Letty’s words remain on my mind as we walk back to the town hall turned command centre. If the Mercenary Order wants to chain me down, it would be just another on a now rather long list. Of course, I’ll never let them, but it is concerning that I can’t seem to go anywhere without something or someone trying to control me.
They’ve done nothing so far, so I don’t intend to take any drastic actions. Though I acknowledge Letty’s warning with my full being, I cannot fight the mermineae if I’m always expecting betrayal by those on my side. I’ll be careful and aware, but that is all I can do for now.
Grímr is right where I left him. By his side is an albanic wearing a similar formal uniform to the female commander I pissed off earlier today. Remus is there too, his cheerful tone cutting through the gloomy air of the rest of the people rushing through the street.
“Solvei! It’s great to see you!” his eyes remain as joyous as ever. “I hope your trip back wasn’t difficult?” while still cheerful, I can hear the concern in his tone.
“It was… fine.” I look around, expecting the rest of the team to show themselves. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Off on their own tasks for now, unfortunately.”
“As much as I’m sure you lot want to enjoy your reunion, we are at war. I don’t have time for idle chatter.” The albanic I assume is the commander pushes in front of Remus. “What can you tell me? Has anything changed since your separation? What are the mermineae’s positions, numbers, anything? Tell me all that can help.” He turns between Grímr and me as he speaks. I guess they haven’t talked yet.
Letty waves to me as she passes back through the double doors. I give her a small nod in thanks before turning to the commander.
“I don’t know about exact numbers, but there are a lot still moving through the Alps. They aren’t our biggest concern. The mermineae have Viisin, which are strong enough to tear holes through ranked stone.”
“Wait, they have that capability? Then why have us close the tunnel in the first place?” Remus asks.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and the best answer I’ve come up with is they were trying to flush their traitor’s Viisin out,” Grímr says. “Unfortunately, Spenne joined their fight and put a target on himself. They were hunting him down when we next met.”
“So, strong enough to have that áinfean running, huh?” the commander considers. “Not good.”
“They’re a bit like the Forvaal; there’s no variation in how they fight,” Grímr says. “Their power likely all comes from Kalma.”
The commander turns to Remus. “You’ve mentioned this Kalma, their so-called god. Is there any chance she might show up on the battlefield?”
“I hope not. Both merminea factions are entirely against letting her find out. If they fail, it’s hard to say how she’ll act. She might cripple their army, or she might massacre all, our side included. She’s an unknown, but considering the depth of the mermineae’s fear, we can assume her reaction will be vicious.”
“Shit. I guess sending a team to probe her is off the table.” The commander bites the knuckle of his finger as he paces.
We are attracting attention now. These two had to come downstairs to meet with Grímr, but that does nothing to keep the conversation private. The old albanic isn’t oblivious of the ears either. He turns in his stride and opens the door.
“We’ll be in the shed round back, send them my way should any managers come looking,” the commander calls to the two dohrni in the foyer before walking past us and around the side of the building. “Come, I’d rather keep some of these details from spreading.”
The ‘shed’, as he called it, turns out to be closer to a guest house linked to the town hall by a brick path. While smaller than the main building, the doorway is just as large.
“Is that the outfit Jav gave you?” Remus asks as he falls into stride by my side. His eyes falling on the mermineae fur sewn to the outside.
“Yeah. I… haven’t been able to keep it in the best condition.”
“No worries.” He takes the outfit from my hands. “I’ll send it to Jav and his sisters. I’m sure you’ll have it back in only a couple weeks. Plus, Jav would be happy to hear you’re safe.”
“What about Bunny?”
“Ah, she was pulled into another war. We probably won’t hear from her in a while.”
“Another war? Not with the mermineae?” Is the Henosis Empire trying to invade other countries again?
“Unfortunately. The Theocracy — as opportunistic as they are — sent an invasion force into the Vanguard the moment they saw weakness.”
So neither Jav nor Bunny is around? That’s disappointing. As much as I’m hesitant to tell them of my regained freedom, I’d wanted to do it all at once. Now, I guess I’ll have to figure out how to say what I want to say to Remus alone.
