Chapter 346

"So you march a single woman into enemy territory? Good plan." Sullivan taunted.

The commander burst into the hall with a serious look on his face. Sullivan was expecting an update, but he rushed up to one of the attendants. The commander grabbed her by the hand and kissed her passionately.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Always." She replied.

"We need to leave right now." The commander motioned his men to come along.

Watching their commander run away followed by the workers Sullivan became uneasy. The only ones who remained around Sullivan now are his personal guards. They didn't stay out of loyalty, but confusion.

'What's going on?'

"Now that your marauder problem has been handled are you sure we can't come to an agreement?" Zack asked.

"What will happen if we don't?" Sullivan refused to lose today.

"Then this city will crumble." Zack's wings unfurled as a divine light filled the hall.

Sullivan was expecting another card to be played, but not this one. He has only seen an angel once in his life, and it didn't appear like this. The light-emitting from Zack was blinding, and standing in his presence was difficult.

"You would kill innocents to make a point?" Sullivan had no other method of defense.

"Most of the civilians have exited the city, and the rest are almost to safety now. In a minute it will just be us in the city, and that's all the time I need." Zack declared as his wings expanded.

The palace began to rumble as the ringing disoriented Sullivan. His guards tried to sense the civilians and quickly realized it wasn't a bluff. They sheathed their weapons and began sprinting for the closest exit. Sullivan was struggling to remain in his chair over the quakes building.

"Y-you would get hurt too." Sullivan was drenched in sweat.

"Do you recall a bright light several months ago?" Zack asked.

Sullivan was well aware of the slaver camp, and its destruction. His scouts described the land as being permanently scarred. They debated the cause of the damage but never expected it to be a single fighter.

Zack conjured his spear piercing the ground as cracks began to spread up the steps. Golden beams began to leak from the fissures as Sullivan covered his eyes. Feeling the rumbling intensifying, and the ringing resonating through his bones Sullivan shouted.

"Okay!"

Gradually the ringing came to a halt, and the crumbling hall calmed. Zack pulled his spear from the ground and pointed it at Sullivan. Examining the spear's brilliance, and its sharp edge he gulped.

"You have an hour to gather your things." Zack's spear dissipated.

'W-what?'

"Who's gonna rule the city?" Sullivan asked as if he was the only option.

"I'll let the people decide that." Zack floated into the hole in the roof.

Zack mended the damage from Elizabeth, and himself before heading to the market. He landed in time to see Dyna disappear with the last of the citizens. Standing around the array was Aida, and a band of sentries.

"Seems everything went as planned," Aida stated.

"It was Haruna's operation so it's not a surprise," Zack replied.

"Once everyone gets settled we'll start the process of an assembly. Unless you changed your mind." Aida ordered the sentries to the wall.

"Managing one city is more than enough. I'm gonna check on the others, and make sure everything is settled." Zack announced.

"You don't have to micro-manage everything." Aida teased before Zack faded away.

Zack appeared over the ocean and saw the captives being transferred onto Eden's fleet. It was the first time he witnessed their navy in motion. He landed on a nearby longboat where Skade was harassing prisoners.

"I just need nine of them." Skade gently trailed the back end of her dagger across their shoulders.

"You know they have to be willing sacrifices right?" Thyra asked.

"I'm confident I can convert them." Skade smiled while lifting a man's chin.

"Seems you have a rowdy one too," Zack stated.

"She has her moments. How did everything go on your end?" Halfdan shook his hand.

"More damage than we expected, but everyone is whole," Zack replied.

Skade heard a familiar voice and turned to see Zack. Having only seen him from afar she didn't get a good read on him before. She instinctively approached Zack with a curious look.

"You're glowing." Skade examined him.

"No, I'm not?" Zack looked down confused.

Skade grabbed his hand as a perplexed look took over. Her eyes rolled back as she spoke in old Norse in a trance. This quickly caught the attention of the warriors nearby.

Skade's eyes turned to normal as she retrieved her hand. She was confused by the sudden stares from the crew. After closer observation, she realized it was directed towards Zack.

'What's going on?' Skade noticed the glow had faded.

"What did you say?" Zack investigated.

"I blacked out for a second." Skade glanced towards the others.

No one wanted to look Zack in the eye, and repeating it didn't even cross their mind. Halfdan gave Zack a serious look before placing his hand upon his shoulder. It was the only time he ever saw Halfdan worried.

"If you need assistance you only need to ask." Halfdan declared.

"I just need to know what it meant," Zack stated.

"She saw you marching to your death with a smile," Thyra announced.

"Thank you for telling me," Zack told Thyra.

"I owed you one remember, but now we're even. Premonitions almost never hold true so don't worry about it." Thyra reassured Zack with a smack on the shoulder.

'I've never been wrong before.' Skade examined Zack quietly.

"Do you have a minute?" Rowan requested.

Wanting to avoid the awkward silence Zack dove into the depths. Rowan was waiting with some of the other mersharks. Not everyone agreed to surrender, and some perished during the maelstrom.

"Predators will be here soon. What should we do with them?" Rowan asked.

'Is that a meal request?'

"What did you have in mind?" Zack asked out of curiosity.

"Remove the gear, and let nature takes its course," Rowan suggested.

'Still a little vague.'

Mero swam up to Zack eagerly and embraced him. After the two kissed his hand gently rested upon her belly. Mero blushed as they turned to face Rowan together.

"Store the gear to be cataloged later," Zack announced.

They quickly went to work as curiosity continued to poke away at Zack.

'I have to know.'

"Are you gonna eat them?" Zack investigated.

"No way humans are gross," Mero replied.

"I would rather have fish as well," Rowan stated.

'That just raises more questions.'