Rebirth of a

Kingdom
A Final Fantasy Story
Chris Rickett.
The Future is decided
by the deeds of the
Past.
King Hyan !ashan
"y #ord is unike yours. $t is a #ord
#here technoogy and magick combine%
to create% or most often to destroy. &ood
men #ied magick ony to he' those ess
'o#erfu than themse(es% #hie e(i
men #ied it to he' ony themse(es.
This is my 'erce'tion of the #ord.
)nfortunatey% $ i(e in a time #here
the e(i men rise to 'ositions of
unimaginabe 'o#er% and the good men
are cast aside ike a scra' of food on the
roadside.
$t is my ho'e that% as you read this
tae% you #i disco(er that the good men
can be found in the most unikey 'aces.
As to #hether you agree or not is entirey
de'endant on your 'oint of (ie#.
Akira *oba
Akira Noba, Judge Magister 1
st
Class,
Valshani Empire.
Prologue
The world of Ralsha was once peaceful, the kingdom of Thyleria, ruled
by the Valshan royal family, covered the continent of Tyrel from the
Pride Lands in the west to the Forest of Tranquillity and the reat
!esert in the east" The #ing, $ylan Valshan, was loved by his people
because he was a #ind, Fair and %ust ruler" $e had been a great warrior
before he became #ing, leading his armies in battle time and again" $is
skill with a blade was unparalleled and he was wise in the ways of
magick"
&fter becoming #ing, Valshan called for all races to come together
as one in peace and harmony" 't was this call that led to the creation of
the Treaty of (nification" The Treaty was signed by all of the races of
Tyrel, the $umes of the kingdom, the feline )ithra from the Thunder
)ountains in the north, the desert dwelling Taru*Taru, the Leonoid
Ronso from the Pride Lands and the secretive +lvaan from the Forest of
Tranquillity" ,ith the most powerful races together in harmony, they
began to blend and became a truly multicultural society"
The #ingdom began to thrive in ways never thought possible
before" The Royal -ity of Valshan, the -ity being named after the Royal
Family, became the official centre for commerce, industry and law for
the entire continent" The peace lasted many years, during which time
the #ing married and had a daughter, )aia"
&s the young Princess grew older her father had her study magicks
with the +lvaan and the Ronso, and he taught her the ways of combat
himself, but it quickly became apparent that her e.pertise lay in the
magicks taught to her by her +lvaan tutors, and she began to primarily
concentrate on the ,hite $ealing spells that they used"
&t the time of the Princess/ 01
th
birthday the king organised a
parade through the city to commemorate the event" The streets of the
royal city were lined with both citi2ens looking to wish the Princess well
on her birthday, and royal guards to keep the peace in case there was
trouble" $owever3 during the parade the rebellion, a group of people
that had become dissatisfied with the new order of things, made an
attempt to abduct the Princess" The attempt was led by eneral Varan,
the leader of Valshan/s armies and a swordsman second only to the king
himself"
The attempt was thwarted by a group of individuals from the crowd who
gathered together to defeat the rebels" They were led in the defence of
the Princess by &kira 4oba, a member of the Princess/ personal
bodyguard" $e was 5oined in this effort by Fenrir oodwulf, a Varg from
the Realm of +ternal !ay, the continent to the east of Ralsha, The
sisters Felis and Tsukasa Panthera, & ,hite and 6lue )age pairing from
the )ithran $omeland of the Thunder )ountains, Tylar Velore, a $ume
Thief from the Royal -ity who was plying his trade amongst the crowd
when the eneral and his men struck, and #oga 7ashida, an apprentice
6lack )age studying at Valshan/s )agick &kademy"
't was during the battle that the Princess revealed an aspect to her
training that she had never shown before" 8i. of the eneral/s men
managed to successfully board the Princess/ thronefloat and capture
her" &s they led her from the float she began to chant softly in +lvaan
, , ,
.
The words used were heard by many, but understood by few"
&s she finished, the air around her began to shimmer and glow, as
if in answer to the whispered prayer, then, with a graceful arm motion
and in a voice that echoed into the heavens she said
Valefor, bird of grace, I have need of your power.
Valefor I summon you!
(pon the final echo of the final word a magickal glyph coalesced into
being around the young Princess/ feet" )agickal energies pulsed and
hurtled towards the sky, then, with a blinding flash and a scream that
echoed amongst the buildings, the form of the &erial +sper Valefor, The
raceful 6ird, soared from on high to answer her mistress/ call"
&s Valefor flew around the Princess she craned her red*furred neck
and nu22led her beaked head into the Princess/ hand" Princess Valshan
then started to take the fight to her captors, using everything in the
+sper/s arsenal of magick and abilities to defeat them"
&fter the battle all of the heroes of the day were invited back to
the palace where, after the Princess thanked them for their help, they
were granted an audience with the #ing" &fter thanking them for saving
his daughter/s life, the king then tasked them all with a single goal " " "
Find Varan and stop him at any cost" For each member of the group he
promised a reward for their services"
For Fenrir he promised a blade made of the finest metals and forged by
the #ingdoms finest smiths" For the Panthera sisters he promised access
to the royal magickal library, a place normally only open to members of
the &kademy" For #oga he promised the sum of 099/999 il, and finally
for Tylar he promised the sum of :9/999 il and a Full Royal Pardon for
any crimes committed in the kingdom"
The Princess begged her father to let her go with the group so that
she could prove herself worthy of the Valshan name by proving herself a
warrior like him" The #ing, believing that if he didn/t let her go )aia
would leave anyway, agreed but said that she must take a member of
the royal guard with her for protection" &t this &kira 4oba stepped
forward"
Majesty, I will accompany the Princess in this journey and I will
protect her with my life if necessary.
