Welcome to chapter ten! I can't believe that I have gotten this many chapters written out for this story. Maybe I am not as lazy a writer as I originally thought. Don't make any smart comments about the pace of the updates. I did say from the get go that I could not guarantee any update schedule. Now this chapter begins with Gareth's platoon en route to the site of their first mission. What is their first mission? Why is it important? Read on my friends and you'll find out… sooner or later.
I'd like to thank my ever faithful reviewer Antex – The Legendary Zoroark and a new reviewer Coral the Leviathan for their reviews. Coral, I appreciate that someone is interested in what is happening with Eleanor, and without giving away too much suffice to say we will be seeing her once again in chapter 13. As for her first meeting with the royal siblings, I am saving that scene for awhile, but yes I do plan on writing it. I hope the wait will be worthwhile.
Note: At the bottom of the story are some author's notes explaining some aspects of the setting, as is my habit apparently. So, with that done, let us begin!
-One week later-
A few hours after sunrise saw Gareth's platoon marching steadily along the dusty barren roads towards the village of Rothaire, the one village that knew the secret to creating golems. A report of new advances with the golems, saw the platoon marching to observe and report back with any noteworthy developments concerning the stone behemoths. The journey thus far had been relatively easy, as no common group of bandits would be brazen enough to attack a fully armed and armored platoon. With the four horses the platoon won from Edmund, Commander Karen finally had enough mounts to add to her original charger to form the scouting force she and Gareth had envisioned months ago. During the march, Karen had taken the best riders and hunters of the force and put them through their paces. While not quite ready for a cavalry charge, the platoon at least had the beginning of an effective scouting and raiding force. As the days passed, Karen had taken to instructing her chosen soldiers in some basic mounted tactics to better utilize the war horses.
All in all, the young Lieutenant was rather pleased with how his platoon was performing. Four abreast, the platoon marched approximately twelve miles a day. With each soldier carrying a large pack, this was a respectable daily pace for such a fresh platoon. Their daily exercises had prepared even the most urbane of soldiers for the physical realities of soldiering. In time, Gareth expected their pace to equal that of the most experienced soldiers. Yet for now, he was very pleased with their dedication. Even the old crusty steward assigned to the platoon was holding up well, from the comfort of one of the platoon's large and heavy wagon.
Cresting a dusty hill with fallow fields of what once was farmable land, Gareth saw a plume of dust headed his direction and from his horse halted the column. The forward soldiers immediately shouldered their shields and readied their weapons in case this was an unfriendly visitor. Everyone else tensed ready for a command. As the dust neared, Gareth caught sight of the horse and immediately eased his troops. "At ease everyone, it's just Commander Karen with a report." The soldiers lowered their spears and swords, keeping their shields ready they still stood-by to react to new orders. Their training these past months making them wary nonetheless. Catching sight of the platoon's grey dappled destrier, the soldiers fully relaxed and were ready to carry on. Gareth put the column back into a march as he waited for his scout to arrive.
Reaching Gareth, Commander Karen brought her horse alongside Gareth's and gave her report. "Sir, the village is only about a league away. Just atop the hill after the next rise."
"Very good Commander, did you see anything of note?"
"There were no unexpected tracks or suspicious movements on my reconnaissance, but I did see something unusual in the village itself. I saw a large colorful tent on the edge of the village."
"Commander Karen, I take it that you've been to Rothaire before, so I am assuming that this is not typical for the village?" Gareth queried his brow curling as he let his mind race.
"Indeed Lieutenant, I came to visit as a little girl with my half-sister. The village is beautiful in its own way, but I've never seen any villagers use such garish colors. If I had to guess then I'd say that the village is having some sort of festival." The word 'festival' caught the attention of the soldiers marching nearby.
"Hmm, now that is odd. Nohrians haven't had much cause for celebration these past several years. In fact, I can't recall hearing of any festival for the past four years." Karen nodded in agreement with his assessment as she rode beside the Lieutenant. "It might be nothing but we should still be cautious. We'll establish our encampment a mile from the village and while half our force is unloading the supplies and setting up camp, we'll examine more closely what is happening in Rothair."
Orders were passed through the platoon letting every soldier know what was expected, and once the platoon was a mile out they got off the road and stopped. With one half of the platoon, they established a small guard force and the work detail. They began to unload their tents and other gear from their wagons and immediately set to work establishing the camp.
Leaving Commander Alicia in charge, Gareth led the second half of the platoon towards the village. Only a short mile away, the large tent Karen had reported was easily visible. Large and colorful, it looked oddly out of place. Though the tent was eye catching, Gareth was paying more attention towards the village's wall. It was eight feet tall and seemed to encircle the entirety of the village with at least one gap allowing for easy passage into the village. To either side of the opening Gareth noticed two large stone tablets with carven faces on them. Though the golems remained inactive, Gareth nonetheless was a bit wary and kept his attention on the tablets until he and his troop passed into the village proper. Rothaire was a well to do town, the gold they made was not immediately evident as rather than new extravagant homes and decorations, the houses were actually rather plain. Most of the homes were made of old stone with only a few here and there made of wood, they had wooden lintels and window sills, the roofs were made not of thatch as most villages were, but rather green tiles. Before being able to examine the famed village further, Gareth saw a large group of people making their way towards his troops. Dismounting, Gareth approached the citizens making his way towards the elderly woman with graying hair and a curious silver embossed staff.
