The Cross of Forgetfulness

In less than an hour, the remaining people of the Resistance were able to begin their journey back to Belomas. Many wished to stay and continue fighting, but the orders of the chief were absolute, and they could not be overridden. On the other hand, some were thrilled to return home and tell tales of their glorious triumph in the battle. Others were just grateful to have survived such a gruesome battle.

Fedor, one of the three trusted men of the Elder Illya, was the one responsible for providing payment to the soldiers. He warmly teased them to not get comfortable, but to find themselves a woman and to lay the seed that will ensure their legacies to live, if they are to perish in their next battle. The rest of the funds were ordered to be given to the Younger Stanillo, who was to be responsible for the village’s safety and the commencement of the next campaign back home. In addition to this, Stanillo was tasked with the job of paying for the funerals of the fallen, and to provide the payment for deceased soldiers to their relatives, wives, or children.

As everybody was finishing packing their possessions, the Younger Stanillo helped the Younger Illya walk over to his horse. The kid was in bad shape, and it was a miracle that he could stand. Everybody was thrilled to return home, but the Younger Illya did not share their enthusiasm. Eventually, they made it to the boy’s horse, and the Younger Stanillo helped the boy mount his horse, as he could not do it on his own either.

At Belomas, a troubling decision awaits the Younger Illya. The decision, regarding forgoing the love of his life and not acknowledging the child that she bears. His father had made it clear that he did not approve of their relationship, and he refused to acknowledge a Ugric as his daughter-in-law. The history between the two peoples was not pleasant, and it was only natural for the two peoples to equally dislike one another. When the Younger Illya attempted to persuade his father, in regard to the women carrying his child, the Elder Illya angrily lashed out at the thought of his first grandchild having the blood of a Ugric. It utterly disgusted him, and he said that he would rather die than to pass on his earthly possessions to an enemy.

The idea of his son having a Ugric as his wife was the most disrespectful thing to him, and the fact that his son had knowingly engaged in sexual relations with a woman of Ugric descent just showed to him the “respect” he had for his ancestors. The Younger Illya continued to argue in defense of his love, but his efforts continued to be futile. In fact, his pleads began to annoy the Elder Illya to the point, in which, he began not only to threaten his foolish son with exile, but also to kill Coria and the child that she carries, if he continued with his defiance. These threats paralyzed the Younger Illya, not believing the words that just came out of his own father’s mouth. However, the Elder Illya was willing to let the pair live, if his son ended his relations with the women, including the child that he had yet to see.

In addition to this, the Elder Illya promised to provide them with shelter and land for their own usage. The women and child would never have to worry about their future, but if he is to refuse him, the only thing awaiting them is a guaranteed death. At that moment, the Elder Illya told his son, he was to be married off to the ruler of Stalavat. The relations between the two peoples will not only benefit them in the present, but it will benefit generations to come.

The agreement was set, and the Elder Illya made it clear that his efforts would not go to waste, for a mere woman of Ugric descent of all things! This is when the conversation ended between the pair, and ultimately the decision was up to the Younger Illya to make. If he is not to abandon the Ugric women, he risks exile and the task of defending his women and unborn child against his father, who has leverage in all respects. The decision to make is to either hang onto this love and face the consequences that are yet to come, or to let this love go and to preserve the fruit of their love that has yet to experience the world…

Eventually, what remained of the Resistance began their journey back to Belomas. The Younger Stanillo was not close to the Younger Illya, but he knew the boy well enough to know that something was weighing on the boy’s shoulders. The boy had acquired prestige and honor in battle, but yet it appears that he had suffered a great loss. All be told, the boy was a hero in the eyes of many, yet it seems that he was one of the vanquished.

The Younger Stanillo let the others get ahead, opting to stick behind the boy, hoping to find out the truth of his behavior. A bit of privacy was needed for what Stanillo was about to ask the Young Lord. He did not know where to start, but he decided to get to the point of the matter: what had occurred between himself and his Father? For a moment, the Young Lord’s face turned red, not anticipating that Stanillo would ask him such a question!

The Young Lord hesitated for a moment, thinking about whether it was appropriate to speak about what had happened between himself and his Father. Eventually, he burst into tears. Quickly, Stanillo told the Young Lord to not garner so much attention to himself, and to say what he must say without bringing attention to himself. Illya sucked his tears, wiping the snot off his nose. How foolish, Stanillo thought, he had forgotten that the boy was just that, a boy.