The group left in secret the following morning under the guise of a
mercantile caravan" They quickly discovered where Varan was going and
for weeks they followed the trail left by his mobile encampment,
fighting bandits, beasts and the general/s men all the way" ,hen they
finally caught up to the encampment they battled with Varan himself
but to no avail, Varan was 5ust too powerful even for the combined
might of all the warriors and they were quickly and resoundly defeated"
&fter the battle, Varan and his men left &kira and his companions and
headed north towards the Thunder )ountains"
&fter resting to recover their strength and tend their wounds, the
Princess and her guardians resolved to increase their strength before
their ne.t encounter with the general" To do this they followed Varan,
all the while training in the use of their abilities" )aia began to train
more in the summoning of +spers and, on the occasion that they came
across an +sperrock, acquired new +spers to use in the fight against
Varan and his armies" They trailed Varan for over a year, all across the
known world, but were unsuccessful in finding him for a second time as
he always seemed to be one step ahead of them" ,herever they found a
trace of him, he was always already long gone"
't was during this period of their travels that the Princess and &kira
fell in love and got married in a secret ceremony performed by 'reth
-oamanel, $igh Priestess of Telvarre and the Princess/ former tutor"
+ventually, si. months after her marriage, the Princess and her friends
returned to Valshan, intending to tell the #ing that they had been
unsuccessful in finding Varan, let alone stopping him" $owever, upon
their return to the palace they heard a commotion coming from the
throneroom" They raced along the winding palace corridors intent on
discovering the cause, and as they reached the room the heavy oak
doors burst open and the corridor filled with rebels"
The Princess and her companions fought toe to toe with the
rebels, desperately trying to push through to the throneroom where the
#ing was embroiled in a fierce battle of his own with Varan" 6ut the
rebels were too many and too tough and )aia could only watch in horror
as her father, once the greatest warrior in the kingdom, was cut down
by the man she once considered her (ncle" (pon seeing her father fall,
the Princess fell to her knees and began weeping uncontrollably"
;n seeing his beloved wife like this &kira went into a berserk rage,
bloodlust filling his heart and mind, and began to attack all in front of
him, friend or foe" The rebels that attacked him were scythed down like
blades of grass and one by one his friends tried to hold him back,
becoming victims of his rage as he cut them down 5ust as easily" ;nce
there was no*one left to fight, &kira/s eyes focused on the weeping form
of the Princess and in his rage he rushed towards her with the intent to
end her life, and, in a single overhand strike tried to kill the person he
held most dear"
$owever, &kira/s sword never made contact with )aia as a
magickal barrier flashed into being blocking his strike, the light from the
barrier filled the room, ripping away &kira/s bloodlust and returning him
to his right mind" The barrier emanated from the #ing, his final act in
life being to save the life of his daughter" 8eeing this, Varan walked
slowly towards the pair, laughing as he walked" &s he passed the prone
form of the king, he ended his life with a single downward thrust of his
sword, piercing him through the heart" $is final words before vanishing
into thin air were to &kira"
In this battle you have proven your worth, Akira Noba. You will go on and
achieve great things in your life, how could you not, after all . . . you ARE my
son!
,ith the words echoing in his head, it was &kira/s turn to drop to his
knees, agony tearing through his heart"
&fter two weeks of lying in state, so the people of the #ingdom
could say goodbye to a once loved ruler, $ylan Valshan was laid to rest
in the Royal )ausoleum with a full royal funereal procession" Three days
later, )aia Valshan was crowned <ueen in the most e.travagant
crowning ceremony the kingdom had ever seen, and her husband, &kira
4oba, was made #ing Regent" The first order they gave was for the
apprehension of Varan and his men, the reward for which was set at
0/999/999 il"
'n the following months, numerous sightings of Varan proved to be
false, but there was one sighting reported that led to Varan/s arrest and
imprisonment for the crimes of high treason and regicide, both
punishable by death" $owever, after a trial in the high court, Varan was
instead sentenced to life imprisonment in the dungeons of the palace"
$is sentence was apparently reduced by the <ueen herself on the
grounds that he was once the Protector of the #ingdom and even though
his crimes were unforgivable3 his past should be taken into account"
!uring his imprisonment the <ueen visited Varan often and discussed
many things with him about the past"
&s the months passed the <ueen began to act strangely, she
started to shirk her royal duties, leaving the running of the #ingdom to
her husband, spending an increasing amount of time with Varan in the
dungeon" 8he became cruel, even heartless, towards her family blaming
&kira for her Father/s death" 8he began to disrespect the people,
treating them with contempt and hatred" The people knew something
was different but they were unable to say or do anything for fear of
repercussion"
Then suddenly the <ueen released Varan from prison, granting him
a full royal pardon for crimes committed, and elevated him to the
position of Royal &dvisor" ,ith Varan effectively controlling the
#ingdom, things started to go from bad to worse" The <ueen/s attitude
had changed so drastically that eventually she announced the
dissolution of the Treaty of (nification, stating that the other member
races were planning a hostile takeover attempt of the #ingdom" 'n light
of this the other races responded by increasing their armies in readiness
for a possible Thylerian invasion"
)aia announced that since her Father could have been killed so
easily, his bloodline must have been weak and because of this the royal
line died with him" 8he would create a new, stronger 6loodline, an
'mperial 6loodline, which would last forever and never become as weak
as her Father/s" ,ith this statement she forever changed the face of
Ralsha" The kingdom of Thyleria died and was reborn as the Valshani
+mpire"
,ith this change began the rule of the %udges, )en and ,omen
picked to preside over the rule of law in the empire" The First Five3
&kira 4oba, Rio and Lena aignan, Ryuna !almar and -elenn Thrumail,
were picked for their fighting prowess" They became the harsh fist of
the +mpress, dealing out death in 5udgment as easily as they drew
breath themselves"
Their leader was the one man that the +mpress trusted above all,
eneral Varan" $e was appointed the Title of $igh %udge )agister and
