the problem lies therein, on how to mass produce cotton for it to be spun into lace. Silk would take far too long to produce, as it must be harvested from silkworms, whereas cotton can be planted and harvested in fields. I have tried enchanting the soil, but by my calculations, enchanting a large field, or several acres as would be the case, would require numerous mages to aid us, of which we do not have here in Nyhem. By planting cotton to be harvested into lace, not only would the price of lace be lowered considerably, as you know that the higher quality laces run around 1 gold piece. If we can produce high quality lace for three times less than that, even able to place it on the market for 25 copper pieces or less, any woman of any social class could afford to wear lace, even if she be the poorest woman from the Field Districts. The funds generated from the lace as a product in the market, would reduce the present debt, not all of it mind you, but it would be a significant amount." Here Aurelia paused in her speech, running a hand through her loose tresses and sighed in irritation, her brows furrowing in contemplation.

"The problem Lana, is how to enchant several acres of planted cotton. Enchanting each seed would take a considerable amount of time, and as I have studied, something with no life force has a hard time storing energy, such as the land itself, whereas soil has no life force, or pulse. Animals and plants can be enchanted, they will grow at an exponential rate, but where I have few mages in the city, it is near impossible to hire all of them for this project. Therein lies the problem. What are your thoughts?" She asked, reaching for the chalice once more, she would need more wine, that was certain. Thankfully she had another bottle on the shelf unopened when they finished what they had.

Lana gave a knowing look in response to the comment about the tedium of Politics. It was certainly true, and the vast majority of people didn't remotely respect her as a mage. She still drew a certain satisfaction from outmaneuvering people in that arena though, and she was proud of her achievements, particularly those benefiting mages. In her mind, she engaged in the political field so other mages didn't have to.

She was still quite happy to have the diversion of a purely magical problem however. Her knowledge wasn't quite as broad as Aurelia's, but she was still very capable, and she leaped at the opportunity to help her friend.

"An excellent plan, once that rather unfortunate wrinkle is solved." She stated, half tempted to conjure up some excessive illusory lace onto her own outfit as a joke. "I have a few mages in the city who might be willing to help as a favor to me, though it would by no means be something they devote all their time to. Still, a little extra manpower might help." That was the easy part for her - exploiting her web of connections to throw more people at the task. Something she knew the solitary Aurelia wasn't quite as able to do. But it wouldn't be enough in this instance. Three or four more mages wasn't enough for such a large scale project.

"Hmm..." Lana sipped her wine as she thought. "Perhaps... rather than focusing on the individual seeds, we focus on the area... Powerful enchantments on several key objects that create an aura-like effect. The growth rate would be uneven, and the enchantments would likely need regular maintenance, but we'd only need to carry out a few individual enchantings. I am unsure what you might use as the anchor for such enchantments though." She looked to Aurelia then, hoping the younger mage would be able to further develop the idea.

"An aura-effect... Yes... Why didn't I see this before?" It was then that she came to a conclusion, the missing key, the one small spec that she had over looked.

"Lana you're brilliant! Yes!" She set the chalice down and embraced her friend readily, her face alight with joy, no matter how meticulous she made her work, no matter how much she scrutinized her notes, and poured over tomes, reading by candlelight for the past few days.

"I'll have to conduct more research, if you will extend me the favor of asking your fellow Mages to help me, I will be greatly indebted to you. I believe that, with the provided irrigation systems, take for example, a water wheel, where the water endlessly spills over, end over end, continuely flowing, the energy generated from the constant turning of the wheel, if redirected onto a nearby field that alone would produce a constant aura, while you're right about the uneven growth over the land, it would still enhance the growth of planted cotton. I would need at least one another Mage, perhaps if they were to work in alternating shifts, one visiting the water mill every other day, that would garnish enough enchantment to sustain it. If you can Lana, the only other thing I ask, would you send word to the other mages here in Nyhem, asking them to send word to other mages they know, the more we can assemble, the better. I'm sure that I can conceive of a way to pay those that come, to cover their needs. We're at war again, Lana. It is time for us to think as if we are in the thick of it!" She said, the words spilling from her mouth so fast, she worried that Lana would not catch the entirety of her plan. Now she awaited her response.

Lana was surprised by her friends sudden embrace, and did her best not to spill any wine from the sudden motion. "Well, it is still your plan overall, you deserve most of the credit..."

She smiled at the enthusiasm Aurelia showed in solving the problem. This really was her element. "I got the idea from how I sustain my larger illusions. The central aspect is by far the most stable, everything else moves around it and... Actually its nothing like that." She said with a grin as she realized how different the two concepts really were. "But the genesis of the idea doesn't really matter..."

She continued in a more matter-of-fact way. "Of course, I am always doing my best to organize the mages of the area, though I shall redouble my efforts. These are tumultuous times, but great opportunity for our kind exists now. I fully intend to take advantage of that. In the mean time I'll call in those favors and get some of the local mages to help with your plan." She continued sipping her wine, enjoying the sense of accomplishment that was strong in the room and thinking on the next subject she planned to broach.

Aurelia seemed quite happy now, showing no signs of being out of sorts. Lana wondered for a moment if it was merely being stumped on her project that had caused her friends perturbation earlier. Many of the signs pointed to that being the case... But, Duncan had definitely reacted earlier. His reaction did not fit with the idea that it was a magical issue upsetting Aurelia... Still, she was not in a hurry to broach what would probably be an upsetting topic with her friend after bringing such joy, and so she continued to enjoy the moment.

A lull in speech occurred after Lana's last words, Aurelia had heard her, for she nodded her head, but her thoughts were elsewhere. Clearing her throat, Aurelia strode across her chamber floors, and cast open the paneled doors to the balcony. "Lana, join me on the balcony, won't you?" She invited her friend, glancing over her shoulder with a smile mixed with courtesy and confusion. She fetched the bottle of wine, her chalice, and proceeded out onto the balcony. Tonight, on a clear night as it was, the stars shone brightly above, a stray cloud lingered lazily in the heavens, illuminated by a sliver of silvery moonlight. There she stood gazing down into the royal gardens below.

"Did Duncan say anything to you during your meeting, in regards to me?" Her words were hesitant and uncertain, as if she was nervous to speak the next words, and in truth she was. Duncan's behaviour toward her, perhaps her own fault, had been cold and curt. She wondered who was at fault now, she concluded that it was her for being so aloof. Had she taken his words out of context?

The moment soon passed as Lana noticed Aurelia grow distant. Her thoughts had turned elsewhere, perhaps even to the subject Lana had intended to broach. She stood and followed, chalice in hand, shivering a little as she re-entered the cold night air. Her dress was not designed for warmth. She placed her chalice delicately down on the railing of the balcony and looked out over the city as she spoke.

"I asked him if he knew what had been disturbing you of late. He said he didn't know... But he was extremely eager to change the subject." She turned to look at her friend then. She wanted to see any reactions that may occur. "Aurelia... What did he do?" She asked somberly.

"I... He didn't do anything Lana. Rather it was what we said." She hesitated to proceed, choosing her words with a deadly precision. Aurelia didn't want for Lana to misinterpret the situation that had unfolded between them.

"You see, we were in his chambers, before he moved to the King's, and we were in a deep discussion. There was plenty of wine involved, I almost knocked over a candelabra and set myself afire, feeling a bit heady I was. I suppose I may have acted out of boldness, for I sat myself on his desk and touched his cheek." Biting her lip hard, Aurelia closed her eyes. Sisneas, she certainly made a fool out of herself.

"He alluded to the idea that he cared for me, more than just a friend." She whispered, turning to gaze her copper-haired friend, eyes wide in earnest. "I don't know what overcame me Lana. You of all people, you know me best. I... I've never loved anyone before. I'm afraid to."

"I fear I have entered into an arena for which there is no escape but disappointment. These past few days, I have busied myself with research so as to avoid him. Yet in my avoidance, I fear that I may have ruined our friendship. He was the only one I could trust while Heylot ruled, he helped me ease into the life here at the keep, taught me what to avoid doing so as not to upset Heylot, and even when King John sat upon the throne, he vouched for me to stay on the council when I could have easily been replaced."

"Aurelia..." Lana began, somewhat surprised. She didn't know quite what she had been expecting, but this wasn't it. The surprise was evident on her face and she was, for once, at a loss for words. She put the chalice to her lips and drained the rest of the wine from it to give her a moment to think. This was excellent news. Her friend, though she was afraid to acknowledge it, had found love! Lana would do her best to help Aurelia to realize what a wonderful thing it was. Of course... It meant something else too. If she could encourage the pair into marriage, it would greatly help with her agenda, and mean she wouldn't have to try to make him fall for her, a plan that suddenly seemed far less excellent now she knew that its success would hurt Aurelia. But that was long term. First she needed to talk some sense into her friend.

"You worry too much... If he truly does care for you, no brief period of being ignored will change that." She paused a moment to let the statement stand before continuing. "I cannot say I am an expert on matters of the heart... But I know that it wants what it wants, whether the head agrees or not. If you love him, and you don't act on your feelings... You will never forgive yourself. You know now that he cares greatly for you, but do you love him? We can decide what to do from there." She hoped her words would helping, she really wasn't sure how best to approach encouraging her friend in this matter. She added at the end. "You're my friend. I will be here for you no matter what happens."

While Lana's words made sense, sense for any typical woman conflicted with her emotions regarding current state of a lover, Aurelia was no typical woman, and while her friend had sought to console her worries, she only felt a surge of desperation, a strangled mix of emotions that enveloped her like a city sliding into the watery depths of the ocean. "Lana, were I a normal woman, easily struck with love, and tactful in my domestic skills, perhaps I would relish in the idea of having a man, and a man such as Duncan himself, have even the slightest interest in me for a spouse."

"I do not know how to love, or what love is, Lana. How could he possibly expect to love me, when I would not even understand how to reciprocate these emotions? And what emotions I have, I do not know wholly. Surely, I regard him with the deepest sympathies as a dearly beloved friend, like I do for you, yet to be intimate, to trust another whole-heartedly that they will do you no ill will, is simply terrifying." Her heated passions were soothed by the breeze that cooled her fervent brow damp with sweat.

"All my life, I have focused on one thing. That is magick. For I know, that magick will never fail me, it is ever present. Love? To me that is a fool's idea, it is a dangerous realm filled with fallacies, where human nature is drawn into danger territories. I... I do not know what to say, my dear friend."

Lana was taken aback by the strength of the emotion in Aurelia's voice. It was rare to see her like this, normally she did her best to remain reserved. Lana decided to change tack, she doubted she could persuade Aurelia of anything while she felt so strongly, nor did she feel that it would be right to manipulate her closest friend in a dishonest way.

"I wish I could provide more counsel. I have never found a man who felt strongly for me who was worth my time. I can only say that I feel, if I did find one, I would not hesitate, even if I knew it would bring pain in the end. Magick is constant, I will always have that, but pain and joy are both fleeting. Thus, any chance for joy that reveals itself to me, I do my best to make the most of, even knowing it will pass." She looked back to the city before continuing.

"Of all the men in the realm, I doubt you will find one better than he. He has stood by you through all things, and indeed, gone to great lengths to do so. It is true that human nature is fickle, and he may change, but at this moment, all logic points to him being consistent and honorable. He never judged you for lack of experience in the political realm, he will likely not judge you for not understanding the expression of an emotion you have so little experience with. And we know already that he does love you."

Lana was unsure of whether to make her next point now or not, given Aurelia's state. She knew her friend didn't take the same joy in politics that she did, and she was unsure of whether her friend would have the resolve to give so much of her life in the name of a legacy and a better future for all mages. She decided to leave the idea of politically motivated marriage out of the air for now.

She found reassurance in Lana’s words, while this talk left an odd taste in her mouth, Aurelia knew that she was right. If Duncan did love her, as she suggested, then he would not be bothered by a mere few days of strange behavior, if anything, Aurelia knew that she would have to face her fears eventually, and arrange a meeting for Duncan and her, perhaps she would wait after the coronation to approach him. The doubts in her mind were numerous, of which many she could not combat. How did anyone expect to her to be a loving companion when she alone could not display her emotions properly? It felt as if it were a curse, for pursuing her studies vigorously instead of learning how to be a normal human being, Aurelia was left with little social skills outside of the political arena. Then again, she was not a normal human, she was a Mage. She possessed magic, where a small amount of the overall population in Formaroth did not, the ratio between human and mages figuring to be roughly 500:1.

“There is truth in your words, my dear friend. Come, do not let me keep you away from your much needed sleep with my petty problems of the heart. I am certain, in due time, that I will overcome and vanquish this problem properly. I may have to arrange a meeting with our Grace so that I may explain myself. Perhaps then, these matters will be cleared like the dust from carriage wheels on dirt roads, and settle once more.” Aurelia gestured for Lana to head inside, into the warmth of her chambers, where the chill of the night air would no longer plague either of them.

"It is no trouble to aid and counsel you my friend." Lana said with a smile. She followed Aurelia back into the warmth of the tower, happy that Aurelia seemed to have come to a fairly positive conclusion, and that she'd not need t bring up the politics of the matter in a coercive way.
For a time they spoke of far less important things - the latest developments in fashion among the ladies of the court, the latest news and developments in the field of magic, the novel Lana was reading. Among many other things, as they finished the last of the wine.

Then, with the moon high in the sky, they said their goodbyes properly. Lana once more went to the balcony, shifted into bird form, and flew away to her manor in the city below.

[AndrewCooper]

Onward to Battle
The main doors to the palace opened and out walked Andrew wearing his battle armour. His armour was very well made, it was strong but despite its appearance, it was quite light as well. The colour of the armour was black with orange highlights and it had the symbol of the house of Manshrew on its chest. As Andrew looked over the courtyard he could see his army it was massive ranging from the light infantry, the archers and all the way to Andrew’s elite guard. Andrew was proud with his men on how the army was able to gather at quick as it did.

“Andrew!” a voice called out. Andrew turned his head to see Diana with his nieces approaching him. Andrew was happy to see them before he departed to Telmarion. He embraced Diana in a big hug as he would not know when he would see his wife again. He then gave all three of his nieces a hug as well.

“I don’t see why you need to go.” said Diana “Alun is capable of commanding the army, you don’t need to risk yourself.”

“I have to go Diana.” said Andrew “Anyway Alun is away on an important mission to convince House Wulfrick to join us. Next to him I am the next best option to command these men.”

Andrew noticed the tear that ran down Diana’s cheek, it reminded him of when he last went to battle all those years ago. He lifted his hand and wiped the tear away from her cheek. At the same time Andrew was holding back his tears, now was not the time for tears.

“I promise I will come back and when I do I will come back victorious.” He went and gave Diana a kiss. He very well knew that he wouldn’t know whether he could keep that promise as his father once said to him “In the battlefield, anything can happen can promise victory or defeat.”

“Uncle Andrew,” said Mary. Andrew knelt down to look her in the eyes. “Please be careful.” As she said this Mary gave him a big hug. Andrew did the same still holding back the tears.

“Don’t you worry Mary, I will.” Said Andrew “I need to get going. Take care of each other while I am gone.” Andrew walked away while waving back to them and as he did they did the same in return.

As Andrew mounted his horse a member of his elite guard asked. “Are you ready my Lord?” Andrew turned back to look at his army one last time he said “I’m ready. Let’s move out!” As the army of Uzgob started to move out to head to Telmarion a tear ran down Andrew’s cheek. The same elite guard asked, “My lord are you okay?”

Andrew wiped away the tear and asked: “Do you have a family back home soldier?”

The guard replied “No sir.”

When you have a family that you care about, you’ll understand.” Said Andrew.

The guard acknowledged what Andrew had said he realised that his lord had much to protect besides his country.

Prepare for Battle!
It had been a few days travel from Uzgob but finally, Andrew and his army had arrived at Telmarion. Andrew could see a warm reception from both House Humber and House Lanistark as all three armies converged. Andrew then spotted the main tent where the leaders of the armies were to meet. Andrew dismounted his horse and walked to the tent. As Andrew entered the tent he could see Daeron Humber, both Maror and Serala Lanistark along with their head advisor High Magister Barden around a detailed map of Telmarion. Once they saw Andrew enter they turned to greet him.

Andrew Manshrew! Said Daeron.

Daeron Humber! Said Andrew. As they greeted each other they both offered their hands for a shake and they did.

“It’s been a while my friend, how are you?” said Andrew.

“I am doing well Andrew.” replied Daeron “How is your family?”

“A few tears when I left but they’re fine,” replied Andrew. Andrew then moved to talk to both Lanistarks.

“It’s an honour to meet you at last Lord Manshrew.” Said Serala.

“It’s an honour to meet the both of you.” Said Andrew. “I knew your parents very well they were great people to fight alongside with. It’s a shame they were taken away as they were. But I have the pleasure of fighting alongside you two in battle.”

“Thank you, Andrew.” Said Maror “This is our head advisor, High Magister Barden.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Barden.” Said Andrew as both men shook hands.

“The same for me Lord Manshrew.” Replied Barden “I look forward to seeing you in action.”

“Thank you, Barden.” Said Andrew. “Now let’s get down to business.

Everyone then circled the map. “So do we have any information about the enemy.” Said Andrew.

“We have spotted that there are at least two armies.” Said Daeron. “One is from House Tuania, led by Orland Tuania. The second is the mercenary group Steel Fist which is led by Claus Rotstein.”

“I see Duncan has sent his attack dog to do his dirty work.” Said Andrew. “No doubt he would want Claus to lead the armies due to his experience. This no doubt has caused a rift between Claus and Grandin which means their command chain is weak. We will use this to our advantage.”

“And how do you suggest we do that.” Said Serala.

“With these, follow me.” As Andrew left the tent the others quickly followed. As they all left the tent there stood a war elephant. It had armour covering its vital spots of its body like its face and the side of its body. On its back was a three seat saddle. Everyone who had left the tent beside from Andrew was shocked to see such a sight. Andrew calmly approached the elephant to stroke it.

“This will clear right through the enemy we will have a soldier directing the elephants in the right direction then we will have two archers on each side to pick off any of the enemy soldiers. When the enemy attacks we will send these guys in first to with both mine and Lanistark’s infantry will follow behind. That way we will thin out the enemy. Then that’s where your cavalry fits in Daeron when we either need the help or the enemy is nearing their end you will ride in to deliver the final blow.”

“What do we do when the enemy surrenders.” Said Maror.

“We chase them off and we capture any injured.” Replied Andrew.

“Surely it would make sense to finish them off.” Said Serala.

“Out of the question, we will not become like the DeReimers we will care for them as much as we can!” Replied Andrew. “No doubt the DeReimers will want their soldiers back in one piece and we will for a price.” Everyone looked at each other to see what they thought about Andrew’s decision on the matter but they knew that Andrew had the people’s best interest at heart. Eventually, they all nodded their heads in agreement.

“Overall, how many men do we have altogether?” said Andrew.

“Well now that your army has arrived, I believe that we have 125,000 at an estimate.” Said Daeron. At that instant, everyone including Andrew was shocked by the number this army would be one of the largest armies in Formaroth’s history.

“Remember that number my friends.” Said Andrew. “That number will go down in history and we will use it to crush our enemy and when we do that we will be one step closer to defeating the Imperial Concord and achieving peace and stability to all of Formaroth! Now prepare your armies we have a battle to win!”

As each member left to prepare Andrew felt confident about the coming battle and he knew that this battle would shake the foundations of this war.

[Klomster]

The day was at hand, banners were waving in the wind and the defence army was ready to march out, standing at attention for the commanders to inspect them one final time before the upcoming battle.

The plan was simple, they would move north to meet the approaching army of Andrew, wait it out at a defensible position and crush it as it tried to ford the river in the north. The Telmarion archers would prove excellent in this role. Any survivors would be captured and ransomed.
And it would of course not be cheap, Claus knew the value of prisoners of war.

Claus and Orland was walking together and inspecting the arrayed troops. A smirk let slip on the captain's face as they moved alongside the statuesque wall of arrayed halberdiers of the Steel fist, his men were superb and it showed in their stance.
As he turned to Orland with his proud a gloaty demeanor he was met with a rather unimpressed expression of the young lordling.

-"Are you not proud to have such fine troops help protecting your home?" Claus said while widely gesturing to his men, he snapped his fingers and the fist with a shout arrayed their weapons into a perfect wall of steel, arrayed in perfectly straight lines, not a single one at a wrong angle.

-"They are just mercenaries, no true honor or glory.... let's continue." Orland said with a fake yawn before it, while he did talk down about the fist it was apparent he wasn't really sure of what he was claiming.
Claus twitched once with his eye and grunted slightly, his smirk all gone and he looked rather displeased, but did not comment further and just waved his hand to the men who returned to attention with a single shout.

They kept walking, the regular mercenaries were a much more rag tag bunch. They did have some good armour, a ragtag mixture of ring mails, scale armours and one or two with some kind of plate cuirass or similar, but it was apparent that while they were well armed and trained, they were more like the usual picture of a mercenary.
The duo walked by the large number of mercenaries and came to the bowmen of Telmarion. Claus had to admit, the bowmen were excellent troops. He had seen them in training and in some drills, and they were very well armed with very good quality bows and everyone had a sidearm and many also had a small buckler.
But Claus saw how Orland shone up when going in front of the bowmen, smiling and full of pride, even waving to the arrayed bowmen.
Claus just rolled his eyes and made a mental sigh.
What kind of wrothful deity had he angered to be put together with what seemed like a spoiled lordling with an excess of national pride.

-"Now this is how proper soldiers should stand, proud, tall, gazing towards victory!" Orland said with a tempo that made Claus think this was a phrase that Grandin Tuania had taught him.

-"I cannot disagree, they are indeed impressive. They will serve well in the upcoming battle." Claus told openly as he walked up to a bowman, took hold of his chin and inspected his jawline.
He let go, pat his shoulder with a pair of harty slaps.
-"Won't you good sir?" A smile was formed on Claus face, the confused bowman looked at him and said.
-"Umm... yes sir, of course."

Orland met Claus sight as he turned to go back to inspecting the troops. Orland was practically swelling with pride. Claus kept smiling and joined him in walking.
They walked past the well drilled and proper concord troops and got to the militia.

The militia was a poor sight, Claus was very skeptical about this part of the force, he also was unable to hide this fact and looked like he had no hopes for them.
Their equipment was shoddy, not all of them had shields and he was sure that at least one of the spears he saw lacked a head.
In the very least they were standing in a proper formation, which was more than he had expected of them, but when that is the best impression so far...

-"And here is the brave men who have joined up, to protect their home and country from the hostile invaders! AREN'T YOU PROUD!?" Orland gestured towards the militia and shouted. He was met with a hearty cheer.
Claus walked up to a militia-man and yanked in the mans armour.

-"Why do you wear this?" He asked the man, whom answered.

-"To... protect my family!" Claus took a step back and raised his voice.

-"To protect his family, now that is a noble reason indeed! I assume each and every one of you hold such a honorable and pure reason to be here today." Claus paused for a moment and began gesturing and walking back and forth.

-"Each and every one of you hold such a grand reason in your heart, but look at our foes? Who seek to claim this land by force? What do they hold? Greed! Greed i tell you! Pure and unrefined, how do they stand a chance to the likes of you? Proud and noble Telmarians?" Claus pointed towards everyone with a sweeping motion.

-"When you stand there on the field of battle, remember the reason why you fight. And you shall see, that your foes will witness that purity and be forced to flee in your presence. Now... GIVE ME A CHEER!!!" Claus finished with a mighty roar and the militia made a violent and excited cheer, banging weapons against shields and stomping spears into the ground.

-"Now THAT's the spirit!!!" Claus shouted before returning to Orland, whom just looked at Claus with raised eyebrows.
-"You just need to tell them the right things. Then they will be even more ready for battle." Claus told Orland without looking at him.

The last group they watched were the battle mages. Not really as unison as the other troops admittedly, but Claus knew their prowess.

A while later, the army began to march towards the north. 53.000 strong. The multiple and varied banners were swaying in the wind, standing out in the column was the Steel fist with their straight rows of men and weapons, with their black banner waving in the wind, the white fist prominent upon its surface.
It was a days march or so to the fighting grounds, but Claus was sure he had left in good time so they had a lot of time to march and prepare defences.

After several hours, one of Claus scouts sought him out.
-"Sir, we have spotted the enemy force, i'm sad to say they seem to have already forded the river or arrived by ship. Regardless, they are on our side of the river."
-"Curses, oh well. We'll have to go with plan B, be sure the lieutenants get these orders. Dismissed." Claus grumpily acknowledged and turned to Orland.
-"You heard that?" Claus asked.
-"Yes, this will prove inefficient... oh well. We shall have the day regardless." Orland spoke and just kept on.
Claus had to admit, while the youngster might not be a tactical mastermind or a smooth diplomat, he did have faith in his forces.
But he could not shake this funny feeling back in his mind, he had a bad feeling about this. The plan was to face the enemy and prevent a massive land grab, he had hoped to intercept them while fording but would have to do with a defensive position and have a defensive battle.
He had a good position planned, open terrain, a few banks that could be used as defensive earthworks. He could even get stakes made for it for an even better position.
Claus just wondered if it would be enough.

[TheDuncanMorgan]

The grand temple was packed with what must have been near a thousand people. Nobles filled the second floor of the temple, looking down on the procession from above. Down below the common people of Nyhem had packed themselves onto the ground floor. The only empty space that could be found in the temple was the very center; a line leading from the entrance to the opposite end, where a resplendent chair had been placed. Next to it stood Grand Cleric Mildred, with a majestic crown held delicately in her hands. Every king and queen had a crown made especially for them, and Duncan was no exception. The crown was made from gold mined straight from Cawanor and was decorated with various rubies, emeralds and one large diamond at the front. The design it ‘self was rather simple but was still majestic all the same. Imperial guards lined either side of Duncan as he walked slowly towards the chair. As he made his way over, Mildred was making the necessary speech. Duncan however wasn’t listening, he had heard it all before at both Heylot’s and John’s coronation. It was nothing more than mindless religious chanting to make the whole event seem grander than it truly was. Duncan was dressed in red and black regal robes embroidered with gold trimmings. As Duncan neared the chair he could see the various important guests seated near the front. Anyone who was considered to be even vaguely important enough had been invited and it appeared that near everyone had chosen to attend. As Duncan sat down all eyes turned to him, some seemed happy to see him become their new king, while others watched on more warily. Finally Mildred had reached the only part of her speech that actually meant anything important.

“I now proclaim Duncan De Reimer, King of Formaroth” She announced as she placed the crown atop Duncan’s head. “Long may he reign” as she said. At this the entire hall joined her

“Long may he reign” they cheered in unison

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The castle’s gardens were livelier than they had been in years. The last time Duncan had seen it accommodate this number of people was decades ago during John’s coronation feast. The air was filled with the smell of rich food and the guests were wearing the best clothing they owned. Many had had their outfits made speciality for the occasion. The various nobles sat at different rows of parallel tables and a few were already too drunk to stand up. Duncan, along with the rest of the high council, sat at a higher table that stood horizontal to the others. On his left sat Cerlina and on his right sat Isabel. A number of Duncan’s invited guests had lined up to give him gifts; a way of congratulating of his new position, but more importantly a way of trying to gain favour with him. However most of the gifts were useless trinkets and ornaments, items that served no practical purpose and in Duncan’s mind were rather pointless. Though he made sure to smile and thank them for their various gifts, afterall appearances were important. Now more than ever. The final gift to arrive was more unusual than the others. For a start it was being carried by what looked like a blacksmith instead of one of the noble guests, the gift itself was a beautifully crafted mace to which a great amount of time and effort had been put into making. When the blacksmith approached he bowed before addressing his king. Judging from his stance and posture it was clear the man was a master at his craft, and had great experience addressing the nobles whom could afford his services.

“Your grace, I am here to present you with a gift from Claus Rotstein, leader of the Steel Fist Company” he said as he handed it over to one of the servants “he hopes that it serves our new king well” He finished. With this Duncan stood up before replying;

“The craftsmanship is truly something to behold, it is a shame he isn’t here for me to thank him in person, though I am grateful all the same”. Claus’s gift certainly had been the most unique and interesting so far. With this the Blacksmith bowed once more before he walked away. Duncan remained standing as he lifted his goblet. With this the rest of the nobles at the feast fell silent as they listen closely. “My friends, I thank you all for attending here for this historic day. Prosperity, stability and justice. These are the three things that our beloved king John promised us when he became king. However he was taken from us too soon for him to carry out these promises to the extend he wished, so I promise you that I will carry on his work and bring about a age of peace of prosperity for all. To a new age” Duncan proclaimed as he drank from his goblet

“To a new age” The rest of the guests repeated as they followed suit before they too drank from their goblets.

[MacabreFox]

Where Hope is Sown

---

A Collab Conducted By: @TheDuncanMorgan and I

By all standards, the coronation of King Duncan De Reimer went smoothly, and proved to be an event enjoyed by all. Hours after the coronation ceremony, when the council members returned to the keep for the evening, or at least, those not overly intoxicated, such as Aurelia and Alex, they went their separate ways. Duncan had returned only an hour earlier, the look of exhaustion evident on his face, leaving her to surmise that the preparation for the ceremony had left him with little sleep. Aurelia, on the other hand, while her mind remained restless after speaking with her dearly beloved friend, what sleep came to her was in the aid of a sleeping tonic she had brewed by a member of the Alchemist's Guild. Still dressed in her finery of crimson satin and gold chiffon, Aurelia determined that the best course of action to deal with the awkward coldness between Duncan and her, was to confront him directly, so she made her way to the King's chambers. Rigid and inflexible stood two guards dressed in ceremonial garb representing the city of Nyhem, in each hand they held steadfast to a polearm, and in the opposite hand, each retained a shield bearing their respectable coat of arms. As personal knights to Duncan, the newly ordained monarch of Formaroth, they kept guard over him, their sole duty to prevent any travesty to befall the new king. With faces hidden behind steel helms, Aurelia could not see their eyes for the shadow cast over them. She slowed her fast-gait, until she came to stand silently before them. When she did stop, neither of the guards seemed to pay her any attention, though she knew for a fact, that if she approached the king’s chamber room without granted access, they would draw their polearms across the entryway.

