Chapter 14: Legion's Initiative
For the first time in what felt like hours, Gideon lowered his sword. It had only been a little over a half hour since he split from the Gatewatch, but he had lost all sense of time. Everything was now blurring together in his memory in a blender-like frenzy. His mind refused to keep track of anything, whether it was the passing minutes, the number of civilians led to safety, or the body count he left in his wake. These Eternals were keeping Gideon on his toes, with exotic weaponry, spellcrafting, and phalanx tactics, but they all fell just the same in the face of Blackblade. It was only now, after he had cleared a large enough swath and commanded a small group of stragglers back to their homes, that Gideon could take a breath.
His eyes went to the sword in his hand. It was now covered in the brown, decayed blood of the Eternals, but he could still feel its thirst. Even when thoroughly coated in the stuff, Blackblade could never be slaked. He sighed, trying desperately to pull his attention away from the weapon's call and toward the task at hand. He hadn't been cutting his way through the city at random. He'd only now cleared away a safe path to his true destination: Sunhome, the fortress of the Boros Legion.
Jace said we need a strategy. His was to retreat, but that won't save anybody. We need to attack, who better to plan an offensive than the Boros?
Though it was a thought to himself, a part of him hoped that Jace's telepathic channel was open. He wanted his teammate to eavesdrop on his thoughts, but he knew it would be an unnecessary risk, one that Jace was too smart to allow. All Gideon could do was hope that his allies' fight was going well, that their plans and his own would eventually converge over Bolas' and Liliana's graves. With this thought at the front of his mind, and his stamina sufficiently regenerated, Gideon headed toward Sunhome.
The building, situated at the heart of the Boros territory, could hardly be described as a guild hall. While other guilds had sizable buildings to suit their needs, they were all dwarfed by the sheer magnitude of Sunhome. It acted as a barrack, training facility, detention center, armory, aviary, and countless other things. No matter how many times Gideon laid eyes on the smooth stone walls that threatened to eclipse the morning sun, he couldn't help but be taken aback. It truly was the stronghold of the city, a fitting place for the paramilitary forces.
As he drew closer to Sunhome, he saw glimpses of the Boros's efforts to combat the spreading plague of the Dreadhorde. Gideon passed many troops as he walked, men and women decked out in gleaming armor, wielding all manner of weaponry to rend the zombie's own protected flesh. He glanced up and saw squadrons of pegasus-mounted soldiers, flanked by armored angels, soaring to intercept whatever Eternals terrorized the skies. He looked down to the street, and all manner of inanimate corpses littered the typically clean walkway. Soldier and Eternal alike were strewn about, weapons jutting from chests and heads and trunks. Bodily fluids leaked from them all, the spoiled blood of the zombies flowing through the cobbled cracks and eventually mingling with the fresh blood of the fallen Boros, creating pools of murky crimson. Even as Gideon skirted around the puddles, he couldn't discern which blood belonged to which warriors. He didn't have time to give it much thought.
Though his destination was before him, Gidoen couldn't help but cast his eyes to the ground. The density of bodies piling on the walkways only increased as he proceeded deeper into Boros territory. At first, they were only in small piles, the sites of singular battles once both sides broke rank. Then, the piles grew into heaps and mounds where battalions of soldiers met with full phalanxes of Eternals. The pungent scent of death grew stronger with each step, and Gideon had to keep himself from gagging. With breath held, he continued to maneuver around the myriad corpses, growing ever closer to his goal. After a few minutes traversing the former battleground, he could finally make out the entrance to Sunhome, and what he saw surprised him.
Surrounding the grounds of the Boros stronghold was a line of soldiers. Gideon strained his eyes, but even his vision couldn't see where the blockade ended. Each was in full plate armor that, though made of polished bronze, shone like gold. They all carried long spears to their sides, holding them upright like fenceposts, though Gideon assumed they were all outfitted with traditional Boros blades and cudgels as well. To complete the look of security, at every soldier's feet lay at least one slain Eternal who'd dared to encroach. It was an unbreakable chain of military might, and Gideon welcomed the sight. He had expected the entire Boros contingency to barrel headlong into the fray, but seeing the restraint put into place by appointing a guard filled him with hope that his quest for a proper plan was not in vain.
