"How about you, Alice?" asked Suzanne.
"I don't know," answered Alice. "With my magic and combat skills, I certainly have a lot of options. I think I'd be at my best training soldiers and mages. That way I could spread my skills over the widest range and hopefully I could teach a lot of people how to stay alive out there. What about you, Susie? I'm sure you already have a plan."
"Believe it or not, I don't," said Suzanne with a chuckle. "I never thought about what would happen after our quest. I guess I naively thought our job would be over, as though the Archfiend would catch wind that humanity was uniting against it and run away. When we met Ramia I felt relieved. For some reason, I felt like we wouldn't have to fight anymore."
"You've done a lot," said Thomas. "You brought this all together. You led us through this whole journey. You gave a lot of yourself; more than anybody. Nobody can look down on you if you don't think you have anything left."
"Thanks, Tom," said Suzanne. "But I began this journey for a reason: to save humanity from the Archfiend. Uniting the nations was a large part of that but it was only a part. I'm not going to hand off the responsibility now. I don't know what the best way for me to serve is. But I'll figure it out."
"We know you will, Susie," said Ron.
"Hey! Here comes Emperor Vilisik!" pointed out Alice. The emperor had been giving the four updates during every recess in the discussions.
"He doesn't look very happy," commented Thomas.
"How are the discussions going, Your Highness?" asked Suzanne when the emperor had reached the group.
"We have come up with a plan," he answered. "A plan good enough to convince King Saldor to formally join our alliance."
"You do not sound very enthusiastic about this plan," pointed out Suzanne.
"I agree that it gives us our best chance," answered the emperor. "But even if we are successful the cost will be high."
The emperor began explaining the plan, "As expected, our best chance of winning the coming war is to assassinate the Archfiend. Our plan depends on Ramia and the monster's own intelligence. In the Second Great War Desmond was able to defeat the Archfiend quickly. He had his main force engage the enemy head-on while a smaller force of elite fighters broke off from the main group. They snuck around the main enemy force and rushed at Venorl Castle."
"From what we know of Archfiends they are smart enough not to risk themselves by going into the open field of battle but arrogant enough to fight a small group of humans by themselves. Desmond took advantage of this. When his small force made it to Venorl instead of recalling a portion of his army to crush them the Archfiend fought them itself. From what we know, the Archfiend would consider it an insult to retreat from a small group of humans."
"As I mentioned, we plan to use the Archfiend's intelligence against it. We believe that this Archfiend knows what led to the downfall of its predecessor. So we plan to maneuver as though we plan to copy Desmond's strategy from fifty years ago. Our hope is that the Archfiend, rather than taking the same chance that the last one did, will quickly move some of its forces to crush both the main forces and the side force. This will leave Venorl itself relatively empty."
"This is where Ramia comes in. Ramia will participate in battle with the main force so as to disguise our true intentions. We will keep her out of strenuous battle but have her participate enough to be noticed by the enemy. Once the time is right Ramia will begin transporting the most elite fighters we have to Venorl Castle. We believe it is best if she takes five at a time."
"Five!?" exclaimed Thomas. "I'm not a student of military history but didn't Desmond have dozens of warriors with him when he reached Venorl? And even then he barely won with his life!"
"We do not expect five warriors to storm Venorl," answered the emperor. "Ramia will keep making trips back to the main force to pick up more. The initial five need only hold their position and survive long enough for backup to arrive. In our discussions we believe Ramia can manage three trips before the Archfiend recalls some of its forces and they arrive back at Venorl."
"That makes fifteen," said Ron. "Fifteen of humanity's best against Venorl and the Archfiend. Some might call that…" He cut himself off.
"A suicide mission," finished Suzanne.
"Which makes what I am about to ask your four even tougher," continued Emperor Vilisik. "We need our very best at Venorl to have a chance of pulling this off. I have seen and heard about the deeds you four have accomplished. To be frank, you are the best. I request that the four of you join the team that will infiltrate Venorl Castle and destroy the Archfiend."
There was a moment of silence while the four thought about what the emperor had asked of them. Suzanne quickly came to a decision.
"I will do it," she declared. "I cannot speak for the other three but I have made up my mind. This mission is the most important part of the coming war. I would be honored to take part in it."
"Well then you can count me in too!" exclaimed Ron. "Can't get any further to the front than storming the enemy's castle after all!"
"I guess that means I better come along," said Alice, feigning exasperation. "You guys would be lost without me after all."
"As though we won't be lost with you along!" laughed Ron. "Do you have a map of Venorl?"
"Well…no. But I can make one!" answered Alice.
"The lot of you will get sliced and diced the moment you land," said Thomas with a scowl. "You'll need someone there to patch you up."
"Are you volunteering?" asked Suzanne.
"I must. There aren't too many healers that can keep up with you three," answered Thomas.
"It sounds like you all have made up your mind!" said the emperor. "And here I thought I might have to talk you into it. Good, hopefully the other rulers are able to talk their elite warriors into joining so easily."
