"Mother!"
"Val!"
The mother and son embraced each other in the midst of flying autumn leaves. The wind was blowing, spreading Morgana's hair, while Valtherion's horsetail was also rustling. His mother took it off, stroking his face with tears in her eyes.
"Do not worry, mother! Everything will be alright, I swear!" Valtherion said as he looked at her. She seemed to have had sleepless nights, judging by the circles beneath her eyes.
"I know my son...I know...Look at you, clad in armour; you have grown so much..." Morgana said as she looked at her son, who was now taller than her.
"Young Master, My Lady...I am sorry to spoil your reunion; we do not have much time. He has to leave Emberfall and head towards Blackstone Fortress! Young Master, the army is waiting for you to take command!" A man stepped forward, clad in armour, wearing Mograine's crest. From now on, every soldier would look like that; after all, this was Mograine County, his dominion.
"Halt, Brandon...let me imbue his armour first..." Waving her hand, a mana core appeared in her hand. It was unknown how long it would last due to its quality; however, the armour seemed to come alive, as the moment it made contact with the core, five spots on his armour glowed in gold. The armour came to life, making Valtherion feel a bit more powerful, lighter, and more comfortable.
"Go now, Valtherion. Show us what the Imperial Marshal has taught you..." His mother waved her hands as she stepped away, letting Valtherion and Brandon get on their horses. Behind them, a squadron of knights on their horses.
"Mother...Luther and Dain might come. Wait for my letters. Let us go now; the frontline awaits!" Whipping the reins, Valtherion and Brandon headed for the city gates under the eyes of his mother and countless civilians who made way and muttered prayers. These months, there were only more and more soldiers being mobilised.
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"Uncle Brandon...What is my situation at the Blackstone Fortress, how many are coming towards us, and how many men do I have?" They spoke as they rode, leaves fluttering across their faces. Emberfall was in full autumn.
"It is...a bit grim, Young Master. The Main army of Emberfall is with your father, around 450,000. We have 80,000 men waiting for you in Blackstone Fortress, expecting the arrival of 160,000 orcs, lizardmen and bugs." Brandon looked at Valtherion's expression. He wasn't wearing a helmet at the moment, but he could see the young man was not intimidated. "Young Master, we received a letter from your father, as well as from the Imperial War Marshal. We are to give total power to you, lest our heads fly...and we will, but please, tell me, why is that? You are barely 16 years of age," Brandon spoke, directly without any roundabouts. He was a viscount under the Mograines and had served for many years; the man had witnessed the rise and the fall of the Mograines.
"When I arrive at Blackstone, gather my commanders, I want full reports. I will not tolerate any insubordinance, Uncle Brandon. The reason for those letters is simple: I work in the War Office, directly under the Marshal, devising strategies and tactics alongside him. The only reason you have not heard and I am not famous yet is because I wanted my identity to remain hidden." Valtherion spoke as he gazed at Brandon and his knights in the back. Nobody was wearing their helmets right now, so he could see their expression of shock before relief settled in.
"Listen carefully, all of you. If you follow my orders, you will win. There is no choice after those letters. Just trust in your young master for once...That is all I ask of you, only one time. After that, you will know, and your heart won't falter when I lead." Valtherion was establishing dominance, cementing his leadership, and he would have to do that again.
From now on, he would be around men who were his father's age, even older. Men who knew him, but not of his genius, men who would be fighting with their lives on the line, men needing to be reigned in total control. All of that would happen after they arrived, which would take them five more hours.
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"Morgana!" Ahri screamed as she saw the Countess walking away with her guards. Her back looked weak as she gazed at the ground and walked slowly. Despite her age, she seemed to have aged more quickly after today. Thankfully, she turned around, along with her guards, who had bloodshot eyes. Had someone just dared to call their Countess by their name? The audacity!
Louis Mograine was a stoic man, his discipline off the charts and his heart was generous beyond bounds. No man did not know this; he ruled the county with an iron hand. There was nothing left uninspected, reorganised and with back-up plans. Morgana ruled alongside him, taking care of the Economy. This is why, in this county, they were respected and loved as rulers, their capabilities long proven.
"Ahri? Luther? Little Dain? The butler and the princess? What are you doing here, Ahri? Why are you with Axel?" Morgana ran towards them immediately, while the guards calmed down. They knew who Luther was, and now there was a princess here as well. Dain was a brat who once ran around their County, but now he was a man in his mid-twenties, a personal guard of the Emperor. The Guards paid their respects to him, as well as towards Luther Pendragon. It did not take much brains to realise why they were here, considering their family ties with the Mograines...but what about the princess?
"Morgana...we know. You have kept this burden for so long...Raising a child, knowing such a fate awaits him..." Luther spoke as he watched Morgana break down in Ahri's arms.
"Aunt, there is no time! Give us three horses, me and Luther have to head towards Valtherion. We are going there, and we will stay and see this till the very end..." Morgana nodded, waving her hands at the guards who moved to execute the unspoken orders.
"Auntie...I am Valtherion's business partner, and now fiancé. I have come here to use the wealth we have amassed and support the county from the backlines. Please, let me help!" Juliet spoke as she looked towards Morgana, causing her shock even in tears. She had no idea that Valtherion and Juliet were engaged; it seemed like her husband and the Emperor had some agreements.
The three horses were soon brought; Alfred, Luther and Dain left in a hurry while the women headed towards the Mograine's mansion.
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"Young Master, we are almost there! Who is that behind us? Imperial Guards!" Brandon's tone was hurried until the last part. The squadron slowed down, allowing the three men to catch up.
"Do not slow down, let us enter the Fortress!" Luther shouted as he and Dain now rode beside Valtherion, giving him a nod. Not much was said; not much needed to be said.
Soon, they neared a gigantic wall; it was called the Second Line, and it was around 20 meters tall. After the fall of the Great Wall, the Second Line was built in a hurry to stop the invasion, and many fortresses were built alongside it and at its front, meant to stall.
The men soon entered the Fortress that was now bustling with soldiers. The moment they saw their young master, they bowed and proceeded with their duties. There was too much to be done in such a short time, and the young master was busy as he entered the Headquarters immediately.