Excuses

The Old World, Tri State, Imperial Capital of the Trinity

Streamers of blue and silver flags fluttered gently in the breeze while the golden towers of the Trinity Palace glittered until the afternoon sun. The Grand Chamber where the most influential and powerful nobles made laws and govern the entire Tri State was in session. A massive ring table sat in the middle of the Chamber with exactly fifteen seats.

Only one chair which was more ornate and lavishly decorated compared to the rest was placed on a higher platform. On it sat a powerful looking one eyed elf, wearing a long silver powdered wig. A silver eye patch with the house of arms of a three headed dragon adorned on it covered his left eye but it did nothing to hid the long white scar that ran from his left eyebrow all the way to his lip.

"Is the Iron King crazy?" A Tri State noble banged the table with his fists, his wig shaking wildly. "He dares take the Duchess of Thunderbolt as prisoner?"

"If they want war! They shall have it!" Another noble cried out while those not on friendly terms with the Duchess frowned. "We must bring the Duchess back!"

The one eye elf glanced at the pale young noble sitting in the seat held by the Duchy of Thunderbolt and he wondered what the young Duke who inherited the Duchy when his aunt, the Duchess has disappeared for over a year would do.

Sensing his glance, the young noble turned and looked back, only to duck his head down as he did not dare to meet his eye. The Grand Marshal of the Tri State shook his head inwardly, feeling sad for Duchess Manarva to have such a weakling to inherit her Duchy.

"Grand Marshal! We need to show the Iron Kingdom that we are not ones to be pushed over!" The earlier noble who had advocated rescuing the Duchess, banged the table again to emphasize his point. "Give the word! And my forces will be at the Iron Kingdom border within a week!"

"Lord Dica, this is crazy!" Another noble laughed. "You would risk a generation of peace and prosperity over that old woman?"

"We do not even know if she really has nothing to do with the disappearance of the Iron Kingdom's Crown Prince!" That noble sneered as he said. "I say we should offer her up to the Iron King to appease his anger for losing his son instead!"

"You!" The noble called Lord Dica glared daggers at his opponent. He and his House had been a staunch ally of the Thunderbolt House for many generations and with the new Duke who was barely fifteen summers, he had to step in to help the Thunderbolt House to face this crisis.

"Enough," Grand Marshal Highborn said. His tone soft but powerful and immediately, the nobles shifted their attention to him, meek as a baby horned rabbit. "Duchess has given her life to the Tri State and made a great many achievements."

"In her time of need," Grand Marshal Highborn's single eye fell once again on the young Duke who clearly was uncomfortable in such a place. "We shall come together to help her."

"The honor and pride of the Tri State cannot be tarnished and even if she did have a hand in the disappearance of the Crown Prince..." The Grand Marshal leaned forward on the table and interlaced his fingers together before covering his small hungry smile that appeared with his hand, "No one... I say... No one... has the right to keep our people in custody... And a noble!"

"Ring your bells! Muster your men! Raise your ships!" The Grand Marshal declared to the shocked Chamber. "If they do not return the Duchess back to us... We will take her back by force!"

-----

Grand Marshal Highborn stood at the balcony, watching the activities going on at the courtyard. The nobles departed on board the waiting chariots and wagons while servants tended the gardens and soldiers patrolled grounds.

"My Lord, the word remains the same, the Iron King has not been seen since that incident that day," An aide reported. "Multiple healers and priests have been sighted entering and leaving the Iron Palace constantly. It is as you suspected, my Lord."

"Hahahahaha..." Grand Marshal Highborn let out a laugh. "Of course... That senile old thing should have long passed on! It is just a matter of time!"

"With the disappearance of the Crown Prince and news of the plot against the Third Prince being known," Grand Marshal Highborn continued to chuckle. "That old thing will not be able to withstand this news!"

"And the Duchess?" His aide inquired. "Is she really this important?"

"Well, they gave me a reason to rescue her didn't they?" The Grand Marshal smiled. "Taking a portion of their lands is just compensation for her mistreatment and the disrespect of our Tri State... Well, maybe more than just their lands..."

"The Grand Marshal is most wise!" The aide bowed. "I shall give word to prepare for the invasion of the Iron Kingdom."

The Grand Marshal waved his aide away and he turned to the view outside. With the Duchess in the hands of the Iron Kingdom, he has a legitimate reason to send his forces into the Iron Kingdom. Paired with timing and information of the Iron King's illness and the plot on the future Crown Prince, it was the perfect chance. With both the more capable Princes out of the way, The Second, Fourth and Fifth Prince would not be a foe to his forces.

"But who is the one plotting against the Third Prince?" Grand Marshal Highborn frowned as he wondered who was playing behind the scenes. He did not want something unexpected to happen while he swallows as much of the Iron Kingdom as he could and knowing the rest of the Great Nations, they too will want a bite of the pie.

"Well... whoever it is... The more chaos they make... the higher success my plans will be! HAHAHAHA!"

