Despite resting for a while my head still hurts and I feel a little dizzy. I haven’t been able to eat or drink anything either because of nausea I’m feeling. If it wasn’t for that large plume of smoke in the direction of Freeport I’d probably wait until this passes before heading off.

I’ve regained some of my mana but it’s not enough. Guess I don’t have a choice, for the time being, I’ll need to walk. As long as there are no other problems I should arrive sometime before dark. Lady Eleanor has her own guards and the bunker even if they enter the city, so for the time being, it should be ok.

Will Freeport still be Freeport by tonight though? Capturing a city should probably take a decent amount of time using the equipment they use. Classical references said before mages and cannons were made use of taking a walled city could take months. Is that the same here?

I wonder what affect ogres and warbeasts have in conquering cities. Lady Eleanor’s description of warbeasts almost seems unreal. She made it sound like they could run straight through the walls of the city. If beasts like that were available why would they bother with siege weapons?

In fairytales, ogres were large viscous demi-humans who were incredibly powerful and almost impossible to kill with hand-held weapons. If that’s true then they would be a very troublesome opponent. I still can’t come to grips with the existence of ogres or other races besides humans.

Legends speak of many different races living in the Northern Territories. After this is over I should look into how true those legends are. Some of the legends say there are races that are friends of humanity, but there are also those who treat humans as food like livestock.

I should really try to learn a few arcane spells as well. I have hardly any talent for it though. I think my main problem is how I connect with my mana. I’ve always connected with it like it was a different sense. It’s how I’ve been taught and it’s what feels natural to me. It’s almost like using the mana to form a spell, but arcanists form the spell then fill it with mana right?

Hmm…, so maybe it’s the order that causes me problems. I think my tutor once said something about that. I really should have paid closer attention to those lessons. Thinking back I really only cared about using magic and not studying it. I was a foolish child. Now that I’m in the Northern Territories it will be difficult to find a tutor on arcane magic.

Well had I stayed in the Empire it wouldn’t have mattered too much. As a mage, your job was to get strong as quickly as possible so you could be of use to the Empire. Most mages don’t have the luxury of mastering two systems of magic. Especially when one of the systems requires large amounts of rote memorization.

From the Empire’s standpoint, they’d rather have more elemental mages. We require less training so we can begin producing results quicker. But from an academic standpoint arcane would probably be the way to go wouldn’t it? After all arcane spells can become very complicated.

Mages have always been military resources. There are no pure schools which focus solely on the study of magic that I know of. What was it like in other countries though? If someone was allowed to simply study magic just for the sake of studying it what would become of it?

When I leave Freeport I should put more thought into it. That mana burst spell and mana shield spell were really impressive. I could probably replicate them with water, maybe even earth, but neither of those elements would hold out like his shield did.

Could I possibly manipulate my mana outside of my body without the aid of an element? Or perhaps I can use air instead. Infuse air with mana and somehow solidify it. But can air be solidified? I’ve never heard of it before, but it might be worth investigating.

That burst of mana was really incredible though. Such a massive amount of mana exploding out; I was helpless against it and got extremely lucky. I wouldn’t exactly call it a fully offensive spell though. It was more defensive than anything else. If I wasn’t trying to get close to him it wouldn’t have been very effective.

But It reminds me of the rumor of those mana bombs the head of the Osborne family is said to be able to produce. He is one of 3 rank 10 mages in the Empire. Being able to forcibly explode mana is supposedly a rank 9 spell but it requires an enormous amount of mana so virtually no one is able to do it.

From what I remember if enough mana is compacted into a small enough area it will explode. It’s a devastating spell that can potentially destroy a small city. Not all of it actually explodes either. Most of it remains as condensed chunks of mana that spread rapidly in all directions.

Any normal person and mages rank 4 and below will succumb to mana sickness from the mana chunks, and many of those people end up dying. It’s one of the reasons the Osborne family is so powerful.

I remember overhearing my father complaining about the Emperor marrying off his sister to the head of the Osborne family in an attempt to keep a leash on them. He said he’s an abusive man with a terrible temper and he hates having to deal with him.

