“Kings are the slaves of history.”
- Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace
Alyssa stood bowed over with hands pressed on her knees. She gasped while trying to catch her breath. She had been fighting while going all out and had a new appreciation for soldiers and other professional fighters. Mireille was dripping with sweat and did not look much better than her. They all had small cuts and bruises but with Alea’s help, there were no serious injuries.
Alea calmly faced the darkness broken by flickering flames. Cecily turned and tried to keep everything in her sight while a multifaceted construct made of glyphs hung in the air and shed dim light. Frowning as she saw them so exhausted Alea asked “Mireille, Alyssa, are you injured?”
Mireille shook her head, Alyssa coughed and said, “Only tired. But I really hope that was it. I can endure the void much better than before but that does not mean it is healthy.” She shook herself and stood up straight while supporting her back with one hand grimacing.
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The Nordmark veterans had withdrawn to a safe distance and the surviving knights and royal guards kept a watchful eye on them.
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The gondola beneath the giant zeppelin had been full of the restless dead and what had reached the ground intact fought despite sometimes horrific damage but there were no reinforcements and even as the necromancers raised the fallen on both sides aided by the influx of the void the final ending was clear.
The two frost elves looked at each other with two score undead led by five wights between them and the cavalry bearing down on them. “Do we still have time?” Silverrestra looked at her companion a thin man with feminine white hands, and pale hair bundled in a ponytail.
He grinned as blood dripped from his chin. “I will not survive the crossing. Better to die here than be eaten by the worms and moths. I will buy you time.” He began to gather mana and shape another spell. The female elf nodded and began the ritual to breach the spheres. Sometimes she thought if she simply vanished into the planes. Would it be so bad?
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The bloodfiends were still wreaking havoc but their habit of feeding on the casualties had strung them out and some were surrounded and killed by concerted efforts of knights and guard.
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The students had mostly fled, only a few remained behind. Maximilian looked at his friend Alberich who returned the gaze with an irritated, “What?” The perpetually easygoing man was missing the tip of his left ear and the clothes looked burned and drenched in water and darker fluids.
“You are not bleeding anywhere are you?” Maximilian looked at him critically, “It’s hard to see with you being covered in it.”
“Thank you for reminding me. My optimistic good cheer is all out for today.” He sneezed, “And I might get a cold on top of all that.”
Both sighed and their forced smiles fell. Maximilian frowned, “I need to look for my sister. Do you want to come with me?”
Nodding Alberich followed his friend as he walked quickly towards the other side of the stadium. They had been talking to a teacher when the incident happened and were separated by the fighting Maximilian was very concerned but also a bit hopeful, Mireille and Alyssa were among the best combatants of the younger students after all.
Seeing the gentle light of Alea’s construct Maximilian breathed a sigh of relief. “Alea! Sister!”
“Max!” Alea turned and smiled with relief. Grabbing Cecily she turned and regarded her brother and his friend before she furrowed her brow. “You are injured!” Channeling light energy into the construct pure light bathed the two and wounds closed and a bit of color returned to pale cheeks.
Iseret jumped down the last steps and ran over. “Vanessa is here and...we have to talk.”
“What happened?” Alyssa saw her serious face and asked cautiously.
“The king is severely wounded, probably dead and Carl was the one that did it.” Iseret bluntly stated. Vanessa appeared behind her coalescing from the shadows and nodded.
Mireille shook her head in disbelief, “His son killed him? After he -probably- killed his brother? How?”
“There was an assassin who failed but this distracted the king and his guards and that led to the successful murder. I wasn’t there and can’t say how exactly it happened.” Iseret shrugged helplessly.
Vanessa spoke, “We have to decide. Heloise has collected some people and plans to confront Carl Askander we should grab some additional magicians from the academy staff. Hopefully not compromised. What do you think? If you decline to help Lieseleta I would argue that you should head for Pareus or the kingdoms of the broken for staying would probably mean death.”
Maximilian clenched his fist and said, “Damn! While we fought the traitor killed his father.” He hit a column and cursed. “We cannot stand by. Alea. The von Graufurts will stand with Lieseleta, that had been the decision reached by grandmother and uncle.”
Alea nodded.
Alyssa and Mireille shared a look then nodded before Alyssa spoke, “We will help.”
Alberich sighed and nodded his assent.
Vanessa stood on tiptoe and softly said to Iseret, “I will alert the magicians, you accompany and protect Alyssa and the rest.”
“Will they listen to you?”
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“I will grab a seal from Alea and do it in her name.”
“That might work. Take care.”
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Silverrestra finished the spell and reality shook and fractured as she was hurled into the astral plane.
The male frost elf raised one corner of his mouth. “So, novaer* realms of light.” (*farewell)
Raising his arms he pooled the void between his hands and spoke the words of a spell soon tendrils spread to the undead near him invigorating them. The few wights that had survived seemed somehow more solid and their blades burst into dark flames. Gasping with the effort the elf laughed madly as several crossbow bolts pierced his magical shielding ending his life.
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Magister Illimen slowly sank toward Heloise while rubbing his temples. Setting down with a thud he walked briskly to where she was standing. “Heloise, please summarize for me the most relevant problems. I just fought the echo of the Heartstealer so keep it brief.”
“King Vilander is dead, Carl did it. I will not let him get away with killing my brother. Even if he was sometimes a moron and arrogant to boot, he did not deserve this.”
“So it has already happened. The king thought he would make an attempt, how on earth did he manage it despite that!?”
“His knights were compromised and an assassin lent a distraction and disrupted his shielding artifacts.”
