The sun had almost set by the time Harudan ordered the first charge to Ziya, bathing the battlefield in shades of pinks and oranges. It was strangely beautiful, a sharp contrast to the carnage that was to come.
The light glistened against the magnificent crystal pillars that bordered the tiered city. The grey stone walls that cut the city off from the snowy field were bland in comparison. A second wall halfway in blocked off one part of Ziya from the other and in the middle of it all stood the palace that would soon be his. They'd used a different stone for the palace, one a little paler, the two towers rising towards the sky and topped with pale red tiles.
It was far more beautiful than his palace in Ishmar, the arch windows twinkling like stars, one tower taller than the other. He couldn't see much else except for the three floors and the turrets on the roof. Eventually, he would be able to see the many ballrooms and the magnificent gardens when he owned it all.
It wasn't what he should have been staring at from his perch on Ishin's shoulder. He had just called for the charge, he should have been focusing on the lined up soldiers waiting for them at the first wall, Warriors of Ziya leading them. One held up their sword and the first lines ran for Harudan's storming army. He had no doubt that they knew what his plan had been from the start, but they were going to walk straight into the trap anyway.
He and Ishin stood at the back of the massive army, watching his soldiers charge across the field. They would attack later when there was a better chance of getting Harudan straight to the palace. That probably wouldn't be until the other part of the army reached them. It would only be a few minutes, an hour at most. It was what they had been waiting for since they left Brenmar all those weeks ago.
It was all coming to a head. In a matter of hours, Minisia would be his and he would be King of all Vishera. It was overwhelming, terrifying and exciting all at once and he wanted it to be over right then and there. With Ignis swooping above him and the archers firing down towards the walls, the armies clashed together in a torrent of screams and blood.
Trebuchets and catapults threw flaming rocks over the city walls and smoke rose from the wooden buildings. Harudan smirked in satisfaction, his fingers clenched tightly around Jonin's sword. If only he could have been there to see it, he would have enjoyed it. All Harudan could do was hope that wherever he was, he was watching him win.
"Are you ready?" Ishin asked him in his booming voice. "The Beast will be here soon enough."
"I'm ready," he replied. They would win, he would win, there was no other alternative.
Ishin held out his hand and like he had with every other battle, clicked his fingers. The noise echoed over the battlefield and for a second, everything fell silent with anticipation. Harudan held his breath, leaning forward to get a better look at what was to come. The battle continued to rage below, but it was muffled and the soldiers' movements had slowed.
A wave of fire washed over the nearest Askari soldiers and they disappeared into the orange cloud with screams of terror. Ishin could have killed some of his own soldiers, but it didn't matter, there were bound to be some friendly fire with the strength of Ishin's attacks. He'd tried not to let it happen, but some of his armies had been killed in Liman. It was to be expected.
The flames climbed up the walls and jumped towards the buildings. Harudan had told him not to destroy the city, but it was a good idea to get rid of a few of them. Scare tactics always worked to some degree. Harudan settled against Ishin's neck, watching the fire spread wildly. It wouldn't be much longer before the real carnage began and when that happened, the Beast would appear.
Ishin had to kill him, if he didn't, then he would lose. If the Beast wasn't there, then Harudan would win so easily, but there was always one more thing to deal with. Harudan had his own things to deal with once the northern part of the army appeared, but Ishin had to deal with the Beast wherever he was.
Another click of his fingers and the flames erupted again, dancing across the top of the walls, where the Askari archers stood. The soldiers below had become such a tangle that telling them apart was impossible. Most of the Askari were on foot, but there was a battalion of horses charging through the pack, swinging their swords wildly.
Harudan gasped when an arrow flew by his head, jolting so hard that he almost fell from Ishin's shoulder. "Ishin," he said as Ignis squawked above them.
He didn't need to say anything more. With a sweep of his hand, the city walls became a ring of flame. He sneered at it; that was what they got for trying to kill him. As the sun set, bathing the land in darkness, the ring of fire became the one source of light aside from Ishin's towering frame.
