The Phoenix Ascension by Joe Jackson

The Phoenix Ascension by Joe Jackson

Author:Joe Jackson [Jackson, Joe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Published: 2019-05-31T16:00:00+00:00


Chapter XII – Okonashai

The lands of the Okonashai were breathtaking, even as the final remnants of winter melted away. The land rose and fell gently in rolling hills, grasslands stretching as far as the eye could see when one reached the top of a knoll. There was still the threat of spring snow, but the grasslands looked ready to awaken, desperate to greet the sun and coming warmth. If Kari and her allies had any say in it, the war would be over swiftly, and the Okonashai would have their lands back to themselves by the time the warmer weather took hold fully.

The Okonashai were primarily herders and farmers from what Kari had seen, and their lands, uncontested as they were, had remained prosperous for hundreds of years. Still, the number of the Okonashai was modest, even in their most central village. There were villages to the north and northwest, but Kari wasn’t sure the Okonashai numbered more than a couple of thousand. Starlenia’s family seemed to make up a good portion of the “main” village, which couldn’t have more than a hundred and a half people by Kari’s reckoning.

Some of the features reminded Kari of the village of Moskarre in Pataria, and that thought made her smile. It was only little details here and there, but they resonated with her. She thought these might be a people she’d like to get to know better when war didn’t sully things.

It was odd that the shakna-rir had never pushed north to conquer these lands, even when Kari considered the Tumureldi had been in power for so long. It would’ve made sense in every way for the shakna-rir to absorb the Okonashai into their empire. They could’ve left the people with some bit of autonomy but ruling over them would’ve given the Khalarin Empire sustainable food supplies and easier access to the northern forests and more of the west coast. Somehow, though, the Tumureldi line had found balance in trading fairly with their northern neighbors and leaving them to their sovereignty.

The land was beautiful and bountiful, and the people who lived there were gracious even in the face of a large, cluttering military force. Starlenia was in her element now, at home among her people and acting as liaison for Kari. Here, Starlenia was near her daughters and grandchildren, which came as something of a surprise to Kari. She wasn’t sure if it was Starlenia’s height or just the tireless enthusiasm the woman displayed at times, but she hadn’t expected Starlenia to have grandchildren. Kari wasn’t used to meeting women older than herself in these endeavors who weren’t either serilian-rir or some practitioner of the arcane.

It was with the beauty of the land in mind that Kari had the army skip building a tent city and get right to work. They began fortifying the southern border near the transitional lands, where the grassy plains gave way to the first sandy dunes of the Khalarin. Again, there was that odd split in weather



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