"It will take approximately a month for the imperial troops to arrive," Jolto informed from his seat at the head of the table, "We can expect exactly twelve thousand soldiers, sent with three months' worth of rations."
"Twelve thousand?" Ryula echoed, "That is no small force, even with the rations to supplement their diets for a time; feeding that many people is a logistical nightmare."
"Yes, but fortunately, our granaries are full from the additional taxes we implemented during the interim," Dantu spoke while stroking his beard, "At the very least, we'll have food to keep their stomachs full."
"Hmm, easy to say, when you're not the one in charge of organizing the supply chains," Ryula remarked with an impassive visage, making Dantu's brow twitch in annoyance, but he didn't respond.
"Of these 12,000, do we know how many have ascended to the Realm of Spirit Manifestation?" Fal asked, bringing the conversation back on track.
"2000 is a reasonable guess," Ryula answered, "Reaching the Manifestation Realm is the requirement to be promoted to Lieutenant. Every captain oversees a cohort of five hundred infantry, "
"It's up to five hundred now?" Fal muttered, scratching his cheek, "Back in my day, there was a captain for every one hundred soldiers."
"This era of stability has dulled the Empire's blade," Jolto muttered, "No doubt the Empire is looking to use the upcoming conflict as a whetstone for the Imperial Army and to see which of their vassals shows the most promise. It is vital that we are among those few."
"Then it's vital that we establish a presence in the outskirt villages," Ryula insisted as she waved her hand summoning a detailed map of the immediate area, "This war will be a battle of attrition, meaning our advantage lies in our ability to prepare. Xuha, Gyuan, and Noau are all excellent candidates for fortified encampments. They are all within a day's travel of each other, given that we create proper rapid response teams."
"No matter how long or how well we prepare, it will all be negligible after the first decade," Dantu said, his voice rising above Ryula's, "We're not dealing with a standing army that follows the traditional art of war. The more passive we are in our approach the more of a target we'll appear to be. Our aim should be to strike first and repel any invaders from our providence. Their fear will be our first line of defense."
"Fiends have no fear," Fal corrected as he spoke up, "You won't be able to scare them off, nor can we survive a sustained siege for years on end."
"You're rather quick to criticize Fal, but what good is critique if you have no alternative to our strategies?" Ryula replied in a natural tone, though her gaze was anything but passive.
Fal sighed, "I have one, however none of you will be in favor of it."
"Stop acting like a scorned child and speak your mind already," Dantu scoffed already growing tired of Fal's antics.
"And here I was about to parrot your wisdom," Fal shook his head, drawing glares from his fellow elders, "Fine, I'll get on with it. Dantu was right to point out that we're not facing an army, and treating them as such will only harm our efforts."
"Then what should we treat them as?" Jolto asked his gaze softening as he listened to Fal's words.
"A beast horde," Silva spoke up from his seat on the floor next to Fal, his voice drifting into the conversation like a breeze from the mountaintops.
"A beast horde?" Vranga muttered almost mockingly as he stared at Silva, sat to Dantu's right with his injured arm wrapped in bandages.
"Their differences are almost negligible; the warband is a group of otherwise independent Fiends under the command of one who is much stronger, just as a beast horde forms in the presence of a Beastlord." Silva continued.
"But once the Lord is dispatched, all semblance of structure collapses, and the natural order is restored," Tenga finished, a small smile spreading across his fair lips, "What a novel way of thinking."
"Hmm, then you are suggesting that our target should be the Warfiends," Jolto clarified, directing his question at Fal, "I assume that you have some strategy around this?"
Fal nodded, "Obviously, we can't throw ourselves at our enemies and expect to come out victorious every time. Our best bet is to employ a series of hit-and-run attacks with specialized strike teams, weakening the Warband while gathering information on their rank and file before dedicating ourselves to a life-and-death battle."
"You said that we would object to your plan, yet I find it shockingly reasonable," Ryula commented, her eyes piercing Fal like a hawk.
