Chapter 35
With the Angels and Gargoyles holding the Portal battlefield, mopping up the remaining Orcs would take care of itself, and the Wood Elves could handle whatever was still scattered through the Verdant Forest's interior.
For the first time since the fighting started, Lilith and Auriel had a moment to themselves.
Auriel gave her a questioning look, and Lilith didn't make her wait for it.
"Want to go deep into Orc territory with me?"
Auriel knew enough about the Undead Faction to see where this was headed. "You want to..."
"Instead of sitting here waiting for the Orcs to come to us, we take the fight to them."
With the Shaman beaten, the Orcs were unlikely to mount another large-scale attack before dawn, and the next real offensive might be a while in coming.
But come it would — the threat to the Verdant Forest wasn't going to dissolve on its own.
And as Lords competing for Kill Points, she and Auriel would frankly rather the Orc army came back sooner than later.
Which was exactly the argument for striking first.
The plan, though, offered Lilith far more than it offered Auriel. Auriel had no poison, no real tools of assassination — and if they were discovered that deep in enemy territory, dying there was a live possibility for both of them.
Auriel agreed without a moment's hesitation anyway. "All right. What's the plan?"
Lilith paused. "This will be dangerous."
"I know."
"We can't bring troops. An army's too easy to detect."
"I know."
"You don't have many assassination abilities. You might earn barely any Kill Points, and we probably won't haul back much loot either."
"I know."
Lilith just stared at her. She understood every risk on the table. So why—
"Because we're friends."
Auriel smiled, faintly. It was the first time Lilith had watched real warmth break through that usual reserve.
Auriel trusted her. Lilith had no intention of betraying that.
"All right. We prepare and leave immediately."
There was little for Lilith herself to arrange; mostly the delay was to let Auriel issue orders to her Angels and Wingborn. Still, she had work to fill the time with — namely, raising every corpse on the battlefield and reinforcing their side before the Orcs came again.
The surprise assault had cost the Wood Elves hundreds of lives.
With the Portal gone and no way out, the invading Orcs would be joining them shortly, which put the dead at close to a thousand between the two sides.
Every one of them rose as another undead Unit under Lilith's command — and the Wood Elves raised no objection.
In the battles ahead, her undead army would be one of their main forces.
She worked her way toward the settlement as she raised them. An operation this large meant she had to notify her allies first.
The settlement was still chaotic, but the despair from earlier had started to lift. There was hope now in the eyes of the Wood Elves moving between the damaged tree houses. They were preparing for victory, not evacuation.
Lilith had meant to inform Elowen or Rowan and be gone. What she found instead was the Seer, just back from the front — drained, aura unstable, strain written plainly across her face. She'd clearly taken part in the fighting herself. Rowan stood beside her, apparently mid-report.
"Lady Seer."
The Seer turned, and Lilith laid the plan out without preamble.
"Before long, the Orc territory will fall into disorder. If the opportunity presents itself, I'll destroy as much of their fighting strength as I can and weaken them before the next battle."
Both Rowan and the Seer looked startled — infiltrating the Orc heartland was not what they'd expected. But the Seer knew the undead well. Few races were better suited to exploiting a war. Or to starting one. She made no attempt at dissuasion.
"If you have already made your decision, then I will remain here and pray for your safe return."
"Mentor, I'm going too," Rowan said suddenly.
He'd been chafing at his rear-guard orders since the war began, and Lilith's plan had seized him instantly.
The Seer frowned. She didn't want him taking a risk like this — but she also knew he'd been sheltered too long, and that the leader he was meant to become needed experience no amount of safety inside the settlement could supply.
"I need Kill Points for the Weekly Event," Rowan pressed. "And I can cover Lilith from range. I won't slow her down."
In raw personal strength, Rowan currently outclassed both Lilith and Auriel — his swift defeat earlier had made him look weaker than he actually was. Close combat had simply never been his specialty. A Wood Elf Lord's real power lived at range.
The Seer finally sighed. "A Lord grows through war. You have my permission."
Lilith had no reason to object. Rowan stood at Tier 9 Veteran and might break into Elite Rank at any moment; if he crossed that threshold mid-operation, they'd gain an Elite fighter — and far more room to gamble. His long-range firepower also covered a weakness she and Auriel shared.
"We should leave before the fighting winds down completely," Lilith said. "No reason to waste time."
"Wait." The Seer stopped her. "Take a few things with you. They will help you stay hidden."
She went back into the tree house to fetch them, and Rowan nodded in sudden understanding. "I nearly forgot — Wood Elves specialize in concealment. With our cloaks, we'll move far more safely."
"Bring two," Lilith said.
Rowan didn't question the number. He still didn't know Auriel would be joining them. As for Lilith herself, she needed none — she already had the Wraithveil Robe.
The Seer also packed several days of food and drinking water, along with a detailed map of the barren plains the Orc tribes controlled.
Then, before they left, she fussed over Rowan with all the anxious care of a mother sending her child into danger — and Rowan shifted uncomfortably under Lilith's gaze.
"I'll be fine, Mentor. We need to go."
Lilith inclined her head toward the Seer.
"Expect good news."