"How long has it been since you were asked to deliver the message?"
" My journey has been going on for five days. Originally, I was just here to recruit other dark elves. But then I heard your name and remembered Lynia's words. She wasn't expecting an answer to be honest."
"Well, now you have your response. Do any other dark elves here want to help you?"
"Well, I asked around but there are mostly merchants, vendors and elderly dark elves here. They would rather be baggage than support."
" There have to be hunters of your people here, too."
"They already are on the move to support us. All we had to do was make a sound then they were ready to join the fight. Nonetheless, there are far too few of them to be able to defend us."
" So, how far away is your fortress? What's the terrain like there?"
Connor butted into the discussion to get an idea.
"He's my escort so go on."
"We need two days if we hurry and nothing gets in the way. It's best we depart tonight, I don't know how long they will last. If any army is waiting for them they will fall at once."
"Then I suppose you are severely outnumbered. What is the number of soldiers in the fortress, what is the size of the enemy army?"
"According to the reports I have been given, we still have about 200 Dark Elves capable of fighting."
"And what is the number of opponents?"
"..."
"Tell me, I think we don't have much time?!"
"One of our scouts counted the majority. The army has over 1000 men, including archers, swordsmen, spearmen and also mages."
"Oh shit, you guys are really screwed."
"Connor! You don't know the situation!"
"I am just kidding . You know I don't care about the odds. Look at you Leo, things are already decided for you. That Lynia must mean a lot if you voluntarily allow your past."
"She supported me on my way. I don't have a choice but to do the same."
" All right, that's enough to convince me. And now I'm curious as to who was your companion before me, I wonder if she was something more?
" Save those assumptions you dumbass! This is about helping a friend, nothing more, nothing less.
"If you say so. I might have a chance to beat you to it then."
"The first thing she'd do is point an arrow at you."
"Tough greeting..."
"Okay, we will assist you. You' ll explain everything that has happened recently on the way there. Perhaps we can use some of it to our advantage. Connor, you get ready. I'll inform the innkeeper of our early departure."
That very evening, the two men traveled out of town with the dark elf. Upon reaching the gate, they heard a familiar voice.
"So you heard the news as well. Do you know who and what you are fighting?"
"Yes. Even if the odds are against me I guess I will have to help an old friend."
"Is that your only reason or do you have other intentions? Cause you're walking straight towards death."
"I would like to get rid of the enemy once and for all, but it will be impossible."
"You ought to know that this term often has no meaning."
" But it sounds better that way if we do win in the end."
"Ha, it really does..."
" It' best you guys get ready too, the elves aren't exactly the nicest of races. With the famous Carleen, I won't have to worry much I guess."
"That fame is going to get me killed one day...but thanks for the tip General, we'll do our best."
With that, they said goodbye to Alteria once and for all and marched straight into a battle that would bring doom and chaos. As Leo thought more and more, he remembered the conversation with Zaphiel. Back then, Zaphiel had an easy time with this enemy because Yrasil always sent his pawns first before he would intervene himself. A god who hides behind his army taking a great risk by arrogance and naivety. Should he still act in this way, it would serve as a great advantage for Leo.
"How has the situation been in the last few months? Since when do you know that Yrasil has appeared?"
"About two months ago, the first signs began to appear. Elves have green eyes by nature. It is only with the arrival of their lord that they begin to glow. The troop of elves definitely had those eyes. Their commander himself has threatened us with his imminent arrival. We did not see him with our own eyes, but all signs speak for it."
"Yet you don't know for sure. Do all the soldiers know about his return?
"At least everyone in our fortress. Probably there are other resistances, though we are not aware of any bigger ones. Over the past few weeks, more and more dark elves have come to the fortress to live in safety only for everything to fall apart now."
"But they didn't leave because they don't want to be alone and even more at risk, right?"
"That's correct. A lot of these people are barely skilled in combat. The way they think is a mixture of freedom and compulsion. They' re not real soldiers, just sacrifices to the enemy troops in their state."
("So they fight out of their free will huh? Sounds kind of familiar the other way.")
It was almost ironic that Leo was still encountering similar scenarios from his past. Yet this time it was different, this time he would be responsible in part for their fate. This time, his allies would be at his mercy. Nevertheless, the little experience he had had with the human troops some time ago would help him.
In the midst of the discussion a sound rang through the woods, it did not originate from the trees but from the skies. On closer listening, the sound was that of an owl. Leo realized who this hoot must belong to.
"We're almost there. Starting now, we're going to follow the sounds!"
"Hey, that's the wrong direction! We need to walk that way!"
"Sorry but from here on we follow this path. It's quicker and more straightforward than your way."
"But you don't know your way around here at all. How do you know?"
" You either trust me or your assistance will arrive too late. The best option we have is to follow the cries whether you want to believe it or not."
"Th-that's stupid, isn't it? I know which way to go! Why should I trust a stupid bird?"
"Because that very bird will guide us to your leader. If there's one creature I trust, it's Irazel. He has been a great aid in the past, I will repay him for this favor."
Neither Connor nor their guide knew what he was talking about. Seeing the determination in Leo's eyes, Connor knew what to do.
"Fuck it, I'll go with him. Look, you can either travel on your own, or you can join us on this path."
"What are you talking about? You can't just... fine, then we'll just keep following this absurd plan."
The owl hooted at intervals from above, guiding the group through a secluded path of the forest. Another few hours passed until they eventually heard sounds of people from far away. As they stepped out of the bushes, they saw no dark elves ahead. The fort was visible in the distance. The three soon realized what kind of position Azarel had pointed out to them. They were behind an army of elves. A short distance away was a large group of soldiers, and there were also some mages among them. Many tents had been pitched and signs of campfires were abundant. The enemy must have been here for some time.