"Greetings soldier, I am Mayor Eunice Riute." The elderly woman introduced,
"I am Lieutenant Gareth of Nohr's second infantry division, seventeenth company, sixth platoon. It is a pleasure to be here in your village. My platoon and I are here to observe the capabilities of the new golem that your village has created, and to determine if it warrants taking it to the King for a demonstration." Gareth said as he passed the reins to a stable hand.
Taking in the young Lieutenant's appearance, the mayor was a little skeptical of his capabilities. Yet as she turned her attention to the platoon and seeing their discipline and respect for their leader, she quickly ascertained that the lad was capable. "I assure you Lieutenant, you won't be disappointed. The new golem has singlehandedly saved our village from ruin." The aged mayor replied a knowing look in her eyes.
"How so? Your village is wealthy, well protected, and is considered one of the most important settlements in all of Nohr, I know that the famine has hit the nation hard, but I figured that you at least would be managing."
A bitter laugh escaped the mayor as she turned to gaze at her people behind her. "We were wealthy once, but ten years of famine reduces even the most well stocked coffers. We've known for years that the land is dying, so we've let our fields remain fallow. Now not even weeds grow well in these parts. Our golems have brought our village wealth and security for years, but not even they could fight off this dreadful curse. So, we had to rethink our way of life. We could scarcely afford to pay for more food, we could not grow food, and the list of provisions for the King and country is already immense, we do not want to be an additional burden. We needed to get food from elsewhere. I know that many villages have tried to send the magical beasts Princess Eleanor Vaas discovered through the barrier to steal food, with limited success, but if we could do the same with a golem, we might actually succeed."
Gareth stared at the mayor with a surprise clear in his face. It was true that many villagers in need of food had hired sorcerers to conjure up some of Eleanor's magical creatures in an attempt to raid Hoshido's abundant fields for food. Only about a tenth of the magical creatures ever returned, and of those that did only half actually brought back any food. Still despite the low odds, many villages in their desperation continued sending the creatures to Hoshido in hopes of obtaining extra food to get through the increasingly harsh winters. If the village had actually devised a golem that could operate at such a distance and carry out such complex orders, then they were well within their rights to celebrate. This could very well change Nohr's fate. This could change everything. "I'd like to see the golem as soon as possible, and meet with its designers."
"I see that you understand the importance of our creation. You're not like most officers that I've met, you understand the larger importance of things. Please walk with me Lieutenant while we talk, your soldiers are free to enjoy our festivities should you allow it."
Nodding in agreement Gareth turned and stepped away from the mayor and motioned for Commander Karen to approach. "Commander, our platoon has worked incredibly hard these past few months, and considering the generosity of our guests I am willing to authorize leave for our soldiers for the duration of our stay. Work out a schedule with the other commanders that allows a rotation of men, I don't want to leave our camp undefended. Also, get Rordan to take a closer look at the performers the village hired. I don't want any unexpected surprises happening while we're here. Furthermore, remind the troops to stay in pairs and that they are to show these people respect and not make a nuisance of themselves, any offenders will be dealt with appropriately." Gareth ordered.
Turning and stepping back towards the mayor, Gareth heard the crunch of boots and found himself accompanied by three of his own soldiers, including Ranaul, Marren, and Joel. Joel was carrying the platoon's banner proudly. With an amused shake of his head, Gareth continued on with his unexpected escort. "Mayor Eunice if you wouldn't mind," Gareth said offering his arm to the elderly woman.
With a smile on her face, Eunice looped her arm with Gareth's and together they made their way through the village. "Now unfortunately Lieutenant our new golem is not currently in the village as it is currently returning from a raid in Hoshido."
"How much food does the golem typically bring in, and what kinds of food has it brought?"
Patting Gareth's elbow the mayor answered. "On the first expedition the golem returned with a full cart of rice. I confess we had little idea how to prepare it to eat at first, but we figured it out."
"What level of damage did the golem show for crossing the barrier, did the crossing affect its functions in any way?" Gareth questioned, his mind racing at the fact that the barrier could be crossed reliably now.
"None that I know of, but the golem's chief sculptor would know better than I. Now, for our second expedition we were a bit bolder and gave the golem orders to bring back as much food as possible within two months. It was a long wait, but when it returned leading four wagons of food we knew that our village was saved. After sending a report to the military regarding the new golem we sent our creation on an additional raid, we expect it to return soon. Ah here we are."
Looking around Gareth found himself in the center of the village where there stood a large weathered statue of a man wielding what appeared to be Siegfried. It was also the location of one of the deepest dragon veins Gareth had ever felt. The statue of King Rayner was impressive, yet Gareth's attention was not on the old statue or the deep dragon vein, but rather on the large house he stood before. The outside walls were carved with strange runes that were utterly foreign to Gareth. Stepping away from the mayor, Gareth raised his hand and ran it over the carven runes reaching out he felt for anything familiar. He paused, as he felt something reminiscent of the dragon veins. Puzzled he turned away from the carvings and found the mayor eyeing him with consideration.
Leading the way, Eunice opened the door only to be ambushed by a small blur. Reflexively, Gareth reached for Caelus, but Gareth paused and began to smile fondly at the scene before him. Hugging the mayor's waist was a young boy no older than ten with light dusty brown hair. Embracing the child, Eunince patted the young boy's head lovingly and turned him to face the visitors. Looking at the child, Gareth saw curiosity and joy in the boy's brown eyes… and some rather dirty hands. "This Lieutenant," Eunice introduced, "is my third grandson Alex. He's the one who actually inspired the design of our new golem."
