Queen's Chambers, Saturday
War's End Chapter 2
Leda wasn't great at asking for help. Some of that was pride, but a lot of it was lingering traces of her belief that she didn't deserve it.
Never the less, she knew she'd never hear the end of it if she didn't make a few calls this time.
Considering what she'd been through recently she looked good. Still she wasn't completely recovered, so she was glad most cell phones still didn't have vid call capability when she called Momo.
I just hope she's not in the middle of her own crisis.
Blossom was sitting on a pile of moon rocks, trying to figure out some... er, stuff, of which she had a lot, when her phone rang. She flipped it with a cheery "Hello?"
Unfortunately for Leda, Blossom she had to use her Power Compact (silly moon, having no reception) and that phone did have video.
"LEDA?! What happened to you?"
Ah crap. Leda thought.
"Oh hell, you can see me can't you." she sighed. "Momo, I'm so sorry I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. Well, there's been...an attack. A uh, really bad one. And, I could really use some back up."
Blossom bounced up and floated lightly in the... well, not air...
"Of course I can see you! And it's not unnecessary if you look like that! Your hair! AGAIN! And your... wait, an attack? Are you safe right now?"
"Well see I was kind of hoping that by the time we saw each other I wouldn't look like this." She took a deep breath. "I'm safe for the moment yeah. But Corwyn's forces are less than a day's march from the capital. He used some heavy mojo to transport them here. And...Momo, Smoke he..." she couldn't say it. Not yet.
"A day?!" Blossom was kind of going to freak out now. Okay, no. She was going to get as much information as she could and then figure out a plan...
"So you went and met them somewhere already? What happened?" She was going to ask about Smoke, Leda. She liked Smoke!
"No I didn't meet them, they destroyed the council chamber, and they're giving us a chance to surrender. Ember warned us something was going down though and got me out in time." Barely.
"The council chamber. So it's only on your side of the border?" Blossom dropped her head into her hand, trying to think. And silently thanking Ember. "How big is his army? Is it the same group as before? Harpies and stuff?" Blossom was good at the physical fighting and could shield against some magic, but...
"Way, way bigger. Harpies, Redcaps, Ogres, Trolls, Goblins, all sorts of nasties. Our army is on it's way but I don't think they'll get here before the bad guys attack. But I have a plan."
"That plan had better involve a certain hyper red-head, because I will be there before today is out."
"As a matter of fact it does. Would you mind taking a quick trip into Bordertown to pick up Eli though? If the message I'll also ask you to give him convinces him to come?"
"I need to make a stop before I get there, but that's fine." Momoko frowned slightly, making notes in her head. "He won't mind portal travelling, right? That's the only way I know to cross that border."
"Honestly I have no idea. I hope not. My plan should still work even if he won't come, but it'll be a lot harder." And take a lot longer.
"Then I'll get him. Don't worry." She didn't know Leda's plan, and maybe when she heard it she'd totally disagree with it, but it was better to have as many teammates as possible, no matter
"I have to call Portalocity and then get back to Earth and grab a few things before I leave. You're not allowed to do anything until I get there, right?"
"I wouldn't dream of it. There's a few things I need to do here first anyway. I'll see you soon okay? Oh, and Momo? Thanks."
"No thanks needed, Leda. You're family. I'll see you before the day is over."
She hung up and dialed Portalocity, making an expensive and complicated set of portals. After confirming the schedule, she dialed a number she knew by heart, hoping she wouldn't get too much of a lecture for what she was going to do.
The phone picked up after only a few rings, and a familiar voice rang out cheerfully in her ear, "Yo, Red. What's up?"
Blossom grinned, despite the situation. "Hi Reno! Actually, I was wondering if I could beg a favour? See, I'm going to be helping in a world with magic for a while..."
*****
Thanks to Portalocity, Leda no longer had the excuse of 'mortals can't enter Faerie' for not calling her friends for help. And besides, she wouldn't want to deprive Karla the opportunity to give Corwyn a piece of her mind.
She said a quick prayer to the Ladies of Never You Mind that Karla didn't have video capbility on her phone.
