Kismet’s Tale

      Old Fred knew a lot about the Empire. The Empire was his home ever since the Emperor placed the flat of his blade on his shoulder.

"The children had grown bold," said the man who wore a fur-lined coat emboldened with the Aquila crown with the corona of the sun. "War changes their hearts, and they become bolder than ever. I had believed that my children wouldn't change."

"What do you think of Arno?" the man asked suddenly.

"He has led the Empire to a state where it had achieved an impossible victory. Many had thought that the war would continue, your majesty."

"It would have if it wasn't for the discovery of the son of the Strongarm Clan. My son would have suffered if it wasn't for the son of the Strongarm Clan. He had been careless to trust others so easily. He entered a den of snakes without clearing the snakes first."

The man on the throne tapped his fingers on the throne's armrest. Sunlight entered through archaic windows. There was an illusion of a halo manifesting behind the man on the throne.

"That may be true, but he had done well to broker the peace."

Old Fred remained standing just below the small flight of steps. His hands behind his back and eyes on the man on the throne.

"My son won because of the dukes. He repelled the enemy through the sheer will of the sons of the athesia. I heard of the victory of Logain Strom in the mountains of Lazon. However, do you know what made Lazon the only region in my Empire win?"

Old Fred didn't dare to answer. He let the man on the throne continue speaking.

"Because someone had been insightful enough to see. Maybe it has been an accident. But had proven to be that silver bullet that changed the history of the Empire."

"Old Fred, do you know the story of the crow and the raven?"

"Which one, your majesty?"

The man on the throne rested his cheek on his knuckles. "Once upon a time, there was a family of crows and a raven. The crows were always together while the raven was all alone in the skies. The raven was a corpse-eater, a bird that flew up in the heavens to search for food. One day, the raven had become wiser, and it began to understand that when a flock of two-legged apes gathers in one spot. There would be food. The raven became greedy, and sometimes it would try to hurt those who are wounded.

"The vultures started to gather. They fed on the wounded and the dead. The raven left and before long had eaten alone once again. Do you know why the raven got thrown away from that field of food?"

"Because it was alone," Old Fred answered.

"Yes, but the raven was a mighty bird that could have tried something, but it is no match for the Aquilla, the bird loved by the sun. Ah, I started to get sidetracked. What I speak is that the raven knew that it could find more food. And as it flies everywhere, looking for food through the dead, it had become an omen among the people. But what happened to the crows?"

The man on the throne paused. "We haven't heard of the crows. Their bodies were little, and yet there was something more to the crows than the raven. Old Fred, in the families that you have visited, how many of them owned a crow?"

Old Fred held his chin, "If my memory serves me right, then there were forty families who used to breed crows."

"As pets. Do you know they kept the crows?"

"For their ability to find gems, and that there is a legend about how they found a treasure cove by following four crows."

"They have another value other than pulling meat from the throats of corpses. We keep them around because they would unknowingly bring gems. The founder would have made the crow the symbol of our nation if it was not for the Aquilla he saw that day."

Old Fred nodded at the words of the man on the throne. The shaft of light seems to burn the symbol on the paving of the floor.

"One has value," he continued," and the other is a symbol. But both can be valuable depending on the situation. The foolish would pick the crow, and the wiser one would go for the raven."

"But one cannot become what they always," Old Fred answered this time.

The man on the throne smiled gently, "The story about the crows and the raven," he dragged his fist on the armrest, "is the dullest thing to have come from the mouth of people. But everyone from Dinia and the Empire is fond of such story."

"Because it is both a symbol and a valuable tale for them."

"My son is called a crow by his peers."

Old Fred pursed his lips. The man on the throne continued.

"It is embarrassing that a member of the Imperial Family to be called a crow. It is a shame that they put the brand on him. The second son, the wiser one, is a vulture that would rather rule a kingdom of dirt."

The man on the throne leaned. "The rest of my children are cubs. The princess would rather play with paint and brushes than even dare to look at the pieces on the board."

The man on the throne stared at the symbol on the ground. "I have many potential empress-regents that would continue on this ancient blood. Two of them would make good rulers. If only there is another that could become the partner for my second son. Do you perhaps know anyone worthy, Fred?"

"Unfortunately, I do not know anyone of such brilliance."

"Hmm, yes, that is truly unfortunate." The man on the throne held his hand up. The shaft of sunlight split the symbol on the ground.

"How is the son of the strongarm?"

"He is doing well, your majesty."

"A shame that the son does not wish to rule the land it rightfully owns."

Old Fred stared. The man on the throne waves his hand. "I am not boring enough to make him rethink his choices. Count Derrick is perfect for the job, too perfect that I won't worry about Lazon for the next years to come."

