Chapter Ten: Final Preparations

*

Once his declaration of war came to an end, he had the people he trusted the most come to the front so he could explain his plan and get help separating those present into groups. He wished Ian were here, but having him guard the portal put his mind at ease, though he would probably get an earful when he saw his friend again.

Saying a silent apology to the absent boy, he followed after Josh, James, and Isaac to help speed up the delegation of groups. His plan was fairly straightforward, but this would be the first conjoined effort of the people of Zion.

As he passed through the crowd, he heard many encouraging words. Many of the veterans who’d experienced some kind of pain or loss at the hands of the Valkyr oozed battlelust, but the greener ones looked more afraid than anything. And he understood why, planning accordingly with their freshness in mind.

Anybody noncombatant or below D-rank would remain behind with two full C-rank parties. He needed to select two of the B-ranks to take command and keep things safe and sound in Zion, otherwise, he couldn’t move such a large force with a clear conscience. The Valkyr were an aggressive threat that needed to be addressed, but they weren’t the only ones around.

The unknown whereabouts of the Spiderkin made him antsy. He didn’t know where they were, what their motives were, or if they were poised to strike the moment he let his guard down. All in all, the decision to attack was one fueled not by logic and reason but a fury that wouldn’t let him rest unless he did something about it.

If he could’ve brought everyone with him and barred the backroom leading to the Town Control Hub, he would’ve. So rather than lament the inability to mobilize entirely, he made sure to take care of his people and respect their decisions to fight. Nobody would be forced into anything, and many decided not to follow him.

The number was far fewer than he’d anticipated, making him feel proud. To refute that pride, his mind burned each and every face into his mind and desperately pleaded for him to change his mind, that it wasn’t too late to search for another course of action.

The Valkyr were strong, capable of assaulting three fronts almost simultaneously and holding ground. With the addition of the Celestials and Adam’s group thrown into the mix, the night had every possibility to go horribly wrong. The guilt and weight of knowing that someone in the room, if not all of them, wouldn’t return to Zion when all was said and done ate at him.

But his rage couldn’t be quieted.

The noise of his own mind muted out the world around him as he progressed through the crowd, the floor far too tightly packed to allow any other way of disseminating groups. His qualification for each group was simple and straightforward with a total of four groups for what he had in mind.

Home group would be the first, staying out of the fight and having to bear the long hours of waiting without knowing the outcome of events. As a man of action, he didn’t envy them in the slightest.

Group two would be the smallest and had, arguably, the easiest task of ambushing the Valkyr forces on the border of the Dragonborn territory. He’d send someone he could trust—probably James—to try and rally the Dragonborn against the Valkyr as reinforcements for the main event, which would fall to the fourth and final group.

His group.

Responsibility of hampering the movement of the Valkyr and slowing their return would fall to the third group. He selected the fastest people he could find and wished to send James with them, but he didn’t think Isaac nor Josh would be able to communicate with the Dragonborn without starting a fight…

His head whipped towards Josh, and he grinned. Maybe?

Josh had about zero ability to communicate without getting angry and wanting to hit something, but the more he thought about it, the more he realized he might be the perfect person for the job. What he lacked in ability to communicate, he made up for tenfold with the ability to piss someone off enough to want to fight.

Never in his life would Aiden have imagined something like that being useful. He mentally made the swap to put James in charge of group three and Josh for group two. Once he cemented choice, even more things came to mind that reinforced the decision.

Nodding to himself, he continued wading through the crowd of over seventeen hundred. Like sardines, they were packed tightly. Navigating through them dragged out the process. When that was the last thing he wanted to do, doling out assignments felt like torture.

A necessary torture.

The buzz of idle chatter helped him more than he realized, allowing him to jump from conversation to conversation as a distraction. The turmoil inside of him threatened to spill out at any given moment, however, as much as he wanted to leave then and there, he wasn’t suicidal.

Reminding himself that he couldn’t storm into the Valkyr Town and expect to walk away unscathed without the help of the people here kept him stable enough to make it through the task.

