Languished Life

by Patrik Mielonen

  It’s tough to be a human, apparently.

  Yeah, Tenil replies to the dragon.

  Angels and Demons have a hierarchical system, but we dragons do not, Aoveon explains.

  Yet you’re called Black Dragon King?

  Well, I’m not technically a king, but considering that I’m the most powerful Leviathan, the title of a king is appropriate.

  I see. What is it like in Cerphet? Tenil asks out of boredom.

  It’s very green. Even stone has a greenish tint. Spring Water, which you might call Holy water, is the only matter in the purgatory that has no greenish tint at all. The paradise area is slightly different, but still green anyway. The area of the condemned, in contrast, is a very hellish place. It is, in fact, located in Hell, contrary to the paradise area in Heaven. When you die, you’ll first arrive at the purgatory area. There you’ll spend a thousand years, if you can survive the mayhem, that is.

  Mayhem?

  Yes. All who die will fight for their lives in a gladiatorial battle arena you know as the purgatory. If you do die there, your Soul will end up in oblivion. So yeah, in human tongue, you’ll cease existing.

  Eh, and I thought afterlife is a peaceful place... Wait, will my parents end up there!?

  Of course. They’ll all fight or die. Haha!

  ...Why!?

  Well, long story short, if every Soul survived to Heaven or Hell, in less than a century, the whole of Cerphet would be ‘over populated.’

  Oh...

  I know right? It’s messed up. They shouldn’t have created humans in the first place since they can’t even control the numbers.

  By the way, why do you hate humans?

  Er... I can’t remember. It’s been a thousand years since I first began to hate you guys. I think it had something to do with the death of another dragon or something. No idea.

  Just a wild guess, but it might’ve been your offspring or something.

  Maybe. I do remember having a mate long ago. Oh well...

  ***

  A week later, Tenil can finally see the massive city, Ivymn. She’s been longing to see her mother. What kind of a face will she make when she sees Tenil in a knight’s armor without a helmet? What about the X on her shoulders, the mark of a sergeant major?

  What she is afraid to tell, however, is the kill count. Even she can’t tell how many she’s slain. If someone told her that she’d killed ten thousand, she just might believe it.

  She parts ways with the caravan right at the gate, heading straight to the King’s castle. Once the official business is over, she’ll pay a long visit to her mother. She’ll stay for the night in her home. It’s been half a year since she last saw her own bed.

  The citizens in the street are staring at Tenil, mainly because of the massive chunk of hulking iron she carries on her shoulder. Some who recognize the two badges attached to her belt immediately start telling the others around them that she is the rumored Slayer of Thousand Men. Looking at her figure, it’s fairly easy to believe.

  As she walks past the market street, the armor causing loud clanking, she walks into familiar people. A group of young adults stops to stare at her for a moment.

  “Hey, isn’t that...?”

  “Hoy, Tenil!”

  Her friends are hurrying over to her, not minding the fact that she has a large weapon with her.

  “Hi guys. Been a while, eh?” For once, Tenil can lower her guard. She actually smiles, an act she hasn’t been doing much in the army.

  “Just what in the world happened!? One day, we were having fun, then the next day, you were gone, and your mother were imprisoned. She was released, though, but still!” A girl of same age demands.

  “I was mistaken for a boy, again. Because of that, I ended up in the army. Well, I guess it was partly a good thing. My pay isn’t half bad as a sergeant major.”

  “Sergeant major? Sounds fancy. How high is that rank?” Another girl asks.

  “It’s the highest noncommissioned officer rank. Next would be an officer rank, second lieutenant.”

  “Whoa, you really had a blast, huh? By the way, how can you carry around that massive weapon? Isn’t it heavy? Does every front line soldier get such a sword?”

  “Eh, this is my personal weapon. Finders keepers, you know. I can’t tell the details, but in short, this isn’t an ordinary weapon.”

  “I hear you took head on an army on your own. Is it true!?”

