Chapter 13

Three weeks later.

Shokan. Avizasi's Bedroom.

Midnight. The capital is quiet. Nightlife isn't too prevalent in Shokanika, capital of Shokan and home of the royal house, Shoka.

Avizasi was awake before the doorknob had finished turning. She was a very light sleeper due to the assassination attempts that had been going on since she was a child.

Jasafir entered the royal quarters with a candle and a note.

Avizasi retrieved her dagger from his throat and took a seat on her bed.

"A letter from a Maali envoy." Jasafir said calmly.

Avizasi nodded cooly and took the letter. Using her nail she opened it whilst Jasafir held the candle for her.

As she read the letter her countenance dropped. Once she reached the end she burned the letter.

"Jasafir, gather the council." Avizasi said lightly.

"Yes, Mistress." Jasafir promptly vanished.

Avizasi changed from her sleeping clothing into her royal garb within a few minutes. She'd mastered changing alone quickly with all the surprises going on as of late.

In less than fifteen minutes all of the important individuals had been gathered in the assembly hall.

"What is it, Highness?" Rael asked tiredly.

Everyone focused on her.

Her eyes sharpened and a solemn air descended upon the hall, "Maali sent a letter."

Count Azifirat frowned, "It can't be that they want to send us help?"

Avizasi slowly shook her head.

"Of course not." Count Azifirat felt a bitter feeling rise from his stomach, "They don't want to...?"

"They do." Avizasi said with a burning gaze, "They are making light of us."

"What's going on?" Hamtyr was the youngest of anyone at the assembly besides Avizasi and so didn't understand what they were referring to.

Rael looked over at him bitterly, "Marriage."

"Marriage?" Hamtyr repeated like a puppet, "But... marriage to who? A Maali prince?"

Avizasi frowned, "That's not the point. They did this before. They want to finish ruining us."

"I don't understand." Hamtyr lowered his head, "Could you please enlighten me?"

Count Azifirat sighed deeply, "It's an old story from before your time so I'm not surprised you don't know."

Hamtyr searched around the room but everyone looked similarly grim.

Count Azifirat continued slowly, "Maali and Shokan have a long history. We were actually once a part of Maali, but three generations ago we rebelled and successfully held the northern pass, thus establishing Shokan."

Hamtyr nodded, he knew this.

Count Azifirat's countenance dropped and his emotions heightened, "But that brother of mine ...that damned bastard! Back then, he had a second wife. A Maali princess who had him wrapped around her finger and later bore him a son. That son was sent to Maali on request of the jealous first queen. Now, Maali wants to marry that lost son of Shokan to the current Queen, and that boy has legitimate Shokan blood. Do you understand now?"

"Maali doesn't have laws against incest between royalty and instead encourage it so long as they didn't share a womb. They believe it fosters stronger powers. And now they want to force that culture here and then once married, assassinate her highness." Hamtyr paled, "But what can we do? If we recklessly decline ...they could declare a justified war of reclamation and install a puppet king here, that boy."

Count Azifirat groaned, "That's why we're here to figure things out."

Bang! The doors to the assembly hall opened and a flustered Jasafir rushed through the opening, "Urgent news! Nazland- Nazland-!"

--

Linshir. Two weeks have passed since they pledged their services and swords.

"Masters of the mountains! Lords of the Forge! Guardians of the mines! Warriors of Tenli! Hear me!" Gerrod stood tall at the head of the army of three hundred men. He stood atop Linshir's walls looking over them, "We march to Nazland now! This is our last chance to save Tenli's people! It is do or die! Put it all on the line! Sacrifice what you must! Do what you must! Win!"

"OUUUU!!!!" The lords raised their war cries followed closely by the soldiers.

Gerrod jumped off the walls and raised a clenched hand.

"Move out!" He rushed out of the gates.

The distance from Linshir up on the summit of a nearby mountain down to Nazland is barely a half-day march.

They arrived in six hours.

