Soul of the Warrior

Chapter 133: Shifting Sand

Reivyn crawled on his belly over the sand dune. He cupped his fingers around his eyes to give himself a stable template to manipulate his Mana. He had seen large strides in his Affinities since he started training with Kefira, as well as improving his theoretical knowledge on several.

A memory from his Dreams had come to him one day when he had wished he could see just a bit further, and he had been trying to recreate the item he had seen his Dream-self use to see far distances. He used his Light Affinity to bend the light coming through the Mana construct so as to amplify the image.

It had been more complicated than he had initially thought, and his first several attempts had given back nothing more than blurry images that gave him fewer details than if he had simply looked with his eyes. After experimenting for several days, he finally discovered that it needed two Mana membranes to pass through to get the effect he wanted. His memory of the Dream wasn't that great, and he had had to figure it out on his own.

Adjusting the distance between the two Light Mana membranes, Reivyn zoomed in on the distant image of the enemy forces making their way south, toward the center of the desolate sands. They weren't particularly in a hurry, it seemed, but they were moving in the middle of the day instead of the evening, and Reivyn could only think that it was because they were on a deadline.

The enemy force was strung out across a long line. They didn't March, and they only loosely moved together as a whole. It didn't appear as if there was even anyone in charge, from what Reivyn could see. Considering the responses to the attacks Reivyn and his allies had perpetrated on them, and the response to those attacks, he could believe it.

This was one of the groups that had been hit several times by the battalion as the war efforts intensified in their location. They had slowly ramped up their level of attacks on this particular enemy camp, and they had finally set things up to try and lure them apart to land a final blow. It had been a surprise when the scouts had reported that the enemy camp was deserted.

Reivyn had volunteered to go out with a couple of his platoons to do reconnaissance, as he and his men were the most familiar with the areas outside of their operating range. Major Dobrik, with Kefira's approval, hadn't hesitated to take advantage of his experience with the local terrain.

It had quickly become apparent, though, that the camp hadn't simply moved to a new location. Reivyn and his men had found their tracks and determined they were heading into the desolate sands before notifying the rest of the battalion by runner.

Reivyn had remained shadowing the enemy in the desert throughout the evening into the morning, waiting for a response from the officers in charge. Now that he had reunited with the main force of the battalion, he had obviously gotten his hands on a communication device, so they were able to move about more freely without the risk of losing each other in the wilderness.

"Relay a message back to the battalion that they look tired and strung out," Reivyn whispered to Jekle next to him. He had his protégé handle the communication device while he was doing his assessment, and he would take it back once he was done. There was no reason he couldn't lend it out to a subordinate to operate the equipment when he was otherwise occupied.

"Tell them that if they send a fast unit ahead, we have an excellent opportunity to harass their rear."

Jekle sent the information as Reivyn continued to observe the enemy through his fingers. He was scanning the crowd, looking for signs of higher-level troops or the presence of Aeriella. If she or her personal soldiers were around, a fast attack on their rear wouldn't be viable, but he was 90% sure she wouldn't be there. He still had to take into account the small possibility that they had met up with each other while they were out of sight, though.

After assessing the enemy forces and determining there had been no change in their makeup, Reivyn signaled to Jekle to descend the sand dune, and they met back up with the two platoons he had led into the desolate sands.

"Major Dobrik sent back that they would be sending a company-sized force made up of soldiers specializing in speed," Jekle said as Reivyn called the other two officers and the platoon sergeants over.

The terrain of the desolate sands was a lot more open than the surrounding desert, but there were still dunes and rocks enough that they could keep out of sight as long as they kept an appropriate distance apart. It would be extremely hard to sneak up on anyone, though.

"Here's the deal," Reivyn looked at each of the leaders in the eye. "We have a chance to do some more harassing action here, but the terrain is too open to get close enough without them noticing anything and responding in time. We need to double-time ahead and get in front of the enemy force to lay an ambush.

