They saw the fires and heard the screams before they saw the camp. The small army moved swiftly as they could through the dark. At the edge of the forest, they saw the camp at the foot of Alnus hill burning. They saw the smoke rising from the other two camps, illuminated by the likewise burning fires.
Richard didn't pause, maintaining a steady march towards the camp, urging everyone on, the 'flag', a white silk sheet taken from somewhere with the silhouette of a leaf on each side, in one hand on a pole. The leaf was more brown than red, but Richard considered it close enough. His other held his sword.
"Through the gaps in the wall! Charge!" Tara shouted.
Whatever had caused the destruction in the camp, had torn down parts of the wooden palisade that ringed the camp. It was through these gaps that Richard's forces slipped through. Inside was chaos. Something was killing officers, soldiers ran around, trying to establish bucket lines, recapture escaped mounts and slaves, muster to stations, all at once, with no clear direction. It took nearly a full minute for the camp to realise they had foes inside.
"Tulip-lead to Fisher-lead, say again?"
"Tulip, I say again, we were successful in panicking the horses, and destroying the supplies. No joy with captives. We are seeing an unknown force attacking Camp Beta, they have infiltrated the from the south wall, and are engaging local forces."
"Any identifiers?"
"Leader seems to be in black plate. Holding a white and brown flag."
"Confirm, black plate?"
"Confirmed Fisher-lead. Black Plate."
"One captive was reported to be wearing black plate, Canadian. What does the flag look like?"
"White, brown leaf on it."
"…"
"Orders Fisher-Lead?"
"…what is your current position?"
"About halfway from Beta to point Chuckle."
"Acknowledged. Provide cover, and spot for Fisher's mortars."
"Wilco, over."
"Roger, out."
Tara saw Richard, flanked by an elf wearing Imperial armour, disappear amidst the throng of bodies as the Saderans finally began to form a defence. An arrow hissed by her ear, earning a cry of pain from a charging Imperial.
Another died when she disembowelled him with her spear. She smashed the haft of the weapon into the face of another, wrenching the blade out of her first victim. Behind her, the slavers in the camp were freed, more to help sow confusion than to help them escape, but those that stood with them would not be stopped.
She sidestepped a thrusted spear. Something landed behind the soldiers and exploded. The spear was dropped and the soldier that tried to kill her fled in panic.
She and the Warrior Bunnies with her cut their way through the demoralised and panicked Imperials, trying to open a corridor through the camp. Suddenly, there was a gap. She saw Richard pull his blade from a soldier's gut. She saw the mace in the hand of another soldier. Saw the blade connect.
She slipped under the thrust of one soldier, driving her spear blade into his ribcage as she ducked past. She saw Richard fall, and a cheer rise from the Imperials.
Richard got up.
He grasped his blade with both hands and drove its point into the throat of the soldier that had struck him. He stood unsteadily, as the Imperials panicked and ran. Tara grasped the fallen flag and held it up.
She swore under her breath as Richard roared and pursued the fleeing Imperials. Her confusion was sparked when a soldier that didn't run suddenly had his head explode. She crushed it and focused in directing their own troops to pursue. Letting the noble that was supporting them get captured would not earn them any favours, she told herself.
Count Arruns frowned. The soldiers were fleeing from the southern camp. Obviously, the otherworlders were attacking, though the lack of devastation from above, as described by the survivors, made him think this was just a scouting force, mean to keep them off balance.
Something landed amidst the fleeing soldiers and exploded.
"Senator…"
"Be quiet Count!" Senator Godasen's fear and panic was understandable and audible. But that does not mean he should be showing it in front of the men. "I have a battle to command."
The Count shook his head.
He turned and left the Senator to his own devices. An officer rushed past him and died from an invisible blow. Count Arruns winced and kept his head down as he moved about the Northeast camp.
"Centurion, how are the men?" He called out.
"Too many sick and injured sir. The Senator pushed them hard." Centurion Amulius shouted to be heard over the panic in the camp. "We won't be able to march fast."
"Fine, get them ready to move. This is only a probe, I think."
"Vel, right!?" Tara shouted up at the wyvernrider. "Where did Richard disappear too!?"
"Northeast! He's got the Imperials on the run!" The rider laughed. A rock was held in the wyvern's claws as it took off, likely to be dropped on the Imperial's heads.
"Get the wounded up the hill to the Gate, everyone who can fight, with me!" She shouted, hoping that she could be heard, and would be obeyed. The Imperials in the camp were broken, most fleeing, a handful surrendered.
They moved, as fast as they could, out of the gate, on the heels of Richard and the retreating Imperials. The Northeast camp wasn't far, fortunately, but that only meant that the Imperials weren't feeling long.
Arrows hissed out from Tara's motley collection of troops, as elven archers put their missiles into the faces and bodies of the Imperials sentries, and anyone that tried to turn around and fight them.
They went straight into the enemy camp, with no formation or plan.
"Fisher-lead, Black Plate is charging enemy camp Alpha, allied forces are following. Please advise."
"Tulip-lead… maintain support. Granite-lead, swing your team around, maintain suppression. Can you get anyone close?"
"This is Granite-lead, negative, enemy concentration too thick and we have non-combatants in tow, will attempt to thin enemy numbers from here."
