Resurrected Soldiers: The Tyrus Chronicle - Book Three (4 page)

“Why didn’t you try to march on Hol then as you’re doing now?”

“The residual sorcery was too strong. Those with a resistance were barely able to keep up with caring for others. We needed time to recover and the sorcery to lessen. Plus, I needed men to replenish my ranks.”

He stared out into nothing, eyes distant. He shook his head and blinked.

“Sir?”

“That’s enough about the past for now, Tyrus. We need to focus on the future.”

“Well, it’s just that—”

He looked up, face stiff and emotionless. The calm he wore earlier, the almost eagerness in telling me of those events was gone. “I said that was enough.”

I sighed. “Yes, sir.”

He returned to the map. “We need to be in Hol in eight weeks.”

I choked. Eight weeks? Was he going senile?

“Uh, sir. Eight weeks isn’t possible. It took me longer than that just to lead a group from Denu Creek to the outpost where you found me. And under normal circumstances, it would take several months to travel from Denu Creek to Hol. We aren’t exactly under normal circumstances anymore.”

“Eight weeks, Tyrus.”

“Why? I know you said we were heading to war, but I didn’t know we were operating under such an abbreviated time frame.”

The word abbreviated was purposefully chosen. I thought it more diplomatic than ridiculous or impossible.

“Things changed.”

“Since this afternoon?”

“Yes.”

“What changed?”

“The movement of the enemy for one.”

I cocked my head. “How can you know the movement of an enemy that far away and have word get back to you? That used to only happen through transfer portals. You’d need a High Mage for that.”

“Still do.”

My mind raced at the implication. “Are you telling me you have not only a High Mage at your disposal, but one that has managed to regain their connection to sorcery well enough to create a transfer portal?”

“We have three. Two came over to my side after I survived the council’s first attack. They had disagreed with the council’s decision and wanted to restore confidence in Turine’s leadership as well. The third we saved after the first eruption. Since everyone and everything in Hol was dead and gone, it only made sense for him to throw in with us.”

Three High Mages with enough control of their power to create and use transfer portals. If Ava had been able to tap into that much power again, we might have been able to stay ahead of Balak’s army.

“Where are the High Mages? I haven’t seen them.”

“You won’t. Only a few know of their existence, and I want to keep it that way. That means you’re not to tell anyone in your unit. Or Hamath.”

That took me off guard. “Hamath doesn’t know?”

“No. You, me, and the men standing guard outside my tent. And only them because it was their resistance that saved the High Mages after the eruptions.”

“It must have taken a lot of effort to save three High Mages so close to Hol.”

“It did.” His face grew dark. “I lost a lot of soldiers to not only save them, but also keep their presence a secret.” He paused. “But it was worth it. I hope the time I lost coming after you was worth it too.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Why did I save those mages over my men, or why did I come after you when it is so crucial we get to Hol in eight weeks?”

“Both.”

He smiled then. It was a rare event. So rare, that his face acted as if it didn’t know how to do it, twisting oddly to the left, then right, before finally settling into some genuine form of amusement. “This does not leave this tent, ever.”

“Of course.”

“I’m playing the long game, Tyrus. You know how much I hate to rely on others, but I learned a lot from watching your mind work over the years. You weren’t afraid to take a calculated risk if it resulted in a long term victory. I’m doing the same. That’s why I let your little lie about your sister and kids being dead go. Having you in the right frame of mind to get my army ready for battle was more important than an extra mage and two kids with a resistance.”

I fought back every reaction my body wanted to make from his comment. It took everything I had not to vomit when thinking about the danger my kids would have been in traveling north with the army. “What is the long term victory?”

He smiled wider. The expression actually looked painful, but he probably couldn’t help himself. He picked up on the fact I still refused to acknowledge the state of my family to him. Regardless of what he said, I wouldn’t admit the lie.

“All of Turine, first. But possibly the world if things play out as I expect,” he said.

I started to open my mouth for further clarification, but he cut me off.

“Starting tomorrow, I need you to get my army ready for battle. Though we won’t reach Hol for another eight weeks, we will have smaller battles before then.”

