Chapter 77

Chapter 77

Author's note: A big thank you to blue1ao for the donation.

Akanai sat still as she gave her orders, setting workers to task burning the dead and clearing the hilltop. Several pits were already ablaze at the bottom of the hill, as soldiers continued to unceremoniously throw Defiled corpses into the flames. A better send off than they deserved, but she was left with little choice. She could not allow the bodies to sit and rot, so close to their camp, bringing predator and scavenger alike. There was still too much work to be done.

A pinch on her ribs sent a spasm of pain through her bare chest, a displeased grunt escaping from her throat. When we return home, I will have the tailor Cierna teach you how to properly sew. A worthwhile investment.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Unaffected by her words or glare, Tokta continued to stitch up her wounds, a neutral, almost bored look upon his face, tired from the day's work. You could just take a day or two and fix this all yourself. You need rest Chief Provost, you push yourself too hard. What would have happened if Dagen had not arrived to aid you? You should have abandoned the soldiers and regrouped.

Hmph. I had things well in hand. The Demon would have died at my hands eventually, it was running out of corpses with which to heal itself. Perhaps another 30 minutes, and I could have pierced its outer armor with ease. It was no threat to me, newly formed and awkward in its movements. Had she not been required to keep the mental attack at bay, the Demon would have fallen within minutes, and not the long, drawn out battle she had endured. A simple enough thing, to obliterate the creature beyond repair, but the amount of chi she had available to fight with was severely limited, everything going towards her defenses. Thankfully, the Demon had descended out here, isolated and alone, rather than at Shen Huo, with others to defend and protect it, a disaster thankfully avoided. With the support of other Demons and a full army, the city would have fallen with ease. How is Dagen? I was not aware how strong his mental defenses were. It irked her that the man was in full control, completely unhindered in his fighting.

He is unconscious, heavily injured by the acid, and my healers are at their limits. He won't die, but he will not enjoy the next few days, if he even regains consciousness in the interim. The stitches complete, she stood and accepted the vest handed to her, gingerly covering herself up, much to the chagrin of the staring soldiers. Foolish men, acting as if they had never seen breasts before.

The looks on their faces reminded her of Rain and his awestruck look when their paths crossed in the baths. And the boy? Did he survive? Charging a Demon with only a spear, screaming like an idiot. Brave, but reckless.

A slow chuckle from Tokta caused her to relax. Rain has managed to impress me once again. Two broken arms, one collapsed lung and a shredded kidney, as well as several lacerations in his intestines and stomach wall, he managed to remain alive long enough for a healer to reach him. His right arm was crushed beyond repair and amputated, but the boy likely knew that would happen. He cut off the flow of blood to it, all but separating it from himself. Formidable indeed, keeping calm under pressure. He should wake within a day or so.

Shaking her head, she let out a sigh of both relief and worry. I am at a loss of what to do with him. He manages to inspire both pride and anger with a single action. I would have thought him more prudent. Cowardly was the word she wished to say, but he had disproved that with his actions. The mystery of how he had managed to move about under the Demon's mental attacks would need to wait until he regained consciousness as well, two mysteries that both grated at her pride. If he was already capable of setting mental defenses, then he was far ahead of any of his peers, a genius without comparison.

Well, I have nothing to suggest in that regard. Happily, you are the Chief Provost, and I am but a lowly minion, free from such concerns. Collecting his things, Tokta shuffled off towards his next patient as she watched, noting his half-lidded eyes and tired posture. Between battle and healing, the man had been pushed to his limits, as were most of the warriors under her command. A hard-won battle, she had underestimated just how many Defiled were still united in this area, almost 10,000 strong, each mounted atop a fierce Garo. The initial reports of the attack on Kai's camp had numbered less than half that and had not included any Garo riders. Even if there were twice the number of Defiled, if they had not been mounted then this battle would have been far more one-sided in her favor.

Inwardly sighing, she kept her face free of anger as she strode out of the healer's tent, surveying the soldiers around her. Many of them were badly injured, missing eyes or limbs, damaged organs and torn muscles, but they would survive, for now. They watched her as she strode about, nodding at them in thanks for their service. Pitiable souls, while she could guarantee that each of her Sentinels would be healed to full strength with time, it was unlikely that the Empire would do so for troopers without rank. It was often more economical to dismiss them with a reward in lieu of paying a healer, a sad truth of the world.

