Chapter 161: The Gambit

 

6 years ago…

 

  The sun began to set over the northern army’s encampment. Soldiers marched back and forth, carrying supplies into their wagons and harnessing the centaurs. Loh stood watch over the soldiers, barking out orders to her messengers as they came.

  “I want the supply wagons to be in front of the rear guard and set two battalions to protect them. There may be no raiders at night, but there are still other predators this near Glimmer Grove forest,” Loh ordered.

  “Yes, general,” a messenger saluted and jogged away.

  Another messenger ran through the crowd of soldiers and wagons. She hurried to a stop in front of Loh.

  “General,” she saluted between heavy breaths.

  “What is it?” Loh raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s your brother.”

  “What did he do this time?”

  “Aizel is missing. He managed to slip past the guards you had stationed in front of his tent.”

  “What?”

  The messenger’s face paled, “Uh, um. What are your orders, general? Should I gather the scouts?”

  Loh took a deep breath and looked up at the sky. “Fuck my life!”

  The messenger took a fearful step back.

  Loh sighed, “The scouts have already been sent ahead of us to the south to ensure the army’s movement. Bringing them back now would take too long. Besides, I have a pretty good idea of where my idiot brother is.”

  “General?”

  “Make sure those guards are given thirty lashings each. I need to find Vayu,” she stomped off.

~~~

  Loh found Vayu in his usual open clearing. His fire drake had been equipped with her battle armor and ready to travel or fight, whichever came first. His hawk rested on one of the drake’s large horns. Vayu was already saddled when he caught the look of rage on Loh’s face from a distance.

  “Loh? What happened?” Vayu hopped off the large wingless lizard.

  “My idiot brother,” she seethed.

  “Aizel?”

  “He’s fucking gone! That’s what happened!”

  “What? No, that can’t be. We were supposed to have a drink before the army headed out.”

  “Vayu, he clearly doesn’t care as much about your nightly drinking as you think.” 

  She pinched the bridge of her nose and clenched her eyes shut. “I think he went to go get those stupid villagers.”

  “That doesn’t make sense. The camp won’t be here by the time he gets back,” Vayu shook his head.

  “Normally it wouldn’t. The problem is, the little prick knows his importance. My grandfather explicitly ordered me to keep him safe.”

  “He knows you will halt the army to get him back,” Vayu said with dawning realization.

  “He is a scion of House Noir. His safety comes before the mission,” she sighed. “Can you just help me?”

  “Leave it to me,” he nodded.

  Vayu sat cross legged on the ground and closed his eyes. “I’ll need some quiet and time to focus. It’ll probably take a while to find him.”

  Loh glanced around the open clearing, “Should be easy enough. None of the soldiers dare get close to your drake.”

  “Right then, I’ll try to make this quick,” he closed his eyes.

  Purple runes began to glow around Vayu’s grey skin, starting from the skull’s temple all the way to the base of his spine. Vayu’s hawk shuddered, its eyes flashed a bright purple. The hawk flapped its wings and shot up into the night sky.

  Loh didn’t have time to be impressed by Vayu’s binding magic, chromatic purple’s true spell-form. She was too busy thinking of the repercussions of Aizel’s idiocy. 

  She would have to at least send two battalions to ensure his safety, in case the caravan were a bunch of raiders in disguise. She would probably have to lead the battalions herself. She would send Vayu on ahead with the rest of the army to the rendezvous. Hopefully two-thirds of the northern army would be enough to protect the diplomats.

  That egotistical, self-righteous ass thought I would save those villagers just because I had to save him? Loh thought angrily.

  Aizel had no idea, she would kill those villagers herself if it meant saving the mission. She would get Aizel then leave the caravan and the damn villagers behind.

  Loh cursed under her breath.

  It was always like Aizel to fuck up her life. First, it was becoming grandfather’s heir and apprentice. Loh’s future had looked bright before Aizel failed to do his job as heir. Then Aizel had taken the love of their parents all to himself. 

  Finally, Aizel had taken the love of the woman she loved. And now, when all she had left was her position, her army, he sought to make himself the center of attention once more. He was going to ruin her mission all so that he could go home with a story of how he bravely saved a bunch of commoners from Valley raiders.

  She clenched her fists until they drew blood.

  “I found Aizel, he’s on a centaur leading the caravan of villagers towards our camp,” Vayu said.

  She sighed in relief, “At least we found him quick. Maybe our mission isn’t completely fucked yet. How far is he?”

  “About eight leagues still. The villagers' wagons are quite slow.”

  “Dammit. I swear I’m going to make that attention whore pay for running away.”

