CHAPTER 12: SURGICAL STRIKE

It was at the end of the ‘long sleep’ when I finally arrived back at the chicken tribe’s village. By then, everyone had noticed my disappearance, and the chiefs had already raised the alarm. The Eagles and Owls were combing the nearby areas from the sky, while Sir Loin mustered the Black Feathers to venture into monster-controlled territory in search for me.

“It’s the Chief!” Minahaba was the first one to spot me from a distance. Her delight and relief at my appearance were so clear in her voice that she couldn’t help but scream.

At once, Ursura, Salis and the other Orphans raced towards my spot, followed by the Chicken tribesmen. The bear-woman never mind the others’ stares and threw herself at me. Of course, I had to catch her.

“Where have you been?” there was genuine concern in her eyes, “We thought you went off to fight the harpies alone once again!”

“Heh, didn’t I tell you before that I won’t do that stupid thing again?”

“Chief!” Rishnu and Rumia were the next ones to hug me, and then the rest of the Orphans. In fact, many people were excited to see me that soon it became hard for me to breathe. Good thing they realized that I’m already suffocating, and let me go.

“Well, I ran into some issues…” I turned their attention to the person following me from behind.

“!!!” All of them froze when they saw Lady Sebastenerva, walking along with the rest of her retinue. The Orphans formed a protective ring around me, while Ursura, Salis and Minahaba also prepared to fight her.

“Don’t worry, I just made sure that your chief is safely returned,” the snake priestess smiled, “That is, after we had some negotiations.”

My companions couldn’t hide the confusion and anxiety from their faces as they looked back at me for answers.

“It’s alright,” I told them, “We just gained Lady Sebastenerva’s trust and sympathy.”

“What do you mean, Human Chief?” Salis asked.

“Starting from this moment onwards, the Grand High Priestess is our friend. She won’t lift a hand against us anymore.”

“For real?” Minahaba’s eyes were round in utter surprise, “No more persecution and burning?”

“Yes, Chicken Chief,” it was Lady Sebastenerva who answered this time, shaking her head. “However, my decision is mine alone…yet. I have a condition with your Human Chief if ever he wants to gain the support of my tribe, the Serpentinus.”

“And that is?” Ursura’s suspicions rose; for her, having pre-conditions in an agreement was unworthy of full trust.

“About that, I guess we need to talk it over with the other chiefs,” I told her, “By the way, where’s Sir Loin?”

“I’m here, Kuro mah boy!” the parka guy raised his hand from the back of the crowd.

“Great,” I gestured to him, “Come with us to the village square; let’s convene the Beastman Council once again.”

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The Serpentinus. One look at their tribe’s name, and one could already guess what kind of Beastmen they were. According to their chief—and current Grand High Priestess—Sebastenerva, they were a people that loved knowledge and learning, that’s why they served as Ruro’s scribes and scholars. A great number of the Serpentinus were also appointed as priests, and to other religious positions and functions, thanks to their ability to read and write. Their legends and myths established a culture of seeing themselves as ‘Cherwinds’ guardians of progress’.

However, the arrival of humans caused that role to be snatched from them, for men brought knowledge that is greater than what they possess…

As such, the Beastmen society remained stagnant in their development as a race. But the Serpentinus never lost hope they would regain their prestige as ‘pillars of Beastmen knowledge’ some time in the future, when a leader would rise to restore their people to their rightful destiny…

“And we wanted to find out if the Human Chief—no, the Lord Kuro of Arles is that leader promised in the prophecies,” Lady Sebastenerva narrated before the chiefs.

“A human ruler of all the Beastmen?” the elder of the Pheasants asked, “I mean no offense, but isn’t it kind of ill-fitting?”

“Err…I think it’s not what we agreed upon, Lady Sebastenerva,” I corrected the snake priestess, “In the first place, how can I be a ruler when I have no desire to rule? And second, I won’t stay here for long once I achieved my goals for Cherwind.”

“I agree with the Human Chief!” the elder of the Falcons declared, “Moreover, how can he rule over us, when he’s a human?”

“Though he’s a human, he treated us as if we’re his people!” the chief of the Dogs countered, “And his followers are Beastmen, too! How could you forget?”

