Eleanor: Makes the vow to seal the pact between her and the Slaver Emperor:

  A week after the Misfits had returned:

  "Lena, if you can take my arm?"

  Arm in arm, dressed in their finest clothes, they walked with as much dignity as possible into the castle's main meeting room. Following them were everyone else who would be at the battle scene.

  The Misfits, then Frannie, Reggie and Hestia, came first.

  Followed by Jane, Aragon, Jacob and Adrian.

  Then came Esther and Evereena, with the two children on each side holding her hands.

  And lastly came the Treasurer.

  The children were hanging onto Evereena, with Evereena occasionally speaking to them in soothing tones whenever they started to look extra nervous.

  Everyone else controlled their faces and emotions and managed to look serious. Although the Treasurer also seemed distinctly uncomfortable.

  They formed two lines across the stage, with Eleanor and Lena in the front.

  Facing them were some Manifestorian guards, plus a couple of dozen kings and prime ministers and leaders of countries close enough to be able to attend in time. Plus, an assorted mix of advisors and top-level nobles.

  "You all know why we are here, so I shall start."

  Eleanor made her vow to fight with the Emperor.

  Ding! Eleanor has made a public vow, 100%. She will meet with the Slaver Emperor with seventeen accompanying fighters as agreed upon. With the full details of the Emperor's conditions, this message has been sent to every non-slave and freed slave within a thousand kilometres of Manifestoria.

  With that, the audience bowed. Eleanor and her entourage made a dignified departure.

  Then, everyone who didn't live in Manifestoria hurriedly streamed out and wasted absolutely no time in escaping.

  Misfits:

  When they exited the meeting room, the Misfits decided to race up to the roof. Soon, they were watching from the highest point of the castle, where they could see the main road of Manifestoria as it headed towards Crysteth. Evereena had hurriedly taken the children back to Lena, then chased after them.

  "Yep, I told you so!" said Drayden, "They're all running like rats from a sinking ship. Why, there's an actual traffic jam!"

  "You'd think they could make a more dignified departure; after all, it's still five weeks to go," said Alice.

  "Nyah, why would they hang around? And many of them have a long way to go. They are probably not stopping at their home countries either, but will keep going." said Bronsen.

  "Shame we don't have that option," said Cassy, with an arm around Evereena.

  Evereena, not having anything to add to this, kept on hugging Cassy.

  Kepler:

  It's on!

  This is more excitement than I've had for a decade.

  She has specified fewer fighters than I would have expected. This is a bit strange, but...

  He thought this over for a while.

  My best guess is she thinks that if we had a large number of fighters, my winning would be more predictable, purely because slave fighters would fight to the death and would, on average, win their fights. However, with a small number of fighters, it is more likely that chance occurrences will tilt the battle one way or another, regardless of their abilities.

  Ah, OK, it doesn't make much difference.

  OK, it's time to get serious about the preparations.

  I'll convene a think tank of Greens to work out various strategies and options.

  We need to have training sessions.

  I need to pick my choices for my replacements, just in case. I think two Greens should be sufficient. I’ll have one stationed with me at all times, while the other will be further back where he is safe, no matter what happens.

  I should start moving a few weeks in advance. Better take a small task force, say a few thousand, along the rim wall top.

  The logistics of food supply is going to be tricky.

  A week beforehand, we will reach the Manifestorian stairwell.

  Then, a smaller force goes down within half a kilometre of the internal room.

  Say, how close can I get before I break the vow?

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Ding! Half a kilometre will do for the stairway - ten metres for any tunnels. But remember, the tunnel team is included in your count of accompanying fighters.

  The Emperor was startled. He still hadn’t gotten used to the vastly increased communication with the Voice of the World.

  Shit, I should have proposed a shorter distance, like four hundred metres. I can't change it now.

  On the other hand, ten metres for the tunnels is generous.

  So, after midday on the fight day, I'll have to get the tunnelling team to go the extra ten metres.

  Looks like the vermin will have to wait for a while. Make them suffer!

  Eleanor: Another planning meeting

  Eleanor presided over another meeting with all the people accompanying her, plus half a dozen extra who specialised in various building and blacksmith trades.

  "The vow says we meet in the internal room halfway up the Wall. It also says that we can prepare beforehand. So we will prepare. Basically, we will fill the entire space with rock and put little crawlways in it for us to move. That provides cover for the actual fighters, while us non-combat types will be locked away deep inside the rocks, where we cannot be reached very easily."

  "If you're inside, behind rock walls, how will you coordinate with the fighters?" said Bronsen.

  "Well, to start with, we have put together a training programme. Most of the time, the fighters note what is happening and will know what to do from the training scenarios."

  "But, also, we won't be completely cut off. We will have little spy holes cut into the rocks. And my [Speak to an Individual] ability works so long as I have the slightest view of the person I'm trying to speak to."

  "What about my [Insta-Death] ability?" said Evereena.

  "That one we have put some thought into. The rock walls will channel the invaders from the room's entrance to the inside space. And there will be crawlways built into it. Each little tunnel goes almost to the outside, with a view hole. You crawl in until you can see outside, and [Insta-Death] anyone you see. Err, but make sure you're not getting someone on our side!"

