Chapter 32: Calm Before the Storm

Perspective: Destiny/Kay


Destiny wished she could go and talk to Anya, but there was no time. She had been enlisted, and Fire needed her help. She hadn't always thought highly of the big scalebag, but he had always tried to do right by her.

Besides, it was nice to be treated as an expert rather than a volatile bundle of mourning and anger issues.

"So, we're agreed," Kay said, hands held above the map as though it were a fire. "Amass around the Prophet's hill - have him be visible to embolden the congregation. Steve leads a vanguard forward to test their ranks while Tyron holds back with the main body."

Murmurs of confirmation could be heard around the table. Kay nodded and carried on with this draft of the plan, stringing together and rounding up the scattered, free-range ideas they'd all introduced.

"We'll have someone who can quickly tunnel underground to where their ranks are thickest, trigger an explosion or rain fire on them or whatever, and then have the combat mages under Destiny and Rose emerge from the tunnel to cause as much disruption within the crater as possible. If we're lucky and the thickest point of their ranks is near the middle, we have some builders try to block the two remaining halves of their forces off from each other. Tyron moves up to relieve the vanguard and attack their presumably disrupted forces. All going to plan, their forces start to lose resolve, fall back. We advance on the village. Fast-builders establish fortifications. Beachhead accomplished?"

Destiny smiled. The tunnelling had been her idea. She'd taken great satisfaction in seeing Kay's eyes burn with ambition as he realised the potential of fast-builders to enhance his disruption-oriented tactics. Even now there was a residual glow whenever he mentioned them.

"And naturally we'll have Shadow and her team of mages running counter-magic and dealing with the artillery, as well as conducting some magical strikes themselves. Ideally, they won't destroy too many cannons, though - I want them captured. Will be useful when we attack the Tower."

"Kay," said Astro with a hint of irritation. "We need to win this battle."

"I agree, but it must be a victory with a future. Naturally, if they're too much of a bother we'll have them destroyed."

"Any concerns they might wonder where our magic users are?" Rose inquired.

"They don't know our strength," Destiny answered with satisfaction. "And they'll expect us to be weaker than normal. Defections, panic, in-fighting in the wake of our leader disappearing. Even if their scouts notice a few faces missing who helped ambush Glibby, they probably won't think too much of it."

In the corner of her eye, she saw Kay smiling smugly. He appeared to be taking a moment to appreciate the efficiency of his new command structure. He could be as smug as he liked as far as she was concerned, so long as his and Fire's dick-measuring contest didn't lead him off a cliff. So long as the Book didn't try anything.

She flicked her fingers and summoned a small flame, just to make sure she could in case of emergency.

"What if Entity's present?" Kir inquired in all their ears.

"Hopefully it won't be," Astro said, nodding to himself. "If it does manifest, ensure Shadow is alerted immediately. Maybe she can pull off the thing that scared it again and distract it. Otherwise, give it all you've got."

"Pretty much," said Kay, returning from his retirement into satisfaction. "The Entity is an unknown quantity. I'll do what I can and ensure Astro redirects as much archer-fire as possible to keep it off us."

"And we'll have the Prophet in the rear, guarded by Steve A?" Tyron asked with a raised brow.

"Steve 2," clarified Steve Brine. They hadn't cleared up the nomenclature yet.

"Yes," Kay reaffirmed. "Plus, a small force who'll protect our few TNT cannons. Skeleton crew, though."

"And," their Steve asked. "You're sure the Jackals can be trusted in the vanguard? Jen and I did kill a few of them a while back."

"They want revenge on the Entity pretty badly," Astro affirmed. "And they owe us for stopping Glibby from tracking them down and crushing them. Fight well and they'll follow you."

Suddenly they were silent. Not awkwardly so. They just knew what had to be done. Destiny thought about the day to come. She thought about Fristad. She thought about David. She thought about Fire. Anger surged, and she closed her eyes to picture her purpose.

She would avenge her friend. She would avenge David. She would save Fire. She would save this world and all others, no matter what the cost. And then she would go back to her world, brag about it to Anya and drink herself into oblivion.


I sat on my throne. The Book's avatar sat across from me, a humanoid vortex of pages and words. I had learned to pay attention and had begun to notice patterns. I did not know the script, but these lines and symbols held meaning. I had plans to one day change the rules of this little dream-space without the Book's knowledge and reveal their secrets to me. Recently, however, it seemed the Book might reveal them voluntarily.

"You have done well," the Book conceded.

"I have. You have what you wanted."

"What we want."

"Yes," I said in genuine agreement. "I just wish the circumstances were different. That Fire were safe."

"Shadow wouldn't be as much of a risk."

"No. And I wouldn't be so pressed to attack."

"You are still afraid of the Entity?"

"Yes. It cracked my breastplate. I only survived because of you."

"Thank you," the Book said with something like a smile. I smiled back. "You still have my protection, provided you are not foolish."

"That shall be difficult. The entire affair is foolish… If only we had more time!"

I slammed the desk and it shattered through the floor. I set about reinventing it with a more intricate and appealing design.

"We do not have time," The Book warned. "But we have a will to live. Even if the Entity succeeds and folds all creation into Nexus, we will live. We will thrive. We will learn to rival it."

"Yes. We will find my friends and keep them safe."

"We will guide them."

"We will be strong."

"We shall be unstoppable."

"No matter the price…" I said.

"We shall survive," we decreed.