Valkyrie's Shadow

Empire in Chains: Act 6, Chapter 20

Empire in Chains: Act 6, Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“I seen it,” Gaston said.

“Seen what?” Yohann asked.

Ludmila stood amongst the currently-being-pillaged remains of the third Goblin settlement for the day. The Imperial Knights methodically sifted through everything as they worked to locate anything of value. The day’s gains thus far were mostly unremarkable, consisting of the same assortment of tribal trinkets, animal products and not much else.

“What she was talking about,” Gaston answered. “Who ran. Who fought. Why they fought.”

The Ranger had an expression on his face suggesting that he didn’t like what he now realised. Ludmila took it as a sign of progress.

“It was the ones that had weapons that fought – the warriors, I guess. Them and the old-looking sort. Everyone else ran. They grabbed their kids and ran and their warriors tried to buy time for them to run. We just rode ‘em down no matter what they were doing. The more, the better. Like getting more meant something. Even a hungry Monster leaves after they get their fill.”

Nearby, Pol looked up from where he had kicked aside the litter under a Goblin lean-to.

“If we didn’t do it,” he told the Ranger, “some other guy’d do it and get the credit.”

“But don’t you see?” Gaston replied, “It’s like she said! If it were a farm village and Demis came and did that, we’d call ‘em savages and hate their asses forever.”

Ludmila walked over to the group of men, who looked up from their conversation with different questions on each of their faces.

“What is it that allows you to do what you’re doing?” She asked, “Practically speaking.”

“‘Cause we’re soldiers, m’lady,” Pol said. “We trained to be strong.”

“What have you gained through your exercise of strength here?”

“That’s uh…whatever we looted, plus the land we’re clearin’.”

“What did it cost you?”

The Cavalier frowned, looking around the camp. His gaze finally settled on his spear.

“Might’ve damaged my spear but it’s the army’s, I guess. Can get that fixed, too.”

“Was what you gained worth what it cost you?”

“Well, yeah,” Pol nodded. “This is easy stuff. Get paid for it, too.”

Ludmila turned her attention to Gaston.

“Would you say you gained the same thing?” She asked.

“…yes, m’lady.”

“What did it cost you?”

“Makes me feel like shit,” the Ranger frowned. “Even if I get some land after this, I’ll always remember what we did to get it.”

“Who would you say is correct, Priest Ward?”

The sandy-haired Cleric visibly recoiled at the question. His green eyes darted between the two men.

“Our gods do not say anything for or against Demihumans,” he said after several moments. “It is not wrong to defend ourselves and retaliate against savage Demihumans who visit evil upon our frontier folk, but I have no idea whether these Demihumans have ever done so. Rather than dwelling upon the Demihumans themselves, the Faith of the Four concerns itself with spiritual matters.”

“What spiritual matters might those be?”

“Moral decay,” Joachim said. “I am not the only one to worry over recent developments. Until recently, the Imperial Army has mostly served an honourable and righteous cause: the defence of the Baharuth Empire. The Empire’s war with Re-Estize was justifiable in the fact that we would bring succour to the millions suffering under the mismanagement of its decadent and corrupt aristocracy. This campaign, however…greed seems to drive everything.”

“Greed implies that one’s behaviour is overly self-serving,” Ludmila noted. “Pol wants some land where he can build a hamlet and provide a living for his future family. His life before joining the army was as a labourer in Enz. That work barely afforded him a cramped room in the lowest class district. Is he greedy for wanting to improve his situation? For wanting a healthy place to raise a family and create a small community? For putting his life on the line to do so?”

“Of course not, my lady. The problem lies with how our soldiers are doing it. This…ambition just seems to take on a life of its own. With every passing day, I look less at the Demihumans and more at our own men, worrying over how they’ve transformed as a whole.”

Roughly half of her men shifted uncomfortably at the Cleric’s words. The Empire worked to suppress the influence of the Temples and cultural elements that it identified as undesirable, but it seemed that the religion’s hold on the hearts and minds of the people was still strong enough to have them measure their efforts through more than just the lens of cold practicality.

?Time’s up!?

