Chapter 35
Parade Ground
Clive and Phyllis escorted Jesca to her personal guard, waiting just below the high city at the local gate, Coral as their nominal leader. They formally handed over her protection, her helmet and shield, to them, saluted, and withdrew. Jesca returned their salute, let her eyes linger on theirs for a moment, then took on the mantle of her title and turned back to the guards.
Coral saluted her, formal in front of the rest. The personal guard was formed up, ready for the quick transition, and watching her, eager for some indication of what was up. “There is a slot coming up in three minutes”, said Coral.
“Signal that we'll take it”, she said. She walked briefly around the compound. The merest smattering of guards manned the outward facing positions. She looked out over the city. There had been riots for several years just prior, and following Scioni's takeover. Not as bad as some historical accounts. But bad enough. The city was pretty complacent these days. But the right firebrand in the right place might stir them up. But, in all things, you had to measure your risks. No course of action was completely risk free.
Coral signaled, and she joined their formation. Magical wisp lights brightened, and they started marching towards the empty gate. The gap wavered and cleared, and showed a different scene on the far side. Coral cried an advance and they changed their pace to double time and cleared the gate without pause.
The other side was barely controlled chaos. The first thing they faced was a gatekeeper shouting directions at them. Units exiting the gate were funneled immediately away from the vicinity to clear the gate for the next transition. Other keepers turned them through corrals like wild horses until they got into a large enough holding area that they could be processed based on their content, not just their size. The harried looking woman who approached them in their turn nearly fell over when she realized this was the Queen's own guard unit. She directed them to the perimeter and struck them from her list.
The Queen took the lead now, her tabard glowing, and her shield prominently held. Troops rushed back to make way for her, but lingered, watching afterward to see where she went. For the most part she saluted those doing their duty, called encouragement, and acknowledged the many shouts of support. At one junction she intervened where a passing transport had caught the edge of a merchant cart. She ordered the troops to move on, gave assurances to the suddenly fawning owner, and Coral directed the rest to clear the way and re-stack the merchant's wares.
“I think we've gotten in people's way enough”, she said, after the incident. “To the parade ground, via the old gate”, she said. Coral formed up the guard around her and they marched. Away from the entry gate the bustle was more organized. Squads came together into units in designated streets and squares. As they completed they moved out to form up on the official parade grounds. The congestion grew less.
As soon as they turned towards the old gate the change was readily apparent. Slender glistening stone arches reached upwards from where there were once ruined stubs. Above them further rose blue traceries in magelight completing the three main arches. Unlike their normal gates, from each of the main arches branched an additional three, and three more from each of them. And so on until it blurred in the sun and sunk behind the perimeter wall. Reflexively the unit stopped and stared. Coral's expression grew more worried.
One of the mages noted the Queen's tabard and flew down. “Majestus”, said Lilly.
Queen Jesca nodded. “I think I see what you mean by fidelity”, she said. “Arches within arches.”
Lilly looked up. “The stones remember the pattern they were formed in. We're just reinforcing that and regrowing them.” She pointed to another mound of stone. “There will be a ramp from there up to the center, for the troops to march up. Progress is good. We will be ready in time.”
“We had better get to the parade ground”, said Coral, politely.
Jesca was still looking from end to end. “Good work,” she said absently to Lilly. Lilly bowed and flew back amongst the growing spires. Jesca swallowed and let Coral lead her onwards.
The general flow of everything at this point was towards the parade ground. Much larger than needed for the town, the space had been planned with this in mind as a military marshaling point. It stretched the whole length of the outpost on the opposite side to the forge. Units streamed out from the lanes of the town, forming up in large squares of maniples. War flags and standards rose above the units identifying each and the army it belonged to.
Coral steered the unit into the gap between two armies and headed for the reviewing stand overlooking everything. Soldiers turned as they passed. The sight of the Queen in full battle regalia brought stares and cheers and raised the level of excitement beyond that of just a grand assembly of the army.
The Queen mounted the platform and greeted each of her generals. Coral directed the guards to the edge of the platform and took a place at the rear. “The last units have arrived”, General Alessa informed her. “The gate is clear. They will be on the grounds within minutes.”
“Good work”, said Jesca. “Training clearly pays off.” She turned and looked out over the field. Seven armies. Not as many as in the glory days of Romitu. Not filled out to quite the same number of units as then either. But, in this day and age, enough to be seen by most as overkill. And with no significant force in the field, it was. At least for formation fighting. For general counter insurgency, it was way too few. For the sort of extradimensional battle they were about to engage in, Jesca had no idea. But there was no changing it now. She had what she had and she was going to make the best use of it that she could.
The last few units doubled timed it into place. Jesca stepped forward and formally saluted her generals. “Thank you. I will address the troops, and then”, she looked up at the rapidly forming gate structure, “we shall move out.”
She turned to the crowd and willed the magical communication system all of their gorgets carried to her command. “Soldiers of Romitu”, she started. She had the rapt attention of tens of thousands of eyes. “You stand before me as the greatest army in the world today. Romitu is once more unified by your might. There is no country that can stand before us from the outer waste to the sea.” There was a positive murmur of patriotic fervor. “This, unfortunately, means that no country stands before us. Our enemies lurk in shadows and play a game of insurgency, ambush and dirty tricks. It is as vexing to me as it has been to you that we have not been able to put this war to rest and enjoy the peace and prosperity our work warrants.”
Jesca breathed deeply and looked from army to army. The anticipation was sharp in the air. Hope, hopelessness, anger, resignation, and eagerness all lay, taught on the leash, waiting to be loosed. She suspected the royal magic her father had reminded her of, which projected her confidence to the troops, also worked in reverse. It was as if the feelings of all the armies washed over her. She plunged ahead.
“This morning the face of the enemy has been laid bare. The dark deeds of our enemies have been illuminated. The Republican partisans were corrupted years ago by a force they sought to use but now uses them. It is this force that has pulled the strings to exploit our every weakness, to bolster their troops to fight beyond all logic and reason that has stooped to use every foul move they could muster including that which annihilated the Soul of our beloved General.” The tension crested and screams of rage erupted from the armies as if from a single throat. Jesca grimly let it crescendo and held up her arms for silence.
“Today there will be a reckoning. Today we go beyond being the best army in the world. Today our enemy is Satrap Halphas, the demon responsible for this. Today we show that no force, god, demon or man, can meddle in the affairs of Romitu without consequence. Today I lead you into hell itself to exact revenge, liberate the oppressed, and exact justice. We are Romitu! This is what we stand for!”
She held her sword high above her head. The soldiers nearly exploded with screams, cheers and cries echoing her
own. She beckoned Coral forward, and the sound echoed from the forest and drowned out the roar of the forge. With Coral's help she donned her helmet and slung her shield. She pointed her sword at the generals, and pointed at the troops. They moved out instantly. The sound from the troops did not dim so much as take on a different tenor. Swords clashed against shields in a beat that became more and more regularized, becoming synchronized into a single monotonic beat that throbbed throughout the whole collection of armies like a deadly heartbeat.
The Queen sheathed her sword as the formed units began to receive their orders. Lilly and Bianca landed on the stage near her, assigned to her command unit. “The gate is ready”, said Bianca.
“Then let’s go”, answered Jesca.
Red Queen Page 35