“I think the issue here is what he said about his goals for our land!” Chief Malu raised that point, “The Human Chief should make clear to us what are his plans, and why we should support him.”

“Yes,” it was Chief Gislaine. “Human Chief, we apologize beforehand if we sound rude, but this is the first time you admitted about having plans of your own for our people. What are these ‘goals’, and why should we agree to that?”

I know from that point that it was useless to keep the chiefs in the dark about what Ursura and I talked about in the mountain passes. So, after taking a deep breath and mentally preparing myself, I revealed them the truth…

“You know I want to come back to Chersea.”

They were aware of that plan of mine, but the chiefs were silent as they waited for more explanations.

“And to achieve that, I’d like to create a stable and powerful Beastman state. A kingdom…one that is able to fight and defend its people against those who wanted to exploit them and their lands.”

I could hear murmurs and a few whistles from the chiefs. It seemed I said an outrageous thing. Unfazed by their reactions, I continued…

“Once the kingdom is established and its people united, they will be strong. The ruler of the Beastmen can then force a solution to the warring sides of Her Holiness Ruro of the Wolf, and Lady Konka, bringing the nearly endless conflict to an end. Then, after that will come peace and stability, at which the Saint will be unable to resist the calls to open the crossings for trade. That will allow me to return. And that will also guarantee your lives’ and families’ liberty and safety.”

“A Beastman Kingdom?” said the chief of the Ravens, “I like the sound of it, but let’s face the truth: our tribes always live by their own. It’s difficult to unite us under one banner, unlike you humans.”

“But you can unite to pursue a common goal, right?” I countered, “Haven’t this Beastman Council of ours a proof that together we can make progress? A single ruler governing his subjects might be your best chance to reclaim the lands you have lost to my people. The Beastmen are strong, and they can be. It’s just that, everyone’s doing their own business. Now imagine it if you’re all working together?”

“Hmm…I understand what you mean Human Chief but, what is the difference between your plan from Her Holiness’ and Lady Konka’s?” the elder of the Pheasants raised another point, “As far as we know, Her Holiness requested the humans to come here to help us in expelling the monster hordes, and we all know the tragedy of what happened next. Lady Konka’s goal is to promote the supremacy of the Beastman ways…yet, we all got trapped in a battle of attrition in which we are driven from our lands. You all want to help, but how can we be sure that your plans won’t end in us getting the short end of the stick, Human Chief?”

“It’s a good argument,” I acknowledged, “And even I won’t give you a full assurance that my plans are fail-free. However, the difference in my approach is that I aim to unite not only the Beastmen but the Humans, too; not pit them against each other. My people have our superior ways, and you Beastfolk also have better parts in your culture. Now, imagine if we combine those good parts; won’t it make the end result better?

I paused for a bit. The chiefs looked like they wanted me to provide them with evidences.

“A good example of this is our warriors’ use of demon weapons—what we now call muskets (which is a human way), and their raw strength and bravery in battle (the Beastmen way). The result is, look; haven’t we driven out the monster hordes to the fringes of your lands?”

By this time, the elders and even Lady Sebastenerva were getting convinced. All I needed was a little push for them to get to my side…

“Honorable Chiefs, and Your Eminence, Lady Sebastenerva, I understand your concerns about the possibility of me grabbing the opportunity to rule over you…just like what my people did to your fathers and mothers in ages past. This is why—and I always repeat, that I don’t intend to stay in Cherwind for long. My aim is to help you stand on your own, not to be your king.”

“Yes, that is true!” Chief Malu exclaimed, “I can attest to the Human Chief’s words! Isn’t that the reason he refused the leadership of the chicken tribe in the first place?”

“Indeed!” the Chief of the Ravens backed her statement.

“But then…” the elder of the Hares spoke, “…while the Human Chief’s plan for our people is good, who would lead us in his stead?”

At that moment, everyone in the council—except for me—realized the other emerging problem from this talk. If I will not rule, then who would?

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“Who would stand and take the leadership? The Human Chief has no desire to be our king!”

The council erupted in small talks and arguments. Various names emerged, including those of the chiefs from the Owl and Eagle tribes. However, I already had someone in mind…

I stood up and was about to take the center stage, when I was beaten to it by the bear-woman, Ursura. She made her presence known to the chiefs by clapping her hands, and everyone fell silent.

