The blazing sun shone upon a metropolis of tribal cloth tents, settled in the middle of the Silent Waste. It created mirages and heat waves that made the white smokestacks wiggly and deformed.
"Amei'ake aga xir ragaha." (We will never become your slaves.)
Inside the chief's tent, the leader himself sat on his knees. Red tattoos covered his entire sweaty body, but the whip marks stood out more. He scowled at Valquen slavers intensely with dilated nostrils.
"Why do you savages never speak the common tongue?" one of the slavers said, raising his arm to go for another forceful swing with his whip. A loud crack reverberated inside the tent as the chief only moved his hips with the impact, not even showing any emotion at all. The slavers weren't wearing a lot of armor, as they had no choice due to the deadly heat. All they wore were regular clothes with some leather pads and scarfs to cover their heads and mouths.
One of the slavers took a step forward and looked down upon the chief. "Bring him in front of his people. We have to teach them a lesson about rebelling against the Emperor's orders."
Without hesitation, three slavers grabbed the chief by his arms and shoulders and pulled him up.
"Up you go, big guy." one of them smirked, forcing the chief out of his tent. When the leader of the tribe looked around, it was worse than he thought. It was a massacre. Countless bodies were decorating the tainted red sands, and the city was crawling with Valquen soldiers, tossing bodies onto piles. There had been a big fight.
Shamelessly, the slavers made the chief walk through his doomed metropolis until they reached the outskirts. Hundreds of his people were forced on their knees, tied down altogether like cattle with hundreds of Valquen soldiers around them. When the tribesmen saw their beaten leader brought in front of them, most women started crying.
"Shut your mouths!" it sounded around the soldiers, followed by many cracking whips. It only made the chief angrier, giving an aggressive pull to the slavers that held him.
And then, there he was. A commander, guarded by two bannermen holding the famed Valquen gryphon symbol. He wore a steel sleeveless cuirass and a red cloak. His balding head started to grey, but the man still looked like he could take down a group all by himself. When he spoke to the crowd, his raspy and robust voice cut through the air.
"My name is Varros Vayn of House Valquen, and I have come here with a message."
One of the soldiers that stood beside him was from Volarian origin and translated his sentences.
"Da gama e Varros Vayn ro House Valquen, e gama re'ma edari gamafa."
"By order of Lord Areyn Valquen, Emperor of the Oryn Realm, Sentinel of the Great Kingdoms and King of the Citadel of Whitehollow, you have all been renounced from your homes and become his property."
"De'ri marfi sa Dakehl Areyn Valquen, Saroah sa di Oryn Maga, Solara sa di Mäga Damar se Da mar ri Segara mar Whitehollow, vi gara ga'raso sovïra ramea vi marra se ramar se gamarfi."
"Look around you! These dead are all on you! All this could have been prevented by obeying and doing what you are told to do."
"Me gavii vi! Rira sëja gama ra vi! Ga'mar vise vi garaso masora da marmirda se goda ragei'vi gama sajeli."
"For these acts of violence, are acts against the Great Kingdoms. You all have to atone for this grave mistake. And your atonement starts here."
The commander unsheathed his sword from its sheath, a long metallic screech that pierced through the tribal chief's ears. Varros raised his blade, but then the tribal head turned around like a snake, grabbed the commander's wrist before he could plunge down his sword. Varros' guards were too late when the chief could land a forceful punch in the commander's face. When the guards reached him, they grounded him by plunging a sword through his leg. In the meantime, a lot of commotion started brewing in the herded crowd. People stood up and ran towards their chief, while others began attacking soldiers.
A fight broke out almost immediately. The commander had lost control.
"Slaughter them all! These beasts aren't tamable!" the commander screamed, wiping off blood from his nose. He then approached the chief again, grabbed a dagger from his boot, and stuck it through the chief's throat. Blood sputtered out, and when he pulled out the blade, blood gushed out before he descended, coloring the sand with his blood.
Surprisingly, some Valquen soldiers were killed by the tribesmen's bare hands, but nobody had a weapon when the fight started. The entire city had been wiped out before they knew it.
"Burn up the rest of this rat hole and grab the horses. Rally up in traveling formation. I'm done with this damned place." the commander growled.
