Quill

605. The Smell of Horses

Martel and Eleanor had spotted the enemy patrol while still more than a mile away. Likewise, the Khivans had noticed the two Asterians, but they had not guessed them to be mages, else they would have retreated. Instead, they hurried forward, probably working under the assumption that they had caught out two legionaries.

The wizards allowed them to come close, calmly awaiting them, which should have been another sign for the Khivans. Yet whether arrogant, blind, or just overzealous, they...

604. A Hill Forlorn

Contrary to Martel's expectations, the vanguard was not ambushed as it marched through the woods east of the outpost. The only surprise was that after four days, the forest ended. Martel had assumed it stretched onwards much longer; he had gotten this impression from when he and Eleanor had travelled through it to ambush the Khivan supply train. It turned out, if they had continued a little longer, they would have been beyond the woods.

Ahead of them stretched open, flat land. Martel gu...

603. Into the East

A handful of days passed, spent by the soldiers in preparation. It was always a complex matter when the whole legion had to march, even if two cohorts would do so in advance of the rest. Knowing that the Thirteenth would follow them eventually only complicated matters further, doubling the need for supplies to be brought immediately or sent afterwards. In the delta, the Imperial fleet lay as a promise of protection for the ships meant to arrive, bringing the necessary provisions for the campa...

602. One More Summer

Martel did not have to postpone his reply for long. Already the next day, a messenger interrupted his morning sparring with Eleanor, summoning them both to the legate's home for a council. They both washed up as best they could on short notice and changed clothes before leaving the camp.

"At least we merited an invitation this time," Martel remarked with a wry expression as they crossed the bridge into Esmouth.

"Probably only because the legate has direct orders for us," Eleanor r...

601. Filial Duties

Eating breakfast with Eleanor, Martel reflected on his conversation yesterday with Starkad. "Did you hear about the Tyrian scouts? Going east."

"That is the direction in which we need scouting."

"No, I mean, they're going much further. Far beyond the outpost as well. Starkad told me."

"I'm not sure he should share such information so freely."

"I'm a prefect, so are you. It's hardly been made common knowledge. Anyway, my point is that we can expect being sent in that di...

600. The Path Ahead

The Khivan incursion had disrupted the usual reprieve that winter brought from campaigning, but a month of frost and cold remained after they had been driven back across the river, giving Martel time to himself. He and Eleanor had not been sent back to the outpost, given the absence of enemy soldiers in the region; their defeat had bloodied the Khivans sufficiently to warrant a larger retreat, it appeared. Still, Martel knew it would not last; at best, once spring arrived, he would probably f...

599. The Promise of Spring

The sixth cohort along with three prefects made their return to camp during the night, seeking rest for the remaining nocturnal hours. As a new day began, so did the work cleaning up the battlefield. The bodies of the slain had to be collected, and equipment was salvaged where possible. The terrain complicated this work, and while Martel and Eleanor were not involved with this task, they had to remain with the legion rather than return to Esmouth, giving them a few idle days.

Although i...

598. Blood and Ice

The wind chilled them to the bone as they marched out of camp, but Martel knew they should be grateful for the cold weather; the stronger the ice covering the wetlands, the better their chances of winning this battle. There was no sight of the Khivans yet, but given they had to drag their cannons with them, their progress would be slow; it was expected they would catch up to them during the day, depending on their own speed.

Valerius walked in front, followed by an optio and fifty legio...

597. Visible Cracks

The legion borrowed every longboat that the Imperial fleet in the delta could spare, allowing them to transport soldiers and supplies across the river more expediently. Thanks to this, the Tenth Legion was ready early next day to march out, leaving Esmouth behind for now.

Martel and Eleanor rode near the front, one row behind the legate and the legion prefect. As they passed through the remains of the gate, Martel thought about the battle fought just the night prior. He wished there had...

596. The Embrace of Sleep

Eleanor wanted to find anyone that might resemble a physician in Esmouth; failing that, cross the river and get to the infirmary in camp. Trusting in her ability to dress his wound, Martel negotiated with her until she allowed one errand beforehand. Together, they crossed the town to reach the southern walls and gaze out onto the sea and the river delta.

Dawn was still hours away, but the clouds had broken, allowing moonlight to illuminate the waters. In the distance, they saw the Khiva...

