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The Price of Liberty

Have you ever imagined what it would look like if Elf's, Dwarfs and the likes, would be in a WW1 setting? Elf's sitting in trenches with firearms? Hell yeah. With the taxes being doubled the Elfs were no longer willing to accept the oppression of their race starting a war to become an independent country. © 2021 All rights reserved to the author under the pen name Q_Yuumo.

Q_Yuumo · War
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18 Chs

A spark to light the fire

The sun was burning down on Haemir's blond hair as he was working on the fields. He was the oldest of two son's with an age of 170 years, in human calculations seventeen years. Even though he was still a child, he needed to work to help maintain his family.

"Haemir! Haemir! Did you hear the news!" His brother who looked like a younger version of him came running up the field waving a piece of paper in his right hand.

"What is so urgent that made you leave your studies, you know that we are all working hard so that you can go to school?"

"I know, but the Lord has increased the taxes again and everyone is assembling in front of the city hall to demonstrate against it!"

Haemir's face turned pale, if the taxes are increased again they won't be able to get enough food for the whole family. And then there was also this unsettling feeling he had caused by a strange dream.

"Where are Father and Mother did they go there too?"

"Only father, since all the co-workers from his factory, went there, mother is still in the fields."

"That's good, bring her home and barricade yourself, I will search for father and bring him too. Only open the door if it is either me or father, do you understand?!"

He nodded and quickly rushed towards the fields where the mother was supposed to work.

With a worried expression, Haemir immediately ran towards the city hall. As soon as he arrived in town he could already hear the screams of outraged people before even reaching the masses.

"How am I gonna find my father in this crowd, that's just impossible."

Despite the small possibilities of finding his father he dived into the crowd by pushing people aside when suddenly a loud blast silenced the mob and everyone looked in the direction of the sound. A group of soldiers was standing there, one of them holding a gun towards the sky with a thin line of white smoke coming out of the barrel.

"What is all this commotion about!" A relatively strong build man came forward as he raised his voice.

"We just got notified that the taxes will be doubled starting tomorrow!" One of the people in the crowd announced his displeasure about the tax raise.

"I am an envoy of the high Emperor of Gagrica himself and here to talk about taxes with your Lord, let me through so that I can clarify this situation."

Reluctantly they stepped aside to let them through, but still keeping an eye on the heavily armed soldiers.

With quick steps, the envoy walked towards the Lord's office and swiftly opened the door without even knocking. The insides were decorated with all kinds of paints and statues. Behind an old wooden desk was sitting Áeán who was seemingly busy with paperwork.

"I demand an immediate explanation, why are the taxes so high even though the region was relieved of them until now?"

The Lord calmly put his pen away and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry that we welcomed you under such circumstances, as for the taxes I assure you that you will receive what the Emperor demanded, eventually I will also give you an extra for the trouble you went through."

"You ... You made them pay taxes so that you could keep it for yourself, this is treachery towards his Excellency and the country how dare you say such things in front of an official envoy and then you even try to bribe me, how insolent!"

In one quick move, Áeán opened the drawer and pointed a small revolver towards the envoy.

"It would have been better if you just took the money instead of forcing me to do this."

"If money is all it takes for you to kill a person then you are not fit to be called a Lord."

Everyone who was waiting in front of the building including the soldiers was able to hear the three shots fired inside. The soldiers that just came quickly stormed inside were a gunfight broke out. Not knowing what was going on inside the hall panic broke out, while some people ran away others threw themselves on the ground fearing incoming shots.

"Father! Father! Were are you we need to quickly get out of here!" Haemir was still searching for his father in the confusion.

The shootings suddenly ceased when the Lord and twenty soldiers in black uniform showed up at the entrance of the city hall. Time suddenly stood still as he gave the order to discharge their weapons into the crowd. Screams and cries were mixed together with the repetitive sound of firing rifles componing a cacophony of sounds in the boy's ears. Some people tried to run towards the soldiers resulting in them being immediately shot. Haemir quickly threw himself on the ground that slowly soaked in the blood of his brethren lying next to him. He frantically looked where his father was as he finally saw him casting a stone in the direction of the Lord, hitting him on the head. A soldier immediately directed his shots towards him.

"NOOOO FATHER!!" Haemir felt a wave of extreme anger starting from his stomach and slowly burning its way up to his brain like a raging fire as his voice slowly turns into a deep sound.

The blazing fire in him suddenly overflowed and left his body creating a blue dome that blocked all incoming shots from the enemies. Everything turned silent with exception of the Elf's deep voice. He stood amidst all the wounded and dead lying on the ground, his head raised towards the sky and light emanating from his eyes.

Spring 1916 after Idemis' ascension, Lord Áeán reported a rebellion in his region caused by the sudden imposition of taxes resulting in the deaths of 36 Gagricisch soldiers and one official envoy. As punishment 113 Elf's were killed and 56 wounded during a demonstration, this day will later be remembered as the Felrenrion Massacre.