2412, Strilaxis 01, Briss
Xanthy tapped her foot against the carpeted floor as Vikara and her men filed into this brand new room. Instead of bare walls, maps the size of the tapestries hung from the ceiling and depicted various parts of the island that Xanthy wasn't familiar with.
Across the large round table, June had his chin on his hand while the fingers from his other hand drawing hazy circles on the table's varnished surface. Reeca examined her nails from her seat a few distance from Xanthy. The varichria even had time to change from her bark armor to a simple tunic-and-trousers pair. Nyxis, unsurprisingly, was absent.
Vikara strode to a cushion-backed chair beside Xanthy and plopped down after gathering her skirt behind her legs. Diran, Nadia, and the twins took their seats and leaned against the table. Xanthy's shoulders tense. The electricity in the air was enough to fry a vulkraine.
"State of regions?" Vikara cleared her throat.
Diran raised a hand. "I have alerted mine," he brushed his hair off his forehead. "They are bound to arrive soon."
"Mine will be on standby," Nadia folded her hands atop the table and grinned. "They have been alerted."
The twins glanced at each other and one of them, either Viktir or Pikard, gave Vikara a thumbs up. "Warriors are good to go."
Vikara raised her eyebrows and blinked. "Okay," she turned to the rest seated around the table. "The plan, then."
Xanthy sat up straight. Vikara turned to her. "Xanthiene, you stay here."
The illusory sound of glass shattering echoed in Xanthy's mind. She knitted her eyebrows. "What? Why?"
"Reeca," Vikara turned to the varichria.
"Wait, wait," Xanthy waved her arms. "Why am I staying here? It is me who has to save the Draswists. That is my mission."
Vikara rolled her hands in Reeca's direction. Xanthy frowned. "Vikara, I—"
"You will stay here," Vikara hissed. "You will not survive out there. You are not ready."
Something twanged in Xanthy's chest. "I can handle myself just fine!" she defended.
Vikara's flat stare told her otherwise. That's...what she thinks of Xanthy. Apparently, that was what everyone thinks of her.
Not ready. Weak. Someone to be sheltered.
Vikara turned back to Reeca and began discussing the rest of the plan. Blood rushed to Xanthy's face as her forehead pulsed with her heartbeat. Her fists bunched up her skirt from under the table.
She was not weak. She could save their butts out there and Vikara just stopped her from doing so.
"Reeca and June will sneak into the palace to get Jarvik and Marin out. The rest of us will wait outside for the signal," Vikara was saying. The woman barely looked Xanthy's way as she explained the layout of the Palace to the varichria.
Xanthy's stomach twisted. What Vikara said to Xanthy sounded like the woman was doing everything she could to avoid the risk of losing Xanthy to other forces.
She should be the one going and not trusting Reeca whom she barely knew. She was the Virtakios, for the gods' sakes!
The memories of when the darkness took over Xanthy's senses flashed into her mind. This is all your fault. Reeca's accusing voice speared into her thoughts. Maybe...
Voices discussing the plans blurred in her ears. Maybe that's why Vikara believed she wasn't ready. She was a ticking bomb and could disrupt the entire operation if she's not careful. A nagging thought at the back of her head told her that the Draswists were in this mess because they chose to associate with Xanthy.
She was jarred back to the present when a cylindrical thing skittered across the table as Vikara slid it towards Reeca. "That is the only flare I am able to give you," Vikara said as Reeca gripped the flare and frowned at it. "Activate it with your magic and throw it to the sky once you get the Draswists out."
Reeca nodded.
"Stay away from the fight as much as possible," Vikara crossed her arms. "Use as little magic as possible to avoid leaving imprints that could be traced back to you. And Reeca, go with June."
"Excuse me?" June's eyes widened just as Reeca whirled to Vikara.
"Why am I stuck with him?" Reeca jabbed her thumb in June's direction just as he blurted, "Why am I stuck with her?"
They glared at each other. "Stop copying me," they both snapped.
"You stop."
"No, you."
Vikara slid another thing across the table. Reeca palmed a timeteller. The varichria raised an eyebrow.
"That will tell you how much time you have left," Vikara advised. "When that runs out, flare or no flare, we will attack. We are not liable for any injuries or deaths that may happen."
Reeca's frown deepened. "I can fight," she insisted.
"You would have the Draswists to protect," Vikara pointed out. "That should be your priority and not throwing yourselves into a fight the first chance you get."
Vikara sighed after a few seconds. "If you really want to unleash your fighting spirit, the dungeons will be crawling with Civil Guards," she said. "Lastly, do not confront the Queen on your own. Let us handle that."
Reeca opened her mouth but Vikara had already turned to her comrade. "Gather the soldiers," she ordered with a flat but commanding tone. "We attack tomorrow. Tomorrow, the regime falls."
Viktir pumped his fist in the air as he stood up and elbowed his twin. "Pikard and I will make sure our regions get the best kill! Long live the Black Region!"
"Oh no, dironsimo," Nadia clicked her tongue as she followed suit. "The Red Region will take it all."
Diran raised a finger. "I am sure my region will win this time," he shrugged. "The Blue Region will have to steal all glory from under yours."
Pikard bared his teeth. "It is time the Palace knew of the half-bloods' might."
The four of them cheered but something rang in echoes in Xanthy's ears. Half-blood?
You did not even say that you have been working with one of us. One of them. Half-blood...
Xanthy raised her eyes towards June and found him staring at her wide-eyed. Then, as the twins proceeded on announcing that they would pop ale for the men, June pushed his chair away and stalked out of the room.
That didn't do anything to ease the twinge of dread in Xanthy's guts. June was a half-blood.