Stories/CrownedDalaOne
Dala`varia was one of the foremost independent city-states of the South, ruled over with wisdom and honor by its noble leaders. It was possessed of extremely productive mines of Red Jade, Fire Iron, and extensive deposits of Firedust and Eternal Flame. Trade between Dala`varia and the Realm was both frequent and profitable for both states. The walls of Dala`varia were laced with mineral from the Imperial Mountain, given to the state in ages past when relations between the Delberative and the City-State were warm and trade flowed freely between the two.
Now, though, things were not as well between the two. Once the citizens of the state had been ruled over by a Council of Nobles, gifted with wisdom and possessed of a strong code of Honor toward their lands. Now the city was the stronghold of the rogue Twilight Caste Jorush, the Sorcerer-King. He had arrived with his legions of Lion Warriors, and managed to have himself named the ‘Sorcerer-Protector’ of the city-state while he bided his time. In the name of protecting the people from the ‘paranoia and mistrust’ of the Nobility, he had dissolved the Council and named himself King.
The Deliberative should have marched on Dala`varia then, liberating it from the rogue Solar before he had dug himself in. However, such luminaries of the Eclipse Caste as Surin of Justice and Blossoming Righteousness had proposed that instead negotiations begin with Jorush with the interest of bringing the prosperous city-state under the aegis of the Deliberative.
That had been two years ago, Ashan remembered, and little to no progress had been made in the matter. Two years to dig in, train more of the citizens of Dala`varia as various breeds of Lion Warriors, prepare fortifications and defenses, as well as more sorcerous traps and trickeries than could easily be thought of. Ashan himself was something of a Terrestrial Level Sorcerer, having achieved some training with the help of Venlo, but he doubted that he would be able to counter the Sorcerer-King if it came to hostilities. Not alone, in any event.
He remarked on these things to his wife, casually, as they walked through the gilded streets of the City of Glass. The Capital of the South, the city of Chiaroscuro was fabled for tall towers of Chiaroscuran Glass, its weapons of Adamant, and its Vermillion Glass Thread. It was truly one of the greatest wonders of the First Age, second only to the glories of the Imperial City or the pure golden beauty of Venlo’s floating city of Del`Roh.
Eight months ago, the Eclipse Caste, Surin of Justice, had admitted the defeat of his mission to the Solar Deliberative. The Night Castes had been sent out, including Ashan’s own Circle-sister and lover, Malkuth. Many of the Iron Wolves sent to Dala`varia had not returned, Malkuth among them, a fact that brought no small amount of worry to the Eastern Lord. Jentessa had remained largely silent on the issue, both sad that things had progressed so far and glad that her shame had momentarily left her. The silence spoke wonders, and Ashan couldn’t help but be angry with her for it.
The Raven had assured him that Malkuth was not dead, merely being held, though he had not commented on the other Night Castes who had not returned. No doubt some of them had perished, but a bit of selfishness was allowed and Ashan was glad that his Malkuth had been one of those merely captured instead of killed.
Nonetheless, he vowed, the Sorcerer-King would pay for this insult.
“What in Malfaes are you saying</>?” Myras yelled out, loudly, to the damnably cryptic Sidereal, trying to puzzle out exactly had what been said for himself but wishing that the Sidereal would just speak clearly. The Star-gazer stood before a gathering of Solar Exalted, including such notables of Ashan of Hollow, Aeas of the Five Mountains, San (a young Night Caste who had managed to make it into Dala`varia and return), and assorted others of the Solar Exalted. Most of these were of less amounts of interest to Myras the Spear, General of the Solar Deliberative, and he paid them little heed. Even less attention was given to the few Lunars gathered, most of them merely listening raptly to the speakers' words and letting their mates handle any questions or requests that they might have for them.
The Sidereal, a young Venus Caste not even 200 years old, flinched a bit but regained himself without much trouble. “I am saying, honored-General, that war is inevitable at this point and the Sidereals recommend that the Legions act with all-haste to strike down Dala`varia before the rogue Twilight Jorush invades his neighbors. It is the safest option.”
Ashan asked the next question, somewhat less hysterical than Myras had been. The last time they’d met, Myras had been covered in blood and over nine tenths of his force had been decimated by a battle with the Fae that was never supposed to happen in the first place. The General’s orders from his ‘superior’ were to fall back and let the Fae advance uncontested until Ashan's own legions arrived to drive them back with the help of his own. He was not about to let uncountable citizens perish in the claws of the Fair Folk just because Ashan had been too busy whoring with his Night Caste Circle-mate to assemble his legions faster, however.
