History

"Eiridan could only loosely qualify as an Empire. It's more like a federation of city-states. Dakkone and Obsidian, on the other hand, are the true Empires!"

-History Lecture Series 409, Lady Martina Trevovsky

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Obsidian Torrens Academy, Kingdom of Maceria, Obsidian Empire

14 Aramar 11 AE

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History is boring. Lady Martina Trevovsky was lecturing about the foundation histories of the different Torrens Academy throughout the Empire. When her lecture touched on the foundation of this particular Academy, Yvaine tuned out.

She truthfully scorned this subject next to Martial Class. But until she passes Martial Class, which takes up the second half of her day, she's stuck with only lecture classes for the first half. Lecture classes like History and Torrent theory.

In the first year, she had Macerian history, and her still eager mind back then easily gobbled up the Macerian Monarchy and its foundation. In her second year, she was less eager to learn about the other Monarchies and territories of the Obsidian Empire. However, she did take a particular liking to the legends and myths behind the Imperial Family's power source. Only legends and myths because the truth is a well-guarded secret. Nobody really knows why the Monarchies are so powerful. Yvaine thought it's a necessary precaution if you share a tenuous border with two other powerful empires.

"Why do you think that is, Nash?" Lady Martina said. The mention of Nash's name snapped Yvaine back to the present.

Four chairs to Yvaine's left, just beside the window, Nash likewise appears startled. He seemed to have been lost in thought as well, looking absently out the window, at the northern dark peaks, before Lady Martina called him back from his trance.

"Because," Nash started, "the Assyrenes and Eodarions broke the Treaty of Races on separate occasions. And the Aewarenes refused to partake in enforcing the penalty clause."

"And why did you think the Aewarenes refused?" Lady Martina asked.

'What are they talking about?' Yvaine's mind spun at this discussion and regretted not paying attention.

"There were two main arguments raised by different authors," Nash replied. "The officially recognized one was that the Aewarenes never really believed in the necessity of a treaty because they have been espousing the One-Elysean advocacy against the other races. However, the more popular one was that the Aewarenes feared the combined might of the Assyrenes and Eodarions, should they decide to join forces."

Nash spoke fluently and confidently that Yvaine marveled and envied his intellect at the same time.

"Hmm," Lady Martina smiled. "So you were paying attention, after all." She turned to Yvaine. "Do you have anything to add to that, Yvaine?"

Yvaine felt her heart rise to her throat and her eyes widened. Her mind went blank. Was the topic still on the foundation history of the different Torrens Academies? She had no idea what to say so she just slowly shook her head.

"Oh," Lady Martina said. "Ser Roderick was all praises about your performance in Macerian history. I hoped you would employ the same enthusiasm for this subject."

Lady Martina turned her attention back to the whole class.

"Nash is correct. In truth, the four Elysean ethnicities never really united. Only the Aewarenes believed that they could be. The Assyrenes had a superiority complex over the other races while the Eodarions believed they were too inferior to be recognized. They are. And the Assyrenes actually are too. And that's why our glorious Eossaran nation has remained pure and untainted."

Yvaine rolled her eyes. So that's the topic. She wondered how Nash felt about all that. Looking around, she could acknowledge Nash's discomfort, if he ever felt it. She would if she was in his place.

Despite the societal class hierarchies, the only distinguishable difference between the students in the Academy is the quality of their clothes. Highborns wear finer clothing than the Lowborns. Apart from that, most students sport the same signature Eossaran features, light-colored hair, pale skin, and pale-colored eyes. It's not every day a dark-haired foreigner ends up in the Academy. The guy literally stands out like a sore thumb with his jet black hair and tanned skin.

But Nash seemed to be unperturbed by the blatant discrimination. In fact, when Lady Martina stopped paying attention and went about with the lecture, Nash was looking out the window again.

'What the hell is wrong with him?' she wondered. Nash was a mystery. And Yvaine's mind couldn't stand mysteries. It's how she was able to ace every other class. At least the ones she's remotely interested in. She would not stop until she understood.

She regarded his features. 'Apart from that black hair and those obsidian eyes, he might pass as an Eossaran. Maybe he could change his hair color to better fit in when he learns Altering – if, he learns Altering,' Yvaine thought.

Even Yvaine struggles with this art. And Yvaine believes she is one of the best when it comes to wielding the Torrent in the entire Academy. Her Torrent lecturers said so, at least. If she wasn't physically deficient, she had the opinion that she'd qualify to be an Axemplar. But again, she's relatively weak in physical terms, and she's a girl.

Nash had asked her the other day why Ser Marcus said he could be an Axemplar if Lowborns generally end up as Revenants. Yvaine explained that generally, Lowborn Renegade men have a chance at becoming Axemplars but women usually do not enjoy the same privilege. Why though, she doesn't exactly know either.

"Why do you think that is, Yvaine?" Lady Martina's dreaded voice snapped her out of her musing again.

"I…" she stammered, "what?"

The whole class erupted into laughter. When it subsided, she swore if Lady Martina's eyes could shoot balls of fire Yvaine was already roasted. Thankfully, Lady Martina was never a particularly good Torren. She's a teacher here because of her astute mental acuity and not particularly because of her Torrenting skills.

"Why do you think Nash is here?" Lady Martina said. "You were just staring at him a moment ago."

Yvaine's face swelled like a tomato and the class laughed even louder.

