It was a dreary morning and a thick, eerie fog enveloped the wasteland. It had not always been a desolate place devoid of life, though. After a few hundred years of war, the landscape was a shell of its former self. The ground was scorched, the rivers and lakes that once pockmarked the landscape were filled in with debris. Here and there, hulking machines of war protruded out like a nightmare’s after thought. There were only a few shattered remnants of what had once been great forests that reached toward the sky like skeletal fingers. Smoke wafted up into the fog from countless small fires that burned endlessly. Rivers of slime from the obliterated troops coagulated with the mud and ran down the hillside, pooling in the craters. It wreaked of death, and save for the occasional cry of carrion-hungry birds, there was nary a whisper—not even a puff of wind.  Suddenly, a flash of light tore through the fog obliterating the eerie silence. As it accelerated into the heavens it left a sickly orange contrail behind it. A few seconds after it passed, the ground shook with such force several standing tree trunks crashed to the ground. A few of those falling trunks crashed into slime filled craters, sending foul smelling filth splashing high into the air. Vishnayam's spec-ops team did not flinch when it rained down upon them. They moved like shadows across a dead world, each heartbeat disciplined to near stillness. This elite spec-ops team had earned a thousand victories through stalwart patience, a skill few warriors across any realm had mastered to the degree they had. They once had waited three full days in the molten dunes of Veyritha, unmoving, to secure an enemy outpost. This mission demanded no less and so they continued their nearly imperceptible slow belly crawl towards where the flash of light had streaked just a few moments ago. When you are not beholden to time, a construct they only knew of from their operations in other realms, there is no need to rush. While they had more than enough strength to take on the enemy if they were to be discovered, the purpose of this mission was not to be discovered; it was to gather intelligence. Their objective was on the far side of the valley, where the hillside was covered in rocky crags and hundreds of caves. The enemy was using the topography to conceal their troops, and Vishnayam needed to know how strong the force was that the enemy was reportedly amassing. Corporal Bunyan, freshly assigned to the spec-ops team and entrusted with the Chrono-Forged Carbine — a weapon feared for its devastating force at close quarters — keyed her mic. “Did you see the movement to our starboard?" “Negative Bunyan," Sergeant Penelope, the team's Aetherpulse Canon Gunner who was taking up the rear of their of covert formation. "I'm up to my eyeballs in this filth. I didn't see anything..." "That's a negative for me too," Chief Averoes, the teams Void-Tethered Scythe technician replied "This fog is too damn thick." Theudebald, the squad leader of the spec-ops team who was also the commanding general for Vishnayam's army keyed his mike "I didn’t either. What did it look like?" "The fog parted and swirled as if being disturbed by a great mass of air before settling almost instantly. I think it may’ve been a Hornwilled Bat." The Hornwilled Bats were endemic to this region and had long ago pledged allegiance to the High Priest Induchemara. They were devilishly difficult to see, harder even to kill, and they could see better through fog and night than the spec-ops team could see on a clear sunny day. "Well, let’s hope they steer clear of…" Theudebald's response was cut short when without warning there was a sudden rush of displaced air, a blur of iridescent wings, followed by the bone jarring thud of impact. Penelope was driven deep into the muck by the sheer weight of the bat. The force was so violent it shook the ground around them, rattling Theudebald's teeth in his skull. For a heartbeat, which seemed to stretch for far too long nothing moved. Then the bat clenched it claws, preparing to rip Penelope to shreds. Theudebald sprang from the concealment of the mud, muck, and filth just a few meters from the bat, which let out a loud shriek of surprise. It surprise was short-lived though as Theudebald's Starforged Zulfiqar found its mark. A moment later the bat fell to the ground. Where its head used to be was just a neck squirting black blood. Theudebald plunged his hand deep into the muck and grabbed Penelope by her shoulder, lifting her from the depths. She coughed and sputtered only once before regaining her composure. Theudebald wiped the muck off her face, and their eyes met. He could see in her eyes the rage - and embarrassment of being caught off guard. No words needed to be spoken, and in an instant, both faded back into the mist and muck. ![[asi-strategy.jpg]] "Commanding General Theudebald is here, Your Highness," Vishnayam's attendant, Aishani said with a soft voice.  