Chapter 13: Chapter 13: The Only Option is the Best Option

“Lysa, come here for a moment.” Fei-Lu wagged her finger and the druid came to her side. “You said you had an idea of where Valiax might be heading. Explain it now that we’re all here.”

Lysa peered at the map and placed a finger next to an arrowhead placed in the center. “The Oni that got away. You said he had a pair of black wings, correct?”

Fei-Lu nodded. “Yes.”

“That means he must have taken them from a wyvern. There’s only one place left in Xiwao where they might still roam.” With her gloved hand, the druid tapped the section of the map with the arrowhead. “Tian-Yu Plains.”

“Is that where we’re going?” Koya asked. “That’s on the other side of the canyon!”

Fei-Lu paused as her eyes scanned the map. “We have no other choice. From what I gathered with our encounter, Valiax won’t want to walk around with one wing. It’d be like a mark of shame for him, to parade around grounded with his lone wyvern wing serving as a permanent reminder of his retreat at the hands of humans. He landed towards the canyon, so he’s most likely going to try to get back what he’s lost.”

“But... there aren’t many wyverns left,” Lysa said somberly. “They were already on the brink of annihilation before the Oni took over due humans hunting them for sport. And once Oni-Zhen realized they could attach their wings to their bodies fly, their numbers became practically non-existent. I can count on my fingers how many wyverns I’ve seen in the sky since this war started.”

“All the more reason why Valiax would be willing to go out of his way to get a new set of wings,” Fei-Lu replied. “It’s a symbol of power. He is one of the Oni-Zhen’s most prominent scouts. Without his flight, he’s nothing more than your standard marauder.”

“And he probably doesn’t think that we’ll come after him, either,” Koya said. “We’ve got the element of surprise if we can intercept him before he gets to Tian-Yu Plains.” She punched into her palm and grinned. “I’d love to see Yaihan tear off his other wing!”

“That’s the core of my plan,” Fei-Lu said. She picked up a short rod on the side of the table and pointed to a long and curved line on the map. “If Valiax is heading to Tian-Yu Plains, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll be going through the canyon. It’s the fastest and safest route to it from where he landed. Not to mention that it’s under Oni control. There’s no reason he wouldn’t go that path.”

Koya stood up and took a look at the scene for herself. “But how are we going to catch up to him?” the kunoichi asked. “He’s already got a head start. And if we tried to follow behind, we’ll have to deal with plenty of Oni resistance.”

“Remember when I said that we’ll have to take a risk?” Fei-Lu asked Koya.

“Yeah.”

“Notice how curved and winding the canyon is,” the tactician said as her rod followed the complex path of the trail on the map. “Even if he goes through this way, he’ll still have to negotiate the jagged terrain and long turns. But we if go up the canyon’s side, we can cut our travel distance.” Fei-Lu dragged the point in a straight line from the marker that represented the camp all the way to the section of the map labelled ‘Tian-Yu.’ “We’ll be moving in a straight line while Valiax has to travel through every foot of the canyon.”

“Easier said than done. Climbing the mountains is going to kill any time that we could potentially save,” Koya said.

“If we go with our usual force, it will. The jagged mountain side is difficult for the average Xiwaoan soldier to travel through with armor and the rest of their equipment.” Fei-Lu lifted her eyes off the map and looked at Yaihan. “That is where you come in. You will serve as the bulk of our offense. With the Oni being stuck in the canyon and Valiax unable to fly, it’ll be difficult for them to escape.”

Yaihan nodded. “I can do that. I’ll make sure none of them leave alive.”

“Don’t repeat the same mistake you made with Valiax,” Fei-Lu said.

“I won’t.”

Koya scratched the back of her head and groaned. “It’s a crazy plan. Seems like a lot of luck is involved. But it’s not like we’ve got many options.”

“It’s our only option,” Fei-Lu said sternly. “That makes it our best option.”

The kunoichi leaned over and gave the map one last look over. “You know who you’re sending on this mission? I know Yaihan is essential, but you can’t just send him out there alone. He’s strong, but even he’s limited by the fact that he’s just one person.”