Impressed, Gareth kept his attention on the boy who was both proud and embarrassed at the attention. "That is quite an achievement for anyone." Gareth declared praising Alex. "How did you inspire the creation of a new golem?"
"I found him playing with one of the small toy golems we give our children," a new deep voice declared. Leaning against the doorway was a large well-built man with deep brown hair and a full beard, the fond look he directed towards Alex made it clear that he was the boy's father. "He molded the small golem into the shape of a man, and had it marching across the living room floor. I've never thought that a golem could move like that. So orderly, so precise, it made me think of all the possibilities that we have been overlooking, for so long we have made our golems in the traditional way, ignoring the flaws that they have."
"I'm not too sure about flaws, I remember a demonstration four years ago in which one of your golems single handedly took out a castle wall. It was one of the most impressive feats I've seen." Gareth offered recalling the precision and sheer ferocity of the silent stone colossus.
The father scoffed. "Any golem directly controlled by one of us is capable of great feats like you've described, but most golems you see have built-in orders directing them. The form of the golem allows for it to move simply and still accomplish its tasks, yet its form also limits its speed, hampering it from accomplishing anything complex. But a golem in the form of a soldier, that could move about the field and carry out specific directives, now that could truly change the method by which we wage war." As he spoke of the possibilities of this new golem, his eyes shone with a fervent light.
"Hush now Joseph," Eunice ordered gently, "I'm sure Lieutenant Gareth here is fully capable of understanding the possibilities of the new golem. Now Lieutenant, I'll leave you in the capable hands of my eldest son, he's passionate, skilled, and the greatest golem sculptor our village has ever seen. If you have any questions about the performance and function of the new golem, he'll be able to answer them, after all he did build it." Giving a short bow to Gareth and his soldiers, Eunice turned to return to the festival, ruffling her grandson's hair as she passed.
"Well come on in Lieutenant, I'll be glad to answer any questions you have about our newest golem." Joseph offered, leading the way into the house.
Entering the stone abode, Gareth noted that the house was lit by several lanterns spread throughout the chamber, which was large and filled with all kinds of stones, large and small, red, brown, and white. All of which were marked with strange symbols, reminiscent of the carvings on the outside walls. Walking towards a large table burdened with a large piece of stone Gareth saw the strange symbols from the wall carved into every inch of the stone. Curious Gareth took a closer look and he saw even smaller symbols carved into the large symbols. Turning to his soldiers Gareth saw that Marren and Ranaul had entered the house, while Joel remained outside with the company's banner proudly at his side. The two soldiers were looking around with some curiosity, but nevertheless they remained vigilant. "These markings, what are they for exactly?"
"Oh those, they are the language we use to create and control our golems." Alex answered proudly from his place by his father.
"So then if this is the language that you use to control the golems, then I assume that these symbols are the commands that tell the golem what to do."
"That is correct, you are rather observant for a soldier. Now I assume that you have questions about my creation's capabilities." The sculptor prompted, eager to share the capabilities of his creation.
Pushing aside his many questions regarding how the golems functioned, Gareth focused on the most important issue: how they crossed the barrier. "Your mother told me that the golem has crossed into Hoshido twice and has returned both times carrying out its mission to the letter. How is this possible? Nohrian villages have sent hundreds of Princess Eleanor's magical monsters to attempt the same feat and so few return, often in horrible conditions and utterly mad. Did you create a spell to protect the golem from the effects of the barrier?"
Joseph looked at the young Lieutenant and saw a hunger, a need for this knowledge. It was something he saw in the eyes of most Nohrians, a desperate need to find a way to break this curse that lay upon the land. "I'm afraid that we haven't found a way to circumvent the barrier's effect. The reason our golem can cross the barrier undamaged is because our golems have no minds or soul. Rather they are just stone colossuses that we command using our ancient magic."
"Then how quickly can you make these new forms of golems? If they are able to cross the barrier and retrieve food from Hoshido, a great deal of the famine's burden could be eased, allowing more time to find a way to bring the barrier down and restore Nohr's land." Gareth contended, his voice ringing with desperate hope.
"It took me five years to create this one golem, though admittedly most of that was due to figuring out how to get the creature to move efficiently without direct control from myself or the others. Now that I've figured out the specifications and have copied down the specific commands needed, it should take about eight months for a skilled and motivated golem sculptor to duplicate my work."
"Eight months! In that time, I could plow a field, plant my crops and harvest them. Why does it take so long?" Ranaul asked his hopes for a healthy Nohr dashed.
"Because I have to tell the golem how to walk, how to balance itself with every step, to climb, to coordinate its very limbs. Do you have any idea how complicated it is to make a rock walk like a man?! Figuring that out took me years. Then you need to tell the rock what it needs to do, and these missions are a lot more complicated than throwing rocks at enemies. It needs to be able to find food, secure the food, defend the food, and transport it back, all of which a rock has absolutely no clue of how to do. A golem is not like a man, you tell a soldier to secure a hill they can do it. However, tell a golem to do that, you must tell the golem how to move, where to move, what to do once it gets there, who is friend, who is foe, should it continue to hold the hill for centuries preventing any from claiming it, or should it give way to the commander. The sheer level of detail needed to get a golem to do anything is exhausting." Joseph declared with a challenging look directed towards the soldiers, Ranaul in particular.
"In that case this festival is not just a celebration of survival, but of your ingenuity as well." Gareth praised, his voice calmer now. "Joseph, your golem has given Nohr hope. I am eager to see it in person when it arrives."
