26 LEVERAGE (2/2)
A pause of silence pushed between them for a couple of seconds until Artemus replied.
”I'm sorry I can't do anything for them. I want to but there's really nothing I can do being a Grand Prince.”
Reus felt guilty ever hinting his father's incapacity to help them, so he consoled, ”I-I'm sorry father. I know the politics. You're an inch away from exile. You really can't do anything because if you do, you might get blamed for the whole affair. And there's going to be a Civil War and everyone's going to die choosing sides. But if we go, we'll be tagged as rebels. No one will be blamed! We'll be wearing disguises. I have it all figured out.”
”Really now?”
”Yes. I have planned this for almost two days and we're not going to fail.”
Artemus snickered crossing his arms. ”Calm down, I just have to make sure you know what you're doing.”
”So, you're not going to stop me?” asked Reus squinting as if confused.
”No, son. But I think your mother will if you don't get out of here tonight. I'm still your father and it is my duty to inform her about what you've been doing. Sure, I'm going to delay the message but it's just until morning. By then, if you're still here, then - let's just say you're not going to see Nagozul for a while. I hear Yagisiv Haya is actually great this time of year.”
”Thanks for understanding.”
”Here,” Artemus said throwing a map to him which he barely caught, ”That's the location of my special weapons cache buried near the Cotton Village.”
”Thanks... I think. But why are you giving us this? ”
”It's like what you said, the Cotton Village needs our assistance and I can't risk myself or my men to do it for us. It'll create some friction. You four just got to do what I can't. I know you can do it. I've been training you four to become the best Nagozulian Strike Team and this can be your defining moment.”
”So, you're giving us your blessing then.”
”Yes, but I need a favor.”
”Anything father.”
”Let's just keep this conversation between us. It's important that no one knows about my involvement here.”
Reus attentively nodded.
”Also, be sure to keep a close eye on your brothers, especially Karus. I'm worried about his red emerald so please check that he does not activate his Amplifyer.”
”Wait, you haven't told him about that? But the transformation is supposedly fatal! Its transformation is nearing completion. I thought you're going to tell it to him when he got back - well after your recovery of course.”
”Yes, I did say that, but I didn't have enough time. Maybe it's best he does not know considering he can't do anything about its activation, but I know he'll survive it. I made sure of that. Just keep an eye out for him okay?”
”Yes father.”
”If it did activate in the middle of your operation, please abort your mission and send him to the nearest medical caster. It's bound to activate anytime soon, and he will be in danger once he got caught inside enemy lines while the transformation is in progress.”
He then bowed and turned away as Artemus waved his hands.
”And Reus,” he shouted stopping him, ”Godspeed.”
-------ooO0Ooo-------
The fortress of the North is not what they expect it to be. They haven't been able to wander around and witness the dramatic changes that their parents have pulled off in their last stay there almost four months ago. Of course, it's not their fault considering they got redirected to their different adventures but, after being trapped there for quite a long time, they now get to see the whole of it and even managed to be at awe for what they saw.
The fortress now has been turned into a small city thanks mostly to the gardens of their mother that has served as an inspiration with all its bright flowers. Seeing their great vivid colors while also being compelled with his much eager wife Anagea, Artemus implemented this beautification of the fortress turning the whole Citadel looking like a city instead of being what she called a dull military encampment - to wit, a fortress city with soldiers instead of civilians as its inhabitants that run around all day in drills, training, and whatnot. The beautification earned some positive results like increase in productivity and boosting military morale but the most important thing that it generated is the changing of the name from its title the Northern Encampment to the Northern Fortress and to the now famous Citadel of Nagozul- Of course, some people still calls it the Northern Encampment from habit. After the creation of its great walls and creating a community for the soldiers there almost five years ago, the Northern Encampment cannot be called an encampment anymore. It has turned into a huge military installation of the north. It is now a place where the soldiers don't feel like they got sent off as punishment. It is the place where every soldier wants to be assigned to and be a part of. They even thought of being sent there as a vacation.
The Citadel is now a wide fortress compared to the scanty encampment years ago. It now has little villages too just outside the fortress walls and farming patches all around it. With all the improvements implemented, the soldiers are now forced to expand their stations and thus has left huge spaces for further improvement giving all inhabitants fine houses to live in - even having a city square as a Trading Area with a wide assortment of rare goods on sale. But with all the spaces now getting zoned into designated projects, the only thing that remained in its original spot is the gardens. Every soldier knows that the Garden of the Citadel is considered to be a restricted ground that Anagea has ordered not to be disturbed. This has been observed by all of the soldiers making the spot the most perfect place for the four brothers to hide giving them privacy without being bothered.