"Understood, over."
"Roger, out."
Count Arruns saw the flow of battle. The men were already low on morale. What he did not expect was to see the senator and his guards running. Godasen saw him, stopped, ordered his men to face the enemy.
The Count nearly burst out laughing when he saw their foe. Soldiers near him dropped, struck either by his blade, or some invisible force, certainly adding to the legend that their former prisoner was an Apostle.
He stood back as the Senator died.
He first tried to cast a spell, but his concentration broke when two of his guards died in a breath. The Black Knight strode forwards, cutting down a third. The fourth to die was the senator himself, his mage robes doing him no good against the otherworlder's blade.
Suddenly, there was a surge, a veritable wave of bodies, as the deserters and slaves under the Black Knight's banner arrived.
Centurion Amulius ordered his men to form ranks. Shields and spears levelled at the Knight.
"Hold." The Count shouted. "The battle is lost. Withdraw."
The Centurion blinked and followed his gaze. The senator's sightless eyes stared back. The Black Knight stood over the senator's corpse, blade at the ready.
Count Amulius knew he had no hope of winning this battle. He suspected the Empire had no chance of winning the war. He wouldn't voice his thoughts, but he would save who he could.
"You have fought valiantly, sir knight." The Count said, and the sounds of battle faded at his voice. He raised an arm, sword in hand, and saluted the knight. "I did you an injustice, after you defeated my son. I yield the field, as the most senior commander left."
Part of him hoped that he really was the most senior commander. Another part hoped that whatever weapon had struck down the senator's bodyguards would not strike him.
The Knight mimicked the salute, his wave-edged blade in hand. He nearly collapsed, but a white-haired Warrior Bunny, carrying their crude standard, step forward to support him.
The count sighed.
"Centurion. Withdraw our troops. We go not to Emroy's realm today."
"Hostiles are retreating, Black Plate is slowly being guided to my position. Sending Granite-2 and Granite-3 to guide them."
"Understood, Granite-lead. Continue to provide status updated on Black Plate."
"Wilco, Fisher-lead."
Slowly, Tara guided Richard up the hill. The sudden appearance of two black clad soldiers startled her, and others in their force, but they clearly weren't Imperials.
The guided them to the gate.
At the top of the hill, one stepped forward, and made Richard lie down. They quickly stripped the helmet off and set to treating Richard's injury.
She saw how the soldiers were nervous, as more and more of their troops arrived at the top of Alnus. She nearly jumped when a large metal beast appeared from the gate, with some strange pipe sticking out its front. Several more followed, of different shapes and sizes. Soldiers in strange green pattered clothing appeared from within them. More appeared from the Gate.
One approached her, as she sat next to Richard. She heard him speak, but it took her a moment to realise he was thanking her. He spoke to the medics.
"Yeah, that's Richard." Major Johnson said. "How bad?"
"Bad enough we want to get him back across the Gate." The JTF2 medic replied. "But I'm not sure his… bodyguards will let us take him from them."
The medic gestured to the white-haired bunnygirl, that was sitting next to Richard.
Richard's eyes moved.
"How aware is he?"
"Enough… that I can try and translate." Richard groaned from the ground. "Did anyone see what hit me?"
"Mace, I think." One soldier said. "Why did you charge the other camp?"
"I only could see the soldiers… enemies. So, I charged them. Head hurts."
"Concussion." The medic explained. "Can you tell them to let us take you to the other side?"
"They… are escaped slaves. I
think they
want to get to the other side." Richard said.
Johnson winced.
"I'm already in enough trouble… probably, with starting the counterattack a day early." He explained. "Fuck it. Tell them to leave the weapons here… no, fuck, ex-slaves… fine… tell them they will be under guard. I'll coordinate with the General, to get them settled in."
He hoped Richard was able to translate effectively and clearly.
"So, as I understand, you can translate for us." General Jameson said. "We need a translator. Don't have many that are fluent."
Richard blinked.
He had been surprised when the general had walked into his hospital room.
"Docs say you are good enough to walk and talk, though not at the same time." The general shrugged. "That's all we need, at this point. Getting the… army of yours settled in the camp we have established outside Alnus, alongside refugees from surrounding villages the Imperials started torching before we showed up, is difficult enough without having anyone that can speak the language fluently."
"Am I seriously the only fluent person we have?" Richard asked.
"No, we have her." Samuel pointed at Tara, sitting next to Richard's bed. "Plus, another bunnygirl, and some academics, but… well, most of them are either not the type, or busy with interrogations."
"I… see." Richard thought it over. "Any chance we can convince them I'm not a noble?"
The American general chuckled.
"We'll see, but there was some talk about making you part of the Canadian Peerage."
Samuel burst out laughing at the face Richard made.
Tara, understanding every word, shook her head. The fact that Richard was not a noble had been a surprise, but the treatment had been far better than she had expected.
"Speaking of," the general turned to her. "We need all the translators we can get."
Tara thought it over.
"If he goes… I will."
A.N.
And the Story Ends.
This is the end of Hunting Freedom. Short, yes. I might do a sequel, but not anytime soon. I hope everyone enjoyed it.