Languished Life

by Patrik Mielonen

  The Division of the Red Demon slips through their fingers.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Unexpected Aid

  As soon as the Knights of the Red Flag slipped through the fingers of their enemies, they began looking for a defendable location. Once they found such, they felled some trees and set up a camp. They’ve been resting in peace for the night, but the men start complaining about hunger in the morning.

  Tenil knew they’d run out of rations, and that’s why she is aiming to raid yet another town by noon. Since it’s an unfamiliar land, they have to be careful as they advance. Tenil has a map that covers a portion of the republic at the border, and a second one that illustrates the whole continent, which can hardly be used for tactical purposes.

  Lerrot has estimated they have 9,500 men remaining. They lost a great deal of knights last night. Some were slow enough to be caught by the pursuing army of Phyr, and some were caught in the ambush by the border defenses. They still have the cavalry, though.

  Lerrot and Ireine can’t help but admire Tenil. She is suffering the worst pain of her life, yet she has the strength to fight on. It is thanks to her willpower they have made it so far.

  “Sir, orders?”

  “We march Southeast. There should be a town two miles from here, unless I am mistaken.”

  “Yes, Sir!”

  “Send scouts ahead of us. I must know what kind of defenses they have set up.”

  “On it!”

  After a mile of marching, the scouts return. According to them, the town they seek to raid is well guarded. A stone wall and a moat surround the place, and the gate is a very small one. Also, it’s located at the coast of a lake.

  Tenil has a plan. It’s a very simple one, but Lerrot wouldn’t have thought about it. The border defenses must’ve been confused last night, and if the pursuing army was stupid enough to counterattack, then they’ve suffered losses too. Should that be the case, they won’t try to attack Tenil’s warband just yet. They might come after them later today once they’ve recovered and regrouped. After all, the Division of the Red Demon is rather big, so they have to be prepared.

  Therefore, Tenil has to be swift in overtaking the town. If the republic forces attack, they’ll either suffer heavily, or be wiped out completely. If they’re lucky, they have a few more hours.

  “Lerrot, do we still have the language experts with us?”

  “Sir, two of them are either missing or dead. Who do you need?”

  “Anyone who can speak Ghulai.”

  “Understood.”

  Lerrot rushes past the ranks of knights. There are personnel who don’t fight at all, such as cooks. If not for them, the soldiers wouldn’t have made it so far. The language experts are among them.

  “Sir.” Lerrot returns with a bearded man.

  “Colonel Tenil, my name is Karckel. I can speak Ghulai.”

  “Great. Can you negotiate for us?” Tenil asks.

  “I can, but my accent is very rough.”

  “As long as you can communicate with the republic people, I don’t care. Just make sure you won’t die at any point. We’ll need you more than anything else.”

  ***

  In the town of the republic, local guards are alarmed as they sight the Phyrian army that is known to have crossed the border. A report came in last night, stating that two divisions attempted to invade, and the other managed to slip through their fingers.

  They’re glad the other half did. With the meager number of 2,000 border guards, they couldn’t have repelled 20,000 knights. In fact, they’re amazed that they won against the slower division. The report states that only 200 were lost, whereas the enemy lost over a thousand.

  However, they don’t know the truth. General Harrol had issued a retreat as soon as the republic attacked, but even so, some of their men ended up fighting back, and a clash was inevitable. They did, however, succeed at retreating despite the chaos.

  “Lord have mercy...” An archer prays, ready to shoot from the wall of the town.

  The whole Phyrian division has surrounded the town in a matter of ten minutes. They don’t seem to be equipped well, but even so, with thousands of archers pointing their nocked arrows at the town, the few dozen guards are sweating.

  What’s more, there’s a surreal animal in the middle of the army, a massive wolf that could swallow a man whole. A woman is riding it, but she doesn’t seem to be the leader. Instead, there is another woman with a gargantuan sword who seems to be the commander.

