160 Bloody Birthday (1/2)

From the top of the oasis' northern slope, I surveyed the ending of the bloody conflict below and witnessed the unquestionable surrender of the enemy forces.

They didn't have much of a choice after Verania impaled the head of their commander on a spike and then placed it where all could see the bloody thing.

Right afterward, she threatened the defenders below with the execution of their other officers we managed to capture in the oasis.

The soldiers of the Sunspire Dominion had no choice but to capitulate. They lowered their weapons and surrendered to my Foolhardies, the Millenium Hawks, and Verania's Moonlight Marauders who had arrived too late for the start of the fight.

In fact, except for Verania and her crack troopers made up entirely of pixie flyers, the rest of her unit was lazing around at the back of our two units' defensive lines. They didn't even bother to join the battle until it was over.

All in all, it really was a bloody affair, one I didn't wish to have on this particular night of all nights.

\”I can't believe she did it again…\” I sighed. \”Things can't get any worse than this… right?\”

\”I'm not so sure about that… anything's possible whenever Verania appears,\” Al Sheridan replied, sighing as heavily as I did.

\”So…\” I glanced sideways at him. \”Should we consider this a draw?\”

Al shrugged. \”I guess… you can hold onto your Leprechauns for now.\”

\”Funny,\” I countered. \”I was about to say the same thing to you.\”

\”So, what are you two incompetents whispering about?\” Verania interrupted in a mocking tone whose sting wasn't any less dampened by her silky smooth voice. \”Are you discussing which of you is more irrelevant or would you like me to point that out for you?\”

Both Al and I turned to face her, our faces wary and worried in equal measure.

\”Why are you even here, Folkor?\” Al asked. \”You must be tired of stealing our kills?\”

\”Yeah,\” I nodded in agreement. \”This is the third time you've screwed us over.\”

Verania's flashed us an indignant face, but neither Al nor I believed she was in any way hurt by our accusations. We were proven right seconds later after Verania's frown morphed into her devilish grin.

\”Steal your thunder?\” she asked innocently. \”Whatever do you mean? I am simply here to provide aid as instructed by Great General Grimthorn who,\” she flashed twinkling eyes at both of us before she turned around and walked away with one last stab in our guts, \”who didn't feel like the pair of you could accomplish such a simple task as reclaiming the oasis.\”

As she strutted away from us, I could tell that Al was imagining the same thing I was—strangling Verania's throat with my bare hands.

She stopped and glanced over her shoulder at us as if she'd forgotten one more thing.

Verania was out of earshot when Al's head finally exploded.

\”I'm going to kill her,\” he said with gritted teeth. His hand had even reached out to the glaive strapped to his back.

\”Don't bother,\” I said with a shake of my head. \”Just wait for Aura to climb up here. That'll rile Verania up for sure.\”

True to my statement, the moment Aura reached the oasis, Verania's mood visibly soared.

But Aura ignored the cross-armed posture and pouting face of her childhood rival and made her way to Al and me who were waiting for her by the entrance of the mana pool.

As Aura was secretly the highest-ranking member of the Trickster Pavilion present, it was her right to enter the mana pool first. Of course, this meant I would get to go in with her.

\”Good work to the both of you,\” she said in almost a whisper.

It wouldn't do if Verania's or Al's officers wondered why Al and I were being submissive to the clan's disguised princess. It was a very Mulan-type situation. And I supposed Edo was a stand-in for the loveable pet dragon, Mushu. They both had horns after all. That joke made me laugh inwardly.

\”Shall we enter together?\” Aura asked.

\”Shouldn't you be offering this boon to the officer who won the field, princess?\” Verania asked in a louder voice than I would have liked.

This pixie was really looking to get punched in the gut or something equally demeaning.

Aura turned to face Verania for the first time since their last encounter a few weeks ago. The sparks flying between them then was a little less smoldering than the gazes they gave each other now.

The staring match lasted a while and only ended after I cleared my throat in audible fashion as if to say, \”Please continue with your stare down while we patiently wait. Not like I have better things to do.\”

\”Of course, Commander Verania…\” Aura said after the long staring match was over. \”Would you accompany us into the mana pool?\”

\”Us?\” Verania raised an eyebrow. \”Why do they get to go?\”

\”They,\” Aura glanced warmly back at me and Al, \”cleared the way for you to… achieve victory. Shouldn't they share in the spoils?\”

The subtle implications in Aura's statement were not lost on any of us, causing me and Al to smile at this reverse of fortunes. Make no mistake, no matter what world one was in, knowing the right people was the best way to get ahead in life.

Verania bit her lip and I was almost certain she had something nasty to say but wisely chose not to say anything.

Wordlessly, she followed Aura through the circle of stones which symbolized the fairy fort that guarded the secret garden of the mana pool.

Al went in next, but not before looking back toward me to ask, \”Are you coming?\”

I looked over to Edo and Luca who were in the middle of managing the surrender of the hundred and forty surviving enemy soldiers in the oasis.

Many of these enemies were clustered together as they sat on the sand with their hands tied to their front.