The Full of Collection of the Completed Stories

[Eckstein Z. A. Filip]

Contents:

Chapter I

a)The Raiding of The Ministry of the Interior
b) The First Incriminating Document

Chapter II

a)The Escape
b)Interview with The Deputy Minister

Chapter III

a)A New Lead
b)Welcome to Vanderveer!
c)Security Alert!

Chapter IV

a)Tyranny
b)Breaking The Chains
c)On The Edge Of The Desert
d)A Message Received

Chapter V

a)A Secret Goodbye
b)Returns
c)A Pillar in the Storm - INCOMPLETE

Incomplete...

[Eckstein Z. A. Filip]

Chapter I


The Raiding of The Ministry of the Interior
by Christopher I

Christopher paced back and forth through the room and looked at the papers on the desk, disgusted. How could this have possibly happened? He had planned for this sort of thing, of course, and there were documents outlining Raiding Plans for each and every Government Office. He had never dreamed of actually using one though...But there was too much proof to ignore. The evidence was right in front of him and Lady Rebecca was not a liar...

He sat down in the chair with a plop and picked up the black telephone on the desk. He entered a three digit code and waited without breathing for an answer.

"Your Majesty?" a voice said, knowing that only the King had access to this line.

"Raid the Interior Ministry. Tonight." He said, quietly.

"Sir? I mean...of course, Your Majesty."

He knew that a man would be put in chains and thrown into a tiny cell tonight. A man that had once been his friend. And he expected even more proof to be found.

***


The Interior Minister was sitting in his office, reading over a report, when he noticed the light go off outside his window. It was odd because all of the lights outside the Ministry were usually kept on at night.

He stood and walked over to the window, looking down at the ground. He could have sworn that he had seen some movement down there...Probably just office staffers leaving. The door opened and he turned swiftly around. His personal body guard stood in the doorway, looking rough.

"Sir, you've got to run." He said, before falling over a chair sitting near the door. A dark patch on the back of his shirt began to grow. He had been shot. Eckstein gasped and ran out the door, thinking quickly. Cursing himself, he ran back into the room, grabbed a bottle of ink (used for formal signings) and smashed it onto the documents on the desk. Perhaps this would save him. He knew he didn't have time to destroy everything, he just had to try and escape now.

He ran back out the door, started down the hallway, and felt a horrible jolt in his hip. He continued to run, ignoring it.

***


Christopher looked at the ink stained paper and sighed. He had been sending letters to Vanderveer. He had wanted to buy weapons. He was a traitor. He looked at the document beside it, an official charge against the Minister. It awaited only his signature...He sighed. If Eckstein had not tried to escape he might have saved him some prison years...Instead the Deputy Minister was the one in chains and Eckstein was on the run, presumably attempting to escape to Vanderveer. Prince Micheal of that nation had to be contacted.

Sub-Ministry of Justice
Romero, Tellia

Former Minister of The Interior Eckstein Z. A. Filip is hereby released from his duties and charged with being a traitor to the nation of Tellia. A trial shall be held at a later date according to the law of the land. It is ordered that Mr. Filip should be kept inside prison until such a time that he is ordered released or moved.

Signed,

Christopher Rex

The First Incriminating Document
by Christopher I

[Eckstein Z. A. Filip]

Chapter II


The Escape
by

Eckstein Z. A. Filip woke up with a terrible headache. He was on board a moving helicopter. Armed men were around him, with guns pointed at him. When they noticed he was waking up they let the weapons down.

He was feeling awful. He felt extremely inflexible and could barely open his eyes. Focusing carefully on each word, he asked: "Where am I?". A soldier immediately answered "In safety,Sir.We are taking you to Vanderveer, where you will be safe from the king..the king of Tellia."

He barely understood the words. Vanderveer...that sounded familiar to him...Tellia..what is Tellia? Suddenly he remembered everything: He was planning to overthrow the Tellian Monarchy. Vanderveer was his only friend and ally in this. The King of Tellia...a wave of hate struck into his mind..The Despot! He has seen the suffering of the people...Oh, how many injustices were there? The King...who now was after him. Someone betrayed the revolution...Yes, he tried to escape...but what was going on now? He decided to ask.

He was struggling to breath and barely able to pronounce the words ,he asked: "How ...how did I get here? Who are you?".

"We shot you down with a tranquilizer, Sir.", said the same soldier who answered before. "For your own safety", he added after a small pause.

"We are your friends. From Vanderveer.", said the young soldier.

Eckstein noticed a devilish smile in the eyes of the soldier, for a second. But he was sure that he is hallucinating.

He stood up a for a few seconds and took a look around in the chopper. Since he was planning to free Tellia, he had learned quite a lot about weapons and aircrafts. He could easily see that this was not a stately Helicopter he might have expected.

Obviously, Vanderveer wouldn't use their nicer aircraft for such a delicate mission...He felt extremely tired, and fell asleep again, knowing that he was safe...

Interview with The Deputy Minister
by Christopher I

Christopher walked down the hallway, two men in front of him, and two men behind. Security had been beefed up ever since the traitor had escaped. Now, he was going to interview the Deputy Minister of The Interior, Morna Cravette.

