Chapter 702

With Aurexion’s threat clearing the way Ajax was quickly brought to the healer’s moving carriage, with the army still on the retreat and the potential for the enemy champions to still be coming after them they couldn’t stop and put down tents just yet. Thankfully the spatially expanded carriage was still large enough to accommodate all the champions that were still suffering from heavy injuries.

While Ajax was getting rest and care, Aurexion was left to inform the generals and strategists about what happened on their side of the battle field. The most important question being what happened to the beastkin king, hopes were high considering Ajax had brought back his hammer along with Ajax’s armor.

“The lion beastkin still lives.” Aurexion dashed their hopes in a huff, he clearly still carried a grudge for being brained, quite literally considering the way Space Mana moved the point of impact, following his [Dragon’s Breath]. “Though he should be in pretty bad shape after what Ajax did to him.”

News that not just one but both of the high general’s aides had died in the battle did a lot to bring up the mood after learning that the king had survived, albeit if only because his unconscious and bleeding out body was dragged to safety in the middle of the fight. The two of them were some of the strongest champions on the enemy side. Learning that Ajax and Aurexion had killed the mage that had been supporting the king as well as both the dwarf and other beastkin that had come for them before they had been forced to retreat meant that despite being forced to retreat the battle had been a larger victory for them than they expected.

“I wouldn’t be so sure everything is going so well.” Aurexion pointed out. “Seeing as Highmountain managed to send their champions here I am guessing that they have also tried to invade Brightstone. No way the champions Brightstone sent to help won’t be going back to help their country.”

Aurexion’s words were like a bucket of cold water being dumped on the strategists as they realized the number of champions they lost following the battle was higher than they initially realized when counting the bodies.

“Did the last army also fight?” Aurexion asked. “I doubt Highmountain would have only sent champions to surprise one battlefield.”

“There was a battle.” The prince confirmed. “Highmountain sent two of their champions there as well but that battle was a lot less bloody since Shadow discovered them when he was moving to ambush the beastkin himself. In the end both sides ended up retreating early when they realized their side's ambush wasn’t coming through so they thought something had gone wrong.”

Unlike their battlefield there was no reason for Highmountain to stay hidden. Ajax, Aurexion and Aranor were the extreme threats to champions and all three of them had been part of this battle as was seen by the large number of beastkin champion kills they claimed or that happened as a direct result of their actions.

“What happened back there?” The prince asked Aurexion. “We felt a large amount of Fire Mana, Aranor said it was coming from Ajax and I trust his senses.”

“He gained a new Skill.” Aurexion’s could tell that there were a lot of questions people wanted to ask but decorum demanded they didn’t. Asking about a champion’s Skills directly was taboo. The only one who could get away with it was the prince and he just nodded like the idea of Ajax getting another Legendary Skill was as natural as the sky rising in the morning.

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“Did he end up pushing himself too far in this battle as well?” the prince asked instead. “Will he need weeks to recover again or will he be fine to take part in another battle in a few days?”

“He is dealing with his leg wound right now and that is not a normal wound.” Aurexion answered. “But it should be manageable and once that is done a day’s rest to recover his Mana and Stamina should be all he needs before he can fight again.”

Having had enough of the question and answer game Aurexion pulled out a rather large chunk of meat from one of Ajax’s spacial rings as he started heading towards the healing carriage, his intent of eating and recovering himself while standing guard over his bond was something nobody wanted to get in the way of.

The next few hours saw messages relayed from the command carriage back to headquarters as well as reports received from the other battlefield. By the end of the meeting the conclusion was pretty clear, the next battle would be the one that decided the outcome of the war as both sides would have their entire forces united to take part in a single engagement.

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High General P.O.V.

Watching the damned dragon ride away with the naked and injured body of Duke Hearthbound yet being able to do nothing about it did wonders for my focus Skill as it repressed my anger and fury at him getting away after killing two of my closest friends.

“Try and stop them.” I gave the order even as I knew everyone left that was even capable of trying to carry it out would most likely fail to even do more than add a few scratches to the dragon’s scales.

I launched a few spells myself before I gave up on the chase. I didn;t have the physical stats to keep up with the dragon’s flying speed and with him rising higher and higher he was getting out of range for most of us to even hit him if he stood still. I had to check on my king, I knew he wasn’t dead yet as I had seen him being rushed towards the army but he had clearly suffered from fighting the boy.

“You lied to us.” The last thing I wanted to do was stand and talk with the uppity dwarf as he dared to try and look down on me with his short stature of under five feet. “Duke Hearthbound was a lot stronger than you said.”

I wanted to curse the prideful bastadard out about how he waited until after the dragon had been downed and Ajax Hearthbound had left to protect his bond before joining the battle but as much as I hated it we needed Highmountain’s help if we were to win this war. And we needed to win this war if we were to have any chance of even keeping up in any way with Gryndor’s latest champion and his bond.

“I warned you the kid was a menace and to be careful. I also remember telling you that while he is strongest against mages he has ways to handle physical champions so hybrid fighters are your best bet against him.” I pointed out. The dwarves were no doubt angry about the death of their champion but we had more than a dozen deaths to mourn and I couldn’t care any more about one more dead dwarf. “His burning form was not something we even knew about and as you can see we lost people to him too. I’m sure we both have better things to do than argue right now.”

I could see the dwarf wanting to object, I even knew what his complaint was. We never told them that Ajax was a pinnacle, but that was something neither them or us could have as our official stance. Being a pinnacle would mean we recognise that Ajax Hearthbound was superior to everyone else. To admit that about a human would go against our entire way of life and the whole reason behind this war.

I had to talk to my king, we needed a plan for this final battle and dealing with Duke Hearthbound and his dragon were at the top of the list. While I might not be willing to openly admit he was a pinnacle as a strategist I knew better than to let my ego get in the way. It wasn’t feasible to beat a pinnacle in a straight up fight, but history did teach us in very few instances that they could be killed if they were carefully planned around multiple champions working together. First things first however I would need to talk to the king and the prince. They had actually fought him when he was empowered by a Skill that our spies claim to have heard being openly referred to as a Pseudo-Mythic Skill. Seeing the results I was more than willing to believe it.

“The king is resting.” I could admire the guards' devotion to the king but neither of them were above level one hundred and twenty.

“Get those axes out of my way.” My words came out as more of an angry growl.

I could see the look the guards exchanged even as my stride never slowed. The axes parted and one of them quickly entered the tent to announce my impending arrival while the other straightened up and saluted me. “Yes, high general.”

“The king and prince are expecting you.” The other guard returned from the tent in moments offering me the same salute as the first.

“Make sure we aren’t disturbed.” I enter the tent without another look at the guards while making sure all the enchantments are active to keep the conversation about to take place private.