Chapter 38: Emergence
The next day in the early morning when most of the squad was still sleeping from active work yesterday, several knights in Freinos family insignia came and accompanied Theo to Stella's tent.
Yawning and passing through the entrance of her tent, the black-haired youth raised his sleepy glance and looked dumbfoundedly at the maiden that was sitting in the chair.
Seeing his dissatisfied face which became quite rare these days, Stella smiled before approaching him and patting his head.
Such scene continued for several moments until Theo woke up and started resisting to save his head.
"Glad to see you," said Stella, "How are you doing?"
Theo was still restoring his haircut from the chaos Stella created.
"Could be better if someone chose a different time to talk, not the rare moment when I was resting," said Theo, rubbing his eyes.
Seeing her little brother that recently grew up significantly behave like the past self made Stella widen her smile as she returned to her seat and prepared tea and several cups for her and Theo.
"How are you doing in the "Red horses"?" asked Stella, "Anybody bully you there?"
Theo sipped a bit of tea before shaking his head.
"Don't worry, I am fine, nobody is bullying me, and in fact, many help us by giving advice," said Theo before continuing drinking this tea that was like heaven in comparison to the usual food he had in this camp.
They continued to talk for some time on different topics, Stella asked Theo about his days in the expedition camp while she shared several funny stories she had in the same period of time.
Finishing listening for another funny story about Stella's close subordinates - Anthony and Suthan, Theo who has long ago guessed that his sister wouldn't call for him without serious reason, gave up and moved his serious glance at Stella.
"Why I am here?" asked Theo with a serious expression on his face.
Noticing such transformation, Stella sighed before quickly becoming serious and looking at her brother.
"Theo, there are some problems with our advance in here, and our squad might meet the enemy in the coming days. Our other groups haven't returned yet, and our overall strength is much less than before. So, if there would be a situation when my squad ends up cornered, you should be ready to escape. I will order my close adjutants to accompany you out of the battlefield and save you. Of course, that would happen only if my inner feeling is right,"
Hearing her words and emphasizing for himself the last part about her intuition, Theo became even more serious than before.
He had many opportunities to learn that it's better to listen to Stella's words when it came to her intuition.
However, Theo spent last weeks, serving as a water porter and had only limited information.
"What happened? I thought that our forces totally control this area and there shouldn't be any problems with our march. Wherefrom would a huge army come to make you worry so much?" asked Theo, looking at Stella.
Stella didn't say anything and just gave him the recent message owl delivered and gave him several moments to read it.
Reading the message, Theo finally realized why suddenly the whole camp wallowed inactivity and preparation, and after remembering the local landscape, it didn't take long for Theo to realize that goblins should already know about their camp and overall situation. They were just too close to the local big forest.
Sighing, resolute flames appeared in his eyes before Theo stood up and looked at Stella.
"I will go, seem like water porters will have to help you in battle. So, I better stop wasting my time here and start preparations,"
Stella didn't say anything and just gladly smiled when she saw that her little brother was finally manning up.
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Several hours later, Theo was busy helping groups of knights to strengthen their outer positions helping to install peaks and improve walls mages created. Other water porters were also busy throughout the camp.
It was already the late morning and they approached to finish around 60% of the work when the sudden sound of many galloping horses resounded across the area.
There was nothing strange that many knights, water porters, and mages raised their glances to look in the direction sound was coming from.
A short time later, many distant armored figures appeared in some distance.
Just a glance was enough for many to recognize them as their comrades that were returning from the hunt, and many smiled and started cheering, but several moments, their expressions changed when they saw them from a closer distance.
Those knights, mages, scouts, and tamers weren't the same people who left them. Many of them looked beaten, their clothes were dirty from constant march, some had clear wounds and it seemed that fewer were returning.
In a blink, the atmosphere became tense when people at the fort realized what happened with them, and when they just sent several people to call for alchemists, riders at the start of the column approached the gates of the constructing fort.
