Crymson

Hali shook his head. “It is no surprise. Adria’s surrender was to save their own necks. We were too lenient. The saddest part is that our leaders continue to trust them.”

Hali scoffs. “Again the Veletzian vermin get pardoned too easily. When will the leadership of our covenant realize you cannot bargain with weasels.”

“Lie in the bed you’ve made, Veletzers. Your lies fall on deaf ears.” Hali cast aside yet another Burgundian missive.

Hali raises a toast in the Numenost Tavern. “At last a voice of truth and reason on this matter. May the Veletzian agitators who wrote the accusations tremble!”

Hali shakes his head. “Help not those who bite the hand that feeds them. Rot has set in among them.”

Hali laughs, throwing another missive in the fire. “I do so love being lectured on evil by a Veletzer. As has been said before, they only turn to ‘faith’ when it benefits them.”

Hali sneers upon reading the missive. “So they fabricate a story to give themselves pretense for uprising. How stupid do they think we are? They didn’t even try to hide it. This time we kill them all and string them up for the world to see.”

Hali throws the missive in the fire after reading ‘Westmark’ in the signature. “Naught but a filthy Adrian infiltration. We should not have been so merciful.”

“Rest, old friend. The grudge is avenged in blood.” Hali stated solemnly, reflecting on Sigismund and the Adria that never was.

Hali nodded, seeming finally happy for once.  “Well done, King Crow. If only our leaders  had held faith a while longer, we would be at the victors table too. Perhaps we do not deserve it.”

Hali raised a tankard to the continued cause from Numendil’s tavern. “Good weather and strong arms to the cause. I shall pray that no other states listen to the forked tongue of Veletz. Shamefully, that is Adunia’s fate.”

Hali scowls. “The shame of Adunia, to quit so early and for so little!”

Hali smiled, and added this poem to his collection. “A fine account, though alliance skulls are likely too thick to appreciate it.”

A young Uruk nodded along as he read the declaration. “Hozh. Mi hab been thinkin’ da sayme , bruddah. Da spiritz am peepin’ agh mi nub gruk iv dey am proud.”

Hali smiled the suns smile. “Could not have stated the situation better myself. Are those who stood alongside the butchers, lending hand as necessary while muttering hasty objections to be seen as innocent? They call us warmongers and yet we offer real mercy to those with the humility to accept it.”

Hali rolled his eyes, smoking in the tavern as yet another propaganda piece was read. “Faith meant nothing to those of the Midlands, until it was the only avenue by which they might retain power. Such verbose yet hollow scholarly writing as this was not deemed necessary to make their crimes less shocking until they realized that we meant what we said. They were proud enough of Veletz and all it stood for, until it was no longer a tenable position to hold. The claim of two distinct wars is preposterous. There is only one aim, which has not changed, to disarm the Midlands so completely that they never again threaten stability and reason.”

Hali laughed upon finishing reading this missive. "Always the same mewling, truly. They refuse to admit that they started this war and claim that there should be no just punishment of their countless crimes, which they have also failed to acknowledge. It is more clear to me than ever before that if we had accepted their farce of a surrender, there would be a third Midlander war before long. Ask the creator for mercy Adria, for you will find none in the blades of those you have mocked and believed to be fools."

Hali shook his head, casting the missive aside and wondered if Uther would have acted thusly as well.

Hali adds this missive to his collection. “Some good news out of all  this. The Crow King has resolve and may the creator ensure he keeps it.

Hali sneers, casting the missive into the fire. “Such light terms they believe to be acceptable, for a war they started. There is a notable lack of apology for many of their atrocities, including the usurpation and murder of brave Sigismund. If peace is signed with these rats, I’ll not be bound by it. I swear on my ancestors.”

Hali nodded firmly. “I do not know this Cassius but he is a bold man to state what no leader has dared state thus far. The Midlanders have no right to dictate their own terms.”

Hali scoffed. “A foolish mercy. As I feared might happen. They shall simply hide the dark beings and Veletzian butchers and bide their time until the world forgets.”

“Already the vermin drown one another in an attempt at escaping vengeance. I do hope our leaders won’t fall for it.” Hali says, scowling.

Hali prepared for the battles to come. “The Veletzian heartlands lie open, with their fortresses cast asunder. What now could forestall judgement?”

“Let us see what tricks they pull next in vain attempts to forestall judgement. Veletzes’ time draws nigh.” Hali drained his tankard of ale with finality.