It was a massacre, the easiest siege he had ever seen (not that he had seen many) and if it weren't for the Beast, it would have been over in a matter of hours. But he still hadn't shown up. Could it be that he had been killed back in Liman, even if Ishin didn't think that was the case? There was always a chance and if that were true, then Harudan had already won.
He held back a cheer when the inner wall crumbled from the bombardment of the trebuchets. It wouldn't be long before his army was storming the city, all they had to do was get through the Warriors.
To the north, the sound of a war horn echoed and he smirked. His cavalry, the northern part of the army, spread the Askari thin and make it easier for him to get into the palace. People and horses charged across the snow towards Ziya, arrows flying high above them. Flaming rocks from both the north and south flew into the city, one of them crashing into the palace's highest tower.
The pale tiles fell to the ground, lost among the buildings until a cloud of dust rose towards the sky. More rocks flew above the city, destroying anything in their path as the second half of his army joined the fray. The Askari were outnumbered by five to one, exactly what General Juna had planned when they split the army in two. He'd spread them thin enough that Ziya was nothing but another town ripe for the taking.
"Are you ready, little King?" Ishin asked as his flames exploded across the snow again. "It is time."
"Let's go," he said. It was time for them to separate, for Harudan to head for the palace and do what must be done. King Ouron had declined his invitation to the treaty long ago, avoiding his death, but there was no way to avoid him now.
Ishin stalked towards Ziya, not bothering to look out for the soldiers at his feet. It was their fault if they didn't get out of the way in time. The archers that were left on the ground and the second wall aimed for him, but Ishin set their bows alight before any of the arrows could reach him.
With a grunt of irritation, he kicked the first wall down and with cheers of delight, the army stormed into the city. Ishin stepped over them, flames erupting where his feet had been and setting anything nearby alight. People below them screamed and ran but neither of them paid it any mind.
The second wall fell much the same as the first, the archers that had once stood on it long dead. His army was far behind, struggling to push through the streets, but it was easy for Ishin to walk over the buildings and crush them under his feet. The palace drew closer and closer, the pale stone bright in the dark of the night. There weren't many lights on, not giving Harudan a chance to figure out where King Ouron was hiding.
A roar from the distance froze them both and Ishin let out a booming laugh. "He's here," he said and held out a hand for Harudan to step onto. "This is where I leave you. Make for the palace. The Beast is here."
Harudan held tightly to Ishin's thumb as he was lowered to the ground before the palace gates. "Don't die," he said.
"If you need assistance, call my name. I will hear you," the Gods told him and with a click of his fingers, burst the palace gates open. The Warriors of Ziya in the courtyard beyond were ready for him, but in less than a second, they were flailing in horror, trying to put out the flames that covered them.
Holding tightly to Jonin's sword, Harudan ran past them and pushed on the heavy double doors of the palace. Surprisingly, they weren't barricaded and opened easily under his hands. At another time, he could take in the decorations, when he pulled them down to replace them with his own.
More Warriors waited on the other side of the doors and Harudan sneered at them from under his helmet. He should have rushed into the palace with others at his back, but there was no time with the Beast on his way. Originally, it was supposed to be him and Ishin, but the plan had to be changed accordingly. He took a deep breath and readied himself, Jonin's sword wouldn't fail him.
He may have fought a different style from the Warriors, they may outnumber him five to one, but he was better than them, stronger than them and he wouldn't fail. One of them danced towards him, his movements obvious. He would feign left and Harudan would lunge to meet him. The look of surprise in his eyes was satisfying as his blade sunk into his chest, as if he truly thought he could kill him.
The Warrior fell to the ground and the other stared at him warily. He needed to get rid of them quickly if he wanted to get to King Ouron. He had to make the first move. Two of them ran to meet him when he lunged and the sound of metal clashing together hurt his ears. He gritted his teeth and pushed back, throwing the Warriors back. All four of them joined the fray and his movements became a sloppy dance to twists and turns as he fought off four blades at once.
It wasn't just Jonin's blade that was saving him, but his training as well. If it wasn't for him, he wouldn't have made it as far as he had, the first Warrior would have killed him. Harudan roared, full of anger and regret and lunged for the nearest Warrior. She died with a cry and he spun, ready to kill anyone who stood in his path.
