The nation under Godt's control is Alverna, the ruling Godt family lives in the capital city Vernice with a population of 300,000 people. Currently, the entire population is around the eight city streets.
The largest crowd is at the city's centermost point surrounding an opulent white marble monument. Now, an old almost decrepit man was standing with a large wooden staff holding him up.
The people of Alverna wore ragged clothes of commonfolk, some of the poorer citizens wore torn cloth as the wrinkly old man wore an untouched all-white robe that they stared with reverance.
Standing behind the old man about two paces were two towering young men. Standing above the citizens of Alverna they looked like giants among men. They dawned a long sword on their back, with one of the guards wearing an all-white armor matching the old man’s robe, while the other contrasted his counterpart in all-black armor.
Unlike the old men, the people looked at the two towering figures with more fear than respect or reverence.
The two suddenly moved another step back as the sound of wood suddenly tapped the stone floor.
When the people of Alverna looked at the noise, shock ran through the crowd as the old decrepit man was now a towering General. His voice reverberated through the crowd, each citizen growing with the old man’s commanding voice.
“People of Alverna, I know you are here to see your prince's chosen artifact and not this old Chancellor speak. Yet, I will ask you to hear my words nonetheless.”
Murmurs rushed through the crowd, agitation from the younger generation, while the older shivered at the thought of what came next.
“As you all know the warriors of our Azi foundation have been fighting the desolate lands and the vile creatures of the dark race”
Cheers went through the crowd which were cut off by the looks of those who have lived and heard those words before.
“Thousands are sacrificed for your safety, so you can worship our gods. We only ask you for piety to whichever one of the gods you worship. Yet, the desolate lands have grown, encroaching on fertile soil, soil that our gods created”
The old man’s visage seemed to almost gleam gold as his voice rose louder, more commanding with each sentence he spoke.
“Have you all lost faith in our cause? Do you wish to be taken by pleasure or riches that are not your own? I smell your fear, I feel the lust in each city hanging over us like a cloud.”
The old man stopped talking as he seemed to look at each guilty face in the crowd.
“Your worship powers us rune-keepers,” he said pointing at the two towering guards.
“We each serve in our battles, yours of the mind and body while ours of the spirit and flesh. We are an organism that works as one, you must remember this people of Alverna if not for your soul than for you prince!”
Alexander took a carriage along with Cyrus down the north passage. The city of Alverna is situated like a compass, having four main roads going north, east, south, and west. On these four passages our many shops, apothecaries, and hospitals.
Many of the citizens were still roaming towards the center of the city, as Alexander watched them coalesce on both diagonal roads to his left and right. The majority of the residential homes are located on diagonal roads going northeast and north-south.
The city was situated this way mainly for the purpose he was using it now, the main four roads that go north, south, west, and east are only traveled by wagon for the higher class.
Cyrus watched his lord looking at the people of his cities and noticed the grinding of his jaws and the tightening of his fist. He was looking straight ahead now, Cyrus following his view noticed he was watching the crowd forming at the hall.
“ would you like me to see if we can get you in from the back” he asked his lord.
Alexander shook his head, as he unclenched his fist.
“ I do not mind the people Cyrus”
Cyrus didn’t seem to think so as he began to stand to ask the horse whisperer to find another way. Suddenly, he felt a firm grip on his shoulder forcing him to sit back down. He looked back towards his lord, who wasn’t staring back as he looked down ashamed.
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“ The clouds are growing dark” Alexander observed as they finally reached the large crowd.
Titus’s Hall is a large marble monument, in the front there are multiple pillars at the top of the ten-step staircase. As Alexander and Cyrus walked through the crowd each person young and old stepped aside. Some of the younger children were held back as they yelled out towards their prince.
“Titus will choose me”
“Allow me to be chosen, my lord”
As Alexander walked through the path his people made with his head down he listened to the crowd murmurs and yell.
He reached the first step of the marble monument, finally looking up to see the two towering figures, but not the old man.
“Is the cardinal inside with my father?” he asked.
Both guards looked at each other before finally looking down at Alexander and nodding.
“I wish that old man did not make you knights mute, living so long has made him paranoid”
Neither of the nights reacted to his remarks as they let him pass. Cyrus followed a couple of steps behind but suddenly two longswords blocked his path.
Pointing at the rune on his eye, “Do you not see my rune” he asked perplexed.
