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A Rift of Expectations

General Deth Glitch

Two Thousand Club
Let me take you back 20 years. In this time, 1303, the old Kingdom of Ventirica is finding it difficult to stop the riots and rebellions that are arising though out their lands, their slow advance across the world forgotten as their armies are recalled to quell the uneasy population. The great Emperor stands atop his high walls looking over banks of smoke as the city below him is overtaken with rebellion. One by one the great cities and forts of the Kingdom fall to various rebellions and Army begin, what is now known as, the long retreat. They march to their Emperors aid as the forces stationed in the capital retreat to the outer palace, keeping the Emperor safe but leaving the city unprotected. They hold it for some months as yet more cities are lost. Up in the emperors high chambers the war council mutters and murmurs, outrage hidden by fear. Messenger birds flowing in and out in a near constant stream. All exits blocked and all the supplies they have are being rationed, even the Emperor is facing hunger problems. The City is soon besieged by the returning Army, as the rebels attend to the new threat the Emperors loyalists take opportunity to push the rebels out of the inner city. The Emperor sees this all, and face still wet from tears, jumps from his high tower.



The old Kingdom of Ventirica stands no more and the Rebels occupy the city as the Emperors forces leave to roam the land, leaderless. Many of the Prominent Factions that fled the various cities and towns either return to help regain order and to pledge to the numerous lords that have claimed them, whilst others stay in the countryside to form their own kingdoms and to start new nations. The old city becomes a slum as the new rebels find out that the great hoards of gold they had heard of where nowhere to be found and the they money they needed was not around. The old Council who surrendered was exiled, joining another Faction and, no doubt, helping another of the various pockets that rose in the chaos. Some of the Powerful Guilds found themselves moving all their branches to one city and, yet again, forming more kingdoms. All the while the Kingdoms that had remained as yet unoccupied and free from the Old Kingdom where beginning to rise and take the land that was now owned by no more then rabble and where joining in council to discus their actions to these new nations. Many voted for them to be crushed, should a new power arise. The new kingdoms found themselves facing a powerful enemy and many of the smaller towns and cities found themselves joining with larger ones, thus creating the powers that the kingdoms of the west and east had hoped to avoid. As airships roared overhead and many nations found themselves facing equal foes, many of the nations declared peace whilst others continued their campaign's against the upstart kingdoms.



Yes, time has passed since the collapse and the playing field is, once again largely balanced, but it is still fresh in the minds of many of the people and nations of Thiroxia, none more so then that of the Dwarves and Isidious, many of whom still remember the days from their own past. But now, with the collapse of the Powerful old Dwarvern Kingdom, a mere 5 years before this day, there are new nations. These new nations, not all Dwarvern and not all as happy to leave their surface dwelling friends alone as the old kingdom was.
 
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The great doors leading to the great Palace that reached high into the heavens swung open, another successful campaign. Emperor Varce, the Empireless Emperor he called himself, had returned from another aggressive assault against infidel rebels to the south, finally securing the entirety of the Red Sea under a nation true to the god it was named for. "The central territories have been reclaimed for her?" said the man waiting inside, a man with perhaps as much power as the emperor, possibly even more. The ArchInquisitos of Dracos, the man to whom all followers of Dracos listened and obeyed, their equivalent of the catholic pope, yet even more powerful.


"Indeed, Inquisitorial, the northern shore infidels have been crushed, they had no army capable of stopping us" He then took of his helmet as the palace guards closed the Great Doors behind him, each one 15ft high and 8ft wide and ornately carved with Dragons on the rich mahogany wood. The gates are also 2ft thick, making them exceedingly strong and defensible in times of war, explaining how the High Council of Ventirica managed to hold out within the magnificent palace indefinitely. The Scars of the old Empires collapse could be seen everywhere, on the outside of the doors large chunks of the wood had been bashed off and in areas buildings or walls were crumbled from, now Emperor, Varce's attempts to retake the city. "However I must remind you of the reports of a large force forming below the mountains, some would call it rumor, but rumor does not have this credibility, they say one of the Greatest Dwarvern Generals is forming a large host and preparing to march against us on the surface, apparently he was always against the High Kings Isolationist beleifs and, with the fall of their Empire, he has no one to report his actions to. I say we pay heed to these rumors, for there is little we can to stop them alone.
 
Melisandre’s Privy council sat in session.


“Lord Derfel,” began the queen, “what reports from Mithalin?”


“Once again we have satiated their bloodlust, though only for a short time I believe.” Came the reply.


“And Lady Aylin, has there been any trouble with raiders from Aesop?”


“No, my queen. But I fear it won’t be long before they begin their attacks.”


