Now, Lurkers spread throughout the surrounding area, and Slate used their eyes and ears to experience the world around him. He noticed that Matek was doing the same thing. They were essentially riding piggyback in the brains of the Lurkers while the Scourge leaders remained safely ensconced within an honor guard of Berserkers. Sumnu had taken the opportunity to train many of the Scourge while they were on the road. The Scourge was populated with more than a few people that had never been warriors in the first place. To Slate, they looked like they were puppies still trying to figure out the strength of their bodies. Sometimes it was humorous as an accidental movement from a Raider had a disastrous effect because of their high levels of strength. However, everyone in the Scourge leadership knew that something hilarious outside of battle could lead to disaster in combat. Sumnu focused on having the warriors move in synchronization and developing clear commands that would allow the forces to perform a set number of pre-trained responses.
Slate didn’t have much to add to this particular type of training. The modern military used formations and drills to enforce good order and discipline, but in many cases, the actions were largely symbolic. It was meant to add a certain sense of gravity to the occasion and make people feel like they were part of something larger than themselves. Unfortunately, this kind of metaphorical training did not apply to medieval tactics and warfare, which required the use of formations and drill for actual combat. Slate was learning quite a bit from Sumnu as well. During their drills, a question occurred to Slate.
Hey, Sumnu, he started.
Yes, my Lord? Sumnu answered while maintaining an eye on the moving formations in front of him. They had stopped for the evening, and Sumnu was running them through their paces before he allowed them to set up camp.
Where did you learn this sort of thing? Slate asked. To his knowledge, Sumnu hadn’t left Woodhaven just like the rest of the elves. There should be no reason that he was an expert in this kind of training either.
Unexpectedly, Slate could feel a rush of awkwardness coming off of Sumnu through the Scourgemind. If the Scourge’s faces could blush, Slate would say it felt like that. It was unexpected to feel the emotion from a creature that was a couple of feet taller than Slate and looked like a monster from myth rather than the kind-hearted individual he knew Sumnu to be.
Well, my Lord, he began. Woodhaven used to have a library within the center chamber of the tree we took you to that first night. Inside, some tomes had to have been hundreds of years old. There were treatises on warfare, training manuals, magical grimoires, and more. He scratched the back of his head. I was never particularly interested in magic or philosophy, but I was fascinated by the training manuals and books on warfare.
Slate raised an eyebrow. Why were they there?
Sumnu shrugged. If I had to guess, Silvys and Lucidus were preparing for the Scourge to make their return. They had to know that having an utterly ignorant army would never work. I think initially, the elder council was created to make sure the knowledge wasn’t lost.
Ah, Slate said. However, they knew the information would only lead to more people asking questions. They would quickly outstrip the elder’s ability to keep the population contained, and then everything would have fallen apart after that.
Sumnu nodded. Yes, my Lord. That’s what I think as well. However, when I was the chief, they allowed me access to the texts. I read them voraciously. I wanted to learn everything I could. In my position as chief, I imagined that I would get the chance to lead the Guardians out of the forest. Sumnu grew quiet, realizing that his admission could be considered a challenge by Slate.
Slate noticed the First Raider’s hesitation. Don’t worry, Sumnu. That was an admirable goal.
Sumnu huffed a sigh of relief. Most of the time, Sumnu knew what the Scion’s reaction would be to certain things. However, the Raider understood that Slate didn’t like it when anyone challenged him even by implication. They could question his judgment or his methods until the decision was made. Once that happened, his word was law, and to challenge him was treason. It wasn’t the most relaxed attitude to work around, but it was reasonably clear for everyone to understand.
Slate considered the new information. So, where are those texts now? He asked. He would be curious to read anything from Somnium related to warfare. He knew that he needed to brush up on his information if he wanted to be a competent commander. He knew the modern way to do combat, but sieging castles was something he had little experience in.
Some of them appeared in Bastion once the palace was created. However, they were nowhere to be found in Lighthaven after its transformation. Sumnu’s eyes took on a haunted look. Even if they were, I imagine they were all destroyed by the Collective.
Sumnu’s voice had grown solemn, and Slate studied the man to see if he would be okay. Sumnu seemed to shake himself from his memories. Either way, he continued. I committed much of the texts to memory, and that’s what I’m using to train the army now. Shale also had a significant impact on the training by making sure every warrior knew the basics of the Way.
Yes, the Way, Slate mused. Sometimes his queen surprised him. The Way was one of those things. She had created her martial art from scratch. It needed refinement, but it seemed focused on combining deceptive movements with deadly strikes. The Scourge had so many methods of attacking and killing their opponents, and Shale was able to weave them together into a cohesive ideology. Slate knew something important when he saw it. He recognized that the Way would probably go on to be a guiding philosophy of the Scourge. He was reminded of Shaolin monks creating martial arts out of gardening weapons and a desire to protect their homes. Or the mix of Chinese and Japanese islands that defended themselves from the Japanese imperial invasion. Each population had created something that had become synonymous with their way of life. Whether it was jiu-jitsu, karate, or tae kwon do, passionate artists still practiced the old traditions even in the modern world. Slate felt that the Way had the same potential. It had the right amount of religious connotation and practical utility to be effective long-term.