was answerable to no*one but the +mpress herself" $e became even
more feared among the people than ever, having the power to kill at
will in the name of =%ustice>"
The +mpress e.panded her +mpire over the ne.t two years, her
armies spread out across the continent of Ralsha, attacking each of the
former allies of Thyleria one at a time" 8he started by sending them
4orth into the Thunder )ountains where, after several months of
fighting, they eventually succeeded in conquering the )ithran defenders
even though there were heavy casualties caused by both the )ithran
warriors and the innate dangers of wearing plate armour while fighting
in a place that continuously spews Lightning from the sky" The surviving
)ithra were =integrated> into the +mpire as a subordinate caste, as
befitting a conquered race"
Then, in a fit of rage after apparently being insulted by the Taru
ambassador to Valshan, she ordered that Varan himself lead an army
into the reat !esert and, in her own words,
Rid the world of those insulting, diminutive pests
once and for all
,ith his orders set, Varan led an army of %udges and %udge )agister/s
into the desert and, in a matter of days, led the complete and total
genocide of the Taru*Taru race" The Taru were slaughtered like animals3
man, woman and child" -ities and towns alike were ra2ed to the ground,
their remains crushed back down into the sand from which they were
built" 6y the time that Varan and his men had finished, the desert was
stained with blood, seeping into the ground, causing the very sand to
turn red and causing the area to become renamed the -rimson !esert"
,ith the death of the Taru, the world ceased all resistance to the
spread of the +mpire giving them free reign to e.pand and conquer at
will" &s the +mpire grew, more )agisters were needed to enforce the
law, cities were being built and each )agister was given the rule of one
city" 'nside city walls there were individual laws, but they were all
sub5ect to the laws of the empire"
The +mpress created the Law of 00, and with this law came the ruling
that there must always be 00 %udge )agisters to keep the peace in the
+mpire, one for each of the ma5or 'mperial cities" This meant that if a
%udge )agister died or retired then another would be chosen to take his
or her place"
The Law of 00 placed a %udge )agister in each of the 'mperial
cities" The first : were given the first built cities3 Rio aignan was given
&rva, Lena aignan was given !aran, Ryuna !almar was given Valmaras,
&kira 4oba was given 4astre and -elenn Thrumail was given Raba" The
other ? cities were given to newly recruited %udge )agisters from
among the populace3 %udge Fen2 was given -anta, %udge -ordayne was
given )idgar, %udge Lao was given %inlak, %udge !amras was given
Lee2a, %udge Rel2 was given Rema and %udge Vandis was given Ralsin"
The rule of the 5udges was absolute, and any that opposed them were
=%udged> and put to death for treason, the continent of Tyrel lived and
died under the 'ron Fist of the +mpire"
The Ronso put up some resistance to the spread of the +mpire3
they rebelled against the +mpress and returned to the Pride Lands in the
,est and, as a single magickal people, erected a magick barrier around
their lands to keep them safe, and in doing so made them the last
bastion of freedom on the continent" $owever this became of little
hope to the people as they became @enophobic as a race and became
e.ceedingly suspicious of anyone that approached them from inside the
+mpire, especially as %udge Rel2, the )agister of the city closest to the
Pride Lands, was an outcast Ronso, his tribe being willing members of
the +mpire"
The +lvaan left the +mpire with the +mpress/ permission and
returned to what remained of the Forest of Tranquillity after the
e.pansion of the +mpire" Though still sub5ects of the +mpress they
would be left to their own devices as long as they never raised arms
against their ruler" They agreed and =disappeared> from Valshani
society, though a scant few remained in Valshan and Raba3 the latter
being ruled by one of their own"
For years the +mpire prospered while its people suffered under
the rule of the %udges" Then without warning %udge !almar proclaimed
that she was dissatisfied with the way the +mpire was treating its
sub5ects and that the people should be treated better so that the
+mpire could prosper even more, but not in a militaristic way"
8he e.pressed her opinion at a meeting of the )agister/s -ouncil in
Valshan"
If the people are happy they are more likely to prosper and work, thus
bringing an increase in trade and a major income for you Empress. We could
be talking Hundreds of Millions of il in the ne!t few years, but "#$% if the
people are happy. &hat kind of income will support your Empire for generations
to come.'
$owever Varan disagreed"
If the people do not fear our power, then it could lead to rebellion. We cannot
allow this. The people MUST fear what happens if they rebel and you know that,
Judge Dalmar. Fear and Power go hand in hand. As for the Empire, It will last for
generations to come because WE will ensure it. That is our role in this society,
Judge, Jury, Executioner and most of all Defender of the Empire.
,ith that the 5udgment was made and the +mpire remained as it was,
with Varan being the voice of the +mpire"
(pon returning to Valmaras, %udge !almar began to organise her
troops to rise against the +mpress in rebellion" ;nce ready she led them
to Valshan and attacked the palace, leading her troops through hidden
corridors known only to the )agister/s -ouncil and directly into the
Throne*room, with the intention of confronting the +mpress directly and
challenging her to do the right thing" They confronted the +mpress but
she resisted and a confrontation was inevitable, %udge !almar fought
with the +mpress directly and after a drawn out battle lasting several
hours, emerged victorious and stood with her unblade over the
+mpress/ bare neck ready to e.ecute her and bring order back to the
+mpire"
8uddenly, %udge !almar stopped" 8he sheathed her unblade and
ordered her troops out of the palace then she proceeded to heal the
wounds that she inflicted on the +mpress, until she became conscious
once again" Then she dropped to one knee and asked forgiveness for her
actions"
Majesty, please forgi(e my actions this day, I only did this to pro(e my lo(e of
your great Empire. I just belie(e that with a little respect, the people would lo(e
you the way they once did. I mean no offence, but you are no longer lo(ed,
you are feared. It should not be this way) I would ha(e you return to the
belo(ed Empress that you once were. *gain I beg your forgi(eness.'
ou have my forgiveness, !udge "almar, but you
#$%& be held accountable for your actions here
today. ou disobeyed my 'aw and attac(ed me in
my own palace. For this you shall be stripped of
the title of !udge #agister and publicly e)iled from
Valshan and all her dominions.
