Nicasor leaned over the map spread across the table, his finger tracing a line south of the fort. “This is where they’ve been spotted,” he said, his voice low but firm. “A group of Fafen stragglers, no more than thirty men. They’re not a threat to the fort, but they’re like wolves—small, but dangerous if left to roam. They’ll raid villages, disrupt supply lines, and sow chaos. We can’t afford to ignore them.”

  I exchanged a glance with Nathanos. It was evident Nicasor couldn’t afford to lose more men, not with the war brewing on multiple fronts. That’s where we came in.

  “You’ll have seven Palatine Guards,” Nicasor continued, his tone leaving no room for debate. “And ten recruits from the villages. They’re not soldiers, but they’ll follow orders. Your task is simple: find the Fafen group, eliminate them, and ensure they don’t threaten our supply routes or the villages. Can I trust you with this?”

  I stepped forward, my voice steady. “You can, my lord. We’ll handle it.” Nicasor nodded, though the lines on his face didn’t soften. “Good. Move quickly. The longer they’re out there, the more damage they’ll do.”

  I hesitated for a moment, glancing out the narrow window of the war room. The sun had long since set, and the castle grounds were bathed in the pale silver light of the moon. “My lord,” I began carefully, “it’s night. Moving now would put us at a disadvantage. The Fafen are likely camped and resting, but if we march out in the dark, we risk walking into an ambush. Our recruits aren’t trained for night manoeuvres they will struggle to maintain formation in unfamiliar terrain.”

  Nicasor’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment, I thought he might dismiss my concerns outright. But then he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “You think waiting until dawn is the better option?”

  “I do,” I said firmly. “We’ll lose nothing by waiting a few hours, and we’ll gain the advantage of daylight. The Fafen won’t expect us to move so quickly, and by the time they realize we’re coming, it’ll be too late.”

  Nicasor with an apologetic smile “I must be honest with you. The Northern Empire’s coffers are strained, and I cannot pay you for this mission in coin. However,” he continued, raising a hand to forestall any protest, “I will compensate you in another way. All the loot taken from the Sturgians is yours to keep—their weapons, armour, anything of value. And the prisoners you’ve captured are yours as well. Do with them as you see fit. Ransom them, sell them, or put them to work

  Sturgians are sturdy people—valuable, whether for ransom or service. If they cooperate, we can send them back to their lords for a bounty. If not, they’ll be handed over to the Northern Empire as slaves. Either way, it’s a gain for us.

  Nicasor’s gaze sharpened, and he leaned back in his chair, studying me with a mix of curiosity and calculation. “You’ve thought this through,” he said slowly. “Very well. But remember, if this plan of yours backfires, the responsibility falls on you. I expect results, not excuses.”

  As we left the war room, Nathanos shot me a sideways glance. “You’re getting bold, questioning Nicasor like that.”

  “Someone has to,” I replied, keeping my voice low. “I’m not leading my troops into a slaughter just because he’s impatient.”

  Nathanos couldn’t hold the question that had been in his mind “And what of their leadership? Do you think this group will surrender easily?”

  “I suspect they will,” I said, my tone confident. “From the reports, Fafen or his sons aren’t leading this group. They’re likely demoralized and disorganized, without a capable commanding officer. That makes them easier to deal with. They’ll be more concerned with survival than putting up a fight.”

  As the moon hung high in the night sky, I called for a meeting with my squad members and the Palatine Guards. We gathered in a dimly lit corner of the barracks, the air thick with tension and the faint scent of oiled leather and steel. The leader of the Palatine Guards, a tall, broad-shouldered man named Captain Draven, stood at the forefront, his arms crossed and his expression unreadable. My core squad—Sora, Silvana, Nathanos and the others—stood close, their eyes fixed on me.

  “Listen up,” I began, my voice low but carrying enough weight to silence the murmurs. “We move at first light. I know some of you are worried about the Sturgians attacking a village tonight, but there’s little we can do about that right now. My priority is your safety, and charging into the dark with untrained recruits and unfamiliar terrain is a risk we can’t afford.”

  I continued. “We’re no good to anyone if we’re dead or scattered in the dark. We’ll move at dawn, catch them off guard, and put an end to this. Trust me, this is the best way.”

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  Our goal is to capture, not kill. Sturgians are sturdy people—valuable, whether for ransom or service. But make no mistake, they’re dangerous.

  The Fafen raiding party is armed with axes, which can cleave through shields if given the chance. And their shield wall formation is tight—shields packed together so tightly that any charge is reflected by dozens of shields at once. If you attack one, you’re attacking all of them.”

  Silvana grunted. “So how do we break them without getting ourselves killed?”

