"Zonis," Liron said. "You went through my plan. Let's go through yours. You want us to flee. Adenius knows we might try it, so he must have prepared something to catch us. He has other Fides now thanks to his army, right? I don't shit about 'em, but my guess would be that there are fast ones. Am I right?"
Zonis' silence confirmed his suspicion.
"So, how would we escape? Shae can only take one person. On foot, we aren't fast enough to get away. Some of us will be caught and killed. Are you plannin' on leavin' some o' us behind?"
"Of course not! How can you claim such a thing?!"
"Well, 'cause I have to. You say our plan is stupid, but yours isn't any better. How are we supposed to outrun an army with Battlebliss? We can make it harder for 'em. I can use my explosions, Shae can use her wind, and Em can use her illusions. But it won't be enough."
"He's right," Emma continued. "And what are we supposed to do? Angin and Wran are still too far away. Adenius knows in which direction Angin went when we separated. He can guess where he'll come from with Wran. My guess is that he has positioned most soldiers or Fides in this direction. Even if we can get away, everybody will be after us, and there's nowhere safe where we can head to."
Liron tapped the map with his index finger. "We have Al Pakris. Here we have a chance. But out there? Are we supposed to bury ourselves in the sand? The army must have some hounds with them. They will have our scent. No matter what we do, they will find us. If we run away, we will have no form of defense. So, Zonis, what are we supposed to do out there?"
Zonis' eyes darted around, his mouth pressed into a thin line. The Whisperer knew his craft well. He could talk to all beasts and negotiate or befriend them. He could sneak into enemy strongholds and assassinate his targets. Sannara had no secrets from him. He knew the desert like it had birthed and raised him. And this knowledge betrayed him.
"There's nothing, right?" Liron asked. "You chose Al Pakris for a reason. 'Cause there's nothing else nearby. If we leave, we're fucked."
"I know!" Zonis barked. "Don't treat me like a fool. I'm yet your senior, Liron. I had survived this war long before your parents had even met. Don't think you can talk down on me!"
"I don't want to, but you're not seein' reason. Fightin' is our only choice."
Liron turned to the others. If Zonis had any counter strategy, he would have revealed it already. He had stunned the Whisperer, and now he needed to take advantage of his momentum.
"I know it's a lot o' what I'm askin' o' you. My plan is manic. There's no guarantee for survival or victory. We can call ourselves lucky if we make it more than a few moments, but you wouldn't be here if you cared about things like this. If you had any interest in a long life, you'd have kept your asses where you came from and kept your head down.
"But you didn't. You saw what was and still is wrong with Ekon and this war, and you decided to fight for change. I'm still green behind my ears, but I can tell there's no fightin' without risk. We can try to run and hope Adenius won't stab us in the back, or we can stay and try."
Liron went down on his knees, bringing his forehead to the ground. "I'm not just askin' you to fight. I'm beggin' you to help me and my sister. Without you, there's no future for either o' us. Do this, and my soul and sword will be yours. I'll be the Resistance's blade. It's fuckin' Raven."
Liron raised his head, looking at each of them. "Bet on me. Take this gamble, and I'll bring you the change you always wanted. You saw what I could achieve. I killed the Emperor and brought an end to all. I'm not keen on repeating my other self's mistakes. I will become an Archmage, and I will become a Knight Dracon. I will summon Everon into battle and burn down the Qyoral and the Empire alike."
Remembering Ragner's parting words, a smile stole itself onto Liron's lips. "That I swear to you. I will become what is needed o' me, and I will rise. Without your help, this will be my last day. But if you give me this chance, I will prove to you that my bones are black."
Liron turned towards Zonis. "Please."
Zonis was not a hard man.
A Qilesh's features remained yet strange to Liron. More akin to a fish than a human. But he had come to learn of the soul resting inside this alien body. He knew of the gentle mind and the desire to teach and share. The one he had given to Angin. This war had forced cruel decisions from Zonis. Ones, Liron dared not to imagine. They had beaten him into the shape necessary to survive and endure.
But no tragedy could suffocate his light forever. The Whisperer simply did not know how to turn his heart into stone. Whatever strength he had brought forward to sniff out Liron's and Emma's ambition, it had left him. Zonis hung his head, accepting defeat. His strategy was the riskier one after all.
"Stop the theatrics," Zonis said, waving for Liron to stand up. "You have made your point. Does anyone here refute Liron's and Emma's plan."
The agent exchanged glances but remained silent. Bran's face lit up with a sense of pride. Like a soldier ready to fight for the things he had sworn his honor to. He bumped his chest, raising his fist in support. Shae remained in thought, her hand covering her mouth.
She found her conclusion, looking at Liron. The fire of his ambition burned bright in his chest, feeding the spark in his eyes. Shae noticed it, a similar one awakening in her as well.
"No," she said. "I will fight alongside Liron and Emma. I swear on my mother's name."
"Fuck yeah!" Bran said simply.
