Song's Neosteam Universe

FLASHBACKS [5]

2008-10-04T09:31:00.003+08:00

Author's Notes:
Play hard, study hard! :O

Enjoy Flashbacks [5].

Flashbacks [5] : Shanique (PART II)

Dragon Temple, Nasdaim
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 649
Set 1 year after the end of Episode I...

Romius, Sade and Shanique arrived at the entrance of the Dragon Temple. They were greeted by a few clerics who then led them into the main hall.

"What brings you here to the Temple, our guests?" asked the Head Cleric.

Shanique stepped forward and from within her robes, she revealed the red gem.

The Head Cleric was astounded, then proceeding to a room behind the front of the main hall. He soon returned with a dark mahogany box, intricately carved designs decorated the edges of the box. At the top of the box there was a small depression.

"Please," said the Head Cleric, whose hands were stretched out to Shanique.

She then carefully placed the red gem into the small depression. As soon as it was done, a blinding white light emanated from the depression, filling every corner of the main hall with its luminous energy...

- - - - -

Dragon Temple
Repran Kingdom
Unknown Time

They stood in awe.

After the light subsided, they felt they were in a different place altogether. But, there was something so familiar about this room.

Ah, it was the Temple. The very same main hall they were in moments ago. But the appearance was different, and the Head Cleric could not recognize who the clerics in the hall were.

"Those aren't my disciples," he realized.

After the clerics finished praying, they ended off with, "In Honour of Repran, the Land of the Dragon..."

"Repran!?" exclaimed Sade.

But the clerics that were in the main hall did not notice the four who stood in the middle of them.

"Can they see us?" asked Shanique.

"I doubt so," replied Romius calmly, "Let's just watch what's going on."

Soon, a man of nobility stepped into the main hall. He adorned a golden crown - he must be the King.

"Hail, Your Majesty," greeted the clerics in unison, welcoming him to the Temple.

A cleric then presented him with a mahogany box - the same one that the Head Cleric was holding in his hand.

And then, the King stretched his hand out, holding the very same red gem in it. As he was going to place it in the depression on the box, disaster struck.

The entire place erupted from beneath.

- - - - -

Dragon Temple, Nasdaim
Elerd Kingdom
Steam Year 649

They appeared in the main hall again, covered in the blinding white light.

It soon subsided, and the red gem melted into the depression of the box. The four of them were still recovering from their shock after their breath-taking experience.

They had just travelled back in time, to the Age of Repran. But what did it meant?

The mahogany box was unlocked, and it revealed an ancient piece of scroll, resting on the bright yellow cushion in the box.

"Greetings, to the descendant," hailed the clerics, kneeling down, with their heads bowed down.

Shanique was still in shock. She retrieved the scroll from within the box, and unfurled it.

To her surprise, it was empty. But soon, a greyish substance illuminated from the scroll and began to take the shape of words.

"My mischief has caused the Great Neosteam Disaster to befall upon the Repran Kingdom. The celestial gods have punished me to watch over the land of Elerd, loyal to the restoration of Repran. My Child, you are sent to earth because of me. I am sorry if you have suffered. Present this scroll to the King. I will speak to him."

With that, the greyish substance vanished. Shanique furled the scroll and placed it back into the mahogany box.

"Descendant of the Dragon, the box has found its owner. Please accept it," requested the Head Cleric.

Shanique accepted the box and prepared to depart the Temple with Romius and Sade.

Then, a messenger came in. "Lord Romius, message from the South Entrance, an suspicious man is found," he reported.

"Identity?" inquired Romius.

"Likely to be from the Republic. He's severely injured, currently receiving medical care and under the detention of our guards."

"Bring him to my residence," ordered Romius.

- - - - -

[ to be continued... ]

FLASHBACKS [4]

2008-10-01T18:56:00.002+08:00

Author's Notes:
Hey people, please tag after you've visited this blog =( At least it shows that you've been here, at least it shows that I'm not writing to a wall T_T

Enjoy Flashbacks [4].

Flashbacks [4] : Julian

Blank Land, Cerity Praha
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 649
Set 1 year after the end of Episode I...

Day and night he was chased by his pursuers from across the world - from Rogwel to Elerd. He was weak and tired, and severely injured. But that was not all. The harsh climatic conditions of the desert south of Cerity Praha - Blank Land - proved to be a challenge for him to survive.

His face was as pale as sheet, his abdomen had been stabbed and blood were oozing out painfully. His right leg had been pounded on, hence causing his limp.

Despite his condition, he was determined to shake off his pursuers and went into the storm.

"For... her... I must..." he muttered under his breath as he struggled to keep on moving.

All around him was flying dust and he did not know where to go, so he limped his way straight in front of him. His pursuers, however, lost their sense of direction and was trapped in the sandstorm.

After hours of struggling, he made it to the South Entrance. The guards readied their weapons as they spotted this citizen of the Republic. Moments later, he collapsed at the gate.

"Finally..." he said with his last breath, and blacked out.

- - - - -

Memories...
Wail Lakeside, Ganedine Town
Republic of Rogwel
Steam Year 1872
Set 4 years before Episode I...

"Wow, it smells nice!" exclaimed Julian as he exited the cottage. Shanique was grilling Chiron meat wrapped in banana leaves above a fire spit just outside.

After the meat was done, Shanique removed it from the spit and unwrapped the leaves. The fragrance of the sizzling hot Chiron meat made Julian couldn't wait any longer.

"Oh my, do I have the honour to taste your cooking skills?" he asked.

Shanique smiled at him, slicing a piece of the meat off and fed it to her Sabre.

"Aw..." said Julian, deliberately acting sympathetic, while made Shanique giggled even more. She then sliced off another piece of the meat and passed it to him.

"No, I want you to feed me as compensation," Julian joked.

"Hmph!" Shaniqued joked back, and slowly feeding it to him. Julian enjoyed the sizzling sensation in his mouth and exclaimed, "Whoa! This is good!" And swallowed the meat in its entirety.

"What? You just swallowed it whole! At least take some time to chew it, savouring every moment of the meat!" said Shanique unhappily.

Julian sat closer to her and hugged her in his arms, her back against his chest. "I'm sorry, Shanique. What can I do to appease you?"

"As punishment..." Shanique smiled. "You shall taste my awful meat again. Hehe!"

She took another piece of Chiron meat and placed it on Julian's tongue. He closed his mouth and chewed it, moving the meat to every corner of his mouth with his tongue, enjoying every moment as the meat sizzled. Finally, he swallowed it.

"That's the way," said Shanique, giving a kiss of his cheek. In the midst of the good mood the both of them had, she suddenly felt sad. She sat closer and laid her head on Julian's shoulder. She stared into space and uncontrollably, a tear streamed down from her eyes.

Julian, not knowing what was going on, asked, "Shanique, what's going on?"

Shanique sniffed and spoke softly and gently, "I don't know how long we'll both be together... I don't want you to leave me..."

"Shanique, don't be silly, relax... Aren't we enjoying ourselves? It's all going to be fine..."

But she didn't reply, she was still crying in his arms.

Julian then looked Shanique in the eyes and told her, "Let's get married, now."

"N... N... Now?" she asked as Julian wiped her tears off.

Julian nodded. He looked towards the sky and made a oath, "I, Julian, hereby vow to marry Shanique as my wife. We will stay together forever and I will give my all to provide her with eternal happiness. If I fail, then may I be beaten into the deepest level of hell when I die!"

