Clink. Clack. Clink. Clack.

  Tucker sat on the wooden chair, leaning back as it softly groaned in protest. He flicked the lid of the metal lighter open before snapping it back shut. Even now, he couldn’t break his bad habit of fidgeting with something. Maybe it was because of stress, or the burdens resting on his shoulders. But now he didn’t feel an ounce of fear.

  He was in a closed brick room. Not a sound could escape through the walls. They didn’t bother with any fancy decorations or complicated furniture. Instead, a simple table was constructed from exterior wood, accompanied by several wooden seats put together rapidly. It wasn’t much, but it met their needs since this was only a temporary coalition of forces.

  His gaze swept across the table at the men who had answered his call. They all trusted him with hardly any proof, on just his word and a whim. And for that, Tucker couldn’t help but be grateful for their service. Around the table were Max, Liam, Jones, Brian, Ethan, and Ray. Besides Brian, who would help him spearhead the operation, the rest were assigned to their respective iron coffins, leading a platoon of men into the jaws of hell.

  Together, the men had run through the plans many times to find any flaws. Ray had gathered whatever information he could find on Ironmarch County, and surprisingly, it seemed like an ordinary piece of land. There wasn’t a city with walls anywhere close to the Emerald Tower. Just a forest with a single tower reaching for the heavens.

  If there were any issues, it would have to be underground or within the tower itself. But as of now, they had gathered many layouts and floor plans of magic towers throughout the Empire. Even though there were some discrepancies, overall the Emerald Tower’s structure never changed.

  Tucker placed the lighter on the table and stared at each one of them. “If we’re going to do this, we need to do this right,” he said in a firm voice. “Those of you leading the platoons have already visited the Forged Fellowship, correct?”

  They all nodded at once.

  “Good, then that means Thomas has shown you the inner workings of the iron coffins,” Tucker said. He examined each one of them and searched for a sign of uncertainty. Once his eyes met Liam’s, a look of doubt surfaced in the young man’s eyes.

  Liam clenched his hand into a tight fist on the wooden table. “I… I don’t know if I have what it takes to lead a platoon,” Liam mumbled. “I mean… there are others who are far more capable from the Order, or even the Knights of Hearthfire and Lionheart. So… why did you choose us?”

  Tucker stared at Liam, his expression hardening. “Before I answer your question, tell me—what traits do you think I’m looking for in a leader?” he asked calmly.

  “I don’t know,” Liam replied. “But if we’re looking at pure capabilities, then Jones and I are far from it. We’re only three-star aura users.”

  “If it were strength, then Captain Maystone would’ve taken the position since he’s formed his sixth star recently, but that’s not the case,” Tucker said. “I’m looking for those I can trust to lead, people who have established trust with the soldiers around them. Something you and Jones have both done.”

  “But will it be enough?” Jones asked softly. “It’s not like we have much experience in this.”

  Brian slapped Jones’s shoulder and grinned. “Have more faith in yourself. From what I’ve heard, you and Liam have trained hundreds of soldiers for the war. If someone like you couldn’t be trusted, then I don’t know who could.”

  “That’s only because of what we learned from Tucker, Ray, and Eric,” Jones replied. “If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t be here.”

  “Neither would Captain Morgan and I,” Max commented. “We all learn from each other and from those who came before us. It’s the fact that you two keep passing on that knowledge not for some reward or shiny medal. But because you believe it’s right, that makes you so trustworthy.”

  Tucker stared at the pair from the Thirty-First. “They’re right, you know? I called you because I believed you had what it takes to lead others. It’s at times like these where you need to realize that you aren’t an impostor. You’re a valuable member of the team that I know I can rely on.”

  Jones and Liam looked at them with eyes filled with conviction and warmth. They soon nodded while holding onto the pages laid out on the table. All of them settled in their seats. Tucker glanced over at the door that was still slightly ajar. In an instant, Ray rose and shut the door with a dull, final thud.

  None of the men at the table moved, but they felt it in their chests. Ray glanced over to Tucker and moved to his side, standing at attention with his hands before his lap. Their commander, Tucker, rose from his seat and stood at the head of the table.

  His hands braced against the wooden frame. He didn’t start right away. Instead, he let the silence stretch. These were the last quiet seconds of peace the men would get.

  “Alright,” Tucker’s voice broke the silence. “This is the final run-through of the plan. We’ve already tried every alternative that we could think of, and none of them would bring us as close as this.”

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  He gave one last nod, seeing as they were all ready. “It’ll be rough. There’s no telling what anti-air defenses they have, but our operation will begin at the dead of night.” He pointed to another map laid out on the table. “We’ll be entering from the Dwarven Realms. Since it’s the Emerald Tower, it’ll be safe to assume that their defenses would be equally strong on all other sides.”

  Ethan gave a firm nod while cupping his hands on the table. Liam and Jones focused on Tucker, steadying their resolve. While Brian and Max didn’t utter a word, already knowing the cruel fate that awaited them.

  Tucker tapped the map pinned on the stone wall once more. “At dawn, the iron coffins will arrive here with our escort, the Wyvern Knights of the Ardent. They will be our primary method of transportation.”

  He pointed to the rough diagram of the Emerald Tower, noting the layouts per floor. “Our goal is to breach the midsection of the tower. Odds are the artifact we’re looking for is at the top levels. It is a dark sphere void of light with golden rings encompassing it. Refer to the drawing on the table for a better picture.”

