Aelerion adjusted his black tunic. “Our forges are some of the finest in all of Eorhan. Combining the rock found here and the heat of the lava, we’re able to make arrowheads and daggers that can pierce through almost any armor.”
Ava’s eyebrows rose, amazed at the faes’ abilities to craft such astonishing tools. They needed those weapons. “We can’t let the daemons take them.”
“No, we can’t,” Casimir said, turning to the map. “What’s the best way in?”
“The walls around the city are nearly impenetrable, much too tall to climb effectively,” Maeryn said.
“Then how were the daemons able to take over?” Ava asked.
Thalia’s expression was bleak. “They attacked for weeks, searching for a weakness. Their army was much larger then, and the other kingdoms had already begun to retreat. We had no help.” Aelerion put a hand on her shoulder. “We held them off for a while, but our army was dwindling and our people were scared. They crafted explosives that were able to destroy a portion of the outer walls. Once the daemons got in, they slaughtered everyone they came across. We made the decision to retreat and go into hiding rather than risk more death. Many of us barely made it out.”
Her throat tight, Ava reached out and clasped Thalia’s hand. “I’m so sorry for what you have been through. I promise we’ll do everything in our power to help.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
Aelerion gave Ava a reassuring nod, then said to the group, “We will not be able to enter the way they originally did. They will expect that. Which gives us an advantage because there are hidden tunnels on the east and west sides of the city.”
“Ah,” Raine said. “So they’ll believe we are unable to enter with ease.”
“Exactly,” said Maeryn. “I doubt the daemons are even aware of them.”
“We’ll need to spread out our forces and enter at multiple locations so we can overwhelm them as quickly as possible,” Casimir said.
“We will divide into teams,” Aelerion said. “A team to take the eastern tunnels, a team for the western tunnels, and then we place the remainder of our forces at the front of the city.”
As he spoke, Maeryn placed figurines at each location.
“Are you positive they don’t know about those tunnels?” Quinn asked.
“They are camouflaged," Thalia explained. “They can only be accessed with our magic.”
“Alright then,” Casimir said. “Let’s nail down our plan of attack.”
They talked long into the night, polishing their plan. Stationed with Casimir, Raine, and Maeryn at the front lines, Ava would create portals to place the majority of their forces on top of the wall and flood the daemons, hopefully overwhelming them and forcing them to focus on the front of the city.
This was to serve as a distraction while the remainder of their forces snuck through the underground tunnels—Quinn, Roan, and Thalia leading a team through the eastern tunnel while Jorrar, Aelerion and Pax took the west side.
Ava, Casimir, Raine and Maeryn would focus on finding and securing the weapons cache while the daemons were in the throes of battle.
Ava listened carefully, committing the plan to memory and reassuring herself this would work. She could do this. And even after everyone had gone to bed, she lay awake in the tent beside Casimir, practicing the symbols she’d need to use in the air until she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer.
15
Days later, Ava stood before Torvak’s towering onyx gates with Casimir, Raine, and Maeryn, the rest of their forces armed and ready behind them.
Torvak was enormous, the buildings made entirely of obsidian. A monstrous volcano sat in the center, lava flowing down the dark mountain and splitting into dozens of rivers.
Ava focused on staying in tune with her magic, reviewing the symbols in her head in an effort to keep calm.
“I hope I have enough magic to make three…” she mumbled to herself.
“You do,” said Raine. “You and Jorrar have practiced this. Don’t forget that.”
She took a deep breath and prepared herself.
They waited for the sun to crest the horizon in silence. The only sounds were the rustle of armor, soft whispers of their forces, and the rumbling of the volcanoes as they spewed their molten contents.
At last, the world awakened as the sun greeted the day. Casimir gave Ava’s hand a squeeze.
