IDWTBTHQ Chapter 92 - Head Start

“Are you absolutely certain about this, sir Marcus?” Eisen's ethereal head asked.

“Well... yes.” Marcus replied, trying his best to stay serious. Despite the current situation, the sight of the marquis' floating head was just hilarious. “I saw the orcs killing the Broodmothers with my own... ehr... with their eyes, actually. But I saw it nonetheless.”

After he had explained what had happened to Felix and Hoggs, the telemancer had immediately contacted Brettholz, reporting everything to the marquis. About half an hour later, the marquis had called back, asking Hoggs to set things up so that he could talk directly with Marcus, and the telemancer had connected a few strange-looking devices to his twinstone before casting his spell. Then a few seconds later the marquis' head had appeared floating in the air at the center of the living room, and it had started talking to the Vex Queen, while Felix, Klara and Golam observed in silence.

“So all you've seen are the orcs killing your Broodmothers.” Eisen continued. “Is that it? Did you see anything else that may confirm the presence of an army of orcs or the oni?”

“I didn't.” Marcus replied. “But the orcs would have had to go through the rest of the hive to reach the Broodmothers.” He looked the noble straight in the eyes. “And there were hundreds of drones living there, so if the orcs managed to defeat them, they had to be there in great numbers.”

Eisen's floating head let out a tired sigh.

“What you just said makes perfect sense, sir Marcus.” He said. “But sadly, I fear it won't be enough to receive reinforcements from Rennhafen.”

“Why?” The Vex Queen cried. “You said it yourself that it makes perfect sense!”

“For me, or anyone with a shred of common sense, sure.” Eisen replied with a tired voice. “But sadly, common sense isn't all that common, especially amongst the ones who hold the reins of the kingdom.”

“But... why would they stop Yasen and the other knights from helping you?” Marcus asked angrily. “Don't they realize that the orcs are a threat to everyone?”

“I think that they don't believe the orc army to be real.” The marquis explained. “Or at least, they don't want to believe that it's real, which is even worse. And to make everything even more complicated there are politics involved.” He sighed. “I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say that I'm not exactly popular with the rest of the Medelanian nobility, and they usually do everything in their power to make my life more difficult.”

“Why?” The Vex Queen raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I mean, what reason do they have for antagonizing you?”

“Mostly for political reasons.” Eisen replied. “It's rather complicated, but it all boils down to the fact that I answer directly to the king.”

“And why would that be a problem?”

“Because most other nobles are trying their best to limit the authority of the king and bolster their own.” The marquis explained. “Consequently, those who are loyal to the king —like me— are not viewed in a good light.”

“And why does the king allow them to do that?” Marcus asked.

“Because he can't do anything about it. There are laws, and even... no, especially the king has to obey them.” Eisen sighed. “Listen, sir Marcus, maybe this isn't the best time to discuss the kingdom's politics. I'll tell you all I know about it at a later time, possibly in my study while drinking tea together, but right now I think it'd better we focus on the matter of the orc army.”

“Yeah. Sorry.” The Vex Queen nodded. “So... what do we do now?”

“Well, the evidence we have may not be enough to convince the pencil pushers in Rennhafen to do something, but they sure are enough for me.” The nobleman replied, as his expression became more stern. “This means that the goblins told us the truth, and in that case the best thing we can do is gather our forces and stick to the plan we already devised.” He looked at Marcus straight in the eyes and asked. “Are your drones ready for battle?”

“Yes.” The Vex Queen promptly replied. “I have about forty thousands of them ready to fight right now, and I may have a few hundreds more by the end of the week.”

“Good.” The marquis nodded. “I'll contact Trakk later, and tell him to prepare for the arrival of the orc army as well... although I suspect that he may already have done that. That goblin always seems to be two steps ahead of me.” He made a small smile as he said that. “And as for myself, I'll call all the aura masters currently in my service back to Brettholz and I'll keep them here, ready to be deployed as soon as the orcs will make their appearance.”

The nobleman paused for a moment, and then, with a grim voice, he asked another question.

“Speaking of my subordinates... I've also tried to contact the scouts that were deployed at the outpost, but to no avail. And you said that you can't feel any of the drones you left in the Ashwood Hills. Does that include the wyverns that they were riding?”

“Yes.” Marcus said, in an equally serious voice. “If any of my drones were still alive I think I'd be able to feel it. But I can't sense any of them.” He paused for a moment and then added in a marginally more cheerful tone: “But just because my drones are dead it doesn't mean that your men are. Maybe they have managed to escape... or maybe they have been taken prisoners.”