  “Do not shoot! If you do, they’ll certainly attack!”

  As they wait impatiently for the Phyrian army to act, an unarmed man steps out of the formation, seemingly wanting to negotiate.

  “We apologize!” The man shouts. “We not want attack you! We seek go to federation!” He can’t be called fluent, but his message gets through.

  The local commander responds, “Why!?”

  “We are accused false, we are betrayed, we are exile!”

  “You invade our land!”

  “We apologize! We not want attack! But we need food! We go to federation!”

  “We have no reason to give you food!”

  “We apologize, but we need food! If you not give food, we attack!”

  The local commander is grinding his teeth in anger. They lack the resources to repel a division. Should they just oblige? They could avoid bloodshed by doing so. It’d damage their economy for a while, but not severely.

  “You have a short moment!” The man outside shouts.

  “Damn it, we can’t stall for time, eh?” The local commander utters, raising his voice for the next sentence. “Fine! We will give you what we can spare!”

  “Thank you! We will not attack then! But be quick! We must go fast!”

  ***

  It isn’t the first time Tenil handles a situation without bloodshed. She’s made pacifist moves before conquering Loraan. In fact, they’ve overtaken several towns and villages in peaceful terms during the past six months. They’ve treated locals well, and surrendered soldiers have been given a chance for assimilation.

  Lerrot and Ireine didn’t think of negotiating at all. They’d have made a hasty decision to attack the town outright. If they’d done so, they’d have lost resources, men, and, most importantly, time.

  With the food they were given, they can’t feed the men to their fill. However, it should be enough to nourish the soldiers and keep them energized until the next target. Tenil’s map isn’t ideal for an invasion, as it illustrates the border region only. The only town marked on the map is the one they already raided.

  While Tenil is busy with leading her men, Alexiana, or more precisely, Emy, is listening to sounds only she can hear. Even Dracon can’t distinguish them, but since he is in her mind, he can basically hear the voices.

  Have you managed to identify the location yet? Emy asks Dracon.

  I’m very close. It’s coming from the edge, nigh the Third World. I’m investigating the Threads of Existence that seem to be linked to the source of the voices.

  Alexiana, the combination of two, is sitting on Ti’s back. She is looking at nothing in particular, displaying a blank face.

  “Huh?” Emy exclaims suddenly, blinking a few times.

  “What is it?” Louir asks.

  “The Black Demons,” Emy whispers.

  “Where?”

  “Coming from North. Since we aren’t allowed to meddle with the campaign anyhow, I need you to go there and clean up the mess before it gets here.”

  “I’m not allowed to use Void ray from here? That’d be the simplest method.”

  “No. It might have a psychological impact on the soldiers. We don’t want them to think they can rely on you. That’s why, try to get rid of them in secrecy.”

  “Fine... But they do know that I can do this and that, you know. If they saw me do it, that’d only confirm what they’ve heard, nothing more, I believe.”

  “Perhaps, or perhaps they’d begin to hope you’d do the dir
ty work for them?”

  Louir nods dejectedly.

  The Knights of the Red Flag march on, oblivious of the violet show of destruction only a few miles away.

  ***

  In the afternoon, something unexpected happens. A lone rider is approaching the division from West. Tenil orders the soldiers to let him come, unarmed as he is. The language expert who can speak Ghulai is once again employed.

  Tenil welcomes the rider with a silent nod. Upon dismounting, he bows his head to return the courtesy. However, the mere sight of Tenil’s face intimidates him because of the black stripes that represent her blood vessels. What’s more, the humongous sword doesn’t ease his mind either, nor does the pained expression Tenil displays. Even now, the curse is generating more phantom pain.

  “Shai len hei tsuo, Ren Bhai zae,” the rider speaks.

  “What is he saying?” Tenil asks the language expert.

  “He’s just thanking you for sparing the town. He calls you the Red Demon commander.”

