Sovereigns Negotiate

With the conclusion of the battle, the Resistance gathered their dead and tended to their injured warriors. There were not many survivors, but it was not something that they could complain about. By some miracle, they were able to prevent the advancement of the Nori to Belomas, and they were able to defeat them in their territory. Those who did not have serious injuries were sent to gather the decapitated corpses of the fallen, in which they would later set up a monument in their honor.

The sacrifices of such great men could never be forgotten, and it would be in this battle that Yarik would be immortalized as the ‘Defender of the Fatherland’. If it were not for those men, the campaign in the West would have been nothing, but a mere pipe dream of my father’s. A camp was established quickly with the help of this unexpected ally; it was thanks to her, our men were able to be treated on time.

On the other hand, the Younger Stanillo could not help to feel uncertain about this Ugric. The women did not display hostility towards them, but there was a feeling of uncertainty in the air. The eagerness of this ‘friendly’ chieftain to help the Resistance, in any way she could, was something that could not be thought of as sincere. In his position, Stanillo was forced to accept her aid. At any time, she could eliminate them without much trouble. It was clear to him, this woman had ulterior motives.

Apparently, some of the Ugrics were capable of speaking our language. The language was not spoken as congruently; however, they spoke well enough for anybody of Rus descent to understand what they were trying to say. This unique phenomenon is likely due to the tribes absorbing the prior inhabitants of the west. However, not every tribe allowed a cohesion of cultures of this magnitude to take place. In fact, most tribes wiped out the majority of the inhabitants in the West.

Some were lucky to have fled towards the East; others towards the North and South. This migration was a primary factor for the collapse of the Kingdom, in which, multiple factions arose to grab a piece of territory. The preservation of the Kingdom became irrelevant for many, and this led to the invading tribes of Ugrics establishing themselves in the West. I cannot imagine the horror or despair that those people who failed to escape the West felt at the hands of the tribes that were not as merciful. In the words of Thoukudies, ‘the strong do what they have to do, and the weak accept what they have to accept.’

As these interactions took place, a conversation between the Sejuku Chieftain, Leuca, and the Supreme Commander of the Resistance, Stanillo, was about to take place. At first, Stanillo was hesitant to grant this meeting to Leuca; however, it would not be a good idea to deny a meeting to a potential ally. In general, this chieftain is their key to surviving a counterattack against the Nori, if they are able to rebuild their army for another battle. As it stands, this Ugric is their best opportunity to establish themselves safely within this region of the West.

A tent was quickly put up, and luxuries beyond the imagination of man were placed within the tent. It appears that the Sejuku Chieftain had a taste for the finer things in life, and she made sure to display that. She quickly had her servants bring the finest feast for the occasion, and had her servants clean the filth from Stanillo. Afterward, Leuca had chairs of the finest quality brought into the tent.

The servants escorted Stanillo towards the chair, and they presented him with a seat which he would be seated in. They offered to pour him some wine and feed him; however, Stanillo declined these gestures. Soon after, Leuca joined him. It was a bit of a surprise considering that she was always accompanied by all sorts of attendants, especially her translators. The two leaders greeted one another in their respective languages, and so far there was no animosity or hostility present in either of their demeanors. 

“For a man who was on the brink of death,” Leuca said, “you appear to be in high spirits, Stanillo.”

“You too,” Stanillo paused, “speak our language?”

“Of course,” Leuca smiled, “as a chieftain, I have to be capable of representing my people. That includes learning how to conduct myself amongst other people.”

“Oh,” Stanillo muttered, “I did not think you people conducted relationships with others abroad.”

“We do,” Leuca stated, “However, not everybody is willing to talk with us, like the Nori, for instance. For decades, they have denied us safe passage to your people, and so we have been forced to navigate the waters to meet with other people. My people specialize in trade, and there is nobody in this region that compares to us in this endeavor. I have been unable to establish relations with your people in the Far East, but those relations may never be possible.”

“Not possible? How come?” said Stanillo.

“The history of our people is not great,” Leuca said, “In fact, a majority of those people rightfully dislike us for our actions towards your people.”

“I thought so,” Stanillo said, “However, it appears you have managed to build great relations with those in Iberia.”

“You noticed? I guess these luxuries of ours do make it apparent,” said Leuca.

“Those furs and minerals are not quite common in the West,” Stanillo stated, “It’s impressive to see that you possess them in such quantities.”

“This is only the beginning,” Leuca claimed, “as I believe that my people have a much greater ceiling than our neighbors, including yourselves.”

