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Enjoy!

Chapter 15: Danger

It was quite a sight for CJ, even after everything she had gone through during the past months.

After being allowed into Auradon, she hadn't seen that much other than the main city, and now she found herself in a whole other kingdom. Whereas the fields surrounding Auradon City had been relatively flat, the kingdom of Corona mostly consisted of steep hills and thick forests. CJ had already spent some time in these hills when she and the villains had used a hidden tower as their hiding spot, but CJ had really only ever seen the forests immediately surrounding the tower at that time. According to what people had told her, Corona had always been one of the most peaceful and prosperous kingdoms, but things were different now.

Soldiers were running around front and back, often carrying heavy loads and yelling at each other. The ground, which supposedly used to be a luscious green field, was now nothing more than a downtrodden, muddy wasteland. This was to be the battlefield.

Actually, the battlefield had already moved numerous times during this day alone. Solomon and his undead army had been advancing from the north for a couple of days now, and the combined forces of Auradon and Corona had not been able to put up much resistance.

So, CJ now found herself on what would soon be the new front line. Soldiers were running around, hastily trying to put up some barriers to at least slow down the enemy forces a little. Solomon and his allies weren't making things easy for them. Every few minutes, a flaming projectile was hurled toward their position from god knows where, and there wasn't anyone to stop those at the moment. This meant that CJ had to be on her guard, even with no enemies in sight, and that there were small fires smoldering all around her.

Most soldiers that weren't working on the defenses were simply lounging about, all with the same solemn expressions on their faces. There was only one tent set up about half a mile behind the front line, and this was where the remaining officials were discussing strategy.

CJ had refused when both Ben and Mal had asked her to take part in this. Sure, she had cleaned herself up a little after having last seen them, but her mind was still racing. All she wanted, all she could think about, was to hurt Solomon. After deciding that going after him alone wasn't the sanest strategy, she had now begrudgingly taken her position behind the front line.

On the one hand, she was sick of waiting, and all the constant anxious activity around her was driving her mad. But, on the other hand, she also wasn't making any rash decisions that could somehow result in a quick and unnecessary death. She had agreed to come and fight, and was actually somewhat grateful that Ben and Mal had helped to get her out of her slump, but all this waiting did nothing to calm her nerves.

There wasn't a second that she wasn't thinking about Archer, and every time she remembered his astonishingly blue eyes she nearly burst into tears. Of course, her years on the isle had taught her never to show that kind of weakness in public, so she kept up a tough façade for all the people around her.

There was a sudden commotion behind her. Looking back, CJ saw all the soldiers in her vicinity take a bow as both Ben and Mal passed them on their way to the frontline. Ben's father, Adam, Archer's old friend Lancelot, and a few other high-ranked officials followed them. CJ did not feel the need to approach them, but also did not feel like purposefully avoiding them.

"Hey, CJ." Ben spoke up as soon as they were within earshot. "How are, ehm… How are things over here?"

CJ only pulled up her eyebrows, believing the miserable situation they found themselves in to speak for itself.

"He means 'how are the preparations coming along'?" Mal rephrased the question.

"Well, look around…" CJ sneered, gesturing at the muddy field and half-finished barricades all around them.

"This will not do…" Adam muttered, examining the defenses. "We need trenches at the very front and elevated positions near the back to put up the best possible resistance."

"We still don't know if Solomon will focus his attention at a single location though. He could leave his army spread out and try to encircle us for all we know." Ben offered up.

"He hasn't really been trying to avoid us thus far." Mal shrugged. "It's like CJ said before, he doesn't care about casualties. He's happy to continue to take us on directly because he knows he'll win. It's just like with Auradon City, he actually 'wants' to take on our strongest forces to supposedly show everyone how invincible he is."

"That arrogance might be his downfall." Adam stated. "In any case, we stand a better chance of beating or at least repelling him with our strongest forces combined instead of scattered about."

"These are our only forces." Mal retorted, sounding a little dismissive. "Which, I guess, would also make them our strongest by default…"

"We fight with what we got. There's nothing to do about that." Ben said as he started walking ahead towards the soldiers setting up barricades.

"Aren't there… Ehm, sorry, but aren't there others? Other kings? Other kingdoms that were supposed to fight with us?" CJ asked, a little hesitantly but also with a hint of an accusatory tone.

