The Air Out Of [Wattys2018 shortlist]

22

A CALL POPS UP ON ASPYN'S MONITOR, AND NOW, SHE'S ALL WORKED UP. She begins by experiencing a preliminary heart attack. Nothing big, just a scare. It's been fifteen minutes since she and the others put their new plan into action. Listen to your gut.

But here's the problem. Avine. She doesn't quite know if it will pass under the radar or he'll take it into his psychotic mind and do something equally as damaging back to Covia. It was her time to fight, and she was scared she would mess it all up. Why was she turning shy? No. She had to protect her country. 'Shy' was simply unacceptable.

All she needed was Madrinay's confirmation to launch the attack, and now he was calling.

"Aspyn!" Madrinay's voice hissed into the speaker. "Hurry up. He's distraught."

"I don't quite think it's a good idea to-" She stutters, the doubt flooding back into her memory.

Aspyn slammed a stack of papers on the table. Mason, Jett, and Madrinay we're on the call while Jess and Louis sat beside her. They were all lost in thought. Would barging into Avinian territory finally give them a taste of their own medicine, or would it make them hungrier.

"Madrinay." Jess says weakly. "Do you think you could distract Avine long enough to do a preliminary raid and a hack?"

"And how long would that be."

"Ten minutes - fifteen minutes tops." Jett answers. "We're not doing an actual attack, we just want it to look like one, while we sneak in some Covian warriors in their territory and create a basic map inside their walls."

Madrinay pauses, his fingers stroke his chin. "Perhaps I could."

"So. Should we do it?" Mason notes. "The palace is becoming increasingly vulnerable, we've had to move mother to the secret hideout in case an attack gets out of hand."

Aspyn sighs against her better judgment. "Alright. It's our best shot. We know every nook and cranny in existence in the wastelands in between Avine's and our territory, but we do need a diversion to scan the new lands. We need a plan after all."

"What's the use of distracting Avine then?" Mason must be in a terrible state because not even Aspyn could believe the question he asked. Everyone on the table stared at him.

"Mase, are you okay?"

Jess speaks silently. "Avine calls all the shots, if his attention is elsewhere and he believes we have nothing to gain and his troops can handle it, the plan of sneaking in Covians as commoner Avinians and getting a look at their territory will go unnoticed. If he stops us before we can even get anyone in, then our plan will fail and we lose people."

Madrinay clasps his hands. "Avine is coming. I'll give you the call as soon as I'm ready. Ten minutes. I'll see you tomorrow. Hopefully, under better circumstances."

"Earth to Aspyn?" Jess snaps her out of her reality. "We've got this. We've got to get this. Remember, you're not doing it for yourself."

Jess' shyness was covered by the angst that started to spread like a plague amongst the others. If even Aspyn could be scared then the Covians needed a leader. And she needed to be one.

It was only because of Jess that Aspyn felt inspired. If not, she would still be sulking at the what could've been. She was getting accustomed to these lavines. Maybe her mother was right. These lavines were saving her, and her country.

"Madrinay. Let's do this."

"Good timing. Start...now!" He called.

Jess nodded. "Charge!" She ran. She ran for Covia. She ran for the others, the people who surrounded her at the moment. She ran for each of the other lavines.