The final march upon the Harpy King might shape up to be more devastating than the battle itself. Every few hours, more and more Commonwealth soldiers suffered from heatstroke. They cut back on rationing food and water, supplementing their meals with hunting game. However, even the hunters of Highgreen struggled with Savir's wilderness. Its beasts were far more violent. A desert also had far less natural edible foodstuff like nuts and mushrooms to forage for.

On the flipside, the native Savirans were perfectly fine. Thriving even. But them doing well wasn't enough to off-set the rest of the army's gradual weakening.

Kanae called for the leadership in her army to meet and sent attendants to fetch them. The only ones to report to her immediately were Archbishop Patrice, Estaline von Cleisseldor with Feraline, Romira the assassin to represent Bravost's mercenaries, and a lupine beastman named Warchief Jae Ottomere, who was among the three military commanders Chieftain Sheeba had sent from Talahurah to lead their warriors. The large carriage which was furnished with a round table to hold meetings in was infuriatingly empty.

"Where is everyone else? I don't even see Manabe!" Kanae groaned.

Those present shrugged.

"Perhaps they are also suffering from heatstroke, Master? I have not had the chance to speak with them since our departure. Jae?" Esta turned to the beastman.

"Queen Kanae, the others have… uhmm…" Jae swallowed hard and hesitated to continue.

The door creaked open. Kanae's breath of relief cut short when it was the attendants she had sent out entered instead. All ten of them came back empty-handed.

"Well? Where are they?" Kanae was doing her best not to lose her temper.

They were very clearly reluctant to answer. Awkward whispers exchanged between them before one finally worked up the courage to start first.

"Your Majesty… C-Commander Manabe cited it was too hot to leave his carriage. He promised to join the meeting later… at night."

"Captain Charlene Wellwood of Highgreen couldn't make it due to a… stomach ache…"

"The Knight of Ivory Dalu'luna Mello is guarding the prisoner, Toro Squa, with the Knight of Red."

"On my orders," Archbishop Patrice added. "Just as a precaution, because I believe Toro is dangerous enough to warrant it. I can have her step away from the post to join us, if you wish."

"No. Ivory and Red can be exempt from participating in the meeting. Everyone else though… I'm going to get them myself. You all wait here in the shade." Kanae rose angrily from her seat.

With the attendants' help, Kanae visited the officers of the army. The first was a Radevic general, a middle-aged human man. She kicked open the door to his wagon and found him canoodling with a Saviran dark elf prostitute. They went wide-eyed with shock when she invited herself in.

The next was a common elven woman from Kanae's own in Ehmvier. She was four beers in and taking extra rations for herself in the food wagons. A piece of bread fell from her jaws when Kanae found her.

To no surprise, every single officer had been slacking off. Kanae didn't give them a chance to explain and seized control of their minds. Finally, she reached Manabe's carriage. A fine and beautiful vehicle taken from an Ortesian lord after the war in the Commonwealth and renovated by Rown Company. The house crest had been ripped out and replaced by Ehmvier's flying succubus emblem. She let herself in and found her friend from Earth turned orc in the middle of a foursome. Two humans and a beastman woman shrieked.

"K-Kanae?!" Manabe jumped, his erection going soft in an instant.

"Ladies, get dressed and get out." Kanae waited until they bolted from the carriage before continuing. "I was told you had a headache. From too much sex?"

"I can explain…" He gulped.

"What's the matter? Can't get it up anymore? Let me help you with that. Turn Horny!" She fired the spell at Manabe's penis, making it hard again, then shut the door behind her and loomed over him.

"Wait, Kanae— Ahhh! Iieeee! Oooh… aahhhh!"

Kanae proceeded to ride Manabe until he saw stars and wrung him dry. The carriage never creaked louder. She stopped short of draining him unconscious, casted Charm, and led him outside to join everyone else.

The officers of the Commonwealth's army marched miserably in single file order under the blazing sun, while Kanae and those that answered her initial summons sat under shade at the back of a wagon. As for Manabe, she had him march naked as punishment for shirking his duties to have sexy time.

"Kanae, please… It's so hot. My feet are burning. And now my head is pounding because of you!" Manabe complained.

"And how do you think our soldiers feel? We're in the middle of a war! All of you should be ashamed of yourselves," Kanae scolded.

"Why not kill them and be done with it? I can provide you with a poison that puts them right to sleep." Romira smirked, waving a small vial of clear white liquid.

They turned as pale as Romira's poison.

"I'll never fail to answer your summons again, Queen Kanae!"

"I was wrong to do what I did! Mercy, please!"

"Kanae, we're old friends… right? Y-You know I won't do it again…" Manabe swallowed hard.

"Put that away, Romira. I'm not going to execute anyone. From now on—"

A horn trumpeted loudly from the front of the army. Warning shouts erupted ever closer as First Sister Lilith, whose black-clads were put in charge of delivering messages across their army, came right this way.

"Large squadron of harpies and elementals inbound! Large squadron of harpies and elementals inbound!" Lilith yelled.

