Just being a dark elf in Warhammer

Chapter 211 61. Lost Victory (Part 2)

The battle continued, the center of Hagrid Grave's defense was penetrated, and the retreat turned into a rout. The soldiers stumbled down the hillside and fled for their lives. Fortunately, strict discipline prevented them from throwing away their weapons.

The trumpet sounded, and Nagor's troops pursued the defeated soldiers with a rhythmic pace, killing every defeated soldier they could catch. Even the battered Dark Riders join the pursuit, seeking revenge for the bloody ambush that preceded them.

"Marus! Malus!" The cold lizard knights cheered, shouting Malus's name.

"Where to go now, my lord?" asked the young knight.

"Where else? Hagrid Grave, of course! Onward!" Malus said, pointing his blood-stained sword to the north.

It was already dusk and it was already raining heavily in the overcast sky. After the battle at Blackwater Crossing, the Nagor's men continued to cross the river with little pause. The soldiers sat on the ground in the pouring rain. They were so tired that they had to draw their cloaks to protect them from the rain. They desperately needed some rest.

If the sky hadn't turned more leaden from the rain, the soldiers could have seen the black smoke rising from Hagrid Grave from where they stood, but Malus loved the harsh weather and what it had to offer Concealment.

Malus deduced that Hagrid Grave's Night Warden was aware of the disaster at Blackwater Crossing, but would not guess how close the Nagor's forces were to his walls. It was a slim advantage and he knew he would take everything he could get. He suddenly rubbed his forehead absentmindedly. Over the course of the day, the headache got worse, like something was pounding inside his skull.

Malus also knew that even if these exhausted soldiers could break through the city gate, they would not be enough to sweep the city. During the long afternoon he considered the problem from every angle, not even magic would work, as the Nightlord could summon Hagrid Grave's sorceress to counteract the spell of the Nagor's sorceress. Now that the element of surprise was certainly gone, he could see no way of getting an entire army into the city without challenge.

"Unless?" Malus suddenly thought of something, but he was still not sure. There were too few clues and the current position was very dangerous. If the city sends troops to deal with us, there will be no room for maneuver. Thinking that the army would be trapped between the forest and the valley and crushed to pieces, he decided to go and see for himself.

Malus stood on the rain-soaked ground, looking despondently at the troops that were still gathering in the distance. He could clearly see the flag of Valahar, and about ten thousand Druchi were gathering and waiting. What's worse is that he saw countless powerful banners. It seemed that all the powerful people in Hagrid Grave came out. Where did Isvar get such great influence? "

"Mother of the Night!" Malus exclaimed in a low voice. He pointed to a wet black and red flag. He couldn't believe it. He even thought that it was just a cover. There was only a flag and the Kane sect did not move. He After seeing Nagalia, he asked directly, "Isvar even summoned the witch spirits and executioners from Kane Temple?"

"You gave it to him!" Nagalia, who came from behind, said calmly.

"What do you mean?" Malus asked, glaring at Nagalia.

"My brother, the whole city is talking about you now, and some of the wounded tell stories of your heroic deeds. You are like a Chaos Demon. Old Valahar is dead, and so many powerful Dread Lords are out fighting, Now the whole city is trembling for your arrival.”

"It seems I have finally made a name for myself. If we had not set up camp yesterday, we could have defeated the enemy at Blackwater Crossing and arrived here before Isvarr could muster his army. The sight before us proved our defeat." The frustration burned a hot hole in Malus's heart, constantly eating away at his heart. He clenched his fists and pointed at the opposite flag and said bitterly.

"The city is indeed talking about you, but the real situation is that Darkus Hellscourge, the Druchi Chief Consul and the hand of the Witch King, came to the city yesterday."

"Darkus? What is he doing here at this time? Mediation?" Malus said with some excitement. He suddenly thought of his experience of going to Krakarond to sell trophies after the Haxiya trial voyage. During the ambush, he thought of the Krakarond dignitaries who were looking at him playfully on the city wall, and Darkus was among them at the time. Later, he understood the cause and effect from Fulan's mouth, and from then on everyone started to The gods began to treat him cruelly. No matter how hard he tried, the gods never smiled at him again.

"No, this battle has nothing to do with him. The purpose of his coming here is just to test a strange device, at least that's what he said."

"What?" Malus couldn't believe it.

"But his arrival made these powerful disciples who had been watching indifferently take action. I guess these powerful disciples want to get a share of the military merits. Maybe they can serve as followers in the hands of the Witch King? Then they can take this opportunity to join His Majesty the Witch King. Where’s the vision?”

"Him? Hand of the Witch King? CEO? Mother of Darkness! Why! Why!" Malus cursed fiercely. At the end of the curse, he couldn't control his emotions and began to roar angrily. He felt that Unprecedented jealousy and hatred. He and Darkus are the same age, but their experiences are completely different.