The losses had been horrendous and nightmares of that battle still plagued him, but he couldn’t let it get to him. He’d won medals, a promotion to General, and more on that battle. It had just cost him so many men.
“Are you saying that his grain harvests will be low this year?” the pompous ass asked, a fairly good question all-told. Myras just grimaced, casting a glance over at Ashan while the Sidereal rattled off his own reply.
“No, my Lord. While not as plentiful as Jorush had hoped, his crops will be quite well above what the fields of Dala`varia are used to,” he said, and anticipating the question – why would he then invade his neighbors to steal their food supplies – he answered that as well. “However, we believe he was anticipating higher yields – for the purposes of growing his stockpiles and allowing for more Warriors to be fielded. When the fields of Dala`varia do not—“
“Yes yes,” Myras said, somewhat grouchily. “When he can’t get what he wants at home, he’ll go abroad, in force.” Carefully, the General pondered this situation. It was delicate, but resolvable now with the correct amount of force applied quickly and ably. “You and your kin have done well; leave us now. We’ll have to discuss how this is going to be handled.”
The Sidereal looked about to add more, but bowed respectfully and bowed out. No doubt afraid that one of the assembled Solars would crush his skull in their hands if he took too many liberties. It wasn’t entirely out of the question, in general, but Myras would have defended the little seer if one of the others had lost his temper.
“M-maybe,” Aeas said, her voice soft and somewhat whiny, “we should just let him have some fields. We would loose a great many men going after him; you’ve heard what Jun told us, about the readiness of his troops and the potency of his defenses.”
Ashan rose at this point, his voice roaring over the assembled and his Caste mark burning, “I will not abandon my Sister to this fiend, if that is your suggestion!”
Myras chuckled, “You mean your lover?”
Ashan just glowered, but ultimately ignored the jab – which somewhat disappointed the younger General, who wished his former superior would loose his temper. He wanted to see what the old man was made of. “Also, I feel a strong obligation to the people of Dala`varia. I argued strongly in favor of hostile response when this began, and I argue even more forcefully now in favor it. If we ignore this situation, we invite others to take the same tack!”
To this, at least, Myras was forced to agree. “The esteemed Lord of Hollow makes a good point here. We are all aware, I am sure, of the continued degeneration of our fellows,” he added, careful here. While he didn’t even hint at it, he considered more than a few of the other Solars in the room ‘degenerate.’ “If we don’t punish this Twilight, we’re just inviting every other Solar with a grudge against the Deliberative to set himself up as his own Lord and Master. Without being handled properly, this could even lead to civil wars. Ultimately, either of these situations would cost us far more men than thwarting this rogue.”
Aeas just frowned, but said nothing else. She did that a lot lately, and it disturbed him a good bit as it was nothing like Aeas to be so…timid. Not as he remembered her, anyway.
Ashan, of course, just nodded – any disfavor or enmity momentarily forgotten, in the hopes of saving the Empire. “Is everyone in agreement? War is the only answer at this point, as much as it might not be as we hoped.”
Everyone in the room knew <i>that for the lie it was, of course. More than a few of the people in this room had hoped for war from the very beginning. Nonetheless, the votes were cast and they came out in favor of hostile resolution of the situation. Myras’ vote was never in question; he’d been one of the firmest proponents of invasion back when this mess had gotten started, even if it had meant siding with Ashan. What surprised the General the most was that Ashan was put in charge of the campaign, instead of himself. The older Dawn gave him a sly and cunning grin, no doubt showcasing the fact that his political friends and leverage had managed to get him something he hadn’t earned yet again.
Myras just grinned back; he’d follow, as long as Ashan’s orders were sensible, but he knew who his men were loyal to.
"Honored Sorceress,” Ashan said softly, kneeling on a pillow before Aeas. “I thank you for this audience, my sister in the Sun. You no doubt can guess why I have come before you.” More than anything else, he was worried about the magic of the Twilight Sorcerer-King. Myras was on his mind, of course – the little ‘general’ would no doubt ignore his orders at his prerogative, putting his own men in danger for the chance to steal glory. A situation all-together unacceptable to Ashan Lo Frauh.
