The Warlord Ch. 04

WARLORD Chapter 4

I'm not sure if Peony said anything important, after she led me to the chamber they'd given me in Hyacinth. It was barely distinguishable from the one in Dahlia, and I really didn't care: I was out like a light the moment my head touched the sheet.

I woke up disoriented. One thing was for sure: I'd been asleep for a long time. I had that groggy, dry-mouthed reluctance to get up. Just five more hours, I thought...

Peony wasn't there. How could she be? I woke up in my apartment.

I was wearing my Foreigner t-shirt and my track pants, both of which smelled a bit ripe, and desperately needed a wash. I wanted a shower in the worst way - but that would have to wait.

My phone was dead. I brought it with me, went into my main room, and turned on my computer. Plugged the phone into the charger. Checked the time and date on my computer.

An hour had passed. An hour since I'd woken up, and walked through a Portal to Dahlia. See Chapter One. Damn, that was odd. It wasn't frightening, exactly. Just... strange.

My mailbox had the usual collection of work orders, messages from fellow gamers, spam, and an invitation to participate in the beta-testing for Warlord II.

That couldn't be it. Could it? I searched the title, and read everything available online about Warlord II. Then I checked out Defence of the Realm, to see if there were any recent posts announcing a new version of my now-favourite game.

Work could wait. In my present frame of mind (totally freaked out), I wasn't going to be very productive. I spent an hour or so reading about the games I played, looking for something new. A clue.

My stomach rumbled. Tea and toast, then. No - shower first. I needed a quiet moment to think, while not actively engaged in any activity that required much concentration. Showering was something I could do while half asleep.

I was definitely at home. My bath towels still needed to be washed, and it was time to buy a different shampoo and more toilet paper. Mundane thoughts like these didn't interfere with my train of thought, which was running along some kind of endless loop. Were the Hadyks real? Was it all just me, trapped inside a game? A dream? Too realistic by far, right?

Did I want to go back? I'd had dreams that had ended far too soon, or where I had far too little agency. Ever had those? Can't run fast enough to escape the monsters chasing you, or can't get back to the room where Andrea is, to continue the conversation that showed so much promise.

Tea helped. More pedestrian tasks could be accomplished while I waited for the kettle to boil. I would have liked to be Captain Picard, to be able to access the replicator, and say 'Tea. Orange pekoe. Milk and sugar.' Then 'Toast, medium - buttered.'

My mind still felt foggy. I was thinking about the weak garrison at Jacaranda, and the problem of exterior lines. Was there even the slightest chance that it had been real?

I looked up 'Decapolis'. There were ten Greek cities in Palestine, after the conquest of the area by Pompey the Great in 63 B. C. E. They included Amman (Jordan), then known as Philadelphia, and Damascus (Syria). That didn't help at all, although I chuckled a bit at the thought of a statue of Rocky Balboa in Jordan.

The names of the cities themselves didn't help much more. I looked up the flowers. I'd been right about Amaranth. Bryony was from the gourd family, with climbing tendrils and poisonous berries. Caladium (or 'Elephant Ears') had very thin leaves, with red or pink and green veins or spots. It too was toxic to humans.

Dahlias were lilies, and Eglantine was a sweet but prickly briar rose. Flax actually had flowers (of course it did, if it had seeds). I was surprised to find that they were most often blue. Hyacinth was a bright, tubular perennial - also toxic.

Jacaranda was a tree, with purple blooms, like an upturned umbrella. It grew in Southern California, Florida, Texas and Hawaii. But it was the colour that gave me the link. The ten cities were named after plants, but most had flowers, and a majority were poisonous or toxic.

Jacaranda; purple. Lady Shorr's hair was purple. Malusha had a purple tint to her black hair; her father was a Shorr. Their peons had purple hair and insignia.

The Balabans were red, the Morcars yellow. The Hadyks were blue, like flax. It was a slim connection, but otherwise the creator(s) of the Decapolis (or game designer) had simply chosen ten plant names that matched the first ten letters of the alphabet.

Did the family names make any more sense? A cavalry commander in Hapsburg service named Andreas Hadik briefly captured Berlin in 1757, during the Seven Years War. I found references to the name Hadik identifying it as Serbo-Croatian, meaning 'tame bear', or 'big, clumsy man'.

Shorr was a German name, going back to the 13th century. Balaban was Turkish, or possibly Croatian. Morcar was the first name of the Earl of Northumbria in 1066. His brother Edwin was Earl of Mercia. They were defeated by the Norwegian Harald Hardrada. The Saxon King, Harold Godwineson, came north and defeated and killed Hardrada. Edwin and Morcar, the ungrateful pricks, didn't join their King as he raced back south to confront another invasion, this one by Duke William of Normandy.

Morcar avoided being at Hastings, and submitted to the Normans. He rebelled in 1068, submitted again, was pardoned, and then finally imprisoned.

There was no connection between the four names that I could see. I didn't know the other six original family names, but these four seemed to have nothing in common. If there was a pattern, I was missing it.

I did a deeper dive into game designers and strategy games, older and upcoming. Many of them were historically based, using real geography and historical characters, or at least historic family names. In some cases, they'd done exhaustive research. Whoever had created or designed the Decapolis appeared to have done none.

Was that on purpose? Or had the game designer simply tagged the cities with alphabetical plant names and random family names as a temporary measure? Could this be just a first program, before the history nerds got involved? More historic or more evocative names could wait, right? It was more important, at the early stages, to make sure that the game engine worked properly.

I killed quite a few hours going down these different rabbit holes. By mid-afternoon, I was getting hungry. When I stopped for lunch, I realized that it was already three o'clock. It was a Friday, but I had done nothing even remotely resembling work, despite still being - as far as I knew - gainfully employed.

I wolfed down a sandwich, and then buckled down to get at least a little bit done. My bosses might accept the excuse that I'd been sick, but that wouldn't prevent them from dropping more work on me. I was good at my job, so of course my reward for that was just more work, including the most difficult shit that other people couldn't handle. None of that entitled me to a holiday, or even a bit of a break.

It wasn't as easy as I'd hoped. I was still thinking of Malusha and Deondra, of Lady Rona and Stephanie. If I was still there, Jashi would be in line for a promotion. Was Wantrao going to recover?

I didn't play Defence of the Realm, or Conquest, or Warlord. My mind kept coming back to the strategic situation that the Hadyks were facing. I couldn't help it. I'd met real people, with distinct looks and personalities. I'd fought in... okay, I'd been present for actual battles, involving considerable carnage and loss of life. The peons were people to me, at least. I didn't know any of the soldiers very well, but Peony was real, and very kind.

I was still tired, or maybe just tired again. Going to bed earlier than usual didn't help all that much, because I lay awake for a long time thinking about what I would do in Turn Two if I was in command of strategy again.

***

"I'm sorry, Dan."

I heard that pretty clearly. I also felt a persistent tugging on my sleeve.

- "Forgive me, Lord Daniel, but Lady Rona is calling for you."

- "Peony?"

- "They are waiting for you to begin planning for Turn Two, Lord."

I was back in the sleeping chamber in Hyacinth. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the slightly flushed face of my favourite person in the Decapolis.

