Oren stood on one of the wooden bridges, watching the fish swim in the artificial river that cut through the property and couldn't help but relate to them. He was just a glorified fish being kept as a pet at the convenience of Imperata Lakoma.
Oren saw Imperata Lakoma coming towards him.
"Did you come here to hide again?" Lakoma asked.
"I am not hiding. I am reflecting." Oren answered.
"Either way, we are progressing. We are finally building trust. If we can continue down this path, and I am convinced you are on my side. Then I can consider letting your friends go. I will not do so beforehand."
"I will do my best. I want to see them free again." Oren said.
"Yes, but I have to be convinced that you aren't just pretending so that your friends go free." Lakoma challenged.
"I understand. I.." Oren paused. "What was that?" A loud noise reverberated from somewhere.
Imperata Lakoma and Oren looked at each other as if one had an idea of what was happening.
"You don't think it was the mountain, or should I say volcano activating?" Oren asked trepidatiously.
"No, I think it was coming from the opposite direction," Lakoma said with a slight look of fear.
A soldier ran from the gate, "Imperata, you are urgently requested."
"What is it? What's happening?" Lakoma probed.
"I'm sorry, my Lord, I do not know."
"Thank you, you may leave." Lakoma dismissed him and turned to Oren. "Do you know anything about this?"
"No, how would I know anything more than you? I've been here on the bridge the whole time." Oren defended.
"And yet something tells me this disturbance is about you all the same."
"I can't be blamed for things I'm not involved in," Oren said, thinking of the safety of his friends being held captive.
More loud noises cut through the city. They didn't sound natural, and they were eerie in a way you couldn't describe, which made them all the more unnerving.
"Oren, you are coming with me to this meeting. I want you close by. I don't trust what's happening." Oren had no choice but to follow the Imperata.
A large crowd of leaders was gathered in the Senate, all chattering gossip about what was happening, but none of them seemed to know. More reverberations shook the Senate building, and fear could be seen openly in the eyes of its inhabitants. Despite their power, they all looked as helpless as sheep before predators.
"What are the military saying it is?" Someone questioned.
"We haven't heard from any." Oren heard someone answer.
"Tribune Lutiant and Ayamis, do you know what is happening?" A Consul asked.
"No, we have no information." Tribune Lutiant said. "Whatever it is, it is happening outside of the city."
"Then we shall send you two with as many men as you can gather immediately." Imperative Lakoma ordered. "I shall go with you, accompanied by Oren." The crowd looked shocked at the Imperata's decision, but no one challenged it.
Lakoma and Oren rode in a carriage behind the soldiers as they made their way through the city. They were following a road that ran along the river heading West. In the far-off distance, Oren could see fires.
"What do you think is causing the fires?" Oren asked Lakoma.
"I was going to ask you."
"I have no idea. I don't know why you think I do." Oren said, getting mad. "It must be something powerful that we can feel the effects from way over there," but Lakoma said nothing as he stared at the river.
They reached the city limits and the defensive walls and towers. Oren and Lakoma exited the carriage and Took a command position in one of the towers. The soldiers spread out, and Tribunes Lutiant and Ayamis waited for their subsequent commands. Everyone was on the edge, looking to the Western expanse, trying to glimpse what was happening. Danger seemed to loom on the horizon, but no one could see it.
Oren saw flashes of light far away, shortly accompanied by the pressure of a shock wave.
"Isn't that where Binesi is?" A soldier asked. Everyone seemed to understand the implication, but Oren.
"What is Binesi?" Oren asked.
"Binesi is a town in that direction. It is under attack. That is what is happening."
"Attacked? By who?" Oren said, puzzled.
"You don't know?" Lakoma accused.
"I really don't know."
More flashes and rumbles were seen and felt, but they seemed to get closer.
"We haven't got word from anyone yet because there may not be anyone to send us word," Lakoma said to himself mostly as he realized the events unfolding around him.
"Sir, should we send force there to help them?" Someone asked Lakoma.
"No, they will be coming here soon enough. It is more important to defend the capital." Lakoma said calmly.
"Who would be so bold to attack the capitol? Is it Kittisek Khan or Eradoer?" Someone speculated.
"No, I don't think it any of them. It is a much smaller group, but one more powerful." Lakoma said.
Oren looked at him with curiosity. He didn't know what Lakoma was hinting at.
"Do you know something?" Oren asked.
"I'm starting to. I'm even starting to conceive of a plan."
Oren didn't care enough to ask him what it was. Oren was fearless of what was coming. The soldiers and the others did. There was a nervous energy about all of them. Oren couldn't read if Lakoma was either. Tribunes Lutiant and Ayamis looked to be among the few who looked confident still.
Then, Oren remembered that both had the power to connect to the O element. They must have thought themselves capable of handling any challenge. They both looked brave enough to Oren.
On the edge of view, a rider on horseback was moving fast and closing the distance to them. Everyone must have recognized him as one of their own, as they didn't seem threatened by his haste or approach.
