October 30, 2020 - Pharaendria, Azmaelan Empire, Iowa

It had been a full fortnight since they had come to the strange new world. The magi had been working nearly around the clock to form the city that they would call home until such a time as they had taken a better location. Thick defensible walls surrounded both the rift and the city itself. Fat, squat, towers marked each of the four corners of both walls. The city was all done in dull grey stone and was without any artistic flair whatsoever, but it was serviceable. That was all that mattered.

Raelendra was quartered with the rest of the magi near the wall around the Rift Courtyard. Her quarters were empty of embellishment and mostly of furniture. They had established their outpost in this world for all its humbleness. So far all of the natives they had seen were humans. There was no evidence of even kin in this world, though Raelendra suspected there had to be something, somewhere.

She sat cross legged on the pile of blankets she used for sleeping and tried to relax into a trance. As much as she reached for calm and tranquility, her mind was a swirl of thoughts that she couldn’t seem to still. She took deep measured breaths and tried to picture a softly cresting ocean breaking against a smooth sandy shore. The longer they stayed in this place, the more strange storms erupted only to be swept away by strong winds and propelled outward, the more Raelendra’s inner turmoil seemed to deepen. She tried to chase away the thoughts that raced one another around her mind, but they just ran in faster circles. There was no conclusions to be drawn from them, no action to be taken, just a series of questions she couldn’t answer.

She held a breath, trying to completely still herself, her heartbeat slowed to a steady rhythm as she continued to focus. Her mind still refused to still, but her body felt like it was relaxing.

She was torn from her reverie by a sharp rap on the wood of her door. She cursed softly as she rose to her feet and hurried to the door. The knock, if you could ascribe emotion to it, was official and urgent in note. When she flung it open, there was a page on the other side.

“His Excellence, the Emperor requests your immediate attendance in the throne room.” The page was panting as he delivered the message.

“His will be done.” Raelendra answered.

“In all things.” The page responded as he turned to rush away. Clearly the Emperor had demanded the presence of more than just his Archmagus.

Raelendra wasted no time leaving her room, casting a quick locking weave over the door as she closed it. It was unwise to keep the Emperor waiting for even the shortest of moments. She smoothed her blonde hair and made sure her robes were straight as she hurried down the narrow road to the palace.

To call the stocky, square building a palace did all other palaces a grave disservice, but to call it anything else would raise the ire of the Emperor. The building was simple and serviceable, but she imagined when the Emperor rose his proper palace, it would be all the more ostentatious for the simplicity of this one. The guards stood aside, opening the door for her as soon as they saw her coming and gestured her toward the throne room. She entered, mere minutes after she had been summoned. She was the first to arrive, even the Emperor was not yet in attendance.

She knelt before the throne, ready to perform the required prostrations. Here was an opulence that was missing through the rest of the palace. Ancient tapestries and statuary had been taken from spellwoven chests and gave the throne room a sense of weight.

The generals arrived, one by one, and joined her on the floor. No words were spoken. It was always best to assume the throne was listening in this room and to keep your own counsel. Her knees were beginning to protest their contact with the cold stone floor by the time the Chancellor emerged from the door behind the throne and looked over the gathering of notables.

The deep, rumbling voice, so at odds with his slender raptor-like figure, echoed in the mostly empty room. “His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Gallentine of Azmael, first of his name, High King of the Seven Elven Nations, and Keeper of Divine Purity.”

The gathered leaders leaned forward, their foreheads touching the ground between their hands, bowing low before their liege. They heard his step as he walked from behind the throne and strode over to sit upon it. Compared to the deep velvety rumble of his Chancellor, the Emperor himself had a much less commanding voice. “Our subjects may rise.” He sounded bored.

Raelendra’s eyes closed for a moment as she gathered herself before she rose to her feet, waiting until she was standing fully upright to look at him. Even then she was careful not to look directly into his brilliant blue eyes. His expression, so clearly bored, was on a sharp featured face that would be called handsome only because he was the Emperor. His golden blonde hair was tied back in the intricate braids that so many people had taken to wearing.

