Dominos Put in Place

Six days later:

Three of Rowen’s cavalry troopers who were tasked to go with the noncombatants were patrolling along the road that brought them south towards Wailers Canyon.

They were looking out from cover on top of a knoll about ten miles from the canyon. With their heightened senses and long-range vision, they could monitor more than a mile in every direction.

The assigned Corporal saw about three hundred Woague running down the road in their direction. He turned and silently told one of the other troopers with him to go warn the Captain.

Rowen, his wives, and troopers were in lead of the caravan of former slaves along the natural road which was starting to become less recognizable as a road. It then abruptly ended in a rather large lake that must have been the final resting place of the ancient glacier.

Rowen looked out over the lake and thought about how far they were from their destination of Wailers Canyon. He felt that they could make it if they were to push into the night, but he decided that he wasn’t going to push the near exhausted former captives.

He was concerned because it wasn’t long ago that the Infantry Captain had relayed the sighting of Woague headed towards the canyon. However, he figured that the Woague would likely camp before moving on the canyon fortifications, so he opted to stay there with the caravan.

Then, as the caravan were beginning to set up camp, he heard the distinct sounds of distant cannon fire.

He thought to the Infantry Captain, “What’s happening there?”

“About three hundred Woague are trying to storm the fortifications…Sir!”

Rowen who was still sitting atop Baldy said, “Captain, I want fifty troopers to come with me. You and my wives will stay here and protect the people!”

Kit, who was dismounted turned to head back to her horse.

Rowen said, “Kit, I need for you to stay here!” his eyes pleading.

She paused and looked defiant for a moment but then smiled and nodded.

Rowen spurred Baldy ahead with fifty troopers in tow.

Rowen looked over to see Xyarra riding next to him and he got angry and yelled, “My wives includes you! Go back!”

She said to his head, Now Row sweetie, haven’t you learned yet that you can’t tell a dragon what to do?

He shook his head and focused forwards.

Atop the makeshift log wall that were the first line of defense at the mouth of the canyon, War Chief Arkeer trembled for a variety of reasons. First, the primal reaction to his race’s most ancient of enemies suddenly showing up and attacking. Second, because of his desire as a warrior to charge against said enemy. Finally, because of the sheer power being released by the cannon, rifles, and the staccato sound of the Gatling Gun.

He watched with amazement as an Woague warrior lost his head to the iron ball from one of the cannon. Then to see the same ball tear through the ranks behind him, killing or maiming several more Woague.

He thought, “With these weapons, war will lose any honor left.”

But then he got a defiant thought, “Who cares?! As long as my people are protected, it doesn’t matter!” remembering how Lord Rowen had shown him to be a pragmatist in battle.

He turned to the infantry Captain and said, “Now let’s push our advantage. I want half our troops to push forward against their ranks!”

“Yes Sir!” and he silently commanded two platoons to fix bayonets and picket forward with steady fire.

Rowen, Xyarra and his fifty troopers were in full charge when they engaged something like twenty Woague who were fleeing the battle.

Rowen barreled over two Woague and decapitated a third with his sword. He shot two more with his shotgun pistol, not caring about the fact that his shots were rude in their targeting.

Two more added to the nutted crowd.

After passing over the Woague deserters he rounded the corner of the entrance to the canyon only to see the carnage of what a Krall of Woague warriors was once.

Infantry troopers were finishing off the wounded. There appeared to be several prisoners being conducted back to the wall.

Rowen stopped the group of soldiers that were conducting the prisoners back and said, “You will not bring them into the canyon. I’ll question them here.”

The Corporal in charge said, “Yes…Sir!”

War Chief Arkeer called from the wall, “You’re here my lord, thank the Guardians!” and he jumped down from the wall and ran over to where Rowen was.

Rowen motioned over the carnage with a sweeping hand and said, “Good Job War Chief.”

“Thank you, my Lord!” his skin darkening in a green blush.

