TBATE: CAERA | VALKYRIE ASCENSION

Chapter 5: War Preparation & A New Rune

SERIS VITRA'S POV:

As the meeting progressed, Agrona's directives became more focused, and each of us received our orders with the weight of his expectations heavy upon us.

Viessa was the first to be tasked, her assignment as ruthless as it was strategic. Agrona commanded her to corrupt the mana beasts in the continent of Dicathen, turning the very essence of their land against them. The task suited her well; her precision and cruelty would ensure that the beasts would become nothing more than instruments of destruction in our hands.

Melzri was given a responsibility that resonated with the very core of Agrona's ambitions. She was to oversee the training of the anchor who had reincarnated here, Nico. The boy was the key to something far greater, and Melzri's methodical nature would ensure that he was molded into the weapon Agrona envisioned.

Dragoth was assigned the task of infiltrating Dicathen discreetly. His mission was to gather intel, to slip through the cracks of their defenses, and to uncover their vulnerabilities. Agrona also told him to look for the other Anchor, Grey, who was somewhere in Dicathen but not to make contact with him.

Cadell, with his unmatched loyalty and skill, was entrusted with the preparation of our armies. The war Agrona had long planned was on the horizon, and Cadell would ensure that our forces were ready to strike when the time came.

And then there was my assignment-weapon management. I would oversee the development, distribution, and enhancement of the weapons that would be used in the coming conflict. It was a role that required both precision and foresight, qualities I possessed in abundance. In the meantime, Agrona would look for a way to transport the Army from Alacrya to Dicathen.

As I stepped out of the hall, the weight of the meeting lingered in the air like a suffocating fog. The others dispersed quickly, each of us retreating into our own thoughts, already calculating our next moves. There was no room for hesitation in our world; the tasks Agrona had set before us required immediate and unwavering focus.

I made my way through the grand corridors of the Taegrin Caelum, the Tempus Warp waiting to transport me back to my estate. The silence was comforting, a brief respite from the intensity of the meeting. The moment I stepped into the warp, I felt the familiar pull of space shifting around me, the disorienting sensation as fleeting as a heartbeat.

And then, I was home.

The familiar surroundings of my estate greeted me with a quiet stillness. The grandeur of the place, with its meticulously maintained gardens and imposing architecture, brought me a sense of pride.

I let the tension drain from my body, my emotions finally slipping through the cracks of the carefully maintained facade I had worn in Agrona's presence. But beyond the burden of responsibility, there was something else gnawing at the edges of my mind. Agrona's smile, that cunning glint in his eyes as he issued his commands, unsettled me. There was more to this war than he had revealed, layers of plans within plans that even we, his trusted Scythes, might not fully comprehend.

I sank into a chair by the window, staring out at the moonlit landscape. The world outside was calm, unaware of the storm that was about to be unleashed. My thoughts turned to the boy, the reincarnation of King Grey. A child, yet potentially the most significant piece on Agrona's chessboard. What had Sylvia seen in him that made her willing to entrust her legacy to him?

As much as I wanted to push these questions aside, I knew they would haunt me until the truth was revealed. For now, though, there was work to be done. The war was coming, and I had a role to play—whether I liked it or not.

The night stretched on, the weight of my assignment pressing down on me like a relentless tide. I would do what needed to be done, but a part of me couldn't shake the feeling that, in this war, we were all just pawns in a game far more complex than we realized.