Edge Of Destruction

Chapter 36

Caleb's POV

I walk back into the conference room after taking a week off, I couldn't leave fragile Meredith all alone. For today Mia is babysitting her.

"We need to strike now," I say.
"We don't have the people, the money or the infrastructure," a man hollers.
"I've talked to the other bases, they are going to help us, the royals know everything. It'll only be a matter of time before they strike. We have to go to war!" my voice rises.
"It's too risky," a voice from the back says.
"Would you rather they come back and annihilate us without a fight?" I counter.
"He's right," Jalen defends me.

There is a silence that I've never heard quite this loud before. It's eerie. Like awaiting a death sentence.

"I say we fight," a man shouts.
"Yes and when we fall, we fall together," a second voice howls.
"We will never endure injustice again," the men start to rally up.

"Today gather your soldiers, your weapons and your fleet because come tommorow we will march into battle heroically." I shout at the top of my lungs.
"No mercy for the royals," a man shouts.

Arianna. She could be alive and I have to risk everything to find out.

"Stop! The princess. We have to save her," I say.
"No, she's not worth it," a man shouts.
"She helped us," I counter.
"How do you expect us to inflitrate staight into the royals dungeons? Once they know we are here they will kill her. It would be a suicide missions going in there," a man informs me. I'd like to say he is wrong but he is right - completely right.

I can't put these innocent soldiers at risk for my mistakes. How can I ask them to lay down their lives for my love when their loves will probably want them to return.

"Fine, we won't save the princess," I say. Instantly I adjorned the meeting. I will save her. I will save her tommorow. I'm coming for you my love. I promise I'll give you everything, making up for lost time. I'll treasure you like the diamond you are, you are my oxygen. Even if I go alone, I will save you and if I die tommorow, my dying thoughts will be of you.

"Caleb, I need to talk to you," Jalen shouts down the hall.
"Jalen, I'm not in the mood," I say.
"Listen, I know you love Arianna and you're my best friend. I can read straight through you. You are going to save her tommorow and I'm going to help you." He demands sternly.
"No! I can't let you put yourself at risk for me. We've already lost Troy, I don't want to watch you die," I sigh.
"What about me? Do I want to watch you die? I want to help," Jalen says firmly.
"What if you die?" I say almost inaudible.

"Then I will die with honour, fighting for something that I believe in on my terms. Don't I have the right to die like that," he tells me.
"Ok, tommorow at dawn," I give him a brotherly hug, "when did you grow up? Yesterday you and Arianna were fighting like children," I laugh.

Jalen saunters down the hallway probably to prepare for the bloodbath that is to occur tommorow. I wish some miracle could happen and I could be in a different place, in a different timeline. One where I wouldn't have to go into battle tommorow, to say goodbye to my sister knowing that the last thing she calls family could deminish, where I didn't have to worry about my love and one where I could be free.

All will end tommorow, in burning flames or paradise...