Chapter I
Late the previous night, around one hundred civilians of the Great City of Hiriech marched up into the hills outside the walls and made their way to Castle Aquesen’s front gates. They bore torches and many were armed as rage fueled their actions and made them appear more threatening than they may have truly been. Someone had died a week ago, though it was currently unknown what actually happened to the victim. It was a child, they said—a child no older than eight who had allegedly been killed by a group of drunken members of the city guard. The rumors claimed that the little boy had bumped into one, spilling a drink at a local tavern and causing the man who lost his ale to also lose control. One thing led to another, the boy was punched in the side of his skull, and he was dead before his body hit the ground. As the Head Guard, it fell to Rotana Vesh to reprimand these men and make sure the boy was avenged, but before he could even reach out to his associates in the city, Lord Friez Malloway put a stop to it.
“Leave it be. Sir Kaldaran is the son of Baron Orilius, and the last thing we need is to piss him off. He’s already been furious with me for declining his suggestion to marry Aeyir to his youngest daughter, so if I have his son so much as put on probation, we’ll lose what little support from him we still have.”
“B-but, My Lord…? A child was killed,” Vesh had retorted. “If we don’t do something about this, the people won’t just forget it! I understand that Baron Orilius is important to us, but unrest in the city would be just as bad, if not worse in some ways!”
Yet, Lord Malloway just chuckled and shook his head. “If the people try to do anything, just deal with it. They aren’t mages or warriors the way you and your men are, so should they rebel, make an example out of them. Those are your orders, Captain Vesh, and I expect you to follow them.”
Bound by duty and loyalty to his Lord, Vesh was unable to punish the soldiers the way he felt they deserved, so those men continued strutting about the city like they owned the place, clearly smug at the fact that they now knew they could do as they pleased—that they were untouchable.
However, Lord Malloway couldn’t have made a worse call.
Orilius’s son was jumped by the child’s uncle and his friends, a knife shoved in his throat before he even realized he was in danger. Of course, the attackers were then slain in retribution, resulting in the exact unrest Vesh had predicated, except now, Malloway would also be losing the Baron’s support as he had feared he would. Those people marched on Aquesen, arrived at the front gates, and began screaming about how unfairly they were treated—how Lord Malloway only cared for himself. In Vesh’s mind, the situation should have been easily handled. The soldier, son of a Baron or not, murdered a child and thus, should have been punished. It was the natural way of things that anybody should have been able to see, but Malloway was blinded from what everybody else clearly knew. Naturally, a man who always got what he wanted was never going to admit that he was in the wrong.
It was all the people’s fault, right?
How dare they question their Lord?
How dare they murder his soldiers?
“Make an example out of them, Captain!” Malloway had roared, red in the face. “I want them reminded of who is in charge around here! This is my city, and I’ll be damned if I let these ungrateful bastards take it from me!”
Sick to his stomach, wishing he could just curl up and die, Rotana Vesh ordered the Castle Guard to disperse the mob. Ten were killed, twenty were wounded, and the civilians were sent fleeing back to Hiriech in utter fear of the people that were intended to protect them. Loyalty to the Lord was a significant part of his job, yet Vesh felt deep in his heart that he had done the wrong thing by obeying Malloway.
He had screwed up.
He had bloodied his hands with the lives of innocent, rightfully angry people all for a man who would sacrifice everything and everybody in the pursuit of power and wealth. Despite Vesh’s long relationship with Friez Malloway, despite his closeness with the Lord’s two sons, he suddenly found himself hating the man. He was terrified that he’d have to do something like this again, and the thought of continuously staining his conscience made him wonder if the right course of action would be to resign and turn his responsibilities over to the inexperienced Vice Captain, Dreek Willow. However, he had lived in Hiriech all his life and had worked his ass off to reach where he was. If he stepped down, then what was his life for? What did he spend years of rigorous training to accomplish if he was just going to abandon it all?
He was conflicted, and this conflict kept him up all night. He didn’t get a single moment of sleep, and eventually, he decided to give up on trying. Dressing himself in some loose, comfortable clothing with his sword placed safely on his hip, Vesh departed the barracks and went for a stroll around the predawn Aquesen, hoping that being on his feet would help clear his mind and enable him to better decide on what he was supposed to do. His boots carried him to the northern courtyard, lit only by the blue-black sky above, and it was as he entered the large open space that he came to a slow stop. Somebody was sitting on the edge of the fountain, humming a soft tune to themselves as they gazed up at the few stars still visible in the sky.