  “Wait, I see something,” Vayu’s eyes shifted under his eyelids.

  “What is it now?”

  “I think... oh gods, raiders. At least a hundred of them are slowly closing in on the caravan.”

  “What? How? It’s already dark. Valley tribes don’t initiate attacks at night,” she wrinkled her nose.

  “Well, these ones do. I’ve never seen anything like it... Wait, Loh, I don’t think the raiders have seen the caravan yet. We still have a chance of getting to Aizel first, but we need to move now,” his muscles tensed.

  “Dammit, we’ll need to have our centaurs run as fast as they can. They’ll be tired by the time we arrive. The battle will be difficult. We’ll need three battalions at the very least to ensure minimum casualties,” Loh rattled off her thoughts.

  She started running back up the hill towards the rest of the encampment. Loh swore that when she found Aizel she was going to make him regret running away.

  A whisper of an idea slipped into her mind. Loh froze, the world fell deathly silent, she could hear her heartbeat thrumming loudly in her ears. The idea was insanity, yet the more Loh thought of it the more rational it sounded, the more sure of herself she became.

  Vayu cracked an eye open, “Loh? We're running out of time.”

  She slowly turned and walked back down the hill, “What if we don’t?”

  “What? I don’t understand.”

  “What if we don’t go? What if I don’t rally the soldiers?” She said shakily.

  “Then the raiders will kill Aizel! Loh, I’m not kidding, we have to move now!”

  Loh swallowed and looked him in the eyes, “And if I don’t give the order?”

  “...What?”

  “Our mission comes first. If I send half our army to protect Aizel we risk failing to secure the route and the safety of the diplomats.”

  Vayu opened both eyes, “Loh, this isn’t some random commoner we would be forsaking. This is Aizel, your brother.” 

  “Our mission comes first,” she nodded to herself.

  “That’s bullshit and you know it! You said his safety comes first!”

  “Aizel made his choice.”

  “Are you kidding me right now? Loh, this isn’t a joke, Aizel’s life is in danger!”

  “So, what? So fucking what!? All he has ever done is ruined my life! I’ve lost everything because of him.”

  “Loh…” Vayu’s eyes widened.

  “I-If… If Aizel were to disappear, things would change. Yeah, they would change,” She ran a trembling hand through her grey hair. “My parents would stop looking at him. Tauri would stop looking at him... She wouldn’t marry him.”

  Vayu stood up and slowly raised his hands, “Loh, this won’t play out how you think. Aizel is a person, not some thing you just lose and forget about.”

  “How do you know that! Huh!? My family treated me like a thing! I was just a convenient tool to be used whenever they needed me! Why is Aizel different!?”

  Tears ran down her face, “Why is Aizel the one they care about? I’m the one who gave up everything to make them proud. He did nothing.”

  She fell to her knees and burst into tears, “Why does he get all their love? Why am I alone?”

  Vayu wrapped his arms around her, “Loh…”

  She wiped her tears, “Not anymore. I’m gonna change the narrative.”

  “Loh, you can’t do this,” he whispered.

  She pushed him away, “Why not? Everyone thinks Aizel ran away from the camp. No one knows we already found him. If we wait, only for a little bit, we’ll be too late. We can say we were too late to save Aizel and the caravan. No one will ever know.”

  “I will know,” Vayu bit his lip.

  “You? You would tell people? Vayu, the man who said he would always stay by my side? You would betray me now? For him, for Aizel,” she snarled. “I should have guessed, everyone always chooses him over me.”

  “Loh, it’s not like that. I love you, but he’s my friend,” Vayu gripped his chest.

  Shadows wrapped around her body. “I’ve made my choice. It’s time you make yours.”

  Vayu threw himself at her feet, “I’m begging you, please don’t do this. He’s my friend. Don’t make me a part of this, please.”

  “Are you with me or are you my enemy?” Loh whispered apathetically.

  Vayu looked up at her, tears fell down his pale grey face. His lips trembled. Vayu’s body slumped over, an empty shell.

  “I am so sorry... Aizel,” he whispered.

  She turned away, “Keep an eye on Aizel with your hawk. Tell me when the raiders have done their work. I’ll send in a battalion afterwards.”

  Vayu gripped his hands and tried to stop them from trembling, “You have no idea what being a kinslayer does to someone.”

  Loh laughed maniacally, “Kinslayer? Do you have any idea how many aristocrats kill each other for a chance at ruling their Houses? My own grandfather, the great Elzri Noir, killed not one, but two of his siblings!”

  Vayu stared at her weakly, yet with determination, “You don’t think that affects people? I am a purple mage. I have read the minds of prisoners who have done horrible things. I have seen the guilt eat them up from the inside until they are a hollow shell of their former selves.”

  Loh looked at him coldly, “You speak as if I have guilt.”

