29.
Emilia opened her eyes, waking to a blurry shaft of light through her window. She groaned, her body sore from battle, but lazing in bed would only make her feel guilty. It was the first cold morning of the year, she realized as she crept out from the covers and trotted to her wardrobe. She batted aside fabrics, grabbing the first autumn piece that came to hand: a black dress she never wore last year because her father hadn't liked the color. Refusing to dwell on that, she pulled it up over her head. Pausing to find some jewelry, put her hair in pigtails and find some shoes, she left her room, jogging through the corridors.
Her heart sank - then sped up - as she saw a messenger stalking through one hallway, heading for her brother's rooms. "What's happened?"
The messenger blinked, surprised at being questioned en route. "I've come from Tyrga. Queen Yggdra has changed her course to Flarewerk. It appears she's going to hack her way through Drominos Marsh."
"Was she selectively bred to be an idiot?" Emilia wondered out loud. Yggdra was taking a land-bound force through a swamp - a heavily wooded swamp - a heavily wooded poisonous swamp - instead of fighting her way up the well-maintained Tyrga Road? But its very maintenance might have been the problem. Gulcasa had expected Yggdra would take that road, and he'd left it well-defended.
There are villages in Drominos, Emilia remembered. They won't know what hit them. "Are there any defenses in the swamp?"
"Last I saw," the messenger said, "the Anti-Paltas Militia had placed its remaining forces there."
Guilt jabbed Emilia at the words Anti-Paltas Militia. "How many strong?" As the messenger rattled off a series of divisions, Emilia firmed her jaw. She took a deep breath once the messenger finished. "Okay. When you make your report to the emperor, add the Imperial Aerial Forces to that list."
"I - Yes, Your Highness." The messenger covered her surprise with a swift bow.
Emilia turned away and started for the mews. Her mind should have been whirling, but it was strangely calm. She was the last Dragon General. More importantly, she was the princess of Bronquia. Thieves were coming to steal her home, and she'd fight them every step of the way.
If I'm going to stop her, I can't fight with only a few units. I need all of the remaining force. Drominos has a lot of tree cover, we'll need to be careful. Also the smog...we can use that.
As the word went out for the aerial forces to assemble, Emilia clearly saw how their numbers had been depleted over the last months. She tried to keep her face impassive as she walked to Twit's side, but her lips were pressed hard together. She tightened her saddle girth, checked her pack and mace were strapped on securely. She'd received no counter-order from the emperor, though there'd been ample time. Thanks, Gulcasa.
She vaulted smoothly into the saddle, Twit stretching out her red wings. She gathered up her reins as she watched her units fall into place. Her personal unit, the Scarlet Riders, stood just behind her. Despite the short notice, many of them had put on their war paint; Emilia would've smiled under other circumstances.
At a light kick from Emilia's left ankle, Twit lifted into the air, the first of a rising storm of feathers, claws and shrieks. Emilia turned their course south, the riders falling into ranks behind her. Drominos Marsh was a dark blur across the horizon.
This is the very least I can do, after running from Bardot Hill. She tried to steady her breathing. Please gods, help me do this. Flarewerk disappeared below and behind her, giving way to farmlands. I don't care what happens this time. I'm not running.
She remembered Gulcasa's words, his commanding her to fall back if she were in trouble.
Please don't let it come to that.
They were over the marshlands, the high, ragged trees half-hidden in the smog. Even so, Emilia could see small bands of militiamen preparing defenses. They don't deserve this. They didn't start any wars. I helped start all this, so please let me be the one to end it.
From her vantage, she could see the Royal Army approaching, slowed by the dense trees, sucking swamp mud and the thick noxious air. Emilia bared her teeth. She'd never believe Yggdra was a hero or had some divine quest. She had no reason to kill these volunteers. This was only revenge.
The trees and fog would give the griffons marginal cover from the archers, and Yggdra would have to be braindead to use fire or lightning in the dense foliage. Granted, forestland was hardly ideal for the riders themselves, but... She signaled for the units to divide, to begin attacking the Royals on all sides.
The Scarlet Riders made a short sweep above the treeline, then dove for Yggdra's unit. Coughing in the smog, the Valkyries lifted their swords defensively. The Scarlet Riders passed just short of their sword tips, Emilia swerving to avoid trees as she climbed again. She made a half turn, then the riders dove a second time, coming from the back, ignoring a smattering of arrows from the nearest archers. The Valkyries struggled to turn and meet the attack, but Emilia felt as Twit's claws sank into one's face. Emilia struck with her mace, the spikes ringing against armor.
"Watch it, birdies!" As she rose, Emilia caught a flash of blue in the corner of her eye. One of Emilia's riders screamed as the Silver Wolf attacked her griffon, his long curved axe slicing into the griffon's shoulder, through the rider's leg, and down to the flank.
Gaining altitude, Emilia glanced westward through the swamp. Had the volunteers finished their defenses?
No matter. She hadn't come to sit and watch. She turned in time to see an entire squadron of riders taken down by a sudden flurry of arrows. Her breath caught in her throat. She had to hurry or it would be more civilians dying.
I wish we'd never started this war.
She tracked south, looking for an opening.
Am I only saying that because we're losing?
We're not going to lose! I can protect Bronquia, I can protect Brother, no matter what happens. Another squadron was killed, slaughtered as they dove at the bandits. Emilia bit her lip, concentrating on that, trying to keep from thinking. But I have to think. I'm the only one who can do this.