Because the Citadel of the North has been growing fast, the number of soldiers and sentries is expanding exponentially at a frightening rate but what is peculiar is the sudden increase of their Northern Daomagarian forces. There were only a few Daomagarians posted there about three years ago but now it's as if they are all amassing an entire army almost greater than their own Nagozulian forces stationed in there. They still don't know why they are teeming in the North for their father withholds any information regarding the South. He thinks they are better off not knowing since they are a bunch of curious misfits that will try and get their way no matter the cost. Their spies are not that helpful too, but they can't be blamed taking into consideration the current crises that must be dealt with before asking and relaying such rumors. Surely the Cotton Village's wellbeing must be prioritized before jumping on asking about the harmless mobilization of Daomagarian forces at the north. For all they know, they are only there for the annual weapons training and demonstration updates to train new tactical warfare improvements to both Nagozulians and Daomagarian soldiers at the Citadel who hasn't been able to go to the south because of the yearlong campaigns against the Pusakal.
They have been patiently waiting there for an hour after midnight. Reus specifically told them to wait there at exactly midnight, but he managed to stay late yet again which frustrated Yosh since he has forgone his usual Night Hunt ritual with Luna and Stella to be early. Flickering lights of fire lamps accompanied them in that grueling hour of silence. The dancing flames occupied their minds for a while, being the only entertainment available in that dark gloomy night but worry's a bit of a troublesome companion giving the three a nerve-wrecking frustration that took an hour long to finally burst their calm.
”Where is he?” Karus grumbled talking to himself walking in circles yet again in agitation. ”Is he in trouble? Are we compromised?”
”Ohhh... He's really going to be in trouble alright!” grunted Yosh playing with a piece of red paper six inches wide, four inches long, ”Mission slips! He gave us this and told us to meet him here exactly at midnight. It's way past midnight but he's still not here. Why put it in paper if you're not going to honor them.”
”Uhm... I'm sorry Yosh, I got held up with preparing our impossible escape and whatnot.”
”REUS!?” they all shouted seeing him enter pushing the branches and bushes along his way. He could've used the clear marble stone path but, being his old clumsy self-equipped with his own unique sense of direction, he managed to stay off from that path and forcefully pushed on to their spot almost exhausted but still respectable - in a way.
”And for the last time Yosh, it is standard operating procedures to send mission slips to soldiers before a mission,” he continued with a wide smile, ”And you have to destroy that after reading. In your case, you should bury that twenty feet deep since you're an Earth Molder. You should know that.”
”Yeah,” Yosh scoffed as if insulted, ”or dissolve it in water, or burn it or shred it to at least five hundred pieces and scatter them for about a mile. I know what SOP means...”
”Wait,” interrupted Kayzar standing to greet him, ”How'd you sneak up on us like that? Surely, Luna and Stella can be fooled but you can't fool my eyes now.”
”Hey!” complained Yosh hugging Luna in his chest pocket closing up her ears. ”Don't talk to Luna and Stella like that!”
”I don't know...” replied Reus, ”Maybe I'm just stealthy that way.”
”Clearly not,” Karus joked pointing out the shrubs he just murdered.
”I'm just playing with light. It's a thing I do when I think deeply to keep me focused and it's an accident really since I didn't know I was doing it till I came here seeing you all huddled up.”
”You're bending light?” Karus yelled with awe, ”The light we see? You're bending it!? No wonder we didn't notice you rummage the park up till now.”
”I knew something's going on,” Kayzar exclaimed smiling, ”I'm hearing sudden bushes moving but I didn't see anything move. That's a unique skill you got there.”
”You're improving Kuya-Reus,” complimented Karus. ”You can now turn yourself invisible.”
”Well no, it's just a game that I play. And besides, I had a little help from my friend. He's the one who taught me that though I haven't had the pleasure to know what I was doing until now. Didn't know I can turn invisible doing that really.”
”Grog, right?” Kayzar hurriedly asked without regard to Yosh who snapped in attention after hearing the name.
”You're in cahoots with GROG!?” exclaimed Yosh almost afraid. ”You've turned EVIL!?”
”Really? Yosh?” mocked Karus almost laughing, ”Are you joking? Or are you serious? I can't tell.”
”He is evil!”
”No Yosh,” Reus explained, ”I'm not in cahoots with Grog for Grog is my master. I've been training with him for the past three years and no, he's not evil. That's just rumors flying about... but you two know that, right?”
”Yep,” Karus replied, ”We, unlike Yosh here, are not really fond of believing gullibly on any rumors of ghost or monster stories so we know he's not evil.”
”Besides,” entered Kayzar, ”He's the one that saved us from Shihiku back at the Jungle of Narra. He's one of the good guys. Shihiku's the one you should keep an eye out for.”
”So, we're working with Grog now?” asked Yosh having a tensed gulp.
”Yes, but not exactly.”
