Sadeene looked at the dark sky as a fork of lightning arced to a nearby mountain crag. Thunder filled the air as the bolt dissipated into the rocky mass in a bright white glare.
Beneath the dark clouds, Bemenah's minions labored as they moved tons of rock and soil. A series of tunnels were now being dug in the ground and rock in preparation for the alliance force's arrival. Their hard work was a concerted effort to hinder the enemy's troop movements across the landscape. The peaceful forest, lush lowlands, and rocky heights were a carefully designed series of death traps.
It would take weeks to construct the thousands of traps he had ordered. Nyen engineers had altered the bridges to collapse when he gave the instructions to destroy them. Scattered across the high hills and mountain peaks, large wood stores were stacked, ready to be burned to create signal-fires.
Throughout it all, Sadeene monitored everything with a critical eye. The black dragon watched tens of thousands of Nyen, Kang, and Giants working tirelessly to do his bidding. As they did so, thousands of Slyyth planted undergrowth to serve as cover to conceal their work. The deadliest troops would create chaos and carnage with the alliance army, exacting the bloodiest price per step.
An aged rotund Nyen timidly approached Sadeene with a bowed head. It pleased Sadeene to see General Sagu approach with a measure of respect. The general served to keep the black dragon informed of current progress and the latest news from their spies.
"I have news from Port Anabelle,
Commander Sadeene. The spies report that the enemy's progress in building their fleet is advancing steadily. The Audumorda spies have been warned not to hinder the human scum in any manner or reveal their own
presence," General Sagu reported.
"That is good; Bemenah does not want the enemy to discover that we are waiting for them. Is the fleet that will be blockading Port Annaselle suitably equipped to provide a gauntlet of force against the enemy?" Sadeene asked.
"The ships are in good repair, and the men are eager to bleed
the enemy. They are waiting for the enemy to set sail; they promise a bloodbath once they meet. It is only the beginning of what the enemy will face," Sadeene replied with a deep rumbling laugh.
After General Sagu left, Sadeene stepped into the massive polished-black temple and approached the blood-red pool. For a moment, the black dragon stared; his thoughts momentarily created a disturbance on its calm surface.
Sadeene concentrated on the blood-red stone set into its polished black rim. "Master, your servant, awaits thee," the black dragon said.
The smiling face of Bemenah's black scaly face appeared on the surface of the red pool. "What do you have to report on the progress we have made on Magdenar. Will the battlefield be prepared for when the enemy army steps ashore," asked the
God, Bemenah.
"It is fast taking shape, per your commands. Everything will be ready and waiting for our enemies when they arrive. The lush, peaceful land will have thousands of concealed traps and will lie waiting for their forces. Their March across Magdenar will be measured in dead bodies and countless thousands of wounded," said Sadeene with a chuckle.
"What do the Audumorda spies have to report from Port Annaselle?" asked Bemenah as he studied Sadeene's face for looks of deception. He was pleased to see that there were none.
"The spies have reported that the alliance is building their fleet at a steady pace. The spies have all been warned to keep concealed and monitor the enemy's progress only while they build their fleet," Sadeene reported.
"Good, good, it is vital that our foes remain uninformed of what awaits them on Magdalena. We want to crush our opponent's morale, the traps, and our army will sew ruin in their assault," Bemenah said.
"The black fleet is being assembled and will be ready to challenge the enemy fleet when they set sail. The mongrel human pirates are eager to bleed the alliance fleet over a great many perceived wrongs that they have had inflicted on them," Sadeene imagined the alliance army's assault on Magdenar; it would be a battle royale to end all battles.
Elliana and Denora watched Magdenar fundamentally being altered into a complex system of traps and confusing dead ends. It would add to the chaos the alliance army was sure to encounter as they fought their way across the land.
"Your brother's minions are sewing the potential seeds of death and mass devastation in the very land itself. Donovan and his army will face and have to prevail on a battlefield, unlike another. This will sorely tax Donovan and the alliance army's mental and physical stamina; the cost will be in the blood," Denora said to Elliana.
"The resilience of the sentient races of humanity is about to be hammered by my dark brother's evil. It will serve to challenge their birthright to live and prosper as sentient species upon Aederan," Elliana said in a measured response, with a tear forming in the corner of her eye.
"But, the alliance army is comprised of mortal's who are about to walk into evil's darkness. I shudder to think of the level of agony and death that awaits them in this battle. Yet, they willingly walk bravely into this brutal conflict," Denora spoke with a tremor in her voice.
"Donovan and Brenna were chosen as their life's journies set them upon this path, long before they were born. Separately, they are halves of a whole that have undertaken the fight to deny evil's land corruption.
