Chapter 93

Dirty End

The Blue and Bronze and the Black Horse banners marched confidently toward the Nicopolan camp, with the nomads on their left flank and the knights riding in front.

As they marched closer, more and more Nicopolans fled to the west.

"Should we give pursuit, My Lord?" asked Hugo.

"No, maintain formation. The men are exhausted, let's not over-exert ourselves," Lansius replied, trying to preserve their strength.

"A group of men ahead," Sir Michael called out from the vanguard.

Lansius narrowed his eyes against the distance, discerning a dozen of figures hastening towards them.

"That's strange," Audrey observed at his side. "Perhaps, they intend to surrender?"

"I'll lead a contingent to intercept," offered Hugo, his hand ready on the reins. "With your leave, My Lord?"

Lansius nodded. "Granted. Take Sir Michael with you. Inform Batu to have his men on standby, the situation is delicate at the moment."

The two spurred their horses forward, leading a column of armored cavalry across the field. Lansius watched as they galloped the brief stretch, swiftly encircling the newcomers before escorting them back.

Audrey's gaze lingered on Lansius. "What do you think they want?"

"It could be anything— an envoy wishing a truce, a discussion to stall time or a trap."

Audrey nodded and spoke with a deadpan expression. "With you around, I doubt anyone could backstab us."

"I take that as praise," he replied.

"Certainly, My Lord."

Both stifled chuckles as they watched Hugo and his riders approaching. The column were escorting the group who were on foot. Meanwhile, Hugo shared his ride with someone.

Sir Harold, always close at Lansius' side, was intrigued. As he had anticipated, he recognized the figure riding with Hugo. "Lady Daniella!"

The Lady pulled down her hood, nodded with respect, and stepped off the horse. "My Lord, Daniella reporting."

Lansius and Audrey were elated. "I thought we had lost you. Are you free as part of the truce?" asked the Lord.

Another person stepped forward. "My Lord, My Lady, I apologize for interrupting," Servius interjected.

Sir Harold glanced at Lord Lansius, who nodded to allow the interruption. "Envoy, we meet again."

"I upheld my part of the bargain," Servius asserted.

"And I will uphold mine," Lansius replied.

"My Lord, I was the one who freed Lady Daniella. However, she earned her merit on her own."

"Merit?" Lansius questioned.

Servius took a deep breath. "She convinced us to help her take down Sergio, and we succeeded."

Murmurs spread among the troops. The members of Lansius' staff looked hungry for answers but knew better than to interrupt.

"Is Sergio dead?" Lansius inquired directly.

Servius looked at Daniella, whom he felt was the right person to claim the honor.

In turn, Daniella replied, "By my own hand."

Lansius took a deep breath and glanced at Audrey.

"The battle is finally over," she said gratefully. Smiles and expressions of relief blossomed around them. The news spread quickly, lifting the spirits of the entire army.

"My Lord," said Servius with a hint of trouble.

"Speak," Lansius commanded.

"My allies have moved to the forest as you instructed. However, Sergio's followers... they threaten to burn the supplies if My Lord doesn't agree to let them flee with the supplies."

Lansius shook his head. "This madness must end. Servius, send someone you trust. Tell your men to remain in the forest and arm themselves. Be wary of troublemakers."

"Yes, my Lord," Servius bowed low and went to send a pair of messengers.

"Sir Michael, Deputy Hugo."

The two commanders approached their lord. "You called for us, my Lord?"

"Let's move forward. Be wary of crossbowmen. I wish to see just how mad they can be."

Under Lansius' command, the hundreds of troops and cavalry resumed their march to the Nicopolan encampment. The Nicopolans were clearly panicked, but the flow of those fleeing had ebbed. Nobody fled to the west anymore.

The remaining people barred the entrance with spears and pikes. Crossbowmen appeared on their makeshift wall. "Do not come closer!" they warned.

Lansius reined in his horse, and his formation halted. His men and squires quickly formed up around him.

"My Lord, let me handle the negotiations," Sir Michael stepped forward.

Lansius gazed at the native Lowlandian-born knight. "Take Servius with you and go with my blessing. Try to persuade them to send an envoy. I wish to talk."

"Gratitude, my Lord."

"Sir Harold, have the knights accompany Sir Michael and Servius."

