One week later:
Erodyne sat calmly in his throne as his messenger, Darris, once again stood in his presence. The messenger, however, was not very calm at all. In fact, he was very anxious. It was not good news he bore. With a slight shaking of his hands, he took a bow at the Tokenmaster's feet, and began to speak.
"Erodyne," he paused, the name still felt weird on his lips, "Sir, I have another report for you, if you would hear it?"
"I see, my dear friend. Why is it that you're so nervous?" the Tokenmaster smiled, "You shake like a leaf. I would hear your report gladly, whether it be good or otherwise." As he said it, Erodyne stood from his seat and helped Darris to his feet. Darris still shook slightly, hoping that the news would not send Erodyne into a frenzy.
"It is ill new I harbor," Darris said quietly.
"Well, speak it for me then."
"The assault parties you sent out to the towns of Eda and Chroma, they both failed. There were soldiers there already guarding Eda, as if an attack was expected. And Chroma, well... no one knows what happened there. The villagers went crazy and fought back. It is reported that they were joined by a few Eldian soldiers, but no one knows who. No Token that was sent to Chroma lived to give a description of them."
"That is disheartening," Erodyne said with a light voice, "Hmm, it is very interesting that villagers would attack trained soldiers. Not to mention win against them. Good for them."
Darris did not expect the Tokenmaster to be so good-natured about it. Now he spoke with more comfort. "Also... the Eldians have nearly won the battle at Krenshai. A lot of our soldiers lay dead at their hands."
"Ah," Erodyne replied, a tranquil smile still present on his face, "Very well. I will send out the rest of my troops, now. Hopefully these will fare better than my last. I expect them to, for they are all better trained than the others. Not to mention, there is nothing more deadly than a broken spirit."
"I see."
"Is there any other news that you have to tell me?"
"Not that I can think of, Sir Erodyne. There are a few men outside that came back from Eda. They will be able to tell you more than I what happened there," Darris said, "And... they brought a gift for you, I should think."
"Ah," now the Tokenmaster looked very pleased, "How very polite of them. Go out to them and tell them that they may come in. I await their presence."
Darris simply nodded and ran out.
Two minutes later, one of the few men came into the room. His pace was brisk and his face stern as he marched up to the Tokenmaster. When he reached Erodyne, he dipped into a quick bow of respect. He only held it for a few seconds before standing upright, looking directly into his master's eyes.
"Ah, it is nice to see you, Captain Regis," Erodyne said delightedly, "It has been quite a while since we last parlayed. I hear you have some news for me."
"Yes."
"I assume it is about what happened in Eda. Am I correct?" Erodyne asked, shifting in his seat, and filling a nearby goblet full of some sort of dark liquid, "Do you know more about why the attack failed, Captain. I heard a group of soldiers slayed the men that I sent to Chroma... but that's it."
"Yes. I'm afraid that is what happened with Eda as well. There were soldiers sent there to protect the village. And there were a great many of them. As if they knew that we were coming. Sir Erodyne, how could they have known that we were coming? Do we have traitors in our midst, or was it just a lucky guess?" he finished his statement with a question. Erodyne's eyed narrowed for a few moments... and he mulled over the information he had just received. The captain waited.
"Tis quite possible. But tell me this... I just lost a captain, correct? What was his name?" the Tokenmaster asked a question in return.
"Er... I think his name was Herringsworth, sir."
"And did they kill him? Or did they capture him?"
"I'm not sure. I never saw him killed. I only heard that he was bound and carried away," Regis said, "Why?"
"That's probably how they knew then. He was the captain that I first sent on the mission to attack Eda. But... when he was taken, I reassigned the task to you for completion. I'll bet they tortured it out of him, don't you?" Erodyne said, smile still present on his face, "For Eldians to call themselves just... it's a little far-fetched, don't you agree?"
"Er... perhaps. What do you want me to do next against the unjust Eldians?"
"Ah, nothing. For now. I am sending out the rest of my soldiers to Krenshai Caverns. That in itself should end the war. And do not be a hypocrite Regis, we are not killing them because they are unjust. We are also unjust. No, we are killing them because some of them deserve to die."
"Hm, well. Do you want me to march to the Caverns alongside them, then? I could do well against their armies," Captain Regis assured Erodyne, "As you know, I have had years of sword and battle training. I am a good for strategy. I could really help the war at the fronts, were you to have me march."
"I think I shall station you here at the fortress. I hear I have a few guests coming here in a little while. Perhaps I wish for you to entertain then," Erodyne said pleasantly, and took a sip from the goblet. For a second, the Token captain stared at his master in utter disbelief at his suggestion.
"Guests, master? You wish for me to stay and entertain your guests?"
