The Long Lake..." The group emerging from the woods stared at the expansive river before them.
"Plop!" A knight dismounted and knelt, followed by the rest of the party. Roland watched, surprised, as they all knelt with red eyes. Reynold grabbed a handful of soil from the riverbank and pressed it to his chest, weeping openly.
"Long Lake! Lagrand's people are back!" Reynold cried out, his voice breaking.
Tears flowed freely among the group. The empire's fall had left them scattered and homeless. Today, they finally returned to the land of their ancestors.
"For the revival of the empire!" An infantryman stood and shouted.
"For the Empire!"
"Long live Lagrand!"
Roland observed in silence. Though these men had seemed distant, almost like NPCs, he now felt deeply connected to them. They were real, with flesh and blood, capable of pain, joy, and death. They were his people, his family, and Lagrand's last hope.
"Rise up... Let's reclaim the northern jewel of the empireâEsgaroth!" Roland declared, narrowing his eyes with determination.
Roland knew Esgaroth wasnât part of Lagrandâs territory yet, but with his strength, he intended to claim it. A lord without land was hardly a lord, and Esgarothâs thousand inhabitants would form the foundation of his new empire.
Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
"Wait! Smaugâs death should be imminent..." Roland suddenly realized the urgency. If Esgaroth fell to Smaug, his plans would crumble.
"Everyone, move out! Quick march!" Roland commanded sharply.
...
Meanwhile, Thorin had reached Lake Town, staying in Bard's house and paying gold for weapons.
"Is this all? We paid gold for proper weapons, not these makeshift tools!" grumbled the dwarves, eyeing the modified hammers and harpoons.
The dwarvesâ outburst frightened Bardâs children, Baan and his two daughters.
"Thorin, let's make do with these for now," Bilbo suggested. "Weâve managed with worse."
...
Forming a swift formation, Rolandâs infantry scattered a group of orcs, swiftly moving through the dark forest.
"Death!" A Batanian archer felled an orc with a precise shot to the eye.
"Move quickly!" Roland ordered.
"Knights, stay together! Disperse the orcs and leave the rest to the infantry!" Reynold shouted.
"Archers, target any orcs breaching the line! Donât delayâwe're short on time!" Roland urged.
"Bang!" Rolandâs sword cleaved through an orcâs neck as he rode past.
"My lord, the dark forest is infested with orcs!" Reynold exclaimed.
"Then we cut through them! No one halts the Knightsâ advance or Lagrandâs revival!" Roland roared, covered in orc blood, his once golden armor now a grim purple-black.
The infantry formed a phalanx, spears bristling from their shields. They pushed forward relentlessly.
"These orcs are like cockroaches. Hundreds of them already!" Carlos panted.
With Roland and Reynoldâs divine inspirationâa paladin skill boosting morale and staminaâthe troops pressed on despite their exhaustion.
"Holy Inspiration!" Roland cast the aura over the infantry, their hurried steps becoming more coordinated.
"Keep going! Esgaroth is just ahead!" Roland encouraged.
A silver light suddenly illuminated themâthe reflection of Esgarothâs waters.
"Huh! Esgaroth!" someone exclaimed.
"It's Esgaroth! The Pearl of the North!"
"We're here!"
Excitement rippled through the ranks as they beheld the shimmering city.
"But how do we cross?" A voice cut through the cheers, bringing silence.
"My lord, we need a way to cross the river. Weâre exhausted," Reynold said solemnly.
Roland sighed in relief, remembering his contingency plan. He summoned ten Galen boats from his storage space, to the cheers of his men.
"Board the boats!" Roland ordered.
The men leapt into the lake, washing off blood as they swam to the boats. Some chopped wood to create a makeshift dock for their war horses.
"Is everyone aboard?" Roland asked.
"All accounted for, my lord!" Carlos assured him.
"Set sail!"
Under the sun, the city of Esgaroth loomed ahead.
"Esgaroth, Iâm coming," Roland whispered, eyes fixed on their goal.