In a dim room, illuminated by a singular, small window placed in the middle of the chamber, two men spelt, along a small beast.
"Meow!!!"
"..."
"Meow meow meow, meow…"
"..."
"Meow?"
"..."
"Meow, meooow meeeow… MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW!!!"
The beast seemed to have woken up long before the two unfortunate humans. Along with it, his mother's genes awakened for the first time.
"Can you shut him up? It's still early!" Max complained, turning towards the opposite side of the room.
Adam layed there on his bed, with a cat sitting on his chest. he stared blankly at the ceiling, trying to think.
"No... we have to wake up. Today water was supposed to disappear..." Adam said in a flash of intelligence, amidst morning dullness.
"Ohhh... fuck." Max forgot, which is awful as his uncle is supposed to deliver a speech today. Very unkind of him.
------------------
Adam stood on the balcony, looking down at the citadel below.
It was still morning, and the sun had yet to rise all the way above the horizon. It has to be noted though, that the sun rises very late in the mountains, as the peaks block the view. It was cold, but not freezing, like during all the months before, spring hadn't come all the way yet, but the snow would have already started to melt in the plains. Not in the mountains though.
The streets below were full of people, chaotic and noisy. The king's subjects waited for him to come forward, and deliver his speech. One citadel, tone small city, and all Derdanians.
Above the walls, the highland was clearly seen, in the sunlight coming from between the mountaintops. There, the ground was wet, like a fresh bogland, but it was not a lake. Underneath the wet dirt, the earth was frozen, rock-solid.
The barrier also nearly disappeared, dissipating into its surroundings.
The highland valley was soon to return to its pre-flood state, if you omit the permafrost under the damp ground.
But, unfortunately, the highland was the only place in Derdania cleared of the flood. Just outside of the valley, the water was still high as hell. The town guarding the entrance was still under the water.
Adam's silent moment of contemplation soon ended, as the King neared the barrier of the balcony. The same one on which the young ice mage stood, now, and when he arrived in The Fortress with his magical friend circle.
The king was wearing his official attire: a long flowing robe, grey with golden embroidery, a white shirt and black vest underneath, and of course, black pants. Apart from that, he wore a golden crown, some precious crystals attached to it and a long sceptre, the same one he used while creating the barrier, no more than a month ago.
"Ehkhewm.." The king coughed a few times, clearing his throat.
At the same time, talks on the balcony stopped. Everyone started to pay attention to the king, no matter if they were nobles, high-ranking warriors or esteemed mages.
"People of Derdania!" The king started, after touching his crown lightly, making one of the gems glow in a dim, white light.
As he had done so, the ruler's voice became loud, clear and ever-present, as if someone talked right into the ears of the listeners.
"We gather today, to mourn and celebrate, grief the sacrifice of your brothers and sisters, and rejoice at our own survival." King's voice was met with silence, as the citizens stood quietly, on the terraces, streets, squares and buildings below.
Despite the unnerving atmosphere prevailing in the citadel city for nearly a month, the emotions of everyone present got caught in the king's iron hand.
"One month ago, we left our houses in an attempt to escape a calamity. Despite not knowing what was the reason for the hasty departure, you complied with mine, and the Duke' orders without complaining or causing chaos.
And we are deeply grateful for the trust you have shown us. Without it, our already dwindled population would be even smaller.
I am proud to be the King of Derdania, a nation which trusts me as its leader!" In a gesture of sincerity and as a show of gratefulness, the King, the dukes and the rest of the nobles, visible on the balcony for the people below, bowed towards the commoners for the first time.
"You have shown us your courage and determination, despite the lack of explanation from our side, by unwaveringly marching south for nearly a week. A journey most wouldn't survive, yet, only the oldest and the sickest of us were defeated by the road.
I am proud to be the king of Derdania, a nation indomitable!" For the second time, aristocracy bowed towards the lower levels of the citadel while Adam watched from the side, his back straight.
"Inside this cramped, boring and dull structure, built to defend life not to make it prosper. Where your movements were limited, constricted and watched at every step, ensuring the safety of those around you, you have shown to be peaceful, and unaggressive towards each other or authorities.
