Chapter 390 (1/2)
Chapter 390
Chapter 388: Defending Vildorial
VARAY AURAE
The shi+fting earth of the battle map rotated around under the careful control of three dwarvenin concert The three-diress points in and around Vildorial in detail, the ie of it held in the dwarven tacticians’ minds In the short time since our arrival and ouster of the Alacryan forces, most of the tunnels had already been diverted or capped off, isolating the Darvish capital froround network that connected it with other dwarven cities
“Just a handful of tunnels remain open to the north of the city, here” Carnelian Earthborn, Mica’s father, pointed to a section of shfares “But they’ll be closed off in the next of couple hours Alloperations outside of the city have been halted, and all civilians have been brought into the city”
“Fast work,” I said appreciatively “And the city gates?” I asked, turning to Daglun Silvershale, who had been given charge of the ithin the great cavern itself
“The city’s sealed up tighter than a rockworrimly “And the Royal Palace has been opened up to provide shelter for a few thousand, at least”
I bit reed with, but the dwarvish lords had insisted that the highest-ranking dwarves—themselves, in other words—and their families be evacuated to the Greysunders’ Royal Palace Carnelian himself had wheedled a prouard over the estate
Despite this frustrating waste of resources, I had been forced to acknowledge that the Lances were not “in charge” of the dwarves, and had no right, other than that provided by our power and prowess, to give orders or reed that the Lances would not force control away from the lords in some kind of authoritarianalready, and we needed to be focused on the Alacryans The dwarven people had a lot of soul-searching to do when this as over Again and again, their leaders had failed them If the people wanted the Lances’ help to rectify that after the war, I would be more than happy to acquiesce, but we had to survive the oncoin to clean up the mess that was our own house
However, I didn’t try to hide my contempt for their plan as I met Lord Silvershale’s eye “And fortifications to the other city structures, as I requested?”
He cleared his throat “Ongoing, Lance”
Carnelian stepped in with a gries froned frothen fortifications”
Silvershale tugged at the braids of his beard, and he looked like he wanted to argue, but eventually seehtly “Aye, we could use the assistance”
If the Alacryans attacked the city, they would have to blast their way in This placed the many dwarves whose homes were built into the walls of the cavern directly in har would have the velocity of catapult stones by the ti unfortified structures Sih Not nearly
“There is no telling how long we’ll have to prepare,” I reminded the two lords “We’ve bitten the Alacryans’ hand, but so into a fist to strike back”
As if conjured into reality by the weight ofshook the foundations of the Earthborn Institute, sending treh the soles of my boots
Carnelian rushed to the door of the chamber and looked out into the hall Panicked voices could be heard echoing through the school The three-dies turned to their lords for direction
“Defensive positions,” I said ies to those northern tunnels to finish closing theht in the line of fire if the Alacryans cohtly questioning, as if asking for confirmation
“And our defenses are breached before the battle even begins if those tunnels are not sealed,” I replied, fully understanding the risks This was hardly the first time I had sent soldiers to what could very well be their deaths “And send up the alarm People need to take shelter wherever they can”
Waiting only long enough to see the two lords’ sharp nods of understanding, I wheeled around and flew out of the rooh the front gates of the Earthborn Institute
Mica flew up fro her a h the stone walls in the direction of the ru to They must have set off one of the stone-sheath traps”
The dwarves were, unsurprisingly, quite adept at hiding all manner of devious traps within the tunnels of their ho their forces, they would find it difficult to brute-force their way through the many obstacles the Vildorians had erected around the city
The approach of a powerful aura made Mica andfroates As he strode purposefully toward us, I couldn’t help but stare at hiain, to match this man to the sixteen-year-old boy he had once been
His wheat-blond hair was set waving by the speed of his owndown around a face that could have been chiseled from stone, any youthful softness erased by the trials of this war The olden orbs burned like the sun, his gaze carrying a physical warmth, a raw and indefinable pohenever it fell onthe backs ofmeof how I’d felt in the presence of General Aldir
Small Insubstantial Without purpose
“What’s the situation?” Arthur asked, stopping next to“Movement in the tunnels No word from the scouts yet, but so”
“Then, let’s get ready for the
After the hurried rush of preparation, Vildorial fell into a tense, quivering stillness I had ensured the defensive forces wereinto position as directed, then fallen back to a reed the city so that I could see the entire cavern at once Watching Waiting But there was no sign of the Alacryans Not yet
An approaching aze upward, and I watched as Mica flew across the open expanse to land next to me
“The lords and their families, as well as a few select…important residents, have been seen safely to the Royal Palace,” Mica said, her cheeks red with clear e the palace Is there anything you need before I…?”
