"That will never work." Qian shakes his head of perfectly buzzed, dark hair and reaches up to scratch at his chin. No matter what I say, he will not agree. And he isn't afraid to disagree in vain, rather than giving me a simple, sorry, it's not going to work.
I don't take it personally. The table is completely surrounded by our entire group, my original trio on one side and the rest scattered throughout, Takata and Salvador being the closest to us. They rest their palms flat on the table and survey what I've drawn out before them. My battle plan and my destruction of what will be the last battle in this war. By this plan, I'm not allowing the war to go any further—a concept Qian doesn't agree with.
"Tell me what won't work," I sigh, dropping the chalk onto the table and allowing it to roll over to his side. He doesn't waste the opportunity to take it and, by using it as a pointer tool, taps on my markings.
"How do you expect us to fight on a destroyed battlefield? We lose our leverage if we can't make it across and fight," Qian challenges. He still hasn't looked at me, and by that, I take my worth to be nothing to him. He thinks I'm little more than a princess who granted the king's attention. Little does he know, I'm way more than that.
In my mind, I've thought of more than one way to end his existence right here at this table. One way includes the bottle Takata brought over with her, nearly empty. That one swig was enough for me to gather the strength to lead this meeting. With the king at my side, even without alcohol, I know I can do anything I put my mind to. Having him stand beside me at this table is my driving force.
"I won't completely damage the terrain, I'll simply be doing enough to weaken the enemy soldiers. The trick is to wait until the last second to attack. They'll charge, yes?" I point down at the circle of our battlefield, where tomorrow will take place.
For the first time, Qian looks up at me. It's merely a quick dart of his yellow eyes before he focuses back on the map once more. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Elvira watching me, licking her lips like she's wondering what my throat tastes like underneath her sharpened teeth. A shiver snakes down my spine, but like I've already thought of ways to kill Qian, everyone else is the same. Including her. Physical weapons are not everything to a witch. Powers are.
"Every battle begins with a charge, yes," Salvador confirms.
I give him a nod of thanks, those onyx eyes appearing to be more innocent than anyone else in the room. Out of everyone here, he's the only mortal amongst the strongest witches in the kingdom. Not in power, but in standing. Age is a factor in his life, and instead of having a family and living a simple life, he's chosen to fight his days in a war. Evident so by his wrinkled skin, dried out from the sun and scarred along every surface. The deep brown of his hair, cut to his shoulders, is lacking moisture. He's given everything for this war, including what it takes to make himself appear presentable. His body has taken a toll, more than most.
"We wait until the last second," I respond, tapping my finger on the map for emphasis. "Until they are so close we can see the whites of their eyes and then, only then, do I step forward and create enough destruction so they're buried underneath."
"If you suppose we dig out these soldiers—"
I cut off Qian's retort. "I'm not saying we bury them deep. If I'm to do that, we might as well crush them. But, as there's only one witch of ground here, I cannot do that, my power doesn't extend that far. What I can do is dishevel the ground in the first few feet on the surface layer. While they're trying to dig their way out, you kill what you can. Simple." I step back and splay my arms just wide enough to reach the king and Binx at my side.
Three simple taps of Binx's boot against my own proves he's proud of me. One tap for yes, two for no, three I'm proud. That's as far as we've gotten with the language and, throughout the course of the future, will create more when we have the time. For now, we'll win this battle and thus end the war. While the credit will go to the king and myself, Binx will be on the sidelines, hidden in the shadows, cheering me on.
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