136. Massacre 2

The docks of the Doma Empire were filled with fleeing crowds, corpses strewn everywhere, and blood flowing like a river. One wonders if those enemy soldiers, now lying in pools of their own blood, ever considered their own fate when they brandished their blades to slaughter the people of the empires they had conquered.

Before Cain set out, Mo Fei had issued a standing order: not a single enemy was to escape. Cain, fueled by rage for the brothers who had lost their lives or been maimed in the defensive battles, needed no such command to ensure he would show no mercy.

At Cain’s signal, the cavalry split into small squads, charging through the enemy ranks. Those who had already boarded ships felt a fleeting sense of relief, while those left on the piers shoved and screamed, having long since lost the courage to resist. The army of the Death Empire was engaged in nothing less than a massacre—a massacre of vengeance.

The enemy warships that had already departed the docks abandoned their comrades on the shore. The soldiers aboard sat on the deck, faces pale, whispering prayers under their breath. But soon, the shrieks and chaos on deck made their hearts sink once more.

Lookouts in the crow’s nests spotted a fleet of Invincible Warships that filled them with despair. Over a hundred of these massive vessels closed in, forming a crescent. Although the enemy had far more ships, recent naval battles had made it painfully clear that in terms of both offensive power and range, they were hopelessly outclassed. The enemy commanders ordered evasive maneuvers, but in their panic, it was every ship for itself.

The enemy fleet scattered across the open sea. Before the Invincible Warships even opened fire, several enemy vessels collided and sank, leaving countless soldiers thrashing in the water. Most simply went down with their ships. No one cared for the men overboard; the only goal now was to outrun the others and hope the destruction of nearby ships would buy them a moment of survival.

As the docks became a graveyard, the sea turned into a theater of blood and fire. Because the enemy fleet was so vast, the hundred ships of the Death Empire could not fully surround them, and many managed to break away and flee toward their point of origin. After sinking countless troop-laden vessels, the Invincible Warships were forced to let the distant survivors go; there were simply too many targets closer at hand to pursue those who had managed to escape.

Just then, a new formation of over a dozen Invincible Warships arrived from the direction of the Death Empire’s docks—a final batch rushed to completion by Elder Ao Fu. Their arrival extinguished any remaining hope for the enemy. Now, they could only pray that the chaos at sea might briefly obstruct these maritime giants and grant them a slim chance of escape.

***

"Your Majesty, we failed to stop all of their ships. We..." The dwarf general reported to Mo Fei’s council chamber upon his return.

"You did well. The enemy fleet was massive. To leave half of them behind is an accomplishment, General." Mo Fei had issued the order, but even he was impressed by the result. "This is a nautical chart General Cain seized when he entered the capital of the Doma Empire. With this, they have nowhere left to run. For now, let them enjoy their brief reprieve."

"What chart?" The dwarf general’s dejected expression vanished, his eyes widening.

"Come and look," Elder Ao Fu said with a smile.

"By the gods! I never imagined there were so many continents beyond our own!" The dwarf general gasped as he scanned the unfolded map.

"We already have a presence on two continents. If we establish connections with these others, then..." Elder Ao Fu was thinking of resources, while Mo Fei was contemplating trade.

The dwarf general, however, saw territory. The areas circled in red were clearly occupied by the enemy. If his fleet were to sail there... His mind raced with visions of his armies marching across those distant lands.

"What are you daydreaming about? You’re drooling," Elder Ao Fu remarked, giving the general a sharp rap on the back of the head. To behave like this in front of the Emperor was a disgrace to the dwarven race.

"Haha!" Mo Fei laughed at the general’s embarrassment. "Good, that is exactly the kind of ambition we need. We shall send our armies, occupy these lands—yes, that is the plan."

"Is that feasible? I worry our numbers might be insufficient," Elder Ao Fu noted, not opposed to the expansion, merely concerned about logistics.

"We have plenty. We shall share some with our allies; we certainly cannot swallow it all ourselves. The Dragon Rock Empire was quite displeased that we partnered with the Gold-Stone Empire and left them out. We shall give some to them. And I have no intention of returning their two hundred thousand troops, either."

"A brilliant idea," Elder Ao Fu roared with laughter.

"Select some of our wounded veterans and train them in command and strategy. We will send them to lead these garrisons," Mo Fei decided. He did not fully trust anyone else to lead these overseas forces.

"If that is the case," Elder Ao Fu suggested, "I will select a group, but Your Majesty should address them personally. It would be more effective."

"I would have done so even without your suggestion, Elder. They were wounded for the sake of the Empire. Even if they cannot return to the front lines, I want them to know they remain the strength of the Empire. They will serve us in other ways, and the Empire will never forget their sacrifices."

Mo Fei turned to the commander of the Invincible Warships. "General, the task of hunting down the remnants of the enemy fleet is yours. You are to ensure our armies are safely transported to these continents. Once you have secured a foothold and cleared out the enemy, continue the pursuit. Find their nests, and I shall lead the main army to raze them to the ground."

"Yes, Your Majesty! I will find their lairs, I promise!" the dwarf general boomed.

"Good. Go to the docks now and incorporate all the newly built warships into your fleet. We have captured many enemy vessels; use those for our merchant shipping for the time being. The Invincible Warships are yours to command."

"Thank you, Your Majesty! Rest assured, we will occupy their lands and wipe out that trash," the general grinned, thrilled to have the entire fleet at his disposal.

"Do your job well, boy. If you embarrass our dwarven kin, don't expect me to be lenient," Elder Ao Fu threatened, seeing the general’s grin growing a bit too wide.

"You can count on me, Elder," the general replied, knowing better than to cross the most powerful of the four surviving dwarven elders.

***

Cain remained in the Doma Empire. Its citizens and Emperor had returned, but instead of restoring normal affairs, they were faced with the gruesome task of clearing the mountains of enemy corpses that stained the land from the docks to the open sea. The Doma Emperor had sent his entire remaining army to the Death Empire’s training camps, as the presence of the Death Empire’s forces meant they were not currently needed for defense.

It took the entire population of the Doma Empire nearly forty days just to clear the bodies. The incinerated remains of the enemy soldiers would eventually serve as fertilizer for the empire’s gardens.

In the restored council hall of the Doma palace, the Emperor and his ministers discussed the future. They had suffered no losses; in fact, they had gained three small neighboring empires, expanding their borders.

"I believe our survival, unlike that of our neighbors, is entirely due to our alliance with the Death Empire..." The Emperor began, but his words were met with murmurs from the court.

"Quiet, everyone," the Emperor commanded. "We could offer little help to our allies, yet the Death Empire, as well as the Gold-Stone and Tianyuan Empires, have done so much for us. I am considering proposing that we join the Death Empire. Our strength alone is insufficient to protect our people. Discuss among yourselves how we might best approach the Death Empire to accept us."

The ministers were stunned, but they all realized that joining the Death Empire was perhaps the best outcome for their future. Mo Fei was unaware of these deliberations; he had never intended to annex the Doma Empire. Yet, some things, even without his planning, continued to unfold according to their own inevitable course.