A few days later, the army came within sight of the ruins. Along the way, they had met up with many Dust Elves, who had also been mobilized. Their numbers were about one thousand, perhaps a third of all the Dust Elves in Artarq. William hoped they didn't suffer severe casualties; elves had trouble replacing losses. That was why Anoa the Bright had done as well as he had.

Though, given the quality and range of their bows, he may not need to worry.

The levy infantry had to be reprimanded and driven to keep moving. Most of them were inexperienced with the fast marches Vanion's veterans used. Even with the paved roads, they were exhausted. It kept constant effort by their officers for them to set up a real camp. By the time they had started, everyone else was nearly done. William had spent much time healing those who fell victim to heat and exhaustion. Many would have died from the journey if he hadn't had his powers.

As it stood, they all got there.

William remembered his first experience with making camp. These city folk didn't seem well prepared for this life. Still, they'd get better once they had to do it a few dozen times. William, Felix, and Tanith had been children when they learned it.

Even so, William was surprised at just how weak living in a city made you.

"Look at these weaklings," muttered Tanith. "It's hard to believe any of them have Harlenorian blood. Let alone Haldrenian."

That was true. Many of them were as fair-skinned as any Harlenorian warrior. But they lacked the discipline and strength, to say nothing of the willpower. They could do much better than they were, but they thought they were at their limit.

"Lay off them, Tanith," said Raynald. "We're breaking them into the life.

"You can't expect a partially trained man to do as good as a veteran."

"Yes, Raynald," said Tanith.

Once Father had a loyal army of levies at his disposal, he would no longer be dependent on outside help from Antion. They could fill out his forces. But what if they were corrupted? Couldn't some local nobility call on their loyalty to local elites?

Father probably had a plan for that, or he wouldn't have done it.

It hardly mattered at this stage, so he put it aside for later.

At last, William looked to the ruins and knew them immediately, though he'd never seen the outside. They were small, no larger than one of the moderately sized temples in Arsheen. The stones were of a dusty tan color, and the masonry was broken in many places. Many pillars were still standing, though much of the roof had fallen in. It was much less impressive than William had been expecting.

The ruins had not been made to be a defensive fortress. However, it might make a difference against a weaker enemy.

Even so, it was surrounded by a large square wall that had been recently repaired. On it were many rough-looking satyrs clad in furs. They wore axes and bows, and above their heads was a banner bearing the emblem of a roaring black lion.

Father looked down at it as his soldiers assembled. He raised a hand, bringing them to a halt. "Is that the place?"

"Yes, it was uncovered some years ago," said Asimir, who was being watched like a hawk. Several guards were always near him and had been for the whole journey. "No one dared go up there before Korasus."

"Those banners bear the symbol of the worshippers of Fortenex," mused Father. "How does he factor into this, I wonder?"

"Mercenaries, no doubt," said Raynald. "Satyrs will sell their souls for a fight and some gold. They're more reliable than people in some ways. Give the order, Vanion. I'll raze that temple to the ground."

"Not yet, Raynald," said Vanion, raising a hand. "We'll allow them to surrender first. Assemble our forces for war. Tanith, offer them the flag of conversation."

"As you wish, milord," said Tanith. She didn't look delighted at the notion of being a herald. Why not? It was a great honor.

Tanith seemed to guess William's thoughts as the flag was handed to her. "It's dangerous. Satyrs sometimes like to shoot messengers when they feel like sending a message. If I'm going to die in a puddle of my blood, I'd rather do it surrounded by the corpses of my enemies."

"Good luck," said William.

"Elranor, don't fail me now," said Tanith as she walked off.

Tanith approached the walls, her cloak and blonde hair flying around her in the wind. It was a signal representing the desire to meet between commanders. Moving forward, she unfurled the banner and waved it. There was the twang of bows, and arrows began to whistle past her. One of them bounced off her left pauldron as she rushed back. An arrow shot through the shoulder of her cloak, and she fell but rose again and rushed on. Her armor had blocked it.

"Those bastards!" she roared. "Did you see that? No sooner had I come in range and they tried to shoot me!

"Now, can we kill them all?"

"Unfortunately for you, we do not need to confront them directly," said Vanion. "They've just shown me how far they can shoot. And we can shoot farther." He looked to the leader of the dust-elven archers. "Amenos. Move forward and unleash hell. Raynald, have the spearmen form a shield wall before the archers to repel any attempt to sally forth! Tanith fell one of the trees here and built a ram."

"Yes, sir," said Tanith, looking frustrated.

Father gave out many other orders, and the men complied with practiced efficiency. William took a seat on a rock behind the archers and watched.

