FVN Chapter 318 Battle Plans
Chapter 318 Battle Plans
As the sun rose over the horizon, the armies supporting Princess Lethaya gathered at the bridge. Lucius and Kalliope had once again inspected the troops, though this time was prior to battle. Kalliope found herself wondering why he was so concerned with ensuring the troops were outfitted appropriately.
Though it was confusing at first, it turned out to not be entirely a waste of time. Lucius ended up finding several men and women with damaged blades or armor that had yet to be replaced. Much to the chagrin of the warriors at the main camp, he ordered that the front liners exchange faulty equipment with those at the rear.
He argued that since they were the first line of defense, they should have higher-quality equipment.
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Several of the nobles who were assisting in the campaign attempted to complain but were quickly silenced by Fayril, who seemed to have a strange fascination with how Lucius was handling things. Kalliope was unsure why this elven general was helping them so much, but she also realized that he was the serious type and likely took his orders extremely seriously.
A few hours after daybreak, Kalliope's ears twitched, and she turned her head to the bridge. It was hard to see due to the distance and the rise and fall of the bridge, but the enemy army seemed to be mobilizing. Lucius caught on as well and nodded in confirmation of their plans. She knew he had not told her every part of his plan, but despite that, she trusted him completely.
Kalliope ran to a spot front and center of their advancing forces and began to walk in time with them, holding herself a few dozen feet ahead of them. She started to gather mana for a large-scale spell Lucius asked her to prepare. She initially wished to fight on the front, but he forbade such actions.
Part of her wished she had kept her mouth shut about the probabilities since they likely weren't accurate given his half-blooded biology. If she had, maybe he would not have been acting so overprotective of her.
Kalliope cleared her head and focused her attention on the front two rows of troops. Each row stood twenty men, side by side. Focusing on those forty men, she cast her spell, "[Lux: Mass Enhance Strength]!"
A golden light erupted from her hands as she turned around and spread them outward toward their troops. All forty soldiers she had targeted received a small mote of light that settled in their chests. Visually, their muscles tensed and seemed to swell with additional power. Veins bulged slightly in their necks and arms. For her part, Kalliope barely kept herself standing.
This had been the first time she cast such a spell and due to the number of targets, she was nearly wiped of mana. She growled to herself after realizing that this was likely part of Lucius's plan to keep her from sneaking away to fight. She was bloodthirsty and enjoyed fighting, but she was not stupid.
As if summoned by her frustration, Lucius ran forward and swept her off her feet before carrying her back behind the lines. He smiled smugly at her as he set her down back at the forward camp. From where they were, they could observe the pending battle with impunity.
Since they were slightly uphill from the bridge itself, Kalliope could now see the enemy forces advancing on their position. She could also see the discoloration of the stone along the entire central third of the bridge. Blood from past battles seeped into the stone and tinged it red, while soot and ash from the burning of bodies served to darken the reddish hues.
"Sure, but how will he handle..."
"I have only known Lucius for a scant few months. However, I have quickly learned that he can find a way to 'handle' most things. I can guarantee that he only told us the portion of his plan that pertained to us. Likely, after we left, he shared more with Kalliope. Even then I am sure that he has other parts that she doesn't even know."
Snow shook her head in disbelief. Her cohort made these claims with such conviction that it left little doubt in her mind that he spoke anything other than the truth. That in and of itself was also concerning. How could he place such trust in someone who did not seem to even trust his lover with his secrets?
"Don't worry too much." Desmond advised. "He is willing to sacrifice a lot. However, he will not sacrifice us."
"How can you be so sure?"
Desmond laughed. "Well, I could claim that because we consider ourselves friends now, he would be unlikely to betray me. Barring even that, there is a certain amount of calculated risk that Lucius lets himself take on. If something happens to us, then he has to replace us with someone else.
"We are a known quantity. At the very least he has an idea of who we are and how we think. When it comes time to make more decisions and plans, he prefers to rely on people he understands. Though, I prefer to think it's the 'friends' thing."
Snow began to rub her temples in frustration. She had no idea what it was that brought Desmond to have such faith in the man known as Lucius. It was entirely possible she simply held a bias against the man from her own preconceived notions based on how her mark interacted with him.
"You truly have such confidence in him?"
"If I didn't, then I would not have left my sister in his care back at the main camp. I would rather have her on the field of battle and beside me if I am otherwise unable to guarantee her safety."
"Would she not be a liability here? She has no Compatibilities, only a mark."
Desmond laughed again. "Sure, but in this environment she..." Desmond paused for a moment. His face showed a confused expression, but then his eyes widened as if coming to a sudden and surprising realization. "That clever bastard..."
"Is something wrong?" Snow asked. Her voice clearly held a bit of panic. Even she was able to recognize it, so it was clear that Desmond would as well.
"Not at all. In fact, I am beginning to think I had still underestimated him. He really is able and willing to use everything at his disposal to win. To think he realized the potential as well."