Chapter 367 Broken Company (1/2)
Arran glanced at Muna ”You've been in the Desolation,” he said ”What's it like?”
”Worried about your captain?” she asked She shook her head, and continued, ”As I told you before, I can't tell you about the Blight”
They were sitting atop one of the tall hills that overlooked thea s the priest grant the mercenaries their citizenshi+p
Even from a distance, Arran could see that the white-haired man looked weary And no wonder — already, the man had turned over a hundred h he barely spent a minute on each of them, it still added up to hours of work
”I know you can't tell ht,” Arran said ”But what about the Desolation itself?”
He'd asked Muna about the Blight many times, and each time, her ansas the same: that only those who traveled into the Desolation were allowed to learn of it
Arran thought the law ridiculous, but he had some suspicions about its purpose
While Muna claimed it was a matter of honor, he doubted that was the real reason Rather, if the Iured the situation could only be dire — dire enough that Imperium's leaders feared that the truth would cause a panic
Still, he thought he could get her to reveal at least so about the Desolation instead of the Blight — that was merely an excuse he offered, and a weak one at that But rather, because he knew that she still hoped to convince hiave hi
”I' to hear any secrets,” he said ”I just want to know enough to hed ”I suppose there are soht, but about the other dangers the Desolation holds”
”Other dangers?” Arran asked, his curiosity instantly awakened
Muna nodded ”The Desolation is the front line in our battle against the Blight, but it also serves as a proving grounds Every year, many thousands travel to the Desolation — untrained youths to stand watch at its borders, and ambitious warriors to travel deeper into the ruined wastes”
Though herwas subtle, Arran understood it at once ”With so ine that they fight a themselves, as well?”
”They do,” she replied ”The Desolation is a place to prove one's worth, but also a place where alliances are both forged and broken And if one's enemies happen to disappear… well, many who enter the Desolation never return”
Arran took a deep breath, forcing hie to loudly curse the Iroup of outsiders would have no shortage of eneave him a small nod in response, and Arran could see there was a hint of shame in her eyes
”Not all Darians hate outsiders,” she said uneasily ”But there are lory they believe is rightfully theirs…”
There was no need for her to finish the sentence Arran already understood the situation
In the Desolation, he could expect to face not just the Blight, but Darian warriors as well And between those two threats, the latter erous as the former
”That's why you should wait,” Muna continued, her tone growing firenerous ruler A few years in his service, and you'll travel into the Desolation with a Lord's backing and his troops at your side” She gave hilance, then added, ”Perhaps you'd even have a Knight by your side”
Had Arran been a Darian, the offer would have been a te one But as it was, he did not have years to spare
Not to et too deeply involved with the Darians — not ar on the horizon
For several ht words to tell Muna that he had no plans of relanced at the camp, he noticed that the priest had finished his ith thearound someone — the captain, most likely