He broke out of his thoughts. Matek, about how much longer until we reach Koral?
The Lurker had been walking with them quietly, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Or at least, lost in the perceptions of the scouts that surrounded their small army. He snapped to the present, and Slate saw his eyes clear.
The Lurkers are already at the edge of Koral’s territory, my Lord. We should be arriving within the next day or so.
Slate nodded. They couldn’t be too far away, or they wouldn’t be able to still communicate through the Scourgemind. It seemed that the greater their numbers, the more effective the Scourgemind became. Slate supposed he could’ve looked through the Lurker scout’s eyes himself, but he wanted to be somewhat surprised when they arrived at Koral. It was a small thing, he supposed, but knowing every detail of the territory he had to travel through ahead of time, made the entire trip boring. It was like watching reruns on television. Besides, he wanted his first impression when he saw the city. He had remained alert on the entire journey, and now he simply wanted a bit of enjoyment. He made sure to check with Matek before purposefully denying himself the information.
Anything unusual about the city? He asked the First Lurker.
Matek paused as he looked through the memories and eyes of his line. After a few minutes, he returned to the present. Not that I can see, my Lord. It looks much the same as when I was here last. It does seem a bit better fortified, but I haven’t noticed any soul-forged creatures or lightning spitting towers.
Slate grimaced at the man’s words. He would be happy if he never had to face one of those towers or another soul-forged creature again. Ordinary people, he could deal with. The Collective’s penchant for using abominations in warfare was something that he ultimately sided with Lucidus on. Somnium would be a much better place without the Vallyr, although he didn’t think that the Ignatum Empire would be any more pleasant to deal with. They were already more conf
rontational than he was comfortable with.
The following morning, they took to the road again. Slate had been surprised that the conditions of the way were so fair if rarely traveled. The Scion had taken no measures to hide his army’s passing, and yet there were no goods-laden merchant caravans or independent travelers leaving Koral. Slate suspected the conflicts in the north were tying up the Collective’s resources. If so, that was only a positive thing for him. It meant that he would be able to get his army close to Koral without alerting their defenses to early. The Collective, in general, seemed to focus their efforts on their military. Their domestic security was almost nonexistent. They had grown idle in the governance of their territory. Piecing together his knowledge of their political system with information from Matek, Slate assumed that the constant in-fighting between antagonistic factions within the Collective caused each faction to take a self-serving approach to their security. If it didn’t affect the high lord that ruled that territory, they were unlikely to do anything about it. To be fair, they didn’t need to. There hadn’t been any bandit groups or rebel factions outside of the Circle. Even the Circle had been careful not to piss off their Vallyr overlords. They were more bark than their bite before the Scourge arrived.
Coming upon Koral’s territory was something of a shock to Slate. Their arrival was picturesque. They had crested a hill and, just on the other side, a patchwork of farms and small hamlets dotted the countryside to the horizon. In the distance, no larger than a matchbox, the city of Koral dwelled.
That’s significantly larger than I was expecting. Slate noted.
Matek looked over at him curiously, what were you expecting my Lord?
Slate frowned as he studied the bustle of farmers and laborers dotting the landscape like insects. I was expecting a city the size of Standur. He searched his memory. On the map we stole from Wayward, Koral was inked similarly to Standur.
Matek shrugged. They’re both coastal cities, but Standur wasn’t relatively significant. He waved his hand at the scenery. Koral is different; it’s one of the largest cities in the entire Collective. Only Soulreach is definitively larger.
The gears in Slate’s mind began churning. He was rapidly incorporating the information from Matek and adjusting his plans on the fly. He needed to know more. That’s a significant fact. Why is it so large? He asked.
Matek’s voice took on a professorial tone. It’s close enough to the front that this is a strategic mustering and resupply point for the Collective army. It’s an essential stop for slaves and prisoners of war so that they can fuel their soul magic and provide conscripts for the border forts.
Sumnu cut in, why didn’t you say anything?
Matek looked genuinely confused. Say anything about what?
A-about the size! Sumnu stuttered. Sumnu was looking between the city and thinking about the forces they had assembled.
Who doesn’t know how large Koral is!? It’s common knowledge! I recommended we stay in Bastion! Matek shouted through the Scourgemind.
The two leaders of the Scourge started squabbling about who said what and when. The noise quickly grew on Slate’s nerves. Stop, He ordered. His voice was as cold as the arctic circle. There wasn’t a hint of doubt, merely determination as hard as granite. Matek and Sumnu both shut up immediately. Matek had the grace to look embarrassed while Sumnu still appeared ready to keep fighting.
Slate’s mouth was a grim line. He agreed with the First Raider. He was questioning his ability to conquer something this large. He only had about three hundred of the Scourge. Even at full strength with the entire power of the Guardian Corps, he would need thousands of more warriors. That wouldn’t be good enough. He needed to take this city out of commission before he focused on the Collective army. History didn’t look favorably upon those leaders that allowed themselves to get flanked by the enemy on two sides. The whole point of splitting his army was so that he could remove a front and then focus his main effort in a single direction.
