Chapter 34:

The Pack Marches

The Wolf Among Rats (Old)


It doesn’t take long before were mobilized and marching north. All the craftsmen and squires had spent the previous day loading equipment onto carts so it was easy to roll out. Alister and his children ride on horses in the front with a legion of knights following them. I noticed a few black plumes among them.
The demi-humans march behind them with each captain leading their own race. We were told through jarcoban couriers that we were only here for intimidation factor and that we wouldn’t actually have to do much fighting. I, of course, was excluded in those plans. I’m forced to march beside Alister and the princes as they lay out the plan for me.
Apparently they want me to open the gate and take out any artillery they have before the armies siege the city. Alone. I think they may be overplaying my strength. I’ll ask Desh tonight if he thinks it’s possible.

Walking up here almost makes me miss Stickler. Alister insisted that I remain up here so that I might gain some insight into lordship, but all it’s been so far, is the two brothers bickering and telling me various stories they’ve rehearsed in some strange attempt to gain my favour. At least, that’s what I assume they’re doing.
All the while, I’ve seen Aroura peek various glances at me from behind Alister’s cape, as though she wants to tell me something. I’ve tried to ask her to get me out of my situation with my eyes, but each time she meets my gaze she looks away. Ugh. That means I have to listen to these idiots the entire time.

Or you could tell them to shut up.
Somehow, I don’t think that would bode over well. They are the future rulers of my ‘parent’ city.
Ugh. I suppose we just have to wait until lunch then. Mmm… Lunch. I haven’t eaten since yesterday. Where’s the Sun? Ugh… It’s still so far away from mid-day.

It feels as though it’s been an eternity, but it’s only been a couple hours at most. This might be a long day. After ages of pointless and tedious stories of triumph in the hard life of a prince. ‘Mi food I’ve been spoon fed and never had to work for was too cold, boo-hoo-hoo.’
I haven’t actually been listening, but that’s what I imagine their tales consisting of. My entire march is spent watching the Sun and now it’s almost noon. There! It’s time! Where’s lunch!? I look to Alister and as though he’s reading my mind, speaks over one of the prince’s stories.

“Oh, Lord Kar’Desh. I do hope you’ve had a hearty breakfast, because we won’t be stopping until our horses give out.”

I hope that old bastard chokes on his arrogance and dies. Maybe I can get the princes to shup up by asking actual questions. I ask the princes for advice on governing, but they dismiss it by saying ‘let the advisors handle it.’ Have these curs ever worked a day in their lives? Aha! Let me ask Aroura! I excuse myself from their presence and run over to Aroura.

When I ask her she informs me that ladies aren’t supposed to deal in matters of the state. But why? I’ve met plenty of women who are probably better at running a city than I am. Then again, I’ve never thought about it before. I’ve mostly just been a
lust-crazed delinquent for the past ten years. I never thought I’d be running a store, let alone an entire city! What goes into running a city?
Let’s see, I need people to work for me… Oh but I need money to-where do I get the money? Solaris doesn’t have any sort of mine to make coins, where do they get the-The tax! But wait… How many people do I need? And who? And how much do I pay them?

As the Sun beats down on me from behind, my head spins with all the possibilities that go into running a state. At this rate, Karvithia will fall before the end of my first year! Wait! I have an actual Lord inside me! Perhaps he knows something? I don’t think I could have a better spirit possessing me. Eventually Alister’s giant white steed halts and refuses to move at his command. Finally!

The Sun isn’t necessarily setting, but it isn’t far either. I’d say we have a few hours before dusk. Because of that, Alister just decided to set camp up for the night and leave early in the morning. Fine by me. The knight’s squires set up the tents and cooking fires for the rest of the soldiers to use. I find the other captains watching over a roast near the centre of the encampment and join them.

“What can we do for the benevolent Lord of Karvithia on this evening?” Toross greeted me as I sat beside him.

“You can start by saluting me, captain.”
When he actually gets up to do it, I can’t help but laugh. “The proud Toross finally learns his place under me.”

