User:Some Color Mage/Rebuild of Echoes of Strife/Prologue

The region of Amevitai was no stranger to war. In the age of kings, one family, seated at the Divine Capital of Vellaten, had managed to conquer and consume most of its rivals to form the Kingdom of Labradia. Only one nation was able to resist them. The Empire of Tesendar fought long and brutal battles to establish the right of independent rule in Amevitai, eventually managing to halt the advances of Labradia and declare the first time of peace the land had known in centuries. This was about fifty years ago.

Forty years later, a new Emperor sat on the throne, and the technological revolution that the Empire had been working on went into full force. Long lasting rumours of the imperial family flirting with the powers of darkness intensified, as the Empire evolved in ways that seemed impossible and unnatural. Five years into this period of growth, the Emperor declared an end to the peace treaty of Labradia, demanding revenge for the acts of generations past. The forces of Labradia had not advanced as much as Tesendar had and the border between the two powers shifted further and further west until, eventually, battles were being fought at the river from which the region took its name, about halfway between the two capitals.

What little sunlight was left was setting on Vellaten. A king and his son were contemplating actions that would, unknown to either of them, start a chain of events to decide the fate of the world.

Prince Darren Coul's training had ended for the day, and now he found himself wearily pacing through various halls and corridors in the castle. Several years of practice, in the hope that he could contribute to Labradia's war effort one day, and while he had significantly improved his swordsmanship, if anything the training felt harder than ever. All he really wanted to do was help, and the goal seemed further away than it ever had.

Eventually he found his way to the main chamber, to catch the very end of a conversation between King Ester, his father, and a messenger. He was too far away to hear, but his father's face said all he needed to know. As the messenger left, he approached.

"That was about Kolona...?"

Ester couldn't even look his son in the eyes, giving a weak nod. Darren drew his sword and started posing.

"Don't worry, father! My skill with the blade has greatly improved! Surely we can now push back the Tesendarian scum!"

"That won't be necessary." Darren stopped posing, overcome with bemusement. "Emperor Diala will be here in a few nights. We will sign a new peace treaty and..."

Before Ester could finish, Darren slammed his sword to the ground. "This is ridiculous! What has happened to the Labradian way?"

Ester gave out a weak cough. It was clear that he was too tired to continue much longer. "The Labradian way is what led us to the treaty my father signed. Attempting to continue it into this war has gotten us to where we are now."

Darren stormed out of the chamber, and after making sure he had retrieved his sword after his earlier bursts of anger, out of the castle. If his father had decided to bow to the dogs of the empire, the only remaining option for him to save Labradia would be to join the front lines in Kolona, even if it meant consorting with groups outside of the military.

On the night of the treaty signing, a giant airship could be seen floating in the skies of Vellaten. Emperor Diala surveyed the landscape from his throne. Conquest wasn't really that appealing to him, but he had plans, and controlling the entirety of Amevitai would make said plans a lot easier for him. At his side was one of his commanders, 8.

"Sir, this seems incredibly dangerous," 8 started. "Are you sure about this? Adam and I would be more than capable of doing diplomacy for you, and if things go wrong, the two of us would also be more than capable of slaughtering everyone in the room."

"The goal tonight isn't slaughter, you know that." Diala was prone to sudden mood shifts while speaking, but at the moment, he was completely calm. "The goal is her, and there's no way she or the Order she represents could resist this signing, especially not when I'm involved. And, really now, do you think anyone there could pose a threat to me?"

8 seemed satisfied with this response and went back to standing prim and proper next to the Emperor's seat. It would only be a matter of hours before the real plan for the night could begin.

Kolona was another in a long line of towns to have the dubious honour of being the main battleground of the war. About a day away from the current border, Tesendar had prioritised the city because of the existence of a particular group, the Order of the Twilight Sky. This small, yet effective, militia had been running in the city for decades, and at the start of the war immediately declared themselves as a third party to the war, vowing to retain the nature of balance between forces on the continent by halting the advance of Tesendar, and threatening to turn on Labradia if they ever returned to the tyranny of the first war. While unable to stop Tesendar so far, they had proven effective at frustrating their advances, and some war historians credit them as the reason Labradia had not fallen after five years of fighting. Rumours abound that the Order's ultimate goal is to dismantle both major powers and bring a new form of rule to the land, but that has not been proven. In any case, a large number of Tesendarian squadrons were gathering close to the city walls, the last few of which had just arrived.

"At ease, men, we're here!" The captain of the 57th didn't look much different than fifty-eight of the other fifty-nine captains, the imposing black armour being standard. His soldiers had taken to calling him "Red", an apparent attempt to mock his off-duty fashion sense, and while nobody would have listened to him if he complained anyway, he didn't really care, the name suited him just fine.

"There's going to be fifteen groups, of four squadrons." The 1st captain, easily identifiable from the others due to his abject refusal to wash the bloodstains off his helmet, was boasting to the rest of the army. "We've got twenty men per squadron, so that's eighty per group, and a grand total of... twelve thousand! WE'RE UNSTOPPABLE!"