“Don’t worry about damaging the building. Break down the walls if you have to; the owners are no longer with us,” the old albanic says as he opens the double doors.
I follow Remus through the door. Grímr hesitates, eyeing the building as if he doesn’t want to touch it. His eyes fall on me and his wings droop in defeat. Gingerly, he presses himself through the doorway, his large wings gouge divots into the wooden frame, even resting against his chest as they are. He ducks, but still tears off the head jamb.
Remus closes the doors once Grímr’s entire body is inside — not easily, but they do close when he puts in some force.
There is some space for the large bird to move around now, but I can imagine getting out again will be a challenge. At least there isn’t anyone here.
“Now that we don’t have any sticky ears, I’m going to go into some sensitive information. You have Remus’ trust and praise, and for my purposes, that is enough.”
“Hold on Darton,” Remus says. “I’d like to hear their good news first.”
“Good news?” the commander — Darton — repeats. “Well, that would be a pleasant surprise, but are you certain they have any?”
Remus, instead of responding, casts a curious gaze our way.
“We found a… like-minded group that helped us take the western tunnel entrance,” Grímr says.
“Take? You mean to say you seized the entrance rather than simply passing through?”
Grímr nods. “The centzon are a particularly capable race. There are nearly a hundred coming to support us from the rear of the mermineae invasive force.”
“Oh? Only a hundred? How do they compare to our elite? Are they equivalent to our average Beith, or better?” Darton asks, his hand scratching at his white, short-trimmed beard.
“Well, I can’t say. We never saw them fight. Not the strongest of them.” Grímr shrugs, accidentally slicing a hole through the wall. He drops his wings and pretends it never happened, but his eyes continue to flick back to the large new opening to a side room.
“You never saw them fight, yet you managed to take one of the two major choke-points between our nations and theirs?” Commander Darton is disbelieving and I don’t blame him considering Grímr’s vague answer.
“They build weapons,” I say. “Weapons strong enough to kill a Beith in a matter of moments.”
I consider the weapon the Henosis Empire tried to have me power. They put a lot of effort and resources into making that operational, do the centzon have to put a similar amount of effort into creating each of those Viisin-killing bombs?
“Manufactured weapons powerful enough to take out an elite? That is a concerning thought.” Darton furrows his brow. “What is their reason to ally with us?”
While Grímr details what they want to the commander, I’m too busy focusing on how this is news to him. Does he not know that the Henosis Empire is working on something similar? I’m not sure I want to tell Darton how I know, so I approach Remus while Grímr explains the centzon’s objectives.
“Henosis has something similar,” I say. “They’re working on a bomb that can kill elite. They tried it during their war with New Vetus, but the Void Fog got in the way.”
Remus stares at me for a long moment. Maybe he doesn’t believe me. I’ve told him about the Void Fog, but never my time being held captive. I never so much as want to think of it again, but if he needs me to, I’ll tell him.
“Alright, thank you.” Remus turns his eyes back to the others, his tone flat. “Keep this to yourself for now. I’ll talk to some… people who will need to know, but for now, it’s best this doesn’t spread.”
I guess it’s good I didn’t tell Commander Darton then? I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but if war is determined solely by the battle between those at the top strength, and those of lesser strength are only used to bait out information, then being able to make a weapon to remove one of those elite would change everything.
“All right, I think it’s about time I told you why I brought you here,” Darton says. “This morning, we got word that the Joiak Kingdom is still holding on. This came as a surprise as we wrote them off as dead, along with the Zadok Kingdom, which has been silent since the war started.”
The commander walks up to the fireplace. “The mermineae have been nipping at the Vanguard’s ass since their initial unhindered advance, and now that we know Joiak isn’t done for, we have the opportunity to cut them off and surround them. It is clear these creatures have no history of warfare strategy. They simply attack where they find weakness.”
He grasps an old fire-poker and lifts it before his eyes. “Battle after battle now, we’ve been on the back foot. It is time we fought back.”
Commander Darton turns to me and Grímr. “Under regulation, I should assign you as Beith rank and have you wait in the back-line until the entire operation is a bust, but this needs to work. I am going to have you both on the front.”