("No wonder Irazel hasn't made a sound. Is he trying to wipe us all out? I'm not the same as before you damn bird. How do you expect me to make this work?")
Their companion was about to speak to them when Connor covered his mouth and shook his head. Leo ordered them both a little further into the woods. Connor knew what to do and looked for a small hiding place for them.
"Are you insane?! Did you want them all to hear us?!"
"You're the ones who are insane! Look where we've ended up!"
"That's exactly why we must not give away our position at any cost!"
"What's your name? Are you even a combatant?"
"Does it matter now?"
"The biggest part of all so tell me!"
"Dall, my name is Dall. I'm not really a warrior, I wasn't trained for long, my initial job was a messenger and scout. I haven't held a weapon much."
"That's what I expected. Alright Dall, you have two choices now: Either stay here with us and find a way to trick the enemy, or sneak up to your people at your own risk and tell them our position. Well, not that it would do them much good."
Connor felt very bewildered by Leo's decision.He knew he was sometimes stubborn and made risky decisions but this bordered on suicide, just pure suicide.
"Hey, you realize what you're saying right now? You wanna stay here and try to engage them? I know we can fight multiple opponents but this is an entire army we're talking about!"
"I'm well aware of that. I don't plan to just attack them, I want to find a way to weaken them without everyone getting killed. Irazel brought us here and he knows there's a way to do this."
"Irazel, that's the name of this bird? How come you put so much trust in the owl?"
"Because it is not a simple animal, it is more ancient than all of us combined and has more experience than this entire army."
"Are you saying that this Irazel is a strategic mastermind of tactics?"
"Not how you define it but yes. That very bird could be the key to saving the dark elves in the coming battle. All we have to do is find the clues he has discovered. A solid plan will come naturally."
As the two discussed, Dall didn't really understand his world anymore. Naturally, he wanted to return as soon as possible, but the risk of being discovered and killed prevented him from making a firm decision.
" Fine, I'll stay here as long as I know it's safe. Once a battle breaks out I'll be gone even if I have to use you as a distraction."
"I don't think you're in a position to make demands. You know what? I've changed my mind now. Actually, I didn't want to do it this way, but I think you will stay here whether you want to or not. As of now, you're part of our little squad, and you' re going to listen to my orders. Otherwise, I will tell them about our position and then you will die."
"Ha, you must be out of your mind! If I die then you die with me, I don't care about your threat at all!"
" Maybe, but do you really want to take the chance? You know, we have weapons, we can defend ourselves and fight, but you're trapped. Who knows if there isn't a way we can escape?"
Leo's look was devoid of emotion, his words completely serious and threatening. Dall wasn't sure if he wouldn't just do something to him if he refused. His position was hopeless, he had no choice but to submit to Leo. Connor was both impressed and surprised by the way Leo was suddenly acting. In fact, he almost looked like a commander.
"So we have no choice but to follow you do I see that right?"
" Generally speaking, yes. I can assure you we won't lose, and we won't die here. You know I've never lied to you."
"This here is different. This is a situation we've not had before. You can't just...hell, I can't change your mind anyway.
After some second thoughts and headaches, Connor resigned himself to his fate and followed his partner. Thus, from a distance, the three began to spy possible weak spots and points of offense. Leo realized that the troops would most likely use the same pattern he had been involved in before. Just as with the humans, both the mages kept their distance from the soldiers. Even the elves had a military hierarchy. As night fell, Leo watched everything he possibly could. The nature of most of the fighters was calm and serene, displaying an inner peace like he had never seen before. They must already be aware of their win. Their leader reinforced this increasingly with his words. He was wearing larger and more decorated armor and exuded great power.
But it all looked a bit fake, like a lie. Leo had a strong suspicion as to what exactly was going on. The inner calm he noticed was not really calm. As he took a closer look, he realized it was only a mask, behind which was great restlessness and doubt. During his time as commander, he had applied the same method to his soldiers. Many times they were unsure of themselves and often didn't trust their abilities. By using such words he managed to motivate them at least for a certain time and boost their morale. The more he thought about it, the more similarities he found to his approach. Was Irazel aware from the beginning that Leo was the perfect adversary for such situations?
"All right, what did you two spot?"
"A possible vulnerability. I was able to eavesdrop on some conversations. Many of them were talking in a different language but I could understand a few of them normally. The way I would interpret it is that not all of them are truly ready for a fight? Most likely they are trained, but they also have a great fear of death. And by the way their comrades spoke and the tone they used, it is the same for the majority of them. Although they are aware of the fact that they are far superior in number, it seems to me that not all of them actually want to fight. However, that's just an opinion, I don't know for sure."
"And what did you spy Dall?"
"I still think you're batshit crazy, but there actually is something off about them. Those mages seem a lot weaker than I recall them. Usually they can control two magics at the same time without fail, and yet during their little exercise they barely managed to handle one element...as if they are still almost beginners. Besides, they treat their subordinates like dirt even though they don't look much stronger themselves."
Leo was content with their answers, even pleased. Everything fit together for him, he understood the overall situation they were in. It was only strengthened when he carefully listened to their leader. His words were not encouraging, but rather threatening to his soldiers. His tone was calm, but his aura seemed hostile towards his allies, as if they were barely his equals. It all boiled down to his initial suspicions. Nevertheless, even with this realization, they had barely made any progress. Due to Leo's past, Irazel overestimated their strength; using those vulnerabilities was still a near impossible task.
In theory they had accomplished everything, found out everything and analyzed everything however now it was time to carry out the insane scheme in practice.
If there is one thing Leo knows for sure in this world, it is that almost nothing is truly out of reach here.