by TurtleMe
‘They’re only mana beasts, Arthur,’ Sylvie thought, attempting to comfort me with soothing emotions.
I know, I know, I thought, some of my worry soothed by her calm assurance.
I turned to Julor. “Any signs of retainers or Scythes, Officer?”
“None,” he replied confidently. “Which was why Commander Virion deemed that sending a single Lance was sufficient.”
“How long until the horde reaches the Wall?” I asked.
“At their current pace, we expect them to arrive in no more than two days’ time,” he answered, glancing apprehensively at Sylvie and my sister. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue.
We marched on in silence until we reached the dock, which we found to be quiet and subdued compared to the normal noise and bustle of the workers. Virion waited with a small entourage while several assistants strapped saddles onto giant hawk-like mana beasts.
“Arthur!” Virion called out. His once-cheerful disposition had faded, instead replaced by war-weary eyes. Beside him stood two mages, and a few attendants behind them.
“Commander.” I saluted while walking up to the old elf.
“I’m sure Officer Julor informed you of the situation, so let me quickly introduce you to the two mages I’ve chosen to support you at the Wall. This is Callum Hembril. He’s young, barely past thirty, but already an accomplished fire conjurer in the solid-yellow core stage.”
The chestnut-haired mage stepped forward, his long, coiled bangs covering his forehead. He wore an inquisitive look that he quickly covered with an amiable smile. “Callum, as introduced by the commander. Pleasure.”
Virion gestured with a thumb toward the figure a few feet behind Callum. “This big lug here is a dark-yellow core augmenter, but he’s been fighting in the Beast Glades for over forty years.”
The barrel-chested man, who was almost a foot taller than me and twice my girth, was covered from the neck down in heavy plate armor that glowed faintly. He had short hair and his lower face was dark with stubble. His piercing gaze seemed to be assessing every inch of me as he stretched out a hand. “Gavik Lund.”
I shook his hand, which looked almost as wide as Boo’s paws, before turning back to Virion. “So, what’s the plan? Judging by those mounts, I assume we’re traveling by air?”
“Mhmm. Those are Callum’s and Gavik’s mounts,” Virion confirmed. “The closest teleportation gate is in Blackbend City, and the train hasn’t yet been fully finished. It’s fortunate that the castle’s location is relatively close to the Wall.”
I turned to Sylvie. “Do you think you’ll be able to carry Ellie while holding Boo?”
Boo let out a moan of protest, obviously understanding what I meant.
“If the trip isn’t too long, I’ll be able to manage,” Sylvie answered, ignoring my sister’s giant bond.
“Wait, the little kid and her pet cub are coming along?” Gavik asked with a scowl. “Commander, is that wise? There will be a massive army of mana beasts.”
“She’s an adept conjurer that’ll be valuable to have stationed on the Wall,” I cut in. “And since when was it okay to refer to a general’s sister as a ‘little kid’?”
Gavik blanched, despite being about three times my age and twice my size.
“My… my apologies,” he muttered. “Didn’t know she was your sister, General Arthur.”
Virion’s brows were knit in worry, but he didn’t comment on Ellie going with me. Instead, he waved over the attendants who were standing behind him. They approached, carrying a large wooden chest with runes etched into its entire surface. “Anyways, before you leave, I’ve prepared a little something for you. It’s not much, but I think wearing something a bit more eye-catching might help with morale at the Wall.”
Virion placed a hand on the lid and the runes lit up before opening with a click. Several compartments popped out of the chest to reveal an entirely new outfit for me.
“Jand, Brune, help the General get dressed,” Virion ordered. Before I could protest, his attendants grabbed me and led me to the side of the room where a dressing stall had been conveniently set up beforehand.
The man, Brune, immediately began undressing me while the lady attendant, Jand, started working on my hair. After brushing it, she tied the back neatly and trimmed my bangs.
I should cut my hair soon, I noted. My hair had grown long enough to reach past my shoulders. If it wasn’t for my height and relatively broad shoulders, I could easily have been mistaken for a girl from the back.
‘And from the front,’ my bond added, her thoughts invading into mine. ‘You’re prettier than some of the noble females I’ve seen in the castle.’
I groaned internally. Yeah… I should definitely cut my hair soon.
As soon as my hair had been tamed, they got to work on the outfit. I wore a black, high-collared shirt that conveniently covered the burn marks on my neck, which I had gotten from the first retainer I had fought against. I brushed Brune away and pulled on the trousers myself. They felt surprisingly thick despite their lightness, and were fit so that the thin, dark-gray greaves could comfortably slip over my shins.
The attendants then strapped matching bracers over my arms and handed me tight, fingerless gloves.
“What, not going to help me find the finger-holes of my gloves?” I quipped. “I’m not sure I’m up to it, honestly. I might get my thumb in the pinky hole and then all would be lost!”
“The last touch, General Arthur,” Brune announced, ignoring my jibes. He carefully draped a waist-long mantle lined in white fur across my shoulders.
While the appearance of the outfit was a tad over the top, what with its intricate trimmings and the engraved armor on my shins and forearms, Virion knew precisely what sort of armor would best suit me. While protection was minimal, the bracers and greaves would allow me some form of defense while leaving my movement unimpeded.
