Chapter 17: Talons Alight Part 1
"Haa... Bernard and Bauker..." Darin voiced out in his tent. "Right now, I can only rely on Eubans here..."
Two of his trusted generals have been lost. Now only half of the number of his original forces remained after including Eubans. He could have his trusted mercenaries led by Eubans to lead one final charge. The leader having just received his orders to advance with their siege. He was left alone with Ephidel within the tent in the afternoon.
"Your generals have fallen..." Ephidel slurred out. "At any rate, should Ostian forces arrive in Laus, the Lycian lords will likely come for your head. I killed Lord Santaruz for you..."
Darin looked scared at his last sentence. "To... trap me?" He replied. Only for Ephidel to shake his head.
"Don't be absurd. I follow my master's orders. My only wish is to deliver your dreams to you. The crown of a united Lycia…. And once that is done, dominion over the entire continent. Is that not what you desire?" Bowing to Darin with a gesture as he spoke.
"Yes…Yes, of course. That dream IS still worth a few sacrifices, isn't it?" Still holding his delusional fantasies as he affirmed with Ephidel.
In any event, the former marquess still held infeasible plans for Lycia and the rest of Elibe. He was willing to rule the rest of Lycia with meager numbers without looking at the reality of the situation.
Ephidel nodded and responded: "You're exactly right. Our plans may have gone drastically awry, but as long as we have the master's power behind us, we cannot be defeated. We'd do well to leave now, before those meddlesome worms arrive from Laus." Darin widened his eyes at Ephidel's suggestion. "You will leave everyone from Laus and your mercenaries behind. We will use them to delay our foes or act as a diversion."
"Everyone… My soldiers? But…who will protect me?" Darin replied.
Ephidel bowed before Darin, holding his smile as he opened his mouth, "The Black Fang and I will more than suffice for that task. There is nothing else you need, I assure you."
"Yes…I…I see that now." Darin nodded, then he looked into Ephidel's eyes. "Where do we go from here?"
"To the Dragon's Gate… Our master awaits us there. The master has informed me our hostage may be all we need. If all goes well, we may be able to perform the ceremony with him alone." He explained.
All the way to the Dread Isles. Where he will be "protected" by a league of assassins hoping to take the rest of the continent. Not even looking at situation in retrospect or perhaps too absorbed in his dreams, he kept agreeing to it without doubts.
"Oh! Is that so? I suppose we've nothing to worry about." Darin exclaimed. To which Ephidel's grin only grew.
"That is correct." He nodded. "Now please, begin your retreat."
Darin went out of his tent, to prepare for his departure to the Dread Isles. Once he was out of sight, Ephidel's present smile turned into an expression of disgust.
"Pathetic imbecile..." He muttered out silently.
In any event, he and the Black Fang would be wasting their resources to protect Darin temporarily. At least until his use as a "meatshield" becomes exhausted. Once that happens... his quintessence will be harvested for Lord Nergal.
He had to send Leila to observe the situation and provide detailed reports on the lord pair in Caelin. She would update him on their movements. Their plans to capture Caelin went awry, so they will need to regroup back to Valor. He must report about the Greil Mercenaries hindering their plans and set a target.
Heath found himself leaving with the other forces. They had to regroup with Eubans since his comrade, Sealen, had been felled by the enemy. Their effort to retake the castle was foiled by the Lords and their vassals. But as he rode off with the others, he saw groups of villagers with torches and farming tools coming to the castle. They pointed at him and their retreating comrades and immediately chased after them.
"Get Darin's lackeys!" "We don't want him no more!" "He abandoned us just like he always did!"
That moment, Heath trembled from guilt. The look of fear and anger within the villagers...
Heath immediately snapped out of his recollection. That event brought too many bad memories. His green spiky-hair with white strands at the front were slightly messy from having slept while tossing and turning. His wyvern Hyperion looked at him, worriedly, to which he gave a reassuring smile. It was in the middle of the afternoon, with a few hours until evening. They were on a long march to reach Caelin and regroup with their lord, Darin. He was not comfortable with serving a lord who abandoned his people, but it was not his place to complain. Upon hearing footsteps, his silver eyes turned to the source of the sound, revealing his commander, Eubans.
"Get ready, Heath. Marquess Laus left to the Dread Isles and we will regroup with him upon taking the heads of the Lycian lords that come our way or at least Caelin." To which Heath frowned upon his leader's orders.
"... Are you serious? Marquess Laus just up and leaves us to fend for ourselves against Caelin and possibly Ostian forces. There's no further reason for us to cover his tracks or make us take a suicide mission against Caelin. They decimated Laus forces, what makes you think we will succeed while taking down the Ostian and Pheraen lords?" Heath pointed out.
With that in mind, it would prove to be an arduous endeavor to take down a single territory, let alone forces led by Eliwood and Hector. It was clear that Darin left them to die just like the rest of the territory he left behind.
Eubans shook his head and responded: "We answered Marquess Laus's call, and we will honor our duty. Regardless, we cannot remain in Lycia any longer. We rebelled against Ostia along with the rest of Lycia, and our entire mercenary force will be hunted... We can join the Black Fang and Lord Darin upon accomplishing our task in Caelin at the very least."
Heath only held a worried expression. Hyperion having a similar look towards its master. He can only stand silent over the situation.
"Now then, here is the plan." Heath's attention went towards his leader.
"We will create a diversion in the East, set a forest fire since there is a village close to the woods." Heath's face turned aghast upon the suggestion from Eubans. "With Caelin forces scrambling to put out the fire or evacuate the civilians in the village, they will be too preoccupied to defend the castle, and we'll use that chance to seize it."
"B-but... the civilians will be impacted. You will put innocent lives at risk just to create a diversion?" Shaking his head at the mere suggestion, he continued: "I'm opposed to this plan. What you would ask of us... It's something no knight... no man could do without shame."
He refuses to put innocent lives, civilians most of all, at risk just to have Caelin divide their forces against their onslaught.
"Listen... we're mercenaries. And fugitives at any rate, just like you." Eubans growled out. "We're contracted to carry through our orders given to us. If you can't understand that, then you might as well just be an offering to Bern since you're a wanted man. Maybe they would reward us with knighthood..."
Heath stood silent at such a threat. He left Bern's Wyvern Riders due to injustice and false accusations. His fellow wingmates perished while his former commander acted as decoy against Bern forces pursuing them. It was a sensitive subject to bring up in any case.
"Hah! Thought as much. Everyone wants to protect his own skin. Now prepare. We attack in the dead of night." He announced and exited the vicinity soon after.
Heath closed his eyes and breathed in. Oh well, it might as well be his second desertion. He was used to them, anyways.
Right in the middle of evening, right before the sun set, Wil spotted a flier while on top of the platform at the castle. He was positioned there to act as a lookout alongside Florina. Just as Florina was ready to ride while Wil readied his bow and arrows, he noticed the green-haired rider on his wyvern held up his lance in the air, with a white sheet tied to it fluttering in the wind.
He had surrendered.
"Please, I've come to surrender and inform the commander of your forces!" Heath called out.