“Sir knights, I have business matters to discuss with the king before he retires for the evening. Will you give him word that, High Magister Aurelia Vyncetta wishes to speak with him?” Unwavering in her speech, she did not feel so strong within. Truly, for her heart palpitated like a war drum, banging painfully inside her ribcage. All of the moisture in her mouth evaporated, an indication of her own nervousness. Again, neither seemed to have heard her, for they did not move for several painful seconds, until the one on the left nodded. While the guard on the left opened the chamber door, the guard on the right moved to stand in front of Aurelia, blocking her passage until consent was granted.

"For fuck's sake." sighed Duncan as he knocked his inkwell onto the stone floor, causing it to shatter as the ink began to stain the stone floor of his room. He had been writing a letter to his brother regarding the events of the coronation. Admittedly he was exhausted, he had had little time to rest since the coronation and he was struggling to keep awake. The sun was starting to set outside as the day's last rays of sunlight crept through the window. He would soon have to light the candles before darkness engulfed the room.

“Your Majesty, Aurelia seeks a private council with you in your chambers. Will you have her, milord?” Asked the knight, as he poked his head around the door, his eyes having to adjust to the dimming light.

Duncan hesitated for a moment before replying. It had been a long time since the two of them had talked together, and the awkwardness from their last encounter had yet to resolve itself. He knew that he would eventually have to talk to her about it, though he still dreaded the prospect; after all Duncan always did find situations like this difficult to handle.

"Very well send her in." Duncan replied as he started to pour himself a glass of wine from the jug that was on his desk. As he poured, he noted that he had been drinking more regularly as of late, his new responsibilities as king had added to his stress and he found that alcohol helped to calm his nerves. Almost half the reigning monarchs of Formaroth had some sort of recorded drinking problem, and Duncan no longer wondered why.

When the guard nodded his head, giving her entrance to his inner chambers, the soles of her slippers made not a single sound as she waited for the door to close behind her. With a soft click, the door latched into place, giving the two of them privacy, and privacy would be needed for what she had to say. "Your highness, I hope you can forgive this intrusion, I know you must be exhausted from the ceremony, so I would like to keep this brief." She began with a slight curtsy, before taking a seat before his desk. While the accommodations for the king's chambers were new to her, her eyes scoured the room in awe, astonished at the king's quarters.

"I spoke with my dear friend, Lana. First, I would like to thank you for consenting to the new changes in our laws, for holding Mage's to a higher living standard, and going to great lengths to protect our kind. I trust that you will find that relationship to be deeply mutual, and a well respected one at that." She watched Duncan pour his glass of wine, and wondered how many glasses he had had previously. With not being as present in his life as before, one could say that Aurelia did not know of how their new king fared now under his newly appointed reign.

"However, that is not what brings me here today. There is a matter that I wish to address, one that concerns you and I. I'm aware that our relationship has entered a stalemate so to speak. Ever since that night, when I had far too much wine to drink, there were words exchanged between ourselves, words that put me into an aloof state of mind, one that I have found it hard to even concentrate on my research. I deem it best that we clear this matter up, so that I may continue on with my work in a peaceful state. I first would like to apologize for my cold and distant behavior, your highness. I hope that you can forgive me." She waited, her nerves stroked painfully thin already, confronting Duncan on an emotional level was simply something she never bothered with, until now.

"There is nothing to forgive" Duncan said as he gestured at the chair in front of him, "After all it was I who initiated this whole situation. I should be the one apologizing to you." Duncan went to drink from his goblet before he stopped himself; he knew what happened the last time he drunk too much while with Aurelia.

"I never meant to make you feel uncomfortable, and I hate that I was the one that caused this rift in our friendship. The truth is..." Duncan paused for a moment as he hesitated to continue. It would be much easier for him to lie to her, to tell her that it was nothing more than the words of a drunk man. Though Aurelia had stood beside him for years and honesty was the least he could give her.

"The truth is that those words were the truth, I have wondered if we could ever be more that what we are now. However judging from your reaction to this, confession, I acknowledge that you probably do not share these thoughts. As such I will bury these thoughts and continue our friendship as normal, if that is what you wish?"

With brows furrowed, Aurelia listened on in agony. Not that she, herself, suffered physically from his words, rather she knew that were she not to tell him the truth, her conscience would not rest for many more nights, perhaps even months. While she moved to stand beside the chair, Aurelia did not seat herself before him. She had her own words to say.

"Before you do so. Allow me to explain myself further, your majesty." It felt foreign to address Duncan formally, but as it stood now, she knew that law obligated her to do so.

"I..." She paused, searching with vehemence to seek out the proper words befitting to what she desired to say. "You must understand, my liege, never in my life, have I ever loved another. All my life, my sole focus has centered upon my academic pursuits, and when I became High Magister, upon the duties I must uphold. I will not lie, as it is not in my nature, but I share these very same feelings for you. For many years, you have been my only friend here within the walls of the keep. So you see, while you are my confidant in nearly all matters of castle life, I have never considered the idea of love. To me, love is a foolish notion, simply for I have never loved another. I... would be willingly to explore the possibility of a romantic relationship with you, though I beg of you, to have patience. I know nothing of courtly love, nor even how to act remotely so. You may even think me cold, but please, if our friendship is to evolve into something more... I ask that you bear in mind, my lack of experience in the realm of love." As she addressed him, all the while the apples of her cheeks continued to darken into a rosy hue. She would have cursed the wine, if she had had any to drink beforehand. Now, the moment she dreaded most had come, her confession of her feelings for Duncan had emerged. What would he say? Would he laugh at her? Would he turn her away? Would he accept her words? The knuckles on her hand turned bone-white as she gripped the edge of the chair firmly in her hands, were she any stronger, she would have broken the wooden frame in pieces.

Duncan was at a loss of what to say. This was not the response he expected, but rather the one he had hoped for. "I am extremely happy that you are willing to at least give it a chance, I must confess I didn't think you would ever view me in that way." Duncan replied with a smile.

"I understand your wish for me to be patience, I myself remember when I first engaged in a romantic relationship. I know the same fear and nervousness you are feeling now, when me and..." Duncan suddenly stopped himself, not willing to re-surface memories of his past love.

"What I mean to say is I will do as you ask of me".

He had accepted her ideals of patience, which caused her shoulders to slump in relief. At least he had not turned her away. Yet, when he revealed that he had entered into a romantic relationship before, he quickly changed the subject. Had someone he loved caused him pain? She did not press the matter, and instead, sought to take her leave.

"Thank you... I... so what happens now? I expect you to be the one to lead me on this path, Duncan." It was the first time in sometime that she had addressed him by his first name after the coronation ceremony. Delicate matters were discussed, though Aurelia found the situation to be tense and awkward even more so, Duncan seemed to sense this and decided that they both ought to get what sleep they can. In the meantime, plans for a private encounter were arranged between the two of them before she departed for the night.

[Hygswitch]

The Ruins of Crosskeys, Ralda

unscrupulous collaboration by @TheDuncanMorgan & @Hygswitch

Alicja and Christain had been traveling for over a day. Their ‘escape’ from Fishgrove had been easier than they predicted. All the soldiers whom had remained were too busy scavenging through the rubble to pay them any attention. They hadn’t even set up any guards at the gateway allowing them both the pass through completely unnoticed. Alicja and Christain been careful to avoid the main road, even in their disguises they couldn’t risk being recognised by anyone, afterall Ralda was now enemy territory. They were currently heading to the village of Crosskeys; the village elder was a woman called Marisa Winter and she had been a close friend of her father. Though Alicja had only met her a few times her father had always spoken highly of her loyalty. She was sure that she would keep them safe, either way she didn’t have much choice, anyone else whom she had trusted was either dead or no longer in Ralda. Alicja and Christain had since removed the armour that they had been wearing; it was too heavy for them to travel cross country. Besides, Alicja's now burnt face made for a far better disguise than a suit of armour ever would. Alicja’s injuries had been worse than she originally thought. They had stopped at a river during their journey across Ralda’s countryside and Alicja had been able to see the full extent of her injuries: The left side of her face was scared and her hair and been singed. Though the scaring would fade in time she knew that the damage done was permanent.
“We’re almost there” Alicja said gleefully; they had been walking near nonstop over the past day and Alicja was exhausted. Though as they neared Crosskey’s her heart sank as the sight of smoke rising from the village became clear.

An aging knight was crossing this strech of land deeming it relatively safe as the war had already passed through. He slowly made his way along the road on horseback, as he hummed a [link=youtube.com/watch?v=h6MXJJaec4I] song [/link] in his deep voice, thinking about this world wistfully.

The glory of war. Ah the bloody glory of war truely is something only someone who has never actually seen a war could have come up with. Sir Ramfrey was pretty certain of that. When it rolled around again this time, and a bigger one at that than he had seen so far, he already was fed up with it. He quickly saw his Page of a few seasons pack up and search out employment for one of the wargoing houses. He tried halfheartedly to stop the young man hungry for glory, but in the end let him go his way. There is no stopping the foolish from their folly, you just need to let them go. Ramfrey himself had kept his distance from the strongholds of nobles.

He had no thirst for blood and did not wish to be enlisted as some Lord's sworn sword, so he driftet the lands taking jobs from the smallfolk to guard them. Sometimes for nothing more than horsefeed, a place in a stable and some mead and food for himself. But there where worse ways to live through these times. Less honourable ways too. No one thought about the small folk much, and their lot was something he had no envy for. They where the true victims of their lords thirst for land and glory. Making a buck by helping and guarding them and from time to time giving a few looting solderies a thrashing was a not too bad way to pass the time. It was important to to get too troublesome for, or too close to the warhosts roaming the land of course, and best not to let too many people know ones identity, but there where other similar hedgeknights around.

He abandoned his thoughts as a pillar of smoke came into view behind a bend in the road. He stopped humming, sat up straighter and clicked his tongue. His Horse picked up a quicker gait and he quickly made his way to the next hilltop, unmounting there to scan the scene presenting itself before his eyes.

The village had been completely ransacked. Smoke rose from the cindering rubble of what used to be houses. Corpses littered the soot covered road and whomever had carried out the raid had already looted them. As Alicja and Christian neared the center of the village the worst atrocity came into sight. The body of Marisa Winter hung from the village tree, a dagger had been stabbed into her eye and a wooden board hung from around her neck. Across it read the words ‘traitor’. Alicja and Christain stood frozen on the spot, a clear look of horror on their faces.
"This is vile" Alicja spat. She wanted nothing more than to tear her eyes away from what stood before her, but as much as she wanted to, she just couldn't. How? how could her homeland fall into such a state? What did the people of Crosskeys ever do to earn such a terrible fate. She finally managed to turn away to face Christain, but before she could talk to him she was interrupted by the sound of thuggish voices coming towards them. The source of the voices soon came clear as five Anjervine soldiers came into view as they walked out from the only house that hadn't been destroyed. While all of them were only wearing leather Armour, they were still armed and clearly dangerous.
"...Then where else did you twats put it" Blurted out one of them; an extremely ugly man with a bald head. Judging from his demeanor and tone he was likely the one in charge "I gave you my dagger when I strung her up, so unless you managed to loose it when..." he stopped once he saw Alicja and Christain. Initially there was a look of shock on his face, but it soon twisted itself into to a disturbing smile.
"Looks like we still missed a few, I guess we should remedy that" He said with a cruel laugh as all five of them drew their weapons and charged towards Alicja and Christain. Though both Alicja and Christain still had their weapons this was not a fight they could win. It would take a miracle for hem to survive this.

Ramfrey had left his trusty steed before reaching the crest and in a careful ducked way crept upward to inspect where the smoke was coming from. Lying on his belly he scanned the village, or what was left of it. The Town square could still be made out, but only because it was less covered by rubble and ash. Around it the blackened posts of burned down buildings blackly stuck out of piles of debris. He sighed in a fatigued way, as in his mind Sir Berdigs kindly voice told him; ‘Another village burned to the ground, do you remember boy?’ He looked sideways into the blue face of his dead Master. “You are not here.” He said in a hoarse voice as he made out the sad tree with a dead person nailed to it. ‘I am not, you buried me.’ The spectre admitted. “So stop talking to me, I am trying to do something here.” ‘Look that one building is still standing. Did you see the horses behind it, boy?’ He nodded. “You only know this because I do.”

At that moment the movement of something at the periphery of his vision dispelled the haunting vision of his dead Sire. Two wayfarers where nearing the village, despite the distance it was clear that they where rather young. He looked back towards the lone surviving house to see movement behind the windows. The horses seemed unsettled and one of them whinnied loudly. There was definitely a small looting party there, likely the rearguard to the raid that had done this. He touched his swords handle. “My Lady, seems like we will need to defend some wayward wanderers.”

As the Soldiers raised their short swords and closed in on Alicja and Christain, Ramfrey galloped down the mountain, for now unseen. Christain had deflected a first blow from the bald leader as Ramfrey was upon them. In full gallop he burst into the armed group, striking down one of them and trampling another. He fell from his mount, falling onto one of the soldiers. A shrill yelp at the pain of being rammed, disclosed that this soldier was female.

Ramfrey grunted as he fought her for a moment, he could not bring his sword to bear this close, so he made quick work of the woman by plunging the dagger from the small of his back into her side. She ceased fighting as he scrambled to his feet, Sword still in one hand, dagger in the other. In two strides he held the tip of his sword at the bald mans throat, who had managed to back Christain and Alicja to the tree.

“Yield.” He demanded in a deep rumble. Keeping the fifth and so far unhurt soldier at bay by throwing him short glances and slightly raising his dagger. “You saw what I did to your other henchmen, yield.” The effect was rather enhanced by the wailing of the female soldier, and the fact that the one he had struck in the back was crawling away with great urgency, from his trampled comrade's dead body. “Are you hurt?” He said, in a slightly softer rumble to Christain and Alicja.

Alicja had watched the ordeal unfold in surprise. This stranger had appeared from no where and in a matter of seconds had seemingly defeated all five of the raiders in a matter of seconds. The skill at which this man wielded his blade reminded her of Godwyn. Alicja opened her mouth to respond, however she stopped as she noticed the bald man drawing a short sword form behind his back; clearly trying to stab the stranger while he was distracted by his comrade.
"LOOK OUT" she cried desperately trying to warn him in time

Ramfrey had not really expected any of them to actually make a move. It was reckless towards the life of the other to do so, thus he was caught by surprise. He managed to deflect the blow with the dagger in his offhand, as he let himself fall backward. The blades very tip grazed his eyebrow on the down swing and came dangerously close to his eye. The accumulated adrenaline made the scene unfold curiously slow for Ramfrey. He lost grip of his own sword in the quick movement. The bald man's sword buried itself in the ground and the man nearly fell, surprised not to have hit the knight properly, he grunted loudly.
The other soldier took the moment to attack too, as Ramfrey landed on his bottom beside him.
A lot happend quickly but after an instant the struggle was at a standstill again.
The knight had stopped the man's attack by quickly unbalancing him with a kick and deflecting his blow with his dagger. What the assailant had not expected was that Ramfrey had, after letting go of his sword, been able to produce his second dagger that was now buried in the man's belly.

As he freed himself from the soldier the bald man was upon him again. Crossing both daggers in front of himself he was able to catch the blade. He again kicked upon his foe, with both feet this time and by rolling sideways and using this leverage he freed the sword from the man. Sword and both daggers flew away from both of them, lying on the ground now.
"I said yield! Damn you!" he bellowed at the other.
Their eyes met, ramfreys one eye occluded by his brows strong bleeding running down his face. Both tried to crawl for the blades in the same moment, but collided and soon they where rolling on the ground trading savage blows. As he fell, or when the other soldier had tried to kill him Ramfrey must have taken a heavy blow to his lower back, it hurt quite a bit, and thus he was at a disadvantage and soon the bald man was on top. He was now choking ramfrey, Who was pinned below. Trying to loosen the bald man's iron like grip was futile or so it seemed.

Christain wasted no time as he watched the bald man choke their rescuer. He had saved their lives and he could at the very least return the favor. Christain charged towards them with his sword drawn. The bald man was too focused on the knight to even Acknowledge Christain. Christain stabbed his sword into the bald mans back causing him to spit up blood. The bald man's grip loosened around the knights neck as he tumbled over sidewards. Christain stood over the man, as he raised his sword above his head the bald man shrieked out
"WAIT" he cried as Christain brought his sword into the man's skull. Alicja had quickly rushed over the the Knights side and she gentle helped him to sit up
"Are you alright sir"?

Ramfrey coughed, still greedily catching his breath. He nodded, wiping away the blood from his brow. It was not as bad as he had feared at first, but this side of his face was still quite slick with it. He grunted a bit as he patted his torse, a stabbing pain coming from there, probably an effusion from falling. "I've been worse, me lady. I assure you about that."

As hard as he tried to hide it Alicja could tell that the man was in pain.
"Please good sir let me look at your wounds it's the least I can do for saving our lives" She said as she reached into her leather pouch; during her journey across Ralda she had collected various herbs and ingredients. "May I ask for your name sir, judging from your skills with a sword I imagine you are more than a common sell sword. My name is Alicja" As she said this Christain threw her a sudden glace. Alicja quickly grew silent as she realized what she had done; Christain had been constantly telling her to be careful with whom she gave her name to, as anyone could be a enemy and yet here she was revealing it to a complete stranger.

Ramfrey chuckled at that, maybe with a tad of bitterness. "Ah you are observant, me lady, but not yet wise. This is neither the time..." he stood up, sighing and grunting. "...nor the place to clean wounds or communicate details like our names" He collected his weapons and sheathed them, then by calling actually made his horse come back to him "If you do not possess an own mount you can both ride with me, at least until we are at a save distance." He sighed again and added in a lower voice."If these here were mere ruffians we could take one of the horses as I have decimated their number." he grunted heavily as he mounted up "But I am sure they are part of a warhost, and it would not be wise nor honourable to steal from their lords." He looked over at those still breathing soldiers. "As much as pillaging like this in itself is neither."

"Will your horse be able to carry both of us sir?" Alicja said as she put her various herbs back into her pouch. The surviving Anjervine soldiers had started to limp away while Christain glared at them venomously. Alicja had only just realized that their presence here made no sense. House Greensworth had taken control of Ralda, so why were Anjervine soldiers raiding through the countryside? A question she would have to ponder over later. For now the knight was right; they couldn't stay here.
"Very well, we will follow you" She said confidently "lead on"

***

They had made a hurried, but not hasty escape from the ruined village. First all three on Ramfrey's horse to get away before reinforcements to the soldiers would come searching for them. After about an hour or two they instead took turns on the mount, not to wear it down too much.
As evening came they had set up a small camp in a hollow between trees, a bit away from the road. Ramfrey had insisted upon keeping the fire small, not to get any unwanted attention, he was now sitting bare chested as Alicja patched him up. He was really very trained and if it wasn't for this his slightly deformed chest would have been painfully apparent. The cut on his brow had scabbed up nicely, and aparently needed no aditional attention. Until then they had not talked much.
"So a highborn lady, roaming the land, having to be saved by an old hedgeknight." he chuckled, amusement glinting in his eye. "By the name of Alicja, no less." He mustered Christain for a time, his smile fading from his lips but still lingering in his gaze "You are not Ian though..."
"My name is Christain. You need not concern yourself with me, I am just a servant" Christain's expresion remained expressionless as he replied. There was a brief silence before Alicja decided to break it
"You seem to know my family quite well Sir Ramfrey, despite not orginating from Ralda"

"I used to know your father, he was quite the swordsman back in the day." He sighed. "Well I was quite renowned myself, but that might have been because of this here dwarfen steel sword falling into my hands at an early age." He looked back at Christain "No one is just a servant young Christain, every nobleman who wishes to be knighted, and I assure you most do, has to serve as a page and squire. Every Lord serves his King and his smallfolk just as much as they serve him in a way. We all serve, for better or worse, each at his station in life."

"Unfortunately I don't think many other knights share your view. Most nobles only look to serve themselves. Especially our new king, how anyone could support that snake is beyond me" Christain mumbled, like the Mazeltof's he too expressed a particular dislike for the De Reimer family. Alicja had finished patching up Ramfrey. She had done quite a good job of it despite having to make do with the few materials she had on hand.
"What brought you to Ralda, Ramfrey"? She said as tried to quickly change the subject "did you perhaps come to swear fealty to my father? If so I fear you are too late. Fishgrove has been burnt to the ground, I am unsure if father even lives" She said sadly. It tortured Alicja that she did not know what had happened to her family or if any of them were alive.

He was quiet for a moment, did she actually not know? That might well be the case of course, but still. He started by explaing how he came to be around. "I am not the youngest man, It has been...decades since I have been knighted. I know from experience that war is by its very nature a despicable, not an honourable business. And do not delude yourself it is a business, to the lords, to the knights, to the mercenaries. They all hope to get something out of it. Glory, land, prestige, money, renown, revenge."
He sighed shifting a bit. "Between wars and if there is no feud, lords tend to let go quite a few of their sworn swords. Still in peace you can make a living as a hedgeknight by attending tourneys, if you are good at this that is. Or if you have enough to live from you can roam the land quite freely, see the world, get to know people, maybe take on a squire or two." He chuckled bitterly. "Excuse my rambling me Lady." He stared into the fire for a bit.

"No need to apologise sir" Alicja said with a smile. Christain though listening had a look of general dis-interest on his face.

"This time around, when war came, I was not sworn to anyone, and believe me my taste for honour and renown is quite sated. I let my squire join an army because he still had the hunger for this, but me." he shook his head, maybe defeatedly. "I was in no obligation to do so right away and thus kept to traveling the land, keeping close to the war hosts, helping smallfolk protect their livelihood, guarding travelers and similar things. Soldiers, once out of their commanders view are often times criminals, taking from those weaker then them, and outside their own dominion, lords tend to even encourage pillage and plunder." He shrugged. "I could delude myself and say that I am doing good, but most likely I am not. There are worse ways to weather a war, really and at times people pay in coin, sometimes with horsefeed and food, or a warm spot to sleep. "
He shot her a short glance ."Do not think me craven or disloyal please. I have been knighted way back in the civil war, after the battle between house Willow and Neptunia. I must say, it is not nice seeing a noble house fall, and even less so if it is the one you are fighting for.." he was quiet for a moment. "None the less I have been in service to quite a few minor houses loyal to both your house and the Manshrew's over the years, and have a high opinion of both. If I had been near Ralda at the beginning of the war, I would have sworn to your house at that very moment." He looked her in the eyes, intensely, the fire's smoke making his eyes red. He took some time to find his voice, and when he did it was rumbly and hoarse. "It pains me that I have to tell you this, but word on the streets is that the Mazeltof army has been defeated entirely by a Concord war host."
He held his breath as he was waiting for a reaction, his forehead deeply furrowed in sympathy.

The smile on Alicja's face disappeared. This news had even caught Christain's attention who was now on his feet.
"That...that can't be" Alicja said tearfully as she slumped onto her knees "The entire Mazeltof force? Surely some must of escaped via our fleet. What of my family, please tell me if you know. What of Pearl, Godwyn, Dilys?" Alicja stammered.

He nodded still looking at her sympethetically. He continued in a softer voice "There are contradicting rumors about what became of your family. I rather not speculate about this. A safe bet is that any remainder of your fathers army will seek out protection by the Manshrews. Family members of your's might be among these people." he added after a pause. "I am truely sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. I had only realised you did not know when you asked me...."

Alicja was silent for a while. Up to this point she had been holding onto hope that her family had escaped safely, now she knew it was unlikely that all of them had survived, if any. The silence continued as Alicja stared into the fire for over a minute. It still didn't feel real, everything that had happened; Fishgrove, Crosskeys, her family.
"You said that if any of my family survived they will be with house Manshrew"? She said finally "If that is the case then I must head their and see if any of them still live. I can go to Nyhem and get a boat to Coruneon from there".

He nodded. "This is the most likely save haven for them, at least when they manage to cross the sea." He stared at the fire again for some time.
"If you really wish to get to Nyhem, it would be wise to let no one know who you really are. So I need to ask you, have you been at court since you where a child? Is there a chance someone might recognize you, me Lady?"

"Not with this they won't" Alicja said as she pointed to the burnt scaring on her face. "Besides my enemies probably think I am dead by now, what with me being trapped in a burning church, as such no one will be looking for me"

Ramfrey nodded at that, looking at her again. A bit of his tension dissipated. Then he said, again quite softly. "Would you mind pretending to be a bastard daughter of mine? I have rarely been at court, but am recognizable enough, and I think it is an open secret that I did father children with a few of,....my conquests. It is a convenient lie." He looked at the young man then. "You could play the part of my squire, young Christain. What do you two say?"

Alicja glaced over at Christain who after a brief second, nodded in agreement.
"Very well sir Ramfrey" said Alicja

"It is settled then, on the morrow we travel for Nyhem. It would be best for the both of you to get some sleep."

[Sundered Echo]

Prelude to Negotiation

A Collaboration between @TheDuncanMorgan and @Sundered Echo

“Long may he rain!” Lana joined in the cheer throughout the hall, her voice thoroughly lost among the many others present. She couldn’t help but be caught up in the collective joy the crowd exuded, grinning from ear to ear as they new king took his place on the throne. The ceremony was filled with a lot of dull and often religious formality, but it was all very impressive, and that was what mattered. But now the most tedious part of the formalities were over, Lana would have a chance to really ply her trade.

She was putting on a grand illusory display. Officially it was her gift to the King, but she knew it wouldn’t impress him. He didn’t seem like the type to be cowed by a flashy light show, and being so close to Aurelia, magic was clearly no stranger to him. But impressing the King was for another time, the coronation was at its core, for everyone else. The nobles and commoners alike loved this sort of gathering, the nobles all got to show off and those of lower birth who were able to take part got to bask in the presence of their betters. Lana was simply going to be the showiest of all. Of course she would make sure everyone knew she was doing it in honor of the King, it was his day after all, but all the same, she would send the message that in the new regime, mages were back, and the King held their support and respect.

After the demonstration, the large crowd she had gathered began to slowly move away. They had been quite enraptured by the performance, but Lana knew that she was not likely to get any trouble from this crowd. The ones that still had a problem with magic were the lowest born peasants, particularly the outlying villages. Changing their minds would be far harder. She was about to consider leaving the event, or perhaps drinking a lot of wine while some of the castle's best stock was still available, when one of the king's servants approached her.

"My Lady." He began, with a small bow in deference to her rank as a Magister. "His grace requests an audience with you, at your earliest convenience after the coronation ceremony." She nodded, replying "Thank you for delivering the message. I will not keep him waiting." She took one last wistful look at the wine, then turned on her heel and strode away from what remained of the celebrations.

~Some time later~

Once again, Lana found herself approaching the Kings chambers with butterflies in her stomach. She was unsure what he wanted, and she could only hope he wasn't in some way displeased with her actions. She needed to keep him happy so that he would continue to grant concessions to mages and pass favorable laws. Still, if he wanted something from her, she had a few things in mind that she ask for as recompense for her services.

The guards at the door had clearly been informed that she would be arriving, as they quickly completed the process to allow her entry. When she stepped into the opulent chambers once more she saw Duncan in his usual place at his desk. She bowed, as was customary, then spoke. "Your Grace, you summoned me?"

Duncan had been lost in thought; his thoughts were completely focused on Aurelia and their discussion. He had completely forgotten that he had sent for Lanaya and was taken by surprise. "Lady Lanaya, forgive me I forgot I had invited you, please take a seat we have much to discuss" Duncan said as he gestured towards the chair that Aurelia had been sitting in.

Lana's immediate reaction was to be somewhat insulted she had been forgotten, but she made sure it never showed in her expression as she took a seat.

"No apologies required your grace. It has been a long day and you have countless other things to occupy your mind." She began. She noted his expression before speaking had been one of deep contemplation and perhaps a hint of contentment? It quickly changed once he had begun though. It made sense. Being officially pronounced King had to be one of the best days of his life.

"As you already know House Blackwell has separated from the crown and declared itself independent. Though they are not at war with us, I am uncertain of their motives, and uncertainty is an unpleasant feeling for me. I wish to see them join the Imperial Concord, and now that House Manshrew has attempted to assassinate Giles and his family, this is the best opportunity" Duncan said with a sly smile "As much as I hate to admit it the Concord needs Blackwell, we need their army and land, but we also need their weaponry and armor. Even Cawanor can't arm and supply all the of the soldiers under the command of the concord. Unfortunately house Blackwell doesn't look all that fondly on the De Reimer family and everyone on the high council either lacks the diplomatic skills needed or are otherwise occupied. As such I am asking you. Aurelia places great trust in you, and from our discussion together you seem to have the right temperament for negotiating with them. I can assure you I will make it worth you time"

Lana found herself pleasantly surprised by the request Duncan was making. He was asking her to act as a diplomat on behalf of the Concord and in doing so, putting great faith in her abilities. When she had been summoned, this was not at all what she was expecting. She took a moment to compose her reply.

"You have my thanks, your grace, for your confidence in my abilities. I realize that securing Blackwell aid is extremely important to the war effort. I must warn however, for the sake of clarity, that I will not risk using my magic to beguile them into agreement. Setting up a comprehensive illusory scenario to push someone's opinion in favorable directions is a complex and uncertain task. In addition, Drevala Blackwell is an unusual mage, and I am unsure whether she has any expertise in detecting and dispelling illusion. This mission will stand or fall on words alone."

