Redacción
The map lay spread across an improvised table beneath the shelter of Eldoria's walls. It was not a detailed military map; it merely depicted the eastern forest, the network of roads converging on the fortress, and the areas where the first beasts had appeared.
But it was enough to understand the scale of the danger.
Elizabeth stood at the head of the table, accompanied by Lusian, Emily, Kara, Dayana, and Commander Albert. Behind them, the Kingdom's officers waited in tense silence.
Four thousand soldiers. Four thousand armed souls. And not a single one of them knew for certain what they were preparing to fight.
Elizabeth placed both hands on the parchment and leaned forward.
—How many?
Dayana closed her eyes for several seconds, extending her arcane perception into the depths of the forest.
—I can't know for certain.
Albert frowned, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.
—Give me an estimate.
—Sixteen... perhaps eighteen of the larger ones. —She paused before adding—. And there are many more smaller ones.
—How many?
—I don't know. Their presences overlap. Some are too far away.
Lusian studied the markings on the map.
—And the strongest ones?
Dayana opened her eyes, revealing her violet pupils.
—Several clearly stand out from the others. But I can't determine the exact number.
—Then we're still practically blind.
—You're still blind —Dayana corrected him with a sharp smile.— I can sense where they're moving.
Lusian shot her a cold look.
—That doesn't change our tactical dilemma.
—No. But it means we can at least avoid marching straight into their jaws.
Kara crossed her arms, resting one hand on the hilt of her heavy greatsword.
—Let's keep it simple. We send in the army, clear the forest, and finish this once and for all.
Lusian shook his head firmly.
—No.
Kara's smile vanished instantly.
—"No"?
—If we send four thousand soldiers into the forest without knowing what we're facing, all we'll be doing is giving them four thousand corpses.
—You really think they're that dangerous?
Lusian pointed toward the shaded areas of the map.
—We don't know the terrain; they do. They can move between the trees, conceal their movements, and ambush us from any direction. They've already demonstrated tactical coordination. —He slid a finger along the main roads.— We rely on roads, tight formations, and supply lines. —He tapped the green expanse of the map again.— They don't.
Kara clenched her teeth, clearly displeased.
—Then we send the Heroes in first.
—And then?
—We slaughter them.
—All of them? —Lusian pressed.
Kara fell silent. Lusian held her gaze without yielding an inch.
—What if another fifty emerge after that wave? —No answer.— What if there are a hundred? —Absolute silence.— What if the A-Omega wasn't the leader of the pack?
Kara's defiant expression faltered.
Lusian planted his finger on the eastern edge of the parchment.
—We don't know how many there are. We don't know how far their territory extends. We don't even know if Eldoria was their actual target.
Elizabeth slowly raised her gaze, connecting the pieces.
—Because perhaps it wasn't.
Every eye turned toward the princess.
—The creatures didn't attack like an army —Elizabeth explained, pointing to the reports scattered across the map.— They destroyed our walls simply because they were in their way. Look at their attack vectors. They didn't surround Eldoria to besiege it. They didn't try to take the main gates. They didn't attack the warehouses or target any strategic points within the fortress.
Lusian understood before anyone else.
—They were moving through.
Elizabeth nodded gravely.
—And we happened to be directly in their path.
Dayana let out a low, cold laugh.
—So they didn't come to conquer the city.
—No —Lusian interjected.— They came to claim the territory.
Silence fell over the table once again, heavier than before. Albert stared at the green expanse drawn across the parchment with obvious unease.
—And what does that make Eldoria?
Elizabeth lowered her gaze toward the walls drawn on the map.
—To us, it's a fortress and our home. —She paused briefly.— To them, it's simply a strange structure that appeared in their new domain.
Lusian remained motionless.
For the first time, the conflict took on an entirely different dimension.
They weren't containing a traditional invading force. There was no enemy commander coveting their crown, their wealth, or their land.
Those beasts weren't even acting out of hatred.
They had simply migrated, found fertile territory, and decided to claim it as their own.
And every living creature within their borders was, according to their savage logic, either a rival threat...
Or prey.
Lusian slowly looked away from the map.
—Then we can't approach this like a conventional war.
Kara frowned, intrigued.
—And how do you suggest we approach it?
—As what it really is: learning how to survive in a predator's territory.
No one answered.
The chilling implication was clear to everyone.
Eldoria was no longer under siege.
Eldoria had become their hunting ground.
Kara tapped a finger lightly against the table.
—Then we can't attack head-on.
Lusian looked at her with icy calm.
—Finally, you say something sensible.
Kara slowly turned her head toward him, narrowing her eyes.
—Want to repeat that?
—No.
—That's what I thought.
Dayana let out a low, mocking chuckle, while Elizabeth simply ignored the provocation and kept her attention on the parchment.
—Then what do you propose? —the princess asked.
