The Journal of Renault, Bishop of Valor
Chapter 6, Part 1
NANI? PART 1?
Yes this chapter is going to be more than one part. You'll soon see why.
Anyways following this chapter I may write a one-off fanfic for Fire Emblem Three Houses or maybe Shantae and the Seven Sirens.
Mayhaps I'll do a poll on Twitter.
Speaking of which, if you did not see the update on my last fanfic, I've created a new Twitter handle specifically for my writing. If you would like to check it out, it's codygulifanfics on Twitter. Link to the Discord is on there as well!
And as always, I hope you enjoy and don't forget to leave a review if you did!
Two weeks after I lost to Briar, word had gotten out around the guild about my recent improvement. In celebration we gathered in the mess hall and drank to our hearts content. I swear I have no clue how much I drank that day, but one thing was for sure: I was drunk as all hell and having a whale of a time. As the song and dance poured into the early morning light, I passed out onto the floor, damn near pissing myself in the process. I awoke to one of my colleagues shaking me awake and dousing me with cold water. I spluttered and spat as my vision came to, and then the man pointed at our Captain, who was standing waiting to address us.
"Now if everyone is awake and sober," Cobalt said, clearing his throat, "then perhaps we can get down to business. Grab your gear and meet me outside in five minutes. I'll explain everything on the way."
Get down to business? On the way? What the hell was the Captain saying?
"Briar," I whispered. "What the hell is going on?"
He just shrugged and ran with the others back to the quarters. I stood up, shook myself off and followed suit, both anxious and confused about the situation at hand.
When we rendezvoused outside, we found the Captain standing next to what looked like an inventory carriage. He was dressed in his armor from top to bottom and had his axe in one hand with the reins of the horse pulling the carriage in the other. Everyone stood silent gawking at the Captain, waiting for him to say a word.
"Now listen up lads," he boomed, "I've just received word of a gang of rogue Sacaens, dejects from the Djute tribe, running amok harassing and pillaging the people of Western Bern. Word is that they've been riding into the villages setting fire to homes and slaughtering women and children, and telling by the report I've been sent they plan on doing it again tonight in a village near Laus. Unfortunately for Bern, the majority of their military is settling a civil conflict in Pherae, so they are indisposed for the time being. However, they have called upon us to settle this matter as a sort of...trial for you all."
"And that's where we come in. One of Marquess Hausen's scouts has located their base camp somewhere between the eastern border of Lycia and Bern: an old smuggler's den by the shoreline. Our mission is simple: rid the place of any and all traces of those savages by any means necessary. Burn the bodies if you must. By the crack of dawn, there should be no such trace of these savages. Do I make myself clear?" We all nodded in agreement. "Excellent. Now let's move men! A second wasted is another life taken!" As we all began to march with the caravan, Cobalt pulled me aside. "Listen Renault," he said, "I know you've been improving lately but I want you to stick close to either me or Briar. The last thing I want is to lose someone of your potential." Without another word, I nodded and followed the rest of the caravan to our destination.
By the time we reached the camp outside the target location, my legs felt like they were going to fall off. Who would have known that the ride from Ostia to Laus would be so physically exhausting? Surely Cobalt didn't, as he was still on his own two feet, unfazed and unmoved by the long trek. We all sat to rest and had a quick bite to eat while the Captain and our scout were talking in the background.
"I've heard of these Sacaen tribesman," one of my allies said. "Damn savages, the lot of them."
"Especially the ones we have to fight," said another. "I heard the Djute tribe are the least merciful of the bunch. You could be dead on the ground with an arrow through your skull and they'd carve you up into one of their sick and twisted decorations."
"What are your thoughts on 'em, Briar?" said a third. "Your great grandfather fought Sacaen tribesmen didn't he?"
"Yes he did," Briar boasted. "They were the same then as they are now: blood-thirsty, sick-minded bastards who kill for sport. And when I find one of those savages, I'm gonna send an arrow through him. Right between the eyes." He followed up with a bow-firing gesture to emphasize his point. I didn't say anything. I wasn't concerned with who these criminals or what their motives were. All I cared about was proving to this guild that I wasn't a burden to them, that I could fight as well and as hard as they could. I've worked hard for this moment, and I wasn't about to let it go to waste.