“What? No! I thought you wanted her as a messenger.” Remus stomps in front of the commander and flicks the fire-poker out of his hand. “I’m not leaving her to the battlefield.”
Commander Darton remains still as his eyes follow the poker as it lodges into the brickwork wall beside the fireplace. He has no enhancement of his own, so I’m sure Remus’ anger must be terrifying, but he remains steadfast.
Calmly, his eyes turn back to the dohrni standing tall over him. “We’re stretched thin here, Remus. Every day we lose more ground and the mobile mercs we have to patch our defences are growing weary.” Darton turns my way. “I need everything I can get my hands on if this attack is going to be successful.”
“I won’t let you. She’s too—”
“Remus,” I interrupt, before addressing the commander. “I will help. The way the Order keeps their strongest on the sidelines is not something I agree with.”
“Solvei.” Still looming over Darton, Remus’ eyes watch me. “Getting you involved in that mission up the Alps was a mistake. I don’t plan to continue that mistake. I’m not letting you be pulled into this war.”
“Let me? I’m sorry, Remus, but I’m not about to back out now.” I have my own reasons to fight, limited as they are.
Grímr is as frustrated as Remus, but at least he doesn’t voice it. I appreciate both their concerns, but I’ve been fighting for my survival for years now. It’s about time I fought for something more.
I want to protect the home of my people.
I can’t say if I will ever call the pact nations my home, but I want to protect the families of those I care for. For a long while now, I’ve been selfish. Only prioritising myself. While I could blame the Void Fog’s manipulations, that would be nothing more than a lie. My team, the former homeless kids from Zadok, and even Leal; I want to make sure they do not experience the grief of losing family.
“You don’t want this, Solvei. Trust me,” Remus pleads, but I ignore it. What’s different now than back in the Euroclydon’s hunting grounds? It was mermineae slaughter then, and it’ll be mermineae slaughter now.
“When do we start?” I ask Commander Darton.
He eyes Remus for a moment before clearing his throat. “You’ll have a week to prepare. If all goes well? We’ll cut the mermineae off in another.”
Remus walks to the fireplace and crouches without a word.
Darton reads the room well enough to make his hasty exit, brushing past Grímr and out into the warm night air. The door buckles and doesn’t latch, leaving it to hang ajar.
Grímr’s eyes follow the fleeing albanic, and I can tell he feels uncomfortable. His eyes flick to me, a curious yet hesitant quirk to them. I shake my head. I need to talk to Remus, but I’d much rather Grímr stay with us, even if he doesn’t speak.
A few steps and my hands tug the fire poker from the wall. My feet place me at the dohrni’s side, and my hands restore the iron stick onto its rack. Delaying the inevitable, that’s all I’m doing.
“I know you only have the best intentions.” The fireplace ignites before us; I need something to fiddle with while I speak. “But I need you to stop treating me like a child. You didn’t when we first met.”
Remus’ eyes follow my flames as they burn yellow and the surrounding bricks glow. I lower the heat, not wanting to damage the fireplace.
“I brought you onto the team because it had been a relatively controlled environment. Originally, you were only meant to support us where I could always be around to watch over you. A few years would pass like that. You would fight only when I thought it was safe. Eventually, you would have enough experience to join us properly.”
His eyes turn to me. “Everything has gone completely out of control since. If you are sure you want to do this, I won’t force you. I won’t make the same mistake again. Just as long as you’re willing to run if it is ever too much.”
He looks away before he can see me nod. I’m willing to go to battle, but survival is still a priority. I wouldn’t sacrifice myself for another. Though, I would try my utmost to save them if I cared for them.
“One last thing,” Remus raises his voice so we know he’s talking to Grímr as well. “I won’t be able to join you both. I’m stuck heading north for the next while and likely won’t return before the battle starts, so Grímr, I’m entrusting you.”
Grímr nods seriously, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. At least now Remus isn’t completely opposed, but I still have one more thing to talk about. He shouldn’t take my admission badly, but there is always the lingering chance that will bother me until I actually go through with it.
