AO 5 Ch 10

Chapter 10

I returned to the fort with the caravan, only to find the general and one of his wives waiting for us as we ascended the hill.

“The fort appears to be in good condition.” the caravan master remarked, clearly confused.

"Yeah, perfectly fine." I agreed, though I was more concerned with the reactions of the general and his wife. The fort's walls had clearly been worked on since my last visit. Someone had moved my stone blocks into place and added a fair number of others.

Probably more magic than Melida could do, I was left then with the General or one of his wives. Interesting that he waited for me to leave before doing all the work. 

The general locked eyes with me, and they delivered grim news. As we approached, he snapped a salute at our group and the caravan master, who were all riding at the front of the line.

"Wonderful," he projected out his voice. "We've been looking forward to the supplies. Please, if you'll follow me. You and your men will be much needed hands for the next few weeks." 

The caravan master puffed himself up slightly. "Anything for General Trevis." Old Man Trevis didn't react to the star-struck gaze from the caravan master.

I realized he must be used to such admiration.

Before the general left, he turned over his shoulder. "Ah, Ard. If you could head to the south wall, my wife will take you there."

I gestured and floated the stone coffin off one of the wagons. "We found something while we were out that you should see." I laid it down and slid the lid off. "Based on the mage's medallion, this appears to be Elder Brimsam." 

Old Man Trevis' face went slack as he stared at the corpse, trying to show no expression. "I see. At least we finally have an answer, though not one that many would want. It truly is a shame. He was a fantastic elder, and the world will miss him. Please take that with you. We will add it to the rest." 

"The rest," echoed in my mind. It seemed they, too, had brought back a few bodies from their trip. I nodded and slid the lid back onto the coffin, levitating it with me as I followed his wife. She was a beautiful woman with fair skin, and the sort of grace I expected from House Thorne and their Life Mages. I was certain she once belonged to the Thorne family. 

While the general led the caravan into the fort and around the main building to the entrance to the cellar, we went the other direction along the wall to a patch that would serve as the training grounds for the next batch of soldiers. Melida was already in the area, along with a handful of anchors watching over nearly a dozen coffins lined up against the wall. 

Zuri tensed next to me and stopped walking. I put a hand on her back, reassuring her and helping her to keep moving. "We're just going to see what it is," I told Zuri. Old Man Trevis’ wife gave me a slight smile and a nod before I continued to move Zuri along. 

The training area was made of pressure packed dirt, and since we had been clearing everything, there wasn't much decoration. At the moment it was simply a circular ring of dirt that one day would be fitted with a few training dummies and a railing. But for now, the mood was somber. 

The lids of the coffins were slid to the side, and Melida was paying her respects to one of them.

"We recovered several bodies," the general's wife spoke gently. "The base by the desert was unfortunately completely wiped out. There was not a living soul left in the base." 

"People could have escaped," Zuri said quickly, only for the woman to give a sad shake of her head. "It is unlikely. It appears to have been taken at least three weeks ago. If anyone had escaped, even if they were to walk the whole way, they could have made it to any of three different bases by now. Yet no one has shown." 

I could see another argument forming in Zuri's eyes, only to die on her lips. She pursed them and stared hard at the coffins, her feet suddenly planted to the ground.

Even my hand on her back was unable to make her budge. "Zuri," I said, trying to pull her out of her current state. "Zuri, why don't you tell us about them?"

She took a bounding step forward and scanned the coffins before her eyes locked on a woman's body. The general's wife must have restored and cleaned them up. The woman looked healthy, almost as if she was just sleeping in the coffin, with perhaps a touch too cold of a skin tone.

"She was a wonderful anchor," the general's wife said, her voice soft. "When it came out that she was an anchor instead of a mage, she didn't fret. Instead, she belted on a little wooden sword and carried it with her everywhere she went. She was young when her aptitude showed, barely twelve.”

The general’s wife continued talking as Zuri stared. “I remember when we were looking through the extended family branches, trying to select her a good husband. One that had potential, but perhaps not the intelligence to be a leader. Those kind of mages need an anchor that can support them where they are weakest," the general's wife said.

Zuri sniffed. "She was always a fount of wisdom," Zuri said. "When I was a kid, it felt like my mother had an answer for everything. Whether it was a question about war, arithmetic, or love, she always had an answer," Zuri said, sniffling.

"I remember when she came back from meeting your father for the first time, she was completely unimpressed with him. But at the same time, she said she understood the opportunity that he represented. As a mage, as an anchor, she would never get to lead armies. However, with a mage like your father, she would have the opportunity, speaking through him."

