Atticus stood high up on a balcony, overlooking the entire city.
Just seconds ago, the city had been enveloped in a brooding silence. Many of the resistance gods had trembled at the thought of the Redfla descent. All hope had been lost before the clash even began.
However, a few words from the golden woman, whose appearance was every bit like a goddess, had changed everything.
The resistance gods and champions gritted their teeth, eyes blazing. They wore resolute expressions as they marched towards the edge of the city. Weapons were drawn, wills flaring and rising into the air.
The air in the city grew suffocating as everyone gripped their weapons tight, staring at the approaching Redflas.
Yet, Atticus couldn't take his eyes off Anorah in the sky. Just monts ago, he had gone on about how alike they were, both willing to go far for revenge. But Atticus was starting to see the difference too.
'She's a good leader.'
Atticus wouldn't have cared about rallying his people. Insane battle sense and strategy were his things, cringe speeches, not so much.
He had never seen the need. Power was the solution to all. As long as he could draw his blade and take the heads of his enemies, what good would speeches do?
Yet, for reasons elusive even to him, Atticus found himself gripping his chest. The words had sohow gotten to him. He didn't care about the resistance or their goal. He didn't care about their gods or champions either.
But what stirred his heart was sothing else… companionship.
Having people who shared your belief, who stood together against an overwhelming threat… it made Atticus' heart pound.
'Companionship, huh.'
As the aggressive march of the Redflas drifted into his ears, Atticus fixed his eyes on the approaching army. A sea of scarlet covered the horizon, closing in from every direction.
The city fell into a grim silence, and the chant of the marching Redflas echoed across the land.
"Fire is dominion, and we are its hand!
Through fla, we rise!
Let the weak choke on ash!
Our will is fire! Our fire is law!
We scorch! We conquer! We endure!
In fla we trust, in ash we leave them!
Heat their bones! Burn their wills!
No rcy, only fire!
Bow or burn!
We carry the fire that never dies!"
The tremble of the resistance army intensified. Wills wavered, and eyes shook.
Above, Anorah's glow intensified, bathing the resistance army in her warm light.
As they started to settle, a single command rang out.
"Fire."
Attacks left the fiery sea and filled the sky, raining towards the city.
They ca from every direction and reflected in the terrified eyes of the resistance army. A grim silence blanketed the city, broken by a cry.
"Shield!"
Anorah's will blasted from her, surrounding the entire city in a blinding radiance just as the attacks hit. Explosions tore through the sky.
So attacks phased through the shield like it didn't exist, bombarding the city. Champions who could still move acted quickly, creating shields from their wills to block them. Others simply tried their best to evade.
Through the chaos, Atticus' eyes narrowed on Anorah.
'She's affected.'
There was a slight sheen of sweat above her brows, and Atticus didn't miss the change in her breathing. To defend against hundreds of viscounts with varying powers… it was shocking she was still standing.
'I have to help.'
A hand gripped his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Atticus fixed his eyes on Whisker, who stared at him calmly.
"What are you doing?" Atticus asked.
"What does it look like?" Whisker said. "Stopping you from doing sothing stupid."
"Unless you have a better plan than killing innocents, let go."
"Innocents, huh." Whisker chuckled under his breath. "You really have a biased way of seeing the world, you know that, right?"
"What do you an?"
"You call these gods innocents… so what were the billions of Zorvans you butchered in cold blood? Volunteers?"
Atticus narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything.
Whisker shook his head, the smile on his face annoyingly casual.
"You only care because these ones are connected to your girlfriend. Be honest, if that link didn't exist, you'd have slaughtered every one of them already. Tell I'm wrong."
Atticus t Whisker's unblinking eyes, then let out a quiet sigh.
"…No. You're not."
He had accepted long ago that he wasn't good. His ideals were flawed. His choices were rarely right, they were simply efficient.
This situation wasn't any different… except that this ti, his bias was stopping him from following the most logical path.
"Good." Whisker patted his shoulder. "Now that we're on the sa page, let's not do pointless shit, alright? Look."
He gestured at the Redfla army surrounding the city, then at the trembling resistance fighters barely holding formation.
"You really think they stand a chance? This is reality, my star actor. The 'power of friendship' isn't going to magically save anyone."
Atticus furrowed his brows. He was the farthest from naive. In a direct clash, he knew there was no way the resistance could win. Still…
"We're wasting ti. Just get to the point."
Whisker grinned.
"Relax. I'm just setting the stage for how screwed everyone is. Now that we agree they're hopeless… plan B."
He leaned in slightly, and whispered.
"It requires you to trust . Completely. Do you?"
Atticus gazed at Whisker's grin and frowned.
'Of course not.'
Anyone who trusted this crazy man had to be crazy themselves. But…
'There's no choice.'
As another wave of fiery attacks collided with Anorah's shield, swallowing the sky in flas. Atticus clenched his fist.
"Tell about plan B."
"Great choice."
…
Monts later, Atticus found himself in a larger group. They had left the balcony, t up with Magnus, Kiara, and the now awake princess, heading to the edge of the city. The area was devoid of people, clearly what Whisker had been aiming for.
"Who's this clown?" the princess snapped the mont she saw Whisker. "And why hasn't he paid his respects to ?"
Atticus held back a sigh. She was complaining again. She stared at Whisker with narrowed eyes, chin raised, radiating pure disdain.
Whisker had been taken aback the first ti, staring at her like she was a puzzle piece from the wrong box.
But as she kept talking, he kept sending Atticus increasingly confused looks.
Finally, as though he couldn't hold it in anymore, he leaned toward Atticus and whispered:
"By the way… did Ozeroth have so kid we didn't know about?"
"No."
Whisker glanced at the princess again, squinting.
"You sure?"
"I went through his mories. He was a virgin until recently."
"…Damn."
Atticus ignored him. "Alright. We're here. Let's hear it."
"I hope this plan is good enough for you to wake from my sleep," the princess scoffed.
"I'm sorry, why do you talk exactly like him?" Whisker muttered, shaking his head. "You know anyone nad Ozeroth?"
The princess narrowed her eyes, and even Kiara stiffened. They exchanged a brief glance but said nothing.
There was clearly sothing there, but Atticus didn't have the luxury of caring.
"Whisker."
"Alright, alright." Whisker raised his hands in surrender, then his deanor turned serious as he stared straight at Atticus.
"Rember our fight with my useless brother?"
"Which one?"
"The gardener."
"What about it?"
"Your surprise attack. You're doing the sa thing now."
Atticus' brows furrowed.
'Singularity.'
He hadn't forgotten the power. The only reason he hadn't used it was because it was too risky.
"It's different from back then," Atticus said. "Your brother's will was being restricted by the lower planes, and the gap between us wasn't too big. rek is different."
Though he'd used Singularity and ambushed the Gardener, the man had still reacted at the last minute. rek would be the sa, but the difference in their power made the attack dood to fail.
And when it failed, he'd be a sitting duck.
But Whisker only smiled.
"I never said your target is rek, did I?"
Atticus frowned. If not rek, then who?
Whisker seed to read his mind. In the next mont, he began explaining everything the plan entailed.
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