Authors: Nicholas Taylor
"Thank you Stacy," he said. "We have all but cut off ground retreat to the north. Those Iumenta troops will not be here for at least three months, this gives us time to secure the city."
"But what good will that do? As soon as the Iumenta see that the Capital is about to fall they will use the before mentioned jump crystals to leave, we will take heavy losses at the dome and the city, just to have the Iumenta back on us." The head of House Violaceus said.
Legon got a gleam in his eye. "Not if we get the Impa to surrender first," he said waiting for a moment and then looking back to the map. "When we crack the dome and we will, I purpose that we send all Ascended in the area to attack Bailaya right away. The Iumenta will be using their jump crystals in the Capital to help fortify the dome; they have to keep us at bay for several months, they have to hold that dome and will do whatever they must to hold it. If we attack the city right away, targeting the jump crystals and those alone, we can cut off their retreat."
There were nods and even some smiles Emma could see, as Legon went on, "We are going to lose a lot of good people doing this, but it's our only chance; Hoelaria is betting big on this move. If we can win this battle..."
"We have the Heads of Province trapped; they will either surrender or die long before their armies get here," House Amuun said.
"And if the tension we've seen with the Impa in the past is any indication of what will happen now, it's highly possible that the Impa Empire will slip into Civil War as Provinces fight for control," the Head of House Insa said. "House Insa is behind this plan."
"As is House Coreen"
The other Houses Great and Minor voted their approval and Emma felt a bit of weight lift off her. From that point on she watched as the Heads of House networked their minds along with their generals, developing a battle plan. A few hours later, Emma followed Sasha from the room.
Sasha spoke to Sydin, "Sy, I think we have something that may help us with the dome."
"What is that?" he asked.
"We have found a weakness in the Iumenta crystals, we think we can exploit it, but the crystal will need to be very taxed for it to work," She explained.
Sydin looked down at her with a smile. "Oh trust me, Un Prose, I fully plan on taxing the crystals of that dome. Feel free to do whatever you like, so long as it does not interfere with the main battle plan," he said.
Sasha took Emma's hand. "Thank you Sy, come Emma we have work to do."
* * * * *
Barnin finished packing up, taking one last sweep around the room. Heath met him in the hall and they left the building that had been the closest thing to a home he'd had in months. Barnin didn't dislike his time in Salez, he felt ready for the next leg of the war. Heath felt likewise. As for Ankle, after Emma let him talk to Rachel, Ankle was like a new man.
Barnin and Heath made their way across a brick courtyard; Emma was walking quickly in the distance. "HEY EM!" Barnin yelled.
Emma turned, coming over to them. She looked flustered and worried. "Hey guys what can I do for you?" she asked.
Heath frowned, "We could ask you the same, what’s got you so worked up?"
Emma looked back the way she'd been going and turned back to them. "I'm going to pick something up on the other side of the complex, walk with me?" she asked.
They agreed as she started back up at a brisk pace.
"So Em, what's going on?" Barnin asked.
She glanced at him, looking apprehensive.
"You know you can trust us," Heath prodded.
She sighed. "I know, it's something your command knows but likely won’t tell you. The Iumenta have gone to Summa Commendo, it's bad, very bad," she said.
"That sounds almost like a gambling term Em, what does that mean?" Heath asked.
"It means that the Iumenta have decided to dedicate at least sixty percent of their citizens to the war effort, they will be here in a few months."
Barnin fought the urge to stop walking as Emma went on.
"We have one chance to end this war before it turns back into the War of Generations," she said.
"And if we don't succeed with this chance?" Barnin asked.
She stopped and looked at both of them. "Humanity was in the wings for the last war, ignored by both sides. That will not be the case this time; we cannot hope to survive this. The Elves and Iumenta will cripple each other beyond repair and we, if we still exist, will be nothing more than small tribes of people hiding in caves again."
