“No! Absolutely not, venerable elf. I cannot allow the Queen to go with you!” said Bain Rusta.

“You don’t get to decide for me, Rusta,” said Kol, giving him a glare.

“But, Your Majesty, please reconsider,” said Bain as he looked at Kol with widened eyes, “we are deep inside enemy territory. Our scouts have seen raiding parties all over the place. Our massive numbers have kept them at bay so far, but they will certainly try to take out a small party if it separates from the main army. You mustn’t go!”

I looked away from the bickering demons and surveyed the rest of the command tent. Taoc was talking to the other spirit Senators in a low but commanding voice, asking them to hold down the fort while she joined my party on our scouting mission. The other Senators seemed hesitant, although I couldn’t tell if that was because they were worried for Taoc or because they didn’t want her to get so much time to get closer to me. Taoc had mentioned how some of the other Senators were jealous of how close she was to me, the great elf, and how they didn’t like the fact I was training her in secret. She promised them she would put in a good word for them with me, and that they wouldn’t be long. The great elf only wanted to share some of his magic with his inner circle before letting them teach the rest of them. She added a quiet threat for good measure, telling the eager spirits the great elf would not like it if they questioned his intentions too much.

On the other side of the tent, in a corner that I was hiding with a little magic, Kelser was having a somber moment with Elder Kezler. The old man put his hand on Kelser’s head and ruffled his hair. Usually, Kelser would blush and shy away from the old man’s show of affection, but now, he lowered his head in silence. Elder Kezler said some words quietly, and I made sure I couldn’t hear it. Even though they’d never know that I could hear them, I wanted to give them some privacy. The other elders also stood around Kelser, saying something to him and patting his back or shoulders. A few of them seemed to be making a prayer, although I couldn’t be sure what for. Elder Kezler leaned forward and kissed Kelser’s forehead. Then he turned around and left the tent. The other elders followed him out. Kelser stared at the ground, his face hidden from my view. His body shook a little. I looked away.

I leaned back in my chair. The human elders did not know where Kelser was going, since we couldn’t risk their emotions going out of control if they found out, but somehow, it seemed like they already knew. Thankfully, they seemed calm enough, even if their reactions had been a little sobering. So sobering, in fact, that I had to stop and think about the risks myself.

Last night, Kelser, Kol, and Taoc learned how to resist the Simurgh’s emotional manipulation magic. I had confirmed it by trying to rile them up intentionally, and by asking them ‘why are we fighting this war’ to which all of them replied without mentioning the Book of Annihilation. It was possible the Simurgh was trying to trick us by letting us think they had gotten around the magic, but I had a feeling the spell wasn’t that intricate and flexible. And even if it was, there wasn’t much I could do about it. I had put a ton of obstacles in front of the United Army, but it was still making good time across the lands of the Singing Horde.

The Horde for their part seemed to have retreated as far back as they could. Bain and the others thought they had been seeing scouting parties, but they were all illusions that I had created. The real scouting parties had been diverted by my magic far from the United Army’s camps. I had set up some obstacles in their paths as well, but once I left for the heart of the Singing Horde’s lands, it would only be a matter of time until the United Army and the Horde’s scouts finally met for real. What would happen then was anybody’s guess. I was planning to leave some directions for the army to capture—not kill—anybody it came across, but there would be no way to ensure that happened when I wasn’t here. I was going to leave Elder Kezler and the other human elders in overall command, although they didn’t have as much experience commanding large armies. Bain and the Senators were better choices for commanders if we wanted the United Army to actually fight and win against the horde, but I would rather leave the level headed elders in charge so they could avoid fighting.

Queen Kol Izlandi raised her voice. Bain and the other nobles shut their mouths. Kol began telling them about how she was the queen of the kingdom, inheritor of the sacred heirlooms, and descendant of the ancient demon kings and queens. She had taken her throne back from her traitorous brother, the brother who was now supporting another army against their people. Her brother had gained a supernatural power through a deal with a nefarious being. If Kol was to have any chance against them, she had to learn from the Great Elf of Legend. The Great Elf would teach her more powerful magic, magic that she could use to lead her people from the front lines. It was an honor and a privilege for her to learn this secret knowledge, and it would be something she would pass down to her successors. Generations of demons would remember her for her courage and foresight. She couldn’t let go of an opportunity like this one, no matter how dangerous it would be.

The demon nobles were cowed by Kol’s speech but Bain Rusta still looked unsure. I felt like his caution was being amplified by the Simurgh’s magic, but eventually, he had no choice but to sigh and let the queen do what she wanted to do. The perks of being an absolute monarch, I guess. Bain did, however, ask Kol to be careful, and insisted she wear her full battle armor. Kol accepted the armor even though she knew it wouldn’t be of any help against the Ikons and their magic.

Over on the other side, Taoc made a bunch of short and fiery speeches to the other Senators. She spoke of glory and justice. She invoked heroes from the Republic’s history, people who had led the charge against demons and beastmen and even monsters in times long forgotten by most. She also reminded them that although she had the Great Elf’s favor, she was a humble Senator like the rest of them. As a servant of the Republic and its long established institutions, any favor that Taoc received was favor that the entire Republic and its people could share. After all, she was their representative. She would ask my permission and share any magic that she learned with the rest of them. She also said that the Senators needed to be on their best behavior and that they had to be cautious before our return. The United Army needed the Great Elf and his entourage to fight against the Ikons that almost destroyed their great capital. Until our party returned, the Senators were tasked with defending the army and avoiding the Ikons at all costs. Begrudgingly, the spirits agreed.

Kelser’s chest rose slowly. Then he exhaled. I smiled and stood up. I walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. I promised him that I would bring him back safely. He would see his family again.

I felt the gravity of my promise as it left my lips. It was a promise I had not made lightly, and it reminded me of the way I had failed to return Noel to her family, but this time, I was determined to do anything to get Kelser home safely.

Kelser didn’t reply and he was still facing away from me. I nodded slowly, turned around, and walked out of the tent. Taoc and Kol followed behind me. The sun was high in the sky on a beautiful mountain on the plains. There were open fields all around us, with insects buzzing all around. A sweet scent drifted through the air. Was it flowers, fruit, or something that was being cooked inside the camps? I couldn’t tell. I took a step forward and turned around.

Kelser appeared from inside the command tent. His cheeks were puffy and his eyes a little red. He sniffed and smiled. I nodded with a grin. Kol walked up next to me with a solemn expression on her face. Taoc laughed as she said something to a Senator. The four of us walked to the edge of the camp. Soldiers saw us and followed out of curiosity. The leaders of the different factions followed us all the way until the edge of the camp. Even the human elders had returned, although I couldn’t see Elder Kezler anywhere.

Taoc saluted the fairies. Kol lifted her nose and accepted her people’s bows. Kelser waved at his family. I looked at everyone, raised a hand, and brought it down.

Sunlight glared over where we stood. When I opened my eyes, the crowd in front of us blinked and looked around. I signaled to the others and they followed me as we began walking away.