Disclaimers: See part 1<\/p>\n
by AJ Marks<\/span><\/p>\n Part 10<\/span><\/p>\n Tess returned her wand to its sheath as the Grunt army surrendered to her. She motioned for her troops to capture those still alive, as medics came out onto the field to try and help those that they could. The battle had gone a bit better than she hoped. They attacked from two different directions, catching the Grunt army completely off guard. The fact they had only finished marching back from Grunt territory only tired them out. Tess had fresh troops with her.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, glad to see that worked,\u201d Russell said, walking up beside Tess.<\/p>\n \u201cIt did work,\u201d Tess said, seeing Lisa walk towards her, probably for new orders.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are your orders Empress?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll get the prisoners settled, get some rest while the Royal Guard will be going with me back to the 3rd Army HQ for transport to the border of the Shadowlands, we have another invasion to take care of. The 1st army is already heading there. We have a lot of work to do,\u201d Tess said to her.<\/p>\n \u201cAnother invasion?\u201d Lisa said. \u201cWhat\u2019s the world coming to?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, but I know who is behind it,\u201d Tess said, her mind going right to Gregory. He had planned this for a long time now. She only hoped she could stop him before a lot of people lost their lives. She made her way over to where some servants were bringing out some water to the soldiers out in the field. The head medic came over to her.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you insured Empress?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNope, got lucky this time,\u201d she replied back to him. \u201cHow many did we lose?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI can confirm twenty dead, another sixteen severely injured,\u201d he replied back to her. \u201cThe rest have varying degrees of injuries, most should be ready to go in a couple of days.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, glad the causalities were light,\u201d Tess said. She knew this had only started and that a confrontation with Gregory would be the only thing that finally stopped this war. She needed to figure out where he was going.<\/p>\n She left the rest of the clean up to the men on the field, and walked back to a tent which had been set up for her. She really wanted to see Ami in there, but that would have to wait until she returned back to HQ. The small blonde had learned how to give a most pleasant massage, one which Tess wished she could have right now.<\/p>\n \u201cEmpress,\u201d the mayor of Navatown shouted, as she reached her tent. He had a piece of paper in his hands. Tess wondered what had happened now. \u201cThis just arrived for you Empress.\u201d<\/p>\n Tess quickly read the note, concerned about what happened. She felt a bit relieved seeing that it was from Lycos, who stated that the finally received word from the Grunt King, and he asked for peace. He probably understood she could destroy his army, leaving him wide open to any invasion she wished to carry out.<\/p>\n She looked over the note again before considering her reply. She would accept his conditions to recall all armies, not that she had any in Grunt territory, and any captured Grunt soldiers she would be released at an agreed upon date in the future. Tess wanted to conclude her problem with Gregory before releasing the soldiers.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, is it over?\u201d the mayor asked, his voice clearly uneasy and hopeful.<\/p>\n \u201cPerhaps, but is anything truly over,\u201d Tess replied back at him. She watched his reaction. He seemed to understand what she said. \u201cBut to answer your question, this current problem, yes it\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGood, I don\u2019t like sieges, bad for business,\u201d he replied back to her. \u201cI can tell the merchants they can open up for business tomorrow without problems.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t see any problems, but be wary in case there is a rogue group out there,\u201d Tess answered him, before heading into her tent. She still had a lot of things to do and needed to get some sleep before moving out tomorrow. Gregory had moved his pieces and she still had no idea where he would be going.<\/p>\n Tess hoped to have some news, from either Becca or Carrie, but she had no messages in her tent. She hoped everything was going all right but without any new information she could only assume how things were going. She would find out more tomorrow. She trusted Becca and Carrie to do the right thing. They had been with her for a while now and she knew that they would not start a war with another Empire. Tess wanted information about where Gregory had gone.<\/p>\n She wrote down a few things making a few notes for herself tomorrow. There were a lot of things she could do and look for. She would finish up tonight then work on it tomorrow.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Tess looked around in the morning, seeing Lisa standing nearby. She and the Royal Guard had worked hard already, two battles, and yet Tess understood another battle awaited them. She had received a note from Becca, which woke her up, saying that the 1st army had arrived in position and that Gregory\u2019s army had retreated back into the Shadowlands before they arrived.<\/p>\n \u201cHow many squads are ready to go?\u201d Tess asked her.