Letty’s words remain on my mind as we walk back to the town hall turned command centre. If the Mercenary Order wants to chain me down, it would be just another on a now rather long list. Of course, I’ll never let them, but it is concerning that I can’t seem to go anywhere without something or someone trying to control me.
They’ve done nothing so far, so I don’t intend to take any drastic actions. Though I acknowledge Letty’s warning with my full being, I cannot fight the mermineae if I’m always expecting betrayal by those on my side. I’ll be careful and aware, but that is all I can do for now.
Grímr is right where I left him. By his side is an albanic wearing a similar formal uniform to the female commander I pissed off earlier today. Remus is there too, his cheerful tone cutting through the gloomy air of the rest of the people rushing through the street.
“Solvei! It’s great to see you!” his eyes remain as joyous as ever. “I hope your trip back wasn’t difficult?” while still cheerful, I can hear the concern in his tone.
“It was… fine.” I look around, expecting the rest of the team to show themselves. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Off on their own tasks for now, unfortunately.”
“As much as I’m sure you lot want to enjoy your reunion, we are at war. I don’t have time for idle chatter.” The albanic I assume is the commander pushes in front of Remus. “What can you tell me? Has anything changed since your separation? What are the mermineae’s positions, numbers, anything? Tell me all that can help.” He turns between Grímr and me as he speaks. I guess they haven’t talked yet.
Letty waves to me as she passes back through the double doors. I give her a small nod in thanks before turning to the commander.
“I don’t know about exact numbers, but there are a lot still moving through the Alps. They aren’t our biggest concern. The mermineae have Viisin, which are strong enough to tear holes through ranked stone.”
“Wait, they have that capability? Then why have us close the tunnel in the first place?” Remus asks.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and the best answer I’ve come up with is they were trying to flush their traitor’s Viisin out,” Grímr says. “Unfortunately, Spenne joined their fight and put a target on himself. They were hunting him down when we next met.”
“So, strong enough to have that áinfean running, huh?” the commander considers. “Not good.”
“They’re a bit like the Forvaal; there’s no variation in how they fight,” Grímr says. “Their power likely all comes from Kalma.”
The commander turns to Remus. “You’ve mentioned this Kalma, their so-called god. Is there any chance she might show up on the battlefield?”
“I hope not. Both merminea factions are entirely against letting her find out. If they fail, it’s hard to say how she’ll act. She might cripple their army, or she might massacre all, our side included. She’s an unknown, but considering the depth of the mermineae’s fear, we can assume her reaction will be vicious.”
“Shit. I guess sending a team to probe her is off the table.” The commander bites the knuckle of his finger as he paces.
We are attracting attention now. These two had to come downstairs to meet with Grímr, but that does nothing to keep the conversation private. The old albanic isn’t oblivious of the ears either. He turns in his stride and opens the door.
“We’ll be in the shed round back, send them my way should any managers come looking,” the commander calls to the two dohrni in the foyer before walking past us and around the side of the building. “Come, I’d rather keep some of these details from spreading.”
The ‘shed’, as he called it, turns out to be closer to a guest house linked to the town hall by a brick path. While smaller than the main building, the doorway is just as large.
“Is that the outfit Jav gave you?” Remus asks as he falls into stride by my side. His eyes falling on the mermineae fur sewn to the outside.
“Yeah. I… haven’t been able to keep it in the best condition.”
“No worries.” He takes the outfit from my hands. “I’ll send it to Jav and his sisters. I’m sure you’ll have it back in only a couple weeks. Plus, Jav would be happy to hear you’re safe.”
“What about Bunny?”
“Ah, she was pulled into another war. We probably won’t hear from her in a while.”
“Another war? Not with the mermineae?” Is the Henosis Empire trying to invade other countries again?
“Unfortunately. The Theocracy — as opportunistic as they are — sent an invasion force into the Vanguard the moment they saw weakness.”
So neither Jav nor Bunny is around? That’s disappointing. As much as I’m hesitant to tell them of my regained freedom, I’d wanted to do it all at once. Now, I guess I’ll have to figure out how to say what I want to say to Remus alone.