I am proud to be the King of Derdania, a nation united!" Third time the King bowed towards his subjects, in a sacred act of showing his gratitude.
The part of the king's speech involving the recognition of the civilians has ended, and while it was astonishing to see a king bow towards commoners, he lowballed their accomplishments while he prepared for his oration.
They were truly exemplary subjects, not questioning the authority in a dire situation, enduring during harsh times and united enough not to turn against each other while confined in The Fortress. Crimes were happening during this time, like always, but nothing major happened.
What was even more surprising, it all occurred in a godless time. The priests of Pruinia never leave their assigned posts, not even in a time of disaster. Combined with the fact that The Fortress was a place where churches and cathedrals were forbidden, there were no Goddes's servants among Derdanians at the moment.
After a moment of silence, the king resumed his speech.
"Among all those, who lost their homes, belongings, or even relatives, it is not us who suffered the hardest...
Despite vowing to keep all Derdanians safe, protect them from invaders, attackers, plague and famine, and all the things we might not even know existed, I failed at protecting my subjects, your brothers and sisters living in the many towns swallowed by water, the villagers who died without even seeing the danger, and those who we failed to persuade, who died due to their foolishness.
Those are the greatest victims, and I will carry the weight of the sin, caused by my incompetence to the end of my days." Saying those words, the king's voice grew sadder and sadder, filling the listeners with emotions and compassion towards their repenting ruler.
"But it is not time to grow melancholic, to regret our actions and question our decisions!
It's time for Derdania to grow back, rebuild itself and heal its wounds!...
To accomplish this, I will need every pair of hands, every civilian and every noble, every warrior and every mage. Together, we will rebuild our homeland!
Together we will build a new capital, new towns and villages! This time, instead of Derdanian plains, here in the highland, in the Fire Mountains and even further south, the Derdania Will Resurrect!" From the sad tone, King gradually moved to a domineering one, ringing in the ears like a heavy bell, trustworthy and demanding. Which made every listener sure, that the speaker spoke the truth.
In response to the king's speech, cheers rose from the crowd. The civilians below, and even some of the nobles shouted in fervour, displaying their approval of the royal words.
"But that's not all!
As a tribute to the dead, and as a reminder of the past, I hereby decree:
The last stand of Derdanians, our last line of defence, The Fortress. I hereby name thee 'Breakwater City' the capital of New Derdania, a barrier that will break even the largest of waves!" Shouted the king, in the end, even he was unable to remain stoic.
The crowd became chaotic, with shouts and cheers reverberated throughout the surroundings, but only for a while. Then, the silence returned, alongside the memory of their countrymen, whose bodies floated in the freezing waters of the flooded plains.
—------------------------------
For commoners, the spectacle ended with the king disappearing on the balcony, but for nobles and people of power, the day had just begun.
After the king's speech ended, the crowd standing on the balcony started to move towards the main hold, a level above their current one.
There, at the highest floor of the citadel, behind another set of walls, stood an entrance to the mountain. On the two sides of the road, leading from the gate of the innermost walls towards the mountain entrance, manors stood. The two buildings were domineering as if two giants stood over you as you walked the path.
Traversing the highest floor, the noble crowd passed by the royal accommodations, heading towards the mountain entrance.
"What lies inside?" Adam asked, turning towards Max, who walked beside him. They travelled in a small, dense group, consisting of the four mages. Adam's uncle would be with them too if he hadn't chosen the company of a peculiar widow. Of course, another invaluable member of the group was Parcas, who sat in Adam's pocket with his head sticking out.
"Mainly the storage, and a big hall," Max answered while looking around and admiring the manors on each side of the road.
"Hmmm, why no accommodations? If there is a storage there, there must be massive amounts of space carved in the mountain. And a hall only aids in my theory." Adam's inquisitive mind started to operate at high speed, after a few days of laziness.
"It's too damp there. Perfect for food storage, and parties that don't exceed certain time limits. But for everyday life, it would be insufferable." Max explained.
"Can't the wetness be dealt with by using runes? There must be a way..." Adam wondered.
"Yes, but it would be too much of a challenge in proportion to the reward."