Barnin felt goose bumps; Emma believed what she was saying and he did too. His thoughts drifted to Samantha in Manton, her face making his fears ebb away. His jaw clenched, "Thanks Em, you got stuff to do and so do we. Come on Heath." He walked off taking Heath with him. "No one hears about this, our command is right for not telling us this information, it will only hurt morale."
They rounded a corner where his three units were getting ready, Barnin yelled at the top of his voice. "LOAD UP WE ARE HEADING OUT!" The men instantly sped up their preparations.
Johnson came up to him, "Barnin..."
Barnin turned to him "Major, it’s been an honor serving with you, I wish you luck in your next assignment."
Johnson looked for a moment like he was going to say something about getting cut off, but decided against it. "It has been an honor; I wish I was accompanying you to the battle’s front, good luck."
Trust me major, where we're going you don't want to be.
Barnin saluted him and went back to rousing his men.
* * * * *
Keither trotted along on Pixie, Sara riding next to him. Ahead he could see plumes of smoke, the fires of many camps. They were surrounded by mountains, the cold evening air hung in his chest. Next to him Sara was nervous; she was going to be heading her own team of medics, for his part he just had to worry about feeding the troops. Sara jumped at a roar from above. Both looked up seeing hundreds of Elvin dragons flying in formation.
"I've never seen so many," she said talking about the dragons.
"There hasn't been this many ground troops either," Keither pointed out. "I dare say this battle will decide the outcome of this war."
The sun was just starting to set on the horizon when Sara and Keither came over a hill. Below them was a wide open space, at the back of it there was a bottleneck in the mountains. Blocking the view of the mounts was a White Dome that flattened on the top. It resembled a bowl turned upside down. The Bailaya Dome loomed massive; it was the same size as the Precipice Dome. Above it the sky sparkled as Iumenta jumped into the area. In the air hundreds of Iumenta were in flight.
"Do you think it will start soon?" Sara asked.
"Impa Domes cast no shadow..." Keither said remembering a text he'd read. The sun was fast setting and the landscape grew darker, the dome let go of none of its brilliance.
"What?" Sara asked.
"They say that a Iumenta Dome has no shadow because it glows, and how can something that glows cast a shadow?" He said looking at his wife.
Never had he felt a sense of awe from the Iumenta, but he did now.
She looked at him, fearful tears misting her eyes. He moved to comfort her but was stopped by a collective roar from the Elves and Iumenta. His head snapped as the sky filled with artillery fire and magic.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Crimson Horizon
"Battle, the true test of a warrior, in its tempest we throw ourselves to be tried by death and violence. To the victor songs will be sung, to the vanquished only the memory of history awaits."
- The Exiled Captain (Author Unknown)
Thick musty air passed over Legon's scales and armor. The sun was setting casting the landscape in dark blues, the dome standing out, its ivory exterior shining bright and defiant. Legon flew in the lead formation, behind him several hundred Ascended followed him toward similar formations of Iumenta. The air below burst with light as both sides fired siege weapons. Trails of smoke and fire streaked the sky, but Legon didn't pay the scene much attention. Instead he focused on the Iumenta ahead of him, their formations growing ever closer. Somewhere in their mists was the green class eight, Legon could feel him in the area, knew that like the last time they had fought, the green would wait until Legon was tired from battle. But not today, Legon was going to use only the minimum amount of magic, he wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.
Sydin bellowed a command, and all the Elves shot spells at the Iumenta, all but Legon. He held his power in, weaving out of the path of several on coming spells. The air rent with the sound of wards. The two groups closed on each other. Legon turned his attention from roving the ranks of Ascended to looking at one that was right ahead of him. Legon's lack of focus must have been visible to the dragon as he saw its face move from confidence to concerned.
Don't worry you have my full attention
Legon thought.
"Are you focused Legon?" Opes asked.