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"At once, my Lord," the knight replied.

Upon his command, a column of men, all in shining plate armor, bravely rode toward the camp entrance. Sir Michael, in the middle, bore a pike with a piece of white cloth tied to it, the signal for parley.

"What do you want?" a man shouted from the front.

"Watch your tongue; you're addressing a knight!" Like a thunder strike, a powerful voice came from one of Michael's men.

It was enough to make most men shudder. Sir Michael guided his horse to take a step forward. "I am Michael, under the command of the Lord of Korelia. He wishes to speak. Send your envoys."

...

Lansius and Audrey shared a drink, the midday heat in the plains was taxing, especially when clad in plate armor and arming jack. Everyone around him was fatigued, drenched in sweat from the heat, but their eyes shone with determination to finish the fight.

His gaze turned to Daniella once again who stood not far from him. He motioned her to come closer. "I apologize for not being able to arrange a rescue party. I tried to select people for the task, but the situation was too risky."

Daniella, touched by the kind gesture, replied, "Please, My Lord. I am the one who troubled you with my reckless plan—"

"Don't be," Lansius interrupted. "I applaud your courage and initiative. I could use such talents."

Daniella could only bow her head in respect.

Lansius looked at Audrey. "My Lady, what do you think of having her as your Captain of the Guard?"

Daniella shot a nervous glance at the two.

"Nothing but gratitude," Audrey replied to Lansius, and then to Daniella, "We promised to ride together. Perhaps it's fate."

"Daniella, is this arrangement good enough for you?" Lansius asked.

"My Lord, My Lady, to be trusted in such a position is an honor. However, I fear there will be those who question my loyalty."

Audrey looked at her and said, "You fought the Nicopolans for us. Nobody will dare to question where your loyalty stands."

Her trust caused Daniella to break into a genuine smile. "I, Daniella, will be forever loyal to your Ladyship and Lordship."

Once an outcast daughter of a noble, forced to live as a mercenary, Daniella finally found a place to call home. She had once possessed nothing but memories of her former noble life; now, her resilience had paid off.

She would become a part of the household of the Baroness of Korimor. In Lady Audrey, Daniella found not only a leader worthy of her trust but also an incredible ally who could reciprocate that trust. To such a leader, she gladly pledged her loyalty.

***

Sir Michael and the knights finally returned, five Nicopolans in tow.

"My Lord, they have sent five envoys," Sir Michael reported.

"Well, let us receive them," said Lansius as he wiped his sweating face with a clean cloth.

"May I suggest offering leniency to those willing to submit?" Sir Michael proposed.

Lansius nodded. "The steward has advised me that many Nicopolans are excellent farmers, craftsmen, and scribes."

"Do you intend to recruit them?" Sir Harold inquired rather surprised.

"I'm aware of your reservations about Nicopolans," Lansius reassured his knight. "But we'll need all the talent we can muster for Lowlandia and the Grand Alliance."

The rest of the staff smiled, contemplating their lord's far-reaching plans. Even Sir Harold allowed a grin.

The five envoys, all young men, were then presented.

"You stand before the Lord of Korelia, Protector of Korimor, and leader of the Grand Alliance," Sigmund announced to the envoys.

The envoys bowed, murmuring, "My Lord."

Sir Harold and the knights stood imposingly, ready to act at the slightest provocation.

"You are here. But make no mistake, my interest is merely in satisfying certain curiosities."

"This is not to discuss a truce?" one envoy blurted.

"Truce?" Lansius feigned surprise, followed by a chuckle. "It is far too late for that."

Lansius glanced at Sir Michael, who caught on and said, "In case you are unaware of your current situation. One, you are surrounded. Two, your troops have been defeated. Three, we know that Sergio is dead."

"In essence, you have been totally defeated. There are no grounds for a truce." Lansius pressed on.

The envoys exchanged worried glances. One ventured, "We still have the food supplies."

"But I have heard that you're going to burn them," Lansius mused.

"That will be the case if my Lord pushes us," the envoy countered.

"Oh, I shall," Lansius retorted. "As I've said, I am simply inquiring. My strategy remains unchanged."

The envoys grew noticeably paler. One stepped forward, "We still have the baggage train, laden with gold and riches."

