Levi pulled a chair toward the table and sat down.
Before him lay a map of the surrounding territories, its edges held in place by small metal weights. Roads, borders, and nearby settlements were marked across the parchment, with Ravenholt resting at its center.
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table.
For a moment, he simply studied the map.
Then...
He began to plan.
Levi had asked Count Gaius to summon the Marshals and captains of Ravenholt's various divisions, and even heads of certain jobs along with several nobles residing within the territory.
He wanted them gathered in the castle's council chamber.
There were matters to discuss...
And none of them could afford to be left uninformed.
Levi allowed everyone to take their seats around the table.
The commanders and captains gathered on one side, while the nobles settled into their places nearby. Among them were the heads of Ravenholt's various trades and industries, from blacksmithing and stonemasonry to other crafts essential to the territory's development.
Soon, the council chamber was filled.
Levi remained at the head of the table, the map spread out before him.
Once everyone had settled down...
He raised his gaze.
"Now, let's begin."
He points to Ravenholt
"This is us, if it wasnt obvious enough"
He then points to Westermark on the west, Caerwyn on the east, Bellhaven to the south and Ashford to the north.
"This is all the nearest places where we could ask for help."
"Problem is..."
"We got give or take 3 days or a week."
He places few small metal weights onto several places near Ravenholt, near the forests.
"The grey spots, or corruption, whatever you like to call it, is growing larger by the minute and even now..."
"Those cultist will get us surrounded, sooner or later."
"But we wont go down without a fight."
Levi points to some captains.
"you four, how many soldiers do you lead?"
"Wait. I havent gotten your name, introduce yourself then state how many."
"go on."
The First Captain who is in his mid 30s go up "Edric, Captain Edric, I lead about 400 men, and train them daily."
Levi nods and points at the long haired man with a large scar at the left of his face.
"You?"
"Lucien, Captain Lucien, I lead 300 cavalry, i train them, including mounted archery."
Levi nods intrigued then points at the bald man with a tattoo, and a scarred eye at the right of his face.
"You?"
"Oswin, Captain Oswin, i lead 300 knights, they all can use mana to a certain extent, but unlike yours my Lord."
Levi chuckles then goes and points to the man who looks old and war torn.
"And you?"
"Torsten, that is my name, I lead 240 veterans soldiers."
Levi sits straight and writes 3 letters and one letter straight to his father, asking for backup.
"Take half of the men you lead and send read this letters to them."
One of the captains speak up, Oswin.
"But my Lord? but wont that be too little left for you? What if we're too late?"
soon one by one they all start talking.
Levi raised his hand, and complete silence fell across the room.
"I know, but that is the gambit all we have left, And you'd need them, they might ambush you before the letter's sent, they're trying to trap us afterall."
Count Gaius hands each Captain their letter.
Levi points once more onto the map, remember, he points unto each cities carefully explaining each Captains mission.
"Now, off you go, stay alive my people."
Each captain nods and bows before hurrying to leave.
The door closes, and whats left is Levi and his commander and the nobles and the heads of Ravenholt's trades and industry.
Levi then asked the Marshals.
"You 3, what is your name, I frankly didnt see you two in the war."
the first one, broad shouldered man in his early forties, standing noticeably taller than most of the men.
"Thresh, Thresh Veyr, Marshal of the 1st ward, I lead around 2000 soldiers, 1500 archers, 500 cavalry, and 100 knights, including Oswin, and Torsten's men."
Levi nods and a satisfied look on his face.
the second one stands up, not needing to be pointed out, a man in his late fifties, white hair and a short beard.
"I am Valerius Crowe, The Marshal of the 2nd ward. I lead 3000 soldiers, 1000 archers, 1000 cavalry, and 130 knights. Including edric's and Lucien's men."
Levi nods, a more positive look than earlier.
"Well thats reassuring nonetheless."
Levi looks at the blacksmith.
"in the past year, ever since i gave the blueprint of the weapons, how many have you all made."
The blacksmith stands.
"We were given abundance of iron, so we were able to work nonstop for the past year."
"we made one pair for each soldier."
"All thanks to Master Torgrim."