She made another sweep. The wind was picking up, the naked tree-tops flailing in the dark mist, rattling below her. Out of more spite than strategy, she picked her target.
The Silver Wolf saw her at the last moment, swinging his axe around. Emilia reined Twit hard to the right and managed to avoid the blade, Twit's wing catching a bandit in his stomach, breaking his ribs. She surged up, Twit's other wing clipping a tree before they rose above the swamp.
She gained altitude. From what she could see, several more aerial units were down, stymied by the trees or falling prey to the archers. Come on. They're not going to go away if we just sit here. She dropped, circling the army, searching for a -
Twit shrieked and trembled under her, an arrow in her side. Emilia kicked her furiously, attempting to fly higher.
Another arrow struck the griffon's eye, blood flying back to hit Emilia's arm. Twit shrieked again and arched her neck down, trying to claw the arrow free, shredding that side of her face.
"Fly, damn you!" Emilia dug her heels into Twit's ribs. "Come on! You're okay, you can still fly!"
She felt wing beats on either side, her squadron surrounding her. "General Emilia - get on my griffon, I can get you to safe-" The rider dropped, an arrow in her griffon's throat. Emilia almost thought it was funny, except that it had really happened.
Emilia bent double, an arrow narrowly missing her face - then she and Twit dropped ten feet as another buried itself in Twit's left wing. The griffon splayed her wings, pumping them irregularly, fighting to stay aloft. Scarlet feathers scattered through the mist.
Warm blood seeped against Emilia's calf. Twit had been struck in the stomach. "It's okay!" Emilia said. "Just get a bit higher, and we can-" Her Scarlet Riders dove alongside her as the griffon fell, crashing into a brittle tree. Twit rolled, twigs stabbing Emilia's face, then they fell again through the poisonous haze, collapsing into the mud below. Even before she could really think, Emilia was kicking the griffon, forcing her to roll off her side. Pain was nothing more than a cold burn up Emilia's right leg, but she was sure it was broken.
Twit staggered to her feet, her wings angled limply to either side. Emilia gripped her mace, amazed she hadn't dropped it. The Scarlet Riders circled above her.
It was dark in the marsh, almost with a twilit haze, but Emilia could hear people rushing towards her. As soon as the bandits broke into view, the Scarlet Riders dove, attacking before they could reach the princess. One rider tried to break free, to reach Emilia, but her griffon was cut nearly in two by the Silver Wolf.
"Fall back!" Emilia shouted to her riders. Either they couldn't hear her or they simply refused. They kept attacking, kept falling. Too quickly, no more riders burst through the trees. Above her, Emilia could hear more units, but perhaps they couldn't see her.
Maybe they still have time to escape. Straightening her shoulders, she pulled Twit's head up. "Come on, you meathead. We aren't done yet!"
The Silver Wolf was at the front of his unit, breathing hard even in the poisonous air. "Back down, little girl. I really don't wanna kill you."
Emilia heeled Twit furiously in the sides. The griffon reared, her black and red feathers glimmering with blood. "I don't think you'll have to!"
The Silver Wolf set himself, lifting his axe. "You made your choice."
The bandits rushed her as one. Emilia swung Twit around, sweeping several to the ground with her uninjured wing. A bandit launched himself across Twit's spine, then fell away, his axe carving a deep trench in the griffon's back. Emilia tried to spin again, but Twit had been backed against a tree. She reared, slashing with her talons, Emilia bringing her mace down on a bandit's head.
Emilia slammed back against the tree, hitting her shoulder at a painful angle. Twit slumped to the ground, blood pooling under her. Despite the long slash across his face, the Silver Wolf grinned as he stepped away from the griffon, his axe bloody.
Emilia could feel Twit gasping for breath under her, her muscles spasming as she instinctively tried to stand, fly to safety. Emilia held her mace defensively in front of her, wondering if she could free herself from the saddle in time - but no, her leg was broken - she could hardly breathe, her straining lungs full of poison -
The Silver Wolf leapt at her, blue cloak flying, his axe swinging down.
She lifted her mace in both hands, blocked, but he pivoted, swung at her unprotected side. It seemed very slow, the way her dress ripped, the axe entered the soft skin of her stomach, then scraped hard against her ribs and slid out of her, burning with heat. She raised her mace to attack, but he'd reversed his strike, catching her across the chest, cutting deep.
She struck with all of her remaining strength, her mace slammed against his shoulder. The Silver Wolf gasped and fell back, his arm numbed, clutching his bleeding shoulder. The remaining bandits rushed her.
Groaning, Twit rolled onto her side. Emilia dropped her mace, doubled over as she hit the ground, the swamp muck cool against her skin. She opened her eyes to see the bandits closing around her, their axes hacking into her side and arm, her neck protected against her shoulder. It didn't hurt.
"Brother-!"
Where was she? What was she doing there? Where was Gulcasa, and Alkimus, and where were all the people she still needed to protect?
She hadn't protected anyone. She hadn't helped Bronquia to greatness.
A hand grabbed at her ear, ripping the lobe to free her pearl earring. Another snatched at her hair pins. Someone was shouting. The air was cooler, they were abandoning her. Her eyes were slightly open, she knew that, but she still couldn't see anything.
I'm sorry.
The trees rattled against each other, high above her. The wind was strengthening, tearing away red feathers, lifting her long hair. For a moment, it drove away the poison surrounding her.
The last moment.
