The young woman offered the faintest of thank yous to the food being brought, gaze flickering to what she had ordered. Reaching for her glass that had water, she sipped it slowly, waiting for the response that would come from the man that had been silently digesting her words. Braving to look up at him, she could see the judgment as hazel eyes met golden ones briefly before falling away again, ignoring the ale that sat on the table. Ever so slowly, she began to pick at her food, somehow managing to make that look even somewhat delicate.

He spoke of dead men, both those who were laid to rest and those who still walked. Surely she counted among those who walked but had no life. And yet, he told her that was not so, causing her head to lift again, confusion swirling in the depths of her light-colored orbs. It felt as though she had lost every semblance of herself, her joy of people and quiet intelligence that sought to help in the best of ways. The teasing that she had not done in what felt like ages, and her ability to just thrive among a general population. Those things were her, and yet this man sitting in front of her deemed that she still lived, even if it was hidden deep beneath layers of hurt and abuse. It was there. Perhaps it was so.

Her face stayed turned away from his as he continued to speak, pointing out that she needed to find a purpose and she had come this far. The floor had become suddenly quite fascinating, though not a single word was lost on her. His bluntness dug deep, burying into her need for logic and tangible sense, for a plan that could give her a reason to keep trying.

The woman’s face set as she released a sigh, shoulders slumping, finally daring to gaze at the man who sat leaning forward, intense gaze on her with his point laid out for her to take and do with as she pleased. “I do not rely on you, I can assure you of that. But I have laid many hopes that you can make a difference here in ways I cannot. Yet you seem to think I can do those things. What makes you so sure they will even give a woman a chance in their war rooms? One who was captured and abused in ways they do not know, nor will they ever? My name is only good to the point of being something to trust, but my person is less so. My father’s reputation is not enough to convince them of what I personally can do, only the integrity of who I am. At least as well as they can know.”

Falling silent for a few moments, she ate a little, continuing to allow the words to roll through her mind. “It is hard for someone in my position to find a purpose, even in the life I had before it was taken away.” Even if she did not notice it yet, his words had stirred something within her to rally more so, even her words growing more confident and certain, though they were still quiet and gentle in a way that was purely Zephyra.

A hand pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear as she finally met Solomon’s gaze for more than a split second, holding it this time around. “My purpose in my old life was to look pretty and hold the name of my family high, to marry for the name and combine families. That is a futile purpose now, for many reasons. That’s the only purpose I ever had, so what purpose am I to find here beyond what I have spoken? If I go to Kele, how am I to prove that I can find purpose there? I struggle to do as much as I do now, eating even here far beyond what I find comfortable.”

Looking away, she glanced around the room full of people, habit once more causing her to take in what everyone was doing and where their attention was. “I have been taught that men are cruel and cannot be trusted. It is hard to unlearn that and to stop fearing the worst. I read people as best I can, constantly keeping track of their moods and where their hands are. They make me nervous and I struggle to keep track of it all. It is overwhelming. It is hard not to drown in it all, if it will ever be possible to break the surface as you say I must.” She released the softest of sighs, once more memorizing the pattern of the table. “I do not wish to be noticed and I wish to stay in the shadows as best as possible. The glory is not mine to take. I’ve had my days as the center of attention and I wish to never revisit them.”

“I do not want to be the one who changes the fate of these people. I am not worthy of that, but you are. I just ask to be allowed to have a small part and to be there. That is all. That is enough purpose for me.”

Today was one of the days where they clearly couldn’t agree on anything, though Solomon wasn’t ever sure what he expected when talking to her. Their two drastically different backgrounds and sets of morals made it almost impossible for them to see eye to eye. Though this time, the soldier seems to be taking the more positive route despite his blunt words. He was brash, but even somewhat encouraging as he seemed to believe in her capacity to make a difference, whereas she did not. To Solomon, it was an odd thing and almost frustrating, but he had agreed to lunch and he wasn’t trying to walk away and create a scene.

