Page 159 of Fate and Flame
As we moved to the main tent, the sounds of voices were drowned out by the sounds of metal brushing against metal. Armor, swords, shields, all of it would be worn today. I saw Brax and Greywolf pass us by, marching across the camp. I’d forgotten how large the giant was. And though we only had one, Rhogan claimed Autus had over a hundred. I pushed that from my mind as I looked to see the draconians strapping protective gear onto the cetani.
The truth was, the south was lethal. Everyone knew that. Even the children here could fight, though there were few and they were precious, so they were left behind. If the humans weren’t part of the equations, if it were just fae against fae, we would have a real chance at fighting Autus’ army and surviving. We hadn’t removed the humans from the equation entirely, but we had put a dent into his plan, and hopefully, he didn’t know it yet.
Wren walked into the war tent at the same time we did, her bow in her hand and two quivers full of arrows strapped to her back. She would lead the archers with the first wave as Autus’ army descended the hill in front of us.
Gaea and Greeve were already in the tent with Fen. I wasn’t sure they’d left him alone last night.
“Everyone know the plan?” Kai asked, walking in like the commander he was and not like the jokester we had known him to be.
“The plan to stay alive?” Rhogan asked quietly.
“Yeah, basically that,” he said, sitting down in a chair. “Rhogan and I will leave shortly to get everyone into position. Wren, you’re on archers then sorting out the humans with Sabra. Tem, you and Nadra come in on the backside, heal anyone you can quickly and keep going. Greeve and Gaea, you’ll do your thing but stay together as much as you can. You’re on beasts with the other wielders so be careful. I heard there’s a manticore down there. Rhogan leads aerial with Umari and Fen while Brax and I will lead the ground soldiers. Keep your eyes up. Questions?”
Fen stood.“I’m going to get Ara, stay the fuck out of my way.”
And with that, he walked out. We gathered our things and followed. There was no sense in sitting around. This day had been coming for a long, long time. We stood in a row at the top of the hill, our army packed in instead of stretching out. We’d go in like a hammer, strong and impactful.
While we waited, shoulder to shoulder, we watched as a small platform was placed atop the hill across from us. Autus took his seat and Fen snarled as Ara took hers beside him. Their army then crested the hill. Just as large and intimidating as I remembered them.
Umari lifted her beast from the ground and flew toward us. The sound of her cetani’s wings beating against the air, as well as the sun’s gleam on the pieces of metal she had strapped on to protect her throat and heart, demanded our attention.
She hovered in front of Fen, shaking her head. “You must say something to all of these warriors prepared to die for you today, Fenlas. You want the ability to cross that battlefield and make it to your mate? Inspire this army to do that for you.”
His eyes went dark as he glared at her, but she lifted her bo, screamed a warrior’s cry into the air, and flew back to her draconian troops.
Fen hadn’t brought his cetani to the battle. Instead, he stepped forward and turned. He called a great wind over the crowd until everyone was silent. Until even the birds stopped singing and the cetani stilled. “The word faerie means something different today,” he yelled, deep-rooted passion in his timbered voice. “I am fae. You are fae. Those,” he pointed, “those are cowards.” The crowd cheered and he waited. “I see you all gathered here by strength and honor. Not by fear. Not by force. Someone I love once told me, you may look to the past, but you must never stay there. Today, we look to the past. We remember those who were massacred by that coward’s whims. By the fallen queen of the sea. You fight today for those they call lesser, but you must also fight for your right to live your life how you chose to live it. You look to the future and make your dreams come true. It starts today. Here and now. You hold this line, you listen, and you never stop fighting. Not with your last breath.”
The crowd exploded into battle cries, the cetani bounded into the air and from the far west side of our ranks. We stood on the peak of that hill and watched as Autus’ army crested the one opposite of us, pouring over it like ants from a colony. Their soldiers were never ending.
“Hold!” Kai yelled.
The human signal was given. The great banner waved across the sky, and we watched as the entire western flank of their army broke off and turned to run. There were thousands and thousands of them. More than I had hoped we’d saved, but still not enough. Just never enough.
“Arrows, nock,” Wren cried as the front of our opponents reached the basin of the hill.
The sound of tightened strings filled the air in unison as they were aimed to the sky.Anticipation became its own beast on the battlefield, in our hearts, growing as we were seconds from the battle beginning.
“Release!” she screamed.
Arrows filled the sky, casting a shadow over grass that had rarely been walked upon but would now forever be a field of death.
“Now,” Kai ordered.
Nadra, Gaea, Greeve and I stood still as we watched our army explode, charging forward, like a battering ram. The strongest in the front and to the sides, the weaker in the middle intending to break their army in half, separating the humans from the rest. The cetani carried boulders and dropped them onto the giants scattered throughout the army. They dove, clawed their enemies and rose back into the sky. But the giants began to lift the boulders and throw them back. One hit, and the draconians were falling to the ground.
I searched for Kai and Fen leading our army front and center. Blades drawn and slicing through, but not as fast as we needed them to. Autus’ army began to surround ours. We’d expected that. The archers from the middle shot arrows and held shields for the fighters around them.
“Call it, Temir.” Gaea was already moving toward me as we surveyed the battle.
“There’s no choice.” Greeve kept his eyes on the sky. “Go now.”
She was antsy to join the fray, and so was Greeve, whose hardened face hadn’t moved from the skies.
“I’ll try my best.” I was not confident at all in our backup plan.
Gaea lifted her hand to mine, the hand that wasn’t holding Nadra’s, and the three of us vanished. The moment we hit the ground, she pulled a sword and was gone. Back to Greeve, spiriting to the beasts and starting their own wild battle.
“You.” I pointed at the yellow dragon slumbering lazily in the desert sun.
