Chapter: 753 - Into the Trap

Tala turned slowly, regarding those gathered near in that forest glade, and pulled her armor to the superficial, the material growing around her and lifting her up until she was fully clad in white steel and iron.

Then, her voice rolled out through her aura and authority, carried to all under her banner without need to shout. “It is time. Form your units, your cohorts, your divisions. Gather your final provisions and set your will toward the task ahead. We hunt within the hour.”

Behind her, the wolves—practically as one—threw their heads back and howled. Rather than having the mournful note that so often tinged nighttime serenades, this howl was one of promise, like the trumpets of war, or the horn of the hunt.

Tala smiled at the rightness of the lupine members of their alliance sending forth that call.

Frenetic activity exploded throughout the gathered army, and the wolves divided into individual packs before attaching themselves to various groups of humans and arcanes.

There was a bit of trepidation among those same warriors as while acranous wolves weren’t always hostile, they weren’t usually friendly. Still, the alliance had known that the wolves were coming—even if they didn’t know the manner of their participation—and that had allowed the fighters to be more prepared and accepting of this rather unnerving development.

Tala reached out through Alat and slowed things down just a bit, in order to allow the initial hesitation to fade. They were about to enter into enemy territory, after all, and she didn’t want her people watching their allies instead of watching for their enemies.

-Though, with all the Revered, Honored, Paragons, and Refined, it would be rather difficult to sneak up on this group. That ignores your and Anatalis’s aura and authority.-

Fair… Still, they didn’t change the plan. A slight slowing at the beginning, here, wouldn’t hurt them.

The three sub-groups of the Pack stayed together toward the center of the forming lines, the sireling falling into the cluster with those behind Anatalis.

Magics came from other wolves on every side to briefly brush over the sireling, restoring him and ensuring that he was fit and ready for the coming hunt.

Tala moved to stand beside Anatalis, her daughter and husband near to hand and Terry on her shoulder. “Your presence here makes this possible.”

His lupine chuckle resonated within her chest. “We could say the same.” His eyes flicked toward Lea, seeming to decide that this was ‘later.’ “I am gratified that you found a solution to your issue. You have truly wrought something new upon this world.”

Tala swallowed at his meaningful look, but didn’t acknowledge the implications. “She is our daughter, and we are blessed to have her.”

“Yes, I can see that. It is the mandate of nature to continue our kind through our own efforts, and it is all too easy for that to fall away in light of personal power, security, and seeming immortality, even if any one of those—if not all three—is false in one or many ways.”

Tala chuckled in return, feeling the tension ease as they explicitly didn’t address Lea’s existence soul. “Thank you. Though, I think you just conveyed that you were grateful I had a daughter because doing so will keep me humble?”

His lips pulled back from his teeth even as his eyes continued to move over the mustering forces. “Then I mis-conveyed. One is not nearly enough to ensure that.”

Tala barked a laugh, glad that she had yet to grow her helmet into place. She grinned widely. “But one at a time is sufficient?"

Anatalis turned to regard her fully once more. “Oh, young pup, whatever makes you think that I am properly humble?”

They grinned at one another with increasingly predatory smiles before returning their focus outward.

Botulf had laid down to wait, his heat not disturbing the grass around him.

Conri padded around to regard Rane, words passing between them that were kept from everyone else.

Even so, she saw the interest on her husband’s face and knew that something was afoot.

-Or is it a-paw?-

…Rust you, Alat. Now I’m going to have that stuck in my head for hours.

-Love ya!-

Tala sighed. “This… This feels surreal. I still remember my first time in the southern woods. We strove to go unnoticed, to slip through the Leshkin unmolested.”

The resonant voice returned to her. “How well did that work?”

She chuckled once again. “Not very. It eventually devolved into a rolling battle.” She felt a tug at her heart, and had to suppress sudden tears. “My teacher at the time…” Tala swallowed, suddenly ashamed at how long it had been since she had thought of the woman. “Mistress Odera… She maintained a barrier around the entire caravan for the last portion of the journey.”