The man on the tone clenched his right hand. "But I want to see what would have happened if he had continued the rule. However, without him in the field, we wouldn't have won so magnificently."

Old Fred's demeanor was strange. The man on the throne gave him a knowing stare.

"My birds had told me of his work. Most of us know this, and there is no doubt that this is enough to earn the honor of even marrying my daughter. Nonetheless, he is no crow or craven. He is an Aquila."

"Your majesty, surely does not mean that?"

The man on the throne didn't look away. His eyes remained steadfast. Old Fred's respectful gaze disappeared from his eyes. The frost on his face could extinguish flames.

"Do you deny what he can do?"

'I don't. But your majesty must know that this isn't something one should say."

"If he's own my blood, he would have been Emperor."

"Then does the majesty think little of your blood?"

"Impossible. I am proud that my blood had produced those who can rule. However, my children are crows. They are not Aquilla. The throne does not need a crow sitting on it."

"And a throne with a ruler who does not care is even more dangerous."

The man on the throne nodded his head. "Alfred Silheid, and Old Sable. Old Alfred was getting rusty. He had forgotten that it was no longer a world where one could swing a sword freely. He can adapt, and yet he failed in protecting himself. He was trying to be a father to his men in a world where one could kill from 400 meters."

He raised one finger. "Old Sable wanted Flost for himself. Eight years ago, he had wanted to rejoin the Empire. I had wanted him to join but wanted more of the Federation. To the point that he would kill my son for it.

"I wanted him to join us, Fred. To return to this Empire and serve under the Imperial Family. And he had chosen to use my son against me. I remember the time we thought of a better world than this. We wanted a world where our sons wouldn't have to kill another. There are millions of young men under the soil, Fred. There are millions of families that the Empire has to feed now."

Old Fred remained quiet. The symbol on the floor, covered with a shadow. The man on the throne stared at the shadow with a still expression.

"The war ended, though the wounds will heal slowly. Twenty years, we must have twenty years until we recover from our losses."

The man on the throne brought up a paper. He took a long look on the paper with his brows meeting. The silence that came made Old Fred close his eyes to wait patiently for the man on the throne to speak.

"An intercontinental train that would connect three continents. General Steelheart had talked to me on the telephone that it would bring the people from Champier and Turian together.

"The world is getting smaller as years passed. We used to laugh at men who thought they could fly, and by the wood and metal contraptions, they become the master of the skies. My generals tell me that we would have a better view of our Empire, our maps more accurate, and better. They will be perfect for the army as well. The ones who rule the skies will dominate the earth.

"I hate it. I want the planes to be a symbol of a better future in the world. Now they look at it like a weapon that would soon be in all wars to come."

"Then do you--?"

"Agree?" He nodded. "I was the one who offered the exchange of technology in the first place. I want better planes for our Empire. They'll be our knights in the sky."

Old Fred agreed. "The Tomas Family shall be handling the assets. As per the contract, the production of some of the technology will go to the mouth of Pustalo."

"The Imperial Family will offer the support. The rest of the production will be in my capital city, Fred."

"I understand. The planes?"

"We'll use the south of Lazon to test the ground planes. We'll have the rest in the outskirts of the City and the Academy. I don't want them to be in the same place. We divide the work and let them work at their own pace. The Holmians will appreciate this.

"I want people protecting Doctor Rene and Kristine all the time. Increase the security in the Academy, and let no nobles other than the ones who are involved."

"The Grand Dukes will want them."

"Let them. The Grand Dukes know how I want this technology. They will offer their wealth with this," he smiled. "They'd want to compete with the Tomas Family now. Hmm, have you talked to Logain Stromm about my offer?"

"He cannot accept your offer, your majesty."

"The warden of the Tomas Family is loyal," he nodded and glared. "Did this come out of his mouth?"

Old Fred fished out a letter from his coat. He handed it to the man on the throne. Opening the letter, the man on the throne nodded his head and placed it on the table adjacent to the throne.

"A shame, I want a new general to handle the affairs of my Empire. I guess I cannot take him away without permission from the King of Greater Lazon."

Old Fred pursed his mouth. The man on the throne did not continue what he was implying and turned his head to his left.

"Cecilia, greet our guest."

The young woman trotted next to the man on the throne. She greeted Old Fred with a bow of her head and lifted the hem of her skirt.

"Good day, Sir Fred."

Old Fred bowed his head, "Lady Cecilia, it is an honor to speak with you."

She smiled amicably. The man on the throne gestured with his right hand for the Lady to take the documents. Lady Cecilia took the papers and scanned them with her incredible eyes.

