Afterword - Book 2 - Chapter 56 (Patreon)

Chapter 56: The Cavalry

(Original Chapter Title: The Calvary)

In which CrimCat nearly murdered a beta reader thanks to a misspelled title.

It was my hope when I named this chapter (...once the name was fixed) that people who read BtDEM and remember Night's interlude at the end of book 7 would have certain expectations. And indeed, the Coalition accompaniment to the 4th Legion's arrival is meant to invoke that. I shan't say more, juuust in case I have any Patreons reading these that haven't read BtDEM yet, but this battle offers a glimpse of the future.

I love that multiple readers called that Night wasn't there because of what Ranthia did and that she would volunteer her crimes anyway. People are getting to know Ran and that is beautiful! Fortunately for her, Night decides he really, really didn't want to know.

Ranthia is usually somewhat hostile toward the concept of picking combat performances apart—the legacy of her Guildmaster in Sardonia's words—yet she's grateful enough for the presence of the other Sentinels that she never even complains about it inwardly. It's a minor note, but one that's easy to miss. Admittedly, it helps that she's still a bit freaked out over her brush with the trio of twins.

But Ranthia survives the tribulation of back-to-back meetings and an aggressive plan to free Remera in record time gets underway.

And this is one battle (quite possibly the only one) where the plan not only survived contact with the enemy, but it managed to carry Remera's forces straight to victory. Sure, the timeline was overly optimistic, but I don't think anyone honestly expected to win in the span of a single night, especially when much of the night was already lost to arrivals, late meetings, and the required preparations.

I enjoy this chapter for the display of the Coalition's prowess. Multiple different peoples of Pallos came together and sundered a force of shimagu—with elves being the only notable absence (aside from Avyna's minor and, at least in Ranthia's eyes, unwanted role).

But history has its own path...

Yet for the moment, Remera has freed itself from siege. The dearth of twins—especially when there had been multiple in the area so recently—was a welcome surprise, but that also just means that the threats are still out there.

And Ranthia is sure to meet at least one of them again.