CHAPTER 66: A COMMANDERS CHALLENGE

~Zara POV~

As the system message announcing that we would be moved to the next trial location appeared I shared a final look around at this strange group I had found myself with. It took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that all 3 of the women were in a relationship together. Probabally because Lilly flirts with everyone so openly, or is it just the 3 of us?

I felt my face heating up as I thought of her brilliant emerald eyes speckled with gold looking up at me. The gold in her eyes twinkling in amusement as she would whisper seemingly ’innocent’ words which were anything but innocent with the way she said them.

She truly was a beauty thought. Her petite stature contrasted with her generous bust curving down into that slim waist with the trace of muscles on her stomach. Dipping lower to her waist that curved out to encompass her tick thighs and bouncy butt.

I shook my head trying to banish the thoughts, now was not the time to get distracted by her teasing words and sinful body! A new trial was upon me and I needed to have my wits about me!

As the sensation of being transported away overtook me my surroundings changed from the open plateau and broken bridges to a lavishly decorated waiting room. I quickly readjusted myself to my new sureoundigs and took a propper look at what I saw.

I was in a sitting room of some kind adorned with lavish tapestries depicting various locations and scenery’s. The rich and vibrant colours they were woven with creating a feast for the eyes and brought the landscapes within to life. From scenes of a city I had ever seen before being depicted in the azure glow of the setting suns. To a lonely mountain of a vivid purple rock capping in alabaster snow standing tall amongst a barren desert landscape.

Tearing my eyes from the breathtaking scenes shown I look at the furnishings surrounding me. They were similar in quality, from a rich and thick carpet to the plush cushioned chairs that promised instant comfort if only I were to sit down in them. Everything in this room had been carefully designed to showcase opulence, wealth and an eye for details.

Comming from quite a wealthy background I have learnt to tell the different between furnishings that are only intended to look expensive and then the real things which are actually expensive. And every single item here would be worth enough for the average man to live comfortably for a year.

As I take this in wondering what exactly my challenge will be to set me in such a setting I am informed by a system screen as to what to expect.

[You have been selected to prove your skills as not just a warrior but as a commander and tactician. Your kingdom is under attack and you have been tasked with defending a key choke point known as the Atelu Pass. Defend the keep you reside in for 1 month to pass this trial.

30 days in trial are equal to 7 days real time.

Time remaining 29 Days 23 Hours 59 Minutes.]

Oh, well I guess that tells me what I need to know. As soon as I had that thought a door opened and a solider walked into the room I resided in and gave me a crisp salute by slamming his clenched fist against his breastplate. The man was wearing full plate of burnished steel with crimson trimmings and a Stag with Crimson antlers embossed on the chest. "Commander scouts have spotted a force of over 5000 men approaching the pass. What are your orders mam."

I froze, over 5000 men? How the hell am I supposed to handle that many people by myself!? I felt myself beginning to panic before the words of my farther came to me. "Remember little pup whilst personal strength is always a requirement there will come a time when your own strength is insufficient. When that happens don’t be disheartened and instead claim the strength of those around you and combine your power to overcome your obstacles."

I felt my breathing steady slightly as I got my racing thoughts under control. "How far out is the approaching army?"

"They will arrive by days end." The solider dutifully reported to me.

"Take me to the command room I need a map." The solider fired off another salute and turned to head out of the door. He lead me down a corridor that was just a lavish as the sitting room I found myself within and I began to wonder why exactly this supposed fort was so opulent if it was just a simple fort. But those thought would have to wait for another day. After all I apparently had a keep to defend and I somehow needed to plan this all out by days end or this challenge would be quite troublesome indeed.

We quickly made it to a slightly less opulent room dominated by a large table in the centre. A number of maps lay bare on its surface and several other soldiers dressed in more relaxed uniforms bustled about gathering reports and moving around figures on the large central map. When I entered my guild barked out. "The Commander is present!" Coupled with one last salute before he promptly turned on his heel and walked back out of the room.

Flushing I looked up at the gathered soldiers as they all straightened and gave me a salute too before seeming to wait for something. It took me a moment before I realised they were waiting for me to say something. I panicked slightly before managing to come up with something that I hoped would inspire confidence. "I want an update on our forces and our defenses, I want all captains present as soon as I have been briefed!" Nothing happened for a moment before I sighed in realisation. "That means get to it now! Dismissed!" Only then did they all scramble to follow my orders whilst 2 people approached. The man was a linking based on his mane and the woman next to him was a human.

The woman spoke up first. "Commander we have 1000 soldiers at our disposal. They appear to have brought enough supplies with them for a prolonged siege and seem eager for a prolonged battle. We sent news to the kingdom and they will be unable to send reinforcements until the end of the month."

’Well that’s not ideal’ I thought, we are outnumbered 5 to 1 and I somehow have to come up with a plan to survive a siege for an entire month.

Deciding I needed to see what kind of terrain I am dealing with I nod at the woman and move over to look at the map. It would appear that this fort is in quite the advantageous position, it blocks off a mountain path which appears to be the only way to enter into this kingdom from this direction. As for fortifications, well we have walked off the entire pass with this fort being the central point of the pass. It looks to be no wider than 4-500 meters wide, so we have the terrain advantage but that’s all I can gather so far.

From their I receive a slew of additional information from details on our supplies which should last us well enough, to details on what kind of defensis we have at our disposal. We have around 100 mages, half being offensive. A quarter being defensive and the last quarter being a mix of healers and support casters. We have 2 trebuchets and plenty of arches and arrows.

As more and more information is provided to me by what I now assume are to be my advisors I slowly gain a better understanding of what kind of situation I find myself in. What initially seemed like quite the impossible task is changing from a hopeless challenge to one that whilst hard is beginning to sound possible.

I also learnt that everyone here is in the upper ranges of Copper rank and I am the only Iron ranked individual in the entire fort. I briefly wonder why everyone is at that rank but it began to make a touch of sense when I thought about it. The trial said that I had to protect the fort for a month, and how would I be able to do so if I was the weakest here, no by making me the strongest person in the fort I would have the power to actually defend them if needed.

Time swiftly moved from then as I got into the details of learning about and organising the defenses of this fort, and before I even knew it the enemy had arrived. I found myself stood atop the walls that blocked passage through this valley with the 5 captains that were my direct subordinates for this trial. Each of them led 200 soldiers and it would be them that I would rely on to carry out my plans.

As the sun began to set a collum of soldiers approached from the horizon it arrested never ended with the shear numbers that approached. But with my plans laid out and my soldiers ready I felt a smile tugging at my lips, this truly is a trial that suited me. After all, how else was a proud warrior of the clan of Stone to be tested!