The remains of their forces limped back to base to celebrate. Rescue crews were sent to the shoreline in case any of the pilots or wounded made it out of the infested waters. Nobody was holding out hope, but they kept vigilant. Any survivors were to be brought in for treatment. Any insurgents were to be reported and brought in for questioning. So far, the mutations had gotten them all.

Emma followed the professor on their tour of the Conclave, marvelling at everything she saw. It was like stepping into another realm, completely contradicting everything she was led to believe about the Conclave. She peered over the balcony to watch the children play in a smaller courtyard where another class was being taught.

Balthazar’s spell teleported the group into an open space safely on land. They crashed onto the ground and landed in an array of poses, some more prepared than others. The trained and experienced mages found their footing and landed in a crouch, while the rest stumbled onto the grass getting the wind knocked out of them. “Apologies for the landing” Balthazar said, brushing himself off once he rose to his feet.

The mortals peeled back as the fleet forged ahead, pushing towards the shoreline. The mages all breathed a sigh of relief, believing the battle was over. But then they heard the rumbling engine above their heads.

Everyone instinctively dove to the floor when the metal contraptions rocketed past the ship. The Embezzler rattled and shook as air currents buffeted them. The frigates escorting them veered out of the path, swaying violently as the sails fluttered. The crew leapt into action on all the ships to keep them steady. They reoriented themselves in seconds. Nobody was injured. Everybody was startled, however.

The mess was the most elegant room on the Embezzler. It needed to be because this was where the royal family would entertain guests who travel with them. These guests could include delegates from neighbouring districts, politicians, or even leaders of sovereign states.

With the new allied forces scattered around the world, finding suitable staging areas for operations was difficult. Luckily a military fortification in Ukraine had survived most of the apocalypse thanks to intervention from Russian soldiers. In another time and place, an invasion from mother Russia would’ve been considered an act of war. But when the mutations overran the cities, the civilians welcomed the troops with reverence. The Russian military now had a strategic locati

They sat at the table in their kimono garb, the silence hanging in the air while they ate. Scarlett didn’t have much of an appetite and just pushed her food around with her fork. Shade looked at her from across the table, his dark hair hanging over his eye. He sighed. “What?” he asked.

The Realm disappeared over the horizon as they entered the open ocean. They were still a few hours out from the Storm-Line, so everyone milled about on deck watching the blue sky while they still could.

They sat in the courtyard on their mats, looking out over the valley with their eyes closed. It was midday and the cool breeze was blowing through their hair.

The two captains arrived at the General’s office one after the other. The door was closed and there was no answer when Shaw knocked. He must be unavailable , she guessed. But she was instructed to report here on this hour, so she waited. She was surprised when Clark arrived, receiving the same instructions.

The day of the launch arrived and the hanger was bustling with activity. The fleet was being loaded to the brim with equipment that’s how it and supplies and soldiers. Crew men gathered to ready the sails while engineers checked over the enchantments that will get them airborne. They had decided their route into the Unknown Region would remain in air, with all the precautions necessary. General Hanson oversaw the allocation of personnel, speaking with six captains who all had

Shade tossed and turned on the wafer thin mattress of his cot, unable to settle. Kept clutching at the sheets, his face contorting as the nightmares plagued him once again. He relived the horror of discovering the truth, hearing his own screams as well as those coming from everyone around him. He watched from an outside perspective as he lost control of his magic, putting everyone in danger. In his dreams, it felt like he had killed everyone. He wouldn’t wake up until he felt

Valerius found himself rather intimidated at the thought of approaching the Oracle. He was the High-King and ruler of the Realm, yet this old woman scared him more than anything else. “ Do not underestimate the power of the Oracle”  his own father had told him when he was young and being groomed for the throne. “ She can see more than any mage in all the lands. Her wisdom should be heeded with caution. Her motivations may not always coincide with our own. And she will never g

Once upon a time, the hospital was packed with wounded in the war on a daily basis. It was the largest medical centre in the capitol where patients from every surrounding district would be brought to when their respective healers were overwhelmed. The Citadel had its own medical wing, which was were the Guard would be treated so they wouldn’t affect the civilian treatment. As High-Princess of the Realm, Emelia Knight had the opportunity to visit the hospital to see the patien

Since building up a new communications network worldwide, getting transport around the globe was becoming easier. Still treacherous, but they had started mapping safe routes from one country to another by land and air. Outposts and transit hubs were established at key locations to make travel easier. Within a day, they could travel from the UK to China with one single helicopter flight. From the United States, there was an additional road trip, which only took a couple of hou

The transports picked them up and brought them across the wasteland, returning Clark and his team to their headquarters in this area.

The grey sky hung over their heads ominously like a blanket, blotting out the sun shrouding the wasteland in darkness.