“To be honest, I did not think the other tribes would be much different from the Nori,” Stanillo replied, “You people have developed quite well, but I cannot help noticing the different clothing of your people. Have you begun to conquer your own people?”

“You have a keen eye,” Leuca muttered, “The truth is, I have been laying my sights on increasing our presence within Ugrica.”

“And so it has led you to conquer your fellow man,” Stanillo said, “It looks like you and I are each other’s natural enemy, for I have been tasked with the duty to prepare the retake of our ancestor’s lands.”

“I thought so,” Leuca said, “which is why I shall put an end to such ambitions, for I do not believe that the land conquered by people should fall back to the hands of an incompetent race.”

“Incompetent, perhaps,” Stanillo said, “However, cowardly we are not. At Belomas, there is a man of great stature. In single hand combat, he killed the chieftain of the Nori with his bare hands. The name of that man is Illya of Muromets; the same man who is responsible for wiping out the tribe of Ugrics of that same name.”

“I have heard of him,” Leuca smiled, “he is said to be a man of great spirits; yet, his fame has failed to reach the standards of my own. In my possession, I control nearly the entire northern region of Ugrica. This upcoming spring, my people and I shall annex the remaining land needed; however, I am in great need of the land of the Nori too. It is in my interest that they fall, but seeing as you managed to beat them, I cannot lay stake to a territory that we did not earn with our own spears.”

“Very noble of you,” Stanillo chuckled, “However, I have no interest in discussing terms for the land that will rightfully be ours.”

“If you insist, friend,” Leuca replied, “however, perhaps the presence of one of yours may change your mind. After all, he is a man that deserves to be acknowledged for his sacrifices.”

Elsewhere, a comrade of Belomas returns to the battlefield. The scenery was no different from the battlefield that he had stood upon hours ago. Dozens of corpses were scattered throughout the battlefield, and each shared the same fate as the other. In their final moments, did they feel fear? Did they realize that they were going to die?

Somehow, he felt a great envy towards those deceased men. Each of these men went to battle knowing that they would die, and they did not try to escape such a fate. On the other hand, he did everything to preserve his life; in which, he brought upon his family a great dishonor. Perhaps, if he had not hid himself amongst the dead, he would have been able to save his brother from those barbarians.

From behind, a servant of Leuca called to him. Apparently, the tribal chief was summoning him. This was something that he knew would occur, but he did not have the courage to show his face to his people. Polochko, the one summoned by Leuca, hesitated to attend; however, he quickly regained his composure and followed the servant of Leuca. If the chance, the Younger Illya is alive, he may be the only man capable of giving him an answer to his troubles. 

“And just who could this person be,” Stanillo asked, “Friend?”

“One of your men,” Leuca replied, “a man who should be honored for the great service that he provided to your nation. This great man of yours that I speak so highly of is one of your men that survived that great battle, which led to the one that you just finished fighting.”

“Another survived? Somebody had survived that battle; however, he did not take part in it. That somebody was the son of my leader. If it were not for his swift feet, the Nori would have slaughtered us. What you speak of is something completely different. This is a man that actually took part in this battle and survived it…! Who could this great man be?”

“He was not very talkative," Leuca recalled, “However, I was told that the man's name was Polochko.”

“Polochko,” Stanillo mumbled, “a man worthy of the highest honors. A man who should be made aware that his sacrifices were not in vain! Bring him to me!”

Making his way to Leuca’s tent, the servants once more offered to clean his feet; however, he declined these gestures. Instead, Polochko asked for the servant’s black cloak. She abided by his request, and took it off her back to put onto his back. She was not asked to do this, but she also made sure the cloak was neatly fitted onto his body. Polochko was deeply embarrassed by these gestures, in which, he grabbed onto her hands to stop her. Thereafter, he released her hands; at last, heading to face what he knew sooner or later that he would have to face.

In the presence of the Younger Stanillo and Leuca, Polochko appeared in a rugged appearance: sporting a black cloak, still wearing his battle-worn attire, and covered in wounds that had not been patched up because of his outright refusal to receive aid. However, these were not the most disturbing details about his appearance. In fact, the Younger Stanillo could hardly believe his eyes at what had become of Polochko. Was this the same Polochko?

The boy’s eyes were completely different. His sclera’s white outer layer was completely black. Furthermore, the iris and pupil of his left eye were completely grey. On the other hand, the right eye iris was grey; the pupil was white. In addition to this, a red gem was implanted onto the fighter’s head by the Sejuku, for reasons that are currently unknown.

