A plan refined

Jin

The next day, Fyor presented his plan to us.

“Thanks to the executive’s spellwork, we’ll be able to reveal the council’s malice. In order to portray it, the waves Sera and Leptarus have made with their prisonbreak turned out to be a large aid. As the enforcers were following us, I managed to spot prominent representatives of the Wolfcrest, Hawkcrest and Elkcrest families. They will reveal their nature with utmost certainty, without even knowing that they’re doing it.
With that in mind, the plan is made up of three parts.
First, we need to use shadow’s eye to show a battle between one of us and the returning enforcers, with the council’s representatives of course. I will take on that role alone.
Based on the time it took them to follow us, and the strict rule of enforcers being told to precisely hold an ambush for seven days, I am certain they will be in the area we want them in, when we want them there. Their return trip will take five days. One has already passed, leaving a total of eleven days until they are close to their secret entrance to the kingdom. The entryway is near the location used for their so-called fated duels.
After that, I am certain a movement among the citizens will start, questioning the council’s integrity. If that, and our reputation as heroes, wasn’t enough already, in few days’ time I will send the duelists Lazzal and Vorial have rescued back to the kingdom, proving our side true with actions while the council will have nothing but words.
At that point, the second part of the plan will kick in. The council’s stronghold is in the middle of the kingdom. Each direction of north, south, east and west is partly under the dominion of the heroes who betrayed the peace treaty. They will most certainly exert their tyranny over the people, trying to make examples out of those standing against them. Furthermore, they all have a small team of enforcers as backup.
We will need the rest of you to disperse around the four entries to the stronghold, taking it upon yourselves to protect the citizens. All enforcers and heroes will be within the stronghold, so they won’t be able to ambush us. The enforcers left outside of the city gate will catch up eventually, however.
Third, and finally, after the traitor heroes and enforcers have been taken care of, it will be time to take the royal lineages prisoner.”

Sera spoke up first:
“How do we know that they won’t notice this spell of yours?”
“Shadow’s eye is a spell that focuses on stealthy observation. Humans are not trained in sensing magic, I can assure you that the spell is indiscernible for them”, Ebiron explained.
Bisoncrest gave a curt nod.
Erinara lightly shoved her elbow in my side.
“Hey look, you’ve got a unique disposition in regards to magic too, just like me”, she whispered to me with an amused tone.
I smiled back at her and lightly tapped her shoulder twice.

Lazzal, who had been unusually quiet, spoke up in a blank tone.
“I’m not sold on this plan yet. You said you saw the enforcers following you, correct? How many of them were there?”, she asked, a cold glint in her eyes.
Fyor hesitated for a moment.
“Twenty.”
“Liar”, Lazzal’s eyes narrowed, “You honestly think I’d believe the council would only send twenty enforcers to hunt three legendary heroes? Even if you haven’t had actual battle in years, that is sloppy. My most recent information says they have fifty enforcers per royal lineage. Tell the truth.”
An eerie silence befell the room. Fyor ever so slightly tensed up.
“I counted sixty, twenty from each lineage”, Fyor admitted.
Everyone stared at Fyor in shock. Alone against sixty, no matter how skilled he would be, that could only end in one way.
“Martyrdom”, Vorial voiced with disgust, shaking his head disapprovingly.
“I have not been able to find a solution that doesn’t end in a sacrifice”, Fyor said somberly.

The heroes and executives started asking multiple questions directed at Fyor, why he couldn’t come up with a plan less reckless than that.

Erinara and I sat in silence for a moment.
Then I turned to her.
“I have faced enforcers before. Our journey through the tundra and sparring sessions make me confident that I can defend against them, for a bit at least. The enforcers' strength lie only in surrounding a target, leaving them no space to maneuver. I have an idea how we could get the first part of the plan done without a sacrifice. Would you join me in battle?”, I asked.
A fire lit within her eyes.
“I would follow you anywhere. Just tell me what you want done.”
“The location master Fyor has chosen is close to the kingdom. Can you use shadow teleportation to get us out of combat when the time is right?”
Erinara thought about what I said for a moment before an expression of understanding crossed her face. She smiled at me with conviction.
“Most certainly.”

I called attention to myself:
“Excuse me, I have a preposition regarding the first part of the plan. If Erinara and I join you, master Fyor, we can all get out alive. The goal is to simply show the council’s malice, correct? If they will reveal that so willingly, we don’t have to fight for a long time. The three of us should be able to incapacitate some of the enforcers if it were required.”
“You are but cubs!”, Lioncrest interjected, “I do not recommend you to be in such danger! I would rather go myself.”
“I would not send those younger than me to their grave”, Fyor seconded the objection.
“No need to worry, but thank you for your concern. Erinara’s shadow teleportation will be the key for this plan. We only need to find a situation where we are close enough to be within her range, and to give her a moment of freedom to cast the spell. I have a plan for that as well”, I replied.
The two heroes looked like they wanted to interject further but, upon realizing the rest of the table seemed to disagree with them, they stayed silent.
“Logical. Agreed”, Vorial nodded.
Lazzal smiled brightly at Erinara and me.
“Now that is a motion I can agree with! You've got clearly set parameters and rules! Those will lead to a certain result! Your training in runic magic shows! I’m impressed!”, she said, “Oh, Erinara! Allow me to show you a glyph to keep yourself safe as well! I doubt you’ll need it. Just in case though!”
“That would be very helpful, thank you Lazzal.”
“I understand that the executives have faith in you, and pardon me for speaking like such, but I am worried still. You are but a cub, are you sure of your skill to such a degree due to knowledge or due to grandeur?”, Lioncrest carefully asked.
“I am certain”, I looked directly at him.
He held my gaze for a moment before relinquishing.
“Both of you have become dull, you old men”, Sera said, gesturing at Fyor and Leptarus, “Did you not notice from the first moment you stood across these two that they hold incredible power? I would not be surprised if the young knight would wipe the floor with both of you in a battle.”
Sera laughed to herself.
“Ludicrous strength. Both”, Vorial deeply nodded his head in agreement.

“Then there is but one more issue”, Ebiron spoke up, “Do we know the strength of the council’s lapdog heroes?”
Fyor shook his head.
“I thought so”, Ebiron continued, “That means we won’t know how difficult of an enemy everyone will face. For that, I recommend we split up in groups of two. Do any of you have preferences?”
Erinara and I instantly said each other’s name. Our team up was accepted without question.
“My rival”, Vorial voiced.
“Seconded, I will have the most fun then”, Sera said.
“I will team up with Leptarus. Your willingness to protect has me fascinated. We will be an impenetrable team”, Lazzal stated. Lioncrest joined her.
That left Ebiron and Fyor as the final pair.

The preparations for the decisive battle of the kingdom’s liberation were completed.