"Stop..." said Shanique. She didn't want Julian to curse himself. She looked towards the sky and followed, "I, Shanique, hereby vow to be the faithful wife of Julian."

She smiled at Julian. They gazed into each others' eyes and engaged in a long, passionate kiss. Their tongues entwined with each other, gasping for air in between.

Shanique laid down on the gentle grass, pulling Julian with her.

And well, need I say more?

- - - - -

Memories...
Wail Lakeside, Ganedine Town
Republic of Rogwel
Steam Year 1872
2 days later...

"Fraxue!" cursed Shanique in Elerd.

"What? Okay, let's just finish the both of them off. We uphold our justice here, Romius," said Lido angrily, who spun her blade and thrusted it forward.

Romius blocked her attack with his blunt and said, "Stop it, Lido."

He then turned to the couple, "Lady, come back with us. There is an untold truth about your past and present. Follow us, and you'll find it."

Shanique's eyes widened. That was what she had been looking for.

"Let's..... go then...." she muttered, following Romius.

"I'll come along!" shouted Julian. But Shanique didn't seem to have heard him.

"Shut up, Rogwel, you stay here," warned Romius.

Julian knelt down, heartbroken. His Shanique left, crying deep inside her heart.

- - - - -

Wail Lakeside, Ganedine Town
Republic of Rogwel
Steam Year 1872
A few days later...

Julian missed Shanique dearly. He stared at her portrait that he had painted while she was doing her hair. He remembered the times when they went hunting Chirons, both of them riding of the Sabre, him teaching her how to fire an arrow.

He remembered the smell of her hair that attracted even the butterflies.

And then, she was gone. The portrait, was the only thing he had with him, to remember her. From then on, he had a burning hatred towards Romius and the Kingdom.

Portrait of Shanique in her fairy-like robes.

- - - - -

[ to be continued... ]

FLASHBACKS [3]

2008-09-29T19:06:00.000+08:00

Author's Notes:
Exams are nearing! The Star Writer Event is ending after the 4th week. But I still have this desire to complete the story!

Enjoy! And remember to post a message on the shoutbox!

Flashbacks [3] : Sade

Though the Kingdom has experienced the rise and fall of dynasties, every one of them shared a common goal - to restore the Kingdom of Repran, which existed as a superpower nation before the Great Neosteam Disaster.

And 18 years ago, the Star of the Dragon shone brightly.

- - - - -

Ministry Building, Upper Cerity Praha
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 638
Set 4 years before Episode I...

The Ministry building was the centre for the Division of Astrological Research. Scholars and oracles studied the stars and the constellations, predicting the future and the messages of the Great Dragon. Libraries of ancient religious books, astrological findings could be found at the Ministry.

And the hot topic recently at the Ministry? The shining of the Star of the Dragon 18 years ago.

The prophecy, according to the ancient books, stated that the descendant would appear 18 years after the shining star. Perhaps, there was some truth to it.

The head of the research division stepped into the library. She was very young, 20 years old to be exact. She was known to be the prettiest lady in the division, but disappointing to many of her suitors, she was married to the renowned Premier of the nation - Romius.

She was Sade. She was dressed in black robes made of high quality silk, standing straight with her head held high. She was radiant with authority.

"Oh, the child prodigy is here!" cheered an old wizard, a colleague of hers.

"Oh come on, I'm no longer a child. I'm 20 years and I'm a mother," she replied jokingly.

"Alright, sorry Sade. I'm so used to calling you that after your 10 years in the division. Oh, and get Yumi - your daughter - to be like you."

"To be like what?"

"To be the next child prodigy. Get her to join the division when she's 10 years old. Or the earlier the better! I want to see her work here before I die of old age," the old wizard joked.

Sade laughed and added as she headed to her office, "Okay, enough of jokes, get back to work."

"Sade, here are the research documents related to the shining Star of the Dragon as you've requested," said her secretary as she entered her office, placing the files on her desk before exiting.

Sade flipped through the pages and read the description:

Research Project: The Shining Star of the Dragon

In William's Year 620, there was a steller phenomenon observed. The Star of the Dragon shone brightly, not just like any other stars. The star glowed orangey-red and the radius of the glow was huge.

Soon after, another star emerged from the glow, flying across the sky as a shooting star. Then, the shooting star made its way towards Rear Land, where it collided with the coast. The impact ruptured through the dimension, resulting in a crack to another realm.

Recent oracle predictions also revealed that there should be signs of the descendant in the area.

Oracles also predict that the Dragon descendant lives in a form of a person. The gender is not known. To date, it is not known whether the descendant lives in the continent of Rogwel or Elerd.

Further research and predictions have to be done.

Sade sighed and muttered to herself, "More information for Romius in his search, I guess."

Then, a pigeon flew in from the windows and stopped at Sade's desk. She recoiled as she was alarmed by its sudden arrival.

There was an envelope in the pigeon's beak. So she withdrew it from its beak and read the letter within.

Her eyes moved left and right quickly, reading through and comprehending the contents. In just seconds, she was done with the letter. It was no doubt that she was so prodigious.

She then packed the documents into her file and left the Ministry building, heading down the road back home.

- - - - -

Romius's Residence, Cerity Praha
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 638

"Dear, what's wrong? Why did you want me back home?" inquired Sade.

"Ah, darling, I just got back from Rogwel. It was a long and tiring journey," said Romius, whose eyes then turned to the girl lying on the bed in the guest room. "She collapsed after we alighted the train at the subway station.

"Who is she?"

Romius paused to think. "I don't really know. But she could be the descendant. There's a high possibility. She has the red gem, from the dimension crack in Rear Land.

"Gem? What gem?"

"I don't know. You're in the astrological research division. I thought you had more information."

"At least, not on that gem."

"Anyway, I'm not planning on telling my brother about it yet, even if she is really the descendant. I don't think the time is ripe."

"Okay, dear, you're the Premier. You call the shots," said Sade smilingly.

Romius returned the smile. "Ha ha. Oh yes, can you tend to her and see what's wrong with her? She felt nauseous before she collapsed."

"Nauseous? Probably motion sickness. I'll check it out."

With that, Sade summoned the servants into the room. She sat by the girl's side and felt her pulse. "What's her name by the way?" asked Sade.

"Shanique," replied Romius.

Sade nodded and focused on feeling Shanique's pulse again. There was an abnormal feeling about her pulse. And then, Sade came to a conclusion and mumbled, "Oh dear..."

- - - - -

[ to be continued... ]

FLASHBACKS [2]

2008-09-28T10:13:00.004+08:00

Author's Notes:
Remember to post a message on the shoutbox after you've read! Post your after-thoughts, comments, or whatsoever. These messages will motivate me to write more =x

Enjoy Flashbacks [2] - a short chapter.

Flashbacks [2] : Romius

Though the Kingdom has experienced the rise and fall of dynasties, every one of them shared a common goal - to restore the Kingdom of Repran, which existed as a superpower nation before the Great Neosteam Disaster.

The Kingdom worships the Great Dragon, who was recorded to be the symbol of Repran in the ancient books.

And there was a myth - The Dragon had a descendant, and she had been living in the Age of Peace, that is within the 400 years of peace.

- - - - -

Royal Court, Cerity Praha
Elerd Kingdom
Steam Year 638
Set 4 years before Episode I...