Eventually, the Captain called us over to explain the plan. It was very simple: one group flanks right and takes the back entrance, while the other group flanks left and takes the assault from the front. This was what Briar called a "pincer" attack.
"Think you can manage, Renault?" Briar asked.
"I don't have a choice, do I?" I replied bravely. "It's now or never."
Without a second to lose, Cobalt gave a signal to our scout who fired a shot at one of the guards in front of the base. A direct hit. With the guard's dying gasp, Cobalt called "Charge!" and the two groups collapsed onto the base like a swarm of flies onto a carcass. The savages grabbed whatever weapons they could, be it bow or blade, and met the groups at the apex of the base. Blood was spilled, blades clashed, and the shouting grew louder as the fight pressed on, and I, having little battle experience, was surprised that I was holding up well. I reconvened with Briar in the middle of the base as the both of us fended off even more attackers.
"Oi Renault!" Briar called out behind me. "You aren't looking half bad."
"Just call us the invincible duo, pal!" I replied back, lunging my sword into my opponent.
"Ha! Us, an invincible duo! I like the sound of that!" After we had cleared up most of the savages, Briar pointed to the horizon and shouted, "Captain! Reinforcements!"
"Damn it," Cobalt growled. "How could they know…fight off as many as you can, men! Don't let a single one live! Renault!" He paused. "Stay and tend to our wounded. Hold off the base if you can!"
Following the Captain's orders, I watched as the others charged headfirst into the reinforcements outside for round two of the battle. As they clashed, I stayed behind and looked for anybody from our guild that was injured. With my luck, I found one with a deep gash in his abdomen and tore part of my cloth off to wrap around the wound. At that moment, I looked up to see a lone figure standing in the doorway in front of me, chuckling evilly.
"Well, well…" the stranger taunted as he smelled the air, "what do we have here? Smells like...Lycian pig." He threw down the sword from his hand and reached behind his back, producing two more Shamshirs in both hands. Without hesitating, I primed my blade and took up defense, which only made the stranger laugh. "You think you can take me, Lycian filth? You are asking for a death sentence."
"It won't be my death sentence, that's for sure," I sneered. The man did not answer. He just laughed even more and lunged towards me so fast that I had little time to react. The next thing I knew, I was launched backwards into the wall. The force of impact screwed my back up again. The stranger laughed once again and stood over me taunting as I struggled to get back up.
"You act strong like a bull," he chortled slyly, "but you fight like a fish out of water." As he raised one of the swords, I began thinking about my life up to this moment and how I had failed miserably to avenge my parents. I thought about how mistaken I was joining this guild in the first place. I thought about what Briar had told me, and how I failed to heed his words. My life was flashing before my eyes faster than ever before. I shut my eyes as the sword began its rapid descent down towards my neck. And then…
CLANK!
I opened my eyes to find that the stranger's sword was stopped by a large, shiny axe. And then, I looked over to see none other than...Cobalt. My fear turned to relief as I attempted to force myself up.
"So," Cobalt said in a low, threatening tone, "you're the leader of these rebels aren't you? I've heard many whispers about you...Sent of the Djute Tribe."
"You speak like a brave man," Sent replied coldly. "You must be...Captain Cobalt of Lycia."
"That I am."
"Heh...you are strong for Lycian filth."
"And you're hella talkative for a savage."
"Savage...ha! You talk about my kind as if we were pigs!"
"Your kind isn't, but you certainly are. You have a lot to answer for, Sent. Death, destruction, panic...all brought to the innocent people of Laus. You're going to pay for the suffering you've caused with your own blood."
"Oho! If you want my blood so bad," Sent chortled as he pointed his weapons at Cobalt, "why don't you come get it?"
