Grand Game 566: The Mantle of Leadership

Note from Tom: I've tweaked this chapter slightly to cater for some of the comments/concerns raised.

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Day 7 of Michael’s Deadline

The next day began like any other.

But it was not just any other day. Today was the penultimate day before the battle for the sector—a battle that would determine the future of the forerunners.

The wait was over. And in more ways than one.

Reaching the campfire, I sank down beside Safyre. Everyone else was already there, and this time it really was everyone—all the nagians, all the forsworn, and both wolf Packs. The only ones missing were the ten still-unhomed possessed, Zekiel, Bacheus, Shael, Anriq, and of course, the Reachers. But despite the gathering’s size, no one spoke, no one joked, and the greetings I received were somber and half-hearted.

They know as well as I that by day’s end tomorrow, more than half of us are likely to be dead.

Because without Ceruvax, Farren, and the others, the chances of us minimizing our losses in the forthcoming battle were minimal. Despite this, I knew we had no choice but to forge onward.

Inhaling deeply, I began.

“We can no longer count on the Reachers coming to our aid,” I said, getting straight to the point. “That leaves our forces short of Ceruvax, a player nearly a Power in his own right, Farren, a lich almost as strong as Adriel, five hundred wolfmen, and a fighting force of two thousand elite soldiers.” I paused, letting my words sink. “And what do we have left to face the void with on this side of the rift?”

I swept the surrounding faces with my gaze, but despite the answer being obvious, no one ventured to respond.

“Me, Safyre, Adriel, Ghost, one hundred nagians, eleven forsworn, five other players, and three hundred and thirty wolves.”

I grimaced. “Whichever way you look at it, the loss of the Reachers is a crippling one. Nonetheless, I still intend to take the fight to the void tomorrow. I will fight, not in blind hope, but because I believe we can still win—even without the others.”

I paused. “We will have to curtail our ambitions, though. Without the Reachers, a straightforward victory will not be possible. Nor will vanquishing the void entirely be achievable. Instead, we will have to use subterfuge, feints, and a good old-fashioned bluff to accomplish our true goal—closing the rift.”

I sighed heavily. “I fear the butcher’s bill will be long, though. That is why I asked Safyre to call this meeting. I will fight, but you don’t have to. Anyone who wishes to stand down may do so now.”

I waited a beat, but no one moved.

“The fighting will be bloody,” I warned. “And even with all our preparations, victory is by no means assured. I may die. So may you. We all may. 

“And while I believe our cause worthy, that what we’re trying to build here is worthy of sacrifice—be it your life or mine—you may not feel the same. If so, this is your opportunity to step back. I will not blame you if you do. No one will.”

Once again, no one stirred.

I bowed my head, humbled by their faith. “Thank you,” I murmured. “I will do my best to shepherd us all safely through tomorrow.”

“For the forerunners!” Terence shouted.

“For the forerunners!” Teresa echoed.

Throwing back her head, Sulan howled, her voice echoing loudly across the cavern. Ghost joined in, and soon, all the wolves were howling.

A second later, so was everyone else. 

Nagians, forsworn, it didn’t matter, everyone began hollering and howling, filling the cave with a jubilant roar of sound. 

It was almost as if we’d already won.

“LONG LIVE WOLF!”

“LONG LIVE THE FORERUNNERS!”

“FOR THE ANCIENTS!”

“FOR THE PRIMES!”

Sitting still and quiet under the noise, my lips curved up in a bittersweet smile. If nothing else, I had succeeded in raising the company’s spirits.

But only time would tell what that would count for in lives lost.

✵ ✵ ✵

“Not the most rousing of speeches,” was Sedgwick’s comment when the gathering finally broke up, “but satisfactory nonetheless.”

“I was not trying to rouse anyone,” I said tightly. “I was trying to make sure everyone understood the reality of what we’d face tomorrow.”

Keros chuckled. “A noble ambition, Wolf, but a word of advice. What soldiers need is hope—and not to be crushed by the weight of reality.”

“He gave them both,” Safyre interjected before I could respond, “and did rather well, I thought. Now, off with you two. Michael and I need to talk.” Linking her arm through mine, she drew me away from the pair. “Ignore those two,” she said, once we were out of earshot. “Life has made them cynical.”

I chuckled. “Oh, but I will.”

“It was a good speech,” she said, eyeing me sideways.

“I wasn’t trying—”

“—to give a speech, I know,” Safyre finished for me. “Nonetheless, it was what everyone needed to hear.” She paused. “They will fight better for it tomorrow.”