The following day %udge !almar was tried in the )agister/s -ourt
and found guilty of 'nsurrection" 8he was stripped of her title and
banished from the +mpire on pain of death" $er body was found two
years later, it is believed by all that she had taken her own life"
'n %udge !almar/s place, Valmaras was taken over by %udge
&marania $alvar, rumoured to be a proficient !ark #night trained in the
Realm of +ternal 4ight" 8he quickly asserted her rule over the city by
e.ecuting all of %udge !almars former Lieutenants and establishing her
own command unit within the city" The Law of 00 was never broken"
The +mpire rules the continent to this day with fear, but after A
years of war and tyranny there are those within the ranks of the %udge
)agisters that are beginning to tire of living in =Varan/s +mpire> as it
has begun to be called in secret" 't being called this because people
believe that the $igh %udge )agister somehow influenced the +mpress/
mind and brought about the current regime" There are whisperings
among the people of rebellious activity going on in secret underneath
the many 'mperial cities" The whisper/s say that change is in the air and
that soon there will be a full fledged civil war, )agister versus )agister,
and that the +mpire will come crashing down and then, %ust maybe,
there will be a <ueen again"
$ope 8tirsB
6elief is Re*kindledB
Rebellion 6eckonsB
,hose side are you onC

*ever as( Ronso
+,hat -oblin .unch+
/ahl Ronso
Chapter 1: Hope indled.
The #elthrasa 6a2aar was busier than usual, especially for a
scorching hot day in midsummer" There were hundreds of people
milling between the stalls that had been erected and were selling
all kinds of wares, from 6ehemoth bones to bundles of -actuar
4eedles" 'n the centre of the hubbub stands an ornate wagon,
decorated in silks of the brightest reds and blues" ;n the flatbed of
the wagon are =unique> items gathered from all around the world"
The proprietor of this wagon is himself wearing a vivid suit
made of the same red silk that decorates the wagon" ;n his head
sits a tri*pointed red hat with a single ornate feather protruding
from the hatband" 4e.t to him, &rms constantly folded across his
muscular, sandy*furred chest, stands his ever faithful Ronso
bodyguard" & long spear strapped to his back, ever ready to defend
his employer should one of their customers ever accuse them of
anything untoward"
0an you believe these people /ahl1 they+re actually 2$I*- this 3un(.
ou can sell anything to anyone provided you dress it up right. I mean
ta(e this4
$e holds up a small, battered piece of armour that looks like it has
seen better days"
,e made this yesterday out of a piece of sheet metal. 2ut today it is
56 uni7ue piece of history, it was found in the 0rimson "esert
underneath several feet of sand and dates bac( to before the
decimation+ and someone is gonna buy this for, oh lets say, the measly
sum of 89+999 -il. 6 real bargain for the true collector of :ne
armaments, don+t you thin( so;
Zahl agree, Humes sometimes idiot.
0ouldn+t agree more
,ithout warning, the sounds of a chase erupted in the ba2aar,
and a small group of +lvaan rounded the corner chasing a figure in a
long, black hooded cloak" The hood was pulled down so that its face
was shadowed and barely visible" The figure was running so quickly
that it could not avoid mishap, and it fell and barrelled into the
wagon, spilling its cargo all across the floor" &s it impacted with the
wagon its hood slipped and its face was visible for barely a moment,
before it pulled the hood back with a swiftness rarely seen in
anyone outside of the Forest"
Im sorry
&nd with that the figure scrambled to its feet and was gone"
8econds later, the +lvaan pursuers ran past the battered
wagon, knocking even more of its cargo onto the street"
/ahl, I thin( it would be in our best interest to help in this pursuit, on
the side of the chasee, of course.
Agreed; Zahl help, hurt chasers.
The sand*furred Ronso leapt over the remains of the wagon, and
began to chase after the elvaan, dodging through the massed
crowds with ease"
The elvaan that were chasing rallied together once the figure
they were following made a wrong turn and ended up on the outer
edge of the ba2aar, caught between them and the wall" ,ith
nowhere to turn, the cloaked figure spun around and placed his
back against the wall and waited for his pursuers to attack"
You are going to burn, race traitor. Kill him!
The elvaan at the back of the group began to chant quickly,
magickal energies coalescing at their fingertips
Die traitor FIRE!
,ith this single word, the magick was cast" The energies focused on
the cloaked figure and a gout of flame erupted from thin air and
enveloped him, and then e.tinguished as quickly as it erupted"
The cloaked figure was completely unharmed when the fire
spell subsided, he was enveloped in shimmering air and was
chanting softly under his breath,
, , ,
&s he finished his chant he looked up at his attackers and in a
hushed voice said
Allow meto show you the full potential
of magick... Valefor, come to me!
