The Empire of Reimia (3)

Initially, the prospects in the battle looked bleak, and Parphinora prepared herself for the fact that she would die in this battle – along with everyone else. Strangely, this thought did not cause her fear. Perhaps, the years of training of her family had an effect – a noble should not be afraid of death if it is for the good of the empire, and a follower of Alarion should not be afraid of death if it helps him save his soul from filth and vice. Fleetingly, she thought that she would truly regret not her classmates – although she bore the burden of responsibility for their lives. She would only regret Imir. Imir... Parphinora sighed.
But today, she was not destined to die. At some point in the battle, the situation completely turned in their favor, and they managed to brilliantly complete their task without any losses. This filled the girl's heart with joy. They managed to achieve at least some victory. They saved the wounded and civilians, and they saved themselves. Yes, they will have to retreat, and for a strategist of the grand game, this is a defeat – but it is her personal victory.
But the joy was short-lived. Soon, news arrived that Squad 2 had completed its task – but paid the highest price for it. Although Parphinora herself did not have much love for its members – Imir told her at one of their meetings what they had done to him – she still felt a painful pang in her chest. Was it her fault? Her miscalculation as a commander? After some analysis, she decided that no. Squad 2 was one of the strongest in her company, and if they were destroyed, then any other squad would be destroyed. And she could not send additional forces for this task.
Then came information about the traitors, about the enemy spies who tried to kill the sick. Not only was the murder of the sick and wounded a cruel and almost pointless act – something she would not have expected from the Dark Elves – but the thought that no one noticed the seeds of the impending backstab made her worry. Did no one notice anything suspicious? Alarion taught her to keep her mind free from vice, to maintain purity of thought within herself – but could her subordinates not even notice the impurity around them? For some reason, she remembered Yaspis. Yes, many condemned her for this decision, and Parphinora herself sometimes thought that she had done wrong. But if any of her soldiers had shown such vigilance, perhaps their situation today would not be so desperate.
But the main and final blow was the news of the death of Major Neils. Only after this did Parphinora realize – today they lost. And their defeat was crushing. The flank that they were supposed to defend completely collapsed, and the army of General Muscari could now be surrounded. After the death of the major, Parphinora became the next commander of the remaining forces of the battalion. The first thing to do was to inform headquarters about what had happened, so the aristocrat asked herself – what means of communication were at her disposal?...