people of Nairi if their new nation was going to survive.
The small group continued their journey into the canyon lands as the sun began to wane. Far to the west the sun was setting and the clouds overhead turned an auburn color. Mount Ennis could be barely seen, but it too looked like it was alive with the evening colors. It was truly a picturesque scene that they took in while descending the steep canyon switchbacks. Torches lined the path as they continued down to the canyon floor. They needed to reach the palace before too long, or they would have to make camp for the night and meet with the queen in the morning. They wanted to meet with her before night fell so they could have a nice place to sleep.
As they turned another winding corner, Queen Daria's palace came into view. It was a wonder to look at because of the way it was constructed. The structure was built into the side of the canyon walls. All of the dwelling places were constructed in this manner. There were no freestanding buildings in the entire kingdom. Their construction was very similar to the dwarven mountain homes. The dwarves had a special affinity for the people of Nairi because of their many similarities. Most of the people were miners and blacksmiths, which made them very close with their dwarven neighbor on the island of Mount Ennis.
The front of the palace was made of smooth marble, which could withstand the harsh winds that frequently assailed the canyons. There were symbols carved into the marble that represented their different gods. These carvings were filled with silver and gold to represent the various guardians. They believed that the Elementals were their personal deities. This was yet another similarity between the dwarves and this particular nation of men. As they approached the entrance, they were met by the captain of the home guard. Commander Zareh Hacus bowed slightly to General Yukio as they approached the gates outside the queen's home.
'General, the queen has been expecting you,' Commander Hacus said stoically.
'Commander Hacus, how good it is to see you, my old friend!' barked Yukio as he slid off his beautiful steed and shook hands hardily with the commander.
'I hope that you have been well, General. We have missed you dearly these many months. We have not heard anything aside from the troops who returned to us with the tale of an elf witch saving you all from a pack of demonic wolves,' the commander said with a genuine tone of concern. He was very much the senior of the general in years and had many silver hairs to prove it. He had been the head of the queen's home guard for many years. While the commander and the general spoke pleasantly to one another, General Yukio had never fully trusted Zareh. Yukio was never able to read his thoughts or intentions. He considered this to be a sign of someone who was hiding something.
'Dear friend, I am well. I will need to speak with her majesty tonight. I want to explain the events of the past few months right away. Is she expecting us straight away?' queried the general.
'She is. She ordered me to take you to her as soon as you arrived. I will warn you right now that she is not entirely happy with you. She has been worried that you were killed by that elf witch. She has stopped all trade and communications with King Ciel until he answers for what had happened to you. I think you are wise in your desire to explain your actions right away,' replied Commander Hacus.
'Then let us waste no more time; please lead the way,' commanded the general kindly.
As they entered the palace gate, everyone except Yukio was in awe. They had expected tight enclosed spaces inside instead of a vaulted roof. There were murals of battles and of the Nairi canyons on the ceiling. It too had the appearance of being made of marble. There were massive pillars on both sides of the aisle that they were being led down. Torches were positioned on every pillar to provide visitors with sufficient light. The images on the ceiling had an ominous feel to them in the flickering light, which made them appear to be alive. The only sound that could be heard was the echoing of their footsteps. Everyone had the feeling that they were being watched. The home guard lay safely concealed in the shadows as they passed them by. Their unseen eyes watched the vanguard carefully for any indication of a possible assassination attempt. They no longer trusted elves, and the general was surrounded by them, so they were on edge.
They came to another chamber, which was much brighter than the previous one. Apparently this was the receiving room for foreign dignitaries. The queen was seated on a raised platform at the opposite end of the hall. She was very fair and beautiful to look upon. She did not have a beautiful look on her face however. She was clearly displeased with her general and with his traveling mates. Her look was one of utter disgust as she looked at the elves. Clearly she blamed them for Yukio's unexplained absence. She fixated on her general as he approached. He took one knee and bowed his face to the floor in a show of reverence. The high elves followed suit hurriedly after seeing the nasty look from Queen Daria.
'General, please stand up and explain your actions. We have been worried,' the queen said with genuine concern. If these elves have done anything to Yukio, there will be bloodshed tonight!
'Your majesty, please forgive the lateness of my return. I hope that you will understand and accept my humblest apology. I will explain, in great detail, what has transpired since the attack by the pack of wolves,' the general said with another bow.
He went into great detail explaining everything that had happened to him. She seemed to come around when he explained that the mighty Elemental Kana felt it important enough to involve herself in the affairs of the people of Tuwa. She was shocked at first when he explained that he had taken an elf to wife, but she was pleased to hear that his union was blessed by the revered deity. She was much more willing to listen to the remainder of the story after this. She was not the only one to be hanging on every word that came out of Yukio's mouth. It was as if he was commanding everyone's attention.
The only one who was not transfixed was Commander Hacus. He knew that the general was using some kind of psychic power to manipulate the minds of everyone in the hall. He remained cautious and vigilant while everyone else seemed to shed all hatred of these elves and accepted them with open arms. He had a very bad feeling about what was taking place. What the general was reporting to the queen was good and seemed to answer all questions the queen had adequately. It was a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach that had him so worried.
Once General Yukio had presented all of the facts, Chairman Bronwen Merindiel presented the request of Queen Kira. To his surprise, Queen Daria was only too eager to provide military assistance to the high elves. She felt that all that had transpired was inspired by the gods and that they should not ignore the pleas of a blessed race. As a result of this, she was overly accommodating to the delegation. Commander Hacus was concerned by her willing acceptance of Yukio's explanation. He was shocked that they had formed an alliance with this new nation so quickly. The only person that seemed to expect this outcome was the general himself. He had a smug look of accomplishment that frightened the head of the home guard. He could not shake the feeling that there was more to this situation than what they had been told.
'General Yukio, you will be given command of my army once more. Take all the troops you need with you to fortify the city of Alanderas and the route between us. That way we can commence in trading with our newest ally,' she commanded with a pleasant smile. This has turned out much better than I had expected. I simply do not understand why Commander Hacus was so worried.
'My queen, I ever serve thee and the people of this great nation,' Yukio said with a bow. 'I will give the command of the army that is to protect the road west to Alanderas to Commander Favian Drujien. The protection of the trade route along the Blain River will be given to Commander Hacus. I will lead the troops sent to protect the high elves,' General Yukio stated boldly.
'Very well; rest while the troops are being readied for their departure. You can also visit the king of Mount Ennis while the men prepare. King Edric is a good friend and will be a powerful ally. He will assist you in this time of need,' said the queen confidently.
'I share your optimism and appraisal of the situation. In the morning, we will leave to meet with King Edric and should return in time to depart with the troops,' Yukio replied.
With a bow and a smile, Yukio and the high elves left the queen and were taken to their sleeping quarters. Due to the lateness of the hour, they went straight to bed after washing the dust off their bodies from their long trek. Bronwen and the others slept peacefully that night knowing that they had overcome their biggest obstacle. They were hopeful that tomorrow's meeting with the dwarves would be equally beneficial. Commander Hacus had some of his guard keep watch over the queen's guests. He did not entirely trust any of them. He also did not believe anything that Yukio had reported. What worried him most was that the queen did a complete turnaround without even hearing a good argument.
As the delegation from the high elves returned triumphant from their meeting with King Edric, a small bird was spotted on the horizon and seemed to be heading in their direction. Yukio's hawk had returned with a reply