“Indeed,” she said, softly, no doubt thinking over how she was going to respond to the request. The call to battle resounded in her soul, but… “I have not been in the field for nearly a century, Ashan. I think you had best find another to serve in this position, one more-“
Ashan interrupted at this point, somewhat disappointed that Aeas just let her protests just die away without a secord word or expression of anger. “I do not wish anyone else; you are the best Sorceress in the South, my Lady, and your husband has saved my life more times than I can count.” And Ashan his, of course, but she would already know that. “You yourself have come to my aide more than once and I need that aide again. I realize that you have focused more on your civil responcibilies…” He paused here, making sure that he wasn’t being too insulting though in truth he doubted that Aeas would reply. She never replied to anything. “However, your skills on the battlefield are not inconsiderable and I feel that without your aide many of my men will fall.”
Aeas just grew a subtle frown, then slowly nodded. “Alright, Ashan, I will go with your force and provide what assistance I can. I warn you, though, you are putting your men in as much danger by relying on me as you would be if you found someone else. I urge you to reconsider.”
The words were somewhat chilling, but the decision had been made. “I have faith in you, Aeas; you just need the opportunity to find yourself again.”
The walls of Dala`varia were some thirty feet thick, the three gates leading into the city constructed of Fire Iron dug from deposits on the edge of the Burning Wastes. Unyielding Lion Warriors lurked along the battlements, their metallic armor glinting in the sunlight as they kept their vigil over the city. The Legions of the Deliberative kept their own vigil on the hills overlooking Dala`varia, gazing down on the defenders and wondering when the call to attack would come and how they would fare against those heavy walls.
Normally those doubts would not have come, Myras knew, but the men had heard the rumors as much as everyone else. While normally they would have resolutely cheered while the magic of the Solar Exalted brought the walls of the city crumbling down, now they only gazed at the white tent where Aeas, Master Battle Sorceress and member of the Dawn Caste, took her rest. She had not emerged for the past three days; Myras was only glad that no sorcerous attack had come and wished that his ‘commander’ hadn’t relied so on…
Once again, the doubts caught up with him. It didn’t make any sense. While never one to cherish battle, Aeas had never been a coward or a dilettante. Had taking up a position of leadership over the Five Mountains changed her so much?
The battle was supposed to begin three days ago, but Ashan had kept postponing it, “on the Advice of the Astrology performed by the Master Sorceress.” Myras couldn’t blame him for that little lie, except that it wasn’t working. Some accepted his words, and hell, they might be true, but most of the men were whispering that the Sorceress was sitting in her tent sobbing and unable to commit herself to the battle. Either that, or enjoying the attendance of slaves and feasting on grapes.
The heat was beginning to get to the men, and he had no doubt that Jorush was simply waiting for them to expire from pure exhaustion. This was never supposed to be a siege, damnit!
Ashan found himself, once again, in the white tent. “Aeas, are you ready to begin the attack? If you are not, I think I shall do so myself – my Sorcery is not as powerful as your own but I can at least blast open the gates. If I do such can I rely on you for countermagi-“
Aeas just glared at him then, “Damnit Ashan! You shouldn’t have to rely on me for anything, I told you that in the first place! But you did not listen to me, and now you act all high and mighty that I have proven my advice sound.” She fairly glowered with anger, which was the one thing that Ashan did not expect.
‘Good,’ he thought, ‘maybe this will snap her out of it.’ He just met her gaze for a while, before eventually responding. “I meant no disrespect, my Lady. Maybe my confidence in you was misplaced, but I did not think you would allow my troops to simply wither in the heat as you have. If you have no intention of helping me-“
Once again, he was interrupted. This time by a high-pitched and very very angry voice, and the slender Southern Lady stood up to the ground and glowered. “The attack will begin at once, Ashan. Get your men ready, and let us end this as soon as possible.” With a slender graceful hand, she reached out to grasp the fine orichalcum surface of Calaran, placing a Hearthstone in the socket atop it and hefting the Scepter appraisingly.
Ashan nodded, still a bit confused but accepting at least that she was ready to attack.
She waited until he was gone, the anger still fuming, before changing into her white robes and taking her slender daiklave out of the non-place where it was stowed.
She had warned him, but to tell the truth it had worked out better than she had expected. She should have admitted that some dire spell had affected her, perhaps cast by Jorush himself – though she suspected some other foe, perhaps within the Deliberative, of having crippled her instead. All attempts at countering the spell had failed, and crushed by its effects themselves she’d had a hard time attempting more obscure means of pushing it aside.
