Kavasir rolled the paper into the message tube on the carrier bird.
"Okay little one time for you to go." He then cast the bird outside his window to carry the message.
Suddenly he heard knocking on his door. "Come in." He said.
The door creaked open as Tullius dragged his feet into his office. There were bags under his eyes, his uniform was a tad crumpled, he had forgone shaving for several days, and his hair was ragged and unkempt.
"Tullius you look… Like shit!"
"There's that confidence boost I needed today. Thanks. Do you have them?"
"Yep… Redeployment papers signed and ready to go." Said Kavasir as he handed the papers to Tullius.
"Thanks… Hope it wasn't much trouble." Tullius weakly replied as he looked over the papers.
"It'll cost you a box of Verium Cigars."
"Shit I'd gladly give you a whole warehouse."
"Don't mention it… You know she leaves soon right?"
Tullius sighed. "Yeah."
"It might be a good idea… Just saying."
Tullius sighed again.
Hephaestus raised her shield and sword as Nau swung her leather mace making feint attacks. Hephaestus raised her shield on her right side a bit more until Nau swung her leather mace under her shield, and struck her ribs.
"Agh!" Yelped Hephaestus.
"Don't raise your shield too high. Use your ears to listen for my mace's swings. Now one more time."
Hephaestus raised her shield, and tried to listen for the leather mace's swings this time. As soon as she felt the mace hit her shield she tried to cut the leather string, but Nau retracted it immediately and struck her head.
"Son of… That really fucking hurt!" Exclaimed Hephaestus as she rubbed her head.
"Let's take a short break. Come here let me take a look at you." Nau examined Hephaestus' head for any signs of bleeding. "You'll be fine. It's just red. At least you were wearing your helmet. Had that been made of iron or steel instead of leather you'd definitely be dead."
"Yeah." Replied Hephaestus.
"You doing okay kiddo? You know you can always talk to me."
Hephaestus turned away from her.
Nau sighed. "Do you know what I'm afraid of?"
"Me dying." Answered Hephaestus.
"That too, but not quite. The thing that scares me the most is… Well it's not knowing what to say at the most important times. That when you leave again… I… Well… That we didn't say enough. There are things that… With Vitus and Drake… Well… There are many things that were left unsaid. Conversations that we'll never have. But you are here now."
"Yeah I…" Hephaestus trailed off.
"Tell you what. Let's ditch the training for now and go out for a walk. We'll even visit Vitus and Drake later."
"Yeah I'd like that." Hephaestus smiled weakly at the offer.
"Okay then let's go get changed."
As they entered the house Hephaestus went straight for her room. Nau was about to take her first step on the stairs when she heard the front door unlock. She saw Tullius enter the house with bags under his eyes.
"How was training?" He yawned.
"Same as it was yesterday. She's not ready."
"Hmm… Yeah well it won't matter anyways."
"Why's that?"
"The remainder of her unit's being folded with Aspio Company. They'll be stationed in Umani Harbor for the time being. They're brand new, and green… But they won't be seeing any action… One can only hope." Tullius handed Nau the redeployment papers.
"Where are you going?"
"Up… I uh… I need to pick up some papers I forgot. We've been pushed back behind the Yogwun Bridge. They're sending the Knights of Agrippina to assist. We still hold the Zibelian Line beyond the Waiapolo Mountains South of Lake Almarra so… There's that. We're preparing for a major offensive on the Island of Kreta. That's where we'll hold them off. Have to finish up the logistics, and uh… Do the… things… That are… Yeah…" Tullius trailed off.
"Well we'll be heading out for a walk. Well pass by and see Vitus and Drake later."
"Okay…"
As Tullius sluggishly made his way up the stairs he noticed Hephaestus coming out of her room.
"Oh dad… Hi! You look…"
"Dead? I know… Got your new orders… Your mom has them… I uh… Need to grab the things for the… Other thing."
"Oh… That's good. Well then… I guess I'll see you later?" Hephaestus wasn't sure if she'd see him again later considering his present state.
"Yeah I'll be… Yeah." Tullius then embraced Hephaestus. "You and your mother take care now."
Hephaestus slowly wrapped her arms around Tullius. "Yeah… You too dad."
Tullius planted a kiss at the top of her head.
The streets of Liebe were filled with soldiers marching and patrolling the city's streets. The streets themselves were filled military wagons carrying troops to and from the royal palace.
"It just never ends…" Began Nau.
"Mom?"
"It's nothing just… Maybe we should've stayed inside." Nau looked around and spotted a bar. "C'mon let's go grab a bite."
"Okay."
