The Runic Alchemist

"Captain Valen, Unit 3 shall remain here and help the villagers travel to the inner lands, then reconvene here or here..." Valoris pointed to two spots on the map. "We'll be setting up a temporary camp to reassess the situation ahead. It seems most of the land from here is lost to the enemy.

We'll have to find a way to reach our forces without being attacked..." Valoris issued his orders to the gathered captains, all standing around the table with a detailed map of the forest laid out before them.

Sam and Einar stood a little distance away but heard everything Captain Valoris said clearly. It wasn't a secretive meeting; it was just for the captains. Their unit had been tasked with keeping the village they had found after last night traveling inland from where they were initially ambushed safe.

They had recounted their men and dealt with their fallen in a manner befitting the Eldoris customs in the village. Now, Captain Valoris was laying out the next steps, recognizing that their paths were blocked by Ashenvale troops lying in ambush. Scouts had been sent ahead to gather more information, but it was hard to fathom just how far the Ashenvale forces had pushed from the Dreaded Lands.

They were only halfway to their destination, and there were supposed to be more villages along the way. They had found this one, fortunate enough to have avoided the conflict so far. Most of the villagers had fled once the war started, but a few who couldn't leave had stayed behind.

Now, it was too dangerous for them to remain, which was why Valoris had ordered their unit to escort them to the nearest village they had passed earlier. From there, the villagers could make their way to the safer inner lands.

"We're the only ones staying behind... The task seems simple enough. Even those two can't mess it up. Most likely, we'll just need to protect them from the monsters until we reach the nearest village," Einar said as they walked away from the group of captains in the open tent. They headed toward Yovan, who was in one of the unit's tents where many of their comrades were resting.

"Let's hope so," Sam muttered, his hand still gripping the hilt of his sheathed sword.

Each time he looked at his blade, it seemed less cool and weighed heavier on his hip. Did he regret what he had done? What was that he couldn't accept? They had been attacked; the enemy had invaded Eldoris lands. And yet, it felt like their struggle, their fight in this small corner of the forest, wasn't worth it. Killing people wasn't worth it.

But then he remembered what the enemy did to villages like this one, and his anger smothered any unnecessary feelings.

"How many are left, and what did they decide?" Yovan asked as he stepped out of the tent, stretching after a long nap. He had rested longer than the others after they arrived here the previous night.

Sam had a suspicion the older mage wasn't as fine as he appeared, but then again, none of them were.

"Fifty-seven... We're staying behind to help the villagers reach the nearest big village. From there, they can either travel further or stay put," Sam replied.

Their unit had started with 100 men; now, only 57 remained. Sam saw many of his fellow recruits sitting silently, lost in thought or in shock from the events of the previous night. They had been the least experienced and had suffered the most from the ambush. The surprise attack had caught them off guard despite their training.

Many of them had killed for the first time and were still processing what had happened. Others had lost close friends.

In the distance, Sam noticed the two nobles responsible for leading this miserable lot. Their knights had protected them, but at a cost—both had lost a knight each in the battle. The Ashenvale forces had targeted the nobles more aggressively, likely drawn to their shiny armor. Killing a noble usually meant looting valuable gold and items from their spatial storage.

Their ornate armor and clothing made them obvious targets.

Sam had caught glimpses of the nobles fighting. They had skills, no doubt, they were trained their whole lives for moments like this. But their fighting style was controlled, relying heavily on their knights to fend off most attackers. Einar, on the other hand, was fierce and talented, able to take on multiple foes at once using the spellsword techniques he had mastered.

He was the best fighter among them, second only to the pugilist cousins, who were deadly in their own right, but they fought as one so it wasn't a fair comparison.

"Seems simple enough... although..." Yovan trailed off, thinking deeply.

"What?" Sam asked.

"We had scouts, yet they still caught us by surprise. What if there are more hidden forces we missed on our way here?"

Sam blinked, realizing the weight of Yovan's words. How had they missed the enemy's presence before? Valoris and the other captains were no rookies—they had fought on the Eldoris borders and knew battlefields well. For the enemy to have surprised them so easily... their return journey might not be as straightforward as he had hoped.

The group spent some time together with the pugilist cousins, trying to lift the heavy atmosphere. They weren't as cheerful as usual, but at least they weren't as withdrawn as the night before. Having others to share the experience with made it a little easier than dealing with the aftermath alone.

Captain Mira's unit, one of the main fighting forces, was assigned to clear the path ahead and help any remaining villages—if there were any left at this point.

Soon, the captains of the other units rounded up their soldiers and left, one group after another. The pugilist cousins bid farewell and left with Captain Mira. Finally, Valoris, with the last of their army, prepared to depart. He glanced at the newly recruited soldiers who had tasted battle for the first time. They were no longer enthusiastic or bright-eyed.

His gaze lingered on Einar and Sam for a moment before he concluded his complimentary speech and marched off with his men.