Edenia in crisis

Hoshimura moved to sit on one of the stone formations near the heart of the cavern, his movements deliberate. He brushed off some dust from his sleeve as though even the slightest imperfection was beneath him. Terrance remained standing, his back straight, though his eyes betrayed unease as they flickered between Fang and Varden.

Gaia leaned against the wall, her smirk lingering as she watched the elf king settle himself. Isgram, meanwhile, approached Fang, whispering just loud enough for the group to hear.

"You sure you want to hear them out? You've already made your point. They're just here because they've run out of better options."

Fang gave Isgram a sharp glance, his lips barely moving. "Exactly. That makes them dangerous, but predictable."

Isgram grunted in response, folding his arms and stepping back.

Hoshimura rested his hands on his knees, taking a moment to look at each person in the room before speaking. "It's no secret that Edenia is on the brink of chaos. The dwarves press from the southwest, Eiridan stirs rebellion in the west, and now rogue factions within my empire seek to undermine the crown." He paused, his eyes locking with Fang's. "But what isn't widely known is how precarious your position is."

Fang raised an eyebrow. "You came here to lecture me on my 'precarious position'? Enlighten me."

Hoshimura ignored the sarcasm. "You're isolated. You've made enemies of the elves barring Davra village.

the humans hate your kind from birth, and even your own kind is scattered. The dwarves see you as an obstacle to be crushed, and the factions stirring rebellion see you as an opportunity to exploit. You've won battles, yes. Mostly against me.

but wars are rarely won by individuals, no matter how powerful."

Fang chuckled, and remembered a saying in his old world.

"You know, there is a saying from where I come from:

Old men create wars for young men to die on.

I guess this world is no different, seeing how experienced you are with warfare."

Fang's expression remained neutral, though the tension in the room thickened.

Terrance took a step forward, his voice firm. "What the king is saying is that you have potential—potential to be more than a rogue 'chosen one' hiding in a cave. You could be a force of stability in this region, a power that even the dwarves would think twice about challenging. But only if you ally with us."

Gaia chuckled, her tone mocking. "And here comes the pitch. Let me guess—help you, and in return, we get... what? A token title? A nice plot of land to farm? Or maybe just the privilege of not being hunted anymore?"

Terrance opened his mouth to respond, but Hoshimura raised a hand to silence him. "You'll get what you truly need: security. A seat at the table. The resources and recognition to build something lasting, something greater than this..." He gestured around the cavern, his tone softening. "Temporary refuge."

Isgram scoffed. "A seat at the table? You mean under your boot."

Fang finally spoke, his voice calm but sharp. "You talk about stability and recognition, but your actions suggest otherwise. You claim to want peace, yet you send assassins and soldiers to our doorstep. You speak of alliances, yet your empire splinters under your own rule. Tell me, why should I bet on you?"

Hoshimura leaned forward, his gaze intense. "Because I'm the only one willing to extend a hand instead of a sword. The factions opposing me see you as a threat to be eradicated, not an ally to be courted. And the dwarves? They'll crush you without a second thought, just as they've done to every other 'chosen one' they've encountered. I offer you a chance to survive—and to thrive." The king raised his cup and water formed by Terrance's magic, poured from above the cup.

The king materialized two ice cubes and sipped calmly.

The cavern fell silent again, the weight of the king's words pressing down on everyone present. Fang glanced at Gaia and Isgram, gauging their reactions.

Gaia's smirk was gone, replaced by a thoughtful frown. Isgram looked skeptical but kept his thoughts to himself.

Finally, Fang spoke, his tone measured. "I'll consider your offer, but I won't be rushed or coerced. You've made your case; now it's my turn to think it over. If you're as serious about this alliance as you claim, you'll respect that."

Hoshimura stood, adjusting his vest. "Fair enough. But time isn't on our side, Fang. The longer you wait, the stronger your enemies become. Don't let pride or mistrust blind you to the opportunity before you."

As the king and his advisor turned to leave, Gaia called after them, her tone biting. "We'll be sure to send you a formal reply. Maybe we'll even use one of those assassins you're so fond of as a messenger."

Terrance bristled, but Hoshimura merely gave a slight nod. "I'll await your answer."

The jagged rock at the cave's entrance shifted again, sealing behind them. As the sound of their footsteps faded, Isgram let out a low growl.

"I don't like it. They're desperate, and desperate men are the most dangerous."

Gaia nodded. "Agreed. But desperate men are also the easiest to manipulate."

Fang remained silent, his golden eyes fixed on the cave's entrance. After a long moment, he spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "We need to prepare. If we accept their offer, we'll need to ensure it's on our terms. And if we refuse..."

Gaia finished his thought. "We'll need to be ready for war."

Fang nodded, his expression hardening. "Either way, we need to be stronger. No more hiding. It's time to show Edenia what we're capable of."

As the echo of Fang's words settled in the cavern, Varden stood unmoving, his hand lingering on the hilt of his sword. His piercing gaze flickered between Fang and the sealed entrance before he turned sharply, his boots striking hard against the rocky floor.

"Where are you going?" Gaia called after him, her tone laced with curiosity.

