Chapter 276 - The Shadow: Attack II (1/2)

”And if we are successful, his rule will indeed end,” said Meld. ”Should I be able to disable the missile silos, then the imperator will lose his greatest trump card in deterring the south, and yet, the state will not lose so much of its fangs that the south will retaliate.

It will be a perfect opportunity for you to fill a power vacuum and pursue peace considering you have quite a few traditionalists supporting you in secret.”

”That is the hope, though I am not so sure I in my advanced years should be one to hold reign over the Republic,” said Cicero.

”Regardless of what you decide to do, you must ensure that you or your successor will pursue for peace. True peace.” Meld's voice did not change a single beat as she continued. ”Or your life is forfeit. You know better than any among your kind that there is no escaping me should my sights set upon you.”

”I know,” replied Cicero coolly. ”Yet, I do wonder. We worry about our future plans presuming the demons will be defeated.”

”The north will be fine, will it not?” said Meld. ”For the demons to invade the Republic, they must cross through the Felfire strait, and the mountain range of Torr Valeris will keep them at bay. It is only the south and the west that will bear much of the burden of this invasion.”

”Not so,” said Cicero. ”Even in the past Darkening, the dragons did not intervene. I doubt it will be so for this one. Though of course, Torr Valeris still serves as a strong deterrent for the dragons will never allow demons to enter their territory unharmed, limiting the size of the invading demonic force.”

Meld knew little of the dragons and their relation to the elves. She wanted to glean more information about this, for a draconic alliance would be something she had to thoroughly consider in her assessments of the north. ”You have not reached out to the dragons? I presume Gronn is not representative of the majority?”

”The dragons look beneath all that is not them, and even among themselves, they will scorn lesser bloodlines. They have practiced a policy of non-intervention for centuries. There is no convincing them,” said Cicero. ”That has not changed with Lucius, though I cannot be entirely certain. Gronn here I could only reach for he is a renegade among his kind, requiring aid to save the kin he once was ordered to eliminate.”

Meld knew that Cicero was helping Gronn by providing safe transportation of dragon eggs, hatchlings, and cover for older dragons who needed a spot to rest and hide not only from draconic eyes but elven troops. In return, Gronn promised the aid of the dragons allied with him, and though that may not have been many, any dragon was a force formidable.

”It is quite a wonder that you yet retain such influence and wealth when your opposition to Lucius is one rather publicly known among your senate,” said Meld.

”I am sure Lucius still sees me as his friend in some way, though it is difficult for us to be on speaking terms. He would not strip me of my estates as he has done with others, for he trusts me.” Cicero shook his head and changed the subject. ”And what of the south? I know the duchess marches the five armies west to meet the demons head on. Are you confident of their victory? That they may truly seize the Sunspear?”

”Nothing is certain,” said Meld. ”All I can say is that I have faith in the duchess's decisions, for though her methods may in times be murky, they are still for the good of the people. And there is the matter of Li. I am not certain about the true boundaries of his power, but I am confident in placing him as a war asset easily on par with Sunstar.”

”I doubt he can be considered an asset,” said Cicero. ”He is too powerful to be controlled.”

”That is true, and yet his intentions are pure. They will protect the realm. That, I may surmise from my previous interactions with him.”

Meld felt Gronn rumble, his body shaking like an earthquake before his gruff, deep voice echoed outwards.

”I sense enemies,” growled Gronn.

Cicero widened his eyes as much as he could. ”What? We are flying far higher than what elven craft nor sensors can handle.”

”Not elves. Dragons.” Gronn paused, his breath catching.

Meld immediately felt her instincts flare up. She knew something was horribly wrong if even a powerful dragon like Gronn was holding his breath in surprise.

”Valerikynthimos,” said Gronn in almost a sense of awe.

”Gods, what!?” shouted Cicero in pure terror completely unbecoming of his usual more reserved cool. ”The drake-queen of the elements herself!?”

Meld immediately readied herself not for serious confrontation but escape. It was not that she was a coward.

On the contrary, she felt not even a single shred of fear in her heart. She simply operated efficiently based off of the context clues and situation around her, and she could immediately glean that if Gronn, a powerful dragon, stood in awe of this newfound enemy, then she herself had little to no means of defeating it.

Better to spend her efforts and thoughts on something productive rather than some sort of ham-fisted and ultimately futile offensive.

”Are you planning on confronting this dragon?” said Meld to Cicero. Her voice was calm but loudly projected, cutting deep into Cicero and shaking him away from his temporary fear.