I wait outside the conference chamber with leatherbound documents in hand. Four months have passed since the fall of the South, since the Dogs rose from their mines and plantations. Taking up arms with nothing more but scrap metal hammered into place to resemble armour and weapons. Yet despite their appearance, they did the impossible. They won.

  It is difficult to believe that months have gone by this quickly. All of it feels like it is happening right this moment. Like the Dogs are all outside, waiting to break down the walls that keep us all safe. Barking and snarling at the prospect that we’ll become their next meal. Even in the safety of the palace’s walls, I can still hear them.

  The doors swing open, two guards salute me and welcome me to a room of marble tables and beautifully crafted cushioned chairs. I make my way to my seat at the right side of the conference chamber, which is mostly made up of military leaders and figureheads, while the left is populated with civilians and wealthy landlords. Combined, they are the political power of the Cinaris Empire, the backbone and lifeblood of our influence over the world. But none of them wanted to be here, not with what is going on in our island.

  The room roars with chatter, the oligarchs bicker and argue about the war with the Dogs, while the church preaches their scripture of war and peace. They’re scared, terrified of the mere fact that the Empire's slaves have broken free and won the South. Their victory is not something to undermine, and they finally know it.

  ‘All be seated for the hearing.’ Benston announces near the Empress' throne. She is absent from the hearing, perhaps organising a private meeting with her trusted advisors on how to deal with our common enemy.

  Benston seems more stressed since the South fell. His cheerful, debating attitude is now long gone. I remember him telling me how his eldest son and his grandchildren lived in the South when the slaves rebelled. He never heard from them, and I don’t think he ever will. He secluded himself to his work, refusing to open up or talk to people informally. I want to cheer the old soul up, but I don’t blame him. The war struck us all hard.

  ‘On the 13th month of Magaria, in the year 1256. We come here today to discuss the slave uprising of the South. For what we know, the uprising began on the 4th or the 5th month of Autumn in Dragon Mine. With the war for the region concluding on the 8th month of Winter with the defeat of Cinari forces and the collapse of the Southern state.’

  The room lies silent, emotionally bewildered by what they already know. Only this time, it was spoken out loud. Everyone will be given the most dire of news.

  We have lost. Defeated and humiliated. Our national pride stripped away from us as our former slaves ravaged our Southern countryside. It is a hard thing to swallow, to comprehend the facts. We were once a powerful nation, one that was unbeatable by any lesser races. Now, we lick our wounds while we struggle to formulate a plan.

  But our time to mourn for the deaths and fall of the South is over. Now. Now it is time for action.

  ‘As our nation is thrust back into war.’ Benston continues. ‘The Empress herself has handed out titles to those worthy and capable enough to handle the Empire's threats.’

  He pulls out a scroll to read, printed on the back is the wax seal of the Empress’ dynasty’s coat of arms. ‘Gourge Hacket is allocated the position of Admiral of the Navy. Penelope Tillous is allocated the position of High Priestess of the Pretorian Guard. Sean Wayne is to be allocated the title Dragon Master of the Dragon Fleet. While Volas Regali is allocated to be the General of the Army. With their leadership, they will be tasked with the defence of the Empire and its people. May the Gods give them strength and guide them to victory.’ Benston gestures for me to stand. ‘General Regali will now step up to discuss the defence plan for the north, while also explaining how the South was defeated by the Dogs.’

  I stand before the hearing, and on my desk is the necklace that the Shaman gave me long ago. A simple blue gem and a bland silver chain. He told me it’ll protect me, and it did. I just wish it would protect the people around me.

  ‘As you are all aware, the slave rebellion started in Dragon Mine in the 4th or 5th month of Autumn.’ I announce to the crowd. ‘The Dog rebellion is led by a slave who calls himself Marak. We first recognised we were under attack after we discovered the garrison of Fort Balis, a supply station east of the mine, had been brutally murdered. Rommel Earl was designated to combat the rebellion with other Commanders from the South. Over time, the Dogs would later take the town of Mindas, Ol Shire, and Fort Galis. We have pushed them back on the first battle of Bunker Hill with the aid of the Dragon Fleet. Rommel Earl would later be promoted to General after his victory.’

  My throat dries, my hands shake as the events of the war wash over me. I make it sound natural, clean even. Even if I know deep down that it isn’t true. I want to tell the council how incompetent the army’s command structure was. How petty our leaders were against the Dogs. How our pride made us unable to get the needed support from the North.

  We shouldn’t have fought the Dogs with a pitiful army. Thousands are dead because of our arrogance and ego. But I can’t tell them, I can’t describe to them our failure to handle the crisis. I need their support, their faith that we can win this. I need to lie about our leadership.

  ‘For those unaware of what a Dog is. They are not the small creatures that lie on your lap after a stroll around the park. A Dog is a large beast. A bipedal monstrosity with the appearance of a wolf or some canine. They are tall and immensely strong. We made them that way so they could work effectively in the mines and in our plantations. Providing our Empire with goods to fuel our economy and feed our people. Though some are different in height and appearance. The shortest among their kind have white fur, and their appearance is similar to that of a white fox. The largest brutes among them have a flat face, their cheeks dangling down as spit drips from their mouths.’

