Devourer

Chapter 76: The Noose Tightens

Arias dragged himself out of his tent, he had a bit of a throbbing headache from the wine the night before. He had slept terribly, he just couldn’t get his mind off Rosie. On his home leave the two of them had run out of contraceptive potions one night so they decided for Arias to just pull out before his release. A bad idea in retrospect, especially considering on one particular round that night Rosie had wrapped her legs around his waist and he hadn’t managed to pull out in time and ended up splattering her insides with his seed.

He had promised to take responsibility after that and he had proposed right then on the bed. Rosie had accepted naturally, this was a sinful act in the eyes of the Church of Order but this was the standard social protocol in the event of something like this happening. Technically you weren’t supposed to have sex before marriage but honestly no one followed that rule. Only the most chaste and prude even cared about that. 

Arias sighed as he scratched the back of his head as he dragged himself to his section's campsite. It was then that he noticed that the rest of his section were just calmly sitting there cooking breakfast. Wasn’t there supposed to be an assault? Why is everyone so relaxed?

“Oh hey kid.” Conte said as he flipped the sausages on his pan.

“Sausage?” Conte asked as he showed Arias the pan.

“Yeah… erm… isn’t there supposed to be…” Arias began slightly perturbed.

“The assault has been delayed.” Lars said before he took a bite out of his bread.

“Delayed?” Arias asked as he sat down and Lars handed him a small loaf of bread.

“Yeah, you won’t believe that the scouts went out at dawn and the gate was abandoned. No one  in sight, it's like the Elysians packed up and left in the night. The commandos are apparently checking every inch of the Elysian Gate right now. There’s a chance that we are going to just march right through the front door.” Conte said as he put a pair of sausages on a metal platter before handing it to Arias.

“What? Why would the Elysians abandon the best fortification in the region?” Arias asked in confusion. 

“Yeah I know right? I don’t like it, something is wrong…” Conte said as he tossed another two sausages on the tiny pan.

“Tell me about it, this smells like a trap. You don’t abandon your best defensive position unless you have something better up your sleeve.” Lars muttered.

“Maybe they turned tail and ran.” Arias said as he swallowed a mouthful of sausage.

“I would think so too but a scout buddy of mine said he spotted Wardens and Knight Enchanters. His buddy in another team got hit with a lightning spear, his charred body is still lying out there somewhere.

If the Elysian Gate was guarded by the run off the mill Elysians I would say they turned tail and ran. Elysians are pussies, their women are great fucks and their men are more woman than man.

But the Wardens are Knight Enchanters aren’t run off the mill Elysians. I wouldn’t fancy my chances against a Warden. I heard they are huge, wearing old empire armour and swinging old empire weapons.” Conte said.

“The Warden were fighting the Ostayans for thousands of years, those cloven hoofed freaks are crazy from what I heard. From what I heard all those freaks do is fuck and fight then fight and fuck. They got this blood court thing going on, the leader of an Ostayan tribe is the one that kills the previous leader in single combat.” Lars said.

“Ostavin… that’s what that duel is called.” Arias muttered as he picked at his food with his fork.

“Huh?” Conte asked as he looked up.

“Ostavin re ber… it means the Ostayan Trial of Blood… read it in a book.” Arias said.

“You like your books don’t you?” Conte asked with a snort as he continued to work the sausages on his pan.

“Anyway chances are we’ll be sitting here for a bit and then we’ll be just marching in.” Lars said as he put down his metal platter.

“But isn't it a trap? Why would the Prince march us in, knowing it’s a trap?” Arias asked as he nearly choked on his food.

“What else are we supposed to do? Just sit here and stare at the empty gate? Retreat from an undefended position? The nobles will chew the Prince out if he doesn’t advance. You know how the nobles are, they gotta act tough all the time.” Conte grumbled.

Arias bit his lip as he internalised those words. Conte’s words had much truth to them, people have been hung for some simple slanderous rumours and the Prince is competing for the throne. So in essence all of them would be walking into the lion's maw…

Later when the orders came down that the Gate was indeed abandoned and they would be marching through the Gate, the mood in the army was strange to say the least. Arias himself was also feeling this odd mix of emotions. Everyone knew the Gate would have been one of if not the hardest battle of the campaign. 

So the knowledge that they wouldn’t have to assault that ancient fortification brought much relief but at the same time knowing that they were marching right into a trap was a source of dread…

As Arias looked up at the beautiful structure and marched through the gate. He marvelled at the architecture of the old empires, it was far beyond anything the current civilisation could construct. Fine wrought stone, with enchanted mithril plating and great runes of power carved into parts of the stone. He had heard these fortifications tap into the ether veins that run through the land to supplement the ether consumption. How this can be done no one knew anymore, it was another piece of knowledge lost to time…

“What happens if we lose?” Arias asked as he turned to look at Lars.

“I assume you mean if you survive a lost battle?” Lars asked as he turned to look at Arias.

“Yeah…” Arias replied, his mouth dry.