  All of them nodded.

  “I’ve already checked with the technicians managing the teleportation platforms in the kingdom. They have agreed to assist us with the operation, but it won’t be to send reinforcements.” Tucker looked them dead in the eye. “It’ll be to seal the Tower’s teleportation device so that no one can escape.”

  Ethan let out a quiet breath. “Are you sure that the combination will still work when we begin?”

  “It will,” Ray answered. “We’ve confirmed that it’s still being used as we speak. Minutes before we reach the destination, the technicians will use a relay system to flood requests to their platform, blocking it out entirely.”

  “That’s right,” Tucker continued, pointing to the diagram. “If our information is correct, then most likely the teleportation platform will be on the third to fifth floors. If we breach those floors, then we’ll have a damn good chance at shutting it down before they know what hit them.”

  “And from there it’s just a matter of clearing the tower,” Brian muttered.

  “Precisely. There’s no telling what we’ll encounter there,” Tucker said. “But it’s safe to assume it’ll be something we’ve already run into, such as magic golems, knights, and possibly demons.”

  Their expressions grew grim, except for Max and Ray, who grinned at the challenge.

  “What about the demons?” Ethan asked.

  “We’ll have that covered,” Ray said, pointing to himself and Max.

  “If it’s knights, then Captain Morgan will lead his men and intercept them. If it’s militiamen and magic golems, then it’ll be up to Liam and Jones. Captain Maystone, Ray, and the Knights of Renown will handle any demons or foes beyond the limits of mortals,” Tucker said. “Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, sir,” they all said.

  “What happens if we get the artifact?” Brian asked. “How are we supposed to destroy it? Or should we use it against the Empire?”

  All of them looked at Tucker, waiting for an answer. The idea of using the artifact against the Empire never crossed his mind, but as he thought about a sea of blood crawling into the depths of the artifact, he discarded the notion. Such a device wasn’t worth keeping and would only make their kingdom an enemy against all other nations.

  “The lives we would need to sacrifice just to use it already invalidate the cost,” Tucker said. “We would need to sacrifice hundreds, possibly thousands of lives just to trigger it.”

  “A cost not worth taking,” Ray pointed out.

  “And as for how we’ll destroy it, my guess is that by scattering the engraved golden rings, we’ll be able to destabilize it and render it useless.”

  “Simple enough,” Max said with a grin.

  “How many mages are we expecting to be there?” Ethan asked.

  “It’s hard to say,” Ray replied. “At least a hundred, with a few high-ranking mages. The primary concern isn’t them; it’s the garrisons from the other cities.” He grabbed several stone markers from the side and set them onto the map on the table. “We’re estimating these cities to have full garrisons of a thousand men each, excluding the possible knight orders.”

  Brian gazed at the map and frowned. “That leaves us an hour or two to complete our operation and get out.”

  “If we finish before they arrive, we’ll make a break for the dwarven realms,” Tucker said.

  “And if we don’t?” Liam asked.

  A long pause took hold of everyone there. Tucker didn’t say a word and stared at each one of them. If they had gone with their original plan with the Order, then various operations would be taking place at the same time to stall for time. However, now they didn’t have the luxury. It was all or nothing, and they had just enough manpower to strike the Emerald Tower.

  "If that’s the case, then we become nothing more than time,” Tucker said quietly. “We would destroy the artifact and take out as many of the Empire’s soldiers as possible.”

  “Because we would be surrounded, right?” Brian asked.

  Tucker nodded as the flame in the lantern flickered. Long shadows stretched through the room, clinging to the walls. No one dared to speak. They all understood the dangers and what was before them. Many had already written letters to their loved ones, delivering the heartache they would never have to face themselves.

  “Damn…” Jones shook his head with a bitter smile tugging at his lips. “Guess it’s better to die together than to get picked apart, huh?”

  “It would seem so,” Brian replied in a grave tone. “We can expect the enemy to have cavalry at their disposal. If they’re deployed properly, then most of us wouldn’t make it that far.”

  “Hell,” Max said with a smirk. “Maybe we’ll kill them all and get out of there.”

  “You wish,” Ray muttered, folding his arms. “But regardless, now that we’re here—we’re in this together.”

  “Indeed.” Tucker reached up, unpinned the map from the wall, and carefully folded it. “When this is over, I'll buy you a drink, and we can reminisce about the tales we've been through."

  Ray chuckled. "I'll look forward to that."

  "Get your gear and write whatever letters you haven’t already.” Tucker walked to the door and opened it, letting a rush of cold air spill into the room. “Once this begins, there’s no room for doubt,” he said without looking back. “No room for regret. Whatever awaits us, we face together.”

  The men rose and filed out in silence. Their boots struck the stone not with courage or bravery, but with a resolve few could summon. Once they were out, Tucker glanced over at the candle that was still burning. He brought his middle finger and thumb together, releasing a sharp snap as a thread of essence shot over.

  The last trace of warmth faded into the air as the wind snuffed out the flame. Tucker stood there for a moment, thinking about the field of sunflowers just beyond the forest and his promise with Mary. A bittersweet smile tugged at his lips. With what awaited them, it wasn't clear if they would ever see each other again.

  Now that the Stafford Coalition had concluded the meeting, this would be the last time they would ever return. All in service to a country they loved, and to stop the madness the Emerald Tower had unleashed.