(One Week Later)
It's been about a week since I got here, it's been pleasant, we have not come across any camps yet, but that is fine.
We were slowly getting closer and closer to the Elven Kingdom, at the moment, we were marching in a forest.
I created clones with blood magic to help search for the enemy, they went off in different directions to help expand our distance.
In the front was Callias, Melody, and I, we led the way, I already had "Blood Oath" activated and ready to go.
It was going to be any time now, an Alacryan force will show up somewhere underground, and I can let loose.
"Anything?" Callias asked me, and I shook my head. "Damn, we have been at this for a while now, you sure you can sense them?"
"I'll be able to." I told him. "Patience, Callias."
"Haha." Melody laughed. "I have to admit, when they told me I was going to be working with a Lance, I wasn't expecting you to be so open and talkative." What was she expecting, I was eleven, almost twelve, I think.
"Oh, he isn't anything like the other Lances." Callias nudged me as I stepped over a rock. "I met Lance Bairon, Lance Varay, and Lance Aya, they are all very serious when they are around people." That was true, but Aya wasn't serious when she was around me.
"I kind of noticed that." Melody said. "Lance Virion, do you think it is because of your age? Aren't you twelve or thirteen?"
"I am eleven." I turned to her, and stopped walking, causing everyone to slow down. "We got something." I went into my one clone's consciousness. "Five miles to the east, my one clone found something."
"Are you sure?" Callias asked, causing Melody and the other soldiers to examine my reaction.
"It's a division of five hundred soldiers, we should be able to handle them." I turned and started to walk in that direction. "Callias, send word down the line to Daryl to send a note to Commander Virion." I'll be responsible here; I'll tell Elder Virion about this.
"On it." Callias turned around and started to chat with a soldier.
"Let's do this." Melody said, and then followed me, causing everyone to follow me. "We should make camp when you actually sense them, it's your clone that does right now, right?"
"Yeah, and I agree." I said, and then went on. "Once they come into my range, I'll tell you, and then we will set up camp."
"Okay." Melody responded.
My clone was hiding in a tree now, waiting until we arrived. This should be a walk in a park, it is only five hundred soldiers, I probably could kill them by myself, but they don't want me to try.
I already am creating a plan in my head to take them all out, and this time, hopefully, the portal frame is not destroyed.
I could get into Alacrya, but that isn't part of the plan, so I can't tell anyone what I was currently thinking.
I have six earth mages; they are the key to everything. The one element I never had, but wish I did, so I was going to have to rely on them a little.
"I still can't believe there are Alacryan forces underground, so far in to Dicathen." Melody said to nobody, I think she was talking to herself. I couldn't tell her that these five hundred soldiers is nothing compared to the force hidden somewhere else.
I don't remember the size of the force that invades the Elven Kingdom, but it has to be over thirty to forty thousand, maybe even a lot more.
"Let's get ready!" Callias jumped to the front next to me, pumped for some reason. "We are going to bring home a victory, are we not!" He shouted to the soldiers behind me.
"Yes!" The soldiers screamed, it was very loud, I rolled my eyes.
"You know we are supposed to be quiet, so they don't know we are coming?" I said to Callias next to me. "But I guess they are underground, so it doesn't matter."
"You are so calm." Melody said, I think to me.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked questioningly, looking at the elf. "There's no human that can rival me."
"That is something a Lance would say." She replied, and I shrugged.
Callias shouted once again to the force behind me. "Are we afraid of death?!" I had a plan, my original one was to drop the ceiling on them, crushing them to death, but it would destroy the portal most likely.
"No!" The soldiers shouted back to his question.
"We are going to be victorious!" Callias kept on shouting, getting the soldiers hyped up for the battle to come, even though some of them wouldn't be fighting in the battle.
I cracked my neck and spoke to Melody. "Where's your sister? You fight better with her, right?"
"Yeah, she was in the back with Daryl, we will get together before the battle, when we are setting up our camp." Melody answered.
"Oh, okay." I would have my clones join me, but there was no need, I wanted them to find other camps while we were here.
I would fly on ahead, but I can't leave my men behind, and since most weren't mages, they would be left in the dust. I couldn't imagine coming to this world, and not having the ability to use magic. I would feel so left out, like I was worthless.
Now that I think about it, couldn't everyone become a mage? For example, Arthur and I created our own cores, so couldn't people do that as well? I understand as you get older, it is harder for you to develop a core, but isn't the mana still there?
Ehh, why am I thinking about this right now? For some reason with blood magic, I could help someone create a core, but I might be wrong, but it won't hurt to try. I'll do that later, right now, we have to prepare for battle.
"Callias, it looks like there are a bunch of soldiers inside of tunnels, not doing anything, we have to gather them up in one place." I told him, and then went on as he looked at me. "I think the demolition team opens up a hole for me to jump in, I get their attention, then from above, the archers and conjurers shoot spells and arrows down at them, and I'll attack from the front."