The men dropped what they were doing at General Ray’s voice, jogging off to mount their warhorses once again. The rumbling of hooves filled the air as they gathered on his lead and headed south towards their next objective. Their pace was significantly slower as outriders searched for ways ahead and the company split into columns that moved through gaps between the trees. Ludmila eyed the surroundings, alert for the presence of Demihuman scouts, but those watching from the distant undergrowth would likely be undetectable even to the Imperial Army’s best Rangers, never mind herself.

Riding a warhorse also presented challenges in the forested terrain. Like any Noble, she had experience with regular mounts, but she had grown accustomed to riding ones with closer-to-Human intelligence like Soul Eaters or Ilyshn’ish. Her bond with the Frost Dragon allowed them to effortlessly function together as mount and rider, so being on a horse felt like a lot more work despite being nowhere near as complex as riding a Dragon.

After an hour of guiding her borrowed mount along the narrow forest trails, Ludmila breathed a sigh of relief as they rode out into a large clearing. Then, she frowned as the sounds of battle rose from the Demihuman encampment ahead.

All along the northern treeline, Imperial Knights streamed out of the woods, charging straight into throngs of Demihumans distracted by the attacks of Hippogriff riders above.

?Cave on the eastern edge! Tormel; Kaiden – take your squads and burn out whatever’s in there.?

Ludmila guided her horse towards the location that General Ray indicated, watching as the two squads sent their scouts to investigate the interior. Several minutes later, they came back out and reentered with four heavy infantry and two War Wizards. The shadows of the cave flared an angry orange as several explosions echoed out from its entrance.

She caught the attention of one of the Rangers on his way out.

“What was in there?”

“Some sort of Dire Bear, m’lady,” the Ranger replied. “Things are around Difficulty Rating 60 so it’s good that we caught those Demis before they woke it up. Way we killed it probably ruined the pelt, though.”

“It’s better than losing multiple squads of men,” Ludmila said. “Your officers made the prudent choice. Thank you for letting me know.”

The Ranger offered a salute before turning back to examine the cave’s surroundings. Ludmila turned her attention to the rest of the clearing. As with previous assaults, the shock of being suddenly attacked by a hundred mounted soldiers was too much for the inhabitants to reasonably react to. There was no sign of resistance from strong individuals and most of the Demihumans had already been swept from the clearing.

“It’s the same as before,” Destin said from nearby. “Well, it’s not exactly the same, but you can see what they’re doin’. These Goblins – even the Ogres – they’re just reactin’ like people would. Why didn’t we see it before? How did you know about all this, m’lady?”

“My house was not in a position where we could simply overpower our Demihuman neighbours,” Ludmila said, “so we had to understand how they behaved and why. Rather than feeling like a wretch over the fact, you can refine your tactics now that you’re beginning to see them for what they are, yes?”

“What do you mean by that, m’lady?” Gaston said from the other side of her.

Ludmila dismounted to give her warhorse a break before addressing the two Rangers.

“The two of you joined after the Sixth Legion was reorganised, if I recall correctly.”

“Yes, m’lady.”

“What special training did they give you? What sort of work did you do beforehand?”

“I was from one of the fourth-class districts in Arwintar,” Gaston said. “Just got by doing what I could, uh…I guess I sorta had a reputation as a troublemaker. That’s how I got recruited.”

“You mean they enlisted you as a Rogue.”

Gaston nodded, pointedly avoiding her gaze. Being a Ranger and a Rogue didn’t seem like a bad combination. He would be especially potent in ambush scenarios.

“What happened then?”

“It didn’t make much sense being a Rogue in the Sixth, so I got into Ranger training. A lot of familiar things between ‘em and I actually liked it. Life’s good out here once you know up from down – better than the city.”

Ludmila turned her gaze to Destin.

“I was a forester’s son,” Destin said, “so being a Ranger was right up my alley…up my tree? Anyway, I just went from that to this. The Sergeants mostly had us do, well, Ranger things. At least the Ranger things that the Imperial Army wants out of us. Scouting, bushcraft, archery…”

“What about training against specific opponents?” Ludmila asked, “Demihumans, Monsters or Magical Beasts?”