“Thank you for your encouraging words, sir Marcus.” The nobleman nodded somberly. “But sadly I feel far from hopeful myself.” He sighed. “Anyway, I'll try to contact them again, just in case. And I'll have my telemancers do a clairvoyance sweep of the forest on a regular basis from now on.”

“A... clairvoyance sweep, lord Eisen?” Marcus asked. “What is it?”

“It's a sorcery ritual used to watch over far away places.” Eisen replied.

“Wow.” The Vex Queen exclaimed. “That sounds... well, amazing. But if you can do that, why do you...”

“Bother using scouts?” The marquis completed the question for him with a sad smirk. “That's because this magic is not very reliable. It has a limited range, it's impossible to aim it with any sort of accuracy and the information it provides is limited.” He paused and added: “Pretty much the only redeeming feature of that ritual is that for some reason it seems to prefer showing things that are potentially a threat, like a dangerous beast migrating to the north or a goblin raiding party, if they happen to be within its range of course.”

“Uh... if that's so, then why didn't you see the goblins coming?” Marcus asked.

“That's because the goblin shamans were disrupting the magic.” The nobleman said. “Something which is apparently very easy to do. Even something like a particularly violent storm could make any clairvoyance attempt useless. As I said, it's not a particularly reliable surveillance method.”

“Fair enough.” Marcus conceded.

“And now, if you don't have anything else to say, I'm afraid that I’ll have to leave you.” The nobleman said. “I got a lot of work ahead of me and I really need to get to it as soon as possible.”

“Don’t worry milord.” The Vex Queen replied. “I'll call you back if I happen to discover anything else.”

“Very good.” Eisen nodded. “Goodbye then, Sir Marcus. Until next time.”

And after uttering those parting words, the marquis's floating head disappeared and Hoggs let go of the twinstone, dropping on one of the sofas with  a tired sigh.

However, no one talked yet. They all looked at Marcus, but the Vex Queen was lost in his thoughts.

“Well, shit.” He said to himself. “The more things change the more they stay the same it seems. Even in this world politics do nothing but muddy up an otherwise perfectly clear situation. We need reinforcements, and the people who run the army should send us some... but noooooo, because of politics things can't be that simple!” He sighed. “I wish that at least Yasen was free to come here...” He froze for a moment, as the thought of the captain somehow made him feel uncomfortable, and he hastily added: “Only because he'd be of great help of course! I definitely don't want him here for any other reason!”  A tingling sensation somewhere in his nether regions told him that his body disagreed with that statement. “Shut up stupid body! I don't have to listen to you! Your opinion is irrelevant!”

“Ehm... Marcus?” Felix called him, distracting him from his internal struggle. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure thing Felix.” The Vex Queen hastily replied, glad to have something else to focus on. “Ask away!”

“So... what are we going to do now?” The young man asked. “Do we have to make some preparations?”

“Well, I think that we are as prepared as we could possibly be.” The Vex Queen replied. “So all we have to do is wait for the orcs to show up and then go fight them together with the goblins and the Aura Masters.”

“That's... a rather simple plan.” Felix said.

“Eh, it's not like all plans need to be complicated.” Marcus shrugged. “In fact, in my experience the simpler they are the better. There are just too many things that could go wrong in a complex plan.”

“Fair enough.” The apprentice sorcerer conceded. “Still, I don't trust the goblins. So when the time comes I'll accompany you, just in case they’d try something.”

“Well, I appreciate the thought, but I don't think that's really necessary.” Marcus replied. “After all, I'm going to be literally surrounded by an army of drones. And I don’t think that the goblins will try anything anyway… I mean, their own survival is at stake.”

“You never know.” Felix insisted, with his expression turning completely serious. “The Goblin General is cunning. If he wanted you dead he'd make a plan to get around your forces and hit you while you're vulnerable.”

“Well, then I’ll make sure to not be vulnerable. As I said, I’ll be surrounded by my drones, and quite possibly riding one of my Wyverns, so any gargoyle trying to attack me would have to literally fly through a cloud of Flyer drones.”

Undeterred by that argument, Felix looked the Vex Queen straight in the eyes.

“But what if they were to attack you with magic?” He asked.

“The goblin shamans can't use their magic though.” Marcus replied. “You said it yourself. Shamans can't use magic outside of their territory.”

“It's been half a year.” Felix replied. “By now, I'd expect that the goblins will have some new shamans, or that some of the old ones managed to make a pact with the local spirits.”

Those words gave the Vex Queen pause and he turned to Hoggs for confirmation.

“What do you have to say about this, Mr. Hoggs?” He asked. “Can the goblins have new shamans by now?”

