Conquering Planets: Rise of the Cosmic Tyrant-Chapter 18: Blood and Iron

The scent of blood still lingered in the air as Alina and her forces rode south. The battle had been won, but there was no time to celebrate.

She wiped a streak of crimson from her cheek, her expression hard. The enemy hadn’t expected them to strike first, but they had recovered too quickly. That wasn’t the behavior of an unprepared force.

They had planned for this.

Which meant Aldric was walking into a trap.

Varin pulled up beside her, his horse snorting in the cold night air.

"That wasn’t a scouting party," he muttered. "They were testing us."

Alina nodded. "And they learned more than I’d like."

Varin glanced over his shoulder at their troops. "We lost twenty good men."

"Better than losing the whole company."

His jaw tightened. "If we ride through the night, we can still catch up to Aldric’s main force before—"

"No." Alina shook her head. "We’re too far. Even if we pushed our horses to death, we’d never make it in time."

Varin cursed under his breath. "Then what do we do?"

Alina pulled on the reins, bringing her horse to a halt. The rest of the soldiers followed suit, forming a loose circle around them.

"We cut off their reinforcements."

Varin frowned. "You’re suggesting we divide our forces further?"

Alina’s eyes gleamed. "No. I’m suggesting we strike their supply lines and force them to retreat."

Varin’s frown deepened, but after a moment, he exhaled. "Risky."

She smirked. "So is doing nothing."

Varin studied her for a long moment, then gave a slow nod. "Then let’s move."

A Dangerous Gamble

The army adjusted its course, veering southwest instead of due south.

If Alina was right—and she was certain she was—the enemy would be funneling supplies through a single, vulnerable choke point.

And if they struck there?

The war could end before it truly began.

The night was eerily quiet as they rode. The distant howl of wolves was the only sound besides the thudding of hooves against frozen earth.

Alina’s grip tightened on her reins. They were running out of time.

They rode for hours, pushing through exhaustion.

Then—

A flicker of firelight in the distance.

Alina raised a fist, signaling the army to halt.

They had found it.

A massive caravan of supply wagons, guarded by at least fifty soldiers, was moving under the cover of darkness.

Too many for a clean fight.

But not too many for a clever one.

She turned to Varin. "Circle around. We flank them from both sides."

Varin nodded and led half the forces into the trees. The rest stayed with Alina.

She raised her sword.

"Wait for my signal."

The Ambush

The enemy had no warning.

One moment, they were marching.

The next—

Flames erupted from the treeline as Alina’s archers loosed their first volley.

Chaos exploded through the caravan.

Horses reared. Soldiers scrambled. Supplies spilled onto the ground.

Alina charged.

Her blade bit into flesh, and a guard collapsed with a gurgled scream.

Varin’s forces struck from the other side, slamming into the confused enemy like a hammer.

It was over fast.

Alina barely had time to catch her breath before Varin jogged over.

"Supplies are destroyed," he reported. "They won’t be reinforcing anyone."

Alina allowed herself a brief, satisfied nod. "Then let’s see if Aldric has survived his own battle."

They turned toward the eastern horizon, where the real war was unfolding.

And they rode.

---

The cold wind howled through the barren fields as Alina and her forces rode hard toward the battlefield. They had cut off the enemy’s supplies, but if Aldric had already fallen into their trap, it might not matter.

She could feel the exhaustion creeping into her limbs, but she pushed it aside. There was no time for weakness.

Varin rode beside her, his expression grim. "We’re still a full night’s ride from Aldric’s position."

"Then we ride through the night," Alina said. "If we stop to rest, we might arrive just in time to find their corpses."

Varin didn’t argue. He knew she was right.

They pushed forward, the thundering of hooves the only sound in the vast emptiness of the plains.

Smoke on the Horizon

By dawn, the first signs of battle came into view.

Thick black smoke curled into the sky, rising from beyond the ridge ahead.

Alina tightened her grip on the reins.

Too much smoke.

Aldric’s forces had only planned to engage a single battalion. If the fires were this widespread...

Varin noticed it too. "This wasn’t a clean fight."

Alina spurred her horse forward. "Faster!"

They reached the ridge and looked down at the battlefield.

Her heart sank.

The valley below was a graveyard.

Bodies littered the ground, the once-green grass now a slick sea of red. Armor, weapons, banners—all scattered in the mud.

The battle was over.

And Aldric’s forces were nowhere in sight.

The Aftermath

Alina dismounted and strode into the battlefield. Her boots squelched in the mud, her eyes scanning the carnage.

Most of the dead wore Aldric’s colors. Some had been cut down mid-charge. Others had fallen in tight formations, backs to one another, fighting to the last.

They had been surrounded. Overwhelmed.

Her stomach twisted. They hadn’t stood a chance.

Varin approached, his face pale. "No sign of Aldric."

Alina swallowed hard. "If he’s alive, they’ll have taken him prisoner."

Varin hesitated. "And if he’s not?"

"Then we’ll burn their cities to the ground."

A Faint Trail

They searched the battlefield for clues.

An hour later, they found it.

Tracks.

A long line of boot prints and wagon wheels heading east. Prisoners.

Alina’s eyes narrowed. "They’re taking them to Black Hollow."

Varin frowned. "Aldric has to be among them, but Black Hollow is a fortress. Heavily defended. We’d need an army to breach it."

Alina’s lips curled into a sharp smile.

"Then we’ll raise one."

A Desperate Plan

They couldn’t storm Black Hollow with their current forces. But they couldn’t wait for reinforcements either.

They needed allies. And Alina knew exactly where to find them.

She turned to Varin. "We ride north."

Varin’s eyes widened. "North? To the free companies?"

"The free companies hate the king as much as we do. If we offer them enough coin, they’ll fight for us."

Varin hesitated. "Hiring mercenaries is dangerous. If they turn on us—"

"Then we’ll kill them." Alina’s voice was cold. "But for now, we need numbers."

Varin exhaled. "Then we ride north."

They mounted their horses.

And with vengeance burning in their veins, they rode.