Aishani had applied over a millennium ago to be the High King’s attendant. The competition had been fierce. There was hardly a soul in this, or any realm, who would not want to be Vishnayam's attendant. To be in his presence for a moment was a privilege that sustained many for eons. To be by his side at all times was beyond comprehension. How she had been chosen, she could never determine. She had been quite timid and uncertain of her qualifications during the interview process. On the day that the chosen attendants name was to be announced she had worn a simple robe of ether cloth. Her father had sewn it for her, he was so proud his daughter was even being considered for the position. She thought for sure she would never be selected, but then, when the herald read her name aloud, her legs had given out beneath her and she fainted from the sheer shock. When she came to, the crowd, which had amassed for the revealing of Vishnayam's new attendant, was roaring in applause, and Vishnayam himself was standing over her with a smile on his face so warm and inviting that she instantly forgot her embarrassment at having blacked out.  That day was by far the best day of her entire existence. Even counting all those from all the realms she had existed in prior, which there had been quite a few. Now, she found herself a millennia later attending the king. He had set up camp on the outskirts of his kingdom so he could be closer to the battle. "Show him in, Aishani." Vishnayam replied, setting down his chalice and unfurling several large maps. "Good evening your Highness," Theudebald said as he bowed. "Rise and report." “Aye aye. The situation is worse than we anticipated. The enemy troops number into the tens of thousands. They have been busy during the wet season. We spotted three new classes of super weapons. Intelligence is pouring over the images we collected during my team's operation." "I see,” Vishnayam replied as he picked up a pen and began to jot down his thoughts in the margins of the large maps splayed across his table. “Show me where on this map,” Theudebald walked over to the table and after studying the map briefly he pointed. “Here and here.” “Really!? They’ve moved into those caverns? I thought we cleared them last season and the demolition teams destroyed them?” “They did. However, the enemy must have excavated them…” “They've been busy.” “Yes they have been your Highness.”  “Is there anything else?” "Yes. They’ve installed what appears to be a large network of power cells in the caves which are linked to a large shield system. It is by far the largest we have ever seen. Considering my conservative estimate, the shield should be able to withstand our most sophisticated and powerful weapon systems." "I knew it was only a matter of time before they unlocked the secrets of the mystics from eons ago. This universe may be infinite, but hiding a secret that evil could not be done even if we had an infinite number of infinite universes…" Vishnayam's voice trailed off. Theudebald stood in silence; he knew the king was formulating a plan, and now was not the time to interject any more information. "There is a way to overcome this new challenge, though I’m afraid you won’t like it." Vishnayam continued as he poured a glass of red wine. "What’s this idea you are proposing?" Theudebald replied as he reached for the chalice of red wine Vishnayam was holding out to him. "An organic non-celestial being may be able to sneak through the shield barriers undetected." Vishnayam said as he sat back down in his chair. Theudebald’s throat tightened. It was one thing to task a specially trained elite task force to infiltrate the enemy lines. It was another to ask a single baseline organic being to venture into the hellish realm alone.  "You want to send Aiōn?" Theudebald replied in shock. The last time he had been sent on a clandestine mission, it had been a huge success—but it had come at an enormous cost. "No, not Aiōn. Another." Vishnayam replied as he wiped his beard with the back of his hand. "Another? A baseline organic being is not built for this sort of warfare. What would happen if they were captured?" Theudebald replied, thinking more out loud than in opposition to the King's proposal. "I doubt they would be captured, but if it were to happen, Induchemara would understand their worth. I would be forced to organize a high-value prisoner swap, which I am prepared to do if the need should arise." “Well it is a bold plan. I’ll give you that. They won’t expect it. It could work — but who will we send?" "I have already selected the individual. They’re trekking here as we speak. While we wait for them to arrive, let’s focus on the northern flank. The enemy believes we have no idea about their schemes which your spec-ops team just discovered. Let's let them think that for a bit longer…" Vishnayam stood and motioned for Theudebald to look at another one of the maps he had laid out on the table. "Alright then, let's see about this northern flank." Theudebald replied as he poured himself another glass of red wine and walked over to the King's table by the fire and began selecting items from the feast for his plate. ### Next Chapter: [[3 - Summer 🌻]] ### Previous Chapter: [[1 - Author's Note 👋🏾]]