The Corrupted Sentinel

The Next Stage

                                                                        ~~~Anjui's POV~~~

The young male had gone to sleep with ease, but his dreams were haunting nightmares. Tossing and turning Anjui had started at first with happy thoughts. To see his banner covering all of the known elven lands which would one day come to pass if he could do it; his dreams however took a twisted turn on him. At first they were small things like rebellions popping up, his family betraying him for their crown to be placed upon his mother's head again and the execution of his family including his sister who would now be placed within the lands of the Aelori.

It didn't phase him much as this was all things that could happen while he built the Empire, but what caused him to stir so horrible was the image of Ado betraying him, his own twin who had always been by his side and he had stabbed him in the back with a blank face like he didn't care he had just killed the person he shared his life with. This had twisted even darker into the thought of his body being mutilated or twisted like that of the Corrupted King, his flesh burnt and having to always hide behind a mask and within his armor no matter where he was.

Anjui had woke with a start, the sunlight shinning in from the window, the stained glass colored the room in hues of purples, reds, and green. standing up from the bed he allowed the covers of the down blanket to fall to the floor, but the silk sheet clung to his skin like a fine drapery would to a wet surface. It must have been from the nightmare and sweating he had done while asleep that had formed the sticky substance that now covered the surface of his skin where the sheet was not.

Walking to the other side of the room Anjui placed a bit of water from the jug into the small bowl. Grabbing a rag close by he washed off the sweat of the night before. Slowly removing the sheet to wash more of himself until he was completely washed of sweat and sticky substance the young elf let the sheet fall to the floor as well where he stood. Stepping from the make shift table to the cedar wood wardrobe he removed out some different clothing which had been unpacked for his stay. The first was the leggings, their color as black as charcoal. They were made of fine cotton dyed black by their makers they would be useful for the next few days of staying here. Next was the fine white shirt that he had removed also made of cotton, but was much thinner than the pants. it allowed him movement, but also breathing for his skin.

Closing the gap to the door The elf opened it and stepped into the hall to be greeted first by the guards who had come with him and Ado to house Aelori. Their black armor swallowed the light given off by the sun in the open windows. Neither of them spoke as the three traveled down to the dinning hall where the young prince noticed his soon to be fellow elf at Masol Thysaer. 

"Care if I join you young lord Mylas?" The surprise from him was obvious as he chocked a little bit upon the food he was eating. Spitting a bit he stood. "Of course Lord Anjui please." while the elf looked discontent for having embarrassed himself and even more so to have the elf that would take the crown from his head sit with him for breakfast, he wouldn't voice it.

The two sat in silence for a moment as a plate of bread, cheese, and a goblet of milk was placed in front of Anjui. "Tell me Lord Anjui what is Masol Thysaer like?" chewing a bit of the bread the young elf pondered the question himself. What was the city like to an outsider he wondered? It was hard to describe what his home was like as it was his home he would find no other like it and would not tarnish it in anyway, but he also didn't know how outsiders viewed it. Forming words best to his knowledge the young elf king spoke 

"Its a sprawling city of white. Its streets are always busy and its market is bustling with life from dawn to dusk. The people are happy with their lives, but as of most recent they are hesitant about the expansions of the city I have put into place."

The young king watched as he described the city to his counterpart. Mylas seemed to soak in every word in wonder. It was like he was trying to imagine this city, but his mind couldn't grasp what the city actually looked. It was almost like the boy had not left Shyr Tadorar. Seeing it now Mylas was Anjui's younger by at least a century which meant he was not of age yet to travel to the Shrine of the Stars for training, or to venture with his parents to their diplomatic escapades into other lands. It had been the same for Anjui and Ado when they were his age.

"Mylas we shall be leaving after the next festival in a week. I would prepare yourself, as once you leave Shyr Tadorar you could become a target, and any other Elf Houses will see you as a threat to their power, they will even try and get you to side with them against me. Possible even try and convince you into attempting an assassination on my life." spitting out more of his food and taking a big gulp of water from his glass Mylas shuttered at the idea. "Lord Anjui my father has sworn the crown of house Aelori to you, there for I am sworn to you." the young elf smiled briskly as he stood up.

"If you excuse me Lord Mylas I have matter to attend to."

