— CONTESTED BORDER, NAAH’MI MOUNTAINS, YEAR: 7298. SEASON: NEW BEGINNING.
“Preservation of heritage under Edryan law. Accession to the Pantheon of Imperius for those worthy. And the perpetuation of rule for any state wise enough to kneel in accordance with the Class-Based Constitution Monarchy,” Ai’esha sneered, crushing the paper in her left hand.
These things had been passed to her by General Sokoto and were spread from the distant sky by flying squads of Edryan soldiers. Anytime any wizards or forces of the Federation approached, they would scatter like dandelion seeds in the wind.
A vein of irritation displayed itself on her large forehead, and the trinkets in her long, half-curly, half-braided hair jingled with rough movement. Bloodshot eyes stared at the smoking fortress named Forger’s Keep. The flag of the Federation, thirteen stars surrounding a bright blue gem—Farya—was replaced with a symbol of a chibi golem’s head.
The Chosen of Madris came.
He saw.
And… he conquered in one fell swoop.
The status of the inhabitants within was unknown. Any scrying attempts or infiltration were met with fierce resistance.
Ai’esha had been camped here for two days, arriving just hours after the initial loss of contact with the keep. By then, it had already fallen. Her forces rendezvoused with those of General Sokoto, who once planned to ambush the Edryan forces but never had the opportunity. Her account of the battle still echoed through Ai’esha’s thoughts.
A single hour.
That’s how long the base lasted after the Chosen of Madris finally made his move.
The attack on Forger’s Keep began that early morning around 8 A.M. and ended just a little after noon the same day.
A keep meant to be a wall that would hold the enemy forces for weeks, if not months, was defeated by a single man—its barrier shattered in a single strike.
The fluctuations of mana hadn’t even been detected to give the soldiers of the keep a warning. It happened so fast that General Sokoto and her men were unable to provide reinforcements in due time. The General and her elite force were stationed deep underground to prevent early detection by the Imperius Army. By the time they rushed outward, it was far too late.
A single hour.
That’s how long it took for the keep to fall.
A single hour.
“Useless bastards… you better still be alive.”
The thirteen clans of the Federation were all descendants of Farya, daughter of Demigod Isiro, and the reason they were able to take the early initiative and conquer the lands bordering them.
Evidence of her assassination by the Merchant Republic of Koi and the Principality of Ardon had long been exposed by her descendants, yet it was the leash of their Demigod which held them back.
Time had passed, and generations of descendants had prospered, but occasional intermarriages between the lines kept them relatively close. The thirteen young Arbitrators of the Federation were all cousins of one another, through blood or intermarriage. Ai’esha didn’t have the best feelings for Asan or Mojo, but they were still her family. They were her competitors, but also the only ones who understood her the most in this world.
“They better still be alive…”
There had been no word or large-scale movement from the Edryan outside of Forger’s Keep. She knew a majority of their soldiers had gathered by the keep, ready to push into the Federation at any time. She didn’t understand why they gave ample time to the Federation, allowing them to adjust their soldiers and forces to respond.
They could not, however, remove all their soldiers from Isiro’s Hammer. The nearly 300,000 soldiers of Edryan had retreated but not left. The Federation could even claim full victory. Their troops, under the leadership of Theater Commander Anita Sokoto — Arbitrator of the Federation, and a few others, had pushed against the Edryans. They halted the vast ritual spell they openly cast and forced the soldiers back. Before they left, they collapsed the ground underneath a smaller Edryan force, ensuring twenty thousand lives remained buried in the Federation’s borders.
The victory was well received by the Federation and well spread by Ninjaro to the people. The news of Forger’s Keep was silenced, but secrets known by two were no longer secrets. Whispers spread, and Ai’esha’s forceful rush and mobilization of her elite army didn’t help.
Now, the subtle shift of the entirety of the Federation’s forces had focused on Forger’s Keep, surrounding it in a rough semi-circle.
The lands outside of the Naah’Mi mountain range on the western front were open plains that led to many farming villages and the great cities established by the Kano and Yola clans… behind them, Ai’esha’s home.
She would die before any magi stepped foot within.
*****
“Read me the report again,” Ninjaro ordered.
He lightly paced the room, watching the dense red dot on the map as his assistant began to read the report on the fall of Forger’s Keep.
“At 08:00 a.m., the Imperius Army first approac-“
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
“Skip ahead.”
His assistant pursed her lips, but continued.
“At 12:00 p.m. exactly, the Chosen of Madris appeared over Forger’s Keep, unleashing a spell that devastated the base’s shields. Since then, they have never activated again. By 2:00 p.m., General Sokoto reported the fall of Forger’s Keep and retreated to regroup with the approaching reinforcements.”
“I want the details, Korella. The details.”
“Stop pestering the poor girl—this is the fifth time, her words haven’t changed, you’ve already comprehended everything. You only need someone to converse with and clear your thoughts.”
Ninjaro let out a breath, slowly turning as he recognized that voice. “Greatest Grandmother.”
The wife of his Greatest Grandfather, Demigod Isiro, mother of Farya, their ancestor who gave birth to thirteen lineages.
“I told you, only call me that when your other grandmothers are present. Otherwise, just Grandma is fine.”
The Asigbonle, who appeared no older than thirty, smiled at him. He hadn’t even sensed her presence. Had she been a powerful enemy assassin…
“Grandma Saor,” Ninjaro respectfully said, restarting. Ninjaro could not erase all formalities. “It is a pleasure to see you.”
