Songs of War: The 5th Song... Is A Person?!

Mobilium Part 2

We reached 1.5k views on this story so far! I didn't know there would be this many SoW fans, so I made this for my own satisfaction. Also I'm editing right now and we reached 1.6k, I swear that I'm not slow, I'm just really busy and I've been updating other stories (writing tip: don't work on like 10 stories at once and have 7 drafts for each) so just wanted to say thank you guys so much for reading and voting, especially to the thirty-something viewers that are loyal and read every part within the week that it comes out, you guys give me the motivation to keep writing this, and this sentence is getting too long so let's start with the story!

"We have the Prime, let's move out!"

"I must say Riza, your strategy was impeccable. I underestimated the defenses around the Prime. Good thing you knew Sulliman personally..." Ingressus was chattering as they exited the backstabber's home. "That human needs to be more careful about who he betrays, though." He turned and noticed her walking away. "Riza, wait!"

"What?" She snapped, turning around.

He stopped, noticing her tone. "Did I do something wrong?"

She sighed before continuing to walk outside the house. "Yesterday."

"...?"

"When I came back with lunch-" she noticed a band of horses approaching. "Here. Take your stupid Prime. We'll talk later. I'm not dealing with this right now."

"...okay."

--------------------

"I saw maps. Of Ardonia. You're planning to take over, aren't you?"

"..."

"Well, you're not going to use me for that. This wasn't part of the deal. I've already packed up. I'm leaving."

Ingressus could do nothing but watch as she tossed the battle plans he had worked on with Tygren onto the table. "I hope it's worth it."

"Riza, wait-!"

"I'm sorry, Ingressus! I don't want to do this! But you leave me no choice-" she turned and started walking through the exit, hearing a whoosh and barely dodging the sword he threw at her, catching the end of her cloak and pinning it to the wall. "...did you just... throw that at me?"

Before Ingressus could take it back, the words tumbled out of his mouth. She couldn't leave, he needed her to stay. He had just found her, for goodness sake! He wasn't about to let her leave again. His face hardened. "You're staying."

"You don't get to make that choice for me, Ingressus."

"Yes, I do! I want- I need you to stay! Why can't you see? If you go back to them- history will only repeat itself! Can't you see what's happening? If they win, our clan will be mistreated more than ever before! As someone who used to train beside me to become a Master of the Voltaris Clan, someone whom Father trusted to-"

"Don't bring him into this!" A dangerous light came into her eyes before she blinked it away and set down her bag. "Ingressus, if you try to take over Ardonia and win, you will receive nothing for our clan. Yes, you can get us the food and resources we have been lacking. But nothing is permanent. Ardonia is too big of a land to control with one group. And if you oppress people to make them respect you- make them fear you for respect- that's how revolutions start. You'll only get our clan more hate by doing this. And I don't want to be a part of that."

What she said made some sense, Ingressus knew. But he was too stubborn to agree with her. "As Master of the Voltaris Clan, I know what I want. And as next-in-line, you should know too. The difference between us is that I'm the one willing to act upon it and lead the clan to prosperity. It's what we both want. But you would rather appease the enemy, make them believe we are weak. And Voltaris are not weak. For if we were, and we went through your way, Voltaria is still razed to the ground. There is no fertile land there. The other clans would never give us land. They would tax us unfairly and we would be the subject to systemic racism, all for the sake of peace. That is why Father made me the heir."