None the less, the Scepter of the Five Mountains in hand, she moved out of her tent and smiled at one of the nearest soldiers. “The Siege of Dala`varia breaks today,” she said, softly, hoping that would help put an end to whatever horrible rumors were winding through the troops. Maybe they’d believe whatever lies Ashan had been telling them, if she worked hard enough at putting on a good face today. It was so hard to fight against the effects of the spell; once she had defeated it, she would have to see about duplicating it herself. It would be very useful, in the proper circumstances.
She suspected that it was Necromantic in origin; such magic’s had grown popular among the Twilight Caste lately, and she was just unfamiliar enough with it her failure to date at freeing herself from its effects could be explained handily.
Choosing the Five Attendants was the most telling task, but in the end she chose herself, Ashan, Michaes, and two of the Lord of Hollows’ own Unyielding Lion Warriors. The Essence burned up around her in a halo, and her sigil – the Desert Hawk – roared up above the army, announcing to the Sorcerer-King that his time had come. When, at last, the Essence of the Crumbling Walls was channeled into Creation the Five were covered in potent enchantments that would protect and speed them during their circuit around the city.
From the walls, she spotted another working of Sorcery, and turned with a smile to look upon the Sorcerer-King. It could be no other, after all. By the time she looked, the countermagic had already been laced and unleashed – brilliant energy flaring toward her. Calmly, she raised Calaran – invoking the power of the Scepter and the hearthstone within, absorbing the power of the spell.
“Let us begin; five passes around the city, and the spell will be complete.”
Myras watched the Five march their circular path around the city, as he moved through the gathered troops and prepared them. As soon as they saw the Symbol of Saturn in the air, they would begin their charge. He had planned it, even discussed it with Ashan. The older warrior had been somewhat reluctant, but in the end he’d given in. With any luck, Myras’ force would be through the walls only a few minutes after they collapsed.
Thus, anxiously, he watched the five travelers. Every flare of Sorcery, defending them against attack, catching his eye. The first passage was almost easy, the Sorcerer-King still recovering from his failed attempt to strike down the spell. The fool had not realized that he was dealing with the Sorcerer of the Five Fiery Mountains, one of the most glorious and powerful Battle Sorcerers in Creation.
‘Or,’ somewhat grimly, ‘Maybe he had, and didn’t expect her to put as much effort into her assault.’ He hadn’t been sure the spell would suffice, once he saw the countermagic being worked, but Aeas had surprised him once again.
The second passage around the city was more difficult, as the Five found themselves assaulted by Ferocious Lion Warrior archers. The arrows just pinged off their armor, were intercepted by the flaming defender that Aeas had summoned or simply didn’t have the range to reach them. None the less, Myras didn’t want to risk anything to chance and with the skill of a Glorious Solar General he found a ready group of archers and sent them to deal with their counterparts. Another circle was completed; three more to go.
The gates opened during this pass around the city, while the Five grew near, but Myras had been expecting that and marshaled forward his own Ferocious Lion Warriors. By the time the battle died down the Sorceress and her Entourage were already past the gate and further on their way. Soon afterwards, another circle was finished.
The fourth circle passed surprisingly without incident, but Myras did not lower his guard. Instead, he ordered all of his men a bit closer to the walls. He didn’t like this, at all. Then, on the last circle around the city, the Sorcerer-King himself made another appearance – bringing down fire and ice upon the five who sought to destroy his city!
Aeas didn’t have the luxury of using Countermagic, but the magic of the Sceptor absorbed most of the magics and the one spell that did go through merely scorched them lightly without slowing them down overly.
“Damnit, men! Distract him!”
Even Ashan wouldn’t argue with this tactic, even if he was starting his offensive a little earlier than he intended. If the Sorcerer King killed even one of the Lion Warriors, the spell would fail and they’d have to contend with the walls. While not hopeless, he’d much rather have his army march over their rubble as opposed to through the Imperial Mountain-reinforced thirty-foot thick walls.
Archers railed against the Sorcerer King and his Honor Guard, while a group of men started an assault on the gates. The King tried to keep his attention of the Five, but eventually gave up and retreated off the walls – an arrow must have hit, but Myras didn’t see it. The attackers kept up their attack for a bit, but eventually the time came to fall back and wait. It wouldn’t do very good to be too close to the walls when the spell ended.
Even the defenders started to abandon them, no doubt setting up defensive positions further in the city.
Ashan had grown worried there, briefly, when the ice had impacted against the Golden Child and he’d felt the deep chill. He’d been injured, but ignored it and continued trotting on, knowing that if this spell could be completed it would save many men. On both sides, though he was at the moment more interested in his own Legions.