"Incredible planning, as expected from Sir Fred. Though if I am one with few resources, this would be rather inadequate."

"Indeed, we can go through such a plan because of our current prosperity," Old Fred explained. "The war was a profitable business, and many of our fellows are hoping to develop more of these weapons and sell them in countries that have problems with their natives."

Lady Cecilia nodded her head, "Of course, have a plane that could fly around the world, carry tons of weapons and arms without using too much fossil fuel would be lovely."

The Lady had a slight grin on her face as she looked at the papers. Old Fred blinked, and asked. "Is the Lady an Aquila?"

The man on the throne gave Old Fred a long look. He turned to his daughter and asked, "Are you, my daughter?"

"Silly, Lord Father knows this daughter is a Cassowary."

"See?" The man on the throne was pleased by the response of his daughter. "She knows what she is, Fred."

Old Fred agreed. Lady Cecilia stayed with the man on the throne.

She carried a brush and an empty canvas with her. The man on the throne seems to observe Old Fred. There were always painful pauses when it comes to the Emperor. It makes them think and lose their patience. Old Fred knew the man on the throne for years and thought he learned well from the previous Emperor.

"Your majesty has truly grown. This old man is at ease seeing you like this."

Hearing him, the man on the throne laughed loudly. For the first time, he lost that stiff attitude that he showed Old Fred. Lady Cecilia smiled thinly, looking at her dear father.

"I always like you, Old Fred," he began. "You have a way of creeping inside people's hearts. They look at you with little wariness, and many among the nobles like you more than they dislike you. Many of the young men and women praise you. It always comes out of my Empress's mouth how we should have never let your family go to the Strongarm Clan."

"I am merely a servant. Age has made me wiser, and I have learned my lessons."

"How many old flames do you still have, Old Fred?"

Old Fred glared, "Is that a question or an order, your majesty?"

"If you don't want to tell, I won't bother you with it. Call it curiosity."

"Father," Lady Cecilia said, "Old Fred has quite the charm that even attracts those who are of my same age."

The man on the throne stared, "Is that true?"

"They are misguided, your majesty. Those young women like to tease this old man."

The man on the throne and his daughter looked at Old Fred with doubt. Even at his age, Old Fred remained firm and sharp. He didn't have any wrinkles. His graying hair and charming disposition sharpened his already good qualities. He fitted the older gentleman look, and many young men had expressed how they wanted to become like him.

"What a charmer," the man on the throne commended. He turned to his daughter. "Do you see it like that as well?"

"Goodness, no, I respect Sir Fred more than that."

Old Fred looked at the Lady with appreciation. Old Fred knew that this started when a jealous noblewoman did this to irritate him. It worked magnificently, and he had acquired the admiration of the younglings of the Empire.

Seemingly amused, the man on the throne said, "Nonetheless, it seems that time did not lessen your popularity, Fred. Before you go, I want your opinion on another matter. My daughter, can you take the documents back to my office?"

"Of course, Lord father," she bowed and looked at Old Fred. "Good day, Sir Fred. I shall be taking my leave now."

"Thank you, Lady Cecilia."

Lady Cecilia left the throne room with small careful steps. The throne hall was silent again, and there were only two of them standing in front of another.

"If she had interest, she would have become the second empress of the Empire. A shame that she prefers the canvas and the pursuit of her interest more than ruling the Empire. There is a pattern of the sons and daughters pursuing liberty and fraternity more than belief in the Empire. That reminds me, I should thank the son of the Strongarm for taking care of the man who had wanted to turn the Empire against me."

Old Fred stared confusedly. The man on the throne's expression was muddled. His brows met, and then a smile appeared on his face. "Then you do not know what the son of the Strongarm Clan did when he came to my city. I don't blame him for it. It seems he was worried about this, and he had done what Constable should have done. I admire his ability to find people like them. Do you perhaps know his methods?"

"No."

"Of course, if you had known, then you would have shown me."

"It seems that there too many rats and birds in the Empire."

"It is for the good of the Empire. We cannot afford to have a weak heart when facing a war. We must watch our backyard. We have taken care of the war in this continent," he leaned forward, fingers joined. "Withamia is a threat, Old Fred. It won't be long until they cross the ocean and avenge their demikin."

"I will inform Count Derrick of this."

"We need to crush them before they could even think of crossing the Turian Continent."

Old Fred stood firmly. The man on the throne, no, the Emperor of Athesia, balled his fist with determination.

"We shall bring them the might of humanity if they do wish to cross our lands."

Old Fred nodded. The continent was at peace, and though they have many dreams, it was nothing more than another step to the problem that they might face sooner or later.