Chapter 104
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Of the twenty thousand soldiers remaining in the Darah center army, maybe a quarter of that was able to follow our column down to join the fifteen thousand survivors of the right army. The rest were scattered to the wind, fleeing west like Vardoom's left army, or more likely, dead as dead could be. So, in a way, I guess you could say that my great escape plan was successful. Despite the heavy cost it took to make it work.
Theren Everleaf's death was just one of many. And the sting of all the sacrifices made to get Great General Darah out of the Scarlet Moon's trap was akin to a shadowblade spear tip piercing my heart, an icy wound that drained me of warmth.
As soon as Darah arrived in the right army, she took command of our combined forces, and following my recommendation, ordered the retreat south to the borders of Lover's Embrace.
I was pretty much useless by then. I'd over used Fool's Insight to the point where just keeping my eyes open was painful, and with our healing potions depleted or reserved for the gravely wounded, I would have to remain an invalid for the rest of the trip south.
Perhaps it was a good thing that the last thing I saw before Fool's Insight finally crapped out was the final death rattle of the Magesong clan's army.
Their entire right army and center army had been devoured by the hungry maw of the Scarlet Moon forces and what remained of their left army had decided fleeing for their lives was the best option.
Darah sent me along with my Foolhardies ahead of the army fleeing south. Aura and Luca had taken command while Berrian Berrygrove tended to my many wounds.
The scent of herbs floated up to my nose as I watched him swab my injuries in healing paste.
"You're in luck, Commander," he said as he found another cut on my arm to bandage. "There won't be any scarring after these wounds have healed."
"Sure…" I said distractedly.
I hadn't meant to sound unappreciative of his efforts to keep me from dying of sepsis or any other number of diseases brought about by festering wounds, but my mind was adrift, numb to most things besides the counting of our dead.
This was the part I hated most after a battle, the survivor's guilt. It was even more intense now than that time on the hilltop where I kicked Azuma's butt. This time, I had been responsible for three hundred souls, and now, barely a hundred had survived. Even worse, many of the dead had been with me when I kicked Azuma's butt.
Ashley had come around to the wagon they stuffed me in and given me a rough count.
"Luca's Ravagers are mostly intact, but they've always been a small insertion team. We only lost Wiggs and Bedge, the two dwarves in Varda's magician unit," Ashley glanced down at the paper she was reading from. "Qwipps is back on his feet and as loud as ever. His Talons are still around too," Ashley was shaking her head, "But that would be due to Pike's leadership. Girl's got talent."
"Remind to promote her," I replied in a deadpan voice. "I'm assuming that was the good news. Give me the bad."
"We've lost more than half my shield unit. I'd sent those who couldn't ride along with Edo when… when he and the Bastards went up against that heavy cavalry…" Ashley sighed.
"Aw, man… I'm sorry Ash… if I was a better leader—"
"—none of that now, you here me, Dean," Ashley pointed a finger warningly at me. "Those soldiers gave up their lives. The least we can do is be proud of them."
"A heroic is its own reward, huh?" I sighed.
"Exactly," Ashley nodded.
It took a while longer for Ashley to compose herself before she continued with the breakdown of our losses.
"Oh, here's some more good news," she chirped. "Xanthor Xor's crew didn't lose too many centaurs."
I breathed in a sigh of relief. It was one thing to be thankful for. I wouldn't know how I'd face the ghost of Commander Kadash if I told him I let the survivors of his Dash Kadash unit die after they joined up with us.
"Thom's Hazy Moon unit lost a few drow but sending them to the backline to escort our prisoners kept most of them alive," Ashley noted.
"Hazy Moon?" I asked confused. "Didn't we call them the Bats?"
Ashley looked up from her piece of paper to tell me, "Well, now that the Scarlet Moon is on our tail, he's requested we change his unit's name to that of the dead clan he was part of. You know, just to piss the Scarlet Moon off in case they find out they hadn't actually wiped out all the other drow clans."
"Great," I said, shaking my head. "Yet another reason to make the target on our heads bigger…"
I sat up straighter and locked the fingers of my hands together.
"And the prisoners?" I asked.
"We're fine…" answered the frail man sitting on the cot opposite mine. "Wondered when you would get to us."
Ashley rolled her eyes at this .
"He says they're fine," Ashley said dryly.
Azuma, looking like a mummy with his many bandages, sat up and glared at me. "You failed to kill Spellweaver… I'm still bound to him."
