CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHARIOTS OF WAR
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| We must free Freidle, or it'll be hell to pay. |
O’ forth, brave warriors
We go to war to end all wars
With weapons sharp and polished
We’ll make evil be banished
O’ forth, knight crusaders
‘Cos we are stout defenders
We fight back all invaders
And the good will be winners
O’ forth great paladins
Heroes since time begins
Come O’ champions of light
Lead us to destiny’s bright
-
‘The
Crusade Chants’
Sung by troops during the Third Crusade
3.3.19.1. To Free Freidle
Two days
after Rael’charon changed his plan for the Crusade after the double agent
Talbot du Bois’ blew his own cover, a great Alliance army is marching towards Freidle,
the capital of Borgia to reclaim it from the Dark Forces. This first division
is led by Adler von Bachmann, and consists of troops from Lore, Escudia and
Thyrine. The Borgians also join there as reserves and guides.
Viscount
Adler is somewhat displeased with this ‘arrangement’, on the prospect of
working together with the two people he loathes most: Sir Robert Chandler and
Don Hernan y Parvaez. So, instead of rallying his troops, he spends his journey
looking sulky. Eidos, the only one he can talk to (or order around) is up in
the air with the Airship Aurora, the
Borgian dragon riders and the Escudian pegasus riders.
‘Why so
glum, Commander?’ Oh, no, Kyflynn’s mocking voice is the last thing he needs
now. Adler wants so much to ignore it, but his noble pride won’t allow him to.
So he
responds, ‘I’m surprised of your concern, Paladin. I’m pondering about our
field strategy once we get there.’
The night
elf assassin says, ‘Well, you make that strategy, you need actual information,
and my order is to scout ahead and gather that information for you and
assisting other scouts. So, I better get going now. See you later!’
He darts
off on foot and out of sight. Adler just sighs, thinking. Humph. That insolent bastard. Had he not a Paladin, I must’ve punished
him in front of the army already to maintain discipline and order.
Before anything else pops inside his mind,
suddenly another voice startles him.
‘Permission
to speak, Commander.’
Robert
shows up in front of the Commander, riding his armored horse, Paeldagrin. Adler
snorts and answers, ‘Permission granted. Go ahead, Sir Robert.’
‘The
Supreme Commander Rael’charon has instructed me to go ahead of the main army
and bring the Cavalry and charioteers to set up a flank attack. My apologies,
Commander, but I have to get going now. Failure to carry out instructions in
the scarlet letter will bring severe consequences.’
‘Humph.
Just go ahead, Paladin. I’m sure you’ll be a great help when the time comes.’
‘Thank you,
Commander. I’ve volunteered to help you and I’ll surely keep that promise.’
Robert
salutes to Adler and gallops ahead. He raises his sword high, its fiery blade
serves as signal. Soon enough, the infantry moves aside, giving way to the
cavalry and chariots. Robert and his troops then ride to another path, leaving
Adler and the rest in the dust.
Damn that Rael’charon. He really didn’t
delegate his authority to me at all. His instruction to me was: ‘Guide the
first division to Freidle. The Paladins already had their instructions in the
scarlet letters. After you liberate Borgia, go with haste to Castoria to
regroup with the second division.’ Still, I have no choice but to obey or lose
the Alliance’s
support. Damn, damn, how I hate being in this position.
While Adler recalls his regrets, a pegasus
rider descends to the ground, lands and gallops on his side. The rider is none
other than Don Hernan y Parvaez, master of the Leviathan and the stand-in
leader of the Escudian pegasus riders.
‘What do
you want, Don?’ says Adler with resentment in his tone. ‘Don’t tell me your
order is to detach and scout ahead, or something like that.’
‘On the
contrary, Commander,’ answers the Don calmly. ‘My order is to assist you all
the way and give you advices according to the situation, being a tactician
myself. To do that, we must put away our differences in the past and fight
together against our common enemies, the Heir and his Dark Forces.’
‘Oh, great.
Now I’m stuck with my ex-partner in this team. Okay, we’ll be partners again –
for now. Mind you, when this Crusade is over, you and I have some scores to
settle.’
Hernan
smiles and says, ‘I’m so looking forward to that, Viscount.’