I blew out a troubled breath. “I hope so.” Glancing down, I inspected the bag containing my latest purchases from Sedgwick. We were going to lose people tomorrow, there was no helping that. 

But the two days I’d spent training had not been in vain. Thanks to my recent level gains—and the items in the merchant’s bag—I had one last opportunity to better our chances of victory tomorrow.

Safyre didn’t fail to mark the direction of my gaze. “You’re venturing out again, aren’t you?”

I nodded mutely.

She sighed. “When do you leave?”

“Now. I’ve delayed my departure too long as it is.” It was late morning already. The arduous training I had subjected myself to the previous two days had finally caught up to me, and I’d awoken later than usual. “I have to revisit the nest,” I explained. 

She nodded, already knowing what I had in mind. “You know we haven’t spoken about what comes after.”

“After?”

“That’s right. Assuming we manage to close the rift—”

“We will,” I interjected firmly.

“I’m not disputing that,” she said gently. “But what will we do after? Without the Reachers, we don’t have the numbers necessary to claim the sector.”

“There are…. options.”

She glanced at me. “Why don’t I like the sound of that?”

“Because none of them are particularly good options.” I grimaced. “Still, without the Bane Wolves and the others, we’ll have no choice but to approach either the brotherhood, the bounty hunters, or the Blades for help.”

Her brows rose. “The Blades, really? You’d approach them?”

“They would not be my first choice,” I admitted. “That would be the brotherhood.”

“I thought as much,” Safyre said. “When will you speak to the huntmistress?”

“Only after the battle,” I replied. Assuming we win.

She stared at me searchingly. “Is leaving it that late wise?”

“Speaking to Kartara before would be less wise, I’m afraid. She is already skeptical enough of the entire venture. I dare not give her further cause to back out.”

My uncertainty about the Brotherhood’s commitment was also the reason I’d not called off the assault entirely. If I asked Kartara to wait—be it for two days, five, a week—I wasn’t sure she wouldn’t simply call the whole thing off. And while I could still see a way to defeat the void tree without the Reachers, I couldn’t see us doing it without the brotherhood stopping the harbinger and nagas from interfering.

So, we had to go ahead—albeit with a truncated plan that would see the rift closed, but not necessarily all the stygians banished from the sector.

“Kartara might not be pleased being lied to,” Safyre pointed out, “even if your lie is only one of omission.”

I sighed. “I know, but we are where we are. It’s too late to change course now.” 

For a moment Safyre didn’t say anything, but then rather than argue the point further as I was half-afraid she would, she moved the conversation on. “So, the nest. Then what?”

“Then I have to rendezvous with Shael and Anriq. It’s past time I met up with them.” 

I would be setting out to meet the pair later than I’d originally planned, but that couldn’t be helped. Revisiting the nest was equally important. Hopefully, the pair would not go on without me.

“You think they have reached the tundra’s exit portal already?” Safyre asked.

“I hope so,” I said fervently.

“And if they haven’t?”

I didn’t say anything. There was nothing to say, after all.

“What about the two nagas?” Safyre asked finally.

My lips turned down. “The hold I have over them will dissipate the moment I leave the sector, but if they’re still in the region when I return, I’ll enslave them anew.”

Safyre nodded absently, but her thoughts were clearly elsewhere. 

“Something else on your mind?” I prompted.

“Yes.” A pause. “Take Nyra with you.”

I frowned. “Nyra? To Nexus, you mean? Why would I—?” My eyes widened in realization. “No.”

“Yes,” Safyre retorted firmly. “Except for the twins, she is the only one you can take.” A pause. “And Adriel has already spoken to her.”

My eyes narrowed. “When?” I asked sharply.

“This morning,” Safyre replied calmly, ignoring my tone. “Nyra knows what must be done, and more importantly, is willing to do what is necessary.”

I shook my head. “I can’t—”

“You can,” Safyre interjected gently. “You know as well as I do that Nyra is the best candidate. Other than you, she is the only scion in our ranks, and for obvious reasons, it cannot be you.”

“But—”

Safyre squeezed my arm. “You’ll only be taking Nyra as a precautionary measure. If your original plan holds true, then all will be well.”

And if it didn’t, I’d been faced with the choice of allowing Nyra to sacrifice herself. I closed my eyes. And as strong-willed as the young witch was, I knew she would take the decision out of my hands.

But given what was at stake, did I have the right to make the choice for her?

No. I didn’t.

“Alright,” I said heavily. “I’ll take her with me.” 