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Areiya leaned over the railing of a sailing ship, watching the rest of the fleet sailing along. Her tattoos had a soft glow because of the sun. Seagulls were screeching around the masts as the fleet rocked over the waves in formation. She looked at the decks of the other ships. It was like watching little ants working and walking around the ship. She also noticed almost none of the vessels were bearing the rebellion symbol. As if the entire cause ceased existing. She turned her head to her side when she heard footsteps approaching behind her.
"Hello, Areiya."
It was Marlock's usually deep and warm voice, joining her view, placing a hand on the railing as support. His steel armor was clean again, despite the dents and cuts.
"We will figure something out, you know that right?" he said. Areiya wore a new full set of leather armor, padded with steel plates and adorned with a hood she could wear.
"Do I have to remind you the Emperor has over five-hundred thousand people supporting him? All the rest are his slaves, and we are like..what..six hundred strong with all these pirates included?" Areiya turned her gaze towards him, carrying dark circles under her eyes.
"Everyone thinks the Ferronian islands don't exist anymore. We can catch our breath there, think of a new plan, rethink our strategy. We could even settle in and make it our home." Marlock said.
"My home is in my tribe in the Silent Waste, commander. We can't live off of coconut every day. I don't want to sit here and do nothing. I want to help my people. They're still out there." Areiya said.
"These pirates have lived off of these islands longer than anyone else. They are masters in fishing, they're-" Suddenly, Areiya interrupted his sentence with a sigh, shaking her head. "Whatever.."
She turned around and wanted to leave.
"Hey, Areiya.." Marlock said, making her stop, "You should visit Kiera.."
"She doesn't want to talk to me." Areiya shook her head and looked down.
"Which is exactly why you have to visit her. Hey, you made the right choice."
Without saying anything in response, she headed towards the trap door that led to the crew's quarters — a room filled with beds with fur blankets. With the creaking of the ship, she walked down the steps, hearing Ayska's voice.
"...So we had to run before mother could see us. It was so fun." Ayska chuckled. But then, Areiya heard Kiera's voice as well.
"Wow, I can imagine."
Areiya turned around the corner and saw them both sitting on a bed, smiling. Last time she saw Kiera, she was covered in dirt and blood. Now, her brown hair was neatly tied into a ponytail again, and her set of leather armor she stole from a woman was replaced by a clean one, bearing the flame mark of the rebellion — a sleeveless corset with steel plated bracers and tight leather trousers.
Kiera noticed Areiya, and her face drained of happiness. Ayska looked at them both and decided to stand up, clearing her throat. "We'll continue our talk later, Kiera. You can walk around, but don't strain your ankle too much."
"That's alright. I was going to walk around anyway. I'll walk with you." Kiera said, standing up and ignoring Areiya in any way possible.
"Kiera, just wait, please. We need to talk." Areiya said, standing in her way.
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"Get out of my way," Kiera growled, pushing Areiya out of the way and walking up the stairs towards the deck with Ayska. She didn't want to talk. Areiya didn't exactly blame her, but she wished that she would at least give her a chance to explain her side of the story.
Since she didn't have a reason to be here anymore, she went back up to deck as well when she noticed the fleet took a halt. One of the ships anchored down right next to Valmir's. Valmir, Marlock, Kiera, Ayska..they were all there together.
"Ah, Areiya. I was looking for you." Marlock said, "We're going to discuss our next plan, and we need you with us. Meet me at my cabin."
"Why do you need me with this?" she asked, but something else grabbed everyone's attention. Planks were being thrown down by sailors on the other ship, and a deep and raspy voice raised above the sailors.
"You ain't planning to bring damnation upon these mug faces without me, eh?"
A tall pirate captain showed up from behind his sailors, wearing his black tricorn hat and coat, adorned with gold buttons, braids, and ornate fabrics. It was Harper, Valmir's best friend.
He walked the plank bridge like it was nothing. Valmir smirked and gave him a firm arm shake when his boots touched the deck. "It's good to see you, Harper. How's your crew faring?"
Harper took a quizzical look behind him before walking towards the cabin door. "These lads are hungry for gold, Valmir. Where is this big rebellion you've been blabbering all day about? All I see is a bunch 'o' fishing boats with washed up soldiers."
Valmir rolled his eyes at Marlock, who was in the background, crossing his arms. "Their commander still has the gold he promised. He has a plan, so come with us so we can discuss it."
"Whatever you say, mate. Lead the way!" Harper said.