  “So they know who I am, eh? Ask him what else he has to say.”

  The interpreter asks just that, and he gets an answer.

  “He says that the republic offers a chance for us to travel through their land if we will not attack. Also, we must not come back once we cross the border again.”

  “And what are the other conditions?”

  The interpreter asks again, and the messenger reads a paper aloud.

  “We will be escorted. That seems to be the only condition in addition to what has been promised.”

  “Will they provide us with food?”

  “If I got it right, then yes. However, we shouldn’t expect large quantities.”

  Tenil looks the messenger in the eye, nodding approvingly. “Tell him we accept those conditions only if we can choose where we cross the border.”

  Once the messenger hears their condition, he, too, nods. The republic accepts that condition. Both sides will avoid bloodshed by agreeing to the temporal treaty.

  Once the messenger is gone, Tenil starts chuckling. “Lerrot, this is how you wage war. There are times when you must be ruthless, but there are times when you must be a pacifist. I didn’t think we’d be allowed to march through the republic, however. Even I am surprised.”

  Lieutenant Lerrot smiles wryly. “Thanks to you, Sir, we just might survive.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  The Eight Worlds

  The republic has had good political relationships with almost every country—except for the federation. Since Roshia, the federation, is rich in resources, they don’t necessarily need to maintain political ties with other countries. Furthermore, it’s the second largest country on the continent, and the population is far greater than that of Phyr.

  That is why the Republic of Gunlai is willingly letting an army to pass through their land to invade the federation. Since their political relationship is already more on the negative side, saving their citizens from bloodshed is a more appealing option.

  It’s evening now. The Knights of the Red Flag have made a camp in the wilderness, the army of the republic watching over them. They’ve been escorting them for a while. True to their words, they’ve provided food.

  “Sir, the republic commander requests a meeting with you.”

  Tenil, who’s sitting on a small rock beside a campfire, stands up. “Right now?”

  “Aye.”

  “Is the interpreter informed yet?”

  “He is waiting on the neutral ground.”

  “Very well.”

  Tenil, led by Staff Sergeant Ireine, walks past the resting soldiers to the neutral ground between the two armies. Two interpreters and the commander of the republic are waiting for Tenil in the opening. The other interpreter is from Gunlai, just to ensure there won’t be any misinterpretation.

  “Ren Bhai zae shio?” The commander seems to ask if it’s the Red Demon who is walking towards him. He isn’t intimidated by the disturbing sight, that is, the massive chunk of iron and the black stripes all over Tenil’s body.

  “Are you the Red Demon commander, he asks,” the Phyrian interpreter says.

  “Yes I am. My name is Tenil, rank colonel.”

  Once it’s been interpreted for the commander, he introduces himself. “Zhen Yu, suien.” He is about as tall as Tenil, perhaps two decades older. Since the republic hasn’t been waging war recently, younger soldiers haven’t had a chance to climb the ladder like Tenil did. If not for the war, even Tenil couldn’t have made it to the officer ranks so fast.

  “His name is Zhen Yu, a major.” The interpreter continues as soon as the major has said more. “He is asking what is your secret. He knows you conquered Valoria, but how?”

  “Heh,” Tenil smiles wryly, tapping his head with her finger, “I conquered Valoria with this.”

  Seeing her speak and tap her head like that, Zhen Yu laughs. He isn’t mocking her; it’s the opposite. He replies in his language, and the Phyrian interpreter translates the meaning.

  “He likes you, but he wants to know if the rumor about you is true.”

  “What rumor?”

  The other language expert from the republic interprets, and Zhen clarifies as a reply.

  “He means the rumor about your inner beast.”

  “Ah, I suppose it is true.”

  Once Zhen has heard the answer in his mother tongue, he consults his chin for knowledge, nodding to himself. He asks something after a moment of silence.

  “Why does the kingdom want us dead, he asks.”

  “I do not know, but I believe politics have something to do with it.”

