LITMIR.BIZ

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the two villages was not as long as to the border with the Raedarian Empire, the evening was nearing its end, and the sun was almost setting behind the horizon. Riding in pitch darkness seemed like not the best idea to him. Watching the sunset on the horizon, Rein could barely resist the urge to close his eyes while still on horseback. He couldn’t remember how long he had been without sleep. Stopping at the same inn was not an option for various reasons. The only reasonable option for Rein was to lie down in the depths of the forest and wake up before the Raedarian legion found him. That’s what he did, at one point turning off the main road and riding for some time. When it finally got dark, and it started to get a bit colder, as much as Rein wanted to light a fire, even that was dangerous in these troubled times. So, he just made his horse lie down and leaned against its fluffy fur.

      Rein woke up from a sunbeam piercing directly into his eyes. He was literally deafened by the singing of birds and the sounds made by insects. He didn’t even notice when or how he fell asleep. Still, he was lucky – he woke up early in the dawn. Although his body told him it was too early to get up, his mind was sounding the alarm, urging him to move as soon as possible. Rein complied.

      He cut through the forest, and as he reached the slope, he remembered the beginning of the previous day, which started almost the same way.

      Approaching the village, he noticed that not everyone had left the area. It seemed that a significant number of people had only left this morning. Descending from the slope, he soon exited the forest. Rein was presented with vast fields, confirming his suspicions. Carriages, riders, and people on foot were visible on every road, most of whom were ordinary farmers.

      What Rein saw shocked him, and he rushed into the village to warn everyone about what they might face if they delayed. Rein sped across the field along the golden wheat stalks to save as much time as possible. Although Rein wasn’t sure how far the legions were from this village, he was certain that there was no time to waste. He rode as if he were the only one who could save these people.

      But everything changed in an instant. Rein heard a strange sound behind him. “Could they be here already? Impossible,” Rein thought. He decided to look back, and at that moment, a shadow covered him, passing by quickly. Rein looked up and saw something. He had heard of something similar before, but what he saw vaguely resembled the winged monsters described in the tales that frightened him as a child. And this something was flying towards the village.

      Although Rein and his horse slowed down, after what he had witnessed, Rein urged his horse to move forward faster than before. Rein had a little time left to reach the village. Most of the time, Rein gazed at this flying monster. At some point, he noticed that it released a parachute from behind, causing the front part of this marvel to tilt downward. He knew that such a device was often used by aerisians to slow down the fall. After that, it started descending towards the village. Then Rein noticed that something, resembling a person, detached from this thing, and then that something also released a parachute. Rein suspected that this thing was connected to the Raedarians and their onslaught.

      It fell from the sky at a tremendous speed. Rein, however, continued through the village directly towards this falling thing, observing astonished people. Finally, it landed, and at the point of impact, something so bright emerged that it momentarily eclipsed the sun. Almost instantly, an incredibly loud, booming sound followed. The horse, startled by this, began to turn around. In a couple of moments, Rein, together with his horse, was hit by a wave of air. The wave knocked Rein off his horse, and the horse toppled over.

      Rein’s subsequent actions were confused, and his consciousness blurred. Ahead, he saw fire, and looking around, he noticed bewildered, frightened, and helpless people. Some showed no signs of life. Standing up, Rein wanted to focus his mind, but something seemed to hinder him. The constant, unpleasant noise that had appeared in his ears. After some time, forgetting everything, Rein gathered his strength and moved forward. Gradually, his consciousness returned to normal. Rein tried to remember what kind of weapon it could be, but nothing came to his mind.

      As Rein approached the crash site of this strange imperial weapon, more buildings were destroyed, and more people lay unconscious. Around him, people were running. Some in one direction, others in another. People were crying and sobbing, trying to revive their once living friends and relatives.

      At the point where Rein witnessed the moment of the fall, most people managed to escape with bruises and intense fear. However, closer to the impact site, there were only smoldering embers left of the people. At the spot where the temple and its occupants were, only ashes remained in a small crater. Meanwhile, every building that was lucky enough to survive was ablaze.

      Suddenly, Rein heard splashing in a small pond near the now non-existent temple. Paying attention to it, he spotted a familiar figure. At first, he thought it might be a figment of his imagination, but he decided to approach and was finally convinced of what he saw. It was none other than Iziro.

      “Iziro!” Rein exclaimed. “Is it really you?”

      Iziro, however, silently stared at the horrifying scene around him, trying to catch his breath.

      “Hey, how are you?” Rein asked.

      Iziro finally turned his gaze to Rein and, with a horrified realization, whispered as if to himself, “Sol? Or Rein… What’s your name? What happened?”

      He then headed towards the charred temple. Along the way, he leaned on Rein’s chest, almost pushing him away, and then slowly moved forward. Understanding dawned on him not easily, but he held himself together, displaying no significant emotions. Only faint traces of anger were brewing deep in his eyes, but it was incredibly difficult to notice.

      “While you were swimming there, something fell from the sky and destroyed part of the village,” Rein explained. “And this building… Whatever was here before seems to have evaporated. I’ve never seen anything like it, but I’m sure it’s some new weapon of the empire. It definitely used the concepts of old ideas about temporarily flying structures.”

      “Today at noon, I was supposed to depart for Aeris on a transport carriage for my mission. The carriage was there, along with others waiting to depart. There were elderly people, women, children. They all perished in this fiery hell. You! You could have saved them all if you were in the current ruler of Raidaria. Your father proclaimed peace and tranquility for the empire… for the whole world… and you were supposed to continue that path. But you are here,” Iziro said, shaking his head. “I know… You must reclaim the throne. You must continue your father’s path! I couldn’t stop this, but I must help you stop it in the future. You must save these people!”

      “I’ve tried to save someone many times. Just yesterday, a young man I tried to save from certain death died before my eyes. It just keeps reinforcing the thought that saving something heading for destruction is meaningless. The world itself is inclined towards destruction! I remember the words I once read in a book… ‘Better to rein in the steed that brings destruction than to fall beneath its hooves.’”

      “The guy you mentioned… You said his death was inevitable. It’s different here! You… Right now, you can really save someone! Not just someone, but thousands upon thousands of people. And that’s a conservative estimate.”

      “Wait! Let’s sort this out! Are you suggesting that I join forces with a practically unknown mountain monk for what? To convince the kings of the great city-states of the empire to believe that the current emperor is bad and that war is bad? Kings of an empire where military matters are most revered… Kings raised as warriors… They, of course, are great warriors themselves; otherwise, they wouldn’t be worthy of their positions. And then?… What?.. Are you proposing that I defeat, perhaps, the greatest of the great warriors in the whole world and take his throne, instantly changing the nearly millennium-old order of the empire? To just discard most of the traditions and teachings that have prevailed in it. Is that what you want? Am I understanding you correctly?”

      “You’ve exaggerated all of that as much as the years of the

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