He took a sharp turn, throwing the guards off a bit, and they hurried back to their posts. He walked to the end of this hall and pointed at the large door. A guard pulled out a key and thrust it open. Inside, there was only a bed, a desk, and a man, looking out a tiny window.

"Morna Cravette." He said, smiling slightly. "Come with me." He said, politely, as if the man had a choice in the matter.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Morna said, attempting to maintain some dignity.

Chris led him and the 4 guards back down the hallway and into a meeting room. He motioned for the guards to stay outside the door.

"Have a seat, Morna." He said, pointing at a couch.

Chris took the other seat across from Morna and sighed.

"Well, you know why you are here. Where has he gone and what will he do next?"

"First, Your Majesty, please know that I have only done what I have done out of fear! I have always been loyal to you! Always, at heart!"

"Enough! Tell me what I want to know, so that you might be spared a lengthy sentence!"

"Of course...He is in Vanderveer. He had plans for this...He knew he might be caught...He was taken by Helicopter to an undisclosed Vanderveean location...They were supposed to be working together, the Rebels here, and the Government of Vanderveer...But lately, Vanderveer has tried to pull out...I know not what will happen to him there."

"I see. And what do you recommend that I do? Storm Vanderveer? Sit and wait?"

"Your Majesty, all you can do, is wait. I think he will be back very soon. Set patrols along all the borders. Make sure that he is found as he reenters the nation."

"Thank you. Go back to your house, and you will receive a pension each month from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Your help is appreciated." He said, turning and walking quickly back out of the room.

"Come. Leave him." He said to the guards. He made his way back to his private office, once more leaving the guards behind. Inside the room, Lady Rebecca was waiting.

"Well?"

"Well what?" Chris said, irritably.

"Have you found him yet?"

"Obviously not...Go and tell someone to set patrols along the borders. No helicopters or private planes allowed in without being searched. Make sure that when he comes back, he IS found."

"Yes, your majesty." She said, slipping away quietly.

A single round tear floated off of Christopher's face...How could it be?

[Eckstein Z. A. Filip]

Chapter III


A New Lead
by Lady Rebecca

Rebecca poised with bated breath. She was scared, there was no doubt about that, but the terrifying dread was not for herself but for the life of Chris, King of Tellia. She stood waiting outside Chris’s office, her eyes locked to the door for the slightest movement. She kept squeezing her hands together in anxiety; the information she had encaged within her memory could be the key to finding Tellias traitor and nothing in heaven or hell was going to stop that perpetrator from getting what he deserved. But she was still nervous…

The door clicked open, that sound echoing loudly through the quiet corridor. Out stepped two heavily armoured guards. Security had increased tremendously since the attack and all guards were extremely cautious, on high alert. Rebecca slowly stood, taking a deep breath to keep a steady appearance. She walked up to one of the guards and, keeping her voice as steady as possible, said “I have an appointment to see the king, I have vital information for him.”

The guard, she hadn’t spoken to, gave her a stern look, while the other went back through the oak doors to inform the king of his visitor. After a while of waiting they let her in.
The room was a large, well furnished office that held a smart appearance. Everything about it was perfect, but on closer inspection the remnant of ink, left over from the attack, still glistened on the chair by the desk. Chris was stood by the window looking over Collins place. There were two bodyguards stood either side of the room, both standing tense, ready to kill to protect their king.

When Chris noticed Rebecca, he turned round and smiled. He trusted her; she’d been in parliament a while now and always had a view on everything. Rebecca smiled back the best she could and got straight to the point.

“Sir, I have some information for you…about the traitor” she said.
At this Chris became stern again, this had been worrying him for a while. They still hadn’t caught the one who was planning to kill him and this concerned him. All of these extra guards, high security, it was ridiculous… and very unsettling. It was as if a noose was constantly around his neck, one slip-up and it would be let loose and kill him. “Please, say what you know” he answered.
The pressure was getting to Rebecca, a tear collected itself in her eyes, but she tried to hold it in as she told her story…

“I was on a business trip to Vanderveer, I made a stop at Café Orange before my return journey. This is a very famous café in Vanderveer, mostly because the Princes, especially the Prince regent - Prince Michael, frequently visit it. I sat at the back of the café, as I wanted some peace to enable me to do some simple paperwork without much noise to distract me. There I saw…I saw Eckstein Z. A. Filip, the member of our parliament, holding a document up to the Prince Regent of Vanderveer.
I knew from the meetings we were not dealing with Vanderveer at this particular moment, or I would have thought nothing of it. Also Eckstein has been acting oddly over the last couple of months. This document… it looked official, and I was curious. I managed to get a quick glance at the writing; it was a request, for weapons. I was shocked, I trusted Eckstein and surely he wasn’t plotting something. I thought that there must have been a reasonable explanation.
I was about to leave it, and think nothing of it when Eckstein spotted me… I panicked and left. I am so sorry I didn’t say anything before now… If I ever had thought he was plotting something against you, my King, I would have said something.”