  "Ah, yes, Eleanor."

  "And then, if they decide to attack the rock wall, trying to get to you, Esther, who will be behind you, yanks you out by the feet. And then collapses the tunnel, and you retreat to the next one along."

  "Will we be able to practice all of this?"

  "Oh, you bet you will be. A lot."

  One of the building workers raised his hand.

  "How will we construct the tunnel so that collapsing it won’t open up other gaps that the enemy can get into?"

  The next hour was spent discussing this little detail.

  "What's to stop them from demolishing the rock walls outright?" said Aragon.

  Eleanor nodded to the blacksmith.

  "When mlady said we'd be filling the space with rocks, it will actually be stone blocks carefully cut into interlocking shapes. The whole structure will also be interlaced with steel rods and cemented together. It will be a lot tougher than just a rock wall."

  "Oops, I have just thought of something the Emperor might do - tunnel in from inside the Wall," said Cassy.

  "But that's not possible!" said the mason.

  "Sadly, this is the Misfits we are talking about. It is definitely a possibility," said Jane.

  "But, we tried to do it again, and our ability to tunnel through the Wall had been rescinded," said Drayden.

  "Can you acquire the ability again?" said Eleanor.

  That would be great if we could...

  So, Drayden made a request.

  Ding! Sorry, you only get one go at that ability.

  I suppose that would make things too easy.

  "Right, I think that is a definite no." said Eleanor, "Nonetheless, maybe the Emperor can get the ability?"

  Another hour was spent discussing this.

  Finally:

  "OK, I think the Treasurer has recorded all of this."

  The Treasurer nodded in agreement.

  He looks tired and out of it. He has been working hard to collate and write up all this information. I'm lucky to have his support and loyalty.

  "Let's call this a day, shall we?"

  I must arrange the production of all those stone blocks, reinforcing rods, and cement. Then arrange a hundred porters with maxed-out strengths to carry them to the Wall, and then up, Voice help us, fifty kilometres of stairs. And then install it all.

  Better transport the masonry stuff to the Wall during the night. No need to make it easy for the Emperor to see what we are doing.

  Oh, and logistics. There's food for all the workers, and food and supplies must also be taken to the Wall.

  What else? I can see another meeting coming up very soon. Thank the Voice. I have the Treasurer to keep track of all of this.

  Damn. I almost overlooked it. We will have to have practice runs at the site. That's going to be a headache to arrange. Don't want to give away anything to the Emperor; after all, he will be up the stairs a kilometre or so. If they have someone with enhanced hearing, they could listen in on us.

  Must find Lena. Must tell her to bring cookies.

  The Treasurer:

  He trudged back to his office and dumped the latest notes onto his desk.

  This is bloody horrible. How the hell can the others act so normal when we are all facing almost certain death or enslavement?

  That stupid vow. I should have started running when I had the chance. Instead, I am stuck here and will be at the front line when the slaver Emperor squashes us all.

  Who would have ever thought Eleanor, a woman, would run rings around Kalitrain?

  He could still have been king if only he had been a fraction more sensible. And I could still be ruling from behind the throne. At least up to the point that the slave empire rolls over us and keeps on going, leaving us behind as a thin smear on the ground.

  Blah. I'm going to bed.

  The Misfits:

  That evening, in their common room.

  The mood was glum and dour. They sat on the floor, looking at each other, without saying much.

  "I don't mind saying I'm getting terrified," said Alice.

  The others admitted the same.

  More silence.

  "Everyone, how about we all sleep here tonight? I mean, we don't have to be sex-crazed bunnies every night of the week," said Cassy.

  The others agreed. Alice extinguished the little fireball she had been using to light up the proceedings, and they stretched out on the floor. They all had their heads together, with their bodies radiating outwards.

  “This is nice; if I tilt my head to the left, I touch Drayden's, tilt it to the right, I touch Bronsen's, and Cassy's is just above,” said Alice.

  A contemplative silence for a while.

  "I think I will find time to have a little heart-to-heart with Evereena. Try to cheer her up," said Cassy.

  "That's nice," said Bronsen.

  "Everyone, remember one of our rules from that long ago ancient time at the adventure park?" said Drayden, "The one that said we face our fears and do it anyway."

  A quiet giggle from Cassy. "Yeah, I remember that. We never knew that with our ridiculous rules, we would end up living them to the full."

  "Well, the rules about sex, I, for one, have absolutely no complaint about," said Bronsen.

  "That's because you are a sex-crazed teenager," said Cassy.

  "Guilty as charged, your honour. But, of course, so are you. And the other two." said Bronsen.

  "Everyone, this is still embarrassing to say, but, er, I love you all," said Alice.

  The other three said the same.

  There wasn't much more that they could say. So they drifted off to sleep.

  However, early the following day, they couldn't resist.

  Cassy grabbed Bronsen and went to her room, so Alice picked up Drayden and went to her room.

  Then, the girls swapped their boys over.

  But, being the mature, responsible adults they were (sometimes), they still managed to get to breakfast on time.