Lady Wendlyn stood to speak. “My rangers discovered Mithalin spies attempting to cross our border, my lady. They have been detained in the dungeons until you pass judgement on them.”


“Well done, Wendlyn. Aylin, how large do you judge the threat from Aesop is?”


“Until we have the rest of Mithalin under our control, they will have much larger armies, and it is likely that an invasion would sorely cripple us, at best.”


“Then we cannot allow an invasion to happen. We have two options. We can attempt to stop Aesop from invasion, or we can form an alliance.”


“An alliance with whom?”


Lord Wedlen stood “Neither Mithalin nor Dawnalisk are likely to send aid. The lands of Dracos are landlocked. That leaves Asherfell, but you would have to take a long route round in order to avoid Aesop.”


“Derfel, I agree with Wedlen. You must go to Asherfell, but avoid Aesop at all costs! Wendlyn, I want you with him. Keep him safe. You may go. Prepare for your journey. Tomorrow you leave.”


“Yes, my queen.”


Melisandre turned to the rest of her council.”Now, Aylin, I want you to work with Wedlen. We need defences along the shoreline. Slira, keep the fisheries operational until I say the word. You are all dismissed.”


“Thank you, your highness”


Melisandre left the council room and made her way to the armoury. Selecting a finely balanced sword, she tried a few practice swings with it. Satisfied, she replaced it, and continued further in. There was Edryn’s head blacksmith, working at making a spear.


“I need weapons and armour on the double. If there is to be a war with Aesop, every man must fight”


A curt nod was the reply.
 
Talon would be in his castle, looking over his land with Astrid.


"Astrid, what are our plans for war? Our men have been waiting for weeks now." Talon would say.


"We seem to be in a sort of predicament, Talon. There lies a large kingdom on the other side of these mountains. We may be able to overpower them now, but their lands are growing, and so is there army.".


Talon would think for a little bit. "What about Edryn? We could raid their coastal towns, cause some damage that would take time for them to repair.".


Astrid quickly shakes her head. "If we were to send our forces to Edryn, Asherfell could easily raid us. We're stuck between the two.".


"Surely, sending only a small portion of our forces to Edryn could not be too disastrous, correct?" Talon would ask.


Astrid again would shake her head. "We need every man we have. I predict that Asherfell would already have plans for us. We must be prepared.".


Talon slams his fist on the wall, becoming angered. "We will attack Asherfell! If they pose an active threat to us, we will conquer them!".


Astrid remains calm, seemingly used to Talon losing his temper. "We'd have to take time to take our army down the mountains to the only spot we could get our cavalry through. The horses would be unsteady on the rough mountain terrain. You'd also have to take in account the risk of Edryn choosing the perfect moment to attack us.".


Talon sighs. "Alright, get our ships patrolling the seas. I don't want Edryn trying to raid us."..".


Astrid would nod her head. "Consider it done.".


Talon continues to look over his land as Astrid gestures for the guards to open the heavy door, walking outside the castle.
 
The large ornate doors to the even larger infantry practice grounds were slowly but surely, being opened, the four men and women on each door forcefully pushed them open, stepping in unison as they did so, they wore the standard Sentinel Infantry uniform, once the doors had been fully opened a Young woman, well, young by Concord Dawn standards, swiftly strides through dressed in a much lighter looking armour-set, the silver trim of her cape shown as the light reflected from it, to her right, a bannerman, the man walked with a straight back, said not a word and looked no where but ahead, he held the banner of the Crusade firmly as he walked beside her, not far behind, probably less than three feet, an escort of six Guardsmen walked in a Close Order Column, all of them in-step and all of them with their Greatswords sheathed on their backs, all with a hand on their Curved blade handles, their armours clanking as they stepped, they all stood tall, they must have been at least seven foot each, a few inches taller then her, their own capes as well as their helmets and chest cloth, had a silver trim that shown in the light, as the eight of them passed the gates it was slowly shut behind them, eating away at the sun light, as the eight of them marched forwards they saw to their lefts and rights, soldiers training heavily, some with armour, some without, charging one another, striking one another, and holding shield walls together, they were actively jogging as they formed each formation, keeping themselves active, every so often a command was bellowed, the men and women of the training grounds moved off to form the specified formation, as she reached what she had come to the grounds for she was greeted by a man much like her brother Prince-King Toland, in the middle of a fist fight with a man, shaking her head at his ways she watched, not long later she was greeted by two bloodied faced men.


