Valkyrie's Shadow

Chapter 28

With so many casualties, the Fifth Company’s Clerics could only cast enough Lesser Restoration spells to remove the effects of the Gnolls’ envenomed arrows. The rest of their mana was conserved for their march back to the camp. Healing potions were only used for the most grievous of injuries for the same reason.

Between the Alraune and the Gnoll ambush, the two companies had suffered over three dozen losses. The Thirteenth Company had lost its Captain and all of its Clerics and Mages, decisively rendering it non-operational. Its survivors were devastated at the loss and weary from being held in thrall by their heteromorphic captor.

The trek back to the camp felt four times longer than it did on the way in. Though the Ranger squads were screening against potential assaults, Rangobart still jumped at every animal call, rustling fern and broken twig along the way. During their advance, he had identified the lack of a shared visceral experience with the rest of the company as something that created a wall between the mages and everyone else. Now, he was no longer so envious of them.

Mages were nowhere near as durable as Imperial Knights, Rangers or Clerics. Even Rogues were tougher. In hindsight, any of the nostalgic recollections that they shared around campfires would have probably been the end of him.

Night had fallen by the time they limped back to the First Division’s forward camp. There had been no attacks along the way, but Rangobart was still a bundle of raw nerves by the time he crossed the line of defensive barricades. As men from the camp helped the battered men in, he cast a Clean spell and forced himself to trudge over to the command pavilion. Commander Enz awaited them with a grim expression.

“Good work bringing them back,” the Commander said.

“Not all of us made it back, sir,” Captain Germund sighed. “That plant thing I can understand, but did no one pick up these Gnolls?”

“They’ve been entirely disorganised before now,” Commander Enz told him. “Fleeing as we moved in. Today’s the first we’ve seen them going on the offensive.”

“All across the front. What happened with you was particularly bad, but the Legion’s still lost around three hundred men since this afternoon.”

Rangobart gaped wordlessly at the news. In less than half a day, the Second Legion had lost three per cent of its forces.

“How many are we up against?” Captain Germund asked.

“We have no idea,” the Commander replied. “We can’t even see them most of the time. These aren’t the random, mixed tribals that we’ve been sweeping up for the past few days: someone’s organised their warriors and now they’re taking the fight to us. What little information that we do have says that they’re operating in squad-sized groups. A company gets hit by a few volleys of arrows and the Demis are gone before anyone can retaliate.

“What about the Death-series servitors? These Gnolls shouldn’t be remotely a match for them.”

“We don’t get to choose the fights,” Commander Enz told him. “Our attackers do. Most of the strikes have been aimed at companies without the Undead. Lose a few men here and there over time and it adds up. General Kabein and his staff are working on a plan right now. Hopefully, we’ll have something workable by tomorrow morning.”

Rangobart wasn’t even aware of the Gnolls until their arrows started falling around them. In the second it took for him to realise that they were under attack, an arrow had already found his throat. Given that the Gnolls would have been pacified by the Alarune if they had gotten too close, it had come from well beyond his spell range. How could they fight opponents that they couldn’t see or reach?

The debriefing continued, with Commander Enz going over their observations and any concerns to be communicated to General Kabein. Companies coming in after them added their feedback and a lengthy discussion between the Commander and his Captains ensued. As with nearly everyone else, their casualties were light but, as a whole, the First Division had been significantly weakened.

Roughly eighty men had been lost. Two hundred more were waiting for healing. Fourteen per cent of the First Division was effectively out of the action and slow mana regeneration rates had become a bottleneck for recovery. The highly aggressive posture that was characteristic of their advance up until that point flipped into a defensive one as they digested the unsustainable attrition that they found themselves facing. The Imperial Army had come in swinging and a single jab had stopped them cold.

As the evening wore on, Commander Enz left to meet with General Kabein by Hippogriff. He left the Captains to improve on the camp’s defences and settle in for a potentially harrowing night.

“Our current barricades aren’t going to work,” one of the Captains said. “Any sort of harassment and we’re going to see these things going into our tents.”