After arriving in Nazland for an hour a large group of Ler Clan warriors appeared surrounding them.

"Who are you?!" Their leader called coldly.

Gerrod took a step forward, "I am Gerrod Thom Dradir, Right Hand to the Queen of Shokan! I bring reinforcements!"

The man's eyes widened, but soon were filled with suspicion, "What proof have you?"

Gerrod smiled and grabbed pointed to his suit, "This is a special suit specifically made for the Right Hand of the Queen!"

The man took a closer look as Gerrod spread mud all over the suit and then watched in awe as it completely disappeared.

He immediately dismounted from his horse and ran forward. He fell to his knees.

"Right Hand, please, lead us! We've been surrounded by a large army of the Independence Faction lead by Count Mastiff! We can't hold for more than a few days!" He pleaded fearlessly.

Gerrod's eyes widened in shock, "What about Avizasi? The Queen? Did she not send reinforcements?"

"They were intercepted! We watched them get surrounded by cavalry and torn to shreds!" He said weakly, "We only have five hundred infantry and a few tens of cavalries left."

Gerrod felt his stomach drop but kept his calm, "Where is the enemy camp?"

"They've set up camp on the road to the capital blockading any reinforcements from coming or supplies from leaving." His fingers dug into the ground.

Gerrod nodded.

"How many are they?" He coldly passed the man.

"Cavalry all of them. Extremely skilled horse archers are among them as well as Aura Masters." He said shiveringly, his confidence from before had completely shattered.

Gerrod could see it in the eyes of the men around him that they too had lost their will to fight. They couldn't see any hope left in the fight.

'I won't be able to use them unless I can deliver them something to hold onto.' He though casually, 'Damn it.'

"Count Locost, Baron Fitzmark, Baron Ylaurl, lead the army to join with this mans and eat." Gerrod frowned deeply.

"What are you going to do?" Weirdiris asked strangely.

"Some reconnaissance." He vanished before anyone could object.

With the help of his ability, Night tale, he could trick normal soldiers into not being able to see him. Instead, they would see a nightmarish creature in his place. A monster.

It didn't take him long to arrive at their camp undisturbed. From afar he could feel the strong aura's within the camp.

It was clear that people of Nol's caliber laid within. But Gerrod was not afraid.

He laid down in the shade and watched the camp until sundown. Nothing happened. It was quiet and no one left the camp.

He moved positions to another exit. Another day passed and nothing.

Again. Again.

Finally on the fourth night, his eyes flashed, 'A convoy.'

He saw it in the distance coming from a secret path in the woods. Surrounding the carriage was a host of armed cavalry men. Perfect for open grass land like the lands below Nazland. But in a forested path... well.

Gerrod snuck up closely. He could feel an aura master inside the convoy and smiled.

'He's weak.' Gerrod snuck right up to the edge of the convoy and ignited his aura.

In an instant he felt the aura's in the camp start to move.

In three seconds he had shown a terrifying nightmare to the soldiers and cavalrymen. In six seconds he'd broken into the innermost portion of the convoy. Seven seconds and the aura master who was still dazed, died.

At ten seconds he had taken a torch dropped by a terrified cavalrymen and for three seconds lit the convoy on fire.

By the time fifteen seconds had passed he was already long gone.

A minute later the aura's arrived at the convoy. Though Gerrod couldn't see them he could feel their anger.

When he arrived back up at the Nazland positions he heard cheering and transformed.

They saw him appear from the darkness in the direction of the fire.

"Master!!!" Redhead burst through the crowd with Blackhair, Weirdiris and Shakyleg.

Redhead tried to tackle him but he dodged. The others knew better and instead surrounded him.

"What happened?" Weirdiris asked calmly eyeing the fire below.

Gerrod looked at the Ler clan warriors emotionlessly, "I've destroyed their convoy of food! In two days, we will attack while they are hungry! Now let loose your best warcries! Let them know who is lord of these lands! Who protects these grounds!"

