Chương 89: Chapter 88 Planning for Action

The firm resolve in Astra's voice coupled with the stern expression she wore, brooked no argument. As she ordered the collective group of commanders into action her words were punctuated by the muted crash of steel on steel and the slap of leather on leather as the men and women came to attention and slammed their fists to their breasts in a salute. After coming to attention herself and returning the salute, the group broke apart as a flurry of orders were given to the small group of men at arms standing guard.

They separated as runners were sent to summon messengers, the rest huddled near the door to begin logistics planning, and the commanders gathered around the map. The Baron was the first to break the silence, seemingly more at ease with speaking to Astra than the others, " I do not presume to second guess your decision Lady Emberholdt but, given the serious nature of the threat, I would be remiss in my duty if I did not ask.

How certain are you of the veracity of your reports and the slim time frame, do we truly only have three days?" Astra barked out a short humorless laugh, " Aye, Dietrich as certain as one can be. As I stated earlier, I can not disclose the source, but trust in my words when I say that they are not the kind that a person would be wise to disregard." Baron Grunveldt frowned, " As you say my Lady, and there is no fashion in which we can summon Lady Blackhall from her mission or delay action until her return?"

Tia looked at Astra and then back at Eli, I would feel safer with Auntie Mira here. Elias smiled down at her and stroked Tia's spine, " So would I Tia, but I don't think we have time, she said she would be gone for at least a week." Astra nodded in Eli's direction, " He speaks the truth. I have no way to summon her and there is no chance she will return in time. We can not wait."

Grunveldt grimaced and glanced at the Watch commander, the pair traded looks and given the ease of their unspoken communication Elias assumed they had worked together for a long time. After a moment the Baron sighed and nodded, " Any chance you can stay the march at least until dawn? Many of my men have had little rest, if any, a forced march might completely exhaust them leaving my forces ill fit for battle on arrival."

Astra shook her head, " We have no way of knowing how quickly the ritual may progress, a significant number of lives may be dependent on our moving with haste." He traced the winding caravan route on the map from Emerald Grove to the town south east of Theron's Watch that Astra had identified as the Viscount's residence.

He used his other hand to trace an unmarked path that split off the caravan route, led through a ravine, followed the bank of a river for a short stretch and crossed a short forest that abutted the settlement on the map." The main trade route would take at least a day and a half, possibly two depending on conditions, which would leave only a single day for operations and little rest. However there is an old game trail here that some of the local Boar herds use which can cut the time nearly in half."

He tapped on the section by the river and then the forest south of their target, " The path itself is difficult to traverse by carriage, and there is a small group of wild Ridgebacks that water in the stretch of the river that are aggressive enough to dissuade normal trade, but with a group of our size they will readily avoid us." He gave Astra a meaningful glance, " We could rest the men tonight and still travel quickly enough to arrive in the forest south of the town by dusk the following night.

This would allow us to rest the troops while we scout the local conditions as well as mask the arrival of our forces if we are careful. What say you, my Lady?" Elias glanced over at Astra and, despite the neutral expression on her face, he could feel her emotions stirring, rippling along their tether, as the need for urgency warred with the need for caution above the flickering coals of anger.

For the most part her temper was calm, but the occasional flare of fury that was ruthlessly tamped down hinted at the true state of her feelings on the subject. In hopes that a little more information could help with her decision, Elias sent a trickle of mana from the ember at the core of his being to the new mark on his chest for the first time since waking.

When the small thread connected, Eli winced as a large chunk of mana was rapidly siphoned into the sigil, and a soft green glow lit beneath his shirt before fading quickly after he asked his question. So Vael, been watching? Can you tell us how urgently we need to move? Do you know when they'll start the ritual? The light went mostly unnoticed with his placement towards the back of the group, but given their innate connections both Tia and Astra noticed.

Tia gave no outward signs and only sent Eli a soft mental poke of in the form of a ripple of curiosity, but Astra's eyes snapped in his direction eyeing the fading glow before arching her brow in an unspoken question. She turned back to the map at the faint shake of his head followed by him silently mouthing, Later, as she contemplated the Baron's words. The League representative chimed in as well, " The League stands ready to take up arms as well, but I can only agree with Baron Grunveldt."

