IDWTBTHQ Chapter 117 - Is this Loss

The battle was lost.

Blueskin was running for his life, forcing his broken and battered body to move despite the pain this caused him. That was even harder on him as he had all but forgotten the feeling of not being well, since his regeneration usually took care of whatever injury he took in a matter of seconds. However now he had hit his limits, which wasn’t all that surprising considering that he had put himself back together like some sort of bloody jigsaw puzzle. He simply didn’t have enough energy to heal himself completely now, and as a result he was limping and his whole body ached terribly, while he himself was feeling dizzy from fatigue and hunger.

That said, things weren’t going that bad. After all, he was still alive, something he wouldn’t have thought possible just a couple of minutes before, when he was being torn to pieces under the claws of the Vex. But luckily, all of a sudden, the bugs had stopped moving entirely, allowing him to heal his ravaged body enough to get back on his feet. When he had gotten up, he had looked around and saw that the whole Vex army had stopped moving, standing still like statues.

After an initial moment of confusion and unbelievable relief, he had thought that maybe Tiny had completed her mission and killed the Vex Queen, thus neutralizing the whole swarm. However, after giving the creatures a better look, he realized that they  didn't actually look lifeless at all, but rather they gave the impression of waiting for something. And at the same time, the powerful aura coming from north, which Blue assumed belonged to the Queen, hadn't disappeared either, though it seemed like it was being focused somewhere else. After thinking about it for a moment, he came to the conclusion that the Vex Queen was probably still alive, but she was distracted —probably busy fending off Tiny and the other ogres— and couldn't command her minions for the moment. That meant that the Vex could start moving again at any moment, so the oni decided that the smartest thing to do was to get the hell out of there immediately.

So there he was, running towards Treval to rejoin the garrison he left there. He planned to grab something to eat to restore his energies there —hopefully some captive humans, but a couple of his soldiers would do in a pinch— and then retreat, since at this point the battle seemed unsalvageable.

It was then that he heard a familiar chittering sound coming from behind him. He slowly turned around and, to his horror, he saw that the Vex had started moving again, with what seemed to be the entire army chasing after him.

“Shit!” The oni cursed as panic rose in his chest. He then started to run faster, forcing himself to ignore his pain and fatigue and ran as fast as he could.

Sadly, despite his efforts, his body was still too battered to allow him to run at full pace, and he lacked the energy to shapeshift into a faster form. Still, at the pace he was going, he hoped he would reach the city before the Vex could reach him. But after a few seconds this plan proved to be unfeasible as well, as he noticed a group of Vex coming from the left that were moving to intercept him, cutting him off from the city. And since fighting his way through them was not an option, as he was far too weak and tired at the moment, that meant that he was just about out of options.

It was then, when panic started to assail him for the second time that day, that he spotted a potential way to escape. To his right, only a few hundred meters away, there was the river Renn. If the Vex weren’t good swimmers, then he could maybe lose them by diving into the waters.

It was truly a desperate plan, since for all he knew the Vex could actually be amphibians, but it was the only hope he had left now, so he kept running despite his legs burning up with pain.

As it turned out, he made the right choice.

He reached the shores of the river just a handful of seconds before the Vex could reach him and he dove straight in, while the bugs that followed him proved to be surprisingly clumsy in the water, sinking as if they were made of rock. This allowed Blue to gain some distance, but even then the Vex kept chasing him from the shores while the flying ones followed him from above.

Needing to lose his pursuers, Blueskin used the very last of his energies to modify and expand his lungs, took a deep breath and dove underwater, hiding below the surface and letting the strong current carry him.

About half an hour later, he cautiously re-emerged from the water inside of a cane thicket near the river shore, looking around for any trace of the Vex. Seeing nothing around, he slowly started crawling out of the muddy water.

He was feeling a little better, having rested and even eaten a few fishes while he was in the river, and though he was still very weak he felt restored enough to walk. He had to be very careful though, as even now he was not confident that he could hold his own in a fight, so he needed to be as stealthy as possible in order not to be found.

He decided to imitate Tiny’s technique, changing his skin color to blend in with the environment and sneaking from cover to cover.

Thinking about the ogress made him feel bitter though. That damn incompetent obviously hadn’t been able to complete her mission and kill the goddamned Vex Queen! If she had survived —something which didn’t seem that likely— then Blueskin would make sure she would pay with her life for her failure!

As he kept sneaking and the fear and panic he had felt died down, his anger and frustration kept rising, to the point that he was positively seething. It was all his subordinates’ fault that the battle had been lost, he thought. If only they had properly followed his orders, then taking Treval should have been a cakewalk, but they had been bogged down by their lack of discipline and cowardice.

Blueskin silently swore that the next army he was going to raise would be much more competent, and this time no one would be able to stop him!

For now, however, despite all of his vengeful plans, all he could do was to retreat back to the Caligare Forest. That said, he needed to make a stop in a certain place, in order to properly punish the one most responsible for this failure, and the thought of the sweet, sweet retribution that he was going to inflict on his chosen scapegoat was enough to make him smirk despite everything.

The battle was won.