-

A whole two hours passed by the time the four of them finished. Josh, James, and Isaac all stood next to him on the stage. True to character, James waved and smiled calmly while Josh visibly attempted to storm out of the town hall to assault the Valkyr himself, his eyes darting towards the stairs every few seconds. Aiden didn’t think the boy had ever been more relatable than in that moment.

Isaac stood at the end, his eyes regularly flashing in intervals. Shadow had long since given a live report of the numbers group two would face and the strength of their forces. Aiden felt confident they’d be just fine and turned his attention to his people.

“All of you have received a group designation just now. Before I progress, many of you have already opted out of joining the night raid, and that’s completely fine. I will not force those of you who wish to remain in Zion out into the dead of night, into unknown territory, to put your lives on the line for people you don’t know. In fact,” he smiled warmly, gazing over the crowd, “those of you that choose to stay make me feel more at ease.”

A collective sigh of relief was let out by the crowd.

“Having said that, I need two B-rank volunteers to command the two groups of combatants I’ve selected to remain here and defend our home.” The crowd remained silent, and he nodded. “I know those of you strong enough to qualify as B-rank don’t want to stay behind, but keeping Zion safe is as important as putting the rabid Valkyr down. If none volunteer, I’ll be forced to choose myself.”

“I’ll do it,” a familiar voice called out. Kendra, the same veteran from the day before, pounded her chest.

Another stood next to her, mimicking her actions, and met Aiden’s gaze.

He nodded at both, glad he didn’t have to force someone into the duty. “Thank you both. Group one is hereby dismissed.”

Pushing tightly together, those of the other three groups made way for group one’s departure. Before stepping down the stairs, Kendra turned back and pounded her chest one more time, nodding towards him. He smiled and nodded in appreciation, and then the girl was gone.

Without contest and just as he’d expected, group one had cleared out more than a third of the room’s occupants and freed up a lot of space. Now that everyone wasn’t packed in like sardines, he received far more focused intensity as they hung onto his every word.

“Group two, led by Josh,” he gestured towards the brutish boy who pounded his chest and let out a battlecry, “will be tasked with heading to the area of conflict between the Valkyr and Dragonborn. The primary task is to reduce the Valkyr’s numbers and cut off any chances of reinforcements. We’ve already scouted these forces with the help of Isaac and Shadow. We know their strengths, locations, and have the advantage of surprise.”

Tauvar rose from where he sat and crossed his arms. “Might I ask what determined your selection for this group?”

Aiden shrugged and looked towards Isaac. “What’d I tell you to look for, and why?”

Isaac scowled and shot a look back at Aiden. He huffed a deep breath then turned to the crowd, which still numbered over a thousand people. “Verbatim, his orders were to ‘find people who can hit hard and move fast under B-rank’.”

“And?” Aiden prompted, stopping Tauvar from voicing his complaints.

“‘Send someone reliable to go with them’.” He shot Josh a dubious look. “Had I known the leader of that task force, I might’ve sent two for good measure.” Isaac beamed at Josh playfully as the angry boy glared back at him. “No need to get your panties in a twist, big man. I’m only joking… kind of.”

Aiden turned back to Tauvar and raised a questioning brow. “Does that answer satisfy your ego? If so, take your seat before I find someone to take your place and have you join group one.”

“You wouldn’t,” Tauvar hissed, plopping down into his seat after buckling under Aiden’s unwavering gaze. “Fine, I’ll take out the trash and make sure the brute doesn’t start another war.”

“See that you do.” Aiden turned his attention away from the boy and back to the crowd. “Group two, the third and final task, subject to change, will be to rendezvous with teams three and four. With this, you have three very important tasks to accomplish. Even if the Dragonborn do not take action against the Valkyr, your actions will stop group four from being surrounded and attacked from behind. Even if you’re unable to completely subdue the Valkyr forces there, delaying them until it’s too late is equally valuable.”

