Kharzan observed the encrypted message for the umpteenth time…
He still couldn’t believe the moment had finally arrived, with so little opposition and without too much support from his side.
The words of the message were etching themselves into his memory, after being read so many times, with the permanence of irrevocable decisions. The seal of House Hexenmane gleamed faintly under the torchlight, authentic as far as he could determine.
But he still couldn’t believe it…
‘Operation initiated. Yino forces crossing the abyss bridge. Coordinated attack required to divide enemy forces. Urgent confirmation.’
The paper crinkled between his fingers when he finally lowered it. For months he had been waiting for this signal, planning every movement, every contingency. But now that the moment had arrived…
Was he having doubts?
‘Is this really happening, or is it a trap by Yano to force my hand?’
He moved toward the window of his study, observing the territory that stretched before him. If he could use the momentum to dominate a greater ‘popular support’…
His abyssal beasts stirred restlessly under his skin, their multiple ‘consciousnesses’ reflecting his own uncertainty. The sensation was like having a council of advisors embedded in his very flesh, each whispering contradictory counsel.
“General Valdris,” he called without taking his eyes from the window.
The veteran military officer entered immediately, as if he had been waiting for the summons. He was a man weathered by decades of service, with scars that spoke of real battles and a Red Pyroclast-Shell Bear beast that had evolved to Gold 1 rank.
“My Lord?”
“I need independent confirmation,” Kharzan turned, extending the message. “This says Yino has initiated their attack on the bridge. Before committing our forces, I must know if it’s true without any doubt.”
Valdris examined the message, noting details that would escape less trained observers. His years of experience with intelligence reports had taught him to look for the subtle signs of authenticity, paper quality, ink composition, seal impression depth, etc…
“The seal appears authentic,” he murmured, “but a seal can be forged with sufficient skill.”
“Exactly my thoughts. Send our best scouts. I want eyes on the bridge within six hours, and I want real-time information about Yino troop movements.”
“How close should they be to the bridge before we initiate our attack?”
Kharzan considered the question. Too close and they risked being considered null support. Too far and they could be attacked first instead, losing the Yino initiative they desperately needed.
“Close enough to confirm the responsive attack from Yano, far enough that our Yino allies don’t think we won’t help them. If Yino is really attacking, there should be unmistakable signs.”
Valdris nodded and headed toward the door, but stopped at the threshold.
“My Lord, if the information indeed suggests an imminent attack, where do we initiate our own advance?”
“At the new frontier, of course… we won’t advance inward yet,” Kharzan responded. “If Yino is dividing their forces attacking the bridge, then it’s our opportunity to strike from the safety of our territory without losing too much while they’re committed on two fronts… Perfect for not compromising our future with too many losses.”
After Valdris left, Kharzan remained alone with his thoughts. The reality of the situation settled on him: after months of tug-of-war to obtain the greatest possible support, war had finally arrived.
♢♢♢♢
A few hours later, the first report arrived through a swift messenger beast with urgency on Kharzan’s desk.
“My Lord, we confirm significant troop movement heading toward the bridge. We estimate several hundred Yino soldiers, possibly sending more soon as they appear to be waiting for the blocked space to be cleared.”
Kharzan gripped his chin thoughtfully. “Are they advancing directly to the bridge… actively without waiting for my confirmation of support?”
The implications were troubling. If Yino was moving without coordination, it suggested either supreme confidence or desperation… neither boded well for a subordinate ally.
The second report arrived thirty minutes later, from scout Kazek.
“Additional Yino troops moving toward advanced positions. Their main camps show preparation activity throughout the entire territory. This is real war, my Lord.”
The systematic nature of the mobilization was convincing. This level of coordination couldn’t be easily faked, and the resource expenditure suggested genuine commitment rather than elaborate deception.
The third report sealed the decision.
“My Lord, we intercepted underground activity in the deep secret bridge. Yino has initiated an underground operation. Confirmed active attack on multiple fronts.”
Kharzan straightened, feeling uncertainty transform into iron determination. No more doubts, no more time for hesitation. The die had been cast, whether by his choice or circumstances beyond his control.
“Valdris,” he called, and the general’s messenger bird appeared almost instantaneously… he had been waiting.
♢♢♢♢
When general Valdris arrived…
“It’s time. Yino has begun the war, and we will join the winning team.”
He moved toward the strategic map that dominated an entire wall of his study. With one finger he traced the lines he had been maintaining for months.
“Complete mobilization. I want our main forces pushing the frontier wall of Goldcrest territory. Let’s steal more ground from the safety of our rampart.”
“Move the entire new wall, my Lord?”
“Exactly. We want to maintain the defensive position even if we’re going ‘on the attack’ because it’s more advantageous. Also, I want the wall closest to the abyssal rift frontier to reach the bridge if possible.”
Valdris studied the map, his military experience automatically evaluating the proposal. The logistics were complex… moving earthwork fortifications while conducting offensive operations required good coordination.
“It’s a bold move, my Lord. If we use more earth elementals to move the wall in that zone…”
“We’ll have direct access to the bridge to help our allies too,” Kharzan completed. “And from there, we can pressure toward our Yano’s castle together from the bridge.”
“What forces do we deploy?”
Kharzan had been considering this decision for weeks. Would he seek a delicate balance?
Enough troops to ensure success… but not so many that he left his own defenses vulnerable?
No, it was time to go all-in.
“All of them. We need to move the defenses quickly.”
Valdris raised an eyebrow at the audacity of the proposal. Committing their entire military force was either brilliant strategy or catastrophic overreach.
“And if we encounter stronger resistance than expected on our side when moving so many?”
“Then I’ll go to the front myself to recover momentum. But according to the reports, most of Yano’s elite forces are concentrated in the capital and defending the bridge. Our frontier wall should be defended mainly by regular troops.”
Valdris nodded, but Kharzan could see concern in his experienced eyes.
“Speak freely, General.”
“My Lord,” Valdris chose his words carefully, “we’re betting heavily on the assumption that Yino is really determined to gain control at the bridge. If it’s a trap, if they’re using the attack as bait to lure us into a battle we can’t win…”
“Then we’ll have lost the war before it really begins as simple cannon fodder,” Kharzan finished the sentence. “But if we don’t act now, while they have their forces divided, we might lose our only real opportunity to finally obtain what belongs to us.”
He stepped away from the map, his expression hardening with resolve.
“Valdris, I’ve spent months watching my popular support erode. Every day that passes, more families defect to Yano, attracted by those new cheap cultivation methods for miserable bronzes. Pathetic, but they work… If we don’t strike now, if we don’t demonstrate that we can win this war to our already reduced numbers…”
He didn’t need to finish the sentence. Both understood the implications: a prolonged wait would inevitably favor Yano, whose population seemed increasingly unified behind the populist maneuvers of their leaders.
“Send the orders,” Kharzan concluded. “Immediate mobilization. I want our troops pushing and marching within an hour.”
♢♢♢♢
Selphira adjusted her finest battle armor, feeling the familiar weight of the crystal plates against her skin. The patterns of her beasts created white and black lines that extended from her heart to her fingertips, pulsing with power she had perfected the control of over centuries of life.
Four hundred years. She had lived so many years, watching entire generations of her family be born and die. She had guided her descendants, protected them, been the immutable rock upon which her entire lineage had been built.
And now, as she prepared to fulfill a promise of violence and blood, she couldn’t help but think about the price she had paid for that longevity.
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