The dockyard was burning like a funeral pyre. The western sky was no longer dark, but was glowing in a bruised, crimson orange. In that harsh light, the defenders watched ships docking in the bay one by one. Black silhouettes of men poured onto the docks like an incoming tide. Soon, the entire dockyard was filled to the brim. The mass of pirates expanded, yet they held their position, never spilling beyond the dockyard limits.
Lorian stood atop the wall, flanked by his Throne Guards and his trusted inner circle- Lucien, Rena, Jax, and Kaelen.
"They are not going to attack, it seems, my Lord," Lucien observed, his brow furrowed.
"Then why did they rush the landing in the dead of night, risking getting obliterated by bombardment from our coastal defenses?" Kaelen asked.
"To secure a foothold, a place to rest and adapt to Veridian soil before beginning their assault," Rena said in her thoughtful voice, "They are thinking this through. These are no simple pillagers."
Lorian nodded in grim agreement, "And to keep us on edge. By holding their position- just at our throat but out of our archers' range- they exert constant pressure. Our men won't be able to sleep peacefully tonight. They'll start the day sleep-deprived and exhausted."
"Master, if I may?" Jax asked.
"Speak your mind, Jax. This is no time to waste moments on senseless decorum." Lorian's voice was sharp with fatigue, which made Rena smile faintly before she caught herself.
"Master!" Jax shook his head, pressing on, "Why should the pressure be only one way? We, too, can attack right now. They are in a haphazard state. This is the perfect moment to strike with all our might before they can settle, or at the very least, harass them with a small contingent to keep them on their toes all night."
"What if it's a trap?" Lorian asked, narrowing his eyes, "What if they are hoping we'll pull this trick and are prepared for it?"
"Forgive me, Master," Jax said, "but I think you are giving these looters too much credit. I doubt they have the discipline for such thoroughness."
"Look, man!" Lorian placed a hand on Jax's shoulder, "Suppose two people- one rich and one poor- both receive a prophecy that if they bet one solar at the gambling table, there is a high chance it will double. The rich man will bet his solar without a thought. But the poor man will think a hundred times before doing so, for that solar is all he has. The pirates have twenty thousand men! Twenty…. Thousand….. They can easily sacrifice thousands to attain their goal. But we? We cannot afford to lose thousands of our men on a whim. They are all we have."
Jax opened his mouth to reply but stopped, realizing his master valued their lives perhaps a little too much. Most of the Veridian soldiers nearby had overheard the conversation. While they felt touched that their Lord viewed them as precious rather than mere fuel for a meat grinder, they could not fully connect with his overprotective sentiment. To them, it felt more like the worry of their aging parent than the resolve of a City Lord. They had no idea their master hailed from a world where human life was considered too sacred to be tossed into the fires of war.
The experienced Commander Lucien read the mood, and his heart sank. He realized that if Lorian continued this train of thought, he would soon be perceived as weak by his own people. This did not bode well for his future. Especially since the rescue of Selena Stormhold, many young citizens had begun to idolize Lorian as a romantic hero who would go to any lengths for the woman he loved. They ignored the political angles, seeing only an act of pure devotion. But this overprotectiveness? It would be his undoing.
Lucien stepped closer, lowering his voice to a whisper, "Listen, Lorian. I am not speaking to you as your Commander, but as your father's oldest friend. Our bond goes back further than his tenure as Lord. It was deeper than the relationship you share with Jax or Kaelen. Trust me when I say I knew your father's true aspirations. I suspect his final letter to you mentioned them, for I see the same fire in your eyes that I once saw in him. His vision went beyond the borders of Veridia, or even the Seven States. As children, we promised each other that when he became Lord, I would lead his armies to conquer the whole continent. And don't tell your mother…" he winked, "but as a boy, he wanted to marry a fair elven princess and lead the elven troops alongside ours to conquer Tir Luthar."
Lorian smiled, the crushing weight of the siege lifting for a fleeting moment. He loved hearing these stories of the father he never truly knew.
Lucien's smile however faded, "But after you were born, and that… 'condition' took hold, your father was devastated. He became a shell of a man, his dreams shattered. But, with great mercy of Meni, when you returned to yourself, those ambitions resurfaced. Over drinks, he confessed his hope to me- once you were firmly established as Lord of Veridia, he would join me in enacting his long-held plan to conquer the Seven Cities. He would win them and leave the rest of the world for you to conquer. He had detailed plans, Lorian."
Lorian nodded softly, "Yes, Father told me the same."
"I thought as much," Lucien replied, "But the way you are reacting now? This is not how you achieve such a dream! You are trying to protect your people like children- it is commendable, but it will not allow you to achieve greatness. How will you wage a war of offense when you are reluctant even to send your people to a war of defense? Had you seen the faces of the sailors who returned? Talk to them when this is over. You will realize they were looking for a hero's death, not to be told to turn their backs on the enemy!"
"I don't want my people to be needlessly slaughtered! Is that a crime? I don't want them to die like they mean nothing!" Lorian retorted, his voice a volatile mix of anger, surprise, and frustration.
"They are warriors!" Lucien's voice carried a note of desperation. "We joined this profession knowing death was the price. A true warrior dreams of a great death- fighting for a cause, dying for a cause, with his back to his people, not to his enemies! I do not know how you developed this mentality, but you are trying to deprive a warrior of a warrior's death. Look at what happened with the Paladins. Princess Selena Stormhold tried to save her troops with underhanded techniques. She was successful, but the troops, who dreamed of a fair and glorious battle, felt cheated and rebelled!" Lucien paused, his eyes narrowed, "Wait. Is this because of the Princess? Do you have this tendency to save people from dying because of her?"
"No, no, not because of that..." Lorian started to deny it, for it was indeed not the truth, but suddenly everything around him went dark.
There was nothing. No Throne Guards, no retainers. No palace, no dock. It was a complete, dark, cold void.