Chapter 97:

The 100 Days War - Chapter 5

The Children of Eris


Kella was surrounded by flames.

They didn’t burn her skin; rather, they were manipulated to avoid her.

She heard people dying but the cries grew quieter with every second.

Standing before her was the man she’d once loved, carrying a bloodied sword and crying his eyes out.

Ah, it’s this scene again.

It was the nightmare Kella had seen every night since the capital fell.

The figure begged her to forgive him, pleaded with her to understand his pain; despite the disgust in her heart, she did.

She held the man, comforted him and then -

A sword pierced her chest, yet it didn’t hurt.

Kella laughed. Even now, he’s still begging.

She closed her eyes and, when she reopened them, she was back in the real world, far away from David Athelward.

With a sigh, she stood up and wiped the sweat off her body. Then, she washed her face, changed into her gear and stepped out into the refugee camp.

It had grown quite a bit since she and Dante had arrived a few weeks ago, though most of the newcomers these days were soldiers and merchants from the west.

No one came from the east anymore.

Things had improved in a lot of ways, but life wasn’t easy at the camp.

For starters, it was rarely quiet which made getting any rest difficult.

Then, there was a severe lack of food, clean water and supplies, even with the merchant caravans and local lords donating lots of resources.

There were still tens of thousands of civilians and then there were thousands of soldiers too, which meant that supplies quickly dwindled.

Plans to evacuate the refugees to the safety of the west were being drawn up, but no one from the Holy Empire was allowed to leave the camp just yet.

Though, there do seem to be more people here than there was yesterday.

“Morning, sleepyhead.”

She sighed as she lazily glanced over her shoulder, seeing a cheery one-armed man walking towards her.

“What do you want, Dante?”

“How cold, after all we’ve been through.”

“After all you’ve lost, Hero, I’m still shocked you can act that way.”

Dante grunted. “Well, what can I say? I’m an optimist.”

“Just because you grazed the Demon Emperor?”

“A graze against a seemingly unkillable foe was a great sign of fortune for the Order, you know.”

“How’d that work out for them?”

Dante smirked. “Someone’s in a good mood this morning. Still can’t sleep?”

“Can anyone these days?”

“I sleep like a baby.” Kella glared at him. “What?”

“Nothing. So?” She put a hand on her hip. “What do you want?”

“We’ve been summoned by his majesty, the 2nd Prince.”

“Both of us?”

Dante nodded. “The messenger said he wanted to speak to those who had seen the Demon Emperor and lived to tell the tale.”

“Other people saw him too.”

“But they didn’t fight him,” Dante reminded her.

Kella chuckled bitterly. “I don’t know if you could call what I did a fight, but fine. When is it?”

“Now.”

“Now?!”

“Might want to grab your spear too.” Dante pointed to the wrapped-up scythe on his back. “Apparently, the Free People want to see the weapons that injured him.”

Even though only you did.

Kella remembered that fight well, against the Black Knight, against the monster known as the Demon Emperor, and how they’d struggled to touch him.

Knowing David, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was holding back and just toying with us. Or. Kella frowned. Was he reluctant to kill me?

She shook her head.

It didn’t matter.

She hated that man from the bottom of her heart and swore she would exact revenge.

Or so she told herself.

***

“I present to you, his royal highness the 2nd Prince of the Holy Empire, Lord Dante and Lady Kella,” the guard introduced the pair, before bowing and taking his leave.

They had been brought to the prince’s tent and there were only two other people inside, Prince Augustus and Lord Barthlow, both of whom Kella had only seen from a distance when they arrived at the camp.

“Thank you for coming."

“No, it’s quite alright, your highness. What is it that we can do for you?” Dante asked.

“Well, about-”

“Would you like me to explain, your highness?”

Prince Augustus glanced over at Lord Barthlow who had a large smile on his face. With a small sigh, the prince nodded and sat down behind his desk.

“Thank you, your highness.” Lord Barthlow respectfully bowed to the two adventurers. “I am Arlan Barthlow, one of the lords of the Kingdom of Rhodes, and I come to ask for your aid in our upcoming efforts to restore the Holy Empire.”

“Is that why there are so many more soldier boys around?” Dante asked.

Lord Barthlow laughed. “Indeed. I hope they haven’t been too rambunctious or rude during their stay here but, I assure you, that they’re all a bit excited about this upcoming campaign.”

The Lightning Swords - the Barthlow’s personal, private army that moves faster and strikes harder than lightning, or so they say. Kella frowned a little. They’re gear’s certainly flashy enough, but I don’t know how fast they can be in that armour.

“It was a little strange to wake up one morning and see thirty-thousand men in our camp,” Dante mused.

“Well, I hope they don’t have to be away from home for too long as I’ve left my lands dangerously undefended to aid Prince Augustus.”

The prince glared a little at Barthlow, but then collected himself. “Lord Barthlow has generously provided his army to our campaign, and he has helped resupply the remnants of the Holy Legion all in aid of retaking our homeland.”

“Well, it’s not mine,” Dante whispered softly enough that only Kella heard it.

“He’s also managed to recruit three thousand more men from the surrounding lands and the camp to help us too.”

