The next hours became a foggy blur.
Liron's and Emma's plan offered little more than ideas woven together to convince the rest. Similar to Kupferrang, it relied on their ability to improvise and outsmart the odds. But this time they stood confronted with forces that would have leveled the dead city. Their only advantage was Al Pakris itself. They decided where the fight would occur and conclude. But time did not stand on their side, allowing them no greater preparation besides memorizing the layout of the tunnels underneath and the ruins above.
Shae and Emma went to garner the initial attention from the Qyoral. Underneath Emma's illusion, they sneaked up to their frontline. Liron could hear the echo of Shae's storm spells as they thundered through the Qyoral army. She unleashed not more than three before they had to flee.
Qileshs hunted them but stopped before reaching Al Pakris. Emma had paled, losing her manic confidence from before. "Fuck me," she breathed. "They… they are… horrible…"
Zonis nodded, patting her back. "A horrid sight. I wish I could save you from it."
"That bad?" Liron asked, rubbing Emma's back. He had never seen her like this. Fear and panic had twisted her features when they had saved her. But never dread. A complete lack of hope.
"Harras, yes," she said, leaning close towards Liron, seeking his presence to calm herself. "Liri, we have to be careful. Promise me you won't do anything too risky."
"Em, I'll have to…"
Emma grabbed him by his collar, pulling him close. "Don't fuck with me. It's bad, Liri. I mean it. No fuckin' joke. Promise on ma and pa that you will be careful."
Liron gulped, shuddering. "I… I promise it on ma and pa. I'll be on the run like a scared chicken."
"Good. You should be…"
Shae remained silent. She had gathered her experience with the Qyoral. She had a knowing look as she watched Emma. Liron tried talking to her, but she avoided him.
Emma's reaction snuffed the morale. Liron's speech and Zonis' approval had made them forget the reality of their situation and plan. Reality had caught up to them and reminded them of its existence. It took no no and left them all with a heavy weight in their guts.
As always, Liron found peace in work. He helped Bran and Zonis to prepare their signal. The agents finished their work of mapping Al Pakris, spreading whatever resources they had in hideouts for each of them to grab during the battle.
A simple flare meant to be shot into the air to reveal one's position. Zonis altered it to ensure the Qyoral and Empire would understand its meaning. The Whisperer used his ability to call for all forms of wildlife, mostly mice and smaller lizards. Without mercy, he tainted them all, turning them into Mass. Liron watched the ordeal. Zonis turned a finger into a thin needle and poked whatever small beasts fell for his call.
They cried out, shocked at Zonis' betrayal. They tried to run, but the skin around the puncture wavered, withering, losing all pigmentation until they turned grey. The taint spread throughout their body, claiming them whole within moments. It reached their head last. Their little eyes wide in horror, realizing how something alien took over all they had called their own. It faded, their entire form melting away into a grey blob. Like wet clay, it waited for Zonis to claim and form it.
Zonis' eyes remained distant as he did his cruel work. His mind sought out a calmer place. One far away from Sannara and this cursed war. He never absorbed the mass, amassing it into a ball. As it reached the size of Zonis' torso, he attached it to the flare. Bran had to reinforce it, making sure it would carry the weight into the sky.
The smith lit the fuse, and the flare roared with bright flames, racing towards the clouds. It never reached them, exploding into a dazzling flash. Even with the Silver Moon claiming the sky still, it could not be overlooked. But as the flare ignited, the mass attached to it reacted to the heat, tearing apart. As the flash died, a grey cloud took its place, hovering in the air. It lingered for longer than it should, proving to all who watched that it was no dust. No, only the stolen life energy of the souls taken could allow the cloud to defy gravity as long as it did.
But as it faded, the Qyoral's distant war call erupted from behind the horizon. They had understood Zonis' message. If it had only been Shae and Emma, the Qa'an leading the army could have thought the attack to be part of a greater ruse. The apparent chase and Al Pakris all to lure the Qyoral towards the Empire's trap. But the presence of a Qilesh proved them otherwise. They were no part of the Empire, and they wanted them to attack.