✵ ✵ ✵

Before setting out for the day, I found a quiet spot to calm my turbulent thoughts. The conversation with Safyre was forcing me to face a blunt truth I’d been hoping to avoid: being a leader meant sacrifice. 

And not necessarily my own.

Nyra was just the beginning. Tomorrow, I would face the same choice over and over again. Securing the sector would cost lives—lives I would have to spend.

Sending others out to die, putting them in a position where they would have to choose between their own lives and doing what was right for the faction, was not something I was ever going to be comfortable with, I knew, but it was something I would have to do, nonetheless.

“For the greater good,” I muttered, the very words leaving a sour taste in my mouth. For the greater good, I would have to allow those I’d vowed to protect to sacrifice themselves. 

Starting with Nyra—my apprentice, and a young woman who wouldn’t even be in this position if I hadn’t dragged her along.

“It’s her choice,” Ghost said quietly as she came up to join me.

“I know.”

“We must all make sacrifices in the name of the Pack.”

“I know that, too.”

“Then you have made your peace with Nyra’s decision?”

I sighed. “I have.” And I had.

A pause. “So, when do we leave for Nexus?”

An apt question. Wrenching my thoughts away from my maudlin musings, I ran my hand through the pyre wolf’s coat, giving her my full attention. “Soon. But there are a few things we have to take care of first.”

“Like?”

“Like our player progression.”

Ghost’s ears flicked forward. “You mean it’s finally time to advance my manifest again?” 

“It hasn’t been that long since we last upgraded it,” I said, laughing at her impatience despite myself. “But yes, it’s time to upgrade your manifest—and my imitate ability, too.”

“Then what are you waiting for, Prime? Do it!”

Still smiling, I turned my attention inward and did as she bade.

You have upgraded Ghost’s manifest ability to superior manifest. The fourth tier of this ability allows your familiar to leave her spirit vessel and take shape as a master stygian pyre wolf. When in this form, Ghost’s pyreborn and voidborn traits will advance to tier 2.

The second tier of the pyreborn trait increases Ghost’s fire magic resistance to +60% and the damage she deals with fire-based attacks to +60%. Additionally, the blast radius of explosive entry is increased to 10 yards.

The second tier of the voidborn trait increases Ghost’s nether resistance to +60% and the damage she deals with necrotic attacks to +60%. Additionally, the mist column length of necrotic wake is increased to 20 yards.

Superior manifest also increases the distance from her spirit vessel that your familiar may materialize to 50 yards. It consumes psi or mana and can be upgraded. This is a Class ability and does not occupy any ability slots.

Upgrade complete. Class points remaining: 1. 

Ghost’s Class has advanced to rank 15. 

Ghost’s physical form has changed to that of a master stygian pyre wolf.

“Oh,” was Ghost’s only forlorn comment after trying out her new form. 

I could well understand her reaction. This time around, Ghost's appearance had not changed. Nor has she gained any new traits or abilities. However, her existing traits and previous manifest variants had improved. “It's not so bad as all that,” I said sympathetically. 

“I’m not so sure about that, Prime.” Ghost muttered. “I haven’t changed at all!”

"Oh? Well, there’s the small matter of your nether and fire resistance.”

“What about them?” she asked dejectedly.

“That percentage increase you earned in both? It’s enough to push you over the top.”

“Over the top of what?”

I smiled. “Over the top of one hundred percent. Congratulations, Ghost, you are now totally immune to nether and fire magic.”

That caught her interest. “Totally? As in…”

“Completely. No nether or fire spell will ever hurt you again. Not even the mists can touch you now.” Drawing up the relevant Game message, I read it aloud to her.

Ghost’s nether and fire magic resistances have reached 100%. She is now immune to all hostile nether and fire effects.

The pyre wolf sprang to her feet in excitement. “That’s great!”

I nodded. “It certainly is.”

“I must go tell Elise!” Ghost whipped around, then hesitated, glancing back at me.

“Go,” I said, correctly interpreting her look. 

“I’ll be fine here,” I added, when she still didn’t move. 

“You sure?”

“I am. I’ll finish up my player progression and join you in a bit. Now go!”

Ghost went. 

I watched her for a moment longer, a smile still on my face. Somehow, the pyre wolf always seemed to know how to put me in a better frame of mind. I was fortunate to have her for a companion.

My smile faded. Ghost would also be one of those in danger tomorrow. 

I knew I had no right to stop her—or anyone else under my care, for that matter—from placing themselves in harm’s way, but what I could do was make myself strong enough to protect them when they did.

Lowering my head, I turned my attention to the waiting ability tomes. 

It was time to see to my own player progression.