So far, I reminded myself - though that did nothing to diminish the pleasure I got from seeing her. It was pleasure, too. I was happy to be back in this game, or world, or whatever it was.

Peony was looking at me oddly, though. It took me a minute to work out why. I'd changed my clothes when I got up the day before. I was wearing another old concert t-shirt: this one was 'Never Mind the Bollocks' by the Sex Pistols. Perhaps not the most appropriate clothing, but I hadn't known that I would be back before the Hadyk Matriarch so soon, if ever. I was also wearing my Toronto Maple Leafs sweat pants, with a blue and white stripe down each leg. At least I had the right colour. Lady Rona might not have appreciated my Detroit Red Wings track pants.

- "It's nice to see you again, Peony." I said without thinking. What a stupid thing to say; as far as she was concerned, she'd said goodnight to me just last night.

She looked mildly confused, but covered it up by asking me a question. "What would you like for breakfast?"

- "Umm... juice? And maybe some toast. Toasted bread? With butter?"

- "Of course."

We left the chamber together. They hadn't changed my guards.

- "Hey, Nosey. Hey Pudge."

To my considerable surprise, Nosey turned her head.

- "Good morning, Warlord." she said

Peony smiled. She didn't even have to say 'Gotcha!'. I could only smile back at Nosey.

Lady Rona was waiting for me in the dining room. She greeted me with an indulgent nod.

- "Good morning, Lord Daniel. Stephanie and Deondra will be back this afternoon. Other family members will arrive by the Portal. I'd like to present at least the outline of a strategy to them. You and I can work on it this morning. I assume that you have some ideas."

- "I do. But I also have some questions. The answers to those questions may influence our plans."

- "What kind of questions?"

- "Well, first of all: what will happen to the Shorr prisoners?"

- "They are honoured guests." said Lady Rona, with a look that suggested otherwise. "I will meet with Lady Shorr, and we may negotiate a marriage or two. Then she will agree to renounce her status as matriarch of a great house."

- "So that she or any of the other Shorrs can't take control of a Touchstone?"

- "Precisely. We could hardly trust them, otherwise. That done, the Shorrs will be free to take service with one of the remaining families, as officers."

- "With the Hadyks?"

- "Probably not. Lady Shorr knows that her chances of regaining a city will be much better with our enemies."

- "Why? If you don't mind me asking."

Lady Rona lifted her chin. "They were out to destroy us, Daniel. I will not grant them a city that my family fought to capture. Lady Shorr might still benefit if our enemies triumph. As it stands now, we have five cities, the Morcars still have three, and the Balabans two. The Balabans would love to gain three of our production centres, which would make them equal to the Morcars - who obviously wouldn't want that. There is a possible scenario where the Morcars could grant one of our cities to the Shorrs, while splitting the remainder with the Balabans."

- "Morcars five, Balabans four, and Shorrs one?"

- "Precisely."

- "And then another war, with the Morcars against the Balabans, and the Shorrs choosing a side."

She nodded. I wasn't all that surprised, but it was mildly disappointing. The Hadyks were about to have more troops and more units than they'd ever handled before. That was going to make it potentially difficult to find enough family members to command armies. Deondra and Malusha were two obvious choices, but I didn't know how deep the rest of the family talent pool was. I was going to have to ask somebody - somebody other than Lady Rona.

Meanwhile, our enemies would be getting an influx of Shorr officers into their armies. Hopefully that wouldn't create too large of an advantage for them.

- "There was something else that Lady Shorr said to me." I said.

- "You mustn't believe everything she said. Lady Shorr is a master manipulator."

Interesting. "Actually, I think she was telling the truth. She said that the Gods had offered a boon to the other families as well. Just as you asked for a Warlord, or a strategist. Lady Shorr chose to conserve her choice for later. But that could mean that the Balabans and the Morcar could be granted a wish, too. What do you think those could be?"

- "I don't know." said Lady Rona. Was that the first time I'd heard her use those words? "They could ask for their own strategist. Or... something else."

- "In that case, I don't think that we can safely assume that they'll use standard builds, or follow predictable strategies. We'll have to expect the unexpected. Be prepared for almost any eventualities."

- "I see. Does that mean that your approach will now be more cautious? More conservative?"

I got the distinct impression that that was exactly what Lady Rona wanted. I had gained two production centres for her, changed the balance of forces dramatically in her family's favour, but she was uncomfortable with my 'unorthodox' methods. So much for the gratitude of Princesses.

Peony brought me juice and toast. Lady Rona sent for an infusion for herself. My breakfast quickly finished, the matriarch led me into the Map Room. She asked me to review the strategic situation for her. I suspected that she wanted to be prepared when her family gathered. That was fine; it was her prerogative, after all.

The Balabans had two field armies at Amaranth, with standard garrisons in their two cities. The Morcars had a field army at Caladium, and another at Goldenrod, with standard garrisons in all of their cities. The Hadyks had a triple-sized field army near Goldenrod, an oversized all-infantry garrison at Dahlia, standard garrisons at Hyacinth and Flax, and skeleton crews holding Jacaranda and Ivy.

- "We have the same number of production centres as they do. We're almost equal in numbers of troops. They lost three field armies, while we gained two. But we took casualties storming the Shorr cities. So there are two obvious differences in our situations."

- "Two?"

- "Yes. The first is that they have four field armies to our three. Ours are concentrated, which could be an advantage. We have quite a sizeable infantry force in Dahlia, but they have an edge in cavalry. Their greatest advantage, though, is that they benefit from interior lines."

- "You will have to explain what you mean by that." she said. I didn't know if she meant now, or later.

I pointed to the map. "Do you see how exposed Goldenrod is? We can threaten it from Hyacinth, Jacaranda, and Ivy. Our triple field army is already nearby, and we could bring three more forces to bear. They can only reinforce it from Caladium and Eglantine. If the Morcars sent everything they have to Goldenrod, we could still have a 6 to 5 advantage."

It took her a moment, but she saw it. Two field armies and three builds for the Morcars; three field armies and three builds for us.

"But now look at Ivy and Dahlia. Both can be threatened by two enemy cities. The Balabans can bring two field armies and a build to Dahlia, and the Morcars could add a field army and a build. The Morcars could also choose to send their field army at Goldenrod and two builds to attack Ivy."

- "But that would be foolish! It would leave Goldenrod completely exposed!"

- "Expect the unexpected, Lady Rona. What if we moved everything to defend Dahlia? They could recapture Ivy. They could try to replicate what we did."

- "We can't defend both Dahlia and Ivy." she said. "They're too far apart."

- "Actually, I think we can. We just have to go about it differently. We'll stuff Dahlia full of even more infantry. Just to be on the safe side, you should attune the cavalry units that were raised there to another Touchstone."

- "You think we could lose the city?"

- "It's unlikely, but anything is possible. I just wouldn't like for us to lose troops the way the Shorrs did." She nodded, so I went on. "I want to establish a mobile cavalry force to screen Ivy. We'll build a larger than average garrison, just in case, but it would be ideal to have scouts who can also harass or even attack an enemy army on the march - especially if it's entirely composed of infantry. So I'd like to try creating hobelars."