”Have you found a turnaround in our little dilemma here Kuya-Reus?” asked Kayzar.
”Yes, indeed I have.”
”So, what solution have you come up with? How can we move pass those guards?” Karus inquired.
”We don't have to.”
”What do you mean we don't have to?” Karus snapped as if tensed, ”How will we end up there without passing the mountain range or the Kulog Pass? It's not like we'll jump from here...”
Karus smiled figuring out Reus's plan together with Kayzar following him in his train of thought, sharing the idea almost as if instantaneously. Reus smiled too seeing them catching up to his idea.
”Hey!?” shouted Yosh, ”Don't be rude! Include me in the discussion? What will we do!?”
”You see Yosh,” Reus started, ”We can't do anything that could get us there within the week. We could use my resources and end up circling the north by sneaking to the northern ridges of Mount Liwanag and then taking a long time consuming a trek to the mountain range to get to the forest of Kyrin like what you did.”
”But that'll take us at least a month!”
”Yes precisely. We could do that, but we'll end up losing precious time and we'll never see the Villagers alive by then. No. That's not favorable to us. What we'll do is we'll take the northern ridges of Mount Liwanag and meet Grog there.”
”And we'll ride him because the soldiers are afraid of him and we'll pass through easy?”
”No silly,” Karus laughed, ”Have you ever read the book I gave you about the immortal beasts.”
”Y-yes I did, I'm just not finished with it yet!” he replied almost annoyed.
Karus knows he's lying and hasn't touched a single page of that book because he found it hidden inside his safe at his room, so he just chuckled for a bit.
”Yosh, do you know Grog's abilities? - I mean besides having a tough skin?” Reus smiled.
”No...” Yosh replied scratching his head thinking for a couple of seconds and then confirming it again, ”No, I really don't.”
”Well Grog has the ability to manipulate space and bend it at will. In short, he can teleport himself, or others near him, to a desired location. That's what we'll use.”
”So, instead of dashing due south, Grog will instead teleport us near the Cotton Village just like that? What's the catch?” Yosh pushed unconvinced. ”If he's not evil then he's up to something.”
”Nothing. It's just a favor from one student to a master. That's pretty much it. Though he won't help us liberate the village. He'll just help us to get there then he'll teleport us back here with the villagers. Getting the villagers away is the hard part.”
”Yes,” agreed Karus nodding, ”entering the fortress and getting the villagers out of there can be a little tricky. It'll be dangerous not only for us but for the villagers as well. Narra taught us the Art of War well enough to understand not to lay siege on a highly fortified camp.”
”Especially when there will be many Sibara guards stationed there,” Reus added.
”Sibara?!” roared Kayzar in surprise, ”Why are they here at Nagozul? I thought only a handful was commissioned here?”
”No. Things are changing around the City. It may very well be the reason why there are many Daomagarian Soldiers posted here. Something's wrong with the military and I'm afraid it's just going to slam into our faces once we get intel from there.”
”So, about your sneak plan,” Karus asked, ”It's not going to work now right? I mean, Sibara Clan Members usually only need two hours of sleep a day so we can't do anything to escape them. right?”
”Yes,” Reus agreed, ”I'm afraid I may have to confess something. My plan ends to us getting there. I haven't had the chance to figure out what we'll do next. Considering they are Sibara after all. A sound of their alarm will wake up all of them and that will be very dangerous for us.”
”Guys,” Yosh entered, ”You're all being silly.”
”It's quite a dilemma Yosh,” Karus pointed out. ”We're not being silly at all.”
”I know. It is. But you don't need to enter the fortress. That would be suicide.”
”What are you suggesting?” Kayzar inquired almost smiling knowing he has something up his sleeve.
”What we need to do is intimidate them into giving us the village members.”
”What?!” Karus barked. ”Are you insane!? They're not just going to hand them all to us.”
”Yes, they will. You see the southern fortresses are built in the most optimal geographical positions of Nagozul, right? So, they know that if they send out their sentries for help, countless hordes of back-up will arrive after an hour or so, depending on how well we can frighten them to release their messengers. If we intimidate them enough to fear us, they will be forced to give us the villagers thinking that they can capture us mid-travel.”
”I see,” Reus chuckled. ”Grog will be there to teleport us back! That will be our ace!”
”Precisely,” Yosh pointed out. ”If they think they can capture us back, they will gladly choose releasing the villagers out instead of getting hurt themselves. They can risk the villagers because they know that in every point, they can intercept us especially seeing a huge crowd in procession.”
”Congrats Yosh,” complimented Karus tapping him at the back. ”You did it again. But now we have to figure out a way for us to be intimidating. That plan revolves around that idea and we only have one shot at this.”
”Well,” Kayzar grinned with his brown eyes turning blood red which surprised them all seeing this for the first time, ”I know someone who can get the job done.”