Chapter 121: The Devouring Kingdom

The morning before the war was slightly different. Eldoris was still standing, the market was open, fires still roared underneath cooking pots, Smiths still hammered away at their forges, Hunters still came through the gates with meat on their backs and children still ran around, though adults kept a closer eye on them than usual.

Beneath the surface however, something heavy loomed. Everyone knew it. Tomorrow, Varkesh would come. At the northern wall of Eldoris, the leaders of the various races had gathered under the shadow of the wall.

Raishin stood at the front, with Kijin, Greater Ogres, Ogres, wolves, orcs, kobolds, serpentkin, lizardmen, turtles, birds and the rest of the races that had made Eldoris their home gathered behind him. They all looked intently at him. There was only one reason why they were here. Raishin surveyed the gathered leaders.

Rogan stood by Raveana and Ryuken’s sides, Relia stood a bit behind them with her arms crossed, the Greater Ogres and Ogres stood in rows behind their Kijin leaders and Raizen stood further back with Raxolf and the Star Wolves, Razer stood among the Greater Orcs and Orcs, Drakar loomed over a group of kobolds and Wyrmkin, Torga was the representative for the Ironcarapace Turtles, Sylva stood among the Moonhares, twitching her sensitive ears at the distant horizon, Sartel, the leader of the Serpentkin stood by the eastern side of the gathering with his people, Grok, the leader of the Lizardmen stood behind several Greater Lizardmen and ordinary Lizardmen, and Zephyr watched from above.

Even those who usually stayed out of war matters had come, Raishin surveyed them all before speaking. "Tomorrow, Varkesh will cross the border." A heavy silence settled over the field. "They will not stop at the border." Raishin’s voice grew firmer and bolder. "They will not come here to trade, nor to negotiate. They will come here because their King has decided that Eldoris belongs to him."

Raveana’s fist tightened. Raishin continued

"So listen well..." His aura spread out, not overwelming but enough to make everyone around him feel uneasy. "This is our land..."

His eyes swept over the faces before him. "Not Lord Tanaka’s alone..." A pause. "...not mine..." His voice grew louder. "...not the goblins’, not the wolves’, not the orcs’, not the Kijin, not the Moonhares, not the Serpentkin and not the Lizardmen." He slammed his fist against his chest. "It is for all of us." The gathered monsters all stared at him. Raishin pointed north. "We meet Varkesh at the boundary."

His aura grew stronger. "That is where we stand." Raxolf narrowed his eyes. "And if they break through?" Raishin didn’t hesitate. "Then we die there." This didn’t worry the gathered monsters, in fact, it made them stronger. "We do not let them pass into our towns." Raishin’s glare became sharper. "We do not let them pass into our families."

His voice echoed out. "We do not let them past into those who have built this nation by our side." He took a step forward. "Because if we die at the boundary, Eldoris dies with us."

The monsters fell silent before Raveana stepped forward. Her battle aura spiked. "Then I will die there." The Kijin around her nodded. Rogan drew his weapon. "I have fought Lord Tanaka once." He looked up. "He bested me." Raveana laughed. "He bested all of us." Ryuken gave a short nod. "He spared us." Relia’s gaze softened. "And gave us a place." Rogan raised his head. "We will defend that place."

The Greater Ogres behind him slammed their fists against their chests and the Ogres followed suit, the sound of their impact ringing out across the field. Raishin turned towards Raizen, the Star Wolf King stepped forward. "My wolves will stand." His voice was projected across the field through Telepathy. "Even if our strongest fall, the next pack will rise." Raxolf moved up next to him. "I will stand by Lord Raizen’s side."

His eyes darkened. "And if Raizen falls, I will still stand." He turned to the rear. "Even if a single warrior stands, that warrior will still protect this land." The Star Wolves howled their agreement. Razer stepped forward, the Greater Orcs and Orcs gathered around him. Razer looked at Raishin. "The first time we met Tanaka, we believed strength lay in the one who can take it." A few Orcs grinned. "We learned otherwise." He looked over his shoulder at his people. "Tanaka defeated us fairly." He looked back at Raishin. "He could have killed us." He paused. "He did not." Razer’s fist tightened. "He gave us a home."

