The Dreamer's Fall

Chapter 49 - Arianna

Arthur sat atop Aithon on a small hill overlooking the Bernish-Agelian camp. The cool Bernish breeze carried with it distorted shouts and other unrecognizable sounds of battle, but the noise did little to inform him of the battle's flow.

An occasional fireball cut through the night, bathing the darkness in flames before burning out and becoming indistinguishable from the sea of cinders before him.

Arthur yawned as his eyes grew increasingly heavy. Despite his mental age, he was at the whims of his teenage body, and fighting against the sandman's call as a teenager was much more difficult than he remembered.

As he fought the urge to sleep, the wind carried with it a sudden battle cry followed by the sound of a horn blown thrice.

"The enemy's routed, lord." Jeren announced from Arthur's side.

Despite his glee, Arthur was surprised. "That was quick, no? There are twenty thousand of them. I expected the fight to last until daybreak, if not longer."

Jeren nodded. "It is. Something significant likely occurred to change the flow of battle."

"Well, no use guessing." Arthur groaned as he lifted his arms and stretched his body. "Let's go down and get some loot!"

"It could still be dangerous, young master. We should wait a little while longer." Foster warned.

Arthur shook his head. "If we wait too long, we'll be left with nothing but scraps. Don't worry. No one is more concerned about my well-being than I am. We'll simply back off if they're still fighting when we get close."

"Very well, lord. If you'll allow it, I will take point." Jeren asked.

"Good! Let's go." Arthur replied as his eleven personal guards encircled him and moved down the hill.

Baron Iken's silhouette came into view as they approached the southern edge of the encampment. Hundreds of men knelt before him as Ollerinian soldiers sorted them into two groups.

"What are they doing?" Arthur asked as he tugged on Aithon's reins, slowing his advance.

Saria was closest to him, so she spoke up first. "They're sorting out the ones who have mana cores from those who don't. The mages will be bound or collared with marinite while the others will be tied up with rope."

"Baron Iken, what's the status of the battle?" Arthur asked as another group of prisoners was escorted before him, increasing the numbers even more.

"Ah, lord Arthur. Rest assured that the battle was a decisive victory, and the merit for finding the enemy's camp shall be yours." Baron Iken sighed. "Unfortunately, many fled long before the enemy lines crumbled. So we won't have an exact number of enemy casualties until we hear back from Marquis Bennet and the rest of the mages in the west."

"Great!" Arthur cheered innocently. "I intend to look around the camp and see what I can find. Will that be a problem?"

"Hah... To be young again. It's fine. There are still pockets of fighting on the western edge of the camp. So stick to the eastern portion and take some extra men with you, just in case." Baron Iken replied before suddenly adding. "And stay with your guards."

Arthur nodded as Jeren galloped over to some nearby soldiers, ordering them to join his little looting adventure. Once their numbers swelled to forty, they entered the smoke-filled camp.

Most of the damage was concentrated on the camp's western half, leaving the eastern portion closer to the cliff practically untouched. The uneven damage was likely caused by the angle of attack from the ridgeline, but it was beneficial to Arthur since that meant there was loot to be found.