-When this attack is done, we should spend some time on the Path of Remembrance.-

Absolutely.

“She must have been a powerful Archon. How did she fall?”

Tala shook her head, giving a sad smile. “No and no, actually. She was a Mage, and she wasn’t even unusually strong. She was uncommonly wise and she had a control and finesse that is rarely seen among Mages.”

“Ahh, then she gave herself back to the world.”

Tala swallowed at the memory. “Yes.”

Silence fell between them, and they waited in companionable stillness as final preparations came together.

Tala noted that Mistress Aproa—Mistress Odera’s granddaughter—was actually among the gated within the alliance’s ranks. The woman was not quite Refined, but she was close.

Her Mage’s robes were still leather, but they were a light, almost sky blue now. The maces hanging on each side of her belt were also clearly soulbound to her, and Tala couldn’t tell if they were wholly different from those the woman had wielded years earlier or if they’d simply been radically upgraded and enhanced.

Either way, she was still among the plurality of their forces, only Fused if obviously talented.

Such different paths we’ve taken…

-A slow divergence, but a complete one.-

They hadn’t spoken in… a very long time. Tala had no doubt that if she were to go to the woman, there would be echoes of friendship, they might even be able to rekindle something if Tala desired, but… did she?

She’d passed so many people in her life, and so many were strangers to her now.

Her old Defender unit was also among their number, Mistress Cerna, Master Clevnis, Mistress Venga, and Master Limmestare.

They were in command over and at the head of a group of Fused as well as partnered with a unit of arcanes from the House of Broken Glass and a small force gathered from a few wandering settlements. A pack of rime-wolves had chosen to join them as well, and Mistress Venga was chatting amicably as they moved into position, seemingly working to bridge any remaining gap of trepidation among their larger group.

That was but one small portion of this great army, and Tala found that she knew many of the various pieces.

Once more, she thanked the stars that she wasn’t in strategic command.

She had no issue sacrificing herself, taking injuries or going into danger for others, but sending her friends or those she knew into such situations? She didn’t want to do that.

Worse, she also didn’t want to send people into danger simply because she didn’t know them.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

No, her place was at the front, dealing with things in the heat of the moment, not planning and strategizing beforehand, not planning who lived and died with cold detachment and logic.

The allied army was ready, and they advanced in a wide V formation, with Anatalis, Botulf, Conri, Tala, Terry, and Rane at the tip, the Pack flanking them and the Talons filling in behind. Lea had moved back to be among the Talons.

On the right arm of the V, Eskau Meallain held the middle and Eskau Pallaun anchored the far end.

To the left, a fire-focused Reforged held the middle, and a Paragon was the farthest ‘core’ defender. That one was a severe, tall woman with her scalp shaved clean to reveal her inscriptions, entirely made of silver. She was a specialist in void-magic—one of the few that the Cycling Cities had—and she was usually sent to deal with founts or cells that couldn’t be resealed.

Tala might have imagined it, but in her threefold sight, the woman seemed a bit haunted, like sending so many souls on to the next world had left a mark upon her very being.

Tala had never encountered her directly before as the woman preferred her privacy and a separation from others. She’d even declined an invitation to meet with Tala before this advance, which Tala supposed she could understand, as she often had a desire to keep to herself as well.

Regardless, those four represented the ‘hard-points’—the most combat capabable—of the arms of the formation, with many others filling in around and between them.

Tala had a question for the great wolf, and now was as good a time as any. “When do you think I should connect Walden’s domain to Zeme?”

Anatalis gave something akin to a sneer. “Didn’t your war council decide that little detail?”

She huffed a laugh. “Hardly. In their words, such things are far above their understanding, and they will defer to those closer to the issue.”

He chuffed, seeming a bit mollified. “At least they have some wisdom.”

