-Phoenix-

My eyes moved from the silver giant towards the new plan layed out before me. I had been having a standoff with Lord Dël after his comments. I had suspected, based purely off the intel I had gotten back at Farfax that she indeed was in the Northern Kingdom, and she had turned into a tyrant force to be reckoned with. However, I couldn't believe such informats so easily as the men of Fairfax were known for their common conning, and tale-telling, and since I had no other way to find out exactly what had happened I had ventured to the Northern Kingdom alone.

I had swapped forms with a palace guard and had embarked on a five week journey to and fro, and had been wined and dined with the Northern people. Nobody had suspected anything after I had told them a lie about being a runaway Faun, and they had hurriedly welcomed me. From that experience I had found out that the Northern Kingdom was not how I'd imagined it. They were brighter, bigger, stronger and more lively than us in Irenelle. They had their own mini little world in the north, trading, training, investing, surviving without the help of the kingdom.They celebrated weddings, birthdays and festivals, while us in the capital wallowed in self piety, and pride while the empire grew dull. My days there had reminded me of why I needed her back, of why I had to get her back.

"I know this news is rather uh......distressing however I can assure you-"

"I don't necessarily appreciate the fact that you've kept this hefty information from me Lord Dël, however I won't hold it against you, especially since it isn't exactly new forms of information". We locked eyes again, this time his were softer and warmer, as if in looking down at me he also pitied me, and I didn't mind, I would use his pity for my own advantage. I would use his weakness as my strength.

"What I need from you now is soliders, ten of your strongest men, I think they'll be able to form a barricade around us upon until I get up unto the mountain-"

"Mountain, what'd you mean mountain, my king, I don't think that's a smart move, how would you even get up there?" Lord Arthriel asked, as Lord Mobius finally entered the room.We had been waiting on him for at least an hour, and had sent guards to find him. He had taken a long time to come, which was utterly ridiculous considering we could be attacked within minutes. 

"Finally my dear captain, you chose to grace us with your presence Lord Mobius, any longer we would have been annihilated," I laughed, side eyeing the Minotaur with annoyance. Lord Mobius was one who did exactly what he pleased, and I had absolutely no problem with it, until of course it intermingled with me directly. I hated when other people's lives interfered with mines, I hated to be at an inconvenience.

"I'm sorry your majesty, something dire came up for us and we had to attend for it, we only just came back from the Dark Forest," Lord Mobius told sincerely, his usual arrogant smirk distant from his face for the first time in forever. Something serious must have happened, but we did have a matter a hand.

"You'll brief me in it later, as for now this is the formation for our attack, We'll have four Jotuns on each side building an ice wall in front of us, blocking us from any stray arrows or attacks, we'll have one in the middle  back to secure our backs as we push forward," I show, pointing at the newly highlighted map before us.

"I want my royal guards to the front, my Centaurs in the third row, my Minotaurs in the final row, and my witches in the middle boosting power, I want my second row to be strictly my people from the royal brigade, we have about forty with us, seventy royal guards, everybody else is to protect them, they are our main source of energy".

Marking off the dead spots at Jotun's Foot, and west of the Palace I see that we could comfortably make it to the forefront without problem. I would take the other Jotun and depart from the team when we arrived at Fjzez, I would pass through Zlavov to the back of the mountain and commence a surprise attack.

"Alright then we have our plan let us prepare our people," I laughed, bursting into a reassuring smile as Lord Dël huffed a cool breath. He looked tired, as was the rest of us.

"My King, I must tell you, I went with a couple Minotaurs and Cenataurs in the forest to check for more firewood outside of the Palace, only to find a group of dead Fae folk, turns out they all have one thing in common, a mysterious red mark ingraved on their heads,"

Dead Fae folk?

"What do you mean dead Faes, someone was able to infiltrate the Dark Forest and kill the Fae?" Lord Arthriel whispered, gripping the edge of the wooden square table before him in shock.

"The marks, where they Red Hex marks?" I questioned, gripping the edge of the wooden table before me in hopes that it would surpress the putrid taste that was now forming in my mouth. If this turns out to be who I thought it is, our war would be the least of the Northern Kingdom's concern.

It couldn't be them, and yet still it could.

"Yes my King, but how did you know?" Lord Mobius questioned hesitantly, as if trying to pick my tongue at something. Lord Arthriel's eyes locked mines and he shook his head, clearly Lord Mobius was not to be trusted. This much I knew.

"I've heard rumors about it before, I'll brief Lord Dël on it after we return, it is a matter to be dealt with, with much much urgency,".

"Lord Dël, please inform Lord Duël that I will be gracing his presence soon, there is such little time yet much to be discussed, and Lord Mobius prepare our men for battle". 