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Bells rang in the busy Citadel of Whitehollow. Crowds were filling the streets during a typical labor day. Guards on horses roamed the city, and massive Valquen banners were fluttering in the wind on the high towers made of white stone.
In one of the streets walked the knight, Graham, with an unknown person.
"Everyone's gone mad in this fucking city," Graham grumbled through the muttering crowd and the clanking of his steel armor. The person next to him wore a red woolen tunic, belted at the waist that had been embroidered around the hem and sleeves. Over that, he had a black woolen cloak fastened with a clasp.
"Be glad, Graham. At least you're not on the receiving end of our emperor's funny idea's."
"The only time I will be glad is when Areyn stops making everyone hate his guts, so I have to protect his arse again. Right now he's not doing very well." Graham said, looking around the crowd while trotting through the street.
"Oh come on, what could go wrong? Everyone who was ever against him is gone." the nobleman said.
"The emperor has over a million slaves by now. Everyone but the people in this province are enslaved. When all these people decide to rebel, we're horrendously fucked. You won't see me here if that moment ever happens."
"Where will you be possibly going to?" the noble asked.
"To Vraleth, to drink myself to death with the finest wine. Tits in one hand and a chicken leg in the other." Graham chuckled. The noble smiled with him and replied. "That is indeed a fine way to let out your last breath."
"Make way! Make way!" it suddenly sounded a little further in the crowd. Graham and the noble halted, when a big group of Valquen cavalry riders in full steel armor gait through the street, forcing people to jump aside. By then, the knight and the noble were already at the side of the road.
"I wonder what happened." the noble said when the riders passed.
"I don't, because I don't give a shit. You should try it. Makes living a lot easier." Graham answered. The noble laughed it off, and they both continued their stroll through the street.
"I heard the emperor has gotten rid of this rebellion in Volaria?" the noble asked.
"Aye, he butchered all of them. They shouldn't be a threat anymore." Graham answered.
"You don't look so pleased?" the noble questioned, noticing Graham's grim expression.
"I look however I damn please. If Areyn banishes expressions too, I will kill him myself and send his balls to Etheon where those boring oracles can study how the pure-blood Valquens get their white eyes at birth."
"If that ever happens, count me in with your plan." the noble smirked.
"What a tale. The tall knight Graham and the fat noble Gillian that ended slavery once and for all." Graham said.
"Wouldn't be a bad story honestly. Am I really that fat though?" the noble asked, rubbing his belly hesitantly.
"Fat?" Graham scoffed, "You could stuff three pigs in that belly of yours, and you still wouldn't see the difference."
"Now that's rude," Gillian said.
"No, that's just me," Graham answered with a smile.
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Valmir, Edward, Kiera, Ayska and Areiya were in Marlock's cabin, where a big round table stood in the middle of the room with chairs. It displayed a big map of Oryn. In the back of the room, was his office, stacked with paper and scrolls. They all settled into a chair, except for Marlock. He began his speech, pacing around the chamber.
"Alright people. I think we can all agree that the Flames of Dawn has suffered immensely after this brutal attack. We have lost nearly everyone. From eight-hundred strong, they left us with ten, including all of you."
"Then why are we still here?" Harper groaned, "Valmir? Why don't we go back to raidin' and plunderin' ships like we used to? This plan is going to get us all killed."
"Hear this man out, Harper," Valmir responded. Marlock continued.
"The emperor has many armies all across the realm. He even has allies in Vraleth. Each of them is highly two-thousand strong. There is no way one small rebellion can overthrow such power. We had to learn that the hard way. But now I will propose to you all, my new plan."
He looked at the two pirate captains, "Valmir and Edward. We've all seen your fleet as it is right beside us. How many other pirates do you know that might join our cause?"
Suddenly, Valmir stood up. "I know where this is going. There is no way they will all cooperate in your cause. You know that, right? You forget they're pirates. I'm only following you because I seek justice for my own family. Harper follows you because he trusts me. If you want the other fleets to follow you, you'll need something more than a promise of gold and a piece of land."
"Right, and what better way to convince them is a word from pirate to pirate?" Marlock said, "They won't follow me, but they might follow you. You will have your own armada."
Valmir shook his head and sighed. "I don't know, Marlock. I'll think about it."
Marlock nodded. "Good." and turned his look towards Areiya.
"And you, Areiya."
She was a little surprised by the mentioning of her name, darting her eyes around as everybody was watching her.
