And overtop the group floated a dense, shimmering wall of air mana. The energy coated the entire area around the gate and spread down the street. A magical canopy maintained by nearly a dozen air mages. Another division stood alongside them, ready to step in once the first group’s mana had been depleted.
Between the earthen barriers on either end of the street and the protective dome above, the worst of the storm had been blunted. The wind was now merely a muted whistling howl, and the rain no longer pelted the heads and shoulders of the soldiers that regrouped around the gate.
“Finally, a break from this storm,” Kyyle grunted as he walked up to Finn. The earth mage was bunching the fabric of his robes, wringing the cloth, and letting a cascade of water drip down onto the sand. “Do you have any idea how heavy these robes get when they’re wet? Such a silly type of armor…”
“You know that’s pointless, right?” Julia drawled, waving at Kyyle as she approached from the other end of the street, her lance holstered, and her shield strapped across her back. “We’ve walled off this area to allow us to regroup, but we’ve done nothing to ease the storm itself. Once we move from this location, you’re just going to get soaked again.”
Kyyle raised a grumpy eyebrow. “Well, then I can use the opportunity to remember what it was like to be dry… or, at least, only slightly damp.”
Julia snorted in amusement before her attention drifted to Finn.
His gaze was distant, skimming across the map of the city projected beside him. Multicolored dots were highlighted across the display courtesy of Daniel. The AI had used Finn’s enhanced vision to help pinpoint clusters of the hounds while they had stood atop the gate. Those dots were now static and were likely to change quickly, but it at least gave him a sense of what was happening in the rest of the city – none of it good.
“So, what now?” Julia asked gently, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He looked up to meet her expression, his mouth pinched into a grim line. He knew what needed to happen next, but he expected she wasn’t going to like it.
“I’m also curious about our next move,” another voice piped up.
Finn turned to see that Aerys had found their position – likely given away by the flames that still circled Finn’s body, the glowing crown atop his brow, and the fires that flickered within the depths of his left hand. He stood out like a sore thumb – a fact he was going to be counting on now.
Both Kalisha and Malik flanked the Khamsin leader. Behind them was a contingent of the desert folk, their armor soaked through. Yet, somehow, they were still able to move silently. Those severe men and women all placed a hand to their chest and bowed their heads as Finn’s attention drifted across them, muttering something under their breaths.
He didn’t need to hear them to recognize their words.
“You seem to be in a sour mood despite our success,” Abbad observed as he watched Aerys. “We’ve breached the shield and the city gates, no small accomplishment.”
“But not without losses,” Aerys replied evenly. “We’ve lost a few hundred of our own already. And now we’re stuck in the middle of this hurricane… or whatever you want to call this… thing that Finn has created.” She gestured at the swirling mass of black clouds that still loomed above them, lightning crackling between the dark bank of moisture. “And there’s still the matter of a legion of those hounds out there, as well as a demon king intent on killing us all.
She met Abbad’s gaze. “So, you’ll forgive me if I don’t feel entirely relaxed.”
Finn saw Julia’s eyes flash angrily but held up a hand.
This wasn’t the time for bickering. He could appreciate Aerys’ sour mood. He’d kept her in the dark about his plans up until now, and she was accustomed to feeling in control. Unfortunately, they were all playing this by ear – forced to move quickly and adapt. Aerys would come around eventually.
“No… no. It’s a fair question,” Finn answered, the group quieting. Even the soldiers and Khamsin around them stilled their movements, watching him with uncanny focus. Between the storm and the latest fight with the hounds, it seemed he had made an impression.
Finn swiped at the air, rotating, and sharing his map for the group – the members of their unlikely alliance circling around him.
“This data is a few minutes old – captured while I was atop the ramparts,” Finn explained. “But it gives us a sense of the current situation.”