"We're going to be a feint, though. If they have their attention on us, they're less likely to be able to notice and/or respond to the fast force attacking them from the rear. There's a good chance that the stragglers are lower level than the ones out front, but that's not a guarantee. They might just have different Skill Levels for traveling long distances.

"We don't need to actually engage the enemy, but we do need to time our feint to coincide with the arrival of the actual strike force."

Reivyn pulled out a map and laid it on the ground. The other officers crowded around to be able to see what he was going to show them.

"See here, several miles ahead, there's a large rock outcropping. Just a bit before that, there's a decent-sized sand dune. If this map isn't too old, and the wind hasn't shifted the dune, we can set one platoon here and the other at the rocks. We get their attention at the rocks and lead them back toward the sand dune where the second platoon can flank them with some ranged attacks.

"We can act like we bit off more than we can chew and scatter in a 'panic.' We'll meet back up, here," Reivyn poked another spot on the map with his finger, "and then head back to the battalion after.

"I'll be with the first platoon," Reivyn said, standing up and folding the map back up. "That way I can counter any Spells they might toss our way while we get their attention. The second platoon should focus their fire on any Mages that rush out with any soldiers that we manage to lure away.

"Remember, this is a feint. We just need to make it seem like we got in over our heads and hold their attention long enough that the other soldiers can do some damage to the stragglers.

"Any questions?"

The other officers had seen enough combat with Reivyn to understand what he wanted exactly, so they simply shook their heads. It wasn't the first time they had split their forces to draw enemies into a trap, and this one wouldn't even be a conventional ambush.

Reivyn led his two platoons in a jog across the desert to reach the destination ahead of the enemy forces that were in a straight line toward the ambush location. They would only have several minutes to get into position, but it didn't matter too much as they weren't going to be engaging in a traditional fight.

The map was accurate enough, and the sand dune was still in the place where it was located on the map. The platoons split up, and Reivyn ordered the men to run the rest of the distance in a half-crouch. There were smaller rocks scattered about to offer some concealment, and their camouflage abilities had all increased over the past weeks, but if they ran as a group just standing tall, there was a possibility that the enemy force would spot them.

There was enough distance between them, still, that running while hunched over still kept them mostly out of view. Reivyn wasn't entirely concerned if they were spotted, anyway, because that was kind of the plan in the first place. It would just change the timing a little.

He communicated with the other captain leading the strike force, and he knew that even if they drew the attention of the enemy early, they would only have to keep them occupied for a little longer. It ended up being a moot point, though, as Reivyn got his platoon into position behind the rocks.

They waited in place for just over ten minutes, and the enemy column approached within range of Reivyn's plan. He and the specialists of the platoon jumped out from behind the rocks and launched a volley of ranged attacks toward the enemy column. Reivyn Cast several Spells and flung them at the line of approaching soldiers, and then they put on a little show of acting like they hadn't realized they were attacking such a large force.

He and the soldiers launched a second, "desperate" volley before turning on their heels and taking off across the desert sand. Most of the other soldiers hadn't acquired the Sure Step Skill, so their mobility was a bit reduced on the loose sand, but they had initiated the attack with that problem factored in.

Reivyn heard the sound of horns calling out, and he knew that the enemy force had sent a contingent of soldiers to chase after them. They sprinted across the sand, and they angled their direction so that they would run parallel to the sand dune where the other platoon was hidden. They had used similar tactics many times before, but without a competent commander to take charge of the enemy army, they had never come up with any kind of fancy countermeasure.

The tactic was adapted, of course, but it was usually along the lines of throwing more bodies or magic at the problem to try and fix it.

Reivyn Sensed several Mana signatures approaching them from behind, and he quickly turned to wrest control of the Magic away to send it back to the Mages that launched the Spells. With his increase in Levels and Stats, it was getting easier to impose his Will on the enemy's Spells, though he still had to strain himself if they ran into anyone with a higher number brand.