“Don’t worry about damaging the building. Break down the walls if you have to; the owners are no longer with us,” the old albanic says as he opens the double doors.
I follow Remus through the door. Grímr hesitates, eyeing the building as if he doesn’t want to touch it. His eyes fall on me and his wings droop in defeat. Gingerly, he presses himself through the doorway, his large wings gouge divots into the wooden frame, even resting against his chest as they are. He ducks, but still tears off the head jamb.
Remus closes the doors once Grímr’s entire body is inside — not easily, but they do close when he puts in some force.
There is some space for the large bird to move around now, but I can imagine getting out again will be a challenge. At least there isn’t anyone here.
“Now that we don’t have any sticky ears, I’m going to go into some sensitive information. You have Remus’ trust and praise, and for my purposes, that is enough.”
“Hold on Darton,” Remus says. “I’d like to hear their good news first.”
“Good news?” the commander — Darton — repeats. “Well, that would be a pleasant surprise, but are you certain they have any?”
Remus, instead of responding, casts a curious gaze our way.
“We found a… like-minded group that helped us take the western tunnel entrance,” Grímr says.
“Take? You mean to say you seized the entrance rather than simply passing through?”
Grímr nods. “The centzon are a particularly capable race. There are nearly a hundred coming to support us from the rear of the mermineae invasive force.”
“Oh? Only a hundred? How do they compare to our elite? Are they equivalent to our average Beith, or better?” Darton asks, his hand scratching at his white, short-trimmed beard.
“Well, I can’t say. We never saw them fight. Not the strongest of them.” Grímr shrugs, accidentally slicing a hole through the wall. He drops his wings and pretends it never happened, but his eyes continue to flick back to the large new opening to a side room.
“You never saw them fight, yet you managed to take one of the two major choke-points between our nations and theirs?” Commander Darton is disbelieving and I don’t blame him considering Grímr’s vague answer.
“They build weapons,” I say. “Weapons strong enough to kill a Beith in a matter of moments.”
I consider the weapon the Henosis Empire tried to have me power. They put a lot of effort and resources into making that operational, do the centzon have to put a similar amount of effort into creating each of those Viisin-killing bombs?
“Manufactured weapons powerful enough to take out an elite? That is a concerning thought.” Darton furrows his brow. “What is their reason to ally with us?”
While Grímr details what they want to the commander, I’m too busy focusing on how this is news to him. Does he not know that the Henosis Empire is working on something similar? I’m not sure I want to tell Darton how I know, so I approach Remus while Grímr explains the centzon’s objectives.
“Henosis has something similar,” I say. “They’re working on a bomb that can kill elite. They tried it during their war with New Vetus, but the Void Fog got in the way.”
Remus stares at me for a long moment. Maybe he doesn’t believe me. I’ve told him about the Void Fog, but never my time being held captive. I never so much as want to think of it again, but if he needs me to, I’ll tell him.
“Alright, thank you.” Remus turns his eyes back to the others, his tone flat. “Keep this to yourself for now. I’ll talk to some… people who will need to know, but for now, it’s best this doesn’t spread.”
I guess it’s good I didn’t tell Commander Darton then? I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but if war is determined solely by the battle between those at the top strength, and those of lesser strength are only used to bait out information, then being able to make a weapon to remove one of those elite would change everything.
“All right, I think it’s about time I told you why I brought you here,” Darton says. “This morning, we got word that the Joiak Kingdom is still holding on. This came as a surprise as we wrote them off as dead, along with the Zadok Kingdom, which has been silent since the war started.”
The commander walks up to the fireplace. “The mermineae have been nipping at the Vanguard’s ass since their initial unhindered advance, and now that we know Joiak isn’t done for, we have the opportunity to cut them off and surround them. It is clear these creatures have no history of warfare strategy. They simply attack where they find weakness.”
He grasps an old fire-poker and lifts it before his eyes. “Battle after battle now, we’ve been on the back foot. It is time we fought back.”
Commander Darton turns to me and Grímr. “Under regulation, I should assign you as Beith rank and have you wait in the back-line until the entire operation is a bust, but this needs to work. I am going to have you both on the front.”