He stops mid-salute after realizing I was only teasing, then falls back onto the bench and continues to watch the ham spin around over the fire. Naz speaks without averting his eyes from the ham. “You know. It would do ya some good to learn to take jokes and taunts with a lil’ more grace. Might even score ya a lass.”

Toross snapped back. “Is that all that drives you? An endless hunt to satisfy your lust.”

Naz just shrugs. “Used to. It certainly helped shave off a lot o’ stress. Now I’m just trying to give mi grandkids as much as I can ‘fore I’m gone.”

Wal looked at him with his usual stoic resolve. “That’s a more noble cause than I would’ve guessed coming from you.”

“The youngin’s don’t call me Elder for nothing.”
He looks towards Toross and points at him before saying, “That aside, what drives you lad. If it ain’t lust I can’t imagine what it might be.”

Toross stares at him for a second before sighing. “Did you know. That elven cities used to be made amidst the towering highs of grand arch trees?”

Naz looks to Wal and Maheed for an explanation as he says, “Er, no… But what does that have to do-“

“I’m answering your question you brick-headed oaf.”
That sounded strangely familiar. He continues. “The elves once lorded over the other races as immortal beings from the unreachable heights of their arch trees with an army bested by none. I’ve only been able to read excerpts from a human perspective, but it is said that through their few interactions with mortals, they displayed an air of arrogance and pride that no other could reach.”
He looked to the ground in contemplation, with the only sounds being the hum of rowdy soldiers around us and Maheed slowly rotating the roast. We all stared at Toross waiting for him to continue. “The humans, of course, painted the pride as a negative aspect to portray the elves as malevolent beings. But I couldn’t help but be amazed by the pure audacity of the elves. To be able to talk down to the other races, simply because they could. It was a height that I always dreamed of reaching. Then our good friend, Lord of Karvithia here showed me that my dream was in fact reachable.”
He sat back up and chuckled. “Pathetic eh? A man in his mid-thirties driven by childish dreams of being like the legends I so admire.”

There’s a silence in there air before Wal breaks it. “You’re not the only one driven by tales and legends.”
There was a surprising sympathy in Wal’s voice. It was barely noticeable if you didn’t speak with him normally. He continues. “Once in a century, two siblings are spawned at once. One of pure white scales and the other of deep-red.”

I have to ask before he continues because I feel like it’s important. “What do you mean spawned?”
The others nod in agreement.

He lets out a sigh that comes off more as a snort. “Right. Mammals.”
I’m not sure what mammals is, but that sounded like an insult. “Saurians don’t have parents.”

We all tilt our heads at that, but Maheed is the first to ask. “Then… How are you born?”

“Forgive me, I misspoke. We have parents, but the fertilized eggs are laid in a nursery where dedicated caregivers look after them and the hatchlings until they’re old enough to work. Understand?”
No. Not really anyway. We all nod anyway. “Good. The concise version of the legend goes like this. The albino scaled saurian is labeled a paragon and worshiped as a living symbol of benevolence while their sibling, the red scaled saurian, is said to be fated to bring about a calamity if not stopped by the hero.”
His ice-cold eyes gaze into the fire, but his posture remains unbroken. He almost looks… Sad? “My caregivers weren’t ones to believe such legends, so they let my brother and I live as normal saurian children. My brother was a prodigy like no other. He learned to cast and channel magic at such a young age and had a heart of pure gold. Truly, he would’ve been a paragon.”

He pauses for a moment, so I speak my mind. “You keep saying ‘was.’ What happened?”

