13 Haven, I

That night, all was silent.

Their King was dead, and by the rule of rights, Astrian was the new king. But there was more to it than that. Perhaps an ambition that was never properly defined, never achieved. Although he believed it differently. For him, Lui-eya's ambition for Tei'hi was well and done.

Sitting by the funeral pyre atop a hill, they mourned, Tei'hi's corpse being burned ceremoniously as smoke from his body rises into the sky. Some were crying, and the others who were outside a tavern were mourning through a celebration of his deeds. Surely, he will go down in history as a great general,

And the half-moon illuminated them all.

Lui-eya sat closer to the pyre, throwing leaves and sticks at it to make it burn harder. Much to the confusion of the troops, they decide to just not bother with her. Astrian sat down beside her and asked, "What will we do now, Ma'am?"

"Ma'am? Don't you think me a little too old then?"

"Why it feels that way," he chuckles, "How old are you even?"

"Four-hundred-and-thirteen."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I get that a lot, even Tei'hi said that when he asked me. How about you?"

"Sixteen."

"Figured."

She puts down the hood of her robe for the first time ever, revealing her features. Her eyes red like roses, her hair is black as night in contrast to her snow-white skin. She looked attentively down the fire, its flames reflecting through her eyes, "Perhaps I underestimated him." She says.

"Who?"

"Tei'hi," she sighs, "He never let his ambitions get ahead of him didn't he?" She laughs, "Perhaps that is why he's there."

"Yeah.. I believe he was capable of commanding the army himself, but I don't know why he didn't."

"Capable? Perhaps, I guess the reason was that it went against his ideals of warfare. But I digress, that doesn't matter now." She chuckles, "Perhaps we can further his goals."

"How?"

She throws another stick into the pyre, "Expand our borders, maybe? Across the sea to the west is another land called Sicilia. If I'm not mistaken It's ruled by a stable empire that also rules over the islands over the west. Must be nice to take don't you think?"

"Really?" He hangs back on his chair, "Maybe I can take that... but," he stands up, "This place is still unstable... we need to fix up here before spreading everywhere, dontcha think?"

She smiled, "You're wiser than I thought." Throwing another stick, she tells him, "Why don't you console your soldiers there?"

Astrian nods and approached the soldiers grieving outside of the tavern. They were drinking and feasting, it feels more like a celebration rather than a funeral. At least that's what Astrian thinks. These men were hungry from the fighting it seems.

Astrian stood atop a stage facing the entire crowd, there he starts his speech.

"My soldiers, and soldiers of our beloved general. Today we mourn for his loss, but we should not cry for him but be happy. For finally, our tired man has rested. For two decades, longer than I have been on this planet, he had lead his soldiers through Nydorekith. Capturing Thrillia, Antropolis, Wallachia and Sashuanus.

With you soldiers, he had defeated Jonas the Barbarian's horde. With you soldiers, he had subdued the kingdom of Chezilux who, for a thousand years ago, had sacked the glorious kingdom of Nydorekith. And finally, with his might and prowess he defeated the Chelian ten-thousand. Those who were known as the most formidable soldiers in the world.

And finally, he has taken you into this new world where he had already made a name for us, even fighting with his soldiers to his last breath. Lest we forget his marvelous deeds, we shall not renounce his name. We shall follow him! His ideals, his beliefs, and the way he fought. For our king, who is now our emperor. Tei'hi the great, shall be eternal. In this life, in the throne of gods, and throughout the cosmos! There is only Tei'hi the great! And he will lead us in everywhere we go!"

The soldiers screamed and shouted. They were cheering for their beloved general, but Astrian wasn't over. In the distance, he sees a streaking light in the sky, multiple of them, falling from the west to the east. They litter the sky as if glowing birds. Comets, they were, as Astrian learned.

"Let me tell you what I learned in my stories, my sol-.. brothers." They stopped looking at the night sky to look at him, "That when the light of dawn has pierced the night like birds of the glowing moon has flashed upon the funeral of a great man, it means he has been chosen by the throne of Gods. And is seated among them." He smiles, "My brothers, we are blessed by a God. And we shall follow this God through the ends of even time and space itself!"

The soldiers cheered again as they lock their eyes towards the comet flying through the horizon, their will is now strengthened, knowing full well that they are following a God. And that they were commanded by one in the first place.

But even so, Astrian had much to do in his Haven of a peninsula.