One can hardly blame the emperor though. A powerful weapon you can’t control is more of a curse than a blessing. How would I handle it if I was the Emperor? Would I try to buy him off using my sister as well? Do what’s best for your country by sacrificing your sister, or do what’s best for your sister’s well-being. What a difficult situation.

Then again the Emperor must be faced with difficult issues all the time, and it was my father who said it. It wouldn’t surprise me if the man wanted her for himself and was upset because he didn’t get her. Who knows, but it’s rare for royalty or nobles to marry for love anyways.

This is almost like when I came to Freeport for the first time. Walking through the grass while my mind wanders all over the place. Hopefully, I’m able to make it back in time. Otherwise I became an enemy of the Osborne’s for no reason.

Well, Candor’s are considered traitors now right? So maybe we’re already enemies, still, I’m sure killing one of them isn’t a step in the right direction. This has turned into a complete mess. It’s almost laughable really.

And this damn grass. I’m sick of grass. I hope the trip to Asmuth isn’t weeks of grass as well. At this point, I’d rather travel for weeks underground than look at this grass any longer. I really hope this was worth it.

********

“Lady CeeCee what is the meaning of this!?”

“Weston please calm yourself. Why don’t you sit back down before you do anything rash.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down Isaac, I’d expect this from you, but everyone else here as well? You’d sell out your people for profit? Have you all gone mad!”

What are they thinking!? Do they realize how many people will die because of them in this war? This is an absolute betrayal of their duty to protect the citizens of Freeport.

“Enough Alan! You haven’t even let us finish and you’re already acting out like a child. Let Lady CeeCee finish what she was saying before you rush to judgment.”

“Finish what exactly Burton? You’ve made it clear that you’ve sided with Elkia and have essentially handed over the city to them. What more do you want to say?”

“Have you thought about why we would do that Alan? Every one of us here is the head of a family who can trace their roots back to the founding of Freeport. Have you asked why we would do that? Or did you just assume it’s because we are looking to fill our coffers with Elkian gold?”

“What do you mean Lady CeeCee?”

“Elkia is not an enemy we can defeat Alan. Freeport is in decline, soon we will not even be able to produce enough food for the people of this city. Everyone on the council knows this including you.”

“That’s because of this damn drought and the warring tribes. We can restructure trade agreements and pass new...”

“Alan stop. Freeport’s decline has been going on for much longer than the length of this drought. The city is dying. We have nothing to trade anymore. And even if we did who would we trade with? Our largest trade partner is Penrith, and Elkia is eyeing them as well. If we continue on this course Freeport will collapse in on itself.”

“That doesn’t have to be the case! And even if it was it would still be better than becoming slaves to Elkia! At least the people would be able to decide their own fates. ”

“And where would the people go Alan? The Corinth Alliance? Penrith? How will so many people travel such great distances? Do you think a mass migration will escape the eyes of the barbarians? Even if they didn’t need to worry about the barbarians or bandits how would they travel for such a length of time without enough food? Most people in this city would starve.”

Even if what she says is true why the ruse? Why are we fighting this fake war? I cannot accept this.

“Then why are our guards fighting and dying right now if you intend to hand this city over anyways? Why the pointless death of our military?”

“It’s because of people like you Weston!”

“What do you mean by people like me Isaac?”

“People that can’t come to terms with the reality of the situation. General Kurtis commanded the military and he refused Elkia’s offers to him. Even now his men are fiercely loyal and would rather die than become part of Elkia. So this is the result. A pointless war where our men will die and lose. It is because they are stubborn fools that are unable to see the bigger picture, and that is exactly what you are!”

“Then what becomes of the people once Elkia takes over? What of the women and children who will lose their husbands and fathers at the hands of the Elkian military?”

“They’ll become Elkian citizens and receive aid of course.”

“A piece of paper will not make the people of Freeport Elkian citizens! It will not make families forget the deaths of their loved ones. Our citizens have always been able to come and go as they please, they will not accept the tyrannical rule of the Elkian monarch and military.”