She was unsure whether to mention that she avoided heavy use of illusion around Duncan for the same reason - Aurelia would discover such very quickly. Ultimately she decided to leave that unsaid however, for it implied too many potentially paranoia inducing factors.

"I am curious, however, how you plan to make it worth my time. Other than my vested interest in seeing the Concord victorious of course."

"I would strongly advise against performing such tricks on him. Giles Blackwell is a strong willed individual, even with your level of expertise on such magic, he would see through such illusions. However I know you are wise enough to already know this. If not you would have likely of tried the same idea on me when we first met. I must say I am glad you decided against it, mages have tried such spells on me in the past and the consequences of using such tricks were not pleasant I can assure you" Duncan spoke with a mixture of calmness and seriousness. Though he didn't speak particularly aggressively or even unfriendly, it was clear he was letting Lanaya know the consequences of using such magic on him. There was a slight pause as he let Lanaya process what had just been said before he continued in a far more upbeat manner "From what I gather, House Dionisa has lost next to all it's influence and social standing to the point that most people outside of Nyhem are unaware it still exists. If you succeed in these negotiations I will restore your families name back to it's former glory; the manor house that originally belonged to house Dionisa here in Nyhem will be returned to you, various area's of land will be given to you and most importantly you will have a place here in the royal court" Duncan said with a smile.

Lana ignored the warning, she already knew that being caught manipulating leaders via magic would bring a swift and probably very unpleasant end to her career in politics. That was why she was so adamant about avoiding the risk altogether.

Her eyes lit up at the mention of having her name restored though. It was ironic that she would be going back to the original plan her parents had had for her, and she recognized that, but what she was going to do with it was so very far beyond their wildest dreams it was barely the same any more. She could not hide her enthusiasm for it even if she wanted to, and it would be clear as day in her expression that Duncan had her hooked with the promised reward.

"Your Grace... I am not often lost for words..." She spoke with a rare uncertain tone. She quickly composed herself, moving onto the business of the matter.

"I am quite familiar with the Blackwells, but I must ask two questions of you. First, if there is any knowledge that may help in securing their loyalty, any secrets or information that might be strategically revealed to them to gain their favor. And second, what are we willing to offer them? They will not be pushovers at the negotiation table, and a price will be exacted of us for their support... What price are we comfortable with? I imagine they will desire retaining their independence at the very least."

Duncan thought hard on Lanaya's question. In truth not even he knew much about house Blackwall; their presence in political affairs had always been brief. Not to mention, after all of his spies in Alenius had been killed during 'Manshrews' assassination attempt, there were no more reports coming out of Alenius. Finally Duncan spoke "I know that during the assassination attempt on Giles his daughter Naomi was severely injured. If you wish to appeal to Giles then I would suggest appealing to his sense of revenge" Duncan suddenly felt uneasy. He had heard many stories about Giles’ love for his youngest, and of his fury towards whomever might harm her. Duncan feared for his family's safety should Giles ever find out about the De Reimer's involvement.

"My offer to him is as follows: I will give him both the Kingdoms of Glarmion and Akki, making him one of the most powerful lords in Formaroth. We will also give him the chance to execute Andrew personally should the opportunity arise. Finally the De Reimer family is willing to arrange a marriage between one of his daughters and my brother Patrick De Reimer. Whichever daughter he choices will of course take up the De Reimer name, but he will gain a firm alliance with the De Reimer family. In exchange they will help fight the usurper Andrew Manshrew and Alenius will give up it's foolish independence to rejoin the crown". As soon as he finished Duncan lifted a envelope from his desk and handed it over to Lanaya

"Before I forget, take this. It will be useful in the negotiations. House Manshrew will likely play innocent on the matter of Giles execution and say they were framed. These documents contain all the information on the lead Assassin 'Aashiq Fadil'; they show that he works directly for Andrew and is one of his highest ranking spies. Our own spies were able to get these documents at great risk" Duncan lied. In truth the only reason he had the documents was because Aashiq had given them to Patrick shortly after he turned on house Manshrew to work as a double agent.

Lana listened intently as Duncan spoke. She already knew that Naomi was injured, Drevala had been quick to inform her of the attack and its results by letter. There was information she could use here, but she was unsure the Blackwell's would be willing to accept a deal that, if anything, secured the De Reimer families position even more thoroughly. That said, the lands on offer were valuable prizes, and given the Blackwell penchant for vengeance, it might well be enough, at least in the short term.

"Thank you your grace. This will come in very useful. If I may, one final question. It is well and good to secure an initial alliance, but to ensure it lasts, it may be advantageous to paint the Manshrew Alliance in as negative a light, from the Blackwell perspective, as possible. The Blackwell, and by extension the people of Alenius, have come to respect some very different values to us. If we can highlight the cultural differences and personal views of the various involved parties in such a way as to pain you and the Concord as being in alignment with Alenius values while Manshrew and his Alliance are made to appear the very antithesis of those values..." She paused to take a breath, she was already thinking of several points she could spin to this end and getting perhaps a little over-excited about it. "Nothing any of Manshrews very best diplomats can say will have any effect, for their words will fall on ears deafened by hate, not only for personal reasons, but for philosophical reasons. And so the question is, is there anything you can tell me of Manshrew's personal beliefs, or the beliefs of the other families, that the Blackwells and the people of Alenius will despise?"

Lana was in her element now. That the day had been long and oft tedious was forgotten. Now was the time to plan, and to find all the strings that would let her puppet a powerful family, without their knowing, to not only the Concords benefit but her own.

"I can see a couple of differences between the two kingdoms that would make Alenius hesitant to join up with the Manshrew Alliance. For a start house Blackwell fought against House Manshrew during the civil war. Not to mention House Manshrew supported the original rulers 'House Willow', whom as you probably already know were not popular with the populous of Alenius. A second is that Alenius values meritocracy and gives people power and wealth based on their usefulness to the Kingdom. However in Uzgob most people are of near equal wealth, and power is in the hands of very few. The people of Alenius would not prosper well under this new way of life". Duncan replied.

"Thank you your grace. I will fly to Mercy come the dawn. Is there anything else?" She asked of Duncan.

"No. You may take your leave." He replied, simply.

"Thank you your grace." Lana said as she stood, documents in hand. She bowed to him, as was custom, then turned on her heel and left. She would rest for what remained of the night, but with the rising of the sun she would need to alter form to a bird capable of long distance travel, with a more complex spell so as to carry the documents with her, and depart for Mercy. It would not be a quick trip, but it was certainly faster to fly than taking a carriage or even a ship.

[PhoenixWhite]

A Familial Dispute

"Damn it all, father, you can't just mount a war from nothing!" Eli shouted angrily, slamming his fist upon the large, engraved, map of Formaroth in the Mercy War Room. "Think of the logistics, the supplies, the manpower-"

"Conscript from the land en masse, men and women who have already sired children. I need an army. I've already written letters to some mercenary contacts I've maintained, and I've even sent a few letters to some old friends of mine. Eli, just do what I say." Giles' voice was cold, harsh, unwavering. It had been ever since Naomi had suffered her injuries. Where Eli's passion and anger showed on his face and in his words, Giles carried himself coldly and with great distance.

"I see. You plan on turning the kingdom into...what, a mercenary company? Father, that's idiotic, we can conscript but not that heavily. Leave the women to their children- why do you want to raise the women anyway?"

At this Giles scoffed and gestured as if the answer were obvious.

"Boy. When you think of men fighting, what image comes to mind?"

Eli paused and considered the question.

"One of the fighting rings, or soldiers with swords and shields on the field."

"Exactly. Each of those areas has rules. Even the battlefield, the warzone, is prey to..honor, rules, expectations. When two men fight they throw punches, hit the gut and face. When two soldiers clash they swing sword and parry and so on and so forth. Now, what do you think of when you imagine two women fighting?"

Eli paused once more.

"...Chaos. Clawing, pulling hair, spitting and biting and scratching."

"And absolutely nothing held back or reserved." The Old Man added with a wicked smile. "Think of your sisters. They may be exceptional individuals, yes, but they don't break this pattern one bit. I knighted Beatrice so that she may participate in tourneys, but she hardly ever fights fair now does she? She grabs and throws and punches and grapples and uses every advantage she has to fight her best. Drevala? She holds nothing back either. You and I? We play with our prey, we make sport of fighting. There will always be rules that men, unspoken and unbidden, follow in a fight, that simply don't apply to women."

"You're insane. No mother will want to leave her child to go to war." Eli frowned deeply, though his mind was whirring viciously at what his father said. Women did fight...much more chaotically and violently than men did, for certain. "You'll be destroying entire families."

"Manshrew just tried to destroy mine." Giles said, the stoicism of his face betrayed by a twitch of the lips. "Not a man or woman in Alenius will stand by under the threat we face."

"What makes you so sure? We're neutral now, we can profit immensely from the arms trade and build a fortune that would make us one of the richest kingdoms in Formaroth! You're threatening to take that prospect away from a people who have been destitute their whole lives. For generations, even! We can handle this more discreetly and more exactly than rushing to war, father."

The Old Man heaved a sigh and some of the energy seemed to drop from his shoulders. Eli's own passions subsided at the sight of his father, whom had always been limitless and unstoppable, drooping.

"Alright Eli. What do you suggest?" Giles asked dryly, and Eli instantly felt his neck hairs rise on end. This was a tone he'd never had his father turn on him. Eli had to stop under the weight of this...dry, emotionless, tone. This was a tone he had heard his father use against men who were moments away from being dead.

"...I propose we strike back more subtlely. Remember how we bled his forces dry in the last war? Let's do more of the same, let's cut off his supplies and thin his numbers. Let Duncan and his forces crush Manshrew's army, then we can sit back and watch as our vengeance is done for us while we build a fortune and amass an army of our own."

Giles' features didn't move from his unimpressed dryness. "Boy, this is all a ploy so you can make your own bid for that damnable throne." The Old Man cut straight to the point, crushing Eli's building energy for the plan. "Let those two fight it out, then sweep in and take everything for ourself?"

"Just trying to funnel some of your passions father." Eli replied in his own dry tone. "I think I'd be a better ruler than a snake or some lord stuck high on his honor."

"You'd be dead within a decade. That throne is a deathwish, it doesn't matter who the king is- that's all pointless. I want Manshrew dead, so he will die- there's no politics in this, Eli." Giles' drooping features hardened again. "And I won't be manipulated by my own son. Manshrew will die because he hurt my daughter."

Eli ran a hand through his hair and shut his eyes. This... stubborn old man, his father, was incredibly frustrating to work with. Didn't he see that the throne was within their grasp?! All they had to do was take it! Eli let a sigh out and opened his eyes.

"Very well father. We can expect diplomats from both Manshrew and De Reimer, without doubt. How do you wish to handle them should they arrive?"

"Manshrew; Break his diplomat's knees and send him crawling back. If Manshrew wants to speak to me, he can do it himself in person. De Reimer; hear his offer out, you can make a better judgement on it than I can. We'll not bow to him, however. If he wishes for us to be allies against Manshrew, it'll be on equal footing and equal terms. I've bowed to enough kings in my life." Giles said, turning away from the map. "Do you understand me, Eli?"

"Yes Father." Eli bowed his head to the Old Man and looked back at the map in the same movements, his frustration hidden well but still bubbling.

"Good. Address the people of Mercy later. Get me an army, Eli..." The Old Man paused and his stoicism seemed to soften somewhat, as he glanced at his son. "But do it your way."

These were Giles' last words as he left the room.

Eli cut his eyes up and watched as his father left, and once the door to the sound-proofed room closed, Eli violently threw a pile of parchment from the table and walked away with a yell.

"...Gods damn it all...alright...alright Eli calm down...You can do this..."

He went and picked up the papers and began sorting back through them.

"You can do this. You're so close... so close..." he muttered to himself.

The Lord Addresses Mercy

It was morning, and Eli was dressed in his a powerful outfit; his boots were black and worn from marching, his trousers faded from sun, rain, and wind. His tunic was black, and mostly hidden beneath a scarred, dulled, breastplate bearing the Blackwell insignia. On his arm was his leather falconeer's glove, and sheathed at his hips was his long, elegant, rapier. He wore no helmet or finery, though his clothes were of superior make- they were still simple.

However, despite the simplicity garb, there was an unmistakeable air of authority and power around Eli Blackwell. All who gazed upon him felt the weight of an intellect beyond theirs, the refinement of a lord, and the authority of a man who could be a king. He was a man many respected, and a few felt intimidated by, but beyond that he was a man who had a way with words and could see through deception with ease.

Accompanying Eli were two members of the Dragonguard, and a short man bearing the robes of an Alenius Mage.

The small group strode briskly from the castle itself and down into a courtyard, where there had been erected a platform. A large, very large, effectively massive gathering of people from within the city was present.

A few days ago, declaration had been made from the Blackwells that they would speak on Alenius, the fracturing alliance of the Soldier's Entente, the civil war, and the rumors of assassins in Mercy. That speech was to be today, and Eli Blackwell was the one to give it. His father's words- 'Get me an army'- still rang through his head and Eli set his jaw. He had a difficult task ahead of him, rousing a people was never easy...

But he did not balk from the task. He had thought hard about what needed to be said in the past few days, and he felt ready for what was to come.

He stepped up onto the platform and the Dragonguard spread out behind him, though the Mage knelt down. Eli cleared his throat once and spread his arms.

"People of Mercy!" He declared in a strong voice, before pausing. Only the chunk of people directly around him could have possibly heard him, though after a few seconds he glanced back at the mage who nodded to him.

"People of Mercy!" he declared again- this time his voice carrying over the entire crowd, as if he were standing right next to them. The mage behind Eli was working at amplifying the speech, and it was a rather succesfuly attempt at that. Only a few people here and there perceived something quieter or louder than it should be.

"I have called you all together to address issues most dire! Our nation is split in civil war once more! Manshrew and De Reimer squabble for a throne, and in the midst of this conflict our lands have come under threat!"

Eli left a pause here, partly for dramaticism and partly to let the information set in- build suspense. He began to pace the stage, full of energy, excitement, passion for the words he had to say.

"Your princess, my sister, your king's daughter, Naomi Blackwell has suffered a wound most grievous at the hands of assassins! Men bearing the sigil of house Manshrew, and weapons coated most heinously in poisons, have infiltrated the castle of Mercy and assaulted the men, women, and soldiers of this land. Some have died, others suffer from poison, but thanks to the efforts of healers, mages, and prayer others have survived. Naomi Blackwell is one who still suffers, and will continue to suffer. A man with a crossbow shot her and she became poisoned, and even now she lies still in her bed barely alive."

Another pause, once more letting the information set in. Eli folded his arms behind his back, adopting a somber air as he paced- the energy and passion not dissipating one bit from his words or actions. The people present, who heard his voice, erupted into whispers and angered yells. Everyone in Alenius loved Naomi, or at least liked her, and everyone was angered by the unwarranted and unforseen attack on their people in the castle.

"However..."

As Eli began the whisperings quietted down.

"It is not only our lives that are under threat- our very sovereignty, our independance, is under threat! A new king of Formaroth has been crowned! One who will expect us, in time, to bend our knees and accept him as our ruler! I say nay! Nay, Duncan De Reimer, you are no ruler over me!" He yelled, his somber mood shifting, subtley, to anger.

"We fought for our liberation! We fought for this kingdom! Alenius is a people who has suffered oppression, tyranny, bankruptcy, and cruelty more than any other people in Formaroth. We have fought to liberate ourselves of the oppression and memory of House Willow! We have fought to liberate ourselves of the fear and fire of dragons! We have fought to liberate ourselves of bankruptcy and debt, and now that we are at our strongest a new man- a man like any other, a man of flesh and blood... A man in a crown will ask you all to bend your knee, break your back, and give up the independance you fought and bled and worked so hard to attain!"

Eli threw his hands our, splaying his arms as if encompassing everyone present to hear his words.

"I say nay! I say Alenius will remain unbent! I say Alenius will remain independant, and that threatening our independance is just as evil as threatening our lives! I say that you, the people of Alenius, are a strong and worthy people. We have survived the flames. We have survived the crushing power of starvation. We have survived!"

Eli could tell his words were having an effect on the crowds, he could feel their energy building, he could hear their cries of agreement and their building passion- and he fed off of that, took their energy into his own and began to sweep the spark of excitement that had just flashed into existence and fan it into a flame of passion.

A flame of passion he needed to spread through the entire kingdom from his words. Words that were being penned down by scribes as he said them, words that would go through all of Alenius and build up the fervor he needed.

"People of Alenius, will you stand idly by as men, no more special than you or I, dictate who should live and die with words whispered in the dark? That men, who claim to be honorable and just, send assassins in secret to attack those of neutrality? Those who wished to stay out of a fight that didn't concern them?"

A resounding negative response flew from the crowd back at Eli- he had succeeded in enamoring the people with his words.

"People of Alenius, will you stand idly by as a man, no more special than you or I, expects us to bend and kneel and give up what we have fought so hard to attain? Bled, and sweat, and cried, and burned for?!"

Another resounding negative response flew from the crowd.

"Then, people of Alenius, I ask you this..."

He let his arms swing back down and left a pause, hanging on the crowd's silence as they awaited his question.

"What. Are. We?"

Eli shut his eyes as the massive weight of the cry that returned washed over him, left his heart beating fast with adrenaline and excitement...

The cry that the people of Mercy had returned was one filled with the weight of passion, anger, patriotism, and an edge of fear. The people of Mercy- and of Alenius itself- were a people who, before the Blackwells, were nothing. Nothing whatsoever. Peasants, no money, no power, no influence...

But now they were wealthy, now they were skilled, now they had food, and weapons, and a deep, powerful, pride in who they were. They truly were a people who had fought, all their lives, to become who they are. There was no life before this generation, just a people crushed by oppression and tyranny. This was the first generation of Alenius' people, in a very long time, to taste wealth and power like this- independance like this.

And Eli had wanted to prey on that pride and patriotism, and he had- with immeasurable success.

The cry that returned to him was one that affirmed his success, and simultaneously left a sour thought in the back of his mind- one he crushed quickly with the efficiency that a master of chess would declare 'check'.

The cry that returned to Eli Blackwell was thus; "FORGED IN DRAGON'S FIRE"

And the cry in his mind that he crushed was thus; These people will die from my words

Eli has much to do

It had been a few weeks since Eli gave his speech to the people of Mercy, and by now the copies of his speech were being filtered through the rest of the kingdom. The effects of the speech were unmistakable- a fervor had been built amongst the people, and the volunteer militia numbers had surged considerably under the weight of the threat to the kingdom.

And now there was the logistics of the ordeal to handle.

He had already decreed that the arms trade was to be cancelled and neither Concord nor Manshrew Alliance be allowed to buy weapons from Alenius, nor food. That meant that Alenius, whose blacksmiths and armsmiths were numersous, and whose fields were plentiful, was amassing a formidable stockpile of food and arms.

That was relatively simple for Eli to handle. What had him so overworked and busy was handling the logistics of the newly bolstered militia. Ordinarily someone in, say, Beatrice's position would handle this sort of paperwork, or perhaps the captain of the guard Garret Hattersby, but none had the penchant for organization and tactics that Eli had- so the position of tactician and military organizer also fell on his considerably weighed down shoulders.

He is, very much so, overworked- but without the work, he'd be nothing. The work justified his existance, the results were the songs of praise of his deeds. With a quill, parchment, and a few hours of focus Eli Blackwell could do almost anything... But what held so much difficulty for him now was the logistics of what his father wanted. Eli had swayed a people into a fervor, but the more he checked the numbers of those who had joined militia and those wanting to train to be soldiers...

It simply wasn't possible for such a number to be handled with ease.

Mercenaries had been negotiated with and haggled with, and those men had been given leave to raise encampments outside the city walls and were given food and drink. The standing army had been raised and called to drill and patrol more heavily, and set up checkpoints all along trade routes to check for threats and spies coming into the country. The Militia, bolstered by patriotism and inflamed outrage, had to be armed and trained...

And, to put an even greater headache on top of it all, Eli had to draft funds to rebuild the navy that had been destroyed. He was fond of seafaring and the fleet had been his personal pride- so the destruction of it had painted a massive target on Akki's back in his eyes.

But he could harbor his anger when he was working, he could focus on getting the job done.

Eli handled the logistics of it all, and as the weeks carried on and he checked the numbers over and over again, he began to feel satisfied that his father's wishes had been met.

Alenius' army had been bolstered considerably, and their supplies were many.

Naomi's Weakness

Blackness swirled in her eyes. She could see but a pinprick of light in the center of her vision, and immense pain in her body. She tried to move her hands, but as soon as she tried blackness overwhelmed her once more and the pain flooded her senses.

Light returned once more, this time more of it in her eyes... About the size of a coin. She turned her head slowly and everythingwas blurry, but she heard voices. Voices that pounded in her head. The pain was less, but she felt a burning in her body. A strong burning, that overwhelmed the pain. She had a difficult time breathing, but she wanted to hear those voices- desparately to hear those voices.

The words were indecipherable, and soon blackness overwhelmed her again.

She experienced this kind of awakening a dozen times before any improvement happened.

When she awoke again, this time she could breathe easier, and she could see. She was in her bed, in her tower, in her room. A healer was sitting nearby, resting. Naomi tried to move and instantly felt much pain in her stomach. She winced and let out a soft cry- and instantly the healer was awakened and moved to the girl.

"Rest easy, lie still. You have been in bed a few weeks now. Poison nearly took you, but your sister exercised much effort to keep you alive. As did many healers."

Naomi nodded her head weakly and licked her lips.

"Here, have a drink. Your sister will return soon." The healer lifted a flask of water to Naomi's lips, and the girl managed to choke some of the water down. "Are you well enough to receive bad information?" the healer's voice was quick and to the point.

Naomi shook her head- she didn't want any bad information, but after the drink she felt heavy and wished to sleep...so she did, and blackness filled her once more...

She spends most of her time asleep, and very little awake. She is able to make small conversation in her periods of lucidity, and improvement is constant. In a few weeks, she may be back to normal.

A discussion of sisters

Beatrice sat quietly. She was always somewhat uneasy around Drevala. It was different from the unease she felt towards Eli- who was condescending and superior. It was an unease that...this was someone who can do something she'll never be able to match or equal. She felt this unease around all mages and magical users.

To be honest, she was just thankful that Drevala was clothed. Beatrice studied her sister quietly, Drevala's somber mood more than enough to say how serious the issue at hand was. She waited patiently for Drevala to speak, though it took several more minutes for her to get words out.

"I have a concern about Naomi."

That was it. Beatrice let worry fill her features and she clenched her hands tightly. She hesitated for a moment.

"She's not going to die is she?" Beatrice asked quietly, to which Drevala responded by dismissing the statement with a wave.

"No, she's a tough girl..thanks to you I suppose...but she's hurt bad, and I fear she'll... never be able to have children after the damage she's sustained."

Beatrice paused again, the information sinking in.

"Use your magic, patch her up. Surely you can do that?"

"I...could...but she's already stabilized how she is, and the wounds are all healed. It's damage that was too severe for me to fix before making sure she wouldn't die. I could..." she paused and shook her head. "I can't believe I'm even considering it...I could...possibly...use my magic to fix it, but it's no longer...a wound, it's healed up. That means I'd have to...risk turning her into an abomination if I wished to try and fix her womb."

"No. Absolutely not." Beatrice growled instantly. "I'll not have my little sister rendered mutant by magic."

"Then she'll never have children." Drevala said in resignation. "I... I loathe being the one to tell her."

"I'll do it." Beatrice said sharply, stoicism filling her features, hiding the mixture of panic and confusion. She was a soldier, difficult business was her business.

"No...No...I don't know if we should even tell her, father...father said not to."

"What?" Beatrice said incredulously. "Why could he possibly not want her to know?"

"He doesn't want anyone to know." Drevala sighed and pulled her cloak about herself. "Perhaps he intends to...marry her off." Drevala's words were heavy, but not resentment. They were simply a depressed sister speaking about the ailment of her kin.

"Father can be a bastard sometimes." Beatrice frowned. "But...He's father, so be it." She nodded.

"Have you ever considered being married, sister?" Drevala asked- and Beatrice frankly had never contemplated it, and that fact showed on her face as surprise at being asked.

"No, I haven't! Why would I get married? I'd just have to hang up my sword and armor and start wearing dainty dresses and pretending to be smart."

"Nonsense, it must be you who put all these negative thoughts about marriage in that poor girl's head. You know for a fact that if you married into another family that the house would instantly gain an ally and that none would deny you the right to fight." Drevala tilted her head some. "I'm...I'm the difficult one."

"What do you mean, difficult one?" Beatrice asked warily. "Magic? Shape shifting? Blackwell?"

"All of the above, and then some." She said with a wry smile. "I think you'll find that I'm less interested in men than I am magic."

"And I'm less interested in men than I am armor and swords and blood and fighting..." Beatrice said as if Drevala's answer made no sense.

"But you've taken a number of them to be-"

"You swore to stay silent about that." Beatrice hissed.

"I am silent, sister- it's not my fault you can't handle your ale." Drevala allowed herself a smile. "Besides, you could marry a...ahem...'lowborn'..." she rolled her eyes. "and carry on the Blackwell name instead of marrying a noble family. If you haven't realized, father is old and Eli hasn't gotten married yet either...which means we're the last of us. The absolute last. If we die, there are no more blackwells besides Vivian and we all know how she feels."

Beatrice went silent.

"Fine. After the war I'll get married, carry on the line, if Eli doesn't." It was Beatrice's turn to sigh as she said these words.

"I'm sure brother will do his part once everything's safe and secure, and I manage to tear him away from his work and schemes." Drevala said with a light shrug, passive about it all. "I just...little flower..." she hid her face behind her cloak for a while, and Beatrice lowered her head.

"Well, Beatrice. It's up to us to keep this crazy family safe. Let's do our best, yeah?"

Drevala forced the happy tone and tried to smile.

[AndrewCooper]

The Battle of Telmarion

A collaboration between @AndrewCooper and @Klomster

The march had been done as fast as possible, hurried for a march, but also slow enough to try to prevent the men from being tired when they arrived. Claus was happy when he saw the open area he had planned for on the maps, he recognized the natural earthworks and began to order his lieutenants to begin constructing stakes and gather them at the banks so other work groups could add them to the natural defense banks.

After barely an hour of working, one of the Telmarian guards approached Claus and informed.

-"Sir, a farmer from the north have approached our camp and wanted to speak to the commander of the defense force, he's already spoken to Lord Tuania... however i heard from some of the other men that you are in fact the general of this force so i thought you wanted to know."

The man was clearly a bit cloven in what to think and was visibly unsure. Claus groaned inwardly and pinched in between his eyes.

-"Thank you mister, please send the farmer to me." Claus wasn't exactly pleased with this whole ordeal, but at least this man was prudent enough to tell him.

The farmer was a rather glum looking fellow, with a bushy unkept beard and a wild gaze.

-"Please, listen the enemy army, i saw it. IT'S HUGE! And it has... it has... DEAMONS!" The farmer was frantic and incomprehensive. One of the guards spoke to Claus.

-"Sir, this is the reason why we sent him away from lord Tuania, he's clearly insane." Claus held up his palm to stop the guards from taking him away, then spoke.

-"I want to hear what he is saying. Farmer, could you describe these deamons?" While he was curteous to at least hear him out, Claus was clearly sceptical.

-"Oh yes sir lord, they are MASSIVE, much larger than a cow, they also are dark skinned and have a single arm on their head. And horns! MASSIVE HORNS!" Claus watched the man with a literal raised eyebrow and twisted lips, but politely asked.

-"So a single arm on their heads? I see, so how many... deamons, do they have?" He asked and waited for the reply.

-"I don't know... many... HUNDREDS!! They walked in rows, like when i heard the sheep. Please master lord, you must flee!" The frantic farmer finished off his rambling with grabbing Claus's cuirass and shaking, he was quickly taken away by the guards, repeatedly screaming 'you must flee' and 'the deamons', this didn't exactly raise Claus view of him.

-"I understand why Orland didn't hear him out." Claus told no one in particular.

He had barely resumed overlooking the construction when one of his scouts ran as fast as he could and fell down next to him, an arrow was sticking out of his back.

-"Trooper! Are you hurt?" Claus worriedly exclaimed. The man panted heavily before regaining his composure enough to speak with heavy breaths.

-"The arrow's just stuck in the armour, Sir, the enemy force... they have elephants! And they are much closer than expected!" Claus realised the situation and thought really hard.

Damn, the farmers description made much more sense now, Claus had envisioned some crazy two legged monster but the description made sense now, massive, dark, a single arm on the head with massive horns. A reasonable description from a person who's never seen an elephant before.
He was just going to ask the scout how far away the Manshrew army was, when a distant warning horn was called.

In the distance, a Manshrew banner fluttered and a column was seen marching towards the area.

-"DAMN! That's way closer than i expected, they are less than an hour away. TO YOUR POSITIONS!!!" Claus boomed out and grabbed his horn and sounded the call for preparing for battle. The situation turned frantic, the defences were far from finished, just a few sections of the line had stakes and the entire force began to hurriedly setting up their positions while the Manshrew army began doing the same outside archery distance. How in the world did they hide the fact they had elephants? Perhaps he deployed them far behind to hide their advance from the scouts? Perhaps it's just chance? Crafty bastard in command no less Claus had to admit. Another thing that worried Claus was the size of the Manshrew army, it was indeed large. The situation was looking more and more dire, but in the very least Claus had the better ground and there was two dips in the field that could ruin the advance of a battle line if the commander was not careful or went in between them. Funneling the force. Claus was hoping for this to happen.

