Arran reached Knight"s Watch at the break of dawn. He"d traveled through the night, and as the city finally came in sight, the bright morning sun lit up the towering walls even as the lands below were still cloaked in shadow.
He could not help but feel a sense of awe when he looked upon the city"s mighty defenses. Built atop a ma.s.sive hill and surrounded by tiered layers of walls, the city resembled a giant castle — but one that was miles across and thousands of feet tall, far beyond anything human hands could craft unaided.
Yet imposing as the sight of the city"s walls was, Arran now understood that even these defenses might not be enough to withstand the Blight if it ever pushed beyond the Desolation in force.
When he had first laid eyes upon Knight"s Watch, he had wondered what enemies its walls were built to withstand. But now, he knew the answer. After seeing the power of a Warlock, he understood that just a handful of such creatures could bring down any wall.
Against the strength of Archmages, no barrier would offer more than a temporary respite.
Moreover, Arran suspected that the Blight counted creatures even stronger than Warlocks among its numbers. He"d had his share of bad luck in the past, but he could not imagine that he"d stumbled upon one of the Blight"s mightiest champions the moment he set foot near the Desolation.
Far more likely was that the Warlock was just one among many, a powerful but otherwise unremarkable creature of the Blight. And if that was the case, there had to be stronger beings among their ranks.
This thought caused Arran some pause. If Warlocks had the power of Archmages — or near enough not to make a difference — then what strength would those that surpa.s.sed them possess? Would they be comparable to Sages, or worse, even stronger than that?
He sighed softly as he considered the possibility, then abandoned the thought as quickly as it had come. Easy though it was to linger on the many dangers ahead, doing so would do him little good.
Instead, he took a moment to clear his mind, then continued on toward the city, approaching its ma.s.sive gates at a casual jog.
Early as it was, the roads were still empty, and even at a distance of a quarter-mile Arran could see the gate guards — a good two dozen of them, each heavily armed and armored — eying him warily. Yet as he drew nearer and they recognized that he was no Blightsp.a.w.n, they visibly relaxed.
When he reached the gate some moments later, the guards" leader stepped forward and cast a short glance at his armor. "Wolfsblood Army?" There was a hint of envy in his eyes, and not without reason. Though he was a Knight, it was obvious that his armor wasn"t anywhere near as good as Arran"s.
Arran nodded. "Know where I can find the rest of my group?" As he asked the question, he couldn"t stop a smile from crossing his lips. It seemed that Kaleesh had already managed to make a name for himself.
The guard, however, mistook Arran"s smile for mockery, and gave him a dour look. "Don"t think a suit of armor can turn a Ranger into a Knight," he said sharply, disapproval clear in his voice. With a gesture at the city behind him, he continued, "You"ll find your group within the outermost layer of the city, about three miles to the south."
Though Arran was tempted to point out that he wasn"t even a Ranger yet, he wisely held his tongue. Instead, he gave the man a friendly nod, then made his way through the gates — and promptly came to a halt.
That Knight"s Watch was no common city was obvious even from afar, but inside the city walls, he now saw that the outer part barely even resembled a city.
Rather than homes and shops, the half-mile between the first and second walls held only barracks and large training fields. And despite the early hour, numerous soldiers were already practicing their swordsmans.h.i.+p and drilling various battle formations.
Arran had expected to find a city, but instead, what he saw more resembled a vast military camp, with many thousands of soldiers all gathered around the city proper.
These soldiers weren"t part of a single army, however. They were divided into separate groups, each with its own leaders and many of them flying their own banners.
Arran understood that these were Darians headed into the Desolation, making a final stop in Knight"s Watch before they continued their journey to Sacrifice.
Here, they would try to find allies and companions to help them face the dangers ahead. Some of the groups — the strongest ones — would grow their numbers, absorbing other groups to bolster their ranks and ama.s.s the strength they would need to find glory in the Desolation. The smallest groups, meanwhile, would be absorbed themselves, sacrificing their prospects of rewards for a chance at survival.
