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Fall, 1335
“The remnants of the NeoTassurian forces are retreating. My scouts say the last of those rebels are preparing to board ships at Nuwati. The prisoners say that they will flee the island and regroup in Samarra.” Colonel Stahel saluted, handing over the message to his commander in the former Royal Throne Room of Castle Karrensa.
Lord Regis Trobliand quickly scanned the parchment and nodded. “Good. We can hunt down Thorkell’s forces as they run. Perhaps inflict enough damage to cripple that upstart.”
The Normad turned to Logan, warming himself by the fire and resignedly listening in on the proceedings. “Pursue with Mera. I’ll assign Marulaz's horsemen to support you.”
Logan was clearly not happy, but he slowly got up. “And if I don’t obey this order?”
“You will, because this is the last fight for Eroland. You want to end this war? This is your chance. Go.”
***
Nuwati was a small fishing village sheltered in a small rocky cove on the Mercian Strait some fifty miles from Salt Bluff. A dozen nava ships gently bobbled in the currents as the Tragsu infantry slowly boarded and carried their cargo aboard. Captain Roh leaned against the taffrailing of the quarterdeck, casually chewing khat while he watched the embarkation.
The captain had brought five hundred troops, a quarter of Thorkell’s army, to support the Erolanders. On the island, another 300 had joined his forces. Now Rohs was taking the 160 survivors back to Tassure. Along with another 100 Erolander refugees, all that was left of the organized defenders of the island. They could do no more to help the embattled island, and the forces were needed back at NeoTassure.
Presenting a calm collected facade, the commander inwardly sighed. He had given the campaign his best shot, but had still come up short. The Plague-Giver was just too powerful, especially with his allies the Dragonrider and Gremenal’s Bane. A dangerously powerful beast and intelligent, as Roh learned when they first met at the burning battlefield of Mier’s Forest. The captain idly wondered if the dragon remembered him among the battered and bloodied survivors of the human ambush, then decided that it wasn’t worth considering: the great wyrms had their own affairs, and meddling with them was perilous, as his people learned to their great cost in the previous conflict.
Suddenly a scout came riding into the village at full gallop, yelling at the assembled army. Captain Rohs immediately got up and pulled out his ear trumpet. This was something important.
The message confirmed his worst fears.
‘Gremenal’s Bane is coming!’
Rohs immediately swung into action, using the trumpet to call out to the entire fleet.
‘Cast off immediately! Get as many people on board as fast as possible. Have them abandon all equipment and supplies if necessary, but we leave now!’
***
Logan rode atop Mera rushing down the steep rocky slopes of coastal bluffs with the rest of the galloping Normad cavalry. The plan was for him and the dragon to descend upon the fishing piers to the South and target the moored ships while the horsemen charged directly into the village itself. This would probably be the last battle, and Logan kept Mera from the sky as he wanted to make sure that their attack was well coordinated with Marulaz's forces and keep the Tassurians from slipping from his grasp again.
Logan wondered if he was actually just trying to avoid another bloody confrontation, then pushed that thought to the back of his mind.
As the attacking forces descended, the dragon and Forester peeled off towards the piers.
Gradually the grassy fields got more and more windswept, before disappearing before the cavernous void of sky that got closer and closer. Then Mera suddenly screeched to a halt, and they were upon the cliff face. Before them was the piers, the water, the village of Nuwati to the right- and the billowing sails of a dozen wooden Navas steadily blowing towards the mainland.
They were too late.
Logan watched as the last of the NeoTassurian ships cast off their lines and began sailing across the Mercian Strait to retreat to Samarra. De Trobliand’s Normads were pursuing on horseback, but they would not be able to reach the fleet in time to fight. Only Logan, and Mera. The Forester could have pursued atop the dragon, burn the small fleet to a crisp and be done with it. But he didn’t. Mera looked at his companion quizzically, but then shrugged when the Logan didn’t have the wyrm commence with an attack, instead jumping down from Mera’s back himself, turning away from the scene and pulling off his helm.
The dragon knew his friend was done. And he was a friend enough to not ask questions or disagree.
Logan looked at his battle-worn helm, stained with blood and mud of Eroland. All this bloodshed for a ghost fleet, the Forester thought, and when finally found a tiny one, he was willing to it slip from his fingers. Besides Mera, Logan instead just watched as the Tassurian ships began receding into the horizon.
Aboard the Borrego, Captain Rohs observed the Dragonrider atop the cliff with Gremenal’s Bane, watching his ships sail away unmolested. No pursuit. The captain was glad. An unexpected act of chivalry, but one greatly appreciated. Perhaps there is still honor in this world. As the figures quickly become specks, he saluted them in respect.
‘May we all meet again, in a better place than this.’
Jimmy Webb - Galveston
Courtesty of
TheDinosaurMann!
Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46007861/
“The remnants of the NeoTassurian forces are retreating. My scouts say the last of those rebels are preparing to board ships at Nuwati. The prisoners say that they will flee the island and regroup in Samarra.” Colonel Stahel saluted, handing over the message to his commander in the former Royal Throne Room of Castle Karrensa.
Lord Regis Trobliand quickly scanned the parchment and nodded. “Good. We can hunt down Thorkell’s forces as they run. Perhaps inflict enough damage to cripple that upstart.”
The Normad turned to Logan, warming himself by the fire and resignedly listening in on the proceedings. “Pursue with Mera. I’ll assign Marulaz's horsemen to support you.”
