The Corrupted Sentinel

Future King

                                                                 ~~~~ Anjui's POV ~~~~~

Hearing his brother's words as the man shifted out of his seat Anjui knew of the Shor Cel, but had never actually used it. The statues were not meant to actually be used as a hunting force, but more a last defense if the three passes fell to enemies and they were pushed to the Capital itself. They were lifeless, showed no mercy, and no signs of need of sleep or hungry. They were wild savage things and a horror to see. The only way to destroy them was by completely smashing the stone that created them to pieces. A loss of a limb or their head wouldn't stop them even.

Anjui watched as the nobility all ran out of the hall in mayheim. Of course he had posted guards along the route to make sure the nobility actually left instead of running around trying to find places to hide within the city. Of course far and few those hidding places were Anjui would likely know of each of them, or Ado would. As the two of them constantly ran and hid away from their trainers and their parents. As the nobility ran away from the city the few armies out in the lands began to gather outside of the citadel in the training fields.

Anjui hadn't know his brother's plans, but they would not alter his at all. He would rule all the elven people under the House he now made. Looking to his brother neither said a word, but Anjui had wanted to give his brother a few words, that would have to wait however as the four commanders came forward. 

"Commanders; why have I recieved word that all our forces muster on the training fields here in the capital?" Looking around at his Captains the young ruler waited patientlly for an answer.

"My Lord, News from within the citadel has reached all ears, You now rule. and the soldiers have come to pledge their loyalty to you." the one person that had answered was the Northern Wall Captain. Nodding Anjui stood also from his seat. 

"Well Captains lead the way." The captains all stood and turned. Leading to the training fields all the soldiers. Those placed at the fortresses, the legions out on the field, and the guards to the fortress and few cities within the lands were all gathered. As Anjui came into view all the guards went to one knee. It was then the crowd yelled "Ail maesoli sai si tyrn."

It meant in service to the crown, the small piece of jewelry that sat upon Anjui's head. It was what bound the land to its ruler. its people to the house, and its army to the land. It was the one simple thing that could swept away without a second thought. Of course in times of war one had to eliminate the entire ruling noble family, or during the Fall and spring festivals one could challange another for the right to rule a house. Winter was time for preservance, one usually did not leave their home unless necessary in winter The students that would go to the Temple would leave early Fall and not return until their schooling was done nearly a century later.

Anjui looked out across his soldiers. Many wore the armor of the new house he now held. Its banners replaced the old ones in every city, every fortress, every citadel the Felwood family held. Looking out across his army Anjui held up his hand. 

"Car Thys si Tyrn." his saying of the ancient old traditional vow. Hail from the crown. a saying so old he remembered when he father had taken the oath and would renew it every decade. Anjui called out then to the soldiers all gathered. 

"Fair Soldiers of the House of Starlight, I have a dream, but it will require much strife and sacrifice for us to achieve it. But first we must make sure our position as a house stands secure, so while normal life would dictate you to return to your families until the last few days of spring, we have much work to do before then. First we must fortify the walls of Msol Thysaer, Pandryl Shar, Ialolys Syrdaes, and Col Kes. These must stay within our hands."

Whispers went out among his soldiers and he could tell as a few of them would lean back to talk to another person behind them, or they would turn to their head slightly to one side to talk to the person next to them. Some would even lean forward to talk to the person in front of them. 

"Do not worry there is still plenty of time. And to be sure that all of you are given family time I will allow for you to bring with you your families. I will even be on the construction as well." This sent even more words through the army. Their Ruler was going to help with construction and not just give the money in for the building? And most of all he wanted all of them fortified.

"My lord what else can we do to the Capital that hasn't already been done?" Anjui only turned to face the commanders. 

"As it sits we have the Citadel, the noble quater, and the commons. This shall expand farther." Holding up his hand a rolled up paper was handed to the young ruler. Opening up the paper he held it up so everyone could see. 

"I want three more walls added to the Capital. We can hold all of our people within the city, but we can not feed them, nor can we supply even ourselves, we relly solly what we get from the farmlands between the Capital and the fortresses, but what were to happen say one of the mountain passes were to fall. We would starve out before the season would end. I want to build fields for us to survive on if we are ever to go through a siege."

This plan seemed to surpise the commanders. Anjui had thought this through. He knew that the houses around him would push on his borders and hard. They could possible push right up to the Capital itself, but if they did that the assault would fail as the plans allowed for the citadel to be defended easily. It was placed around a single mountain it was called the Baerdaer Tylal, the Jewel Mountain. Inside they would build tunnels that allowed for them to escape to the country side far away from the city. but they would expand the walls from where it sat now with the citadel at the top of the mountain and the noble quater a bit farther down, with the commons half way up the mountain with a single pathway to the gate.

