Tale of a Hedonistic wizard

Within the span of a single sun\'s arc across the sky, their fortress had been wrenched back from the iron grip of their foes.

Drasus, that wretched snake, had vastly underestimated Jaegar\'s power. Even now, the traitorous cur is likely to be scurried inside the fortress.

"Their numbers, they seem very little to hold a fortress this large," Jaegar remarked, his demolished sword hand still smoking faintly. "Don\'t you find that suspicious?"

Kaeso\'s jaw tightened as he studied the foreboding darkness before them. "Aye, it reeks of deception. I\'d wager Daikrimore did not have enough soldiers to properly garrison this place."

A muscle worked in Kaeso\'s cheek, but he held his tongue. Kaeso could see the young man wasn\'t interested in what he was about to say.

Jaegar remained silent, merely giving a curt nod.

After a pause, he asked, "What next?"

Thanks to that mage, Jaegar was able to test the earth flame, and if there were more like him, he could test his other abilities too.

"First, we regroup and see to our wounded," Kaeso said, recognizing that glazed look of incipient boredom in his champion\'s eyes. "Once that is done, we must march straight towards the eastwatch immediately, they must be waiting."

Within the hour, what remained of the army stood assembled in the fortress\' great courtyard. Of the thousand souls who had set out from the kingdom, barely four thousand able-bodied warriors still stood upright, fit for combat.

The rest lay recovering from wounds both minor and grievous, tended to by the army\'s small cadre of healers. But their arts could only do so much with such meagre supplies.

Casting his eye over the ranks, Kaeso saw the same fatigue and pain writ large on each haggard face. But his men were survivors, each and every one. This was merely another obstacle to overcome.

Drasus was silent as he sat in one place, staring towards Jaegar, not uttering a word.

"At midnight\'s darkest hour, we march!" Kaeso bellowed, his voice carrying over the courtyard. "Prepare yourselves, men! Our respite will be fleeting, for we cannot linger here a moment longer than necessary."

They all knew the journey back to Eastwatch would be a gruelling, uphill slog. Though the distance was not unsurmountable, they would need to rest at regular intervals. Every halt, no matter how brief, brought the risk of an enemy ambush.

But there was no other choice.

With the fortress once again under their control, Kaeso and Drasus wasted no time in making preparations for their withdrawal. The recapture of Stoneguard Keep was a crucial victory, but they could not afford to linger.

A messenger bird had already been dispatched to the capital, bearing news of their hard-won triumph over the invading forces. Soon, reinforcements and supplies would be on their way to restart the vital mining operations that supplied the kingdom\'s trade networks.

But until then, they would need to hold this ground themselves.

Kaeso\'s eyes roved over the battered inner courtyard as he barked out orders. "Secure the horses and what provisions we can carry!"

He turned to Arrane, his expression one of weary determination. "See to our defences. I want every entrance and wallwalk manned until we can cycle fresh troops in from the capital."

The man gave a curt nod, his face a mask of forced neutrality.

Drasus, finally coming out of his reverie, had commanded the injured men to stay in the fortress and guard until reinforcements from the capital arrived.

No doubt Drasus was seething beneath that impassive veneer, frustrated by Jaegar\'s presence.

Turning away from his misgivings, Kaeso\'s gaze found Jaegar across the bustling courtyard. The young warrior stood impassive beside his mount, a towering charger as black as a moonless night. Even at rest, an aura of subdued power clung to the man, reminiscent of a slumbering dragon waiting to unfurl its terrible, fiery breath.

As if sensing Kaeso\'s scrutiny, Jaegar looked up, and their eyes met. A fleeting grin played across the commander\'s lips before he strode over.

"You were simply remarkable out there," Kaeso said as he neared. "Had you not been present, I shudder to think how this day might have ended."

Drasus made a small noise of disgust in the back of his throat. "Is he truly nought but a gladiator then? Some pit fighter you\'ve grown overfond of?" His eyes glittered with undisguised disdain as he raked them over Jaegar\'s soot-stained features.

For his part, Jaegar remained silent and impassive, though his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

Chuckling, Kaeso shook his head. "A gladiator? Hardly. Jaegar is...my champion. One possessing abilities that I\'ve found quite invaluable as of late."

He let that cryptic statement hang in the air for a moment, watching realization slowly spread across Draus\' face. The other commander opened his mouth and asked a dozen more questions, no doubt lying in wait on his tongue. But Kaeso merely raised a hand, forestalling the imminent barrage.

"Enough prattling. We make for the rendezvous point on the double. If this \'guest\' of mine encounters any further difficulty accepting his role, well..." Kaeso arched an eyebrow at Jaegar before turning on his heel. "I expect you\'ll deal with it accordingly?"

At that, the barest hint of a smirk played across Jaegar\'s features as he inclined his head slowly. Message received, loud and clear.

Fuming silently, Draus could only shake his head and hurry after Kaeso, leaving Jaegar to prepare his steed. The young warrior\'s fingers trailed almost reverentially along the horse\'s muscular flanks as he checked the saddle girths and bridle.

If any fools sought to impede his path forward, gladiator or not, he would handle them as he saw fit. No one would stand in the way of his quest. A mirthless chuckle rumbled in Jaegar\'s chest as he lithely mounted his charger. Let the snakes whisper all they wanted - he would simply let his blades do the talking from here on out.