"Shit." Kanae clicked her tongue, then raised her voice. "All forces to defensive battle formation! Lilith, with me. We're going to intercept them!"

"I'll relieve Red of guard duty so she can aid you!" Archbishop Patrice jumped off the carriage and onto a ronoa to ride in the harpy's direction.

As they ascended into the sky, Lilith issued a series of sharp whistles. Soon, Sisters of Sin donning their black Eminence of Sin regalia flew up from the army to join them.

The swarm of harpies and elementals were very high up, but they weren't exactly subtle about it. Before Kanae, Lilith, and the Sisters made contact, a rain of fire showered them from above. All of heaven had been set aflame.

"Focusing elements out! Dispel as many as you can!" Kanae shouted, whipping out her wand and The Blade of the First Temptress.

They combatted spells with Dispels. But there were only so many of them, and they couldn't catch every single one. Not to mention, flames conjured from the fire elementals among them couldn't be dispelled because those weren't spells. Many were getting past their line of defense. The Sisters were at risk of getting hit themselves.

Kanae recalled a day under Master Marwin's tutelage during her training to become Knight of Amethyst. He had just reprimanded her for not using a wand. His lesson was to weigh the cost of standing firm to block spells over protecting oneself to continue the fight.

"Ahh—!"

A stray firebolt knocked a Sister out of the sky, and she plummeted to the earth.

"No!" Another Sister broke formation to catch her.

Right! Kanae remembered now. Instead of relying on Dispel, she had deflected the remaining spells Marwin casted at her with a skill of her own.

"We're not dispelling fast enough. Spellcasters, close ranks and unleash your area spells at them!" Kanae ordered.

A volley of firebolts, icicles, arcane missiles, and more launched back in retaliation. Scores of spells collided against each other and exploded, triggering nearby magic to go off. Fewer spells made it past them now, but it was taking a lot just to maintain constant fire.

Kanae casted Restore Mana through the Blade of the First Temptress, giving her Sisters of Sin a second wind. Content, she left them and followed the ascending spells and tore into the Harpy King's forces with Hailstorm.

"Kill the succubus!" someone shouted.

"Can't hit what you can't see." Kanae flashed her breasts, and the Piercings of Impurity blinded countless around her.

An incredible gust of wind sent her hair aflutter. Some harpies were blown away and had to reorient themselves.

"Good shit hanging in there, Kanae! You can rest easy, because the hammer is here now." Sivvy Brenhallow, gnawing on a bone in her jaws, brandished the felmetal maul to their enemies' terror.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up." Kanae grinned.

"Heh. Archbishop just told me to fly, and I got the memo. Okay. Who wants to meet their maker?" The harpy glared, and the visage of elemental lord Elirashj took shape behind her back.

Together, the two mounted a counterattack and drove the ambush away. Many fled back the way they came. Others seized the opportunity to escape the war entirely. When the lesser elementals tried to run, Elirashj had other plans.

The elemental lord conjured a gale that blew them back in her direction. She trapped them in a violent tornado that quickly ignited into a fire whirl. Their screams were drowned out by the battering winds, then vanished into dust and ashes.

"What did you do to them?" Kanae gasped.

"There are two ways to send an elemental back to their home plane. Shove them through a rift, like the one we emerged from. Or you exhaust their energy completely. Like a campfire, our bodies contain kindling. When it is burned out, we will vanish and return to the plane of elements. And that, my dears, is how I intend to defeat Uzazzsa. This Harpy King is a child playing with fire, and we shall snuff it out by stomping on the flames." Elirash brushed some soot off her vessel's shoulder.

They returned to Lilith and the Sisters of Sin, then descended back down to the surface. Kanae's army suffered some losses. A few carts containing rations were hit and the food inside was unsalvageable. Unlucky footsoldiers that were struck had been brought to Archbishop Patrice, who led fellow priests to heal them.

The war caravan traveled for a little longer before they had to set up camp for nightfall. Her army was tired enough, and a cool evening with warm supper was a much-needed comfort to raise morale.

Kanae had another meeting with her commanding officers since the last one was interrupted. They discussed for hours without rest on the plans to attack the Harpy King, as well as contingency plans should anything else come up. But a common sentiment was shared by them all— it wasn't looking good for their army.

"My queen, I really believe our best course of action is to wait for Queen Arenade and the others' return before attacking," one of the previously slacking officers said.

"Without them, we lack a substantial amount of overall strength," another agreed.

"We can't afford to wait. Neither can Elusis. I promised to go back and help them after the war. Toro has already informed us that the Harpy King will be at the Nose of Hekaton. I've informed Edina beforehand, and they're going to regroup with us there," Kanae explained.

"But Queen Kanae…" Jae Ottomere hesitated to speak until she nodded at him to. "Your kindness is boundless. All of Savir is glad for your mercy. But we should focus on our own before providing aid to others. If we lose this final battle, we cannot help anyone."

The rest probably felt the same way but didn't want to contest her as openly. Arenade, Edina, Petyr, and Delayn were going to be late. If Kanae led her army into battle, they would have to fight without them first. With soldiers weak from all the marching, too.