Unlike one bright pink super-heroine, Karla didn't have any fancy compacts or video phones. So Leda lucked out and got a cheerful, "Kiss kiss!" for an answer, instead of a 'Mother Night, what in the Hell happened to you?!?'
Don't worry. That would come later.
"Leda!" Karla said, grinning. "Good to hear from you! It's been awhile, what's up?"
Gods but it was good to hear her voice. Especially cheerful. It seemed like the only time she'd seen her or heard from her for too long, was only when things were going badly.
"Hey Karla. Uhm, well, to be honest, uh, I've got a bit of a shit storm happening here."
"Uh-oh."
Karla stopped puttering around her room and sat down on the bed. If something was going badly enough for Leda to call..
"Shit storm or shit hurricane?"
Let's see, all her people's allies were under attack, Corwyn's army was less than a day's march from the capital, one of her best friends was dead, and all the nobles had just been killed. Okay that last one actually seemed like less a loss than the others.
"Uh, okay, hurricane. Corwyn's decided to end this."
Corwyn.
Karla growled down the line. "Let me guess," she said. "He let you know this by launching some kind of devastating assault." She was already calling in her bug-out bag and making sure that it was well-stocked. "What happened? What do you need?"
"As a matter of fact, that's exactly what he did." Leda ran her hand over her scalp where her hair was still growing back in.
"He's transported his army to within a day's march of the capital, managed to set the more unpleasant folks in my world against the races that were my allies, and then he destroyed the council chamber where the nobles were gathered for the weekly cluster-fuck that is Faery politics.
Tell her, or don't tell her?
"If my friend Ember hadn't shown up to warn me, I might not have gotten out in time." She totally wouldn't have. It was Ember who got her out at all. "As it is, I've, well, looked better." A moment to collect her thoughts. "I've got a plan, but part of it involves having the aid of people that Corwyn will have no way of preparing for." And Corwyn would never see Karla or Blossom coming.
Ahahahaha, no he would never expect them. Prepare to be blindsided, Corwyn.
"Mother Night, Leda, are you okay? Is Ember?" Running a nervous hand through her hair, Karla started tossing some clothing into her bag. "How many people have you lost? What are the death tolls at? About how long do you think I'll need to stay?"
Because it wasn't really a question that she was going, right? Like, that had already been agreed upon and confirmed. Because she was.
"I'm...okay." Leda said, hoping Karla wouldn't notice the slight hesitation. But she was okay! Sure she'd taken a brief trip to the other side, or nearabouts, but now she was fine. Well her skin sill needed healing moisturizing salve's every now and then. "Ember's fine, but her brother Smoke was killed when they tried to get here." She'd said it before she realized she was going to and had to stop for a moment to collect herself.
"About 50 nobles and council staff were killed in the attack. But very few people were on the streets when it happened so not too many were hurt." Another thing to thank Smoke's spirit for. His blood raining down had scared everyone into getting indoors.
"If we win, I don't think you'd be gone for more than a few days." Even if Eli was too exhausted to get them away, Portalocity should be able to help them out.
"Mmmm," Karla said, noting that hesitation. Something to press Leda for later. "How many aristos and staff are left?" she asked. "How many of them are loyal to you--truly loyal, not just convenient?"
Leda thought. Skuld was the most senior military advisor left alive and in the city. "Let's see, military-wise I've got, uh, two generals left, and everyone beneath them. Unfortunately pretty much all of the nobles and their staffers were in the council chamber. Though their escorts are still around."
More pondering. "They...some of them had their kids in the city, the older ones, the ones they were grooming for succession. I think about half of them made it.
"As for loyalty, aside from my nearest and dearest I couldn't tell you. I've got pretty much all the palace staff pretty firmly in my camp by now, Strider vouches for all the guard. And Leander's got plenty who are truly loyal to him. So hopefully that will amount to the same thing."
Karla wrinkled her nose. "So, he's got you outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and out-gunned," she stated dryly. "But we're going to bloody his nose anyway. Sounds like my kind of party."
There was a small tendril of anticipation in the pit of her stomach. This was close enough to her own situation to give it a kind of...thrill? To be so close to something she'd been waiting for years to be able to do.
