The First Flames
The horns cried through the dawn, a low, mournful blare that shivered across the parapets and turned every eye toward the narrow road winding down from the eastern ridges.
Kasane gripped the haft of her spear.
"They've come sooner than we guessed."
Shiori drew her cloak tighter about her shoulders, her eyes fixed on the wavering banners that emerged from the mists.
"No," she said softly.
"They were always closer than we feared."
---
Jin stepped to the parapet's edge.
Below, the vanguard of House Seryth advanced in measured ranks. Black lamellar armor gleamed in the rising sun, and at the column's heart rose a standard worked in silver thread—the Tower Wreathed in Flame.
A hush settled over the stronghold. Every soldier, every refugee, every mercenary who had pledged themselves these last few days turned to watch the lone figure standing above them.
Jin lifted one hand.
His voice carried without strain.
"Kasane."
She stepped forward.
"Ready the archers. When the first rank reaches the gate, you will give the signal."
Kasane's jaw tightened, but she nodded.
"Yes."
Jin turned to Shiori.
"Send Daigo to the north wall. Have him watch for any attempt to flank."
Shiori inclined her head.
"And you?"
"I will meet them."
---
The courtyard erupted in motion. Kasane's voice rose, crisp and unshakable as she marshaled the archers into position along the crumbling battlements. Shiori vanished into the shadows of the old council hall, dispatching runners and signaling the watch posts hidden in the gullies beyond the walls.
Jin descended the outer steps alone.
---
Daigo caught up to him near the shattered gate.
"Master—"
Jin turned, and the boy froze. For an instant, Daigo felt the weight of something vast, cold, and inexorable—like standing before the edge of a cliff and knowing the sea waited far below.
"You will remain on the north wall," Jin said gently.
"Watch. Learn."
Daigo swallowed, his voice small.
"Will you…kill them all?"
"If they offer no choice."
The boy's eyes filled, but he nodded and turned away.
---
Outside the gate, the Seryth column came to a halt.
A line of shield-bearers advanced, planting their oval bulwarks in the churned mud. Behind them, pikemen braced their weapons, and a detachment of archers began to string their bows.
From the center of the formation, a rider emerged. His horse was black as midnight, armored from poll to flank. The man who rode it wore no helm, his hair bound in a silver clasp.
He reined in a dozen paces from where Jin stood.
"You are Jin."
Jin inclined his head.
"I am."
"I am Commander Vorys of House Seryth. By order of the High Council, you are commanded to yield this place, relinquish all claim to the so-called Crown, and submit yourself for judgment."
Silence spread in the ranks behind him. Even the restless shifting of the horses stilled.
Jin's voice was quiet.
"No."
---
Commander Vorys studied him, one eyebrow lifting.
"No?"
"No."
The commander exhaled slowly, as if disappointed.
"Then you leave me no alternative."
He raised one hand.
The Seryth archers drew in a single, fluid motion.
---
On the parapets above, Kasane's eyes narrowed.
"Loose," she hissed.
A thousand heartbeats seemed to pass in an instant—
—and then the first flight of arrows streaked from the walls in a rippling arc, their black shafts glinting.
The Seryth formation shuddered. Shields locked. A roar went up as arrows struck steel and flesh alike.
Commander Vorys did not flinch. He brought his hand down.
"Advance."
---
The Seryth line surged forward, shield-bearers braced against the impact of fresh volleys. Pikes lowered, step by measured step.
At the head of it all, Vorys guided his horse unhurriedly, his eyes never leaving Jin.
And Jin waited.
---
Kasane's voice rose above the din.
"Second volley—fire!"
The archers obeyed, loosing another rain of death. Where arrows struck gaps in armor, men fell. Where shields held, the columns pressed on.
A line of skirmishers broke from the main body, racing for the north wall.
Shiori's runner dashed up the steps.
"Lady—flankers!"
Shiori's eyes flicked to Daigo, crouched behind a merlon with a borrowed shortbow.
"Do you remember what I taught you?"
He nodded, his throat dry.
"Good," she whispered.
"Now prove it."
---
Below, Commander Vorys signaled again.
The archers behind the Seryth pikes loosed their first volley toward the walls.
Kasane ducked behind a parapet as an arrow clanged against the stone beside her head.
"Damn you," she hissed, peering over the rim.
"Hold the line!"
---
In the courtyard, Jin stepped forward.
For a moment, the air seemed to hush. Even the rain slowed.
He drew a slow breath.
And when he exhaled, the Crown awakened.
A pale radiance uncoiled around him—silent as the tide, bright as moonfire.
In that instant, every man who looked upon him felt the surety of his power—not as rumor or fear, but as a simple, inescapable fact.
He raised one hand.
The nearest pikes wavered.
---
Commander Vorys tightened his grip on the reins.
"Archers!" he bellowed.
But before the order could be completed, Jin spoke—his voice low, almost sorrowful.
"You were warned."
He closed his fist.
A shockwave rippled outward in a widening ring. The first rank of pikes collapsed as if struck by an unseen hammer—men and weapons hurled backward in a spray of earth.
The horses reared, screaming.
Kasane's breath caught as the light flared brighter, outlining Jin's silhouette in brilliance.
---
On the north wall, Daigo watched in terror and wonder.
"This…this is…"
Shiori's voice was a whisper.
"Dominion."
---
The Seryth formation reeled, its perfect discipline shattered. Men stumbled to their knees, clutching their ears.
Jin did not move again.
But when he opened his eyes, they burned with white fire.
"Leave this place," he said.
"Or be ended."
---
Commander Vorys hauled his horse back a single pace, his face pale.
"You are a monster."
Jin inclined his head.
"If that is what it takes."
---
For a moment, it seemed the Seryth commander might call the retreat.
Then something changed.
From the far ridge, a second banner rose—a sigil none of them
had expected.
Shiori hissed in recognition.
"Moon Court…"
Kasane's knuckles whitened on her spear.
"Two armies…"
---
The standard lifted in the wind, pale as bone.
And in that instant, every soul within the stronghold knew the battle had only begun.