Tuwa. I will send a certain number of ores to assist Kishi in her assault on Nairi while the rest focus on the dwarves and, more importantly, the elves.'
'What of the giants? What shall we do about them? Do you want me to track them all down, or just the curious bunch near Mount Quang?' I am not at all surprised by her choice of allies. Hopefully this decision does not come back to haunt us.
'Kill the oafs nearest Alanderas after you extract any relevant information from them. The giants are so divided that they will never unite let alone ally with any other race that might oppose us. Our concern will be the kingdoms of men and dwarves. I believe that the latter will prove more difficult to deal with than the former.'
'After I take care of the curious giants, what then?'
'After you have dealt with the brutes, your good Commander Tenanden will have already taken Alanderas back from Yukio without a single casualty. At that point, I want you to build up a small army from the home guards of Alanderas and Tiranidrol. Supple ment the ranks with the seed of your spider, Razi. Prepare for an attack on the elves; as you move in from the north, the ores will be attacking from the south.' She had a wicked look on her face as she outlined her plans. She had been looking forward to this moment for a long time.
'Will you send any of the beasts to help Queen Kishi?'
'I have already sent her Rolon to be her steed. He will aid her plenty in their battle with the armies of Nairi.'
'So, the wolves will be one of our allies; that is excellent. How will we communicate between the different armies?' He knew that having the most infamous wolf aiding Kishi was more than he could possibly ask for, but if they could not effectively relay messages to one another, they would be finished.
'The ravens will carry the messages between the armies. The bats will relay messages to me, and I will use them to carry instructions to you. They will also act as nighttime spies and saboteurs. I will alter the bats to have poison so potent that even the druids will not be able to heal an infected person.'
'I have only one concern about the plan so far, and it has to do with our non-bestial allies. I do not believe that ores and goblins will be able to uproot the stubborn dwarves. What do we do when that happens?'
'Do not worry about that. I have already garnered the support of the powerful rock trolls. They will supplement the armies of goblins. The ores have grown powerful over the years and are a much greater threat than anyone realizes. I will be able to properly motivate them so that they will be equal to the tasks ahead of them. Their siege weapons and tactics are far superior to anything that the elves, men, or dwarves have. Even the dwarven strongholds will not be able to stand against the might of the ores.'
'Will you fight alongside us? I believe that your presence periodically would bolster our armies' courage and strengthen their resolve.' He wanted to find out exactly how involved Kana was going to be. He felt that if she did not openly participate in their cause that it would be lost. She could not keep her intentions secret forever, and sharing them with those fighting for her would inspire them to greater heights.
'Look to the skies when you begin your siege of the Black Forest. I will be there. I will bring justice down upon the elves for their prolonged piety and shortsighted ways.' She smiled with great satisfaction as she said this. She did not care one bit for the elves, and she would make that clear in a major way when the time was right.
'Then it is settled. I will go and deal with our dim-witted friends while you create an axis of allies for us. Once everything is in place on our end, we will prepare for our attack on the elves. Send us a message when the ores are ready. We will attack simultaneously to catch them off guard.' Aellenas was looking forward to using his powers openly for a change. He would show the elves what using magic was all about.
Kana nodded her agreement and vanished before his eyes. Aellenas stood for a moment longer watching the black clouds swarm the mountainside of Mount Quang. He thought about what he had discussed with the Elemental and felt reassured about the course of action he was taking. Her plan made sense and provided him with several opportunities to use his power the way he had always wanted to. After all, what good was it to have magic and not use it? Those who have the power should use it to gain more and to control those who are weak. That is the nature of the mystical force; it controls those too weak to possess or embrace its true power. He noticed that he had been standing in the open square for much longer than he had intended when he saw Commander Tenanden heading toward the council chambers with a company of captains.
He snapped out of his revelry and started toward the council chambers to meet with his leaders. He could sense a measure of anxiety from the captains as they approached the hall. He would have to dispel their fear and give them enough information so that they would do what was necessary. He would need to explain how Kana was backing them and how she was going to ally them with the ores, rock trolls, and goblins. They would not be thrilled about her choices, but when they understood the big picture, they would welcome the support.
By the time he reached the hall, the captains had already taken their seats, and Commander Tenanden stood at the head of the table awaiting the arrival of Lord Aellenas. When he entered the room, everyone stood up and bowed before their leader. Once Diikker had taken his seat, everyone took theirs and looked intently at the warlock. They did not know what to expect, but they had a hopeful look in their eyes. They knew that he was stronger and more powerful than Queen Kishi, so they were expecting great things from this mystical high elf.
'Captains, I thank you for coming together again so that we can firm up our plans. I have met with Mistress Kana just now, and we have come up with the following plan,' began Aellenas. 'Commander Tenanden will lead a special force of soldiers in three days' time to Alanderas to retake the city. He will experience no resistance because Yukio will empty the city and follow after our queen right before we attack the capital.'
'How do you know this, my lord?' asked one of the captains tentatively.
'I have foreseen it,' he explained as he opened the same map he had shown the commander previously. This time the map showed them all the kingdoms of men, dwarves, and elves. It was clear from the movements on the map that the races of men and dwarves were preparing for war. The elves did not appear to be doing anything. Then one of the captains noticed the giants at the foot of Mount Quang.
'What are the giants doing?' asked another captain. He was shaking slightly with fear at the apparent prospect that the giants would ally themselves with General Yukio.
'You need not worry about them. I have been asked by Kana to deal with them personally. I will make sure that they do not interfere in our affairs,' he said boldly. As he said this, the map changed. It appeared to show future events now instead of the present. A miniature Aellenas was seen wiping out the giants who were near Mount Quang. Queen Kishi was clearly attacking the people of Nairi on what looked like the notorious white wolf, Rolon. A massive number of ores were lining up at the southern end of the Black Forest. The people of Aran and of Landen were sending messengers back and forth. Their armies were organizing and preparing their defenses. The dwarves were doing the same … except for King Edric in the north. His defenses were light, and his people seemed to be unconcerned about what was taking place elsewhere.
The captains sat there speechless as the map continued to morph and change. They were in awe of what they were seeing. Diikker could sense that their fears were subsiding and that they were gaining the necessary confidence to do what would be needed. Then the map changed once more to show an army of high elves and spiders assembling at the foot of Mount Konane. After a time, the ores on the south end of the forest attacked, and then their army attacked from the north. Then the map went black, and the warlock rolled it up slowly and took it in his hands. As he held it firmly in his grip, it vanished.
'Now, dear friends, our guardian leader will join us in our battle with the elves when our army meets the army of ores,' he said coolly. 'Then you will know for sure that you are on the right side. You all know that the Elementals have only taken the side of good throughout the known history of Tuwa. She has offered to join us in our fight as a token of her true intent.' He smiled slightly as he felt the emotions of the captains soar at this news. They would do whatever was necessary now because they knew that they were on the side of the gods.
'Who will be in charge of the guard here in Tiranidrol?' asked Commander Harley.
'Captain Belos, you are now the commander of the home guard ofTiranidrol. You will need to ensure that this city is protected and that the structures are completed by the time we have finished with the elves. You will also need to have the third of the host of Queen Kira return to their home once the Alanderas is retaken,' Diikker instructed firmly.
'Yes, my lord. I will not let you or the people down,' he replied boldly. Belos was a fierce warrior and great leader. He was not someone to be trifled with, and his troops were very loyal to him. He would protect the city and the people better than anyone else. I will prove to Lord Diikker that I am equal to the task and that his faith in me is well placed.
'I will set up a series of special protections around the outer wall. I will also create a magical barrier around
