Wild Wastes 5 -ch 22- (Patreon)

“I was wrong,” Vince stated as he looked out to the wrecked camp. It’d been where an army of Francia had been holed up just this morning. A camp that had log fittings for many of the buildings around the base, walls that went around the majority of the camp, and a number of beaten paths that’d been made through sheer repetition of booted feet hitting turf.

This had been here for a signficant time.

Before Prussany had stormed through this morning and crushed it, rolled through it, and kept moving. Straight till they stopped at Toulouse and settled in for a siege. One that included actual artillery pieces and full magical attacks.

“How so?” growled Elizabeth from beside him. She was nude, hunched into herself, and staring out at the camp as well. She was rather fussy about being naked right now, but she hadn’t wanted to shift to her Dragon form as she’d be more conspicuous.

“Been thinking about it as we headed over here,” Vince continued, his eyes sweeping through the very obvious Prussany forces that were settling into said camp. They were repairing buildings, walls, and putting in more defensive positions as well. “If Prussany takes Toulouse, it’ll be that much harder for Petra later on. Because I can guarantee she’ll be heading this way.

“Everything south of the portal-storm is going to become the new battle-lines for us. Right up to and then holding there. She’ll seal off the pass in the west, deploy scouting and screening forces of some sort along the storm, then push out to the east. All the way to the Prussany border.

“After that, I think she’ll hunker down and see what happens with the others. At the same time she’ll work to consolidate our holdings in Spain. We’ll just be looking to hold and firm up what we’ve got. Let Prussany and Francia take shots at each other.”

“Okay… we talked about most of that previously. You’re not really saying how you were wrong,” Elizabeth murmured, turning her head to look at him. He got the impression that if they had more room in the small group of bushes they were in, she’d turn toward him bodily.

“I was wrong in what our response to this needs to be. And yeah, I kinda brought it up then changed my own subject,” admitted Vince with a chuckle. “We can’t let them take Toulouse and reinforce it. While we can’t really stop them from sieging down the city, we can make it a lot harder for them to get reinforcements through.

“This road right here that runs along next to the camp? That right there is how they’ll move most of their equipment and people through this area. I want to take that camp over for myself and then leverage it to attack any column or group that tries to go west.

“This’ll be a good opportunity to talk to some Prussany officers as well. Let them know that they’re not welcome in Yosemite. Because everything south of the portal-storm I’m claiming is ours. They broke an agreement they had with Francia to launch this attack so I’ll not be recognizing anything they claim or state.

“If they really want to argue about it… they can do it from a coffin. I’ll build it myself for them and laid it out. They can dig the hole themselves the longer they fight me on the subject.”

“Ah,” Elizabeth murmured and then leaned her head down to Vince’s shoulder. Resting her brow against his armor. “I now understand. This is all a hunting ground that you’ve claimed and if you let them run wild in it, there won’t be as much available for us later on.”

“More or less,” Vince answered, feeling rather strange at the sudden closeness of the beautiful and naked Dragon. He couldn’t deny he was physically interested in her and wanted to explore that angle, but in the same breath, he still felt somewhat awkward around her.

Then again, it wasn’t as if Vince was against one-night stands or casual sex. He enjoyed both of those things quite a bit, really.

“Then… how shall we proceed?” asked Elizabeth, one of her horns coming up to press into the underside of Vince’s jaw. He suddenly was reminded of his time spent with Taylor.

After conquering her Dragon, she had become incredibly tender and cuddly. Often wanting to nip at his skin with her mouth as if he needed preening.

“Walk in their bold as day, demand they release all those citizens and prisoners, proceed to slaughter at least half of them,” Vince summarized. “Because they’ll say no to my demands, but I need them to go back and tell the tale of what happened.

“Need to spread my myth and legends further. Make them all fall into the belief that the King of Yosemite, husband to several goddesses, cannot be stopped. Same reason I let those Nullifier’s I mentioned previously go. Spread my mythos far and wide.”