King Chris kept himself steady and nodded. “Thank you Lady Rebecca, you have done well.” At this Chris turned back to face the window, he had a new lead for his searches… but would this ever end?

Welcome to Vanderveer!
by

Eckstein Z. A. Filip woke up again. The little sleep helped him, and he was feeling quite recovered from the shock of the being shot down.He also a felt a bit better mentally.He was safe ,and the Revolution had another chance...But he had a bitter surprise in the next minutes.

The helicopter landed on a military base.He expected to see Prince Micheal,however the welcoming committee was made up from a few soldiers armed to teeth,and a rough looking general.He was sure he knew him from somewhere.Suddenly he remembered:He was in the escort of Prince Micheal,a while ago.He remembered that he was named Le'Morgan. In a flash of memory he also remembered that he was the witness to an arguing between Micheal and Le'Morgan. Things weren't normal.He had a sudden feeling of unsafety.There was something definitely wrong here..

Prince Le'Morgan greeted him with an evil smile,and he said:

"Welcome to Vanderveer!"he paused for a few seconds,then continued:"I hope your stay will be a pleasant one..as you won't ever leave this place.."

"What?! What's going on?!" said Eckstein Z. A. Filip,amazedly.

Le'Morgan seemed to enjoy the situation.With a sadist tone of voice he said:"I already told you: You are not leaving this place, Mister "Transitional President",he said,with an comic tone.

"I want too see Prince Micheal immediately! I want to start the revolution,and I don't have time to waste! "said The Transitional President, with a desperate tone.

"Oh,bald hero,you have all the time in the world."replied Le'Morgan calmly. Suddenly he started yelling :
"Do you think you would have changed anything?! Do you really think Vanderveer would sacrifice their man and spend their money on your pathetic dreams?!"

Filip tried to interrupt : "But Prince Micheal assured me that..."

Le'Morgan started smiling devilishly again : " Prince Micheal is no longer a prince. He is away,in a small house,in the countryside,and quite happy that he is alive."

"What did you do to him?! " said Eckstein,with growing fear and anger mixed inside him.

"We didn't have to do anything special.The law of the nature simply worked.The strong survive and the weak die,you lunatic!"he shouted."We had removed him from the office and exiled him..But I've already spent too much of my time talking to a dreamer.It's time to finish my plans for Tellia...Take him to the prison,now!"said Le'Morgan,and started walking away.

The soldiers were getting closer. Eckstein did a desperate attempt to turn the situation: "Prison ? Plans for Tellia ?!"

Le'Morgan turned around and said,with his usual smile :"Did you think we would just let you walk away with all these secrets? Well,I wasn't wrong,you really are crazy...Vanderveer will deny everything and put blame on terrorist organization impersonating him..Then,when Tellia least expects it,we will strike,using all the delicate information you gave us blindly!We have been waiting this for centuries!Now,take him!" he said.

A sudden wave of anger invaded Filip's mind..He was fooled all the time...He only wanted to help Tellia...And now it turns out that Vanderveer is just another enemy! I can't let this happen. I don't owe anything to this Despot! I owe everything to the people of Tellia!

He pretended to stand still,but when a soldier got closer to him,he made a sudden movement,hit the soldier down,and took his weapon. Using the gun he shot down some soldiers. He then aimed to Le'Morgan,the traitor..however he felt a strong ache in his neck.He felt unable to shoot anymore.

The last words he heard was : "That was foolish,my hero.But I've been expecting that. I am not a bad person,I didn't kill you..Perhaps I will find you some small,office work in the new,big Vanderveer.So I guess that another tranquilizing will only cool you down..Goodbye.." Le'Morgan said.

He was the only one that could save Tellia.He was hunted by everyone..He had a last thought in his mind before falling " I must save Tellia!..".

He fell down,desperate and defeated...

Security Alert!
by Christopher I

Christopher had just settled into his bed when a horrible sound began to issue and the lights came on. He sighed and hopped out of bed, running to the door. As he reached it, it was flung open, and a group of guards surrounded him so quickly he didn't even have time to count them. They moved quickly and silently as a group, down to the basement, where he would probably have to spend the night. The guards met with many others at the door and allowed Christopher to enter the Basement area on his own.

He walked into the dimly lit room, with it's concrete walls and cots. The walls were covered with shelves stocked with food and water. One section of a far wall consisted of a door that led off into the other areas of the Basement Bunker. There was a tiny kitchen, two bathrooms, four private bedrooms, another cot and supply room, a tiny office, and a control room filled with monitors and computers. There were several other less noticed rooms, too.

He took a look around the room and noticed several familiar faces. All nobles who had been staying in the palace. Rebecca suddenly came down the stairs. Clearly, she too had been taken by a large group of guards from her bed.

"To the control room?" Chris said, pointing away through the door.

"Lead the way." She said, following as he walked through a maze of halls and into the 20x20 room that was known as the Control Room. The entire country could be managed from here.