"Having fun their Toland? If you'd be kind enough to not get your face bashed in, i believe it's time we broke words" Arianna looked to him once more she shook her head, reaching into her pocket before tossing a cloth at him, to which he caught "Why must you always insist on partaking in such.. such.. ugh" Arianna said as she rolled her eyes at him as he made a ridiculous face


"Well then speak... I do not have all da-Actually.. infact i do" Toland laughed to himself "What was it that pressed you to share words with me?" said Toland, as if on cue out of no where, a man dressed in a shady outfit plopped himself down on a stool, eating an apple with a hand behind his head, he went to speak however his mouth was very much full, he swallowed before speaking "Well, Those children off over in Aesop are doing well for themselves, my spies tell me they're already putting half of the realm on a heightened level of security" Varo bit into his apple once more as he chuckled "My spies and i have been given a difficult task, by Mohrgul himself, the people of those lands are challenged in height " said Varo


Toland sighed quietly as he looked to the man lounging about "And what of the Elves.." Varo looked to Toland grinning a small amount "Those pointed eared people? They're.. generally in fear of attacks from those" he snapped his fingers as leaned forwards, finding a nickname for them "Children of Aesopoll. good one right? anyway.. let me not belay any longer, the Edarin.. um. Edryn? damn the name, they're fearful of Aesop, in fear of raids, all in all, most of these people dislike our presence, oh well.. too bad were not leaving" he laughed to himself once more, Toland looked to him "Get your agents to do some more searching..try to get, the ones who.. at least look sort of like they'd be from the lands.." Varo nodded, begining to walk away however Toland called for him "And!.. Don't.. let them. kill people."
 
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Julain looked on from his seat above the arena. The arena was a fairly complicated affair. It contained many obstacles, including fences, pillars, pits, and even raised areas. However, it was carefully designed so that there was nowhere that the fighters could be that the audience couldn't see. It was roughly one hundred metres across, perfectly square. Below him, the audience was made up of nobles and their families, as well as some guards. Nobody would be willing to gather with so many other nobles without at least a few guards for them. Such was the state of distrust of each other in Asherfell. Weslar told him that outside conflict could bring the nation together. But until such a time, the nation would remain politically at war with itself.


The occasion for such a gathering was interesting indeed. One noble, Trystin Hightower, stood in chains. He was accused of ordering the assassination of Brodin Poole, Lord Stean Poole's eldest son. Stean Poole was an old man, and Brodin was to inherit. However, now it shall go to Lexise Poole, who is barely a teen. It should be noted that House Poole is a highly respected house, one of the first Minor Houses to be formed. It was great in power and wealth, and those around were looking hungrily at it, waiting for a false move.


Trystin, however, is a fit man in his prime with a face like that of an eagle, with a prominent, hooked nose. Additionally, his house was a neighbour of Stean, and suspected to hold designs on Stean's holdings. House Hightower was, in contrast to House Poole, not very powerful at all. Its greatest asset was the brains of its leader, Jaradd Hightower. Trystin was Jaradd's youngest son, and he was often engaging in schemes to try and impress his father and win leadership of the house after Jaradd's death. Stean suspected Trystin from the first, calling it a gut instinct, while Trystin had denied all knowledge. So then Stean had forcefully captured Trystin and made preparations to execute him. However, Jaradd appealed to Weslar for aid, and Weslar referred it to Julain There was no proof either way, and Stean refused to drop the charges. So now Julain had tried to settle the matter by suggesting Trial by Combat.


Stean's champion was a highly experienced knight who served House Poole by the name of Camren Sparr. Sir Camren was part of the Stahl Order, one of the more elite chevrons of knight hierarchy. As such, he was considered the favourite to win. For this bout, he came head to toe in doubled mail armour with a bascinet that had a face-guard. He wielded finely made longsword, and was currently doing some practise routines with it.


Trystin's champion was a hired sword from the mountain tribes, Jon Cennai, who possessed a hard set of muscles and a wild cunning bred by a life of hardship. He was backed up by a smallsword and a round shield emblazoned with the Hightower crest, plus the know-how to use these weapons and no small measure of experience. Jon chose to wear much lighter armour, simple armour made of banded leather, with no helmet. He was considered the losing bet because it was considered that his raw strength could not stand up to Camren's masterful use of a longsword.


The two men entered the arena from opposite entrances on the bottom, and walked to the centre, wary of each other. When they were this close, it was clear that Jon was almost a head taller than Camren. Coins clinked as bets were made and adjusted. The pair were clearly both ready to begin this ordeal, but the marshal had not yet called for the beginning. All eyes were on the portly marshal, and the marshal's eyes were on King Julain. Julain gave a simple nod from his position in a slightly raised and highly decorated seat near the front. The marshal's voice boomed at a volume much higher than the marshal looked capable of. "BEGIN!" In the prisoner's stand, Trystin licked his lips nervously. His fate would be decided by the outcome of this match.
 
