Chương 23: 22. Binding Oath

The feeling of his kingdom's tiles turning neutral beneath his feet made Tavian ill. The Anarvians had just retaken the throne room from him and claimed it for themselves; the system map showed that clearly. As he watched, the vault tile also flipped. The Anarvians were expanding their control of the Fortress. ⬣ Kingdom Status ⬣ Core Essence Tiles Claimed Influence 109 17 6. 4 Each tile he lost also gave up Essence, equal to the Influence controlling that tile.

He'd lost 6 tiles, and now total Influence was running dangerously low.

"We've got to get back to the courtyard and regroup!" Tavian said.

"Before they surround the Core completely."

"Or get in there and fight them," Braun said.

"We could go around, through the outer courtyard and the Life Gate?" Tavian suggested.

"It's exposed," Braun said.

"And we'd be giving up ground. If we hit them from both sides, we could drive them out of the throne room and retake it." He was breathing heavily, his eyes wide with energy and excitement. He trembled with the thirst for battle. Cormath shook his head.

"Tactician training rots the brain," the old sword master said, cleaning blood from his blade.

"Too much looking at maps, and you forget to think in three dimensions." He pointed to the stairwell at the end of the hall which led to the second floor. From there, they could easily access the entrance to the throne room gallery. The second floor was dead and quiet, save for the occasional distant echo. Tavian and his men hurried down the halls, the thumping of feet and rhythmic breathing accompanying them. They reached the gallery door, and Tavian slipped inside.

The throne room was much as they had left it, stripped of everything valuable. A pair of bodies lay near one entrance. A column of Anarvians crossed the room, like a line of ants. They reached the antechamber that concealed the stairs down to the vault room and descended. They weren't attacking the Core. They were going into the dungeon.

"It's at least a half banner of men," Tavian breathed, watching the unceasing river of soldiers. Braun watched over his shoulder.

"Whatever is down there, Lord Anarvia is desperate to get it." Braun said.

"That weasel Jarden must know more." They watched for a moment longer as the last of the men descended the steps, leaving the throne room clear.

"We should hit them now," Braun said.

"We can reclaim that vault tile, and fight them down the stairs. They won't be able to use all that manpower against us, and they'll be pinned."

"We can use the elevation to our advantage," Tavian agreed. After waiting a moment longer to ensure the coast was clear, they dropped down from the gallery. Tavian's men followed, quietly. Men moved on the other side of the hall. A curious Verosian soldier peered into the throne room, one of the soldiers Tavian had left in the rear guard to defend the Core. The Anarvians had simply marched right between Tavian's two forces.

Bits of armor, carved balustrade, and other valuables littered the halls where they had been dropped when the fighting started. The massive throne had been carried partially into one hall, and was resting askew in a junction. Its high seat back nearly scraped the ceiling. The Anarvians had left no men behind to defend their rear.

"We've got them in a bottle," Tavian whispered to Braun.

"They have claimed the vault tile, but we can control both of the stairwells. We can force them down into the dungeons, and then—" This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. He cut off as a rumble shook the ground. A crash of stone came from the throne room, and they ran to discover that the stairs to the vault had been plugged. Stone arches had collapsed, and smooth elemental stone chunks appeared, filling the gaps.

The ground vibrated again, and a secondary shockwave knocked Tavian backwards. A sickly haze of black miasma hung in the air, and the tile beneath his feet flipped from Anarvian control to neutral. Tavian dug at the rubble with his bare hands, feeling an overwhelming urge reach the enemy. He screamed wordlessly at the blocked passage. What did Anarvia know? What did he want down in that dungeon? The other stairwell!

They could still— Another explosion sounded, and Tavian didn't have to check to know that the other stairwell had just been sealed. They were locking themselves in. That meant two things. Lord Anarvia was desperate to get whatever was in the dungeon. And Lord Anarvia did not want Tavian coming after him.

"Claim this tile, Tavian!" Braun said.

"Rubble won't stop us, not with Influence on our side! Claim the tile and let's get them!" Tavian opened up the system map, preparing to claim the tile. But doing that would bring his Influence dangerously low. He didn't want another situation where a miasmic surge flipped his hextile right after he claimed it. Lea spoke in his mind." Tavian, what just happened? The miasma surges just got worse." Tavian hesitated.

