The Tragedy of Felidae: Part Two

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Serilda approached the podium with an even but somber expression on her face. She ignored the flashes and clicking of cameras as they went off around her, instead taking a moment to organize the paperwork from her prepared speech before getting started. There was a breath of quiet as she steeled herself for what was sure to be one of the most difficult speeches anyone could give, and then with a gentle sigh she began to speak. “My fellow Ishgarans, it is my somber duty to inform you of the tragic incident that took place in Joya two days ago. The intended peace treaty between Pergrande and Bellum took an unfortunately catastrophic turn amidst violent protests and alleged terrorist intervention.”

“It is no secret to any of us that the history between Bellum and Pergrande runs deep with blood. At this time, it is still unclear what started the skirmishes between their borders months ago. Both nations seemed genuinely open to peace talks and reparations leading into the meeting in Joya. However, there is no denying that for many people who felt strongly about the long standing conflict, peace was not an option. At this time, the Rune Knights are still running a full investigation and it will take some time to uncover the truth, but for now there are a few details that I can release.”

Flipping over the first page of her notes, she continued. “From the information we have gathered from survivors, this seems to have been a multifaceted attack. Prior to the day of the meeting, the Knights had gathered intelligence that pointed toward a possible premeditated bombing in the main city streets of Felidae, where many civilians of Joya and other nations had gathered to witness, either in support or defiance, the intended meeting. We had several squads consisting of both Rune Knights and Joyan guards patrolling the city in hopes of catching and preventing such bombings before they could be detonated. Several individuals of Joyan descent were caught attempting to discharge weapons of mass destruction in the midst of active riots. Thankfully, between the efforts of not just many Rune Knights and Joyan soldiers, but also a large number of civilian mages that chose to put their own lives on the line to step up and assist, every device in question was found and detained before they could be set off, though many lives were still lost in the confrontations and riots throughout the city.”

“Unfortunately, these were not the only attacks. The delegates from Pergrande and Bellum that were to be taking point on the treaty talks were both provided private escorts to the meeting house, and neither group managed to make it to their destination. The Bellum Cardinal of Whispers, Leonida Ferreolius, was being escorted alongside Norwood Pendleton, the chairman of the Magic Council. It is with profound sorrow that I must report that both men lost their lives in this targeted attack. Leonida was held in high esteem by his country and his peers among the Holy Council, and was well respected by the communities in his home nation as a faithful and devout servant of Arcanos. Chairman Pendleton was…”

It was here that the field marshal’s stoic exterior cracked just the softest bit to suggest that she was not taking the loss of the Council’s Chairman well. She paused to steady herself, gathering her conviction and finding the strength to press on. “Norwood was a kind and generous man that passionately wanted nothing more than to put a stop to this conflict, and he was so driven by his desire for peace that he insisted on being personally involved in the meetings to ensure that every possible avenue of mediation could be met to see the treaty through, even if it meant risking his own life and safety. Norwood may no longer be with us among the living, but he died defending what he believed in, and his legacy will live on in our own hearts. He will be deeply missed.”

Serilda turned another page. “Thankfully, we have received confirmation that the Imperial Envoy of Pergrande, Stefan Borisov, survived the attack and returned safely to his nation to recover. Envoy Borisov has not been available for comment at this time, but his security has been assured to us and I am sure we will hear from him when he is ready to make an address. And while we don’t have all the details at this time, we know that there were two separate attacks on both individual groups of delegates, and both attacks resulted in massive and incalculable destruction that has caused irreparable damage to Felidae City and its citizens. We are still calculating the numbers, but as of right now we suspect that upwards of three million or more people are dead or missing. And while a great number of travelers from other Ishgaran nations are listed among the victims, including a significant number of Rune Knights, it is the heartbreaking truth that the overwhelming majority of the fatalities were Joyan citizens.. At this time, it’s been deemed that roughly eighty-six percent of Felidae city was completely destroyed, with most of the force being dealt by a single, nuclear powered spell epicentered toward the top of the mountain just below the building where the peace talks were to be hosted.”

“I regret to inform you that war has been officially declared by both Empress Xenia Polyakov and Grand Cardinal Soteris Leptis. As such, both nations along with many of their allied countries have closed their borders at this time, disallowing travel of any kind, whether in or out, to anyone without approved business. This includes our own nation of Fiore, which is and has been allied with Bellum for some time. That being said, I wish to impress upon all of you that the Rune Knights have no evidence at this time that either Bellum nor Pergrande were directly involved in the attacks on one another’s emissaries. And while the Rune Knights primarily operate out of Fiore under the direction of the Magic Council, it is my personal intention to cooperate fully with the leaders of both Bellum and Pergrande, as well as the remaining representatives of Joya, to get to the bottom of this egregious calamity. To say that an offensive number of lives were lost in this spiteful and malicious assault is perhaps the largest understatement of our time, and we will exhaust every resource at our disposal to ensure that justice is served, no matter who is found to be responsible.”

“I will take only a few questions at this time.”

Immediately, several hands from the surrounding press were raised as they all began to speak at once, each one clamoring to be heard over the others. Serilda pointed to one at random and everyone else quieted down to let the reporter’s question be heard. “Are there any leads on who used the magic spell that caused the most destruction?”

“At this time we do have a lead that we are investigating, but we are waiting for the opportunity to speak with Cardinal Borisov and the members of his protective detail for confirmation, as they were at the heart of the largest blast around the time that it went off. We will release more details after we have had the chance to confirm or deny the involvement of our current leading suspects.”

