CHAPTER 61

  THE ARMY OF SWANS

  The wind blew past his ears as he inhaled the grassy scent of the lush forest he stood proud. “Yes. Now is the time. I’ve poured everything on you guys, so don’t disappoint me, you two.” He patted the knapbinder as he returned to Agrilands from the Mystic Glade, his own true dungeon.

  He was happy, and it was showing all over his face. An excitement unknown to him was making him intoxicated. “Man, I can’t calm my heart.” He muttered, trying to pace his beating heart. The time had come for him to meet his archenemy.

  As he resurfaced in Concordia, he found the three faces waiting for him.

  “This makes things easier,” Chris was the one to speak first, and his voice sounded relieved as he explained, “I was thinking how to ask you for permission to join my father in Clandor. It has been my home since childhood. I want to protect it, at least until your interests do not clash with theirs, buddy.”

  Before Hans could speak, Delimira sighed, “You’re quite irritating, Hans. We could’ve enjoyed the war from afar, but you had to step in and make a mess…I thought you were just trying to get under Queen Reina’s skin when you mentioned interfering….But since the teacher and mother are already there, I guess, it’s not bad to back them up. And someone has to put a tight leash on you so you don’t take steps before discussing.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, Deli.” Hans smirked, “Let’s wreak havoc there.” He and she gave some mean looks that Chris and Vanir didn’t understand.

  “Can I come too—”

  “Hell no, Vanir, I brought your entire family here. What do you want to do in Clandor?” Hans quickly answered before anyone more rained their thoughts on him.

  “But senior, you are going there, aren’t you?” Vanir persisted.

  “You should prepare yourself.” Hans came close and whispered into his minion’s ears, “I bought the magic tower as I’ve promised. But you are nowhere near strong enough to claim it. I leave the rest to you.”

  EASTERN CLANDOR, COUNCIL TERRITORY

  The Cold winds howled at the foot of the sleeping Giant mountain, and a hidden entrance of a cavern revealed itself. Inside it was a luxurious structure, all made from dwarven magic. A well-lit and insulated hall that none can dream of fitting inside, but it seated thirteen people.

  “Hmm, Bryon, did they find us?” Xandor asked his first captain.

  “I believe they did, but discussing it so openly as if they wanted us to hear them.” Bryon doubted their intentions.

  “I guess Arat hasn’t gone senile yet. But I never thought he’d ruin his own reputation for a scheme. He sold those weapons to the council knowing well we were allying ourselves with them—”

  “Why?” Bryon inquired.

  “I don’t know. Why go so much length to ally themselves with Royals? Did he forget what they did to HIM? I guess I lost the right to criticise.” Xandor halted his words as he looked the green-lit hollows staring right back at him from the corners. He shrugged off the eerie feeling his undead king was giving him and turned back to the conversation.

  “Then why did they discuss our location without any caution?” Bryon asked.

  “Because he knows very well we can’t move. I’m very skilled in siege warfare, and my spells are practically made for them. We are in a bind. If we abandon this place, we will be facing the order of golden griffins in open. The hundred dominion knights will be quite a challenge—”

  “But they are just dominion knights, right?” Onas, the latest and the twelfth captain of Eclipse, asked.

  “Dominion knights? They aren’t just that. I’ve been on both sides, so I know very well. We will be facing Parv’s pride, an entire order that is honed best for the best. They will be tactical, and I quite frankly do not want to face Homar.”

  “Oh, our commander is getting scared?” Adrian interrupted, showing off his newly polished blade.

  “He can’t beat me. I’ve his nemesis as the Death King, but he and his knights could very well stall me in stalemate. And while I’ll be in stalemate, the Order of Golden Griffins will not spare you. I can promise we will lose half of our forces if we face Homar’s legion in open.”

  “That’s why we will face them in siege battle, my specialty. Arat knew my decision beforehand. That’s why he wasn’t cautious of our knowing. It never mattered that we knew their plans since it was already decided what we would do.”

  “But if we holed up here, then the new council will be jaded without our support. They only have one more magic tower than Clandor while they have almost the whole continent fighting Royal sides.”

  “That is why Arat is a dangerous man, Onas. But we aren’t the only allies of the new council. My old friend Anfaleen has sent quite the perverted force in silence.”

  In the early morning, a gentle shower persisted from the night before. Rudolf and the others had donned their rain capes as they waited for Hans on the soft showers outside. And Hans emerged from the doors, his yellow rain cape blending with theirs. Rudolf double-checked, “So, are you fully prepared?”

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  Hans patted his space belt confidently, “Yes, I have everything I need.”

  Rudolf motioned for Hans to join him. “Then let's go.”

  As Hans glanced back, he caught Vanessa's warm smile, and he returned the gesture. He was unsure of how long the war would last or when he would return. Dietrich's visit the previous night had been comforting. He didn't try to discuss strategy or to sway Hans's emotions. Instead, he shared anecdotes and chatted about random things which Hans enjoyed.

  Hans also recounted his experiences of Node like an enthusiastic child telling tales of his adventure to an attentive elder. And Dietrich listened to everything, from Hera’s obsession to adopt him, to his clashes with Reina. He kept silent about Zilong, deeming it his own issue to resolve. Feeling nostalgic, he moved towards Rudolf and commanded, “INGRESS”

  Zwoom!" The light pillar descended upon Hans, engulfing him along with Rudolf, Sierra, Chris, and Delimira. In an instant, they were whisked away from the Floatlands, disappearing into thin air.