“Honorable Elders!” Ursura began, “As the Human Chief, Kuro, had no desire to be our king…then, I will lead you myself!”

“!!!” Now it’s my turn to be surprised. I stared at Ursura long enough to see that she was determined to do what she had just said. Her eyes were unwavering, as if a fire was lit in them.

The chiefs and Lady Sebastenerva were equally shocked by the bear-woman’s statement. No one spoke for a long while that it became awkward; nevertheless, no one also said anything in contrast to what Ursura proposed.

Remembering my promise to her in the mountains, I moved to back my friend in her claims.

“Honorable Chiefs of the Beastmen!” I tried to return them to their senses, “Indeed, I have no wish to be king! However, the lady who presented herself to lead you is a trusted, and competent companion of mine. If there’s anyone who could attest to her courage and devotion to her loved ones, it is me whom she saved multiple times before.”

Saying nothing, I went beside Ursura. This is her time to shine…

“May I present to you, Honorable Chiefs, my faithful friend and capable partner, Ursura of the West Ursus!”

The council was silent, unsure of what to say. The chiefs and the snake priestess were dumbfounded at the turn of events, and Ursura’s face was growing red in embarrassment. Of course, this was to be expected. For a long time now, Ursura was the ‘Human Chief’s friend’ or the ‘Human Chief’s companion’, not as ‘Ursura of the West Ursus’. And for her to take suddenly the main role in leading the Beastmen, the elders were having their doubts.

Ugh…this may take a little more convincing.

“Lady Ursura of the West Ursus is always with me ever since I escaped from the Cauldron and Her Holiness. I saw her growth as a person, and I can assure you: she experienced the same terrible hardships just like your families and friends in the mainland. I, in contrast, never experienced difficult times in your land until I was abducted.” Of course that’s a blatant lie! I saw an equal, yet different share of shit back in Chersea, but I guess that’s irrelevant in this scenario. My aim was to convince them to believe in Ursura, and that’s what I’m going to do. “That’s why, not only as a Beastman, but someone who knew how difficult it is for a common Beastman to live in this land, should rule and protect you! And if you’re doubting her leadership, you can be assured that I’ll stay with her as an adviser until the time for me to leave comes.”

After that, I took my seat.

“T-The Human Chief’s words, and Lady Ursura’s proposal…surely caused a shock to us…” Chief Gislaine broke the ice, and she forced out an awkward smile, “But, we are also aware of Lady Ursura’s capabilities. I’m sure she’s be a great ruler if we all cooperate with her.”

“I saw her save the Human Chief before…” Minahaba backed the eagle chief, “Her courage in battle is of no doubt.”

“Well, I’m impressed by her courage to take up the mantle after the Human Chief,” Lady Sebastenerva added, “That is a big mantle to fill.” Then she started clapping her hands.

And with that, as if to agree with their words, the rest of the council followed in clapping their hands. At first it was sporadic, and then it slowly grew into a united, and enthusiastic applause, that soon, the chiefs were acclaiming their new ruler.

“Ursura! Ursura! Ursura!” then the cheers came. From that small village square where the Beastman Council met, came forth the nascent Kingdom of the Beastmen.

And I’m sure, the common folk outside the council heard their chiefs’ voices, for it was louder with every minute that was passing.

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When the celebrations of the council died down, the new queen (provisional) of the Beastmen, Ursura of the West Ursus got into her duty as soon as possible. This was after the elder of the Tigers, Chief Veeta, proposed that we should make ourselves known to the people of Cherwind. And for that, Sir Loin—who was just silently listening from the sides the whole time—took the center stage.

“Of course, there would never be an effective way of announcing our entry into the contest for Cherwind except from winning a spectacular battle,” he proposed.

“You mean, we’re going to war?” Chief Gislaine asked him.

“Where else would you find a battle?” the parka guy was sarcastic, “In the lavatories?”

I almost spat the tea I was drinking. I remembered that I was to let Sir Loin out of the lavatories, when Lady Sebastenerva’s servant kidnapped me. I could only imagine the stench he had to endure in that place, before he was finally let out.

“I feel abused…” he was faking his tears though, “…my tender body soaked in piss and shi—okay, that’s enough. We got a holy lady here.”

