Story:Kings of Strife/Part 38

Part Thirty-Eight
Once more, she found that she was nervous. It was an odd feeling within her, to know fear and trepidation. She told herself and everyone else that she would succeed, and it was her way to make what she said become reality, but Vainia still found herself doubting the very words she carved as truths sometimes. She was just a girl, after all. A girl barely proven into adulthood. Was that true? Hadn’t she proved herself time and time again? Hadn’t she fought for everything she had, barely making her way to fame and power through her wits and her words? Perhaps that was why she was wary. Everything so far had been done through the pen and not the sword. She had been a persuader and a soothsayer, but not a true conqueror. Not yet. Tonight that would change. The darkness wrapped around Vainia and her men like a large cloak. She wore a cloak of her own, a large and long red one that trailed on the floor behind her when she walked. It was held tightly around her form, for the night was dark and cold in the high altitude. The cloak gave her warmth and light, and reassured her when she was in doubt. It was a gift, from her Knight Constantus Veit. Rather, it was given to her by Gin Taoris, and she had said it was from Veit. Had she wronged him by sending him off and rejecting his feelings like that? Could she afford to be so brusque with the man who helped her build her empire? Vainia shook her head and looked back into the distance before her. Now was not the time for doubts, or fears. Now was the time for decisive action. Her ship and all the six others had left the Shorekeep air harbor two hours ago, and would be upon Icarun soon. Very soon. The night sky had only grown darker since they left, and would stay in darkness for another few hours yet. That would cover up the advance for a time, and when the sun rose the attack would be concluded, if all went well. It was all a big gamble – the positioning of her offense, the possibility of a weak defense, the strength of her ragtag men… “Lady Vainia.” The blunt summons from a deep voice shook Vainia from her thoughts. The young queen turned and her cloak billowed in the wind with her movements. “Yes, Leader Rin?” The fur-collared leader of the Eternal Corps, lovingly referred to as the silver cloaks by her normal militia, stood in front of her. His jaw was clenched shut, but he had no fear or hesitation on his face. Rin was a man accustomed to battle. “We are nearing the fortress. Scouts see no movement, although their anti-airship turrets are manned.” Vainia nodded and her brow furrowed. “Have ships N2, N3, and S1 start moving in the cardinal formation. They will take the vanguard, and we will position behind them. As they attack, we will lead the charge onto the fortress, followed by N1, S2, and S3.” Leader Tlerius Rin nodded in agreeance. “That sounds sufficient. For the Queen’s glory.” He nodded once again and briskly walked off to start sending the necessary commands. Vainia found herself staring at Rin as he left, and looking over the various other silver cloaks around the ship commanding the small crew. They had all proved sufficient, to be sure, and some appeared very strong – but could she trust them? Would they all serve her faithfully? Taoris had picked them out, and they had survived his grueling training (which was honestly better described as torture). No. Now was not the time for doubts. Vainia shook her head once again and turned back to her place at the head of the airship. Her flagship was named Typhoon Wind, and three other ships of unknown name were already starting to move from behind her to the sides and the front of her ship. She hadn’t bothered to learn the names of the other ships, not when labeling them based on their home country was easier to remember. The battle would be a fierce one. She hoped to have her forces land the first shot, but after even one cannon blast, they would lose all secrecy and surprise. The anti-air offense would be savage and immediate, but with the three ships in the vanguard holding a tight perimeter, they would all be able to drop the main force of troops onto the fortress and attack it mercilessly. The fortress was undoubtedly not manned fully, meaning her siege of the fortress would last only a few hours at best. With covering fire from her remaining airships, it wouldn’t take long for her and her men to take the fortress, land her ships, and man any defenses against Inusians coming to take the fort. She held all of Shorica under her control and Mortis would not dare attack her, regardless of whether or not she was their princess. Once the fort was hers, she would not lose it again, and from there it would be easy to start invading Inusia. In other words, her future attacks hinged on this one battle. The ships were in position in front of hers and the other three behind Typhoon Wind, and the fortress was slowly becoming larger on the horizon. Icarun was a large and old fortress made of grey seastone harvested from the rocks and cliffs of the Queen’s Bay. It had never been lost in a siege – but that was only from the ground. Never had an airship assault on it been attempted, and never with an almost depleted amount of men inside. All things considered, Vainia would succeed this night. So why did she feel so wary? Her thin and nimble hands danced on the hilt of her rapier. The weather was clear – she had Baron Casvaal confirm that. All of her ships were in working order, and all of her men were ready to fight and die for her. Before announcing her plan for battle, she had spent an entire day and night in the Shorekeep library, scribing and memorizing a number of runic spells she remembered from the lost library of Zeta. She was prepared by all means, but still felt dread in her heart. Something wasn’t right. Could it be because she sent Taoris off? Was that the wrong decision? Was all of this a wrong decision? “Lady Vainia,” called the same voice from before. Vainia turned her head and saw Leader Rin returned, this time flanked by two silver cloaks. She squinted at them and struggled to remember their names; one was a dark-skinned tall male with low white hair, and the other was a tall woman with a hard face and a head of straw brown hair. Azur Atrai and Hrevi Charicus, she remembered after a moment. “Yes, Lord Rin?” “All the ships are in position. Battle stations are manned and ready, as well as siege crews. Everyone is ready, and the fortress is undisturbed. We await your command.” Vainia nodded and let out a deep breath. She turned her head back to the horizon and unsheathed her rapier. Its cold steel blade and multitude of colorful jewels embedded in the hilt shone in the darkness, and threatened to pierce through the cold. The queen pointed it forward towards the fortress. “Attack.” Rin and the others yelled her command and messengers went about furiously speaking into their Datalogs to the other ships and their communications officers. Within seconds, a massive explosion racked through the air as all three of her vanguard ships shot their side cannons at the same time. The darkness rocketed away for just an instant as bright light and translucent smoke flared to life. What was a quiet night of anticipation had now become a loud cacophony of aggression, and every soldier on every ship started yelling their excitement, their bloodlust, and their thirst for glory. Vainia’s sword lowered as she looked off into the horizon, and her face fell with it. Although the exhilaration of the fight began to run through her veins, the feeling of dread was still heavy beneath her ribs, and the skies began to darken to match her mood. What was just minutes ago a dark, unperturbed sky began to metamorphize in the distance. Pitch black storm clouds were gathering from the east and were moving towards Icarun with a speed unlike any she had ever seen. Flashes of lightning were even visible beneath their folds. A silver cloak, the dark-skinned Azur Atrai, ran up to Vainia and grabbed her cloak. He yelled something, but his voice was unintelligible behind all the screaming and noise that had erupted on the deck of every airship. It served its purpose in waking her out of her anxious reverie, though, and Vainia nodded at him. Her fingers started to glow with magic energy as she pointed her rapier towards the battle and yelled to all those running about on the deck. “Fight! Win! For the Queen’s glory!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, and the men around her heard the message loud and clear. “For the Queen’s glory!” became a mantra, shouted and repeated by soldiers across each of the seven ships, but in Vainia’s mind she spoke to herself with a different phrase. ‘I will not hesitate any longer,’ she demanded of herself. ‘I have a war to fight and a battle to win. I have a nation to overthrow, and a world to rule.’

*****

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