Omnixius
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DKP 5-2 The cost of war
🕑 Added 2020-02-21 14:04:54 +0000 UTC
The rays of the morning sun were just beginning to tint the horizon as he lay lost in thought. Gersius was a man troubled by worries, not the least of which were his wives. It seemed like years ago that he set out on his mission, setting into motion an unbelievable chain of events. He hoped to find a dragon and somehow convince that dragon to aid him. With the beast at his side, he would march back to Calathen and proclaim himself dragon knight. With this new authority, he would call for the empire to reform and unite the fractured kingdoms. With one united army, he would face the hoards of the Doan and crush them, saving the land and its people from destruction.
He hadn't given any thought to the aftermath. He would be emperor of a land full of problems and political spite. The people would look to him for leadership, usurping the previous systems of authority. He would be forced to deal with hundreds of years of infighting and backstabbing among the noble families. They would all try to gain his favor and weave him into their intrigues, in their never-ending plots for power.
The thought of ruling such a land did not appeal to him. He had no desire to rule a people, and shoulder the burdens that came with it. No, this wasn't what he wanted at all. Gersius started on this path for one and only one purpose; he wanted a family.
It was his heart's desire to retire and raise a family. He wanted to establish an estate of his own and farm the land in peace. The Doan attacked just as he made his decision to leave the order, and forced him to stay. His dream would have to wait until the war was won, but he quickly realized it would not be. The kingdoms that made up the old empire were deeply fractured and distrustful. They would not commit more than a token force to the war efforts. This limited his ability to fight and kept him on the defensive. Worse, the Doan had come in much larger numbers than ever before. They brought engines of war and drove bandersooks before them. It was a war like never before, and the people of the empire refused to unite to fight it. He was forced to walk this path as the only way to save the land and bring peace so that he could build his family.
His eyes drifted to the left, where a blue-haired beauty lay curled in the arms of an equally beautiful raven-haired woman. He ran a hand gently over her shoulder as she slept soundly in those arms of love.
He needed a dragon to complete the prophecy and claim the title of the dragon knight. Without her, there was no way forward for the people or the dreams of his heart. However, it was never his intention to fall in love with her. He had no idea dragons could take a human form. When he first saw that frightened and beautiful woman, he felt the change in his heart. He struggled for days to deny what he was feeling, and when the terrible truth came out on the road, he almost felt relieved. He now had an excuse to deny what he was feeling. He brought the pain and suffering she felt on her, and she had every right to hate him.
Thayle stepped in and refused to let them go. She encouraged them to see the truth even when the doubt was oppressive. The truth was Gersius had already given up. His order had turned on him, and to continue this path would only put anyone with him in terrible danger. He had no right to drag Lilly into a war where she would be injured or even killed.
He would set Lilly free and flee east away from the war to start over in a new land. Maybe there he could raise his family and know the happiness he sought. In his weakness, he asked Thayle to come with him, hoping she would desire to see her homelands again.
She refused and begged him to see the truth. Lilly was in love with him, and he was in love with her. For days he denied it, making excuses for his behavior even when everybody around him could see the truth. Finally, Thayle grew tired of their game and forced their hand. In that moment, Lilly admitted she cared for him and wanted him to hold her heart. The moment changed them both forever and left them so tightly bound that they became one heart. For Thayle's undying efforts to save them and bring them together, they both looked on her with love and compassion. Every moment of the love Lilly and him shared was Thayle's doing, and they realized they wanted her too.
Now both women lay in his bed, bound by ancient magic to one another, sharing a love he never dreamed possible. It wasn’t meant to happen this way. He wasn’t supposed to fall in love until he was ready to settle down. He was engaged in the greatest struggle of his life, with enemies on all sides seeking his head.
Any woman identified as his wife would be seen as a weakness. His foes were unscrupulous and wouldn't feel a moment of regret targeting Lilly or Thayle just to strike at Gersius.
