Chapter 154: The Paramese Alliance is in shambles

Nestled in a depression between two mountains, the Paramese alliance had made its camp. Viv had to admit that it didn’t look like much. There was enough space for a medium town there but the tents and sober stone blocks raised by brown mages would comfortably host twenty thousand people, no more. An army that size would be respectable for a small country but they were not that. They were the mighty alliance supposed to stop whatever roamed Halluria, defeating what had been the continent’s bogeymen for generations.

 

Things were… not looking good.

 

The Harrakan column moved to the spot designated for them in good order. Temple Guard engineers ran around to mark areas then, as soon as they were done, fragments of the army would set up while the rest stood guard under the flabbergasted gaze of the rest of the alliance. Viv could understand them. Her soldiers proudly bore the flag and armor patterns of a long dead nation. It was like witnessing an ancient Roman legion asking to join NATO. Only more effective.

 

Her attention returned to the encampment. For all her criticism about the low numbers, order and discipline ruled, giving her some hope. The tents and simple lodgings stood in orderly rows separated by palisades, each marked by colorful pennants. Patrols walked the ground while scouts left and returned from a passage east at regular intervals. She could spot three different factions. The first was Baranese, clearly, though the mismatched uniforms and old gear were a far cry from the expected standards. Nevertheless, their members stood with confidence with well-used weapons. The second group came right out of some Conan movie complete with beast skin, huge weapons, and a camp that barely qualified as one. As she watched, a group returned from a nearby forest dragging behind it a large dead beast.

 

The last group and by far the most numerous was another Baranese army. At ten thousand strong, they formed half of all available forces and came with infantry, archers, and a large cavalry contingent whose horses waited in stalls carefully crafted by mages. They all shared a green pattern and liveries bearing the image of a stag. They were the most tense and solemn group.

 

“Whose troops are those, in the middle?” she asked Jaratalassi who was using the pause to drink something strong from his pocket flask.

 

“Duke Eikart. We are on his lands.”

 

“Ah, this explains the long faces.”

 

“If we fail to stop those mysterious cannibal creatures, their families are first in line at the buffet.”

 

“Creatures? You didn’t mention that.”

 

“Apologies if I didn’t elaborate yet.”

 

The old general sighed deeply, sagging in his saddle under the weight of his responsibilities. Viv wasn’t sure but she thought he had more gray in his hair than when they first met.

 

“Not that we know much. Defectors are few and they’re almost never warriors. They speak of insectile creatures, or lizards. Hard to say. They speak of a great host coming from across the isthmus, ravaging everything in its path. We have yet to see them but we know they have just taken the nearest city. It’s only a matter of time now.”

 

“Look, you know I’m here for you,” Viv said with some concern. “I just have one question. If the entirety of Halluria cannot stop those guys, what hope does our mismatched group have?”

 

“Well, first, one does not cross Halluria without encountering hardships, so they might not be as strong as when they started. Second, Baran is mobilizing, as is Enoria and the north. We will receive reinforcements. We merely need to hold on. Third, I am the greatest defense strategist on this continent and have been for the past three decades.”

 

“And you’re humble too.”

 

“I’m being realistic here, Viviane the Outlander. I have stopped Halluria’s incursions with minimum damage to our land using borrowed troops for the major part of my adult life. Trust me when I say this: you cannot be in better hands. I wish you could, but you cannot right now.”

 

“As you say. So, what’s the play?”

 

“War council first, then I have a job for you, seeing as your men are fresh. And women, I guess. We have a small Hallurian army approaching our positions. I need them recruited or gone.”

 

“Recruited? You think it’s possible?”

 

The general shrugged.

 

“If the destruction of their homeland is not enough to cure them of their notion of superiority, then nothing will. They are still human. Perhaps there is a chance.”

“I do not exactly trust my luck with that.”

 

“Then kill them all, I care not. I merely need them gone. We cannot afford to have rogue raiders threatening our flanks and supply routes. Now let’s go meet the others. Bring your elites.”

 

“What, all of them?” Viv asked.

 

“Ah yes, well, that should be interesting.”

 

***

 

Before joining the war council, Viv stopped by her new camp to make sure everything was going smoothly. Rakan and Sidjin were erecting structures at record speed so her people could sleep comfortably in their semi-permanent barracks, the tents saved for foray into Halluria itself. Viv even had her own command bunker, though she would have to fortify it with spells before she could sleep in it. As it was, two people were already waiting by the entrance. The first was Rollo, who looked as stoic as usual. The second was a more hesitant Lana. Rollo went first with the confidence of a man with a busy schedule.

 

“I would like for us to meet the other knights.”

 

“You mean, you want to socialize?” Viv asked with a frown.

