* * *
“I want every available messenger here now!" Corvul shouted the command at the top of his lungs. "Each one will carry the exact same message to Mielor. The first one to deliver the message and get back with a response will be rewarded handsomely. Two questions will be asked in each message. The first – Thunvold is no more and Duvold has taken the crown. The Tormos are experiencing the same lack of reincarnations as we are and Duvold requests a formal meeting between him and Mielor to discuss the dire events. Please advise how to proceed. The second - Gunvold attacked Corvul unprovoked and attempted to murder the commander. Corvul escaped, however the current status of Gunvold is unknown. Troops are currently being mobilized. Please advise how to proceed.”
The commander stood on the balcony connected to his quarters in Glory Keep overlooking the entrance to the Armistan bridge. Poznor stood behind Corvul writing down his superior's commands as fast as possible. Aun’s Light was a city in chaos. Word had already leaked out of the events just a few hours ago when the Tormos attempted to assassinate Corvul. The city was placed under martial law and every available soldier was being mustered for the potential assault by the United Tribes. Corvul didn’t know what to expect or what happened in Armistan after he was dragged out by his guards. If Gunvold was still in command the possibility of an assault was real. If Tulinda had subdued the beast, then most likely Aun’s Light was safe for now. He had no misgivings about what would happen should an attack occur. Corvul knew without a doubt that the Phlebos would repel the United Tribes. Aun’s Light was the single largest military post on the entire continent. The United Tribes didn’t have enough soldiers stationed at Deep Ridge to take Aun’s Light, but the battle would be bloody and the losses on both sides large.
Corvul knew, whether Gunvold attacked or not, that the insane brute wanted a war. Unfortunately for the Behemoth, Corvul would not give him the war he so desperately wanted. If the war to end all wars was to break out, Corvul and the Phlebos would not be the ones to initiate. The death of their race would be caused by the Tormos, not the Phlebos. Thus, Corvul would prepare and wait for what may come. Aun’s Light would not fall, not on his watch, not to the Tormos. With a hint of irritation in his voice Corvul shouted over his shoulder again. “Did you get all that Poznor?"
“Yes sir," said Poznor as calmly as ever. "I’m leaving now to contact the messengers; they will depart at once.”
“Good, now get your ass out of here," said Corvul as he turned to face his subordinate. Poznor nodded, turning and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. When Corvul heard the click of the door he turned his attention to the naked slender female on his bed. “Your name was," Corvul pondered for a second trying to recall, "Teilar I think?”
The young woman's face erupted in a wide smile at the commander’s comment. “Yes milord! This is the first time you’ve ever remembered my name!”
Corvul motioned to the door. “Hopefully it sticks for next time, now get out.”
Teilar, with a shocked look on her face, stammered for a moment but ultimately nodded and began dressing; never before had Corvul refused her services. While the girl was dressing in the room behind him, the handsome commander flipped through the daily correspondence on the balcony that Poznor had brought in for him earlier that morning. Nothing of importance was to be found in the letters as far as he was concerned. Most of the messages were still concerning individuals who had passed and never resurrected. One letter stuck out to him; it bore Lorne's name but was clearly not his handwriting. The commander ripped open the letter to discover correspondence from Jorlan on behalf of Lorne. It detailed a massive loss to Black Cleaver where over a hundred soldiers died including Worloh. Corvul dropped the letter onto a small table and let out a sigh. This defeat, compounded by failed reincarnations, did not bode well, even that was apparent to a carefree Phlebos like Corvul. A dreadful feeling began to spread over Corvul, and he wondered if the Three were conspiring against the Red Empire. Corvul did not like this feeling and knew he needed to distract himself from the disturbing events. He quickly left the balcony and entered his room to see Teilar, who was now fully dressed, heading to the door. As she passed him, he reached out and grabbed her, playfully pulling her close to him.
“I think I changed my mind my love," said Corvul flashing his famous smile. "Won’t you stay awhile?”
Teilar’s face lit up, “of course my love! Tell me, is it true the Tormos Behemoth tried to kill you today?”
Corvul gently tossed the woman onto his bed and began pulling off her clothing again. “Yes he did my beautiful creature, but he was no match for me. Are you interested in hearing what happened today at Armistan?”
“Of course!" Teilar, who was already completely naked again, said to Corvul enthusiastically.
Corvul laid down on the bed and pulled Teilar on top of him. “There I was talking peacefully with some of the Tormos when Gunvold burst into the room, mouth frothing in anger. He leapt at me with his weapon, but I was too fast! I nimbly jumped out of the way and knocked him to the ground, that’s when things got really messy for the brute...”