He began to question his motives. Was he doing this for the right reasons? He remembered the pain as those barbed spears were pulled from Lilly's hide. The bind they shared caused them to feel everything the others felt, and he shared every moment of it. Lilly was in terrible anguish, and when Shadros pulled the spears, Gersius wanted to vomit from the pain. Lilly was driven so mad with anger that she lost herself. Suddenly her dragon nature surged forward, and for a terrible moment, she was a beast again. So wild were her thoughts that she had to fly away to collect them. For nearly a full day, Lilly was gone, having flown away to rage like a wild dragon.
He was never more tense in his life than when she returned. He worried she would be changed for good, with her dragon curse clouding her judgment. Instead, she returned a woman full of fire and passion. She begged him to make love to her and cried as he did. She implored him to understand how much she loved him and thanked him for loving her. He didn't understand her sudden behavior or the swirling emotions he felt from her over the bind. It was as if she left a beast of anger and rage, and returned a beast of sadness and love.
After they made love, she latched on to Thayle, pleading to be held. Thayle held her close and stroked her head while trying to talk to her. She was worried Lilly had suffered some kind of emotional pain while away. Lilly whispered something to Thayle he hadn't quite heard and then began to recount her story.
It was a shock to learn that in her anger Lilly had confronted another dragon, a red male in his lair. The implication was clear, the red assumed she had come to mate, and Lilly’s behavior suggested to Thayle that she had.
Lilly swore she hadn’t let him touch her, and her aura confirmed it. She admitted that her dragon blood was screaming at her to return to her nature and mate him. She was terrified that it had come back so strongly and that her emotions were out of control. Thayle wrapped her up more firmly and promised to help her get control again. It was here that she whispered something that haunted his mind.
“I'm fine now. Gersius gave me what I needed.”
What did she need? To make love? Lilly was rather fond of lovemaking, but she never claimed to need it. Even more, he noted the sense of relief she felt as they finished. It was as if that very moment was the most important thing in the world to her.
He would ask Thayle about it later if he could get her alone. He wasn't sure Lilly would allow either of them out of her sight, or out of bed.
Now he lay there worrying about them both. The battle had nearly driven Lilly away, and the woman who came back was an emotional thunderstorm. The road ahead would be full of battles as terrible or worse than this one, and Calathen would be a titanic struggle of might. Could he drag the two women he loved into such slaughter? What if the pressure and pain pushed Lilly back to her dragon nature? What if the animal inside was so desperate for survival that it surged forward and he lost her? Worse, what if one of them died?
He had waged many war campaigns in his time with Astikar. None of them came close to the scale of bloodshed ahead of him, and never did he dream his wives would be fighting in them. He shuddered to consider what he might feel across the bind the moment one of them passed.
Lilly had already come close several times, as had he. Thayle was so far rather lucky by comparison, but she was leading an army of her own. Even if he didn't want her to fight, duty demanded that she did. She was a woman who knew how to lead and would be at the front where the danger was greatest.
Both women meant more to him than his own life. He couldn't bear the thought of losing either of them, but he also couldn't protect them. They would have to protect themselves when the danger came. He had to trust that they would prevail in the end.
For Gersius, all that mattered was a house on a quiet farm where he could hold his wives and raise his children. He didn't want the empire or the burden of ruling it, but once again, duty and obligation were at his door. He would do what was best for the land, and it's people, as he had always done.
When the sun finally rose, Thayle was the first of the two to stir. She cradled Lilly gently and rubbed a cheek on Lilly's hair. Gersius treasured the affection they showed for one another. It was always gentle and full of emotion, a sort of sweet innocent caring. Neither of them cared what anybody else thought of their relationship, thought Thayle wasn't as quick to display it publicly.
When Thayle finally looked up at him, she smiled and let out a soft sigh.
“Did you sleep at all?”
“No,” he replied. “I have much to think about.”
Thayle glanced down to the woman in her arms and back to him.
“You’re worried about her,” she said as she read his thoughts. “So am I.”
“Something is wrong with her,” he said. “She may have come back, but I worry something about her is changed.”
