March 6, 9 ATC

County of Cacao, Pollination-Crosshares Commonwealth

Coronam stood on the sandy beaches of the Heretical Inlet, watching as the last of the Badaz League's ships weighed anchor on the shore. The crammed troops spilled out of them as they landed, springing forth like wine from a cracked bottle. Coronam tallied the vessels as they arrived. They were missing two.

As he noted that, the second-to-last ship pulled up to the shoreline, skimming the sandbar, throwing up sand, and coming to a halt. Coronam wiped the sand off of his cloak and walked over.

Instead of groups of soldiers, a drove of rough-looking mercenaries stepped off the boat, casting suspicious glances at Coronam as they walked by. Coronam huffed to himself and walked up the gangplank onto the boat.

"Who is the captain of this vessel?" he asked. Jelo poked his head above the steering wheel.

"I am," he said, breathless. "Oh, shit. Give me a second. I'm no good on water."

"Seasick?" Coronam asked, amused. Jelo nodded and gagged.

"Like I said, I'm no good on water. That, and I'm pretty sure the pilot was drunk when he took us over here. I could have done it better with my eyes closed!"

"I'm sure," Coronam remarked with snark. "Where is your friend? The one with the crescent axe?"

"On the next ship coming," Jelo replied. "It's some ways across. After the rest had set out, one of the soldiers discovered it had a leak, so we stayed behind to help fix it."

"Hm. Well, you're here now, aren't you? Come on, now," Coronam beckoned for Jelo to follow, and Jelo, still weak-kneed, obeyed.

"Who were those men who came with you?" Coronam asked.

"The mercenaries the Mask sent," Jelo said. They look rough, but they aren't common street thugs. They're hardy and willing to serve… so long as they get paid."

"I'm guessing the Mask left that responsibility to us?" Jelo couldn't help but chuckle at Coronam's disappointment.

"He considers it part of your compensation for his help in the war," he responded matter-of-factly.

Coronam smirked and kicked a rock into the water. "How much is he paying you to say that?"

"More than I deserve," Jelo conceded with a grin. "But I'm not going to tell him that."

"I won't tell if you don't," Coronam said, and they exchanged small chuckles.

"Coronam! Jelo!" Austin's call interrupted them, and they turned to see her waving them over to where she and Nitesco were standing. "Are all the ships in?"

"There's only one more coming," Coronam said. "They had to patch a leak."

"No worries," Nitesco said. "I think it's coming in now."

As soon as he said this, the final ship came hurtling towards the shore, drifting in even more gracelessly than the last. It drifted sideways into the sandbar, throwing up a cloud of sand, rocks, and wood splinters before coming to a halt. The gangplank was haphazardly dropped, and Kazehh staggered down before collapsing on the beach.

"Oh dear," Nitesco said, a grimace on his face. "We really must get better pilots." They looked on as Kazehh dizzily struggled to stand.

"Yeah… you guys go on ahead and strategize or whatever," Jelo said. "I'll make sure that we didn't lose anybody to seasickness."

"Good man," Austin said as Jelo walked away. "Now, do we have everything we need? Weapons, foodstuffs, tents…"

"They're unpacking as we speak," Coronam said. "But that will take a while, and it's almost evening. Should we set up camp here?"

Nitesco shrugged. "It seems as good a place as any. Get some men together for an evening and a night watch and tell the rest to set up camp. I don't want our invasion force to be destroyed before we've had a chance to do some damage, especially not when Inferno is within our grasp."

"Very good," Coronam said. "I'll get right on it."

Nitesco watched as Coronam walked off. "He's certainly become more… affable."

"I suppose," Austin said, "that not killing someone is a good way to earn that person's loyalty."

"You're learning." Nitesco smirked and turned to face the thin forests behind them. His expression darkened enough to alert Austin.

"Nitesco?" she asked. "You alright?"

"We're close now," he stated, staring into the forests. "We're on the edge of ending this war. Don't get me wrong, that's a good thing, but it also worries me."