Inside the room there was a door leading to a smaller room filled with computers, and a large table with 8 chairs along one side. On the table, in front of each chair, there was a microphone, and a shut laptop.

In front of the table were three 42 inch Plasma Screens and 10 Smaller LCD Screens.

Rebecca and Chris took the first two seats. Luckily, the table was large enough for the large chairs to be quite spaced out. They opened their laptops simultaneously.

The laptop booted quickly, running a special "Get it done now" Operating System designed by the government. Chris simply had to click one button on the right hand control panel and one of the numerous plans of action was initiated. He chose one which would display the INS TV Feed on one of the larger screens, muted, and a constantly updated Private RSS Feed from the Tellian Intelligence Ministry on another. The final was dominated by an image of a large chair, similar to the one he was sitting in.

He tapped a few keys, initiating instant messaging chats with Government Officials across the nation. All around Tellia, officials would be hurrying into Bunkers just like to this one.

Everyone knew the drill and no one dared to Instant Message the King until called upon. Once the system gave him an auto-pop up showing that everyone had been accounted for, he clicked through a few more buttons and the 10 LCD Screens flicked on. In each appeared a chair, with a man or woman in it.

In the final 42 Inch Plasma, the chair remained empty. Chris was worried...Had something happened? No, luckily, the Intelligence Minister slid into his seat looking harried within minutes.

"Everyone is accounted for, so let us begin. Lord Whalley, please explain the alert."

Charles Whalley, the Intelligence Minister for Tellia, took a few deep breaths and began.

"I am sorry about being late, I was confirming something with a contact. I put out the alert due to the fact that another Private Plane refused to land and consent to a search. Like the last three, this is probably just someone illegally shipping drugs or something, but it could be a Vanderveean invasion headed by Eckstein...I am sorry to have gotten you all up, but we will be better safe than sorry." He said, knowing that many of the faces on the LCD Screens in front of him were barely concealing looks of malice.

"I see." The King said, leaning back and looking into the webcam built into the desk in front of him. It was barely even noticeable.

"Lady Rebecca, can you inform us of the situation regarding the security around the border?"

"Your Majesty, all of the plans have been enacted smoothly. We should have no problem unless a full scale invasion is mounted."

"Lord Bailey, is this likely? And if so, can we withstand it?" He asked the Foreign Minister quietly.

"Your Majesty, I believe that an invasion is NOT likely. I have been working closely with Lord Whalley of the T.I.M and we have found no real evidence that anything will be happening at all. In fact, it seems that the Vanderveean Government is not interested in invading us at all...Our Diplomatic Envoys have been told that they know nothing of any discussions with Mr. Filip...But, the country is a bit unstable...Prince Micheal has been deposed by a despot...."

"I would like to make the following predictions and announcements:

First, I do not believe we will be invaded. This new government has too many problems and if the old one comes back, I would feel even safer.

Second, I believe that Prince Micheal will back in power within a week. The rebels only managed to capture the capital and it can be easily retaken by loyalists...We are quite lucky that something like this did not happen here, though...

Third, I believe that Eckstein is being held prisoner by the new government in Vanderveer...I cannot prove this, but, I think it is true. But, when the new Government is in power, he may be released...or killed, depending on Micheal's mood.

Finally, I do believe that if an invasion is launched we could withstand it. Babkha would come swiftly to our aid and they know of the situation." The Foreign Minister said.

"I see. Lord Whalley, could you inform us of the status of the rest of the rebels that were indicated by the documents in Eckstein's office?"

"There were only 60. Hardly enough to take over, but plenty to cause damage...Much like the Rebellion in Vanderveer. Anyway, 37 of them have been arrested and will be tried by Public Courts later...Unlike Eckstein, who if caught, will be tried by a Royal Court headed by you, of course, Your Majesty. Anyway, the 23 left over are completely unaccounted for. We should expect some small bombings to be attempted in the next few days. I believe that these rebels will be able to stay in hiding as long as they believe that Eckstein is gathering an army in Vanderveer...They are tricky and seem to be somewhere in the Astrumtran hill-land. We are working to locate them, but we believe that they are all separated and remain in contact using technology..."

"I see...Well," The King began, before an Instant Message popped up on his computer. He noticed the address and looked up at Lord Reagan on an LCD. He had been away for some time and was only attending Emergency Meetings like these...

"Lord Reagan?" Chris said, anxiously.

"My secretary just informed me that there has been a car bombing in Ocula. Three people on a sidewalk were killed and a man was caught. I believe this is being reported on Ocia 12 News, if you want to switch to that..."

Christopher tapped a few keys, and heard others doing the same, and suddenly he saw a charred car skeleton in a street. It was surrounded by emergency vehicles.

"Spend the night in the Bunkers. I want the man who was caught brought to the Palace as soon as possible so that I may speak with him...Lord Whalley issue a statement from the T.I.M about this. Get that car off of the streets, too. And that plane, the one that caused this....Tell them to land in Romero immediately...if they do not comply, do what you must." He said, standing, and walking away silently.

