Chapter 53 - Matter at Hand

Aden and Father Edgar stepped inside the pavilion. Maeda joined shortly after, and yet, there was no single former smuggler except Oliver in the war room."Aden," Oliver expected him as the boy poured another wine for the participants in the war room.Now they were all gathering around a large table, poring over maps and charts."Welcome, Father, Aden, and Maeda. Take a seat anywhere make yourself comfortable," Captain Willem said, his voice firm and resolute. "We need your input on our battle plan."Father Edgar sat next to Captain Willem where Corporal Knightly gave his spot.Aden and Maeda sat next to Ser Percival across the table against Captain Willem and Father Edgar who sat at the head table. All their eyes scanned the map and the marks on it. They could see the harpies' movements and the areas where they were most likely to make a nest.The captain briefed the party on the current situation. "As you can all see, this is no ordinary enemy we're dealing with. These creatures are deceptively intelligent and have managed to outsmart us in under two days.""The ruhimi was right," He went on, "The harpy's strategies are continuously evolving and they seem to anticipate our every move.""they found the weakness of the hwachas," Corporal Knightly spoke up, "either they kept their distance or they flew low and started to engage the ground defenders."Captain Willem added, "Our objective is to keep them at bay, but I didn't expect that they would be so observant – to know that the hwachas can't aim at them if they fly low."Aden felt honored to be involved in the war room. It means that he and Maeda were seen as more than expendable walking meat for the harpies."We may now have the upper hand but it's about time they will see our weakness, exploit it, and employ strategy to outbest us." Captain Willem"We are racing against time in here," Captain Willem, "Either they outbest us before the snowfall or we stand our ground until then.""They may have scouts among themselves, as you can see before the goblins roadblock and them targeting our rear wagon." Aden reminded the recon knights."The adult harpies are most likely the scouts, they look like they are the ones in command.""So they have their own chain of command, eh?" Gilbert chimed in"Considering how they act, most likely yes." Corporal Knightly replied."I believe they have a queen in their flock," Father Edgar who had lived near the harpies nest gave his insight."..." Aden looked like he wanted to say something but something held him back."A queen?" Captain Willem raised his eyebrow."Aye," Father Edgar. "Rumor has it, she nestled with the harpies in their craggy towering mountains, sometimes seen on the sky of Martin Bay north of Monterei port.""We have to focus our aim on the scout harpies, getting rid of them will plunge the harpies into disarray," Aden suggested. "Make them less aggressive and easy to take down.""kill the queen, if we have to," Maeda added."Great idea but I don't think we can take out the queen with what we have today. we are underprepared," Captain Willem. "that's a job for the slayers."Slayers, a term used to refer to skilled and experienced contractors who specialized in the hunting and elimination of exotic beings and other wildling creatures such as wyverns, harpies, mermaids, goblins, beastfolks, deadwalkers, saurians, and other intelligent beings. These courageous individuals took on the dangerous task of protecting humanity from these dangerous foes.⁕⁕⁕Father Edgar and Captain Willem now stood by the table, their faces etched with concern. The recent harpy attacks had escalated to an unprecedented scale, leaving the village in a state of chaos and devastation. Father Edgar, the wise and respected figure in the village, took a deep breath before explaining the gravity of the situation to Captain Willem."The harpies have never acted like this before," Father Edgar began, his voice filled with a mix of worry and confusion. "Yes, there have been incidents involving them in the past, but nothing on this scale. It's as if we're facing a full-blown war."Captain Willem furrowed his brow, his eyes scanning the maps and reports spread out on the table. "This is troubling," he replied, his voice laced with concern. "We need to understand why the harpies have suddenly become so aggressive. We must find a way to protect our village and the people.""Indeed, Captain." Father Edgar nodded in agreement, "We need to gather as much information as possible about the harpies and their behavior. Perhaps some clues can shed light on their sudden change in demeanor."The knights and volunteers delved into their discussion, the room buzzed with activity. The defenders were busy sharing information and strategizing on how to combat the harpy threat. The atmosphere was tense, but there was also a sense of determination and unity among the villagers.Captain Willem turned to Father Edgar, his voice filled with urgency. "Father, do you have any knowledge of harpies and their habits? Anything that could help us understand their motives? especially the harpies in this mountain."Father Edgar paused for a moment, his eyes searching his memory for any relevant information. He was old but still had a strong memory, he just needed time to extract it out of his full head."Harpies are known to live in primitive matriarchal groups," Father Edgar began, his voice steady and assured. "They have their own rudimentary language, which mortals could possibly learn to communicate with. However, their behavior can vary depending on the circumstances."He paused, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "Harpies are an essential element in this