Both Ben and Adam stared at her intently, with especially Adam looking agitated.

"We're cut off from them." Ben explained. "The kingdoms of Charmington and Camelot have both mobilized their troops, but they're still miles away with Solomon's army standing between us. It's the sad truth that we can't count on them for now."

"Can we not try to get to them? You know, try to break through Solomon's forces and meet up with them?" CJ suggested.

"That would leave all the people defenseless." Mal replied in a tone as if CJ's idea was the dumbest thing she'd ever heard. "Our number one priority is to try and keep them safe, even if it means having to lay down our lives for it."

That proclamation caused CJ to feel a little conflicted. Sure, she didn't necessarily want any innocents to die, but she was also not jumping at the opportunity to lay down her life for people she had never met and who probably despised her. Mal must have suspected CJ's conflicting feelings, because she stared at her with a bit of a suspicious glare. CJ did not feel the need to clarify to Mal that she had not signed up to die a heroic death. She was here to stay alive until she'd get the chance to chop Solomon's head off. For now, that meant having to deal with Mal, Ben and all of the panicky soldiers around her.

"What about reinforcements from the cities?" Ben asked his father as they walked further along the frontline. "Surely those soldiers will be of more use here than trying to escort civilians?"

"Every soldier that can be missed from that enterprise has been moved here. I can send word to our commanders down south to see if they still have people to…" Adam replied.

"No." Ben immediately interjected him. "I want our frontline at full strength, but not at the expense of the people. Let's just have all reserves moved around the kingdom, with the more experienced fighters all stationed around here."

Adam nodded, and scribbled something down on a small notepad he was holding.

Ben and Adam continued discussing strategies for the coming days, with Lancelot also occasionally pitching in. CJ deliberately held back a little, feeling her already limited patience being tested even further.

"You look like shit." Mal told her, also hanging back a little. "Better than a few days ago, but still like shit."

"I'd say the same thing, but I don't wanna risk the 'queen's' wrath…" CJ muttered in reply, putting deliberate emphasis on the word queen.

Mal glared at her, but otherwise kept quiet. Their relationship had most certainly not improved over the past days, and CJ had the feeling as though the tension between them could boil over at any given moment.

"What? No comment?" CJ inquired. Mal keeping quiet was something she rarely experienced.

"Do I really need to emphasize that you and everyone else have far more pressing matters to be concerned about other than angering me?" Mal retorted.

CJ just shrugged.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Well, word has come from multiple points across the frontline that Solomon has sent small numbers of troops up ahead to test our defenses. Apparently he's got some of his undead riding horses now, so they can move around faster than we had taken into account."

"Peachy." CJ sneered.

"You might be bored now, but that can change any minute." Mal pointed out.

Right as CJ wanted to reply, the soldiers around them suddenly started moving around erratically, as well as yelling and pointing. Looking up, CJ saw a large flaming projectile heading in their direction from high up in the sky, leaving a trail of smoke and embers behind.

"Shit!" CJ exclaimed as she immediately dove for cover. Mal, however, kept standing firm and raised her right arm. After a few seconds, where Mal squinted a little aimed her hand at the oncoming fireball, the projectile exploded mid-air, causing only a few tiny pieces of debris to rain down along the frontline.

"Where did you go?" Mal asked CJ in a teasing tone.

CJ started blushing as she meekly emerged from behind her cover, also throwing Mal a foul glare.

"Mal! Mal! Are you alright?" Ben asked as he ran up to them with both Adam and Lancelot hot on his heels.

"I'm fine." Mal replied, though CJ couldn't help but notice how her forehead was covered in slight perspiration.

"How many is that now?" Adam asked, looking up at the sky.

"Those projectiles have been appearing since dawn, with average intervals of about ten minutes." Lancelot answered.

"Solomon's having a blast, that prick." Mal grunted, shaking her arms out a little.

"Have Merlin or Yen Sid been in touch yet? When will they rejoin our efforts?" Ben inquired.

"Merlin has returned to Camelot to join up with Arthur. After losing Archer, I did not feel like reprieving him of any others that are close to him. Yen Sid is travelling from kingdom to kingdom to further discuss strategies, but I have no doubt that he will be joining us again when the fighting resumes." Adam explained.