[Eckstein Z. A. Filip]

Chapter IV


Tyranny
by Lady Rebecca

This was going to be a nightmare. First Tellia had been submerged in death threats, then there were armed forces here there and everywhere, now there was a power shortage and many gruelling tasks to do whilst worrying about one person that could hold enough firearms to take down the whole of Main Street! Yet, it was just another day in the busy life of a member of Tellian government.

Rebecca sat in her car, feeling the exhilaration of the speed she was going down the main highway. There was hardly any traffic, as the whole country had gone into panic. The media had taken things out of control. All of the citizens were currently working, franticly, on protecting their shelters and desparatly stocking up for possible shortages. These bombings were unlikely to happen to common,ordinary citizens,as they were primarily targeted on officialities,still...there were still many worries and rumours knocking around, and some of them even held some possible truth that was quite unnerving.

There was a vastly increasing rumour about Eckstein. That was the medias main avenue; they were portraying Eckstein as some sort of ‘heartless bomber’. Rebecca didn’t care what the press said. She had worked with Eckstein too long, the memory of the kind; dedicated, warm and gentle guy would not be ruined by tittle-tattle of paparazzi.

Rebecca was travelling to the state of Astrumtra to get some important information from its military base. Normally it was a quick and easy job, using the connectivity station, but no…the power just happened to fail. This information was vital for the defence of the palace and Rebecca had been the only one available to go and fetch it. So that’s how she ended up being the only one driving down the A67 to cross the state borders.

The whole journey took over an hour. The military base was located on the outskirts of Astrumtra near the centre of a small town. Once she arrived there, Rebecca noticed how desolate and empty the place looked. It was white and ghostly, as if a plague had run through the street adding a sense of death and decay to the air. As she drove, now slowly due to the decreasing speed limit in residential areas, she noticed the movement of net curtain as she passed. There was life in this town! They were just terrified for some reason – the paparazzo’s claims no doubt.

She drove to Almer Street and pulled up her car. As she stepped out the silence hit her. She should have expected it, but it was so strange, so unusual that stepping into it was like stepping into the twighlight zone. She shook of the nervous feeling off and slammed the door of her car. Taking a deep breath, she remembered what she was here for and slowly walked away – in the direction of the base.
Suddenly, something shot out of the silence.
…Beep.
Rebecca stopped, was she imagining things?
…Beep.
There it was again, this defiantly wasn’t imagination. She looked around in all directions for the source of the sound, but to no prevail.
…Beep Beep.
A cold panic rushed down Rebecca’s spine. That beeping… she’d heard it before. Her eyes darted around her surroundings. It was the sound of one of those timed bombs… she was being targeted! Her breathing doubled in panic and shock, she needed to get the hell out of there, but her legs wouldn’t obey. So her eyes searched…
…Beep Beep Beep.
Three times, on four it would blow… tears began to form in her eyes. The panic reached her heart. But, then she spotted it. The car! The bomb was on the underside of her car!
Now her legs started moving. She sprinted as far away from that car as possible as she heard that deafening that bleep.
Beep Beep Beep Beep… Rebecca Jumped onto the ground protecting her head from the blast. Did Eckstein do this because she’d seen him? No, surely not… She hoped it wasn’t so.

Breaking The Chains
by Eckstein Z. A. Filip
Eckstein woke up again,with the already familiar head-ache. He was in a cell.The cell was quite large and tidy,but his instincts have not betrayed him..it was a luxury he had payed for. He quickly looked around: cameras were watching every gesture he made, movement detectors followed him, alarms were everywhere,set to go off at the smallest suspicious act he made...

Eckstein was an optimistic person, however the sudden betrayal made his beliefs in Fortune shake..He sat down on the side of his bed,and kept wondering..but there was no way out.He knew that he was useless here, and he could have never forgiven himself if Tellian people suffered because he failed to realize the real nature of Vanderveer's 'help'..

He still felt a strong pain in his heart. It was the pain of betrayal. He remembered how many times he muttered silent thanks to the immortal powers for giving him Vanderveer..he remembered all the dreams he had about changing the whole Tellia with the help of Vanderveer...And now he was stabbed in the back by them. He felt that a world collapsed inside him..

Suddenly the prison door elegantly slided away,stopping Eckstein's thoughts.He noticed Le'Morgan enter..he felt the hate in his soul. Le'Morgan was smiling again..that smile meant much more then the war cry of an enemy , it meant more then an ultimatum..It was the smile that told you that it's bearer had your pathetic life and fate in his hands..Le'Morgan greeted Eckstein :

"Hello, sleepy princess!"-he said, with an ironical smile. "How are you doing on this fair day? "

Hatred was radiating from Eckstein's eyes,however he decided not to tell anything.His look said it all anyways..

"Listen Eckstein! I have decided to let you free when this war ends. I'll buy you a nice farm somewhere in Shireroth,where you can live your days in peace until the end..all you have to do is sign this"-said Le'Morgan,and gave a piece of paper to Eckstein.

