A day passed in Asterra, and with it, the news of eryndore execution and the dissolving of House Valesse spread like wildfire, among asterra.
In towns and cities, men crowded around newspaper stands, as they paid silver crowns in exchange for the day's papers.
Literate boys stood on crates, shouting the words aloud to wide-eyed crowds in markets, trying to advertise and sell their papers.
"The Purge of House Valesse, 24th of Lumerin, Year 723 WR!"
"The new edition! Get the new edition!" As people stood around checking out the titles.
Children clung to their parents in fear while they heard the news, women whispered across fences talking endlessly about the news, men drank and argued in taverns. Some mocked the executed nobles, others muttered about conspiracy theories.
Everywhere, the name Valesse was spoken, gossip stirred as well.
Location: City solmere in the east.
Time: Noon
In an eastern city called Solmere, two wealthy farmers (Rajar and Poj) lounged in the shade of a luxury ranch. Around them laid a large field, where cattles moved slowly and steadily eating grass.
Farm workers also moved quietly and with discipline tending to cattles and stacking boxes, while the men drank fine wine watching the day go by.
Rajar, lifted his glass half-full of wine as he spoke. "The news trending says, that Lord Marric of solherene now stands as acting sovereign, pending when a new sovereign would be elected, and Just three High Nobles exist now."
Poj, smacks his lips continuosly, chewing on a gum, his round-belly half visible, as he swirled his drink. "That is indeed the breaking news, the remaining high nobles are, House Calvasset ruled by lord sylven veynar, House Veymont ruled by the industrialist Lady Marien, and drakovar ruled by warlord Erry O kael"
Rajar smirked. "I recall them, mostly house veymont… and their thick female soldiers."
The two burst into laughter, their bellies shaking at every sound they make. Soon the laughter died, as silence pressed in.
Then Rajar leaned forward, lowering his voice as if he was trying to gossip.
"But tell me, Poj… will they appoint a fourth High Noble to replace the dissolved house Valesse or find a new sovereign first?"
Poj's eyes narrowed, as he blows the gum into a sphere, which bursts, spreading a bit of gum over his lips as he continued chewing.
" Lord Eryndor was executed too quickly, that means they plan on putting a new sovereign as soon as they can. However, i dont really pay much attention to politics in asterra because, people who do might not last long" poj sips his wine. "You know i intend to grow even more rich, and die surrounded by my children at old age, not die now.."
Both rajar and pojs chuckle returned, but with a little unease.
Location: watchtower in the north.
Time: noon
Master Yeru moved cloaked in black robes around the northern watchtower, as he knelt in the yard, tending a crocus flower sprouting through the soil. His hands were steady as he worked.
"Sir! Sir!" Rays voice carried through the cold as he sprinted into closer to yeru breathless, and clutching a folded note. "Strangers at the gate… they claim to be of House Valesse."
Yeru's eyes immediately ignites with joy. "Usher them in!"
Shortly, ray is seen by the entrance gates to the watchtower, as three gear-wagons drives in slowly into the yard, their engines creaking before falling silent. And from the wagon descended cloaked figures. Men, women, even children. Fear scarred their faces, but in their eyes flickered with a little hope.
From their midst stepped a woman, her silver hair bound in a single braid as she marched towards master yeru who stood a small distance between them.
Yeru's eyes filled with joy, as the lady approached.
"You look well, Liora."
"master Yeru!" she called, as she rushed into his embrace, her countenance filled with relief as tapped her back gently.
Around them, the refugees lowered their hoods one after the other, the tension they once felt now broke into relieved smiles.
"You may rest here tonight," Yeru said. "The gates to the nothern watchtower are shut till tomorrow, and anyone who wishes to see me now must wait"
Laughter rippled through the weary crowd, as everyone began to settle in slowly.
By dusk, campfires glowed in the middle of the gathered crowd. Lioras companions had set up tents, stirred pots of soup, and shared bread amongst theirselves with cold hands.
Yeru led Liora into his study room, where shelves lined with scrolls.
Liora sits and bows her head in an appreciative gesture . "Thank you for your hospitality. I owe you master yeru"
"It is nothing," Yeru replied softly.
"I thought you'd move alone — it would've been faster and easier to slip past the soldiers searching for you. But… it seems you really do have your brother's heart. Despite the risk of being caught, you still chose to carry these people with you."
