The pitter patter of constant heavy footsteps echoed throughout the farmlands. The sound of a creaking pair of wagon wheels complimented the pitter-patters nicely as a horse drawn carraige was seen proceeding down a dusty dirt road. It wasn't a carraige so much as a wagon full of vegetables with a farmer atop, though it was horse drawn nonetheless. Who this farmer was, or what he was doing is not important as he is not the focal point of this tale, however.
Immediately the pitterpatter turned into a constant thud as the wagon had stepped onto the brick and stone clad road known as the Highway of Avion. The road was barren, an unusual trait given that the Highway of Avion was a rather populous commerce route that, under normal circumstances, would be packed with wagons and travelers alike.
After some two hours of traveling down the Highway of Avion the farmer had reached the main gates of Stormhale. They were magnificent, they reached high into the sky and were powerful and elegant, almost divine in nature. Two marble columns stood powerfully wielding golden grates that stretched almost a hundred feet straight up with granite walls extending as far as the eye could see. They did not compare to the walls of Valtrenna, but they were surely a spectacle to behold. The farmer was in awe, this was his first time delivering crops to the Stormhale Marketplace- he had seen nothing like this before. The gates were open, of course, and he and his wagon proceeded through them, the roads still barren. The only other company was that of a slight breeze and the scorching sun above.
Faintly in the distance could he hear the sound of clammering citizens, was it a riot? No, but it sounded like one. As he passed numerous houses and workshops and businesses with Stormhale Banners hanging from them the sound of clammering grew exponentially louder until it was almost a roar. Finally the farmer could see what it was all about - hundreds of citizens were gathered around the grand square, a massive flat location used to issue royal decrees. High atop the crowd in a balcony on a marble wall stood the king infront of a throne desperately trying to calm the crowds. It was total chaos, dissent - everyone seemed to be screaming something else.
"The magi stones must be destroyed!"
"The magi stones must be preserved!"
"We must use them to destroy Valtrenna!"
Everyone had a different argument but all the same focal point - the magi stones. "Silence!" the king roared to an almost godly volume. The crowds began to grow silent gradually until total silence. "The Magi stones are indeed powerful - but too powerful for the likes of man. As your king I must bow to your biddings as citizens, though we musn't act hastily. The stones are perhaps dangerous, and with the discovery of the Rift we musn't treat them as weapons or toys!" King Aelus spoke powerfully but sincerely to the audience of citizens who responded well to his words. They respected him and trusted him. This was one of but many speeches about the magi stones, a campaign of his to rally the citizens of Stormhale to agree upon the destruction or containment of the stones; and his campaign was working. Not long ago was the kingdom in complete dissent, now they are much more tame. Though whether or not the King of Valtrenna was managing his kingdom as well as King Aelus was another story.
King Aelus turned and walked away from the crowd into his castle's grand balcony chamber. It was a soothing lounge quite massive in size that was exquisitely decorated with banners, artwork and expensive furniture. He sat upon one of the six silky red couches that had been huddled around a fire burning slowly and valiantly within a fireplace. King Aelus let out a heavy exhale and rested his head on one hand. He was in extroardinarily deep thought about the magi stones. He didn't know what to make of them, but he wasn't about to put his citizens at risk.