Minx shot through the crowd, running at full-tilt, and finally arrived at the front steps of the command center. Two of the Fae guards, armed with longswords, took notice of her as she began hiking up toward the entrance, and wasted no time in opening the doors for her—a small gesture of respect for one of the Royal Fae line.
Kaleb and Mau had fallen behind, and so decided to stay put, having a seat near the smooth stone steps of the command center. “May as well let her spend a bit of time with her old man, eh?” He pet the Faelyr and stretched, crossing his legs.
Mau, thankful for the opportunity to rest her paws, didn't protest and settled down beside him.
Within the command center, which was buzzing with armed guards, Minx found the doors of the meeting chamber locked and maintained by two additional swordsmen. “Let me in,” she ordered, pointing at the door as she hastily approached. “I have news for members of the Council—for my father, if he's in.”
The guards complied without a word, unlocking the imposing door of the chamber and dragging it open. Within, three members of the Council—her father among them—stood from their seats to appraise the newcomer.
“M-Minx?” Her father stepped away from the large circular table cluttered with documents and maps, eyes nearly leaping from their sockets. He looked threadbare, with disheveled hair and bags beneath his eyes. It was clear with a glance that he'd been burning the candle at both ends.
Dropping all pretense, Minx flew to her father, wrapping him in a tight embrace. “Father, I've missed you! So much has happened... I thought we would be too late, that the territory would be overrun by now. Have we made it in time?”
Her father studied her ruddy face and windblown hair with paternal admiration and invited her to sit. The two of them took seats and the other Council members excused themselves temporarily, giving father and daughter privacy. “Things have changed since you set out, Minx,” he began with a great sigh. The preceding days had robbed his face of all warmth and color; though he'd been managing things from within the comfort of Fae territory, it was clear that he, too, had faced many struggles. “Days ago, we sent a handful of men as infiltrators. They paid off some of Valry's lackeys and learned more about the army's plans and movements. The situation is graver than we could have expected, however...” He sat up, patting the back of her hand. “The dragon's hide... did you manage to procure one, Minx?”
At this, her heart fluttered with shame. She could not bring herself to respond audibly, but simply shook her head. In her years, she had seldom disappointed her parents in anything, and to admit, during this terrible situation, that she'd failed to come through for her people left her devastated.
“I see...” His posture faltered and he settled against the back of his chair. “I see...”
“I have another plan, though,” she began, eager to rouse his spirits.
“I'd like to hear it, of course, but the fact remains that our situation is very poor at this moment. We've received word of a new enemy, Torrent, who has joined with Valry's forces. I'm afraid the coming battle has only increased in difficulty; compared to that Wuff vixen, we are now facing a truly monstrous foe.”
“T-Torrent?” she stammered. A chill ran through her as she recalled how easily the fiend had dispatched both her and Kaleb. “What's he have to do with this?”
“That's what we're trying to determine,” continued her father. “He appears to be closely collaborating with the Wuffs. Our informants tell us that his aims include certain individuals—those of Fae and dragon ancestry. He has need of them, and is supporting the Wuffs in exchange for their service. It is likely for this reason that Valry and her forces have been delayed in arriving. Their collaborations with Torrent promise of a much stronger threat than any we'd previously imagined.”
Minx's blood ran cold. “Half-Fae... half-dragon?” She tensed. He came for Alla, and he's looking for more innocent victims like her. What could he possibly want with them?
“We don't know precisely when this dark army will march on our territory, but we're running out of time...” He cleared his throat and smoothed out his tunic, leaning forward. “Now, if not a dragon's hide, then what is this plan of yours, Minx? Where have you been during all of this?”
She hardly had time to describe everything she'd been up to; from her meeting with Kaleb, to their slow progress back to Pandling Grounds, there would simply be too much to cover. Instead, she gave him as brief a summary as she could. “I've made a powerful friend—a dragon. He believes he'll be able to convince allies of his, the dragons of the Talon Range guard, to fight alongside us. Together, the dragons and Fae should be able to repel the threat.”
Her father's expression clouded over at this. He furrowed his brow, falling deep into thought. “Minx... our peoples... they have not been on the friendliest of terms, you understand. I doubt that these dragons would be willing to risk themselves to aid us.”
Minx stood up. “I don't think they'll do it for free, but they're the only chance we have at this point, father. Please, let me try and see this through. My friend, Kaleb, is outside. He'll take us to Talon Range