“A couple of the guys wanted to become Beast Masters for the air wing,” Gaston said, “but there wasn’t enough time for all the training needed. We just learned basic stuff like the other recruits.”

“I see,” she nodded. “In that case, as a fellow Ranger, I’ll share a little secret with you…”

The two Rangers swallowed, glancing around before stepping in closer to her. Ludmila couldn’t help but smile at their wide-eyed anticipation.

“It’s not that big of a secret,” she said. “Think of it as more of a different angle to look at things. Rangers have certain subjects that they ‘favour’ and they develop Skills and Abilities based on that. It’s something that we recognise, but we recognise it in a way that seems like common sense to us. Rangers who make a living off of the game that they bring back from the woods are usually recognised as hunters, but they are actually Rangers specialising in Beasts. The Beast Masters you mentioned specialise in handling Magical Beasts. Rangers who defend the Empire’s borders will most often deal with Demihuman tribes, so they end up as Demihuman specialists.”

“That kinda makes sense,” Destin said, “but does it really work that way? There something for everything?”

“It does,” Ludmila replied, “The more powerful you become as a Ranger, the more pronounced your specialisations will be. And there is something for everything. I know an Adventurer Ranger who specialises in the Undead, while Rangers working in law enforcement specialise in Humans.”

“So since we’ve been fightin’ and learn’ about Demihumans,” Gaston frowned, “we’re gonna end up as Demihuman specialists?”

“Considering the mandate of the Sixth Legion,” Ludmila said, “it’s probably one of the best ones to have. With your understanding will come insight that can be used to both fight against and work with Demihumans. Special Skills and Abilities are something that you’ll have to grasp and develop, but what’s most important to the army and the men you work with is that they learn to trust your expertise as a Ranger.”

The way that Rangers inevitably came to specialise in at least one ‘enemy’ type was something Ludmila had been counting on as a way to bring awareness to the members of her squad and eventually the men of General Ray’s battalion. Once a Ranger settled on their favoured targets, learning about them became mysteriously quick and intuitive. They became naturally proficient at all activities revolving around those favoured targets, which not only included tracking, trapping, intimidating and fighting against them as opponents but understanding their behaviour and how to interact with them in more peaceful scenarios.

Because they had no previous education on specific target types, they had no specialisation. Their time in Ray’s battalion had them focusing on Demihumans. Now, it appeared that they were finally awakening to this ability that was innate to all Rangers.

Destin and Gaston looked over to where the other men in her bodyguard were picking through the Demihuman camp.

“I don’t think they’ll just listen to us,” Destin said. “They got their whole other thing going on.”

“You asked why you didn’t notice what I pointed out about Demihumans before,” Ludmila said. “You’re probably also wondering why the others don’t see it. I’ve put a lot of thought into it since it’s something that happened to me in the past as well.”

“Not anymore?”

“Not in the Sorcerous Kingdom,” Ludmila replied. “The Sorcerer King’s direct vassals and those in their entire ‘chain of command’ see things very differently than people in this part of the world do. They don’t question whether professionals know their work. A Farmer with the requisite experience will produce results within a reasonable range of expectations; a smith will reliably produce goods according to their standard. To be frank, it’s never wrong, but people here have…trust issues, perhaps. People can also believe what they want to believe even if it doesn’t make much real sense.”

“So they just take you at your word?”

“Things just are. Perhaps one day you’ll get to work with a Death Knight or a Death Warrior and experience how different it is. If you spot something and call it out, they won’t second-guess you. If you say someone ran a certain way, they’ll believe you because you’re a Ranger and Rangers can Track. If you fail at something one day, it’s not directly your fault and they won’t resent you for your failure – it was just something that was beyond you and that’s just the way things are. They’ll still trust your skills the next time.”

“That’s a pretty positive outlook.”

“It is,” Ludmila agreed. “The Death-series servitors are very pleasant to work with. In their minds, everyone is trying their best and they try their best too.”

The General called for another move. They found themselves following the river south over a floodplain covered by a web of shallow meltwater streams. Destin raised his voice to speak to the others along the way.

“Hey guys, mind if I mark out targets this next time around?”

“Tryin’ for Sergeant?” Frank asked.

