In a long abandoned decrypted Fort, straddling the border between the roughlands the demon lands; Resided john of Mulgar and his remaining men. John whose appearance was normally well-kept and clean, had months ago disappeared. His normally clean-shaven face was full of rough unkept hair, his head which normally bore shortly cut brown hair had grown long and unwashed, His clothes were soiled and unwashed.
He was sitting hunched over peering at an old moth eaten map, the only light being given streamed from the broken and burnt out roof of the hall. […how did it all fall apart so fast….how just…..just…how… Did that bastard Rudlag… Reacted so fast… It doesn't make any sense…. How Could of he gathered such a force in such a short period of time …The majority of our forces had already been gathered… We had the head start of a month… As well as the territorial advantage… Not to mention the support of the populace…so how …HOW WERE WE DEFEATED!] John stared at the map as he tried to figure out what went wrong.
John had raised the flag of rebellion after he learned of their Lord's death, the Margrave's execution was in the in his eyes and of his fellow roughlanders; unlawful and of the highest of betrayals. It was something they could not take lightly, they had to make things right and get rid of that bastard who dare take such an action.
What's more it seems like it was going to be a relative cakewalk, they had the advantage of time. It had seemed that Rudlag was not expecting their rebellion or at least not the scale of it and so his forces were not raised and ready. It had only took a month for john to raise and rally the majority of the roughland march's forces; an approximate total of 7,500 men, roughly 75% of the total forces that could be raised.
He had accomplished this impressive feat because of the help of the populace. They too were enraged when they learned of the Margrave's execution, so when john began to rouse the military might of the March. They wished to do whatever they could to help, Smith's would work around the clock repairing and arming the footman. Families would house soldiers who were on the move; farmers would provide them with supplies, horse and oxen. Merchants and craftsmen would either provide their goods at cheap prices or even at times free. The march was unified in a single purpose; they wanted Rudlag's head on a pike!
But… Everything fell apart when john began to move his forces to go on the attack. In what john can only assume was only possible by some ungodly packed; Rudlag in a few weeks' time had managed to raise an army to rival john's. From what he could tell, the army was made up of a mishmash of 'holy' warriors, mercenaries, nobles forces, and even bandits and slaves.
Even though this army could rival the size, it most certainly should not have been able to compete with the quality and discipline of the roughland Army; but yet again in what can only have happened by some packed with an evil God, that damn mishmash of an army somehow had enough discipline to actually fight cohesively.
John brought a dirt smeared hand up to his head, as his eyes intently stared at the map. […how…why… damn chaos… None of this should have happened… That damnable mishmash of an army… should not of been able to compete with us…WE ARE THE ROUGHLANDERS!... It was our job to fight the demons… Our history was of constant fighting with the demons… Demons who outclass humans in nearly every way… They were stronger, faster and have more magical prowess!.... And we held our ground against them and finally got the upper hand!... So how did that and jumbled mess of an army even hold a candle to us to us!... They shouldn't have been able to cause that route… so why…DID THE DAMN LEFT FLANK BRAEK AND ROUTE!...
Also how did they perform such a brutal pursuit?!... We were fleeing back into our own backyard!... We should have been able to shake them… BUT NOOO!...Somehow they were acting like damn blood hounds… And it's not like that bastard Alexan be able to offer of anything of import to Rudlags forces!... He's always been incompetent… If anything he would've hindered that damned mishmash Army…
Spies and traitors… That's the only thing that could have possibly caused that disaster…but there was no signs of it… There was nothing of suspicion… Before the battle… everyone seemed to be giving it their all…. Wasn't any discontent…so why… Why did everything fall apart…how…how was it even possible… ] John scanned the old map trying to find some hint of how their brutal defeat was even possible. He had come to believe that had something to do with the lay of the land that he simply didn't know; even though there was a more simple answer, that there were traitors in their midst.
But john couldn't accept that answer, mostly due to the fact that there were no signs of it before the start of the battle. As well as the fact that there was no discontent, then there was the response of the troops and populace. They too had the same rage that he felt; they too had the same respect for their Lord.
The Calvary, the footman, the commanders and generals, even the peasantry, they all seem to agree with him taking the lead and the actions he directed. They all appeared to have the same desire, the same need for revenge. Even those few who didn't have the same drive of revenge had the other desire of not wanting to be ruled over by the Margrave's egotistical, idiotic brother Alexan.
Simply put in john's mind it was ludicrous to believe that there were traitors and or even if there were that they would be able to accomplish anything. In his mind if there were traitors and if they tried anything they would've been quickly found and then cut down before they could do any serious damage.
But soon the sounds of footsteps broke his brooding. john turned his head towards the dilapidated doorway to see hans carrying a small platter of food and anton carrying a bucket and washcloth. " sir john I have brought some food… You should really make sure to eat It." hans voice full of concern for the disheveled knight. john has been barely even taking care of his own well-being, he hasn't been eating or drinking much at all nor has he been grooming himself.
john nodded his head and pointed towards a small spot on the decrepit table he was using. "You can just put the food over there, don't worry I will eat it after i am finished." john spoke calmly to the pair; his voice was weak and parched.
