March, 907 Elsiran Conquest

The War of Subjugation was less a single war and more many wars fought in quick succession. The bid of the Elven race to place humanity under heel was a conflict that spanned over a long period of time and encompassed many different phases. First there had been the need to extinguish all of the human kingdoms upon their home continent after freeing themselves from the chains of slavery. Then it had become a matter of traveling to other continents and taking them as well. Of all of them, there was no greater roadblock than the Albar Empire.

Nalista was the Grand General of the Empire of Elsira. While she was not the oldest of her kind she had been born soon after Elsira had formed and soon enough fought in the army. She worked her way up over the decades to her position with her deep understanding of combat and war. She had yet to find herself outclassed. Yet to find a human that could outthink her wealth of experience and escape defeat at her hands. Until today. Until she stared at the map in front of her and realized what had happened.

She tapped her finger upon the table the map was upon, the silence in her war tent palpable. She turned and reached for a pitcher of wine, filling her goblet slowly. The only sound that filled the air of the tent was the water rushing into the goblet and the humans that had been inside of it letting out little pitifully squeaks as they were washed in the red wine. They pounded against the side of the goblet fruitlessly. Little good it would do them. The blonde frowned as she considered the forms squirming in her goblet.

"Your grace... we won the battle."

Her eyes turned toward the one to make that remark, the gaze of the towering blonde alone enough to cow the younger noble officer into silence again. She paced around the table and set the goblet down in front of the man that had made the remark. She didn't say anything yet, she just set her hands behind her back and waited for a few moments to let the silence fall over oppressively again.

"Tell me." She said, breaking the silence. "Are any of the pale little forms squirming around inside of this goblet right now the enemy general?" She asked.

The man glanced down and swallowed hard. "N-no your grace."

"Then we have won nothing." She said as she picked up the goblet again and lifted it to her lips.

The older blonde elf tipped the goblet over her lips and a cascading flood of the finest wine flooded into her mouth. The humans inside the drink squirmed and flailed and tried to swim to outrun the current. It was no use of course. One was tugged right in through her lips the same as the wine was and with a single flex of her elegant slender throat was swallowed down with the wine. She removed her lips and let the others and the rest of the wine settle as she returned to her chair and seated herself down.

"How many soldiers were said to be under Prince Rickard's command according to our scouts?" She asked blandly.

"20,000, your grace." One of the older officers stated at once.

"And how many did we make contact with once word reached us that he was on the move from Fort Ehbach?" She followed up, pinning him with a gaze.

"...2,000 your grace."

"2,000. Which left his remaining forces..."

She reached over to the table. There were a number of pieces that represented the bulk of their army and the bulk of the enemy army. The map showed a region of the Empire they had entered into and seized rather quickly. They had advanced to a forest that beyond had a river crossing. It made tactical sense for the Prince to force the battle here. She had expected him to commit and try to lure her to the river where she would have had to expend many lives to cross. Were it not for the mages in her army in any event.

Instead she knocked over a piece in front of their army and moved the bulk of his forces further down. Down where they had a clear line right for the city Nalista and her forces had just taken two weeks prior. Which was currently possessed of an anemic garrison as she had committed 40,000 to this fight. This fight which had given her nothing and now put her on her back foot.

"We can still take the river, your grace! He's left it undefended so we can cross and trap him on this side." Cried one of the junior officers and he got a chorus of nods from his fellows looking to salvage some face.

"You're lucky you have a noble name behind yours because if you didn't I'd have you scrubbing out pots in the latrine. Get out." She ordered the officer pointedly.

After he got out of her sight she leaned back in her chair and traced her fingers around the rim of her goblet. "Dalia, explain to the ones that nodded along with that why that was a stupid idea please." She requested her second in command.

The shorter dark haired woman stood up, the battle mage setting her arms behind her back as her spectacles gleamed in the light. "Of course, your grace. If we committed to the river crossing, we would leave an enemy at our backs. It would also be a disruption in our supply chain. Once we cross the river we also have no easy method of retreat and our movement options will be limited. With our front facing Fort Ehbach and our backs to the river where the Prince pin us from behind, advance is not an option." She leaned over the map, her eyewear slipping down the bridge of her nose. "That being the case, the Prince has forced it so that our only viable option is chasing him as leaving him at our back would be unacceptable. It is very likely he will take the city in short order as well."

Nalista lifted her goblet to her lips and took a longer drink. The remaining humans inside of it found themselves squirming and headed right for her mouth. Most were guzzled down while one managed to cling to her lips in desperation. The woman's massive tongue curled around his naked body and dragged him back inside, swallowing his booze soaked form down to join his fellows in her belly. As she finished she set the empty goblet down and considered what Dalia said as it was in line with her exact thinking.

The Prince would be able to hold the city of Ostreach. He had the numbers to pull it off even with the defenses left in a sorry state after the Elven attack. She wondered if that was his goal however. Since while he could hold it, he couldn't hold it forever. He would have the same issue they would if they crossed the river now. Supply chain. This hadn't been the moves of a desperate man, they had been bold and daring certainly but no more so than moves Nalista had made herself. She scratched along her chin.

"Vortmir." She turned her gaze to the rather effeminate form of a blonde haired elven man. He stood up at her call for him.

"Take five hundred mage knights and make the crossing over the river. Set the lands on fire and burn as many fields as you can. Travel fast and focus on the farming settlements." Nalista ordered the man. "As for the rest of you, make ready, we'll march back to Ostreach. Dalia, if I recall we took prisoners. Interrogate them. I want to know about this Prince Rickard beyond his name. Who he is, what he's done, how he fights, as much as you can get them to squeak out before you pulp them between your toes."

Dalia smirked. "Of course, your grace. I will relish the opportunity to carry out your will." She said as a gleam of sadism flashed behind those spectacles.

All of her gathered officers saluted before filing out of her command tent as she flicked her fingers in dismissal. She leaned back and plucked up one of the enemy pieces on her map table. She toyed with it between her fingers as she considered it. Was this a sign she was facing someone with tactical acumen enough to match her? Or was it a fluke? After battles such as these her tradition was to drink them down in a toast of victory. This was the first time in a while where there was no toast of victory and a screaming general travelling to her stomach.

She held the piece up before her face and tried to imagine the face of her foe. Tried to imagine the face of one that had outwitted her on the field of battle. What was the measure of such a human? Was he a dashing young man? A grizzled old veteran? Well. No doubt Dalia would find out between the screams for mercy of those taken as prisoners. For Nalista she allowed her mind to wander and for a moment allowed a smirk to cross her lips.

"Your move, little human. Let us see how long you can scurry around beneath the boot of your better." She mused aloud as she dropped the piece to the floor and stood up, the thing cracking beneath her boot as she left her command tent.