Chapter 464 (1/2)

Chapter 464

Chapter 462: A Plan in Many Parts

10 o

ARTHUR LEYWIN

Vajrakor’s tense steps carried hiain in front of the dwarven throne The noise of each footfall was th of the throne room, a cool, cavernous cha at his feet but stole a glance at me or the other people in the roouard stood to the left of the throne, staring straight ahead

Just as the silence reached the point of beco, he said, “So why not bury yourself in the deepest hole you can find, so you out?”

“I considered it,” I ad on an extended Relicto to make suresoacy is in Dicathen, or at least she hich ”

Curtis Glayder, standing near Vajrakor with his sister, frowned as he asked, “Forgive me, Arthur, but why does her presencei just behind the curtain, but we don’t knohat,” I answered, keeping acy has a sense and control of ic that I can’t even explain And she’s shown so of the wayI can’t be sure I can truly hide anywhere Not without her hunting me down”

“But she can’t follow you to the Relictoan “Why not sequester yourself aithin them—you could find somewhere safe with the Compass, I’m sure—and wait it out there”

I shook my head “I’ve already tested this theory I can’t breach the keystone’s securityabout this one is different”

A tense lull fell over the conversation, and I looked around at all those present,each of their eyes in turn

Bairon Wykes stood straight and tall beside Virion, who in turn seeaze re and his posture was poised

Next to theht-backed woman stood with her hands behind her back at their side, her torso bare except for a strip of dark cloth across her chest She was covered in scars

Caera stood just behind the theht htly, her azure hair shi+fting around the visible horns wrapping around her head Regis was at her side, settled protectively between her and the dragons, who he glowered at unabashedly

Mica and Varay were present as well Mica was unsettled, shi+fting her weight fro eye jumped from person to person in an endless loop, while the jet black stone of her other seemed as if it were constantly fixed on me Next to her, Varay was still as a block of ice,her short white hair fixed and un

Across from Virion, near Vajrakor, the Glayders both stood with perfect royal posture Despite obvious efforts not to, they both kept shooting furtive glances at the scarred soldier next to Gideon

Beside them and closer to me, Helen Shard stood a little back frohtly out of place a the royalty and asura Of everyone present, it was these two old friends—who I had known longer than even Tessia and Virion—that brought me comfort, which perhaps only made what I had to ask the at eted nervously, her eyes focused anywhere except the other people in the rooht, was strapped to her back She hadn’t yet learned to use it, but I figured its presence brought her cohtful hum “So why these locations specifically, then? Why this ave him a soft smile as I shook my head “I know my request is h explanation But this operation requires a certain amount of secrecy I really can’t tell you more”

“So far, you’ve spoken as if you knoe’ll be attacked,” Helen said, “but you haven’t even told us what this is about How can you be so certain the enemy will strike now?”

“I can’t,” I answered si unnecessary, but preparation is never wasted, especially in war Agrona has proven hest levels of our leadershi+p His spies have infested Dicathen for decades, and he has been ahead of us at nearly every turn It would be foolish to sie of my absence, either to come after me directly or to launch some kind of attack on Dicathen We have to be ready”

Kathyln’s brows rose slightly, and her eyes flashed to ets That’s what you intend”

Ellie shi+fted besideher a warning look “These locations will, by the very effort of our actions, likely becoets, yes It allows us to fortify and prepare in a e can’t otherwise, and protects less defensible areas through deflection”

“So we’re putting our people inwith your request,” Kathyln replied, quiet but cutting

“Unless Etistin were to becoer wolare but backed down quickly when shelike cinders

“I fail to see how the elves can be of assistance here,” Virion said, sounding tired “We are no longer a military force in this world, Arthur, as you well know”

“It’s not the elves I need,” I explained gently “It is you, Virion You were the co the war No one else here can ic and military mind” No one else that I can trust, at least

Vajrakor scowled at this but did not interrupt Virion frowned as well, but his expression coon’s

Other concerns were voiced, and I did ers It was important that each of the leaders present understood as being asked of the men and women These were the decisions required of rulers, but the fact that I couldn’t be fully honest with the to die while I chased Fate, they deserved to be prepared, even if they couldn’t know the truth of why

Wren hummed into the silence that followed their flurry of questions “And do these fortifications require the sa pointedly at Gideon, “project?”

