Chương 103: 37 – Shedding Light

I stared at the line of soldiers entering town. Dread was creeping up my spine as I realized these people looked more dead than alive. These men and women had been surviving on half rations and quarter sleep for months. They'd been in constant battle across the Eschal Border. Their average level was in the high thirties, based on my cursory observation skill. Eschal preferred poison and insidious nighttime attacks, but they'd been only half of the army these men had been defending against.

The rift break had been so devastating for us that it was sometimes hard to remember that we hadn't even faced a significant fraction of the monsters that had surged forth from it. To think that they were being controlled, even partially, meant that they'd likely faced as many rift spawn as they had Eschal soldiers. The Ever War was over, and the landscape after the end of all of this would be drastically different.

"Good work on this wall. You must have been damn near prescient to put that thing up. When did you start building it? Back in Blaze?" the general asked. I looked at the general incredulously.

"You think this took us three months?"

"Would probably take my men that long," he said.

"It stretches all the way down there to the beach. It's impressive."

"It's three weeks old, and it was built mostly by volunteers. I think the rumors of the soldiers getting fat and lazy might have some truth to them," I said. In a happier place, a warmer time, I might've smiled as I said it. The man barked a laugh, but it was a bitter thing. I'd never met this man, but I immediately felt comfortable around him.

He was every bit as broad as Maulander, but surrounded by guards, while wearing no armor of his own, fully trusting his men, and to an extent us with his safety, did a lot to endear me to him. I knew he could break me like a toothpick, one bandaged arm or not, and yet his attitude invited openness. My Networking skill and my fledgling Diplomacy might have been working together to give me that information subconsciously, but I thought I'd have seen it without them.

Mom had told me she trusted this man, and it was easy to see why. Plenty of men and women were up here on the walls, looking down and watching the soldiers, but for some reason they were keeping their distance as the General and I watched the somber procession. I turned, about to bring up my mother, when I noticed a tear in the man's eye. I blanched.

"Sir…? Are you alright?"

"I've… lost so damn many men. Good soldiers. Good fighters," He said. He didn't bother to wipe the tear from his cheek.

"Gods, so few." Few… it felt like a multitude to me. More men than Maulander had when he'd rolled through.

"How many are there?" I asked. The soldiers had dead eyes, but it felt good to see a tiny bit of hope kindle in them as they walked past our half-built wall. They'd been expecting nothing but farmers, and completely indefensible ground. Instead they found a thriving town, filled with life and vigor. Scared people happy to see them, and fresh fish. Not… not enough bread. There was never enough bread. But at least they would have some food and shelter tonight.

I recognized a girl who'd once been a friend of Oxana and Teskin. Aeyla, I thought her name was. A few years my senior. She'd joined, but planned to come back in two years. She'd been sweet on a boy, but wanted the levels and the money the army could provide. The boy had run off to Clairmont and married another, and Aeyla had decided to stay enlisted instead of coming back home. She wore the insignia of a sergeant, now, and had the scars to prove it. The second-highest enlisted rank.

She couldn't be more than twenty-five. A little further on, I saw a man holding a stretcher. It was hovering in the air, making me certain it was some strange form of talent. On it was an unconscious bald man.

"The woods are difficult terrain, and we had to travel fast and light. Best estimates are between four and seven thousand. We were more focused on the army behind us. They're taking their time. They don't want to lose any more soldiers. While we have many more armies, they only have this one massive force. They sent enough that destroying me should be simple, but I intend to make them bleed for it."

"You do?" I asked.

"You expected otherwise?" I shrugged.

"It seemed more sensible to me, from your perspective, to continue south and meet with Maulander's forces. Even if you can no longer defend Denarla, you can at least secure the rift." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Yes. And all I'd have to do is leave innocent civilians to die, because I led an army right to your doorstep. No. I'll stand here. Had Pemolar's Hill been a smoking ruin, I might've done what you suggest. But it is not. Hopeless as the situation is, I intend to keep this town's people alive.

"How long do we have?" I asked.

"We still have some food stores, but we aren't going to be able to support so many for long."

"Four days. Five at most. It's possible they would let us go if we did make south for the rift. I've not had a report from Maulander in weeks, and have no clue how he fares down there. Either way, if we're tied up securing the rift, we won't be able to defend Denarla, which is surely their target." Denarla was their target? That was news to me.

"You've… been fighting them for months now. Surely you've captured prisoners. Do you have any idea why they started this war?" Neogon hesitated.

