"I have to arrange something else," general Rengar said and walked towards the high general.
"Sir... I'm sorry to bother you again. I have a last request."
"Yes, general?"
"I have to leave, sir."
"We all would like to do that, but there is still a lot of work..."
"I don't want to escape, high general."
"I didn't tell, general... Why do you want to leave? Did anyone question the result of the disciplinary judgment?"
"I made a promise," general Rengar took the doll into his hand.
"I see. Well, then you can leave," the high general answered.
"Thank you, sir," general Rengar saluted and returned to the group.
"Prepare my horse!" general Rengar ordered the soldiers.
"Are you leaving, general?" Merill asked.
"Yes, I have to leave. But first... You saved my life and I don't even know your names," general Rengar said.
"My name is Merill, and this is Caden."
"Merill... Merill... A special name, something tells me..." general Rengar said.
"Rengar! You old fool. You just barely saved your throat, and now you're planning to throw yourself in danger again!" general Fairn rushed in.
"Fairn! Oh, forgive me, nor did I thank you for your support at their court."
"That's a little thing. Should I go with you?"
"You're a good friend of mine, Fairn, but they need you here. I'd love to see you again. My friends will accompany me," Rengar smiled.
"Perhaps we will meet again, friend," general Fairn waved on him.
"Merill, I don't know if I'll come back. Anyway, after that, what you have done for me, take this, and finally, remove Caden from those shackles," general Rengar gave Merrill a key ring. "These are the keys to my residence, these two soldiers will lead you there. You can live there, if I don't return, it is yours, just promise me something..." general Rengar said.
"Sure, sir. What?" Merill asked.
"When a woman and a girl comes with this doll... Take care of them."
"You can rely on us, general," Merill nodded.
"And the last thing... Is it true what Caden said?" general Rengar asked.
"Uh... Yes, sir," Merill replied.
"Oh, I was hoping you made it up... But it doesn't matter now."
"My lord, we are coming with you!" a group of knights on horsebacks arrived.
"I can't ask you for this. I'm going to the border, and I'm probably not coming back. The Dark Ones will be there," general Rengar said.
"Most of our families live there, sir. We're going to fight for them, and for you," the knight replied.
"Well, thank you," Rengar replied, and went with knights out of the city.
The soldiers took Merill and Caden to the house.
"What are we going to do now?" Merill asked.
"I guess these will solve it for us..." Caden replied, glancing at the soldiers who surrounded them.
Merill slowly moved his hand to the sword.
"Take it easy. General Fairn wants to talk to you," the soldier said.
The soldiers led Merill and Caden to general Fairn's headquarters.
They both entered the dining room where general Fairn was sitting with Cassandra and Stephan at the table.
"Welcome to my dwelling, gentlemen. I apologize for the escort... I did not know what to expect from you," general Fairn stood up.
"What's happening here...?" Merill looked at Cassandra and Stephan, contentedly seated, they were looking at each other in surprise.
"I'm general Fairn. This is Cassandra and Stephan, but... As I see, you probably already know that," Fairn smiled.
"Caden...?" Cassandra stepped forward uncertainly.
"Are you... ally again?"
"Yes, he is," Merill replied.
Stephan stood looking uncomprehendingly at Cassandra and Caden, who seemed to run away from each other in any second.
"That's great! Sit down here. You must be hungry," general Fairn said.
"Why are you doing this?" Caden asked uncomprehendingly.
"Friends of general Rengar are also my friends. I wanted to welcome you here. You're the mage, Caden... Did you really...?"
"Uh... Yes, but it wasn't me..." Caden replied.
"We'd better leave this past. The only one who could bring you to court was general Rengar, and he spared you. And what's your name? Bodyguard," general Fairn asked Merill.
"Merill, sir... You... You took care of them?"
"Let's say I gave them shelter," Fairn smiled a little thoughtfully.
"Yes, the general is... Surprisingly nice to us," Cassandra said.
"Haha, you didn't have a place to go. Well, eat, it's not poisoned, it's really not my style. I must adhere to the codex," general Fairn said.
Caden and Merill started eating.
Everyone went to see the house and their rooms after they've done eating, only Merill and general Fairn remained at the table.
Fairn smiled, "You don't believe me, huh? I see it in your eyes."
"I... No, sir..."
"I don't blame you. You're probably not used to someone being interested in your safety. But believe that my intentions are pure," Fairn replied.
"Others would have executed all of us, so probably. There is a legitimate cause for execution for each of us," Merill replied.
"As long as I'm here, no one will try to hurt you, Merill..." Fairn smiled.
"Why are you so interested in dark elves?" Merill asked.
"Haha, is it that obvious, that I have affection for them?" general Fairn laughed.
"Because everyone else is disgusted by them, it is."