The magickal glyph of the summoning burst into being around the
cloaked figure/s feet, and as he raised his arms a burst of magickal
energy streaked into the sky, ending with a blinding flash and an
echoing screech that reverberated around the ba2aar, causing many
of the spectators gathered to remember a time when things were
peaceful and the +mpire didn/t e.ist"
;ut of the energy burst came the familiar form of the &erial
+sper Valefor, circling above the masses screeching a warning to all
those who would do her master harm" (pon seeing the +sper, the
+lvaan scattered in every direction and swore that they would be
back to finish what they started" The cloaked figure climbed onto
the back of Valefor, and the two of them rose into the sky and
disappeared from sight"
"id you see that /ahl, the guy was a 0aller, 'oo(s li(e he didn+t really
need any help in beating those scumbags after all, we should ma(e a
discreet e)it before the Imperials arrive. ou (now how they hate
having to 60&$6'' do any wor( on a day to day basis.
Zahl agree, we should leave.
&s the two companions left, the sound of a squad of heavily
armoured 'mperial troops came from the main entrance to the
ba2aar" There was a lot of shouting as the %udge in charge of the
formation was given several varying accounts of what happened"
8everal hours later, in an enclosed room in a locked
warehouse, a cloaked figure sits alone recovering from the ordeals
of the day" From the only door to the room comes a quiet creak as
the door slowly opens a feint light silhouetting the figure standing in
the doorway" 'ts long black robe nearly touching the floor, the
purple trim reflecting the light as the material flows over the
occupier/s body"
I thought I might :nd you here, you retreat to this place
every time your secret is nearly discovered. I have been
watching your actions in this city since your arrival and I
(now who and what you are4 %ummoner Valandil 0alanor.
&t the mention of his name the cloaked figure looked up and
scanned the room, looking for an alternative e.it"
ou need not loo( to leave, young <lvaan. I mean you no
harm. &he !udges will get no information about you from me
I swear. #y name is =oga ashida, but I am (nown in the 0ity
as oshina the 'ibrarian.
Koga ashi!a I thought you were !ea!,
Kille! at the han! of "u!ge #o$a.
6nd I intend to (eep it that way1 it (eeps me o> the
Imperial radar, so to spea(, it allows me to help the Rebellion
in their e>ort to restore Valshan to how it once was.
ou are a mem$er of the re$ellion%
#y dear %ummoner, I started the Rebellion4 6nd we need
your assistance. our s(ills would be invaluable to our cause,
none of our members understand the powers that the
<mpress wields, yet you wield e)actly those same powers.
ou can summon <spers, avatars of nature itself, to help you
in combat. ,ith your help, we can learn to understand how
those powers wor(, and possibly counter them. Valandil,
what do you say;
I will help you, anything to en! this hell.
&han( you, I must leave now. I have others to :nd, it will
ta(e more than you and I to stop the evil in this world. I will
send them here.
#oga turned and left the shadowy warehouse and its lone
occupant and strode back into the city, looking for other people to
bring to the cause"
&s #oga e.ited the warehouse he was almost knocked off of
his feet by a large figure wearing black armour and carrying a large
Twin*bladed weapon that looked like two swords 5oined at the base
of the hilt, traditionally known as a 8wallow 6lade"
Sorry friend, I didnt see you approaching. The large figure said"
*o no, it is I who should apologise. I came out of the
shadows directly into your path. 2ut then this meeting could
very well be fortuitous. I am =oga and my place in society is
&he 'ibrarian here in Valshan, but I also portray a very
di>erent role. I also lead the Rebellion against the <mpire.
Why are you telling me this?
2ecause I do not believe that you will pass this information
on to the Imperials. I believe that you are a friend of the
Rebellion, even if you do not realise it yet. Inside this
warehouse is a safe haven from the trials and tribulations of
everyday life within the <mpire. If you wish to help then go
inside and wait. I have others to :nd. -oodbye my friend, I
hope you will be waiting when I return.
&nd with these words #oga turned on his heels and left the large
dark figure alone in the shadows of the warehouse district, and,
after a few moments pause the large figure walked into the
warehouse"
The 6a2aar, a few hours laterB
'oo( at this /ahl, this mess is gonna ta(e ages to clean up but we
need to sort out all of our 5priceless+ artefacts if we+re gonna (eep the
business going. &here are more and more people spilling into this city
every day, which obviously means more -il in the poc(et of a
discerning <ntrepreneur li(e me. "on+t you thin(;
Zahl agree, even see Rabbit -ad! wandering cit! other da!.
Rabbit ?'ady;
"all, dar# s#in, ong ears on head$ Rabbit -ad!.
@h?=aay. ou sure that you didn+t have one 5%acred #ountain+ too
many the other night my furry friend;
There was more than a hint of sarcasm in the trader/s voice, though
this seemed to be lost on the tall Ronso as he showed no change in
his appearance nor perception of his friend/s words"
%ot drin# &ountain in wee#s
The Ronso walked to the far edge of the scattered debris and began
to clean up the remnants of the wreckage in the area"
&fter a few minutes, Dahl/s ears began to twitch, almost
imperceptibly, as he sensed movement approaching from across the
6a2aar"
'omeone coming.
Imperial or civilian;
Zahl not sure, the! at (ar end o( )a*aar.
2e prepared in any case, if it+s an Imperial we might be in for a :ght.
Aowever, if they are civilian then we let them go about their business.
;nce the conversation between the two had finished, they went
back to collecting the ornaments, armaments and trinkets that
comprised the remainder of the traders stock and loading it onto
the back of the wagon, it having been hastily repaired prior to the
beginning of the cleanup"
&fter several silent minutes, the pair could clearly hear the
footsteps approaching them from around the corner of the 6a2aar
wall that was separating them from the rest of the 6a2aar proper"
&hose steps don+t sound Imperial4 says the trader in response to
the approaching footsteps"
,ith these words, a female figure rounds the corner coming
into view and turns to face the pair" ,ith a wry smile, she begins to
walk towards the pair, her stiletto heeled shoes clicking on the
cobbles as she walks"
,ow, what a sight4
Zahl thin# !ou gobsmac#ed, Zahl told !ou.
