Wiccer folded his arms and nodded. "I can have the Long Whisper army prepared and deployed as fast as two weeks."

He sat at the war council table within the palace. A map of Dragon Realm Stratus blanketed the wooden table. Small clay figures dotted the Crystal Peaks mountain range, which represented where Arrelion believed the seal may have been hidden. Arrelion, Avalon, Vada, Wildeye and Mave sat at the meeting as well. Each called for their valuable resources and knowledge to aid the mission. Wildeye brought ancient wisdom, once shared by Koda. Arrelion commanded respect through his time as a Silver Mage, Avalon and Vada shared duties of representing the Silent Ones, and finally Wiccer and Mave made up the Long Whisper military. Together they formed the Coalition of the Realms, an alliance to combat Dead of Winter.

Wildeye shook her head. "Unfortunately the last meeting with Koda and Rellathek left Long Whisper's relationship strained with Draconicus. Showing up with our large army may prove threatening to the Scale Lord."

"Perhaps," began Mave, "We should send the Coalition and a squad of my Anti-Rogue Ops?"

"ARO has earned their reputation of being an elite task force, capable of succeeding as bodyguards, rescue ops, and Jedeo-forbid, assassination missions," elaborated Wiccer. "If we can't take our army, a handful of the red and black, should suffice until we can call upon a large operation."

"Perhaps…" Arrelion mumbled.

A rap at the door turned everyones' heads.

"Enter," Wildeye called out.

Wiccer rose from his seat at the sight of Cade.

Wildeye raised her hand. "Wiccer, calm yourself."

Arrelion nodded before Cade. "I assume everyone knows Cade."

Everyone except for Wiccer nodded.

"As a former member of the enemy, he provides valuable insight into what we may be dealing with," finished Arrelion.

Wiccer slammed his fist down. "No! This is a closed war council. I'd rather not let anyone we can't trust be privy to this information," spat Wiccer.

"I asked for him to attend," said the Silver Mage.

"He's a war criminal and a Black Rabbit," argued Wiccer. "While he is under my watch, I say if he gets to be here or not!"

Cade glanced at him.

Avalon stood up and gestured to herself and Vada. "Perhaps you do not know this, Wiccer, but Vada and I are former Black Rabbits too. Do you not trust us?"

"That's not a fair question! You two have proven yourselves and have been at my side for years!"

"What of Elucard," asked Wildeye. "Do you trust him?"

"With my life!" Wiccer snapped his finger at Cade. "But he is not Elucard!"

"Elucard trusted Cade with his life," finished Arrelion.

Wiccer balled his fists hard enough for them to tremble. "A lot of good that did him. And his name is Inle! Not Cade! A fresh coat of paint does not make a new house!"

A cold stillness filled the room.

Cade lowered his head before speaking next. "Elucard needs us to work together. Why can't you put aside your petty hatred for m—"

"Because you killed my brother!" Wiccer thrashed out. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks. "Because you stole Avren from me!"

Mave placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Mate, if he killed my brother, I'd never forgive him too. Quinn and I share a powerful bond, but he is the only eye into this Wraslyn's world that we have."

He clenched his teeth.

"We need him," she finished.

Cade's presence stirred up old emotions into his mind. Feelings he thought he overcame, but here they were. Crashing down on him like a tsunami.

Wiccer pressed his knuckles hard on the wooden table. He could have ground his bones against the cherry oak, leaving only a smear of blood and it still would not match the pain he felt. "I—I need some air…please excuse me."

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***

Wiccer paced up and down the hall. With each step his body grew more tense and his breathing more frantic. Memories of that night flooded back. The night where Inle impaled his brother and Elucard ended the king's life—no; his life.

He wrung his hands together until he chaffed with pain and blood. Flashes of Avren's funeral filled his mind. With each ceremonial dagger the White Cloaks drove into the casket, came a pounding noise that pulsed through Wiccer's very heart.

He rocked his shoulder from wall to wall. Laughing at first and then croaking into a somber cry.

Words raced past his tongue. The only ones he could speak to. A desperate plea for his memories to vanish and not bring more pain than he could possibly bear.

"Please, no. Not these thoughts, not these attacks…

Please, no. Not these thoughts, not these attacks…

Please, no. Not these thoughts, not these attacks…

Please, no. Not these thoughts, not these attacks…"

A tender voice broke past his darkened mind. Warm, but still with the courage he sought to fight back these feelings. They were of Mave's. "It's okay, Wic. Everything will be okay."