"Attacked, Binesi destroyed. All of the soldiers are dead." The rider shouted as he neared them. The rider was ushered straight to Lakoma.
"Who is attacking?" Lakoma questioned the man.
"The Masters of the Oracle. That is what I was told to tell you." The rider said.
"Who told you to say that?" Lakota probed.
"They did. The Masters of the Oracle. They want you to know who it was, sir."
For the first time in a long time, Oren felt happy.
—-
The first drop of rain hit Oren in the face, and it was a welcomed distraction. Then it began to pour down, and Oren felt absurd standing on a tower waiting for the Masters to show.
"I suppose this excites you. Do you think you'll be free soon?" Lakoma mocked Oren.
"I will be free soon. There is no doubt about it." Oren said.
"Are you forgetting the friends you'll leave behind? I guess I'll have free reign to torture them while you're gone. I'll have to tell them you didn't care to save them either. I imagine they'll be in considerable pain." Lakoma threatened.
"We'll see who will be left in pain," Oren said, allowing his anger to show.
"Such anger at me. You're the one choosing to perpetuate the violence. If you would cooperate with me, there wouldn't be a need to fight or torture. Your friends would go free, and The Masters could leave peacefully. I'd even welcome them to visit from time to time. But you and them are choosing to fight." Lakoma reasoned.
"What you offer me is only a choice in a demented world—one where you get all the benefits—a world where I am a willing prisoner. This isn't a free world that you offer me. You offer me nothing that I can't do for myself. I can bring peace to the world, and I don't need you or your armies to do it."
"So pain and death is your choice. I'm sorry, but actions have consequences, and you'll have to learn this the hard way. There is a rider ready at my signal. He will deliver a message that your friends are to be tortured until I give a signal to stop."
"What can I do to stop this?"
"Nothing." Lakoma gave the signal, and the rider left. "You must learn. As long as the Masters of the Oracle fight, your friends from the caravan will suffer. You could convince the Masters to stop this assault and go home. Then I will consider to cease the torture."
"Once again, you leave me with little choice."
"And just so you know. I have instructed the torturers that if I should die, they are to kill your friends immediately." Lakoma warned.
Oren was doing his best to subside his anger. He wanted to use his powers to destroy Lakoma and his soldiers. Tear down every stone in the city and leave it in ruins and fire. But he understood he couldn't without paying a heavy price.
They caught their first glimpse of the Masters of the Oracle as they finally came into view. To Oren, it looked as if every monk in the monastery had come for this fight. The Masters of the Oracle did not have large numbers compared to Lakota's forces, but their powers were sufficient.
Lakoma's troops stirred as the Masters approached. The troops grew in confidence as they saw their superior numbers. Oren saw Master Hiawatha was leading the charge forward. Oren was glad to see so many familiar faces after all this time.
A wave of guilt overtook Oren, and he blamed himself for everyone's situation. Oren saw an alternate version of events leading to this point had he chosen differently. If he and Master Anoka hadn't left the monastery, they could have fought this same battle, but it would have been from a stronger position, as they would have had their high-cliff fortress. Not to mention, Oren would have been with the monks fighting, and Master Anoka would still be alive, with no friends at risk of torture. Once again, Oren had tried to do the right thing but got it all wrong in his mind.
But that wasn't the reality. Oren had to face the truth of the moment. Lakoma was right about one thing. Actions have consequences, but hope remains. Oren must keep faith and hope that he can change the future. Oren will not be a pawn in someone else's game.
The Masters of the Oracle were facing down the troops. The battlefield lines were drawn, and the positions were all filled. The battle was ready to spark. Master Hiawatha stepped forward to negotiate.
"Imperata Lakoma, we are for Oren, and we will leave peacefully if you hand him over to us. We do not seek conflict but are unafraid to fight you for him. We are prepared to die for what we believe. Give Oren to us and leave us in peace, and no one needs to die." Hiawatha offered.
"The Great Master Hiawatha, how arrogant of you to think you have any power here. You lack knowledge of the situation. You don't have the advantage you think. We are unafraid to die as well. But you don't need my word for this. Listen to Oren himself when he asks you to leave." Lakoma said.
"Remember your friends suffering," Lakota whispered to Oren.
"Master Hiawatha, it is good to see you, and it is good to see all of the Masters of the Oracle. But I ask you to leave here, please, for my sake. I will ask you to visit when the time is right. Today, I do not want war or bloodshed. Go back home." Oren said with a heavy heart. Oren couldn't see a path forward that didn't end with his friends from the caravan dying. He would not sacrifice their lives for his freedom.
"I'm afraid, Oren, we will not turn back," Hiawatha said resolutely.
"Then it is war," Lakoma shouted.
The soldiers raised their arms in the air and pumped their weapons. They began a war chant in loud, booming voices. The Masters stood in their place and brought their staff to the ready. War was inevitable.