The Orcs raised their weapons. "No one destroys our home." Their voices roared across the field. Razer nodded. "Not while we breathe." Drakar stepped forward, the kobolds behind him reared back. "Stone can be reforged." He looked towards the wall. "Roads can be reforged." His gaze hardened. "But a home has to be defended first." The Greater Kobolds slammed their weapons against the ground. "We protect it."

Torga’s voice rang out, the Stoneshell Turtles stood like living fortresses behind him. "We are slow." He gave a small smile. "But the enemy will find that slow does not equal weak." The turtles raised their shields. "We will hold."

Sylva stepped forward, the Moonhares surrounding her.. "We do not have the strength of the Kijin and ogres." She looked towards the orcs. "We do not have the bodies of the Orcs." She looked north. "But this is our home." Her ears fell back. "And we will defend it." Sartel leader of the serpentkin stepped forward, the Serpentkin coiled around him. "Our people can survive in places others cannot." His tongue flicked out as he looked north. "Swamps, Forests, Caves, underground tunnels."

He smiled. "Varkesh will find that our land has many bites." The Serpentkin hissed their approval. Grok raised his weapon, the Lizardmen behind him did the same. "We hunt." He looked at Razer. "We know the wild." He looked north. "If Varkesh enters the forest, they will not only have to face Eldoris."

He grinned. "They will have to face the forest itself." The cheers of the warriors grew louder, more leaders joined the line. Greater Kobolds promised to keep the roads open, Mana Birds would watch the skies, Moss Turtles would protect the water and underground channels and the dungeon adapted creatures who had joined Eldoris would guard the roads leading into the city, even the races who had barely ever fought in a large conflict before raised their voices.

They were all different, they all had different bodies, different instincts and different thoughts, but tomorrow, they would all fight on the same ground. Raishin watched them, his own aura had not faded, in fact it had grown stronger, stepping forward he stood at the very front of the gathered army. "Listen to me." The field fell silent, Raishin looked over the gathered monsters. The various leaders and warriors, then he spoke. "We were once scattered tribes." His voice rang out across the field

"Goblins had their lands, Ogres had theirs, Wolves had theirs, Orcs had theirs." He clenched his fist. "We fought for ourselves." His eyes narrowed. "Then he found us." A few warriors smiled. "He did not destroy us."

Raishin’s aura flared. "He gave us something stronger." He pointed towards Eldoris. "One land." His voice thundered.

"One home." The pressure around him expanded. "One future." Everyone stood taller. Raishin continued. "Remember this tomorrow..." His gaze darkened. "Fear is not a reason to run." His eyes bore into everyone. "Pain is not a reason to surrender. "Blood is not a reason to kneel." His aura exploded outward, the warriors roared. "If you fall, another will stand!"

They roared louder. "If they break your weapon, fight with your claws!" The warriors’ voices grew into a deafening chorus. "If they break your claws, fight with your teeth!" Raveana’s eyes burned. "If they break your body..." Raishin’s voice almost became a shout. "...then let your will be what stands!"

The entire field roared, weapons were raised, clawed hands smashed against shields, wings spread out and fangs revealed, the sound of the roar rolled across Eldoris.

Raishin looked north one last time. "Varkesh believe they are coming to conquer a weaker Kingdom." His aura became so strong that even the strongest warriors felt their blood boil. "Tomorrow, they will learn the truth." He raised his fist. "They are not coming to conquer a Kingdom that stands alone." His voice thundered."They are challenging every monster who calls Eldoris home." The army answered his challenge, Raishin’s eyes glowed.

"Let them come." The roar became deafening. "Let them cross our border." His fist came down. "Let them bring everything they have." A final silence fell before Raishin spoke the words that would live in the minds of every warrior who fought in the morning.

"Let the Devouring Kingdom devour its enemies."

The roaring army shook the walls of Eldoris, far to the north Varkesh’s armies waited and tomorrow the two Kingdoms would meet and only one would decide how the border would look afterwards.