"Subjects, it is indeed a saddening thing to hear that my father has passed on," said William, "But we must move on ahead. It has been a month and we cannot let the progress of our nation stay stagnant. I am the new King, but I am only 18 years old. I'm young, so I need the advice of all of you, loyal subjects of the Kingdom."

"Hail," said the Court officials in unison.

- - - - -

"Your Majesty, it has been 18 years," reminded Romius, the new Premier of the Kingdom.

"Romius, go to the Rear Land and search for clues of the Great Dragon's descendant. We must find him or her and bring the descendant back here to the Castle. The Peace Treaty is expiring in 4 years, the Republic may be trying to do something funny," said William.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

- - - - -

Central Altar, Dimension Crack
Rear Land
William's Year 638 [Elerd Calendar]
Steam Year 1872 [Rogwel Calendar]

"That's not right... The elders at the Dragon Temple mentioned that there's a red gem at the Central Altar. But it's not there," said Romius.

"My Lord! Discovery! Fresh blood stains and corpses near the second crack!" reported a scout, leading Romius and his group of scouts.

Romius arrived at the scene. Corpses of unseen creatures. There was no other sign of injury other than a cut on their necks.

"A highly skilled blade user was here. He or she killed them all in a single slash," said Romius.

He further investigated the surrounding areas and found a piece of torn cloth. He picked it up and felt its texture and smiled.

"It's cloth woven by our people," he concluded. He saw the pool of blood and inferred that there were two people here.

"I guess there were two people here. One was severely injured. And another suddenly came to help the injured one. Since these are fresh corpses and stains, they've not gone far. Out of this realm and search for them in Rear Land! Go!" said Romius.

"Yes, My Lord!" the scouts replied.

As soon as Romius exited the dimension, he saw...

A man riding on female summoner's Sabre, with her leaning forward unconsciously on his back. They were rushing to the submarine station at Rear Land.

"Hey, bring us back to the continent of Rogwel," the man said, showing his Rogwel identity card to the submarine operator. Soon, they entered the submarine and submerged into the ground below.

"Hey, operator! Bring me to the continent of Rogwel!" called Romius, rushing to the operator, showing his Elerd identity card.

"Sorry, I'm not allowed to bring you to the continent of Rogwel."

Romius went speechless. He forgot. There was no treaty allowing people of a nation to cross over to the other nation.

- - - - -

Wail Lakeside, Ganedine Town
Republic of Rogwel
Steam Year 1872
2 weeks later...

Wail Lake was a wonderful place to live around. The buzzing of insects, the blooming of flowers, the smell of nature, the greenery of scenery. It was a good breakaway from technology, although it was close to the Town of Ganedine.

And during the night, it was so peaceful, so quiet, and that night, Wail Lake had 2 visitors.

"So, he's one of the shadow walkers," said a person who wore an Elerd outfit that was suited for rogues, with two short and sharp ominous-looking blades in her hands.

"Lido, watch out. He could be anywhere around you, or me," warned another, who was equipped with hard solid metal armour and a heavy mace, ready to fall on its target anytime.

The both of them spoke in the language of Elerd.

"ARGHHH!" a voice came from above.

"Romius, watch out!" shouted Lido, "Above you!"

Julian leapt from above, unleash his series of sword strokes on Romius. Romius evaded and Julian landed on the ground.

"Stop!" shouted a girl in English, who appeared at the door of Julian's cottage.

"Shanique, go back inside!" replied Julian in the same language.

Lido and Romius looked at each other, feeling confused.

"Wait, stop," said Romius in English, "Both of you are speaking with each other in English? That means... both of you are from different nations."

"Yes, you're right. She's from Elerd. I'm from Rogwel," replied Julian.

"You're holding her captive?"

"No, she was severely injured in the dimension crack while fending off those creatures. I saved her and brought her back here for recuperation."

"In that case, we'll bring her back."

"No! I don't want to go back!" cried Shanique, who ran towards Julian and hugged him. "I love him!"

"What is this?" asked Lido, "Do you not remember Gnoranse? He's a good example. He's executed for inter-continental relationships. Do you want to be the next?"

"Fraxue!" cursed Shanique in Elerd.

"What? Okay, let's just finish the both of them off. We uphold our justice here, Romius," said Lido angrily, who spun her blade and thrusted it forward.

Romius blocked her attack with his blunt and said, "Stop it, Lido."

He then turned to the couple, "Lady, come back with us. There is an untold truth about your past and present. Follow us, and you'll find it."

Shanique's eyes widened. That was what she had been looking for.

- - - - -

[ to be continued... ]

FLASHBACKS [1]

2008-09-26T20:50:00.008+08:00

Author's Notes:
A new chapter has begun - Enjoy Flashbacks.

Flashbacks [1] : Shanique

Though the Kingdom has experienced the rise and fall of dynasties, every one of them shared a common goal - to restore the Kingdom of Repran, which existed as a superpower nation before the Great Neosteam Disaster.

The land was split into three parts - Rogwel, Elerd and Taxzn. And in the centre, there was a small island - Rear Land.

- - - -

Central Altar, Dimension Crack
Rear Land
William's Year 638 [Elerd Calendar]
Steam Year 1872 [Rogwel Calendar]
Set 4 years before Episode I

It was there, right before her eyes - the burning red gem was in flames, but frozen in ice. The altar was partially submerged in the river of lava, with a smooth and flat stone surface. A red piece of cloth with yellow trimmings at the side was laid across the centre of the altar. The burning yet freezing piece of gem was placed on top of the cloth.

The altar was the only thing that remained in one piece in that realm.

And it was right there, before her eyes. But she couldn't get to it. She would melt if she stepped into the river of lava. And she'll get burnt by the hotness and coldness if she tried to reach for the red gem. These two problems prevented her from accessing the gem.

Shanique looked around for clues, and found a rock with words engraved on it:

The gem is a key. It unlocks a key that unlocks the gem. The bringer of the key will be protected from what is known as 'hot' and 'cold'.

So, that was it. She was the key to the gem. The gem will unlock her past and present. And that was the reason why she was here - to find out about her past and present.

Shanique dismounted her summoning and approached the bank of the river of lava. She could feel the heat. Taking a deep breath, eyes closed, she took a step forward bravely.

She didn't feel anything, just normal. She opened her eyes, and realized her leg wasn't molten.

She started to feel more confident, and took a step forward again. Gradually, she reached the middle of the river, and stood before the altar.

As her fingers touched the red gem, she heard a roar, followed by several others. She turned around.

They were creatures that were alien to her. Shanique grabbed the red gem and slid it inside her pocket, and escaped a powerful thrust of the creatures' axe.

"Sabre, help!" she cried.

Her summoning rushed to her and she mounted it, making her way to the dimension crack in order to get out of that realm.

But the crack was closing up - at a very fast rate.

- - - - -

He watched her from behind a rock pillar. She was being surrounded by the creatures who had been guarding the altar since long ago.

He had a strange feeling towards this girl. A feeling, that couldn't be explained. She was stunningly beautiful. He could tell that she was a person of high self-esteem.

But there, she looked so feeble and weak.

He was going to fail his mission.

- - - - -

Shanique was being overwhelmed by the numbers of those creatures. She could not cope with the fierce attacks that came charging towards her. She was injured, tired and weak.

Her vision before her blurred and finally, blacked out.

But before that, she saw a young man, handsome and suave. He withdrew his daggers and slashed the necks of the creatures in one clean sweep. She gave a weak smile and thought to herself, "So... cool..."