- "What are hobelars?"

- "Mounted infantry. In a pinch, they could race to a threatened production centre, and join the garrison. But I was really thinking of mounted archers."

- "There's no such thing."

- "Not yet. But what if we build a light cavalry unit and an archer unit, then put the archers on horseback? Then we convert the cavalry troopers to light infantry."

Lady Rona seemed perplexed. "I... I don't know if that would work. I don't know if it's even allowed."

- "We can try, at least. They wouldn't really be horse archers, of course; that's a very difficult skill to master. But they create flexibility, because they can be used as cavalry or infantry. And that could be a very unpleasant surprise for the enemy."

- "I will consider it." she said. That was good. I was glad that I'd had this chance to broach the idea with her alone, so that she wouldn't be influenced by any of her less imaginative family members scoffing at my idea. She would have time to think about it, first.

- "Thank you."

- "And what do you intend with our main army?" she asked.

- "That depends. We can reinforce it with field armies from here, and from Flax and Jacaranda. We could march to Dahlia, if it's threatened, or even capture Goldenrod, if it's not well defended."

- "So you intend to adopt a 'wait and see' posture." Rona sounded pleased.

- "Only partly. I want us to scout aggressively. The sooner we have an idea where our enemies are, and especially where they're concentrating, the sooner we can decide our own course of action."

Lady Rona kept me at it for another hour, but that was pretty much all I had to say, for now. I did ask for more time to review my figures, which she granted. She let me return to my room. Peony accompanied me, as always, while Nosey and Pudge followed a short distance behind.

- "You put her up to it, didn't you?" I said.

- "Her? It?"

- "You encouraged Nosey to answer if I spoke to her again."

Peony grinned. "I thought it might be amusing for all of us."

I had to grin back. "It was." I waited until we were back inside my chamber to say any more, though. First, I invited Peony to sit by the desk, which was virtually indistinguishable from the one in Dahlia. Then I sat on the bed, a good ten feet away.

"I need answers to a few questions, Peony - questions which I don't want to ask Lady Rona. I think you understand what I mean."

- "Yes, Dan."

- "Okay. I know that Deondra is the best General the family has. Stephanie seems capable. It probably doesn't matter, though, does it? As heir to Lady Rona, does she have to be given a command?"

- "Yes." said Peony. "But she is considered capable, as you say."

- "Fair enough. And I've seen Malusha in action. She's a leader and a fighter. I get the impression that she's about the second best the Hadyks have. Am I wrong?"

- "No, Lor - Dan."

- "So here's my question: are there any other members of the family who have any skill - or even experience - leading troops?"

Peony nodded, ever so slowly. "Lord Detsen commanded a field army in the last war. He was considered to have acquitted himself well."

- "What does that mean? Lucky? Mediocre? Average?"

- "Slightly above average, Lord Daniel." said Peony. She flushed. "But that is only my opinion, based on what I've heard. I have never been anywhere near a battlefield. You should consult someone who understands these matters, and has firsthand experience."

- "I agree. And I will ask someone else. But I value your opinion, too - and it'll help me know who to ask about. Is there anybody else?"

- "Lord Aymort is said to be quite competent."

- "Aymort? Isn't that Deondra's father?" Peony nodded again. "But... isn't he a Balaban?"

- "By birth. He is a Hadyk by marriage, which is far more important. And his wife, daughter and grandchildren are Hadyks."

- "Okay." Matrilinear succession; I got it. The Haudenosaunee (the Six Nations) traced their descent through the female line. The clan mothers could choose the chiefs and sachems (and remove them). Husbands moved into the longhouse of their wife's clan.

"You didn't mention Enver or Moran - Lady Rona's husband and her son." I said.

Peony didn't say a word; she just looked back at me.

"Right. But Rona put them in command of Dahlia. Is that because they don't have to make any decisions? Just defend the city, and go through the Portal if it falls?"

It was a little unnerving how easily Peony could maintain her silence without breaking eye contact. But was that the whole answer?

"I really need to know." I said. "Could you be a little more... forthcoming? Or... what if I guess? Is Lord Enver basically useless?"

- "'Decorative' is the word most often used by members of the family." said Peony. "But you should still ask someone who knows these matters -"

- "Firsthand. Right. And what about Lord Moran? He certainly acts like he has plenty of confidence."

- "Most of it misplaced." she said. Was Peony flushing just a little deeper? As far as I could recall, she hadn't said something like this before. "Lord Moran is eager to try his hand at killing peons, but his family don't expect much from him."

Wow. I made a note to myself to find out why Peony felt so much more strongly about this idiot than any other members of the family.

Then I quizzed her about the half-Hadyks. It turned out that I'd already met some of the best officers among them: Jashi, Wantrao, Armene and Virdyan. But Peony recommended a few more.

- "Inzhay is very capable. And you should ask for Sudha. Everyone speaks of her very highly."

- "Thank you." I said. "That's exactly the kind of advice I was hoping for."

- "I will always strive to help you, Lord. May I offer one more suggestion?"

- "Of course." I was a bit surprised that Peony would take the initiative like this, but I certainly wanted to hear what she had to say.

- "Surround yourself with trustworthy aides. To assist you, but also... to protect you."

- "You mean, like bodyguards? You think I'm in danger, Peony?"

She didn't flinch. "If you aren't already, you soon may be, Dan. The other families will eventually realize who was behind their losses in Turn One, if they haven't already."

- "They could target me, you mean? Assassinate me?"

- "It is far more likely that they would send family members or half-family to seek you out, during a battle. But People have also been killed by their own kin."

I wasn't a Hadyk. But Peony couldn't have been any clearer: danger could come from any side.

- "Can I ask for Nosey and Pudge? Would they look out for me?"

- "They would." she said. "But you must remember that they could not attack any 'People' who came after you; they could only interpose themselves between you and a threat."

And be cut down without being able to retaliate, I thought.

Then I realized something more important: Peony wasn't just being friendly, or helpful. She was on my side. Giving me good advice. Concerned for my welfare.

- "Peony: did one of the Hadyks instruct you to tell me this?"

- "No."

- "Can I ask you something else?"

- "Yes, Dan."

- "Who is Wantrao? What's the story there?"

- "The story?"

I sighed. "Malusha told me that I was given officers for the attack on Jacaranda that no one else wanted. I presumed that she meant Jashi and Wantrao, but was she also including herself? Then I found out that Jashi is her half-sister, and Wantrao is her half-brother, but Jashi said that she isn't related to Wantrao. How does that make any sense? Just what is going on?"

- "It's... complicated, Dan. I believe that every family has some secrets like these. Everyone knows, but no one brings them up - at least, not in public. And if I explain, you mustn't bring them up either."

- "Alright." I could understand that. My parents hadn't spoken to my Uncle Derek for a solid seven years, back when I was a kid. Then the Cold War ended, and they were talking again. The whole family just pretended that nothing had ever happened.

- "You know that Lady Keratsa, Deondra's mother, is Lady Rona's sister. But you didn't meet Lady Kamla, the third sister."

- "Malusha's mother."

