POV Smith
I crept through the gloom, my knife coated with the blood of a sentry that had wandered too far from the safe light of the watch fires. I grabbed a handful of dirt and smeared it over my face as I slid under a bush. Not three hours ago I'd been issuing orders like a madman, this requires the utmost precision. It was probably a good thing I'd had those night maneuvers before the campaign.
Currently 2nd and 3rd brigades would be marching without lights north along the bank of the Lobau, staying to the low ground as the moved north of the 57th regiment which was happily illuminated upon its hill. If I didn't know better I'd claim I could hear them, muttering curses and fumbling about as they advanced.
A pair of sentries moved closer, following the patrol paths I'd easily learned. It was amateurish. Two women joking about as they made their rounds. I leapt up from my bush and buried my knife in the neck of the first. Before what had happened even registered what was happening I had nicked the torch from their grasp and grabbed their head and wrenched it to the side, the sickening crack echoed loudly as they went limp.
I quickly put out the torch and dragged the bodies out of sight of the patrol. Another pair would soon be along, they'd die just like the rest. I slowly wiped the blood from my dagger and stretched my muscles a bit as I waited for the next patrol to come stumbling along. Sooner or later they'd realize that the patrols weren't coming back. Then I'd have to find a new hunting ground.
I took a deep breath and slithered to a different shrub nearby. It wouldn't do to spring my ambush from the same spot every time, regardless of how well it worked. I waited paitenly and like clockwork the next pair appeared, holding their weapons lazily as they shared a bottle.
I grumbled to myself as I slit their throats. This was work for a corporal and a couple joes. Yet here's my stupid, General havin' ass doing grunt work. More shit to train… the troops will rejoice. I pulled the corpses off the trail as I thought about additions to my 'infantryman's primer'.
I looked about. Near twenty corpses were strewn about the bushes. It's time for a new hunting ground. I collected my small pack with my surprises for later and crawled a few hundred feet further up the hill until I was on the next patrol's path. Up here they had torches driven into the ground at regular intervals. This could get a little tricky. I glanced at my watch and timed the patrols. Six minutes…
I grinned, the faintest bit of white showing from under my dirt smeared face. I double and triple checked my brace of pistols as I drew my trusty knife again and crept forward. I moved like a shadow, a scepter of death. This was… far to easy… I crouched near some makeshift fortifications and glanced at my watch again. It was almost time. I grabbed my pack and pulled out the device. Ponatoski and Isser were no fools. They'd know this was the signal I'd referenced earlier merely by the oddity of it.
I grabbed out the wax paper tube and found my fuse. I used my knife to pry a hole in the bottom before I jammed the fuse inside before any powder could slip out. I propped the tube against the fortifications and grabbed my matches. I cupped my hand around the matches as I struck them. A dull flame flared between my hands. I quickly put the march to the fuse and scrambled away. Not ten seconds later a dull 'fwoooh' sound caused a white light to shoot into the sky, hovering over the camp for a few long seconds before vanishing into the night.
I came across a pair of sentries on patrol staring at the fading light in the sky. My blade was quick, deadly, Efficient. Blood spurred from slit throats as I jogged deeper into the camp. Time was of the essence, I'd need to find the regimental leader and deal with them ASAP. I made my way deeper into the camp, killing groggy guards that were stirring as a commotion started to the rear of the camp. I grinned, their timing was impeccable.
I looked around and saw a flurry of panicked soldiers of some rank rushing towards a tent that was more ornate than most. That had to be it. I checked my pistols one last time before sprinting for the tent like so many others. I jammed my blade into the neck of a soldier that got too close and shoved them aside, never stopping my sprint.
I slit the throat of the first guard outside the tent and stabbed the throat of the next as I pushed my way inside. Their gurgling cry of warning caused those in the tent to jump up with and whirl towards me. I grinned savagely. Three people, a noble lady just woken from her slumber and two Knightesses halfway through donning their armor.
The nearest Knightess dropped her breastplate and drew her sword. I stepped forward, hurling my knife, it twirled around itself once before it embedded itself up to the guard in her neck. She dropped like a twig, her spine cut as I drew my first pistol. The second Knightess threw her gauntlet at me. I stepped slightly to the side, avoiding the hunk of metal then promptly pulled the trigger. The flint shot down and sparks flew over the pan a heartbeat before a cloud of flame and smoke spewed from the muzzle and blew a gold ball sized hole through the knight's chest.
I stuffed the pistol back and drew another. I pointed it at the noble lady as she stared in shock at what had happened to her bodyguards. I aimed my new pistol at her.
"Get up." My voice was hoarse but stern. Outside the sounds of battle raged, by now the brigades were likely moving deeper into the camp. No alarm. It was likely a bloodbath for these damn traitors.
She stood. Face set in stone as I drew closer and pulled my knife from the first corpse. I moved behind her and wrestled her arms into a tight grip, the pistol pressed against her back. I shoved her forward "We are going outside."
I instructed quietly. "You will order your regiment to lay down its arms and surrender."
I forced my prisoner outside and several knights and officers of the regiment drew up short. I jammed the pistol harder into her back. "Well?"
"Fight my Hiers! Glo…." Her sentence was cut short as shoved her forward and blasted her brains out. I didn't wait for the enemy to react, their shock at the sudden move was all the time I'd get. I dropped the pistol and drew my final two and held them out, dropping the knights. I dropped those pistols as well as I rushed the nearest soldier. They staggered back, stubbed by the quick dispatch of two of their strongest fighters. I fell upon them. My blade sang.
I flung blood from my knife as I stood in the middle of a small massacre. A dozen bodies lay around, most had slit throats but some had several stab wounds. I retrieved my pistols and started cleaning them when a rush of clattering armor alerted me of a rapid approach. I stuffed the pistols still dirty into the braces and grabbed a maze from the fallen. That was when a few dozen soldiers wearing the red uniforms of the 33rd came around the tents, pikes long forgotten and short swords and shields in hand.
"Drop your weapon!" One of the corporals called out as several of the shoulders surrounded me.
"I am Smith Fulton, the General commanding the army of the Lobau." I replied evenly as I put my knife back in its sheath and dropped the mace.
"Private, verify his identity." The corporal waved foward a private holding a torch. A wry grin spread over my face. They followed procedure. The sergeant even had a couple soldiers spread out in case this was an ambush. Though everyone here but us was dead or long since fled.
The private held the torch to inspect my face, but grime covered as it was, the private didn't seem satisfied. "Who is Alpharius?"
My grin turned into a downright smile. "I am Alpharius."
The private glanced at my dirty uniform, at the rank on my shoulders and sleeves before nodding in satisfaction. "He's who he claims corporal."
"Sergeant!" I called the nco over, "send a runner down the line, if they don't lay down their arms, no quarter will be offered."
He nodded and the runners were sent. I let the line keep moving forward and followed the occasional runner back to higher levels of leadership until I appeared at the small wagon Isser and Ponatoski had decided to use to mark their headquarters. Their faces paled as I appeared.
"Sir! I thought you were to the south with 1st brigade!" Isser stared at me with alarm.
"And let the battle pass me by?" I asked with a disappointed look.
"My skills were needed to make this go off as easily as it did." I replied dismissively. There was a lot to do tonight to prepare for the morning. A lot of marching and ruses to prepare then hopefully catch a few hours sleep before the sun rose. It was going to be… a long night.