He approached the line with head held high, avoiding the crush of outgoing soldier that squeezed through the tightly woven perimeter. Upon reaching the soldiers, he offered them a solemn nod.
"Hello, I need to get inside," he told them plainly.
The soldier in front of him didn't look up, eyes set firmly before her. "Sorry sir, but we are not permitted to let citizens into Sunhome during this time. Please return to your residence or wait for us to procure a guide for you."
Gideon was taken aback by the callousness of the Legion's decision, though he didn't have time to argue with someone who was merely performing their duty. "I apologize," he said with a tinge of annoyance, "I should have been clearer. I'm here to speak with Aurelia." Gideon attempted to take a step forward, but the soldier blocked his path with her lance.
"Sir," barked the woman, still not looking Gideon in the eye, "please step away from the perimeter. All Ravnica citizens have been ordered to stay in their residences for the duration of the conflict. Please take a step back and wait for an escort."
Gideon's brow furrowed. "You don't understand, I need to see Aurelia right away. I don't have time to waste here with what is going on out there. Besides, I'm not even a Ravnica citizen!"
These words, it seemed, flipped a switch in the soldier's demeanor, and she finally met Gideon's gaze. "If you're not from Ravnica, are you a planeswalker?"
"Um, yes." Gideon couldn't help the surprise in his voice. He had expected to have his comment interpreted as him being a vagrant. It was unusual for an average person to know what planeswalkers were, let alone recognize him as one. He took a moment to collect himself, then addressed the woman once more with a reinforced timbre. "My name is Gideon Jura. I hail from the plane of Theros, and I must speak with Aurelia immediately.
To his surprise, she broke rank, stepping aside to make a space in the perimeter than Gideon could pass through. "Go on through, sir. Aurelia and the others are in her chambers, do you need any assistance with getting there?"
"No thanks, I remember where that is." Gideon stepped through the opening, and the soldier immediately retook her position with a resounding clatter. He wanted to ask more questions of the legionnaire, but he knew he didn't have time to waste. So, he moved into Sunhome without a second thought.
As he grew closer to the fortress's entrance, the density of outcoming Boros infantry only grew stronger. Gideon had to bob and weave around the emerging soldiers, narrowly avoiding hard-faced humans, snorting minotaurs, and lumbering giants that all brandished polished weapons emblazoned with the coronal fist of the Legion. None of them payed any attention to him, each face pointed straight ahead with a forged discipline and, if Gideon didn't know any better, a thirst for retributive violence. Though his eyes wandered to the faces passing him by, he managed to slip into the entrance with little obstruction. From there, he let memories from his previous visits guide him to Aurelia's quarters.
The interior of Sunhome was in stark contrast to its exterior. An outside observer would note that its walls were smooth and blank, with no adornment save the occasional window or supportive buttress. Once they step inside, however, their senses might be overwhelmed by the labyrinthine design, with staircases and hallways crisscrossing in all directions. Dormitories and armories, cafeterias and cathedrals, all intersected regularly to create a bewildering, indiscernible pattern for the building's layout. Last time Gideon was here, Aurelia told him that the architectural chaos was a strategic choice. In case an enemy somehow penetrated their defenses, the interior structure would ensure that they couldn't find whatever they may be looking for. Gideon remembered laughing at such a seemingly ridiculous idea. Aurelia hadn't liked that, and she had threatened to leave him in the middle of an unmarked corridor instead of guiding him any further. He'd apologized externally, but in his mind the concept had still seemed so bizarre. Now, as he let his instincts take him to his destination, he considered the chaos he experienced outside only minutes before and marveled at the relative order that Sunhome offered.
The journey through the fortress passed Gideon by. Turning through ever-expanding hallways that seemed to have no end, climbing several sets of steep stone steps, passing rooms full of gods know what, he trudged onwards without acknowledging any of it. His mind was currently occupied with something else. It wasn't the carnage he had left behind, nor the reunion that was growing ever nearer. What echoed in his mind were the confusing words of the soldier who'd granted him passage: "Aurelia and the others are in her chambers."