Malus felt the mockery of fate at this moment, and the mockery was vividly reflected on him. Why was there that ambush? Because Darkus also participated in the trial that year, Darkus also brought back a large number of Asur slaves. Darkus's brother did not like his brother and a black blade to be compared with each other by the powerful, just Because of this, it is full of irony and ridicule. Why didn't he sell his loot at Karondekar in the first place? But to Krakarlond? Just because the latter can be sold at a higher price than the former! This seemed to be the beginning of his tragedy.

"Now we have no choice but to retreat! Even if we go all out, we can't fight against such a huge army." After a while, Malus, who recovered from his bitterness, carefully examined the enemy's deployment.

Nagalia did not respond to Malus, but silently looked at the troops still gathering in the distance.

"Isvar will most likely wait for news of our entry into the valley, and then we will be surrounded like prey. The plan was a gamble from the beginning, and now it has failed, and we must try to live with the consequences."

"I don't know much about military matters. I have to go back now." Nagalia still said calmly, as if all this had nothing to do with her, and the purpose of her coming here was just to take a look.

Malus was still standing there looking at Hagrid Grave's army in the distance. His eyes suddenly widened and he was stunned. He slowly turned around to look for Nagalia's figure, but Nagalia's figure had already disappeared into the night.

"Mother of Darkness, the plan is right in front of me, but I didn't see it!" Malus said painfully. He felt like a fool. He suddenly realized that the entire military operation was a scam from the beginning! There was no plan at all, it was a betrayal calculated to solidify the position of Nagalia's ally Isvar, the new Valahar.

A major military victory over the Nagor's forces would give Isvar much-needed legitimacy and prestige among Hagrid Grave's powerful elite.

Malus rode the cold lizard all the way back to the valley and arrived at the new camp. He heard the hammering of hammers and the noise of the army camping in the valley.

It was dark on the road, and the druchi and slaves of the baggage team were hard at work setting up tents and distributing dinner rations. The soldiers of the Nagor army were staggering around like drunkards in the hustle and bustle of camp construction. There was no discipline at this time, and many soldiers simply lay on the wet ground and fell asleep directly.

"What are they thinking?" Malus looked at the chaos happening in front of him, trembling with frustration and anger, and he strode into the camp with murderous intent.

The plans of all Druch military camps were the same. Malus walked through the narrow alleys between the nobles' tents and found that he seemed to be in a veritable city, filled with trucks filled with luggage and supplies.

"What does this mean?" Malus saw eight fully armed Druchi standing there with unsheathed swords in their hands. He immediately stopped and pulled out his sword. He shouted sternly. asked, his voice as sharp as the sword in his hand.

"Restore order! Correct order! You cruel bastard!" the leader said in the same stern tone.

Malus's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, and he took a step forward, wanting to kill the leader who spoke, but the followers had already rushed towards him silently. He let out an angry roar, then a fist hit the back of his head, and the world fell into darkness again.

Malus woke up screaming as the tip of the knife carved a jagged line across his forehead. He was stripped naked and hung by his hands on a thick tent pole. Furlan was standing in front of him looking at him with a look of resentment.

A pair of large braziers were lit in the tent, and under the light, Ferland's battered face looked like a Chaos Demon. Malus could smell the stink of cheap alcohol on his breath, and could see the crazy fire dancing in his dark pupils, and he was smiling like a vicious child.

Malus looked around the tent, blood streaming down his cheeks. Ferland's followers and sycophants crowded the main room of the tent, standing quietly as if they were witnessing an execution.

"Hit me?" Ferlan asked viciously.

Searing pain exploded in Malus's forehead, and he let out an angry cry and lowered his head, trying to keep the dripping blood from splattering his eyes.

"This is a mistake you will soon regret, I assure you. I have given the Cold Lizard Knight to another Dread Lord in recognition of his loyalty and courage, and you will no longer have a place in this army A place for you. As a traitor, you will be summarily executed, but I will spend the night skinning you alive." Forlan raised the bayonet blade, watching the firelight shine on the blade, he continued, "My only It's a pity that I have so little free time. You have no idea how much I longed for this opportunity, Malus. I once dreamed of spending days slowly vivisecting you, and I spent a fortune on it. Lin built a special room in my tower where I can tear you apart, reassemble you, and tear you apart again, day after day, year after year!”

Furlan grabbed Malus's chin and inserted the tip of the thorn blade into the skin above Malus's right eye. Slowly, he began to cut open Malus's skin.

Malus gritted his teeth and trembled with pain.

"Have you ever drunk wine from the skulls of powerful men, my cousin? The age of the wine seeped into the bones, subtly changing the taste. In the morning, I will sit on Hagrid Grave's Night Governor's throne and drink from you Red wine in my skull, I can’t wait to taste how it tastes now.”