The woman looked him up and down, a warm smile on her face as her eyes met his. “Grandson, what troubles you? Look at Korella, you’ve nearly kept her up for two days. Her level isn’t nearly enough to be awake this long.”
“Korella, get some rest,” Ninjaro ordered, not arguing. The young woman had stayed with him constantly, giving reports as soon as they came. She also managed to repeatedly state things that happened hours ago to help clarify Ninjaro’s understanding of the event.
The young woman deeply bowed to Saor before giving Ninjaro a light bow and taking her leave. Ninjaro’s attention returned to the woman, a contemplative expression on his face.
Grandma Saor shows up, but no one else. Demigod Isiro must still hold confidence in me.
As that thought came, so did the unknown tension that built in Ninjaro relax somewhat. He felt a hint of relief, but he also felt a tinge of dissatisfaction. He could understand if another of his “Grandparents,” the various Prestiges of Farya, appeared, but it was Demigoddess Saor who appeared.
Hmmm.
“You need someone to push thoughts to—someone who can see the grand picture and show you if it’s plausible or not… I am that someone.”
Ninjaro let out a breath, nodding. That was exactly what he needed currently. Ai’esha left, and although his lieutenants were present, none of them held the depth the thirteen Arbitrators did. They could not debate on the level Ninjaro needed to understand his next move. If the Edryans were white and made a move to attack the black chess pieces of the Federation, it was the black pieces’ turn to counter.
A thing that could be done in many ways. Ninjaro could do a defensive counter, an offensive counter, or a mix of something in between.
“You hold many thoughts all tied in a tangled mess. Let us clarify them together. Speak!”
Ninjaro drew a slow breath and closed his eyes. “Why did he choose to appear?”
Saor’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she smiled. Ninjaro’s question was exactly why he was the arbitrator and no other. They both knew without further exposition who the “he” Ninjaro referred to.
“Why did Goddess Madris’s Chosen appear at Forger’s Keep and not Isiro’s hammer? Why didn’t he strike immediately with his army? Why didn’t we detect him until it was too late,” Saor stated.
Ninjaro needed someone to think alongside the same patterns as he, but just removed enough to see outcomes he couldn’t. Ninjaro spoke, not waiting for Grandma Saor to continue. In truth, the woman wasn’t here to converse; she was here to be that verification Ninjaro needed to find a solution. Every word uttered was said with the utmost confidence. There was no doubt in their validity.
“He appeared at noon to shock and awe the Federation. With the noon sun at his back, he cast his shadow over the hearts of my Asigbonle. It was not intimidation alone. Something pressed upon Mojo and Asan. A suppression. Not brute force—control. It is a special physique or power that comes from his status as Chosen of Madris. Mojo and Asan were hit with a debuff, with Asan bearing the brunt of it. He appeared in the sky, high above Forger’s Keep, only detected at the final moments.”
Ninjaro’s fingers curled. His eyes played every second of those scenes once again. Grandma Saor smoothed the imperceptible wrinkles over her long black suit, quite satisfied with Ninjaro’s train of thought. For every question she posed, he answered.
“He did not arrive late. He revealed himself late. Once Mojo and Asan’s attention was completely focused… only then did he arrive above them.
“How did the shield of Forger’s Keep break?”
Saor laughed, responding to the youth before her as he asked his second question. “How did the Chosen manage to break the base’s shield with nothing but his own prowess? Why did none of the secondary shielding activate?”
“His skill or spell required a large casting time, but its effects are devastating. The shield is based on magic, powered by the cores of slain Calamities. He must possess a class of ultimate magic that allowed interference with these creatures’ cores—one that requires a large amount of time to be activated. One that cannot be interrupted while being cast, or it would fail. This ability disabled both the main and secondary shielding.”
“And what does that tell you,” Saor said, not questioning, but directing—refining.
“He was certain he would not be interrupted.”
Ninjaro nearly snarled, his face twisting.
“Who does he think he is?”
The room stayed silent. Ninjaro released a breath, retaining his calm, retaining his calculations.
“Two golems for every Imperius Soldier. Life Linking spells to create a sense of invincibility. Steady deployment once the shield was broken, standing in the air, showcasing supremacy. Their mana never dipped. Reinforcements arrived in perfect intervals.”
“…and, what does that tell you, Ninjaro?”
His hands aligned behind his back, his gaze straight as he peered at the map.
“…this was no gamble.”
He paused.
“This is a well-funded elite force built to break any formation they face—built to break any foundation. This is the Imperius Army forging a Legend using the bodies of my Asigbonle as a foundation.”
He closed his eyes. When he reopened them, they only showed a cold indifference. He continued the analysis.
“How did a hundred thousand men fail to hold? No matter if Asan or Mojo was implicated, many lieutenants can step forward.”
Ninjaro could not answer the question, thus his eyes turned to Saor.
“Did they break your walls?”
“No.”
“Did they overwhelm your corridors?”
“No.”
“Then what failed?”
…
Then what failed?
What exactly failed in Forger’s Keep so that they could not hold their post.
A structure that should only be taken upon its utter destruction stood tall.
“Why did it fail, Ninjaro?”
Why did it fail Ninjaro?
“Why leave stone and brick standing?”
“To make a statement.”
“Of?”
…
…
“Power.”
…
…
“Power,” Saor repeated. “A showcase of Power.
“A showcase that no matter how prepared, in the face of his power, it means nothing. If brick and stone mean nothing to him, how do you win?”