"Why?"

"We're this close to ending it, but what if we fall through?" Nitesco wrung his hands nervously. "All three of the Badaz commanders are here, as are a large percentage of our forces. If we lose, if we can't make it to Inferno in time, we've lost all our commanders and wasted men and supplies. It's a gamble I hope we can pull off."

"Well, you pulled it off during Celtic's Revolt, right?" Austin asked. "You, Gwydion, my father. You led your forces to the heart of Celtic's domain and decimated him! Why can't we do the same to Inferno?"

Nitesco sighed and scratched his nose. "You know, our victory over Celtic was more luck than strategy."

"That's not true," Austin said, incredulous.

"It is. Oh, sure, we had a plan, but it was a long shot, and we knew it. We had lost about two thousand men taking Nuts and Dolts, leaving our forces on par with Celtic's. The fact that Celtic hadn't reinforced his garrison was the only reason we pulled it off. What's more, most of the Subreddit had lost its resolve. They had lost most of their manpower and their resources. If we had failed, it would've been the end of the resistance movement. Celtic would've won."

Nitesco shook his head. "It's a grim reality, Austin, but we're banking on luck here. If we fail, then Inferno wins."

Austin nodded contemplatively. Nitesco watched as her expression dimmed before unexpectedly brightening again. She smiled and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Then it's a good thing we're going to win." She patted him on the shoulder once more and began walking away.

As Austin ambled off, Nitesco couldn't help but smile. For whatever reason, he felt she would be right in the end.

March 12, 9 ATC

Chanel Castle, Duchy of Leporin, Pollination-Crosshares Commonwealth

Zissman paced about in his chambers, hands clasped behind his back. Jannis had departed several days ago to make sure the League would secure their beachhead unopposed, but he had been gone longer than he anticipated. What if he had been caught? Losing Jannis would be a dreadful blow to the Church.

A knock on the door interrupted his worrying. "Who is it?" he called.

"I've returned from my errand." It was Jannis. Zissman breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come in, Jannis. Shut the door behind you." Jannis did as he was told, and Zissman fetched a cask of mead and two cups from the cabinet. They took their seats at the small table and Zissman began pouring.

"I was beginning to think you were compromised," Zissman said, and he sipped his mead. "You had me worried."

"We're the same age, Irving," Jannis stated with a wry smirk. "You don't need to mother me."

"You're vital to my operations here, Jannis. And I told you not to call me by my first name." Zissman shook his head, tutting mockingly. "What's the news?"

"They made landfall in Cacao six days ago. They've been on the march since."

"And have you cleared their path?" Zissman asked. Jannis sighed.

"Communication in the northwest has faltered because of an outbreak of measles," he complained, and he took a gulp of mead. "Our operatives weren't able to spread the message outside the borders, so I'll have to return to the countryside and do it region by region."

Zissman scoffed. "Then our gamble becomes more risky. Now there are more opportunities to be caught."

"We're committed to this gamble now, Scion," Jannis said, and he took another gulp. "We may as well go through with it."

Zissman sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're right. We are committed. We have to follow through." He finished his mead with a swig and walked over to the window. "Does Inferno know you've returned, Jannis?"

Jannis shook his head. "No. I heard from a servant she left a few hours before I arrived."

"Good. Good." Zissman turned and patted Jannis on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to cut your return so short, but I need you in the field. Clear the path so they may cut away the chaff."

"More quoted scripture?" Jannis asked. He drained what was left of his mead. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"Wiseass." Zissman smirked and shook his head. "You have your orders. Begone."

"Fine." Jannis stood and walked over to the cabinet. "May I at least take the cask with?"

"There's a full one in the cabinet, if you want."

"Don't mind if I do." Jannis grabbed a full cask and turned for the door. "Make sure that nobody learns I returned. They may begin to suspect."

"You know I wouldn't make such a sloppy mistake," Zissman said. He paused for effect as Jannis opened the door. "We're close to the end now, my friend, so close to our ascent. We cannot falter now."

