“Ogaya will fall,” said Sen.

Gheki shouted at the Jodai guiding the wagons. “Agriculture has arrived! Leave your wagons and ready yourselves!”

“Let us go.” Sen rushed off to meet his allies at the city gates.

Ogaya soldiers rose up in alarm as Agriculture troops positioned themselves at all four sides of the walls. Men rushed to the top, shouting in alarm and pointing to the dark green bodies that seemed to have sprouted from the yellow-green plains. Clearly this wasn’t more charity.

General Yko rode up to Sen. Aiya trailed at his side, followed by five hundred men. The two halted before him on their steeds as two-hundred Forgery Jodai came to kneel at Sen’s back. Aiya kept her hand at her hilt. Always ready, this one.

“Five hundred troops have assumed position at each of the four walls,” Yko declared. “Each and every man is with a shield. The siege may commence.”

“You’ve made a timely arrival, as always. The other units?”

“They’ll arrive at their destinations within a half-day’s span at most. These are the extent of your troops?”

He indicated the two hundred Jodai men behind Sen.

“Far from it,” Sen answered. He addressed Aiya. “Which of your siblings have returned with you?”

“Ira couldn’t make it.” She appeared momentarily bothered by that, but she quickly regained her composure. “But the rest of us are ready for action. Koji’s deployed to Komohine, Risako to Saoka and Totane is on his way to Kaibon with another two thousand troops. Lieutenant Hedi will post at Dekihume.”

“Then our siege is already a success.” Ten thousand fresh troops from Agriculture, split across five cities. Two thousand Jodai dedicated to each. It was still decent at best, under normal circumstances.

Fun appeared at the top of the walls, nearly jumping over them in anger. Enough fury spoiled his face that it might set the sun. He gripped the battlement and barked in a voice baritone enough to crack stone.

“SEN! What is the meaning of this? You raise your hand against Ogaya? You dishonor your own generosity?”

Jodai from inside the city were scrambling on top of the walls with bows and arrows. They organized themselves quickly, but with no foot soldiers to guard their gates, they were in a tough predicament.

Sen called back, “General Fun, how is it being surrounded in your own city? I advise you to surrender! You’re not exactly on higher ground this time around, despite appearances!”

“Arrogant bastard! May you rot with your fallen allies!” Fun continued to shout obscenities as his soldiers prepared to take aim. The arrows wouldn’t do much good.

Aiya withdrew her blade, eyeing him for longer than normal with a look that was far too eager. “So, we may not have a battering ram, but give me a hundred men and those gates will be down in the blink of your eyes.”

“That won’t be necessary,” replied Sen. “In fact, you can sit back and relax. This skirmish won’t last long.”

Aiya blinked, dumbfounded. “You want us to sit back? Do you have some plan you’re not letting us in on?”

“We Ginju won’t be needed this time. For you, this will be a good learning opportunity.”

Gheki faced the soldiers of Forgery. “Stand to your feet! We will show them the strength of the east! Let them hear you loud and clear!”

The men screamed a beastly cry at the top of their lungs until they could shout no longer. It was enough to hurt Sen’s ears. When they were finished, every one of them watched the city. From within it came the reply of a greater roar.

******

Tako Muji was poor, naive and harmless. He casually strode down the streets of the city in threading gray robes and thinning sandals, walking towards the gates, making the same trip he made day by day. He scratched his patchy beard. It was a casual stroll, or perhaps a curious one as people around him gathered, wondering if they were under attack. He was heading to a pottery shop to replace his three broken ceramic plates, which had served his family years and cost a hard-won penny. Or maybe he was heading to pummel the rascal that did it.

Noblemen wouldn’t know the difference, and would assume the worst. They couldn’t even imagine his real objective. They had no idea of the danger they were in, of the justice about to be served.

Jodai soldiers piled on top of the roofed battlements, and when there was no longer room, they piled below them. Sovereign’s soul, there were a lot of them. They couldn’t open the gates, because High Lord Yomenuura was out there, and the moment they did he would swoop in and kill them all, just like that. The man with the strength and courage to slay a dragon, or so the rumors said. After seeing his lordship in person, Muji believed it.

A fleeing noblewoman dodged Muji and stumbled. She was too frazzled to lash out at him for neglecting to excuse himself out of her way. Noblemen and women panicked everywhere, some running for safety and some frozen in place, morbidly curious.

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Muji came to a barrel, one inconspicuously nudged a few feet from where it normally stood. None had noticed. He’d moved the barrel here next to the end of the tower, Lord Enbu’s estate. It was right by the tree that Enbu frequently idled under for shade, enjoying himself as he watched the bustling markets in peace. He was a man of many years, and had seen many things. He’d done many things. Evil things.

Slowly lifting the lid off the barrel, something glinted from inside. Muji had ordered his wife and daughter to stay far away on the opposite side of the city. He promised his wife, with tears in his eyes, that he would make Enbu pay. Lord Yomenuura had come to make that possible.

Outside the walls, they heard men roaring. That was the signal.

Muji threw the lid off the barrel and quickly grabbed what was inside. Enbu didn’t notice, shaken from the sudden battle cry from men he couldn’t see.

