The Foolhardies 103 The Great Escape Part 2

Tonight was one for the books. I started it by taking on an enemy force almost ten times as large as my own, defeated my rival by overexerting my fairy gift, witnessed a superhuman battle between two G.o.ds of war, gasped over the gut-wrenching betrayal that came after, and now—now I was leading a large group of soldiers away from the literal maws of death while being chased by a silver-mask wearing elf and his over-geared followers.

Yup, tonight was definitely one for the books. And all I could think about was how badly I wanted it to be over.

"Give me liberty, or give me death," I whispered.

"What was that, Dean?" Darah asked. "I didn't quite get—"

I saw from my eagle-eyed view how the arrival of an elf in dark chain mail armor and his equally armored swifthart interrupted Darah's inquiry. He'd slipped past Luca's entourage and rode neck and neck with me and Darah.

Now, I was all for taking the initiative but there was a fine line between bravery and stupidity, because, no matter how good you thought you were, you never take on a great general alone. That was just the basics. Case in point, this elven warrior lasted all of three seconds before Darah cleaved him shoulder to sternum with my falchion which she'd swung sideways in an almost nonchalant manner almost like she was simply swatting away a fly.

"I like your weapon, Dean. It has a certain charm to it," Darah noted. "Highly unstable, mind you, but certainly fun to wield."

"Um, thanks, general," I replied distractedly.

I would have loved to discuss the benefits of my falchion's experimental build, but I my mind was preoccupied with watching the action happening on our sides.

Luca on the left and Aura on the right were both doing a good job holding back the enemies who were trying to claw their way into our column's ranks. Aura, in particular, was managing her forces well. It might have helped that all of Darah's elites knew who Aura actually was and that made it easier for her to lead them. On the other hand, Luca was losing more soldiers than I would have liked.

More than once, I wondered why I had taken our column between the Darah center army and the Magesong army front lines instead of trying to reach our back line to escape. I knew it was partly because I wanted our soldiers to see their great general pa.s.s them by, and although in retreat, all who saw her knew Darah hadn't given up. But perhaps it was really because I wanted to give the Magesong soldiers a bigger target, allowing the rank and file of Darah's army a chance to escape west.

Darah knew I'd made her bait. She didn't seem to mind. In fact, after she'd noticed my hastily thought up plan, she simply said, "You really are an audacious one, Dean. There aren't many young commanders who'd use their great general like this."

"Just trying to keep everyone alive, ma'am," I answered back.

My plan, however flawed, was working to a point. Sadly, the arrival of the heavily armored elven soldiers meant the vanguard of Ardeen Spellweaver's forces had reached us.

How I wished the rest of the Magesong army had heard how he betrayed his dad and abandoned them all to the Scarlet Moon. Maybe then they'd mob him instead and leave us free and clear to escape. But word hadn't gone out and most of the Magesong clan still thought he and his troops were one of theirs. Life was unfair like that.

Speaking of the Scarlet Moon, it was about time I checked on them.

A quick zoom out allowed me to see an expanded version of the battlefield. Admittedly, this simple action caused intense pain to lance into my eyes like I'd just been poked in the eyes by sharp-nailed fingers. But the pain was fleeting and the information I gained in exchange was worth that much agony.

"No pain, no gain," I whispered.

I swept my sight across a large portion of the northern battlefield and saw that the Scarlet Moon had all but devoured the Magesong clan's right army. They had also pierced our own left army in its leftmost flank, but Commander Vardoom was keeping the bulk of his forces intact, leading them in an orderly retreat west and toward Trickster territory.

"d.a.m.n," I said. "Vardoom won't be able to join us in the south."

"That's General Vardoom, Dean," Darah chided. "I gave him a field promotion, remember?"

"Um, y-yeah… general," I repeated.

I couldn't imagine the spitfire dwarf like anything as dignified as a general. I just couldn't. Probably because his face and clothes were always streaked with patches of dirt like he was a toddler rolling around the sandbox all day.

