1. THE WAR TIME KING.
[Welcome to the YAKSHA. To proceed, voice confirmation required.]
"Thaya Jaeger," I muttered, my voice raspy from lack of sleep.
[Welcome, Your Highness. How shall I help you today?]
"Scan the targets on the field," I commanded, staring at the holographic display. "Tell me the headcount."
[Scanning... Over 3,000 individuals identified as hostile targets, Your Highness.]
"Are we capable of eliminating them with the drones?"
[Yes, Your Highness. We are. Shall I initiate deployment?]
"Do it."
[300 drones deployed. Engaging targets.]
I leaned back, watching the cold, blue lights of the interface flicker. "Keep me updated, Yaksha".
A moment of silence passed—a silence where thousands of lives ended in a symphony of silent electricity.
[Targets destroyed, Your Highness.]
"Good," I whispered. It was a victory, yet it tasted like ash. This was the first artificial strike on the Bellugian troops. It gave us the advantage; I didn't want to waste the lives of my people on the battlefield just to satisfy the arrogance of the Bellugian lords.
However, my general didn't share my relief.
"It should have been our men with swords and guns, humiliating those morons. Not these... AI toys, My Lord," Elvis grumbled. As the commander of my personal guard, the 'Jaegerists,' he lived by a code of steel and blood.
"You're right, Elvis. It would be more 'honorable,'" I said, turning to him. "But I refuse to attend a thousand funerals just to play a game with the Bellugians."
Elvis sighed, his armor clinking as he shifted his weight. "I see, My Lord. You're frustrated. It's been nothing but war since the day you took the crown."
"I was a war-time Prince, Elvis. Now I am a war-time King. But I refuse to let my children inherit this curse. I have to settle this."
"We could secure that future by wiping Kayodh off the map," Elvis said, a sly, dark smile tugging at his lips. His father had been killed by Bellugians years ago; his heart was a furnace of cold revenge.
"You want blood, Elvis. But the people aren't their politicians. They're innocent."
"You're kind, My Lord. You aren't like your father."
"I'm not him," I replied, sitting across from him at a small table. "But I'm just as brilliant. Care for a match?"
"I won't go easy on you."
We began to move the chess pieces, but our minds weren't on the wooden board. We were playing with real pawns and bishops on a much larger map.
"What worries me," I said, sliding a knight forward, "is my standing with the Kalyans. If the Bellugians plot against me, the Kalyans might be the tipping point."
"The Kalyans are different," Elvis countered, eyes locked on the board. "They hunger for dominance, and their ideology is the polar opposite of the Bellugians. They won't unite. Besides, your aunt is married to their Emperor. That makes them family. Why worry?"
He moved his queen, trapping my bishop. A clever plot.
"I see what you're doing, Elvis. I'll settle for a stalemate tonight."
"It's not entirely possible, My Lord," he laughed, but the sound didn't reach my ears. My heart felt heavy, rigid. I was worried about my wife, my children—what would happen if I didn't make it out of this war?
"I see a spark in Raya, My Lord," Elvis said suddenly.
I froze. The tutors had always avoided my son because of his... unsettling nature. "A spark? What do you mean?"
"I grew up with you," Elvis said, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of genuine fear in his eyes. "I know your weaknesses. But Raya... he isn't a normal Jaeger."
"Maybe it's his mother's side? The Arians are a mysterious people."
"No," Elvis whispered. "The girl is normal, like you. But the boy... he is something else entirely."
The weight of his words followed me all the way back to my chambers. My wife greeted me with a gentle smile, her sky-pointing ears twitching—a sign of her Arian heritage.
"You're late," she teased. "I searched the whole palace for you."
"I was with Elvis," I said, watching her move. "Have you eaten?"
"We ate early. Raya was starving, and Rishi is already fast asleep."
She served me dinner—a fine dish that smelled of home. She was the best cook I knew, but I couldn't help but tease her. "Aryans certainly have a 'fine' pair of hands for labor."
She flared up instantly. "You and your ego! You never appreciate anything!"
I let out a loud laugh, the first real one all day. "Don't be mad. You're beautiful when you're angry."
"Shut up!" she snapped, though her eyes softened.
I waited until the mood settled before asking, "Tell me... do Aryans have supernatural powers? Because we know that there are seven elemental powers found in select humans as a effect of Cosmosium."
"Why ask now? Planning to declare war on my people too, darling?"
"Of course not. I'm just curious."
"We Arians have no powers, but a strong soul that can fight any war, that's all"
No doubt that her people call her the fiercest woman alive.
She looked to tired. Maybe she was thinking about me or even not me.... Who knows. But I didn't want to make her more tired.
"Let's sleep," I said softly. "We've had enough of wars for one day."
The lights went out, but the darkness brought no peace. My mind stayed awake, thinking about the future of my clan and my family.
