Chapter 3: Drink Deep From the River of My Hate

Tzal was surprised that the ambush went so well, but it gave them a slim opportunity to capture one of the commander. He spoke at the top of his voice, calling out to R3N-L3, "R3N-L3, can you capture the commander that is still held? Don't kill her." He then turned to Lauretta, "We can interrogate her to know more about the plans of the raiders and can also use her as a ransom."

Although it was hard to tell based on the lack of facial features, R3N-L3 seemed quite surprised and slightly disappointed that the enemy broke and ran so soon after merely losing half their number and then being confronted in the middle of the river by a muddied colossus of steel and asked to die. He supposed that the quality of soldiers had slipped during his centuries-long slumber. With a shrug, he took the opportunity to stab at one of the fleeing raiders in the back as they ran, marching forward to move towards the commander still bound by Tzal's magic.

"Please leave a limb here as well. We still need you alive for interrogation purposes." R3N-L3 intoned in a pleasant tone as he swung his blade down at her.

There was nothing pleasing about seeing a field of dead, but Lauretta couldn't help but allow the corners of her mouth to rise. Not a single fighter of the Vale had been lost, and the vicious marauders were absolutely shattered. A few escaping. They'll tell the rest. This wasn't the full hundred that I'd been told of, but it worked out all the better for us. Her friendly mage's suggestion elicited an affirmative nod.

"We take her alive!"

Without delay, a quick sprint carried the Preceptor across the muck of the battlefield and face-to-face with the commanding raider. Bow cast aside, she was prepared to grapple and secure her target.

Wolfram sees the last of the raiders fleeing and attempts to pick one of them off with an arrow.

"I see that the customs of religion have not faded." R3N-L3 noted mildly, turning his attention back to the captive woman for the time being.

"I will now ask a few questions. Answers are not optional. Truth is mandatory, unfortunately. Who is your commander? What are your orders? How much do you value your thumbs?" R3N-L3 inquired, polishing his sword slowly on his armored shoulder-plate, settled down next to the captive.

Tzal followed after Lauretta to the spot where the commander was apprehended by R3N-L3. After Lauretta had disarmed and restrained her and R3N-L3 started issuing threats to interrogate her, he came and joined them, eyeing the surroundings, which were littered with raider corpses. It surely was a bloody sight reminiscent of a battlefield. Turning to the wildling lady, he added, "It will only be worse if you continue to resist. Answer the questions, and we will see what can be done with you."

After finishing the last knot of binding for their prisoner of war, Lauretta slowly stood up with a grunt. A few steps away, she bent down to pick up the massive great axe the wild woman had been wielding. The heft it had in her hands felt good. Just in time for Sir Reginald's cheer, the trophy was held high for all to see. With morale higher, the Preceptor looked on as the interrogation was already commencing. She stayed silent, simply glaring down at the raider with scorn while preparing to pick her words apart.

Wolfram retrieves his arrow and walks back to the others and the commander.

"That's a beautiful axe, Lauretta. I hope it serves you well for many years to come." He then joins Tzal and the clockwork, keeping an eye on the commander as the questioning commenced.

If Lauretta's brow weren't already furrowed, it would have been again. While there was a fair amount of good news to be taken away from what the woman had said, the mention of a fallen angel had concerned her. She pondered that bit of information rather deeply as she looked back to her companions.

"Nothing but truth in her voice and eyes. Nothing to hide. We've gone from knowing nothing to quite a bit. Their band was split three ways, and they won't be coming for the village until well into the night. So, we've got options. We'll need to get ready and be prepared for Magunda's assault on the village by midnight no matter what. Still, that one escaped commander will warn the others. They'll be on guard for any future ambushes, and they might regroup their whole force to take on the village. They might even change their approach to make sure whatever we learned from this one won't be of use. It's going to make trying to even the odds further harder."

The Preceptor stared down at their captive, planting the head of her new axe on the ground next to her.

"Exactly how many are left in your horde, and how were the numbers split between Magunda and Invidian? Also, would they be the type to accept settling things by a duel, or are they committed to seeing this through to the end?"

Tzal scratched his beard, wondering about all the information he just received. He turned to Lauretta and others, "This is troubling news. We might have saved the monastery, but we probably have lost the shrine, and we better prepare for the village. What do you plan to do, Lauretta?"

Staring off into the distance that the escaped raider ran in for a moment, Lauretta contemplated before answering Tzal.

"Way I see it, we need to take down this Invidian and their group of twenty before we head back to protect the village before midnight. It's going to get bloody whether it's a force of forty or a force of sixty, but being able to make it forty would be for the best. The less blood shed at the village, the better. I say we head out towards the shrine and take on the bastards. Course, I'm willing to listen to other ideas."

"I don't fancy our chances against numbers such as those."

Wolfram taps his thigh with the palm of his hand as he contemplates strategy.

"They have seen our hand and might adjust their tactics. And we are severely outnumbered. Perhaps if we concentrate on the leaders, the rest will run away? Failing that, we go after Invidian's smaller group."

Tzal nodded to Lauretta, "I agree with Lauretta here. We need to take out Invidian but the fact that they can be a fallen angel is concerning. I don't doubt our capabilities, but I don't know much about fallen angels. What can you tell us about them?"