The Guardians of Deities

23

After a few days of tiredness and a lot of sleeping, Arline could finally walk normally without wanting to drop to the floor. She was weaker and slower, but as stubborn as always.

"Are you ever going to listen to me?" Merrick surprised her as she was putting her boots on "You are not training" he reminded her.

"But I feel great" her face didn't match her words in the slightest.

"You can barely walk" he pointed out for her.

"I'm not staying in this room anymore" Arline complained.

"Come with me" Merrick offered her his hand and guided her carefully and slowly through the castle, as if it was his home.

When he opened the heavy, rock door it showed an almost identical War Room to the one on Reiska. Lara and Aidan were discussing formations around the map while other two old men were analyzing their strategy, while looking down at the figurines and nodding their heads in agreement.

All of them turned when they heard Merrick coming in, and when they looked at Arline, the two unknown men slightly inclined their bodies and left the room.

"Congratulations" Aidan said from behind the table "You are considered a goddess"

"Hello Aidan" Arline just said.

"How are you feeling?" Lara approached Arline and grabbed her face, checking her up.

"I'm better, not entirely better but I needed to get out" Arline admitted and Lara nodded with a smile, happy to see her friend safe and sound "What have you been working on?" Arline asked while taking a glimpse at the map.

It was a neatly drawn map of the Kingdom of Reiska which had dispersed figurines all over it, resembling the soldiers of their own army and the enemy's.

"We have been trying to come up with a way to surprise them" Aidan informed her.

"Do you have an advantage?" Arline sat down on a stool, she still couldn't be up for a long time without feeling dizzy.

"You have taught her well Merrick" Aidan smiled "We do, in fact, have several advantages"

"The King is keeping us informed on the situation back on the Realm" Lara stepped on, before the rest.

"Those who are still loyal to me want to go against Larsin" Merrick clarified "Yet, a good number of soldiers sided with him, and he's threatening anyone who opposes".

"And we have you, of course" Aidan said "Larsin and his allies think you are dead".

"Before you question anything" Lara interceded once she read Arline's expression of confusion and disagreement "Remember you are a Water Guardian, a Huntress and the Dark Prince's right hand"

"I thought you were his right hand" Arline questioned her.

"You both are" Merrick interrupted them with a grin on his face.

Arline stayed focused on what was displayed in front of her, moving her gaze up and down. It almost seemed like she was trying to solve an impossible equation and she quickly realized her mind was totally blank and was coming up with stupid scenarios.

"You want to ask something" Aidan read her expression "Do it" he gently encouraged her.

"It's a stupid idea" she introduced "But how many chances do you have if you come from this mountain and border the shore?". The mountain she meant happened to be the tallest mountain in the Kingdom, Mount Suvlic, not to mention it was the same mountain where Merrick asked her to run from his hellhounds.