BXBX NOVEL Chapter 261 260: Western Army Arrives
Throughout the process of creating such a beautiful work of art, Leone went through a few focus and mana potions, keeping her mind and core topped up as best she could, though I could tell she was getting tired near the end.
During the long hours of her crafting such a complex array, she never once started another lecture, nor did she slip from her current state of mind the entire time, so I sat beside the tent\'s entrance and kept watch, making sure no one was attempting to sneak up to our camp.
She wasn\'t the only one expending magic either, as I had a few spells of my own cast around the camp, keeping the noise from outside muffled and creating a bubble around the area, the soft, swirling gale allowing me to keep my \'eyes\' on all sides of our camp.
Occasionally I would glance over at the large earthen fortress being raised around us, while listening to the muffled sounds of pits being excavated and filled with water.
Adelina was creating a castle in the middle of this plain, and she wasn\'t letting anyone skimp out if she could.
Fire Mages hardened the earthen structure, Wind Mages moved materials around, Water Mages filled the moat, and the Earth Mages created our fortress.
Though, as impressive as it was to see something so large being created in such a minuscule amount of time, I couldn\'t help but see each large wall as a potential hiding spot for an assassin, sent to kill Jahi or kidnap me.
It was something I hadn\'t let slip yet, but I had a feeling everyone knew in our group.
Jahi was the main target, and she was to be killed, while I was the second, and last target, to be whisked away and sent to Jillian and Ayla.
They wouldn\'t touch Leone or Anput for fear of retaliation from the Empress and Sultana; retaliation that, in all honesty, would result in complete and utter destruction in their House, all of their allies Houses, and the death of anyone even remotely important to them.
The Empress might have adopted a persona of being a magnanimous, calm ruler, but I have no doubt that she and her wives would unleash their powers on the unlucky sap who tried to harm their family.
The Sultana was even more obvious, as her aggressive nature was well known, and her love for her family just as well known; she wouldn\'t let something happen to Anput if she could help it.
As for Jahi, she also had a \'safety blanket\' to fall back on; the Banshee was \'programmed\' to protect her first and foremost, and they were powerful beings created from the souls of House Asmodia\'s most hated enemies.
Me?
I had myself and the girls to rely on; that was it.
There were doubts in my mind about whether or not any hidden guards for Anput or Leone would go out of their way to save me, and I could guarantee that the Banshee would still prioritize Jahi over any orders she gave it to protect me.
So, this upcoming battle, I needed to be aware of any and all potential tricks, tactics, and enemies around us, for my own benefit.
Though, that was still second to the protection of Jahi, Leone, and Anput; they mattered more to me than my own protection.
With that in mind, I continued to keep watch as the sun slowly fell, before glancing back at the swaying, exhausted form of Leone.
Catching her, I made her drink a few sips of a focus potion before offering my wrist, the Vampire instantly sinking her fangs into my arm and drinking my blood.
That euphoric feeling of having her audibly gulp down my blood washed over me, and I moaned softly as that wondrous liquid was pumped into me as well, dulling my physical feelings while heightening my pleasure.
When she finally felt satisfied, we had swapped positions; she was standing there, alright and ready to go, while I swayed, my vision swimming.
Though, that was rectified by a quick healing spell and some potions.
Moving out towards the campfire, I began to prepare a hearty stew laden with potatoes and some thin beef strips, hoping that the few ingredients I had to work with would come tighter nicely at least.
As I cooked, Leone rested for a few moments before turning to watch the rising tower behind us, which had become an anchor of the castle\'s walls.
It was our tower, and I knew that the inside was likely either solid or filled with perilous walkways and traps to dissuade people from trying and entering.
Besides that, the entire structure would occasionally shimmer a dull gold, which looked more like the suns rays warping around the tower then the Light Magic that Jahi was casting.
Maybe the cauldron of stew drew them over, but the Jackalkin and Demoness joined us minutes later, both tired looking as they took a seat around the fire, followed quickly by the Djinn sauntering over.
Everyone scarfed down their bowls, displaying the various hungers of each as they eyed the slowly depleting cauldron with sad eyes.
After everyone had as much as they could, we all sat back and looked at each other, nodding as Jahi said "We need to set a watch for tonight... to make sure no one comes close to the tent."
Leone perked up slightly, saying "As long as they stay inside and look over the crystal, they can be aware of when someone entered the array. The crystal flashes when its activated, so you\'ll know easily enough. Oh, and here; give me your arms."
Everyone extended their arms towards Leone, even though they were confused.
Taking ahold of Jahi\'s arm first, Leone began to trace a rune out onto her skin, which flared red as I seeped into the flesh.
The Demoness flinched slightly at that, before frowning as she asked "This isn\'t permanent is it?"
Chuckling, the Vampire shook her head, causing her ashen hair to bounce slightly.
"No, just a temporary spell. It\'ll be gone when the origin point is gone."
With that reassurance, we all got temporary ink for the next few days, a dark red rune emblazoned on our forearms.
Setting up the watch rotation, I decided to stay up first, retaking my position at the entrance flap as I continued to hold that dome spell, keeping watch over my girls and Nirinia for the next few hours.
It was a boring few hours, but it was needed, and it left me alone with my thoughts again, letting me work through a few problems as I focused on controlling the spell.
When I finally awoke Anput for her next shift, I slept soundly until morning, where we all ate breakfast before entering the large tower.
Reaching the top, we stared out over the plains, taking in the large gathering a good mile or so away.
Various banners were hoisted around the enemy army, of all kinds of colors.
Though, the main ones, and largest ones, all were some variations of purple and crimson; they were all different patterns with different symbols, but the color scheme remained the same.
Leaning on the low wall in front of us, Nirinia gestured to the various flags and told us what or who they were.
"The main groups to look out for are the purple and crimson flags and those bright blue ones with a giant cloud in the center.
The first group are Praetor Squads from the Romagi Kingdom; trained soldiers with both physical and magical prowess. Each member is specifically selected and trained to be a combination of a warrior and a mage, using both of their gifts to deal death.
Rather nasty little soldiers, those Praetors. Good equipment and training, they\'ve been raised and bred for war, so they tend to be really good at what they do.
Now, that second group, the blue ones? Those are from the Cloud Mercenary Group, a roaming band of soldiers deep in the West. Experienced fighters, well equipped, excellent cohesiveness. Expensive too.
Those are the real enemy for you four. The rest of the rabble will be little better then the peasants we just fought, so look out for those colors specifically. They\'ll likely be the vanguard of some charges, leading the way for the rest of the troops with magic shields."
We all nodded, and I stared out at the vast expanse of mortals before us, each one walking around and likely living out their final moments.
As I looked over that gathered army, I felt my heartbeat quicken at the thought of the large amount of blood that would water this ground again soon, before the anticipatory glee at the idea of another large swathe of experience made me smirk slightly.
In all honesty, I was looking forwards to the battle to come, to distract me from the under the tableness of politics and the worries around us.
I just wanted to whet my blade and my appetite, and seeing this veritable feast waiting before us made me salivate with need.
However, for now, I needed to wait.
To let that desire grow stronger, so that when I did finally gorge myself, it would taste all the better...