Kismet’s Tale

      Mavin had driven for the night without stopping. When it was six in the morning, Gaul replaced him in the driver’s seat. Miss Wendy watched the scenery pass by. Her expression remained… lost on what she should think about all of this.

Mavin didn’t have any words to say, and thus rested his body. He could keep on moving 

       15th of Februa, Year 1928,

   The young master had always been secretive, and deceptive when it came to his plans. I didn’t understand why he wanted to be so ready despite his ability. Sometimes it didn’t make sense. I know that there were external forces that allowed him to foresee some things, but that vow of silence was...terrifying. I remember him trying to talk, only to keep on coughing for five hours straight. If he had coughed more, he would have lost enough blood to kill himself.

   He was prepared, but he took risk unknowing as well. It was only in the later parts that he had started to care less about plans. I did not share the sentiment. Perhaps, if I did.

   I wouldn’t have witnessed the Capital be firebombed by the ‘jets’ that the Emperor had prepared. We had taken notice of the research done by Rene and Kristine, however, we failed to recognize what the fast fliers could do. I was nine hundred miles away from the Capital that day, and perhaps if it wasn’t for the anti-air defenses, the rest of Lazon would have...suffered.

   Perhaps the victories had caused me to be disillusioned. I had thought that they would stop fighting, but I was proven wrong by the fliers who dropped bombs on our Capital.

   Thousands were dead. I saw children burning at this concoction that they used. I had hurried to the Manor where I saw the young master’s missus desperately trying to save Lord Derrick who had suffered wounds from the bombs.

   Lady Elma was fine mostly, but Lord Derrick suffered grievous wounds. The rest of the servants, the uncles and the aunties had been killed before we knew it. I had my Hounds protect the Capital while we retreated to the fortified underground shelter.

   Outside, there was a fire brewing madly. Most of my hounds were stretched thin, fighting troopers who had dropped from the skies. It was a desperate assault led by veterans who had chosen to ‘end’ the family.

   They were well-equipped with power exoskeletons which made them tough to kill. My hounds had been pinned down, and they were moving their fliers with the intent to rule the airspace of the Capital that day.

   I fought on the surface, however, I had come to realize that we were outnumbered. My hounds were brilliant marksmen, but they could not avoid bullets as easily as the young master did. For a moment, I had thought this would be the end, but I had forgotten that we were living with Lady Death.

   Lady Natalya was a deadeye. Each shot she took was deadly, and found its mark. Her sniper fire cost the lives of the heavy troopers, and because of her overwatch, we were able to regain the airspace, and fire an artillery shot that took the birds down.

   We were able to strengthen our defenses. The capital wasn’t so lucky, but most of the cities, towns, and villages on the north of Lazon were burned by their bombing runs. They made a mistake. The anger of the Lazon people had always been… single-minded. And they didn’t touch the industries in the South, fearing that Holmia would intervene if they did.

   But our guns were now pointed at the Emperor’s head. He made it personal to the men and women of Lazon.

Mavin blinked at the shaky penmanship that Aunger had. He spotted teardrops on some of the ink, which made him wonder if he had been crying. He turned to the next page of Aunger’s journal.

       10th of Mars, Year 1928

   Young master had warned me about Rene and Kristine. And I came to understand what was so. They had joined the war and commanded a regiment of their own. The Tine Battalion was a collection of individuals who fought unlike anything we’ve seen. They were perfect against the nobles, and even my hounds had suffered harm after they had taken the stage.

   Ewis, an unknown Captain, had joined them. He was a good Commander, dangerous, and versatile that we were actually pushed back despite our resolve. He made good use of the Vulcans and the exoskeletons to push back the line. The combined genius of the Doctors and the tactical acumen of Ewis made them a dangerous foe. Their luck was superb and it made me wonder if fate itself was making a fool of us.

   Because of the bombing run that happened weeks ago. Lady Elma had chosen to trust Lady Natalya in the war. I had decided to trust the Matriarch in her judgement. But most of the time, Lady Natalya preferred to pick her targets on her own. She made use of her dangerous talents to take officers, and kill them from a minimum of four thousand yards.

   Dangerous was an understatement when it comes to her. I had read her dossier before, and the other name for her was a regiment killer. But even the Lady couldn’t possibly turn the tides of war in our favor on her own.

   My Hounds had fought bravely. Strong as they are, they were not invincible, and many had fallen after the recent attacks of the Huntsmen. The Ebony Market had chosen to hunt down my hounds, and though Lady Rose had been organizing ways to help us, the greed for the insides of our hounds were...sickening.

   Out of anger, I had provoked the Emperor, slandering the good name of Lady Emilia, calling her a fateless whore to taunt a response from the Emperor. It made Lady Mildred visit me personally, slapping me in the face for my taunting. I didn’t regret what I did, and attacking the good name of the Lady worked well in our favor.

   Words without proof wouldn’t work well so I had the photos manipulated to make it look like the Late Empress had an affair. And in a way, she attracted the eye of many, and the young master had told me to keep an eye on the people she was with. It worked well in provoking the Emperor, and had caused some of the people to ask why they were fighting so hard for an unfaithful whore.

