Tale of a Hedonistic wizard-Chapter 272: Ambushed

Scanning their own assembled forces, Kaeso made a quick mental tally. Lord Drasus commanded nearly 5,000 infantry soldiers - a formidable number, though hardly of elite calibre. His own company, by contrast, was a smaller but considerably more highly trained and diverse force.

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In addition to 1,000 heavily armed and armoured cavalry, Kaeso had at his disposal specialised companies of battle-mages and healers to support the main host. It was these mystical convictions that would provide a key arcane complement to their more traditional martial strength.

Once Stoneguard had been wrestled back from enemy control, Kaeso and Drasus would make haste to rejoin the main body of Wrescia's armies. They were already making an arcing sweep towards the mighty Eastwatch Tower, the most heavily fortified defensive chokepoint along the entire eastern border.

According to the latest intelligence reports from their scouts, Stoneguard Keep was currently only lightly garrisoned by Daikrimore's forces at present - though none could explain the puzzling reasons why. Their enemy clearly had something else afoot, with the bulk of their invasion troops apparently concentrated at Eastwatch itself.

If Drasus and Kaeso could successfully retake the mining fortress, severing Daikrimore's control over that crucial strategic asset, it would represent a major coup. One that could shift the entire momentum of this war before it had scarcely even begun.

Jaegar kept a watchful eye on the soldiers marching around him, taking stock of their various companies and roles. He noticed men dressed in green robes as well as white robes, and surmised these must be the battle-mages and healers that Kaeso had described as part of their mystical support contingent.

From what he had been told, their initial target - the fortress of Stoneguard Keep - was more of a mining outpost than an overtly fortified stronghold. As such, they likely wouldn't need to worry about complicated siegeworks or sneaking past defensive traps and wards. This would be a direct, frontal assault to overwhelm the occupying Daikrimore forces through sheer martial might.

Stoneguard was situated atop a broad plateau, giving it a natural high ground advantage. But that also meant they would need to maneuver and attack from multiple sides to cut off any chance of retreat or reinforcement. Jaegar found himself relishing the prospect of such a battle - a chance to truly stretch his literal and mystical combat capacities.

After several gruelling hours of marching, the vanguard finally crested a rise and pulled up sharply.

There, spread out before them in the near distance, stood the looming silhouette of Stoneguard itself.

Jaegar scanned the imposing fortress walls and towers, trying to assess its defensibilities.

At the head of the column, Kaeso and Drasus had also halted, peering ahead towards their first objective. Drasus lifted a spyglass, sweeping it across the terrain in studied arcs as he scrutinized every visible inch.

Giving his horse a nudge with his heels, Jaegar trotted up until he was alongside the two commanders. "When will we commence the attack?" he asked casually.

Kaeso shot him a sidelong glance. "We need to properly assess what opposition we're facing first before committing our forces."

"What the hell would a gladiator like you know about siege tactics?" Drasus sneered, snapping the telescope closed as he shot Jaegar a withering glare. "Shut your fucking mouth and get back with the rest of the grunts where you belong."

Jaegar's eyes narrowed to slits at the blatant disrespect, and he felt the first faint stirrings of his temper flaring. He opened his mouth, fully prepared to put the arrogant lord firmly in his place--

"Jaegar." Kaeso's voice cut through firmly, giving him a pointed look. "Why don't you take a moment to settle yourself? I'll call on you when we're ready to advance our attack."

Kaeso's brow furrowed, his expression etched with concern as he implored Jaegar to rein in his temper. Now was not the time for rash action; Drasus was too vital to their war effort. With a firm hand, Kaeso held Jaegar back, urging him to exercise patience a while longer.

For Jaegar, this was his inaugural foray into the crucible of war, and he harboured no immediate desire for direct involvement. Instead, he sought to bide his time, to observe the unfolding events and assess his potential contributions.

However, beneath his outward composure, he was holding back himself against killing Drasus, it would just be a simple death, if he killed him now and Jaegar didn't want that for him.

As Drasus's anger boiled over, Jaegar's thoughts turned to the future, to the moment when he would have his reckoning with the man who had wronged him.

Seeing how Kaeso was buttering Jaegar made Drasus snap.

"You?" Drasus' voice was practically a sneer as he turned his glare on Kaeso now. "What in the fucking hell do you think you're doing, numskull? Since when do you start giving orders and deferring to that twice-damned pit fighter's whims?"

The two men sized each other up in taut silence, an undercurrent of seething unease rippling between them. Until finally, Kaeso straightened in his saddle, his chin raising a defiant notch.

"Since our Princess Kyra herself instructed me to utilise every last advantage we can to ensure victory, Lord Drasus," he responded, his tone deceptively even and polite. "And if that means indulging...unique assets such as Jaegar here, then so be it. Unless you fancy being the one to countermand her official decree?"

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Drasus' lips curled back from his teeth in a feral snarl, but he said nothing in retort. They both knew full well that he didn't have the authority nor inclination to blatantly disregard Kyra's edicts.

After letting the rhetorical question hang in the air a moment longer, Kaeso gave a small nod and turned away dismissively. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like a closer look to discern Stoneguard's current deployments. Hasten and make ready your companies."

With that, he gathered his reins and spurred his horse into a canter, banking away from the gathered troops and angling off towards his men. As the sounds of Drasus belatedly barking orders at his men faded behind him, Kaeso allowed himself a grim smile.