Elsewhere

Morning found the subterranean camp buzzing with activity. The Legionnaires were in high spirits, filled with anticipation at finally being able to do what they had been training for day after day of virtually their entire new life. The caverns that had concealed the undead from the city’s citizens now served as concealment for the force that was going to eliminate the rest of the undead, including its leader, from this city. Duke grinned as he read his notifications.

*** So, you decided to skip the trip and just move your army into place underneath the feet of your enemy. I don’t think anyone had that prediction on their cards. What a wonderful surprise. The fact that you still haven’t just charged in by yourself is showing tremendous restraint. Maybe that will work out well for you, maybe not. We will see. Whatever the case, you really pushed yourself to move that many people into place with your TELEPORTATION Ability. Keep pushing yourself and you will keep improving.

Here is your last update to Skills and Abilities before the big day:

Aerial Maneuvering has increased to Initiate 25

TELEPORTATION has increased to Adept 100

AURA CONCEALMENT has increased to Initiate 10

LASTING DISGUISE has increased to Novice 16

OVERCHANNEL has increased to Adept 14

FLIGHT has increased to Practiced 17

DUNGEON SENSE has increased to Adept 59

Good luck in your upcoming fight. Don’t disappoint us by dying. ***

Duke rushed through his notifications, amused by the final message. “Yeah, I’d be really disappointed if I died too.”

“What was that, love?” Aurelia asked sleepily.

“Nothing, just responding to my snarky notifications. Are you ready to commit regicide today?” He asked.

“Is it really regicide if he’s not my king?” She replied.

“Don’t know. There were very few monarchies left in my world and really less than a handful that actually had any power left. Even the ones that still ruled had to tread carefully because they could be toppled by any of the large nations in a matter of days. So, I really don’t know if it’ll technically be regicide, but it sounded cool.”

“I guess that’s a good enough measure for now. Let’s get dressed and cleaned up and get everyone ready. I think it would be a good boost if you went around and CLEANSED and RESTORED the Legion before the fight. Some may have broken equipment in the journey.”

“Good call. I’ll keep the Abilities tightly focused, so nothing filters above ground.” Duke agreed before getting his clothes on and getting started on what he was jokingly calling “blessing the troops.” His travels around the Legion took an hour but he was universally met with positivity as the Legion now was clean and their equipment in perfect repair. Nothing irritated troops quite like road grime stuck in every crevice. Duke realized that this was something he should have been doing the whole trip along and chided himself to think of his troops as more than just a tool.

When he completed his rounds, he left Aurelia to get them all in place to rise from the depths. He instead TELEPORTED to the illusory Legion and Baslin. He found the Archmage floating in his chair at the head of the Legion.

“Good morning, Baslin. The Legion all ready?”

“Good morning, Duke. Yes, the Legion is all set. They will be holding here for the next several hours before resuming the march on the city.”

“Excellent. You mind joining me for a bit for a few tasks?” Duke asked, remaining vague in case they were being observed. He didn’t see anyone but wasn’t taking any chances with opsec this close to zero hour.

“I can break away for a bit.” Baslin replied before pulling his floating chair back into his Ring of Rooms.

Duke TELEPORTED them back to the caverns and Baslin joined him, Aurelia, Grat, and the command cadre of the Legion. Duke felt a bit badly that he still really didn’t know any of the command cadre. He knew their faces and his Reason was high enough that he could recall their names. But beyond that, he really didn’t know anything about them. He put the feelings aside as it was too late to worry about it today. There was a city to take and a regime to topple.

The mood was tense. There was fear mixed in with anticipation and even some eagerness. The emotional weight in the caverns had the consistency of gravity. Duke could feel it weighing on him and he nearly jumped when the message from Mandibra was whispered in his ear.

“Duke, my soldiers have made it to the city. They report that the scent of the city is off in some way, but they are poised to bust forth and swarm the walls.”

“Thank you. They will know it’s time when the city starts attacking me. I’m going to goad them into action so we can take them by surprise.” He responded.

“They will be ready, Duke.” She sent her final message and went silent.

Duke turned back to the group. “OK, the giant ant soldiers are in place. Is everyone else ready?”

“The Legion stands ready.” Aurelia responded.