Derfel stood in the prow of the ornate ship, as it cut a path through the endless waves. Mentally, he began to prepare himself for the encounter ahead. He stared into the deep green of the sea below him, a pensive expression on his face. The ship rocked gently beneath him. Derfel hoped that they would be welcome in Asherfell. Edryn could use a strong ally against Aesop, and, Dracos only knew, maybe even Mithalin. At any rate, if any danger arose, he could count on Wendlyn to keep him safe. Derfel smiled as he thought of the assassin's calculating gaze the first time they had met, how those piercing gold-rimmed eyes had taken in every aspect of his physique, and then she had met his eyes, and stared into his soul, and smiled, not a cold, cruel smile, but one of warmth and friendship. Suddenly, a tap on his shoulder jolted Derfel out of his memory.


By all the gods... Broad daylight, and even on the creaky old boards of the ship he hadn't noticed her approach. She flashed him a winning smile, the kind she reserved just for him. There was more than one reason Melisandre had sent Wendlyn with him. To protect him, yes, but he could take care of himself. The queen had seen something developing between the two of them, and had graciously given them this time alone.


"I need a word with you." Wendlyn began. "It will take us far too long to sail around Aesop waters, Derfel. I say we cut through."


Derfel grimaced. He had known this was coming. "The queen gave express orders to avoid Aesop at all costs."


"The queen told you to trust my judgement. How can Aesop take offence at a diplomatic ship sailing through their waters?"


"They're nothing more than pirates, Wendlyn. They will use anything as an excuse to kill us and start a war with Edryn. Besides, remember that this is a diplomatic mission to ally with their enemies against them."


"What are the chances of them even finding us. Besides, there are twenty sea guard on board, and this is the fastest ship in Edryn. We can outmanoeuvre one of their clunky warships any day."


"And what if they call for aid? They have five warships, Wendlyn. Five. We wouldn't stand a chance."


"Well, Derfel, if I recall correctly, you only managed to keep Mithalin off our backs for two weeks, and that was four days ago. Negotiating this treaty will take a few days at best, and I'd hate to return to find Edryn a smoking ruin,and Melisandre in chains or worse. We don't have time for any detours."


Curse her. Curse her for being so beautiful, and curse her for being so right.


"And if they attack us?"


"Then so help me, I will send them to meet the Horned Dragon."


"Dracos help them should they cross paths with you, Wendlyn."


"I'll notify the captain of the change of plan, then?"


"Have it your way."


Flashing him another winning smile, Wendlyn melted away. Derfel dropped back into his thoughts. Asherfell awaited, but would they ever make it? Dracos protect them if those Pirates from Aesop attacked.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Melisandre tossed the knife casually into the air, catching it again with ease as it spun back down into her ready palm. She clicked her tongue.


"What am I to do with you?" she asked the spies that had been brought before her, expecting no answer. They were shivering in their boots. Melisandre was disgusted. Mithalin had not chosen their spies well. "I don't like spies. They pose a threat to my country, and we can't be having that, can we?"


Again, the expected silence, again, a fresh wave of disgust washed over the queen.


"I can give you two options. One, I have a sorceress wipe your memories and you go back to your snivelling excuse for a country. Two, you refuse that generous offer,and I'm afraid I'll have to execute you. So, what's it going to be?"


Silence.


"What's the matter, can't you speak?"


"Yes, your highness." came the quaking response.


"Then answer the question!" Melisandre spat "Or I'll have to choose for you!"


"Option one, your majesty."


Melisandre smiled. "Wise choice. Guard! Take them away."


Melisandre vented her fury as the guards took the spies to the sorceress, by flinging the knife across the room, where it stuck with a sold thunk into an old oak cupboard.


"You needn't go around ruining the furniture, your majesty."


"Curse you, Wedlen."


Wedlen grinned "Did those spies get to you, my queen?"


"Filthy cowards."


But Melisandre's rage was already fading. "I wouldn't have had them killed either way."


"You certainly had them fooled."


Melisandre laughed. "I get protective of my country, Wedlen, although sometimes it feels like a burden. I feel heavy, sometimes."


"You are wise beyond your years, queen Melisandre. The Privy Council will always support you."


"Thank you, Wedlen. Now, away with you, I have a dance to prepare for."


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Welden knocked on the doors to Melisandre's private chambers, and was greeted by the young queen in a red velvet evening dress, with black lace trim.


"You look exquisite, my lady. I have mentioned this to you before, but I think it is about time you started to look for a husband."