Vesh furrowed his brow, unable to identify them and wondering if he should turn around and leave them be, but before he could take so much as a step back the way he had come, the humming suddenly stopped and the person called out to him.
“There’s no need to leave on my account, Captain Vesh.”
The man paused, the voice identifying her as a girl and her tiny stature indicating she might even be underage. His mind was soon grasped by the fact that she called him by name despite never lowering her head to look at him.
How did she know who I was?
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude, Miss,” he replied hesitantly. “May I ask your name? I don’t quite recognize you in this lighting, so apologies if I have failed to address you with the proper respect.”
“Don’t worry about formalities. I’m nobody special… Just call me… Firrik.” Finally lowering her head from the sky, the young girl turned her eyes towards where Vesh still stood on the outskirts of the courtyard before smiling warmly. “Would you sit with me? My uncle was here a bit ago, but he had to go take care of some business in the city, so I’m a tad lonely.”
Once again, the Captain hesitated, finding himself heavily on alert while in her presence despite her looking utterly harmless—an impression that was even clearer now that she was facing him. She seemed no older than fourteen, with long hazel hair and wide eyes that were so innocent yet so knowledgeable, like she knew far more than he did despite their massive gap in experience. She was wearing a long green dress that didn’t appear cheap, but certainly wasn’t the complex and fancy style that was typical of wealthy ladies. He didn’t know every guest in the castle off the top of his head, but he felt like he would have remembered seeing an anomaly such as her.
Perhaps her uncle’s some sort of noble and just doesn’t bother dressing her in expensive clothing? But I’m surprised he would just leave his underage daughter all alone like this so early in the morning.
Even though he was rather confident that the courtyard was empty save for him and Firrik, Vesh still took a few more seconds to scan his surroundings for any sign of the subtle and nearly unnoticeable shimmer that could accompany a less powerful distortion charm. He concluded that if somebody was, in fact, distorted then they were talented enough to elude him, so taking a deep breath, he decided to see what he could learn about this little anomaly as he approached the fountain where she awaited him, but despite her cheerfully patting the spot beside her, he opted to remain standing.
“So what brings you to Castle Aquesen, Miss Firrik?” he inquired, using his tone to make it seem like he was asking out of a simple curiosity. “Does your family have business with the Malloways or are you and your uncle just here sightseeing?”
The girl smiled brightly then said, “I’m here to talk to you, Captain Vesh.”
“I-I’m sorry?” he stuttered, wholly thrown off by such an odd statement.
“While I wouldn’t say I don’t have business with House Malloway, I have come here to Castle Aquesen for the sole purpose of getting to talk to you. You’re a very important piece for me, and I do believe you hold the ideals that I so desperately seek.”
A shiver went down his spine, for she yet again gave him the impression that she was seeing right through him, that she knew a lot more than he would have expected. It creeped him out, but even with all of these negative feelings running through his body, he still didn’t feel threatened by her. Nothing gave him the impression that he was in danger, but he still wouldn’t have claimed to feel safe either. It was a horribly contradictory emotion that Firrik was eliciting in him and he decided he did not like it one bit.
Do I know the name? Think, Rotana… Remember your studies, remember the names of as many Houses as you can. Is there a House Firrik? Or is there any family who I know that has a daughter named Firrik? It’s possible she’s another betrothal for either Aeyir or Mallicent…
But no matter how hard he wracked his brain, he could not recall ever once hearing the name Firrik, so he was forced to return to the present and the patiently waiting girl for any answers he sought.
“Would you mind elaborating?” he requested. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re getting at…”
Firrik gave a gentle nod. “I figured as much. Many are taken aback by the way I speak, and it’s something I’ve gotten quite used to, but tell me first, Captain Vesh, what you think about the events of last night? How do you feel about Lord Malloway’s handling of that mob?”
“Excuse me?” he sputtered out, once again having far from expected such a direction for the conversation. At this point, his frustration was beginning to bubble up, causing him to lose some of the composure he’d thus far been keeping up. “What kind of a question is that? I am loyal to my Lord and obey his every command. He knows best, so it would be foolish and arrogant of me to presume otherwise.”