Orland approached him and exclaimed.

-"The enemy army has appeared! Finally we have a chance to show them our mettle!" Orland was visibly smiling, Claus had calmed down but wasn't in the mood for smiles.

-"Just be thankful the area is so defensible, had it been a more open place on their end the enemy might have been able to attack us before we managed to set up the battle lines." Claus sternly said while studying the deployment of the Manshrew army. He couldn't really do anything to redeploy his forces to counter them though. Orland looked a bit less happy after hearing that.

Claus had set up his army along the earth banks. The areas which had spikes had archers behind them, and the rest of the line were in areas that was a bit less defensible.

The centre was comprised of the core of the skilled troops, the concord infantry with the Steel fists halberdiers forming the centre of the vanguard. To his left Orland had deployed the militia similar to Claus's vanguard, with the archers in more defensible areas.
The plan was for the militia to hold up the enemy to maximise the time the Telmarian archers could rain devastating barrages upon the enemy.

Claus was sort of confident in his ability to win this battle, sure he was outnumbered, but his defensible positions would help immensely.
Over in the distance, he could see what he guessed was the enemy commander speaking to his troops.



The armies of Manshrew, Humber and Lanistark stood united on the battlefield. Andrew stood with pride. Andrew was wearing his armour with the addition of his weapons, on his left side was a sword on his right was a shorter sword this was to allow him to dual-wield and to be more effective in battle. On his back was a circular wooden shield which bore the symbol of the House of Manshrew upon it, he used his shield to mostly block any volley fire from archers. Looking behind him to see 125,000 strong men behind him. As he looked forward to the distance he could see the banners of the two joining armies that opposed him.

The opposing army was smaller than his but Andrew knew better than to underestimate the army. However Andrew could partially see that their defences weren’t finished, if Andrew could push the enemy forces back to that location then it would make the battle a lot easier. He then evaluated the battlefield itself. The enemy had the better ground and there were two dips in the field. He could see that whoever’s army was unfortunate enough to get stuck in between those dips would make easy pickings for the archers. It wasn’t ideal for Andrew but he knew that battles had been won with worse.

Andrew looked at his own forces to evaluate them, he looked at the war elephants he must have easily had a hundred of them all heavily armoured with archers on top along with a handler to direct the each elephant. Behind the elephants stood both the Manshrew’s and the Lanistark’s infantry. Both infantry’s wore their own armour corresponding to their house. They either had a sword and a shield or a two-handed spear, this was the majority of the army which was to be primarily led by Andrew himself with the Lanistark twins in second in command. Then behind them was the cavalry which would be led by Daeron Humber himself. The soldiers had enough armour to protect them as they would stay on the horses for the battle. Andrew recalled that Daeron prided himself by claiming he had the best horses in all of Formaroth, Andrew didn’t know if this was true but he admired his respect for his own forces.

Andrew was proud to have such a force by his side, it was time for him to deliver his speech before the battle started.

“Today is a monument day for Formaroth! Today is the day that the united armies of Manshrew, Humber and Lanistark push back the Imperial Concord from Telmarion! Today we say no more!” As he raised his fist into the army the entire army cheered. The morale was high and he could tell that they were ready to battle. “When we march into battle know that not only do we have the entire alliance riding our backs but the fate of Formaroth as well! Together we will show that Manshrew Alliance stands for equality and justice for all! The men I see before stand for those very ideals and it’s an honour to fight beside you all!”

Andrew then pointed to the Concord army.

“Those men fight for the gold a man’s wallet, their bonds are only held together by the integrity of a man’s wealth, a man who claims to be the king of this land but is too afraid to stand alongside his men so he sends his attack dog instead! I know that some of you may have your doubts and some of you may not see the end of this battle! But know this all of you will live in history as heroes who stood against a tyrant and you will not be forgotten!”

Andrew was nearing the end of his speech when suddenly he heard a distant war cry as he looked he could see the Tuanian forces advancing without the rest of the concord. Andrew saw this chance to gain the upper hand and he was going to take it.

“Here is our chance! The enemy runs into battle without thought and planning and we will show them their errors with our steel!”

Andrew then signalled for the war elephants to charge in. As he did some of the elephants trumpeted and started to stampede towards the enemy. As the elephants stampeded ahead Andrew unsheathed his swords and signalled the infantry to charge in. As he did the infantry bashed their swords against their shields and started to charge as Andrew joined the infantry he too began to charge and together they unleashed a huge battle cry. The battle had begun.

In the distance Claus could hear how someone spoke to their men and loud cheers. They seem to be in high spirits, let's break it Claus smugly thought.
He was busy inspecting the battle line, jogging along to make sure he inspected every important point in the line when the sound of trumpeting elephants echoed over the field, followed by the clamour of swords banging against shields.

-"What on Formaroth... no, OH NO!!" Claus turned his head to look at the enemy, he expected them to be advancing, which they were. What had sparked his horror was that most of the militia of Orland was advancing, with many archers behind them, about two thirds of the Telmarion archers.

He could also see Orland slowly riding behind his forces with a few mounted men at arms, swords raised symbolically and held to point the way.



Claus loudly expressed some vile profanities, only a select few concord infantrymen heard what before he ran at full speed to the Steel Fist and thus the vanguard.

-"My sword!" Claus yelled, someone tossed his flamberge styled greatsword to him which he caught on the ricasso with his right hand.
His left hand was used for raising the battle horn, which he sounded a few times in the pattern for moving out.

Claus wanted to just walk away, let Orland make a fool out of himself and perish with his forces.
But he actually held a sense of honor, something he often cursed, he didn't want to send thousands of men to die without a reason if he could avoid it, also, the concord would not pay him if he just left the battle when it started to look glum.

Claus had the Vanguard move forth, he left all of the crossbowmen at their positions while bringing the entire vanguard forth.
To a passing peasant Claus could be mistaken for some sort of wrothful deity or similar, clad in shining steel armour, holding a greatsword in one hand while glaring in a way that would have some grown men running in fear.

-"MEN! We will have this day, or many will die trying. In the very least, i will have THAT ONE!!!" Claus roared while pointing at Orland with his greatsword.

-"VISOR!" He roared, one of his men put the visor of his burgonet on and fastened it with the leather strap around the helm.

As he marched he saw how the militia was setting up position in between the two dips, with archers behind. Did Orland just take the old deployment and move it forward? Had he no schooling in tactics?

In the distance, the elephants rumbled forth, the ground shook at their advance. This would not be a pretty sight.

He could see the Manshrew infantry setting up behind the two dips, waiting. Claus realized that even if he had waited he would have been forced to move in regardless.



The war elephants charged and trumpeted towards Orland's forces. The archers on top of the elephants could easily see that fear was gripping these men. Then finally the elephants stuck. Instantly the front lines of Orland's forces were being destroyed. Men were being crushed by the sheer weight of the elephant’s feet’s. Some were being impaled by the tusks, screaming and wriggling with pain. The archers on top must have seemed like angels of mercy as they fired their arrows upon the soldier’s heads. Then as Andrew was nearing battle he could see that one soldier was picked up by his feet from a trunk of one of the elephants, the elephant then proceeded to throw the soldier away. Orland's soldiers were screaming either in fear or pain. Andrew could have sworn that he heard a soldier say "Daemons!" It seemed that some of these soldiers had never seen an elephant before.

Then finally Andrew and his forces joined the battle. Swords, shields and spears clashed and blood was in the air. Andrew’s forces were cutting the opposition down as they at first they were too focused on the elephants than the enormous army heading their way. At this point, Andrew was in the thick of it. An enemy soldier charged at him and tried to do an overhead swipe down with his sword, and blocked the attack with his swords and then Andrew using his long sword stab the soldier in the stomach. Andrew then looked behind to see that another soldier was charging at him. Andrew drew his sword out of the soldier’s stomach and performed a sideways slash to the soldier behind him. The sword partially sliced through the soldier's neck nearly chopping off the man’s head off. The blood squirted out of the man’s neck, it was almost like a fountain. Andrew walked further into the battle he could see that his men were doing well and were in high spirits if the battle progressed at this rate then I would be a clear win for the alliance.

As Andrew was walking towards an enemy soldier the soldier noticed him and was ready to confront him. Then suddenly Andrew noticed something was heading towards the soldier from the behind. Andrew smiled and step to the right. The soldier was puzzled as to why Andrew did this. Then suddenly an elephant knocked the solder down and squashed the man’s head like it was a melon. Andrew could then see that the banners of the Steel Fist were starting to approach the battle. Andrew remembered when his brother had hired the Steel Fist twelve years ago. Andrew had always despised the group as they held no loyalty at all, however Rhys had told him that they were a necessary evil and that they if they were to ever cross swords with them that the battle would be indeed bloody for both sides. Andrew knew that the real battle was about to begin.



Claus could in the distance see how the line of war elephants slammed into the poor militia. Men and women were flung like small dolls, the lines were almost instantly destroyed and the people began building small pockets of defense against the lumbering beasts.

This battle was probably lost already Claus thought, better leave the militia and take up a new defence, leave Orland to his demise... no.
He would never be able to explain a retreat at this point, and what surprised him more, he wouldn't be able to face himself without at least trying to get those poor sods out of there.
In the very least he had to hinder the enemy from following them while they retreated. If this army was hounded by the Manshrew army in their retreat it would be decimated.

The army had had a chance if the defensive positions were held like ravenous tigers. But the prize would be high.
But in a pitched battle, where Claus and Tuania only had 53'000 against the 125'000 of the enemy. Claus would have to perform more than one miracle for that to happen.

Then it struck him, his plan. He would have the day, even if it didn't mean winning the battle. He spoke to a runner, what was told could not be heard from far with the clamour of battle, then he was off, back to the defensive main line.

In the distance Orland was taking his small pocket of cavalry and retreating, he had seen the devastation of the elephants and decided to retreat behind the defensive line. Cowardly fool Claus thought.

But his sense of revenge would need to wait, he sent runners for the Telmarion archers to open up so the vanguard could move up between them. Forming flanking ranged forces to support the elite vanguard as it forced its way in between the two dips. Sure, Manshrew could order men to move across the dips, but fighting uphill against archers would not be a fun ordeal.

Unfortunately this meant that the militia could not retreat backwards anymore. Many were lucky and had already fled, some pockets of resistance never fled and some parts of the force had somehow not engaged yet.

With a hornblow their fate was sealed, flee to the sides or be squashed between two advancing elite formations. As the Concord vanguard moved forth at a steady pace arrows and magic artillery was let loose upon them. Battlemages formed shielding gusts of wind, shot massive fireballs into the incoming ones or formed temporary magic barriers to stop the incoming barrage, while they were performing admirably, many projectiles came through and arrows rained down into Concord troops, getting stuck in shields and armour, several cut down by them.
Pillars of fire and dirt arose from here and there within the vanguard, men torn to pieces and flung like nothing at their immense power. A molten rock glimmering with fire struck into the steel fist just a couple of metres away from Claus.

Screams and yells were drowned out by the fiery explosion, shards pinged of the steel armours of those not hit. Claus did not even flinch as several splinters bounced off his armour and the reflection of fire danced across the polished steel of his helm and his armour.

-"DOUBLE TIME! Move it... CHARGE!!!" Claus roared and sounded the call on his horn, then the vanguard broke into a charge. Confused militia stood dumbfounded fell or ran for their lives. Those who didn't get out in time were smashed out of the way or trampled.

Now the melee had begun for real. Mercenaries and Concord troops were in heated battle with lines of professional Uzgob, Humber and Lanistark troops. Rough battle lines were formed all along the line except for in front of the steel fist, where triple layers of halberds arrayed in a spear wall formed. With routine thrusts the steel fist was beginning to cut down many opponents.

Most of the elephant riders began to turn their mounts and assault the Concord battle line, disrupting it. In one place an elephant was seen toppling twelve men with shields, impaling one on its tusks as it smashed it down upon others. In another place an elephants smashed through a bunch of arrayed halberds pushing the line back and killing some.

At the centre, the steel fist mercenaries managed to make an elephant rear on its hind legs, with a roar it began to smash down but the mercenaries pressed the advance and pierced it dozens of times before a massive rage filled roar echoed across the line.
From within the line, Claus jumped using a kneeling halberdier as a ramp.

He flung himself, constantly roaring, stabbing the flamberge into the heart of the elephant. It trumpeted in pain as it toppled over backwards and crushing its howdah.

Claus tried to hang unto his sword, but the momentum tossed him into the ranks of the enemy.

He smashed into a soldier at the torso, both fell to the ground. As several men surprisedly watched Claus rise two rushed the captain.
Claus responded with a growling scream and headbutted one so hard he toppled to the ground. The other got in a swing with his sword on Claus neck, but it simply glided off barely scratching the layers of steel plate.

Claus drew his mace as he gave the man who had cut him a good kick on his right side putting him off balance. With a quick movement Claus then pinched the soldiers head with his left arm against his torso while beginning to fend off the other soldiers now realising the enemy in their midst.

With small steps he dragged the flailing soldier with him and fended off enemies with the mace, managing to get in a solid hit, crushing a soldiers face. With a twist of his arm, Claus put his entire weight into ripping loose the helmet of the one he held, the straps breaking and thus hurting the man quite bad.

Now swinging a helmet and a mace while screaming, Claus managed with pure ferocity give himself some space and half a second of rest. An Humber soldier charged in, only to have Claus smash a helmet into his head three times before tossing it at another whom backed off because of the impact.

Claus dared to locate his sword, still stuck in the elephants torso, he gambled and ran for it. Two soldiers got in a good hit on him as he ran, had his armour not been of such quality, he would have been downed.

With a tackle, a couple of jumps and a quick climb, he got to his weapon and lifted it with both his hands, turned it and lifted it above him with his right hand while sounding his horn with the left.
Around the carcass of the elephant, Steel fist mercenaries moved forth and arrayed their halberds, shortly after being met by Humber and Lanistark soldiers.

Claus fell to one knee and allowed himself a breather, the entire area was nearing chaos.
Elephants pushed into Concord lines, some cut down with massive amounts of stabs and thrusts, some just pressing on while a few panicked and began running in random directions, mad with pain.



The battle progressed and it seemed that both sides had an even chance of winning. After quickly dispatching a soldier, Andrew had a brief time to take a breath and take in his surroundings. Several battle lines had been made by the two opposing armies they were mostly at a standstill but the steel fist was slowly cutting down the opposition. Andrew knew he would have to pull something off to turn the tables. Then it hit him, and he knew exactly what to he found the nearest Manshrew soldier. He issued some orders to the soldier which could not be heard over the noise of the battle. However, the soldier nodded and ran from the battle.

A few minutes later, Andrew had gone through a number of concord soldiers. The concord soldiers posed more of a challenge to Andrew but he was able to manage with the help of his allies. Then suddenly Andrew heard a battle horn, he turned his head and with relief he saw that Humber’s cavalry riding towards the battle. They were to hit the battle lines to give the ground soldiers some support. As Andrew watched he saw the cavalry ride around the battle lines to the enemy’s side and collided into them. With the enemy having to fight on both sides the battle lines would soon disappear. Then Andrew spotted something which Andrew thought was impossible, but there was no mistaking it, he saw Klaus resting on top of the carcass of one of his war elephants. Andrew saw the chance to capture and important figure in the concord and maybe have some leverage to win this war.

“Klaus!” shouted Andrew. “Lay down your arms and surrender. It’s time for you to pay for your crimes!”

Klaus laughed “Do you really think you and your so called army can defeat me let alone the DeReimer’s. I don’t have time for this I have the battle to win. Deal with him!” Klaus ordered two of his troops.

Andrew readied himself. Both troopers had spears in their hands, both had a range of attack to their advantage but Andrew could use that range to his advantage. Andrew sheathed his short sword leaving his left hand free. This confused the troopers but then one approached Andrew. The trooper plunged the spear towards Andrew, but Andrew using his left hand grab the spear and using his long sword struck the spear and broke it in two. Then using the end the spear Andrew had required stabbed the trooper in his side and using the hilt of his sword hit the trooper on the side of his head knocking him down. Both Klaus and remaining trooper were quite shocked. The last trooper ran in without even thinking. Andrew quickly grabbed the spear and stabbed the trooper with his sword. Kicking the man down to ground Andrew sheathed his sword and put the spear into his right hand. Andrew saw a chance to get rid of Klaus once and for all. Andrew using all of his strength he threw the spear. The spear flew straight towards Klaus and hit the side of Klaus’ helmet, only just scratching it but the force was just enough to knock Klaus of the elephant.

Andrew drew his sword and quickly climbed the elephant to see where Klaus had fallen. As Andrew reached the top he could see the battlefield he could see that his army was winning. Then he saw Klaus on the ground, the spear didn’t seem to cause any physical damage but Andrew could tell the Klaus’ pride was hurt more.

“It’s over Klaus!” Shouted Andrew. “Your army is falling and victory is in my hands. I give you one last chance to surrender and I might grant you an honourable death!”

Klaus stood up and proceeded to lower the visor on his helmet. Then he smiled “You think you’ve won this battle. Don’t get your hopes up too soon. You may win this battle but you will never win this war.”

Claus suddenly raised his decorated battle horn to his mouth, and made a three note call Andrew did not recognize. He turned to Andrew and laughed. “See you in hell Manshrew!”

Klaus made a run for it. Andrew then looked to the sky to see thousands of fireballs heading towards the battle. Andrew quickly turned to his soldiers and shouted. “Take cover!”

Andrew jumped of the elephant carcass and got his shield ready to block the oncoming fire. Andrew ran as fast as he could to get away from the fireballs as quick as possible. As the fireballs got closer Andrew stopped and raised his shield and just in time, hell was raining down on the Manshrew army. Andrew could feel the force of impact on his shield, what felt like hours was just merely minutes. Andrew felt that the fireballs had stopped, Andrew lowered his shield but suddenly a stray fireball his right arm. Andrew could instantly feel his armour burning against his skin he had to take the armour off. Andrew quickly took off the armour on his right arm and he saw the burn on his upper right arm he would have to bear with the pain until the battle ended. Andrew then looked around to see the onslaught. There was a wall of fire separating Andrew’s army and Klaus’, there was no way to get to Klaus and the rest of his army. Then Andrew saw the horrendous site. He saw hundreds of soldiers engulfed in the flames, soldiers from both sides were screaming in fire. Andrew ran towards the wall of fire to see if could save some of his men. Andrew tried but the just the heat from the fire was intense even hotter than a hot day in Uzgob. Daeron Humber quickly got Andrew away from the fire. “Andrew it’s useless! There is nothing you can to help them.” Andrew looked ahead the screams were slowly quieting down but the flames raged on. Klaus would be long gone before the flames died down. Andrew looked to Daeron.

“Get all of our wounded and get them patched up and capture any enemy soldiers patch them up and then detain them. If Duncan has the slightest sense of honour he’ll want his soldiers back.”

“Of course Andrew.” Said Daeron. As Daeron was walking off he issued Andrew’s orders.

Andrew kept staring into the fire. He knew that the battle was won but the price was too high.



That was Andrew alright, he remembered him from the meeting in Miserth keep. He had been dressed all fancy in some orange garb and Claus was a bit sceptic of his prowess back then.

But not anymore, that spear throw sure gave him a beating, even through the visor and seeing the lord of Uzgob on the field he had to respect the man.

Too bad he'd probably be dead after the trick with the battlemages, he would have liked to speak to him first.

As the fireballs launched by the concord battlemages rained down with unsurpassed ferocity Claus yelled, dragged and beat his men to start running.

To say it was a close call was an understatement, he had ran for several minutes before stopping and even as he stopped he saw that his armour was reeking with smoke and he could smell his own burnt hair.

He lowered his visor.

-"All out retreat, sound it! This battle is lost, but we can save most of our forces still!" Claus followed the spoken order with a horncall, it was a melancholic and drawn out call. But the retreat had been sounded.

The firewall had cut off the main Manshrew force. It would take far too long to circumvent it in time to begin a proper pursuit with enough men.

Claus knew this was the best option, he had seen the impact of the Humber cavalry and how difficult the elephants had been to take down. Had he stayed for longer the Concord army would probably have been forced into an all out rout.

On his right, Claus saw Orland's cavalry actually beginning an organized retreat. Wow, the boy actually followed his orders without problems for once.

The Concord army made a quick but orderly retreat at this point, under the cover of the burning wall of spellfire.
He did not have the proper numbers yet, but he guessed his army was halved. The Telmarion militia taking the brunt of the casualties.
He was sure some would have been left behind, and he hoped that Andrew was decent enough a man not to execute prisoners. Not just was it on the unethical side, but prisoners of war was worth money.

[Ellri]

The skies above the mountains of northern Cawanor were clear, nary a cloud to be seen. It was but a few hours past dawn, but already Urd Raudhfell was up and on the move. She had stayed the night in the wilds, for no suitable inns were to be found, and she did not trust most villages. Too many therein were distrustful of strangers, in particular those able to wield magic.

There was only one reason she went near the villages at all: She hoped to save others from the fate she had almost had. Being burned at the stake was not a good way to die. Not even the worst of criminals deserved such in her mind. Except maybe those who raped. For them, no punishment was too harsh.

At her side half-walked, half-hovered her favorite spirit shade, the one bearing the shape of a large wolf. Right now, she only had half-focus on keeping it there, thus it was not truly physically present, though it could become so faster than the blink of an eye.

She truly hoped the people would get over their fear of magic soon. There is nothing worse about dying at the hands of magic than by dying from wounds caused by weapons. If only people would understand that magic in itself was not evil. Sure, there were occasional dark mages, but they were swiftly dealt with as they were discovered. Wandering down from the mountain pass and through the foothills was a nice journey. Nature was good. Peaceful. Quite unlike what she had heard the royal courts were. Even at this moment, she suspected there was fighting going on somewhere between the various claimants to the throne, though she had not really paid much attention to who they were. It did not matter to her, nor did it matter overmuch to the common people she moved among.

It probably would be wise to go by civilization soon. To check what was happening and see if there were any messages. In this region, she knew, that meant going to Nyhem, the capital. She certainly saw no reason to cross the mountains again just to get to Cawaport. Besides, if her family had sent any messages, they’d be in Nyhem by now. Thus, going there was the only sensible option. If only such hadn’t meant crowds…

~| A week later |~

At long last, the walls of Nyhem were in sight. Though it was her nigh-constant companion, she dismissed her lupine shade, for there was no telling how magicians would be treated at any given time. With the king dead, policy could have changed. She did not think anyone would easily burn her now, but she would rather not have to kill people to escape such a fate if she could avoid killing altogether.

She wandered up to the gate, where she tagged along with another group of travelers, tinkerers by the look of them, probably off to buy new goods to sell to the more remote villages. There were armed guards by the gates, but not much was to be learned from them, for they wore the usual colors of the Nyhem City Watch. But at least it told her that nobody had taken the town by force.

Her first order of business was to go to one of the richer areas and find the inn she usually stayed at, for her family was not even remotely prominent enough to maintain a residence in the capital. That would also be where any messages would be kept. There were several messages, some of the usual ones about the state of the lands back home, the usual well-wishes and such. Unfortunately, there was nothing at all on the state of the realm, so she would have to go to the innkeep and others like him for the latest gossip concerning the court.

~| later that day |~

It seemed that a much had happened since the king died. She had expected as much and was pleased not to be proven wrong. She had gotten some information from the innkeep, a kind fellow called Hiram. He told her of the two claimants to the throne; Lord Andrew Manshrew and Lord Duncan De Reimer. He had offered his opinions, but they were clearly biased in De Reimer’s favor, for they painted Lord Manshrew as little more than a treacherous imbecile, whereas Lord De Reimer was apparently without flaws.

She had thanked him for his information, before leaving to find other gossipmongers. A city like Nyhem had no lack of such, fortunately. The second told of tales of pitched battles in some of the other nations, of villages, towns and even a city sacked. She, however, did not trust Duncan, though she called him by his less-than-flattering nickname, the snake.

The rest of the people she spoke to either had little new to tell, or spread themselves out among the two candidates or professed neutrality. No doubt the last group wanted to wait until a candidate had proven himself superior.

In the end, the clearest thing she got out of it all was that both candidates had supporters in the capital and that the populace was uncertain. To learn more, she would to present herself at the court. She had hoped to avoid such, but it was the only way to get the most recent and reliable news. The question was whether to go to the court or the mages’ council first. Both options had value. After much thought, she decided to take care of that decision tomorrow. It was already approaching dusk and getting information had taken what little remained of the day after her long travel. In hindsight, it might have been wiser to have traveled by shade rather than on foot. But done was done, so she returned to her inn, where she bought a meal and retired to her room for the night.

[TheDuncanMorgan]

Their travel towards the royal capital was rather uneventful, and as they progressed the roads became ever better. No one gave a hurt knight, a burned woman and a young man much mind. Similar groups of travelers where not an uncommon sight these days.
After nearly a fortnight on the road they finally had reached Nyhem, and for now rented a room within a smaller inn near one of the citie's bridges. As the day was still young, Ramfrey had decided to try and find passage upon a ship, over to Coruneon or maybe even Rathikun. So far no one had recognized him, as he wore a rather plain leather doublet, devoid of any heraldry.

He made his way towards the harbour, through crowded alleys and streets. He had never seen Nyhem so busy. Carts and barrels and pedlars where rushing goods everywhere. The odd soldier or knight could be seen around, and yes - also many a beggar or cripple.

As the sun was coming close to reaching the pinnacle of it's way across the heavens for this day, he started hailing sailors he met along the docks and talked to a few captains. None of them was outbound towards their destination, and a few where under royal commission. A grizzled one eyed tar, smoking a pipe finally shook his head at him, pointing with his pipe as he took it from his mouth to point towards one of the harbour inn's. "Ask around there, mate. 'Tis a good place to find a ship." Ramfrey nodded and thanked the man before making his way towards the tavern.

The place had a low ceiling and was right now rather full with patrons eating lunch. Ramfrey made his way to the bar. leaning on it and scanning the room until the grizzled looking publican harumphed to get his attention.

"I'll have two pints of Ale. " He produced a shiny silver coin, a lot too much for that small a purchase. "If you could point me towards someone able to give passage northwards, to Rathikun or maybe Coruneon, I'd be much obliged."

The publican pocketed the coin, and gave him an approximation of a toothy smile, minus a few teeth that is. He nodded towards a corner booth telling him: "Old Gill over there is the bosun to the 'Bachelor's Delight'. She's out of the Summer Isles, so they might follow the northern coast on their way back, I'd ask him." As Ramfrey took the two ale and made to leave towards the sailor the man added. "They do not take passengers normally though, Mate!"

***

Alicja had been waiting in the inn for Ramfrey’s return. The inn was a quaint little place located in the stone district of Nyhem. Like most buildings in Nyhem it was constructed out a mixture of wood, wattle and daub. The furniture, though simple was still of a robust design and straw covered the stone floor so as to easily clean up any mess that the drunken patrons might make. Three large glassless windows lined the wall giving a clear view of the murky river. The bartender stood behind the counter alongside his wife, the inn wasn’t particularly busy and there were currently only three customers, two of which being Alicja and Christain. They had been quietly talking to each other, while drinking some beer that Ramfrey had purchased for them before he left. The beer was not to Alicja’s liking; its flavour was far too hoppy and lacked the smooth texture of Ralda’s beer. However she did not complain. The bartender, whom up until now had been carelessly cleaning wooden tankards, had started to make his way towards the door of the inn.
“Where do you think you’re going”? His wife demanded as she glared at him
“Where do you think I’m going, to the plaza, besides things aren’t exactly busy in here at the moment, I’m sure you can survive without me”. He answered gruffly
“Don’t tell me you’re going to see that execution” She sighed “How can you can get entertainment from someone’s death is beyond me”
“It’s justice at its finest, how could I not find enjoyment in that” the bartender replied proudly “That Mazeltof traitor had it coming, he betrayed our king and sided with the usurper”. At this statement Alicja froze, did she truly hear what that man had said correctly? Christain too was in shock, and his face shared a mixture of confusion and horror.
“Since when were you such a supporter of the throne” the bartender’s wife replied scornfully “last time I checked you hated the snake”
“That was before he started being the best thing that has happened to Nyhem. I can’t remember the last time commerce was this good. Anyway the execution is going to start at midday so I don’t have much time left” He said as he made his way out the door. His wife swore under her breath as she continued to clean the tankards her husband had left behind. Alicja was still frozen in place at this revelation; a member of her house was going to be executed, this couldn’t be real, this had to be some sort of nightmare. Christain on the other hand had finally come to his senses
“Alicja” he said softly, unsure what to say or what to do. At this moment Alicja suddenly sprang to her feet and ran out of the door; she wasn’t just going to stand by as her family was murdered.
“Wait” Christain shouted as he quickly tried to follow her. As soon as he stepped outside he knew he had no chance of finding her; the bridge was packed with people and Alicja had already disappeared into the crowd. Unlike Alicja, Christain had never been to Nyhem before; he had no idea where the plaza was. His only hope was to try and find Ramfrey, hopefully he would be able to find Alicja before she did anything that would get her killed.