  “Ah,” Zhen exclaims upon hearing the translation. He follows up with another question.

  “He is asking what is our goal.”

  “To march through the federation to Bladania.”

  This time, Zhen smiles suspiciously. He speaks for a moment while looking Tenil in the eye.

  “He proposes we should conquer the federation!?”

  “Is that true?”

  “That is so,” the Gunlai interpreter confirms.

  To Tenil, the proposal is appealing, if the conditions are favorable. “State your terms.”

  Zhen hands over a parchment to his interpreter, who translates the text for them. His Phyrish isn’t exactly the best, but it’s good enough.

  “Red Demon commander leads the attack. You will be given resources, such as food. Conquered land will belong to the republic of Gunlai. You may choose to migrate or leave with proper supplies after successful invasion.”

  “So we are mercenaries now, eh?” Tenil keeps smiling wryly.

  “Do you accept these terms?” The Gunlai interpreter asks.

  Tenil thinks for a moment. “My men are tired, so they cannot fight as they are.”

  “You may rest for two weeks while we prepare.”

  “But why would you wage war with the federation?”

  “Because the federation is a rich land, and they are in trouble. A civil war is brewing. We can use that to our advantage. Now or never, we can expand the republic of Gunlai.”

  Tenil nods. “Very well. As long as we reach Bladania, we have an agreement.”

  ***

  True to his words, the republic commander is sheltering the Knights of the Red Flag near a town. They’ve been given tents and supplies, and most importantly, a couple of weeks to rest. Tenil, however, is constantly asked to visit the major in his quarters.

  The general of the republic army is on his way. He’ll see Tenil personally, and even discuss the strategy with her. He, too, is eager to see the commander who conquered Valoria.

  The town is protected by a wall, a small citadel connected to it in the Northern district. Located at the bank of a river, the locals are mostly fishermen, and therefore, the smell of fresh fish is everywhere. While some people might say it’s a horrible stench, Tenil is liking it.

  The architecture by no means looks the same as in Phyr. The color pallette leans heavily on blueish colors, doors
slide rather than rotate, and windows are roundish and smaller, but more numerous.

  The presence of the huge Wolf, Alexiana, and Louir has been questioned by the officers of the republic. However, when they turn to the Phyrian commander, namely Tenil, they say no more. The intimidating glare Tenil is giving to everyone is enough to make the local soldiers silent. Adding the fact she looks terrifying with the black stripes only worsens it.

  The camp the knights have set up is a vast one. Hundreds of tents have been erected on a field next to the town. The soil isn’t ideal for cultivation, so farmers haven’t plowed the earth on the Northern outskirt. On the contrary, the Southern one is a large rice field.

  Emy is sitting next to a tree at the edge of the camp, chatting with Dracon in their shared mind. It’s morning, so the air is cool ever so slightly, droplets of water falling off the branches of deciduous trees.

  Are you ready to see who they are? Dracon asks.

  Yeah.

  Dracon has discovered the source of the faint sounds Emy’s been hearing. He is about to summon the unknown owners of the voices, who’ve seemingly been drifting in the edge for a day or two.

  Here they come.

  Two spheres of indigo light spawn in front of Alexiana, gradually growing in size, until they’re large enough to begin to shape into creatures. Arms and legs taking form, they begin to resemble humans. Shortly, their features are shaped, and Alexiana becomes speechless upon recognizing the two.

  “It can’t be...!”

  Emy is about to hear the truth of the Eight Worlds.

  ***

  Unlike her troops, Tenil isn’t relaxing. She’s got to come up with a strategy for the invasion since she’ll have to lead the attack. The most crucial part is that the majority of the Knights of the Red Flag must survive.

  She is planning on utilizing the republic forces as much as possible. However, the general of Gunlai most likely won’t allow it unless her soldiers are doing the dirtiest job.

  Planning on using me to win a pivotal battle, eh?