"I am starting to hate the world 'but'." The ice mage complained after hearing the explanation, which included a 'but'.
Soon, they entered the mountain, and Adam had to admit that Max was right, the inside was damp and wet, even though it was quite hot there, compared to the outside.
After walking through a corridor for a few minutes, taking a few turns and going up the stairs, they arrived in the hall. The chamber was very big, with numerous pillars supporting the ceiling, and surprisingly, a hole in the roof.
Apart from its normal look, the hall was filled with tables. The furniture was arranged in a semicircular fashion, surrounding the main table. each of them was filled with food and flowers - evidently enhanced by nature mages.
Adam went to a place arranged for him, between Max and an older mage wearing green robes. On the other side of the table, Sylvia and some warriors stood. Cyntia got placed far away from their group, she sat with her father, who arrived in The Fortress, or rather Breakwater City, with Duke Malmond.
"My name, my name is Adam Axigna, a Beginner magician. With whom I am honoured to share the table?" Adam didn't laze around for the whole month, despite it looking like it was the case. In retaliation for his harassment, Max forced Adam to learn the way of speaking and behaving, appropriately for a mage. However, the basics were already known to the young ice mage, as he was tortured a bit before the party, back in the capital.
"Algier Windsworth, just as the name suggests, I am an air mage, an Advanced one." The person clad in green answered. His robe really had silver linings here and there, he wasn't bluffing about his realm.
"I heard about you, Adam. Rumours say that you managed to create your own absorption technique, only knowing the basics of runes, and basing it on a ritual you have seen. Is that right?" Algier asked in curiosity, his face betrayed him and showed all his emotions to the outside.
Algier was a middle-aged man, who looked to be younger than Derek and Edgar, but still could be Adam's father. He had long, wavy hair - on the border between blonde and brown. His face was soft, yet slim, his eyes hazel. Yet, his most surprising feature was his height. Algier was easily one of the tallest people present in the hall, towering at over two metres.
"You flatter me, senior. But yes, I managed to ascend using my own technique." Adam stated with his chest puffed out and his back straight. As he spoke, his chin raised a little.
"May I ask, which element did you decide to specialise? I heard you had your way with wind, ice and nature, and that you grasped a little of the arcane..." Agier watched intently, waiting for his junior's answer.
"I..... am sorry, senior. I would rather not disclose my primary element at the moment. What I can say though, is that my robes should change colour." Two of them looked down, on Adam's arctic-blue robe.
"I see. And quite frankly, I am happy you chose so. While ice mages are mighty on the battlefield, their usefulness is limited in the peaceful times." Algier commented.
"But, isn't wind the same?" Adam asked, catching the older mage in a pickle.
"Fair point. But at least I can fly, unlike everyone else. Including Master Coda." The wind mage pointed with his chin towards a female mage in arctic-blue robes, embroidered with golden thread, who stood some distance away, talking with a few of her colleagues.
Adam's face lit up, hearing about the possibility of soaring through the air. But his thoughts were quickly ended by Sylvia, who tried to catch their attention from the opposite side of the table.
"This is Ezekiel Warbear, my cousin." Sylvia introduced the warrior who stood beside her.
The fighter was a burly adolescent, maybe a few years older than Adam and Sylvia. He wasn't tall, but his height wasn't small either. He had the same brown hair and green eyes as his cousin, though his hair was much shorter.
"Nice to meet you, I had heard much about you, young master Adam." The man spoke.
"It's my pleasure, Ezekiel," Adam answered, he didn't see any orders on his chest, or epaulettes for formal occasions, that would indicate his high realm or standing.
"Have you..." The warrior began to speak, but he got interrupted in the middle.
A loud clinking sound reverberated throughout the chamber, as the king went into the middle of the hall, and started to ring his glass with a spoon.
"I welcome you to the first meal in New Derdania, and the first morning in the Breakwater City!
Please, fill yourself to the brim with food our chefs prepared, and don't be shy about the drinks!
Soon, though, the servants will bring each of you a letter, specially prepared, and considered by me and my advisors. You will be given your new roles this morning, jobs needed for Derdanian resurrection.
