The serene solemn night which heavily covered the island was faintly disturbed by several arguments which arose from the headquarters of the Agekians where several frame tents were pitched at the heart of the island which was surrounded by a huge stockade that was erected fifty kilometers away from the encampment. The stockade was heavily guarded by four hundred conglomerate warriors representing the forces of the alied ten sects in the realm. It protected the remaining troops from the brutal attacks of the Zek warriors which had been drastically reduce from fifty-one thousand to a mere twenty five thousand troops including the Agekians warriors which had combined with them to organize a large force that would be able to repel the encroachment of the Zek warriors and to further prevent the destruction of Ataxia. They had lost a good number of battalions to the frequent attacks of the Zek tribes who greatly outnumbered them and had lost four consecutive battles where many brave warriors were slaughtered mercilessly.
The arguments increased loudly creating tensions in the air which disturbed the tranquil night but could faintly be heard outside the stockade. The sharp discord between the Agekians and the alied forces arose due to a mistake committed by a Dracuxian general name Malum, which cost them the brave lives of many warriors during the last battle which had led to their heavy defeat and the failure of the first strategy to forestall the advancement of the Zek warriors whom mercilessly slaughtered many Red-eaters led by Gasius, their warlord leaving a few remnants behind.
"How dare you say that, Ragnok?! How can you put the blame on me for doing what I thought was tactically right?!", Malum queried vehemently at Ragnok reproaches.
"What happened in the last battle is all your fault. We would have won the battle if only you didn't decide to move your troops pass that ravine all because you wanted to take a detour to the enemy's camp", Ragnok from Juntaro, answered as he pointed out his costly mistake.
"How was I supposed to know that the enemy was lying in wait for an ambush?!", Malum questioned indignantly without any remorse for his actions.
"Yes, you didn't know but what you did cost us greatly not to mention the lives that were lost in the process. You should have gone along with the strategy we agreed to abide with", Ragnok retorted back in utter frustration.
"Let's all calm and stop quarrelling amongst ourselves because it won't help make the situation any better but rather make it worse. Internal discord are more deadly than the enemy that is lurking outside the stockade waiting attack us any moment", Elymius, an Astrionite warlord pleaded fervently from his seat on the left row where four other warlords sat facing others five valiant warlords at the opposite direction, as he quickly intruded in order to prevent any further hostilities. Each of them represented their respective sects that was interwoven with the Agekian army.
"And a new situation which we must handle since it's far worse than the enemy troops, is surfacing within the encampment", Elymius said with a weary look across his face.
"What would that be?", Hipolytus the commander from Wintera, asked from his seat in front of them which was close to the flaming fire torches which illumine his silver armor.
"The guards safeguarding the granaries have sent an urgent report to me that the rations won't be sufficient enough feed our troops if we continue to remain under a long term siege", Elymius sadly replied while the other warriors suddenly became appalled with wild apprehension.
"So, what you meant to say is that our rations is running low which will not be adequate enough to sustain the troops while we hold off the enemy until the arrival of the reinforcements, is that right?", Malum questioned in shock,
"Unfortunately, that's the mess we find ourselves in and we are in a serious dilemma which we need to tackle urgently instead of wasting energy quarrelling amongst ourselves. We desperately need a solution now or else we are doom", Elymius replied emphatically.
"I think I have a suggestion that might help", Atamus a warlord from the Hullikan sect commented as he stood up from his seat.
"Let us hear it then", Hipolytus said as he gave him permission to speak.
"There are some Aprum trees in the forest at the far end before the stockade that produces a good number of edible fruits which could be utilized to replenish our food supply somehow until we find a way to request for further assistance from the council at Wintera", Atamus suggested which seems to satisfy all the warlords present except for Elymius.
"I don't think that will suffice either because it will take quite too long to establish contact with the council since communication are cut off for now before we manage to build up our low supply. Besides, the enemy might attack us again anytime soon", Elymius remarked as he adjusted his red armor that covered his green cambric.
