by Pirateaba
“I do apologize Lady Magnolia, but I was told that General Shivertail was concerned with the state of the levied forces from the cities. As I have experience in that field, I believe I can manage the reports and let the general concern himself with more important issues.”
Zel could tell Reynold and Sacra were both warriors at a glance. The way they stood, the way they looked at him—their uniforms did nothing to hide that from his gaze. He nodded at Reynold as he set down a piece of parchment.
“Thank you for driving me…Reynold, is it? Are you a former [Soldier] of some kind?”
Reynold hesitated and behind him, Magnolia’s eyes flicked to him. But then the [Butler] nodded.
“I was a [Lieutenant], sir. An officer in charge of a cavalry unit. I have…experience in combat. And in war. I fought twice against Drakes in the Bloodfields.”
He waited for Zel’s response as the room went still. The Drake stared at Reynold and saw his companion, the [Maid] called Sacra, tense ever so slightly. He simply nodded.
“I understand. I’d be glad to let you take over, Reynold. And can I assume your companion knows war as well?”
Reynold bowed slightly.
“Miss Sacra is also familiar with military matters, General Shivertail. With your permission, we will tabulate a full list for your appraisal within the next few hours.”
“Excellent! Thank you, Reynold.”
Magnolia shot to her feet, clapping her hands lightly. She looked at Ressa and turned to Zel.
“I forgot Reynold and Sacra could be helpful. Do forgive me. Why don’t we let them take over—Ressa, they’ll need stamina potions, food, drinks, whatever they want. But I want those wrapped bacon snacks myself. General Shivertail, let us retire to another location.”
Zel raised his brows, wondering if he should protest. But one look at Reynold and Sacra as they began poring over his work reassured him they were competent. He let Magnolia steer him out of the room and down a corridor.
The next sitting room he found himself in was more intimate, and would have been familiar to Ryoka and Erin. Zel shifted and wondered why the couch had to be pink. But he had to admit, he was grateful for a chance to relax and by this point the milk and snacks had arrived.
“Oh! What a treat.”
Magnolia was salivating over the crisp, hot rolls of bacon wrapped in dough. She chewed on one, sipped from her honey and milk drink, and promptly ordered another plate made. Ressa took one look at the bits of bacon and cancelled the order.
“Ressa!”
“You don’t need that much food.”
“I can have it if I want. Look at General Shivertail. He’s eating.”
“He’s bigger than you are and a warrior. He can burn the energy. You’ll just get fat. Fatter.”
“How dare you! This dress is very slimming, I’ll have you know.”
“Yes. Too bad it can’t work miracles.”
Zel watched the [Lady] and [Maid] bicker like old friends for a few seconds before coughing. Instantly, both Magnolia and Ressa looked at him, all business.
“So I’m here to help you kill the Goblin Lord, and then the Necromancer. But from what you keep hinting at, you want more than that. Lady Reinhart, it’s time to stop dancing around before we trip on our tails. What do you really want with me?”
Lady Magnolia Reinhart grew still. She sat across from Zel Shivertail and looked him in the eye. Once, Magnolia had sat at this very couch—or one much like it—and bullied and played games with two young women. That was then. Now, she sat and addressed Zel Shivertail as an equal. Her voice was steady and unadorned with any Skill as she spoke.
“I asked you to join me Zel Shivertail, because I want to work with you. I have sent you letters—hounded you, I will freely admit—over the years because I wanted you and none other. Not just to guide my armies, but to form an alliance with me. To defend this sorry continent and deal with the many problems of our world. And if you accept, you will be the first.”
Zel sat in his seat, back straight, not touching the snacks or his drink. He looked at Magnolia and felt the hum of danger in the back of his head. It was distinct, far-off. Danger to him? Or someone else? He sensed that he was facing an important decision and wished he was sure of how he’d respond or what she would say.
“The first? What do you mean by that?”
Lady Magnolia straightened her dress.
