《Code Antony》Will Of The D.
Advertisement
With Kaiser's Palace on the background, Antony takes off his battle gear, revealing that he was actually wearing formal civilian clothes underneath. The palace staff takes to the entrance a casket, with Kaiser's covered body in full view (only his head was made visible so the viewers can confirm that it really is the late dictator). Lepidov and the soldiers line up on Antony's sides. Antony speaks to the public for the first time since Kaiser's death, and he delivers his speech on national television, simulcast on radio.
"Friends, Russians, countrymen! Lend me your ears. I am here to bury Kaiser, not to praise him. The evil people do lives beyond them, the good are often forgotten. Let it be so with Kaiser. The honorable Barotov has told you Kaiser was ambitious. If so, it was his great fault, and sadly, he got his fair share. Barotov is a respectable man. The Liberators are all honorable men!"
Antony paused as he tried stopping tears from falling, which nevertheless kept flowing down his eyes.
"Enough! I speak today at Kaiser's funeral! He was my friend, faithful and just, a brother born for adversity. Barotov says he loves Kaiser, but he also says Kaiser was ambitious. Tell me, which of these show ambition? He brought glory back to Russia! He was conqueror of America! His estate he did not waste. Our treasury achieved a stable state. When the poor is in need, Kaiser heeds. I thrice proposed to him a crown deserving of a king, and thrice he refused, for he is no king! Kaiser once said, 'Kings live in palaces. I am no king. I wonder why they think so still.' Friends, where is ambition? I don't seek to disprove Barotov, but I speak of what I know. You, my countrymen, also loved him and his vision. Has his death caused you to mourn, or to lose your reason? My heart..."
Advertisement
Antony pauses again, his tears seemingly dried up and his eyes flaming red because of it. This time, he steps closer to Kaiser's casket and examines his bare face. Then, he looks back at the camera.
"Oh, my heart doesn't understand! My mind says this, my heart learns another. A few days past, Kaiser's word moves the world. Now, he is gone, and revering him there is none... Friends, I have here Kaiser's will. I dare not to read it publicly, but I am confident, for Kaiser only has our people in his heart. I do not pray to fuel your rage, but I pray only for your homage. Honor and respect the Liberators deserve, but who is so kind to keep even a little for Kaiser?"
He raised up his clenched fist, holding Kaiser's will still enclosed in an envelope.
"Kaiser stood against the world for your sake! He may lie in state, but now the Republic is at stake! The decision we shall make, may our nation never regret to take."
"And... cut!", someone shouted behind the camera.
The cameraman turned his head and asked, "Good take, director?"
"Of course! Now, take the tape to the TV stations. I want it airing within the hour! Ta-tah!", the director answered with a clap.
Lepidov approached Antony, who still gazes at Kaiser's face.
He said as he taps Antony's shoulder, "Nice acting out there, brother in arms."
Antony sniffed, and turned at Lepidov, "It's not acting Lepidov!"
"Now, now. Let's get back to the palace."
"The will?"
"Yes."
"Well then. Keep your troops on high alert, but do not attack the Capitol. As master's top lieutenants, we're the only ones who can keep the Populists at bay."
"Hmm. Planning to reconvene the Senate?"
Advertisement
"Of course. You're a senator, too, Lepidov."
Lepidov let that one slide and just laughed. Despite his military capabilities, Lepidov was one of the senators with the most absences. Of course, due to the civil war initiated by Kaiser after his return from America, the sessions of the Senate are not as regular as it should be on paper. Soon, the two were inside Kaiser's Palace. They join some two hundred more senators who temporarily assembled in the palace as the Capitol remained occupied by the Liberators.
"Shh! Here comes Antony," one senator whispers. A lot of murmuring reigned in the air thereafter.
"Friends, Russians, countrymen!", Antony opened.
"Yeah, yeah. We heard that already. Let's, let's do this," Tullini Ciceron interrupted. Ever since Kaiser was made dictator, Cicerov proved to be one of the more outspoken opponents of Kaiser, rising to become Senate President.
Another senator spoke, "That's right! Get to the brass tacks, Antony!"