“Er, no,” Destin answered. “I just wanted to see somethin’.”

Ludmila’s bodyguard looked toward her.

“I don’t mind,” she said, “but if something silly happens, I’ll be intervening.”

“Yes, m’lady,” Destin said. “Thank you, m’lady. Er…just listen up, I guess.”

Their pace quickened as the company closed with a large Demihuman settlement along the riverbank. With plenty of warning as they rode up the river, their opponents had ample time to prepare.

?Fan out! Push them up the riverbank and into the trees.?

The other squads moved to follow General Ray’s orders. Destin continued straight ahead, peering at the broad expanse of simple shelters dotting the slope. After a dozen seconds, he nodded.

“This way.”

Ludmila’s bodyguard veered sharply to the right, angling directly towards a ramp at the base of a steep rise. A swarm of Goblins and Ogres awaited them, arms and voices raised in a tribal threat display. The tip of Winson’s spear lowered slightly as they approached.

“Uh, you sure about this, Destin?”

“Yeah,” Destin replied.

“He’s right,” Gaston said. “Look up top.”

“What the hell is that?”

Overlooking the unfolding chaos was a particularly large Ogre flanked by a group of Trolls. Layers of hides adorned its shoulders and it waved a small tree around as it shouted at its fellows.

“An Ogre Lord,” Ludmila said. “You’ll lose all of your momentum trying to charge up there and he’ll slap you all the way back down.”

“What do we do?”

“Don’t fight too close to that rise; you’ll get a rock on the head. Let’s take a slice off of their right flank and see if they chase us – stay mobile. Yohann, take point.”

The squad’s formation shifted as the Cavaliers formed a wedge behind Yohann. Ludmila eyed the roiling mass of dozens of Demihumans.

“Gaston; Destin – do you see those mystics?”

“Yes, m’lady.”

“Keep them suppressed; killing them is fine if you can. Those without bonded mounts will need to stay out of range: one charm spell and you’ll be on the ground with thirty Demihumans waiting to bash your skull in.”

Half of the squad trailed off from the charge, sending arrows and crossbow bolts into the Demihuman ranks. Yohann’s wedge clipped off a dozen defenders, lances breaking on Ogres while their warhorses sent Goblins flying into the air. They angled away but nothing followed them save for rocks and makeshift wooden javelins.

?That Lord is strong enough to stay in control of his troops. Regroup on me.?

She took them out of the Goblins’ bow range, stopping on a gravelly islet a little over a hundred metres from the base of the ridge. Joachim and Redwyn tended to the cuts and scrapes sustained by her Cavaliers.

“Can we still send arrows their way, m’lady?” Gaston asked.

“Go ahead, but save a few just in case. The supply horses are a few hundred metres south of us right now.”

Arrows and crossbow bolts darted over the field. Most were caught on crude shields of wood and hide, but several managed to find their marks.

“Is there something we can do?” Igvel frowned at the Demihumans’ defensive position, “I don’t think we can break into that.”

“You’re soldiers, not heroes,” Ludmila said. “This is a company-level threat for the Imperial Army, so the company will help to deal with it.”

Ludmila turned her gaze northward, searching for General Ray along the pebbled riverbank.

?General Ray, there’s one Ogre Lord and his warband on the north ridge overlooking the river. We’ve tested them and they’re holding their position.?

?…then I hope that they’re stubborn. Sending Captain Zade from our end.?

She scanned the skies to the south for signs of the Dragoon Captain and his flight. As she did so, something else caught her attention.

“Destin; Gaston,” Ludmila pointed to a trio of winged figures overhead and to the south, “do you see those?”

“Yeah, what about ‘em?”

“They’re not ours.”

Gaston narrowed his eyes.

“…Dragons?”

“Wyverns,” Ludmila corrected him. “We have an audience from further south.”

Nearly flush against the mountainside, Captain Zade and his flight descended as they approached the Ogre Lord’s ridge.

“Captain Zade is coming in,” she said. “Yohann, time a fake charge and keep that warband’s eyes on us.”

“Yes, m’lady – hyah!”

The Cavalier urged his warhorse into a trot, leading his wedge purposefully towards the entrenched Demihuman ranks.