"I've got to make a few phone calls and book a portal to your castle. Expect me within a few hours. Anything you think I should bring with me other than my ass-kicking boots?"
So saying, she tossed the original pair of boots she'd gotten from Triela into the bag. Doubtless she'd be within kicking damage of someone what would need it and the knives hidden in the soles would serve her well.
"Anything that would give you an edge in combat. I don't know if you go for any kind of magical relics to augment your power or not, but if you do, those would be good."
"I'll take a look around," Karla promised. "All right, then let's stop the chit chat and get down to to business. See you soon."
She almost hung up, but then added, "And Leda? Take care of yourself, all right? I don't want to have to avenge you, hear me? Help is on the way, so no last-ditch heroics, okay?"
"I promise. I think maybe I've grown out of my last ditch heroics phase." Hence the calling for help. "Thank you so much, you're my hero. See you when you get here."
*****
Given that her plan called for sneakiness, Leda figured it would be a good idea to try to bring in one more unexpected ally.
Particularly since their sneaking would be into a castle. Leda kind of hoped Jimmy would have experience in that department.
"Hello? Leda?" Well, that's the name that popped up on the screen, but...
"You were expecting maybe Keira Knightley?" Leda managed to joke.
"Who?" he asked, before shaking his head. "Been a while. How are you, Y'Highness?" That never got old, seeing Leda protest her post.
"Please don't call me that." Leda did not disappoint. "I'm...not good Jimmy. I need your help."
"What do you need?" he replied instantly, all humor gone, already planning.
"I'm putting a group together to take out Corwyn once and for all."
"I'm in," he said. "When and where do you need me?" He might need to call in a favor or two back home for this...
"As soon as you can get here. We're still regrouping from Corwyn's latest attack, but I'll be sure to let Portalocity know where I'll be."
"I can be there within two hours," he promised.
Leda thanked him and then prepared to face the world. There was lots to do.
[Preplayed with the Frabjuous Blossom, the Fantastical Karla, and the Frumious Jimmy The Hand.]
Leda wasn't great at asking for help. Some of that was pride, but a lot of it was lingering traces of her belief that she didn't deserve it.
Never the less, she knew she'd never hear the end of it if she didn't make a few calls this time.
Considering what she'd been through recently she looked good. Still she wasn't completely recovered, so she was glad most cell phones still didn't have vid call capability when she called Momo.
I just hope she's not in the middle of her own crisis.
Blossom was sitting on a pile of moon rocks, trying to figure out some... er, stuff, of which she had a lot, when her phone rang. She flipped it with a cheery "Hello?"
Unfortunately for Leda, Blossom she had to use her Power Compact (silly moon, having no reception) and that phone did have video.
"LEDA?! What happened to you?"
Ah crap. Leda thought.
"Oh hell, you can see me can't you." she sighed. "Momo, I'm so sorry I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. Well, there's been...an attack. A uh, really bad one. And, I could really use some back up."
Blossom bounced up and floated lightly in the... well, not air...
"Of course I can see you! And it's not unnecessary if you look like that! Your hair! AGAIN! And your... wait, an attack? Are you safe right now?"
"Well see I was kind of hoping that by the time we saw each other I wouldn't look like this." She took a deep breath. "I'm safe for the moment yeah. But Corwyn's forces are less than a day's march from the capital. He used some heavy mojo to transport them here. And...Momo, Smoke he..." she couldn't say it. Not yet.
"A day?!" Blossom was kind of going to freak out now. Okay, no. She was going to get as much information as she could and then figure out a plan...
"So you went and met them somewhere already? What happened?" She was going to ask about Smoke, Leda. She liked Smoke!
"No I didn't meet them, they destroyed the council chamber, and they're giving us a chance to surrender. Ember warned us something was going down though and got me out in time." Barely.
"The council chamber. So it's only on your side of the border?" Blossom dropped her head into her hand, trying to think. And silently thanking Ember. "How big is his army? Is it the same group as before? Harpies and stuff?" Blossom was good at the physical fighting and could shield against some magic, but...