<\/p>\n \u201cAll squads ready, it\u2019s only a matter of how many you want to go,\u201d Lisa said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll take all four Royal Guard squads, leave the remaining squads here to help out with any transitions with the Grunt army. I doubt they\u2019ll be any trouble though,\u201d Tess aid.<\/p>\n \u201cWho will be trouble?\u201d Russell\u2019s voice said, causing Tess to turn to see the general walking towards them.<\/p>\n \u201cOh, I\u2019m not expecting any more trouble with the Grunts, but I\u2019m leaving several squads here with you just in case,\u201d Tess answered<\/p>\n \u201cIf you think that\u2019s the best decision, I\u2019ll welcome all the help I can. Probably get a few warlords around here for a bit,\u201d Russell stated. \u201cWhat is the situation along the Shadowlands?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe invaders retreated back before the 1st army could arrive.\u201d Tess said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo things are back to normal,\u201d Russell said as Tess and Lisa shared a look.<\/p>\n \u201cDoubtful, the guy behind it is very slippery and cunning,\u201d Tess answered. \u201cHe and I have a history.\u201d<\/p>\n She watched as Russell seemed thoughtful about that before saying anything else. \u201cShould I watch out for anything unusual behind my defenses?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNormally no, but with this guy, yes,\u201d Tess told him.<\/p>\n \u201cThen we\u2019ll be cautious,\u201d Russell said. \u201cWhen are you leaving?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as the Royal Guard squads are in position to move out,\u201d Tess said. She wanted to get to the Shadowlands and figure out what was going on herself.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re ready, waiting on your orders,\u201d Lisa said.<\/p>\n \u201cThen tell the men to move out,\u201d Tess told her before turning towards Russell. \u201cIf you need anything inform the palace, they\u2019ll be able to get in touch with me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOf course Empress,\u201d Russell replied, with a slight bow, which she returned before heading off with Lisa and the waiting men and women of the Royal Guard.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Tess walked into the 3rd army HQ, feeling fear in the air as they realized who was in their midst. She walked over to her tent seeing the guards shift uncomfortably at her approach.<\/p>\n She walked in anxious and disappointed, when she did not see Ami anywhere in the tent. She then frowned realizing she had not seen Janice at all either. She did not recall seeing either of them while walking though the camp. She walked back out focusing on the guard who swallowed slightly.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, where is my servant and guard?\u201d Tess demanded, looking the guard in the eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cEmpress, I don\u2019t know,\u201d he stammered.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t know?\u201d Tess said, stepping closer so she was nose to nose with the guard. She could feel his fear as she glanced around for some sort of escape route. \u201cWhat do you mean you don\u2019t know?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know empress,\u201d another voice said, she turned to see a captain walking towards her.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd how is it you don\u2019t know?\u201d Tess asked, her patience running out on the conversation. She wanted to know where Ami was and she wanted to know now.<\/p>\n \u201cEmpress, we were ambushed by a small group of Zero-Mages using crude projectile weapons,\u201d the captain finally said, obviously fearful.<\/p>\n \u201cZero-Mages, here?\u201d Tess asked, looking at the other guards now.<\/p>\n \u201cYes Empress, we only know they killed two soldiers, two civilians and an eye-witness stated the guard for your slave was shot,\u201d one the guard said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd what else?\u201d Tess asked, her anger at the situation growing with each passing word.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have no idea where the guard is,\u201d the guard said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey came in without warning and went right after your slave calling her a Zero-Mage as well,\u201d the captain said, as Tess\u2019 attention returned to him.<\/p>\n \u201cHow were they acting?\u201d Tess asked, knowing they could act very well.<\/p>\n \u201cThey seemed confused about her,\u201d the captain said. \u201cShe seemed scared about them and witnesses thought they heard the name Gregory and that he wanted all Zero-Mages with him.\u201d<\/p>\n Gregory\u2019s name caused Tess to cool down slightly. He had zeroed in on Ami and now the question came up why? Ami seemed to have no connection to Gregory that Tess had been able to tell with all of her conversations with Ami. The young woman had, Tess thought, been completely honest. If she had been lying then Ami was the best liar Tess had ever seen.<\/p>\n \u201cLisa!\u201d she yelled out, waiting only a moment before the captain appeared running up to her.<\/p>\n \u201cEmpress, is something wrong?\u201d Lisa asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it seems like we had some visitors while we were away,\u201d Tess replied, looking at Lisa. The short Royal Guard captain seemed confused by Tess\u2019 words. \u201cA couple of Zero-Mages decided to stop by, and it appears they were after my slave and hurt Janice.