<span style="font-style: italic">I did not believe in anything a long time ago. Now, I do, and the belief burns in me brighter than a thousand suns. And you can do nothing to change us!</span><br/>~Ramza Pavel, 3E:117 - 3E:138<br/><br/>------<br/><br/>Lorezen had changed so much. In the Third Era, Year 137, it was a simple trading city that looked to be a footnote in Kaganax's campaign to dominate Empora. The First Army, led by General Leland Conall, numbered around 10000, outnumbering even the entire population of Lorezen.<br/><br/>"Let us take this victory, and go forth further," said General Conall to his men, hours before they attacked. Conall was reputed for this humility and competence, but even he would think that Lorezen could not destroy him or his armies.<br/><br/>A young man by the name Gladius did both. Few had even heard his name, even within Lorezen. With no history to his name, not even family, this rootless young man would bring Empora back to its roots through his deeds. Alongside Ramza Pavel, a mercenary of great skill, the hero of Empora did the impossible.<br/><br/>Sneaking into the camp of the general, Gladius struck down the general in one-on-one combat. Even more impressively, the young hero withstood the garrison's assault upon himself, holding out until the militia of Lorezen drove the First Army away from Lorezen.<br/><br/>This was not the only victory to come of piecemeal resistance, but it was the first. When the rebels would gather in council at Coritanae weeks later, this deed would push Gladius to the top of the hierarchy of the Rebellion.<br/><br/>Roughly around the same time, however, the other rebels were not faring as well. A deadly combination had formed under Kaganax: Ontos Chalmer the Lawmaker (sometimes known as Ontos the Cruel) and General Kroitz Neuman. Ontos was thought to be the least likely man to join Kaganax and the most likely to oppose him. The self-titled governor of the Clarenden, the City of Law, he turned the 'City of Crime' into the 'City of Law' through brutal but effective intimidation tactics. However, he joined Kaganax's campaign almost immediately as the Tyrant-King took the throne. He would be known for his utter demoralising impact upon any army he met, as his snipers would take out enemies with the perception of precision expected from powerful mages.<br/><br/>General Kroitz Neuman was a necromancer, an oddity within the martially-focused Emporean Army. Though he was from a long line of generals that had served Empora from its founding era, he betrayed Empora by joining Kaganax, rewarded through the command of the Third Army.<br/><br/>The two of them besieged Drogunost strongholds, taking out 2 in a single day. The dead of the sieges, especially women, were raised as undead and used as arrow fodder for assault. In the same hour that General Conall died to Gladius, General Neuman and Chalmer both attacked Ibla, the closest major city to Beval. It fell in hours, despite the brave efforts of the late Chancellor Winfred Calvin. The Third Army would march on to Malrena, when the Tyrant-King would eventually learn about the First Army's defeat at Lorezen.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Adapted from Chapter 2 (titled 'The First Battle of Lorezen') of 'A Hero's Tale'. Published in 3E:140 and written by Marise Fair.</span><br/><br/>------<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">The Braised Chicken</span><br/><br/>Illuyan clicked the book shut with one hand. It took one man to change Empora, and another to change it back. Would there be another to change the kingdom, for better or worse?<br/><br/>"Drinks, sir?" asked a busty waitress, whose apron seemed to have been cut low enough to draw more tips. She bent over on the table in front of Illuyan, smiling.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Damned humans. Those aren't squeezing money out of me.</span><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"No,"</span>he replied, returning a smile. Beneath his voice, a subtle presence struck the mind of the girl. Stepping back, she returned the smile while wiping off a drop of sweat from her forehead.<br/><br/>With the indignant way she walked back and her hushed whisperings with another waitress, she must have thought him as something strange.<br/><br/>He glanced around the tavern. The Braised Chicken wasn't his first choice; he would chosen somewhere else that smelled less like dead chicken. Most of the patrons looked like they were recently evacuated from the local dungeons, and the waitresses had their tops cut low enough he thought one of the girls almost popped out of her clothing when she sneezed.<br/><br/>"Humans... they think to just lose a bit of cloth to earn a bit mor-"<br/><br/>"I know how you feel."<br/><br/>A young man, perhaps younger than him, now sat in front of him, across the table. Blonde hair, blue eyes and an innocent grin, but there was something off about him. Illuyan recognised him; he did give him a job after all. Micah Hayschild claimed to be a young man of great influence, though of what eluded Illuyan. He wasn't a noble, an officer or a merchant. The only possibility was a connection to the Rebellion, guessed Illuyan.<br/><br/>"Yeah, Hayschild. Humanity's going down the sewers." Illuyan smiled nervously.<br/><br/>Micah smiled back, his eyes looking into Illuyan's. He hadn't given away anything, other than a single misspoken line. Yet, the younger man looked at him as if he knew<span style="font-style: italic">everything</span>.<br/><br/>"But usually, its the non-humans who mess up harder, Kensey. Humans mess up more simply because there's more of them." Micah reached for a brown bag and tossed it onto the table. It jingled of metal coins. "Your reward. You know, for persuading a bunch of bandits to simply give up their lucrative rob-em-blind campaign."<br/><br/>Illuyan stared dumbfoundedly towards the bag, then back at Micah. How did he know? The bandits did take a lot of talking to persuade them to, but that was not the most exactly logical plan a human would come up with.<br/><br/>"Uh... thanks?" he said uneasily, grabbing the bag quickly, not bothering to count it.<br/><br/>"There's another job. A good friend of mine needs it done and needs it urgent." Micah paused. He eyed Illuyan carefully. "You'll need some assistance. It's not as easy as talking down a bunch of rowdy fighters."<br/><br/>Micah slid a sheet of paper in front of Illuyan.<br/><br/><br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">There's a maiden trapped in the village of Tripeak. <br/>It is highly likely that they will do unpleasant things to her. <br/>Rescue her before midnight. <br/>The reward is 10000 gold.<br/><br/>P.S. She's a mermaid.</span></span></div></div></blockquote><br/><br/><br/><br/>"Ten thou-" Illuyan gasped, then grabbed the paper and pulled it towards his face. "A mermaid?"<br/><br/>"Friend of mine wants her safe. He's a rich fellow. But Tripeak isn't a place to investigate by yourself. Not even something like<span style="font-style: italic">you</span>."<br/><br/>Illuyan grinned meekly, rolling up the paper in his hand. He had to find a few people to assist him. "So... you want-"<br/><br/>Micah pointed a finger towards a tavern patron casually. "That one. Work with that one. Hey you!" he yelled across the tavern.