Chapter 418 - Final Preparations (1/2)
Chapter 418 - Final Preparations
”There's a secluded field behind the barracks” Kaleesh gestured toward an area at the edge of the camp ”We should find some quiet there”
They set off at once, and as they passed the training fields, Arran cast a studious look at the training fields, where hundreds of soldiers were practicing battle for?”
Kaleesh hesitated before giving a shrug ”As well as can be expected The troops have been training day and night these past feeeks, but even so, it will be difficult”
Arran nodded in understanding ”There's only so much you can achieve in a few months”
Several months had passed since Kaleesh recruited several thousands of prisoners in Knight's Watch, and the captain had spent those roup into a proper army
He'd done as well as could reasonably be expected Over the ained the appearance of disciplined warriors rather than co fields was enough to know that their skills had iap still res' armies
Where Kaleesh's soldiers had s' troops had years of experience — decades, when it caers And unlike the Wolfsblood troops, s' soldiers had already experienced the dangers of the Desolation
Such a gap could not be closed in h the kind of experience that ca or dozens of battles
”What about the Rangers?” Arran asked ”Anything neith them?”
”Domar has been quiet of late,” Kaleesh replied ”It seeood As for Ifras…” He hesitated before shaking his head in disapproval ”That one tries too hard to win my favor If I offered him rotten meat for dinner, he would praise how tender it was”
Arran chuckled ”You can't blae But what of the others?”
Kaleesh gave a dis ”It's the sa the spectacular”
As the captain detailed the troops' progress of the past weeks, they reached a small field behind the barracks Secluded and surrounded by trees, it seemed to be a quiet place
At least, it would have seemed that way, had the small field not currently held half a dozen soldiers and at least twice as many bottles of wine, many of which were already empty
At once, Kaleesh's eyes ith fury ”You worthless donkeys!” he roared ”Who gave you permission to take my wine?!”
All six of the soldiers went pale in an instant, looks of shock on their faces as they hurriedly stumbled to their feet and lined up in a disorderly row
Kaleesh reh that the soldiers' uneasy looks turned to ones of fear Then, finally, he said in a low tone, ”I asked a question”
After a moment of hesitation, one of the soldiers stepped forward It was a young woman with dark-red hair — the saht's Watch, Arran recalled
”Captain,” she began, a tremble in her voice, ”we did not know this as yours We thought—”
”All the wine in the camp is mine,” Kaleesh snapped ”Or did you believe supplies were free, soldier?”
The woh her eyes showed a trace of relief as she realized that they hadn't stolen wine froize, captain,” she said after some seconds ”With the journey ahead…” Her voice trailed off, and she cast an uneasy look at Kaleesh
Kaleesh raised an eyebrow ”You thought you would take the opportunity to celebrate while you still could?”
The soldier nodded silently, a hint of shame now visible in her eyes
”And you believed,” Kaleesh continued, his voice growing colder, ”that thisone of your last chances to prepare for the dangers you will soon face One of your last chances to learn the battle formations that will protect not just your own life, but your co woman's eyes ith shock ”No!” she hurried to say ”We didn't think—”
”That much is clear,” Kaleesh interrupted her ”You didn't think All of you will immediately report to Arjun for punishhtful look at the woman ”Come see me after you finish your punishment Now leave!”
The soldiers scraer fled Kaleesh's face in an instant ”Idiots,” he ht like that”
”I can't say I blame them,” Arran said ”Not with months in the Desolation ahead”
”Of course not” Kaleesh sighed ”In their position, I would have done the same But this is an army, not a mercenary company And an army needs discipline Otherwise, it will fall apart at the first sign of hardshi+p”
Arran nodded, understanding Kaleesh's reasoning ”What about the woman? Why did you invite her?”
”Elena?” The captain laughed ”I plan to have her train with Sassun Once she gets a little stronger, she'll ood head on her shoulders” He cast a glance in the direction the soldiers had fled, and added, ”Usually, at any rate”
A soft chuckle escaped Arran's lips Then, turning his eyes toward the small field, he said, ”So are you ready to see ave hi to hurt, isn't it?”
Arran shrugged ”Probably No your weapon”
As the two of them faced off and drew their blades, Arran awakened the titan's and Guardian's poithin the Blood Ruin While these were not the ained, to an opponent, they would easily be the most impressive ones
”I'll attack first,” Arran announced ”And when you block my strike, you won't be able to hold on to your weapon”
”You're that confident?” Kaleesh raised an eyebrow ”Even with rinned ”You'll see soon enough Now ready yourself”
Kaleesh took a step back, grabbing the hilt of his sith both hands Now that he knehat Arran intended, he naturally did not plan to allow it
Arran waited as Kaleesh readied hi as he moved
It was a basic blow, so si Kaleesh was no novice, however, and he effortlessly struck an expert parry — one intended to deflect Arran's strike rather than face its full ht
At least, that hat should have happened
But instead, even with Kaleesh deflecting all but the slightest fraction of Arran's strength, the captain's weapon was ripped from his hands
Kaleesh's expression instantly turned to one of shock ”Son of a—” He turned to look at his sword, which now lay three dozen paces away ”How did you do that?!”
