Age of Heroes

WHITEMONTH 1023

The wind is gentle, and the sun is shining bright.

Today is a good day to wage war

In Arrandy, the war drums had been strike and the marching of men had been ordered.

War once again pervade the life of those people living in the Human Continent.

Leading them, is none other than the famous young lord of Arrandy, the Prince of Aetherland, the Duke of Arrandy.

For the past few years, the Vermont family have risen to become one of the most powerful noble family in the continent. 

With trades spanning continents and the great relationship between the Vermont and Arakath in the Dark Lands, that reputation is cemented.

This war that has been waged is the culmination of the fate and destiny. The Vermont and the Alan have been extricable tied by a destiny that span countless of years.

The death of Duke Alderam Alan in the hands of the young lord had been the event that resulted in the future entanglements between the young Duke of Arrandy and the young King of Vangua.

The subsequent event where King Edward the Saint meeting the Duke and the subsequent promise and the oath of vassalage all culminated and leading to this war.

But the consequences of fate and destiny is mystical as it is old magic's. The destiny of the Alan and the Vermont have been tied for thousands of years.

This is the Age of Heroes. History will be made, and heroes will be remembered. Whether they were villains or saint, great feats will be remembered.

And somewhere in a secret forest, inside a lake, a Goddess smile upon the story that is about to unfold.

For the story has been written in the stars. And as such the curtain to the war open up in a sunny day.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

A large army stand under the sun.

The soldiers are all at attention. Disciplined and solemn, that is the impression one would have when seeing this army that have been assembled by the Duke of Arrandy

A horse could be seen running along. The horse is red in color; the hair of the horse seems like a flame when the sun shines upon it

it is a well-known horse. It is famous because of its speed. And also because the one who rides it.

The horse is wild and could only be tamed by that noble. 

The story was popular among the peasant family. 

Wandering storytellers would tell the story of how the red horse was so wild that anyone who tried to rides them would have broken back when the horse would run amuck. 

But when that noble rides it, the red horse become docile and tame. Thus since then, the red horse accompanies that noble in his journey.

The red horse is none other than Firebringer. And the one who rides it is none other than the Duke of Arrandy, Arial Vermont

Arial can be seen riding on top of his horse from one end to one of his large army as each of his soldiers all stand in uniform position as Arial inspect them for one last time.

Then Arial stopped at the center of the front of his army and look to their faces.

And then he yelled.

"ARRANDIANS!" And his Knight all stands at the ready. Then he continued saying

"Today we march!'

'AYE!' The soldiers yelled

Arial smiles and then he shouted once again, his voice echoes and drown the aye as everyone could hear his voice like he was speaking beside them.

'I have come amongst you, as you see, this time, not for my own recreation or disport, neither do I came to watch my people die a meaningless death. I have resolved, to live and die amongst you all, to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honor and, my blood, even in the dust."

Turning to the nobles, he declared: 

"Here I vow, that if it shall please God to grant me the victory, that, on whatever spot it shall befall, I will there build a church to be consecrated to Light and His Apostles, where perpetual prayers shall be offered for the sins of King Edward the Saint, for my own sins, the sins of Lady Helia, my wife, and the sins of such people that have attended me in this expedition, but more particularly for the sins of such as may fall in the battle."

The nobles hear and nodded by this declaration of the Duke.

'MEN!' He then yelled. 

'Do not fear the might of the Vanguan forces. Do not fear their numbers!'

He let a second pass before saying 

'Wars are more often won by courage than by the number of fighting men. Harald is attempting to retain what he has wrongfully seized from me; and I would fight to acquire what is rightfully mine. This is proper. And this is just. This funda­mental confidence of our side, dispelling all danger, will give us a splendid tri­umph, great glory and a famous name that would be remembered forever. Eternal glory, this is what I promise!'

Then the nobles, the Knights, the men at arms, the archers, the marching men, all of the soldiers cheered so hard that one might wonder if such cheer could shake the forest behind them.

Arial is ruthless man towards his enemies, but it speaks much of his personal authority and powers of man-manage­ment that he was able to organize such a great army in so short a time and to hold it together for such a risky enterprise.

With plots and intrigue, with martial might and personal charisma, he managed to unite Arrandian lords to one cause and that is the throne of Vangua.

His cause become their cause, his fight become their fight. 

Never before in the history of the Human Continent other than during Levitia March that so many people were united by one-man personal charisma.

That is because rarely come such a man that defy convention as much as Arial Vermont. Arial is confident in his victory.

Arial is one step ahead of Harald in the propaganda war. 

He sent an em­bassy to the Office of the Holies where his wily Arrandian ambassadors Silas Perigord persuaded the Supreme Papnoticon to give his blessing to the invasion. 

Since Harald's case went unrepresented, it may be presumed that this result was achieved by dint of the usual one-sided arguments. 

The office of Holies sponsorship of a war, symbolized by the grant of a Papnoticon banner, is a very recent innovation and it was notably astute of Arial to seek it, for this emblem of the approval of the highest authority in Lucelliandom, at once legitimated the expedition as a sanctified quest to oust a faithless usurper from the throne

In the end Arial had no difficulty raising his army. 

The bulk of it came from within Arrandy but others, sometimes his former enemies, from Aetherland, Seren, Althea, and even some from the conquered Dostov who is one of the staunch supporters of the Church.

They are lured by the spirit of adventure, the papal blessing and the promise of Vanguan land and gold. 

Many would die, but if the dragon side won the survivors would become rich. 

What an awesome spectacle the common folk must have seen, thousands of men and horses lined up along the open space ready to embark on their mission, a mission that Arial and his wife had conceived in their mind and ordained with his own commanding words. 

During this time Harald has defeated the menace that plagued his territory in the south but this information is not known by Arial who had just received word of the landing of Diego in the southern part.

All Arial knows is that Harald is retreating to the southern domain, to handle the menace that plaque there. So it is the perfect time to move.

'We will march!' Arial ordered as the Duke mighty force took their chance and left their borders.