"The dark elves... They weren't the ones the Empire fought with, no longer. I did not want them to bear responsibility for the actions of their ancestors. I was trying to free them almost from the start of the quarantine..."
"That general said something about it... Did you manage it?"
"Oh, yes. I did, as Naross said, "released", I reduced the number of wardens, and gradually replaced them with my soldiers. I was so close..."
"Did it work...?" Merill said nervously.
"No, Merill... Because of the damn mages! They ruined their minds, sent them against us, and we were forced to defend ourselves. Now they're all dead, at least the mages paid for it. I was so close, I had evidence of the experiments they were doing there... It's useless now," general Fairn explained.
"I'm sorry..." Tears gleamed in Merill's eyes.
"Your eyes are familiar to me... as if I have seen them..." general Fairn said, and a soldier burst into the room.
"Sir! The high general demands your presence."
"Did you have to come here like this? Forgive me, Merill, I have to go. We can continue in our conversation by dinner," general Fairn left, and Merill went to the others.
"Run away!" the villagers fled toward the passing riders of general Rengar.
Rengar rode a horse near the house, there was a woman with a girl. Rengar smiled and gave the girl a doll.
"You! Take them on your horse and lead them to the Imperial City!" Rengar ordered one of the knights.
"Yes, sir!" the knight picked up the woman and the girl on the horse and left with them.
"Sir! Those people can't get out of here in time..." another knight arrived.
"But they will..." Rengar reached his knights gathered at the edge of the village.
"I want each of you to know that he has my respect. Regardless of whether you'll ride with me or not. You can go back if you want," general Rengar said.
Nobody moved.
Rengar smiled. "Hmm... so to meet the eternal glory, right? Imperia Invicta!" general Rengar exclaimed and rode with his knights in a wedge formation against the Dark One's hordes.
"How do you like it there?" Fairn asked enthusiastically as he sat at the dinner table with the group.
"It's amazing here," Cassandra said.
"Your happiness pleases me. Please sit," Fairn said.
Everyone had a cake in front of them.
"Hmm... It tastes strange. What is it?" Fairn asked.
"That's a gift," one of the soldiers replied.
"From who?" Fairn stopped.
General Naross entered the room.
Caden, Merill and Cassandra got up and stood side by side.
General Fairn was the only one who didn't, he couldn't stand up.
"What...?" Fairn stopped feeling his feet, his whole body was numbing slowly.
"Fairn, Fairn, you naive fool..." general Naross laughed, and one of the soldiers in the room thrust his sword handle into Caden's head. Caden shook and fell on the ground.
Merill was looking for a way to defend himself, there were suddenly too many soldiers in the room.
Fairn looked toward Merill and Cassandra. "Don't worry, I won't hurt your protégé," Naross smiled gleefully.
"That's because of you, she's the last of her kind. You was still spoiling my quarantine plans, and how did it go?!" general Naross shouted.
"You... Monster..." Fairn said.
"What? I helped them! I wanted to get rid of their curse. What do you think would happen, if they gained freedom? The elves wouldn't accept them, and the Empire's people? Hah, not at all! They would be like hunted beasts. But it doesn't matter now," Naross nodded, and the soldier stepped in front of Merill, who began to defend himself, but was struck from behind in the head. Cassandra defended herself a little longer, but she was struck by a fist in the iron glove in her face and fell on the ground.
"We don't want to kill her, you idiot!" Naross exclaimed.
Fairn flushed with anger, but he couldn't move.
"It was so easy to do this. You're not like Rengar, he knows his soldiers well... Hah, but not well enough. It's hard to say which of you will face worse death!" Naross called, and his soldiers carried Caden, Cassandra, and Merill.
Rengar and most of his knights no longer had horses, they fought on the ground, against the predominance of the Dark Ones.
"Rengar!"
General Rengar turned and a bolt hit him in the ribs. One of his knights shot him with the one-handed crossbow. Rengar looked into his ruthless eyes, and a tear dripped away his eye, he was standing idle in place. The second bolt hit him directly into the heart. Rengar fell to his knees, still staring at his treacherous knights, not responding to the shooter. General Rengar fell dead.
"Naross... Fairn does not sail out in this wave?" the high general asked.
"Um... General Fairn is indulging in other things now..." Naross smiled.
"Well then..." the high general gestured.
The first wave was ready to go. The last supplies were loaded, and the ships sailed toward the supposedly explored waters.
"High general! General Naross's ships split off the fleet. He's taking our best warriors with him!" the soldier shouted.
"What is that fool doi...?" the high general murmured.
"High general!" the soldier shouted from the top deck.
"General Naross sends you a farewell gift!" the soldier threw something, and the high general caught a special ticking ball in his hands.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