Eckstein grabbed the paper.It said :



Noticing that that the document had unnecessary spaces,he allowed himself a little smile..Le'Morgan probably failed to make printing companies submit.
He began thinking..the Revolution seemed to be lost anyways..but he couldn't sign this paper.He knew that his men would follow this paper,and that would be suicidal to them.He simply couldn't sign the paper.

He stood up and said " Le'Morgan, I won't betray my people to save my own life! I will be loyal to to Tellians until the end comes ! ".

Le'Morgan seemed disappointed.He said,with a deep disgust in his voice : "Then let's see how loyal you will be when you are dead!" It was clear to Eckstein that he was not joking anymore . Le'Morgan picked up his gun and aimed to shoot. Ezaf shut his eyes,and the first tear since he was a small child appeared on his face. It was a tear for Tellia..

*** *** ****

The chopper flew fast across the horizon. Eckstein was still shocked by the speed of events that happened to him: A sudden explosion, rebels running in and escorting him out...Heavy gunfights,and soldiers dying to cover his retreat...Then the rising helicopter,leaving the burning prison away..

Still he felt a sudden power inside his veins.Tellia had another chance.

Loyal man were surrounding him..The fighters of the Revolution,the best of the best...he gained his optimism back again. As he was isolated from any news happening he quickly turned on his tiny, satellite-radio.After a short white noise,the radio began to become understandable: "Bombings by Eckstein's Terrorists in Tellia kill 4 civilians, and wound 17.The attack was apparently against state official,Lady.."

He jumped up furiously and began shouting : "I have clearly ordered no bombings to be made! If we kill citizen our Revolution has no..".

"Sir,we didn't do it" - said a young soldier sitting next to him. "We wouldn't brake your direct orders" he added.

Suddenly Eckstein remembered a small scene in the distant past..The whole Tellian media has been bought by a Vanderveeran businessman some time ago. It was quite obvious that anything they wanted people to believe will get in the news..

"Just how far will they go?!"-muttered Eckstein silently to himself, while the chopper was flying away,into the rising sun..

After a long time of flying with the helicopter,it finally landed,on the edge of the desert,near the border of Vanderveer. It had to land as the un-patrolled airspace ended here. The rebels have already established a small camp here.

On The Edge Of The Desert
by

Eckstein hoped to rest a little from the recent events.As reports were flowing in to his tent,and orders came out of it,he began to get back a feeling of comfort and satisfaction.However, he no longer trusted luck. Things changed so fast recently,that he had felt that he needs time, time to understand and process everything that had happened..but he knew that there was no time now.

As he switched the cold jail to the heat of the desert winds,he felt quite uncomfortable.After sitting a while in his tent,he decided to go out of it,hoping to find cooler air outside.The moment he stepped out he realized how wrong he was,but he decided not to go back.

Weak winds were blowing over the dunes of sand,carrying small pieces of sand in the air,then letting them fall back again.He found the scene touching,and it made him melancholic. Those small sandy dusts were just like humans..The gods were playing..And this time it was a very serious thing, he thought,but ..it's still just a game. The plastic soldiers were replaced with real ones,the small tanks grew big..and it was still a game..the game of adults..

Suddenly,he turned around.An approaching girl smashed his thoughts..he sent for her. She looked like an ordinary girl, entering her teenage years..who could have said she was the best spy of the whole rebel army? Yes,never follow appearances,Ecktein remembered.

"You have sent for me,here I am,Sir!"-said the girl.She looked confident and brave,the childish innocence was gone in her..prematurely,Eckstein thought,another victim of the ego of the leaders..

"Yes,I have sent for you.."-said Eckstein-"I have a special assignment for you".

He could notice that the girl became happy hearing these words. Excitedly,she said: "And what may that be,Sir?"

Eckstein reached for his pocket,and took a small note out of it. He wrote it a few minutes ago. Noticing the movement of Eckstein,the girl asked: "What is that,Sir?"

Eckstein smiled a little..none of his soldiers would ever dare to ask something..that was why he preferred children in such delicate matters. "It is a note...which must be delivered as fast as possible to Lady Rebecca,in Tellia."-Ecktein said.

The child seemed surprised."To Lady Rebecca,Sir?"-she asked."Don't trust her,Sir!..She betrayed you, Sir!"-said the girl,passionately.

"Oh,you don't know many things,my child"-Ezaf sighed-" She is the only person I can trust in Tellia,who has power to save Tellia.I have been knowing her for while..and it if things were different.."

A sparkle of interest glimpsed in the eye of the girl. "What would have happened then,Sir?"-she asked.

"Oh,never mind.."-said Eckstein,embarrassed,while he lifted his eyes to the dunes again.Then he turned back to the child,and said: "Go,we don't have a second to waste! Fly faster like a wing,my child!"

"I will,Sir!"-she replied,while her voice was fading away in the distance. Later,he found out that the message reached it's destination,but he never saw back her again...

A soldier quickly ran towards him,stood in front of him,and reported : "Sir,we must move on ! The soldiers sent after us,by Vanderveer,are reaching us,but mostly..We have detected large army movements, Sir..towards Tellia..So,we must hurry,Sir!"-said the soldier.

