Chapter Twenty-Two #4
“I prefer the term persuaded.” I folded my hands in my lap.
“I pointed out he didn’t enjoy the more complicated duties of being Emperor, and told him to let me take over while he stepped aside.
He was happy to get rid of his responsibilities.
Until the war is over, the empire’s power resides with me. ”
“Until the war is over, huh?” A knowing smile came onto Kallie’s face.
“Of course. And for the rest of his life, because I’m not handing it back, but he doesn’t need to know that,” I replied.
“I’ve already spoken with the council and looked at the prisoners’ location.
They’re being held in the Malovian town of Fasva, which The Mission has seized and converted into a prison camp.
There’s a lake about a mile away on the east side, which has a reflective surface.
We can use Elf portals to transport our army through to the lake, and move large numbers of refugees back here.
We’ll portal there, emerge silently through the water, and sneak the fae out of town. ”
“There are thousands of prisoners in that town. We’ll be caught trying to sneak them out. A battle is bound to break out,” Sigrid said.
“Which we must prepare for, because our only other option is to let these people die at the hands of The Mission,” I insisted.
“We have two objectives. First, we get as many people out as we can before the guards can launch an attack. Then, once the refugees are free, we take down the guards and destroy the city on our way out. We don’t want The Mission to have another stronghold, especially one so close to Ilamanthe, so this camp has got to go. ”
I spread out the map that I’d brought, and everyone gathered to inspect it. “Here’s what we’re working with. Fasva is bordered by woods to the north and an open field to the south. The entire city is surrounded by a stone wall, which is why The Mission picked this city to set up their camp.”
“That city looks huge,” Marcus noted. “How can we possibly get so many people out?”
“Because most of the town’s residents died in the siege,” I explained. “According to our intel, Fasva is relatively deserted. The city is built for a hundred-thousand citizens, but from what our spies can tell, there are only two-thousand refugees inside.”
“That’s still a lot of people to move,” Kallie said, sounding more curious than hopeless. “How many Mission members are we up against?”
“There are three guards for every prisoner, but our army is large enough to rival theirs. We can take them.”
Kazim wore a thoughtful expression. “It may sound like a lot of soldiers, but we might be at an advantage here. Fasva’s so big that it’s actually a good place to attack, because The Mission’s soldiers can’t cover the whole thing with the numbers they have stationed there.
There will be entire sections of the city that are undefended, so we’ll be able to sneak in. ”
“Exactly. We’ll start by breaking their wards, which Marcus and Kallie can do without setting off any alarms. Our soldiers will scale the walls to sneak in, then assassinate the guards at the city gates and work on sneaking refugees out.”
“Can’t we just portal through the gates?” Marcus wondered.
“Not without being able to see where we’d end up,” I noted. “If we’re opening random portals throughout the city, we run the risk of being spotted too early.”
Kazim gave a firm nod. “Just tell us where you need us, and we’ll get the job done.”
“Kazim, you know this city better than any of us, so I want you leading the ground troops into Fasva,” I ordered.
“Marcus and Kallie will go on ahead to break the wards, and then your battalion will begin evacuations. Meanwhile, my soldiers will be hiding in the trees as reinforcements, ready to fight once The Mission realizes what we’ve done.
Oberi and I will be in the sky to assess and give orders on when it’s time to move. ”
“What about the Warden? If he’s around, he’ll kill all of us,” Marcus objected.
“The Warden is busy fighting the gods in the afterlife. By the time we get all those prisoners out and word gets back to him, we’ll be gone, even if a fight breaks out,” I said.
“What about the antidemigods? Naya, Deuce, Esther and Mad Dog are bound to be somewhere,” Marcus added.
Danny scoffed. “We can handle a couple of losers.”
“Are we sure we’ve thought this through?” Marcus pressed. “The Warden took all the Divinity Keys. He has ultimate power. We could be walking to our deaths just by going.”
“As long as I’m still alive, I will never accept defeat,” I demanded.
“I don’t care how much power the Warden has.
He’s still alive, and so are we, so we keep fighting until he’s dead or we are.
I’m not giving in unless he’s in the ground, even if I have to dig the hole myself.
At least I’ll make sure that my grave will be buried on top of his. ”
“Look, Marcus, if you don’t want to fight, you’re welcome to stay behind,” Danny said.