“I have sent many letters to many individuals across the world, General Shivertail. But two I have bothered most consistently. It is my hope that if you announce your decision to work with me, the second individual I have contacted will lend his great strength to me. You see, I have a plan that involves you, and you are the first.”
“Who is the second?”
“Niers Astoragon. The Titan.”
The name fell into the room and silenced it. Zel felt his heartbeat accelerate as thunder rumbled in his head and pieces started to fall into place. He felt like he was staring at a picture and was only uncovering it one piece at a time. But the grand scheme of it…he wondered whether Magnolia’s ambitions were what Sserys had feared or what he hoped for.
“The famous strategist of Baleros. Why do you want him?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
Zel grunted at Magnolia’s disapproving look. He understood what, but not why.
“An army. You want us to lead an army.”
She nodded. Her fingers were laced together, and Ressa was looking from her mistress to Zel. They hid their emotions well, but Zel could tell they were nervous. Magnolia went on.
“It is similar to a thought exercise, General Shivertail. How would you go about creating the most powerful army? I am no [Strategist], so I thought of an answer that involved people. Two. A world-famous [General] and an unbeatable [Strategist]. Two of the highest-level individuals on the planet, men or rather, a Fraerling and Drake that all recognize of sound character and honor. You two could lead any army, and I would give you an army of legends. Magical artifacts, arms, mercenaries…my coffers can fund whatever is needed.”
“That sounds…plausible.”
It sounded insane. Why would Niers Astoragon, a [Strategist] whom Zel had never met in his life, travel from Baleros to Izril? But if Magnolia was serious—and her eyes were purely focused and honest as far as Zel could tell—she had a point. Still, Zel felt compelled to point out an obvious flaw.
“If you’re talking hypothetically about a perfect army, even in the abstract, you only have two parts of the puzzle. A [General] to lead and a [Strategist] to coordinate is a solid combination, but the wildcard that can take an army apart is a [Mage]. Without a powerful spellcaster, there are ways to destroy even the best-equipped army.”
Magnolia smiled.
“I know that. But the [Mage] I already have. I know a…magic user beyond any other. If I had you and Niers, I think he would join too. And there are many more I would reach to, many whom I think would join once they saw what I was attempting to create. So I would have a leader, a planner, and a spellcaster. Three to lead an army.”
“And do what? Carve out an empire?”
“No. To create a resolution to this world’s issues.”
Zel stared. Magnolia steepled her fingers.
“Consider this, Zel Shivertail. In this world of ours, there is war. Always war. From Baleros to Terandria, there is always a conflict going on. And some threaten to destroy entire species. We are threatened by the Antinium, a menace we have never seen before. Twice we have gone to war and twice made peace. But I think you and I know they are planning for a third war. A final war and I am not of the opinion we can be so complacent about them this time.”
Zel thought of Pawn, of Klbkch, Xrn, and nodded slowly.
“No. They are…changing.”
Magnolia nodded.
“And that is only the tip of the iceberg. In Rhir, the Demons fight with the Blighted King. As they have always done, and yet…there was an attempt on the Blighted King’s life last week. I
magine what would have happened had it succeeded? And the King of Destruction stirs from his slumber at last. Meanwhile, a new [Emperor] has emerged in Chandrar, the Emperor of Sands who already controls a good sixth of the continent. Either one could threaten the world.”
“You seem to be listing a lot of problems. But is this hypothetical army of yours a solution?”
“Not a hypothetical army, Zel Shivertail. A very real one that could become reality. Nations and species fight, but we do not have to. If we could resolve the Antinium issue in Izril, make some kind of peace between Drakes and Humans, we could turn our attention to the real issues in this world! But it is the Antinium and the Necromancer I think of now. The Drakes are disunited and we Humans fight each other. We need a powerful force—beyond what one [Lord] or Walled City can raise. A truly powerful force, one made up of every alliance that can be forged. You and I have seen it before.”
“General Sserys’ army.”
