Atonement - Book Four (Man x Man)

Chapter 1

"The world's gone ta shit, eh?" The Irish man hands off the next aged book from the inset oak shelves. The dismantled library almost sags with disappointment at its current state. Books are set haphazardly about on the dark stone floor, in a state of the organized chaos of what's been gone through and what is relevant. 

The gray-haired man says nothing as he takes the leather-bound book, skirts through it, and sets it aside, almost in a state of paranoia about its location.

Time has ambled by in a state of a slow crawl, with little to do but train and learn, regrettably, he's had enough energy for both. The time for the unification of a people has happened upon them in the absence of their true leader. Coming home sans army, empty-handed, was more of a shock than anyone could have imagined. 

The infamous Alpha had failed, the war marched on, and there was nothing left to do but mourn the loss of their future King.

From riots in the streets to protestors dying in the cold, trying to make a statement, there was a fractured opinion on whether or not the cause was worth continuing over. The state of the world remained a sorry one, and from every angle, it seemed society was caving to the pressures of expanding civilizations and vying for territories. A divided city would easily fall, and Dezna was crumbling at the seams.

So, Verando did what any warlord would do: conquer and overcome. Thus began the great rebuild, restoring the necessary vessels for relaying information, bringing the city up off its knees, and screaming into the current century of slightly more comfortable living. Unfortunately, the people of Dezna lacked physical strength and the know-how of common skills to remain alive, so the re-education of the people was the top priority. 

With the abundance of homeless rebels and refugees, they were not short on shivering bodies desperate to earn a place in this world now that they'd be cast out. This eventually expanded into rebuilding Cluj-Napoca as a new capital while Dezna regained its power and to get the civilians out should Corina decide to try and return home. 

Moreover, with the number of dead surrounding the city, it would be better for morale if they were allowed to depart from the barren streets. 

With the decision to move the capital came the relief of the pressure of losing Loan to an impending attack, as the Solomonari had been invaluable in having a voice the rebels could follow behind. A war-battered lycan leader was a hard face to hand over to the public, but the charming village boy Loan was easily accepted as the gentle commoner and a placeholder for me, should I ever return.

As education spread, the expansion of the city out of her stony borders and into her barren fields proved successful and necessary as attacks from the infected seemed to come in small hordes; the clearing of trees made defense easier. Those left in the broken capital had little to do other than rebuild and defend its borders, for it seemed like the infected only cared about breaching these crumbling walls. 

This seemed to have everyone on edge, for Corina's mind remained firmly planted on the idea of coming home.

With more publicity came the need for more robust defenses, beginning the start of a small militia of skilled combat fighters instead of mass numbers of useless, poorly trained bodies that stood between the Lycan army and their past king. What few lycans remained took on roles as generals, adopting a don't ask, don't tell policy of their lycan heritage. Once more, Lycans disappeared into the ranks and became a myth as laws all over the country banned the change on public streets.

Riots slowly began to die as the attacks stopped, and the manufactured breed began to blend in with the slowly growing militia of healthy young men. In the eyes of the people, the extinction of the Lycans seemed to be completed, with the last remaining in hiding, and the only public figure was the gray-haired conqueror and his small band. It was time to rebuild not only society but public trust in the crown and the alliances it stood by.