So the man picked at his food while she talked, taking a bite here and there and looking up whenever her gaze looked for his out of small respect more than anything. He knew she was uncomfortable doing anything but hiding in her room most days, that was obvious to anyone who talked to her for more than a few minutes. He didn’t blame her for her apprehension when it came to the outside world, considering it had wronged her more than one could ever imagine. But he knew that if she continued as she did, the Eastern Isles would sap her funds and he had no more money to give if that happened.

There was a rather annoyed look as she claimed he was “worthy” of changing the destiny that was soon to befall the Isles. He didn’t want to solely be responsible for anything. Solomon didn’t want to be the center of attention by any means. He was used to being in the spotlight, but it didn’t mean the man didn’t prefer the shadows away from others. Besides, the man wasn’t worthy of anything, much less the glory of saving a nation. He was lucky to be breathing. “I would stop hoping that I am going to do anything,” He huffed out, swallowing a bite of food, “That is a mistake you don’t want to make.”

There was a sigh and his voice changed to something softer, the man moving on, “Zephyra, I could answer those questions for you.” He propped his chin up in his hand, “But no matter what I say, you’re going to disagree, that much is clear.” The man wasn’t offended, but he felt like he and Zephyra held different perspectives of each other. Clearly, those perspectives didn’t match up. It was one of the many reasons that made it unfortunate that they were stuck together, both ages away from any semblance of home. Solomon didn’t see much improvement in a situation that was quickly becoming a bleak one.
At the time, he had come to the Isles hellbent on making a difference and for the first time in his life, he was on an emotional high. Solomon had hope, he had been looking for an experience, to make a difference. But the longer he spent in that cage, beaten and screamed at, he realized that he had made the mistake of listening to his heart over his head. He had gone from ready to take on the world to wondering if he had made a massive mistake. He didn’t regret leaving Concorba, that much was true, but he wondered if he had been too hasty. He did not know if he had any place in the Isles at all.

“You have a right to be terrified, that I am not trying to take from you, nor will I minimize your struggle.” When it came down to it, Solomon would always blame himself for the things that had happened to her. The fact he had allowed Brom to gift her and had not forced her release would haunt him. The man had also continued to allow her abuse in the palace and had overlooked the clear red flags in his family’s regime. He had done that… He might not have laid a hand on her and had tried to help during the times it was needed, but it didn’t make up for any of that. It never would.

“But what you are doing is hiding. You have the right to do so, though I fear it will be your undoing.” Solomon shook his head, “You don’t know Kele won’t let you in to see the plans unless you ask, nor do you know you can’t make a difference here unless you try. The only thing that you want to do right now, the single purpose you want to have, is helping this place. And you can’t make any contributions, whether they be big or small, if you don’t take matters into your own hands. Sometimes you can’t wait for opportunities, you have to make them.”

Solomon might not be doing much else besides her, but at least he had a backup plan. He knew that if things didn’t work out on the Isles, he had enough money set aside to board a ship set for a land where he was not known. Where he could live peacefully under an alias. It didn’t seem like she had even half that. “Right now, you don’t have enough time or money to wait around. All you have is your want to make a difference and continue your father’s work. It is very noble of you, considering the things you have endured, but there is no way to do that unless you take a step out of the dark.”

It was clear that all her plans were falling to pieces as she sat there, leaving the woman with no way to collect all the bits she had aligned in her head on her original trip to the Isles to save Solomon. If the prince refused to take a step forward in helping, she had to replan all her ideas that hinged on the man taking a stand. Perhaps he was right to say she should head home... but the factors from before still remained. It left her at the dark impasse she had been avoiding, the line she had to cross before she could truly begin to heal but seemed so farfetched and impossible to reach. The line that Tamah was trying to gently guide her through and Solomon was shoving her into.

Silence followed his words as she worked through them, finding no way that could out logic him or convince him beyond the arguments she had already made. It was clear to even her that the two of them would not be coming to any kind of agreement and at this rate, Solomon was forever distancing himself from Kele and the Isles’ struggle to hold on to their freedom. He also made a very decent point that she did not have the time or money... which was why she needed this to work. Somehow.

