Steel and Mana

The war room aboard the Camelot was quiet, save for the occasional deeper breaths and shifting of weights as we sat around the main table and rewatched the recordings of the previous battle. It mainly focused on the aerial fight we had, while some of the images were from when we pursued the retreating bastards and shot them down from the sky, chasing them for a good hundred kilometers or so before none remained.

Some of my ground units were now spreading out, making sure that those bastards that survived their fall were put down for good. I didn't want surprises.

I expected someone to ask why we didn't do this from the start. Why not just blast them with the Camelot? However, the question never arose, which I had hoped was because they understood the reasoning behind it. This was the perfect opportunity to give a live experience to our pilots. A trial by fire. In the future, there may be a day when they have to do this alone. Losing a battle then, when there is no way to recover, would have been catastrophic for the pilots and everyone else. Right now, right here, both my Camelot and the Eagle's Nest were present to step up if the worst had happened.

Thinking about it, I leaned over the main table, watching the Imaginary feed replay the aerial battle. However, it was mainly for the others, as I could remember it even more clearly. Kustov sat, two chairs over to my left, arms crossed, watching the playback, his face deadly serious. Across from me, Oleg had a fresh roll of casualty notes in hand, his expression tight but not grim as it wasn't... long.

Yes, we still lost people... But that's war for you. On his right, Seltana adjusted a sliding scale along the Imaginary's edge, filtering the feed to only show plane formations and tactics our people used or came up with on the fly.

"Our final tally is that we lost six planes," I spoke up in the end, my voice ending the current silent streak. "From those, three of the pilots suffered major injuries, but thanks to Mikan, they will be back in service in a week or so. Two are still in a coma; if they can make it through it, they will recover." I added, shaking my head, "And one… his name will go on the wall back home."

"We will have to test the recovering pilots," Ole added quietly, "They may have issues flying again. If that turns out to be the case, we'll find them a different role."

"Make sure that they are honorably discharged if that happens." I agreed, "And make sure these recordings get back to the next generation of pilots' training course. We can build planes, as many as we want. But talented people are the actual, rare resource. Like those two." I pointed at the image, which showed two of our planes, the ones that ended up with the highest tally at the end.

"The pilot's name is Brask. He managed to shoot down twenty-four beasts." Sasha added, reading from her notes.

"He is good!" Yuri whistled while I just smiled,

"We can give him the title Ace, but," I started, pointing at the pair he was flying with, "He isn't a leading material like Captain Lazlow. His kill count is also high, shooting down twelve of the beasts. But what is more impressive is his ability to react and fly. His maneuvers weren't flashy, but they were always precise and well-chosen, keeping him out of trouble. Even when he played the role of bait to let Brask have an open shot... That is good teamwork. Give him the title of Ace, too, along with an award for being an excellent lead of his squadron."

"Yes," they answered at once.

"Also," I continued, "Ensure that his comments and ideas, views are integrated into the training courses. Okay! Let's move on to the ground troops."

"Yes, Sovereign," Oleg nodded, switching the images, "They also took their hits, too. Mostly among the forward cannon teams, getting hit by those..."

"Kamikaze," Seltana whispered, learning the word right after I mentioned it, deriving its meaning by just watching the fight.

"Yes, they. Khm." He nodded, clearing his throat, "We have twenty-two injured, and nine dead. From the injured, all but one were expected to return to duty within a few weeks."

"I see," I exhaled a slow breath through my nose. "Nine, huh? We will have to be prepared for future strikes like this."

"It is still not as bad," Kustov spoke up, "Out of what could've been a massacre, this is a low number. Damn near miraculous. When I was with the Ishillian army, losing nine soldiers would have been legendary... The usual casualty rate was in the thousands when a battle erupted."

"Maybe," I replied, rubbing my thumb along the edge of the desk, "We are too used to not suffering any losses that even nine sounds great. However, that doesn't mean I will be satisfied with it and not work on reducing it back to zero. They are soldiers, yes, but they are my soldiers. My people. I am not happy throwing their lives and potential away when they could be key to our future. We never know, so we must believe them to be the most important part of our army. Our nation. That is what I taught my children, and I can't let any of you forget that." I spoke sternly, looking at them one by one, including Seltana.

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But yes, deep down, I knew what Kustov said was right. Our losses were not just small; they were disproportionately low given the scale of the assault and what people were used to. The new flak cannons had worked, the air patrols had worked, the infantry support, the armors, magical radio connections, bone weapons, blood tattoos, mechs, airships, planes, everything worked… all of it came together like clockwork. Suddenly... I felt like I could do what many Ishilian Emperors couldn't... and go back and forth between this place and the beasts' homeland.

Not that I would mention that thought yet.

"Next…" I looked at Seltana one more time before speaking to Oleg, "Let's begin planning a rotation schedule for the wounded or tired squads. I want fresh cannon operators at the ready. Let those who were active in the fight rest for a few days, rotating them with fresh units to ensure their well-being and replenishment. This was just the first big fight of a long winter, and the second one will not be so easy."

"Understood," they answered with a crisp nod.