I cannot help but I ask myself, is this a hopeless crusade. Will this war end, will my children have a peaceful kingdom to call as home. Only time can answer that
2. TWO KINGS, ONE AIM.
Inspecting the Cosmosium extraction sites was one of the few constants in my life. It was a rhythmic, industrial comfort amidst the chaos of war.
"Yaksha," I said, my voice echoing in the metallic chamber. "Report on this month's exports and revenue."
[Yes, My Lord. We have exported 12 million tons to the Royal Storage on Planet Gara. Per the standing contracts, the Council has credited us 18 trillion Sakshas.]
( SAKSHAS : It's a type of currency used in the sector 143 (our solar system) )
"Good. At least the coffers are full," I muttered. I turned to find Elvis staring at me, his eyes heavy with an uncharacteristic sorrow. "What's wrong, Elvis? You've been burning a hole in the back of my head for fifteen minutes."
"Funds, My Lord," Elvis sighed. "The Jaegerist camps are falling behind. We need maintenance for the defensive tech and reworks on the barracks if we want to stay combat-ready."
"Take what you need," I said with a wave of my hand. "Don't let our blades get dull."
"Thank you, My Lord. Also, a reminder: the Cassendra Clan is visiting today."
I felt a spark of genuine warmth. "The Cassendrans? Prepare a royal welcome. It's been too long."
The Cassendra Clan had ruled Planet Hirotu for twenty years, masters of nuclear weaponry and the hidden hands behind the LYNX Guild's trade monopoly. More importantly, their leader, Havoc Cassendra, was a man I'd grown up with.
"Three thousand soldiers for a welcome party? It feels small for a clan of their stature," Elvis remarked as we stood on the landing pad.
"They don't care for grand displays, Elvis. Just try to keep a smile on your face."
"I am smiling, My Lord," Elvis said, his face looking like a piece of cracked granite.
The sky roared as the majestic Cassendrian Warship broke through the clouds. When the hatch hissed open, a familiar figure stepped out.
"Long time no see, Thaya!" Havoc shouted. We embraced, laughing as we thrashed each other's backs in a traditional warrior's greeting.
"You look well, Havoc," I said, before turning to his family.
"This is my wife, Pilla, and my daughter, Illya," Havoc introduced them. I welcomed them with a bow, returning the gesture by introducing Asa, Rishi, and Raya.
While the women spoke of palace life and the children disappeared toward the Royal Gardens, Havoc and I retreated to my study. The air turned heavy as we discussed the Bellugian threat.
"The Kalyans are filth," Havoc spat, leaning over a map. "They crave dominance. I agree with your General; they are too proud to crawl into bed with the Bellugians."
"But if they do..." I looked him in the eye. "Will you stand with us, Havoc?"
A long, painful silence stretched between us. "The Council would never allow it," Havoc said quietly. "If I interfere in a two-clan war, they'll siege Hirotu before the week is out."
I felt a sting of shame. "I understand. I shouldn't have asked."
"But," Havoc raised a finger, "there is a legal way. A blood way."
I tilted my head. "Go on."
"I have no male heir. You have a son. If Raya marries Illya, our houses become one. The Council cannot stop a man from defending his own family."
I blinked, stunned. "Marriage? Elvis, what do you think?"
Elvis immediately launched into a list of Raya's virtues. "The boy has a spark, My Lord! He's a warrior in the making—"
"Stop, stop!" I cut him off. "I don't need a resume, Elvis. I need your honest opinion."
Elvis leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Raya is nineteen. The girl is eighteen. It's a perfect match on paper, My Lord. But... there is a problem."
"What problem?"
Elvis leaned closer to my ear. "A month ago, during training, I asked the Prince what he thought of women."
[ Flashback : One month ago ]
"Prince Raya," Elvis asked, wiping sweat from his brow, "what do you think of the opposite gender, the women?"
Rayan didn't even look up from his blade. "They are problematic. Their minds are a labyrinth of needless complications. I prefer the simplicity of steel."
[ Present Day ]
"He said that?" I groaned.
"Word for word, My Lord."
Before I could process this, Havoc stood up, his voice booming with finality. "It's settled! Our children shall marry four weeks from now. Prepare the feast! The Jaegers and Cassendrans are one!"
He marched out of the room, energized by his own plan, leaving me standing there in a daze.
"You heard the man, Elvis," I sighed. "Prepare for a celebration."
In the Royal Garden, the atmosphere was far less political. Illya stood in awe of the artificial waterfalls, her eyes wide as they tracked the shimmering water managed by the Yaksha system.
"Your brother..." Illya whispered to Rishi, glancing at Raya, who sat alone on the grass, staring out at the horizon. "Why is he so quiet?"
"He's just shy," Rishi lied smoothly.
Suddenly, Illya's VoiceMaker chirped. She pressed the receiver to her ear. "Yes, Father? Wait... marriage? To who? Rayan?!"
She whipped her head around to look at the boy on the grass. Rayan didn't move, his back turned to the world, seemingly staring into a future only he could see.
~ To Be Continued.