Methuselah’s Tower

  Methuselah was daydreaming again; it was one they was quite familiar with. It was over a thousand years ago and they were in the port city of Viridian Bay in the Kingdom of the Blue Rose, talking to a young human man with bright golden eyes and thick blonde hair that reminded them of a lion’s mane. The young man wore mismatched armor that he managed to scrounge up and a second-hand sword that he got on the cheap. Despite this, there was fierce determination in his eye as he talked with Methuselah at one of Methuselah’s favorite cafés. “I don’t care about the danger, I know there is a future for me across the seas, I just know it.” Arthur was trying to get Methuselah on board with his plans.

  Methuselah had seen the potential for greatness in the young lad, but it was not his time yet, and why did he want to go overseas when he could do well here? “You have no companions, no clout, no resources, and your equipment is barely holding itself together, you can have your dreams Arthur, but if you don’t have the resources to make them a reality, then nothing will come of it.”

  “If you’re worried, why don’t you give me some more direct aid?”

  “I support you, but there is only so much I can do, I can’t fight your battles for you, and if you prove too reckless and foolhardy, why would I continue supporting you?”

  “Because the time is right, the people across the sea are being exploited and abused by the Seven Lords of Night, they need a savior, you said so yourself. Now is the time to create a singular nation for all the scattered nations of man, before it’s too late.”

  “True, but it’s still too soon, you need an army at the very least.” Methuselah looked thoughtful. “Let me introduce you to an acquaintance of mine, I think he’s the man who might be able to help you.”

  “Who is this man with an army who would be willing to help me?”

  “Not so much an army but a small mercenary band, but it’s a start. His name is Friedrich von Klinge, the Knight of Wolves. His band is known as the Wolf Pack, and it has some talented individuals in it who may be able to give you the aid you need if you earn their respect.”

  “So, you want me to join his band?”

  “No Arthur, I want you to take it over, there is a rule in place for the group, if you can defeat the leader and his lieutenants, you will gain total control over the group.”

  “Do you think I can beat them all?”

  “I do, I’ve trained you for something like this, though you may need to upgrade.” Methuselah reached into their robes and pulled out a bag of gold, placing it on the table. “Get yourself some proper equipment and prepare yourself, Friedrich will be in town in a fortnight, that will be your best chance to begin seeing your dream through. I’ve invested as much time and as many resources as I can into you, from here on out you will need to rise and fall on your own merits, I’ve leveled the field for you to have a fighting chance.”

  “Thank you, Methuselah, my sister and I owe you so much.”

  “Speaking of Morgana, what does your little sister think of your plan.”

  A concerned look came across Arthur’s face. “Morgana has anxieties about it, but she’s willing to follow me anywhere.”

  A smile came across Methuselah’s face. “You have a good sister Arthur; it would be wise to never do anything to hurt her.”

  This daydream was far more pleasant than what Methuselah was currently going through. Ariela, furious about how Elizabeth had been treated, had convened a conference where she was putting forward the motion to have Elizabeth removed from Methuselah’s instruction. Methuselah, the Nine Great Deities, and I were all present in a room in the tower known as The Conference Chamber. Creative I know but it served its purpose. None of the Nine were here in spirit form, but their essences, which took the form of colored clouds, were floating about, arguing with each other. And as always, I was technically present to chronicle the exchange, but my opinion was never solicited, as is a common occurrence for me.

  “The Guardian is failing in his duties, as I expected him to, if he is allowed to continue in his misguided methods, he will damage the poor girl beyond repair. What the girl needs is a steady and even handed instructor, tough but fair, supportive yet setting high but achievable expectations. My fellow deities, I put forward the motion that the education of Elizabeth in her duties be handed over to me, Robernu the Silver Tyrant.” The sphere of silver colored energy that was Robernu could never be said to lack ambition, or audacity.

  “Brother, when I brought this matter forward, it wasn’t so I could hand Elizabeth over to you. The girls need an unbiased instructor who will help her understand her role as the keeper of balance in the world, along with mastering her powers. I don’t want you turning her into your agent.” The sphere of sapphire colored energy that represented Ariela said.

  “Come on Ari, your brother’s just looking for a new lady friend to entertain him, he hasn’t lain with a woman for over 8,000 years, not since what’s her name got her soul obliterated because she opened an obviously cursed book. If Lenera can get it on with our current guardian, there’s no reason the worlds most powerful bookworm shouldn’t be allowed to get it on with our new Guardian.” The sphere of ruby energy, Flareous, loved to provoke Robernu.