“I’ll interrogate these three Woague here because I don’t want them anywhere near our people.”

“As you wish my lord. Sorry but I was the one who ordered the prisoners be taken in.” He lowered his head.

“No need to apologize. Just don’t make the same mistake twice, that’s all I ask.”

Arkeer nodded solemnly.

Rowen turned to the prisoners and said in Woague, “So, tell me why you’re here and everything about your forces. Or I’ll have my wife, Duchess Xyarra interrogate you.”

After getting his questions answered by the surprisingly fearful Woague captives he had Xyarra relay to Kit and Dana the results of the battle and his love via the Cavalry Captain.

He was chewing on the information in his head while sitting atop the fortification wall at the mouth of the canyon.

Xyarra walked up and plopped down beside him saying, “You know that I could never interrogate the Woague even if I wanted to?”

He leaned over on her and asked, “Oh, why not?”

“I never made the effort to learn Woague. To me, since they taste like pork, I never bothered to find out what they were saying before I devoured them.”

Rowen looked at her stunned for a moment but then smiled and said, “You’re evil. I’m glad you’re on my side.”

“Some say evil, I say well fed.” She said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

She got a serious look on her face and asked, “Do they still say, a penny for your thoughts, in your world?”

“Yes, they do.” He looked at his hands then back at X and said, “The fact that the Woague captives told me that they were ordered to not go any further south than Cam Village by the Nordac Dark Lord himself bothers me.”

“Yes, it bothers me too. Sounds like someone down this way is in cahoots with the Nordac.”

“Right, add to that the assassination attempts on Kit and Dana. I almost feel like I am running into a hornet’s nest.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about that sweetie. We have plenty of insect repellant.” And she swept her arms towards the golem forces.

The next day, Rowen rode out to meet Kit, Dana, and the rest of the caravan. He had Eliarra with him but left Xyarra behind. She said she had something personal to do and she climbed up to a hidden area in the back of the canyon.

Rowen conducted the caravan back to the canyon and it pretty much went smoothly, save for a couple of the wagons that ended up breaking down. So, they were pushed off the trail. Once the caravan had passed through the gate to the makeshift town built in the canyon the former slaves were given a loving welcome from all those within.

Eliarra had already planned out where they were to be situated in general, but since she didn’t know the specifics of who were coming, she had made the layout to be flexible.

Rowen looked across the floor of the canyon to the settlement and he was impressed with what was done in the week that they were there.

It was his turn. He got to work himself. First thing was first, food for the settlement. It took some time and a considerable amount of effort but he created two tons of dried rice, two tons of wheat flour, and two tons of dried beans. He also made 100 pounds of salt, sugar and 50 pounds of peppercorn.

There was a good amount of food on the wagons still plus what the Greentree Elves and Cam Villagers brought along.

He felt that he will still have to augment the food from time to time, but he felt that it wasn’t going to be too difficult in the long run.

Kit met up with the Cam Village Ranger and they tasked the twenty Foxia from the caravan with hunting and foraging in the surrounding countryside once they had recovered their strength.

Every time Roe saw Kit meeting with the handsome, dark haired Foxia he felt a tinge of jealousy.

Everyone was put to work, except a few of the caravan’s group that were not in good enough health.

Since the slavers weren’t concerned about keeping their goods healthy, a lot of them were neglected. The slavers had one rule. If you couldn’t walk anymore then you were killed and left by the side of the road.

That is why several of the weaker former slaves were in even poorer health because they had been pushing themselves to stay mobile and helping others who’s strength had already given out.

Rowen was glad that they didn’t spare any of those loathsome creatures that would sell their fellow people.

During the week of transit, Rowen had found that they had another issue to deal with. The fat slob’s “harem” of slaves were of equal numbers of grown women and young boys. He was none too gentle with them ether.

These women and boys needed some TLC and possibly a lifetime of counseling. During the trek there, they pretty much drew into themselves and among themselves, refusing to associate with anyone else. Rowen had no idea how to proceed with them, so he had to seek out someone who could help.