Grinning with pride Joseph carried on. "You shall, it should arrive late tonight with carts laden with enough food to last the year. When it arrives, I'd be glad to give a demonstration of its abilities. I think you'll be impressed."
"The fact that your golem is capable of advancing through the Hoshidan barrier while carrying out complex missions is more than enough to impress me." Gareth stated. "Joseph, I am curious did your golem suffer any damage in crossing the barrier?"
Stroking his beard, Joseph thought back to when he last saw his creation. "There were a couple of scratches and nicks in the stone, but they were purely cosmetic. There was no damage that was of any consequence to the golem."
"Hmm, this is good news. Either the Hoshidans are unable to injure the golem, or are incapable of bringing together enough force to take it down. We can talk more tomorrow. If the golem is everything that you say it is then I promise that the King will receive a good report from me." At the mention of the King, several things happened at once. Joseph straightened with pride and vindication, Ranaul & Marren stiffened and eyed their leader with surprise, and young Alex simply gaped at Gareth with awe in his face. Slightly uncomfortable with the looks he was receiving, Gareth cleared his throat and made promises to return tomorrow before leaving with his soldiers.
Walking through the streets towards the large tent, intent on meeting with Rordan and hearing his report on the performers, Gareth led the way with his small guard following closely eyeing the Lieutenant with questions burning in their eyes. "Lieutenant, permission to speak freely?" Marren asked.
Releasing a weary sigh Gareth stopped and turned to his soldiers. "Permission granted."
"Sir, will we be meeting the King once we are done with this mission?" Marren asked an edge of excitement and wonder clear in her voice.
"Unlikely, once we have observed the new golems capabilities we are to bring it to the Capital so that it might be presented before the King. King Garon likely will summon me for a preliminary report, but the demonstration will be for the King and a few select officers, you will most likely not meet King Garon at this time." Gareth explained his voice dry as the lifeless fields outside the village.
The Lieutenant's tone was lost on the soldiers in the face of their excitement. "Does that mean you've met the him before?" Joel questioned honest curiosity on his face. "You make meeting with our King sound like a chore rather than an honor. He's a legend made flesh."
"He single-handedly fought Chief Kilma and brought an end to the Ice Tribe's raids on my village." Ranaul stated, pride clear in his voice.
"He married a commoner and made her his Queen." Marren added with a smile, recalling stories of the many miraculous healings Queen Katerina performed throughout Nohr all those years ago.
"King Garon's brought to heel the nobles and united Nohr like it has never been before." Joel continued. "He's raised ten commoners to nobility in the last decade, and fifteen during the Twelve Years War. That's more than the entire Cyneor dynasty raised during their hundred and fifty-year reign."
Gareth looked at Joel with an impressed look in his eye. Not many commoners paid that much attention to the history of Nohr. He might be worth inviting to the platoon's tactical meetings and possibly the reading lessons he was giving to his commanders when they had free time. "Yes, I've met the King before, and yes, he has done all these things and more, but the King and I have a rather contentious relationship."
The soldiers were silent as they digested that information. Gathering his courage Ranaul asked Gareth, "So how exactly do you know the King?"
Giving the three soldiers a long look, Gareth debated whether he should tell them. Sighing in resignation he told them, "I've told you before that I am no noble, but I am technically part of the Nohrian court, so I've met the King several times before." A look of shock passed over the faces of his troops, more questions were clearly begging to be asked, but they closed their mouths as the little boy Alex came running after them.
"Hey wait up!" The boy called out. Reaching the soldiers, he leaned over panting from his run. "Dad suggested that I be your guide around town. Our village is old and the streets can be kind of confusing to newcomers."
Smiling at the young lad, Gareth waved the boy forward. "We'd be glad for your assistance Alex. We are trying to make our way to the main festival tent to meet with one of my Commanders."
"Oh, I can get you there easily. Just follow me and I'll show you the way!" The boy declared excitedly leading the way through a narrow side street. "So, is it true that you'll meet the King?" Alex asked not even a minute later.
Chuckling at the boy's question, Gareth cast a look back at his own troops with a small smile before nodding. "I will, but tell me Alex you wouldn't happen to be named after Prince Xander would you?"
Straightening with pride Alex turned back to Gareth and nodded with a bright smile on his face. "Dad says that Prince Xander has the potential to be just as great a king as his father, I'm happy to share his name."
"It is a good name to be sure, and certainly better than Charles." Gareth said with a chuckle. "The crown prince is definitely a man to emulate, he is honorable, just, and is willing to take on great burdens to help his people. He is one of the best men I know."
"So, you've actually met Prince Xander?!"
"I've met with Xander many times, most recently I met him when I was presented my commission in the army. He actually gave me some advice in establishing command."
"Really! Wow, so is he as strong as strong as the stories say?! Does he wield Siegfried like King Rayner did? Do you really think he'll become a great king like his father?" Alex asked rapidly. His excitement and joy at hearing about his namesake was clear, and actually a little endearing.
"Well, I am not sure what stories you've heard, but yes Xander is strong. I've trained practically my whole life, but I've yet to best him even once in practice. Though I've come close a time or two. He is resolute and he puts forth his full effort in everything he does. That drive of his makes him a dedicated prince. I remember a few years back when a Mataran raiding band intercepted a caravan of food destined for the Eastern territories. Xander personally led a company of soldiers to recover the needed supplies. He tracked them through the hills and dells of the Mataran countryside until he reached their base. Leading the charge, he broke through their pitiful wall and defeated any raider so foolish as to stay and fight. Securing the vital supplies, Xander led the caravan personally to deliver the food to the starving villagers. That courage and drive to do justice by his people sets him apart from many of his siblings."