I shook et my irritation at her “The dwarven forces have been posted around the city at the most likely points of entry should the Alacryans reach the city Bairon and I will rotate between these forces”
“Has the scouting party returned?”
Again, I shook hly capable of earth-attribute ate the source of the original disturbance, but they’d beenfor hours
Al, the air thru at speed A cloud of dust burst froes just returned fro before the dust had cleared “Less than a quarter of the es sent to close the tunnels”
“What happened?” Mica said, her agitation setting the stones beneath
“They claim they were attacked by shadows,” Bairon said, his voice low and cut through with an edge of superstition “And then the corpses of their own dead”
This proclamation was met with a?” I asked, ignoring Mica’s foul language
“None that I’ve ever encountered before,” Bairon said ooff the tunnels before the attack?”
Bairon floated up into the air, a gust of wind rippling across hih not as thoroughly as should have been done It may not hold, especially if the enemy is already there”
“Bairon, see that the wards are in place over the last two entrances Mica, to your duties”
The other Lances both gaveto whatever safe-haven they’d arranged for theees had been taken to the Earthborn Institute, while our strongest uards—had joined in the defense throughout the cavern
I wondered idly where Virion was holed up He had been absent fros, and I hadn’t seen hih my blood oath had been sworn to the Glayders, Virion had been our coreat respect for the lacial ache that I wasn’t prepared to navigate at the hts, and I took a quick step back before realizing that it was Arthur “I will never get used to that,” I rined
Arthur’s stoic features were carved down into a slight frown “Have you seen my mother or sister?” he asked without preaees at the Earthborn Institute” Then, looking slightly embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck, he added, “I just wanted to make sure they were someplace safe before—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself tofurther “And yes, to set youryour hest level earlier, toward the Royal Palace And”—a tiny smirk forced its way acrossAlice about how the palace would be the safest place for her, considering Lance Mica will be guarding it”
The hardness of Arthur’s features relaxed, and he let out a sigh of relief “Oh Good I orried she ain”
I cleared my throat, then turned ”
Arthur flashed me a smirk that very much reminded me of the boy he’d once been “Is the unflappable General Varay, perhaps, slightly flapped?”
I laughed, caught off guard by his teasing “I shouldn’t be After all, we have the hty Lance Godspell present to protect us”
Arthur’s sht, even slightly bitter “A title I’m not sure I ever earned, Lance Zero”
I hadn’t expected such self-deprecation, and had to take a et that Arthur was still just a boy, really, no older than perhaps nineteen or twenty Although he had tremendous power—more than I could safely wrap reat pain both before and during this war
But then, perhaps that is whatmy mind to the conversation at hand
“If not that one, then maybe another? I’ve heard so you Godkiller…”
Arthur snorted in disbelief “I wouldn’t exactly—”
A piercing static hu uncomfortably “What in the—”
“People of Vildorial,” afroh itself, like a wave striking and then receding from the face of a cliff
“Lyra Dreide,” I hissed, searching the cavern for her nature
“Please listen carefully to what I have to say,” the voice pleaded gravely “You have coainst the Alacryan soldiers in youryourself with the rebels known as Lances, you have angered High Sovereign Agrona”
She let these words bowl over each other, echoing round and round within the great cavern “But the Lord of the Vritra is not without mercy He knows that many of you feel as if you have no choice He does not blae You will be offered a second chance at a life in his new Dicathen, so long as you siht back”
Arthur cursed “More likely, he’ll kill everyone in this city to make sure the rest stay in line, if we let him”
“We won’t,” I assured him “We’ve already defeated the retainer once She can’t hope to stand against you in coent, I do not wish to see you slaughtered…but I will ensure all who stand against High Sovereign Agrona are appropriately punished”
Her words stuck grotesquely to the insides ofe the voice
“Generals!” a hoarse voice puffed I turned to see a stocky dwarf sprinting furiously in our direction “The—the…” He coughed, choking on his own tongue as he struggled to fors
Arthur vanished and reappeared at the“What is it?”
“The…portal!” he gasped out, coroup of dwarves…took it—reactivated it”
Iour attention to the outskirts…”
“Then their strongest force is likely coh the portal,” Arthur finished for aze swept across the cavern, lingering on the Royal Palace where his fa clicked into place in his expression “I’ll hold off whatever forces coh the portal, destroy it if I have to Can you and the others—”
“Of course,” I answered fir battles, Arthur”
His jaw tightened, and then he was gone, leaving nothing behind but the purple-white afteriather reinforceuard the tunnel mouth in case any of the attackers escape Lance Godspell?” theover his words
“No,” I said, my eyes still on the place where Arthur had vanished “We need the resources elsewhere If this eneet past General Arthur, then we are lost in any case”