Snippet #1792842

"Are you going to sleep at all tonight?"

"No. Too many things to do."

"Worried about the battle ahead?"

"In a way. Simply winning isn't good enough and I don't much like to take chances."

Beleth simply watched the dark elf as he worked, walking around his camp, sometimes stopping and drawing strange shapes on the ground. It wasn't hard to guess what he was doing even for one not educated in the arcane arts: placing runes and other magic symbols, setting up spells ahead of time. In her eyes, he was worrying too much. Provided nothing unexpected would happen, his army had enough force to defeat the enemy, and if that proved to be insufficient, he always had his magic and her to rely on.

Despite promising her a chance to have fun, he told her to hold back or not get involved with the fighting at all, if possible. That was understandable; she was his trump card, and there was no telling how the gods would react if they knew she was once again free. Or perhaps they did know but took no action yet; either way, Raziel doubted it would remain that way if the demon was to use her power against mere mortals. There was a chance that would actually further his goals considerably, but there was also a chance his plans would be ruined, and that wasn't a risk he was willing to take. What appeared to be the easiest and shortest route to something rarely ended well; it was a small wisdom that helped him countless times before and he wasn't about to disregard it now.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to tire myself out." The Overlord smirked in response to her silent question. "I am not so weak as to let one night of wakefulness hinder me, and besides, I rested plenty on the way here."

"You better be right." The demon said. "It would be quite ironic but a complete waste if you got killed today because of being too cautious." She heard him chuckle, but he didn't say anything. "What are you making, anyway?"

"It wouldn't be interesting if I just told you, would it now?" Raziel answered with a smile. "It's a little something, moderately useful, but highly impressive, for the battle today. Or at least, it should be impressive to most." He added, still focusing on the task at hand. Beleth watched him for a while longer and then went to sleep: whatever the dark elf was planning, it didn't look that interesting right then.

***

Dawn came only too quickly. Inael could feel the anxiety coming from the simple men - and women - around him. They all knew what lied ahead of them, but he doubted any of them were prepared for it. War was never easy, but few of these soldiers ever had the displeasure of dealing with the undead before and never in such numbers. Of course, the army of the living was also the biggest the world had ever seen; problem was, that was as much of a disadvantage as it was an advantage. Communication on the field of battle was never easy, it was hard to properly maneuver and cooperate, which was why the army who had the initial advantage would usually win. That was the case when people from one country fought together, so what was there to say for an army collected from many different lands and species? Even united against a common enemy, communication and trust were still major issues.

All his brothers and sisters were there. It was only natural; regardless of Solis' own reputation, the paladins were universally known as a force for good, free from the corruption of politics. Far it be from them to be absent during the battle that was meant to pretty much decide the fate of the world. They stood apart from everyone else, as always, even if this time it was due to their mission. Their camp was somewhat removed from the rest and hidden behind the hills from the Overlord's eyes; when the battle started, they would ride under the cover of the terrain and strike directly at the man behind all this. It was a suicide mission, mostly, but if they managed to take him down, it would all be over just like that. It was a risk they were willing to take.