\u201d<\/p>\n Tess watched as Lisa recognized the name of the guard who had been left behind.<\/p>\n \u201cIs she all right?\u201d Lisa asked.<\/p>\n Tess tuned towards the captain raising an eyebrow at him.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t know, we haven\u2019t been able to find her since the attack,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI know that she was shot by the Zero-Mage weapon but no one saw her taken by any of them. The medics did not see anyone with such a wound,\u201d one of the guards said.<\/p>\n \u201cPrepare to move out, have a couple of transports ready to go shortly,\u201d Tess said to Lisa, watching the Royal Guard captain leave to carry out the order. She felt some anger at the situation but also confusion about why Gregory targeted Ami.<\/p>\n \u201cYou seem to be distracted Empress,\u201d a voice said, causing Tess to turn seeing, a short old man walking towards her leaning on a walking stick. Tess recognized him as the Segic called Gallic.<\/p>\n \u201cYou seem to only show up when needed,\u201d Tess said, unsure if she should be worried about his appearance or not. \u201cDo you have any advice or just passing through?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA bit of both,\u201d he replied, not backing down, despite the size difference between the two of them.<\/p>\n \u201cWell perhaps you can enlighten me a bit,\u201d Tess said.<\/p>\n \u201cTime is growing short, that much is true,\u201d Gallic said. \u201cThe Enokrad will awaken if you do not do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo where do I go?\u201d Tess said, a bit annoyed. She had little idea about what, or where the Enokrad was. \u201cYou\u2019ve mentioned this before yet have no other information for me. Should I go after the Zero-Mages or someone else? Do I head into the Shadowlands or defend a place inside my Empire? I need information!\u201d<\/p>\n Tess looked down into Gallic\u2019s blue eyes, but saw no answers. Tess turned to head after her lost pleasure slave and Gregory. If he was behind this then going after him might stop this Enokrad, or whatever, from awakening.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you must go that direction then you must, I do not know which direction you must go, the future has not revealed itself to me,\u201d Gallic said. \u201cOnly that awakening is close now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThen I don\u2019t know what I can do. I will go with my gut instinct, it rarely fails me,\u201d Tess replied, watching as Lisa returned.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo transports will be ready to go in an hour,\u201d Lisa said.<\/p>\n \u201cGood, get something to eat,\u201d Tess said, walking towards the HQ office to see if anything that came in that she might be able to use. She heard the clunk of the walking stick keeping up with her, she stopped and turned towards him. \u201cPlan on following me?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cActually, yes I do,\u201d he replied back, taking Tess aback with his honesty. \u201cI could be very useful to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Tess doubted his usefulness. He had only told her that the Enokrad is awakening but nothing else. She had no idea if anything she did would make it worse or not. She also had no idea if this Enokrad was actually real or not. He might have her chasing legends and myths.<\/p>\n \u201cWell don\u2019t get in the way,\u201d Tess finally said, wondering if taking him along would even be a good idea.<\/p>\n \u201cSo where is that lovely girl that was with you last time?\u201d Gallic said, looking around as they approached the offices.<\/p>\n \u201cKidnapped it seems,\u201d Tess replied, not looking back at him. She reached the office without any further comments from Gallic, but he never paused in his steps at the news, or he already knew about it.<\/p>\n \u201cEmpress, um, is there something I can do for you?\u201d the person behind the desk asked, looking very startled at the fact Tess had entered the room.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, any reports for me?\u201d Tess asked quickly, looking down at the parchments on the desk and over at the table.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, I don\u2019t recall seeing anything Empress, I shall check again to make sure,\u201d he said, quickly rising and going through the papers.<\/p>\n He started to look when a chime indicated a new message. Tess grabbed it before he could make if over to the table. She glared at him for a second, until he continued looking. Tess glanced down to the note in her hand, realizing it was addressed to her.<\/p>\n The note came from Janice which surprised Tess a bit. She knew the guard had at least survived the initial attack, and hoped the note said something useful. Quickly reading though the note she discovered that Janice considered Ami as a Zero-Mage, and probably an enemy, tracking her for some sort of revenge. Tess looked at the note again, realizing that she had no way to respond to the guard.<\/p>\n The one important part of the note indicated that Janice had followed the Zero-Mages and she had indicated where they went. She glanced at the map with this new knowledge. Janice indicated a place near the Shadowlands, and away from the larger towns. She concluded the large towns were not Gregory\u2019s target.<\/p>\n She quickly reached for some parchment and wrote down a note for both Becca and Carrie about the information before sending it off to them. Then she walked back out with Gallic behind her, having some plan in motion.