- "Yes. Her father was a Shorr; dark-skinned, with purple hair. Keratsa took after him in colouring, and in temperament. She can be very stubborn. Lady Keratsa insisted on marrying Lord Murari, another Shorr, even though it is customary to mix the families each new generation. Lady Rona wanted another match, but Keratsa would not be moved. They married, and Malusha is their daughter. There was a son, too, but he was married off to the Balabans."

- "Alright. I'm with you so far."

- "Lord Murari is... a man of strong appetites. He has... sired quite a few Half-Hadyks."

- "Even though he's a Shorr."

- "No, Dan. Once a male marries into a new family, he becomes one of them. Absolutely. There could be no intermarriage, otherwise. All of the families would suffer."

- "Okay. I get it. So Murari had a lot of children with women other than his wife. Including Jashi, and Wantrao?"

- "No. No - he sired children with female peons. Not women. You must only use that word when you are referring to people."

- "Peony, you know that I don't see it that way."

She flushed again. "Lord Daniel, you mustn't say such things. Not to a Hadyk, and not to most Half-Hadyks, either. Even Nosey and Pudge would be shocked. Please promise that you won't."

She was genuinely concerned. "Sorry. I'll... I'll try."

Peony released a deep breath. "Nor should you discuss what I'm about to tell you. With anyone. Yes, Jashi is Murari's daughter, and Malusha's half-sister. But Wantrao is... not. Lord Murari was... excessive in his extra-marital pursuits."

Extra-marital pursuits? I would have laughed, but Peony was trying to tell me the story, and if she needed to use funny euphemisms to do so, I didn't want to embarrass her.

"Lady Kamla was angry at the number of dark-skinned Half-Hadyk children being born. She decided to pay her husband back, in his own coin."

- "Wait - so she..."

- "She lay with a male peon, and conceived a child."

- "Wantrao? But... I thought that peons were sterile."

Peony didn't answer. "Oh." I said. "Only with each other. So... Jashi is Malusha's half-sister, and Wantrao is Malusha's half-brother, but... holy shit."

Peony didn't understand what I'd said, but she certainly recognized my reaction.

- "For many people, Wantrao is a constant reminder of the Hadyk family scandal. They have tried to have him killed in battle several times."

- "And I almost succeeded."

- "You have nothing to blame yourself for."

Maybe not. But it changed my immediate plans just a bit.

***

Stephanie and Deondra arrived early in the afternoon. While I was sleeping in my apartment, in the real world, they'd been returning to Hyacinth on horseback. Both women were plainly tired, but in high spirits. Deondra was also happy to see me.

- "Warlord! Daniel!" She didn't seem to know whether to shake my hand or hug me, but I guess that the second of those choices would have been a little too much. She hesitated, a little awkwardly, and then clapped me on the shoulder. "I can't wait to hear your ideas for Turn Two!" she exclaimed.

- "I am equally eager." said Lady Stephanie. Somehow, she still managed to look good after most of a day in the saddle. "But I fear that we need at least a little sleep, or neither of us will be of any good to anyone."

- "That is fair." said Lady Rona. "We will meet in the evening. That will give you more time for planning, then, Warlord."

I knew what I wanted to do.

- "I will use the Portals, then, Lady."

- "The Portals? Why?"

- "I want to visit the captured production centres, and calculate the best builds for each one. The ideal garrisons, as well."

- "Can you not do that from here?"

Stephanie lightly touched her mother's arm. "If Warlord Daniel would like to visit in person, should we not allow it? He hasn't been wrong yet."

The two women exchanged a brief look.

- "Very well." said the Matriarch.

I didn't wait any longer. I went through the Portal less than ten minutes later.

- "Jacaranda."

***

I didn't need to see the city. It was virtually the same as all of the other production centres. I had come to see a man.

- "How are you feeling?" I asked.

- "I don't think I'll die." said Wantrao. He was just as angry as the first time I'd met him. The chip on his shoulder was larger, if anything.

- "Are you going to recover?"

- "I should be on my feet again by Turn Three, assuming we make it that far."

- "We will. And hopefully, you'll be available."

- "Why do you care?" he asked, eyeing me with suspicion.

- "Because I want to ask you to serve with me again. We wouldn't have taken Jacaranda without you. Malusha and I got all of the credit, but we both know that you were instrumental. Lady Rona didn't want to hear about that, though. I'm guessing that you're not her favourite person."

He smiled. It wasn't a pretty sight. "You have no idea."

- "Actually, I do. I just don't give a shit. You're an excellent leader - one of the best I've seen, so far."

- "Who's better?" he said, with a smirk. Wantrao either didn't know how to take a compliment, or he was a complete asshole. Actually, both things might be true.

- "That, I don't know yet. For storming a city? You and Malusha. For leading light cavalry? Jashi. And Armene might be your equal for leading an attack. But commanding an army? Deondra's pretty good."

Wantrao didn't answer right away, but he did look thoughtful.

- "If you ask for me for Turn Three, you'll find that you don't have much competition."

- "I'm asking you, though."

- "Then we should talk again after Turn Two." he said.

I went back to the Portal.

- "Ivy." I said.

***

- "I'm sorry. Hobelars?" said Jashi.

- "Archers on horseback. More mobile. And more flexible."

- "You want me to command archers on horses?"

- "No. A mixed force: light cavalry and mounted archers. I want you to screen Ivy. I'll be threatening Goldenrod, so they probably won't come from there. But I suspect that they might try to take a page from our book, and recapture Ivy the same way we did. If they send a light infantry force from Eglantine, backed by archers, you'll have cavalry and archers of your own. Harass them. Slow them down. If they give you an opportunity, take it. But if you can't stop them, send the archers back into the city to support the garrison, and use your cavalry outside the walls."

Jashi understood. While the concept of mounted archers was entirely new to her, she was bright enough to see their potential. She was also excited by the prospect of an independent command, just as I'd hoped she would be.

- "Thank you, Lord. For having confidence in me."

- "You've proved yourself twice over. Of course I have confidence in you. Now - is there anything else that you need in Ivy?" We'd already discussed my proposed Turn Two build for the city.

- "There is... one thing, Lord."

- "What is it?"

- "If you can ask for officers of your choosing..."

- "I can. I intend to ask for Armene, Virdyan, and Wantrao, when he recovers."

- "Please ask for Sudha, too, Lord."

- "Peony mentioned her. She said that everyone speaks of her highly."

- "Sudha is the best of us." said Jashi. "And... she needs your protection, Lord."

- "Protection? From what?"

It wasn't a what; it was a who. "From Lord Moran." said Jashi. "He... he pressures her."

I didn't need to ask for specifics. For a moment, I saw red, and imagined myself embarrassing the little shit in public. Abuse of power. Maybe even blackmail. He deserved to be exposed.

But that would go nowhere. No doubt everyone in the family already knew, and merely turned a blind eye, just as they had with Murari's depredations. It wasn't philandering; these assholes weren't seducing women - they were preying on them. Peons had absolutely no choice in the matter, and half-Hadyks probably didn't have a lot of options, either.

I took a couple of slow, deep breaths to calm myself.

- "I'll ask for her."

- "Thank you, Lord. You won't regret it."

I went back through the Portal.

- "Hyacinth."