After explaining to Darah what was happening to the left army, I then told her about the incoming heavy cavalry being led by Ardeen Spellweaver. The bulk of their force was less than sixty yards away now, and they would certainly cross our paths and cut us off at the head.

But Darah just laughed. "Haven't you heard the old saying, Dean? Cut off one head and two more will take its place."

"We're not a hydra ma'am," I countered.

I focused my vision back on our column of soldiers, my sight soaring over them like an eagle gliding just above their heads. The pain I felt at switching modes caused tears to streak down my face. At least I hoped they were just tears. As intense as the pain was, they might as well have been tears of blood.

Naturally, the pain combined with the uncertainty of not knowing how much longer I could maintain Fool's Insight almost made me miss the anomaly that had popped up in our vicinity.

"No freaking way," I said out loud.

"Ah," Darah chuckled softly. "It seemed they didn't need to cut us off for a new head to sprout." 

An all too familiar banner had been raised right between us and the approaching Spellweaver cavalry, bringing with it renewed hope.

"It's the Flag of Fools!" I yelled excitedly.

My sight flew toward them, allowing me to see Edo's brute form holding our blue banner high. Beside him were the remaining members of Theren Everleaf's Inglorious b.a.s.t.a.r.ds. A good fifty to sixty of them left. All of them carrying bulwark s.h.i.+elds they must have stolen while on their journey to follow after us.

At first, I couldn't help feel pride at the sight of them preparing themselves to block against the enemy's heavy cavalry charge. Then I realized that they were actually preparing themselves to block the enemy's heavy cavalry charge, and it was like ice-cold fingers were caressing my spine.

"Are they insane?!" I hissed.

"They're brave… don't belittle their efforts, Dean," Darah chided.

"B-but—"

I felt Darah squeeze my shoulder. "For many of us who trade in warfare, a heroic death is its own reward."

"You said a senseless waste of life and talent—"

"—is not the case here," Darah interrupted. "Listen well, Dean Dapper. There are moments where once destiny is not to lead an army into battle but to lay down on the coals so that their allies may walk unscathed through the fire."

"The sacrifice play," I said in almost a whisper.

Darah's explanation might have sounded logical to me, but we were talking about Edo here. The ogre had kept me and Luca and Aura alive far too many times than I could count. Not to mention Theren and his group who had finally returned to the Foolhardies after they'd recognized my leaders.h.i.+p. How could I abandon them now? How could I watch their fires snuffed out just so I and a few hundred soldiers might have a chance to escape?

And yet that was exactly what I did. I let it happen, and all I could do was watch as the reaper finally swung his scythe down on my fellow Foolhardies.

I watched from on high as they formed lines and locked their s.h.i.+elds together and then stared down an enemy all too eager to ram into them. I watched as Edo continued to raise the flag, and in a roaring voice, strengthen the men with words of encouragement that should have sprung from my own lips.

Our column of soldiers had just pa.s.sed behind them. Likewise, Ardeen Spellweaver's cavalry had slammed into their bulwark s.h.i.+elds.

I watched them hold the line and break the enemy's momentum. I saw s.h.i.+elds fly and bodies fall. I saw Edo swing his glaive to cleave one, two, and then three riders in twain. Then I watched as Ardeen Spellweaver's own spear pierce the half-ogre's muscular shoulder.

Edo cried out in pain, a low roar that reverberated down to my bones, and in my mind, I wondered what Aura would have thought if she saw her friend in pain.

As the bulk of our column pa.s.sed them, I watched our banner fall only to be raised again. This time, by Theren's hand. He raised it high and called for his soldiers to rally around him. enemies approached. Theren's sword arm swung down and his shadowblade cut down an unseated rider.

But now Theren seemed alone in a sea of enemies.

I watched as four riders converged on him. I watched them pierce his lithe elven form with their lances. Then, like a discarded toy, I watched Theren Everleaf fall lifeless to the ground, the Flag of Fools falling with him.

I turned my gaze from the sight of this slaughter, and through it all, I could feel my face wet with tears.