“That’s quite impressive. You must be confident in your success then?”

Lord Barthlow smiled. “Of course. If, at the very least, you don’t have confidence in yourself, then why should the people around you?”

“I take it that’s why we’ve been called here today, my lord?” Kella asked.

“Indeed. I was going to invite other adventurers to the campaign too, but I thought it best to run it by you two first.”

“Because if we agreed, then the rest would come running eagerly, right?” Dante grinned.

“Indeed. You two are quite famous, you know. You fought the Demon Emperor and the Satyr Knight, and survived. Though.” Lord Barthlow glanced remorsefully at Dante’s missing arm. “Not without sacrifice.”

“…Yeah.”

“So, with your permission and promise to swear this plan to secrecy, would you two like to hear how we’ll reclaim your homeland?”

They both nodded firmly.

“Good. As I’m sure you’re acutely aware already, the Demon Emperor’s army is vast. Based on reports from the Holy Empire refugees, as well as my own spies spread throughout the east, we can safely say he has an army of more than five hundred thousand, though most of this consists of skeletons at present. As the Battle for Blackport and Themis proved, these skeletons are not too difficult for the regular man-at-arms to handle, but their sheer numbers more than make up for that weakness.

“Likewise, every time we lose a soldier inside the Demon Empire, it’s another soldier the Demon Emperor gains, which means we can’t afford to sustain heavy losses or else the scales of power will tip too much in his favour. Therefore, what we need is a quick, decisive victory using elite, specialist units that will pull the root of the Demon Empire out in a single strike.

“My plan is simple - we kill the Demon Emperor.”

“Simple on paper, but not in execution,” Dante muttered.

“Quite right. But I don’t mean to kill the Demon Emperor in this campaign; rather, I aim to kill the image that the Demon Emperor has created for himself.”

“His image?” Kella repeated.

Lord Barthlow nodded. “Right now, the whole world knows of him as a cruel, ruthless tyrant who brought the Holy Empire to ruin in a week. At present, he looks to be a near-invincible, near-unstoppable threat. However, if we can place a few chinks in that persona of his, we can tear down his empire before he has a chance to solidify his power.”

“Again, simple on paper, Barthlow. How do you propose we do it?”

“It’s a three-stage plan that utilises our combined force of thirty-five thousand men in the most efficient, and effective, way possible. First, we launch a two-pronged attack on the border. My spies estimate that the Demon Emperor’s main force is in the north-east right now, trying to bring the remnants of those countries under his control and that the border fort Atryus has barely enough men to hold onto it.

“Fifteen thousand of our force, led by Prince Augustus, and the adventurers, yourselves included, will assault the fort and try to take it. You don’t necessarily have to capture the fort, but you have to create enough noise that it distracts the Demon Emperor’s forces for a time.

“As you do that, I and my remaining twenty-thousand men will go around the fort and move northwards towards the newly named Dread Keep, the seat of the Demon Emperor’s power. We will then lay siege to the castle and take it, thus capturing the symbol of the Demon Empire.

“If we can take one or both of these points, we will show the world that the Demon Emperor can be defeated, just like how the story of Dante wounded the emperor has given us hope of killing him. From there, what’s left of my force will conduct raids to disrupt the Demon Emperor’s supply lines and to draw some of his forces away from the cities and other key points.

“Whilst the Demon Emperor’s attention is in the east, the west will get ready to mobilise and strike, and the rebels that still exist in the Demon Empire will rise up. We might take heavy losses, but it’ll be worth it in the long run as the Demon Emperor will eventually run out of troops, resources and places to hide. Then, it’ll just be a matter of time.”

Kella almost burst out laughing, but she bit down on her tongue.

Arlan Barthlow was just like the rumours; ruthless, power hungry and a great military tactician.

But, to her, his proposal was the most absurd thing she’d ever heard.

Because of one simple thing - they didn’t know the Demon Emperor like she did.

“Do you have an issue with this, Miss Kella?”

She flinched a little as she felt his distain roll off his every syllable.

“With your lordships grace, can I speak freely?” Lord Barthlow nodded. “Then, with all due respect, your plan won’t work.”

“Oh? And why’s that?”

All three men’s gazes were fixated upon Kella, but she couldn’t let that pressure get to her, nor could she let them know of her relationship with him.

“The Demon Emperor had been lying in wait within the Holy Empire for hundreds of days before he made his move to overthrow the Holy Empire. After laying down careful foundations, he destroyed an entire country and his rose up from its ashes in just a few days. Do you really think that someone like that doesn’t expect a counterattack or doesn’t have plans in place to repel us should we attack?”

“Are you doubting my spies’ information?”

“I’m not. I do believe that the Demon Emperor’s main force is in the north, but I also believe he’s left himself sufficient numbers in the south to defend himself.”

Lord Barthlow laughed. “Did you listen to anything I said, Kella? My men, at quite a great risk to their own lives, have confirmed that the Demon Emperor’s forces are spread thinly across the south. If we don’t act now, then-”

“The Demon Emperor made Themis think he didn’t have a massive army. He made us all think it was the work of a natural disaster or the resurrection of Karak-Harth. Until he revealed himself, none of us knew what the truth was and-”

“Secrecy was the Demon Emperor’s greatest weapon in his campaign to overthrow Themis. He succeeded, largely because he was able to divert attention away from himself and to his own fabrications; these are tricks he cannot use anymore.”