He pointed at one of the Gnoll arrows laid out over the table. Including its obsidian head, it was roughly a metre long and as thick as Rangobart’s thumb. It may as well have been a ballista bolt.

“We could raise some walls.”

“That’s too ambitious. We can’t raise walls to protect a whole division overnight.”

“Sections, then. One for each company facing outwards. We already have a perimeter of platforms built around the trunks of the largest trees so we can extend the walls from those.”

It did seem a comfort. He wouldn’t be able to rest knowing that an arrow might come flying out of the night to kill him in his tent.

“The sooner we get something up,” Captain Orex said, “the better. It doesn’t have to be perfect – just enough to stop these arrows. Logs and big branches propped up by earthworks. Wattle panels for the tents. We have a whole mess of materials from the area we cleared out around the camp. If we set patrols three hundred metres or so out, only the outside edges of the camp will be within their bow range.”

“Can we send patrols that far out?” The Captain of the Tenth Company asked, “A lot of these Gnolls probably outclass our Rangers. We’ll just end up with squads of dead Rangers.”

“We can set them up with the Undead,” Captain Germund offered. “Gnolls won’t fight in the open unless they have an overwhelming advantage or they’re forced to. Splitting up the Undead and having them go around regularly with Rangers to spot for them should be deterrent enough. We can have the Rangers and Rogues lay traps on approaches we don’t want these Demis taking.”

A loose plan came together and the Captains dispersed to organise their companies. Rangobart and Lady Zahradnik joined Captain Germund as they headed out to the Fifth Company’s area on the west side of the camp. The soldiers seemed to shake themselves free of their weary nervousness when they were given tasks to focus on.

They went over to the officer’s pavilion with portions of dinner grown cold over the evening. He scooped out a spoonful of what appeared to be a half-solidified stew with chunks of vegetables and meat in it. Famished as he was, it tasted exquisite all the same.

“You didn’t have much to say there, my lady,” Captain Germund said.

“It’s a challenging issue on such short notice,” the Baroness said. “I…tend to focus on problems and it probably becomes too much for people to handle if they’re not used to it. My input would probably agitate an already stressful situation.”

“I don’t think anyone would resent you for pointing out critical issues. Better than losing men.”

“I think the Captains came up with suitable solutions,” Lady Zahradnik replied. “So far, it appears that only the Gnolls are organising resistance while the other races are still as vulnerable as before. Even so, their skirmishing has managed to stop the Imperial Army in its tracks. I don’t recall a single Captain at that meeting reporting a raid against a Gnoll settlement, so it appears that they’ve all uprooted themselves. Even with so much power at your disposal, the Imperial Army can’t catch them effectively and there is no stationary target to hit.”

Captain Germund nodded as he worked on a mouthful of stew. The first day or two of their advance had been deceptively easy when it came to fighting the isolated tribes they encountered. Now, however, a single race with superior stealth, movement and powerful ranged attacks had paralysed them with what would be considered light harassment on paper.

“Furthermore,” Lady Zahradnik said, “our objective is to deprive the Viridian Dragon Lord of as much of her support as possible and every day these Gnolls hold the army back is one more day she has to recover from her injuries. She will reappear, eventually.”

“Since you put it that way,” the Captain said, “shouldn’t we be withdrawing? If we’re stuck here, we can’t make any gains towards our objective. We only stand to lose when the Dragon Lord finally comes out.”

Lady Zahradnik finished her bowl and placed it on the table. She watched a group of men nearby as they wove branches together into protective panels for their tents.

“It is General Kabein’s decision to make. Also, we don’t know what they’ll come up with for tomorrow. He and his staff are far more experienced than I am when it comes to commanding armies.”

“If it was up to you, my lady,” Rangobart asked, “what would you do?”

“That would depend on where I could hypothetically start from.”

“What do you mean?”

The Baroness turned her gaze back to them, taking her cup of water from the table as she looked down at the map spread out over it.