"I will not, Scion." Jannis turned and bowed his head obediently. "I swear it."

Jannis left, closing the door behind him, and Zissman returned to the window. Victory was in his grasp. All he had to do now was wait.

March 29, 9 ATC

Duchy of Leporin, Pollination-Crosshares Commonwealth

Austin, from her position on her horse, scanned the rolling hills of the Crossharese countryside, looking for any patrols. It had been two and a half weeks since their landing, and they had encountered remarkably few patrols. Not that she was complaining, of course, but the fact that she, let alone the thirteen thousand men with her, was able to march through hostile territory largely uncontested was strange. Suspicious.

Gwydion rode up beside her, scrutinizing Austin's expression. It was the expression she wore when she was trying to solve a problem.

"Austin." Gwydion announced his presence, and Austin shook herself from her contemplation.

"Gwydion," she responded plainly. "What brings you this far to the back of the march?"

"Nitesco's stopped up ahead. He says he's spotted a large army in the area and wants to discuss what to do."

Austin nodded wordlessly, setting her horse into a trot alongside Gwydion until they arrived at the front of the march. Nitesco remained atop his horse, scanning the trees and fields that pockmarked the otherwise empty hills for enemies. Vulpix and Coronam had opted to dismount, with Vulpix wistfully staring off, in a trance, while Coronam paced worriedly.

"What's the problem?" Austin asked. Nitesco pointed down the road they were traveling on.

"My scouts tell me a large Crossharese force is marching this way, about ten thousand strong. We cannot risk them encountering us; we must be at full strength when we face Inferno. But we can evade them. Vulpix?"

Vulpix nodded and pointed to a large forest to the east, with a creek running through it.

"We will split our forces, to decrease the chances of being noticed. Coronam and Nitesco will lead their forces through the forest, following the creek until it arrives at Lowlands Lake."

With his other hand, he beckoned to a smaller side road, which stretched through many of the wheat fields they saw on the way there. "Austin and I will take the remainder of the forces down this road, through a few small farming villages. The people there care little for our politics; they won't report our movements. We will rendezvous at Lowlands Lake; Inferno's stronghold is only a few days' march from there."

"Great," Coronam said, impatient. He got on his horse and set it into a walk. "The sooner we split up, the sooner we take on Inferno. Let's get a move on!"

Nitesco got back on his horse and beckoned for his soldiers to follow him. As he and Coronam led their soldiers into the forest, Vulpix remounted and headed towards the back of the march, where the Arkosians were. Austin waited with Gwydion for their soldiers to move to the front of the line.

"Is splitting up really the best option?" Austin asked. "What if the army sees us? There's no way we'd be able to hold off that many soldiers with our forces halved."

"Perhaps not," Gwydion said. "But the scouts know they're close. If we moved as one unit, they'd spot us. If they spot us while we're divided, then we ramp up the speed and draw them to Lowlands Lake. They'd be crushed when the other half arrives."

"Is the Lake near?" Austin asked. "I don't like being split up."

Gwydion looked south and stroked his chin. "If we move quickly, we can be there by sundown. We'll strike camp there, if we can."

"Very well." Austin kicked her horse into a trot. "Let's move out!"

She and Gwydion began riding down the side path, their men close behind as they marched down the winding road. Austin began scanning the landscape. There were multiple farms spread across the fields, but nobody tending to them.

"Gwydion?" Gwydion turned to face her. "Didn't Vulpix say there was a settlement nearby?"

Gwydion scoffed. "Yeah. He remembers from when he was here before."

Austin frowned at the malice in Gwydion's voice. "Do you not trust Vulpix?"

"It's not that I don't trust him," Gwydion said. He sighed. "I questioned him while you and Nitesco had your fun with Coronam. I believe he's genuine. But I still remember everything he did. Just because I trust him doesn't mean I have to like him."

Austin shook her head. "I suppose that's fair," she said, somewhat disappointed. As if on cue, Vulpix rode up beside them, a worried look on his face.

