Age of Heroes

The guard outside quickly inform the messenger to call the Great Chief Tiger Generals. Yanggu .Deurhu. Hurgan. Donhuri and Furlang.

Five of these generals quickly donned their battle armour and rush to the Great Chief tent. Entering they quickly kneel, their hands on their heart as they said in unison.

'Great Chief what is your order?'

'Has the Great Leaders of the banners assembled?' Nur ask his generals.

Yanggu shakes his head. 

'They are still in battle with the Somaek and Hanbaek tribe.' He replies. Nur just nodded and rub his chin before deciding on something.

'Yanggu. Today, in front of the other Tiger Generals I appoint you as regent of my rule. You will protect my son and my family when I'm away. Do you refuse?'

The other four look at Yanggu with envious expression but none of them shows any expression of hate. Yanggu was overjoyed and reply.

'I will fulfill the Great Chief order.' Nur nodded and smiles.

'The other four. Assemble your men. Send messengers to the Eight Banners to join me when the campaign finishes. Four of you will march together with me.'

'Where, Great Chief?' Four of them asked as they waited their Great Chief answers

Nur was silent for a while, thinking something very hard, sighing but already steeling his resolve he answer heavily.

'The Empire. We will help the Young Princess of the Dragon. We are marching to the Capital of Eden to send aid'

'This is unwise, Great Chief.' Hurgan said, almost immediately

Nur look on the ceiling of his tent and shakes his head.

'Sometimes we have to take a risk' He then get up from his seat and come out of his tent. The Five Generals follow behind him, slightly bowing. 

Nur looking in front of him and all he sees is sand. 

A lot of sands. But he also sees the people of his tribes prospering, no longer hunted by the Zettelian, no longer oppressed and he smiles.

'Let us prepare a feast tonight. Let us pray to the Mother Mountain and the Skyfather to bless our journey, to grant us victory in battles and to protect us from the Darkness of the Abyss. Tomorrow we march. This is my command.' He said forcefully

The Five General behind Nur Aci looks at each other. Then, sighing they replied in unison.

'As the Great Chief commands!'

That night the Hersi clan prepares their largest feast yet. 500 secruah was slaughtered to be eaten and the Ervun drink was distributed. 

They feasted at night during the moon was visible and the High Priest pray to Mother Mountain, prostrating to Earth, praying for safety and then the High Priest look to the Sky and pray to the Skyfather for victory in battles.

In the morning, Nur Aci marches to the Capital with twenty thousand great horsemen as the clouds of sand trail behind this great army.

A new variable has entered the game.

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EDEN

THRONE ROOM

Silas was looking at the Dragon Throne in front of him. Even just looking at it fills Silas with a majestic presence.

Beside him was his nephew Aleph. Aleph looks at his uncle and he was hesitating to say anything but finally gathering his courage he said.

'Lord Regent' Aleph said as he looks at his uncle and sighed.

Their negotiations with the princess broke through today. 

Silas came from the Arrandy court and advises the Imperial Court to stop the game and unite back the Court under the rule of Arial sister until the Emperor returns.

But the old nobles faction of course could not accept it. 

Moreover, even the First princess could not accept it and accuses him of usurping the power of the Imperial Court

The reason why Silas dares enter the Imperial Court even though he was banished by the Princess is precisely because of his status and the Emperor decree about him.

Because of his contribution to the Empire, The Great Emperor has decree that his nobility could not be revoked, he could not be sentenced to death, and he could not be held in prison unless he was convicted of high treason.

It was because of this even though the princess can banish him, she could not imprison him else she would be breaking the promise of the emperor and that is a crime.

Silas look at the throne and lamented.

'It is a pity.'

Aleph hearing this ask.

'What is?'

'Oliver. And his friends. What a pity. What a pity' Silas repeated.

'Why Uncle?' Aleph asked again

Silas look at the throne wistfully.

'Our liege is a dreamer. Probably the biggest dreamer of them all. The young dreams big, full with lofty ambition and boundless aspirations. The old is too tired to follow. The foot is already tired, the heart is already dead, and dreams have already lost any meanings. Oliver is too old to follow our liege dreams. Dreamers exhaust people like Oliver. None of those old fogeys believed in his dreams. Unifying the continent, ruling all under heaven'

He sighed 

Then he added

'Dreamers exhaust people, Aleph. They must die before they killed us with their blasted dreams. Oliver and the Old Nobles faction could not accept our liege ideas, nor could they accept our liege vision of the future.'

And he smiles. 

Aleph listens in silence as he looks at the empty throne. 

They have to return to Arrandy this evening so Silas and Aleph was alone in this throne room after Silas express his wish to see the Dragon Throne before returning home.

Only the guard outside the room is near this throne room after the First Princess stormed off the throne room.

Then Silas continued. 

'What did the Old Nobles faction have to look forward to but to be discarded in the end? They fear the Emperor ideas because in his ideas was a path to a future that doesn't involve them. A future where they are useless and their ideas become rustic'

'Yet, they could not stop him either. In the short time the Emperor ruled, he has achieved a feat of mythic proportion unifying the kingdoms and pretty much since the First Generation made their home here, the Human Continent will be unified'

And Silas smiles a bit at this thought 

'It has been said during the Ages of the Gods, when the First Generation descended from the Sky, they rule over all, omniscient and all knowing. They fly in the skies and some even dig deep into the Earth, deeper than any taigns of the Dwarves, some even live under the Sea, some lived on an island they created'

Then Silas could not help but open his arms wide and said 

'Imagine that! A group of people that all possess mystical abilities to create islands out of nothing, to dig deep toward the Earth surface, so deep that even the dwarves could not have surpassed them in terms of digging the Earth. A group of people that could fly in the sky and could live in the bottom of the sea. If the stories were true, they were akin to Gods'

And Silas chuckles a bit before he continues

'The first generation live in an Age where magic was still strong, where Old Gods walk among mortals and the roots of the Sea was not yet severed. The First generation ruled the all known world with their knowledge, spreading culture and creating civilization that has stood against the test of time. Our Emperor has achieved without doubt the mythic achievement of our ancestor, of the First Generation. But it is a pity for our Emperor is a dreamer. Our liege is lonely. Dreamers always is. No one understands his dreams, motivations and what drives him. But he will be remembered through the Ages.'

'But me?' And as he said this he smiles bitterly at the throne.

'It is a pity that one day people will forget my name' and Silas sighed.

Aleph was shocked.

'That is impossible Lord Regent. You are very famous, your deed and contribution towards this Empire will never be forgotten for long time to come.' 

Silas smiles bitterly as he looked at the Dragon throne, looking at those nine steps to sit on the throne.

'People remember the tyrants. They remember conquerors. They remember the mad kings and queens. They remember the wise and fool. But they will not remember those who keep the peace. They do not remember those who keep the peace during the tyrants ruled. They will not remember those who keep the peace during the mad kings and queens ruled. They do not remember those who keep the peace during the conqueror stabilize his rule. Those who were in the background…surviving and living their hardest in times of chaos and great change. Our names will be forgotten in the annals of history. Do you know why?' 

Silas said as he smiles. Aleph shakes his head.

Silas then take a last look before he turns his back and walk to the door and Aleph following behind and then as he walked he said.

'Because it doesn't make a good story.' 

Saying this he push the door and walk outside the throne room and smiling bitterly he returned to Arrandy that evening with his bodyguards.

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