The leaders of the United Forces had arrived at Bastominad, and the city was more bustling than ever as most of the forces converged once more in the city. With the remaining Tigris and Eaglekind command now present for the meeting Tamiron had called, they were finally complete and ready to discuss the events of the past few days.
Tamiron was in the midst of his preparations in his room within the castle, surrounded by books, vast scrolls of orders, and status updates. Despite his stature, the room was sparsely decorated, with only a hint of royalty. Suddenly, a horn sounded from outside, signaling the arrival of more troops within the city. He cracked the window and smiled, grateful that his twin sister, Queen Empress Tamara, had come through with the request of more troops.
With the additional troops from the High Eagles, they might finally be able to achieve their goal this year. His servants helped him don his armor, which, though polished, bore the scars of battles past. As he looked at his iron hands, he felt a pang of loss for the gauntlet that had once been there, now resting on the armor stand.
It had been five years since the incident.
He gazed at the heirloom weapon, a legacy from his father, the Late Imperial King Madarick Lluch. He bit his lip upon the incident of the past. Remorse washed over him, a familiar sensation that had haunted him for years. The faces of those who he had ended still lingered.
Turning to face the gauntlets, he was reminded of the atrocities of his past. The screams of those who had fallen against him echoed in his mind, a constant reminder of the lives he had taken. He glanced towards another heirloom weapon, one he had been using for the past five years.
His name was already cleared, with the help of Tamara, Everess, and the Imperial Court. But despite all of this, all the reassurances that he was not at fault, he couldn’t shake the feeling of responsibility. His promise to use the weapon to protect the Empire had been shattered, and he had refused to wield it ever since.
Walking past the gauntlets, he approached a long mace, standing proudly in its own stand. Its dark steel and iron were highlighted by the bluish glow emitted from the embedded gem fragments. Three large blades adorned its head, resembling a crown, and it bore the old insignia of the Trasidar Empire.
He reached out and grabbed the mace from its long handle, immediately attaching it behind him. This would be his weapon of redemption, a symbol of his penance, for the rest of his life, for he knew that five years of atonement had not been enough.
As he made his way through the stone halls of the castle towards the main meeting room, he was greeted by the empire’s regalia and the sudden commotion that stirred outside. Stepping onto the nearest balcony, he surveyed the scene below.
Aderon, Kaira, and the newest arrival of the High Eagle Contingent were present, but he couldn’t hear their conversation. The look of disgust and irritation on Aderon’s face told him that something had gone wrong. As Aderon walked away, he shared a glance with him, a silent acknowledgment of the situation.
Taking a deep breath, he looked at the new arrival, who saluted him. His fingers tapped rhythmically over the railings as he tried to piece together what had transpired. But as he made his way back towards the meeting room, all he could think of was that it was not good news.
As the guards swung open the double doors to the meeting room, His gaze fell upon the others already waiting. Sevidon and Glaivel occupied opposite sides of the round table, with Ravaen standing across from him. An owl, with its handler positioned to the left of Sevidon, and arriving just then, were Aderon and Kaira.
The doors closed slowly, leaving only them, the owl handler, and a few servants. Aderon sat to Glaivel’s right while Kaira took a seat right next to Aderon.
Seeing as everyone was settled, he cleared his throat as he removed his helmet.
“What was all the commotion about, Aderon?” he inquired, as he hoped to break the silence that seemed to envelop them.
Aderon took a deep breath as he removed his helmet and placed it gently on the table. “It’s nothing. Let’s just get on with this.”
“We’re still not complete,” Ravaen interjected, still refusing to sit down. “Where’s the witch and Graveloth?”
He sighed inwardly. It was clear that Ravaen had not yet come to terms with Everess’ new position as his commanding officer. He glanced at Sevidon, who seemed to be watching him for some reason.
The handler stepped aside, and the orderian owl projected an image of Graveloth.
“I apologize for my tardiness, everyone,” Graveloth greeted them as his image was projected onto a chair, as though he were there in person.
“You’re just in time, my friend,” he greeted him. “Your new position suits you.”
Graveloth chuckled. “I don’t like it, to be honest. But hey, it’s for everyone’s benefit. So I’ll do my best.” as he scratched his trimmed and tied up beard, then fixed his supposed ponytail. It was clear he was still getting used to his new look as his new position demands.
“We’ll talk about that in a minute, Graveloth,” Ravaen interjected, leaning over the table.
