Chapter 111: The other side
Tharosk has been on bad situations before, but the current one was probably the worst yet.
"You’ve had an entire herd of Garbors and you’ve lost not only an entire city, but your second on command as well?!" The imperial Pathseeker sneered at him. "I ought to order your execution!"
"My lord, this all the fault of the Blightwarden, if we weren’t slowed down by her orders we would have captured the city long ago!"
"Nethur will be punished for her wastefulness, don’t you worry - but losing a member of your battalion is entirely on you, and you will face consequences for it."
"My lord-"
"Silence you worm. I will decide what to do with you later, for now return to your post."
Tharosk bowed and left the command tent.
He wasn’t long for this world, he knew it - losing a second-in-command wouldn’t be a big deal under normal circumstances, it happened to him before after all, but the fact that he didn’t know where Kaerith disappeared was very very bad.
Even if the boy wasn’t that valuable on his own, every body of a Serakhiin was a gift of the Blight Queen, and should be treated with proper respect.
Losing a deceased Blightborn was akin to insulting the Queen herself.
The question was: should he just accept it? Lay down and die, just because he failed to do his job once?
A part of his brain was telling him that it was the right, honourable thing to do - that it would allow him to repent for his transgressions and find forgiveness in the Blight.