Return of the Demon Sovereign (Book 2) [MxM]

73. War

Halcyon pulled back slightly, a smile playing on his lips. "A grudge is nothing compared to the satisfaction of knowing he's gone—for good."

"I agree. But unfortunately, we have another issue at hand," Erebus said. Halcyon nodded in agreement, and they pulled away.

Erebus turned back to his forces. They stood ready behind their respective captains and generals, prepared for battle.

"We will strike from the shadows, dismantling their ranks until Jericho stands alone," Erebus ordered. "Each of you knows your role. Stick to the plan, follow your captains, and we'll take them down, one strike at a time."

The army tapped their belts, letting out a resounding ring to show their understanding.

Leo coughed lightly, drawing Erebus' attention. "Any words of encouragement?"

Erebus hesitated, running a hand over his face as he wrestled with how to encourage these warriors. The weight of their silent expectations pressed on him. He saw the flicker of hope in their eyes, but he knew the truth—he couldn't offer them illusions. He had tasted the bitterness of broken promises and lost comrades. This battle would be hard, and he wouldn't lie to them.

"In the Maymer Woods," he said steadily, "there's a graveyard filled with Shadowbane soldiers and their allies—each one a casualty of a lost battle. And there are more like it, scattered across the realms, soaked with the blood of our ancestors... all fallen to Jericho's tyranny."

He met their gazes, his voice rising. "Shadowbane has fought for far too long. We've struggled. We've sacrificed. We've lost pieces of ourselves we'll never get back. But we've persisted. We're too damned stubborn to give up."

His tone hardened. "I'm not here to promise you victory. No grand speeches, no empty words. The outcome depends on each one of us."

Erebus paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "But if any of you fall in this battle," he continued, "find our comrades in the Aether. Tell them we endured. Tell them we clawed our way into a new era."

"Tonight, carve your names into legend! Let the shadows sing of our valor!" He raised his daggers high, the familiar Gramr gleaming in the dim light. The soldiers gasped as they recognized the blade. "Fight, Shadowbane!"

The soldiers roared, their weapons raised in the air. Their voices shook the rune that concealed them, but Erebus didn't care. Let them be heard. Let their war cry be the sound of Jericho's impending doom.

The army's morale was high as they moved into position around the Hagan estate. The Shadowbane forces spread out in small units, each assigned to different vantage points and hidden spots across the sprawling grounds.

A team of scouts crept along the estate's perimeter, quietly dispatching sentries and clearing the path for the rest. They left no trace, no signs of intrusion. However, any warrior worth their mettle had a sense of foreboding, and some soldiers in Jericho's army began to grow wary. They shuffled their feet, eyes scanning the walls and trees in the distance.

Once the perimeter was secure, smaller squads specializing in ranged attacks scaled the walls of the estate's outbuildings, using the shadows to stay unseen. They positioned themselves to overlook Jericho's forces.

Meanwhile, Erebus and Leo moved with their teams toward a nearby copse of trees, using it as a base for coordinating the next phases of the ambush. From here, they could observe Jericho's forces directly and plan each stage of the assault. At the same time, they assessed the enemy's defenses and movements, ready to adapt their approach if needed. Erebus' mind worked swiftly, mapping out paths for his troops to attack and retreat seamlessly. If everything went as planned, they could prevent Jericho's forces from counterattacking.