“That could do it. I argued for him to stop this.” He gestured expansively. “At least the civilians mostly escaped.”
Calvin and Valeria Jangres the alchemist followed by Reneus Flammensiegel joined them.
Reneus asked nervously, “How do we know who will side with the prince when the going gets tough? Do we really force a confrontation now?”
Magister Illimen said, “If we wait Carl will consolidate his power. He is the only – legitimate- offspring still available other than Lieseleta and she is younger and a girl.”
“What of Tervellin Gold?” Reneus asked, Heloise suppressed a laugh.
“He does not seem to be ambitious. In that regard I mean.” Calvin interjected.
Lieseleta stood behind her guards and Jera just finished bandaging a deep cut that the healing magic had not fully closed.
The princess looked uncomprehendingly and fished a potion from a pouch sewn into her dress. “Jera. You are still injured, drink this potion please.”
“No, your highness, we don’t know what the night will bring and the area is still contaminated with void, healing magic is not as effective as it could be and most healers are severely handicapped.” Then she lowered her voice, “Do you think you could make a speech? If you rally them to you then after the dust has settled you will be in position to take the throne.” She tapered off.
“If that would only bring my family back.” Lieseleta smiled without warmth. “Is my mother still alive?”
“I remember seeing her when we fled,” Jera said cautiously.
“So probably a hostage now.”
Jera looked guilty at that. “Don’t blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done. I did not see her and looking for her would have given Carl time to arrange our arrest.”
Cold wind stoked the flames and the burning cloth covered some of the columns turning them into giant torches. Snowflakes drifted and whirled around the platform the sky was covered in smoke.
Heloise walked up to her, “Niece, we have to go. There is not much time until the army gets itself sorted and then they will probably fall in line behind the eldest. So we must make haste.”
“I understand.” Lieseleta stood up straight. “Let us go and see my brother.”
Alea saw Heloise talking to the princess and hurried over. Jera saw her coming and whispered in Lieseleta’s ear who looked up and greeted the three friends. Cyrus seemed uncomfortable with the colder weather and was nestled in Alyssa’s arms.
Vanessa and Iseret followed but kept a bit of distance between them
“Lieseleta!” Alea hesitated but the princess smiled and hugged her.
“My friends. Thank you for coming.” Her smile was full of sadness and her golden hair gleamed in the firelight.
“We will help you as best we can,” Alyssa spoke up while the other girls both nodded.
Heloise nodded towards them. “We have to go, Liese. There is no more time.” She hefted the rod in her hand and walked back to the waiting nobles.
Iseret neared Lieseleta and bowed under Jera’s suspicious gaze. “Your highness.”
“Yes?”
“I wanted to relay a missive that might be helpful.”
“Speak.”
“If you acknowledge the Reborn as a minor noble house and give us some consideration about some troubles with the mercantile law- a lesser title would do- we would join your cause.”
Lieseleta looked at Jera who nodded decisively and whispered. “If we survive I will tell you the story of the thief and the king.”
The princess looked skeptical but then turned to Iseret. “I accept.”
As they talked a group of soldiers broke from the ranks of the approaching army and marched in their direction. They were probably only about half a kilometer away.
Iseret broke a small crystal tablet and soon the form of a sparrow shot into the darkness.
Lieseleta walked up a few steps and turned while her guards covered her from all sides before calling out, “I thank all of you for coming to help me in this desperate time. Over decades we prospered and the rule of law was firm. Over decades and decades, the royal family kept to the rule of succession and we knew not the strife of kin versus kin.” She sounded calm but her hands were shaking.
“My brother has done the unthinkable. He killed my brother Thomas the crown prince and he killed his father. Of the first I am convinced, the second I saw with my own eyes. And even as I wished for my father to rule to a ripe old age we now face the responsibility of not letting a murderer claim the throne. Rob a legacy that stood for a thousand years and smear it with the blood of his family.” A tear ran from her eye.
“We cannot wait for justice to be sought, we have to make it with our own hands or it will not come to pass.” She paused. “Are you with me!?” Her shout was not loud, she had not the lungs for it but the answering calls from the assembled nobles, mages, and knights were loud enough to be heard from the royal platform and Carl's lips turned white as he pressed them together angrily.
They assembled in groups and Helois and Drathur Illimen took the lead. Kettra the knight winked at Mireille as they walked ahead.
Soon they reached the platform and the ranks of men at arms supported by heavily armored knights parted as Carl Askander walked to the front. “Come to raise your arms against the rightful successor? Or is it all a misunderstanding and you want to be the first to bow your heads?” His sarcastic voice rang out.
A tall man armored in black plate mail and armed with a massive two-handed axe stood a bit behind him. Icy blue eyes seemingly aglow. An emblem on his chest showed a river crossed by two bridges. His presence cast a pall over his surroundings and just looking at his eyes was like being immersed in freezing water.
Vanessa cursed softly. “That is Tharus, a vampire in the service of the Lich Queen.”
Alyssa looked incredulous, “Shouldn’t he hide it?”
Mireille pondered, “Perhaps it's a good sign, meaning that he takes us seriously?”
Alyssa turned toward Vanessa, “If it comes to a fight can you contend with him?”
“Probably not. Despite being older than him I lack combat experience and I was never one to cross blades if it were not urgently needed. Even my spells are more suited for research.” Vanessa shrugged.
Lieseleta did no longer delay and looked up at her brother. “Carl, I do not know what drove you to commit those deeds but I cannot let you continue. I say you are a kingslayer and traitor and have no right to the crown!”