The council chamber echoed with the sound of heavy boots as Lord Vance stormed in, his face twisted with rage. The grand hall was a place of luxury—high ceilings adorned with crystal chandeliers, walls draped with rich tapestries depicting their past victories—but the tension in the air now poisoned its splendor.
"They dare attack us in the open?!" Vance spat, slamming his fist down on the obsidian table at the center of the room. “How did they manage to infiltrate one of our most fortified depots?”
Around the table, the other council members sat in grim silence, the news of the depot’s destruction already spreading through the city like wildfire. Lady Morgana, always the first to speak after Vance’s outbursts, leaned forward, her thin lips curling into a sneer.
"It seems we underestimated the wolves in the dark," she said, her voice dripping with venom. "That wolf girl and her little rebellion have teeth. We gave them too much leeway, thinking they were mere pests."
Duke Esteban, the oldest and perhaps the most calculated among them, adjusted his spectacles as he surveyed the council. "This wasn’t a simple act of rebellion. The timing, the coordination—it was meticulously planned. There must be someone advising her, perhaps even from within our ranks."
His gaze swept over the gathered nobles, and for a moment, suspicion flickered in every eye. Trust among them had always been tenuous at best. This attack only deepened the cracks in their unity.
Lord Vance, still fuming, interrupted. “It doesn’t matter who’s advising her. What matters is the response. We can’t allow this... insurgency to gain momentum. If we don’t act decisively now, the people will see us as weak, and our hold over the city will begin to crumble.”
Lady Morgana nodded, her fingers tracing the delicate pattern of her wine glass. "Then we should strike back. Crush this rebellion before it spreads further. Make an example of anyone who dares support them."
A murmur of agreement spread through the room, but Duke Esteban remained silent, his eyes narrowing as he tapped his fingers on the table. After a moment, he spoke. "A direct response would be satisfying, yes, but it might be exactly what they wants. Every strike we make only feeds into her narrative that we are tyrants. The people are already restless. We must be more cunning."
Vance glared at him. "So you suggest we do nothing?"
"Not nothing," Esteban replied calmly. "We need to show strength, but not in the way they expect. We should cut off their supplies, isolate them. Turn the people against them by framing that hybrid as the cause of their suffering. And, if need be, we should employ... darker methods."
Lady Morgana’s eyes gleamed at his words. "Darker methods, you say?"
Esteban’s face was expressionless, but his tone grew colder. "I have contacts—people who specialize in dealing with insurgencies. People who can make this problem disappear quietly, without risking a full-scale revolt."
Vance, for all his bluster, seemed momentarily intrigued. "And what exactly are you suggesting, Esteban?"
"We eliminate there key figures. Her inner circle. Cut off the head of the rebellion, and the rest will fall apart. But we do it subtly, through whispers in the dark, not open confrontation. Assassins, spies, bribes—whatever it takes."
The room fell silent as the nobles considered the plan. Lady Morgana, ever the opportunist, leaned back in her chair with a sly smile. "I like it. Let them and her rebels feel safe in the shadows, thinking they’ve gained the upper hand. And then, one by one, we snuff out their flames."
Vance, never one to enjoy subtlety, frowned. "It’s not enough. I still want blood. Let’s bring in the mercenaries. Set traps. Burn their hideouts to the ground."
Esteban raised an eyebrow. "We can do both, Lord Vance. But if you want to win, you must learn to be patient. A heavy hand now could backfire spectacularly."
Lord Vance grunted, but he said nothing more. The others could tell he would accept the plan for now, but his thirst for vengeance would not be sated so easily.
Lady Morgana clapped her hands, breaking the tension in the room. "Well, then. It seems we have a course of action. Esteban, you’ll handle the... more delicate measures. Vance, you can deploy your mercenaries in key locations. Let’s make sure we send a clear message to that slave and her followers. They may have won a battle, but they will not win this war."
Luna’s hideout was buzzing with activity. After the depot raid, morale among the rebels had soared, and the dim corridors beneath the city had come alive with a sense of purpose. Plans for future attacks, supply lines, and strategies were being drawn up by her key commanders. Kai, Rose, and the others worked tirelessly, believing they had finally gained the upper hand against the council.
