Chapter 1197 (1/2)
After Randidly had left, Vualla raised her hand that wasn’t currently slid into a gauntlet and pressed her pointer finger to her lips. After removing her finger, her tongue flicked out and tasted the scent of Randidly that still hung there. Then she spoke lightly into the air, the words being buoyed away by wind right as they were shaped by her tongue. “That… that might have been my first kiss. Took me a bit by surprise.”
Then her mouth twisted into a crooked grin. “Don’t be a sore loser. Let me have my fun for a while longer.”
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Abiodun had his hands behind his back as he glanced to his right. Randidly, pushing right up against the time limit, was hurrying back toward their position across the rather placid space between the camps. Then Abiodun’s gaze slid forward. In front of him stood Lady Iellaya, who looked calmly over the battlefield. For now, a strange peace had come to the left flank. The Nether forces were concentrating most of their strength on the far flank, leaving their side more or less uncontested for now.
“They will have reserve forces that would respond to a move. This is clearly a plot by Lord Miln to use you to bring them out,” Abiodun said aloud, even though he knew full well that Lady Iellaya didn’t need him to remind her of such a basic tactic.
“Does it matter?” Lady Iellaya’s feathers flexed outward on her arms and shoulders. “Even now, I don’t think I’ve reached the true pinnacle of the potential my new image possesses... Beating back the personal forces of the Nether King… that is truly a feat worthy of merit.”
“Lord Miln will try and steal the strike against the Nether King itself. You will be used to create the opening he needs.” Abiodun stated.
Lady Iellaya glanced back at him. “Lord Miln is currently being swarmed by about half of the Nether army. If his one thousand elite soldiers have enough strength to open up an opportunity to strike at the Nether King in this scenario, I suppose he certainly deserves all the accolades they can pin to the front of his shirt. Besides, does Lord Miln possess the power to wound a Nether King…?”
That brought a moment of silence between them as the two studied the strange circle of Nether being erected in the Great Rift above them. Even though they each had grown immensely from the work of Randidly Ghosthound, the reverberations that were coming off of that working were… disturbing. The sheer size gave them pause.
After all, neither knew much about Nether Kings. Just that they should be avoided at all costs.
“...there is Cail Tweocs,” Lady Iellaya remarked. “I suspect they have some sort of measures prepared. I highly doubt that their fixation on the Nether Prince was simply due to Lord Miln’s greed.”
“...there is also the matter of the Xyrt Brigade representative,” Abdiodun’s frown deepened as he considered the treachery of Lord Miln. “You were entirely correct; they responded immediately, even through unofficial channels, when they received word that a Nether King was present here. No official report on this incident was ever filed. They will be visiting in a strictly unofficial capacity, but an agent is heading our way currently. Because this agent is currently off duty, someone will need to be sent to the military checkpoint to vouch for them.”
Then Abiodun bowed lightly. Randidly was moving closer and likely would be within earshot soon. He intended to finish all of the sensitive business before the boy arrived. “I’ll send someone to handle it.”
“No need,” Lady Iellaya shook her head. “Go yourself.”
“I…” Abiodun’s face went blank. His mind mirrored his face. “The battle-”
“Your performance earlier weakened you, don’t try to hide it.” Lady Iellaya continued. “Your presence here would be a liability more than an asset. This is the most efficient use of your time.”
Abiodun pressed his mouth tightly shut. He didn’t allow the words, ‘and this foolish boy will be an asset?’ to pass his lips. After all, the understanding between him and his queen was almost perfect. There was no way that she wouldn’t understand his thought process.
Yet Lady Iellaya said nothing further on the subject. Her gaze remained forward, fixed on the slowly forming Nether Ritual in the sky above them. The sounds of the fighting on the right flank was a distant distraction, barely registering. Even now, Randidly Ghosthound was hurrying closer to report for orders.
What role can he even serve here? Abiodun’s brow furrowed as he looked at Lady Iellaya’s back. I was the one who was always by your side. Everything that I’ve done… it’s been for you.
Why is our connection so numbed…? Why did things need to change…?
Yet Abiodun quickly disciplined himself. He was complaining pointlessly. They had accomplished their goals; they had grown strong and now had the opportunity to earn true merit. And it was definitely accurate that Abiodun had weakened himself today, buying time for Lady Iellaya to make her transcendent descent onto the battlefield. Which meant that his usefulness here was decreased.
The matter of the Xyrt Brigade representative was extremely important.
Could it truly be that Randidly Ghosthound was a more suitable companion now, however…?
Yet Abiodun admitted to himself that the mission to bring the Xyrt Brigade representative to the frontlines was a task best left in his hands. The testimony of a Xyrt Brigade member was just the knife they needed to dethrone Lord Miln. The failure to report the appearance of a Nether King was an immense oversight.
Yet Lord Miln remained confident despite this obvious weakness. To be surrounded by two foes, Lord Miln and the Nether King, who both were so confident gave Abiodun pause. Something was at play here that they didn’t understand. Which was why Abiodun dearly didn’t want to leave Lady Iellaya alone.
Before Abiodun’s thoughts could continue further along that track, Randidly arrived on the upper level of the fort that served as their surveyor’s vantage. He nodded to them both and straightened his posture, but otherwise showed no respect to Lady Iellaya, today of all days. Instead, he spoke in a tired voice. “What’s the plan?”