  “Now listen here, you divine venereal disease, not all of us are driven by our base desires, I only have the best interest of our world in mind, because, as always, I am the one who puts the greater good before his own good.” And Robernu always took the bait.

  “Or you’ll just drive her away, like you drove your daughter away, when was the last time Denala spoke to you?”

  Before Flareous could continue, the orb of golden energy, representing Alnardun, had had enough of this nonsense. “Flareous, stop provoking Robernu, Robernu, for allegedly being the smartest of us all, you should really know better than to take her bait, let’s get back on track, now I believe that we don’t need to remove young Elizabeth from Methuselah’s care, but we should set up a monitoring system, I saw we form a committee that will meet bi-weekly to observe and critique Methuselah’s methods, providing corrective instruction as needed. What say you, Naturassessia?”

  The orb of gray energy, representing Naturassessia, was silent for a moment, before speaking. “I’ve never learned much form the wind, but the earth, she doesn’t hold too many secrets.”

  There was a moment of awkward silence in the room.

  “Natty, that is in, no way, whatsoever, useful or relevant to this discussion. Can you stop being one with the World Tree for one moment and contribute something meaningful to this joke of a discussion.” The dark purple sphere of energy representing Neca-Ra had no patience for this. She had souls to judge, plagues to create and False and Faithless to send screaming to their eternal torments.

  “What my sister is getting at,” the sphere of pink energy representing Lenera contributed, “is that we really need to keep this discussion relevant to the matter at hand. Methuselah is just a bit rusty when educating people, with a little patience and understanding, we can help him do what’s right for Elizabeth. After all, our track records for all our previous Guardians, hasn’t exactly been stellar, which is the whole point of having Robernu train his replacement in the first place, to ease the transition and make life easier for the next in line.”

  “There is merit to that position, if we look at the charts of previous guardians performances, we can see nothing but diminishing returns, working off 25,000 years of empirical data indicate that a system should be in place to increase Guardian efficiency, though it doesn’t necessarily have to be with our current Guardian if a better method is agreed upon.” This came from sphere of bronze energy, representing Terra.

  “Okay, whatever Terra supports, I immediately oppose,” this coming from the sphere of emerald energy representing Baleris, which then began to shout for fifteen minutes straight, “Let chaos reign, let chaos reign, let chaos reign, let chaos reign.”

  As Methuselah disassociated into another daydream, this one of him choking Baleris to death, Elizabeth was putting her escape plan into motion. A week had passed since her meeting with Ariela, but Methuselah had not changed at all, they were still an abusive ass and she wanted to get away from them. Elizabeth was not the lousy student they thought her to be, she had been learning, and she knew enough now to get out of there, which is why she was now at the vault. Elizabeth needed a distraction to get out, and the Maiden of Light was just the thing.

  Elizabeth knew that it was dangerous, but right now she was willing to take the risk to get away from her tormentor. Methuselah, being the arrogant blowhard that they were, only set up some minimal protections on their vault. Elizabeth had been developing her powers based on her tavern theme. And one thing tavern owners must deal with is securing their finances. Elizabeth turned every defense into a simple lock of her design and used a key tied to the lock to dissipate the magic with Methuselah being none the wiser. True, this spell was meant for securing her possessions, but she was able to use it in reverse in this case, since she and Methuselah were both Guardians, their magic was similar enough that she could manipulate their defenses without any hassle.

  Elizabeth made it through their defenses and entered the vault, making her way to the sphere holding the Maiden of Light. Elizabeth knew that this would prove to be trickier and would need a more direct approach. Making her way to the sphere, she began pumping raw magic into it, disrupting the enchantment, and destabilizing the barriers holding the Maiden in place. The sphere fell apart, and the Maiden plopped down into the middle of the Vault. The Fallen Maiden opened her eyes and stared at Elizabeth. Elizabeth never knew that such an innocent and gentle face could fill her with so much dread as a brutal chill went down her spine.

  When the Maiden smiled at her, her blood ran cold, and she began to second guess her plan. It was now clear to her and her enhanced senses that the Maiden before her was incredibly dangerous.