"Yeah, well… you didn't warn me he was a backstabbing lunatic who was planning to commit patricide," I fired back.
Azuma chuckled softly. "So he really did gut his old man? I thought that was just a rumor."
"Uh, no… we were there. We saw it happen," Ashley reported.
Azuma sat back and leaned on the wooden wall of the wagon's interior.
"I knew he wasn't happy with how his father cast a shadow on him… despite his many achievements, Ardeen Spellweaver was only ever the son of a Great General," Azuma revealed.
He went on another one of his coughing fits. But once he was finished coughing his lungs out, he set his sights back on me.
"Doesn't change the fact that I and those viseres who followed me are still bound to the Magesong clan, boy," he hissed.
I waved the threat in his voice away with my hand. He wasn't as scary when he wasn't holding onto his spear. Especially not in our current setting where we were both considered unfit for combat.
"Cool your jets, old man," I answered. "We'll get to that once we're free and clear of pursuers."
I glanced out through the wagon's opening and back to the procession of soldiers making their way south to the golden general riding atop a fresh swifthart mount.
"Darah's agreed to contract with you herself," I admitted.
"Seriously?' Ashley asked.
Even Azuma looked surprised.
I nodded. "Yeah…" Then I leaned forward and patted Azuma on his bandaged leg. "Congrats. You're about to contract with a Great General."
"Just like General Thors did…" Ashley added.
Both Ashley and I lowered our heads at the mention of Thors.
There had been no news about the commander who led our center army. Not since we decided to escape south. Last I heard, Thors had rallied a few hundred soldiers to hold the line and keep the Magesong and Scarlet Moon from hounding our butts.
Of course, I should have had more faith in the lone visere of the Trickster Pavilion to ever be honoured with the title of general.
It was hours later, and we were well on our way south to Broken Sellsword's Canyon, when Thors appeared behind us at the head of five thousand more Darah soldiers.
The cheers rang out in waves that cascaded down the rear, all the way to our vanguard units.
I watched from my spot in the wagon as Great General Darah clasped Thor's shoulder and laughed as she greeted him. And as far as I was, I could still hear her loud voice when she proclaimed, "I knew they couldn't kill you, Thors. You're like one of those Mudgardian insects that just won't die when you step on it!"
As if hearing Darah admit out loud that she'd been to Mudgard and lost a battle with a cockroach wasn't surprising enough, Thors brought back with him an even bigger bombshell.
Standing behind the general, bloodied shoulder and all, his face a mess of bruises and cuts, his once braided black hair now a mess behind him, was Aura's half-ogre bodyguard.
Seeing Edo alive, I couldn't even begin to explain the swirl of emotions that burst out of my chest in that moment. It was like stumbling blind in the dark, afraid of every shadow, and suddenly, a small flame lights up to banish the dark.
Edo, that giant oaf, had survived and brought back hope—the hope that things might be alright after all. Just in the nick of time too as dawn was peaking over the horizon and my time in the Fayne was nearly over. At least now I could go back to Mudgard feeling a little lighter in the chest.
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Of the twenty thousand soldiers remaining in the Darah center army, maybe a quarter of that was able to follow our column down to join the fifteen thousand survivors of the right army. The rest were scattered to the wind, fleeing west like Vardoom's left army, or more likely, dead as dead could be. So, in a way, I guess you could say that my great escape plan was successful. Despite the heavy cost it took to make it work.
Theren Everleaf's death was just one of many. And the sting of all the sacrifices made to get Great General Darah out of the Scarlet Moon's trap was akin to a shadowblade spear tip piercing my heart, an icy wound that drained me of warmth.
As soon as Darah arrived in the right army, she took command of our combined forces, and following my recommendation, ordered the retreat south to the borders of Lover's Embrace.
I was pretty much useless by then. I'd over used Fool's Insight to the point where just keeping my eyes open was painful, and with our healing potions depleted or reserved for the gravely wounded, I would have to remain an invalid for the rest of the trip south.
Perhaps it was a good thing that the last thing I saw before Fool's Insight finally crapped out was the final death rattle of the Magesong clan's army.
Their entire right army and center army had been devoured by the hungry maw of the Scarlet Moon forces and what remained of their left army had decided fleeing for their lives was the best option.
Darah sent me along with my Foolhardies ahead of the army fleeing south. Aura and Luca had taken command while Berrian Berrygrove tended to my many wounds.
