Author's Note: This was a hard chapter to finish because in my original outline 14 was going to be a Henry/Jasmara chapter and 15 a Drauken chapter. I thought the pacing for the story overall would work better combining them, but it made it hard to figure out which scenes should be in which chapter. I think I have it figured out though. Thanks to everyone who leaves or emails comments. I appreciate them! Enjoy!
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He could still see the sick and dying. Every night in his dreams. During the day, right there in the corner of his eye. He could feel the weight of their eyes following him wherever he went.
I should have known there would be a price.
The spell he had cast was effective. It created a sickness that swept through the Sandoran army, debilitating and immobilizing vast swaths of the human ranks. They were all but helpless when the orcs came through, cutting down the pale and stricken soldiers where they lay.
Not even the Sandoran General, the Duke of Lisene, was spared, and his ghost loomed longest of them all. The nobleman was still alive when they found him slumped over in the command tent. The flesh had melted off him seemingly overnight, and had he not already been larger he would likely have been dead. The proud Duke had begged for succor, for medicine, promising to be their leal servant if only they could help him.
Grotok had been of a mind to help him, but Augras had stayed his hand. "There won't be any place for human nobles in Thesta and Sandora after the war" he had said, "Look at what happened in Heste. Human lords will always be plotting against us." Augras had given the Duke a different sort of relief, though.
I wish I had listened to him. Surely Marishka would have known how to cure the disease.
It's too late now though,
he thought,
I have no choice but to continue, to make all these deaths worth something. A unified dominion in the Western Kingdoms will bring peace and stability.
Augras tossed and turned on his cot, before finally rolling out of bed to snatch a letter off his desk.
My Dear Son,
I was so relieved to read that you were safe and victorious over the Sandorans. The news was a welcome relief after hearing of your father's defeat at the hands of Marche orcs and has done much to lift spirits in Deznessuian. I hope this means the war will be ending soon and you return home. Trogar won't be able to deny you that, not after your heroism in the war. It is time to put the past behind us, Augras, and for you to resume your place as heir to Deznessuian. I love you and need to see you again.
Augras put the letter down, ignoring the rest of the message catching him up on his siblings and the banalities of the Deznessuian court. He had read it before, eagerly even the first time, but did not need to read it again. It was his mother's love he wanted to read, and her hope. It wasn't to be, however.
I don't need Deznessuian, or the elfs. My future is here, in Thesta. Marishka has promised as much, and more.
The thought of the Mincenntti woman made him frown. Even though she had fulfilled every promise she had made him, his trust was beginning to wane.
There is much more she never told me. Magic came at a great cost to the Mincenntti. What is it going to cost me?
If anyone had been ever been accursed to the Abyss, it was surely going to be him.
More so even than Andarrion the Thrice Damned,
he chuckled bitterly at that,
That's what I get for using his gem to enslave Amelie. I may rule the Western Kingdoms but I'll be loathed as a sorcerer.
"No. No it won't end like that. I won't let it. I will lead us, all of us, orc, human, elf, even the minotaurs and centaurs, into a Golden Age. I will put the divisions of the past behind us. Jeanette might have started this war, but I will end all wars. I swear it."
With newfound resolve, he snatched a letter, still sealed, off his desk.
Augras,
Congratulations on your victory over the Sandorans. With just a few more victories we will finally find victory in this war. The Marche orcs are proving a trickier opponent, and currently have me penned between Shropfordshire and the Seven Forts. They think me trapped, but this creates an opportunity. Now that the Sandoran army is defeated, there is nothing stopping you from assaulting the forts from the rear. Then our armies can join together and take defeat the March orcs and capture Brigitte, and then march on Megdis, Orlous, and show all the Western Kingdom of Deznessuian is a power to be reckoned with!
I sent a letter outlining my proposal to your uncle, but I doubt he'll see the wisdom of it. He will want to take all the glory for himself. It is up to you to convince him to take this path. You have a great debt to pay, Augras, and this is how you can start. Meet me at the Seven Forts and we can join together, as a King and Prince should.
