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Ephlas looked around, then tasted the desert air. He got a lot of sandy lunch, but that was unimportant. (It is always windy and sandy in the desert, even in calm durations.)

"We should... head southeast," Ephlas stated. "Once we're alone, I'll tell you more. Unless you would rather find Raedou? He's heading west."

Ephlas was already heading towards the closest 'beetle.' Apparently, he had no problems with that means of travel. The journey would not be without peril, in any case.

Also, Raedou's trip, without any threat from the Horde, or just giant Sand Wyrms, would be unrealistic and totally intolerable by this writer.

~

Bael walked further into the room. Dela wasn't particularly... furnished, in any sense of wealth, but they were very practical. No enemies would be successfully attacking them with any ease.

"We need to attack. Even in the tumult of civil war, Favraes' capital will be able to withstand any assault we could muster. Especially if the enemy joins."

Indeed, now that their forces were going to be divided in any type of attack, and that they didn't possess the means to defend all of their citizens, they had no choice but to press on.

"We need to attack other cities. Raujad, Maulein, Buforta, and Teteka. They have been the most harmed by the civil war - and three of the four support the capital. Raujad is the pentacle of the Rebellion's resistance."

Bael strode over and opened a more detailed map of Favraes. It contained limited knowledge of the other cities' rough locations.



Bael decided to give His Majesty a moment to absorb all of this.

((Well, I scored a 73% on the Cell exam, a 90% on the term final, and a surefire at least 90% on the Light-Dependant-Reactions Exam. I currently have a 28% in biology, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.))

((so where should i jump in?))

((I feel like crap... but on the bright side, it's the weekend. biggrin

[ rofl I'm repeating an exact post that I placed in another RP xd ]

I think I'm going to buy a game tomorrow. An' have a haircut, too. I'm thinking Mirror's Edge. Any suggestions?))

Aria and Vinn skidded along the concrete outside the wall.

"Now what?"

---

Valthere looked up at Dakon, "Ah! just in time... I've caught two intruders..."

---

Clem rushed to a large beetle with a blue sheen. He clambered up into a natural saddle and took ahold of the crimson reigns. "tug the direction you want to go... like a horse, but careful, these don't go different speeds..."

---

Hashmal looked at the oncoming skiff, "That's not Horde... Horde would be a rising mound... not a sand cloud..."

---

Malakai nodded, "We should attack the second strongest, then the weakest. We won't be able to take the strongest without fortifying our forces and securing our ground. They'll also expect an assault on the strongest point, since we'll have less troops over time as we garrison them in captured cities... If we attack the second strongest, they'll be caught off guard, as the weakest is too obvious, as is the strongest. Then we take the weakest, since we took a stronger one first, they'll think we're working on tougher points first. After that, we'll have enough ground to make a decent offense to a counter."

Bael examined the map once more, this time with a critical eye.

"Aujad is arguably the most fortified. Maulein should be our target, then. We'll march between Faras and Aujad - take Maulein. Buforta is definitely the weakest. And Teteka is near Eopia, so Favraes might plead reinforcements. If they do... we're finished.

"If we can take those two," Bael continued, "Aujad will not matter. But that is a long time in the future - other cities will not be so susceptible to attack as Dela was. They might expect us to challenge Teteka, as well, it being much closer and easier to reach than Buforta."

Bael studied the map for a time longer, then nodded. "The armies of Favraes will, no doubt, attempt to lay waste to our men. We are in a precarious position, Your Majesty. If things turn out... less than ideally, perhaps we should leave Dela with minimal soldiers, and many of the civilians. They would be captured without bloodshed, and the bulk of our trained forces would be able to attempt to take another city - trading one for the other. We wouldn't be the ones providing for our citizens - whom we could free later, once we've established a mightier foothold. Assuming-" Bael reiterated, "-that we have no other choice."

It was a risky proposition - there were many things that could go wrong with it. But they were driven out of their home, into unfamiliar territory - in the midst of a civil war - and could not expect any sort of welcome.

There was also the possibility of placing up pretensions of siding with one group or another - most likely the rebels, if that were even done, since Dela had been the Duke's city at the time.

But siding with either faction was in all likelihood, never going to happen.
~

Ephlas chuckled as he approached the giant beetle. "Why are you telling me?" he asked humorously, "I don't think either of us would want me to try directing this creature."

Ephlas eventually figured out how to mount the creature, and then only a look at the sun would tell them in which direction they needed to head.

Helena leaned against the table, looking at maps and scrolls.

"You can't help save this country in that attitude. Remorse later, but right now, we must attempt to salvage our homeland. If they take any more cities... we just can't allow it to go that far. They're too numerous to attack, but assuming they won't just stay there - we have two options."

Helena straightened, stretched her back, and sighed.

"It isn't a matter of if," she continued, "but when they'll divide their forces. All of Baelta can't possibly fit into one defended city. They'll have an invasion force, and they'll leave behind civilians. We could take back Dela... while they take another one of our cities. Provided they can, but still... they obviously know what they're doing."

There was one hope... before the king had passed away, he had commanded two special military factions, one for himself and one for his queen.

The king's 'faction,' so to speak, was the Favraen Knights. Specially trained, unmatched warriors of swordplay and chivalry. Helena's rebellion force was led by herself and what remained of the Knights. Not many, to be sure.

The queen's 'faction,' so to speak, had been the Augre. The Augre were covert operators, spies and information gatherers - they had been the Royal Spies.

The Augre had been destroyed in the civil war - some killed, most disbanded. Things became especially lax after the queen died, many years before the king. A few Augre might still exist, but they were in hiding.

So was the Royal Bishop, come to think of it. Any left might reside with him, wherever he may be.

"...Do we have any inclination as to where the Grand Bishop is, Your Grace? Or, perhaps, any remaining Augure?"

((Remember that Elmire is an antagonist, even if he's helping Helena for his own sake at the moment.))

"...I thought you were with them" Valthere replied, confused.

---

"I see. Well, I don't want to city hop... that won't give us a decent position... Dela is something we want to keep... I've already set forges churning for making new cannons for the battlements here, so we'll just need a regular staff. See if you can recruit some mindbreakers form the populace and give them some training... I know it's a bit hasty, but we don't have much choice. We're going to rely on our cannon firepower for the next attack, and most of our army made it unscathed... The wounded aren't so badly injured, so we can put them up to guard here as a militia... The war engineers reported no losses, which is good, but the mindbreakers are a tad scarce... we need more to balance the odds, Bael. We should avoid Eopian reinforcement for the enemy, but..." Malakai looked down at the map, "I'd like a messenger sent to the Academy... they exist for everyone's benefit, as I'm told... I want to send a commission for research into black powder... possibly some way to give soldiers more firepower without dragging cannons about... be they handheld explosives or new weaponry, I don't care... just something to give us an advantage!"

---

Clem shrugged, "sorry, I didn't think you knew how to ride a sand Beetle..."