Logan was clearly not happy, but he slowly got up. “And if I don’t obey this order?”
“You will, because this is the last fight for Eroland. You want to end this war? This is your chance. Go.”
***
Nuwati was a small fishing village sheltered in a small rocky cove on the Mercian Strait some fifty miles from Salt Bluff. A dozen nava ships gently bobbled in the currents as the Tragsu infantry slowly boarded and carried their cargo aboard. Captain Roh leaned against the taffrailing of the quarterdeck, casually chewing khat while he watched the embarkation.
The captain had brought five hundred troops, a quarter of Thorkell’s army, to support the Erolanders. On the island, another 300 had joined his forces. Now Rohs was taking the 160 survivors back to Tassure. Along with another 100 Erolander refugees, all that was left of the organized defenders of the island. They could do no more to help the embattled island, and the forces were needed back at NeoTassure.
Presenting a calm collected facade, the commander inwardly sighed. He had given the campaign his best shot, but had still come up short. The Plague-Giver was just too powerful, especially with his allies the Dragonrider and Gremenal’s Bane. A dangerously powerful beast and intelligent, as Roh learned when they first met at the burning battlefield of Mier’s Forest. The captain idly wondered if the dragon remembered him among the battered and bloodied survivors of the human ambush, then decided that it wasn’t worth considering: the great wyrms had their own affairs, and meddling with them was perilous, as his people learned to their great cost in the previous conflict.
Suddenly a scout came riding into the village at full gallop, yelling at the assembled army. Captain Rohs immediately got up and pulled out his ear trumpet. This was something important.
The message confirmed his worst fears.
‘Gremenal’s Bane is coming!’
Rohs immediately swung into action, using the trumpet to call out to the entire fleet.
‘Cast off immediately! Get as many people on board as fast as possible. Have them abandon all equipment and supplies if necessary, but we leave now!’
***
Logan rode atop Mera rushing down the steep rocky slopes of coastal bluffs with the rest of the galloping Normad cavalry. The plan was for him and the dragon to descend upon the fishing piers to the South and target the moored ships while the horsemen charged directly into the village itself. This would probably be the last battle, and Logan kept Mera from the sky as he wanted to make sure that their attack was well coordinated with Marulaz's forces and keep the Tassurians from slipping from his grasp again.
Logan wondered if he was actually just trying to avoid another bloody confrontation, then pushed that thought to the back of his mind.
As the attacking forces descended, the dragon and Forester peeled off towards the piers.
Gradually the grassy fields got more and more windswept, before disappearing before the cavernous void of sky that got closer and closer. Then Mera suddenly screeched to a halt, and they were upon the cliff face. Before them was the piers, the water, the village of Nuwati to the right- and the billowing sails of a dozen wooden Navas steadily blowing towards the mainland.
They were too late.
Logan watched as the last of the NeoTassurian ships cast off their lines and began sailing across the Mercian Strait to retreat to Samarra. De Trobliand’s Normads were pursuing on horseback, but they would not be able to reach the fleet in time to fight. Only Logan, and Mera. The Forester could have pursued atop the dragon, burn the small fleet to a crisp and be done with it. But he didn’t. Mera looked at his companion quizzically, but then shrugged when the Logan didn’t have the wyrm commence with an attack, instead jumping down from Mera’s back himself, turning away from the scene and pulling off his helm.
The dragon knew his friend was done. And he was a friend enough to not ask questions or disagree.
Logan looked at his battle-worn helm, stained with blood and mud of Eroland. All this bloodshed for a ghost fleet, the Forester thought, and when finally found a tiny one, he was willing to it slip from his fingers. Besides Mera, Logan instead just watched as the Tassurian ships began receding into the horizon.
Aboard the Borrego, Captain Rohs observed the Dragonrider atop the cliff with Gremenal’s Bane, watching his ships sail away unmolested. No pursuit. The captain was glad. An unexpected act of chivalry, but one greatly appreciated. Perhaps there is still honor in this world. As the figures quickly become specks, he saluted them in respect.
‘May we all meet again, in a better place than this.’
Jimmy Webb - Galveston
Courtesty of
TheDinosaurMann! Original: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/46007861/
Category Artwork (Digital) / Fantasy
Species Human
Size 1182 x 1280px
File Size 328.4 kB
Thanks! Yah this is near the final climax of Logan's relationship with the Trasgu and I'm sad that I'm seeing blatant parallels in the real world with this storyline. Mera displays an alternative compensation method: compartmentalization and extreme apathy .
Chivalry does exist in this world, and is loosely based upon the real world code of conduct for the knightly/equestrian class, both in Europe and in Asia. And like historically, it is a largely romanticized but not closely followed as well. The rules of chivalry in this story are seeking glory and honor in fighting against opponents of the same or higher class, following duty, extending mercy, and protecting those of lower classes, but I think in almost every depicition I have of knights they only try for glory fighting against opponents, which makes them kind of stupid. However other parts of chivalry are depicted by others (usually not knights), mercy, duty, determination (facing overwhelming odds), sharing risks and recovering fallen comrades, loyalty, and so on.
There is also a character that I haven't quite fully depicted here that is the embodiment of chivalry in my story and has an arc related to it. Expect more from him.
Thanks!
There is also a character that I haven't quite fully depicted here that is the embodiment of chivalry in my story and has an arc related to it. Expect more from him.
Thanks!
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