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Ami spent the time trying to remain in the shadows hoping to avoid talking with anyone in the group. She looked for any way to escape, but had no way to do so as every place she seemed to go in the area had at least two or three people, all of whom kept a close eye on her.<\/p>\n She found herself back in the main room, where the leaders seemed to be hanging out. Ami glanced over as a person walked into the room. She watched the guy almost run up to the leader, who she recalled his name as Gregory.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Gregory said harshly.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, sir, we\u2019ve discovered that someone followed your group back from the far border when you brought her,\u201d the guy said, pointing over at Ami who flinched slightly at that.<\/p>\n \u201cSo the group was followed, have you caught him?\u201d Gregory said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe tried, but the Protectors got her first,\u201d the guy replied back, giving a name Ami had not heard yet. She watched Gregory twist his moustache a bit between two fingers, thinking about what to do next.<\/p>\n \u201cHow did they find out about him before us?\u201d Gregory finally asked. \u201cI thought we had destroyed them?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI-I don\u2019t\u2019 know, but it seemed as if we missed a few of them,\u201d the guy replied back.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t need failure so close to our goal,\u201d Gregory said finally.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat me to go and finish them?\u201d the guy named Paul said.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, we\u2019re too close to start chasing ghosts, we\u2019ll step up our plans that\u2019s all,\u201d Gregory said. \u201cWe have the necessary groups assembled, and there is nothing that bitch can do about it anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n Ami had no idea what Gregory was talking about and really wanted nothing to do with it all. The only thing she really wanted to do was go back to Tess, and imagine this entire episode never happened.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure that\u2019s wise?\u201d Mary said, from where she sat doodling on some paper.<\/p>\n \u201cIts fine, once we start nothing can stop us,\u201d Gregory said.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re sure about it, then I\u2019m with you,\u201d Paul said. \u201cThe sooner we get out of here, the better for me.\u201d<\/p>\n No one said anything for several seconds, until the same Soulvier woman Ami had seen before walked into the room. From her appearance, she seemed very excited about something as she made her way right to Gregory.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have something?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have it, one of those stubborn Protectors finally cracked under the pressure,\u201d she said smiling. Ami thought her eyes even looked to be alit with joy over this situation.<\/p>\n \u201cWell,\u201d Gregory said, looking around at the group. \u201cI guess we finally know where to go.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI shall inform the rest of the group, our time has finally come, it\u2019s been too long,\u201d the Soulvier said, handing Gregory a piece of paper then walked out of the room almost skipping with joy.<\/p>\n Ami watched the group turn towards Gregory, as the door closed shut.<\/p>\n \u201cPack up, inform the army to prepare to move out,\u201d he said, reading the paper then looking down at what appeared to be a map. \u201cWe\u2019re heading here. Go tell the generals, we proceed with the plan now.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cY-Yes sir,\u201d the man who had brought the message said, running back out of the room. \u201cMary, take care of our newbie over there, make sure she knows what to do when the time comes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo problem,\u201d Mary said. Ami watched as the blonde looked over at her, causing Ami to wonder what the woman was thinking. She really did not want to do anything that might cause a problem for Tess, or her new home. She felt trapped once again, like she did when on trial. Nothing she would do would change what would happen.<\/p>\n She watched Mary make her way over to where she stood as many of the others walked out of the room obviously preparing for something. She looked up as Mary stopped in front of her.<\/p>\n \u201cIt simple, we go along and make sure that the others don\u2019t try anything to stop us, especially those of the resurrection group, the fools think we\u2019re actually trying to help them achieve their goals,\u201d Mary said smiling, at what she thought had been a joke.<\/p>\n Ami merely nodded wondering if her chance to escape had disappeared. The more she thought about going back to Earth, the less she wanted to return. She had a better life here than at any time back in the world she came from.<\/p>\n End part 10<\/p>\n Continued in Part 11<\/a><\/p>\n Comment below or send to AJMarks01@aol.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Disclaimers: See part 1 Fortunatus Light of Dark by AJ Marks Part 10 Tess returned her wand to its sheath as the Grunt army surrendered to her. She motioned for her troops to capture those still alive, as medics came out onto the field to try and help those that they could. The battle had […]
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