”The titan's bloodline,” Arran said, unable to keep hithen it a little”
Kaleesh frowned as he went to pick up his sword When he returned a moment later, however, his expression had turned ponderous ”What about the Guardian's bloodline?”
The reason for his interest was obvious Kaleesh had also received the Guardian's bloodline, and he'd been nearly as disappointed as Arran with its power Now that he had the chance, he was obviously eager to see the bloodline's true potential
”I'll show you,” Arran replied ”Attack ave a questioning look ”Hoill that help show the Guardian's bloodline?”
”Just trust hed ”Very well” He attacked even before finishi+ng the last word, striking a swift blow to Arran's left side Fro to suffer another pitiful defeat
Yet even as he struck, shock once h Arran moved to block the attack, he did not use his blade Instead, he used his hand
”You—!”
Horror ritten across the captain's face as the blade connected, but it turned to astonishment when he saw that the only injury Arran had suffered was a tiny cut, only barely deep enough to cause a single drop of blood to roll down the blade
”That's…” Kaleesh stared at the blade, a dumbfounded expression in his eyes and his ave a wide grin in response ”The Guardian's bloodline turned out to be ht”
��If I—” Kaleesh halted mid-sentence, as if he was at a loss for words Then, a sudden sharpness in his eyes, he asked, ”Can I learn to do the same?”
At this, Arran slowly shook his head ”You can't,” he began ”Not yet, at least What I did was…”
Arran quickly detailed what he'd done to strengthen his bloodlines, and soon, a forlorn look appeared on Kaleesh's face When Arran finally finished his explanation, the captain let out a deep sigh
”So it's impossible, then”
”That's not what I said,” Arran cut hiht now, that hts and they give you the Ruiner's bloodline, I suspect this will be as they teach you”
Understanding dawned in Kaleesh's eyes ”You think this is what Lady Mere bloodlines?”
Arran did not answer ilanced at his hand, where the s to heal Finally, he shook his head
”What I did — I think it's just a first step The Io beyond that”
Though Arran knew little of the Iht about this While he had learned to awaken and suppress his bloodlines' powers, that was still a long ways off from the mastery of which Lady Merem had spoken
”I suppose they would” Kaleesh let out a sigh ”When I returned to the Ith”
Arran gave a shrug ”In the Borderlands, you did But I esture, he produced two pills froave me these pills For you, they should be of no small benefit”
To Arran's surprise, Kaleesh instantly shook his head ”I can't accept those They should still have use for you”
”They do,” Arran said ”But they will help you far ive me more of them in the future”
Kaleesh hesitated, but only for a moment ”Be that as it th”
”I can't protect all of you in the Desolation” Arran held up the two pills in front of him, then continued, ”After you take these, you should barely have the strength to protect yourself from a Reaver”
Surprise flashed across Kaleesh's face ”They're that powerful?”
”For you, they are For me, they would only make a small difference”
That was the reason Arran had saved four of the twelve pills Roshan had given hi Natural Essence, he'd already reached the point where that would not make a substantial difference
Yet for Kaleesh, the situation was different For him, each pill would rival not h that it would considerably ih Kaleesh still seeave a short nod and accepted the pills ”Do I just eat theht for a moment, then shook his head ”Dissolve them in a bottle of wine and take one sip a day If you just s the the Essence will take you weeks of effort”
Kaleesh glanced at the spot where the soldiers had been drinking earlier ”I suppose I'll need to guard gest so,” Arran replied ”The church is generous, but not so h pills to supply the entire army”
”If only we could be so lucky” Kaleesh chuckled, but a ht ”How's your adjust?”
”I haven't quite gotten around to that yet,” Arran said In truth, busy as he had been with absorbing the bloodlines, he'd all but forgotten about the ured as much The army will be ready to depart just under a week froh time for you?”
”It should be,” Arran replied Now that he had the power of the Sage's bloodline, he suspected that even a day or two should be plenty As for a week — that was definitely more than he needed
”Good,” Kaleesh said, appearing et to training, and I'll get back to work Old Baqi said the bulk of our supplies should arrive over the next few days”
Arran raised an eyebrow in surprise ”You let the old ather infor hiether
”He hasn't let ed, then added, ”And he's found supplies for half the price that others charge”
As they headed back to the training fields, it was hard not to notice how Kaleesh's eyes kept returning to the two pills in his hand Army to command or not, it sees other than supplies
At this, Arran could not help but grin
Ever since Knight's Watch, Kaleesh had worked tirelessly on strengthening the ar that most would have considered ied to turn a chaotic group of prisoners and mercenaries into a proper army
Yet all that effort had left Kaleesh with little tith increased by the day, the captain's strength had fallen ever further behind