"Already? I didn't expect it this fast.."-Eckstein murmured to himself..The war really has begun..

A Message Received
by Lady Rebecca

The room had been bathed in the darker tones of night and the midnight light echoed through the small bedroom. The room, although small, contained many items all laid out in a sophisticated manner. It was a classic room that housed a teenager fresh out of University… one look and you wouldn’t have guessed it had belonged to a member of parliament. This room, in fact, was Lady Rebecca’s.

Rebecca lay in her bed absent-mindedly watching the shadows dance. She gripped her pillow tightly as her mind, once again, slipped back to the attack. She hadn’t been hurt but it had shaken her up. Her mind was spinning and different, horrible possibilities of who might have wanted her dead sprung to mind. Her trust in other people had been shattered, and for a couple of days now she had just lay there…thinking. Images flashed in front of her eyes, her mind unable to stop and a tear slowly rolled down her cheek.

** **


A clock hung on the wall. It was a grand ornament with magnificent carvings that Rebecca had received for her first Christmastime celebratory ‘work party’. She remembered how she had felt sort of out of place, she’d only been there a few weeks and everyone else there had known each other for years, plus everyone thought she was inexperienced – as she was fresh out of University and very young compared to most of the parliament. She moved through the crowd, making her way to the bar when she heard someone call her name. Spinning around she saw Eckstein smiling and making his way towards her. Eckstein was one of her closest co-workers… and had sort of showed her the ropes on her first day. He held quite a large gift under his right arm, when he managed to get to where Rebecca was stood he greeted her and offered her the gift. She was shocked, but certain warmth spread through her body. She accepted the gift gratefully and couldn’t help looking into his warm, soft brown eyes.

Rebecca shut her eyes tightly. No, she didn’t want to see that again… after all it was most probably Eckstein that had attacked. It pained her heart to think he would harm her. The tears increased as she remembered more and more; all of the times she caught herself looking at him, or those times when he would smile at her and she would feel that same warm feeling from the Christmas party. It was that same feeling of safety and happiness. No…she couldn’t do it, not until she knew the truth. Rebecca took a deep breath and turned over to lay on her other side. She glanced her eyes over to the doorway and jumped. At the door was the figure of a young girl.
“Who…who are you. No, please” Rebecca gasped, she panicked and scrambled with her covers to get out… it must be the attacker.
The young girl moved, stepping forward to Rebecca. “Please, don’t be afraid…” she said. Her voice as soft as the wind and her eyes filled with the innocence of a child. Rebecca froze as she heard this voice; it was only a child? She managed to compose herself and moved onto her knees on the mattress.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Rebecca asked the girl.
“My name is Eliza, I have a message…from Eckstein” the girl replied and pulled a small scrap of paper from her ripped, muddy khaki trousers.

At this Rebecca’s heart leapt, half with panic, half with a sense of curiosity and relief. See, if Eckstein had been the one trying to kill her, surely he would have sent more than this one girl. Plus, she had a message, from him! Her curiosity had begun to take control of her and she took hold of the piece of paper from the girls, now outstretched hand. It was only in this second, as they both had the paper in hand Rebecca realised how scared the girl was. She could sense the hatred boiling within the girl…for her? As soon as she took the note the little girl turned and fled back into the darkness from whence she came.

Rebecca opened the paper and pressed out the creases. Written in that smart, loopy handwriting of Ecksteins’ was the words that would cause mayhem in Tellia over the next few days. The same words that Eckstein had wanted desperately to warn his country of since he had been betrayed. The same words that caused a wave of terror tear into Rebecca.

[Eckstein Z. A. Filip]

Chapter V


A Secret Goodbye
by Christopher I

Christopher threw the suit into a bag and began pushing it down, attempting to make everything fit. He did the same to the other bag and left them on the desk. He carefully placed a few of his most treasured items in his pocket. Included was a tiny golden Tellian Crest on a Silver Chain and an ink pen that he had been given during his coronation. He fell to his knees in front of his bed and prayed. Tears began to fall. He knew not what would become of him or his nation. It was in god's hands now.

He stood and walked out of the room quickly. "My items are on my desk." He whispered to the guards. One followed him, the other ran in to get the bags. As he climbed the first set of stairs be began to remember. He felt like he was about to pass out as his mind cast about for memories...Memories of this place...Memories of his life here.

Since he was a small child, an unimportant boy who would never have rank, he had lived in Romero. He had been a part of Romeran life, mingling, speaking, and considering various arrangements for his future. Would he become a politician, like his father? Or was there something different in store for him...He had always been interested in Travel...Perhaps a diplomat....

He had always expected really to become a low ranking member of the government...Things had not turned out this way. When the first King's approval ratings had been at an all time low he had traveled down the street to the first manor he found. He knew a child lived there. A child he had met on several occasions. This was the choice.

The knock had sounded throughout the house. Was it his titles that gave him the ability to catch the attention of every attendant, resident, and guest? Or was he simply that sort of man...

There wasn't any time to wonder...Mr. Collins was already at the door, opening it, inviting the King into their home. He was visibly surprised and nervous...What could he want? He even began to shake when the King had asked to see his son.