I probably shouldn’t have asked. His eyes pan up to mine and I can see their resolve faltering for the first time. Even with his reptilian features, its easy to read his emotions. “We were gathering plants the nursery needed when I was hit with an arrow. Human poachers had found us. We immediately ran back to the town, but we were hatchlings. We couldn’t escape with an arrow in my leg. He told me to run back and call for help while he distracted them. So, I did. I ran while he went blasting spells in another direction.”
His eyes haven’t left mine. It’s as though the world has faded from this campfire and the captains are all that exist. “When the town guards returned, they had slain the poachers… But they handed me the skin of my brother. They were too late.”
A few deep breaths later and he continued. “The town began to suspect that I actually alerted the poachers in exchange for a cut they would get for selling my brother’s skin. I loved my brother, but to soothe the sting of their own failure they blamed me. Afterall, how could the useless sister escape and the paragon perish?”
He closed his eyes and let his posture slack a bit. “They used the legend to convince themselves of my evil deeds, so I left. When I arrived here, I aimed to prove that I was no longer useless and that I wasn’t the monster the legends made me out to be.”

At some point I stood up and made my way across the fire to his side. With my hand on his shoulder I say, “You’re never going to not be a monster. I’ve seen you combust into flames and then you to ignored the fire and crushed a wizard’s collar bone with your teeth. You’re a monster your brother would be proud of. You’re a monster who’s saved all our asses a few times. And you’re just the monster I need. I’m going to use your favour.”

Toross stood up and reached his hand out saying, “Uhh, Kar, I don’t think now is the best-“
I threw up my hand.

“Wal, I want you to… No. I need you by my side when I become Lord of Karvithia.”
I release his shoulder and turn to the others. “Actually, I need all of you. I have no idea what I’m doing and I need the people I trust most by my side.”
I turn back towards Wal and hold out my hand. “So, what do you say? Will you be my monster?”

Wal stares at me for a moment with surprise before… Giggling? No, I misheard that. It was just a normal laugh. He stands and takes my hand. “I’ll be your monster. You really know how to toy with a woman’s emotions, you know that?”

With a single laugh, I say, “Damn right I do… What? What does that-“
My heartbeat drums the world to a freeze. Time stands still as I stare at Wal. Those eyes! That pose! He… Is a she! A second heartbeat and the world continues as I jump back from her clawed hand! I look to the other captains for help, but all the colour has drained from their bodies! Even Maheed’s black fur is a pale white!

Wal lets out a sigh that comes out as a growl. “Mammals.”
Her normally straight and proper posture took on a curvy aspect as though she was trying to look appealing. No no no, this isn’t the Wal I know. He, I mean, she explained. “Female saurian are bigger than the males. Most of the saurian in our army are female.”

As though to check, all of us whip our heads around at the surrounding troops. They just look like big lizards! Those are all women? Naz let out a hearty laughter. “Oh! Ya got us good lad! You’ve got a sick sense of humour, makin’ a joke like that.”
He wiped his fuzzy brow with another phew.

Wal’s stance shifted to its normal stiff while she glared knives at Naz. “You should know I have no sense of humour.”

Naz slaps his legs and jumps off his log. “Yeah, right! None of you have any womanly features!”
He runs his hands down through the air as though he’s feeling the sides of an overly busty lady.

Wal scoffs. “You mean those fleshy milk sacks?”

Alright that’s it. I will not tolerate any insults towards the boobs. I speak my mind before she can continue. “Those ‘fleshy milk sacks’ makes a woman what they are.”

Her head angles towards me as her eyes narrow slightly at me. She crosses her arms as she says, “Boy, you have no idea what makes a woman.”
That. I must be mishearing things. It’s been a long day. She continues. “Then again. I’ve never seen a man who is bigger and stronger than I am so. Maybe we could learn from one another?”
Another heartbeat drums the world to a freeze.

There’s no way!
What else could that mean!? She’s trying to seduce you!
How did this even happen!?
How should I know!?
Then again…
What?
I’ve never been with a saurian girl.
No!
It could be an interesting-
NO! That’s it, I’m banishing you! To the pits with you!
His screams become ever more distant as he cries ‘I was kidding!’

By the time my heartbeat restarted the world, I already took my seat next to Toross with my elbows on my knees and my chin in my hands. She laughs before saying, “Maybe not.”

Moments of silence followed before Naz broke it by saying “Look, ya broke the kid with your jokes! I ain’t ever seen him that broken!”
He still thinks she’s joking? He must be suffering from old age. That was no joke. Toross, Maheed, and I just listen to Naz and Wal bicker back and forth until the roast is done.