The scent of herbs floated up to my nose as I watched him swab my injuries in healing paste.
"You're in luck, Commander," he said as he found another cut on my arm to bandage. "There won't be any scarring after these wounds have healed."
"Sure…" I said distractedly.
I hadn't meant to sound unappreciative of his efforts to keep me from dying of sepsis or any other number of diseases brought about by festering wounds, but my mind was adrift, numb to most things besides the counting of our dead.
This was the part I hated most after a battle, the survivor's guilt. It was even more intense now than that time on the hilltop where I kicked Azuma's butt. This time, I had been responsible for three hundred souls, and now, barely a hundred had survived. Even worse, many of the dead had been with me when I kicked Azuma's butt.
Ashley had come around to the wagon they stuffed me in and given me a rough count.
"Luca's Ravagers are mostly intact, but they've always been a small insertion team. We only lost Wiggs and Bedge, the two dwarves in Varda's magician unit," Ashley glanced down at the paper she was reading from. "Qwipps is back on his feet and as loud as ever. His Talons are still around too," Ashley was shaking her head, "But that would be due to Pike's leadership. Girl's got talent."
"Remind to promote her," I replied in a deadpan voice. "I'm assuming that was the good news. Give me the bad."
"We've lost more than half my shield unit. I'd sent those who couldn't ride along with Edo when… when he and the Bastards went up against that heavy cavalry…" Ashley sighed.
"Aw, man… I'm sorry Ash… if I was a better leader—"
"—none of that now, you here me, Dean," Ashley pointed a finger warningly at me. "Those soldiers gave up their lives. The least we can do is be proud of them."
"A heroic is its own reward, huh?" I sighed.
"Exactly," Ashley nodded.
It took a while longer for Ashley to compose herself before she continued with the breakdown of our losses.
"Oh, here's some more good news," she chirped. "Xanthor Xor's crew didn't lose too many centaurs."
I breathed in a sigh of relief. It was one thing to be thankful for. I wouldn't know how I'd face the ghost of Commander Kadash if I told him I let the survivors of his Dash Kadash unit die after they joined up with us.
"Thom's Hazy Moon unit lost a few drow but sending them to the backline to escort our prisoners kept most of them alive," Ashley noted.
"Hazy Moon?" I asked confused. "Didn't we call them the Bats?"
Ashley looked up from her piece of paper to tell me, "Well, now that the Scarlet Moon is on our tail, he's requested we change his unit's name to that of the dead clan he was part of. You know, just to piss the Scarlet Moon off in case they find out they hadn't actually wiped out all the other drow clans."
"Great," I said, shaking my head. "Yet another reason to make the target on our heads bigger…"
I sat up straighter and locked the fingers of my hands together.
"And the prisoners?" I asked.
"We're fine…" answered the frail man sitting on the cot opposite mine. "Wondered when you would get to us."
Ashley rolled her eyes at this .
"He says they're fine," Ashley said dryly.
Azuma, looking like a mummy with his many bandages, sat up and glared at me. "You failed to kill Spellweaver… I'm still bound to him."
"Yeah, well… you didn't warn me he was a backstabbing lunatic who was planning to commit patricide," I fired back.
Azuma chuckled softly. "So he really did gut his old man? I thought that was just a rumor."
"Uh, no… we were there. We saw it happen," Ashley reported.
Azuma sat back and leaned on the wooden wall of the wagon's interior.
"I knew he wasn't happy with how his father cast a shadow on him… despite his many achievements, Ardeen Spellweaver was only ever the son of a Great General," Azuma revealed.
He went on another one of his coughing fits. But once he was finished coughing his lungs out, he set his sights back on me.
"Doesn't change the fact that I and those viseres who followed me are still bound to the Magesong clan, boy," he hissed.
I waved the threat in his voice away with my hand. He wasn't as scary when he wasn't holding onto his spear. Especially not in our current setting where we were both considered unfit for combat.
"Cool your jets, old man," I answered. "We'll get to that once we're free and clear of pursuers."
I glanced out through the wagon's opening and back to the procession of soldiers making their way south to the golden general riding atop a fresh swifthart mount.
"Darah's agreed to contract with you herself," I admitted.
"Seriously?' Ashley asked.
Even Azuma looked surprised.
I nodded. "Yeah…" Then I leaned forward and patted Azuma on his bandaged leg. "Congrats. You're about to contract with a Great General."
"Just like General Thors did…" Ashley added.
