“There’s nothing here,” The Sommerdan Captain in charge of the scouts said as his soldiers gathered around the campfire. “We’ll rest here for a while and head back to the army. The commanders will be glad to know there’s no ambush or reserve troops.”
“Captain, does that mean tomorrow we’ll throw everything we have at the Skardians?”
“Probably. Who knows what the commanders are really thinking? But it would be a waste to let this opportunity go. If we don’t destroy this army here and now, they’ll join up with another one later.” ．
The soldiers around the fire nodded in agreement with their Captain as they shivered in the chilly night air. Their breath could be seen floating in front of them as each of them thought about the warm sands they called home.
Meanwhile, a short distance from the group of Sommerdan scouts. Two figures watched them with smiles on their faces.
“That’s really handy,” Aeri grumbled as the players and NPCs of Kaleidoscope marched behind them.
“Exile thought it prudent for me to make sure the enemy receives false intelligence. He hopes you will take your army around our flank and wait for the Sommerdans to attack us before you ambush them.” Winter replied with a radiant smile that sent a shiver down Aeri’s spine.
“Of course, I’ll spread the word to the other Pantheons.”
Aeri studied Winter for a moment before taking her leave. However, Winter was busy trying to figure Aeri out while she controlled her spell that hid the army from the scouts. ‘She’s strong, but I think I could take her.’ Winter nodded to herself with silent confidence. I just hope Exile knows what he’s doing.
She watched on as Kaleidoscope passed by, soon followed by other Pantheons. They were later to arrive than Exile had predicted. However, that made Winter uneasy. Despite all their talks, Winter wondered if Exile could really take control of the situation once the Sommerdans were defeated.
It was a legitimate concern since their alliance in the Civil War was much smaller than the Royal faction. If Exile made one wrong move, then many of their allies would suffer more than a few deaths. It would not surprise her if the Royal faction players took it a step further and killed players enough to have them banned from the game!
Winter shook her head at the thought of their situation. However, Exile had always pulled through so far. No matter how dire the situation had appeared. Though this would be the largest battle they had ever taken part in. It would definitely reveal if Exile had any faults that could be exploited.
“If things look bad, I may have to consider switching sides. I’m not going to flush away my chance at playing this game just to be loyal.” Winter sighed as she watched the scouts put out their fire. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Winter stuck with the scouts as they broke camp to join back up with their main army. She had to make sure they did not turn back and accidentally discover the Skardian army. Winter could not help but think about how easily the NPCs could be manipulated with their powers as gods.
If something like this happened in the real world, then it would definitely be a crime. However, this was a game, and they had to do anything they could to win. Of course, she had seen the news reports about people questioning how ethical Pantheon was. But in the end, the NPCs were exactly that. NPCs. So why should they question how they treated them when they never had to consider it with other games?
She was so lost in her thoughts she almost lost track of the scouts. However, she realised her blunder before it was too late. The Sommerdan soldiers felt their skin prickling as if danger was near. However, when they looked at their surroundings, there was nothing there.
“Must be my imagination.” The Captain said as he pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders.
Meanwhile, Exile glanced at those gathered around him. A deep frown was on his face as he studied the Sommerdan formation. ‘It looks like they’ve emptied the mountain pass of all their soldiers.’ Exile scratched his beard as he attempted to figure out their exact numbers. However, Harik cleared his throat to get his attention.
“Lord Exile, we can’t possibly hold back this army. We need to retreat before the enemy decides to use their advantage.”
“He’s right, Exile.” Clay said as a long sigh escaped his mouth. “If they throw all of that at us, we won’t last long. It’s suicide to stay here now. We can’t afford to wait.”
Exile looked at the pair, then closed his eyes. A moment later, he nodded his head before glancing toward the Sommerdan army.
“No. We’ve come this far and we’re close to claiming victory.” Exile hummed as he took note of the concerned expressions. “The next battle is where we will claim our victory. We’ll just have to clean up after it and give chase to the enemy, so they retreat. Don’t worry. I’m sure we’ll see our reinforcements before the next battle can begin.”
The mortal NPCs gathered there wore dubious expressions except for Thovok, who knew more about what was going on. Ania’s doubt only lasted for a split second before her unwavering faith in Exile took over. Which soothed any doubts taking root in her mind.
“Harik, deploy the troops and set up the formations. The Sommerdans are sure to attack the moment they believe victory is in their hands. We can’t be caught unprepared. Bjorn, you will take a group of your strongest warriors and hold back in the rear.”
Bjorn grumbled as he voiced his question in reply to Exile’s command. “Lord Exile, why would you keep me from the battle? I can’t be of any use being held in reserve. Surely you can see that!”
“Of course I can, Bjorn.” Exile chuckled. “I want you to be prepared to intercept the enemy hero at a moment’s notice. You’re the only one who can do this. After your fight with him, I believe he will attempt to go after someone else and avoid your section. So we need to remove you from it and have you ready for when he makes his move.”
Bjorn nodded as he scratched his cheek. Then he took a swig of mead from his horn before bursting out in laughter. “You can leave it to me, Lord Exile! I won’t let him get away again!”
Exile smiled at Bjorn’s enthusiasm. However, his thoughts were different. ‘That hero is bound to flee if he’s forced to fight Bjorn again. It’s not like Bjorn has a way to trap him there. So putting an end to that threat is unlikely. Unless we get a chance to box him in.’ Exile sighed internally as his eyes turned to the sky.
‘The weather isn’t looking good either. But that should be in our favour. How long do we have to wait for these reinforcements? Even if they were late in setting off, they should be here by now.’ Exile frowned as he glanced toward the enemy players in the enemy lines. ‘The real question is whether Parthus will take part in the next attack.’