March 12th 1817,
Dear Brother, the situation in the capital has gotten even more hectic. The citizens of Wien were forced to evacuate from the north and south sectors into the western sector. They told us that the betrayers' army had reached the capital and we had to move to be safe.
Erich, do you remember when we used to run our family café together? I hope that when you are in predicaments these memories may lift up your spirit, even if it is a little. And you don't need to worry about Mother, she has gotten better!
Erika aggressively scribbled over the last sentence with ink as she sat in her tent with her mother laying next to her, sweating profusely. Her mother was on a daily prescription but due to war, hospitals were overrun and short-staffed. The policy was clear, treat those who were the most important first.
Erika dipped her pen in the ink holder and scribbled that their mom was as usual.
She ended the letter with prayers that he would return home safe and that Wien would be at peace again.
People outside complained to the Königsteuers that it was overcrowded and there was barely any space to lay down. But that's when the declaration came through the broadcasters.
"WAR IS OVER! THE UMSTÜRZLERS HAVE CAPITULATED!"
Everyone was shocked by the sudden announcement and was completely silent. But when the Emperor's voice came through the speakers declaring that the war was officially over, everyone in the city cheered and jumped in joy. People flooded to the west gate demanding to return to their homes but they were still disallowed from leaving the western sector.
The Königsteuers told the people that they had to reconstruct the damaged parts of the city first before they could be allowed back. Behind those gates the Königsteuers carried the bodies of their slain and buried them. The toll they had taken to defeat the Umstürzlers was enormous, a number that would take years to replace. The emperor allowed the Umstürzlers to help bury the bodies of the fallen except for one man. He was personally taken in by the Emperor.
Inside the western sector the people chanted "LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!"
Iron chains rattled as Erich walked through the Wienestierast. He remembered clearly his time here in the capital serving the country. The Wienestierast, the parliament where democratic decisions were made by the government, now turned into a royal palace for the Emperor.
Erich was thrown into the throne room with Alaric sitting on the throne looking down on him.
"Erich von Stapel, for years I had fought alongside you, you were truly a brilliant commander but, you had one major flaw. You can't abandon your soldiers. Felix and Steiner, you waited for days for them to return, you gave them too much of your trust, your power. It is your strongest asset as a general but also your weakest. You depend too much on your lieutenants."
Erich lifted his head from the floor and cursed at Alaric, telling him that he had no right to speak their names.
The emperor looked at Erich with pitiful eyes. Viego and Eterna stood at the sides of the chamber eyeing Erich and Alaric closely.
"It's truly a pity, General. I, Alaric von Eisenherz, hereby sentence Erich von Stapel to death!"
Viego's eyes wandered towards Erich and what he saw was not a broken and beaten man but a man whose eyes were filled with pure hatred and disgust. Without a single word he knew what that look from him conveyed.
"I will kill you."
Viego smiled but that's when Eterna asked him about the blue-haired girl he was carrying. His face grew disappointed as she mentioned it. He said that after putting Selina down for only a moment, she had completely disappeared from the place he had hid her.
"I doubt she is gonna cause any further trouble, she was severely injured in our fight." Viego brushed his sister off.
"You are totally as hopeless as these Wienians," she remarked.
March 13th, 1817, 18:05. The western gates opened and people returned to their homes. In each sector, throwing a celebration for the victory of the Emperor.
Erika sat in the café all alone. The lights were off and her mother was asleep in bed.
She heard the celebrations outside but didn't want to go out and leave her mother all alone. She entered her office and lit up her candle and began writing a letter again.
Dear Brother, the war has concluded and peace has arrived to Wien. I hope for your safe return home as soon as possible. And happy birthday, Erich, I wish you a happy 26th birthday. - your sister Erika von Stapel.
The letter was placed into a tiny envelope but before going out to put the letter into the mail she went to check up on her mother first. She was sleeping soundly, Erika smiled before whispering silently that she would be going out for a bit.
On her way to the mail station she saw that people were gathering on the sidewalks with the entire street cleared. Soldiers began marching through the streets. She squeezed through the crowd to get to her destination but as shouts echoed throughout the streets she heard her brother's name.
They were not the names she had ever heard being said about her brother before. He was always considered the nation's hero. The savior of Wien. A man who everyone in Wien looked up to. But now she heard derogatory remarks being said about her brother. How he killed thousands. How he made people suffer. How he sparked off a meaningless war. That he was a criminal.
People who served under Erich von Stapel marched alongside the Königsteuers. People who Erika had made food for and people who ate together with Erich and her in their house. They painfully averted their gaze once they saw Erika's shocked and confused expression. They stared at the ground and continued marching, trying to smile to their families.
As the crowd roared in excitement at the capture of the betrayers' general Erika saw her brother. He was in handcuffs, still in his military uniform. Erich had a look on his face that she had never seen before. His eyes that were once so full of color and emotion were now dull and sharp.
The letter that was meant for him slipped out of Erika's trembling and numb hands and was trampled by the crowd.
Erika grabbed ahold of one of the soldiers that had served under Erich and pulled the collar of his uniform so hard that he almost lost balance.
