Read Online Heretic (The Sanctuary Series Book 7) by Robert J. Crane - Free Book Online Page A

understanding,” Terian said. “Cyrus … with the Luukessians helping my army garrison Emerald Fields against the elven threat, you have less than two thousand members of Sanctuary left at the guildhall. And you’re going to lose some of them now that the pronouncement has been made.”
    “You know my numbers better than I do,” Cyrus said, feeling the sting of that as well.
    “I don’t take the departures as personally as you do,” Terian said gently. “Though I can’t imagine it’s been easy watching thousands and thousands stream out your doors this last year.”
    “Not easy at all, no,” Cyrus said, straightening up. “But that’s irrelevant. We can garrison Sanctuary itself with less than five hundred, and you know it. The Luukessians would be more than glad to send additional help should we need it—”
    “As would we,” Kahlee said, apparently pre-empting her husband.
    “He already knew that, wife,” Terian said.
    “When someone is embattled, husband, it’s good form to offer support, because the encouragement is needed most when clearly absent from all other sources,” she said.
    “This is a peculiar marriage,” Calene said in a quiet whisper.
    “You said it,” Terian agreed. “In any case … yes, Cyrus, we would willingly reinforce the Sanctuary guildhall if it comes to that. Say the word, I’ll send my best. The civilian council that runs things with me here has already given their approval to aid you as our ally, so … whatever you need.”
    “Thank you, Terian,” Cyrus said, looking away from the paladin’s gaze. “I should have known you’d—your loyalty is much appreciated in this hour.”
    “Forget all that maudlin sentimentality,” Terian said. “When are you going after these bastards?”
    Cyrus looked up to find the Sovereign regarding him carefully. “Terian, Goliath and Amarath’s Raiders are the vanguard of our enemies at the moment. The Human Confederation and the Elven Kingdom are both standing clearly, if not quite as enthusiastically, behind them, with their immense—compared to ours—armies. And as you just pointed out … we have about two thousand guild members, if you don’t count the Luukessians, and I don’t—”
    “Ahem,” Longwell said behind him.
    “—because of their primary commitment to their new homeland at the moment,” Cyrus said, casting a look over his shoulder at the dragoon. “With the tension between them and the elves right now, that force is going to have to stay in place for the time being. Those troops are useless to us. Even if King Danay didn’t want to involve himself in this little conflict brewing, his mere existence means that we’ve got a hand tied behind our back. The Luukessians are pinned in place.”
    “So unpin them,” Terian said, a glint in his eyes.
    “Perhaps you’re not listening,” Cyrus said, feeling as though the Sovereign might have missed a step. “Leaving aside the elves for a moment—Goliath is against us. Amarath’s Raiders is against us. Two guilds which competed with Sanctuary in size before we lost half our number in the last two years. The Human Confederation sits in their shadow—”
    Terian yawned. “And behind them, presumably, in lessening orders of enthusiasm for making war upon you and Sanctuary are the dwarves and the gnomes. I’m aware of the political state of Arkaria most acutely, my friend. I spend most days considering it for endless hours, thanks to my advisors and their incessant desire to chatter about such things. Here’s what I also know—the Human Confederation has roughly one hundred thousand troops under muster at the moment, the Elven Kingdom roughly fifty thousand—”
    “Like a herd of naked dwarves bursting out of your quarters unannounced, I personally find that worrisome,” Vaste said.
    “Does … does that happen to you often?” Calene asked.
    “They already have us outnumbered some fifteen to one, even if we counted the Luukessians,” Cyrus said,