My head hurt thinking about all he wanted me to accomplish in such a narrow amount of time. “Sir, I’m not sure how I can accurately train soldiers while traveling at a break neck pace.”

“You will have two dedicated hours in the morning at your disposal, an hour at midday, and two hours in the evening. The rest of the time you’ll have will be on the march.”

That was much more time than I expected. “There is no way we’ll be able to reach Hol in eight weeks at that pace.”

“You let me worry about that.”

“What about the enemy? What size of a force are we talking about in relation to ours? You’ve told me nothing about them.”

His mouth twisted. “Hard to say. Their numbers are changing constantly. They’re up to something themselves. Assume we’ll be at a disadvantage in that regard.”

“How big of one?”

“A large one.”

“Sir?”

“I’m working on the specifics, Tyrus. But until you hear otherwise, expect the worst.”

I always did since the worst had a habit of happening.

“You know, you haven’t even told me who the enemy is yet.”

“I was keeping that information close as well. I didn’t want to upset any veterans.” He paused. “But I guess it makes sense to let that out now so that the men are better prepared and not surprised when they see who’s carrying a sword across from them. It’s the Geneshans.”

I broke out into a sweat. Gods, it was truly like the war had never ended.

He ignored my expression and gestured toward the tent entrance. “Now, leave me. We’ll catch up more as we travel. In the meantime, I want to see progress on the condition of my army.”

I took a deep breath to help recover. “Yes, sir.” I started to leave, then stopped as a thought struck me. “Sir, regarding the chain of command.”

“You answer to no one but me. And everyone answers to you outside of my personal guard.”

Just what I had hoped for.

“And if I have any pushback?”

“Handle it as you did Habak.”

I blinked. News traveled fast.

He smiled again. I liked him better scowling. The smile was far more unsettling. Especially because it was a smile that said he knew things that I didn’t. I had to be careful about what was said aloud by either me or my men. I had no clue who was reporting back to him.

“You said one reason for our pace was the movement of the enemy. What is the other reason?”

“My High Mages believe that the artifact will go off again in roughly eight weeks. They tell me they are working on a way to prevent it from destroying any more of Turine. To do so however, we have to get there beforehand.”

“And the Geneshans, any reason why they’ve waited so long before moving toward Hol, or why they just so happen to be going now?”

“I have some theories. We can discuss them at a better time, but it is likely they’ve stayed away and are returning for the same reasons we have.”

I nodded and this time walked away. However, I paused at the tent flap. “General, one more thing. About the three High Mages?”

“Yes.”

“When we face the Geneshans in battle—”

“Don’t count them as a resource, Tyrus. As far as you’re concerned, they don’t exist. At least not until I say they do.”

“Aces in the hole?”

“Something like that.”

* * *

The twelve men I had dragged along with me from the outpost made it to the fire started by Dekar that evening. Most wore a sour expression as they finished the last of their meal, a bowl of brown stew. I surmised that their scowling came not from the stew, but the situation they were in.

The army surprisingly had an abundance of supplies we had lacked in our small group. I discovered that Balak had used his might liberally on his way south, raiding the food stores of towns he had passed through after pressing their best men into service.

A good guy, that Balak.

I checked in with everyone. Most returned the greeting easily. A couple shook my hand reluctantly with a look that let me know they weren’t over me separating them from their families.

One of those, Gavri, seemed especially uneasy.

I stood looking down on him. “I know you’re angry with me. That’s fine. If it means keeping your mind off the stuff ahead of us, stay that way. Just understand that I did what I thought was best for everyone, including your family.”

Gavri sighed, his face softening. “I know. It’s just . . . I miss them.” He paused, lowering his voice. “And I’m scared.”

I patted his shoulder. “I wouldn’t expect you not to be.” I lowered to my knee. “Look, I’m not going to lie and tell you that things are going to work out just fine. But if you do as I say, you’ll have a much better chance of seeing things through. It isn’t much of a promise, but it’s the best one I can give.”

He nodded.

