Chronicles Of Zefaria: The Plight Of The Free Peoples (3)
There was a lot of here here's and some banging on the wooden surface of the table. Finally King Richard Bravada spoke. "Very well then, what shall be our position at this council? Shall we call for an alliance?" There was some clapping of hands but not much. "Or shall we call for a peaceful solution to the problem?" A good two-thirds of the councilman erupted in applause. Councilman Higgins was visibly disgusted. "Very well then. My son, Le'on, will head toward Chisolom with the position of peace. The meeting is concluded." The Councilman all stood and spoke toward one another. Councilman Higgins made his way toward Le'on and King Richard Bravada. "This was a grave mistake," said he to them. "An allied Zefaria would have gone a long way in showing Lord Osmadaan that we were serious about these skirmishes." "There haven't been too many skirmishes between the Bravada Empire and Osmadaania," said King Richard Bravada. "I think a peaceful solution can be had of this crisis." "There may not have been too many skirmishes with us, but Galtigor has seen a whole host of skirmishes," said Le'on. "If Galtigor falls then we're next on the map. Perhaps we should rethink our position father?" "No, no. The council has made its decision. Now you should really be on your way." "--Yes father," said Le'on, and he left. "I do hope that we're doing the right thing," said King Richard, "for the sake of all free peoples everywhere." The Yorkian Twins Seth Von York, the king of the Yorkian Kingdom, sat in his throne room. Not too long ago he had summoned his military advisers along with his son--Seth Von York the second--and his daughter, Edith Von York, to participate in an early morning council. His military advisers, along with Seth and Edith, approached the king. Edith carried with her a wooden staff whilst Seth had a sword placed in its sheath. Edith's beloved, a knight by the name of Janus Wraynard, was also present. "You summoned for us, sire?" said a nameless military advisor. "Yes, I want to discuss what our stand shall be at the Great Council. I have been musing over it myself a good deal, but I'd like to hear it from any of you. Are there any suggestions?" "I've heard a plethora of rumours concerning an alliance," said a military advisor. "Perhaps that should be our position." "An alliance would catapult us directly into war," said Janus Wraynard. "And we should approach that issue with extreme caution." "It seems to me--," said Seth Von York the second, "It seems to me that the threat Osmadaania poses is real, and that--in the interest of all free Zefarian peoples everywhere--an alliance is the way to go." "I agree with my brother," said Edith. "If we don't take a stand against Osmadaania now then he'll gobble up the free lands one by one until he finally reaches the Yorkian Kingdom. And then who will we turn to for help when all of our allies are under the sway of Osmadaania?" "Now just hold on a minute," said a military advisor. "Lord Osamdaan hasn't encroached a good deal on our people, so why should we act so rashly against him?" "Yes, it is true that he hasn't encroached on our lands none too much," said Seth Jr. "But that is only because we are not near as say Galtigor. Now in Galtigor he has encroached a good deal and if we were in Galtigor's position on the globe would we not be in the same situation as they are in now?" "That may be true," said Janus Wraynard, "but we are not in Galtiogr's position. It would be folly for us to support the idea of an alliance when the Yorkian Kingdom hasn't suffered too much by the hand of Lord Osmadaan." "I'm sorry my beloved," said Edith, "but you are just simply wrong. It would not be foolish to support an alliance, it would show our allies that we stand united with them against the swarm from Osmadaania. And as I said, if we do not support the idea of an alliance, then later on there won't be any chance for one, when Osmadaania takes control of the surrounding lands." "This is a serious issue, these skirmishes," said a military advisor. "But I don't think the answer to the problem lies in something so extraordinary as an alliance of the free peoples of Zefaria, especially when we've not yet exercised other options." "What other options are there?" said Seth the second. "Are we to just sit back and watch as our list of allies grows thin day by day, month by month, and year by year? If you'll recall, Makerva used to be our ally, as did Aundar, until Lord Osmadaan came on the scene. Now Galtigor is in need of our help and are we to just turn our backs on a long-standing ally?" "There are other ways," said Janus Wraynard, "other paths that we might take. Why not propose to the council that we engage in