Central Plaza

On silent hinges, the great doors to The Citadel open outward. Standing there in the doorway, out of the line of sight of all but the rearmost of the crowd, is, as one might expect, Lady Naoki. For this most auspicious of occasions, she seems to have chosen to wear her recently acquired armor, a fully plated, dusky orange sort of affair with Isra’s insignia emblazoned across the chest in silver.

As she begins to move forward, out of the shadow of the gate and into the light and full view of all those assembled in the square below, the armor gleams. As she proceeds down the stairs, it clinks and clanks, as plated armor tends to, though it seems awfully loud to her.

After a longer walk down the stairs than Naoki really would have preferred to keep up her dramatic timing, she arrives at the stage/platform and steps up onto it. It creaks a bit under her weight, and she reflects in passing that it certainly would be a spectacle for her to go tumbling down the remainder of the stairs in a mess of shattered wood, metal armor, and tail, but doesn’t stop. Instead, she steps directly up onto the podium and proceeds to clear her throat.

“He-hem.”

The sound reverberates throughout the square and the city, evidently amplified by some trick of magic. However, it’s a bit on the loud side, causing even Naoki to wince a bit at the sound of her own voice.

After a moment, she tries again, “He-hem.”

This time, the volume is somewhat more reasonable, only loud enough to be clearly heard, but not quite loud enough to screech. Nodding to herself- evidently satisfied, Naoki proceeds with her address, “People of Isra. For long, we have heard of the atrocities committed by Goraia. We have heard of their bloody coup, the murder of Hylon Emarae, and the events that followed. It was a year ago, now, that their reign of tyranny and oppression began. Since then, they have imprisoned, enslaved, and brutally mistreated Medanese citizens day after day. Now we know that these evils have not stopped within their own borders. They are raping, murdering, and torching lands that never belonged to them!”

With each clause, the tempo and passion of Naoki’s voice increases, building toward a crescendo. Additionally, she begins to gesticulate wildly with one hand, waving it about emphatically in time with her words.

“There are those who stand among us even now who, while fortunate enough to have successfully escaped, have witnessed Goraian cruelty firsthand! There are those who stand among us at this moment who have lost their mothers, brothers, fathers, and children to the malicious and uncaring Goraian steel or prison camps. There are they who know the relentless grip of tyranny first hand.”

Here, she pauses for the space of a moment, her gesticulating hand frozen in place, one finger pointed straight up.

“But I say this. No longer!” With this, she slams the gesticulating hand down upon the surface of the podium. This causes the whole rickety affair to jump slightly under her feet with the force of the blow, threatening to collapse and send her careening down the steps. She makes a mental note to avoid doing that again.

Repeating herself more clearly, she continues, “No longer. Isra will not allow such atrocities to be committed- both to a nation that was once our ally- nor to anyone who is a part of the free world. Isra was founded under the auspicious principles of freedom, democracy, and the rights of all to enjoy life peacefully. Under those ideals, we have grown strong. And while it may be unreasonable to expect the whole world to adopt such ideals as their own, it is unacceptable for any group- regardless of its status, affiliation, or supposed justification, to do what Goraia has done and not expect retribution. We cry out for the voiceless, for the meek and lowly who cannot speak out for themselves. We care for the enslaved, for the widow and orphan, when no one else will. We fight for the weak.”

Here, she pauses for the space of a moment, allowing her words to resonate and reverberate before continuing, “And so, where the people of Medan cannot stand up against the oppressors, I tell you today that Isra will. I, High Lady Naoki, on behalf of the sovereign state of Isra, do hereby declare war on Goraia. Their mistreatment of their own citizenry has persisted for far too long. We turn to war as the final means of liberation for these oppressed, and the utter removal of a power so cancerous to the world stage. The rulers of Goraia have shown they will not live in the light, and so they must be relegated to the darkness that they love so much. If we tolerate such a power for even one more day, then we are directly complicit with their heinous acts. We who love so dearly our own freedoms must share them with the world. If we clutch at them as pearls, holding them above and beyond the rest of the world, then how can we say Isra is a force for good?”