Josh rose Bartholomew, what once was a baseball bat and now looked like some hulking monstrosity he’d see a giant carrying, and looked into the those designated under his group. “I will not tolerate anything less than complete annihilation of our enemies. We will strike them before they know we’re there, and there will be no mercy.”

Group two pounded their chests in acknowledgement. The room fell silent once again, allowing Aiden to continue his debrief. “Group three, your job is to distract and delay the forces occupying the Celestial Town. You are not to engage directly and have all been selected for this task specifically. James, a speed specialist like yourselves, will lead all of you. The primary focus isn’t to stop them completely but to buy time for group four. If things get too hairy, pull out and return to Zion.”

Aiden gestured towards James, and the charismatic boy pounded his chest. “For Zion!”

“For Zion!” group three shouted back.

“Our job may not seem important, or even dangerous, but anybody who thinks that needs to realize that we’ll be making movements against the Valkyr and Celestials under their control. What do both of those races have in common?” he asked, looking around the crowd. Someone raised their hand, and James pointed. “You. What do you think it is?”

A girl pounded her chest and called out, “They can fly!”

“They can fly, yes. You’re absolutely correct.” He pursed his lips into a thin line. For the first time since Aiden met him, James showed something more than the calm and collected confidence he was so used to seeing. “We are fast, and I know that sometimes it feels like we’re invincible. We are not. Most of you haven’t skirmished against the Valkyr, and even fewer have seen the Celestials. This will not be a walk in the park or a fun run through the woods. The magic they have available, their pinpoint precision with a bow, and the advantage of flight make them formidable. This is why Aiden has put me in charge of all of you, and this is why all of you have been selected.”

The same girl pounded her chest again. “Even if the danger is great, we’ve chosen to stay despite it. I can’t speak for everyone here, but I’d walk through hell and back for Zion and its people if that’s what it took.” She looked towards Aiden with great admiration and kept going. “You don’t know many of us, Aiden, but you’re a beacon of hope for all of us. You may not know it, but we see what you do and are thankful. If this is what you need, I am Trisha Belle, and I’ll fight in the name of Zion.”

Trisha’s proclamation caused the members of the three groups to follow her example. One by one, they shouted their appreciation and devotion at the top of their lungs.

“I am Aimee Dennis, and I’ll fight in the name of Zion!”

“Andrew Maison!”

“Anthony Collins!”

He’d already burned most of their faces into memory. Being able to add names to faces felt good. Their words eased a lot of that burning rage, frustration, and loneliness, making him even more proud than before. By the time those that wished to speak finished, his heart had synchronized with the continuous rhythm of pounding.

“As I am your leader, you are my people. Zion is my home, a bastion of hope in a time of chaos, and without all of us working together, none of what we’ve done would’ve been possible. For that, I thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I wish I were a stronger leader so I wouldn’t need to ask all of you to possibly sacrifice yourselves, but I hear you, people of Zion. I see you as you see me, and what I do, I do for our future.”

James placed a hand on Aiden’s shoulder and smiled softly. “We’ll do what we must to aid group four and buy as much time as we can. For now, we must continue the debrief.”

“You’re right.” Aiden nodded once, then again as he calmed himself. He addressed the crowd for the final time. “Group four is with me, and Isaac will back us up. The Candidate of the Valkyr is still in their Town, so that will be our target. One of the two leaders will be there defending him. The noncombatants aren’t to be targeted, only subdued in self defense. If we take down the Candidate, this war may end before morning, but everyone’s tasks, the missions I’ve given you all, are like Zion. Without each other, our chances of success dramatically decrease. Together, we can succeed. For the sake of Earth, for the sake of Zion, and for the sake of each other, I ask this of you.”

“And we’ll happily follow,” Trisha instantly answered, pounding her chest.

“We depart an hour before sun down,” he said, looking over everyone assembled one last time. He ignored the sinking feeling in his gut and the nagging thought asking him how many in this room wouldn’t survive to see the morning. Instead, he pounded his chest once more, saying, “I am proud of all of you. For now, you are all dismissed.”