As Nau opened the door the scent of alcohol, meat, and smoke permeated the air. The tables were largely filled with soldiers, and a few civilians. The waiters moved from table to table in a hurry trying to deliver food, and write down every order. The pair found themselves a table near the entrance. They each looked at the menus. Nau set hers down, and grabbed Hephaestus' menu.
"Mom what…" Hephaestus began as Nau held the menu to her face.
"Can you still read it?" She asked.
"Yeah…" Hephaestus answered unsure of her mother's actions.
"Good. Now stay like that, and don't turn your head." Nau then moved the menu further to Hephaestus' blindspot.
"What are you…"
"Showing you your field of vision. Tell me when you can't see the edge of it anymore."
"There!" Exclaimed Hephaestus as Nau stopped moving the menu.
"There's your blindspot. That is the most you can depend on your eye."
"Okay so?"
"Your problem is that your left eye is now a liability, not an advantage."
"What do you mean?"
"Do you remember the story I told you? The one about the birthing ritual? What us Gaericists do when we are pregnant, and are about to give birth?"
"Yeah… You spent some time inside a dark cave right? Vitus and Drake were born there… As was I… Later… Right?"
"Yep… Do you know why we do it?" Asked Nau.
"Because Gaeric also did it?"
"Hmm… Yes and no. Gearic did indeed do this for every time she was pregnant. As did the other women in her tribe as well. For many other tribes and even today most assume that getting your period is a sign of womanhood, but for Gaeric's tribe that was far from it. That rite was the real sign of womanhood. Giving birth to your children in utter darkness all by yourself, with little to no food to sustain yourself, and not to mention the creatures that might be lurking inside the cave as well. The only thing I could rely on was my ears. Which was already hard to do as babies cry a lot, but that is also part of it. Crying babies do attract predators, and the test is meant to measure your ability to protect your infant."
"Well I'm pretty sure your ears were still reliable. Weren't they?" Asked Hephaestus.
"Not when your infants are crying and the predators are using that noise to mask theirs. In the end the only thing you can rely on is your intuition. It doesn't need any organs to function."
"So extreme… I'll never know why dad let you do it."
"That's because I punched him. I wasn't gonna let him get in the way of my way of life. He knew what he was getting into when he married me."
"Right… Man this place is so full I don't think anyone's coming to take our order. Excuse me waiter could you take our order?"
"Yes of course. What will it be?"
"First of all do you have any food available? The way this place is packed…"
"We do have chicken, malborn, fidran, and there may be some killic left, but I think it might be all gone now. As for beverages we have Odrick beer, Perrus beer, Yanek beer, and water."
"I'll have some spicy malborn with steamed potatoes, and a pint of Yanek if you still got it. If not then Odrick's just as good." Ordered Nau.
"Okay then, and the young miss?"
"Oh uh… Steamed killic with wernick sauce, and a pint of Perrus." Ordered Hephaestus.
"Okay then I'll be back with your orders as soon as I can."
"Thanks… And seriously? Perrus? Stuff tastes like piss."
"Me? What about you? Odrick tastes like the smell of decaying flesh. I'd sooner drink a barrel of Zarim Wine than put up with that shitty taste."
"Fuck you Hephaestus. I fucking love that wine."
It was then that both of them started laughing. After several minutes of waiting their order finally arrive, and both of them started digging into their meals.
"You'll be going to Umani Harbor next. You'll be joining Aspio Company." Started Nau.
Hephaestus just sighed. "When?"
"Pretty soon."
Hephaestus sighed once more, but this time she sounded exhausted. Hephaestus took a long sip of her beer mug before she set it down, and leaned back on her chair.
"You know at first I enlisted because our family had a history of defending Dol-Sur… Then Vitus and Drake died, and suddenly it became about seeking revenge. I wanted those bastards to feel what I felt, and more… Now… Now I don't really care anymore. Now I just wanna make it out of there alive. Because I know the next time someone does this to me…" She pointed towards her missing eye. "I won't be so fucking lucky."
"Hephaestus I…" Nau was suddenly interrupted.
"Citizens of Dol-Sur! My fellow compatriots!"
Nau and Hephaestus turned their heads to see a man with a limp holding onto some papers shouting.
"We must unite now as one. Join me! As many others have to cease this madness at once! I have walked among the tombstones of children, fathers, and mothers and beheld only suffering and despair. March with us as we…"
"Shut the fuck up!" Yelled one of the knights as he got up from his seat.
"Mister please we must…" The man raised his hands defensively as the knight approached him.
The knight threw the papers out of his hands.
"No! You fucking listen! Those bastards raped and killed my wife and daughter as they burned down my farm. The only way this war ends is with us spilling their blood on their soil. I say kill them all!" Many cheered for the knight.