And collapsed.

- - - - -

Wail Lakeside, Ganedine Town
Republic of Rogwel
Steam Year 1872

"Jou vokex jup?" he asked.

Shanique didn't quite understand what he said. She was gaining consciousness of her surroundings. At the same time, she wanted to get up.

"Hej, son't move aroune too mucp" he said with concern.

She then realized that she was in Rogwel. "Get away, Rogwel! You're my enemy!" she said in English, the invented language which was to be used when both nations wanted to communicate.

"Hey, I mean no harm," he replied in the same language.

"Lies! All of you, are all liars!" cried Shanique, who then scurried to find her precious red gem. She dug her pockets and felt the shape of it. She took it to check whether it was for real, that it was still with her.

The red gem shone light in her face. And she heaved a sigh of relief, and cried, with the red gem held closely to her face.

Shanique calmed down and looked at the man again, and said, "You're the one... You're the who saved me back there..."

"Yes, I am," he replied.

"Why?"

"I..." He paused. He smiled, and continued, "Well, you looked like you needed help..."

"Why were you there? It was a dangerous place. And... how did you get me out of there? The crack was sealed up..."

"The crack sealed up because you took the gem, a totem of that place. To unseal the crack, we had to kill the guards."

"But you still haven't answered me - why were you there?"

He turned away and looked up on the ceiling. He pondered, and decided to tell her.

"I was sent by the Republican military to asssassinate you and retrieve the gem. Since you were the only one who could gain access to the gem, I had to wait till you got it."

Shanique's eyes widened.

"Then... You're gonna kill me now?"

"No..."

"I will not let you!" screamed Shanique anxiously. "It is my everything! My foster faster died... I no longer have anything left... He told me that the gem will tell me of my past and present..."

And she broke down in tears once more...

- - - - -

The both of them sat at the lakeside, enjoying the scenery. The reflection of light from the Sun made the surface of the lake glitter like gold. Shanique gazed into the lake, thinking of her life.

"How are you getting along? Any better?" he asked.

"Yep, definitely better... Thanks for taking care of me these few days..." she said.

"Oh yes... We've been knowing each other for a few days now, and we still don't know each other's names..."

"You don't know mine? I thought your superior sent you to kill me."

"Well, yea... But they only mentioned 'a girl who was able to unlock the gem'. That's all... No names."

Shanique laughed. "Ha, I see... I'm Shanique. You?"

"I'm Julian. Nice to meet you. And wow, you've got a beautiful name, just like how you look!"

She blushed and was embarrassed to face Julian for a while. He, too, didn't realize what he was saying.

"Oh erm... The flower's there are beautiful! Wanna go...." Julian was interrupted as Shanique suddenly turned to him and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

Julian was stunned for a moment. Shanique giggled, and asked, "Friends?"

"Oh.. erm..." replied Julian, recovering from his shock, "Sure, I'll be very glad to!"

- - - - -

[ to be continued... ]

Author's Words [2]

2008-09-25T21:32:00.000+08:00

Episode I: Road to War has come to end, my readers.

If you crave for more of the plot, stay tuned for Episode II: Flashbacks!

Logo for Episode II: Flashbacks

The main character of Episode I aren't that many. They're mainly William and Romius. In Episode II, we'll be revealing more characters that'll be essential in the plot of Episode III.

Episode II is a very short episode of a series of flashbacks into the 15 years before the tragic fate of the Elerd Kingdom - in which I will not reveal here =]

Episode II is estimated to have about 3 chapters, yea =x

So, if you haven't read Episode I or any parts of it yet, start now! You can easily access previous posts easily via the navigation bar under the 'Posts' category.

Have a happy, delightful, enjoyable, eventful, nice and good day!

Song

ROAD TO WAR [6]

2008-09-25T19:18:00.002+08:00

Author's Notes:
Last chapter of 'Road to War'! This epilogue was supposed to be longer than it is but I've decided to leave the very last part for the sequel.
Reasons being:
Suspense
Motivation for me to write XD
If you wish to read previous chapters/posts, please proceed to the navigation bar on the right hand side under the 'Posts' category. Have a nice day, and enjoy this short chapter =]

Road to War [6] : Nations at Conflict
EPILOGUE

The Fore, Gretycos
Militarist State of Rogwel
Steam Year 1878
The Next Day...

Romius and Julian were curious. At the peak of Gretycos, where the castle stood, had a purely white-coloured flag waving over it. Soon, Marie and Dave emerged from the walls of Gretycos.

Julian ordered, "Arrows, ready!", as his rangers aimed their arrows at the two generals standing alone outside Gretycos. There was no retaliation from the Gretycos defences, no flinching from the two generals or whatsoever.

"Halt!" stopped Romius. He turned to the two, and asked, "We don't understand."

"Romius, they've surrendered. We've won. And since we've won, those two traitors should be executed with immediate effect," suggested Julian impatiently.

"Where's Kane?" asked Romius, ignoring Julian which totally pissed him off.

"Dead. Assassinated," said Marie expressionlessly.

"By who?"

"Both of us."

- - - - -

Banquet Hall, Gretycos
Republic of Rogwel
Steam Year 1878

The Republic was restored with Julian as its new president. A banquet was thrown to celebrate the victory over Kane. The victory was unexpected. Marie and Dave were known as heroes throughout the continent for removing Kane, despite the fact that they served under him previously.

The troops from both nations were enjoying a scrumptious and sumptuous meal. Then, Romius stood up, holding a cup of wine, saying, "A toast to Your Honour. I congratulate the nation of Rogwel for having its Republican government restored. I give my blessings to the future of both nations, for peace and prosperity!"

With that, he drank the wine from the cup, and sat down again. A round of applause soon followed after.

Then, Julian rose from his seat and said, "A toast to our ally from the Kingdom! I thank them for their support in the movement Kane. I hope, on behalf of the people of the Republic, that both nations will enjoy peace and prosperity for eternity!"

Julian returned to his seat, with the crowd applauding for him.

And suddenly, Marie and Dave screamed, and collapsed to the ground. There was then a commotion in the Banquet Hall.

A dart appeared on the wall, just inches away from Julian.

"Protect the President!" shouted a castle guard, leading troops to guard Julian.

Another guard went forward to examine Marie and Dave. It was soon discovered that the darts hit precisely on their hearts, causing instant death.

"Whose dart is that?" asked Romius.

The guard withdrew the darts from the chest and took a closer look. "It..." he said, "has the symbol of the dragon... It's from Elerd."

More Gretycos guards streamed into the Banquet Hall, surrounding Romius and his forces.

"Romius, answer me honestly. Did you plan this assassination?" asked Julian, with an angry expression hanging on his face.

"I, Romius, will answer honestly to Your Honour. Neither I nor my troops are instructed to kill the two generals and Your Honour."

"Then, why are there Elerd darts?"

"It's obvious someone trying to frame us, trying to strain the relationships between both nations."

"Romius, I am disappointed in you," said Julian sadly, "I don't believe it. You claimed that the Kingdom wants peace. But in actual fact, you've convinced me that the Kingdom wants war. Very well then, I will give you what William and you want - war. I give you 102 days. Go back to your homeland. After that, we will talk with nothing but weapons."

"Okay, there is nothing I can do if you don't believe me, Julian..." Romius turned away, leading his troops to their barracks.