I slapped his shoulder again, wishing I could do or say more, then stood and went over to Dekar and Ira.

They sat a little farther back from the others. Reuma, the former prostitute turned solider, was beside Ira, their arms intertwined. Dekar sat across from them both, legs stretched out. After I took a seat next to him, he handed me a heel of bread and a bowl of warm stew that smelled surprisingly good.

The relief to my tired legs was immediate and I let out a long sigh.

“Sounding like an old man, Ty,” said Ira.

“Feeling like one. Might need to find a walking stick before long.”

He snorted. “I think you’re just playing it up to garner sympathy. But you won’t get any after what you did to Habak and Ittay.”

“Ittay? That’s his name?” I shoveled the first bite of stew into my mouth. It was cold and bland, but it was food and I had learned long ago never to turn my nose at that.

“Yep. Lots of people talking about how you dropped him like a rotted tree.”

“Oh?” Again, I was surprised at how quickly news had spread.

“Mostly good. Neither Habak nor Ittay were loved. People are understanding why Balak trekked all the way down here for you. Add that to your previous reputation in leading our old unit, and all these other new stories circulating about what you’ve done after the Geneshan War, and you’ll be a legend by tomorrow afternoon.”

“New stories?” I frowned, “How many of these new stories are coming from you?”

There was a twinkle in his eye. “No more than five or six.”

“Ira, I don’t need more stuff hanging over my head. I got enough as it is.”

“You’ll thank me later.” He gestured to Dekar. “Besides, I wasn’t the only one.”

I gave Dekar a surprised look. “You too?”

“What I told was true. I didn’t embellish.”

I sighed. “I appreciate you trying to convince the army I’m worthy, but let’s leave the past alone. I can handle my own reputation just fine. The last thing I need to do is present myself like someone who needs to be brought down a peg.”

Namely to Balak, I thought to myself. He seemed reasonable enough earlier, but he had never been good at sharing glory or praise.

I took a bite of bread while looking at Reuma more closely. She wore a wrap around her hand and slowly opened and closed her fist.

I gestured. “What happened?”

“Someone’s face got in my way,” she said.

I could tell she meant the comment as a joke, but the smile didn’t quite form as she said it, and the lingering anger was apparent. Likely I wasn’t the only one who had people talking.

“Explain.”

She and Ira shared a look that seemed to encourage her.

“This idiot thought he could treat me like a camp follower. Said he’d pay me double the going rate if he got the first go with me. I told him I was a soldier and he laughed. I ignored him and walked away. He grabbed me rough and tried to pull me behind a tent. When he did, I swung.”

“Knocked him out cold. Nothing left for me to do,” said Ira with a chuckle. “Told you she could handle herself.”

“You did,” I agreed with a grin.

“Bruised my knuckles though,” she said bitterly. “Guy had a face like a rock.”

Ira said. “The fact you dropped Kehat will go a long way in making others think twice about messing with you though.”

I swallowed another bite. “Wait. Kehat? The guy with the wide nose and different colored eyes.”

“The one and only.”

“Man, I thought he died in the last battle when we took the artifact.”

“Nope. Word is Balak gave him another crack at leading a squad on some smaller mission after the eruptions. But like the last time, it didn’t work out too well and he got his command stripped again.”

“Not surprising. He’s a crap leader. None of his men ever wanted to follow him.”

“Why?” asked Reuma.

“Mean,” said Dekar. “Used to drown stray animals to pass the time. Said he liked watching them struggle for air.”

“That’s gotta be an exaggeration, right?” asked Reuma.

Dekar shook his head.

Reuma swore. “How can someone like that even be in the army?”

“Because,” said Ira, “a man like Kehat might not be the most ideal to lead, but he’s the sort you’d want to stand next to in battle. He won’t be taking it lightly on the enemy, if you catch my meaning.”

I grunted between another couple bites of stew.

“You ever going to tell us what Balak had to say?” Ira asked. The impatience in his voice was not hidden.

“I was hoping to finish eating first.”

“You’re a talented man, Ty. I’m sure you can do both.”