NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55: SAHAROS EMPIRE
Saharos Empire, Imperial City of Yasrib.
Yasrib, the Center of the World. Beautiful yet ferocious, the most elegant lady the continent has to offer. Built for millennials by the Vega Imperial family, each building had grace, beauty and panache. The whole city from above had something akin to Italian renaissance craft, yet one could still see that it is still a scientific at it's core.
Each building seemed to hold a profound meaning, like going through a tuned written prose. The city was indeed, glorious, tall buildings, gorgeous statues, traces of magic and science appearing here and there. If one would only look over quickly, one would only see a lone beautiful rose.
Yet, the more and more someone would deepen his gaze, he would start to see, the intricacies, the mechanisms of defense and the beautiful rose would slowly turn into a despicable witch ready to take your soul the moment you had thoughts about her!
That city was Yasrib, and atop of her like a great lion looking down on the frail lady, The Imperial Castle was erected like a castle in the sky! If Yasrib needed a keen eye, the Imperial Castle would directy slap you in the face! It will yell at you, scream at you to bow, to even dig a hole of yourself only to escape from it's Might.
The Imperial Castle was almighty. Three building were touring around her.
The first was'The Office', the 'Work Place' of the 4 Dukes of the Empire. To describe them more accurately, there is a widely known phrase said about them:
"If you ask a King to give his wife, to sit on the Office he would happily let you have 10 goes at her!"
The 4 oldest Families of the Empire or named 'The four of the Rebellion'. Each one of this families held great authority inside and outside of the Empire. Kings and Emperors alike, would bend the knee before of them. Each generation head inherits a title.
"Sword Saint" for the Amengal House
"Axe Saint" for the Avaricia House
"Lance Saint" for the Le'Overallines House
And Finally for the most Powerful one!
"Martial Saint" for the Aveiredes House
Each one of these houses Martial Arts is said to surpass each existing sect on the Continent. Those 4 are the mighty Generals that lead practically all the Military of the Empire. Well, all but one….
The Second was the Pillars Pavillon. Where the 5 Pillars of the Empire looked down with all their pride on the Astaroth Continent. Nobody knew what they looked like, nobody knew their names, nobody knew their real roles in the Empire. The only thing that is known is that those 5 are Millenial Old Monsters lurking in Yasrib since the enthronement of the First Emperor of the Vega Dynasty.
But one thing is sure, even the mention of their name could sentence people to death.
The Last one was the abode of the 5 leaders of The Imperial Army. Going by the ominous title of 'The Imperial Sentence knights.'
They are known as the most feared order of Knights in the continent. They have a rather peculiar hierarchy.
The 20 Strongest of the whole Empire are named the 'Numbered Sentences' and are basically in charge. Astaroth continent had another saying about them:
""He who offends the Sky shall receive the Imperial Sentence
If the 20th sentence falls, a City shall follow it
If the 10th sentence falls, a Kingdom shall follow it.
If the 5th sentence falls, an Empire shall follow it.
If the First falls, close your eyes and despair.
For when the Heavenly Lotus grazes your land all that exists shall disappear."
The 5th sentence to the First, all lived under the Emperor's abode. Like the five blades that protect the Imperial Castle.
The night sky descended on Yasrib, and like a ritual every resident had a wide and composed smile as they opened their window. The five buildings, the Imperial Chambers and the whole Yasrib was waiting. At the precise time they expected, a zinther sound was heard enveloping the whole capital in momentary bliss, the music was beautiful, profound, between the hardness of a knight and the beauty of a princess. Each citizen felt it's entire fatigue cleansed by the notes, like a miracle cure for the soul. Yasrib continued to be swayed again, and again, admiratively looking in the direction of the Highest Floor of The Kingihts Pavion.
Inside it a snow-white haired woman was playing the zinther, her light white robes on, she looked like the purest being on existence. Her eyes lightly shut, she had a light smile as she continued to enchant the whole Imperial Capital, by her side, her sister who have seen her play since they were kids but still find her mesmerizing, had awe and worship in her eyes. She thought:
"Heavenly Lotus. She is the personification of this name itself."
Indeed, the woman who every knight enchants the whole kingdom is none else than the
First Sentence of the Empire: Aeleis, The Heavenly Lotus.
Her sister continued to admire her play until she ended. She slowly opened her eyes, her light grey shining eyes and smiled purely to her sister:
"To what I owe the pleasure, for the Great Fifth Sentence to grace me with her presence?"
The beautiful, younger white-haired girl pouted:
"What are you saying, big sister?! I come here all the time"
The young woman with the Zinther only smiled lightly, and it was as if the whole room lit up!