Legon responded by roaring and driving himself faster. The dragon ahead of him tensed, eyeing Opes. Legon had spent the last several weeks using the same attacks again and again in preparation for today. The Iumenta assumed that Legon was going to faint and Opes instead was going to attack. The Iumenta angled expecting a faint that didn't come. To late its eyes widened as it realized it indeed was going to have to engage Legon. Legon folded his wings, snapping them against his body. He passed just above the Iumenta, dragging his claws the length of its back. It turned up in the air and Legon curled his tail letting it smack into the Iumenta's neck. Blood sprayed from the dragon’s open wounds, it lost control. Legon could see in Iselin's mind as she watched Legon pass the dragon. Then right behind him another formation of Elves converged on the dragon killing it. Legon barreled ahead at a new foe.
* * * * *
Iselin pulled her attention away from her husband, turning it to the wake of chaos that he caused. Legon's main job was to disrupt the Iumenta formation, something that he seemed to be doing quite well. He was bellowing at the top of his lungs and she could feel a distinct sense of amusement coming from him. The Elvin formations collapsed in on themselves as the Elves used their higher numbers to their advantage. Iselin and Cynta focused in on a yellow class seven, both attacking the disoriented Iumenta. Each bit onto a wing and pulled. The Iumenta screamed in pain. Iselin felt muscle and joint pop as she and Cynta pulled on the dragon like they were playing a game of tug of war. There was a ripping sound of flesh and sinew, the Iumenta dropped from the sky, twisting in agony in the air. Iselin turned looking for another target. Similar events were playing out all over and the Iumenta regrouped watching each other.
"There goes the end to our easy kills," Cynta noted.
"We knew that tactic wouldn't work long," Iselin said rejoining her formation.
The two groups of immortals separated, for the most part allowing large gaps using magic to fight. Iselin jerked in the air avoiding spells from larger dragons, while still sending spells of her own. A dull blue spell popped softly next to her and she felt the air from the right side of her body thin to almost non existence. She tottered, flapping hard to correct. A breaking and cutting spell smacked into her wards. The air cracked as she felt two minds pushing on the spells. One of her wards faltered under the pressure, her chest and front legs burned as they were slashed open. Healing wards sealed the wounds as Iselin righted herself, dogging two more spells. She cast a translucent pink wall in front of her. Iselin was an Energent; she pulled on her minor, altering the wall. When the next spells came at her they passed the wall with ease but faded and slowed. She avoided a breaking spell with ease, letting a freezing spell hit her. She barely felt it on her wards so weakened was it.
Iselin altered her wards, stretching them out to the area just around her as the pink wall came down. Again pale blue balls popped around her, this time the surrounding air glowed pink. More spells popped around her and she swore.
I hate elementals
she thought. She was being forced into a small area, if she left where her wards protected she would be subject to the air changing density.
This can't happen in close combat
she thought. She cast more walls avoiding what spells she could. Cynta came to hover behind her staying behind Iselin's wall, using it as cover, allowing her to fire on the Iumenta. Iselin took a moment to shoot looks at the rest of the battle; others were doing the same as she and Cynta.
It was no surprise to hear Sydin's voice. "Perimeter!" he ordered.
Iselin rolled her eyes making her wall bigger along the line of Ascended; other Energent's like herself moved forward doing likewise. Other dragons cast stationary wards on both sides. The Elves and Iumenta entered a standstill in the air.
* * * * *
Barnin looked up at the darkening sky, fighting the urge to cover his ears. As the surroundings grew darker it threw the glowing white dome and battle in the sky into sharp contrast. Missiles flew between the two land armies but Barnin couldn't take his eyes off of the formations of dragons. The two groups were separated by what looked like a river of flashing color and sound.
"What is it?" he asked more to himself.
Heath responded. "It's a perimeter," he said almost in awe.
Barnin looked at Heath, on his other side Ankle did likewise. Heath looked at the two men like they were terribly out of the loop then looked back up. "It only happens when there are large enough groups of Ascended fighting. Use your seeing eye glass," he said.
Barnin held the glass to his eyes bringing the fight into view.