Originally uploaded Nov 28, 2023

Bairon Pov

Commander Virion sat still for a moment, reading over the report I had just given him along with the personal letter Grey has sent to the council. The city of Vildorial and a majority of the dwarven population was now out of our hands. All of them rallying under this King Grey as they called him.

Despite his own words I still strongly believed he was some agent of the Alacryans, sent here to sew uncertainty and discourse between our race. Weakening us from the inside.

It made me question his strength. He not only does he have a dragon at his disposal Lord Aldir and Windsom have confirmed that he is of dragon lineage. Was he perhaps some agent of the Indrath clan? Sent here to catch the Vritra off guard? Then why would the council be left out of such matters? And if he wasn't then what kind of forces did he control to be able to capture an underground fortress city like Vildorial.

The large window behind Virion showed me the dark grey clouds that rolled around us. Casting the entire room in a dark shadow as intermittent flashed of lightning light up the room.

Commander Virion took a deep sigh as he placed down the file on his already very cluttered desk. To the general public Dicathen was holding their own against the invaders. With the defeat of the Retainer by the hands of Varay morale has never been higher. We were making slow but steady process, driving away many of the Alacryan camps and holding strong at the Wall.

But in truth we knew this was just the expedition force. A small splinter cell sent to test our capabilites. They were probing for weakness, for chinks in our defenses. The information we had gathered from captured Alacryans and Cynthia herself proved it so. The Vritra masters of the Alacryans were feared even among asuras for their intelligence.

And their king amongst them, Agrona Vritra was considered almost as great as Lord Indrath. And with communications cut off from Ephetous we were flying blindly into their hands.

It has already been several months since we spotted an entire fleet of Alacryan ships very close in design to the Dicatheneous. No doubt holding thousands of troop ready that were now en route to our western border.

Virion left his seat as he turned around to face the window, staring into the dark stormy sky as light rain began to fall.

"Commander?" I questioned as I took a small step towards him.

"Bairon, what you do propose we do in this situation?" He asked without turning to face me.

I was a bit unnerved by the way he spoke those words. But I quickly gathered myself as I cleared my throat.

"Should we not order an attack on the dwarven city, commander? Or at least decree them as traitors?" I hesitantly said. It wasn't a unknown fact that invading an underground city like Vilodrial, at least with Grey's forces still being unknown to us would be idiotic at best and suicidal as worst.

If it was anything like last time even with all the Lances present it would be a death trap. And with one of members dead and another missing I doubt we would make any real difference.

Virion only lightly chuckled at my response and finally turned to face me. He wore a slight smile, almost that of melancholy. He was old even for an elf but he looked older still. Wrinkles that ran deep on his pale skin, his grey hair loosely kept in a tail. In truth he didn't look like the righteous and brave commander he projected for the populous to see now. He just looked like a tired old man, yet I could still see a flame within his eyes.

"And what would become of the dwarves that are still by our side? Do you believe they will stand for us to label their entire race and city as turncoats would do anything but cement their disdain for us?" He calmly said as he leaned on his desk, overlooking the mounds of paperwork that covered his wooden desk.

I knew what I had said was nonsense, the inner politics of Dicathen was never my strong suit. I was born and raised by the Wykes family to be a warrior. A mage that would only levitate their social standing among the nobles.

The thought of my family brought back Grey's words about Lucas. That Lucas always suffered beneath my shadow. How he was forced to his limit to try to make him surpass me. Indeed my father wasn't pleased when I was chosen to be a Lance. It meant that I would be out of his hands now, no longer a tool he could command. So it was logically that he would try to mold Lucas into becoming my replacement.

But how would Grey know such things. Even if he had planted spies within our continent why would he bother caring about my brother? Did he just want to dig up information about the Lance's families and just came upon that fact? Was it even true? It did make sense but Lucas was a talented mage, he far surpass anyone his age. The only thing he lacked was experience against foes that were of similar strength to him.

As well as his less than desirable personality he was a gifted mage by every measure of the word. What more could my father have wished from him? No, it was more likely that he was just trying to make me unbalanced by bringing up lies about my dead brother.

I buried those thoughts deep inside of me as I brought myself back to the conversation at hand.

"Than what do you believe is the best course of action commander?" I asked truthfully. There was no easy move here. Leaving Grey be was only inviting him to grow his forces and strike us when he pleased and leading an attack on Vilodrial was a daunting task that would only distance the council's relations with the dwarfs.