"Austin. Gwydion," he said, absentmindedly.

"Vulpix," Gwydion said with mock enthusiasm. "What brings you to the front of the line?"

"Nothing in particular," he said. Gwydion grunted and turned to Austin, who had once again begun staring at the empty fields.

"Austin, what keeps drawing you to those fields?" Gwydion asked. Austin stroked her chin.

"We haven't encountered a single patrol on our march through," Austin said. She turned to Gwydion and Vulpix. "Doesn't that strike either of you as a bit odd?"

Gwydion shrugged. "We know Inferno's going on the offensive. She may have devoted her men to invasion rather than defense."

"The Pollinationals are notoriously stingy with their resources," Vulpix said. "Especially Inferno. She would have kept some men in reserve in case of an invasion, but the only detachment we've seen thus far is the one that forced us to split up."

"And the villages," Austin continued. "We've passed several dozen of them. Aren't any of them good enough patriots to report a thirteen-thousand-man army marching across their homeland?"

"They all seemed abandoned," Gwydion added. "It is quite odd, now that I think about it." He pointed up ahead, seeing the roofs of houses poke over the hills. "It seems we've found another settlement. Let's see if anyone's home, shall we?"

The army marched into the town, earning surprised, fearful, or at least curious looks from the townspeople. As Austin, Gwydion and Vulpix marched ahead, the came across two men arguing loudly in the town square.

"Champion, you cannot expect me to forsake my duty to my Queen! If an army is marching through here, the authorities must be notified!"

A large, bulky man in a crimson suit of armor stood over the town's mayor, a short, gruff man with a patchy beard. The armored man growled upon hearing this.

"Logan, the Scion himself has demanded that I clear a path for these invaders. Your job is not to question, it is to obey. Now, round up the villagers…" He trailed off upon seeing the three commanders riding toward him. He frowned.

"Perhaps not. It's a little late for that."

"Who are you?" Gwydion asked. He punctuated his statement by drawing his sword. The man seemed unfazed.

"Easy there, Gwydion," Austin chided. "He hasn't done anything yet." She squinted at the man. Something about him seemed familiar.

"You were at the Diet, right?" Austin asked, suddenly recognizing him. "You were Zissman's bodyguard. That's how I know you!"

"He's with the Church?!" Vulpix exclaimed. He drew his saber and angled it at the man, who remained unfazed.

"Yes, I am with the Church. I am Champion Jannis, right hand of Scion Zissman, leader of the Church Militant, and I am here to help you."

Before Gwydion or Vulpix had a chance to fire off an accusation or a rude question, Austin held up her hand to silence them. She furrowed her brow.

"Why does the Church help us?" Austin asked the obvious question. Before he answered, Jannis gestured for the mayor to leave their presence. Once the mayor had, reluctantly, scuttled off, he answered.

"Queen Inferno is a warmonger and a tyrant. Her interests are opposite those of the Church. She must be removed. Your invasion is our best chance of doing so."

"So it was you who gave us safe passage through her territory?"

Jannis nodded. "We have influence in this region. Not all, but a good portion of the people here are believers, which means that they are open to the Church's suggestion. We… persuaded the villagers in your path not to report your incursion."

"That doesn't explain the lack of patrols," Gwydion said. "If you are behind that, then you have more influence than you're telling us."

Jannis grumbled. "We have our ties to Inferno's bureaucracy, but we are quite eager to sever them."

"Bullshit." Vulpix glared at Jannis. "This is a power play. I know of the Church's ties to Inferno. Adherents give her supplies, medicine. For god's sake, they're her goddamn state church!" He growled and turned to his fellow commanders. "They can't be trusted. I say we kill him now."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jannis intoned. "You may regret that."

"And who will make us regret that, Jannis? You and what army?" He sniggered darkly to himself.

"That's enough, Zealander!" Austin shouted. She returned her gaze to Jannis. "Have you cleared the road ahead of us?"