"Dad, Lance, can you please try to contact the other rulers again to see if they have any magic users to spare? They are the only ones who can reach us through the use of teleporting and they are of much more use here than anywhere else." Ben urged the others.

"We have already asked them." Lancelot argued. "Ben, they have their own kingdoms to think about. Most acclaimed magic users are also advisors, and the other rulers do not want to part with them during times of strife."

"But they are needed here!" Ben snapped. "Our best shot will be if we're able to push Solomon back from here. To do that, we need all the manpower available to us!"

"We can at least put in another request." Adam argued before Lancelot could reply. "But, Ben, even as king you have no right to demand anyone to travel here, even when we're at war. The journey and the destination are extremely dangerous."

Ben nodded, but did not seem happy.

CJ had only been half-listening, instead picking the dirt from under her fingernails. Just when everyone had again quieted down, did the soldiers around them start to make noise again. They were yelling and pointing at the sky, where another large fireball was flying in their direction.

"Cover!" Ben, Adam and numerous soldiers yelled.

While CJ again ducked behind the nearest cover she could find, Mal and Lancelot stood aside from one another and took their stance. Mal again raised her arm, while Lancelot pointed his staff upwards. The fireball again disintegrated mid-air a few seconds later.

"Good work." Adam complimented them as he got to his feet again.

CJ and Ben also emerged from their hiding spots, with both examining the miniscule pieces of smoldering ash that were now floating down all around them as a result of the exploding fireball.

"Again? So soon?" Ben asked, looking up.

"Maybe he realized this is where we are?" Lancelot offered. "I mean, this is the only place on the frontline right now where magic users are actively holding back those projectiles. He could have accurately guessed that Mal and I are here."

"That could be dangerous." Adam muttered. "Alert the defenses. We may have to deal with one of the enemy's raiding parties at this location."

A few soldiers and one officer that were standing around them had heard the order and hastily scurried off to deliver the order to others.

"Don't we have, like, more cannons or catapults or something?" CJ asked after a few seconds, making everyone look at her. "To return fire, I mean? What? You're telling me you have no other weapons left in all of Auradon?"

"None of it was stationed here." Ben confessed, turning to her. "Our best artillery is stationed either near Camelot or Olympus, so there is no way for us to rely on it now."

CJ really, really wanted to mock Ben and his father for not bringing out the big guns sooner. After all, she had arrived with the other villains in Auradon months ago. It seemed like the Auradonians would have had plenty of time to prepare and fortify their kingdoms more intensely, but they had simply not done so. CJ couldn't help but detect a certain arrogance present amongst Auradonians whenever they spoke of the isle and the people residing there, which was probably why they had held the looming threat of Solomon in such low regard for so long. Still, she held her opinions to herself for now.

"The guard's shift will soon change." Adam stated, checking his watch. "I say we head back to the tent and try to contact some of the other superiors along the frontline."

Ben and Lancelot nodded, while Mal and CJ simply joined up with them without saying a word.

They hadn't even managed to walk ten paces before loud cries were suddenly heard from a little further down the frontline.

"What was that?" Adam asked, when things quieted down again.

More commotion, this time from an even closer distance. Clear sounds of a struggle, as CJ could easily distinguish the ringing of metal on metal, the shouts of human voices and the beating of hoofs.

"A raiding party! It has to be!" Ben snapped as he unsheathed his sword and started running towards the tumult.

"Ben! Stop!" Mal yelled as she immediately gave chase.

Adam and Lancelot followed suit, so CJ didn't really have a choice other than join them as well. She was tired, and a little sore, but could definitely still put up a more than decent fight if push would come to shove. The small group crossed a tree-covered hill, and what they found on the other side wasn't a nice view.

Solomon's latest raiding party couldn't have arrived more than two minutes ago, but they had already done plenty of damage. Most of the few barricades that CJ could see had been lit aflame, and there was fighting going on several yards beyond the frontline. Mal's reports about the undead riding horses now proved to be correct, as CJ could spot at least a dozen of them seated atop skeletal beasts that ran rampant in between Auradon lines.

As CJ and the others hurried down to aid the troops, she couldn't help but notice that these particular adversaries looked different than anything else she had previously fought. All of the figures on horseback were clad in black cloaks that covered their entire bodies and concealed their faces from view. There were still some regular undead, clad in rusty armor and worn-out tunics, but these were fighting on foot.