“She had a very emotional moment and then frightened herself by facing that other dragon. Thankfully his behavior startled her back to her senses.”
“It is more than that,” Gersius said. “What did she say to you when she curled into your arms last night?”
Thayle looked up with confusion in her eyes.
“She said, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry about what?” he whispered.
“Maybe about running off,” Thayle offered.
Gersius knew it wasn't that. It was another sign of what was going on in Lilly's mind. He decided to touch her arm and look into her dreams. He was surprised to see a star-filled sky, with a golden star low on the horizon. He felt a sense of loss and disconnection as if something terrible had happened.
He let go of his prying and returned to the world around him.
“Peeking at her dream?” Thayle asked.
“She is dreaming of the night sky,” he replied.
“She has that dream often,” Thayle said. “She keeps trying to force her way into this dreaming world of dragons, but she has had no luck.”
Gersius nodded. Lilly explained the dream world and how dragons used it, but like so many things, she hadn't listened when her mother tried to teach her how to access it. She only managed it by accident, and even then, half the time, she didn't realize she was there. Lilly desired to find a way to enter the dream and pull Thayle and himself in. She wanted to show Thayle the valley and share the nights in a place of quiet and peace.
“Hopefully, Sutherisa can teach her how,” Gersius said.
Thayle smiled and kissed the top of Lilly’s head.
“When are those two due back?
“Who can say,” Gersius replied. “They didn’t think it would be more than a week, but they also had no idea what they would find at their destination.”
“What equipment could a dragon possibly need?” Thayle whispered as she stroked Lilly. “Our Lilly came with nothing but the scales on her back; everything else we provided for her.”
“Sutherisa said something of hers was there, and it was important to her,” he replied. “And I believe Numidel was hoping to find more saddles.”
“I find it hard to believe she will let me ride on her back,” Thayle said. “Lilly does it out of love, but Sutherisa has no such motivation.”
“She understands the powerful symbol it will become,” Gersius said. “A priestess of Ulustrah on the back of a dragon of Astikar. It will fly in the face of all the Father Abbot's lies.”
“Lies have a way of refusing to die,” Thayle replied. “Even when the truth is made evident.”
“All we can do is present the truth and hope it is enough,” he added.
“The people need to know she is a priestess of Astikar,” Thayle said. “To most, she will be nothing but a dragon they are afraid of.”
“It will have little impact now, but as the knowledge that she is a priestess of Astikar spreads, it will become a great stumbling block to the Father Abbot.”
Thayle sighed and looked back to the woman sleeping in her arms. Gersius could feel her uncertainty over the bind, and a hint of worry. He wished he could think of some way to reassure her, but in truth, he wasn't sure himself. Thayle was right, Sutherisa was just another dragon to most people, and her size would make people panic. He would have to go to great lengths to display the power of her faith and get the word spreading.
Even as this thought circled his mind, Lilly opened her blue eyes and smiled as she met Thayle's eyes in return.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” Thayle whispered. “Are you feeling better today?”
Lilly stretched in the most painful way, arching her back so far Gersius was sure she would break.
“I feel fine,” Lilly replied. “I just needed the affection of my lovers.”
Thayle brushed a stray clump of hair from Lilly’s face and smiled down at her. “I am glad you’re better.” She leaned over and kissed Lilly softly for just a moment.
“I should get up,” Lilly insisted. “I need to lead the acolytes in prayer.”
Gersius agreed, they needed to get on with the morning, and the three of them dressed and went on with their day.
Lilly led the prayers and worked with them on blessings. The acolytes were making slow progress, but several were showing promise.
Thayle spent her morning first in prayer, then with Mingfe training various groups of the women of Ulustrah. Her army was particularly rattled in the aftermath of the battle. When all was said and done, the women of Ulustrah had suffered the most deaths. She spent a great deal of time talking to her women and building up their resolve to go on.
Gersius met with Lengwin, and the first order of business was to establish a better division of tasks. Lengwin was right, Gersius was overburdened with things to do. He took two captains of Astikar and assigned various tasks to them. In the future, there would be no hesitation in raising the alarm if the scouts go missing.
