September 29, 2152
Emory woke up at the crack of dawn feeling completely refreshed. Since the Elandrian wouldn't arrive for a few more hours, she decided to get dressed in a track suit and go for a run. Most of the outpost remained asleep as well except for those on guard duty, so she was able to make her way through the camp rather quickly. Once she made it to the outer wall, she cloaked herself in magik and took off at a steady run. Using Jask to track her location, she had planned to visit a couple of potential battlefields for a firsthand account of them. Emory loved technology and used it for a lot of plans, but she was also the type of person that liked to get an up-close look at the situation as well.
As she bounded across the prairie, she made a mental note of hills and troughs that littered the path. More wildlife could be found as she traveled further from the outpost, The most common kind of large creatures were analogous to deer or antelope but with large horns like bighorn sheep. They had a short blond and tan coat that was speckled with abnormal spots. Standing over four feet at the shoulder, Emory saw them in herds as big as a hundred deer, often hopping three feet high and ten feet ahead with each jump.
Among the small creatures, rodents were the most common. These too hopped along like rabbits unless they were in Emory's running path in which case they bolted away. Birds chirped occasionally but were rarely seen except on the sparsely distributed savannah trees. However, numerous bugs, beetles, and other crawlers frequently flew out from the grass, especially as she dashed by. After an hour of running, Emory finally stopped and surveyed the area thoroughly. Like everywhere she had passed, a sea of dark grass spread out as far as she could see in every direction. But she had stopped here because the land before her sloped down twenty or thirty feet over a distance of a couple hundred feet. The higher ground made it rather advantageous because the grassland was not only lower, but the ground was softer as well. With the right combination of spheres, Emory could lay a trap that covered hundreds of square miles.
Emory gestured with her hand and caused a square foot of grass to grow above her head. Then she waved it again and made a circle of grass around the tall grass wilt. That way when the troops were searching for a rally point, they would have a clear indication of where to go. After she finished, she took off running again, essentially towards the outpost but made with a wide arc. Along the way back, she stopped at two more areas bearing the same characteristics as the first place. Each time she stopped, she would survey the area, move a few feet in a particular direction, and repeat the same marking process she did with the first one. She also marked the locations with Jask, but this way the troops would have a visual indicator of where they needed to go. At the last stop, Emory's area was bookended by a small stream along the eastern side, This was a downstream split off from the water source the outpost used which is why Emory believed it was important to defend this area with a small guard no matter the circumstances. After all, she had no idea what kinds of things the Apleem did to the land when they invaded an area.
Finally, three hours after she left the outpost, she returned to see a much livelier base. Troops were moving all around, and a large group of five hundred thousand or so stood just past the tents in a training formation. Cath, Tethys, and Wolt were standing next to the teleport pad in formal wear, but their solemn faces turned to shock when Emory jogged towards them.
Tethys exclaimed, "Emory! Our guests are going to arrive soon! Where have you been?"
"I went out for a run and a little scouting," Emory scoffed, "I'll go change right away." "She smirked before jogging back to the ship and changing. Since they would be welcoming the new allies, she thought it was most appropriate to wear a standard battle suit under her new armor. As she put on the gold and silver gauntlets, a surge of magik rushed through her body from her head to her arms.
A voice whispered in her mind, "So, you possess my gauntlets as well? Perhaps you are not the small child I believed you to be. If you should find my boots as well, you will unlock a special property of the armor set."
Emory's eyes widened as she thought of the possibilities but quickly shook her head to focus on the matter at hand. Once she was ready, she strolled to the edge of the ship before forming her massive angelic wings. She soared through the outpost back to the teleport pad and landed gracefully before the others whose jaws dropped when they saw her. Wolt even got on the ground and prostrated himself before Emory even though she picked him right up again with the edge of her wing.
"Lady Supreme!" Cath gasped as she got to one knee, "You look legendary, like the true heir of the Aurelias bloodline. This must be like when Merlin himself visited the others."
Emory giggled, "This is just a little show for our new friends. When I was in Arcadia, I always had these on to temper my body better. They don't take too much magik to make, but the continual use of them helps me understand my own power significantly."
Suddenly the platform began to light up, causing Emory to step to the side hastily. The light grew incredibly bright for a moment followed by an all too familiar pop that cut the air like a knife. The next moment, a thousand and one Elandrian troops appeared before them. Each one was wearing a brown cloak underneath a set of pristine blue-silver plate mail armor that included an open-faced helmet, a shining chest piece with leather sleeves, a stunning pair of metal legs, and high-top shimmering boots. The man in front had his head lowered, but his shoulder length black hair reminded Emory of a certain someone. Once the crowd saw Emory's wings, they all got to one knee in front of her. Then the man in front raised his head, revealing a surprising face.
"It's not very often that someone tricks me, but what you did was rather rude," Soren smirked as he looked at Emory.
"Soren!" Emory exclaimed as her eyes swelled up, "I'm so happy to see you! What are you doing here?"
Soren laughed, "I'm dropping off this squad of troops. They are advanced practitioners that will serve as formidable trainers for your troops. And they all came from my territory as well, hence why I wanted to bring them to you myself."
"Thank you for getting them here safely," Emory smiled as she squeezed his hand and turned to the group, "Elandrian, I want to thank you on behalf of humanity for coming to help us prepare to join with you in battle. Cath here will be directing you all to your individual stations." She motioned to Cath when she said this while Cath gave a big wave to the crowd. Cath and Tethys led the thousand troops towards the training area, but Emory and Soren remained near the teleport pad.
"Did you get the last of the troops to your outpost safely?" Soren asked gently.
"Yep. Now, we just need to train them all as quick as possible," Emory replied as she stared up at Soren, "How are things at the front?"
Soren winced, "Actually they assigned me to a different task. We're going to make another push at one of the Mantoan facilities. They've increased the Mantoan force but withdrawn some of the Uthid."
"That sounds dangerous," Emory frowned, "Do you need my help?"
"No, you're needed here. I also have a scouting report for you. The Apleem are building a force just beyond the range of your sensors by the first two planets we visited. We're not sure when they will attack, but they've amassed an army totaling several million at this point. I'd be cautious if I were you," Soren informed her.
"Hopefully, we'll be ready within a couple days if need be," Emory assured him, though it was more for her than him, "I'll take command at whichever site needs me most."
Soren said confidently, "If you're here, I'm sure it will be fine. Unfortunately, I have to get back soon."
"Stay safe. I'll join you when I can," Emory pulled Soren closer and kissed his cheek. He kissed her hand and bowed before disappearing like a flash of light. Suddenly, the link stone in her pocket began vibrating like crazy. Over the course of a few minutes, Gatrie, Nephenee, and Tana all called in to report the Elandrian had safely landed at each of their planets as well. This good news allowed Emory to relax slightly, since each site now had the resources to train a million troops per session, meaning the entire army would train at least once a day. Since all the soldiers were at least level three in one sphere and five overall, they should stand a fighting chance against the incoming threat. It also bolstered her spirits by seeing a slight green glint in many of their weapons, meaning they had been forged with Mentha plants.