After the first couple of days when Rowen saw to everything being handled by those who were capable, he set about his own projects. That being building an army.

Of the Cam Villagers, Greentree Elves, and former slaves he had two hundred volunteers to fight. So, his first priority was to make them rifles, swords and such. This was to facilitate their being trained.

Both the infantry Captain and the Cavalry Captain were capable of training them with the help of some of the troopers.

The infantry golems were only good for fighting in formation and maintaining their weapons and gear. They were useless for training save to be an example of fighting formations to watch.

In order to facilitate getting weapons to the volunteers, he had to keep it simple, so they were issued the Martini Rifle clone and a bayonet as well as a uniform and boots.

That took about a week to accomplish, since he was learning to make objects in batches of ten at a time.

Next, he decided to create some more cannon and Gatling Guns. That took him another week of grueling work.

The 12 pounder Napoleon Field Gun was a good basic cannon that didn’t require a lot of detail. They were enhanced with some runes in order to keep them cool and self-repairing.

Next task, he created a newer, more improved infantry golem. These were smarter than a box of rocks and had some independent problems solving capabilities. Still not as much as the trooper golems but still enough to allow some more flexibility of command. He combined the effort of creating the golem, weapon, and uniform in one go. These he was able to make five at a time, but he was spent after fifteen.

After he created 300 of his new infantry golems, he created another troop of Trooper golems.

He also made some dedicated horses for the four batteries of cannon and two batteries of Gatling Guns.

Everything took him a month and a half of constant working on his army. But every night when he was finished for the day he was spent. He only had enough energy to eat and go to bed.

About halfway through the process, he woke up one morning only to realize that he was facing a wife rebellion. All four of them ganged up on him and forced him to take two days off. One to sleep, eat and rest and one to focus on them.

By the end of the second day, he dragged himself back to work, feeling like he wanted to stay with his wives, but he also felt an urgency to complete the project.

One thing he did notice, as he worked mana throughout the days, he was able to handle more the next day. It was like exercise. Each day he could do a little more.

He noticed Xyarra was going to the back of the canyon every so many days to do her “Personal” thing. So, one day he got curious and took a break from his work to go spy on his wife.

So, he snuck along the trail she took and followed it up into a smaller canyon to find her sunning herself in dragon form.

She looked at him as he was looking at her and she thought to him, Pervert!

He shrugged and said, “Here I thought you were doing something interesting back here.”

Now you know, I have to change back to my dragon form every so often or I get…uncomfortable. So now that you know, want to come down here and do it dragon style?

While Rowen was considering the ramifications of interspecies relations, Jade was in Stiarra Nor scouting out the situation. She was monitoring the occupying legion, and the other goings on in the city. She had been reporting daily to Xyarra about what was happening, including the fact that there was an armed resistance of some kind within the city.

The city’s population was something like 60 percent demi-human. It was greater before the invasion and sacking of the city, but a large number were killed or sold to the slavers that had left with the caravan.

Soldiers were patrolling the streets and yet many were disappearing without a trace.

Jade had in her mind that she wanted, more than anything was to impress and please her Master. So, she intended to do as thorough a job scouting out the city as she could.

When she first got there, she bought some clothes to match the local styles and she found herself work for a milk delivery service. This way she could justify her being in the streets moving around.

Since she didn’t need sleep, she spent the nights either going to the pubs to get a feel of things or patrolling the streets but staying invisible to anyone there.

One night as she was doing the latter, her instincts told her that she was being tracked. but she wasn't sure by whom or how. Her first priority was to not draw attention to herself, so she tried to lose whoever was tracking her.

She made her way to a part of the city that once was a neighborhood for demi-humans but now deserted. if she could get somewhere and make them think they lost her. This would make them rush, maybe get sloppy enough to come closer. Then she should see who it was, and maybe even capture them. She ducked into a tenement building and found a nice corner to become invisible in.