But victory had made them a target.
In a secluded chamber deep in the hideout, I stood with Kai and Rose, going over the details of their next move. The success of the depot raid had emboldened them, and now they were planning to strike at the heart of the nobles’ influence: the treasury, where the council stored its wealth and, more importantly, its gold reserves for the mercenaries they hired.
“It’s heavily guarded,” Rose said, her voice tinged with excitement. “But with the right distractions and a coordinated strike, we could get in and cripple their funds. Without money, their mercenaries won’t fight.”
I nodded, pacing the room as I thought. “We have to act quickly. The longer we wait, the more time they have to regroup. The depot raid was just the beginning.”
Kai, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, spoke cautiously. “Something doesn’t feel right, though. The council isn’t stupid. They’ll retaliate, and I don’t think it’ll be in a way we expect.”
I paused, sensing the weight of his words. "I know. That’s why we need to stay vigilant. This war isn’t just about swords and spells—it’s about outthinking them. But we can’t back down now."
I glanced at Kai, leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed, his face masked in thought. He’d been more cautious lately, more on edge. I couldn’t blame him; the stakes had never been higher, and every misstep could cost us everything. His dark eyes locked onto mine, and I could see the doubt simmering beneath the surface.
“We’ve hit them hard,” he said, voice low. “But that doesn’t mean they’re scrambling. The council’s smarter than that. They’ll strike back, and I have a feeling it won’t be in a way we’re ready for.”
He was right, of course. They were likely already plotting their next move, and if we weren’t careful, we’d walk straight into a trap. But I couldn’t let doubt paralyze us.
"I’ve thought about that," I admitted, stepping closer to the map spread across the table. “We hit the depot, and they’ll expect us to lie low or plan smaller strikes. That’s why we need to take the fight to them before they get their footing back.”
Rose’s hand rested on the hilt of her blade. “We can’t slow down now. We have momentum.”
“But it’s not just about speed,” I said. “It’s about precision. We need to be a step ahead of them at every turn.”
I could see Kai’s hesitation, the conflict in his expression. He wasn’t arguing to undermine me—he was doing it because he cared. Kai had always been the voice of reason, the one who pulled me back from the brink when my emotions got the better of me. And right now, I needed that voice more than ever.
He sighed, pushing off the wall and joining us at the table. “Alright. But we need more than just a plan for the treasury. We need eyes on the council. They’ll retaliate, and when they do, we have to be ready.”
I nodded, my mind racing. “I’ve already sent scouts. We’ll know if the council makes any major moves, but for now, we focus on the treasury. We cripple their funds, and the mercenaries will scatter. It’ll buy us time.”
Rose grinned, her excitement bubbling over. “I’ve already got a few distractions in mind. The guards won’t know what hit them.”
Her confidence was a balm to the unease growing in my chest. I knew we couldn’t afford to hesitate, but that didn’t stop the anxiety from creeping in. This rebellion was bigger than me, bigger than any of us, and failure wasn’t an option.
“Rose,” I said, turning to her. “Start preparing the team for the treasury assault. We’ll need a mix of stealth and force. I want the best fighters ready.”
She gave me a firm nod, already buzzing with ideas. As she left to gather the others, the room felt quieter—heavier.
I turned back to Kai, my voice softening. “I need you to trust me on this.”
He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he studied me, as if trying to see past my resolve. “I do trust you, Luna. It’s not you I’m worried about. It’s what we don’t see coming.”
His words lingered in the air between us, thick with meaning. I understood what he meant, even if he didn’t say it outright. This fight wasn’t just about the council or the nobles—it was about surviving the unknown, the shadows lurking in the corners of our rebellion.
“I know,” I said quietly, stepping closer. “But we’ll face it together. Like we always have.”
His gaze softened, and for a moment, the weight of the world seemed to lift. He placed a hand on my shoulder, a rare gesture of reassurance from him. “Always.”
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-To be continued
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