Though Arran already knew all of this, he still found himself startled by the sheer ma.s.s of people before him. Hearing about it was one thing, but actually seeing it with his own eyes was something different altogether.
Still, he didn"t linger for more than a few moments. Impressive as the sight of the Darian soldiers might be, what he really wished to know was what Kaleesh had achieved since his departure.
That the Knight at the gates had recognized his armor was a good sign. If nothing else, it meant the captain had found at least some success in forging an army. Yet whether it was enough still remained to be seen.
Arran quickly set off toward the area where the guardsman had said the Wolfsblood Army could be found, eager to see the fruits of Kaleesh"s labor.
Though he was mainly interested in the Wolfsblood Army, he kept an eye on the groups he pa.s.sed as he made his past the practice fields, and it wasn"t long before he noticed that there were stark differences between them.
The smallest groups counted only a few dozen soldiers and were usually led by just one or two Rangers. To Arran"s eyes, the soldiers in these groups looked more like farmhands and shepherds than warriors, with rusty weapons and shoddy armor. And if the Rangers among them seemed more experienced, even their equipment was lacking at best.
Arran guessed that these groups came from villages and small towns, and he couldn"t help but shake his head as he looked at them. If the Desolation was even half as dangerous as he believed, then many of these youths would not see their homes again.
Yet where the small groups looked unprepared and under-equipped, the larger groups appeared wholly different.
With hundreds — or, in some cases, thousands — of soldiers, they resembled small armies rather than bands of villagers, and they had the equipment to match their numbers. Their soldiers were well-armed and wore matching uniforms, and there were few among their Rangers who did not carry a starmetal weapon.
These groups were the ones with strong backing, Arran knew. Their leaders were likely the sons and daughters of Lords and Knights, given the troops and equipment they needed to win glory in the Desolation. And although even they would face danger, he had no doubt that most of them would return with their lives.
He sighed wistfully as he continued onward. As unfair as the situation seemed, he knew there was nothing he could do to change it. All he could do was try his best to allow himself and his allies to escape unscathed.
As for the Darian villagers, they would have to fend for themselves.
Arran walked for several minutes, studying the groups in their drills as he pa.s.sed them. Some impressed him with their skill and discipline, while others left him wondering whether their soldiers had ever even held weapons before.
But then, as he laid eyes on yet another group, he came to a slow halt, and his eyes widened at the scene before him.
To his side there was an army of thousands, with well-armed soldiers who were clad in immaculate uniforms of blue and black. Above the army rose banners carrying a blue dragon-shaped sigil, and even at a distance, Arran saw that several of the Rangers among the soldiers wore starmetal armor.
That wasn"t what had brought him to a halt, however. Though this group was easily the best-equipped he had seen so far, equipment alone wasn"t enough to cause him pause. Rather, what caught his eye were their drills.
Where the other groups moved with the slight awkwardness of trained but inexperienced fighters, the soldiers of this group obviously had the confidence of seasoned veterans, their every move shaped by years of experience — experience that clearly extended beyond the training fields.
A single look was enough for Arran to know that many of the soldiers already approached the level of Rangers in their abilities, and as he continued to watch, he soon became convinced that most of them had already spent time in the Desolation.
The same held true for the Rangers in the group, as well. Although they were still far removed from the level of Knights, their skills and discipline made it clear that they were a cut above most of the Rangers Arran had encountered so far. If the soldiers in this army were all seasoned veterans, then the Rangers were master swordsmen, armed with the kind of skills that only a lifetime of training could bring.
Yet as respectable as their individual skills were, Arran was even more impressed by their coordination. Seeing them practice their formations was like watching a meticulously ch.o.r.eographed dance, with a single shouted command enough to make hundreds of soldiers switch positions in an instant.
When Arran first saw the Wolfsblood Company do battle, he had been astonished at the coordination of Kaleesh"s forces — how the captain"s band of mercenaries moved almost as if it was a single being, the different units like weapons expertly wielded by their leader.