That rider looked like the officer of this group.
Approaching the gates, that rider didn't even decrease his speed, but gathered his battle energy and cried towards the guards, responsible for the gates.
"Open the gates, I repeat, open the gates, I have an urgent report to the commander," cried the officer, "Besides, there are many injured and we need immediate treatment,"
Hearing his words guards rushed to open the outer gates, letting him and his group pass through.
As a result, the gates opened long before the officer reached the gates, and he and his subordinate just continued to move without paying attention to other things.
Theo and others gained a good chance to look at the returning forces from a close distance because they would inevitably pass through the areas with peaks, they were working on.
Just a glance at the wounds that became green and pale was enough to recognize the effects of the goblin poison, and an approximate picture of events appeared in his head.
This group most likely ended up in one of their ambushes where they suffered casualties or divided and were forced to return.
However, the attack of the goblins near their camp didn't mean that they would attack them, so he and others quickly returned to work.
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Entering the tent, the officer with dirtied uniform and blood traces on it quickly bowed when he saw a woman with red hair, looking at him.
"Commander, I failed, I deserve punishment," said the officer without raising his glance at the woman in from of him.
Hearing his words and looking at him Stella sighed.
"Mark, tell me what happened, I will decide for myself whether you deserve punishment or not," said Stella, signaling him to raise his head and talk freely.
"Commander, my group followed your order and moved to the north towards the Iron mountains ridge from here," said Mark, starting explaining everything, "At first, everything was good, we continued to kill all-new monsters we met along our way, clearing the roads and territories around them. However, around a day ago, we ended up approaching a forest that even patrols rarely entered. And a result, we ended up entering into the territory governed by goblins,"
"At first when we met several of their archers, we just killed them and continued our advance. I didn't get any reports about the appearance of huge groups of goblins and didn't think that we were slowly entering into the trap and as a result, approximately an hour later, we ended up surrounded by 1.000 goblins that started attacking us from all sides. It was a literal massacre!" explained Mark, paling in the process, "If not for the help of our mages and the fact that those goblins were inexperienced, we wouldn't succeed in breaching the encirclement when half of my group was already dead,"
"As a result, mage Taivin used an advanced fire spell and created a huge wall of fire, blocking goblins and buying us some time to escape," explained Mark with the hateful expression on his face, "He stayed behind while I and my subordinates were escaping,"
"Commander, I deserve punishment, please give the order," said Mark with a desperate expression on his face.
He was not desperate to the fact that he lost, but more desperate because he felt guilt and incompetence and many talented people died due to his mistake.
Hearing his explanation, Stella touched her chin before looking at Mark.
"Captain Mark, do you want to revenge for the deaths of your group?" asked Stella.
Hearing her words, Mark shivered and raised his glance.
Clear hate and thirst for revenge appeared in his eyes.
Such glance told better than any words.
"Good, you won't be punished, and won't be beheaded this moment for your mistake, but you will have to prove yourself in the coming battle and behead one of their high officers to earn mercy," said Stella, looking at him.
Mark didn't say anything and just hit his heart area with his right hand, looking at Stella in the process.
"Commander, I - Mark, vow that I will succeed or die trying. I am ready to get punishment, but let me kill as many goblins as I can,"
"We will see, not show me the forest and the route you chose to escape," said Stella, giving several maps to Mark.
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A short time later, when Mark finished telling details of their journey, a stern expression appeared on her face as she looked at Anthony and Suthan.
"Get ready," said Stella.
Hearing her words and seeing her expression two adjutants have long ago realized what would most likely happen in the next hours.
"It will be done," said both adjutants in unison before leaving the tent.
Returning her glance at the Mark, Stella spent several moments, looking at him.
"You will be in charge of the outer walls and will have to protect the riskiest area as your punishment in the coming siege," said Stella, "Now, leave, I have to change my attire to the battle armor,"
Mark just nodded and quickly left the tent, following her command.