I haven’t moved from my original position because I still haven’t decided what to do. When he thinks its done Maheed, tries to calm the other two down to let them know that the ham is done, but he’s too quiet. It takes Aroura showing up to both, break me from my position and calm the others. “May I join you?”

They each salute and studder out “Princess?”

I look over my shoulder to find her standing there holding her hands in front of her with a warming smile. “Hey Aroura. Sure, join us.”

Toross grabs my head and tries to make me bow all while apologizing to Aroura for my rudeness. She quickly dismisses him, worried that she might have been rude. After pushing Toross’ hand off my head I explain. “Aroura and I are good friends.”
I stand and turn to Aroura who nods in agreement. “Aroura, this is Toross, Naz, Maheed, and Wal.”

She curtsies and says in her sweet voice, “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”
With her excitement properly contained for long enough, she blasted forward towards Naz and began examining him like she did to me when we first met. “What splendid facial hair you have!”
Naz puffs out his chest and begins to brag but is cut off by her examination. “It runs all the way to your feet! But your size is rather stunted. Surely this may hold advantages in the cramped spaces of a cave, but your mass!”
Naz studders and fumbles over his words. “It appears all dwarf heigh goes into the beard and width. Strange indeed.”

She gasps and leaves to inspect Maheed, leaving Naz speechless. She walks all around Maheed with her observations. “You’re quite large for a jarcoba, but your slim figure and the presence of a stifle and hock, you must be extraordinarily fast!”
Maheed begins to explain something when she grabs his fluffy tail and he yelps. “And a tail… What purpose could this serve?”
Like, Naz he stumbles over his words until she stands and rubs his ears and lifts his veil of fur. “With so-Ooo soft. With so many similarities to a dog, you must have wonderful hearing and a sense of smell like no other! What of your eyes? How quaint! Why does your hair fall? It covers such cute eyes!”
And just like that, she was finished with Maheed and on to Wal. Maheed was still trying to explain his speed by the time she left.

Wal assumed a stance with her arms behind her back and her head hung low for Aroura to examine. As Aroura made her examinations, Wal spoke as though she were listening. “Princess, I must thank you. I hear you’re to blame for my swift recovery after the first battle. I am in your debt. Truly. Thank you.”

Aroura managed to respond in the middle of her inspection. “…and what gorgeous eyes; it was nothing, Kar was the one who provided the healing, I just spoke the words. Oh! And your teeth!...”

With Aroura inspecting her mouth, Wal’s eyes turned to me with a certain appreciation. I know what it means so I nod. Aroura leaves Wal and heads towards me. Toross puffs out his chest with a proud smile, awaiting to be examined. With Aroura’s curiosity properly sated, she plots down next to me with a truly satisfied smile. Right next to me. I left a good amount of room on the rest of our log, but she chose to sit so close that our hips touch. I’m fine with it, but... Why? “Aroura, why are you sitting so close?”

She looks at me confused. “Weren’t you the one who called me a ‘close’ friend?”
Pretty sure I said ‘good.’

Naz wiggles his fuzzy eyebrows at me. “Just how ‘close’ are ye two?”

I open my mouth to speak, but Aroura beats me to it. “Quite so! I’ve examined him most thoroughly. Much further than all you.”
I choke on my slice of ham. Don’t say it like that! She puts her finger on her chin in thought. “Then again, I wouldn’t mind more examination. I still have much to explore.”

Naz’s face drains of all colour as he studders. “K-k-ka-ki-ki-kid. You. You didn’t.”

I force out between coughs “No! It’s not! What you think!”

Aroura shakes her hands out in front of her. “Oh! Ah, forgive me I misspoke! The nature of our relations is not exclusive to examination.”
That’s not what he was confused about! Curse this ham, I can’t say anything! “He’s also comforted me when I had the most dreadful nightmares.”
No, that makes it even worse!

Toross places his hand over his chin like he’s realized something. “So that’s where you’ve been every night.”
Toross quickly explains to the others that I haven’t slept in the elven barracks any night. This is getting out of hand.

