Chapter 48 - Ready for War

I find myself above an orange sea, its currents gently keeping me afloat. I can hear screams from within the water. Strange. You shouldn't be able to hear anything underwater. The bubbles of their voices surround me from all sides. Whose bubbles are these? Whose...?

"Haahhh !"

At the Dominion's central military station, Igorus stood before a podium, ready to announce the eleven respective squads assigned to guard the Gates of the Sizran Arch.

"Now then, ahem! Are all of you present?" asked Igorus from the podium, facing the vast gathered ranks of soldiers, having finally composed himself after that strange episode.

"Yes, sir!" they all shouted in unison.

"Good. Commander Gridiff?" Igorus began.

"Here, General," the commander replied.

"You'll lead the First Battalion alongside Captains Vrares, Intolus, and Zlock."

"Understood," said the commander together with his appointed captains.

To shorten the reading time, we'll summarize the organization of the battalions, since Igorus followed the same procedure for each gate.

· Battalion 1: Commander Gridiff; Captains Vrares, Intolus, and Zlock.
· Battalion 2: Commander Kona; Captains Golk, Credo, and Yledsa.
· Battalion 3: Commander Srore; Captains Zlison, Kieprus, and Ugico.
· Battalion 4: Commander Alemont; Captains Seland, Fobur, and Eredo.
· Battalion 5: Commander Cleulens; Captains Zroross, Fria, and Itonis.
· Battalion 6: Commander Ansta; Captains Egodiff, Zlury, and Streginia.
· Battalion 7: Commander Krora; Captains Ferora, Ozros, and Zeudal.
· Battalion 8: Commander Udrore; Captains Icodon, Jopus, and Krenphia.
· Battalion 9: Commander Andostis; Captains Grego, Frusa, and Meis.
· Battalion 10: Commander Osedon; Captains Ulrith, Palo, and Girora.
· Battalion 11: Commander Iriediff; Captains Vrostin, Blona, and Brark.

"In addition to these appointments, for safety measures, we'll assign ten extra soldiers to each battalion," Igorus continued.

We won't list all the soldiers here, otherwise the chapter would end before the story even begins. In total, 154 soldiers were appointed as the shield of the gates.

"You're dismissed now. LAUS!"

"LAUS!" the soldiers echoed after their general.

Once the assignments were done, Igorus stepped behind the curtains of the podium. There he encountered the army marshal, Ilfar Mildura, who was peeling a pomegranate.

"You've done a fine job, Igorus," said Ilfar.

"Marshal, it's an honor," Igorus replied.

"The angels may have weaker military strength than we do, but we mustn't underestimate them. Let's hope our intervention won't be necessary," said Ilfar.

"Let's hope so," Igorus agreed.

"You been well lately? You don't seem quite yourself these days," said the marshal.

"Many things are happening. They accumulate... and take their toll, I suppose."

"Do you need some rest? I can take care of the battalion logistics for you," Ilfar offered.

"No need, but thank you. It's an honor to handle this mission myself," said Igorus.

"I understand. Very well then. Good work, and give my regards to your boy," said the marshal as he walked away from the general.

"Thank you..."

Walking through the halls of the Angels' palace, Kaela eventually reached the hidden laboratory chamber of the royal palace, where Eliael awaited her. Eleven angelic soldiers stood there in formation, each holding one of the Spheres of Alitus.

"How is the situation?" Kaela asked Eliael.

"I'm not sure the number of soldiers we have will be enough for this plan to succeed," Eliael said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Kaela asked.

"You know very well that we angels possess no Lagus within ourselves. And even if we did, the probability that a sphere would synchronize with its respective angel is extremely low. This could lead to... well, significant military losses," said Eliael.

"How many soldiers do you think we might lose?" Kaela asked.

"To be honest, I don't know. But I do know it will be a number hard to ignore," Eliael admitted.

"That's fine. We have plenty of soldiers. I'm certain that, eventually, eleven of them will be ready. Surely, four hundred thousand soldiers will be enough," said Kaela.

"There's also the factor of time," Eliael continued. "We'll be losing soldiers and time in the process, time that could be used for preparation, by dealing with those who prove unfit to become one with the Sphere."

"You're right. We lose time as well... But why couldn't we have used the Spheres earlier? We could've saved time and recruited even more soldiers," Kaela questioned.