The Eagle chief was speechless about Sir Loin’s reply. However, in an effort to keep the conversation going, Ursura took the initiative, “Sir Loin, then with whom would you suggest we make war?”

“I dunno; I’m just your normal salary slave…though without the salary,” he answered, “Well, if there’s someone here whom you should ask about strategic questions, that one-armed guy would be your best bet. Am I right, Kuro mah boy?”

Yeah, right. Passing the responsibility on me once again, eh? In any case, I guess I should call the shots on this one, since I’m responsible for this situation now. “Does anyone here got a map of the land of Cherwind?”

“As a scribe, I can’t be caught without one,” a chuckling Lady Sebastenerva then asked a servant to bring her a map, which the guy did. A few moments later, he returned with a scroll in his hands, which the snake priestess gave to me.

I spread the map before the council, and everyone turned their heads in.

“Well, if I may ask,” I requested from Lady Sebastenerva, “where is the land of the Avinus here?”

“That would be this group of islands to the southwest of the mainland, just above this big landmass of the Western Insetus tribes.”

“How about the Enclave, and the city of Malvette?”

“This part over here, just to the east of the Avinus lands. That is the Enclave, and see that castle symbol over there? That’s Malvette’s Black Tower.”

For a short moment, my experiences from the dungeons of that place flashed through me. However, I continued, “Right…if we’re aiming to make a name for ourselves, then it would only be sensible to strike at the very heart of the human lands,” I pointed at the city of Malvette, “Swoop in with style, and go forth with a bang.”

“Ha?”

“I mean, we attack them in the flashiest way as possible, and win the battle for fame. You know, being remembered for generations?”

“But Human Chief,” the elder of the Falcons told me, “it will be the humans we’re fighting! While we adopted your people’s ways of war, the battles will surely be many and difficult with our numbers!”

“Yes, you have a point there, Honorable Chief,” I nodded, “However, my aim is to defeat the humans and make them surrender, not to destroy the Enclave.”

“What do you mean, Kuro?” Ursura asked, “Isn’t destruction supposed to be part of wars?”

I took a glance at the parka guy, and then said, “Not necessarily. After witnessing firsthand the abilities displayed by Sir Loin’s Black Feathers, I’m confident we could end the potential war with the humans in one battle with minimal casualties.”

“Huh?” the chiefs stared at me like I’m some weirdo. I think only Ursura, Chief Malu, Gislaine and Minahaba were grinning—they knew I had something unusual in mind.

“Look, at our current state of resources, we can’t afford to risk a protracted conflict, and neither do the humans, whom we are seeking to turn into our allies. As such, a swift, overpowering display of might while minimizing losses on both sides can make their opinion sway in favor of us. And I know how to do just that: we’ll be using a tactic called ‘Surgical Strike’.”

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Surgical strike. In modern military parlance, it meant an operation that was to be carried out swiftly and with precision, aiming to minimize losses on non-military targets, while destroying the enemy capabilities. For our context, however, the surgical strike was aimed to capture the Black Tower—the Enclave’s symbol of power and domination, sending a message to the humans that our forces were as capable as they were.

But, to do it, we needed information on our enemies. This was the reason I had Sir Loin attend the council meeting. From there, we planned our surgical strike operation, which involved several phases…

The first part, intelligence gathering. This included interviewing people that recently came from Malvette, sending spies, and—using the abilities of the Falcons’ keen sight—aerial reconnaissance.

For the interviews, we were lucky to have Lady Sebastenerva. According to her, before she came here, she stayed within the Black Tower, as the Duchess of Malvette went on a military campaign to subdue Lady Konka’s forces. This left a few men to guard the castle grounds.

There were also some of the refugees who told us that there was a reduction in the presence of human soldiers inside the Enclave. Probably they were sent to the army that went in the Duchess’ campaign.

Everything that we gathered seems to tell us of only a few enemies to fight.

Of course, we couldn’t be sure. It had been several ‘long sleeps’ since they came here, and there’s the possibility that the campaign ended and the human armies returned to the Enclave. Nevertheless, Lady Sebastenerva and the refugees provided an insight on how many men we should expect. Because of the destruction I wreaked before in Malvette, their soldiers were yet to recover their previous numbers. And that’s welcome news, for we could be sure of a win just by overwhelming them.