"Ah, yes. That is what I wish. Do not look so doubtful. I call them guests... because I have nothing else to call them. I hear from a little birdie that the General Rothstead and his group are making their way here. I am sure that they plan to kill me. I want you to prevent that from happening. I shall die... but I shall die on my own terms," Erodyne explained, dusting off his sleeve. The captain looked around the room now. Now Regis was worried. A general? He was only a captain.
"You want me to stop an elite war general? When will they be here?"
"Yes, I do want that. And as for when. Why... I do not know. That is for you to find out, I suppose," Erodyne said, now looking visibly bored. The captain just stood there for a moment and observed the Tokenmaster, slightly baffled at the way Erodyne seemed to think about things. He was perplexed at how the Tokenmaster reacted to news.
"So you heard that the war general was coming with an array of his best soldiers, no doubt... to kill you? And you're still sending your armies out? You're leaving it to me to stop them? How do you not worry for your life, master?"
"Hm, because I have faith in you, captain. And as for my life... I can't say I value this existence. If I die, I will only hate it because the general will have gotten the satisfaction of killing me."
"Ah," Captain Regis didn't know what else to say, "Well... I guess I better prepare for what is to come then. Will I have any men to help me?"
"You will. The same men you took to Eda are still yours to have. I hear that there are still a good few of them, yes?" the Tokenmaster asked.
"There are, Sir Maug-Rin. But this is the scouting group of the general... do you think that only a few will be enough?" Captain Regis said. Erodyne couldn't help but notice how cynical his soldier was. The master stood up and placed a hand on Regis's shoulder. It was very impersonal, but it still managed to give Regis a little comfort. Well, along with a little of the exact opposite.
"You worry too much. You will not be the only men here. There will still a good bit of soldiers. You will simply be the ones that know that they are coming ahead of time. The others will not."
"Why don't you tell the others, then?"
"I would like to test their responses. Reflexes are a part of a soldier. I wonder if my men have good reflexes. It shall be a very interesting thing to see, will it not? Will they realize what is happening? Will they do their best to defend? Will they pride me in the work that they do? Or will they shame me? We shall see."
Regis shook his head.
"Forgive me for saying this, but you are a very strange man," he said to Erodyne, who smiled a little more at the remark.
"Of course I am strange," the Tokenmaster agreed, "When it comes to your opponents, being incomprehensible is always a good thing. It's what I like to call a leverage. Not to mention... I can't help being the way that I am. It was ingrained to me at an early age to be and to act a certain way."
"I see," Regis murmured.
At this, Erodyne smiled and raised a brow. With a quick tilt of his head, he spoke to his captain once more.
"Or do you?"
Silence followed. The captain simply was struck speechless by the question. He didn't see. Not at all. At this moment, Captain Regis wondered why his master was so different. He wondered the cause behind this war. He had not really spoken to Erodyne enough to know. Even with that, he knew it was probably a good reason. Even if the Tokenmaster was a bit unorthodox in some of his methods, he was a powerful man. A powerful man that Regis knew must have some increment of sense to him. After all, how else would he be in the position he was in? No. Erodyne definitely wasn't blind to reason.
"Well," Regis said with a cough, "On another note, we have something waiting for you outside."
"Ah," Erodyne said and sat again, "By all means, bring it in then."
Then, the captain went to the door and opened it. In walked six soldiers... and a girl. She seemed to be struggling a little in their grasp. After seeing Erodyne though, she went limp with fear.
"This is what we found for you, Tokenmaster. We found her in Eda. Quite lovely, isn't she? Quite rare too... how often does one come across a lady with blonde hair? Not to mention her eyes, they're blue," one man spoke to Erodyne.
"Ah, she is very pretty. But she also looks rather frightened to be here," Erodyne smiled easily, "I hope you did not hurt my guest on the way here. It would be of poor taste to scare a woman. It would not be very... nice."
"You know what's not very nice?" the girl sputtered in fear, trying her best to stand up for herself. "Kidnapping a woman from her home. I have a right to be scared. You are the one leading all this. You've attacked my village. You've attacked our county. You've killed Eldians. I may be a girl, but I know enough about this war to dislike you."
"Hmmm... pretty... but bold. Even for a weak thing such as herself," he laughed a little to her captors, and then he looked down at her.
"Tell me dearest girl, what is your name?"
The woman said nothing. Instead, she averted her eyes to the ground, avoiding him as best as she could. However, they saw that she didn't plan on answering. One of the men poked her back with a sword.
"Answer him, girl. Or you will regret it."
She looked back up at him.
"He will kill me anyways," her voice quaked a little.
"I will do no such thing without reason. After all, I like pretty things," Erodyne's voice was lilting, and he was no longer smiling, "What is your name?"
She sighed, feeling defeated.
"I am Lillian. Lillian Hartwood."