Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 44: Gathering the Troops

Next morning when Escuridade woke up, Escuro had a silver plate with chicken on it. “Morning,” he said softly. “Look what we got for breakfast.” Escuridade’s purple eyes fluttered open at the sound of Escuro’s voice, the sight of him holding a silver plate with actual food making her blink in surprise. The scent of roasted chicken filled the watchtower, a stark contrast to the usual rations of dried meat they had grown accustomed to. “Chicken?” she asked incredulously, sitting up slowly from their makeshift bed. The straw crinkled beneath her as she moved, but her attention was fixed on the unexpected luxury. “Where did you get that? We are supposed to be conserving supplies for the march.”

Despite her words, her stomach growled audibly at the aroma. She reached out to take a piece from the plate, her fingers brushing against his hands as she did so. “This is too much,” she said between bites, though her tone lacked any real conviction. “The others will be jealous when they see this.” Escuro just smiled and took a bite of chicken. “One of the guards stopped a caravan of supplies heading for Cidade dos escravos this morning,” he explained. “Among their inventory was more than twenty chickens.” Escuridade’s purple eyes widened at the news, a rare grin spreading across her face. “Twenty chickens? You are telling me we have enough food to feed the entire army a proper meal before battle?”

She devoured another piece of chicken with renewed enthusiasm, the simple pleasure of hot food warming her from the inside out. The news about the intercepted caravan lifted some of the tension from her shoulders– one less thing to worry about today. Her purple eyes met Escuro’s over the shared meal, a sense of camaraderie settling between them. Even amidst the chaos of preparation and anxiety, moments like this reminded her why they fought– why they risked everything for their people. “It is a good sign,” Escuro said hopefully. “Do you not think?” Escuridade paused mid-bite, considering his hopeful tone. The intercepted caravan was more than just a meal– it was a sign of their army’s growing strength and effectiveness.

“A very good sign,” she agreed, setting the chicken bone aside. “It means out scouting missions are paying off. The Santo Order’s supply lines are starting to crack under the pressure.” She stood up to stretch her stiff muscles, the tattered robe falling around her in familiar layers. The morning light filtering into the ruined watchtower, casting sharp shadows across her pale skin. “The soldiers will be energized after a hot meal with this,” she continued, pulling on her boots. “Moral is half the battle– if they feel fed and prepared, they will fight with more confidence.” Her amber eyes scanned his face as he finished eating, noting the way the morning light caught in his dark hair.

…

Luz and Amelia exited the tent and went to the watchtower, where Mestre Escuro stood ready in his obsidian armour. “We have a location for the tunnels,” Mestre Escuro said, holding out a piece of paper. “Luz, you will proceed to the tunnels immediately. Your team is gathered by the edge of camp. We will handle the attack on the western entrance.” Luz’s jaw tightened as Mestre Escuro presented the plan, his amber eyes flickering between him and Amelia’s concerned face. The timing could not be worse; leaving her along with the main army felt like signing her death warrant. “Understood,” Luz replied snatching the piece of paper with the location co-ordinates for the tunnel, without bothering to inspect it properly.

“My team is prepared to move yon your command.” His gaze locked onto Amelia one last time. “Stay in this tower. Do not more for anyone except me. Understand?” Before waiting for confirmation, Luz turned sharply and strode toward his waiting squad. The black armour plates scraped against each other with each purposeful stride. As he approached his subordinates he scanned their faces critically. The five knights turned to look at Luz, standing shoulder to shoulder as they awaited their orders. On the far left, stood a tall, muscular woman clad in worn black plate armour– dented, scratched and stained from countless battles. Her short black hair frames a stern, hardened face marked by black vein-like cracks spreading across her pale skin. The strong, fearless warrior called Casandra, staired intensely forward at Luz, scanning him with her red eyes as she gripped the dark sword at her side.

Beside her stood the rogue Leo, Luz had heard he was quite skilled a sneak attack. He is a rugged man with long oily brown hair and a thick beard. His face is gaunt and shadowed, with black veins crawling from his eyes down his neck. His expression is grim and threatening. He wears layered black armour beneath a tattered dark cloak that blends into the gloomy background. At the centre stood Darm, an archer and mystic of some sorts. He is a bald man, broad and imposing. His shaved head makes the black veins covering his scalp especially visible, branching like dead roots beneath his skin. His crimson eyes looked lazily forward and at first glance he did not seem as threatening as the others.

Beside Darm stood, Lua– a woman with medium-length ashy grey hair. Her features are sharp and pale, contrasted by the dark corruption spreading across her face and neck. She appears smaller and leaned than the others but equally dangerous. Her black armour fit closer to her body, with layered leather and metal plates giving her a stealthy, agile appearance. Beside her stood her brother, Sol, who has patchy ash-blond hair hanging unevenly over his face. His skin is cracked with black veins, especially around his red eyes and forehead, as though the darkness they all share is consuming him from within. He had a grim expression that makes him seem haunted or unstable. His armour is battered and jagged, with a dark cloak draped around his shoulders. Luz merely acknowledges their existence with a nod and started leading them down the trail leading to the coast. Luckily the tunned entrance was not far from where they had camped.