CHAPTER 6
Gilded Cages
Aun City was a breath-taking sight from afar. Even those who dwelled in the city never ceased to be amazed by its splendor. The city was constructed in the shape of a triangle with the southern tip being the location of the magnificent royal palace which sat on the very edge of the continent, the angry sea constantly crashing against the cliff walls far below. Heading north in Aun City just beyond the royal palace were the most important governmental offices including the national cathedral, military central command, department of information and propaganda, pyromancer’s guild and various other agencies. Beyond the government district lay the elegant homes of the upper class. The Royal Palace, government buildings and upper-class residential homes were all considered the southern side of the city and were walled off from the northern side which was in turn an assortment of shops and homes for the unwashed masses. Although the northern side was considered a place unfit for the upper class to travel, even the slums were elegant compared to the rest of the empire. Every building in the city was made of the finest stones, with most of the southern side being constructed from marble and gold. The streets in the poorest areas were even cobbled and kept clean, a luxury that was non-existent in the slums of any other Phlebos city.
While some might argue in hushed whispers that the Red Empire was rotting from inside with so many fringe cities living in filth and disrepair, such maladies did not affect Aun City. Initially the capital was nothing visually spectacular. In the beginning, when Phlebos society was still young, Mielor did not have a strong appetite for the finer things in life. When first constructed, Aun City was a small and simple metropolis with not much extravagance. As time progressed though, she began to change from reincarnation to reincarnation, each time becoming more and more interested in the opulent and grandiose, and less with the actual ruling of the Red Empire. After her last reincarnation, many years ago, Mielor had voluntarily abdicated most decision-making powers in the empire. In recent times she only issued a decision when her subordinates were unable to come to a resolution amongst themselves.
It was also after her last reincarnation that her obsession with opulence finally went to the extreme. So grand did her desire become that much of the upper caste began to speak in worried whispers. Mielor completely ignored the peasants and lower caste; instead, her time was spent allocating an untold amount of resources to redecorate the Royal Palace in a wasteful fashion. Her pride and joy was her throne room. To firmly demonstrate the power and glory of the Red Empire, Mielor had unsettling changes made.
The royal throne room, which originally sat on the ground floor, was shifted and raised to the highest level of the palace. A grand staircase was constructed, three floors high, which led up into the throne room. Behind the throne were doors to the private quarters of Mielor and her dozens of personal servants. To the north side of the
throne room was a spotless wall of glass that looked out across the entire city and the rest of Aunia as far as the eye could see. The eastern and western sides of the Throne room were the most opulent sight the upper class had ever seen. Both walls were actually water falls that spilled into pools, in-between the two massive pools was a walkway that led up to the receiving area before the throne. The bridged walkway was wide enough to fit ten Vesnians shoulder to shoulder. What shocked the upper class was not the actual water fall device but what poured from it: liquid gold. Every hour of every day the mechanical devises in the wall sucked up the gold and spewed it back out into the pool. The amount of heat the devices generated to keep the gold constantly in a liquefied state was massive. The air in the throne room always shimmered from the tremendously high temperatures. From the ceilings hung large braziers made of gold and covered in the rarest gems. The very floor itself was made of marble with etchings of gold which told of Mielor’s life and accomplishments.
Lorne was still stunned by the scene, while he had seen it throughout construction and even after its completion, the gaudiness of the final product always surprised him. While he knew some of the upper class disapproved, Lorne ultimately had no strong feelings against the display. If Mielor wasn’t meant to live in such luxury the Three would not allow it, thus because the throne room existed, the Three approved it and thus Lorne found it acceptable.
Lorne, wearing full military regalia, glanced out through the massive spotless window across Aunia. Far in the distance, in the northern slum sections of the city, he could see movement in unison; the city guard was patrolling the streets. Upon arriving at the city only a day ago, he was greeted by protests in the streets of Aun City. Try as Mielor liked, the situation was getting out of hand and she could no longer keep a gag order on the news of the failed reincarnations. While there had been no violence, as the population was too docile and tamed for that, the masses were protesting the lack of information. More than anything else they wanted help from the Red Empire so that their loved ones would return.
Mielor had never had to deal with protests in the past. This was the first time ever that the subdued population had ever demanded anything, thus she responded the only way the Red Empire had ever responded to a challenge – by forcing complete obedience. She issued a curfew and martial law. Anyone caught on the street protesting would be deemed a traitor and charged as such. Thus, the city was essentially back to normal save the increased patrols. The ordinary citizens of Aun City went about their daily routines and then at night, in the privacy of their homes, they prayed to the Three for help.
Lorne heard steps from the grand staircase and saw three male Phlebos ascending the stairs in full armor. Appearing first was Kelgorun followed by Morstosh and then Penstogor. The three commanders each oversaw the red military in their respective districts and were the second most powerful military leaders in Aunia after Lorne. Kelgorun oversaw the western district of Aunia and ruled from the district seat in Tide Crack. In Lorne's opinion, he was a brash and aggressive soldier but with a good head on his shoulders. Kelgorun was also very close to Sielan which increased the man's standing in Lorne's eyes. The only thing against Kelgorun was that he ruled over the Yellow Ocean, the calmest area of the empire, and thus had never had a chance to make a name for himself in battle. Similarly to Corvul, Kelgorun was dashingly handsome and drove the ladies mad. Kelgorun was thankfully a man of honor and integrity though, someone who did not give into his prurient desires as Corvul did. His bright red skin and hair matched the red banners adorning his shining steel armor.
"It's an honor to see you three again," said Lorne as his subordinate commanders reached the top of the staircase.