What others was she talking about? It must be other planeswalkers, given her reaction to my responses. But, who would Aurelia be speaking to, in her room, when the biggest battle of her life is raging outside? The Gatewatch couldn't have made it here before me, so who could it be…
Gideon's train of thought abruptly stopped just as his feet did. He was so caught up in his own contemplations that he hadn't realized he'd arrived at Aurelia's room. Before him stood a set of double doors, forged from iron and wide enough for the angel's immense wingspan to clear. The only indicator that this was the correct door was a large painting of the Boros sigil, the illuminated fist of justice split down the middle by the doors. He stood silently for a beat, then gave a few quick knocks on the door.
A commanding voice responded from within the room, one whose harsh yet divine candor Gideon instantly recognized. "Yes, come in."
With the invitation, Gideon pushed open the double doors to Aurelia's quarters. The room he stepped into was enormous, as one would expect for the leader of a guild. The ceiling vaulted high above, and the walls were lined with several strategically placed windows for Aurelia to fly through. Colorful tapestries covered the high walls, beautifully depicting military victories from her commanding predecessors. At the ground level, the room design was split in half between a barrack and a war room. An oversized cot sat at one end of the room, nestled between shelves and cabinets for clothing, armor, and personal weapons. At the opposite end, the walls were lined with massive bookcases filled with all manner of Ravnica lore and transcript. These shelves surrounded a large wooden table whose surface showed a topographical map of Ravnica, one which was currently covered in miniature soldiers. It was around this table that Aurelia, and her guests, had gathered.
He immediately recognized the angelic presence of the Boros commander, stooped over the large table with a look of contemplation scrunching her striking features. Beside her stood two more familiar faces, that of Samut, the young planeswalker who had aided them on Amonkhet, and of Saheeli Rai, who helped in the Gatewatch's mission on Kaladesh. The two women flanked Aurelia, each staring at the same table arrangement with intense scrutiny. There were two other people in the room, but Gideon did not recognize them. One was a short, tan-skinned woman decked out in full silver armor adorned with feathers. She stood by one of the shelves, book in hand. The other individual present was an older woman wearing a fur-lined brown dress with a single pauldron. She was seated in an oversized leather chair, one hand propping up her head as she stared across the room.
As soon as he stepped into the room, all eyes were upon him. Aurelia let out an excited exclamation, which rang like a church bell through the silent room. "Gideon! By Razia's light, I was hoping you would show yourself soon. I expected that you would seek me out once you arrived. Come, join us over here. We have much to discuss." She stood up from her hunched position over the battle map and beckoned him over. He could feel an embarrassed smile start to spread over his face at the fuss she was making, so he offered her a quick nod before crossing the room.
Samut stepped out from the table and extended a hand to Gideon, which he gladly took in his own. "It's good to see you again, Gideon," she said. Her voice was cordial, but Gideon could sense an undercurrent of somberness.
"I wish it could have been under better circumstances," he offered.
Samut cracked a smile, but it was one borne of a tired soul. "That's a nice thought, be we both knew the next time we met would be in circumstances like this." At her own words, Gideon saw Samut's features start to fill with anger. He knew how strong her emotions could run, so he put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to cool her down for the moment.
"Don't worry, Bolas isn't leaving this plane alive. He'll pay for what he did to your home, but not until we figure out how to make it happen."
Samut inhaled deeply, then let it disperse through her nostrils. "Wise as ever, Gideon. Thank you."
"So, I take it this means you don't have a plan?" This statement was punctuated by the slamming shut of a book by the woman in the feathered armor.
Gideon turned, and was met with contentious orange eyes. He didn't shrink away under her scrutiny, and he met her stare with his own resolute one. "No, I don't have a plan, but I came here to help develop one."
Seeing his unflappability, she took a step forward and put an edge into her words. "Are you sure that's you best use? You seem like a capable fighter, seeing as your covered in blood that's not your own. Surely, you're of more use on the battlefield than in here, disturbing our progress."
"You needn't worry about that, Huatli," Saheeli interjected, her serene voice cutting through the tension, "I am more than willing to vouch for Gideon's value in this room. He is one of the best warriors I have met, and his strategic knowledge will be indispensable to us."
"I second that," Samut nodded. "If it wasn't for Gideon and his team, what happened to my home would have been infinitely worse. He's the only reason it hasn't been completely scrubbed from the multiverse by that bastard dragon. He belongs here just as much as any of us, if not more."