  In their conference, Methuselah immediately realized that the Maiden of Light had ben freed. “What is Elizabeth doing?” Methuselah shouted out loud before leaving as quickly as possible.

  “Methuselah,” Alnardun shouted out to the running Methuselah, “We did not give you permission to leave, get back here at once.”

  Elizabeth tried to run away, only to discover to her horror that several tendrils made of pure solidified light had wrapped themselves around her legs. The tentacles were coming from underneath the Maiden’s dress.

  “Come to me, so that I may purify you and make you anew.” The unsettling smile was still on the Maiden’s face as she began to reel Elizabeth in, opening her arms to embrace her. Elizabeth tried using her powers to escape, but the tendrils seemed to be sapping her of her magic, rendering her lethargic and submissive.

  “Okay, I think this is going a bit too far, I just need your help to escape.”

  “But I will help you escape sweet one, I will help you escape from all your fears, doubts, and anxieties, I shall give you a peace so pure it will feel like you’re floating up to the heavens.”

  As Elizabeth was close enough for the Maiden to embrace her, Methuselah burst into the room. “Elizabeth, your punishment can wait, right now I need to save you.” And with that, they encased themselves in a brilliant golden aura and began launching their attacks at the Maiden, who let Elizabeth go to defend herself. Elizabeth took this time to exit out of the room while the two of them were distracted.

  As Elizabeth left the room, she initiated phase two of her escape plan. Elizabeth took on her Haelmish form, sprouting up and gaining her inhumanly thin frame. As usual, the sudden change was a bit disorienting, but she soon reoriented herself. Once her mind was clear, she made for the door. Once again, Methuselah’s arrogance worked in her favor, as they kept their door unlocked from the inside of the tower. Elizabeth's Haelmish form would give her the magic control she needed to make her escape.

  First things first, however, as she was about to reach the door, she activated her warmth spell, inspired by the hearths that warm up inns and keep them comfortable in the wintertime. Elizabeth smiled as the warmth spread across her entire body, she did not intend to stay outside long, but she would need to keep warm in the freezing temperatures.

  Elizabeth finally gathered the courage to step out of the tower and all the defenses Methuselah had put in place to protect her. Even though she was keeping herself warm, the freezing weather and wind still hit her. Concentrating on what she had to do, she began to focus on her family. Methuselah seemed to have anticipated this, as they had put up barriers around the town to prevent her from pinpointing anyone from Barrington. This was a problem, as her current level of control only allowed her to make it to people she knew. Ms. Keeli was also in Barrington, otherwise, she would have teleported to her. Realizing that she had no other choice and that she would have to hoof it, she focused on her friends from the wall. Wherever they were, she would have to meet up with them and hope that she could find her way home from there. With a deep breath, Elizabeth willed herself out of existence, entering the void between realm, to make her journey to her companions.

  Exit of High Pass

  As the group was leaving the High Pass after a difficult but uneventful journey, they were met with a surprise flash before their very eyes. Before them stood a tall and inhumanly slender pointy-eared woman with long blonde hair and pure blue walnut-shaped eyes. Fearing for their lives, they drew their weapons and prepared to fight the sudden intruder. The woman, realizing their reaction, called out in a beautifully melodic but familiar voice, “Stand down, it’s me, Elizabeth.” And before their very eyes, they saw the figure transform into their lost companion, now wearing far more practical traveling garb, instead of her barmaids’ outfit.

  “We thought we would never see you again, how did you escape?” Sir Frederick asked.

  “I’m sorry, but what’s going on here, why did that Aelm turn into a human and why does everyone know her?” Count Johann Kristoff von Claus asked. Despite their week of traveling together, not once had anyone told him about Elizabeth or the things they had learned.

  After filling him in on the details that he needed to know, his curiosity seemed placated, Elisabeth even remembered a proper curtsy when he cleared his throat. The Count was a bit more skeptical when Elizabeth told him of her capture and abuse at the roof of the world, but such details were ultimately irrelevant to his assignment and goals, so he let it go. To him, she was most likely some insane Arc-Blood, but he was diplomatic enough not to press the issue.

  Count Johann Kristoff was a bit worried about how easily they believed her wild story, but once again he was willing to let that go, as they had been through a lot. The group had even proven trustworthy, even to his Great Wolf Steed Gretel, who was far more intelligent than she let on to outsiders, like the rest of her kind. Only House von Reinhardt, and those with House von Reinhardt blood like Johann Kristoff, knew the truth of the Great Wolves, and how to communicate with them.