"WHY IS ERICH BEING DECLARED A CRIMINAL!? TELL ME! WHY ARE YOU LETTING HIM BE PARADED AROUND LIKE THIS? WHAT HAVE HE AND YOU GUYS BEEN DOING THIS ENTIRE TIME?" The truth finally clicked. She realized what happened, the betrayers that her country had been fighting this entire time were led by her brother. Her brother couldn't ever be a betrayer, she knew him better than anyone, that he loved this nation. He fought harder than anyone to protect this country. There was no way he would do all of these terrible acts.
"Tell me," she loosened the grip on the soldier.
"Why?" Words from her brother from the past appeared in her head.
The Royal family.
A Königsteuer soldier pushed the soldier and told him to shake off the crazy woman. The soldier that she knew only apologized before walking off.
An execution platform had been set up and Erich was being led towards it. Erika frantically shook her head and demanded the soldiers that had served under Erich to put a stop to all of this. But her pleas were drowned out by the crowd's cheers.
"DOWN WITH THE BETRAYER!"
"DEATH TO THE BETRAYER!"
"LONG LIVE THE EMPEROR!"
The wooden boards creaked as Erich made his steps up the stairs. He was seated down in front of the entire city and Königsteuers and his men stood behind him.
Alaric gave a speech about how the Umstürzlers had brought devastation to the country. How fascism that brewed the Umstürzlers and who was behind all of it was Erich von Stapel.
The suffering that had been caused by the rebels would today come to an end.
"REVOLUTIONS CANNOT BRING THE OF WIEN!" Flags of Wien were raised up into the air.
Viego sipped on his Wienian wine in the Wienestierast, watching everything unfold. Eterna sat there watching her wine spin around in her glass before taking a sip.
"Look at them, celebrating like clueless fools. Cheering the execution of their national hero," Eterna chuckled.
Viego sat there deep in thought staring out of the open window.
"What's with that serious face, Brother?" Eterna playfully poked him.
"That man, Erich von Stapel, he was truly a great man who stayed righteous to his heart. Though he is a commoner, he has my respects."
Eterna sighed at him.
"What's another commoner? More will come out sooner or later just like him."
"You wouldn't understand how men think of each other."
Eterna's glass fell onto the floor shattering into thousands of pieces as she stood up. Her face was red and her eyes were filled with desire.
She took a step towards her brother and sat down on his lap before wrapping her arms around him. Her head now nuzzled in his chest.
"I might not understand how other men think, but I know how you think."
"Oh? Then what am I thinking about right now then?"
"You are thinking…" she stared at Viego's expression trying to decipher his thoughts.
Her face then soured but gave out her answer.
"You are thinking about another woman."
He smiled and said that his sister was correct as always.
"You have the Princess of Fukviyu on your lap and you think of another woman, how disrespectful."
He scooped her up into his arms and put her onto the bed before leaning close to her face. She closed her eyes in anticipation but when she opened them her brother was standing by the window staring out into the city.
The day prior
Eirlys paced back and forth after discovering that the Fivindus family was involved in the war. Not only that, it was two members who were the head of the family's heirs. Lilith filled her in on the situation that had happened to Rei and Lukas and that's when Eirlys stopped pacing around.
Eirlys said that she had to get to the bottom of this to get the history straightened out and the first thing that had to be done was to get ahold of Selina.
She began sliding down the hill and I asked her if she had any combat abilities to even get to Selina.
"Nope. Can't use a single ounce of loxes."
"THEN HOW THE HELL ARE YOU GOING TO GET IN THERE?"
"But why of course, you guys will help me."
The three of us stood there staring at Eirlys wondering if she was truly an idiot. Lilith began sliding down the hill and said why not, and that she had nothing better to do.
Aylin and I hesitantly followed after Lilith.
"So how are we doing this?" Aylin asked.
Eirlys snapped her fingers and asked Lilith if she could do anything about it.
"Fu Fu Fu," she covered us in a thin veil of nihility loxes.
It masked our entire presence but didn't fully make us invisible. But with chaos erupting in the city we managed to sneak in pretty easily. That's when we saw Selina tucked away in a corner. Viego was standing next to Lukas, patting his shoulder.
The four of us hurriedly walked past the Königsteuers and reached Selina and carried her away before anyone could notice.
Once we were out of the city, we laid Selina down and realized the severity of her injuries. She had multiple third degree burns and deep cuts on her body. Her right shoulder was completely fractured and her arm had been shattered by blunt force.
Aylin bandaged Selina up and let her lay on the grass to recover.
Eirlys stood over Selina with her arms crossed looking at her cousin's battered state. Eirlys began digging in her pockets and took out a lox stone with the affiliation Conservation and shoved it into Selina's mouth.
She sighed heavily wondering what her family was getting themselves involved in without her knowledge.
After a few hours Selina finally woke up. She was about to get interrogated by Eirlys but was stopped by Aylin who pushed her away and gave Selina a cup of water.
Selina immediately asked what had happened to the third division she was leading. Eirlys answered with brutal honesty.
"What about Erich von Stapel?" Selina asked nervously.
