Quill

665. Saint Marcellus

The battle for Morcaster went in favour of the rebels. Taking the bridge gate next, another legion swept in to join forces with the Twentieth. With such numbers compared to the garrison scattered across the city, their assault could not be beaten back or resisted. The remaining gates fell, the last of the legions joined, and when noon came, the fortress of Saint Marcellus came into their hands as well. Apart from the Imperial palace, the whole of Morcaster belonged to them.

Receiving th...

664. Two Crosses

In the dead of night, two cloaked figures moved through the alleys of the copper lanes. With a hostile army outside the gates, even this district was under heavy patrol from a garrison under constant threat, but the legionaries stuck to the main streets that crossed the quarters. Intimately familiar with the area, Martel had no trouble plotting a course that kept them hidden and avoided the main thoroughfares.

The merchants' quarter was another matter. The streets had lamp posts, illumi...

663. The Wrong Tool

Walking through the city with its endless monotony, nothing around them distracted Martel from the creeping sense of dread slowly overtaking him. They might very well be too late, making this entire ordeal worthless. Turning back no longer felt like a possibility; he was not certain they could find the way back. But if they emerged in the city too late, they would be trapped inside a city locked down and under heavy watch, with no good options for re-joining their own forces. He had been so c...

662. The Right Tool

Both of the mages recoiled as the ring on the ground glowed. The translucent shape of a person appeared within, looking like a spirit. As it shone, it seemed to solidify, and its form became hard and grey, as if stone itself had come to life. With limbs like a human, but only a smooth surface where a face should be, the creature turned its head towards them. The transformation had happened in an instant; completed, the mysterious being leapt forward, leaving the ring to charge at them.

...

661. The Tower

Without the sun, moon, or stars, it was hard to keep track of time. Only sensations like thirst or weariness gave Martel a sense of how long they had journeyed, traversing the stone city. They stopped on occasion to drink water and rest a little bit, but otherwise kept up a strong pace. Having been through more than one forced march, Martel knew he could continue for much longer. The challenge was navigation.

During one of their breaks, Martel considered it once more. Given their starti...

660. Balancing Act

"Martel? Martel! Please, listen to me!" Despite Eleanor's frantic pleading as she knelt in front of him, the battlemage gave no inclination that he could hear her. He stared straight ahead with watery eyes, mumbling what sounded like confessions. She placed both of her hands on his wet cheeks to cup his face. "Please forgive me, I did not mean to sound angry! I am not angry at all, I was just a little upset. I spoke without thinking!"

Martel felt his blood pounding in his ear. His eyes ...

659. The Meaning of the Name

With only Martel's magelight casting a soft ring of illumination around them, the two mages moved deeper underground. The tunnels sloped slightly downwards, and Martel wondered if this had in ancient time been intended as an entrance, buried and forgotten by succeeding centuries. It would explain why, when he held out his hand to support himself, he found only rock rather than alcoves filled with the dead; they had yet to enter the actual burial grounds.

Neither of them spoke as they ma...

658. Subterfuge

Together, the captain prefect and the legate of the Tenth Legion left their camp, riding south. They had an armed escort of a full centuria with them, which seemed unnecessary to Martel. Any group of enemies small enough to evade their patrols and get this close would also be simple enough for Eleanor and him to handle. But his subordinates already fretted at the idea of Martel going into the catacombs with only a mageknight by his side, and so he had indulged them for this short part of the ...

657. Swift Negotiations

After ten days of marching, five legions had the walls of Morcaster within their sights. All of them wore Asterian colours and carried banners of the Empire; many of the legionaries called the city their home. Every legion had been raised to defend Aster, fight for it, and expand its borders; now they viewed the capital as one would look upon a hostile city, to be conquered. The soldiers on the walls, defending their city, wore the same uniforms as the attackers; yet each side stood ready to ...

656. A Captain's Choice

Another day was spent in the same camp west of the conquered bridge, allowing the Twentieth Legion to catch up after being sent north as a diversion. It also gave the legionaries time to handle tasks that could not be done during days marching, quartermasters distributed new equipment to replace old or destroyed, and the commanders of the legions gathered for another council to discuss their next move.

Besides the legion prefects, a stonemage in green robes sat in the tent, inviting que...

