by Candy Crum
Unfortunately for him, he quickly found he wasn't in a celebratory mood once one of the other laborers had told the group what he'd overheard Marie relate to Amelia.
They were concerned about the men that had been killed down south, and Samuel couldn’t say he blamed them. The remnant were nothing to scoff at.
It had been too late the night before to walk into the Capitol building or track down the Chancellor at home to say anything, but he had plans to do it now. Something had to be done.
The remnant needed to be dealt with, and if his fellow workers were correct, the city was under the assumption the Guard was more than capable of handling them—and they weren’t.
Marie was sitting at her desk as he walked into the Capitol building, smiling as soon as she saw him. She was a beautiful girl, one who was capable of making even an old dog rearick like Samuel blush, but he knew his friend Andrew liked her, so that was enough for him.
He wasn't in the habit of trying to steal a woman from another man, even if they weren’t actually together and she was a sweet and beautiful girl like Marie. Still, he didn't mind admiring her a little.
"Samuel, it's good to see you again," Marie told him as he approached. "What can we do for you?"
The rearick cleared his throat as he smoothed his beard. "I believe I need ta talk ta that Chancellor of yers. I received some startlin’ news, and I need ta know what she intends ta do about it."
Marie's brow furrowed as she looked at him. "What’s happened, Samuel? Is everything okay?"
Samuel paused, trying to keep his worry under control. No matter what, it wasn’t poor Marie’s fault. "I know yer just doin’ yer job, lass, but I think ye know what I'm talkin’ about. Those people down south all losin’ their lives ta those overgrown sacks of shit."
She exhaled, pausing for a moment before nodding. "It's terrible. All those men. All those families who lost their brothers, sons, fathers." She shook her head, her expression full of sadness. "I'm no expert on the subject, but I agree. Something needs to be done. I just don't know what."
"Hopefully the Chancellor knows. She available?" Samuel asked.
Marie nodded, walking to Amelia's office door and knocking softly. As she opened it, Samuel could hear a voice from inside, but not what was said.
Marie had obviously heard her, however, and she opened the door to poke her head inside. There was a pause before she turned back to Samuel and smiled.
"Amelia said to come on in. She's ready for you."
Giving a curt nod of thanks, Samuel stepped into the office and closed the door behind him. "Sorry ta bother ye, Chancellor, but I have some questions fer ye. I heard there was another remnant attack farther south. What exactly do ye plan ta do about it?"
Amelia’s eyes were wide. “Well, hello to you, too!” She motioned to the chairs in front of her desk and paused as she waited for him to sit. "I know what you’re talking about, and it’s a tragedy. I would love for the Arcadian Guard to be able to ride into the Madlands on horses and use swords, magitech weapons, and fireballs until they’re all dead and gone, but they can't.”
Samuel stayed quiet as he listened intently, formulating his argument.
The Chancellor leaned forward, clasping her hands on her desk. “The truth is, we don't know how many remnant there are in the Madlands. We don't know much of anything about them except they’re brutish, mindless scum that feed on death and destruction. We can't go picking a fight if we don’t have enough information. We’d be sending them to their deaths."
Doing his best to keep his voice calm, Samuel said, "All due respect, Amelia, they ain't mindless. Not by a longshot. They’re so obsessed with death and carnage they ain’t thinkin’ long-term, but they understand battle strategy. And make no mistake, lass, they have one.”
“What are you talking about?” Amelia asked.
“They’re always ready fer battle, no matter what. They focus on blunt force, and they're damn good at it. My people’ve been fightin’ ‘em fer years. Yer right that no one in this damned city should go pickin’ a fight they can't win. Biggest reason is because I can promise ye those men ye have down there—” he shook his head “—they won't win."
Amelia nodded. "Unfortunately, if they went looking for a fight, you’re absolutely right. It wouldn’t end well for them. I’m confused. If we both agree we shouldn’t send the Guard to the Madlands, then what are you suggesting that I do? We have our border walls, and we have the Guard. In fact, I just increased the Guard’s numbers. I’ll fight to the end for any person in this city, but I won’t send men outside to their deaths."
Samuel ran his fingers through his beard as he leaned forward. "What I’m tellin’ ye is, yer men ain't ready—even for a home invasion. And it's only a matter of time before the bastards from the Madlands come this way.”
“What makes you think that?” Amelia asked.
“Experience, lass. Somethin’ has ‘em all riled up. Somethin’ ain't right. How long have men been loggin’ over there? Months. Ever since those spoiled nobles fled the city. Fer months they've been cuttin’ down trees over there, and there ain’t been a problem. But two attacks within just two weeks of each other now? The second was even further in the valley. I’m tellin’ ye, somethin’ ain’t right. We need skilled soldiers, and we need a plan."
"You think something is agitating them and bringing them farther into the Valley?” Amelia asked.
Samuel nodded. “If it’d only been a single occurrence, I’d never think twice about it. But they spread their shit out. They’re brutes, but they ain’t exactly tryin’ ta die. I don’t have a clue what could be crawlin’ up their arses, but somethin’ is.”