***

The Hadyk family - those who'd been invited, at least - were still arriving, and gathering in the dining room. That gave me a few minutes in the Map Room with Deondra and Malusha, once again explaining what hobelars were. Malusha was more of a heavy infantry leader, or a division commander, but she'd seen Jashi's light cavalry screening our marches against both Jacaranda and Ivy.

- "Are you sure that she can handle an independent command?" asked Deondra.

- "Definitely." I said. "Unless you want to recommend a member of the family who could do a better job."

She had to think about that. Malusha didn't try all that hard to hide her smile.

"Keep in mind," I added, "we'll have an extremely large army gathering between here and Goldenrod. I'll need most of the capable commanders and junior officers that can be spared. You two, for starters. Lady Stephanie. Your father, Deondra, if he's available. Unless you think he'd be better suited to holding a key garrison? If there are other Hadyks who should be included, who would you suggest?"

- "Uncle Detsen?" said Deondra. It sounded more like a question than a statement.

- "I thought to have him command a garrison. Here? Or at Ivy?"

That led to a short debate between the two cousins.

"What about half-Hadyks?" I asked. "Can I have the officers I want?"

- "Of course." said Deondra.

Armed with that support, I was better prepared for what was to come.

Lady Rona led the Hadyks into the Map Room. Her decorative husband, Enver, and their little shit of a son, Moran, were there. So were Deondra's parents, Keratsa and Aymort, and her husband, Parush (a sub-par commander, or else I might have asked for him). Murari and Detsen were present, as well. I wasn't the least bit surprised that Malusha's mother, Kamla, hadn't made the trip.

It was Stephanie who opened the proceedings.

- "My Ladies, my Lords. Before we begin to discuss our strategy for Turn Two, it is only fitting that we pay tribute to the man who made it possible for us to get past Turn One with a chance to not only survive, but to win. Please accept our thanks, Warlord Daniel."

Stephanie had a very nice, understated smile. She bowed in my direction. Lady Rona stepped forward and did the same. That was the signal, I guess, because the rest of the family followed suit.

If you had told me that this was going to happen, I would have brushed it off with a show of indifference. I'm a firm believer in doing something because it's the right thing to do, not for approval or reward. But this felt... surprisingly good. Maybe I wasn't as immune to positive reinforcement as I'd thought.

Lady Rona then invited me to take the floor, and explain my plans for Turn Two. They weren't all that complicated, at first.

- "We'll strengthen the garrison at Dahlia with even more infantry and archers. Ivy will need a stronger than usual garrison as well, because it's so isolated. We don't want the enemy to take it from us the same way we took it from them."

Then I began to explain the need for a screening force, with Jashi in command. I was quickly interrupted.

- "Is that wise?" said Lord Enver. "A Half-Hadyk in independent command?"

Lady Rona didn't intervene. She let me field her husband's objection.

- "First, Lord Enver, you and Lord Moran will remain in command at Dahlia. Ladies Stephanie, Deondra and Malusha are needed with the main army. I had hoped to have Lord Aymort command the garrison at Ivy, while Lord Detsen commands here, where he is close enough to the main army to reach us at short notice. Family members will also be needed to lead field armies built in Flax and Jacaranda. Is there a Hadyk who would feel slighted by these arrangements?"

Enver didn't have a response, of course, because he was just being a dick.

"We should have foreseen this problem, Ladies and Lords." I continued. "There are only so many Hadyks, and you have never held five production centres and fielded such large armies. We are going to have to rely more on junior officers. Half-Hadyks, to be precise. I might even suggest that we promote some of the peon troopers into junior officers."

The reaction to that statement was an immediate outburst of protests. Somebody even howled. You'd think that I'd just suggested cannibalism, or some kind of socialism.

- "Outrageous!"

- "Unthinkable!"

- "Over my dead body!" That came from Enver.

I did notice that a few family members didn't react. Neither Deondra nor her father said a word, while her mother sputtered. Stephanie didn't speak, either, but that might have been more because she had excellent self-control than because she agreed with me. Malusha was just grinning, but I hadn't failed to see that it was her father who'd shouted 'Unthinkable!'.

Lady Rona let them blow off some steam. The final decision was going to be hers, in any case, and I didn't fool myself into believing that she liked my idea. In fact, the expression on her face suggested that I'd just farted at her wedding.

- "You'll have to get used to the concept." I said. "If we win this turn, we should have six production centres by Turn Three. That means even larger armies."

Honestly, they should have been thinking about this before now. There just weren't enough adult Hadyks to hold commands, and there were only a handful who were qualified to lead field armies or important garrisons. Their snobbish prejudices had blinded them to the obvious.

- "Perhaps... we could recruit the Shorrs?" suggested Lady Keratsa, Deondra's mother.

- "Absolutely not." said Lady Rona, her sister. Her tone was icy cold. There was no room for debate in that harsh tone. "We cannot trust them an inch - not after they joined this... this coalition to destroy us." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "I will, however, accept them if they marry into our family. Lady Shorr has offered Lomas and Heron Shorr. I have countered by asking for Symenon and Falas."

That obviously meant something to all of the Hadyks. I was only to find out later that the first two, Lomas and Heron, were classic examples of the type of males these families produced. Think Moran Hadyk without the brains. Those two lordlings would have trouble organizing a food fight at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Symenon Shorr, on the other hand, was brave and clever, and considered a strategist on the level of Deondra. Falas Shorr was the village idiot, so Rona was asking for their best, and offering to take their worst at the same time. I wondered who the lucky brides would be.

"Lady Shorr has asked for time to decide." said Rona. "I have given her until the beginning of Turn Two. But even if she agrees, that will only give us one more good commander."

- "Symenon Shorr may be better than good, Aunt Rona." said Deondra.

- "He is still only one person."

- "That's my point." I said. "I'm not proposing to put a half-Hadyk in command of your major armies. Not when we have generals such as Lady Deondra, Lady Stephanie, and Lady Malusha. But the flanking force at Ivy is an experiment. It's also very much akin to the role that Captain Jashi performed on the march to Jacaranda, and the attack on Ivy. I am confident that she can perform this task."

Lady Rona didn't object, so the rest of her family didn't grumble - much.

"I am going to drive this point home." I continued. "We took Jacaranda because of my plan, and Lady Malusha's courage and fighting skills." (I was exaggerating the courage; how brave do you have to be to fight peons who aren't allowed to fight back? Her skills, though, were beyond dispute.)

"But we might not have succeeded without the contributions of Captain Jashi and Captain Wantrao, who may never recover from the wounds he suffered."

Nobody said a word. Lady Rona was glaring at me as I went off script, but she didn't want to rein me in and undermine the presentation of my plan. The silence was deafening, until Moran broke it.

- "We can always hope." said the little shit. He immediately spoiled his clever quip by smirking and looking around as if he expected to be greeted with knowing smiles.

- "Moran." said Lady Rona. That was all it took. Then she looked back at me. "Carry on, Warlord."

- "Thank you, Lady. I will be requesting a number of half-Hadyk officers for the coming campaign. Captain Jashi, obviously. Wantrao, should he recover in time. Captains Armene and Virdyan distinguished themselves in our last battle. I would also like to have Inzhay, and Sudha."