  “I hope that this Methuselah didn’t fill your head with any more lies about the age and nature of our world, or that the King of Lions wasn’t a god. You do realize that what he said, if true, proves that the Kingdom of Lions is a lie, that everything we believe in is a lie, and that we have wasted our lives on this lie.” Hezekiah told Elizabeth, that Hezekiah, even when traveling with the Dep-Gundarr, did not flinch in his beliefs, was a testament to his will, though not his ability to process and accept new ideas. This also got Count Johann Kristoff’s attention, it was unbecoming of an Ascetic to say such things or have such doubts, but with relations being strained between the Lion Throne and the Wolf’s Den, any weapon to discredit the Galdwin Dynasty could be useful.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  “I don’t know what I believe Hezekiah. Methuselah and I did speak about the King of Lions, as the two of them had a relationship, at least according to him. In his mind, what the King of Lions stood for and represented is more important than what he did. Though he also talked about bringing the end of the Kingdom of Lions as a necessity, so I would take what he has to say with a sprig of thyme.”

  “You know, if what you say is true, and our Kingdom is a lie, then the families of the Wolf Duchies have no reason to stay loyal to a King if he is nothing more than a man descended from a man.” The Count had to bring this subject up, already he was formulating a plan that would see the Wolf Duchies and their families rise in prominence, all he needed to do was convince everyone that what he had learned was the truth.

  A difficult task, but with the current ill will pervade the Wolf Duchies for the Lion Throne and its Peacock lackeys, even the most devout may be willing to overlook a little heresy for the pragmatic expansion of power. Still, he had to get to the great gathering at the Wolf’s Den, the seat of power for House von Klinge, before he could begin his politicking and political maneuvering. It helped that he would be bringing back the Archduke's heir before his family and peers to face judgment for his abandonment of them and his duties. Johann knew that Grand Duchess Katrina and Grand Duke Johann had wanted this for a while and would graciously reward the one who handed Frederick over, as well as gaining their ear for future policy changes.

  Count Johann Kristoff just needed to be subtle about it, they could not know what he had planned until they were safely in the Wolf’s Den. The boy believed he could make his family see reason, as if he knew nothing about his family or his people, or the pain and humiliation they had to endure for the last 12 years. A reckoning was at hand, and this girl had given him the information he needed to set that reckoning in motion. If the Lich did the Gladwin’s in, so be it, but the Kingdom would need a savior to come in and clean up, and that would be when the Hour of the Wolf descended upon the Kingdom of Lions.

  After everyone had settled down, they began to move into the Wolf Duchies. The Wolf Duchies were mostly forests, with the primary industry of the land being the lumber and trapping industries, with a few invigorating hunts for outside nobles who wanted a thrill but not risk their lives too seriously. Every time a plot of forest was cleared for lumber; new trees would be planted in their place. Through this, the Wolf made sure that their forests never died, and even then, the deep woods were off-limits. The Fae may not have been as prominent in the Wolf Duchies as they were in the Seasonal Forests, but that did not mean that there were no dangers that threatened the dark heart of the woods. The duchy was also known for its substantial wolf population. To the west of the forest lay the iron mines under the control of House von Reinhardt which fueled the Wolf Duchies second major industry, soldiers.

  In the Wolf Duchies, military service was compulsory for all citizens, who upon passing their coming of age, would report to their local garrison for two years of mandatory service. There, young men and women were crafted into the soldiers what would prove the pride of the Wolf Duchies, able to be called upon at a moment’s notice. Many joined the infantry and artillery branches, though the most skilled were inducted into the Jaegers, an elite unit of forward scouts, skirmishers, and assassins that made fighting the Wolf in the forest a true nightmare, as they were the masters of guerilla warfare.

  Despite the lack of full-scale war in the Kingdom of Lions, there was a common practice of Sanctioned Wars. If one noble sought a piece of land or property from his rival felt slighted, or just wanted to let off some steam, he could petition that a Sanctioned War be put into place. The war could range from a couple of companies posturing against each other, to full-scale campaigns that could take months to finish up.

