The climb continued without any more accidents, and soon they reached the top. It was a flat platform, and on the sides, they could see Experts pulling up the elevators, helping other people climb up.
Gryphon raiders landed on a different platform; there was a lot of action going on at the top. Novices were rare to see; it was mostly Experts, a testament that at the peak of things are only the strongest, who pulled up the weak.
"Let's go. They are awaiting you. Be aware, it is a chaotic situation, our War Office." The rider led the way as they headed towards the castle. It was not a massive castle; however, it was still something unique. There were also tents and smaller buildings on the back of Elepharion; their purpose was for housing and stables for gryphons.
Aurelian and the rest were led inside the castle, floor after floor, as they reached the War Office. Shouts and arguments were flying around, and soon the door was opened as Aurelian was welcomed.
Halderick was arguing with Venelus, who seemed to have dark circles under his eyes, but the man was pretty active. Venelus was chugging on a wide, and the moment he saw Aurelian walk in, he stopped arguing and went to greet him.
Aurelian saw that besides Severin and Venelus, Rhaegar was also here. It seemed like he had already arrived before him and was waiting to give him the Godsteel. Besides the four Masters and Aurelian, many other officials were walking around; War Tables were everywhere as tactics were being relayed all over, carrier birds landing and departing almost every minute. Princess Eleonor was behind them, entering the room to the shock of her uncle, Rhaegar. She found a chair and sat, intending to remain silent. This was the War Office, not her place to speak among Strategists and Tacticians. They were bearing enough pressure already, and were not in the best condition to tolerate unwanted advice.
"Young Aurelian! Welcome to my War Office. I have been awaiting your arrival with great expectations! I am sorry that you had to be brought in such a hurry. Please, come over and take a look at the map; it is constantly being updated with the news that arrives. We will need your counsel; we will be travelling for months..." Venelus said while Severin Halderick beckoned him to come forward.
Aurelian greeted the men and headed towards the map; soon, he was inspecting it, his reaction worsening over and over again. Some places on the eastern border were stable; others, not at all.
Too many mistakes were committed, allowing the enemies to breach and conquer more territory; so far, around 920 miles were lost. Soon, they would have lost as much ground as Salerion did, 30 years ago... The casualties were massive, causing his heart to tighten. Those were only soldiers; civilian numbers were not accounted for in that number...
He did not know who led the enemy armies; however, he seemed to be more than smart, as commanders and generals on the front lines were made fools. They would push desperately, overestimating the enemy. After all, they had lost their countries and so on; millions of people had been lost.
The enemy was not just using their superior numbers; they were letting the humans push before surrounding them, after which they would decimate them and spread around, claiming more ground. Some battles were actually a display of pure genius and terrain usage; it seemed like they had capable rats, bugs, and lizards among their tribes.
The worst part, however, was that Rattakins and Chittara were digging underground, causing many problems for the rear. They aimed to reach the second line that was now being built, the second wall.
Emperor Argos had decided that the line was to be built 2,000 Miles away from the breach, meaning he would concede that much territory, driving a straight line through the west. It seemed like whatever was happening over there was far worse than Salerion's situation in the past. If things proceeded this way, the main army might just arrive when the builders of the second wall had been slaughtered.
"This is insanity! Why have you not fallen back and scorched the earth? Have the advances been called off? What is the meaning of such actions!?! Who is leading the enemy?" Aurelian spoke with anger in his voice. Some were surprised, others were shocked, but they kept doing what they were doing. Only Venelus seemed to sigh, as scorching the earth would be something...not good. It had to be done, yes, but also at a deeper level into the ground, to avoid the rats and bugs from finding water. Rivers had to be dried off; infrastructure would have to be burned as well as farmlands.
"I understand, young Aurelian... It truly is the last order that I wanted to give, afraid to concede more land. I ordered the generals not to push, yet they wish to reclaim their territories, underestimating the Intellect of their enemies, believing in their own superiority despite being disadvantaged in numbers." Venelus said as he wiped away his forehead; a cigarette was now in his mouth. The problem seemed to be disobedience, which was understandable. No man wanted to let his home be conquered, to retreat.
Many heads had been cut off by now, for not following instructions or simply for their incompetence. This was how war was: if your decisions caused losses, your head rolled either by your enemy or your Emperor.
Luther had sat beside Eleonora and Rhaegar; there was nothing he could do on the strategic table. This was not his battlefield.
"The Rattaking is leading them; he is an individual with great patience. His allies, one of the bug queens, have planned this attack on the wall for thirty years... They have many masters and monstrosities; for three decades, they have amassed troops on the border, yet we were ignorant, believing that they would not breach it from outside...They breached it from inside." Venelus said as he pointed towards The Breach. It had been expanded as the enemies wanted their behemoths to enter as well; thus, the wall now had a full gap in it to allow them.
"Aurelian, what do you think? Severin Halderick said as he pointed towards a mark on the map. He was consulting his protege. Under the teachings of Halderick, Aurelian now had more than enough brains and experience to go toe to toe with him. In some ways, Aurelian was superior; in others, Halderick, but such were people - different.
Aurelian placed his hand on the map as he began to speak; Venelus and Severin Halderick looked and listened before they spoke as well. Soon, under the gaze of Eleonora, they had all started arguing in the War Office, and chaos was back. Orders still flew around, despite them arguing. Such was the nature of the Office; they'd fight, but the order was given when it was due.
The strategists were arguing, Elepharion was walking, and from time to time, the banners on the castle would shake, and some furniture would fall. Everything was luxurious here, yes, however also broken as the titan would rumble, fart or simply step on a mountain. At least however, it was silent here most of the time, and the air was always fresh.
That did not seem to bother anyone, as they would lift things and proceed with their duty. This castle was made of Blackstone; it was durable, and it held, even if it caused the interior to look like a villain's castle; the golden furniture gave it its own life.
Rheagar and Luther were talking, their words shocking Eleonora, who only listened. From time to time, she and her uncle would steal glances at Aurelian, who was now arguing with Severin and Venelus. She was sizing him up, her thoughts unknown, while Rhaegar wanted to give him the Godsteel but dared not interrupt the conversation. He was seeing success.
Success in the form of strategy. Venelus alone was not enough to hold off everything. Things became easier with the arrival of Severin, and now with Aurelian here, results were beginning to show themselves. It felt like they were playing chess, as a letter would arrive and they would move a marker on the map. Most of the time, they would move backwards, as it signified a retreat or defeat. Rarely, they would move forward, yet as the hours proceeded to pile up, it had become normal to move forward.
Victories.