Alicja had aggressively pushed her way through the crowded streets of Nyhem, even going as far as knocking people over as she desperately tried to get to the plaza in time. Nyhem’s main plaza was as massive as it was grand. The grand temple loomed over the plaza and various statues of the Klebrithian gods and goddesses lined the sides. An extremely large fountain stood in the middle of the plaza and in the center stood a statue of Jykher, god of life. A large crowd had gathered in front of a wooden executioners stand, located just in front of the temple. To Alicja’s horror she saw what she had dreaded. Stood atop of a stool was her father, and around his neck hung a hangman’s noose. On the stage with him stood Isabel, Grand Cleric Mildred and Ulf. Mildred was currently chanting a prayer though no one in crowd was listening; they were too busy jeering and swearing at Henry to even hear her. Ulf eagerly waited behind Henry, ready to kick the stool from under his feet. Isabel watched with a wicked smile, enjoying the event unfold before her. Alicja continued to push her way through the crowd. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she knew that she couldn’t just stand by and watch. She had to try and save her father, regardless of what happened to her.

***

Christain clawed both hands into his hair in desperation as he stood in the crowded street. What should he do? Ramfrey. Ramfrey knew the court and city, he could help. He was at the harbor, so that's where he had to go. Hurriedly he asked passers by for the way, then he ran off the way they had indicated. He bumped into people inciting curses and angered raised fists here and there, but he was young and nimble and thus could soon smell the typical smell of fish and tar and hempen rope, that one could find in each harbor.

As he burst out of an alley onto the quayside he sighed relieved, this harbor was not to big, he could do this, he just needed to remain calm. Quickly he trotted along the quay peering around for any sign of the tall knight. Among the mostly bendylegged sailors and hunched dockworkers the proud tall knight just had to stand out. He passed the second bar towards the end of the quay when he was squeezed along by a few sailors running in there. Excitedly they hooted and called for each other. Old Gill was arm wrestling with some landlubber, something one had to witness. Christain wanted to protest before he caught sight of the two men wresting.

Ramfrey was sitting opposite a dark skinned sailor, both sweating heavily. Grim determination etched into both of their faces as they muscles bulged and strained against each other. "I tell you, man, you can not win." Ramfrey grunted from behind clothed teeth. Then he was distracted for an instant by Christain wailing. "Sir! Please come quickly, it's....I....Heny...Mazeltoff, he is...he will be ....executed...Alic....your daughter..." Ramfrey's eyes darted to Christain and as he lost concentration Old Gill managed to finally turn his arm quite a few centimeters towards loosing. Ramfrey grunted loudly and strained again, his face getting redder, his stream of sweat increasing. "Not....now....kid." he muttered as he painfully slow regained what he had lost.
"But sir, please she...she ran there...she will be ..." Christain stammered desperately.
"Not now..." the knight grunted again, in turn increasing his pressure even more, the bones of the two arm wrestlers hands seemed to plop and in an instant Ramfrey had wrestled the Sailor down...making him fall backwards from his bench. Right away the knight seemed to collapse. He panted heavily, as stars danced in front of his eyes. To the cheers of the crowd he finally stood after a moment and emptied his tankard after a moment.,Gill raised his left arm, and quickly the crowd quieted. "Now that was no mere landlubber I say. Sir you just got yerself a passage." the big man laughed as he held his defeated right arm. Ramfrey nodded, and held up a hand to Christain, to be quiet for the time being. "Would you show us the ship right away? As you have heard something came up, and we might need to hurry."
Gill made a smacking sound and nodded, "Come along, lads."

***

On their way towards the ship Christain desperately babbled to Ramfrey what had taken place. Just barely avoiding spilling Alicjas name, as Ramfrey repeatedly told him to calm down. As they reached the ship, a huge two masted holk, sporting a more than suggestively clad figurehead he finally answered: "Okay boy listen up." he held the young man by his shoulders. "Go get all of our things from the inn. Pay them." He handed him two of his silver pieces. "...with this, and bring it all on board. Do not hurry overly, do not show any sign of hurry. Tell them that I have been invited to stay with a relative I did not know had bought a house in the city, something along these lines. I will get to the plaza and try to stop ...my daughter."
He then walked over to the Bosun, waiting at the gantry. "Good man, I know you will be leaving tomorrow normally, but I'd be much obliged if we could. " he handed him one of only 4 gold pieces he had left by now. "...hurry this up a bit."
Gill made the same old smacking sound again then nodded. "Only because you are quite the sportsman Sir, and I like ye. But do not bring any trouble aboard is that clear?"

Ramfrey ran, not as fast as he could, but in a trot he could maintain for a longer time. He cursed himself inwardly, he had his suspicions about the whereabouts of Henry Mazeltoff. Somehow he had hoped for a better timing though. As he neared the plaza, and the throng of people got denser some idealistic, no, some idiotic core of himself actually started pondering how to save Alicijas father. He chuckled bitterly, about his own foolishness. He would be glad to even save the girl at all. Why did he have to follow oaths. Why was he a knight? Why had he grabbed that bloody sword all those years ago?
As the street opened up into the great open plaza his eyes widened. He looked upon the mass of people. All of them wrestling to be able to see the dais. He stood. Stunned. He could smell the blood again, yet there had not been an execution yet. The press of people suddenly became the bloody melee of the battle, all those years ago. He heard the clashing of swords. Tasted the mud and snow for an instant. He saw his master, lying there in the mud, eyes open, soulless. Then the same dead man seemed to stand at his side again, smiling that old kindly smile. He was his age now. The plaza was back. Sir Berdig at his side lay a hand on his shoulder and pointed into the crowd. "Your 'daughter', She is over there, boy." The apparition said kindly, and right away Ramfrey was in motion again. Squeezing through the crowd. He lost sight of her as she as well was moving through the crowd, though more like a sleepwalker. Each time he heard Sir Berdig from his subconscious. 'Right.' or 'Left.'; 'There she is.' He finally reached the girl and grabbed her spinning her around. pulling her into a hug. "Wait princess." he whispered. "We can not save him." his voice was hoarse and grim as he spake. It took him more effort to croak the words than when he had been besting the Sailor some time ago. He held her, tight, so she could not view the dais. He himself could not avoid his gaze.

"LET GO OF ME" Alicja Yelled as she struggled to be free of Ramfrey. Meanwhile Mildred had finished her speech and was making her way off the stage. Isabel had now walked over to where Mildred had been standing and had started to address the crowd.
"Before you stands a traitor. A traitor not only to our King, but to all of Formaroth. He could have chosen to remain loyal to the crown and support our kings rightful claim to the throne. But instead he choose to support the usurper in exchange for power and helped to start the war that is currently ravenging Fomaroth. There is only one punishment for treason, and that punishment is death" As Isabel finished the crowd cheered in support. She continued to smirk as she turned round to face Henry. She spoke only loud enough so he could hear "If you have any last words, please make them quick" She said mockingly. Even now Henry stood proudly and defiantly

"I have only this to say to you: Remember our words, 'we never quit, we never give up and we never surrender', your may have taken my life but I assure you my children will have yours in return, that I can swear to you" At this Isabel signaled to Ulf, who eagerly kicked the stool from beneath Henry. Henry violently fell and the sudden force around his neck caused it to break killing him instantly, much to the disappointment of Isabel and Ulf.

Ramfrey stood, still holding the young Lady Mazeltof as her father neared his oblivion. They had both been entranced as the last words where uttered, Ramfreys grip on her actually lessening by a miniscule amount. He then suddenly flinched and gripped her crushingly tight as Henry fell to his very sudden death.
Ramfrey frowned again, it had been some time since someone's death had struck him this strangely. He looked around, carefully measuring the scene, and the crowd. If he could steer Alicja to remain calm, not to make a scene he might preserve her. They might not even have to rush out of the city as hastily as he had prepared them to. He harumphed lowly, and in a brittle voice started talking, taking great pains not to reveal them himself. "Daughter heed this mans words. W...Noone could not have saved him. Deep in this Den of his enemies." he talked slowly as he stroked her back and still held her. "He still has living kin, his house has not fallen. Maybe his heirs will pursue revenge as he proposed." he made a suggestive pause, and added in a louder, quicker and slightly higher pitched voice to make clear he did not mean it. "Or they might be wise and come under the Kings peace. " he tried to steer her slowly towards the next alley,. Away, towards the harbour and waiting ship.

By @TheDuncanMorgan + @Hygswitch

[TheDuncanMorgan]

The battlefield was getting further and further away behind his forces, as Claus marched his remaining army towards the temporary fort he had left less than a week ago.
How different it felt then, how much he thought he could do this. How much he was let down by Orland.

The fort now came into sight, with heavy footsteps the men and women marched into the opening gates. The few defenders looking on with a mix of terrified and sadness, with all things inbetween covered.
With tired eyes Claus saw the young lord Tuania quickly ride to his tent and order his bodyguard to get things.
He didn't even have the energy to go get him, this would need to be done after some sleep and right now, there was no time for rest.

-"Spread the word, we're moving out!" Claus yelled, his voice echoing over most of the encampment, it was repeated by lower ranking lieutenants here and there.
The camp was quickly emptied, in less than an hour the important things were brought. The cooking wagon, the iron pots and braziers and of course the treasury and maps from the command tent.
The command tent being the only tent that was brought down. The others comparably cheap, if Andrew's army wanted to burn or steal the tents be my guest Claus humoured.
If he has so little resources that he needs troop tents, his army is in bigger trouble than lacking some cover from the rain.

***

The stronghold of Clarn had finally come into sight. The march through the rocky terrain of central Telmarion had been long and hard. The army still hadn't sufficiently rested since the battle and the journey had exhausted any strength they had left. Orland was currently riding next to Claus. For the entire day there had been nothing but stony silence between them and Orland hadn't even dared to make eye contact with him. Now that they were finally approaching Clarn Orland decided to break the silence

"Once we arrive we should go straight to my mother and father, they will want to know what happened in detail" Orland said sheepishly. He knew that the battle had been lost because of him and it was not only Claus's rage he feared, but his parents as well.

Claus was actually surprised, he had expected Orland to ride beforehand and try to lessen the fury that would befall him. Guess the poor sod had some sort of honor in him after all.
It didn't matter much right now anyway, Claus didn't own a horse so he had marched the entire distance on foot. He was used to marching, but he was tired nonetheless.

-"And here i was hoping to get into a bed when we arrived. Fine, but your folks are gonna have to bring a comfy chair for me." Claus spoke trying to make humour, the notion was lost in the overall poor mood and stiff air of those present. His voice even a bit raspy as he realized he hadn't drunk enough water during the march.
With tired motions he undid his hip flask and gulped down half the flask in just a few seconds.

For the first time in several hours Claus took the strength to him to look at Orland, whom instantly looked away.
He didn't even have energy to be angry anymore. But he was sure the fury would come back later.

The stronghold of Clarn was something to behold. The grand citadel was located on the side of cliff face that seemingly stretched on for miles. The stronghold was made entirely from stone and it's perfect defenseability was matched only by it's beauty. Beneath the stronghold sprawled the town of Wellstone, a sizable town surrounded by a tall stone wall. The town itself was constructed from the same granite that the stronghold was made from. Most of the army remained outside the wall as the town itself was too small to accommodate the vast numbers of soldiers. However most were beyond caring considering they finally had their chance to rest. Claus and Orland rode through the gates of Wellstone and into the main Plaza. The Plaza had various different market stalls scatter around the edges and a well located in the center. The well was the oldest structure in the town and was what the town had been built around, given it the name 'Wellstone'. Orland halted his horse and pointed towards the Stronghold

"My mother and father will be waiting for us up there. Though if you wish to recover from the march I could go on my own and report the events of the battle" Orland said hopefully; if he went on his own he could make his involvement looks like less of a blunder.

-"I'm going... as long as i don't stop i will be fine." Claus said while continuing to move towards the stronghold. To Orland's disappointment.
His weary eyes barely kept open, his face in a constant bored grimace.

As he closed with the gate of the stronghold, the two guards stood and blocked his path with their spears crossed.
-"Halt! What is your business?" One of them confronted Claus.
The guards however noticed the captains apathetic visage, and the fact that he didn't even look at them as he closed, shoved the spears aside akin to opening a drape, while saying.
-"I am the business."

The scene didn't escalate as Orland quickly closed in and raised his hand, stopping the guards from apprehending Claus.

The Stronghold loomed over Claus and Orland as they entered the courtyard. Two servants ran up to Orland to help him dismount while another one ran over to Claus, holding a metal tray with a jug of water on it; clearly someone had already informed them that they were coming. Both Catryn Tuania and her husband Grandin stood at the entrance to the Stronghold. Catryn was a short woman with long following blond hair and gentle blue eyes. As they approached Claus and Orland, Grandin started to speak.

"We have heard very disturbing reports from our scouts, they say that we suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of Andrew Manshrew. I am also told that our loss wasn't due to our soldiers, but rather because of a failure in leadership. Would you care to explain what happened" Grandin said angrily, strangely enough although he was speaking to Claus, his tone seemed to be directed at Orland.

As Grandin spoke, Claus's attention was focused elsewhere.
He gulped down most of the jug of water, finishing off with removing his helm which he just dropped on the ground and showered his sweaty hair with the rest of the water.

-"Sure thing, i had prepared what i could in the forms of a defensive line, when that sod over there..." Claus said and pointed at Orland. He kept going.
-"... ordered forth the militia and about half your archers, Andrew, that bastard, countered with war elephants... loads of 'em. Had to pull a miracle out of my sleeve, only reason there is any army left at all." When he finished he shaked the water out of his hair and gently touched his face.
He picked up his helm and used it as a makeshift mirror, he studied his bruised cheek.

-"He got in a real good spear throw that Andrew." Claus admitted as he gently pressed the bruise as he winced, it was purple and ugly.

A fury flared up in both Catryn's and Grandin's eyes as they glared at their son.
"Is this true" Barked Catryn. She had heard the rumored reports about Orland's actions, but refused to believe her son would act so foolishly. Sensing the impeding bollocking that Orland was about to face, Claus decided to leave while the Tunia's focus was on their son. He was exhausted from the march and wasn't interested in getting involved with a family row.
"I'm going to my room, YOU, show me the way." Claus said tiredly to the servant whom had brought him the water. As Claus followed the servant into the stronghold he could hear the furious voices of both Catryn and Grandin.

@TheDuncanMorgan @Klomster

[TheDuncanMorgan]

Alun and his company of guards had been riding non stop for over two weeks. Like it's neighboring kingdoms Nash was a rich, fertile land. Farmland covered the landscape and peasants were out in their fields harvesting the crops. Alun had finally arrived at the walled town of Auchendale. Auchendale was the kingdom's capital and it was clear that house Wulfrick had invested a huge amount of funding into it's construction and maintenance. The town's buildings were made of a mixture of red brick and grey tiles. The streets were beautifully paved with rectangular tiles and a majestic fountain stood at the center of the towns Plaza. Wulfrick Manor stood atop a hill overseeing the town of Auchendale bellow. Though not as big as some of the other manor houses that Alun had seen while travelling across Nash, it's grandeur more than made up for it. As Alun made his way up the paved path to the manor house he noticed that three servants were already waiting for him by entrance.

"Lord DeGrande, we have been awaiting your arrival" The man who spoke was a tall, thin, bald man in his late fifties. His clothes were far more splendid then the other servants and judging from his posture and well spoken manner he was likely the family butler. As Alun and his four men dismounted from their horses the other two servants quickly took the reigns and tied the horses to a long wooden post in the courtyard. Strangely enough there were already around ten or so horses tied to the same post. An unusual number of horses for just one family. Alun's trail of thought was interrupted by the butler "My name is Giovanni should you wish to know. Would you like me to show you through to the entrance"?

"Of course Giovanni, please lead on" As Alun made his way his four guards followed in suit. Giovanni stopped suddenly before turning to face Alun

"I am afraid Lord Rubidus has asked that only two of your men accompany you, the rest will have to wait out here" Alun nodded in agreement. Like any lord, Rubidus wouldn't want too many foreign soldiers in his home at once. Alun gestured to two of his men to follow while the other two remained in the courtyard.

***

Alun had been left waiting in the hallway for what felt like nearly an hour. After they had entered the manor Giovanni had gone to find Rubidus to let him know of Alun's arrival. Alun had negotiated on Andrews behalf on numerous occasions, this wasn't the first time he had been kept waiting by nobles, however this was the longest he had ever waited for his host. It was clear that Rubidus had clearly been delayed by something and wasn't just being 'Fashionably Late' like other nobles he had met in the past. After waiting a little while longer Rubidus finally arrived. Rubidus was an elderly man with silky, long, white hair. It was clear the years had not been kind to him as his once beautiful, golden skin was now covered with lines, and heavy, like old, cheap leather. Sunken brown eyes and a thin, bony nose were the features that stood out most on his, rather plain face. Behind him stood all three of his children: Aureus, a man in his late forties with curly black hair, golden skin and a extremely well kept beard and mustache. Smaragdus, A clean shaven man in his mid-forties with bronze skin and carefully styled hair. And Sappir a woman in her early fifties with silky black hair styled into elaborate braided updo’ and flawless, brown skin, with eyes so dark they were almost black. Smaragdus was the first to greet Alun

"Lord Alun, it is a great pleasure to have you here. I must say I was surprised to hear that Lord Andrew sent his most decorated officer and valued advisor" As Smaragdus spoke he took Alun's hand and shook it firmly. It appeared that he was a more than friendly individual, though this could simply be him trying to keep up appearances. Afterall even the most coldhearted nobles knew the value of decorum.

"I believe the correct title is King Andrew brother" Aureus said, he seemed far more confident and louder than his brother, though equally as friendly. "I apologies for keeping you waiting for so long, we were talking to another guest who arrived this morning. I am sure you understand"

"Of course" Alun said as he shook Aureus's hand. He noticed that neither Rubidus or Sappir had made any attempt to greet him. Unlike Aureus and Smaragdus their persona was far colder and hostile "If you don't mind me asking, who is the guest that arrived this morning"

"You will find out yourself in a minute" Rubidus replied callously "We know why you are here Lord Alun, so lets not waste time with further pleasantries" Rubidus was not the type of person who liked having his time wasted and in his old age he had grown blunt. While his sons winced at their fathers rudeness, his daughter meerly smilled.

"Father, you forget yourself, Lord Alun is..."Started Smaragdus before he was suddenly cut off

"I did not ask for a lesson in decorum from you son" Snapped Rubidus causing Smaragdus to fall silent. "If you wish to proceed with the negotiations then follow me" he said as he hobbled his way back down the hallway. His children followed behind him, daring not to walk in front of him despite their father's slow pace.

***

The main hall was a long room located at the back of the manor. The floor was made of a mixture of white and black marble and three large windows were at the back of the hall allowing the sunlight from outside to flood in. The room's walls were covered in portraits of the various ancestors of house Wulfrick and a large crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. On the opposite side of the room was long wooden table atop a dais and in front of it were two smaller tables, each only big enough for one person. Sitting at one of them was a woman who Alun didn't recognize, however judging from the two De Reimer guards standing either side of her it was clear she was part of the Imperial Concord. As surprised as Alun was, he did his best to keep his composure, he couldn't afford to show weakness.

"I was unaware that the concord had sent a diplomat was well" Alun remarked calmly. Despite his outwards composure, internal he was panicking. The fact that the concord was here was not good. The Manshrew Alliance needed house Wulfrick, and if they chose to side with the enemy instead, it could mean a guaranteed defeat for the Alliance.

"Not just any diplomat" Announced Aureus "May I introduce Cerlina Tuania; the recently appointed head advisor for King Duncan De Reimer". Cerlina took one look at Alun before dismissively looking away. The situation was even worst than Alun had assumed. If Duncan was willing to send someone as important as her then it was clear he was just as desperate as Andrew to get House Wulfrick on his side. Meaning that whatever Alun offered, Cerlina could offer more. Rubidus had taken a seat at the center of the long table while his children took their places either side of him. As Alun took his seat Rubidus started to speak

"So, Lord Alun, do you wish to make your proposal first"?

"Certainly my lord, As you are aware King Andrew is looking for loyal allies to help cement his rightful place for the throne. In exchange for your houses loyalty we will give you half of the Kingdom of Orog as soon as our alliance is settled. Once the war has been won the entire Kingdom will be given to you. I ask that you consider an alliance with King Andrew over the snake Duncan. I have served under him for many years and he is an honorable man who you can trust..." Alun was interrupted abruptly by Rubidus.

"I have no interest in hearing sentiment about your lord. I am interested in what your Kingdom has to offer house Wulfrick. If I am going to send my men to fight and die for you then I need to know that this arrangement will benefit Nash. You offer me Orog in exchange for an alliance. Is there anything else"? Alun was silent for a moment as he tried to desperately think of something else he could offer. The truth was that Andrew hadn't given Alun much else to Bargain with. Clearly he hadn't predicted the Concord trying to buy favor with Wulfrick.

"No my Lord, but I will remind you that Orog neighbours your kingdom and is a very rich and fertile land, House Wulfrick would benefit greatly from it's acquisition" Alun replied. Once Alun had finished Rubidus turned his attention to Cerlina

"Does the concord have more to offer"

"Indeed it does my lord" Said Cerlina smugly, as she prepared to make her proposal "King Duncan is willing to offer you the Kingdom of Coruneon and Rathikun once the war has ended. The Kingdom is bigger than Orog and will give you access to resources you cannot obtain here in Nash. Furthermore to cement the alliance between House De Reimer and Wulfrick Duncan is offering a marriage between one of your grandsons and the Kings sister Isabel. Though your grandson will adopt the De Reimer name, this marriage will give house Wulfrick a higher standing in the politics of Formaroth, what with house Wulfrick now being tied to the royal family". With this Cerlina sat back in her chair with a satisfied look on her face. Rubidus had not changed his facial expression.

"Very well, unless you have anything else to say I will discuss this with my children in private" he said as he slowly struggled to stand up. Smaragdus tried to help his father up before being shrugged off by Rubidus.

"You are deciding this today?" Exclaimed Cerlina; most nobles took a week at least to decided whether they would agree to alliance

"No time like the present" Replied Rubidus gruffly as he hobbled out of the room with his children following behind.

***

The Sun was starting to set and the last rays of the days sunlight were creeping into the room. The soldiers who had accompanied Alun were quietly talking to each other while the De Reimer soldiers stood in stony silence. Rubidus had been gone for a long time and his absence was making Alun nervous. He knew that House De Reimer had made the better offer, the chances of Rubidus choosing the Alliance over the Concord was slim.

"You seem a bit on edge my lord" Said Cerlina. Alun was somewhat surprised; since Rubidus had left she had remained silent and this was the first time she had spoken to anyone "I trust you are aware that Wulfrick will likely choose the Concord". Alun hesitated before replying. Though she was right he wouldn't give her satisfaction by agreeing with her.

"It is true that you made the better deal, however I trust that house Wulfrick's honor will prevail and side with the man who they can trust, not a snake who will stab them in the back"

"It is strange that you think of Andrew as a honorable man" Cerlina replied "Does a honorable man betray the throne to which he has sworn to protect, twice. Would a honorable man invade my kingdom and kill our subjects"? Alun grew silent for a moment

"The war is forcing Andrew to take actions that he is not proud of" Alun sighed "However he has no choice"

"Of course he has a choice" snapped Cerlina "He could have chosen to side with the crown and prevented this war from ever starting. He had no claim to the throne yet he declared himself for it anyway, inciting the other Kingdoms to break away from the crown as well. Andrew's rebellion has caused Formaroth to divide and has already killed tens of thousands of people. An Honorable man does not start a war he could have easily avoided" Alun was about to protest but the opening of the halls doors caught his attention instead. Both Aureus and Smaragdus had finally returned, though neither Rubidus nor Sappir was with them.

"Where is Lord Rubidus" demanded Alun

"My apologies my lord, we did try and convince father to speak with you in person. However he felt there was nothing more to discuss" replied Smaragdus apologetically "I am afraid we have chosen to side with the Concord. We do appreciate you coming all this way my lord and we have been most honored by your visit. I am sorry that it had to work out this way. But I am afraid we simply feel that the Concord offers the best future for our family". It was as Alun expected. Rubidus had chosen the Concord instead. This was crushing news, the Manshrew Alliance desperately needed allies and instead they now had another enemy.

"I...I understand. Please thank your father for his time" Said Alun confidently. Though he was deeply saddened, he would remain strong in the face of his enemies. "I hope we meet again in future on better terms" he said before turning to face Cerlina "The same for you Lady Cerlina" though she tried to hide it, Celina face was smug and satisfied. She opened her mouth to speak but Alun continued speaking before she had a chance "I am afraid must leave immediately, King Andrew will want to hear about the outcome of the negotiations and I do not wish to keep him waiting" Alun said as he signaled to his men

"Of course my lord" Said Aureus "On my honor I promise that neither you nor any of your men will come under any harm while leaving Nash. I hope we do not cross blades on the battlefield" To that Alun nodded before he made his way out of the room. Once Alun felt no else could hear him he started to speak to his guard

"We need to get to Orog as quickly as possible and send a raven to let Andrew know what happened"

"What will you tell him my lord"

"I will tell him that I failed" replied Alun bitterly

By @TheDuncanMorgan @ @AndrewCooper

[PhoenixWhite]

Lana's Arrival

The morning after Duncan's coronation was a busy one for Lana. She had slept a few hours, but arisen before the dawn to begin her shape shifting spell and write a set of instructions for Dominus Thale to follow in her absence. The instructions were relatively simple, but the spell she was casting was not. In order to carry the documents with her she had to be meticulous in her execution of the shape shift. Keeping her clothes on through the shit was one thing, carrying a sheaf of papers was another. An hour of undisturbed focus and chanting prepared her, and at last, she altered her form into that of a migratory bird. It was a fairly boring creature, with no interesting song, no sharp talons nor a wicked beak. But it did one thing well - fly long distances quickly, and that was exactly what Lana needed.

She paced out to the balcony, then spread her wings and took flight. It would still be several days to reach Alenius, but it was far faster than a carriage, and, for Lana at least, far more comfortable.

---

When she arrived above Mercy, she remained in bird form for a time. She circled above the city, looking down upon it and getting a sense of the la of the land. It was an impressive place, and quite different to Nyhem. Worryingly, she could see the beginnings of military mobilization. It was clear the Blackwell's already had a plan of some description. She was unsure if Drevala would notice her yet, but it was possible if she looked to the sky - or was herself airborne. The behavior Lana was exhibiting as a Tern was instantly visible as unnatural to an observer familiar with the bird.

Below Lana, the expansive city was like a behemoth awakening. Smoke rose from ironworks and forges, supplies were being constantly pulled in by cart, and new troops were being drilled outside the city walls- even as mercenaries cajoled and laughed about. Her observation that it was a military mobilization was quite accurate, and even at the castle itself at the top of the great hill there were abundant guards stationed. The people of Mercy were active and energized quite thoroughly, and a military was amassing very readily.

The people of the city itself were also under the spell that seemed to encompass the city, not only the military personnel. The civilians seemed hard at work; smithing, tailoring, carving, even mages were seen from her height to be assisting in endeavors through magical means.

A large amount of wood and supplies was being shipped down river towards one of the ports of Alenius, on the coast within the peninsula and shielded from the fleets of Akki.

Though, aside from rising smoke, Lana's flight is undisturbed and she remains unnoticed.

She circled down towards the city lazily, taking int he impressive sights. As magnificent as the cities mobilization was, it was worrying. The Blackwell's very likely already had war goals of their own. That, and it always made Lana a little queasy to consider war on the scale they were preparing for. As she spotted bursts of magic, she couldn't help but wonder if the mages were really eager for war, or if they only assisted because they believed they owed the Blackwell family. The thoughts were quickly swept aside as she neared the ground.

She touched down a short distance from the castle gates, far enough away that it would not startle the guards when she resumed her normal form. There was a bright flash of magic as she resumed her normal form, startling many of the nearby people. A hint of a smile curled one corner of her mouth at the surprised expressions of the citizens. She imagined they weren't entirely shocked at the prospect of a shape shifting mage, this was the home of Drevala after all, but she was likely not the one they expected to see emerge from the mage-light.

She had chosen to wear travel garb instead of her court finery - she knew the Blackwells would not care for such displays, and possibly even look down on her for them. They were a practical family, as were the people of Alenius. As such, she had thinner summer travel garb on, and her long hair plaited behind her neatly and efficiently, with no ornamentation, or even illusory improvement.

She had spotted numerous posters of the same text on the way down, and before approaching the castle gates, stopped to read one of them affixed to a nearby wall. It was a speech by Eli Blackwell. A very inspiring speech. A speech stressing the independence of Alenius.

That was a problem. Duncan had been quite clear in his views on Alenius retaining their independence. It would not be easy for Lana to secure the deal the De Reimer King desired.

Once she had read through the speech twice, just to be sure, she approached the gates. To the guards stationed there, she announced, only slightly haughtily, "I am Magister Lanaya Triskell Dionisa, and I have come to negotiate with Lord Blackwell on behalf of the Imperial Concord."

Lana's approach to the gate was met by wary, seemingly bored, guards in the blackened armor of the Dragonguard. She had circumvented many of the inner walls by flying in as she had, but the gates to the fortified atrium of the castle itself still lay between her and those she needed to try and sway.

One woman, short and stocky with a long pike leaning against the wall at her side, sized Lana up.

"Got any identification on ya, miss? Can't just let anyone who says-so into the castle and whatnot, you understand."

And thus the guards hassled her about identification and authentication and classification- and generally gave her a hard time to get into the castle. For the stocky woman with the pike, it seemed to be more of a 'I was told to ask these questions' than a 'I understand the point behind many of these questions', though she did have a decent head on her shoulders and bore a fantastic grin. To be honest, she seemed satisfied with the initial identification and authentication, but went through the routine as if this were one of the few moments of 'Something to do' during her shift.

Either way, after about fifteen minutes or so of hassling, the stocky dragonguard nodded.

"Alrighty miss, come right this way. Was told to take any diplomats or what-have-you's straight to Lord Blackwell, the Old Man won't be seein' nobody."

