Levantia

King of cities, outmatched any city in the continent with its buildings carved from thousands of tons of marble, towers reaching up to mountains of the Alpsles range and houses, even of the least privileged of the city, decorated with an expensive purple imperial flag, as to show of people from other city the wealthy level of Levantia. As if they needed to do so, for the truth that cannot be denied, this city is capital of the largest empire in the known world: The Elestovakian Empire.

“Attention, we are about to exit the city within an hour. Ready your weapons, men.”

Today, that city is drunk on celebration. Men and women drinking, children cheering across the streets, throwing flowers to the soldiers walking in the line.This isn’t a triumph, they did not win a war yet, there wasn’t a festival either. It is just that the Elestovakian Expedition Imperial Army is about to depart for a journey to the north to invade the Kingdom of Vlenna.

“Most of us are going to return home alive, so don’t let the fear of death make you waver…”

On the stage close to the front of the army, emperor Kaval is moralizing his army with an arousing speech. After this, their destination will be the County of Vlenne Exterius, where they will gather with the local army and with them conquer Vlenna. The journey shall cost them a month at least. That would also be the time countdown before the war begins.

**

“I have returned”

The Latilian full-rigged sailboat rammed ashore the harbor of the capital city. After a week in foreign land and another three days stranded offshore heading northward, the Latilian diplomatic corp has just returned to their home, which had changed much when they left the city to Vlenna.

“I’m glad to be home.”-Belisari says, stepping on land while together with Lily carry Aurora back to the shore. Unfortunately no one is here to greet them, nor carriage to deliver them home, they would have to walk. In addition, Aurora seemingly sicker than normal, the girl can’t move by herself and must be towed back to the Voyage Latilus Palace to rest:

“Aha, it will be a long trip.”

After another twenty minutes, the three had arrived at the gate of the palace. Awaiting them is the usual guard patrol team, who Belisari greeted with some dried fruit he brought from Vlenna-”Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness”-They appreciate the gift, then let the prince and the archduchess and Aurora to enter.

“Arlin, Klein.”

“Your Highness, Big Sis and…Aurora…that girl is like that again.”

Klein lets out a long sigh, before he comes to them to help Lily lift the sea sickened girl to the nearest bedroom. Meanwhile leaving the prince and his brother standing outside, talking:

“Long time not here.”-Belisari opened the conversation with his friend’s brother-”Is there anything I missed?”

“Nothing really”-to which Alexander answered-”Aside from a few Aurora’s tools for us to renovate the army, nothing new. Probably the most exciting thing is that the fliers had remastered the continental map.”

The man takes a scroll around his waist and opens it for the prince to see. As he previously mentioned, this map has a greater level of detail compared to the old imperial map. Thanks for the support of Aurora’s scope and mapping methods, the task of drawing map became much easier for the Latilians:

“That is great news. Have you checked its reliability?”

“I did, it is much better than what we had”-Alex hovers his finger on the map-”And I made a logistic map out of it. That way we can ensure that our army will march with full stomachs and with finest weapons. Water might be the issue for your and my sis’ expeditionary force though…”

“I can see why. While the main army is going to be situated by the river of Granisus, my and Lily’s army will travel deep inland and have to look around for water sources. There are several lakes that can be considered however…”

With this map in their hands, traveling for them would be far easier, it’s like having an eye over the sky. Even excluding the difference in size and war gear, the Latilian Army would still be able to travel at greater speed than their Elestovakian counterpart everyday to maintain their schedule. Not to mention that in hostile territory, where food might be deficient, this map will locate far more than what they needed to continue the journey without a supply line for a long time:

“By combining sea lanes, airborne and carriage delivery, we can sustain an army of thirty thousand 150 kilometers away from Latila. Not to mention that our territory got rapidly expanded once the war began, many people would come along with the army for settlement outside of the kingdom.”

“Thus shorten the line in non-friendly land and make supplying even easier.”

“You got my point, Your Highness. By constantly having intel on the battlefield combined with the accuracy of this map, we can surely sustain such an army for several years without running into any major issue.”

Alex rolls back the scroll and hands it to Belisari:

“Tell Aurora to me, this thing is very useful. We need at least three of these for three separated fronts, two if we count this one as well…”

“Five actually, for our seafaring force. We cannot cooperate with them unless they have the same accuracy as we do.”

“Well said Your Highness. By the way I think we should enter the domain, standing here isn’t a good idea, the sun is getting high and hot.”

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Okay”

The two then step into the palace. It looks no different from when Belisari left. “Perhaps I should go to see what these three are doing” he thinks. But then he meets Lily walking down the stair, who greeted him and Arlin with a puff of smoke into the face of her brother:

“You’re back Liliya.”

“Enough Big Sis.”

“Hehe, it’s fun. Right Belisarius?”

Belisari discreetly nods behind Arlin so the man cannot find it out.

“We already have a sickened Aurora to deal with”-Alex says-”A heavy smoker won’t make anything better. I can stand your smoking habit, but Klein has been complaining about it a lot. Belisari here does not like it either.”

(I didn’t say so though?)-Belisari thoughts.