“Yes.” The old man nodded. “I doubt they would be as powerful as the ones you encountered in the forest, but it’s a safe bet that the goblins have at least a few shamans capable of using their powers in these territories.” He paused and added: “Of course, whether or not they intend to attack you is another matter. I personally believe that they won't do such a thing, as I can’t see what they could possibly gain from that betrayal, but it never hurts to be careful. And young Felix can indeed protect you from most of the tricks a shaman could come up with.”

“Can he now?” Marcus asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes.” The old telemancer replied with a smile. “He may still be a bit wet around the ears, but his talent is undeniable. As far as battle-casting is concerned he has already surpassed me by a long shot, and he's still got plenty room for improvement.”

“Well, maybe Mr. Hoggs is exaggerating a bit.” Felix said, looking a bit embarrassed. “After all, all I'm good at are fire related spells and very little else.”

“Don't sell yourself short, young Felix.” Hoggs said. “While it's true that you don't have much skill in other areas, your control over fire is top notch. You'd be a match for the best battlecasters of the Legion, and believe me I don't say this lightly.”

Marcus remained silent for a moment, as a smirk slowly formed on his face when he felt the waves of embarrassment radiating from Felix. The sheer innocence of the young man was incredibly endearing, and it made him want to tease him more.

“Well, I'm no expert of magic, but even I have to admit that what you're capable of is impressive!” He said with a mischievous smile, piling in more praises. “Besides, I trust you and if you say that you're going to protect me, then I'm sure I'll be safe!”

Felix grew even more embarrassed to the point of actually blushing, and only then Klara came to his rescue.

“Don't tease Felix too much, please.” She said, though she also sported an amused smile on her face. “He's weak to compliments, after all.”

“No I'm not!” The apprentice sorcerer protested.

“Oh yeah?” The girl replied as her smile got wider. “Then why did you always hide behind me whenever my grandpa praised you?”

“I was a child back then!” Felix cried, his face getting more and more red. “That doesn't count!”

“Pfff. Don't worry Felix.” She replied with a snicker. “I was just pulling your leg. But in any case, both Hoggs and Marcus are right. You have become an amazing caster, and you shouldn't put yourself down.” She turned to the Vex Queen. “And I really think that you should take Felix along with you, Marcus. If there is anyone in Brettholz who can watch your back, that's him. I think he could even take down one of the ogres or maybe even the Oni himself, should they try to attack you.”

“Uhm...” An awkward sounding voice came from the corner of the room, and everyone turned to Golam, who had remained silent so far and looked deeply uncomfortable now that he was speaking “Sorry to bother you all, but... well, are you sure that mister Felix can fight an ogre? I mean, I don't want to doubt his abilities, especially because I don't know him or what he can do... but I know about ogres and onis. And they are very, very strong and hard to put down with magic.” He started staring at his feet while talking. “I... I just wanted to say this because I don't want anything bad to happen to sir Marcus. Or any of you, of course. And... uhm... I just thought that underestimating ogres could be bad...”

His voice became weaker and weaker, until the pale man couldn't talk anymore, suffocated by his sheer social awkwardness. Klara, Felix and Hoggs also seemed a tad confused, and they looked at Marcus to receive some sort of input on how to deal with the taxidermist.

The Hive Queen, however, just smiled in return.

“Thank you for worrying about me, Golam.” He said cheerfully. “But don't worry! I've seen what Felix can do and I've got full confidence in his skills. He could easily blow up this tavern with a single spell if he wanted to.”

The taxidermist took a few moments to process this information —and he also gave a nervous look at Felix, who just smiled in response— and then he nodded.

“Very well.” He said. “If that's so, then Mr Felix could indeed be extremely useful in defeating the orc army, especially due to how the orcs' mind works.”

“What do you mean?” Marcus asked.

“Well, orcs are, by nature, hierarchical creatures.” The pale man explained. “Because of this, it's been observed that it's really difficult to break their morale and make them run away until their leaders... well, lead them.”

“So you're saying that in order to defeat the orcs we have to defeat their leaders?”

“Yes!” Golam nodded. “But that's a problem because the orcs decide their hierarchy based on strength, and their leaders are invariably the strongest orcs and ogres —and in this case onis— around.” He paused and added: “However, there is a weakness in that sort of thinking. It has been observed that nothing demoralizes an orc like watching its leader being overpowered by a single enemy... apparently, the thought that there is something stronger than their leader fighting against them really makes the orcs scared and prone to running away.”

This time it was Marcus that remained silent, to process the implications of what Golam had told him.

“So...” He said after a few seconds. “What you're saying is that if someone manages to defeat an orc leader in a one on one fight, then his subordinates would just run away?”

“Yes.” The taxidermist confirmed. “Orcs are intimidated by demonstrations of strength. Having your sorcerer friend incinerate their leaders would greatly demoralize them.”