"Theoretically, that's a fair thought," Eliael said, "but the Spheres contain an overwhelming amount of Lagus. Any angel who attempted to use them before the deactivation of the Barriers would lose control, becoming a danger to other angels. Keeping them hidden in secret places would've been extremely difficult, impossible even, without lives being lost."

"I see," Kaela said, standing pensively before the soldiers.

Eliael approached one of the soldiers, who held one of the glowing spheres in his hands.

"You will be the first," said Eliael, handing the sphere to the soldier.

"Ehmm... Y-Yes, Your Grace," the soldier stammered, accepting the sphere with trembling hands.

Kaela watched the process intently, saying nothing. The soldier placed the sphere over his chest. The others stared, shifting uneasily, their eyes wide with curiosity, and fear of what might happen.

The sphere began to glow, first violet, then yellow. Violet again. Then yellow. The colors flickered, replacing one another in rapid succession, until finally... red appeared...

And the angel exploded.

Nothing was left but a mangled mass of blood splattered across the chamber's marble floor. Eliael froze, as did Kaela. The other soldiers' faces turned pale, their expressions filled with terror at the thought that they might share the same fate.

"Haahhh... We've got work to do," Eliael muttered, gazing down at the sphere now resting in a pool of blood.

Through Eliael's eyes, Kaliga watched the entire spectacle, as though it were a scene performed on a grand stage.

"Clever as always, these angels," Kaliga mused. "When you think about it, this whole matter with the Spheres might actually work to our advantage."

As Eliael's illusion turned his gaze toward Kaela, something in Kaliga stirred, a faint, subconscious interest she couldn't quite explain.

"This Kaela..." she thought. "I don't know why, but her existence intrigues me. I think it's worth watching how she moves."

She smiled faintly, sipping her wine as the illusion flickered before her eyes.

Tarnael stood before a great gathering of angels within a cathedral gilded entirely in gold. Icons, pews, and crosses cast their silhouettes across the sacred hall, a perfect setting for such a divine assembly.

"So, as I've been told," Tarnael began, "you are the most gifted visionaries of all the angelic kingdoms. Before it is your honor to stand in my presence, it is my honor to meet you all. Your mission is secret, but of utmost importance. You will not participate directly in battles, yet your aid will be essential to our cause.

My late mother, Simonaela Frizina, once served as the captain of our visionary forces. She was capable, intelligent, and took her duty with the highest seriousness. I am certain that many, if not all, of you remember her. In her honor, I will entrust you with a task that will be decisive for the fate of this world. Decisive for our future, for the future of mortals, decisive in every sense imaginable.

I am not sure if all of you are familiar with the Gates of the Arch of Sizran. If you are, then your mission is to find their keys. Should any one of you obtain a key, it will emit a red light that will guide you to its corresponding gate.

But you may wonder, why the gates? Why are they so important? When all the keys are gathered in one place, they form the shape of an arch, hence the name, the Arch of Sizran. When that happens, the gates will vanish from existence, and the Dominions will lose their power, leaving them vulnerable to our forces."

"Your Majesty, if I may ask a question," said one of the visionaries, stepping forward.

"State your name, and ask," Tarnael replied.

"Sidoniel Calvus, visionary of the Twelfth Group. If we are to find the keys, why must we also seek the gates afterward? You mentioned that the unification of the keys would render the Dominions powerless. If our task is simply to find the keys, then—"

"I understand what you're getting at, Sidoniel," Tarnael interrupted calmly. "Between the red light generated by a key and the gate it corresponds to, there exists a certain space that allows the key to function. If you fail to locate the gates alongside their respective keys, uniting them all in one place will be meaningless. The keys must remain functional if our goal is to weaken the Dominions. I trust that clears things up, Sidoniel?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Thank you," Sidoniel replied, bowing slightly.

"Good. Your operation begins tomorrow. Be careful not to trigger any barriers or draw the attention of the Guardians of the Guhojre Forest. You all know what must be done," Tarnael said, stepping down from the cathedral's podium and leaving the hall.

Meanwhile, the angelic soldiers continued testing the Spheres, and with each passing hour, more and more of them were dying.

"How many soldiers is this now?" Kaela asked Eliael as the next soldier prepared for his attempt.

"The two hundred and fifty-third," Eliael replied, entirely unfazed by the number.

"We've wasted four hours on this nonsense. Are you planning to take any responsibility for this, Eliael?" Kaela asked, irritation creeping into her tone.

"The responsibility now lies in the hands of the Spheres," Eliael said calmly. "All we can do is wait."

"What a bastard you are. Isn't there any way to select the right soldiers faster?" Kaela pressed.

