After departing the commandeered barracks I returned to the area I myself had taken. Here the puppets not on patrol stood reminding me of those terracotta soldiers in China. There was also a pile of the scavenged armor and weapons which were still goodish condition all they didn't fit the base template. Once I finished taking the fourth city the remaining elite forces primarily the ones based on the ogres and Yeti that were not exactly inconspicuous with the Disciple of Kaihao having to hunch when traveling.
With the addition of the shock troops I wasn't worried about the remaining forces. No what I was worried about was the Quetzal, from what I had seen from the Priestesses who each had been a pain to fight without magic with one actually able to significant damage to me.
Luckily my armor would repair itself otherwise that would be a major pain.
...
In the Central Temple Complex
...
"Oh, Lord Quetzal I come bearing grave news" a messenger decried to the Scalefolk lounging on his throne.
"Speak what it is it?" The Quetzal demanded irritated from the insubordination from the Priestesses. Long ago he had given them each a city to rule as a reward for their service. Now though they were refusing to return to the Temple.
They had no idea the scope of the army roving the caves. In truth neither did the Quetzal all he knew is that one of the Fortresses of Xaeria the Poisonheart Magus had fallen with no survivors. The Priestesses had their forces pull back to fortify their own cities and then he had organized a Scouting army that had been completely defeated and captured. Though the images he had received from his servants dead spirits had filled him in quite a bit. First off the enemy soldiers were weaker individually then a Scalefolk solider but were unnaturally coordinated. They also had some decently strong elites slightly weaker then the Priestesses but had power sets that allowed them to work with the armies. The Quetzal was snapped out of his musings with the messenger had begun to speak.
"We have received confirmations the cities and the priestesses of , Xaeria the Poisonheart Magus, Velouse the Venomfist, and Ohagai the Ancestor-Blessed have fallen!" The Messenger cut out has a bright gray he was now sticking out from his neck. The Quetzal was brimming with rage not at his enemies but at the fickle nature of his subordinates. He knew it had been a foolish hope that the Priestesses would prove to be good administrators. Afterall he had spent considerable resources purging the noble class of Scalefolk in order to seize power and didn't want to usher in their return. However this disobedience problem was an illness with many symptoms. The Presitesss were supposed to keep the population of the slaves high as they served as the crop to water the soldiers as only Scalefolk born of the high caste lived for longer than forty years, but no instead only one kept the slaves at a satisfactory level, Nue the Whitescale Priestess of the former city of the Monternoels.
...
Back to Kien.
...
The Reinforcements arrived in four days which left in to stew in boredom for about four days. Now that they arrived though I was going to me moving with haste. Once I finished this floor I be going to the city-state of Juxia which I hoped might actually have some actual amenities.
Shaking off the thoughts of potential comforts I refocused on the Army arrayed before me that has proven adept at taking cities. When we siege the Scalefolk capital the army would be unstoppable.
Stolen novel; please report.
Giving the mental command the army marched out of the city a small parade of the Geckonese waved their goodbyes. The City of the Monternoels was supposedly the 'worst' land due to the 'brittle' ground. At first I was confused until the Geckonese explained that the land was prone to breaking and collapsing. I remembered my dad talking about it being one of the hazards of the Mammoth caves due to the limestone eroding.
Which made me cautious about losing a portion of my army to the collapsing. My fears were calmed not even a few seconds later as I was told about the Bedrock Road. A lone winding path made of bedrock. Apparently the city of the Monternoel's was built entirely on the shelf of Bedrock that was surrounded by the Karst badlands. Supposedly the city was valuable for its Karst resin which was used as essentially the glue for the cavern. Also I confirmed that the Bedrock shelf was home to the [horned mole] as it was the only place they lived. Though Geckonese had no idea that the [Sands of Enlightenment] came from their bladder stone.
From what I could extrapolate this siege was going to be tricky as the shelf only really had one entrance and it would no doubt be heavily guarded. I wasn't to worried about it as the Scalefolk had yet to truly put up a fight only their leaders were actually combat hardened.
It took quite some time to the traverse the Bedrock uplift, but eventually we saw it in the distance. A small city with a lining the entrance to the rest of the shelf. All around the bedrock foundation was a moat of yellow-green water protecting it as I doubted the bright liquid was healthy. It would be hard as only a certain number of the puppets could fight on the narrow path. The path narrowed down to just big enough for three people to fight in a line. I decided I would fight until I pushed to the larger flat areas. Leading from the front I saw a delegation approaching. In the front of the army arrayed in front of the narrow passage was a Scalefolk dressed in a dark version of the Priestess attire that contrasted to her Albino scales. Once I approached just shy of fighting distance, the Priestess spoke outwards.
"I am Nue the Whitescale Holy Matriarch of this city appointed by the Divine-Blooded Quetzal, befouled heathen what brings you and your soulless army to the reckoning of my city gates!?" She spoke with an uptight diction like someone who looked up words in a thesaurus to sound smart.
"I really don't care, you can either lay down your arms in complete and total surrender or have said arms forcefully removed." I stated my ultimatum simply and hopefully with some threat.
"Nay, to you enshroud yourself in a carcass of steel to hide your lack of good sense, you will not pass these here gates and befoul my city!" The Scalefolk decried her eyes a bright red, and I felt it she shifted forward and then she breathed out a plume of gas.
...
[Alert!]
A hostile Enemy has tried to afflict you with [White-Scale Gas] as your venom is higher then the venoms rank you are uneffected.
...
Looking back my army was also find though Imaged that would have been deadly to any other force. I snapped into motion drawing my sword I swept at the Albino Scalefolk with a wide arc. Caught off guard the Scalefolk barley managed to flit back leaving her first row of troops weak as they were injured by my blade. The Priestess was quick to recover as she breathed out a small plume of gas. She reached into the thick plume of venomous gas and drew a sword of crystal from it seemingly form nowhere.
My opponent fell into a foreign pose with the sword angled to protect the left side and a wider stance. I fell into a plow stance with my sword handle at my waist and sword pointed forward. Taking the initiative I pressed into a lunge strike. My opponent moved and struck at my right side quickly readjusting my lunge to meet my opponents strike I managed to deflect her counterattack so that way when it hit my armor It left only a dent. Pushing off my left foot I leaned into another attack and this time when they tried to counter attack I dragged a Scalefolk in at the last second to absorb the blow.
"Lily-livered Frogspawn!" The Scalefolk yelled as she sliced through one of her own troops, and I admit that was a bit of bitch move but this was a fight and I was going to win. Attacking I struck out again this time striking a blow to her left but the blow was glancing only kicking her shoulder. The priestess's chest swelled and then she breathed out anotehr cloud of venom on reflex I raised my shield and I felt thuds as crystals struck it. When they shattered they left small pockets of venomous gas. Dam really glad for that [Gorgon's Blood] right about now otherwise I would be in a bit of pinch. I was out on the defensive when the Priestess scattered a plume of powder of the Scalefolk and they turned insane as they piled on me with reckless abandon.