It were the warriors on horseback that were causing the most trouble by far. As she was running towards them, CJ saw how one threw a lit torch straight at a hastily assembled barricade, which immediately caught flame. She also noticed that none of the horse riders carried the same weapon. There was one armed with a sword, another with an axe, one with a spear and so on.

Auradon soldiers feverishly tried to combat these figures and push them back, but it appeared as though these particular undead were tougher opponents than their skeletal counterparts. No, these figures charged and attacked with malicious intent, opposed to the mindless thrashing of the regular ones.

CJ saw how Auradon soldiers fired arrows, raised their spears and slashed with their swords, but all with little effect. The arrows still did not have much impact, the cloaked figures were apparently very nimble, largely evading the spears, and the swords largely simply bounced off of the bony legs of the horses.

One of the hooded figures, the one wielding the sword, was causing a particular amount of mayhem. They had already descended off their horse and were now hacking and slashing at any Auradon soldier unfortunate enough to get too close. A trail of fallen bodies was already laid out behind the hooded swordsman, but most of them appeared to thankfully still be alive.

There wasn't much proper defensive strategy behind the efforts of the Auradonian forces. There was no commanding officer and no real ranks within the Auradonian lines as far as CJ could discern. More troops were running in from further back, but they needed a better strategy if they wanted to avoid a bloodbath and actually emerge out of this struggle alive.

Ben was the first to reach the struggle, and immediately pushed the oncoming undead back with some strong swings from his sword. Adam joined in as well, rushing into the fray with his sword held high. Lancelot hung back a little, raising his staff and mumbling some spells. CJ saw several undead being flung back dozens of feet, away from the fight, which was obviously because of Lancelot's efforts.

CJ found herself behind Mal, who seemed to hesitate a little. With her recently sustained wounds, it was probably not the smartest idea to run into imminent physical danger yet.

"Just get behind me!" CJ told Mal in a somewhat agitated tone as they reached the scuffle.

Mal nodded, but did not appear to be too content with having to cower behind CJ. All these small altercations stopped mattering when they once again had to fight for their lives.

CJ had been somewhat out of it ever since Archer's death, and it had affected her combat slightly. Nevertheless, her bloodlust and determination meant that she was still an opponent to very much be reckoned with. Her first opponent was a regular undead, who blindly swung a battered club at her head. CJ simply ducked, swung and incapacitated her adversary in simple seconds.

A few more undead came running from every direction beyond the frontline, but thankfully not nearly enough to overwhelm the Auradonian numbers. The struggle felt more like the early stages of the battle of Belle's Harbor than the massacre at Auradon City at this point. The cloaked figures added a new dimension to the combat though.

CJ and Mal had again teamed up, just like in Belle's Harbor, and were busying themselves with dispatching of the regular undead. CJ, as previously mentioned, was troubled by emotional turmoil, whereas Mal had deal with her physical injuries. Every once in a while, CJ noticed how Mal would reach for her side in pain, but they fought on nonetheless.

Once the majority of the regular undead was taken care off, CJ turned to the cloaked figures to see if anyone needed help fighting them. To her surprise, she saw that most of the horsemen had already been brought down and eliminated. Adam had seemingly taken on a hooded figure wielding a flail, and had cut him down single-handedly. Lancelot was still throwing spells left and right, taking out more undead than anyone else on the battlefield and even offering protection to fellow soldiers.

"Ben!" Mal suddenly yelled, and CJ looked up.

Ben was locked in combat with the hooded swordsman, and was slowly being pushed back. The swordsman had his sights set on Lancelot, and Ben was standing in his way. The hooded figure was an exceptional swordsman, possessing speed and accuracy that CJ had until that point believed no undead could ever possess. Was this figure even an undead? In any case, Ben was in trouble and had to try his very best in order to not get killed.

CJ and Mal ran in to help Ben, just as the swordsman managed to trip him and make him fall down on his back. CJ arrived first, blocking the strike that the swordsman aimed for Ben's head, before properly locking up with her new adversary. CJ couldn't see his eyes, with the black hood of his cloak covering his entire face in shadow.

