Path of Dragons

"Do you think they're ready?" asked Sadie as she surveyed her assembled force. Thankfully, Ironshore's training yard was large enough to accommodate so many, if only barely. Some of the lower-level people only needed a little space for training, but the more powerful among them required quite a lot more room.

The training facility had been conceived with that in mind, though the yard itself had been built when Ironshore's defense force could be counted in the hundreds. By now, it was outdated and in need of a significant remodel. According to Essex, that was set to begin after they embarked on their mission.

The older man stood beside her, his hands clasped behind his back. His posture was ramrod straight, without a slouch to be seen. He was the picture of military bearing, complete with a neatly trimmed mustache and his short, white hair. Like all the other fighters under his command, he wore a variation of Carmen's armor, which made him look like a cross between a Roman centurion and a medieval knight. His sidearm – a shortsword – was sheathed at his waist, while his shield and spear leaned against the railing nearby. The only signifier of his rank was a red badge affixed to his segmented breastplate.

"No," he answered. "You already know that, though. Many of them will die."

"As I've said, we won't immediately go after the trolls," she stated. "There are towers. I have been in contact with their representative. The illythiri have pledged to accommodate us, so long as we commit to allying with them in the coming war against the trolls and the Primal Realm where they originate."

"I am aware of the plan. That does not change my assessment," he intoned, his jaw flexing with each word. Otherwise, he remained motionless.

"People die in war," she countered. "I do not intend to throw lives away, but we can't afford to sit idly by and wait until the trolls overwhelm the illythiri. Once they're gone, there's nothing between the enemy and the surface. They will spread –"

"I understand the stakes, Miss Song," he interrupted. "And I do not disagree with the decision. Otherwise, five-hundred of my people wouldn't be going with you. I would never go along with this plan if I didn't believe it was necessary. However, do not mistake my acceptance for approval. We need more time. Even another month would increase our chances of success by an exponential degree."

"I fear we don't have another month," she said. Indeed, everything the elven representatives had reported suggested that the situation in the Hollow Depths had become increasingly dire. Her contacts hadn't outright said as much, but the illythiri were barely holding on.

It was why she had moved up her timetable, planning to cut off training after a month instead of what was necessary to truly prepare her troops. As much as she hated it, they simply couldn't afford to wait any longer before sending people down to the Hollow Depths. If they did, there was a good chance that they'd find nothing but ruins when they arrived.

"How many more can we expect?" he asked.

"Five thousand from Svetogorsk," she answered immediately. "Not for another three months, though. For now, we need to be satisfied with the thousand they sent. Your five hundred. A hundred from Philadelphia, including a cadre of Explorers that should make our passage much easier. A hundred-and-fifty from Argos. Three teams from the guilds as well."

"So, less than two thousand," Essex stated.

"Plus as many non-combat personnel," she added. Some of those would come from Ironshore, but there were a few veterans of the Eternal War as well.

"It's not going to be enough."

"Not yet. We're working on getting more."

The four thousand other fighters from Svetogorsk – which would come in a few months – would go a long way toward reinforcing the army, but Sadie hadn't put all her eggs in that singular basket. She'd also begun communication with the guilds, though they were hesitant to commit too many of their forces unless it would gain them control of the Primal Realm once it was conquered.

To Sadie, it was a grave error to start divvying up the spoils before they'd even won the war, but so far, her refutations of that strategy had been met with little more than unenthusiastic acknowledgement of her concerns.

She had also spoken to her grandfather, though he had claimed that the forces of Heaven's Bastion had everything they could handle with the Desolate Reach. They couldn't afford to commit people elsewhere.

Of course, he'd also hinted that things might change if she came home and took personal charge over their people. She probably would have done it, too, except that it just wasn't worth it. The forces of Heaven's Bastion were not strong or numerous enough to handle their own Primal Realm. What was to say that they could contribute to conquering the trolls?

Nothing.

Which was why she hadn't taken him up on his offer.

Lamar had also made contact with Vinny. The man was rude and misogynistic – among other undesirable traits – but he also controlled a significant army. Lamar had once been friendly with him, so the hope was that, through diplomacy, they could find some common ground so Vinny and his clan – whatever they were now called – could contribute to the war.

"There's also a smattering of people from various other towns throughout the region. Some of them are unaffiliated adventurers, but most are champions from their respective settlements," Sadie went on. "None are particularly strong, but…"

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"We take what we can get," Essex finished for her.

"Indeed."

Finally, there was the situation with Seattle. They were the wildcard, at least as far as Sadie was concerned. Apparently, their scouts had discovered the existence of another Primal Realm, though they'd not shared any information as to which one it was. Or its location. However, when Sadie had sent them a message, the reply had been telling.

It had said, "At this time, we are not prepared to contribute to the war in the Hollow Depths. However, if you or your people wish to increase your chances, please contact our weapons manufacturing division. Many of our products would be integral to fighting any war. If our stance changes, we will be sure to contact you."

It was one of the most frustrating messages she'd ever read, and not just because she viscerally hated their brand of weaponry. Those rifles and cannons were just shortcuts for people who hadn't worked for their power. Maybe they could serve a purpose for crafters and other non-combatants, but she couldn't help but think that if they became ubiquitous among the world's fighters, they would set Earth back quite a bit.

