Order of The Seraphs Doman - Chamber Room - Razlin

  “Razlin! Razlin!” Tito burst into Razlin’s room. She looked up, setting down her pen. “What is it, Tito?”

  “This came for you,” he said, handing her a small scroll.

  Razlin opened it, scanning the contents. She gave him a command. “Call an emergency meeting with all generals and vice generals.”

  “My queen, there’s a problem...” Tito’s gaze dropped to the letter Razlin was writing. He picked it up. “What is this?” Confusion clouded his face.

  “Tito, that conversation can wait.” Razlin’s tone was firm. “What’s the problem?”

  “All the vice generals have quit, except one,” Tito said quietly.

  Razlin scoffed. “I see. I expected this after three of my generals quit. Tito, let them leave. If they have any bounties, recall them.”

  “My queen, understood,” Tito nodded.

  “I need all resources at hand.” Razlin rolled up the paper, sealing it with wax and her royal seal. Standing, she grabbed the sealed letter. “Let’s go, Tito. Wake the generals. This will be a long night.”

  Tito nodded, then hesitated. “My queen, wait. There’s something else.”

  Razlin stopped, turning her head. “What is it?”

  “Xander will be in Ash three moons from now. Once he’s there, it’ll be very hard to reach him, even with our best birds. The trip is far. You’ll need to send a messenger.”

  Razlin turned fully. “Good thing we have good messengers,” she said, a hint of relief in her voice.

  She walked briskly to the war room, entering first. Adjusting her silk robe, she settled into the chair at the head of the table. Moments later, Terasa and Balsmith filed in, taking their places silently. Razlin nodded to them as Tito left to gather the remaining generals.

  The other generals soon filed into the war room, each taking their seat around the table. Some poured themselves cups of wine as they settled in. A tense silence filled the air.

  Mithaos settled to Razlin’s left, his lean, muscular frame and stark white skin gleaming in the dim light. A scar ran from his forehead to his chin, bisecting his face. His yellow eyes, sharp and alert, contrasted against his dark brown, shoulder-length hair that framed his battle-worn features.

  Beside him, Septon reached for the wine. His tan skin bore several scars on his cheeks, tales of past battles. Long black hair, streaked with silver, fell past his shoulders. Thin eyebrows sat above eyes that spoke of a wisdom beyond his years.

  Kozak took his place, tall and imposing. His thick, curly black hair and bushy eyebrows commanded attention, while a prominent scar on his chin spoke of battles hard-fought.

  Naru’s ivory skin seemed to glow in the dim light as he sat. Long black hair interwoven with green strands cascaded around his face. His red eyes, framed by slim, arched purple eyebrows, surveyed the group without betraying any emotion.

  Tito entered last, quietly closing the door behind him before taking his seat. As he settled, Razlin leaned forward, crossing her legs. “Thank you all for coming at this late hour,” she said. The generals nodded, expressions grave.

  Razlin continued, her voice steady despite the gravity of her words. “It seems that Wally has made his move to go to war with Felis. This would make us indirectly involved because of our alliance with Felis. We leave next midnight.” Her eyes scanned the faces of her trusted commanders.

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  Mithaos leaned back, folding his arms across his chest. His yellow eyes locked onto Razlin as he asked, “What’s the strategy when we get to Felis?”

  Razlin’s gaze didn’t waver as she responded, “Wally will be in his mid-base, about half a moon’s distance from Felis. Once we arrive, he’ll send a messenger to indict us in the war. This will set several events in motion. St. Luc will have the option to side with Wally or remain neutral. Most likely, they won’t join Wally.”

  She paused as she took a deep breath “Wally will then seek terms for our surrender. We will refuse, of course. I’m anticipating this type of strategy. According to our reports, he’s leaving next moon.”

  “My queen, who will rule in your stead?” Naru asked, his red eyes gleaming with curiosity.

  Razlin looks over at Balsmith. “Balsmith will run things while the rest of us are at Felis.”

