The Eye of Chaos (Council of Champions Book One) ✔️

Chapter Forty: The Trap is Pulled

Kei stood at the edge of the cliff, his fingers drifting from the katana's hilt to the helm of his cloak. The sun was setting and the moon was rising, causing the sky to turn a shade of purple.

Just below the horizon an armada sailed closer and closer, their Fileattion flags waving ominously. From where Kei overlooked, the front ship bared the royal symbol of Fileatte. According to recent reports, Ghunyan was supposed to be on that ship, using it as a vanguard for the rest of the armada.

Kei felt the wrinkles of his forehead increase as he furrowed his eyebrows, feeling the last hours of peace slowly slipping between his fingers.

Kito ran to his side carrying the same frown. "I set up the illusions, but you realize that they can't actually fight the battle, right?"

"Of course. I don't need them to." The wizard regarded him with a raised eyebrow but shrugged in submission. It was difficult for him to stand here before the armada, knowing that should his plan fail everything would go to the Abyss. "When will they appear?"

Kito raised five fingers. "Five. Four. Three. Two. One." He closed the final finger against his palm and without wait; fifty enormous war ships seemed to materialize out of nowhere, heading straight toward the incoming navy.

"Chaos..." Kei gasped. It was a monstrous picture the Wizard had conjured. Fierce.

"I hope you're right and this works." Kei didn't need to respond to Kito. The Fileattion Navy had already begun to turn away, heading away from Vraik's main docks and toward the more rocky parts. "Prince, how did you know they would turn?"

"It was easy. I know Ghunyan from personal matters, so I know that he would rather avoid losing large amounts of soldiers. He may not seem like it, but he really does care about his people." At least Kei had hoped his brother did.

Kei spotted Zaira sprinting toward him, her eyes glued to the ongoing illusion. When she finally reached him, he thought for a moment there was a hint of embarrassment in her cheeks. She immediately turned away so he couldn't tell, but from her out breath voice, he could tell she had run a fair distance. It was probably the lack of oxygen.

"It's working. I can't believe it," she said, still gaping at their fake vanguard that stood at least eighty feet in the air. "Kraven must have done a good job convincing Ghunyan they would be better escaping."

"Indeed, it seems like he carried out his job well." Kei faced away from the illusion and glided down the cliff, his hands sweating while his heart raced like a horse. "But we aren't done with our part. There will be survivors without doubt and there will only be corpses and prisoners of Fileatte at the end of this."

Zaira saluted him and sprinted down the mountain, going ahead of him to let the other guilds know their part was beginning. He hated using a person of her status and skills as a messenger, but any other wouldn't be listened to so he hadn't really a choice.

"I realize I may be over reaching with this question, but what exactly is going to happen to those ships?" Kito asked, his red hat sliding further on the right side of his head.

Kei sized up the wizard. "The ships will be ripped apart and destroyed. First they will enter the tides after turning. Then they will enter the Vraik's Abyss Bay."

Kito's eyes widened. "That's where you're leading them?" Kei nodded in response. A small shiver ran up his spine at the memory of the Bay.