The Virtue of Livinia

When Ixander went out of the gates, he saw massive waves of refugees, some wounded protecting their brethren. He rode his horse, seeing them flee and walk slowly towards the direction going northeast to the questerdom of Oestre. He approached one of those retreating men and asked "Why are you so bloodied, did they not allow you to retreat?"

"Sire, our women, our children…they took them away from us…the trivertis coins that we've been hiding when the 32nd of Tihirmija comes, they took it all!" despaired the man.

"Poor fellow, now he has nothing for the seeding season" whispered another.

"Those terrible Albanese…"

"Hey watch it! It's not the Albanese, it's their leader! Their damned governance!" said another.

Ixander looked again at the masses of men who are retreating then he called for his steward.

"Simjen!" called Ixander

"Yes sire?"

"Let's move the entirety of our men, what remains of them, and the remnants of the garrison. We'd have to fortify our positions in trenches."

"I will tell the captain of the guard sir, and the commanders of your army" responded Simjen

"Say, Simjen, how many do we have left?" asked Ixander.

"From the garrison, seven thousand. Your army sire has been able to fight off those who tried to rout them, they lost about a thousand only fighting off a force of ten thousand men. You have under your command a total of twelve thousand men."

"Very well-reported" reacted Ixander.

"Oh—and also, who commanded the regiments in that battle?" asked Ixander, as he became interested at such valor.

"Senior risker Folijon sir" responded Simjen

"He's to come at me, at once" commanded Ixander

And so, when the captain came, he was asked to narrate everything that happened in that battle near Bugensenville.

It was a very intense exchange as there was no central command in the whole of the battlefield, and so the most senior of them was chosen to command. Applying what he learned from Ixander, the senior risker tried to rout the left flank and concentrate the entire force in that flank in order to rout the left flank, crushing the center and outflanking several regiments. By the time the entire army arrived at the right flank, the enemies have retreated.

"Indeed sire, the focus of the armies made them have around five thousand casualties, but only losing a thousand on our side. Unfortunately sire, we failed to take in any prisoners."

"That is all fine, I'm concerned more if you all were gone. It is better you have to retreat first. We will build our forces on our assigned division on the Questerdom of Oestre" said Ixander.

"And sir?" called Ixander

"Yes sir?" responded Folijon.

Ixander stopped him, whispered something to Simjen and Simjen gave Ixander a sash with black, red and white.

"I hereby promote you to Risk General. You have shown your valor in the battlefield and exploited our professional troops. I execute this in my name" said Ixander, whilst wearing on him the sash indicating his position.

"I am most honored sir. I must commend to you those who made it possible to up front give hell to the enemies: Duramjor, who charged the enemy with his pikes formation; Libanje and Sirinja, who immediately formed square after our rear was subjected to cavalry abuse" reported Folijon.

"I am enamored by the commendation, you are a gentleman of your rank, sir" said Ixander.

Ixander then went to the battered men, which numbered twelve thousand, and spoke to them while on horseback.

At this moment, the soldiers looked up, seeing their last bastion of hope, whose progress and valor made their questerdom one of the greatest in all of Livinia.

"Men of Livinia! Before you stand the armies that terrorized the countryside of our beloved Livinia. You wear the colors of your land, the colors of your beloved fatherland. You have proven yourself in Bugensenville, but that is not over!

Your fatherland calls for you to take your arms for him, for we will not chose to be under that false freedom that Alban offers, but we will hold, with all might and valor, his land, his waters, his rivers, and his people!

Before you stand a quest to protect the fatherland, and the virtues with which Livinia is embroidered for. 'Its people, its grand lands, its richness, and its glory' is what we shall not forget!

Will you, men, accept this quest to defend that fatherland?!"

"WE ACCEPT!" in great cheer, the soldiers have regained their morale, renewed their oath not only to defend their fatherland, but to defend everything they love in it, so as long as hope remains in them.

"Men, if then that it is destined that my life lay low on the soils, then be glad! For like you, I have now the honor to die for the fatherland, and to salute to him, and his grandeur. FOR THE FATHERLAND!" cried Ixander then he unsheathes his sword and raise it above him, pointing at the sky, and it reflects against the sun. Indeed it also reflects the hope of every Livinian fighting for their country. Long live be indeed this nation.

Together with his men, Ixander retreated with them to the Questerdom of Oestre. Suddenly midway, he stopped, dismounted his horse, and he let someone bring the lead of his horse.

"Sire, why are you dismounting?" asked Simjen.

"Am I not ashamed, Simjen? I ride a horse whilst my men suffer with their feets marching towards Oestre?" responded Ixander.

"You are of a different rank than theirs, sire" responded Simjen

"No matter, I am dismounting the horse. If they suffer, so should I. For under this crisis, we are all equally sharing our strife."

In response to what they saw, the officials under Ixander also rode off their horses and marched retreating towards Oestre.

Meanwhile, in Axan, where Willemus is making it his base of operations after taking it.

"Sir, we've asked around and they know no one named 'Haroldus' who resides among the people of Axan. However, someone named 'Fortis' is known to be living in the forest" reported by an officer.

