The Enchanting Rapture (#1)

Chapter 26

"What are you talking about?" Khotaline questioned. Annika frowned and realized she may have said too much.

"I can tell you!" Mave grinned. "Many years ago, Flaria had a vision involving these two lovebirds pertaining to this predicament we find ourselves in." He pointed at the couple, making Annika nervous.

Doruqa's posture changed at the mention of Flaria. She then seemed to possess less aggression. "And?"

"Bottom line, they are exactly where they need to be," Inferno answered with a scowl, "and that was the last time you questioned anyone's presense." Doruqa pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded respectfully.

"Back to the discussion," Brexon intervened, "we must decide how to handle his response."

Instinct was driving Annika to do the opposite of what she was comfortable with: speaking out in front of people. "We must meet Zyhed, but we must also have protection and stay on guard."

"He will not step down from the throne willingly, we all know that," Doruqa added with a perplexed expression.

"So after he laughs at whatever we manage to say," Khotaline begins, "we need to act in a way that will not cause battle. Fighting is only worth doing if both sides are volunteering. The Might Empire does not want to participate in this war, but how can they disobey their King without endangering themselves and their loved ones?"

"As Annika had said," Soren replied, "they only need some encouragement."

Everyone gazed her way, as though she had all the answers. Annika cleared her throat as the clothes on her back had strangely become warm. "We must kill Zyhed, but we have to ensure that Might Empire will accept it and we have to ensure that war is our last option." She breathed out shakily and nodded. "He has to die, that is what must happen."

"Are you suggesting we assassinate King Zyhed?" Rouhem questioned with an approving smirk. Annika nodded in response.

"Zyhed will come," Mave said with an absent look to him, like he were really in another place, "the old bastard wouldn't miss out on ridiculing us further."

"So we pretend to negotiate, but we are really exposing him to his army?" Khotaline generalized, "and then we are going to find a way to kill the son of a bitch?"

"Sounds like a kick-ass plan," Inferno exclaimed, sending a smile at Annika, "good job, Ms. Genius."

"When will this meeting take place?" Brexon asked. He seemed to have a troubling darkness around him that triggered Annika's sympathy. Rouhem and his older brother have lost so much, and justice was incredibly near, right at the tips of their fingers.

"Four days. At noon."

"Then we must leave immediately," Rouhem commanded.

"Wait!" Doruqa budged in, "first, King Brexon, who is staying and who is going?"

"I must stay," Mave cut in. No one questioned the reasoning behind the Seer's statement, because everybody assumed it had great purpose outside of cowardice.

"Sure. Anybody else wish to stay?" Silence resonated.

"Soren must go, he is going be the 'encouragement'," Khotaline said. Annika agreed, but it still scared the hell out of her.

"Then I go too." Soren looked down at her dubiously, but Annika would not be talked out of her decision, and he soon realized it.

"And that means I go," Inferno added.