It didn't take long for the others to die. They believed they were unstoppable, but watching two of their friends die before their eyes were enough to make them think twice, to make them unsure of their movements. Harudan had the advantage, he knew what he was doing and he didn't dare take a second to think it over.
The bodies lay around him, blood spreading across the marble floor as he caught his breath. They were so easy to kill. It was strange to think that he had once believed they were a formidable enemy. He panted and let out a laugh before wiping off his blade. Ouron was next.
Two curved staircases led up to a set of double doors, hallways branching out to either side. Another door stood directly ahead of him, smaller and less grand. If he knew anything about King Ouron, it was that he preferred the grander places, even when he was hiding like a coward from battle.
He climbed the stairs, waiting for other Warriors to jump out at him, but there were none. They must have run out during the war, been so spread out through Minisia that there wasn't enough left to defend their King. He smirked and stretched his arms wide. It was all so easy. Somewhere out there, Ishin was killing the Beast. It wouldn't be much longer before Vishera was his.
The double doors were carved with images he didn't care about and with a sigh, he pushed at them. They opened faster than he expected and he gasped when a sword came flying towards him. He jumped back, gripping his sword tighter and glared at his new attacker as they strode through the doors.
He'd seen her before in paintings sent to him during a time when Minisia and Brenmar were on good terms, but it was hard to recognise her under the helmet. The Queen of Minisia let out a war cry and ran for him, her footsteps making no noise against the marble floor.
She had been one of the strongest Warriors to ever live, but if the rumours were true, she had weakened over time. She was the one he was the most worried about fighting but if the rumours were to be believed, then he had a chance. He needed to get through her if he wanted to take the throne.
"Your Majesty," he said and smiled, his eyes narrowed.
"Tyrant," she replied and didn't give him a chance to say anything else before she lunged towards him. He brought his sword up, pushing her away and backing towards the railing that faced the entrance hall. She was far stronger than he had expected, even knowing who she was.
There was nothing he could do except attack her. He ran forward, their blades clashing together. Behind her was the throne room and huddling in the seat was King Ouron, watching with wide eyes. He stepped back and the Queen stumbled, giving him a chance to dig his elbow into her back. She fell to the ground with a grunt, far easier than he had ever expected.
But she wouldn't go down so quickly. She kicked out, her foot connecting with his stomach and he felt like he would expel the organ right then and there. He couldn't let himself get distracted. The pain was nothing. He had nearly won, all he needed to do was kill the Queen. King Ouron wouldn't put up much of a fight from the looks of things.
He growled like a dog as the Queen ran for him again. Over and over again, their blades smashed together until all he could hear was the echo ringing in his ears. They shuffled backwards and forwards, dancing anywhere between the throne room entrance and the two staircases. His limbs were aching, but he wasn't going to call Ishin's name, he could win on his own.
He hissed in pain when the Queen's sword nicked his side, but didn't let it change anything. It was only a scratch, he could keep going. If Jonin had been there with him like he should have been, the fight would have been long over, but all he had was a sword that was slightly too heavy.
Ignoring the pain, he took a deep breath. The Queen stood before him, her legs bent a little too much, all the weight on one leg. She had an injury, one he could take advantage of if he was so inclined and he most definitely was. When she lunged for him again, he dove to her right and struck out, running his sword along her injured leg.
She cried out, desperate and angry and he could tell that she knew what was coming. There was no hope for her. She tried coming for him again, but when she twisted on her injured leg, it fell out from under her and she stumbled, crying out in pain and shock. He didn't give her a chance to recover, thrusting sharply. Blood spilt onto the marble as she gagged, blood on her lips.
Harudan sneered down at her as she fell onto her knees, ripping the sword from her chest. He didn't say a word, just watched her clutch at the wound, her face paling. Then she fell, curling up on the ground around her sword, blood seeping from her. From his place above her, he wiped at his sword, flicking the excess blood onto her face.
He turned away, stalking towards the throne room with an airy feeling in his stomach. King Ouron was still trembling on his throne, his own sword in hand. He stood when Harudan appeared in the doorway, armourless and shaking with fear. "Finally," Harudan said and stalked towards the last King of Minisia.