Sons of Ironstorm: Book 5 - Griffon's War

The Doors of Winterwind

Banik had already established a perimeter by the time the gate closed behind the Ironstorm twins.

<<I put us about ten leagues out of Caer Mar'Adith and the deep water port of Winterwind,>> the broad-shouldered Aquilan Lithosin said as he finished sending his troops to their ready stations with tight gestures. Waving the twins and the Covenant close, he pulled a cloth map from a pouch and, kneeling, spread it across his other knee. He tapped the mark representing the port, set at the mouth of a long, east-facing fjord.

<<The port was one of the first to fall when the Kaal Eran hit the shore just under a moon ago,>> he said before sliding his finger down along the coastline. <<And here was the original Redeemed post that Shiana, Tenne, and I established before that.>> He looked up at Shawn before glancing around at the circle of faces intently looking at the map. <<I'd say it was the universe re-balancing itself allowing the demons to land here when it was their inhabitants that drove us to leave, but that could be a bit presumptuous.>>

<<Just a bit,>> Shawn said even though he silently agreed.

While it was a matter of strategy that pushed the demons into taking the deep water port as their way onto the island continent, it was pretty coincidental that it also served to destroy the Uepoluan kingdoms that had treated the Redeemed presence with such contempt, it bordered on hate.

<<Regardless, the demons should have a strong presence in the area,>> he went on to say, folding his arms. <<Early reports indicated they were using Winterwind as their base of operations.>>

Banik nodded as he stood, rolling the map back up and returning it to his pouch as he did.

<<Which means, if we want to hit their local command structure, this would be the place to do it,>> the big stone elf said.

<<Right.>> Shawn looked over at his sister. <<But first, a little cosmetic work to make sure my sister looks elven.>> A sketched rune and he watched in satisfaction as her eyebrows slanted, her eyes became more almond shaped and touched with suura, and her ears grew points.

<<And you?>> Shiana asked with a frown as she reached up and touched her brows and ears. Only to grin when she saw Shawn had already altered his face to match hers.

<<Hopefully they won't get a close enough look to notice our bone structure doesn't quite match an elf's with our helmets on, but at least we're prepared,>> her brother indicated before looking over at Dezi.

<<Time for your plan, my dove.>>

The dark elf woman flashed him a brilliant smile before looking at the others.

<<The only way this works, my Covenant sisters and Banik, is our use of the Kata and its power-increasing spells.>> She paused to look at the Covenant. <<I know the spell armor isn't as strong as your Wielder armor, and you'll be forced to use magical versions of weapons that were common in the pre-Shadow War era, but it'll serve to support our desire to appear like an elven special operations company sent to relieve beleaguered elements of the Uepoluan people. The spells will also enhance your native strength, speed, endurance and agility far beyond your normal state. This should enable you to fight face to face against most lower types of demons.>>

<<But don't think the enhancements will make you invincible,>> Shawn interjected to add. <<While the ancient elves regularly won against the demons during the first war, they still took casualties. Don't overextend.>>

Then the big Ironstorm, now looking more like a Lithosin elf than anything, took a step back from the circle they had formed around Banik. And, with a nod to Dezi, he quickly and fluidly began to move through the forms that would concentrate his qi. It didn't take long before a visible aura of power had formed around him.