Lusian picked up one of the wooden pieces representing the Kingdom's troops and placed it right at the edge of the forest.
—We won't enter their territory.
Albert frowned, planting both fists on the table.
—Then how do you intend to reduce their numbers?
Lusian picked up several smaller pieces and distributed them along the paths bordering Eldoria.
—By making them come out.
Kara narrowed her eyes as she caught on.
—You want to lure them out?
—Yes. —He pointed to one of the secondary roads.— Small groups. Five soldiers, ten at most. Enough to draw the enemy's attention, but not enough to give them a mass of troops they can easily surround. —He moved another piece backward.— They approach the forest, provoke the pack, and withdraw immediately.
—And if they chase them? —Albert asked uneasily.
—Even better.
Lusian marked an open clearing on the map.
—Here.
—What about here?
—The support groups will be waiting outside the forest —Lusian explained.— As soon as the creatures leave the trees, we'll ambush them on open ground.
Kara slowly smiled, running a hand along the hilt of her weapon.
—And when they try to retreat back into their territory...
—We don't follow them —Lusian stated.— We let them go back.
Emily frowned, making sure she understood the rhythm of the maneuver.
—And repeat?
—Over and over.
Dayana leaned over the table, her violet eyes gleaming with anticipation.
—I can track the ones that emerge from the mist. I should also be able to distinguish the mana density of the beasts following each group.
—I can keep the retreat routes illuminated —Emily added.— If anything tries to flank us from the shadows, we'll detect it in time.
Kara planted both hands firmly on the map.
—And I'll take care of slaughtering whatever we manage to isolate.
Elizabeth took a piece from the reserve and placed it beside the vanguard group.
—But we mustn't pursue the larger groups.
Lusian nodded.
—Exactly.
The princess pointed toward the heart of the green expanse.
—If they're truly claiming this region, we can't let them figure out our strategy too soon. If they realize we're trying to invade their domain, they'll stop taking the bait.
Albert finally understood the true scope of the maneuver.
—We're not trying to drive them out.
—Not yet —Lusian replied.
—We're making them believe hunting us is easy and safe.
Lusian nodded again.
—And every time they cross the boundary, we'll eliminate as many as we can.
Little by little, the pieces formed a merciless sequence across the map:
Lure. Separate. Eliminate. Withdraw. Repeat.
It would not be an open battle.
It would be a war of attrition in which the humans chose when to engage and, more importantly, when to retreat.
Elizabeth studied the tactical arrangement for several seconds.
—And when only the strongest specimens remain?
Lusian raised his gaze toward the deepest part of the forest.
—Then we'll know what kind of monsters we're really dealing with.
—And the leader? —Dayana asked.
Lusian remained silent for a moment before moving one final piece, placing it at the center of the forest.
—When we reach it, we'll see if it can be killed.
Emily regarded him seriously.
—And if we can't?
Lusian shrugged pragmatically.
—Then we run.
Kara burst out laughing.
—You've changed, Lusian.
—I just learned not to die for something that isn't even my territory.
Elizabeth allowed herself a faint smile.
—A sensible decision.
The princess removed the military pieces from the board.
—We won't enter the forest tonight.
Lusian looked up.
—I will.
Emily pointed at him immediately.
—No.
—I wasn't asking.
—Exactly. That's why I'm ordering you.
Lusian sighed.
—We need to know where they are.
—Dayana can track them —Emily interjected.
Dayana raised a hand calmly.
—I can.
Lusian looked at her.
—Then...
The vampire slowly smiled.
—But I'm going with you.
Lusian narrowed his eyes.
—Why?
Dayana took a step forward, closing the distance between them.
—Your blood.
Emily closed her eyes in exhaustion.
—Oh, my God...
Kara burst into open laughter, while Elizabeth chose to ignore them entirely.
Lusian rubbed the bridge of his nose.
—No.
—Yes.
—No.
—Yes.
—Dayana.
—Lusian.
Emily suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his cloak.
—You're taking her.
—Why?
—Because if you leave her here, she'll follow you anyway.
Dayana flashed a victorious smile.
Lusian, meanwhile, stared at the ceiling.
—This isn't even my problem.
Emily gave his cloak a sharp tug.
—It is now.
Lusian turned his gaze back toward the forest.
Night was about to fall; shadows were already beginning to swallow Eldoria's silhouette.
Perfect.
Without anyone knowing, the moment he entered the darkness, he would become something none of those monsters would be able to track.
Not because he possessed greater strength or some refined technique.
But because the darkness itself seemed unwilling to reveal him.
He gripped Dainsleif.
—Fine.
Everyone in the room turned toward him.
—Tonight, we hunt.
Dayana's smile widened.
And for the first time since his arrival, Lusian had the bitter certainty that this city was becoming his problem.
Not by choice, of course.
But because of Emily.