- "NO!"

That cri de coeur came from Moran. He instantly seemed to regret his impulse, but he retreated into a sullen, malevolent glare, directed at me. His own father turned to look at him.

"She is needed at Dahlia. Vital to our defence." said Moran.

- "Captain Sudha is a capable commander, but not an especially skilled fighter." I said. That was what Jashi had told me, anyway. "There are many others better suited to defend the walls of Dahlia."

- "She can't be spared." he persisted.

- "Nonsense." said Lady Rona. "If Warlord Daniel wants her for the main army, that's where she'll serve."

Moran subsided, with just about as much ill grace as he could muster. He managed to sulk and pout at the same time, like a child who's had his favourite toy taken away. Come to think of it, that might have been exactly what I'd done.

I began to explain some of the finer details of my plans, including breaking a light cavalry unit into scouting parties of ten, to locate our enemy's forces and report back at once. Apparently none of them had even considered splitting units up before.

The rest of my strategy was fairly simple. Watch Ivy, defend Dahlia, and prepare to use the main army against the enemy's strongest force, or try to capture Goldenrod.

After that, it was mostly a case of answering questions, and discussing where to assign other members of the family - something Rona, Stephanie and Deondra were far better equipped to decide. Once that was done, people began to move back to the dining room.

I followed them. Just as I was about to leave the Map Room, I was jostled by someone who stepped too close.

Moran.

- "You'll regret that, Warlord." he said. It wasn't quite a hiss - there were no 's' sounds to milk - so it came out more as a muted snarl.

- "I don't think so." I answered.

- "We'll see. Maybe when you're gone, I'll call on your little Peony, and 'borrow' her for a night. Maybe two, if she's any good. Somebody should make good use of her, after all."

The temptation to punch him in the face was very, very strong. I doubted that he would expect it, either, which made it all the more appealing. But it was unlikely to impress the rest of the Hadyk family, and I needed their wholehearted cooperation if we were going to succeed.

- "Is there anyone willing to spend time in your company of their own free will, Lord Moran?" I said. Just for my own petty satisfaction, I might have slightly mispronounced the end of his name, substituting an 'o' for the last vowel. It was childish of me, I admit.

- "This isn't over!" he hissed.

- "We can always hope." I shot back.

Despite the snappy comeback, I was worried about what the little shit might do to get even. I certainly didn't want him trying to get back at me by hurting Peony. So I made my excuses, went back to my chamber, and asked her straight out.

- "If Moran gave you an order, would you have to obey?"

- "Lord?"

- "It's a simple question, Peony." That was when I realized that I was frightening her. It wasn't just what I was saying; it was the way I was doing it. I was clearly agitated, and that alarmed her.

"I'm sorry. I'm not angry at you. I'm just..."

- "Lord Moran can have that effect on others. I assume that you asked for Sudha, and he didn't take it well."

- "That's about the size of it."

- "Then I thank you, Daniel. No doubt Sudha will be very grateful as well. And in answer to your question, I have been assigned to you. I would not obey an order from Lord Moran unless you approved."

- "I don't. I don't approve of anything that little... that Moran wants. If he asks you to do something, I want you to consult with me first. Can I say that?"

- "Yes, you can, my Lord." She smiled a little as she answered.

My curiosity got the better of me. "Peony, does that mean you would... that you'd do anything I asked you to?"

It wasn't my imagination; Peony flushed crimson.

- "Yes, Lord. I am a peon. I could not attack or harm a person because you ordered me to. But otherwise, I would be expected to carry out any order you gave me."

- "I don't want you to do that. If I made a request that... that made you uncomfortable, I want you to tell me. I never want to ask you to do something against your will."

- "By definition, Lord Daniel, there is no such thing."

- "Some things defy definition." I said. "And then there are things that are hard to define. You're not my slave, Peony."

- "Thank you, Lord. I know that you mean well. But we will have to agree to disagree."

***

Lady Rona and I travelled by Portal to each of the four other productions centres. At Dahlia, we built all infantry. At Ivy, we created more infantry for the garrison, and then put together the hybrid scouting and screening force that I wanted for Jashi. The remaining three cities got fairly standard field army builds.

From Hyacinth, I rode out to the main army with Malusha. Deondra would join us after the new builds, bringing reinforcements from Ivy, while Stephanie did the same from Hyacinth. Malusha was in high spirits; I think that she found the prospect of action exciting. She did give me a warning.

- "Don't underestimate Moran." she said. "I know that he looks like a petulant adolescent, but he's a poisonous snake. Don't turn your back on him."

- "Thanks for the advice."

- "Advice is easy."

The army looked smaller than I remembered. But Armene, bearded Inzhay and two-fingered Virdyan were there, keeping the units in order. They were all eager to hear what parts they would be called on to play in the coming turn.

I spent the rest of the day walking among the troops. When I spoke to some of them, they responded just as Nosey and Pudge had, at first, with a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment. Even though I knew that no other commander in the Decapolis would have wasted their time like this, it still felt like the right thing to do.

Then I gathered all of the troopers from one of the light cavalry units. These would be the scouts, broken into squads of ten. I explained to them exactly what I expected. They listened attentively, but I couldn't tell if they were understanding me or not.

- "You can talk to me." I said. "It would be natural if you had questions, or reservations. I understand if this all very new for you. In fact, I would prefer if you asked for clarification rather than go out there unsure of what to do."

There was a long silence, until, finally, one of the male troopers raised a hand.

- "Yes?"

- "Excuse me, Warlord, but... we're not to have officers?"

- "Not Hadyks, or half-Hadyks, but each squad will elect a leader, and a second. Junior officers, but officers nonetheless."

- "Peons as officers?"

- "Yes. What's your name, trooper?"

- "They call me Chalky, Warlord." With his pale complexion, I could see why.

- "Yes, Chalky. Peons as officers. I think that you can do the job. I'm hoping that you'll prove me right. So choose your leaders, and I'll meet with the ten leaders this evening to assign your patrol ranges."

Late in the day, Malusha brought me a new arrival.

- "Warlord, this is Captain Sudha."

With my very first look at her, I suddenly understood. Sudha had blue-black hair, blue eyes, and strong but absolutely perfect features. She was stunningly beautiful. Yet this was no ballroom belle. Sudha had a face that could have launched ships, and a body to inspire a thousand sculptors. But there was steel there, too; I could readily see her as an able warrior.

Malusha smirked, and I realized that I hadn't said anything for a few seconds too long.

- "Welcome, Captain." I got out, just as she said "Thank you for asking -" Then she started over.

- "Thank you for asking for me, Warlord. I hope that I can live up to expectations."

- "I'm sure you will. Both Jashi and Peony recommended you very highly. Can you lead light cavalry?"

- "Yes, Lord. I have yet to lead heavy cavalry, but I have experience with all other types of units."

- "Except hobelars."

- "Hobelars?" she said.

- "Mounted archers. I'll be happy to explain."

- "Oh, here we go again." complained Malusha. "I'll be getting something to eat over there if you need me."