I hope you receive them well and prepare yourself for your new responsibilities, but if you find yourself majorly upset at what we think will be the best use of your talents, I will be accepting guests from tomorrow onward, through this week.
But now, Enjoy the feast!" The king's crown once more shined with a white light, from one of its jewels. And his voice became loud and everpresent.
The royal returned to his seal, at the main table. He sat with the rest of masters of magic, alongside his son and a few warriors at the master realm. They would like to have all the masters in the same table, but while there was a small number of master mages, warriors numbered almost four times their magic counterparts.
In a corner of the chamber, some musicians started to play. Their music was perfect for the occasion, calm and restrained, keeping it in the background but not distracting anyone.
Right after the king took his place, the rest of sat down and the feast started.
---------------
Adam mainly talked with senior Algier, Sylvia and her cousin. But he also exchanged a few sentences with Max, and other people sitting near them.
Apparently, Algier worked as a messenger for the king, his ability to fly for some distance made the work way easier than it would be for someone else. Unfortunately, when the second sun appeared Algier was in The Fortress already, having delivered a message to King's mother, and waiting to get a response from her.
The wind mage confessed that he felt guilty after the wave came. If he were in the capital at the time, many more places would be notified about the danger, and a lot more people would survive.
But just like the wind, the Windsworth didn't linger on one thought for a while, and while he felt guilty, he also knew that it was not his fault. that's why the topic changed easily, to a much lighthearted one.
Agier's love life.
The man felt that the drastic change in the country, caused by the massive reduction of its usable territory, was a very good omen for his disastrous love life.
His job was one of the worst ones for a long-term relationship, frequent and long travels out of home made him unable to retain a partner for a considerable amount of time. Sometimes they broke up with him, feeling lonely and forgotten, sometimes they cheated on him feeling abandoned or just being unfaithful whores, and sometimes he cheated on them being an unfaithful bastard. It was chaotic and unpredictable.
Now, Algier hoped to find himself a wife for good.
However, it has to be mentioned that the main reason for his search for a wife was his family. An Advanced mage, who stayed unmarried after his thirties wasn't a good thing for the continuation of the lineage. If it was just for himself, he was too much of a free spirit to actively search for love, rather than waiting for it to show itself.
---------------------------
"Fuck" The wind mage cursed.
The letters with their assignments arrived a few moments ago, and Algier stared at his with a pained expression.
"What happened?" Adam interrupted opening his one, to ask his senior.
"Read yours first. It will make more sense." Windworth answered.
As he was ordered to, Adam did. he tore his letter open and looked at the letters written inside.
Adam Axigna- Beginer Mage
Assignment- Junior Emissary
Details- You will travel around the countries in the south, noting their state of affairs, wealth, geography, traditions and most importantly - combat potential.
Apart from that, you will act as junior emissary under Algier Windsworth, an Advanced Wind Mage, who will be the main representative of Derdania outside of its borders, and the leader of the expedition.
For security reasons, Fenfallal Abedy, The Royal Swordmaster will accompany the emissaries along with his squad.
All the supplies and budget will come from the royal treasury.
Your debt with Edgar Steelarm is considered to be paid off, the moment you take your position as the Junior Emissary.
With regards - Royal Cabinet
Adam stared blankly at the paper before him, before bursting into a wide smile uncontrollably. He dreamt about this moment for a month, and the anticipation gathered inside him, couldn't be contained.
"Why are you laughing at my misery?" Algier asked reproachfully.
"I'm not laughing at you, senior. I am just happy for myself, I dreamt of going on an adventure around the world for a long time, and the position of an emissary is a perfect introduction to the outside world." Adam explained.
"Junior emissary." The wind mage corrected him.
"Either way, your love hunting will be over for a while, if you decide to follow the king's commands. I hope you do, by the way - it would be an honour to learn from someone like you along the way." Adam persuaded, not only was Algier a much more experienced mage than Adam, but he was also an expert in the element his junior used often, and with pleasure.
The older mage fell silent for a while, then said:
"I will think about it, don't get your hopes too high." He tried to hide a smile, but his efforts were futile.
Seeing his interlocutor's expression, Adam knew that he would get to learn a thing or two.