We flew fast—Sprinting if I may say. But my mana was draining fast. While earlier I would only lose one or two points per half-hour, it was now dropping one per quarter.

Looking back, the others were following close behind but they didn’t look nearly as tired. Was I weak? Perhaps because I still had a low level?

Who knew? But I should have enough to make it. At least this body didn’t hurt when I got exhausted unlike my old made of flesh. This did make me wonder, how would it feel if I lost a hand or arm? Would it hurt then?

Looking down to draw my mind away from those thoughts, I watched as the sycamore and ash trees pass below. Ever so often the forest would clear and farms would pop up. Eventually, we would pass above a few huts, and then the charred remains of a village appeared.

“—Hey! Gregoire!”

Hm? Was someone calling me? Being taken out of it, I looked back. It was Isa. “What is it?”

“You’re slowing down, do you want me to take the lead?”

“Oh, I got lost in thought, I’ll speed up.”

“Are you sure you have enough left? You are our leader, but we don’t expect you to have unlimited mana.”

What was she talking about? “What difference would it make? I’ll speed up, we’re almost there.”

“What!” She was shocked. “What do you mean no difference? Are you perhaps not joking?”

“Of course I’m not joking! What’s funny about what I just said?”

Her eyes fell into what I could best describe as a dead stare. “I fear that our king is mentally challenged.”

“Hey! What kind of rumours are you spreading.”

“It was no rumour.”

“Then tell me! How am I so stupid?”

“Don’t move.”

“What?” Was that a nice way to tell me to kill myself? But just as I was about to block her out, her wings flapped with furry. In a gust of wind, she climbed the clouds before dipping back down in front of me. “What was that for?” Was she just showing off? I didn’t peg Isa to be that kind of person.

“Feel.”

“Feel what?” What was it now?

“The winds.”

The winds? It was true, the winds were lesser, but what did that have anything to do with anything.

“Look at your mana.”

And so, I kept an eye on it as I followed behind her. And after a quarter of an hour, my mana counter didn’t tick down. “What, how come?”

“How? Because you are no longer fighting against the wind. It is easier.”

Oh. That made sense. I had been stupid. “You could have just told me that.”

“You are a future king. Why would I have a need to tell you such commonsense things—”

#

“There! That’s them.” I called out. We were now flying behind Bale.

At my words we started to slow down and circle around the grey blob making their way through the plains on the outskirts of Le Mans.

“Are those the people throw up on?” Réel yelled.

“Don’t speak like that, have more class.” And that was Isa, she had taken to be her guardian. Apparently, gargoyles had a sense of growth even though they spent nearly all their lives sleeping, or rather drifting. I wondered what it would feel like to drift away and wake up half a century later. I would need to try it sometime. Perhaps when Frederick is coronated king—or perhaps emperor. But there was no way. Well, I didn’t have a heart that could be pierced so I shouldn’t worry about time anymore. I could just wait out Frederick’s life.

But then to wake up a century later and perhaps see his grand-grandchildren on the throne of the kingdom he built. That would be odd. I wonder how it would feel.

There were so many more things I could now experience. Would I be able to remain myself? I suppose there was something to Isa’s rant on life and death.

Now that I am no longer in the body of a man, I could not have the same principles as one.

After all, did wolves have kingdoms and dungeons?

Probably not, and that wasn’t because they were wrong, but because they weren’t human—

What was I going on about. This wasn’t time for this.

Oh God! While I was lost in thought, we had already dropped halfway down to the ground. I could now see the details on the helmets of the count’s soldiers and the links that made up their chainmail.

“Go find the duke and guide him back to us!” I ordered Bale. I don’t know why I screamed. I guess my nerves were getting to me. Although I couldn’t see Le Mans from here at the pace, they had it wouldn’t take them more than half a day for the count to reach it. We’d have to stale them at least three hours.

“Troy, start digging a hole two leagues to their east. Make a hole as deep as possible that is twenty men long and wide. Once I give the signal make it collapse.”