Hans set down the food and then took a seat upon some rubble, Anton he set the bucket that was full of water on the floor next to the table after which he joined hans; the pair were staring intensely at john. "I will eat and clean myself up, you 2 don't have to sit there and watch me" john smiled weakly as he spoke.
But the pair of Junior Knights simply shook their heads. "We know you're not going to actually do that… if we leave. So were just going to sit here and watch you until, you eat all of your food and cleaned yourself up." Anton spoke matter-of-factly, as he stared at john.
john let out a long sigh, anton was probably right; he most likely would not have really eat much of food at all or clean himself up. " ok, ok fine" john conceded, he then proceeded to pick up the bucket and take a long drink from it; After which he used the washcloth to clean up his hands and face.
At first he only really picked at the food, which consisted of a simple porridge and a little bit of dried meat. John really didn't have much of an appetite, since the disastrous defeat. But with the two Junior Knights staring him down he really just had to force the food down. This lack of appetite but having to force the food down, reminded him of times that was the stuff of nightmares.
john stopped eating and then chuckled to himself, he then looked towards pair Junior Knight's " you know… I really shouldn't be so fussy. At least this food is this good, simple and common. It's nothing like how we were forced to eat, when we joined lord joc's expeditions into the demon lands….haaaa… Those expeditions were the stuff of nightmares you know." john had started to reminisce about times, that have long passed.
The two Junior Knights looked at john, they had heard that the Margrave's excursions into the demon lands were particularly brutal but they didn't really know any of the specifics. "Were they really that bad?" hans asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
john just started to laugh, after his laughter settled, he let out a long sigh and grimaced. "It was bad…no horrific…haaa… They were the legitimate the things of nightmare… You two have never actually really experienced the times, when we were still fighting the demons. The Margrave… lord joc back, then was different…. Well not too different, maybe it was just that he's a different man in the battlefield… He favored the use of maneuver warfare and psychological warfare. That's was what the expeditions were all about, plunging in deep into the demon lands to cause chaos and terror.
The only problem was, we were in their territory… We could not get supply caravans and consistent raiding would slow us down and give away our position… And lord joc the ever pragmatic individual he was, he would give the order… To eat the enemy…" john shuddered and became quiet for a second before continuing
"… After any battle with the demons… He would order us to eat the dead bodies… To supplement our diets…. The Cannibalism… Purpose was twofold it was a way to allow us to keep moving… And it was a pretty good way of terrifying the demons…. Also if there is time he would have the troops… mutilate the corpses and make horrific effigies… he also had us regularly wear the skins of demons like cloaks…
Lord joc wasn't a cruel man or depraved, he really hated doing these things… But like I said his was pragmatic…Actually I remember something he said to me when I was refusing to...eat…haaa… He said and I quote 'you don't fucking have to like it…I myself find this all disgusting, but if you are fucking starving; you will die here. When hunger strikes, you should just put your moral concerns away for the time being…and just eat. It's not like we are killing these fucking mongrel demons to eat them!' end quote.
After that he grabbed a severed leg and shoved in my face… To Say the least I ate and kept moving…" john let out a long tired sigh and tilted up his head to look up at the blue sky that was peeking through the broken ceiling.
"…and that's why I guess I shouldn't be so fussy… I should just do like I did back then eat and keep moving." john turned his attention back to the food in front of him and started to eat again. The two Junior Knights Hans and anton, both had green faces and felt a bit sick to the stomach. While john's explanation wasn't overly detailed, it still left them feeling ill.
This was a side of their Lord that they never seen or heard of, they always knew that he was a pragmatic man; Even though it times he didn't seem like it. But this tale that john just told him, really painted a picture of just how pragmatic he could be at times. joc had quite literally eaten his enemies, to cut down on time spent foraging and scrounging up supplies.
The truth of it was that, the way joc fought was underhanded and brutal; he may have had some consideration for the innocence but… He was still a butcher; he would kidnap demon children from the tribes to lure in the demon warriors into traps. He would kidnap the demons chief's children and wives, forcing them offer up their own lives for the safety of their loved ones.
He would ride past the demons villages, towns, cities and place down mutilated effigies made of their warriors body parts in front of the main entrances. After battles he would leave behind the half devoured corpses of their warriors.
But these terrible actions all had a purpose; he was training them with the carrot and stick. His actions of terror were the metaphorical stick. The metaphorical carrot on the other hand was that of hope and peace. Even through all his actions of terror, he left the demons an out; he made sure to not make them a cornered rat.
Instead of indiscriminate slaughter joc would only target the Warriors and Chiefs. Whenever he would kidnap their children when their purpose was over, he would always return them safely. Whenever they surrendered he would treat them with the utmost respect. He would try to avoid raiding as much as possible and whenever he was forced to raid for supplies, he would only take what was needed and would spare the residents. Whenever he gave his word he would stick to it.
He slowly and steadily produced an image in the minds of the people who resided in the demon lands; an image of a terrifying butcher who seems to be able to rampage through their lands freely, but will stop if they just stop antagonizing him.
This image joc cultivated ended up weakening the demons morale considerably. Many of them feared him, but unlike how his predecessors acted; if you fled or lay down your arms before him, you would live. He was not threatening to exterminate you, he fought not because he wanted to; he fought because you were prodding him the hot poker.
This, as well as the final crippling blow that was the death of their King, had turned the demons into whipped dogs….