dialogue with Lord Osmadaan and Osmadaania? I'm sure we could come to some great and reasonable conclusion discussing the matter. We'll let each side air its grievances and we could even have an arbitrator present." "That sounds like a capital idea," said a military advisor. "Perhaps the Yorkian Kingdom could serve as a host for such an idea, as well as arbitrator." "If we go that route we'll be negotiating with a tyrant," said Seth the second. "And what would be his demands? Portions of Galtigor to ease his domineering character? What about Fignufen? They've experienced problems with the province of Wragafnifur. Osmadaan would more than likely want to take a chunk of their land. No, my friend, negotiating with a tyrant like Osmadaan is not the way to go." "War is not the answer," said a military advisor. "We must think this thing through to its conclusion. If we go to war than thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands will die. Villages will be torched, lands will become barren. What about the victims of such a war? No one has brought up them. How many deaths will the Elves suffer? What about Men? And the Dwarves? War is costly on so many fronts. Are we truly prepared to face the consequences of an untamed, unbridled war? Zefaria as yet hasn't seen war on such a scale. Is now the time to embark on such a dark endeavor?" "Sometimes--" said Edith, "Sometimes war is the answer. And I believe that this is one of those times. I believe that the time is ripe for Zefaria to experience her first real war." "I wholly concur," said Seth the second. "We are in a precarious position, and the only way out of it is through battle. Otherwise, we may end up being a lone power pitted against an even greater power from the east. Do we really want to take the risk of the Yorkian Kingdom standing alone against the darkness that is Osmadaania? I don't think we can afford that kind of a risk." "Very well then," said the king. "I've heard enough. But I must confess that my mind was partially made up before I'd even heard anything from either of you. We shall propose this alliance." Janus was visibly downtrodden. "It would be in the interest of the Yorkian Kingdom to see Galtigor remain as a viable world power. Seth, Edith?" The duo stood steadfast, waiting for their father's reply. "You are to leave immediately for Chisolom as representatives of the Yorkian Kingdom. That is all. You all may be excused." A good deal of the military advisors left. Seth, Edith, and Janus remained. "This alliance, sire, it is the wrong way to go," said Janus. "I feel it in my heart. We could've chosen a more suitable path." "There will be others with different proposals at the Council," said the king. "It is still a possibility that the alliance won't come into fruition." "If they are smart they will propose the same thing," said Seth the second. "Do not worry too much about our position, Janus. You may not can see it now, but this was the right decision to make." "I hope so," said Janus. And with that the trio made their way out of the throne room. From Desendale to Bravada "Well, this morning went pretty good, wouldn't you say?" said Nefandus to Tonomoli and Prailee. "The breakfast was scrumptious, and the conversation was satisfactory." "The morning was indeed both scrumptious and satisfactory," said Prailee. "Though I could very well have gone for a bit more in the conversation department. I like hearing the latest news and the views of different peoples." "I meant to compliment the chefs on their skills," said Tonomoli. "That breakfast was one of the best I've had in quite some time. I guess it just slipped my mind." "Here's an idea," said Prailee. "Why don't we invite that Wranfellow and Goldenbrow to join us for the rest of the trip? Bravada isn't too far away, they could journey with us at least up until then. I could do with some more stimulating conversation." "I'm sure that Marty and James have more important things to do than trek with us," said Nefandus. "Besides, if you wanted stimulating conversation, why don't you just talk to me?" Prailee held his tongue. He had thought up a rather clever retort but decided against using it. The trio had made their way to the gates of Desendale. They had their backpacks strapped up and they were all set to head out once more. Again there was the customary staring by most Orcas but Tonomoli and particularly Prailee had pretty much learned to ignore it. There was even some pointing by little children. Despite the staring, Tonomoli felt a little downhearted that they were leaving the Orcas-centered community. This was his first time ever seeing the Orcas people, so he was naturally intrigued by them. But what really got him down was the homely nature of Desendale and how