These statements seemed to do the trick, and Huatli's combative posturing receded to a stance of mild annoyance. She let out a contemplative sigh and looked past Gideon to the women behind him. "If both of you can vouch for this man, I have no reason to doubt you. You have both proven to be exceptional fighters since we met, so I trust your judgement." Her eyes then shifted, meeting Gideon's with a lessened intensity. "Gideon, was it? I apologize for my initial assumption."
He smiled. "It's alright. This is a dire time, and trust isn't something we can give freely when the enemy is at large."
Huatli nodded in agreement. "Well said. You must understand, we've been working hard to come up with an initial plan of attack, but we haven't gotten very far. We can't really afford to have any more unnecessary individuals taking up space."
"Oh, you can just fuck right off, Huatli!"
Gideon turned to look see the source of the outburst. The woman in the chair was now sitting upright, and the glazed-over look in her eyes that Gideon had observed was now replaced with a primal ferocity.
Saheeli once again stepped up to curtail the rising tension. "Arlinn, there's no need for that kind of language. She didn't mean anything by it."
"Like hell she didn't," Arlinn scoffed, her lips twisting into a snarl. "She's been on my ass ever since I ran into you all. I appreciate the save from those zombies, but I didn't come along with you to be insulted by some cold-blooded lizard lover."
Huatli pushed past Gideon and approached Arlinn's chair. "Then why are you here, she-wolf?" she shot back, glowering down at her. "Surely it wasn't to assist us in military strategy, otherwise you would've helped in some way by now."
Arlinn stood up, pushing the heavy chair away with an intense flourish. Gideon hadn't noticed her height while she was seated, but now Arlinn towered over Huatli. Her lips curled into a fierce snarl, her teeth showing in an animalistic display. "First of all, you'd be wise to step back, youngblood. Second, I have told you that I do not command humans. The extent of my battle experience is from pack hunting, and no sapient beings could pull off the elegant formations of a hunt, no matter how well-trained they may be. But you wouldn't know anything about that, since dinosaurs are too stupid to work together."
Even as Arlinn bared her metaphorical fangs, Huatli did not back down. "If your practices are too advanced for us, then by all means, go back out there and fight. I'm sure this time, without our intervention, your wolves will do more than just break their teeth on those zombies' shells."
Arlinn's nostrils flared, and Gideon saw her fingers splay and curl as if she were brandishing a set of claws. "You should consider yourself lucky that I'm stuck in my human form as long as I'm on this plane. No amount of scales can stop a wolf once it pounces."
"And no amount of cunning can save you from the jaws of a tyrannosaurus."
As the two spoke, their eyes began to glow. It was dim at first when they were merely arguing, but the active threats they slung seemed to stoke the fire in their eyes. The fire of Huatli's orange irises reflected the primordial green of Arlinn's. Their words were growing more guttural, sounding less like humans and more like beasts. Gideon instinctively took a step forward. Though he was unsure how to diffuse the conflict between these two strangers, he was prepared to intervene if they came to blows. Looking across the room, he saw Samut's and Saheeli's faces mirroring the look of indecision he assumed covered his own. Luckily, as the two reached a fever pitch of roaring, Aurelia's voice cut between them.
"Stand down, the both of you!" Her voice reverberated around the room, her angelic magic distorting the words with an otherworldly echo. "This pointless quarreling isn't helping us in any way. There is a war raging just outside these walls, and right now we are far outnumbered and outmatched. You all came here because you're looking to help turn the tide of this battle. I let you in, despite the line of armed soldiers standing guard. When I gave them their orders, I told them that no one would pass their perimeter except for planeswalkers. I told them that all planeswalkers are welcome here to assist in my planning. And I told them that because I know first-hand just how capable planeswalkers are."
She looked over to Gideon as she said this, and he could see her features soften and her eyes project a familiar warmth. Their eyes met, and he returned the kind look as best he could. Aurelia's lips twitched upwards, the closest the disciplined leader of Ravnica's military could come to outward expressions, and she turned back to the group at large.
"Planeswalkers are the strongest beings in the multiverse, and not just in muscle or magic. You've all lived different lives on different planes of existence. Those distinct experiences are what we need if we want to save a place as rich and diverse as Ravnica. You all have a role to play, and just because it isn't clear right now doesn't mean it isn't there. We don't have the luxury of dividing ourselves against this threat. A single Boros soldier may be able to hold their own for a time, but they'll never win a full-scale battle. Their collective effort is what makes the Legion strong. So, shall we reconvene?"
