The Unseen Road

Chapter Thirty-two: Part Two

The enemy's soldiers came through the fog. It clung desperately to the long grass of the battlegrounds that stood between them and the darkly-clad Dryrian army, as if even in the morning's light, destined to dissipate the wall of brume, it still tried to hold back the assault. But it was in vain; for there was no preventing the inevitable.

Like a crashing wave, the fleet of bats, Succubi, and Incubi surged over the bridge while those on foot, the Dark Elves and Lightning Mages marched dutifully behind in perfect order. With dreadful deliberation, their approach grew ever nearer; and as they passed through the fog, their numbers expanded exponentially; the swarm above hovered in midair, patiently awaiting their arrival.

They crossed the moat. Then, with a punctuated halt, the foot soldiers stopped at the foot of the bridge. While the bats and Succubi and Incubi continued to circle overhead, a single cloaked figure on horseback emerged from the crowd, followed by none other than General Bion on foot. The figure in front belonged to the same winged rider that Celeste had seen; as she drew closer, the all-too-quiet rhythm of the dark horse's stride echoed through the stale morning air.

Prince Nicolas and General Witthorn stepped forward, covered on either side by his Generals brandishing the flags of Agrelind and Solaire; Kylie, Mina, and Celeste stood in line behind him, flanked by Charles and the other New-Agers. No one said a word as the mounted figure continued forward and stopped just within hearing distance. At that exact instant, the mass of airborne soldiers descended upon the battlefield; the Succubi and Incubi landed with a hefty thud upon the soft earth, still moist with morning dew while the Vampires shifted out of their demonic bat forms. The Dryrian army then stood in its entirety against the velvet-soft backdrop of dawn, just beyond the shadow of the city's fortress while the sun's gentle, early light glinted against their tainted pewter armor; the Arcadian army stood yet in the cool shade of the walls.

With hardly any warning, the figure drew back her hood. Then, without any warning and before any of the soldiers could glimpse her face, she launched herself high into the air in a vaulted dismount with two great flaps of her wings, sending up a cloud of dust. She plummeted to the ground and landed heavily before her mount as the particles began to settle, revealing Queen Beatrice clad in a full-body armor of metal and bone underneath her cloak. Every bone and joint fused into the mail were measured perfectly to her figure, accentuating her stature.

The Succubus paused for a long moment, as if letting the weight of imminent war seep as deeply as it could onto the battlefield, imbuing it with its dismal, foreboding aura.

Her eyes flickered towards the Fae General, over the Agrelindian army, then back from the werewolves and shapeshifters. "... You've brought friends," she remarked at length, her tone flat.

"They came to defend Solaire on their own accord. I wish I could make the same observation of your army," Witthorn riposted. "But your forces are simply built from bribery."

"A faulty foundation indeed," Nicolas added.

Beatrice snickered. "Please," she rejoined condescendingly. "Can you truly maintain that there isn't self-interest in your so-called 'allies' motives as well? Its basic animal behavior that there is nothing truly altruistic in anything we do. There is no such thing as a martyr. There never has been. Heaven is so overrated."

"You lie, demon," the Prince challenged.

"Oh? But aren't you defending your Capital out of pride, or perhaps a desire to ensure your own security?" She feigned surprise. "Oh, don't tell me! Do you really care for these people, without an ounce of self-interest, even with the fear of knowing that when Solaire falls, you fall as well."