 

The trip through Baran had led to three separate duels. She expected the order master to aspire to some respite after the whole mess.

 

“Viviane, as much as it pains me to admit it, there are too few of us to make an impact on the battlefield. You know how cavalry charges work.”

 

“The more of you there are…”

 

“And the more powerful the skills. Precisely. Horse riders always unite on the eve of a great battle for we will charge and fight together. I expect this time will be no different.”

 

That made sense to Viv. She wasn’t a cavalry expert so Rollo most likely knew better.

 

“Alright. Do as you see fit. We’ll be going to the main camp soon anyway.”

 

“By your will,” Rollo replied with a manly fist to his chest. The armored plate bonged pleasantly, then he was off.

 

Viv turned her attention to Lana.

 

“So can I come as well?” she asked with a slightly acidic tone.

 

“All the elites will come. That means you, Rakan, and Sidjin as well.”

 

“Yes, indeed.”

 

Silence awkwardly extended. Viv enjoyed silence. It was a powerful tool, sometimes.

 

Lana fidgeted under her attention.

 

“I, hmm, I have to say something to you in private.”

 

“Then now would be the right moment.”

 

Lana searched Viv’s expression for something, though the witch didn’t know what. Lana wore the same elaborate blue dresses she had favored under Elunath’ control, but the general feeling was completely different. From demure servant, she had grown into a stern leader for her girls. Viv felt the image was brittle, however. Something about keeping the same clothes, the same skin, bothered the witch on a fundamental level. She would have tossed those clothes away as a sign of emancipation but… Lana was Lana, with her own feelings on the matter. At least that’s what Viv told herself.

 

“Yes. I admit to treating you rather coldly since our return, perhaps I even made our relationship adversarial without cause,” Lana articulated slowly.

 

Viv nodded, letting her talk. It seemed like an important moment for the blue mage.

 

“I… may have let my past influence me too much. I… this is difficult to admit. I feel guilty, have felt guilty for a while now. During my years of service, I have done my utmost to accommodate Elunath and his moods, to help his servants navigate his feelings and mood swings. I have been vigilant. I have been watchful all the time, in tune with his attitude, so the others would not be beaten. A word there, a touch here. All I could to smooth things out.”

Another nod. Lana licked her lips, eyes lost.

 

“But you came and you killed him. And that means he wasn’t as invincible as I thought he was. That means that for years, I have been the agent of his domination by instilling a sense of fear in the others. I have enabled his tyranny by attuning those around me to his every desire.”

 

“Lana…”

 

“No! Shut up, please. I acknowledge that… I was too weak. Perhaps fighting would have made things worse. I did the best I could. We were alone, unsupported. He made us that way. He selected us because we were isolated to begin with. I know that. It doesn’t matter. I helped him control us, me, by my own will. So… I can’t let that happen again. Ever.”

 

Lana looked up to see if Viv got it. She did.

 

“You think I’m going to turn like him.”

 

“No! No, not think. Fear. I fear that. And that is unfair to you, because you have done right by us every step of the way. But I look at you, look into your eyes, feel the power in your aura, and I remember him… You are fine for now and perhaps you will remain so for a long time. You have friends and a heart. And principles. And yet, and yet… you are an elemental archmage… and I cannot stop you. Maranor help me, if you decide to crush us, there is nothing I can do to stop you. None of us can.”

 

Viv nodded.

 

“Look, there is nothing I can tell you or swear to you that I have not sworn before so I believe the solution to our problem here must be found elsewhere. Have you talked to Abe?”

 

“He means well. He just doesn’t get it. He has always been strong, strong enough to hide even from a demigod and then strong enough to defeat him, with your help.”

 

“Not what I meant.”

 

Anger replaced confusion in Lana’s traits so Viv stopped talking. It was clearly a difficult moment for the mage.

 

“What do you mean then?”

 

“You are presenting a very strong front to the others. You want to be the rock they depend on. Am I correct?”

 

“Of course, you are correct! How can I do anything less? After everything I’ve done to hurt their minds?”

 

“You need to give yourself the time to grieve, Lana.”

 

“Grieve? I haven’t lost anyone!”

 

Viv sighed. Lana was growing agitated.

 

“This was a waste of my time,” she said, fidgeting and looking around.

 

“Wait. I will try again. Remember, I am from a very different culture, so I ask for your patience. I… I am scared as well. I hide it in public, of course, however the truth is that there are still plenty of things that can kill me here and if not me, then they can destroy what I have built and the people I have gathered. I am scared but I also share my fears with the people I love around me. Sidjin. Solfis. Arthur. Even Abe on occasion. I cried with my roommate back in Helock when I realized I would never see my family again.”

