Read Online Wielder's Fate by T.B. Christensen - Free Book Online

would be Blaize’s first true assignment as the commander general.
    “What is the nature of these beasts?” he asked the messenger.
    “None have gotten close enough to get a good view and live.  We do know that they walk upright like a man but are slightly larger than us and appear to have skin as red as blood.”
    “Are they truly wild beasts or are they sentient?”  Blaize asked.
    “They are armed with weapons and appear to be moving in a somewhat organized fashion.”
    “How many are there?”
    “They number at least in the thousands, Commander General,” the messenger answered.  “Perhaps in the tens of thousands.”
    Blaize stood up from his desk.  He needed some fresh air to clear his mind.  He had spent the morning talking of magic with Traven and now he was being told that a horde of monsters was on its way to attack Candus.  The world he thought he knew was being turned upside down.  It seemed strange indeed to be considering such things.  However, he had met an elf the day before, and if there were elves, why not some other savage creature that no one had known existed.
    “I say we go to the city’s east wall to get a better view of the situation,” he suggested.
    “I agree,” Gavin replied, still in disbelief.
    The messenger followed as they left the room and made their way to the outer wall of the city.  After arriving at the east gate, they climbed the stone stairs to the lookout tower above it.  They joined the two sentries who were intently gazing to the east.  Both snapped to attention when they realized who it was that had joined them.
    “At ease,” Blaize said as he peered into the distance.
    The villagers were still too far away to see with any detail, but he could easily see the smudge on the horizon that foretold of the coming of a large group.  Accommodations would need to be prepared for the refugees.  He turned to the messenger.
    “You said there are ten thousand villagers?”
    “Yes,” the messenger replied.  “Perhaps a few more.”
    The best solution Blaize could think of was to house them in the barracks.  Soldiers would need to be mobilized to protect the city from the approaching threat.  By moving part of the army to the plains east of the city, there would be plenty of room to accommodate the refugees in the barracks.  He supposed he might as well send the order.  By the time the villagers arrived, he could have part of the barracks cleared and ready for them.
    He gave the orders to one of the sentries on duty and sent the man running to the barracks.  Twenty thousand soldiers would soon be setting up camp to the east of the city.  Hopefully, that would be plenty to repel the monsters.  He didn’t want to move any more troops until he had a better idea of the attacking beasts’ intentions.  He needed a better idea of how many there really were and when exactly they would arrive.
    It would also be wise to send a message to the other villages in the vicinity.  The message would warn them of the impending danger and offer them safety within the city walls.  Blaize let out a sigh.  The recent battle had ended merely a week before and already it appeared that another conflict was on the way.  He turned towards Gavin as the young man finally spoke up.
    “We are living in strange times,” the future baron muttered.  “It has been over a hundred years since Candus was last attacked.  It is hard for me to believe the reports of an invading horde of beasts, but it would be unwise to not prepare for it.  I wish there was some way we could see how great this new threat truly is.”
    Blaize wished the same thing.  If they had more intelligence on the beasts, it would be much easier to take the necessary precautions and form the proper defenses.  He glanced out over the green landscape and watched as the group in the far distance slowly grew closer.  If only he could see what was beyond that group.  He paused as a thought occurred to him.  There was