Lansius smiled at the naivety. "If you burn the food, you will die. Then I can send my men to take the gold from your cold, lifeless hands."

The stark message sparked a hushed argument among the envoys.

Lansius shook his head and said aloud, "You are all far too inexperienced for this. And certainly too young to die if I can help it. Where are your elders? Hiding in safety?"

Sir Harold, Hugo, and the knights subtly tightened their circle around the envoys.

"Please, my Lord," they pleaded. "Sergio is dead, we are without a leader. The crowds are splitting up."

"I presumed someone among Sergio's lieutenants had taken command," Lansius ventured.

"No, nobody wanted them," another envoy spoke up. "We only trusted Sergio, not his henchmen."

"Wise move," Audrey murmured at Lansius' side. She then addressed the envoys, "Do you speak for all inside the camp?"

"Yes, my Lady. The people trust us over Sergio's lackeys," one replied in a hurry.

"We never loved Sergio, either. We followed because we had nothing to eat, and he was the only one who could feed us and our families," another added.

Audrey turned to Lansius, who was prepared to deliver the ultimatum. "Inform everyone in the camp that they are surrounded," he directed. "Remind them that just as I made those walls appear overnight, I can encircle your camp just as swiftly."

The envoys listened, some with eyes red from strain, as they committed his words to memory.

"Lay down your arms, answer for your crimes, and surrender half of your supplies, along with the baggage train."

"What shall become of Sergio's remains?" an envoy asked nervously.

Lansius paused, turning to Sir Michael, who quickly suggested, "Should the Nicopolans see the Tarracan Man as a hero, let them bury him. If they deem him a villain, his head should grace a pike."

The young envoys were momentarily divided before one spoke up. "My Lord, we request time to deliberate further, perhaps with one of your knights to mediate. We assure you of their safety."

"They may come with escorts, fully armed," added another.

Lansius showed no intention of being delayed, but Audrey leaned in, whispering, "It would be wiser to delegate this negotiation to someone else."

He knitted his brows. "For what reason?"

"They fear you too much. They can't even come up with a counter proposal, frightened that they might slight you."

Lansius hadn't expected that, but in retrospect, he had indeed won the battle that ultimately ended Sergio's life. To them, he must be the living embodiment of terror.

Callahan, my adversaries now see me as a conqueror. Is this what you wished for?

Memories of his lost mentor flashed before him momentarily.

"Sir Michael, Hugo," he called.

"Yes, my Lord," they responded in unison.

"Let the troops rest. We will hold a deliberation to discuss the issue. Get the envoys something to drink while they wait."

Sir Michael had been prepared for this and had his men erect a small field tent for cover from the heat.

The staff followed Lansius inside, where he also invited Batu. He began, "It boils down to this: attacking them right now would invite a huge, unnecessary risk. If we're lucky, they'll flee and run. If we're not lucky, they may unite, and we'll be fighting desperate men who have nothing to lose but to make us pay dearly. Gentlemen, I do not wish to turn victory into defeat."

The staff pondered the Lord's words.

"Then how do we proceed?" asked Audrey.

Lansius gestured to his staff to offer ideas, but none could answer.

"Against three thousand. It's difficult without sacrificing more men," Sir Harold commented.

"I could lead a night attack and burn their tents. Maybe that way they'll be more inclined to surrender," Batu offered.

"I don't want to overburden your brethren. Horse archers are hard to train," Lansius replied.

Daniella stepped forward. "Pardon me, but isn't this similar to the situation when we took Korimor?"

Her words made Hugo and Sir Michael's eyes widen as they recognized the resemblance.

Lansius smiled. "Loss of leadership. External threats. And internal conflict. Well done, Daniella."

"Does that mean we only need to wait?" asked Audrey.

"No, waiting is for when we have nothing at hand and expect them to doubt themselves. In this case, we are in a better position," Lansius explained.

Audrey nodded. "Of course, we've just won the battle."

"The problem is, even if we win this battle of wits, how can we feed an additional three thousand souls?" Lansius asked.

The staff drew a collective sigh, while Sir Michael added, "My men just returned. Servius’ group and their families account for an additional one thousand. So, we're facing four thousand, My Lord."

Lansius drew a heavy sigh. No matter how he looked at it, for the Nicopolans, this would likely end in disaster.

***