Star and Marco vs Evil Book 1

XV

Three more weeks later...

"Your majesties, my lords and lady, my fellow knights ... this is it."

In the war room, Sir Reggie addressed Moon, River, Sir Daryl, Hekapoo, Rhombulus, Omnitraxus, and all the army commanders, including Marco. Because of her behavior at the start of the conflict, Eclipsa was not permitted to join.

"About twenty minutes ago Lady Hekapoo sensed multiple dimensional portals opening all around the Groundlands. Lookouts and scouting ravens confirm that large numbers of those unfortunate creatures are coming through the rifts. By now they must number in the hundreds, if not thousands." A murmur travelled throughout the room. "Based on the numbers so far, it seems clear Meteora has found all the holding dimensions."

Sir Reggie, recently maimed in battle, fixed his remaining eye on, and pointed his cane at, the non-Mewmin members of the MHC.

"We were assured the dimensions were being monitored, but apparently some beings were too 'busy' doing their 'real' jobs."

Rhombulus gazed at the ceiling, Hekapoo examined her nails, and Omnitraxus was as inscrutable as ever.

"Fortunately, they're not moving quickly to the attack, staying near the portals as if they're concentrating their strength. We believe as soon as their numbers are sufficient, they will attack with overwhelming force. As yet, we have not located Meteora. Sir Daryl?"

"We have recalled all forces and contacted all the allied kingdoms. We managed to persuade them to send as many soldiers as they can. Lucitor armies should be here in thirty minutes or so, but all the other allied armies will take hours to reach us. Our field armies should be here within the hour."

"It now appears likely," Sir Reggie interjected, "that the incursions over the last several weeks were to draw our field armies away from the Groundlands."

Sir Daryl gestured at the conference table, asking, "Your majesty, if you please?" Hands glowing, Moon created a 3-D map of the castle and surrounding village.

"The two Light Divisions and the Castle Guard are already on the move and will be emplaced around the Groundlands in no more than ten minutes. Token forces will cover the bridges into Castle Village, and a quarter of our troops will protect civilians as they evacuate to the castle. No matter how we look at it, we are spread dangerously thin."

"Excuse me," River interrupted, "not that I want any more of our people turned into those creatures, but it seems to me there are too many civilians, spread over too wide an area, for Meteora to turn before reinforcements arrive. Wouldn't we be better off using all our troops for defense?"

"Your majesty," Sir Reggie answered, "if this is truly the final push as we believe, Meteora gains little by turning more Mewmins. Unless her end goal is turning everybody rather than staging a coup d'état, I don't believe those creatures will hold back any longer. They will be loosed to kill."

River, reluctantly, nodded in agreement.

Sir Daryl continued, "Unless we can stop the flow of the creatures, our defenders will not be able to hold out until reinforcements arrive, as you surmised, your majesty. Zoom out please, my queen."

The space shown on the map grew, showing the area outside the castle moat.

"There are four large portals, one at each point of the compass, that can accommodate five or six of the creatures at a time. Several smaller ones, accommodating one or two creatures, are interspersed in between. Closing all the portals will be our first imperative. Our three magic wielders, plus Lady Hekapoo, will each close one primary portal, then move on to the lesser portals."