“Well if we lose, first of all survival is a matter of luck. We are invaders, so the Elysians won’t give us much quarter. Some will survive but that will largely depend on luck. If you are captured, then one of three scenarios can play out. 

The first is if the war is a stalemate we might be ransomed back to Tralis.

If the war is lost, we will be put to work as labourers for a few years then probably released back home to live under the Elysians.

If the war is won then we might be really fucked…” Lars finished with a mutter.

“We are in trouble if we win?” Arias asked in confusion.

“They might just kill us all in the prison camps out of spite…” Lars replied as he locked his gaze with Arias.

“Can’t we negotiate a peaceful retreat or something along those lines? No one wants to lose lives.” Arias stammered in response.

At those words Lars let out a loud laugh as if Arias had some great joke. Arias visibly flinched at his laughter, was a more merciful option so inconceivable?

“Let me tell you something kid, no general will cave unless the battle is completely lost. A decisive win here would determine the flow of the entire war. The winner of this war will rule both Voleria and Elysia. There is too much at stake.

If we lose, we will really fucking lose and then we will be at the Elysian’s mercy. Remember this kid, you can’t negotiate with a lion when your head is in its mouth…” Lars replied with a grimace.

Arias turned away from Lars and cast his gaze across the verdant green plains of Elysia. Plains of green stretch on for as far as the eye could see. His mind wandered to what schemes the Elysians had, this had to be a trap… 

No one is THIS incompetent! Especially not someone who had united the squabbling nations of Elysia…

Arias felt the rising anxiety and panic build in his chest and he felt his throat tighten from the stress. Almost like a noose was tightening around his neck…

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Montis grimaced as he took a bite of bread and looked back down at the map below him. They had marched throughout the day and were now encamped for the night. The abandoned Elysian Gate troubled him greatly. Especially considering there once was a full force at the Gate, that counter bombardment on his scouts was starting to not look like an accident or mistake.

If the rumours about the Empress being a seductress were true then this might just be a ploy. Mind games and plots are the weapons of women and someone who becomes an Empress must know this weapon very well.

Now in the forefront of his mind was an ambush. His scouts have not reported sightings of any enemy forces. He had them range far and wide, far further than normal. This was dangerous as if they run into enemies and they have to flee, the increased distance would decrease their chances of returning safely. But regardless, the scouts not returning would give a good indication of the general direction of the enemy. He had sent out scouts in straight trajectories in sectors so that if a scout did not return he could narrow the search.

To say Montis was troubled at this moment was an understatement. Like the Prince, Montis was also a capable general. The two of them were highly skilled in defeating armies that employed conventional warfare strategy. But in truth none of them had ever fought an enemy that played fast and loose with accepted strategy.

Abandoning the region's greatest defensive position was not something he would have even considered and yet the Empress had done just that…

They say you can read the future in battle lines but right now he has nothing to read. He was completely blind, his army was marching through a fog. He had no idea where the enemy was and somehow he felt the enemy knew exactly where he was…

Somehow… he felt he was five steps from realising the Empress was ten steps ahead…

Montis sighed as he looked back at the map.

Montis had marched his army along the western road and then veered south into the open plains. The town of Elonia was unguarded as well and it proved to only unsettle him further. The population was surprisingly calm as his army marched through…

The open plains will make his army harder to ambush and a pitched battle on open ground will favour his army that has superior cavalry. The central position also provides some distance from the four possible staging areas for the Elysian army. The largest concern is Port Mari, then followed by the villages of Bogton, Wheaton and Sis Mari. 

He would have to secure all of these four objectives if he wants to move deeper into Elysia. The layout of the objectives also can offer a form of shield once taken to secure his supply lines. At the moment if the enemy army continued to be absent he would send out three small forces to secure the villages and march his main force to take Port Mari. They would serve as warning indicators to the movements of the Elysian army and once spotted his forces would be ordered to reform in the plains before engaging the Elysians.

If after losing all that the Elysians still continued to elude him, then he would have to start getting more aggressive…

Montis had four paths of advance on the table. Advance plan 1 relied on using the Elysian Road to make a dash for Averlon. This plan was quite dangerous because he didn’t have the resources to assault the city. So at most he could attempt to starve the city. The good thing about this plan was that they would be fast thanks to the road. Also in the event things went poorly the road offered a quick path of retreat. But there was one glaring problem that made him more or less shelve this plan. Prince Silas brought it up in an earlier conversation that this advance path would put them next to Elysian Woods… and the beast of Averlon is also called the Great Beast of the Elysian Woods. Home ground advantage was a significant factor for humans and doubly so for monsters… so this plan was too risky…

Advance plan 2 was safer since they would be keeping a distance from probable ambush points such as the forests. It was arguably the safest land based strategy since they would be covered by the villages they have taken. So a flanking manoeuvre would be harder to execute for the Elysians.