"As for Siegfried, Xander inherited the blade on his sixteenth birthday and has strived to be worthy of its legacy from the moment I met him. He was so determined to prove himself, he followed his father's footsteps and braved the trials to meet with the Rainbow Sage and obtain great power. He is the fourth person in the last century to successfully reach the peak of that sacred mountain. Ever since he's returned from that mountain he has been even tougher and more powerful than ever." Gareth spoke recalling the Prince's triumphant return. He marched through the corridors with a new purpose and confidence that followed him wherever he went. In particular, his dealings with the King changed, he began to take on more and more responsibility growing into his role as the next king, should he live to see it that is.
"Sounds like you think he'll make a great king." Marren added.
"Xander is great at a lot of things, he's a fine horseman, a masterful swordsman, and he has genuine love for this nation, but he lets some threats sit a bit close for comfort." Gareth replied with an irritated look on his face. "But enough about that, tell me Alex about your village, what do you like to do for fun?"
A bit disappointed at the change of topic, Alex nonetheless was eager to share all he knew of his home. "Well that is old Mrs. Gratia," Alex gestured to an elderly woman with kind but tired and weary eyes walking towards the festival, "she used to make the best bread in the whole village before we stopped buying wheat a few years back. I loved her sweet breads, those were the best things I've ever tasted."
"So, what does she do now?" Gareth asked.
"She helps watch the young children while their parents are working." Alex explained before gesturing towards a house with flower carvings on the door. "My best friend Kaleb lives here, we used to play all the time making puppets and chasing dogs across the village, but we don't get to see each other that much anymore."
"Did you two have a fight?"
"No, we've been busy helping our families. I help Dad with his sculpting and record what command lines work now. When he's doing something really delicate, I go and help Mom at the kitchens helping make meals for the villagers. Kaleb is busy helping his parents dig more wells. Grandma says it's only a matter of time before the curse cuts off our water supply too." Alex replied. Looking over he saw Gareth's eyes beneath his helmet were sad and distant. "Oh, but don't worry I'm a great helper and with our golem finished we won't have to worry about starving ever again!" Alex cheered joyfully. "Before we go to the festival, can we drop by the blacksmith, Dad wanted me to let him know what kind of chisels he'll need this month?"
"Of course, lead on Alex." Gareth said gesturing grandly causing the boy to smile broadly and his soldiers to look on with some confusion. Never would they have thought their tough and at times fearsome leader would get along so well with children.
Happily leading the way, Alex kept up a constant stream of chatter, talking about the village and introducing Gareth and the soldiers to everyone they met. "That's old man Levi, he tells the best stories in the whole village. He doesn't get out much, but he's actually very nice. Over there is Madame Ava, she and her husband Nathan are the villages main traders, taking our sculptures, pots and other crafts all over Nohr, but they've been spending a lot of time in the village recently. I'm not sure why. Oh, and that's Thomas he's been teaching me to juggle in my free time." By the time the group reached an old stone house with an outdoor furnace Gareth felt he had met half the village, after spending so much time in the royal court, and amongst soldiers recently it was nice to be reminded of what Nohr was truly about, the people. Reaching the forge, Gareth saw a grizzled and bearded man snuffing out his fire.
"HEY!" Alex shouted catching the smith's attention.
"Ah, Alex. I was wondering if your father had any more orders this month. He must've broken what, four chisels by now." The blacksmith called out with a rueful shake of his head. "That man may be the best sculptor in the village, but he wreaks havoc on my chisels."
"Yeah, he needs a new half inch flat chisel, two new point chisels, and a new hammer. He broke his half pound hammer the other day."
"I'll see what I can do, boy. So, mind introducing me to your friends, it's not every day I get to see some premium metal work like that." The smith said gesturing to the armor that Gareth and his men wore.
"Ok, sure. Sorry about that. This is Lieutenant Gareth and his soldiers, Ranaul, Marren and Joel. Guys, this is our village's blacksmith, David Smith. He makes a lot of tools like hammers, shovels, chisels and stuff, but he doesn't make a lot of swords though." Alex introduced, with a note of bitterness at the end.
"I keep telling you child, most blacksmiths make tools not weapons, and I certainly don't make any. With how busy your father and the other sculptors keep me it's a wonder that I have enough time to make anything beyond chisels." David began wearily, clearly having had the same conversation many times before with young Alex.
"He's right," Gareth interrupted giving the smith a break, "making a blade to withstand the abuse of the battlefield is a lot harder than you'd think. Most blacksmiths, with time and determination, can make a respectable sword or axe, but I can tell you from personal experience that even when you know what you're doing, things can be a lot more difficult than you thought. Though I admit my biggest issue was working with my material."
Curious Alex turned away and David sent a grateful smile Gareth's way before heading inside. "Really what did you make? Was it a great sword? Ooh, I bet it was an axe!"
"Nope, I made this." Gareth said unsheathing Caelus.
Alex was transfixed by the dagger, the black whirling clouds within that sparked with bolts of lightning drew his eye and left the boy in awe. "How'd you make it? I've never seen anything like it." Alex breathed.