Zuri let out a slight laugh. "Jokes on all of you. My father ended up being a little too boneheaded for that."

The general's wife sighed, "Yes, it was better when he was younger. However, after your mother stepped away for a bit to have you, your father became infatuated with a few others, and your mother's influence, unfortunately, dwindled."

The general's wife sighed again. "Your mother returned to his side, but he was never quite the same."

"It's fine. My mother didn't mind sharing him," Zuri said. "She understood how much it would strengthen the family, and she wasn't vain enough to think that her ideas alone were worth listening to. I think, if anything, she was just frustrated at how dim-witted my half-brothers turned out."

"The younger one isn't half bad," the general's wife said. "Unfortunately, he's shown himself to be a follower rather than a leader."

Zuri let out a chuckle that half choked on tears, "And the older definitely takes after my father."

The general's wife sighed, "Unfortunately."

Zuri had tears streaking down her face, but at least there was a slight smile as she reminisced. "I remember when my mother took us all through the Trevis boot camp."

"A fond memory for most," the general's wife said. "After all, they fill the kids with sweet treats at the end of each day, while the kids play little war games, and the parents all sit back and watch to see which ones are going to have the personalities to be leaders, which ones are going to be stubborn and difficult to train, and which are very moldable."

Zuri cocked an eyebrow at the woman. "Where did I end up?"

"You ended up at the very top of the pack. Your mother was incredibly proud of you after that day. She had hopes that you would be a mage. She felt like you were a younger version of her, filled with opportunity."

"I bet she was disappointed then when I became an anchor like her." Zuri probed.

"Contrary," she sighed. "She said someone could only be filled with so much potential, and you had spent too much of it on your intelligence. It's only fair in the world that you didn't get the magic to go with it."

Zuri had a shy smile on her face as she stared down at the coffin.

I rubbed her arm and pulled her close before wrapping myself around her. "Zuri, she loved you very much," I said. "And I'm sure she would be proud of the woman standing here."

Zuri nodded, and I could feel hot tears dripping down my arm that was wrapped around her front. 

"She would be," Zuri finally stated, and I squeezed her tighter. 

I knew Zuri and the rest of the Trevis family were practically born and bred for war. However, no matter how much they were prepared for the atrocities and the deaths, the loss of one's family always hit far harder than expected. There was a certain bond there that, despite knowing it might happen, when it finally happened, it was beyond painful. It was a pain that you couldn’t prepare yourself for. 

"Did you confirm what did this?" Zuri asked suddenly. 

"All of the mages, including your father, were killed by two puncture wounds to the neck." The woman tapped on her own neck with two fingers. Zuri glowered back into the middle distance. 

"So it was that monster, Colin," she said. 

Melida, who had been quiet at the side, nodded. "I believe so. The wounds on my own people were the same. Unlike the other strange corrupted we had seen, Colin was the only one that killed so cleanly. And we haven't seen any signs of a second Colin.”

“Plus all the mage-forged that came up from this direction," I observed. "Many of which... looked like they belonged to Avente forces." 

Melida nodded. "It would fit the timeline. If they took the camp three weeks ago, they would have had time to make some of the soldiers into mage-forged and use them against this fort." 

"A reckless tactic," the general's wife said. "I understand that Garrish... would very much like our land, but to completely cut off its people in the process would bring you nothing but strife. If every farmer and fisherman from here to the coast thinks you're going to cut his head off, they're going to greet you with pitchforks and gutting knives." 

I shook my head. "I just don't think it matters, not to the present leadership of Garrish. Everything we've seen, he's more concerned with creating Colin or the next strange corrupted. He's not interested in the land or the people." 

As I spoke, I came to a realization. It was Zuri who spoke out my unsaid thoughts.

"You think he's having war for the conflict. The conflict for the chaos, for the opportunity to create his little monsters. Because when it comes to people accepting these actions, it's obviously far more palatable with a war." 

I frowned, but nodded along. "This may have started over land. But I don't think a Garrish king will stop his atrocities even if he manages to swallow all of Avente." 

There was a somber expression from everyone present.

I hated that I had suddenly made the moment about the war rather than Zuri. I squeezed her. "But that's not a problem for today. For today, Zuri should take care of her parents and we'll all help however we can." 

Zuri sniffed. "It's fine. They'll go back to the family catacombs. And they'll be laid to rest properly as the heroes of this war that they are." 

The general's wife nodded sharply. "They will be. They'll be given the highest honors." 

