"How many?" I passed Alias, the rest of the council following behind me.
Huantu, Netman and Marcus had already separated and began barking orders to their respective units while Nefamiti left to prepare the garrison.
Trigo split away with Hardvar to prepare the people whilst Yu flew away to inform Seramia so as to prepare a spell to calm everyone in the city.
Shion looked at me calmly before splitting away.
'Going to go and get Alumira and Serli.' Is what her gaze told me.
I see.
"I counted at least a few thousand tents, considering each has two or more within the lowest number would be ten thousand and rising." Alias replied calmly.
Ten thousand and rising? It shouldn't be Rekarsus nor Kendogan then.
They would know better than to arrive at my gates with so few in number.
After all, the current number of warriors loyal to durlivan is reaching around fifteen thousand to the mark.
Three battalions each headed by either Marcus, Huantu and Netman with Nefamiti acting as the Garrison Commander who holds authority over them during sieges.
Besides that, there are those Acolytes under Seramia who reside within the North-Eastern section of Durlivan, the entire area essentially a holy center of the Veru Faith with more than ten thousand residents.
Among them, the number willing to fight last I checked was around fifteen hundred.
So in total, we would have sixteen thousand five hundred battle-ready fighters.
Warren should be in Kitar right now alongside his own retinue holding the river's and building forts with our financial aide and Rafulnas, needless to say, is very well defended with it's back to the Otol Territory and it's front a massive cluster of forts forming a strong defensive line.
...
"That is a lot more than ten thousand," I said looking over the wall.
"Ten thousand was the low estimate," Alias said as his eyes flickered watching the torches dance within the faraway campsite, "Twenty thousand is reasonable."
Dark figures could be seen striding about the wastes, their skin dark and battered similar to the Mazkata Chieftan.
Similiar to... ah...
That might be it.
"Hardvar," I called out only to feel a presence appear along the wall approaching.
"It's them, boss." Hardvar nodded and replied, "The clans of the waste have replied to your challenge, their chieftains have arrived."
I nodded coldly.
Before leaving to meet with Lancard and Tensent regarding the alliance between our three nations, I had told Hardvar to gather them, or kill them.
Clearly, they had gathered.
"The people of the wastes are not afraid of any flat skins, was how they replied. Their Chieftan's demand to see what power a weak flat skin can bring to bear against them that would give him the confidence to challenge all of the waste at once." Hardvar said coldly, "They are looking down on us."
"Hm.." A smile inched it's way across my face, "...let's go then."
"Wait!" Shion? "I'm coming with the girls. They should see this for their education."
"...alright?" Education? Do you want them to become bloodthirsty barbarians? And who are those people panting behind you and the girls?
"Those are their entourage, some random guards who followed them here," Shion replied coldly as she glanced back at the exhausted guards, "Useless."
"Indeed," I looked over the wall and jumped down.
Right outside the gate facing the wastes between empires, the green stops and the waste begins.
Sand rose like a small bomb had gone off as I hit the withered earth.
My sabers danced in my palm before being stabbed into the ground, I roared over the wastes, "Agashi Drashi of Durlivan has arrived! Who dares accept my challenge?!"
No sooner had my voice infused with Scarlet Qi rebounded through the waste's, had the great army before me began to move forward raising massive dust clouds.
Their tent's and everything they had just put away was taken down almost instantly.
Truly, a nomadic people.
Standing around a thousand meters out from the gate, I crossed my arms and watched as the army came to a slow stop a hundred meter's away from me.
Countless eyes peered over the gap trying to size me up.
My body roared with Scarlet Qi and a massive Scarlet Wolf Projection rose above my head bringing down a horrific pressure over them.
"Adept... So you have crossed the boundary from Neophyte to Low Adept?" A familiar voice crossed the gap and a large man stepped out with a toothy smile, "Remember me?"
"Mazkata Chieftan. Last you came, my wife defeated you in single combat, shouldn't you be on our side now? Or do your traditions mean so little to you?" I said coldly as the Scarlet Wolf Projection became stronger.
My own army stood upon the walls and just outside the gate having set up a hundred meter's worth of barricades and defense within the time I had given them.