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The gathering in Stella's tent took around an hour to finish and Theo and other water porters were finishing installing the last peaks when the sudden sound many of them didn't expect to hear resounded across the camp.
This was the signal to prepare for battle, usually used before the start of the sieges or defensive battles.
Hearing that long signal that was clearer than any words, water porters, knights, mages and others rushed inside the fort to their groups as one group after another appeared on the walls and in different positions, preparing for battle.
Theo, Leonardo, Bell, Ryan, and Robin as other water porters in Nora's group lined up in front of Paul that was looking at the "Red horses" members in front of him.
Paul seemed confident but had hidden worry and fear in his eyes as he looked at his subordinate.
"Our camp will be attacked, scouts have already returned, reporting an approaching army, consisting of goblins and nagas," announced Paul, "Right now, 5th special squad has a bit less than half of its battle capabilities, so we were ordered to join the coming battle,"
Hearing his words, the atmosphere became tense as many expressions changed.
"So, we the "Red horses" will keep the inner structure we use during work, but we will be transferred to different defending perimeters and will help our forces with our abilities and talents," said Paul, looking at them, "I know that many of you feel fear and worry right now, but we all warned you that there can be a situation like that and you should be ready and just need to gather your resolution to show yourself,"
"By the way, don't forget that warriors and knights that use battle energy can become stronger as they fight during the battlefield, it's a rare chance for many a step away from becoming a knight to make a breakthrough, surrounded by blood and fire,"
Hearing his words, many expressions relaxed and resolute flames appeared on many elder water porters, and even newbies eased up just by looking at their comrades.
"Now, I will tell to which defending perimeters you were inscribed to,"
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A short time later, Theo and Nora's group were helping archers while knights and mages were moving around throughout the walls.
In short, they were making last preparations before the battle!
Such a scene was happening all over the walls and fort, and the glances of more than 1.500 people were looking towards the north.
Right, when the mid-day, started a lonely figure atop of the wolf appeared in distance at the furthest hill.
The figure stopped for several moments, looking at the fort that has long ago unleashed his weapons, aiming at any enemies.
At first many thought that he is just a scout and would leave to report, but their expressions changed when they heard a familiar horn signal that they heard during their service on the northern borders of the Freinos family.
The signal to attack!
A moment later, one row after another started appearing behind that figure, and half an hour later thousands of goblins and nagas appeared approaching the fort with many siege tools, following after them.
At this moment, nobody doubted that a long siege was waiting for them.
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At the same time as 2.000 goblins and 2.000 nagas encircled the hill from all the sides, there was another group hidden in the near forest, watching as enemies prepared their 1st attack.
"Bartolomeo, what should we do?" asked Spartacus, looking at him, "It can't be considered as a game anymore, and our young master is in real danger while he is inside that camp,"
"He is still not ready for battles like that and I am sure that lady Stella and her officers will be too busy, fighting with the strongest warriors of the enemy army," added Neo, "Commander Silo gave clear orders regarding the young master,"
"Relax, in our condition when there are only 4 of us, we can't be sure that we will be able to safely accompany our young master. Though we are Great knights and have enough strengths to deal with thousand enemies, those nagas and goblins also have strong warriors that will make sure to kill our young master if we try to save him," explained Bartolomeo, touching his chin, "Look, those goblins are ambush masters that rarely participate in sieges, but they gathered such a huge force and joined hands with nagas to attack Stella's squad, it's just too strange."
Pondering a bit, Spartacus raised his voice again.
"Then what should we do? Our young master can be killed in this siege and you just tell me to stay here and wait for the right moment?"
"Yes, let's at 1st see how the battle would go and then join if he will need real saving," said Bartolomeo, "By the way, don't forget about the young lady, Lord wouldn't forgive us if we save young master and leave young lady,"
Nodding to his words, Spartacus returned his shield on his back before moving his glance at the enemy army that was finishing its last preparations.