Amid the crowd, tucked away in a corner, sat a tiny little gingerbread man, immobile and appearing discarded.

Hearing the end of Naoki's speech, Chancellor Ryden Greyiron stepped through the proud gates of the Citadel, making his way down to the plaza as the furore from her words died down. Resplendent in his own recently-commissioned armour, blazing silver in the mid-morning's sunshine with his personal four-pointed star proudly etched into the breastplate, he strode down the grand stairs, slowly, and yet keeping good pace, as he was slightly more experienced in the intricacies of walking in armour than Lady Naoki. All the same, the clamour of the gathering had not yet faded by the time Ryden stepped up to the podium, so he raised his right hand, in a simple gesture, where it remained as the chatter abruptly faded away.  

"It is in this dark hour, perhaps the most fateful hour in history, that we must face the threatening reality of war. Time and time again, we have sought to reconcile the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies to prevent a terrible fate befalling all life; it has been in vain." 

He projected his voice so that all present might hear him clearly, his tone grave and somber. It was a dark day for the infant nation of Isra that they should have to declare war on any other nation.

"We have been forced into a conflict, for we are called to meet the challenge of a principle which, if it were to prevail, would be fatal to all civilisation in this world. We are called to defend the integrity of justice and freedom in the just and free nations of this world."

"It is a principle which permits a state, in the selfish and senseless pursuit of power, to disregard its obligation to the integral and intrinsic rights of each and every living being that inhabits this world; a principle which sanctions the use of force or threat of force against the sovereignty and independence of other states, as it did against Medan, our regrettably lost friends."

Ryden, at this point emphasising every clause with a stab of his outstretched hand, let it fall to his side, as he paused to let the gravity of his words sink in.

"Such a principle, stripped of all facade, is surely the mere primitive doctrine that might is right, and if this principle were established through the world, the freedom of our own country and of all others would be forfeit."

"But far more than this, the peoples of the world would be kept in the bondage of fear, and all hopes of settled peace and of the security of justice and liberty among and within nations would be ended."

"This is the ultimate issue which confronts us. For the sake of all we ourselves would hold dear, and of the order and peace of the world, it is unthinkable that we should refuse to meet the challenge. It is unthinkable that we should leave those that threaten our security and safety to spread rampantly, savaging as they will. It is unthinkable that we should allow our probity to be violated by these barbarians and their destructive ways, as it is if we stand by and watch."

Ryden paused again, his fist still curled where he had brought it down upon the podium to emphasise his last point. Looking around the audience, he allowed them a moment to reflect.

"It is to this high purpose that I now call on the people of Isra who will make our cause their own."

"I ask them to stand calm and firm and united in this time of trial."

"The task will be hard, and long. There will be dark days ahead, and war will not be confined to the battlefield, but we can only do the right as we see the right, and hold resolute in the face of adversity, lest we ourselves fall into the dearth of humanity that we seek so desperately to end."

Ryden bowed his head solemnly, waiting for a moment, before gracefully stepping back from the podium. As he did, he turned to stand beside Madame Naoki, waiting to follow her lead. 

She stared.

The rooftop was drafty, and she was wearing a less than insulating black silk women's suit, an outfit she had grown oh so very fond of over the last few months. And what an adventure it had been, seeing so many places, meeting so many new people, watching herself and her people become stronger and stronger. In many ways Lady Naoki's speech seemed to be the culmination of thousands of events.

She started to walk along the edge of the roof to get a better view of Lady Naoki's entourage.

She remembered the first time she met Jill. Jun herself was little more than a decent mage with a fetish for power and the wanderlust of youth. Jill was a charming (and possibly psychotic) melee fighter who gave no indication of becoming a traitor, She was also her first teacher... Jun remembered Jarkoopi in that dark cave, her very first dragon encounter. Camilla was her very first employer and friend. She remembered the first time she had been to Isra, meeting the eccentric and lovable Demonlord Maelik, discovering the Black Tower, and being hit on by Madame Naoki back when she was still a sultry madame in a red dress.