"Excuse me," Red's voice was somewhat muffled due to having to fit his long hair inside the helmet, "but you carried an extra zero. There's only twelve hundred of us."

"Okay, smart aleck," the 1st captain immediately snapped back, "next we can see how well you can count AFTER I CHOP YOUR FINGERS OFF! NOW EVERYONE MOVE!"

Nearly everyone in the army broke out in a coarse laughter, even those directly under Red's command. Red scowled, and took full command of his group consisting of the 57th through 60th squadrons, the other three captains being somehow less experienced than him. Red had only been in the Tesendar army for eight months, but his swordplay and black magic skills saw him quickly promoted to captain. He did not, however, have any skill in stopping the seventy-nine people under him from continuing to jeer at him.

Prince Darren had arrived in Kolona. He had long resented the town, as since the Twilight Order's rise to prominence, the nobles of the city had started to ignore Vellaten and refuse to pay their taxes. Why anyone would do that was beyond him, Vellaten was clearly the most important place in Labradia - no, not sounding important enough - Amevitai - wait, no, still underselling it - the entire world, who could resist paying tribute to them? Tesendarians aside, but they can go screw themselves.

It had then occurred to Darren that he'd just said all of his internal ranting out loud, and nearby villagers were giving him strange looks.

"Oh, whatever," he continued in a quieter voice, "all I have to do is find the Order, surely in a state of disarray without any royal leader, then I can assume control and seize victory for Labradia!"

The plan for the Tesendarians this night was to camp in the small groups and wait for the signal to invade. Stealth was not really that important, standard issue armour was rubbish for that and the treaty signing was public knowledge, so the Order had no reason to attack unprovoked.

Red watched over his group, as one by one they fell asleep. Once the coast was clear, he removed his armour, replacing it with a lightly padded red robe, accompanied with flowing cloak and absurdly oversized hat. There was a meeting for him to attend this night, and while he carried the helmet with him, so he could obscure his identity in an emergency, the armour would just make it harder to get around.

He slowly, but carefully made his way to the meeting place, only to be met with a sword at his throat and a loud voice.

"What in the utter hell, Saldo? Eight months with no contact, and then this is how you return to us?" Evidently Magnus Hexed was having a rather bad day, if the twelve hundred enemy soldiers staring at his home for the past few hours hadn't already been enough of a sign.

"Okay, fine, I probably should have mentioned that it was me when I sent these meeting instructions, but, really, what were you expecting? The higher you climb the ranks in that blasted army, the more surveillance they put you under. There was no way to leave the city unnoticed, and every letter gets read."

"You have magic, you idiot!"

"Communication spells are white magic. I believe you're very familiar with the white magic laws, aren't you? Planning on getting me killed?"

"Captain Hexed! Mister Mailao!" The third voice was recognisable as the leader of the Order, High Commander Drazure, "stop the arguing now, we have other things to discuss."

Magnus finally sheathed his sword, as Saldo regained his composure. "Greetings, High Commander, I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"We have plans to discuss, and there's an army at the city walls. I can't sit around and have Hexed perform my duties for me. So, what's the situation out there?"

"The Emperor plans for peace talks to go badly. Either as a condition of the treaty, or due to a breakdown of the deal, Tesendar will invade Kolona in the morning, destroy the Order, and kidnap Lady Yuan."

"Hexed, where is Yuan?"

Magnus looked uneasy. "Vellaten. She insisted on being a third party to peace talks, representing the Order."

"Shit." Saldo and Drazure muttered in unison, then Drazure continued, "how many troops are with her?"

"None. I tried to force some on her but she teleported away before they could gather."

"Ugh. Mailao, anything we can do?"

"I'm only capable of teleporting myself, and not that far, afraid I can't help."

"Then we'll just have to trust in the forces of Labradia. Meanwhile, we've got to defend Kolona. Mailao, do what you can to sabotage the war effort."

"Okay," Saldo had begun stuffing his head back into his helmet, "if that's all I need to know, I better return to camp before someone notices I'm gone." And so he left. Drazure turned to Magnus.

"And Hexed? I've heard that Darren Coul is in town."

"That brat? Great, the Empire would love to have his head as a souvenir."

"I've also heard he wants to join us."

"Oh dear gods, no."

"In any case, we must ensure his safety, along with Kolona and the Order."

The trumpets sounded, and Ester shuddered. He knew he had to appear strong, but also knew who those trumpets represented. Sure enough, a herald entered the room and announced; "I present to you all, His Royal Majesty, Emperor Grant Diala, ruler of the Glorious Empire of Tesendar." Ester rose to greet the Emperor as he, too, entered.

"As King of Labradia, I welcome you to my kingdom with open arms!" Ester didn't really sound that convincing. "Tonight, we shall make decisions to allow our lands to coexist and usher in a new golden age for Amevitai." Inwardly, he was cursing his own name for such a display of cowardice. What a fool he was making of himself and his kingdom!