Carefully sheathing the blade, Gareth smiled down at the child. "Now that my friend is a secret." Seeing the lad pouting a little Gareth chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder. "Now how about we see this festival your village is having, after all, I can't recall ever having visited a festival before."
Disappointment faded quickly as Alex looked aghast at his new friend. "Well, in that case let me show you a short cut." Leading the group through some twisting alleyways the group soon found themselves outside the village walls and standing before the large colorful tent. Villagers and performers all milled about talking and laughing, and experiencing a joy that was rare for Nohr.
There were men and women dressed in colorful clothes of red, green, bright yellows, and even one man in a colorful patchwork outfit. These colorful performers juggled bright balls in complex patterns dazzling and awing both children and adults. A trio of brightly colored performers tumbled down the street drawing smiles and interest from the crowd. There was a duo in bright red costumes separate from the rest that were demonstrating some fire breathing that drew in large crowds. Around the large tent were a number of wagons and cages.
Gareth found himself staring at everything, the performers, the crowds, the sense of joy that was present was utterly foreign to the young Lieutenant. He had seen the kindness of Nohrian citizens, their willingness to work together, their strength through adversity, but he'd never seen them so carefree and happy. Watching the citizens of Rothaire, Gareth smiled brightly and with a light heart followed Alex's lead through the crowd, keeping an eye out for Rordan. Walking through the crowd, the small group found themselves entertained by the jugglers, and especially the fire breathers. Wandering around the festival Gareth saw several of his soldiers enjoying the festival and mingling with the villagers. Smiling Gareth turned to suggest that they explore the large tent when he found Rordan making his way towards himself, quickly stepping to the side of the road Gareth met with his commander.
"Sir." The archer saluted. "I've completed a preliminary investigation of these performers."
"And your verdict?" Gareth asked his cheer fading away in the face of a potential problem.
"They seem to be what they claim, he said with a smile. The performers and acrobats were mostly from the south. Many are from Nestra, though I found a few families hailing from Dreya to the South West. I heard from their leader that they have a professional singer from Cyrkensia's famous opera house that'll sing at the end of the day's festivities. Their creatures are exotic. I saw some kind of large cat, a huge grey creature with massive tusks, and some Kenshi." Gareth started at this and his expression turned grave. "I know, I thought the same thing, but their handler told me that the birds were crippled from birth, their bones apparently too weak to support a rider, so she was able to buy them cheap." Sucking in a long breath the archer turned to face his Lieutenant, "Though I haven't had much time to check around, I'd say that they are as safe as any Lieutenant."
Gareth nodded, a bit surprised that this traveling festival was able to steal away two Kenshi as well as one of Cyrkensia's famous singers. Though still a bit suspicious, Gareth's own eyes told him that these men and women were clearly what they claimed to be: performers, and talented ones at that. Decision made Gareth told his senior commander to check in with Karen about the schedule she had worked up and to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Saluting, Rordan made his way through the crowd to find the tempestuous commander, his quivers of arrows gently jostling as he maneuvered around the civilians making their way towards the tent. With Rordan's report, Gareth felt another of his burdensome worries fall away leaving him even lighter than before. With a grin Gareth turned to his companions, Alex who had been distracted by the tumbling feats of a few performers had turned to Gareth with a question in his eye.
Gesturing to the large tent before them, the group entered following the crowd. Inside the colorful tent Gareth found himself a bit surprised at what he saw, the tent was tall, easily over thirty feet tall, the height was needed apparently for three long ropes to hang from tent's top poles. In the center of the tent there was a short colorful wooden wall encircling a large piece of ground. Around the edges were a series of seats clearly intended for the growing audience. Feeling a tug at his hand, Gareth let himself be dragged over to the top row of seats by Alex. Sitting down next to the young boy, with his guard surrounding him, Joel still proudly clutching the platoon's banner, Gareth turned his attention to the ring where he saw a man with a regal rich purple hat enter.
Standing tall, he gave an elaborate bow to the audience and began the introductions. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am Miguel and I welcome and thank you for being the very first audience for our traveling festival. Today we have not only creatures never before seen in Nohr, but we have some truly spectacular acts that you are sure to enjoy. For our first act, I give to you Dastan. Our very own soaring knight!" The speaker ended with a shout as he introduced the crowd to a young man entering the ring, no older than sixteen, with bronze skin and deep brown hair tied back with a bright green band. The young man was clothed in an open vest of dark green silk emblazoned with swirls and whorls of gold thread, his pants were black and as he bowed theatrically to the crowd his smile shone bright and genuine.
With a cocky grin at the crowd, the performer leapt several feet into the air and snagged one of the long ropes dangling from the tents tall roof. With twists and turns, the young performer climbed the rope with ease, his feet making steps out of the long rope. He paused in his assent and removed his hands from the rope. Gasps went out from the crowd as the boy tilted and began to fall, until he was stopped by the rope twined between his feet. With a laugh, the young man continued his climb upwards pausing to hold positions that seemed impossible with a rope. Finishing a daring hold in which he held himself upside down with only his hands on the rope keeping him elevated as he defied gravity and climbed himself higher still. Recovering, the acrobat waved at the crowd from high in the sky drawing awed looks from most. With a bright smile, Dastan leaped from one rope to another and ended up swinging over the audience's heads before landing in the center ring where applause exploded from the crowd.