“That makes a lot of sense,” Elizabeth answered a moment before her lips pressed to his exposed neck. He felt it when she started to run her mouth along his skin. In the exact way Taylor would. “We’ve been alone together longer than ever before. I feel an overwhelming need to mate and then nest.”

True.

I’ve never really been alone with Elizabeth like this. Usually have others around in one way or another.

Interesting.

I wonder if she’s been holding these feelings down by force of will. Would make sense, since she’s been working at being more human and less Dragon.

“I get it,” Vince said and reached up to grab one of her horns. He gave it a light tug, pulling her away from himself. It’d give him a chance to push at her need to be dominated as well as a chance to get away from her. “We can explore it later. Did you want me to use your horns as hand-holds or treat you like a human?”

“I… ah… huh. Taylor likes you to hold her horns?” asked Elizabeth even as Vince stood up and started to walk toward the camp.

“Often. Not always,” Vince answered, his hands moving to check his pistol and sword at his hips. They were in place and ready.

“Er… human, then. I think for my first time, I’d like to be treated like a human,” Elizabeth murmured, catching up to him and now walking at his side. “I think that would be more interesting to experience if it happened before you treat me like a Dragon.”

Vince only nodded his head.

“None but you may look upon me,” Elizabeth intoned and then began transforming into her Dragon form. Rapidly growing larger and spreading out in every direction.

You know… the way they say that, makes it seem like their humanoid shape is them, and that the Dragon shape, isn’t so. Then again, they spend most of their time as a Dragonnewt look-alike now.

Less so as a Dragon.

“Announce me,” Vince ordered as they kept walking.

Elizabeth was now fully in her Dragon shape and looking impressive.

Snapping her wings out fully she lifted her head up. There was almost no mistaking her as anything else other than a fully-mature Dragon when she made herself this visible. Especially considering she seemed to be as big as Taylor was now.

Bigger than any Dragon he’d seen except for Ferris, in fact.

“The Lord of Yosemite, he who commands Dragons, Dryads, and Elves, is coming!” roared Elizabeth toward the encampment. “Prepare an envoy for he who is married to the gods! You unwelcome invaders will be held to the laws of Yosemite from hence forth!”

“Nice,” complimented Vince as Elizabeth’s voice died away. She kept her wings spread out wide as they continued to move forward.

“I felt it would be better to tell them exactly who was coming. As you said, to spread your story. It’ll also make it easier to kill them as they’ll be hostile when we arrive,” Elizabeth explained. “Less talking, more fighting. Easier.”

“You know… you’ve been rather easy to get along with as of late,” remarked Vince. “More feral than a human, less brutal than a Dragon. I like it. Not as moody as a Dragonnewt either.”

“Oh? Well. I’m glad I’m succeeding in my goals. I do plan to supplant your other wives in time,” Elizabeth murmured, her head turning to look at him. “I’m planning on becoming many things to you. Even the Fes. Yarris must take me seriously when I fight with her and I managed to beat Berenga several times.”

Vince only grinned.

He’d heard several people tell him such a thing. There were many who wanted to become Fes and dominate everyone else. Even Vince had to admit that’d be his goal if he were in their shoes.

In an dog eat dog world, it pays to be hungry.

As hungry as possible.

Soldiers were rushing out of the camp now with rifles, swords, and spears. They were preparing themselves in a line formation and looking quite hostile to Vince’s approach.

Activating the shield set in his left gauntlet without lifting his arm, Vince felt it when it settled into place in front of himself. It would divert any rounds sent his way as well as great number of spells.

“Think they’ll fire on me? They’re acting rather aggressive,” Vince wondered.

“No. They’re acting more like nervous prey. Raising their arms up and trying to make themselves larger than they are,” Elizabeth countered. “Holding out claws, spitting, hissing. That sort of thing. Bears and wolves like that. Somehow thinking that I’ll back off after I’ve already committed to eating them.”

“Does beast taste like deer to you? Does to me,” Vince muttered as his mind hopped topics.

“I… yes. It does. I never thought of that.”

Vince came to a stop twenty or so feet from the closest soldier. They’d all raised up their weapons and were aiming them at him, or holding them at the ready.

