Shattered Sanity

For the first couple hours of Black Week, everything went almost exactly according to Cedric’s plan.

House Argent successfully established control over the Open Woods behind their castle, while their occupation teams pushed across Silverstone Bridge and secured the Western Training Grounds beyond it.

The Spell Training Hall proved considerably more difficult to take, especially since House Sable had dispatched a sizeable force towards it almost immediately after the opening bell.

However, after nearly an hour of fighting, Gwen and the Argent assault teams eventually drove the remaining Sable students from the surrounding grounds and established control over the building.

As, for the first time since Black Week began, the entire territorial chain Cedric had envisioned was complete.

From the Open Woods behind House Argent, through the castle itself, across Silverstone Bridge and the Western Training Grounds, all the way to the Spell Training Hall near the heart of the Academy, Argent controlled one continuous stretch of territory.

Students, supplies and reinforcements could move from one end to the other without entering enemy-controlled land, while every occupied territory continuously added Merit Points to House Argent’s tally.

For a while, everything looked promising.

Then Michael noticed something strange.

Standing near the center of Silverstone Bridge, he looked beyond the river towards one of the territories House Viridian had captured earlier that morning, where several groups of green-clad students were still positioned along its boundaries.

Yet the approaching students weren’t from Viridian.

They were from House Sable.

Michael watched the dark-uniformed group approach the Viridian-controlled territory and immediately began to hope for a good fight to unfold.

However, much to his shock, no weapons were drawn, no spells were cast, and nobody attempted to stop them as the entire group walked straight through Viridian territory as though they belonged there.

Michael frowned.

’What the hell?’

At first, he wondered whether Viridian simply hadn’t noticed them, although that possibility disappeared when one of the Viridian students casually stepped aside to give the approaching Sable group more room to pass.

They were knowingly letting them through.

”Why the fuck aren’t they fighting?” Michael muttered, as he continued watching the distant group until they disappeared beyond the territory.

Something wasn’t right.

Black Week encouraged temporary cooperation, especially when two Houses happened to want the same opponent removed from a valuable territory, but willingly allowing another House’s assault teams to travel through territory you had already captured was different..... especially this early into black week.

”Team Leader! Look over here.

House Aureate who took control of the boat crossing earlier, are now allowing Viridian students to make use of it.”

An Argent student pointed on the other side, as Micheal rushed to observe.

’The hell?’

Micheal thought again, as farther along the river he saw the same scenario unfold again, although this time the houses involved were different.

’A three house alliance against Argent?’

Micheal wondered, as his expression gradually hardened.

Once could have been a temporary arrangement between friends.

A passing favor.

Twice could not be.

”Something’s fucking wrong,” Michael muttered, as he immediately turned towards one of the Argent students stationed behind him. ”Get word back to the castle. Tell Lord Cedric that Sable students are moving freely through Viridian territory, and Viridian students are doing the same through Aureate-controlled land near the River Post. I don’t know what the bastards are planning yet, but the Houses aren’t fighting one another like they’re supposed to.”

The student immediately departed.

However, Michael was already looking back towards the distant territories with fear growing in his heart.

He could smell trouble brewing, but there was not much he could do about it for now.

—-------

Meanwhile, at the Spell Training Hall, Gwen encountered problems of her own.

The fighting required to take the territory had been difficult, although once the last Sable defenders were forced beyond the perimeter, Gwen wasted no time reorganizing the Argent students under her command.

The entrances were reinforced first.

Students capable of defensive abilities were placed along the most exposed approaches, while those still recovering from the initial battle were moved farther inside.

Scouts spread outward to watch the surrounding pathways, and within the next half hour, Gwen had managed to establish a rudimentary defensive perimeter around the territory.

It was by no means perfect, but it was enough to hold against another ordinary assault.

However, unfortunately for her, what was approaching her team was anything but ordinary.

”Secretary Gwen!”

One of the scouts came running back towards the hall.

”Sable is gathering to the east. At least twenty that I could count, and there are more coming.”

Gwen’s expression tightened.

”How many Second Years?”

”I couldn’t tell from that distance, but I for sure saw Draymond amongst them. Which suggests it’s an Elite attack force.”

”Keep watching them. Don’t engage unless they cross the perimeter,” Gwen ordered, as the scout nodded and hurried away.

Another student arrived barely two minutes later.

”House Aureate is gathering along the southern approach.”

Gwen immediately turned.

”Aureate?”

”Yes. They aren’t attacking Sable. They’re forming separately, but they’re close enough that they should already be fighting each other.”

Before Gwen could properly process the report, shouting came from the opposite end of their perimeter.

Another scout was already sprinting towards her.

”Viridian!” he shouted. ”Viridian assault group approaching from the west!”

Gwen went silent.

Sable to the east.

Aureate to the south.

Viridian to the west.

Three different Houses had arrived around the same Argent-controlled territory.

Yet none of them were fighting one another.

Instead, as Gwen looked beyond the defensive perimeter they had only just finished establishing, she could see the three forces gradually spreading around the Spell Training Hall.

Sable students moved into positions without Aureate interfering.

Viridian students advanced without Sable turning towards them.

Whenever their groups came close to one another, they simply adjusted their formations and continued surrounding Argent.

That was enough.

Gwen didn’t need someone to explain what she was looking at.

”Fuck,” she muttered, as her eyes moved across the increasingly crowded approaches surrounding the hall.

The other Houses weren’t merely choosing Argent as their preferred target.

They were working together.

Gwen immediately turned towards the nearest messenger.

”Run back through the Western Training Grounds and tell them that there’s a chance they will need to cover our retreat if we abandon this hall.

There’s no way in hell we can hold off three enemy houses at once.

Tell them, to prepare safe passage....”

Gwen instructed, as the messenger’s face paled.

They had fought so hard just a couple hours ago to take control of this hall, however, there was a good chance they would need to abandon it soon.

’Damn it..... why did we have no idea about this unholy alliance?

And why are they all targeting us?’

Gwen wondered, as she clenched her fists in frustration.