Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 546: Red sealed people i

He nodded to himself as he thought to see his soldiers.

He could also see if there is anything that they need or complaints that they have. If time allowed it, he would form rapport with them

Arial realizes that the army in the thirteen Tribe is easier to command than the soldiers of his Empire 

This is because in his Empire, Arial had to instill loyalty to them, form rapport with them and so on and so forth.

As for the tribes, they were simpler in conduct. Those who could lead them to victory, they would follow the orders of such general unconditionally.

However, if the general is weak, unable to secure victory, then mutiny is not only possible, it is inevitable.

At least, in the Empire, one could not just change their general according to their mood. They must impeach them to the Imperial Court and when it was investigated and the accusation is true, then the Emperor would make the decision either to impeach or not.

Arial take a deep breath and look all around him. His room is big and there is everything he should need but even though it is large, he felt inexplicably lonely and alone

He is not afraid of it. 

But he is uncomfortable with it. 

He sighed and then he grabs the coat on the hanger and drape it over his body. The coat is made of a wolf fur. When he was wearing it he looks regal and overbearing.

The cold wind could not affect him because of his Dragon heart 

But, it is as habits that he is accustomed to wear a coat when the wind is blowing. 

He waves his hand as a gust of wind were blown toward the candles on the table as it went off.

He walk out from his room. 

Outside his room there is no servants or soldier guarding him. 

This is unlike his room and studies in his imperial Palace. Everywhere there would be soldiers guarding his room and the servant would walk behind him to be ready for any orders he might gave them.

It is not that his status is lower than his status in the Human Continent. 

But it is because he had personally orders to not put anyone around his room. While his room is not guarded, the lower part of the castle is guarded by the soldiers

And of course Santiago and Giovanni is not lacking in their effort of providing protection even though he had repeatedly asked them not to make a big deal out of it. 

Arial shakes his head. Tonight, he would not think about the military.

He walks around the floor and then he saw one of the guarded room. He stops for a second. 

This guarded room is a room where it houses Arial acquaintance in the New World. The soldiers were also assigned to this room under his order

He seems to hesitate to walk forward and he stops for a couple of times. 

It seems like he was thinking of going to that room. 

The guard guarding that room all saw Arial and they all bow and put their hand on their chest, a form of acknowledgement of the tribes.

Then they straightened their back and standing in their guarding position. They expected their lord to come to the door.

But Arial did not move.

They felt weird because they saw that Arial look at them. But, then they noticed that Arial is not looking at them but sainted looking at the door of the room that they are guarding.

They then pretend like they didn't know what their leader is thinking about. There is stories of course.

No one knows who is the woman that their lord had brought and who is she and how did she end up unconscious and to be treated so adoringly by their lord

They did not know the relations of that woman with their lord and they did not know why the lord cares about the woman so much. 

The woman didn't seem to be conscious most of the time. And when she is conscious, she would babble incoherently before passing out again.

Their lord even invited a few physicians in the city to look after her. With this, one could see that their lord cares about this woman.

Arial sighed. he did not know what he should do with Tatiana. He knows who she is. He should be mad. He should be angry. He should want to kill her

But..he couldn't. And he didn't know why. And that feeling is making him feeling all weird all over.

He had never thought that their path would cross again. He took a moment, and then he walks away. Maybe tomorrow. He thought to himself.

He then walks down and went pass the great halls. He went out and everywhere he goes, the guards that was stationed around the castle all bow when they see him

He did not go to the stable instead he went to military area and then as he come closer to the barracks he could hear a song

He come closer and he could hear the Gerendang being hit. Gerendang is a two headed drum made with animal's hide.

The inferior surface which emits low pitch beats is made from hard hide like tigers and buffalos while soft goatskin is used for the superior surface which emits high pitch beats.

The skin is starched on y shaped leather or rattan strings which can be tightened to change the pitch of the heads. The thinner the leather, the sharper the sound.

Arial once heard the people of the tribe use this instrument before in their many dark night across the land of the Shadowlands before they pass the Crystal Gate. 

His experience with the people of the Thirteen Tribe had also give him many knowledge of the thirteen tribe.

All in all, he had many result and many knowledge about the thirteen tribe after fighting with them and against them

He heard the song and eh sees the people dancing. 

The clouds cover the moon and so not many people realize Arial was there. The wolf fur itself is black and so nobody notices him among the crowd

He himself did not want to announce himself, so no one recognizes him. 

And the people of the tribes seems to be dancing and caught up with the feeling of excitement that they could hardly knows the person beside them what else a person like Arial who intentionally tries to hide himself as he looks at the instrument that the people of the Thirteen Tribe is playing

Other than the Gerendang, this tribe musician also uses something they called the Murim Kur (horsehead fiddle) Tushur, (three stringed lute) and Tumur (jaw harp) among the many instrument that would accompany their song.

Arial saw that his soldiers are dancing and their way of dancing is strong and firm. It is not slow or gentle like the dances of the high court

Nor is it like the dances of Renasia which moves like water, elegant and passionate and appears to court love

The dances of the thirteen tribes seems more like a fight move, harsh, strong and firm, inciting valiant feeling. 

As they dance, they circle something. Arial come closer to try to see what is these people are circling around.

The song grew louder and the dances grew stronger. There is like this synchronization between the song and the movement

They sing in a throaty hoarse voice, the voice echoes and there is shouts that rise and ebb with the song. 

It is unlike the song and tone that is used among the people of the Human Continent. 

Arial was accustomed to the smooth song of Vanguan, the rhythmic song of Arrandy and the passionate song of Renasia

To those noble of the Human Continent, the sound that these tribe makes probably sound like grunting and guttural. But there is something about their song that incense people to be valorous.

Arial move among the crowd of his soldiers who were dancing and singing. 

There is other like him that did not sing and did not dance. 

Some of them are opposing tribes and some of them are soldiers that belongs to Giovanni and Santiago who look at the dances and the song and could only stay around their area

Arial then finally saw what the tribespeople were circling around

In the center of the circle is pile of armors and the belonging from their enemies. There are also the flags of Balhae among that pile. And it is all burning.

Arial look at the people that is dancing and saw many of them is actually the Saranites people. 

It is not hard to recognize them. There are many identifying traits of a Saranite.

After all, as they keep dancing and singing, their tigers follows them. The sound grew louder and the song grew stronger.

From what Arial knows, the Saranites worship Mara Argi, the God of War. He did not know much about their culture but he knows at least the basic about them.