“It has been a while since I was able to take matters into my own hands without serious consequences. Some lessons are not easily forgotten, even under different circumstances.” It was a simple statement, spoken in quiet response to all that had been said though it felt rather useless to bother saying and weak in argument. Her food was mostly gone now as well, leaving her feeling rather awkward and drained from the whole encounter, if not in the slightest a tad more despondent with how it had gone. “I will see what I can manage. But perhaps if you feel the way you do, your odds are best found beyond in a world where you are no one.”

The woman stood, leaving her payment on the table by her spot, hazel eyes tired and uncertain, darting around out of habit. “Leave this place behind. Some of us have a better chance than others.” Her smile was small before she found herself taking a retreating step from a man who was leaving and brushed by in a way that felt far too close for her own personal comfort though it was truly a simple gesture with no meaning behind it. Despite knowing that, the woman still struggled, gaze falling as she took the smallest of steadying breaths.

“ZEPH! ZEPH!” A little boy shoved through the throng, jumping and waving his hands with the biggest of grins. His bright eyes glowed with excitement as he barreled into her, the woman’s hand landing on his shoulder as her face seemed to brighten, leading the boy to the side and closer to the table where Solomon was to avoid as many people as possible. Though it was clear that she was suddenly handling it all far better with the boy claiming her attention. “I told mama you would be here! She said you were busy today but I knew I could find you!”

Lifting her head, Zephyra searched the crowd for the smiling face of Tamah as the woman easily threaded her way among the people to join her son, glancing towards Solomon for a moment. “I told him you were busy today, but he insisted on coming. I told him if he saw you, he could say hi, otherwise we would leave. I do hope we have not interrupted anything?” Again, the older woman’s gaze looked between the prince and Zephyra, recalling the younger of the two mentioning the man in passing in their light conversation, how he had helped set her free from whatever bondage she had been in. Zephyra had never said anything other than she was a refugee who had been helped.

“No, I was on my way out, but this is a friend,” Zephyra responded, nodding at the man. She did not offer his name, unsure if he would want that so it was left out. Could they even really be considered friends? She did not dwell on the thought, instead motioning to the woman, “And this would be Tamah and her son Keon.” Her hand rested on the boy’s head, meeting his green eyes with a fond glance of her own and a warm smile. “They have shown me quite the bit of kindness.”

It was clear the conversation was ending, the two having said what they wanted to say though there had been nothing satisfying about the conversation. At least before when they used to talk here and there about philosophies and such, it had been almost nice. They had always disagreed, which wasn’t at all shocking, but it had still been decent. All this conversation had done was remind him why he spent most of his days away from any and all people. For a moment he wished Attikos was around. The Greek with the tan of an island local had always been comfortable for Solomon to be around.

But he would never see Attikos again. If he ever did, they would be on opposite sides of the battlefield. If he ever returned to the battlefield. It was all so confusing to him. He had been so sure of himself when he’d traveled but now it was so jumbled. Solomon hadn’t intended to come to the Eastern Isles to die, but somewhere along the lines he’d morphed from wanting to be the Isles hero to losing most of his will to live. He felt better than he had and was more relaxed, but it didn’t mean his mind still wasn’t a mess he was struggling to pick up. He wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

Solomon stood after she did, setting his own payment on the table. “I can never escape myself. A world where I am no one only exists in death.” He spoke, drawing his cloak back over his shoulders, “And the heavens above have not seen it fit to grant me that privilege.” His voice was rather detached as he slung his bag over his shoulder, deciding it may be best to return to his room for the time being. The man could run forever, change his name and entire identity, but he could never not be Solomon Imona. His existence could never truly be erased in the fields of time.

After all, some stains just never wash out.

He paused upon seeing her tense up, though he had missed the why. Before he could continue to his room he heard her name shouted out, causing him to stiffen and his eyes to dart around in alarm. Fortunately, he quickly discovered it was a child she clearly knew and clearly liked, which allowed the man to exhale in relief. Solomon looked down at the young one and fingers reached for the little necklace of bone, the man once again reminded of what he had left behind. He had left Ryia for years beforehand, but this was too permanent. He would never get a chance to see her grow up.