&s the woman walked towards the pair, one of them couldn/t help
but see that the most noticeable thing about her, other than the
shocking white hair, ornate thornwood bow slung across her back,
and her barely*there armour, was the pair of 01> long rabbit*like
ears on the top of her head"
/ahl, I owe you an apology4 and 7uite possibly a drin(.
&s she approached the pair, she stopped where the outer
perimeter of the debris once was and, in a vaguely accented voice
that almost audibly dripped with honey, said
#ay I o>er you some help to :nish cleaning up;
,e are nearly done here, but we could always use some e)tra help
from someone as pretty as you4 the trader paused for a moment
before continuing" 4,hat the hell am I saying, I+m sorry I spo(e out
of turn 3ust now, please accept my apology, #iss4; The trader
trailed off and paused, prompting the woman to answer"
#y name is =3on, pleased to meet you, and your name is;
<rrrr4; The trader/s face contorted with the effort of trying to
remember his own name for a moment"
Aave you forgotten your own name; The woman asked with a
slight giggle"
6ah4 *o, no4 he lied, with astonishing quickness and without
even a minor stutter in his words %orry, my name is "iBBy?/alash,
and I am very pleased to meet you. &his is my long?term friend and
bodyguard, /ahl. The trader nodded towards his Ronso compatriot,
who finished loading an armful of ob5ects onto the cart and turned
to face them, e.tending a clawed hand towards #5on, who took it
and shook his hand"
.leased to meet you, /ahl.
Zahl pleased to meet +,on; hopes +,on become (riend.
I hope that we can become friends too /ahl. 8he replied"
The three of them finished loading up the cart and re*covered
it with its hastily repaired canopy, then they made their way out of
the 6a2aar and onto the still busy streets"
&s they walked, !i22y turned to #5on, a look of curiosity
flashing across his face for the most fleeting of moments"
=3on, forgive me but I have to as( this4 ,hat are you...; @r rather,
what is your Race called; I only as( because I have never seen your
(ind before. I mean no o>ense of course but /ahl and I have been
calling you 5Rabbit C'ady+, please tell me, it would answer many of my
7uestions.
*o o>ense ta(en, "iBBy?/alash, #y sisters and I are called
5Viera+, and as for you using the term 5Rabbit C'ady+ to
describe us, you are probably 7uite accurate. &he scriptures
of our Race say that we are most li(ely magic(ally evolved
from a large, forest?dwelling rabbit that died out #illennia
ago where I come from.
%o you don+t come from &yrel, are you from either of the realms that
border this continent on the <ast and ,est;
*o, we Viera are from a land far across the @ceans where
the lands are peaceful, the forests are lush and green, and
most of all, the <mpire is completely un(nown.
Aopefully it will stay that way, I would hate for your (in to lose that
beauty to one of the <mpress+ murderous whims.
I hope so too, the Viera are one with our homeland, if we
were to lose that, we would lose everything that gives us our
sense of self. et after all that I have seen since my arrival in
the <mpire, I believe that the <mpress will stop at nothing to
get the entire world under her sway. %he is <vil beyond
rec(oning, and this is all that she (nows.
#5on/s face became distant for a few moments after the
conversation had ended, as if she could see the 'mperial fleet
heading towards her homeland as they walked, a tear rolled down
her cheek and she fell silent" The three companions continued
walking along the streets of the city in silence, !i22y and Dahl
contemplating #5on/s words as they walked, for they rang true in
both their minds, but for very different reasons"
The )agister/s -ouncil -hambersB
The high %udge )agister sat in his chair at the head of the table, a
look of total disdain across his face" $e leaned forwards onto the
solid marble table and steepled his fingers in front of him" ;n the
table in front of him, lit by an e.tremely elaborate chandelier
suspended from the high ceiling, was a large map of the world, the
ancient parchment covered in campaign markings and location
markers" $is 'ce*6lue eyes focus on a single point on the map at the
far end of the Fro2en Tundra, close to the location of the cavern
known to house the +sper 8hiva, The 'ce <ueen" ,ith a single swift
movement he stands and slams his gauntleted hand onto the map,
his inde. finger pointing to the location on the map where he had
been staring intently"
There, the frst Crystal MUST be there somewhere. It makes sense, does it
not, that the Ice-Crystal of Gaia resides in the coldest place in Ralsha.$e
e.claimed to the room at large"
It does indeed seem possible, even theoretically plausible
from a scientific point of view at least came a voice from the
shadows of the room"
Varan spun around with a start, his hand reaching for the hilt
of )asamune, his eyes scanning the shadows for the slightest sign of
the speaker"
Come out of the shadows, NOW, or face my blade.
Calm down, Lord Varan, there is no need for violence or for
intimidation, for that matter.
&s the voice spoke, the shadows nearest to the large 'mperial -rest
ne.t to the throne began to shimmer and lighten, eventually
dissipating to reveal a man with greying hair and red clothing
trimmed with gold, a pair of steel*rimmed circular spectacles
nestled on the bridge of his nose and connected to a thin golden
chain that wrapped around his neck" 'n his hand sits a small black
bo. with a series of buttons set in a linear placement down the
length of the bo."
As you can see, my old friend, I mean you no harm, nor have I
ever for that matter. owever, as I am here I am inclined to
as! whether or not you mean "# any harm, after all our last
partin$ was not at all friendly. If I remember correctly.
Doctor I had hoped never to see you again, but obviously That was too
much to hope for.
I am here at the #mpress% command, Lord Varan, !ill me here
and I%m certain that it will cost you much.
Varan rela.ed his grip on )asamune and smiled at his old friend
You would be surprised at what I would not , in fact, lose, Doctor, but since
you have the Empress protection you need not worry about any reprisals
based on our pastexperiences.