"We don't have any options at this point and this is the only solution available at this point or do you have another way our of this?", Ragnok questioned him and Elymius surprisenly became quiet and didn't respond back. Then Ragnok continued, "All we have to do is to collect more seeds from the trees and prepare many seedbeds where we'll hasten their growth into Aprum trees using our special herbal spells, that will sustain us until we establish a secure contact with the outside world",
"Now that's a good idea. I sincerely hope that this plan will pull through despite many setbacks", Malum said acknowledging the credibility of the plan to raise up the rations level that has hit rock bottom while the other warlords also welcome the idea as they all nodded in agreement that the plan should be carried out.
"Thank you all for bringing up this fresh ideas especially Atamus who first suggested it while Ragnok improved it. So this is how it should be carried out, Malum will send out instructions to the scouts to forage round the perimeter for trees that produces edible fruits as well as collect their seeds which we will cultivate into trees while Atamus and Ragnok shall take the vanguard to the far end of the forest before the stockade in order to gather the Aprum fruits he mentioned earlier", Hipolytus ordered and was about to ajourned the meeting when a guard who had received a message, suddenly entered the tent.
"My lord, there's a message from the council members which arrived not long ago at the stockade", The guard reported as he knelt down with his large armor while handing a golden scroll over to Hipolytus who received it warmly and ordered him to leave the hall which he did immediately after giving the scroll to Hlpolytus who gazed at it in awe mixed with surprise because the council had instructed him before he left with the troops, that they would send him a message ahead in order to inform them of the date when the reinforcements will arrive, which will be on the next four moons. He hadn't expected that the council would send the message much earlier than what he had anticipated besides, the battle hadn't gone far enough for them to request for reinforcements.
He examine the scroll which had the sign of an Aqualis on it enabling him to clear some of his doubts while he opened the scroll to read its contents which he read aloud to the warlords present. The message informed them that they should send scouts outside the stockade during the night by the next two moons, to the northern part of the island, in order to direct the reinforcements that will arrive to join them to their hideout. Hipolytus felt skeptical about the information that was provided in the scroll since it didn't added up with what the council instructed him before the war began. Ragnok swiftly took the scroll from the hands of Hipolytus and read it again to confirm if the council sent them this message or not.
"There's no doubt that this message is authentic and credible since it actually came from the council because their seal of an Aqualis sign is here to prove it", Elymius said as his blue eyes sparkled with hope at the golden scroll.
"You may be right but I think this message is fake and a complete counterfeit of the original message", Ragnok said after reading its contents as well.
"Why do you say so, Ragnok?", Hipolytus asked trying to figure out if Ragnok could clear his doubts as well while the others listen in suspense.
"It's a counterfeit because if you lucidly look at the Aqualis sign right here, it has no green leaf that is usually on the upper and bottom part of the Aqualis. It is total blank leaving only the golden Aqualis boldly woven with the scroll", Ragnok explained while indicating to the spot on the spot where no green leaf was present.
"That could be a mistake on their own part", Atamus swiftly commented,
"The council doesn't make mistake and are very scrupulous in what they do. Besides, the message sounds tricky because the enemy might shapeshift into our troops pretending to be the reinforcements while we allow them through the stockade and will attack us immediately they set foot inside the encampment. This is a full proof plan in order to trap us and our troops", Ragnok explained further which seems to make sense to all of them
"Then shouldn't we discard the intel?", Judhi, from Limcrot, asked now finally understanding the hidden ploy behind it.
"No, not yet. We don't know for sure if it's a ploy or not because what I said was only just my speculations about it. So I suggest we come up with backup plan in case one fails after we confirm the authenticity of this message by sending two set of scouts to watch the enemy movements while the other would follow the instructions here in the message. But I would like to say that we exploit this plan fully to our advantage if it's really a ploy devised by the enemy", Ragnok suggested while the other warlords contemplate deeply about it.
"I think it's a ploy because it doesn't match what the council members told me before the war begun. So tell us how we'll be able to turn tables around against the enemy", Hipolytus said as he and the other warlords peered at Ragnok with intense curiousity.