The ground trembled beneath the village as the shadow of iron swallowed the morning sun.
Gasps and shouts filled the air. Men and women spilled into the square, children clinging to their mothers as the vast silhouette descended from the sky.
It was like a castle torn from the earth and forced into the heavens. A massive rectangular vessel of steel hovered above them, its edges sharp as blades, its hull gleaming dully in the light. Steam hissed from vents along its sides, and six colossal engines hummed in unison, their glow casting the ground in an eerie blue.
Villager: I-It's a fortress… in the sky…
Villager 2: No… look at the crest! That's the Kingdom of Steel!
The painted emblem shone proudly on the ship's side: a silver gear encircling a downward sword. The villagers whispered nervously as its banners unfurled, snapping in the artificial winds.
Though no cannons lined its hull, the sheer scale of the vessel made the cottages below seem like toys. Its descent was slow, deliberate, every movement calculated to remind the people of their smallness.
Elder:[voice shaking] It's a message ship… not built for battle, but meant to carry the weight of the Kingdom's word.
The envoy ship lowered into the center of the village square, its engines whining as dust and straw swirled violently. Roofs groaned under the pressure, and villagers shielded their eyes, clutching one another as the leviathan finally settled above the earth. The ground rumbled as its supports extended, hissing steam as they locked into place with a thunderous clang.
Then, silence.
From inside a small house near the square, Lily pressed her face against the window, eyes wide in awe.
Lily: Mama… Sight… it's… it's so big…
Her mother's hands tightened around her apron. She said nothing, though unease flickered in her eyes.
Sight, however, didn't move from his seat. His sky-blue gaze lingered on the ship, calm, unreadable. He set his bowl down slowly.
Sight: So… the Kingdom of Steel finally decided to show up here.
The hiss of steam echoed like a warning.
With a heavy groan, a massive gate on the side of the ship split open, lowering slowly into the dirt. The ground trembled as the ramp extended, its iron edges digging into the village square.
From the smoke and shadow, figures emerged.
The first was a line of four soldiers, their every step synchronized, the sound of metal boots pounding the earth like war drums. Their armor gleamed with dull steel, covering them from head to toe, no leather, no cloth, no sign of humanity beneath the plates. Each carried a spear of the same dark metal, long and sharp, their tips reflecting the morning light like fangs.
They moved into position without a word, forming a rigid wall between the villagers and the ship. Their presence was suffocating, a wall of iron that cut the village in two.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the crowd. Mothers clutched their children close, men gripped farm tools with nervous hands, but none dared step forward.
From her home, Lily's mother stiffened. Her hands trembled slightly before she pulled Lily back from the window.
Mother: Come away, Lily.
Lily:[confused] Mama?
Her mother crouched, pulling the girl close against her chest.
Mother: Stay quiet. Stay with me.
There was a tension in her voice Lily had never heard before something heavy, rooted in pain. Though Lily didn't understand, she obeyed, letting herself be pulled into the shadows.
A sharp clack rang out. The soldiers stood aside, their wall of steel parting. From the belly of the ship, a man strutted forth.
Unlike the soldiers, no metal adorned him. He wore elaborate silks of deep crimson and gold, stitched with unnecessary frills that caught the wind like banners. His pale hair was slicked back too far, shining with oil, and his face twisted into a permanent sneer, as though the very air here offended him.
He lifted a jeweled handkerchief to his nose, muttering loudly enough for all to hear.
Envoy: Hmph. The stench… animals and dirt. And they call this a village?
His eyes swept the crowd with disdain. The villagers instinctively shrank back, their gazes dropping to the ground.
Behind him followed another figure taller, broader, dressed in a dark robe that shimmered faintly with silver-thread symbols. In his hand he carried a scepter of black steel, topped with a crystalline orb that glowed with an inner blue light, pulsing slowly like a heartbeat.
Unlike the envoy, this man did not sneer or posture. He was silent, his hooded face unreadable, his presence radiating cold power. The very air grew heavier as he stepped onto the square.
The envoy snapped his fingers. One of the armored soldiers presented a long scroll bound in black ribbon. With theatrical exaggeration, the envoy unrolled it, the parchment dangling almost to the ground.