This change of appearance disturbed the Younger Stanillo greatly, not sure whether this man was one of his or not. The change of the man’s eyes was the result of awakening a great power from within, but the change of his lavish blonde hair to white was the result of enduring the great stress that battle had brought upon him. Polochko too noticed the Younger Stainillo’s raggedy appearance, but he was more surprised that the Younger Stanillo was alive with little to no injuries.

Finding himself with the opportunity, Polochko would ask the Younger Stanillo, whether the Younger Illya had survived the battle too. The younger Stanillo informed him that he did survive, and it was thanks to him: he and the others were alive at that moment. Polochko was relieved to hear this, but Stanillo had some questions of his own to ask the young man.

“And whose side are you on,” Stanillo questioned, “For I do not recognize you, boy. To whom am I speaking too?”

“It is I,” Polochko asserted, “Polochko of Belomas. You and I have gone on campaigns together, and I have witnessed every great exploit and failure of yours. Perhaps, I may not be recognizable as before; but I can assert you that I am who I say to be.”

“Okay,” Stanillo replied, “Let us suppose you are one of ours, but may I ask what has occurred to you? Your armor is indeed from Belomas. I just cannot understand: why is it that you have that gem nailed onto your forehead?”

“That was our doing,” Leuca interjected, “The gem is meant to restabilize his energy.”

“Restabilize his energy?” said Stanillo.

“Yes,” Leuca replied, “he has been overwhelmed by his newly awakened power. The change of his appearance can be attributed to his growth as a fighter, and the sudden graying can simply be explained as him awakening a power greater than he can contain.”

“Another has awakened from Belomas,” Stanillo muttered, “he is the third to do so.”

“Is that what has occurred to me,” Polochko pondered, “have I too become greater than before?”

“You may not be the only one to have awakened,” Leuca added. “Awakenings usually occur to those naturally gifted. On the other hand, it can also be awakened through training. If one’s power does not awaken before adolescence, it indicates that one is not destined to awaken a great power. This one is quite past that stage, and he has just awakened his powers. Perhaps, my people misinterpreted it…maybe power can be awakened by intense conditioning. Something that your men have experienced.”

“An interesting development this is,” Stanillo grinned, “I shall talk to the others about this later, but what purpose could this man have here? A woman, like you, could not have brought him here without reason.”

“Oh, yes,” Leuca said, “I have brought one of yours for one reason only, and that is for him to serve as a first-hand witness here.”

“A first-hand witness, for what exactly?” said Stanillo.

“Go on and tell him, Polochko,” said Leuca.

“Oh, I see,” Polochko said, “This is what you brought me here for. I imagine your talks to get a piece of the lands of Nori has failed. Therefore, you have gone with the second option.”

“So it appears,” said Leuca.

“What this tribal chieftain desires is to join our campaign,” Polochko said, “Essentially, she wants to unite our forces to lay claim to the lands of her rivals.”

“Not what I expected,” Stanillo said, “As I am a trusted advisor to my chief, and I also serve as diplomat for all negotiations abroad. I do not see why we cannot have such a discussion, that is if we are able to come to a reasonable alliance. If you do wish to conduct these talks, it is important for you to know that another has been asked to join this campaign too. We will conduct these talks with this fourth person in mind.”

“Understandable,” Leuca said, “Shall we begin?”

Without further ado, discussions between the two sovereigns would begin. Having failed to get a stake in the Nori’s lands, Leuca decided to offer her support for the campaign of the Belomians. Unknowingly, the diplomat of Belomas is entering a discussion that will not be a friendly one. On the other hand, Mirad has returned to Stalavat.

He was not eager to return so soon, but if it meant getting this task out of the way, so be it. His envoy had run into some issues; somebody had twisted their ankle on the way back. This setback managed to delay their arrival by an hour or so. Anyhow, they would arrive at Stalavat an hour after sunset. Stalavat’s women noticed them immediately, and they went to confront them right away.

They were a bit surprised to see the envoy of Belomas back so soon with an answer, but they were happy to see that their lady’s proposal had received a courteous answer. Mirad ordered his people to stay behind, stating that he would handle the talks alone. The envoy was thrilled to hear this; after all, their ankles were beginning to swell from the back and forth traveling from Belomas to Stalavat.

As he approached them, Mirad claimed that he had brought them great news; the village chief of Belomas, Illya of Belomas, had accepted the marriage proposal between himself and their Jarl. This news pleased the maiden warriors, and they were thrilled to inform the news to their Lady Diana. They would also ask whether Mirad personally wanted to give the news to Diana, but Mirad immediately shut this down.