More hands shot into the air with further questions and the field marshal continued to pick a couple more reporters one by one. “Who were the escorts for the envoys? Was there no intel to give them preparation for an attack of this scale?”

“Until we have had a chance to interview all of the individuals that made up the protective details, we will not be releasing their names or any information about their identities. While we prepared as best we could for the possibility that the envoys might be attacked, we had no concrete evidence or suspicion that either Leonidas, Stefan, or Norwood would be directly targeted, and certainly not to this scale of destruction. All I can confirm is that the spell that was released could only have been performed by an exceptionally powerful mage that likely had plenty of resources of their own to cover up their involvement until it was too late to stop them.”

“Who will be inheriting Pendleton’s position?”

“The remaining members of the Magic Council are still deliberating over who will assume the position of Chairman in Pendleton’s place. It is not a decision easily made, particularly in the wake of loss. The new Chairman will be announced once a consensus has been reached between them.”

“Will the Rune Knights be enacting a draft like other nations?”

“Director Ragnos and I have not committed to enforcing a draft at this time, but I can confirm that the topic has been discussed. Drafts can help bolster numbers but forcing military involvement on those who do not wish for that kind of lifestyle can also breed resentment and disloyalty, which weakens the integrity of our forces. It is a possibility that is on the table, but we would like to be completely sure of all our options before deciding one way or another. In the meantime, willing volunteers that wish to take initiative and join the Knights of their own accord are more than welcome to reach out to their local garrisons for more information.”

“Are people from nations on the opposite side going to be considered for questioning and possible internment?”

“It is our hope that nations on all sides are going to be willing to cooperate with us on even footing. There is a great deal of valid mistrust on all sides, so it will not be easy, but the simple truth is that unless we find a way to pool information and reports from all sides, we will never uncover the truth. Internment is breeding grounds for further hostility, so I would prefer to avoid it when possible, but in wartime it would be naive to assume that it won’t happen. Every nation will be doing what it takes to protect themselves, and incidents of internment are a regrettable but common part of the process. What I can say with certainty is that should we deem it needful to incarcerate members of other nations, we will strive to treat them fairly and without cruelty.”

“That is all the time I have for questions today. If anyone has any leads or information they wish to share, please contact your local Rune Knight garrison to file a report. Thank you.” With that, Serilda gave a somber nod, collected her papers, and abandoned the podium.

The screen would flick back to the Earthland News Network film stage, with Liliana Taberski sitting at the desk that was once occupied by Ashline Bariat. “That is the recording of Field Marshall Serilda Sinclair’s speech from yesterday, covering the information gathered by the Rune Knights. With the announcement of open war by almost every country in Ishgar, the devastating attack on Felidae feels more like a terrible prelude to what could be one of the bloodiest periods of time for our world. As of now, it seems that Field Marshall Sinclair is doing her best to toe the line of modesty in the face of pointed questions about Fiore’s immediate plans.”

She flipped over the page that was on the top of her pile and tucked it on the bottom of the paper pile. “Though the final numbers for the deaths coming out from Felidae won’t be finalized for months, we can now confirm that over four million men, women and children lost their lives there. Roughly eighty six percent of the city was wiped out by the sequential attacks and as of now, over five hundred thousand Joyans and travelers are missing. Recovery efforts have been slow, as Joya has all but shut down its borders to all personnel and insists on handling matters themselves without interference. The Rune Knights, along with the newly formed Ironheart Pact and Luminous Covenant have continued to request access to ground zero in hopes of recovering their people but their calls have gone unanswered.”

Liliana Taberski reached up a finger to her ear, listening to the small audio device tucked in the canal. “I’m receiving word that the Magic Council is holding a press conference at this very moment. We’re going live to Era to see what this could be about.”

The screen flicked over to the same stage that Serilda Sinclair had delivered her address, though the podium was temporarily unoccupied. A moment later, a man walked out from behind the curtains and stepped up to the podium. His smile was thin, polite and well mannered but weighted by the duty that fell to his shoulders. “Good afternoon. My name is Braeden Tarner. I worked under former Chairman Pendleton up until his untimely death only days ago. And it is because of his tragic loss that I find myself thrust into his position as Chairman, at the behest of the Magic Council. This is not a duty or honor that I take lightly -- I had no aspirations of taking this position from Norwood, as I believed no man better suited as our representative. And all I can hope is that I will be able to live up to even a portion of what Norwood brought to the position. Arthur Dalakar will act as my mentor for a time as I begin to learn my new position and I’m thankful to have a former Magic Council member at my side.”

His smile drooped into a frown. “Now, more than ever, we need to stand united as Fioreans. Our world has been thrown into chaos and impending violence and we cannot suffer any strife within our glorious nation. Norwood was unjustly murdered in Felidae and while we may not know the person that pulled the metaphorical trigger, we know that his death was meant to unravel us. We must stand strong, Fiore, putting aside our differences so that we can face the grand picture as one. We must hope that we can find a peaceful resolution before too many more lives are lost but should the worst truly come to pass, I know we’ll be ready. Long live the King and long live the people of Fiore.”

With that, Braeden Tarner bowed his head and exited, even as reporters shouted questions after him. The screen flicked back to the new room. “Well it seems that a new Chairman has been elected by the Magic Council. Many believed that Arthur Dalakar would be the one to fill the position but it seems he will be watching over the new Chairman as he begins his duties. One cannot help but feel pity for the man having to fill such an important position as the war machines of Ishgar begin to churn. This is Liliana Taberski of Earthland News Network. Tune in next time for more updates on the tragedy of Felidae and the fallout from it.”