The Emperor smiled and nodded. "I thank you for such a kind welcome. I realise the reputation of my nation and myself, but I assure you, I despise this war, and my only goal is peace. First, though, if you would introduce me to the rest of the delegation? I don't believe I'm familiar with any of them."

Ester was being careful to not show his true feelings. It was obvious that Diala was lying, but pointing it out, or even looking like he wanted to point it out, would just make things worse. And now this? Presumably he wants to gauge what Ester will say about the delegates, look for any weakness. "Of course. We have here today..." He quickly introduced each delegate. "Finally, representing the Order of the Twilight Sky, we have their mediator, Lady Yuan."

The Emperor paused and stared at this last delegate, a slight woman with black hair, wearing a white robe with red trim. "Traditional White Mage garb? Your kind are a rarity these days, it seems."

Yuan curtsied. "I am honoured to make your acquaintance, Your Majesty, and to oversee this important dialogue."

"And so polite," the Emperor murmured dryly. "You know, I once met a White Mage named Yuan, a while ago, in the town of Nox. Have you ever been there?"

Yuan was slightly baffled. "Once, yes, but that was ten years ago, with little fanfare. In any case, should we not proceed to the discussions, Your Majesty?

"Of course, I already know what I need." He smiled at Ester. "Shall we begin?"

The meeting was being held in Palista Abbey, an ancient monastery believed to be the place where the Coul family first claimed divine right to the continent, now a landmark in the middle of Vellaten. Recent restoration efforts had gone well, and the delegates looked around appreciatively as they entered the former inner sanctum, now a grand meeting hall.

Discussion soon commenced, beginning with geographical negotiations. It was difficult to get into heated debate over the landmass, but the delegates still managed to when the topic of the Amevitai River came up.

"Orchone and Flus, two towns that should be snug in the Labradian crown, are now on the brink of Tesendarian occupation," one Labradian diplomat spoke, quietly, but sounding on the verge of eruption. "Both are on the west bank, if we cede these two, then what stops Kolona from being nex-"

"Mister Levenia, please." Ester interjected. "The river is not a perfect boundary of our territory. In centuries past, circumstances used to be an exact opposite." He needed to stop his ambassadors from imputing devious intentions to the Emperor, even if they were telling the truth.

"Well said." At least Diala approved of the king's cowardice. "I think it's evident that my empire is not interested in Orchone or Flus."

"I think it may be time for a break, shall we?" Yuan asked. Labradian delegats wearily agreed, and left the mahogany table. "We will resume in half an hour. Please help yourself to the punch I made, it should be in the foyer."

Grant was the last man at the table, and beckoned to Yuan. "Is something the matter?" she asked as she approached, "I can assure you I have not poisoned the punch, unless you are allergic to pineapple."

Grant chuckled. "Actually, I wish to speak with you in private. May we move to a side room?"

Yuan was wary, however, she could not risk the treaty by refusing, so they entered a small apse and closed the door. The stone walls clashed badly with the design of the meeting hall outside, colourful silk chairs having been brought in just for tonight.

Diala extended a hand. Yuan quickly shook it, but prematurely withdraw and placed both of her hands in the lap.

"Thank you for agreeing to this little dialogue, and also for your efforts to stop this conflict."

Yuan smiled. "This is merely my job, Emperor. It is everyone's responsibility to sculpt this treaty into a document that will benefit both countries."

"Of course. Even if feelings are somewhat frosty." There was a brief pause. "Anyway, I wanted to follow up on my question earlier, about Nox. You... have no recolelection of meeting me, Grant Diala?"

Yuan racked her brain for a while, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, Emperor. The most memorable part of that visit, was that interesting vegetable I had the misfortune of eating raw..."

"An onion?"

"That's the one!" Yuan laughed. "But, clearly you meant to talk to me about things other than root vegetables?"

The Emperor sighed. "Forgive me. This treaty process has been quite stressful, strife seems to echo in every whispered conversation between delegates, perhaps it is happening in this room as well. Such is the history of this continent. The kings before me have been no saints, nor am I. Or you."

Yuan continued to regard him with rapt attention.

''She really doesn't remember. Why? She is definitely the one I met a decade ago, the only other one who could possibly remember that day... Diala thought with frustration, but she doesn't. Oh well. Her memory is not what matters to me tonight.''

He continued. "In my ten years as Emperor, as well as my time as heir, I have tried to mend Tesendar's warpath. But every new revelation has rotted into an unfulfilled promise, each new prospect appearing worth aborting the last. Thus, here am I, standing on a pedestal of broken fortunes, reaching for the heavens, only to fall in vain."

Yuan nodded. "The delegates here all agree that this is the time for a peaceful negotiation. They've seen your efforts to reduce the animosity between the two nations. I can't speak for King Ester, but I am hopeful that we can make great steps towards peace tonight."