595. The Forces of Nature

Everyone looked east, though the darkness hid the destruction from their eyes. Eleanor crossed the parapet to grab Avery by the shoulder. "They will destroy the gate next to have another place of attack," she explained loudly, and Martel recalled how the Khivans had used this tactic when assaulting the outpost. "You must be ready!"

"The gate is mine to hold," Avery replied, "and my soldiers stand ready. You should help Sir Theodore – he has the harder task."

"Agreed," Eleanor as...

594. Into the Furnace

Walking through the gate to enter the town felt like a hollow promise of safety, with the constant sound of cannons beating down the walls coming from the other end of Esmouth. Martel clutched his staff, wondering how powerful his magic would be against the forces marshalled against them.

"Mage of fire and his lady the valkyrja!" exclaimed a familiar voice, also recognisable from the choice of words. "From dreams you walk into the waking world!"

"Starkad," Martel uttered,...

593. From the Anvil

Martel and Eleanor rested as best they could for the remainder of the day, with nothing to do but wait for nightfall. Back in his tent, Martel tried to sleep, but each time he came close, the sound of cannons roaring reminded him of the situation, making his heart do a double beat.

When he finally gave up, he ate some of his rations instead and finally drifted around the camp in a restless state. Some of the soldiers greeted him, mostly those who recognised him from his defence of the o...

592. Spied

As the pair of prefects marched into camp, they received a few looks, but nobody questioned them, and they made their way to the tenth of the legion prefect. Morning had just broken, and they found her eating a sparse meal for breakfast.

"Sir Fontaine! Sir Martel! How can this be?"

"We were sent with reinforcement to the Thirteenth, whose legate gave us a mission by the river. Before we could return, we heard signs of battle, suggesting our return was no longer feasible. We decide...

591. Down the River

The two mages stared at each other, surrounded by mutilated corpses and destruction while hearing the distant sound of battle. "There's nothing we can do," Martel finally said. "It would take us ages to reach the battlefield, and we're on the wrong side. We'll just run into the Khivan army." He looked towards the bank, where the small boat and the barge lay. "We should sail upstream. Put as much distance between us and them."

"Or this is our chance," Eleanor said. "This is why we did no...

590. Among the Reeds

While Martel had his misgivings about the mission they have received, he could think of one positive: he and Eleanor would be on their own. Granted, it would only be until they returned, and it did entail them journeying into territory overrun by Khivans, but at least he would have a few days without suffering unwanted company. He also toyed with the idea that perhaps, their return to camp could be delayed. Given the situation, it should not be hard to come up with an explanation. Whether Ele...

589. XIII

They marched for twenty days until they reached the camp of the Thirteenth Legion. It had been set up as could be expected, with ditches and palisades providing defences, while the usual camp followers had settled some miles away, probably due to the proximity of enemy forces.

Plenty of guards kept watch, but once they passed through the wooden gate, they found the camp within to be ordinary. Regardless of the threat of an attack, soldiers still needed a place to sleep or fire pits for ...

588. Connections

Early next morning, a carriage awaited in the courtyard. The doors to the house opened and revealed two mages leaving, accompanied by servants carrying their luggage. Martel would have preferred leaving in the same manner as they had arrived, in a simple cart while hauling their own belongings, but it hardly mattered. This was a day of dejection no matter what.

Sitting inside the carriage as it rumbled down the street towards the fortress of Saint Marcellus, Martel looked at his compani...

587. In the Eyes of the World

The sounds of the world faded away. Martel did not hear whatever the legate said afterwards, nor the responses from any of the other family members. He ended up getting a summary from Eleanor afterwards.

Making use of the unusually harsh winter, the Khivans had crossed the river to enter the frozen wetlands north of Esmouth, lightly watched at present by the legions. At the same time, their ships had struck to chase away any Imperial vessels guarding the delta, made easy by most warship...

586. The Burdens of Duty

Although waking early again next morning, Martel stayed in his room and waited for breakfast. He did not leave for a while even after he had eaten, feeling worn out. Late nights and early mornings had taken their toll, and he found himself lacking sleep.

When he finally ventured outside his chamber, he did not go far. He made his way to the library, and he felt a little relieved that nobody else was present. Just the thought of polite conversation with people he did not know well tired ...