She waited there, unmoving, unbreathing as quiet as the dead. She felt a shift in the shadows more than saw them. She kept trying to get a good handle on where and who, but they never came close enough for her to lay eyes on the tracker. Finally, when she realized they would come no closer, she knew she had to go track them. She knew she could track most things, especially humanoids.

She tried to follow but by the time she tracked whoever it was out to the street they were gone. She at least had a trail to follow. She tried to speed up. She needed more information. The trail moved deeper into the abandoned area and seemed to meet up with the trail of another Legion Patrol.

The sudden burst of sound ahead spurred her on. She was getting close when a sharp inhuman sound ahead momentarily stunned her in its harshness and volume.

Jade burst into the small courtyard where a fight just occurred. A five-member Legion patrol was butchered here so recently the coppery smell of blood and fear still hung in the still air. Only one of the Legionnaires was still alive. it was quite a sight.

The human was left in the middle of the courtyard. His hamstrings were severed, along with the tendons in both his arms. These left him unable to walk or swing his arms to fight. He rolled left and right, screaming, and babbling

"The Ahern! We have offended the Aherns!" He never saw Jade's approach. He would never see anything again. Both his eyes had been plucked out, leaving two bloody empty sockets in his face.

Knowing he was no threat, Jade searched the courtyard to continue following her tracking, but she could not find any of the tracks she followed here. It was if they just vanished into thin air. Jade looked up at the moons, just peeking over the walls into the courtyard. This would be a long night.

She knew she would have a lot to report to Xyarra. Some of this felt like an echo of a memory, one she recognized as coming from Xyarra. Hopefully she could provide some insight.

Earlier:

"I know, I saw her earlier. We need to keep an eye on her. She is more than a little milk girl. I first found her when I felt she might have an armor fragment with her."

"Karas, we need to focus on the patrols they are sending deeper and deeper into the quarter. What if she is a spy for the Legion?" She shook her long dark hair as she put her mask back into place.

"Belyanna, you were always the mission oriented one. Look, we can do both. The locals are cleared out, so we only have to worry about the interloper and the Patrol. I can follow her to make sure she doesn't interfere; you can take the patrol. After all, there are only five of them."

"Is it time to start leaving a message or do we carry the bodies away again?"

"His forces are close enough. It's time to work them harder." She hesitated to say this. She knew her sister could get a bit too enthusiastic when it came to leaving a message. It was a useful skill, true, but when it came to things like this, her dark-haired sister's heart was as black as her tresses. "Yes. it's time. No more vanishings. Time to leave messages and bodies."

Karas moved along trailing the milk wench. She wasn't sure what she was up to, but the important part was to keep her deconflicted from where her sister was going to pounce the patrol. She didn't have to really get close to the milk wench, she just had to trail her.

While trailing the woman, Karas realizes the woman was pretty decent at stealth, for a human. After a while, she knew the woman was too far away to pose a threat to her sister as she took care of the night's business.

Time to catch up with her sister in case she needed help.

Meanwhile:

Belyanna held her position above the entrance to the courtyard. She waited for the last of the five to make it all the way into the small courtyard.

The first two were dead before they even knew there was a problem. Her boots landed on the head of the last one in line. Landing and kicking out, she snapped his neck. She steadied herself with the shaft of her spear, impaled throughout the back of the second Legionnaire. Two down, and the fight hasn't even started.

She gracefully rode the body to the ground. On her feet behind the other three, she set herself firmly for a split second before swiping the head off another legionnaire as they turned towards the commotion.

That’s three. Two facing her now. A small chirp to startle them into freezing in place followed by plunging the blade of her spear into the chest of the forth.

And that leaves one.

He stared at her, his eyes wide in disbelief.

She wasn't wearing her mask; her cloak was put away. She was revealed to him and she recognized her effect on him. She knew it would be the last thing he would see in his life.

"You humans have forgotten your place and the creators demand you remember. The creator's vengeance is upon you."

Moments later, all he could do was scream.