"Of course, Lady Yuan." The Emperor's face shone with triumph. "We will work together to eradicate this stain. It has been with us forever, and feels like it will be with us for eternity, but we will find the answer and prevail, the light and dark in all of us. And I think, at this meeting, I have found what is needed to end this nightmare."

Yuan shook his hand again, this time without trepidation. "Thank you, Emperor. Finer words elude me. We should return to the conference table and speak more of this with the rest of the delegation." She turned and left the room.

Grand words, somewhat grandiose, she thought to herself. Words can be conjured and dismissed like smoke, but... He seems genuine in his efforts. She began to assume that the stain he referred to was the history of war on the continent, the answer and the object of his desire lying in this peace treaty.

She could not have been further from the truth if she tried.

Ester sighed as Yuan announced the recommencement of discussion. During the break he had made the rounds, quietly listening to the delegates, not to their small talk, or words about the treaty, but to the sounds of despair in their voices. He saw it in their faces; these people had been beaten down harder than even him, and just wished it to end. He wished he could join them. But it was his duty to remain strong before his people.

It was then he noticed two new delegates, conferring with each other, standing behind the Emperor. He tried intently to listen in on the discussion, even while Yuan was trying to discuss the agenda and hand him notes. Eventually, one of the men indicated to the Emperor that the King appeared to be trying to grab their attention (He wasn't but probably a bad idea to say what he was actually doing).

"Ah, Your Highness!" Disala greeted him, "oh, and Lady Yuan. My apologies, I have not introduced my companions. This is Adam," he gestured at the man clad in armour contrasting sharply with his aquamarine hair. Adam bowed, but the greeting was lost on Ester's shock as he noticed the man's deep red eyes.

"And this is 8." Diala gestured at the other man. If anything, this one was even more intimidating, what little could be seen of him. His robe shrouded his entire presence, and whatever could be seen of his face was wrapped in a blue bandage.

"A pleasure, I am sure." 8's voice was soft, but contained more than a few hints of malice.

"I beg your pardon, but your friends do not have the look of diplomats." Yuan finally said after a long pause.

"You would be right. Adam and 8 are my closest advisors - Adam is the high commander of my army, while 8 is the head of magical research. They were somewhat... delayed with their preparations, which is why they're not dressed for the occasion." 8 muttered something vehemently under his breath.

"Forgive our rough attire," said Adam. "We have journeyed long and hurriedly to reach here."

"No, I should be the one asking forgiveness, I was not aware of the circumstance," replied Yuan. "I will arrange for food and drink to be brought to you."

"Thank you." Adam handed a scroll to the Emperor and bowed. "Our mission is accomplished, we shall wait in the foyer." He and the mage walked away from the meeting.

Diala briefly scanned the scroll, and handed it to Ester. "Here are our terms. Hopefully you'll find them agreeable. Oh, and I apologise for 8's unsettling behaviour. He has that effect on most people."

Yuan watched him closely. Despite the casual behaviour, his face gave away his tension and apprehension. "No doubt you'd like some time to speak with your companions. We should adjourn for a few moments." ...so we can see how "agreeable" these terms really are.

"No need," answered Diala. "All the delegates are here, why not read the proposal now?" Indeed, all the delegates had formed a loose circle around the two rulers. And behind them... when did this gathering have so many guards? Far more than there should have been. Trap, she realised, and it seems Ester had too. He had no choice but to open the scroll.

Labradia to become a territory of the Empire. All military control to the Empire, and all overarching decisions. The Coul family to retain most of their governance. Artefacts and all books to be handed over to Tesendar immediately. Tesendar's laws take precedence over Labradia's, and all citizens to have dual citizenship. Tesendar would not attack Labradia, and would provide military and financial support if needed. No additional taxes nor land taken, although Tesendar claims the right to take any man, woman or child for the country's purpose. In particular, all White Mages were to be taken to the capital immediately.

The scroll went on and on, closing out every possible loophole. Fairer than I had expected, Ester thought. ''At least my people still have their livelihoods, and Darren has an inheritance. But...''

"For the most part these terms seem fair, but I think we need to make a small change," Ester said. He and Yuan were eyeing the same clause, the latter frozen with fear.

"This last term..." Yuan finally managed to say something. "The one about White Mages..."

"Ah yes, that one. If you'd like, we can enact that immediately."

"This is a poor jest, Your Majesty." Yuan was struggling to smile.

"I jest not."

"Diala, what the hell is this‽" Ester cried. "She's a diplomat, you can't-"

"So she knows how valuable this treaty is. You did say you wanted to make peace tonight, right, Yuan? And Ester, you did just say the terms were fair. I have decided not even to act against the Order of the Twilight Sky - one member excepted, of course. So, will you sign? Or would you rather renege on your promises?" The guards slowly closed in.