Both Ashley and I lowered our heads at the mention of Thors.
There had been no news about the commander who led our center army. Not since we decided to escape south. Last I heard, Thors had rallied a few hundred soldiers to hold the line and keep the Magesong and Scarlet Moon from hounding our butts.
Of course, I should have had more faith in the lone visere of the Trickster Pavilion to ever be honoured with the title of general.
It was hours later, and we were well on our way south to Broken Sellsword's Canyon, when Thors appeared behind us at the head of five thousand more Darah soldiers.
The cheers rang out in waves that cascaded down the rear, all the way to our vanguard units.
I watched from my spot in the wagon as Great General Darah clasped Thor's shoulder and laughed as she greeted him. And as far as I was, I could still hear her loud voice when she proclaimed, "I knew they couldn't kill you, Thors. You're like one of those Mudgardian insects that just won't die when you step on it!"
As if hearing Darah admit out loud that she'd been to Mudgard and lost a battle with a cockroach wasn't surprising enough, Thors brought back with him an even bigger bombshell.
Standing behind the general, bloodied shoulder and all, his face a mess of bruises and cuts, his once braided black hair now a mess behind him, was Aura's half-ogre bodyguard.
Seeing Edo alive, I couldn't even begin to explain the swirl of emotions that burst out of my chest in that moment. It was like stumbling blind in the dark, afraid of every shadow, and suddenly, a small flame lights up to banish the dark.
Edo, that giant oaf, had survived and brought back hope—the hope that things might be alright after all. Just in the nick of time too as dawn was peaking over the horizon and my time in the Fayne was nearly over. At least now I could go back to Mudgard feeling a little lighter in the chest.
Of the twenty thousand soldiers remaining in the Darah center army, maybe a quarter of that was able to follow our column down to join the fifteen thousand survivors of the right army. The rest were scattered to the wind, fleeing west like Vardoom's left army, or more likely, dead as dead could be. So, in a way, I guess you could say that my great escape plan was successful. Despite the heavy cost it took to make it work.Theren Everleaf's death was just one of many. And the sting of all the sacrifices made to get Great General Darah out of the Scarlet Moon's trap was akin to a shadowblade spear tip piercing my heart, an icy wound that drained me of warmth.As soon as Darah arrived in the right army, she took command of our combined forces, and following my recommendation, ordered the retreat south to the borders of Lover's Embrace.I was pretty much useless by then. I'd over used Fool's Insight to the point where just keeping my eyes open was painful, and with our healing potions depleted or reserved for the gravely wounded, I would have to remain an invalid for the rest of the trip south.Perhaps it was a good thing that the last thing I saw before Fool's Insight finally crapped out was the final death rattle of the Magesong clan's army.Their entire right army and center army had been devoured by the hungry maw of the Scarlet Moon forces and what remained of their left army had decided fleeing for their lives was the best option.Darah sent me along with my Foolhardies ahead of the army fleeing south. Aura and Luca had taken command while Berrian Berrygrove tended to my many wounds.The scent of herbs floated up to my nose as I watched him swab my injuries in healing paste."You're in luck, Commander," he said as he found another cut on my arm to bandage. "There won't be any scarring after these wounds have healed.""Sure" I said distractedly.I hadn't meant to sound unappreciative of his efforts to keep me from dying of sepsis or any other number of diseases brought about by festering wounds, but my mind was adrift, numb to most things besides the counting of our dead.This was the part I hated most after a battle, the survivor's guilt. It was even more intense now than that time on the hilltop where I kicked Azuma's butt. This time, I had been responsible for three hundred souls, and now, barely a hundred had survived. Even worse, many of the dead had been with me when I kicked Azuma's butt.Ashley had come around to the wagon they stuffed me in and given me a rough count."Luca's Ravagers are mostly intact, but they've always been a small insertion team. We only lost Wiggs and Bedge, the two dwarves in Varda's magician unit," Ashley glanced down at the paper she was reading from. "Qwipps is back on his feet and as loud as ever. His Talons are still around too," Ashley was shaking her head, "But that would be due to Pike's leadership. Girl's got talent.""Remind to promote her," I replied in a deadpan voice. "I'm assuming that was the good news. Give me the bad.""We've lost more than half my shield unit. I'd sent those who couldn't ride along with Edo when when he and the Bastards went up against that heavy cavalry" Ashley sighed."Aw, man