Morstosh grunted in response to the high commander's words. "If only we could meet under better circumstances, at least now we finally have a reason to wipe out those dogs to the north." Morstosh presided over the Blood Flows and ruled from his seat in Red Watch. He was a grizzled veteran who bore many scars on his face and walked with a noticeable limp. Several reincarnations ago he had taken an undead spear to his thigh. While the blow didn't kill him, it left his leg permanently injured to where he was incapable of fighting skillfully again. Ever since his impairment he had become bitter and more combative believing the answer to everything was brute force. Lorne didn't have anything against Morstosh or his belief in ruling with an iron fist, after all it was how Lorne ruled, the only thing he had against Morstosh was the fact his subordinate's hard tactics were done without thought or planning, Morstosh simply reacted. Lorne felt it was an unbecoming trait for someone in as high a position as Morstosh's.
Lastly was Penstogor, the commander of the eastern district who ruled from his seat in Green March. Penstogor meekly nodded his head towards his superior when Lorne greeted them. Penstogor, who was commonly referred to as the puppet commander by the troops, was a spineless weakling. While Penstogor ruled over the most active theater of combat, the perpetual presence of the undead meant Lorne was constantly in the eastern district and assuming command over what would normally be Penstogor's area of authority. Due to this, Penstogor rarely had anything to do and largely just remained at Green March watching the forest while supplying troops to Lorne's expeditions. The high commander was ultimately conflicted about Penstogor, on one hand he had no respect for the bright orange skinned eastern commander as he was gutless and rarely took any action against the undead hordes. On the other hand, Lorne was also somewhat relieved Penstogor had such a timid personality as that allowed him to freely command the eastern theater of war without intrusion.
"I'm sure you all know why I asked to speak to you before the meeting with Mielor," said Lorne to his subordinates.
"The grim news out of Aun's Light," said Kelgorun, the impeccable looking soldier standing tall and straight with his long luxurious red hair cascading down his back. "We each received news of the assassination attempt."
Morstosh, with a scowl on his face, violently shook his head. "What we need to do is storm Deep Ridge and throw all those sniveling cave dwellers into the Tempest Path! Their slight against us cannot stand! We must seek reparations!"
"Calm down," said Lorne sternly while glaring at the grizzled veteran. While every Vesnian was the same age, Lorne always felt as if Morstosh somehow thought himself older than everyone else, as if the wounds he had suffered at the hands of the undead had aged him. "As far as we can see it appears as if Gunvold was acting alone, our brethren to the north are obviously stupid brutes," Lorne paused a moment to glance at each of his commanders, "but they aren't that stupid. I’ve asked each of you here in anticipation of what Mielor will pose to us. I've been given advance warning she will want our opinion on what type of action to take regarding the assassination attempt, as well as how to handle the request Duvold has put forth to meet."
"It's blatantly obvious! We need to -" began Morstosh before Lorne abruptly cut him off.
"Yes, you've made yourself clear," said Lorne quickly and loudly to stop Morstosh mid-sentence. "Does anyone else have an opinion on this topic before I make my decision?"
The wounded commander scowled in a mixture of anger and embarrassment but quickly shut his mouth and composed himself. Kelgorun cleared his throat before speaking in his soft voice which seemed strangely unfit for a warrior of his stature. "While I do not agree with the extent of what Morstosh is advocating, I do believe that those barbarians need to be punished for the crime committed. Do not forget the Behemoth is the leader of their entire military. How do you think the Tormos would react if you," Kelgorun gestured towards Lorne with a gloved hand, "attempted to kill Gowinda? I think they would be in the streets of Deep Ridge calling for your head on a pike. The fact we can stand here and have a civilized conversation about such an atrocious act just goes to show how far above our northern brethren we are. Do I think we should go war over this? Most likely no, but the Tormos must be punished for their representative's actions."
Lorne nodded and shifted his gaze to Penstogor w
ho stayed slightly behind and aloof from his other three comrades. "What say you?"
Penstogor averted his gaze as usual, glancing down towards the floor. With a voice that betrayed his timidness and indifference he answered his superior. "I abstain from comment."
Lorne snorted derisively towards Penstogor. "While I don't agree with Morstosh's reckless desire to kill hundreds of thousands, at least he can present a position. Get out of my sight Penstogor."
Without a word of argument, the submissive orange skinned eastern commander turned and left the loose assembly of military leaders and headed across the golden lake bridge to await in Mielor's in receiving area. When the cowardly commander was out of ear shot Lorne shifted towards the only two commanders he had some respect for. "Wanton destruction and war will not do," said Lorne clearly addressing Morstosh. "Furthermore, while under normal circumstances I would agree that the Tormos must be punished for the crime committed, we are unfortunately in a dire situation. Personally, I don't understand the fervor or fear due to these failed reincarnations, but clearly the situation is volatile. Before we take any drastic action against the Tormos, I believe we need to talk to them to see what they know. After we have the full picture of what is happening, we'll take it from there. As such, I will advise Mielor to not take any action for now and to meet with Duvold."
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