585. Old Plays in New Bottles

Martel took it easy for most of the next day, but when evening approached, he and Eleanor crossed the city to reach the market district, following the same route Martel had taken the day before, going to the same destination. At this hour, The Golden Goose bustled with life and light, and the two mages swiftly made their way inside.

"There they are!" Maximilian greeted them loudly, cutting through some of the noise. By the look of his red cheeks, he was already a few cups ahead of them....

584. Critters of the City

The hour was late when Martel, worn out after a long celebration, could finally stumble into bed. Despite this, he woke so early the sun had yet to rise. A look at his Khivan clock told him breakfast was at least an hour away. Unwilling to lie sleepless in bed for that long, he got up, washed and dressed himself, and left his room. He made his way to the kitchens, where familiar sounds and smells told him of work underway to feed the household.

As he entered, the kitchen servants all fr...

583. Familiar Outcome

Five paces separating them, Martel stared at the three mageknights. Each of them had drawn their daggers; weapons with richly decorated hilts that probably gave the blade poor balance, but still deadly with a single blow in the hand of a mageknight. In comparison, Martel had no weapon in all, not even a broom handle – save his magic. It would suffice.

Feeling the eyes of the entire crowd upon him, Martel looked forward to this. The collective nobility of Morcaster would see a Tyrian-b...

582. Familiar Arguments

Although spending the last days in the city, Martel had noticed the flurry of activities across the home of House Fontaine. Preparations for the summer solstice took time, and Martel ended up simply leaving during the morning as well, though he went nowhere in particular; he just wanted to avoid being in the way. In the afternoon, he returned to use the baths and otherwise prepare himself for the feast.

He looked through his small collection of expensive clothing, all of them gifts from...

581. Familiar Streets

Martel slept on a cot that night. When he woke, the room was cold as no servant had come to start a fire in the hearth, but this did not bother him, and the breakfast was as delicious as yesterday. He began to understand why rich people made such a fuss about servants; the amount of labour and skill involved in creating such a tray every morning, presumably for every member of the household and their guests, had to be considerable.

He found Eleanor in the library, and she looked up from...

580. Familiar Grounds

The sound of a door opening woke Martel. Confused about his surroundings, Martel thought that someone had disturbed his rune of warning, sneaking up on him in camp. He sat up, fire filling his hands. Before he released his spell, his eyes saw a young woman in servant's clothing, looking scared out of her mind. She stared at the wizard lying on the floor. In her hands, she held a lit candle. "I beg your pardon, master. I came to start the fire." She glanced towards the hearth in the room.

579. Head Above Water

Unwilling to cross the entire city on foot with all their luggage, Martel and Eleanor hired a cart and a driver. They placed their belongings and themselves in the back and began the journey northeast towards the noble quarter. Dressed in his red robes with flaming embroidery, not to mention the ruby-tipped staff in his hand, Martel looked the very image of a wizard, and as they drove through the streets, the sight of a mage in the back of a cart drew plenty of stares. But only until he had p...

578. Familiar Sensations

Martel had forgotten about seasickness. The first few days, he spent all waking hours on the deck, strategically near the railing, should he need to make any deposits into the water. He could not determine whether he wanted or feared a Khivan galley might show up; he was unsure whether he would be able to fight, but on the other hand, it would give him a target to unleash his frustrations upon.

At least he had plenty of space, unlike the first journey to Esmouth. Rather than half a coho...

577. A Living Weapon

As Martel woke, he glanced around his tent. Most of his belongings had been packed in his travel chest; they would leave camp before second bell to board a ship bound for Morcaster. The sight of it made him feel eerie, as if he could not quite believe they would be away for three months. With his luck, a Khivan galley would sink their ship halfway there.

But first, he had an errand to run. After getting dressed, he left his tent; Eleanor sat outside, already preparing breakfast. He sent...

576. An Optio and an Officer

Three days later, Martel and Eleanor walked into the camp of the Tenth Legion. Since they had to wait for the next available ship sailing to Morcaster, they settled back into their old tents. With time to spare, Martel crossed both bridge and town to visit his friend.

"Come in, take a seat," Henry spoke in invitation. "They've finally taken the leash off?"

Martel entered the home of the stonemage and sat down. "You could say that."

"Here, something to keep us warm. It's star...