Liliana surveyed the Zendikari forces. They had scores of Elementals and legions of Druids that could toss chunks of land without breaking a sweat.
She ordered her warlocks to prepare decay magic exclusively and turned to the elf, "Revane! It is my understanding that your culture heavily believes in the sacredness of all life. By doing this, you bring death upon your people. I will give you one chance to back away before we rain Dominaria's wrath on your soldiers."
Nissa scoffed, "We've been pushing your line back for months! We're giving you the opportunity to surrender."
"Then it seems we just can't come to an agreement." Liliana grabbed a helm offered to her by her servants. She donned the headpiece. It was based around the frame of a stylistic golden headdress. A shell of black material veiled her face in eerie lack expression. Regal spines raised from the top of the helmet in almost a crown-like structure.
Her servants also offered her two coiled whips. They were coated in black dragon scales in such a fashion that the business end of the weapons were lined with hundreds of little blades.
A few men handed Jace his rapier and arcanist equipment.
Liliana fired the first shot. A bolt of dark magic passed through an elemental. The magical creature let out a deep wail before in shriveled and died.
"Kill that witch!" Nissa cried.
"Bring them desolation and death. Take everything they love and make them suffer." Liliana's voice was calm, but filled with a deadly ice.
She leapt off the wall, delivering lightning fast slashes to two large earth Elementals. The Elementals collapsed and Liliana landed with startling gracefulness.
She turned and cracked her whips, sending out ripples of death magic, bringing disease and rot to all in their paths.
Dominarian Warriors drew their weapons and charged the Zendikari. Black clashed against green as red poured from smashing earth into humans and steel goring through bodies.
Liliana coiled her whips and released two rays of black magic, creating a clearing for her that was coated in elven corpses. Nissa drew a blade from her druid's staff and attacked Liliana with a barrage of sentient plants. The elf's eyes blazed green as she commanded the elements.
Jace glanced to his side. Josu was standing next to him, watching the battle unfold.
"You know, Beleren. This battle could gain you favor with us. I suggest you use that knitting needle of yours to do some work." He smiled, donned a helmet and slammed down the visor. He grabbed a marauder's axe and joined the battle.
Jace frowned. He drew his sword and mumbled under his breath, "I'll show you a knitting needle, asshat." He shot himself into the sky with force magic.
The end of Jace's blade sunk into a druid's spinal cord. He extended his hand and blanked the minds of half the battalion. He summoned a small squadron of illusory doubles to take care of the rest. Jace had barely noticed the Druid behind him sneak up behind him until his staff collided with Jace's head. He fell to the ground. His rapier wasn't strong enough to block that staff. The Druid raised his weapon.
Luckily, Liliana's whip wrapped around the druid's torso and ripped him in half. She stood over the fallen archmage and offered an armored hand.
"I can't have you dying on me just yet, Beleren." She said. Jace took her hand and stood up.
"Rrrragh!" Jace shoved Liliana out of the way of Nissa's sword.
"I can take care of her, Liliana. Go help your soldiers."
Liliana nodded and ran back into the battlefield.
Jace and Nissa circled each other, swords crossed.
"So the Bureaucracy is an imperial ally now?" Nissa asked, "I thought you wouldn't be a problem."
"I'm just under duress. You know how war is."
"A prisoner? Join us and we can get you out of here." Nissa seemed earnest enough.
Jace narrowed his eyes, "Hmmm, try again later." Jace went in for a downward strike, however it was quickly blocked.
"How unfortunate. Maybe you could've gone back to Vryn alive." Nissa clenched her hand as green mana resonated within her palm. Tree bark encased her forearm like a buckler.
Jace sensed the two vines slink under the surface before they had a chance to bind him. He unsummoned Nissa's plants and cast a quick veil of invisibility over himself. Unfortunately, Nissa struck in exactly his position.
"Gah!" Jace's invisibility dissipated, "How the hell…"
"I can feel your mana connections to the land. You can't hide from me."
"It appears so. Alright, I can work with that."
Nissa stretched out her hand, signaling to multiple newly formed tree folk to charge forward.
"You're distracted."
"What?" Nissa looked up at the mind Mage.
Jace shined a devious grin before plunging into her mind and taking it for his own in a matter of seconds. Nissa's eyes now glowed blue like Jace's.
His perspective warped in such a fashion that he saw his sight switch to Nissa's mind. In Nissa's body, he shouted for the Zendikari to retreat.
It wasn't long before the Druids evacuated.
Jace returned to his own mind, dazed. Nissa fell, unconscious. Taking over others was always a bother. They just kept fighting him. Jace locked Nissa to the ground in illusory shackles.
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Jace cried out as a Dominarian healer relocated his shoulder, "Damnit! Healing magic exists for a reason!" He was in a cell, for security reasons. Emperor Vess overruled Liliana's attempts at letting him free. He was getting his wounds treated on his cot.
The healer shrugged and exited the cell as Liliana entered.
"Your shoulder okay?"
"There are worse injuries among your soldiers."
"That was quite an impressive display back there."
"Revane was annoying me. So I retaliated."
"We received a mana transmission from your mother. She's willing to pay the ransom if we give her proof of life." Liliana handed Jace a small device bordered with runes engraved in gold.
Jace activated the device, "Hello, mother. Yes, I am alive. There's your proof." He turned off the device and tossed it back to the princess.
"Thank you." Liliana said.
"So how long will it be until I go home?"
"Oh, it won't be that long."
"Damn. I was hoping to stay a little longer." Jace crossed his legs.
"Stay? We are your enemy."
"I'd rather be here than home."
Liliana sat beside Jace on the cot, "I know how you feel."
"Yeah? My father was assassinated by his own wife. How messed up is that? I'll bet the only reason she's paying my bail is so I don't spill any secrets. The only child she actually cares about is my sister Tamiyo. I thank patriarchal tradition. If not for it, I'd be on the streets, abandoned by my family and left for dead."
"Josu and I were raised as killing machines. Josu more so than me. My mother's death caused him to ease up, but it didn't help much. In the palace, my father and Josu always have a reason to fight. It's unbearable. I thought I was going insane. Then I was offered this position and it's been great since."
"Your life sounds nicer than mine."
"I suppose."
The two spent a moment in silence.
Liliana broke the silence, "Actually, I could offer you an opportunity."
"An opportunity?" Jace raised an eyebrow.
"Just how much do you hate your family?"
"A lot."
"Enough to betray them?"
"What are you suggesting?"
"I'm asking you to join us. Your talents are priceless and if your country can't see that, they don't deserve you. I promise that a life in Dominaria will a thousand times better than your life in Vryn."
Jace held his chin in contemplation, "What would getting said life involve?"
"How are you in espionage?"
"The best."
"Would it be possible to get some inside access to Vryn's agenda? Our plan is to add Vryn to our ranks, but if you get us these secrets, we'll let you govern it. Not as a vassal or anything, but as an equal ally. Essentially, take your mother out of power."
"I like the sound of that. You know what? You've got yourself a deal."
"Good. Here, take this." Liliana offered him a scrying bowl, "You can contact me with it."
"I will." Jace took the bowl and with it, a new destiny. Not just another bureaucrat, but the bureaucrat that saves Vryn from destruction by the hands of his mother.