655. Private Celebrations

As the sun continued to rise, the rebel soldiers took full possession of the western shore. The Seventeenth and Nineteenth Legions pursued the enemy, not to give battle, but simply ensure they had no opportunity to regroup for a counterattack while the Tenth and Thirteenth recovered. The soldiers of the former were given no duties, considering they had borne the brunt of the battle; the Thirteenth, most of whose legionaries had not entered the battle, burned the dead, collected their equipmen...

654. As the Day Dawns

Another cohort entered the battle; Martel did not know how many had done so by now. His soldiers had begun pushing bodies into the water or carrying them backwards, according to sensibility, all to create more space; it mattered little. The defenders had pulled back far enough for the attackers to barely reach the western bank, but it also allowed them to be surrounded by more troops as they tried to secure a foothold. If not for his mageknights – Martel counted five of them in the fray now...

653. Dark Skies

Martel had fought a hundred battles, gone through harrowing experiences, and he had been to the brink of death and returned more than once. But the thought of what a fire-touched battlemage of Master Alastair's talent would do to his soldiers filled him with panic. This close, bolts of lightning would devastate them and cut through their ranks like a scythe. He knew that his old teacher mastered the spell, considering who had taught it to Martel.

Despite the roar of battle, smell of blo...

652. Opposite Sides

As the legionaries ran forward, their ranks became disrupted. Martel allowed himself to fall behind and his soldiers to overtake him; he would not be fighting in the front row, and he had another purpose. As they reached the bridge, he felt it again; the surge of magic, a powerful spell being channelled into the waters that ran below. No matter the skill of the wizard casting this spell, they would not be able to do it much longer; it had to be extremely draining to release magic of such magn...

651. Dark Clouds

Early in the morning, the Twentieth Legion marched out of camp, headed north. They stayed within sight of the river, allowing anybody on the western bank to witness their progress. As for the remaining soldiers, half of them spent the day improving the camp's defences, deepening ditches, adding spiked poles to the earthworks, and otherwise gave the impression of an army digging themselves in. The other half of the legionaries rested, slept if they could, and made sure to eat well.

As ni...

650. The Road Taken

The legions under Martel's command continued their inexorable march towards Morcaster. They did not meet any resistance; no force existed close enough to offer meaningful opposition. All available troops were being pulled to the capital; the Tyrian scouts found only empty roads ahead.

After two fivedays, Martel and his officers knew this would come to an end. Their patrols had reached the Alonde River and seen the standards of the First Legion on the opposite bank. Beyond the waters lay...

649. Ad Portam

Hundreds of miles lay between the legions and Morcaster, but they had reached fertile lands, civilised and populated, unlike the frontier near Khiva. The days being late summer meant blossoming fields surrounded them, though it also made for hot weather during their marches.

At one of the evening meetings between the legion prefects, Arianna of the Twentieth raised an issue. "I had three deserters in the night, all from the same centuria. I suspect they are local boys, who could not res...

648. Nineteen, Twenty

While the message from Morcaster was foreboding, it was most of all met by relief. The long waiting and uncertainty had ended. While some had hoped that the High Council would see reason and acquiesce to the demands, at least the rebel legions now knew where they stood. This was no longer a mutiny, but a full rebellion supported by three legions. A formidable force, though as Eleanor told Martel, that left seventeen legions still loyal to the Empire.

They sat in the large tent, accompan...

647. Cold Winds

Confusion took hold for a while as the expected battle did not happen. The remaining commanders of the two northern legions rode out into the open, signalling their intention to parley. This did not take long; the prefects simply needed to know if their legions could be included in the demands sent to Morcaster, such as immunity from punishment and inclusion into the armistice. The captain prefect promised this without hesitation, and the Thirteenth and the Seventeenth join his cause.

I...

646. Plundered Victory

Two days passed before the Thirteenth and the Seventeen Legions of the Asterian Empire reached the small town of Esmouth. They made camp five miles north; as they enjoyed their long-awaited rest, a messenger arrived from the captain prefect of the Tenth Legion, bearing a challenge. After conferring with his prefects, including the battlemages and their protectors, Legate Fulvius accepted.

As morning dawned, legionaries on both sides marched out onto the open plain outside the town. Wher...