Augras crumpled the letter in his hand. His father was right about Grotok, at least, but he had a plan for that. As for the rest, was he really prepared to put their divisions in the past?
****
"Can't you see this is exactly what he wants you to do? You're playing right into the damned orcs' hands!" Henry growled in frustration as Black Pete stuffed his meager belongings into a sack.
"You might be right about that and you might be wrong, but it don't matter. Those beasts are slaughtering my kin, slaughtering all of us and doing worse things to the women. I thought that bastard Agmar was bad, but these monsters are worse!" Black Pete scowled and picked up his axe, ready to push past Henry if the King tried to stop him.
Privately, Henry doubted that the Minotaurs were worse than Agmar had been. He had received his own reports on the matter, and while the bull-men were more monstrous in appearance they didn't seem to have the casual cruelty Agmar employed. "You won't be able to save them on your own, you have to know that. We can save them after Belkor is defeated, as a united force. We can attack from the west while Amelie attacks from the east, just as she did-"
"Hah! You can't promise that and I wouldn't believe you if you did. As soon as you crush the orc you'll go running south to capture the Harlot Queen. As for the Princess-Knight, she might not have an army by then, if what we're hearing about the sorcerer are true. We're on our own, as we've always been. Might be we can't drive 'em out of our homes, but maybe we can save some of our people."
"We have the advantage now! Belkor is outnumbered and cut off from supplies. If your people leave we'll be even again, if not outnumbered. You're throwing away our best chance to win a real victory in this war!" Henry wanted to throttle the old man.
How can he not see that he's throwing away everything for nothing?
"Aye, that's just it, the best chance to win a victory for you, in your war! My people were almost wiped out by the orcs, and now the damn Minotaurs are going to finish the job unless we stop them!" Black Pete snarled in rage. "We've suffered too much to let this go any longer. You Hestens have never cared about us except for what you could take from us. Once that meant our treasure, and now it means our blood. You'll use us up and leave nothing left when the war is done! No one left to go home and save our wives and children!"
"Even if you somehow save your people, where will you take them if we're defeated? Do you really think they won't come for you? We have to stay united, it's our only chance!" But Henry could see his words were falling on deaf ears.
I never should have put my faith in the Catabrians,
he thought,
they never could see beyond their next meal or petty revenge.
"Outta my way! It ain't worth winning if there's nothing to go back to. If I can save who I can now, at least there's a chance we'll get by when it's over."
Henry stepped aside, fuming. He briefly considered using force to keep them here, but knew that was ultimately futile. If he was going to defeat the orcs he needed a cohesive army he could count on, not a disparate rabble. "Old fool" he muttered as he left the Catabrian encampment and stalked back to his own tent.
"What will we do, Your Highness?" Etienne, the Thestan commander asked.
"We'll have to make do without them." Henry closed his eyes and imagined the layout of Heste. He saw the mountainous border with Zentara that shot up along Thesta to the Catabrian Hills. In his mind's eye he saw the azure waters of the Warne River flowing down from them and across the Kingdom towards Dromstadt. That was where his mind came into focus. "We'll let them get ahead of us, we'll need a few days to reorganize our forces anyway. Let them get to Dromstadt and spread themselves out to siege the city and then we'll strike from behind and smash them against its walls."
"They'll know we're coming, their scouts will give them plenty of warning to reform their ranks." Etienne noted.
"Yes, but it they won't be completely reorganized yet. Mentally they'll have been prepared to settle in for a siege, not fight a pitched battle. It won't be much, but we need any advantage we can take."
"Won't they be expecting us to attack?"
"They might think we'd strike south to further cut them off and threaten Ruar. It is the safer option, from their perspective. They don't know everything, however. Ruar is well in hand, so we're better off defeating them here and now."
Etienne looked surprised at that. Unlike Phillippe, the former second-in-command had not been aware of the orc merchant's plot in Ruar. In this new age of sorcery Henry didn't trust that Augras didn't have some way of spying on them, so the less people who knew the better.
"As you say, Your Highness. My men will be ready to march." The Thestan smiled faintly. "It will be nice to bring this to an end, one way or the other."
