Coexist: Keegan's Chronicles

Chapter 17

He looked around, trying to gain his bearings with his stomach still rolling. It was daytime in Ireland, so he took in the majestic scenery that would become such a beautiful spot for the horrors of war. The battle would be cloaked with magic, and they would not be visible to the human eye.

As far as he could see, the hills and valleys swept across the land in shades of green. The sky was a clear, brilliant blue and the clouds were picture-perfect pillows that seemed to hang lower in the sky than they did back home. In the distance, he saw the smoke from several farmhouses and the tell-tale specks of white on the ground that could only be grazing sheep.

He watched as his father began to go around, barking out orders. He had to be a constant presence for the soldiers. Thaddeus noticed he’d occasionally offer assistance with erecting tents or building fires. The men were already in awe of him, and his compassion only escalated him even more in their eyes.

They could have used magic to set up the tents and get everything in order, but his father knew it was better for them to set up their own camp. It gave them something to keep their minds busy.

Thaddeus walked up to his father and stood beside him, and together they took in the scene before them. Men were scattered all over each doing something to bring the camp to reality. Tents were going up, weapons were being sharpened, fires being set, and equipment was passed around. Some of the units were singing as they worked. From an outsider, it would look like complete chaos. That couldn’t be further from the truth. These elves were organized and efficient soldiers.

“What do you think, son?”

“I think it’s an impressive sight.” Thaddeus paused, and then said, “I’m slightly nervous to tell you the truth.”

“I’d worry about you if you weren’t.”

“How long do you think it will take to prepare the camp?”

Richard smiled as he scanned the fields of men. “We’ll be done in two days.”

“Have you sent out a scout party?” Thaddeus asked.

“Yes. Some dark elves have arrived, just a small reconnaissance team.” Patting his son on the shoulder, he said, “Thanks to you, we were able to get here first.”

Richard watched as his son walked away. He could feel his blood pumping through his veins. One of his secondary gifts was the heightened awareness of his body. It affected all of his senses, and it gave him a significant advantage in battle. His mind processed at an accelerated rate causing his reaction time to be faster. The only person who knew of his gift was his wife, who had figured it out on her own.

Thinking of his wife, he closed his eyes to check on her. She was reading a book to Warrick. He couldn’t conceal his smile when he saw the title. Not even two years old and his bedtime story was “The Illiad.”

Emerald glanced up and smiled. She knew he was there. Their bond had grown stronger over the years, and they could tell when the other was observing. They could even talk to each other, but that took a lot of energy, so they rarely did. Just being able to see that the other was okay made their long separations bearable. They also had the ability to block the other if needed which allowed them a sense of privacy.

Richard had been involved in numerous battles in his lifetime, but none of this magnitude. During his time in the Special Forces he was in small man teams. Even with his time spent in the Army of the Light, most of his missions were solo.

There were thousands of soldiers at the camp, and more of the gifted arrived daily. Women and children were among them. Some of the children’s gifts were too powerful to be left behind. They would not engage in the battle, but there were healers and weather manipulators which would be vital to the war.