"Yes my lord, I will-"

Suddenly, as if things could not get any worse, the window besides us bursts open with a loud crash, causing all of us to fly across the room. The impact of energy wave causes the Jotun to fly into the door before us, hitting the floor with a loud thud which causes the room to shake. On opening my eyes, my vision blurs and I reach out towards the bright red light coming from outside. I squint my eyes, as the room's temperature suddenly drops, the increasing heat distorting my focus and vision. I fixed my eyes on the midst outside the door only to see...

Was that people?

Lord Arthriel on the other hand was quicl action, summoning his staff and shooting his electromagnetic waves towards the seemingly invisible enemy, revealing the red cloacked figures. Without hesitation Lord Arthriel rushes besides me, creating a friend n electromagnetic bubble to protect us as two figures in red cloaks appear. 

Hit after hit the cloacked figures blasted their red energy surging at us, breaking the magnetic bubble more and more. With a loud roar Lord Dël launched himself at them, taking the two cloaked figures down and allowing Lord Arthriel and I to run over to a bleeding Lord Mobius.

"Can you heal him?" Lord Arthriel asked, as he drew another force field around us. Ignoring his words I rip open Lord Mobius' shirt, inspecting the wound and its severity. He could be healed, but it  would take some time, which we didn't have much of. Closing my eyes I turned my hands anticlockwise, reverse the hands of time to when the wound did not exist. With a slight thud, I feel over in exhaustion, as a now groaning Lord Mobius gave out a weak laugh.

"Glad to have you back tough guy," I laughed, as a surging pain consumed my heart. I had overworked myself, using more power than expected all in one day.

"Nice reunion guys, but as you can see we have a bigger issue at hand".

Turning back to Lord Arthriel I see five more cloaked figures surrounding his force field firing attacks at it. They obviously were mercenaries sent for us, because they obviously wanted us dead.

"Clear me a path Arthriel, I have an idea". Without a hint of hesitation Lord Arthriel created a small hole in the force field as I closed my eyes and summoned the raw Blue energy.

"Hilgunvant Ada Somoer" with a small encantation, I freeze the cloaked men, and Lord Arthriel rushes to action, smashing his golden staff into the figures destroying them. As if on time the Palace guards finally burst through the door behind us, making their way to Lord Dël to help him to his feet.

"What the fuck was that?" Lord Arthriel shouts, helping a now injured Dël to his feet. Scanning outside the now broken window I see two other shadow disperse, and a piece of paper left on the ground beside the broken pieces of glass.

We are coming.

"That does not look good at all".

"They have already infiltrated the Palace, Saints know where else they are," Lord Dël huffs, as he his guards help him to stand. He was right, they had reached further than I had suspected, meaning that their was more of them than presumed.

"That's not exactly our most important matter right now, behind the walls of this icy heaven the Northern Kingdom has waged war against us, just look above you, the Drakkens are still watching,"

" I suggest you both get to your assigned tasks, I'll deal with everything here,". With a brief nod the two Lords exist the room, leaving Lord Arthriel and I to ourselves.

Turning to Lord Arthriel with a forced smile, I rest my heavy hands on his shoulders while he frowned in worry. He knew what I was going to do next.

"I won't go," he told stubbornly, as I leaned forward before him, healing a now forming scar across hid face. He was always so determined to stick by my side, even if it would cause the death of both is us.

"Take the carriage with you to Steinsfield, tell General Rastov that we have a code orange, tell him I need reinforcement at Danesbury by sundown, as much of the Royal Brigade as he can summon, but tell him I need only witches, after that you make way to the Palace and get this letter to Lady Helix, she's staying at the manor, lastly call for Lady Lee to come to the Palace, I'm afraid I may not see Battlewood for some time, I need someone who will help you lead our people".

"My King I cannot leave you here if I know you won't be safe, we've seen first hand what The Seekers can do, you-you alone cannot defeat them, especially without help," 

He was right, and sadly so. To defeat this upcoming surge of magic I needed warriors, warriors well versed in the art of Blue magic, however that in itself was impossible. I've only heard rumors about a group called The Sha Dun, a group of Blue Witches yielding a rank about level six, however it was only rumors. The only other Blue Witches were either at war with me currently, or refused to help me. Not that I blame them, they'd gave up fighting for Irenelle as soon as I began fighting for Iren.

"Hopefully Lady Helix has mercy on me and comes, maybe I can even persuade two more yielders, that makes four of us against how many ever Seekers are crawling around the Dark Forest, until we can find this Sha Dun group, we have to make do with what we have, which for now is ourselves". 

"I agree, but I cannot leave you now, we don't have much time until-".

" You will leave, as your King I command you-"

"No I will not leave you, as your bestfriend I cannot leave you.....I have never left you-"With a fake smile I pat my friend's back as I open a portal behind him to my carriage I had stashed away in Hilltown. He'd be far away from both the war and the Seekers, and four hours away from Steinsfield. As he shakes his head frantically I shove him into the hole and close it back, dropping to my knees as energy drained from me.

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