Richter looked back at Hisako, “I know you said that time is of the essence, but waiting one more day might give us another fifty-three meidon sprites to join the battle. Don’t forget; their Imbue Arrow skill will be enhanced. It could make all the difference.”
Hisako and Yoshi shared a look. The sword adept cocked his head consideringly and raised his eyebrows. He apparently approved of Richter’s reasoning, but acknowledged the final decision lay with the Hearth Mother said. After a moment, she said, “Fine. It will give us more time to prepare, but we leave tomorrow night. The best time to attack will be before daybreak. It will make a stealth attack easier to perform. We will need to move quickly through the forest.”
“I’ll be able to help with that,” Richter said. “I have bought badges in my War Leader skill that increase movement through forests by 40%.”
“Huh, maybe you will not be completely dead weight,” Yoshi said.
Richter just grunted and ignored the annoying half-breed. Before he could say anything else, Liddle piped in, “You cannot wait. Another one of the prisoners will be killed if we wait a day!” He leaned over the Knowledge Table, blocking their view of the map.
Richter looked at him sympathetically, “I understand that your brothers are still being held, but we have to maximize our chances for success. Launching an unsuccessful attack will only cause our deaths and leave them captive. I know you most likely feel guilty over being free, but I will not send my people to their deaths.” His voice grew firm, possibly even harsh, but he didn’t waver. “Now, please, step back.”
The already soul-weary hill sprite didn’t have it in him to resist Richter’s will. He moved to a chair by the wall and crumpled into it. His pixie hovered by his face, offering solace in his guilty misery.
Richter turned back to Yoshi, “Alright, so we take out the guard station, ideally without being detected. What then?”
Yoshi looked at the map again. “Most of the valley is grassland, but there are woods near the western entrance. Once we are in, the rest of the army will follow us and take up a hidden position in the woods. My team-” Richter leaned towards him with a stern look. Yoshi huffed, but acknowledged the point, “The team will then make its way to the encampment. We have three objectives. Destroying or neutralizing the Bloodstone is goal number one. Freeing the captives is our second objective, and destroying the enemy host is third.”
“Do you perhaps have the first two objectives switched?” Terrod asked quietly.
Yoshi looked at him levelly, one fighter to another, “I serve the forest. All life is precious to me, so please believe me when I say that I feel pity for those poor souls that are trapped by the goblins. The Bloodstone is a danger to the entire forest, however. One has not been seen in centuries. The goblins cannot be allowed to maintain control of it. It could cause the death of thousands.”
“You’re wrong,” Richter interjected.
“I know this may seem harsh, Master Richter,” Hisako said, “but hard choices have to be made.”
The chaos seed shook his head, “That’s not what I meant.” He hated himself for what he was going to say next, but this enemy camp was a real threat. Over the next ten minutes, he explained what he had seen while reliving the Witch Doctor’s memory. When he was done, he clarified his position. “The goblins brought the Bloodstone to the valley. If it is as rare and important as you say…” He trailed off, the implication clear.
Sion was the one who spoke up, “That means that whatever is in the valley is potentially more valuable to the goblins than even a Bloodstone.” From his sad tone, he had come to the same conclusion as his Companion.
“Yes,” Richter said. “Our second priority, if not our very first, is to find and take whatever has drawn the goblins to the valley.”
Not one to waste any time, Yoshi nodded, “Lord Richter is correct. That means we will need to adjust our plans somewhat.” He pointed to Liddle, Terrod, and Caulder, “Attend me. I need to know the capabilities of the Mist Village warriors, and I have more specific questions regarding the valley.”
Richter faded back. As much as he wanted to help, everyone else at the table probably knew more about planning a raid than he did. His ego wasn’t so big that he didn’t know when to follow. Hisako walked around the table to stand next to him. The look she gave him was one of intense consideration.
“What is it?” he asked.
She didn’t respond for a full minute, continuing to stare at him, but then she said, “So much has happened since you have come to the forest. You have found and claimed a Place of Power. You have brought the pixies back to The Land and have grown a Quickening. On the other hand, you seem to have awakened a slumbering, undead evil. And now, mere miles from your village, a Bloodstone has surfaced. An object that features in the nightmares of my people. This is not even the first artifact of evil power that you have shown me.”
Richter knew immediately what she was referencing. When she had appeared with her three hundred strong war party a week ago, he had shown her the crystals that he had gained from the dark aberration. He had been sure that she could help him finish a secret quest, Who Will You Be II. Her reaction had not been what he had been expecting. Hisako had literally hissed when he had taken the black jewels out of his Bag of Holding. It was only after he had put the jewels away again that she had took a deep breath and calmed herself.
She had gone on to explain her reaction. The pure, Dark energy had been anathema to her as a Light Master. According to Hisako, the affinities of everyone in The Land were not randomly allotted, but instead reflected a core part of their being. Hisako had a high affinity for Light magic not just because she controlled a place of Power, but also because whatever qualities Light Magic embodied resonated in her soul. As such, the pure darkness of the gems was equally dissonant to her personality.
It all seemed a bit cyclical and confusing to Richter. It also revealed another facet of his Limitless ability, however. If he could interact with any type of magic or power, what did that mean about his own nature? He didn’t grasp the full implications yet, but in his heart, he knew it would be important in the future.