For a moment his face fell and his eyes softened with sadness. It was one of the moments where he felt rather forlorn, missing the little girl now that he was alone and struggling on his own. Solomon took a step back as his mother appeared as if trying to fade away. But it was impossible to fade away when you were huge, dark, and covered in scars. So he was stuck there for a moment, not meeting the other woman's eyes and standing there silently. Perhaps he wouldn’t be noticed… except the woman saw him and Zephyra took a moment to claim him.

“It is good that you have found someone here, you had not mentioned them before.” The words came out monotonously as suddenly he had no clue what to say. This situation was new for him. “It is nice to meet you two,” At least the man had it in him to be somewhat polite, “I am...” Solomon Imona. The man who created an entire plan to dominate and pillage your nation. “not from around here either. This is my second time… visiting.” He explained, not quite sure how long the conversation could fare without him having to introduce himself. That, and he didn’t need the other woman discovering this “friend” of Zephyra’s was one of the most hated men in the land.

He wasn’t trying to ruin a relationship by existing. “I should probably go, I have been traveling for a couple of weeks and could use some rest.” Solomon was uncomfortable, to say the least. The room would once again be his escape from others, where nobody really knew who he was or what he had once stood for. “May you two go in peace.” He nodded towards the mother and her child, “And Zephyra, consider what I said. It might be better than spending your days in an inn room.”

Tamah was quick to pick up on Solomon’s discomfort, allowing him to slip away after his farewell before refocusing her attention on Zephyra. She did not stay long herself, only offering a small conversation to the woman before taking her leave for the day. There was just something about Zephyra that attracted the native woman to her, leaving her with the need to reach out and pull the scared and skittish female out of her shell. Which, in turn, had its benefits. As part of her reaching out, Tamah allowed Zeph to watch her son giving the mother some space to breathe and keeping both boy and young female occupied.

Zephyra found herself suddenly dragged out of the inn every day, a very energetic mother and her son pulling her out of her comfort zone to take her into the market and throughout the city. For a couple days, Tamah met the young woman at the inn and escorted her from there. The foreign woman was taken to various restaurants and as many busy places as it seemed manageable, every day getting slightly easier, though never quite comfortable. Not that it was truly a chore on her. She loved Keon and was easily learning to trust Tamah, finding peace and friendship with the two of them as she was slowly and gently prodded back into the real world.

It was almost a week of this before Tamah told Zeph that she could not meet her at the inn, and every day afterward, there would be a new meeting place that would force the young woman to set out on her own and find the said stop to meet. It was a struggle as she automatically started to revert to her more skittish nature, uncertain as she had to search for an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces around her. But she managed it each time, rewarded with a warm boyish grin and an inviting friend. It led to her occasionally taking Keon out alone in the market when Tamah was busy, which also leaned towards helping her adjustment.

Granted, it was a miraculous cure-all for Zephyra, but even the small adjustments were enough for her to rally some courage and confidence. It was near the end of the second week that the woman finally declined an offer to meet, her eyes set on the army base where Kele would be. Solomon’s words had not left her, though she had held hope that he would take the first step there and save her the struggle to do so herself. “You don’t need me, go visit the general and see them for yourself. Prove to him that you know what you’re doing.” She knew that time was flying and sooner or later, she would have to make up her mind what to do. And she had not come here to sit back and die.

And that brought her to the gates of the base, taking a breath and steadying her nerves as she approached a soldier, asking to be brought to the General. Much of her old instinct came back, flinching away from the men that brought rather unfortunate memories with them. It took all her willpower not to change her mind and quietly slip away, but her determination won out, bringing her back to the desk of General Kele, the man’s gaze finding her, both filled with curiosity and sternness.

Zeph fought her case with the man. For multiple hours actually, the two going back and forth as she finally took Solomon’s advice to prove her worth. She managed it, after a variety of questions and overall, a good logical argument. It was enough to bring her into the planning teams and offer her a place at the meetings. She took it, giving her a new purpose and reason to continue pushing forward. Though she did not do so before mentioning to the general that Solomon would be a fine addition if offered a chance.

Solomon did not spend his next two weeks doing much. He spent his days traveling around the island or in his room. He continued what had become his now usual meditation, on top of spending time doodling in his journal. That journal also happened to be filled with all of his plans which were now accompanied with pages of meaningless drawings and whatever else he decided to put there. Not much to do when you no longer had a profession. There wasn’t even a library for him to visit, at least that’s what he had noticed when walking around. He hadn’t ever loved to read a lot anyways. He liked getting up and doing things. He was active.