His strength is within his character; his sense of duty and accepting the tasks I have set down before him are undeniable. Brenna, the other half of their whole, shines the light of truth and wisdom in a world threatened by the darkness," Elliana explained.
"Yes, this is evident by the legendary loyalty and bravery that the alliance army demonstrates every day. They face the impossible and do not flinch from the task that lays ahead of them. They believe, because of the hope that Donovan and Brenna have given them, the flame of their bravery is unmatched by any evil," Denora stated.
"Of all the species I have created, only humanity is strong enough to resist Bemenah's evil. The battle is what makes my brother determined to destroy them; my dark brother hates all that reject the darkness. Humanity has chosen to live and are fighting for their children's right to be free," replied Elliana with a measure of pride.
Elliana considered the coming battle on Magdenar and knew that the demi-gods and the legendary Wind Walker Tenasae would be involved. The conflict's outcome rested on an edge so delicate that any wavering doubt would irretrievably plunge humanity into the darkness. She had chosen Donovan and Brenna to be humanities champions and see the wisdom of her choice repeatedly manifest itself.
Studying her maniacal brother's dark horde, laboring to convert Magdenar brought a sense of reality itself; this was their battle to win or lose.
Brenna listened to the wind passing through the forest around her. It spoke in strange whispered riddles in her mind, always with a feeling of urgency that revealed nothing about what had sent them. The Neeri knew she was being warned of something that awaited them, but what it was, she had no idea.
After five days of constant whispered warnings, the Neeri knew she had to venture to Magdenar to grasp what the forest was trying to tell her. Brenna transformed into a henna falcon and flew through the clouds. It was important that the enemy's spies not observe her flight; she needed to remain hidden from view.
The faint glint of an overcast day glinted from the gentle swells sweeping towards the beach. Brenna perched upon a concealed branch, noting that the enemy was working at a frantic pace. Everywhere she looked, there were Nyen, Kang, and Giants hard at work changing the terrain.
It took two hours of constant observation before Brenna could fathom the complexity of what she was seeing. Everything that the enemy was doing would result in horrific losses to the alliance army. The first order of the day when they landed would be to send sappers that would scout and work hard at softening the enemy's defenses.
An anthill of activity attracted Brenna's keen eyesight to a line of wagons hauling away dirt and rock. That much digging meant the surrounding landscape hid the enemy's movements within their front lines and behind them. The tunnel system dramatically gave a tactical advantage to the enemy and would have to be dealt with by teams of armed hunters.
Brenna had seen all that she needed to see and left the tree to fly into the clouds. She had managed to escape without attracting any unwanted attention. No Audumorda or Dark Binders followed her on the flight home.
At Port Anabelle, Brenna appeared in a rush before the four guards protecting the Command Tent. The reactions of the soldiers were a startling mixture of confusion and rallied bravery. She would have to remember to make her approach at a slower, more deliberate pace.
Ducking inside the tent, Brenna faced Donovan, Maska, Changa, and Prince Everin seated around a table liberated from Port Anabelle. Our arrival on Magdenar is the least of our problems. I have flown there and seen that the enemy is in the process of changing the landscape into a series of traps designed to maul our military.
"This means we will need hundreds of teams to hunt the enemy in their system of tunnels. I propose that we pick the teams and spend the remainder of our time training them to survive. It must become second nature for those picked to adapt to the conditions that they will face," said Prince Ervin.
"What you are suggesting sounds like forming our version of Meer. We have never attempted such before, but I have to admit the idea is intriguing. They must be skilled in using the blade and the bow and skilled in the arts of concealment. They must fend for themselves in the natural world," Donovan explained to everyone seated around the table.
Maska listened quietly to the lively discussion revolving around the table. "The concept of a fighting force so trained within our army, I say that we use the natural talents of the Dreena and Ayuni to our advantage. The Dreena's nose, ears, and ability to see in the dark are invaluable. The Ayuni's natural propensity to move stealthily and their ability to function in small fighting groups demands that they be also included," Maska said to those gathered around the table.
"I believe we should form the teams in the morning and begin their training right away. We
need to notify Celeste and Zafoo that both their people's skills are needed tomorrow. They have felt slighted in the taking of Port Anabelle; this will go a long way to making them feel a part of the whole," Donovan said with a smile.
"Exactly, nothing like a vote of confidence in their abilities, to build their morale. It will serve to make our military a more vital, more cohesive force in the future. We need to send runners to inform them of our plans.
Brenna knew this decision was why Donovan was the leader of the alliance army. He had a natural ability to consider all points of view before deciding what course of action they should take. His open honesty about himself, their army, and whatever the enemy threw their way made him the leader that he was.
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