"As I've told you before, Kaela, the activation depends solely on the Spheres themselves. There isn't an exact criterion, especially not for angels," Eliael answered.

"We've got another disappointment on our hands. I had a feeling this wouldn't work, but this... this has taken failure to new heights," Kaela muttered.

Both watched as the next soldier placed the sphere upon his chest, and, as expected, he exploded like a firework of blood. The next soldier tried one of the spheres... and met the same fate as all the others.

"Two hundred and fifty-four," Eliael counted without emotion.

"This place is turning into a slaughterhouse. Call someone to clean this mess up, Eliael," Kaela said flatly.

"Of course," he replied.

Kaliga kept staring at the façade until a knock echoed from the door of the royal chamber.

"Come in," she commanded.

Igorus and Stravna stepped into the room to deliver their reports.

"Your Majesty, the key-tracking devices are ready," said Stravna.

"The military forces are prepared," added Igorus.

"Excellent. In addition to the army, as I mentioned earlier, Igorus, I will also send Atbara and Aldes as reinforcements, if you're willing to accept them."

"Understood, Your Majesty," replied Igorus, his tone slightly hesitant.

"I know they aren't Dominions like us, but their abilities are too valuable to ignore. They've done much for us in the past, and in my eyes, they deserve to serve as one of our assets," Kaliga said.

"You are absolutely right, Your Majesty. I accept your request," said Igorus.

"You may go now. Thank you," Kaliga concluded.

Igorus and Stravna left the royal chamber.

"Are all the battalions ready, General?" asked Stravna.

"More ready than ever. We must not underestimate this situation, not from your side nor from mine," Igorus replied as they walked together through the palace halls.

"Has your work been difficult?" she asked.

"Not as difficult as yours, I'd say. It took Kaies months to build that single device, while you managed to create eleven in just a few days," said Igorus.

"Well, the base model was already there. The components were prepared too. I only had to follow and repeat the protocol... eleven times," Stravna said with a slightly weary expression.

Igorus noticed her face as they walked.

"It's been eight years, and I still haven't forgotten your brother. He was a true genius. Of course, you suffered the most from his loss, but... it was hard for all of us, I can't deny that," said Stravna softly.

"We must stay strong, Stravna. If we keep mourning the soul of the departed, we don't honor ourselves. We only hurt ourselves more. And we've suffered enough already," Igorus said, keeping his head straight as he walked beside her.

Stravna looked at him from the side, straight into his eyes, the eyes of a man trying to hide what he truly felt behind the shield he wore every day on that stoic face.

Just before they exited the royal courtyard, Tutor Magees passed by the gate, dressed in a simple brown suit.

"Lord Friola! What a pleasure to see you," said Magees in surprise.

"How have you been, Tutor?" asked Igorus, shaking his hand.

"Well, thank you."

"You have a lesson with my son now, don't you?" asked Igorus.

"In a bit, yes. I just needed to stop somewhere near the royal palace for a moment," the tutor replied.

"If I can help, just ask," said Igorus.

"I wanted to buy a perfume for my wife. It's her birthday tomorrow, and I couldn't think of anything else to get her. I heard there's a shop nearby that specializes in such things," said Magees.

"On your left, after you pass the flower shop, take another left turn, and you'll see it right in front of you," said Stravna.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're the head of the Research and Information Center, Stravna Glenns?" asked the tutor.

"Yes, pleased to meet you," she replied, shaking his hand.

"Thank you, Mrs. Glenns. I won't keep you, General, Madam Chief. Good day to you both," said the tutor as he walked off in the direction she had indicated. Igorus and Stravna watched him head down the street.

"The tutor of your son, huh? I feel like I've heard that surname before," said Stravna.

"The son of Eoran Magees, former captain of our army," said Igorus.

"Ah, now I remember. He seems like quite the gentleman. I hope he teaches your son well," said Stravna.

"Voidanos is already very bright. Tutor Magees is more of an academic bonus, I'd say, but..."

"But what?"

"His Fernia... It feels strange. It struck me the first day I met him. I didn't pay much attention then, but... the more I think about it, the more suspicious it seems," said Igorus.

"How does his Fernia feel?" asked Stravna.

"Odd. As if it exists and doesn't exist at the same time. Now that I think about it, Captain Magees always spoke about his daughter, never once did he mention a son. I want you to look into this if you can," said Igorus.

"Alright, General. See you then," said Stravna.

"Yes... see you..."