There were nods from the watching soldiers, tensed shoulders relaxing, even some smiles.
‘You have heard about Lady Cavendish, suffering in captivity for all these years. You know of the goblins, and the thousands of eggs that are waiting to hatch. These four teams will be leading an expedition, deep behind enemy lines, to eliminate these threats. It is as dangerous a mission as I have ever signed off on. Each and every one of these young warriors is risking their lives to keep our country safe. I want you to keep that in mind when the dwarven and elven recruits arrive on the front lines.’
He paused, and Fletcher’s eyes flicked to the blackened earth beyond the crowd, where the aftermath of the recent explosion was still visible.
‘We lost forty-three good men last night, in a senseless, brutal attack. The men who did it are just that: men. The dwarven elders have condemned the attacks over and over again, pronouncing that these atrocities are not done in their name. I want you to remember that too.’
This last statement was met with frosty silence, some shaking their heads, others simply looking on impassively.
‘The Celestial Corps will arrive soon, along with the teams’ jungle guides and demon sponsors. I want you all to show them your appreciation for the sacrifice these young men and women make today.’
As applause broke out, tiny dots appeared in the clouds, at first circling like bees around a honeypot, then growing larger until they filled Fletcher’s vision with enormous, flapping wings. There were dozens of them, all powerful flying beasts that spiralled in perfect formation.
Lovett landed lightly beside them, the click of Lysander’s claws barely making a sound. The Griffin folded his wings and kneeled beside Fletcher.
‘I can fit two of you,’ she whispered, pulling Fletcher up alongside her. Sylva slipped wordlessly behind him, a thin sheen of sweat on her forehead. She lay her head on his rucksack, grasping him around the waist tightly.
‘It’ll be fine,’ Fletcher said, though unconvinced of his own words. There was no movement from Blue. It was as if the gremlin knew he should be silent.
Another demon landed alongside them, hooves clopping on the ground. It was an Alicorn, one of the rarer demons in Hominum’s arsenal. Fletcher admired the beautiful white pelt and swanlike feathers, its body moving gracefully among the crowd of students. It looked like a large horse, but for its broad wings and a long cone of a horn that erupted from its forehead.
The rider’s face was obscured by his leather cap and wide goggles, but he waved Cress and Othello aboard and then pulled them up beside him, their short stature making it difficult for them to mount themselves.
More demons followed, each landing accompanied by a cheer from the watching soldiers. Hippogriffs swooped in; like Griffins in physical form but with the body and back legs of a horse instead of a lion. Antlered Perytons clattered across the stage, appearing for all the world like elven elk but for their large, tawny wings, elongated tail feathers and the razor-sharp talons on their hind legs.
There was even the occasional Chamrosh, miniature Griffins but with a hawk’s head and wings and a dog’s body and mannerisms. These were too small to be ridden – only twice the size of Athena, perhaps. They instead provided much needed support and were excellent companions to the primary demons of the Celestial Corps.
Fletcher was amazed. He had never seen such an array of demons, especially such large and powerful specimens. He had become used to seeing the same demons at Vocans, and had almost forgotten the variety of species Hominum had at its disposal.
He was also glad to see no Gryphowls. Athena was a rarity, and he was looking forward to allowing her to stretch her wings on the flight. He had made sure that Ignatius and Athena were infused within him for as long as possible before the mission, so that they were well rested and had recovered as much mana as they could. Still, it felt strange to be without Ignatius for so long, and Athena’s presence within his consciousness had taken some getting used to. Though she intruded rarely in his thoughts, as to be expected from a well-trained demon, Fletcher was still finding it hard to direct instructions to just one demon’s consciousness at a time.