"Our traditions do not apply to outsiders," The Mazkata Chieftan said coldly as someone squeezed through the great ocean of burly warriors to his side, "But, if you so choose, we will make an exception if, like our ancestor, you can subjugate all of us at once."
Huh?
"You want to fight me, fifteen to one?" I replied with a slight smile, "And you swear by that ancestor you will join me?"
"Don't be so cocky, flat skin! Even if you are an Adept, it will make no difference. Against the Fifteen Chiefs of the Plains, you will be slaughtered before your people." Another man stepped forward, his Qi boiling just underneath the surface like a powerful river.
He's stronger than the Mazkata Chief, yet he doesn't speak for all of them as the Mazkata Chief does.
Perhaps... the Mazkata Chief is riding the coattails of the previous chief? Something might have happened.
I see.
"Well, let's begin," I replied evenly, "We have a war to fight, so let's make it quick."
"Wait!" Hm? That short kid... it's the same one that was with the Mazkatan Chief that day?
"What?" I looked down at him coldly, my hands frozen just before my sabers.
I'd rather start this battle quickly and finish it quickly.
Win or lose, I can't back down.
We don't need the Waste's, but, having them is better than not having them, I can't afford to back down.
The boy, short compared to his peers and a bit scrawny stood about my height, albeit looking far far weaker.
He opened his mouth, "Agashi Drashi of Durlivan. My name is Kivryle, I am the strategist for the Mazkata Clan, could we have a moment to talk?"
"What do you want?" I replied coldly.
The killing intent rippling off the chiefs is stifling, even with the support of the Scarlet Wolf Projection, it's clear that these chief's are each at the stage before being able to achieve their ow projections.
Not to mention, it's clear that they are each experienced warriors, more so than myself, not to mention that their Qi is not normal.
Not quite like that of beasts, but it feels more sophisticated yet brutal like a powerful creature, yet a terrifyingly brtual beast.
"Perhaps, we don't fight," Kivryle said seriously, "Why don't we have an alliance? See, the situation out in the waste's has changed as the wars between the two empires has raged on. Their people are constantly passing through the wastes and sometimes attacking our encampments where we leave our young."
People? Not flat skins... Hm... He seems particularly intelligent.
From his point of view, this is likely an opportunity for the Mazkata, whilst the rest of the clans are extremely hostile, he can come and create a good relation with us thus having something to weather the storm as refugee's become more and banditry increasing proportionately.
He's talented to see the chance and brave enough to grasp it.
Good.
"I don't mind allying with the Mazkata, but, I don't need leeches." Let's see, will he understand my intent?
"Of course," Kivryle smiled broadly, "We, Mazkata, never expect without return! If you agree to ally with us and allow us to shelter with you, our chief will step away from the challenge."
I glanced up at the Makatan Chief who had at some point left the front and already split away a few thousand warriors creating a clear line in their ranks.
I see, so this kid planned this all in advance.
Talented, brave and thoughtful.
"Work for me." I said with a broad smile.
"No can do." He smiled back.
"That's too bad, well, my Durlivan will take you in, however, remember that nothing is free and if you wish to eat you must also work. As for security, I guarantee that you will not be treated any differently from my own citizens, by my blood I will swear it." As I spoke, I cut the center of my palm causing a horrific pain to run through my arm.
Countless nerves lie in the palm of person.
Should've cut my forearm or something... oh well.
Blood splattered everywhere forming a small puddle from which a powerful scarlet qi rose in a spiral re-entering my body though the wound and sealing it as it entered.
Scarlet qi is alive, as all qi is, so naturally it would not want to be left out to rot nor would I give up so a precious comrade.
Kivryle saw all of this and slowly nodded, "You aren't an Adept yet, are you? Half-Step Adept, maybe. And that projection is strong but not like that of a real adept which can make it move around and attack, is that right?"
I smiled, "Correct. I have not yet crossed the barrier to Adept."
...as far as I know, anyway.
For now, from what I've gathered by being around others is that the ranks go roughly like, Neophyte, Adept, something here, something else here and then Master and then Grand Master.
Main reason I don't know these two in between is because no one talks about them, they either talk about one extreme or the other and there's not a lot of information about them either.
Note to self, ask Kivryle about it later.
"The challenge stands."