Qara picked up the vial and shook it slightly. The liquid sloshed and spun and even gave a small glow. "Dark magic," he said as he set the vial back down, "Mordekai's handiwork." He tossed the vial to Elara, who caught it in mid-air. "No doubt it's his but with our king gone, Dagon falls upon us." She set the vial down upon the map. "Do you believe that the king is still alive?" Yannis asked. "I don't know," Elara said, "but if he is, I'm sure he will find a way back to us. But in the meantime, we need to come up with a strategy. No doubt Mordekai is aware that our king disappeared and is assembling his army as we speak."

Qara set his eyes on the map. "I can set up the siege weapons upon the surrounding wall. Maybe throw in some dragon ballista on both the wall and variant parts of Dagon so his dragons will have some difficulty getting through without taking heavy losses, and double the arrows and bolts for the archers and crossbowmen.' Elara gave a nod. "Wouldn't hurt to have some of the cyber mages on the wall," she suggested. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Morton spoke in, "I mean, they're no match for Mordekai should he use his powers. He has grown much stronger over a period of time since his last invasion."

"He may have grown stronger," Tane spoke sternly, "but my mages are just as resilient. They'll do their job to the very end. I can guarantee it." 

"The problem," McCormick spoke, "is that we don't know when Mordekai will invade. We can't just sit on our hands and wait for him to make the first move, but at the same time we can't send out everyone because the troops will already have lost some morale before we even fight. They look to the king for motivation and since he is nowhere to be found as far as we know, fear will take hold rather quickly."

Elara lowered her head. Without Atreus, there's not much that can be done. But she knows that Atreus would trust her to do what she feels is right. "We won't have to send out everyone," she finally said. The others looked at her and she continued, "What we should do is dispatch some forces and engage Mordekai's army while it's on the move. Keep them distracted while we make preparations in Dagon. Create a series of diversions, however we can, and keep Mordekai busy." Morton pondered at this. "This may just fuel Mordekai's anger. But at the same time, we could make an impact on his army. It won't do much but I like the idea."

McCormick looked at the map, staring directly at Cy Mountain. "The only question is who will go out there and who will remain here and set up defenses?"

Silence fell in the room and  lasted for what felt like an eternity before Elara spoke up. "I will go." The others looked at her. "With all due respect, Elara," McCormick began, "we need you here in Dagon. If Mordekai makes it here, you could hold off his forces for some time."

"I also have strategic skills on the field that can benefit for us. I may be able to hold off his forces here but out there, I can hold them back longer." McCormick went to object further but Qara raised his hand. "I agree with Elara. She can be a great benefit out there just as well as she can here. She won't be going out alone because I'm going out there too."

McCormick's jaw dropped. "Surely, you are joking!" he exclaimed. Qara shook his head. "Elara's going to need all the help she can get. After I get the siege weapons set up, I'm heading out with some troops." "And I'll go as well," Morton chimed in, "if we can slow down Mordekai's advancement for some time, we might stand a chance. The king may not be here but I believe he is still alive somewhere and he's finding his way back. Let's keep Dagon safe for him should he return."

"Then it's settled; let's get all the defenses set up around the city first, then those of us going out will gather up troops and be on our way," Elara said. The others, including a grim McCormick, nodded in agreement. The meeting ended and everyone left the room. Alone in the hallway, Elara pressed her back against the wall and took a deep breath as she leaned over. She wished Atreus was there right now with her. Right now was not the time for her to grieve. Dagon depended on her. She now understood how Atreus felt. She then walked down the hall to make preparations.