"This is quite the mess." I comment as I walked alongside Ainael. Raising a brow as she fiddled with her blonde hair in an almost nonchalant manner.
"Huh? Oh, yes."
"A very relaxed attitude to take given the scale of the slaughter." I bluntly put it as she shrugs.
"It doesn't concern us."
"We're soldiers just as they are."
"No, we're war-witches of the Order of the Outreaching Wind." she seemingly corrects as she kicks at a piece of rubble.
"At least try to show some care about what has happened?"
"Why? It's their mess. I don't see why we should be handling it when we have far greater issues at hand." she tells me with a wave of her hand as her head moves slightly forward.
And as she did that, I stopped to look at a defaced bit of street decoration, "This is a joint national effort."
"Spare me the grandiose commentary." she tells me as her face lights up as I make a further point of destroying the statue.
"You serve in a grand, storied order in a grander war. It fits." I tell her with a slight smirk as I pull down my hood and take off my face mask.
"So remind me, why are we down here... Patrolling?"
"Inspecting, technically." I clarify as she was essentially right. We were filling in for the patrols who were slaughtered by my warned-about Valkinvar. In a way as well, I was glad it was here that it happened. The war moved past this city a while ago.
So we were not tasked with clogging up any gaps that the Misguided had decided to exploit. Though we had come across some rageful refugees still clamouring about the city. Their insistence on staying here proved quite troublesome. This wasn't a city we could just leave standing.
From the moment it was made, it was to honour those who did not stand by us. An extensive piece of propaganda was all it was. And at some point, it would be paved over to make way for something else. The stone that was still intact was likely to be used for another city or it would just be ground up for roads.
"It must be something, though, to have the power to wipe out a garrison like this."
"We can do that."
"Yeah, as a group, maybe not you specifically, but, Valkinvar really are something else." she comments almost respectfully.
Which, made me scoff, "They're about to be wiped out, cast aside for the history tablets."
"The Valkinvar ruled and continue to cling onto one of the greatest empires our continent has ever seen. They won't become a footnote."
"In time they will."
"In time we all do."
"Longevity isn't a goal of mine."
"Really now, Noalla? You try harder than most others."
"I try because I must." I tell her as we stopped by a small airship as it departed. Its freshly deposited soldiers spread out as it flew off.
"Well, at least we are relieved." Ainael comments as we start to go into the air to fly over them.
"Not until we are told so officially."
"Speaking of officials, it looks like the Chapter-Mistress wants a word." she teases as she begins to put some distance between us.
"Just because she is staring in our direction doesn't me-"
"Sister Noalla, Chapter-Mistress Chiara wants to speak with you." someone calls out from a nearby building.
"Of course." I answer without the slightest groan or sign of complaint. Though, right after, I did groan at Ainael as she giggled at me.
"Guess I win again." she smugly remarks as she takes her leave to do whatever. And after I finish rolling my eyes at her, I head on over to our superior. Dropping onto the ground and kneeling as appropriate. Though, I was not granted the right to stand before her this time.
"I hope you have a suggestion for how to deal with your failure."
"My failure, Chapter-Mistress Chiara?" I question as a sense of annoyance sprouts in the recesses of my mind.
"Your inability to stop that Valkinvar has cost us quite a few men. And I have heard from the advance that they joined up with a formerly isolated one. One we nearly had..." she scolds as her foot suddenly plants down on me. Forcing my skull against the near-solid, stone floor. The surprise of it, in turn, made it quite a humiliating affair as my body was suddenly spread out.
"It was by your word that we let this happen!" I remind her.
"Yes, and it turned out to be the very thing you should have never let escape." she tells me as her sandaled foot takes its leave and returns to the floor where it belonged. And slowly, I got up, taking it as a rather demeaning acknowledgement of my equality.
"Then I will go after her."
"No, the Order of the Outreaching Wind shall be making a move against them to ensure they do not escape again." she tells me as she walks to my side. Clearing sneering at me from beyond the edges of my vision.
"You would allow them to fortify..."
"I will allow them to choose their graves as they all have done. Their backs will be against stone either way!" she dismisses as she starts to walk away.
"This isn't what you brought me here for, though, was it?"
"No, I wanted to tell you that you'll be leading the assault so you can make up for your mistake."
"Yes, Chapter-Mistress Chiara..." I answer as she walks off. A sneer of my own formed once I was sure I was on my own. Yet, as she gave me her blessing to lead the assault, I flew into the sky until I was under the clouds. And I looked in the direction of our mobile fortress.
If the Valkinvar was to hold herself up in some fort, then we would bring ours to them to match it. Blow for blow we will match them for. But, taking influence from Ainael I wanted to show some restraint in our efforts. We needed to probe the Valkinvar's position.
And to do that, we would need the Grand Army of the Seven Peaks to move ahead of us. Perhaps even His Royal Majesty's air-navy as they have proven themselves quite effective. Yes... A combined airship-ground assault.
I would not be able to direct it, but it would let us observe what we were dealing with. To commit the mobile fortress to such a field of battle was one that called for caution. No mistakes could be allowed. Even if we had someone like at Chapter-Mistress Chiara at the head.
So I flew down to our mobile fortress and stared it straight in the eye. Triggering its instincts to dominate with my unyielding gaze. And, in an attempt to scare me off. It reared onto its hind legs and brought its thick, muscular arms up.
And it parted the sky with its roar as it began to slam its armoured chest with explosive force. Yet with all this power, I held my ground and stared it down. Not even diverting my gaze as its rib-like appendages began to reveal themselves and snip at the air around me. Then, as it fell back on its mighty arms built to hold a mountain.
I laughed, only for it to be drowned out by an in-my-face roar.