Another piece fell into place. Zel walked backwards in time, saw a massive army of Drakes, the hope of the continent. Humans, riding south to fight against a common enemy. Death and silence. A destroyed army and Sserys’ last words.
The past met the present. Magnolia nodded. She had been there too.
“I believe that if we Humans had marched with you, if we had all committed as one or given General Sserys more time, worn down the Antinium by parts rather than risk a final confrontation…perhaps we might be living in a different world. But yes, that is what I refer to. Another army, only this one led by you, Zel Shivertail. One that would either destroy or push the Antinium off this continent for good.”
The idea rocked Zel back in his chair. Not because it was daring, not because it was impossible—but because it was what he had been saying for years. Hadn’t he told those idiots in the Walled Cities and councils the exact same thing? Zel’s words came back to him. Drakes should be uniting against a common foe, forging alliances, focusing on the real threat. He looked at Magnolia and saw her looking at him.
“I have ears throughout the world Zel Shivertail. And what I dreamed of, you shouted. You have been ignored by your people, but I agreed with every word you said. Except that I think the Antinium are only the start.”
“You want to create a force powerful enough to destroy both the Necromancer and the Antinium? And what then, end the war between our species? End that idiocy at the Blood Fields that happens every year?”
Magnolia nodded. Zel shook his head.
“Impossible. Every Drake city would—you’d have to shove peace down their throats while you held a blade in the other hand. And I bet the Humans would be the same.”
“If that is what is necessary, I would do it. We must have peace, General Shivertail. Peace! This war is senseless and it wastes lives. I would end that.”
“How?”
Magnolia’s gaze was steady as she met Zel’s.
“I would open the High Passes and encourage Humans and Drakes to settle in each other’s lands. Peace might not arrive in a year or a decade, but exposure to one another and peace—by whatever means—would bridge old wounds, or so I feel. At the very least, I think the Gnolls would welcome the opportunity to travel the north as well as the south.”
The thought of that—Zel’s mind spun as he imagined the High Passes opened. That would let armies though—but also trade. It would mean war if the Humans and Drakes weren’t already at peace, but if they were…
“And what then? You’ll disband the army?”
Magnolia snorted.
“Hardly. There is far more to do. Far more pressing issues that may well lead to a world war, a conflict between continents. If I could stabilize one continent, I see no reason why I shouldn’t turn my attention to another one.”
“So say you do. What would you fix?”
Slowly, Magnolia Reinhart began to count on her fingers, her voice echoing in the sitting room.
“The Demons of Rhir. The Emperor of Sands in Chandrar. The King of Destruction. Those idiots in Terandria, and the state of war in Baleros. Oh, and those disgusting slavers in Roshal too. Those are the major issues I see in the world.”
It was like she was making wishes on a shooting star. Zel shook his head. Any one of those issues was unsolvable in his eyes. Oh, he could see parts of how to fix the issues—smashing the King of Destruction’s armies and beheading that idiot would solve a lot, but the scope of what Magnolia was proposing was…
A [Strategist] like Niers Astoragon could probably see what she was proposing, though. The Titan? Zel had met two Fraerlings in his life. He wondered what the Titan would say. If they met, would they even be able to work together? A good [General] and [Strategist] were like a married couple. If they didn’t agree—
Ridiculous. It would never happen. But part of Zel wondered. Magnolia was rich. Niers Astoragon was a mercenary, for all he was a commander. And he was renowned for being able to travel vast distances at the drop of a hat, appearing on a battlefield hundreds of miles away from where he had been spotted in a day’s time. He was also open to communication. If she sent him a letter, or if Zel did—
Impossible. But the [General] kept listening.
“An army solves many issues. I have no doubt you and Niers Astoragon could push back the Demon King and rout his armies if you were joined with armies from the other continents. As for Chandrar—the King of Destruction and the Emperor of Sands are already at war. One could destroy the other, but neither can be allowed to overtake the continent. The other issues can be solved with diplomacy, but one must be a world power to make other such powers agree to talk.”
