I can see why Kinzul would want no one to know about this at all, and only make a concession to inform me. I didn’t even get to finish the letter, I have no idea what else was in the message. My chest shudders as I inhale shakily. How small of a fraction of her dragonforce does Kinzul actually have access to? How much is necessary to withstand Terrorzin’s Latent for even a few precious minutes?

Hm, speaking about precious minutes, Kinzul was able to move between moments when my demise was dilating time. But I doubt that that’s one of her normal abilities. If it was, she’d have taken Terrorzin out already at some point. I mean, at least at some point since we discovered he’s traveling with the majority of his forces in a bid to siege Solace. I also doubt she’d let me risk my permanent death by trying to enter that state of time dilation in order to grant her another chance to move between moments. Based on my still-expanding knowledge of dragonforces and Latents, I’m pretty certain I can draw a few conclusions.

Not only was I right that Kinzul is the only one on the planet who could resist Terrorzin’s ability, but it’s going to cost her dearly to even attempt to do so. Even just covering herself, not a fraction of a millimeter more than her own body, is driving her to hastily reclaim as much of the Worldstorm as possible on a temporary basis. Oh no, oh Farzhis.

I think I realized why Farzhis and Veril aren’t with Illy right now. Farzhis is probably having backlash, massive pains, and other effects from Kinzul’s tampering, her Administration of the Worldstorm. I don’t know what to do. If our allies are—that’s another reason only Illy is going.

Kinzul can trust Iylynila to still perform a strike, as our Lady refines her control of the Worldstorm even further. She’ll likely work to make it appear as if there’s a tunnel through thick cloudbanks by redirecting some excess cloudcover from the top and bottom of the Worldstorm, when sending anyone else through it. Right now, Illy won’t spill the beans if she sees a hollow Worldstorm on her first strike. What about Ixey, Zayzi, and Leeza’s mother and little sister? Perhaps Kinzul waited until after they arrived before starting to hollow out the Worldstorm, or began siphoning portions of it back from around the Spine of the World, or elsewhere on Rayileklia first.

Kinzul wanted to inform me, because I’d either find out from my senses, or from Illy, at some point. She doesn’t want to give me reasons to harbor mistrust, she wants to mend any that might have formed from her vehement request. I’d say she needn’t have worried, but it was the wise choice, given our current circumstances. I… wish I were a better person. A perfect hero, and perhaps, spouse. That’s ridiculous Reggie.

Huh? Obviously you know that no one’s perfect. Sure, but what’re you getting at? I’m you, so you’ve already figured it out, doofus. Oh, right. Rattling my skull, I loose a half chuckle and roll my eyes at myself. Not only is perfection impossible, but attempting perfection in opposing roles would drive anyone insane. There are times when duties and priorities will clash. That’s all there is to it. Even if I could perfectly, near-instantly complete all duties, some of them take resources that are required by others, so a choice is necessary. I mean, hell, time is one of those resources, and I can’t instantly complete tasks.

Anyway, I’m getting the feeling Illy’s going to need some backup during her surgical strike, and flight from Terrorzin’s forces. Hm, speaking of Terrorzin’s forces… Well, I mean, ex-forces in her case. Ahliyui is discussing something with some scouts, seemingly prepping spellwork, and preparing herself to clash with the enemy, alone, ahead of everyone else. The reckless fool. You’re one to talk Reggie. Yeah yeah shut up, I know.

Despite how dangerous it is, I do appreciate that Yui’s goggles are providing us critical information about the state of the pass in Vieriss Valley however. Even if it was reckless to head out there ahead of everyone else. It seems my hastily mobilized natural barrier held through the night, but by the way it’s shaking, it won’t be long until it’s demolished in its entirety. I can see some rather clean-cut holes in the rubble, and movement on this side of it, which means Terrorzin has his forces working from both sides to clear the pass.

They’ll widen it enough to get the majority of his forces through at once, rather than sending them all in their smallest forms, walking down a slim tunnel single file. Smart. Even a few tunnels is too risky to send a long column of troops down at once. We could have defenses set up in place, or be getting them ready, to massacre a line of troops en-masse, even if he mixes elemental immunities amongst the columns he sends through them.

Yui, you crazy little—. Huff. She’s doing the smart thing, taking action and taking out the Spellknights that Terrorzin has on this side of the barricade. She’s catching them offguard, and finishing them in quick one-on-one duels. How long can her luck hold out however? What if Terrorzin has scouts positioned in the tunnels that report back to the main force that a lone defender is taking out their magical might on this side of Wistenzlia?

I’ve got to get to Vieriss fast. Problem is, it’s a bit of a trip. Kinzul is out of contact, so going above the Worldstorm and dropping down, is problematic at the best of times. Worse, based on the information from the note, it’s not the best of times. Sure, Kinzul’s planning a tunnel for Illy, but only one, and only for Illy. What the hell can I do to get enough support to the valley fast enough to back up Yui? Hell, how the hell did she get all the way there so fast?

Glancing at the view through Teuila’s goggles gives me a pretty good idea about how Yui ended up making most of the trip fairly quickly. She must have hitched a ride with Te, out towards the bulk of Terrorzin’s siege forces that are on the southern side of our territory, and then swung out west. Maybe she had Te take her almost all the way through Vieriss too. Teuila’s speed has been increasing again, and she’s been taking riskier and riskier moves, skirting the Worldstorm. It’s doing a number on her, and her dragonforce.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

I don’t like it. I don’t like seeing any of my loved ones hurt, no matter what that hurt is. Even if it’s just the burn of a hard day’s work, or workout. I know that, like a muscle, her dragonforce is probably becoming all the stronger for it, with the damage she’s doing to it, but what if she… What if she what Reggie?

