Lunetta, Trinsi and Seis stand before two gentleman. One of them is the Head General, Oliven, and the second is the High Chancellor himself, Tomas the Eldest. While they appear in good spirits, their first words to the three visitors are not the ones they were hoping to hear.
“We plan on surrendering to the Storms upon their arrival.”
The heir apparent is visibly stunned. Shaking her surprise off, she inquires, “May I ask why?”
High Chancellor Tomas sighs, it is the first sign of distress on his part. “We believe these are the best odds for our people. Our city was established during the residence of the Storms in the realm. They were awful to negotiate with, but for the most part we were too out of the way for them to bother us. Besides-” he hesitates, “they want nothing from us… they want your throne.”
Trinsi’s jaw drops, her instinct as always is to be angry, but the man continues.
“Daf Lunetta, if we had the resources, we would help you. Our economy revolves around catching fish, we have very little to offer in terms of fighters. You must understand, that I do this only to protect my people, and not to spite you.” There is kindness in his eyes, that is the only reason Trinsi can forgive him. “That being said, you and your soldiers are welcome to stay here as long as you need. You’ve travelled far, and suffered much, please recover before setting off again.”
Lunetta is defeated, she says nothing but nods. The men bow and exit vicinity. Seis who has said nothing up to this point, speaks up.
“We don’t have the option of surrendering. Without the support of the people here however, you should consider another path.”
“At this point, I’m willing to try anything.” Lunetta says weakly.
“Leave them the land.”
Trinsi and Lunetta stare at the Ester.
“Refocus your energy into relocating your people. Rebuilding the kingdom from the bottom up elsewhere. Then maybe in the future think about reclaiming the land.” She hugs her arms dejectedly, “It won’t be easy, and you won’t be able to convince everyone, but it's better than this.’ She motions at their surroundings. Not that the room that they stand in is particularly dispiriting, but she means their general situation.
The future Queen doesn’t like the idea of their hard work being wasted. She thinks of the losses they’ve already endured, it breaks her soul to think that they might have been for nothing.
Trinsi however, finds Seis’s words surprisingly reasonable. “We could look into having some of our connections grant refuge for some of our Syars. Not all of them, just the ones we don’t believe can handle the journey.”
“Where would we go?” Lunetta finally asks with a soft voice.
“The Syars took over the realm two centuries ago, but where did they come from?” Seis wonders outloud.
Lunetta furrows her brow, “We came from the Syardom Isles, we did not know this realm existed prior to the Storms attempt to invade us. The land was already beginning to turn bad, so we took the opportunity to take theirs. Those islands have been uninhabitable for centuries, even if the soil is fertile again, I don’t believe we can salvage it.”
“What about you?” Trinsi inquires. “Where did the Esters come from? They had to have come from somewhere before no?”
Seis nods, ‘That we did, and it may be an option. It’s habitable, I know because the guardian who took care of me while I was sleep continues to reside there. There are a few volunteers that live there performing temple maintenance, our numbers were not large, but there’s plenty of fertile land and space. Better than starting from scratch.”
“Why do I sense a ‘but’ coming up?” Lunetta asks.
“You’re not going to like the location.”
“Location is the least of my worries right now.”
Seis is skeptical. Lunetta might be more hesitant when she hears what she has to say next, “You have to remember that Syars had a tie with the Terra Aeternum- the Eternal Mother Earth. She will never hurt us.”
---
“It’s in a volcano?” Olan’s eyes all but fall out of their sockets.
“Not in a volcano, rather surrounded by a valley of volcanoes.” Seis explains to the twelfth person today.
“And they’re active?”
Trinsi, who’s been around to hear the explanation twelve times, answers this one, “Yes, but they are only a threat to any potential invaders.”
“Invaders? As in strange foreigners coming in to take and live in the land that once belonged to the sacred Esters?” Olan’s tone is sarcastic, but he does want an answer.
“It’s different, like the volunteers of the temple, you are welcome. Together we mean to continue where the Esters left off.” Seis looks at Cheron, who’s been stunned into a rare silence. “You don’t have to come with us, you may return to Southern Falls if you wish.”
“No, this is something I want to be a part of,” he grins, the color returning to his face.
Seis smiles, for once not giving him sass, “Good.”
An urgent knock on the door interrupts them. A guard stands anxiously in the doorframe.
“Dux Bellorum, Duka Trinsi, General Usel is awake.”
---
Lunetta beats Trinsi and Seis to General Usel’s side. They are in mid conversation when the two arrive. The heir stands, when she notices the two come in. Glowing, she takes Trinsi by the hand and pulls her closer to the general.
“Do you remember who this is?” she asks Usel, presenting the knight to him.
“Duka Trinsi, of course. You look horrible, I’m assuming things aren’t looking good out there?”
Trinsi smiles, but proceeds guardedly. Even if the man appeared to be all there at the moment, she can’t be too sure. “We can talk about that later, how are you feeling?”
“As if I was run over by a caravan, but the healers here said that the fact that I’m talking is a miracle, so I ought not complain.” He turns to Seis who still stands at the door, “Dux Bellorum, thank you. The healers told me that you made the salve for my arm, it’s the only thing that doesn’t hurt so it’s working.”
Seis nods, “It was a nasty cut, it’s going to leave a scar, but at least the infection is gone.”
“What’s one more scar?” he smiles, “What did the-” Usel stops in confusion, searching for the word, “the man? Political entity? The person in charge of Cloakwood.”
The woman healer in the room speaks up, “He appears to have a hard time recalling specific words, but this might wear off in a couple of weeks.”
Lunetta thanks the woman for the explanation, and helps Usel out, “The High Chancellor.”
“Right, what are his plans for this town?”
Lunetta glances at Trinsi, “We can discuss this when you’re better rested.”
“I’ve been resting long enough, and from the look on your face I can tell that time is not on our side. We need to move quickly. So tell me, what is the plan?”
With a reluctant sigh, Lunetta takes a seat at the foot of his bed. Trinsi and Seis walk up behind her. “They plan to surrender. They believe their chances of survival are greater if they surrender.”
Usel had not expected the answer, but he nods, “I imagine that you have looked into a new course of action then?”
“We’re going to evacuate the Syardom. I don’t see another way. I’m sorry Usel.”
“No, this is the right idea. We knew from the beginning that we were running towards our end. This alternative has always been sitting at the back of my- my…”
“Mind.”
“Yes my mind,” the general says, thankful for the help. “So how are we going to evacuate 40 thousand people out of the Syardom?”
“We likely won’t be able to convince everyone, it’s a lot to ask folks to leave their entire lives behind, especially when walking towards uncertainty. It’s going to be catastrophic, but we are learning together.” Lunetta looks at Trinsi and Seis, smiling at them for the first time in a long time. It’s a meek, uncertain smile, but a hopeful one.
“Where do we go? I doubt we can just settle down on a random piece of land without other cities feeling threatened by our presence.”
“Right,” she turns to Seis, “do you want to explain that part?”
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