Thayle and Lilly joined him an hour later as he presented the plan for the road ahead. He wanted to pick up the pace and round the horn of the southern mountains a full week earlier than planned. They would only stop at the largest towns and cities going forward, and Gersius would bring Shadros on any missions they took apart from the army at large. The only delays he would tolerate would be efforts to liberate any camp holding the women of Ulustrah. He laid out the plan to reach the one they knew of and wanted to send unmarked riders to seek out other camps.
Thayle was in full agreement with the plan, but Lengwin objected. He pointed out that every man or woman they added to the camp slowed it down. They were already short of tents and had started crafting makeshift shelters out of blankets. It also took longer to prepare meals for so large a mass of people, forcing them to stop earlier.
Gersius listened to all the points and made counter-arguments. There were plenty of men and women in the camp who could cook. They would purchase two additional wagons of kitchen supplies in the next city and assign people to the task. They would also buy whatever fabric they could get in quantity to make proper tents. They would have to make do with cut branches for posts, but again there were plenty of men who knew how to shape poles. They were also now laden with weapons and armor from the dead of the battle. These would be used to outfit any militia who were poorly equipped.
“None of this will allow us to travel at the speed you require,” Lengwin argued. “I want to get there as soon as possible myself, but many are not accustomed to walking so far. They will tire long before we reach your daily goals.”
“The priests of Vellis can bless away exhaustion to keep them on their feet,” Gersius corrected. “The priests of Astikar can also bless away the pain of sore feet.”
“Your talking about driving men to their breaking point,” Lengwin countered in alarm.
“I am using our strengths to our advantage,” Gersius replied. “We have the ability to bless our passage and make it in haste. I want to cross so much ground so quickly the Father Abbot cannot draw up new plans to stop us. I am also worried they may move the camps holding the women of Ulustrah as we advance. I want to overtake them before they can be relocated.”
“This is why you wanted scouts sent out five days ahead,” Thayle said. “You want an early warning as we recklessly advance.”
Gersius nodded in agreement. It was a risk to rush ahead, especially considering the Father Abbot knew he was here and had already sent an army to stop him. Someplace on the road ahead was the cavalry that hadn't engaged and the priests of Astikar that were with them. Alone they would not be sufficient in number to threaten his army, but what else was marching down the road to join them? He couldn't afford to risk rushing over a hill to find a much larger force waiting, and his people tired from a long march. Lengwin had no choice but to agree but cautioned that the blessings of the priests of Vellis would only carry them so far.
The meeting concluded with new orders to break the forces of Astikar into two formations. A Heavy shield force, and a lighter skirmish unit that would keep a hand free for ease of combat blessings.
Gersius turned to Thayle and asked her if she could field a heavy formation of thirty women. She looked lost for a moment and let out a sigh before saying she could.
He took note of the reply and ended the meeting so the day could move on.
Over the next half hour, Gersius worked with Lilly, walking her through sword maneuvers. She seemed in better spirits and smiled at him as he guided her through some steps. He paid careful attention to what he felt from her over the bind and was surprised to feel excitement. She threw herself into the training and remained in a good mood until they sparred, and he beat her soundly. She then pouted and argued that Dragons didn't need to use swords anyway.
Her moody pout was perfectly normal for her, and it did much to ease his worries. They ended the training when an acolyte arrived to ask if they could begin tearing down the meeting tent. Gersius told them to go ahead and moved to put the weapons away.
“Are we flying out today?” Lilly asked as the meeting tent started to come down around them.
“We are flying to a town that was contacted by rider days ago. The head priestess of Ulustrah sent back a letter asking us to help them.”
“Help them with what?”
Gersius sighed. “The priests of Astikar there are openly hostile despite Lengwin's letters. We are going to ensure both groups understand and if necessary, to escort the priestesses.”
“Do we have to bring Shadros?” Lilly asked as Gersius led her to their private space to change into his armor.
