Capítulo 68: Plans and Plans (Rewritten)
When Athena heard Serien say what she saw, she immediately thought of annihilating Tarna. However, she swallowed her sour-tasting fear and put her thoughts in place.
(If I destroy the city, thousands of children will die and I don't know if Mifa and Lobana would forgive me.)
Ever since she'd taken up the courage to live her new life without looking at the fear of the past, Athena had developed a still slight obsession with her bonds.
She didn't want to lose anyone else. The last straw had been Nijha. If she had to choose between killing millions to save one from a dear one or killing a dear one to save millions. With a smile on her face, she would kill millions for one person.
However, she also didn't want to be hated by these people and somehow that obsession kept Athena's humanity.
With her army leaders before her, Athena was thinking about the best way to prevent Mifa from being in danger.
When Esdan prostrated himself in supplication at her feet, Athena made her decision. "Let's have a siege."
The people there sighed in relief. Well, not all of them, Trigan leaned back against the back of his chair and laughed.
"Why are you laughing?" Lobana asked.
Trigan looked at Athena with a mocking look and said. "What about not wanting to be here for too long?"
Athena's green eyes flickered an oddly blue glow as she looked coldly at the man.
At that same moment, Trigan felt an ominous shiver run up his back and his heart sped up in fear.
Athena kept her eyes on the man huddled in the chair and snapped. "And we won't be staying for long."
"But Athena, a siege takes time." Koria said.
"Not if my plan works out..."
"What plan?" Serien asked.
"I'm going to need the best assassins..." Athena explained her plan and they discussed how to execute it as perfectly as possible.
***
In the imperial palace, Sued had spent hours shivering in fear in his chambers. He couldn't sleep or even rest.
Every time he started to fall asleep, he heard the explosion and the sound of screams of terror from soldiers killed by Athena's magic.
Meanwhile, Veta was thinking of a way to defeat Athena. He couldn't see the extent of Athena's power and it cost half the army.
(How to defeat that?) Veta thought and then the answer came as he looked at a group of children.
The children played in the street, oblivious to the imminent danger that Tarna... No, that the empire was passing.
The game was resolved by blindfolding one of the children and making a circle around the blindfolded child. Then the blindfold would have to catch one of the children in the circle and these would have to avoid being caught.
(That's it!) Veta smiled a sly smile and clenched his fist in celebration of his idea. (I have to go see the emperor.)
***
At nightfall, the assassins crept through the alleys of Tarna. There were twenty people, all dressed in black and faces hidden in different ways.
They split into ten pairs and started Athena's plan.
The task would be time-consuming and dangerous and they had to do it all in one night. Hidden in the shadows of the night, the assassins killed dogs, cats, birds and livestock. All this without making a fuss.
The smaller animals they tied to rocks and threw them into drinking water wells, lakes and fountains. As for the biggest ones, like cows and sheep, they set fire.
The other group didn't take long to act either. They searched every suspicious place that might be a food store and burned it.
Places were silos, weapons depots, barns, warehouses and the merchant guild.
As the fire raged, bells began to ring throughout the city. Soldiers ran with buckets full to extinguish the fire, that savagely devoured everything it touched without caring for the splash of water that hit it.
This was the perfect distraction for the assassins to complete their work and flee.
***
Just before the fire started, Veta entered the throne room and saw Sued, the emperor, sitting on the throne with his eyes downcast.
"Veta?" Sued said, looking at the knight.
"Majesty, I have a plan to get rid of that monster (Athena)." Veta said and the emperor's eyes found hope.
"And what's the plan?" Sued asked with an anxious expression.
"I will go head to head against her..." Veta began to explain his plan to the emperor.
He would no longer fight Athena alone. He would use what was left of his Order of Knights and subdue Athena together of them.
Veta would had a melee fight the woman while Verio, Qer, and Eloan would deal subsequent damage, without giving Athena time to react.
"And meanwhile, our army slaughters her army..." The emperor said as he completed Veta's train of thought and smiled. "I like this plan."
The emperor and knight had satisfied smiles on their faces as the bells began to ring all over the city.
"Fire?" Veta asked and a soldier stormed into the throne room.
"Your Majesty, all food reserves have been set on fire!" The soldier said and handed a scroll to Veta.
Veta opened the parchment and ground his teeth in anger. He handed the scroll to the emperor and left with the soldier.
"We have to put out the fire. We're going to be encircled!" Veta said the air cooled.