"I refuse to have this conversation with you, Wedlen."


"What about Emperor Varce? That would be an advantageous match."


"Hah! Old scar-face? Please, Wedlen, do you really think he's worth a gem like me."


"Modest as ever, my lady. What about King Toland?"


"That upstart conqueror? No chance. And don't even ask about Talon Aesop."


"But that Julain Blackfyre... I'm told he is rather handsome..."


"Careful, Wedlen, or you'll earn yourself a slap. Now let me alone, I want to enjoy myself for an evening."


"As you wish, my lady."
 
Svengal watched as each of his crew members, 17 total, climbed aboard the ship. They sat on their benches, and grabbed the oars. As the rope was cut, holding the ship to the docks, the ship began to float away from the docks. "In oars!" Svengal called. The men, having done this hundreds of time now, set their oars in the oarlock and waited. "Asmund! Get the rhythm!". Asmund, the second mate, nodded before he began to call out "Pull! Pull! Pull!". The men began to row the oars in a near-perfect rhythm, moving at a steady pace. Svengal looks to his left as the four other ships began to row away from the docks, each one seeming to go at the same pace. Soon, Svengal and his ship Wolfwind were far out in the sea, the docks no longer in sight. Svengal's first mate, Ake, slowly walked across the deck of the ship towards Svengal, who was manning the helm. "So, what are our plans, Captain?". Svengal practically tore his eyes from the seemingly endless sea ahead of them, looking towards Ake. "We're gonna be patrolling the area for any Edryn forces. We were told to take them back to Aesop, but if they cause any trouble we have permission to take them out.". Ake grins, saying in an almost childish, excited voice "Well, let's hope we catch 'em, huh?". Svengal grins, nodding, before looking back towards the sea.


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Talon watches the fight in the tavern with a sigh. He had good people, but they tended to be a little on the wild side, and it wasn't uncommon that there would be a fight now and then. As Aesop began to see blood falling from one of their noses, he decided to intervene. He walked up to the two fighters, grabbing one of the by the collar and pushing the other one away. "Now, I don't think you two want me to join in this fight, do you?" he'd say, quite jokingly. The two men vigorously shake their head, not taking it as a joke whatsoever. Aesop was known to not be a very nice person in fights, and he has demonstrated this multiple times. Aesop pushes the two men away, sighing as he'd exit the tavern, motioning for everyone to carry on.


Astrid smiles as she sees Aesop exit the tavern with another sigh. "Another fight?" she'd ask. Aesop nods. "This must happen every other day, I need a break." he'd reply. Astrid chuckles. "Well, why don't you take a break? I could hold the kingdom myself.". Aesop laughs loudly. "I'd rather surrender myself to Edryn!". Astrid chuckles again, saying "Well, I have business to attend to. Have fun!". She'd turn around and walk away, not giving Aesop the chance to reply, as he'd just watch as she walked away.
 
Daemon was flying in lazy circles around the volcano that acted as the center of the Vesper Empire, occasionally flapping his large, black wings for extra strength. Tilting one of his wings suddenly, he made a straight line for the continent to the East. He was ready, he was sure of it. He would be the one to find a new slave race for his people, no matter how long he must search. In the name of Viserra, he would find something new, something exciting, something that he could mentally dominate. Something...something in the Edryn kingdom, possibly? Every few hours, Daemon would land on an outcropping of rocks and rest a bit, and then he would be off again. By the time he reached Edryn, it had been a few days, and he was exhausted. Daemon folded his wings into his back, against his clothes, and started walking forward.


____________________________________


"Ho!" Euron called out from his ship, the Silence, as it passed by an ornate Edryn ship. "People of Edryn," he called out, with his most charismatic and jovial tone, his wings hidden against his back, "Honor me with the blessing of seeing your captain, elves! Your peoples' beauty is famed across the land!" He'd received information that Edryn's queen's most trusted advisors, and possibly the queen herself, were upon this ship; he'd be cursed if he let this chance slip by.


____________________________________


As Astrid left, Mysaria approached Aesop, wearing a dress that hid her wings uncomfortably against her back. "Well, hello, Talon Aesop; it's a pleasure to meet you." She gave the Aesop a smile. "I am Mysaria of the Vespers, and I have been wanting to meet you for a very long time." She set one hand on his shoulder, "May I have a bit of your time?"
 
Derfel called out in a vulgar tone, pretending to e of a lower position than he was"Why should we do that, Vesper? So you can suck their blood, or mind control them?"


Inwardly, he cursed this Vesper. Things were complicated enough without some lust-driven fiend following them around, or worse, attacking them. The Edryn ship continued sailing, hoping to pass the silence by.