"I only received visits from my dear sister. But today, I also receive a visit from The Fifth Sentence herself."
The girl got a little Embarrassed by her sister's praise.
"I am proud of you, Tephania. You honor our father's memory."
Tepha had nostalgic eyes as she remembered her childhood. Aeleis then got to the point:
"You must bring me some news, if you came at this hour."
Tepha had a solemn face as she grazed her sword:
"I received an Imperial Order."
Aeleis sighed, a little solitude in her eyes:
"It is about the Cobrosia Empire, isn't it? Or should I say…
…'The Atlas Empire'?"
She nodded with a deep gaze:
"The Emperor is enraged by the development that ensued in the siege there…After all the work, the promises made to Princess Lina, we still are 'empty handed'."
Aeleis narrowed her eyes:
"Aiding the Lan Empire and Rune Empire into pressuring the Rwa Empire. Urging their imminent expansion to the west, to take over the Four neighboring Countries. The first three immediately declared their surrender. Of course, the Vega Dynasty will never bend the knee. Assuring the complete unresponsive behavior of the Combrosia Empire by securing the support of Princess Linaella, the actual ruler of the Empire."
Thephania responded with a cold voice:
"And then, just when the Empire is about to face total oblivion, isolated from all allies. Our Empire would run to the help of the Combrosia Empire, using the 'brotherhood ties' between the Saharian Dynasty and the Vega Dynasty. "
Aeleis had longing eyes:
"Using as the sole bargain. The thing our Empire have been longing for the most. The King Piece."
Tephania tilted her head:
"This kind of development is like spitting in the face of our Empire. One Million Army decimated like stardust."
"But this happening is rather routine for big forces. It can only mean one thing."
Aeleis approved:
"Expert."
Tephania's eyes became fiercer:
"Someone sends an expert to back them up at the last minute. Do you think one of the two barking dogs could have done it?"
Aeleis who have maintained a flawless appearance up until know had evident mockery on her face:
"And from where they would get the guts?"
She continued as she sighed:
"Even if they wanted to double cross us. They wouldn't send their 'precious' experts to help a 'small country'. Backing doesn't work like that. Those cowards are way too afraid to lose them."
Tephania had perplexed look, she also thought it was weird, but found it to be the most logical explanation. The Emperor and the Four Dukes, too. Aeleis lightly bitted her thumb. This was the sign she was in deep reflection:
"If you want my honest opinion. I have a bad feeling about this, an ominous feeling. Even the decisions made after the end of the war, shutting the borders, alienating the Martial Alliance and the Rwa Empire. Swift and decisive and most importantly…"
Tephania finally ticked:
"…This isn't the Behavior of a weakened country, at all…"
Aeleis sighed deeply as she kept getting a bad feeling the more she though about it:
"If taken without context, each decison the new Emperor made seemed as stupid and reckless as he is described in the reports. But that's only with the amount of information we could collect...Exactly because he shut the Imperial City."
The bad feeling only grew bigger:
"Thephania, do you remember what Father used to say about the Combrosia Empire?"
Tephania had wide eyes and then looked down, remembering a conversation the three of them had with their deceased father:
"'Those are the people are the ones I fear the most in the continent. We have let them go into exode so we could snatch the King Piece back from them. They have the blood of unificators in their veins."
Little Aeleis asked:
"But Father aren't their Emperors getting more and more rotten with time. This Dynasty is already ruined."
The Father nodded but still responded:
"All what you said is true."
"But I believe in never tempting fate. And with them, that is exactly what we did, we let them go. We let them build an Empire in the other side of the Continent."
"Again and again we temped fate. And if my years in wars have taught me something. It's that Miracles almost exclusively happen under circumstances like that...."
Aeleis looked over at her sister:
"You've been probably sent to collect the Exode Tribute."
Thepahnia narrowed her eyes:
"If they have the right amount, we will let it go. But if they don't,…We will demand that they abandon their King Piece."
Aeleis nodded:
"Be careful, get there as quietly as possible. Take The 14th knight and the 9th with you. Try to go by Princess Linaella first."
Tephania acknowledge the order and left the room solemnly.
Alone, in the room. Aeleis still mumbled in her rosed lips:
"Malé Vega. In my calculation, you always seemed like the only wild card. Talentless, stupid, the shame of the Empire. Yet, those decisions doesn't seem like that…
….Malé Vega are you simply talentless trash or…"
She smiled lightly, an interested glow in her eyes:
"…A real life Miracle?"