"That is a crazy plan." Darius said his eyes wide as he stared at George in shock. "It's a brilliant plan." George said. "I came up with it."
"No, it's a stupid plan and you all are going to die horrible deaths." Julia said her eyes narrowed at George who scowled at her in return. "It's the only plan we have." Mina said. "Your father will never go for it." Amaya said. Terry glanced at Amaya and Mina. "Her father? Who is her father?" He asked. "Silas."
"The leader of the Wolves of War is your father?!" Darius said his face turning pale. Mina rolled her eyes, "That's not really the most important point right now, is it?" she said.
"This plan will work." George said sulkily. Julia rolled her eyes. Raphael kind of agreed with her there. After seeing the Skyphos and his brother Terry safely returned they had all gathered by the tree where Julia was being kept. Julia was chained by her hands to the tree. She looked angry and sulky, glaring at George, while ignoring everyone else. Raphael had his own hands crossed. George one of Silas's wolves had the crazy idea of using the wolves to attack the army that was gathered in the tents below, and while they did that, a small team consisting of Terry, Raphael, Darius, Helena, Mina and Amaya went around the tents to where the wraiths shadowy forms were gathered and use the Skyphos to subdue them before joining the fight themselves.
The plan was indeed risky, but Raphael did not really see that they had a choice. He looked down at Julia's sulking form. She was a cat demon, but the way she was glaring at George, seemed to be more than just anger. "She's worried for him." Helena's whispered quietly, her eyes seemed to harden. "Why don't we use Julia's knowledge of the camp to plan the attack." She said her eyes darkening, as Julia's eyes widened and George turned red.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT."
"NO!"
Everyone glanced from George to Julia. "Is there something the two of you would like to share with the class?" Darius said his voice laced with amusement. "You mean besides the fact that they have been in love with each other since they were children?" Silas's booming voice said. Raphael's eyes widened. "She's a cat demon, and he's a werewolf." Raphael said his voice taking a tone of incredulity. "Love is love." Silas said his voice not unkind he glanced at Julia his eyes thoughtful. "I know you are working for the enemy. But if you were to help us, I would make a point of your usefulness to the council when they start handing out disciplinary actions." Silas said. Julia leaned her head on the tree, her face laced with resignation. "There is an area where you can place the Skyphos in perfect alignment with where the Wraiths would gather." She said, her eyes closed. "It's ten yards away from the encampment. If you enter from the south away from the camp you won't be noticed especially if they are distracted by a horde of wolves suddenly attacking from the forest." She said. Silas grinned, yanking her chains down. "Lead them to the point you are talking about, George gather the troops, it's time for war!" Silas said putting a hand around George and leading him away from the group. Julia glanced at the two of them surprised. "Come on little girl. It's time for you to lead." Helena said lifting one of the chains. Julia glared at her, before she started to march away. The boys followed her, until she stopped. "This is the best place to where we need to go, but we need to wait for the wolves to attack first." Julia said.
Where they stood in the forest was quiet. They all stood waiting and watching the North of the forest, and sure enough they watched as wolves in different shades of grey and black poured out of the forest in a wave. They were sleek and silent in their approach. Darius held a hand up, he'd been alive for longer than Raphael had served as a general so deferred to his wisdom. Darius eyes narrowed as he waited. There was a slight hush as the wolves stopped moving, and then howls filled the air. "Now," Darius said. Julia ran, the trees disappearing as she ran, into an expanse of grey meadow. The newly formed team followed her, staying on guard for potential enemies. They continued following her, until she got to an area of the meadow that seemed to dip. Julia glanced behind her and made a gesture to Darius. "We are very close to the wraiths now." Darius said softly.
"I don't see them." Terry said and them immediately wanted to swallow his words. The slight dip that Julia had paused by held a valley of some sort, and that is where the wraiths were located. They were swarmed together, their shadowy forms making them look like a dense storm cloud if it wasn't for their flashing red eyes that peeked through the shadows hungrily. Terry gulped as he watched them. "I hate wraiths." Amaya said her voice quiet. "How does this Skyphos even work." Raphael asked. He was itching to get into the fight with Zander's army, but only after the wraiths were taken care of. There was a reason Victor never used wraiths anywhere near the castle. They were unpredictable. They were always hungry and they barely listened to the orders they had been given. Victor kept them away from the normal populace. Not like Nathaniel. He had the wraiths close at hand. Another of his methods of controlling people with fear.