“I’ve had my own experiences with the remnant, and it’s not something I’d want to see happen to anyone. The only thing we can do is continue to increase numbers, the Scouts and Hunters that patrol the Arcadian Borders especially, and educate everyone."
While Samuel was sure the Chancellor believed what she was saying, he seen the city Guard training.
They spent all day knocking each other on their asses, but that was about it. They had no idea how to properly hold a weapon, or even how throw a proper punch.
"I know ye think those are good choices, but there ain’t nobody good enough anymore to train those lads. They’re all a bunch of babies. If the remnant come this way, yer men will fall. Ya ain’t even got any archers. Never been a fan of ‘em meself, but if an army approaches, especially an army of remnant, ye’ll need ta stop ‘em before they make it ta the gate."
Amelia sighed, forcing a smile as she nodded. He couldn’t blame her for not enjoying the topic of her city potentially falling.
"I know you’ve saved the lives of several men, so I don't doubt your knowledge of battles or of the remnant. Put your mind at ease, rearick. If something happens, we’ll stop it. I’ll work on coming up with a better training strategy."
She was a brand-new Chancellor, taking over the chair after one hell of a bastard dictator. She was afraid to crack the whip too hard, and she was afraid to scare her people unnecessarily—but he knew she’d do what needed to be done.
Amelia was a strong woman, and he knew she was deadly serious when saying she’d fight to the end for anyone in her city. He nodded, putting his faith in her hands.
But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t also put faith into his own. Samuel had a plan to make sure training was done and done properly.
Samuel stood, gave her a nod, and walked out the door, hopefully leaving the Chancellor to think about a strategy that would make men out of those children in Guard’s clothing.
***
Arryn sat at her desk waiting for everyone to fill the classroom. It was still strange to see the people she was responsible for, knowing she was to teach them all about her magic when she barely knew more than the basics of theirs.
Her class had been focusing on using magic to grow, much like what Cathillian had been doing, except on a much smaller scale.
Cathilli
an was focusing on necessity and on a single topic: trees.
Arryn, on the other hand, had been focusing more on the bigger picture. Learning to grow smaller things and bond with the life inside of it. Teaching them how to harvest and connect to nature as a whole instead of simply willing something to grow.
Arryn had been teaching the students how to grow potted plants, something they were still working on.
Just as she had predicted, the Boulevard students were having an easier time learning the skills than the physical magic students.
One student had even gotten so frustrated that he accidentally set his flowers on fire. That had made the entire classroom laugh, even Arryn.
She decided to give them a little bit of a break today. She wanted to work on healing. It was harder to do, but she hoped it would reignite their interest in nature magic to learn something that valuable.
As everyone sat down, Arryn looked around the room and studied them for a moment. Something seemed very different. The entire class seemed distracted, worried, upset about something. "Good morning, class. I’d ask how everyone’s doing, but it looks like you’re all in a pissy mood."
One of the girls from the center of the class, Megan, raised her hand. "Did you not hear about what happened to Joel's dad?"
Arryn's forehead wrinkled as she looked around for Joel, but came up empty. She hadn't heard any news, good or bad. She shook her head. "No. What happened? Is that why he's not here?"
Megan nodded. "There was a remnant attack. Another one, this one farther south. Joel's dad was down there with a group of loggers, and the remnant killed everyone."
That certainly wasn't a good way to start the day.
Arryn felt terrible for Joel. He was one of the newest students—from the Boulevard, of course. He worked hard in class, and Arryn could see just how dedicated he was to learning any form of magic. He was particularly proud to be learning nature magic.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Arryn momentarily looked down at her desk before standing to address the class. "Joel’s a great guy. I know what it's like to lose a parent, especially to violence. We should do something nice for him before he comes back."
A young man named Mark who sat to the right of the class spoke. "What exactly do you expect us to do for him? He just lost his father. Nothing’s gonna make that better. Everyone’s scared shitless the remnant’s gonna come this way. What happens if they attack our city?"
"I don't think she meant doing something nice for him would fix his problems, Mark," Megan interjected. "She just meant it would be thoughtful. I think we're all sensitive to this and worried the remnant might come this way."
Arryn was about to speak when she felt a familiar tingle in her mind, reminding her of the day she’d met Amelia. She’d felt something that day—a buzzing feeling in her head—and Amelia had told her she’d felt the effects of the Chancellor looking into her thoughts. It was a mystical magic ability.
But that wasn’t the problem.
Arryn had felt it again the day she met Talia, just before Amelia had pulled her out of class to hunt down Doyle. Once she’d returned to teaching after her week of being in a magically induced, coma-like sleep, that feeling had crept over her multiple times.
Amelia? Arryn thought, hoping that it was the Chancellor checking on her.
There was no answer.
The initial tingle went away, but she could still feel a light buzz in the back of her mind. It was very strange; something she couldn't quite describe.
Arryn shook her head, clearing her thoughts and bringing herself back to the conversation. "So, how far south are we talking?" Arryn asked. "If you mean farther than the last remnant attack, then I’d say we’ll be fine."
It was Megan who spoke again. "It was, but it was also farther into the valley. It was the house farthest south before getting close to the mountain just north of Craigston. I don't know why they'd stop at the patch of forest, why they wouldn't climb up to Craigston. From what I hear, they can take anything they want."