great the conversationalist Wranfellow and Goldenbrow were. How long it would be before he could converse like that again he didn't know. Suddenly he became curious as to an aspect of the upcoming Council. What was the position of Nefandus on the matter at hand? "Nefandus," said Tonomoli, "I was wondering--what will you be presenting at the Great Council? Do you think that an allied Zefaria is better than a non-allied one? Or do you have some other proposition?" "Admittedly," said Nefandus, "admittedly I did at first think that we could solve this problem peacefully and that was going to be my platform. But now, after recently hearing of how Goldenbrow's business has been interrupted by Orcian raids, I must say that I am leaning ever so closely to the proposition of an alliance. That, I think, will be what the majority of the Zefarian peoples will be asking for as well. And it just makes me wonder what else is going on in the other countries. If they attack transports leaving Desendale, what are they doing in Fignufen, or Harwrintholien?" "Galtigor is the land that's really been hard hit," said Prailee. "Since it borders Aundar and Makerva and Thangoon are relatively close to it as well, I guess Lord Osmadaan sees it as the first of his new acquisitions. But he's highly mistaken. My home country won't fall. Fort Evner is there to stay." "I don't know," said Nefandus. "How long would Fort Evner be able to hold from a surprise attack from all three provinces of Osmadaania? No, I must correct myself, how long would Galtigor itself be able to stand from an onslaught from those three Osmadaanian provinces? I'd wager not long." "We Dwarves are made of tougher stuff than you know, Nefandus. It will take all of Osmadaania to bring down The Dwarvian Stronghold of Galtigor." "What if that's exactly what Osmadaania has planned?" asked Tonomoli. "If he poured all his resources into capturing Galtigor, surely he'd succeed. That's why I think it is so important that this idea of an alliance moves from peoples mouths and becomes a reality. It is the only way that Galtigor, or dare I say it, all of Zefaria will survive." "Well spoken, young Tonomoli," said Nefandus. "I couldn't have put it any better." "I must concede the argument then," said Prailee with a sigh. "I know that it would be hardpressed for the Galtigorian people to fend off an attack from all of the provinces of Osmadaania. But we may not have to go it alone. If this alliance thing materializes then it'd be Osmadaania against the free peoples of Zefaria, and those are much better odds." By now the trio had made good headway from Desendale and toward Bravada. In terms of encountering strangers, there was none to be seen. Not even Orcs were present on the road, which is good for them because if they were they'd be met with staunch resistance. The trio had now come to the Van Thespian River and Prailee had brought up the idea of catching some feelo fish. "It'd be a good idea to catch a few feelo fish here," he said. "We're not going to get this chance again, as the Van Thespian moves from here to the south and then rounds near the border of Shondaloh. We'd better make good on this opportunity." "I don't have a fishing rod," said Nefandus. "That's alright," said Prailee. "You can gather fire wood." Nefandus went to gather fire wood while Tonomoli and Prailee fished for feelo fish. Tonomoli had caught two of them while Prailee had caught one. "There's no reason to catch too many of them," said Prailee. "The others would most likely spoil during the rest of our journey. Let's just eat these." Nefandus came back with the fire wood and immediately started a fire. Prailee pulled out a skillet and held it over the fire, cooking the feelo fish. After a time, he discerned that it was ready and the trio helped themselves to a piece of fish each. They also had some loaves of bread "Mmm," said Tonomoli, "I simply adore feelo fish." He was talking with a mouthful. "It is quite tasty," said Nefandus. "As far as I'm aware of my people don't cook this often. It's certainly the first time I've ever had any of it. But I certainly wouldn't mind having some more." "You Orcas don't know what you've been missing if you've been neglecting feelo fish," said Prailee. "And with the Van Thespian running through your land, you'd think they'd be hip to it." "Well, here's one Orcas that won't be neglecting it any longer," said Nefandus. It was nightfall and darkness had surrounded them. Tonomoli and Prailee pulled out blankets and slept on them while Nefandus looked a little lost. He didn't have a blanket. "I have an extra blanket if you'd like one," said Tonomoli. "Thank you," said Nefandus. "I'd like that very much. Tonomoli searched throughout his backpack and pulled out a nice