“Oh please, you don’t really believe that.”
“And what exactly gives you that impression, might I ask?” he spat.
Does she somehow know what I’ve been feeling? That doesn’t make sense! I haven’t confessed it to anybody, so unless she can read my mind, there’s absolutely no way she could have figured me out!
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Firrik casually shrugged despite his hostile tone. “Let me tell you what I think. You feel that Malloway could have avoided last night’s incident if he had just punished Sir Kaldoran Orilius. You feel like that unfortunate child should have been avenged, that the boy’s uncle did the right thing by killing Sir Kaldoran for vengeance. You believe that Malloway made a mistake by prioritizing the desires of Lord Orilius over that of his people, and your once powerful loyalty to him is wavering. He screwed up badly, after all. Now, Hiriech is plagued by unrest and Sir Kaldoran is dead anyway. Malloway lost in every possible way, yes? Am I correct?”
His slack jaw was probably more than enough to confirm that Firrik hit it right on the head. She didn’t miss a single thing, as if she knew Rotana Vesh inside and out despite them having never spoken to each other once before that moment. There was something unnatural about her, something that he would be hard-pressed to find in anybody else, and while it terrified him, there was certainly an underlying feeling of intrigue.
Who is Firrik?
It was the question of the day, and one he had a feeling wasn’t going to be answered. However, while she was addressing him with a friendly tone, that didn’t mean she was his ally, and since he had already failed to conceal his reaction, he had essentially confirmed she was right about him. That’s why he didn’t try to deny it.
“What of it?” he growled. “Are you going to tell Lord Malloway? Or are you going to blackmail me? I would advise you against doing either, for I am an old family friend of the Malloways and I’m certain they would take my word over that of a child they hardly know.”
Firrik giggled. “Yes, they absolutely would. They trust you implicitly, which is what makes you valuable to me. I want to overthrow them, you see, and I need your help to do it—help I have a good feeling you’re willing to give.”
Everything that had come out of her mouth since the conversation began left Vesh feeling baffled, but this took it to yet another level of absurdity. She just openly admitted to the Captain of the Castle Guard that she wanted to overthrow the Malloways. It made him realize that the confidence he attributed to her attitude was actually stupidity.
“What are you trying to say to me?” he hissed. “Is this some kind of childish prank or do you honestly think I would help anybody with something as ridiculous, and treasonous, as that? I don’t know who you are, but I would strongly insist that you not so casually say things like this. You’re young and impressionable, so I can understand lacking self-control, but you’re going to cause trouble for your uncle by behaving in such a way. Say anything like that again, and it will be my duty to have you arrested regardless of your youth.”
He was both threatening and warning her, but even though his tone was sharp and intimidating, Firrik just tilted her head curiously. “You’re not gonna do that though. I know you won’t.”
“And what gives you that impression?” he snapped.
Firrik smiled. “I can see the future. I know what’s gonna happen, and because I know what’s gonna happen, I know you and I have a long road ahead of us. I know how you think, I know how you will think, and I know that when the time comes to make your choice, you will plant your flag with the Kosah-Rei and take up arms against not only Lord Malloway, but the Empire of Ijiria itself.”
Vesh exhaled sharply, his brow furrowing in ever-increasing discomfort, but while he would have normally centered his thoughts on her stunning claims that she could see the future and that he would help her overthrow the entire Empire, his mind instead got caught by that strange term she used in the midst of it all.
Kosah-Rei? Like Kosahanity? Like the Goddess, Rei? Does she know even that? It shouldn’t be possible, but it’s really starting to feel like she truly can see all the way to my deepest, darkest secrets.
He swallowed his nerves, another shiver running across his body at her gentle smile and her innocent eyes. It was a sight that should have been cute or sweet, but despite there not being even a flicker of hostility in her, he was more terrified of her than he had been in anything for quite some time. And then, before he could open his mouth, she continued to speak as if his mind was an open book, ready for her to read.