"They were surrounded and capitulated to the Königsteuers."
Selina sprung back onto her legs and began running back towards the city. She was promptly stopped by Lilith.
"OUT OF THE WAY!"
"Look at your state, you really believe that you yourself can save him?"
A crystal gun materialized in her hand and she aimed at Lilith.
"You wouldn't understand anything!"
Lilith shook her head in disappointment.
"If you really wanna do something, you gotta have the ability to accomplish it."
Selina ignored her and ran straight back into the city.
"What a fool," Lilith scoffed.
Eirlys yelled at Selina to come and tell her about what happened first before leaving.
But as Selina disappeared into the city Eirlys collapsed onto the ground.
"My opportunity…"
The hour of the execution of General Erich von Stapel
Erich sat on the wooden platform but he didn't cry or beg for his life. He couldn't help but feel happy seeing his people for once smile and laugh together. It didn't feel much different than when he returned from war and he was met by the jubilation of the crowd. He turned around and looked at his soldiers he once commanded, and smiled. The soldiers couldn't look their general in his eyes.
The soldiers standing next to Erich complained about rain as droplets fell from their cheeks. The Königsteuers held their palms out but there was no rain. Erich shook his head and smiled at his soldiers whose eyes were filled with both rain and guilt.
He knew that the happiness which the people of Wien were experiencing wouldn't last. The promises which the Emperor made, he knew were only lies covering the truth to come. But to let his people and soldiers whom he had fought so long for know this truth was something he wasn't willing to see. It was for the better to have them smile and cheer instead of knowing the fate that would come.
"Any last words Erich von Stapel?" Alaric asked him.
Erich chuckled before laughing hysterically.
"LONG LIVE WIEN!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, draining the last of his energy.
The crowd grew silent and Alaric signaled for the soldiers to stand ready with their rifles.
A deathly silence fell throughout the city as everyone stood there anticipating the signal from the Emperor.
"…"
Alaric looked at Erich one final time and the expression on his face was one of content. Why was he content when he failed to win? He couldn't… Erich.
Erich just thought the world looked so incredibly beautiful at this moment. His eyes wandering all over the city observing the expressions of everyone around him. That's when he sees someone who he hadn't seen in years, his standing standing there in the crowd with those sad puppy eyes she would always have when something didn't go her way. If there was anything he regret, it was letting her see him in this state.
"…Now!" Alaric raised his hand.
Erika screamed through the crowd.
"STOP ITTTTTT!"
The clouds covered the skies engulfing the city in shadow. Unbeknownst to the crowd and city of Wien and Erich himself. The crowd wondered why the skies had dimmed and peered up and saw nothing but their own reflection. A barrage of crystal bullets rained down from the skies howling as they piercing the air. Thousands of crystal guns and a massive crystalline canon resembling the head of a lion was levitating in the air. Selena grasped the edges of the canon and in her mouth were multiple lox stones she had stolen from Eirlys while she wasn't looking. As bullets of crystal exploded across the platform, making it start to shake violently, she crunched down on stones in her mouth and fired a massive crystal cannonball into the platform and leapt onto the ball, flying down from the sky. She was breathing heavily as her body was being torn apart by the immense strain of maintaining such an amount of crystal structures. Blood seeped out of her eyes, ears, and nose, carried away by the wind as she descended. The crystal cannonball crashed into the wooden platform, making everything crumble down.
The crystal guns in the sky shattered and crumbled down like snow. Multiple people were crushed by the platform and the crystal bullets had taken out several soldiers. People dug themselves out of the rubble and looked around to see where Erich von Stapel had gone.
The Emperor came out of the rubble unscathed but scanned his surroundings to try to find Erich. But the commander of the Umstürzlers was nowhere to be found. He ordered the immediate search for him throughout the city. The soldiers who were once with Erich feigned injury and said they couldn't search. But thousands of Königsteuers were mobilized to find him.
In an alleyway Selina scraped Erich's body forward with her teeth. Both of her arms had been completely fractured and her legs had broken during the impact of the cannonball. Erich was completely unconscious but breathing. Using nothing but her teeth and torso to crawl, Selina dragged Erich. Her body screamed in pain as all of her limbs had been broken and her internal organs had been completely shredded from the overuse of loxes. She was barely hanging onto consciousness. Selina forced her eyes open every time her sight began to darken. She heard the voices of Königsteuers approaching and hurriedly pulled Erich and herself behind a pile of trash.
That's when a door in the alley opened. And an elderly woman who was barely standing on her own saw them.
It was Erich von Stapel's mother, and even though her terminal illness impaired her cognitive ability something just clicked inside of her head when she saw that blonde hair, that face, it was her son. Even without her memory, she knew the person in front of her was someone important. She opened the door for Selina to drag Erich into the café. The old woman stood there silently staring at Selina and Erich without saying anything. Just a blank stare when Selina propped Erich up against the wall.
"I swear, Generalleutnant, death shall not befall you before I stop breathing," she then collapsed onto the floor with blood pouring, forming a pool beneath her body.
Her vision flickered as darkness and light filled her sight. Her eyes eventually closed and her body went completely still.