There was no sense of satisfaction when I left the little village behind, no sense that everything would be okay, but I'd done all I could. We had other villages to check, other places to make sure were well before we returned to the city, and with enemies moving as they were we had little time to do it. As we moved I ran through all I knew about military tactics and methods, which wasn't much.

Sure I'd read The Art of War once or twice, and there were a few things there that might be applicable, even very applicable to this conflict, but it didn't have clean clear instructions for a lot of what I needed. I wasn't that much of a huge history buff, or into medievalism or anything like that, so I lacked a lot of knowledge on how to make things for war in this world. For example making a bow was probably beyond me, though when I got home those and siege engines were decidedly on the list of items to make.

“You're thinking again,” Atal said as he slid up beside me in our line.

“That easy to tell?” I asked. “Yes, about war.”

“What does a child such as you know of war?” he didn't laugh.

“To be truthful, not much. But we're in a war now, so I need to think on it. We know what they've taken, and that they're desperate, but little else.”

“True, there wasn't even an attempt at speaking to us, which is odd.” There wasn't any elaboration, and being that I didn't know our enemy as well I as supposed he might I wanted some.

“Would he normally? What is he like? What are his goals, if not just the pool? How many does he have? Where are they getting in at? I think if we want to win we need to know those.” I clicked my tongue. “More importantly, why is he so desperate?”

“Good questions, and I will send people to see what we can learn, those skilled in sneaking and watching. That isn't why I brought you here though, I brought you to see what tools we might use to win, not what strategy.”

I wanted to argue, but there was an undeniable fact, Atal knew more about conducting a war in this world than I did, perhaps more than I ever would. He was old, and while I didn't know how old, I knew it was very, very old. In that time he must have seen many wars, and many types of war.

“True, but without knowing what we're doing, at least generally, I won't know what to build.” That statement got a decent silence.

Stolen story; please report.

“There are,” Atal began after a time. “Generally three ways to conduct a war. The most common is to challenge the ruler directly. If you wish to take the lands and power of one of ours you can go to him and issue your challenge. The loser most often dies, though in some cases they are spared, and the winner takes the holdings. This is what you do if you want to possess what your enemy possesses without destroying it.”

That sounded like a ceremonial fight, and was probably what would end up best for the people. Even in the short battles I'd seen I could see how our strongest fighting could cause destruction, and if they died the people would be left without defense against the monsters of this world. That would be a bad proposition.

“If there is some issue that does not require such things, a dispute over a small area of land, or some resource, then a man is sent to speak to the other ruler. In the case that some agreement can be made, it is, but if not then the rules of conflict are agreed upon. It makes no sense to destroy what you want in trying to take it no?”

That sounded more ceremonial still than what happened on Earth, but closer. Normally countries would have some limits they agreed upon, even if they were often violated. Few were willing to risk nuclear, biological, or chemical warfare. The last of which I might even be able to manage if I were a complete maniac. Making something very nasty to spread over the enemy forces would be all too easy, but it made me cringe. We never did lose all of our opinions after all.

“Finally there is what Cino is doing here. He's planning to destroy us almost completely. They will spread over the land and leave little but burning land behind them.” It was the first time I'd heard the name of the enemy ancient, something I filed away for later. “They will dig in over the coming rainy season, and attack again once the rains stop.”

The winters in this land were rare, severe, and long lasting, but the normal year had a rainy season. Perhaps that had to do with magic, or some odd weather effect, I didn't know, but it made sense that they would wait while the rains came down. Even if moving about locally wasn't too bad the almost daily downpours would turn paths to mud and make getting lost easier.

“Is that what they expect us to do?” I asked.

“Yes, because we have the same issues they do.” His answer was accompanied by a small raised eyebrow.

“Then that is what we must absolutely not do. If he wishes to destroy the land, so be it, we beat him to it, and while he tries to dig in, we destroy his sources of food, of water, even shelter if we can. We make his army suffer. There are some things we can try, some ideas I have, but someone with power could probably destroy the vines and tubers he'll need better than I. As for digging in, well, we'll have to get to work on that soon, I have many ideas.”

Atal stopped and looked at me. “If we destroy their food they'll go further for it, and harm others.”

“Then we make sure that the others they'd go for are protected when we do. Hunger is a weapon, as sharp as a spear,” I answered.

“That amount of hunger will not kill them. They will have enough to survive it.”

With powerful singers to summon food and the druid-like casters to grow more they would surely survive. That said, they wouldn't survive well, they'd be hungry, tired, angry, and quick to make mistakes.

“True, but we don't need to kill them. We need to destroy their ability to fight and will to do so. The best would be if we could send them back without ever raising a spear, but I fear that won't be possible.” The more I thought about that ancient text the more I realized that the old general there had understood the pain of war, something I was only barely beginning to grasp.

“I like that approach,” Atal said, nodding.

That was good. While he took care of the field I needed to get back, to begin producing. We needed steel, far more than we had, far more than I alone could make. We needed concrete for walls, mortar and stone. We needed weapons like ballistae that could give even a magic-user pause, and we needed all of them yesterday. I also would have to delve deeper into items, I could almost taste it, almost feel the pieces clicking together for a true magical weapon, a formidable tool that might be enough.