Remi prepared her spell to cover the entire area around the north side of the city, with a special bit of focus on not destroying the plants. Most of them had already been smashed by travelling armies, but if anything could be saved, that would be best.
The other sides would hardly notice an Ascended Rank Thunderstorm spell, but with it forming over the whole north side of the city at the same time, it would look more like it was cast from within the walls, where they couldn’t easily get at the target.
For the mechanics of placing the spell, Remi was relying on Hawk’s mental imagery, but she was fairly certain that she knew what to do, and even if it rained on the city, it shouldn’t hurt the buildings or the humans.
[Thunderstorm] was also fairly easy to keep active, as it was channelled and didn’t have a huge upfront cost. Remi could just keep it going until the Giants’ Shamans dispelled it.
The advantage she had was that, while the spell was being used with minimal damage output, the low cost would make it easy for her to keep the sections that weren’t being actively dispelled active.
Compared to most casters, the Naga Queen had excellent elemental control, and a focused dispel effect wouldn’t cause the whole spell to collapse.
That would help them sell the idea that it was shamans inside the city that were messing with the weather. If they were in the city, then the storm would be nearly impossible to stop until the battle was over, and the enemy would have to work to deal with it, or send their troops into battle wounded.
The second was the more likely case, as the Giants didn’t actually care at all about their allies. Especially the weaker ones here on the North Side, who they would happily sacrifice just to soften up the Capital City before the final invasion force arrived.
Overhead, the clouds began to shift and darken as the wide area spell took effect. At first, Remi wasn’t facing any sort of resistance, and the Giants driving the horde forward seemed to think that it was a sign that they were on the right path, as Hawk was reporting that some of them were celebrating.
They were in for a rude awakening.
When the first bolts of lightning hit, the Giants laughed them off, uncaring about a few Ascended Rank lightning streaks.
Even when the rain started, they were mostly unconcerned. The troops could march in the rain, and bad weather would not stop them from toppling the capital today.
But when they realized that the rain itself was eating through their gear and supplies, and that the lightning was spreading all through the hills north of the Capital region, covering a dozen kilometres of land on this side of the city, they began to worry.
[That’s impressive. I didn’t think that you had that much coverage in you.] Karl congratulated.
[I’m borrowing energy from everyone, since we’re not fighting. Just enough that we can all recover what I’m using.] Remi explained.
Karl hadn’t even known that was an option. He didn’t know how to draw energy directly from the team to use abilities. Perhaps it was a Remi exclusive ability?
On the North Side of the city, where the Giants’ weaker allies were attacking, the situation was becoming dire for the incoming monsters. Most of the terrain sloped upwards towards the city from a river valley, meaning that they had to charge up a muddy hill in a thunderstorm to get at the defenders, which was slowing their advance.
The rain was burning through their clothing and their hides, leaving welts and blisters that were quickly turning to deep wounds.
The best that they had managed was to shelter themselves with cloth. If they weren’t touching the cloth itself, the rain wouldn’t eat through it. But every time they tried, the Lightning had an uncanny way of finding them.
In contrast, Karl’s hasty move to a Command tent with the sides rolled up, so they could see the army as they worked, but still remain dry, had worked out perfectly.
Rae had simply made a shelter for her people with Earth Magic and silk, while Thor had managed to obtain a large parasol, the sort families would use for a beach day. He was sheltering Tessa and the command table with it, while the soldiers worked to raise a tent similar to the one Karl was using.
Of them all, Dana had it both the best and the worst.
The large branches of Lotus’ Tree of Life form sheltered them from the rain, but Lotus had to be regularly reminded not to dance in the rain, or everyone under her got soaked.
Dana would have to get a tent soon.
“Monarch, we have supplies for the line.” Someone shouted from behind Karl.
“The receiving area is to your left.”
“Sir, they are specialty equipment sent by the Archbishop.” The voice replied, and Karl turned to see a young Acolyte of the church, thoroughly soaked from the rain, holding a wooden box for him to inspect.
{Ice Cleats ⇒ One Size} The box read.
That was a brilliant idea.
“How many are there?” Karl asked.
“They were dispatched to all four stations in the north. There is a whole truckload of them.” The Acolyte explained.
“Get them distributed to the front lines. The second rank can put them on, then rotate forward. Officers, pass the order.” Karl insisted.
Danni Mackenzie smiled at him. “Ice cleats to give them better traction in the mud? It appears that the seers approve of your tactic.”
Karl nodded. “I wish that I had thought of it. That is a brilliant tactic. I wonder if they were available when I was on the Frost Giant front? We were always scouts and never on the lines, so I never really got a chance to check out the supply rooms.”
Danni shrugged. “They were available, but nobody really used them. With the line holding in the same spot for so long, the ground was already torn up, and the traction was good.
We really do need to find time to catch up after the battle.”
Karl smiled. “Are the rest of your siblings here?”
Danni shook her head. “Donni is over by the tree, but Bob and Doug are on the Hill Giant lines right now. You said they’re calling some of those ones back, so we might see them, but they weren’t stationed in the Capital.”