“Well, to be fair that would demoralize me as well.” Marcus said. “But sadly, I don’t think that this plan is feasible.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not gonna risk Felix’s life by sending him to fight a bunch of ogres on the frontline!” Marcus replied in his mind. “I wouldn’t be able to look Klara in the eyes if something were to happen to him!”

“Well, because if I’m going to take him with me, it’s because I want him to watch my back.” He instead said out loud. “And he can’t do that while he’s busy fighting on the frontline.”

“That makes sense.” Golam nodded.

“Besides, I’ve literally got thousands of expendable drones to do the fighting for us, so I see no reason to send non-expendable people to risk their lives.” He paused for a moment and asked: “By the way, Golam, would you say that any of my drones would be strong enough to defeat an ogre in a one on one battle?”

“I don't think so.” The taxidermist shook his head. “I mean, maybe the Heavies would be able to match the physical strength of an ogre, but I still think that an ogre would come out on top. And none of your other drones even come close to the Heavies in a fight.”

“What about a new drone type?” The Vex Queen asked. “Do you think that I could make one capable of defeating an ogre with the samples I have?”

“Well...” The pale man mumbled, as his eyes suddenly lit up in excitement. “Maybe. If you can make use of the samples I just brought you, you could create a drone based on an Oxisaurus, something which would be extremely powerful on its own. And with a few tweaks, you could make it even stronger! Thick chitin armor, mantis-like blades, troll's muscle density, and even a Zaru's regeneration! Yes, you can make a drone capable of defeating an ogre!” He paused, and then added: “However, this creature would have to be quite big in order to match an ogre's physical strength, and it'd take a while for it to mature, so I don’t know if it’d be ready before the orcs arrive...”

“Wellll...” Marcus audibly inhaled through his teeths. “I technically know a way to make a drone develop faster than usual. I don't like it though.”

“Really!?!” Golam said. “You never told me about it! How does it work?”

“I'd rather not say.” The Vex Queen replied carefully, as memories of the pain of giving birth to the Broodmothers’ oversized eggs flashed in his head. “Let's just say this method entails… some unpleasantness.”

All the men in the room, oblivious of how Marcus made new drones, just stared at him with mild curiosity. Only Klara, who knew about the egg laying, flinched and gave him a worried look.

“Well, if it's that unpleasant, maybe you can avoid doing it.” She said, “I mean you said it yourself that the drones you already have should be enough to win the battle...”

“Yeah, I said that.” Marcus sighed. “But if I've learned something during my time in the forest, it is that it never pays to be too confident. And having some units that can stand up to ogres in a one on one fight definitely wouldn't hurt.” He turned to Golam. “First off, however, I have to know if I can make use of the Oxisaurus sample. Would you mind giving it to me?”

The taxidermist handed the framed skin to the Vex Queen, who quickly took it out of the glass and then bit it. The scaly skin tasted like old leather —which roughly meant it had no taste at all— and it was hard to chew even for Marcus's prodigious jaw strength. Still, after a while he finally managed to swallow it and then he closed his eyes, waiting for the flow of information to arrive.

He didn't have to wait long.

The mental image of a colossal predator formed in his mind as the DNA of the creature was being analyzed. As Golam had stated, the Oxisaurus was a fearsome predator. It was a colossal, bipedal predator similar, in a way, to a T-Rex, only with a sharp beak and much more slender. It could grow up to five meters in height, but despite its size it was still incredibly fast and agile, mostly thanks to its incredible muscle structure, especially in the legs.

It took only a few seconds for the genetic information of the Oxisaurus to be stored inside of the Vex Queen’s brain, who then opened his eyes and parted his jagged lips into a dangerous, predatory smile.

“Oh yes. I can use this.” He said, and then he turned to Golam. “Now, I still need to discuss what kind of tweaks you were planning to add. So... would you mind spending the night here? We can talk over dinner, and then you can get back to Brettholz in the morning.”

“I'd be happy to!” The taxidermist said, in an excited voice. “Well... at least if it's not too much of a bother...”

“Don't worry.” The Vex Queen reassured him. “We've got rooms to spare, and we have plenty of food as well.”

“Well, in that case I’ll be honored to be your guest!”

“Very good!” Marcus then turned to Klara. “Klara, would you mind preparing dinner for Golam as well?”

“Sure thing.” The girl replied. “I was making stew for tonight. I'll just add a bit more meat and potatoes.”

“Thank you!” The Vex Queen replied. “And now, Golam, would you mind telling me in details about how to make an Oxisaurus stronger?”

Golam proved only too eager to oblige, and the two spent the rest of the day talking to each other.