Seven hours of flight.
Seven laps around The Wall before we attacked.
To our left, the eerie shrieks and cries coming from The Rift sounded even louder as we began to circle around The Wall. But today, we flew in tight cohorts.
Today, like the six days before, we flew in formation by affinity. Each cohort housed those of a certain affinity as we began to fly. Those whose elemental affinities were strongest flew first.
The leading cohort selected was one with a fire affinity.
They flew, leading the army as rings of fire danced and flickered around them, appearing as though a massive ball of firewere circling The Wall, their affinity on display in a powerful presence.
Next came the cohorts who favored their water affinities. Glowing streams of liquid splashed around their aerial fleet as they cut through the air, chasing after the fire cohorts.
Earth affinities came next, gliding on currents of air as they showcased their affinities, the ground rumbling beneath them as they flew by.
For a moment, there was silence from the right—from Solis.
No shots fired. No shouts or commands from the RSG lining The Wall.
Nothing.
Our display of affinities left the guards stunned.
Nothing had changed in our advance. We didn’t attack, we didn’t fight back.
And yet, the pure, unleashed strength of our affinities on display left a warning of what was to come.
Even The Rift seemed to fall silent as we began our first lap around. Just the steady beat of wings could be heard as our aerial fleets flew in synchronized movements and began to circle the outer length of the cement and metal framework of The Wall.
The illustratio and seer cohorts flew in formation next, their affinities less noticeable. However, the intensity of their combined affinities could be felt radiating from them as they flew through the air, following the earth cohorts.
Finally, I flew forward.
Alone.
The singular vitas in Aurum. A gift from the Eternal.
Seven priests from the Temple of the Eternal flew behind me, closing the last of the ranks. Between the priests, they carried a sacred chest from the reign of the City of Gold—a reminder of what we were fighting for. Of the light that would once again shine over Aurelia.
From where I flew, drawing up the rear of the aerial fleets, I could hear the priests flying behind me, their lips moving in prayer as we flew toward the enemy—as we prepared to defeat the darkness threatening to overtake Aurelia.
We flew close to The Wall as we made our way around Solis, so close that the outer wings of each cohort nearly touched the outside edge. When we’d completed the first circle around the outer edges of Solis Quarter, one of the priests separated himself from the others. Lifting a horn, he released a loud alarm, the chiming noise echoing along the shrouds of fog encasing The Rift. The signal of the first lap.
One of seven we would complete as we surrounded the enemy.
One hour down . . . six to go.
By the second lap around The Wall, the guards atop the structure had begun to realize that something had changed. It was easy to hear the shouts of concern and frustration falling from the perimeter of The Wall. Orders were being shouted, and more forces were being called to come protect their Quarter.
It was unbridled chaos as we flew at a swift speed, circling the perimeter of The Wall. Now that our forces were no longer veering off toward camp after each lap, at any point in our flight, the aerial fleets, seven by seven, covered nearly every inch of The Wall.
A perfectly rotating circle of forces as we circled the Quarter, leaving no space between troops.
On the third lap, they resumed firing on us. Bullets laced with affinities began to rain down on our troops in a stronger display of power as they began to protect their Quarter.
While, it had been easy to pick locations to fire on our troops as we surrounded The Wall the prior six days . . .
The seventh day was different.
