TOBIN CANRAREN IS A FAKE KING. As the rightful King of Cardina, he lies about his lifestyle in order to protect his people from the effects of the war. This mission becomes harder when Synketros, an organization aiming to mine manpower, demands his...
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2412, Crescin 11, Reshpe
The ink has long dried from his quill from hovering over a blank parchment. Tobin's fingers never stopped shaking, his mind flooding him with all kinds of thoughts. It must be from the lack of sleep or the abundance of meat churning in his gut. He never thought he'd get this far; and if he did, who would know what was bound to happen next? Would he get caught and his head used as an example to never attempt to betray the Sovereign ever again? Would he succeed and pave for himself and the Council a free and prosperous Cardina?
Anything could happen, and that's what made this next move so risky. While the rest of the territory slowly succumbed to the Sovereign's control, Tobin knew his direction would be the next lane she would train her gaze towards. He doubted she stayed ignorant of all the things he did with Ariam's soldiers over the past few months. If anything, it drove Tobin insane wondering why the Sovereign kept him alive, and how he was able to get away with it for so long.
It wasn't because she needed him to keep Cardina and the Council in line. She could do that on her own. So...why was Tobin still alive?
There's no way of knowing, was there? Tobin could only guess. Ariam, too, didn't offer much help when Tobin opened a conversation about it. Tobin remembered such a day well enough. They had just finished arming the latest batch of purged people with the potions and gave them a choice to join Synketros or flee to the neighboring territories and start new lives there. Most of them chose to flee, but whether they truly escaped Synketros' influence was beyond Tobin's ability to comprehend.
Especially when the developments in the surrounding territories were nothing short of a disaster. Helinfirth's livelihood city, Rabante, ended up under tons of soil and chunks of rock after the Crown Princess of Abshire brought an entire mountain on it. Reports and rumors claimed Synketros launched an offensive against the Glass Mountain, and it forced the Crown Princess to end the battle into a draw.
With how the dates coincided with the numerous audiences Tobin had with the Sovereign, it didn't take long for him to realize the reason why the Sovereign had set her eyes on the human territory and the Temple of Magic.
She needed people to fight for her and her ideals, and with an island bent on peace more than war, she needed to give them a reason. Now, it's either kill or be killed, and those who had the gall to choose a third option—to fight—were cut down before they could even rise up.
Alkara wasn't spared, either, falling under Synketros' offense like grass against a boot. Not long after, Narfalk fell too. An image of a map flashed from the back of his mind. If the Sovereign had taken the Brownie territory, the Shard Fairy territory, and the Varichria territory, it meant she only had to attack Carleon for her to completely take control of the entire west side of Umazure.
But the reports circling back from the Banshee territory provided Tobin a false sense of relief. The High Priestess, Ezril Iaro, was able to hold up against Synketros' advances. She seemed to have enough strength to maintain a militia barrier over extended periods of time. And for what it's worth, a banshee's synnavaim allowed them to have a sizable army with nothing but the summoned souls of the dead.
