Coughing politely, Prent begs my attention as he states, “I don’t recall whom, but someone had told me that though you’d a keen intellect, you had no head for strategy. Yet listening to your mind as you judge the ability for a single asset to decimate the rest of Terrorzin’s most powerful forces, and the length of time it would take—. Pay no heed to the strategic value of the projects that your mind is wrangling. I dare say Schism, if you weren’t so needed in the field, I’d love to have you in this room at all times.”

I blush at the praise, because I’m pretty sure I was likely the one that said I had no head for strategy, since I’m not truly used to the idea of working with a force of multiple allies beyond my inner circle. At most, I know a bit about human infantry encampments and troop movements and supply lines. Even those are likely irregular since they were on Can’Z’aas and we took away their ugh, meat supplies, and replaced them with the shop structure. Still, recalling what I can of the map that Nala laid out before me on that first day, we’ve been mostly ranging west and southwest so far. There are several forces out to the east, one of which must have been Mydraig Hareslayer’s domain. Those ones would actually have more of a chance of deploying their ground troops to strike out at Mount Solace, once word reached them of our betraying our supposed fealty to Terrorzin.

Though of course, with Errissa’s scout network, we can intercept, or delay most messages that might be sent from the center of Terrorzin’s domain, past ours towards the east. Speaking of, it’d be quite useful to know the approximate ranges and locations of the scouts in that network. If there are any spots missing coverage, we should assume word has already gotten through, one way or another. In fact, it’s best to assume word has gotten through already, regardless. Like I was thinking earlier, I want Solace prepared for siege sooner rather than later.

Among those preparations is one that might seem slightly silly, but it’ll help keep morale up as we displace or relocate people. That’d be the alcohol supply lines related preparations. I’ll be making Pawn, Miraina, one of the wealthiest residents of Mount Solace over time, as I allow her full access to the odds ‘n’ ends warren, with the caveat that I want her to bring backup. I know she’s technically a powerful sorceress now that she’s shared in some of the abilities from the sporebrain, hivemind attempt to save her mother Prinrin, but I don’t feel right endangering someone unused to combat. I know Deli has a friend or two that fancy themselves fighters, and she was crafting mythical-metal foils and rapiers for them. Even just one of those individuals to have her back would put my mind at ease.

I try to be more *present* as I’m directly addressed several times. Illy, Farzee, and Veril are questioned about their strategies on how to operate when missing a quarter of the Paradox Dormir, and I too worry about their seeming lack of a cohesive answer. Illy’s confident that she can make up for the loss of synergy that Veril and Induul had together, but just in case she’s wrong, I think I can do something for the group to make up for lacking Induul’s breath weapon.

My myconid form will take almost no time at all to whip up bottled batches of expanding gases that grow on contact with oxygen, propagating and aerosolizing for a time. We did, after all, make the form capable of producing certain reagents within its vine-tendrils. I’ll make sure Farzee and Veril are both loaded down with canisters of compressed gases. I facepalm at once again letting myself get distracted immediately after resolving to try to avoid doing just that.

Still, it was a worthwhile distraction, to be able to let the Dormir know that I have their back, always. Even Illy smiles furtively my way as Veril and Farzee fill her in on what my brain has been cooking up. Alright Reggie, don’t let yourself get distracted by the gorgeous smile on the beautiful woman, focus up. Pay attention. Hm, the strategists-eight had planned a scenario in which they’d have troop deployment of citizen infantry, out in the valley around Mah’Ruke obelisk. It’s not exactly a bad idea per se, but I’d rather not risk anyone that could simply be sniped by spells or breath weapons, standing out in the open, in case we don’t end up taking care of all the fliers and so on within the enemy forces, before their reprisal.

Okay, okay here we go, information on how we’re gathering the various hoards of the foes we defeat, the supply lines working their way carefully back around the Spine of the World to get it back to us. Lady Kinzul had already had that set up, but now we’re getting into the nitty gritty of it. Permission for additional individuals and the like. If only we had more of the dimensional bags and pouches and so on, especially the linked ones. Hm. If Berinon can do it, perhaps I can too? Berinon being an active leather-enchanter means the art isn’t lost to time or anything, so it might even be in common texts that Nala might have. If I can do that, especially if I can soul-bind them to certain intended recipients, we’d have a massive advantage in the mobilization of our efforts to keep the hoards out of the reach of Terrorzin’s other forces, and out of Ka’thuul’s hands as well.

There’s an elephant in the room that no one seems comfortable addressing. The inevitable betrayal of Ka’thuul. She’s an ancient green dragon, and the leader of the Order of the Emerald Dawn, an order fashioned after Kinzul’s Order of the Onyx Dawn, out of envy. She’s also Induul’s mother, apparently. She refuses to actually participate in our war against Terrorzin, and our non-aggression treaty is barely being respected as she sneaks around and has her own forces claiming the hoards we free up from Terrorzin’s hordes. Half the reason I want us to be siege-prepped is because of her. Whatever form her betrayal takes, we’re more likely to be able to survive it, and its aftermath, if we dig-in early.