"Anything from the Pass?" Sasha asked, seeing that I had finished reviewing the battle.

"My sister has sent some notes," Seltana started, her voice not shaking even once or showing any sign of shyness, "The attacks have been receding."

"Receding?" Yuri asked, furrowing her brows.

"Their intensity and frequency have been constantly dropping. She sent over a chart of the days, down to hourly markings, showing that the way the monsters came through showed a pattern. From the first attack to the most recent ones, they were on an uptick at first. One came, it died, and the next arrived under 48 hours. Then, 24 hours... then... came two. However, over the last week, the stream has begun slowing down. There hasn't been any trying to come through over the past 72 hours and counting. Not even small ones to scout."

"Maybe they finally learned not to?" Mikan offered, but she shook her head.

"No." I hummed, tapping on the table, taking Seltana's copy of Rashira's notes, looking them over, "She is right. And I think the reason is that there is one Pass that has the least resistance. I got the news from Father, the Pass in Avalon barely saw any attacks. There were some, from actually, big bastards, but they dealt with it. This and the third Pass is where they could go through easily... Well, it turns out that now, they only have one remaining open door."

"That... does not sound good," Luna murmured, and I had to agree.

"No, it does not." I nodded, putting the paper down, "I bet the flock we fought were coming this way because those things that came through took over their territory. I don't know how the land will look next year, but I think that the east will have some nasty surprises for us."

Then, as if on cue, there was a knock on the chamber's door, sounding light but urgent. Kustov waved a hand, and a soldier opened it, while another stepped in, holding something against his chest, breathing quickly from running up the stairs within the ship. And to be even stranger... There was a feathered bird in his arms, somewhat looking annoyed to be carried like this, but... patient enough not to peck his eyes out.

"A hawk, my lord," he said.

"I can see that." I smiled, joking a little, but he just stiffened, before continuing.

"Um... It... Landed in the middle of the forward camp without warning. It allowed itself to be handled... and... Its... Its legs! It bears a seal."

"Excuse me!" At that, Seltana's head snapped up, and after I nodded, I let her stand up and take the bird away. "Let me see!"

The soldier crossed quickly and opened his arms. The hawk, looking sleek, golden-eyed, and proud despite the clumsy handling by my people, turned its head and chirped once when Seltana finally took him over. I didn't need to be an animal expert to know that the bird, even if just somewhat, recognized her. While watching, I noticed the thin scroll tied to its leg, sealed with deep red wax pressed into a small symbol I couldn't make out from where I was sitting. Not that it mattered, it was from the Khan, that was evident enough.

"As I guessed," Seltana's brows furrowed. "This is from my Father's personal collection... It is one of his private birds."

"Well, let us hear what Tula-Khan of Khulman wants to say to us." I gestured for her to break the seal and read the letter for us. She only hesitated once before opening it and beginning to read it aloud.

"To Sovereign Leon of Avalon,

From Tula-Kahn Rhanak, Emperor of Khulman and 99th Son of the God of War.

A horde unlike any we have seen is approaching from the far northeast. I have already lost a dozen riders to gain early knowledge of the incoming death wave from the Dead Lands. My soldiers are fearless, and we are preparing our defenses. Khulman will withstand it as it has so many times.

We stood alone during the last two long winters. We triumphed then, doing it on our own. But now, as their Khan, I have a duty to do all in my power to ease the burden on my warriors' shoulders.

Avalon has spoken of an alliance. Of unity before. I have sent my daughters to you. Now it is time to demonstrate that none of these words are empty promises.

Come now, and show us the truth of your convictions.

See you on the glorious battlefield, Tula-Kahn Rhanak."

Well... what a fancy way of asking for help. Heh, he has a brash personality, huh? Not that I am going to take offense at that.

"My father is," Seltana started as she rolled the scroll back up, already guessing what some people may think, but I waved a hand at her.

"It is okay, he is right. So far, we have shown little to no evidence to support our claims. Kustov!"

"Orders?" He saluted, standing to attention.

"Prepare the Camelot for immediate departure," I said. "We leave for Khulman within the hour."

"Right... now?" Seltana asked, but everyone else, including Oleg, just gave a tight nod, already turning to relay the instructions. Seltana stood still, staring at the hawk now perched on the corner table, calmly preening its wings, then back at me, "You're really going," she said quietly, because the ship burst into action at once, people leaving the war room in a hurry.

"Of course I am," I smiled, "They reached out and I won't leave them to face it alone. I was serious when I sent Lancelot over to your home."

"We... I...." Seltana hesitated, then offered a small smile. "He won't forget it."

"The Khan doesn't strike me as the sentimental type." Yuri chimed in, unbothered that we were going away. It was the plan after all... to spend the winter on the Camelot and appear where it is most needed.

"No," she agreed, looking into my wife's eyes. "But Khulman remembers deeds done in the name of true friendship."

"Avalon thinks very much alike," I chuckled as I turned toward the window in the room. I could see the snowy plains beyond Markoth slowly shifting in color as the day was turning into night, making me sigh, "And we are not leaving a friend in need to fend for himself."