He nodded in the Baron's direction, " Many of our members frequently delve into the local fracture daily, and while I sent out a closure notice after the messenger summoning to this meeting contacted me, it will take a while for those already within to return." He shrugged, " There is not much we can do for the ones who are on multiple day expeditions, but roughly seventy percent return every evening if they can, and the delay would allow us to recruit their forces as well."

A messenger entered the warehouse to speak with the cluster of men-at-arms by the door, and on his heels a soft breeze gusted through the warehouse stirring the dust on the floor. The gust drifted unseen across the space before swirling around the group, lightly rippling the papers on the table. Elias was unable to suppress his instinctive stiffening in surprise as a soft and familiar voice filled his mind.

Despite not being outwardly audible, Eli could feel goose flesh crawl up his spine, his skin prickling at the unnerving sensation, as if the unassuming elven form of Vael was standing unseen behind him whispering silently into his ear. Oh yes, I have certainly been watching. That little spit fire of yours is most entertaining, so fierce and decisive! She certainly seems to trust you implicitly does she not?

I am most definitely a fan of the subtle flattery, and I am most delighted that she holds me in such high regard. An amused and smug tone accompanied his words. You may tell her if she keeps the compliments coming, there is a chance she may earn my favor as well. Astra gave Eli a strange look as he stiffened only to immediately loosen his stance while smirking and rolling his eyes as the being went off on a tangent. Eli pulsed another stream of mana to the sigil, and felt another chunk of mana leave his core.

He had not had a moment to himself to page through the notification and assess his state after the evolution, but from the sensation alone he estimated that the message cost was not as negligible as he had hoped and cost approximately twenty percent of his current mana reserves. He eyed the mass of notifications in the corner of his perception that stopped him from performing a more accurate measurement with a huff before sending another message to Vael. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road.

If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Please stay on topic, these messages are a little pricey right now and we need to get to the heart of the issue, is there anything else you are able to tell us? Elias waited as the Watch Commander chimed in with similar concerns about needing some time to ready her forces, and the air in the room stirred slightly from an unseen source as a soft huff of annoyance echoed in his mind. Very well. I do expect you to pass along my message to your lady friend though.

There are a great many things I would like to be able to tell you, but now that the warning has been passed, many of the normal restrictions on our communication are back in place. What I can tell you is that you should expect significant, but not insurmountable, resistance given the size of the group in question. A soft hum sounded in the back of Elias's mind. There are a few additional points, if the information turns out to be of assistance.

Typically one of these rituals takes a great deal of time to complete and can not be halted once begun. If the practitioner wants to ensure the maximum power conversion ratio of the assumed number of subjects, the process would require around a full local day to finish as there are a number of preparations that need to be applied to the subjects which can not be applied before starting. A humming sound filled his ears once more for a moment before Vael continued.

Sorry Eli, but I do not think I can expound too much more on the topic, any further information that I can provide would just fall under general ritualism which your compatriots can readily provide. Eli nodded, and as the Watch Commander finished speaking he laid a hand on Astra's shoulder and gave it a squeeze before dropping his hand back to the hilt of the dagger on his waist. When she turned to glance at him he nodded towards the table, " You know they are right.

If it helps, the report from the source stated that the ritual would take some time to prepare, we do have some time after all." Astra gave a short sigh, " So be it. I would be a poor commander if I did not listen when nearly all of my advisors make the same request. Dietrich, I will default to your knowledge of the local terrain, your route sounds far more efficient than just traveling the normal trade routes." She glanced around the table, " Will dawn be sufficient to ready your forces?"

Heads nodded around the table as the Baron gave Eli an appraising look before returning to the map. The conversation quickly devolved into supply counts, rates of consumption, and their effect on movement. Elias smiled as Tia quickly lost interest and crawled under the table before curling into a ball with a gaping reptilian yawn. Wake me when the rest of the two-legs decide they're done talking brother.

An amber glimmer shone in the shadows underneath the table as she cracked one eyelid and glanced up at Eli before narrowing in suspicion. You better not forget! You still haven't told me what happened during your evolution, I don't want to miss story time. I wouldn't dream of it, Tia. Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite. She grumbled under her breath with a chitter and another yawn before falling asleep, As if any lowly bugs could make it through my mighty scales…

The rest of the meeting passed uneventfully, although from the occasional curious glances that the Baron shot Elias through out conversation, Eli estimated that the man suspected there was more to the relationship between him and Astra than one of a simple traveling companion, especially since the glances usually followed exchanges where he addressed her without honorifics or on a first name basis with no rebuke.