Which was why the other chunk of his time was spent out and about. He spent many hours hiking and jogging through the lush lands. He even took Ambrose out on one of their horse trails. He threw some knives into trees and wished he’d had a bow instead. What he really wanted to do was train. He wanted to fight. But he didn’t have access to the usual training dummies and he doubted Kele would approve of him joining some underground fighting ring. If he could even find one. The Isles seemed far too peaceful to have something so violent lurking in the depths.

So, boredom it was. The beach was always lovely to visit and the ocean was ever-tempting, but he knew his back should probably heal more before he took another dive. He found he liked hermit crabs. They were funny looking creatures with what seemed to be little purpose other than to roam in their tiny shells. A useless existence… but a nice one. It was another period where Solomon didn’t talk to anyone, which was expected, considering he only knew Zephyra. He saw her in the market with her friend and the child, but neglected to interact. He decided to keep to himself and not butt his head into the nice thing she had found.

Not that he wanted too, anyway. He wanted to be on the down low. After all, Solomon hadn’t even found it in him to tell Tamah his name. Not that she already found out… Hell, Zephyra probably told her. So he stayed away from people as much as he possibly could, trying to hide himself and have a peaceful stay. But he couldn’t do so forever. Instead, one day a man showed up at his door, knocking. At first, there was silence when Solomon didn’t respond, but then there was another knock. “I’m not interested,” Solomon called out, “I don’t wish to be bothered.” Honestly, he assumed it was the innkeep or Zephyra.

But that was not the case. “The general has requested your presence,” Came the voice from outside the door, “He sent me to take you to him. He wants to move forward with planning the counterattack, which you claimed you wanted to help with.” There was an audible sigh from the outside, “But if you are unwilling to cooperate, it would be best for you to tell the general yourself because he is under a different assumption.”

Solomon did actually open the door, staring silently at the man who was clearly a soldier for several moments. “You’re a long way from your barracks, soldier.” He told him flatly, crossing his arms as he leaned against the doorway, “Tell me, what happens if I chose not to cooperate? Are they going to throw me back into a cell? Maybe let you and your fellow men beat me some more?” He spoke, tilting his head to the side.

“I don’t-”

“Or does he plan on finally taking me to the gallows?”

The islander gave him an annoyed look. “Listen, I don’t know what the general would do. I am only here to request you join him. I could care less if you do, but I need an answer for my superior. So are you coming or are you going to continue wasting my time?” This one clearly didn’t have much patience.

Solomon cocked a brow, but turned to grab his swords and a couple of other items to take with him. It was the oddest of things that could win over the man’s approval, but today, the other’s attitude had been the right choice. “Alright,” He returned to the doorway once he’d readied himself, “take me to Kele… or are you just going to stand here and waste my time?”

The former prince heard the tail end of a strangled noise from the soldier as he was led from the inn into the town and then back into the compound. He could feel the eyes and he knew he was looked upon like an enemy. Solomon doubted that would ever change. Though he was rather relieved at the thought that he would be inside soon enough and away from the stares, but all he did was trade in one set of gazes for the other. “General,” Solomon greeted rather gruffly, approaching the table to take his place, “I see you’ve kept my plans around. That makes this much easier for us.” All of his meticulously copied plans were present, though he was the key to pulling it all together and explaining the process.

Solomon had noticed Zephyra was present, which had surprised him. She had seemed convinced that she didn’t have what it took to join the men at the table. Apparently she had taken his advice, but he didn’t comment on her presence though she was a mere surface away. He unraveled one of the many papers and looked it over. “We should have a decent delay, since someone has to travel back to the palace to inform my father of my disappearance. The new general also must be sworn in to the “Big Three”, as Concorba is lacking one of it’s military pillars.” He explained, leaning forward and propping himself on the table.