She waited a moment, but when he didn’t continue, she prompted, “So?”

He sighed. “The question you really have is much simpler. Which is better for a hunt? Surprise or momentum. Bring him out earlier, and he will be able to gather power and build momentum. Hold him in reserve, and he could be a surprise at a critical time.”

Tala grimaced. “I don’t know which is better. What do you advise?”

He eyed her for a long moment before answering. “My advice would be to hold him in reserve until the first spawning tree. If we meet resistance there, bring him out as a surprise. If we don’t, bring him out to allow him to begin building momentum.”

She nodded slowly. “That’s sound. A middle ground. Thank you.”

Anatalis turned forward once more, returning his focus to the forest around them.

-Tala? We just got word, a Black Legion army is moving on Retindel. Master Jevin is giving what support he can, but he can’t leave Makinaven, not now.-

Tala almost stopped her forward walk but managed to keep her reaction to herself. Are we needed? Are we being sent?

She had the horrifying thought that she was about to be asked to leave her family and this army to face the Forest Spirit without her.

Thankfully, that wasn’t what Alat was trying to say.

-No, the war council is trying to move forces to support the tree city, we’re hours away, and our task, here, is far too important.-

So, I’m the only one being told?

-Yes, as a courtesy, as Eskau of War.-

Tala took a deep breath and nodded, firming her step. Let me know if they need us. Otherwise, tell me when it’s over.

-Understood. I’ll not distract you with details until it’s decided.-

As the army crossed the border, back into the southern woods, the fighters were protected from the aura and authority in the air.

Even so, as they entered, it was like pulling a bladder underwater, the range of Tala’s aura being compressed inward, far closer to their forces than she’d have preferred.

Thankfully, it was not as egregious as water pressure versus air pressure. Tala’s unifying reach and will alongside Anatalis was more than sufficient to stave off the Forest Spirit, even within his own domain.

Interestingly, Botulf and Conri didn’t add their weight to the press of auras directly. Instead, they joined the arch-wolves and even the arcanous packs in simply supporting Anatalis, bolstering his own aura and authoritative weight far beyond what even a god-beast should have been able to bring to bear.

It’s no wonder he’s been able to clash with the Forest Spirit before, despite the elk being a Sovereign as well.

-Indeed.-

Still, despite rebuffing the bulk of the Forest Spirit’s suppressing aura, this advance was different than last time.

Last time, there had been wildlife hiding from their passage.

Now? Now there was nothing. There were not even insects, which was… concerning. She couldn’t find a single creature of any kind with her threefold perception.

When she brought that up to Anatalis, he gave a low growl of acknowledgement. “He’s removed all potential prey from our path, in an attempt to invalidate our hunt, to reduce my claim and power.”

Tala blinked in surprise. “Is that… Is that possible?” She frowned. “Let me rephrase that. I have no doubt that the removal of all fauna is within the power of a Sovereign, but it seems so disjointed from his concept… Wouldn’t it also weaken his domain? How?”

The wolf’s growl deepened, clearly showing his irritation. “I do not know.”

Tala grimaced, then decided to ask an expert. She projected her voice to Walden, explaining the situation.

He responded, and she easily heard it within her expanded space. “Can you show me?”

Tala didn’t see why not, opening a portal so that Walden could look out at the forest.

The elk stomped and huffed in surprise within his domain. “He’s learned a new trick. The fauna isn’t gone, it has simply been moved forward in time.”

Anatalis growled, clearly having been listening in. “All things move forward in time, so increasing that rate, ‘skipping’ things forward wouldn’t take much power if he’s figured out how. That was never something he was capable of before…”

Tala grimaced. Had the Forest Spirit somehow learned that from Eskau De-arg’s ascension? If the creatures simply disappeared, only to reappear later… That reminded her of what had happened to the little bear-kin, even if she knew that he wouldn’t be returning at some point in the future.

Even so, it wasn’t impossible that the clash of powers had taught the Forest Spirit something.