“What you said is true. We expect there will be some pushback to Elkian rule. There will be revolts, rebels, and an increase in crime for some time.”

“And what do you and your new Elkian leaders plan to do about that?”

“The same thing Elkia does in every city it conquers, they appeal to the people by raising the standards of living. New construction, repair of any damages, exemption of taxes for an extended period of time. And they’ll stamp out any rebellions with their massive military.”

“And they’ll conscript our young men and force them to fight will they not?”

“It is true that a portion of the young men will be conscripted, but the majority of them will spend their service time right here in Freeport. It will not be that different from our current guards.”

“You will let them rape our women and conscript our sons, and you all agree to this?”

“Weston where do you hear these things? Yes, it’s true a portion of the population will be conscripted, there is no way around it, but that does not mean all men will be. And sadly I cannot say there will be no crimes committed by the military, however, rumors do not always match reality. There would be no reason for large portions of their armies to hunt women down to rape them, we have dozens upon dozens of brothels within this city.

“Dozens of brothels? Are you admitting the reason for the increase in female sex slaves in this city is because of this? Have you been preparing sex slaves so you could welcome Elkia with open arms and turn a profit you bastard!”

“You arrogant self-righteous prick! You act as though I go and raid villages to steal women. Those girls were going to be sold into slavery no matter what! At least in my brothels they’re properly cared for, that’s more than can be said for others.”

“Sold into slavery no matter what? You buffoon! Would slavers go capturing as many girls as they have if you weren’t buying them en masse? Some of them are just little girls, have you no shame? Do you not fear the wrath of your ancestors? Or has the Wolfe family always been a sick bunch who enjoys the torture of little girls!?”

“Hold your tongue Weston. Insult me if you will, but do not bring up my ancestors or so help me I will place you in my brothels as well as a treat for those with special tastes.”

“So you are threatening me now Isaac?

“Yes, Weston, I am threatening you.”

“Isaac that’s enough. Alan, we have made many preparations for the Elkian military. Some of them you may not agree with, some of them most of us don’t agree with, but they were necessary to ensure the safety of our own people. It is regretful but some of the choices we’ve made we are not proud of. We have an obligation to the whole of Freeport, and as tragic as their fate may be, we cannot allow our emotions and morals overrule what is logically the best way forward.”

“Is that really how you feel Esra? That we should ignore our morality and sacrifice the few for the sake of the many? Is that how all of you feel?”

“That’s right Alan, that is how we feel. We have an opportunity to save our city from destruction by becoming a part of Elkia. Do not believe for one minute that we have not sacrificed for this as well.”

“Oh, you’ve sacrificed have you? And what have you sacrificed Esra? And you Lady CeeCee and Burton, what have you sacrificed? How about you Isaac, surely you’ve sacrificed as well then right? And Lando, you’re very quiet, it must be because you have sacrificed the most is that why?”

“So childish. What do you think happens to the leaders of the cities Elkia has conquered Weston? Do you think they enjoy a carefree life for the rest of their days? We will no longer be leaders here Weston. Our wealth will be stripped and used to pay for the military expenses and construction projects meant to appease the public. We will be lucky if we are able to keep our ancestral homes.”

“It would make sense that you believe sacrificing your wealth is the same as sacrificing your life Isaac, but I’d expect more from the rest of you.”

“Lady CeeCee I’m done with this fool. If he wishes to commit suicide then let him hold his head high enough for it to be met with Elkian steel. I have many things to see to before the arrival of General Mason, Lando let’s go.”

Who is General Mason? Is he the leader of the Elkian military. So Isaac plans to greet him like a dog does his master then? If the people knew of the council’s treachery they would surely revolt.

“Alan please don’t make this difficult for me. I was close to your father, and have always been a friend to you. Believe me when I tell you that this has been in the works for years, even before you became a member of the council. Your father even helped in some of the planning.”

“Do not bring my father into this Lady CeeCee. I know about your disgraceful relationship with my father and how much it hurt my mother. You may have been close, but I absolutely refuse to believe he would ever sell out his own people, not even for a temptress such as yourself.”

