(Ivan)

It was a little past midnight when a knock on the door woke Ivan up. His brother remained sound asleep in the other chamber, buried under a pile of pillows. Ivan had been expecting a visit, so he was not surprised to see a messenger waiting outside. They were being summoned to the War Room.

Ivan rushed to get his brother out of bed which was easier said than done.

“Wake up, William!” He swiped away the pile of pillows and shook his brother.

William opened his eyes and mumbled, “I’ve eaten all of the booster bars, and no one can stop me now.” His eyelids drooped and he started to snore.

“William.” Ivan shook his brother vigorously.

William bolted upright. “Whaa? What happened?”

“You’ve got to get up and get dressed. We’ve been summoned to the War Room.”

“It’s too early,” his brother grumbled as he dragged himself out of bed.

Ivan hastened to his room, yanked on his woolen trousers, donned a shirt, and pulled on his boots. William finally lumbered out of his bedchamber and groggily pulled a tunic over his head. He still looked half-asleep. His face was puffy, and his eyelids were heavy.

Ivan shook his head. He’s definitely not a morning person.

“William, go splash some cold water on your face. It’ll help you wake up.”

“Alright,” his brother mumbled as he galumphed over to the aquastone basin.

“Hurry up!”

They left their quarters and followed the messenger through the castle corridors. Security was on high alert. There were sentries posted at every doorway that they passed. They turned a corner, and the War Room was straight ahead. One of the guards swung the door open and they were ushered inside. Commander Clay, Lin, and Claire arrived a few minutes later.

“Are we waiting on anyone else?” Slovan asked.

“No, everyone is here,” replied Rob after a quick survey of the room.

The gathered commanders and casters sat around a massive circular table made of polished tusker wood. A replica of Pike levitated above the table. This was a much bigger model than the one that had been loaned to him. It included parts of the surrounding forest and the city’s underground sewage. The half-moon crescent flags of the Shadow Lands flew above the castle battlements. The soldiers wore Queen Sapphire’s personal coat of arms, a rider atop a red dragon.

“Spring is on the horizon,” Slovan proclaimed. “A decade has passed since our kingdom was invaded. Some say that winter stalled the invasion and saved the north. I say otherwise!” The Lord of Scar paused and looked at the gathered.

“The long winter hibernation is over. It’s time for the bear to awaken!” Slovan’s voice boomed in the War Room.

“It’s time for the bear to awaken!” The Scarans echoed the ancient call to arms. Ivan could feel the spike of energy in the room. All eyes were on Slovan.

“We don’t have much time, so I won’t waste it,” Slovan spoke with urgency. “Time is one of our adversaries and it’s quickly slipping away.” He gestured toward the map on the wall.

“A few weeks ago, I sent Lady Waterlily and Drake Grey to the eastern shore of the Nature Kingdom. Their mission was to create a diversion. They led four of our fastest ships and created an illusion of a military fleet with the Mirror Image spell. A few days later, the Shadowlanders countered our feint by dispatching a contingent of soldiers from Pike and Resan toward Tip and Mir.”

Ivan noticed that Claire’s eyes widened when her home was mentioned.

“What’s surprising is that the Shadow Lands pulled an entire division out of Pike. It appears that they want to draw us out of Scar by making Pike look like a ripe target. We’ll give them what they expect, but not what they want.” Slovan nodded.

“We’ve already started moving troops and provisions toward Pike. Our spies are working with the resistance. The rebels are well organized and numerous. Our main strategy relies heavily on the local resistance. The best opportunity to recapture Pike is limited to a few weeks at most before the enemy returns to reinforce their defenses. Lord Commander, did I miss anything?”

“That covers the primary strategy,” Rob replied. “We have contingency plans, but we won’t discuss them here. The Shadow Queen may be aware of our ruse with the fleet. The enemy might be going along with our subterfuge to lure us out of Scar. After all, it’s strategically beneficial for them to split our forces before they push further north. We need a quick and decisive victory in Pike.”

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“Agreed,” Slovan replied. “So, that brings us to the alternative strategy.” Slovan gestured across the table. “Ivan, since this is your plan, I’d like you to present it.”

Ivan stood up. He was keenly aware that the attention of everyone in the room had shifted toward him. His throat constricted and he swallowed nervously. The feeling was not new to him. He had often experienced it right before his fights in Pike. In a duel, all he had to do was let his sword speak. The voice of his weapon was a whisper with every slice through the air and a shout with every collision. He hoped that once he spoke, his voice would ring as true as his sword.

“The plan is simple. We’re going to target the water supply. The central well of Pike is the heart of the city. The well keeps the city alive by pumping water to every neighborhood, street, and house. If we pour the right ingredient into the heart of Pike, it will spread throughout the entire city via the interconnected aqueducts.”

Ivan pulled a small bottle filled with violet liquid out of his pocket and placed it on the table. “A few weeks ago, Drake Grey used the venom of the nightcap wasp to subdue Baza and Zen, who were under the enslavement spell. That is what gave me the idea for the plan. Unfortunately, we can’t use the nightcap venom. Its effect is instantaneous and of short duration. For this plan to work, we need a long-lasting elixir.” Ivan cleared his throat.