  Twelve years prior, King John the 12th, lost his beloved wife, Queen Hilda of the House von Richter, when she was on a tour of the de Lorme lands. She and her party were overwhelmed by a pack of bandits, who killed everyone in her entourage, but were subdued after the incident by the de Lorme forces who seemed to know exactly where they were hiding. Fortunately for the grieving kingdom, Archduchess Madeline de Lorme stepped in, introducing the heartbroken king to her younger sister Raina de Lorme.

  The King, eager to ease the pain of his loss and the loneliness of his heart, took the younger woman as his bride and queen. It should be noted that Raina is younger than half of his children from his first marriage. As a wedding present, Queen Raina asked for the Bluegrass Valley to be returned to the control of House de Lorme, who had lost it 970 years ago to House von Klinge in the very first Sanctioned War. House von Klinge, through its force of arms, had held onto it ever since.

  Wanting to please his beautiful new bride, King John agreed to her request, ordering all von Klinge nobles to vacate the premises, along with all commoners, as the fertile farmlands would soon be settled by the de Lorme and their commoners. There was some resistance at first, but the Royal Army aided the de Lorme by removing everyone from the Bluegrass Valley that the de Lorme did not want to be there. The fact that this caused a refugee crisis in the lands of the von Klinge, as well as denying them their primary food supply, did not seem to bother the King or his new wife at all.

  When pressed on the food issue, Queen Raina replied that they would be happy to sell the food to the von Klinge, at a reasonable price. Since then, the von Klinges and their vassals had fought four sanctioned wars to take back the Bluegrass Valley, emerging victorious in every conflict. Every time the King looked like he was going to relent, a word or two into his ear from Queen Raina led him to overturn the outcome of every conflict, maintaining that the lands belonged to House de Lorme. It was in this hotbed of hostility and resentment that Elizabeth and her companions began their journey.

  Back at the tower, Methuselah was fuming.

  “How dare she, after everything I have done for her, she does this to me. I was being way too lenient with her.” Methuselah, in their sour mood, began to ponder their next move. “Elizabeth wants to go home,” they found that they could better organize their thoughts by speaking out loud, “but what if there is no one for her to return to when she gets back? Her town is not too far off Zarathustra’s charted course, I’m sure with a little urging, I could convince him to make a detour and see to it that Elizabeth will have no choice but to return to me.”

  With this plan in mind, Methuselah prepared themself to meet with the lich once again.

  Avalon, Capitol of the Kingdom of Lions, and House Galdwin’s seat of power.

  The city of Avalon sat on a large island in the middle of the Lion River, as well as the eastern and western banks, which were the homes of the poor and working class. The central island, however, was quite different. The lower level was home to various restaurants, café, salons, casinos, high-end escort services, theaters, concert halls, the Royal Zoo, the Royal Academies, banks, gardens, high-end markets, temples, and the homes of wealthy merchants. In the middle level, stood the Noble District, each House of the Kingdom, either great or small, had a mansion there, which served as a home for when the House’s leadership visited the capital, as well as serving as a base of operations for the various family courtiers to engage in courtly intrigue and advance their agenda in the capitol.

  Among the houses of the Wolf Duchies, only the House of von Claus maintained a skeletal force at their mansion, with the mansions of the Klinge, Richter, and Schwarzwald having been empty for twelve years in protest of the Bluegrass Valley decision, with only the War Master Johann von Klinge stopping by for annual meetings. The mansions of the Bear Duchies were completely abandoned, knowing that as long as Queen Raina ruled, the Bear would never be heard.

  Finally, there was the top of the island's hill, the Palace of Lions, home of the Lion Throne and headquarters of the Lion’s Guard, the personal protectors of House Galdwin, the Palace of Lions, and the city of Avalon. The palace itself was massive and beautiful, made of white and red marble with golden trim, able to hold the entirety of the Galdwin family, and all its myriad branches at one time. This was what was going on right now, as all 3,000 men, women, and children who bore the name Galdwin, had converged to determine their next course of action and take refuge in what they believed was the most secure city in the Kingdom. However, King John was not with his family.

  King John was currently in his private garden, trying to find a sense of peace and purpose as his world collapsed around him. King John had once been a very handsome individual, but over the past twelve years, he had taken to food and drink and had stopped his old high-energy activities. King John was now quite the rotund liege, having almost lost his ability to walk as his legs grew weak and tingled more every day. Fortunately, the sweets his beloved Raina gave him helped to ease his pain somewhat. Raina was so good to him, feeding him when he needed comfort and guaranteeing that he stayed in bed when he needed to and not overexert himself.

