by C. Litka
01
'The final battle between Gapetar and Salisvan ending the reign of Disdai the Merciless, and Salisvan, as a kingdom, was fought on this plain,' said CarVori, the sweep of his free hand taking in the flat patchwork of fields scattered with fortress-villages. 'In the distance, you can see the tower-city of Salisvan, still the capital city of this province. It is now best known for its local beer.'
'This is the third battlefield we've come across on this plain alone. They seem rather thick on the ground in these parts,' I remarked.
'Truth be told, there are battlefields everywhere you look on these plains. I'm only pointing out the famous ones. When you consider that there is a Hundred Kingdoms Age in Windvera's long history, not to mention uncounted barbarian raids from the Shadow Lands and many sky-nomads, you can see why there are so many battlefields.'
'Point taken,' I laughed. 'How far back in history do these Hundred Kingdoms lie?'
'In Taravin rounds? Dajara quad-watches? Junjari feast-cyles or Feyistarvar reigns?' he laughed.
'Well, then, how is historic time measured?'
'All academics have agreed on common eras, like the Hundred Kingdoms Age, though they may use different names emphasizing their histories. As to duration, well, that is an imprecise science. The lifespans of various recorded personages are pieced together and compared to arrive at a commonly accepted duration. This depends on knowing something of the age of the actors when they stepped onto the historic stage and how long they lasted before they were carried off, and then comparing all these actors to their contemporaries from other kingdoms and all the different ways of record time. It keeps historians employed,' he laughed, as he leaned on his tiller, with little to do but talk, since the road we were bounding along, Luan Street, ran straight as an arrow through the plains of Taravin.