For a moment, all was still, waiting for the King's response. Then one delegate tried to flee, colliding with a guard. The guard stumbled, accidentally firing his crossbow. Immediately, the room erupted into chaos, diplomats rushing away in every direction possible, as Labradian and Tesendarian guards turned on each other.

Yuan desperately searched for the King. Now that talks had failed, it was imperative that she kept him safe, and a stray arrow could-

"Silence. Paralyse."

She fell to the ground, unable to act, unable to speak. 8 emerged from his hiding spot and picked up the limp body. "I think you'll be safer with us, Lady Yuan." As the paralysis started to wear off, Yuan tried to fight back, yanking a glove off the Black Mage to find, to her horror, scarred, near-gangrenous flesh underneath. Her attempts to scream still silenced, 8 pulled her close, retrieved his glove, and teleported away.

When the chaos had subsided, few were left in the room. None had died, but there were more than a few bruised guards outside. In the middle of the room, standing on the remains of the broken table, were Ester, Diala and Adam.

"My, my, my," Diala started, his tone noticeably darker than it was just a few moments earlier. "That did not go very well, did it? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I had Adam prepare an extra scroll for this event, one extra condition."

Adam handed Ester the scroll.

Labradia consents to the search of all of its cities by the Tesendarian Army, with the purpose of capturing and executing all people suspected of associating with anti-Tesendarian organisations, past or present.

Ester had had enough, and threw the scroll to the ground.

"I must refuse."

Diala's expression changed to one of absolute disgust. His eyes started glowing, and he grabbed Ester by the throat. Black flames flickered from his fingertips, burning the King's neck.

"YOU LISTEN HERE! You have two options, you may accept the terms, OR I CAN KILL YOU RIGHT NOW AND RAZE LABRADIA TO THE GROUND!"

Then, as soon as the rage had started, it vanished, and Diala let go of the King and returned to normal.

"I'm sorry, I have no idea what just cam over me. So, do you agree to the new terms?"

Ester hurriedly picked up the scroll and signed it.

"Perfect." Diala cast some sort of spell in the direction of Kolona. "That message should reach my army at dawn. Tomorrow, the Order dies."

Ser Hevorhend Aeon was sitting behind the head guard's desk in the South-West Facility. He had been spending the last several hours grumbling to himself. "Bah, a bunch of soldiers got to have fun with the Emperor at that peace treaty signing and I'm still stuck here trying to figure out if the boredom or the prisoner's glares will kill me first." He leaned back. This wasn't the first time the Emperor had snubbed him. He has been a rather loyal and effective knight of the Empire, but ever since the Emperor learnt the exact nature of his powers, he stopped receiving any large scale assignments. This was fine, as the only thing stopping him from just retiring was one personal task this war could help him accomplish. Depending on how things shake out, this dingy prison could in fact be the perfect place for him to catch his targets.

The thoughts of death and revenge, however, had to wait, as he could see a teleportation spell start to arrive in front of him. Sure enough, Commander 8 appeared, accompanied by Yuan slung over his shoulder.

"Well, 8, what are you doing here? Party over?" Aeon was trying his best to project an aura of smug superiority as he eyed over the captive. She was clearly trying to escape 8's grasp, but was only just recovering from her paralysis and still had trouble moving.

"Hmph. Well, at least you could figure out we weren't just there to sign a treaty." Aeon figured that if he could look at 8's face right now he'd see an arrogant smile. "This is your newest charge, and keeping her secure - and alive - is of the highest priority." He dropped her on the floor and teleported away.

Hevorhend reached for the rack behind his deck for a pair of shackles. "So then, what's your name?"

"What does it matter to you." Yuan had regained full motion, and was rubbing the sore spots on her body where 8 had dropped her. "I'm just a prisoner here."

"I take the time to learn about my charges. It makes for a better experience." Hevorhend was now standing over Yuan, shackles out in wait. "Now get up, I doubt you want someone to pick you up again."

Yuan stood up slowly, looking around and analysing the room in the process. "My name is... Yuan." Aeon had started shackling her, but at the last second, before they could be locked, she flicked her hands out of the shackles and assumed a casting position. "Flash!" The room was enveloped in a bright light, and Hevorhend momentarily lost his vision. After a second, he had enough sight back to see Yuan running for the entrance.

Hevorhend flipped up his eyepatch. "You can't escape from me that easily!" he snarled. Yuan was trying to open the entrance lock when she saw a flood of darkness consume the light she created. Disoriented by the change, she was unable to notice as Hevorhend rushed to her, then grabbed and threw her to the ground. He lowered his eyepatch and, just as quickly as the darkness arrived, it vanished.

Yuan was dumbfounded. ''First that walking zombie, and now a man gripped by the darkness. What is going on here?'' She returned from her thoughts to see the shackles secured on her wrists.

"Well, Miss Yuan, I can trust you won't try that again?" Aeon picked Yuan up and carried her towards the depths of the prison. "Now let's find you a nice damp cell to sit in while you wait for whatever the Emperor has planned."

