52 Inside the Crystal Ball (1/2)
The camp Zarz set up for the unit was located on a small plateau south of the range of hills separating the enemy frontlines from their rear. It was far enough that we wouldn't need to fear a surprise attack without any forewarning, and now that we knew the enemy could attack from the skies, we would be doubly prepared. Not to mention getting up to our plateau required tricky navigation of a steep rise that could easily be defended by very few men.
In fact, it was such a steep climb that we had difficulty even bringing the five wagons up to the plateau. Luckily, we had big guys like Shaqs and Edo to help with the heavy lifting.
The first thing I did when I arrived at camp was to have Zarz camouflage the wagons in greenery to keep the enemy from noticing them too quickly.
While Zarz finished his task, I sent Berrian off to tend to the surviving kids. Seven more died gruesome deaths on our way to the campsite and some kids were sporting bruises or wounds on their bodies that weren't there when we found them.
Because I didn't want to be responsible for the murder of children under my unit's care, I called on one of our messenger sprites, Fila, to send word to Darah about everything that happened to the Foolhardies since we began our campaign. Specifically, I wanted to know if we had any curse breakers in the Darah that could help with the problem of the cursed children.
Fila was a foot-tall sprite with light green skin and spiky blue hair. The two gossamer wings on his back were also a shade of light blue. He wore a midnight blue tabard with the symbol of an intricately drawn white harlequin mask complete with a red and blue jester's cap.
This was the new symbol for the Foolhardies that Pike—who I recently learned dabbled in art—drew for us after she and Luca thought it up. I let Luca workshop the unit's symbol because he was pouting that he didn't get to help with the name. Better to have him stress over it than stress me about it. Besides, I would have just vetoed any lame symbols he endorsed. Luckily, I didn't have to. The first one he and Pike showed me was pretty damn cool.
Fila's loud ”Ahem,” shifted my focus away from the Foolhardies symbol back to the present.
”Is that all you want to say, Commander?” he asked in a sing-song child-like voice common to his kind.
”Yeah... but I really want you to emphasis that our first attack went great and that we secured prisoners and rescued hostages as a bonus. Really put some emphasis on that, okay, Fila?” I reminded him.
”Sure... impress Great General Darah,” he repeated as he jotted down notes on his extremely tiny notebook and quill. ”And don't mention that we haven't completed the task she asked us to do...”
”Definitely don't mention that,” I agreed vehemently. ”Just say that it's in progress.”
Fila saluted me by banging his fist to his chest pinky first just like how all soldiers in the Fayne saluted their superiors. On a foot-tall creature like him, though, it was just adorable.
Before Fila could fly off, his partner and the only other messenger of the unit, Nike, landed down on the grass beside him in a huff while waving a glass golf ball up at me.
I glanced down at the excited little sprite to acknowledge her arrival.
Although they shared the same light green skin, Nike was the opposite of her partner, Fila. Her hair was a deep crimson similar to mine and the gossamer wings on her back were a fiery violet hue.
I'd left her behind with Great General Darah so she could quickly relay any messages to me as sprites could find anyone as long as they know the face of their target. Or in my case, being her direct superior meant Nike had an arcane connection to me that would let her know where I am anywhere in the Fayne like some magical fairy GPS.
”News from the front!” Nike piped in after she'd taken a breath.
I picked up the golf ball Nike carried in her hands, and as soon as I did, it expanded into volleyball size like it was just waiting for the touch of someone normal height to take it out of the sprite's hands.
The glass ball, which I knew was actually called a scrying orb, began to glow from within. Inside its murky depths, I saw a gathering of storm clouds that slowly dissipated to give way to the story hidden within. A series of photos like snapshots from a spy drone appeared one after another, each one giving me insight into the battlefield of the Darah army and the Magesong army.
”News from the front?” Aura asked as she sat beside me on one of the wooden logs Zarz's supply team had set up around camp.
”Nothing too bad... not good either though,” I said as I pushed the scrying orb into Aura's hands.
”Looks like we won the first clash in the center,” Aura observed.
”Yeah... they're led by Commander Thors so that was expected,” I agreed.
”On, no,” Aura exclaimed. ”Looks like the left army isn't doing so well. The enemy was able to attack push them back...”
My brow creased. ”What the hell is that Vardoom doing losing so quickly like that...”
”My uncle's a slow starter... he'll push back once he's found his groove,” Varda explained when she popped in to sneak a peek at the orb over Aura's shoulder. ”At least the right army's doing okay.”
”Looks like a stalemate,” Aura agreed with Varda.
”Check the next image,” I said.
Aura did as I instructed and swiped the orb's screen to the right like Mudgardians usually did on their dating apps. The scene changed to another one showing huge flames erupting within the right army's forces. They were telltale signs of very recent explosions.
Aura gasped.