How did it ever come to this? What happened to the hiking, the crazy hi-jinks, the consensual near-death experiences? How did she reach the point of standing on a lonely rooftop watching her friend commit thousands of lives to their doom? The fact of the matter was, despite her anger towards Lord Zephidel and Goraia, she was psychologically wholly unprepared for war. War. The very word made no sense to her. Her grandmother had fought a war, yes. And she had read about plenty of wars. But for the first time in her life she was about to experience one first hand.

Jun's hair flipped and flickered into the sad air. There may as well have been a great chasm in between herself and the cheers and Lady Naoki's booming voice below her. The shaking podium and stand from Naoki's overzealous frame did illicit a little chuckle from her. Jun glared at the pointy eared monster, the single deadliest being in all of the world, with her seductive swishing tail. She thought idly what would happen if she summoned a flaming ball of plasma and just tossed it straight into the podium. What would happen if she just ended the whole story then and there? No doubt Naoki's sudden conflagration would bring a dozen or so Sun Marshalls on her position and bring an end to her lengthy tale as well. All her adventures would disappear in that single act. But then so would a war.


No, it wasn't worth it. It would accomplish nothing. The people were already galvanized. Jun would be ousted as a traitor and her entire nation would be put to shame. Luckily it was just an idle thought, no different than a peasant wondering what would happen if he stuck his private member in a garter snake's mouth. An amusing simulation to play in one's mind, but not one any reasonable person would act on.

Jun sighed. She loved Lady Naoki like a sister. And she also loved Camilla. And deep down inside she knew this was the right thing to do. She would have to steel herself. No doubt the Elder's Council would remain as neutral as possible, committing troops to border defense and perhaps providing food and medical supplies. But after being a part of the militaristic Phoenix State, the Land-Tillers were done with being compelled to commit troops to other nations. The crisis in Aaedan was one thing. There was no moral quandary to be had there. Undead were killing people and the whole world was threatened. Goraia, despite the rumors, had taken no offensive action against her people, or really against anyone (other than themselves). But Jun was a Sun Marshall, an affiliate of the Black Tower, and Camilla's former Lady in Waiting. She did not have the luxury to be neutral. She had to take a stand, one way or the other.

"Sorry Jill, Sorry Jarkoopi..." She sighed.

After the speech was over, Jun raised her hand. A crow flew onto her shoulder. She walked away from the edge of the rooftop.

Jun was startled to see she wasn't alone. She swiveled around and saw the pale vampire. It took her a second to realize why she needed a parasol when the sun actually felt good to her in light of the cold air. "Oh! Hi Skarlet!"

She thought about the question for a second, silently turning her head back towards Lady Naoki, Ryden, and the crowd.

Well I did contemplate killing your mom for a brief second...

"Uh, I mean, Isra just declared war on Goraia so... yah, a little."

"Friends? I don't know if they're friends anymore..."

Jun returned to the edge of the rooftop and sat down on the ledge. She shuttered slightly; the stone was cold. Her legs dangled over the open air. She wasn't scared though.

"I don't really know. On the one hand I trust your mom. She's a good person, and she's probably doing this for all the right reasons. But on the other hand, war is never a good thing. War is what happens with people don't care about each other's safety, when they are willing to slaughter each other because their needs and ideals are more important than the beating hearts of others. That's... that's just scary... I do think in the end this is for the best. My people are in love with that human rights declaration. They think it's the beginning of a golden age. I just hope they are right. War seems like a shitty way to start a golden age though. What about you? What do you think?"

Jun couldn't help but grin slightly. It was nice seeing Skarlet out of uniform. She was growing too accustomed to seeing her in bunny ears.

"It must be nice being able to live that long and see the big picture." Skarlet's words, despite being cold and logical, did make Jun feel a little better.

"I still don't really know what I'm gonna do. I guess as a holy mage I should be aiming to save as many people as possible. On the other hand... I've definitely got a score to settle with Jill..." She pumped her fists together, and there was faint red glow in her eyes. But then the energy went right out of her. She hung her head and sighed. "You know, I like fighting. I like showing off my spells and abilities. I don't actually like killing though. It's too bad the world isn't just a big game, huh?"