He tapped at the orange dots – points of light that were spread throughout the city. “It looks like the hounds are roaming the streets in packs – somewhere between fifty and a hundred in each group.” His fingers skimmed to the guild halls located along the northern, eastern, and western edges of the city. “However, most of the creatures have gravitated toward the guild halls and are clustering there, especially the Mage Guild.”
Finn frowned, rubbing at his temple lightly with one hand. “Based on what we know, the hounds are most likely hunting the survivors that remained when the guilds were evacuated as well as preying on the travelers that have been respawning, returning, or just starting out in this world.”
“Okay, so taking out the hounds at the guilds is priority number one,” Julia said, staring at the map. “If we let Bilel continue, he’ll only replace the creatures he’s lost.”
“And that may explain why he’s been so careless with his losses so far,” Abbad replied softly, frowning at the screen.
Finn cocked his head at that. He had to admit that despite what they’d been through already, getting past the shield and the gate had been a touch easier than he’d expected. And Bilel had neither entered the fray directly nor done much to aid his hounds – just enough to let Finn and the army know he was there and prevent them from crushing his forces outright. That either meant his mana was limited or he was playing a different game here.
“It’s possible,” Finn answered tentatively.
“Did you see many survivors along the streets?” Malik asked, the normally stoic warrior’s expression even more severe as he watched Finn.
Finn shook his head. “Some residents and travelers may have survived Bilel’s onslaught by hiding in their homes and staying mobile. But the storm cuts both ways. It’s difficult to make out individuals among the ambient mana from the storm. The hounds are easier to spot since they run in large groups.”
He hesitated. “Although, that raises another concern. Buildings have collapsed, sinkholes are forming in the sand from the constant rain, and lightning strikes and tornadoes are common – touching down at random and leaving a path of destruction in their wake. It’s not just the hounds out there… the storm itself is a danger. It’s destroying Lahab.”
A heavy silence lingered at that statement, punctuated by the muted howl of the wind that swept across the shield above them as though the hurricane wished to remind them once again that it was still there.
“Which leads me back to my original question,” Aerys grunted sourly. “What do we do now? Finish hunting the hounds? Try to find the Emir and finish this?”
Finn took a deep breath. Now was the moment he was going to have to explain his plan. He could already anticipate the pushback.
“We need to split up,” he answered finally.
He tapped at the palace. “I believe Bilel is holed up in the palace. I saw him casting from that location from atop the wall. The throne room offers a good line of sight on the rest of the city, and the palace grounds are fortified with their own interior wall. If I were in his position, I would make my stand there. If we breached the outer walls, that would be the easiest place to defend.”
“But what’s to keep him there?” Kyyle asked, glancing at Finn. “He’s already gathered quite a bit of mana. Why not just flee the city with the staff?”
Finn shook his head. He’d been thinking the same thing. But after reading Bilel’s journal, he didn’t anticipate that retreat was a strategy that the demon would likely employ. And that spell cast from the palace throne room had seemed s
o… obvious. Almost like the demon had wanted Finn to see him. No, Bilel was after something else.
“He wants me,” Finn said, meeting Kyyle’s eyes. “Bilel’s quarrel is with the gods, and, thus, by proxy with me. His easiest way of hurting the Seer is to take me out of play permanently. He won’t leave until that’s finished.”
“You aren’t about to suggest what I think you are?” Julia demanded sharply. Finn raised his eyes, switching to Short-Sighted to see her glaring at him. As she saw the look on his face, that scowl only deepened. “You are, aren’t you? Gods damn it!”
“Care to share with the rest of us?” Kalisha interjected.
“Finn here is about to suggest that he goes to the palace himself. And I bet he’s planning to send us on a cleanup mission to take out the remaining hounds.”
Finn could only grin in response. “Close, but not quite.”
Julia let out a frustrated huff as Finn continued, “You’re right that we need to take out the hounds at the Mage Guild. That will further weaken Bilel’s healing abilities and prevent him from re-populating his army. And while Bilel is focused on that, we can move a strike team into position – a small group that can infiltrate the palace undetected and take out the demon.
