The Offering

Chapter Sixty Five - Demwyn

I storm through the corridors, my boots clapping against the polished floors as servants quickly scatter out of my way.

The guards snap to my attention outside the council room and open the doors. I notice Aeris first, casually leaning back in his seat he leans forward suddenly, snapping to attention at my sudden entrance. Alvaryn beside him watches me as I enter. I turn to my father who sits at the head of the table, the council meeting having been alerted to my arrival and all waiting for my return.

"Well?" Father asks with a wary expression.

"His letter was true, the humans have joined with him, thousands of them, all of them wearing fae colours and carrying Nievenyth banners." I answer, moving further into the room to take my seat at his right hand side.

He lets out a heavy sigh, brow furrowed as the other members turn to each other.

"How many do they have all together?" Father asks as I take my seat.

"Seventy thousand, plus horses and catapults, plenty of provisions to survive for months." I answer, muscles tight and body exhausted from the hard ride. I hadn't been able to relax since I saw their army and the size of it. I don't know what I had expected when I began my ride. In all honesty I had hoped he was lying, proclaiming to have the humans on his side to scare us. When we had found their camp and I had seen their numbers I knew he was not lying or boasting. They now had a larger army than ours, it looked like all the human villages and cities had joined them.

"And we have only forty thousand." Father replies turning to me for confirmation, I nod once in reply.

"We can call on our allies to send more men." Varis says, expression serious.

Father nods. "Yes, send out word that we will require as many men as they can send."

"There's more." I say quietly as the room turns its attention to me. "I saw both Arden and Callin at the battle camp. I had expected Arden to lead the army but I didn't think Callin would leave his kingdom."

"That must mean he has an heir." Alvaryn says leaning forward slightly. "He wouldn't leave the safety of the palace if he didn't have an heir to take his place."

"Well that is news that may help us later on, but for now we must focus on the fact that both of them will be on the battlefield, their magic is strong, and we do not know of what other types of dark magic their soldiers have." Father says sternly.

"Most of their magic only works at close range, we can use that to our advantage." Aeris replies.

Alvaryn nods in agreement, no doubt already forming strategies and plans of attack in his mind.

"We wiped out much of their army at our last battle Your Majesty, those that fight with him now will not be their best warriors. And the humans have no magic and are easily killed." Varis adds.

Alvaryn tenses beside me and I notice his hard expression focussed on Varis, Aeris too is staring at Varis like he just suggested we start murdering children. Perhaps it was at his mention of how easy humans are to kill because of their relationship with Daella. Had they now grown an affinity for all humans?

"True, but we cannot take any risks. We were fortunate in our last battle with them, but we do not know what they plan for this attack. Callin must have something up his sleeve if he is attacking us after all this time and the defeat they suffered." Father sighs again, his broad shoulders hunched over in concentration.

"What if there was a way we could turn the humans against Nievenyth?" I ask out loud looking for my father's reaction.

"What do you mean?"