206 Nothing But Trouble (2/2)
I sighed. ”Yeah… good question.”
We'd made it all the way past Redbull's battlefield and were making steady progress southwest and toward the secret oasis when trouble reared its ugly head once again.
Far to our rear a new threat loomed, one that stretched across the horizon.
”Enemy contact!” Qwipps' voice echoed somewhere in the middle of our unit formation.
”Luca, take Myth Chaser's reins and lead us forward… I've got to check this out,” I instructed.
”Dean… dawn's not far off,” he said. ”And not all our visere's have anchors…”
”I know…” It was the last thing I said before I reactivated Fool's Insight and sent my vision upward.
”Argh…” I grunted.
”Dean?” Aura's voice sounded alarmed. ”What's wrong?”
”I'm alright,” I answered. ”I'm just at my limit… Tactical view takes a lot out of me when I use it too much...”
With my tactical view, I saw many things I wish I could unsee. At least then, my heart wouldn't be racing so much afterward.
The army that chased after us was roughly the same size as the one we'd faced before with a few glaring differences.
These guys had cavalry and the banners soaring above them had the red, upward-facing, double-bladed scimitar that was Garm's symbol.
”I don't believe it…” I whispered.
”What don't you believe?” Aura asked.
”I guess he understands our value now,” I guessed. ”Otherwise, he wouldn't be coming after us himself now…”
”Great General Garm's leading that army?” Luca asked.
”Yup,” I answered.
”Shit… how much dire can circumstances get?” Luca asked.
”Best not to tempt fate, little brother,” I scolded him. ”On the bright side, I don't see more than four thousand…”
”Are they the same group from the reserve army?” Luca asked.
The gleaming armor wrapped around the cavalry Garm led and the equally well-uniformed infantry— blue gambesons and centurion helmet — behind them told me that wasn't the case. These guys were elite, most likely the members of his personal guard.
”Nope… he must've switched out the reserves with his personal unit and left the main army in the hands of his other lieutenants… he must really want to get at us,” I reasoned.
”Here's hoping Rah burns his ass for leaving the fight,” Luca commented. ”I wouldn't mind our center army getting trounced tonight.”
”That probably won't happen… you're forgetting something,” I countered.
”What?” Luca asked, sounding confused.
I wasn't entirely right the first time. Observing them longer made me realize perhaps only three thousand soldiers belonged to Garm's personal unit. The remaining thousand wore scarlet robes over their dark armor. Apart from Garm's banner, a second banner soared in the sky. It was a crescent moon surrounded by a purple field — the symbol of the Scarlet Moon clan.
Then I saw a third banner fluttering in the wind and immediately felt a chill rise up my spine. It was a black hand, like a handprint, over a field of scarlet.
”Didn't the intel say that Ardeen Spellweaver and the Black Hand were at war with the Armitage?” I asked.
”Yes,” Aura answered. ”Why?”
”Well, either that war ended early or they'd sent someone to bring the fight to us,” I explained.
”The Black Rider!” Luca and Aura said at the same time.
I nodded as it was my guess too, and although I couldn't see individuals from so high up, I imagined she was riding alongside Garm and discussing their evil plan to take Aura, Luca, and me captive — if that was still their plan. In their shoes, I'd call myself too troublesome and just want to take me out.
”Dean, it's an hour and a half, maybe less before dawn arrives,” Luca warned.
I fiddled with the bracelet I kept hidden in the pocket of my coat.
”Looks like I'm staying here for the day…” I answered. ”Tell Varda to distribute the dawn bracelets, and make sure Ty's got one too… We're going to need him.”