“Note my emphasis on a group,” Finn continued with a wink at his daughter. “That should include myself and a handful of others.”
Kyyle glanced down at Finn’s hand. “And how would you suggest we sneak up to a demon that can see mana? I bet you stand out like a sore thumb right now with your Focusing Prism charged by the hounds—”
The earth mage cut himself off, his eyes going round. “Ahh, you did that on purpose, didn’t you? Same with flying up to the top of the rampart. And here I thought you just wanted to show off.”
“Well, that might have been part of it,” Finn shot back with a smile.
His gaze shifted back to the group, noticing their confused expressions. “I’ve revealed my position and my energy signature,” he explained, holding up his left hand. “The mana held within the crystal should be enough for Bilel to detect it easily despite the interference from the storm. Which means he’ll know where I’m going to be… at least, as long as we match this mana signature.”
“You’re suggesting a decoy then,” Kalisha piped up from nearby, rubbing at her chin in thought. “You want to have our water mages cast an illusion that mimics the mana in your hand, making Bilel think that you’re leading the attack on the Mage Guild…”
“When, in fact, I’ll be coming straight for him,” Finn continued with a nod. “We can have those mages cast an illusion on the strike team before we leave as well – using it to mask our mana. If we keep our casting to a minimum, and with the interference from the storm, that should conceal our presence from Bilel.”
His fingers tapped at the map, tracing a line to the Mage Guild. “Our forces should continue on to the Mage Guild. If they can clear out the hounds there, then they should move in a clockwise pattern around the city – focusing on the guild halls. We need to reduce the creatures’ numbers to weaken Bilel further and suppress the mana that’s being channeled back to the staff.”
“Which leaves you to go on this suicide mission straight into the demon’s fortress,” Julia retorted, crossing her arms. “Even if you don’t plan to do this alone… how are you going to get past the palace walls? Inside the palace? And how exactly do you propose to fight Bilel himself? If our army doesn’t take out the hounds, he’ll simply be able to out-heal our damage. And that’s putting aside that we didn’t exactly do very well the last time we fought him. Actually, I believe we didn’t even manage to hit him.”
“That was also a long time ago, and he caught us by surprise,” Finn retorted. “Besides, Bilel may have drained a substantial amount of mana over the years using the purge, but you’ve seen the spells he’s been throwing around during these last few battles. Our own spells took hundreds of mages working together. He’s just one person – even if he’s become a demon and is wielding the relic. Between the shield over the city, his illusions, and the earth magic he’s been using, he’s likely burned through a substantial portion of his stockpile.”
“Or he just wants you to think that,” Kyyle observed. “This guy has kept control of the city for the better part of a century. Do you really think he doesn’t have a contingency plan?” Finn’s head tilted at that, his thoughts flitting back to a game of stones played in a quiet palace courtyard. He had to admit, Bilel was clever.
That frustrating thought was teasing at the edges of his mind too.
“I admit this is a longshot, but this entire war has been a longshot.” Finn took a deep breath. “Either way, I fully expect that my group will be going on a one-way trip,” he added softly. “For both travelers and residents alike.” His eyes shot to the NPCs among their group. “And you lot don’t respawn.”
His attention snapped back to Julia and Kyyle. “I suspect that Bilel may have developed a means to contain or destroy a traveler’s avatar. He knew he’d eventually have to deal with me, so that doesn’t seem implausible. You may stand to lose everything by coming with me,” he continued, rubbing at the base of his left arm.
The ache no longer lingered there – the magical infection purged after their meeting with Nar Aljahim – but he hadn’t forgotten how that staff had drained his mana and left him weakened. It wasn’t a large leap to assume that Bilel had been pondering on a way to take Finn out of play permanently.
“Yeah, yeah. And everyone dies someday. Your plan is risky as hell, but I don’t exactly have a better one,” Julia admitted reluctantly. “Besides, do you really think we’re going to let you go do this alone? After coming all this way? Hell will freeze over before I let you race off on your own again.”
