8 What Dreams May Come (2/2)
”They must have a port-anchor ready for him so he can arrive wherever he's needed,” I scowled. ”Must be nice. I hear those help soften the landing... Why don't you get me one?”
”Sadly, you're not renowned enough for me to spend that much gold on you yet,” she laughed lightly.
”Geez, if we're fighting Azuma... then this will be a long night,” I said.
”Aura nodded her head. ”Luca said the same thing.”
”Where is he?” I asked.
At the same time as I cast my eyes around for my little brother, I saw a willowy figure hovering over Aura and me, his gossamer wings flapping soundlessly behind him.
Commander Roselle landed in front of us, and in a single breath, proceeded to reprimand me for disobeying his orders despite my disobedience being the cause for our winning the field last night.
I wasn't much-paying attention as he'd lectured me one too many times in the three weeks since I joined his unit. Even words like ”punishment” and ”demotion” didn't really scare me as I was under the protection of the clan princess, and Roselle knew as much. This, however, didn't stop him from wanting to intimidate me every chance he got.
”What have you got to say for yourself, Dapper?” he asked.
”Apologies, sir!” I said, placatingly. ”As the unit's strategist, I saw an opportunity to assist in your conquest of this hill and I proceeded to achieve it in haste.”
Roselle's slanted eyes, one red iris on the left and one grey iris on the right, glared at me.
”Are you lying to me, human?” he asked through thin lips.
”No sir,” I answered, quickly.
Roselle, like most fairies, can be vindictive when affronted. That would be an extra hassle I didn't need in this conflict as I needed him to listen to my advice.
His chest, hidden behind the chain-mail he wore, puffed slightly. ”Good, good... Just as long as you know who's in charge... Mr. Strategist.”
He obviously meant it as a taunt. Roselle hated that the clan's leadership saddled me onto him which made him hate me twice as much as anybody else.
”About that,” I rubbed my hands together like a seedy salesman about to make a deal. ”I understand the commander's brilliant strategy to deploy our forces throughout the hillside, but as we're short on soldiers, might I suggest we localize our efforts to only the upper half?”
Roselle raised a bushy eyebrow at me. ”You would let those Magesong bastards charge up the hill without resistance despite the trouble they gave us yesterday?”
”Despite their efforts, they still lost the hill to you, sir,” I reminded him.
”Humph... that she-elf you defeated. She wasn't much was she?” he asked, derisively.
”No, sir. She was nothing like you,” I agreed while barfing in my mind.
Roselle wasted another minute thinking about my advice, and then, ”Fine... have the soldiers defend the upper half of the hill.”
As Roselle readied his wings for flight, I suggested one last thing to him.
”Shouldn't we send for reinforcements, sir?” I asked.
Roselle glanced at me. ”Reinforcements will arrive before dawn. We are to hold the hilltop until they do.”
This was a lie, of course. Roselle would never share the glory. Neither would he ever admit that he needed help.
”You will take charge of the front defenses. I'll be...” he glanced back at the ring of white stones. ”I'll be leading from the rear.”
I glanced at Aura and winked before I bowed my head to Roselle.
She rolled her eye in response.
”You can be useful to me, Dapper, if you remember who's in charge,” Roselle said, pompously. ”Not like your brother... too insolent.”
At his mention of Luca, my head rose so we were eye level. ”Sir?”
”He kept nagging at me to climb the hilltop. Said you and he already took it for us. Annoyed me so much I almost had my guards beat some sense into him,” Roselle spoke disinterestedly, not even noticing the murderous look I was sending him.
”If it wasn't for Aura and that Edo…” Roselle reflexively shivered at the mention of Edo, Aura's half-ogre bodyguard. ”I'd have had my guards cut off Luca's tongue.”
My hand wrapped around my falchion's sword hilt but Aura grabbed onto my arm. She shook her head and mouthed that Luca was fine.
Roselle who had turned around while feeling self-important as he usually did was too thick-skinned to notice our silent exchange.
”Follow my orders, Dapper!” he barked before he flew off.
We watched him glide past the ring of white stones to what lay hidden behind them before I turned to Aura and thanked her for protecting Luca from our idiot commander. Although I was still worried about him and asked her where he was.
”I sent him and Edo to scout our enemy to keep him away from Roselle,” Aura explained.
After a moment, I sighed in relief. The tension in me unknotted.
”Thanks again,” I said.
Aura gazed at me with soft eyes.
”We're partners. I watch over your interests the same way you deal with mine,” she answered.
”All right,” I slapped my cheeks with the palms of my fist to psych myself up. ”Do we still have any sprites to send out?”
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Aura nodded. ”You want me to send a sprite messenger to call for reinforcements?”
It seemed she understood the situation as well as I did.
”It'll take them half the night to arrive if they come from Fort Darah. We'll have to hold out until then…” I said.
”Against Azuma?” Aura looked skeptical.
”Yeah, well… It's my job to figure that out. It's why you hired me,” I said, jokingly.
Aura laughed. Then she saluted me and hurried off down the hill. She wasn't one to idle around.
As I watched her retreating form, my eyes were distracted by something further down, to our enemies and the lone figure standing in front of their army.
At this distance, I could just make out the long, unkempt hair billowing in the wind alongside the grey cloak he wore. His black armor gleamed despite the lack of light. So did his spear.
Azuma, a visere renowned for his offensive strength, would be my opponent tonight. It was time to get psyched up.
”Ready player one,” I said.