“In addition, other requirements must be met. The infused water needs to be ingested before it’s discovered. A delayed effect was the best way to achieve that. It will be consumed by our enemies as well as our allies, so it can’t be harmful. We don’t want to permanently taint the water supply, so we need a counteragent. Finally, it must be potent since it will be diluted.” Ivan looked around the table to make sure that everyone was following.

“Zen Golding had the perfect solution. He typically adds a single drop of common Fairy Bee nectar to a barrel of water for the base of his sleeping elixirs.” Ivan pointed to the small flask on the table. “The liquid in this bottle contains highly concentrated nectar extracted from the walls of a Fairy Beehive. This is over a hundred times more potent and yet it’s not lethal. The diluted form of this elixir takes between two to six hours to put a person to sleep. Then it keeps them in a deep slumber for over a day. Any questions so far?”

“Can the people that have been put to sleep be woken up?” Mary asked. “I can wake John up from a deep sleep by pouring cold water on his face.”

Ivan saw John shoot his sister a dirty look.

“Yes, people can be woken up, but they’re drowsy and disoriented and they struggle to stay awake. They go back to sleep almost immediately.”

Ivan continued since no other questions were raised. “Getting the elixir into the city is only half of the problem. We need to get it into the well without being discovered, but the area is heavily guarded. We’ve considered several options. Relying on the resistance is too risky. I’ll let Rose explain the issues with an aerial approach.” He gestured toward her.

Rose stood up. “We’ve been monitoring Pike since the Shadow Lands captured the city. A few days ago, I flew over Pike, and noticed some changes. The central well, which is usually open, had been capped off. Archers in the area had been equipped with enchanted goggles. When I flew above the city, they saw right through my raven shift. An aerial approach to drop the elixir into the well is not viable.”

“Thanks, Rose.” Ivan nodded to her. “We decided that an underground approach is our best bet. A tunnel will have to be dug from the edge of the forest to the central well.”

Ivan pointed to a couple of spots on the model of Pike. “The Construction Guild has determined that a small tunnel, no bigger than a foxhole, could be placed here or here.”

Ivan looked at each shifter. “Casters have always been an integral part of the Nature Kingdom’s military strategy. This plan relies heavily on your unique abilities.”

The younger casters looked at each other and back at Ivan.

“We determined that the west side provides the best approach. This is the shortest path between the forest border and the central well.” Ivan traced an invisible line through the city.

“As I said before, shifters are the fulcrum for this strategy. The question remains how long it will take to dig the tunnel from the edge of the forest to the well.”

Slovan stood up and turned toward the children. “You might be asking yourself why you were invited to the War Council. The truth is that the Nature Kingdom has lost many of its casters. In the last ten years most of our magic wielders have been killed or captured. The bounties placed on shifters are so high, that even our own people have turned them in for the reward. There is a reason why the Shadowlanders fear you. You can be as stealthy as a shadow cat or as strong as a rhinodon. You can fly over the mountains and swim under the oceans. Your abilities are uniquely suited for this plan. The battle for Pike is just the beginning. The road ahead of us is perilous, but we’re fighting for survival. It’s a fight that we must win. It’s a fight for freedom!” Slovan looked at his daughter and swallowed hard. He looked at Ivan.

“Thank you, Ivan. Your plan could save a lot of lives. We don’t have much time. We need to make our move on Pike within the next two weeks.”

He turned toward Rose. “Lady Summerbreeze, by the end of the day, we need to know how long it’ll take to dig the tunnel. You’re in charge of the shifters. Take them to the Forest Cavern. Herald Clay and his masons will have everything prepared by the time you get there. Provide a progress report every hour. Messengers will be shadowing you.” Slovan looked at the shifters. “If things go as planned with digging, you’ll be heading to Pike tomorrow. I wish you luck.” He concluded the meeting with the old Scaran saying.

“May you find light in the darkest tunnel.”

#

Ivan looked up as they left the castle. Morning was a few hours away and most of the city was still asleep. They decided to ride since not everyone could fly.

Shadow stallions were saddled and brought to them. The shifters chatted excitedly. “Saddle up,” Rose ordered. “It’s time for us to get our hands dirty.”

Soon, the riders were racing along the streets of Scar. The shadow stallions moved like ghosts through the city, silently galloping on the cobblestone roads. The horseshoe muffle enchantment made them perfect for stealth. It was no wonder that they had the reputation for appearing out of thin air. No one ever heard them coming.

Ivan moved his horse close to William’s. “Hey, if you think the Garden of Dreams is awesome, wait till you see the Forest Cavern. I’ve been wanting to take your there since I saw it.”

“What? We were supposed to see it together. I’ve been wanting to go there for weeks. The only reason I didn’t go was because I was waiting for you.”

“If the decision had been mine, I would’ve taken you with me, but it wasn’t, so I didn’t.”

William huffed.

Silence ensued as the riders continued to gallop through the city, heading toward the Forest Cavern.