“The leadership of the Empire has known about this task for several months,” she said. “If I was free to do as I wished from that point, I would have prepared provisions for the Demihumans in The Blister and convinced them to leave temporarily while we dealt with the Dragon. Once the task was complete, they could move back in.”

Several seconds passed in silence between them.

“…that’s it?” Captain Germund frowned.

“That’s it. The objective of the missive is to end the…contract between the cities of The Blister and the Viridian Dragon Lord. We lack the means to peaceably convince her to abandon her superior position. The tribes under the Dragon Lord’s influence are what keep us from decisively accomplishing our task by force.”

“You speak as if these Demihumans would so readily heed us. They would just as soon eat us.”

“The world has certain rules that are universally understood,” Lady Zahradnik said. “Rules that the Empire chooses to exploit when convenient and violate when not. Goblins are the easiest to negotiate with. Ogres are also simple to handle. Out of the Demihuman races we’ve encountered so far, Trolls would probably be the hardest to convince. At the same time, they are relatively uncommon and I haven’t seen a Troll mystic here so just ignoring them would probably not be an issue. We haven’t seen any Troglodytes yet so I’ll reserve judgement for them until we do.”

Captain Germund leaned back on his stool, crossing his arms with a doubtful look.

“Alright, assuming that this somehow happens, how in the world do you plan on ‘provisioning’ the tribes of The Blister?”

“The Empire dissolved two Legions recently. Agricultural produce in the Sorcerous Kingdom is quite cheap. A portion of the surplus defence budget could have been allocated to secure provisions. What you save in tribute adds to that and this course of action paves the way for future opportunities.”

“Such as…”

“Trade, perhaps? I wouldn’t have known that the tribes had piles of gems and precious ores lying around but I would at least assume that the unique environment of The Blister produces resources unobtainable anywhere else in the region. By making connections with the tribes within, the Empire would gain access to a previously untapped market.”

“This line of reasoning assumes a whole string of things working out in your favour…”

“Not exactly,” Lady Zahradnik replied. “It assumes that a mutually beneficial arrangement can be achieved between the Empire and the tribes of The Blister. This may sound strange coming from me, but the Empire has a very one-sided stance when it comes to expansion and development.”

“You’re right,” the Captain furrowed his brow, “it does sound strange coming from you. I hadn’t realised it until now, but you’re a follower of The Six, aren’t you? The Theocracy accent; your southern lineage; that trim on your armour; the measured way by which you always conduct yourself…you’re an adherent of Surshana.”

Rangobart blinked at the revelation of something that should have been blatantly obvious. His confusion rose when he considered that a worshipper of the God of Death in a Human religion well known for its hostility towards other races was proposing peaceful coexistence with them.

“It’s a common misconception,” Lady Zahradnik smiled slightly. “For the past six centuries, the Faith of the Six has worked to facilitate the survival, well-being and development of humanity. The Slane Theocracy’s national policy of mitigating potential threats to Humans represents but a single avenue by which this objective might be pursued. In the Sorcerous Kingdom, the agendas of our faith are best served through working to create a better nation for all. Thus, it is unnecessary to harbour such belligerent attitudes against other species.”

“If the Temples of the Four could be so accommodating,” Captain Germund said, “half of the Empire’s problems would vanish and we’d have three times as many Clerics in the army.”

The Captain’s claim felt exaggerated…or was it? When it came to their influence over the citizens, it was tacitly understood that the imperial administration considered the Temples as a sort of untouchable rival with problematic policies. If they became something like a government department – or at least cooperated with the Emperor – many obstacles to progress would disappear.

“Being what I am,” Lady Zahradnik said, “I’m wary of making any religious commentary here. From an administrative perspective, however, the cultural and religious influence of the Temples can be a thorny issue to deal with in a secular state. But rather than the faithful themselves, it is the fact that some policies of the Temples of the Four are irreconcilable with those of the imperial administration…and the Sorcerous Kingdom, for that matter.”

“Like the Undead being the enemies of the living.”

“It is an irresponsibly simplistic stance to take,” the Baroness tapped a finger against her cup. “But I believe that it stems from the fact that the Undead most are commonly exposed to are mindless beings naturally manifested from negative energy.”