But as he watched this army practice, he was forced to admit that it far surpa.s.sed anything he had seen from the Wolfsblood Company.
Several minutes pa.s.sed as he watched the army in its drills, and he took the opportunity to study its movements and compare them to what he had learned from Kaleesh"s ma.n.u.scripts.
It wasn"t long before a small group of Rangers emerged from the ma.s.s of soldiers, however. Led by a tall young man in starmetal armor, they moved toward Arran at a rapid pace, their expressions filled with confidence and hostility in equal measure.
A wry smile crossed Arran"s face as he watched their approach. It seemed the army"s leaders did not appreciate having an audience.
"You there!" the young man at the head of the small group called out as they approached Arran. "What"s your business here?"
"I"m just taking a look." Despite the Ranger"s hostility, Arran replied calmly, his tone neither fearful nor unfriendly. Mere Rangers posed no threat to him, and he saw little point in picking a fight with people he could easily kill without even drawing his sword.
"You think you can—" the young Ranger began, but he stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Arran"s armor. Then, a cold smile crossed his lips. "One of Kaleesh"s strays, wandered off by himself?"
Arran raised an eyebrow. It seemed Kaleesh had not just managed to make a name for himself, but had earned new enemies, as well.
The Ranger, seemingly mistaking Arran"s silence for fear, moved his hand to his sword. "Even a dog should know better than to enter a dragon"s den."
At this, Arran could not help but sigh. Though he hadn"t been searching for a fight, perhaps he would have to teach this foolish Ranger a well-deserved lesson, after all.
Yet before he could move, a voice sounded in the distance. "Commander!"
When Arran turned toward the sound, he saw Arjun rus.h.i.+ng toward him, the middle-aged Ranger accompanied by half a dozen others. Arran recognized none of them, but since several wore the Wolfsblood Company"s starmetal armor, he guessed that they must be among Kaleesh"s new recruits.
"Commander!" Arjun repeated as he came to a halt before Arran. He cast a dark look at the other group of Rangers. "Are they giving you trouble?"
Though he spoke confidently, Arran could see in his eyes that he was anxious — and rightly so, given that the other group of Rangers had an entire army to back them up.
Arran shook his head. "We were just having a friendly chat. But come, let"s go pay Kaleesh a visit — I"ve been wondering how he fared in my absence."
Without giving the young Ranger from the other group a second look, he turned away and started toward the direction from which Arjun and the others had come, motioning for the Rangers to follow him.
He"d barely taken three steps when a furious voice sounded behind him. "You! Don"t think you can walk away like this!" An instant later, there was the unmistakable sound of a sword being drawn.
Arran had already expected the young Ranger"s reaction. Although he had offered the young man a chance to avoid humiliation, he was not at all surprised that the youth had failed to recognize his kindness. And now, a lesson was in order.
In a single fluid movement, Arran turned around, then crossed the half-dozen paces that separated him from the young Ranger. It only took him an instant to cover the distance, but somehow, there was no hurry in his strides. Instead, it was almost as if he"d casually stepped through s.p.a.ce, appearing before the Ranger before the man even realized it.
There was no time for the young Ranger to react. Even as his eyes widened in surprise, Arran"s hand struck his wrist, hitting with a sharp blow that sent the young man"s starmetal sword tumbling from his hand. Arran grabbed the sword before it could hit the ground, then calmly stepped back as the Ranger"s expression turned to one of horror.
He gave the sword a few appraising swings, testing its heft and balance, before finally nodding in approval. "Good blade."
"You can"t…" the Ranger began in a weak voice, clearly afraid that Arran intended to keep the weapon.
"I can," Arran replied flatly. Yet after a moment"s thought, he tossed the sword back to the Ranger, who fumbled to catch it. "I trust that you will not repeat your mistake." Without waiting for the Ranger to respond, he turned to Arjun. "Let"s go. I have things to discuss with Kaleesh."