"The Skyphos is a Greek style urn." Darius said, his voice excited as he brought out the small square that was the actual Skyphos just minimized to three times its usual size. Raphael narrowed his eyes at the intricate silver box. "An Urn?" he asked. "Aren't those usually meant for funerals?" Terry asked. "Technically wraiths, are already dead." Amaya said dryly. Darius rolled his eyes as he put the Skyphos, that had thankfully shrunk, at close proximity to the dip that led into the valley. "Here goes nothing." Darius said. Raphael watched as the intricately carved box, seemed to shudder and then started to spin growing back to its usual size. The designs of the box glowed purple for a moment, before the front of the box unlocked, and it slid open, out of the box a storm of red and black burst forth. For a moment it looked like smoke from a bonfire, before the shape warped, and wings spread forth from the cloud. "Holy shit." Raphael said his eyes wide. "Is that supposed to happen?" Terry asked glancing at Darius. "It's a Dragon." Amaya said her eyes widening. "Made of smoke and fire." Mina said. "There is something happening with the wraiths." Julia observed. Darius, Raphael and Terry all glanced down, while Amaya, Mina, and Julia all took huge steps back, Helena observed with amusement. "The wraiths are turning into a Dragon themselves, aren't they?" Helena asked her arms crossing. "Yup." Darius said, grabbing both Terry and Raphael and pulling them away from the dip. Darius glanced at his sister. "I'm going to miss this, when I go back to the dead city." He said with a smile. Terry blinked. "Dead City." He asked. Darius glanced at him, his eyes full of regret. "I'm not from here. Remember?" he asked. "Darius will be returning back to the city when all this war is settled."
"Oh." Terry said glancing back at Mina. Helena narrowed her eyes at the look, before she glanced at her brother with her eyebrow raised. He ignored her, gesturing at the two dragons, who now stood upright glaring at each other growling softly under their breath. Raphael glanced at Helena. "Did you know that the Wraiths were going to transform into a dragon?" Raphael asked his eyebrows raised.
Helena smiled, "I didn't know. However, I have seen them do it before." Helena said. "The battle of the South. Wasn't it?" Darius asked shrewdly. "I think so. Unless it was Versailles." Helena said frowning. "Do you mean Versailles, Italy?" Terry asked with surprise. "Yeah. Sometimes war spills over to the human realm." Darius said. "That's why, Victor has people like Darius in the human world, in place to notify the kingdom and council of any suspicious activity." Amaya said, putting her hands-on Darius's shoulders. "Uh, guys what are the dragons doing now?" Julia asked. Helena glanced at the Dragons. "It looks like the Dragon from the Skyphos is trying to eat the Wraiths." Helena said. "Now that's something you don't see every day." Darius said whistling. "Noooo!" a scream rent through the air. Behind them Zander in full militia gear stormed into view on a steed that looked more like smoke than anything else. Helena turned to Amaya, cracking her knuckles as she did so.
"Shall we?"
"Yes, we shall." Amaya said her eyes glittering as she did so. Helena glanced at her brother her eyes dark with fury. "Keep watch over the Skyphos." She said before she and Amaya stepped away from the group unsheathing their swords that glimmered with dark purpose. They both screamed, a loud birdlike sound that made everyone save Helena's brother cover their ears. Raphael's eyes widened, making Darius chuckle. "There's a reason, Ariste' women are never spoken of." He said a childlike glee filling his voice. "They are possibly the most vicious, terrifying women in all of Vemos." Darius said. They watched as the echoing scream made Zander's horse throw him off. The horse tried to ride off but was suddenly sucked up into the air. The Skyphos dragged the horse, that clearly was made out of wraiths, into it's dragon mouth before it folded its wings and disappeared back into it's intricate box. Which locked itself back up, and returned back into a size no bigger that the palm of your hand. Darius picked it up sliding it back into his pocket. He glanced up and saw that Amaya and Helena were fighting an intricate dance with Zander who fought them off with dual swords. Darius snorted, "The girls will get rid of him." He said as he slid a bracelet of pure silver onto Julia's upper arm. Julia flinched as it went on. Darius leaned forward, "I won't be taking any chances with you little kitten." He said his eyes dark. Julia's eyes darkened her face full of fury. "You are an asshole." She hissed at him before it turned into a full cat hiss as she shrunk into a Kitten. "Well that's something I've never seen before." Raphael said, amused as he watched Darius lift up the furious little kitten and slide her into one of his coat pockets. "Leave the girls to deal with Zander." He said glancing at Mina, "Let's go see if Silas hasn't left any fun for us." Darius said, nodding to the encampment the wolves were currently ripping apart.