There was a course that provided a loose overview of necromantic concepts in the Imperial Magic Academy, but it wasn’t a very popular one to take. It was, however, mandatory for students of the magic stream as a form of familiarisation with Necromancy-school magic.

Contrary to popular belief, many Necromancy spells did not have anything to do with animating Undead. As a War Wizard, spells like Scare, Ray of Enfeeblement, Blindness/Deafness, Word of Curse and Ghoul Touch were indispensable for policing duties. Others, like Mind of Undeath, were highly-useful defensive spells. Then there were spells like Command Undead and Disrupt Undead which were useful when fighting against Undead opponents.

As with many of the academy’s courses, however, it primarily dealt with practical applications of Necromancy rather than esoteric topics like the study of negative energy. To their defence, Rangobart didn’t think that anyone understood how it worked beyond how it might manifest and what its presence entailed. Namely, the potential generation of Undead beings and their impact on Human society.

“I can understand broad perceptions being erroneously applied to created Undead like the Death-series servitors we’ve leased,” Rangobart said, “but are you implying that naturally-spawned Undead are different?”

“It is best framed as a difference in ecology,” Lady Zahradnik said. “Take the majority of Humans in the Empire, for example. Pastoral environments are considered idyllic. Forests, jungles and mountains are considered hostile, as are the creatures that dwell within them. Most think nothing of it – environments conducive to Human growth are naturally perceived as ‘good’ while others are ‘bad’.”

“So…we see the Katze Plains as a wasteland, but the Undead see it as a paradise?”

Lady Zahradnik emptied her cup and put it away. She leaned forward, folding her arms on the table.

“Not exactly. It is not the physical appearance of the Katze Plains that naturally-manifested Undead beings consider ideal. An Elder Lich who dwells there will still try to improve their lot in life – they wouldn’t be satisfied with the levelled remnants of villages, towns and cities any more than Humans would be happy with a burned-out farmstead.

“The principal difference is that they are products of the negative energy ecology that I mentioned. Mindless Undead react with hostility to elements from an opposed ecology characterised by life or positive energy. In this regard, your Temples are correct: the vast majority of Undead are predisposed to hostile behaviour against the living.

“However, just as Humans can coexist with people that they hate or even those that might eat them in a different situation, intelligent Undead can coexist with the living so long as a framework through which they can achieve their personal goals exists. Some Undead even prefer having the living around and their behaviour is not solely dictated by the fact that they are beings animated by negative energy.”

If Lady Zahradnik’s explanation was accurate, the tales of Undead beings such as Elder Liches ruling cities and interacting with the living were less fanciful than most believed. The Sorcerer King establishing a nation also felt less suspicious and more pragmatic. Still, Rangobart felt that a Human trying to get along with any non-summoned Undead would be akin to a brick of charcoal trying to get along with a Fire Elemental.

“Can the Undead form relationships as Humans do?” He asked, “Beyond those that are formed in pursuit of personal interests?”

“Trying to define other species by squeezing them into the mould of Human behaviours is a fallacy on its own,” Lady Zahradnik told him, “but as far as you might understand, yes. I maintain amicable relations with many species, living or Undead. As may any race with any other race in the Sorcerous Kingdom. The key lies not in misguided attempts to hold everyone to the standards of a single race, but in respecting our differences and what they entail. We embrace the connections and overarching culture that is formed out of the contributions made by each race.”

“In that case,” Captain Germund said, “I can’t imagine that you approve of what we’re doing right now.”

“Not long ago, I probably would have welcomed it. Now – both on a personal level and as a Noble of the Sorcerous Kingdom – I do not. But it is not my place to dictate imperial policy. I am a liaison officer between our two nations and I will fulfil my duties as one.”

“Then what would you do in our present situation?”

“Assuming that it is too late to change our course, achieve as many objectives as possible in the most efficient ways that I can think of. After that, I would withdraw to prepare for the confrontation with the Viridian Dragon Lord…but the world is usually not so convenient.”

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