“My replacement will no doubt be Brom Varinsson, which is both good and bad. He’s reckless with a short fuse which means he’s easy to rile, but he’s also one of the most violent, savage men I know.” The man of norse origin would be tough to beat, but fortunately, Solomon now belonged to the Isles and he knew that military in and out. Unless Attikos took the title, which would be more dangerous given he was an Isles native, but he neglected to mention his lieutenant. The Isles had already been furious years ago when they had taken the young soldier from them.

The Castellanos family had once been high in military prestige… Solomon hoped they weren’t around. “That being said, time is short. Soldiers need to be specially trained and we need a navy that is more than top notch. Bercasitt ships will be out here full force on top of what already existed of the Empire’s navy. This isn't going to be pretty. This plan is the product of months of meetings and tailoring specifically for these islands.” He admitted, mulling everything over in his head, “But the Isles is known for being one of the nations to beat. I just hope that the skill and confidence of this army is enough to keep the Empire’s claws away.”

Zephyra stood with the rest of those at the meeting, eyes glancing over the pages that were spread over the table, being slid across the wood surface as they were already conversing over everything there. Solomon’s arrival was already anticipated as Kele had informed them all he had sent for the former prince to see what he could add to the conversation. As for the woman, her father’s name earned her some respect but the others were not yet sure what she could offer. She kept closer to Kele for the feeling of safety, but even then she was not overly close, keeping a good distance on both sides of her.

Heads lifted when the massive man made his way in, easily taking a spot and throwing himself right into the conversation without hesitation. Kele offered an inviting dip of the head at his entrance. Zephyra’s lip twitched in the slightest start of a smile though it never got there. Instead, she directed her attention to the man’s words, mind shifting into a state to try and help and offer what she could towards the proceedings. Some of the old Zeph was peeking through in her determination and wish to make a difference.

“You can be assured we both have confidence and skill,” Kele spoke gruffly as Solomon wrapped up, eyeing the man with no small displeasure at the wording, the general already programmed to be on the defensive. “But what we need is a decent plan that can turn the tables in our favor, and from what we have on this table, those odds look grim. What we need is a loophole, some Achille’s heel that we can start beating on to give us an opening. We need a full understanding of the in-depth planning that went into these plans, and considering you made them, where the weak points will be.” There was a general chorus of agreement as gazes stayed plastered on the man.

But it was Zephyra who finally spoke, taking a step into the spotlight she would have preferred to avoid. “These plans are Solomon’s plans.” Seemed obvious enough, but that was where she felt they were all getting too caught up. “Brom Varinsson is a proud, self-assured, and overconfident man who craves power and glory. I can assure you, these plans will not be enough.” For a moment, she let her hazel eyes move to meet the prince’s golden gaze. Solomon knew the man for longer than she had, but she had seen the inner workings of the man, what drove him, what appeased him... in ways no other could ever truly find out except for a woman submitted beneath his thumb.

“He is a man of greed. I would bargain he will alter these plans in a way that will shift the glory to himself.” Briefly she glanced around before reverting her attention back to Kele. “He believes the victory against Bercassit rests on his shoulders and I am almost certain he will try and flaunt that by heavily relying on the fleet.” Now she did look to Solomon for his input, “Would you not consider that his way? We must consider that there is more beyond these original plans. They have no doubt discovered Solomon has fled, which means these plans are compromised nonetheless.”

Looking to the map of the isles, she quickly scanned over it once more. What would her father consider? The weak points and the vital points. Her finger quickly pointed out those areas that were accessible by the fast and well-built ships of Bercasitt. “Any man with a sense of wit to his name would try bringing soldiers into the less populated and guarded areas for a breach. Not to mention these sources of your largest trade with the inland. They will have to do no more than to break through that area and build up a blockade to block all contact to the mainland to render the Isles completely alone.”

She finally fell silent, suddenly rather self-conscious about her bold words, stepping back some to allow the others to resume in conversation. More painfully so, she felt that all she had said was blatantly obvious, causing her to inwardly cringe as she waited to listen through and see what else would be brought up or decided.

Solomon’s gaze moved to Zephyra’s with a bit of surprise, but he gave her the chance to speak. After all, he was the one who encouraged her to go to Kele, was he not? So he listened and there was even a twitch at the corners of his mouth while he looked over the table, but it never turned into anything more. But truthfully, he was satisfied with the outcome. He was satisfied because he had been right. She did have the knowledge to fit in at that table, even if people were initially skeptical because she was a woman who didn’t have that complex of a military background.