I walked out of the dressing stall, enjoying the sense of freedom and lightness the new clothing provided. Callum and Gavik had already hopped onto their mounts, ready to depart.
“Ah! Much better,” Virion said with an approving nod.
“Where’d my brother go?” my sister teased as she looked around the room.
I rolled my eyes, making my way back to the commander, who was wearing a gray, fur-lined coat that fell just below his ankles over his usual loose robe. “You really like your furs.”
“That mantle is an old piece of mine that I wore back when I was younger,” Virion said, his eyes growing softer as he regarded the clothing. “Although it doesn’t look as good on you as it did on me, I’ll let you have it.”
“Thank you for the outfit,” I said, moved by the gesture.
He gave me a serious look. “Thank me by keeping the Wall from falling.”
“Yes sir.”
One set of large bifold doors opened, letting in a constant rush of wind, and the floor below us slowly extended outward into the open air. I motioned for Sylvie and my sister to follow and we made our way toward the edge of the castle.
“I forget sometimes how high up the castle is in the sky!” I yelled over the rushing wind. It was a beautiful sight; a sea of clouds rolled along below us, with occasional gaps revealing the untamed landscape of the Beast Glades far below.
“Tell me about it! At least we can’t see how far up we are because of the clouds below,” my sister shouted back.
I burst out with a laugh and winked at Ellie. “Just be sure to hold onto Sylvie tightly!”
“I won’t drop you,” my bond reassured her.
Boo groaned pitifully, more a whimper than his usual throaty growl.
Sylvie shook her head. “I won’t drop either of you.”
Callum and Gavik whizzed by on their mounts. The tamed mana beasts dove off the edge of the dock before reappearing into view with wings spread out, wobbling slightly in the wind.
“Let’s go!” I shouted as I conjured a shroud of wind around my body.
I watched the obsidian dragon sail above the clouds with Ellie on her back and Boo—looking distinctly grumpy—in her clawed hands.
Using the sound of Ellie’s screams as the cue, I jumped off the edge as well, following the rest.
How are you holding up? I asked my bond, who was slowly losing speed.
‘It seems that, despite all of my magical and physical capabilities, I wasn’t designed to be an efficient mode of transport,’ she replied, looking down at the large bear dangling in her arms.
Several hours had passed since our departure, and, besides the gorgeous views of the sky and clouds, it was a boring journey. We had settled into a comfortable pace, heading southeast with Callum and Gavik leading just a few dozen yards ahead. After my sister’s initial excitement—and Boo’s terror—had died down, the two had fallen asleep.
Ahead, Callum and Gavik dipped suddenly, leading their avian steeds below the sea of clouds, which had become dark and stormy gray below us.
We’re almost there. You’ll be able to get some rest once we land, I conveyed to my bond before following after Callum and Gavik.
The shroud of wind I had cast over my body kept all the moisture from the clouds off of me and my clothing, but Ellie wasn’t as fortunate. As I watched Sylvie descend through the thick layer of heavy clouds, which looked even darker from this side, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of my sister now wide awake, dripping wet, and grumpy. Boo’s thick fur was drenched and matted down to his skin, making him look scrawnier than I had imagined.
I tried to catch my sister’s eye to tease her, but her gaze was glued far below, mouth agape.
‘Arthur, look down,’ Sylvie sent, and her sudden concern washed over me like a wave.
Far below was a writhing sea of black and gray, made up of what could only be the corrupted mana beasts. We were over a mile above ground, well out of range of any attacks the beasts could make against us, but already I could feel the suspense building for the inevitable battle.
Callum and Gavik had both stopped their descent to behold the sight below, exchanging concerned glances with one another every few seconds.
Seeing the enemy before us, my heart beat like a smith’s hammer, my blood boiled in my veins, and my hands trembled at my sides.
‘Arthur. You’re smiling.’
210
Awaiting the Horde
We arrived at the ground level of the Wall, where a small welcoming team was waiting for us around the designated landing podium.
Sylvie dropped a grateful Boo to the ground, and Ellie slid down off her back.
“Ahh—oof!” my sister let out as she fell into my arms. “Couldn’t you have used wind magic to like—I don’t know—gently float me down to the ground?”
I looked down at her with a smirk. “I thought all girls wanted to be carried this way at some point in their lives.”
“Gross,” Ellie groaned as she rolled out of my arms, landing deftly on her feet. She looked around as she rung the water from her clothes, only to blush fiercely at what she saw.
‘Arthur,’ Sylvie, now returned to her human form, nudged mentally from beside me.
There was a crowd forming, silent and expectant. Callum and Gavik had already handed their mounts off to the beastkeepers and were awaiting orders.
Ellie straightened her posture, trying to appear dignified, her cheeks still red from embarrassment. Boo drew himself up beside her, attempting to look fearsome. The damp still clinging to them both somewhat undercut their efforts, though.
“General Arthur,” a familiar voice called out; Captain Trodius Flamesworth, with both Albanth and Jesmiya beside him. Upon making eye contact, the three of them inclined their heads respectfully.
