Kingdoms #10 - Alliance

It’s been a few days since Sheeran’s funeral, the kingdom mourned, Vera was still broken, but it didn’t stop her from arranging her troops.

She sent Rani and Dani to every city, town and village of the kingdom to spread the word.

Every capable tiny man or woman starting 12 years old were to arrive at the capitol for training, and help with the arrangements of the war. She’d let only one parent stay for every family, reducing the population by almost 70% if no one would survive but that’s a price Vera was ready to pay.

This time, the tinies weren’t just preparing armor and weapons for Vera and her daughters, they trained as well. Vera was determined to wipe off Zyrah’s kingdom from the map, and it was a bigger kingdom, so she needed every little sword she could have.

She wanted every single soul in Zyrah’s kingdom to die, tiny or not, she wanted every neighboring kingdom to know that this is the price of harming one of her precious daughters.

Rani & Dani were practicing a new kind of weapon, based on ancient drawings of the past, a bow and arrows, sculptured and made by the best blacksmiths of the kingdom.

Dani was a natural, piercing squirrels from afar, while Rani mostly missed, she preferred a sword and shield. Nothing like close combat, she used to say.

————

Vera sat on her throne, still grieving the death of her daughter, sitting and thinking about how she’s going to kill Yen once she finally laid her hands on her.

Then a new messenger kneeled in his dedicated place, clinging his worshiping bell, twice.

“What?” Vera said, looking at him with a bored face.

“Goddess, someone came to the capitol, requested an audience”, he said loudly so she could hear.

Her muscles kicked in and she held the throne tightly, “a guest?!” She replied.

“Y-Yes, it’s a tiny, he came fr-“

*THUD*

Vera stomped the floor beside him, “you disturb me over a tiny?!” She was sure a goddess queen arrived from a neighboring kingdom.

The messenger gulped in panic, looking at her toes pressing against the cold stone, knowing that he had to choose his next words carefully or he’ll get squashed beneath them.

“He’s a general, an opposer to Zyrah, he said we share the same interest”

“I share the same interest with a tiny?” She asked, offended, the messenger started breathing heavily in panic.

“H-He was riding a grasshopper!” He shouted.

Vera narrowed her eyes, not sure if she heard right.

“A general from Zyrah’s kingdom, riding a grasshopper, asked for an audience with me?” She asked slowly, trying to summarize the conversation.

“Y-Yes goddess”, the messenger nodded, bowing his head down.

“Ok, let him in”, she ordered, and the messenger quickly went outside.

———

Rey entered the hall.

Half of his armor was broken, he was bruised, dirty, fresh scars on his face.

He was leading the grasshopper like a horse behind him, using strings tied to its antennas.

He kneeled in front of her throne, he actually collapsed, but she saw it as a gesture of respect.

Vera placed her foot in front of him.

“Give me one good reason not to squash you right now, bug”, she said in contempt.

Rey didn’t flinch, being in front of a colossal sole wasn’t new to him, he lost his entire family to goddess queens.

“I am Rey, son of Gord, I am a general in the Liberation army from the cruel tyranny of Zyrah, I am a rebel, answering to Ruby, daughter of-“

*THUD*

“I don’t care!” She shouted, “what do you want?!”

Rey gulped, but he still had a cold and maintained aura.

“Goddess, we, like you, want Zyrah and her daughters to die, we have an army”

“An army of ants”, she said and sighed, shaking her head like she couldn't believe this conversation was even happening.

“Ruby, our leader, made Shani cry and run-“

“Oh she made her cry? But did she make her bleed? Have you ever made one of them BLEED?!” She asked in anger.

“No goddess, but we have those”, he pulled the string and made the grasshopper stand beside him, “and we have needles”, he held his needle high, “and we are all prepared to give up our lives to see it happen”.

Vera paused, she bent over to take a better look in Rey’s eyes, she actually never saw a tiny so determined and calmed in front of her foot, he managed to impress her, she placed her hand beside him.

“Ok, tell me more”, she finally said, calmed, he left the string and stepped over her hand, she brought him up and placed him on her throne’s hand rest, listening.

“There are thousands like me, we want to be liberated, we have plans, together with your family - we can do it, we can get rid of them”, he said with passion.

“They are goddess queens, how come you even consider something like that?” She asked, intrigued.

“I saw the people of your kingdom, they are happy, unarmed, all my life - I haven’t seen anything like it”, he said in a grave tone, “the people in my kingdom - we are not the same”, he paused and sighed.

“Every family lost at least someone, mostly even more, my family… my wife and son eaten by Yen, my younger boy… used as a toothpick to Zyrah”, his eyes started filling in tears, it was the first time his voice was shaking since he got here, “and I’m just one story, the people are broken, trampled, we are done dying for their pleasure, we want to fight, even if it means we will all die”.

Vera sighed and leaned back, considering his words.

“You look a lot like Ruby, our leader, she also has yellow hair”, Rey said, half smiling.

“It’s called blonde”, she said, then started giggling, “me? Look like a tiny one?”

Rey gulped, hoping he didn’t just offended a goddess queen.

“If I help this army of yours, will you kneel to me? Will the tinies of Zyrah’s kingdom bend the knee and serve my family?” She asked.

It wasn’t Rey's call, he wished Ruby had been here, she was better at this stuff, but he knew that he must say yes in order to get her help.

“I will, goddess, and I’m sure others will follow”, he said.

“Ok then, go back to your leader, tell her I agree”, Vera said, Rey released a relieved breath.

“In 3 full moons, when the moon is at its peak - we will attack the capitol”, she explained, “I want you to cause havoc, lure Zyrah and her family out of the palace before we get there”, she said calmly.

Rey nodded, excited to know he managed to get her approval.

She snapped her finger, a messenger quickly kneeled in his dedicated spot.

“Let Rey shower, provide him with food and water, tend to his wounds and his… grasshopper, and arrange 100 soldiers to escort him back to his army”, she commanded.

“Thank you goddess”, Rey said and bowed down his head, amazed by her kindness, “but I should get back as fast as possible, my army needs me”.

“Rey, son of Gord, if your army needs you - then you better do as I say”, she said with a smile.

Rey opened his eyes in surprise, she actually remembered his father’s name.

“Let him have crumbs from the sacred breakfast’s leftovers I had with my daughters”

The messenger gasped, he never got such a command.

The leftovers from Vera’s breakfast were holy, something so divine that people worshiped and never dared to eat.

“Y-Yes goddess”, he replied in shock.

“And Rey, sleep well before your journey, it will be for nothing if you won’t make it to this Ruby girl”.

Rey kneeled and bowed with utmost respect, “t-thank you goddess”.

She picked him up and placed him on the floor beside his grasshopper, he grabbed the string and followed the messenger, leaping away weakly.

Vera looked at them walking away with a big smile, this was unexpected, but if his army is even half as determined as this tiny, it can be the ace up her sleeve, and perhaps give her the edge she needs to finally dispose of Zyrah.

Unlike Jasmine, Vera completely missed how amazing it is that Rey came here riding a grasshopper, to her - it was just a bug riding another bug.