With the mountain blocking her view to the west, Taradira’s view from the top of the tower only let her look back the way she had come, towards territory already claimed by Ettsgras. Barakin - which was the name of both the city and the lone mountain - lay with a hilly grassland to the west and a large forest to the east. Going south would eventually lead to Galbr, while the north held no dense population centers, the land dotted with small villages and a few medium-sized towns.

  Instead of staring at the forest, Taradira directed her gaze downward, at her army, camped around the city, waiting.

  “No word from the empire?”

  “None.” Thoms said, standing behind her as always. “Do you think they wanted us to take the city? Did we play into their hands?”

  Taradira frowned, tapping her fingers on the stone battlement. “There’s too many conflicting moves. They stationed a large force to the north, which they pulled back. Before I sent Ferene to them, they were poised to stage a counterattack. If I had moved on the city with them in place, they would have been able to harass our forces during the battle, or even go past us to attack our supply line. The opportunity to attack only came up because of that retreat. If they wanted us to take it, they would never have been in that position to begin with. If it was a plan, they only implemented it after they retreated their army. The cavalry group still confuses me.”

  She heard Thoms shift his feet. “Should I send for reinforcements? If they aren’t planning to negotiate, they will turn to an offensive.”

  “Which means either attacking us here - which will lead to a siege - or taking back some of the other areas, which means we either give up those gains, weakening our negotiating position or we go out to meet them in the field. Yes, send word to the king to start preparing, but not to mobilize. It is coming down to action and reaction. It is the empire’s turn to make a move, and we can wait to see their hand before playing our own. This position may give them the advantage in movement, but it gives us the advantage in timing.”

  “Yes, General.”

  She listened to his footsteps as he walked away, going down the stairs. Thoms trusted her more than any of her other assistants over the decades, but he didn’t know her full plans. At some point, he would be too old to follow her, and she would miss him. Just like all the other humans who fought by her side in these wars.

  Spinning, she dashed to the stairway, flinging herself down it, two or three steps at a time until she caught up with him. “Wait.” She said, and he started up at her, his eyes wide, unblinking, his lips slightly parted.

  “I need a letter delivered to my residence, as well. I’ll have to write it first.”

  For a moment, his face remained unchanged. Then he nodded to her.

  “My plan is to recapture these villages. Once we do that, we relocate the residents and raze the buildings. Leave them with nothing to take back.”

  The emperor looked down at the massive table, using his cane to tap on the map of the empire painted directly onto the surface. “Your plan is to destroy our own villages, mar our own lands?”

  The previous speaker - a tall and round man with an impressively long beard, coughed once. “We have the capability to rebuild. Newer and greater, but first we must drive back these invaders. They have taken Barakin, a position which they can easily defend, and will be eager to, given how valuable the mines are. By removing the surrounding villages, we push back their line and isolate their general in the city.”

  Ferene followed the emperor as he walked around the table. “Tell me your full plan, General.” Aside from the fat, bearded man, there were three others at the table. An older, bald man with an eyepatch, a younger, short man with an impressive build and long, flowing brown hair, and Ines Camus.

  The general coughed once more. “Once we isolate them at Barakin, we can trap them there, their general and all. A long siege could force a surrender, but they could also call in reinforcements. Instead, I would send a force through the mine tunnels. We can burn the city, with their army inside it. They can either stay in and die, or run out and face us outside the walls, where they will have a disadvantage. We can capture their general and force Ettsgras to agree to whatever terms we want.”

  “And the people in the city?”

  There was a moment of silence, the general sitting up straight in his chair, meeting the emperor’s eyes, while the one-eye man kept his gaze on the table, the young man studied the emperor, and Ines watched the general. “This plan sacrifices them, but wins us the war in a single move. We trade their lives to prevent the deaths of countless soldiers. Their sacrifice will expand the territory of the empire immensely. Without its prized general, the entirety of Ettsgras lies within your grasp, if you want to take it.”

