The skies over Nouvo Lakay pulsed with pressure—calm, but deceptive. The people knew it. The land knew it. And the gods stirred, restless.
The forging of the five armies had begun.
1. Thalia's Warborn — Flame of Ogou
Clad in red and iron, Thalia stood before her chosen warriors, her sigil glowing like a fresh wound across her collarbone. Each fighter had pledged their blood to Ogou. Each was ready to make war.
"We don't wait for battle. We walk into it. You are Ogou's vengeance made flesh."
The Warborn trained in shock formations, aggressive advances, and berserker flanks. Their battle songs shook the stones. The sound of hammers echoed through the hills.
High above in the spirit realm, Ogou watched, fire in his mouth and steel in his hands, a war god poised to roar.
2. Ayola's Silent Gate — Eyes of Papa Legba
Ayola, the priestess of Papa Legba, chose carefully. Her army would not be known for brute strength, but for strategy, stealth, and control.
Each warrior bore hidden sigils and learned the ways of lockpicking, language, disguise, and illusion. They were trained to walk between thresholds—seen and unseen.
"You are not here to be seen. You are here to change outcomes before others know they've begun."
Ayola marked them at a crossroad shrine with ash and salt. At night, they practiced breaking into guarded camps without a sound.
Papa Legba, leaning on his cane in a thousand worlds at once, smiled from the shadows. "Let them try to lie," he whispered. "My children will already know the truth."
3. Sael's Gilded Grace — Blade of Erzulie Freda
Sael gathered those with speed, elegance, and fire in their blood. Her warriors wore fine cloth and golden markings, striking with beauty and precision.
They fought like dancers and killed like storms. They seduced, distracted, and disarmed with movement and emotion.
"Never forget, love is sharper than any sword. Strike where it hurts."
Erzulie Freda draped her grace upon them, granting her priestess visions of passion and fury. In dreams, Sael whispered to Zion, teasing and testing him with both affection and authority.
And in the realm of gods, Ogou narrowed his eyes as Erzulie passed too close to his fire.
4. Ayomi's Daughters of the Grave — Hand of Baron Samedi
Ayomi, high priestess of Baron Samedi, chose her warriors from among the broken, the outcasts, and the ones who had nothing left to lose. They did not fear death—because they had already met him.
Their blades were bone. Their armor was ash. They trained in silence and struck without remorse.
"Baron doesn't demand loyalty. He takes it. When you march, it's already your second chance."
Ayomi guided them through rituals of remembrance and burial. The night before their oath, each dug their own symbolic grave and lay in it until dawn.
Baron Samedi laughed as he watched them rise, clapping his skeletal hands. "Let's see who else wants to die today, eh?"
5. Elis's Deathbound Choir — Voice of Maman Brigitte
Elis, chosen by Maman Brigitte, trained those who understood loss and justice. Her warriors were equal parts executioner and protector. Their chants could summon fear. Their silence was worse.
"We bury the dead, but we do not forget. Maman Brigitte chose you because you know the cost."
Their ceremonies involved singing death-hymns and anointing their weapons with grave-ink. They moved in rows—never single, never scattered. Every step was a ritual.
In the spirit realm, Maman Brigitte kissed each blade with her cold lips and whispered, "Let justice be louder than vengeance."
Beneath the Banners
On the highest hill of Nouvo Lakay, Zion stood at the edge of a cliff, wind tugging at his cloak. Behind him, five banners snapped in the wind:
Red for Thalia's Warborn
White for Ayola's Silent Gate
Gold for Sael's Gilded Grace
Black for Ayomi's Daughters of the Grave
Violet for Elis's Deathbound Choir
The five priestesses stood with him—each one marked by their god, each one a commander in her own right.
Zion said nothing.
The priestesses said nothing.
But in the silence, five armies marched.
And the gods began to look down.