And with that the woman lifted a hand to her mouth and gave a shrill whistle, and the gate to the atrium was opened. She then gave Lana another flash of her fantastic grin, before moving into the gate expecting Lana to follow. She was leading Lana towards the stocky castle of Mercy, and once inside took a turn towards one of the rear towers.

"I'm just a guard, fought with the dragons you know, that's why I'm here, but I'm curious- what's the 'king'"- said with a bit of a smirk- "Want with us?"

simple, basically gossip-oriented questioning. She seemed to expect being denied information.

Lana was, by this point, becoming quite annoyed. Approaching the gates was merely a courtesy, and the local guards seemed quite persistent in trying to slow her down. Grudgingly, she admitted it made sense given recent events, but it frustrated her all the same. If she had known where Drevala's room was, she would've just flown straight there. She was eager to see her old friend again, and she had much to discuss as well.

"His Majesty-" She began, her tone withering. She wouldn't have said she was Duncan's biggest supporter, but he had gained her respect enough that she "seeks to open official lines of communication with house Blackwell." Which was, of course, obvious. That was the primary purpose of a diplomat. Lana did not have any obligation to inform random guards, sword wielding thugs no less, of important diplomatic considerations.

The woman gave a nod and grinned once more. She didn't pry any further and simply picked up the pace. These 'commoners' were always quite good at picking up on when they had annoyed someone and she seemed to speed up her walking considerably.

The interior of the castle was simple, to the point that, if there were no servants and guards and minor nobles and merchants milling about, the castle might have been considered abandoned. No decorative tapestries or paintings just heavy, drab, drapes to fight the draft that was prone to plagueing castles. Torches and candles lit the interior, and natural light flooded in from the open main door and from windows raised high in the walls so that theu couldn't really be reached.

The Dragonguard lead Lana through these halls of thick stone and towards a tower near the rear of the structure, in a rather expedient manner. Once they reached the tower, the guard bowed and moved from Lana's way.

"Right this way m'lady." She gestured up the stairs.

And once Lana climbed the stairs, she'd find a solid wooden door, banded with iron, with a guard standing outside of it. Upon approach, the guard bowed and oened the door for her, allowing her in, and would swiftly close the door behind her.

The scene before her was thus;

The room was large, in a comfortable sense, and there were a few things in this room that stood out immediately.

Firstly was the primary table of the room, which seemed to have a chess board as a permanant fixture upon its center, and indeed had two chairs opposing each other adjacent to it. The table was carefully organized; stacks of books, stacks of palers, all of it was carefully organized. All of the papers were upside down and unreadable in their stacks however, and the books appeared to be histories and similarly boring scholarly items. One large book titled 'The Grand Adventure of Narmora Stone', however, with horrendously frayed and worn pages, lay queerly on the table, separate from the others. Most likely it had been used recently and idly set aside.

There was also a large bed, though that is less important.

There are then, to note, other shelves which contain books and ledgers and volumes of all kinds, and these shelves dominated the room. A balcony opened up on the side ofthe room and allowed fresh air and light in, and the heavy drapes were wide open.

A man, in his prime of years, was standing upon a balcony with a thick falconer's glove on his arm. His attire was.. Different from those Lana had seen and met thus far; he wore clothes of finer make, but of the same simple design. Rather than the rough home-spun clothing many of the guards had worn, he was wearing clothing that had obviously had time and skill put into it to make it comfortable and fine despite its simplicity; the black shirt was silken, and though it lacked design beyond its function, it had been tailored for the man, and all the perks therein applied. He wore a belt, which was swiftly noted as a sword belt- where a long, elegant, rapier stood out as far beyond simple and drab. This rapier was decorative, extravagant, and queer; almost all men bore longswords, but this one carried a thin thrusting blade instead.

The rest of his outfit merits similar description and make, but to sum it all up he is dressed very nicely despite the simplicity of it all.

The man turned his gaze upon her as she entered and he had to pause. He had been gazing out into the sky moments before, but her entrance required his attention and the momentary distraction seemed to evoke from him a weight in his gaze, as if he had been shaken very suddenly from a reverie- and he felt, very much so, annoyed that he had allowed himself this moment of relaxation, for he felt unprepared to treat with a guest. This mild annoyance manifested in him observing her, perhaps, more critically and in detail than he ordinarily might have.

Of course, this annoyance would never be visible under his gaze's weight. He had worked too hard for such inner emotions to be so readily visible.

"Hello." He called out to Lana. "I'm assuming you're from the De Reimer king." He gves her a once-over glance that men seem typical of doing to women, though from him it didn't appear to be in the rude 'how beautiful is this slab of meat' manner, and indeed his next statement solidified this; "Especially since your knees are in full function and you are, in fact, speaking to me. Well come in, make yourself at home. We likely have much to discuss and you should be comfortable for it, My Lady."

He gave a piercing whistle and held his arm outstretched, and in but a few moments a large, groomed, falcon landed upon his arm.

"Mary, say hello to our guest." He said with a smile as he glanced to Lana. The falcon screeched.

"Thank you Lord Blackwell." She said in reply to his offer of a seat. His manner was quite informal, and so she did not bow or curtsy. He was a supremely confidant man, she could tell at a glance, and there was a clear glimmer of intelligence, perhaps even brilliance, behind his eyes. She had a sudden thought that he would've made an excellent mage, but she quickly pushed that thought aside before its associated emotions could influence her. Nonetheless, his manner, and his quiet authority, impressed her. A lesser woman might be cowed by his presence, but she was no lesser woman.

When the falcon screeched, the corner of Lana's mouth curved into a small smile. This was the magnificent creature Drevala had referred to in one of her letters. "Hello." She said to the bird, before turning to Eli. "I would be privileged to fly with her and Drevala later. I am Magister Lanaya Triskell Dionisa, and as you have noticed, I am here to represent King Duncan De Reimer." Unlike with the guard, her tone remained neutral with Eli. It was fairly clear the opinion he currently held, but insisting on formality and politeness in regards to Duncan at this early juncture would do more harm than good. Though she already knew his name from her correspondence, she did not say so yet, giving him the chance to introduce himself formally if he wished.

Eli took Mary in hand and stroked along her feathers with his other hand. He stayed silent for a moment, just showing the bird affection for a few moments in silence. Silence had purpose- silence had weight. Silence was awkward for many people, especially of the nobility or upper class who were so used to always having something to say.

But Eli stayed silent. He carried Mary over to her perch and placed her upon it, before gently cooing at her as he slid her hood on so that she'd stay still.

"Hungry, Mary?" He asked somewhat redundantly as he removed from a pouch small strips of meat, which he fed to her over the course of several seconds. "There we are...now..." Eli removed the thick falconer's glove and set it aside carefully, before turning to face Lana. He slid a hand through his hair and studied her after she spoke, trying to weigh her in the new light of her statements.

"You represent him, not just bear his words?" He asked her after this lengthy silence, as if the conversation had only just begun now. He moved forward then, and made to sit at his side of the desk. He cleared some space idly and dusted his hand over the chess board, before resting his bright eyes on Lana more intently.

Lana watched Eli tending to his Falcon, resting in the chair while she did so. His calculated silence and ignorance of her in favor of his bird was a tactic to be sure, but while she might normally have analyzed it, right now she was just happy to sit and relax in the silence for a moment. The flight had been long, the magic complex. What she really wanted right now was to have a nice hot bath and then sleep, but there would be time for that later. Though she did not plan to rush into the negotiations today, she had to at least make the intent to negotiate known and find out what exactly she was going up against.

Eventually, he spoke again, and her wandering mind was immediately back to the present. She took a moment to compose a reply - his statement demonstrated that he was paying attention to every word. She couldn't afford a slip of the tongue now. "I am empowered to act as diplomat for the Imperial Concord. I am here to negotiate with House Blackwell, not deliver an ultimatum. Any treaty I negotiate here carries his blessing." Though what she said was true, Duncan's demands severely limited the scope of what she could negotiate. She would just have to do her best to make it work.

"I see."

He nods slowly to her words and strokes his jaw with a hand. He studied her for another moment, before snapping.

"You mentioned Drevala. That's what it was. Right." He leans back in his chair, less formal already, as if the fact she just said she was here to negotiate on behalf of another king was inconsequential. "It took me a while to recall the name 'Dionisa'..." He shook his head as if clearing it of the thought, once he remembered the house fully and it's somewhat tragic happenings.

"You're one of the mages my sister wrote to on occasion, she talked about you some though I'm afraid I've rather forgotten what she said. She can be excited sometimes anyway, so I'm going to make the safe presumption that it'd be better for me to form my own opinions of you." He smiled at her pleasantly, now lowering his head back to look at her. "I do fear what she may have said about me though, gods know the girl can chatter when she gets worked up. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? We can hold off on negotiations while you rest and settle in, I feel we'll be long at work and I'd rather not ruin a good, sunny, day that I thought was going to be pleasant with talks of kingdoms and thrones and wars." He gestures as if saying 'and so on and so forth'.

Lana laughed at Eli's description of negotiation, not a harsh or condescending sound, but a pleasant one - she could relate to the statement. "It would a terrible wasted indeed." She said with mirth. "And I am indeed tired, it was a very long flight - from Nyhem non-stop. I don't quite have Drevala's stamina when it comes to shape shifting." She allowed a hint of the weariness he felt into her tone as she said so, there was no point hiding it, though it immediately changed back to one of mirth when she spoke again. "I assure you, Drevala's descriptions of you have been nothing but glowing."

Now that she was looking at him without worrying about analyzing his every expression, she noted he was quite handsome. She indulged in gazing at him for a moment - it was her turn to bring silence to the conversation. When she spoke again it was to take him up on his offer. "Refreshments would be much appreciated. And I would very much like to speak to Drevala again, is she in the city?"

Eli maintained his pleasant smile through the silence- it didn't seem to bother him for there to be silence in the air between two people. In fact, Eli rather enjoyed silences, silences allowed for reflection and thought. Non-stop conversation was the thing that caused people to slip up and grow agotated in his eyes... Breaks and pauses were needed in conversation to keep them refreshing.

And during this pause he studied her more naturally.

She was dressed in more simple clothes than he'd expect the representative of The Concord to be, but he dismissed that as attempting to accomodate the queerness of Alenius. He allowed himself the chance to appraise her, and after weighing everything he felt she was, so far, entirely pleasant.

This thought of her pleasantness made him then think about Nyhem, which soured his thoughts somewhat- but only a small amount. His soured thoughts then gave way to a second wind; he'd been itching to challenge Duncan De Reimer to conversation for quite a while, and this lead him back to Lana before him- the woman who representsd Duncan De Reimer.

Perhaps charming her could have merit, influence.

That thought was swiftly dismissed as underhanded, but undeniably plausible. It also left him open to the same influence if he didn't keep focused at all times- a woman and her charms were never to be taken lightly.

He was dismissing this thought when Lana spoke next, and he responded with only the natural pause of re-allocating resources mentally to break the conversation.

"Yes, my Lady. Drevala is indeed in the city, for she stands over our wounded sister whenever she can."

He rises up slowly, not taking his eyes off her. He rose up to his full height and walked around the table to Lana and offered her his hand, in a polite offer to assist her.

"I shall escort you to a guest room and send for Drevala, if you so desired. You would prefer a room with a balcony, I imagine."

Lana took the offered hand and rose from the chair with his support. Not that she needed it, but she wasn't going to deny him the chance to be the gentleman. "A balcony would be appreciated yes. Though I do not match the talent your sister has always shown, I do enjoy the occasional shape shifting excursion. It is not urgent that I see her though - if she is busy I will understand. She has her duties too after all."

She paused for a moment as they reached the door. She had not intended to bring up Naomi until the negotiations, but since Eli had already mentioned her, she chose to show her feelings on the matter now. Though it would be true to claim what she was going to say was drawing attention to the political aspect of it, it was not her intent. She genuinely felt that the act was as terrible as she said.

"I had heard of that brazen attack. It is truly a disgusting thing, to strike at the harmless family of ones enemy. I trust Naomi is recovering now though, at least?"

Eli assists Lana up then guides her to the door, and lets her hand go. He listened to Lana's words in a somewhat weighty silence, as if the events were heavy on his mind.

"She is alive and recovering well, though poison was used and it has left her weak. She will be back up on her feet in a week is what the healers tell me." He said to her with an apt amount of reservation. Family matters were family matters, but Lana was a friend of his sister's and he had no doubt Drevala would spew all this information quite freely, so there was little reason for him to withhold it himself.

He opened the door for her, then stepped out himself and made as if to guide her along.

"I'll have a bath drawn for you and a meal made, you may wander the city and upper floors of the castle but do not try to go into the tunnels beneath." He said this courteously and strongly, being pleasant but making sure the restrictions were understood. "Of course, the tunnels in the city proper are open in the event of a dragon attack." This statement bore more mirth and joviality than the strength of authority, and it seems he found the idea of more dragons springing up quite amusing due to the fact his family had killed or driven off all the dragons of the kingdom.

He was leading her through the halls of the castle and towards another one of the many towers, quite nearby to the one his own room was in.

"Would you like guards, Lana, or do you prefer your privacy?"

"I'll be sure to watch for dragons." She said with a grin. She knew well that there had been no dragon attacks since the dragon war. "Its good to hear she is recovering, but... Poison." She shook her head in disgust. Did Manshrew really have so little respect? "But enough of this grim topic. Thank you for your hospitality - I shall not abuse it by going where I am not wanted."

At his offer of guards, her mind went back to the encounter she'd just had with the front gate guards. While she was fairly confidant those would not be the ones assigned to her, it was still not exactly an inviting prospect to have a group of armed men so close all the time. She was confidant she didn't need protecting, and if anyone decided to barge into her room while she was bathing... It wouldn't be the first time she'd suffered sudden exposure. Such was the peril of clothing oneself in illusion on a regular basis. "I'd prefer not to have guards."

She entered the room and turned to him. "Thank you again for providing hospitality on such short notice." She smiled and shut the door.

---

She took her time relaxing, simply resting on the bed while the Blackwell servants were getting the bath and meal for her. The meal arrived first, along with a pitcher of clear water. Once the servants left, she dug in with reckless abandon. With no one around to see, she was more interested in sating her hunger and thirst than looking good while she did so. The food was different to the Nyhem standard fare, but good all the same.

The weariness she felt from the long journey in another form was something quite unlike anything a mundane could experience. Her muscles did not ache, for she had not used them - and yet she felt like she had been running all day, while simultaneously feeling phantom weariness in wings she no longer possessed. Her energy was used, but not her muscles, it was a confusing experience for the body. She did not desire a bath to clean, for she did not need to like she might after a long walk, but rather to relax her body and convince it it was not as weary as it thought.

When it arrived, it was piping hot, and she took her time once again.

Old Friends Meet Again

Lana was undisturbed all through the evening and night, save by the occasional servant asking about her needs and wants.

In fact, she wouldn't even be disturbed in the morning except by servants of similarly utilitarian intents.

It wasn't until the latter portion of the morning, approaching the hours before noon, that this routine was disturbed and Lana's door had a knock upon it that was more than just the light rapping of a servant- this was an energetic, excited, knocking.

Drevala Blackwell was the one knocking upon the door, and she stood there somewhat nervously. It had been ages since she saw her friend last, and she had done as her brother had requested and allowed Lana to rest for a while before rushing to bother and batter her. If Drevala had her way, she would've assaulted Lana with questions and stories the instant she knew her fellow mage was here, but she herself was exhausted and following her brother's advice came easier than fighting him when sleep is of necessity.

So Drevala had spent the previous night asleep in Naomi's chamber, awakening every so often to check on the girl, but for the first time in weeks she left the primary care of Naomi in the hands of the capable healers and mages who studied restorative magics, like herself, and allowed herself to detach from the situation.

And when the morning came she realized she had slept in quite late, and rushed as dignified as she could to Lana's room. Her hair was a horrible mess and she only, just now at Lana's door, bothered to adjust her clothes to appear as if she had actually... put effort into getting up this morning. She usually didn't bother with a cloak since they got lost so easily, but she had grabbed up her Magister's cloak- usually used as a blanket- and was rushedly fixing it about herself after the knock, chastising herself for her own impatience.

She couldn't find the time to even think about how to greet Lana.

Lana had just been considering going looking for her friend, or asking a servant to let her know the situation, when the sharp knocking at the door came.

When she opened it, a decidedly disheveled looking Drevala could be seen on the other side. She looked at once both extremely different and exactly the same - every bit as wild and unkempt as ever, in stark contrast to Lana. A grin crept across her face and she rushed forward to embrace the other mage. "Drevala! It's so good to see you again!" She held the embrace for a a long moment, despite knowing that the physical contact would disrupt the illusory aspects of her attire, causing them to flicker and shimmer. One of the perils of traveling by air - she couldn't exactly bring a wardrobe like most wealthy women traveled with.

When she pulled back, she quickly re-established the illusion and walked towards the balcony, speaking as she did. "I'm sorry I couldn't let you know in advance of my visit, or reply to your latest letter. Things have been incredibly busy in Nyhem... war will do that." She sighed. She wished the ceaseless war would stop. "Alas, visiting is also not my primary purpose here. I'm sure they've told you, I am a diplomat for the Imperial Concord now it seems. But at least Naomi is recovering? Or so Eli tells me..."

Drevala held the embrace, holding Lana strongly in her arms and smirking as the illusions flicker. The hug was strong and full of emotion, and Drevala was happy that she had walked here rather than flown or else this hug would be considerably more intimate for the two.

She thought about that for a second and found the concept quite distracting.

Drevala regained herself as Lana walked to the balcony, and Drevala rushed to catch up to her, fixing her shirt to no end to try and pretend that's why sue had been a few steps delayed.

"That's fine Lana- that's all perfectly fine. I know how it can be trying to find the time to write during a war- I only wish the damnable things stopped happening!" She laughed a high musical laugh, an entirely pleasant thing by most standards.

Drevala strode out onto the Balcony and let her gaze sweep over the familiar sight of the city offered by the squat tower.

"Naomi is recovering very well." Drevala affirmed. "I pray she'll walk one day soon and laugh and smile the next. Our little flower is.. Very special to us."

She looked at Lana then, trying to make the connections from 'who I knew' to 'Who she is' mentally. Much the same, some different. At least she still had wardrobe malfunctions like Drevala did, though Lana's were more swiftly corrected.

"But here I am at last. Alenius is quite different to the other places I have been. You will have to show me around. The wilderness I mean. Its been a long time since I had a chance to fly with anyone. Aurelia doesn't shift much." Lana spoke with eagerness, even knowing she would not have nearly enough time to explore as fully as she would like.

Her tone took on a more sombre note as she addressed the subject of Formaroth's ceaseless war. "I agree that there is too much war in this land. It is perhaps a little over ambitious to claim I have a plan to stop it, but my plan may at least see mages less affected by it all. I would like to speak to you about that later..." She left the statement in the air for a moment, considering yet another time if Drevala was suited to her plan. The girl disliked politics - that she knew from their correspondence, and at the college had tended to be a little too talkative at times. But she was also a High Magister (whether she liked it or not) and a symbol for many of the mages in this part of Formaroth, and some even further afield.

She pushed aside that mental debate before it could distract her overmuch and spoke again. "But enough about me. What have you been up to? And when shall you show me this magnificent discovery you kept speaking of, I'm dying of curiosity..."

Drevala smirked at Lana's mention of a plan and welcomed the turn of her mental focus. She only just now seemed to realize her hair was a mess and slowly tried to fix it, as if trying to avoid drawing attention to it after the fact.

"I will certainly take you for a flight, if you can keep up." She jabbed, good natured-ly. "And I'd love to hear your plan, I'll do whatever I can to keep folks safe so long as it doesn't endanger my family." she nodded.

Suddenly her mood turned serious. She turned to fully face Lana and held her with a queerly serious gaze, quite unlike Drevala in every regard. There was no playfulness or semblance of awkward uncertainty in this gaze.

"I can only show you if you swear to secrecy, for what I have discovered... I only offer to show you because you're my friend and you can understand the importance of it, but Lanaya..."

She stepped a fraction closer, into Lana's personal space.

"I fear what I've discovered may threaten shapeshifting as a school if it escapes, and I dread having to make use of it but if war is coming then I will have need of it."

The slightest shudder went through Lana's body as Drevala's tone and manner took on a seriousness unlike any she had seen before from her friend. She did not know what she had been expecting precisely, but it only now began to dawn on her as their talk turned serious that her friend had lost that girlish innocence she remembered, just as thoroughly as she herself had. No longer were they young mages only interested in the next fantastic thing they could learn or the next bit of mischief they could get into. Now they both had secrets, plans, and the weight of the world on their shoulders.

Lana looked away then, her expression serious. She had a sudden and strong feeling that once they revealed to each other the things they were hiding, nothing would be the same again. Looking back to Drevala, she spoke again. "I will swear to keep whatever you show me hidden... But before we speak grim words that cannot be unheard, let us fly once more, and enjoy the company as we once did, unfettered by thoughts of war." She immediately began softly speaking the few words she would need to shift in her current state to the fastest form she had - a falcon. It was unlikely she could out-fly Drevala, but she intended to get a head start if she could.

Drevala's grim seriousness shifted swiftly back to a playful laugh as Lanaya began her transformation.

"You dirty little cheater!" she declared playfully, taking a step back and dropping her cloak down. "You better enjoy that head start!"
And indeed, as Lanaya flew away, Drevala leapt from the balcony and rapidly shifted forms into that of a Great Falcon- a good bit larger than Lana.

And so the two flew, Drevala guiding their flight around Mercy, then away and around the forested hills of the region. With their great speed Drevala took them down-river to quite near the coast, but then banked and lead Lana south, away from port and city alike.

And unless Lana veered away, Drevala seemed intent on guiding her south into the mountains...

---

When the two arrived at an area where a river emerged from the mouth of a cave, calm and gentle until a few hundred feet down-slope where it picked up speed, Drevala arced down and shifted back into human form to land skillfully upon the ground...

And naturally her complete disregard for human clothing had struck once more and the woman's body was bare. She did not just stand there however, she strode over to the mountain river and slid into it gracefully, submerging herself and washing briefly as she awaited Lana.

Lana followed her friend as best she could. Her head start had not lasted long, as she expected. She was a good flyer, but she was merely a woman wearing a the form of a bird. Drevala was the bird. There had never truly been any way for her to compete. Despite being outclassed though, she was having fun. It was a primal kind of fun, reminding her of her childhood, and she reveled in it while she could.

When Drevala veered away to the south, Lana followed. She was eager to sight see anyway, and she was sure her friend had a reason not to land in Mercy again immediately. She mentally laughed at Drevala's showy landing. It was just like her to do that, and very impressive. Lana's landing was quite different - she set down still in bird form, only changing back once she was steady on the ground. The other major difference was that instead of being naked, she still had her underclothes on, just as she had when she had shifted in the city, and illusions immediately covered her form with the semblance of clothing. She knew Drevala probably wouldn't care if she didn't bother, but she was so used to maintaining that illusion she didn't even think about it.

She laughed as she moved towards the streams edge. "That was fun!" She said, joy filling her voice in a way it rarely did. She sat down cross legged next to the river and waited for Drevala to speak next, enjoying the sounds of the forest as she did.

A Humored Discussion

Drevala rose from the water, shaking herself of moisture with a few dog-like tosses of the head. Well, at least her hair was finally situated more properly.

"So, Lanaya. This cave used to be the home of a rather large dragon mother and her brood. I won't bother you with the details, but this cave was quite instrumental in leading me to my discovery."

She was happy and excited to talk about it, unlike before. Lana's promise of secrecy had done wonders for her confidence and Drevala trusted Lana quite thoroughly.

"I believe a demonstration of what I have learned will speak far more than any words I know... But I'll save that for after we've relaxed for a while."

She sat herself down inside the water's edge and let the cool river flow around her as she leaned against the bank.

"How is Aurelia? Gods know I lost contact long ago, she always was leaps and bounds ahead of me that it was difficult to establish common ground..."

She ran a hand through her wet hair, mussing it up.

"Oh! And how's it like being THE representative of a king? So exciting!" Drevala giggled. "I'll warn you now, Brother'll make you work quite hard for whatever it is you need to get done. He's got all the numbers up there in his head, he knows our position better than even father does, i believe at times."

Lana laughed again at Drevala's shaking of the water off her body, even as she felt a few drips splash onto her. She was grinning all the time.

"Aurelia, she is doing well." Lana began, one of her hands already in motion weaving a static image of the other mage in air beside her. It would be, once complete, an approximation of Aurelia standing in the balcony of her tower looking wistful. "She is perhaps not as you remember her though, she was changed a great deal serving under the mad king. I can only imagine living in fear of being burned every day, trusting in the whim of a madman. But she has recovered since his death. Her magical endeavors are grand, though largely aimed towards helping the kingdom. Serving on the Council has left her little time for herself, at least compared to you or I." The image beside her was complete, but she kept adding to it, and soon it would be plain to see Duncan De Reimer standing behind her. "I'm sure you have heard a great deal about Duncan, but one truth I can tell you is that he supported her throughout the mad kings reign and beyond. He has been a true friend to her...." She looked about furtively then, like a young girl with a particularly juicy piece of gossip, despite it being clear none would eavesdrop on them in this place. "And you must not tell anyone -" She began in an unnecessarily hushed tone "But I think they are in love." The uncharacteristic giggle that followed echoed Drevala's. She let the image fade as she moved onto the next subject.

"And representing him, well, I must say I was surprised. It seems he took note of my persuasive nature. Its a big responsibility, but he promised to restore my family name and holdings if I succeed. But as much as that motivates me, I also hope that an alliance will end the war quickly. Your houses power joined with that of the Imperial Concord would be more than Manshrew's foolish alliance could withstand. As for your brother... I can tell he is brilliant. I am at once both eager and fearful to match my wits against his..." Her tone had become somewhat more serious, but it quickly changed back to the mirthful one of before when she continued. "But my dear Drevala, you never told me he was handsome too!"

Drevala watched the illusions come into reality, silently appreciating her friend's masterful skill. She studied the image of Aurelia with apt curiosity, and listened to Lana's words with deep interest.

Duncan appeared, and Drevala stared at that image more closely. She had seem Duncan very few times, if any at all, so the illusion served as an introduction of the king.

However that last bit of gossip there made Drevala gasp and cover her mouth with a hand.

"In love? Ooooo! That's so exciting..." she sighed and looks up at the sky. "I just hope she's safe though... Opening up is never easy."

She seemed less interested in the bits about war and alliances, but paid dutifil attention. She mostly cared how Lana felt, and Drevala couldn't help but smile at Lana's 'persuasive nature'.

The talk of her brother made her grin, and at the last sentence her grin widened into a silly one.

"I wouldn't know, I never was overly interested in men so his attractiveness may have been lost on me. If you find him so handsome, then I beg you turn that persuasion of yours on him!" her laughter was music in the mountain air. "Lay on the illusions, put on some makeup, charm the bastard- maybe he finds you quite beautiful and just is being political about it~"

This woman really couldn't grasp the politics of it at all.

Lana laughed as Drevala laughed - it was infectious. "You really think he might? Smart and handsome - its a rare combination in men. Maybe I should." She grinned, then realized what she was saying. "But the ramifications... I'm sure there are countless books talking about how you shouldn't get involved with the person you're negotiating against..." She was still grinning, despite the seriousness of it all. "But Duncan's expression would be so worth it if I managed to charm Eli. Imagine that!"

She lay back in the grass then, her laughter slowly dying down. She wondered why life couldn't always be this much fun. The sinking feeling of inevitability and innocence lost was far from her mind now. Maybe she could still have both her high cause and still live a carefree and fun life?

"I don't see any books here right now, do you?" Drevala teased, smirking at Lana. "But you might have a point. Hmmm...I know- how about this; Eli was going to leave you all of today to yourself so you could rest and whatnot, so why not pay him a visit this evening? A social visit, that's all. He's always in his quarters after dinner."

Drevala lay back on the bank and gaze into the sky, kicking her legs playfully in the water.

"Am I being too pushy? I simply adore the idea of a romance blooming, my siblings have dodged getting married or having children //so// thoroughly..." She sighed, then paused. "N-Not that I was implying you'd end up married to him!" She added suddenly with a laugh. She rolled over onto her stomach and gazed up at Lana, chewing her lip in thought.

"Is that something you've ever considered? It's been on my mind a lot ever since Naomi got hurt- marriages, that is."

"Marriage? I've thought about it..." Lana replied thoughtfully. "But only ever from the political standpoint. It seems so strange to speak aloud the fact that I would marry some lordling in an instant if it furthered my goals enough... I never really thought I'd encounter anyone worth marrying for love. Until recently I had no line to continue either. I imagine that is something that your family finds quite the pressure."

She sat up then and looked straight at Drevala. "You know, if I did marry Eli... We would be sisters."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lana was already starting to consider all the political aspects of marrying Eli. Originally she had discounted house Blackwell for marriage prospects, but now she had to reconsider. It would be worth finding out Eli's perspective on mage rights, among other things.

"And if you did marry Eli, you'd be a future queen~" Drevala continued to tease. "Throne of Alenius falls to him in terms of inheritence, you know." Drevala really was trying to sell this up, it'd seem. In truth, the idea of her brother and friend marrying was quite interesting to Drevala- not only would it lead to the prospect of children, but also to the furthering of her own family's bloodline. The extra magic in the blood was also worth noting! if Drevala could do magic, that means her brother carried the ability of magic within his blood as well!

Drevala heaved a sigh then and stopped splashing about as playfully.

"Well, I'll stop badgering you about it- you did just meet him for the first time yesterday after all, I won't try and force it." She licked her lips some and shut her eyes for a few moments then. "So, Lanaya, are you ready to see my discovery?"