The next morning, the bolt of magic from Vellaten flew over Kolona, ending its journey with a massive explosion. The Tesendarian forces silently gathered and began their march into the city.

For the most part, anyway. Saldo was holding back the men under his control, circling the city. He quickly identified the most well fortified part of the garrison, and ordered his men to charge, faster than the other squadrons. After announcing the charge, he stayed behind, to watch the incoming carnage.

The 79 men under Saldo's control fell quickly to the first hail of arrows. The attack had alerted the garrison to the attack earlier than expected, leaving the remaining 1100 or so soldiers with a much harder battle on their hands. Just as Saldo wanted.

Meanwhile, Magnus was inside the garrison, watching the approaching army from an arrow slit. He had just received the news of the treaty brawl and Yuan's disappearance. ''To think the Emperor could... he's mad. Absolutely mad.''

"Sir!" Magnus nearly fell over, having been unexpectedly intruded on by a young, extremely loud, soldier. "We found him! We found the heir to Labradia!"

"You did check that it's really him before giving me a heart attack, correct? What with the invasion on our doorstep and everything?"

"Don't worry about that," Darren said as he strode confidently into the room. "I'm the real deal."

Magnus studied the prince carefully. The dark hair, the thin cheekbones, the arrogant bearing that was required of an aristocrat, this definitely looked like him. Magnus had seen the boy a few years before, lurking in his father's court. The only difference he could see is that he seemed to have put on a bit of muscle. Magnus signalled to Darren to present him something. He pulled out a small insignia from his pouch.

"I, Prince Darren Coul of Labradia, swear that I stand here today with no deception." Magnus studied the insignia and saw the perfect replica of the royal emblem of Labraida, as well as noted the bored recitation of an oath that had probably been drilled into Darren's head a million times.

"This all seems to be correct," Magnus said. "So, what are you doing here today? Surely your father would have demanded your attendance at the treaty signing?"

Darren immediately tensed. "My father has betrayed the Labradian way. He has given away our freedom to Tesendar, and expects me to just accept that. Instead, I will win it back."

"And you think the Order will help you?" Magnus was trying to hide his frustrations. Having the prince in the care of the Order would likely anger both sides of the war, and he'll probably insist on taking charge, despite having no proper experience. Why now?

"There is no way for me to succeed with what is left of Labradia. As such, I wish to join you. You are a force for justice, are you not? What is greater justice than restoring freedom?"

''Don't annoy him, don't annoy him, don't annoy him... Blast! I'd give anything for Yuan's silver tongue right now...'' "Anyone is welcome to join the Order-" Magnus began, only to be interrupted by another, thankfully less loud, soldier.

"Sir! The Tesendarians have raised the grey flag. They wish to negotiate."

"See what they want! Bring the flag, write down their demands, signal immediately if they ask for us to hand anyone over. You!" Magnus pointed at the loud soldier. "Notify the rest of the garrison. Be aware, they may be planning an attack from another angle. We have little white magic available to us right now, so only the worst injuries can be healed." He finally turned to Darren. "Ever been in a battle before?"

"No. But I have trained with the bst. I'm ready."

Magnus nodded. "Welcome to the Order, Private Coul. You'll start like all of us - in battle."

Darren opened his mouth in protest at being called a private, but after noticing Magnus slowly getting grumpier changed his mind. "So what do you believe Tesendar's army wants with us. Uh, sir?"

"Nothing good," Magnus muttered, going back to looking at the army outside. "Most likely, they want the Order to hand themselves over, in exchange for letting everyone else in here live. If that's what they want, the plan is to retreat."

"You're not going to stand and fight?"

"We're outnumbered, and running low on arrows to even the score with. A ground assault would fail, and likely put the treaty in an even worse position. I'm not going to let this many men die to save a few." A trumpet call sounded from within. "That's the signal. Guess I was right. Coul, with me!" Magnus hurried to the exit, Darren closely following behind. ''We've failed today... but never again.''

"A word, Hexed?"

Magnus was close to the exit when he was waved over by Commander Drazure, who was accompanied by the head alchemist Telluri. He and Darren joined the two, who turned away from the battlefield and onto a path toward the Order headquarters.

"Yes, Commander?"

"I am hereby temporarily placing you in the position of commander. I will be, for an indefinite period of time, preoccupied. You see, the research team has discovered something... interesting within our organisation."

"But Draz- Commander! There are interesting things happening outside our organisation. What of the Tesendarians and the grey flag they're flying outside the city walls?"

Drazure paused for a second, but then continued. The group was now at headquarters, and beginning a descent down to the lowest floors, Drazure and Magnus signalled to the others to stay behind.

"What I am doing requires my presence at the underground resarch facility, much of what is being investigated is still of the utmost confidentiality. You are aware of the significance of the facility, right?"

"Only aware of how forbidden it is for me to enter."

"And with good reason. The files down there, no soldier should ever set their eyes on."

"Are you implying that you're not a soldier, Commander?"