"Well then. Get this pleb a seat, Lepidov."
"Fine. Everybody calm down. This is what you all want, right?!", Lepidov shouted as he raised the envelope containing Kaiser's will.
As everybody tried to calm themselves and take their respective seats (the Republicans and the Populists occupied separate parts of the conference room), Antony, who remained standing by a podium, thought to himself, "Of course. Who would not want to know what happens to Kaiser's vast estate?"
When Krassa died, Kaiser may well be considered as Russia's wealthiest person. After acquiring what was left of the Paramount Triad's assets, Kaiser was estimated to have accumulated as much as 9 million aurei, more than double that of which Krassa was credited with. Of course, Kaiser did double wages across the board without devaluing the aureus. Minimum wage for a single day, at least in the four years before Kaiser's death, remained two denarii, the highest it has been in a century. While in normal circumstances, it must have caused inflation so severe, the Russian economy must have collapsed, the influx of additional resources and the availability of additional land in newly acquired territories temporarily allowed Kaiser's economic policy to go on.
"Here goes," Antony said as broke the seal put by Kaiser himself, and then slowly opened the envelope containing the late dictator's will. However, as his eyes browsed the document, he seemed to have not believed it, and he kept quiet for a number of minutes.
Ciceron stood up from the Republican side of the senators and declared, "Hmph! This Antony is a phony! He's only doing this for his political expediency. Kaiser didn't leave any will. Why would he, when he was so confident of his invincibility? Doesn't Perpetual Dictator ring a bell?"
"Shut up, Tullini!", Lepidov said as he pointed at Ciceron.
"Fellow senators, would we still allow Antony to fool us?! Kaiser charades himself as the champion of the masses, but what has his disastrous economic policy done is to hand our souls to Hades! Indeed, self-aggrandizement is the epitome of a dictator! I therefore forward to the Senate a proposal to seize Kaiser's assets!"
In mythology, Hades is the ruler of the underworld and personified with death itself. With Ciceron's famous rhetoric taking action, some of the senators began talking with each other, while others seem to approve of Ciceron's message as they voice their support of the motion. What does the will of the dictator contain? Will Ciceron's suspicions be proven to have basis?
Advertisement
Cinnamon Bun
The world called out for a hero to purge it of a great evil. It received Broccoli Bunch, explorer, expert cleaner, occasional ghost-buster, and full time Cinnamon Bun. Features include: Talking enemies into becoming friendsHugging menu boxesAwesome overpowered skills (such as Cleaning, and Gardening)And more adventure than you could shake a stick at! Follow Broccoli on her personal quest to make all the friends. All of them. Updates: Monday, Wednesday, Friday! Now Available in ebook and paperback formats here: Volume One - Amazon Volume Two - Amazon
8 300Into The Valley Of Gods
Ying is an orphan who got kicked out in his orphanage. got involved into the underworld and worked as an intelligence agent. Then after his last job before his retirement. He saw a girl who is supposed to be carrying the payment on his job but instead he died without getting his money. After the accident Ying wakes up in a medieval looking world. and he became a crown prince. Follow his story on how will he adapt and struggle to this new world who he is not supposed to be.Release is MWF thanks!
