A day passed in Asterra, and with it, the news of House Valesse's purge spread like wildfire.
In towns and cities, men crowded around newspaper stands, silver crowns rapidly exchanges hands for the day's papers. Literate boys stood on crates, shouting the words aloud to wide-eyed crowds.
"The Purge of House Valesse, 24th of Lumerin, Year 723 WR!"
Children clung to their parents while they heard the news, women whispered across fences talking endlessly about the news, men drank and argued in taverns. Some mocked the executed nobles, others muttered conspiracy. Everywhere, the name Valesse stirred anger, gossip, or fear.
Location: City solmere in the south.
Time: Noon
In a Southen city called Solmere, two wealthy merchants (Rajar and Poj) lounged in the shade of a sprawling ranch. Fields of grazing cattle rolled green behind them, workers moving quietly and with discipline tending to cattles and stacking boxes, while the men drank fine wine on a polished veranda.
Rajar, lifted his jeweled glass as he spoke. "The News reads, that Lord Marric stands as acting sovereign, and Just three High Nobles exist now."
Poj, smacks his lips continuosly, chewing on a gum, with his round-belly half visible, as he swirled his drink. "That is indeed the breaking news, the remaining high nobles are, House Calvasset ruled by lord sylven veynar, House Veymont ruled by industrialist Lady Marien, and drakovar ruled by warlord Erry O kael"
Rajar smirked. "I recall them, mostly house veymont… and their thick female soldiers."
The two burst into laughter, their bellies shaking. Soon the laughter died, silence pressed in as Rajar leaned forward, lowering his voice.
"But tell me, Poj… will they appoint a fourth High Noble to replace Valesse?"
Poj's eyes narrowed, as he shapes the gum into a sphere, which bursts, spreading a bit of gum over his lips as he continues chewing.
"Not soon. Lord Eryndor was executed too swiftly. However, i dont really pay much attention to politics in asterra because anyone who speaks too freely of such things rarely lives long in Asterra. I intend to grow more rich, and die surrounded by my children at old age"
Their chuckle returned, but with a little unease.
Far to the north, the wind carried the scent of snow across Master Yeru's watchtower. Patches of green leaves broke onto the frost, streams half-frozen under a pale sun.
Yeru, cloaked in black robes marked with the clock-gear sigil painted on his chest, knelt in the yard, tending a crocus sprouting through thawed soil. His hands were steady, though his eyes were weary.
"Sir! Sir!" Rays voice carried through the cold as he sprinted into the yard, breathless, clutching a folded note. "Strangers at the gate… they claim to be of House Valesse."
Yeru's eyes lit faintly. "Usher them in."
Shortly, ray is seen holding the edge of the entrance gate to tge watchtower, as three gear-wagons drives in slowly into the yard, engines coughing before falling silent. And from the wagon descended cloaked figures men, women, even children, eighten in all. Fear shadowed their faces, but in their eyes flickered a fragile hope.
From their midst stepped a woman, her silver hair bound in a single braid as her presence stilled the air.
Yeru's lips parted, joy softening his stern face. "You look well, Liora."
"master Yeru!" she cried, rushing to embrace him. Relief cracked her composure as he held her. Around them, the refugees lowered their hoods one after the other, tension breaking into shy smiles.
"You may rest here tonight," Yeru said. "The gates to the nothern watch tower are shut, and anyone who wishes to see me now can wait"
Laughter rippled through the weary crowd, as everyone began t settle in slowly.
By dusk, campfires glowed. Refugees set up tents, stirred pots of soup, and shared bread with trembling hands.
Yeru led Liora into his study, shelves lined with scrolls and worn wood.
Liora sits and bowed her head in appreciative gesture . "Thank you for your hospitality. I owe you master yeru"
"It is nothing," Yeru said softly. "You have your brother's heart,Very Few would risk so much to carry so many people with them in such troubling times."
Liora's voice wavered as she lets out a sigh and a laugh faintly. "I had no choice. Some are kin of Halric, Joras, Ovelyn… others are survivors from a town called nareth. We had to sneak past huge patrols of Calvasset and Veymont soldiers, because the east is crawling with armies in search for us valesse survivors."