  EASTERN UTAR, THE RENDEZVOUS POINT

  Clandor and Utar were separated by a natural border, a strait that marked the boundary between them. Since Clandor strictly prohibited non-elves from entering their lands, their allies gathered in Utar, awaiting the Clandorian escort for their passage. Soldiers from allied nations began to materialise through space doors, one after another, while flying warships adorned with magical weaponry and artefacts soared through the skies.

  The Order of Golden Griffins had already established their camps and stood ready for action. They waited not for Clandorians but for Hans, and their anticipation was short-lived as he arrived, riding the majestic light of Osiris through the "INGRESS" beam.

  Regardless of others' opinions about Parv, there was widespread envy for the swift travel capabilities of these southeastern people. Hans's sudden arrival left them in awe, showcasing the impressive transportation methods of his homeland.

  While Homar might have displayed reluctance in accepting Hans as their prince, the knights held a different sentiment. Their faces lit up with joy as their future king descended through the shimmering light.

  Without hesitation, they organised into a formation, splitting into two lines with swords drawn and held aloft. Their formation created an archway, a passage to welcome Hans with honour and reverence.

  Hans didn’t let their effort fail and marched through the passage to the commander’s tent where Homar was waiting by the entrance. “So this is Utar..” Hans murmured as his eyes tried to take the whole scenery in quickly. And he wasn’t alone; Chris and Delimira shared the same sentiments. But before they could see the allied army, they reached Homar.

  “Welcome.” Homar gestured them to come inside. There was a terrain map of Clandor resting on the wide table. He showed the red-hued line that separated the Elven land into east and west. “This is the current border,” he said, pointing to a castle-like piece near the border. “This was the Galenhall stronghold. Now, the Council occupies it. They were unprepared when the Council hit them with our weapons. Fortunately, they owned a magic tower and managed to escape the slaughter.”

  Homar was explaining the situation, speeding them up in current affairs. But when it came to the Clandor Hierarchy, Hans was a total newcomer. So, he asked, pointing to the castles on the western side.

  Homar explained them calmly. There was no disrespect or annoyance in his eyes. From north to south, he iterated, “House Highborn. These are the strongest supporters of the royals, the king’s paternal family. They own two of the eight remaining magic towers in the west.”

  Next, Homar pointed his finger a bit down, “House Reverend. They don’t own any magic towers and are the sole knight family of Clandor. They produced several knights till the age. Even Queen Reina and her brother Martys were trained by their masters.”

  “A house of knights? Interesting. What about the rest?” Hans inquired.

  “There are a total of six families that support the royal faction, Galenhall, Reverend, and Highborn included. The next family rivals the Highborn; they are distant relatives of royals, called the Shadow family or ‘Crows’ in general. They do not own any magic tower but were born with the blood of royals; they are strong individuals.”

  “This makes four of six. What about the rest?”

  “The next two are Ikrani and Stormad; they both own one magic tower each. And I think I don’t have to tell you what a magic tower is, right? You made Arat purchase one for yourself.”

  Hans acknowledged without denying it; at this point, Rudolf and Sierra weren’t surprised. After returning from the Deadlands, Hans seemed different; it was like he had donned himself with the princely attitude.

  “Wait a minute… that only makes five towers; who owns the remaining three?” Hans asked.

  “The ‘Swans’ or specifically the royal palace owns three magic towers. Compared to the Council side, they are the sole powerful family with ownership of three towers, while the ten—no, nine towers— are owned by each of the nine families representing the council.”

  “Then Torceran tower—”

  “No, oddly, he sold it to joint ownership of the council. Torcerans have made sure to show that there is no connection between them and the new council. They are preaching that they are dedicating themselves to the red demon cause.”

  “As if.” Hans muttered, but before he could ask anything else, the war drums started to beat, and the escort from Clandor came. It wasn’t anything big, only several mages, but each of them was of the eighth circle.

  They got busy after checking on everyone, even the Parvians. For high elves, they seemed oddly respectful. However, Hans was fascinated by how many enchanted items they wore, from their robes to the rings; they were a walking treasure trove. “Man, Clandor is rich—”

  “Want to rob them?” Delimira whispered, and her tone and leering gaze were telling Hans she wasn’t joking.

  “Deli, for god sake, you are rich… no, filthy rich—”

  “Who says it was for money? It was just for fun.” She answered.

  Hans had noticed several times that whenever Clandor was mentioned, there was disgust in her eyes. He could understand she didn’t fit with them, and the elves had rejected her at every point but the Delimira. He knew was someone who couldn’t be hurt by anything. She was strong, mentally strong, and a smarter entity that he came to respect and appreciate. So her behaving irrationally was quite noticeable for him.

  “Hey, you sure it’s not me who needs to put you on a leash, not the other way around?” Hans teased, and Chris chuckled hearing them bicker.

  “Who knows?” Delimira said seriously, “I might do some friendly fires. I’m getting finger tremors today—”

  “Deli, don’t joke with a serious face. It’s scary.” Chris and Hans almost said in unison, while Sierra came closer to them and pushed them out of the tent. “Let’s see our allies first, kids. Commander Homar was quicker to drag us inside. At least you should meet the people fighting with you.”

  They came out to see the first army of their lives.