Mal, in the meantime, hurried towards Ben to help him to his feet, before the two of them joined up with CJ. They were now battling the swordsman three on one, but even so the fight was far from over. The hooded figure did not appear to tire out, and kept blocking, dodging and retaliating with apparent ease. CJ started panting from exertion, and she saw Mal and Ben also rapidly lose energy.

After one relatively poorly timed strike from Mal, the hooded figure managed to kick out and hit her straight in the abdomen. Mal fell back, gasping for air, leaving Ben and CJ to deal with the dangerous swordsman.

Not half a minute later, it was CJ who slipped on the muddy terrain, making her an easy target. The swordsman first managed to kick her sword out of her hand, before grabbing her by her upper arm and basically throwing her over 20 feet and causing her to crash down to the ground with a smack that made the air leave her lungs.

Ben was once again forced on the defensive, with the swordsman still aiming to advance towards Lancelot, who had thus far not yet caught wind of their struggle as he looked over different parts of the field of battle. The swordsman started hacking and slashing more earnestly, and Ben started slipping and stumbling on the uneven ground.

CJ wanted to help, but found herself without a sword and with a very painful back. She tried to get back to her feet, but a sudden wave of dizziness caused her to drop back down. With no other option, she started crawling towards her fallen sword. From down on the ground, she saw how Ben was pushed back even more by the swordsman, with Mal looking on equally as hopelessly from a few feet beyond the duel.

"Ben!" Someone yelled again, and CJ saw Adam storm towards his son with his sword raised. Lancelot finally noticed that his allies were in trouble following Adam's cry, and also turned towards them.

Things were finally looking up as father and son began dueling the swordsman together, with Lancelot running in to support them as well. Still, CJ didn't know if the swordsman actually knew fear or pain. None of them had managed to land a substantial hit yet, and CJ grew both frightened and irritated at the fact that the enemy now somehow possessed a fighter that could best both her and her friends in combat.

Ben and his father struck at the swordsman as one, and their adversary was finally shoved back himself. Just as Adam tried to land what was to be a fatal blow, the swordsman jumped back up in retaliation and crashed into both Ben and his father, pushing them off balance. The swordsman kicked at Adam, making him fall onto his back, before turning to Ben.

"No!" Mal screamed as the swordsman raised his blade before a now defenseless Ben.

Before the swordsman could strike, it was Lancelot who intervened. He yelled something, which had to be a spell in a language that CJ didn't understand, and a strong gust of air blasted from the tip of his staff. The swordsman didn't have any time to react, took a direct hit and was flung back, away from Ben.

Coincidentally, the swordsman landed only about two feet away from CJ. She could hear him grunt as he landed roughly on his back, while his sword also flew from his grasp. Fearing for her life, CJ crawled to all fours as she prepared to defend herself from her now equally unarmed opponent.

The hooded figure straightened up, seemingly a little dazed, and his hood slid off his head.

CJ's breath got caught in her throat. It couldn't be… Her eyes must have been betraying her…

It was Archer…

Except, he didn't really look like Archer…

Below his hood, his hair was still as jet-black as ever, although it was far messier than CJ had ever seen it. His skin was a pale, almost grey color, which caused the few bruises and cuts on his cheeks to stand out more than they usually would.

Archer looked up at CJ, not moving to attack her for a few seconds. His eyes… His eyes were no longer blue… They were pitch black, with not an ounce of the friendly sparkle that CJ had gotten so used to present anymore.

"A-Archer…" CJ mumbled, frozen in place. She could not comprehend what was happening. How could Archer be here? She had seen him die! She had seen him fall at the hands of Solomon! While she was still astonished, CJ also grew a little suspicious. Yes, she had seen Archer die! According to all laws of physics, and every sort of magic in the universe, Archer should be dead! Her senses must have been betraying her…

She carefully reached out, her fingers sliding across the muddy ground, and touched one of Archer's hands with her own. His hand was as pale as his face, and it felt cold and lifeless at first. However, CJ could feel something inside of herself actually heat up, as if her heart was pumping pure elation through her body. This was real…

To CJ, it felt as though she and this weirdly pale Archer were staring at each other for hours. In reality, only a few seconds passed before something snapped in this Archer's scarily dark eyes, and a grimace appeared on his face.

He moved to a crouch and raised an arm, with CJ still too dumb-founded to react in any meaningful way. Before Archer could strike, he was again blown off his feet by a spell from Lancelot, who had started running in CJ's direction with Ben and Mal hot on his heels.

