Slave To Savage

Chapter Ten

"As I said, your majesty, we do not have the troops to outnumber them. We can't possibly win this war." The commander sighed as he leaned onto the table. There was a map laid out with little wooden soldiers positioned in groups. "Silas, I am not deaf, or dense! I have eyes, I can see we're outnumbered!" the king yelled, his face red, veins popping and spit spewing. "I made you commander so you can come up with strategies, not state the fucking obvious!"

"My king, the only solution I see available is to form an allegiance with one of the other kingdoms and ask for troops to support us." he said as he observed the map, thinking of which nation they should approach. The elves would be of no help, the dragonkin and the humans were on bad terms, most of the other kingdoms weren't large enough, leaving only the dwarves. He dreaded thinking that they were their only option, he knew their kind were dishonourable and untrustworthy, not to mention the trauma they exposed his lover to.

The king sat down on one of the chairs, groaning as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Which one did you have in mind?" The king's words frustrated Silas. He was mad that the king couldn't figure it out on his own what their only option was. "The dwarves, unfortunately."
The king sighed. "Alright, I need you to head down their way and make some sort of arrangements with the bastards. I trust you can manage." He got up from the chair and left the room.

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Alphea poured the stew she had spent hours preparing into two bowls and set them down on the table. She couldn't help but notice Silas' silence and worried expression. He seemed distracted, even as she sat across from him, eating his dinner, it felt like he wasn't quite there.
"Did something happen today?"

"Hm? Oh, no, not really. Nothing you should worry about, anyway."
The man sighed and put down his spoon. "The king... has waged war on so many kingdoms, which leaves us with no allies. Now we have a war on our hands with too little men. He wants me to come up with a plan with absolutely fucking nothing to work with." He sounded a little hopeless as he spoke with a tired tone.

She stayed silent, allowing him to get all of his thoughts out on the table, it seemed like he needed to vent. "There is one, though... The Dwarven Kingdom. I don't want to ask those bastards for an army, neither does the King, but we're in a bit of a tight spot." Alphea tensed up slightly at the mention of her previous home, but quickly regained her composure.

"It can't be helped. As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. If they are the only people you can turn to, then it has to be done, right?" she said before continuing her nearly untouched dinner. "I suppose... I'll have to make a trip there soon, I'm not sure how long I'll be gone. Will you manage?"
"Of course, but I plan on going with you." she said nonchalantly, earning a perplexed expression from Silas.

"No fuckin' way, are you crazy?" He leaned back, crossing his arms. The girl looked up at him, tilting her head, shooting him a "seriously?" stare. "Why would you want to come?"
"Do I need a reason? I'm not your maid." The man gestured to his clean cottage and food that she prepared. "Shut up, would you prefer it to be grimy and your stomach empty?... No? I thought so. I will be riding with you, that is the end of it."

"You are impossible. What if you run into your old master?" he asked, hoping that it would change her mind. The odds were unlikely, because he had created an extremely stubborn and aggressive little monster. "What if that is what I'm hoping would happen?"
The man's eyes widened slightly as he leaned closer to her. "Alphea, is that the reason you want to go? Please don't tell me you plan on killing the bastard?" He was hoping that were her intentions, because then the world would be saved of at least one rapist and it would spare him the trouble and concern, his mind would be a bit more at ease.