8 176Flame Beneath The Snowfall
Alto is a world governed by Tones. Magic, as one might call it. Manifested through deep mental and physical conditioning, one can control the Tones in a way that is unique to them. The power to store items in gems, transfer life, affect a person's mind, and even the more primal abilities such as control of the elements. Those who have these supernatural abilities are called 'Vassals.' People that fully manifest their abilities are not as common as one might think, and not all Vassals acquire their ability through practice, given if conditions are met. In fact, those who had received much trauma manifest the Tones more frequently, albeit spontaneously. However, the rare kind of Vassals are those who manifest it from childhood. A gift, but not without its repercussions. Alto is stuck in a transitional era, where the line between modern and dated technology is blurred. One can travel to a city that has a tall skyline, bustling with people in sophisticated clothing, or a mere town governed by a lord, all the while riding on a powered vehicle. Cultures vary: Some turn to the more dated practices such as castes, others are more inclined to set equal footing on their people, led by nobility. Some are dedicated to become scholars, studying Alto's Tones, while others set foot on hunts, protecting lone towns from the creatures of some of the still-untamed lands. And the Vassals? Those willing are took under The Organization, an elusive group, its presence said to permeate all throughout Alto, taking care of Rogue Vassals that abuse their abilities and other businesses related to their side. But what is this story all about, you may ask? Well, set your sights on the upper portions of this huge landmass that is Alto. Yes, the 'whole' world is called Alto, but that is because the majority of the known people live on this large continent. Relieve yourself of the worrying tensions everywhere, and see the white snow. Trace the piercing mountaintops and focus your eyes between the valley. A town sits there. Mido. After realizing that the memories only left in his mind was the night of his town's imminent destruction in flames, a boy finds himself grasping for every fiber of his life as he lays down flat on the ground. Beneath him was soot mixed with the white snow. Fortunately, a group of investigators, who were supposed to answer their call for help, saved him from his sorry state. With a newfound second wind, but hampered by his loss of memory, he must solve his own case: Who had the audacity to set Mido, his town, aflame? Flame Beneath the Snowfall focuses on action, with a sense of adventure, but mostly the discovery of an outside world, and the protagonist's exposure to it. Add in a whisk of soft magical elements, and you get a story that I hope will be interesting to the readers. That is not to say that my work is without the sense of unnerving atmosphere, however. As a forewarning, there are elements of gore, horror, minor elements of mental trauma, etc. so it is not for all audiences. *The book is already completed. Although I have plans to continue the story (it would have to involve much larger scope in terms of world-building), I have yet to decide when to start the next entry.
8 117Imagining Online: The game
Hiro Gustavsson a half Swedish half Japanese guy enters the world of Imagine Online to experience a second life full of Fantasy, Action, Comedy and Friendship. At the first day in Imagine online something happens that may bring him to fame or infame.Read to see what exciting things will develop for him with, what happened and will he strive for fame or infame in the end?Warning slow updates! Reason? Well private matters, for those who read through this before I can tell you that my Grandma died 14th april this year, 2016.
8 142Bad Habits {V2 Out now!}
Some people are lucky, others are unlucky, but a tiny bit of the population have it way worse than unlucky. Takumi Ishido (Red) is one of these people. Takumi’s father was the expected successor of the Ishido clan, a group of dangerous people doing dirty work all around Japan. But it went wrong. Instead of his father, his uncle took the role as leader of the Ishido Mafia. Both his parent’s disappeared from his life and he ended up in an Orphanage. Here he meets a group of people who had something similar happening to them. The first he knew was Ukato Takeshi. (Blue) They quickly became friends, but the Orphanage started slowly to fill up with more. Later on Kuruka Zukaka (Green) joined the Orphan, following him up was Nokado Tatafu. (Yellow) The last two were brothers, the older brother was Rikishi Mika. (Pink) The younger one was Tado Mika. (Purple) They all ended up becoming friends and after half a decade, they had one week left until they were allowed to leave the Orphanage and make their own future. The workers of the Orphan who took care of them: Ryan and Anne started to search a present for the boys. That is when the biggest change of their lives happened… - - - - - - - - - - - Note: I don't own the characters in the cover, nor do I own some photo's in the Web Novel you see later on. - - - - - - - - - - - Copyright: "Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair"
8 261Homunculi: 6
A powerful family desperate to maintain its position at any cost meddles in the domain of the divine by designing and developing a new race called Homunculi. These creations are honed into brutal weapons to fuel their grand ambitions and keep their secrets hidden.Fresh eyes take in this world as a new Homunculus awakens. Its conditioning and training take an unexpected twist as it develops abilities and skills different from the others of its kind. -------------------- Surrounded by manufactured warriors who are incredibly powerful from day one, our MC will find himself lacking in innate skills and knowledge. Very much a weak to strong story. There is definitely action and adventure within, but expect a slow start that is focused on character growth, building tension, unraveling conspiracies, while learning about a new magical world. Some cooking and some daydreaming within. (I see you slice of life) --------- WIP art by Katie Z.
8 291