"No!" CJ screamed as Archer was flung back, away from her.

"CJ, get away! That is not Archer!" Lancelot yelled, the panic very much apparent in his voice.

CJ could still not look away from Archer, who got to his feet more quickly this time before looking in her direction again. He was the only remaining fighter of the enemy raiding party, with all the other undead having already fallen. He seemed to realize that, as he took a few careful steps away from the frontline.

"No…" CJ mumbled as she started crawling after Archer, stubbornly refusing to take her eyes off of him. She couldn't lose him again… Not again…

Two pairs of hands tightly grabbed a hold of her upper arms and began dragging her back. With her mind still swimming from astonishment, CJ could not really find it in herself to properly resist.

The grey-skinned Archer had meanwhile called one of his skeletal horses to himself and had mounted the animal. He did not look back as he rode off, despite the feverish yells and the few arrows that were fired towards him from all around CJ.

As CJ was slowly helped to her feet, she could not shake off the feelings of confusion, fear and, strangely, joy…

"That was not Archer! Archer is dead!" Ben roared, slamming his hand on the shaky wooden table where all of their maps were displayed.

"You saw what I saw. Don't lie." Lancelot argued, his eyes still wide with shock.

"It had to have been someone else… Something else… There must be another explanation!" Ben went on, raking his hands through his hair.

Following the enemy raid, where a what appeared to be revived Archer had taken up arms against his former friends, Ben had called for an emergency meeting in the commander's tent. Mal was there, of course, along with Evie, Jay, Carlos, CJ, Lonnie, the Righteous Sons, Chad, Adam, and a small host of Auradon officials who mainly stood by and watched.

Mal felt a little sick. Just the thought that Solomon had somehow managed to revive Archer and have him fight against them was just too cruel for words. The others mirrored her feelings. Evie looked pale, and constantly had one hand clasped in front of her mouth. She wore blue, leather gloves, which kept Doug's engagement ring from sight. Jay and Carlos, who had not been present during the raid, both looked solemn and shocked.

"Those hooded figures…" Adam began. "There were a couple, about a dozen I'd wager. We examined the bodies and they were all high-placed officials that we thought had died during the battle of Auradon City. Now, we have seen Solomon use our own casualties against us in previous battles, but this was something different, I think we can all agree on that. These weren't regular undead…"

"They possessed consciousness and tactical awareness as far as I could tell." Lancelot jumped in. "They could ride horses and alter their approach at will, without any need of guidance from Solomon or some other nearby supervising entity."

"So, what does this mean?" Aden questioned. "Can Solomon send his forces even further away from his base camp without having to overlook them?"

"Yes." Lancelot nodded. "But this is a complicated and very taxing spell. I do not think he will start creating these revived soldiers in bulk."

"Wait, so you're telling me that those figures were actual people? Not some zombified doppelgangers? That really was Archer?" Ben asked in a pervasive tone.

Lancelot nodded again. "I believe so. I did a little research, and the Archer we saw fits the description of a dark and dangerous spell. I fear that it was actually him."

Mal gasped a little, while Evie just downright buried her face in her hands out of horror. This news was far more macabre than Mal could have imagined. She looked over at CJ, who was sitting on a chair and staring mindlessly ahead, not moving an inch.

"An undead Archer who can still fight like the living Archer…" Adan mumbled. "That's a gamechanger…"

"He's not an undead." Lancelot stated. "The spell instead describes the subjects as revived."

"So, now we have undead soldiers and revived soldiers…" Jay muttered. "That's just great…"

"B-but, am I understanding you correctly?" Royce spoke up. "These revived, ehm, figures you encountered… They weren't dead?"

This question visibly got everyone's attention, and they all looked at Lancelot.

"Well…" He began, obviously a little uncomfortable. "Technically not… Not completely…"

"Well, what does that mean!?" Royce snapped.

"The spell Solomon used to control these, ehm, people… It cannot be cast on just anyone… The subject has to be in an extremely vulnerable state, both physically and emotionally…" Lancelot began to explain. "The spell would allow him to keep these subjects alive, but only barely, after which they do his bidding…"

"So, Archer is alive!? Are you telling us that!?" Adan asked in an eager tone.