mountain's natural balance."The cleric's gaze swept across the assembled Imperial knights, gauging their understanding. "Remember the blood bats swarm thirty years ago?" he asked, his tone inviting recollection.A chorus of shaken heads greeted his query, with only Captain Willem, Ser Percival, and Aden remaining silent, their expressions indicating familiarity with the event."No," the majority of the Imperial rescue party responded, the tale evidently new to their ears.Ser Percival, a homegrown knight, spoke up, "Yes, I was born a year after the blood bats swarm took place."Captain Willem nodded, his eyes distant as he recalled the details. "I'm aware of that. The blood bats crippled the spices supply to the capital city, and the Crown had to deal with it directly. The soldiers and knights had to make custom clothes to protect themselves against those blood-sucking flying rats."In the corner, Gilbert, the scribe, eagerly took notes, his quill dancing across the parchment as he absorbed the historical information with fervent enthusiasm.Captain Willem's mind drifted back to his childhood, the memories vivid and detailed. He could almost smell the lingering scent of fabric and thread as he remembered his tailor father, along with other tailors in Lyondyn, toiling tirelessly day and night to craft special garments capable of withstanding the blood bats' diseased fangs.Five years after the blood bats' reign of terror, a young Willem had become a squire for an Imperial Knight, setting off to the outpost near Stormsteps Mountain. There, they assembled to thwart the goblins' raid at the foothills while another division defended the village."The harpies keep the blood bats and goblins away from this village, and the wyverns keep them from this village," Father Edgar explained, his voice carrying the weight of generations of knowledge. "It has been decades if not centuries since we lived with the harpy nuisance, and it is highly unlikely they would attack this village on such a scale."Gilbert, who had been silent until now, interjected, his tone carrying the gravitas of one with curiosity and knowledge. "So, you mean this is the first time the harpies have attacked with this all-out scale?""Aye," Father Edgar affirmed, his expression grave. "They used to be less aggressive than the goblins."Aden listened attentively, his mind absorbing the information like a sponge. From this discussion, he could discern that the natural balance in the mountain had been greatly disrupted, a realization that sent a shiver down his spine.Captain Willem nodded, his brow furrowed as he absorbed the insights shared. "So, something may have triggered this sudden aggression," he mused, his gaze shifting between the assembled men, seeking further input."Indeed," Father Edgar confirmed, his voice heavy with the weight of their plight. The air in the war room grew thick, the gravity of the situation settling upon them like a shroud, casting a pall over their deliberations.Captain Willem's brow furrowed, a hint of regret creeping into his expression. "If only we had more time to study them," he lamented, his words tinged with frustration. "We could find out the reason and address it accordingly."Father Edgar nodded solemnly, his gaze fixed upon the Captain. "This may help us survive for some time, but the harpies would be back some moons later, and this will happen again and again unless we solve the source of the problem."A contemplative silence descended upon the room, each man grappling with the magnitude of the challenge before them. It was Captain Willem who broke the stillness, his voice resounding with a renewed sense of determination."In order to solve the real problem, we need to identify it first," he declared, his eyes scanning the faces of his men. "And only by further investigation would we understand the why and the how." Pausing for a moment, he allowed his words to sink in before continuing, "But now, we need to focus on the matter at hand."The urgency in his tone was palpable, a rallying cry to steel their resolve in the face of the immediate threat. For while the prospect of uncovering the root cause loomed large, the pressing need for survival took precedence."Set up more defenses, We need to," Maeda said, his voice filled with urgency. "The harpies are getting more aggressive, and prepared for anything we need to be."The far-eastern Essen warrior pointed out each of the harpies way in the straight streets and alleys leading to the courthouse.Captain Willem nodded. "Agreed. We'll set up more barricades and traps on each alley and street leading straight to the courthouse, and we'll station more defenders at every vantage point throughout the courthouse. No blind spot."Ser Cedric spoke up, his voice filled with concern. "But what about the casualties? We can't keep losing our people to these attacks."Father Edgar stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with compassion. "We need to pray for guidance and strength," he said, his voice firm and resolute. "We need to ask Aione for his protection and his blessings."The recon knights nodded in agreement, their hearts open to the power of prayer. They knew that they were facing a formidable enemy and that they needed all the help they could get.As they continued to discuss their battle plan, they realized that they needed to work together, to pool their resources and their strengths. They needed to be united in their purpose and to fight with all their might.And so, they set out to implement their battle plan for tomorrow, stationing more defenders at key points throughout the village, setting up more barricades and traps, and praying for guidance and strength.⁕⁕⁕