Chris had made his way down the stairs...He had not been in bed. He had been watching television with Rebecca when the King had arrived. They had ignored the amazing sound that reverberated through the manor and continued to enjoy their documentary...For that was the type of kids they were. Documentary style kids. When a maid arrived and asked for him to come down, naturally, she went with him.

They crept into the large sitting room and he saw the King...He was sitting, alone. His father had been sent away, most likely to drink a beer and wring his hands in the kitchen.

"Your Majesty," He said, bowing. This was echoed, with a cursty, by his companion.

"Please sit, my boy." The King said. They both did. Rebecca was being completely ignored.

"You are not yet very old but you have shown all of the makings of greatness I have no heirs and I would prefer not to send the nation into chaos. Therefore, I would like to offer the crown to you. I will be abdicating in a few years, when you have reached an appropriate age, and then...you will be King.'

"Surely...Your Majesty, you must be mistaken..." He said, shaking with ignorant joy.

"Take this, boy." He said, gently tossing the golden coat of arms on the silver chain to Chris. "And remember that Tellia is great...And you can make it greater!"

He quickly left, not saying anything else to Chris. But just before he left the room, he turned and winked at Rebecca.

"Stay with him, dear." And he was gone.

The announcements were made and within months Chris became a full fledged celebrity. When he was coronated....When he began to make decisions...When he ran a nation...It was worth it.

One thing hadn't changed since childhood...The same old friend was there...Still helping...Still ready to watch a documentary...but now a full fledged Minister and member of Parliament.

There was more competition now. He was not the only one who had feelings for her. Eckstein...he had noticed the glances, the phrases, the flirtatious ways...His friend...whom he should not betray...But who had now betrayed him.

Returns
by Lady Rebecca

As he boarded the plane to leave his great nation, another tear fell. He took his seat beside Lady Rebecca and looked at her. And without shame, more came. And before long, she too was in tears. As they turned back to face forward, to face whatever future awaited them in a far away land, he put his hand over hers and prayed that he could hold on to this one piece of Tellia who had taken a piece of his heart.
The plane flew through the crimson sky as does a shark, swimming streamline through murky waters. The journey was smooth, but the journey for Rebecca was a lot harder. She sat in her seat feeling her heart break in two. She hated leaving Tellia and her cheeks still stung from the tears she had shed on their departure from Tellian land. Another thing that was bugging her was leaving Eckstein. She knew she wasn’t technically- as he most probably wasn’t in Tellia, but it felt that way. She slowly sighed and tightened her grip on Chris’ hand.

Their hands were still together from the take off and Rebecca didn’t want them to part. Chris was, for her, a strong character. He had always been there for her as a friend. Chris noticed the increase in pressure and looked her, he could automatically tell what was on her mind and he tried to give her a sympathetic tone.

“Don’t worry Becky, we’ll be there soon,” he said, softly smiling at her.

She returned this kind gesture, but the thoughts soon reoccurred and her smile faded once more. Feeling her discomfort, Chris began to stroke her hand gently with his thumb. He was glad she was on the flight, safe …but he could tell she wasn’t happy, knowing that was like having a thorn in his heart. He kept her close and uttered reassuring remarks as the plane flew ever further into the mist.

Four hard hours passed and the small plane had reached its destination. The guards, Chris and Rebecca and other passengers parted with it, glad to be on the ground. It was early morning and all of them were quickly ushered into the private sector, where they would all stay until the next morning. Rebecca sat by the window, staring out over the runway. She watched the many planes come and go throughout the course of the day…but her mind wasn’t on planes. Her mind had drifted off, back to Tellia where she had left her heart, without it…without Tellia she felt empty and lost.

Chris was sat the other end of the room. He was also thinking, he thought about his Kingdom, about all the events that had formed over the last couple of weeks. Every so often his eyes would flick back to Rebecca. He didn’t know what to do. He was disturbed from his thoughts when he saw Rebecca now standing in front of him. He stood up to meet her gaze and noticed how strange she looked. She seemed tense, yet determined on something.

“Chris…I…I’m Sorry” she whispered, then moving her eyes down to the floor. Chris moved his hand to her face, making her look back up to him.

“Sorry for what?” he asked, he was defiantly worried about her.
“I…I’m going back to Tellia.” Rebecca replied. “I can’t just sit here and worry. I can’t just sit and wait. I have to go back”
At this Chris signed in defeat. He wanted her to be safe, but he had to let her go back, there was no way he could stop her. He nodded his head, and moved his hand back down by his side. His answer was simple, but absorbed with a complex meaning, “I understand”.

Chris arranged for Rebecca’s return flight and walked with her to the plane. As he waved goodbye, he couldn’t help hoping. Hoping that she would be all right, hoping that she would return and he could see her again. Hoping that she would realise how much he wanted her to stay and heed to it. But one thing he was grateful and thankful for, was that before Rebecca left, she took one last look at Chris and smiled. A smile that meant, in the deepest of terms, ‘Thank you’.