276 The Last Push

A month later

Kotara was bustling when Erik entered its gates with his host. Merchants sold their goods in colorful stalls despite the city being occupied by a foreign nation. The gate, which he heard was busted by the assault, didn't have traces of damage.

He, Ash, King Harold and the others spent the entire month capturing and pacifying southern Wismar. It had been a difficult task and he was proud of himself that he was able to do it in just a month.

After seeing the lodging of his men, he went straight to the Governor's house. The building stood tall near the harbor. The roofs were made of smooth bricks painted red. The house itself took two blocks of the city. A moat surrounded it of course but its shallowness showed Kotara's weak regard for defense. This was a trade city emulating Holm.

He was about to present himself to the guards when the iron gate opened. A crowned man with a dozen guards tailing him went out of the gate. For the first time in months, Erik saw Timothy. His friend was the same regal being. His silk coat was tailored to highlight his good features. His crown was more radiant than before.

Timothy also saw him but didn't provide a smile. It was understandable. Timothy had just lost his father. Erik knew the pain. It was unbearable. But he still hoped to see some glow on Timothy's face.

"Walk with me." Timothy said, hands clasped behind. It was more of a command.

Erik passed by the royal guards. He sped his steps and caught Timothy's pace.

"I have expressed my condolences but..."

"How many men did you bring?" Timothy asked.

Erik looked down. Yes, he doesn't want to talk about it. Of course.

"Forty thousand in all. The Inkish legions joined us but I left some of our own to garrison the forts and cities."

"That will suffice. What remained of the Vanadian legions, the Borondians and the Tulosans arrived yesterday. You will see Kotara's harbor as full. Our numbers are swelling close to the hundred thousand mark."

"Nearly a hundred thousand mouths to feed" Erik sighed.

"Yes. So you see our difficulties regarding the logistics. Kotara is supporting a huge chunk of our needs for now but when we are finally pushing to Malzan, we will inevitably suffer attrition."

A hundred steps of silence followed as they descended into the harbor of Kotara. Just like what Timothy said, the harbor was brimming. The majority of the Vanadian navy was anchored along with the Castonian and Borondian. Captured Wismarine galleys were also included but were moored on a separate group.

"This will be a problem" Erik said. "A little more than a month remains until the snow season. If we besiege Malzan, the snow season would catch us."

"We will not lay siege on Malzan directly. Sarah Wismar has gathered an army larger than ours. We first need to destroy them and then lay siege on Malzan."

"That strengthens my point. We need to defeat Sarah Wismar and then take Malzan. We need to do all that in just a month. If I were Sarah, I would just huddle near Malzan and gather more strength until the end of the snow season."

"But you are not her." Timothy turned a look at him, still not smiling. "And you do not talk with wisdom. Avoiding a pitched battle against us is the best move militarily. But the world is too large to be judged by military thinking. She wants to battle us. The two sides will meet in a final battle that will decide the result of this war."

"A final battle?"

"Yes, a final battle. Wismar cannot afford a prolonged war. We hold Kotara. We hold their main source of income. They had also recently lost tens of thousands in the botched assault on Holm. They will be ruined if they wait until the end of the snow season to recapture what they"

Erik blinked a few times until he realized that Timothy was right. Wismar was done. The whole nation would fall into disorder soon enough.

"Then we should avoid battle. We could garrison our men here in this city. We would have the advantage."

"We will not do that. We will meet Sarah in the field."

"Why? That will incur unnecessary danger."

"Because I need to kill her." Timothy's answer was swift and sharp. Erik's hair stood. Timothy was burning. He could feel his friend's thirst for revenge.

"She would have two choices if we do that. It's either attack us or remain huddling in Malzan until spring. Both would lead to her defeat. She knows that and she would flee." Timothy continued in a gentler tone. "Justice will escape us. She has played with us for too long. I cannot allow her to escape and so I will provide her an irresistible choice to meet me in the field. And it doesn't snow here anyway so the attrition will be less damaging."

"But it will be cold. And Omniscient, Sarah has a larger force. I have faced her Tim. And I must admit that she is better than me, smarter and more committed."

Timothy eyed him deeply. Those dark eyes stared at his very soul. "Do you have trust in me Erik? In my capabilities?"

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"Yes. In just a short while you have positioned yourself as the most powerful man in the world from being a third prince. The bards sing of your exploits. Our enemies talk about you with hushed voices brimming with fear and respect. I have known you since we were young boys bathing in forest mud. You are a pedestal Tim. If there is one person who knows that the best, it would be me. I do not question your capability. I merely suggest caution."

Timothy swayed away from him and walked in quick strides toward the harbor. Erik followed again.

"I know what if feels like Tim." Erik said but regretted it later.

Brazen. That remark from him was brazen. He hoped Timothy wouldn't lash.

A few heartbeats later and Timothy's shoulder's calmed. Erik felt relieved.

"William told me that father was buried beside mother's grave under that tree. He personally made a trip back to Nirvana to ensure this. Witnesses reported that my father rallied the entire citizenry of Holm and crushed the Wismarines. He died in a heroic last charge that saved Holm from burning to the ground. I will make sure that the future would remember how he died. I will make it so that the name Leopold Castonia will have prestige equal to mine. But this is not just about him, Erik. We cannot sleep calmly at night so long as the lunatic Sarah lives."

They arrived at the harbor bathed with salutes. The harbor was more crowded now that Erik had a closer look. Galleys flying all sorts of flags sat closely in the docks.

Timothy turned to one of the docks. This one had a large wooden shack built next to it. Castonians with Rooster insignia painted on their breastplates stood guard, their halberds glinting with sharpness.

"Are they finished?" Timothy asked a young man dressed in fine shirt overlapped with silk coat. His hair was slick though his back was slouching. Arthur Vanadis was the same fearful man with good eye for luxury. Erik loved his style.

"All done. Now let's leave."

"I need to see it first."

"We shouldn't be here." Arthur squeaked. "We shouldn't be standing in this dock and oh Omniscient we shouldn't disturb it."

"How many barrels?" Timothy asked.

Arthur's lips were shaking when he answered. "Two thousand six hundred eighty five in all. Every last barrel left in Holm as you commanded."

Timothy strode toward the shack despite Arthur's protests. Erik just shrugged at the prince.

"Hellfre?" Erik asked.

"What else would make poor Arthur tremble like that?"

"Many things could make him tremble like that."

For a moment Erik saw Timothy's lips curve a small smile. But then it vanished. That was enough though. There was hope for recovery.

Timothy pulled the double door open. The sweet smell of Hellfire wafted around Erik's nose. It smelled like tulips marinated in prune juice.

The brown barrels were carefully stacked inside. It was dark and cold just as how it should be. Timothy went to one of the barrels, instructed for it to be opened and dipped his finger into the viscous fluid.

"Good batch."

"How did you judge it to be a good batch?"

"My wife is the Queen of Vanadis. How should I not know how to examine Hellfire's quality?"

"Fair enough. So we are using this? I do think this is too much."

"Nothing is too much when it comes to Hellfire. We will burn them root and stem and leaves until only ash and soot remained of their once pitiful lives. I will burn their names from memories. I will make it so."

Timothy beckoned to him and Erik went closer.

"Summon Ash, King Harold, Layfare and Magistrate Vulek. We will talk about our plans for the last push to the heart of Wismar."