The tall man watched hesitantly as the Third Unit poured into camp. The unit was mostly intact, and for that he was relieved. Of all the units that were sent to him as reinforcements, General Arges’ soldiers were the ones whom he hoped for the most. Their reputation on the battlefield was warranted, and he knew they would be of great assistance, going forward. He caught sight of the silver gleam of General Arges’ hair and watched him as he maneuvered around a ballista, speaking to those around him. Vicedonian soldiers greeted his arrival with praise, joy, and most of all hope. Perhaps the leadership back at headquarters had finally tired of sitting on their lacquered thrones, polishing their swords for a battle they did not intend to join. Whoever had convinced them to send reinforcements should be commended. The tall man made his way down from his tent, eager to greet his fellow general.
“Arges! Looking as pretty as ever, boy!” General Steropes spoke in that unique dialect that automatically gave away his familial heritage from the isle of Nys.
“Steropes.” They saluted each other, ‘V’ shaped hands covering their hearts, both comforted by one another’s presence on this battlefield. “You are looking as tall and gangly as ever. Do you ever stop growing, my friend?”
Arges himself was not short by any means, Steropes just happened to be six feet seven inches tall. As easily as you could spot Arges by his white hair, Steropes stood head and shoulders over most soldiers.
Steropes snickered at the question, but offered no immediate reply. They watched as more of the Krakens made their way into camp.
“Where is Captain Titan? I had heard he was with you as well?” asked Steropes.
“Yes, he is here. And how is it that you know of this information?”
Steropes glanced around him, as if about to delve into a more serious discussion, but instead offered, “Come general, let us catch up in private. You must be thirsty after such a long trip. Perhaps some wine will do you good.”
“Yes.” Arges looked around for a sign of Aric, but he had become lost in the shuffle of soldiers pouring in. “Let’s go… now.”
They made their way into the tent where Steropes poured Arges a tall glass of refreshing wine. Arges consumed the beverage greedily, not bothering to savor the taste.
“That has to be the most delicious cup of wine I’ve ever had.” He placed the cup down on the map of the battlefield in the center of the room. “So what of the news you have been receiving, Steropes?”
“Headquarters is in an uproar. King Maximus imprisoned a number of soldiers and servants he believed to have assisted Aric with his self-authorized mission. They knew his destination would be Lake Raphia, but did not know which route he would take to get here. Xander sent out riders to search the southern plains and northern hills, but found nothing. Nobody expected even Aric would risk taking the path of the Dark Forest.” Steropes took a sip from his cup of wine, swishing the liquid around in his mouth before swallowing.
“Why did you follow him, Arges? You had to have known he was lying about his orders.”
“Yes, I sensed that. But I also knew my men were withering away at that ridiculous outpost they ordered us to baby-sit. Wooden dummies with stuffed uniforms are not what my soldiers need. They need to fight. My prince came to me with an opportunity to make a difference at this battlefield. My countrymen were in need of help, and I saw a chance and took it.” Arges paused for a moment, examining the map again. His eyes veered upwards towards the Phalanx Mountains. “Besides, hidden in those hills—”
“Don’t tell me, Arges. You don’t intend on searching for the hidden power? Those are just wild rumors. Nobody has ever found it. You’ll be lost in those caves.”
“If it means winning this war for our people, Steropes, I dare risk it.”
Steropes could only smirk. “The mighty young general, willing to risk it all for his kingdom. The people adore you for your courage, but I’m telling you, it’s a fool’s errand. Those caves will become your grave, my friend.”
“I don’t see it that way. Besides, first things first, we have to win this battle before anything else can happen.”
“Don’t get me wrong, Arges. I’m grateful you and your Krakens are here. It’s only… your soldiers do not look the same as I remembered. Whatever happened to them in the Dark Forest has changed them. Can I still rely on them to perform as needed?”
“We lost many soldiers marching through there; several of my own, and every single one of Prince Aric’s Royal Guards, all twenty of them, including their captain. We marched through hell and came out the other side, somehow. My soldiers will be fine, Steropes, you needn’t worry about them. What you need to do is bring me up to speed on the situation here.”
Steropes walked over to the map on the table, taking a final swig of his wine before starting. “The field has been divided into three sections. We maintain the western coast, while the enemy has the eastern side. The third section is the lake, situated directly in the center of the field. Both sides have tried to use the lake to their own advantage by shuttling soldiers across it, but every attempt has ended in failure. The only way to move our soldiers to the enemy’s side is through the southern pass here.” Steropes pointed at a thin strip of land at the bottom of the map.
“This is where all of our battles have taken place. The area only allows for a limited number of men to fit across it at once. There isn’t any way for us to use our full force in this location. The enemy’s been having the same problem. Even General Yagar can’t figure this one out.”
The mention of Yagar’s name struck Arges like a ton of bricks.
“You scared, Arges?”
“I am. Admittedly. In the last Great War, he successfully defeated three other generals by himself at the Battle of Actium. The man is a legend of war. I only wish he was on our side.”
“Me too. Having to fight against him isn’t any joy at all. The man counters my every move, even before I make it.”
“Well, you have the Krakens with you now. We just need to keep Prince Aric out of the picture. He’ll only get in the way. Without him involved, we’ll make the difference in this battle, I swear to you.”
The curtain opened unexpectedly. “What is it that we are swearing upon now, my generals?” Aric walked into the tent and sat himself down in front of the map, pouring himself a cup of wine, and resting his feet up on the table. “So what is the battle plan for tomorrow’s attack?”
Chapter 28