"Let's not play games, Commander. You know as well as I do that the future of the Order does not lie with me, one who has spent his life poring over old books, but rather younger blood, filled with visions of our potential. So let me play my role, and you will play yours, and this drama can benefit us all. Although some, well, personnel, for lack of a better term, needs their status scrutinised."

"You're talking about Nelo, aren't you? Please, Commander, this is not the time for that! I'm telling you that he-"

"And I'm ordering you to follow my commands. After this discussion, go to the parley, and attempt to, for now, draw a peaceful resolution. Nelo may have the strength to resist the Tesendarian platoon, provided he's available, but without understanding his strength we may make a grave mistake in letting him."

The two had reached the bottom floor of the headquarters, a short hallway leading up to a large pair of doors. Magnus had not offered a reply, so Drazure continued as he pulled out an iron key.

"Tesendar will not turn overtly violent yet; they must at least look like they're adhering to the treaty. This means we have time, which I will use to discover the truth behind Nelo. The man is an asset, yes, but without trust he is nothing." He unlocked the doors. A massive room awaited behind them, filled with bookshelves and old scholars.

As Drazure moved into the facility, Magnus found his voice again. "Commander, sir, please. The soldiers need your guidance. I need your guidance."

"I need you to show that you have the leadership needed to provide that guidance yourself, Hexed. I haven't trained you as my successor for years just to have you reliant on me. Now, go lead the front lines, while I bide my time. I know not how long I will need to research, nor what the results will be. But I must be confident in the Order's direction.

The doors started to close.

"Caution will be the death of you, Commander."

"Everyone dies, Hexed. But do you have the courage to live?"

The doors shut, and locked. There was no point in fighting it, the door was largely soundproof, and definitely resistant to anything Magnus could attack it with. Instead, he returned to the headquarters entrance.

Magnus turned back to look at his two followers, his expression slightly dazed.

"So, it is time for us to meet the enemy on the field?" Darren asked.

"We?" Magnus was switching to thinking logically. Drazure hadn't picked him as a successor solely on his charisma. "Coul, you have to stay here. Tesendar doesn't know you're under our care yet, the worst thing we could do right now is show off King Ester's son like some trophy. Telluri, you're with me, I'll need some assistance out there. Coul, stop looking at me like that. How about you get one of the other privates to show you around headquarters? Anyway, let's move, we've kept everyone waiting long enough."

The alchemist and the new commander strode past the gawking prince. Telluri gave Darren a wink and a shrug as she left, to which he could only respond with confusion. When the door closed, he was met with further shock, as a pillar of flame shot up before him, dissipating to reveal a man, whose dark aura conflicted with bright red armour, the glaring contrast disguising his pale hair and piercing red glare.

"I-I don't suppose you're the private that's supposed to show me around?" Darren asked, hastily.

The man completely ignored him, staring at the door that Magnus and Telluri had just left through. The entrance foyer of headquarters looked out upon one of the main roads that lead to the Kolona central plaza. The room was plated with magical, one-way glass, that left the impression to anyone inside that they were already outside, while anyone outside would not be able to see a thing.

The man was now doing a visual sweep of the exterior. There didn't appear to be anything unusual, aside from one shopkeeper in a vicious struggle with an exotic snake refusing to stay in its cage.

"Hey, stop ignoring me!" Darren started stamping his feet for effect.

"Tch."

"As the prince of Labradia, I-"

"A real Prince Charmless, huh? No respect for authority. Only one person gets away with that here..."

Darren opened his mouth in an attempt to retort.

"And it's not you, if you're wondering. Now leave me alone."

"Who are you, anyway?" Darren was getting angrier by the second. "I will not have respect for anyone that does not offer their name and-"

"Nelo. And my job does not involve talking to newbies." He turned back to the glass.

''So what is it now, Hexed? The Kolona guard will not protect us over themselves. Drazure is being useless. We could do with a loose cannon, I think.''

"I need to lodge a complaint," Nelo said as he conjured another pillar of flame and vanished, leaving behind an indignant Darren.

Magnus and Telluri had made their way out the city gates and now were staring at a soldier that was unmistakably a member of the Tesendar forces here. The insignia on the armour indicated that he was the first captain. Hexed wasn't fazed, he'd encountered worse before. The soldier was angrily talking at a representative of the Kolona guard.

"All this and we're just getting a lackey?" Telluri whispered to Magnus. "This is kinda insulting."

"The Emperor was too busy starting brawls in Vellaten." Magnus snapped back. "So sorry to disappoint."

The captain continued to berate the Kolonan, who could only respond with short phrases such as "No, there's no trouble," and "We understand."

"What do we understand?" Magnus finally interjected. The Tesendarian captain finally looked at the order members and scoffed.

"Are you Captain..." He quickly looked at something written on his hand "...Hexed, of the Twilight Order? What are you doing here?"

"We could ask you the same!" Telluri shot back. "Looking to further trash the empire's name after that treaty signing?"

