Scene Three: A Daunting Task
...Of Act Two: Guardianship
In the eyes of Ryoku Dragontalen, we are in
Harohto Capital City, in the world of Harohto.
It is mid afternoon
On November 7th, 2017
"You made it."
Will nodded, looking upon his friends with worry. Of course, it wasn't his entire squad. Out of the missing seven members, only three remained: Oliver, Leif, and Alex. Oliver lay on the infirmary bed, his chest and head heavily wrapped in bloody bandages, but his dark eyes looked up at us weakly. Leif and Alex sat with him, both in much better condition. Alex only had a few scrapes and bandages across his face that I could see, while Leif's arm hung in a brace.
Will took a seat next to his friend in the bed. I sat with him, while the others stood around the room.
"What happened to you? I only thought you went off to scout, but then we heard screams..."
Oliver stared out the window upon the bright city outside. "The Keeper," he murmured. "It fell upon us like a storm. Alex and Leif came running from down the path, having heard a strange noise. Julian and Ray were the first. They..." He dropped his gaze. "I let them down. I am the most senior of our squad next to Lancet, and I failed them."
Will, Leif, and Alex all put hands on his shoulder. "You could not have done anything more than us," Alex insisted. "Will, we think someone else angered it. I talked to the guards at the city gates. They say the raiders have cut down a massive section of the woods and made camp there! If I were that beast, I would be enraged!"
Will nodded. "We thought the same. Other than that, the forest is quiet. We traveled up to the central plateau and saw everything." He turned his attention to Oliver, watching his senior squad member for a long moment. "If there is blame to be had, it is with me. I only thought to let Ryoku rest, and you could scout out a path ahead."
"Nay, the blame is not with you, either," Leif replied, to my relief. He gave me a small smile. "He is here with you. A lesser man would not dare to come here and face something he may find guilt in. We chose our charge wisely."
"I agree." Oliver grimaced at me. "In a forest where four of us lost our lives, you kept our boy Will safe. For that, I would owe you an eternal gratitude."
I gave Will a look. "I think it's the other way around."
He raised a brow in return. "You do recall falling in the river and everything after, right? I was worried your memory would be soured. That is a long tale, Alex. The important thing is that we intend to settle things with the Keeper. For that, I would ask your assistance once more."
"You mean... you want to go after that thing?" Leif questioned.
"That might not be necessary." Will took a seat in the chair next to Oliver. After a moment where he looked like he was going to dive into an explanation, he caught Sira's glance. "R-Right, of course. Fellows, I have yet to introduce my new comrades. This is Sira Jessura, and Lusari Atella. Speaking of... Lusari, you can come in."
Our newest friend hung in the doorway, apparently quite nervous of the room. Sira had offered her a place among us, and so she came. Along the way, she explained that she had nowhere to go. Her mother and father were victims of the latest raids upon the Capital, her reasoning for her tardy attendance at the magic school – only a week prior to our arrival. Eventually the rent for her family home would pile up, and she, with no current employment and none who might hire the girl with the silver hair, would wind up homeless before long.
Before arriving here, a few of the city guard escorted us to the town hall, where a man by the name of Governor Thorne offered us a tidy bounty as thanks for defeating those thugs. According to him, the city sat upon its head with the recent raids. Thugs and brigands thought they could get away with anything with the guard force stretched thin.
"A-Are these your friends?" Lusari asked Will, still quite hesitant to enter the room.
Alex beamed at her and strode forth gallantly. "Milady! Alex Retton is my name, a man of the Syaoto Army, at your beck and call!"
Lusari flinched back. Leif pulled Alex away, cringing. "Alex Retton is but a novice in the army, Miss, before you decide to file a harassment file on us. I am Leif Cartos, a median, and akin in ranking to your friend Will."
"And I am Oliver Rouge," Oliver waved from the bed. "High-ranking soldier. I apologize that I cannot rise to greet you properly. You... are local to Harohto?"
"I'm not," Sira replied, raising a hand. "Ordenite."
The gazes of all three soldiers turned sharp. Leif even reached for the gladius at his hip, but Will stopped him with a firm look. "Still yourself. She is an ex-soldier of their army, and she is a friend. She saved both of our lives on the way here."
Alex relaxed easily. "Oh, you are a friend, then. Sorry, Sira. We have had nothing if not ill encounters with Orden soldiers."
"Noted," Sira replied, appearing hardly affected by their reactions. "Consider me Ordenite in name only. And besides, you're gonna need my help with Willy-boy's plans."