Envoy:[reading with mock ceremony] Villagers of… ah, what a name… the 'Village of Boar Tigers.' By decree of the glorious and unrivaled Kingdom of Steel, I, humble servant of its majesty, bring forth this command.
He looked up, his eyes gleaming with contempt.
Envoy: From this day forward, half of your provisions are to be surrendered to fuel the might of our armies. Grain, livestock, dried goods, all of it. Consider it a sacred duty to provide for those who protect your… insignificant lives.
Villager:[in disbelief] Half?! We'll starve by winter!
Villager 2: We barely have enough for ourselves!
The envoy raised a jeweled hand, smirking.
Envoy: Ah, but that is not all. [he unfurled more of the scroll] Any among you possessing… unusual talent whether strength, sorcery, or other marks of power are hereby conscripted. You will come with us, to serve under the banner of steel. To refuse… is to defy the Kingdom itself.
The square erupted with frightened voices.
Villager:[angrily] We know what happens to those who leave!
Elder:[shaking his head] None ever return… none!
The envoy only smirked, enjoying their outrage as though it were entertainment.
Envoy: Do not resist. You should be honored, truly, that our Kingdom finds value even in a backwater such as this. Half your food and your strongest souls is the price of peace. Fail to comply, and the Kingdom of Steel will not be so… generous.
Behind him, the mage shifted, the crystal orb atop his scepter glowing brighter, casting a pale light across the villagers' frightened faces.
From the back of the crowd, Sight's fists clenched so tightly the air seemed to shiver around him. His teeth ground together. The urge to step forward, to plant his fist in the envoy's sneering face, burned hotter than fire.
But a hand tugged at his sleeve.
Villager:[whispering urgently] Sight… no. Not here. Not now. Please.
The desperation in the man's voice cut through his anger. Sight's jaw tightened, but he held himself still, the veins in his arm straining against restraint.
The envoy flicked his jeweled handkerchief dismissively.
Envoy: Load it all. Now.
The soldiers raised their spears in unison. Metal groaned. The weapons shimmered, collapsing into glowing orbs that burst into hundreds of shards, floating like a storm of blades above the crowd.
Gasps filled the square. The threat was clear.
And so, one by one, the villagers obeyed. Faces pale and eyes hollow, they carried sacks of grain, baskets of vegetables, cages of chickens and goats, dragging them up the ramp of the steel leviathan. The soldiers stood unmoving, the hovering shards of steel glinting like death itself until every last burden was aboard.
When the final sack thudded onto the deck, the envoy clapped his hands together.
Envoy: Marvelous. Cooperation does make everything smoother. [he turned, eyes narrowing on the elder] Now… tell me. Your people. Which among you has… talent?
The elder's shoulders stiffened. His voice was steady, but his hands shook on his cane.
Elder: There is no one. Not anymore.
The envoy tilted his head, smiling too wide.
Envoy: No one? Mm. Pity. I seem to recall… once, you had a warrior. A fine one, if my memory serves. One of your best.
His grin stretched, grotesque.
Envoy: And he left a child, did he not? Perhaps she inherited his potential. Perhaps she's… cute. [he licked his lips slowly]
The villagers bristled. A man shouted from the crowd
Villager: She's dead! The baby died after you stole her father!
The envoy chuckled, shrugging carelessly.
Envoy: Too bad. What a waste.
He turned toward the ship.
Envoy: Pack it up. We leave at once.
But before the soldiers could move, the mage finally stirred. His calm voice rumbled through the square like distant thunder.
Mage: Wait.
The crystal atop his scepter flared, glowing with cold, blue light. Slowly, he turned his hooded head, raising the orb.
Mage: I sense something. From there.
The tip of the scepter pointed directly at a small home near the edge of the square. Lily's home.
Inside, Lily's mother froze, clutching her daughter against her chest. Lily trembled, her wide eyes staring up at her mother in fear.
The envoy followed the mage's gesture. Slowly, his head turned, and a smile crept across his face twisting, stretching, dripping with malice.
Envoy: Oh… how interesting.