- - - - -

Royal Study, Cerity Praha
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 644
2 Days Later...

"I bet he used the darts that we've thrown at Kane's forces. It's obvious he planned the assassination. He wanted to justify his reason for war, in front of the people of Rogwel!" said Romius, venting his anger.

"Brother, relax. War is inevitable. Both nations have to come to war one day," assured William."

"How's Taxzn, Your Majesty?"

"Well, after Kane rose into power, Taxzn was left alone and gained independance. I sent some aid to them. Their nation is rebuilding fast now. They've realized that they are neither used to living with magic or technology. They are used to living with their natural environment. I say, Taxzn is one unique nation."

"Ah, then they shall be referred to as the Nation of Nature then?"

"Probably, in future."

"Anyway, after they're rebuilt and become strong, I propose an alliance between the Union of Taxzn and the Kingdom of Elerd."

"That augurs well for the Kingdom. Oh yes, defence preparations at all towns and outposts have been secured. The only thing we have to worry is the agricultural activities on the countryside and out on the sea. They are vulnerable to enemy attacks. While we still have time, introduce conscription to increase our army strength, and then we can spend more resources to protect these areas."

"Then it'll be on you, Brother, take care of it."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

- - - - -

100 days later, the feudal lords and the powerful Lord Knights set off on the road, to war.

And another 15 years later, the Kingdom met with a tragic event...

- - - - -

[ to be continued in Episode II... ]

ROAD TO WAR [5]

2008-09-23T22:09:00.002+08:00

Author's Notes:
I came across an interesting comment on Erika's article. Deka commented that why were Rogwels always portrayed as "evil and cruel" and its related descriptions. Well, please be reminded, we are writers from Elerd Kingdom, therefore we're writing based on an Elerd's perspective.

It's just like the author of Source A says XYZ sucks but the author of Source B says XYZ rocks. Yea? =x

Anyway, links to other writers added. And a new logo for this fiction is created! Enjoy, and post in the tagboard!^^

On a side note, please write because you want to let your readers know how your Neosteam world looks like or feels like, and not because you want the prizes XD

The prizes are supposed to spur you on in writing =] So keep up the good effort, fellow writers!

Road to War [5] : Battle of Gretycos

The Fore, Gretycos
Militarist State of Rogwel
Steam Year 1878

The troops have already arrived in front of the capitol city - Gretycos. It was Romius's first time seeing the city with his own eyes. It was as grand as Cerity Praha. The stone walls were well-maintained as the surface of the walls was smooth and flat.

The huge metal gate was opened - the portcullis lifted, and troops streamed out of the city as though food was flowing out of the mouth. Kane's troops stood mightily in formation. There was no unnecessary fidgeting, displaying their strict discipline to their enemy. And then, from behind, a general. with a flag that wrote "Kane" in big letters waving vigorously in the strong blowing wind, made his way out of the city to the front of the formation.

Across the distance, Romius shouted, "May I ask for your name, mighty general!"

"3rd-in-Command of the Kanist Army, Imperator Marie!" came the reply.

"Kanist Army? The Army pledges loyalty to a person rather than the nation? Unpatriotic!" muttered Julian, whose eyebrows werealmost touching each other.

"Now, may I inquire of your presence with unauthorized troops in front of our city?" asked Marie.

Romius stretched his hand out to his aide, who later passed him a bow an arrow.

Romius wielded the bow and pulled the arrow back, stretching the bowstring. His eyes peered to Marie's flag. Moments later, he released the arrow.

The arrow flew straight ahead. Marie pulled out her sword and deflected the arrow away.

"That, is my answer, Imperator!" shouted Romius.

"Hmph, then this is my answer to you, Romius!" replied Marie. She held up a flag and gestured to her troops. "Charge!"

- - - - -

3 Hours Later...

The beam blasted away from the steam cannon and hit the portcullis at maximum impact, blowing up the piece of metal into burning debris. Romius and Julian had captured the entrance to Gretycos.

Marie retreated into Gold Road, while Romius and Julian re-assembled their forces for the next offence.

Destroying the second gate leading to Gold Road, the two forces charged towards each other, talking only with their weapons and nothing else.

Romius and Julian were having the upper hand of the situation, when suddenly another general emerged from the side, sweeping down towards them.

Resistance from the front and the side led them to retreat back to The Fore again.

"Hmph! And stay out!" shouted the general, who stopped giving chase at the destroyed gates.

"You must be Imperator Dave!" shouted Romius.

"Kane's 2nd-in-command, very honoured to meet you, Romius!"

Romius nodded, and told Julian, "Let's set up our camp right here at The Fore. We'll discuss our attack on Gold Road."

"Alright," replied Julian.

- - - - -

Council Room, Gretycos
Militarist State of Rogwel
Steam Year 1878

"Julian and Romius may be forming an alliance, but Julian's true intention is to restore the Republic and wage war against the Kingdom. I can tell that Julian is actually very hostile towards Romius, but is friendly on the surface. Romius himself is aware of it," said Kane, in his presidential seat.

"Then, I don't get it. Why did he still come to assist Julian?" asked Marie.

"Because my power alone can destroy Julian's power. And they know, if I defeat Julian, I can easily take over the Kingdom with all three forces from land, air and sea. I am the Kingdom's biggest obstacle. They're using this opportunity to combine their forces and topple me over. I'm not going to let that happen," replied Kane, then turning his attention to Marie.

"And you Marie, you're such a useless general. If it wasn't for Dave, you would have lost Gold Road and be a captive."

Then he turned to Dave and told him, "And you Dave, you're not given orders to leave your position at Creative Road. It's a key position to defend. When we're done defending, both of you will receive punishment accordingly. Do the both of you understand?"

"Yes, my Lord!" said Marie and Dave in unison, then stomping away in a bad mood.

- - - - -

Castle Foyer, Gretycos
Militarist State of Rogwel
Steam Year 1878
Later That Night...

She was fully dressed in black. And so was he. Both of them blended themselves with the dark surroundings, making it difficult for anyone to detect them. They passed the first door, without the knowledge of the guards, and made their way straight ahead.

Then, at a corridor junction, they were confronted with patrolling guards on duty.

"Intruders!" shouted one, alerting all the guards along the hallway, who rushed to apprehend the intruders.

She withdrew her dagger in the blink of an eye and stabbed the guard in the heart by surprise, killing him instantly.

The duo in black were getting surrounded by guards. Agile movements and skilled reflexes enabled them to avoid the brandishing spears and climb a pillar, allowing access to the attic.

"Alert all troops! There are intruders in the castle!" warned another guard.

"Marie, this way!" beckoned Dave as he checked out the movement of the guards below.

When the coast was clear, they descended onto the ground, and found themselves in Kane's room.

He was sleeping.

- - - - -

[ to be continued... ]

Author's Notes (2):
The fiction is coming to an end. Stay tuned for 'Road to War [EPILOGUE]'. But that's not really the end. There's a sequel coming up! So remember to stay even more tuned! xD

ROAD TO WAR [4]

2008-09-20T15:07:00.001+08:00

Author's Notes:
I noticed a flaw in my writing - I never liked to describe stuff, such as:
How the towns look like in my imagination,
How the things are run in the Neosteam World in my imaginations.
So, we must always seek to improve our writing o_o

Road to War [4] : Rebellions

The rebellion in Elerd was falling. They allied themselves with the Barks and took refuge in the Howling Hills. Romius had captured all but one area in the Hills - Bark Town, where Lord Bark resides, along with the remnants of the Rebels.