"Don't make me answer that… I cannot know for certain…" Lancelot answered, seemingly conflicted. "This spell has almost never been performed, so knowledge about it is limited."

"But, there's a chance?" Royce inquired.

Lancelot bit his cheek. "I cannot say. Even if Archer is still alive under all that, it will be in a near comatose state. His body and mind will had to have been broken in order for him to have been put under that spell."

"Is there no cure? No counter spell or something?" Alex spoke up, his voice trembling a little.

"I-I would have to do more research." Lancelot replied. "From the top of my head, I cannot think of any measure powerful enough to undo a spell this malicious without killing Archer as well."

"You should convene with Yen Sid and Merlin." Adam suggested. "If there is a way of retrieving Archer, or what is left of him, we need to know."

"I will do my best." Lancelot nodded.

"I, ehm… I have this…" Mal spoke up as she stepped forward. All eyes were on her as she reached into her pocket and grabbed the amulet that CJ had given her the night before the battle of Auradon City.

"Wha- Where did you get that?" Lancelot asked, his eyes wide.

"CJ gave it to me." Mal answered, and everyone looked at the still unresponsive CJ for a moment. "She got it from Solomon. Apparently they had planned to use it on me. She told me it can make people lose their magical abilities."

This statement made everyone visibly more interested, and their eyes switched between Mal and Lancelot.

"Not exactly." Lancelot said as he got closer to examine the amulet. "This amulet is a totem from the Loa, the dark spirits worshipped by Doctor Facilier. If what I have read about it is correct, then it will suppress the magical abilities of anyone who wears it."

"What would happen if we made Archer wear it?" Mal asked a little hesitantly.

"Nothing much, I'm afraid." Lancelot replied, still examining the amulet. "Archer does not possess magic on his own, and the spell that binds him is not his to control."

"And Solomon? Can we not put it on him? Would that break the spell?" Ben interjected.

"I mean, I strongly recommend we try and put the amulet on Solomon. It is by far the easiest and most effective way to restrain his magical abilities." Lancelot clarified.

"But…" Mal began. "But what about Archer?"

Lancelot sighed, turning his gaze downward. "This amulet would, in theory, undo all of Solomon's active spells. Archer would be released from Solomon's grasp, yes, but it would also sever his only connection to our mortal world."

"So, disabling Solomon would kill Archer?" Aden asked.

Lancelot nodded. "That is what I fear. But these are largely uncharted waters as far as magic is concerned. There are so many variables… So many options…"

"Lancelot, calm down." Adam spoke up, placing a hand on Lancelot's shoulder. "I again suggest you discuss things with Merlin and Yen Sid, and relay everything that you know about to them. Then you can come back to us either when you have found a solution or when we need you during the fighting."

Lancelot nodded to Adam before stepping back, allowing others to have the floor. Mal put the amulet back in her pocket, and also waited for others to resume speaking.

"Everyone…" Adam began, placing his hands on the table in front of him. "I know the situation is dire, and that these recent developments have not helped to calm everyone's nerves, but we need all of you to continue to deliver the best possible work if we want to have a chance at winning this fight. As hard as it is, you all need to forget about Archer for a second and focus on the people on our side that need our help now more than ever."

"Yes." Ben interjected, joining his dad at his side. "Solomon will be coming sooner or later, and we don't know precisely where or when. Our remaining scouts from past the frontline have managed to discern that the villains have set up a base camp only a few miles north of here. If they do move out in numbers, we will most likely be able to find out before they can sneak up on us. That is about the only good news. We are still being pushed back, but most of our tactical advisors have suggested to try and take a stand right where we are, as there is no location beyond this point that will offer as many natural defenses in our favor."

"In other words, this is where we make out heroic last stand?" Royce sarcastically opted.

"All we need to do is hold the villains back." Adam countered. "Every day our allies from the north and west come a little closer. If the armies of Charmington, Camelot, Olympus and Northern Wei band together, we can all take out the villains together."

"A large scale battle will also most likely drive the villains' focus away from the civilians. We have had contact with Triton and his ships, and they will approach all of our harbors after the fighting commences to evacuate as many of our people as they can."

"That will still leave a substantial amount, but every little bit helps in this situation." Adam weighed in. "Hopefully we will be able to keep the villains back until our allies come, and the remaining civilians will be safe then anyway."