“I already know who will form the team,” Fei-Lu. “Everyone in this room is going too.”

Both Koya and Yaihan looked at the druid. Startled, Lysa took a few steps back from the sudden attention. “I... I am going too?” she said.

Fei-Lu nodded. “Yes. You’re essential for this. We have to pack light. The fact that you can create water will keep us alive. Not to mention that you possess spells that can keep our horses invigorated as well as slow Oni down.”

“But is she suited for combat?” Yaihan asked. “What if we’re not able to protect her?”

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Fei-Lu went quiet. “This isn’t a plan that I’m excited to go through with. But we’re backed into a corner. We have to go all out or else it will spend the end of this war. We’ll just have to make sure to keep Lysa protected at all times.”

“What about the injured?” Lysa asked. “There are still wounded soldiers from the previous battle.”

“You can go tend to them now. Focus only on those that are on the brink of death. But after we’ve finished tonight’s assembly, we’ll be heading out. Who knows how far Valiax has gotten? The sooner we leave, the better.”

The druid hung her head low. “I understand, Fei-Lu. I’ll go back to the healing tent and get to work.”

“Thank you. We’ll send someone to come get you when we’re ready to depart.” 

Lysa bowed her head before exiting the tent. There was an air of silence as all three stared at the map. Koya crossed her arms and sighed. “You think the four of us will be enough?”

Fei-Lu stepped away from the map and headed to the tent’s entrance. She opened up the flap and looked outside. “I hate to put more people in danger than needed, but we could use a scout. Someone known for their swift movement and ability to gather intel.”

“We’ve got a few still left,” Koya said. “Think any of them would be up to the challenge?”

“I have one in mind.” Fei-Lu closed the flap and returned to the center of the tent. “I’ll tell him during the assembly.”

“And who’s going to be in charge while we’re gone? You’re the only leader we’ve ever known.”

The tactician sighed and took a seat. She leaned forward and buried her face in her hands. “We’re... spread thin as it is. Everyone I trust to take my place as commander is coming along on this mission. I can only hope that the rest of the camp can handle themselves while we’re gone and that we return promptly.” She lifted her head up and stare longingly into space. “I hate having to rely so much on things... just going right.”

The kunoichi took a seat next to the worried commander and placed on a hand on her shoulder. “The people here trust you. Tell them we’ll return and I’m sure they’ll keep the camp up and running. Besides, it’s not like the Oni can come in from the north anymore.”

A surprised Fei-Lu looked at Koya. “What? What do you mean by that?”

“Oh,” Koya said while wincing. “I forget to tell you that Yaihan destroyed the bridge.”

“He did what?” the tactician stood up and looked at the cultivator with angered eyes. 

“A couple of Onis were trying to escape,” Koya explained. “It was the only way to stop them from giving up our location!”

“We needed that bridge so we could get food! We’ve already exhausted the area surrounding the camp and to the south!” The tactician’s eyes darted between the cultivator and the kunoichi, both of whom carried looks of worry. As she readied to scold the pair, Fei-Lu closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and unclenched her fists. “All right. Just focus on one task for now. If by some miracle we’re able to stop Valiax, we can figure out to how to continue feeding the camp later. We should have enough rations for at least a couple more weeks.”

“See? That’s the kind of mentality we need right now!” Koya said with a nervous smile as she patted Fei-Lu on the back. Despite having mellowed, the tactician still looked at the kunoichi with ire. “Let’s... just get that meeting started, shall we?”

“For once, Koya, you’re right,” Fei-Lu said as she wagged her head. “I’ll tell the officers to gather everyone in the middle of camp. I expect you two to be there, front and center.” She pointed at Yaihan. “Especially you. Everybody wants to know more about our mysterious savior.”

Yaihan nodded. “Understood.”

“Good. You have a few minutes. Feel free to have some water and a bit of grain in the meantime.” The tactician crossed her arms and looked at the kunoichi with a raised eyebrow. “Just try not to do something that could complicate our plan further. Understood?”

Koya winked as she headed towards the tent’s exit. “We’ll do our best.”

---

Art Spotlight: Lysa Stillwater (Standard Form)

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