Levi turned his attention toward the nobles seated around the table.
"I need all of you to help fund the city's preparations. Ensure that we have sufficient resources and that our finances are in order."
He paused, allowing his words to settle.
"We must prepare for the worst. It is the least we can do."
His gaze swept across the room before he spoke again.
"That will be all for now. Everyone may leave, except for Count Gaius and the Marshals."
The nobles exchanged brief glances before rising from their seats. The heads of the various trades and industries followed, quietly making their way out of the chamber.
Soon, the room had emptied, leaving only Levi, Count Gaius, and the Marshals.
Levi cleared his throat.
"Now, i got a plan."
Levi leaned forward, placing both hands on the table.
"Listen closely."
"If possible, I want every soldier under your command equipped with a bow and a supply of arrows."
He paused, glancing around the room.
"Once the first group of archers grows tired, have them rotate with the next. We cannot afford to leave our defenses understaffed."
His expression grew more serious.
"But understand this... We are not dealing with ordinary enemies. No. These creatures can regenerate."
He glanced toward the weapons displayed nearby.
"That's why I had those weapons commissioned. They may not be able to kill these creatures permanently, but they should at least cause enough damage to hinder them and slow their regeneration."
Levi looked back at the commanders.
"We don't need to defeat them all at once. We need to buy ourselves time."
He let out a quiet breath.
"Besides... We don't even have an estimate of how many forces the Black Cathedral possesses."
The Marshals listens closely amazed by the plan.
Thresh hand on his jaw.
"How do you come up with this, my Lord, this is brilliant."
Levi smiled faintly.
"That's not all."
He shifted his gaze toward the Marshals.
"For the soldiers defending the gates and those holding the walls against enemies attempting to climb over them..."
He paused.
"Those stationed at the gates are to hold their positions. Once they grow tired, they are to signal the second line, push the enemies back, and withdraw. The fresh soldiers will then take their place."
"The same applies to those defending the walls. They are to rotate whenever their stamina begins to falter."
Levi leaned back slightly.
"Stamina is important. So is energy... and morale. I don't want exhausted soldiers trying to hold positions they can no longer defend."
His smile faded as he looked at each of them.
"Is that clear?"
The Marshals nodded.
They already understood the principle behind his instructions. Yet there was something about the way Levi had delivered them.
It wasn't a suggestion.
It wasn't advice.
It was an order.
"Now, I want the two of you to go and relay these orders to the soldiers. Every last one of them."
Levi looked toward the Marshals.
"Organize them into groups of fifty, with one person appointed to lead each group. Choose their leaders carefully. Handpick them yourselves."
He paused.
"I don't need someone who relies solely on brute strength leading them. I need someone who can think, assess a situation, and make decisions under pressure."
His gaze remained firm.
"Give me leaders with brains, not just brawn."
The Marshals bow and leave the room.
Count Gaius exclaimed.
"That was a brilliant idea of yours, Lord, even though I tend to curse you out, for a young man, you are smarter than most."
Levi laughs a little.
"I guess so."
"Now help whoever you want to help, also relay my orders to the blacksmiths to make more arrows, and to the Leatherworkers to make more quivers."
count Gaius then hurries outside to relay the orders.
Pyrathera then speaks in his mind.
"A familiar voice suddenly echoed inside Levi's mind.
Pyrathera.
"Interesting... I thought the Black Cathedral would have been gone by now. But those devils certainly have a knack for lingering."
Levi sighed.
'This is a first. You're speaking to me outside my sleep.'
Pyrathera let out a soft laugh.
"I've given the Saintess a sign to help her fellow saint. Who knows? She might even end up like the last one, out of desperation to hel—"
Levi's expression darkened.
He glared at the goddess.
"Don't..."
His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
"There will be no sacrifices. And if there ever has to be one..."
He paused.
"It should be me."
Pyrathera raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by his response.
"How heroic of you."
Her voice carried a hint of mockery.
"Keep that attitude up, then."
---
The four captains rode out of Ravenholt at full speed, their horses' hooves thundering against the stone road.