Varden didn't answer. He stormed toward the sealed cave entrance, muttering an incantation Gaia taught him under his breath. The rock shifted, the heavy sound of stone grinding against stone filling the chamber as the barrier cracked open just enough for him to slip through.

Isgram raised an eyebrow. "Looks like someone has something to get off his chest."

"Let him," Fang said, his tone cold. "He's been looking for a reason to bark. Such is the nature of scared dogs."

Outside the cave, the brisk wind carried the faint scent of pine and damp earth. Hoshimura and Terrance had already started down the winding path, their cloaks fluttering in the chill breeze.

"King Hoshimura!" Varden's voice rang out, commanding and sharp.

The elf king stopped, his head turning slightly. Terrance halted as well, his hand instinctively moving to the pommel of his sword.

Hoshimura glanced over his shoulder, his expression calm but guarded. "Varden. I thought our conversation was concluded."

"It's not." Varden descended the rocky slope with purposeful strides, stopping a few paces away from the king. His eyes burned with intensity. "You came here to grovel for his help, and you couldn't even do that properly."

Terrance stiffened. "Watch your tone, knight."

But Varden ignored him, his focus solely on Hoshimura. "I served you because I believed in your vision for Edenia. Because I thought you had the strength to lead us out of this mess. But what I saw back there wasn't strength—it was desperation."

Hoshimura's gaze remained steady, his face unreadable. "And what would you have had me do, Varden? Challenge him to a duel? Prove my worth through bloodshed, like some barbarian chieftain? That might have satisfied your pride, but it would have gained us nothing."

Terrance sighed and added. "Brother, you are not seeing the full picture. In order to keep our wounded army away from this conflict, desperate acts are needed."

"You don't understand!" Varden's voice cracked with frustration. "He doesn't respect you. He sees you as weak. If you think you can bring him to heel with soft words and promises, you're delusional."

Hoshimura's eyes narrowed, his tone growing colder. "And you think provoking him would have earned his respect? He's not a child to be cowed by shows of force, Varden. He's a chosen one. There is a reason he was chosen, and as much as we all fear the gods we fear their chosen one's even more.

If you can't see the value in treating him as an equal, then perhaps you don't understand the stakes here as well as you think."

Varden clenched his fists, his mana flaring faintly around him. "You think I don't understand the stakes? I've seen what the dwarves are capable of. I've watched our people die because we didn't act when we had the chance. And now you're putting our fate in the hands of someone who doesn't care about our kingdom—someone who doesn't care about anything but his own survival."

Terrance stepped forward, his voice sharp. "That's enough, Varden. You're out of line."

But Hoshimura raised a hand, silencing him. His gaze bore into Varden, unyielding. "You're right about one thing, Varden. Fang doesn't care about our kingdom—not yet. But if we handle this correctly, he might come to see that our survival is tied to his own. And if he doesn't... then we'll deal with that when the time comes."

Varden stared at the king for a long moment, his jaw tight. Finally, he exhaled sharply, his shoulders sagging slightly. "I hope you're right," he muttered. "For all our sakes. He is not a good man, but he sure is reliable. I have seen how his group captured several spies lately. For now, I suggest you both stay nearby, preferably at Davra. Fujin is still waiting to have an audience with his majesty."

Without another word, he turned and walked back toward the cave, his footsteps heavy with frustration.

As the knight disappeared from view, Hoshimura turned to Terrance, his expression softening. "He's loyal, but his vision is narrow. Keep an eye on him."

Terrance nodded, though his gaze lingered on the cave entrance. "And Fang? Do you really think he'll agree to our terms?"

Hoshimura's lips curved into a faint, enigmatic smile. "We'll see. For now, we've planted the seed. Whether it grows or withers depends on him."

With that, the two men resumed their descent, the wind carrying their cloaks behind them as they vanished into the forest below.

Far from the cave, between the snowing hills of Greenhill, dozens of cavalry soldiers prepared to ride north, as a large commotion is heard.

"Quick! That bastard is rotten, we can't let his family escape the city so easily!

do it as quickly and quietly as possible, and do not let anyone trace you back here."

Several scrolls were being forwarded from one soldier to another.

Most were young men, some as young as 15.

"In the scrolls are the descriptions of the fugitive family you are to capture.

Now go!"

With a horse neigh, the riders set off towards the thawing fields.

The sleepy town was never aware of such actions taking place in their territory as they always set out from between hills and valleys.

And so, several independent cavalry squads split in their paths, dodging trees and boulders in their rough path.

"Giro, do you think the rumors of the magistos are true?"

The young boy who asked that was no more than 17, his pale face smooth and absent are the marks of war.

Next to him, rode the leader of the squad, Giro.

He looked in his thirties but his skin still youthful despite the scar that went along his cheek all the way to his ear.

"I have never imagined those Magisto scum can enter our land, but it only strengthens the prophecy Eiridian had.

If those doom-bringers are here, it must mean the elf empire angered the gods.

I do not know a way out of wars with chosen ones, usually they're not independent but used by the humans for wars."

The young boy face went paler than before and the quiet spread in the forest.

Only chirps of birds were heard, reminding Giro of the life force that vibrated inside all beings.

'I hope we're not wrong here, young master... I really hope you're not being misled, those men are good loyal men...'