“Even I have to agree,” Aerys grunted. Her attention flitting to Finn, meeting his eyes. “I see your plan now. A small group with carefully constructed illusions likely stands the best chance of infiltrating the palace without Bilel detecting them – and we do still need to slay the hounds. However, this task is hopeless without help.”
A pause. “More importantly, we have all committed ourselves to this endeavor already – even if that means we might die here today.
“Anything. Everything. Aren’t those the words of our prophet?” she asked, a challenge in her voice as she held Finn’s gaze.
Finn couldn’t help the amused snort that emerged from his throat. This coming from the woman who seemed to second guess him at every turn? Then his gaze swept across the rest of the group, observing the same determination shining in each of their eyes.
“Okay. Fine,” he said. “Though we still need to limit the group. The goal here is to travel fast and light. Likely five or six at most.”
Julia crossed her arms. “Well, I’m coming. So, we need five more then.” She glanced around the small courtyard. “Any volunteers for this suicide mission?”
To Finn’s surprise, every member of their group raised their hand. Even Aerys’ arm grudgingly rose into the air – the woman raising an eyebrow at Finn when their eyes met. He was honestly shocked that she would relinquish command of the Khamsin to join their company. Perhaps he’d underestimated her grudge with Bilel. He’d always had her pegged as favoring her own self-interest and ambition over altruism.
Or perhaps he’d simply underestimated the scars that decades of persecution had left behind. Pain and anger could be powerful motivators.
Even more surprising, the volunteers weren’t contained to their smaller group. The Khamsin, mages, and soldiers that lingered around them – their necks craning as they eavesdropped on the conversation – all shot their arms into the air. Every single man and woman among them volunteered to charge straight into the demon’s lair.
“Huh. Well, that was more than I was expecting…” Julia muttered.
“If I may,” Abbad interjected. “I believe the group should consist of Finn, Julia, Kyyle, Malik, Kalisha, and myself.” He raised a hand to ward off their obj
ections. “Before you question my suggestion, let me continue. That provides a balance of casters and soldiers. Finn, Kyyle, and I won’t be able to use our mana for fear of alerting Bilel,” the former librarian explained.
“We will need Julia, Malik, and Kalisha to help us traverse the city,” Abbad continued. “Julia and Malik can act as our brawn if we encounter any hounds, and Kalisha can use her mechanids to help scout ahead of our position. Once we’re inside, the mixture of fire, air, and earth mana may be sufficient for dealing with Bilel.”
The group lapsed into silence for a moment as they mulled on that suggestion.
“His reasoning does make sense,” Kyyle offered, glancing at Finn.
“It does,” Finn admitted grudgingly.
“Then we’re decided,” Aerys said suddenly. Her eyes skimmed to the soldiers around her. “You lot get back to work! We’re moving within the hour!”
The mages, Khamsin, and fighters immediately started moving again as they continued to fortify their position, regroup and regear, and prepared to move out. Finn could see that their small group had also partially dissolved. Kyyle and Abbad huddled together, pulling in several water mages to discuss how to structure the illusion while Kalisha, Malik, and Julia had started charting a tentative path through the city using Finn’s map.
Which left Finn standing alone with Aerys.
Perhaps it was time to clear the air a little. He might not get a second chance.
“You were right to call me out before,” Finn offered tentatively. “I should have been more transparent with my strategy for attacking the city.”
“No… no. It is the job of a leader to lead,” she replied, her eyes on the activity around them and a frown creasing her lips. “I inducted you into the Khamsin, held you up as a prophet, and encouraged my – our – people to follow you. Only to have difficulty placing the same faith in you myself.”
A pause, her gaze going distant. “The Khamsin have lost many over the years… I have lost many over the years. Friends. Family. Soldiers. It doesn’t get any easier,” she said in a quiet voice. “And it makes it difficult to trust.”
Awaken Online: Inferno (Tarot #3) Page 50