She sighed. There was nothing they could do about it now.

A sudden wave of pressure pressed down on Tala’s authority, attempting to drive their forces away through… something. It hit even her, amplifying her fear of the too-quiet woods, the wrongness in the air, the… sacredness? They were violating a sacred space. They were unwelcome.

She had a split second to decide how to handle the assault, and in that moment, she made her choice. Rather than simply reducing the impact on those under her command, she diverted the attack, drawing it all down upon her and her alone.

Fear. Her actions were atrocious; this place wasn’t for her; she was the aggressor.

Tala didn’t fight the affects, instead letting them flow through her.

Yes, this was terrifying. Humanity had a deep fear of the woods engrained into their very being.

Tala would advance anyway. Despite the fear she would continue.

Yes, she had made mistakes, and she would again.

Even so, she firmly believed in ‘doing better next time’, and this was no different. She would act as best as she was able, and she would improve.

Yes, she didn’t belong here. She belonged at home with her family, or out exploring the world to bask in the wonder of Zeme and to delve the remaining mysteries of magic. She was only here because her enemy had chosen to hide in this place.

Tala was the aggressor.

She was bringing the fight to the Black Legion, to the Leshkin, to the Forest Spirit, and she would rather their clash be here than near more innocents.

Tala smiled as she remembered Mistress Holly’s words on authority so long ago. At the same time, she followed the implicit advice. Tala’s aura, her authority, and her very will accepting the onslaught rather than opposing it. She accepted the accusations and let them build her higher.

The results were dramatic.

Her forces weren’t being weighed down by the attack. As such, they only experienced her swelling aura and power in response, buoying up morale to a wonderful degree.

In the swell of confidence, one of the dwarves began a marching song—a war chant—that was simple and easy to pick up. The beat aligned well with their pace, and the lyrics were repetitive and on point. Soon, those near him had picked it up, and it spread through their lines, pushing back the eerie silence and replacing it with the rhythms of war.

Walden wasn’t the largest fan of the lyrics from how he acted, but it was clear that he understood they weren’t being literal. After all, who would really want to ‘Burn it all down, every rock and tree’?

Even so, Tala sent the arch-beast an apologetic look through the portal at the second line of the chorus: ‘Run little elk, we’re coming for thee.’

Walden looked less than amused by the song as Tala regarded him, but he didn’t say anything, clearly seeming to understand the benefit despite the overtly anti-cervid nature of many of the words.

Anatalis and the wolves clearly enjoyed the song, the god-beasts even adding in their howls at the appropriate places, further pushing back the oppressive feel of the forest.

They had long since given up the potential for stealth—after all, they couldn’t hope to bring god-beasts into the Forest Spirit’s domain undectected—and so this was a pure positive for her side…well, for all but the singular exception.

The cadence continued.

Tala soon found herself grinning widely as more and more verses were ad-libbed, even as the better ones circled back around to be used again.

It was a rather enjoyable pass time, which bolstered their forces all the more, until their goal was suddenly in sight.

As the factory tree came back into view—still charred and scarred by the alliance’s siege weaponry—there was no sign of any defense or defenders. Not a single Black Legionnaire or Leshkin was in evidence.

Tala might have feared the factory was moved if such was actually possible, but her understanding—tentative as it might be—assured her that it wasn’t.

Anatalis chuffed, and Walden huffed, but it was Rane who vocalized what they were all thinking, “So… It’s a trap.”

Tala chuckled. “That it is.”

Even so, they weren’t about to ignore the strategic target before them. Anatalis locked gazes with Tala and gave a slow nod, indicating that this was, indeed, still a factory, and it was a target they needed to eliminate.

They’d come for the hunt, and this was but the first stop.

It was time to destroy a factory, a spawning tree, a source of endlessly returning enemies.

It was time to stitch Walden’s domain back into Zeme.

Tala felt a grin spread across her features.

It was time to spring the trap.