Gideon, Samut, and Saheeli looked anxiously across the room, unsure if Aurelia's words had stirred the bestial adversaries. The air was thick with tension, and neither Huatli nor Arlinn seemed to move a muscle. It was as if time had stopped in the room. Then, after an agonizingly long moment, Huatli took a step back, the light in her eyes fading out.
"She's right, now's a time to stand together. We are not friends, wolf, but for the time being, we are allies."
"Couldn't've said it better myself," Arlinn replied. Her eyes dimmed as she deescalated her power, and her face returned to a neutral countenance. Once she finished her curt response, Arlinn made her way to the table beside Aurelia. Huatli said nothing and joined them.
Gideon heard Saheeli let out a light sigh of relief as the heated atmosphere dissolved, and she and Samut shifted their focus back to the plans. He wanted to enjoy the newfound camaraderie, or whatever their resolution could be called, but he knew that there was still far too much work to be done to get caught up with emotions. Following the group's example, Gideon found a spot around the large table and planted his hands firmly on the map's edges.
"Sorry about all that," Aurelia said to Gideon as he joined them. Her voice was even, but he could tell that it was a front. Though she had just diffused a tense situation, the powder keg inside this room was the least of her worries.
"Don't worry about it. I had to give a similar speech to my own friends earlier today. This is a stressful, frightening time, but we need to push forward. It's in the past, all's well now." Gideon hoped to put this behind them, and Aurelia's nod seemed to confirm her desire for the same thing. "So," he continued, "what have you all figured out before I arrived?"
"Unfortunately, not much," responded Aurelia. "Before you came in, Samut was explaining what she knew about the Eternals. I assume you've tangled with them at this point, right?"
Samut's voice came before Gideon could answer. "He's met them, that is a guarantee. He and his team were with me on Amonkhet when Bolas revealed the Dreadhorde for the first time. We lost then, but we learned enough to help us now. Speaking of which, where is the rest of the Gatewatch?"
Gideon's face turned grim. "We were separated when the Dreadhorde first activated. I don't know where they are right now."
"I hope they're alright," said Saheeli, "we will need them for the fight to come."
They're alright, Gideon thought with unfounded determination. They must be alright. Jace, Chandra, they'd never let themselves be beaten by Bolas' ground troops. If they fall, I don't know what I'll do…
Gideon shut his eyes tightly, trying to purge his brain of these negative thoughts. It took a moment, but soon his mind returned to the issue at hand. He opened his eyes once more, vision coming into focus on the Ravnica map before him.
"Jace and I had made a tentative plan, before we got split up. Half of the Gatewatch was going to inform the guild leaders about the situation. That's why I decided to come here, and it's possible that some of the others are on their way to speak to the rest of the guilds."
"What about the other half?" Samut asked. "What was their part of your plan?"
"The other half of the Gatewatch was going to kill Bolas."
Suddenly, the room seemed to freeze. Visible confusion rippled across the gathered faces as Gideon uttered this unthinkable declaration. There was a beat where no one seemed to know how to respond, but Samut soon found her voice enough to counter Gideon's incredulous statement.
"Are you telling me that you had a way to slay that dragon? That you and a few planeswalkers found a means to kill a god?"
Gideon's brow furrowed at the mention of that word. "First of all, he is no god. It will do us all good to remember that. Bolas is powerful, but he is no god. He is an Elder Dragon, and this blade at my side is the only known weapon to have killed one in the past."
"So," Arlinn interjected, "what was your plan? Just run up to the guy and stab him while his back was turned?"
"There was a bit more to it than that," he replied, "but it doesn't matter now. Though I still have the weapon, we no longer have a good means to subdue Bolas when we confront him. Our original plan was for Jace to invoke his judicial powers as the Living Guildpact, but now…"
"The Guildpact has been broken."
Gideon looked to Aurelia, who had finished his sentence with a somber, if not mournful, tone. He looked to her, and she easily anticipated his question.
"Yes, I felt as soon as the leylines were severed. Most of my power as leader of the Legion is drawn from Ravnica, so I knew as soon as Bolas' portal opened that the Guildpact was no more. I suspect the other guild leaders felt it too, except for maybe the new head of the Orzhov. Her connection to Ravnica is probably too weak. Regardless, it's another power that Bolas has denied us."
