2267 The Final Result (Part 1)

'Not really.' Solus replied. 'That Dragon had no idea that you are wearing a mage tower filled with the spells from the Heart ready to be used. Consider that if I didn't use the Immortal Body array on you right after the impact, you would have turned into a sorry mess.'

'True. Without the mass and the power of the tower, killing a Fenrir wouldn't have been so easy either.' Lith had his stone armor disappear before it drained too much energy and compromised the tower's integrity.

"Thrud Griffon, face me if you dare!" The Tiamat roared as a burst of Void Flames from his mouth and another of Blight Flames from his wings cut through the troops rushing to defend Bima from the invader.

Each swing of his blade generated enough pressure to make houses tremble and cut apart anyone too close, no matter if soldier or civilian.

Thrud's Forgotten didn't surrender and Lith's Demons didn't stop until the last enemy was killed a few minutes later.

***

From the Throne Room in the Golden Griffon, Thrud clicked her tongue in annoyance before summoning her Generals to decide their next course of action. Phloria sat to her right while Hystar was to her left while she explained her strategy.

Everyone was stunned by her calm. The loss of three cities in the span of a few hours seemed to be of no importance to her.

"Are you sure you don't want us to move and recapture them right away?" Iata the Sekhmet asked. "With that kind of damage, their defenses will be low and with so many casualties, we'll have the support of the citizens."

"I'm sure." Thrud nodded. "Let them dig their own grave. We'll wait for the repairs to be almost done and the people unrestful before making our move. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it seems.

"Sometimes, you have to take one step back before taking ten forward. This situation can turn into an opportunity to start the final phase of my plan if we play our cards right and the opponents fail to read our moves."

***

"What do you mean, I have to stop?" Lith snarled at General Berion through his communication amulet. "This was just the morning course. I've still more cities to take until sundown."

He was about to leave Bima and move to the closest mana geyser to recharge when he had received the order to cease the advance.

"More?" Berion turned pale in terror, his throat too parched to emit a word.

"Move, you idiot." Orion's hologram replaced the General's.

He looked as angry as Lith but he was also dejected and resigned.

"As much as I'd love to unleash you until we cut Thrud's regions asunder, you have to stop. Our forces are stretched thin throughout the occupied territories. We need to fortify our positions, secure our supply routes, and repair the damages.

"Otherwise everything you achieved today will disappear by tomorrow at this hour. Any further advance is impossible. Even if we had the troops, which we don't, Bima has no Warp Gate. Getting repair materials and reinforcements will take time. You are done for today. Go home."

"What about the Golden Griffon? What about Phloria?" Lith asked in outrage.

"As a father, you have my gratitude and your fury is my own. Thanks for what you have done for my Little Flower, Lith. I'll never forget this for as long as I live. As the General of the Army, however, I can't support you.

"This is the best way to pressure Thrud. Doing otherwise would just mean a waste of time and resources we don't have. Go home. Please."

Lith could see that Orion was torn inside and that he lacked the strength to repeat the order a third time.

"I'm going home, then. Supreme Magus Verhen, over." Lith left the communication open, giving Orion the time to nod in agreement and the final choice.

It was the General of the Army to end the call and rein in the Tiamat. Lith took flight, going straight for the nearest mana geyser. As soon as the tower and Solus recovered their strength, he would Warp back to the Trawn wood and the warmth of his house.

***

Village of Lutia, Lith's house, a few minutes later.

Much to Orion's surprise, he arrived there through the Gate in the barn first. The army had no need for him as well since fortifying cities was a job for Wardens and engineers, not Generals.

Orion had gone to Lutia instead of the Ernas household because his whole family was there. Jirni was an Archon and a regular human, there was no place for her on the battlefield.

Since she couldn't fight for her daughter, Jirni had moved to the Verhens' house to watch the battles with them. She could just cheer but it was still better than nothing.

Friya, Quylla, Tulion, and Gunyin were there as well to support their parents in their darkest hour.

"Gods, I still can't believe what I just saw." Quylla was still pale from the carnage she had witnessed.

She had never gone to war and until that moment, most battles had involved only armed fighters, not civilians.

"Me too. Stopping the attack after only half a day is outrageous." Jirni said with a sigh. "Yet your father made the right decision. Advancing further would have just been senseless murder."

Elina and Rena were in the children's room to make sure they didn't see or hear anything. Raaz, instead, was in the living room with the others, spectating at the images projected live by Jirni's amulet.

'Good gods, what have I done? Did I just sell my son's soul in order to get my old life back? I've never seen Lith fight like- Scratch that, I never saw him fight for real. If I didn't know that he's my son, I would be crapping my own pants.' Raaz hands kept tormenting his neck and beard in frustration.

He would have loved to fall to his knees and pray to the Great Mother for guidance but Tyris was right there in the kitchen preparing dinner. Instead of making himself ridiculous, it was better to just go and talk to her.

"Don't worry, Jirni." Zinya was there as well to keep Kamila company.

"You've seen how strong Lith is. I'm sure that he'll bring your daughter home safe and sound."

During Kamila's absence, Lady Ernas had protected Zinya just like she had been Kamila's wall once she had resumed her job as a Constable. During the months spent together at the Royal Court, Jirni and Zinya had become intimate enough to drop etiquette and speak on a first-name basis.

"The gods know if I hope you are right." Only when Orion sat by her side and took her hands between his did Jirni unclench her fists, revealing her bleeding palms.

Her husband cleaned the wounds and healed them until the nail marks disappeared. Due to her work as an Archon, Jirni kept her hands manicured but her nails were short to not bother her and her palms callous from the training.

Despite all that, she had still managed to hurt herself in stress.

Kamila sat aside, not knowing what to say.