The day was pleasant after Yulin left. The game was gearing up for a major offensive to bring it to an end. The three Buldoun commanders had brought Adriana and Jessica onto the field, giving them shadow and spatial magics to use.
The unexpected twist came from Buldoun— the crown summoned nearby available mages to assist in the war effort. That had Stallo and Ivan, two physical enhancement mages, advancing on Clover and Ling in the rear.
Gregory wondered about the lack of movement from the empire. There was no answer, but it was possible that the empire’s extra just hadn’t made it to the board. Gregory tried to think about what extra help the empire might send.
“What do you think?” Claudia asked as evening fell. They were having dinner in the box like they’d done over the last few days.
“I think my wives will be attacked come next turn,” Gregory said. “They want to remove them before the mage reinforcements get to Clover and Ling. Honestly, this is heavily slanted toward Buldoun now just for sheer force value.”
“You don’t seem worried… or not as worried as you should be.”
Gregory took a bite from his skewer, chewing slowly as he put his thoughts in order. Once he swallowed, he was able to speak again, “Yuki and Jenn will win any fight against Adriana and Jessica. My wives might initiate the fight just to remove the threat to Farin and Roshana. Those two are preparing the area around the town to stop any quick attacks, making it a siege. In a prolonged siege on an empire-controlled board, more magi will show up in time. That’ll tip the balance firmly toward the empire.”
“What about the others?”
“Clover’s and Ling’s scouts are rushing back with the news. It’ll take time for them to warn Yuki and Jenn. By then, Clover and Ling will have retreated, giving up the towns in Buldoun. That’ll force the two mages to chase them.”
“If they’re caught, it’ll be bad for them.”
“That’s the trick,” Gregory chuckled. “You don’t know how hard it is to pin Clover down. Trust me: they won’t be caught quickly. As they go, I’d expect them to devastate the land behind them, making foraging impossible for the advancing army. Hardships and disappointments take a toll on morale.”
“Oh… that’ll also keep Stallo and Ivan from coming close to impacting the other fight.”
“Right, and the only property being ruined by Clover and Ling is Buldoun land.”
“This is all costing Buldoun more and more,” Claudia murmured. “That lowers the support the army can get, increasing their costs to field more men.”
“Yes, and the empire will have to respond to Buldoun moving more mages to the front. How and with what, I’m not sure.”
“You really believe your wives will start the fight with Jessica and Adriana?”
“They need Roshana and Farin to keep preparing the field. They’re planning to be besieged, not to fight.”
Claudia went quiet before she nodded. “I see, because that’s an empire town. There has to be a response if it’s under siege.”
“They’re using the knowledge that the empire will respond as the focal point. Even if the empire doesn’t respond, they have two water magi inside the walls. It’ll be hard for normal siege tactics to work. Their water supplies will stay good, and any sickness introduced can be scrubbed out. Food will be the only problem.”
“But we’ve been told before the commanders arrived, the magi inside the walls stocked up on food and harvested the fields early.”
“Yuki planned for the siege the moment they knocked off the first attackers the other day.”
“She plans well in advance,” Claudia said softly. “That might be why she gave me hope.”
“I’m sure it is,” Gregory nodded, “which is why I agreed to do the same.”
Claudia looked down at the new ring on her hand, what Gregory had called his promise ring. He’d told her what it could do, and she’d felt her heart beat faster that he trusted her so much to give her an item of such worth. She’d transferred all of her things from her old ring, given to her by Aliminus, into her new one.
Gregory watched her look at the ring before slowly closing her fist, then touching the ring with her other hand. He’d debated giving it to her, but it felt right then and still did now. There was a hint of worry that it would cause her problems with the archmage, but she’d been steadfast that she’d be fine.
Mikal Buffurn came out of the far waiting area, with the helpers going to move pieces. “Ladies, gentlemen, and children, we’ve had an unusual rule brought up, and the archmage and overseer have both agreed to allow it. Buldoun’s mages besieging the town initiated an attempted assassination against two of the magi. The magi requested that, instead of numbers from the game, they be allowed to fight the other two. In an hour, outside the tournament area, there will be combat. We encourage all of you to come. A mage of light magic will project the fight into the air so all can see it if they’re nearby.”