Now all eyes turned to Will. Leif chuckled, nudging his friend. "Hear what she calls you? Have you picked up a girlfriend in your travels?"
Before Will could even reply, Sira stood behind Leif's chair, cracking her knuckles. "The hell did you just say?"
"N-Nothing!" Leif proclaimed, dodging away from her in his chair. "Nothing at all! Say, Will, what is this plan you speak of?"
"Coward," Sira muttered, but she stepped back.
Will slammed his palm with his fist, startling the already on-edge Leif. "We attack the raider camp!" he declared. "If they are the problem which riles up the Keeper, then we may strike down two birds with one stone."
"By ourselves?" Alex asked. Despite the idea, he didn't sound nervous at all – the idea clearly invigorated him. "The camp is massive – we caught a glimpse of it on our travels. Perhaps you saw it as well. Could we truly hope to cause any damage?"
"They are also raiders," Leif argued. "Starved men, mostly peasants turned bandit. I doubt many of them could stand against our expertise."
"It could be wise to reach out to Captain Lancet, as well," Oliver added gravely. His words made Will, Leif, and Alex forget their vigor and their shoulders dropped. "He will not be happy with what happened to us. Saving face now could prove better for us in the long run."
I saw Will's reaction. His mouth opened to reply, and I knew the heaviness of the words that would come out – but Alex cut in, punching the air in his bravado. "Lancet can wait! We have an important job to do – we must avenge our people! Even a snide, berating dog like him can—"
Oliver gave him a sharp look. "Only because he is not here can you possibly get away with such words, Alex. Mind your place."
"This could end up paying off if we take down the raider camp." Leif crossed his arms, staring at the ground in thought. "Say what you will about Lancet. We bring him back a tidy sum, and he would hardly bat an eye at our reduced numbers."
Oliver laughed dryly. "I could not disagree. Still, with that in mind, how are we to proceed?"
Will looked to me, so I stepped forward. "I can talk to the city guard. With their help, we might be able to actually do something."
Oliver frowned. "Could we, though? Surely you have seen Harohto's forces. They tire, and stretch like paper used to make a bridge. Harohto does not believe in honor like Syaoto. They do not have the manpower, or the initiative for others to train their entire lives and join the army. In truth, much of their militia is roughly-trained men."
"Perhaps I could be of some assistance."
All heads turned toward the door. A man stood there in Harohto armor, a medium helm tucked under one arm. Shaggy brown hair fell across his shoulders. He had brown eyes outlined with dark circles. His face, albeit young, kept lines of stress and scars that pockmarked his skin.
"Mosten Clienne, captain of the city guard, at your service." He bowed shortly toward Oliver. "My condolences for the shape you're in, but I can tell from your wounds what you faced."
Oliver nodded back. "Not at all. I apologize for my words about your people."
"Don't," Mosten replied curtly. "They're not a far cry from the truth." He turned his gaze, then, toward me. "I saw your lot in the Governor's office. I apologize for following you. In normal circumstances, I might have acted more honorably. I'm afraid times are tough."
"No need to apologize," I told him. "What brings you here?"
He straightened, folding his arms behind his back. "Word has spread of your arrival. A new Defender does not see Harohto's walls very often these days. Of the few that do, they hardly make such an impact as you have. Word says you seek to hunt the Keeper. In turn, you're seeking to attack the raider fort."
"Could you offer us any assistance?" Will asked.
Mosten's jaw tightened. "Aye, but your friend is right. Our forces stretch nearly to breaking. The raiders attack our walls day and night. Some break through into the city and raze buildings to the ground. They beat our people, slay our livestock, and rifle through our resources like we grew it all for them. The more they attack our city, the more join them. Many don't have a choice. Many are orphaned by them, and we cannot support that many mouths with no source of income."
The words were clearly getting to him, and he clenched his fists into his helm. "We have little option left, and even littler men for it. I can spare you a small group. Perhaps fifteen or so men, including myself."
Leif frowned disapprovingly. "Fifteen men? What are we to do with that?"
Sira shrugged wryly. "Walk up to their gates and nicely ask them to stop?"
Oliver, however, scratched his chin airily. "We could cause quite a ruckus with a smaller group. If you and your men have some knowledge of the area, perhaps we could use the Old Forest to our advantage. Under the cover of night, we could burn their food supply. Perhaps even torch their tents and cause damage to their camp. If they are truly active at night, we might be able to hit them where it counts without putting ourselves in danger."
