The Empire of Ytilaer

Chapter Forty-Three - Conflicting Strategies

  Over the next two days, the Noitcif core group almost lived in the small meeting room. Meals were served and cleared, coffee and tea were constantly refilled, and a steward was even tasked with keeping the paper and ink stocked up and sharpening quill pens.

  Each member analyzed this upcoming confrontation with a sober spirit, knowing that Jax would shoot to kill, unlike his father. They each hoped that Jax would keep his word and indeed intended to meet to reach an agreement, but they all knew, deep down, that he was secretly planning treachery instead.

  On the third day, after Fleet read the proposed scenario aloud for the group, there was silence as each one thought it through.

  Finally, Vassil spoke up, "I believe, Your Highness, Lee Rose, and gentlemen; that this plan gives us as much advantage over the enemy that we could hope for, considering their technology puts them so far ahead militarily. No offense, Sir Fleet."

  "None taken."

  "When I play the whole thing out in my imagination, we win!" Engres spoke up.

  Everyone nodded reluctantly.

  "Listen, guys... and sister-in-law," he smiled at Lee Rose, "granted, they've made some changes since I left, but I feel confident we've covered all our bases in neutralizing their technological, military, and even their treachery potential. I say we go with this."

  "Shall we all vote then?" Espen proposed. "It must be unanimous, or we rethink this plan. Answer with 'yea', or 'nay'."

  Espen addressed each in turn around the table, and when all was said and done, everyone had voted 'yea'.

  "OK then," Espen stated after a slow breath. "Engres? Would you do the honors, please, and reply to Jax's email?"

  Engres gave a stiff-armed salute and gathered his paperwork. Fleet, Tarquin, and Royce did the same, and eventually, it was just Espen, Vassil, and Lee Rose left in the meeting room.

  "Estevan?" Lee Rose broke the silence with a gentle voice. "However this goes – smoothly, or not – I just want you to know how proud I am of you."

  Espen smiled at her. "Thank you, Lee Rose."

  Lee Rose squeezed his hand while giving him a sincere look, then rose up from her chair, nodded at Vassil, and retired to her chambers.

  Three days later, Espen, Fleet, and eleven hand-chosen knights departed through the portal to the Base World. Rience was already there, scheduled to begin an interview with a major news network within the hour. Tarquin was being driven in a rental truck and trailer, headed east out of L.A. into the desert by an experienced chauffeur.

  Per Jax's carefully crafted instructions, the two groups were to meet in the air in the open space of the desert to size each other up and ascertain that each group was following protocol: no more than twelve knights or warriors, and no weapons. Espen's group hung in the air astride their flapping griffins, uniscorns, and pegasi, and unisi; while Jax's group hovered in small, individual hovercrafts with a clear dome over each driver; hovercrafts supposedly only used for transportation in Ytilaer, thus housing no weapons. About twenty-five feet separated the leaders of the two groups, each flanked on both sides by a knight or warrior, while the rest formed a loose V shape behind.