2284 Ebbing Tide (Part 2)

"M rank soldiers aren't born. They are forged every day in boot camps like this one. If you want to be like them, stop finding excuses for what you lack and work hard to overcome your limits.

"Stop chasing someone else's dream and find your own. If you really want to achieve greatness, discover your talents and use them to climb to the top of your own mountain instead of wasting time on a path that doesn't belong to you.

"I had to die to learn this lesson. Be better than me or join me, I don't care which.

There's plenty of room for new members in the Demon legion." Trion turned around giving Lith a nod as a thank you before disappearing back into his shadow.

"Well, that covers pretty much everything." Morok was the only one who hadn't been moved by the speech. "Unless you want us to kick some ass to teach these newbies a lesson, I'd say we are done here."

Tepper glared at Morok for one second before taking a deep breath to relax.

'I'd kick myself in the butt for calling Eari here. Berion warned me. Sergeant Earthman warned me. Heck, even Eari himself warned me.' He thought.

"Some ass-kicking would be perfect, cadet 2978." Tepper actually said. "Today you maggots will have the honor to have a Drill Captain along with your Sergeants."

The troops widened their eyes a bit which was the army equivalent of a desperate groan.

"Do whatever you want as long as they sustain no crippling injury. It's too early for a pleasant vacation in the infirmary." The Sergeant turned around, giving Lith the salute. "Thanks for keeping our brothers and sister alive and giving them one more chance to fight the good fight."

Then, he lowered his gaze, giving Lith's shadow the salute.

"Thanks for your service, Sergeant Verhen. If one of those idiots survives their first mission, it will be thanks to your speech. With your permission, I'm going to steal it."

Lith's eyes turned white as he returned the salute and spoke with Trion's voice.

"By all means, Sergeant Tepper. Feel free to paint me as idiotic as you need. My reputation is a small price to pay if it allows the kids to learn from my mistakes. Turn me into a cautionary tale if you have to."

"As a man, you have indeed been an idiot. In death, however, you have transcended into a hero and a legend. That's how intend to paint you, Sergeant."

The white light disappeared from Lith's eyes as Trion went back to his slumber in the Void Sigil. Lith nodded at Tepper as a thank you before bidding Berion, Vipli, and Morok goodbye.

"Let's go, Dad. You better drive. Mom seems to feel unwell." Lith gave Elina a brief hug and plenty of handkerchiefs.

She was seconds away from bursting into tears and was holding herself together only because she was surrounded by a bunch of strangers.

"Sure thing. I'm taking the lead, Baron Wyalon. Please, follow me." Raaz said.

"There's no rush, Lord Verhen. Lady Verhen." The Baron gave them both a deep bow knowing there was no place for him in the pain they were experiencing.

It took a while to reach their destination because Raaz kept driving in circles until Elina ran out of tears and managed to regain her cool.

When she came out of the DoLorean, she had already washed her face and managed to act as if nothing had happened. They spent the rest of the morning with the Baron and his family.

After lunch, they split up and the Verhens went back to the Desert with a Tower Warp. Only then did Elina ask Lith to summon Trion again. She spent the rest of the day with her boys, enjoying their company.

The following day they would both go back to the battlefield and if anything happened to Lith, she would lose them both.

***

No matter how far and wide everyone looked, there was no sign of the Golden Griffon. Not even the apprentices of the Council representative nor Mogar's Serpent managed to find a single clue.

Lith's stay on the frontlines could only last as long as the army could support his advance. Bytra's and Xenagrosh's help made even the most fortified cities fall like houses of cards.

They were nowhere near Tezka in terms of prowess, but that didn't mean much. Once the Shadow Dragon and the Tiamat joined their forces, there was nothing they couldn't destroy.

Cities couldn't Blink to safety. Cursed Flames and Spells always hit their mark with obvious results.

As for Solus, now that Nandi fueled her powers and with Bytra as her steed, she could take on Divine Beasts with ease. The Golden Knight and her Black Raiju soon became legends among the soldiers.

The invasion proceeded slowly but steadily, with Lith creating bridgeheads in Thrud's territories that the Council and the Kingdom later expanded on their own. Establishing supply lines and moving troops took time, which was a double-edged blade.

On the one hand, it limited the Kingdom's advance since the Royals demanded a secure foothold before pushing forward and putting countless lives at risk. On the other hand, it gave Lith enough free time to recover.

During the stabilization phase, he was mostly called to scare the rebels and keep the riots down simply by making an appearance. No one who had witnessed the Supreme Magus on the battlefield wanted to see him unsheathe War again.

Worst case scenario, he turned into his Tiamat form and even the angriest mob fell to their knees and begged for mercy.

Every time Lith and Solus went back home, they would share their memories of the battles with Kamila. It allowed her to shoulder part of their burden and empathize with their feelings.

It kept Lith and Solus from isolating themselves and the three of them formed a small but tight support group.

Everything was going well, but Lith grew more nervous with each passing day and he wasn't the only one.

"This makes no sense!" Orion slammed his Davross-coated fist on the holographic table of the War Room in the Royal Palace. "This is our biggest counter-offensive since the start of the War of the Griffons.

"We are crippling one occupied region after another, yet the Mad Queen has yet to make a move. On top of that, there's once again a distinct lack of Divine Beasts among the defense forces and we all know what it means."

The Royals, the upper echelons of the army, and the Council representatives nodded in unison. The last time it had happened, Thrud had exploited the fog of war to kidnap Phloria and attempt to take Zinya's children as well.

There were just a few people who could be her next target and their security had been increased to the point that they couldn't go in a bathroom stall alone. They were Jirni, Orion, Zinya, Berion, and Faluel.

Jirni and Orion were respectively the Head Strategist and the General of the Army. Their capture would have compromised every single frontline. They knew every defensive and offensive tactic the army would employ along with the position of all troops deployed.