novelzi Chapter 63 – The Game is Set
Chapter 63 – The Game is Set
“So here we are.” Arascus stood up in the war-room as he looked at the team of every important figure in the plan. Everyone had come, from the young sorcerers to his daughter-Goddesses, everyone dressed formally, in battle armour for those who were leaving and suits for those who weren’t. “Ladies and Gentlemen, two months have passed and we have received word from the teams providing surveillance in Atny.”
Arascus took a slow walk around the table. The white lamps were especially bright today. Everyone knew what this meeting would be for, no one so much as spoke. Arascus was sure some of them were even holding their breathes. He flipped open his notes and pulled out a piece of paper. “From the Atny branch, this has been reported: Arascus finished and looked over to Mikhail.
Arascus pulled out a photo of the two planes and slid them onto the table. Everyone looked over, the two young sorcerers, Fleur and Edmonton gawked. The older, more experienced members who remembered the nostalgia of the Great War only reclined and smiled. Iliyal’s eyes had a burning fire within them Arascus had only seen in the man when he had first returned. Neneria paid attention as she had always done, Fer simply stretched and yawned. Classic. “Your planes are ready Mikhail?” It was both a statement and a question. Arascus knew already, but he wanted to make sure that everyone else knew too.
“They are Sir.” Mikhail said. He stood up and saluted, Sara had apparently chosen a pristine suit for him but the man had only gone for a plain and unimpressive one: Black and white, the sort of modesty in looks that would befit his engineering skill. “Inspections have been ran every day since two weeks ago. All testing flights, even the long-distance hypersonic tests have come in within the prediction models. There are no faults, I would bet my life on it.” Arascus nodded and motioned for him to sit down as the table nodded in silence. Most of the table did, Neneria rarely expressed emotion in public, Iliyal only smiled as if it was expected and Fer looked around as if bored. Arascus looked over to the two young sorcerers, Fleur Ambelee and Edmonton Weaver. Both dressed in military uniforms, short red cloaks behind them falling halfway down their backs.
“Stand up.” Arascus motioned to them. They both stood up, staring down at everyone but the Divines in the room. Arascus knew it was annoying but to train pride out of a sorcerer was to train a dog not to drink water, a fruitless exercise that made one more experienced only in futility. Iliyal smirked at them as if they were children, Sara tilted her nose up, Neneria merely gazed over them and Fer collapsed on the table, her arms outstretched as she played with her fingers. “How is training?”
“I can fell six trees in a beam. Sir” Edmonton said, he saluted then smiled proudly. “Five easily.”
“Same here.” Fleur added and then did her own quick salute.
“And range?” Arascus asked.
“Up to a hundred metres.” Fleur replied, Arascus saw Iliyal scribble down a seventy on the piece of paper before him. It was always better to be safe and sorry, and Arascus had largely left them to their own training. Sara had little to do in the past few weeks anyway, all activities had been focused on perfecting the Irinika plan.
“And the skydiving lessons?”
“Both of them are qualified now.” Sara replied to Arascus’ question. “They can run their own skydiving lessons now.”
“I’d do it again.” Fleur said and she gave the Duchess an angry look. Arascus didn’t comment, sorcerers and their pride.
“Quite fun.” Edmonton added.
“It was.”
“Very well.” Arascus motioned for them to sit down. Frankly, the skydiving lessons of Fleur and Edmonton weren’t important, their loss was not assured, but their survival was not guaranteed either. He simply did not want to throw away two sorcerers his daughter had chosen personally out of sheer apathy. It could be done, so it should be done. The God turned to Iliyal, this was a matter more important. “Have we secured an airbase in Southern Arika?”
The elf stood up, his long coat moving like a slow wave as he pulled a clean salute. “They are. The planes are ready to be sent, notice came in that the airport was ready four weeks ago.” He gave a report as he always did, clean and efficient. Neneria gave no reaction and Fer got up from the table. The ears popping out of her bounced up and down and she started to scratch herself. Arascus turned to Mikhail.
“And they have the range to get to Artica?” A question which was a statement again.
“They do.” The engineer responded. “Enough to fly to Artica and back twice. I thought they would set off from Karaina so range is a none-issue if we’re setting off from Arika.” Excellent, although Arascus expected nothing less. He motioned for Iliyal to sit down and turned to Neneria.
“Neneria.” The Goddess of Death stood up and made a slow salute.
“Yes Father?”
“The Atis situation?”
Arascus watched Neneria smile. Her eyes start to exude darkness, her fingers fidget. The room turned silent as everyone looked up. Even Fer, ears turning forwards, leaned away from the Goddess of Death.
Arascus raised his eyebrow. “Neneria?”
“Atis is broken.” For a moment, she smiled. It was a smile so terrible, only Arascus, Iliyal and Fer did not shudder. Then she retreated back into herself, becoming the cold emotionless statue she always pretended to be.
“Good.” Arascus said. That only made things better. The plan would have worked without Atis, but now that Neneria had broken the God of the Hunt, it only gave them a spare ace to use. That was everything important that needed to be covered. The groundwork was laid, the game was set. The God of Pride pulled out one sheet from the folder before as Neneria sat back down. “Ladies and Gentlemen, this will be the final meeting for Operation Misfortune. Three hours ago, the radars we have set up around Olympiada intercepted a message.”
He read out what was had been caught. “