Down in the cabin, Wendlyn was talking to the captain. "Tell your men to down oars, captain, we want to be in these waters for as short a time as possible."


"Yes, my lady."


"Oh, and have the cook prepare something other than lobster tonight. I grow tired of eating it incessantly."


"Your wish is my command."
 
Talon stares at the figure before him, before saying "I am a very busy man, is this request important?". He makes a gesture behind his back to two nearby guards. As they saw their king make this gesture, they began to pay more attention to the two, though not showing it. This gesture meant that they were to stand ready just in case the foreigner decided to do something stupid.
 
Euron let out a sharp laugh. "My crew are the only ones who I control, Edryn. No need to fear a friendly face like mine. I only wish to discuss alliances with your leader; I hear that Edryn blood tastes like dishwater anyway. Now, may I meet your queen?" Euron flashed a smile.


_____________________________________________


Mysaria nodded, "Yes, very important. I understand that your nation is a target of many weaker groups; I would offer you an alliance from the Vespers against these...peasants." Mysaria snapped her fingers. "From the West and East, we could crush the other nations, if only you would accept my offer of alliance."
 
"We don't ally with demons." was the short reply. "Now if you really want to be useful to us, go distract those Aesop warships."


Derfel turned away, one hand resting on the jewelled pommel of his sword as the Edarian vessel sailed away from the silence. Night was falling, and the crew began to light torches around the deck. Wendlyn emerged, the firelight dancing on her face.


"Get below decks, Derfel. You need sleep for when we arrive in Asherfell. I told the cook to ease off a bit on the lobster."


Derfel was about to protest, but suddenly he realised how tired he was. He flashed a smile to Wendlyn by way of a goodbye and a thanks,and trooped down below the deck. The scent that hit him as he ambled down the stairs was beautiful. More evidence of how well Wendlyn knew him. He dragged a chair to the table, and sat down gratefully. A plate of succulent roast pork was placed before him, and he dug in ravenously.


Up on deck, Wendlyn had taken up Derfel's position at the bow. The night was cold, and Wendlyn shivered involuntarily. Those Vespers gave her the jitters. She would hate to meet one any time of the day, but this late at night... It would be horrible.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Melisandre reflected on Wedlen's words as she slipped into a comfortable nightdress. She hated it, but he was right. It would be a good idea for her to start thinking of an advantageous marriage... But there was still no way she'd throw in her lot with some ancient relic like emperor Varce. Julain Blackfyre, on the other hand...


Melisandre laughed to herself. What had the world come to? She'd never even met the man!


She turned over and went to sleep.
 
Talon considered the request. The situation Aesop was in, was indeed not the best situation to be in. They didn't have much to do with Asherfell next them and Edryn not too far away. On the other hand, Talon had no reason to trust the Vespers. From what he has heard of, they were some sort of demon race. Talon makes up his mind, before replying. "I thank you for your offer, but I currently have no reason to trust you.".
 
The ornate Edarian ship was a flurry of activity as it neared Asherfell's shores early the next morning. Derfel awoke to the cries of seagulls and shouts from the men above as they downed anchor, and readied a small boat for the landing party to go to shore in. Wendlyn was waiting for Derfel, and flashed him another one of he smiles as he came up on deck, but this smile had just a hint of apprehension. If things went well today, Derfel could gain Edryn a powerful ally. If things went badly... Well, Wendlyn would take care of him. He could sense the tension in her body, like a cat ready to spring. Derfel climbed into the boat, followed swiftly by Wendlyn. Derfel felt a lurch in his stomach as the boat was lowered to the water.


The sea guarding the boat with them began to row to shore, while Derfel held a white flag aloft. The ship behind them had also run up a white flag, which fluttered on top of the mainmast.


"Dracos help us" Derfel muttered, and stepped onto the kingdom of Asherfell for the first time.
 
"Oh, but you do have every reason to trust me," Mysaria kept the smile on her face for a few more moments, but then went completely serious. "My family would ally with you and supply gold, labor, soldiers, and ships. Meanwhile, other families of my people are seeking to join other kingdoms; kingdoms who hate your own. I am no idiot, though you may look down on women in many cultures. I am Mysaria, apprentice to Corvo, king of the Vespers. And I want the family of Euron One-Eye to be slain, extinguished, and destroyed. If that makes me a demon, more the better for it. You should trust me because we both need each others' help. I need you to give a good reason for extinguishing Euron's family, and you need me for my family's resources and my partner's family's resources. What say you, Talon?"


______________________________________________________________________


Euron directed his ship to silently follow the Edryn ship from a distance.
 