Rather than addressing the captains first, I swept my gaze through the crowd. Most of the people appeared to be the merchants or laborers who worked within the Wall, rather than soldiers.
You should’ve stayed in your draconic form, Sylvie.
‘They’re staring at you, not me,’ my bond responded with a faint smile.
To keep the morale up, these people had likely not been told how large the enemy force was, but even then, many wore worried expressions. It seemed my presence hadn’t done much to fill them with confidence; my age worked against me at times like these. There was even some mumbling about whether or not I was really a Lance.
I let out a heavy breath and ignited Realmheart. Power surged through my limbs and the world drained of color, aside from the mana particles that lit up around me. While the glowing runes across my body were covered by my clothes, the change in my hair and eyes was enough to stun the crowd.
Gasps resounded through the crowd and many people’s knees quaked and buckled, unable to bear the pressure of my aura—even though I was holding back.
“While my presence in this fortress may prove unnecessary, I hope to expedite our victory with as little loss to our forces as possible,” I stated, my head held high.
The people in the crowd erupted into cheers and shouts as I walked toward Trodius and the two captains beside him.
Color returned to the world when I suppressed my dragon will, and I knew that my hair faded back to its normal auburn color.
“Senior Captain Trodius Flamesworth.” I held out a gloved hand. “I didn’t think I’d have the pleasure of meeting you again so soon.”
The senior captain shook my hand with a tired smile and waited as I repeated the same gesture to the other two captains.
“General,” Jesmiya said curtly.
Albanth removed his armored gauntlet and shook my hand vigorously. “General Arthur. Pleasure to have you here.”
“Let’s head to the meeting room,” I suggested, matching my pace to Albanth’s. Since he was in charge of the Bulwark Division, whose main duty was to defend the wall, I decided to address my sister’s place in the coming battle immediately. “My younger sister would like to contribute in this battle. Her skills as a magic archer should be of use to your troops. If you’d like to test her out—”
“No need for that, General. A Lance’s word is plenty enough for me and my men,” Captain Albanth responded resolutely. “I’ll also have my most capable soldier guiding her.” Without stopping, Albanth beckoned for a messenger and had him fetch the guard.
“I don’t need a babysitter, you know,” my sister complained, walking just behind me. “I still have the pendant you gave me, remember?”
Ellie pulled out the Phoenix Wyrm pendant I had gotten her for her twelfth birthday, courtesy of the artificer Gideon.
“I’ve let you come on this mission as promised, but you’re not allowed to complain about me taking extra precautions,” I chided. “That pendant only works once and it’s not something I can easily acquire again.”
By the time our small group had arrived at the familiar meeting tent, the soldier who had been summoned by Albanth was already there.
“Stella,” Albanth called out. “This is General Arthur’s younger sister—”
“Eleanor Leywin,” my sister finished with a salute.
“Eleanor Leywin. She’s a capable magic archer, and I’m leaving her under your direct care. Make sure she’s properly equipped before taking her to the top level.”
If Stella was discontent with being stuck protecting my sister, she did a great job of hiding it. Her scarred face was expressionless, her posture ramrod straight as she held her helmet in one hand and a mace in the other.
“Yes, Captain,” the soldier barked, clicking her armored heels. “Please follow me, Lady Eleanor.”
“Please, just Eleanor, or even soldier is fine,” my sister mumbled as she followed after Stella.
“My apologies for asking you to give up one of your soldiers to guard my sister like this. She was rather adamant about serving and I thought the Wall would be a safe place to start.”
“Normally, I’d agree with you,” Albanth responded, “but with the size and strength of this beast army approaching, I can’t say that for sure.”
After everyone had settled into their seats around the table, we started the strategy meeting. Those present were Senior Captain Trodius, Captain Jesmiya, Captain Albanth, Callum, Gavik, Sylvie, and I.
“Let us begin by discussing our own troop numbers, locations, and make-up,” Trodius began. “Once everyone at the table”—he glanced at Sylvie and me—“understands our current troop distribution, then we may move on to battle strategy and tactics.”
With a silver croupier’s rake, the senior captain began sliding markers around the large map spread out on the table.
“Each large marker represents one thousand troops, and small, one hundred. Does this look about right?” Trodius confirmed with Jesmiya and Albanth.
“Not including the freelance adventurers currently under my wing, we have just a bit shy of two thousand,” Albanth confirmed.
Jesmiya used her sheathed sword to move a few smaller pieces around in the territory of the Beast Glades. “One of my scouting units returned a few minutes before General Arthur arrived. The head will be joining us shortly to report.”
“Thank you,” Trodius said with a nod. “I expect we’ll see an influx of adventurers as word of this horde spreads, but the numbers won’t significantly change anything we may plan here. General Arthur, Commander Virion has often praised your strategic acumen. Would you like to offer a plan of action?”
I shook my head. “I’m unfamiliar with the inner workings of the Wall and its residents. I think it’d be best if you take charge, though I may offer some suggestions here and there.”
“Noted,” Trodius replied promptly before moving on to his plan.
While I bore little fondness for this man who had tossed his own daughter aside like a broken toy, I had to admit that Trodius’s efficient and callous nature was well-matched to his position of power.