"Great Volarian tribes are known for their skill in combat and high numbers. They have been suffering from the Valquens as well, haven't they?"
Areiya looked down, twiddling with her fingers. "Yes."
"Then they will find a reason to join our cause and fight for their land, won't they?" Marlock asked.
Areiya sighed. "The tribes have been fighting for their land even before House Valquen won the Meriaku. My people have suffered longer than anyone else in this room ever did. They won't leave their homes because they are afraid there will be no home left to return to. At this point, it's each tribe for themselves."
"Then what if we could unite them all? Imagine the numbers, imagine the pure skill all these soldiers would have."
"Warriors." Areiya corrected Marlock with a piercing gaze.
"Warriors." Marlock corrected himself, "I heard one great tribe had ten-thousand warriors. All of them united, including the smaller ones...we would almost be unstoppable by land." Marlock said, his voice sounded determined as if he was discovering something great. A tinge of euphoria.
"Volarian tribes are stubborn and proud people. You wouldn't be able to convince them, especially not an outsider." Areiya said.
"Not from an outsider, no. But you aren't." Marlock replied. Areiya peered at Kiera, who was looking at her with an emotionless expression. Areiya saw this question coming, but despite that, it still caught her off-guard. That is a lot of responsibility.
"I-I'm not sure, I..I mean. My people are not fond of outsiders. If they see I'm following someone else, I...they'll despise me too. Might kill all of you as far as I know. We already lost a third of our population to the Valquens. I was a part of that third until you saved me." Areiya said.
"We will not go with you. What if we get you safely to the rest of your tribe? You can tell them you escaped, then slowly convince them to support us. Support the Flames of Dawn." Marlock asked.
"Small chance that would work. But what then? The Melachir tribes have a lot of enemies. There is no way we will get them all working with each other. We've raided each other's villages and murdered families." Areiya said.
"Areiya. I am offering you a way back to your people. I already know you don't like being here. You won't like staying in the Ferronian islands. So why not take that offer, and see if you could do something there? If it doesn't work, we'll find other allies. But at least you'll be back with your own people." Marlock said. His voice was very calm and heartening, and everyone could tell he was speaking very sincerely.
Areiya paused for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. I will try, but I can't promise anything."
"Good," Marlock said, but Areiya wasn't finished.
"But if I'm going, I'd like to offer Kiera to come with me as well." she continued, looking at Kiera. Kiera looked at Areiya with wide eyes. She didn't expect this at all.
"What?" Kiera asked.
"I'm sorry for leaving you back in Jiron. If I didn't go, we both would've been dead. But come with me, and I'll show you that I'll protect you from now on. My people can help you save your family. I can convince them to."
At first, Kiera wasn't bought. But when Areiya mentioned her family, she immediately became a lot more interested.
"How do you even know that?" Kiera asked skeptically.
"I know...because they will listen to the daughter of a Dakehl. A king, in your tongue."
This left Kiera with wide eyes once again, and not only her, but the rest of the table as well.
"You're a princess?" Kiera asked with pure amazement, leaning more towards the table.
"I guess you can call it that, yes. Both my parents are still in enslavement though. Knowing them, they would rather let themselves get killed than to be puppets to the slavers. I considered them dead from the moment they took me into that slaver ship."
Marlock finally sat down his chair. "Why didn't you tell us?"
"Why would I? It only makes everyone behave differently toward me. I don't want that." Areiya answered. She then switched her gaze back to Kiera.
"What do you say? Life in the tribes isn't as bad as you think. We will teach you how to fend for yourself, then save your family. You can still decide where to go after that."
There was a long pause. Everyone was looking at Kiera. Her face flushed red, noticing all those eyes on her. But then, she took a deep breath.
"Alright. I'll go with you."
Hearing those words, cast a smile upon Areiya's face, and she let out an unnoticeable sigh of relief. Then, the Angel of Death raised his voice.
"If the tribes won't work, I may have an alternative."
This raised Marlock and everyone else's attention to him.
"I have a sister. Saenna. She's a pure-blood Valquen as well, just like me. But just like me, she abandoned her family as well. The last time I heard of her was ten years ago. She told me she was going to the Forbidden Land, and start her own colony there."
"The Forbidden Land?" Marlock asked, "I thought that place was cursed. That's why it got its name."
"Well, you can't exactly tell a Valquen what to do, as shown by my mad uncle. Ten years later, I mean...who knows how far she's become."