A commotion went up in the stands as some people got up, wanting to get the best vantage early.
“While that fight takes place, there is more news about the war,” the announcer said. “The mages fielded by the crown have forced the magi holding Buldoun villages to flee. They’re laying waste to the countryside as they flee, making life even harder for the poor villagers. The mages have started to pursue them to try minimizing the devastation.”
The crowd muttered as the natives condemned the magi for their actions. Gregory snorted, because both sides had done similar in the past.
“Meanwhile, the army outside of the town has started building siege equipment and digging in for a prolonged campaign. A lot will depend on the outcome of the fight about to take place. There will be no update after this one tonight. If you aren’t there to see the fight, make sure to be here for the start tomorrow.” When he finished talking, the helpers were already heading back to the waiting area.
“There’s the bet. Now to wait and hear the outcome,” Gregory murmured.
“I wish we could go and watch them,” Claudia sighed, “but we can’t.”
“Too big of a chance for assassins,” Gregory nodded.
“I know, but I still wish we could be there.”
“So do I. I’m sure my wives will win. The question is whether or not they have to use all their tricks to manage it.” He stood up and closed the curtains. “Griselda?”
The door opened a moment later. “Sir?”
“Close the curtains down. The updates are done for today, and my wives are fighting outside the tournament grounds in an hour.”
“Yes, sir. Should I inform the guards so they can go watch? The off-duty ones, that is.”
“If they don’t figure it out, I’ll be surprised. I expect most of the bazaar to be there.”
“We’ll be going down to train,” Claudia said, standing up. “Bring us tea in a couple of hours, and news on the fight.”
“Yes, mistress,” Griselda said, curtsying before hurrying off to close the curtains in the boxes.
~*~*~
The pair had just finished the Peaceful Fist when Gregory felt something impinge on his resonance. The feeling was hollow, not solid, which had him spinning around to face the shadows. His foresight came up, his resonance suffusing it as he did.
“Claudia—!” Was all Gregory managed before three men sprang from the shadows.
His naginata came to his hand in a blink and he thrust at the man closest to him. The assailant wore a mask to conceal his identity, but he was clearly a mage or magi. The shadow user managed to melt back into the shadows just before the naginata would have cut him.
A burst of fire behind him let him know that Claudia was working on defending herself. With a ducking sweep, his naginata just missed Claudia, cutting into the leg of the third man who’d tried to come up between them.
The man let out a muffled scream, but he jerked back and let the shadows take him. Gregory triggered his barrier from his armband a half-heartbeat before small bolts impacted it, shot from the first mage he’d stopped.
There were screams and the clashing of weapons that came muffled from behind the door. The guards were obviously also in combat and unable to assist.
“They’re immune to fire!” Claudia hissed, having taken a gash on her left arm when the assailant she’d tried to incinerate failed to catch fire.
“We came prepared,” one of the men said. “Now, you die!”
Gregory’s naginata vanished as he turned and grabbed Claudia. With her snug against his chest, Gregory triggered Yukiko’s ring at the same moment the room filled with shadows coalesced by the shadow mages. He concentrated on where he knew shadows would exist, then willed himself and Claudia to that point.
He felt something fight him— the shadows tried to rip Claudia from his arms, while the ring strained to teleport them both away from the shadow mages. It was then that Gregory felt something surge into the ring. It came from another aether source, and then, the darkness did as he wanted it to.
Claudia gasped in surprise when she found herself in a tent. An older man in a lavender kimono sat in a chair, sipping some tea. He gave her a grandfatherly smile as he set the cup down. “What?” Claudia asked.
“Elder!” Gregory panted. His body felt hot, as if he’d pushed his aether too far. His left hand ached where the shadow ring was. “Assassins!”
“Yes. They will be here in just a moment. They felt the shadows surge. Please lay down. I do not wish to injure you.”