-

When group one had been sent away, Trixie had been the first down the steps, almost flying down them as she raced towards her quarters. The walls of the town hall felt as if they knew her secret and would tell the people of Zion at any given moment. Her racing heart threatened to beat out of her chest as she ran as fast as she possibly could, eager to report to her Queen.

But even as she ran, that presence haunted her. Aiden Pearce, the leader of Zion and leading Candidate to the throne, was no more human than she. The predatory presence he’d exuded to quell the crowd would not be something she forgot soon and would haunt her dreams. She was certain of that.

Her long legs carried her to the first floor, through the empty halls, out of the town hall where she took a deep breath of fresh air, and headed straight towards the place she’d called home since arriving.

The entire time she ran, she repeated Aiden’s words in her mind, committing them to memory absolutely and in their entirety. For the first time, she wished she’d shown more of her strengths in order to hear whatever transpired between those that remained behind and the monster hidden in plain sight.

However, she’d heard enough. The Spiderkin had remained in hiding long enough, watching and waiting. Trixie had nearly fallen into despair time and time again, feeling as if the peace would never break and she’d be relegated to remain in the mountain city forever. Many times, she’d thought to fake her death or disappear without a trace, but her reception would be anything but warm.

She threw open her door and headed inside. The small home was small with little more than a small room and a closet, but she’d found it comfortable enough. When she entered her room, she carefully pulled up a floor board and threw it aside, retrieving a plain looking box. She sat back against the floor, pulled out the contents—ink, paper, and a magical contraption that would burn the message and create a copy for whoever possessed the linked contraption.

Her hand shifted from that of the human’s fleshy form back to the comfort of her true appearance, that of a Spiderkin. With her clawed finger, she wrote in a frantic haze, jumping at every small noise. Relaying the entirety of the speech and a message for her Queen took what felt like an eternity but in all actuality was only five minutes.

She pushed her mana into the magical contraption, and a violet flame burned away her hard work, leaving no trace behind or any evidence of her being a spy. She started to replace the equipment back into the box, getting as far as folding the paper, binding it, and replacing the stopper on the bottle of ink before she detected a presence.

Her entire body froze in place. Unable to move a muscle, she could only wait. From over her shoulder, she heard movement.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” a familiar voice tutted, stepping around her and into her field of view.

“K—Kendra.”

“I think,” she B-ranked girl started, pointing towards the half-packed box, messaging contraption, and her clawed finger, “you just might have some explaining to do.”

Trixie watched in absolute terror as one of her worst nightmare’s became reality.

The powerful girl walked over to the door, looked around outside, and pulled it closed. She walked back and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms and giving a beaming smile. “Now that we won’t be interrupted, I think you’ve got some secrets to spill. And if I were you, I’d start with the juiciest ones.”

“Just… kill me,” Trixie said, closing her eyes and hanging her head. Doing so caused her to fall forward flat on her face. “Ah—ow!”

“We’ve known from the beginning, Trixie.” Kendra tilted her head and grinned. “I’ve been watching you from the second you stepped foot in Zion’s walls.”

“Then… why?” she asked, looking up in disbelief. “Why haven’t you killed me? Why did you treat me kindly, and why didn’t you stop me from relaying information to my Queen?”

“I don’t think too much about why he tells me to do things. I just follow orders like I’m supposed to. That’s good enough for me. Let the higher ups worry about all the planning, conniving, and operations of the city.” She shrugged, offering the downed Spiderkin a hand up. “If I were to hazard a guess, he wanted to use you to show we’re not like the Valkyr. We can be reasoned with.”

Trixie took the proffered hand and cried out in alarm when she was easily wrenched to her feet. “I’m… very confused.”

“Don’t be. I already told you what you need to do. Spill your secrets, and don’t resist.” She moved her hand slightly, and Trixie couldn’t move again. “He doesn’t choose to fight as a go to, but he did give me freedom to get information out of you.” Kendra took a step forward, looming over the tall Spiderkin as she cracked her knuckles. “However I like.”