"The choice has already been made Bairon." Virion said as he handed me a letter that Grey personally addressed to the commander.

I carefully read each and every word of his short letter. There was no fluff or sighs of respect or official feeling. It was clearly stating that King Grey himself would be seeking audience with the Dicathen council in 3 days time. Ended with the royal seal of the dwarven royalty.

I looked up from the letter at Virion. He looked back at me with a sad smile.

"Seems he wants to talk." He quietly said. But we both knew what this possibly could be. Either he wants to enter talks about working with the Dicathen council, which seemed the most unlikely. Or he is coming to formally declare war upon us. Why else would Grey make a personally appearance. And it seems I have judged his motives wrong.

I originally imagined we had more time before he acted. Seeing as how he never made any public announcement to the wider continent about his accession to the throne. He must have had reasons in wanting to keep it all on the down low, but it seems he is ready to make his presence know to all. If he truly were an agent of the Alacryan than we could be surrounded on both sides.

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And if he was some unknown third part than the problems Dicathen face only just grew and he would be more unpredictable than the Alacryan we had to face so far.

"You are going to grant his request?" I questioned, frustration and confusion swelling up inside me. It wasn't everyday we just allow any random person to stand in front of the full council.

"What choice do we have? As you said the vast majority of the dwarves already see him as their king. Denying him this meeting would only worsen our relations."

"And what if he declares war? Or is even coming here as a means to gather our leadership in one place to end it all?" I raised my tone, as my voice echoed off the walls like thunder.

"It won't come to that." Virion sounded so sure of himself. Like he knew the future.

"How can you possible know that?" I sounded anger now and Virion made sure I knew it.

His mana signature grew sharper, like a edge of a well maintained blade. It cut through the roaring thunder that was my now as I felt his beast will threaten to be unleashed.

"Lance Bairon. You are a trusted solider and guard. But you should know your place." He said in a more sinister tone. His aura taking on the form of a dark forest green shadow. He might only be a sliver core mage but he was far more experience than me and could put up a fight if needed.

I reigned in my emotions as I stood at attention. Bending my back and knees to a deep bow.

"My apologizes commander. But I plead you to not-"

"It does not matter what I say. Grey is coming no matter what? Do you think some pesky old man's words can stop him."

"At least allow me to gather all of the Lances, commander." I said with my head still down low.

"And you believe this would be enough deterrence with a man who locked blades with Lord Aldir?"

My mouth opened and closed again like a fish gasping for air. The last time the Lances came to blows with Grey was back during the incident at Xyrus academy. And back then he didn't even need to raise a finger to seal away our mana and from the short meeting I had with him he only seemed to have grown stronger.

Virion walked up in front of me as he placed an easing hand on my broad shoulders. I stared up at him still in a kneeling position.

"Have faith Bairon. This war is far from over, and Dicathen shall persevere."

Virion Pov

Bairon quietly left the room. Gently closing the door behind him. I slumped back into my chair as it rotated from the force of my body. It swiveled around and I face the windows.

Showing me the dark grey sky as tiny drops of water littered the pane of glass. Bolt of lightning illuminated the dark sky as the deep rumblings of thunder vibrated all through out the flying castle.

I thought back the time when I last visited Rinia. It was a dark and stormy day just like today. The air was cold and damp, the forest canopy provided cover for the rain as I made my way to her hut.

Small wafts of smoke exited her chimney and into the night sky and as soon as I entered I was assaulted by the smell of tea.

But it wasn't the usual, as least he wasn't. She didn't even notice when I entered her hut after I furiously knocked on the door for at least a good minute. Instead I found her in the far deep end of her hut. Sitting with her back to me.

I carefully approached her, unsure of what to make of her sudden change. When I found her in a trance.

She sat their with her eyes closed, her hands making odd gestures as they grasped at thin air. As if she was trying to take hold of something but wasn't quiet able to. She repeated the same gestures as her face grew more and more contorted with effort

I simply stood there, instead of interrupting her I just stood there and watched. There was something to it I couldn't quiet put my finger on. The mana in and around her moved in a strange way that resembled when she used her diviner powers but this was something else entirely.

