Chapter 23: The Tides Turned

Kurgren crashes to the ground in a groan, his body aching from fatigue, which the cold stone floor didn't help, before Ignatz helps him up.

He then looks at their hiding spot.

It is a small warehouse, barely large enough to fit all of them, with four small rooms and about thirty to two thirty triple decker bed spaced only half a foot apart and taking a majority of the space, with a small kitchen at the far end with one long table.

He then looks up to see Ardent and Ekon yelling at each other, leading to unsheathing their weapons, before Wolfgang quickly intercepts with a loud stop and briefly swears in dwarvish before calming them down.

Both of them then slowly calm down. Then sheathes they weapons and apologies, yet with hints of bitterness in their voice.

Wolfgang then sighs.

"Listen. I know where both of you are getting at. While it's tragic Soloman and Sofia got capture saving them then was a big risk. But know that Soloman expected this."

Both, and the soldiers, conscripts, and non-combatants gapes at him.

"Soloman knew that one day he would slip up. So he entrusted me to take charge when it happened, and know this, we will free them when we get the chance. But now we need to recuperate."

Both briefly looks to him. Then sighs as they go sit on the beds.

"Besides, knowing Brundol, he will not execute them in a long time until they give information. Now get some rest. We haven't escaped hell yet."

He then went to Piper and Zarad, tears leaking from their eyes with a look of horror for Sofia's capture, and ask them for an explanation.

They then learned that Sofia had managed to dissuade a soldier from joining the battle. Before disguising herself as a defender and aided them as a reserve. Telling it only to them and promise to keep it a secret.

Kurgren then looks at his pocket watch. And was shocked that the time, from seven pm when the battle started, is now eight-thirty pm and goes to bed. Without changing.

He slept in the center with Ardent on top and Erhardt on bottom, groaning a bit as the mattress and pillow is harder than the one back at the base, alongside the thin and rough blanket.

And while he was used to it. Having slept on the dusty, to muddy when it rained, floor with nothing but his bedroll at his old hut, he couldn't shake off the comfort of the previous bed. With it's mattress and pillow stuffed with hay and thin woolen blanket. And the fact that it was his own room where he didn't endure the snoring or movement of others.

He then tried to sleep, trying his best to ignore Erhardt snore, when he finally awakes to the groans of the rest and the sunlight hitting his eyes.

He then gets up and joins the rest for breakfast, oatmeal with a small slice of salami, before Wolfgang beckons him and their groups to the meeting room.

It is a small room with a round table, enough for all nine of them while taking most of the space, and chairs with the remaining lab equipment strewn atop it with the Obrilon on a pedestal in the centre.

They quickly sat down where Wolfgang speaks.

"As you all know this wasn't supposed to happen. And, with our backs to the corner, we'll have to use downfall to reclaim Leona and save them."

Ekon, Ignatz and Delilah gasps. Much to the confusion of Ardent's group when Wolfgang explains.

"The operation is an all or nothing gambit. For it could retake Leona. But at a terrible price."

He then composes himself.

"If there's one major flaw in Brundol's slave system. Then it's the slaves, from Orcs and Vardskuls to Humans who rebels against his rules, outnumbers his forces five to one, most of which lives in the first levels, with the only way of keeping them in line is by collars that forces them to obey any order by him or their owners. Not only that but the second level doesn't know this while we garnered some sympathizer on the third level who are supplying us."

"And your point?" Kurgren ask.

"The operation is for a small team to infiltrate Brundol's castle, with the aid of our trusted informant, and destroy the antenna transmitting the collars magic, while the rest of us tries to rally the second level to fight against Brundol, where we shall quickly supply the now freed slaves with the equipment's we stole from Leona over the years and aid them in taking the castle. While you try to weaken it within."

They then sit in quiet as the information sinks in. By freeing the slave and letting them aid the remaining rebels is sound, as the bulk of the slaves are orcs and vardskuls, but yet a troubling thought remains.

Ardent then breaks the silence.

"This is a bad plan. Those slaves are facing against soldiers with armor, weapons and training. While they are only armed with spears, shields, and daggers with most of them not knowing how to fight. They could overwhelm them but thousands of them will-"

"Die." Wolfgang finishing his sentence.

He then sighs and push back his hair.

"I, alongside Soloman and the group, knows that this plan will lead to the deaths of many, I won't deny that, but we have no other choice. It's either slowly try to regain our power which by then Soloman and Sofia will be publicly executed, or at worse sold to slavery, with the security tightening up and knuckling down to find us. Or try an even riskier operation that will destroy us."

He then strokes his beard.

"Besides. My people have a proverb of this, said by Ulric himself when he led his people to reclaim to the Volksgard."

"Libheit blavon toh."

"Freedom before death." Ignatz translates.

Ardent and the group then accepts the plan, with looks of worry, and Wolfgang exits to announce the plan, only renaming Bryan back to Brundol.