More hostile magic came, and Ashan fought off the pain of his bone marrow attempting to turn to magma and a flight of shadow birds that attempted to peck out his eyes. Still, he marched on. This Jorush was a fool to target him with these spells and not the Lion Warriors, but he was always willing to take advantage of foolishness. Then the spells died off, and Ashan managed to glance at the reason – the Sorcerer was under attack from archers, and apparently decided to abandon the walls.
He’d hoped that the fool would stay on them, even as they completed their final circle around the city, but that was too much to ask for he supposed.
“We are almost there,” he remarked. Aeas just nodded, and continued, one foot after the other as she held the Scepter high. It glowed with the pure white radiance of the the Sun, having absorbed so much hostile magic. They would probably both be dead, if not for the powers of Calaran.
Then, with one step, Aeas stopped. “The fivefold circle is complete,” she said, and looked up at the walls of Dala`varia.
A shadowy image of Saturn, the Maiden of Endings, appeared over them. A mournful and ominous image, it looked down over the city and then down at the walls. Another such image appeared some distance away, and then another. Five such images gathered, at the five points of the city, looking down over the walls. Then, with ineffable slowness, they reached down and made the Symbol of Saturn against the walls of the city.
Ashan and the others had withdrawn some distance by this point, to get away from the walls before their final collapse, and had more than enough time to see the effects. With an audible snap, cracks began to form in the walls and then they began to rumble. The entire ground shook as the great walls of Dala`varia crumbled down, and a great fog of dust and sand rose up as they were utterly wiped away.
“For the Deliberative!,” Ashan shouted, holding the Talaq’s Greaver high in the air as he let his awareness spread over his troops. He could hear the battle yells of Myras own troops, by now already in the city, and he was determined that his advanced guard would not be on their own for very long. Thus, he began rallying his troops with all the skill and speed an Ancient Solar Warrior could bring to bear.
Myras slashed out with his Daiklave, cleaving cleanly through the armor of one Ferocious Lion Warrior and separating his head from the rest of his body. He could hear, and feel, the roar of his own men as Lion Warrior met Lion Warrior – however, it was obvious whose troops were superior. The Sorcerer King's might have the same basic training, and superior weapons and armor, but Myras had gone on to various forms of Advanced Battle Technique Training, and thus each of his men was more than able to stand up against their better-equipped counterparts.
Arrows whistled past his ear, coming up from one of the buildings where Myras could hear what must be a squad of Unyielding Lion Warriors with jade powerbows. One of his men took an arrow to the breastplate and went down in a roar of blood, but two more ran forward and engaged the foe this had left open. Myras himself just grinned up at the building, crouching and jumping up toward the window – landing on its sill with perfect stillness, daiklave in hand as he stared at the arrow points. Quickly, the Lion Warriors readjusted their aim toward his face but Myras paid them no heed – like a Whirling Devil, he leaped from the sill, bounding off the wall, and landing on the staircase landing back down. Casually glancing over his shoulder, the room seemed to have almost been repainted in blood.
The Terrestrials under Ashan’s command were moving in to reinforce his thrust now, and he could hear their elemental blasts impacting against the line of Lion Warriors. He felt a shake in the nearby strata as the foundation of one building gave in, collapsing and sending the archers who were there plummeting to their deaths.
Myras ran with the Fleetness of the Morning Sun down the stairs, his daiklave striking out once, twice, three times at various defenders who had not been on the second story. Each strike was a kill, by the time Myras emerged into the street he was covered in a thin spray of blood from his battle.
Ashan walked up to him then, and Myras just nodded. The lines had advanced past this building, his own men leading the way with the Terrestrials taking command. More Lion Warriors, Ashan’s own this time, advanced as well – taking up defensive positions, to keep this breach into the city under control of the Deliberative.
“How goes the battle, ‘Commander’?”
Ashan detected the slightly disrespectful tone of his subordinates voice, but paid it no heed as he regarded the younger Dawn – though inwardly he seethed. “Fairly well,” he said, “Though our troops near where the Preorious Gate once stood have bogged down into a tight defensive fight. Could you go lend them a hand?”
As Myras walked off toward the nearly suicidal brawl, with no reinforcements on the way because Ashan had already written off that sector due to the sorcerous traps that Jorush had apparently laid near the city's greatest gate, Ashan idly wondered why he had done that. The thought didn’t last long, though, as he shrugged and moved forward toward the lines. It felt right, and besides he had a battle to win.
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