Three Broken Kingdoms-Book 1 of the Lost Continent (Completed)

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The General and the Failed Cartographer

Myra watched as her friend attempted to draw a map of Kallias and ended up with a strange multitude of inky lines.

"Jasper," she interrupted. "Jasper, let me do this for you."

"I've almost got the hang of it now..." he told her, then bumped the table and made his pencil draw a line from Kallias to Asriel to Miras, up to the Northernmost Land and back down to Isthmus.

"Jasper."

"I was born for cartography," he reassured her, before misspelling Crimsith and crossing it out.

"Jasper."

"Fine," he said and handed her the pencil. "So Crimsith is on the very, very west of the north. Most northwest point in the country...juts out a bit, so it's sort of a peninsula. Kazimiar is nearby...a bit to the right...a bit more. Karone is really, really east, and just a bit off from the sea. We still call it a coastal because it's more coastal than it is Midlands, but it's two hours walk from the sea. But don't bother with Karone."

"I'll be making these decisions myself," Myra countered. "Viktoria and I can decide where to go, and you're just here to inform."

"Right. But trust me, you really don't want to go to Karone, or need to. Now, Cobalt-"

"Do they all start with c or k?"

"Basically, yeah. So Cobalt is maybe three-quarters of the way between Kazimiar and the Isthmus. Closest to the Isthmus. Those are the coastal cities."

"And the Midlands?"

"Send a group of three valkyries for the whole thing," he shrugged. "You know, the newbies. The Midlands are made of groups of nomads who Medea insisted found their own villages. They aren't at all formidable or important on their own.

"The South is...well, the rebellion can handle the South. A quarter there are insurgents, another half are related to insurgents and the remaining ones would very much like an insurgent in the family, because having them is a very great honour. The only problem with the South is that they're a little stupid."

"This is not a joke, Jasper." Myra reprimanded. "This is a war campaign."

"You wanted the truth about Kallias and Kallians. I gave you it. The Southern Kallians do not have much going on up here." He pointed to his head.

"And yet they are the greatest supporters of your rebellion," Myra remarked drily.

"Supporting my rebellion used to demand extreme idiocy and a lot of optimism. The South fits both categories just fine."

"So, let's say you are a general. How do we march?'

"You go to Cobalt first. It's close to the Isthmus and taking it will mean cutting off the trading centre of the country. Afterwards, you go to Kazimiar and then to Crimsith."

"Why Kazimiar? Cobalt has money, Crimsith is the capital, but why Kazimiar?"

"It's the city of frivolities, really. Fireworks, artists, food...it also has a lot of scholars. There's a lot of nobles that spend their time in Kazimiar, especially if they aren't close in the court. It's easier to take than Cobalt or Crimsith-the fortifications are hardly there. And it's right on the way, too. With good pizza."

"I'd rather not base my war campaign on 'good pizza.'"

"I've been all over Kallias the past two years...Karone to Callis to Cyrus in the South...so I know a great place for pizza. I could show you it."

"Jasper."

"Right. Kazimiar also has a symbolic value I suppose. It's where Tarua Teris used to be-or so the legend says."