War of attrition for the heart part 1

The imperial army didn't stop at the capital to resupply but continued to move forward and pursue the allied force. The already tired Varangians were forced to keep going, as the emperor saw a rampant enemy army more dangerous to his rule than tired and demoralized troops.

The allied army split into two, one heading to the hilly terrain in the south, the other heading in the opposite direction. Rufus led one army, while the queen led the other.

The imperial army decided to pursue the force that had attacked their rear, which was being led by Rufus.

This was though Rufus's plan all along.

~~

During the chase, the imperials found their countryside and villages burnt by the allied army. Any small city was sacked, fields put ablaze, and grain stocks robbed.

The emperor often was close to catching up to the allied army, but he was always too late, seeing ruins instead. They had given up all their supply wagons and lived off the land, stealing and looting as they went.

The mainland of the empire was burning and was being destroyed. While it was going on, the imperial soldiers were getting tired and demotivated. The helpless people of the empire begged their soldiers to spare some supplies. Still, the emperor ordered them not to, as he wanted all that was left for his soldiers. The Varangians had to watch hopelessly as columns of refugees formed. Some of these people were the soldiers' families. Their sisters, wives, and mothers. Their elderly fathers or young little brothers.

For months this cat-and-mouse game continued. The emperor began to feel furious and took out his frustration on his men. He had personally executed stragglers several times, burning them alive to ensure motivation among his men.

Slowly the almost divine look and perception of the emperor started to vanish as his wars of conquest were devastating his own lands. The imperial soldiers felt the pain of having their lands destroyed, as many came from a similar village or town. Many blamed the allied forces, but many more doubted the emperor. Questioning why they were fighting in the first place in a war of conquest. How did this war, supposedly far away from their home, turn this way.

During the night, Gadaric and his soul watchers were scouting ahead and took out some allied raiding parties here and there. In one village, he encountered a small raiding force.

They were soldiers of the Aurelian kingdom and were accompanied by a couple of greyhound knights. After a short battle, they, too, were dealt with by the assassins of the empire.

"We arrived too late. The grain supplies have already been destroyed, and many buildings are in ruins. At least the people are alive," one of the soul watchers explained.

Gadaric felt aggravated.

"Kill them...."

"What!?" the soul watcher asked.

"Kill them. The existence of the soul watchers is to be kept out from the public. Not even our own citizens can know of our existence."

"But we just saved them!"

"I KNOW...I know," Gadaric yelled, letting the assassins know the order came from the emperor personally.

~~

After all the witnesses had been dealt with, Gadaric saw smoke coming all over the area. Other villages were burning.

"And this is only one village, and there are tens of more in the area. It is like trying to stop a forest fire with just a bucket," Gadaric replied somberly.

Gadaric jumped on top of a tree and saw Rufus flying in the sky with Haley, being escorted by black yak riders, coming to the aid of the destroyed raiding party.

"Lord Gadaric, we should try and assassinate king Rufus. My men and I will hide and ambush them as they enter this village," one of the soul watchers said.

"No, have your men return back. I will stay here," Gadaric said.

"But my lord. This is our chance to end this war," the assassin said.

"No, it is not. We are unable to kill Rufus. He is too powerful now. I will instead try something else," Gadaric said and sent his assassins away.

~~

As Rufus and Haley got to the village, they saw the villagers had been killed. They were lying on the ground alongside their soldiers.

"I thought we gave clear orders to just take grain and water and spare all possible civilians," Haley said as she walked through the corpses.

Rufus inspected the bodies. The cuts on the civilian bodies were similar to those on their soldiers.

"They were not killed by our men."

Rufus saw that one of the house's doors was open. He told Haley to wait outside as he entered it by himself. Inside was Gadaric, with his mask off, drinking some wine the village had produced.

"Would you like to sit down with me," Gadaric asked?