wool blanket and gave it to Nefandus. The trio slept peacefully. There was nary a noise to be heard in the still of the night, and so they weren't disturbed in the least bit. The morning came and Tonomoli was the first to awaken. He allowed Prailee and Nefandus to awake on their own. Prailee woke first and then Nefandus. Prailee rattled on about breakfast but Nefandus brought up the notion that they should skip it. "We should really be on our way," said Nefandus. "If we neglect breakfast now we could arrive in Bravada by noon." "Oh all right," said Prailee. "But we've gotta make up for this lack of a meal at lunch." The trio walked along the Van Thespian River. There seemed no way they'd be able to cross it. "How are we going to make it across?" said Tonomoli. "There should be a bridge around here somewhere," said Nefandus. "Maybe it's further down the river." It was further down the river, about two miles where they currently were. Tonomoli thought he saw something in the distance, something long and large covering the river. "Is that a boat?" said Tonomoli. "That, my friend, is the bridge," said Nefandus. The trio made their way to the bridge and crossed it. Now they were on the other side of Desendale, the side where Desendale and Bravada shares a border, though small as it may be. Just as Nefandus said, it would take them to about noon to make it to Bravada. They had already by now made their way back to the road. There was none too many people on the road, except for a horse and buggy that passed to their right. "Good morning to you," said the driver. The trio all replied the same thing, good morning. Suddenly, Tonomoli was curious as to how many countries would be represented at the council. "How many countries do you think will be represented at the Council?" he said to Nefandus. "If they are smart everyone of them," said Nefandus. "But which ones, I mean, specifically which countries will be there?" "Well there's Galtigor, the Bravada Empire, Harwrintholien, Fignufen, you're representing Arcmide, of course. I don't plainly know if Foster Village will send a representative. Then you have Bandersnatch, Finlaiven, and I also I'm not sure if the wizardly countries of Shondaloh, Shondalah, and Shondaleigh will be their. I gather that they're discussing whether to go or not in their councils." "Wizardly countries? I must confess that I haven't heard much about them. Can you tell me anything that you might've learned?" "Of course," said Nefandus. "Notice that there are three of them?" Tonomoli nodded. "Well, there used to be just one. Shondaleigh. Shondaleigh was started way back in 25 AMD by Master Felfadel. But in the year 521 AMD something happened, something the scholars have called the Dissent of the Wizards. It was mostly over the role of wizards in modern day society. And with the Dissent of the Wizards came two new wizardly countries: Shondaloh, and Shondalah. That makes three of them, and all of them have their own ways and teachings that a wizard must follow. Mind you, these are legitimate countries, not just cities like your Archmide with an expanse of uninhabited land. But their primary focus is the cultivation of a wizards power. They've also experienced minor skirmishes between the three of them, mostly just some young wizards who weren't disciplined enough. But like I said, I don't know if they'll send representatives. They probably won't, but then again I may be wrong." Tonomoli had his head bent in reflection. Prailee noticed something in the distance. "Do you see what I see?" said Prailee. "Those Orcs, they're attacking that carriage." "Let's go help them," said Tonomoli. The trio rushed to the aid of the horse and buggy. There was about five Orcs that had set their sights on whatever or whoever was in the buggy. Tonomoli pulled out his Coasha Blade and none could contend with him. Nefandus had a sword also and he proved to be well-off in the combat department. Prailee was like a wild Dwarf and the Orcs could come up with no answer to his ax. Finally the Orcs retreated off into the woods. The person who was attacked was the same person who said good morning to them earlier. He thanked them ever so kindly and was again on his way. "Arrrggghhh," said Prailee. "Those Orcs make my blood boil." The trio continued on. After about eleven they were able to see Bravada Castle in the distance. "That's Bravada," said Tonomoli. "We made it." Rest in Bravada Bravada truly bustled with inhabitants. The trio made their way to the gates of Bravada and they weren't pestered by the guard at all. But he did have to ask them of one thing, as was customary. "Welcome to the Bravada Empire. Before you enter, you must divulge your purpose here."
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