The village was little more than ruins at this point, but it had been made of stone buildings, so there were at least walls to keep the wind down as the soldiers found places to sleep.
It was early, which allowed Dominic a few hours to get some work done.
He had a wooden post the size of the grenades, and large blocks of clay in his storage cube. If he pressed the clay over the post, then added a pair of support legs and a baseplate before activating [Clay to Copper] he could make the launching tubes in a matter of minutes.
The outsides weren’t pretty, and the thickness wasn’t perfectly uniform. But they weren’t as high-pressure of a barrel as the rifles were, just an aiming tube for the mortar grenades.
He assembled twenty of them for the evening, and then went looking for Commander Dax.
"I have mortar tubes and grenades for the team. I haven’t tested the orb that made the grenades yet, but they should work. Don’t mind the outside, the inside of the tubes is perfectly smooth."
The Commander chuckled, then examined the mortar launcher.
"That should be good enough, and the finger holds on the tube will make it easier to carry, even if they weren’t intentional. I don’t want to test it tonight, but if we find an enemy tomorrow, we will test them quickly during the battle.
If they work, we can deploy more of them.
There are more of them, aren’t there? Twenty mortar launchers is pretty good, but the enemy is already in rifle range when we can start using them. So, they’re best for a surprise explosive wake-up, followed by a rifle barrage."
Dominic nodded. "Good, we’re on the same page. I will make more tomorrow if I can. I’m low on clay for the clay to copper spell. I need to keep some for spare parts on the rifles.
It might not be as ammunition intensive as defending a siege, but I expect that your rifles are going to take a beating over the course of the war."
The Commander chuckled. "Oh, we certainly plan on it. The question is whether everyone has the stomach for what needs to be done. I don’t think that most of our men are up for the sort of thing that Dagos did to Wavemates.
Burning farm villages is a big thing to ask the Noblemen of Cygnia."
Dominic patted him on the shoulder. "Fear not. Our plans involve targeting military convoys, setting ambushes, and crippling supply lines. It’s not about how many we kill, but how much chaos we cause without getting caught."
Dominic returned to the truck and found Alexis waiting for him to unlace her so they could sleep.
"This is all horribly inconvenient. Maybe I should be the one wearing sorcerer’s robes." She joked.
"They’re actually quite comfortable. But when it comes to sword fighting, they’re not the best. They’re not fitted tightly enough, the skirts have no slit for movement, and the sleeves would get in the way.
Just think of this as me taking on a trial run for husbandly duties." Dominic replied with a wink.
"You don’t seem at all concerned about the letter from my father. Did it not occur to you to run?" She asked as Dominic helped her out of her dress.
"If Dagos wins, there will be no safe place for me on this side of the continent. Every other nation will fall in line with their demands that all Wavemates refugees be expelled or killed. They have already named me personally as a war criminal, so I doubt that expulsion is going to be an option if I’m caught.
Besides, did you really think that I would leave you alone and on the run to avoid that pervert Prince? He doesn’t even deserve to stand in your presence."
Alexis smiled. Letting him read romance novels over her shoulder might have been a mistake, he was becoming entirely too smooth with his lines.
They settled in for the night in the carriage, but their relief was short-lived.
A soft knock at the door woke them both well before first light.
"Master Dominic, our scouts have spotted a target. I believe that Dagos sent someone to as we left the city." One of the soldiers whispered.
"Is it late enough to wake everyone?" Alexis replied.
"It is three in the morning, Pr... Miss. Prime time for a night raid, and it appears that they have ridden through the night to launch one." The soldier replied.
Keeping up the disguise as an Earl and Countess was not going to be easy on the Regiment.
Etiquette was too ingrained in them.
"Prepare the mortars in defensive positions. Keep them hidden under the tents, do not let the enemy know that we are on to them until they are in mortar range, but get the entire Regiment ready for battle." Dominic instructed.
Dominic and Alexis dressed quickly, preparing for battle.
Who had followed them, and how, was a mystery. But if they didn’t leave any survivors, there was a good chance that they could escape deeper into Dagos without any more Dagos units in pursuit.
Alexis frowned as they prepared for battle, sharpening blades and double-checking rifles.
"You know, if they’re truly tracking us and suspect that I am with the convoy, their Commander is going to report back when I am identified." She whispered.
"Then it’s a good thing that he is about to suffer from a battlefield accident. I will put someone on it during the first volley." Dominic replied.
"If he’s an upper Noble, he’s supposed to be captured and ransomed." She replied.
"Only if they survive. Duke Albroles had a most unfortunate battlefield accident as well. We didn’t even know that he was personally on the battlefield, and cannon fire doesn’t discriminate." Dominic shrugged.
Alexis gritted her teeth. "You are right. I was being too kind to them, even at the risk that they would call for reinforcements."
"That’s the spirit. Under the watchful eyes of the gods and an artillery battery, all men are created equal."
Alexis smiled at him. "If I didn’t know that you just made that up on the spot, it would sound like sage advice from the Elders."