But even more irritating was that, for all their talk about unity and working together, Seattle had proven that its goal was to look out for its own interests. Just like everyone else.

"What about the elites?" Essex asked.

Sadie answered, "Ron, Miguel, and Isaak are coming, though only in the second wave," she answered. The first was because Hope had practically begged her father to go along to protect her beloved. The participation of the other two had never been in question. Before they came, they wanted to participate in one of the runs of the Chimeric Forge. For all that it was a nightmare to conquer, the place offered a fantastic opportunity for grinding, and in a mostly controlled environment.

With Elijah's notes on the place – and the first two runs, conducted by Ironshore's elites – they'd gotten conquering it down to a science. It was still dangerous, but very doable. So, Ron, Miguel, and Isaak had arranged to join the next expedition into the Primal realm.

It was a fantastic idea, but it would also delay them from joining the others in the Hollow Depths. Sadie could only hope that it would be worth it.

"Elijah?"

Sadie shook her head. "Haven't heard from him in a few days. He'll come down when he's needed," she answered. She'd left him a message both in the Branch and with Nerthus, so the moment he returned, he would know what was going on.

Of course, that was if he hadn't gotten sucked into another Primal Realm. For all that he had the best intentions, and though he tended to get results, Elijah was, at best, a frustrating person to work with. At worst, he was unreliable in all the worst ways. But she trusted that he'd show up when he was needed.

Essex finally sighed, then looked away from the training soldiers. From afar, it all looked extremely chaotic, but there was a method to the madness. Essex had found a former professional football coach and a couple of drill sergeants to run it. So, the training was as efficient as possible, given their constraints.

The whole thing felt like a prelude to disaster, though. Sadie couldn't shake the feeling that their efforts would be too little, too late.

"Keep moving forward."

"What?" she asked, glancing at Essex.

"Those are the words I live by. Keep moving forward. Always one step at a time," the man said. "That's the only way I managed to survive. First, it was the apocalypse. Then, the founding of Norcastle. The plague. And the fall of the city. Those of us who made it did so by continuing to move forward. I suggest you take a similar strategy here. Accomplish the task in front of you, then move on to the next."

Sadie nodded, though she didn't immediately respond. Instead, she stared at her would-be army. Most were untested. Many were under-leveled. But she intended to transform them into a real force.

Taking things one step at a time was great for Essex, whose scope was so limited. But she was worried about the fate of the world. She couldn't afford to keep her head down and continue plowing ahead. That was a footsoldier's mentality. A true commander didn't have that luxury.

So, while she appreciated the advice, she discarded it almost immediately.

Not because it wouldn't be effective. It would assuredly make her burden easier to bear. Sometimes, that wasn't the goal, though. Sometimes, she needed to shoulder that load because she was the only one that could.

"I see what you're saying."

"But you won't take my advice," he guessed.

"I can't. We need to be ready for what's coming. If I take my eyes off the end goal…"

When she trailed off, he said, "I understand. Know that we'll be here if you stumble."

"I don't intend to do that."

"Nobody ever does," Essex stated. After that, he excused himself to chastise a trainee that was using sloppy spear technique. In the meantime, Sadie continued to watch for a while until, at last, she decided that she would let the experts manage training.

Meanwhile, she had other things to do.

So, without further delay, she left the training facility – which was an entire compound that included a huge arena as well as a complex of buildings where non-physical instruction could take place. Because of its size, it took her a few minutes to reach the street outside.

Soon enough, she found herself striding through the Forge of Creation and into Carmen's smithy. Predictably, the woman was hunched over a breastplate, etching tool in hand.

"Just leave it by the door," she said without looking up.

When Sadie didn't respond, she finally glanced backward, a biting insult on the tip of her tongue. But that faded when she discerned the identity of her visitor. A smile spread across her face as she welcomed Sadie into the smithy. A moment later, the two were in Carmen's attached office.

"What are you working on?"

"Armor."

"I saw that…"

"For me. My old set is getting a bit outdated," Carmen explained. "And given that I got this new ability that gives me better bonuses for gear I created for myself…well, I figure it's about time I got into the fight."

"You don't have to fight, Carmen. If you want to contribute, you can –"

"I'm not going to sit in the back lines and let everyone else risk their lives for me," she interrupted. "If my son's going to war, you'd better believe I'll be right there beside him. And don't think for a second that I can't hold my own."

Sadie recognized that she couldn't dissuade the Blacksmith, so she just shook her head and responded, "It better be really good armor."

"Oh, it is. If it doesn't turn out to be Sophisticated grade, I'll start over."

After that, the pair talked about the upcoming expedition. Carmen intended to accompany Miguel and the others into the Chimeric Forge, where she hoped to gain a few levels. The conversation went on for a little less than half an hour until Carmen said that she needed to get back to work.

Sadie left the Forge of Creation after that.

Soon, she found herself back on the island, where she sought out Oscar. However, the man and his dogs were nowhere to be seen. The children were about, though, so she spent the rest of her afternoon tutoring them on swordplay and putting them through a grueling fitness regimen.

But all the while, she felt like she was spinning her wheels. She knew good and well that the time would soon come when everything spiraled out of control, but for now, she just wanted to get started.

That was the life of a soldier, though. Hurry up and wait, in common parlance, and she felt it down to her core.