How many warriors do you think they have? Slate asked while looking at his other advisors. Sumnu shared his concerns, but Fidem had a shining look to his eyes that Slate didn’t like a single bit. He looked like an addict that had just seen the object of his addiction. It didn’t bode well for anyone who put themselves between the two.
Matek rubbed his scaled chin thoughtfully. About 20,000 regular soldiers, not counting however many soul-forged creatures they have hidden.
Slate kept his face carefully blank. That number was ten times more than his entire force. For the first time, he realized how arrogant he had been to think he could take one city and take on an entire country—no matter their systemic issues. Sumnu didn’t have the same discipline.
WHAT!? He exclaimed. How are we supposed to take on those kinds of numbers?
Matek shrugged, a gesture that was becoming more pervasive as this particular conversation continued. Our forces are easily ten times the quality of forces that the Collective has. Their army is composed of various races. Most of them are poorly trained, woefully ill-equipped, and unmotivated to be there. There is only a smattering of actual Vallyr. They rely on their subjugated races to do the majority of their fighting.
Fidem broke the silence, and his voice was eerily serene. We don’t have to fight them.
Both Matek and Sumnu looked at the First Enticer like he was an idiot.
Well, that would be a waste of the trip here, Matek said dryly.
Fidem shot Matek a hard look. Look at how many people that is, he said icily. That’s a significant amount of people that could become a part of the Faithful. Imagine the number of recruits for the Guardians and the Scourge. Fighting them would be pure waste and a defiance of Lucidus’ will. Matek didn’t look like he was particularly concerned about defying Lucidus or pissing off Fidem. A speculative grin crossed his face as he rubbed his chin and thought about what it would take to bait the Enticer further.
Slate’s expression remained dour. He found himself mostly agreeing with Fidem, a fact that annoyed him.
We need more information. Slate’s voice cut through the rest of his advisor’s bickering like the beam of a lighthouse through the fog. The others turned to him, sure that he would lead them to shore. We’re going to leave the majority of our forces along the roads in and out of Koral. I want their means of information and resources cut off. If we can encourage some of them to leave their fortifications and meet us in an open field, even better. Beyond that, I want Enticers and Lurkers within the city.
Slate paused as he saw his advisors receive the rapid influx of orders. The goal is two-fold. I want the citizenry of Koral to think of the Scourge as a positive influence. Slate looked at Fidem. That means I want your Enticers to be healing and influencing on the streets. Anytime, the Vallyr send someone to interrupt you, he looked at Matek, your Lurkers will take them out. I want us to be like shadows throughout every part of this city.
Slate looked at Sumnu. You, my friend, will be in charge of the efforts outside of the city. Keep Koral blind, deaf, and dumb.
Sumnu chuckled. My job will be easy then, my Lord. The Collective inflicts much of that upon themselves. His face grew serious. I’ll make sure that no one interrupts your plans.
Slate nodded in silent thanks. My goal will be to see how vital Koral is to the rest of this campaign. I don’t think we’ll get the opportunity to destroy it or ultimately convert it. I think we’ll get the chance to put it out of commission and, his tone became wry, allow our friends to sweep through Collective lines, and put them on their back foot. In either case, both parties should be too occupied to deal with Bastion, which accomplishes our ultimate goal of closing this flank.
Slate’s advisors seemed impressed. The Scion hadn’t immediately spoken up. He had allowed them to fight amongst themselves before pulling together a plan that had elements of each person’s concerns. Once again, they were reminded that Slate had been specially chosen by Lucidus to lead the Scourge for a reason. The Collective didn’t have a cha
nce.
CHAPTER 14: THE FALLEN QUEEN
LYNIA SAW THE explosions of the first ring of corpses on the exterior edge of the clearing. The detonations caused soil, blood, and small bits of bone to pelt the Mystics and Enticers that were using the tree line as a form of cover. Lynia shielded her eyes from the flying debris until the explosions started traveling away from her location and heading toward the obelisk in the center of the clearing. Lynia could feel the pain, confusion, and fear spreading through the Scourgemind. The last rattled Lynia the most. She hadn’t felt genuine fear through the Scourgemind, and she had a difficult time separating her consciousness from the flood of sensation bleeding over from the rest of the Scourge. The fear overtook her, and she felt her heart racing in panic. The feelings were so overwhelming that Lynia hunched over and started retching. Bile coated her mouth, and she tried to clear the acidic sensation in her throat. The explosions were still racing toward the center like the hammer strikes of a vengeful god. With every explosion, she could feel Scourge lives being extinguished while the rest were overtaken by suffering. Tears pulled at the edges of her eyes as she desperately fought to free herself from the tide of emotion spreading through her connection with the rest of the forces. Finally, there was a pause, and Lynia instinctively reached out to feel for Shale. She needed comfort, and Shale was the strongest of them outside of Slate. There was a natural yearning in her to receive care and support from her queen. Just as she was reaching out to Shale, a final explosion rocked the clearing as the obelisk disappeared into a cloud of spreading rocks.
Congratulations! You have destroyed a level 20 Obelisk of Consuming Darkness. You have earned 12,050 experience split among your party. Congratulations! You have completed a hidden quest from Lucidus!
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