#fantasy war

The Cazkanians attacked in early August, storming border crossings and securing defensive positions in small towns and the few natural barriers the desert had to offer. The Aspenians went into full defensive mode until the country could properly mobilize, a task that would take precious time.

Also, until this point the TCA and Cazkanians had a shaky, but functional, relationship. In fact on August 3rd a joint scientific conference was underway in north-west Cazknaia with some of the alliance's best scientists and engineers in attendance. When news broke of an attack though, the TCA cut all talks with Cazkania and urged all of its citizens to return home. The conference ended abruptly and messily as all TCA nationals fled the country.

However, there were some who did not escape. These individuals, among them some children of the visiting scientists, were never heard from again. The Cazkanian government ignored all requests from the TCA for these people to be located, greatly contributing to the decline in relations.

By October the Cazkanians had made further gains, but by the end of Septemer the Aspenians had managed to ready themselves. They took a firm stand in Esspono as the city came under siege, and managed to push back the invaders in some locations. But unfortunately, for every step they took forward in one place, they took two more back in another.

October turned out to be a relatively successful month for the Aspenians. They continued to hold out in Esspono, and by November they had cut the western front in two and made significant gains in the northeast.

Unfortunately, time was weighing on the Aspenians by December. Esspono had fallen, and the Cazkanians were making a two sided charge for Clos Mor and the Nove Outpost. If Nove was captured, the key supply route from the core Aspenian territory to their forces on the front would be cut off.

The Cazkanians enacted a new goal that had formerly been considered too difficult: Taking Turrice. If they could capture the only crossing point of the Pelgriece canyon, the war in the south would be finished. So their forces move in from Mohvesto along the canyon.

Seeing the Cazkanian plan clearly, the Aspenians began to panic. Though they had been successful in defeating the first attack on Clos Mor, they knew if they lost Turrice that all would be lost. So they diverted more men to the new front.

The Aspenian army had a growing problem: morale. Their army was full of forced recruits, poor men from the lowest tiers of the caste system that were losing the small bit of connection they had to the country that ruled them as the war dragged on. The Cazkanians picked up on this and exploited it. Though their country was authoritarian and with few liberties, it was an improvement to the slavery of the Aspenian caste system.

The Aspenian soldiers began questioning their purpose, and if their enemy was really invaders... or liberators.

The Cazkanians captured Nove Outpost. And with it they cut off the easiest supply route for the Aspenians. With that, they began an onslaught that overwhelmed the Aspenians.

Desertion became rampant on the Aspenian lines, with many joining the Cazkanians after being subjected to their propaganda.

A group of Cethok fighters who knew the mountains well held out despite being cut off and even made some gains, but this was the only good news for Aspenia.

Despite being fought for every inch, the Cazkanians crawl towards Clos Ein and Turrice.

On March 18th, 161, Clos Ein fell to the Cazkanians. With this the Aspenians agreed to negotiate a peace, and were forced to give up every bit of their territory south of the Pelgriece canyon. This region became a Cazkanian puppet state that adopted Oretekism and completely abolished the caste system. And while the regime was oppressive, it was an improvement for the poor classes who came to see themselves as liberated. And so South Aspenia was born.

Aftermath

The Aspenian War had major consequences. It got exactly what Cazkania wanted, that being the final piece of their natural border wall. But this act of aggression on a peaceful nation, even though it was not a member state, led to the collapse of relations with the TCA, bringing the three-sided cold war into a new stage.

Most members of the highest Aspenian classes left the south before the Cazkanian forces could reach them, either moving to the north or abroad. Some landed in Rovaya, becoming important figures in that country's notorious shady side. Of those who did not leave, their property and wealth were stripped away, and they were integrated with those they used to subjugate.

Aspenia isolated itself from the world in humiliation, partly at least. The government was also afraid that the rest of their country would be exposed to the lure of "liberation" and demand they be freed of their caste as well. So the oligarchs made the desition to isolate from the world to protect their ancient system from a revolution.

The TCA was very vocal about the missing persons, with families wanting to find their loved ones again. But the Cazkanians would not grant a single response on the matter, and sadly as the years went by it became outshone by other matters in the TCA governments. Most families had given up hope by 173.

The historic trade corridor that was the Arch of Turrice was shut down to all traffic. At one time the land bridge over the canyon saw a constant flow of wealth cross it each day. But after the war it became desolate, and a point of interest in global geo-politics.

A Cazkanian Chief General was appointed to be the head of state of South Aspenia and direct the occupation. It was not difficult to integrate the majority into the Cazkanian sphere as they were given a better life under this new rule.

*****************

Echo tightened her legs against her horse’s back as she raised her sword. Around her, the sounds of battle seemed to fade into the background. A hard jolt went up her arm as her sword collided with the blade of an enemy soldier.

Battle never got any easier. The clang of metal on metal, the dying screams of soldiers and horses, the stench of blood and sweat and fear that hung heavy in the air.

She twisted in the saddle, driving her sword forward, grimacing at the sticky spray that coated her gauntlet and helmet.

“Echo!” Mavaria’s voice shouted. “Fall back.”