Arya would arrive in the Central Plaza for the announcement. She was not wearing her armor, or her sword for that matter. Instead, she opted for a more casual attire which she normally wore now whenever armor and a weapon was not needed. She wore black form fitting pants that accentuated her well-toned form quite well, as well as a white low cut shirt. Over this, she wore a furry white coat to keep the cold at bay, it also blended quite well with her long silvery white hair which she let flow down her shoulders and back freely. 

Arya had returned to the city of Isra only recently. The last time she had been to the city had felt like so long ago, when she visited with Lum'valia that one time and met Maelik and then almost fought him to the death outside of the city until Jun and Lum'valia stopped them. Looking back on it, those memories made her smile lightly, she had grown much since then and had managed to even befriend the demon Maelik despite their rocky start. She often wondered what happened with him and Lum'valia from time to time during her travels. 

Speaking of memories, someone from times past walked out of the Citadel just then, the High Lady of Isra Naoki. The paladin had heard of the treasurer's rise to power during her travels away from Isra after she had left the Chalet, but standing there among a crowd of thousands of people as she addressed them was still somewhat amazing to witness, at least Arya thought so. Letting a smirk grace her face upon seeing Naoki walk up to the podium. When she began to deliver her speech to the gathered crowd however, this smirk quickly faded from a neutral expression to a somewhat worried one. 

As soon as the topic of Goraia came up, Arya had a hunch what this announcement was about, and when it was finally made official a feeling of dread overcame Arya. She did not know much about Goraia or Medan for that matter, and she could have taken what Naoki said at face value and assumed there were all monsters. However, Arya knew this was most likely not true. Most likely Isra would be fighting the very people they are fighting to protect, conscripted into Goraia's armies and forced to fight for and die for a cause they do not believe in. Family would die on both sides, sons would die, fathers would die, family would die on both sides. Arya would looked around worriedly and she would see, among the cheering masses the mothers of sons who would be sent to war, they were not cheering. She would see those in the military right now, some even younger than herself, they were not cheering.

Yet even they would seem to have it better than the common man who fought for Goraia, villainized in the eyes of the Isran people even though they were simply following orders, for if they didn't follow orders they would surely face consequences. In the end, Arya saw this declaration of war to be very sad, she was sad to see diplomacy fail. Now thousands were inevitably going to die, fighting for what? For the liberation of Goraia? The people of Goraia themselves would pay dearly for this liberation, the thought of it made Arya sick.  

This sickness led to anger, and she clenched her fists just a bit in contained anger as she listened to the next speech. Truly she didn't listen to this speech very closely, it sounded much like she expected it would. They had to get the people of Isra on board with this war after all. Arya felt helpless in that moment, just one person of many thousands standing in the streets below looking up upon those who made the decisions that affected all.

But then she thought again, what could she really do in this situation? Any single person can make a change, accomplish anything if they put their mind to it, the bar owner, turned treasurer turned ruler of Isra proved that to Arya. Arya could be the change she wanted in the world after all. With a new found determination in the face of war, Arya would leave, walking briskly into the cold air through the relatively empty streets of Isra, her destination already set. 
 

Skarlet raises her head. "Yes, I still haven't gone through one lifetime yet, so time is still vast for me, 80 or so years is still a long time away. In the end, immortals have the company of other immortals, like my brother I met recently. He's the one who made me a vampire, it turns out."

"The solution is to make sure you survive, don't let them experience that grief. Hmm, I wonder what I'll become hundreds of years from now. Sometimes I wonder. Will I become an evil overlord? Or maybe a fair ruler. Maybe I'll become an adventurer and still being a waitress while I'm home. Once I lose my Mom it will be more difficult to find my way, and I stopped my relationship with my boyfriend because I didn't want to set myself up for the grief of losing him. *sigh* On that note, I wish I could find someone to share eternity with."