Part 1: The Summit of Naotik

Part 2: The Second Summit

Part 3: The Leadup to War

Part 4: Déjà vu

Part 5: Loose Lips Sink Ships

In the aftermath of the kashi's coup, the southern Radeti army was left without leaders and, as they were unable to contest the now entrenched Hashas encampment, without purpose. As such, they deigned it necessary to retreat.

But the retreat was destined to be remember as an advance in the opposite direction, as when the southerners met up with the northern armies they did not meat as friends. Instead, rumours of what had happened at the river crossing flooded into the northern camps and with them came resentment.

What followed was a slaughter greater even than that at the river, all Naotik of any rank - even tetmun - falling to the blades of the kin that they had stabbed in the back.

The army that was left behind was hollow, left without leadership and was distinctly divided between those that wished to turn to face the Hashas threat... and those that wanted revenge on the Naotik - those truly responsible, rather than those that simply acted as tools of the ultimate engineers of betrayal.

The former camp, though larger than the latter, comprised predominantly of Teltrashi and Konome whose cities was most directly threatened and already lost respectively. They quickly retreated behind the safety of Teltras' walls, hoping and trusting that the walls would protect them from the significant numerical advantage that the Hashas would now carry on the field with many of the Radeti having left to seek revenge.

There was no siege of Naotik. The force of retribution that had marched back north had nearly as many Naotik citizens as it did Ket or Unone, and thus the gates were left open to them as the horde swept past the slums that lay without the city's walls.

The kashi did not stop to sack and did not waste time in the districts that housed the honest Iya whose family names would not be recognised. They did not dally nor did they diverge as cohortes asked them their intent, but instead quickly relayed what had happened and, rather than being stopped, saw their ranks swell.

They had no difficulty reaching their destination, the central hill that housed the buildings of the city's wealthy and privileged. Vertiya and artiya lived here, along with their friends and clients. The excesses of these men and women were clear now, their overreach and political scheming having been laid bare.

The hill was sacked, the elected slain. All had had a say in what had been done, and so all had to die.