The war room that had once been Ficklewood's town hall buzzed with activity. Maps of the region lay unfurled across a massive oak table, marked with red and black tokens denoting friendly and enemy forces. Wood smoke still lingered from the recent battle, mingling with the earthy aroma of damp leather and the sweat of those unfortunate soldiers who had yet to get their turn in the showers.

  Having experienced this situation several times, Leonard could admit that Ficklewood was beautiful, and its buildings showed a surprising dedication to local art. He'd have to remember to encourage the citizens to keep at it.

  He didn't doubt that Damien was carefully monitoring the cultural development of the conquered territories to achieve maximum social cohesion, but that didn't mean everything had to be manufactured. Organically developed art was refreshing to see.

  Sitting at the head of the table, Leonard took in new information as it was presented but kept silent, not feeling the need to micromanage everything. He had people for that.

  Amelia casually leaned forward at his left side, her dark robes letting just enough show to accentuate her figure and lead all eyes to her. She held an air of calculated detachment, though her piercing gaze betrayed that she was deep in thought. It was half natural and half performance, but Leonard wondered how conscious his friend was of it after so long.

  Opposite her was Neer, occupying a place of honor after defeating the enemy general in a duel. She still displayed the signs of her victory but had chosen to forgo healing for now. Leonard could feel her faith in him growing stronger than ever and knew it wouldn’t be long before she could rank up. He was curious to see what his influence would lead to.

  Across from her sat David Longs, whose hair was disheveled but whose posture was impeccable. He had proven his loyalty once but had yet to find glory again. Leonard had granted him a seat because he could feel his desire to be useful. Though the path ahead was mostly planned out, he decided it'd be best to have someone who hadn't been part of its inception look it over to spot any weak points. It also helped that David had worked hard to earn the trust of his men and was now one of the most beloved commanders in the army.

  "The advanced corps reports significant gains," David began. "They've several bands of injured soldiers, along with their camp followers. Most seem to have been abandoned during the retreat, but we're pretty sure some are just deserters. They're universally frightened, hungry, and disorganized. It makes me think Pollus left them behind to slow us down further."

  Leonard's lips pressed into a thin line. "And what of their potential usefulness? Are they worth integrating, or will they cause more trouble than they're worth?” He didn’t like thinking this way, but time was a valuable currency at the moment.

  David folded his arms. "The suspected dissidents are a mixed bag. Some are loyalists who couldn't match the pace of retreat and probably realized they would be left behind as spoilers and took matters into their own hands. I ensured they'd be kept separately, but others are civilians forced into service with the bare minimum of training. As for the wounded soldiers and their followers…" He hesitated. "Pepperhof genuinely broke many. I doubt they want to oppose us, but they could slow us down or compromise morale."

  Amelia took the moment of silence to interject. "The wounded soldiers should be interrogated. I doubt they'd have information we don't, but often, nobles let things slip around their subordinates that spies pay in blood to learn. The willing can be absorbed and put through the training process, and the rest should be neutralized. As for the camp followers, they could also provide useful information. People talk when they're desperate."

  Neer grunted her agreement, her tusks glinting as she nodded. "But keep the soldiers in chains for now. Loyalty forged through fear can break as quickly as it's made, and I wouldn't put it past the count to have put several infiltrators among them. Actually, all the groups could have infiltrators. I retract my agreement."

  Amused, Leonard watched as the three squabbled over the benefits of integrating some people, as indicated by their doctrine, and the risks of having some saboteurs among their numbers. It was a real problem, but it wouldn't matter for the coming campaign, as he had no intention of spending months whittling down Hassel's wards.

  "Even if we put the men through the training to integrate them, they won't be ready to join us before we have completed our takeover of the Duchy," Leonard finally interjected, putting the matter to rest. "Now, what can you tell me about Volten? The last I heard, Gareth was victorious, but I don't want to turn back to eradicate a necropolis just because we were careless."

  “The diviners indicate he's completed the cleanup operations," David replied. "He managed to root out all the necromancer's caches and secured the city. All with minimal losses among his forces."

  Leonard hummed in satisfaction. He could feel his hold over Volten slowly spread as his men influenced the population, but it was better to receive confirmation. [Faith] was still an unreliable power.

  The room fell into contemplative silence as Leonard studied the map, his fingers drumming lightly against the wood. "The enemy's retreat has put us in a precarious position," he said. “By now, they must have completed the pullback to Hassel. I want us there before they can establish physical lines of communication with the reinforcements."

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  "Reinforcements that will come sooner rather than later, I imagine," David grumbled.

  Amelia nodded. "Reports from my shadows in the capital confirm as much. The King has ordered the mustering of a vast army, aiming to sweep south and reclaim the region in one decisive stroke. I don't expect them to make haste, but they will come."

  "A kingdom's resources wasted on corruption and arrogance," Neer growled, disgusted. Leonard knew she would have preferred to face a more honorable enemy, but they wouldn't be here if that had been the case.

  "Which leaves us to the coming siege.” He concluded.

  "A long siege will give the capital's army time to arrive," David repeated. "And Hassel is no ordinary city. Its defenses are formidable, and its supplies could last for months. More if they have the time to grab the surrounding towns’ resources and don't bother taking in their people."

  “Which means we must not act as they expect," Leonard said. His gaze swept the room. “We must take the city before they have time to fully prepare. No matter what defenses await us, Hassel will be ours within the week."