Echo hesitated, before turning her horse around, following the rest of her battalion into the trees.

At the edge of the forest, she halted next to Mavaria.

“Go, Echo.”

“I’m staying with you.”

“Get out of here! I’ll be along as soon as I’m sure the others know to follow.”

Echo remained where she was.

“Dammit, girl.” Mavaria snapped, giving her horse a smack. Echo cursed as her mount took off, nearly throwing her out of the saddle.

Tightening her grip on the reins, Echo turned her horse back, going in an arc, intending to circle back to her commander.

_____

Kazamir wrenched his blade free, his lips twisting into a grimace at the sickening pain in his stomach.

Mentally, he cursed himself for being so stupid. He should have known better than to question the King, especially before a battle.

His grimace warps into a snarl as he surveys the battlefield, eyes locking onto on of the enemy commanders.

Mavaria. One of King Ilium’s favorites. Even his mistress according to some. Kazamir tightened his grip on his sword, and urged his horse towards the older woman, who was currently following behind her retreating troops. The soldiers she valued so much that she put their lives before hers.

She couldn’t see him coming, not at this angle, it would be easy to kill her, and it would put him back in favor with King Orick.

He bared his teeth in a vicious grin, levelling his blade.

He was almost to the Commander when another horse collided with his, Kazamir cursed as he was knocked from the saddle, lashing out blindly, he grabbed the enemy soldier by the wrist, and dragging her off her own horse, and to the ground with him.

The impact with the ground sent a spike of nausea-inducing pain through his stomach, and spots danced before his eyes. Gritting his teeth, Kazamir rolled onto his front, and pushed himself onto his hands and knees.

The soldier who’d unseated him was also getting up, grabbing her sword from where it had fallen a few feet away.

Kazamir grit his teeth, and lurched forward, driving his shoulder into her back and tackling her to the ground.

She writhed and bucked beneath him, but he was bigger than she was, and he had her pinned firmly.

The pain in his abdomen was enough to make him feel ill, and he swallowed hard to keep from being sick.

Silvery-blue eyes glared up at him, and Kazamir managed a sneer.

“Thought it might be you.” He said, voice tightly controlled. “Echo, is it not?”

The girl did not reply, she just regarded him with those stunning eyes, colder than a frozen ocean. She did not correct him, however, so he assumed he was right about her name.

One of Mavaria’s soldiers. He had encountered her once before, during a very tense political meeting right before the war had started, nearly a year prior.

He only remembered her because during the brief negotiations, he’d thought that she seemed like the most unpredictable of the soldiers. The one most likely to try an attack.

Nobody seemed to have heard the attack, and both of the horses had bolted after the retreating forces, leaving the two of them alone.

Kazamir wasted no time binding the girl’s wrists with leather cord, before yanking her to her feet.

“Walk.” He barked, and reluctantly, she obeyed.

They had barely made it a mile before he began to feel overheated and ill. No matter how hard he tried to shake it off, it clung to him.

Dizziness struck as pain once again flared through his stomach. Kazamir stumbled, and went to his knees.

______

Echo didn’t know if Kazamir had tripped or just lost his footing, but she didn’t wait around to check, she immediately took off in the direction that the others had gone, hoping she could make it back to the camp before the rain turned to sleet and she froze to death.

After she was sure she had shaken Kazamir off of her trail, she slowed to a walk, discouraged by the fact that she could see her breath in the rapidly cooling air.

She jumped at every noise, half-expecting Orick’s herald to catch up to her at any moment.

By the time night fell, her body ached with exhaustion, and she was sure her feet were more blisters than untouched skin, but she trudged on, trying to ignore the chill that had sunk into her bones.

_____

Kazamir staggered, bracing himself against a tree. After regaining his feet, he had tried to go after Echo, but it quickly became apparent that he’d lost any chance of finding her again.

So he’d continued his trek alone, doing his best to make it back to the battlefield. By now, he was hopelessly disoriented, and, despite his best effort, his strength failed him, and he collapsed, uttering a weak cry at the pain that bolted through his abdomen.

It didn’t matter. There was no one around to hear him.

___________

It was nearly dawn by the time Echo met up with a patrol led by Mavaria herself.

After cutting the binds on her wrists, the commander had given her a half-hearted scolding, and helped her onto one of the unridden horses.

Upon hearing of how Echo had escaped Kazamir, Mavaria had asked her to retrace her steps. It would be worth it to capture him if possible.

“You must be tired, Echo.” Altina said, riding beside her.

“Is that concern I hear?”

“For a little stray like you? Never.”

Echo bit back a laugh. Altina had delivered Echo when she was born, and had been a steady presence in her life ever since.

“Aww, you weren’t at all worried about me, old woman?”

“Didn’t they ever teach you to respect your elders?”

“Oh, so you admit you’re an elder?”

“Wise up, young one. I was old when you were born.”

This time, Echo did laugh, and Altina did too.

The mirth was short-lived. After crossing a small stream, the smile dropped off Echo’s face as she took in the sight of the figure lying collapsed on the forest floor.