BRETVER 31ST YEAR 552 ASMERIAN CALENDAR.
"Private Dan Barker, and Corporal Michael Lukas reporting as ordered sir!" Corporal Lukas announced and he saluted Major Grey. He returned the salute and gestured for them to sit. The office was sparse of decorations, just a desk, and a handful of cheap chairs. The Major was troubled, and he thought carefully about how to word his sentence.
"Pleasure to meet you two fine Marines. Please relax, we will be talking for a moment. Private Barker, please shut the door and sit in front of my desk." Major Grey said as he sat down behind his desk and sorted through several documents.
"Aye sir!" Private Barker responded. He shut the door and sat in front of Major Grey's desk as ordered.
"Now, let me be clear, despite the short warning of our meeting and the necessity of your squad leader accompanying you, you are not in any sort of trouble, so I want you to relax and discard any thought of you being reprimanded." Major Grey said with a calm tone of voice. He relaxed his posture and sank back into his seat.
"Thank you for clearing that up sir." Private Barker answered as he swallowed out of nervousness.
"Calm down son, if you were in trouble, you wouldn't be sitting down right now."
"If he's not in trouble, then why are we here sir?" Corporal Lukas asked.
"Simple, there's quite the stain on the Barker name, your uncle Fritz betrayed Gregoria and Sir Frederic Miller some time ago, at which point he lost his life to young Jackson Scottkey. Of that we're certain. Now, as your commanding officer, I am supposed to segregate you from the rest of the men, give you half pay and half rations. And on top of all of that, relegate you to labor duty. But here we are, you're still eating three times a day and getting paid two silvers every other week. And you're an infantryman serving an infantry unit. So, as you can see, somethings not adding up here Private."
"So, I am in trouble, just not by you sir?" Barker asked.
"Are you being punished?"
"No sir?" He replied puzzled.
"Well, I can punish you if that's what you would rather prefer?"
"No sir."
"Then stop with the assumptions and listen up. You are being offered redemption by the Lord in command of the Concord garrison. Sir Miller himself. Now, for you to redeem yourself and your family's honor, which has always been something the Barker clan has prided itself on, you will be undergoing a dangerous mission under the direct command of Sir Miller. This is one hundred percent volunteer, and no one will be forced to go, however, I will mention if you refuse, I will be forced to punish you for the treason of your uncle. So, if you asked me, you do not have any other option."
"That's outrageous! Sir, you can't be serious." Corporal Lukas spat standing to his feet. "You're blackmailing him into this!"
"Corporal, I have done my best for this Marine, I care for my men, but this is out of my hands damnit! Now sit back down and calm yourself!" Major Grey cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "Private Barker, no matter what I do the only way you have a future in Gregoria, is if you carve one out for yourself. Gregoria is not required to even give offer up a copper coin to any relatives of a traitor. And yet, you make four silvers a month and serve in the infantry with honor. This may very well be your chance to redeem your family."
"Where am I going?" Barker asked.
"Greendale, Asmeria, you'll rendezvous with several Marines and Sir Hughes there, he'll be in charge until Sir Miller can regroup with you. If you're ready, then you can depart immediately."
"Sir, I want to go as well." Said Corporal Lukas.
"Sorry, Corporal, but that'd be between you and Sir Miller. He directly oversees recruitment for this particular mission."
"Sir, can you get word to him fast enough?"
"From what I hear Corporal, he's in Concord as we speak. Go to his manor and request mast with him personally. As a Non-Commissioned Officer in the Marine Corps, you have that right." Major Grey said leaning back into his chair.
"Then we better be going Barker, grab your shit and follow me." Corporal Lukas said opening the door. "Thank you, sir, but I'll take care of Private Barker from here."
"Don't mention it, go, take charge of your men."
"Aye sir!" They exited the building, Concord wasn't a massive city but to get from Camp Woodward to the southern bank where Sir Miller lived. Well, it would take an hour to walk on foot, a horse was needed to get there on time. The secretary for the Major gave them a map showing where they were to meet in Greendale and a time. They had two days to get there and meet with Sir Hughes. The stables were just across the street from the command post. There were hundreds of horses used by the Calvary. Many were war horses that towered in size, and some were like racehorses, small and lean, perfect for speed. Getting one was the issue at hand, the stable master for a Marine Corps camp was always identified by his sword, it was a Saber with a gold pommel. It was illegal for any man to enter a stable with a sword with any sort of gold furnishings on it if he wasn't a stable master.
"Good morning, sir, I'd like to sign out a horse that's not attached to a unit for an assignment." Corporal Lukas asked.
The stable master looked up from his ledger and stared at the two of them. "Well, one or two?" He asked, his voice deep and broken. He was obviously an older man even if he didn't look it.
