Chapter 97 Dragon Standards.

Izen Arbencroft had been through his fair share of battles. Due to his position as a high noble’s son, back in those days he was kept as an advisor more than anything. That didn’t mean that he hadn’t been forced to bloody his sword a time or two but it did mean that he had fought more assassins than soldiers on the battlefield. Most of his mortal on mortal combat experience had come when he was an adventurer. All of that was to say that he had never witnessed a retreat quite like the one that was happening at that moment. The drow soldiers were pulling back in two different directions to give the crater, where Izen could only assume Isaac and Jallen concluded their battle, a wide berth. The wizards were still being guarded by their respective knight-paladins. There were only a dozen knight-paladins remaining to the twenty wizards. Every single auxiliary wizard survived which just went to show how perfect the drow formation had been.

The wizards were dumping the sulfur from their reality shields in the direction of his troops one at a time before they would drop the shield and retreat to the location of the next wizard behind them. In this way they could maintain protection from the ballistae in the event Izen ordered the siege weapons to re-engage. As the number of reality shields decreased the drow soldiers started to form up behind them for protection. The retreat looked like it had been drilled a few thousand times with how perfectly everyone involved executed it. ‘They could do it once a week and have done it a thousand times by now.’ Izen thought to himself. Elves had it easy as far as he was concerned. Their increased lifespan meant that their soldiers had more time to train at a more measured pace. The results were what he was watching at that exact moment. Even in the face of defeat they maintained composure and rolled like a well greased wagon wheel.

Izen could only shake his head at the absurdity of the retreating drow military splitting into two sections in order to go around Isaac. He understood, at least he thought he did, why they were so afraid of him but it was still something that he was sure he would never see again. His eyes caught movement as Lenna strode through the field of corpses towards Isaac and he had to chuckle. “Those two are going to be the death of me but, by Halya, I am glad they are on our side.” He said more to himself than to the Guard Captain next to him.

Tim nodded. “You and I both, my Lord.” He agreed.

Izen panned his gaze over what was left of their side of the conflict. A third of those he had sent outside the walls were either dead or dying. “Get the rest of the healers out there!” He ordered and the gate started to open again to allow clerics, to noncombat related deities, outside in an attempt to save as many lives as possible. The drow had taken roughly the same number of casualties. The difference was that three quarters of the dark elf casualties were spread out over a quarter of the line of contact. Fable and Edward alone had to have killed a dozen drow soldiers each based on their corpse distribution. Their line’s casualties were opposite. The adventurers hand picked by Edward to aid them in the center had been top of the line and the soldiers on either side of them had been from his personal guard. They had received minimal casualties but the flanks hadn’t been nearly as lucky.

There were cheers ringing out through the ranks but they were muted by the very real casualty percentage. None of the drow bodies that were left behind were moving. All of them were dead as there had been enough knight-paladins spread out among them that no one was going to die from bleeding out. All of the drow casualties were deaths where around half of the human ones might still be saved with magic. Izen let out a long sigh but he couldn’t keep a smile from his face despite the heavy cost of the victory. “We did it.” He told Tim. “Jallen V’Nova is dead and we beat back a V’Nova assault.” Tim was about to reply when movement caught their attention. “Is that?”

“The dwarves.” Tim replied. They had finally made it to the battlefield, well, almost. They were still five minutes or so out. It also looked like they would only hit the right half of the retreating drow. “Should we re-engage the artillery?”

Izen shook his head. “No. If any stray attacks hit Darkness then our whole city will be ashes by morning.” He replied. “Let the dwarves have their fun. They are outnumbered two to one even after our battle but it should still be a good show.”

“Midget horse cavalry against V’Nova shieldbearers?” Tim asked. “Can the dwarves even do anything?”

Izen chuckled and turned to head towards the steps that lead down from the wall. “I will be fine alone, Tim. Take notes on the skirmish from there.” He told the Guard Captain and left to do his rounds. He had heroes to talk to.

—

“Isaac?” Lenna said tentatively. He looked, quite honestly, like shit. His cloak had been lost at some point. His right boot was gone entirely and his left one looked like it would fall off if he took one more step in it. His leg armor was gone entirely on his right leg as was most of the pant leg leaving only ribbons of torn thread remaining. His left leg wasn’t much better but at least she couldn’t see his thigh. The Gambeson of the Guarded Soul, a legendary item, was entirely exposed as the few pieces of armor Isaac could find to wear over it had been completely destroyed. The gambeson itself had lost its color in a straight line from Isaac’s right peck to his left elbow. The Lets of Quickness seemed fine but the Amulet of the Hero was nowhere to be found. Isaac looked exhausted as he gazed at the ceiling of the cavern.

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Upon hearing Lenna’s voice Isaac turned and gave her a genuine, if tired, smile. He raised an eyebrow. “What happened to you?” He questioned without his smile dropping. He was aware that he also didn’t exactly look presentable for polite company but Lenna’s face had taken at least two good punches. The right side of her face was a bit swollen already and her right eye was bloodshot. Her braid was half undone and she had blood smeared down the right side of her face from barely sealed cuts.

“I met an old friend.” Lenna replied with her own tired smile. “You?”

“My entire body was destroyed at least three times over by this mythical potion I had to drink because a certain, very dead, asshole refused to die.” He replied simply.

Lenna gestured at his armor. “What about the rest?”