“Does the cardinal want to see me alone?” asked Alexander as he stopped at the sound of the weapons being drawn
Both knights nodded again.
Alexander looked at his guard, “this is why they shouldn’t be mute they could have just told you themselves” he said shaking his head as he walked into the hall leaning Cyrus behind.
Inside Titus’s Hall, the entire monument is one room lad of silver and glass. As he walked deeper into the room, he saw his father and the cardinal standing in an open room. Behind them was a trove of gold and silver weapons, different gemstones, and jewelry, and even a couple of wooden staffs.
If you looked closely at each of the items you would see runes engraved in each treasure, some of the items had the same runes engraved in them.
“Don’t get too caught up in them boy, only one will choose you” a familiar voice said to Alexander.
The cardinal eyed Alexander like he could see every minute detail, every expression or breath. In the hall without eyes, the cardinal was remarkably different, like the air around him warped into shadows that could latch into one’s heart.
“It’s a shame, I would like to have them all”
The cardinal stared at Alexander before a raspy laughter burst from his mouth echoing throughout the hall. As he finished, he began leaning on his staff as he looked at the family head
“it seems you have raised quite a fearless son, or maybe I should say fearsome,” he said raising an eyebrow at Alexander.
Alexander watched this interaction with a stoic impression, he looked at the cardinal closely noticing his eyes did not show the excitement that his laughter outwardly expressed.
“His mouth is just sharp; he reads too many books about the battlefield instead of training for one,” his father said giving his son just a tiny look over.
“Oh,” said the cardinal with a grin that looked more like a snarl “ it’s not every day that you find a noble good with words more than with swords”
Alexander watched as his father’s jaw tightened, “He got it from his mother, she read him one too many stories when he was young.”
“you’d be surprised how many stories have saved someone's life,” the cardinal said looking at the Godt family head like a father scolding an unruly child.
“Maybe a thousand years ago, when stories were still being written” the family head grinned looking at the cardinal who had a sour face.
Alexander coughed loudly and unnaturally to gain back both of their attentions.
Smiling the cardinal spoke loudly through the room, “Ah, look at us being accosted by a young boy” he said grinning, “I’m guessing you want to get your artifact all you young ones think you gonna become some deity with your artifact” the cardinal laughed raspy finding himself funny.
Once he was finished he looked around finding his two companions in the room with a stoic expression.
“Great,” he said looking at the family head, “it seems you passed on your serious attitude to your son, at least your daughter has a sense of humor, crazy as she is”
The family head moved his robes showing his sword, “ Put that away boy, I’m the one who taught you how to use it” he said as he turned away from Spooky ever so slowly with his cane in hand toward Alexander.
As he watched the old man get closer he noticed how towering the old man still was, the crispness of each step he took, not aided by the staff in his hand.
As he was a couple of feet away he felt his heart pounding at the old man who was almost golden, his auburn hair sat on his head like a crown. As the cardinal finally was one step away the golden light that surrounded him was gone.
“Relax boy,” he said like he could hear the pounding of his heart.
As Alexander looked up, he was met with the cardinal's golden eyes, as he looked down he noticed the rune etched onto the top of his staff.
“my rune has many meanings, for me it is longevity,” the cardinal said as he followed Alexander’s eyes to the top of his staff.
Seeing Alexander wanting to ask what he meant the cardinal raised his hand to stop him.
“ You will learn at the Templar school, now I know your father must have told you what will happen but the senate would be angry at me if I didn’t”
Alexander nodded at this.
“Good, you will feel a pull from one of the artifacts, you should start with the older ones first.”
The cardinal searched Alexander's face but said nothing. Still keeping his words to himself the cardinal grabbed Alexander's hand and put it again his rune on top of his staff.
Alexander felt a cold burn on the palm of his hand, quickly pulling it back. He shot his face up to look at the cardinal but found that the cardinal was standing sideways to him.
“Go along now,” he said.
Alexander looked at him, then his palm seeming surprised to not see anything on his palm.
“ Go now boy” the cardinal commanded this time as he loudly slammed his staff.
Alexander gradually walked down the aisle in the room towards the pile of treasured artifacts. He felt that the room grew larger, yet dimmer like only the artifacts were alight in the room.
He slowly made his way toward the artifacts, already feeling the pain he knew would come.