Three is a War, Not a Crowd : The KvK Chronicles

I am Bezedash and welcome once more into my GoT WiC world.

Three is a War, Not a Crowd : The KvK Chronicles

Almost spring. More invaders on K299. They were definitely growing in number.

This time it was white rabbits spreading around the Eyrie like an invading army, digging burrows in the fields, devouring the gardens, and multiplying faster than a lord’s patience could bear. The Trial had been declared in the name of the Seven, and the hunt began. I, Bezedash, the knight-minstrel of the numbered kingdoms, joined the chase, my steed Hermine slipping through the vegetation as the green was replaced by red.

But quickly, the sport lost its charm. There was no glory in killing creatures that were only fleeing, no honour in overwhelming an enemy that refused to fight... only the promise of rewards from the Seven Celebration. Gods can be cruel. And so, i drifted away, seeking a quieter tune.

Once again, i plucked a string on my lute. Another dry, discordant note. And once again, a string snapped. Only three remained.

Seated on a mossy log, i watched the morning light filter through the branches. The wind played in the budding foliage, whispering a melody i tried to capture on the fly. One... two... three... a waltz in triple time. My fingers tortured the strings. A few hesitant notes rang out, then died in the silence. I scratched the strings all day, the hours slipping by slowly.

Then, the rasp of metal.

I let my lute fall and mounted Hermine, guided by instinct. We moved through the trees, the silence broken only by the distant sound of footsteps.

In front of me, my wife, LadySam, was busy hunting down those white rabbits.

 “I’ll keep three rabbits,” she said, peering into the bushes. “One for you, one for henomaus, and one for me?”

Before i could respond, my old friend henomaus appeared from the shadows, a smile on his lips.

“Well, well, well. Three rabbits, three friends... but more than that, three kingdoms ready to devour each other. It seems the real hunt is about to begin,” henomaus said, grinning. “Don’t get too comfortable… the tripartite KvK is starting. Wouldn’t want to miss the opening, would we?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Three rabbits and a battle? That sounds like a strange match.”

“At least the rabbits didn’t fight back,” LadySam replied, brushing a strand of hair away.

But wars, whether against rabbits or men, never end. The true hunt was yet to begin.

Midnight struck.

The air turned cold, heavy with the weight of the coming battle. The countdown for the tripartite KvK had begun, and i could feel its weight settling over the kingdom. K8 against K299 against K461.

The first thirty minutes were uneventful. The rhythm of time beat in harmony with the distant sound of war drums. Henomaus and Eyaka, our faithful storyteller of moving images, launched their first attack on K461's castles.

But then, something changed.

The scoreboard soared.

My eyes widened. My eyes widened. K461 had taken the lead. What was happening? My gaze fixed again on the screen.

"No..." I whispered.

Henomaus and eyaka... they both lost a fight and their Lord had been captured.

There was no time to waste.

I glanced at my fresh troops, my chest tightening at the thought of the losses to come. But, silly me… this KvK was blessed by the Resurrection of the Lord of Light, meaning there would be no real deaths. Even so, it didn’t ease the stress ahead. I chased the doubt from my mind. No room for fear.

I unbubbled. A deep breath calmed me. A chronicler doesn’t stand aside when history unfolds. The moment had come. I was the bait now. If they wanted to hunt, they’d have to bite me first. As long as the KvK continued, so would i.

Suddenly, a very recognizable sound broke the silence, that of a castle being placed near me... Salahaddin from the alliance KoT in K8.

Did he dare attack me? The adrenaline surged through me.

“Come on then,” i muttered, with a smirk.

He struck… and broke against my forces.

His Lord quickly found his way to my dungeon. Too easy. Almost amusing. But there was no time to celebrate. I had to stay sharp despite the late hour.

And hours passed. The cold gnawed at my bones, but i stayed focused. At three o'clock, a new threat loomed: Юра198 from the alliance BYY of K461. He landed near my castle, tension crackling in the air.

Lady Veriti, Lord Adler, Raskals, AXA, Delish and СтрАнница… they appeared too. Rabbits, ready to pounce on the carrot i had become. They went for eyaka first, who resisted well...

Then, another rally launched by Юра198 began: nearly five million soldiers charging my walls.

This was it.

The battle was savage, brutal. The roar of the clash echoed in my mind. The losses, mine and theirs, were devastating.

"They’re just t1s," i murmured, trying to steady myself. But even if they were only t1s, they were still mine. And they had fallen.

Before i could catch my breath, Raskals launched a solo attack.

His troops crashed against mine like an unrelenting tide.

"Ah, hospitality," i murmured, half to myself.

His Lord, too, found a place in my dungeons. Exhaustion crept in. My troops dwindled. Chaos unfolded around me.

I had no choice. I needed refuge. I jumped to K461, seeking a moment’s respite. But their armies followed… NICK71, Raskals. Relentless.

Another red wave flashed on my screen.

Not again!

I sighed, activated my bubble, releasing the imprisoned Lords. My castle stood alone, surrounded by enemy forces. Henomaus joined me, and together, we braced for what was to come. I could feel it... this KvK was slipping from our grasp. First place was out of reach, but second? Perhaps.

We stood silent amid formidable foes.

Then, i reached out.

"And now, Raskals? We both know K299 won’t win. First place is yours."

His response came swiftly.

"Perhaps we can learn from each other."

Amidst battle and rivalry, i found something unexpected : respect.

We exchanged reports, studied what had happened, shared stories as warriors who had witnessed the same bloodshed. The bond we forged in the midst of war and loss was real.

We parted, the alliance left behind, but the respect remained.

With my forces nearly gone, I could no longer hide behind a bubble. I was a "zero castle", no visible troops, no shield, nothing left to lose. I launched final attacks on K8, targeting the alliance KOt, for my dungeons were empty.

As the dust settled, the battlefield barely still, Mage Remus of K8 struck.

No hesitation. I sent a message to Raskals, asking if he would attack again.

"Already on it," he replied.

Mage Remus quickly learned how fast a predator could become prey.

The three kingdoms stabilized their scores.

K461 took first place, we, K299, secured second, and K8 finished third.

In the end, this brutal clash of three kingdoms had been unlike any other. There had been losses, but they were fleeting. What mattered was the warriors we met, those who fought for the thrill, not the slaughter. And in the end, that made it all worth it.

And as the final notes of the day settled, i sang this song, a reflection of our shared battles:

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Three came to battle, three clashed as one.

Steel met steel beneath the fading sun.

Blood was spilled, songs were sung loud,

For three is a war, and never a crowd.

The fields were wide, the stakes were high,

Our soldiers fell, but we did not cry.

For in this fight, where kingdoms collide,

We met true warriors, standing side by side.

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Dear readers, thank you for your attention. I look forward to sharing new tales with you very soon.

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