“Hold your arrows,” Ludmila told the others. “They need to stop shielding their heads.”

When Yohann came within forty metres of them, a Fireball streaked in from above, exploding in the middle of the packed ranks at the base of the ridge.

“Ouch,” Frank winced. “You had ‘em lower their shields and focus on Yohann so they wouldn’t accidentally block the Fireball?”

“Yes.”

To Ludmila’s right, Yohann looked purposely towards her. She eyed the flaming gap in the warband’s ranks. Above them, the Ogre Lord and his escort had their heads turned towards the skies. To the north, Captain Zade and his flight were wheeling around for another strafing run.

?Captain Zade, can you soften up that Lord up top??

?That was the plan, my lady. Was something the matter??

?No, I’m sending in my Cavaliers to clean up the mess you left down below. I didn’t want them to get roasted.?

?If you could do that, we’ll be able to attack the ridge directly on the third pass.?

?We’ll see you there.?

Ludmila turned her attention back to Yohann.

?Yohann, Captain Zade is hitting the ridge next. Time your charge with his next pass. Hit what’s left of the ones below. The rest of us will join you at the bottom of the ramp.?

They rode in behind the Cavaliers’ third charge. The remains of the Demihuman formation didn’t have the weight to stop them and broke apart. Flames blossomed out over the edge of the ridge as Captain Zade’s flight made its second pass. Arrows found a few of the defenders while Frank and Igvel dismounted and moved to clean up what was left. They eventually came to the bottom of the ramp where the squad formed up behind them.

“We goin’ up now?” Frank asked, “Looks like three squads are comin’ join us from the south.”

“Captain Zade is dropping,” Ludmila answered, “We can’t leave him without support for that long. Let’s go.”

Two-thirds of the way up the ridge, the squad stopped to crouch after another Fireball slammed into the ridge above.

?Don’t stop! You’re ducking for a Fireball that already happened. Spells go where they’re supposed to go and reacting like you just did kills your momentum.?

The squad picked themselves up and rushed forward. Harsh cries drifted down from above.

Igvel made it to the top first, immediately slashing open the back of a Troll’s knee.

“Over here, ugly!”

The Troll twisted around at Igvel’s taunt, collapsing onto its injured leg. A Scorching Ray spell from Captain Zade’s War Wizard found the fallen Demihuman as a half dozen men hacked and stabbed at it.

“That was a neat trick,” Frank said.

“Uh, yeah, sure – just like I planned.”

Ludmila’s bodyguard spread out over the top of the ridge, joining Captain Zade and his two Dragoons as they faced off against the Ogre Lord and four Trolls. She glanced between the combatants.

“Your drop was a bit ambitious wasn’t it, Captain?”

“Ahaha…maybe just a bit.”

?Igvel, take Ward and half the men and work on one of these Trolls ganging up on the Dragoons. The rest are with Frank for another. You’ll have to hit them hard, but be careful.?

She called her glaive to hand, wary of any risks to her men as she watched them work together to bring down their targets. With the skilled War Wizard attentively supporting them from above, however, they methodically took down their respective opponents.

What remained was the Ogre Lord and two Trolls squaring off against Captain Zade and his two wingmates. The two men were holding out against their respective opponents, but Captain Zade was being overpowered. The Captain was roughly the strength of a lower Gold-rank Adventurer while the Ogre Lord was midway through Mithril. Only his desperate focus on Defensive Arts was keeping him alive against brutal swings that must have been close to the power of a Death Knight.

Ludmila stepped forward, activating Ability Boost. She used an upwards Slash to lop off the Ogre Lord’s right arm below the elbow. The Demihuman let out an anguished howl as the tree and the limb holding it crashed to the ground. A twist of her wrist adjusted the angle of her weapon as she prepared another Slash. Her reverse stroke cleaved through the Demihuman Lord’s neck just below the jaw, the blade exiting its body from the opposite armpit.

The headless and armless body of the Ogre Lord crashed to the ground. The two remaining Trolls wasted no time fleeing at the sight of their fallen leader, bowling over the Dragoons in their desperate flight towards the trees.