chapter 34

The night passed quickly while Rémy and Jeanne sat together, contemplating the starry sky and waiting for the dawn to come. Hours went by until it finally started to lighten up, and some soldiers began to get up. "Let's start now," said Jeanne to Rémy, who nodded in agreement, understanding what she meant. Quickly, Rémy began to wake up the soldiers and citizens who were sleeping, gathering them near Jeanne so she could share her plan.

"My plan works as follows: I will divide each of you into groups, which are: ambush group, harassment group, and Rémy," Jeanne explained to the citizens and soldiers, who immediately organized themselves into their respective groups. "We will use the unfavorable terrain to gain an advantage over the English, and so we will use the ambush group to catch them off guard and prevent the city from being supplied with food for at least the English soldiers. The harassment group will attack the city almost all the time, to reduce the number of enemies and minimize danger. Rémy will be responsible for holding back any reinforcements that come," Jeanne detailed to each soldier and citizen present, who listened carefully to her instructions.

"We will fortify several areas around the city to ensure the safety of our citizens and at the same time provide them with the necessary supplies to survive. For that, we need someone responsible for receiving our deliveries and distributing them efficiently." Jeanne looked at her soldiers, determined.

"I'll take care of that," Jeanne's uncle said promptly. "I'll fetch the supplies and deliver them to the city. Don't worry, I'll take all necessary precautions."

Jeanne thanked him for his offer but warned him about the dangers of the way. "Stay alert, the territory has been partially dominated by the English, and busy streets can be a risk. Make sure to choose safer and less busy routes."

Jeanne's uncle agreed, assuring that he would take all necessary precautions. Rémy began to move away as the conversation continued. Jeanne noticed his departure and turned to her soldiers to discuss the rest of their plans.

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Rémy advanced through the dense forest, his body moving nimbly among the trees and bushes until he finally reached the banks of the majestic Loire River. There, he contemplated the landscape that stretched before him: a calm river with crystal-clear water that seemed to invite him to a refreshing swim.

As he approached the bank, Rémy realized that his feet were sinking in the mud, which was already accumulating around the riverbanks. He suspected that at any moment, enemy troops could arrive there to replenish their supplies.

With caution, Rémy stepped into the mud, feeling the slippery texture under his feet. As he got closer to the water, he felt the cold chill his skin when the first splashes reached his legs. Even so, he continued to advance, feeling the icy water penetrate his boots and rise up his legs, leaving him soaked.

It was then that he spotted a small golden fish with silver scales, struggling in the mud. Carefully, he picked it up in his hands and said, "You will help me, my friend. I need you to let me know when the boats appear." The fish seemed to understand him, despite its expressionless aquatic face.

After releasing the fish back into the water, Rémy advanced even further, until the water was already up to his knees. He crouched down, watching the surface of the river carefully, waiting for the fish to return.

While waiting, Rémy played with the water, running his fingers softly over its surface and making small ripples. Several golden fish with silver scales swam around him as if curious about the human presence there. "Hello, little friends," said Rémy, smiling at them. "This makes it easier for me to achieve my goal."

"Will you help me?" asked Rémy. It seemed that there were some golden fish swimming around him, unconcerned about him being human. The fish seemed to understand what he was saying, joining in and looking at him through the crystal-clear water. "It seems that you want to help me, so you need to stay alert and let me know if something big comes my way, are you listening?" asked Rémy to the fish, who nodded their heads underwater. If anyone saw what Rémy was doing, they would surely shout that he was a witch, someone who made a pact with the devil. Soon, the little fish went swimming to do what Rémy had just asked, while he looked to where they had gone. The place where he was allowed Rémy to see the entire river if the English came by boat. He asked the fish to stay alert and watch if any boats were approaching, as he did not know where they would come from.

Rémy preferred to stay alert and not let any Englishman pass him since he was on guard. "Will they take long to arrive?" he commented, playing with his finger in the water and making ripples. Hours went by, and the afternoon was turning into night, but there was no sign of any Englishman. Rémy was falling asleep when a little fish approached him. He noticed the fish's approach, even though it was underwater.

The fish that approached him released a bubble, and as incredible as it may seem, Rémy seemed to have understood that the fish had "spoken." He squeezed his eyes lightly and began walking to the bottom of the river. His armor is made of metal, so when he reached a part where the river was already covering him, he sank, but this did not prevent him from breathing. He put his feet on the riverbed and, with the strength of his legs, went to the surface to breathe, but he did not sink, he floated using the strength of his arms and legs to stay on the surface. Rémy was waiting for the English to arrive since the fish had warned him. Soon, a preview of the English boats could be seen by Rémy, who took a deep breath and let his armor sink him down into the water.

Meanwhile, the four canoes with the Englishmen approached the place where Rémy had submerged. "Faster! We have to deliver this before nightfall!" shouted a man who seemed to be in charge. With his shouts, the rowing men increased the speed of the canoes. Everyone was looking forward, except the person who was rowing in the last canoe, who looked at the water. But he soon looked forward again, and seconds later, a head with red hair appeared. Rémy thought about attacking them right there, but he decided to take the supplies they had brought for Jeanne's troops.

Remy swam behind the canoes without letting the Englishmen notice him. He did not swim too fast to avoid making noise in the water, but at a speed that allowed him not to lose sight of the canoes since the Englishmen were not going too fast. Thus, Remy had no difficulty in following them, even though he was in his heavy armor.

"Stop! Let's get off here, we'll continue on foot," shouted the man in charge to the soldiers in the other canoes. He didn't even bother if someone could hear him, as he had passed through this same route several times without ever being noticed. All the canoes stopped in the shallow river, and the soldiers began to take out the supplies they needed to bring to their comrades stationed on land.

"You should be more careful," said a calm voice, followed by the sound of something emerging from the water. All the soldiers who were carrying the supplies to the shore were surprised, as was the commander, who looked along with the soldiers at the person who had just emerged from the water wearing armor. The commander wondered how the man had managed to surface effortlessly despite not being deep, and was still walking without difficulty in the water. "Men!" shouted the commander to all his soldiers, who quickly drew the swords at their waists. Each sword was clean, with a silver shine for never having been used yet. Remy put his hand on his back, where his spear was, and with a quick and fluid motion, drew it from its sheath.

The man who was in command of his men displayed a firm and determined posture, like a leader ready to lead his soldiers into battle. However, remembering a commander who returned defeated after attempting to attack Vaucouleurs, his expression quickly became worried and hesitant. He clearly remembered how the commander appeared after the fight: crazed, delirious about having fought a witch and a demon. At the time, the man did not believe the commander's words, but after a few days, legends began to spread about the witch and the demon. They were called Jeanne D'arc, the Maid of Orleans, the Divine Warrior Remy, or the Crimson Demon Remy.

Thinking of this beast that was supposedly unleashed in the world, the man felt a chill run through his whole body. He imagined what it would be like to face this creature face to face with his soldiers. His entire body shuddered, including the hair on all parts of his body. He was terrified and could only think of one thing: what if this beast was the man in front of him right now?

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