  Silence followed. Ferene could hear her heart beating. Her hand twitched, and she wanted to draw the sword from her belt, but held herself back. “Ah.” The emperor finally broke the silence with the simple sound, following it by tapping his cane on the floor of the chamber. “How many of my subjects reside in Barakin?”

  “Currently, your majesty? None, as Ettsgras is annexing everything they take. They are citizens of the kingdom now.” The long-haired man said.

  “Thank you, captain. How many noncombatants are in the city? Former or potential future imperial subjects. A number. You seem to be well informed on the specifics.”

  The young captain wilted under the attention. “Three thousand.” He said, quietly.

  “Ferene, my blade.” She sharply drew in a breath as he unexpectedly addressed her. “Do you think that it is just to sacrifice three thousand innocent people in order to win a war?”

  “No, your majesty.” She immediately responded.

  “Three thousand to expand my empire? To put my name in history as the one that conquered the kingdom of Ettsgras, the one that united the land? Is it a fair price, do you think? To be the one that burned three thousand of my own people to death?”

  “No, your majesty.”

  “I agree. I think there is something else we agree on, don’t you?” He turned and looked at her, smiling. She hesitated.

  “I’m not sure what you mean, your majesty.”

  Still looking at her, he pointed his cane at the general. “That man. I think he should be executed for even suggesting such a plan. Don’t you agree?”

  “Yes, your majesty.”

  “Do so immediately.”

  The two of them were on the opposite side of the table from the general. He started to stand up, his chair scraping across the floor. Ferene drew her short sword from her waist as she vaulted onto the table, running across the map, sending the small rounded tokens representing various groupings of armies flying. She crossed the distance in three strides, her sword slicing through the general’s neck as he finished standing. The man fell forward, splattering blood across the table.

  “This war will be fought to defend the people of this empire!” The emperor did not yell, only slightly raising his voice, yet his anger was clear. “The people of Celngi are what Celngi is made of. I do not care about leaving a mark in history. I do not care about conquest. I care about keeping these people safe. Which one of you can fight this war in a way that protects my people?”

  Ines rose to her feet and bowed. “Put me back in the field, your majesty. The enemy has extended far into our territory. They push us to negotiate because they know how costly a drawn out fight will be. Let me wear them down, harass them, drain their strength and patience. They will simply give us back what they took.”

  “Ferene, get off the table. General Camus will need it to make plans for how she will use the imperial army.” Jumping down to the floor, Ferene saw Ines swallow, her eyes wide. “Come, let us leave them to their planning.” Wiping her sword on the back of the dead man’s jacket, Ferene returned the weapon to her belt before following the emperor from the room.

  He stayed silent, leading her through the halls to an empty room with two chairs. Letting out a sigh, he collapsed into one, placing his cane across his knees. “You deserve a reward for that.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “He deserved to die, your majesty.” Ferene said.

  The emperor chuckled. “Ah. You are still naive. You did something, and I am offering you a reward for it. You take the reward even if what you did was something you believe should have been done anyway. It is not often someone gets a reward from the emperor. What do you desire from me?”

  Again, Ferene hesitated. She wasn’t sure what the emperor was thinking, what he was planning. Was this another test, another trick? Was there something she was supposed to ask for, something she was supposed to not ask for?

  “Tell me about the two Hatharen in the tower.”

  It was the emperor’s turn to hesitate. Slowly, a smile spread across his features. “What an odd request! You do not fail to exceed my expectations. However, no. On my orders, you ended the story of one life. I will tell you the story of one life. The reward matches the act. The male, or the female? You may learn about one of them.”

  She thought about it for a moment. “The man.”

  “Very well. It started in the time of my grandfather’s grandfather. Curiosity was a hobby of his, and he took extensive notes. I will have them delivered to you, for you to read as you wish.”

  Ferene swallowed, hesitating. “Your majesty, I…I can’t read.”

  The emperor blinked, looking up at her, studying her face. Then he frowned, before finally nodding. “I will read them to you, and answer any questions you have.”

