CHAPTER TWENTY
“I wish it were that easy,” Gavin said, as he and Marus entered the Council's building. “But the rite of passage is a secret.”
Both stepped onto a platform.
Marus tugged the rope to begin their ascent. “I don't believe you, Gavin. There's a good chance we could all die, and you'd rather keep your most powerful form to your House instead?”
Gavin laughed. “Really? Come on, mate. We had this discussion before. Remember, about a hundred years ago? You know well it's not possible for anyone outside the House of Liro to attain it.”
“But I hear things.” Marus said.
Gavin was getting annoyed. “Folks always start to hear things at times like this. If I was lying, the Orloks would have discovered it, the Siena would sense it, and the Kanara would've ripped it from somebody's bloody mind by now.”
“Okay,” Marus said conceding. “Sorry. I get caught up in the gossip sometimes. But, can't you put more Liros through the rites?”
“Of course I am! I'm trying everything. Problem is, when you're not ready, you're not ready, and my lads just aren't ready.”
After a moment of silence, Marus softly banged his fist on Gavin's chest. “By the way, I owe you big time. Thanks for saving my skin back there.”
Gavin shrugged it off. “It was nothing. You'd have done the same.”
The platform finally reached the top. Marus stepped out and found the Council waiting.
“Marus,” Denzso called. “Has Leon returned?”
“No,” Marus answered, “I haven't seen him since he went after Sara.”
Denzso laughed a little. “The Pelasgians are regrouping on the outskirts of our city and he's busy chasing after a human.”
Marus gave Denzso a sideways look. “Could be worse. He could be watching from the safety of the Council building while his men do all the fighting.”
“Watch your tongue,” Denzso said with a scowl. “Leaders lead. They don't fight.”
“You're the strongest, fastest Vesuvian,” Marus said. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
Denzso slammed his fist into the table.
The arguing wore thin on Alexia. “Enough, both of you! We have enough problems as it is without you two at each other's throats.”
Marus glared at Denzso with contempt as he sat.
Gavin took a seat. “Oy, what's the deal with the Pelasgians?”
“It's like Denzso said,” Helen answered. “They're regrouping on the outskirts of the city. In some areas, they advanced as far as borders of the urban sections. The rural parts have been mostly overrun.”
“More Pelasgian portals have opened up.” Jaren added. “Guess what's pouring through.”
Marus took his hat off and ate another blood marble. “We should take this time to solidify our defenses. If the Pelasgians get a foothold of any part of the city, we're in big trouble.”
Sagan rolled out a map of the city across the table. “The Turin's section of the city was largely spared, and the Underground seems to have gone unnoticed for now.”
Alexia studied the map. “Obviously, the Pelasgians want to avoid low visibility and narrow spaces.”
“Which may be to our advantage,” Sagan said. “We should try and draw them into these places, or if need be, we can use these as escape routes.”
Denzso was baffled. “Escape routes?”
“In case,” Sagan replied.
“Retreat,” Denzso scoffed. “Leave it to an Orlok. There will be no retreat.”
Sagan flashed his teeth as he leered at Denzso.
No one said anything for a moment. The tension in the room was high.
Alexia placed several wooden tokens on the map. “That's a decision we will all make.”
“I say we attack,” Denzso declared. “Attack now, when they least expect it.”
Gavin smiled. “Ah, so now you're an expert in Pelasgians, eh?”
Denzso stood, moving several of the tokens around on the map. “Laugh all you want. I've been studying the enemy. It may interest you that their tactics have changed very little.”
“Denzso, aren’t you being a little bit presumptuous?” Helen asked.
Jaren started chuckling. “We’ve only fought them once before. It’s not enough to draw on.”
“I agree,” Sagan said. “We should exercise caution and consider our blood supply.”
Denzso folded his arms across his chest. “So you all want to wait here until the next attack?”
“Sagan is right,” Alexia said. “If we're not careful with our blood supply, we could end up in a worse situation than last time. Already we've begun issuing rations.”
In a fit of rage, Denzso tossed his chair across the room. “If we wait for the next attack, we will be in a worse situation! Our couriers to the other Rheans have just returned. All of the reports are nearly identical.”
“What's the verdict?” Gavin asked.
“We're screwed!” Denzso answered. “Remember the first time the Pelasgians invaded. They would attack and fall back. This did this over and over again. After several times, they gathered outside the city like they're doing now.”
Even Marus couldn’t argue. “So you think this is it? The big one.”
Denzso nodded. “We haven't even seen all of the Pelasgian units from last time, and our courier to the Khothu reported new ones more powerful than anything we have ever encountered.”
Alexia's eyes were fixed on a window with a good view to the city. “Denzso, have you sent for any help?”
“As soon as I read the reports,” Denzso answered.
It was hard for Alexia to maintain her composure. Of the Council, she was the most scared for her people. “Then it's decided. All of Rhea will gather here, at Vesuvia. And we will either conquer the enemy as we did before, or we will fall as one.”
Jaren knocked one of the tokens over. “You're crazy if you think we can sustain an attack on the Pelasgians, Denzso. Ain't gonna happen. Not against those numbers. It's just gonna provoke them.”
Denzso sunk against the table, looking as though he was watching a sunrise. “It's going to be real fun when they outnumber us a hundred to one.”