Antorn Rowwan slid his hand along the flat of his blade, carefully admiring it for the millionth time. Carefully inlaid patterns of whirls and spirals that worked their way along the blade, pressed into pure Fireheart Steel in the shape of an arming sword. It was a work of art, and he had decided to not spend too long hung up on a name. He knew that if he spent too long deciding from many choices, he'd never truly decide. So he named it 'Sunset' and was done with it. Now he was simply admiring it, having little else to do.


A voice came from in front of him. "King's Left. There is a ship pulling into port. It looks of Edarian make." That caught Antorn's attention. The voice came from Kiran Wern, the Harbour Master of First Landing, the largest port-city in Asherfell. The city belonged to House Blackfyre. Antern looked up, curious. "Are we sure of this?" he asked, somewhat skeptical "Yes, it is certain." the reply came. This was getting interesting. He stood quickly. "Bring my armour." he addressed the servants, sliding Sunset into its scabbard, another beautiful piece of artwork with patterns pressed into it in gold. "Mobilise guards to form up outside the building, and send a raven to King Julain about this. He will want to know what warrants a visit." Everyone scurried off to perform their respective duties, while Antorn waited.


Another minute, and his armour was being fitted to him. Lightly blue plate armour made of some of the finest steel in the land. There was little armour made from Fireheart Steel, even if it was better as a material than regular steel. This is purely because few wished to waste Fireheart Steel's amazing ability to hold an edge many times sharper and longer than the next best material. In any case, it took another few minutes to fully prepare the plate armour.


That done, he exited the hall with long strides. In the sun, his armour shined gloriously. Outside were twenty Sea Watchmen, a special unit of soldiers who were dedicated to guarding First Landing, and generally more elite than most other soldiers of the realm. At their head was Guard Captain Jorge Slait, a grizzled veteran of war, but by no means an old man. At most he was 40. "With me." Antorn ordered. The guards formed up neatly behind him into four columns, and Jorge moved to Antorn's side. The whole arrangement marched down to the docks rapidly. As they arrived, the ship was visible a little way off, and a smaller boat had arrived at one of the jetties. Two people stepped off, humans, a man and a woman. A third man stayed with the boat.


This would need to be handled carefully, if an incident was to be avoided. Unscheduled visits like this were often volatile, and could easily ignite into an inferno. Antorn approached carefully, the soldiers still at his back and Jorge at his side. "Keep your hands off your weapons." he ordered them, being sure to do the same himself. "Welcome, travellers from Edryn. I assume you do not wander idly? Speak, what is your purpose?" he called out to them as he strode closer. At the same time, he raised a hand to signal those behind him to stay back. He kept Jorge at his side, though. He was the Guard Captain, and thus deserved, no, needed to know what was going on.


@Melisandre
 
Derfel bowed low as Antorn approached, and Wendlyn acknowledged him with a dip of the head, which was a high order of respect, from her.


"My lord," Derfel began, "We come from Edryn to negotiate an alliance between our two countries. We apologise for not sending prior news, but we could not risk Aesop getting wind of this."


Derfel was unarmed, to make sure he could be trusted, but the wariness pouring out from Wendlyn was tangible, although she held her hands well away from her weapons. As he waited for a reply, Derfel sized up the two men. He would hate for it to come to a fight. He was unarmed, and it would be a close thing between these two men, and Wendlyn and the sea guard. Derfel was already preparing a response mentally for the answer he expected, knowing that he would need to keep his formidable wits about him.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Melisandre awoke early in the morning, and dressed in a tight-fitting leather suit. Going over to the velvet-lined case in the corner, she opened it and admired the work of art within. It was a sword without compare, its finely balanced blade had been forged from the steel in a fallen star. Its hilt was not ornate, simply decorated by a shining blue pearl for the pommel. Reverently, Melisandre took the sword and sheathed it in its scabbard. Strapping the blade at her side, she scaled down the ivy outside her window.


Making her way to the training grounds of the castle guard, she pulled up her hood and walked in, picking up a shield emblazoned with her own emblem. She walked over to a burly guard and asked if she might engage in a sparring match. He looked down at he for a second, confused, then grunted a yes and moved over to a sparring ring. Melisandre breathed a sigh of relief. Obviously he hadn't recognised her.


They exchanged blows and parries for a while, then the guard went in for a charging thrust. Melisandre spun neatly out of the way, and locked hilts with him, twisting her sword and forcing his hands to contort into a weak position. Melisandre slammed down on his sword, and a second later it clanged into the dirt. Nodding to him, Melisandre replaced the shield, sheathed her sword, and trooped back up to the castle.
 