***
Athena was apprehensive as she looked at the walls of Tarna. The sun was already rising in the east and the assassins showed no sign of life despite all the commotion in the city.
The queen was about to go to Tarna when she saw the assassins appear on the walls. Athena breathed a sigh of relief and waited for people to approach.
"Good job. Did everything go right?" Athena asked a woman with very short hair and a face hidden by a panther mask.
The assassin bowed to Athena and reported everything that happened. "...It went well and I left your majesty's message attached to the palace gate, as ordered."
"Perfect. I will make sure to reward you personally." Athena said and looked at the city walls. "Now it's my turn... {Teleport}"
In just one word, Athena, who was standing in front of the assassins, disappeared and seconds later, crystalline walls of ice grew around Tarna.
When Athena returned to camp, her face was pale. The fifth cycle spell {Ice Fort} wouldn't spend even a fifth of Athena's mana, but Tarna was too big and its walls were too high.
Even though it's a medium cycle spell, the mana consumption was excessive. Athena was exhausted when she returned to the camp and was rescued by Mifa and Serien, who took her to their tent.
In addition to her fatigue, Athena was shivering from the cold. Part of her hair already damaged by Veta's sword, was frozen and brittle and her lips were blue.
"Th-thank you…" Athena thanked her as she wrapped herself in the sheets on the bed.
"Princess... You..." Mifa tried to ask Serien to leave Athena and her alone and the princess smiled.
"Right. I'll be in my tent in case she need me." Serien said as he bowed and left the tent, closing the entrance.
Mifa took off her boots, lay on the bed and hugged Athena to transfer her body heat to the woman. Athena closed her eyes when she felt Mifa's heat and mentally called Fotiá.
***
In Tarna, the emperor read Athena's message with an angry expression.
<Send your people out of the city through the southern city gate.
You have until the sun goes down, otherwise I will destroy Tarna and everything in it.
Be a good king and spare your people.
Athena, Queen of Basilica.>
When he finished reading, the emperor tore the parchment into several pieces. His face was red and veins stood out in his forehead.
"I WANT THIS WOMAN CRAWLING NAKED AT MY FEET. I'M GOING TO HUMILIATE THAT BITCH!" The emperor screamed and the palace shook. "Iiiih!!!!" Thinking it was Athena's attack, the emperor shrank back on his throne.
The tremor came from an explosion in the roof of the palace that gave way, raising a cloud of dust on the throne room.
Out of the dust emerged a handsome man with dark gray skin, long silver hair, and black horns that he screwed to the sides of his head.
"Heh... Are you the saint?" Mammon asked as he dusted off his bare chest. "Hm... No, you're not the saint..." Mammon's reddish-yellow eyes glowed menacingly as he looked at the emperor who was wide-eyed and white-faced as a corpse's. "Where is the saint?"
***
"Mommy? Are you okay?" Fotiá asked when she heard Athena's fragile voice.
Fotiá was hunting alone on the outskirts of Gion's castle when Athena's voice came into her mind.
(I'm fine my little angel.) Athena said. (I wanted to hear your voice...)
"Mommy, wait just a little. There's a big monster coming my way."
(Huh? Are you fighting alone?)
"Aunt Lunnia is watching me from afar." Fotiá said and jumped in an explosion at her feet.
The monster was the size of a bison and had a black carapace and resembles a tick.
Fotiá flew over the monster and threw dozens of small fireballs at the monster that exploded into several disgusting pieces of blue goo.
Fotiá celebrated his victory with a big smile and made a "V" to Lunnia who applauded.
"Mommy, I'm much stronger now!"
(Fufu~ My congratulations, my dear. When I get back, I'll give you a present. What do you want?)
Fotiá narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "I don't know. But if Mommy is going to give me a present, I'd rather Mommy choose."
Athena felt that Fotiá was more mature and smart. She was filled with longing and guilt for not seeing this progress personally.
(I promise you, I will come back when the war is over. Now I have to get some sleep. Tell Anemus and Lunnia that I blew them a kiss.)
"And for me?" Fotiá sulked.
(Fuhuhum~ A big kiss for my little girl.)
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
All_J
All_J I'm exhausted... I think I'll be less busy next week and I'll be able to write more.
At last the end of the war is coming.
Please let me know if you find some error.
Vote, add to your library and comment if you like it.
See ya... (=_=`)/
I will get some sleep.
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