Zonis folded his hands behind his back, his mouth wavering in a restrained manner. "So it shall be. We stay. We will proceed as Liron and Emma have described. Shae, you will garner the Qyoral's interest. Emma, you will join her to ensure her safety. The rest, we will prepare Al Pakris as well as we can.
"As soon as the signal is presented to both armies, they will come. I have warned you all. I hope you will survive long enough to see the insanity in what you have joined. But I have faith that we can endure. And remember, no heroes. The Resistance needs you beyond this mission."
Liron had done it. He grabbed Emma by her shoulder, sharing a mad grin with her. Only she understood. She knew the fire in Liron's chest. The one calling to be immortalized in the very stars itself.
Their group jumped to action, but Liron remained in front of the altar. The tree towered over him for a moment. Its short-lived presence brought gifts with it. Liron had never felt such power and invincibility. The way they had looked at him. They had seen no Ravenspawn, but someone worth trusting.
Finally, he had taken matters into his own hands. He had changed their course of actions and perhaps fate itself. No victim to the whims of the forces that had no mercy on him anymore. He had convinced them to listen to him. He was a boy no more. With his own might, he had become a man, and he had to thank his ambition for it.
Liron wanted more. He wanted to feel like this forevermore. Whatever measure necessary, he would achieve a position in which people would follow his command. One, in which he would lead people whose opinions and loyalty mattered. The only thing that would taste better was Adenius' defeat. And the Inquisitor would fall. As Amor and Trisa. But this time, Liron would not hinder his enjoyment anymore. People like him deserved to die, and the ones shedding his blood deserved to enjoy themselves.
Adenius' fall would come at Liron's hands. Ekon itself would shake underneath his grasp. Again, Liron understood the Inquisitor better and better. He hoped for worthy opponents to come his way again. Bastards worth hating as much as Adenius. Monsters, whom he would best in every arena, proving to them and the world that he was better.
Shae watched him, a silent word resting in her mouth. She never said it, but her attention spoke of the intrigue she had for Liron. He returned her gaze, not faltering. Only as Zonis stepped up to him did they break off.
Zonis put a hand on Liron's shoulder. "Liron, calm yourself. You need to listen to me."
Liron blinked, noticing himself that his chest rose and fell heavily. His skin burned hot, and he sweated. His entire body had glowed like a furnace. "I… yes. What is it?"
The Whisperer studied the younger man, not liking what he found. "Your plan is impressive. That you came up with it in such a short while is truly remarkable, but there will be a heavy cost to it."
"I know, it's very risky, but…"
"I'm not talking about this. Thousands will die. On both sides. For you to win, Liron, you have to sacrifice an unfathomable amount of lives. Up until now, you only participated in the fights and plans. But now, you were the one to create it. The dead will be yours to carry. Do you understand? You will be the one to have killed them."
Liron had not thought about this. His excitement dimmed. "But… what does it matter? They are our enemies. We have to kill them. They serve the wrong ones."
"Yes, they do, but so would have you. Liron, these are still people you will kill. If it weren't for the vision, you would have joined the Empire and fought for them. Circumstances saved you. All these men can't say the same for themselves. They never had the chance to choose. The Empire makes sure of that.
"The same goes for the Qyoral. The Qilesh we will kill are ones that were never allowed to become something besides soldiers. The Eternal War relies on thousands perishing. Liron, I want you to understand the burden of leadership. We are fighting a war, and we will have to kill people. This is our curse. But this doesn't mean we can afford to regard any life as expendable or worthless. Do so, and you will find yourself becoming someone that won't hesitate to sacrifice even the innocent for your goals.
"We need to stand for more. The soldiers we are fighting are people. We kill people. Your plan means that they will die, and their deaths will be on you. I can't save you from this, but I can make you understand the gravity of it. This is no game. Never treat it as such. Never take pride in our deeds. If you do, you will grow arrogant and rush. You will believe the legends and myths they will sing about you."
Zonis patted Liron on the head, giving him a smile only a hard, long life can create. One that remains despite it all. "I will bet on you. But not on your powers or potential. I bet on you. On the fine man I know you can be. You will rise, but as you do, your gambles will become more dangerous. Not just for you, but for the people that will follow you.
"Every mistake you will make will become more costly and destructive. You will not just bet your life but also all those that are with you. Such a responsibility is… a crushing one, but one you will have to carry if you want to fulfill your promises to us. Keep your feet on the ground. And don't worry, should you threaten to float too high, we will make sure you won't escape us."
Heavy words. But ones he needed to hear.
"Thank you, Zonis," Liron said.
He hesitated, his clashes with Zonis still fresh, but he hugged the Whisperer. Zonis giggled despite it all, returning the embrace.
"I'm sorry if I insulted you," Liron said. "And I won't become an arrogant ass. I promise."
"I know you won't," Zonis laughed
He broke off the hug, holding Liron at arm's length. "So, what do you say, my boy? I think it's time for revenge."