"Yeah! I heard they’re almost fifteen feet tall, built like bears, and just as strong, and they have magic. With that kind of combination… If they come here, we’re screwed." That came from Jack, another student to the left side of the classroom.
Though Arryn had never seen the remnant herself, she knew about them from the Chieftain. She'd also heard Samuel’s story, and she trusted both of those men, especially since both their descriptions matched the other.
"First of all, that's not right," Arryn corrected, standing and walking around the front of her desk. Suddenly, she felt like an Elder instead of a peer. "Second, why do you think we’d be screwed if they came to Arcadia?"
Jack snorted. "You're joking, right? Our military sucks. The Guard was a bunch of corrupt assholes before, but they were strong. We had over a thousand, but they were either killed or they left the city when they realized their shit wouldn't fly anymore. Now, to sum it up, we have hundreds of barely trained recruits who have no magic to back up what little martial skill they have."
She hadn't realized just how far off schedule the city was. With all the progress, it had seemed everything was on track. She'd been there for a few weeks, but she'd been so lost in the Academy and training with Cathillian that she hadn't even thought to check into the military aspect. She’d just assumed all of that was under control.
Clearly, the city was badly in need of help. Amelia could only do so much alone.
"Okay," Arryn began. "There's not much that I can do about the military, though I can to talk to Amelia about it—"
"Yeah, do that," Mark said. "You’re a druid. Aren’t you guys supposed to be badasses or something? How do you guys train?"
Arryn thought back to her training session that very morning and smiled. "I trained with the druids for years, but I didn't start actual warrior training until recently when I decided to come back to Arcadia. The druids train all their people how to fight, not some, not just a select few. Everyone. Though, if someone decides to be a warrior, the training becomes much harder. Painful, really.”
"Well, if the remnant are as awful as they say, we're gonna need a bunch of badasses, not toddlers in armor," Mark retorted.
"Yeah, I think the druids have it right. Everyone should know how to defend themselves. None of us knew anything until the worst happened with the Battle for Arcadia, and we barely made it out. If the remnant come, we're fucked, plain and simple. There's no way we can defend ourselves against them," Megan stated.
"Okay, I'm gonna put your minds at ease. You’re right to fear the remnant, but your facts are wrong. The remnant aren’t fifteen feet tall. They aren’t built like bears. They sure as hell don't know magic. Their ancestors were regular, human men and women before the Age of Madness, so they’re built like men and women, and are extremely strong. And I'm not going to lie to you, they do eat humans. They'll kill and eat anything."
"I'm not sure that makes me feel any better," Megan replied, a disgusted look on her face.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that’s just as piss-your-pants scary," Mark agreed.
They were right. She realized she’d have been scared, too, if someone had told her what she’d just related to them when she was already worried about being attacked.
"I'll talk to Amelia. Like you, I believe everyone in the city should know how to defend themselves. Given that she was one of the people who helped train combatants for the revolution, I think she’ll agree, so don’t worry. Amelia seems smart when it comes to this stuff. She understands. You're right to prepare, but don't allow yourself to be sick over it. I'll take care of this."
"What about training with you?" Jack asked.
Arryn smiled. She couldn't deny that she really enjoyed the feeling of being respected, even if she was the same age or even younger than some of them. "If Amelia’s good with it, I’d love to, even if I can only do it in private and not at the Academy.”
Arryn made her way back around her desk to sit once again. “Let's get
on with the day. How about I teach you a little about healing today? I had planned to anyway, but now I think it's the perfect topic."
She grew excited as everyone in the class perked up, happy to be taught something new and beneficial. She’d told them the truth, except for one thing.
She was just as worried as they were that the remnant might come their direction, though she couldn’t deny that it would be exciting to test out her new training.
As she pondered her worries, the buzzing in her mind faded completely. If it wasn’t Amelia, who was it? Arryn knew she needed to talk to Amelia, and soon.
CHAPTER FOUR
Elysia led a small group of warriors toward the border. She'd kept them busy maintaining the barrier ever since the first warning they'd received from the traitor, Aeris.
Aeris, with the help of his sister, Jenna, had come into the Dark Forest and left a warning—a dark arrow. While it didn’t seem like much, the Elders knew that it was symbolic of war.
Jenna had allowed her brother in through the barrier before leaving the Forest herself to join them.
It was important for the warriors to continue ensuring no more breaches were made, but she didn't like forcing them to do it alone.
She and the Chieftain had decided to take turns, swapping out patrol leadership to keep everyone in good spirits and to make sure if anything did happen, one of them was there to see it firsthand.
So far, nothing had been found inside the barrier since the initial black arrows, though they assumed that would change soon enough. They knew what the message had meant.
They would receive more than that initial visit, and the threats would get progressively worse until an official war was declared.
The Chieftain had decided to allow Jenna and Aeris' parents, Flynn and Amara, to stay as a bargaining chip. The couple hadn’t wanted to leave the tribe, but what they’d done had made them worthy to be called traitors.
Unlike their treacherous children, their only crime--thus far--had been allowing the love they held for their offspring to cloud their better judgment.