The last pocket of orc resistance inside of the city had been overwhelmed and now Treval's defenders finally walked out of the citadel to meet their allies and celebrate the victory.

However there was an island of discontent in the midst of that sea of cheers. Unsurprisingly, it was centered around Marcus himself.

The Vex Queen had just reached the city's outskirts on top of his Dreadnought, having decided to join the main army for his own safety due to the oni being still at large. Sadly for everyone else around him, he was surrounded by a bubble of frustration several dozen meters in diameter that soured the mood of everyone caught inside of it. It was so bad that even Klara and Felix seemed a bit uncomfortable despite being used to their friend's overwhelming mental presence.

“C'mon Marcus!” The apprentice sorcerer tried to cheer him up. “Don't be so sour. It's not your fault if the oni got away. I mean, you were fighting for your life back then!”

“He's right.” Klara concurred. “You shouldn't be so hard on yourself.”

“I know, I know.” The Vex Queen replied. “But I just can't help it. I was so close to finally bringing this entire war to a close and I let it slip away!” His face grew darker. “Also, I spent way too much time inside of the ogress mind, trying to find a way to spare her. If only I had killed her immediately, I could have caught the oni before it got away! And that's entirely my fault.”

“Maybe.” Klara concurred. “But if you thought it was important, then maybe you were right to do what you did. Besides, there is no point crying over spilled milk. It’s not like seething over this matter will help you catch the oni.”

“I know.” Marcus replied. “But I can’t help it. I’m very angry with myself right now.”

“Don’t be.” The girl insisted. “You may have been too merciful, but I’d rather have you this way than the contrary. Also, you saved countless lives in this battle. Without your help, many more people would have died, so I don’t think anyone will complain too much. Hell, if anything they should just thank you for all you have done!”

“I think they’re going to do just that.” Felix chimed in, pointing at the gates of Treval, where a small crowd was waiting for them. “They are waiting for us, and they seem in a good enough mood.”

All the commanders of the Medelanian army were there, but Marcus already knew that since his copy-drone was also accompanying them. He had also already informed them of what had happened, and just like Klara had told him no one seemed too angry about his failure.

Feeling a bit more confident and not wanting to make them uncomfortable with his brooding, the Vex Queen tried to calm down using the self-control techniques that Hoggs had taught him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and focused only on the present moment, and after a few seconds he managed to bury most of his frustration in a corner of his consciousness, where it wouldn't be broadcasted all around him. Still, when he climbed down from the Dreadnought, his sheer aura was enough to make those who had never met him before, including lord Grimdale, flinch in surprise.

“Really ought to do something about this.” He thought. “I really miss being able to walk through the streets without sticking out like a sore thumb.”

“So... is this creature the so-called Queen of the Vex?” The Duke whispered softly, though Marcus was still able to overhear him through the ears of his nearby clone.

“Why yes, lord Grimdale, that person is Sir Marcus, an ally of Medelan and a friend.” Marquis Eisen, who had also overheard that question, replied in a rather stiff tone.

“Well, how could I know?” Grimdale protested in an equally unfriendly tone. “Given how diverse-looking these Vex are, I couldn't be sure it was her or just another one of her minions, like the one behind us.”

“Fair enough, milord.” The marquis grudgingly conceded.

“Indeed.” The middle-aged man replied. “Not everyone has your experience in dealing with so many different species.”

The phrase seemed innocent enough but the way it was delivered made it sound like an insult, though Marcus didn't know how to interpret it as such and decided to ignore this exchange entirely for convenience’s sake. Anyway, after hearing this conversation he didn't need to be a psychic to know that there was no love lost between the two nobles. That didn't really come as a surprise though, since he had been told that the two belonged to two different political parties.

“Sigh... really, the more things change, the more they stay the same.” He thought while approaching the group. “Politics always cause trouble.”

“Greetings, sir Marcus!” Yasen saluted him. The knight was visibly tired and a bit ragged, but he was as cheerful and energetic as always. “It is a pleasure to see you again!”

“Hi there, sir Yasen.” The Vex Queen replied with a smile as he got closer. “It is nice to see you too. I hope you're alright.”

“I am.” The Aura Master confirmed. “Just a little bit tired, but a good night of sleep shall fix that!” He paused, seemingly remembering something, and then gestured towards lord Grimdale. “Oh, and now that you’re here with us in persona, let me introduce to the lord of this city, Duke Heddart Grimdale.”

The nobleman came forward and made a slight but seemingly respectful bow towards him.

“Welcome to Treval, sir Marcus.” The nobleman greeted him. “It is an honor to… actually meet you.” His gaze quickly turned to the copy-drone before returning to the Vex Queen. “You have my deepest gratitude for the help you provided to me and my city.”

Though these words were polite, Marcus couldn't feel even the slightest hint of gratitude coming from him. In fact, all he sensed was that the man was quite nervous for some reason. The Vex Queen decided to pin that down to his own aura making him uncomfortable and ignored this matter as well.

“You're welcome.” He replied with a nod. “But I just did what any good neighbor should. I mean, I couldn't just leave you and your people to die at the hands of the orcs.” He smiled. “That would have been terribly rude, I fear.”

