Oblivion's Throne-Chapter 106: Ambush

Orion's pulse thrummed with anticipation. Although the war was happening in a combat simulator every sensation was almost real, the hunger, the pain, the smell and touch.

From his vantage point, Orion watched as the River Kingdom's forces scrambled into a retreat with the dropped supplies, their formation almost breaking under the relentless harassment of Amon's skirmishers, forcing them to take the only viable escape route—the ravine.

Right where Orion wanted them.

And today's battle wasn't a battle he could just oversee from the safety of his fortress. If this plan was to work, he had to be leading from the front.

Orion turned to the hundred and fifty students standing in disciplined silence, their weapons gleaming in hand. Juno reported the number of enemy's forces to be over a hundred and seventy. Assuming they would fight four the resources with the other neighboring Kingdom this meant there weren't a lot of students defending the rations initially supplied by the academy. Orion wanted to attack their base but since their King was here, he decided to take him out instead of going for the base.

He raised his sword. "Now attack!"

The response was immediate. A roar of affirmation surged through the ranks as they charged down the slopes, their footfalls thundering over the frozen earth. Snow kicked up around them as they descended into the kill zone, where the River Kingdom's forces were just beginning to realize their mistake.

The first clash was brutal.

Amon slammed into an enemy warrior, his blade cutting through the man's chestplate in a single, decisive strike. Blood sprayed across the snow as he spun, parrying a spear thrust and driving his elbow into his attacker's throat.

All around him, his soldiers struck with precision. The River Kingdom's forces, already battered from their earlier fight, had no time to regroup. Their lines crumbled as Amon's unit carved through them like a hammer striking glass.

Orion spotted their commander, a broad-shouldered rallying his men near the base of the ravine. If the enemy reformed around him, this would turn into a drawn-out fight.

Orion sprinted forward, dodging a wild sword swing and driving his knee into his stomach. The man collapsed with a wheeze, and Orion didn't bother finishing him—he was already moving, cutting through the battlefield with a predator's focus.

He reached the enemy commander just as the man tried to evade, Orion didn't give him the chance.

With a swift motion, he locked blades with him, their swords screeching against each other. The commander was strong, his stance solid—but in no way was he Orion's match. He twisted, angling his sword to slip past the man's guard, and drove it into the gap between his shoulder plates.

The commander gasped, staggering.

The man's expression twisted with fury, but before he could respond the blade buried itself in his throat. Orion didn't even flinch.

"Clear the rest!" Orion ordered, his voice ringing over the battlefield.

His warriors moved like a storm, cutting down the last remnants of the River Kingdom's forces. Within minutes, the battle was over.

Orion exhaled, surveying the battlefield. Bodies lay strewn across the frozen ground, blood staining the snow in dark patches. The air was thick with the scent of steel and death. Everything felt too real.

Felix arrived with a squad of reinforcements, his expression grim. "Minimal losses on our side. Should we proceed with the next phase?"

Orion nodded. "Casualties?"

"Fifteen dead, twenty wounded. They lost almost eighty and there is more wounded" Felix glanced at the fallen enemy soldiers. "What do we do with the survivors?"

Orion looked down at the few River Kingdom soldiers who had surrendered. Some were wounded, others too exhausted to fight anymore. He clenched his jaw.

Taking prisoners meant more mouths to feed.

But slaughtering them means taking away their chance at passing the test. Orion didn't want that not out of pity, but because more than anyone Orion understood hopelessness.

He didn't hesitate long. "Strip them of weapons and supplies. Send them south."

Felix hesitated, then nodded. "Understood."

Juno reappeared beside them, wiping blood from her knife. "That was fun," she said, flashing a grin. "But we have a problem. The Mountain Kingdom knows what we did here. They've already started moving their forces."

Orion's grip on his sword tightened.

This wasn't over. Not even close.

By the time they returned to the fortress, the sun was beginning to set. Orion's war council gathered in the strategy room once again, the holo-map flickering to life with new information.

Isolde pointed at a moving cluster of red markers. "Mountain forces. They're repositioning. We forced the River Kingdom into a fight, but now the Mountain King sees us as the biggest threat."

Darius rubbed his jaw. "They won't attack us directly."

Orion stood at the head of the table, arms crossed as the flickering holo-map displayed the movements of the Mountain Kingdom's forces. Red markers, representing enemy battalions, had begun shifting southward, their trajectory aimed directly at his stronghold. They were coming.

Isolde frowned, fingers tapping against the table. "They're waiting for us to make the next move. We forced the River Kingdom into a corner, the Mountain King won't act recklessly. They will let us stretch our resources thin before striking."

"Then we don't give him the chance," Orion said.

Felix exhaled sharply. "Easier said than done. We have half of the supplies. Our forces need rest. And morale—" He glanced at the warriors in the chamber.

By nightfall, the fortress was alive with firelight and laughter.

Long wooden tables stretched across the central hall, piled high with roasted meat, spiced vegetables, and thick bread. Barrels of ale had been cracked open, filling the air with a rich, heady scent. The once-solemn students now sat together, talking, drinking, and sharing stories.

Orion remained at the head of the table, watching this with quiet satisfaction.

Across the room, Amon was in the middle of a dramatic retelling of the day's battle, acting out his skirmish against the River Kingdom's archers with exaggerated flourishes. Laughter erupted from the gathered soldiers. Even Felix, ever the realist, was smiling.

The celebration lasted deep into the night. By the time the fires burned low and the fortress quieted, Orion had retreated to the war room, alone.

Until the doors swung open.

Darius stepped inside, his expression grim. "We have a problem."

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Orion straightened. "What is it?"

Darius placed a bloodstained piece of parchment on the table. "One of our scouts returned. Barely. He was ambushed while tracking Mountain Kingdom movements."

Orion's stomach tightened as he read the message, scrawled in his hand.

Orion's fingers curled around the note. "You think they are preparing for an attack?"

"Most probably." Darius nodded.

Silence settled between them.

The Mountain Kingdom wasn't just reacting anymore—they were preparing for an attack.