“Fine”

Then Lily puts out the burning cigarette in her mouth, but instead of throwing it away, she puts it back into one of her pockets, intending to light it again when Belisari and Arlin have left. Seeing so the prince is now regretted having bought her too much cigarettes back in Vlenna, although when he remembered how much Lily enjoyed those cigarettes, his guilty feeling simply disappears:

“Don’t be too strict on her, Alex. Liliya, just restrain yourself from smoking everywhere-”

Almost immediately after says so, Belisari sees Lily with the cigarette lighted again. He didn’t even notice when she takes that out and puts it in her mouth, and does not know how she even lit it that fast, beyond his ability to acknowledge changes of the surrounding:

“Seriously, you are addicted to it.”-Arlin shakes his head in disappointment.

“Correct.”-Lily speaks as if it is a thing to be proud about-”By the way, haven’t you wasted too much time here with me. Don’t y’all have more things to do?”

“Yes, and it included you as well Big Sis. Sir Payens, father and Caesar too. Where are they?”

“Calling for us?”

Gerald and Klein appear behind Arlin and Belisari all of a sudden. Zenos was absent though.

“Good enough”-Alex pulls Belisari along with him-”Aurora and father can be notified later. All follow me to the war room.”

**

County of Rashid, a territory situated between the Alpsles mountain range and the County of Vlenne Exterius. Its northern border is naturally created by the Granisus river, while the south faces a Lordship named Danuvii. This is the territory founded back two hundred years ago by the Nosfeturan Empire as a territory ruled entirely by the human race. Nowaday, Rashid is under the control of the Elestovakian Empire. The current Count of Rashid is Khaliz al Walidis, a former general of the Empire, who supported Kaval in his northern expedition.

“Hey Khal”

Khaliz is about to enter his castle after a long trip from Levantia back home, when he heard voice of one of his closest friend calling for him:

“It’s you”

Greeting him is a sickened man, quite old, Kassem, a famous prophet who lives in the countryside of the County of Rashid. He was a friend of Khaliz when they first met twenty years ago, and usually has a visit to the castle any time his friend invites him, or to deliver him prophecies about himself. This time Khaliz did not ask him to be here because he was just returned home, so the latter scenario is more likely:

“Another message of God for me? Come in, Kassem.”

“Thank you my friend.”

Kassem was about to walk on the stairs, but he almost tripped over, so Khaliz come and walks him:

“Sorry for bothering you too much”-Kassem says, breathes heavily-”I cannot live for much longer, God is calling my name.”

“Don’t say such, you will live for a hundred years.”

“What good is that? Living long isn’t a privilege, but a curse, knowing that God has forgotten you for so long…”

“Yeah yeah I get it.”

Khaliz puts his friend down a chair with one hand, the other hand pours some water into two cups, one for him and one for Kassem:

“So, what are you here for today?”

“I’ve seen my last prophecy.”

“What?”

The count was surprised, because in his memory he remember that Kassem told him that he will be a prophet as long as he is still alive:

“God told me in my dream that this is his last message I need to deliver, and it is for you, Khal. I just have a few moments left…”

“So you weren’t joking about not going to live much longer…”

“Yes.”

Stops for a while to grab some air, Kassem then continues:

“In that dream, God…I don’t know why, either because this is the most important prophecy I shall give to this world, or because this is the last time he grants me the chance to deliver his message, but he placed his hand on my shoulder. He said that the Atlasia continent will be watching a great change in its history. You will be a part of that great change, in a war sparked by a conqueror…”

“What conqueror? Isn’t Kaval-”

“...let me finish saying...not the Empire, but a kingdom. A kingdom strikes back from ashes and shall conquer the empire…This kingdom is going to be ruled by a wise benevolent emperor, the conqueror I mentioned earlier. He and his army will eventually come to this land.”

“Then what should I do when that happens?”

Kassem looks into Khaliz in his eyes, saying:

“For you Khaliz you must submit to him, be under his command. He is the conqueror chosen by God to change history, obey him and you will write your name into history for eternal. Resisting only results in your death and destruction of the people. I believe that is enough for you to decide which path you will choose…”

“But I am loyal to the Emperor-”

“But you are also loyal to God, am I right, Khaliz?”

“...”

“...”

“Yes-”

However, as Khaliz was about to answer, Kassem closed his eyes and lay peacefully on the chair. The count thought his friend has dozed out, so he tried to wake him up:

“Kassem, Kassem”

No response.

The body of the prophet turned colder and colder, the glass of water on his hand fell down and shattered, but that didn’t wake him up from his sleep. Kassem had stopped breathing, and the skin became purple, not receiving any air from the lungs that had withered so much it ceased to work. He lay there, having a deep sleep, a sleep he never had before in his life, one that he will never be able to wake up from, but he sleeps.

Up to this moment, Khaliz realized that his friend was dead. He died before receiving the answer from Khaliz, before Khaliz had the chance to understand the meaning of what Kassem had just told him. But he can say for sure what is the kingdom in the prophecy God had given to Kassem for him to deliver it to him in his last minutes.

“Rest well, my old friend.”