Sudha wasn't bored. She was hearing about my plans for the first time, and avidly soaking up all of the information I shared. She asked a couple of excellent questions, too. Sudha was obviously highly intelligent and motivated. She might have been one of the most impressive people I'd ever seen or heard of, much less met in person.

I couldn't believe that Moran thought he had a chance with a woman like Sudha. She was ridiculously far out of his league. Then again, he was using pressure and blackmail to coerce her. Even so, I didn't think that he stood a chance. I didn't either, of course, so I connected with Captain Sudha purely as fellow officers, with a shared interest in strategy and tactics.

***

The next morning, at dawn, Turn Two began. I sent the scouting parties off, concentrating on the areas between Goldenrod and Dahlia. Then we put the army in motion. I wanted us closer to Goldenrod, so that I could assess the size of its garrison, and possibly catch some of their troops if they were sending units towards Dahlia or Caladium.

The walls of the Morcar city were bristling with troops.

That was extremely bad news if we were going to storm the city. On the other hand, it also meant that they hadn't sent reinforcements to join their field army, which was either defending Caladium or marching to join the Balabans.

I tasked Armene and Inzhay with counting the enemy units they could see, and then asked Sudha to do the same thing. The first two came back with similar estimates: a dozen light infantry, six heavy infantry, and three companies of archers. 1,900 troops. Sudha came in slightly higher.

- "Twenty-two units. Perhaps even twenty-four. They could be keeping hundreds of troops off the walls. I would, in their place."

That evening, Stephanie arrived with the troops from Hyacinth, including the first two hobelar units. Captain Sudha immediately went to meet them. I welcomed Stephanie, and described what we'd seen so far. She wasn't all that disappointed.

- "You did say that it was their most likely action."

Deondra and the troops from Jacaranda marched in the following morning, with two more units of mounted archers. By the end of the day, reports were coming back from my scouting squads. They'd spotted the Morcar field army marching south from Caladium, obviously moving to join the Balabans. More important, though, the scouts had counted the enemy units and identified the troops types.

- "Sixteen?" said Stephanie. "That's only 1,600 troops."

- "A bit small for a field army." I agreed.

- "And very low on light infantry." said Deondra. "Some of that cavalry must have escaped from the last battle. There would be no point to keeping it inside Goldenrod."

- "So are they keeping an extra large garrison in Caladium?" asked Stephanie.

- "They must be. They could easily have built quite a bit more. Especially light infantry."

I had a sudden flash of insight. "They did. Only they're on the way to Eglantine. To be the garrison there. Because they built as much infantry as they could in Eglantine, and sent it all to take Ivy. Flank march."

- "Oh, no." said Deondra.

- "Shit." said Stephanie. It was the first time I'd heard her swear.

I wrote a brief message of warning for Jashi, while Deondra did the same. Then we sent two pairs of messengers, by different routes, with instructions to find Jashi as quickly as possible.

Chalky and his fellow scouts had come through for me. My warning for Jashi might arrive too late - but then, it might not. I could also hope that she knew her business, and would detect the Morcar flank march before it got as far as Ivy.

I didn't sleep very well that night. When you're playing most strategy games, there's an option to slow down time when you're managing troops in combat. Conversely, you can speed up time when your armies are idle, or you're waiting for key buildings or improvements to be built in your cities or castles.

That had not prepared me well for the hours of waiting involved in a real-time campaign. Real soldiers, apparently, can sleep anywhere, anytime the opportunity presents itself, even if they're only snatching a fifteen minute nap. Sleep when you can, eat when you can; you don't know when you'll get the next chance.

I woke up a bit groggy, and a bit cranky. More scouts came in. Our reinforcements from Flax would arrive by mid-day, led by Deondra's husband Parush. He was no great shakes as a battlefield commander, but certainly capable of managing a route march through friendly territory.

We would then have a massive army, capable of storming Goldenrod, or of seeking a battle against the combined Balaban-Morcar field force. But I wasn't going to make that decision until I knew what had happened at Ivy.

That information came through in the mid-afternoon, brought by two very saddle-sore messengers from Jashi. They carried a letter with sloppy handwriting.

Warlord Daniel, you were right. The Morcars attempted to capture Ivy. They failed.

My cavalry discovered two units of Morcar light cavalry where they had no business being. We attacked immediately, destroying one squadron and putting the other to flight. You will be pleased to know that your hobelars can loose arrows while mounted. Their accuracy left a great deal to be desired, but the surprise effect of the first volleys was evidently quite potent.

We advanced, to discover a large force of infantry: 16 light infantry and 3 archer units.

I'd been right. The Morcars had built these forces for one purpose: to attack Ivy. 11 light infantry (6 points each), two light cavalry (10 each), and two archers (7 each). Exactly 100 points. Then they'd stripped the Eglantine garrison of 5 light infantry and an archer unit. That was why Caladium was sending a garrison of light infantry to replace them.

I returned to Jashi's letter.

I was mindful of your instructions, Warlord, but the enemy were in a tight formation, and I thought that our archers would be more effective fighting from behind the walls of Ivy. Accordingly, I sent them back to join the garrison. I did not think that the enemy could capture the city, but I hoped to tempt them to try.

We withdrew far enough to let them believe that we did not dare attack them. The enemy continued their march, in square formation. They camped for the night only a few miles from Ivy. In the morning, they completed their advance, and launched an assault on the walls.

I'd have been tempted to harass the enemy camp all night, but Jashi knew better; the peon troops didn't suffer fatigue. It wouldn't bother them at all to be awake all night. The only people tired out would be their officers - and ours, including Jashi herself.

Lord Aymort defended the city well, but we initially suffered heavy casualties among the light infantry. I led the light cavalry in an attack on the enemy rear, which succeeded in defeating their remaining light cavalry unit, and compelling them to deploy troops to oppose us.

The enemy could not simultaneously assault the walls and defend their rear. Their commander lost his nerve, and fled with an entourage of Morcar family members. We pursued energetically. Lord Aymort sent out the hobelars and his archers on foot to support us.

I regret to report that we lost three units of light cavalry, and six of the ten units of light infantry in the city. The enemy lost both light cavalry units, three archers, and sixteen light infantry. I would like to recommend several junior officers to your attention, and I know that Lord Aymort will do the same. He will send a report of his own to Hyacinth by Portal. I hope that this message reaches you swiftly, and meets with your approval.

It was signed Captain Jashi.

Soon to be Major or even Colonel Jashi, if I had anything to say about it. She'd done it. She'd saved the city, and then wiped out the entire attacking force. Lord Aymort, Deondra's father, had certainly played his part, but it was Jashi's victory.

It would be my job to make sure that everyone knew it.

***

We had five possible courses of action, three of which involved marching on Dahlia. Once there, we could force a battle, at relatively even odds, which was a gamble. Or, we could do what Jashi had done to the Morcars, but on a significantly larger scale: we could dare our enemies to attempt an assault, and then take them in the rear, and possibly destroy them. There was, though, another possibility, which was that we could march all that way, and achieve nothing concrete. The enemy could withdraw, or avoid battle.

Or we could stay where we were, slightly better off than we'd been at the end of Turn One, thanks to Jashi's victory. But if we settled for that, the armies would only get bigger in Turn Three. I would probably have to build another cavalry and hobelar screen, this time to protect the city of Flax, our southernmost production centre, from another end run.