Not wanting to leave Emerald Grove without protection, it was agreed that a little over 25 percent of the garrison and 50 percent of the watch would stay behind, as this was the maximum amount that the forces could be drawn down while still allowing for enough personnel to man two shifts. Given the rapid nature of the deployment the Baron was unable to summon any of the levees he would typically rely on for military action from his subordinate landed knights, and would only be able to field two dozen men.

Their numbers would be bolstered by his personal guard as well as he insisted on accompanying the expedition personally, stating that he saw it as a natural part of his duty since the threat was so close to his lands. This left the expected numbers lower than Eli hoped, but greater than he expected, with 75 from the garrison, 35 from the watch, and another 32 from the Baron.

Magnus Dornwald, the League representative, was unable to guarantee a specific number until later in the evening when he was able to post a bounty and canvas the members. Magnus estimated around 20 to 30 would agree, possibly more given that the request was coming from a member of the Emberholdt clan. He did assure Astra that any who wouldn't volunteer for the assault would be more than willing to take a shift on the wall if the worst should occur and a monster tide bore down on the town.

Add in the soldiers from the patrol and any officers not included in the counts and we should be over 200 men and women. Practically a small army given the amount of power the average soldier can wield in this world, but a concerningly low number if we are facing forces that can capture and imprison almost the same amount of civilians. Elias could faintly feel the same worry rippling down his bond to Astra, but an undercurrent of confidence drifting through at the same time settled his nerves somewhat.

The quiet snoring from Tia under the table spoke of her supreme confidence in their victory, but Elias doubted the little wyvern could even imagine a world where they would not be triumphant. Astra drifted over to Eli as the group split apart to attend to their individual preparations, a small smile on her lips, as she watched Eli negotiate with a sleepy Tia to get up and leave her comfortable spot beneath the desk.

After reaching a 'compromise' where Tia would leave with them, but only if Eli would carry her, they joined Astra and her guards as they headed for the door to the warehouse, Elias's arms full with the limp form of a boneless and grumbling Tia. Hands full, Elias humped Astra with his hip as he asked, " So what next, briefing with the squad leaders?" Astra shook her head before turning to look at Eli, " No, I can brief them on my own.

You are of course welcome to join if you wish, but you should see to your own preparations first." She smirked up at him, " Do not think I have not noticed you eyeing your interface. It is charming of you to value my comfort over your curiosity, but I will be fine for the time being, and there will be little you can assist me with anyways."

She bumped his hip in return as she continued, " Given talent with a blade, we would be better served by you getting some experience with your new Skills before we need to march. Going into battle with untested abilities is a poor idea." Elias chuckled as he shook his head while shrugging, " All right you got me, I know you'll be fine I just worry." His brow wrinkled in concern as he looked back at her, "It's barely been a day since I almost lost you. Maybe I am just feeling a little protective I guess."

Astra snorted in amusement, " I seem to remember one of us passing out from exhaustion in a pool of blood and viscera, but unless my memories are faulty I do believe it was not I." She paused for a moment at the door for the warehouse to look back at Eli with a soft smile, " Do you question my strength?" Elias gave an amused snort of his own, " Hardly, you are one of the strongest women I have ever known." Astra's smile widened into a broad grin as she slapped his chest, " You always say the nicest things!"

A hint of pride entered her grin as she propped her fists on her hips, " I trust in your strength as well, but mayhaps I also can understand your feelings and share in your worry. Please, take Sasha and Taylor with you, I'll pick up another detail outside and will find it easier to focus on my duties knowing that you do not venture forth alone."

Astra dropped a hand to the hilt of her longsword gesturing in a wave with the other, " Now, I was worried after the ambush, so I sent a messenger to old Graff while you were under for your evolution to expedite your armor preparations. Go pick up your armor and whatever else you think you will need, within reason, just bill it to the garrison."" I will meet you over at the sparring grounds once I can get free and we shall work on testing out your new Skills.

Also do not forget," Astra gave Eli a sharp look, " you still owe me a story about what happened after all, most people do not have this kind of excitement associated with their evolutions." A quiet chuckle rumbled in the back of Eli's mind from Tia, I knew I liked her brother.