Raising her voice, she spoke to the gathered masses. You have each served the Empire well, and my healers will aid you where they can. I can make no other promises, but know that should you need aid, shelter, or work, come to me and I will not turn you or your families away. If you cannot find me, then speak to the Magistrate of Shen Huo, or someone in the Man Family and they will send word to me. Her speech had little impact, a jaded, bitter group, all too aware of how they would be treated upon their return, already resigned to being thrown away, but she would not abandon them. If they came to her, she would see them healed, even if she had to pay Taduk's exorbitant fees herself. If the Empire would not have them, then she would take them in as Sentinels, find them homes within the mountains. The blood toll for this battle had been high, and her ranks would need to be filled. These men had proven their worth to her, weathering a fierce charge without breaking.

She repeated her promise several times to other groups, each response as muted and unenthusiastic as the first, all of them unwilling to believe, too afraid to hope. Having done all that she could, she left to survey the remains of her camp, ravaged by deep furrows and bloody pits. Directing the idle and healthy soldiers, she began organizing better defenses, digging trenches and building small fences. As she worked, the constant, lingering smell of burning corpses filled the air as they stacked fallen soldiers and Sentinels in neat little rows atop their pyres, readying the dead for their sendoff.

Night turned to day and wore on, the camp finally cleared of corpses by mid afternoon, the oily smoke still hanging about, the smell replaced by the delightful scent of wild game cooking over the campfires, allowing all to indulge in a celebration of life after such a difficult battle. Her sentries were in place once again, unwilling to leave anything to chance, but her army had earned a single night of respite, before resuming the bloody task at hand. At least 4,000 riders had escaped, and without a leader, it was likely they would fracture into smaller groups, causing her no small frustration in tracking them all down.

All of that was for her to deal with tomorrow. Tonight, she ate delicious food and sang songs around the fires, commemorating the lives of the fallen whilst little Mila sat at her side, smiling and in good cheer, listening to the stories being told of the day's events, from dozens of different viewpoints. She laughed in disbelief upon hearing that Rain had defeated the Defiled Champion, going so far as to exchange names, who then turned into the Demon likely from aggravation. It delighted her that she was not the only one to be so frustrated by his actions. Pleased at the results, but maddened by his methods. Hopefully, Rain's injuries and the lack of coddling from Taduk would temper his future actions.

The celebration came to a close as night began to fall, and she stood before the living, the dead at her back. Lifting a single cup of wine, she held it high, displaying it for all to see. 3,173 soldiers and Sentinels lay dead, the price for our victory here. Their tribulations are over, their journey at an end. May they rest in peace, safe in the arms of the Mother. Turning, she poured the wine out on the pyre of a soldier, a commoner with no rank. Others approached with their cups, pouring them over the heap of wood and corpses, all down the line until every person present had taken part.

She poured herself a second cup, once again raising it high. Warriors of the Empire, our duty is yet to end and trials still lay before us. We will endure. Bringing the cup to her lips, she drank it in one sip before placing it aside for a torch. Without another word, she lit her torch and threw it atop the pyre, watching as the flames consumed the bodies of the fallen. The fire soared up into the night sky, a beacon of smoke and light as she sent off her fallen with a salute and a bow, before turning to return back to her tent, retiring early to ready herself for the next morning.

The threat had been weathered, but the hunt was on, and she would not stop until the Defiled were eliminated, stem and root, every last one of them killed before they could spread their filth within the Empire.

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Mila and Song returned and Alsantset stepped back and watched as Mila fed Rain, smiling at his fortune. Between Lin, Mila, and Yan, it would seem that Rain would be well-loved and cared for. After a few minutes, Yan joined them, sitting quietly off to one side. Unable to help herself, Alsantset decided to speak out. Yan was her favorite, Lin too admiring and Mila too indulging of Rain, but there needed to be fair play. Yan, I see that you've moved into Rain's tent. I'll have to trouble you to look after him. She enjoyed the small look of jealousy that flashed across Mila's face, quickly smothered with feigned indifference.