“Alan watch your tone! There is a limit to how rude you can be!”

“It’s fine Burton, If that is how Alan chooses to see me then I shall say no more. Although it pains me to say this, I will leave the decision to you.”

“Very well. Alan, we have tried reasoning with you, but it appears as though it was a waste of our time. For now, you will be placed in our custody until General Mason can decide your fate. Randall, please apprehend him.”

Randall? What he’s here? Is he part of this as well? That’s impossible! Randall has been loyal to my family for years!

“Lord Weston I apologize, please come with me.”

“Randall, is this some kind of a joke? Have you gone mad!? You would betray me and my family? What are they promising you!?”

“Randall please take him to the military prison in the western barracks.”

“Understood Lady CeeCee.”

“Randall you traitor! Burton, Esra, Lady CeeCee! I swear on my ancestors I will make you pay for your treachery! Let go of me you…, what did you…, pay… you’ll pay…”

********

I can hardly say I’m surprised by the outcome. Maybe I was a little hopeful though. So the Weston family line will end with Alan after all.

“Lady CeeCee are you really ok with this? You know what this means don’t you?”

“Yes, it is not at all what I had hoped for, but it is Alan’s choice Burton. If time permits I will try to talk to him again once he calms down. But right now he is too worked up. In the end, it will be up to the General to decide. But he will probably deem Alan to be a threat capable of organizing an uprising.”

It would have been best if it were just the two of us. Having Isaac with us was a mistake. Alan has always disliked him, but of all the people on the council, Isaac is losing the most. Isaac easily could have taken his wealth and left. But instead, nearly 90 percent of his fortune will be taken and used towards Elkian public programs offered to the citizens.

It is also the main reason we are able to remove taxes from merchants and citizens for the next 2 years. Isaac isn’t even retaining the family head position. After Elkia successfully implements its new system of governance Isaac will be handing over his position to his son. Not having Isaac appear in this meeting was simply not possible.

It’s true some of the things we have done are despicable. No one can say their hands are clean. Perhaps there were other ways to handle it, better ways, but this was how it was agreed upon and it is too late to change what we have done.

“Such a shame really, then what will happen with his family? He’s recently married to the Ashton girl.”

“Leave it to the general to decide Burton, Lady CeeCee I wouldn’t bother any further, it is only a waste of your time and you still have your own household to take care of.”

“We all have much to do with our own houses Esra. Well, I’ll still visit him sometime after things calm down, I’d hate for it to end this way. Then Burton, Esra, I will be taking my leave. Take care until we meet again.”

It’s best to ready ourselves for the storm to come. We’ll most likely be busy meeting with General Mason over the next few days. Sorry Alan, but you may need to stay put for a while. Maybe we can still salvage this situation.

********

Who would have ever imagined the battle would play out like this. Ogre’s on-ice attacking the steel canal gate. Am I the only one who finds this all too comical? Taking Freeport can be considered to be a great military feat. It is a great honor the king has given me, but how will others view it after reading our reports?

I want to laugh at the thought of it, and if I wasn’t the commanding officer giving the orders I probably would. Well, either way, we should be entering the city shortly. These steel gates are not much of a match for ogres. They were meant to prevent ships from entering, no one could predict something like this.

Which brings into question how we are going to defend this and other cities from future attacks? If we face an assault against a powerful mage how will we stop them from entering the city with their armies? I hope the king has some idea of how to deal with it.

“Colonel ready the troops. When that gate is finally ripped off I want a platoon of ogres and 4 regiments rushing in to secure this wall. It looks like our boats will be in place for the time being so we’ll be marching in after it is secure.”

“Yes sir!”

It will take a little longer but even with the delay we shouldn’t have a problem capturing the council house by nightfall. Tonight and tomorrow the raids will occur from the Northsmen. We need to secure the walls and make sure they hold up their end of the deal or we’ll be forced to fight them in the city.

I feel sorry for the people they capture, but they’re a necessary evil that will help us rule this city in relative peace. A lot of innocent people are going to die in the next couple of days. Let’s hope it’s not for no reason.