———-
The thunder and lightning had picked up its ferocity. The rain was unrelenting, but no one was backing down. The storm would rage in the skies and on the battlefields.
Imperata Lakoma gave the order to charge.
A line of soldiers yelled at the top of their lungs and sprang forth, charging at the masters like a wave heading to shore. The Masters remained steadfast and began annihilating the soldiers with blasts of energy from their staffs. The soldiers were outmatched, but Lakoma sent them forward anyway.
It became clear that this strategy would be short-lived if it continued, and Lakoma gave a signal to some hornblowers situated on a far tower. They blew their horns as loud as possible.
"What is that about?" Oren asked.
"I had a feeling that this was possible from the first day you came to the capitol. When all of the Consuls were here, I planned ahead. The five Consuls have been waiting with their Armies for that signal I just gave. Soon, we will be joined by thousands with cavalry, archers, and Tribunes—Tribunes who have the O element to help us fight the Masters," Lakoma explained.
"You better hope these soldiers last long enough to get here," Oren warned.
"If they don't, I still have your life to threaten. If the Master Persist, I will have to kill you." Lakoma said matter of factly.
"I thought you need me for your future plans?" Oren protested.
"That is true, but no one can if I can't have you. I'd rather take you off the board as a threat than have you used against me."
"Can you ever think past yourself? The Masters don't wish to use me against you. We lived in peace and will continue to live in peace." Oren said.
"Until someone else captures you again. The Witches of the Shadow Coven, for instance. They seek you out and have since your birth. With you on my side, I may convince them to join me. Without you, they will seek to conquer us."
"You think you are wise, but your ways will prove foolish, just like the Witches." Oren admonished.
The battle remained one-sided and tilted heavily toward the Masters. Tribunes Ayamis and Lutiant were holding their own and bravely dueling. They needed support. As Lakoma had promised, reinforcements were arriving.
Consul Heyoka of Snana was the first to arrive from the South with his troops. He brought heavy cavalry, archers, and Tribunes. The Masters were forced to divide but kept their advantage despite the growing numbers.
Consul Winona came from the western coast to force the Masters to split up further. The battle formed on three fronts. Oren hadn't been worried for the Masters until that point. The Masters were still in the advantage.
Consul Suluk Gitchi arrived from Uinese and the East. The Masters' advantage was tipping away, but they fought on.
Consul Sikakway of Anaru pressed in with his troops from the North. Oren was now worried the Masters might be in peril and that he could not stop the carnage.
Lastly, Consul Chenoa of Ioserfu arrived to surround the Masters of the Oracle fully. Oren wanted to tell them to fight their way out and leave, as it wasn't worth dying over today and that there would be other chances to free him. But Oren could do and say nothing without risk.
Oren knew his friends from the caravan were being tortured at this very moment. He also could see what he considered family in the Masters was suffering. Imperata Lakoma stood next to Oren with a pleased look on his face. Oren wanted to hurt him in the worst way but was impotent to do so.
Oren saw Master Nokomis dominating the field of battle. He was unrivaled in skill and wasn't troubled as he took out countless soldiers. Oren remembered being Nokomis's pupil and having sparring matches. Oren knew that Nokomis would fight to the last.
Oren saw Master Shakopee. Oren knew that Shakopee would be distressed at taking lives as he was a healer. Whatever philosophical conflict Shakopee may have would not deter him from fighting. He was as skilled a warrior as any.
Master Wabasha preferred to be reading and learning, but she was cutting through soldiers with energy blasts from her staff. She moved with grace and cunning through the battlefield.
Master Mahkota was using the wind and the rain to her advantage. She was a master of the metaphysical realms and could redirect the storm's energy to use as a weapon against attacking soldiers. She didn't need energy blasts, as she was sending lighting rods to strike her opponents.
Master Orono oddly did not engage in battle. He seemed to be meditating or concentrating on something else. Master Hiawatha protected him with all his mighty arsenals, so there must have been more.
Oren saw some of the monks and Masters get injured, and some died. Tribune Ayamis and Lutiant were the cause of some of these defeats to the Master's ranks. Oren was impressed by their skills. They were both great swordsmen with tremendous knowledge of harnessing the O element.
In the heat of the battle, Lakoma signaled for the horns to be blown once more. The signal echoed across the battlefield, and the soldiers suddenly retreated. The Masters were still wholly surrounded, but no one was attacking. Everyone took advantage of this to catch their breath.
"Master Hiawatha," Lakoma shouted out. "Leave now, and you will not be destroyed. You are surrounded and outnumbered. You will not last to see the next day if you insist on pursuing this battle. Live to see another day. You have a choice. Live or die."
Everyone was focused on Master Hiawatha except for Master Orono, who was still deep in mediation. Oren hoped the Masters would leave; he didn't want to watch them die.
"We are not leaving." Master Hiawatha said defiantly.
Imperative Lakoma looked happy with their choice. Lakoma gave the signal for the horns to be blown once more. The battle would rage on.