  “Thank you, your majesty.”

  A smile spread across the old man’s face. He laughed. “My father died before he became emperor. I inherited the throne directly from my grandfather. After losing his son, he implemented a new law. I have left it in place, and abide by it myself. I do not know my children, if I even have any. I can only assume that I do, though. The babies are taken from their mothers and hidden throughout the empire, raised by strangers, with only a select few staff knowing their true identities. I did not get to experience being a father. I hear that parents read to their children, before they can read on their own. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity.”

  Her mouth dry, Ferene could only nod.

  “Councilman Varnon, I did not expect them to send you.”

  Letting out a dry laugh, the dark-haired councilman sat down across the table from Taradira. “I did expect to be here, this far into what is - or was? - imperial territory, but the king selected me to negotiate. I should take it as a vote of confidence, perhaps.”

  Taradira nodded. “You were vocal in your opposition to this war. A good choice for seeking to end it. Do you believe that Lord Targin would be a good negotiator for ending the war?”

  He shrugged in response to her question. “I can imagine him pushing for an aggressive deal that heavily favors us and leaves the empire bitter for generations to come. I’m not sure that being less hostile will make them less bitter, however. Not that it matters. I’ve been informed they have yet to respond to the request to meet.”

  Frowning, Taradira nodded again. “You being here means we can start the negotiations as soon as they agree. There may be some fighting before that happens, but I will do everything in my power to keep you safe.”

  He waved a hand dismissively. “I trust you, General Suladan. Our entire nation trusts you. While we wait, why don’t you show me what I’m working with? I can prepare myself for the talks when they eventually start.”

  Taradira couldn’t help but smile. “Certainly.” She spread a map out on the table. “Our major gains are Naymoor and Barakin, together accounting for more than half of the king’s quota. Everything in between, as well as the buffer we established around our main push, put us over our goal by a good amount. You should be able to trade some of them away if you wish.” She pointed to various spots on the map as she explained, Varnon watching intently.

  After she finished, he tapped his chin in contemplation. “Can you take more?”

  “It is a possibility.”

  “They will want Barakin back. The king cares about the population, but Celngi wants their mines. You could take more, and we cede Barakin while keeping things elsewhere, or we trade Barakin for territory you never touched. Is the city’s governor cooperative? He, or any of the other social elites in the city will be a good insight to the political landscape I’m dealing with.”

  “Polmgran is friendly, enough to make me mildly suspicious of him.” Taradira sat back, watching as Varnon looked over the map, tapping his fingers as he ran mental calculations. She couldn’t remember which district of the kingdom he represented - that part of things wasn’t something she paid much attention to, especially given that the humans in each position changed every forty or so years.

  The sound of someone slapping the tent’s flap filled the room. Rising to her feet, Taradira called out to Thoms, who should have been outside. He entered immediately, his lips pressed tightly together.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Celngi has mobilized a massive force. The entire army they retreated before, plus extra reinforcements. Supposedly their general is dead. Someone else is in charge.”

  Rising to her feet, Taradira stepped towards Thoms, leaving Varnon behind her. “What happened to the general? Do you know who took over? Anything about them?”

  “All we know is that he entered a meeting alive and came out dead. Nobody else was hurt. Execution, not assassination. Don’t know who is in charge now.”

  “Get word to the capital. We will likely be needing those troops sooner than we thought.” She turned to look at the councilman. “My apologies, but peace will have to wait.”

  “Two were captured nearly two hundred years ago, shortly before my grandfather’s grandfather - Emperor Folke - took the throne. The details around their capture were not written down, but Folke wrote about them during his reign. There were many things they did not speak of, but he learned of their unique healing abilities and their long lives. When the topic of their reproduction came up, he had the idea of using them to attempt to produce multiple half-blood offspring. The female subject entered her breeding cycle towards the end of Folke’s reign, and he ordered them placed together before being separated and provided with human partners.”

