They had taken back Azul. It had been bloody, and costly, but they had done it. The resistance had stormed the capital of Miras and taken back what was rightfully theirs. As Myra walked through the reclaimed streets, she felt a burst of pride and hope and righteousness. They had won back Azul for her people. This was their rightful home, and the Dragon had fought and fought to take it back for them.
They had lost a dozen elves, which might seem a small number, but was actually devastating. They only had a hundred in total, and each one's ability was unique and invaluable. About three hundred Tarua Teris had spent their blood on the walls, also costly. But worst of all were the hundred valkyries lost, almost all of them some of their best warriors. Those losses were a deep cut. It would be hard to go on without some of their greatest soldiers. It was also bad in terms of hoping to train a new generation. As though as who knew how to prepare warriors died, so did a piece of their future.
The rebels mourned their losses, but they could not stand still. Even now, Myra had dispatched multiple teams throughout Miras to completely secure the country. Groups of valkyries, elves and Tarua Teris would spread across the countryside and free towns, villages and mines still held by small groups of overseers and guardsmen. Meanwhile, reinforcements would head to Topaz, Citrine and Zerena to defend the front cities of Miras from attack. And the group dearest to her heart—the group containing Rose-would march, after the official coronations, to reclaim the Bird of Prey
Mountains and establish them as their new base.The Kallians hadn't taken up in the mountain range-perhaps they had known that the mountains would never have allowed them to squat there-so they expected it would be abandoned. Myra longed to go with them of course and told Rose as much, but she had to stay in Azul and prepare the capital for 'my hero's welcome' as the warrior had said herself. Oh, how far she had come since Myra had walloped her in sparring. How far they had all come.
Whilst the rest of the army expanded and solidified control over Miras, Myra, Nala, Maia and Kestra would remain to prepare Azul for the war ahead. The fortress would be rebuilt and modified with a couple of her own brainchildren. Their people would be recruited. The palace and buildings put back in some order. Myra, Rose and Kestra's coronations handled. They would take back Miras entirely and prepare for war over the next few months. The time waiting would cost them-it would give Medea days to prepare Asriel for attack and maybe to test their border-but Myra and the others had decided it was the better move. They could recruit and train valkyries and ready for Miras as a weapon of war.
And of all people, Myra was desperate for a rest. Time to recuperate. To recover from the losses and scars and exhaustion of taking Zerena and Azul. Of planning four attacks on four different cities. Even if their frantic rebuilding and preparation wouldn't really count as rest, it was still better than all-out warfare. This way she could have Jasper and Kestra by her side. Besides, working to help her people, to defend their walls...that was far better than fighting in the midst of a battlefield.
Goddesses above, if she thought the assassinations, firestorm and siege of Zerena was bad, she had no idea about Azul. The fierce bloodbath on the streets she had loved...the death and destruction all around her...Myra Isidore had fought on the Isthmus in the God-Born War. That had been worse-or at least as bad-as Azul. But still, the blood-soaked streets and chaotic war would haunt her dreams until the day she died. Like the other two wars she had fought still did.
Myra collapsed onto her bed at one in the morning after she had spent the night and morning fighting-had she really assassinated Hadlow only yesterday?—and an afternoon and night planning for more to come. She slept for hours and hours, only waking in between because of the soft touch of her daughter's hand on her cheek.
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Queens & Liars-Sequel to Three Broken Kingdoms (Completed)
Fantasy'She was a blade, forged in the flames that had burned her kingdom.' Book 2 of the Lost Continent Asriel and Miras have fallen. Their legendary armies are gone, their cities burnt to their ground, their people enslaved or murdered. The Empress now r...
