Before Faye could join Sous at the Groken, she needed to do one more thing with Abigal.
Time had past and Sous was forty-five, the war started about three or four years ago, Sous wasn't sure.
The plains outside Groken stretched wide beneath a gray morning sky, and the wind carried the sound of distant steel striking against bone. Sous walked at the front of the centaur host while Kael moved beside her, robes fluttering behind her with each confident stride.
They approached the final staging ridge before the valley dipped into the battlefield where the last pack of Apex wolves waited. This battle marked the end of a campaign that had consumed two full years at least.
Sous could feel the weight of that time in every step she took, not as exhaustion but as certainty. The march had been long, yet the victory ahead felt simple.
The centaurs had grown into an army that dwarfed every force Sous had commanded before, plus on the other side, there were other species that had firm their own platoons as well: vampires, goblins, elves, humans, pixies, fairies, everyone was just so tired of being ruled under Apex.
They stood ready with polished weapons and expressions filled with resolve. Their loyalty to her had only strengthened as the war progressed, and they viewed this fight as a formality. Sous did not disagree. This was the final barrier before Groken
Kael glanced toward the ridge, narrowing her eyes as she observed the battlefield below.
"Theres some magic here," the witch said.
"I know where it comes from," Sous said, implying she knew of the witch of Grim.
When they reached the top of the ridge, Sous looked out over the wide stretch of land where the wolves had gathered. The ground was scarred from earlier clashes, with overturned earth and lines carved by hooves.
The wolves waited in loose clusters, growling in anticipation, but Sous saw no spark of strategy in their movements. They were tired. They were desperate. Some appeared unwilling to charge at all. Sous knew this meant the end was close. She lifted her hand in a silent command, and her centaurs straightened.
Sous moved down the slope at a slow pace while the centaurs followed in perfect formation. The wolves shifted as they realized the opposing army was not preparing for a frantic assault. Sous walked with calm assurance. She did not draw a weapon, she didn't use her seals, her magae, or spells.
The centaurs did not lower their spears. They marched with a disciplined rhythm that filled the field with a heavy sense of pressure. The wolves responded with a scattering of uneasy snarls.
"We are ready when you are," the young commander told Sous. She nodded her head.
They continued onward until they saw the line where the dirt shifted into a darker tone. Sous raised her arm, and the centaurs halted. She allowed the silence to linger. It gave the wolves time to realize the scale of the force that stood against them. Some wolves moved back. Others hung their heads as if already accepting defeat.
Many wolves had followed the Apex leadership because they had no other option. Now that the pack crumbled, there were few who wished to die for it.
Sous gave the signal.
The centaur horns echoed across the field with a deep sound that rolled over the wolves like a great wave. The centaurs surged forward in perfect formation. Their hooves struck the ground in synchronized thunder. Their weapons lowered with a unified grace that showed complete mastery. Sous walked behind them without changing her pace. She watched the wolves break almost instantly.
The first wave of centaurs met little resistance. Several wolves attempted to form a counterline but were overwhelmed before they could organize.
Sous saw the centaurs sweep through the battlefield with confidence born from two years of constant victories. They fought with precision and patience, cutting down the wolves who chose to stand and sparing those who surrendered early. Sous approved.
There was no need for unnecessary bloodshed at this stage. She had not come for cruelty. She had come for closure.
Kael lifted her staff and cast a barrier spell along the southern flank.
The centaurs pressed deeper into the field. Sous watched the enemy falter under the weight of coordinated strikes. There were no unexpected movements and no hidden units.
The wolves fought with the desperate strength of those who had nothing left to lose, but desperation could not compete with discipline. Sous continued to walk behind her warriors, hands behind her back, observing the final moments of a war that had taken more from her than she cared to admit.
A wolf commander emerged from the far right side with two lieutenants at his back. He shouted something to Sous across the field. Sous paused and waited. The wolf approached with caution as Kael stepped closer, ready to intervene if necessary.
"I want to surrender my remaining forces," hr kneeled to Sous. She was disgusted with his lack of loyalty. That was the wolf speaking for her from the inside. Still, she accepted him.
More wolves surrendered. The field grew quiet. The clamor of battle faded into a dull murmur as the centaurs began securing the area.
Sous looked over the battlefield and saw victory settling like a final breath across the land. She felt no thrill. She felt no triumph. She only felt the steady certainty that the path ahead had cleared.
Groken rose in the distance with stone towers that pierced the sky. The sun reached a point directly above it, illuminating the city as if calling Sous forward. She watched the distant horizon and felt a shift inside her.
This fight had not challenged her, but the next one would. She knew Zhiliary would not surrender. The final confrontation would not resemble this easy victory. The centaurs understood this as well. They saw Groken as the place where legends would be written or where stories would end.
Sous had desired to kill all those of the Apex pack but it was hard to justify when they surrendered so easily. She would keep eyes on all of them, placing a tracking spell on each one. She would slaughter them instantly if betrayed.