~~~

Present Day… 

 

  Loh stared at the wine in her mug, at the reflection of the woman she despised staring back at her.

  You were right, Vayu.

  The guilt had eventually found her and it struck her like a dagger to the back, its cold edge biting into her very soul. But by then it was too late, Aizel was gone and Loh had lost everything.

  She gripped her mug. If I could take back that night, I would have given anything. But I can’t. You win, Aizel.

  A warm hand touched her shoulder.

  “Loh, are you okay?” A gentle voice said.

  Tauri’s voice broke Loh from the memory. The sounds of the wedding reception returned in all their rowdy galore.

  “Hm? Yeah, I’m fine,” Loh forced her lips to smile.

  Tauri poked her grey forehead, “What goes on in that brooding head of yours?”

  “I was just thinking about an old gambit,” Loh shrugged.

  “Oh? What happened?”

  Loh downed her wine in one swig. She slammed the mug on the bar counter. “I lost.”

  “Hah, that’s hard to believe. The magical genius of House Noir, losing? Nay, impossible!” Tauri yelled dramatically.

  “I don’t feel like much of a genius right now… Only an idiot,” Loh sighed.

  Tauri’s face grew solemn. She bumped shoulders with Loh, “Well, technically you’re a prodigy, not a genius. You’re allowed to be stupid sometimes.”

  “Is that right?” Loh grinned wryly.

  “Definitely. If you can’t act stupid, then what hope do us ordinary folk have?”

  “Tauri, I could describe you with a thousand words, ordinary would never have crossed my mind as one.”

  “Wow, I never took you as a poet, please regale me with one of your ballads,” she batted her amber eyes.

  Loh laughed, “Stop or maybe I really will.”

  “Alright, alright,” Tauri raised her hands in surrender. She glanced down the bar, “Oi, two of the strongest stuff you got!”

  “Right away, miss,” the bartender nodded enthusiastically.

  “Are you trying to get us wasted?” Loh raised her eyebrow.

  “If we can’t get drunk at a wedding party then I see no point in living,” Tauri winked.

  “I guess so…” Loh fidgeted with her mug.

  “Damn right,” she nodded.

  “...I’m sorry for what happened to Aizel,” Loh whispered.

  Tauri’s smile died. She reached out and grabbed her best friend’s hand, “It wasn’t your fault, Loh. No one expected Valley raiders to attack at night. You and Vayu rode as fast as you could to save Aizel. You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”

  Tauri took a long deep breath, “You know, I used to think what would have happened had you guys been able to get there just a few minutes faster. If only one of the soldiers noticed Aizel had left the camp a few minutes earlier. If only Vayu’s hawk had been able to locate Aizel before the raiders attacked. How different could things have been?”

  “...What changed?”

  “One day I came to the realization that Bellum had decided it was Aizel’s time.”

  “You think the goddess of war let Aizel die?” Loh’s hands trembled.

  “Well, not exactly. I don’t pretend to know the minds of the gods. But I have to believe Aizel died for a reason. Because if not… Well, no point dwelling on that,” Tauri swallowed.

  Loh felt the pain constrict around her heart, it was difficult to breathe.

  “You sure you’re okay?” Tauri patted her back.

  She cleared her throat, “I’m fine, really. I was just thinking it's weird how your family worships the ebon gods.”

  “What, do you want me to be a staunch atheist like you?” Tauri chuckled.

  “Maybe? Well, what about the scarlet gods? Do you ever whisper a prayer to them?”

  “No,” Tauri shook her head. “Many orcs still do, especially in the city of Murkton. But the way my family sees it, we left the Scarlet Realm centuries ago. If House Katag is to rule over the Ebon Realm’s people, we should worship their gods too.”

  “And you really believe that?”

  “I do. After all, why would a scarlet god listen to the prayer of an orc in a faraway Realm? But an ebon god listening to an orc of a Ruling Family of Hollow Shade? Well, that’s a different story.”

  “If the gods are real,” Loh added.

  “Careful, Bellum might smite you,” Tauri winked.

  Loh shook her head, “I’m more worried Lunae might smite us both. We are literally in a tavern that has a sign outside with a drawing of the moon with two shapely legs in high heels.” 

  “Good point,” Tauri conceded.

  “Here you are, miss,” the bartender placed two full mugs in front of them.

  Tauri grabbed one and passed the other to Loh.

  “I win!” Stryg yelled triumphantly from across the room.

  Clypeus and Kegrog fell over next to him, empty mugs all around. The crowd cheered the winner of the drinking contest.

  “I always thought Stryg was a strange one and nothing I’ve seen today has changed my mind,” Tauri chuckled.

  Loh grinned, she raised her mug high, “To the newlyweds!”

  “To the newlyweds!”