Solomon might have been pushy when he’d told her to seek out Kele herself, but the man had done it merely because he believed she had a spot amongst them, doing something she wanted to do. He had seen more potential in her than she had even seen in herself, something that was rare for him. For once, he had faith in a person and their skills, though he wouldn’t have ever disclosed that to her. No, it had just been him trying to encourage her in the only way the man knew how. And it seemed to have worked, considering she was standing at the table and actually offering her input.

He took several moments to process, scratching at one of the healing wounds on his arm. “Yes and no.” Solomon settled, glancing over at her, “You’re right about Brom’s personality, it’s one of the reasons it’s taken him so long to be promoted. Nobody really wants him to be a general.” He explained, remembering how he had been chosen over the older man years ago. “I’m sure he will find some way to try and put himself front and center, but I doubt he is going to have the opportunity to completely alter the plans.” He reached over and picked up another piece of parchment to look over.

“Because the dynamic is going to shift. Before, the Isles was going to be facing me leading the charge with my fellow generals supporting. Cedric Briggan will be taking his place back as the face of the army. But he’s probably an even bigger problem than Brom. As much as I held high regard and respect for my former associate, Briggan is probably better off dead, for the sake of your nation. He has fought here before and I am sure he will return with a vengeance. Finding a way to cripple his forces or remove him from the field completely will be the best bet.”

Solomon was silent for a moment, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he pulled one of the larger diagrams closer. “Zephyra was correct in assuming that the goal was to take over the less populated areas and create a blockade to the mainland with the newly acquired naval forces.” He tugged over a nap as well and grabbed a writing utensil, beginning to draw it out. The lines were neat and tidy, like everything he always did, “The Isles has hundreds of different islands. Here,” He circled a large portion filled with bunches of smaller islands, “We intended on taking about half to three-fourths of these islands then forcing the rest in this group to surrender under the threat of being pillaged or destroyed.”

He had forgotten how exhausting these meetings were. He felt like he was already running out of words to speak. There was a reason why he liked to be alone… “First your connection with the inland will be severed, leaving you without allies. Then, they’ll take a chunk of your smaller islands to create a complete military zone. This right here,” He gestured to the circle of smaller islands, “was meant to be the base. Even if the Empire retreats, they’d still have a chunk of the Isles. And then they’ll slowly move forward, hopping around to different islands and forcing others to surrender cause they’re surrounded.” The plan began to unfold, which made the situation seem bleak. Very bleak.

“They’ll patrol all the rivers in their occupied areas and once enough is conquered, the Isles will lose access to the continent farther away and any ocean at all. They'll use what navy they’ve stolen to surround the Isles completely once the area is small enough to do so. Your supplies will die as will your trade. And that means you die as well.” As his hand moved across the parchment, the ink swirled along shores and around the islands, drawing a horrifying picture that no man would ever wish to see, “They will let you fight as long as you wish, but they will let your people stave and hold you hostage in your own home.”

When he looked down when he was done, there was a hint of sadness buried behind the dark look in his eyes. “They will burn your beautiful forests to the ground and your wildlife will die from the smoke and debris. Those ships are loaded with springalds, cannons, and a variety of other weapons… I’m sure they will send feluccas with oil and set them ablaze at your shores.” Heavens… this plan… he had no clue what to do with it. “General, she is correct when she says these plans are compromised. I’m sure Briggan will make some alterations, but the foundations will stay the same.” He shook his head.

“But even compromised, these plans are nearly impenetrable…” Solomon wished his brother were there. Luther would know what to do. He always knew what to do. “Do you have allies, general? Even from the nations afar? Your military is fearsome, but now that Bercasitt has fallen…” He trailed and looked rather uncertainly at his diagram again, “I believe you are too far outnumbered. I may be able to plan a solid counterattack and execute it on the field, but these ships. These ships and the army Concorba has taken are extensive and very well-trained. I am extremely skeptical that this is possible with your forces alone.”