Felix and a few others let out a light chuckle, but lord Grimdale didn't seem amused. He did laugh but clearly out of courtesy and it sounded terribly forced and rather awkward.

“Quite so.” The nobleman said, struggling to hide his nervousness. “Anyway, that doesn't change the fact that you have been of great help to the duchy of Grimdale, and I hope you are willing to accept my thanks.”

“No problem.” Marcus shrugged. “Feel free to thank me all you want.”

A rather awkward silence followed as Lord Grimdale seemed unsure how to respond to the Vex Queen's attempt to initiate an informal and lighthearted conversation. Luckily for him, after a few seconds he was bailed out by Alya, who chimed in with her usual disregard for formalities. But unfortunately for Marcus, the argument she chose was a sore point.

“So, anyway, did you find the oni?” She asked. “This battle was far too easy for my tastes, and I want some more training before getting home. Otherwise, this whole trek would have been a huge waste of my time.”

“Ehr... I still have my Flyers search the area, but so far they haven't found it.” The Vex Queen replied, struggling to contain his uneasiness about that topic. “At this point I fear it may have gone beyond the range of my drones.”

“Well, that's too bad.” The wolfwoman sighed. “I had hoped to find a worthwhile challenge here in Medelan, but it seems I wasted my time. This battle was utterly boring.”

In response to this comment, Trakk chuckled with satisfaction.

“Why thank you for the compliment, lady Alya.” The goblin said.

“It wasn't really a compliment though.” Alya replied, turned to look at the humanoid with a puzzled look on her face.

“I choose to take it as one, albeit involuntary. After all, good strategies make for boring battles.” The General explained. “When things get exciting, it's usually because something didn't go as planned.”

“I guess you're right.” The wolfwoman shrugged. “But in this case, no offense but I'd have preferred if you were a bit more incompetent then.”

“Sorry for being too competent then.” Trakk replied in a rather sarcastic tone. “But anyway, not everything is lost. You could still have your fight against the oni if you want.”

“How?” Alya asked. “We don't know where it is.”

“That's true.”  The goblin nodded. “But I think I can make a good guess about where we can find it.”

That phrase drew everyone's attention, that was for sure. Everyone turned towards Trakk, looking at him with a general mix of puzzlement, hope and confusion.

“What do you mean?” The marquis asked. “You know the route he's going to take to get back to the Caligare Forest?”

“In a way, yes.” The goblin replied. “Or at least I know one probable stop he's going to make on the way there.”

“And where would it be?”

“A small forest about twenty kilometers south-east of here.”

“Wait!” The Duke suddenly said. “That's where my family's hunting reserve is!”

“Oh, that explains the size of the hunting lodge the orcs are occupying then.” The goblin commented. “It makes sense that it's so big if it belongs to you.”

“They are occupying my hunting lodge!?” The nobleman cried in an outraged tone. “How dare they!?!”

“After waging war on you, I don't think that illegal trespassing is of much concern for the orcs.” Eisen said sarcastically. “The real question is what they are doing there.”

“I can answer this question.” Trakk replied. “The lodge is where they are keeping their prisoners. And among those captives there are the Piraca Emperor and the Arachne, both of whom are important assets for the Blue Terror. So there is a high probability that it'll retrieve them before retreating to the Caligare Forest.”

“That makes sense.” Duke Grimdale commented in a  rather dubious tone. “How do you know all this, by the way?”

“It's quite simple. I had one of my scouts follow the orc army for a while.” Trakk explained. “He kept tabs of all of their movements and reported back to me right before the battle.”

“Good. I'll send my drones there immediately then.” Marcus said, eager to fix his mistake and finally finishing off the oni. “I'll rescue the prisoners and ambush the oni once it gets there!”

“You'll do no such thing!” Alya growled threateningly. “The oni is mine! I have called dibs on it since well before the battle and I won't forgive anyone who gets between me and my prey now!”

For a brief moment, the Vex Queen was about to call out the wolfwoman's argument as silly and childish but then his self-preservation instinct sealed his lips before he could talk. Alya was radiating an incredible bloodlust, strong enough that Marcus could feel it down to his bones, and it almost made him tremble. And it wasn't just him, as most people there also looked uneasy and intimidated by the Thulian woman.

The only two that didn't look bothered were the Goblin General, who was as unflappable as always, and Yasen, who probably had the advantage of already knowing Alya's personality.

“Well, we can certainly leave the matter of the oni in lady Vilka's capable hands.” The goblin said as nothing had happened. “That said, I think that we should send a task force with her, to take care of the guards and free the prisoners. In addition to the Vex, I'd say that a few dozens Aura Users should suffice, plus some clerics to take care of the injured.”

“Good idea.” The Captain agreed. “I should also go as well. If the oni tries to escape, I'm the best choice to stop him.” He turned to the wolfwoman and before she could protest he added: “After all, it can grow wings, and last time I checked you can’t fly Alya.”

“Fair enough.” Alya said, though she clearly didn’t like this. “But don’t butt in my fight. Just intervene if it tries to run away.”

“Very well.” Yasen replied with a smile. He then turned towards the others and said: “Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's go hunting gentlemen.”