The harkin held him in a warm embrace. Wiccer could only shiver.

"I—I'm sorry… I—I'm not normally like this…" he stuttered, quickly wiping away his tears in shame.

Mave sat herself and her commander against the wall. She patted his lap. "You don't have to apologize, mate. My squad thinks I'm hard as a rock, but even I break too. We all do."

Wiccer let out a small chuckle. "You do?"

Mave punched his arm. "Sure I do, bucko. Every soldier will break from time to time. If we didn't, we wouldn't have the heart to care for our mates."

He let a grin slip before it disappeared into his sorrow again. Inle can't be counted on. He will betray us as soon as he gets the chance.

Mave stretched out her weaker leg. The scar from her brutal injury caught Wiccer's eye. "Elucard didn't trust us either."

Wiccer turned away from the old wound to focus on Mave.

"Back in New Estinia, Elucard looked for every reason to hate my squad whenever something went wrong," she said quietly.

"Elucard doesn't put faith in others easily."

Mave rubbed her leg. "The mission almost went belly up because of that mistrust."

Wiccer shook his head. "You don't get it. Inle's different—"

Mave clutched Wiccer's shoulder and spoke in a firm tone. "This mission will go belly up too if we don't put our assurance in Inle."

Wiccer choked up. "You can't ask me to trust him after everything he's put me through."

She gently squeezed his hand. "Then put your faith in me instead. Let me make the right call."

He nodded slowly. "I'll try."

"I suppose that'll have to do." With a grunt, she pushed her weight on her good foot and stood up. "Come back to the meeting, they're waiting for us."

Wiccer and Mave entered the council chamber and took their seats once more at the table. Wiccer stole a glance from Cade and nodded. I don't need to be his friend, nor forgive him… just work with him. Like I did with Elucard.

Mave cracked her knuckles. "Right-O chaps, where'd we leave off?"

"We were discussing the capabilities of ARO," Wildeye said.

"I have seen Elucard and his men fight," said Avalon. "They fight as well as at least five Long Whisper soldiers."

"Aye, and Malady and Legion can fight as ten each," Vada added.

"I have surpassed Elucard in combat prowess as well," said Cade.

Vada looked at the shadow elf. "If you came blow to blow with Elucard, could you handle him?"

He paused briefly. "I can subdue him, if that's what you mean."

"But will you?" she pressed further.

"I—I can."

You believe Elucard would work against us?" asked Mave.

Vada folded her arms. "I believe there is a reason why he was captured."

"And this is your conclusion?"

Vada squeezed Avalon's hand. "Elucard has all the traits of a cold blooded killer. His mind is tarnished after years of growing up as a Black Rabbit. The trauma of being trained in that clan would make brainwashing quite easy."

Wiccer flinched. He thought he controlled his own trama with the time he spent with the dune elves, but even if a moment of weakness could inch into his life to cause an attack, what could their enemies do?

"Avalon and I have personally seen the torturing and brainwashing of prisoners as leaders of our clan. Call it a way to get new recruits if they proved useful," finished Vada.

"How horrifying," Wildeye said with a shudder. She turned to Cade. "Would Dead of Winter brainwash Elucard?"

Cade sat silent before whispering a single name. "Tezhok."

Arrelion furrowed his brow. "Mateo's familiar?"

"He is a tuner," explained Cade. "One who specializes in telepathy and dreamwalking. He would be entrusted with such a task if Vada's theory needed the legs."

"Then it is decided." Wildeye rose to her feet. "Mave will assign a platoon of Anti-Rogue Operatives to escort us to Draconicus."

"I request to join m'lady," said Wiccer.

Wildeye nodded. "Very well."

Cade leaned over the map and pressed his finger on a tiny abandoned trade route through the mountains. "We should take this path, here. It will be more treacherous, but Elucard would plan an ambush on the other mountain pass."

"I think those narrow cliff paths would be too dangerous for the Queen-Reagent," argued Wiccer. "We should take the safer route. Besides, ARO are trained for ambushes, I would know."

"I agree with Wiccer," said Mave. "Wildeye could never survive such an arduous journey. It's madness! If we wanted to take the scenic route, we'd be called the Hiking Social Club instead."

"You would rather risk an ambush?" growled Cade.

"We're the bloody Anti-Rogue Ops! It's in the name, Cade." Mave said with a roguish wink.

"If that's settled, we shall prepare a team and a ship to head to Stratus. We will leave in three days," said Arrelion. "Meeting adjourned."

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