"And how many parents must bury their children for your revenge? How many spouses and lovers mourn the graves of those…" Before he could finish his sentence the knight threw a punch at him.
The man fell to the floor, and scattered the papers all over. The knight approached him, grabbed him by his shirt, and pulled him up close. "Listen here you little shit…" Before he could threaten the knight he felt a cold liquid splashing over his head. "What the fuck?"
"Cool your head. The man's not bothering anybody." Said Nau as she poured the last few droplets over the knight's head. "Besides it ain't even a fair fight. So I imagine the limp is from your lost leg, a prosthetic?"
"Yeah… That's right. How did you…"
"I'm a Gaericist. You pick up a few things if you've been to as many battles as I have. Now then how about you let the poor man go."
The knight growled at her. "Fuck you! Do you really agree with this piece of shit?"
Nau glanced at Hephaestus. "I don't know anymore…"
The knight growled and let the man go. "Just get the fuck out."
Nau helped the man to his feet and nodded to Hephaestus to leave the bar. Nau left the money on the table, and left to join Hephaestus and the man outside.
"Thank you so much miss." Said the man as he bowed his head.
"Why didn't you fight back? I can tell even with that limp you're no slouch. So what gives?" Asked Nau.
"I… I made a vow. I did all the fighting out there. That's all behind me now."
Nau grunted.
"You mentioned something about a march?" Asked Hephaestus.
"Ah yes here have one." The man gave them both a flyer. "We're marching towards the palace, and holding an event. We also have several other marches and rallies elsewhere throughout the kingdom."
"Dev!"
The three of them turned to see a man with one arm waving at the group calling to their attention.
"That your friend?" Asked Hephaestus.
"He's my spouse actually. I'll be over in a minute. In any case thank you for your time, and I hope that I'll see you there." The man then left the pair.
"Well then how's about we go visit Vitus and Drake?"
Hephaestus smiled. "I'd love that."
Tullius stood before the graves of his sons as the sounds of gunshots rang throughout the graveyard.
"Lot more dead boys and girls…" He said as he pulled out a cigar. Before he could even light it he suddenly remembered his sons.
The boys coughed incessantly as tears ran down their cheeks.
"What's wrong with the two of you?" Asked Tullius.
"It's the cigar smoke." Said Vitus.
"Oh." Tullius immediately put it out.
"Seriously dad why do you smoke all the time? You know mom hates it." Quipped Drake.
"She only hates it when I smoke if front of her. Which is why I smoke in secret. If you two don't tell your mom I'll get you some candy alright."
The boys smiled.
"Yeah I guess you boys never really liked my habit." Tullius then stashed the cigar back in his pocket.
"Never thought I'd see you here." Said Nau.
"Neither did I." Replied Tullius rather weakly.
Hephaestus looked at the two of them with a dreadful sense of foreboding. "The two of you aren't gonna fight here now are you?"
"Don't be ridiculous squirt." Answered Nau. "So… How long was it since you got here?"
"Just a few minutes. I… I won't make it home tonight so… Yeah…" Tullius trailed off.
The two of them joined Tullius in watching over the gravestones. For a few moments nobody said anything, but the shots of ongoing funerals still rang.
"Say Hephaestus do you remember the first time I took you all out to sea?"
"I remember throwing up a lot."
"Well yes but do you remember what happened after that?"
"Vitus and Drake laughed at me."
"Well yes, but after that?"
"You slipped and fell overboard on my puke."
"Well yes…"
Nau chuckled. "Had to pull your ass out of the water."
Tullius smiled. "It was… A memory… From a happier time."
"Yeah." Replied Nau as the smile faded immediately.
"So dad what were you trying to say?"
"Ah forget about it. Just… reminiscing is all."
Nau looked at Tullius' face then sighed. "C'mon kiddo let's go. We still have to wrap up your training."
Hephaestus looked at her mother quizzically. "But I thought…"
Nau grabbed her daughter's arm and pulled her away.
Tears ran down Tullius' cheeks. "I'm sorry I couldn't bring you back home." He choked as he struggled to get the words out. "But the two of you are together at least. I… I'll make sure…. Shit… I'll make sure Hephaestus doesn't die too…" Tullius fell to his knees and screamed as he finally let it all out.
Nau and Hephaestus watched from a distance as Tullius broke down.
"Mom… Shouldn't we…"
"No."
"But…" Hephaestus began.
"He came here on his own. For right now he needs his space. Besides this is the first time he's visited your brothers since they died. Let's go home. We still need to work on your blindspot otherwise you'll end up like them. I'm not keen on burying all of you."
With that the duo headed home to train.