"So this is what we're facing. With the scouting mission last night and the thorough examination of the maps of the area by Sir Siegfried, Sir Blake and I, we have our route and plan in place. Any questions?" Talib stood in front of the thirteen others from the strategizing session the day before, along with two dozen more leaders from various squads for the assault or warriors from Sayen's tribe. Talib stood at the head of a long table that sat the others in the room. They were in a new chamber, off of a grand hall deep within the castle and far more prominent than their first conference room; they needed the space to accommodate the increased numbers, and their first conference room was too small. It was early in the morning following the arrival of Siegfried, Boris, and Blake, and this specific meeting was to finalize their plan of attack when the assault came. Talib had just finished detailing their overall strategy and the route they would take to reach the enemy base.
"Sir, if I may?" A young squad leader stood at his place at the table, waiting for approval to speak. Talib silently nodded and motioned for the young angel to speak; they quickly nodded in response before continuing. "Um, I was just wondering as to why we are going in such a roundabout way to reach the enemies base. You have us literally going in circles, going from flying above the treetops to diving below the tree line. Wouldn't a straight line be more efficient? This route takes nearly an hour, whereas a straight shot there wouldn't take more than ten minutes. Don't we want to make this a quick and quiet operation; then why this route?"
"As I mentioned before, Sir Siegfried, Sir Blake, and I had gone over the map. We were looking for anything that could be a hiding spot, outpost, a patrol route, lookout, or any other form of defence that may lie between us and the enemy's base. Sir Blake looked at it from the perspective of a strategist and general, someone who would need to protect a base. I looked at it from a logical standpoint; what would make the most sense in defending a base or outpost. Sir Siegfried looked at it with the eyes of a hunter; unnoticed places, hidden holes, and other places of hiding that could be used and those that should be avoided. Our long route is so that we have the element of surprise when we attack. We will be avoiding any and all possible areas in the forest that the enemy may be watching. Anything else?" Talib looked to the young man with a raised eyebrow; the young man sank back into his seat, slightly redder than before. "If there aren't any more questions, then you're all excused; take this time to rest up, feed yourself, make your final preparations to your equipment, and steel yourselves. We move tomorrow at dawn." After he finished, Talib joined the rest of the room in moving out, all moving in different directions to prepare for the next day. Talib stopped for a moment when he noticed a few oddities; Boris and Lilly Goebel were walking together toward the mess hall, Siegfried and the remaining captains were heading toward the training yard, and Sayen and Shikoba were moving toward a side room off the main hall. Though the last pairing wasn't that strange, the rest made him think, and a smile crept onto his face as he watched them go.
#
Boris sat across from Lilly as he placed his food tray on the table. They sat in a mess hall on the edge of a training yard. The repurposed barracks served as a fine mess hall for the soldiers. The two had decided to get breakfast together after the morning meeting, though it was really all Lilly's idea. The pair sat far from any of the others that were eating in the hall at the time, something Boris found odd as it seemed that the others in the room were avoiding them. They talked for a while, mostly about their experiences in the military, much to Lilly's dismay. "So, what did you really want to talk about, captain? I seem to be boring you with talk of my service in the military, so let us get to the point, yes?" Lilly sat up with a start with the questions. "You wished to speak to me privately about something, perhaps?" After a few moments of silence, a look of realization appeared on Lilly's face, and she let out a soft giggle.
YOU ARE READING
Bodanen: Cobalt War
FantasyThe world of Bodanen has known war for forty-five years, but outside the capital of An-ox in a small trading town, a less than average farmer has grown up relatively peacefully. When the war comes to his home, he finds his aptitude for violence to b...