As they reached the crossroads, they split into separate directions, each taking a different route toward their assigned destination.
There was no time to waste.
They had orders to deliver, and every moment mattered.
---
Torsten then rides towards Ashford.
but they were cut off by The Black Cathedral.
outnumbered 5 to 1.
"RIDE THROUGH THEM MEN, LET NOT BE SLOWED DOWN."
They charge through in a triangle formation.
the soldiers at the side and front swinging their swords and spears.
they manage to pierce through the blockade of the Cathedral's pawns.
Torsten then orders.
"12 of you break of, i want a clean road when we go back with the Backup"
12 soldiers, 6 on the bottom left and 6 on the right.
Breaks of.
The soldiers on the left side slows down then goes to the right.
The soldiers on the right slows down to go to the left.
they charge towards the blockade of people. and starts mercilessly slicing.
The Black Cathedral's continously heal, but unable to fight back due to the speed of the horses.
they are constantly killed, and stepped on by the hooves over and over again, until unable to regenerate.
--
Oswin heads to Westermark.
150 knights riding alongside him.
"No stopping, riding nonstop till we get the message passed."
The same thing happened to them they are ambushed, but they push through with ease.
but something came outside the forest fog.
a human chimera as the size of a troll like a human shaped blob of flesh, like humans fused together.
Oswin thinks to himself.
'is that a human..."
"no, no, you cant call something like that even human, no..."
"an abomination."
Oswin passes the message to the vice captain
"I trust you all to pass this message."
his horse slows down.
"10 of you stay with me, lets hold this Bastard out."
"NOW GO!"
10 of them breaks off.
Oswin and ten of the knights charge, slashing the troll sized abomination legs, the regeneration slowed down by the weapon.
The abomination sweeps his club and Oswin jumped him and his horse evading.
Oswin then charges up the club and swings his large axe.
The Abomination was cut in half, but as it faltered it sticked itself together again and more rampant.
Oswin sighed and muttered.
"This'll be a long long day huh."
"DONT FALTER MEN, IF IT FALLS, IT CAN FALL ONCE AGAIN."
Oswin and the ten knights continuously slash at it till the abomination grew tired.
---
Lucien with his 150 cavalry head to Caerwyn.
"lets go, we dont want to be late, too late, there will be no home to return too."
the Cavalry cheers loudly.
"FOR RAVENHOLT!!!"
Another Blockade near the distance, a spearman formation.
A bunch of spearmen, and a mage in the middle.
Lucien quickly thinking utters.
"SPLIT UP!"
They split up while firing into the formation.
The arrows aimed to the Mage blocked by a barrier.
Lucien steadies his arm and puts mana into his spear and throws.
The spear pierces the barrier killing the mage before it casted a spell it was chanting.
Lucien then uses mana to pull it back, the spear breaks through the spearmens formation breaks.
Something feels different, like theyre not fighting back.
Lucius yells in command.
"STOP FIRING, THEYRE A DECOY YOU'LL WASTE AMMO."
the archers stop firing and goes back into formation with Lucien.
As Lucien expected, it really was a decoy.
Hundreds of two headed wolves, and a single dark red colored cerberus rush out of the fog.
Lucien gritted his teeth.
"I knew it.."
Lucien yells to command his horse archers.
"FIRE, LET THE HORSE LEAD THE WAY, SHOOT THEM."
---
Captain Edric with his 200 soldiers on horses charge toward Bellhaven.
"No stopping, COPY THAT?"
The soldiers answer.
"YES SIR!"
halfway through.
an abomination greets them.
A huge morningstar is about to hit contact.
He blocked it last second using alot of mana.
Edric flies back, 20 of the cavalry behind him is pushed back aswell.
Edric stands up holding tightly onto his Greatsword.
"Damn thi- what in the hell is that."
Looking at the abomination.
The abomination roars, all the small heads all over his body and mouth cries loudly aswell.
"Most of you go."
"Vice captain I'll entrust the order arrives safely."
"30 of you stay with me and hold this Thing back."
he and the 30 soldiers charge like there's no tomorrow.
"LETS ALL MAKE IT BACK SAFE BOYS."