Occultus Draconem

The Gathering Storm

The War Room was more full of people than it had been in years, crowded with members of both the Occultus Draconem and soldiers from Anzino's Royal Guard. It was incredibly noisy, and Kenric sighed.

He stood at the head of the table with Noira, raising his hand to silence them. It didn't take long—Kenric's presence alone was enough to captivate any audience.

"All right," he said when the room was finally quiet. "I've brought you all here because it's time to make our move against Agni. As you know, he knows we're here, and he's trying to finish us off. He's attempted to form alliances with the surrounding kingdoms, which have thankfully been unsuccessful, and we know have the aid of King Nero and the Anzinian Army."

"King Nero has also sent word to the other kingdoms," Noira stated. "He's trying to rally more forces against Agni."

"Excuse my language," one of the Draconem members said, standing up to address Kenric, "but what the fuck is he doing here?"

He pointed behind Kenric, where Soren was standing against the wall, chewing his fingernails. There were a few murmurs among the group, some nodding in agreement or looking on curiously.

"You got a problem?" Soren asked, narrowing his eyes at the man.

"You bet I do!" The Draconem member took a threatening step in Soren's direction, but another one grabbed him by the arm to stop him.

"Soren has worked directly with King Agni for the last six years," Kenric explained. "His knowledge of Cadmus and the castle is vital information in this fight. Like it or not, we need him."

"He's a traitor," another Draconem said, standing up from his own seat. It was Riordan, the Draconian that had attacked Soren in his cell. "He doesn't deserve to be here. He should be rotting in the dungeons until this war is over!"

There were a few murmurs of agreement, and Soren just scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Enough," Kenric said firmly. "We need his help with this plan. If we're going to make a move on Cadmus, we need as much information about the Castle and the surrounding area as possible."

"Your love for him is clouding your judgement," Riordan said. "He's a fucking traitor and he deserves to be executed. Get him out of this meeting!"

"He's not going anywhere!" Kenric snapped, his eyes turning red with anger, and Riordan and the rest of the room fell quiet. "He's still a prisoner here, and he'll go back to his cell when we're done! Right now, he has information that we need. So, unless you want to get yourself killed, you'll be quiet and listen to the plan!"

Riordan lowered his gaze and sat back down without another word, and Kenric let out a long breath to calm himself. He should have known there would be uproar when it came to having Soren at the meeting, but it wasn't like they had a choice.

In a way, Riordan was right. Soren was the one responsible for killing the Draconem squads that were collecting information on Cadmus. For his sake, Kenric hoped Soren had something valuable for them to use.

"Well, now," Noira said, letting out a small, nervous laugh. "What do you need from us? The Anzinian Army is gathering as we speak. They're increasing numbers along the border of Cadmus, and the rest of the army should be a few days away from here. With any luck, the other armies will join them on their way here."

"We need to know when and where the Enforcers are focused, and where they intend to strike. I don't know if or when they'll be coming back to Draconia, but since Soren and his squad didn't return, I'm sure it'll be sooner rather than later."

"Great," one of the Draconem women said sarcastically, and the chatter in the room started to pick up again. "So, he's leading more Enforcers right to our doorstep. What a great idea, to keep a prisoner of war that might attract more enemies. Really smart."