   The Grand Duke, the father of the Late Empress was the one who felt attacked, while the rest of the nobles had chosen to slander, berate, and even dared to mock the Family of the Late Empress.

   She was kind. I know she was. But in this war we need to use deceit and lies to win. It did its job well enough that we were able to navigate through the chaos, allowing some of my hounds to get in and detonate the place where Prince Kaleb was.

   I displayed Prince Kaleb’s head on the same building where we hung the Emperor’s wife. Rose Bradley became the Queen of the Ebony Market, though doing so cost the lives of my Hounds. How many more of my hounds had to die?

   Lady Natalya will be infiltrating the Capital of Arkadia, she planned to take Ewis’s head. My hounds had grown fond of the Lady, and I do not blame them. Her relationship with the young master made it natural for them to protect her. Not that she needed the protection. 

       11th of Mars, Year 1928.

   Lady Natalya took care of Ewis during his rally. His head splattered in the full view of the crowd, brain spread on the ground, eyes rolled into the gutters.

   What followed was a massacre of their regiment. The Tine Battalion were gunned down, and although some had escaped, they were butchered by the Hounds who accompanied the Lady in her assault.

   We had assaulted their factories, and burnt the eastern part of the Capital. Rene and Kristine’s magiborne, though were able to secure their exit, didn’t last long during the continued assault of my Hounds.

   Even if we capture the two, the formula that they have was enough to make a difference. Even Holmia had taken interest in the formula they procured. Which leads to some disagreements that were settled by a promise of allegiance.

   Holmia signed a defense pact with Lazon in an effort to protect the Industries in Jorvi from being bombed. The Mouth of Pustallo was heavily defended, and our mountain walls had been lined with defense installations manned by our soldiers.

   When Holmia joined, the only thing that the Empire could do was watch. Most of the nobles had exhausted their resources, and manpower with the civil war. The Grand Duchess, Lady Mildred Anastasia Whitefall, has decided to launch an assault that will take the head of the enemy.

   Rene and Kristine chose to stay with the Empire despite it all. I didn’t understand why, and because of that I chose to ask them. They were still, despite their allegiance, the friends of the young master, the Boss. I needed them to live in order to know what they are protecting.

       14th of Mars, Year 1928.

   I didn’t get my answer. Rene was found killed by a stray shot. His jugular was ruptured, and the rest of my hounds found him near a doorway. Kristine died because of an assisted suicide from one of the soldiers who shot her five times in the chest.

   I’d wanted to get an answer, but they left no record of their research. I confiscated their engagement rings, and had my hounds bury them in a single spot where they wouldn’t be disturbed or hanged. Lady Mildred mocked me for it, but I didn’t care.

   The assault in the Capital, the taking of the Imperial Palace was brutal. They knew they were losing, but they still fought madly. I’d call them loyalists, patriots who didn’t want a dynasty to end.

   While the rest of the troops were busy taking the lead. I had sneaked in. I was still someone who the young master trusted, although I was lacking his boons. I was still capable of assaulting the depths of the palace. I had thoroughly prepared, but I was disappointed to see the Emperor sitting alone in his garden.

   He didn’t have the air of madness that he had. He just stared at the photo of the Late Empress and took a sip of his drink. He saw me come his way, but his half-opened eyes flared with anger before it simmered down. That tired look confused me.

   He told me this. “It was a gamble. What you have in your veins, that blood, it would keep my sister alive. I always wondered if it was the right choice, but when your sibling begs for it, I couldn’t find it in my heart to tell her to accept her fate. If you had just accepted our terms, maybe we could have avoided this.”

   It was impossible, I told him.

   “I know. The weapons that you used were a threat. Ancient knowledge has told us that if we continue to use such weapons, then it won’t take long before the world becomes a wasteland. What? Are you looking for anger? A bout of madness? To make me squeal? Then I apologize, the day you took and slandered Emilia. I cared none of what may happen. It was a good time to take the nobles down who crave for the weapons as well. If the Empire allows a tumor to grow, then we would have been a fool...then again. The Empire itself is burning, and I am the architect of its destruction. Spare me your ramblings, Aunger. To speak with you is an insult to her. If you wish to drag me out there, then do it. Don’t expect me to open my mouth. I will not apologize or admit that I was wrong. Lazon became dangerous, and your hounds offered a solution that will save my sister. All I have now is regret...I should have been harsher. Oh Cassowary, are you happy?”

   He didn’t speak. He didn’t elaborate further than that. I had him dragged to the masses, and bowed before Lady Mildred so that he may be judged. Perhaps, I had not been as well-informed as I thought I would be in regards to the Emperor.

   Then again, my hounds did not have their original number because of the continuous skirmishes. I simply didn’t have the time or the manpower to know the truth...and even if I did...it wouldn’t change anything. Not everyone would bare their soul or speak their mind… especially to the person who they hated.

Mavin stared at the journal and read the next page before staring away. He felt Aunger's pain of not being everywhere and learning everything he could. There were simply times where one could not get what they wanted. And in such times, Aunger was already handing it well enough for them to win the war.