Chapter 102

Even in the dark of the night, with barely a sliver of moon, the large military encampment was easily visible. Blue crystal lamps atop large wooden poles delineated the perimeter of the temporary base, where tents arranged in a grid fashion showed similar precision to what Riley had seen from the trial fair.

"I'm worried about Sabine and the family," she said as Tobias sighed.

"I am too, Riley. It's taking everything I have to not ignore my duty and sprint for Ashenvale," he replied in a familiar response.

This tennis match of a conversation had been going on for the last three hours, interspersed by long, stony silences between matches, all as the night grew darker and, with it, each of their moods.

"Good Morrow, Ranger! Captain Quinn's expecting you. Head straight up the way here, and you'll not miss the command tent," called a guard standing at a makeshift gate. Even now, commoners were working with some aid from those in golden torcs harvesting wood and setting a lumber barricade around the camp.

He tensed and saluted as Tobias passed, "Thank you. I wish you an easy night."

"By the will of the Thirteen Gods, so be it," Riley heard him mutter under his breath as they moved up the lane.

Drawing roughly to the center, the command tent was indeed impossible to miss, made of silver-grey fabric. Its stakes and rods had formed it into a pyramidal-topped square, with long poles rising from each of its four corners proudly displaying the familiar banner of a reared back cockatrice.

Directing Svad to a hitching rail, Tobias slid off carefully, unslinging his pack with equal care, allowing Riley an easy exit.

"Oh, ground, I missed you," Riley dug at the hardscrabble dirt with her front paws only to realize they had set up across the road itself. The command tent occupied the rough center of what would normally be a thoroughfare, with the rest of the tents spreading out into an ever-widening field contained within the ever growing barricade.

"By the dead Gods, this is a lot of effort," Tobias scanned around, his jaw tense but his eyes worried as a series of bright balls launched far forward of them, lighting up the night.

The ground rumbled as a boom chased through the air a moment later, causing Riley's ears to flatten as Tobias turned white.

"This seems worse than Landon," he said, his hand shaking.

"Let's talk to the Captain, then freak out," Riley offered as Tobias took another centering breath, squared his shoulders, and did his best not to appear as if he was heading to his own execution, striding into the tent.

"Oh, you must be Ranger Tobias. Quinn, Captain of the guard, good to meet you!" He held out his hand, his face erupting into a warm smile.

He was taller than Tobias; Riley guessed he stood about six foot three, making him a redwood in comparison to her diminutive height. Well-muscled arms clearly showed a well-chiseled physique otherwise hidden by a steel breastplate and metal greaves.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Tobias clasped his arm, "Nice to meet you, but if you'll forgive me, I fail to see what I can do on top of all of this."

Quinn grinned wider. "Modesty! That's a rare feat among magic users, and Rangers especially."

"It's earnest; just how bad is it?" Tobias insisted.

"Oh, it's not as bad as all that. We've been decimating the hordes and preventing their advance, but we still need you to slip behind and take down the portal. Buck up, lad!" Quinn moved over to a table as he spoke, showing a map that glowed with a familiar brown light to Riley's vision, the magic within updating it in real-time.

"Now, I'm not fully briefed on your capabilities, but for stealth, I'd recommend inserting here or here far on the western or eastern flank. You don't want to go direct as that's where we're stoning, taking out the bulk that has already come through," with deft motion, he gestured to specific spots as Riley listened passively.

"What's the chance of a tier-one manifestation?" Tobias rubbed at his jaw as he stared down at the map, considering his options.

"Low, which is why it's just us out here. That said if the lynchpin monster is a first, well, run like an infernal is after your soul, and we'll relay to the castle to send a first-tier team. Don't risk your ass for heroics, Tobias," in an affirming gesture, Quinn gripped his shoulder and shook it.

"Go in, destabilize the portal, take out the lynchpin, and mop up what we can. Standard bounty rules?" Tobias asked.

"Aye, ears, heads, horns, or anything monstery, and you'll get your bonus. So, good enough? Feeling better?" Quinn asked, looking at Tobias with fatherly concern.

"I do, thank you. What kind of monsters are we seeing?" Tobias asked, making a show of looking over the map.

Quinn took a sudden, sharp breath. "It's undead and insect from what we've been seeing."

"Zombies!?!" Riley's ears perked up as a chill went through her.

What she felt from Tobias only added to her concern. "Which is why you have the siege works out."

"Aye, lad. They come shuffling out endlessly. You know there's no shortage of bodies in the Ashenrealm, new or old. That portal popping up in Brewster only made it worse," setting both hands on the map table, he looked down in solidarity with Tobias.

"Do you want west or east?" Tobias asked Riley by projection.

"Do they run?" Riley quivered as every patchwork memory of every monster movie she had ever seen ran over her grave.

"They can run, but that's mainly the skeletons," Tobias began, projecting, keeping their secrets.

"Skeletons!?!" the hare squeaked.

"Skeletons, zombies, revenants, most likely we're going to be dealing with a Lich Queen or a Minor Devil as the lynchpin. Monsters are monsters; we kill monsters, so do you want west or east?" Riley felt Tobias' resolve harden like steel, which helped her find her own.

"Your call, I can't see the map, and you're trained as well as I am," she deflected.

"Then we go west," Tobias looked up towards Quinn, "We're going to insert from here, so make sure you keep your fire out of that grid."

"Will do. When you make it to Brewster, our overflight intelligence indicates the Cathedral is intact. Assess for survivors, but base out of there, you'll be safe. This com crystal will connect you immediately back to the command tent. We'll support you from a distance as we can," Quinn patted Tobias on the back.

"Can I ask one more favor before you go?" he asked, handing over the com crystal.

"You're the one in command," Tobias deferred.

Quinn's eyes sparkled, "Oh, I like you. Ride out in view of the front lines and the troops, making a tour of the camp. It will help morale."

Tobias sighed as if put upon. "Of course, Captain, contact me with any details."

Quinn held out his arm again, with one last hearty shake, Tobias left the tent.

"Well, let's get this done," Tobias said, checking his blade.

"At least it sounds maybe better than Landon? I mean, we have support?" She offered in false hope while Tobias knelt, allowing her easy entry back into the rucksack.

"We aren't that lucky, but we still have work to do," Tobias grinned sardonically as Riley hopped in.