"Then why don't we go instead?" inquired Huatli. "I can summon a heliopterus to carry those of us who can't fly over to that damnable fortress of his, and then we can…"
Gideon quickly spoke up, cutting off Huatli's plan. "As much as I want to see that dragon dead, he cannot be our main priority right now. Until we can ensure that Ravnica is safe, we can't go after Bolas. He's too well-defended, so our focus right now should be saving as many Ravnicans as we can."
"And what do you propose?" Aurelia asked pointedly. "I already have Tajic rallying troops on the ground, and Feather is overseeing all movement from the skies. What more do you think we can do?"
"Right now, your troops are only intercepting the parts of the Dreadhorde that have spread throughout the city. By the time any of the Boros soldiers see an Eternal, it and its phalanx has already killed everything in its path. Instead of cutting away at the limbs, we need to remove the head."
"They're coming from Amonkhet," Samut said, "but we can't go there. Huatli already told us all about this Immortal Sun that has us trapped on this plane."
Gideon nodded. "That's true. We can't go to Amonkhet directly, but the Eternals aren't coming here on their own. No planeswalker, not even Bolas, can take other living things with them while they planeswalk."
"Then where are these zombies coming from?" asked Arlinn.
Gideon opened his mouth to answer, but Saheeli, eyes widening with realization, responded before he could. "The Planar Bridge. It can transfer inorganic matter between planes, and the Eternals' shells would let them pass through undeterred. That traitor Tezzeret must be on Amonkhet right now, operating the Bridge and ushering Bolas' army through. It's the only way for those things to be here."
"How can you be so sure?" Aurelia asked.
There was a pause, then Saheeli answered gravely: "Because I'm the one who invented it."
As Saheeli spoke these words, her eyes dropped to the table, unable to meet her compatriots'. Her hands, which had been flat against the tabletop, balled into fists from frustration. The room fell silent, and all eyes in the room landed on her. Everyone could see the pain on her face, the deep-seated hurt that her own creation was being used for such evil. She looked like she might cry from the weight of her guilt, but before she could, Huatli shattered the uneasy quiet.
"Saheeli, if you blame yourself for what they are doing, then you are far more foolish than I ever could have guessed."
Saheeli looked up from the table, meeting Huatli's gaze. "What?"
Arlinn growled, "Huatli, what the fu…" Her verbal attack was cut short by a raised hand and stern look from Aurelia. Arlinn dropped her offensive stance, but her eyes still burned in Huatli's direction. Seeing this, Huatli smirked slightly, then continued speaking to Saheeli:
"When my spark first awakened, I was transported from my home on Ixalan to your home on Kaladesh. I was lost and confused, and I lashed out with my dinosaur companions. But then I met you, Saheeli. You helped to calm me, to make me feel safe in a foreign land. You explained everything and helped me to learn about my new place in the multiverse. And I'll never forget how your eyes lit up when you saw your first tyrannosaurus and claimed immediately that you wanted to build one of your own. You're a good person, Saheeli, and the things you create are simply wondrous. It is not your fault for creating this planar bridge, as I am sure your intentions were noble. Blame this Tezzeret figure for betraying you and stealing your invention. Blame Bolas for commanding him. Blame anyone but yourself. I won't go on believing my dear friend is a fool who can't see truth from fiction, and neither should you."
Gideon hadn't realized, but he had been holding his breath since Huatli began speaking. After her exchange with Arlinn, he hadn't expected such a well-spoken response from her. Now that she seemed to finish, his eyes shot back to Saheeli. He feared what he might see, that Saheeli hadn't understood Huatli's eloquent treatise. He shouldn't have worried, however, as he let out his held breath at the sight of Saheeli's genuine smile.
"Thank you," she said to Huatli, "I certainly needed to hear that. Your title as warrior-poet continues to be well-earned. An inventor's worst fear is that their creation will not be used as they intended. Tezzeret still hasn't paid for what he took from me or how he left my home. If I can't control how he uses my invention, then I will have to make him stop."
"Now that's the spirit!" came an enthusiastic cheer from Arlinn. Despite how aggressive she had been to Huatli not a moment prior, her attitude seemed to be infected by the group's mutual distaste for their enemies.
