The Morbidian Invasion Chapter 6

Jillian and Krissa walked through the quickly and well pitched tents around. It was dangerous to set up camp anywhere, but the efficiency of the Riviarian army relied on the soldiers being well rested and in tip top shape, if they were to be attacked by the Morbidian forces, they would need to be ready. Jillian knew that once battle was taken there was no telling when they would be able to get a full nights sleep again.

"You don't like that Braelyn and her fancy Union guard are here do you?" Krissa said as they walked past the tent where "Saucy" was being held. Jillian chewed her lip. The Union guard were a branch of the regular Riviarian forces, and aside from their fancy capes and stylized helmets Jillian would argue they were no better than her own best troops, but they worked as a special force and also as a political branch of the military for the public's eye. She was happy to have a famed warrior like Braelyn, but was also intimidated by her.

"I feel like she wants to make everything into a speech... just words and she won over that Tza Tzi girl who is potentially so damaged mentally from war she isn't fit to command her Trisimian remnants..." Jillian replied. "I am concerned is all, Invidia thinks she is in command, Braelyn assumes she has the power... Thank god Lexi of all people seems to be pretty obedient..."

"Jealous of her red cape and inspiring words?" Krissa smiled. "You are crazy..." Krissa looked in to where Saucy was talking to Faith who was kneeing down nodding her head.

"Why in the word are they being so reasonable with that scum..." Jillian asked. She had trained and worked her way up the ranks of the Riviarian forces to become the Southern Lieutenant directly under the Prefect herself, she had never seen combat only because in her life time there had been no war for her to be a part of. Braelyn on the other hand had taken part in many battles and quests relating to the borders. Raiders and other disputes had given the Union Guard her share of battle experience.

"It is a tactic, its not that they are befriending her, but lets be honest Jillian at your rate she would have been dead before she talked..." Krissa said.

"Still I don't like it... did you see what her Morovian or whatever she called them have done to the people of Trisimae!?" Jillian grunted.



"Truly you will see when you are our slaves... The Blood Priestess is the mother of us all, we obey... she foresees and we do her bidding..." Saucy said as Faith poured a sip of water to the Morbidian girl's cracked and dry lips.

"You have done this before? Conquered other nations?" Faith asked. Saucy shook her head as a Riviarian surgeon finished the stitches in the girl's back.

"The Blood Mother has told us all it would come, but this is our first war outside of the jungle, we follow her glory and bask in her power... our mother will become your mother... only as slave children..." Saucy said with very little malice in her voice. this gave Faith chills.

"I see... and if you are defeated and pushed back to the jungles?" Faith asked.

"It is not possible, our Blood Priestess mother will not stand for defeat... she will punish those who will not bring her full glory." Saucy said and paused. "I want you to let me go... so I may accept my punishment from the Priestess... I was a fool to allow future slaves to apprehend me..."

"I am afraid that's not possible Saucy... you will need to see Invidia, our prefect, then you will be held captive until we decide your fate," Faith said. Saucy seemed to not comprehend the reply and ignored it.

"We are curious as to the grey and blue clad, blonde future slaves... why you are so short in stature to the other colorful dancers and the skinny black eyes..." Saucy said. "I am hungry, my belly is empty..."

"You are almost as short as I am why would you even say such a thing!" Faith snapped. Saucy laughed.

"I am the shortest of my kind and still you are my size... little future slaves..." Saucy smiled.



"Word from the border garrisons..." A cursor handed Krissa a note and sped off on her horse. Krissa opened it and Jillian read over her shoulder.

"So the Trisimian forces are begging for help... they have gathered their battered army just out near Souland..." Krissa gasped. "Amberle reports that the refugees are flooding the roadways, that area is not ideal for a defense..."

"If the Trisimian army is routed they will be bogged down and slaughtered..." Jillian added. "That is the last decent sized force between the Morbidians and Riviaria's south borderlands... If the Trisimian force is defeated there we are all that is left to stop Morbidia from pouring over, by the time our army and that of Rynland arrive..."

"Meaning we need to have a talk about this with Invidia..." Jillian sighed.

"And Braelyn..." Krissa added.



"Have you seen their packs... those tack packs..." Alexa's eyes were big as she watched a Riviarian girl stir up a hot meal out of a tin. "They have a way to quickly heat over a fire... it smells so good..."

"Yea, it is like our breastplates... that soft aluminum holds heat so well... remember summer time that time you burned your breasts so badly, at least that got us these nice comfy cloth guards..." Bradley played with the cloth hanging from her breastplate. "They all have the too, plenty to spare, like small meals in a tin... better than this gruel we eat..." Bradley held up a sack of potatoes and dried fruit.

"You think that little shorty who was really sweet to the wounded would let e have one to try?" Alexa asked licking her lips.

"I wouldn't call her "shorty" though... maybe polite and it is worth a shot..." Bradley bit into some dried fruit.

Alexa walked over to where a Riviarian girl was doing stretches and some sort of meditation. They had seen her after the battle tending to everybody who needed it and being selfless. Her grey eyes lit up when Alexa approached and Bradley could see them making conversation. The girl laughed a bit and handed Alexa two of the tack tins. Alexa looked back at Bradley and held them up proudly.

"She gave me one for me and you!" Alexa plopped down and bit the corner of the tin. "How the devil do you open them?" Bradley snatched it.

"Stop... they are going to think we look like animals!" Bradley scolded and looked around finding a tab. Pulling on it popped the top and the beef based tack smelled delicious.

"Oh... different flavors!?" Alexa's mouth practically watered. "I want that one!" Bradley laughed as she popped open the other.

"This one smells like Argan bird... tasty... its weird they ride AND eat those big birds..." Bradley was about to hold the little tin over the fire but Alexa looked at her.

"I want that one now..." Alexa said with a pleading sigh. Bradley rolled her eyes.

"Fine... just don't burn off your hands..." Bradley handed over the tin and the girls ate like Queens.