I blew out a stressed breath. What was worse? Going into a battle for the first time? Or going into it a second time, knowing full well how bad it would be? A debate for the philosophers, right there.
My Edwin was right, though. I had two ships of soldiers, knights, priests, and mages to properly brief. Rexword followedas I went belowdecks, where everyone waited. People were polishing swords, checking armor, finishing up breakfast. The room was crowded but not really noisy. In fact, the air was quite subdued. They looked nervous but determined. I couldn’t fault the first. I was nervous as well.
“Rexword, connect with the other ship so I can speak with all my forces at once.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
It would take a minute for that to happen, so I raised my voice and called to everyone, “Settle, please! I want to brief you on what to do once we land.”
The noise abated, people finding places to sit or stand so they could hear me. I appreciated how quickly they responded. I only had hours to instruct them when I needed weeks. I could only do what I could in this moment, but damn did I hate this.
Rexword tilted the mirror so it would show my reflection. I saw my knight commander on the other side and relayed to him, “I must instruct everyone on our strategy and how to combat demons. Please angle the mirror so the soldiers can hear me.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
All right, time to speak as succinctly as possible. “First, let me address your fears. The demons shouldn’t be released yet. We’re dealing with one known cult member trying to release them, which is a different kettle of fish. We have not confirmed if there’s more cultists, so stay on your toes. There could be more and we just haven’t overturned the rock they’re hiding under. This isn’t going to be easy, but I don’t fight hopeless battles. We can stop the portal from opening again, of this I’m sure. Second, I don’t want anyone in confusion. If you’re not sure of what I’m saying, please raise a hand and ask your questions. I will answer to the best of my ability. Understood?”
I got nods from various people. Okay, good.
“The most important part first. I’m going to teach you what to do in a worst-case scenario. If the demons really do break through the portal, then here’s what you need to know. Demonic energy is fed through blood, especially blood sacrifice—that’s very powerful to them. We must thwart their attempts to lay hands on people at all costs. Our first strategy is to clear the area of all living souls and keep them well away from the demons. Doing so will drop their potential combat ability by half. If anyone is badly injured, move them away from the area immediately. We need as few deaths as possible. Knight Commander, your orders are to go ahead of me and clear the area. Force march people out if you have to—do not take no for an answer.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
“Speed is of the essence, so move quickly. Second, holy oil should have been issued to you along with your regular gear as you got on this ship. I want you to coat yourselves with it. Anoint your foreheads, just like you would at a blessing, and put a drop at the top of your crown. This will thwart any attempts of both mind-possession or becoming host to a demon. Coat your shields and blades with the leftover oil. You can say a prayer while you’re doing this, that’ll help as well, but the oil will do most of the job.”
I saw a hand in the very far back of the room raise. I paused, gesturing for the soldier to speak. “What is it?”
“Your Majesty, will this work even for us regular soldiers?”
“Of course. I brought the temple knights with me to augment the mages in the fight, as I don’t know how many demons might get loose during this. But I didn’t bring you along as fodder. You’re fully capable of fighting these things with the holy oil applied. I’m no more immune than you are, so I’ll be doing the same with holy oil before we land.”
Morale visibly lifted around me. Vuheia save me, had they really thought they had no fighting chance?
I reiterated firmly, “Once applied, the holy oil will protect you and let you fight demons. That said, keep either oil or holy water on you at all times, and fight in groups of three. At the very least, pair up with someone else. Do not fight alone, as it’s more effective for one of you to be fully engaged in the fight and the other ready to apply either oil or water to the demon. Doing that will stop the fight immediately. The demon can’t use their powers correctly, and if a person is possessed, the mind control halts. Sometimes you can even get the person back to normal without a priest’s exorcism. Don’t bank on that, though. The oil will break the possession, but often a priest must exorcise them of all demonic energy for them to fully come back to themselves. Focus on breaking the tie. We’ll handle the rest after the battle.”
When I saw people around me were looking more determined, I felt a little better.
“That said, look out for people who are possessed. Anyone who has eyes that can’t focus or have a white film over the top, those are your first signs. An unnatural shade of lips as well, grey or black, is a sure sign of possession. They’re also very doll-like in their mannerisms. They have no will of their own, so they won’t answer readily or move unless it’s under the orders given to them.”
A different hand, this time from a knight nearby, shot up.
“Yes?”
“Your Majesty, what’s the best way to apply the holy oil or water if a person has been possessed?”
“Either apply to their crown or anoint the forehead. If you can’t get them to stay still enough for that—which is entirely possible, they generally try to fight you off—then just splash it on them while reciting a prayer. It’ll work. The important part is to hit skin.”
“How can we tell if it worked?”
“They’ll slump like a puppet with its strings cut and will sleep for about two days. If they’re not dead to the world asleep, then it didn’t work and you’ll need to try again.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
I was grateful for the questions. It proved they were all thinking, which was what I needed. Smart soldiers were the ones who got the job done.
“I’ll be honest, the state of things in Berengar right now is in question. I spoke to the knights stationed there yesterday and ordered the place evacuated, but I can’t reach them this morning. I don’t know what’s happened, but something clearly has. I hope we’re arriving before the enemy, but we can’t count on it. So be prepared for a battle the second we arrive. When we land, the soldiers on my ship will take up a defensive perimeter around me, the priests, and the mages. We’ll move in a box formation toward the portal. Your first duty is to protect all of us, as I’ll need their full support. Five mages and a complement of twenty knights will go up the river to finish undoing that dam. I don’t know why they’re still struggling to dismantle it, but it must be destroyed and quickly. We must have water flowing to redo the seals.”
I saw trust in their faces. I saw determination, hope, and a willingness to go into what promised to be a difficult battle. I banked on all of this because we must win. There was no other option.