With an alliance created and a plan formed the nations of the world quickly moved their militaries towards the Necrogond. Ramia and magic were the keys. Ramia was able to transport an advanced group of warriors, including Suzanne's group, into the Necrogond. Included in this group were a number of wizards. The wizards worked tirelessly to establish a teleportation waypoint for the army while being protected by Ramia and the warriors. Normally a month long process; this time it only took two and a half weeks due to the expertise of those involved. It was during this time that Alice celebrated her 19th birthday. She spent the day working on the waypoint.
With the waypoint in place the moving of the alliance armies went a lot quicker. Wizards worked tirelessly in teleporting groups of soldiers to the Necrogond. The placing of the waypoint was a key decision. It had to be far enough away to keep the Archfiend from destroying it before enough soldiers arrived to establish a camp and bolster the waypoint's defense. Yet it had to offer a tactically advantageous position for the battle to come.
While the alliance army established itself in the Necrogond some of humanity's best warriors and mages secretly met to spar and compete against each other. The rulers were very careful who they revealed their plan to; if word of the plan reached the Archfiend everything would be for naught. Yet they also had to decide who would make the Venorl strike team and in what order the warriors would be transported. The first wave had to be the strongest to give them the best chance of surviving in Venorl while they waited for reinforcements to arrive. Most of the rulers insisted that his or her warriors should be on the first team.
The four participated in several of these contests. All four were involved in a number of swordfights while all but Ron also competed in several tests of magical skill. Ron, already a master swordsman, improved rapidly during this time. Having time to adjust his fighting style to his new equipment without actually fighting for his life helped him immensely. Alice gained recognition for her skill as a sage and her magical abilities quickly gained recognition in the camp. Thomas became known for his rare blend of healing magic and swordplay; a man who could support his comrades and join them in the fray. Finally, Suzanne's varied s
kills and stories of her leadership from the group's quest put her in strong consideration for the first team.
Just over a week after the waypoint had been established, the most accomplished military leaders and commanders held a secret meeting to decide on the teams that would invade Venorl. They had carefully watched and analyzed all the warriors that had been presented to them. Unknowing of when the decision would be reached, the warriors could only help out around camp and wait.
"The nerve of him!" exclaimed Alice. "We're about to enter into the most important battle of our lives and he still has only one thing on his mind!" Ron was a short distance away talking with a woman.
"Um, I believe she approached him," said Suzanne. "She seemed to have something important to talk with him about."
"What matters of importance could she possibly have to speak with him about? She doesn't even know him!" protested Alice.
"Alice, calm down!" answered Suzanne. "You're letting your nerves get to you."
"She seems to have taken an interest in his sword," observed Thomas. Suzanne and Alice gave him weird looks until he pointed back towards Ron. Ron had taken out the blade he had found in the Necrogond and both he and the woman were observing it closely. The woman seemed emotional as she looked at the weapon. After some time, she hugged Ron and walked away. Ron walked towards the other three.
"What was that about?" asked Alice, some irritation in her voice still.
"That was the wife of the man who made this sword," answered Ron, not seeming to notice Alice's foul mood. "They're from Jipang. I guess her husband was a master craftsman. She was absolutely sure this sword was of his work."
"How did it end up in the Necrogond?" asked Suzanne.
"I guess he only liked to work with the very best materials," answered Ron. "Sometimes he had to go to some very dangerous places to find them. Apparently, he was quite skilled with weapons and magic and so was usually able to take care of himself. Last she heard, he embarked on a journey to gather materials and disappeared. The fact that we found his sword would indicate that he met his end in the Necrogond. She told me that he called this sword the Sword of Thunder. Makes sense; the explosions this thing makes sound like thunder."
"What's she doing out here?" asked Thomas. "Doesn't she know how dangerous it is here?"
"Apparently she's a decent fighter herself," replied Ron. "She's a part of the Jipang military. She saw me in a couple of my fights and said she had to confirm that I had her husband's sword."
A young man, around the same age as the four, approached them. "I have an urgent message for Suzanne, Ron, Thomas, and Alice," he declared. He handed one scroll to each of the four and quickly left. The four opened their scrolls and read them.
"They're splitting us up?" asked Alice after she had finished reading. The scrolls said that Ron and Alice would be included in the first group to Venorl while Suzanne and Thomas would be in the second group.
"This sucks! Who did they pick over you two?" asked Ron, re-reading his scroll.
"It would seem Viron of Eginbear was chosen for cleric of the first team," answered Thomas. "A wise choice. There isn't a cleric more skilled in the healing arts."
"Bah! I saw the man," said Ron with a scowl. "He's way past his prime. He'll only slow us down. Let's see who was given command of this group."
"Commander Glennard of Portoga," said Alice with disdain. "He can't use magic like Susie can! I've never even heard of him commanding mages in the field!"
"But he did beat me in a swordfight and he has a lot of experience in command," said Suzanne. "You don't know that he's never commanded mages. He's been through a lot of battles; I would be surprised to find out that there wasn't a mage in his unit for any of them. The first team will do well under him."
"All the same, how could they break us up like this?" asked Alice. "We've been fighting together for over a year and a half now! We know what each other is going to do, how to work together! We're best when we're together!"