-----

The Old World, Protectorate of Ramuh, Capital of Ramuh, The Halls of Judgement

"We are justice!" The members of the Grand Jury intoned and prayed, bowing to the giant statue of Ramuh. "We obey the law!"

"Today we shall speak of the Crusade into the New World!" The speaker banged a hammer on the table. "It has been over one winter, but the Second Crusade has not returned. We can presume the Crusade has gone to meet their Judgement."

"Shall a Third Crusade be made?" The speaker asked the assembled Grand Jury gravely.

"Objection!" Cries of disapproval rose from the seated Grand Jury. "We can't let the lawless taint our faithful!"

"But it is our destiny and calling to bring the lawless to justice!" Some of the Grand Jury declared back. "They need to be brought to Judgement!"

"At the cost of countless faithful and resources?" The opposition cried out. "You will be Judged for being wasteful!"

"Blasphemy!" The Jury member who got called out stood up red faced with anger. "Your sins will be Judged by Ramuh!"

"Order! Order!" The speaker banged his hammer a few times before the Hall quietened down. "Both sides have their points! We shall take a vote!"

"All in favour of the Crusade shall raise their hands!" The speaker called out.

There was a mumble of voices as several hands were raised but the majority of the Grand Jury remained still. The speaker glanced over the raised hands and mentally calculated the numbers before he continued. "And those not in favour?"

More hands were raised and the Speaker nodded before he declared, "To waste is a sin... The Crusade into the New World shall be halted at once."

"Your Excellency!" A female voice suddenly spoke out. Heads turned and they saw a female wearing the mask and robes of the Inquisitor standing up and addressing the speaker. "I have a confession to say."

"Go on," The speaker waved his hammer at the Head of the Inquisition. "Confess."

"I have received word that the Iron Kingdom... Iron King," She grimaced at the title as if they were distasteful to her tongue. "Has fallen ill..."

"Life and death," The speaker shook his head. "All is part of the cycle of Judgement. What of it?"

"The Crown Prince is missing and the next most likely successor is being plotted against and also currently missing," The Head Inquisitor said. No one could see her expression behind her mask but everyone could feel she was smiling. "Word has come to my ears that the Tri State is rallying an invasion force in response to having their Duchess of Thunderbolt being held captive without reason."

"What do these lawless infidels have to do with us?" The speaker frowned.

"The dragon abominations and their heretic worshipers are also on the move..." The female inquisitor added. "And that most foul creature of the Suugons... All their eyes are on the Iron Kingdom!"

"Interesting..." The speaker's eyes glittered with curiosity. "But why should we be interested with the infidels from the Iron Kingdom?"

"Because of what is inside the vaults of their flying island that had returned..." The head inquisitor's eyes turned to crescents as she giggled. "There is enough magic crystals inside to meet our needs for Judgement Day!"

Her words seemed to send a bolt of electricity through everyone. Fervent eyes stared at the inquisitor and even the speaker who was close to seventy summers suddenly seemed to have reborn and filled with energy as he jolted to his feet. "Truth?"

"Truth!" The head inquisitor replied calmly. "My people have seen the vaults with their own eyes and sworn to be Judged if they were found false!"

"With our own stored amount of magic crystals and together with what is inside that flying island," The head inquisitor smiled underneath her mask. "It is more than enough to bring Judgement Day down!"

"Finally!" The speaker started shaking with excitement. He laughed wildly as he cried out, "By the Judgement! Finally! Judgement Day shall be upon us! All the sinners and lawless shall be judged by his coming!"

"Ramuh watches over us!" The speaker laughed. "Once the other lawless start their little fight, we on the side of Justice shall bring them all into our fold to be Judged! Our days of being sinners shall be over!"

"All of you!" The speaker stared at the feverish faces of the Grand Jury. "Ready the faithful! We must get those mana crystals! Judgement Day must come!"

"FOR JUSTICEEE!"

-----

The Old World, Iron Kingdom

Several dark figures stealthy sprint across the landscape, their footsteps barely making tracks or noise on the undergrowth. They darted from one tree branch to another in the forest and kept to the rocks in the open.

The leading figure suddenly paused and raised a hand, which caused the others to halt too. He took out a scroll from his slung bag and a compass like device that had hundreds of characters drawn in a circle around the needle in the middle.

He placed the compass over the scroll and started chanting beneath his breath before his eyes snapped open. The needle spun wildly before it stabilized and pointed firmly in one direction. The scroll on the other hand crumpled in ashes as its magic was used up.

The robed elf with a sword slung over his back stood up and looked in the direction of the needle. He followed the direction and saw in the distance in the skies, an airship painted in an eye catching rainbow of bright colors. He kept the compass and dusted his hands off the ashes of the scroll before he made a few quick gestures and pointed at the airship.

Without a word, the others sprint off towards the colorful airship in the sky. The elf glanced around his surroundings before he too took off after the airship, his speed and stamina almost inhuman.