"Now, as for the battle plans…" Ben began as he pulled up some of the maps. "We will be dividing our forces into ranks, with our melee fighters at the very front. They will be aided by some of our handmade barricades, as well as the established natural barriers. Our ranged artillery has diminished in strength, but we still have some left. Altogether, we will be able to have a somewhat respectable force to combat the villains. You will all be placed in specific…"

"Your highness! Your highness!" A voice yelled from outside the tent.

Ben and Adam immediately straightened up, and every eye was looking at the entrance.

A soldier hastily walked in, panting a little. "Your highness! A messenger…" He stammered.

"From our allies to the north?" Adam inquired, approaching the soldier.

"No, your grace. From the enemy…" The soldier replied.

Mal was astounded, along with everyone else it seemed. Solomon had sent a messenger!? Why would he do that? Solomon had not attempted any sort of communication with them since that meeting on History Island. What did he have to say?

"I'll see them." Ben resolutely stated.

"I'm coming too." Mal immediately added.

Ben looked at her for a second, but nodded. He knew that Mal could not be kept on the sidelines during everything. They left the tent together, with Evie reassuringly squeezing Mal's hand before she reached the exit. The others only looked with some doubt.

"What does Solomon want?" Mal asked Ben in a whisper.

"Not a clue." Ben replied as they followed the soldier to the end of their campsite.

The walk took just over a minute, past soldiers who were distributing weapons and assembling more barricades. As they passed what would eventually become the new frontline, Mal was able to spot Solomon's messenger.

It was Harry Hook.

"What are you doing here!?" Ben asked brusquely as he approached.

"Delivering a message." Harry casually replied.

"You can leave." Ben told the few soldiers that were guarding Harry. The soldiers all nodded before walking off.

"Hello, princess…" Harry said to Mal, even bowing sarcastically.

"Cut the crap, Harry. Say what you gotta say. We don't have time to deal with slimeballs like you." Mal retorted.

"Aye, time does appear to be running out for you, doesn't it?" Harry snickered, looking over at the Auradon camp. "There's barely any space left for you to retreat to…"

"We're not surrendering, if that's what Solomon wanted you to suggest." Ben snapped. "But surely he's not 'that' stupid… So, what does he want?"

"To talk…" Harry sighed, acting like even he thought his message was a waste of time.

"Just like on History Island, you mean? Do you really expect us to fall for that?" Mal scoffed.

"Look, I think it's ridiculous as well… But our esteemed Solomon is willing to agree to a temporary ceasefire so you can all get together for a nice and peaceful discussion…" Harry went on.

Ben and Mal exchanged a quick look. "About what, exactly?" Ben eventually asked.

"Who the hell knows?" Harry shrugged. "Maybe about what color to paint the castle walls once he's done with you… He is the only one who can really answer that question…"

Mal saw how Ben's hands began to tremble. "And where would this supposed meeting take place?" He eventually inquired, struggling to keep his voice level.

"No man's land…" Harry grinned. "Somewhere in between our camps. You can bring whoever you want, and we will bring some people too… I know there is someone you're desperate to meet…"

Mal knew that Harry was talking about Archer, but didn't show any fear or shock on her face.

"And no unwelcome surprises? No backstabbing or hidden agendas?" Ben questioned.

"I can't say anything about the hidden agendas." Harry admitted. "Our great lord keeps those hidden from everyone. I have however been told that you do not have to expect any foul play from our side though… Does that help?"

Ben and Mal again looked at each other for a second. Mal knew that no assurances from either Solomon or Harry could ever be good enough to assure their safety, and subsequently also realized that there was thus no real use to listen to Harry for a second longer.

"Come on, Ben. Let's go…" Mal softly said, pulling on Ben's shoulder.

"What, princess? Are you saying that you're okay with having more of your people die?" Harry sneered.

"Shut your damn mouth!" Mal snapped, and Ben had to actually grab her arm to hold her back.

"We know that Solomon doesn't care about anything, so why should we agree to another hopeless talk?" Ben yelled at Harry.

"Surely, if not for the talking part, you would like a little more time?" Harry shrugged. "We can arrange that…"

Both Ben and Mal froze at that point. More time? More time would allow their allies to reach them… More time could mean that more people could be safely evacuated… More time was exactly what they needed…

"Well…" Harry grinned. "Do we have a deal?"