“I’m the Lord of Yosemite,” Vince stated clearly and with a great deal of volume. He was starting with English, hoping that they’d have someone that could speak it. After that he’d try French if it didn’t work. “You are unwelcome here. You clearly also have citizens that you’re holding against their will. You can release all the citizens immediately and let them go free.

“They’re going to become Yosemite citizens quite soon so I’ll just step in now as their future lord to protect them. I don’t really care what you do with the soldiers of Francia. They’re here illegally anyways.”

A number of soldiers looked to each other, then back to Vince.

Sighing, Vince realized he’d have to try French and Spanish as well.

A rifle banged and a round slammed into his shield. Following that were a number of other weapons all going off. The projects blasting into the Legion shield and dropping to the ground in front of him.

“Alright then,” Vince muttered and then moved forward at a slow walk.

This just became a lot easier for him and there was no reason to not take them up on their request. A fight was exactly what this was expected to be.

Drawing his pistol he aimed it at the soldier in front of him and pulled the trigger. The bullet passed through their helmet and then their head. Even before they’d fallen Vince had moved the pistol to the left and pulled the trigger again.

With each trigger pull he bumped the sight down to the next target in line. Putting a single round into each and every soldier as he went. The pistol’s slide clacked open and remained there as the last shell from the magazine was ejected.

Sighing, Vince stuck it into the holster and withdrew his sword. He really did enjoy his pistol and it was rather enjoyable. Once he got into the sword-work part of a fight, he tended to lose most of his ability to rationally think.

As soon as it cleared the sheath the blade hummed into life. The edge becoming perfect for cutting through nearly anything. Even Dragons could and would be laid low by it.

Elizabeth appeared on his left and casually leaned down over a large portion of the soldiers. Letting out a massive but short breath of fire. Letting it douse a number of soldiers.

The color of the flame was strange though. Looking a lot more like a vibrant blue with white near the base and center.

Cutting it off Elizabeth waded into the soldiers. A clawed hand slapping one to the side as her head came down and snapped down on a group of soldiers. Her head jerked back and she began to chew at her mouthful of human was she spun around, swinning her tail through the ranks.

Vince reached the soldiers and rushed forward with his blade. Running it through the guts of the closest Vince pulled it out and to the side.

Not bothering to look to see the damage, he instead whipped his blade around. Slashing it through the neck of another soldier. Taking his head off and sending it rolling.

A soldier had rushed him with a sword held up in front of himself and launched a thrust out at Vince.

It skittered across his shield and sent him partly to the side.

Balling his left hand up Vince put his fist into the face of the soldier. His nose crumpling and his face making a crunching noise as he was blasted backward.

Taking a step into the soldiers Vince slashed to the left, then to the right. Taking an arm off at the shoulder, then a leg just above the knee. His sword did better at slashes when removing limbs than it did doing so into the torso.

For whatever reason the density of the torso, filled with organs, tended to get the blade stuck compared to limbs. Arms and legs came off much easier than he expected.

A man in dark-blue robes stepped up from the back ranks of soldiers and held his hands out forward toward Vince. Between his fingers a spell had been put together and was already formed.

Moving his hands forward Vince had a moment to realize that this could be a problem before a column of hardened earth came from nothing, then sprang forward toward him.

Lashing out with his sword, taking a step to the side, and trying to shift his body around, Vince did all he could to get out of the way. When it came to magic he was at a disadvantage.

He was better with physical threats than he was magical ones.

The earth smacked into his shield after his sword cut off a large portion of it. The rest of it passed by him as he wound himself out of the way.

As heavy as the impact was, it tore the shield apart outright. Draining it down to nothing in a flash.

Damnit!

Stumbling to the side given the weight of the blow Vince walked right into a soldier. Knocking their weapon to the side in doing so.

Reaching out Vince grabbed the man by the neck and then hurled him bodily at the magician. Then followed after his weapon held low and to the side.

Not bothering with the soldier the magician just took several steps to the side and put themselves in a better spot to cast on Vince again.

