Chapter 351: The Livestock and Slaughteryards

Darion left the treasury with the surviving Vrethkan warrior still accompanying him. The discovery of the vault had given him a better idea of Vrethka’s wealth, but now he wanted to understand where their food came from. Gold and silver were useful, but they couldn’t feed an army. They couldn’t fill the bellies of the civilians who worked the fields and the pens. They couldn’t sustain a settlement through a long winter or a prolonged siege.

He turned to Femorn, the warrior who had been his guide. "Where do you keep your livestock?"

Femorn paused for a moment, then gestured toward the outskirts of the settlement. "Most of the animals are kept toward the edges of Vrethka, where there’s more room for pens and grazing. We have cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, all kept in different areas."

Darion nodded. "Take me there."

They began walking away from the center of Vrethka, away from the grand buildings and the fortified treasury. The streets became narrower, the buildings smaller. The sounds of the settlement changed: less merchants shouting, more animals lowing. The smell changed too, a mixture of hay and manure and something earthier.

As they got closer, Darion started hearing the animals before he could properly see them. Lowing cattle, deep and resonant. Pigs squealing, high and insistent. Sheep bleating, a chorus of voices that seemed to blend together. Horses neighing and stomping against the ground, their hooves thudding against the earth. Workers shouted to one another across the pens, their voices carrying over the noise of the animals.

The closer they got, the stronger the smell became. Mud covered the ground, churned up by constant movement, rain, animal waste, and water. Darion looked down at his boots and immediately regretted walking through the area. The mud was thick, clinging to his boots with every step. He joked internally that the treasury smelled considerably better.

Femorn didn’t seem bothered. He was clearly used to the place, his steps sure and steady despite the mud. He walked with the ease of someone who had been here many times before.

They finally reached the main livestock grounds.

Darion’s eyes widened slightly at the sheer size of the operation. Wooden pens stretched across a huge section of the outskirts, their fences weathered but sturdy.

Fenced areas held animals of different types: cattle in one section, pigs in another, sheep in a third, horses in a fourth. There were hundreds of animals spread throughout the area, their bodies moving restlessly, their voices filling the air.

Some animals were being fed, their heads lowered into troughs. Others were being moved between pens, herdsmen guiding them with practiced ease. Some were being prepared for slaughter, their bodies separated from the rest, their fate already decided. Horses were being groomed and checked, their coats brushed, their hooves cleaned. Young animals were kept separately from older ones, their smaller bodies clustered together in their own pens.

Darion realized immediately that this wasn’t simply a village keeping enough animals to survive. This was a major source of food and military supply. Vrethka had been preparing itself to support warriors for long periods of time, to feed an army on the march, to sustain a campaign that could last for months.

He took a moment to actually absorb everything. The ground was muddy beneath his feet, the mud sucking at his boots with every step. The smell of animals, manure, hay, blood, and wet earth mixed together into something overwhelming. Flies buzzed around certain areas, their tiny bodies moving in lazy circles.

Workers constantly moved between pens, their arms full of feed or tools. Butchers shouted orders, their voices sharp and commanding. Herdsmen drove animals toward different enclosures, their movements quick and efficient. Horses kicked against wooden barriers, their hooves thudding against the wood.

Cattle pushed against one another, their bodies pressing together. Sheep crowded together, their wool thick and warm. Pigs made enough noise to make Darion question whether they were protesting their living conditions.

The whole place was chaotic, yet there was clearly an established routine underneath the noise. The workers moved with purpose, their tasks clear, their roles defined. It was a system, a machine, a well-oiled operation that had been running for years.

"How do you manage so many animals?" Darion asked, turning to Femorn.

The warrior explained that Vrethka had dedicated herders and workers responsible for different animals. They didn’t simply slaughter animals whenever they needed meat. There was a rough breeding and slaughter schedule, a system that ensured the herds remained healthy and productive.

Certain animals were kept specifically for breeding, their bloodlines carefully managed. Young animals were protected until they reached a useful age, their growth monitored, their health checked. Others were selected for slaughter when their numbers exceeded what the settlement needed.

Horses received separate treatment because they were important to the military. Stronger horses were reserved for warriors, messengers, officers, and transportation.

They were fed the best feed, given the best care, their health monitored constantly. The warrior explained that maintaining horses was especially important during campaigns. Losing horses could cripple an army almost as badly as losing soldiers.

Darion began connecting the livestock to Vrethka’s military strength. An army didn’t survive on swords and armor alone. Thousands of warriors required enormous quantities of food. Meat. Milk. Grain. Animal fat. Leather. Horses for transportation. Pack animals for carrying supplies. The warrior explained how meat was processed and preserved before major campaigns.

Animals were slaughtered in large numbers when an army prepared for a long march. Meat could be salted, smoked, dried, or otherwise preserved so it lasted far longer than fresh meat. Supplies were then transported alongside the army, allowing Vrethka’s warriors to remain away from home for extended periods.

Darion realized that the settlement’s military power was supported by an entire civilian system behind it. The warriors might be the face of Vrethka’s power, but these civilians were what actually kept that power functioning.

He watched the butchers and herders working. Unlike the warriors who had fought him, these people weren’t trying to kill him. They were simply doing their jobs.