((The army has come from area B to area D.))

James sat in the back of one of the technological machines running through the terrain. With hardly any interrogation, he seemed to have been forgotten by the enemy’s leader. He was now being guarded by two seemingly drunk women on either side. Having watched them eye their single male soldier greedily, an idea on how to escape was slowly forming in his mind. He would use their womanly urges to catch them unawares.

“So ladies, what brings you out into this wretched place? I’d think you’d have more fun doing other things.” Casually, he placed a hand on the nearest thigh of each of them. The two looked at each other and slight grins split across their faces. The spy took the expressions as his go ahead to continue his advances. Showing no hesitation, he leaned toward the left woman, bringing both hands to her waist. “We’ll have much more fun here then those fighting out there.”

Suddenly James felt a painful blow to the back of his head, sending him to the floor of the vehicle. “You think you can just do as you please, hmm? You’re the enemy. You have no right to talk to us, much less touch us. You’ll lie there until our next stop. Then we’ll deal with you.”

The rogue slowly slipped into unconsciousness.

----------------

Kataneen shook her head sadly as the army marched into the enormous valley. One of her sons whispered into her ear that the enemy could hardly be seen in the distance, but they were heading in the opposite direction. The fact that the draconian scout was seen by them meant that they would also see the direction he had flown to escape. Why then, wouldn’t they go after the Split Breeds, or prepare for a defense? The Gisela tournament was meant to put armies against each other in a strategic game of war, not run from the slightest hint of danger.

She let out a heavy sigh, shaking the ground immediately around her. “Cowardice is unbecoming for an army or any sort of warrior. Remember that Jerichol. These foes of ours won’t be ready to fight us if they run themselves into a dead end.”

The Faoi chattered amicably and excitedly at the sight of the nearby streams. Deciding to let them enjoy a few moments in their natural surface, she and her children released the telepathic holds they had on the animals. Immediately, they slithered and crawled to the clear water, bathing in it and drinking heavily. The cailpis and mearogs roared and growled angrily. They begged and yet dared the dragon general to release them as well, but the challenges went unanswered. Amaril suddenly had an idea.

“Kataneen, the Faoi can swim much faster than we can march, correct?” She simply nodded to the half-dragon’s question. “Then do you think you could send them ahead to stop our enemies from retreating? They are slowing us down on foot anyways.”

The she-dragon took a few moments to think about the request, staring into the sky with thoughtful eyes. It was a good plan, one that would certainly end the chase much sooner. At the same time however, she couldn’t help feel guilty for even thinking about sending the creatures forward on their own. Apart from the telepathic links to guide them, the animals followed Kataneen and her children because they protected them from various other predators. Sending them to their possible deaths could very easily break that trust. She knew that they would be revived at the end of the tournament, but they weren’t capable of comprehending that fact. A battle between following her temporary leader’s orders and respecting her own kin waged itself in her head until she finally came up with a compromise.

“Sending them through the streams would certainly speed up our travels, though I don’t think it would be wise to have them attack the enemy on their own. From what we’ve gathered, our adversaries are still clumped together and I fear we would lose almost my entire force. It doesn’t seem worth an attempt to stall them.” She paused to let Amaril contemplate these thoughts and nod in approval. “I do agree that we need to slow their progress however. Therefore, I’ll send half of the Faoi forward to meet up with the enemy. Instead of a straightforward attack, I will have them slowly pick away at those soldiers.”

Amaril thought over the plan quickly even though he already knew how he would approach the idea. Kataneen was a wise advisor and he trusted her thoughts, possibly more than his own. “Alright, send half of the Faoi to wear down the enemy little by little. Once they notice what’s going on, they might fall into an even less organized formation.”

Kataneen nodded, though she doubted how unorganized the enemy was. The draconian scout had looked at them from a high distance, not to mention none of the three original scouts had returned. Two had been sent straight toward the enemy and the opposition seemed more than up to the task to take out spies. She didn’t have time to wonder about the well-being of a couple of soldiers from different factions though. She turned instead to her children.

“Jerichol, Laverne, I want you two to take half the Faoi with you through the streams. You heard the plan and I expect to see positive results.” Suddenly her speech changed into a telepathic message meant only for her children. Stay out of sight. If the enemy is too overwhelming, come back with as many faoi as you can. Hopefully the rest of our army will catch up without you having to do much of anything.

Without any further words, the two young dragons took half of Kataneen’s obedient force with them into the streams. Left behind, a reptilian mother shed a solitary tear before returning her attention to those still present.

Hector suddenly appeared from the crowd of his own men. “So, are we going yet or are we just gonna sit on our asses and wait for a miracle to take us forward?”

Amaril shook his head. The Mercs were becoming increasingly obnoxious from the lack of excitement. As the army began to move forward, yet again, he hoped that some excitement would hit the stale army soon. They were well into the second round of the famed Gisela tournament, without having met any opposing force whatsoever.

((The entire army is moving from area D to area A. 100 Faoi and 2 adolescent dragons are traveling through the streams as fast as possible. The other 100 Faoi are traveling through the streams at the same speed as the rest of the army on foot.))