Chapter 18: The War Begins
General Summary
After 500 years of peace, war has come to Emaniquora once more.
.....
After making her pact with Wesley, the group awoke on the eve of Loras' Day. With much to do, they set off right away. Inhe first ran the 498th Annual Marathon, winning it. She won a brand new cart and a team of horses to pull it, courtesy of the Council of Six. She chose to additionally have it customized at WagonZone.
Jacquora, Lenihlra, and Thydona watched from the side and attempted to give out water to Inhe as she passed but only Jacquora was successful as mugs of water were being thrown about like rice at a wedding. After the race, Lenihlra noticed that at some point a note had been deposited in her pocket. It read:
"L-
On he 22nd, at nightfall, go to High Chancellor Pator's office. You've been there before. Deliver this envelope to his desk. Be as discreet as possible. He must see it before midnight.
Under the Light,
W"
Accompanying it was a letter in a red envelope. They decided to open it and see what it read. It said:
"P-
Operation North Star is a go. Look for the comet that lands as the twelfth falls. Be uafraid of what will follow and be firm. For the Empire. For the Common Good.
Yours under the Light,
W"
Both letters were sealed with blood red wax bearing a seal. The seal resembled an open skull in profile view with a sword running through the roof of the mouth and out of the back. Inside the skull hung a crescent moon.
They resealed the letter. The day progressed and Lenihlra decided to deliver the letter as the rest of the party left for the fights at Sanctuary Stadium. Utililzing her hairclip (Thydona borrowed Jacquora's for the time), she disguised herself in the uniform of Estor Pator's assistants. She was able to make it up to his office and deliver it but left with the feeling that she was being watched.
Meanwhile, Inhe and Jacquora entered the finals for the team fights. They found themselves face-to-face with a Young White Dragon. It's wings had been chained to it's side. From the stands, Lenihlra joined Thydona and they watched the fight take place. It was a close call, with both fighters coming close to their end, but eventually they were able to triumph over the beast. They each took a tooth as a prize. They won one favor from the Council of Six.
They all went out to drink at Planet of the Grapes, one of the nicer taverns in Lorisen. Drinks were provided to them as the winners of the fights. Thydona was eventually escorted home by Inhe, Jacquora stayed at the tavern and returned late to the Umbral Inn, and Lenihlra left to stake out the Ascension Spire. From her vantage point in the still bustling carnival, she was unable to see anything strange as midnight came and went. Groups of drunken revelers wished her a "Happy Loras' Day" as the 23rd arrived.
The next day, the group whiled away the hours while waiting for the speech to occur at 6PM. Lenihlra went to scope out The Core in Old Athelis once more. She noticed scores of more guards, some wearing slightly different uniforms. Peering through the gates, she noticed a carriage and was able to recognize the three siblings of the House of Luthyra: Leomer, Petronelle, and Elora. Presumably all being in the city for the special day.
Inhe found Al in the common room of the Umbral Inn drinking. He conveyed to her that because the National Museum of Emaniquora wanted to keep up their appearences in the midst of all the tension to the North in The Gatipids, they let Al go. Evan offered him a room to sleep off the booze.
Jacquora had her knife repaired and stocked up on bolts for her new crossbow, which proved to be helpful in the fight against the dragon. She also turned her dragon tooth into a necklace.
Eventually, they all met up again and were able to secure a spot closest to the balcony where the speech was to be given. As the 6PM bells began to toll, Pator stepped out onto the balcony.
He was accompanied by two members of the Council of Six: Petronella Luthyra, of Arnsholdi; and Ole N'lia'ra, of Olfyra. In addition, each had two guards assigned to them and there was the same halfling magic user used in the fights to amplify his voice. He rose his hands as a his voice boomed out over the massive crowd in the circle. A hush fell, and he began:
"Citizens of Lorisen...the Lorasian Empire...friends from near and afar. I welcome you today to our fair capital on this most memorous of days. Today we gather to celebrate...to commemmorate...to remember and mourn our founder's sacrifice. His sacrifice to build our empire. His strength to defend his people. And his commitment to providing secruity and protection to his citizens. Though this is a day of celebration, it is also a day to remember what was lost before these lands were united. Before peace was bought with crimson blood and bitter tears. Families were torn asunder. Children starved in the streets while their parents lay hewn on the fields of constant battle. Crops were grown and fed with the corpses of the fallen and we reaped those dark rewards.
We must remember the price that was paid. Sadly, there are those who do not remember. Who choose to seek violence when we bid for peace.
My friends. Two months ago I sent the Lorasian ambassador for the northern realms of the Gatipids, Kieran Tosha, to Olfyra to ask for an end to the border skirmishes happening there. Our sentinal outposts were being attacked unprovoked by the Gatipidians. Last night, I received a reply. A courier arrived in the stables to deliver a note. TThe messanger himself was assassinated shortly after arriving. He returned with this!"
Pator held aloft a blood stained scroll.
"This missive is from Hakan Hartvig, the leader of the rebel faction known as Torsten's Revenge. He has, it seems, taken control of Olfyra and much of he North. His message states his intent to seperate from the empire and to take out and I quote, "as many of you Lorasian scum as I possibly can stick a pike through." This message was accompanied by one other item, Tosha's head."
Pator revealed a blood stained sack. A few screams pierced the crowd and whispers were rife. A sense of unrest and unease began to roll through the watchers.
"We cannot allow the so called "King" in the north, Hakan Hartvig, to allow such atrocities to be committed. We cannot allow the memory of Kieran Tosha, of his retinue, of the soldiers cut down in the snow, to be sullied and forgotten. for the sacrifices of the thousands of lives lost in the Unity. On the fields of Ilythyra. and Arnsholdi...to be for nothing. It is with the heaviest of hearts, my friends, that I tell you this news. As of today, we are at open war with the north. The first war with anyone since The Unity. Tomorrow, we will begin preparations."
Ole, the council member from the North had been heartily whispering to Pator during much of the last part of the speech. But at the declaration of war, he threw his hands in the air and began shouting in alarm. The guards that stood behind Ole grabbed the wisened council member and forced him to his knees. His head cracked agains the balcony and they held him in place.
"This week, we have celebrated with our loved ones. We have betted, we have won, we have lost, we have fought, we have played. A new year and a new chapter in our nation's history begins now."
He beckoned for another guard to step forward to the balcony, the deep hood of their helmet concealing their face. The guard raised their sword high above their head as Ole looked about frantically.
"An eye for an eye. Tosha's death and the losses felt to the north will not go unanswered. We will send the north a message. That the Empire is strong. That we will win this conflict. And that to defy us is to taste our steel. Tomorrow, the war begins.
As he uttered the words "defy us" the sword came down and, for a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then, sickeningly, the head of Ole twisted and fell from the balcony, falling only feet from the party. Screams rang out and the crowd began to surge and seethe around them.
Pator and Petronelle were rushed off the balcony.
The party rushed back to The Umbral Inn as all hell broke loose in Lorisen. Riots began as Northern establishments were burned. Fights broke out all around them. They fought hard against the crowds, but they were eventually able to back it back to Evan's Inn. However, they found the building mostly burnt to the ground as Evan sat kneeling in front of what was once his home. For a moment, they hoped that their friend Al had made it out, but Evan told them that he didn't have time to rescue him as he had been asleep in one of the upper floors.
Just as this devestating news hit them, they heard a soft whisper of "Oh my gods..." behind them and found Falaern had been returned to them once more.
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