This time, Romius had brought his guild with him.

And in the Republic, the civil war between Kane and the rebels were nowhere near the end. The rebels captured Deeren and Ganedine, but only after Kane moved all his men back to Gretycos, to fortify the defences.

The Rogwel population was in favour of the rebels. But the civilians in Gretycos aren't lucky. Anyone who tried to flee the capitol were slaughtered and thrown into the sea.

- - - - -

Lord Bark's Residence, Bark Town
Howling Hills
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 644

Lord Bark's Residence was huge and spacious, almost big enough to be called a town.

It was heavily guarded by Bark Captains and their troops. Romius stood a kilometre away from the entrance, with his men behind him. The flags of the Kingdom were flying chivalrously in the wind.

The Royal Army consisted majorly of fighters as the main strike force. There were also two small division of other battlers. Rangers and mages as support attackers, and the crafters on operating siege weapons. They were respectively the "Support Division" and the "Crafter Crew".

And a secret force who focused on stealth activities were the assassins of the "Dark Force".

Romius's Fleet was flying high above the Royal Army, ready to attack any time with the given command.

But all this time, there was no movement from Romius. He was waiting for the Barks to battle his forces openly on the field. But they just stayed at their positions, not taking an inch forward.

There was no longer a need to waste time. The weather at the Hills is very hot and dry. Romius wanted to end it sooner and get out of the heat.

"Charge!" shouted Romius.

Everyone mounted summonings and swept down the plain field, charging towards Lord Bark's Residence.

The entrance was blasted open by the Fleet's missiles, and then came a surprise.

A sudden beam was blasted out from the within the residence, killing many of Romius's men. Romius himself was almost hit by the beam. Obviously, that blast was targetted at him.

"Stop!" he ordered.

The dust settled and everything soon became clear. There was a Steam Cannon inside the residence. And then, it started to calibrate.

At this moment, Bark troops came from the Army's sides and Romius realized, he was ambushed.

The Cannon looked like it was going to fire anytime, so Romius gave another order: "Main Force, charge into the Residence! Support Division, fend off the troops here. Crafter Crew, target that Cannon now!"

Romius rushed into the residence with the Main Force and his Defenders. Boulders flew from the higher levels, crushing many of those who were at the ground level.

Romius and his Defenders stuck close to the walls of the residence and entered a building, where they were confronted with a Bark Captain. The Captain was easily taken care of, and they continued to advance into the backyard.

Lord Bark was waiting for them.

"Kill those Royal troops!" he roared, as he charged at Romius with his sword.

Lord Bark's guards, however, we busy dealing with Romius's Defenders.

"Take this!" yelled Romius, as he gathered the particles around him and swung his mace around, hitting Lord Bark in the chest. Lord Bark was knocked back a few steps, but didn't suffer even a slight damage.

Romius dismounted and gave a hard kick on Lord Bark before he could recover from his fall. Just when Romius was about to finish Lord Bark off, a scream was heard.

One of Lord Bark's guards had pierced a blade through a Defender's stomach.

"No! Shanique!" shouted Romius. He turned to the guard and flung his mace on the guard's face. The guard fell to the ground, pulling the blade out from Shanique at the same time.

Lord Bark recovered from his fall, and diverted Romius's attention.

"Push Palm Strike!" Lord Bark gave a striking blow with his palm on Romius's back.

"Ugh!" Romius coughed out blood. He turned around and roared, "Let me give you a taste of doom!" He picked up a blade and threw it at Lord Bark, piercing through his neck.

Lord Bark was stunned, and staggered a few steps back. His eyes were rolling, the vision before him became blurry, and total darkness befell him.

He was dead.

"My Lord!" screamed the guards in grief, and eventually committed suicide.

Romius picked up and carried Shanique, and left the residence along with his Defenders. In front of them, were corpses of Bark tribesmen.

"Congratulations the Premier for his glorious victory in the expedition!" hailed the Army.

- - - - -

Royal Court, Cerity Praha
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 644

"It's happy to hear that the rebels have fallen upon the eradication of Lord Bark. At the same time, it's sad to hear that a fellow member of your guild is now in critical condition. I pray for the Great Dragon to bless her health," said William.

"Thank you, Your Majesty for the blessings," replied Romius, bowing as a sign of respect.

"Now, we have to concentrate on getting rid of Kane. We have delayed our attack due to internal conflict. Now that it's done, Romius, prepare for the next expedition as soon as possible."

"I will obey, Your Majesty."

- - - - -

Rebels Base, Deeren Town
Militarist State of Rogwel
Steam Year 1877

"Sir, you have a letter!" reported a messenger, passing the envelope to Julian, the head of the rebels in Rogwel.

"Dear Mr Julian, Secretary-General of the Rogwel Rebellion,

The Kingdom is now ready to assist you. Previously, we're plagued with internal conflict. Now, we are ready. Our Premier, Romius, should be arriving in Deeren Town in a matter of days. Let's eradicate the unwise leader of the Republic who only wants war all day.

I am confident that we will win. And after that, we will be able to discuss the future of peace between the 3 continents.

Let's look forward to hearing good news.

Regards,

King William III of the Elerd Kingdom"

"Yes! Reinforcements will be here these few days. With the combined force, we will be able to overthrow Kane's reign and restore peace to the Republic," said Julian.

"Indeed, all the towns and guard posts are ours now. Kane is hiding in his castle. Our forces are still intact and morale is high. With the combined strength, Gretycos is ours for sure," agreed Daniel, an advisor to Julian.

- - - - -

[ to be continued... ]

ROAD TO WAR [3]

2008-09-15T20:32:00.004+08:00

Author's Notes:
Enjoy :] I'm down with runny nose T_T

Road to War [3] : Authoritarian Regime

The Republic gained control of Southern Taxzn once again with little effort. Proceeding with their operation Swift Assault, Northern Taxzn was under heavy fire. 3 parties were trying to fight for control of the area. The Taxzn rebel forces were swiftly wiped out but the Elerd forces put up a strong resistance against the Rogwels and retreated to Bashitunka Town.

Kane's never-seen-before Zeppelin Fleet had displayed its destructive power and showed the world that the Republic definitely lived up to its name as the 'Nation of Technological Marvels". That was when 'Zeppelin Warfare' was introduced.

With only 3500 men, Romius was going to defend Bashitunka against numbers of more than 10 times their size. It would be the final face-off between the two superpower nations before the game ends.

"Their Zeppelins have docked at Deluke Town, just opposite of us," replied a messenger.

"Then, we'll strike tonight. We'll all get off this land, and return home," said Romius, clenching his fists tightly, then praying to the Great Dragon to bless them on a safe journey back home.

- - - - -

Medical Centre, Deren Aim
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 642

"Where am I?" asked Romius, as he gained consciousness of his surroundings. He noticed William was beside him, along with a few nurses. "Brother, I'm sorry I failed. The Republic Force was too large and too strong to defeat."

William smiled and replied, "At least you brought with us an enemy device. With that, we can form and establish our own Royal Zeppelin Fleet."

"Oh yeah, speaking about the zeppelin... Didn't I crash?"

"Well, it did. But since it was the main command ship, it could sustain more damage."

"Where's the rest of the survivors?"

"The rest of the zeppelins you led crashed onto ground. The only survivors left are the ones on board your ship."

