Chapter 16 – Sunk Cost

“It’s fortified sir. Stone walls black as night. Organized defenders walked the walls, and the field was cleared for at least several hundred paces in all directions.”

Ashlan chewed thoughtfully, rubbing his rugged white beard. He looked up at the dense canopy above, thinking. That was not in the captain’s report. Something’s changed.

“What of the tower?”

“It was there sir. Just as you said. And commander. The trees were gone.”

The old vet looked up sharply. “Gone? What do you mean gone? Trees don’t just get up and leave, soldier.”

“Yes sir. They don’t. I don’t know how but… Sir, all the trees within half a league of the place appear rotted, dead, or just gone.” He blew out softly

Ashlan stared at the soldier for a long moment before grunting. Another detail that was most certainly not in Breck’s report. “Any sign of ambush or traps?”

“No. Not that we found.” The scout stopped, hesitating.

“Yes boy? Speak up.”

“Sir. It felt wrong. My horse was spooked and we were still on the grass.”

“Wait. What do you mean on the grass.”

The soldier grimaced. “Ah. Yes, sir there’s also no grass near the wicked fortress.”

“Good god. Is anything as Captain Breck left it,” the commander huffed in exasperation.

“That’s enough. You’re dismissed,” said Elson from his side. He could read the mood.

He waited for the scout to scurry off. Once he was several paces off, he looked to Ashlan. “Commander, what do you want to do? I suggest we consider a withdrawal. This isn’t the same mission Hallen sent us on.”

“Bredford, it’s war. It never goes as you expect it to.”

“I get your point, sir, but there’s the unexpected and there’s this.“

“Thank you for your advice Lieutenant. Somehow I don’t think Lord Hallen will share your sentiment if we, how did Captain Breck put it in his report.. Ah yes. If we retreat in good order. That’s what he told the lord I hear.”

“I know it’s not gallant, sir, but the more I hear of this, the more I think this is a job for paladins, not soldiers.”

“It’s our job now Elson. Enough.”

“But sir-“

“Enough!” barked the commander. “What’s gotten into you boy?”

He shook his head. “That locket of yours has gone to your head. There’s a time for prayer, and a time to do your duty. Ours is to deal with this abomination. Understand?”

The lieutenant straightened, steeled his expression, and nodded shortly.

“Good. Move the pitch forward, have siege ropes at the ready.”

Black scales polished to a shine, Kairon sat cross-legged in the citadel with Sovereign Eye activated. Each claw rested to either side tracing gentle lines in the black stone surface around him.

Where are you… Being late to a meeting is quite frankly unforgivable. A sign of weakness and disorganization.

As soon as the first boot touched hellscape, they appeared. One moment there was just the black wall demarcating the boundary of his domain. The next, armored forms began appearing.

His stomach clenched. Hello, hello. Let’s count here. Ten.. Twenty… Thirty.. Oh my. He stopped counting. Not from being surprised at the number of men, but rather the discipline they showed. This isn’t the same patrol group that left weeks prior. He watched, lips tightening, as the eighty two men filed into three neat formations. Squad commanders shouted orders, horses pattered, and weapons were held ready.

Kairon sighed as the diplomat in him was squashed by his demonic counterpart. He knew with certainty now that the force sent today had only one mission. Extermination. Vorathrex was right. And, unfortunately, so was his own gut from the start.

He felt Vorathrex’s large hand grip his shoulder. “They are near. Very near.”

“Yes, yes. I see them. Eighty-two men, all wearing light armor.. Same colors on their uniforms. They are clearly disciplined, and well commanded.”

Grunting, the giant cracked his knuckles. “We fight.”

“Not yet. Let these men do our job for us. We practiced this.”

Vorathrex snarled, but Kairon ignored him. The eye atop the tower narrowed as he watched intently.

The soldiers marched in an orderly line, boots driving down mud in the forest edge. Ahead, the trees began to become thinner and sparser.

“That smell…”

“Eyes forward!” barked a squad commander.

Around, men began removing scarves from rucksacks and wrapping them around their mouths. The scent of copper and sulfur was growing overbearing.

When the first rank hit hellscape, the uncertainty started. Feet began to warm, and an uncomfortable heat rose.