Suddenly Her composure cracked, as she covered her face with her hands, weeping quietly.
Yeru clasped her hand gently, not allowing her break down completely as he placed a mug filled with tea in her hands. "Drink, my child."
She sipped, steadied herself, then began to speak again.
"The night of the attack… I was hosting a fundraiser in City Solmere. Midway through, word spread of Asterra under siege. The hall emptied in minutes. I began to head to Valesse headquarters, desperate for answers. When a valesse soldier stopped my wagon and handed me a letter, from Captain Groggins."
Her lips quivered a little. "He warned me that something was wrong, and someone is plotting against eryndor, he told me to flee the east…" she signs " Groggins, of all people?.." he brows lifted addressing groggins character. " Nobody takes him seriously…" she continued, as she giggled softly.
Yeru smiled faintly with her, though his eyes never left her trembling hands.
"But I felt something was wrong, maybe groggins was right" she whispered. "I split my soldiers, sending half to headquarters, and half with me toward the towns in the east that were attacked. When the first group of soldiers returned, they brought word that Lady Selene had evacuated some of our families, then marched with others to meet Eryndor."
Her voice faltered. She stared at the firelight flickering across the walls. "I saw the horror myself, in that town, nareth. People burned alive… We saved who we could in time, while some died some moments after we saved them. Lady Selene sent word to me,telling me to renounce the Valesse name if it comes to worst and Survive" liora speaks with teary eyes, as her mood engulfs with depression.
"Eryndor was truly framed and murdered. Just as Groggins warned."
Yeru closed his eyes softly, his saggy old face loosing weight as to lioras words, pain etched in every line of his face.
The room sat quiet for a while, and then yeru spoke at last, asking. "What would you have me do, Liora, how can i be of help to you and the others out there?"
She lifted her head slowly, as she turned her head towards the window looking at towards the northern wall, her pupils gleeming through the tears. "Beyond the northern walls lies the frozen waste land. It is Dangerous, but safer than staying where drakovar and calvasset armies hunt us. If we stay, we die. If we go north… we may live."
Yerus expression shifts swiftly from depressed to more concerned, as he shook his head in disagreement. "That land is perilous liora dear… The Wardens forged some of their weapons to hold back creatures seeping in through the north. To go means you have to gamble with your lives."
Liora gripped his hands quickly before he could continue. "A gamble is better than a slow death, master yeru" As silence loomed over the room for a while, the unease in yerus eyes and the plea in lioras met at a tussle. Then Yeru sighed, the weight heavy in his voice.
"Very well liora. I will chart a course for you, somewhere conquered, somewhere safe enough to last two decades, until Asterra forgets about you and the rest of Valesse. Food and supplies will come through me." He says reassuringly, as liora gazed at him with satisfaction, her quivering lips rubbed against each other as she smiled with joy.
"We are all Valesse, and I will not watch us get erased." Yeru finalized, with a commanding and comforting voice.
Lioras tears broke into a trembling smile. "Thank you so much" as yeru patted her back gently in assurance that everything will be alright.
Moments Later, she leads yeru to a wagon draped in white sheets, where Six corpses lay within.
"These are the nareth town members who did not survive," she said softly. As Yeru laid his hand on the wagon, murmured a brief prayer, then turned back with her toward the firelit camp.
"No one has heard from Lady Selene" Yeru says calmly "did drakovar and calvasset soldiers get her too?" Yeru asked curiously.
"She should be dead as well… yet no report speaks her name," Liora replied.
"The gods watch her still," Yeru murmured, as they walked side by side in short silence, at last, Liora drew a breath.
"We leave at midnight." She says calmly starring at her companions as they arrange theirselves, putting one or two together.
Yeru nodded gently with his eyes steady. "Whatever aid you seek, I shall give." He says, as they stood together, watching the camp prepare for the road ahead the uncertain journey into frozen lands where survival itself would be their only banner.