Advance plan 3 was similar to plan 2 but it added an advantage of taking Cross Town. The large town was rich in resources thanks to its role as a trading town. Although most of the resources should have been moved out, the infrastructure of the town and the population would prove useful tools for the siege. 

This plan also offered tactical flexibility in that his army could attack Averlon or Marina. The forest nearby also offered wood in the event that they needed it for some basic fortifications. The danger of this plan was that the army would be ranging further and by extension more exposed to flanking and encirclement manoeuvres…

However both plan 2 and 3 had a problem in that it left them exposed to Marina. Marina was the custodian of the Elysian Gate, so they most likely had a sizable military. The last thing he wanted was to be sandwiched between the Marina forces and the fortress walls of Averlon.

So that left Advance Plan 4, they would advance down the southern road and take the villages of Saphy and Gergi. Marina does not have strong walls and with control of the coast his army will have an additional avenue of movement. In addition, he can land reinforcements and supplies by sea if need be. The Tralis fleet was already in position at the border of Elysian waters and he only needed to send word.

All in all the fourth plan was the safest plan. Considering this whole thing smelled like a trap a more cautious approach would be more prudent. Prince Silas wanted to go for advance plan 2 but Montis himself was more inclined towards plan 4. The Prince was currently back at his tent for a short break with his concubines. He would return soon and Montis knew he needed to prepare a way to convince him to follow his plan…

When Prince Silas returned Montis began his pitch. Privately glad that thanks to his tumble between the sheets he was in a better mood and thus more open to his opinion…

“After taking Marina we can proceed Northwest to Crosstown. Then we can use Marina and Crosstown as staging areas for the coming siege of Averlon.” Montis finished after he laid out his reasons for choosing the fourth plan.

“But that will cause us to have to move through the Shaded Road on the way to Crosstown. That road runs through the forest and the Great Beast should find that forest not much different than the Elysian Woods.” Silas countered.

“Yes, but as far as we know from our intelligence gathering, the Great Beast largely restricted itself to the Elysian Woods. The Shaded Woods to the south will be unfamiliar territory. 

Empress Cecilia has left the road to her capital open. It is an obvious bait that exposes our northern flank to the Elysian Woods.” Montis said as he ran his finger along the map.

“The forest will also lessen the size of the front we will have to guard. So when we finally lay siege to Averlon we will have to commit less soldiers to ensure we aren’t flanked.

All of this is of course under the assumption that the Elysians continue to elude us. However, once we have done all this it will be safe for us to assume the army is nowhere near us at the very least.

Right now we are not familiar with land and our scouting network is not fully set up across Elysia. Once our scouting network is fully functional the only way that the Elysians can continue to elude us to the current degree is if they know exactly where our army is and what our plans are which is almost impossible to accomplish. 

Armies take time to manoeuvre in order to move them so precisely they will need high quality information and plenty of advance warning. Most monsters won't need army scouting spells, such spells were humanoid inventions. Thus it is safe to assume the Great Beast will not have access to them. Or at least access to the powerful ones that the old Empires used.” Montis said and Silas nodded as he looked down at the map.

“Very well it is a sound plan that covers our bases. I will confess that I am not accustomed to the more cautious strategies. But I will recognise the fact that in the current… odd… circumstances prudence would be wise…” Silas replied with a nod.

Montis let out an internal sigh of relief, it was a lucky thing that Prince Silas was aware of his limitations and was willing to listen to counsel. He knew how to delegate and also knew when to push his decisions through. It seems this time he was at least wise enough to recognise Montis’s more prudent plan.

“I will send out the orders then.” Montis said with a nod and Silas nodded as well.

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Unbeknownst to the two leaders they were not alone in the room. There was another figure that was invisible and calmly sitting on the floor in the corner of the room. Mahaila looked up as the prince left the tent. He was rather lazy in her honest opinion, that poor general was doing most of the work. Then again the prince did a lot of the preparation behind the scenes.

The nobility hear what General Montis is saying but they listen to Prince Tralis. Requisitioning those Mithril Clad siege towers for instance was a good plan in the long run. The pair of them actually made a good team, which would explain Tralis’s military success.

General Montis was good at warfare strategy and handling the finer details in the field. While the Prince can secure resources and placate the court while at the same time being rather talented in strategy as well. It was just that the Prince wasn’t as good at strategy as Montis, but he was still pretty good all things considered. 

The Prince could provide the vision needed for a long campaign while Montis wins the day. A highly effective partnership that covered each other’s weaknesses. If Elysia was still only fielding a conventional army they would be in big trouble facing these two. Mahaila doubted Cecilia alone could have defeated the pair of them…

Well that is a lot of “ifs”, bottom line is Elysia is not fielding a conventional army and Tralis was on borrowed time. 

Mahaila brought her hand to the side of her head and sent a magic mental message to the great beast. She relayed the information she had overheard as she gazed at the poor general still diligently planning his campaign.

Then she heard the great beast reply in her mind, sounding quite disappointed…

Damn, looks like I need to get Cecilia more flowers…

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