It seems that everything is coming to an end for me. Though, I must admit, I did not expect such an ending.
After Etienne was killed, things were quiet for a while, but then it began... Sylvs throughout the city started attacking the yoru guards, simply sweeping them aside. No one was prepared for such a turn of events, not even I. On the contrary, I was absolutely certain that the king's death would return everything to how it was and allow me to quietly attend to my business as before. But the depression of the residents of Ville-de-Roi turned into their wild rage; the yoru will have to sweat to stop this. It is frightening to imagine what will become of the city as a result of all these events...
And yet, this is my city; I am the one responsible for it! Why did I, after hesitating, set the yoru upon that ragamuffin king? Why do I now worry about the people, about what they are doing? Because I am the governor of Ville-de-Roi! Is the life of one person really more important than if the entire people perish? They will drive out the yoru, I have no doubt, but what then? They will come with a regular army and secret assassins; some will die at night, and by day they will finish off the rest with a powerful blow. Who will stand? No one! The yoru will return and seize our city once and for all, destroying what has held together thus far through my efforts. And all because of some ragamuffin who thought himself a big shot! And is that fair? Is this what is called freedom now?
I have another thought. What is happening can no longer be stopped by my strength alone. But I can join in... After all, for years I have kept this vast city in order. Surely, if I lead the rebellion, I will be able to keep not only this city in order but, with any luck, all of Tervert? Yes, for them, for my people, I am ready to take such a step. And it is not too late to do so. The crowd will kill the yoru anyway; I will simply make it seem as though it happens by my order. Since I am the governor. I will put my own life in danger by this, but... I think I can ensure proper protection for myself. And then... Then I will figure out how to keep the city and Tervert from a global war and establish relations with Ishiva. It is worth trying.
Alright, it seems I have become too immersed in my diary. Someone is calling me; I must go out and see who has come.Epilogue. Dawn
The entire city, as if on command, rose up and began to slaughter the yoru. It felt as though someone had taught them all, but one only had to look at a single point and see how the crowd of sylvs was raging for that impression to crumble.
Arandor was sure he was in no danger; he elegantly pretended to be an ordinary sylv girl rushing somewhere on her business, trying to push through the crowd. However,
Heroist caught up with him from behind.
-- I think we've met before, fox, -- noted the girl in pink armor.
-- You have me confused with someone else! --
Arandor answered innocently.
-- Let's test that in battle! Show your weapon!
Arandor unsheathed a katana, and
Heroist -- a heavy sword, and they clashed.
Arandor immediately struck
Heroist's horse in the neck and it fell, but this did not prevent
Heroist from delivering a counterstrike that instantly severed the arm with which
Arandor held the blade.
-- You won! -- cried the wounded
Arandor. -- Now let me go!
-- Sorry, but my orders are to take no prisoners, -- the Pink Knight noted with a hint of regret and forcefully brought her blade down upon the Kitsune's skull, so that its head split like an overripe watermelon.
Dagr ran up to the Knight of Dawn.
-- Are you hurt?
-- No, only bruises. Can you give her last rites?
-- Alas, I cannot perform this sacrament for a pagan. Her soul can no longer be saved.
Immediately
MyHighness, who previously went by the name
Neira Drake, appeared. She business-like examined the defeated Kitsune's katana.
-- The metal leaves much to be desired, madam. Although overall the sword is not bad; the balance is excellent.
That same night,
Larisa left the city, bowing to it in farewell. Her path led to another empire called Kro, located on a corresponding archipelago. Right at the city gates, she produced her horse, Apple, from somewhere and spurred him on.
The mobilized yoru guard could not catch her at the gates, but they well remembered that strange green outfit, as well as the name
Larisa shouted to them all in farewell.
VisTrit was known for a very playful nature, but he did not like his last meeting with
Arandor, which had occurred several nights ago; Arandor had yelled at him loudly then. So now he simply took and left the city, escaping by a method known only to himself. Although it is rumored that he simply jumped over the ten-meter fortress wall.
Epizes, known as
Olam Havel, could not survive the loss of his student and best friend
BuglerV. Lately, sad memories had been overcoming him more and more often. The Daskalos simply walked through the city with a vacant gaze, paying no attention to what was happening around him. Suddenly, he looked up and glanced around. Where had he wandered? He did not know this district...
It seemed it was somewhere in the old city. The narrow streets were completely uninhabited; no lights burned anywhere. Glass and lanterns were mostly broken, the stone cracked. What remained intact lay under a thick layer of dust and grime.
Olam Havel first wanted to raise an air vortex and fly from here to a tidier place, but Daskalos curiosity prevented him from doing so. He continued walking through the streets, which with every new turn became more and more like a labyrinth.
Eventually, he found that he had reached a dead end. However, right opposite among other buildings huddled a house—the only structure in whose window a dim light burned. The house differed slightly from the other buildings; once it must have been beautiful. Although now it was in as dilapidated a state as all others, and furthermore, tightly squeezed by buildings on all sides. After thinking for a moment, Epizes peeked into the window, but through the dirty glass little could be discerned: only an oil lamp, the table upon which it stood, and a silhouette in the room.
