Chapter 87 87: Sleepless
"You gave me so many sleepless nights. Now that you're here only for one more night, it's only fair that I return some favor. Enjoy the fear."
The silence in the chamber was broken by the calm words of Razil, which didn't reach Atlan.
The chamber once again returned to the scary silence.
****
"That's the Kingdom of Wolves. We did manage to get here, but this is where the troublesome part starts. How will we get inside?"
Atlas sat on top of the carriage, gazing at the distant city. Lilith sat beside him.
Lancaster and Yovana stood on the ground in the beautiful planes.
"You're Lord Castiel. I don't think you even need to worry about this," Yovana answered. "You can openly get inside. It is just that you'll attract some attention, but that shouldn't be much of a problem since you'll never be in danger."
"You have no idea how much of a problem it can be." Lilith sighed. She knew that Atlas wasn't that strong yet. He wasn't going to wage war to enter the city, and if he did, getting to Atlan was going to be close to impossible.
"How about this? I get inside and try to find the whereabouts of Atlan first?" Lancaster suggested. "Since I'm not a Vampire, they won't be able to sense me that easily. I'm also a werewolf, so I should be able to find out about Atlan. After that information, you can plan better."
"Lancaster, I can't let you do it. They are your family." Atlas refused. "I know how bad it can be once someone loses their family. You don't have to go against your clan. I'll find a way."
He definitely needed some information and a way to get inside, but even with Lancaster's help, it was impossible to get inside without being seen. Moreover, it put Lancaster in harm's way. If someone found out that he was involved, it was going to get him declared a traitor to his own clan.
"It's not betrayal. I'm not helping you wage war or kill them. It's just getting someone out if possible. From what I've heard, Atlan might've done many wrong things in his life, but the thing he was imprisoned for wasn't done by him. So he's really not supposed to be imprisoned."
"We were wrong, and it's time we right that wrong. That's why I'll help you."
"That's true as well. He didn't destroy the village he was arrested for." Yovana agreed. "He is innocent."
"Just that specific village." Lilith gazed at the distant city. "He did destroy many towns, cities, and villages, including mine. He isn't innocent from any angle."
"Get this thing straight. We aren't helping you because we think he is innocent. Because innocent is the last thing he would be if we are to really be clear. You might be blinded by your love for him, but we aren't," she further added. ''So don't give me that innocent logic. If it were up to me, I would have him rot in that cell for an eternity, but Castiel has made a promise to you, so I'll help."
"Lilith, it's not the time to argue. We can't sit here idly. We need a plan that doesn't put Lancaster at risk while also allowing us a path to get to Atlan. I can't think of anything. It's impossible to sneak inside. From what I've been told about the defenses of this place, it's impeccable."
"Moreover, Atlan would be kept in the most secure place in the castle. Even if we managed to sneak inside the city, the castle would be an even more difficult pill to swallow."
"You're right. It's not easy to sneak inside. At least not the way you are now. A Vampire will be sensed as soon as you try to sneak in. And then there will be Vampire Warding formations as well. In essence, it's an upward climb which is almost impossible to achieve," Lilith explained.
"I know it looks harder, but in reality, it's even harder than anything you can imagine. We haven't even considered all the traps that the Witches would've made to keep Atlan secure. All those traps would've been made keeping Vampires in mind."
"Can you break the spells?" Atlas inquired, gazing at the grim face of Lilith.
She was the only Witch they had and the only person who had any idea on how to deal with spells.
"I might be able to break some spells, but there are many spells that are unbreakable, and I'm sure many such spells would be used there. No one would take a risk when it came to Atlan."
"So there's no way to get inside without a conflict. I guess it's time to pull the same card I used with Severis then."
"You mean bluffing?"
"Yeah. What else can we do? That should bring us before the King. As for what happens after that, it'll depend on how that meeting goes."
"You realize that it's much harder to fool him than it was to fool Severis. Both of them are in a different league, mentally and physically. The Castle here will be even more secure than it was there."
"I know it'll be harder, but it's not like I'm planning to blow up his castle. I don't need him to believe me entirely. I just need an opportunity to get inside without starting a war. This will lead us straight to the heart of the castle. I might even be able to negotiate."
"You're too optimistic." Lilith shook her head in disappointment. "There's no way he's going to listen to you and release Atlan. Instead, he might even try to capture you as well. It'll be inevitable. So I don't approve of this plan."
"Do you have a better plan then? There's no other way to get inside the city even."
Lilith paused for a brief moment before opening her lips. "Well, there is one way to get inside the city. But it's just that... It'll help you get inside the city but not more than that."
"What way?"
Lilith glanced at Yovana, who was looking right at them.
"We should talk in private about that. Come with me."
Lilith got down from the carriage with Atlas. The two of them created some distance from Yovana and Lancaster.
Even then, Lilith wasn't satisfied. She cast another spell to make sure no one could hear what they said.
After around ten minutes of discussion, she removed the spell. "So, what do you think?"
"Hmm... That plan... It must work, but..."
"It's certainly better than your plan. It'll get us an entry into the city without raising any suspicions." Lilith cut Atlas off in the middle of his sentence.