Days passed in tense preparation. Galarcia's schemes were quiet but unnerving; scouts had whispers of mysterious meetings close to the border, and our spies came back with rumors of an alliance between Galarcia and another non-contiguous force still unknown to us. We didn't yet know what that might entail, but the council was twitching with anticipation. Plainly Galarcia's ambition ran far deeper than simple conquest.
Late in the afternoon, as I walked down the darkened halls of the fortress, Tomas espied me, his face set and grim. "Chloe, there is something you must see."
He led me to the council chamber, where, spread out on the board across the table lay a map covered with strange markings. I looked frowningly at the marks. "What is this?
Something our scouts discovered in one of the Galarcian camps, Tomas explained in a hushed voice. "A map showing a system of hidden tunnels beneath Galarcia. They refer to it as the 'Veins of the Earth.' It seems they have been using these tunnels to shift their armies undetected."
My blood ran cold. If Galarcia had underground tunnels and passageways beneath their kingdom, they could bypass our defense arrangements and strike where we would least expect it. The consequences were overwhelming.
Chris entered the room, his face just as shock-stricken as I was as he looked over the map. "This changes everything," he said. "If they can move their forces underground, they could strike anywhere along our border."
I nodded, the weight settling over me. "And they could already be here, moving closer while we prepare our defenses aboveground.".
Lady Maeve arrived, eyeing the map keenly as she spoke. "Then we must fight them from below as well. My people know the art of tunnel warfare; we can send a team to collapse these passageways, to cut off their routes.".
At its consensus, preparations were soon started. A small, elite force was picked from both the islands and our own forces to carry out the deadly task: prepared to navigate and collapse the tunnels that lay subterranean. I felt the weight of the risks as I watched them prepare, with every warrior knowing his danger but resolute in his duty.
By the falling of the night, I was by the wall of the fortress, looking towards the horizon. All the fields lay silent under it, as if nothing existed in the darkened sky. Chris came up beside me and stood very close to me; his presence steadied me.
"They'll come again," he whispered, looking at the far distance of darkness. "And we'll be ready for them."
I nodded, comforted by his words. "No matter how they come, we'll stand together".
A moment of quiet surrounded us, a fragile peace before the storm. And then, in the distance, I heard a faint rumble echo through the ground. It was the sound of the tunnels collapsing, the first of many blows we would strike against Galarcia's hidden empire.
It was at first light of dawn that a messenger came to tell us that the first wave of our underground assault had been a success. It had indeed cut off some key routes, and Galarcia was left scrambling. But their reaction was quick and brutal—more forces were mobilizing to retaliate.
But the fight was far from over. As I gazed about to catch a glimpse of our rescuers-Lord Alder and Lady Maeve, Tomas and Chris-I knew we stood ready. United by the bonds forged in fire, we'd face whatever darkness lay ahead. And together, we would not break.