Chapter 759: A Rank To Reclaim (760)
Neveah stood with her arms crossed before her. With the infernal dragons carrying out their orders, she had taken the short mont to change into her riding suit, which had now beco the most convenient attire for her, compared to a regular dress. The snug fabric molded to her form, offering both comfort and ease of movent.
By the ti she returned to the landing platform of the Infernal Castle, Xenon was already waiting. Any mont now, the portals from the Academy of Magic would open.
How many mages would arrive? Neveah wasn’t certain. She had conveyed her request to Lord Egwain, the head of the academy, and he had been more than willing to comply. This was, after all, a rare mont, one where the academy was granted a place at the front lines beside the dragon lords.
The stronghold had long hailed the academies as pillars of the nation, yet the dragons rarely allowed them to prove it. Unlike the elite mages sent with Jian to the black sea dinsion, most were kept behind walls, resigned to wield their magic in safety while dragons bore the brunt of war.
It was not fair to either party, but where there was no trust, there could be no camaraderie.
The dragon lords didn’t trust anyone but their own kin. Neveah didn’t trust anyone either, but she would not tolerate such inefficiency, not when every capable hand was needed. She had also summoned the healers from the Healer’s Hall. Unlike dragons, mages had no armor of scales or fire. Their only defense was their magic, and even that could be overpowered.
But magic held its own advantages. Mages possessed sothing dragons did not, a deep and dangerous understanding of the arcane. And against the Fae, that was the key to victory.
Neveah’s gaze flicked to the Infernal dragons circling the sky above. Their displeasure was almost tangible.
"They aren’t happy," she mused aloud.
"Not unhappy," Xenon corrected, amusent lacing his tone. "In disbelief. No one expects a battle lord to take a supporting role."
Neveah shrugged. "I would react much the sa..."
She had assigned the Infernal dragons to guard the mages while they spun their spells and to launch a concentrated assault on the Fae’s barrier, not to breach it, but to serve as a powerful distraction. The task was vital, but to the Infernal dragons, it was not battle. And that was the problem.
"The prospect of defeating the Fae without moving any dragon unit is more than enough compensation." Xenon reassured.
"I would not be so certain." Lord Kiroff who stood not far from them comnted. "We are weapons of war. And My Lady would have us play guardians to spell-flingers."
Neveah t his gaze without flinching. "Your mission is to protect Inferno and the stronghold at large, is it not? Do not let the mages die before they complete their task and you will be doing just that," she replied smoothly. "Or would you rather wait until the Fae carve through them and turn their magic against you?"
Lord Kiroff said nothing more.
A crackle of magic interrupted the silence. The landing platform shimred, and in the next instant, over a dozen portals spiraled open.
Overhead, the Infernal dragons shifted position, wings tilting, scanning for any sign of an attack. Portal hijackings had increased since the ambush at Dragon Keep, and the stronghold had been avoiding portal use entirely.
It was the reason they had not considered it, even when it may have gotten Neveah and Xenon to inferno earlier...if they had arrived earlier, would it have made any difference? But how could they have guessed a result like this?
’Not now.’ Neveah sternly reined in her thoughts.
The first mages stepped through, led by Lord Egwain himself. His long, deep blue robes fluttered as he approached, stopping a short distance from her and lowering into a deep bow.
"Your Grace. Lord Xenon."
Behind him, his mages followed suit.
"Lord Egwain," Neveah acknowledged, motioning for them to stand. Xenon gave a curt nod.
"The Academy of Magic, in response to your summons, delivers fifty advanced mages, two dozen junior mages, and several hundred on standby at the academy," Egwain reported. "All at your service, Your Grace."
The portals continued to hum, spilling more and more mages onto the landing platform. Neveah scanned the sea of faces, catching sight of one she recognized. Mildred.
She was not just an advanced mage now, she was also the mother of Rowan, the boy the dwarves had once kidnapped. And it was in her ho that Neveah had first found shelter after falling from the cliffs in the back mountains of Dragon Keep.
A small smile tugged at Neveah’s lips. "You ca."
Mildred stepped forward, taking Neveah’s outstretched hand. "There’s nowhere else I’d rather be, Your Grace."
Neveah squeezed her hand in silent gratitude before letting her return to her place.
The last of the mages arrived, forming disciplined ranks behind their leader. The landing platform now held over seventy mages, their robes catching the wind.
Neveah turned her gaze back to Lord Egwain, her voice asured and deliberate.
"There are many who believe the Academy of Magic cannot be entrusted with a priority mission."
The tension in the air sharpened. So of the younger mages stiffened. Others exchanged uneasy glances. They had been kept away from the battlefield for too long, their abilities dismissed as re academic exercises.
"But I," Neveah continued, "am not one of them."
"The mages of Asvar were always ant for more than dusty tos and lecture halls. And this is your chance to prove it."
"This is your chance to prove that you deserve a seat at the table. That you belong on the battlefield...that you are worthy to share weal and woe, fighting alongside our Lord Dragons.
Silence stretched, charged with sothing heavier than anticipation.
"The Fae are considered the highest among the magic-borne. But that title belongs to the mages of Asvar. And tonight..." she let her gaze sweep across them, locking onto their determined, unwavering eyes,"you will reclaim it."
"Tonight, the Fae learn that the age of their magic’s dominance ends. And you, the mages of Asvar, will be the ones to carve their fall into history."
A quiet murmur rippled through the ranks. A few advanced mages clenched their fists. Others straightened, shoulders squared with renewed purpose. Their eyes flashing with eagerness.
"You will not fail ," Neveah declared. It was not just a statent, it was a command backed by the full weight of royal authority.
Lord Egwain held her gaze, his voice solemn. "Rest assured, Your Grace."
And with that, the battle of Fort Inferno began.
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