Alisson awoke to hear the sound of rain hounding the top of his tent.

  For a brief moment, he thought there was a crack in the tent because of the moisture he felt on his face. He cracked his eyes open to find Dascha licking his face slowly and methodically.

  She locked eyes with him and tilted her head, rubbing her body closer against his, making him acutely aware of the fact that she was under his covers. Sensing no obvious signs of arousal or otherwise perverted intentions, he pet the back of her head with a small smile. He couldn’t take too long in getting up though. The 7th needed to move. Lest they were caught by a much larger and more capable army.

  He sat up to find Celis standing in the doorway of his tent with a blank expression, staring at him and Dascha. This was a common sight to see over these last few weeks. He didn’t know if she even slept. It was unnerving, and a little embarrassing to see her staring at him so intently with Dascha pushing her head against his chest.

  He got up to find the floor of his tent completely turned to mud. It was going to be a cold, muddy day, something becoming more and more common as the season turned in Irine.

  There was still some time before the army was set to head out, so Alisson went on a walk outside the camp. Dascha and Celis wordlessly followed him without being told anything. With Firo absorbing any moisture, he didn’t need to worry about the rain very much.

  He found a small pond in the forest nearby. The added water of the rain had increased the pond beyond its capacity; and so it rushed through a stream that ran downhill. After staring into the pond, finding his reflection to be scattered and broken by the rain droplets, Alisson followed the stream.

  He encountered a dam made of sticks and forest debris – Some animal had no doubt made it. He saw how the overabundance of rain struggled to pass through the dam. The dam held firm regardless, turning the torrents of water into but a small dribble that continued to flow down the hill.

  Alisson stared at the sight for a long while, his boots sinking into the muddy ground. His eyes widened slightly in enlightenment as an idea formed in his head. He heard the calls of trumpets not long after, and upon his return to the army, he had his plan.

  …

  The town of Udraphor was next on the list. The last stop before the 7th would execute its risky maneuver.

  Udraphor was a large settlement, but was notably lacking a sufficient defensive wall to keep out aggressors. A rapid growth and prosperity that would meet an equally sudden end at the hands of Alisson’s army. The objective, like the previous settlements they had attacked since encountering the 87th, was twofold. Secure supplies; and root out the townspeople. Turn them not into corpses, but into refugees. Send them running north.

  The first objective looked like a failed one by the time they laid eyes on the city. The crop fields surrounding the settlement were blackened. They had been burnt in advance.

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  The 7th deployed their remaining siege equipment to smoke out the townspeople, and an ultimatum was issued to the town – Which simply stated to leave and run north while they could. Any who remained would become casualties. News of what happened to other towns had probably spread here, because the remaining inhabitants heeded the warning. They left through a corridor the 7th had made for them.

  Alisson rode on his horse, overlooking the stream of people. Just then a rock flew at him, missing his stallion by a small margin. Alisson eyes flared with rage and he looked down across the mass of people, instantly spotting a young boy who flashed a glare at him.

  “Butcher!” He said in Irinian.

  Alisson motioned to Hoffman, who was beside him, and then beckoned at the boy with a finger. Hoffman nodded and rode out with a couple Inquisitors who easily restrained the boy, the cries of his family members doing little to stifle the motions of the grey-clad Inquisitors.

  They brought the boy to the hill that Alisson had been overlooking, and kicked him to his knees. Alisson dismounted and paced toward him. The boy perhaps realized his mistake too late as his eyes widened in fear. Alisson drew his blade cut through the child with one motion. The mass of people below yelled out in horror, but beset on all sides by armed soldiers, none of them acted foolishly.

  Alisson took a deep breath as he gave a flare to his blade, splattering blood across the ground, before sheathing it.

  The rest of the residents were henceforth declared partisans, and the town was stormed.

  Peculiar reports emerged from his forces thereafter. Organized resistance was apparent within the city. Some of the apparent militia were armored like real soldiers – With lavender insignias. Alisson wanted answers, but already had a pretty good guess as to what was going on. He ordered one of the armored men taken alive. With the overwhelming advantage, the resistance was stamped out relatively easily, and the pillaging began.

  Alisson’s requested captive was delivered and brought before him. He was clearly from the 87th.

  “Just kill me! I’m not saying anything to betray her excellency Nariseer!”

  The man struggled intently with the 51st who restrained him.

  “We can’t have that.” Alisson motioned for Hoffman again, and said simply to him, “Make him talk.”

  Hoffman bobbed his head, and the soldier was taken away by two towering Inquisitors into a tent away from the battle. It was a brief affair, but one that was silenced with the aid of the Inquisitors casting noise suppression spells around their special little tent as to not bother Alisson.

  They soon returned with the answers Alisson wanted. The subject evidently didn't survive interrogation.

  The soldiers here were indeed from the 87th. They were a small regiment that had been dispersed to all the surrounding settlements. They ordered any towns they came across to burn their fields and destroy any supplies, as well as prepare them for evacuation. Then, they would begin organizing defensive militias to attempt to both attack the 7th’s supply lines and hold out against any sieges.

  It was clear what Nariseer was intending to do. Starve Alisson out and force a confrontation; one that the 87th would undoubtedly win. Luckily for Alisson however, he had his own plan.

  The city was sacked, but little to no supplies were found. The 7th was low on supplies thanks to their retreat from the previous battle, but not so badly that he couldn’t execute large maneuvers.

  Which was exactly what the 7th did after Udraphor was dealt with.

  “Augen. You have your orders. Best of luck.”

  “Sir.”

  With that, Augen rode southwest with half of the 7th army, minus the 51st and 58th. With Augen riding off, Alisson endowed with him the majority of his remaining supplies. This would give Alisson the time he needed to march east; toward the Kitsune Queendom, and toward the HACA.

  There, Alisson would find both supplies, and manpower to level the playing ground with the 87th. The Angels and the Kitsune had both promised him support. Now, it was time to cash in those favors.

  ***