Naz gasps at me like he’s trying to say something but is too surprised to say it. Maheed speaks for him. “You’ve been with the Princess every night?”

I shake my head while beating my chest, trying desperately to get this damn ham out! Aroura gracefully answers his question. “Oh no, we’ve only spent three nights together.”

The ham piece flies out of my neck and sizzles in the fire. “Aroura, we’ve only known each other for five days, that doesn’t he-“
Help!? Like you’re doing right now!? “No, no w-wait. That’s not what I meant.”

Wal’s eyes burn into me with a fire more ferocious than any flame. “You’ve slept with her three times in five days?”

Aroura finally realized what they thought she meant. Her face flushed red before she exclaimed, “No! I! we!”
She slides down to the end of the log and hides behind her hair. She curls up and squeaks just loud enough to be heard. “We’d have to be married for that…”

I explain to the others the time I spent with Aroura has been nothing but innocent. I apologize to her again for putting her in my schemes because I feel like the others would see me as a shallow power hungry beast if I didn’t. "On the topic of my schemes, Aroura."
She turns, ever so slightly to signal that she's listening. "I just invited the captains to be a part of my court. If you so desire, you may also hold a place among us."

She sits in place for a minute before turning to me with a smile and sadness in her eyes. "I would love nothing more, however. I have duties I must uphold."

"Didn't you tell me earlier that ladies don't deal in matters of the state?"

"If that is all my duties were, I would spare no second thought to assist you. Unfortunately, my responsibility is one only I can maintain. You see... I am betrothed."

I'm not sure I know that word. "Betrothed?"

She looks to the fire. "Yes, although, I know not to whom."

Naz lets out a curious grunt. "How could ya not know who yer married to?"
That's what betrothed means?

Aroura explains. "It's the obligation of the Princess to marry into another royal family. To bolster relations between nations and cities."
We all sit in silence for a moment. The crackling of the fire, the only thing filling our ears. Aroura breaks the silence. "Ah, but you need not offer me your sympathy. It's a contract I've long since come to terms with."
Even still. To just be married off to someone you don't know... No, it's not right.

"Did Alister tell you that he proposed unrestricted imgration between Karvithia and Solaris?"

She smiles brighter although her sadness still lingers. "That sounds like wonderful news, but why bring it up now?"

I give her a single amused grunt. Like a puppet to her strings. "The way I see it, it means that anyone can leave Solaris and join me. Even royalty and nobles."
Her face slowly shifts under her realization. I press harder. "If you're happy as the Princess of Solaris, destined to be married off like a tool then you may stay. But know that I'll save a space for you in my castle as the royal mage."

I watch as her pretty little face transfers through a range of emotions and reactions. It would be a great benefit to me if she were to join me, but she has to make that decision herself. I won't try to bend her to my will against her own again.
Isn't... Isn't that exactly what you just did?
Well.... Uhh... No, I just gave her the option.
That didn't sound like an option to me. You even said 'like a puppet to her strings.'
Hmm... Well. You know. She's pulling her own strings. Like a living puppet.

I'm snapped back to Earth when she stands and curtsies. "Thank you, Kar. I'll be sure to take your offer into consideration."
While she says that, she looks nervously off to the side with a normal happy smile. She looks much better like that. She retakes her position by my side until I have to leave. The world begins to whirl around my blurry vision, as pulses of pain ripple through my head. I stand and say I'm going for a walk to gather some thoughts. Toross makes his first joke, saying that I'm just finding a good spot to meet Aroura later. Oh, how I wish I could be proud of you right now Toross.

I march straight for the forest close by. It's connected to, but not part of Lunatic's Spires so I shouldn't encounter any monsters. Besides, I don't have anywhere else to go. Pain begins to rage through my body and my bones ache and creak. I need to pick up the pace.
I run straight into the forest. Flames rage through me like rivers! Knives tear at my flesh! Hammers pound my bones into a new shape! Something pulls my face out of place! I can't hold it anymore! My screams pour into the dirt!