8. Luck Runs Out

Ardex was on his own again. Ashorra refused to leave his bed and he forbade Marili to fight, however good she was at it.

Alixader the Giant wrote many messages about how he was stuck in the mountains. He had never read so many ways to curse snow and storms.

His siblings fought for their lives on Origina. Only Feria was at his side, on Garda, and wanted to meet.

The pink-red fox, Goddess of Animals, joined him in studying the Gupramil army.

“I asked Bella to come,” she said, “but she isn’t feeling well. Eeris and I can’t discover what’s wrong, but her illness seems grave. And Origina has barely made any progress when it comes to health and healing.”

“It’s weird, isn’t it? Down here, they’re already building advanced cities and buildings. On Origina they’re just discovering what a home is. You’d think … you’d think everything would be better if the entire world could communicate. If the gods could give the newest inventions to everyone.”

“Hmm,” Feria said. “There’s a red panda somewhere who would be very angry if she heard that. Unfortunately, I don’t expect our little sister to show up and heal Bella.”

Ardex’ saber-tooth scraped a stone until it split in two. “I have to come home. I’ve been gone too long.”

“Now?”

“No. After this mission. We’ve thought about everything. The entire army is ready. Those Tamli kings … their luck has to run out at some point.”

“Did … did you hear about the half gods?” Feria asked with a small voice. That was unusual for her; Ardex knew her as proud and certain.

He smiled. “I think we’re a little too old to feel shame for that. You fell in love with animals on Somnia and bore their children. I am happy for you, little sister.”

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “We have all given a few halfgods to the world … except you.”

“I don’t want to curse a child with the fires burning within me. Bella …”

“Bella what?”

The army awaited Ardex and his commands. He turned his back to give his sister his full attention. “I am the reason Bella has no real magic. If one of you feels ill, I don’t worry too much. But if Bella does …”

Feria made herself tall and addressed the shuffling soldiers. Her singsong voice was still loud enough to reach every corner of the massive army. “Sorry, these gods are entangled in a life or death discussion! About magic and more!”

“You’ve always been the best,” Ardex mumbled. “You are all so much better than me.”

The fox shook her fur and smiled broadly. “Had I not told you to stop listening to the voices of the Deathmates? One of Eeris’ children is rumored to be the God of Luck. The Tamli must have them on their side in some way.”

Ardex sighed. “Which means I can’t kill them under any circumstance.”

Feria cringed. “Erm, no, rather not. Convince them to join our side and Tamli will have no choice but to be united with the rest of Schola.”

“Frankly, I’ve lost faith in the idea of unity. It can’t happen. Not as long as animals keep remembering old injustices forever. Not as long as you are rewarded for protecting your group by killing the other group.”

“I will send Ismaraldah your way. Maybe the Goddess of Time can help.”

As thousands of soldiers looked at her, Feria elegantly walked away. “I’m going home to take care of Bella. Don’t take too long.”

Ardex hated traveling over water, but the plan was the plan. The entire army stepped onto their enormous fleet, built in secret. The Tamli would never see it coming. For decades, the Gupramils barely built a ship and never fought on water.

The plan was twofold. First they’d stop all traders and Tamli ships along the way. This would cut off their endless supply of gold and food.

Then they’d go ashore at the tip of Schola. The Tamli barely guarded that part, assuming no army would ever reach it.

He even contacted his little brother Gulvi, God of Water, to ensure the waves were kind and no sea storms suddenly appeared. Reluctantly, his brother had left the battle around the Dolphin Pass for this.

The sun shone. The seas were calm. Their fleet had successfully been kept a secret.

This was the moment.

The first ships they met tried to trade. Once they saw Ardex standing on deck, they instantly surrendered.

Some ships tried to turn around or use birds to sound an alarm. They were all swallowed by the Gupramil fleet.

The journey took many days longer than they wanted, but they eventually reached the tip, certain that all trade had ceased and nobody had sounded any alarm. How did they know? Because the harbor was still active and the beaches crowded with tourists and merchants.

The soldiers looked at each other incredulously. They grinned and nudged each other. It happened. The plan worked for once.

Had the Tamli’s final hour arrived?

These … these animals had no idea what was coming. They were no part of the war. Their children waved at the fleet and waved, as if they thought the gods were just coming for a friendly visit.

“We fight only those who resist,” Ardex proclaimed loudly, as they crested the final waves. “Leave everyone else alone.”

“Ignore that,” a tiger behind him said, the new general they’d found to take Mero’s place. “Hesitation only disadvantages us. Attack!”

Ardex sent a fireball in his general direction. Only the tiger’s quick reflexes saved him.

“Listen to—”

What were those weird trees? With gigantic yellow-brown nuts? He’d never seen those in Schola.

Yes, something like that grew on the Garda continent. But on the other side, where tall mountains replaced the beaches. So no, they couldn’t have ended up there.

This wasn’t Origina. You couldn’t reach that within a few days, not even if Gulvi helped you.

These weren’t Tamli harbors. This was an entirely different continent south of Garda!

His family had to know! For years, they were blocked from exploring further south by some invisible wall. He didn’t know what had changed, but the wall seemed broken. Bella had to know—it could be the key to their victory!

Their ships cut into the sand. The first soldiers ran from the gangway and scared the beachgoers.

He was too late to stop them.

“Gulvi! Turn us around!”

A dolphin jumped out of the water and pulled tall waves with him. The ships were lifted, shaken loose, turned around with so much force that planks fell off.

A small group of confused soldiers were left behind on the beach. The others quickly jumped back on the ship and clung to ropes and barrels.

“This isn’t Tamli territory! We sailed the wrong way!”

The soldiers were done with this. Their paws trembled from adrenaline and fear, their mind entirely focused on the fight they desired. They disobeyed and still sent arrows and cannonballs at the harbor, or they placed bets on how many they could kill when they did reach Tamli harbors.

Gulvi kept casting spells to save all animals on the beach, while sending all ships the other way at full speed.

So Tamli had a God of Luck. Or maybe Ardex was just the God of Bad Luck. Whatever it was, he gave up. Nobody conquers the Tamli kings.

As soon as they saw new shores, they immediately checked if they recognized the buildings and nature as Tamli territory. Once satisfied, they checked if the coast was clear. That was also true.

Ardex delayed as long as he could, but the entire army wanted ashore. The impatient, vengeful soldiers stopped following orders. The bloodthirsty beings finally forced the ships ashore somewhere near Candya’s territory.

Ardex left them. He couldn’t force them to obey him anymore, not unless he used violence. He ran back to the Gupramil capital.

Besides, he was sure a sudden snow storm, or falling star, or mysterious magic, or miscommunication would ensure that his army still would achieve nothing here.

As he ran into the palace, Ashorra just left the war room, casually throwing away the final wooden pawns that amounted to nearly 50,000 soldiers. Had birds brought him the message of their failure that quickly?

The king went to his bedroom.

“I am tired. Good night.”

No reaction. Usually Marili at least responded with a soft sleep tight.

“That is enough!” Ashorra said. The king ran upstairs, where he dusted off his armor and put it on. Carrying a double-sided sword with his trunk, he kicked open the bedroom door.

Ardex found that dramatic and was about to tell Ashorra what happened.

But he looked past the king and saw a completely empty room. All was tidy, dusted off, cleaned up and closed.

He threw open the curtains. The sunlight, which he hadn’t seen for years, visible hurt him.

“I haven’t seen Marili in a week,” Ashorra said. “Enough is enough!”