  On many days, she had even sat on his throne in his stead, so that he could clear his mind of his anxieties. Raina was such a lovely and dutiful wife. And as he was thinking these thoughts, his beloved wife had come to the garden to see him. Raina was tall and beautiful, wearing an extravagant dress modeled after a peacock. Raina had long and silky black hair that fell to her waist, powdery white skin that always seemed to glisten in the light along with the sharp aquiline features that her family possessed, giving off the impression that she was a peacock, but in a good way.

  “My beloved, why do you trouble yourself, your family needs your leadership now more than ever. These invaders have entered the Peacock Duchies, looting, pillaging, and destroying all that is beautiful. We must act quickly before all is lost.” Raina's voice was like warm honey, melting him with her words. It did not matter what the message was, every time she spoke it sent pleasant tingles down his body. And her eyes, every time he looked into the piercing eyes, he became putty in her hands, any opposition to any idea she might have faded away as every fiber of his being told him not to disappoint or hurt her.

  “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, and we can’t drive this force back alone, I need the aid of my uncle, Archduke Heinrich von Klinge, and the Wolf Duchies, to save this Kingdom. We will need to return the Bluegrass Valley and apologize, but that is a small price to pay to save the Kingdom.” Right after he said this, looking deeply into Raina’s lavender-colored eyes, he felt the weight of crushing sadness and despair hit him, as Raina’s eyes began to tear up.

  “My love, why would you take your wedding present from me? Don’t you love me anymore?” There was an intense pain in her voice.

  The pressure got even greater on King John, as guilt and shame began to overtake his mind. How dare he try to take away a present from his beloved wife. The Wolf should defend their King no matter what, those mutts were ungrateful and undeserving of living under the Lion Throne, when this was done, they should be dealt with more directly. At least, that is what his thoughts were telling him. “I’m sorry sweetie, I didn’t mean to hurt you, the pressure is getting to me, that’s all.” After that, the crushing weight he had felt had disappeared as a smile came to his Queen’s face.

  “That is alright my love, think nothing of it, you’re only tired from the weight of your crown. Why don’t you lay down for a while, and let me take up your burden for you?” With that, she helped her husband up to his feet and began to guide him to his chambers.

  From the shadows, the youngest of the royal children, and the only child of Queen Raina, Princess Victoria watched as her mother led her father away. Out of all the royal children, it was Victoria who had the strongest connection to the Galdwin features, having long and thick blonde hair, sharp feline facial features, and piercing golden eyes. Despite this, everyone, including her siblings, chose to ignore her since she was so low in the line of succession.

  Victoria's mother seemed to ignore her most of the time, except when she was paraded about like a painted doll at public events or when her mother wanted to pretend to be a doting parent to those who might be impressed by it. Still, she did the best she could, and in this current case, the best was staying out of the way of her relatives who would not want some twelve-year-old girl getting in the way of their grand schemes and plots to save the Kingdom and make themselves look good in the process.

  Victoria doubted much would come of it, the Galdwins were no longer the grand and noble family they used to be, too many selfish schemes and pointless backstabbing had seen to that. The modern family was nothing compared to the living legends from her books. Victoria thought that perhaps this threat was a punishment sent by the gods to remove them from power. Who but the gods knew what the future had in store?

  Zarathustra’s Tower, de Garnier Territory

  House de Garnier had not put up much of a fight, though their beautiful gardens and coastal resorts were fun to ransack. The Peacocks were assembling all their forces up on the coastal road, abandoning their southern territories while consolidating their forces at the Seven Gates of Heaven, seven fortresses that maintained control over the steep coastal pass. Those fortresses could prove difficult, with how narrow the pass could get, but in the end, Zarathustra would prevail. While he was relaxing, he took some time to reminisce, all the way back to his defeat at the hands of the King of Lions.

  Zarathustra had laid strewn out in the mud, his army shattered and scattered, with his hated enemies, Arthur and his sister Morgana standing over him, with Arthur holding the Jewel of Morgaine in one hand, and his magical sword Excelsior in the other. Arthur was tall and handsome, clad in the finest armor with long and thick flowing blonde hair, combining with his feline features to resemble a lion. The worst part was his piercing golden eyes staring down at him, judging him. The only piece of her appearance Morgana shared with her brother was her piercing golden eyes. Morgana was tall and beautiful, with a long black dress, long silky black hair that reached the earth, facial features that reminded someone of a raven, and she was wielding a long dark staff with a raven on top of it. While Arthur was judging him, Morgana was just smirking at him.