“Unless he’s already doing it by pretending that his main army is in the north when, in fact, it’s just a fraction of it, or a vanguard force.”

“So then, Kella, pray tell, where is the Demon Emperor hiding his true army this time? At his castle? In his cities? No! He’s-”

“He hid thousands of demons beneath the capital before we fought Karak-Harth’s undead horde, or did you not listen to what the survivors told you?”

Lord Barthlow smiled thinly as he shook his head. “Do you think my men did not check these places? Do you think they did their job’s half arsed? Or are you just scared and afraid to admit it?”

Kella’s face distorted into a fierce scowl. “How dare-!”

“And I did listen to the survivor’s reports, yours included. You all talked about one thing unanimously - fear. You felt scared by the Demon Emperor, you felt terror as you ran during the massacre and you felt like running as far away from him as possible once you heard his forces were pursing you to the border. How do you, Kella, not know you’re falling for one of the Demon Emperor’s traps right now?”

“…What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.” Lord Barthlow grinned. “What if the Demon Emperor’s great trap wasn’t to make us think his main force was in the north, but to instead make us think it wasn’t? What if the Demon Emperor wanted us to think like you did and fear such a scenario but, in reality, there is no such thing?

“Hundreds of years ago, the first king of Rhodes was left in charge of a small keep to defend with just two hundred men against a force ten times that size. He knew he couldn’t win in a direct fight, so he instead battled the enemy general on a mental field. He left his castle gates open and left a single man atop them, playing a lute and singing. When the enemy general arrived, he was confused and wanted to enter the castle, until one of his advisors warned him it could be a trap.

“The general, now with that doubt in his mind, simply lay siege all the while the man kept playing for hours. The only other figure they saw was a servant bringing him food and drink. The general, now spooked, sent scouts all around their camp looking for anyone trying to ambush them, but they found no one. The men grew spooked and refused to attack; eventually, reinforcements came for the future king and the siege was lifted.

“Miss Kella.” Lord Barthlow smiled. “What if the Demon Emperor has a plan similar to his? What if we’re sitting here fearing an invisible enemy and we miss our chance to strike?”

“…Even if that was the case, taking the Dread Keep won’t be easy.”

“Oh, of that I have no doubt, but we can do it.”

“At a great loss of life,” Dante muttered.

“Perhaps, but their sacrifice would save hundreds of thousands of others.”

“Even if we did agree to help you by raiding the border fort, I’m not much of a fighter right now.” Dante lifted up what was left of his missing limb. “At best, I could be the standard bearer.”

“Don’t worry, I can help with that. I heard of your injury before I arrived here and ordered the alchemists in my territory to construct for you a new arm.”

Dante grinned. “Really?”

“Indeed. It won’t be made of flesh and bones, but I think you’ll be satisfied with it.”

“In that case, I’m in!” Dante’s hand curled into a fist. “I’ll buy you all the time you need and more, Lord Barthlow!”

The lord laughed and said, “I appreciate your enthusiasm.” Lord Barthlow turned to Kella. “So, what about you, Miss Kella? Are you willing to take a chance or are you betting on your invisible enemy?”

Kella said nothing for a long time.

“You haven’t forgotten that he’s the bastard who took away your family, right?” Dante reminded her.

…Yeah, I remember.

Then, solemnly, she nodded.

***

She wandered.

She walked through the sea of tents, across the empty plains and into the small forest nearby.

She continued past the small streams and rivers, and came to a tiny lake.

There, she dropped her weapon and collapsed onto her back, staring blankly up at the sky.

Then, she just watched.

Watched as the clouds drifted by, as the birds soared on the gentle winds, and at the crystal blue sky.

Kella was lost.

She hated the man who killed her family, but she loved the man who comforted her.

She wanted revenge, but couldn’t bring herself to strike him down.

She knew she would never sleep soundly again until it was done, but she didn’t want to lose that precious piece of her heart.

Kella felt tears building up, but she covered her face with her arm to hide them from the world.

Then, she laughed bitterly as she felt her heart shattered a few more times.

David Athelward had destroyed her.

She wanted to believe that he was still the same man she fell in love with, but didn’t want to forgive the mass murderer.

She wanted to think that it wasn’t a trick, but then she remembered it - the laughter.

The Laugh Heard Around the World - the terrifying, booming cackle that marked the Demon Empire’s arrival in Aangapea.

Everyone in the world had heard the horrors of that day and Kella too remembered them vividly, even in the delirious state she’d been in.

If this plan works, we have a chance to end this before it even begins. No one else would have to suffer or die, but what if it’s another one of David’s tricks?

He created the Great Disaster, he waited patiently for us to make ourselves vulnerable then struck - so, what if this is just another trap?

But. Kella wept. What if it works?

With a heavy sigh, Kella shut her eyes and grumbled.

“What am I doing?”