Misha And The Moon Mirror

Sotra Empire Welcomes You

On a planet far away, on a land far from time, exists a great landmass. Once a deserted land, with no life in sight, now a beautiful land full of diverse peoples and beliefs, amazing green hills, fauna and flora never before seen and knowledge just waiting to be learned.

"In the year 185, 87 years after the first kingdom was made on these lands,"- starts a kindergarten teacher "a great Duke Simeon of Sotra got bored. You see dear students, the Duke used to be a Knight."

A great Knight that brought the Kingdom of Vera huge accomplishments, but who felt stuffy after wars and decided to focus on learning more about people they were enslaving and whose homes and lands they were taking. Armed with knowledge of the Fae Folk, of the Eastern Druids, of Merfolk from the South Sea of Emeralds, of poor Goblins and Magical Beasts from Northern Regions, Simeon stormed to the Queen Vatia.

His explanation was long, took 5 hours to explain what they did, was wrong, how these people deserve their homes back, how knowledge that they have, albeit differing from the one taught in the Kingdom, is still great and would be helpful if they were just as free as Verasians were. All the time the Queen indulged him. Listening to Simeon has been always welcome, but listening to him speak of other living beings, beings SHE considered lower on the food chain than her, was becoming a chore. Queen Vatia's headache was becoming bigger and bigger the more Simeon talked about his plan to free all the ingrates and create a free society where all would be welcome. The moment Simeon started speaking of making academies for all and making them free, she snapped.

"Stop!" - the Queen bellowed, "I can listen to it no more! All you said sounds like mutiny to me." The Queen looked at Simeon and pointed out how none of this concerned her, nor him for that matter.
"Simeon, dear lad. I have lived for long, all I have seen was our people struggle to survive. Vera has been a desert for long is it not fair for us to grow, to expand?"
Simeon looked at the ground in front of the throne. He felt dejected but he had to agree with the Queen, Vera has been a Kingdom devoid of life for so long, some people believed that Fae Folk have cursed the land.
"My, Queen, with due respect, Red Sun of the Vera, Verasians do have a right to live and expand."
"There you see, we understand each other, this matter is finished then. Off you go." The Queen cut off Simeon half way through the speach.
"However, my LADY! Don't all deserve to live, don't all deserve to be free?!"
Simeon's loud outburst enraged the Queen.
"How dare you!" - she screamed, "Drop this matter right now young man, forget your foolish thoughts, or you and your family will feel the wrath of the Kingdom on your back! Where were the magic folk when Verasians were torched by demons, where were they when my father's heart was eaten by the Serpents!? HUH !? Tell me, have they ever helped us? No, they thought of us as lower than they were. And yet my greatest Knight, the one and only Duke of Sotra, is willing to go against me, his Queen, Vera's Red Sun, the last of the Vera House, just because he feels pity towards the barbarians."

Sad that he has not done anything to help the magic folk, Simeon hangs his head.
"Leave me, Simeon and think about this. Do not beg me for death. You are dismissed."
Leaving the Palace and going back to his Svetla city Manor, Simeon understood one thing. No one will listen to him.
Upon returning to his Duchy of Sotra, Simeon proceed to gather all of his forces in secret. He worked to help the Magic Folk, spoke with the Fae Elders in his domain and employed more and more of Magic Folk into his Knights.

Two years after the talk with the Queen, Simeon and his army of ragtags began marching, liberating and conquering Vera Kingdom's land. The more land was liberated, the more Sotra army grew. With the army growing, more and more Verasians were opening their eyes to the lies of their Queen and soon believed Simeon.
Protest in Vera's Capital Svetla were seen every day and more and more Verasians and Magic Folk littered the dungeons of the Palace. The Queen, because of all the happenings, was becoming paranoid.
Her right arm was approaching with the greatest army ever, dull of her enemies and angry Verasians, angry at her.
She didn't understand, she probably never will, why the ingrates hated her, all the Verasians used to believe her, trust her, worship her, now. Well not now. Now they had a new leader.
Closing in on the Palace the army rested. Simeon was tired, but he was happy. Happy he was liberating people, happy to share knowledge, happy to help the poor, but. But he was feeling the war on his skin again and that made him worried.

In all of his 33 years he has never waged a war as long and taxing as this one. One against his own people. One to close the wounds created upon the other peoples by himself, by his people, by his Queen.
"It is finally the time. She has to pay, or she has to change her perspective."-says Simeon while looking at his Knights, his army, his people.
"Oh, who am I kidding, she will never change. Those who think themselves better than others, those who wish for power, they are the weakest... They never will change."
The rain starts at that moment, falling over the skyscape of Svetla and making it's statement about the upcoming blood bath.
"My friend, even the Sky Goddes knows and laments this day" Simeon turned to his left and found his Fairy friend, floating casually next to his eyes was Fotleer, the Fae elder of the Fairies.
"Yes, my friend the Gods see all and they understand what is to happen today. Call in the army we are storming the Capital. It is time to be finally free of this regime." Sensing his friends doubts in himself, Fotleer puts his tiny hand on Simeon's shoulder and gives it a squeeze.
"Remove your worries from your soul, Simeon. We shall be free."

The army marched through the city killing the Queen's Knights and gathering the angry and worn out Magic Folk on their way. Watching this all, through a window of the Palace was the Queen. Bitting her nail and grumbling to herself, too scared to move, she stood glued to the window, feeling contempt towards her own people and toward Sotra Duchy.
It was then that she felt it. His eyes. Sad yet set to a goal.
"You come to kill me. You come to end this, then do so."
Simeon looks to the ground and sadly says "It didn't have to come to this, Queen Vatia."
"You know it had to! Put my head on the spike, lead me to the gallows, skin me alive. JUST DO SOMETHING!"
Surprised by her outburst and her crazed look, Simeon took pity on the Queen.
"Swift death it shall be."

His silver blade glides through the air, in one swift swing, her head falls, her body soon follows. The people were free, finally. After 90 years all were equal and knowledge was free.

He climbs the throne, his red hair flaring behind him, the sword still in hand and turns.
Towards Verasians, towards the Fae Folk, towards the Magical beasts and Goblins.
Taking a deep breath "Welcome" - he says "Welcome to Sotra Empire, where you are free to be, where you are free to live, to learn. No matter who you be, no matter what peoples you belong to, believe in your self, because here no one shall trap you again!"

Cheers erupted. Chants of his name, and yet he sat on the throne, bored already of his fame. Bored but sure. Sure into freedom for all people, for his people. For now no matter what Folk you belonged to, you were a Sotrian.

"And that is how this empire was born kids" - says a blue winged Harpy a kindergarten teacher, "even people that are bored eventually seek knowledge and through that knowledge they make miracles happen."

With her pink eyes wide and her mouth agape a five year old messy blonde kid watches her teacher explain the history of Sotra so animatedly, so delightfully and she gets inspired.

"Teacher, teacher! When I grow up I will be the best Knight ever!"