“Nathariel,” The Emperor waved a lazy hand at the Chancellor, “Tell them what you told us.”

“Yes, Your Excellence.” The Chancellor bowed to the Emperor before turning to face the quartet of leaders. “You may be aware that we have received reports of a large movement of humans coming up from the south. They are unhorsed, but moving at a forced march. They seem to be headed in our direction and should reach the borders of our controlled territory in the morning.”

“Our scouts have been keeping an eye on them,” General Indalis said. “They do carry weapons, but seem to have little in the way of supplies. They would suffer greatly in a prolonged siege and judging by the previous weaponry the humans have brought to bear they are little to no threat to our walls.”

General Leander hummed in the back of his throat, his head making an almost imperceptible shaking motion. “It would not be in our best interests to underestimate the humanity of this realm.” His hands were clasped behind his back and besides the hard to notice shake, he was completely motionless. “I doubt that we have yet seen the best the humans can bring to bear. Remember, they have grown in a world without magic, what wonders have they had to create to form a civilization?”

The final general, stocky Halson, gave a derisive snort. “I cannot imagine they have accomplished much. Without the other races to make up for their weaknesses, what could humanity possibly do?”

Raelendra looked between the three generals, such different opinions from the military men. “I think we have not seen enough of the humans here to judge at all.” She put forth. “We have not truly begun to fight them and to date they have offered no resistance.”

“We have scouted the army and counted its numbers.” The Emperor said.

“Yes, Your Excellence.” Indalis said. “There are only about a hundred on them, dressed and armed exactly alike. Seems like a ranged force judging by the light armor they wear. None of them have any metal armor at all. No horses or carts or anything of the like. They seem quite inconsequential to be honest.”

Raelendra was watching out of the corner of her eye so she once again saw the almost imperceptible headshake from Leander. He so clearly disagreed with the others, but he wasn’t saying as much aloud and that was more telling than anything else. The silence stretched for almost a full minute before the Emperor spoke.

“You will be prepared for them to assault us upon the morrow.”

“Yes, Your Excellence.” All four of them echoed the sentiment.

“You are dismissed.” The Chancellor said.

Raelendra bowed, lowering her eyes to the floor and backing away from the Emperor a full dozen paces before turning her back. The generals would go and discuss military strategy, Raelendra’s task was much easier. She needed to make sure the other magi were ready and get a good night’s rest.

October 31, 2020 - Pharendria, Azmael Empire, Iowa

It was somewhere near freezing when dawn broke over the plains that housed Pharendria. Despite the cold, the elven city was swarming with activity. The scouts had reported that the enemy had camped within striking distance the previous night and everyone was ready for action. Archers manned the walls, particularly dense on the southern face, knights and cavalry filled the courtyard near the southern gate. Everyone was prepared. Raelendra was on the wall, looking south and two of the younger magi were with her. The others would be held back so they could rotate in and keep a constant volley on the enemy if it was necessary.

Word had spread among the elves that the humans had sent a show of force, but it was little more than rumor to most at this point. Only the scouts had actually seen the enemy. The elves were prepared for war.

Raelendra remained on the wall as the hours drew out. There was absolutely no movement in the plains that the fortification commanded. No sign of the enemy troops. The sun rose, the temperature swelling to a comfortable warmth by the time noon was reached. The cavalry and knights were the first to disband, after hours of standing around in armor they took the horses off for feed and water and settled down to wait in a more comfortable location. Ten minutes warning was all most of them needed to be prepared anyway.

By the time the sun was on its way down, the fiercely attentive soldiers were leaning against the crenellations and shooting the breeze with their neighbors. Even the sergeants were relaxed by sunfall. Raelendra had dismissed the other magi a long time ago. She watched over the darkening fields with a strange and sinking feeling in the depths of her stomach.