He had never had the opportunity to pit his Will against Aeriella's because the Spells she had used were almost exclusively instant-type Beam Spells in the one duel they had had together.

Reivyn took his platoon beyond the sand dune, and after about a minute, he heard the tell-tale sound of another missile barrage. He ordered his men to halt, and he took the archers back with him a ways to launch another round of attacks at the pursuing force.

This was the first time he had actually gotten a look at the number of soldiers that had chased after them, and he was surprised it was only a couple of hundred. Either they were more confident in their Mages than they should have been, or someone had actually shown some restraint. They usually lured a much more significant amount of soldiers out when they performed such actions.

Reivyn didn't feel any more Mana coming from any Mages in the enemy force, so he assumed they had either been taken out, or they were hiding in the group because of Reivyn's actions. Arrows rained down on them from the top of the sand dune, and Reivyn and his archers added more arrows to the mix.

The enemy soldiers had only been confused for a brief time, and they resumed their spring toward Reivyn and his men, ignoring the flanking platoon atop the sand dune. Reivyn once more turned and ran into the desert, away from the larger column of enemies, with his men, and the platoon on the dune only launched attacks for as long as they were within range.

Reivyn and his men continued to run ahead, keeping a pace that kept the pursuers just close enough that they thought they could catch up. His communication device beeped with a signal from the other captain, telling him they had successfully engaged the stragglers, and Reivyn finally unleashed a couple of Spells to blow the sand up into the air behind them.

Not only did he obscure the enemy's vision with his Spell, but it picked up a huge amount of sand, causing the ground to be too uneven to run easily across, and they used the distraction to pick up the speed to disappear from the sight of the pursuers.

After several minutes, they met back up with the other platoon, and after nodding at the other officers, Reivyn led his men back toward the battalion that had begun to move into the desolate sands.

Kefira had sent a message saying that if one of the major bases was moving into the desert, it was likely that most, if not all of them, were doing the same. It seemed like the Runic Spell was close to completion, and Reivyn agreed with that assessment.

They still didn't know exactly what was going to happen when the giant Spell was initiated, but time was running out. It was a close thing, too, because Kefira had informed him that her older brother had arrived on the scene, and they would be reaching the desolate sands in about a week's time. If they had gotten here just a bit earlier, or if the Runic Spell had taken just a little longer to complete, they might have been able to stop the entire thing before it got to this point, but there was nothing they could do about that now other than roll with the punches and try to mitigate as much damage from whatever was coming as they could.

"Sir Reivyn, can you come by and give us some more pointers?" Rayha practically bounced in her enthusiasm as she ran up to walk alongside Reivyn. He looked down at the other teenage girl and couldn't help but smile at her infectious personality.

"Sure," Reivyn said. "I'll come by after my own training session."

Rayha gave a little pout at the answer.

"Maybe I could join you?" She asked, twisting her shoulders back and forth coquettishly. "I know you and Lady Fira have a thing going on. I promise I won't get in the way of that. Just, you know that I'm better with a sword than the others. I think I would learn a lot more with you than with them."

Reivyn rolled his eyes at the request. It wasn't the first time she had brought it up, though her earlier attempts at getting personal lessons from him had been a lot more subtle. Reivyn stopped in his stride toward Kefira's tent and faced the girl that came up to his chin.

"Rayha, this is my personal time, so I'm going to have to say no." He was firm but gentle in his tone.

Rayha leaped forward and hugged him by the arm, swaying it back and forth like he remembered his sisters doing when they were younger. She had a pleading look on her face, but Reivyn was more surprised at the fact that he hadn't been able to respond in time to avoid the little maneuver than anything.

"Ple~ase," Rayha gave him puppy-dog eyes.

Reivyn grabbed one of her arms and peeled it off of himself before pinching the bridge of his nose. He normally wouldn't even consider the issue, but what she had said was actually true. Her Skills with a sword were better than anyone else's in his company. Better than anyone else he had seen in the battalion.