The dust elves pulled back their composite bows in unison. For a moment, they held, faces still.

"Loose!" cried Amenos.

Then they launched their shafts. A vast wave of arrows arched overhead and landed amidst the satyrs. Many were shot down in moments, falling from the walls. The sound of screams could be heard.

Then, the dust elves fired again. This time, the satyrs had fitted together with their shields to defend and did better. Their archers shot back but to no avail. All of them fell short. And some of the satyrs fell dead.

The dust elves fired again.

William watched with morbid fascination. The Dust Elves were not to be trifled with. Then the gates were thrown open! A vast war cry was unleashed as the satyrs charged forward, roaring defiance to the heavens!

The dust elves slightly adjusted their target and fired into their midsts. Most of the berserkers died in seconds. A few of them rushed back into the relative safety of the walls. Those who did not were too few to do anything but die against the shield wall.

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"This is just pathetic," said Felix.

"Depressing is the term I was thinking of," said William. "What I don't understand is what the satyrs are doing here. Fortenex isn't allied with Wraith, to my knowledge."

"Raynald is likely right," said Felix. "Perhaps they are mercenaries."

"No," said Father. "Our satyr allies in Khasmir tell me that the worshippers of Fortenex are a minority. They have been fighting a losing war for generations. I doubt they have time to serve as mercenaries."

"Then why help Wraith?" asked William. "They are a long way from home."

"Likely some infernal alliance or other." mused Father. "Perhaps they hoped Wraith would assist them in their wars. It is not presently relevant. Remember, William, speculation about the nature and plans of your foes is valuable. But it should always be distinct from how you deal with the here and now.

"The past is dead. We live in the present. And the future is determined by what we do now."

"Where is Rusara anyway?" asked William. "I was hoping to speak with her, but she still hasn't gotten back yet."

"You don't suppose I'd have all my best lieutenants committed in one place, do you?" asked Father in good humor. Several screams rang out. "No, Rusara is watching the river with Sarris. This would be an ideal time for Calisha to move against us while we are distracted, putting down a rebellion. Never get so focused on one enemy that you forget the others."

"I understand," said William.

"Doesn't that contradict what you said before, Lord Vanion?" asked Tanith suddenly.

"In a way, you are right, Tanith," said Vanion. "What is a wise policy in one situation is usually abysmally stupid in others. All men are living contradictions."

"Like how Gail Arengeth declares that we ought to have nonstop war with the spawn of Baltoth," said Tanith. "And then works to try and avoid a war in Gel Carn, even when necessary."

"Or when I put on the mask of a civilized and courteous man, even as I brutally slaughter whole armies," said Vanion. "Most people firmly believe things in theory and then fail to execute them when it comes to it.

"If you become aware of your hypocrisy, however, you can work around it."

"I act as I believe," said Tanith.

"You realize that our objective is a truce with Calisha, don't you?" asked Father. "Why support that if you truly believe in unending war?"

"It's a strategically sound move," replied Tanith, dodging the question. "The longer we maintain control over Artarq, the more secure our hold is. If we can force Baltoth to a stalemate, things will only go badly for him in the future."

"You were quite vocal in criticizing Benarus' policy toward Telix," noted Vanion. "Surely the same argument could hold there. A stable Gel Carn will be better able to fight Calisha."

"Telix doesn't hold any official rank in Calisha," said Tanith. "Killing him off could be done quite easily with few long-term consequences. If that means wiping out the Black Dragon race, so be it. The gold they hoard could pay for a dozen campaigns."

"And there you see the danger of thinking only of the moment," said Father, looking to William. "Gold cannot buy goodwill. And misplaced valor can rapidly destroy it.

"A victory over Adrian Wrynncurth would have been costly and left a power vacuum. Other, less reasonable, enemies of Harlenor would have filled. The giants have been growing in number, after all. And if it had been a defeat, Antion should have had to intervene directly. That would have created a second front and made our task all the harder."

Tanith looked away, a shadow coming over her eyes. Why did she appear guilty? "Would you prefer to have the spawn of Baltoth regarded as an equal in negotiations?"

"My entire strategy is solidifying my gains by negotiation," said Vanion with a shrug. "You cannot maintain an empire purely by battles. They are a critical part of any strategy. But any victory will only be possible with the ability to negotiate.

"I'm afraid you've spent too much time with Argath Marn and Arengeth."

"I agree," laughed Tanith.

The screams of agony could be heard coming from within the fort now. Corpses were lining the walls as more and more arrows fell. William shifted, feeling uneasy at the turn this conversation had gone. "So, this seems to be going well."

"Yes," said Father. "It is. Asimir's fortress was the real threat. This is little more than a mop-up."

