Tactics

It was a crisp autumn afternoon. A few trees, leaves orange and russet, dotted the field just outside the capital city of Malkovnia that was soon to become a battleground. General Sherra swept her spyglass over her adversary's camp. The king's infantry outnumbered her own troops nearly ten to one. There was a large number of heavy cavalry as well. Had she been in command of an army of humans, she might have been worried, but she was not. Sherra sighed as she collapsed her spyglass and placed it in the pocket of her blue officer's coat. She turned to her lieutenant, Claudio, who stood nearby.

"It looks as if King Malcolm has brought his entire army to face us," she said.

"Are there any sorcerers among them?" Claudio asked. Though he acted composed, his golden eyes betrayed his anxiety.

"No." Sherra shook her head. "I expect an easy victory. I suppose the king expects to overwhelm us with sheer numbers, but their weapons won't hurt us."

"It's almost time," said Claudio. Across the field, they could see that the human leaders were readying their horses in preparation to meet the enemy commanders in the center of the battlefield before the battle, a time honored military tradition.

General Sherra nodded. "Maybe the king will have enough sense to surrender."

A man appeared beside Sherra as if from thin air. It was Grau, priest of Dynast. His long brown hair was pulled neatly back in a ponytail. His steel grey eyes looked harshly from behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles. He wore a charcoal colored, shin-length coat with gold trim. He carried a cane in his right hand. It was made of dark, polished wood. The grip was plated in gold and was topped by a round, blood red stone held in place by three golden talons. Few knew that his cane concealed a poisoned blade.

"I was wondering if you were going to show up," said Sherra.

"You needn't have worried," said Grau, a touch of resentment in his voice. He had been ordered by Dynast simply to assist her in any way necessary.

"Come, Claudio. We shouldn't keep the king waiting," said Sherra.

They met in the center of the battlefield under a white flag. On one side were King Malcolm and his Captain of the Guard. On the other side were General Sherra and Claudio, her second in command. Grau stood behind them, leaning on his cane.

Though Sherra was smaller in stature than the men around her, her presence seemed to dominate. She was impeccably dressed in a blue officer's coat, white gloves, breeches with Dynast's crest emblazoned on them, and polished black boots. Her indigo hair was worn in a braid. Her green eyes were pale and bright. At her side hung a most remarkable sword. A decorative green silk tassel hung from the tip of the hilt, which was black and white. The thin damascus blade was concealed in an ivory scabbard.

To her right stood Claudio, her trusted lieutenant. He wore a uniform similar to Sherra's, but green in color. His hair and eyes were gold. He carried a common military longsword, his weapon of choice.

General Sherra bowed courteously. "King Malcolm, I'm honored to finally meet you. My terms are simple, I demand complete surrender of your kingdom and the disbandment of your army."

"Never!" the king said indignantly. "I would rather see my kingdom destroyed than ruled by monsters."

"That can be arranged," said Grau.

"Grau, stop it," Sherra chastised." I was ordered to conquer the humans, not destroy them." She turned her attention back to her challenger. "A king's first concern should be the protection of his people. I must warn you, you have little hope of defeating my army. Surrender and let your men go home to their families."

"Absolutely not!" said the king.

"What a shame," Sherra said. "So be it. If you oppose me then you leave me no choice. This is on your head."

The king and his knight turned away. Sherra turned towards her own army and proceeded back. Her face was set in an expression of grim determination. Claudio looked at her questioningly.

Sherra rested her hand on the hilt of her sword. "You know the plan," she said. "At my signal, take your legion to the left. I'll go right. Cut off their escape."

"And the cavalry charge?"

"Grau can handle it."

"As you say."

The Mazoku officers took position at the forefront of the troops. From across the field the king gave the command for a cavalry charge. Sherra swiftly drew her sword and raised it high in the air, signaling the attack to begin.

The army disappeared and reappeared on either side of the army in a pincer attack. Grau alone faced the oncoming knights. He calmly began casting a spell. Magical energy coalesced around him. He used the stone in his cane as a focusing devise, and unleashed it at the horsemen with the words, 'Ice Brand!' The thundering sound of charging cavalry suddenly stopped. The entire front line was frozen in a wall of ice. He heard an explosion on the opposite side of the small glacier he had created.