"Ouuu!!!!!" The man from before cheered.

"OUUUU!!!! Shokan! Shokan! Shokan! Shoka...!" They chanted fiercely at the camp below.

Gerrod nodded and past the chanting lines. Warriors touched his shoulder as he passed them. In Shokan it is a way of showing admiration to a general who has returned from battle. It is also a sign of respect.

Count Locost arrived beside him, "A single convoy being lit afire will not do anything against an army of that size. They won't starve in two days."

Gerrod nodded calmly, "The goal was not to harm the enemy. It was to inspire our allies. Look at them, Count. The men from four days ago are nowhere to be seen. These are warriors now. Prepared to die for the lands their ancestors have always protected. They have hope now."

They arrived at the summit of the Nazland hills, on the highest part.

Gerrod began drawing up plans for the attack in two days. Though he was never a leader of men. Or a tactician or really knew anything about it. He was once called a prodigy. And his skills in fighting were unmatched.

To demoralize the enemy. To raise one's allies. To set up a feint. To set up a trap. He knew all these things well. Now he just had to find a way to put them into motion at a much larger scale.

Two days crept by slowly in Gerrod's mind. He didn't take a step outside of the strategy tent. He didn't sleep a wink.

On the day of battle, Jilnas Ler, Polux's son and the one who pleaded for Gerrod's help came to the tent.

"Everything is ready." Jilnas said excitedly.

Gerrod glanced at him calmly, "Then, let's begin."

He grabbed a long sword and strapped it to his hip.

Taking a step outside of the tent, he smiled.

Nazland is empty. The plains below are swarming with Count Mastiff's heavy lancers.

Gerrod began walking down towards the enemy. Jilnas disappeared behind him into the woods.

Slowly as he got closer he released his aura. Instantly two other aura's shot into the sky in response. Both as powerful as his own.

He smiled feeling their ferocity. He knew they recognized him.

"Come. Come and attack. See how you burn like your convoys!" Gerrod shouted. his aura flared and a powerful defensive formation formed around him.

Horse archers fired with pinpoint accuracy but the arrows couldn't pierce his defensive formation.

Suddenly Gerrod's pupils shrunk and he spun.

SHWEK! An arrow pierced his formation and went into the ground behind him.

Shwek! Another. Shwek! And another.

Gerrod's eyes widened and he started running for the forest desperately. He tripped once as he went down the hill to the forest.

"Hahahaha! Look at the dog run! Go, my Lancers! Beat him into the earth with your hooves!" A powerful voice boomed over the field and the thunderous sounds of charging warhorses shattered the otherwise peaceful evening.

Gerrod looked back pale-faced and shivering as he ran. His figure was reminiscent of a dog running with its tail between its legs.

Arrows flew all around him. He was so panicked that his defensive formation vanished. He'd lost concentration.

Arrows landed on his body but couldn't pierce him due to how tough his hide was from the constant forging done by the magma previously.

The cavalries went up the hills. Something they would normally never do, but in this case. It was just one panicked man. They were confident.

The horses speeds slowed as they charged up hill at him.

The lead rider raised his lance but suddenly froze. His horse stood on it's back legs with terrified eyes, it's ears all the way back.

"Damn!" It fell back into the others causing a crash for all those in the charge.

"Is that all you got?" Gerrod jeered at the Aura Masters.

SHWEK! An arrow just nicked his cheek.

He frowned and all his confidence seemed to drain from his face as he charged into the woods.

"Chase him! I want his head on my spear!" The same commanding voice boomed again.

The five hundred strong heavy lancers took a moment to change direction, but now they were charging down hill into the forest after Gerrod's weak looking back.

The war horses eyes were red. Their instincts were taking over as they charged and their speed doubled.

The lancers smirked.

Count Mastiff smirked.

The aura archer paled.

"Wait-!"

Gerrod smirked, "Now."

His voice was light but reverberated through the forest. Pikes rose from the ground. The men holding them stood strong. The horses tried to stop but ...their speed had doubled.