  “I guess I did. I had no other choice but to fight for my life. A last stand, you know.”

  “Why are you in Ivymn now?”

  “I was summoned to the King’s castle.”

  “You were what!?”

  “It’s true. Once I’ve met the King, I’ll head home and rest for the night. I’ll have to return West as soon as I can. The war isn’t over yet.”

  “Are we winning?”

  “It’s a stalemate. No one is winning. I’m sorry but I have to go now. If you want to talk, I’ll be home later.”

  “Sure! Remember to behave!”

  “Bye!”

  A while later, Tenil gets to the entrance of the King’s castle. The guards stop her. When Tenil shows them the royal order, they can do nothing but make way for the Slayer. The courtyard of the King’s castle is extravagant, the castle itself gorgeous. Tenil doesn’t stop to admire those elements, as she merely wants to go home.

  The throne room is a vast hall, red carpet laid on the floor. Politicians are sitting on both sides of the throne, watching Tenil intently. The King is waiting for her to come closer. There is a rule that if you take a weapon to the throne room, you have to keep a distance of thirty yards, or else it’s execution. Without a weapon, twenty yards is the norm. Since the royal order included that Tenil must have her weapon taken to the throne room, she can only comply to the thirty yards.

  “Your Highness,” Tenil kneels, gently placing the massive weapon onto the floor as she does.

  The King of Phyr speaks. “Are you the female knight called Tenil?”

  “Yes, your Highness.”

  “What is your current military rank?”

  “Sergeant major, your Highness.”

  “Is it true that you swing that monstrous weapon of yours with ease?”

  “It is, your Highness.”

  “And you claim to have fought an army alone?”

  “I do not claim to have. It is a fact, your Highness. Prisoners of war have proven it, and a squad of scouts witnessed the aftermath.”

  “How interesting. How did you do it?”

  Right now, Tenil is beginning to believe the King didn’t summon her for something important. He merely wants to see the rumored Slayer himself.

  “I made a last stand with this weapon. That is all.”

  “I see. I hear you have performed well as a commander as well. Have I been lied to?”

  “If my leadership was not worthy of praise, I would not be a sergeant major of the Royal Army, your highness.”

  “Well said. Now, may I ask what drives you to fight?”

  “I wish to protect the land I love.”

  “Hmm, not for your king?”

  “I was referring to Phyr. My King, you are the head of Phyr.”

  “Oh? So your loyalty stands for the nation? Very well. Sergeant Major Tenil, is there anything you need?”

  “There are many things I need. One is peace.”

  “But is there anything I can do for you right now?”

  “Uh...” Tenil doesn’t know how to answer. If she explicitly states what she wants, will they deem her greedy or something? “If I may state my wish, then I want money to support my mother who is not capable of heavy work.”

  “Very well. Because of the war, I can spare only a small sum. If you bring victory to the kingdom, a bigger reward will await you.”

  “Thank you, my King.”

  ***

  The door she’s been longing to see is right before her. Her heart is racing out of joy. As it’s winter, it’s dark already des
pite the hour. Oil lamps are hanging everywhere in the snow-covered streets. She leaves the massive sword behind a corner.

  Soon after knocking the door, a familiar woman opens the door for her. At first, she doesn’t look at Tenil at the face, and thus mistakes her for someone else. “What now?”

  The rude behavior of hers makes Tenil’s heart ache. “Mom, it’s me.”

  The woman raises her head to look at Tenil at face. For a moment, she is stunned. “Tenil?”

  “That’s me.”

  Without warning, she hugs Tenil. “Thank the Lords...!”

  Tenil hugs her back. “For all this time I’ve been longing to see you.”

  “And I’ve been praying you wouldn’t get killed, day and night.”

  “Can we go inside?”

  “Of course.”

  Before entering, Tenil asks the dragon. Your fang, can it rust?

  No. It should be fine even if you leave it outside. And no one can steal it, as it weighs quite a bit, maybe eight hundred pounds.

