Page 46 of Empire of Wrath and Ruin
Mira's expression sobered immediately. "The Emperor is planning something big," she said without preamble. "Massive games and entertainments in the Imperial City, supposedly to celebrate the 'victory' at the battle where most of you were captured."
"Victory?" Marcus snorted. "They retreated from the field."
"The Emperor's propaganda machine doesn't concern itself with facts," Mira replied grimly. "As far as the citizens know, Imperial forces dealt a crushing blow to the Talfen resistance. But that's not the real concern."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the assembled council members.
"The games are a cover," she continued. "While the citizens are distracted by bread and circuses, the Emperor is pulling legions from every corner of the Empire. Every available soldier, every auxiliary unit, every mercenary company he can hire. He's planning a final, decisive assault on Talfen lands."
The chamber fell silent. Even the torches seemed to flicker more quietly, as if the flames themselves were holding their breath.
"How final?" Aytara asked quietly.
"Complete annihilation," Mira said bluntly. "No more skirmishes, no more raids. He wants to wipe our people from existence, claim your lands for the Empire, and eliminate the resistance threat permanently."
"And the prisoners?" Jalend asked. "The Talfen held in the Imperial dungeons?"
Mira's expression grew even darker. "Public executions. Part of the games. He plans to make a spectacle of it, turn their deaths into entertainment for the masses."
I felt the blood drain from my face. The Empire had been taking Talfen prisoners for months, capturing anyone suspected of resistance activity or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If the Emperor was planning to execute them all...
I glanced at Jalend and saw that he had gone completely pale, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. He looked stricken, almost sick, and when his eyes met mine, I saw something that made my stomach clench with unease.
He knew something. Something he couldn't say in front of the council, something that made this news particularly devastating for him.
Marcus caught my look and followed my gaze to Jalend, his expression growing thoughtful. I could see him filing away the observation for later discussion, when we weren't surrounded by Talfen council members who might ask uncomfortable questions.
"How long do we have?" Aytara was asking.
"The games are scheduled to begin in six weeks," Mira replied. "The executions will be the grand finale, which means the prisoners have perhaps two months to live. As for the military assault, my sources suggest it will begin immediately after the games conclude. Call it ten weeks, maybe twelve if we're lucky."
The council erupted into urgent discussion, voices overlapping as members debated response strategies and defensive preparations. But Aytara raised her hand for silence, and the chamber quickly quieted.
"This changes everything," she said, her voice carrying absolute authority. "We will need to mobilize every available warrior, call up all reserves and conscripts. This will not be a guerrilla war—this will be a fight for our very survival."
She turned to look directly at Taveth, and I saw something pass between them, some communication that didn't require words.
"Taveth," she said formally. "Are you prepared to go to war?"
For a moment, he was silent, and I wondered what internal struggle was playing out behind those pale eyes. Then his shoulders straightened, and when he spoke, his voice carried the ring of absolute commitment.
"Yes," he said simply. "I am ready."
The finality in his tone sent a chill through me. This wasn't just a young man agreeing to fight for his people—this felt like something deeper, more permanent. Like a decision that couldn't be undone.
"Then we have much to discuss," Aytara said, rising from her seat. "Council members, we will reconvene in one hour to begin war preparations. Mira, your intelligence will be invaluable in our planning—I hope you will agree to remain and assist us."
"Of course," Mira replied. "I didn't travel this far just to deliver bad news and leave."
As the council began to disperse, Aytara approached our group. "You will be assigned new quarters in the temple proper," she said. "Comfortable accommodations, befitting allies rather than prisoners. Taveth will escort you there shortly."
She paused, her gaze settling on Livia. "I trust you understand the gravity of our situation. The weeks ahead will be difficult for all of us."
"I understand," Livia said quietly. "Whatever you need from us, from any of us, you have it."
Aytara nodded approvingly before turning away to deal with other council business. Around us, the chamber continued to empty as members hurried off to begin whatever preparations the coming war would require.
I found myself standing beside Tarshi as the crowd thinned. The resemblance to his twin was still startling, but I was beginning to notice the subtle differences—the way Tarshicarried himself, the warmth in his black eyes compared to Taveth's more distant pale gaze.