Raising my chin, I le sweep “Teeks That’s all the time we can afford to make preparations I’d like to do it sooner, but I understand what I’ht”

“Teeks!” Vajrakor said with a booh “Two months would not be sufficient”

Wren’s brows raised into his unkeave me a look that said very clearly, ‘I told you so’

“My task can’t wait any longer than that If possible—and if the risk to Dicathen weren’t so high—I would have started already” Sensing the right moment for a distraction, I shot Wren a look and nodded subtly “You all need tis over I understand I would like to speak with each of you individually to better answer your questions and plan the appropriate defenses But while you are together, I wanted to give Master Gideon an opportunity to speak as well”

The old inventor cleared his throat and scratched his head as all eyes turned to him

“As so on a rona’s superior nues,” Gideon explained He provided an overview of the fire salt-infused weapons, which the Forge to produce in larger nuestured to the woman at his side “Claire, would you care to speak about the other project?”

Moving with a stringentwith each forceful step, she strode out into theonly the strip of dark cloth and a pair of tight-fitting leather breaches, the large jagged scar across her sternuh this scar was old and healed over, fresher scars radiated out from around it, the newest still red and irritated—only recently healed

“Officer Claire Bladeheart, current operator of unit zero-zero-one,” she said with clipped military precision, then bowed, first to Vajrakor, then to everyone else

Kathyln wore a subdued but proud sed down to the scars on Claire’s torso before snapping back up to her face

She immediately launched into what sounded like a rehearsed explanation about her role in the secret project, giving those in attendance the full details of the neeapons and what they were capable of “With the provided timeline, I believe that we’ll have at least twelve candidates ill be able to offer instruction to the new cadets, once the next batch of units are made”

“And how many of these…units will be operable in the next teeks?” Bairon asked skeptically

“Perhaps a hundred or close to it—if we have the people to use them”

Mica snorted “Can a hundred ainst not Scythes, but these Wraith things, or hells, even asura”

Claire went back and forth with a few of the others, offering some additional specifics on the capabilities of the project

As I listened to her explain things I already knew, I felt htly with discoe to Wren and Gideon’s invention, but I understood the necessity Perhaps, with time, the implementation could be more palatable At the very least, it was an invention entirely of this world, created by Wren and Gideon alone, the fusion of huenuity

More so than the explanation itself, I found myself focused on Claire I had only just learned of her participation as an operator, but there was so correct about her presence My old classmate, the head of the Disciplinary Committee at Xyrus Academy It had been around six years since her core was destroyed during Draneeve’s attack on the acadehost of her forht and proud, her explanation firave thy discussion about the project, Claire left, and Gideon and Wren ith her, excusing theressive tinal for the others to break free as well, but I promised to visit each of them as soon as possible and offer any assistance I could in order to put my plan into action Caera hesitated, but I sent her out with a subtle gesture, and Regis returned to ave“Should I wait?”

“No, you’re disain soon so we can practice”

Nodding, she hurried out, leaving only Vajrakor and his guard with me in the throne roo me curiously

“I don’t intend to draw et anyway,” I said,to stand before the throne, which meant I had to look up at Vajrakor “You need to be ready I can’t say what Agrona ht throw at you”

He scoffed “Youfrorona, as if he has soht into all that happens It seeroup was a mistake” Vajrakor leaned forward, his elbows on his knees “We haven’t even seen any sign of the Legacy, as you so seee the reality of our situation, which is that I refuse to discount Agrona’s ability to see and take advantage of our weaknesses Now, let us discuss what Vildorial can do to prepare for another potential attack”

After a frustrating conversation with Vajrakor, I left with Regis on hts toward the next conversation I needed to have, but I felt the weight lift from my shoulders as I entered the outer cha for h the process of her “death” and “rebirth,” Sylvie still looked young standing apart froered around the palace Once, she stood out wherever she went, with her dark horns jutting up froon in the rooered near the entryway, loos go with the survivors?

‘Well enough,’ she thought back, a throughline of sadness undercutting her words ‘Those people—the feho survived—won’t recover quickly froedy to the next…’ Regis added darkly

I clearedthe palace and heading upward along the tunnels and stairs leading toward Virion’s retreat Sylvie filledin Xyrus as alked

Entering the cavern housing the last reh a portal into another world So bright and green, it was easy to forget you were underground

The cavern had changed soround had been tilled and was noing a variety of plants, s Virion was on his hands and knees in the soil, carefully uprooting one of the seedlings with a trowel Bairon stood behind hilass jar half full of soil

“You’re early,” Virion gru down into the jar, which Bairon carefully set aside in a cart full of similar jarred plants “I assumed Vajrakor would keep you all day”

“What’s all this then?” I asked, leading Sylvie and Regis over to the garden Glancing at Bairon, I added, “That’s a good look for you”

He regarded auntlets or leather gardening gloves, I do so for the good of Dicathen”

Virion gave a loud and indelicate snort “I’ve been experis of this great tree We’ve already even transplanted a few to various out-of-the-way regions around the Elenoir Wastes I’ to extrapolate the unique qualities of the soil and how it affects the seeds, but Tessia was always the expert in plant-attribute mana”

Quiet fell as the old elf stared down into the jar

“Tessia…” Virion lifted his gaze, searching mine for any semblance of hope “How does she fit into all of this?”