Zuri set her jaw and nodded sharply, walking up to her mother's body and whispering her goodbye before kissing her on the forehead. Then she moved over to her father and gave him a far shorter goodbye. She stepped back, wiping the tears from her face. "I'm good," Zuri said. 

"Still, take the day off," I told Zuri. "Stay with them. Do what you need." I knew just how much pain she might be in. I glanced at Emlyn. "Why don't you stay with her? I assume that's okay, Melida?" 

"Of course, she can take the day off. Unfortunately, Ard, I don't know if we can spare you for the entire day." Melida answered from down the row.

"I figured," I said, shrugging. “You can't exactly replace me. I'm just a little too awesome." 

That statement earned me an eye roll and a chuckle from the ladies, including Zuri. I would have to keep an eye on her. I knew that this would be a very turbulent emotional time for her. Still, I’d make her laugh until she recovered. 

I didn't get far before Melida was hurrying after me. I glanced at my commanding officer over my shoulder and snapped her a sharp salute. "Officer.”

 “Cut it out," she said. "After that, I don't feel like being in charge. However, we have to talk.”

“I’m getting whiplash on when to be formal and not. Do we have more fort building, perhaps mountain building, in my future?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes. "My grandfather is probably going to suggest something to you when he has a chance. Perhaps you should just start with formality and let the officer dismiss it if they want." 

I frowned, curious what she knew was coming.

But before I could probe further, General Trevis spotted us and marched our way. "Ard, just the mage I was looking for," the general put his hands behind his back. "My wife came back from the base only to report there was no sign of Garrish troops on the other side of the border."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means this was a risky gambit," Melida said. "They've likely pulled all of their surrounding forces for the push through the desert and then that massive army that tried to cross the pass. What he's saying is that there's likely a huge void at not only our border, but theirs as well."

"Does that mean we're going on the offensive?" I asked.

"Not exactly," the general replied. "What it means is that there's an opportunity for us to inject several elite teams into Garrish territory to wreak havoc and disrupt their hierarchy."

"What team?" I stopped mid-question, the realization hitting me. He called it an elite team because then I would feel proud when he pitched me and my anchors as said elite team.

"It seems we're on the same page," the general said. "Normally in order to send you on such a mission I would have to reach out to Anadonis and get confirmation from your family."

"By now my mother might be in charge," I reminded him.

"The point stands," General Trevis was quick to say. "However, I do not think we have that much time to send letters back and forth. We don't know when Garrish forces will close this gaping hole in their border. As far as they know, we are suffering. Similarly, they knew that they crushed the base and this fort. Though we are rebuilding it, we are completely unmanned.”

The pieces clicked on why he was telling me so much. “So you're asking me if I will volunteer, because then you don't have to ask my noble house for sending me off on the mission." I watched him.

"That would be correct," General Trevis put his hands in front of him. "We would have tonight to prepare you and then we could send you off. Lord Valken has agreed to go with you. The man has significant experience in training spies. But you have a leg up over most mages. You see, for most it's very difficult to blend in with the common folks."

I frowned at him. "But because I still act like one of those common folks, you think I could make it work."

"I think not only could you make it work, but should worse come to pass, you would be able to extract yourself very quickly.”

“What about my anchors?" I asked. He had called us a team.

"They'll have to go with you, though in a different capacity. After all, most commoners don't walk around with anchors."

I didn't really want to go to war in the first place, much less get thrown into what I would consider a high-risk situation. However, seeing the war firsthand, the destruction and the lives lost on both sides, I was interested in ending the war.

"If you send me over there, I want to act," I said. "I want to finish this war as quickly as possible."

The General nodded. “I understand. But it's not as if we can send you straight to the King of Garrish to take his head. I need you to consider that by nipping off critical supply lines and senior personnel, we could cripple them to the point that the Garrish people themselves will no longer wish to fight."

I grimaced. He phrased his statement that way because that's the best ending he saw. He didn't expect King Martin to ever willingly throw in the towel. I nodded, understanding.

"All right, Old Man. I'll take what information you can give me for tonight, and let Zuri have the day off while I consider the situation. I'm not going to rush in headlong without talking to my anchors first."

The General gave a slight confused tilt of his head before correcting himself and clearing his throat. "Of course, right, you are equals with your anchors, and you will make a decision together. I look forward to your answer, and understand that this is very time-sensitive. We will not have multiple days for you to decide.”

With that, the General turned and walked away, leaving me to build a fort and make my decision.