I'm sorry Ash if I was a better leader""none of that now, you here me, Dean," Ashley pointed a finger warningly at me. "Those soldiers gave up their lives. The least we can do is be proud of them.""A heroic is its own reward, huh?" I sighed."Exactly," Ashley nodded.It took a while longer for Ashley to compose herself before she continued with the breakdown of our losses."Oh, here's some more good news," she chirped. "Xanthor Xor's crew didn't lose too many centaurs."I breathed in a sigh of relief. It was one thing to be thankful for. I wouldn't know how I'd face the ghost of Commander Kadash if I told him I let the survivors of his Dash Kadash unit die after they joined up with us."Thom's Hazy Moon unit lost a few drow but sending them to the backline to escort our prisoners kept most of them alive," Ashley noted."Hazy Moon?" I asked confused. "Didn't we call them the Bats?"Ashley looked up from her piece of paper to tell me, "Well, now that the Scarlet Moon is on our tail, he's requested we change his unit's name to that of the dead clan he was part of. You know, just to piss the Scarlet Moon off in case they find out they hadn't actually wiped out all the other drow clans.""Great," I said, shaking my head. "Yet another reason to make the target on our heads bigger"I sat up straighter and locked the fingers of my hands together."And the prisoners?" I asked."We're fine" answered the frail man sitting on the cot opposite mine. "Wondered when you would get to us."Ashley rolled her eyes at this ."He says they're fine," Ashley said dryly.Azuma, looking like a mummy with his many bandages, sat up and glared at me. "You failed to kill Spellweaver I'm still bound to him.""Yeah, well you didn't warn me he was a backstabbing lunatic who was planning to commit patricide," I fired back.Azuma chuckled softly. "So he really did gut his old man? I thought that was just a rumor.""Uh, no we were there. We saw it happen," Ashley reported.Azuma sat back and leaned on the wooden wall of the wagon's interior."I knew he wasn't happy with how his father cast a shadow on him despite his many achievements, Ardeen Spellweaver was only ever the son of a Great General," Azuma revealed.He went on another one of his coughing fits. But once he was finished coughing his lungs out, he set his sights back on me."Doesn't change the fact that I and those viseres who followed me are still bound to the Magesong clan, boy," he hissed.I waved the threat in his voice away with my hand. He wasn't as scary when he wasn't holding onto his spear. Especially not in our current setting where we were both considered unfit for combat."Cool your jets, old man," I answered. "We'll get to that once we're free and clear of pursuers."I glanced out through the wagon's opening and back to the procession of soldiers making their way south to the golden general riding atop a fresh swifthart mount."Darah's agreed to contract with you herself," I admitted."Seriously?' Ashley asked.Even Azuma looked surprised.I nodded. "Yeah" Then I leaned forward and patted Azuma on his bandaged leg. "Congrats. You're about to contract with a Great General.""Just like General Thors did" Ashley added.Both Ashley and I lowered our heads at the mention of Thors.There had been no news about the commander who led our center army. Not since we decided to escape south. Last I heard, Thors had rallied a few hundred soldiers to hold the line and keep the Magesong and Scarlet Moon from hounding our butts.Of course, I should have had more faith in the lone visere of the Trickster Pavilion to ever be honoured with the title of general.It was hours later, and we were well on our way south to Broken Sellsword's Canyon, when Thors appeared behind us at the head of five thousand more Darah soldiers.The cheers rang out in waves that cascaded down the rear, all the way to our vanguard units.I watched from my spot in the wagon as Great General Darah clasped Thor's shoulder and laughed as she greeted him. And as far as I was, I could still hear her loud voice when she proclaimed, "I knew they couldn't kill you, Thors. You're like one of those Mudgardian insects that just won't die when you step on it!"As if hearing Darah admit out loud that she'd been to Mudgard and lost a battle with a cockroach wasn't surprising enough, Thors brought back with him an even bigger bombshell. Standing behind the general, bloodied shoulder and all, his face a mess of bruises and cuts, his once braided black hair now a mess behind him, was Aura's half-ogre bodyguard.Seeing Edo alive, I couldn't even begin to explain the swirl of emotions that burst out of my chest in that moment. It was like stumbling blind in the dark, afraid of every shadow, and suddenly, a small flame lights up to banish the dark.Edo, that giant oaf, had survived and brought back hopethe hope that things might be alright after all. Just in the nick of time too as dawn was peaking over the horizon and my time in the Fayne was nearly over. At least now I could go back to Mudgard feeling a little lighter in the chest.