"One works but two would be appreciated, sir." Said Lukas. "We also don't care about which horse we get either."
"How long is this assignment and who is it for?" The man grumbled.
"It's approximately three weeks and it's commanded by Sir Frederic Miller." The man's eyes perked up, and he started to smile.
"Well, I'll be damned, my nephew is leading yet another expedition. Only my finest stock will do son, now, rest your weary feet and I'll bring out my best." He said rushing off into the back of the stables.
"His nephew?" Barker asked.
"Hell, if I know."
The stable master returned with two beautiful stallions that looked as if they were sculpted from black marble. They were in incredible shape and well-groomed. "Now this one is Savion, and on my right is Victor. They'll be under your care, try to let them graze for at least fifteen minutes at a time and give them proper rest."
"Wow, they're beautiful, thank you, sir," Lukas said stunned.
"You can thank my nephew; I'd do anything for him." The old stable master said as he went back to his ledger, he opened it up and flipped through to Savion and Victor. "Now, I do need ya to sign off for em' here. Corporal, I recommend you take Victor and let the Private here have Savion, I feel your personality will mesh best that way."
"I'll take your advice, sir." He said as he signed the ledger. Once Barker signed two men geared up the horses with saddles and packs for storing food and other supplies.
"Now, ya better be off, if I hear you kept my nephew waiting when I know you have horses like these two, I'll thrash you well."
"Aye, we'll be off. Thank you once again." They rode across town in mere minutes. The horses responded instantly to every command. It was incredible.
They arrived at Sir Miller's home. It was a grand manner on the riverbank. Built of brick and three stories tall. There was a cripple girl out in the garden, she was beautiful, with blond hair and green eyes. There were two Varin's helping her tend to the garden. One was a younger girl and a boy who was almost the same height as Barker. "Hello miss," Lukas said. "We're looking for Sir Miller."
"Oh, you'll find him just inside. He's rather busy now." Alice replied.
"That's fine miss, we were ordered to come here to help him." Lukas opened the gate and led Barker to the front door. The girl and Varin's paid no more attention to them. They enter the door and were greeted by a tall slender but fit man. He was armed with a sword on his hip and looked exhausted. "Hello, we're looking for Sir Miller."
"That room." The man said pointing to a room right of the front door.
Lukas knocked. "Come in!" a man shouted. He opened the door and glanced inside. "Come in damnit, now's not the time for games lass." Sir Miller swung the door open. "Who're you?" He asked.
"I am Corporal Lukas, and this is Private Barker. He was attached to the expedition you're leading and-"
"Let me guess you want to go with him as his corporal?"
Lukas was surprised, to say the least, he didn't expect for his mind to be read. "I once was an infantryman and a Sergeant, if that helps, you may go with him."
"Thank you, sir, we'll be on our way to Greendale now," Lukas said popping to attention. Barker copied Lukas' movements and stood to attention. "You're dismissed Corporal, don't keep Sir Hughes waiting long."
"Aye sir. Come on Barker."
They ran out to their horses waving goodbye to Alice, Io, and Yumi. They crossed the bridge into Farmville and into Asmeria. They camped near the Grey Castle, avoiding the town on the other side near the main gate. The castle loomed over them as they slept. They could hear faint screams of slaves being tortured in the castle's dungeon. They woke in the morning just as the sun broke over the horizon and the cool morning breeze blew through the valley. They woke the horses and rode down to Greendale. It was more developed since Dan was last here with his uncle. They passed the farm where Sir Miller lived for several years as a spy. Only some log frames and the chimney remained. A gravestone stood out from the barren fields of the old farm, the name chiseled into it read, Fritz Barker, aged 31. That was all it read, and it didn't even deserve that Dan thought.
"Well, here we are Dan, from hereon call me by my given name," Michael said.
"Aye, I'm guessing I'll be hearing my Given name a lot from here."
"Yeah, just remember, we're here so that you may redeem yourself and your family. Don't let this chance go to waste."
"Aye. It'd be impossible for me to even stop thinking about it." Dan laughed.
"I'm not fucking around Dan, you have to take this seriously, or I'll make sure you do!"
"Sorry, I only meant to lighten the mood. I'll give it the consideration it deserves from now on Michael." He lowered his head as they approached the gate and were met by several guards. Corporal Lukas paid the fee and purchased a map of the town. It was for merchants who were first passing through Greendale but it served its purpose of getting them to their destination. Barker was impressed with how much had changed at the same time, the streets were littered with bodies who were either hanged or executed on the spot by Asmerian Soldiers. The majority were Gregorian merchants. Lukas's blood boiled. "These fucking bastards, Dan, these are the people your uncle helped, remember that."