"About time, let's finish this once and for all—shall we?" said a woman as she turned her body to walk towards the table at the center of the room.
At the corner sat a man—the chains wrapped around both of his arms clinked as he rose to greet Merilyn with a nod.
"Eren, it has been ages since we last met, my brother" Merilyn nodded, placing her palm at Erenhold's shoulder.
Erenhold nodded in reply, not uttering words as he is a mute.
After a while, the two approached the table at the center, where Mezra was already waiting—her hands moving swiftly across the table as she arranged the materials they would need for the upcoming strategic meeting.
With a flick from her finger, Mezra adjusted her eyeglasses before running her hand across the map laid upon the table to flatten it out.
At the side, she placed multiple miniatures of figures that represented soldiers that they would also need before adjusting the light atop the table to properly illuminate the map.
As Erenhold and Merilyn leaned over the table, Mezra then began to place a red pin at a location on the map.
"While you were busy, our space fighters managed to obtain intel." Mezra looked at Merilyn before pointing to the red pin she had just placed with her finger.
"Here."
her eyes narrowed, before continuing.
"This is where the atroxian broodmother of Chasmratt is located—well, most likely."
"And the readings?" Merilyn's brow raised as she asked where the reading was.
With a subtle nod, Mezra turned and walked towards a nearby shelf—retrieving a small handheld device.
With a press at one of the buttons from its side, the device pulsated multiple times before showing multiple values and lines upon its screen.
She then placed the device at the table for the rest to see.
"As you've asked, these are the Eidra readings captured by our scouts when they scoured the area."
Erenhold's eyes widened, before nudging Merilyn as he pointed at the device with his finger.
Merilyn turned to Erenhold in confusion, before shifting her gaze towards the device—her eyes widening in realization.
"Violet marks—and it's all over the place." Merilyn's face hardened.
"It's a Hive Queen."
"Precisely." Mezra replied.
Shifting her hand to pick the figurines at the side of the table, Mezra began to place the said figurines behind and at the end to what seemed to be a very long red line that spanned across the map.
"As my flame wall and the army stationed at the far north continue to hold the atroxian horde back."
Mezra then placed a gray figurine representing a zerafhon soldier behind the red line.
"Evaan's army shall stand here."
Merilyn tilted her head, "They won't come with us?"
She then placed another figurine next to the figurine she had just placed,
"Well, not entirely."
before moving the figurine closely to the red pin.
"Half the army will stay behind the wall to continuously assault the atroxian horde from range.
"And I'm guessing the rest will support us—the moment the Hive Queen emerges." Merilyn added.
"Mhm." Mezra replied with a nod.
"Perfect Enerken and Heria shall stand behind the wall." Merilyn's overprotectiveness shining through.
"They are too green horned to assist us." She added.
Merza nodded, "Very well, if that's what you wish for sister."
After a while, Merilyn crossed her arms to think, imagining the scenario of what would transpire.
"An atroxian hive queen…" she muttered under her voice, "I can say that I have not faced one before." she added as she walked around.
"I have," Mezra replied before continuing.
"And I can say that us three, along with the support of the army—shall suffice."
Mezra then shifted her gaze towards Erenhold.
"Besides, we have Erenhold—his Eidra will prove very beneficial in our fight against the queen."
Erenhold nodded in reply, the chains wrapped around his arms clinked as he gripped towards it with conviction.
"Now then, let's discuss how we will attack the Queen itself and the things that we should watch out for."
Mezra added as she pulled another bundled parchment of papers from beneath the table.
===
As the three continued to talk and discuss inside the tent, the scenery around the headquarters began to rumble as the army of soldiers began to collectively march in unison.
The sounds of hundreds of thousands of soldiers hitting their boots towards the ground as the groaning engines of war machines roared in combination.
Drums of war echoed in the area—a sign of war.
At a high vantage point atop a tower, stood Evaan along with the rest of his commanders standing by his side—the data pads attached on their arms made repeated beeping sounds as their respective battalions stood ready.
With a resounding beep from his data pad, one of Evaan's commander approached him.
"General, the Rods of Jivrel are armed and ready to be moved as per order."
"Good."
Evan nodded before he shifted his gaze towards Mezra's colossal flame wall that loomed across the horizon.
"For now, continue the assault against the atroxians, we must thin them as much as we can before we move as per the battlemasters' orders."
The blasts of arc energy and the shockwave inducing explosions rumbled the ground they stood upon—a continuous and unrelenting assault by the soldiers of zerafhon permitted the air as their general, Evaan—awaited for further instructions from the battlemasters.
After a few more moments, Merilyn and the other two lifted the veil of the tent as they exited it, their faces hardened with seriousness as their body and mind were primed for what comes next.
Seeing that they are done with their discussion, Evaan approached them with a salute.
"The soldiers and the weapons are ready to move," Evaan saluted before continuing.
"We move as per orders."
Merza nodded, "Very well, we will move in an hour from now." She then narrowed her eyes.
"Let's not waste any more time—we won't know when and where they will attack."
Merza sighed before pressing a button from the data pad attached on her arm.
"I have sent you the plans General, half of your army shall stand behind the wall—the rest shall give us support once we assault the Hive Queen."
"Very well." Evaan nodded, before saluting as he quickly turned to head back towards his commanders.
"I shall be with my children meanwhile." said Merilyn as she turned and walked towards the location of Enerken and Heria.