"It will be a two-pronged assault", Marcus was saying to his new war-council, standing at the very top-end of King Shrykul's table. "He'll move through Razork, cut off our Glitterpak farms, and then head South until he hits Fleapit. Meanwhile, his secondary force will cut off a potential retreat in the East by taking Gulchnavel and holding fort Greenwatch. It's possible they might move to re-take Knifegut if Skegga's scouts report success on the Western front. Casualties don't seem to be a concern for them now."

Shrykul, Skeever and Deekius each nodded along as Marcus pointed out the tactically crucial forts on their ever-changing map of the Warrens.

"Skeever reports Skegga's main assault force numbers 2000 Yips and his secondary force about half that number."

"How can we be succeeding now?" King Shrykul asked, his fur looking a little more whitened than usual. The last few hours of his reign had not exactly been kind to him. "Those numbers far outweigh our reserves."

"Do not be thinking the Shai-Alud is not having plan," Deekius said. "He is always having plan. Be showing your faith, my King."

Both Skeever and Shrykul rounded on the priest, seemingly about to rebuke him for his brazen speech. Marcus, however, was done with such interruptions.

"In the East," he said. "Our best approach would be a swift evacuation of the garrison and the village rats. Have them move towards the Eastern Warrens and hold with Glumrot's border forts there."

"The priests of Gloomraava of Glumrot are already sending whispers on the winds to Fort Greenwatch," Deekius confirmed. "Our magic is giving us advantage of communication. They are already making preparations to go."

"Tell them to expediate their progress," Marcus demanded curtly. "Time is not a resource we have."

"At this point," Skeever broke in. "There are being few resources we have left at all. Marrow cavalry are numbering 300 strong. Glumrot spearmen and Fleapit soldiers are numbering around 500. Glumrot Gloomraava detachment are only eight priests. We could be using the rats stationed at Greenwatch."

"There is being no clear path through Knifegut," Deekius replied. "We would be sending those soldiers to die if we asked them to clear the fort out."

"Something I'm not willing to do," Marcus said with another curt nod. "Skeever, how many Glitterpak did we manage to catch."

"Fifty, Sire," the Talon-Commander replied. "The rest…we are not finding them and committing men to look would be wasting time."

"Fifty…" Marcus wondered. "Is it enough? Time will tell. Maybe He-Who-Festers has blessed us with fifty of the largest."

"Any more explosions like those of Festigraf and Razork," Shrykul sighed. "And you will be bringing the entire roof down upon our heads."

Marcus smiled at the King's joke – the kind of smile that told the joker that what he'd said wasn't at all as outlandish as it seemed.

"Shai-Alud…" the King murmured. "You don't mean to…"

"You didn't think I'd leave Greenwatch and its fort without a welcome gift for their new occupants, did I?"

Deekius sniggered. The other two rats looked the very picture of discomfort.

"Evacuate Razork, too," Marcus continued. "I won't risk the lives of hard-working rats in a futile effort to raise more Glitterpaks. We have fifty. It will have to be enough."

"New mayor Trellok will not be liking this…" Skeever mumrued.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"He'll bend," Marcus replied with a smile. "Tell him the order comes directly from his favorite experimentor."

Marcus then redirected their attention to Razork and the 'Razor Ridge' mountain pass that split it from Skegga's controlled lands in the far North.

"Few modern wars in my time are won through a single, decisive encounter," Marcus said. "But this war – our war – will hinge on our success in the battle against Skegga's main force here. We have one main objective: take Skegga's head from his shoulders. And, fortunately, the old toad is helping us out with that by appearing on the battlefield himself."

"What I cannot be understanding is why?" Shrykul asked. "Why would Skegga be showing himself on the field now?"

"Our High priest has some insights into that," Marcus said, nodding to Deekius to give the floor to him. The little rat priest took the chance to display his superior knowledge like a child being given candy.

"Boss Skegga is believing Shai-Alud is dead," he said with a smirk. "He is being mistaken."

"Obviously," Skeever replied. "But where is he getting this idea?"

"They are killing another human and believing it to be Sire Marcus. Their fool minds show themselves once again. Perhaps Skegga is finally being fooled by Kobold stupidity."

"He has fooled himself," Marcus interjected. "And we will take full advantage."

He pointed at Razork and Razor Ridge beyond it.

"Our best strategy would be to hem his army in at Razor Ridge. It provides the best chokepoint in the North. If we can funnel his forces in there we can effectively cut his numerical advantage in half. Our Glitterpaks can deal with those in the rear. Skegga – being as bold as he is – will probably be leading within the middle. He's stupid, but still has every reason to fear us. To him, right now, we're cornered rats."

"And a cornered rat is being most dangerous," Skeever replied with a smile.

"Precisely."

"The problem as I am seeing it," Skeever said. "Is how to force an army that size back into the Ridge. Not since the days of Greyfang himself is there being such a force to contend with in the Northern Tunnels. Every single Kobold must be rallying against us."

"After that little stunt Talon-Commander Verulex pulled, can you blame them?"

The rats each shared knowing looks with each other.

"I have issued a general commandment as First-Talon and Shai-Alud," Marcus told King Shrykul. "If Kobold forces, squads, or individuals surrender to our soldiers, they are to be captured and interred at Fort Spearclaw for the time being. In time, they will be integrated into our regiments."

He could see the fear this prompted in the King's face. And he could also see Deekius look down upon Shrykul as if from on high, the King biting his tongue as he caught the priest's eyes.

You want to tell me I can't do this, Marcus thought. But you know, equally, that this is beyond you now, Shrykul. You are looking at your people's new God – the Gloomraava of your capital and beyond are already seeing to that. Your Empire is slowly becoming a Theocracy. One that is out of your hands.

The question is, what will happen to it when it's out of mine? Think of that, Shrykul. Think only of the future. Right now, the present belongs to me.

"I shall…be reinforcing your proclamation, Shai-Alud," the King said.

Marcus feigned humility. "I would never presume to order you to do such a thing, Sire Shrykul. Your First-Talon is merely giving his general counsel."

"Sire," Skeever interjected, suddenly twitchy. "There is being another problem that must be addressed."

Marcus raised an eyebrow at the commander.

"The Dwarves of the East," Skeever continued, his gnarled fingers pointing out the tunnels that dotted the Eastern front beyond Razork and Fort Spearclaw. "We are knowing they have an army that is pushing against Clan Marrow. We must be considering possibility that they will be pushing against us."

"I'm not only considering the possibility, Skeever Steelclaw. I'm counting on it."

Once again, the ratmen assembly collectively flew to Marcus's eyes.

"You think that Ix's recent absence from his frontline scouting duties is a coincidence?"

"I had been having thoughts about that," Skeever admitted. "But…what is the Kobold having to do with the Dwarves, Sire?"

"There's plenty of resources that can be exploited in war," Marcus continued. "Weapons, raw materials, manpower, even the environment itself. But from what I know of the Dwarves, there's another resource we can exploit. There's a resource that's potentially more powerful than all these material things that we expect will win wars. And I've come to understand that this is a resource in such massive supply that practically every race that exists in this black underworld maintains its own personal stash."

The rats leaned forward, hanging on every word.

"Well?" Shrykul asked. "What is this ultimate resource you are speaking of?"

And Marcus, with an ironic smirk, gave them their answer:

"Hatred."

###

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