114 Double Trouble (1/2)

Those of us who had something to discuss stayed behind after the dinner was over, including my squad leaders and the other officers of Albert's Millennium Hawks and Verania's Moonlight Marauders. Thankfully, the head table was just long enough to accommodate all of us. Still, I'd moved to the other end of it and stayed far away from the pixie that had prophesized my death earlier.

I glanced over to the other end of the table where she sat, keeping in mind not to stare into her eyes less she try and charm me again.

\”So, shall we get this discussion in order?\” I looked over to Albert Sheridan before turning back to Verania and pointing out, \”Both Albert and I were sent here by Darah, probably for the same reason, but why did Lavinia send you to the Westmarch?\”

\”Great General Folkor,\” she said, placing emphasis on her aunt's title, \”must feel you two are incapable of fulfilling the task set to you.\”

Verania's lyrical voice was literally like music to anyone's ears even when the words she spoke were scathing to the listener.

\”Based on your,\” Verania's eyes scrutinized both me and Albert, \”trifling achievements, she and the other generals must feel like someone with more accolades to their name be more fitting for the task.\”

\”Hold on—\”

\”Wait a minute—\”

Both Albert and I started to speak but were interrupted by Aura's honeyed voice, which, once heard by all around her, easily dispelled Verania's charm.

\”It's not nice to use your siren's call on your own allies, Verania,\” Aura chided.

Verania looked innocently back at Aura. \”I was just having a bit of fun, your highness.\”

Both Verania's and Albert's officers gazed back at Aura in puzzlement. Most of them probably hadn't heard that Aura was actually Aurana. It was a gigantic secret that wasn't divulged to just anyone in order not to put an even larger target on Aura's head.

Luckily, the fact that no one recognized her meant the secret was still safe. But it had obviously served Verania's purpose of causing tension around the table. The pixie really was a vixen.

Although the two girls were smiling at each other, no one bought the act. We could all feel the frigid cold radiating off them both.

It was at this point that Albert, who'd chosen to sit beside me as he didn't want to be near Verania either, whispered into my ear, \”I hear those two have known each other since they were children… rivals from the moment they laid eyes on each other.\”

Somehow, I felt a really strong Mean Girls vibe from Albert's statement.

A thought occurred to me.

\”Wait, so you guys found your own bases too?\” I asked, wondering if there were other thieves' hideouts waiting to be conquered.

Both of them had really uncomfortable looks on their faces.

\”Then why the hell did you come here all of a sudden?\” I asked.

\”Scout out the competition,\” Albert answered at the same time as Verania said, \”To see what type of squalor her highness was living in.\”

I think Aura and I actually sighed at the same time.

\”You can come to visit me anytime, Dean. I'll show you Hawks hospitality,\” Albert said, cheerily. \”We've set up in an old fairy fort out west that we'd taken from Dominion lackeys.\”

\”A derelict fort sounds very you, Albert,\” Verania commented.

\”And where are you based, Verania?\” Aura asked in an icy tone I'd never heard come out of her mouth before.

Verania was still smirking when she answered, \”The Moonlight Marauders are based inside Jester's Court.\”

My eyebrow rose at that statement, but it was Ashley who spoke out. \”You're based in Great General Grimthorn's own city?\”

I kind of hated how Ashley sounded so impressed.

\”That is the job, isn't it?\” Verania shrugged coolly. Then she turned her gaze on me and Albert. \”I wonder how you two will accomplish our shared task from so far away?\”

It was a fair question, and to be honest, I didn't have an answer yet. I was hoping Thor and his kobold crew would get me enough good intel to figure that out myself.

\”He won't always be hiding behind his city walls,\” Albert said, confidently. \”Not when a big war with the Sunspire Dominion's brewing.\”

\”Do you really think the Dominion will invade, Albert?\” Aura asked.

\”Wait, what?\” Luca interrupted, his head leaning past Aura on my left to glance over at Albert who was on my right. \”There's another big war coming?\”

\”Coming?\” Verania chuckled. \”It's already here, Luca dear.\”

Albert nodded. \”Verania's right. It might not be as large as the last war, at least not yet, but there have been more and more skirmishes recently… both out in the open and in the shadows.\”

\”This is why the Trickster Council is so concerned…\” Aura explained. \”Apart from the Chancellor of the Moon, Great General Garm doesn't really inform the others what actions he's taken… all we know is that the west is now a powder keg that's one fuse short of exploding.\”

\”And when that happens…\” Albert began.

\”War… one that would rival the Magesong-Trickster war,\” Verania finished. \”Which one could consider small in comparison to what's coming.\”

\”Why are you so sure it'll be bigger?\” Luca asked.

Instead of Verania, I answered my brother's obvious question. \”The Magesong clan was one of the small ones, but the Sunspire Dominion is the largest fairy clan in the central region.\”