"So," Saheeli said, turning to Gideon, "where is the Planar Bridge opened?"
He pointed to the spot on the map before him. "Right here, at the office of the Living Guildpact. Well, former office at this point, since the portal leveled the building. We need to bring as many troops as we can to the bridge so we can cut off the influx of Eternals at the source."
"That's not particularly close to here," Aurelia contemplated aloud. "Between organizing the squadrons and interference from the detachments of the Dreadhorde we'd meet along the way, we're talking a several hour delay."
Huatli leaned heavily on the table. "We don't have that kind of time. Samut, I saw you use a kind of acceleration magic on our way here. Could you put it on the soldiers?"
She shook her head, black braids swinging despondently. "Unfortunately, no. I can only maintain the spell on one target at a time. An entire infantry is too much for me."
"Damn," swore Huatli under her breath. "Then how do we get there in time?"
"I know how," Gideon claimed. He leveled his eyes at Aurelia, and he could tell that she already knew what he would say. "We need to deploy the Parhelion II."
"Um, what is that?" inquired Arlinn as she idly scratched behind her ear.
Aurelia readily answered: "A fortress, much like the one we're in right now, except it flies above Ravnica. It acts as a home to the skynights and angels of the Boros, who keep watch over the city from the clouds. Dire times like these are the only time that the Parhelion descends."
"Where is it right now?" asked Gideon.
"It's been on patrol, releasing air support across the city. Based on when I last sent orders to it, it should be somewhere over the Simic Combine."
"Well then," Gideon said as he rose from his leaning position, "we'd better hurry up and catch them."
Aurelia shot him a dubious look. "The Combine is several kilometers out. How do you propose we get there without wasting even more time that could be spent killing Eternals?"
"We have everything that we need to get us to the Parhelion in time right here." Gideon pulled his attention to Huatli, his voice suddenly taking on a tone of heroism. "Huatli, can you summon a flying dinosaur that can carry all six of us?"
Her face contorted with bewilderment. "Indeed, a pterodon would fit all of us on its back and still be able to fly. I must warn you that they are not too much faster than we would be sprinting across the street level."
"I figured as much. Samut," he said, turning to her, "can your speed magic affect any creature?"
Slowly, a wide smile spread across each face in the room, as everyone realized what Gideon's plan was. "Yes," she answered emphatically, "my magic will work on all manner of beast."
Saheeli chimed in: "I can construct saddles for the beast with my filigree."
Gideon joined his allies in smiling, partially from their seeming acceptance of his plan, but mostly at the blossoming teamwork he was beholden to in this moment. "Well," he declared, "we'd better not waste any more time then. Let's find a place to take off."
"Alright, let's go knock some skulls!" Arlinn howled, pumping a fist in the air. She leapt from her spot around the table and started walking for the door.
Huatli smirked at her newfound enthusiasm, but she stayed silent as she also left the table. Saheeli and Samut followed suit, and then finally Gideon and Aurelia. The two old friends walked side by side, trailing behind the other four as they headed out of Aurelia's chambers and began fumbling for the way out of Sunhome.
"It's a good plan," Aurelia said to Gideon as they walked.
He smiled. "Thanks, though I'm sure you would have reached the same conclusion I had. And admit it, you've been looking for an excuse to leave your room and fight out there."
Aurelia nodded, knowing there was no point in hiding her intentions. "You know me too well, Gideon. I'd much rather fight at the head of my Legion, so this planning has been an agonizing exercise in pragmatism. I should be thanking you for giving me the opportunity to fight so soon."
Gideon let out a small chuckle, something he didn't think he'd be doing after this morning. "I'm glad you like it. But, I must ask, do you really think it'll work? Bolas' army won't go down as easy as we think."
He looked to her eyes for an answer, a small token to assuage the gnawing anxiety he held in his chest. Gideon was a trained warrior, but even he was unsure how to proceed in a battle of this scale. He had listened to his gut until now, saving those in need and bringing low those who would harm them. But somewhere deep down, he wasn't sure it was enough. He looked to her eyes, and she looked back at him with eyes that shone with hope.
"I do think it'll work. I trust your judgement, Gideon, and I trust these new allies to carry us through. It's like I said before, planeswalkers are the strongest beings in the multiverse."