“Yes, my prince.” Troy rushed off, it was a bit odd to see him fly as he looked like a mole with thick and long nails, a stubby build that did not look capable of flight. He also had tiny little wings which didn’t help his case of being a flying stump—As long as he could get the job done, though, I wouldn’t even think of it anymore. But that was for later.

Now, “Einhart, head to the north-east. Create the largest cloud of poison you can. You just need to scare the troops away from their path. And Réel, you’ll be doing most of the damage.”

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“Oh really!” Her eyes sparkled. Diving down from above Isa. “I’ve been waiting so long to do this. I was stuck on that castle for like I don’t even know how long!”

“Wait a bit, that’s not right now.”

“Well, it better not be in fifty years,” she scowled before flying back up to Isa.

She really was a kid. Regardless, lastly there was Yves. “Stay with me for now and stay high.” He was more suited to reconnaissance work. This wasn’t his battlefield. I wasn’t planning on losing anyone today, at least not the ones with abilities.

“I will.” He was a curt one, but at least I could see that the lights were bright in this one.

Anyhow, I instructed the four regular gargoyles to protect Einhart. Finally, it was time. “Everyone in position. Go.”

And like that Einhart closed his wings and dropped straight down, following him were his guards. Isa accompanied Réel to the spot where the military was being led while I stayed behind to make sure everything here went according to plan.

Einhart was still dropping. The five of them looked like pods dropping from the sky, about blossom on the fields of Maine.

Expanding his wings a gust of wind blew the earth into the sky. The soldiers in his vicinity, quiet in their march, turned to see what had happened. But just as they were about to get a glimpse of Einhart, the other gargoyles landed and kicked up even more dirt.

Seeing this, two dozen soldiers drew their blades, but they didn’t make a move—They would regret it.

Just as the cloud of earth began to settle, a white vapour rose like mist. I could not see the expression of the men below, but I could see their knees shake and their feet taking one-two-three steps back.

It was only normal.

Gargoyles were meant to stand on the walls of castles, not in the grasslands of Maine.

But these were still soldiers. Calling over more men, they encircled the gargoyles and after a quiet minute of unease a group of five rushed forwards into the fog. But as one swung down his sword on a gargoyle, his arm failed him and the weight of his sword flung him face first into the ground.

“Step back!” Although I was so far away, I managed to catch the voice of one when he realized what was happening. “It’s the fog!”

But as the others, who had already had a hefty draw of the mist, realized what was going on as well, their knees buckled.

“Spread the mist!” I told Einhart, who, with strong legs, burst into the sky and flew a foot above the men, spewing mist on the heads of a hundred men—

Gargoyle screeches resounded as they drove their claws straight through the soldier’s chainmail. Gargoyles were stronger than steel.

Through the process of creating life out of inanimate objects, a certain quality that could never be matched by steel would be imbued into the now living object. Such was why all gargoyles could use mana. Such was why all gargoyles were beasts.

Such was why humans were human.

“Everyone one run!” That line rung countless times amongst the soldiers.

“Everyone, push them west.” We could do this.

Trumpets blared. Less than half a minute later another group of trumpets blared from the north-west, and not long after, another round of blares came from the south-east. That was good, they would be too far to come and save them.

And as I thought, three short tantara’s came from the lead of this group. They would fall back towards one of their other battalions.

“Continue herding them Einhart. They’ll try to go north-west, make sure to push them west.”

Instead of answering back, Einhart swung back around and reproached from the north-east, pushing them west.

Those who had suffered from Einhart’s pass over started to keel over, eventually collapsing on the trampled earth. Seeing the opportunity, my gargoyles rushed over to finish them off…

“Stop!” I called out to them. “Don’t kill them,” They looked up, confused. “Just make sure they can’t join the upcoming battle; we won’t be enemies after today.” Although they were hesitant, I was still their ruler and so they did as told.

Seeing that things were settled here, I followed Einhard and the battalion he was pushing back.

They had started to fight back. Archers had run to the edge of the formation and shot volleys when they could. But most missed and those that did hit Einhard couldn’t do more than chip away at the rock.

This group didn’t seem to have anyone with a class that could deal with a flying enemy.