She soon began to sweat as she suddenly took a loud gasp and fell off her chair. I caught her before she could hit the ground and she was startled to see me.

"Virion what are you doing here?" She asked, panting between breathes. Whatever spell she just used seemed to have worn her out. And upon closer inspection of her face I swear I could see more wrinkles on her face. As well as her skin that seemed thinner than usual, in truth she looked a bit sickly. Like she hadn't eaten properly in weeks.

"What were you doing old hag?" I asked, trying to crack a joke but it came out in a omre worried tone.

She pushed me out of the way as she regained her footing. She wobbled on her own legs for a moment before she stood back down again facing me.

"You were doing it again. Weren't you?" I flatly said. The strange way she used mana and her physical state was more than enough of a confirmation for me. The same spell that reduced my own dear wife to a miserable state until she was nothing, just a empty husk of what once was.

I didn't fully understand diviners. But I did know firsthand that they traded away their own lifespan to see the future beyond them. A powerful asset, but a curse to some, especially the wielder. And I wasn't going to let history repeat itself. I already lost someone to this, I wasn't going to allow her own sister to do it again.

She simply waved me away put I took her hand. I was serious about this. I wasn't going to allow her to kill herself for some war.

"Virion, you more than anyone else should understand that the life of one being should not stand in the way of the many." She said with a weak smile.

"I can't loose another one. Not by the same means." I said quietly as I felt tears well up in my eyes at my last living memory of my wife. Of her skinny, almost bone-like hands I had in my own as I watched the life fade away from her eyes. She had spent her own life to save my own.

"Aren't you doing the same, commander. Throwing away the life you could have enjoyed in retirement for to lead this war. For all those deaths to rest on your shoulders alone?"

My grip on her hand only strengthened.

"What did you see?" I asked after a long moment of silence only filled with the soft sound of rain outside.

"You know that boy you brought to me." She said with a tone of reminiscence in her voice like it was a old memory.

I looked up at her up she was just staring up at the ceiling.

"Arthur?" I asked, confused. I knew Arthur wasn't the most ordinary kid but I didn't see why he would warrant spending her own life force.

"Yes, Arthur. You know ever since I first met him no matter how hard I tried I couldn't see it."

"See what?"

She took a deep sigh as she continued.

"That boy's past and future always seemed to be surrounded by a constantly shifted shadow. Like the merky depths of the sea. I could make out vague shapes and feelings but all of it was just out of my reach. Like something was actively blocking me."

"And you are doing all of this to just confirm that?" I asked anger. That hardly seemed like a reasonable reason for all of this.

"No Virion, you hold all the answers to see a part of the truth. You have merely turned a blind eye to it." She whispered as she faced me.

Her eyes were a illustratious purple. Her pupils were glazed over as her eyes took on a milky quality.

"That boy is hiding something. And I have seen it."

"Seen what?" What could Arthur have done? He was a brilliant child and powerful mage. And will no doubt be a strong asset to have on our side against the Alacryans. But recently he was growing more and more illusive. At first giving me suspiciously detailed report on the Alacryans then completely disappearing for months at a time. Even his family seemed to avoid talking about him.

"That boy is the key Virion. He is at the center of it all. He shall be the vital component to this continent's survival. But be watchful, there is something more to him even I can't understand."

My mind snapped back to reality as a nearby bolt of lightning jolted me out of the memory.

In truth I wouldn't have believed her, at least not fully if it weren't what happened soon after.

Arthur had come to seek me privately. And began to question what Rinia had told me. Obviously I questioned how he even knew of my visit but he avoided the question until I demanded answers for this recent strange behavior.

And that was when he revealed everything, and offered to share his plans with me. And the only reason why I accepted this invitation for a meeting with 'Grey'.

I leaned back into my chair. Looking down at the forest below us.

Just who or what was Arthur really? And what have I gotten myself and this whole continent into. His plan was grand in design and it would have been crazy if it came of out anybody else's mouth. But having they key piece of information that made the rest snap right into place made it perfectly clear to me that this was the right decision.

I took a deep sigh. Art's words did give me confidence but also dread. I just hoped Rinia was right about him. I also had suspicious about him but even after he told me the truth I wondered if I could really trust him. Not that I seemed to have a say in the matter. He was already working in the background, making moves against Alacryans and the asuras of Ephetous alike. It just seems like Dicathen has been caught in a battle between gods.