“We agreed to bring more protection when we traveled. Unless you want to carry six soldiers on your back with us, we need to bring Shadros.”
He felt her disappointment as she sighed and folded her arms.
“I should go change before they pull down my tent,” she lamented.
Gersius nodded as he began to strap on his armor. She felt normal again, but almost seemed unwilling to take her natural form. He took a moment to walk up to her and lifted her chin to share a gentle kiss.
“I love you,” he whispered into her lips. She trembled under his touch for a moment and, with eyes closed, whispered back.
“I am fine, my husband. I needed that time to gather my thoughts. I was feeling a new emotion, and it mixed with my pain and the shame of being so easily beaten. I am very proud of my strength as a dragon, and twice in just a few days, humans have humiliated me.”
He nodded his agreement and felt better as she opened up and helped him understand.
“You are upset about how they blinded you.”
“That was terrible!” Lilly growled. “My eyes burned for hours and were still sore a day later. I got over that humiliation in time for them to skewer me and drive me from the sky. Do you have any idea how horrible that was? Even worse, Shadros saw me in my moment of weakness. I was so embarrassed.”
“That’s why you do not want him to come with,” Gersius said.
Lilly turned her back and nodded. “I am ashamed that I cried before him.”
He stepped up to her and wrapped her from behind. “You are very strong and powerful, equal to a great many men in battle, but that was an army, and they were waiting for you.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that they humiliated me in front of one of my kind,” she replied. “But I had my time to think and clear my head. I am still embarrassed, but I came to understand what I needed.”
He wondered what she meant by that, but his thought was interrupted by her next statement.
“If I were you, I worry about your other wife instead.”
He held her at arm's length and turned her about to look into her eyes.
“What is wrong with Thayle?”
“Didn't you feel her in the meeting?” Lilly asked. “Something is bothering her.”
He thought back to the meeting and realized he was lost in the decisions and the difficult choice to hard march. He hadn’t been paying any attention at all to the moods of his wives. He often intentionally blocked them out when decisions had to be made so he could concentrate.
“I did not notice,” he admitted. “She seemed agitated when I asked her to form a heavy unit, but I didn't think to feel her over the bind. What did you feel?”
“She is upset to her core,” Lilly said. “It has something to do with speaking to her priestesses this morning.”
“How do you know that?”
“I went to find her after I was done training the acolytes, and Mingfe stopped me. She told me Thayle was dealing with the pain of the battle, whatever that means.”
Gersius reached out over the bind to feel Thayle as he considered Lilly's comment. He found Thayle and immediately felt a sense of tension. It was difficult to place the exact feeling at this distance, but it was clear she was coming closer.
“Did she say anything to you?”
Lilly shook her head and looked into his eyes. “I was afraid to ask her.”
He sighed and felt terrible for not noticing Thayle was in pain.
“She is coming. Go ahead and get changed, and we will meet you in the ring.”
Lilly nodded and stepped up to give him a quick kiss before heading off to take her dragon form.
He began to buckle his armor on as the presence of Thayle grew in his mind. Once she was close enough, he could feel a wave of simmering anger and a deep well of sorrow.
Thayle arrived just as he fastened the purple cloak around his shoulders.
“You feel angry,” he said as she walked silently to her armor.
“I’ve had the hardest morning of my life,” she said in a tense tone. “I had to address the huge number of casualties the women of Ulustrah suffered. I didn’t allow myself to think about it yesterday because I was worried about Lilly.”
“Your women were not meant to be soldiers,” he said.
“No, they were not!” Thayle shouted but quickly shook her head. “We lost more than even the militia, and the survivors are terrified they are going to die in droves over the next few weeks.”
Gersius understood and sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. It was useless to tell her he was sorry for dragging her into this. Her primes ordered her to march on Calathen, and she would go even if he did not. Thayle would battle her way to the walls and fight to the last if she had to.
“How many women did you lose?” he asked.
Thayle stopped and took a deep breath before answering.
“Seventy-one,” she replied.