"Way, way bigger. Harpies, Redcaps, Ogres, Trolls, Goblins, all sorts of nasties. Our army is on it's way but I don't think they'll get here before the bad guys attack. But I have a plan."
"That plan had better involve a certain hyper red-head, because I will be there before today is out."
"As a matter of fact it does. Would you mind taking a quick trip into Bordertown to pick up Eli though? If the message I'll also ask you to give him convinces him to come?"
"I need to make a stop before I get there, but that's fine." Momoko frowned slightly, making notes in her head. "He won't mind portal travelling, right? That's the only way I know to cross that border."
"Honestly I have no idea. I hope not. My plan should still work even if he won't come, but it'll be a lot harder." And take a lot longer.
"Then I'll get him. Don't worry." She didn't know Leda's plan, and maybe when she heard it she'd totally disagree with it, but it was better to have as many teammates as possible, no matter
"I have to call Portalocity and then get back to Earth and grab a few things before I leave. You're not allowed to do anything until I get there, right?"
"I wouldn't dream of it. There's a few things I need to do here first anyway. I'll see you soon okay? Oh, and Momo? Thanks."
"No thanks needed, Leda. You're family. I'll see you before the day is over."
She hung up and dialed Portalocity, making an expensive and complicated set of portals. After confirming the schedule, she dialed a number she knew by heart, hoping she wouldn't get too much of a lecture for what she was going to do.
The phone picked up after only a few rings, and a familiar voice rang out cheerfully in her ear, "Yo, Red. What's up?"
Blossom grinned, despite the situation. "Hi Reno! Actually, I was wondering if I could beg a favour? See, I'm going to be helping in a world with magic for a while..."
*****
Thanks to Portalocity, Leda no longer had the excuse of 'mortals can't enter Faerie' for not calling her friends for help. And besides, she wouldn't want to deprive Karla the opportunity to give Corwyn a piece of her mind.
She said a quick prayer to the Ladies of Never You Mind that Karla didn't have video capbility on her phone.
Unlike one bright pink super-heroine, Karla didn't have any fancy compacts or video phones. So Leda lucked out and got a cheerful, "Kiss kiss!" for an answer, instead of a 'Mother Night, what in the Hell happened to you?!?'
Don't worry. That would come later.
"Leda!" Karla said, grinning. "Good to hear from you! It's been awhile, what's up?"
Gods but it was good to hear her voice. Especially cheerful. It seemed like the only time she'd seen her or heard from her for too long, was only when things were going badly.
"Hey Karla. Uhm, well, to be honest, uh, I've got a bit of a shit storm happening here."
"Uh-oh."
Karla stopped puttering around her room and sat down on the bed. If something was going badly enough for Leda to call..
"Shit storm or shit hurricane?"
Let's see, all her people's allies were under attack, Corwyn's army was less than a day's march from the capital, one of her best friends was dead, and all the nobles had just been killed. Okay that last one actually seemed like less a loss than the others.
"Uh, okay, hurricane. Corwyn's decided to end this."
Corwyn.
Karla growled down the line. "Let me guess," she said. "He let you know this by launching some kind of devastating assault." She was already calling in her bug-out bag and making sure that it was well-stocked. "What happened? What do you need?"
"As a matter of fact, that's exactly what he did." Leda ran her hand over her scalp where her hair was still growing back in.
"He's transported his army to within a day's march of the capital, managed to set the more unpleasant folks in my world against the races that were my allies, and then he destroyed the council chamber where the nobles were gathered for the weekly cluster-fuck that is Faery politics.
Tell her, or don't tell her?
"If my friend Ember hadn't shown up to warn me, I might not have gotten out in time." She totally wouldn't have. It was Ember who got her out at all. "As it is, I've, well, looked better." A moment to collect her thoughts. "I've got a plan, but part of it involves having the aid of people that Corwyn will have no way of preparing for." And Corwyn would never see Karla or Blossom coming.
Ahahahaha, no he would never expect them. Prepare to be blindsided, Corwyn.
