With the family business now out of the way.
Storm went to the meeting he had arranged with his advisors.
He was pleased to find out that Aurora decided to accompany him to the meeting.
Little Orian followed his parents at a respectful distance.
At the war room everyone was already waiting eagerly.
His numerous advisors were standing around the table at the center of the room.
Pyros, Dust'an and Grombrim's sister Brenda were standing close together.
The numerous chieftains and leaders of the different Beastkin species that made up his army were all standing close together at the far wall.
The Grans were standing with a handful of their druidic 'children'
Leyocan and Celestial were standing close together. And seemed to be trying to consol each other as best they could.
Storm and Aurora seperated and she went to go stand by Pyros.
She picked up Orian and held him in her arms to ensure he didn't wander around and bother the other adults in the room.
Vulgar changed into his draconic true appearance and went to go fly around near Storm's dragon family members.
Orian watched the little draconic Djinn with wonder as it moved around.
Storm joined his advisors at the table and began to recount what had happened at Northburg.
Once he was done, Leyocan stepped forward and added a few additional details and Observations he noticed while he was fighting in the city before Storm's arrival.
Once he was done, Augustus stood up and mentioned how the lookout team picked up nothing out of the ordinary at first until they were suddenly ambushed by men wearing black leather armor and golden draconic masks.
"Assassins, no doubt!! Probably waiting for you to take the position! The Order not only lured you there, they also anticipated exactly how we would react!" Said Razor.
"And yet we're no closer to finding out how the Order is working or where their bases are! And now we've lost our main intelligence network!" Exclaimed Grombrim.
Leyocan seemed to bristle at the comment.
"I can assure you that although the blow to my clan was significant, we're not out of the fight just yet! Furthermore, the Nogitsune aren't restricted to a single clan.
The other clans will continue to relay information to me so long as I remain one of the Nogitsune Shadow Princes." Assured Leyocan.
"What do we know about this inquisitor that led The Order's ambush?" Asked Kalipso.
"A former member of the Church of Light's Inquisitorial branch before he joined The Order. He's a vicious sadist and zealot that took particular delight in torturing 'confessions' out of his victims. He especially hates anything that isn't human.
Even though he scared many of the more pacifist members of the Church, they tolerated his actions because of how good he was at tracking down rebels and illegal mages." Explained Leyocan.
"So he's an prick? So what? There are plenty of those in the Hunter's Guild?!" Asked Grombrim.
"He may be a prick, but he's a clever one, That ambush should be proof of that! We shouldn't underestimate him!" Said Razor.
"Don't worry about him! I'll see to it that he won't be breathing for much longer!" Exclaimed Leyocan.
Celestial placed a hand on his shoulder.
Haven't you learned your lesson yet? If you go at him while angry , he'll continue to lead you into ambushes! We need to plan our next move very carefully. "
"Fortunately it seems 'time' is something we have now. The Order has once again dissappeared. This will give us time to plan and prepare." Said Augustus.
"We'll deal with The Order when they come again , but in the meantime we might have an bigger problem on the horizon. " said Storm.
He explained to everyone what they had discovered in the village of Darkmoor, as well as the Spirit"s warning.
The Grans and Kalipso was particularly troubled by the news.
"Omen!! That witch has resurfaced!!?" Exclaimed Kalipso.
"Not exactly! But she's definitely been making moves while we've been busy with the Order." Said Storm.
"The humans may be a problem, but believe us, she's the greater threat right now!"
"If she manages to destroy the barrier around the Dark Forest, the entire continent could be lost in time!!" Said The Grans.
"Agreed, we should be ready to move on her at a moment's notice." Said Storm.
"How are we even supposed to beat her?Didn't the spirit say she's powerful?!" Asked Aurora.
"She's extremely powerful!! More than you can possibly imagine!! No offense to you Storm, but you wouldn't stand a chance against her!!" Answered Kalipso.
"Yes, so everyone keeps telling me! And Frankly, I'm growing tired of hearing it. I brought this topic up so that we can discuss a solution, so let's focus on that!!" Exclaimed Storm.
"Can't we just rush her with the army? As strong as she may be, I doubt she can defeat an army by herself?" Suggested Grombrim.
"Trust me, that's the last thing you want to do against her!!"
She gains more power with every person she kills, and she's highly skilled in necromancy as well. Every person that dies would just become another member of her army.
She's got a army of her own, and although it is small, they are not to be underestimated. " Explained the Grans.
"I intend study every type of magic currently in existence. I'm hoping you all can assist me in the endeavor?" Stated Storm.
"I can certainly teach you a thing or two about Pyromancy, but I'm not the best one out there. You might need to find one greater than I in the field!" Answered Pyros.
"We're currently missing a skilled Hydromancer, Geomancer, Cryomancer and Metalurgist. Just to name a few experts. " said Kalipso.
"I want you all to start asking around!! Find these missing trainers and get them on board!!" Said Storm.
"Seeking knowledge is commendable, dragon. But you'll also need power.
"That will only come with age." Said the Grans.
"I can't wait the regular passage of time in order to grow naturally!! There must be a faster way!!" Exclaimed Storm.
"Didn't you rapidly grow last tine when you absorbed a large amount of energy?" Asked Grombrim.
"Yes!! And it nearly killed him when he did so!
It's much too dangerous!!" Exclaimed Aurora!!
"... There might be a safer way..." said Razor.