Sherra unleashed a wicked magical attack from her sword. Given to her by Dynast, her sword was designed to draw power from Shabranigdo himself, and was thus capable of black magic attacks equivalent in power to the Dragon Slave spell. The human army was decimated. Trapped between a glacier and invincible monsters, they faced a hopeless battle. They were defeated easily, just as Sherra predicted. At the end of the battle, the flag of Malkovnia was lowered and replaced by Dynast Grausherra's crest.

General Sherra surveyed the battlefield. Human casualties lay everywhere. The air was heavy with the scent of blood. A glint of gold caught her eye. It was the crown of the king. Sherra appeared next to him. He was alive, but not for long. He was crushed underneath his horse. She stood looking down at him. The pain he radiated was incredible. "Rest easy. Your kingdom is in good hands," she said. With a final, gasping breath, the king closed his eyes. Sherra sensed his pain cease. She felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Claudio. She quickly regained her composure. "Were there any casualties?" she asked.

"No."

"Very well. Establish a garrison and return to the citadel. I must report to Dynast." Sherra stooped and retrieved the king's golden crown. He wouldn't need it anymore. She then vanished from sight.

In his castle at the North Pole, the Mazoku lord Dynast Grausherra stood gazing out a window at the vast expanse of snow and ice that was his kingdom.

Sherra presented the crown to him. "Malkovnia," she said, "The northern kingdoms have fallen."

"Excellent," said Dynast.

Later that evening, Sherra returned to her military base of operations, a megalithic citadel located on the astral plane in a pocket dimension maintained by Grau. She met with Grau and Claudio in the war room. They sat at a table with a large map in the center.

"I've called you both here to discuss our next move. The northern kingdoms have fallen, and we have nowhere to go but south," said Sherra.

"It shouldn't be difficult," said Grau.

"It's true that none of the kingdoms we've encountered so far has been able to put up much resistance. But that won't always be the case. I expect this to come from two main points," Sherra said. "Zeffilia and Seyruun." She pointed out the locations on the map.

"Both kingdoms are known to have powerful sorcerers. Princess Amelia herself. And there's rumored to be a Knight of Cepheid in Zeffilia. Plus, I won't be of any use to you. The streets of Seyruun are laid out in a pattern that forms a magic seal that protects it from attack spells," said Grau.

"We should attack before they have a chance to make an alliance," said Sherra.

"Divide and conquer," said Claudio.

"Exactly," Sherra nodded.

"But where should we start?" said Claudio.

"I think Seyruun will be our best bet. Prince Philionel is a pacifist. I think he can be negotiated with. And besides, Seyruun doesn't even have a standing army. All they have is the royal guard," said Sherra.

"What if the prince doesn't fold?" said Grau.

"We lay siege to the city. He won't let his own people suffer for long. With Seyruun out of the way, Zeffilia will be no match for us. Anyhow, we need to wait until reinforcements arrive. It's been a long day and tomorrow is going to be longer yet. Let's all get some rest. You're dismissed," said Sherrra.

Sherra went to her room. It was an exact copy of her room in Dynast's castle. So she wouldn't be homesick. Grau could be thoughtful sometimes. It even smelled the same. She gazed out the window. She missed the sight of the northern lights in the sky. Sherra had long since lost count of the years she had spent as the general of Dynast. She had no recollection of her life before that. At first she had been deeply troubled by that. But Grau insisted that he really didn't know anything and that when Dynast presented her to the Mazoku council was the first time they'd met. When she questioned Dynast about her past, he told her simply to forget about it. So she did. She devoted her life to her new role as a general, wishing for nothing more than to make Dynast proud of her.

Sherra sat down in front of her vanity table, undid her braid, and began brushing her hair. She noticed something behind her in the mirror. Sherra jumped out of her chair and spun around. A smiling figure stepped out from the shadows.

"Xellos?!?!?!?! What are you doing here? How did you find this place?" Sherra yelled.

"Calm down, Sherra-chan. I wouldn't want to be responsible for starting a panic," Xellos said.

"What do you mean?" Sherra asked, trying not to sound angry and stifling the impulse to slap that smug grin off of Xellos's face.  He had no right to be so familiar with her.  

"I have some information," said Xellos.

"What might that be?"

"The sorceress Lina Inverse has learned the location of your citadel. She's coming to destroy you," he said, opening his eyes slightly.  Dynast's servants were always the most fun to play with because they always took everything so seriously. Xellos noted that her hand never strayed more than three inches from the hilt of her sword.  "Well, I must be going." Xellos disappeared.