&o very $ood to hear now, tell me about these crystals that
interest you so much
The !octor strode over to the map that Varan had been poring over
and the two of them entered into a deep conversation"
The 8treets of ValshanB
The three companions walked in silence, heavy thoughts weighing
on each of their minds" &s they reach a corner, !i22y is knocked off
of his feet as a man in a flowing black cloak rounds it walking in a
hurry, a look of worry on his otherwise calm face" $is eyes flicker
from side to side, taking in each member of the trio in turn, The
muscular, sand*furred Ronso, The tall and elegant Viera, and the
man dressed in fine silks sprawled on the floor in a somewhat
undignified position"
Aey .al, watch where you5re going, I could have been seriously hurt
here! shouted !i22y
et you are not hurt at all, #aster /alash, but in any event,
allow me to o>er you my apologies, you are indeed correct. I
should have been watching where I was going he held out his
hand for !i22y to take 'et me help you to your feet.
!i22y grasped hold of his hand and, as he was pulled to his feet,
seemed to notice the mans face for the first time, and a flash of
recognition crossed his face"
Aey, don+t I (now you;
It is entirely probable that you do, yes.
ou+re the head librarian, oshina4 right;
0orrect4 partly, at least.
,hat do you mean;
ou are indeed correct that I am the head librarian, but my
name is not oshina, it is ashida. =oga ashida to be
precise. oshina is the name that I have given to the
Imperials in order to (eep my friends and I o> of their radar,
so to spea(.
ashida huh, so, where are you o> to in such a hurry that you can+t
a>ord to loo( where you+re going;
It is somewhat fortuitous that you as(. I believe that, in
some way, I was loo(ing for you three, though I had not
realised until this very moment that I was.
@=, you 3ust lost me
&hen allow me to e)plain in brief. I lead the Rebellion, and
we need the three of you.
There was a stunned silence in which !i22y seemed to be at a loss
for something to say" Then after a few moments he coughed and re*
acquired his voice
%orry oshina, or ashida, whatever your name is4 *@&
I*&<R<%&<"!! I+m a &rader, not a Rebel, sure I hate the Imperials but I
certainly ain+t stupid enough to :ght against 5em4 he turned to Dahl
and #5on
4 0ome on guys, lets go eat, I+m famished.
,ith that the three of them turned and continued down the street
towards the 'nns and Taverns with #oga looking on after them"
,ould &wenty #illion -il buy your stupidity, #aster
&rader!; #oga called after them" !i22y stopped dead in the street
causing Dahl to slam heavily into his back"
=eep tal(ing 'ibrarian. $e said, his voice raised but still with his
back to #oga"
If you help us, I will pay you the sum of D9+999+999 -il once
the <mpire has fallen4 <ach. ,e, that is the Rebellion, need
you #aster /alash. ou are a leader, you 3ust don+t (now it
yet. ,ith the right persuasion, people will follow you to the
end.
ashida, you had me at D9+999+9994 ,here do we need to go;
#oga reaches into his cloak and hands !i22y a small piece of paper
&he warehouse at this address, it is something of a safe?
house for the person who resides there. I will meet you there
as soon as I am :nished gathering the people that I need for
this mission.
&nother Part of the -ityB
& young, scruffy )ithra girl picks her way through the shadowy back
alleys of the -ity shopping district, searching for a place to rest for
the night" 8he sniffs the air, catching the scent of one of the many
rats that make this part of the city their home" 8he crouches down
on her haunches and ad5usts the rags and strips of cloth that she
can barely call clothes and pounces, catching the rat with a fluid
grace that only the most agile of $umes would be able to muster"
8he walks out of the alley into the dim light of the courtyard
and sits at the end of the alleyway, eating her kill, the last rays of
the sun casting a shadow on her now blood*caked lips" & small group
of )ithra notice her and make a move towards her, pointing and
laughing as they walk"
Would you loo at that, !elrana, a "treet#cat. You don$t u"ually
"ee %hem out o& the alley'ay" o& the city be&ore dar.
%hey$re not u"ually bra(e or &ooli"h enough &or %hat, )ria, I%
mu"t be ne' to the )ity.
Ee'', Yuc *oo it doe"n$t e(en coo it" &ood. It +u"t be
&rom the *o'#Range in the Ea"t o& the +ountain".
Ye", you mu"t be right, )ria, loo It$" getting angry.
The young )ithra stood up, wiping the blood from her mouth with
the rags on her wrists as she did so, a gleam in her eyes showed the
intelligence hidden in the depths of the Feral e.terior" Then with a
low growl in her throat and in fractured common she said,
Rrowl4 &he godss wwould4 not wish me to harrrm you4
Rrowl4 but4 if you say that again4 Rrrowll4and I+ll tearrr4
out4 yourrr4 thrrroats!!!
You D,RE "-ea to u", !treet#)at, 'e 'ill ha(e your %ail &or a
%ro-hy. Kill It, )ria.o'!!
With +e all o& you!
,ith that, swords were drawn and claws unsheathed"
The ;T$+R 8treetsB
#oga spun on the spot and walked away leaving the trio standing in
the middle of the street"
@( people4 said !i22y 4'ets go and see 3ust what, e)actly, I+ve
gotten us into. $e set off towards the warehouse district but
stopped so sharply that both Dahl and #5on nearly barrelled into him
for a second time" $e turned on the spot to face them, disbelief on
his face" $e pointed down the street after #oga"
,ait a damned minute4 Aow the A<'' did that guy (now my
name;;;
The Valshani )agickal &kademyB
The large door to the library bursts open, crashing against the heavy
stone wall, the sound echoing through the cavernous building and
the light from the doorway casting a ha2e over the books sitting on
the shelves as a gust of wind disturbs the dust on the shelves
causing it to fly into the air" #oga strides through the door, steely
determination etched onto his face" <uickly making the walk to his
office in a matter of several paces, he sits at his desk and calls for
one of his student librarians"
#iss #oonshadow, could you come to my oEce please. $e
said into the commsystem, his voice echoing through the building"
&fter a few moments there was a tentative knock at the door
followed by a muted silence"
0ome in, #iss #oonshadow.
