Oakhaven.
The city belonged to the Principality of Vhaldara and was one of the most important centers of the East, responsible for connecting the great desert routes to the internal markets of the Principalities.
Its strategic position made it the main outpost for caravans crossing the dunes carrying grains, minerals, and other products that sustained regional trade.
Because of this, the internal cities of Vhaldara depended on Oakhaven to keep warehouses supplied, stabilize prices, and ensure that small fortresses received supplies consistently.
Caravans arrived and departed at all times, merchants fought for every patch of shade in the inner streets, and travelers used Oakhaven as a safe point before advancing into the desert or returning from it.
Without Oakhaven, Vhaldara practically did not breathe.
But now, none of that remained.
Under the dominion of the Solis Empire, the city resembled a carcass of what it once was.
Old markets were closed, their doors sealed with dark boards that now showed signs of accumulated dust.
Streets that once overflowed with life were now clogged with dry mud and marks of destruction and abandonment. Broken shops displayed shattered windows and empty shelves visible through the cracks, creating a chaotic scene.
Even the flow of people had decreased.
Few inhabitants could be seen walking through the streets. And when seen, it was always with hurried and silent steps.
At this moment, in the center of the city.
Occupying what had been the luxurious mansion of the former governor, some advanced command figures of the Solis Empire were stationed at the location.
"Lucius is still the same?"
One of the figures present in the room asked.
He kept his arms crossed over the chest plate of his golden armor, whose engravings represented the rising sun. His crimson and gold epaulettes indicated decades of border service, and his face, marked by a scar cutting through the left eyebrow, was a cold and emotionless mask.
"Worse, Archcommander Hektor, sir. The field medics tried using restoration spells, but his mind is like a broken glass."
The second man who spoke was younger and wore black plate armor with silver details. He adjusted the sword belt with mechanical movements, his eyes fixed on a report on top of the massive wooden table.
"He is the only one from a vanguard of two hundred men under General Valerius's command. Only Lucius crawled back to our communication lines." The young man let out a heavy sigh.
Hektor uncrossed his arms and rested his heavy hands on the table, leaning over the map.
"Two hundred men do not disappear into thin air, General Cassian. Not against the ragged forces of the Principalities. If they had been ambushed by an army, we would have seen movement, smoke, signs of large-scale magic. What does Lucius say, exactly?"
"He raves, sir." Cassian replied with a complicated expression, his voice lowering as if he feared the walls were listening.
For a few seconds he remained silent, looking around unconsciously before continuing. "Lucius keeps repeating something about a 'monster of flesh'. Something he describes as a mountain of muscle that felt no pain and ignored magical attacks. He also mentions seeing a figure in 'crimson armor' that did not seem human and a monster in the sky."
BANG!
Hektor slammed his closed fist on the table, making the inkwells and the wooden pieces representing the legions jump. The sound echoed through the hall like a cannon shot.
"Necromancy." He growled, teeth clenched. "Those cowards from Vhaldara would not have the strength for something like this. They barely maintain their defenses without begging for help, and now they resort to foul methods."
Cassian nodded, his expression grim.
Necromancy...
If Vhaldara was truly resorting to that, it meant the fall of Oakhaven had pushed them into desperation.
The Solis Empire had taken the principality's most valuable city and strangled its economy at the same time. Vhaldara would not allow that to continue.
They would try to recover Oakhaven sooner or later!
"If someone is raising servants of flesh, then we are facing a high rank necromancer. The disappearance of the vanguard was not a random encounter with monsters. General Valerius's mission failed."
Hektor looked at the empty point on the map where the vanguard had last been seen.
"We do not know his current whereabouts. If General Valerius was captured or killed, our right wing is completely exposed..." Cassian hesitated for a few seconds, but still spoke, pointing out the main problem.
Hektor straightened his body and pushed the chair back with his foot, sliding it away without even looking. His right hand passed over the chest plate of the golden armor, his gaze narrowing at the map.
"Reinforce the patrols. No one leaves or enters Oakhaven without being searched. I want elite scouts. Our best dispatched immediately to the impact zone. If there is a piece of that crimson armor or a trace of that flesh monster, I want it on my desk. If the Principalities are using necromancy, we will respond with the purifying fire of Solis."
"Yes, sir." Cassian nodded, but did not move. He remained silent for a moment, as if gathering courage to touch on the subject.
Finally, he spoke.
"And what about Lucius, sir?"
Hektor looked toward the door, his expression even colder.
"Keep him isolated. He performed his last service to the Empire by surviving; now let silence take him."
'Isolated?'
Cassian did not respond immediately.
For an instant, he only took a deep breath, feeling the cold air of the room scratch his throat. The choice of words was enough to chill the back of his neck.
Cassian raised his eyes to Hektor.
Who was this man?
The man before him was not just a high-ranking figure, not just a decorative presence brought to oversee the occupation.
He was the Archcommander of the Eastern Front, directly responsible for the fall of Oakhaven and for keeping the entire region under the iron fist of the Solis Empire.
That's what he was...