"Nobody asked you, girl"

"And even fewer asked you, Volchov." A booming voice rang out, as a tall man in even darker armour than your average Tesendarian strode into view, marking him as one of the Blackguard. The man's apperance was completely obscured, his helmet unlike anything the people of Amevitai had ever seen, his eyes impossible to make out behing the green visor.

"Please forgive my subordinate's poor attitude." The man bowed, his voice and whatever demeanor could be gleaned from him radiating pure buisness. "I am Commander Netherith, leader of the Tesendarian Blackguard."

"Commander Magnus Hexed, of the Twilight Order," Hexed returned, offering his hand which Netherith shook. Better to be direct. "May I ask why there is an army after us immediately after the incident with the treaty?"

"That is exactly why I am here. I have come to enforce the treaty regulations that require the collection of all white mages throughout the land."

"That may be, however, the Twilight Order is not part of Labradia. The treaty does not require our cooperation."

"This is true. Also true, however, is your allegiance to Kolona? While largely independent, the city is still ultimately a Labradian territory, and thus there should be no objection to us examining the city."

Magnus was failing to make an effective response.

"In any case," Netherith continued, "Tesendar has full intention of abiding by the treaty, and we strongly suggest all third parties assist with that. Indeed, I believe the Order has already complied."

Hexed's expression changed. While Netherith's voice contained no malice, it was obvious what he meant. Yuan had been abducted by Tesendar.

"The Order diplomat known as Yuan is known to possess white magic abilities. As such we took the opportunity to take her as per the treaty to-"

"Oh, treaty this, treaty that," Telluri interrupted, "the treaty is a fraud, signed under force! You have no right to-"

"Tell, please," Magnus stopped her from continuing, then turned back to Netherith. "We understand that we ultimately have no choice. However, given the circumstances, and the general surprise around the entire thing, I do not believe we can immediately comply. Can you give us some time?" He realised with disgust at this point that he was begging.

"A temporary parley can be arranged," Netherith finally replied, much to everyone else's surprise. He then turned away, and started to leave. "But remember, other plans are in store for those not bound by the treaty, of course."

Netherith boarded a small craft and left, leaving Volchov to walk away. The Kolonan fled back to town, with the two Order soldiers last to return.

"Magnus," Telluri tried to get him talking again as they re-entered headquarters, noticing that he had been white as a sheet since talking to Netherith. "Don't worry... that Blackguard said that we had time..."

"...to delay the inevitable," Magnus said, the colour slowly returning to him. "I think we have one option. If they want our white mages, we first have to reclaim the best."

Telluri immediately understood. "Who's going?"

"You. Coul. Nelo if anyone can find him." He ignored Telluri's derisive snort, partially because he couldn't tell if it was directed at Darren or Nelo. "My office, tomorrow at dawn."

Telluri nodded, and rushed to her quarters, pulling a few test tubes out of her bag on the way with a mischevious grin. Magnus, meanwhile, returned to the doors Drazure had sealed himself behind.

The Tesendarian army were on the slow march back, when Volchov stopped the group.

"We have a traitor," he said. "Someone gave away the plan of attack early, and got a bunch of men killed! Red! Explain yourself!"

He pointed his sword at Saldo, who removed his helmet in response.

"Oh, so you can actually pay attention? Considering how often you display your amazing intellect I assumed the only thing you could do was point in a direction and charge!"

Maybe that went a bit too far, Saldo thought, as Volchov punched him in the jaw, knocking him out instantly.

Volchov snorted. "Well, at least we get to throw someone in the dungeons when we get home!"

"High Commander, can you hear me?" Magnus yelled as loudly as he could, at the doors of the underground facility.

Nothing.

And he's still playing in the basement.

Magnus slumped to the ground.

''The Blackguard will return in due time, fighting probably wouldn't work. That leaves diplomacy, which is a dead end without Yuan. No way to tell Mailao to bust her out for us, leaving an alchemist who probably knows what she's doing, a novice aristocrat, and possibly an unhinged pyromaniac.''

Right on cue, a pillar of flames appeared before him, and out came Nelo.

Magnus grinned. "Don't you ever use the stairs, Nelo?"

"I see we're now babysitting some royal brat."

"You mean Coul?"

"Does Drazure know about this?"

"He does, but..." Magnus motioned at the door. "Good luck getting him to do anything about it. Not fond of him?"

"You know I'm not fond of anyone in the Order. But that kid? He needs some sense beaten into him."

Nelo conjured a small fireball in his hand.

"You do that and I'll make sure that's the last flame you ever conjure."

An awkward silence followed.

"Anyway," Magnus finally said, "if you feel like doing something constructive, meet me in my office at dawn. I want your help rescuing Yuan."

Nelo said nothing, conjuring another pillar of flame to leave through.

"And don't burn everything to the ground this time!"

In silence, Magnus got another chance to reflect on everything that had just happened. Only one more thought came to mind.

We are so fucked.