“I am ready as well.” Grat added.

“Here, take these.” Baslin responded before he proceeded to empty nearly two hundred bombs from his Ring of Rooms.

“You’ve been holding out on me.” Duke said.

“No, I just haven’t had the time to make too many of them, so I figured keeping them until now was probably the best.” Baslin replied.

Duke happily pulled them into his INVENTORY. “Can these be triggered remotely or are they set to detonate upon impact only?”

Baslin seemed disappointed when he answered. “There are only impact-triggered. I haven’t put together the remote detonation method yet. I’ll admit that I have been working too much on my other experiments to finish that project yet. But I do have one more thing for you.” He handed Duke a book.

“I don’t think I really have time to read a book before we kick this battle off.” Duke replied.

“Take the time. This one is worth it. It will only take about ten or fifteen minutes to get through it for you.” Baslin responded.

Duke excused himself with a resigned shrug and perused the book. He quickly found out that it was a spellbook. I should have known it would be a spellbook. But what spell was so important that it couldn’t wait? As Duke read through the pages, engrossed in the magic of the book, it dawned on him that it was a spell that he had been forgetting to add to his repertoire for a while now. Finally, he completed the spellbook and, as always seemed to be the case, his magic consumed the Spell, converting it to a new Ability.

*** You have absorbed the Spell “Greater Hold Undead” and have received a new Ability of the same name. Because it came from a masterwork spellbook, you gain the Ability at an opening rank of Initiate 5.

Ability Name: Hold Undead

Rank: Initiate 5

Description: This Ability allows you to target the magic of undeath that is the motivational force allowing them to act. When targeted, the undead will contest your willpower. Those that fail to overcome your willpower will be frozen, unable to act until you release them, or they overcome your will. You can target up to your Psyche modifier undead with this Ability. ***

Duke smiled as the spellbook crumbled to ash in his hands. This was a Spell, now Ability, that he had been wanting for some time now. He and Baslin just kept missing each other in passing regarding it. It would have been good to have this earlier than today so I could level it up. It was labeled as greater though so maybe it’s a stronger version of the Spell. Guess that explains why I got it at Initiate. Whatever the case, I have it now so I can use it if I need it later.

“OK, Baslin, I’ll admit you were right. I’ve been waiting for that Spell for quite a while. Is everyone in position?”

Aurelia responded with confidence and the vibrant energy of someone who has been psyching themselves up and is just waiting to be unleashed. “The Legion is in position and eagerly awaits your signal.”

Baslin smiled at Duke as he cycled items in and out of his Ring of Rooms. “I have all sorts of surprises ready for Negron should he even be brave enough to show his face this day.” Duke couldn’t help but watch as items flashed in and out of sight, each one simply radiating with power unlike most every other item he had seen.

“What in the world are all those things?” Duke asked, distracted by what his senses were telling him.

“Oh, did you think I was just spending my time idly experimenting? No, I have been crafting items of true power for this day. If the snake raises its head, I will burn it off, even destroy his soul should that be necessary.” Baslin responded, fire dancing in his eyes.

“That sounds a bit intense.” Grat remarked.

“Perhaps.” Baslin admitted. “But if he managed to make Chopie into a lich, it stands to reason that he has something of the same nature for himself as a backup plan. If he tries to slip his soul away after his body is destroyed, I intend to either capture it or annihilate it. He is as much, if not more, responsible for the atrocities inflicted upon the people of this kingdom as Chopie himself.”

“And we will be with you every step of the way.” Aurelia responded. “Your enemies are our enemies.”

“Now that that is out of the way, shall we get this show on the road?” Duke asked the group.

“Yes, let’s throw all the idioms at them!” Grat announced to the chuckles of the group. It proved to be a good tension breaker as smiles passed through them all.

Duke saluted the group. “Go take your positions. I’ll give us all a few minutes for final preparations before I kick this all off. Remember, it is far more important to me that I see you for debrief at the end of the day than it is for any insane heroic acts. Don’t put yourself into any unnecessary danger. We have our ant allies that are expendable. Let them take the brunt of things before the Legion even engages. I want the enemy fully committed before our real attack begins.” With that dismissal, Duke walked away to be by himself and prepare.