Olam Havel knocked. The silhouette slowly approached the window and opened it, however... In the opened window,
Olam Havel saw nothing—no humanoid, no lamp, no table. The room was completely empty, although the little light that entered barely allowed one to assess its contents. Epizes tried to ignite fire with his hand to illuminate the space around him, but he failed: the element of fire would not obey him and no flame appeared.
-- Tromeros take me! -- he cursed nervously and tried to create an air vortex, working his fingers as usual. But again, he achieved nothing.
Olam Havel turned to leave this place and came face to face with
0xFF.
-- How is it that you have lost your talents, Master Epizes? -- the Shadow spoke softly. -- I thought those like you were capable of much more.
-- Who are you and how did you get here? What do you want from me?
No answer followed, and
Olam Havel took a combat stance, directing a fireball at the Shadow. But no fireball appeared... The strange creature only laughed.
-- And what have I done to you that you immediately attacked me? Want to know who I am? I'll tell you, for once. Usually, I love to keep a secret, but since you ask, please.
0xFF waved a hand before
Epizes's face and he felt himself losing consciousness as blackness filled his eyes. He woke up when the first rays of the sun were rising over the city. When
Olam Havel stood up, he saw that he was not quite where he should have been. Yes, it was an abandoned narrow street of the old quarter, but that same dead end with that same house nearby was gone. The mage rose and tried to create fire and an air current. He encountered no difficulties with this; his vast knowledge of magic still allowed him to handle the elements effortlessly. Deciding he had simply overexerted himself, the Daskalos went to the apartment he and Renard had rented back when they first arrived in the city.
The city met the dawn not as usual. No yoru were visible anymore—neither guards nor ordinary residents. The governor was found dead in his temporary residence, with his throat slit. Numerous sylvs gathered in the city square and shouted something. In the first row, many knights and clerics could be seen; among them, the Knight of Dawn, the Morning Smith, and the Chaplain stood out particularly. Soon, accompanied by several knights, another humanoid appeared. He was a short, lean, and not very young sylv, however, he was clad in imposing armor; it was very strange that he did not break under its weight. The entire first row and the guard bowed to him, and it became clear that this was none other than the Grand Master of the Order of Dawn himself. He cleared his throat and began a speech. The casters standing nearby amplified his weak and unimpressive voice many times over, so that now it sounded menacing and rolled across the square like thunder.
-- Today, thanks to you, we have taken the first step! The first step on the path to our freedom! The first step that will return our honor! The first step that will help us find happiness while we still live!
-- We have suffered much, but our sufferings were not in vain. Now we have the opportunity to root out an age-old evil once and for all! You may think that too little has been done so far, that the liberation of Ville-de-Roi will give us nothing... But do not believe those who spread false rumors intended to undermine your resolve and ours! Right now, in all cities of Tervert, the same is happening as here in the capital! Sylvs across the country are outraged that the cowardly yoru killed our lawful king! And everywhere these yoru are having a hard time because of our compatriots, who press their garrisons and force them to leave Tervert amicably before one must resort to worse measures! And the intervention of the Order, helping sylvs throughout Tervert, is immense! We are ready to lead this victorious, holy war, and we have already led it! Few know, but we possess a vast arsenal, an army—everything needed for the yoru to clear out. And our army is already mobilized.
-- Many of you will ask: who then shall ascend the throne of Tervert, since the lawful king Etienne is dead... Well, I am ready to gladden you! Etienne has a small son named Severin! And now, since his father, Etienne the Uncrowned, is dead, he is the lawful heir to the kingdom! In the coming days, the Order will bring him to Tervert so that he may take up the burden of power. And although he himself is still too young to independently make important decisions for the country, the Order and I personally will help him in this to the best of our ability!
-- And one last thing. Until now, our Order had a goal—to lead Tervert to freedom and prosperity, to begin processes that would return our independence, return our ability to walk peacefully upon our land, and hear the ringing of church bells in the mornings. And now those times are arriving. Dawn has come! Dawn for all of us! Thus, the goals of the Order are now different. Now we must not allow darkness to cover us prematurely; we must preserve what we achieved today. Now we are the Order of Daylight! And as long as we live, night shall not fall upon Tervert!
The Grand Master's speech was interrupted several times by thunderous applause and cries of "Glory to the Order!" coming from the crowd. The knights stood humbly on their knees before the Grand Master until he finished. On this day, all sylvs understood that a new era in their history was beginning.
***
The remains of
MasteR were washed away by the current to the lower part of the river. At first it seemed they were motionless, but then it became visible that some pieces of flesh were gradually falling off, and new, fresh ones grew in their place. When the coelenterate recovered its heads, it stood up and walked into the nearest forest.
MasteR was hungry, and it was high time to satisfy that feeling...
End. Victory for the city!