Gersius winced at the number. The priests of Astikar suffered a total of eleven losses, and the militia only twenty-three. Thayle's women had been mauled by comparison.
“Thankfully, the priests of Vellis arrived,” Thayle said. “Or that number would have been several times larger.”
“Thank the divines they came to support us,” Gersius agreed and stepped toward her as she struggled with her chest plate.
“Let me help you,” he said, taking the armor from her.
She let out a lengthy sigh as he fit the armor over her shoulders and helped tighten the straps.
“I have a problem I never expected to have,” Thayle added. “The women who were injured and healed are now terrified of going back into battle.”
“That is to be expected,” Gersius said as he tightened a strap. “I have seen that many times in the priests of Astikar.”
“It's so many of them, though,” she insisted. “And they point to how many we lost as proof that they will be slaughtered in future battles.”
“They lack experience,” Gersius assured her. “They will get better in each battle, and many will rise to lead by example and encourage the others. I have seen it many times.”
“With men,” Thayle corrected. “These are women who joined this order to learn how to be good wives.”
“You train all your women to fight,” he pointed out.
“It isn't the same,” Thayle said with a shake of her head. “It's self-defense, and it's woefully lacking for a mass battlefield. Only the two small companies get real training.”
Gersius turned her about and held her shoulders as he looked into her eyes.
“Thayle, they will rise and meet the challenge. Do not discredit them because they are women. Think of all the challenges women face in this life and how often they grow to meet and ultimately rise above them. Women have great emotional strength, and endurance, they will succeed.”
“I don't discredit them. I know if I keep throwing them into the fire, they will harden and become good soldiers, but many of them will burn away. I don't know that I have the heart to send so many to their deaths.”
He pulled her in and gave her a firm hug as he struggled to think of what to say. His thoughts went back to his fears from the morning, and the danger of marching his wives into war. Thayle was feeling something very similar, the weight of responsibility, and the thought that so many would die under her care sickened her.
“We should go,” Thayle said. “The sooner we get to this town, the better. I need them to replace my losses.”
Gersius released her as the callous comment stung him. She was hurting in a way he completely understood. Many died under his command, and he had a few disasters to his name. Most recently were the men he lost looking for Lilly, his entire company wiped out. He wasn't himself again until he found Lilly, and her turmoil acted as a distraction to his pain.
He followed her out and made their way across the meeting tent that was already nearly stripped bare. Lilly waited in the ring in her dragon form and wearing her saddle. Shadros looked over the tent wall from outside with a glare in his eyes.
“What is the point of this?” he asked as they approached Lilly.
Lilly turned her head to glare at him. “I told you already. We want you to be there just in case we need your help.”
“Bring some of the humans,” he protested.
“I could only carry another six to eight men in full armor, and you are worth fifty. You are the better choice.”
“Bah!” he growled. “I do not want to fight in your foolish battles.”
“This is a visit to a town to help a small temple,” Gersius said as they climbed up. “If we see a large force, we will turn away.”
“You humans can slaughter each other all you want,” Shadros mocked.
“I told you we are trying to avoid bloodshed,” Lilly snapped.
“After what they did to you the other day, you should be eager to shed their blood,” he retorted.
Lilly growled and glared at him as Gersius took up the ropes.
“Enough,” Gersius shouted. “We are only asking you to help us. I will not order you to come with me. If you are afraid, you can stay here.”
Shadros growled in return and looked away.
“Take to the sky then. I want to get this fool's errand over with,” the dragon replied.
Gersius nodded and turned to Lilly.
“Take us up."
Lilly looked skyward and spread her wings. With a jump and a mighty flap, she took to the air with Shadros following a moment later. They headed southwest as Thayle smoldered in his arms. He wished there was something he could say to comfort her, but he knew this pain all too well. She would have to come to terms with the fact that people who followed her were going to die.
They flew for just over an hour before a large town came into view, but with it came the smoke. His heart began to sink as they got closer, and silently he prayed to Balisha to deny his fears. As the two dragons flew over the edge of the town it became painfully clear, the temple of Ulustrah was burning.