"We'd be spreading ourselves too thin," Tavian said.

"Come on, Tavian," Braun urged.

"This is a chance to disrupt his plans. Maybe even figure out what he's doing!" Tavian selected the tile. All it would take was one thought, and it would be claimed.

"That might be what he wants us to do," Tavian protested.

"What if he's just trying to make the miasma surge and overwhelm our tiles?" Tavian ached to pursue his enemy underground. But he needed something else. A move that would put Anarvia on his back foot. Cormath stood nearby, watching curiously. When he did not offer his opinion, Tavian asked him.

"What would you do?" Tavian asked. Cormath raised an eyebrow.

"Your brother advises you to pursue the enemy. He's got the tactical training, not me."

"If you were I, what would you do?"

"The victor in any fight is the man who…" Cormath said, gesturing for Tavian to complete the platitude.

"Knows his enemy," Tavian said, looking to Cormath for a real answer. Cormath merely shrugged. Tavian considered his options. So far as he knew, only Jarden might be able to shed light on Lord Anarvia's motives.

"We're losing the window of opportunity, Tavian," Braun warned.

"Are you ever going to listen to anything I suggest?"

"I'm sorry, Braun," Tavian said.

"I'm doing my best."

"You didn't let me lead a raiding party. You went yourself down into the dungeon. And now you're brushing me aside when we have a chance—""I said sorry, Braun. Now's not the time for this!" Braun scowled. Tavian dismissed the system interface.

"We have to get ahead of him somehow," he said.

"If we just keep reacting to his movements, we'll always be one step behind. Come on, let's get all this stuff out of the hall and to the Core!" Soldiers began dragging the precious artworks through the hall and into the courtyard. Calli and Vanal began diligently [Extracting] Essence, but Tavian could not sit around and watch his Core Essence increase. Braun followed Tavian in a huff.

"Well, what's your genius plan?" Tavian pointed at Jarden.

"He must know more than he's telling us," he said.

"And if not, then it's time we executed him for his treachery." They crossed to where the former vault master lay on the ground, bound to a stake.

"Jarden," Tavian growled, whipping his sword out and pressing it to Jarden's throat. The man's eyes widened, and he wriggled against his restraints, trying to lean away from the sharp edge of the blade.

"There's something you're not telling me."

"I swear, my lord," Jarden rasped, his throat dry.

"I have withheld nothing." A trickle of sweat dripped down Jarden's face, rolling off his chin onto Tavian's sword.

"Then Lord Anarvia knows something that you do not," Tavian said.

"Could he have interrogated your daughter?" A flash of emotion crossed Jarden's face at the mention of his daughter.

"Why not help me?" Tavian said.

"We will stop Anarvia. We will free your daughter." Jarden scoffed.

"My lord, Anarvia will kill her if he does not get what he wants. She will be dead as soon as I am no longer of use to him. I am just doing what I can to protect her life. If I live to see her again, praise be to Ishtoran."

"What does Anarvia want?" Tavian snapped. Jarden clammed up.

"How can you trust a man like Lord Anarvia?" Tavian asked.

"What has he done?" Jarden countered.

"I felt the ground rumbling."

"Lord Anarvia has just marched a half banner of men down into the vault. He blew up the stairwells, sealing them," Tavian said.

"There is something down there that Anarvia wants, and I want to know what it is!" Jarden paled.

"I cannot tell. My daughter's life is at stake." Tavian pushed the blade against Jarden's throat, a thin line of blood beading out on the metal.

"Your life is at stake." Jarden gurgled, his eyes rolling madly.

"Would you trade your life for your sister?" he gasped. Tavian relented slightly. Jarden made a good point. Tavian had no way to get any more useful information from the man. He gave him one last chance.

"If you want to see your daughter again, you'd better start answering my questions." Jarden choked out a word.

"What?" Tavian released the pressure slightly.

"Please don't kill me, my daughter—""I'm tired of hearing your whining," Tavian growled. He rubbed his forehead.

"This is a foolish exercise. You might know something important, but I can't trust anything you say. I should have executed you before." He brought his sword back, preparing to strike the killing blow.

"Tavian," Lea said, materializing beside Jarden.

"There might be a way that you can trust him. It's called a Binding Oath."