Chapter 7: The Land of Shadows
A beautiful voice entered my ears.
"Take the land of shadows. Make the dark elves join our empire. Join the others," the Queen said. That voice was heard by all of the roaches in our squad. Then, I felt a gentle pull. Each one of us knew which way to go. And so, I marched alongside the rest of my siblings. Doc, Hornet, Viking, and Cutter all marched besides me along with the others.
Not much was known about the Shadow Lands. I did know that it was controlled by the dark elves. They had created a dome of darkness surrounding it with some kind of magic. But to me, it looked more like a wall with no end. The dark elves cut themselves off from the rest of the world. Everything else about them were mere rumors. I had no idea what we would be dealing with, but I wanted to make sure we would have a plan. After what happened during the siege of the dwarven kingdom, I felt a sense of pride in winning, but there were so many unnecessary deaths that could have also experienced the joy of obtaining glory. I wouldn't let that happen, again.
When our squad met up and joined with the rest of the army, I saw just as many roaches than what we had during the last siege. Armies ranged in the millions. And it wasn't just roaches. Bronze giants stood tall and still. Steam came out of them, but they had looked to be even more stronger and threatening.
We may have had a huge army, but the Shadow Lands were huge and spacious, so the armies were split into groups. I was sure that the Queen and her generals were aware of the number of cities inside that shadowy dome, but as a simple roach, I had no idea. I didn't even know the exact scope of it all. It wasn't just one fortress in some mountain. It was entire country. A country that would soon become a productive member of the Queen's Empire, I thought.
All five of us - Hornet, Doc, Viking, Cutter, and I - joined with the rest of the armies under the command of General Kull. He was big, mighty, and brutish. He wore an armor made entirely of bones. His left arm had been replaced by some kind of bronze arm, but it worked just the same like those we fought before.
And beside General Kull was somebody that I recognized. The bronze being that Hornet, Doc, and I fought. He carried two halberds on his back along with two electric crossbows. I wasn't sure why he was there. I assumed we must have injured him rather than killed him. I was glad that there were some in the dwarven kingdom were changed their loyalties towards the Queen, but it didn't feel right. I wondered how could somebody change their loyalties so fast. If the occasional peasant revolts taught me anything, that would be that it takes time for others to adjust and realize that they gained a better life.
I would have expected somebody like that bronze being, who guarded the dwarven king no less, to have a lot of resistance to change. But he looked like he was ready to serve without any problems.
But there wasn't any time to think about it. If the Queen thought that he could be trusted, then I would trust him, too.
"Listen up, you roaches!" General Kull commanded. His voice echoed throughout the skies as skeletal bats flew above us repeating his exact words, "Once we enter through this dark fog, you will all be disconnected from the Queen. She won't be able to give you direct orders. We already lost a few hundred scouts before we figured that out. We won't be using any wyverns, as they immediately turn wild without the Queen's control. So, while we're in there, you will be under my direct orders! My words will be considered the words of the Queen! Do I make myself clear, roaches!?"
I was unsure about this situation. I felt a strong unease not having the Queen along with us. And I could tell the other roaches felt the same way. We were all uncertain. But that uncertainty vanished in a mere second.
The Queen said, "Follow General Kull's orders. His words will be my words. Have no fear, children of the empire. Bring glory to me. Bring glory to my empire. Take the dark elves and make them feel that glory."
And just like that, we all cheered in unison. Every roach lifted their electric crossbows, swords, spears, and axes up in the air. Every single one including myself shouted, "For the Queen!!!"
The bronze giants started up and slowly made their way forward. The roaches were the first to go through. We charged through without a single thought. Every one of us.
This time, I hoped that we would at least have a plan when taking their forts and cities.
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