Sherra stood dumbfounded. She heard a rapping on her door. Grau poked his head in. "Honestly, Sherra, what would Dynast think if he knew you were sneaking men into your room?"

"Grau, that's not even remotely funny. Xellos was here."

"Yes, I know. Forgive me, but I heard you yell so I came to investigate. I was listening at the door."

"Get Claudio and meet me in the war room. Now."

"As you wish."

Sherra leaned against a wall to steady herself. She thought that by establishing a military base on the astral plane in a pocket dimension, her army would be safe. But if Xellos could find it, so could dangerous people like Lina Inverse. He probably told her himself. Bastard. But how did he find me? There must be something here acting as a beacon. Her eyes went to the damascus blade of her sword. Oh no.

Sherra ran to the war room. Grau and Claudio were already there.

"General Sherra…" Claudio jumped to attention when she entered the room. He was in his pajamas.

"At ease," Sherra said. " I believe we have a situation. Lina Inverse is coming, and if what Xellos said is true, the entire Mazoku army is in danger."

"How can one sorceress defeat an army?" Claudio asked.

"You don't understand. This is no ordinary sorceress, it's Lina Inverse. She destroyed Shabranigdo."

"How could she find us?" asked Claudio.

"I'm afraid that's my fault. The oryhalcon metal in my sword is acting as a beacon. That's why I'm going to confront Lina by myself."

"Are you insane?" said Grau.

"If there's anything I can do to save my army and my lord, I have to try. Every second I stay here puts us in danger. The risk is too great to take anyone else."

"You think Dynast will save you?" said Grau.

"I have no intention of losing." Sherra said as she vanished.

"General Sherra is a braver person than I'll ever be," said Claudio. He had always admired her.

"She's a naïve little girl. Still, it was nice knowing her. Dynast does not reward foolishness, or failure. Xellos knows it too," said Grau.

Several days later, Sherra spotted her quarry. She observed them through her spyglass. A short, twiggy girl dressed like a sorceress, a blonde swordsman, a chimera, a princess…it had to be them. Sherra weighed her options. If she ambushed them she could easily take them all out with a magic attack from her sword. But it was only fair to give them a chance.

Lina trudged up the path. She couldn't wait to get to the next town and find a nice place to eat. Suddenly, about twenty feet up the road, a blue-haired girl wearing a strange, military-looking outfit appeared out of nowhere. She looked about her age, maybe a little older. Obviously a monster. Great. Lina had hoped that she could get through a day without having to battle for her life. Whoever she was, she was blocking their path.

Lina spoke first. "All right, who are you and what do you want."

The girl drew her sword. "Listen well, because I'm not going to repeat myself. I am none other than General Sherra, servant of Lord Dynast and commander of the Mazoku army. You've become a threat to our plans for world domination. Promise not to interfere, and I'll spare your lives."

Amelia had climbed onto a nearby boulder. She posed dramatically and said, "No warrior of justice can stand idle while evil monsters try to take over the world!"

Sherra seemed shocked by Amelia's speech, "Evil monsters? How dare you call me that! There's nothing more just than what I'm trying to accomplish. Imagine a world united into one kingdom. I have the power to bring peace and stability to the world once and for all."

Amelia was taken aback. None of her foes had ever claimed to have justice on their side.

"People who want to take over the world usually don't do it out of the goodness of their hearts," said Zelgadis.

"We don't want to be ruled by monsters." Lina said, hands on her hips.

"Why not? As a race, we are stronger. Surely that makes us more fit to rule. After all, the stronger the rulers, the better able they are to protect their people," said Sherra.

"We don't see it that way," said Lina.

"Then I assume you will continue to oppose me?"

"You betcha."

"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but you leave me no choice. Lina Inverse, prepare to die!" Sherra unleashed an explosive burst of energy from her sword in Lina's direction. It would be a difficult battle, but Sherra had a few things going for her. If she kept her guard up and used her superior speed advantage, she just might be able to win, provided that she could avoid Lina's most powerful spells.

Lina leapt out of the way just in time to avoid taking the full force of the blast. It still hit her with enough force to send her flying. She quickly cast a levitation spell to avoid a nasty fall.