“I hear uncommon gear isn’t up to dragon standards.” He joked. “Well, I see that it isn’t, now. I really should’ve taken them seriously.”

Lenna closed the short distance between them and pulled him into a deep kiss. He returned it passionately and she felt his power start to wash into and through her. Death flames licked across her poorly healed cuts and soaked into her bruises. She melted into him while the pair stood over the corpse of the man who had haunted them for months, the man who ruled an entire city of warriors and slaves, the man known as a dragon slayer, the man responsible for tens of thousands of deaths over the course of his reign, her uncle, Jallen V’Nova.

—

Izen had just finished thanking every single adventurer, soldier, and guard that was still conscious down their entire battle line. He stopped to talk to Edward and Fable for a few minutes and to get a read on their prisoner before he started off towards Isaac and Lenna. He waded through the drow corpses until he came upon Isaac and Lenna sitting on bloodied stone in front of a headless corpse. Isaac and Lenna were leaning against each other and they both looked exhausted from what he could see. They were facing away from him and were watching the dwarven cavalry harass the retreating drow soldiers with little success. From what he could tell the runes on the horse and dwarf armor alike had done their jobs. Every spell that was cast towards them was countered automatically while they threw vials of acid and hammers that returned to them at the soldiers. Some used crossbows from the rear and one even had his own wand to cast spells towards the drow. The most either side was doing at the moment was wasting gold and mana and that was likely to continue for at least the next ten minutes.

“Have a seat.” Isaac said without looking back. “Standing has officially gone out of style.” He joked. Izen could tell that Isaac was exhausted, something that he had never seen for himself, he had to wonder how powerful Jallen had actually been.

Izen walked around the pair and slowly lowered himself to sit a comfortable distance away from Isaac along the edge of the six inch deep, six foot wide crater. Izen groaned as he sat down. “I am getting too old to sit on the ground.” He complained.

Isaac chuckled and Lenna smiled. “You didn’t actually have to sit.” Isaac told him. “I didn’t expect the duke to come the whole way out here to get us.”

“You killed the single greatest threat to Safeharbor. A threat that has existed since before its very founding.” Izen explained. “It was the least I could do.”

Isaac waved him off. “He was going to keep targeting Lenna if we didn’t take care of him when we had the chance.” Isaac replied.

“Still,” Izen continued. “you have done us a great service. A service that cannot be repaid in gold, I’m afraid.”

Isaac finally tore his gaze away from the skirmish to look at Izen’s face. The duke’s face was… heavy. Isaac could see the weight of the dead and the price of victory resting on his shoulders. Isaac could also see something else hiding just beneath the surface though, pride. Pride in what they had done, in their victory. “A favor then?” Isaac asked.

Izen nodded. “Yes.” He replied. “A reasonable favor, please.”

Isaac chuckled. After a moment he reached into his Inventory and pulled out the Amulet of the Hero that had saved his life, twice. “What about this?” He asked.

Izen looked at the shining amulet with a frown. “I could petition to have it bestowed upon you for your service but I do not actually have the authority to give it to you permanently. As was said before, it is a national treasure.” Izen explained.

Isaac tossed Izen the amulet. “It was worth a try.” He said casually. It was something that Isaac would’ve liked but with how many times Jallen had cheated death there had to be something better somewhere in the world. “Actually, I have an idea.” Isaac said after a minute of the three of them continuing to watch the skirmish as it changed into an entirely defensive battle. The drow had formed up around their remaining wagons and the dwarves were trying to set fire to them.

“A reasonable one?” Izen asked. The question sounded serious but there was a small smile on the corner of his bearded face.

Isaac chuckled. “That depends, it might be pushing it.” He replied honestly. “You know that drider skeleton?” Isaac asked and waited for Izen to nod before continuing. “I found out yesterday that it can still produce silk.”

Izen turned slowly to face Isaac with genuine shock on his face. “What?” He asked. Drider silk was the singularly most expensive, per pound, material in the world.

Isaac grinned. “So as far as favors go, I want to build a house to my own specifications, close to the dessert parlor preferably, but that is a bit out of my price range especially considering that all of the houses in that area are owned by the duke and reserved for noble visitors.” He finished. “Of course that house will need to have a rather large workshop attached that can handle and protect all of the staff and equipment needed to make drider silk gear.”

Izen was silent for a long moment as the gears started turning in his mind and numbers were crunched in record time. “Counter offer,” Izen began. “I will have all of it built and transferred into your names and take care of selling the goods in question for you, for a small cut of the profit.”

Isaac frowned. “The first batch is already getting taxed by the guild.” He countered.

“I’ll help you sell that batch for free and pick up whatever the guild tax is for the rest of it but,” Izen raised a finger for emphasis. “At least two thousand yards worth of material needs to be sold a year.”

Isaac smiled and nodded. “Deal.” He told the duke and offered him his hand. The duke took it. “It’s always a pleasure doing business with you.”

Izen chuckled. “I am afraid I cannot say the same. I feel like I have been robbed at least once during our deals.”

Isaac laughed. “Maybe you’re right.” The trio sat in silence for another minute watching the dwarves exercise in futility. “Shy and Marie made it back safely, right?” He asked.

Izen nodded. “Yes, they even brought back Jallen’s shield and killed all five of the scouts.” He explained.

Isaac smiled. “Good.” He took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. “Well, we’ve sat here long enough. I could use a bath and a nap, not necessarily in that order.”