"To have the greatest chance of success these teams should be comprised solely of our most promising soldiers, additionally we should only engage our enemies in an environment that favors our ability to disappear without being tracked down," Fal continued with a knowing smile as he pointed to the map, "Unless the Duru and the Ghara Clans are completely overwhelmed there is only one direction a Warband can approach, from the south, meaning they'll have no choice but to pass through the Verdant Wilds."
"You can't possibly be suggesting that we should attempt to intercept the warbands within the wilds?" Dantu asked somewhat pointlessly, as Fal's intent was clear.
Fal grinned, "I said none would be in favor of it."
"It is a rather risky strategy, but it does have its advantages," Ryula voiced her opinion with careful consideration. "It would leave a vast majority of our forces to defend the province and potentially even divert the attention of the Warbands to eliminating the strike teams themselves…I don't see many volunteering to join such an operation."
"Indeed, and finding suitable leaders for these teams will be even harder." Dantu chimed in as well.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken," Fal grinned, "The leadership has already been decided. It only makes sense that those gathered today could be trusted with such a critical task. "
Jolto let out an unimpressed grunt, "And there's the true reason why we would object."
"It makes the most sense," Ryula said with a slight sigh, "In fact, I don't see such a strategy working in any other scenario. Even the weakest Warfiend is to be taken seriously."
"This is foolishness!" Dantu swore, "The Verdant Wilds are treacherous enough as it is; trying to fight an armed force within their depths is a death wish."
"Fine, you can remain at the clan, but I would like permission to go forward with my plan," Fal responded, sending a glance Jolto's way.
"We'll see once the troops arrive," Jolto replied after a second, "At the very least, we'll need a scouting force."
"Hmm, I can live with that," Fal grinned before promptly standing up, "I don't believe there's anything more I can contribute to the conversation so I will excuse myself and Young Master Silva, his foundations are still in need of some consolidation."
Silva rose as well, and when no one objected, he and Fal left the room.
"How is this possible?" Dantu muttered after a moment of silence, no longer able to contain his frustration. "I can feel it in his aura; Fal isn't lying about Silva recently breaking through. But I refuse to believe his claim about the boy's rapid ascension."
"As improbable as it may seem, Fal isn't the kind to lie about such a thing," Ryula pointed out, "It would also explain his rather diminished presence ever since the Patriarch entered seclusion."
Dantu snarled, "It must be a cover for something else!"
"Or perhaps he is simply that talented," Ryula stated plainly, "Chosen by the heavens themselves."
"After living as a mortal for years?" Dantu scoffed clearly not believing the excuse.
"Perhaps it wasn't the heavens that intervened," Tenga suddenly spoke up, "Father did visit Silva the day before he entered seclusion. Maybe they exchanged more than just words."
"You must be joking!" Vranga exclaimed, his jaw slowly clenching with anger, "Do you think father would be so stupid as to waste a fate-changing treasure on a mortal bastard? Where would he even obtaion such an item?"
"It is possible that the Patriarch purchased something during the Imperial Auction in private," Ryula mused after she and Tenga shared a look for a split second, "As for his reasoning, the patriarch could have been looking to clear his mind of any distractions or regrets he felt to be holding him back."
"There is a difference between settling the mind and wasting a potentially priceless treasure," Dantu's voice came out in a clipped and measured tone, one of carefully controlled anger, "I remember when the boy attempted to cultivate in his youth. It took a spiritual healer to pull him from death's grasp, and he was left perpetually ill. Any treasure capable of healing that kind of damage and granting such tremendous talent should have been divulged to the family to deliberate its use!"
"If there was even a treasure to begin with," Jolto suddenly spoke up, fixing Ryula and Dantu with a leveled gaze that pinned them in place, "But at this point all of this…talk. Is nothing but speculation, in the future I would think twice before assuming and criticizing the actions of the Patriarch."
Dantu's jaw clenched as he forced himself to nod, "Of course."
Ryula nodded as well though her movement was far more natural.
"This council is over," Jolto suddenly announced before standing, "We'll reconvene three weeks from now. In the mean time prepare for the turbulent times ahead. Do not let these recent events distract you from your duties."