As I continued to watch flocks of men fall to the ground as Einhart’s for filled their lungs, I finally understood why the duke put such emphasis on getting me to his side and giving me a greater position than almost all of his class holder.

My powers could change the course of a battle.

But I had to keep an eye open. I would never forget those dragons that lit up the sky and tore up the ground on that day a few months ago.

And … wasn’t that person not a part of the count’s men.

Where was he? Perhaps with the count? Was the count’s battalion the one further up north, or were they the one that blew the trumpets from down south?

I had to be careful.

At least for now all was going well. But a bit too well—

I could sense Troy. We were nearing his trap. “We’re almost there. Keep pushing!” I yelled to Einhart. I could see that the fog he was spewing wasn’t as dense as before, nor was he flying as fast. His mana was sure to run out soon.

I needed to find the exact location of the hole…

Scanning the ground—

I found it.

There were eight holes making a large circle in a clearing. “Einhart, I’ll fly above where you must guide them. Once you bring them there, you’ll be able to rest.” I sprinted off above the clearing.

With a glance up and down, Einhart found me and let out a terrible screech. Using up the last bit of his mana, he pushed the battalion ever closer to the trap.

Oh! I almost forgot, “Troy, get ready. They’re almost there."

“Yes, my prince. And don’t worry, I can feel their steps.

Finally, a few instants later the first man ran over the line, then two, five, twenty… They continued to flood over the trap. But it wasn’t time now. I would let their helmets shine a few instants longer.

Eventually the mass of them had made it over the hole. “Now, Troy!”

As I called out his name, the nearby trees began to shake, and a deep tremor echoed from the depths of the earth.

All at once, half of the battalion disappeared.

I couldn’t see how deep was the hole, but it was much larger than I had expected. Not even half of the soldiers remained above ground. I don’t think there was a need to do anything else. It should be more than enough to slow them down—

A jet of water was pouring into the hole as muffled screams made their way through the dirt—Was that Réel! “Stop Réel, you don’t need to do that. We’ve accomplished what needed to be done. No more!”

But the oil continued to pour.

“Isa! Stop her now.” I yelled at her. Still nothing changed. How were they not listening to my orders! Was I not their king or whatever they called me? “Isa, Réel stop immediately or I’ll have you both stand guard in a cave until time comes to an end. End this now!”

Finally, the jet stopped. But their screams didn’t.

“Everyone, fall back. Head back to camp for now. I’ll come get you.”

“Yes, my prince.” Everyone responded, except Réel. She looked at me and grinned, she was smug. Smug about this. Leave. I told myself. She had to leave. And thankfully, Isa dragged her away.

Alone, I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the scene. To think this even remotely possible. To think I thought that we would just barely be able to slow them down.

This was more than a third of the army. There must have been two hundred in that hole—

I spotted someone peaking from below a tree. He was looking up, searching for the gargoyles. A few other reared their head, but then one found me, screaming, he pointed up and everyone else hid back below the canopy.

Flying up higher, I waited for them to peek out once more.

And they did. This time they couldn’t see me. A hundred or so people crept out and slowly approached the hole.

The dust had settled and now one could see the true depth of the hole. At about four people deep, the rescuers had to cut the longest branches from the surrounding trees to make a ladder, but even then. Most had been injured by the fall and getting out wouldn’t be easy.

Although I wanted to stay and watch the rescue from up here, I couldn’t stay in the air much longer. My mana was just about drained.

Letting myself glide down, I found a tree on which to sit down.

In an hour, not even half of the soldiers had been taken out of the hole. And most of the ones still stuck in the earth were those who had suffered both limb injuries by falling, but had also been burned by Réel’s vomit. The oil or whatever it was, had charred their skin, which had later been covered by dirt and rocks that make them look like ghoulish golems. There was no way they would find a good enough healer in time to save them. Still, their comrades were desperate to do something to save them.

Some had begun constructing a ramp they might use to go and retrieve them, while others were trying to build a pulley system to hoist them up. Regardless, neither group would have time to execute their plan.