"Lina!" Gourry exclaimed. Ever the chivalrous swordsman, he immediately felt the need to defend her, even though the reason why they were fighting this girl escaped him.

"Light come forth!" He drew his sword of light and took a swing at Sherra.

Sherra blocked his attack. "I've always wanted to see how Doulgofa would stand up against the legendary Sword of Light. You're a pretty good swordsman."

"And you're a pretty good swords…girl."

"Naturally. Lord Dynast taught me everything he knew."

"Elmekia Lance!"

Sherra felt something hit her back. Amelia had attacked from behind. Sherra was so caught up in swordplay that she had failed to notice Zelgadis and Amelia casting spells. Not that it mattered.

"Your spells won't work on me." Sherra said. It was true. Sherra was mysteriously resistant to magic attacks, she couldn't even cast spells, only channel them through her sword. Although this placed her in a minority of the monster race, it did have its advantages.

Zelgadis snuffed the Ra Tilt he was casting and decided to try another tactic. He was the only one who could match Sherra's speed, being 1/3 demon. She didn't see him running at her, nor did she see him grab her sword by the blade and wrench it from her hands.

"What the?!?!" Sherra exclaimed as she found herself grasping empty air where her sword should be. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Doulgofa's green tassel. Zelgadis held her sword. "You fools, the sword knows its master," she said. Doulgofa vanished from Zelgadis's hands and reappeared in Sherra's.

She abandoned Gourry and turned towards Zel and Amelia. She couldn't have them distracting her from her most dangerous opponents. They weren't her real targets anyway. She unleashed an ice attack from her blade that caught them both. The princess and chimera were trapped like flies in an ice cube.

Now then.

"Fireball!" Lina yelled as she lobbed one at Sherra. Sort of.

'Where the heck is that girl aiming?' Sherra thought. 'Of, course. She's trying to thaw out her friends.'

Sherra intercepted the fireball, using her sword to block. The spell was reflected back in Lina's direction.

"Damn!" Lina yelled as she jumped out of the way of her own spell. "What else can that sword do?"

Gourry lunged at Sherra, who blocked. They locked swords.

"Dragon Slave!"

Sherra barely had time to teleport out of the way of the spell. Although it would not destroy her, it could hurt her. "You'll have to do better than that."

"Lina, you could have killed me!" said Gourry, who was trapped under a tree that the explosion had uprooted and knocked over.

"Sorry Gourry," Lina yelled. "I had to try it. It looks like I'll have to pull out the big guns."

"Ragna Blade!" A crackling bolt of black energy formed in Lina's grasp.

'This is it. It's do or die.' Sherra thought as Lina leapt at her, wielding the dreaded killer spell. She reflexively parried the attack, and to everyone's surprise, it worked. In fact, Lina was so shocked that it broke her concentration and the spell dissipated.

"Oh dear gods! What am I going to do? That sword is incredible. Sherra, I only have one attack left, and if it doesn't work, I'll give up."

"Surely you don't mean the Giga Slave, Lina. You would risk not only your own soul, but the world and everyone in it, just to beat me?"

"Only if I lose control."

"You're insane! I'm not going to let you cast that spell!"

"Darkness beyond the blackest pitch, he who shines like gold upon the sea of chaoOOOOWWW!" Sherra lunged at Lina, hitting her full in the face with the pommel of her sword. Lina frantically tried to dodge Sherra's attacks, but it was hard. It was becoming obvious that she wasn't going to be able to get away long enough to cast the Giga Slave. As much as Lina hated to admit it, things were starting to look hopeless. She couldn't keep this up forever. She tripped and stumbled to the ground. Sherra raised her sword above her head. Lina cringed, could this really be it?

A beam of red energy passed over Lina's head. She uncovered her eyes and looked up.

Sherra dropped her sword and stumbled, nearly falling. She was clutching her stomach, and blood was seeping through her gloves. "No, it can't be." She dropped to her knees and then fell on her side. The last thing she saw was Xellos standing over her, looking very pleased with himself. Then everything went dark.

After Xellos, Lina, and the rest had left the area, Grau canceled his invisibility spell. He stood over Sherra's lifeless form. She was lying in a pool of her own blood. It was too late for a healing spell to be of any use. He sighed. It was her own fault, really. She must have known she was walking into a trap. Why she thought that Dynast was worth dying for was beyond him. He picked her up, and then vanished with her.