Colin steers them through the treacherous waters, avoiding the jagged pieces of debris that threaten to rip through their makeshift vessel. The electricity in the water seems to be guiding them, pushing them further into the heart of the storm.
The wind howls around them, and the lightning is now a constant companion, flashing across the sky like a furious beast. The raft rocks and sways, making it difficult to keep their balance.
"We can't keep this up much longer," Colin shouts over the din of the storm. "The raft won't hold."
Anne nods, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of land. "There," she points, "Botan is there."
The raft nears the end of the receding water, and through the curtain of rain, they make out a figure standing on the riverbank. It's Tanaka Botan, their commander.
The moment they set foot on solid ground, Botan's furious voice cuts through the storm.
"What in the world do you think you're doing?" Botan says calmly, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You've lost the chance and nearly your lives!"
Colin and the others look at each other wearily. The storm has taken a toll on their spirits, but they stand firm under Botan's gaze.
"Useless, useless." Botan does not look at them anymore.
"We will merge the army and we will push out the Alrodenes. Year 785 will be the year we finally unite the world."
…
"The Asteriskans and the Alrodenes will probably merge their armies by now and have one decisive battle. We will wait for both sides to tire themselves and then we'll sweep in and attack both armies." Alana says, turning to Stephanie who's chewing on some tobacco leaves as usual.
Stephanie takes a moment to digest this information, her eyes squinting as if the smoke from her pipe is bothering her. "Our plan is bold, but we underestimate the enemy. The Alrodenes are not a force to be trifled with, and if they merge with the Asteriskans, we could be facing an unstoppable force. We need to be more strategic than that."
Alana nods thoughtfully, her hand tracing the outline of the map they had spread out between them. The parchment is soggy and torn from the rain, but the lines and symbols remain clear. "You're right. We need to find a way to strike at their weaknesses, to create division within their ranks. If we can cause enough chaos, they might just implode before we even have to engage in battle."
"You know, since the elites of Alrodena are in the battlefield, we could just attack Alrodena itself which is past the Thousand Caves Canyon, and kill all the men and capture all the women in the village." Stephanie says simply.
"You know, we can do something like that, but an attack on a village has never happened before…" Alana narrows her eyes.
"You know that's not true. Alana, you've become soft."
"I am the only survivor of Estella De Oro. There were hundreds of elves in the ancient city but after the Squatter War, it all disappeared. I don't want to destroy cities." Alana pursed her lips.
Stephanie took a deep drag from her pipe and blew out a cloud of smoke. "But if we don't act now, our people will suffer. The Alrodenes have resources we can use to our advantage."
"Why are we here exactly? I wasn't briefed on why this campaign is happening in the first place." Alana huffs.
"We are not in a position to know about the higher up's decisions. The Queen makes her own choices, and we can't really question royalty." Stephanie rolls her eyes.
Alana takes a deep breath, the weight of the decision heavy on her shoulders. After a moment of silence, she finally speaks. "I agree with you, Stephanie. We need to be proactive and decisive. We'll strike at Alrodena, but we'll do it smartly. We'll find their weaknesses and exploit them without unnecessary bloodshed."
Stephanie smirks.
"This battle has already been predetermined, the Alrodenes will definitely lose. They are not only outnumbered, but their country is not so well off too. Alrodena is a country with two million people, and each region has their own pesky human barons like all other countries, but the difference is in our countries at least they are not too rabbid and will obediently live normal lives. I don't know when it started, but human bounty hunters suddenly appeared there, and some can even defeat newly recruited elves. As you know there are only a few hundred elves in every country and it usually takes thousands of humans to beat one, but this is different. I suppose once we occupy Alrodena we should kill as many humans as possible. We can't have a resistant population!"
Alana felt a cold shiver run down her spine.
"No, Stephanie. We are not savages. We won't just slaughter innocents. We'll capture them and use them as laborers or soldiers. It's better than killing them all, and it will serve as a warning to the other humans to behave themselves."
"You are so unlike an elf." Stephanie scoffs, coughing deeply.
Alana's gaze sharpens, her eyes flashing in the erratic light of the campfire. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"The death of an elf and of a human are two different things."
"Is that so?"
…
Without a word, Botan rushes towards the enemy with his men behind, exactly seven elves are left following him, and with this measly force he must defeat the Alrodenes, this is a question of survival.
Botan spews blades of wind from his mouth, dispersing the lightning coil surrounding the harpy commander of Alrodena. Margaux decides to speed up, her natural ability to fly makes it hard to deal with her.
Like a blue streak of light Margaux circles Botan aggressively, using the talons on her feet to strike at him. Botan is forced to use his sword to parry the talon about to scratch the side of his face. The Glass Cutter sword produces an audible clang as it hits the hard sharp bone, and almost immediately Botan needed to parry another strike aimed at his gut. Margaux twists her body midair, using the sword as an axiom and kicks at his head, forcing him to use his forearm to block. The open talon takes this opportunity to grab him, like a taser it starts generating a hundred volts of electricity.