Antorn raised an eyebrow. An alliance? That would certainly be a change. He would have agreed on the spot, but he was not the King, and thus couldn't really make decisions like this. "I look favourably on such an offer, but I must consult King Julain before the matter can be concluded. Rest assured, for King Julain is likely to agree." It was true, for Aesop had weighed heavily on the King's mind ever since its founding, and its aggression was coming to a head. Antorn and Weslar had both been concerned for the King, and alliances would be invaluable for the King's state of mind, as well as for the practical purposes of support. True, it could drag them into Edryn's own wars, but he believed they had a common enemy in Aesop.


Antorn stepped to the side and gestured for them to step through. "Please, enjoy my hospitality while we wait for the King's answer." At this stage, it would hopefully be unlikely for a conflict to kick off, although still possible. If either of them were to initiate it, it would be the woman. She was obviously mistrustful of the situation, and she was armed. He made a note to keep an eye on her. Additionally, he needed to write the letter for the raven to take to the King.


@Melisandre
 
Talon again thinks about the request. He desperately needed an alliance, as again, he was stuck between Edryn and Asherfell. He had no reason to trust the Vespers, though. For all he knew, they could betray Aesop. But if this alliance was to be truthful, he could conquer both Asherfell and Edryn. He made up his mind, before saying "I shall agree to this request, though the Vespers shall grant this one wish. If Aesop is to be attacked, the Vespers shall send aid immediately. Aesop shall do likewise if the Vespers are to be attacked. Also, if Aesop needs aid to conquer Asherfell, the Vespers shall send it. If you agree to this, then consider this request accepted.".
 
"I can only promise that it will be as fast as my people can fly, or as fast as our ships will travel." Mysaria replied. "Though I must warn you: another faction of the Vespers is probably seeking his own alliance with nations as well." She added, thinking of the disgusting Euron. Mysaria very much needed this alliance; if Euron's more wealthy family and allies could win this war, she'd have no chance in keeping her position. As it stood, she was still second in line to be queen of the Vespers.


________________________________________________________


Euron landed in front of Antorn with a flourish. "My good man, it is a pleasure to meet you. I hear talk of alliances recently, yes? Well, who better to ally with than the great armies of the Vespers, the most diverse military in the land!"
 
Talon nodded several times. "Alright, then. This has been settled; Aesop is now allies with the Vespers. I'm sure I have to sign some kind of paper or something? I'm not too familiar with alliances, as you can see.". Talon spoke the truth, as he has never negotiated an alliance with another nation. At this time, Astrid decided to show up, puzzled as she curiously looked at Talon, then Mysaria. "Who is this?" she'd ask cautiously. Talon looks at Astrid with a surprised face, before realizing who it was. "Hm? Oh, Astrid! This is Mysaria from the Vespers. She has asked for an alliance to be made between the Vespers and Aesop, and we have just finished our agreement.". Astrid looks skeptically at Mysaria, before saying in an aggressive tone "Why should we trust you?".
 
"As I put before," Mysaria enunciated her words calmly, "I have a powerful enemy among my people: Euron the One-Eye, who sails the ship Silence, and who has spent his life trying to lean how to enslave higher creatures. His family is the wealthiest among my people, and outright war is frowned upon in our society; therefore, while he seeks an alliance, I do the same. It is more than just rumor that other nations, namely Edryn, seeks war against Aesop. My family and my companion Daemon's family would join this war on the side of Aesop in order to obtain justification in attacking Euron and his family. While, alone, his family is the most powerful, I believe that a unified group of Vesper families could help to win this war for you, Talon. That is, if you're people would let us do so."
 
"Thank you for your hospitality, kind sir." Derfel said - or started to say, when the Vesper landed in the middle of the conversation. "By Dracos! What are you doing here?!" He exploded. Wendlyn had two knives in her hands, quick as lightning, and crouched, tensed to strike.


"Explain yourself, Vesper. Why have you followed us here?"


Wendlyn looked to Antorn for a response. She half hoped that this demonic thing would attack someone, and give her an excuse to kill it. "Where are the rest of your crew, Vampire?" she spat. "Waiting to surprise attack us?"
 
Not intimidated by the knives, Euron only smiled at Derfel. "Why, I feel that I've already explained my intentions. To discuss alliances." Euron said the last sentence slowly, as if the problem was that they could not understand the words. After taking a few moments to let it sink in, he continued, "I have no intention of attacking you, my only enemies are the brutes of Aesop and the fools of my kind who would join Talon Aesop in attacking all that is good in the world. The rest of my crew are aboard my Silence."
 

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