185 Glider (2/2)

”We already know this,” Verania insisted.

”We also know that claiming the oases is the only way to move forward,” Al added.

”Which is exactly what the enemy will be thinking as well,” Dain finished.

I pushed down the urge to roll my eyes at them for stating the obvious. Instead, I opted to point at the north and south sides of the map.

”I noticed this back when we were trying to claim as much of the oases around the area as we could… On this desert, the wind spirits are constantly in flux, especially around oases,” I rotated my finger around one oasis and then traced a swirly pattern to the next. ”And these spirits have created a natural air corridor that can allow swift passage to a vehicle that can make use of their currents…”

”What kind of vehicle?” Dain asked, his eyes alight with curiosity.

A grin formed on my face as I gazed out at their curious faces. Then I looked over to my quartermaster and asked, ”Are they here yet?”

”Arrived first before the rest of the supplies, Commander,” Varda stated proudly. ”Your theory was correct, sir.”

My grin only got wider when I turned back to my fellow young commanders and asked, ”You guys want to see them?”

---

The trip took us much less than it did before, and we'd arrived at the oasis valley Redbull and I claimed only a few weeks ago with time to spare before dawn.

The valley below us was crawling with activity.

While I'd left Luca and Aura in charge of the Foolhardies gathered at the rallying point, a second smaller force led by Edo and Azuma had split off from us earlier and made their way to this valley to await the arrival of the equipment Varda had sent this way with the help of the Shanks and Co. Merchant Caravan.

The unit was now busy unloading the supplies that had arrived on the several dozen longboats parked around the valley's upper rim.

”What in blazes are those things?” Dain asked in surprise.

”Boats… in the desert?” Al asked in disbelief.

”Impossible,” Verania finished the trio's commentary.

”Sand gliders,” I said proudly. ”I call them sand gliders.”

These sand gliders had two double outriggers attached which Zarz and I had devised to glide along the desert sand while keeping the boats upright. Each glider had a single triangle-shaped sail that was perfect on surfing through high wind corridors.

I would never openly admit it, but I'd actually gotten the idea for these gliders from an old cartoon I used to love watching when I was a kid. Luckily, with a little trial and error, Zarz managed to bring this product to life just like he had with my other out-of-this-world ideas.

”How many can they hold? What's their top speed? How do you navigate the winds?” Dain asked.

His innate dwarven craftsman's curiosity coming out and blowing away his reservations was just what I'd hoped would happen.

”Each glider can hold up to a dozen people and still maintain its top speed, which, with perfect winds could outpace the swiftest swifthart,” I explained. ”As for navigation...”

I pointed toward the rear of the closest glider where a nearly ethereal boy was waving his hand at me in greeting.

”That's Sora… he and his sylph friends will pilot the gliders and navigate the wind corridors for us,” I explained.

”Sylphs could manage to properly guide us and increase the number of wind spirits in the corridor, effectively turning them into a highway on the desert,” Al considered.

That was the second gear finally working, I thought.

”How many gliders would each of us get?” Verania asked, and although her eyes were narrowed, I couldn't help but notice the smile threatening to escape her stoic face.

”Enough for eighty to a hundred soldiers each,” Varda answered for me.

”We don't need too many soldiers to perform the task of causing a distraction,” I added. ”Speed is the key.”

”You realize what you've created here has consequences that transcend this war, right?” Dain said, raising an eyebrow at me. ”You've just changed the way we cross the desert… Not bad, Dapper.”

Al chuckled. ”I bet he didn't even think of that while formulating this plan of his.”

”I hate that he'll get credit for it… but I guess we all get lucky once in a while,” Verania finished.

Their praises, however veiled, surprisingly warmed my heart.

”Alright,” I said finally. ”Now that we have the means… let's go and get the job done.”