Romius felt upset, and vowed to avenge his fellow soldiers' deaths. "Let's declare war, Brother. They've gone too far."

"No, not yet. The time's not ripe. We still haven't finish our war preparations."

"We haven't? I thought I made sure everything was done before I went to Taxzn!"

"Well, there's something new. The zeppelin fleet. And now, I want you to concentrate on building this fleet. I'll give you 5 years. I know your own army is crushed. But in the meantime, get your guild to do something. Remember, guilds are supposed to assist feudal lords. And I wondered why you didn't include them in the Taxzn Expedition."

"Brother, they're Defenders of Elerd. They defend, they don't attack."

"Yeah yeah, like what you always say in the past, 'Defence is the best way to attack'. Ha!"

The brothers laughed and continued to chat about their favourite past-time.

William didn't regret losing one vault of Energy Stones to the Republic then. He had a building zeppelin fleet, waiting to attack the Republic and get more of those resources for the Kingdom.

- - - - -

Zeppelin Dock, Pelkan Guard Post
Republic of Rogwel
Steam Year 1876

President James was surprised to see the Zeppelin Fleet arriving without the Main Command Ship. He was worried whether it was destroyed in the expedition.

Kane stepped out of a military transport zeppelin that landed just in front of James.

Seeing that Kane also came empty-handed, James asked, "Where's the Main Command Ship? where's Romius's head?"

"He escaped and stole some of our zeppelins," replied Kane in great disappointment.

James shook his head. "You didn't accomplish your task. The operation was a great failure. You have failed me, Kane. You failed the Republic."

With that, James walked off.

Suddenly, he got beheaded.

James was dead.

"I hate that. I hate him."

- - - - -

Traveler Road, Cerity Praha
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 642

The stretch of road leading to the castle of Cerity Praha was long and wide. This road, is Traveler Road. Alongside were mansions owned by the feudal lords of the Kingdom and they were side-by-side.

These mansions were referred to as Guild Offices. Every feudal lord owned a guild. And to be recruited, you had to be unique and different from other warriors.

The Defenders of Elerd was the most prominent guild due to Romius's power in the Royal Court. Of course, to join a guild whose leader is powerful, you had to be of a higher level as well.

Indeed, they were knowledgable, skilled and strong, but they just weren't well-liked by some people.

And somehow, William wasn't too happy to hear rumours from the people on the streets.

"Romius, I heard some unpleasant things about your guild. I'm not sure whether that's true. Your 'Defenders of Elerd' isn't well-liked. I heard that they're selfish and only share things among themselves," said William.

"Well, you know that isn't true, Brother. We've shared things with people like Sham."

"Ha, Romius, that's only because he helped a lot to your guild."

"I leave that to your interpretation, Brother."

"Either way, I suggest you advise your guild members to be more open. Don't create unhealthy politics. After all, they're the Defenders of Elerd. They're supposed to defend my interests, the interests of the Kingdom, and ultimately the interests of the Dragon."

"Alright, Brother. I'll advise them."

"Oh yes, have you heard of the new President?"

"What? President James's term isn't even up yet. Why was there a re-election?"

"There wasn't. Well, if you perceive the matter in another way, then there's an election."

"I don't understand."

"James was assassinated. All the maestros re-elected Kane because he had full military power. Just one opposition, you can go make your own funeral arrangements. Even the opposition party in the Republic now is a puppet. Good news is, there's political instability. Good chance for us to strike. Bad news is, our fleet isn't ready yet."

"So what's our plan of action?"

"The people are rebelling against the new authoritarian government. Some of the maestros are secretly supporting the movement. I think, since Kane is a key obstacle to get rid of in order to conquer the Republic, I suggest we support the rebels."

"That way, we can co-operate with the rebels, and we use up less of our forces. Therefore we don't have to touch our unprepared fleet."

"Wise decision, Brother."

- - - - -

[ to be continued... ]

ROAD TO WAR [2]

2008-09-12T21:30:00.003+08:00

Author's Note:
Tensions arise between the Kingdom and the Republic due to the Southern Taxzn Counterfeit Incident

Road to War [2] : Pacifying

News of the counterfeit incident in Southern Taxzn quickly spread to Northern Taxzn. Elerd froze all trading between the Kingdom and Northern Taxzn, fearing that the same might happen to the Zanax - Northern Taxzn currency.

The economical standstill has brought about famine throughout the Taxzn continent. Peasants gathered and rebelled against both Provisional Governments.

- - - - -

King Jarit's Front Yard, Rear Town
Rear Land (Neutral Ground)
William's Year 642 [Elerd Calendar]
Steam Year 1876 [Rogwel Calendar]

"It seems neither of us is interested in resolving the problem in Taxzn. It's very selfish of us. We promised our allies in Taxzn that we would help them. Yes, we have protected their land for centuries. But it was for the sake of our economy. You can't deny that we've gained a lot of resources and profit from the market in Taxzn. And now, they are in trouble. Then we shunned them away," spoke Romius, who couldn't bear to see both leaders doing nothing worthwhile for the Taxzn crisis.

Yes, he had shamed them in front of King Jarit, ruler of Rear Land. But it was a lesson.

William sighed. His elder sworn brother was right. His elder sworn brother had gave him the correct advice at the right time.

But President James VII didn't look too happy about the way Romius talked to the both of them. He felt that Romius had no right to lesson him, so he gave Romius a stern look.

William didn't notice anything, and continued the discussion.

"Well, I have an idea that can motivate both parties. Let's play a game."

"What?" asked James, "It's not the time to play a game."

"No worries, President. Whoever pacifies both halves of Taxzn will win the game. The prize is..."

William paused. He was going to make a suggestion that risks the Kingdom's treasury and future survivability.

"The prize is 1 vault of Energy Stones," he continued.

James laughed hard. "Are you sure!?"

"Yes, I am," said William, with his head held high.

"You look confident. Well, I'll play the game with you. We'll start 36 hours from now."

- - - - -

Civilian Zeppelin Dock, Nasdaim
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 642
After Rear Town Conference

"Your Majesty, I just don't understand. Why did you sacrifice a huge fraction of our Neosteam treasury?" asked Romius.

"Look, we've been selfish. My ancestors allied with Taxzn for the sole purpose of our Kingdom's selfish gains. And what you said just now just gave us a tight slap. Think about it again, by shunning our allies away, we're tarnishing the reputation of our nations. And we'll be labelled as bad rulers."

"But you shouldn't do so at the expense of the survivability of the Kingdom!"

"It's too late, Romius. The agreement is signed. Move on."

"..."

"I know what I'm doing. Now, I have a favour to ask from you."

"What is it?"

"You're the Premier, and also the Lord Knight of the Royal Army. Go to Northern Taxzn, and pacify them. Once you've done so, do the same for the South. Do it fast before the Republic accumulates their troops. Adopt the lightning strike strategy. The Kingdom is relying on you now, Romius."

Suddenly, Romius felt heavy on his shoulders.

"Please, Romius? You're our greatest general in Court."

"Okay..." said Romius reluctantly, "I'll do it... for you, Brother..."

"No. Don't do it for me..." William paused. "Do it for the Kingdom."

Romius nodded. Both of them parted, and Romius suddenly realized the meaning of 'pacify' that William suggested.

It means war. It means invasion.