The door opened slowly, revealing a young girl of around 0A years of
age, dressed in a long black robe of a similar design to #oga/s own,
though not nearly as ornately decorated" 'n her arms were several
books of magick"
You called, Master Yoshina?
I did indeed, I have need of your help, #iss #oonshadow.
My help, Master. How can I help you. I am still just an
apprentice Master.
et despite being 53ust an apprentice+ you have already
mastered the basic magic(s, have you not;
How do you know that Master?
*ever mind. It is enough that I (now. ou will :nd, my dear,
that the best way to complete your training is through
e)perience. &rust me, I had the same tas( that I am giving
you many years ago while I was still an apprentice myself.
Master? The reply came with more than a hint of pu22lement"
I am not !ust a librarian, #iss #oonshadow, in my younger
days I travelled the world in order to train in the use of my
2lac( #agic(s. 6longside my companions, I tried to rid the
world of one of the greatest threats that it has ever (nown.
%uEce it to say, we failed4 miserably4 in that endeavour.
&he same threat e)ists in the world today, and it is far more
powerful, and deadly, than ever. &his <vil has corrupted one
of my best friends so that all they want is more and more
power.
Are you talkin a!out the "mpress, Master? #he is
more e$il than anyone or anythin I ha$e e$er
known.
*@! the shout was une.pected, and the fist slamming onto the
desk was unnecessary, #oga knew this, but it had 5ust erupted out
of him from no*where" The girl backed away from him as he
shouted"
I%m sorry Master, what did I say she croaked, her voice
quavering with fear"
#y 6pologies, #iss #oonshadow, es, the <mpress is evil,
but only because Aer mind has been corrupted. &he threat
of which I spo(e was the Aigh !udge #agister, 'ord Varan. Ae
was, and remains to this day, the greatest threat that this
world has ever (nown. Ae #$%& be stopped4 preferably
ending in Ais death. &his is the reason that I started the
Rebellion, and it is the reason that we #ust gain a foothold
in every ma3or Imperial 0ity. ,ill you help us; From your
words a moment ago, I 3udge that you have some rebellious
tendencies.
&e!ellious tendencies the girl said, her mind
wandering to a vision of a #ingdom filled with peace and a crowd
applauding her, giving thanks for her part in bringing down the E+vil
Valshani +mpire/ and restoring the <ueen to her right mind once
again"
...I' you think that I can help in any way, then I shall,
Master (oa
&han( you my dear, now I have wor( to do, please ma(e
yourself ready at a moment+s notice. I will call you when you
are needed.
Yes, Master Yoshina...err...Yashida. the girl quickly
corrected herself3 she turned and left the small office"
&s -arsaadi re*entered the library proper, there was a
cacophonous boom as the main door to the library burst open, a
small figure of a young woman landing on the floor some fifteen
feet from the entrance, her body sprawling across the floor and into
one of the master bookshelves with a dull thud, then laying
motionless in an undignified heap at its base" Then, through the
main door slink several )ithrans, laughing as they entered"
%hat 'a" a &anta"tic bla"t !elrana, 'ell done. The first one
through the door e.claimed3 a vicious smile on her face as she
entered" I 'onder i& the &ilthy (ermin actually "ur(i(ed...i& "o
then I may /u"t ha(e to ill it my"el&... 8he said, drawing her
sword3 her tail swishing side to side ...and do the 'orld the
&a(our o& ha(ing to "ee it" &ilthy &ace anymore.
"aster +oshina, Come -uicky, -arsaadi screamed running
over to the helpless girl and placing herself between the girl and
the )ithra as she advanced towards them at the base of the
bookcase"
0et out o& the 'ay, 1ume. %hi" creature need" to die be&ore it
dirtie" thi" )ity anymore by it" -re"ence.
If you so much as touch her in this 'ibrary, 0ria, then it will
be the last thing that you do in this life. The voice came from
all around the Library, echoing and reverberating throughout the
hall"
Who do you thin you are, "-eaing to me in "uch a tone!
e.claimed the startled )ithra lowering her blade"
I am the #aster of this 'ibrary, Feline, and you will show
both #yself and this 'ibrary the proper respect. 6s for this
girl, she is now under # protection. If you value your
scraggy hides you will leave this place at once.
What mae" you thin that you "tand a chance again"t u"...
*ibrarian. -ria hissed, her teeth bared in anger and she re*raised
her sword and darted towards -arsaadi and the girl, hissing as she
ran"
Then, without warning there was a flaring of magickal energy,
a burst of brilliant white light and a dull thud followed by several
pained yowls as -ria sprawled into her comrades, thirty feet away"
&s the light faded, #oga was stood in front of -arsaadi and the girl,
robes billowing as if in a high wind"
ou will :nd, 0at, that I am more than capable of defending
myself against the li(es of you. *ow...'<6V<!
You...'ill...2,Y...F3R...%1,%...*I4R,RI,.!! screeched -ria,
almost e.ploding with the anger and rage in her" 0E% %1E+, KI**
%1E+ ,**....3W! 3R Y35 WI** ,** 2,Y WI%1 Y35R 3W. *I6E!
,ith these words, -ria/s comrades spewed into the Library, hissing
and screeching as they came, swords drawn and teeth and claws
bared" #oga took a step forward, murmuring under his breath as he
did so, though what he said was unclear, the build up of magickal
energies that began to surround him made his intentions clear"