Fugitive of Death

5

 "Byssia has camps here, here, and here," the Captain said, adding orange markers to the map all along the northern side of the border. "The nearest Lysidorian settlement is Hilus on the western coast." He put a blue marker down on the edge of Lysidora. "The objective is to keep Hilus from falling."

He folded his arms over his wide chest, the fabric stretching taut. "So far, all Byssian attacks have been by land. We've yet to see a naval attack due to Aveluna's trade routes in the Minean Sea. And, because Byssia's navy is weak."

Weak was an understatement. The Grand Chancellor didn't invest much into ships outside trading vessels. Instead, Byssia's formal combat training was funneled into military police, who no doubt were too busy terrorizing commoners to aid in the war.

"If the Grand Chancellor intends to gain footing in this war, Hilus needs to fall. As a port town, Hilus is responsible for delivering supplies to our border villages. Without them, Lysidora loses its first line of defense."

The other cadets shifted uncomfortably at the thought.

Captain Yaseer was undeterred. "Since the initial Battle of Attika, we have set up several trenches along the border for added support." He set green markers along the border between Byssia and Lysidora. "My question for you all is simple: if you were Grand Chancellor Nazir, how would you take Hilus? What tactics would you employ to take the city?"

Silence.

Xander's pale eyes scanned over his audience as each cadet dropped their gaze to the ground or started fidgeting with their armor.

"You all paid your dues to be here," he said. "Surely one of you has an original thought in your head."

I raised my hand.

The Captain glared. "Yes, Bitty?"

Every head in the amphitheater turned to me, some suppressing laughs while others only frowned.

"Is this a trick question?" I asked.

Xander's eyebrows lowered. "I beg your pardon?"

"Byssia doesn't use military tactics unless you count taking a city by storm," I said. "Their approach is to use their numbers to swarm and overwhelm legions. With no formal training, their soldiers don't really have any other approach."

No one spoke.

I watched the Captain set his jaw. "That's not the intel we've received from the front lines."

"Well, maybe your intel is wrong."

"Are you implying that our generals are lying to us?" His words were laced with an unspoken threat. I was embarrassing him in front of dozens of future soldiers.

I shrugged. "I grew up in Hilus. I'm just telling you what I saw."

A cold smile formed on his lips, one that might have been handsome had he not been such a condescending prick. "Precisely. You are a cadet, nothing more. Thank you for your input, Bitty."

I tossed a mocking smile back at him and rolled my eyes. He had no idea what I knew.

He turned his attention back to the other cadets, regaining his composure. "The correct answer here is that Byssia will turn what we know against us. They're going to employ the element of surprise to take Hilus by sea when we least expect it. Which is why we must shore up our defenses on the coast before they attack."

I resisted the urge to shake my head. My father would do anything but use his precious trading ships for anything other than ferrying gold and precious jewels from overseas. Lysidora was going to ship half their forces out by sea only to have the city sacked by land.