Fight for the Throne

The room went silent. The words paralyzed everyone in the room. Then Kassim turned to face the man.

"You're sure about this? He is dead?"

"Yes, no doubt in my mind. Prince Rasen was preparing his coronation before I left to come here," the man responded.

Kassim faced Zagan. "Go and tell our allies to muster their forces. We need to move on the palace."

Zagan nodded and rushed out of the room. Kassim followed after him while directing orders at the other man. I ran up after Kassim, confused about what to do next.

"We are storming the palace right now?" I asked, fast-walking behind Kassim.

"We need to beat Rasen before he solidifies his position. If we wait, then my support will fall away, and I'll never get another chance..."

Kassim looked nervous. He was biting his fingernail while moving toward the armory. I could hear him talking to himself under his breath.

"Why now... I needed more time... why now..." I was getting nervous watching him.

"Hey," I slapped his finger out of his mouth. "Stop doing that."

"You can't let people see you like that."

Kassim blinked, then turned to look at me. Kassim knew exactly what I meant. Looking weak at a time like this would be a disaster for all of us. Kassim gave me a slight nod as we approached the armory-- an old limestone hall built near the entrance of the villa. The household guards were already in armor and waiting for us outside, leaving us the only three in the room.

We all started to gear up quietly. We each knew what was at stake. I strapped on light armor: a fitted halfplate with chainmail underneath, reinforced gauntlets, and greaves that allowed for swift, fluid movements. I wore no helmet, relying mostly on my speed and agility. Looking over at Malti, she wasn't preparing at all. Trusting in her innate strength and resilience, she wore her casual clothing, a loose-fitting white robe, and baggy white pants. Malti was intentionally leaving parts of her body exposed, like her stomach, baiting people to attack, not knowing how tough her skin is and how dangerous her transformation can be.

"Are we ready?" Kassim was standing by the doorway.

He was wearing his royal attire, white robes with the royal insignia embossed in gold onto the back: a winged lion standing before a rising sun. Beneath his fabric, he wore heavy black steel plate mail armor. Kassim wore no helmet, allowing all to see who he was and his true intentions.

"Yeah, let's go," Malti said.

Exiting the villa, we were greeted by a contingent of Kassim's household guard, around two hundred men. They consisted mostly of spearmen, with a few swordsmen and crossbowmen in the mix. Taking a deep breath, Kassim stepped out in front of them. I could see that he was nervous, but at the same time, I could see the conviction in his eyes.

"Prince! Prince Kassim!" soldiers screamed out from the crowd.

"Fellow Amirians, the king is dead... and my brother, Rasen II, is attempting to take the throne. Rasen... a lecherous, incompetent fool. A man sick with greed, led by the sycophants he surrounds himself with. Shall we allow such a man to lead this country to chaos?"

The loud din of spears beating the ground filled the air.

"No, never!"

"You must be king!"

Soldiers screamed their loyalty to Kassim. He raised his hand, silencing the crowd.

"Then join me!" Kassim bellowed.

"Join me as I march to the city square! Join me as we join forces with our allies and storm the palace! Before Rasen recalls the army, let us take the throne! I promise you all a glorious and honorable victory!"

Cheers erupted from the soldiers as Kassim made his way to the front of his army. Malti and I followed closely behind as we started moving towards the city center. As we moved through the city streets, the people of the city watched and whispered as we passed by. I have no doubt they all know what is going on. City guards surrendered at the sight of Kassim's force and dropped their weapons. Approaching the city center, we could see a large number of soldiers gathered, prepared for battle.

Zagan popped out of the crowd and moved towards us, alongside Aella.

"No problems gathering our allies, Zagan?" Kassim asked.

"A few allies did not answer the call, but the important ones came."

"Any problems on your end?" Aella chimed in.

"None."

"Who do we have?" Kassim looked at Zagan.

"House Calais, House Tyas, House Stilla, House Goli, and House Kudu. As well as some troops from smaller merchants. A total of twenty-seven hundred, my prince."

"Rasen has twenty-five hundred... we needed more troops. We're on a time limit..." Kassim started to bite his nail again.

"We'll just have to make do. We are losing time and our advantage," I interjected.

"Yes, you're right. Prepare the troops to move up the palace stairs and clear a way for us."

The palace itself was massive. It sat on top of a hill in the middle of the city, towering over the surrounding buildings. The palace itself was reminiscent of something like the Parthenon, with massive pillars holding up the roof. A white marble staircase cascaded from the palace down to the ground level. The staircase itself was wide enough to fit two dozen men easily. At the top of the staircase, Rasen royal guards stood, like statues guarding the entrance to the palace.

"Create a path for the prince!" Zagan shouted.

Immediately, Kassim's troops made a spearhead formation and started moving up the stairs. Enemy missiles rained down on our approaching force. Arrows and stones started to pick off unprotected soldiers. Malti and I were busy making sure that nothing could reach Kassim. At the top, it became an all-out brawl. Spears, swords, maces, and people, all smashing into each other. Screams rang out from both sides. Men from either side were being pushed into the tips of spears by the soldiers behind them. It was hard to watch.

"We are losing a lot of men..." I said to Kassim.

"It is necessary. If Rasen can recall enough of the army from around the country, it will be too late."

I could help our side if I used some magic. I reached down, touching my binding stone to the ground, but before I could use any magic, Kassim stopped me.

"You can't... You need to save your mana and energy for a bigger fight ahead."

"But, I ca—," Kassim cut me off.

"I know it hurts to watch, but these men knew what they were in for."

As he finished his sentence, Aella shouted out to us.

"They've opened a path for us! Come quickly!"

We rushed in with a small detachment of soldiers. Through the entrance, there were no more soldiers to be seen. The inside of the palace had many offshoots, leading to different rooms and areas. Down the center of the palace, a long hall led deep into the inner palace.

"Down this way to the throne room." Kassim pointed down the hall.

The hall itself was gigantic. Wide and tall, it would make a good arena or battleground. There were paintings lining the walls of the hall, like a museum. As we neared the doors to the throne room, thundering steps could be heard. From either side of the throne room, men appeared.

"Ah, this is what you needed me to save energy for..."

The man on the right was towering, covered in golden-bronze armor, bloated and stinking of blood, holding a massive war hammer, with the face of a crying man engraved into the front of his helmet.

Yuddh, the Monstrous

The man on the left wore silver armor, a chapel, and a plated mask, holding a seven-foot spear. The man was studying us, watching our every move. He was not a brute, maybe something more dangerous than that.

Ruhm, the Spear-Tip

These two were the only thing standing between us and the throne.