Chapter 4493: Proof of Strength (Part 1)

"Moving so close to the surface so soon after recapturing Bornar from the Organization is reckless at best and stupid at worst." Tethre said.

"What would have us do, Tethre?" Cyrra Morghon, Banshee and current High General of the Night Court, scoffed. "Spend months, if not years, in hiding and let our business and connections wither while we wait for the Incontinent King to make his move?

"That man is a coward, and after his plans suffered so many setbacks, I wouldn’t be surprised if he never shows his face again." Her copper-red hair almost matched the intensity of her eyes as the power of undeath lit them from within like torches.

"Indeed, but what was the point of the alliance with Verhen if we abandon our underground fortresses without even warning him? Why have Ruler Menadion adjust the arrays and defences of our strongholds to counter the Upyr’s powers just to abandon them?

"Most importantly, my liege, what about me?" Tethre’s voice quivered, and fear stole the allure from her fine features. "I’m one of the members of the Night Courts who led the coup against Narchat.

"I played a pivotal role in selling him out to the Mad Queen and his subsequent imprisonment. Why did you insist on making me come to Bornar? If the Dead King discovers I’m here, I’ll be his next target!"

"It’s true what they say, Tethre." Cyrra’s laughter was mirthless and cruel. "Age alone brings no wisdom or courage. I wonder how you reached your position in the Night Court with such a weak heart and mushy brain.

"The point of our deal with Vehren is being his allies, you dimwit, not his servants!" The Banshee snarled, and the storm she carried within herself manifested in a gust of wind strong enough to force the vampire to step back.

"We don’t have to ask his permission to do anything, let alone reestablish our centers of power and our connections with the black market! Ruler Menadion’s help was priceless in setting up our defense system.

"She gave us the blueprints of her arrays, and we have deployed her improved creations here, and in all the branches of the Undead Courts we reconquered. Yet that doesn’t mean I’ll grant Verhen access and control to them.

"Letting him set up the arrays to fuel his Omega Prime would be no different than living under his rule, knowing that he can kill us as soon as our interests no longer align. As for you, my dear Tethre..." Cyrra’s rosy lips dripped sarcasm at those words.

"You are bait. I won’t spend my eternal life in fear. I won’t hide and give up on everything I’ve built through the centuries just because of a little man like Narchat. This is my challenge to him!

"If he really is worth more than the air he breathes, if he really thinks he has a chance of victory against my court, he’s free to come here and do his worst! We’ve proved our strength by defeating the Master’s Chosen.

"We possess Ruler Menadion’s anti-Upyr spells. I’ve invested every coin I had left into this branch. If Narchat comes here, he will find me ready. Either he kills me, or I kill him; I’ll have my victory.

"I, Cyrra Morghon, will have fought the Dead King’s army and proved the Night Court’s mettle. Even if we lose, we’ll force Narchat to reveal his cards. Whoever takes my place, if not even that Dawn fool of Bahz, will kill the Dead King.

"I’ll be dead, sure, but my glory will be eternal, and the children of the Red Mother will rule the night again!"

"This is insane!" Tethre snarled, her teeth turning into fangs and her fingers elongating into claws. "Since when are we martyrs? I joined the Night Court to gain eternal life and unlimited power, not to be a hero!"

"A hero? Me?" The Banshee’s amused laugh stopped the Vampire from jumping at her neck. "I’m just like you, you fool! Tell me, how can you call forever hiding like a rat a life? What good are our powers if we can’t even enjoy the thrill of the hunt?

"I’m not a martyr! I’m a predator, and I’d rather fight to the death to defend my hunting ground than go back to being a weak sheep afraid of her own shadow. I’m not that woman anymore, and I never will. What about you, Tethre?

"Are you a daughter of Baba Yaga, returned from the grave to reclaim her life like me, or are you a scared little girl?"

Those words hit the Vampire harder than any spell or blow ever could. The charisma they exuded and the shameful confession about Cyrra’s past shook Tethre to her core. The Banshee had become High General because the strength of her character matched that of her arm.

"I’m a daughter of Baba Yaga." Her feral features regressed until she looked like a beautiful woman again. "I fought that bastard once. I can do it again, my liege."

"Well said, Major Tethre." Cyrra nodded as the Vampire bent the knee in submission. "Now resume your station and don’t fret. I’m here to protect you, but make no mistake. I don’t care about you. I only care about what you stand for.

"You are one of those who defied the Dead King first and lived. You are proof the Night Court can stand its ground against him. I’m going to protect the ideal you embody, but if you betray me or act like a coward, I’ll take you out myself."

"I understand, my liege." Tethre nodded. "I-"

Alarms blared across the luxurious underground fortress, and all the mystical lights flashed red, alerting the undead that the perimeter had been breached.

"You’ll contact our allies and then join me on the battlefield." A wave of Cyrra’s hand and her enchanted glaive, Blood Tear, flew into her palm. "To arms!"

Meanwhile, up in Bornar’s sky, a small contingent of Orpal’s Upyr army harried the city while the main force moved towards the Night Court’s branch. Finding it hadn’t been easy, but the result was worth the effort.

"Those undead-brained idiots must have forgotten that I ruled over all the Courts and know how they handle their business." The laughter and the voice belonged to Orpal, but the body he inhabited wasn’t his own.

"Those greedy morons always take the antique shipments to the local branch of a Court to look for something valuable or connected to their old life. All I had to do was find a few pieces of old junk and enchant them with a tracking spell.

"Sure, all the branches of the Undead Courts are spatially sealed, but the external side of their old Gate Network is not. Once I found the hidden runes, it didn’t take much to identify the branch’s dimensional coordinate and, from there, its position."

"It was a smart move." Jorl, the Storm Griffon, sat near the real Orpal in the fortress of Tle’ket. "Still, I question its timing. Our forces are still growing, and the recruits don’t even come close to covering for our losses."

"Winter is over, Jorl." Night spoke from Orpal’s right side of the face. "We must fight with the army we have, not the one we want. Delaying our attack any longer would only prove our weakness."