 

“Ah, I am sorry…”

 

“When I say you need to give yourself time to grieve, I meant the life Elunath stole from you and the others. You… were probably in a state of hypervigilance for a long time and you can’t let yourself go because you feel responsibility for the others. You owe it to them to protect them from those who would abuse them again, including me.”

 

Lana slowly nodded.

 

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Yes.”

 

“That’s no way to live. You’re going to break sooner or later. That’s why I’m telling you to talk to Abe, because he will help you get that pain off your shoulders so you can finally take a breath. You owe it to yourself, Lana. Can’t protect everyone else if you’re on the verge of breaking all the time. You’re safe now. I’m not Elunath.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Lana. I am not Elunath. My friends and I are here for all of you, I swear it. Rely on us like we rely on you. Do yourself that favor. And if you are concerned, you can do the same oath to our cause as Ban did.”

 

“Ban? Loyal-to-a-fault Ban? The head of the heavies?”

 

“When he swore allegiance to me, he also promised that if I were to ask him to commit atrocities, he would stab me on the spot.”

 

“He… he did?”

 

“Looked me right in the eyes too.”

 

“Haha,” Lana said, wiping her eyes. “I… cannot promise I will fully trust you but… I’ll try.”

 

“What you went through cannot be fixed in a single conversation. Just know you have all the rest of your life to find peace and we’ll be there alongside you, yes? You can be the one the others look up to without turning into some invincible statue that never feels anything. Just accept the help, please?”

 

“Right. Let’s save the continent first and then I’ll save myself.”

 

“I mean, you can work on both at the same time. Peace?”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Are we at peace?”

 

“Oh yes. Thank you for this. I feel stupid now, bothering you with my qualms in the middle of a war.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Lana. Let’s just say getting along is part of my job.”

 

“You are the strangest empress in all of Nyil.”

 

“I can live with that. I don’t need to affect an aloof countenance because I can melt people off the face of reality. People know it, I know it. It makes them very polite.”

 

“Why, I feel safer already.”

 

***

 

The command tent was not so much a tent per se as a bunker with an open roof covered in canvas. The light of the noon sun shone through the white fabric. It was also a little stuffy, and cramped, even before Viv walked in with her elites.

 

Three groups waited by a large table bearing the usual maps, corresponding to the camps she’d seen outside. The first consisted of gruff Baranese soldiers headed by an enthusiastic young man with a stag emblem on his gambeson. The second was made of tall, wild men who reminded Viv of Koro under the command of a colossus so tall his head almost touched the ceiling. A large glaive rested on his impressive shoulders while his gnarly face exuded contempt and boredom in equal measure. The last group, and also the most homogeneous, followed an old man in full, green plate armor. Gray stubble covered his chin while his gaze went over Viv’s troops. He radiated quiet disapproval.

 

“Hello, Viviane. Be welcome. This is Duke Eikart,” Jaratalassi said, pointing at the sour noble. “Here is young Duke Falstag who leads the duchy to the north. His people have suffered much at the hands of the Hallurians.”

 

“We are proud to fulfill our oath to our allies!” the duke said with enough energy to light up a happy lightbulb.

 

“And here is Cloud Skull, a mercenary from the south. He agreed to join us for the fight.”

 

“Yes,” the titan said with a voice like a grumbling rockfall. “Now that we’ve sniffed each other’s arses, can we go out and fight?”

“Oh but we’re just starting with the sniffing,” Viv replied, holding the large man’s glare.

 

He was interesting. Something in his aura formed a sort of web across his body that kept the ambient mana around him at bay. While most arcane fencers imbued power to their strikes, this one used it to reinforce his body. She suspected he resisted magic to a degree, though how much was difficult to assess.

 

“I will align with my uncouth ‘friend’ here, woman. Did you have to bring that many people?” Eikart said in a low voice.

 

“Elites are people of the fourth step of higher with a command role, yes?”

 

Eikar glared. That was a rhetorical question.

 

“Then they’re all my elites.”

 

A mage lowered himself to whisper in Eikart’s ear. The man’s eyes widened.

 

“Lots of mages,” Cloud Skull said. “Lots of talking. Back home we would be wrestling for the title of warchief.”

 

Eikart looked like he wanted to hang himself. Jaratalassi had the patient look of a man who was waiting for a group to calm down while Falstag’s lips formed a disapproving line.

 

“We’re all on the same side here,” he said.

 

“Yes,” Viv said, “well.”

 

She extended an arm to the barbarian who only smirked. Viv saw mana flood his conduits, intensifying his resistance. She souped up a kinetic spell.

 

Instead of hitting the man directly, she compressed a pane of solid transparent mana, then released it to smack against his chest. A loud ‘woosh’ made the tent’s fabric flutter. A few of the southmen raised their arms to protect their eyes.

 

Cloud Skull grunted under the impact.