“What? No! I thought you wanted her as a messenger.” Remus stomps in front of the commander and flicks the fire-poker out of his hand. “I’m not leaving her to the battlefield.”
Commander Darton remains still as his eyes follow the poker as it lodges into the brickwork wall beside the fireplace. He has no enhancement of his own, so I’m sure Remus’ anger must be terrifying, but he remains steadfast.
Calmly, his eyes turn back to the dohrni standing tall over him. “We’re stretched thin here, Remus. Every day we lose more ground and the mobile mercs we have to patch our defences are growing weary.” Darton turns my way. “I need everything I can get my hands on if this attack is going to be successful.”
“I won’t let you. She’s too—”
“Remus,” I interrupt, before addressing the commander. “I will help. The way the Order keeps their strongest on the sidelines is not something I agree with.”
“Solvei.” Still looming over Darton, Remus’ eyes watch me. “Getting you involved in that mission up the Alps was a mistake. I don’t plan to continue that mistake. I’m not letting you be pulled into this war.”
“Let me? I’m sorry, Remus, but I’m not about to back out now.” I have my own reasons to fight, limited as they are.
Grímr is as frustrated as Remus, but at least he doesn’t voice it. I appreciate both their concerns, but I’ve been fighting for my survival for years now. It’s about time I fought for something more.
I want to protect the home of my people.
I can’t say if I will ever call the pact nations my home, but I want to protect the families of those I care for. For a long while now, I’ve been selfish. Only prioritising myself. While I could blame the Void Fog’s manipulations, that would be nothing more than a lie. My team, the former homeless kids from Zadok, and even Leal; I want to make sure they do not experience the grief of losing family.
“You don’t want this, Solvei. Trust me,” Remus pleads, but I ignore it. What’s different now than back in the Euroclydon’s hunting grounds? It was mermineae slaughter then, and it’ll be mermineae slaughter now.
“When do we start?” I ask Commander Darton.
He eyes Remus for a moment before clearing his throat. “You’ll have a week to prepare. If all goes well? We’ll cut the mermineae off in another.”
Remus walks to the fireplace and crouches without a word.
Darton reads the room well enough to make his hasty exit, brushing past Grímr and out into the warm night air. The door buckles and doesn’t latch, leaving it to hang ajar.
Grímr’s eyes follow the fleeing albanic, and I can tell he feels uncomfortable. His eyes flick to me, a curious yet hesitant quirk to them. I shake my head. I need to talk to Remus, but I’d much rather Grímr stay with us, even if he doesn’t speak.
A few steps and my hands tug the fire poker from the wall. My feet place me at the dohrni’s side, and my hands restore the iron stick onto its rack. Delaying the inevitable, that’s all I’m doing.
“I know you only have the best intentions.” The fireplace ignites before us; I need something to fiddle with while I speak. “But I need you to stop treating me like a child. You didn’t when we first met.”
Remus’ eyes follow my flames as they burn yellow and the surrounding bricks glow. I lower the heat, not wanting to damage the fireplace.
“I brought you onto the team because it had been a relatively controlled environment. Originally, you were only meant to support us where I could always be around to watch over you. A few years would pass like that. You would fight only when I thought it was safe. Eventually, you would have enough experience to join us properly.”
His eyes turn to me. “Everything has gone completely out of control since. If you are sure you want to do this, I won’t force you. I won’t make the same mistake again. Just as long as you’re willing to run if it is ever too much.”
He looks away before he can see me nod. I’m willing to go to battle, but survival is still a priority. I wouldn’t sacrifice myself for another. Though, I would try my utmost to save them if I cared for them.
“One last thing,” Remus raises his voice so we know he’s talking to Grímr as well. “I won’t be able to join you both. I’m stuck heading north for the next while and likely won’t return before the battle starts, so Grímr, I’m entrusting you.”
Grímr nods seriously, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. At least now Remus isn’t completely opposed, but I still have one more thing to talk about. He shouldn’t take my admission badly, but there is always the lingering chance that will bother me until I actually go through with it.