What if she reaches her limits? What then? A pain feels like it’s tugging my brain through the back of my right sub-occipital lobe and my C3 vertebrae. I get a flash, but the full vision doesn’t sweep me along this time. There’s no glimmering tiny thread amidst endless darkness. There’s no horizon point over which all threads end. There’s just the meagerest hint that I should be seeing that vision once again.

It’s unnerving, unsettling. Why is the vision becoming weaker, less insistent? Is that last, tiny thread of hope dying out? Cracking my jaw to loose it from its locked, clenched position, and rolling my neck to crack and pop it as well, I blink back tears of frustration. Am I seeing a future? The future? All futures? Or am I just insane, and interpreting hallucinations?

As I struggle to come to grips with the state of things, glancing down, the Worldstorm has shifted and taken on an uncanny appearance, that of a familiar face. Pareidolia. Right? It looks like a massive version of Ka’thuul’s face, Induul’s mom. Rattling my skull, as the face has me rattled, I blink, and it’s gone. Was it just my imagination? Was it paranoia, and fear, and stress getting to me? Or was it another hint, a warning? What are our relations with the Emerald Dawn? Can we ask them to at least defend a portion of the primary valley we share?

Right now, our relationship as it stands, as far as I understand it, is tenuous. It’s a non-aggression pact so long as Kinzul overlooks any breaches in protocol made by Ka’thuul and the Emerald Dawn. Breaches like sneaking in and stealing some wealth from strongholds we’ve liberated, or bodies of foes we’ve slain. What are Ka’thuul’s forces like? How many are there? How have they been keeping fed? Is their hunting the reason Induul had to range so far, and was unable to get food?

I’m tempted to offer an olive-branch, to offer to provide them food, for their own forces to withstand the siege. They’re taking care of themselves somehow or another however. It might be a meaningless gesture. Worse, it might piss off the leader of an already tenuously allied force. It might seem like we’re looking down on them, or publicly acknowledging their breaches in social protocol, of stealing wealth and food. I’m sure in Ka’thuul’s eyes, that would be the same as accusing them of theft, which would set her on the socially defensive, and she’d likely get aggressive because of it.

I trust that Kinzul would have informed me if communicating with Ka’thuul was at all an option in the slightest by this point. She’d have added it to our priorities last night, at the very minimum, for certain. That means, as it stands, we’re on a knife’s edge with the Emerald Dawn. One false move, and they take it as an opportunity to attack us while we’re already stretched to our limits. Should we take them off the board first? No.

No, that’s not the way we do things. We’re taking the peaceful solution. We’re in a peace treaty with them, and unless they break it, we simply leave them alone. I don’t like leaving an almost guaranteed foe alone to muster its strength, and turning our back towards it metaphorically. If we could risk letting the siege get all the way to Solace, it wouldn’t be quite so bad, but we’ll be mobilizing nearly everyone simultaneously in the coming days.

With how paltry the numbers of our fighting forces are, getting caught in a three-way pincer between Terrorzin’s approach, his siege-forces that have been coming from the south end of the valley, and the Emerald Dawn, would be disastrous. Sure, I’m sure Te could punch a hole in the Emerald Dawn for us to enable at least some of us to retreat, those that are capable of haste. What about anyone that gets injured though? Anyone too injured to take on their human-sized forms would, would—. I gulp. Gas burbles up, burping out my mouth, a sour taste in my stomach, and everywhere else.

I need to prepare myself to accept the fact that some of us could, and likely will, die before the war is over. I have to be prepared in order to resist Wrath bubbling up. It’s been getting stronger, and harder to reclaim myself from it. I also have to prevent myself from sinking into despondency as the battle rages on. Would that I could, would I shut down my emotions, and grow cold, in order to prioritize acting efficiently on the battlefield for the rest of the war? No. No that’s not me. I don’t want it to be now, or ever.

I’ll take all the pain the comes along with the love, and loss. I’ll never give it up. If I change, and grow, because of it, I only want it to be because it makes me more loving, more appreciative of every moment of joy. Images of the joys, great and small, from my time at Solace flash through my mind.

Prinrin’s devious voice as she delights in hinting at things, or figuring things out, while her smile is the warmest, most loving visage imaginable. Teuila’s goofy mile-wide closed-eyed smile as she derpily rocks her head side to side. Luni shushing and comforting me. Lil, bright-eyed and cheerful, having admitted his feelings for Ixey to her. Said selfsame Red and her twin, enjoying each other’s company, or Lil’s, or mine. Shiz and Atter accepting our mercy, coming over to our side, and their pride in the Onyx Dawn. Zelshiz reuniting with Shiz. The love and rivalry between Ahliyui and Ahliyuri.

Yet more joys surface. An emerald-tressed lass who put a life of high-society on hold in order to better herself, to stop looking down on others. Two women whose forms are sculpted of pure matte-onyx. Them in their unparalleled beauty, teasing and finding joy in my reactions. Pawn’s cheer at being appreciated. The solace Veril and Farzhis are finding within one another. Boetah’s endless optimism, and the cheer present in every fiber in his being. Shaylon’s serpentine smirk. Even Induul’s gratitude, and so many more things.

Reggie, focus. Yui could be in trouble soon. Right, right. Let’s get the heck down through Solace to Verdimenn, pick up everything and everyone we can get to come with us, and head out. Floating myself through the angled tunnel of Worldstorm situated above Solace’s aerie, I wave to Farzhis and Veril. Farzhis looks more than a little under the weather, no pun intended. She looses a half laugh at my train of thought, a bitterness underlying the otherwise humorous sound. I bite back my emotions, gulp them down and clench my eyes momentarily. We’ll try to end this war soon sweetling, and when we do, we’ll safely break the enchantment as soon as possible, I swear it. With renewed determination, I race down the tunnels and halls of Solace towards Verdimenn.