"Mostly," he said. "But it won't matter now that you're so close to her stronghold."

"Is she in it?"

"She should be. Scion Zissman is doing his best to keep her occupied."

Austin nodded. "Very well. Run back and tell your master that we appreciate his help. And warn him not to meddle in any more of our affairs from here on out."

Jannis smiled a knowing smile. "He wouldn't dream of it. I will depart immediately." As Jannis was leaving, Vulpix leaned over to Austin.

"Are we just going to let him live?"

"He hasn't done anything wrong, 'Zealander.' Why would we kill him?"

"I'll stay my blade out of respect for you," he replied, "but mark my words, we'll both regret we did. The Church can't be trusted."

"We'll deal with that when we come to it," Austin retorted. "For now, we have a rendezvous to get to. Rally up, men! Inferno's not far!"

Austin bucked her horse into a walk, and the soldiers resumed their march.

April 3, 9 ATC

Chanel Castle, Duchy of Leporin, Pollination-Crosshares Commonwealth

Inferno was in her throne room when she heard the news. She had been talking with the rest of her circle. Faker was telling her about developments in the Rubian theatre, and that while the east remained mostly loyal, the west remained outside their control. Jay stood ever at her side, impassive and slightly bored. Anti paced in the corners, watching, listening, sensing that something wasn't quite right given Zissman's unusual restlessness. The man would not stop twiddling his thumbs.

Finally, as Faker concluded his presentation, Jannis opened the doors unannounced. Inferno stood up, possibly to berate him, possibly to tell him to leave, but the look he wore on his face silenced her. Jannis bowed as he approached the throne.

"Queen Inferno." The formality, unusual from the Church representatives, put Inferno on edge. She steepled her fingers and frowned.

"You have something to say. Report."

And so Jannis told her what had transpired.

There was silence when he finished. Inferno's face twitched. With stiff, jerky movements, she stood up from her throne and began pacing toward Jannis.

"Tell me, Jannis. How many miles inland are we from the Inlet shores?"

"I wouldn't know," Jannis answered plainly. Inferno's nostrils flared at the perceived sass, but she remained composed.

"Several hundred," she said. Her voice gradually increased in volume. "It would have taken them at least three weeks to make the trek from shore to here. I made sure my land was well-garrisoned and scouted. So tell me, Jannis, how it is possible for thirteen thousand men to march across my land uninterrupted?!"

"I don't know," he responded. "But no matter how it transpired, they're here. They're on our doorstep."

"How long do we have?" Inferno asked. Jannis coughed.

"They will be here by tomorrow."

Silence fell over the hall. Inferno clenched her fists.

"Leave. All of you. Jay, you can stay."

Jannis nodded and walked out, followed closely by Zissman, Faker and Anti. Once the door closed behind them, Inferno sighed.

"How could this happen?" Inferno asked. Jay was perturbed by her reaction to this. She did not seem at all angry or fearful. Only… disappointed. Almost defeated. It was discomforting to see her in such a state.

"What will you do?" Jay asked. "Should I arrange an escape?"

"No," Inferno said. "We must meet them head-on. If I flee, I admit defeat to my men and my country. No. I have to stay." She uncloaked her royal gown and let it fall aside, revealing a more combat-appropriate leather jacket and pants underneath.

"Fetch me my falchion, Jay. I haven't practiced in a while, and now's as good a time as any."

"Very well, my lady," Jay politely responded. He went off to the armory to grab Inferno's sword, leaving her alone.

Inferno looked around the hall. On the second floor, over the edge of the mezzanine railing, she could see a painting of her half-brother and predecessor staring back at her. Despite his sentimental inefficiencies, she never could bear to get rid of it.

She could not bear to die as he did: at an intruder's hand in her own halls of power. She would not die such an ignoble death.

"I will not share your fate, brother," she spoke up to the painting. The painting stared back silently, its face passive yet knowing.

It wouldn't matter, she thought. It would be over soon anyways, one way or another.