The Qyoral forces would not tolerate a Phiran breathing and insulting their great kingdom. And Adenius might not have realized the flare's meaning at first, but the Qyoral's reaction should have done the trick. If not, Liron and all gathered around him were dead. The uncertainty as the Qyoral came marching towards them hammered Zonis' words home.
He had asked them to bet on him, but he had bet their lives in return. This war was not fought or won through one man alone. Whatever he did or tried to achieve, he had the help of his friends. He didn't just risk his life. Should their plan fail, they would pay the price alongside him.
As an agent came rushing in, confirming that the Empire had ceased its searching formation, marching towards Al Pakris in full force, Liron sighed, feeling dizzy. The agents who scouted their enemies' movement confirmed their predictions. The Qyoral army was closer. They would reach them first.
Less than an hour separated them from impact. And with it, the long wait began.
Liron checked his equipment, performing his trusted haue once more. But his nerves betrayed him, his slashes lacking the skill he knew he had gained. He walked circles in the sand, chewing his fingernail until there was nothing left to chew on.
The sounds of the armies crept closer and closer. Faint echoes are growing in strength. Zonis explained the most common structures and strategies that they could expect from both armies. Liron failed to listen to it all. His thoughts wandered off, pulling out his memories of the war posters depicting the grand battles between the Empire and Qyoral. Zonis' warnings drowned his current words.
As the moment of truth crept towards them, Liron went to each figure of their group, thanking and sharing some last words with them.
Bran clapped him on the shoulder, bumping his chest. "No need to thank me. You're decent folk. I… I regret what I said to you. But now I'm with you. I think you're someone worth helpin' and fightin' alongside.
Bran returned to work his axes. He would not fight at the front line but aid the agents in the support of the main fighters.
Shae examined Liron, a puzzle yet to be solved. The lion remained unbroken by the wait, carrying the burden far better than Liron. "You are interesting, indeed."
"This starts to sound like an insult," Liron joked.
Shae returned his smile. "It's not. I… what I wanted to say is that I…"
Shae was at a loss for her words, failing to express herself. "It's all good," Liron said. "You don't have to say anything. I get it. Thanks. You know… for staying."
She looked into his eyes again, her focus digging into him. Without the high of convincing them all, Liron struggled to not look away. Her attention frightened him. Thankfully, Shae loosened up, finding what she tried to say. "I would like you to see me dance."
Liron blinked, feeling his cheeks blush. He cleared his throat, keeping his hand in front of his mouth, covering his shame. "Ehr… I… would like to… but what gives me the honor?"
Shae summoned a talon in her hand. "It's a disgrace, really. What I do with it. I have shown you some of it, but it all serves a purpose it was never meant for. I think I owe it to you. You should know what the lion was intended to do. You deserve it."
For the first time, Liron had to cut their conversation short, his entire face threatening to turn crimson. He sought refuge.
One look, and Emma knew it all. "You could just ask her out. Perhaps get a kiss before it's too late."
"Oh, shut up," Liron said. He had a comeback on his lips, but he swallowed it down, taking Emma's hand. "We will survive this. No matter what. I won't leave you alone again."
Despite herself, Emma's eyes teared up. She did not hide it, squeezing Liron's hand. "You better not. And I won't leave you. I promise."
…
Liron held his mother's knife in his hand, looking at the reflection in the black steel, wondering what she would think of her son. Would she hate him like the rest of the Empire? Would she blame him for all the death the vision had caused? Or would she celebrate his misadventures, cheering him on to avenge Kupferrang and herself?
Liron hoped she would be proud of him still. He hoped she would love him still.
Zonis stepped next to Liron, sharing his silence with him. "They are here. Ready?"
Smoke reforged the knife, summoning the black blade. Whatever she would think of him now, she had loved him truly before it all. This had to suffice.
"Yes."