The fact that she was so skilled with a weapon despite ostensibly having a Support-type Class had initially set alarm bells off in Reivyn's mind. He had instructed Jek to continue to investigate the origins of the refugees they had taken in. There had actually been several other refugees they had picked up from elsewhere that had stayed behind to corroborate their stories.

That had been enough to slightly mollify Reivyn's suspicions, but he had finally put his guard down after a scouting mission had reported spotting Aeriella being carried by a palanquin into the desert. They had reported that she had apparently been traveling like a queen on the backs of her "Deathsworn," as she had called them.

There had just been something tickling the back of Reivyn's mind whenever he looked at Rayha and considered everything about her. He hadn't necessarily thought she was Aeriella in disguise, but the thought had crossed his mind. Knowing that the eccentric enemy commander was over a hundred miles away had let him put the last doubt to rest.

From what Reivyn could see, Rayha was just incredibly enthusiastic about advancing her Skills and contributing, and she had a bubbly personality. He had thought she might be trying to get close to him on purpose, but further surveillance had shown that she acted the same way towards a lot of people, whether they were in positions of power or just regular foot soldiers.

Rayha had even acted the same way towards Kefira and Serilla, and, surprisingly, despite how close and affectionate she seemed toward Reivyn, Kefira had grown to like her.

"I'll tell you what, Rayha," Reivyn said after a moment. "I'll talk to Lady Fira, and if we have time, maybe we'll invite you over for additional training after we're done." Reivyn held up a finger to forestall Rayha's enthusiastic jumping up and down. "Maybe."

"Of course, of course," Rayha said, clapping her hands together with a wide smile on her face. "Maybe I can ask Lady Fira for some tips about increasing my Fire Affinity, too. Do you think she would help me?"

"I'm sure she would if you ask nicely," Reivyn said. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"Oh! Right. I'll wait for the good news!" Rayha scampered off toward the other refugees, and Reivyn noticed her do the same thing to another girl, trapping her in a hug before he shook his head and resumed his walk toward Kefira's tent.

Reivyn had been suspicious of Rayha's motivations even after he had verified her identity through multiple methods, but the more he saw, the more he was convinced that she just wanted to be everyone's friend.

She had somehow weaseled her way into befriending Kefira and Serilla, both, but she had never tried to do anything other than being friendly. She never tried to poke her nose into any kind of business she shouldn't, and she never brought up class or station. She seemed to ignore the fact that Kefira had the title "Lady" in front of her name, and she never bragged about being friends with her to any of the other refugees.

She also kept their relationship out in the open and only ever interacted with her when she was out and about. She never tried to get into Kefira's tent, and her attempts at getting more training out of the two of them had always been for the sessions in their little secluded arena.

Reivyn sometimes thought that Rayha had made friends with him, showcasing her abilities with a sword, just so she could become friends with Kefira, and she wanted to be friends with Kefira simply out of interest in being friends. It hadn't been until after she had grown on Kefira that she had even found out about Kefira's prowess as a Caster.

Reivyn wouldn't have minded getting a little closer to the other refugees, as well, as they were all very competent. They hadn't lied when they said their Lifestyle Classes could convert into competent Combat Classes with the right tools and circumstances, and he had been impressed with their work ethic and ability. They were all much more cognizant of the difference in their status, though, so none of them tried to actually make friends with Reivyn, Kefira, or Serilla.

Reivyn once more shook his head as he chuckled to himself. He knew Kefira liked the girl, but he wasn't sure how she would feel about her wanting to join them in their private "training" sessions. They had long gotten past the point of having to physically direct each other in their practice, but the more time they spent together, the more they touched, not less.

It was definitely Kefira's feelings on the matter, and not his own wish for the intimacy, that had led him to offer the compromise of maybe instructing Rayha after their own training.