Her eyes involuntarily did a quick glance at Nash's direction and saw him mischievously smirking. She tried to suppress her smile but the resulting butterflies that tickled inside in her stomach won. However, she miraculously managed to quickly stem that emotion.

"I…" she said loudly as she stood, trying, without success, to exceed the laughter's volume. Fortunately, Lady Martina raised a hand with closed eyes, and the laughter died immediately.

"I think," Yvaine repeated, recovering her poise, "I think it's because of the dwindling number of local Renegades. So the Empire has to look beyond the Empire for Torren candidates."

The class turned eerily silent and serious at that. When Yvaine next spared a glance, Nash's confusion was broadcasted all over his face. He's new so he obviously has no idea. But even the locals only have rumors to work with.

"Why do you think that is?" Lady Martina repeated the same question. She's unusually fond of using 'why.'

Yvaine only has rumors to work with. So she resorted to blunt honesty. "I don't know, Miss. I only have guesses."

"Then guess."

"They say the Akharis and Akharu are slowly taking over Maceria."

"That's not a guess, that's a rumor," Lady Martina said. "Guess again."

Yvaine blushed at her blunder. She's usually better than this.

"I guess the Akharis and Akharu are slowly taking over Maceria," she said again.

"You just converted the same rumor into your guess. So you truly believe that rumor?" Lady Martina clarified.

"I do," she said, standing her ground. "The Vilkasvarg population in the Asphodel forest has increased. A Vilkasvarg Scourge rarely happens on its own unless an Akharu or Akharis is leading them."

"True. Thank you, Yvaine," Lady Martina said and returned her attention back to the class. The students gasped at the confirmation of the rumors just as Yvaine sat down.

"It's a State Secret. But as you will be tasked with the job of fighting this war, you have the privilege of learning this information.

"Panembra cannot survive under sunlight so they only thrive underground. An occasional Vilkasvarg does random dark places on the surface like shady forest grounds, but they rarely operate united, as a pack. Panembras are creatures of darkness and chaos, devoid of any Sentience.

"Thus, Yvaine's 'guess' has merit. Panembra Swarms, like Vilkasvarg Scourges, must be led by Akharis or Akharu."

"So," one student raised a hand, a Lowborn recruit who was conscripted around the same time Keys enrolled last year. Yvaine recognized him as Crichton. "An Akharis or Akharu lurks in the Asphodel forest?"

"Yes," Lady Martina replied simply.

"But what's the government doing about it?"

"Understand this," Lady Martina explained. "Maceria is the northern frontier of Atraidan. If Mashashen ever extends its reach southward, we will be the first to feel it. As we have. So the Macerian Monarchy has struck a truce with the Akharis and Akharu in its territory."

"What truce?" another Lowborn student, Robbins, raised his hand.

"A truce to leave Macerian citizens alone. In return, slaves are introduced into the forests on a regular basis."

'Introduced as food,' Yvaine thought as she looked at Nash again. His expression was unreadable. Indeed, if his fortune had been different and was not born a Torren, he would not be here. He would most likely be dead.

"So why is he here?" Robbins stood, pointing and frowning at Nash. "He should be Vilkasvarg fodder."

"Because he's a Renegade," Lady Martina replied. "And he's more valuable to the country as a Torren than as Vilkasvarg fodder. As a Lowborn, your situations could be easily reversed, Robbins. I'm sure you'd prefer to be here than to be in the forest too, wouldn't you agree?"

Robbins shrank back to his chair sheepishly.

Yvaine had goosebumps. This was new information. Sensing the students' attention, Lady Martina seemed emboldened to continue her revelations.

"As you'd expect from the Children of Lilith, the Akharis and Akharu easily breached the truce and we have been at war with them ever since. Our neighbors do not know it. Our citizens do not know it. But like the Dagren in their Deep Warrens, we have been in constant war with the forces of darkness."

"When did this happen?" Yvaine had to ask.

Lady Martina's eyes twinkled, seemingly expecting that question. She had the look of someone who was about to expose a big secret.

"Ten years ago."

Gasps filled the room. Ten years ago. The fall of House Ellestad. The end of the Aldren Dominion. The start of the Age of Empires.

"What a coincidence," Priscilla remarked disinterestedly, albeit speaking out Yvaine's thoughts. Only then did Yvaine notice her.

She thought Priscilla had passed this subject. Then she remembered Priscilla is primarily just here to escape her family obligations. A chance to escape an arranged marriage, apparently. A chance that was taken away from her just a few nights ago. So Yvaine deduced that Priscilla must still be here only for the sake of simply being here, and to not be with her real obligations.

"Indeed," Lady Martina said.

"But why wasn't it made public?" Priscilla asked.

"As a member of the Macerian Monarchy, Princess, I thought you of all people would have figured it out," Lady Martina said, teasing to appear bemused. Priscilla's face flushed.

"The government do not want a panic in their hands. More importantly, our relationship with Eiridan and Dakkone has been shaky since the start of the AE era. You would not want your enemies to know of your weaknesses, would you?

"So we have been fighting a war with the darkness for ten years. A losing war. With each passing year, more and more Akharis and Akharu fill our forests. And with every skirmish, every battle, we lose more Torrens than our Academy could replenish them."

This information further dampened the atmosphere of the room.

"Fortunately, all is not lost," Lady Martina barked pleasantly, trying to brighten the mood. "Because eight years ago, we perfected the process of Revenation."