“General, a report from Colonel Dyer.”

“Go ahead and read it.”

“Yes sir, he says they have successfully taken the northern bridges. Ogres have taken down the drawbridges and they have let a small force of the Northsmen enter to clean up the remaining resistance. He wants to know if we need his assistance.”

His assistance huh? Does the Colonel think I’m unable to take the gate without him? Then again our last report didn’t exactly paint the most glorious of pictures. That sure was quick though. Were the northern defenses even worse than we thought they would be?

“Has he said anything about escape via river?”

“No, but in his previous message he said the boom tower was up and he had men stationed ready to intercept any who try to escape.”

Well the canal and river should be dry now, it would just be an escape through the mud. He’s a thorough man so there really shouldn’t be any problems. Still, we don’t want people escaping. We need to keep the details of our battle as quiet as possible.

“Alright, tell him we will not need his assistance and he is not to enter the city. Instead, continue allowing the Northsmen trickle in slowly to wreak havoc. Don’t let anyone escape. Unless there is an issue we will not contact him again until tonight.”

The people in the city must be extremely confused right now. First attack bells, then an earth shake, and now the river has run dry. It’s become a storm of chaos that the Northsmen will flourish in. It’s one we need to take advantage of as well. If we can calm the masses quickly it will go a long way towards peacefully ruling this city. We need to get the supplies in quickly though.

This river stunt will slow it down a bit, but, hopefully we’ll be able to repair any damage and supply aid to the people quickly. We’ll need to leave Mr. Osborne here with the boats to wait for his brother and for the river.

And let’s just hope his brother is the one to return. He’s confident in his brother’s ability, but there is no such thing as a guaranteed victory. If his brother doesn’t return I hope he’s not the type to take out his anger on others. I’m not confident any of us can handle him.

“General the ogres have taken out the gate and our men have begun entering the city. We should have control of the wall shortly.”

“Good work. I’ll go talk with the mage and then we’ll begin our march to victory. Tonight Freeport will officially become an Elkian territory.”

********

“Yes Colonel, we are to remain outside of the city walls and continue allowing the Northsmen entry.”

What a cruel fate some of these people will face. I understand the reasoning but I can’t say I like it. The details of this are to remain secret but there is no way that will happen. Sooner or later the truth of what we’ve done will leak. That resentment they’ll feel will definitely help pockets of resistance recruit members that will be almost impossible to root out.

“Alright, tell the chief we’ll allow 500 of his men into the city every hour for the next 8 hours and then the rest of them can enter. We don’t want all of them to rush in at once. They’ll be able to spread out a bit more but hopefully it will limit the physical damage.”

The General estimates close to 50 to 75 thousand people will be captured or slaughtered by the Northsmen in the next day. It’s truly a staggering number. The northern section of the city holds the majority of the refugees that have already fled their homes once relying on the safety the walls and military of Freeport could provide.

Most of the wealthier families live on the southern side of the canal, though we expect there to be some attacks on the larger families generally they have their own private guards. The Northsmen will most likely target the less guarded households.

It is true that culling the city’s population will help when it comes to supplies this winter, but I can’t help but feel nauseous at the thought of what’s to come. I don’t like dealing with the Northsmen at all. Most communication with the chief I leave to the major.

It’s the way they look at us that bothers me the most. As if they are superior to us in some way. It is true that on a one on one basis they are better warriors. Most men stand over 6 and a half feet tall. They are bigger, stronger, and faster.

But what is so great about that? If you ask me they are slightly more intelligent than ogres but not quite as strong. They lack any semblance of civility and if they were part of Elkia they would be used as nothing more than front-line fighters.

It’s only a matter of time before we come into a major conflict with them. Their way of life will surely end in the future and they’ll be forced to submit to Elkia or perish. For now we’re buying them off. But Elkia will not always deal so kindly with them.

“Colonel the chief says he understands and agrees to what you have proposed.”

“Very well, inform our men at the boom tower to prepare for an exodus. The river may be dry but there are bound to be some who are willing to brave the mud to avoid the raids. Also we expect the river will begin flowing again within the next day or two.”