Edward’s skin was pale white, sweat glistening under his leather armor. That same spear was gripped firmly in both hands. I’m never making it one month. What the hell was I thinking?

“Is that a wall?”

“Yeah. And that stone. Edward, it’s the same stuff from that tower,” muttered Bertrum.

“At least from here I only see what.. Eight.. Nine of them?” He gulped, catching his breath. “That’s not so bad, right?”

Edward glowered at the tower, reaching back to tighten his scarf and wring his collar. The orange sand was devilish, and the heat soaked wind was blowing it into his tunic without care.

The further the soldiers moved, the more that uncertainty began to become something more insidious. A wrongness settled like a blanket over them. No one ran, or even looked back. But more than a few soldiers wanted to. Each step they took seemed to almost sap their energy, like instead of one it was ten.

Next to the commander and the rear guard, the locket on Elson’s chest began heating up and humming. One hand surreptitiously reached under the leather plate of his chest armor, holding it. Holy mother, protect me and mine. There is evil here. May you see with my eyes, and strike with my sword. The lieutenant willed the prayer off, being the first and only soldier to look backwards. His gaze sought holy lands that lay far to the south of The Spines.

By his side, Commander Ashlan was checking the buckles of his armor. “It’s nearly time. Elson, make sure the men stay in formation until we reach those damn walls. I’d wager these creatures may try throwing stones or oil. I’ve seen men do that and worse in Valdren. Beast or no, they can do the same here. Once we’re close, the pitch will be applied with haste. Understood?”

No reply.

“Elson! Is that understood?”

The second in command shook his head, looking up with a light cough. “Yes sir! Make haste to the wall. Formation tight. Watch for stones and oil.”

“And make sure the pitch is lit as soon as we reach the base of that stone. I don’t want to be in that killzone longer than we have to,” reminded the commander.

Seeing the look on Elson’s face, he lowered his voice. “Son. This place may feel like something unholy, but it’s just some black rock and sand. Eight or nine wicked creatures? Ones that from what I hear, were more apt at cutting wood than flesh. We’ll be in and out by nightfall. You’ll see.”

The grizzled leader slapped Elson on the back. “Yes sir. Thank you sir.”

Ashlan watched his second in command trot off, unable to see that Elson’s face was still deathly pale.

Kairon took register of the hesitation of the column. A predatory gleam took seat in his gaze as he registered the minutes it took the troops to get back in formation and press onwards. Each second that they spend in my domain is one more second the corruption can do its work. All I need to do is give it as much time as possible.

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The city leader focused on the small raiding group by the treeline.

You three. Now! Push!

From a group of uncorrupted bushes thirty paces to the east of the column, three wrath imps shot out. Each wielded a sharpened wooden stave, held in front of them poised to strike. The soldiers were so engrossed on their target that not a single one noticed until it was too late.

“Shields!! Shields!! On the east!!” The order rang out, and the soldiers had several seconds to look up, see the bone armored forms flying at them, and gape. They might have been professionals, but they weren’t paladins.

Before a single shield was raised, the wrath imps struck. Bone protected forms barreled into the undefended line. Men screamed, armor buckled, and flesh parted. Two armored soldiers fell to one knee, crimson blood spilling into the hell sand.

Good. Fallback to the treeline.

Seconds later, the three retreated. Several of the soldiers regained their wits fast enough to raise their spears and counter attack with hasty stabs, catching one wrath imp on the ankle.

All three still disengaged, sprinting up the sandy incline towards the safety of trees. Warcries echoed from the comrades of soldiers, seeing two of their own fallen. A group of eight began to give chase, before barked orders from their commander attempted to bring them back to line.

Giving furious gazes, the ragged line of troops halted and began to return back into line.

That might have been the end of it, turning Kairon’s raid into only a momentary delay, if those were the only wrath imps the demons had stationed.

Now! Push!

Three more wrath imps shot out, this time from the west treeline. They made it halfway to the lines of men before warnings came up. “West! West! Shields west! Good god, they’re in the trees!”

“Watch the trees!”

This time, the soldiers did manage to raise their shields in time to deflect three stocky imps slamming into their wall.