Liron chewed on his fingernails, his lip bloody. His guts cramped, and he could taste vomit on his lips, struggling not to throw up again.
Minutes had passed, leaving his nerves raw. Zonis had summoned them into the temple, a map spread on an altar in the middle of the room. Rows of lines encircled the altar, marking where the Sannarians would kneel to pray. Unlike the people of the Empire, they worshipped Harras on their knees.
The others shared Liron's panic. Bran knotted his fingers into one another. He had thrown up next to Liron. Emma giggled to herself, trying to calm herself, sounding like her sanity slipped away from her. Shae had slowed down, quiet as a grave. Her eyes spoke of the thunder raging inside her.
They all searched for a way out of this, failing to find one. Zonis, as their senior, had experience on his side. But even the Whisperer had reached his wit's end. He had trained in the art of assassination and infiltration. He knew how to get past a guard to reach his target. Escaping an imperial army of this size surpassed his pay grade. All his stories and wisdom shattered upon the might Adenius had mustered to end them.
Zonis' fingers hovered above the map, desperate to find some overlooked angle. Something that would allow them to slip out of Adenius' trap. He found nothing. "We have to flee," he finally said, his mouth set into a thin line.
"We can't," Shae said. "They will spot us and…
"I know, Shae, I know," Zonis replied, failing to keep the irritation from his voice. "But the odds are against us. We have no other choice than to…"
"No!" Liron snapped. "We can't just fuckin' leave. The bastard…"
"I understand your frustration, Liron, but neither of us has the expertise in warfare to create a strategy that would allow us to endure until Angin and Wran arrive. Let alone to win. I took leadership of this mission, and I have to weigh our options and risks against one another. And I choose our survival."
"We won't survive shit!" Emma joined in. "Adenius will get us with our pants down! If we fight, we have at least a chance!"
"No we don't!" Zonis shouted. "Believe me, I feel your thirst for revenge, but we will die if we stay or try to fight them! I will not suffer your deaths knowing I could have saved you. Live! See another day, and you will have your chance to avenge the dead!"
"Please," Liron said. "You know that's not true. This might be our only real shot. If I don't kill the bastard, I can't prove myself to the Resistance. I need to join with a big win, or I can't justify all they lost 'cause o' me!"
Zonis' mouth twisted, not responding.
Liron snorted. "The cunt used our strategy against us. We both have no fuckin' time to waste. If I leave, I'll lose my best chance at gettin' him."
"You don't know that," Zonis said. "Time is of the essence, but once we are united with Wran, an army and his Fides will not be enough to stop us."
"Aye, but it'll be too late for that."
"What do you mean, Liron?"
Bran nodded, understanding what Liron left out. "Crafty bastard. It's simple. He's on borrowed time. The army he's usin' must be guessin' that he's at fault for their Warpriest's death. Rumors of Kupferrang have slipped to Military already. In the next day or two, they'll try to get him. Adenius needs to engage us or the Qyoral to buy himself some time. The only thing that'll save him from the pyre is Liron's head."
"If Adenius is killed by Military for his crimes," Shae said, "then Liron and Emma have failed to prove themselves. They would come empty-handed to Elisabeth."
"That's what we're sayin'!" Emma yelled. "We can't leave!"
Zonis rested his hands on the altar, his head hanging low. "I agree. I agree with everything you have said, yet we need to flee."
"The fuck?!" Liron and Emma blurted out.
Zonis slammed his fist on the altar, tearing the map, cracks spreading through the stone. "You don't know anything! We have our backs against the wall. Fleeing will be nearly impossible, and you two will face an uncertain future in the Resistance. I agree with everything, but it is a better option than what you are proposing."
Shae lowered her gaze. Zonis glanced at her, sharing an unspoken understanding. "You are blessed with innocence," the Whisperer said. "You have yet to truly understand the horror of the Eternal War. The imperial and the Qyoral armies are both on the smaller scale of what their rulers can muster. But when they collide…"
Zonis stared at the torn map, his eyes growing distant. He raised them at Liron and Emma, something burnt lurking from the endless blue of his irises. "Remember Kupferrang. Remember how the bodies of thousands littered the streets? How they were violated by Adenius for his foul plans. Remember how the people died and how each fight brought nothing but destruction, scarring the city?
"It will pale compared to what will be unleashed if one army attacks. Their force will crush us. Al Pakris will offer us no hope. This holy place will be nothing but dust they stomp onto. Solia has mercy on us. Should we be trapped between the armies fighting, then you will see how foolish your plan was. But all your cries and begging will be in vain, as it will be too late."
Zonis straightened up. "Adenius will use the imperial army to defeat and kill us. Once his Fides reaches him, he will use it alongside the troops to destroy the Qyoral army. Wran will cleave apart all he has gathered, but it will take time. Enough time for Adenius to flee and save his life.
"The fame he will garner from this maneuver will be enough to guarantee his position as the next Grand Inquisitor." Zonis eyes stared Liron and Emma down, silencing their complaints. "The next thing does not come easy over my lips, but I say it with love. Neither of you is even close in strength, shrewdness, or experience to contribute any meaningful part into ensuring our survival and victory. I cannot promise mercy from Elisabeth should you fail to kill Adenius, but I will not risk this man becoming the head of the Inquisition. The evil he would unleash on us and the Empire cannot be fathomed by any of us.
"This is my last word. As the leader of this mission, I declare that we will abandon Al Pakris and attempt to flee. We will head north, trying to escape the interference radius and contact Angin. We will try to escape Adenius and reunite with Angin and Wran. There will be no fighting or attempt at Adenius' life. Do you understand me?"
Liron and Emma looked around. All the agents as well as Bran and Shae nodded. The siblings had lost them. Only they believed they should stay and fight. But neither had a real strategy to justify risking their lives.
Zonis stared them down, unwilling to move one until they had yielded. "Liron, Emma? I asked you a question, and I won't ask again."
Liron opened his mouth. As he was to answer, a single thought crossed his mind. Angin's shit speech before they had freed Emma. The flames inside of him burned bright again.
"He needs me to win…" Liron whispered.
As he did, the tree appeared in front of him, towering over the scenery. It offered him no blessing and no aid. All it did was instill one thing in him again. Ambition. The hunger for more.
Liron grinned, bringing new life to Emma. Zonis hardened his face. "Liron, I…"
"I know how we defeat Adenius."
"I said…"
"Zonis, please just listen to me. You remember what Angin said before we saved Emma. Our priority was not to kill Adenius but to get her. This was what we needed to win. What does Adenius need to win? Me. He needs my body, or no one will believe him."
Liron stepped in front of the altar, tapping at the map. Where the Qyoral army was located. "So, what happens if they get their hands on me first?"
Emma laughed, a loud and ugly one. Zonis took a step back, his mouth twisting, struggling to speak. "Liron… are you saying…"
He nodded, showing his teeth as he smiled. "We will get the Qyoral to attack Al Pakris first."