She asked this with tangible excitement- and also with the undoubtable touch of nervousness. She knew sharing her secret was more dangerous than keeping it, but she also couldn't keep it hidden from one of the few people who could possibly understand the significance magically.

Outwardly, Lana laughed at the mention of becoming queen. It struck a chord within her though - she could not deny that the prospect of such power was incredibly appealing. She didn't know if Drevala had said it knowing how much it would affect her, she suspected it was not the case, but a niggling part of her mind couldn't dismiss the possibility. She had a lot to think about after this discussion already, and that was just from the casual banter.

Then the subject moved back around to Drevala's discovery. Lana's curiosity surged forth once again. She stood and stepped back, anticipating some kind of impressive spell. What else could it be? Drevala had mentioned its significance to magic. "I'm ready." Was all she said.

Drevala's Secret

Drevala rose from the water and strode over to the entrance of the cave, turning to face Lanaya. She stretched her arms out and grinned a bit.

"You can't speak a word, you swore it." she reminded Lana. "Alright, it'll take some time to work the magic, but bear with me."

Drevala brought her hands in and placed them together by her stomach, shutting her eyes. In just a few seconds, she began to glow with power, something that occurred when she tapped into her magical energy and channeled it. Her usual shape-shifting was reflexive, instinctual, easy- what she had to do now was difficult and time consuming.

After a few minutes of this glowing, she pulled her hands apart and the energy began to swirl about her body, even as her body glowed more intensely. This aura of power was intense, and it was born of Drevala's innate skill with slipping out of her skin and the magical attunement she had with the school. As her body began to glow, it began to change.

It took time. A lot of time. She could turn into a bear in a minute, and a wolf in seconds, but this seemed to be as if time had slowed down for the woman. Lana was quite aware of the speed with which Drevala could shapeshift, and the fact it had taken her this long just to channel the energy spoke to the difficulty of her task.

After somewhere near fifteen minutes of just...channeling her power and focusing it, refining it, amplifying it is when she began to glow intensely and change. At first the changes were minute, small things. Her hair receding, her skin darkening, her limbs thickening. It was as with any other form the woman might adopt.

Then things began to become incredibly drastic indeed.

She fell forward onto all fours, her body no longer even resembling that of a human- her size increasing to that of a bear, even as thick scales began to grow from her darkened skin. Bright scales, iridescent in color and favoring hues of white and blue. By now, half an hour into the process, Drevala resembled an oversized bear-lizard.

But still the aura of magic swirled, and still the woman grew.

The oversized lizard bulked up...Thickened. Its tail elongated, scaling growing over it as well as it grew. Her body grew more defined than that of the previous stage- and as she grew, projections began to press from her back. Her neck elongated as well, and her size simply kept increasing.

By forty-five minutes into the transformation, Drevala's shape was undeniable...and as it neared fifty minutes the aura of magic faded- the transformation was complete.

Her scales were bright, and glittered in iridescence from the light filtering into the cave. She stood larger than any bear, or man, or horse, or elephant, as a quadruped. Her entire body was covered in those scales- from her long tail to her crested head- and her entire body radiated a raw, primal, power. The projections from her back had grown and filled out into large, powerful, wings, and as the aura of magic faded and left Drevala standing there in her new form, the creature she had turned into turned its head down and stared at Lana with black eyes, snorting hot breath from its nostrils.

The creature then lowered its head down to Lana's height and exhaled a hot breath onto her, a rumbling coming from deep in its body...and suddenly the cave seemed to lack all the space it once had.

Drevala had turned into a dragon. This was the secret she so strongly swore Lana to secrecy to discover.

When Lana realized it was going to be a long spell, she sat down again to watch. For the initial channeling, she let her mind wander. She still watched, but merely channeling magic was not in itself a ground breaking thing, as much as she couldn't help but wonder what manner of spell might require the powerful Drevala to channel for so long. Still, it was a welcome breather to consider the ramifications of a political relationship with Eli. It would give her much greater influence over the lands of Alenius, though by all accounts Alenius was already something of a haven for mages. It would also give her much more significant political clout in the rest of the world. The Blackwell name carried a strong reputation with it after all.

But then she realized the most unfortunate aspect. Eli was ambitious, and if his ambition might lead to conflict with Duncan. While she had no specific love or loyalty towards Duncan... She had just encouraged her best friend to marry the man. If that happened, her fate would be forever tied to his. But then, if she was in a relationship with Eli... maybe she could calm his ambition, or redirect it.

It was at about that point in her train of thought that things started getting unusual. Drevala was changing. The form she was beginning to take was nothing like any she had seen before, even in its early stages. She watched on, her attention thoroughly held by the slow but steady changes. She had a strange combination of a sinking feeling of dread and a feeling of fascination and awe running through her.

When Drevala finally finished changing, the shape was unmistakable. Lana stood as Drevala's head moved down towards her, her mouth agape. There was a primal fear now as well. Though she knew that the creature before her was still her friend, and meant her no harm, evolution told her body otherwise. Part of her wanted to scream and run, and in a rare break of composure, she could not hold the fear back from her face.

But the rest of her instantly put the pieces together. It should've been obvious really. Drevala was possibly the best shape shifter the world had known. No, with this discovery she was the best. After slaying more than 80 Dragons, she had to have carried out the most in depth study of the beasts ever performed in Formaroth. It only made sense that she knew enough to take their form... Lana was kicking herself for not seeing it sooner. But then the implications hit her, and she realized why Drevala had sworn her to secrecy. If news of this got out, there would be a new wave of terror over mages. None would dear challenge House Blackwell militarily. Drevala herself would become a commodity and a target both.

"Drevala..." She began, her voice weak, but gaining in confidence as she regained her composure. "This... This is..." She was lost for words. That was a rarity. "How many people know about this? You cant tell anyone. Not even your family... The world isn't ready..."

The dragon before Lana snorted at her and lifted its head away. There was a pause, before the dragon's mouth opened- revealing rows of vicious teeth- and from within the dragon's body burst forth a stream of fire which blasted against the walls of the cave, splashing fire into the cave- and intense heat funneling back out. The dragon snapped its jaws shut, cutting the fire off.

Then the great creature lay down and swished its tail over to Lana, tauntingly running its scaled surface along the ground by her.

The creature blinked at Lana and nodded its head in understanding, but then the creature looked up at the burnt surface of the cave wall and lifted its tail. With careful movements, the tail dragged along the burn surface and scraped ash off;

'Father knows' in clumsy letters were written through the scorch-marks.

Lana looked at the words on the wall - of course Drevala couldn't speak as a Dragon... Once she read the words she shut her eyes and whispered "No." A look of despair was on her face. She had never met the man, but she knew enough about Giles Blackwell to know that he was the kind of man who, if pushed too far, might just ask his daughter to exploit this power. She couldn't blame the girl for telling her father. The Blackwell family was a tight knit one. She was just thankful the others did not know.

She wanted to be the scholar. To be fascinated, curious and amazed. She wanted to ask her friend all about the magic involved. About what she had learned of Dragons. But all she could think about was the politics of the situation. In that moment, she felt like a terrible friend. "Change back please... We have much to speak of." Was all she said.

The process of changing back went a bit faster, but making all that mass appear and disappear still took a little time.

About half an hour is what it took for her to change back, and when Drevala's form was left there on the ground she sucked in a deep breath and took a few experimental steps to get a feel for her human body once more.

"So now you know." she said simply, running a hand through her hair- a mannerism not unlike her brother's. "So.... We have lots to talk about, yeah?" she asked in her simple manner, offering a smile of uncertainty.

Lana was there next to Drevala to help her along once she finished changing back to human form. She knew that a shift of such grand proportions could not be easy. "I don't think I need to tell you how important it is that this not get out yet... That's why you swore me to secrecy. Secrecy you can be assured I will hold." She sighed. She couldn't help but feel her reaction was not what Drevala had wanted.

"I have a plan." She began, changing the subject somewhat. "Or perhaps a vision. A world in which mages have the freedom to live and practice our art without fear. A world without war." She felt arrogant speaking the words aloud. "Formaroth is mired in fear and superstition, but I believe that can be changed. I am putting together a group of politically minded but skilled mages with the intent of influencing the courts of Formaroth towards improving the rights of mages and using our learned, reasoned and persuasive nature to encourage peaceful solutions to conflict." Lana realized then that the politically worded version would probably not be appreciated by Drevala, and changed tack. "I want a world where you can show anyone what you just showed me and not be afraid, either for yourself or for the world. I know you dislike politics, but I would like to invite you to join me in this. As a High Magister your word holds more political weight than mine, surprising as that may seem. And though it may seem strange, your dislike of politics would be an advantage. You may see something obvious that the rest of us do not, with our heads in the clouds." Lana stopped to catch her breath then - this was her passion, and once she had started it was hard to stop.

Drevala listened to Lana quietly, her smile fading into a neutral face. She listened and felt a variety of emotions- what she just did might possibly be accepted and not feared in such a world, but that felt very much like it could start a different kind of war entirely, in her mind. A war between mages and mundanes. Drevala wouldn't be able to pick a side in such a conflict- her family was the most important thing in this world to her, but she herself was a mage and that meant she had to pick sides in such a conflict if one arose.

But she disregarded her feelings of violence and war-to-come, and focused heavily on Lana's actual words. Peace. She spoke of peace. That's what Drevala wanted too, and as Lana spoke more simply Drevala seemed to understand more.

"Lana, I'm not sure what I can do for you, but I'll do whatever I can. I have to fight in this war however, I may have to...to use what I've shown you. Manshrew hurt my little sister, and I can't let him get away with that."

She levelled her eyes on Lana, a fierceness in her gaze. She had often spoken that she'd protect her family in the best way she can no matter what, and the fact her little sister had gotten hurt was an intense thorn in her side, to put it lightly.

"I like the future you speak of, the world you envision. I love it. I'll do what I can to help you make it come true, but I will warn you of this- associating me with your cause could smear the whole thing in blood with the coming war." She seemed saddened to say these words, but she needed to be clear to Lana her position.

"My family comes first, but anything else I have- time, effort, energy, magic- will be put forth for this future. I promise it."

"Manshrew will be brought to justice." Lana stated confidently. "But the means exist to do so without forcing you to use this gift. If House Blackwell supports the Imperial Concord, we can bring Manshrew down without resorting to apocalyptic magics. Duncan has even stated that he will save Manshrew's head for your father to personally take. That is why I must succeed in bringing peace between House Blackwell and House De Reimer - for justice, and for a short, victorious war."

Lana sighed then - it was true, that if Drevala did join the collective, and was to forced to fight as a dragon in the war, it would sully the collectives name. Perhaps polarize public opinion against mages even more. The risk was colossal. It was a potential all or nothing scenario. Would she take that risk? Or would she cruelly rescind her offer? She already could not afford too many mistakes or mishaps, but Drevala's support opened as many doors as it closed. She had decided.

"I understand. I am confidant that your family will not oppose me at the very least. Perhaps they may even become allies - with your help, they may yet see the wisdom in official support of mage rights... And perhaps even peace."

Another thing she hoped went right. Another thing that could end her cause if it proved wrong.

"Welcome to Mages Collective High Magister. It will not be fast, nor easy... But we will bring this future into being."

That sinking feeling was there again. Would they ever be able to cast aside this seriousness and go back to the laughter and joy of before?

Drevala nodded solemnly, bowing her head for a moment. This was heavy on her and she needed to dwell on it for a moment. She felt very wrong all of a sudden, as Lana's words weighed on her. She knew it was pulling her into something. She couldn't figure out what, but she knew it felt wrong.

The talk of Manshrew and Blackwell support and the Imperial Concord, she realized suddenly, is what had struck a chord with her and felt very wrong. She swiftly dismissed these feelings, as she knew she wasn't being manipulated or warped by a power-hungry politician or misguided mage. Lana was her friend, and wouldn't manipulate her like that.

She lifted her head and offered Lana a smile then.

"Well damn, look at where we've gotten Lana." She laughed and placed her hands on her hips in determination. "I'll tell you this, friend- Alenius will always be a haven to mages and mundanes alike." her smile grew into a grin then, and she tilted her head.

"I'll let you in on a little secret though- I can't really influence brother at all, and he's the one father designated to handle diplomats and whatnot. I simply don't know enough, but I'll try and get a word in with him about these things when I have the chance."

She shifted from this seriousness back to her playful tone.

"But all this dreariness aside, my dear Lanaya, you've finally come to me and all we've done is brood and whisper so far. Sure, there were a few giggles in there, but not nearly enough for me to be satisfied. Let us return to Mercy and make merry, I'll introduce you to my sisters."

"You have my thanks all the same." Lana said genuinely. She knew Drevala would not be of great use on the political scene - it wasn't the kind of mage she was. Still, every little helped, and her help also meant help from other mages in Alenius.

She smiled meekly then, at the idea of making merry. In part because she did not believe she could surrender to merriment as fully anymore, and in part because of nervousness at the thought of what Beatrice Blackwell might consider fun... As far as Lana knew, Beatrice was little more than a very skilled thug.

"Very well then. Back to Mercy? But don't forget, I've got to have enough time to get ready for a social visit to your brother afterwards..." Her tone moved from meek to confidant and even teasing. She really was considering such a visit with Eli.

Lana was about to say 'time flies' when Drevala shifted into a bird before her and was on the wing before she could react. She just laughed and shook her head instead. She began speaking her own spell to shift, and in a few minutes she joined her friend in the air.

A social call

Rather than heading immediately back to her room, Lana instead landed in alley near the marketplace. After changing back, she located a local seamstress, and was able to barter what little coin she had brought with her for a new dress. It was simple - exactly the sort of thing the common city woman might wear - but its purpose was not in its appearance. She simply did not want to visit Eli wearing almost nothing but illusion, for fear it might be misconstrued as an attempt to seduce him in order to secure a better deal. She added illusions over the clothing as she made her way back - she still had to look good after all, though instead of her usual fare, she attempted to emulate the styles of the more impressive looking Alenius women. Simple and understated but of fine make and with more subtle patterning.

She took some time to prepare once she got back to her room - ostensibly ensuring her appearance was ideal, but internally considering the political implications once more. She decided that even if he proved to be not as impressive as he first appeared, Eli Blackwell would be a good candidate for a political marriage, especially since Duncan and Aurelia seemed to be on course for a relationship.

The sun was approaching the horizon when she decided to knock on Eli's door. She wore a smile that had disarmed many lesser men, and was surrounded by the faintest of illusory glows, while her green eyes were heightened in intensity. She may not naturally have been the most beautiful of women in Formaroth, but enhanced by magic, she could match those women in the eyes of many men.

Eli opened his eyes at the knock. He had drawn the curtains of his balcony closed and cast the room into an early darkness, blocking the glow of sunset quite handily. He sat up in his bed and swivelled from it, rising to his feet in the dim candle-light of his room.

He had laid down after dinner in an attempt to catch up on rest for the negotiations he intended to start on the morrow, but hadn't intended on sleeping through the night- merely take a brief nap. Which had dragged on longer than he wanted, he realized swiftly, as he strode over to the curtains and drew them open to gaze out at the sunset.

He rubbed his eyes, ran a hand through his hair to fix it up swiftly with practiced gestures, and anticipating a servant at the door he strode over to it without further altering his appearance.

All in all, it was only a handful of seconds before the door opened for Lana, revealing Eli standing there.

He was by no means dishevelled or messy, even if he had just risen from sleep, and, there was no drowsiness about him either. He was a man used to sleepless nights and hard work- waking up from a nap was refreshing, not grog-inducing. His features were still alert and focused, and the candle still burned at the desk behind him creating an illusion of work all in its own right.

However as he opened the door he had to pause and gaze at the woman beyond it, chastizing himself severely for not questioning who it was before opening the door.

Betraying the illusion of 'work' caused at the desk, perhaps, was the fact Eli's garb wasn't complete. He was wearing the fine trousers of his station in Alenius, but had taken off his shirt to rest on his bed and, anticipating a servant, hadn't bothered to cover his scarred chest and torso.

His eyes studied Lanaya in a swift way- trailing down her body then back up. This time it was more in recognition of the new outfit, and the slightest of smiles twitched up on his lips.

He really did like the way she looked.

"...I wasn't expecting you, my lady. Please forgive my lack of preparedness." He said in quiet tones, opening the door further as he stepped back. He had chosen to just accept his lack of preparation for a visit and move with confidence, a confidence that was apparent in his movements after the initial moment of realizing Lana was the one at the door.

Beneath that confidence he allowed himself to mull over her visit and what it was for. If she wished to begin Negotiations now, he was ready... He just preferred that it be done on the morrow instead. If it was for anything else?... He didn't really have an answer for that. Eli Blackwell was not a man used to social visits from women.

"Come in, Lanaya. Make yourself at home."

He strode over to a wardrobe and opened it as he said these words, plucking from within it a shirt which he pulled on swiftly. Once more his outfit was complete, creating that subdued nobility of his. Eli's clothing seemed to be of, compared to the lesser nobility of Alenius who have no real power or influence, finer make and designation. He had his outfits tailored for himself and the result was clothing that looked good on him despite its simplicity, or perhaps he made the clothes look good with his natural charm?

Regardless of that, he closed the wardrobe and, once completed, he seemed to focus fully on Lanaya

Upon the opening of the door, Lana was greeted with the sight of Eli naked chest. And an impressive chest it was. Not the over-bulky muscled mess of a career warrior, which she found ugly, but the evenly toned shape of a man in excellent shape. She noted the scars - an unfortunate marring of his form, but each held a story she was sure.

"My Lord..." She began, stepping into the room. "I thought it might be pleasant to make your acquaintance properly before the negotiations begin." She wandered casually towards the balcony to admire the sunset - though did not leave the room, standing only on the threshold.

"I have heard a great deal about you, and I find myself wandering how much is true..." She did not speak in an accusatory or confrontational tone - rather a slightly demure, conversational one filled with curiosity.

Eli allowed the silence to carry on once again. Her words were a small surprise to him, as he had not anticipated such a visit. The silence was broken by his footsteps as he strode along to stand beside Lana and look at the sunset.

"Then it will be my pleasure to host you this evening, my lady."

He allowed a silence once more as he digested what Lana had said, but he smiled pleasantly and with the careful reservation of caution. He was so unused to this prospect of a visit that he felt it was a ploy to influence him at this juncture. That made his prior guilt at considering charming her diminish immensely.

"I would love to know more about you as well, Lanaya."

He gracefully looped his arm in hers at that and guided her out onto the balcony proper, being somewhat assertive with the gesture but within the bounds of being a gentleman. The balcony was small, not overly grand, and had been constructed for men with long pikes to fend off a dragon from above and below... But it would serve Eli's purposes nicely as well.

Once he had her on the balcony itself, he released her for but a moment to draw the curtains behind them, suddenly closing off the room- making the small area quite close now, and he finally allowed his smile to grow info a more comfortable one, which made him seem quite happy and charming indeed, from a general standpoint.

Looping his arm with hers once more, standing a bit closer to her due to the limited space of the balcony, he finally spoke.

"I will gladly answer any questions you may have, Lana."
He dropped his formality and spoke softer.

The physical closeness - something Lana so often avoided, was exhilarating. She felt the disruption of her magics too, and was thankful she had taken the time to acquire solid clothing. This contact would've demolished a complex illusion with ease, but the localized and small improvements she used now were far more stable - only those directly touched would flicker.

When he finished speaking, she remained silent for a moment, enjoying the golden-orange rays of the setting sun. Eli was not a rushed man, she could tell. Everything he did was slow and deliberate, but in a manner that exuded supreme confidence.

"Would you?" She said with curiosity. "I am just a lowly mage... My life is beneath the notice of a mighty Prince like yourself." Lana's tone was purposefully self depreciating, particularly in the 'lowly mage' part. She wanted to know how he would react to the idea of a mage being lesser than a ruler... Or if he would not consider it an important distinction at all.

Eli couldn't help but chuckle at Lana's words and the depreciation in them. He looked at her, noticing the flickering of the illusion and disregarding it, and shook his head.

"Do get rid of that depreciation, Lana, it doesn't suit you. Perhaps in other courts you may have to bow your head and assign adjectives, but here, and with me, you need not fret over such petty things. Lowly? You can do much I can't, I'd say that makes you quite high and mighty in your own right. As for me- mighty isn't the word I'd use, that's a word I've decidedly left to my sister Beatrice." He smiled then, amusement in his words. "Go ahead and ask anything you want, and I'll do my best to answer."

A short peal of laughter rang out from the balcony then. Ostensibly at the remark over Beatrice being the mighty one, but inwardly she was very pleased with his answer.

"You do know how to flatter a girl..." She said with a small grin. "And I don't know... you looked fairly mighty to me." She said, her eyes flickering down towards his chest as she said it, though she kept speaking before he could interject. "But very well. They say that you alone are responsible for Alenius' economic success. I have the privilege of running House Thale's modest economy, so I can respect the difficulty of such a task. Do really manage it all yourself?"

Eli had to focus quite hard to contain the smirk and remain straight-faced at her comment and the flick of her eyes. He turned his gaze out to the sunset and digested her question thoughtfully. In truth, it was almost entirely his hand that handled records and ledgers and funds. Nobody else in his family had a head for it, but he could hardly claim to be solely responsible for the recovery.

So his response was very moderate;

"I handled the book-keeping and treasuries, yes. I may have needed an assistant or two to keep up with the organization initially, but once I had everything organized it was just a matter of putting in the time and effort to get it done. I didn't need any help doing that, and even now I have much of the information memorized and only need to reference the books to upkeep and maintain them, unless sudden, unexpected, happenings arise." He said this last statement with a bit of bitterness, recalling the destruction of the fleet.

"So if you mean the actual handling of money and the keeping of books and logistics, then yes I essentially have handled them single handedly since the Dragon War. However, I have to let you in on a little secret." He smirked at that, and leaned in conspiratorially.

"I didn't smith the steel or till the fields, I have to give the people their credit where it's due."

Lana smiled a mirthful smile at him then. "That is still very impressive. maybe you could give me some tips before I return to Nyhem? I've kept House Thale somewhat profitable, but lets just say I did not study economics when I was in the Circle." The blazing orb of the sun touched the horizon then, darkening its hue still further. The wispy clouds in the area had taken on a rosy pink. It would certainly make for a very picturesque memory, and a challenging illusion to recreate later on.

It occurred to her then, that there had never been any mention of where Eli went to school. His past, in fact, had been quite obscured whenever he was discussed in the court at Nyhem - no one ever seemed to know anything about him as a boy. "Where did you study to learn such incredible mastery over the subject? Or is it entirely your natural intelligence?" She did not hide how impressed she was with his intellect in her voice, it would be easy to hear.

Eli's smile dipped a bit at her questioning where he learned, but at the same time his eyes hardened into a pride that was quite different from his passive confidence- this was a hard, rich, pride. Something people suffer to attain.

"I learned in Nyhem." He said simply. "When I was a boy, I did as all Blackwells did and travelled with no name. I went to Nyhem. I had no money, no name, no weapon, and no goal."

He licked his lips, pausing as he contemplated how much to tell her. He figured it couldn't hurt, he had his pride and his accomplishments, and none would deny him that because of a past he may dislike.

"I was a beggar." He said flatly, his tone less enthused. "Not a copper to my name. I learned the streets, I learned the people, I learned who would spare a coin and who wouldn't, and I learned what a coin could get me. Gold, Lana, was a prize. Some of the other beggars mocked me for my pride, said I should stay bowed. They mockingly called me 'The Beggar King'."

He looked at her more directly now, serious.

"You ask where I learned to become a master of coin. I learned to master coin by suffering poverty and starvation in the capital of this kingdom, where there was more wealth than I could imagine changing hands every day. You called me mighty moments ago? I was an urchin who hid in warehouses during storms with doll-girls and cut-purses."

There appeared to be a significance in how he said the final sentence, but he cut it off and shook his head, forcing himself a new smile.

"I learned because I had to, is the easiest way to explain it. I was at the very bottom of this society, and now I'm very near the top."

Lana listened intently as Eli spoke of his past. It was interesting, and not at all what she expected.

A quiet "Oh." Was her immediate reply when he had finished. She wagered there was more to it than just what he told her, but he had answered her question, and she thought it best not to push. She thought for a moment how to proceed and eventually decided to tell him of her past. It just felt right, even if her harshest moments would likely not match up to the hardship he endured.

"I understand what it is like to be looked down upon." She began. She raised her free hand, a sparkling glow surrounding it, as if to draw in the air, but then decided against displaying any illusions now. It would only clash with the sunset, ruining both.

"When my magic first manifested, my parents decided on the spot that I had failed them somehow. Before that I could do no wrong, but I still remember their faces when they sent me away to the Circle. They were ashamed of me, and happy I was gone. I was never asked what I wanted - I was simply dragged from Nyhem to the circle." When she spoke of her parents, there was a bitterness to her voice that was quite unusual.

"If I had known then what I know now, I would've been happy to leave, had I been a mu-" She stopped half way through the word, suddenly realizing that Eli was, in fact, a mundane. His intelligence and manner had put her so at ease that she had forgotten he did not also possess magic. The term 'mundane' was often considered derogatory, especially when Lana used it, for she frequently filled it with her disgust for the violent and the ignorant. She did her best to recover quickly, hoping it was enough. "Had I not had magic, I would've been stuck supporting my family when they chose to back the mad-king. I'd have been killed just like they were." There was no grief in her voice when she spoke of the death of her parents. As far as she was concerned, they were not her family at all.

"But I was lucky. I merely lost all the holdings and history that would've fallen to me as the sole heiress of the Dionisa name. I was allowed to keep my life at least."

I see." His words came swifter than his usual pauses, and he nodded slowly, looking to Lana as she spoke and giving her his full attention. His features maintained their seriousness, but he knew that softening them would be appropriate for such a situation- so he did, his seriousness becoming contemplative rather than the contrast of before.

"I'd say be happy you are who you are, and don't worry about the past. It's concrete, unchangeable. The worst you can do is forget it, and the best you can do is like it, but most of us fall somewhere in the middle. You and Drevala are opposites in this...She went to that school with nothing and came back with everything, and you went with everything and came back with nothing."

He shook his head, the irony quite heavy on him. He released Lana's arm at that and leaned on the balcony some, shutting his eyes and breathing. This is where the heavy pauses he enjoys occured, and he allowed himself to think. Her house was completely destroyed and she was left with nothing, whereas his house arose from nothing and became what it was from the same thing; the Dionisa name was killed for backing the Mad King, but the Blackwell name was heralded and raised up for service to the Mad King during the war. They were on opposite ends of that one critical event, and Eli couldn't help but understand that and acknowledge it.

"...At least you're alive, yes. For a long time 'at least we're alive' was what kept my family together."

He rose up then and turned, bowing halfway to Lana.

"I propose a drink then, and that we leave these ill memories to the sunset."

"I wouldn't say I came back with nothing at all..." Lana began. She hadn't meant to vilify the Circle "I learned so much, and met many wonderful people. Titles and land aren't everything." She had to laugh thinking about what she would add next. It was an amusing irony. "And the political games my parents wanted to use me in were insignificant next to what I have achieved on my own. They'd be so proud." She spoke of their pride with sarcasm - she was sure they'd hate her eclipsing them to such a level despite her perceived 'curse.'

"But I will happily forget them and drink with you." She said, half curtsying in response to his gesture.

Eli smiled at her with the same charming smile of before, attempting to, indeed, forget the ill memories of the now. He rose up fully and opened the curtains back into his room, the dwindling light behind them now making the candle-light quite necessary. He gestured for her to go first, ever the gentleman, and followed her into the room.

"Have you ever had the wine of Alenius? We're more known for beers and ales, but I've grown fond of the wines." He explained as he moved over to the table in the center of the room and began clearing its surface, stacking things neatly and flipped over so no word could be read. Swiftly, indeed, he had enough of the surface cleared for two people to sit comfortably without fear of a drink capsizing onto a book, or fear of a parchment flipping over unbidden, though most of this room was around the chess board inset upon the table.

"It's got a spice to it, a strength of flavor that doesn't come from the alcohol itself." He continued. "Though some are...quite strong, we won't be going anywhere near that- I'm not overly fond of losing my head." His smile tilted up into a smirk at that concept, and he allowed a chuckle as he set glasses upon the table. He studied it for a moment as if making sure nothing were about to collapse if he turned away, then moved to study the selection of drinks scattered about his shelves until one caught his fancy and he took the bottle, and swiftly poured it into Lana's glass, and his own.

"There we are. This shouldn't be too much- it's less fierce than most." He said, sitting down and sipping from his own glass in a relaxed manner as he watched Lana curiously. "I do believe you had more questions for me, or are we moving on from that conversation?"

From the dark liquid he poured there came a scent of peculiar nature, it didn't smell like other wines- its scent made the nose tingle and filled the mouth with a strange taste. Its flavor, however, was softer than its scent, and it was of the flavored spices common to Alenius alcohols, though in a weaker manner than famed.

"It will be a fascinating new experience." Lana replied in reference to the wine. "And if I like it, maybe we'll set up a trade route back to Nyhem for it?" She joked. It was not beyond her notice that while he cleared the table, all of his documents were turned over or filed away. This was, after all, the nerve center of Alenius. But it did not concern her, she was not here to spy. Economic reports were of no use to her cause anyway.

She took the offered cup, noting the strong scent. She was hesitant at first, staring at it suspiciously. He'd said 'less fierce' but if he was accustomed to stronger, that didn't mean it'd be weak. After a moment she decided to take him at his word and cautiously sipped the liquid. She did her best not to grimace - its flavor, from her perspective, could best be described as 'unexpected.' Not bad, but certainly not what she was used to. "It's... still quite strong to my tongue." She said with a slight smile. "We'll see if I acquire the taste by the end of the cup." She put it down and looked at the chessboard then.

