The uncomfortable pinch of my suit against my hot, sticky, skin was making me irritable. I wish I could scratch my back, or my leg, or my damn left butt cheek. However, with the suit on, I know it would do no good. The thick, magical-bullet proof, potion soaked and spelled leather, was too tough to try and take care of any itch's I would try to scratch. It also smelled like a wet dog, who had rolled around in a swamp that something died in.
I swallowed back my gag that tried to come forth as I stood in front of the Queen, Bavarthos, and the others here at the meeting with our new allies. We were doing a quick briefing of the area and terrain that we would be entering to reclaim more land from the Erlking. The new strategies that Thietian had been using were working in defending and pushing back the Erlking's forces. For now, we were not sure who Thietian was working for, but the lack of Cass showing up was not helping with my thoughts on the matter.
The sudden appearance of a hand in my peripheral, has me distracted from my thoughts. The withered old hand holds a stick of gum out to me.
"It'll help with the smell." The old queen informs me.
I whisper back, declining her offering, "I'll suffer your majesty. Last time you gave me something to eat, no offense, was not the ideal gift to me."
She harumphs, "It's wintermint ice, nouille. (idiot)*"
She flicks the stick of gum up in the air, vanishing from my sight, only to end up in my mouth. Still wrapped in the wrapper. I grimace and pull the stick from my mouth, listening to the raspy snicker next to me. Rolling my eyes, I unwrap it and stick it back in my mouth, roll up the paper, and haphazardly toss the paper in the air in her direction.
"Oops... Apologies your majesty." I snicker back, seeing the wrapper hanging from her hair. I remove it from her hair, and toss it to the trash basket near the door that's on the other side of me, a satisfied smirk on my face seeing the slight twitch in her cheek at my return of her antics.
"Is there something you'd like to add to the conversation, Sin?" Bavarthos turns and eyes me and his mother with a hard stare, his brows raised at us both. "Or you, your majesty?"
Repressing a grin, I shake my head and Queen Lirael scoffs, "Hurry it up already, the sooner you guys get on the battlefield, the sooner I can breathe through my nose again."
Her response has heads nodding in agreement that are located near anyone in one of our special suits. Bavarthos takes a deep breath, as he closes his eyes and releases it. He turns his attention back to the screen board, going over the battle field and where we will be deploying the units to. I already knew the plans by heart, as well as my soldiers under me, as they were already prepared to go this evening. I had helped set up the plan so I made sure my men were aware of the basics that they needed to know.
We still were not sure of who exactly might still be a mole. The simple fact that we did not know if we could trust Thietian still bothered me to no end. He had been with us this entire time, why would he betray us?
I have been unable to catch him in person to be able to demand I talk to Cass. I know I could trust Cass, if I could just talk to him. I was becoming more anxious of their precarious situation. I've asked the Queen about it, but she just shakes her head refusing to say much more than is already obvious. It didn't help that her sister and Alex would call and ask me or others about Cass, Elena, and little Johnny. It broke my heart every time I heard the tears over the phone, asking me to let them know when I received news.
Tapping my toe in thought, I get nudged by the Queen with her elbow.
"hmm?" I snap out of my thoughts as she nods her head to have me pay attention to what's going on.
In front of us is a map, one I have never seen before. Listening to Bavarthos, he is revealing the citadel that the Erlking resides in on the other side of the portal gates. Showing us the weaker areas of security patrols, the traps for the unsuspecting person who walks where they should not, and the type of guards that would be present there. My face contorts into horror at some of the traps, an acidic, water resistant goop that sticks and dissolves through flesh and bone in minutes, spelled darts that turn whoever is shot into a grotesque, warped, fleshy monster, little creatures they nicknamed Crunchers that burrow into your body and eat you from the inside out, crunching loudly on everything as they do. I'm not the only one who's shuddering at that fearful thought.
Bavarthos stresses to us that if any of these traps are activated, that whoever is hit by these traps, are to be shot in the head and to get away from there as soon as possible. Crunchers eat fast and will go after the next person as soon as they are done, the ones who become a flesh monster will kill whoever is around them, and the acid is horrifyingly painful and poisons the person anyways.
"Why don't we just blow this up to hades? Then the traps are triggered and we have less causalities?" One of the other countries generals asks.
"Do you want to be responsible for the human lives in there that have been made into slaves? That setting off those traps will cause their end? When they've already been at the mercy of the Erlking, which may I remind you, he has none." Bavarthos states.
The general grumbles, "No one wants to be responsible, but considering how many more could be affected by trying to save them? When we don't know how many are even alive in there to begin with?"
It's hard watching Bavarthos in his disguise struggle with this. He can't declare who he is, other than he's been placed in charge by Thietian, even if he's been MIA. I step in and put my two cents in.
"What if you were one of those people enslaved in there? Your child? Cousin? Brother? Best friend? How would you feel that a group of people thought your life wasn't worth it for someone volunteering and being brave enough to try?" I lean forward so I can get a better look at the General.
"Volunteers?" The general scoffs.
I stand up this time, "Yes, everyone under my command is a VOLUNTEER. No one is forced and if they feel that they are unable to carry out a mission, they are not forced to go. Now, enough with the interruptions. We need to keep this place as intact as possible not only to save lives but also so we can access the food supply at the very least for the troops and refugees."
He slams his fist on the table as he stands, "ADDING MORE MOUTHS TO FEED TO THE LIST! My country's people are starving too! There are reports of cannibalism in some areas. CANNIBALISM! People are eating people and you want to save these people for what?! TO SLOWLY STARVE TO DEATH OR BE EATEN IN A REFUGEE CAMP?!"
Silence fills the room as he takes a breath, "I say blow it up, take out the enemy sooner rather than later, so we can truly focus on saving the lives of our people."
I look to Bavarthos who seems to be making a decision in his mind. "You make a fair point, General." He pulls up the schematics of the place and looks it over, marking on the screen specific target areas.
"General, your men may shoot what ever type of explosive launchers they have in their possession at these areas first. Then the rest of the us shall follow through with the rest of plan." He sends copies of the changes to everyone's com device. "Oh and General." Bavarthos starts gathering his stuff up, "You may tell the people afterwards when the blown up, broken bodies of their loved ones are brought home , that at least they didn't starve to death."
He leaves the room and I'm quick to follow. "B... Are you really going to let that guy blow up part of that building and set off all those traps?! Those creatures will swarm whoever is close to them when they're released!"
Bavarthos turns to me, a hard look in his eyes, "I know. Now, I've got to go talk to the Hurondorians, the crunchers are native to their planet, so we can figure out what's going on with capturing the things natural predators."
"B!" I go to reach for him as he turns and goes to leave, but he pulls himself out of reach.
"DAMN IT SIN! I know okay! I'm doing my best here! This interacting with other countries was not part of my plan, I'm not good at playing the ass kissing dignitary that Thietian is! Let him get his men and more killed! Less mouths to worry about!" He growls. "I have things to do within the next four hours before we put things in motion, so please excuse me."
He takes off down the hall farther, dark wisps of smoke curling around his shoulders as he leaves.