Instead, he insisted that they should give her the news, along with this scroll that certified what had been said as true. The scroll contained a stamp of approval, and a flag of Belomas was also given as a gift to certify the relations between the two peoples. The shield maidens did not wish to be outdone, and so they also offered their flag to Mirad. This was done without the orders of Diana, but it was likely that the people of those days would approve. This concluded the negotiations for the newly established Belomas and Stalavat alliance. Two of the three remaining powers in the dominant Ugric western region have united to combat the advancement of the Ugrics further.

Politics aside, the House of Illya was in the midst of welcoming their two untimely guests. The arrival of a foreign woman, claiming to have the child of their brother and son, was surprising to say the least. The brothers of the Younger Illya were not eager to greet the unwanted woman, since they considered her to be an enemy because of her place of origin. Coria and Boudiaca noticed this hostility, but they were in no position to complain about it.

Surprisingly, the mother of the Younger, Illya, welcomed them. It’s uncertain why she did so, but I can only theorize that she saw herself in that young woman. Young, clueless, and frightened by the unknown. To top it off, she too, was pregnant and on a foreign land. It was almost like the same story between her and the Elder Illya was repeating itself, again.

The Younger Illya’s mother, Himari, offered the sisters a meal. At first, Himari found it difficult to distinguish which of them could be their son’s women, or perhaps could they both be his women? Immediately, Boudiaca corrected her assumption. Illya, to her, was like a brother, and he had never made any advancements towards her. 

Having those assumptions corrected, Himari realized that it was the elder sister that carried her son’s child. She did not imagine her son would have a woman older than himself, but she was happy to see that her son had chosen the right women. After that was settled, the three conversed amongst themselves and Himari introduced the siblings of Illya to their newly acquired sisters.

The eldest of the boys was Iziaslav, at nine years old. The middle child was named Bogandu, and he was five years old. The youngest of the boys were the twins, in which, they were named Kurilu and Onfim. The twins were two years old. The sisters were surprised to learn of their age, but also about how big of a family that the Younger Illya had. Unexpectedly, Himari revealed to them that she was expecting another child; in fact, she believed this one to be the daughter that she had long since desired.

This news thrilled the sisters, partly because the family they were joining was primarily full of males. The boys, on the other hand, protested, as they wanted to have another brother to play with. All things aside, it is a blessing to be a father or mother to a child. If anybody knew, it would be me.

“You two are great people,” Himari said, “Despite our differences, I can tell that you two will be fine young ladies. As you can tell, I am not from this country either. I am a refugee, and so is my young boy, Illya. He was not born in my country of origin, but he was conceived there by his late father. If this eases your discomfort, just know you two will have my unconditional support.”

“Thank you,” Coria said, “although your husband did not share such understanding.”

“He’s a different kind of man,” Himari admitted, “In time, he will come around, especially if the child you are carrying is to be a boy. There is nothing a man values more than his son’s.”

“If that is the case,” Himari said, “I still have no interest in providing a child that will not be valued equally, regardless of their gender or not.”

In the talks between the two sovereigns, the Younger Stanillo found it difficult to believe that Leuca was willing to be part of this campaign. Leuca suggested to Stanillo that if the entire country was put under the Belomian yoke, it would be plausible for her to remain as the governor of Ugrica. The Younger Stanillo tried to put this suggestion aside, but Leuca kept insisting on the fact that this region would be difficult and costly for them to keep under control. Sure, they could provide a couple of garrisons; however, it is not as efficient compared to the resources and influences that she has within this region.

Essentially, Leuca is offering to be an agent of Belomas on the conditions that she is given 10% of the taxes collected from the tribes and the ability to colonize parts of Ugrica around her borders. The Younger Stanillo chuckled, stating, the chief is not expending resources and gathering allies just to put the region into the hands of one singular agent. In fact, the Younger Stanillo clarified that she will be one of many agents that will be in charge of maintaining the lands under their yoke.

Furthermore, Stanillo agreed to provide her with 10% of the taxes to be collected from the Ugric tribes; however, he will not be providing her with the ability to colonize or extend her borders. Instead, he offered to gift her the land of her nearest neighbors. This gives her access to three seas, which benefit her and her people. This was a great counteroffer, but Leuca reminded him that she technically already had control over the North. Not to mention, she was aiming for access to the south that requires the lands of the Nori.

The Younger Stanillo was unwilling to give a piece of those lands, in which, he made clear that those lands were by the right Belomas. Leuca tried to make a final attempt to negotiate, but Stanillo declined this once more. The argument the Younger Stanillo made was that it was their army that defeated the Nori, and that she had little to no involvement in the enemy’s defeat. Leuca was forced to come to terms, but on the condition that they would renew the terms in two years. The Younger Stanillo agreed, as he saw no issue with it.