No instead he would add another wall a quater of the way from the bottom. This would seperate the commons from the soldiers. It would be a fall back defensive position, and be filled with houses of those who lived in the country side. Any free space would be used as land for farms. He would then build another wall at the base of the fortress used as another back defensce position. the land here would be used for army soldiers. Their armory, barracks, training grounds, stables, etc. Then a ring around the mountain would be dug out and a wall placed just outside of the ring as a sort of hidden trap. Another wall would be built inside the ring to block the inside from falling into the pit as well. The land between that wall and the base wall would be the farmland that the fortress itself would use to keep its self sustained. The wall would stand the tallest and thickest the Isle had ever seen. It would stand nearly one hundred feet high, and ten feet thick. The door would be forged from dwarven metal.

It was the plans that stunned not only the commanders, but it seemed Ado didn't understand Anjui's plan as it sat. 

"The plan is simple. We will make the Capital Self sustaining, and from this point we will launch our invasions across the isle until each house is under our command." Ado just looked at his brother Anjui returned the glance a smile upon his face. 

"However we must complete these modifications before winter ends, as to bring my dream closer I must move our plans forward to spring." This is what had drawn the most attention. All his commander's and his siblings eyes fell upon him in utter horror. Was the young king about to truly break tradition of the elven people and go to war with the other houses during the spring? The only person to know this answer was Anjui himself of course.

While he trusted his brother Ado, Anjui still had a feeling of unease when around his twin, it was like something was off about him and the male couldn't put his finger on it. The same with the rest of those close to him. He was their ruler now not their prince or their family. It meant what he decided was the final decision unless someone took the crown from his head and claimed it for themselves.  

                                                                ~~~~~ Ado's POV ~~~~~

Leaving the Citadel's throne room and more specifically the Citadel itself Ado followed his brother Anjui the male looked out across all the forces gathered up within the mustering fields. It was all of the soldiers their lands held. Five hundred men and women that were sworn to the horsemanship. Six hundred were fashioned to the archer hood. And the remaining were spears or swords. Also within them were just a few very powerful mages.

Hearing them all pledge themselves to the crown as the ritual usually goes through just like their father and their grandfather. Knowing all of those who would follow in the line if their house still stood. Hearing his brothers words to the soldiers of his dream it meant a lot not only to Ado, but to everyone. The prince could see it upon their faces that he all of them were listening to his every word like it was honeysuckle being placed on their lips. Their eyes were like children looking up at candy. But it was when his words went out about keeping their house by fortifying the strong holds on the borders that Ado could tell the soldiers were loosing faith already in his brother.

They had but a few more moons before war season was upon them, and that is a dangerous time for anyone to be trying to build something, but Anjui even had an answer to that. He would have the soldiers help with the new fortifications to the holds, and even to the new fortifications to the capital that he would be implementing into his building plan. Looking out among the soldiers Ado watched as all the forces understood that even though they had tasks and jobs that they would normally do during the seasons they were not soldiers, but this year that was strictly set for them as construction. It was a grueling task, especially those that had never done such work before.

Ado was drawn away from the gathered forces below as the commanders and Anjui were deep into a conversation about what would happen to the capital. Ado was curious about the modifications his brother would make to their city as well. It sat at the top of a mountain and had but only one entrance and that would only allow for two people to stand shoulder to shoulder and walk up the path without worry of falling off the edge. The newest addition would cut off the pathway use by placing it at the base of the mountain.

Holding up the plans Ado looked upon the thing. 

"My brother, The house banner." pointing towards the plans it still yet held the old family crest upon it. 

"Bring the plans." A couple of elves came forward with a new banner between them. 

"I give you the new house banner for Starlight." The banner went from a Green banner with a white tree upon it. To a Black banner with a Silver shield, upon the shield was a blade. at the tip of the handle to the blade was a single star.

Ado watched as his brother nodded his approval. It was then their work was put into affect. The capital would be a country in its own right being able to provide food and lodging for not only the citizens within its walls but the soldiers as well, they would no longer have to acquire food from the farms and lands the house owned outside of the capital. While the food would still be put away in the stores near by it would be used as a reserve, potentially for years of drought, or the long campaign that would be in the years to come.

Ado however was caught off guard when his brother had said he needed to act quickly before the season was over and war was upon them. It was like Anjui had everything already planned before he had taken over the house from their mother and possible even knew that his family would be banished. One day perhaps Ado would join his family in exile even though he sided with his twin brother Ado had a feeling Anjui could easily banish the older twin without any hesitation. He was ruler of the lands and hard decisions would have to be made in the future. The sacrifices he would need to make were Grand, but for the safety of the elven Isles and those people out in the world they would be in comparison dismal.

Ado had watched as the commanders all looked at the banner and approved as well. Ado played a smile to his face as his brother nodded his approval as well. 

"I am glad you approve."