Rain chuckled. Oh Adujan, you're too good to me. I think I may have to take a shit later, so you're going to have to wipe for me. The relief in Mila's eyes almost made Alsantset laugh out loud.

Without missing a beat, Yan replied, You've got two working legs and there's plenty of grass, just scoot along the ground. You'll be fine.

Dont be so shy. I like to wash it off with water after I shit, so I'll need your help with that as well.

Their banter continued as she watched Mila pout, internally laughing at the prickly situation that Rain was in. Although the two of them would be in close quarters, Alsantset was positive that Yan would not succumb to her base desires, likely leading him about by the nose. She was a tough one, and would brook no insult from Rain. She would wait until properly married.

Deciding that the increasingly filthy discourse would have to end, she interrupted with a question. Rain, how were you able to withstand the mental attack of the Demon? The Lieutenant General will want to know, none of the other Sentinels were able to move about unhindered besides Dagen. Tell me of your experience, starting just before the Demon turned.

A sheepish grin on his face, with the promise of more debate aimed at Yan, Rain simply shrugged. Hmm... I fought the Defiled guy, err, Vivek Daatei. He was wounded, I went up to end him, but before I could, he turned inside out, or something. Not pleasant to watch, but I couldn't stop. Then it hit me, and I blacked out, and when I opened my eyes again... Pausing his narration, Rain lay on his back, looking forlorn.

She waited for almost a minute, until she was unable to keep silent any longer and asked, And? She feared the worst, that it had shown him the scenes of his enslavement, broken him once again, despite how happy he had seemed.

I was in a perfect world, where all my dreams came true. All of you were there, along with Tate, Tali, Baatar, Sarnai... My parents... my dog... my children. He sat there, staring into the sky, a sad smile upon his face. It showed me what it was like to be happy.

No wonder none who were afflicted spoke of what they saw. They were all mourning their loss, a difficult thing to deal with. A lump formed in the back of her throat. You saw your parents?

Ah, no, not exactly. There were two people who I knew were my parents, but I couldn't make out any physical details about them. It's one of the things that threw me off, helped me break free of the illusion. He spoke as if it had been simple, always unwilling to brag. Coughing sheepishly, he continued. Even after I figured it out, I kept watching, kept trying to go back into the illusion, to be happy again. I didn't want to leave, even knowing it wasn't real, that my life was at risk. It was powerful and wonderful.... but empty.

Her fear assuaged, she moved forward and gave him a hug. Well, you broke free and are well. Pursue your dreams here in the real world, and they will not be empty. Her hands planted on his shoulders, she gave him a stern look. At least now I understand why you were so angry and rash upon waking. Akanai almost died of laughter watching you assault the Demon so foolishly.

Rolling his eyes, he settled back into his reclining posture. Yea, well you know the rest. After getting beaten by the Demon, I went and woke up Dagen, and blah blah blah, here we are.

Mila laughed, clapping her hands. You woke him up? Mama will be delighted to hear that! She was being a little grouchy, thinking that you and Dagen had stronger mental defenses than her. The others smiled as well, and the conversation turned to other questions of his ordeals, but after a few minutes, Alsantset motioned for everyone to retire, Rain already drifting back to sleep, his body still weak from his ordeal.

Moving a short distance away with Mila as Yan helped Rain into their tent, Alsantset smiled at Mila's envious look. It seems Yan has stolen a march, aiming for Rain's body. What do you plan to do now?

Hmph. Nothing. Who that lech sleeps with is none of my concern. Mila's face heated up again, too many times in one night.

Chuckling, Alsantset gave her a hug, refraining from pinching her freckled cheeks, still plump and childish despite her beauty. Be more honest with yourself, little Mila, or Rain will be lost to you.

Leaving with those words, Alsantset moved back towards her tent, light on her feet, delighted at how everything had turned out. He had broken free of the Demon's sway when all others had remained locked within, and had even freed Dagen to aid Akanai. The story would be told, Dagen's word giving it weight, and Rain would be praised as he so deserved. A small fright at the mention of his parents, but it seemed that nothing was amiss.

Things were finally working out for Rain, and she could not be happier.