Of course, although these two were prone to losing themselves in their imagined perfect worlds, they were still warlord leaders who had seen their share of battles. They weren't actually fools. After a few minutes of daydreaming, they declared themselves refreshed and brought their thoughts back to reality.
Then, after a brief silence, they had to admit that the Lion's Den couldn't be held. Trying to use the fortress as a base and come and go from the heart of the Empire as they pleased would be courting death on a grand scale. One careless move, and the Empire's swarming armies could cut off their retreat. Not one of them would make it home, and they would all die miserably and without a shred of dignity.
At that thought, the two warlords remembered the previous Great Khan, the troll leader whose head still hung drying in the Celestial Domain. He had been a warrior king the likes of whom the Maishanda people saw only once in a thousand years, yet he'd died like an old dog with a broken spine.
"Let's talk about something practical. We should finish sweeping the Lion's Den, and haul away everything we can from the cities on Farhome and inside the fortress," the troll general said. "And the people here, too."
"Same rules as always. Technical personnel first. Kill the elderly and soldiers, then take the able-bodied and the women. But remember to pack up the noble brats. The Empire will pay ransom for them."
"Everyone knows the drill. No need to remind us. Anyway, half each."
The long-bearded general continued, "Then there's the territory in the Empire's Extreme Frontier Sector. The gravity-well route home will reopen in fourteen standard days. This is our only chance to seize what we want."
"Are you sure it's