I had expected this fro how to handle the Legacy “If Agrona attacks, we have to expect that the Legacy will be at the forefront Not to put too fine a point on it”—I aze—“but no one other than ht Even I’m not sure I can defeat her in battle Which is e’re not going to fight her at all”

I raised e of questions I was certain were coot a plan on how to re Tessia,” I added hurriedly as a scowl for you on the spot earlier, in the o hide soets The borderlands at the base of the Grand Mountains, perhaps, or northeast Sapin where there is nothing to draw Agrona’s attention”

Virion stood, seeave ht Vajrakor and the dragons can’t be trusted to keep the best interests of the human and dwarven soldiers in mind I can’t leave the protection of this continent to the same creatures that destroyed my homeland, Arthur”

I , “There is no sha that your people have already sacrificed to this war Elenoir deserves to be replanted, and you deserve to be the one who accomplishes that”

As Virion sed heavily, Bairon shi+fted, taking a half-step closer

“Perhaps regrowing the forests of Elenoir won’t be enough to balravelly voice softening to barely above a whisper “And if I keep fighting, maybe I won’t even live to see it If that’s what it takes to ensure that the elves are, one day, able to return to the forests that birthed the to h, if I had one last wish, it would be to walk beneath the trees of Elshi+re once more with Tessia at my side Then, I can callout, I wrapped ht snap hi, Grah snort “Brat”

With a firis, and we headed back down the long stairs that would return us to the palace From there, my next stop was deep beneath the city, and so ound down the highway that circled the city, built into the great cavern’s walls

Once ere beyond the populated part of the city, I channeled King’s Ga the Godrune with aether, I could activate it only partially While it still glowed golden fro crown atop reat way to start any number of unwanted rumors about me

The result was an ability less powerful than what I’d used against Oludari but still allowed hts apart into pieces in a way that wasn’t possible without the Godrune I’d already found this invaluable as I outlined theto put into place

Sylvie and Regis followedto keep in tune as I considered my previous conversations, how the attitudes of everyone involvedthe conversations to co under the effects of King’s Gambit; it was easier to strip away the euilt—and approach the necessary solution objectively and logically

With saw puzzle divided into many disparate pieces, it was difficult to see it all without the Godrune, and so I’d been spending every spare ’s Gaer caves on the way to the deep workshops, a flash fronment

Caera stood by herself atop a flat rock that divided a streaure was little ht of a fire that burned fro slowly, she drew in a breath and then pushed her hands outward Light filled the cave as a fiery wave of heat rolled out of her, the water hissing and steah the heat distortion as Caera see into the shadows and steam She flickered in and out of view, then the heatwave and steam both diminished

Only then did she turn to look at us, a pleased s you’d be down soon

“Caera,” I said in greeting “How is your family?”

“Fine,” she said si their decision to follow Seris…not really, but you knohat Ih, and I’ Gideon and E with the spellforms They wanted to study Alacryan runes, and to see if someone who already had some would experience these…spellforesturing to the strea with stearin suddenly bloomed over her features, and she half turned and pulled up her shi+rt, revealing the runes hidden beneath, including one higher and larger than the rest “I received a Regalia! Or—” She cut herself off, see to realize the position she was in, and then slowly lowered her shi+rt Clearing her throat, she continued, “That…wasn’t very ladylike I apologize”

I heard the words preparing to bubble up out of Regis like a geyser before he had quite started to speak, and I trod heavily on his foot

“No, it wasn’t,” I answered, although I didn’t try to hide the laughter indistinctly less…forceful about the Dicathian application of spellfore to her tone “I’n to the same classifications used in Alacrya, especially for those of us who have benefited fro through her hair as she tucked it back behind her horns

I was quiet for a htful, then I turned to my companions “Could I…have a moment alone with Caera, please?”

Sylvie’s brows rose a fraction of an inch before she controlled her expression Putting a hand on Regis’s mane, she said only, “Of course We’ll continue on, then”