“Yes, I know you worship the Goddess, Rei,” she said. “I know you read the Ko-Hahn every night before bed, and that you’re one of the few pious people left in this realm. But you must hide it, even from your dear friend, Friez Malloway, because Ijiria has outlawed religious expression. Rei’s utopia is something you privately seek for yourself, and you’re worried that by obeying Lord Malloway last night, your precious Goddess will cast you out of her domain. But I can promise you that Rei has not forsaken you. She has chosen you.”
Without thinking, Vesh reached down and unsheathed the longsword at his hip before swinging it out to press the blade right up against Firrik’s neck. She didn’t flinch whatsoever, rather her smile deepened.
“What the hell do you think you’re talking about?” he growled. “How could you possibly know any of this? Not a soul has ever been told of the Vesh family’s oath to Rei, and I am the last member of that House who still believes in her. Nobody but me could have told you, and I didn’t tell you… So cut it with the vague words and spill your truth before I splatter your innards into this fountain.”
“I already told you, I can see the future,” she repeated simply. “I know these things about you because you’re going to tell me. Whenever I touch somebody, I see a vision of something that is going to happen, no matter what, and that is why I can say with certainty that your threats are empty, that your heart can be stirred to action, and that you worship Rei with all the fervor you claim to.”
He snorted. “That so? Yet, you’ve never once touched me. I’ve never met you before now.”
“True,” she conceded. “But I’ve touched somebody who will be in your presence, and that’s how I know. That person is also a very vehement worshiper of Rei, and he believes that my foresight is a gift from the Goddess. I am her Voice, Rotana Vesh, and I have been chosen to change this world to bring her utopia to Ijiria. She has also chosen you to aid me—to be yet another sword for my frail little form to be defended with. The Kosah-Rei, as we will call ourselves, will overthrow the Iijis and the Great Cities and bring Kosahanity back to the world so that Rei’s love can be spread to all. Incidents like last night’s need never happen again if the greedy scum like Lord Malloway can no longer draw breath, right?”
Firrik sounded utterly insane, but given how much she already knew about him, he couldn’t outright deny that she was who she claimed to be. After all, he was one of the only Kosahns left in the country, so it was only natural Rei would reach out to the man who had devoted himself to her teachings. However, the last thing he needed was for Firrik to bait him into doing something that would get him exposed, so he couldn't simply take her words at face value.
“Prove it,” he snapped. “Prove to me that you can see the future—that Rei has blessed you. If you can do that, you’ll have my sword for whatever the Goddess requires of me.”
The young girl grinned slyly. “But Captain Vesh, isn’t Lord Malloway a dear friend of your family?”
“Nobody takes precedence over my Goddess,” he stated without hesitation, to which she chuckled and whispered,
“Good answer. In that case, if it is evidence of my power that you require, then it is evidence I shall give you.” Firrik then rose to her feet and brushed off her long dress, though not without shooting him a silent request to lower his sword. Only once Vesh obeyed did she go on. “Unfortunately, I can’t give you anything that can be proven immediately, so I may request your patience as I attempt to gather information that will take place soon. But, I can tell you this: keep watch on Mallicent Malloway.”
Vesh cocked an eyebrow. “Mallicent?”
“Yes, he will be an ally—an asset to the Kosah-Rei. Sometime in the future, his mother will become so overwhelmed by the pressures of Hiriech and her marriage to Lord Malloway that she will kill herself. Mallicent will be desperate, and he will understand that it is the cruel world we live in that stole his mother from him. When that happens, he will stand with us, so be ready to extend your hand, and perhaps even reach out to him in the days leading up to that terrible tragedy. Make sure the seeds are planted. When this vision comes true, you will know that I have not lied to you.”
The idea that Mallicent would stand beside them sounded ridiculous given that he was a member of a House that ruled under the current government. Should anything ever happen to Aeyir, then Mallicent would take over Aquesen and be one of the most powerful people in the country. He couldn’t imagine the boy throwing all of that away to become a traitor.
Then again, if Firrik is right and Lady Yoral kills herself, then maybe that could be enough to sway the boy…
“So until then, I just take your word for it?” he grunted. “I’m supposed to trust some strange child enough to throw away my loyalty and my fealty? For all I know, you’re mad…”
But Firrik just shrugged aside his claim that she was insane as if it meant nothing to her. Instead, all she said in reply was, “You will join me. I know you will, as an absolute fact.”
