My dear friends and fellow Subjects,
It pains me greatly to say this, and I have remained awake through the night to pen this announcement in the best way possible. My Bonded, Valdien, has been killed in the line of duty. Mal, the Leader of the Six, struck him down last evening, and we will not let this sin go unpunished. When Chosen and Bonded are split, their ties severed, a grief and heartbreak you cannot comprehend overwhelms your entire being, your entire soul.
Besides Valdien's tragic death, several Azrein came to his aid and were just as easily struck down. Please be silent as I read their names, and remember them for their great deeds, loving hearts, and pure souls.
Txopu, who Chose Mira. Zeddler, who Chose Zel. Dark Ion, who Chose Edward. Chanticleer, who Chose Vincent. Rosalino, who Chose Caitlyn. Gwyn, who Chose Vita. Daria, who Chose Aila. Vim, who Chose Acacia. Youko, who Chose Kara. Filon Filen, who Chose Hero. Tylion, who Chose Nilah. Aurori, who Chose Eir Avani. Savina, who Chose the late Azra .Bayleef, who had not yet Chosen. Aiden, who had not yet Chosen. Isera, who had not yet Chosen. Fonso, who had not yet Chosen. Kinsley, who had not yet Chosen. Tatum, who had not yet Chosen. And finally, Mergatroyed, who had not yet Chosen.
Many of my Counselors lost their Bonded, as well as several Citizens. Although we are all shattered, we shall continue to lead you in good faith and good intentions. The other half of our souls has been torn asunder, fetters made of despair bind us by our hearts. Our eyes shall sting with tears for the next decade, but we shall keep moving forward. Remember not only these Azrein, but their valiant Chosen as well, who have decided to stand strong beside me in the days that will come.
There is no creature more pure in all the world than our Azrein we so cherish. They take all that is bad within us, and pull it into themselves, promising us that we shall never be alone, shall never again have to carry our burdens by ourselves and be crushed by their weight. They are our compass when we have strayed, and are our deepest, most inner conscience. The love we share with them is unfettered, is unconditional, and they have been tragically, sadistically, irrevocably torn away from us, never to return to our minds, bodies, hearts, or souls.
And because my Valdien, my very heart has been taken from me, my grief has led me to seek vengeance. I will take history by the throat as it attempts to pass me by without permission! I shall not let these transgressions go unpunished, and I shall not let any more Azrein be torn from their Bonded! I
will see the Six dead to the last member, and anyone who cares to join me in this is welcome.
The way will be frought with danger and heartache, but I will not relent. Do not join me in this unless you are ready to give up your life for the safety of the Greater Herd and the Isle's children. I go into this intending to fight til my last breath, even if I am the only one that chooses to walk this road.
No longer shall I sit idly by and remain on the defensive while I allow fate to take charge of me. No. Instead, I shall be the one taking charge. We are now officially a country under military rule, and life will be hard for the next year. But we will purge these blights on our lands and emerge victorious, and shall never again fear the death of our Bonded!
Never again will we feel the crushing defeat, the unrelenting anguish as we pine for what was once ours, never again shall we have to kneel weeping next to the body of our other heart, and never again will we be caught unawares. My people, I ask that you do everything you can to help us in this endeavor.
Bakers, lend us your yeast. Tailors, lend us your needles and thread. Blacksmiths, lend us your hammer. Woodsmiths, lend us your axe. Nobles, lend us your resources. Merchants, lend us your trade routes. Citizens, lend us your hearts, your strengths, your unfailing resolve. Our ancestors in the past were always those of action, steadfast wills, and resiliance. I ask this of the Isle's children once more. And I shall be there alongside you, sword in hand, eyes trained on our future, as we mete out justice to those who have thrown aside their morality.
We shall not let another soul be taken from us unawares, be it man or Azrein. We shall not let fate pass us by without a care. We shall not let the Six continue to do as they please! Citizens, rise with my banner! Come with me, to fight for our departed! Attend me, to dispense the justice these volatile souls have been seeking! Rise, my friends! Rise for your King, rise for Avandere, and rise for the Isle! Rise for the Azrein we have lost, and rise for the brothers and fathers that have been taken from you! Rise for your friends who have been Turned, and rise for retribution!
As your King, I will not permit this to go on any longer! So come, my friends, my brothers, my sisters, and my citizens! Come with me, to right the wrongs that have been done! Come with me, and we will never again fear for the lives of those we love! We shall bring war to the Six, and they shall regret everything they have ever done! Let us make war, and let us ride!
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