However, it’s only a dream, for the Black Feathers numbered only around 200 men—two full wings of chicken warriors trained by Sir Loin. As they would be the ones to conduct the main part of the operation, we had to be sure of the numbers of our enemies within the Black Tower’s walls. Even a close estimate would be useful.

And so, we decided to send in spies, and aerial reconnaissance.

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***The Black Tower of Malvette***

The Duchess of Henristone and the Chancellor Bellingstein of Calabria watched the city of Malvette from atop the battlements of the Black Tower. Their search for the Lord Kuro of Arles would soon begin; they were only waiting for the final arrangements, such as logistics, to be in place.

“I didn’t know the human colonies in this land are in a sorry state. The economic activity almost stopped, and the young adults forced to join the army,” Lady Henristone admitted to the Chancellor, “They also lacked discipline and training, they taking out their frustrations on the Beastmen refugees. I could only imagine Her Holiness’ wrath if she sees her people making slaves out of the natives here.”

“I guess the Duchess of Malvette can’t help it. Slavery is a lucrative business, and with the beastmen’s ability to be ‘in heat’, they are a much-sought commodity among the human nobles,” Sir Bellingstein sighed, “Trust me, milady; I’ve seen the worst of slavery back in Calabria before I became the Chancellor.”

“This colony is under the jurisdiction of Nerfes, if I remember right. That former king, James Walter Reed, has a lot of things to answer when he faces court. Nerfes has officially outlawed slavery, and his appointed lord over this land is permitting such practice!”

“I’d keep quiet, if I were you,” the Chancellor told her in a low voice, “In case you’re not aware, we’re being watched.”

“I know. The Duchess of Malvette must’ve something to hide to resort to this kind of cowardice,” Lady Henristone took note of a dog-slave who kept on following them everywhere they went. “Let her hear us. I’m sure she’s aware of what might happen, should she do something to any of our forces. We got the sanction of the Human Saint, after all.”

Sir Bellingstein just grinned, “Sometimes I wonder, what in the Lord Kuro’s attitude is making him attract beautiful, but crazy women.”

“Is that a compliment, or an insult?”

“Up to you to decide,” he snorted. However, just as the Chancellor looked up the sky, his attention was caught by a bird flying overhead.

“What? You miss flying in your gryphon?” Lady Henristone asked.

“That bird…is it a Beastman?”

The captain of the Paladin Guards also took a look, “Hmm…now that you mentioned it, I think it’s a Beastman.”

“I don’t like it.”

“What? Why?”

“That Beastman, he passed over this place a couple of days ago.”

“Hoh? How could you tell?”

“I’m a flier too, Lady Henristone. My eyes had grown accustomed to the distance, and I can tell it was the same Beastman.”

“Probably someone who’s visiting his kin from somewhere.”

“No, he’s spying.”

“You’re getting paranoid, Sir Bellingstein.”

“Have you forgot the stories about the winged Beastmen, the Avinus?” the Chancellor stared back at Lady Henristone, “Their lands lay somewhere to the west of this place. There they lived for a long time after their defeat in their last war against the humans, were subsequently driven out from their old territories, where the Enclave now stands. If that’s the case, what’s an Avinus Beastman doing in the skies above Malvette then?”

“So you’re telling me that these simple folks organized themselves into a powerful army capable of sending spies to invade the human lands?”

“I did not say that, but that Avinus’ appearance here sure is strange.”

“Ah, it’s only your imagination, getting affected by days of being under surveillance by the Lady Malvette’s men,” Lady Henristone was dismissive, “But then, suppose what you just told me is true; I don’t think we have any business with them. After all, while I did say we’d defend her people, it’s the humans who created this precarious situation themselves. Now then, we’re going to intervene if it’s about Sir Kuro. Outside that matter, I’d say let the humans here sort out their problems themselves.”

“I guess, you have your point,” the old chancellor agreed, “But mark my words, milady…in the coming days, something big would happen! And that little Duchess would try to use our forces against her enemies.”

“Yes, I understand,” Lady Henristone nodded, “I’ll fast-track our preparations to leave this place as soon as possible.”