"Listen, this isn't about us," said Suzanne. "This is about the mission. And the best military minds in the world decided these were the teams that were going to work. Glennard and Viron are both highly accomplished. They won't let you down. And we'll always be a team. Tom and I will be right behind you out there."
"Susie's right," agreed Thomas. "We went on this journey to bring humanity together. We'd be hypocrites if we let this bother us."
"You have a point," replied Alice. "Well, Ron, we should probably find everyone else on this team. We're going to want to get some practice in with them before the big battle."
It was not long before the Archfiend moved its forces against the alliance army. A mere two days after the strike teams were decided scouts came to the camp and announced the enemy was advancing. The camp roused itself and prepared for the battle of their lives.
The battle was lost almost as soon as it began when the army saw the great host in front of them. Thankfully, the officers and commanders of the army were able to bolster their troops. Ramia flew ahead of the army and used her magic to attack and destroy a large number of monsters. Seeing the godbird in action did wonders for the army's morale.
The army managed to take up a position between two mountains which bottlenecked a large portion of the enemy army, keeping them from taking advantage of their vastly superior numbers. Of course, many monsters were able to cross or fly over mountains, putting great pressure on the humans' flanks. Once again, Ramia proved invaluable. Although unable to take on the sheer number of enemies coming at them she was able to warn the human armies of approaching danger.
The early phases of the plan were executed excellently. A small force branched off from the main army and began circling around the battlefield. Ramia helped clear the way for the small force which allowed them to move without encountering much opposition. After some time, the enemy clearly tired of Ramia's constant interference on the battlefield and sent a concentrated force of flying monsters after her. Ramia was easily able to escape the aerial strike force and led them into the firing path of the archers and siege weaponry that had been designed to take groups of such monsters down.
For two days the battle went as well as could be hoped for the forces of humanity. Their strategic position minimized casualties and allowed them to take out large numbers of the attacking monsters. The side force reported that they were almost ready to launch an attack on Venorl Castle. However, the human commanders knew that a catastrophic loss was just around the corner. Despite their gains, their efforts had made but a scratch in the monstrous army. And the human warriors had to deal with fatigue while the monsters' numbers were so great that often a monster would slay a tired comrade to get it out of the way. Many monsters did not seem to ever tire.
On that third day Ramia relayed a message to the commanding officers that the side force had begun their attack and, as was expected, a large force of creatures left Venorl Castle to crush them. Ramia returned to the main force and the five members of the first strike team assembled. The time had come to launch their plan.
Ron and Alice climbed onto Ramia's back along with their three teammates. Suzanne and Thomas, along with many others, were there to see them off.
"Be careful out there!" said Suzanne. "We'll be with you again before you know it!"
"Please stay alive!" called Thomas.
"Relax, you guys!" called Ron back. "The Archfiend won't even know what hit it!"
"You can say that again!" said Alice enthusiastically. "We'll try not to kill the beast before you guys get there!"
Suzanne laughed. "Oh no, by all means, if you can take the thing down before we get there I won't be angry!"
The four shared some nervous laughter, a forced laughter that did not hide the anxiety they all felt. Ramia finally took to the skies and the first team was off.
Do not fear, said Ramia as she began flying away. I am sure they will fight valiantly. Be ready for my return.
Chapter 30: The Archfiend
I am clo
se, came Ramia's voice in the heads of the members of the second team. Be prepared to leave immediately.
Suzanne and Thomas waited anxiously in the spot that Ramia was to return to. Along with them were their three teammates: Captain Gileen of Portoga, a wizard from the Romalian Empire named Wilnoc of the Gold Robe, and Moonarrow who was also called the Mercenary King. Ramia landed and the five quickly climbed onto her back.
"How is the first team doing?" asked Suzanne.
We made a clean landing according to the plan, answered Ramia. But I could sense a large number of monsters moving towards them as I left. We have not a moment to spare.
Ramia took off and they flew towards Venorl Castle with all the speed the phoenix could muster. Down below, the group could see that the battle was starting to turn against the humans. They were getting driven out of the mountain pass and this was exposing more of their flanks. If the humans were driven completely out of the pass the monsters could begin to surround them and it would be a slaughter from there.
Seeing Ramia in the sky some aerial monsters flew up to try and attack her. But Ramia's speed proved to be far too much for them. Then some monsters flew up in front of her to cut her off. She cast lightning spells to pick several of them off, giving her a hole to fly through. None of the monsters that tried to engage her were able to impede her progress.
They reached Venorl Castle and noted grimly that there seemed to be a lot of activity below. I do not sense our comrades at the drop-off point, said Ramia.
"From what you have told us you can only sense the living," pointed out Moonarrow.
"Ramia, can you sense a pattern in the enemy movements?" asked Suzanne. "Is there a point or area they are converging at?"
Yes, answered Ramia. They appear to be moving inside Venorl Castle. I cannot yet tell if our comrades are there. There is too much life for me to sift through at this distance.
"That's where the first team is," declared Suzanne. "They must have been pushed from the drop-off point into the castle. Ramia, take us towards the castle."
Dragon Quest Novel Page 46