Smiling brightly Dastan bowed and with sweat clear on his face and his chest heaving with exertion, he bowed once more and made his way out of the ring to applause and cheers. Once again entering the ring Miguel entered the ring with a bright smile on his face. "I hope you enjoyed our opening act because you'll be seeing more of Dastan later on. Now for our next act we have some truly impressive beasts from far away." With a grand gesture two large winged birds nearly as large as most wyverns suddenly flew out from the wings of the tent and dipped and dived within the confines of the tent. The birds were large, white with several large tail feathers reminiscent of peacocks, with their bright fiery colors. Staring at the birds as they flew through the air performing dazzling tricks Gareth felt a longing he had forgotten begin to stir within him. His attention was grabbed as Joel and Marren began to talk quietly.
"The birds are impressive, but I'd rather see that Dastan come back." Marren grumbled.
Looking at the light-haired girl sitting next to him Joel shook his head and tossed the girl a teasing smile. "You just want to ogle him some more don't you Marren."
A blush staining her cheeks she refuted his claim. "I've seen some tumbling before and I know that what he did took both incredible strength and control."
Gareth broke into the conversation his eyes still following the Kenshi with a longing look. "It was most impressive, with that level of control and skill he'd make an incredible warrior with some training."
"I was thinking the same." Marren exclaimed purposefully ignoring the disbelieving looks Ranaul and Joel were sending her way. The soldiers quieted down and watched the show before them. Animals of all sorts of sizes and shapes were trotted out performing tricks and awing the crowd. Then a trio of performers in bright red clothes entered the ring and wowed the crowd with a brilliant fire dance. Flames flashed as they twirled with fire flashing along the burning brands they carried. Almost hypnotized by the dance the crowd erupted in cheers as they exited the ring.
Entering once more into the ring to great applause was Dastan, his vest changed out for an eye-catching leather cuirass. In each hand, he carried a bright broadsword with an elaborate guard that coiled around his hands. Pausing to center himself, Dastan exploded with energy, leaping and twirling, the man was a literal whirlwind of steel, flashing bright in the light of the tent. He thrust, slashed, and whirled through his stage capturing the imaginations of all, at the end of his performance he bowed to his audience and with a broad smile on his face he walked to the edge of the ring and carefully laid down his steel blades and brought out a pair of wooden practice swords. Holding one sword pommel out to the crowd he offered the blade with a challenging glint in his eye. "This is the part of the act where I invite one of the audience to step forward and challenge me in a friendly spar, I hear that we have some of Nohr's finest in attendance today, so we might have a very good show for you all today, should one of these gallant soldiers step into the ring."
Murmurs of excitement fluttered around the stands as the Nohrian soldiers in attendance ribbed each other encouraging them to take part. One soldier rose from the stands and swaggered towards Dastan with a great confidence in his step. Eric, one of Alicia's more talented fighters, his hair dark and his shoulders broad, stepped into the ring taking the proffered sword and flourished the blade testing its balance. Pleased he readied himself and gave the acrobat an intimidating look. With a salute to his opponent and to the crowd, Dastan gripped his blade and charged Eric, slashing low at Eric's legs he moved Eric back as he calmly backpedaled blocking and deflecting Dastan's strikes with the ease of long hours of practice. Pressing the attack Dastan carried on undeterred, his strikes swift and accurate in their attempts to overwhelm Eric. Taking initiative Eric stepped forward immediately after deflecting Dastan's blade and with a swift rising slash, nearly ended the bout, the acrobat's balance and quick reflexes being the only thing that kept him in the match. Regarding his opponent with a new respect Dastan let his opponent drive him back towards the center of the ring expertly turning aside the soldiers blows, the flashy acrobat was displaying a surprising amount of skill and awareness as he deflected Eric's blows with practiced ease. Frustration growing on his face Eric locked blades with Dastan and tried to disarm the boy. With a quick and near impossible twist Dastan freed his blade and with a quick step towards the soldier he tangled his feet and sent the large man to the ground. Placing his blade at his opponent's neck Dastan found the enemy's blade pointed at his own belly. Impressed Dastan laughed and reached out to help the soldier to his feet, and led the soldier into a bow.
"Ladies and gentlemen, let's give a hand for your soldier who was the best challenge I've had in months." To the sound of applause Dastan gave a final bow and upon collecting his broadswords he left the ring where Eric quickly made his way back to his seat a bit humbled at not beating his opponent, but upon receiving a nod of acknowledgement from Gareth the sting of the draw was lessened.
Watching Dastan leave the ring, Gareth eyed the boy. The acrobat was clearly well trained, and were he fighting Eric with two swords as he was during his demonstration then the fight would have likely ended rather differently. Quick, aggressive, and incredibly athletic, the young man had all the makings of a master swordsman if he could tone down his more flamboyant moves. As Dastan neared the tent's edge, Gareth was sorely tempted to offer the lad a job in the platoon, but as Dastan reached the end of the tent he was greeted warmly by a tall man with a wiry dark beard who was bedecked with knives, a dark haired matronly woman who was juggling outside the tent, and a younger boy no older than twelve who had participated in the fire dances earlier. Watching the group laugh and congratulate Dastan, Gareth immediately boxed that thought and with one last look towards the family celebrating in the wings Gareth turned to the center of the ring and silently wished the family well.
The rest of the acts were impressive, but with his mind elsewhere, Gareth was unable to fully appreciate them. The last act broke through his thoughts when a singer with straw blonde hair entered the stage and sang. Her voice was at once light and airy, but clear as the sun. The song spoke of changing fortunes and hope. From the looks of the mesmerized audience, she chose well. Bowing to the awed silence of the crowd the singer left the ring with a pleased smile on her face and Miguel entered the ring his purple hat clutched over his heart as he thanked the village for their attendance and invited them to come once again tomorrow for their final performance.