Arjun and the others hurriedly followed behind him, the young Ranger and his companions still silent with shock as they departed.
"I suppose you didn"t need my help, after all," Arjun said once they were out of earshot of the other group. "The way you moved…" He let out a deep sigh, as if he could still scarcely believe what he had seen.
"I"ve made some progress, these past few weeks," Arran replied. "And needed or not, I appreciate your help all the same. But who were they?"
"You don"t know?" the middle-aged Ranger asked, some surprise in his voice. The words had barely left his mouth when he shook his head. "I forget that you weren"t born a Darian. The dragon on their banners is the sigil of Lord Ravir, one of the Imperium"s greatest heroes. The army you saw is led by his youngest son, Matas. They call themselves the Band of the Dragon."
A frown crossed Arran"s face, and he couldn"t help but wonder if he"d caused more trouble than intended. "The idiot Ranger, that was Matas?"
Arjun shook his head. "Matas wouldn"t lower himself to hara.s.sing random outsiders." He sighed wistfully, then added, "But his men are a different matter. Kaleesh has drawn a lot of attention, and not all of it good."
"I take it not everyone welcomes the idea of an outsider leading an army?" Arran thought he already understood the situation. It was no secret that many Darians looked down on outsiders, and he could not imagine the sons and daughters of Lords and Knights looking kindly upon one who thought himself their equal.
Arjun gave a nod in response. "You have the right of it. They might have turned a blind eye had the captain"s goals been modest, but…" He whistled between his teeth. "You"ll see soon enough."
At this, Arran could not help but chuckle. Expecting Kaleesh to be modest was like expecting a dog not to bark. And if the captain"s efforts had drawn the ire of Darian lordlings, that would only have encouraged him.
As they made their way to the Wolfsblood Army"s grounds — Arran was already certain that it had become an army, rather than a company — they pa.s.sed several other large groups that were practicing on the seemingly endless training fields.
Though none of the groups were as large as the Band of the Dragon, there were several more whose skills left him impressed, and he soon realized that before now, he had truly only witnessed a tiny sliver of the Imperium"s strength and potential. And the more he saw, the more he became convinced that there was still plenty he had yet to see.
Then, finally, they reached the Wolfsblood Army.
As soon as Arran saw the army that Kaleesh had forged, his eyes went wide with surprise. There were numerous soldiers — well over three thousand, drilling and practicing in ma.s.sed ranks, with banners carrying a wolfshead sigil flying above them.
Yet impressive though their numbers were, the Wolfsblood Army"s numbers weren"t what caused Arran surprise. Rather, what made him blink in wonder was the appearance of the soldiers.
Where the Band of the Dragon had resembled a true army, with disciplined soldiers in matching armor, the Wolfsblood Army more resembled a vast band of brigands. Though the soldiers were well-equipped, there was no sign of uniforms. Instead, their equipment was a mismatched hodgepodge of weapons and armor, of the kind one would expect to see on bandits or caravan guards.
Moreover, where many of the other groups had consisted mostly of fresh-faced youths, Kaleesh"s army appeared to hold mostly grizzled veterans and hard-faced toughs. There were some youths among their ranks, as well, but even they more resembled ruffians than soldiers.
"This…" Arran began, but he paused as he found himself at a loss for words. He had expected Kaleesh"s army to be unusual, but he hadn"t been prepared for anything like the army that now stood before him.
"Indeed," Arjun said with a helpless smile. "Had I known this was the army I would be joining, I might have reconsidered my choice." He shrugged, and continued, "But appearances aren"t everything. They are more competent than they look — most of them, anyway. Come, let me take you to the captain. He will be glad to see that you"ve returned."
As Arran followed Arjun through the ranks of the Wolfsblood army, he soon realized that the middle-aged Ranger had spoken the truth. Rough though the soldiers looked, the vast majority of them clearly had plenty of experience — even if, as Arran suspected, that experience had been gained in dark alleys rather than on the battlefield.
