Chapter 127: The Nerid River

"Ah, now this is a matter of importance. It is Rotan who is the King now, isn't it. I remember when his father came to see me, pleading to allow individuals into our Academy regardless of aptitude. He was a true visionary, it seems like only yesterday." The headmaster stroked his long white beard thoughtfully as he spoke, tossing the scroll back and forth.

"Yes, Headmaster. It is Rotan who rules over Ursten. Will you be in any further need of my services, Headmaster?" The gatekeeper clenched his gauntleted hand over his chest in a sign of respect.

"No, go on, return to your precious gates." The headmaster waved the Gatekeeper away, opening and closing the door with a faint gust of wind. Then, he turned his attention to the scroll in his hands.

Once he had broken the rune construct around the case, he withdrew the scroll inside, and broke the wax bear seal that Rotan had stamped on to the scroll, closing it.

He quickly read over the scroll, and a concerned look appeared on his face as he did so, reading the scroll over again to ensure he hadn't read the words incorrectly.

"Surely not, he wouldn't dare." The Headmaster muttered under his breath, then he shredded the paper in a flurry of green blades of wind.

"Lief!" The Headmaster called out, almost instantly, and the white uniformed quartermaster quickly opened the door, standing tall in the doorway, waiting for the Headmaster's command.

"Go find Krieg, immediately. Tell him I must speak to him urgently, break into that ridiculous tower of his if you have to." The Headmaster's eyes had narrowed, and his green eyes looked like small chips behind his squinting eyelids.

"Of course." Lief disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, his perfectly combed hair and immaculate mustache not shifting in the slightest as he did so.

Back on the banks of the Nerid River, as the enormous expanse of water rushed by, the column of men had transformed into a hive of activity. Soldiers were rushing to and fro, and there were sounds of sawing and hammering sounding out from all corners of the column.

The massive logs that had once made up the palisade had been removed from the carts, and were now being split and shaped by the soldiers. 

Boson marveled at Tam's cleverness as he watched his soldiers work away, even if there were spies amongst the troops, no one would be able to respond quickly enough for there to be any real hindrance to the troops themselves.

There were few remnants of the armies of Kalun, as the small groups that Tam had dispatched around Kalun had made short work of all the garrisons around the country, paving the way for the more experienced soldiers of the tribes people and of Ursten who hadn't joined in on tam's campaign against Kalun to establish a foothold in the nation.

Until the very last moment, Tam had acted as if he was going to return to Ursten, with a unique mish mash of soldiers, but no, it seemed as if he was going to follow the Nerid River out to the coast of Kalun. 

Few would realize what this would achieve, except moving swiftly enough that the enormous column of soldiers would not be vulnerable to sabotage or guerilla attacks.

Even a small unit needed time to set traps or carve out the tiniest of bases in the dense jungle of Kalun, and thanks to Tam's misdirection, they would have set everything up in the exact opposite direction.

"That's the boss for you!" Boson chuckled out loud in admiration, when he had heard inkling of Tam's plan he didn't think it would be executed so swiftly, and it was only the beginning.

Tam had always said to Boson, "Having more might is only winning half the battle, the rest is determined by who has better organization, communication and logistics. Remember this." 

While Boson was nowhere near Tam's level, the simple yet clear commands he had developed with his shock troops thanks to his guidance had served him well in holding off the Phintus federation.

"Lash the rafts together! And make sure you tie your knots securely, otherwise you'll be the ones taking a bath! Bahahahaha!" Boson yelled out at the soldiers who were tying the first of the rafts together, in a few short hours, the first of the rafts were ready.

Tam began directing his own men to cut down some saplings from the nearby jungle, to be sued as poles to push the rafts away from the banks and from each other as they floated down the river.

Before long, the first rafts were afloat, and Tam and his men slowly floated out onto the river. As the burning heat of the sun faded to a warm caress, and the glaring light shifted to a soft orange glow, the last of the rafts laden hobble horses were floated on to the river.

The floating rafts all floated down the winding Nerid river, the setting sun turning the clear waters of the river red, and while it made for a most beautiful sight, it also reflected the true purpose of all these men happily floating down the river.

They had shed much blood all throughout Kalun, leaving cities destroyed and wrecked, and had, for all intents and purposes, crippled the nation.

And now, as they floated down though the bright green jungle, along the scarlet river, they were on their way to shed much more blood, and if the man who led them had his way, to bathe the entire Isle in blood.

At the forefront, on one of the rafts, Tam stood, peering into the distance.

"Anteris, you best keep your word, or these men will be floating to their deaths." The banks rose higher and higher around the rafts, sloping away as the river carved deep into the rock below. 

Steep cliffs of stone now flanked them, and the faint light of the sun filtered down, and the first torches were lit.