  Amelia's smile widened at the certainty in his tone, and Neer's eyes gleamed with anticipation. David tapped a finger against the map, already working through the possibilities. No one doubted the veracity of his statement.

  Satisfied in their trust, Leonard leaned back with a warm smile. "Once we take it, the King's forces will hesitate, buying us the time to fortify our hold on the region. We do not have the luxury of using this siege as a training tool for the army."

  The officers nodded, understanding the stakes. They then began outlining their next steps, conscious that every decision was critical to the rebellion's fate.

  Leonard listened intently, the faintest hint of a smile playing on his lips. His plans were much more ambitious than most realized, but even he was feeling anticipation at the closing act of the Hetnia Campaign.

  Once the most immediate decisions were made, the specifics of the assault were all that was left. All three commanders turned to him, as he had made it clear he intended to lead the charge.

  Leonard began slowly. "The greatest threat isn't Hassel's wards or the army regrouping within them." His gaze swept across the faces of his generals. "It's the Flying Vessels."

  It was the simple truth. The behemoths were parked within the city, and though he could personally deal with them, they would take his attention away from protecting the army, which could result in immense losses.

  Leonard continued. "Three of them, if our intel is correct. The pride of the Duchy's aerial fleet. I want our artillery prepared to suppress them, or at least to take the Griffin Knights out of the picture."

  "And if they stay holed up behind Hassel's wards? I doubt they'll risk a direct attack, but they could be used as stationary artillery. I remember the report stating that the city's protections are one-way. Their efficiency would go down, but it'd be hard to deal with such a battery.” David asked.

  Leonard nodded. "That's the problem. They won't risk exposing themselves unless they're confident in their advantage. Pollus is much smarter than Luster-Treon and knows that even if he holds onto the city long enough, his head will fly if it costs him the Airships."

  Amelia stood up, circling the map. "So we need a way to get them out of the wards. If Treon's fate taught them anything, we might have to present a very tempting target."

  "True," Leonard replied, "but that fight was different. Treon's defenses were weak, and the ship was almost unsupported. Here, they'll have the wards and an army of mages to protect them. If I'm occupied neutralizing the vessels, they could unleash hell on the army below."

  David leaned forward and placed his finger on the map. "We could attempt a diversion to draw them out. They might be tempted to send them out if we make it look like we are trying to encircle the city."

  "They won't bite," Amelia interjected with a grimace that somehow managed to look pouty. "Pollus is not foolish enough to fall for anything that wouldn't cost us, and after the show I put on during the battle of Pepperhof, they will be even more cautious."

  That had been a calculated gamble on her part. Breaking the enemy's will to fight had granted them a significant advantage, but it could come back to bite them now.

  The room fell silent as Leonard rubbed his chin, waiting for his decision. "Then we need a way to force them out. The only thing I can think will be enough is if we can find a way to make it look like we are aiming to disrupt the leyline that runs below the city. Pollus might be forced to act then."

  Amelia stiffened suddenly, her eyes narrowing as if she were listening to a voice only she could hear. The room grew tense as her demeanor shifted from contemplative to alarmed. Leonard turned to her, sensing the change.

  "Amelia," he said evenly. "What is it?"

  Her purple eyes flicked to his, and with an audible exhale, she relaxed. That only made him warier. "Garva's navy has begun mustering."

  A murmur rippled through the room. Neer growled low in her throat, and David's brow furrowed.

  Leonard's expression remained unreadable as he processed what that meant. "Explain."

  "My shadows observed an increased effort to arm the fleet, and movement from the captains makes me believe that their fleet will finish mobilizing within the day. They might be aiming to launch a direct assault on Treon."

  "That's madness. They'd have to cross the Scales and all the fortifications—" Neer echoed in disbelief.

  "—which aren't ready," Amelia finished grimly. "The defenses along the Scales are months away from completion. If Garva acts now, they will mow through them. Our men will be forced to return to hit-and-run tactics.”

  David leaned back, his fingers drumming against the edge of the table. "If they get to Treon and, Light forsake it, they take it, they'll have a foothold to attack us from the west while the Kingdom presses from the north. We'll be caught between two fires."

  Leonard let out a slow breath, knowing better than to give in to the setback. "And if they succeed in Treon, it opens the way to the southern territories."

  "Which means we're running out of time," Amelia finished for him. "We can't afford a prolonged campaign here while Garva makes its move."

  Neer slammed a fist against the table, rattling the tokens. "Then we hit Hassel now. Hard. We can't afford to wait for perfect conditions."

  David immediately shook his head. "They are forcing our hand. This must be Nevielle's doing. Only he has the authority to order Duke Garva to mobilize beyond the King, and Vasily doesn't trust the old warhawk enough to risk him taking a bite out of Hetnia.”

  It made sense, but the enemy was operating on incomplete information.

  "We'll divide our focus. Amelia, move the bulk of your shadows from Volten to follow Garva's movements. If they're preparing to attack Treon, I want to know exactly how far along they are. David, draft contingency plans for a simultaneous strike on Hassel and a defensive maneuver at Treon. Neer, hasten the army's march on Hassel. I'll work with the diviners to locate the leyline. I want us at the city’s gates before tomorrow’s end.”

  The generals nodded and left, their resolve returning under Leonard's decisive tone. He remained behind, staring at the map with a faint frown.