Claudia started to object, but Gregory tugged her to the ground roughly, covering her with his body. A heartbeat later, three men came out of the shadows, their crossbows firing rapidly. Gregory was glad his armband had been fully recharged as he held it over them.
“Bad judgment,” Lightshield said simply before wind tore his tent apart. Pieces of canvas went flying into the air as Lightshield used his aether in ways that he hadn’t for decades. “Attacking my clan means war. Your king and my emperor will both be very unhappy with you.”
Gregory glanced at the three men, who were nearly untouched. A few had small bleeding gashes, but nothing like they should have.
One man’s face was exposed, his mask not having survived. “You won’t survive what is coming!” His outfit had an icon depicting a black cat on a field of dark gray.
Lightshield nodded sagely. “I know.” The words were a soft sigh. “I have prepared for this moment for the last year. Gregory, thank you. Remember… sometimes, life means sacrificing for what you believe in.”
The three shadow magic users started to flee, but a burst of bright light stole all the shadows. Hemet stood a dozen yards away, his hand outstretched as light flared from it. The sorrow in his eyes spoke volumes— he knew what was to come.
Lightshield spun wind around the attackers, lifting them into the air and into the beam of light. “You strayed from Aether,” Lightshield said sadly, his voice shaking with strain. “I will do what he requires, even to my last breath.”
The men were ripped apart in midair by wind blades. Their blood didn’t fall to the ground, instead turning into red tornadoes around the dying men. Their screams rang into the night sky, illuminated by the light Hemet projected from his gloved hand.
“Claudia, now would be a good time to control flames,” Lightshield said. He met Gregory’s eyes before bowing his head. “For Aether.”
Gregory felt two more presences arrive, brushing against his resonance. They weren’t just hollow: they were warped hollowness. The feeling was the worst he’d ever felt. Before he could say anything, a bloom of fire engulfed the entirety of the Aether’s Guard encampment.
The fire passed over Gregory like a heated wind, not harming him in the least, but his heart burned, burned for Lightshield. That burning became a bonfire when he thought of who else might’ve been caught in the fire.
Ling! Clover! Mindie! Roshana! Elsa! The names hammered Gregory, and he screamed in anger. He went to stand to find them, but Claudia held him tightly, the fear of him leaving her written large on her features.
Seeing her, Gregory panted, but stopped pulling away from her as the flames raged around them. He needed to wait, and then he could act. He spun his foresight out to see when he could, only to find that he wouldn’t be able to.
The flames died off except for patches that kept burning where tents had been. Laozi landed in that instant and the flames were snuffed out. Aliminus appeared out of nothing, looking around with angry eyes.
“Why are you here?!” Aliminus snarled at Gregory.
“Assassins,” Hemet said thickly. “He brought Claudia here, fleeing assassins, who followed him. Elder Lightshield… killed the shadows… but died to the flame. The men wore the Black Cat insignia,” Hemet said sadly. “You should be questioning your assassin guild, Archmage.”
Aliminus exhaled roughly. “I will gut them for this… Claudia, this place is no longer safe for you. Get up.”
Gregory struggled to his feet, then helped Claudia up. “What will you do, sir?”
“Send her to my home. I will have to cleanse some people from Buldoun before she goes back to the college. Your help is no longer needed.”
Gregory bowed to the archmage, then turned to Claudia. “Stay strong.”
“I will,” Claudia said. She wanted to say more, but not with the archmage staring at them. “If we meet again, may it be in friendship,” she finally said.
The next instant, Aliminus and Claudia were gone. With them gone, the memory of his friends flooded back. “No…!” he whispered as he turned to look at the charred ruins of the Aether’s Guard encampment.
“They were all out watching your wives,” Laozi said softly, “including Elsa. Calm your mind, Pettit.”
The relief at those words had Gregory fall to his knees. His body felt abnormally warm as he swayed in place. “Good… I…! Something’s… wrong…”
“Hemet, the potion. He needs it,” Laozi said tightly. “Then make sure he rests.”
“Yes, sir,” Hemet said as Gregory slumped forward into unconsciousness.
