The Life I Choose To Live

3 Years Ago

Masahiro Minamoto watched with barely concealed ambition as Emperor Takashi Minamoto delivered his speech across the city. Standing on the balcony of the castle, he was the very image of strength and power with the mass of civilians huddled in the city square below.

Outwardly, he was the very model of the loyal son and heir to the most powerful man in the Empire. Privately, he seethed with impatience. His father was by every sign a robust virile man with all the advantages that royalty bestowed. Barring the unexpected, he could very well live another forty years or more. That was a very long time to wait for a crown. Certainly, as the first-born son, he was afforded many benefits, and he often represented the voice and authority of the realm when away from the palace. But he longed for his own rule, and chaffing under the umbrella of his father wasn't the way.

No... for things to get better, he needed something drastic to happen. For that reason, he had quietly reached out to the Shirai Empire, a rival power on the northern border. Through covert contacts, he let it be known the Emperor would be away from the palace where powerful magical artifacts were kept that allowed continuous surveillance of the people. A handful of the outer baronies had started setting up magical wards to block these enchantments, but the Emperor had quietly started work on a secret project that would soon render such traitorous activities meaningless. But for that to have any meaning, he wanted it for himself, and soon, not decades from now.

Still, he needed to be cautious. If his activities were caught, he could be facing the ultimate punishment. Even his station wouldn't protect him; his father would no doubt send the military to hunt him down. But the game of power wasn't won by cowards, but boldness. With that decision made, he made his way to his private wyvern to ride out, with the excuse that he was meeting with nobles about normal business and flew north. In his bags were the first of many payments that would be used to buy his influence with the Shirai faction and set things in motion. Soon father, all this will be mine...

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Present Day

Masako Minamoto stood at the plateau overlooking the city. Behind her, a full division of soldiers stood ready to push into the city. Scanning the city walls, she counted guards and analyzed the visible defensive posture. To her left, the first brigade commander shook his head. "They look like they still have their full defenses. Are we sure they've pulled their forces to Fort Magish?"

"It's a walled city, commander," Masako pointed out. "Even with a reduced force, defenders always have the advantage. That said, this one has a few holes in it that only a few people know about."

The commander's eye twitched. "So, what's your plan?"

"The magical portal network is in the heart of the mage block located deep underground, along with their artifacts. Using that would be too dangerous until we take down the mages who have control over them, otherwise, they'd be able to send our inbound knights anywhere they want, including to hostile environments. So, our entrance is going to be a hidden escape tunnel network connecting key rooms to a passage leading to an underground cavern under the city. The caverns themselves are large, but the tunnels and entrances were only designed to allow for a quick escape from the city if it were to fall under siege, so a strike team at best."

"I see," the commander nodded. "So, your proposed plan?"

"I need the main body to establish its presence outside the city with enough credible force to draw attention of the defenders. Now, I don't actually expect them to allow the city to be exposed, but I need them to believe this to be a conventional attack, so they'll respond accordingly. I'll need a group of men with me, probably half a dozen mages who have experience with portal magics to penetrate the castle's inside defenses and capture the magic portal network from the inside. Once we own that network, I can start bringing in our soldiers in numbers and overwhelm the castle from the inside out, and we can work the city from there."

"That sounds... a little too easy," the commander noted suspiciously.

"I didn't say it would be easy," Masako emphasized. "Timing's going to be critical. The main force is going to be exposed to the city's defenders at a disadvantageous position for an extended period of time, until the covert team achieves its goal, and that team must succeed or the plan is in jeopardy. I know the layout of the castle interior, and I'm pretty confident facing almost any opponent in single combat, especially with the senior officers likely attending the Aetheria launch, but even I'll be hard pressed if the mages get the drop on me. For this to succeed, I'll need your best individual fighters, men who are good with close quarters combat and stealth attacks."

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The city watch commander looked out onto the fields that stretched in front of the city walls. Normally a peaceful approach that welcomed visitors to the jewel of the Calidor Empire, the tranquility was shattered as the occupying force of soldiers took siege positions blocking all approaches. Curiously, they hadn't set up ballista or other siege engines just yet; surely their magical forces weren't so powerful as they could rely solely on that... our city had mystic defenses that had stood for centuries, he smugly thought. His experienced eyes did a count... they were a threat, but somehow... not quite enough of one, which struck him as odd.

Looking to his own forces, they were reduced from their normal strength, with many of his senior officers and elite forces being redeployed to Fort Magish, soon to go onboard the newly christened Fort Aetheria. The Emperor had only revealed it publicly not long ago, declaring it the new vanguard force for the Empire, and thus attracting the most experienced and senior members of the military for the assignment slots.

Still, he wasn't worried. If the force before him was the best the infidel movement could muster, then he would quash them easily enough. He turned to the soldiers in the castle and gave the order: "Muster all forces to the city walls! Mages to the castle defenses!" He watched with satisfaction as the city's forces surged to the gates and walls. There would be losses on his side, yes, but well within acceptable levels, and he would be able to report to his Emperor the successful defense of the city. He would surely be rewarded and promoted for his efforts.

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The first brigade commander turned to his flank, ordering his heavy infantry to assume a defensive position as the city defenders launched attacks from behind the protection of the city walls. The wave of arrows came down like rain along with magical spells strategically placed to pin the attackers from repositioning as they were forced to assume a turtle formation to protect themselves. The attackers responded by launching their first salvo of incendiary arrows over the walls. He knew attacking the walls directly was pointless, as they were magically shielded and would have taken far less damage.

Why weren't they advancing? the city defenders thought. The arrow volleys were annoying and the damage and fires they were inflicting needed to be dealt with but so far, their forces seemed more interested in holding their position and husbanding their strength than actually advancing. Was this part of some long-term siege or just a distraction to the greater threat?

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Masako listened carefully for any sounds before quietly opening the concealed door. They were coming from the underground caverns, having climbed up several flights of stone stairs and were now just outside of Masahiro's private study. Opening the door, she confirmed the room to be empty, then motioned her team of twenty in. She took a moment to recollect as memories flooded into her mind. This was where Masahiro's ambitions were born; here he had privately begun to harbor his desires to seize his father's throne by force. She drew her sword and the two of them communed; they had come full circle coming back here. It was Masahiro's ambitions that would set him on the path that would eventually lead him to betrayal. The clues to his treachery were soon discovered and Captain Fujiwara's unit would later be assigned to track down the traitor and bring them to justice, ending in that fateful final confrontation a year later on that dark and stormy night. And yet, here I am doing the same thing... betraying the very same man. She shook her head... no, it's not the same thing. He did it for personal power. I'm doing it to free the Kingdom from tyranny. He made his choice and paid with his life. I'm making mine... this is the life I choose to live.