A boy in need of love and attention, but most importantly a boy that needed guidance. The Younger Stanillo at that moment realized his conduct with the boy prior was not the best, and so he apologized to him for his harsh words, claiming he had proven him wrong today. Unlike other men, Stanillo was not a prideful individual incapable of acknowledging his mistakes. Although, I did not fault him for his words prior to our encounter with the Nori personally.

Even so, he provided his Young Lord with a sincere apology, citing that he not only forgot his place as a subordinate to his father, but he also failed to realize that his conduct was not appropriate for him. The Younger Illya was a mere boy entering the realm of man for the first time. Eventually, the Younger Stanillo dropped the subject altogether, saying, if the Younger Illya did not wish to talk about it, it was fine. Family matters should stay between the family. However, he did advise the boy to be tougher in spirit. A powerful mind is important just as a strong body.

The man that commands his emotions and hunger is a true master of himself. A true master of himself is able to make the proper decision in everyday life. In my opinion, it was more like the appropriate decision, not exactly the proper decision. Because there can be no proper decision in any scenario, there can only be what can be called the appropriate decision to make at any particular time.

This unwanted advice ironically became a fundamental principle in my philosophy. When I grew in power in my later years, I was tasked to be in charge of the lives of others and there were times when I could have made the “proper” decision in battle, but the proper decision would have led to the loss of many lives of my comrades that I refused to mortgage for the sake of victory. Therefore, I chose to make decisions appropriate to the situations at hand.

Every minute that passed, Coria grew anxious with the absence of her beloved Illya. Could he have perished in battle? No, he could not have, she thought, he was a true warrior and a man that made the impossible possible. Noticing her sister’s worry, Boudiaca comforts her sister, saying, Illya is a courageous man and that fortune will not abandon a man of his stature. Coria appreciated her younger sister’s enthusiasm, but she was well aware of the disadvantage he and the others faced in battle.

Not only did the Nori possess an army greater than Belomas, but they were also led by the Great Acco. Two hours had passed, Coria cried out, since that man and his people left. They may never know whether they succeeded in saving the Younger Illya and the others. These thoughts began to make Coria anxious. If the Younger Illya was truly dead, Coria cried out, they would need a new ally to protect them.

Boudiaca insisted that everything would be okay, and to not forget that she had Lady Himari on her side. If anybody could understand their struggle, it would be her. Coria reminded her sister that they lived in a world dominated by men, and the support that Lady Himari could possibly provide is little to none compared to the Younger Illya. Either way, they were not in great standing, but they should not get ahead of themselves and await the news of the Younger Illya’s status in the coming days.

As uncertainty built at Belomas, the Sejuku were besieged at the hands of the Coalition of Ugrics that united to prevent further expansion of Belomas into Ugrica. The Nori’s defeat was the tipping point, and action was necessary to take before Belomas could grow into a bigger problem. In a matter of hours, the Sejuku was closed off from the outside world. Courageous or stupidly perhaps, Leuca, made the attempt to open her gates and make battle with the coalition of Ugrics. However, it did not last long. In minutes, her forces were massacred, and she quickly withdrew her forces to prevent further casualties.

It was thanks to Polochko, who came to her aid and opened the path for a successful retreat with no casualties. In a way, Leuca acted impulsively, but to her credit, how could she have been aware of the Coalition of Ugrics? Five tribes had united to besiege her and her people, so it was difficult to fight back. She attempted numerous times to send envoys to Belomas for aid, but each of these envoys were killed.

She attempted to continue exporting her goods to other nations, but each of her vessels were plundered and sunk into the ocean by her enemies, who succeeded in taking control of the sea. It appeared Leuca had lost control of the coastline and was trapped within her capital. The territories that she had also acquired took the opportunity to rebel against her people, and united together with the coalition to put an end to Leuca’s rule. No matter how you put it, Leuca was in a life and death situation. The only hope the Sejuku had was the possibility of Belomas learning of their struggle and coming to their aid. 

Immediately, the Elder Illya set off to lay claim to the lands of the Nori. For years, he dreamed of this moment coming true and now that it was here, he found himself thrilled to have this opportunity. Every single Belomian that perished prior to this moment can rest now. This achievement was not just for himself, but for the many that died to get to this point. In a matter of hours, the Elder Illya settled into his newly acquired lands and ordered each person in the village to be gathered.