“I’m going, gods,” Marcus complained. “I’m just saying we need to be careful.”
“No shit, where’d you figure that?” Danny asked. “I’m with Ava. We don’t need to overthink this. Let’s put our cocks in our hands and go.”
That settled things. “How are we getting there?” Kallie asked. “There’s no way in or out of Ilamanthe except through the hole you made, and the city is being watched. If any of the Warden’s spies see us leave through it, they’ll find a way in.”
“That’s where you come in. I need you to create an illusion of the beach that projects outward, so any of the spies that are looking at it will just see a normal, empty beach.
Once you do, we’ll move the army there, and slip through the hole.
The illusion will conceal any movements we make.
Then the Elves will create a mirror portal out of the reflective surface of the ocean, and we’ll teleport through it to the lake in Malovia,” I explained.
Kallie nodded. “Makes sense. If we’re going to do this, we need to move. Nightfall is approaching, and we have to be ready to move our army the minute it gets dark.”
People began moving to get ready for the fight. Charlie approached slowly, Oberi padding behind him.
“I can’t believe it,” he started. “Cameron gave you his power.”
“Words can be stronger weapons than swords. I just had to give Cameron what he wanted in return.”
Oberi snuggled his head into my lap, and I patted his furry ears.
Charlie shook his head. “I should’ve relied on you all along. You’re smarter than me. We could’ve come up with a better plan than the one I made. My idea got people killed and nearly ripped the empire apart.”
“That’s all in the past. We need to move forward now.” I gripped the wheels of my chair. “I need to get my throwing knives and my bow. I have to be just as prepared as everyone else is.”
“You can’t go into battle. You don’t have any magic. You’ll be a target out there,” Charlie argued.
“This was my idea. I need to lead these people into battle, and show that I believe in them, and you can’t stop me. Help me be ready for it instead.”
Charlie paused. Oberi pawed at his leg, wagging his tail.
“What’s he saying?” I hated that I had to ask.
“Oberi says he’ll keep you safe,” Charlie admitted reluctantly. “I guess if you’re coming with us, it’s the best option.”
“Of course it is.” I sighed. “I just wish I had more gear. I’m not prepared for this.”
“Princess?” Drea’s voice called from the door. I turned my attention to her. She was already in her armor and waiting to depart for battle. She approached once my eyes were on her. “The Firebirds are waiting on your command.”
“The Firebirds?” Charlie questioned.
“My private military force,” I explained, and his eyes grew wider. “I’ve been training them for months, getting them ready for war.”
“What exactly have you been doing since we split up?” Charlie asked, baffled.
“Keeping myself busy.” I looked to Drea. “I have to gather my weapons. I’m going in along with everyone else.”
Drea nodded. “If you’re to lead us into battle, you need armor. I have just the solution.”
She indicated I should follow her, and I did, Charlie and Oberi trailing behind. She led me to an armory close by, throwing open the double doors. My jaw went slack as I entered into the armory, wandering past the swords and spears to find a set of armor hanging upon the wall.
The armor was gorgeous, the metal dyed an array of silver, red, and gold.
Intricate details forged into the armor created the design of burning cinders, the shoulders flared to look like the edges of flames.
A long red cape flowed behind the armor, stitched with the design of a white phoenix rising to the heavens.
“This was Aponi’s armor, forged by Cassiel himself for his bride. As you are next in line to become Empress, it is rightfully yours,” Drea said. “I had a few adjustments made to symbolize your leadership as the commander of the Firebirds.”
The armor was so beautiful that it rendered me speechless.
Drea helped me put the set on. It was skillfully crafted and exceptionally light.
Elven armor was meant to only cover the most vulnerable parts of the body, to leave room for soldiers to move quickly.
I could maneuver in the armor easily, and any spells that weren’t deadly would bounce off the metal without causing me harm.
It felt as if I was wearing fire itself, a symbol of a woman emerging from the flames to bring an inferno upon her foes.
Drea stepped back, observing me with an admirable gaze. “You’ve truly come into yourself.”
My skin glowed underneath the weight of the armor. Oberi’s eyes sparkled, and I told Charlie, “Come on. We need to hurry.”
We swung by the training room. I gathered my bow and arrows, along with my throwing knives, which fit in my armor. Charlie pulled a sword with a golden hilt from one of the racks before sliding it into a sheath around his waist.