  That much!? Tenil is shaken by the fact. To her, it’s around sixteen pounds only. She could easily kill someone by accident if she ‘handed it over’ to someone, as the weight would crush a regular human.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s nothing,” Tenil assures. She must’ve had a strange face when the dragon stated the real weight.

  Tenil removes her armor at the doorway, putting them aside. She won’t undress the winter uniform, however. It’s chilly even inside, as her mother doesn’t apper to have a big stock of firewood stored. There is some, but she is saving them for worse days, probably.

  “If only I’d made more in the summer,” Tenil curses her past self.

  “Huh? You mean firewood? Don’t worry about that. I’ve got some from Iona. There are days when I don’t warm the house at all, but I can manage.”

  “I’m glad. Oh, by the way, take this. It should help you,” Tenil says that as she hands over a purse.

  Her mother opens it, eyes round. “Where did you get this much!?”

  “From the King. Also, here’s another purse.”

  “Another!? And where did you get that one?”

  “It’s my pay as a sergeant major.”

  “Oh, I see—what? Isn’t that the highest pre-officer rank?”

  “It’s noncommissioned officer rank. And yes, it is the highest.” Tenil taps her right shoulder to show the white X sewn to her black uniform.

  In kingdom’s army, those below the rank of a captain have steel-colored armors. From there on it’s black, except for general and marshal. They have red armors. As for the uniforms, usually only staff sergeants and those above them are given uniforms, but some sergeants get one for themselves as well. The color for noncommissioned officers is black with white marks, the contrast for officers: white uniform with black marks.

  “So, the rumors, are they real?”

  Tenil sits down at the table. “Depends on what you’ve heard.”

  “I heard you led an attack on Renyil.”

  “That is true. I also fought at Teckton in the summer. Dad was there as well. He is still alive.”

  “It can’t be...! My prayers have been answered...” Her mother sighs in relief. “But I can’t take your money, at least not your own pay. Soldiers aren’t given real pay during wartime, so keep the little you’ve earned to yourself.”

  When in war, soldiers are compensated with free meals for both themselves and their family. If they have no family, they’re given a small sum every other month. Sergeants and those above it are given real pay, but it’s still very low.

  “Mom, I don’t need money for anything at the moment. Even if I wanted to eat real food, I can always go to Mind’s Realm tavern and eat for free. At least hide it somewhere here if nothing else. I’ll use the money after the war’s over, if you so insist.”

  “Fine. I’ll do that.”

  After an hour of talk, Tenil undresses the outer layer of the uniform as she’s preparing to go to bed. Her mother catches a glimpse of her stomach in the process.

  “Tenil, lift your shirt.”

  “Huh? Why?”

  “Uh, I just want to confirm something.”

  Nodding, Tenil lifts her shirt, exposing her torso. She has a thick gauze pressing her chest flat, but that’s not what her mother’s looking at.

  “You look strong,” she points out. Tenil has a delicate six-pack.

  “Eh, I guess.”

  “Also, your breasts are—”

  “Good night,” Tenil interrupts her mother, lowering her shirt to cover her body in fluster.

  ***

  Tomorrow midday, Tenil is walking in the streets with her uniform only, the dragon’s fang on her shoulder, the tip pointing the skies. The marshal had ordered her to take the weapon to the blacksmith in Ivymn once she’s met the King.

  The smith’s workshop is located in downtown. On her way there, she is being stared at from all directions. It makes her feel uncomfortable, but there’s nothing she can do about the massive weapon.

  I wonder what the smith will say about this weapon.

  I’m just as curious, the dragon says.

  The first floor of the workshop is made of stone, the second of timber. The stairs don’t connect the two floors from the inside. Instead, there is a balcony right above the front door, and stairs too. Tenil can hear the sound of metal being forged. She enters the workshop, the door left open with a sign that reads ‘Welcome.’