"Mother Night, Leda, are you okay? Is Ember?" Running a nervous hand through her hair, Karla started tossing some clothing into her bag. "How many people have you lost? What are the death tolls at? About how long do you think I'll need to stay?"
Because it wasn't really a question that she was going, right? Like, that had already been agreed upon and confirmed. Because she was.
"I'm...okay." Leda said, hoping Karla wouldn't notice the slight hesitation. But she was okay! Sure she'd taken a brief trip to the other side, or nearabouts, but now she was fine. Well her skin sill needed healing moisturizing salve's every now and then. "Ember's fine, but her brother Smoke was killed when they tried to get here." She'd said it before she realized she was going to and had to stop for a moment to collect herself.
"About 50 nobles and council staff were killed in the attack. But very few people were on the streets when it happened so not too many were hurt." Another thing to thank Smoke's spirit for. His blood raining down had scared everyone into getting indoors.
"If we win, I don't think you'd be gone for more than a few days." Even if Eli was too exhausted to get them away, Portalocity should be able to help them out.
"Mmmm," Karla said, noting that hesitation. Something to press Leda for later. "How many aristos and staff are left?" she asked. "How many of them are loyal to you--truly loyal, not just convenient?"
Leda thought. Skuld was the most senior military advisor left alive and in the city. "Let's see, military-wise I've got, uh, two generals left, and everyone beneath them. Unfortunately pretty much all of the nobles and their staffers were in the council chamber. Though their escorts are still around."
More pondering. "They...some of them had their kids in the city, the older ones, the ones they were grooming for succession. I think about half of them made it.
"As for loyalty, aside from my nearest and dearest I couldn't tell you. I've got pretty much all the palace staff pretty firmly in my camp by now, Strider vouches for all the guard. And Leander's got plenty who are truly loyal to him. So hopefully that will amount to the same thing."
Karla wrinkled her nose. "So, he's got you outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and out-gunned," she stated dryly. "But we're going to bloody his nose anyway. Sounds like my kind of party."
There was a small tendril of anticipation in the pit of her stomach. This was close enough to her own situation to give it a kind of...thrill? To be so close to something she'd been waiting for years to be able to do.
"I've got to make a few phone calls and book a portal to your castle. Expect me within a few hours. Anything you think I should bring with me other than my ass-kicking boots?"
So saying, she tossed the original pair of boots she'd gotten from Triela into the bag. Doubtless she'd be within kicking damage of someone what would need it and the knives hidden in the soles would serve her well.
"Anything that would give you an edge in combat. I don't know if you go for any kind of magical relics to augment your power or not, but if you do, those would be good."
"I'll take a look around," Karla promised. "All right, then let's stop the chit chat and get down to to business. See you soon."
She almost hung up, but then added, "And Leda? Take care of yourself, all right? I don't want to have to avenge you, hear me? Help is on the way, so no last-ditch heroics, okay?"
"I promise. I think maybe I've grown out of my last ditch heroics phase." Hence the calling for help. "Thank you so much, you're my hero. See you when you get here."
*****
Given that her plan called for sneakiness, Leda figured it would be a good idea to try to bring in one more unexpected ally.
Particularly since their sneaking would be into a castle. Leda kind of hoped Jimmy would have experience in that department.
"Hello? Leda?" Well, that's the name that popped up on the screen, but...
"You were expecting maybe Keira Knightley?" Leda managed to joke.
"Who?" he asked, before shaking his head. "Been a while. How are you, Y'Highness?" That never got old, seeing Leda protest her post.
"Please don't call me that." Leda did not disappoint. "I'm...not good Jimmy. I need your help."
"What do you need?" he replied instantly, all humor gone, already planning.
"I'm putting a group together to take out Corwyn once and for all."
"I'm in," he said. "When and where do you need me?" He might need to call in a favor or two back home for this...
"As soon as you can get here. We're still regrouping from Corwyn's latest attack, but I'll be sure to let Portalocity know where I'll be."
"I can be there within two hours," he promised.
Leda thanked him and then prepared to face the world. There was lots to do.
[Preplayed with the Frabjuous Blossom, the Fantastical Karla, and the Frumious Jimmy The Hand.]