                                                                       ~~~Ado's POV~~~  

Ado had turned the map of the crescent isle around and around on the table he had placed it. Of course the map didn't change and either did the points where they were at, but Ado was not looking at it for the big picture, but the minor ones that could play to his brother's advantage. The new young king needed as many of those as he could this war season as he had made many enemies with his disrespect to them all along with doing a coup in front of them all and out of season for it also. Winter was the time for rest and schooling.

Ado knew that the winter festival was not a time to challenge one for house rule, even less so to just take over with no fight or concede, but when one is backed up with the house's military might even a ruler couldn't refuse. It worried the young elf however to know his brother's reign could end in a few months at the end of an arrow, or a sword or a spear simply because he insulted the wrong person. While they could call upon house Aelori for aid both of them knew that Lord Aelori was not pleased when his crown had been removed from his head as well by the young ruler.

Ado stopped turning the map and had his eyes fall upon the mountain themselves that separated the lands Anjui currently ruled from the other houses themselves. Besides the fortresses that were dug into the mountains they now had. there was also the dwarven roads that would lead into the Si Bali, but there to would be guards in the way and a defendable fortress, but his eyes had caught something else entirely. He found a way that his brother could sneak their movable force against a single enemy without being noticed until they were upon the capital itself.

Shori Syrdaes, The White tower, a city marveled for being a rival to the tower of stars within Masol Thysaer. The city was a bustling town of trade and many believed it unconquerable not because its walls couldn't be breach, but because its army defended the lands around it so well that no one dared to try and attack it head on, but Ado kept looking at the map longer and longer and had found a pass in between the mountains that no one seemed to have looked at before. It was narrow of course could probably fit only a single elf through at a time, but it would come up right behind the city just outside of sight from the city itself.

Laying himself down to sleep Ado had taken time to fall asleep. His plan was to bring up these pass to his brother and the commanders in the morning to get their impressions upon the thing even possible to send scouts to the pass to see if what he saw upon the map was right. It was a slim chance, but it was still a chance he could take. The risk was high, but the reward was so much more worth it as that would give his brother a farcry of an advantage over the other houses that were upon the isle as it would lock him in place of holding not only the trade routes through Masol Thysaer, and part of the sea trade through Shyr Tadorar, but the entire Northern sea would be under Anjui's crown.

drifting to sleep the young elf awoke when he heard a bang at the door. jumping with a start and not remembering when he fell asleep the elf opened the door still having the cloths from yesterday cling to his skin. Of course upon opening the door the elf had seen food delivered to his room by a servant. Thanking the maid and taking the food it was a small meal and the food was cold while the drink was warm. Taking giant gulps of the water and tearing off bits of cheese and bread the elf returned to his work at hand.

Writing several messages in the next few hours. The first was to the dwarven king concerning time frame of when the king would lay siege to the old capital, along with a reminder elves had war season coming upon them soon in which the armies of the house would be needed in full strength and at their finest to fight other houses. This was sent away with a carrier bird that would fly to Si Bali; from there it would go to a carrier who would deliver it to a dwarf messenger who would take it back to his king.

The second letter he wrote was addressed to the four commanders of the house legions. It was a command as their prince to send scouts to the pass he had discovered and giving them the specific spot of the pass on their end. He wanted to know where the pass would lead and how long it would take to go from one end to the other, as perhaps a reason no one used the pass was that it would take to long to travel across even on horse to get across before war season was over.

The last two letter was to his older siblings who had already been married off. The first was to Eidas Madyrn, current ruler of house Madyrn. House shadow was a far off house in the east, but to write his older brother means he could possible have a powerful ally at hand or an even worse enemy at their doorstep before war season was over. The words on the letter weren't personal for Ado, more explaining the details to what had happened with Anjui and his taking of the house throne and asking for potential aid from house Madyrn. The last was sent to Tasi Jhol, husband to the ruler of house Jhol. House light was close to that of Madyrn and far enough away from the twins that they would take a while to reach.

The letter like the first didn't contain much from him on personal information only giving minor detail about Anjui and the crown he now wore and asking for aid if need be or at least supplies if they came close enough to hose Jhol's borders. Standing from his seat Ado sent the messages out by bird and left his room to discover it was already past noon and his meeting with his brother, the young lord Mylas who was to become a soldier under tutelage from the commanders in Masol Thysaer, along with Lord Aelori was now waiting on him to arrive as the plan was to meet in the war room at half past mid day.