“They won’t be the end of you.” Muji pulled free the sword and shouted in return. Around him, common folk returned the signal, all eight hundred of them, plus the many that would not participate. They retrieved their weapons gifted to them by the High Lord. From inside shops, under discarded bags on the streets, pulled from discreet nooks and crannies and from under their clothing.

Without warning, they attacked.

Muji lunged at Lord Enbu, who spun to face him at the last second.

“Oh, my, no!” he exclaimed, stumbling backwards. It was too little, too late. Nowhere to run.

With all his might, Muji shoved his sword into the old man’s stomach. He emitted a gargled shriek, doubling over and spitting out thick red clumps. Those of noble clans ran away screaming from the scene. Muji didn’t let go, but instead twisted the blade in Enbu’s belly, relishing in his cries of agony. It felt powerful, holding this instrument of sharp steel. Noble society claimed it was for protecting and defending. It had done neither for his dead daughter.

“Remember Ihani?” Muji asked, gritting his teeth. “My daughter, whom you refused from physicians? All those wild hog bites, and you let a little girl die from her wounds!”

He couldn’t answer, because he was still spitting blood.

Muji let him fall to the smooth cobble paving the outside of his estate. He died at Muji’s feet.

Commoners around him grabbed at nearby nobles, snatching them by their garments and taking them prisoners. Hostages. A few nobles laid dead, sprawled on the ground and leaking out. A vertically challenged man was forced to stab his own hostage through the heart when she tried pulling out a hidden dagger. She screeched before falling over, moaning and clutching her skewered chest.

This was supposed to be as bloodless as possible, but some casualties couldn’t be avoided. Besides, they had to see that this was serious.

He looked at Enbu, dead at his feet. The pain of his daughter resurfaced, and Muji was filled with rage. He wanted to take it out on another.

Suddenly and seemingly from nowhere, a pack of Jodai emerged, surrounding him. Four of them, in dark orange armor that looked the color of dried blood. They had real armor, and real martial might behind it.

“You dirty fucking common bastard!” one of them seethed through grinding teeth.

If this was Muji’s end, at least his wife would know that his promise was fulfilled to her.

“CEASE!” The echoing command came from an open battlement window. It was Lord Fun’s voice. “CEASE FIRE! I said CEASE! All Jodai of Ogaya are to remain standing where they are! Not another drop of blood will be spilled! All those of common descent are to do the same!” The man slammed his large fists against the stone, looking ready to join the fray himself. “Open the city gates!”

The Jodai were reluctant, and Muji didn’t take his eyes off them.

“Open them, and let through Lord Sen!”

*****

Sen stood over Fun at the outskirts of his own private estate. The larger man knelt before him. Sen ordered to have his hands bound behind him, but Gheki assured him that Fun was already under enough humiliation.

Common and noble Erru alike were crowded around Sen. At the front was a line of nobles, kneeling below a line of commoners with swords at their backs. Aiya, Yko and three of Yko’s elite guard, men by the names of Manzo, Yomochi, and Gayuwa, flanked the High Lord under the brightening sun. ManzThere were nineteen casualties in all.

General Fun did not look up at Sen as he spoke. Sen imagined if he caught a glimpse, he might lose control and try to strangle him, not thinking of the consequences.

“This morning did not have to happen like this. Your fellow nobility should not be laying dead around you right now. This is a day of loss, a day of tragedy. To me, and a hundred times more so for you.” As much as he’d wanted to refrain from bloodshed, his demonstrated leadership took greater precedence over the loss of few lives. West Forgery might tolerate him as was required by their honor, and they might even grow to respect him. They would, however, remain slow and reluctant to cooperate with both the East and the common citizenry, and with what he and Tsugo had planned for them all. Joining the Republic might spark tempting ideas of another civil war, unless they were harshly persuaded. Now, utilizing part of each city lord’s population, he would be both loved and feared, for they would see he had no intention of completely destroying them, and with his next words, they would understand he neither harbored any ill will. He only required their unending loyalty, and otherwise, that they knew his full intention of dispensing judgment.

Sen looked down, disheartened.

“The words I spoke yesterday are true. Forgery is one nation, and we are all united. However, let this be a reminder. I alone am the sovereign ruler of Forgery now. My word is law. There will be changes from here on.”

He looked towards Fun. “Listen up. We as a nation have found ourselves in a dire situation within the empire. The Empress is not as pleased with us as we once thought. As such, we have no other option than to prepare for the worst. Forgery will come together as one. As one, we shall have allies from Agriculture province.

“Right now, we have no choice but to make decisions best for our nation as a whole. A portion of the West’s wealth will be forfeited for the fortification of East Forgery. It is far less secure, and more prone to attacks. Commoners from all over the West will also be recruited for construction efforts in the East. Finally, a quarter of your noble treasuries shall be used to support them, and any citizen of Forgery will from here on out be endowed with full kindness and honor. Common and noble alike. If any one lord wishes to lay even a finger on those of common blood for their acts today, he is free to do so. But first, he must cut off his right ear.”

He paused, letting the piqued disagreement die out.

“Both ears if he wishes to defy me. I do not wish to humiliate you any further, so long as you comply. From here on we share only one enemy, and that is our Empress.”