Heir to the Magic Empire: Homecoming

The Never Ending Quest - Episode 19643

From the open cockpit of his (purely ceremonial) flyer, Fred waved to the cheering crowds that lined the streets of Paramino, capital of the Northwind Empire. His ship cruised bare inches off the ground, his army was arrayed behind him in parade formation. Streamers and confetti fell all around them as they made their way up the grand boulevard towards the Palace of Augur. A year and a half...has it really been that long?

In his youth, his father the Emperor had been a commanding presence, while the Senate of Sages had been run by powerless old men. But as time had passed, that trend had reversed. The Emperor himself was rapidly aging, and the Senate was in turn becoming filled with young and ambitious upstarts. In the midst of this upheaval, Fred had been dispatched to the front lines in the west for the past year and a half. What mischef could they have caused in my absence? He pushed the thoughts aside, brushing a streamer out of his hair. Today, at least, was a day to celebrate.

Fred glanced up to see a massive airship float by overhead, with escort flyers in a tight formation around it. The prevalence of magical levitation ("lev") stones in Northwind territory, along with mages who knew how to use them, was the driving force behind 500 years of Imperial dominance. He who could control the sky could control the battlefield. And nobody could wrest control of the sky from the Northwind Magic Empire and its airships.

Of course, that hadn't stopped the Sauros tribes from trying. Fred had to give them their due credit. They were a tough enemy: fierce, brave, determined, each one of their soldiers more than a match for any Imperial on the ground. The early battles of the war were epic indeed, but once the Empire brought their full air power to bear, there was no doubt as to the outcome. The Sauros, lacking both the magical skill to create lev stones and the industry to build airships, had relied heavily on mounted wyvern riders to stand off the Imperial Air Fleet. But wyverns, like their larger cousins the dragons, were rare. And in any case they took years to raise and train, along with their riders. Their losses were in no way replaceable. On the other hand, an Imperial flyer pilot could be trained in a matter of months, and the Empire was capable of building hundreds of flyers a year, to say nothing of the larger capital ships which made up the bulk of the Imperial Air Fleet's striking power.

Once the wyverns had been swept from the sky, The enemy positions were bombarded with impunity using rune cannons, another fusion of magic and technology for which the Magic Empire was well renowned. That still left the unenviable task of marching on them, seizing their cities, and digging out their fortifications in wooded areas where airships were ineffective. It was this effort that cost the majority of the 2000+ Imperial casualties in the war, with perhaps three times as many Sauros killed, not including civilians. All for the glory of the Empire, Fred thought ruefully.

Twenty minutes later the caravan reached the palace. A full maniple of House Guards stood at sharp attention at the base of the wide, white marble stairs. Their armor gleamed in the sunlight, the deep blue Imperial standards they bore waved in the breeze. As Fred dismounted his ship, the guard captain stepped forward and brought his right fist up to his left shoulder in a sharp salute. Fred returned the gesture, somewhat more informally. "Your Highness Prince Frederick, welcome back to Paramino. Congratulations on your victory!"

"It was a long time coming, Gregory." Fred replied with a smirk, reaching out and clasping his old friend's hand. "Tell me, though: What news of my father? His last letter was...troubling."

"His Greatness the Emperor endures. He has been very tired of late, and has had a rough few months. Yet rest easy, my freind. I saw him this morning, and he seemed considerably revived. No doubt the news of your safe return warmed his heart."

"Indeed. And speaking of the old devil..." Fred smiled. At the top of the steps, more guards had appeared, along with trumpeteers and a herald. The trumpets blared the Imperial anthem, and the herald stepped forth to proclaim:

"His Imperial Excellence, by the grace of Augur - Imperator Ramus Meridus Valter!"

All present, the guards, the crowds, Fred himself - all fell as one to their knee, heads bowed. The aged emperor stepped forward, leaning on his staff. The raiments of his station seemed almost too large for him to bear. Yet his voice was strong and clear. "Prince Frederick Valter, Commander of the Western Army and Air Fleet, heir to the throne of the Northwind Empire under Augur. Step forward, my son." Fred rose, and ascended the steps to the top, kneeling again before his father. "You have won a great victory, Prince. The Sauros tribes of the west have been subdued, their armies scattered. You have secured our most troublesome border for the forseeable future."

"Yes, your Excellence. For your glory, and for the Empire!"

"Rise." Fred did so, looking his father straight in the eye. They held the gaze for a moment, then smiled as they embraced. "Come, my son. We have much to discuss."

  1. Fred and his father discuss the latest happenings in the Empire.
  2. Fred meets his betrothed, the daughter of an Imperial Senator, who has reached marriageable age whilst he was away.
  3. In a meeting room off the halls of the Senate, a plot is being hatched to overthrow the Emperor...
  4. Elsewhere, the last of the Sauros wyvern riders seeks aid from a mighty dragon to avenge his people.

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Xavier

1/20/2007 8:43:08 PM

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