FROM THE JOURNALS OF HANDICE

We took our positions in the mountains and waited.

We had scouted the entire area, finding the best strategic position, on high ground but close to the target area. We painted our faces, all exposed skin green and black, blending in with the foliage. It was a technique Trang had taught us.

The target area was a small cave tucked away in a rocky nook at the bottom of the narrow, winding valley. It was very hard to find. It was supposed to be the lair of Moroso. It did not look like much.

We did not like it. Too many armies close by, less than a day’s march away.

The journey had been even more challenging than we had anticipated. We had been briefed on the monsters being released from scores of dungeons throughout the land. We knew what to expect, to a point. But their numbers were far higher than we had been told. Every day, more creatures spawned in each dungeon, and made their way out to wander the countryside, attacking any man or animal they encountered. We could handle them, but they attacked on sight, no matter what odds they faced, single minded to kill every living being within their sight or smell.

We had ridden as hard and fast as we could on our horses, covering about fifty to sixty miles each day, depending on the terrain. We had a new mage, Brietta, who was good with the spells that improved horses’ endurance and stamina. But we had a lot of ground to cover, and sometimes we had to stop and fight.

The giant spiders were the worst. They were nearly as fast as our horses. We lost four horses, and we had to use our gold to replace them, but the best mounts we were able to purchase in the villages were less than adequate. They slowed the group down.

We only lost one man. Hudson. His horse stumbled and he was thrown off, the spiders devouring him. By the time we could render aid, it was too late. He died with his sword through one of the creatures.

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We saw villages and even towns abandoned. The people had fled for the cities and their walls.

We saw some villages where the people had not made a timely escape. We found their corpses, or what was left of them. The smell always came first, let us know what to expect to find.

All of us were sleep deprived. Every night, we kept a man on watch. Brietta had a spell that alerted her to monsters when they were near, and that saved us. But nearly every night we had to wake up and fight the things.

I worried about Shirin Mills. We were far from there. It was best not to think about it. Nothing I could do. Most of the men were from small villages like mine. We saw the worry on each other’s faces. Fear. Hopelessness. Yet grim determination, the need to press on and focus on the task at hand.

In eight days we traveled perhaps six hundred miles.

Now we were hunkered down, waiting for action.

The waiting was the worst part.

None of us minded the action, anymore.

Cochran had a word with me.

“The mission is still a go,” he said.

I nodded. “The general had his mind made before we left.”

“I made a full report at Kiest,” he said. He had met a contact earlier that day in the nearby village, warning them of what we had seen.

“I don’t like the look of that army to the south,” I said. “They look as if they are gearing up for some action.”

“I agree,” Cochran said. “I did get word on the force we can expect from the outlanders. It is more than we had even anticipated. Fifty outlander mages. Perhaps two dozen outlander warriors. They will come from all around and they will move fast. Faster than that army can react.”

“That army is waiting for something. Perhaps waiting for them. We had at least one spy in Freejack. Picasso. Perhaps there were others.”

“I know. I told the contact that. He said not to worry, the mission is still a go. Nothing will stop it now. The target is too rich for the outlanders.”

“Moroso.”

“So they say.”

“That cave does not look like it has been touched in years.”

“I know. The general feels the intel is reliable.”

“This is going to be a bad one,” I said. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach.

“Yes,” Cochran said.