As soon as the Sun set on the green hills, and the skies became orange as the clouds dispersed, dusk was settling in the twilight of day becoming night. Outside the impenetrable walls of Helios, in the dense Alavehijah Forest, was the Zephyrian army waiting for the right moment to strike. Their plan was simple: take Helios and oust the enemy. A chain of whistles began echoing in the dense forestry as three horseback riders approached the well-hidden camps. The three cloaked figures dismounted the horses, handing their reigns over to the groomers. They then weaved through the many tents, saluting the soldiers they passed. Upon reaching the giant tent of the commanding General, they pulled back the flap of the entrance and greeted a young man who looked too young to lead, but his eyes were dark and unreadable. Stoic and silent, he studied the terrain of the enemy, and what was going to become part of the Empire.
Alexander Zara stood over by the stratagem table, placing the wooden markers on the edge of the drawn forest borders as well as the highway points where security was low, lacking the man power to defend against an ambush. They would strike the city in small, covert teams – disabling the alarms set in the watch towers. After the iron wrought gates were lifted, his army would march in and take the head of the enemy. His green eyes were placid and calm, and simply empty as he ran his mind over the plan repeatedly like the war games he often he had to do at the Academy.
Then after the watch towers were taken over, the gates guarding the city would open freely for his army. He heard the familiar footsteps and the quiet chattering that his men and officers were doing, but did not turn to them until his thoughts were fully marked on the maps. Only after placing the markers down, the young man turned over to acknowledge their presence. His dark green eyes were piercing and steady as he motioned them to fully enter the tent. His short black hair mimicked the same military style all the men in the army were required to wear. He wore a loose linen shirt with long sleeves, and his trousers were tan while his boot clad feet were shuffling about, straightening every little discrepancy that caught his eye on the table.
Alex was a tall, elegant man who was more likely to be called beautiful than handsome. His shoulders were broad, and his physique was lean with enough muscle where it mattered. His lips were always straight, never quite fully smiling or frowning. If you had asked his subordinates what they thought of their General, they would say he was intimidating and admirable. If you asked his friends, they would say he was boring, unreadable, as you could never quite know what was going on in his head.
To the sides of Alex were his commanding officers and in front of him were soldiers he placed his trust in.
“Colonel Moore, Sargent Aaren, Sargent Heidrun,” Alex said, nodding at them. He took a seat on a simple wooden stool. His officers were already discussing different matters with them.
“Commander,” said Andrew Moore, a tall, sandy colored older man. The blue eyes of the dragons on his sword hilt glittered in the firelight. A pink, fleshy scar ran down his left eye while his short military cut hair prickled the back of his head. “We have undeniable proof that Helios is supplying the Eade Alliance Forces with weapons and armor. The forges have been inspected and we saw Murrie Morrison exiting one of the forges.”
“It is as my father has said,” Alexander murmured, turning over to his table once more. His long, elegant fingers placed another marker along the perimeters of Helios’ ivory walls. His eyes then turned sharply on his soldiers. “Helios will fall by dawn.”
“Shift rotation is every three hours with a 20-minute stall between the new guards,” said Nikolai Aarden. His easy-going smile was gentle against the firelight as he crossed his arms together. He brushed away dark, sandy strands of hair with gloved hands. He was shorter and had a leaner build with gentle, welcoming eyes. “The East End Watch Tower typically only has one watcher during the graveyard hours. I suggest we take this tower first.”
Alex did not agree or disagree; instead, he turned to Sam Aaren.
“About 1000 soldiers are within the city,” said Sam. He was a couple of years younger than Alexander, but despite his age, Sam was a scout that could not be replaced. His swift feet and quick-thinking made him an asset when his cunning eyes memorized the layout of every outpost. Sam possessed a lanky build and a hook nose. His dark colored eyes were, most of the time, alert and observant. He reported his findings, and briskly said, “Helios has a training camp thirty miles north of the city with a thousand more soldiers, but they will not be ready to mobilize if we strike quick. The North gate is heavily guarded as well as the West gate. Helios has been short on rain for this year, so the aqueducts will be dry enough to move through.”
Alex then turned to Nikolai, and said, “You have secured passage with the Membai people?”
The man in question smiled, nodding. “We have safe passage with them – They will lead us.”
A scornful voice then scoffed, asking, “How do you know they will not betray us, Niko?”
Alex peered over at Yale’s scowling face, and then turned back to Niko’s slightly defiant face that relaxed into a patient smile. Yale Jacek was a man of great intensity whose stare was mostly burning anger, and then there were times when his eyes were full of arrogance. His broad shoulders were squared, and arms were crossed boldly as he questioned Nikolai’s words. Yale led a good life with great prestige and pride as the only son of Senator Sabella Jacek – a prominent figure of Zephyrian politics.
Deemos Elwyn then said flippantly while resting a reassuring, patronizing hand on Yale’s shoulder, “The Archduke is not the most popular man to the poor whom he hides in the ghettos and outskirts in the shanty towns. They are the ones who clean the streets and the sewers, and yet, they are often looked down upon for their line of work. We cannot trust those who are not us, but that is why we can dispose of them if they prove to be useless. Is that not right?”
Deemos was the second son of Vahan Elwyn – the Minister of Commerce – and best friend to Yale. Easy going, cocky, and friendly – he often spoke what he saw as the simplest truths – choosing not to play very many mind games as the thought and action of such things bored him when he could be doing something pleasurable. “C’mon Shirley – you must agree with me,” Deemos said haughtily as he elbowed the reserved woman to the right of him.
Shirley Habren was a woman of few words, and the daughter of a minor noble family. She shot him a deadly glower, adjusting her braid to the right side of her head. Her voice was soft, but commanded great attention as she said, “We should just destroy the front gate and raze the city in flames.”
Alex could not help but furrow his brows at her suggestion. She then shrugged and said, “I do not need to be here for silly deliberations – come and send for me when important decisions actually need to be made. I will be commanding the garrisons come the Third Hour, and until then, I will be resting.”
After the noble woman’s exit, this time it was another young woman reported her findings. Lala Heidrun was a pretty girl with short, dark hair. She then said, “Commander Zara, we are ready to move when you give us the word.”
“And the civilians?” Moore questioned. “Will you grant them time to evacuate?”
“No harm will come to the civilians, there will be no looting and no pillaging. They will soon become brethren of the Zephyrus Empire.” Alexander said serenely. “They will welcome us because their Duke is greedy and risked their great city danger for his greed. We are vanquishing the monsters that plague this land of unrest, and we will spread the wealth of the city to every citizen. We are the great soldiers of the Zephyrus Empire. We must show strength when our common brothers and sisters do not possess the ability to protect their own interests.”