  Ferene, seated across from the emperor as he read the book in front of him, clenched her fists in her lap. “Livestock.”

  “Yes. Emperor Folke was noted to be very detached. After his death, several individuals put forth theories that he was mentally unwell. Theories they kept to themselves during his lifetime, of course. Most historians agree that there was something wrong with him. Regardless, despite over a dozen partners, only three offspring were produced. Two male and one female. The female died shortly after being born, leaving only the two males.”

  “Is one of them Elhaten?”

  The emperor looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. “That is a question about Elhaten, not the Hatharen in the tower.”

  Frowning, Ferene met his eyes. “Is the male subject Elhaten’s father?”

  “Yes. He is.”

  “Why are those two - why is the male subject still being held captive?” Ferene asked.

  “Because he has not asked to leave.”

  “He is under guard.”

  “A formality. Some people believe that the prisoners are violent. It is better for everyone if that belief is upheld. So they are kept under watch. If he asks to leave, he can leave.”

  “Does he know that?” Ferene held the emperor’s gaze. He just smiled at her. She hated that.

  “You can go and tell him. Your actions are not restricted. Unless you are scared he might want to stay. That there is something out there worse than being in here. Folke writes that the subject refused to answer many questions about their society. I can only wonder why that would be.”

  Pushing her lips together, she stared at him intently. Did he know? Could he know? Elhaten didn’t know, but… “I can’t say.”

  His smile only grew wider. “I do not ask you to choose between your loyalty to me and your loyalty to anyone else. Your choices interest me. I do not seek to influence them. Do you have any other questions?”

  “No.” Ferene said, finally looking away. “Thank you, your majesty.”

  “As I said, I have never had the experience of reading to someone else, even if I was summarizing the wordy ramblings of an overly curious man. Go, explore this issue further on your own. I can see that you want to.”

  Bowing to him, she turned and walked out of the room.

  Something here was wrong, but she didn’t know what it was. Or rather, there were so many things wrong that they all blended together, becoming unidentifiable.

  Men fell around her.

  Taradira pushed forward, swinging her axe-sword, hooking a soldier's shield and pushing it aside before she slashed him across his chest, her weapon cleaving through his chainmail.

  Celngi’s offensive started a few days after their new general took control. In a series of aggressive attacks, they re-captured several smaller towns, evacuated the residents, and burning the buildings. With her territory collapsing, Taradira made a prediction on the next target, and intercepted the enemy’s force with her own.

  They attempted to retreat, but Taradira smashing through their lines forced them to stand and fight. It quickly turned into a blood brawl, enemy soldiers flinging themselves at her in the chaos while her own men made a steady advance.

  She parried a spear thrust, grabbing the shaft with her free hand and twisting. The soldier let go, allowing her to bash him over the head with his own weapon rather than try to wrestle with her. Seeing this, the others nearby started running. The brawl turned into a rout, Taradira’s troops running down the fleeing imperials.

  “That went well.” Thoms said, appearing at her side in the aftermath of the battle, a bandage wrapped around his left arm.

  “I got lucky.” Taradira replied, shaking her head. “One in three chance and I picked right. This is only a small force, though, enough to overwhelm the defenders. Being active instead of passive sends a message. Will the next attack be a larger force, able to stand and fight properly? Or will they attack multiple places at once, leaving us chasing one force while the others make headway? Will they try to draw us into a trap, or take advantage of our movements some other way? This part of the war is getting interesting. Celngi is finally in a position to fight back. I don’t like it.”

  “We’ll win.”

  She didn’t like Thoms’ confidence in her. “They are only looking to make the war too costly to continue. If we commit fully, we could march all the way to the imperial capital, but it would leave both nations in a weakened state. Ettsgras with an exhausted army, and Celngi in ruins. We’re trying to end the war with as little damage as possible, and they are working against that goal.”

  “So what is your plan?”

  “We let them do what they want, for a time. See how they react when we give them space. We’ll get ready for a second offensive of our own.”