  Tito’s gaze snapped to Naru, his eyes narrowing. “I find it interesting that you’re so concerned about who will rule in her stead once we leave.” He leans back in his chair, tension evident in his posture.

  Naru smirked. “Well, yes, Tito. Why wouldn’t I be? We need to make sure we have a home to come back to, don’t we?”

  Septon glanced at Razlin, silently urging her to intervene.

  “Naru, you wanted to be in Razlin’s stead when we go to war,” Tito accused, pointing a finger at Naru.

  Naru’s smirk faded, replaced by a stony silence.

  Tito leaned back, scoffing.

  Razlin’s eyes darted between them. “Are you two done?”

  Naru’s voice was tight. “I was merely asking who would be in your stead. And your shiny knight here stabbed me in the heart with such a bold claim that I wanted to stay to do something malicious while you’re at war.”

  Tito jumped up, slamming his hands on the table. “You’ve been playing a game that I’ve seen several times in my life. I will ki—”

  “Enough!” Razlin roared, standing abruptly. The ends of her hair began to flicker with flames, her eyes glowing red and orange. “Damn it!” She swung her arm across the table, scattering papers. “We are in the midst of war, and you two are fighting. I need my generals all on the same page. Do I make myself clear?”

  Tito continued to glare at Naru, who returned the look with a grin.

  “Hey, both of you, look at me!” Razlin demanded, leaning over the table. Tito and Naru slowly turned to face her.

  Razlin sunk into her chair, sighing as she closed her eyes. “I need you two to get along.” She opened her eyes, reaching for her wine cup, only to find it missing. She spotted it on the floor, retrieving it. “My queen, isn’t it early for wine?” Kozak asked as a maid approaches with a vase of purple wine.

  “No,” Razlin replied nonchalantly, watching the maid pour.

  Septon folded his arms. “Queen Razlin, what happens if St. Luc gets involved?”

  “We’ll have a hell of a fight on our hands,” she said, sipping her wine.

  “My queen, we can’t win that war,” Teresa interjected confidently.

  Shock overtook the generals’ expressions. Razlin tilted her head, her voice cold. “Excuse me?”

  “Majesty, we can’t win if St. Luc gets involved. We’ve lost all our vice generals, three generals, and twenty five percent of our army,” Teresa explained, sweat beading on her brow.

  Silence fell.

  “She’s correct, My queen. It would be a long, hard-fought war,” Tito added. Razlin’s eyes snapped to him.

  Tito continued, his posture confident. “According to old reports, Wally’s been mining Thoruime for some time. Rumor has it he’s making weapons with it. The metal’s fragile and rare, so he probably doesn’t have much. But if we’re reckless and get hit by it, we could be in trouble.”

  “You make a point, Tito, but St. Luc won’t join,” Razlin asserted.

  Naru interjected, grinning at Tito. “My queen, let me tell the great Tito why. One moon ago, we received a peace treaty and advancement document from St. Luc.”

  Tito’s face contorted with anger. “My queen, why weren’t we informed?”

  Razlin responded calmly. “Tito, I wasn’t trying to withhold information. I didn’t think Wally would move so quickly. I was waiting for our next meeting to discuss it. Naru got ambitious.”

  “How does he know?” Tito demanded.

  “He brought me the treaty to read,” Razlin explained.

  Teresa looked concerned. “Why would St. Luc declare peace against their only ally?”

  After a moment of silence, Razlin responded, “Everything points to them fearing backlash if they go to war with us and Xander returns.”

  “Perhaps, my queen,” Teresa said quietly.

  “Any other concerns?” Razlin asked sternly. The generals collectively responded no.

  “We leave for Felis in two moons. I ask all of you, except Balsmith, to take care of your affairs. This war could last some time.”

  Razlin rose, approaching Naru. “Make sure this goes out today. Send three of our best messengers.” She handed him a letter. Naru’s face changed as he skimmed it, panic flashing in his eyes.

  “Yes, of course, my queen,” he said quickly.

  As Razlin exited the war room, the generals prepared themselves and their platoons for the long-awaited war between the Seraphs and Braxton.