I can only hope the Northsmen agree to our deal and the gods take mercy on the people of Freeport.

********

“Lady Eleanor, our guards have informed us it’s the barbarians. They have breached the northern wall and have begun raiding the city. I recommend we retreat to the bunker immediately.”

The barbarians? How were they able to breach our walls? This doesn’t make any sense.

“Gerard what of my family?”

“Lady Annabelle has arrived with her husband and child already and your son has gone to greet them. As for sir Ellis and Lady Grace…, we have not been able to locate sir Ellis and Lady Grace is still in Lord Weston’s estate.”

So Belle has arrived safely then, but that husband of mine, there’s no doubt in my mind he’s at the brothels.

“What of Lord Weston?”

“There is no word of him, he was last seen meeting with members of the council this morning, however, the council has already dispersed but Lord Weston was not seen leaving.”

Could he still be in the council house? But for what purpose? Or is it possible he left through an unknown route? That doesn’t make any sense at all though unless he was planning on going to meet with the military.

“Gerard where are the barbarians right now?”

“Currently they are still in the northern sections of the city but are spreading out as more pour in. At this rate, they may be able to make it south of the canal within the next few hours.”

This is bad. Has our army fallen to such a state that they are unable to even slow the barbarians down?

“Send a message to Grace, with or without Lord Weston I want her on a carriage immediately. Have the rest of my family join me in the bunker along with our two guards. We do not want to take any risks.”

“Understood Lady Eleanor I will send for them immediately.”

This is too fast. Don’t tell me all of our planning has still led to a rushed escape. I can only hope Mr. Jayce can make it here before things get too out of hand.

********

“Lady Grace I am sorry but we are unable to allow you to leave. We are under specific orders to keep you here at all costs from Lord Weston. It is for your own protection.”

“Lord Weston has no right to prevent me from visiting my family! If you will not prepare a carriage for me then I will walk to my family’s estate.”

“I’m sorry Lady Grace but that is not possible. We are currently at war and the barbarians have already entered the city. It is simply not safe right now. You will be safe as long as you remain here.”

“If they have already entered the city that means they have broken through our walls, how will you defend against a force capable of breaking through our city’s walls?”

“Our guards are some of the most highly trained and loyal guards in all of Freeport. The barbarians will not break through our defenses so easily. They are scavengers who attack the weak. And at the very least our defenses are much stronger than the defenses of your house. Please rest assured, Lord Weston would not risk your safety.”

This is not good. I knew I should have left this morning. Mother told me they had a way to escape the city, but if I am unable to make it to them I will be trapped here. When Lord Weston arrives I must convince him to leave no matter what.

********

Unreal, is that ice? It’s still a bit far but I am certain that is ice. Could they really have frozen such an enormous part of the river? That section must easily be 2 miles long. There is no way the mage who did this is below rank 8. They may be even more powerful. Is it the other Osborne then?

There is a lot of smoke coming from inside of the city, which means the army has already made it through Freeport’s walls. Lady Eleanor should be fine as long as they have stuck to the plan. This attack was earlier than expected though, so hopefully her family was able to make it.

The city entrances should be closed, and I will need to be careful of scouts. It’s not going to be easy to enter the city at all. My mana has recovered sufficiently to tunnel underneath, but the problem is the mage that froze the river.

If he is an elemental mage with an affinity in earth then he may be able to detect my presence if I move underground and get too close. It will probably be safer if I go around and enter from the south. It will take longer, but after the battle with Philip, I don’t believe I have the strength to take on another mage.

And that’s only assuming I could win at full strength. He may be an opponent I am unable to compete against. This makes escaping towards Asmuth before they take full control of the city even more important. There is no way I can protect a group in an open battle against a mage of similar or greater strength.

So digging that pit was nothing but a waste of time in the end. I still don’t think it was a bad plan based on the information we had, but what a colossal mistake that was. There’s not much left for me to do other than escape. It looks like it’s too late for anything else, Freeport has fallen.