Magnolia was speaking as if it were all set in stone, as if it were all possible. Zel shook his head.
“You’re overestimating me, Reinhart. I may be a high-level [General], but I wouldn’t bet on a battle between me and the King of Destruction, even with the Titan commanding my army. You need more than one army.”
“So I shall have more. Many more. That is why Izril is the start, General Shivertail. Bring peace to Izril, and I can send five, six, eight armies to do battle with the King of Destruction if need be. And other nations will do the same. You see, what I want is peace. And for that, I need an army. Not just one army, but a collective of every nation that wants peace in the world.”
A coalition. Zel shivered. Magnolia went on, her eyes shining with a distant future.
“Imagine it. A centralized peacekeeping force made up of forces from all nations. A governing body that exists beyond [Kings] and has the authority and strength to deal with threats to our world. It could be possible. The Goblin Lord and the Antinium are the first step. Eradicate them, and consolidate a base of power, and more will follow. That is why I need you, Zel Shivertail. You can lead an army. You and I represent a force far greater than our individual strengths.”
And like that, she lost him. Zel looked at Magnolia, suddenly broken out of the trance her words had caused. She was still looking ahead, still staring at that vision—and he remembered what Sserys had said.
Peace.
And Zel understood a bit of what had scared his mentor and friend. He shifted, and Magnolia broke off speaking sharply. The moment of—inspiration—flickered out.
The Drake carefully reached out and snagged one of the pigs in the blanket. He bit into it and chewed. It was cold, but the food was still good. And it was grounding. He took a sip and spoke softly.
“It sounds like an amazing dream, Lady Reinhart. But I’m afraid I don’t quite buy into all of it. I don’t think it will work.”
Magnolia looked at him and the light in her eyes faded a bit.
“Why not?”
“It’s an abstract idea. It’s a plan with a thousand moving parts. It assumes you will get the Titan’s attention, he will come here, that we won’t all be defeated in a battle, that you can make peace…and that I stay after dealing with the Goblin Lord and Az’kerash.”
Zel sipped at his drink, keeping his tail still. Magnolia stared at him.
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br /> “I see. But you agree the Antinium are a threat, don’t you? Why would you—”
“I don’t know if I’ll stay. Because I don’t trust you.”
Zel stood up abruptly. He saw Ressa tense, but Magnolia held up a hand. The [General] ignored Ressa and stared down at Magnolia. She looked up at him, fearless, but wary.
“I don’t like you, Human. I don’t mind most Humans, but you I judge from what I’ve heard and seen over the years. I don’t trust you, Magnolia Reinhart. You speak of peace, but you would see it through war.”
“How else?”
Magnolia blinked calmly at Zel, and he lost his momentum.
“How else? What do you mean?”
“How else would you do it, General Shivertail? You must know there are foes that will not be dissuaded from any amount of talking. There are tyrants and monsters who wear flesh like costumes and parade around pretending to civility in this world. They must be ended. How else would you do it besides war?”
“That’s not what I mean. It’s the fact that you’re the one taking charge that I object to.”
Zel shook his head. He felt frustrated—because he partially agreed with what Magnolia had said. And yet—
“No one person can be above others. Drakes have no [Kings] for that reason. If you went about ‘solving’ issues and removing whomever you liked, what would make you better than they are? What would allow people to trust you?”
“Nothing at all. I understand that. I have a reputation for trickery and underhandedness. I understand that General Shivertail. Which is why I need you and Niers Astoragon. I need people who are what I am not. Honorable, trustworthy. And that is why I propose a council, an alliance of people to manage this attempt, this army. I invited you to my estate as an equal, and I propose that you and I find other equals who can balance our opinions and make the right choices.”
The words made sense, but the mouth they came from—Zel shook his head again.
“No. I can’t trust that. I will not. Not alone, at any rate.”
Magnolia rose too, slowly. She was eying him with concern, and he felt like—
A Drake [General] stared at a young Human girl as she held out her hand. Peace. He looked into her eyes and saw war.