They reached Kaleesh soon after, finding the captain in the midst of a sparring bout against a burly Ranger. Surrounding the two were several dozens of soldiers, yelling and jeering as they watched the two fight.
Arran could tell at once that both the Ranger and several of the soldiers that surrounded the two fighters weren"t part of the Wolfsblood Army. Neatly uniformed and clad in armor that bore an eagle-shaped sigil, they appeared to be members of one of the armies Arran had pa.s.sed on the way, likely come here to match their strength against Kaleesh.
If that was the case, they were in for an unwelcome surprise. Though the fight might seem even, Arran noticed instantly that the captain was holding back, carefully hiding his strength while studying his opponent"s weaknesses.
Yet although this was obvious to Arran, the Ranger clearly hadn"t realized it. He fought with the fervor of a man who believed he was on the verge of victory, an eager grin on his face as he launched a series of furious blows at the captain.
Arran watched the fight for several minutes, but soon, he decided he was in no mood for waiting. "Kalees.h.!.+" he called out loudly. "Finish the poor b.a.s.t.a.r.d already!"
Hearing Arran"s voice, Kaleesh cast a surprised look in his direction — and nearly lost an ear to his opponent"s blade, the hapless Ranger for once finding a real opening in his defense.
Yet the captain narrowly managed to dodge the attack, then quickly took a step back and thumbed his ear, as if to make sure it was still there.
After he"d made sure his ear was unscathed, Kaleesh turned his attention back to the Ranger. "Entertaining though this was," he said, "I"m afraid the time has come to bring this fight to an end."
The Ranger responded with a sneer, the excitement of battle still fresh in his eyes. "Don"t think you can just walk away from our bet!"
A small smirk flashed across the captain"s lips. "I have no intention of walking away." Without waiting for a reply, he suddenly dashed forward, striking a forceful blow that the Ranger blocked clumsily. Still, even if the burly man managed to block the strike, the sudden blow brought him off balance, and for a brief moment he swayed on his feet.
The Ranger struggled to regain his footing, but he didn"t get a chance to recover. The captain"s first attack was followed immediately by a second one — a vicious punch to his opponent"s gut, hard enough that it made the burly man collapse instantly.
The Ranger groaned in pain as he lay on the ground, but Kaleesh ignored him. Instead, he turned to the soldiers surrounding them. "Make sure he pays up before leaving." Then, without looking back at his defeated opponent, he approached Arran and the others.
"You nearly cost me the fight." Despite the captain"s best efforts to appear annoyed, a broad grin appeared on his face as he welcomed Arran. From the look of it, he was more than a little relieved at his commander"s safe return.
"Good to see you, as well," Arran replied. He cast a look at the defeated Ranger who was still doubled over on the ground. "What was that about?"
Kaleesh gave a helpless shrug. "The Darian whelps keep challenging me, so I"m forced to keep taking their coin. I suppose I can"t complain, since it helps me pay for this lot." He gestured at the soldiers who were training around them, and added in an exasperated voice, "You wouldn"t believe what it costs just to keep them fed."
"I can imagine," Arran said. "I thought you merely planned to build an army, but it appears you decided to recruit half the Imperium."
"That"s on you," the captain replied. "Had you been a bit quicker in returning, the army would be a lot smaller." He scratched his chin, then added in a more serious tone, "Truth be told, with how long you were gone, I almost feared you"d finally met your match."
"You don"t know the half of it," Arran said, a wry smile on his face as he recalled his encounter with the Warlock. "But that"s a matter better discussed in private."
"Oh?" Kaleesh gave him a curious look, then swiftly turned to Arjun. "Have some food brought to the mansion, and tell Sa.s.sun to handle the troops" training for the next few hours."
"You have a mansion?" Arran raised an eyebrow.
"Of course," Kaleesh replied with a grin. "You can hardly expect a general to sleep in the barracks like a common soldier."