  The smith can hear Tenil as her footsteps are heavy due to the massive sword that should weigh around eight hundred pounds or so according to the dragon.

  “Welcome to my—uh...”

  “Sergeant Major Tenil of the Royal Army, nice to meet you, Master Smith. I was ordered to bring this weapon here for you to examine it. The marshal is expecting to hear a detailed report later.”

  “Yeah, I heard about such orders.” The bearded smith of rather young age struggles to comprehend the size of the weapon. “I’m ready to examine it once I finish my current commission. Just leave it somewhere in my workshop and I’ll do it.”

  “How important is your commission?”

  “Swords and shields for the army, an order from the marshal.”

  “Then this takes priority according to the order. I need to return West and I can’t leave without my weapon. Also, you won’t be able to lift this without my aid, so I’ll have to help you with the examination anyway. Therefore, I need you to do the examination at once.”

  “Understood. I’ll do it,” the smith consents.

  Chapter Eleven

  Goddess of War

  “Alright, I’m going now,” Tenil says that as she starts putting the armor on. She hasn’t worn it after the visit to the King’s castle.

  Yesterday after doing the examination with the smith, Tenil asked around when the next caravan to West sets out. She got her answer, and now she’s preparing to leave.

  “Tenil,” her mother begins, “whatever you do, make sure you come back alive.”

  “Yes, Sir—er, I will,” Tenil’s gotten too used to speaking in military fashion. It’s not the first time she makes that slip of the tongue.

  Once she’s put on the whole set, she exits the building, the armor plates causing noise as she does. Her mother follows her to the street, wanting to say her (hopefully not) last goodbye. Tenil picks the dragon’s fang from the corner she’s left it to, shouldering it.

  “You aren’t surprised by the fact I can lift this?”

  “Not really. Yesterday when you went to sleep, I had to go out to fetch some things, and I happened to notice that thing lying around over there. I was wondering what it is, and when I remembered the rumors, I figured out what it is. I tried to lift it, knowing that my daughter can do it, but...”

  “No one but me can lift this.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s classified. I’m not allowed to tell anyone.”

  “Oh.”

  “So, I’m going
now,” Tenil says that with an awkward face.

  “Come back home in one piece,” her mother reminds.

  “Aye!”

  ***

  The very same day Tenil arrives at Tungon, an extremely urgent report comes in. The federation in South has declared war by aiding the empire with the siege of Utock, located close to the border where the borders of the three nations join.

  Unaware of the rising threat in South, Tenil enters the marshal’s office without her weapon, armor on. “Sir, Sergeant Major Tenil reporting.”

  “Marvelous timing, Sergeant Major! Leave the smith’s report on the desk and listen carefully, I have a mission for your unit, an extremely urgent one,” Marshal Ramiel speaks hastily.

  “Sir, what is it?” Tenil asks as she places the documents onto the desk.

  “Roshia declared war on us and is aiding the empire in South.” His statement catches her by surprise. “We’re sending reinforcements from here to support Utock. You’ll be leading them. Fifth regiment of the royal division will be at your disposal. I’m sending a messenger to Teckton to rally your unit. Take the fifth regiment to Ilios, regroup with your unit, and proceed to intercept the empire and the federation. Use whatever means you deem necessary to achieve victory! Dismissed!” The implicit is that the marshal wants Tenil to unleash her weapon’s true potential.

  “Yes, Sir!” Tenil salutes.

  Hah! To think that you’ll have to help your nemesis! The black dragon locked in the crystal teases her.

  Shut up. It’ll be a good lesson to Oreon and the others.

  Anyway, why’d you wait for your unit? Can’t you just take the fifth regiment to South immediately? Wouldn’t it be waste of time?

  The empire isn’t pressuring Teckton at the moment. We can dispatch soldiers from there to reinforce Utock. Also, the lake Ilios is located close to Teckton, and thus my unit will be there before me. Regrouping with my unit won’t hinder us at all.