"And I had to miss that," muttered Tanith. "Why don't they have better bows? I might have seen their action there."

"That, at least, cannot be held against them," said Father. "Dust Elves have some of the finest bows in the world. Only the Calishans have come to match them, and then only with their elite units."

Another volley was shot.

"Duke Vanion," said Tanith. "can we charge?" Her voice was eager and girlish.

"Wait a while longer," said Father.

Tanith looked impatient. "What are we waiting for here, anyway?"

"Until all or most of them are dead from arrow fire," said Vanion. "I brought a great many extra arrows."

William shifted. Tanith wanted to fight, but she had been denied that so far. She hadn't changed; she'd always been pressing people for spars in the old days. Tanith usually won these. He decided to change the subject. "The Dust Elves have certainly lived up to their reputation."

"They always do," said Father. "Dust Elves are not an enemy you ever want to fight."

"Duke Vanion," said Tanith, looking impatient and annoyed. "This strategy doesn't become knights of Harlenor! We should be meeting them in direct combat, cutting them down honorably! They can't even defend themselves. Where's the fun in this?"

"They should have considered that before they tried to shoot my messenger," said Father. Another volley was launched.

"Vanion, let me engage them," said Raynald, returning. "We're wasting time here. I'll lead the charge myself."

Father paused. He looked at the fortress and then at his men. They were eager to fight and disappointed at the lack of action. On the walls, nothing alive could be seen. He walked up to Amenos and spoke with him. The volleys ceased, and Father came back. "I believe that puts an end to things. Raynald, move in and secure the temple. If you find any prisoners, free them. Kill everyone else. When someone violates the rules of war, they lose their protection. Treat your enemies with mercy and courtesy when they play by the rules.

"But when they violate them, crush them into the ashes of history. Let their fall demonstrate what happens to those who abandon common decency."

"Isn't that a bit much?" asked William.

"They violated parley," said Father. "My patience is exhausted."

William tapped Felix on the shoulder as everyone began to move out eagerly. "Felix, let's go."

"Why are we going?" asked Felix.

"I want to see this Laurus up close," said William. "And put my sword through him if I can manage it."

"As you wish," said Felix.

William had been expecting Felix to object. He wasn't sure how to react. "Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not alright; I've seen the same things you have," said Felix. "Watching this Laurus get hacked to bits sounds downright cheering right now. Let's go."

They followed after the army as it advanced. No arrows were shot from the walls. While the ram was brought forward, they began bashing it against the gates. And not while the gates were flung open. It broke so easily.

Beyond, they saw bodies. A lot of bodies. They were flung across the courtyard, riddled with black-feathered arrows. Blood was everywhere, and the scent of death was sickening.

"This is not a glorious way to win," muttered Tanith. "Even the gate was disappointing."

"You don't imagine they had time to replace it with proper defenses, do you?" asked Raynald. "And it worked. We still get to loot them. Sometimes, the easy victories are refreshing."

William wandered among the dead, not agreeing. The soldiers of Harlenor descended on the bodies like vultures. Some among the dead were Calishans, others satyrs, but none were held in any respect. Men stole whatever they could find. He knew these were worshippers of a demon god, serving a monster, but the entire affair made him feel ill. Then he saw the stone. It was large, half-submerged in the ground, and splattered with blood. There was a glowing orange rune on it. He kneeled by it to examine it.

"We've got one over here, Raynald!" called a man. "A survivor!"

"Please... please help me..." said a voice.

"Why are you consulting me?" snapped Raynald. "We have our orders. Finish him."

"No!" cried the man. "Please don't hurt me!"

'Wait!' said William, standing up.

There was a scream cut short. Raynald looked up in surprise. "William, what's wrong?"

How was he supposed to explain this? These were his enemies. If he showed compassion for them in defiance of his father's orders, it would make them look weak. He looked at the runes. "Look at this. Look at this rune."

"What is it?" asked Raynald, coming forward.

He kneeled and began to analyze it. "These are blood runes. They absorb the life energy of anything killed near them and send it to something. Usually an object like a gem, but in this case, it's a person."

He looked to the temple. And then he realized that they were too late. "Oh, no," He drew his sword and rushed toward the temple doors.

"Wait, William!" called Raynald. "Come back!"

"Wraith has been playing us!" roared William. "We have to stop him!"

He made it through the temple doors and saw the same place he had before. There was the gate, standing there, and there was Wraith. Or so William assumed. It was Wraith; he could tell by the sheer horror surrounding him. Yet, as he turned around, William saw a face like his own.

"Laurus, I presume," said William.

Laughing Wraith smiled. William charged forward, blade in hand. And then the gate opened, and there was only light.