Sorceress

Letting out a mighty wail as it loudly fell to the floor, wings folded in a cradling manner like it protected its own cub as large rocks fell over them barring them both.

They were all left in shock, they had no time to move. They needed to act and needed to do so now!

Some made sure the unfortunate black-skinned elves that had survived by a miracle did not escape, their warrior slaves were not allowed to leave as well.

They captured them easily. That previous magic had severely wounded them and only those that had been at the far rear had mostly escaped unscratched, but even so, they could not walk!

The soles of their feet had been burned thanks to the high temperature that the rocks had reached!

Being chained and placed in prisoner cast by pairs, they could no longer create trouble or escape.

Finally, the wyvern and what it had protected were unearthed, the men cheered once they had finally dragged the wyvern out and proceeded to the unconscious girl that was cradled into its large wings.

Both laid unconscious, Arkalat ordered for the wise woman and the physician to come have a look.

Speranza"s condition is not critical but since magic to a mage operates like a lifeforce to a warrior.

Facing the fact that she had depleted her reserves to the bare minimum to sustain her "living" functions.

Meant that she would be unconscious until her magic restored enough for her to be up and about.

After both verified that nothing was wrong with either the mother or the child, Arkalat finally lets out a relieved sigh.

She was only sleeping deeply and would wake eventually. This was good news.

But she would not escape his wrath once she would wake up. This girl had been far too reckless.

If they had any good mage with them, she wouldn"t have been in great peril.

He looked toward the sprawled wyvern. It had received all the damage to its master.

He ordered for it to be tended, after all, it had saved his wife. If the thing had not moved like it did, he would have lost both his wife and child!

Soon a mercenary came to report about the casualties and how many were taken captive.

Out of the mercenary camps, they had been the most affected and had lost more than half their numbers.

The hired guards had been a little more lucky with only one-third losses, while from the other miscellaneous people in the camp, only one cook had lost its life.

Because he had been at the entrance, giving water to the vigil at the time the ambush came.

Overall it was a devastating number. They were now understaffed and needed to recruit. But recruiting safely here would be like ascending the heavens. Nearly impossible!

"Only one option left." He said.

"Those that wore slave collars are to be brought before me. I will give them one chance to stay alive."

The dark elves, however, are to be cast into prisoner cages to be sold lower down once we reach the deeper cities.

The number of slave warriors that had survived was not high compared to the numbers that they had first possessed, but it was very substantial.

A headcount of ten orcs from the plains of the north; five dwarves from the high mountains; twenty light-skinned elven men; five light-skinned elven women; and two ogre race males in addition to four halflings is what consists of the group of slaves.

Looking at all of them he said.

"Slaves, I give you two choices. Either surrender to serve me or die." His tone was not light and his posture arrogant and aloof, he seemed not to place them in his eyes at all.

But those slaves knew that if they shook their head, it would be severed then and there.

If they wanted to live, they had no choice but to take on a new master.

Arkalat nodded, satisfied that none of them had dared to shake their heads.

"Good, starting now you will be given basic need items such as a portable mattress. Tents will be allocated, one small tent per individual for the orcs and ogres, while one large tent will be given to the male elves, female elves, dwarves, and halfling."

"If you prove your worth, you will receive better armours and items. I have no use for useless people."

His speech was held in a cold tone as he enumerated what would be given to them.

Now your status of slaves remains unchanged. But you can improve your ranking inside the pen by earning merits and achievements.

Those that contribute more are handed more items for day to day living. Weapons must be turned over to the guards once your duty has ended. Armours can be kept through the night and in between duty rounds.

The maintenance of your weapon is on you, whether you eat or starve is on you as well.

Your collars will be magically updated by me, to whom you"re now serving. Thus do not forget and lose your head.

They all felt a sense of dread after all that collar had a special magic to it.

One could not attack with intent to harm or kill one"s master or else they will face severe shocks.

One could not run away as it would allow the master to locate and activate remotely the magic inside it and kill or incapacitate the slave.

And since dark elves were paranoid on being betrayed, if one held thoughts of betrayal to the master, one would die.

"All of you must enter the slave pen after duty, or at the end of the day"s walk."

"If one disobey orders from one"s superior, one will be beaten as punishment."

"In the future, more things will be added but for now this will be all."

Saying so he turned to sit down on a chair, beckoning the first slave over.

Then placing a drop of his blood inside a special mark on the collar, the change of ownership was done.

This process was only possible if the slave master was dead or if the master became a slave themselves.

Once the last man was dealt with, he called the five women over.

Speaking chillingly to the women."Come with me, all of you."

After all, that man was a grand general how could he not have a backyard filled with wives and concubines?

They would have to leave a lasting impression on him to have his favours!