The morning air at the border still reeked of blood. The campfires that had
kept Valorian soldiers warm through the night were now nothing but ash, carried
away by the wind along with the stench of iron and charred wood. Exhausted men
moved slowly through the camp—cleaning weapons still stained from yesterday's
slaughter, polishing battered shields, and preparing rations for the march
ahead. There was no singing, no cheer of victory. Every soldier knew: crossing
the river had been only the first step.
Arthur walked the rows of his men. His stride was calm, his face unreadable,
yet every soldier straightened the instant his eyes met theirs. He said little,
but his gaze alone spoke: rise, the war has only begun.
Elara watched from a short distance, her eyes following Arthur's every
movement. Her chest tightened with thoughts she could not share.
How can you think so quickly, Arthur? she whispered inwardly. That
river—you had never seen it before yesterday. Everyone else was at a loss, even
I had no answer. Yet you looked once and commanded the mages to raise the
riverbed, to prepare planks, to ready the cannons. To you, the solution
appeared as if it had always been waiting.
Her hand clenched beneath her cloak. Admiration tangled with unease. What
truly runs through your mind? How do you calculate, weigh, and decide with such
speed? Is it courage… or something more dangerous?
She held her breath. To her, Arthur was no longer just a king who bore a
sword, but a riddle that only deepened with every victory.
The sky erupted with the beating of wings. Hundreds of pigeons soared
outward in every direction, each carrying tiny scrolls tied to their legs.
Within hours, the fall of Riverbend's border was known across the world.
In Solaris, the war chamber boiled over. Generals crowded around the war
map, faces drawn tight.
"Three weeks! They crushed Riverbend's garrison in just three weeks!" one
roared, slamming a fist onto the table, scattering wooden markers. A younger
officer stammered, "If they move this fast, our own lines could be threatened."
Voices clashed—some furious, some fearful, a few grudgingly admiring.
In Veritas, the senate dissolved into chaos. Senators shouted over one
another.
"This is fortune! A weakened Riverbend means Solaris loses its foothold!" an
elder cried.
Another retorted, pale with alarm, "Fool! This is disaster—Valoria will rise as
a new power just as dangerous!" The chamber rumbled like a marketplace, every
voice pulling in a different direction.
In the Sunstones, fireworks crackled in the squares. The people laughed and
cheered as if they themselves had won the battle. Children chased sparks,
chanting Valoria's name. Yet inside the palace, the king sat alone in gloom.
"Today they celebrate," he murmured, "but who can promise that tomorrow Valoria
will not come knocking on our gates?"
In Eldoria, the king stood upon a high balcony, the sea glittering beneath
the fading sun. His smile was thin, his eyes cold with calculation. "The world
is shifting," he said softly. A counselor trembled beside him. "My lord, this
could change everything." But the king only raised a hand, as if to say: let
the board shake—our move will come in time.
In Highmount, the city bells tolled. Mountain archers were summoned to the
high plains, grim-faced as they gathered. A mother dragged her child indoors,
whispering, "Valoria has swallowed the border. Who can stop them now?"
And in Northaven—the merged realm of rangers and seafarers—the harbor
markets seethed with rumor.
"If Valoria truly devours Riverbend," a sailor muttered, hand over his mouth,
"our trade routes will die."
A ranger standing nearby shook his head grimly. "Not just trade. They could
appear at our forest borders any day." The marketplace turned tense, arguments
breaking out, merchants refusing to send goods abroad. Fear spread like fire
through dry straw.
Across the world, kingdoms trembled. Everyone understood: a new door had
been forced open, and none could say who would step through it next.
In Riverbend itself, twenty-five thousand soldiers who had been marching
toward the border received sudden orders. They wheeled around and made for the
nearest fortress-city—Rivermount.
The city rose upon a low hill, its stone walls old but stout, its
watchtowers once guardians of the river's trade routes. Now, Rivermount stood
as a great shield, the last line meant to hold back Valoria's tide.
Arthur received the report and wasted no time.
"We march on Rivermount," he declared to his officers. "If the city falls, our
supply lines are secure. Without it, every step forward will bleed us dry."
The army re-formed. Packs hoisted, wagon wheels groaning, horses driven on.
The midday sun scorched the earth, but the line did not falter. Drums beat a
steady rhythm, keeping thousands of boots in time. A few voices laughed
nervously, but most faces were tight, eyes fixed ahead. They knew their target
was no mere town, but a fortress now brimming with tens of thousands of foes.
By nightfall they reached the wide plain before Rivermount. The fortress
loomed above on its hill, gray walls cutting against the sky, watchtowers
crowned with firelight. Across the slopes, enemy campfires burned like a sea of
stars—countless, unending.
Arthur halted. The air was heavy, every breath laced with smoke. His eyes
fixed on the walls lined with silhouettes, Riverbend's banners snapping
defiantly in the dark.
"Estimate their numbers," Arthur ordered, voice flat.
A scout swallowed hard. "My lord… at least twenty-five thousand."
Arthur's jaw tightened. "How could they gather so many?"
Hadrick stepped forward, his face grim. "Mercenaries, perhaps. Or
worse—their own youth pressed into service. Boys forced to carry spears."
Arthur said nothing, his gaze locked on the fortress, as though trying to
pierce its stone with sheer will. Elara watched him, unease rising once more. How
will you break these walls, Arthur? she wondered. And how much more
blood must spill before you do?
The night deepened. Smoke from the enemy camp drifted with the wind.
Rivermount loomed ahead, not merely a city—but the next great trial awaiting
Valoria.