Malus gasped in pain, hot blood leaking from his eyes, and a dull pain pounded in his head.

"I understand your plan now, the entire campaign is to lure out Hagrid Grave's army. I've been considering every trick and strategy I know but I just can't figure it out and that's because of you Never intended to win in battle. I was supposed to infiltrate the city through burrows and assassinate the Night Governor for you, and then you would emerge from the shadows and crown yourself with the Night Governor's crown. Nagalia cast a spell in my mind , twisting my memory to make me forget, isn't it?" Malus spat and said slowly.

"She...she said you wouldn't remember it!" Ferlan took a step back and said with his eyes widened in surprise.

"I don't need to recollect, the clue is right in front of me. Once you have the tiara, no one can take it away from you except by force or the recognition of His Majesty the Witch-King. That is the law of the Druchi! I expect that in After some initial resistance Isvar will accept the status quo, and by the time the more powerful lords return from campaigning, your power base has been solidified and they have no choice but to accept you."

"As an assassin, my life is of course forfeited, but if I survive this attempt, you can hand me over to His Majesty the Witch King for execution and gain tacit support for your rule." Malus snapped.

"It's really amazing. If you weren't a cold-blooded and treacherous bastard, it would be very charming." Nagalia swept through the tent like a cold wind, came behind Malus, and hung over Furlan's head like a vengeful ghost. . She took off her mask and tossed the wet hood of her cloak back, her eyes clearly visible, glowing with magical fire.

Furlan flinched at Nagalia's approach, and Nagalia slapped him across the face so loudly that he almost fell to his knees.

One of the servants roared angrily and rushed towards Nagalia with a dagger in his hand. She spoke only one syllable, and the air in the tent froze for a moment, and the retinue fell dead at her feet.

"Get up you idiot! Have you given up on your remaining sanity?" Nagalia snapped at Furlan.

"He conspired against him on the battlefield!" Ferlan said angrily.

"Then you can do whatever you want? You stupid little guy! Do you think this is how the Night Governor behaves? Will the Night Governor give in to his desires when the stakes are high? Do you deserve it? Barnes ·Son of Balak?”

"You dare to call me that? When I become Night Governor, I will..." Ferlan retorted sharply.

"Ah, but you're not the Night Governor yet, are you? Put him down and get him dressed, time is running out!"

Furlan glared at Nagalia fiercely and made a gesture to his followers, who untied Malus and brought him clothes.

"I'm sorry to bother you, sir. I'm looking for Lord Malus." The entrance door of the tent was pulled aside unceremoniously, and a dozen cold-faced cold lizard knights squeezed into the tent. The leading young knight glanced at him, bowed respectfully to Fulan, and then spoke fluently.

"Lord Malus is no longer your lord." Forlan interjected.

"This joke is not funny, my lord, Lord Malus led us to victory at the Blackwater Ferry and slew the Dread Lord Hagrid Grave in battle. How ridiculous is this!? Think of this in How much dissent aroused in the team, not to mention the insult to your father, Admiral Barnes handed over the command to him from the beginning. I didn't expect that my Lord General has such a noble sense of humor." Surprisingly, To Erlan's surprise, the young knight smiled, and then began to speak jokingly.

Forlan could only stare at the young knight, his jaw working in frustration.

"The cold lizard knights are waiting for your orders, my lord. Can I get your armor?" The young knight turned to Malus and asked.

"Please forgive me, Lord Ferland. These people are tired and hungry. If they wait too long, they can easily become... unruly." Malus glared at Ferland and said with a smile.

"Sorry for the delay, sir. Before we found you, we searched almost all the tents in the camp." The young knight said as soon as he walked out of the tent door.

"No need to apologize, you did a great job. If we are to avoid disaster, we must hurry up now. Call all the officers and ask them to come to my tent immediately. We must get out of here!" The rain stung Malus's wound , but he turned his face to the sky, savoring the pain. He took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts and said.

"Shall we retreat?" the young knight asked with a frown.

"We have no choice. This battle was never about success. It was just the beginning of a larger plan to lure Hagrid Grave's warriors out of the city, and it has succeeded. If we can't get there before daybreak Leave the valley and the army will be destroyed.”

"You're talking about a mutiny. A real mutiny! Verlan intends to stay and fight, doesn't he?" the young knight asked seriously.

"No, he wants to sneak away while you are being killed. You can either stay here and wait to die, or try your luck and return to the Nagor."

The young knight nodded and left with the cold lizard knights.

"See how Nagalia and Furlan plan to send an army behind me to force me?" Malus walked in the opposite direction, following the orderly layout of the camp until he reached where his tent was. His mind was racing, trying to formulate a plan to withdraw his troops in the dead of night, right under Isvar's nose.