  “You have been defeated monster, departed from my lands, and never return, I will give you this one mercy,” Arthur told Zarathustra.

  “But what if I come back?” Zarathustra asked.

  “Then my descendants will drive you back to the pit from whence you came.”

  “You have a lot of faith in people who aren’t born yet. And what of your sister, will her children stand with yours, or has she outlived her usefulness?” Morgana’s smile turned into a sneer at Zarathustra.

  “That’s quite the insinuation, of course, my children and I will always be loyal to my brother and his line, there is no other path,” Morgana told him.

  “Still, it’s a shame, this victory may even be more yours than his, yet they will sing his praises, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get a line about how you were there as well.”

  Morgana got ready to strike him, but she hesitated, good Zarathustra thought, he had planted the seeds of doubt, hopefully, they would bear the fruit he desired.

  “Leave us now lich, we do not need you to continue to pollute this Kingdom with your foul presence.”

  “As you wish Arthur, but remember this, nothing lasts forever.”

  A thousand years had passed since that day, and his predictions had come true. The line of Galdwin had weakened in time and was now powerless to stop him. And even better, there was no mention of Morgana anywhere in the Kingdom. Zarathustra did not know the exact truth of what happened, but it must not have been all that pleasant.

  “Don’t worry Morgana, soon your brother will be joining you in obscurity.”

  Chroniclers Notes

  The Great Duchies

  Lion: Lying at the heart of the Kingdom of Lions, the Royal Lands has a diverse portfolio of resources, but it focused on agriculture and the manufacturing of finished goods.

  Wolf: The Wolf Duchies lay to the West of the Lion and Peacock, and South of the Owl. The primary resources of the Wolf Duchies were lumber, furs, arms and armor, and recreational hunting.

  Peacock: The Peacock took up a good portion of the Eastern Coast, bordered by the Stag in the north and the Bear/Viper in the southwest, while also controlling a large slither of farmland south of the Lion that reached the Wolf, including the breadbasket known as the Bluegrass Valley. The Peacock focused on agriculture, fishing, and recreation.

  Bear: The southernmost territory, bordered by the Mustang, Viper, and Peacock in the north. Due to massive mountains on either side of their territory most of the Bear lands were an arid desert. Because of this, their one real exportable resource was the raw excess metal excavated from their mines that they could spare from their war efforts.

  Viper: The swampy Viper Duchies lay north of the Bear and between the Peacock and Mustang. The Viper were known for their medicinal herbs, colorful dyes, and alligator hides.

  Mustang: The Mustang and their Grass Sea were located West of the Viper, and oversaw the only known pass that leads out of the Kingdom of Lions to the nations to the west. The Mustang focused on cattle and horse breeding.

  Albatross: A chain of islands located to the Southeast of the mainland, the Albatross were known for their tropical fruits, sugar cane, and illegally obtained foreign goods.

  Moth: Located north of the stag, east of the Hound, Cardinal, Toad, and south of the Shark. The Moth specialized in the manufacture of magical items and goods, while also providing their services to the highest bidder.

  Owl: Located in the foothills leading up to the Impossible Mountains, North of the Wolf and west of the Hound, Cardinal, and Toad. The common folk of the Owl not directly associated with the Faith of the Nine Founders mined marble and stone and tended to the sheep.

  The Lesser Duchies

  Stag: North of the Peacock, south of the Moth, and west of the Lion, the Stag produced no goods for export, instead focusing their efforts on containment.

  Hound: Located north of the Lion, West of the Moth, East of the Owl, and South of the Cardinal, the Hound produced high-quality hunting dogs.

  Cardinal: North of the Hound, south of the Toad, East of the Owl, and West of the Moth, this resource-poor region produced no goods for export.

  Toad: North of the Cardinal, south of Badger Pass, East of the Owl, and West of the Moth, the Toad lands were home to precious mineral and metal mines along with skilled jewelers.

  Badger: The Badger Duchy watched over the only narrow land pass to the Land of Ice and Fog. Raw iron ore was their primary export.

  Shark: Nestled above the Moth Duchies, the Shark guarded the northern waterways from foreign raiders. The only export was seafood.