"Dig deeper into this, officer. My damned head can't sleep when I thought of a remaining dynasty member of Alban still lives" responds Willemus. The officer then nodded, saluted, and left the room.

Willemus looked from the glass pane of the Axan Grandquester's Palace and breathes a sigh. He then proceeds to look at the portraits of those who had become Grandquester. The portraits surrounds the room, and the first Grandquester starts from the left facing the desk of the Grandquester.

Willemus then saw a familiar face amongst the Grandquesters' portraits. It was a face strikingly similar to that of Korol the Great and of the last Lodayr. He then goes back to his desk, seated back to his chair, then stared at the portrait of the current Grandquester.

All the while suddenly, a knock rang from the door.

"Come in" ordered Willemus.

A masked messenger came with a telegram from Livinia. He opened the letter, read it, and then placed it over the desk. He dipped his quill into the inkwell, then start writing his response to the sender. He then folded it, sealed with wax and ordered to the person delivering the telegram to be discreet when delivering the letter.

After leaving the premises of the Duke-General, the masked messenger went into the corner of the palace woods. He unmasked himself, and reveal indeed the visage of Hendrikke, a soldier who was one of those who were with Ixander during the times when he defeated the largest bandit camp off the forests of Axan.

With his horse nearby, he rode off to reach the premises of Ixander. He took a discreet path going to the questerdom of Oestre. Once he reached the pass to Oestre, he was greeted by frontier guards.

"Who are you? Speak!" orders the border guard.

"Alesius, it's me, Hendrikke!"

"W-what you are you doing in an outfit of a Lilacist?! You could be shot dead by some risker if they were to immediately see you. Come, why? Have you sided against them?" asked Alesius.

"No, no! I've not! Here, let me explain to you…"

Hendrikke explained everything to the captain of the border watch, Alesius. He was shocked with what he heard.

"Hurry, run this to grandquester Ixander."

"I plan to do that," said Hendrikke. "But I do not have any other clothing than what I am wearing now, lest I want to die, that is."

"Here, take this. Be careful though, the clothes I gave you are made of the recent cowhide, I don't want you ruining it" said Alesius.

Hendrikke nods, wears the clothing, and rode off with the letter to Ixander.

Hendrikke then arrives at the headquarters tent of Ixander. He was stopped by two guards armed with the muskets that have been introduced by Ixander. "Speak your name, rank and intention."

"Hendrikke, risker elite, interc…"

"Come inside then" ordered one of the guards.

Inside Ixander's tent, the senior riskers together with Risker General Folijon were planning the defenses of their positions, and if they can convince other grandquesters to take up same defensive positions in their respective divisions.

"Your grace, the trenches from Sankobar lining the Great Livinian River, which forms the frontier can hinder the movement of the enemy. We must however provide sufficient tools, as well as sufficient artillery to stop the encroachment of our lines" advises Folijon.

"There must be a decision to take, but the trenches from Sankobar throughout the frontier of our division is a massive undertaking. The river itself is a hindrance to the army of Willemus. We will make it a much more hindrance by destroying the bridges of the river, and only…" a senior risker's advising was hindered by Folijon.

"Then they would just make pontoon bridges. That is why trenches are important so as we can position there, fortified, without the encroachment of our men."

Suddenly, a soldier entered in the premises, and all the officials including Ixander, looked at him. The soldier saluted and gave a letter to Ixander. Ixander took off the wax seal and read the contents of the letter.

"Ah, so this is the reason why…our men are here at Oestre. We have been granted idiots not to notice it upon our ranks. Let me read it for you, gentlemen…"

Ixander then recited the contents of the letter.

"To the grandquesters Vilmios and Ponram,

You have shown truly that you have aided the Albanese cause. When all falls upon its place, the deception and illusion of the entirety of your provinces being conquered by the Albanese, imposing great terror upon your men will be rewarded equally as how I have rewarded the subjects of the Great Alban. Once the nation is under the taking of the Great Alban, the territories will be divided equally between your greatness.

It is full time that you should swear loyalty to Alban, for now almost the rest of the Livinian lands are now under the leadership of Great Alban. Your loyalty to the cause shall be rewarded.

Signed, Willemus. D.G., Alb.Liv."

Ixander had to take another look at the end of the letter. "Alb.Liv.?"

"Do you know what that means sir?" asked Folijon

"Certainly, it means he claims to be Duke-General of Alban and Livinia."

Everyone was horrified not only to the contents of the letter, but also the intentions of the letter.

"Gentlemen, we know not of the situation in Grenavia, we also know not of the situation in Carab, and we also know not of the situation in Birju, if they have advanced considerably against Grenavians. In other words, gentlemen, we have to hold our ground here" expressed Ixander

"Simjen!"

Simjen then approached his liege.

"Order all the remaining officers to immediately begin the digging of trenches from Sankobar. Folijon, order scouts to see the encampments established by Alban by the base of Alatsto ranges. Officers, I ask that you swore once again your fealty to the King and to Livinia" commanded all by Ixander.

"We swore fealty to Livinia, the King and the Virtue!" responded in unison by the rest of people in the room.

"Glory to Livinia, and the Virtue!" responded Ixander.