The Kingdom of Liticea: The Sorcerer Prince

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Eyes on Muscavra

Anton's walls and towers were red in the light of the rising sun. Like a curtain the sun's rays over took the shade that covered it in the night. The structures not only changed color, they shined like firelight. Bartera Noc understood what people meant when they call it Redstone. When the sun first began to cover the east side of the castle with it's light, she had to cover her eyes for it was so blinding. The Captain of the Brukalil woke early that morning. Like so many others, she believed this would be the last place where she could sleep comfortably. She had never been to Anton before, so she decided to take a walk and know it. It was almost as large as Blackfield, but it did not have a town outside it's gates. In the distance, there few few signs of civilization outside of peppered farmhouses and the road that trailed off to the east and the west. The wall she walked on stood on reached to heights of almost sixty feet towards the west, and as low as twenty feet at the south. But the southern end stood over the banks of the Great River, and so an impractical place to attack. There were three gates, Noc observed: one to the east, one to the west, and one facing the river. The west and east gate were heavy and well guarded, while the south was protected by the muddy banks of the river itself. She was told that the Oaran's reinforced the West gate after the fall of the Rorchistyrs. They did not want to be next on Horith Ryden's chopping block.

Just inside the east and west gate were two courtyards lined with marble statues. A great statue of Rannos Litikus stood in the center of the Eastern courtyard, and another stood above the western gate. Most of Liticea followed the divinity of Rannos, as did Bartera Noc. How could any man not of God's Blood do what he accomplished when he first came to this great land that he would carve into the Eastern Kingdoms, and become its first King.

The people of the Westland did not believe as the rest of Liticea did. They follow the older teachings, from before the time of Rannos. They still worship the Great Father, Rathas but they refuse to recognize the divinity of his son. In fact, most of the world outside the borders of Liticea did not. Bartera Noc knew when to recognize someone greater than she was, whether it be a king or a god, but apparently the Westlanders never could. Horith Ryden, despite many requests from the King never brought the Divinity of Rannos to the Westland. He was just as blind as the Rorchistyrs and all others who came before him. This division over Rannos' godhood is what keeps this wedge between the two peoples. For hundreds of years, Liticea and the Westland have been united, and split again more times than Noc cared to memorize.

A blacksmith's shop stood next to the eastern courtyard. As well as stables and a granary, where most of the food from the surrounding farms would be stored for winter. The harvest ended just before Noc, the Prince and the others set out from the capital. The Keep of Anton itself was a square stone structure with four towers and arrow slits running up every one of them. The wall had a tower on each corner, and one on each side of the gates.

Bartera had made a full lap around the wall when one of her soldiers came to her, telling of a war meeting in the keep. The Prince has requested her presence along with all the others. Since they have left Raenna, all the talk in the meetings have been about getting to the Westland. Now, Noc guessed, it would be time to plan their course through it.

Lord Oaran was a man who was eager to please anybody. Inside his meeting chamber he had servant drape the banners of all his guests on the wall. Even Rengle's colors were hung from the wall along with Davey, Heflite, and Cassius. In this meeting, Ulysses and Julius attended, but Helg was there as well. As usual, Tauron sat at the head of the table with Lord Oaran and Lord Dayvey on either side of him. Bartera Noc stood behind him, as the Brukalil's representative. Rengle sat several seats down, and next to him was Jergan. Lord Oaran's large chambers allowed there to be a bigger group to plan out the army's strategy.