He felt a surge of irritation. It was too early in the morning for him to deal with Ravaen’s confrontational attitude. This was not how he wanted to start the morning and the meeting.
“I’m not liking your tone, King Ravaen. I suggest you sit down,” he said, his voice deep and serious. The tension in the room was palpable, and everyone seemed to understand the message.
Ravaen only smiled mockingly as he pulled the chair and sat down, making as much noise as he could.
“What’s going on with you two?” Kaira asked, sensing the tension.
“When are you going to tell them that you made Everess their commanding officer, Crown Regent?” Ravaen suddenly blurted out.
The room fell silent, and everyone was taken aback. He slammed his hands on the table. “Do you really want to make this an issue that badly?”
“It is an issue the moment you decided it on your own! Again!” Ravaen shouted back.
“Alright, that’s enough!” Sevidon stood up, trying to defuse the situation. “Now both of you, calm down before anyone else says something they’ll regret!”
“Are you really okay with this?!” Ravaen shouted back at Sevidon.
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“That’s why we are here, Ravaen! Now sit down and cool off your rustled feathers in your head or I’ll have your closest lieutenant replace you here!” he threatened him.
Ravaen, clearly angry, threw his chair against the wall and paced at the back of the room as he grabbed and drank some matrik. Clearly it was to cool himself off, he hoped that it works, because he was close to throwing him out himself.
“You’ve been giving her too much leeway since this campaign began! All our plans have been scrapped or changed heavily because of her antics!” Ravaen’s voice reverberated through the room, his frustration palpable.
“It’s precisely because of her that we managed to secure Huertian and reclaim our lost borders! We owe her that much! She’s a valuable asset to our united forces, and we might as well make use of that!” Tamiron countered, his voice carrying the weight of authority.
“So she’s just a weapon to you?!” Ravaen pointed out.
He gritted his teeth. “You know full well she’s not just that to me! You, of all people, should know that!”
“Bringing us into the fold where it is clear that the Empire can handle this all on her own! This is a mistake!” Ravaen’s accusation was sharp, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
“You know full well why!” Tamiron’s response was immediate, his voice tinged with a hint of exasperation.
“But to give Everess commanding status?! Really?!” Ravaen’s disbelief was evident, his voice rising in volume.
“Enough, both of you!” Kaira intervened, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife. Ravaen backed away once more. His hand trembled out of anger as he reached for a drink.
“Tamiron, what is he talking about?” Kaira’s voice was filled with disbelief, her eyes searching Tamiron’s face for answers.
He began to explain the reason behind Ravaen’s outburst. The reactions from the others were mixed. He already knew what Sevidon and Glaivel felt, but Aderon, Kaira, and Graveloth seemed unsure as well.
“Okay, so I understand where Ravaen is coming from,” Kaira said, then looked at Ravaen. “But to disrespect your commanding officer like that is not something a king should do. Right now, the Crown Regent is stretched too thin. He’s not just dealing with the Xerxecians but also with the fallout from the incident five years ago.”
“But to do it without informing us first? Without even consulting us is an insult to us as well. We agreed that we will make a decision together. This is unlike you, Tamiron,” Sevidon voiced his concern.
“Things change, Sevidon,” he pointed out. “Kaira is also right. I thank her for her insight. I am indeed spread too thin. I don’t want any delay in any final command to result in more losses than we can afford.”
“The latest attack on the outskirts of Bastominad is a good example of that,” Glaivel pointed out as he grabbed some matrik himself and patted Ravaen on the shoulder, who seemed to be calm now.
He nodded as he acknowledged what Glaivel said. “Had I given the order sooner, you wouldn’t have been caught by surprise like that,” he said as he looked at everyone. “So I gave the same equal authority to Everess, as she is another person who can act quickly like I can, or at least like how I used to.”
“Why not give up your position as the Grand Commander then?” Aderon suddenly pointed out.
“Aderon, now is not the time,” Kaira immediately cut him off then turned to Tamiron. “Self-pity is not helping, Tamiron. It’s been five years,” Kaira pointed out, her concern showed in her face.
“The Queen Empress already spread the news about what had happened. You have to move on from this,” Graveloth pointed out as well.
His comrades were right, he appreciated their concern. But he couldn’t deny the validity of Aderon’s suggestion. Stepping down would alleviate the burden not only on himself, but also on everyone else. As he contemplated, it became apparent that his command was faltering, and confidence in him was waning. Perhaps five years was all he had left to try to be a beacon of hope.