  The council glares at me, confusion etched on their faces as they try to picture what those creatures look like. Finding it strange that there are three different kinds of Dogs besides the one that is widely known and familiar to them. Hopefully, they get the point that we are dealing with a diverse and terrifying enemy.

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  ‘That is the threat we are dealing with. Physically superior monsters with no concept of mercy. This will not be a war we can win easily.’ I comment before I continue with the report. ‘Moving back to what needs to be discussed about the Dog’s takeover of the South. After the first victory against the Dogs, the relief force under General Earl went back to Bunker Hill to finish off the Dog threat and to liberate the southwest from Dog control. The relief force, however, was decimated by Marak and his army. Utilising weaponry that destroyed a Dragon ship supporting Earl and his army. The battle also claimed the lives of two Pretorian Guards.’

  The council chat amongst themselves, wondering how a slave race destroyed a Dragon ship. How an army, with no training or experience in war, defeated the Pretorian Guard in combat. So many questions, but never enough answers to give them.

  I know what their equipment is like. It is crude, ramshackle armour and weaponry that was made in a matter of hours. Gear not fit for war, as it is a hastily made contraption. But it worked! It worked for them too well. Their armour is heavy and bulky but provides great protection against our swords, spears, and arrows. Their weapons are large, heavy, mostly blunt cleavers and oddly shaped spearheads. But their strength makes up for their drawbacks, even if they are weighed down and slow. No matter how many times we exploited every weakness that was presented to us, they kept going. Nothing hindered their progress.

  They are driven to wage war. They want their revenge, and by the Gods, they got it. But victory won’t quench their thirst for Cinari blood. They will march north, and they will come for us.

  ‘Due to the defeat at Bunker Hill, the Dogs expanded unchallenged across the South. Which, as we know, led to the fall of our southern border.’ I open my file to bring out my defence plans, I won’t let the same mistake happen to us. Not after Tundo. ‘This war demands our attention, and to win this, we need to utilise every imperial asset. To this, I propose the Hannah Defence Initiative. From my experience battling the Dogs, I want to expand and improve on the Army’s leadership and combat capabilities if we want to end the war as soon as possible with minimal deaths. In this plan, I will improve the defence of every town and city, fortify our aging forts and increase our presence on the border. With my plan, we will win against the unending horde. If you have any questions or any points to make before I outline the plan. Now is your time to ask me.’

  In detail, I explain to the council how we can combat the Dog threat, how we need to start building defences around and in the countryside. That every town needs to be capable of spotting and combating the Dog forces if they lay siege, while every fort needs to be inspected and updated. Most importantly, we need to initiate the draft so we have enough boots on the ground to replenish our losses and fight against those beasts. The whole initiative isn’t cheap; the whole plan has to be a costly one. But it is necessary for our very survival.

  Granted, resources are not the only thing required to set up an effective defence. The Command structure needs to be purged. The failure of the South is in part the leadership that led it. To rectify this mistake, some people will have to step down to prevent history from repeating itself. I can only have leaders I can trust and know can deliver results. The Dogs will need time to get ready, time which is a luxury for us to prepare for the upcoming battle.

  When the defence plan is put forward to the rest of the council, they all have a chance to speak on the issue. As I can expect, a few council members ask me why we need a defence plan when we can just invade the South. The simple answer is we can’t. The Dogs have proven to be far more formidable than we had expected. They will expect us to come back to the South to fight them again. Unlike us, they will have the home advantage, while we are going in blind.

  An invasion of the South will prove costly and will most likely fail. Not only that, but it will also take years and cost millions to properly fund and prepare. A defence initiative is cheaper, and one that can promise us some sort of victory.

  The Dogs, however, are not so patient. They will march north, sooner or later. Marak is a violent monster of a man. During the war for the South, he never struck me as a man of calculated action. He is driven by hate, driven to enact his emotional outburst against my kind and the Empire. He won’t take years to prepare, no, he’ll take months.

  Here we have a defensive advantage. While we struggle to fight them head-on, here we can conduct skirmishes and hit-and-run tactics. We can force them into kill zones, lead them forward, only for them to be surrounded. To invade the South and liberate it. We need to crush their army here and kill their king here, up north. For the Gods to bless us with victory, the best offence is a strong defence.

  It takes some convincing, but with the defeat still fresh on everyone's minds, there is no doubt that we need something. The council agrees to partially fund the initiative before they can fully commit to the plan. While not ideal, it is a good start at least. Though I wish they can fully commit to the plan besides making promises. But I can work with that.

  Satisfied with what is going on, I sit back and listen. The hearing continues for most of the day; and the other leaders ask for funding for their defence plans to ensure their homes are properly protected. Tillous and Wayne want to expand their defences of every holy site they have control over. Hacket, however, seems to want to expand on my defence plan to incorporate the navy.

  The council, on the other hand, is problematic. Some demand that the defence plan should be changed. Others want funding to pay for mercenaries to defend their estates instead of fighting against the Dogs. While there are some that agree to fund the initiative, it isn’t for the defence of the state, but the defence of their own capital.

  This is clear to me; the war isn’t going to be fought against the hordes of Dogs. I am no longer a soldier who will fight on the front lines like any Commander. My battles will be waged here, against bureaucrats and oligarchs. Only this time, I have some power to enact some change.

  I just hope it is enough to save us all.