Hunted by the Empire!

Deep inside the capital city citadel, messages from the outside were passed in from their spies, with the priority set to finding their most wanted targets. Messages passed from magical scrying was quicker, but when their target was protected, then more human methods would be needed. Those methods would take longer, as their agents would have to find a way to send a message outside any kind of magical protection.

However, on this day, there was a stir of excitement as sighting had finally come in from one of their reliable sources. After a quick confirmation, this information was relayed up the chain of command. "Sir! Our spies have reported in! They've been spotted in the Roark Barony in the town of Merwindolyn."

The senior minister smiled with a menacing expression. "We have them...!"

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The town of Merwindolyn had a population of around 3500 people. It had the fortune of being one of the smaller coastal towns with an outcropping of forest to provide it partial cover from the prying eyes of strangers. Relying on an economy of fishery, forestry and farming the nearby fields, it was protected from scrying by the Roark Barony's enchantments woven by the local lord's seers, who was one of the few Barons who still resisted Emperor Takahito Minamoto's reign. Because of Roark's remote distance from the capital and low rank of importance in terms of political influence, the Emperor had chosen to focus on more important matters, at least for a time, solidifying and centralizing his grasp on the more core Baronies. That changed today.

For the order of battle, the Empire would be sending in wyvern corps, by far the fastest way to send in troops in any significant numbers, at least for now. The magical power to portal did exist but could only send a limited number of people. The wyvern corps would allow a reinforced platoon of sixty men to act as a quick strike, with company-sized main force of 300 men following behind on ground riders and wagons a few days behind for any follow up actions that may be needed.

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"So, I wanted to introduce you to the rest of our circle," Kenji began, gesturing to a group of figures around a table. They were seated around a large private room in an inn back in Merwindolyn. He gestured to the old seer, "You've already met Lady Amberbrooke, our lead seer." He motioned for other men to step forward. "This is Jun Mae and Hiroshige Oye. They also served with Captain Fujiwara's unit."

Both men stepped forward respectfully, which immediately made Akiko feel awkward, not sure if they were acknowledging her or Akira. "So, I take it with this much unhappiness, there has to be more than just a bunch of soldiers from... Akira's old unit we can find to resist the Empire."

Kenji sighed with mixed feelings. "Discontentment yes. Courage though is in short supply. You've seen the slave market; I can assure you the punishments for those who disobey the Empire's laws are harsh. The Empire has the soldiers, the magicians and monster corps under its sway. Right now, all we have is the size of the land, which gives us distance, so many of the outer Baronies such as Roark who do choose to resist have used what magic they do possess to shield themselves from the Emperor's seers, giving their people some measure of privacy. With their commitments spread as far as they are, this alone is what keeps much of their reach confined to the inner Baronies for the most part. In those Baronies though, expect to see an iron grip..."

Before Kenji could continue, he was interrupted by the sound of a bell being run outside. He immediately stiffened up, grabbed his weapon, along with everyone else in the room. There was an unmistakable urgency that Akiko and Keiko couldn't miss, as outside, the hue and cry of the watchtowers could be heard, "To arms! To arms!"

The men in the house ran outside and looked around, then blanched as they looked up. Kenji muttered, "Wyvern corps... someone in Yartin must have spotted us!" He gestured to the rest of the men, "If they follow standard procedure, they'll deploy half their force in a perimeter to prevent any chance at an escape! We need to get her and the others out before they close the cordon!"

"What about by sea?" Jun asked.

"If it were me, they'll have that covered, and even if they didn't, the risk that they could sink us would be too great!" He turned to Hiroshige, "Find Lady Hiromi and have her meet us by the mill on the east side of town. We'll escape through the tunnel we've set up for just such an eventuality."

"What do we do?" Keiko asked.

"Go with Hiroshige, he'll get you two out before the net closes in," Kenji ordered. "We'll buy you time."

"What, what?!" Akiko exclaimed. "We'd be lost without you! What about fighting them off together?"

"Two per flyer, we'd be facing anywhere between a dozen to eighteen men, all highly trained, with a mix of warriors and magicians," Kenji explained, as the party made their way amid the running crowd of people. "There will be fighting, but we have to pick our battles, and this isn't one of them."

Akiko and Keiko watched helplessly as she and her group were hustled towards the east side of town. The last thing she saw Kenji doing was gathering a group of men along with Lady Amberbrooke into a defensive formation as he called the group to be ready. They turned the corner just before the wyverns landed. They prayed it wouldn't be the last time they saw each other.

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The platoon leader of the riders steeled himself as the outskirts of the town came into view. He was told the town's population but not much more than that. Based on experience however, he knew a town couldn't function solely as soldiers; most of them would be civilians to create a working economy and infrastructure. How many of them were directly working for the underlying rebellion movement, he had no idea, but that would soon be clear.

"First team, deploy on the town square! Second group, secure the ports! Make sure they don't try to spirit her away by sea! Remaining groups, maintain the perimeter! If you see any signs of a fleeing caravan, run it down!"

The platoon split off into four groups, with two of flights maintaining a perimeter around the town. The other two platoons, fourteen and sixteen, split across fifteen wyverns descended, spreading panic among the crowds. By this time, the town militia had begun to organize, and groups of archers began firing into the air at their attackers. A few arrows managed to score hits on the flying beasts, inflicting only minor damage.

Finally, in the town square, the platoon leader saw the clear formation waiting for him and landed. On one side, Kenji slowly advanced, saluting as he approached with his allies by his side. An experienced warrior, the leader realized, returning the salute. This one was probably worth bringing alive, as he likely knew a great deal about the rebellion movement, as he directed his men to attack.

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Akiko, Keiko, along with Jun, Hiroshige and the civilians they had been tasked to escort carefully emerged from the tunnels, looking around for signs of their attackers. Once clear of the tunnel, Jun and Hiroshige readied their bows. Behind them, they could still hear the sounds of combat, the screams of their victims. Akiko shuddered with a cold realization... these soldiers came here, sacked this town, hurt all those people, all because of me... because they believe I'm supposed to be some kind of great leader...! She turned around and looked at the few civilians who had managed to follow them to temporary safety and shook her head... who am I kidding... how am I supposed to be a leader when I'm running away at the first sign of trouble.

As Akiko struggled, Hiromi gently came up to her with her child behind her and put her hand on her shoulder. "I see the doubt in your eyes, but you need to realize... every great leader will face these troubled times. "We still believe in you, perhaps more than you may believe in yourself right now, because we know what strength lies within you."

Akiko looked at the group of people around her, trying to find something meaningful to say and to figure out their next move. She then noticed Hiromi's son staring intently at Akiko, which began to unnerve her. "W-why is he looking at me like that? Like he knows me or... we've met before?"

"In a sense, you have," Hiromi confirmed. "Hiroshi is Akira's son."