I could identify the best option available to us, but I was hesitating because it could easily prove to be very costly. If we stormed Goldenrod, and captured it, that would give us six cities - six production centres to four. We would be on our way to winning the war.

Except for the cost. That was going to have to be paid in blood, and it wasn't going to be mine. Jacaranda and Ivy had been defended by standard garrisons of 600 troops, light infantry and archers. But Goldenrod appeared to have over two thousand defenders, including hundreds of heavy infantry and more archers. With the bonus of their walls effectively doubling their combat value (I still thought in those terms), they would have the equivalent of four or five thousand troops.

Our combined armies included 6,900 infantry: 36 light infantry units, 18 heavy infantry, and 15 archer companies. We had an advantage, but... I was wrestling with the heavy responsibility of sending troopers to their death.

I admitted my fears to Deondra.

- "I'm not really a general or a warlord." I said. "You know that. A real general would probably have no qualms about getting thousands of people killed."

- "Daniel..." she said. "You do understand that... peons aren't people. Don't you?"

I hadn't expected that kind of reaction from her. Stephanie or Malusha, sure, but I'd thought that Deondra understood how I felt. "It's been made abundantly clear to me. Your cousin Moran was quite explicit on the subject."

She frowned. "No. I mean... you know that if we lose the war, none of our peons will survive. You know that, don't you?"

- "What? No. Nobody told me that. They'll all be killed?"

- "No. Nothing like that. But units will have to be disbanded. Do you remember how many troops we had before the beginning of Turn One? Those are peacetime levels. Each city can maintain a garrison of up to a 100 point build. Any units beyond that are disbanded. If the enemy win, they aren't going to disband their own units in order to keep ours. And if we win, we'll have so many troops by then... we won't be able to keep them all."

- "What... what happens to the units that are disbanded?" I was having trouble grasping the concept.

- "They disappear, Daniel. The same way they appeared when we built them."

- "They... they just vanish?"

- "Yes."

Nosey and Pudge could just cease to exist. The same could happen to Chalky. It would be almost as if they'd never been here. Did the peons remember those who... just vanished? What would happen to Peony if we lost?

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I thought you knew that. We all take it for granted, I suppose. We learn it as children. I... it must seem very callous to you, if you don't have peons in your home world. But Malusha would just say 'Life is short', or 'Eggs are made to be broken'."

Eggs are made to be broken. Peons appear out of thin air, and disappear just as easily.

- "I'm sorry, Deondra. Excuse me - I just need... a short walk, to clear my head."

I didn't need a walk. I stood and looked out the thousands of peons, gathered in their units. Many of them hadn't existed a few days ago. None of them would exist if we lost the war. It didn't bear thinking about.

Sometimes, when you aren't consciously trying to think, your mind is open enough for a stray thought to slip in. It could be a snippet from a song, or even an annoying advertisement. Every now and then, though, your subconscious lets a buried memory pop up.

Better to do something and fail than to do nothing and fail. I don't know if that was German army doctrine from one of the World Wars, or advice from Yoda or Captain Picard. I just realized that it was better to capture Goldenrod and move one step closer to ending the war.

I went to find Malusha.

- "We'll attack at dawn." I said.

***

Stephanie was the heiress, and too valuable to risk. Deondra was the best Hadyk general; any accident that could kill or injure her was to be avoided. I would be useless in a fight, and no one knew for sure if I was immune like 'people', or vulnerable like half-Hadyks.

Malusha was itching to go, though, and I assigned most of the junior Hadyks to her. Armene and Inzhay could command contingents, but I denied Sudha's request to lead part of the assault.

- "I can fight." she insisted.

- "Maybe you can." I said. "But Jashi said that you were 'the best of us'. I wouldn't risk her on the walls, when I'm sure that I'll need her badly for Turn Three and beyond. Tell me why I should take the chance of losing you?"

She didn't have a quick answer. "You will be directing the fire of the archers - specifically the hobelars you'll be commanding." I said.

At the first light of dawn, I gave the order, and launched nearly seven thousand troops at the walls of Goldenrod.

The Morcars had 700 heavy infantry on the ramparts, backed by 400 archers and over a thousand light infantry. That was their great mistake, and our stroke of fortune. We had heavy infantry, too, but we also had fifteen archer units. One thousand five hundred bows, taking aim at any defender reckless enough to show themselves.

Archers had been important at Jacaranda, only to under-perform at Ivy. But here, they made all the difference. Sudha made a contribution, but once again it was Malusha who was among the first atop the walls.

There was a battle of attrition for a while, as our heavy infantry climbed the ladders to lock shields with their heavy infantry. Armene also gained a footing on the ramparts, and worked at expanding that opening. Inzhay was struck by an arrow as he climbed, fell from the ladder, and broke a rib when he landed awkwardly.

That could have been me, had I been foolish enough to imagine myself as a fighter.

The Morcars must have sent many of their best family fighters to attack Ivy, because there was nobody here who could match Malusha, or even Armene. When they had lost most of their heavy infantry, the balance shifted even further in our favour, because with the best will in the world, light infantry simply can't go toe to toe with the heavies.

In fact, it was like the bursting of a dam. More of our troops got onto the wall, and then poured into the city. Once a significant number of our archers reached the ramparts, there was nowhere down below where the defenders could organize a line, much less a counter-attack.

The Morcar family members panicked, and fled through the Portal. It took some time, though, before Malusha could reach the castle. Fighting went on in the streets, and a large number of enemy troops took refuge in their barracks.

Our infantry opened the gates from the inside. Stephanie and I rode into Goldenrod, followed by hundreds more of our troops. And then, just like that, the fighting ended. Malusha had taken control of the Touchstone.

***

It was bad. Nowhere near as horrible as I'd feared, but bad enough. Our 3 to 1 superiority in archers was decisive, though I think that we also benefited from having more and better leaders participating in the fighting.

We'd lost twelve hundred troops, a third of them heavy infantry. The Morcars had had 2,600 troops in the city. Five hundred of those, all light infantry, became ours when the Touchstone was taken.

It was a staggering success. Malusha was ecstatic, and I was more than ready to give her the lion's share of the credit. There was enough to go around. Stephanie was smiling, and remarked that it felt like the turning point of the war. Deondra entered the city, looking so happy that I thought she might cry.

Then we all heard it: the deep, resonant gong that signalled the end of Turn Two.

- "We cut that awfully close." I said.

- "No." said Stephanie. "It's more likely that the Gods let us complete our storm of the city. They've never ended a turn just before a battle or fight."

- "And certainly never in the middle of one." said Deondra.

She volunteered to remain in the city, to restore order, while Stephanie and I, with Malusha, travelled to Hyacinth through the Portal, to bring Lady Rona the news of our victory.

We went through one after the other, and emerged in the control room at Hyacinth.

It came as a bit of a surprise to see Lady Rona there, waiting for us. But It was an even bigger shock to see her husband and her son flanking her.

Malusha caught on first. "Oh, shit." she said.

- "Dahlia has fallen." said Lady Rona.

*****