Romira perked up. The dark fur of her hair stood, and pointed feline ears turned and twisted in different directions.

"What's wrong?" Kanae asked.

"We are about to be ambushed again. Not from above. The footfalls are on the surface, and they are trying— poorly— to be quiet about it," Romira explained.

Everyone in the room drew their weapons.

"How are you so sure?" Archbishop Patrice raised a brow.

"Because assassinating the leadership of an enemy army while all their eggs are in one basket is amateurish. I would have waited until we had all gone our separate ways first." Romira smirked.

Large tears opened all around the tent. Romira threw a dagger past Kanae, striking someone. The invisibility wore off, revealing a dark elf who fell backwards and went still. A fight broke out across the tent. Camilla rose to the archbishop's defense. Manabe turned around and swiped the space in front of himself, picking up two assassins by the throat.

"Esta, behind you!" Kanae shouted.

Feraline, who was already on her mother's back, breathed fire at whoever tried to step through the tear. They ran back outside screaming in agony. Esta whirled around and lifted the large dragon shield to deflect a flying bolt. It clattered harmlessly away.

"Daughter, attack!" Esta held her shield sideways, letting Feraline jump on and vault out into the darkness.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?!" Kanae cried.

"Have more faith in our child." She smiled proudly.

Outside, it sounded like someone was getting mauled by a wild animal.

Kanae glanced back out the tear behind her. She casted Conjured Caltrops, and immediately five figures danced around trying to avoid them. Instead of trying to attack her, they fled in a hurry. Their assassination attempt foiled, it seemed the ones that still could were running away now.

"Damn it. We're getting attacked at night, too?" Kanae sighed.

"How about you sic me on them? The harpies and elementals, I can't do anything about since they can fly. These pathetic assassins, on the other hand, could use a fatal lesson," Romira suggested.

"And how can I be sure you won't take the chance to run away?" she asked.

Romira peeled back her tunic to reveal the Cursemark of Death underneath her collarbone. It manifested as shifting black ink of a skull encircled by runes.

"Does it look like I can afford to piss you off? I'll guarantee those assassins never show up again." Romira winked.

Kanae considered her options, of which were few. She and her army needed a win, no matter how small.

"Do it then." Kanae nodded.

"Contract accepted." Romira bowed and stepped out through a tear.

There was nothing pretty about war, and that was just something Kanae needed to accept. Romira returned the following morning before the army went on the move again. Archbishop Patrice had Camilla and Sivvy swap places. When another aerial attack came, they were prepared for it. That same night, extra guards were posted to every officer in the army, but there wasn't a single peep from the assassins.

On the afternoon of the third day, they finally reached the Nose of Hekaton, the enormous mesa under which the subterranean city Dry Gulch laid. A gigantic force was camped out under the shadow of the landmass. Hundreds of smoke pillars signalled the many signs of life. The best estimate from Kanae's officers placed the Harpy King's army to a staggering force of 10,000 strong.

As the Commonwealth army set up camp, First Sister Lilith informed Kanae that a lone harpy was flying this way from Hekaton. At least the Harpy King had enough sense to send a messenger.

"Queen Kanae." The harpy messenger kneeled down, his eyes fearfully scanning the army behind her. "My lord, the Harpy King, extends his thanks to you for coming to see him off to Avanesse. He urges that you press forward as the cursed sun is not conducive to your health."

"I have a message of my own to give him—"

The swelling winds interrupted Kanae. To her side, Sivvy winced in pain as Elirashj took form.

"No. I have a message. Tell Uzazzsa and her pet poultry that Elirashj has come to snuff out the cinders of their pathetic conquest." Elirashj called forth a gale and sent the messenger flying back into the distance from where he came.

Everyone gaped at Elirashj.

"Are you sure exposing yourself here is a good idea? They're going to be prepared for you now!" Kanae gasped.

Elirashj laughed. "Good. Let them savor fear, for they believe the elements are at their beck and call. False! The elements cannot be tamed, and I shall show them why. Behold, the terrible storms I hold at my fingertips! Oh, gales of mine drawn from these howling breaths, roar!"

Giant tornados raced across the wide empty tract of land that separated both forces. They pummeled the Harpy King's army, tearing apart tents, throwing people into the air, and ruining their camp.

Kanae and the others almost believed Elirashj had ended the war right then and there. It was too much to hope for. The tornados erupted into flames that now danced across the open field. Squinting, she made out a harpy in mid-air, his crimson wings forged from felmetal and radiating flames like the sun's surface.

"Kanae…" Seven walked up to her from behind, hesitation marring his every step. "Is that my old man?"

"It is. And tomorrow, we're going to stop him once and for all. Are you scared? It's okay to be." Kanae gave him a reassuring pat on the back.

"Nope. If anything, I'm pissed. Pissed that he hurt so many people. Pissed that I don't have siblings anymore. Pissed that my grandma is gone. I just have one favor to ask— and that's to not hold back when you guys fight him. Make him pay for everything he's done," the boy pleaded.

"That's a promise I'm going to keep." She grinned.