  “We don’t break them head-on,” I replied. “We outmaneuver them. Their formation is strong, but it’s slow. We’ll use our mobility to flank them, disrupt their lines, and force them to scatter. The Palatine Guards and your crossbowmen will rain volleys on them from a distance. Stay close, stay disciplined, and follow orders. If we do this right, we’ll take them down with minimal losses.”

  The first light of dawn crept over the horizon, casting a pale golden glow across the rolling hills. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of dew and damp earth. Our forces stood in formation, a mix of seasoned fighters and nervous recruits, their breath visible in the cool morning air.

  I rode along the line. Beside me, Sora surveyed the terrain with sharp eyes, while Silvana, adjusted her bowstring with practised ease. Nathanos barked orders at the infantry while Abda, the medic, checked her supplies one last time. The borrowed troops—seven Palatine Guards and ten recruits—stood in disciplined ranks, their armour gleaming faintly in the early light.

  In the distance, the Sturgian raiding party came into view. They were a formidable sight: thirty strong, their shields locked together in a tight formation, axes and spears glinting in their hands. Their shield wall was impenetrable at a glance, a bristling fortress of wood and steel. But I had a plan, and we all knew our roles.

  “Archers, ready!” Sora called out, her voice cutting through the stillness. Silvana and a handful of others nocked their arrows, their eyes fixed on the approaching enemy. “Wait for my signal.”

  The Sturgians advanced steadily, their pace deliberate, their shields raised high. They were disciplined, but their movements were slow, weighed down by the heavy formation. Sora raised her hand, his gaze locked on the enemy. “Hold… hold…”

  The tension was palpable. The recruits shifted nervously, their knuckles white on their spears. Nathanos growled at them to steady themselves, his voice a low rumble. “Stay in line! Don’t break unless I say so!”

  “Now!” Sora’s voice rang out, and a volley of arrows and bolts arced through the sky, raining down on the Sturgians. The arrows clattered against their shields, most deflected, but a few found their mark, causing gaps to appear in their formation. The Sturgians roared in defiance, their pace quickening as they closed the distance.

  “Second volley!” Sora commanded, and another wave of volleys flew. This time, the Sturgians raised their shields higher, their formation tightening further. But their advance slowed, their energy already beginning to wane under the constant barrage.

  I turned to Nathanos. “Keep them at range. Tire them out. We’ll commit to melee only when they’re exhausted.”

  Nathanos nodded, his expression grim. “You heard him! Hold the line! Spears forward!”

  The infantry formed a defensive wall, their spears bristling like the quills of a porcupine. The Sturgians, now within shouting distance, hurled insults and challenges, but their voices were tinged with frustration. They were used to quick, brutal fights, not this drawn-out game of attrition.

  For what felt like an eternity, we held our ground, trading arrows and taunts. The Sturgians’ shield wall began to falter, their movements sluggish, their formation loosening. I seized the moment. “Now! Cavalry, flank them! Break their lines!”

  Ruslan and Leon with mixed Khujait Slave and Aserai Cavalary, surged forward with a thunderous roar. They swept around the Sturgians’ flanks, their lances lowered, their charge unstoppable. The Sturgians, already exhausted, couldn’t maintain their formation. Their shield walls crumbled under the weight of the cavalry’s assault, and chaos erupted.

  “Infantry, advance!” Nathanos bellowed, leading the charge. The recruits, emboldened by the sight of the Sturgians breaking, followed with a ragged cheer. The melee was fierce but brief. The Sturgians, now scattered and disorganized, fought with desperation, but their morale was shattered.

  After an hour or two, the battle was over. The surviving Sturgians threw down their weapons, their faces pale with defeat. I rode forward, with my sword still in hand but lowered. “Take them alive!” I ordered. “Bind them and secure the area!”

  The Palatine Guards and recruits moved quickly, rounding up the captives. Silvana and her crossbowmen kept their bolts aimed at the prisoners, while Abda and Timothy tended to the wounded on both sides. Nathanos oversaw the binding of the Sturgians, their expressions a mix of relief and satisfaction.

  As the sun climbed higher in the sky, I surveyed the scene. The Sturgians were defeated, and their threat was neutralized. We lost a couple of our good men, the recruits, though shaken, stood taller, their confidence bolstered by the victory. The Palatine Guards, ever professional, maintained their discipline, their armour now scuffed but unbroken.

  “We did it,” Sora said quietly, riding up beside me. “But this is only the beginning.”

  I nodded, “Yes. But for now, we’ve secured the south. Let’s get these captives back to Nicasor. He’ll want to see the results of our work.”

  As the group began the march back to the fort, the weight of the morning’s battle settled over us. We had won, but the cost of war was always high. And with the Sturgians now in chains, we knew the Northern Empire’s enemies would not soon forget this day.

  So even having 5 palatine guards is a big advantage.