Exiting the tent, Gareth saw Alex safely to his mother, a brown-haired woman who looked a bit worn, but happy nonetheless. Bidding his goodbyes to the son, Gareth turned to the village and picked up his horse from its stable, and began the trek back to camp. His mind whirling with the events of the day, Gareth dismissed his guard upon entering the camp. Upon receiving an update from Jared, who was the current Commander in charge, he made his goodbyes and turned to his tent, desperate for some solitude to process everything that had happened. The new golem would change everything, Nohr now had a real chance at surviving the famine! The possibility of Nohr's recovery was on the horizon. For years it was expected that if Nohr was to survive, then Hoshido's barrier, and ultimately Hoshido itself, at least in some minds, must fall. But now? Could a healthy Nohr really be within reach? Though the golem and the possibilities it brought weighed heavily on his mind, the sight of the Kenshi today brought with it memories of a home that was barely more than a shadow and vague feelings most of the time. The mere thought of Hoshido had once brought a feeling of pride to him. After befriending Camilla, Elise, Gunter, and the others who helped him carve out a place for himself in the dangerous Nohrian court. Those feelings of pride had faded, but the memories flooded back upon seeing those great birds. When he was a child he had thought Nohr was a dark place full of evil murderers, but now he knew that to be false. He could not judge an entire nation based on one man's horrible actions, but renewed thoughts of his first home pressed hard on him.
Sitting there, still in his armor, Gareth thought of Hoshido. His home once upon a time. What it would mean to return there, to see his brothers and sisters once again, their faces long since faded away. His mother, her kindness and love he could still recall, though her features had been mostly forgotten. Would he be welcome? Would he be able to return to the friends and loved ones he had made in Nohr? Camilla? Would his sister come? Would she even want to? Did she even remember him? Sitting there Gareth wiled away the night lost in deep thought until he was roused by a shout.
Springing from his tent, sword in hand Gareth's attention was immediately drawn to the village. A fire burned in the night, screams, cries, and sounds of battle began to echo out through the still night air!?
1. My desperate attempt to make sense of Fire Emblem's economy. First of all, prices in Fire Emblem Fates, and likely every Fire Emblem series, make zero sense. For instance, in chapter 16 of Conquest you are gifted 10,000 gold pieces to conduct a war. Reasonable, you need to buy food, supplies, arms, armor and so forth to conduct your campaign, but when we look at what the game ascribes to prices for items, things get messed up. You pay 1000 gold for a single Iron sword. That just does not make sense. How would a full tenth of a war chest be spent on a single sword? And yes it is a single sword. Simply put, the game does not place a lot of emphasis on the intricacies of money and thus things fail to make much sense. So, alas, I am forced to create a new money system. Kind of. First of all, Nohr is one of the few nations that produces gold coins. So, they are worth a lot. Thus, a single gold coin is worth 20 silver coins. Remember gold is rare and these are gold coins are nearly pure gold. Now a common everyday man makes a yearly wage of about 10-12 pieces of gold. A Destrier would therefore cost about 50 pieces of gold depending on breeding and so forth. A typical war horse would cost about 20-30 gold pieces, while an ordinary workhorse would cost about 8-10 gold pieces. A well-made steel sword would cost about 3-4 gold pieces. Most durable possessions in the middle ages were intended to be nearly permanent and long lasting, not easily replaceable. People bought things with the intent of using them for years and years to come. Now a lot of the more consumable goods such as food, cloth, and so forth was often bartered, and in fact in some areas people solely bartered. The particularities of money and the expense will not be brought up much, but I wanted you to be aware of the reasons why the prices of what I do reveal are what they are.
2. Yes, Xander is the fourth person to climb to the peak of Sagesse Mountain in the last century. I find it unrealistic, in the thousands of years prior to the game, no one successfully climbed the mountain and met with the Rainbow Sage. Only in the last 30 ish years before he game had anyone successfully climbed the mountain. Therefore, I have made it so that many great warriors, leaders, and philosophers have made the pilgrimage successfully throughout my timeline, but in the last three hundred years fewer and fewer have made the attempt. Thus, by the time of this story, few can recall the last time anyone has completed a trip to the mountain. So, the feat is still impressive, but Garon, Sumeragi, the mysterious knight (hint hint), and Xander are not the only four to have done it in recent memory, particularly this century.
3. I've done it again, I have created another nation in the world of Fire Emblem Fates. Dreya is a nation that sits near the south-western tip of the continent with their capital situated strategically on the large Meltem bay. Dreya is one of the most profitable trading nations on the continent, delivering goods to ports all over the land. Many of Dreya's citizens are involved in the nation's trade, be it on the sea, caravans, or even merchants. The nation brings in barges of food for Nohr as the nation continues to need large quantities of food to feed its starving populace.
And thus, we end on a cliffhanger. What's happening and why is it happening? All excellent questions that shall be answered next chapter. I am excited about the next chapter as it is one of the climaxes I envisioned for this story when I started thinking about this the plot all those months ago. Man am I pumped for the next chapter! It is going to be intense. You can expect the next chapter in a week or two, I won't keep you in suspense for too long.
As always please leave a review letting me know your thoughts on the story and its direction. Thanks for your continued interest, if you are interested visit my author's page where I post the status of the story.