- - - - -

Council Room, Gretycos Castle
Republic of Rogwel
Steam Year 1876
After Rear Town Conference

"My maestros, it is time for us to show our military prowess again. It has been centuries since we last fought. It's time for a little warm up. Announcer, please," spoke President, as he gathered his members in the Council Room.

"Presidential Decree 3481, Swift Assault. Imperator Kane, you are hereby appointed as the Front Vanguard and will be leading the operation Swift Assault upon the continent of Taxzn. Your Zeppelin Fleet will launch an attack on Northern Taxzn. The fleet will approach Taxzn from the south, bombing your way through until you have reached the border. Then you will launch the full-scale invasion on Northern Taxzn.

"Imperator Dave, you are hereby appointed as the Left Vanguard and will be leading the main attack on Southern Taxzn. Your naval fleet must destroy all enemy targets along the southern coast. Then, send in your strike force to wipe out all enemy authorities.

"Imperator Marie, you are hereby appointed as the Right Vanguard and will be placing a blockade around the Taxzn continent. Prevent all reinforcements sent by the Elerd Kingdom by eliminating them. Do the same for remnant Elerd troops escaping the continent.

"All Imperators, your sole focus should be wiping out Elerd forces after controlling the continent. End of Presidential Decree 3481, Swift Assault."

"So, Imperators, most important question for the expedition: how much Neosteam will we need?" asked James, smiling.

"Roughly a vault. If not, more," replied Kane confidently.

Well that smile on James immediately turn into a frown. His eyebrows were almost touching each other.

He had nothing to say. Even if he won the game, there wouldn't be much of a gain.

"So sir, are we still going to continue with the expedition?" asked Kane again.

James sighed, looking down at the floor, then turned to Kane, and replied, "Of course. We must."

[To be continued ...]

- - - - -

ROAD TO WAR [1]

2008-09-11T15:22:00.002+08:00

Author's Notes:
I hope this chapter will provide a basic introduction to my fiction. =P Tag please.

Road to War [1] : Unification of Taxzn

Castle Foyer, Cerity Praha
Elerd Kingdom
William's Year 642

"Our Kingdom has never enjoyed such long-lasting peace before. We will celebrate the 400th peaceful year next month throughout the land. We will again, pray to the Great Dragon to bless eternal peace and prosperity upon our land.

"Furthermore, Northern and Southern Taxzn will be gaining independence. Both nations have agreed to dismiss the two Provisional Governments on the 'Day of the Celebrations'.

"On the other hand, I regret to inform you that the Peace Treaty between both nations is expiring on the Day of Celebrations. The new terms of the Treaty has been discussed. The President and I, the King, will be signing the renewed Peace Treaty on the Day, at the border between Northern and Southern Taxzn.

"Words of our wise King, in honour of the Great Dragon. Hail!"

The people cheered as the Royal Announcer read out His Majesty's speech at the Castle Foyer. They waved the Kingdom's flags, wore headbands with patriotic slogans, and shouted "Hail!" to show their patriotism out loud.

Peace between the nations was just a facade. You would never see a Rogwel walking along the streets in Elerd, or vice-versa. You don't hear the leaders saying "Both sides are going to disarm!"

Well, maybe they said "We will discuss about disarmament" and came back, talking about other terms of the Treaty, and never mentioned anything about disarmament. Why?

Very simple: They didn't intend to stop fighting.

But the people didn't think much. They believed in their leaders, very much.

- - - - -

William III smiled gently as he looked out of the small semi-circular window of the King's Study Room in the castle, down at the crowd who stayed behind after the announcement, cheering and hailing his name out loud.

He returned to his work and smiled again. He was looking at a piece of paper, and this piece of paper had a lot of significance. He was looking at the renewed Peace Treaty. He looked up, and stared into the ceiling. For the third time, he smiled again, feeling proud that it was his family line that started the long-lasting peace.

But then, he frowned. William knew war was inevitable. One day, the people that cheered and hailed for him, most of them would suffer. The beautiful plains of Elerd's sacred land, would once again turn into unpleasant scenes of gore.

This day, was going to come soon.

The renewed Peace Treaty just wasn't going to work out.

Just as William was pondering, his favourite Court official stepped in. It was Romius.

"Brother, I brought you some soup," he said.

"Thanks."

Well, they weren't biological brothers. They were sworn brothers. Romius was the elder. William and Romius knew each other since young. They enrolled in the Royal Academy, studied together under the Saint, and played together frequently in the castle yard.

Just before William succeeded his father's throne, Romius became a feudal lord. After William ascended the throne, Romius was further promoted to be the head of the feudal lords - the Premier.

"Brother, I suggest you not to go to Taxzn next month."

"Why? We have agreed to sign the Treaty. And my presence is compulsory."

"It's not safe!"

"I know!"

Then there was a pause. They looked at each other and William continued, "If I turn up, and sign the treaty, at least we can prolong the period of peace. If I don't turn up, the Rogwels take it as we're rejecting their so-called sincerity, and then there would be tensions, and then there would be war."

"They are not sincere in the first place."

"That's what we think. For all you know, they desire peace as much as we do."

"You're giving yourself excuses to run away from war. You know that we must fight."

"Whatever it is, I am going to Taxzn and my mind is set!"

"But.."

William interrupted with a strong tone. He didn't allow Romius to continue. "Lord Romius! This is my decree. You are to bring the instructed amount of soldiers to Taxzn with me as Royal Guards next month on the Day of Celebrations!"

"..."

"Lord Romius, do you heed?"

Romius didn't give an answer. He was seriously pissed at William, but seriously concerned.

William, however, was getting impatient. "Lord Romius, do you heed!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Romius replied back with a powerful tone immediately.

"You're dismissed... Hmph!"

Romius stomped out of the King's Study. A messenger entered the room at the same time. He was curious, but he proceeded to do his job.

"Your Majesty, a message from the President!" reported the messenger.

It read:

Dear King William III of the Elerd Kingdom,

I deeply regret to inform you that the previously agreed Peace Treaty cannot be signed on the 400th International Day of Celebrations. This is because Southern Taxzn recently is experiencing severe economical change. Several counterfeit organizations have been found to circulate fake Xat, the Southern Taxzn currency that the Southern Provisional Government introduced to stabilize the economy back then.

As a result, the Southern Taxzn's economy progress came to a complete standstill as trades between Rogwel and Southern Taxzn have been suspended to investigate the counterfeit incident. As soon as the investigation is over, we will come together to discuss the new date of the signing of the Treaty.

I sincerely apologize for spoiling the celebratory mood.

Regards,

Head Maestro James VII of the Republic of Rogwel

William was shocked.

He sat in his chair, drumming his fingers on the desk, tapping his feet on the floor. His heart was racing. His mind was whirling.

War was coming sooner than expected.

[to be continued...]

- - - - -

Author's Words [1]

2008-09-09T16:27:00.000+08:00

Hi all readers =)

I'm very interested in the Neosteam Star Writers' event and I'm definitely going to sign up for it =)

While I was playing the game, I already had a few ideas about a fiction I could write.

The continent of Tazxn gives me a solid impression of the Korean peninsula.
It is split in two parts, governed by two different factions.
In the game, it is split into two parts and allied themselves with two different factions.

And I thought this is a very nice place to expand my storyline =]

My fiction will come in a few parts (hence, a few blog posts) and the plot will mainly focus on the two nations' road to war.

Heh =) I hope this writing will get my mind to relax since my end-of-year Promotional Exams are coming.

Have a nice day =]