Army background (short stories)

Have a story, then you come here.

Moderators: The Heralds, The Loremasters

Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
elendor_f
Posts: 236
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 3:08 pm

Army background (short stories)

#1 Post by elendor_f »

Hi! I have been writing the background of my army and I figured I could post the first chapter I have :D
Instead of writing a summary I plan to write several short stories.

Aftermath of the Great War, around 2320 Imperial Calendar.

Lyara looked around the waiting hall, now empty. Runes detailing the most important acts of each Phoenix King were engraved in the walls, and the floor was naked marble, deprived of the carpets so favoured in Eataine. A brief smile appeared in her lips as her eyes passed by the deeds of Caledor the Second, remembered as the Warrior. As much as he represented the folly of war and the decline of her homeland, he had also granted each Caledorian elf the right to personally raise a petition to the Phoenix King once in their lifetimes, so long as their families had remained loyal to his father Caledor the Conqueror in the war against the Witch King. For that, in this moment, she was grateful to the proud old fool.

A timid knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Lady Ithildriel, the Blessed of Asuryan will hear your petition next”.

As she crossed the doors, the echoes of her footsteps soon overcame the dying whispers of the courtesans, but their eyes were not on her. At the other side of the hall a figure was climbing the stairs, covered in a white cloak. His face bore a strange expression, his eyes were unfocused and dreamy, but his movements were no less firm and precise than those of a trained soldier. He stopped for a moment at the top of the stairs, as if he had climbed atop a peak of the Annulii. A deep silence had befallen the room, and Lyara realized that the torches of the room had suddenly started to burn with an intense orange flame.

The elf finally tossed aside his cloak and took seat on the throne behind him. His gaze focused, and he briefly smiled.
“The blessing of Asuryan presides over our meeting, Lyara of House Ithildriel. I am honored to fulfill my duty as Phoenix King and serve the people of Caledor, as my predecessors before me.” The traditional greeting was spoken in the musical dialect of Caledor, with almost no trace of the more down to earth Eatainian accent of the king. “House Ithildriel is honored to serve the Twin Thrones, the true rulers of Ulthuan.”
Her voice sounded far less firm than it had when she rehearsed her petition to her suit of armor on the way to the capital. She allowed the silence to last a bit longer than was courteous while she recovered her poise.

“Your Highness, my brother served valiantly with the Loremaster Teclis in the last war against Chaos. He died in battle defending the humans from those who worship the Great Enemy. Not long before, when our dark kin invaded our lands, my father was injured in battle defending our fortress. As he could not fight anymore, my mother took the ancient sword of our House and the command of the defense. I wanted to fight beside them, but they would not risk another child”. Lyara made a brief pause, and she continued with cold voice. “I came on this day to ask the court to allow me to fulfill my duty and fight for our homeland.” A silence followed her words, and the face of Finubar was a mask of marble.

“I am sorry for your loss, Lyara of House Ithildriel. May the souls of your brother rest in the peace of Asuryan, knowing that his service to Ulthuan will not be forgotten.” A formulaic approach to condolences, but Lyara could tell that the sad note in his voice was honest. “In these dark times, we have lost too many of our kin, but our homeland is safe again, and we should take pride on that”. The Phoenix King briefly stopped, as if to let her weigh his words. “Your request is an honorable one, but pray tell, Lyara of House Ithildriel, what do you mean by fighting for our homeland? The war is over, and we ought to focus on rebuilding what has been destroyed. Are you not fulfilling your duty by managing the seat of your ancestors?”.

She had asked herself the very same question a thousand times.
“Your Highness, my brother carried a small protection amulet, with a spark of the Flame of Asuryan inside. It was given by Caledor the First to my ancestors as a reward for their services. It did not appear in the report from the Loremaster Teclis describing all the objects that were brought back to the families of the fallen. I mean to lead an expedition to recover it, and all other relics that were left behind. As much as my duty is to the seat of my ancestors, it is also to protect our relics so they can serve us in the wars to come.”

Whispers started to rise as she finished her speech, but the hall promptly returned to silence as the Phoenix King started to speak.

“I have no doubt of your courage or determination, lady Ithildriel. But the truth of the matter is, you are still too inexperienced to lead an army, even more to lead a foreign expedition.” Lyara moved forward to interrupt the King, but he raised his hand and continued. “The loremasters of Hoeth are usually responsible for the recovery of magical artifacts. Perhaps they can be of assistance to recover the amulet of your family.”
Lyara coldly stared at the Phoenix King before answering. “As you command, Your Highness. Thank you for your advice.”
“I wish you good fortune, Lyara of House Ithildriel. I declare the session over”.
"The general has this to say about ensuring against defeat when outnumbered, out–weaponed and outpositioned. It is... Don't Have a Battle."
"Sounds like a clever man," said Jenkins.
Terry Pratchett, Jingo!

Avatar: https://silmarillionproject.tumblr.com/
SpellArcher
Green Istari
Posts: 13841
Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 11:26 am
Location: Otherworld

Re: Army background (short stories)

#2 Post by SpellArcher »

Good start elendor!

=D>
Post Reply