KCHEEEE!!! Metal ground against flesh. Both man and horse flew. Blood splattered.

The Tenli men held firm. Their spears were made of metal brought down from the armory up in Linshir the day before.

"Charge!!" Jilnas raised a sharp iron sword and from beneath the dirt hundreds of Ler warriors rose.

"AROUUUU!!!!!!" Their war cries terrified the confused horses causing them to stampede trying to escape. Their riders taken along for the ride.

Gerrod had vanished. His aura was at it's peak and using his Night Tale he horrified both man and horse alike.

All they saw was a terrifying shadow weaving between their ranks cutting people down.

The horse archers fired killing several Ler warriors. But that only served to enrage them.

Jilnas raised his arm, "Spears!!!"

The second row of Ler warriors rose from the ground with partially metal throwing spears. A normal man would not be able to throw heavy spears like these. But these are no normal men. They are the hearty men of Nazland who farm day in and day out. Metal is no heavy thing to men like these.

A wave of metal spears was sent into the cavalries furthering the confusion.

The men who held the long metal spears and stood against the original charge dropped their long spears and rushed forward grabbing the metal spears from the backline toss and began attacking.

"Mow them down!" A vicious aura cracked the situation wide open. Gerrod hyper-focused through the battlefield. In his wolf form he could see him.

His instincts told him who it was.

"Count Mastiff..." Gerrod concealed his aura to the best of his ability and began running between the legs of horses and men.

Count Mastiff swung his glaive and cut six men in half, "FIGHT! For a brave new future! For Shokan's true rulers!"

The cavalries got a second wind seeing his fight and began reorganizing.

The cavalries in the back of the charge began taking distance away, running into the plains and letting those squashed at the front back off. The situation was easing up and tide changing.

Gerrod grimaced. As he reached right below Count Mastiff he burst his aura.

"NEIGHH!!!!!"

"What?!" His war horse rose on it's hind legs in terror. Gerrod jumped up and bite the horse's unprotected throat out.

"ARGH! Dimitri! Help me!" Count Mastiff howled at the aura archer, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Gerrod pounced on top of Count Mastiff and in a single motion tore his face to shreds.

When he looked around he found that Dimitri was nowhere to be seen. He'd long since left.

The other horse archers in the army also seemed to have vanished.

Gerrod transformed and cut Count Mastiffs' head.

His nightmarish form raised Count Mastiff's head high on the end of his sword, "Count Mastiff is dead! Surrender and you will be spared! Struggle and you will be made an example of!"

The heavy lancers looked at the severed head of their lord and all of their will to fight evaporated.

They had been caught in a fatal trap. They took a very high number of casualties in a very short time. Now their lord was gone and the only other Aura Master had disappeared without a trace.

Clang... Clang... Clang...

Like a wave the sound of lances hitting the ground sounded.

The battle was over.

Jilnas raised his sword, "We have won! Count Mastiff is dead! His heavy lancers defeated! Nazland has won! Ler has won! Shokan! Has! WON!"

"AROOUUUUUUU!!!!!!" An earth-shaking cry lifted the leaves off the tree's and shattered what was left of the heavy lancer's morale.

Gerrod looked across the battlefield and found Redhead, Blackhair, Weirdiris and Shakylegs standing next to each other while soaked in blood.

Shakylegs had injured his legs and Weirdiris had a gash between his eyes, but Gerrod could tell from the blood and their faces that it wasn't fatal.

Blackhair had red hair and several small cuts.

Redhead didn't have a single scratch on him. None of the blood on his body was his.

They all smiled at him from across the field. Gerrod let the tension leave him and smiled back.

SHWEK!

"Cuh..." He slowly looked down. Blood was dripping from his mouth. An arrow had lodged itself in the left side of his chest.

"MASTER!!!" Redhead's expression paled and he raced forward.

Puff.

Gerrod hit the ground stiff as a stone.