A Second Tyranny

Ready or Not

WHIT

We stood in a medium-sized courtyard by an enormous sculpture of a winged horse made out of highly polished plates of stainless steel.

I ran a hand through my untidy brown hair, something I did every time when I was thinking hard, and said, "Wisty and I counted the numbers yesterday after Janine made the battle announcement in the square. We've got seven thousand magicians in total, excluding us and those in the council."

"It was way more than I expected," said Wisty to Anna and Elsa. "I can't believe so many people agreed to fight for you!"

"Only because you encouraged them," said Anna.

"The majority of our army consists of teenagers aged sixteen and above," Wisty informed. "There are adults in it too, but very few."

"How come?" inquired Elsa.

Wisty shrugged. "Well, for some reason the younger ones have always been stronger and much more adept at using their magical ability, which makes them a lot more useful in this case than their parents."

"The only known powerful adult in this City was The One," I told them.

Anna's forehead was creased into an interesting frown. "Right," she said.

"Elsa, how large is Hans's army?" I asked.

Elsa answered, "Judging by what I saw of them that night: about eight thousand strong. "Don't worry," she hurried on at the downhearted look on my face, "Numbers isn't the key to winning a battle. Strategy is."

Anna clapped her hands cheerfully. "Let's decide on what kind of armour each of us will be using, shall we?" She was feeling so giddy about all of this that she was standing on the balls of her feet. "Byron and Emmet, you two would do well with a war hammer and a shield."

They looked at each other, and then nodded in agreement.

"Ross, a great axe would suit you."

"You've just read my mind," beamed Ross. "I've always dreamed of holding one someday. Used to play with toy versions of them all the time when I was little."

"Except this time, you're gonna use it rather than hold it," smiled Anna. She turned away and said, "Whit."

"Hmm...?" I snapped my full attentiveness to her.

"A handsome guy like you, you'd look very fitting with a shield and a sword." She gave me a friendly wink. My cheeks heated up at her casual address of me as a 'handsome guy,' but she quickly whipped around to face Pearce and did not notice. "And you as well, Pearce."

Pearce inclined his head at her ceremoniously.

Anna bounced close up in front of him and said, "When we were in the Shadowland, you told me that you wanted me to teach you sword fighting. Now you'll get your wish."

Pearce smiled his charming smile.

"What about us?" Wisty motioned to herself and Janine.

"I'm just getting to that. I suppose..." Anna put her thumb and forefinger beneath her chin in thought, and then finished, "...that a bow and a quiver of arrows for each of you would be brilliant."

"Seven thousand people in total..." Elsa repeated, scowling at the ground and pacing about. I could tell that the wheels in her head were spinning madly. Then she divulged, "We will split them into two separate specialities. Six thousand of them will be swordsmen, and the remaining one thousand will be archers." She looked up at us, "Everyone OK with that so far?"