They’d forgotten the number one rule when it came to fighting though.

Don’t get in melee range with your opponent, if they’re using martial weapons.

Catching up with the spell-caster Vince slammed into them at full speed. Lifting them up off the ground Vince practically leapt into the air as he got hold of them.

Landing on the ground Vince smashed into the man’s chest. Vince’s knees slammed into the man’s thighs and his forearms to the chest.

Leaning his head back, Vince then brought it forward. Smashing the crown of his head down into the nose of the magician. There was an ugly crunch followed by Vince feeling his head swim a bit.

Not wanting to wait, he brought his head back, then did it again. Smashing his head into the man’s face once more. This time the noise that came back was a crackling one. Almost like a bunch of twigs being broken in half at the same time.

With a motion that felt more like a drunk getting to his feet, Vince stood up. Looking around himself he found that there were no soldiers in his immediate area that were a threat.

Of those that were nearby, he saw only people with hands on their heads, on their knees with their hands hanging at their sides, or laying on their bellies. They were all clearly in various states of surrender and begging for mercy.

Elizabeth wasn’t far off, one paw held to a screaming soldier and pinning him to the ground.

Then her head went down and she casually nipped off the man’s head. The man going limp as he was instantly dispatched.

Tilting her head to one side Elizabeth let the man’s head fall away and plop to the ground. As casually as she’d just killed a soldier, she moved over to another that was rolling around on the ground.

Laying a claw over their middle she leaned down and once more ended a human life with not much more than a child would pull a flower from the gorund. Their head being separated cleanly and without much effort.

“Alright, so… any of you speak English? French? Spanish?” Vince asked, looking around to those who were begging him to save them from her.

“French,” said one of the soldiers quickly. They weren’t far away, kneeling in front of Vince with their hands held up in front of themselves.

“Perfect. I need you to go tell whoever’s in charge of this invasion a message,” Vince murmured, then looked to the magician. “Very simple message, but I’m sure they won’t listen to you though.”

Lifting his sword up, Vince realized he needed to add to his legend right here and now. Especially if they had heard about what he’d done with the Nullifiers.

With a flick of his wrist, he took the magician’s head from their shoulders. Their body stiftening up then going slack as blood began to spray into the ground beneath them.

Another twist of his wrist sent the tip of the sword across the now dead magician’s chest. Tearing it open from the sternum to the side. The ribcage often got his weapon stuck if he wasn’t careful.

Reaching in with a gauntleted hand Vince pushed his hand in until he got past his wrist. He rapidly found the beating heart and then tore it free.

Standing up, Vince held up the trembling heart to his mouth and took a bite out of it.

“The Lord of Yosemite, lord of Elves, Dryads, and Dragons, demands that the force of Prussany leave his territory,” Vince demanded while chewing. He never had a fondness for eating human as it gave him a slightly disgusted feeling. As if he shouldn’t be eating what he was.

Right now though, he needed them to believe in him in a way that was beyond normal.

“These are my lands. I’m in a disagreement with Francia over the territory south of the Portal-Storm,” Vince continued, taking another bite of the heart. “I don’t care about what you and Francia want to fight about, but it doesn’t concern Yosemite. I don’t care about your silly false beliefs either.

“Your religions, your idols, your false rituals, none of that matters to me and holds no power over me or Yosemite. The deities I’m wed to protect all the faithful and there’s nothing your fake doctrine can do about it.

“So… go tell your generals, your leaders, to leave. To go back to Prussany, go north to Francia, just go. Don’t linger in these lands. They’re mine.”

Vince put the rest of the heart into his mouth and smiled as he chewed. With any luck he’d get some extra power out of this or understand magic better.

He’d certainly learned a great deal of the Nullifier’s power after eating the Nullifier heart. It was just another school of magic that was strong against all other magic, but weak against non-magical types.

“You can go,” Vince said while chewing, then began moving to the center of the camp. He was going to free all the prisoners that’d been held and send them off with his blessing as the Lord of Yosemite.

He wasn’t sure what to do about the soldiers though.

They would have fought him as readily as they were Prussany.