"They… hate us. They blame us for the death of their Chemist, for one thing. I'd heard rumors that she'd died near the border, but have no idea why. They made an example of a particular town, on the border. They attacked it before the rift break. Before they attacked me. They butchered the people there. Massacred them. It was… it was hatred on a level I can barely understand." I frowned.

"That's… that's it?" He shrugged.

"That's the only thing that has even the slightest hint of truth to it. I've had prisoners kill themselves rather than be questioned."

"What do they say?" He sighed.

"Lies," he said.

"One and all, they say that Tacuria started the hostilities. We attacked them. We kidnapped their women and children. We're ruthless barbarians, seeking to conquer the paradise they've made. We plan to invade; we killed their people who moved to our lands. We pissed in their gardens. Fuck all! Anything that could be done, we've done it."

"We… haven't done those things, right?" I asked.

"Gods no! But they believe it." That made… just… no sense. We'd been friendly nations for lifetimes before this. There'd been rumors of border disputes a few years ago that had blown up in a big way and killed many residents of an Eschal Town, but the only reason I'd even heard of those was because of Pretyr. He'd… visited his hometown back then. I'd barely cared, of course.

I'd been thirteen and swimming in April's life at the time, growing my reputation as a storyteller, but in a small town like Pemolar's Hill, anyone's business was everyone's business.

'If I find out he actually is some sort of Eschal spy, I'm going to be so angry.' I thought. I didn't believe it. Even now. But the doubt hurt.

"It doesn't add up," I said.

"Even if we actually did all of those things, I still don't think we could convince an entire nation to attack us." He shook his head in frustration.

"I don't know. I assume it has something to do with that new Queen of theirs. Of all the times for a nation to turn itself into a monarchy."

"Freyna?" I asked. He glanced at me, surprised.

"Yes. You're quite well informed."

"I was semi-drafted," I said.

"I heard things."

"Indeed," he replied. My heart began to race as I watched the man's calculating mind churn. There was no sensible way I should've known that name. Not based on the story Berkenem had given him.

"What bothers me is wondering what happened to all of the Tacurians who moved to Eschal over the last decade," I said, deflecting. The general suddenly looked ill.

"I hadn't thought of that." I sighed and turned away from the line of soldiers entering the town. Blankets and what little food we could spare was being handed out below. Dobretin was in a furious argument with Edra about rations. Edra always had a bleeding heart, and gods, how could I blame her? These soldiers looked like they hadn't had a hot meal in months, and some hadn't slept in equally long. Many collapsed the moment they got behind the wall, sleeping just off the path.

"So… tell me about yourself, Elmerin–!"

"Why are you up here?" I asked, as I watched the two nominal leaders of the town bicker.

"Surely you have better things to do than explain all this to a farmer?" He rolled his eyes.

"Don't play humble. You're more than that, and you know it." I sighed.

"I haven't done anything special. Your weapon isn't ready, and I don't think I can finish it in ten days, let alone five. I'm barely competent with a sword, and have almost no capability of helping you in the fights to come. All… all I can do is prepare everyone else!"

"For now," he said.

"The fact that you might have a weapon at all still astounds me. Captain Berkenem's trust was well placed. I'm not surprised either. Atrinaska was a genius, and I see her daughter has followed in her footsteps." I licked dry lips. I'd been trying to avoid thinking about Mom ever since Neogon told me an army was coming here. Worse still, another, much larger army was headed toward Denarla. Mom was there, and would be trying to get back.

She'd be in danger the entire way, and she had no way of knowing she'd be returning to a warzone. Worst of all was how desperately we needed her grain.

"Well, sorry she's not here," I said. Even as I spoke, I reached into my pocket, wondering if it was time yet to snap the beacon and call her back home. She'd asked me to give her an entire month. At least five more days, but in five days we would be fighting for our lives.

"I'm not. Truthfully, I hope she avoids all this. Atrinaska has been through enough tragedy in her lifetime," he said. We both fell silent for a while, just watching the seemingly endless tide of soldiers.

"Well. I guess I'd best get back down there. Someone is going to have to break those two up. If they keep at it, no one will ever be fed," I said. The general snickered.

"I'll be right after you, but before I forget... You mentioned something about an item that would allow me to communicate with my soldiers?" I nodded. I hadn't forgotten.

"It seems your reputation preceded you. I can already craft something for you, though it's going to be expensive. Wood, Metal Bars, Copper, ink, and an entire bolt of cloth."

"If it is half as valuable as Berkenem's sword, I'll consider myself a lucky man," he said.