Starting from today, he stated, the Nori are now the subjects of Belomas. In addition to this, he informed them that their village would be used to establish a base to continue their campaign in Ugrica. Additionally, the Elder Illya stated that Belomas would also take their farmland and redistribute the farmland equally amongst their people. The Elder Illya considered it to be a new beginning, and it was only right to redistribute the land to families who likely had nothing to live off.

These actions made him quite popular amongst the lower classes of the Nori, but the upper class was furious at this policy. The Elder Illya admitted he detested them, but he acknowledged that the feeling was most likely mutual. First off, the Elder Illya was not interested in cleansing the region ethnically of the Nori. Instead, he desired to create a kingdom where people of different races and cultures could coexist together.

The Nori doubted his sincerity, but he guaranteed that they would be treated properly and with all respect due to them. Acco, he stated, was to be executed for his actions, but he was to receive an execution that was respectful. Lastly, the Elder Illya declared himself the temporary governor of the Nori, and for his first actions as governor, he ordered the immediate selection of a new chieftain to be appointed. 

On arrival at Belomas, the villagers quickly gathered around to welcome the Resistance. They were surprised to not see the Elder Illya or the forces sent to help them, but the Younger Stanillo confirmed that the Elder Illya and his forces were fine. He told the people that the Resistance had won the battle against the Nori, and that the Nori had willingly surrendered to them peacefully. The lives of the men did not go to waste, the Younger Stanillo claimed, and that it was thanks to their courage that they accomplished a feat unlike no other! The villagers cherished the news, and demanded that a feast be held for the Resistance!

The idea of a feast was welcomed by the injured soldiers, but before the Younger Stanillo could end his speech, he gave special thanks to the Younger Illya for his tenacity and courage during the battle. ‘Without him, he said, they would not have been able to make the impossible possible.’ Right when Stanillo was about to turn to congratulate his comrade, the Younger Illya was nowhere to be found, just his horse remained. This sight left Stanillo puzzled, thinking, ‘Where could he have gone?’ 

Struggling to get by, the Younger Illya dragged himself home using his sword as a cane. With every step, he felt the pain of injuries, and it felt as if they were reopening. This pain could not compare to the pain of what he knew had to be done, and so he continued to drag himself across the village. However, halfway there, he was met by Coria, who was curious at the commotion of the villagers. To her surprise, her love stood before her and she attempted to embrace him.

However, he rejected her embrace. This was a surprise. She attempted to help him, but he also rejected her help too. For a moment, it went silent. The silence and her hurt stare was beginning to take its toll on him, and alas he built the courage to say what he must say. The Younger Illya admitted to her that what occurred between them was nothing more than a pastime for him. Their relationship was never serious to him, and he told her that he was not the person she thought he was. All lies.

He admitted to being an engaged man, and what he found in her was nothing more than to satisfy his sexual urges. Coria began to tear up at his harsh words, telling him to stop lying, but he insisted that it was the truth. If she wanted to ask anybody, she could ask the Younger Stanillo, who was one of his father’s trusted allies, and he would confirm the truth of his words to her. To Coria, it began to add up, the outright rejection of the Elder Illya towards her began to make sense. He was an engaged man, and it was only reasonable for his father to be furious at his son’s lack of commitment to his fiancé. She began to shriek at the thought of being used. The girl fell to her knees, bursting into tears of having been deceived by a boy who never had the intention of committing to her. Putting an end to her doubts, the Younger Illya began to walk towards her, but he passed her without saying another word. With each step he took, she hoped to hear that it was just a misunderstanding, but with each passing second the boy began to get further and further away.

In no time, Stanillo and his company passed by, but only Stanillo witnessed the scene. A broken maiden on her knees in tears, and his comrade, the Younger Illya fleeing the scene. Stanillo began to grow furious at what the boy had done. Never did he think the boy would be capable of such a thing.

In mere seconds, he lost all respect for the boy that he had just finished praising before the village. However, he understood his decision, and so the Younger Stanillo told his comrades to go on ahead to the sacred mount. He had something to handle first. The men were too busy celebrating to notice, and so Stanillo came to the aid of Coria.

On the other end, the Younger Illya burst into tears at what he had said. At that moment, he wished to have died at the battle rather than live to say such things to his only love. His world was quickly shattering, and it was at that moment he made a detour to the woods, trying to shelter himself from the world. In his attempt, his sword shattered under his weight, leaving him unable to defend himself against the beasts within nature. In his misery, he crawled on the snowy ground trying to find refuge in the woods. For the next three months, his whereabouts were unknown to Belomas...