Liora's lets out a sigh. "I had no choice. Some are relatives of lord Halric, sir Joras, and lady Ovelyn… others are survivors from a town called nareth. Also, we had to sneak past huge patrols of Calvasset and Veymont soldiers in search for us valesse survivors."
Suddenly Her composure cracked, as she covered her face with her hands, weeping quietly.
Yeru clasped her hand gently, not allowing her break down completely as he placed a mug filled with tea in her hands. "Drink, my child."
Then She sipped, steadied herself, then began to speak again.
"The night of the attack… I was hosting a fundraiser in City Solmere. Midway through, word spread of Asterra under siege. The hall emptied in minutes. I began to head to Valesse headquarters, desperate for answers. When a valesse soldier stopped my wagon and handed me a letter, from Captain Groggins."
Her lips quivered a little. "Groggins warned me that something was wrong, and someone is plotting against eryndor, he told me to flee the east…" she says as she lets out a heavy sighs " Groggins, of all people?.." her brows lifted addressing groggins character. " you know… nobody takes him seriously…" she continued, as she giggled softly.
Yeru smiled faintly with her, though his eyes never left her trembling hands.
"But I felt something was wrong" she continued.
"I felt groggins wasnt throwing tantrums" she whispered. "I split my soldiers, sent half to valesse headquarters, and half with me toward the towns in the east that were attacked. When the first group of soldiers returned, they returned with some families of house valesse. And they brought word that Lady Selene had evacuated some of our families, then marched with others to meet Eryndor."
Her voice faltered. She stared at the firelight flickering across the walls. "I saw the horror myself, in that town called nareth. People burnt alive… We saved who we could in time, while some died— moments after we saved them. Lady Selene sent word to me,telling me to renounce the Valesse name if it comes to worst and Survive" liora said with teary eyes—her mood engulfed with depression.
"Eryndor was truly framed and murdered. Just as Groggins warned."
Yeru closed his eyes softly, his saggy old face loosing weight to lioras words, pain etched in every line of his face.
The room sat quiet for a while, and then yeru spoke at last, asking. "What would you have me do, Liora, how can i be of help to you and the others out there?"
She lifted her head slowly, as she turned her head towards the window looking at the northern walls. Her pupils gleeming through the tears in her eyes.
"Beyond the northern walls lies the frozen waste land. It is Dangerous, but safer than staying where drakovar and calvasset armies hunt us. If we stay, we die. If we go north… we may live."
Yerus expression shifts swiftly from depressed to more concerned, as he shook his head in disagreement. "That land is perilous liora dear… The Wardens forged some of their weapons to hold back creatures seeping in through the north. To go means you have to gamble with your lives."
Liora gripped his hands quickly before he could continue. "A gamble is better than constant chase, master yeru" As silence loomed over the room for a while, the unease in yerus eyes and the plea in lioras met in a tussle. Then Yeru sighed— letting the weight in his voice drop.
"Very well liora. I will chart a course for you, somewhere conquered, somewhere safe enough to last at least two decades, until Asterra forgets about you and the rest of Valesse. Food and supplies will come through me." He says reassuringly, as liora gazed at him with shock and admiration, her quivering lips rubbed against each other as she smiled with joy.
"We are all Valesse, and I will not watch us get erased." Yeru finalized, with a commanding and comforting voice.
Lioras tears broke into a trembling smile. "Thank you so much" as yeru patted her back gently in assurance that everything will be alright.
Moments Later, she leads yeru to a wagon draped in white sheets, where Six corpses lay within.
"These are the nareth town people who did not survive," she said softly. As Yeru laid his hand on the wagon, murmured a brief prayer, then turned back with her toward the firelit camp.
"No one has heard from Lady Selene" Yeru says calmly "did drakovar and calvasset soldiers get her too?" He asked curiously.
"Her faith was sealed when she made her way to calensport… yet no report speaks about her name," Liora replied.
"The gods watch her still," Yeru siad, as they walked side by side in short silence, at last, Liora drew a long breath.
"We leave at midnight." She says calmly starring at her companions as they arrange theirselves, putting one or two together.
Yeru nodded gently with his eyes steady. "Whatever aid you seek, I shall give." He says, as they stood together, watching the camp prepare for the road ahead, and the uncertain journey into frozen lands where survival would be a challenge.