"I assume you play?" She said pointing at the checkered squares on the table.

Eli watched her with an amused smile as she drank the drink and her ensuing reaction. He recalled his own first experiences with the strong flavors, and couldn't help but compare the two. He accounted his own ability handle alcohol in general to his time with the mercenary company, but had to admit that the wine from Alenius was, indeed, very different than wines from elsewhere.

"I do, indeed, play chess. I enjoy it quite a bit. It's like a harmless game of war with no consequences. Do you play it yourself, Lana?" He asked, his smirk tilting up a bit into curiosity. He was very fond of chess, it was an intellectual game rather than a game of brawn or endurance. The truth of the matter is he most often, late at night, played against himself, pacing around the table, when he was stuck on a concept or issue. But as he thought about that he squashed it, not feeling the need to relay that particular tidbit of information.

"I... Dabble." Lana said cautiously, before continuing. "Although the challenge for me has always been in maintaining the Illusion." She didn't state if she meant the illusion of her strategy or the actual illusion as she begun to conjure a set of fairly complex static images in the place of the pieces. "When I was teaching Illusion in the Circle, I used this as an advanced level lesson. The students had to maintain their illusory pieces consistently while also playing against one another. A good illusionist must be able to retain her image consistency while focused on something else entirely."

On her side of the board, in the place of the Queen, a miniature static image of herself appeared, in the garb she usually wore while at court in Nyhem. Had it not been for the coalescing of glowing energy that formed it, it might be easy to have mistaken it for a very detailed miniature doll. She looked up and smiled at him. "I'm sure I'd be no match for you. I haven't played since I left the Circle."

A small flicker of amusement went through Eli's features as he surveyed her illusory display. He lifted a hand and flicked his fingers through the king of his side, before pulling his hand back.

"Magic will never cease to astound me." He commented to himself, shaking his head. Then he seemed to focus back on Lana and studied her rather than the illusion.

"Ah, then let's not worry over a game for now then. Illusions. They're fascinating to me. I pride myself on being someone very hard to deceive, Lana, yet here you are tricking my eyes." He chuckled. "I suppose if I gave the effort I might be able to see through it, but had I not touched you earlier I'd never have known the illusions on your own clothes. I have to admit, I envy your limitless wardrobe." He smirked at his jest.

The joke brought forth laughter from Lana. "You're not the first to say that." She said with a grin. "I was a teacher of Illusion at the Circle, as I mentioned before, so you're in luck. There are only a few individuals in Formaroth more qualified to talk about Illusion, and either of us would be lucky for them to give us the time of day." She was somewhat more serious now, though taking on the tone of a teacher asked to teach their favorite subject. She had barely even noticed that he had switched to using the familiar version of her name by now.

"Anyone can disbelieve an illusion." She began. "If they focus hard enough. For the keen of eye and sharp of mind, such as yourself, it is of course easier, but even you would have to consciously attempt to do so. The true art of illusion is not simply the bending of light and sound to create an image... It is in creating the image in such a way as to fool the viewer into believing nothing is out of the ordinary. Blending it into the background, making sure it acts as it should. If people do not suspect illusion, they are far less likely to try to disbelieve it. Physical contact will always disrupt an illusion though - in most cases causing the shimmer you witnessed earlier, though if I were to give it my full focus, that would not occur. You would still see your hand pass through the image however, for there is no solid mass to stop it, and that would give the illusion away." The passion for her art could be heard in her voice as she spoke. She was aware that telling Eli the tricks of the trade would make it harder to fool him in the future, but she had no intent to do anything more than augment her appearance around him.

"It certainly helps me to keep up with the fashion of Nyhem without suffering financially. And -" She momentarily dropped all the illusions she was maintaining on the dress she wore. "- lets me put together a stunning outfit on a budget." She smiled again then sipped the spiced wine again. Her expression was less severe than before, but still present. Once she recovered, she said simply. "I could speak about Illusion all night..."

The interest on Eli's features appeared to be genuine, and it truly was. He was quite interested in learning more about illusions, if only to learn how better to see through them and overcome them. Her passion for it made the explanations more engaging and interesting however, and he nodded every so often in understanding with her explanation.

"It's a shame we don't have all night then, because the way you explain it makes it sound so fascinating." He still couldn't help but smile at her expression at the wine, and sipped from his own cup to hide the expression so as to not tease at her.

"If you don't mind me asking, Lana, have you studied other magics besides illusions? Drevala is a proficient healer, for example, and I know she has mastered the fundamentals of magic as well."

"And break the mystery?" Lana mockingly feigned offense. "You are a curious one indeed. Very well." She continued. "I am, as you have no doubt determined, a shape shifter... Though my repertoire and general mastery pales in comparison to your sister's. Though that statement is true for virtually all shape shifters - your sister is singularly talented in that area. I have also studied various destruction magics, for self defense purposes. Mages are not as welcome in many parts of Formaroth as they are here and in Nyhem. In addition, I have a passing familiarity with all known forms of magic, in order to properly fulfill the advisory duties of a Magister. My knowledge of magical theory and research is also advanced. It is not for no reason I have achieved the title of Magister..." She was beginning to be purposefully vague, wishing to keep at least some of her magical capability unseen. Though she was fairly sure Eli liked her, he was a hard man to get a proper read on, especially since she had only just met him. As at ease as she felt around him, she was beginning to feel he had learned more of her than the other way around.

Eli listened, once more, with undivided attention.

"I see, thank you for answering Lana. I appreciate it." His words were ended by a longer drink from his glass, and he set the container upon the table to allow himself a small break from the drink. He licked his lips idly as he thought.

"I enjoy learning about people. It makes me...understand them. Understanding people..." He gestures somewhat vaguely. "...I can't explain it, I like it." It was his turn to be intentionally vague, as he pressed his hands together, forming a pyramid with his fingers.

"May I ask another question?- Of course you wouldn't mind." He laughed some, breaking the finger pyramid and splaying his hand around Lana as if encompassing her from his seat with his attention.

"It's a personal one, forget the politics of it all, I just want to understand //you//." He locks his gaze on her more seriously as he opened his query with this statement. "But how do you feel about this war? I'm sure you've read my speech already, it's all over town, but forget about that. How do //you// feel about it. Who's in the right? Who's got the...most just claim? I'll forget all this when it comes time to negotiate, but I want //you// to answer, not the Concord Representative."

It was Lana's turn to be silent, as she considered. It was not what her opinion was that she considered, she already knew that. It was how to put it to Eli, knowing what she did of him.

After a moment, she decided.

"I will answer these questions." For they were indeed two distinct questions in her mind. "I am disgusted by war as a whole. This one, the last one, the next one... War brings more death than anything else. Crowns change hands, but always there is a faction unhappy with whose head they sit on, for there is always a loser in war. War begets more war. When I was in the Circle, we received news from both sides of the last war. The couriers of that news became known as deaths messengers. Not once, excepting the news of the wars end, was there celebration in the Circle. Every week brought news that more of our fellows had fallen, for one side or the other, taking all their knowledge and potential with them. The mad kind needed to die for his actions, but the cost did not need to be so high. This war rages only because arrogant men cannot decide who is more capable leader." She stopped herself then, before she broke into any more heavy pro-mage rhetoric. She took another sip of the fiery wine, this time without grimacing, and put the cup down on the table.

"As for who is right? Who is just? Neither of those things matter to me. The system by which rulers are determined in Formaroth is, and I'm sure you'll agree, antiquated and ineffective. It is clearly a mistake to believe that an ability to rule the land is inherited. If it was, we would never have had men like Heylot, or families like House Willow or House Hieze." She paused, calming her voice, which had become quite filled with passion before continuing.

"I believe the most capable leader should be the man on the Throne, and of the two current contenders, that man is Duncan De Reimer. Manshrew may be renowned as an honorable and just ruler in his land, but Uzgob is far away and very different to the rest of Formaroth... And an overabundance of Honor, a quality I may suggest should be brought into question given recent events, is not necessarily a good thing either. Duncan, however, understands the reality of ruling. He has lived under two very different kings and observed them both. He has, in the short time he has ruled, drastically improved the lives of not only my fellow mages, but also the people of Nyhem. That is why I chose to side with him." She omitted the fact that he was, as far as she could tell, also going to put a mage on the throne beside him as his queen...

"Let's imagine something." He said these words with a pause, as if building up to the statement he needed to make, and leaned forward onto the table. He placed a hand onto the chess board smirked. "Chess. Two armies clashing. The more intelligent person, or the person with the most experience, will come out on top nine times out of ten. Manshrew and De Reimer are both experienced in their own right, though I'd think it fair for me to say that De Reimer is more intelligent due to reputation."

He walked his fingers across the board slowly, moving them about as if simulating chess pieces bouncing about and maneuvering.

"So between these two, the one with honor and military leadership and the one with intelligence and the vicious reputation, I'd say that De Reimer has a distinct advantage in our little game of chess."

his little imaginary chess board battle moved across the board, pressing on the 'Manshrew' side.

"But Chess is a game of two players, Lana. Between two people an outcome is easy to predict, not guaranteed of course, but easy to predict. In a game of chess, the smarter man will beat the lesser man. De Reimer will beat Manshrew."

He draws his hand back and leans back in his chair, once more forming the finger pyramid with his hands.

"However, this isn't a game of chess, this is a game of thrones. And when it comes to a game of thrones, a game of war, a game of politics, honor, even if doubted, is powerful asset to have. When you swear to someone that they will grow powerful, or be safe, or be rewarded for helping you and you're a man of high honor- people will flock to you because you will keep your word. Manshrew's armies are vast and mighty, and even a smart man will have great trouble overcoming multitudes of armed soldiers rallying to a man whose honor is as high as Manshrew's. Of course..."

His smile grows sly.

"We're assuming there are only two players in this game of thrones."

There it was. Ambition. Eli's sly smile was thick with it. Lana found it both intoxicating and... Terrifying. She pushed past her feelings and focused on the exchange of words.

"Like all good traits..." Lana responded to the initial part of Eli's statements. "An overabundance of honor turns quickly to a flaw. The man consumed by his own sense of honor is predictable, and easy to manipulate. In this grand game we play, such traits are death. An advantage in the short term perhaps..." She left the rest unsaid. Eli should know well that theirs was the long game. After a pause and another sip of her drink, she continued.

"And I would go so far as to say that in practice, the honor of mighty men is a terrible thing for this land and its people. Wars have started over insults to a mans honor countless times, bringing pointless death because of hurt feelings. Manshrew claims to seek peace, claims to be an honorable man, but his honor has brought nothing but war to the land."

It was only then she addressed his final comment.

"You asked I not consider your speech in my answer..." She pointed out before continuing. "You would see yourself on the Throne." It was phrased as a question, but spoken as a statement

Eli waved a hand as if dismissing the nonsense about honor and Manshrew. She had spoken the truth about it all and he had already rationalized it all out, he simply wished to see if she'd take it that extra step from his prompting and she had. She was smart, cautious, educated, and all things considered, beautiful. He really was enjoying her presence during this conversation and he couldn't help but chuckle at her neutral statement.

"I would see myself on the throne." He confirmed. And it was the truth- his ambition was strong and his goals clear. "I suppose now you may consider the speech I made now that is has become more...directly relevant."

Lana lightly chuckled at his last comment. She sipped her glass again, noting now that it was getting quite low. "I think I have acquired a taste for this..." She said, though she found it hard to tell exactly how much alcohol was in it over the unusual taste. She could tell she wasn't drunk, but she didn't know if it would be one or three glasses until she was.

"But my Lord Blackwell, I feel we should, perhaps, leave political discussion to another day. We must keep our minds sharp for the negotiations tomorrow after all." She was angling to end the night now, purposefully avoiding the conversation about Eli's ambitions for the Throne. His speech implied he sought war, but she desperately wanted to avoid thinking of him as just another warmongering, power hungry lord. She needed to mentally prepare for that conversation, and in the mean time, wanted to end the night focused on the warm feeling in her breast.

Eli smiles, less sly more pleasant, and nods. "Then please, take the bottle with you as a gift." He slid the remainder of the bottle across to her side of the table and gestured for her to have it. He then rose up and somewhat unnecessarily dusted himself off.

"I'm sure tomorrow's evening will find us in a very, very, interesting conversation. Thank you for visiting me." He walked around the table and offered her a hand, ever courteous.

He was feeling quite good. This visit was pleasant and this woman was pleasant in her own right, and he found that this sort of social visit was somewhat enjoyable even if the finality of it was quite serious. He had decided he rather like Lana, and would rather have just been forthcoming and honest with his intentions and ambitions rather than deny them or keep them hidden. They were hardly a 'secret', just never directly asserted until he just stated them a moment ago.

"Thank you." Lana said, taking the bottle, then taking his hand to aid her as she rose from the seat. "We'll discuss a trade route to import it to Nyhem in the negotiations?" She joked, smiling at him pleasantly. "Thank you for having me. Your company is quite agreeable. Tomorrow we will be meeting as Lord Blackwell and Lady Dionisa... But after that is over, there should be time for another visit."

She was glad Drevala had pushed her to do this. She imagined her friend would giggle madly when she told her how Eli made her feel.

"Ah, another visit? I shall be much more prepared this time, I assure you." He laughed in return. "I must admit that I found this to be quite enjoyable. I don't often receive guests." He guided her to the door, still holding her hand in that gentlemanly manner he employed.

"I shall call on you in the evening after dinner, so do enjoy your morning Lana." He smiled to her as he opened the door for her.

She returned his smile as she left the room. "I will." The door shut, and she began down the corridor towards her room, a certain skip in her step that had not previously been there before.

Naomi's New Philosophy

"Are you sure you're okay? If you're feeling unwell I'll take you back to your room and bring Lana to you." Drevala said, her voice heavy with worry and concern. She was guiding a young woman by the shoulder through the halls towards the tower Lana had been allowed to stay in. The young woman was cradling a white bunny [also known as a young rabbit] in her arms and she looked agitated by the question.

"I am fine sister. Please. Let us go and meet this friend of yours." The young woman's voice was practically venemous this morning, and her eyes were hard. The events of a few weeks ago, the assassination and her ensuing state, had left her very.. sour about life. Drevala hoped her meeting new people would do her good. Naomi looked down at the bunny in her arms and stroked a hand through its fur. "I don't think Hopper helps me very much, sister, but if you think he'll make me feel better I'll keep carrying him around."

"Hopper will do you much good, little flower, I know he will. That's why I found him for you, he's so cute and fluffy and he can be with you all the time whereas I cannot." Drevala said softly. "Come, just up these stairs and we'll be there."

"Why do I have to meet this friend of yours, sister? She's another mage, I'll not understand much of what she does." Naomi replied dryly. "Beatrice has already promised to teach me to wear armor and bear a spear, like you do." this statement made Drevala frown inwardly, as she despised that Naomi had chosen such a path after the events. She had seen the subtle changes over the past few weeks from 'soft, moderate, average young girl' to 'cynical and cruel victim' all too clearly, and Naomi's choice to take up armor and a weapon solidified her disdain.

"She is a master of illusion and a good friend of mine, and you will show her the respect you give me." Drevala said sternly. "And, perhaps, she may even offer to give you a little show- she is truly fantastic with her displays." Naomi began to climb the stairs slowly at these words, with a sigh.

"I don't care for her fancy displays, but if it will shut you up I'll meet her." the young woman's curt words bit into Drevala, but she hid her pain and kept up her smile. Drevala was determined to save her sister's spirit as well as body, and knew it would be a long, difficult, process.

So the two women climbed the stairs, and before Drevala could move ahead of Naomi the younger woman had already walked up to Lana's door and beat upon it with a hand, holding 'Hoppers' her bunny in the other arm.

"My sister says I should meet you!" She yelled into the door

There was a loud knock on Lana's door, followed by a bellowing voice. Lana wondered for a moment if Drevala had brought Beatrice to meet her, the mannerism would seem to fit. She hoped not, she really didn't believe she knew how to interact with that woman - after the fumbling display in the grand hall in Nyhem, it was clear to Lana that that particular Blackwell spoke better with a blade than her tongue. She checked that all her illusions were in place - today she had little to wear - then rolled up the papers she was reviewing. She did not write down much, and these were not her own papers, but they were best not revealed until the opportune moment all the same.

She opened the door, expecting the towering, lumbering woman of muscle to be on the other side... And was quite thoroughly surprised to see the slight form of the youngest of the Blackwells. A rare moment of confusion was visible on her face before she regained her composure.

"Drevala! This must be Naomi then. Its nice to meet you at last. Come in." She added more when she noticed Naomi's scowl. "I don't bite, I assure you."

"My sister does. I've seen it. She's ripped through men's throats with her teeth. I saw her rip through a man's shoulder to protect me. I suppose I should learn to bite, it'd keep me safer in the long run." Naomi said curtly, before pushing into the room. "Oh. This is Hoppers." she held up the bunny, whose little nose wrinkled at Lana and it made the cutesie noises that bunnies are wont to do.

"Sorry, she's been quite...grumpy lately." Drevala said with an apologetic, and worried, smile.

"Grumpy implies this will go away, sister." Naomi chided, looking about with a lack of curtesy in Lana's room. "I've told you my eyes have been opened."

Naomi suddenly stared at Lana intensely, as if expecting her to ask about what she just said.

Drevala on the other hand, discreetly gestured as if saying 'do not ask her about what she just said'

This was definitely not what Lana was expecting. Though she had not properly met Naomi in Nyhem, the impression she had got when the young woman had spoken for House Blackwell was of a somewhat timid, but optimistic girl. Far removed from the harsh speaking, angry young woman before her. She noted Drevala's gesture, and together with Naomi's stare, immediately put the situation together. She couldn't help but be reminded of some of her more troublesome students at the Circle.

Several things then ran through her mind in an instant. She recalled that the Blackwell family bonds were tight - and that Naomi was doted on by the whole family. It was likely that meant she would be given near anything she asked for, even now, in this most difficult time of her life. Though Drevala was clearly caring for the young lady, such care would not be helping the powerlessness Naomi was no doubt feeling after the attack. She recalled her own life, and several of the cases she had dealt with at the Circle. Learning to fight would certainly help Naomi feel more secure, Lana could not deny that, but it would merely be a channel for anger, not a solution. She wanted to help, but knew that help would not likely come in the form of illusion - rather well placed words.

She would at least make an attempt at polite conversation before taking on the mannerisms of a scolding teacher however.

"A lovely creature, warm and soft." She said, referring to the bunny. "I wish I'd had such a companion when I was young." She sent a knowing look to Drevala.

Naomi's features flickered in displeasure at her prompting being disregarded, but then a flicker of triumph flashed and maintained in her eyes. She had found a way to transition to her wanted topic quite handily, and a cold smile appeared on her lips. A rather... vicious smile.

"Ah yes. He is quite warm, soft, and lovely. And I take care of him."

Drevala sighed and shook her head, walking a few steps away as if gathering her thoughts.

"Think from the perspective of little Hoppers here, friend." The way Naomi said 'friend' made it feel like a...disgusting title. "I feed him. Brush him. Wash him. Hold him. He must think me a god, no?"

Naomi's eyes fell to Hoppers whom she began to stroke with a hand.

"If I stopped feeding him, he'd die. At the whim of what he perceived as a god. But you and I know that I am no god, I am just a woman. If I broke his neck, he'd die. Violently, at the hands of what he perceived as a god. But you and I know that I am no god, no? If I am not a god, then how come I can do as the gods do, and at a whim take and give?"

She tightened her grip on the bunny and lifted her eyes to Lana.

"I could crush this bunny in my hands with no remorse and take its life, very much so how those men tried to take mine. I've concluded the gods aren't real. I've debunked the greatest illusion of Formaroth. I figured you'd like to hear this, seeing as you're a master of illusion as I've been told. I've concluded that the 'gods' are an excuse."

Drevala stayed quiet and was obviously troubled, and she regretted orchestrating this meeting.

Had Lana not already begun to take on the mindset of 'Professor Triskell' she might've been horrified by the things Naomi was saying. Such cruel thoughts had no place coming from her mouth.

Her features became stern, though not cruel. Her voice was authoritative when she spoke again. "The gods are not relevant. They don't care about you or your opinion." She was careful in speaking of religion - she had never put much stock in it in the past, but didn't make a scene of it. "The first lesson of Illusion is that the only way to exert real change is to act yourself. We are also taught, that every action, illusion or otherwise has a consequence. That consequence is not always the intended one." She glanced pointedly at Drevala, as if to say 'look at the consequence of your words.'

Then she cut straight to the heart of the matter. "Manshrew intended to eliminate your entire family, including you. He failed. But if you allow him to turn you into an angry and cruel person, you are giving him a victory he never expected to gain from his actions. It is within your power to deny Manshrew entirely. Do not allow him to make you as petty and cruel as he is. You're better than that. The Blackwell family deserves better than that."

Naomi rolled her eyes quite strongly and heaved a sigh, and blatantly ignored a good deal of what was just said to her. This woman before her was ignorant still in her eyes, and she may have just tried to enlighten her... but this tirade presented against her was simply a wall being presented to the young woman's newfound life philosophy. It had tumbled around in her mind a great deal over the past weeks, as she faded in and out of consciousness. During her brief periods of livelihood and wakefulness, she had tried to stay cheery for Drevala and Father, but once she couldn't hide back into the darkness of her unconscious state...

She had to face the facts that she had tried to elude, and now that she had recovered she couldn't run from them.

Drevala shook her head and moved back next to Naomi. "May I hold Hoppers, flower?" She asked softly. Naomi nodded and handed the bunny up to Drevala, who held the creature safely in her arms.

"He doesn't like it when you don't fully support his body with your arms." She explained, redundantly, to Drevala who already fully understood this, but made sure to change the way she held Hoppers to satisfy Naomi. Naomi then turned her gaze back to Lana.

"You're speaking in a very strange way to me, like you have some sort of authority. Your business is illusions, something I've just established means nothing to me- my eyes are opened beyond your trickery, and the falsehood of the gods. If my opinion matters so little, don't try to debunk it- makes you seem quite petty, friend."

"Naomi!" Drevala hissed. "Remember what I told you?"

Naomi looked up at Drevala and blinked, then seemed pacified by the words. She nodded slowly to Drevala and lowered her head.

"Now, apologize to Lanaya and actually listen to what she had to say." Drevala intoned sternly. Naomi turned, shuffling her feet, to face Lana fully. She then did a little half-curtsy and bowed her head.

"Forgive me for my brash words and uncouth language, milady, that is not how a Blackwell should treat a guest." She said in hollow words. She then paused and studied Lana as she mulled over her words.

"You have given me something to think about, thank you." She said in the same hollow voice. Drevala's face flickered in irritation, then deep worry. She sighed quietly and shook her head, giving the bunny a bit of her focus. Bunnies were so much more pleasant than humans, though she swiftly realized her own escape mechanism kicking in so she shifted her gaze back to Naomi, whom she reached out her free hand towards and pat her on the head.

"That's my flower, there we go."

Lana watched wordlessly as Drevala intervened. Her fellow mage did not like conflict, and was clearly unhappy with this situation.

When she spoke again, it was still stern, but with a hint of compassion. "It is not me you should be apologizing to. I have had far worse words directed to me by my students and by fearful mundanes. It is Drevala you should be apologizing to. You seek to lash out at me, to hurt me for reasons unknown, but your words only cut your sister. The gods may not care about your opinion, but she certainly does."

Naomi tilted her head and sighed. She turned to Drevala and, obediently, rang out with her hollow voice;

"I'm sorry Drevala." Drevala nodded and moved to hand the bunny back to Naomi, who carefully took her pet back.

"It's alright flower, I appreciate it. I know you didn't mean anything by it." she laughed easily and gave the younger woman a hug, kneeling down to embrace her. Naomi seemed generally disinterested in this contact, and scowled for a moment when Drevala couldn't see, but allowed it nontheless and nodded.

"Would you like to talk to Lanaya more, or do you wish to rest?"

"I wish to return to my tower, aye." she said in the simplistic manner that 'plagued' the Blackwells from time to...well, most of the time. Drevala's silence was displeased, but she nodded after a moment of quietness.

"I'll send for broth-"

"Beatrice, I want Beatrice." Naomi intervened, strongly.

"...I'll send for Beatrice, then."

Drevala rose up and dusted her hands off, looking to Lana.

"Terribly sorry, friend, she doesn't seem up for as much socializing as I'd hoped."

"She's lying, she knew exactly how little I wanted this." Naomi chimed, smirking at Lana from behind Drevala. Drevala's expression drooped a bit and she seemed fully aware of how 'little Naomi wanted this', but set her jaw in a rather familiar expression, to both Lana and Naomi, of determination.

"You also knew how much I thought this'd do you good-" but before Drevala could fully finish the expression, Naomi stepped forward and did her half-curtsy to Lana once more.

"If it's no trouble, I'd like to retire milady."

"One final piece of advice, and then you may retire." Lana began, the majority of her stern tone gone, now replaced with a hint of worry. "You would do well to choose your words more carefully in the future when speaking to guests. Few others in this time of war will be as forgiving as myself. Your family does not need more enemies." In the girls current state, Lana fully expected her to ignore her words, but then, she might also remember them precisely when she needed them. At the very least she tried.

"I hope your fortunes improve young one." She said by way of farewell, turning and heading out towards the balcony.

Naomi nodded once to the woman, and turned to briskly stride from the room. Drevala made as if to follow her, but was stopped in her step by Naomi's words-

"I can walk my own castle on my own, sister. I'll call for a guard." She declared boldly as she left the room, in quite the rush.

Drevala heaved a sigh and, after a moment of gathering herself, turned and moved to follow Lanaya instead.

"...I apologize dearly for Naomi's behavior. I had hoped this would..improve her standing." She said quietly, casting a furtive glance towards the door. "...But what do you think of her? I worry quite a bit, myself, and you do promise to keep it quiet about her condition when you leave, right?" She sounded hopeful. "I understand if you can't, but it'd just...it'd make things more difficult if others knew she was like this."

Lana was confused for a moment at Drevala's wording. As far as she could see, Naomi, while certainly in a less than pleasant state of mind, was not unusual for a youth who had just experienced the kind of adversity she had. But thinking about it from Drevala's perspective it made sense. "I don't see why I would need to tell anyone of her troubles." She began. "But she is clearly very troubled." She continued.

"I hope she does not choose to become a warrior. She seems far too intelligent to waste her time focused on nought but swinging a sword around. I think you should encourage her to speak to your brother, and learn to better fulfill the role she had at grand council in Nyhem. As unpleasant as politics can become, they at least largely safer than a battlefield."

Drevala shrugged. "I rather enjoyed how...untouched by all this she was, but there's no helping it now I suppose... I'll have her speak to brother once your business is concluded." she agreed. "Maybe he can get some sense into her."

Drevala then offered a small smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Speaking of my brother, how was your visit?" She asked playfully, if weakly.

Lana was grateful for the change of subject, Naomi was a tragic case she would prefer not to dwell on.

"Eli... is a very fascinating man." Thinking of him again in terms of her visit rather than as a political rival, brought back that warm, fluttering feeling in her breast. "And charming too. I'm going to visit him again after the negotiations... I'm looking forward to it."

Drevala could not help herself, the small chuckle and smirk that Lana's response caused was unstoppable even if she wanted to stop them.

"Charming, eh? How about you though, madam Dionisa?" she said in a tone of mocking, likely mocking her brother's formality. "Did you like him, or was his charm too much for you?"

She nudged into Lana playfully, before leaning into the balcony.

"I..." she shakes her head, cutting herself off.

Lana couldn't help but blush. She was unused to this feeling, and found it hard to maintain her composure when it was so strong. She didn't really know how to express herself to her friend. Was this how Aurelia had felt before? Suddenly her friends lack of words made much more sense.

"I don't know with certainty if I beguiled him... But I think he has snared me..." She eventually managed. Then she turned to look at Drevala. She could feel her cheeks burning as she continued. "Do you think he would like me? I'm... not the prettiest woman in Formaroth..."

Lana received a more easy-going smile in return.

"Lana, my brother is a male. Males tend to like females. I think you're pretty enough anyway, and he certainly doesn't have any preferences that I know of. As far as I know he's never been with a woman or fancied one either, so you can understand why this is so interesting for me and why I'm rather hopeful he fancies you as well."

Lana laughed at that. Her friend was thinking more clearly than she was. "You're right. I shouldn't worry so much, men aren't that complicated." She grinned, but then her face turned more serious.

"I cannot be thinking of him in such a way for the negotiations however. My feelings can wait until afterwards, lest they put me at a disadvantage." Her crimson cheeks faded as she returned to her senses, her mind refocusing on the negotiation.

Drevala seems a bit sobered up by the talks of negotiation. She sighs and straightens up, adjusting her robes, before looking to Lana fully once more.

"I just hope everything you came to do goes smoothly. I should get back to Naomi, or perhaps I should quit slacking on my duties for once. I wish the rest of your day goes well."

She would begin stepping away at that, but pauses.

"Oh. And really, i find you pretty enough. Don't let such thoughts hold you back."

"Thank you." Lana said, turning and smiling as her friend walked away.

"I'll make sure to tell you how things go with Eli later..."

Drevala nodded and smiled more softly.

"Thank you. I'll come visit when I get the chance." She promised, moving to leave.

"I must depart soon after the negotiations are complete, but I will try to make sure we see each other once more before I leave." Lana said, following Drevala to the door, and closing it behind her when she left.

[[Collaboration between Phoenix and Sundered Echo - Part One of Lana's Visit to Mercy]]