Three days later we left the capital. The dwarves were pulling forces from all over the kingdom. It would take a bit for them to reach the border. They decided to form three armies. The main one would lead the push, while the others would secure the flanks and hold important positions.

We were with the main force. Tyrell managed to complete Iris’ armour before we left. He took measures of Adhira, Nira and Ben and promised to send the others when they were finished.

The army marched surprisingly quickly. Maybe it was the dwarven endurance, or simply the fact that people were stronger thanks to magic. We took the same route we used when we entered the Dwarven Kingdom.

As we reached the border we camped for a day at the dwarven fortress. We were waiting for the last soldiers to arrive. In the evening Dalroc called for a strategy meeting.

Interestingly enough the king and the queen were with the army. I would have expected at least one of them to stay behind and govern the nation. Solana had returned to the Dominion but Loriel was still with us. The Dominion agreed to send supplies and troops depending on Beravis’ actions.

“Tomorrow we will enter the Empire.” Dalroc said. “Our scouts have confirmed Amaya’s report. The enemy troops guarding the border are a sad excuse for a soldier. There should be no resistance. The Emperor refused our offer to fight the Inquisition and has told us to stay away. As a result we have officially declared war. General Bodil.”

He motioned towards a female dwarf. She had multiple scars on her face and was built like a tank. She had short white hair and silver eyes.

“The Emperor has managed to hold the capital but he has lost the southern half of the nation. Additional Inquisition forces are marching towards Unitera. He is focused on holding the city and pulling most of his troops there to make a stand. The northern part of the Empire still has a few imperial loyalists. The Inquisition’s main force in the north is currently besieging Heliar.”

She pointed at a city on the map.

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“We could try to help them and see if they are willing to join our cause, or at least stay out of the way. It would secure our rear but it would also delay us and give the enemy more time to react to our invasion.”

“What is our goal? Do we know where the Inquisition’s leaders are?” I asked.

“The high inquisitors are currently in the field leading their troops towards Unitera.” Bodil answered.

“So most notable people will be at the battle for the capital.” I concluded.

“Yes. If we arrive before one side wins we should be able to capture or eliminate most of the leaders on both sides.”

“Assuming the true leaders are there.” Lilith added. “We are still missing a lot of information. What about your spymaster? Have you found him yet?”

Bodil grimaced. “Sadly there has been no trace. The investigation is still ongoing.”

“What do we know about the enemy's elites?” I asked.

“Less than we would like. Two cities in the south have been destroyed by high level magic. Helios is defended by duke Witmore, who is a wizard capable of 7th tier spells. The Inquisition army besieging them is wielding some powerful magic but the mages have not been identified.” Bodil reported.

“What about Ashmedai and his cult?” Lucy asked.

“There are reports of demons in the south. But we lack any further information.” Bodil said.

“Sadly my spy network in the south has been compromised. Most of my succubi are missing.” Lilith reported.

“Can the 2nd and the 3rd army secure the north? So we can march towards Unitera?” I asked.

“Most of our own elites are with the primary army. We can use them to hold the area but we will need to deal with the main Inquisition force ourselves.” Bodil said. “The 2nd and 3rd army are mostly to hold territory we have cleared.”

“Duke Witmore is reasonable.” Iris said. “I think we can convince him to stand down. Maybe he will even work with us to secure the north. We should march towards Heliar and help him.”

“It might cost us the chance to participate in the battle for Unitera.” Loriel pointed out.

“Securing the north will stabilise part of the country and protect our rear. It will give refugees a place to flee to.” Iris countered.

“If we ignore the north the Inquisition might gain another foothold and spread their runes. Keep in mind that they will not simply occupy the territory, they will enslave all the powerful people there as well. We can’t afford to ignore them.” I said.

“Amaya makes a good point.” King Dalroc said. “The Inquisition is a tricky foe to fight. We will need to be thorough. We march towards Heliar and deal with the force there. If the battle for Unitera escalates we can always send an elite strike team to target some of the leaders. We don’t necessarily need our main army there.”

After the meeting I spent the evening with Lucy. Tomorrow we would cross the border. The first big fight was still a few days away. But tomorrow was the true beginning of the war. A lot of people would die before it was over. But the Inquisition had to be stopped. Thankfully I was not alone. Lucy was sleeping in my arms. Her presence gave me comfort. Eventually I fell asleep.