“And what? You’ll take command from me then?” a familiar voice echoed as the doors opened. Everess stepped in. “My apologies for being late. I was busy with something else and came back as fast as I could,” she said as she took a seat beside him.
They exchanged a glance, and she offered a gentle smile. “I see that everyone is anxious due to his sudden decision. Please know that I requested this personally because of the incident I had to deal with a week ago.”
“Oh yeah? Does that involve wiping out an entire town off the face of the map?” Ravaen questioned, still agitated as he paced.
“Yes,” her answer was clear, short, and concise, much to the displeasure and surprise of everyone. Ravaen’s agitation grew, and he slammed his hands on the table once more out of anger.
“There are lines we do not cross even with our enemies, Commander!” he mockingly shouted at her.
“Respect her authority or I’ll strip yours!” he warned him for the final time, but Everess simply held his hand and shook her head no. He cleared his throat, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over the room.
“I have no desire to take command from the Crown Regent. That much is true,” Everess explained. “The only reason I asked for this is because of that town. It lies between Termosad’s road towards the Xerxecian capital and a castle I need to deal with personally.”
“And what is the significance of this town to our cause?” Aderon immediately asked.
“All I can say for now is that it is related to why we have been called here in the first place by the Grand Commander, Aderon,” Everess answered.
Aderon shook his head and chuckled at her comment. Then he leaned forward. “Grand Sage Everess, I know that your newfound authority within your autonomous vassal kingdom has given you some sense of authority. Especially since the Gods and Animos blessed you, giving you a sense of authority. But we will not accept prophetic answers such as yours in regards to commanding the largest coalition forces the world has ever seen. We need to know the reason. Since you are a commander yourself now, you should always tell the truth to your commanding officers of your plan so we can act accordingly. Maybe we could’ve avoided the drama that is playing out right now if the present commander just trusted us.”
He was right. It was an attack on his person. It struck at his core values, something he had been lacking for five years. Aderon’s point was well within reason. It was wrong of him to make a unilateral decision. The sense of distrust pervading the room following his action weighed heavily on him.
Observing Aderon, he noted the calm demeanor and thoughtful approach he displayed. He was taking it quite well. He had taken into account the main reason he did it. It was not what he expected of him. He actually expected this of Ravaen, but so far, his anger was taking point.
“Very well,” Everess interjected, rising from her seat. With a wave of her hand, she summoned an aerial map of Termosad and Bastominad, showcasing Bastominad’s location, with Ogbar at its center—a critical point leading to the old Xerxecian capital, and a castle situated far to the south.
“We’ve been called here because of the current issue at hand. I believe Tamiron and the others have discussed this already, but this is in regards to some things that have not been seen in both continents in the recent past. Mencraft weapons,” Everess said. Everyone was surprised by what she had just said.
“So you’ve been briefed about this already?” Ravaen said calmly, but his voice still had a hint of resentment.
“Of course, I am a commander, after all,” Everess answered with a wry smile, much to Ravaen’s annoyance. “Thanks to the efforts and command expertise of Prince Glaivel and General Sevidon, we now have concrete intel that Xerxecia now possesses these mencraft weapons. My past suspicions have been found true.”
“Wait, past suspicions? So you knew this whole time?” Ravaen questioned her.
“Yes. I wanted to confirm this information first before I could reveal it. The ramifications of confirming they are indeed what they are, are too great,” Everess said, her tone reflecting the weight of the situation. Her disappointment was palpable, stemming from the events that had led them to this point.
Ravaen shook his head in contempt, mirroring the disappointment shared by the others.
“That is such a shallow justification, Everess,” Aderon pointed out, his voice tinged with frustration. “You two need to change. Either leave the leadership to someone with a clearer head or goal, or get your thoughts in order.”
Once again, Aderon’s words struck a chord. It was becoming increasingly evident that he couldn’t sustain his current course of action. Discord had been inadvertently sown among them, and the situation was rapidly deteriorating. Too many mistakes had been made, and he was now exacerbating the problems they faced.
A realization dawned on him, a solution that could benefit everyone involved. He surveyed the room, noting the expectant looks directed his way. Taking a deep breath, he leaned forward and stood up.
“Then the first order of business: I shall resign as the Grand Commander of the United Forces. Effective immediately,” he declared, surprising everyone present.
Their expressions betrayed their shock; it was clear that this was the last thing they expected. However, given the current circumstances, it was the best course of action. All he needed to do now was convince them of its necessity.
End of Chapter VII