"Damn. It's not such a bad deal, after all. If I play my cards right during that hour, I can get you to teach me more than kinky Fae stuff." Crank steepled his paws while planning his next move with great caution.
"Do you realize that you said everything out loud?" Tessa asked.
"I don't like lying." The Hyperion puffed out his chest with pride. "It involves remembering the nonsense you say and acting upon it. The truth is easier to remember and it allows me to do whatever I want."
"A fair point." The Titania nodded. "Filly?"
"Now that we have our tactical formation ready, what we need is a foolproof plan." Fyrwal got her cue. "The problem the Royals have had from the beginning of the War of the Griffons is the same we are experiencing now.
"Thrud strikes first, with her opponents moving blindly without any idea of what her goal is except for the one she lets them believe. She acts and we react. It sounds reasonable until you realize that if we keep it like this, we'll never take the initiative.
"Even worse, we'd just keep dancing in her palm, and sooner or later we'd be defeated or enslaved."
"I know, but I'm out of options. I tried conquering her lands and even striking terror with the Eldritches, but Thrud never took the bait." Lith pointed out.
"Indeed, but things are different now." Fyrwal used her contact amulet to conjure a map of the Kingdom. "If before the playfield was wide and Thrud had several possible targets, now she has only one final step left before conquering the Kingdom. The city of Valeron."
"Wrong, she has two." Lith shook his head. "One is me and the other is the capital. Thrud swore to leave me for last but at this point, she might as well take a swing at me."
"Fair enough." Fyrwal nodded. "What I meant is that now we can finally anticipate her moves and be the one who makes the first move. Sure, thanks to Phloria Thrud knows most of your secrets but so do we now.
"We can play around everything she throws at us because the rest of her path is straightforward and she has already revealed all the cards in her hand. Here is my plan."
The Elder Hydra proceeded to list a series of ploys and maneuvers, some of which would require weapons Forgemastered for a specific purpose. Her strategies would make use of Lith's control over the army and the Council, his Eldritch allies, and make them both revolve around Tessa's array.
"I like your plan and I think I might kick things up another notch." Lith said while taking out his communication amulet.
Inxialot the King of Liches answered immediately, but he wasn't the one Lith was looking for.
"What do you want? I'm busy." The Apophis used Inxialot's same greeting.
"I want to make you an offer." Lith shared the bare minimum of Fyrwal's plan to let Apep understand what he would be getting himself into. "If you accept and we succeed, I'll consider our deal fulfilled and deliver you my part."
"Hold on. What about me?" Crank asked as the Apophis hissed in surprise and excitement.
"Same thing. I'm willing to deliver a training tool for Blade Magic to you, Apep, Fyrwal, and Tessa. My offer was addressed to whoever brought Phloria alive to me and if this plan succeeds, I'll consider it done."
"Thanks, but no thanks." Tessa said. "I'm not doing this for glory or for a flimsy reward. I'm doing this in memory of my companions. I appreciated your offer, but you can keep your reward."
"Same here." Fyrwal nodded.
"I'm doing this for myself." Crank looked Lith in the eyes. "You got yourself a deal, kid."
"Same here." Apep nodded. "As long as you pay me, I'll see the job through. Send me the details and I'll come. Apep out."
***
Deirus Grand Duchy, a few days later.
In the end, Lith, the Royals, and Fyrwal turned out to be all equally wrong.
The Golden Griffon reappeared near its last known position, at the borders between the Deirus region and the Werean region. Judging from its path, the lost academy seemed to be moving toward the Distar region but in the opposite direction from Lustria.
The answer to that mystery came from an unexpected source.
"I think I know what Thrud's goal is." Vastor said. "She's about to settle her score with me."
"What do you mean? She's nowhere near the Essagor region." Lith replied.
"Think about it. Thrud knows I'm the Highmaster who kept her away from her dying husband. She knows about Tezka. She knows I'm the Master. In her shoes, would you really walk into my home?"
"No." Lith had to admit.
"Exactly! She's afraid of Tezka and has no idea what I can do. Thrud is afraid that if she forces me to drop my mask, not only she might lose but also turn me into a hero and get my crimes pardoned." Vastor said.
"Indeed." Lith nodded. "I told Phloria of your powers and how you could hold your own against Baba Yaga. She knows that you are the first artificial human-Abomination hybrid and that just like your Eldritches, your strength is growing over time."
"My point exactly." Vastor nodded. "Phloria has probably told everything to Thrud so she has every reason to be cautious. I have no monster core so her slave array does nothing to me.
"My Organization is full of old Abominations and Eldritches that if unleashed would slaughter her army. The Mad Queen isn't keeping my secret out of the goodness of her heart but to keep me on the leash."
"Do you have anyone on par with Tezka that could lend us a hand?" Lith asked.
"Sadly, no. I have Orulm, Abthot, and a few more heavy hitters in the Fusion Chamber, or as I like to call it, Vastor's Madness. Yet it will take days for the process to be complete and even longer for the newborn hybrids to adapt to their bodies."
The Master had finally managed to find a proper monster core for some of his strongest followers yet there was no pride in it. His voice sounded bitter and regretful.
"The best I can offer you along with the usual team is myself."
"Thanks, but no thanks, Vastor." Lith shook his head. "I need you to stay put."
"To what end?" The Master shrugged. "Even if I die, everything is in order. Zinya will inherit my wealth and you my research. Thrud is scared of me. If you want to force her to send Phloria out, I'm your man."
"That's exactly the reason I can't have you involved." Lith countered soberly. "The Golden Griffon is still away from the White Griffon and Thrud is unaware that we know her target. That means that even if this plan fails, we still have a second shot.
"If you come with us and reveal your full power now, you won't be an unknown variable to her anymore. Thrud would know exactly what you can do and how far you are willing to expose your powers.
"At that point, she would have no more reason to keep your secret."
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