"That works, but what about the augmenters? You'll be the only one on the ground, which you know Commander Virion wouldn't approve of." Callias was worrying about my safety and the anger of disobeying Elder Virion.
"Umm, let me think." I responded, and we kept on walking. "Okay, the demolition team will split apart, two of them will open a hole for me and the conjurers, and the other four will create holes for the augmenters and soldiers, which will allow them to fight with me on the ground."
"That works with me, I don't want to be left out in this fight." Callias was a good swordsman, not as good as me, but I think over the time we spent together, I helped him get stronger. "How much longer?"
"About four miles, one more before we set up camp." I told him. "However, I know you don't want me to fight down there alone, because of what Elder Virion ordered, but it is only five hundred soldiers, and with the conjurers and archers above, they will take out at least one hundred or more. I can definitely kill four hundred by myself." I wasn't trying to push my idea on to him, I was just thinking about everyone's wellbeing.
"Are you worried about the safety of your soldiers, Lance Virion?" Callias asked sarcastically, then continued to speak. "I understand, we'll do whatever you want to do, this is your division, everyone here, is loyal to you."
This caught me slightly by surprise. "What about Elder, I mean Commander Virion?"
"What about him? I can't disobey a Lance as well, no one can, so if you order it, we will follow, but it will be in your hands." He sent me a smile. "I'm throwing you under the bus if we ever get in trouble."
"Alright." I sent a smile back. "Then we are going with the first plan, I rather not risk the soldier's lives in a small battle like this, we will need all our men if we come across a bigger force."
"If that is an order." Callias nodded in understanding, and we walked in silence for about ten minutes, and I raised my hand, motioning for everyone to stop, and as I did, Callias asked. "Are we here?"
"Yes, their camp is about three miles up ahead, and about two hundred feet below ground." My clone was still in the tree, sensing what the enemy was doing, making sure there was nothing out of the ordinary there. "Have everyone set up camp here and gather everyone we need into my tent." I ordered Callias, and he nodded.
"Should I set up my tent by yours?" Melody asked me, and I shrugged as the soldier responsible for my tent came up towards me and pulled the tent out of his mana ring.
"Here you go, Lance Virion." He bowed, and then continued. "You have bed, correct? I could have carried it for you."
"It's fine, Chris, this was enough already, thank you." I thanked the elf who helped me, and he left to set up his camp. "And Melody, it doesn't matter where, so go ahead if you want." I told her as I entered my tent and took my bed out of my mana ring and placed it on the ground.
I had my armor on already, I never really take it off since it's really light weight, and comfortable to wear. I had my cloak on over it as well, the cloak has become something I can't fight without, otherwise I'll end up covered in blood, it's easy to get it off the cloak.
I sat down on the bed and waited for everyone to get set up and make their way over to me. I laid back, thinking about what I was about to do, I was about to slaughter a decent amount of Alacryans.
I felt excitement race through me, but I pushed it away, knowing it was the Serpent, however, excitement isn't something you can really control. I was all jittery, but I had mental control, I knew I shouldn't be excited even if I was.
I felt Callias coming with Xavier, a non mage, I sat up as they walked in. "Veer, Daryl is on his way, and Melody was still setting up her tent." Callias spoke and I nodded my head.
Xavier on the other hand, bowed immediately, when I met him before, he was so nervous, even being over twenty years older than me, I think he was scared of my mere presence. "Lance Virion."
"Xavier, no need for that right now, this is not a formal place, we are in a battlefield." I told him, and he looked up at me. "Xavier, we have forty archers, correct?" He nodded his head. "Okay, they'll join the conjurers and me."
"What is everyone else going to be doing?" Callias asked, wondering what his part was in all of this. "No offense, I know the plan you have, but I kind of want to do something in this battle."
"I know." I answered. "But there's no need, there aren't that many, but for safety purposes, I want a team of five mages, and twenty non mages ready to go in if something happens to me, and I also want other teams that Xavier and you can put together to make sure no one flees into the tunnels."
"Okay, I guess that is better than just watching you slaughter them." Callias smirked, then hit Xavier. "You aren't ready to see what this kid can do, it still amazes me, and I've never seen him fight against other humans really."
"I'm aware, I heard of the countless names you have already." Xavier said to me. "They are quite scary, so I can already guess the things you can do."
"He is the Lance of Death." Melody said as she walked into the tent, not bowing, knowing I didn't care. "I am curious to see you, I know the Lances are on a whole different level, but I want to see just how different."
"And you will." I conjured five ice chairs for everyone to sit in. "Let's get started, Daryl is on his way, I already have our plan, but I want to go over it briefly before I just go and kill five hundred soldiers."
"Tch." Daryl said walking in. "The first thing I hear is this kid talking about killing five hundred soldiers, jeez." This caused everyone to laugh, relieving any tension they might have had.