Aleks rode at the head of a large army of Barbarians and Human soldiers. Some were from his original army, some were the captives who submitted, and others were the new Barbarian additions to their Horde. It was a strange mix of diverse races, cultures, and cla.s.ses. Normally, such a sight was not possible to be seen anywhere. Only a mighty DemiG.o.d under the right circ.u.mstances could possibly display such a sight. It was something which rarely, if ever, happened and it could be counted on one"s hands how many had succeeded in such a thing. Perhaps when speaking of Aleks, one could only speak of the Blood Lord or the Spider Queen in the same sentence.
Only such beings were on the same level and had accomplished similar feats. Even the Dragon King had not accomplished such and was merely a king of dragons and dragonmen.
Aleks was calm as he rode upon a black horse as dark as midnight, fully armored and appearing sinister. He wore his usual ensemble of royal purple robes which billowed in the wind and a black n.o.bleman"s suit. The mask had finally returned to its place upon his face and it was expressionless as it always was. He looked both majestic and frightening.
Lariel rode at his side looking pale as she occasionally covered her delicate lips to release a heartbreaking cough. She carried a handkerchief in her right hand which was decorated with spots of crimson from her own blood. She was wearing an exquisite black dress which seemingly came from nowhere. No one ever saw her with any luggage, but she always appeared well dressed and groomed. Her black wings were nowhere in sight and she appeared not much different from a human, albeit with a perfect and soulbinding appearance.
Behind the two, were Lenia, Nelay and Grobak who each had their own mounts. Grobak on his giant wolf and Lenia and Nelay each on a white battle horse. These were a unique breed of horse known for their strength and speed. They were also pure and radiated a slight holy aura, which was a unique contrast to the nightmarish horse that Aleks rode. Although the giant wolf disturbed them somewhat, they were well trained and didn"t allow its presence to perturb them. These were not weak horses to begin with and they even had their own battle abilities which could be used to protect themselves and their rider. They had obtained these horses from the expeditionary army, among others.
The three wished to approach Aleks, but they ultimately didn"t when they saw Lariel by his side. Her weak appearance and Aleks"s imposing presence deterred them. Grobak especially wanted to thank his master for finally upgrading his cla.s.s and level. He had been kept at the peak Master cla.s.s for some time and it had greatly upset him that everyone else was a Legendary being. Now that he was finally a Legendary being as well, they were all of equal status. He couldn"t help but swell up with pride when thinking about it.
"I feel confident in defeating Nelay in a one on one battle now." were the thoughts that consumed him.
As for the battle to come, he didn"t even pay it any mind. He had full confidence in his master"s victory now that he was personally leading the battle. Where this confidence came from, only one such as he would understand. Lenia and Nelay had similar thoughts and they were more concerned with how close Lariel was to their master currently and their eyes never left them.
As for the marching Horde behind them, their steps shook the land as they marched. Hundreds of thousands of warriors, servants, mounts, livestock, carts, carriages, and slaves marching across the Steppes emitted a sound like rolling thunder. They moved surprisingly swift despite their numbers and the amount of baggage accompanying them. This was made possible through the use of magic and magic tools.
Spells that increased speed, decreased weight, and other such utility type spells were cast in great numbers. It was an excessive luxury that no army would utilize except for extreme circ.u.mstances. Simply because this would mean that if a battle suddenly broke out, the magic casters would be depleted of mana and this would put any army at a huge disadvantage. For Aleks, it was a luxury that was feasible. His power as a DemiG.o.d allowed him to do so. When the battle began, numbers were meaningless before his might.
The commanders and officers who had submitted to Aleks wouldn"t be able to understand this until they witnessed his power personally and Aleks wouldn"t lower his status to explain it. So while there was some grumbling, frustration and questioning looks from them, Aleks didn"t care as long as they followed orders. They of course wouldn"t dare approach Aleks and it was the job of his subordinates to ensure that these commanders and officers complied. Grobak only needed to slap a few people around to handle most situations and Lenia"s aura of command silenced the rest. As for Nelay, just the sharpening of her knives was enough to dissuade anyone from even looking at her.
No one would ever even have the thought of approaching Lariel. Her ident.i.ty as an Angel was something which none would dare display any irreverence towards. Angels were the servants of G.o.ds and though Lariel was a fallen angel, she was still a true Angel and not some mixed breed trash. The fact that Aleks had a fallen angel as a servant even more caused others to worship him. This elevated his status well above any other DemiG.o.d known of, or even the rumors of DemiG.o.ds who were a legend in the world. There were no DemiG.o.ds like Aleks that could be found anywhere.
All of this was a mere pa.s.sing breeze to Aleks. The issues of his army, the thoughts of his subordinates, the looming battle and even the threat from the G.o.ds, were all thoughts pushed to the back of his mind. Not a single one of these things could cause him an ounce of worry. Even if it were a simple matter for him to transport all the supplies and equipment within his "Soul Domain", he just simply didn"t care to. These matters were all beneath him and were not something he felt needed much consideration.
So then what was this man who was at the center of so many things thinking about? Only those strange words and that mysterious voice he heard which had ingrained itself into his mind. They were not words spoken in any tongue or language, they were purely words of power. They radiated dominance and the essence of the universe.
"Aleks, the Dragon King"s army is just ahead. I have blocked all scrying as you requested and Nelay did a wonderful job in keeping their eyes closed to our presence. My illusions also helped. They have only lowly magic casters, mere mortals who can"t contend with even the nails of my fingers. They have no idea that they have fallen into our trap and the advance forces we sent are ready to attack from all directions." Lariel stated in between bouts of coughing.Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click for visiting.
It was a sight that Aleks didn"t wish to see and so his gaze never left the horizon before him. He wouldn"t even turn his head to look at her. No, he didn"t wish to see her as she was right now and only wished to remember the brilliance she once held. Until he could help her return to that vision in his memory, he didn"t wish to look at her if it could be helped. Such a woman who had so changed his fate was not meant for such weakness and frailty. He wouldn"t have it. Or at least, that was what he told himself in this moment, but could he really keep his eyes away?
"Mmm… I am aware. I have been watching everything through my "Astral Projection". I also saw everything through Nelay"s eyes until she returned to our side. Nelay has performed admirably and shall be rewarded after the war. The same goes for the rest of you. You have all exceeded my expectations and have brought me honor and pride."
His words caused both Lenia and Nelay to gush with embarra.s.sment and self fulfillment. They hid it well though. Lenia wore a full helmet with her heavy plate which almost fully enclosed her body. Nelay was equally covered in her dark tight fitting leather armor, cloak, hood and half mask which covered her lower face. One would have to get very close to see any change in their expression, that was a.s.suming they were willing to risk their heads.
As for Grobak, he had no need to hide his emotions and was visibly self gratified. He even went so far as to gloat and shout boisterously to the commanders and officers behind him. Grobak was so pleased with himself, everyone was surprised he didn"t fall off his mount. Even if he looked like a fool, no one would say anything because it would cost them their lives. Who was foolish enough to do that?