"Is that not a little... cowardly?" Alex sounded disappointed.
Oliver raised a brow. "Cowardly? Well, Alex, if you think you could waltz into the front gates and do battle with a force of thousands, then go ahead, but you would not risk any more of my men."
Alex's head fell. Reading the room, I felt like all the Syaoto soldiers wanted nothing more than just that. With their expertise, it almost seemed possible, but I knew that was a foolish notion.
"This might sate our old friend, the Keeper," Sira agreed softly. "This'll take a lot longer than just beating the crap outta the monster, but this might be the only way." She turned to me. "What do you think, Ryoku? This plan sound good to you?"
I mulled over it for a moment. Part of me wanted what Alex and the others desired: to fight the raider force head-on like a proper battalion. Still, I knew it would cost lives. I didn't want more lives on my hands if I could help it. Like Sira said, this might be the best way to avenge the others against the Keeper. Defeating a timeless beast like that could prove impossible in the end.
I caught Lusari's glance. She stood with her hands folded by the door, still ultimately nervous of everyone in the room. Despite that, she had a determination in her eyes that she made plain to me. Lusari had lost her family to the raids recently. If I wanted the mage-girl to accompany us, to help us get to the next world, then I would do right by her. This might not bring her parents back, but it would strike a blow against the wretches who did it.
"What happens when we attack the camp?" I asked. "What if we torched their food, so they just attacked here and gained it all back?"
"I will double the city's defenses during our mission," Mosten told me. "If we hold out the walls for long enough, they'll hand themselves over. We imprison the worst of them, set them to work on the fields of the lives they robbed, and we start replenishing our stores before winter sets in on us. Even then, we have our ways to acquire resources. Winter in the Capital lasts until mid-spring, and we are more than accustomed to providing in the harsh circumstances."
"You have thought this out," Oliver commended.
Mosten nodded. "It has been a plan with no action for some time. With your help, it can come to fruition."
"Then we'll do it," I agreed. "If we act wisely, we can avoid an all-out brawl and end this."
I was surprised, looking around at the others, to see how much weight my words carried. The Defender supported them. Alex and Leif exchanged eager looks. Sira grinned cordially at me. Lusari flashed me a private smile. Will squeezed my shoulder.
"I owe you already, for even considering my task," Mosten regarded me gravely. "I assure you that I would not request something impossible of you. We've considered the angles. I can send out a few men right away to find the best entry point, but I already have a good idea of where to start."
Will turned to face him. "Let us know. Even if the specifics change, we would have an idea of where to begin."
"Very well," Mosten agreed. He finally entered the room and leaned against the window, arms crossed over his chest. "To the eastern end of the plains. Right along the edge of the Border Range, there's a trailhead leading into the Old Forest. Path cuts right down to the plateau. More importantly, circles right around where they've made camp along the higher plains. Somewhere along there has to be the breaking line. If we take out maybe one guard team, it could be a free run to the heart of the camp."
Sira nodded approvingly. "So we just bust in, take some down, burn their supplies, and whatever else we can do, huh? Fine by me."
Will turned to Leif. "Can you join us? How fares your arm?"
Leif rotated his shoulder in its socket, pulling at the sling he kept his arm in."You bet. I only had a bit of a sprain going, so they made me wear this. Not the arm I injured back in the woods a few weeks ago, either, so... Count me in."
Will looked to Oliver then, sadly, who smiled up at him. "I have to sit this one out," Oliver said. "You would be the next in charge. Given your stance in Bytold and all you have done since, I believe I have little to say. You could be better suited for the role than I ever was. Certainly far more than our commanding officer."
Will smiled tightly, clasping Oliver's shoulder. "I will lead us to victory in your stead. Hold tight until we return, alright?"
Oliver nodded sombrely. There was a moment of silence between the two of them. I wondered if Will was going to tell him, then, that he planned not to return to Lancet. Would his friends still treat him the same way? Would Oliver, who treated Will like an equal, still do so if he knew he had decided to become my Guardian? Would Alex and Leif still look up to him like an older brother?
Mosten nodded to us. "Right, then. I will go and set some things up. At nightfall, meet me at the northern trailhead I mentioned. Come prepared."
He shook the hands of the Syaoto soldiers and I. He gently touched Lusari's hand in a respectful gesture. He hesitated before Sira, and the swordstress stuck out an irritable hand to shake. Smiling, Mosten took it – and returned with a reddened hand. Grimacing, the soldier took his leave, and our company followed suit for the last of our preparations.