The Heretics

29: Strategy

The cabinet room was a cool room, despite that the sun's warmth of the day was stored in the heat absorbent wood it consisted of. It resembled the study that Dante had spent a lot of hours in, reading, back in Everett Valley, though this one was much larger and housed more valuable books. 

Some of the scrolls in here were older than Dante's mother. 

And that was saying a lot!

Groaning in annoyance, Dante tried to release the pressure on his jaws from biting down his words all day. His officers were trying their best to figure out the next course of action, but they were all acting like pregnant women. 

If one officer suggested one thing, another felt offended and made a different proposal. In the end, to Dante, both of them didn't make any sense and he couldn't understand why they couldn't stop bickering about how their idea was better.

At one point, Dante had just about enough of them and slammed his fist onto the table they were all sitting around. It was a large, circular, wooden table that occupied quite a bit of space in the centre of the Cabinet.

"Enough!" his voice thundered through the room. "Emerin, Renin doesn't give two shits about your feelings. And you shouldn't about his, either, because this meeting is not about who feels bloody great about themselves and who doesn't. This is about practicality, logic and what the fuck we're going to do about the dead animals all around our borders."

Renin scowled but said nothing, while Emerin opened his mouth and let out a sigh. "It's not about my feelings. It's about not talking to me as if I were stupid."

Dante drove a hand through his unruly hair and sighed loudly. "I don't care."

Kit, who had been silent during the heated discussion between Renin and brother Emerin, cleared his throat and pulled the attention onto himself. He was Dante's second, whenever Zeit was preoccupied. And since Zeit was missing and neither Emerin or Renin knew what had happened in Keinarnin, Kit was filling his post for now. Dante didn't mind, since he was capable and kept a level head when others lost their marbles.

Dante was appreciative that at least one other person in the room didn't have any patience for senseless bickering. He moved his gaze onto a black-haired Kit, whose face was stern and void of any emotions. 

Dante had never seen the guy display anything but a stoic front that seemed impenetrable. Dante wondered if he came off that way, too, since he couldn't really remember the last time he smiled. He only knew that he did, from time to time, because of Kendra.

Dante grew annoyed at himself for even noticing something as unimportant as a smile. He scowled at himself for being just as bad as Emerin and Renin.

"We know that the dead animals are more of a warning sign than anything else. The Heretics want to spread fear. It still leaves the question open how we retaliate. And we should also discuss how to deal with the Inniks. And, most importantly, Kintar."

Kit's mention of Kintar sucked out all the previous lightness out of the room, had any been there in the first place. A cold tension settled around them and Dante's gut clenched together.

"Our numbers are dwindling. How are we going to stand against the sizes of their army? If what Poert has reported back to us is true, things aren't looking our way," Emerin said gravely.

Dante folded his arms over his chest and took a deep breath, his mind rattling with possibilities and potential solutions, though nothing of actual value slipped through the cracks. He had no idea how they would stand against the Heretics' army, considering how few dragons were still alive and how many followers Kintar had managed to recruit in the past centuries.

"Deina has been saying––"

Kit interrupted Renin. "Deina says a lot of things. She said that Kar Reagan would find something that would help us in Everett Valley. So far, all you've brought back is a pack of wolves. I needn't remind you of their strength and size."

What Kit insinuated made Dante angry, even though he made a valid point.

"Are you saying that we were fools to trust the words of a Vatess?" Dante challenged with a cool voice, reminding himself awfully a lot of Reagan.

Kit's eyes grew slightly in size as he heard Dante's tone, but barely reacted otherwise. He kept his demeanour just as stoic as before. Dante wasn't sure whether he found strength or weakness in it.

"No. Are you certain you have found what you were looking for?"

Dante nearly scoffed, but he kept it inside. He wasn't sure if they had truly found what Deina, their Vatess, had meant. If he had to go with his gut, he'd have said no.

"The shifters are still in training. As you are aware, they are being both physically and mentally prepared. They will be joinging the rest of the Sentinels. The first of them are arriving soon. We might have hope yet," Dante said, thinking about the gifts that the Black family had. He wasn't sure of their gift's extent and what they were truly capable of, but maybe they would prove useful during battle.

He had to hold on to something, after all. Fighting in a war without the hope of winning it was a war lost before it even began. Dante realised that he needed to give his people hope, more so than anything else.

"Kit, ask the trainers to intensify their training and to hurry up. We don't know how much time we have left. Have the Guard prepare our borders. We can fight back with traps and fires on ground just as much as from above. Fortify our walls. And have the trainers report back to me directly at the end of the week. I want reports on each shifter's progress. Everyone to arrive new will undergo basic training as well. Get our own people ready, too. Evaluate everyone and categorize them. We will defend in waves."

Dante inhaled shortly before he continued with a determined haste, "We'll use our Konas first, to shield us against any mental attacks. Prepare them with highest priority. The Elementals will follow. Everyone with artistic talent will use whatever they can as distractions for the Spellcasters. We go for those first."

"What are we to do with Kintar?" Renin asked.

Without a breath of hesitation Dante said, "Reagan will take care of Kintar." 

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Yaay, finally back with a new update! 

Also, quick side-note: I will be publishing The Ancients the coming week!! I'll keep you updated as soon as it's online on Amazon. I'd be honored if you'd go and check it out, maybe leave a review if you enjoyed reading it on Wattpad!