It was an assertion that left no room for arguing, making it clear to him that whether she was delusional or not, she fully believed this claim without a shadow of a doubt. It left him watching her departing back with a baffled expression, and soon enough, without so much as a goodbye, Firrik had disappeared into the castle.
For days after that, Rotana Vesh agonized over that strange interaction, especially given that he never once caught a glimpse of either Firrik or her uncle despite keeping a very focussed eye out. He really wasn’t sure how much he believed her, but he decided to keep watch on Mallicent nonetheless, though he never noticed any indication that the boy would turn against Hiriech. However, as time went on, Firrik would occasionally pop back in and make contact with him, tell him a few things regarding what she needed from him, and at one point, she requested he make a long trip north to the Kosah-Rei hideout known as Ankalla, where she gathered four other individuals she had sought out in much the same way as him, only the others were all capable of insane feats of magical prowess.
First was the changeling who could be anybody and anything, Leiolai Sartella.
Second was the man from another realm who brought to them a certain dagger, Uma Miyon.
Third was a knight who never revealed where he originally served and who possessed a set of armor that was on the level of an Ijirian Relic, Barron Kristoff.
And finally was the unkillable man, Quill Tyrus.
Firrik, who eventually told him her first name was Tali, brought them all together and began to inform them of what she intended to do. She said it was time to begin putting the pieces in place to overthrow House Malloway and plunge Hiriech into chaos. She wanted to take advantage of Vesh’s role as Captain to begin filling the Castle and City Guard with Kosah-Rei loyalists, something that could be made easier through Leiolai’s magic. In addition, she wanted to try and gain Uma access by forging credentials identifying him as a researcher from Stellareid. Tali didn’t tell them what she planned to do with Quill, Barron, and herself, but she promised to fill them in as things became clearer. This process was long and arduous, and throughout it all, Vesh was never fully certain that Tali’s visions were real. She kept insisting proof would be provided, but for a long time, he acted only on his instincts, forever aware that Tali may be manipulating him.
Then Lady Yoral Malloway killed herself and Mallicent came rushing to Vesh in a fit of rage.
“I’ll do whatever the hell you need me to! I’ll kill whoever you need me to! I don’t give a damn anymore! These fuckers need to be dragged to hell, so tell me what you desire from me, Captain Vesh, and I’ll do it without hesitation!”
Vesh was shocked, for all doubt suddenly vanished. Everything happened as Tali predicted, and as it finally settled in that she was, in fact, the Voice of Rei, Vesh became euphoric.
He really had been chosen by his Goddess.
She wanted him to fight for her and create her utopia in the mortal realm.
Vesh was ready, for he would do anything and everything for Rei, so he fell into line behind her Voice and set Hiriech up for disaster. Despite some last-minute meddling by the royal team, they used a relic Tali called the Teritus to wipe out the nobility of Hiriech, Lord Malloway and Aeyir included, to wreak havoc on the city and make their grand debut to the world—to declare to King Markreas Iiji that his time was limited and they were coming for him.
Their influence spread in the aftermath of that fateful night as their people wiggled their way into the northern villages, turning the locals against the Empire and in favor of the Kosah-Rei. Ankalla remained their base, and no matter what the Iijis and the royal team tried, they could not track them down before their next big attack, Stellareid, was made.
They slaughtered the elites of the Fifth Ring, as well as Lord Eganno Cartigan and a handful of Masters, then made a clean getaway that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Kosah-Rei were the true ‘Masters’ of magic unlike the pathetic Masters of Ijiria. Nobody could stand against them, not the Noctalus, not the Lords, not the Iijis, and the recruitment of Rickori Keskivaara meant they had a clean counter to Markreas.
After Stellareid, things slowed down as Tali awaited Rei’s next order, but then King Amund Halcrow of Trovia sent his Speaker of the Flame to Ankalla so they could form an alliance that would overthrow the nobility of Harunhein and return it to the north. Knowing this would be a grand opportunity to take out Erika, Vesh and Tali began putting the last pieces into place that would guarantee a checkmate against the ruling class of Ijiria. Everything was flawless, they were unbeatable, and nothing could stop the juggernaut that was the Kosah-Rei.
“Vesh! Come to the front gates quickly! The Ijirians have found us! Ankalla is under assault!”