Suddenly, the sound of trumpets in the distance echoed in the night sky, and the night air trembled with the sounds of trumpets and the sounds of battle.

Malus, who had reached the tent, stopped, breathing heavily and tasting the bitterness in his mouth. The echoing trumpet call had a terrifying undertone, and Isvar found the camp. Isvar decided not to wait for dawn and launched a surprise attack on the exhausted and scattered Nagor army.

"Brother, it's time." Before Malus could react, Nagalia said as she walked out of the darkness.

"It is indeed time to retreat, sister. The army is in serious danger." Malus turned his back to Nagalia and tried to take out the serrated dagger on his waist as he spoke.

"Army? The purpose of the army is to sacrifice. I have another important task to give you, turn around!" Nagalia ordered.

Malus turned around helplessly and found that his body was out of control.

Nagalia stood not far away, with more than a dozen followers in black robes standing beside her.

Furlan stood to the side, a long sword in his hand, his face contorted with anger and fear.

"You will do exactly what I say, follow me!" Nagalia's glowing eyes narrowed, and she continued to order.

Malus could feel the coldness of Nagalia's smile.

The pain disappeared from Malus' body as Nagalia tightened her grip. A terrifying aura swelled in his chest, like poisonous snakes wrapping around his heart, and his feet began to move automatically and uncontrollably.

Isvar's army has launched an attack.

Nagalia led Malus and her retinue westward, out of the camp and into a dense forest at the bottom of the valley.

Malus followed his sister like a well-trained dog, listening helplessly to the cries and screams of the dying army. He prayed to the Night Mother that the cold lizard knights could escape or die less. He couldn't stop moving, no matter how hard he tried. No amount of will, anger, or fear could stop Calia's feet from moving on their own wherever he went.

The team walked in the forest for a long time and came to a huge granite boulder rising from the ground. The granite block was the size of a small cabin, carving out a small clearing in the middle of a tangled forest of trees.

The rain fell steadily, and the clear spots on the granite shone.

Nagalia's retinue spread out around the granite, one group in prayer poses, and another group standing guard around the clearing, while she summoned a flame and began to inspect the granite.

"Sister, I have been thinking about how our famous brothers gathered troops so quickly to counterattack the Nagol army? Admiral Barnes Bale has every reason to believe that before we passed the Blackwater River , we won’t see any serious resistance, and I daresay he knows Hagrid Grave and its leaders as well as anyone.”

"It seems Isvar is a more effective leader than anyone imagined," Nagalia said absently.

"Or have you been in contact with him? Did you warn him of the Nagor's plan? And why was there no magic cast today? Where is the sorceress on the Nagor?!"

"Is what he said true?" Ferlan looked at Nagalia with wide eyes.

"Why would I do this, you little fool?"

"None of this went according to plan! You never said my army would be destroyed! Without a loyal army, how can I control this city?" Furlan became angry and roared.

"I believe you have been betrayed, my cousin."

"Shut up! You are just provoking us and making us hostile to each other!" Ferlan slowly turned to look at Malus and roared, his right eye began to twitch.

"She and Isvar have been allies for years, both cultists of Slaanesh! Didn't she tell you? I thought you two were engaged! Don't you Nagors ever talk to your future wives? ?" Seeing the horrified expression gradually appearing on Ferland's face, Malus felt a burst of joy, and he laughed in front of Ferland.

"Is this true?" Ferland said in horror, his face pale.

"Oh, yes, my brother is right," Nagalia said still absentmindedly, tracing a dent in the granite with her finger.

"She wants me to kill the Nightlord, but who else will benefit from his death? Isvar, of course! After he destroys your army, he will be hailed as a hero. Then when he returns to Hagrid ·When Grave learns of Night Governor's death and takes over as Night Governor, who will oppose him? Maybe only the Witch King's Hand. I think you will be handed over so that he can parade you through the streets when celebrating his victory. .”

"Shut up! Shut up! Nagalia, tell him! He is wrong! You will never be able to rule next to Isvar, only I can make you queen!" Ferland had lost his mind and was shaking with anger.

"Marus, kill Furlan!" Nagalia said imperiously.

"You lying whore! If you want to kill me, then do it! I trained with the best duelists on the Nagor..." Ferlan screamed in fright, before he could say anything. He was interrupted by the dull sound of steel hitting his body.

Ferland's eyes fell on the dagger handle protruding from his neck, his last breath escaped his lips, he let out a surprised sigh, and fell directly to the ground.

"Impressive throw!" commented Nagalia.

After finishing her evaluation, Nagalia sang in a low voice and a blue light flashed. A large hole appeared in the granite that seemed to curve downward into the ground.

"Let's go home! Brother."