645. We Kill Them

While the news unsettled both the town and the camp, the prefects waited until more patrols could be sent and return, giving them a better understanding of the situation. The following night, having heard all reports, they gathered in the big tent where Eleanor and Lara usually worked.

"It is the Thirteenth and the Seventeenth," the legion prefect explained to the assembled commanders. "We estimate they have double our numbers."

"Who commands the Thirteenth?" asked Florence of the...

644. A Question of Authority

In the following days, Martel got a taste of what it meant to hold imperium over even just a small town like Esmouth. While Eleanor and Lara oversaw administrative tasks and his prefects trained their cohorts, Martel had to listen to disputes, settle complaints, and cast judgement as needed.

A merchant vessel, bringing supplies to the Tenth Legion, had been placed under guard and refused permission to leave to prevent them from spreading the news of the mutiny too early. Furthermore, pr...

643. Imperium

The camp did not have space for the entire legion to stand together in ranks. Thus, as morning came, every cohort marched out, crossed the bridge, and went through Esmouth to finally arraign themselves on the plain north of the town walls. Martel, Eleanor, Lara, and a standard bearer ascended the gatehouse to stand atop, allowing the legionaries to see them. On the inside of the defences, the townspeople gathered to likewise watch.

"Soldiers of the Tenth Legion! We stand without legate....

642. A Council of Command

After allowing Martel and Eleanor a moment of reunion, Lara joined them. "Finally. Your return will buy some time, ease tensions, and we can finally get to work."

"Buy time?" Martel asked confused.

"While most of the legion follows us, there are malcontents. And the further this drags on without a conclusion, the more restless the soldiers become. Your presence will renew their faith in us, but we must take action now. I have already told the other prefects to convene." She looked...

641. Out of Joint

Nobody tried to murder Martel at night, whether Asterians or Khivans. He and the optio travelled mostly in silence until they reached the small outpost. Seeing it again felt eerie; Martel had never expected he would, and he remembered defending it against the enemy assault. Sneaking out at night to destroy their cannons, how those weapons broke the wall and the gate. Now they would willingly withdraw, leaving it in the hands of that same, former enemy.

"Martel!" The voice belonged to Lu...

640. What the Future Promises

Watching the Asterian rider approach in the company of a Khivan patrol, Martel wanted to leap over the battlements and sprint towards them, shouting questions. But he restrained himself, given his surroundings. Matters were already tense between him and his host; it seemed best to appear calm and in control of his emotions.

The Asterian rider carried a banner in his hand, showing an eagle on green as a sign of peaceful intentions. The commander met him in the same place where Martel and...

639. The Stronger Mettle

"A known traitor in our midst, and the entire legion watches her speak!" the legate roared.

"The only traitor here is you!" Eleanor retorted. "How many lie dead because you commanded us into the east? All for your vanity!"

"We are fighting a war!" Varus bellowed. "Now seize this deserter!"

From her perch, Eleanor looked at him with disdain. "Always others must do your dirty work! Your men bleed for you and die, or if they live, you discard them like vermin!"

"Silence! ...

638. The Words of a Firebrand

A small band of Khivans moved through the contested lands east of Esmouth. In their company walked an Asterian mageknight. While all had their weapons sheathed or shouldered, with no outright sign of hostility, nobody seemed at ease either. The Khivans stayed watchful, spreading out while glancing in every direction, especially the further west they came; the Asterian in their company watched her companions.

At night, she slept some distance away from the others, casting runes of warnin...

637. Marked

Moments passed. Outside, it looked as if they might be getting the small fires under control. Martel could not see it, being inside the tent, but as he let his magic push out from him, he did not feel the intense bursts of heat that a blaze out of control should yield.

Pressing the tablecloth to his wound, Martel began to wonder if he had been a fool twice over. Maybe they were bringing the cannons, aiming them at this tent. He wondered if he heard the sound of such a weapon being fired...

636. Drop by Drop

Despite his temper flaring, Martel did not allow it to make his decisions. He could not fight the entire Third Army on his own. Rather than release spells in every direction, which would be obvious, he reached out to let his magic connects with objects around him and ignite them. To an observer, it appeared as if tents everywhere ignited spontaneously. Confusion and fear spread faster than the flames, and the soldiers had their hands full trying to contain it. Running around, their eyes fixed...