Speaking of digging in, I address Revvy and Greggy, “I’d gotten a request from the volunteers at the metalworks for someone to check out the ‘Neath, to investigate why there were signs of sudden, but minor, tectonic activity inching up from beneath our forgeworks. Charles said that there should be an entrance hidden by the Mah’Ruke obelisk. Would you two be willing to explore the ‘Neath to ascertain the problem with the backup of Shaylon? I’m expecting tunnel boring creatures such as what I call mite-hulk adjacents. Their carapaces have some sort of confusion enchantment upon them that affects the visual perceptions of, yes, exactly. I knew you’d understand. I expect you can plan a suitable operating procedure, if scouting becomes routing, or if you find yourselves overwhelmed.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Shaylon, Revvy, and Greggy nod, all smiling slyly, realizing just how efficient their small squad will be together against what I imagine they’ll be facing in the ‘Neath. Shiz seems a bit dejected, that his new friend is being deployed without him. I don’t exactly want a Thunderer blasting and roaring in the ‘Neath however. Hm, he is however someone that I would trust with Miraina’s security and protection, against the odds ‘n’ ends warren. I’m sure he’d appreciate first crack at booze as well. He’s also got the same sorcery empowerments that I’d shared with all the others in the hivemind. I turn to him and whisper my thoughts, which ends up earning me smiles and nods as he agrees to look after Pawn for me.

I feel a bit abashed basically making executive decisions on what is hopefully efficient asset deployment. Kinzul however looks, or rather, feels, relieved. I sense relief, immense relief coming through our emotional bond in waves. She’d been making these sorts of decisions, and accepting the responsibility that comes with them for ages. Even with throwing herself on the front lines with her forces, she feels personally responsible when any of them come to harm. Such is a leader’s fate I suppose. At least, a caring, empathetic one such as Kinzul. I can’t say I’d feel differently if Revinth the Dark, Gresog the Quick, or Shaylon, Aegis, were injured, or worse, didn’t make it home. I mean, hell, that exact reason is why I’m deploying overkill protection for Miraina, Pawn, to farm some slightly hostile resources.

I let Shiz know that if the task seems too easy, that as long as Miraina makes contact with at least one of the fencers that Deli had been talking about, and has one of them along, that I’ve got other tasks he could attend to. Mainly, early-warning. Shiz is sturdy enough, and enhanced with magic enough, that even if an entire enemy force showed up out of the blue, that he could get off a fairly charged breath attack. I’d prefer it be him, or Atter, as their breath attacks would end up alerting all of Mount Solace to the thunder. He should also be able to withdraw, with the magics available to him that can conjure temporary backup. I don’t want to necessarily deploy Atter or Shiz on any of our offensives. I didn’t offer them mercy to use them as tools of war. Plus, they’re expecting children. Sort of. I mean, they’d be Shiz’s nieces and nephews and such, but it’s a first for him.

The more I get filled in on during this meeting, the more that I understand that both this isn’t a conventional war, and our strategists, while brilliant, are having a hard time adapting to the format of our war. It’s as if we’re all striker bombers that are sneaking into enemy airspace to bomb their airfields, to maintain air superiority, but for some reason, we’re parking our bombers and duking it out with the infantry with our fore-guns. When I begin equating our dragon assets and enemies to airships and blimps, I get a few distraught looks from the gathered dragons, but the shift in perspective causes something to click for Burshis.

Shouting rather suddenly, Burshis exclaims, “Guerrilla aerial combat! No wonder you were attempting to imagine your solo capabilities at facing down each of the regional lords and so forth!”

I gnaw on my lip while nodding slowly, trying not to take the wind out of Burshis’s sails. I throw my telepathic walls up for a moment to simply grumble to myself. I’d said that within the first few moments of learning about the Worldstorm. Our strategists weren’t operating under the same school of thought this entire time!? Wait, was even Kinzul thinking of this as a standard ground war, with some engagement advantages? I mentally facepalm.

Yes, we can take out, and rout, all the ground forces that could easily make it to Mounts Solace or Verdimenn, but we need not bother expending our resources, or taxing our assets on something like seventy percent of Terrorzin’s forces until all of his generals and so on have fallen. It’s just more efficient to bait the most powerful, and ignore the rest. I attempt to breathe evenly, sighing and laughing to myself. I’m in no way brilliant, or a strategist, but come on people. You’ve known about this battle for a lot longer than me.

Although—. I look towards Lady Kinzul. I’m almost certain it taxes her, every time she makes adjustments to the Worldstorm. I don’t know how greatly, or how much more it will take out of her with our previous “The Blue,” having passed, until Farzhis is able to pick up all of her father’s dragonforce’s slack. I want to save them both from the Worldstorm and the efforts to maintain it. We have to wrap up this war sooner rather than later. The strategists-eight are a whirlwind of excitement at the moment as they reorient themselves on the grand strategy overall, with the idea of air superiority allowing for ignoring of non-priority targets.

Any domain-leader of Terrorzin’s that doesn’t take the bait to chase us down we can safely ignore until after more pertinent battle victories have been secured. Those that do, abandon their ground troops, saving us the effort of thousands of kills or subduals. It also makes it more likely, as we finish off more of Terrorzin’s leadership circle, that some of the ground troops will accept mercy. I am however hesitant to believe that many of them will attempt to live in peace even after Terrorzin has been deposed, so I’m not naive enough to believe we won’t have to fight a massive percentage of his remaining ground forces after clearing out his generals and whatnot.

Now that we’re trying to talk about air superiority though, the conversation circles around to the thing balking us from capitalizing on that. The Damnations, and the thirteen Evil Claws. They are essentially why I was envisioning only myself, with perhaps Teuila, pulling off the greater arc of my plan. I guess it’s also why everyone had envisioned the war as something other than a guerrilla aerial war. I’d forgotten that not everyone is as capable of ignoring or punishing the Damnations as I am, or as Teuila might be. If my conjecture is right about the Worldstorm’s malfunction deep within Terrorzin’s land is correct, then Lil and Teuila might be able to pair up and take down Damnations even more efficiently than me.