"My pleasure." Cobalt took one step forward and swung hard at the tribesman. Blocked. Sent lunged towards Cobalt with both blades. Missed. Both fighters exchanged strikes more like a dance than an actual fight. Meanwhile, I continued to struggle to get up when I looked over and saw a crossbow lying on the floor with a singular arrow beside it. Trying to act quickly yet silently, I gently siddled over towards the weapon, feeling the agonizing pain run its course through my body with each push. While this was happening, Sent and Cobalt continued exchanging blows and grunts, neither side giving an inch. Cobalt saw me and realized what I was trying to do, so he pushed Sent further away towards the wall. Unfortunately with a swift move, the Djute nomad rotated positions with Cobalt and lunged one blade right into the Captain's stomach. Cobalt howled in pain as he was impaled against the wall, unable to get himself free. Seeing this in shock, I scurried faster and faster towards the crossbow.
"You Lycian filth all fight the same," Sent chuckled, still unaware of what I was doing. "Eager to begin, quick to finish." As the last three words formed from his mouth, he raised his blade slowly and with a swift stroke, decapitated Cobalt.
I watched in horror as his head rolled to the ground and his body grew limp, crying "NOOOO!"
It was there that my position was given away by the Djute tribesman. Sent slinked over towards me with his one sword dripping in blood, an evil grin on his face. I had reached the crossbow and was priming the arrow, but then suddenly he was standing over me, taunting me.
"One sheep for the slaughter," he snickered, "and a pig to go with it." This time, he raised his sword up blade side-down, as if to impale me from above. I wasn't thinking about death at that point. I was thinking about my training. Remember what you learned, I thought. It may be a crossbow this time, but I can't miss this shot. As the blade lunged downwards, I painstakingly forced my arms up with all my might, shut my eyes and pulled the trigger. THUD. When I opened my eyes, I looked up and saw Sent clutching his left breast. A direct hit, and a lucky one no doubt. As I shuffled back I watched as Sent stumbled speechlessly back, breathing heavier than a wild boar in the heat, before finally collapsing dead to the ground.
I took a moment to catch my breath before shuffling towards Cobalt's headless corpse. I looked at his severed head, now lying in its own blood, and did the one thing I never thought I would do.
I cried.
How could I not? This man felt like a father to me. He took me in without question and believed in me when no one else would. He taught me everything about fighting, and now he's gone. I could have saved him. I could have died in his place. And that's what made me so upset. Not a moment later, Briar and the others came rushing in. When they saw me in tears, they looked at Cobalt's lifeless body and then his lifeless head. A few resisted the urge to gag, while Briar, unfazed by the sight, knelt down beside me and soothed me. I think I can speak for everyone when I say we were all frightened not because of the gorey sight of a headless Captain, but because we didn't know what we were going to do without Cobalt.
When the scouts concluded that there were no more enemies coming, we gathered the corpses of the rogue Djutes and our fallen allies.
"Burn the corpses of the savages and their base. Leave no trace behind. Take the corpses from our group and burn them separately," Briar commanded.
As the pyres burned and smoke filled the evening air, Briar and I sat down to talk. I was still miserable from losing the Captain, and I could tell by his face that Briar wasn't in the mood for jokes.
"He meant a lot to you didn't he?" Briar asked.
"Didn't he mean a lot to you?" I replied coldly.
"Of course he did. And there's a good reason for that too."
"What?"
Briar paused and sighed heavily. "He was my godfather."
What kind of crap are you SAYING right now, I thought. "Cobalt was your GODFATHER?"
"I know he didn't look the part but yes, he was. A while back, before you came along, Cobalt took me in and raised me like a son. He was a damn good parent, and a great teacher. But I just can't believe that he died the way he did...at the hands of a savage."
"Well we won't have to worry about them anymore, right? They're all gone."
"Renault...one thing you should know about rogue clans and fanatics and those sort is that they never fully disappear when you kill them all. There will be those influenced by their ideals and beliefs, and when those people arrive we have to deal with them accordingly."
I said nothing in response.
"Come on Renault. We should head back to base and tell the Marquess the bad news. We might not have given the Cap- er, Cobalt- a proper burial, but at least we can let Marquess Hausen know that Laus is safe for now."
I nodded and rose to my feet, sulking as Briar and I walked with the rest of the guild back to the caravan.
This was easily the worst day of my life.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Yes, I know I'm a piece of crap for splitting this chapter into two parts, but I think it would be better to split this in two parts for the sake of a cliffhanger (or whatever is like a cliffhanger). Part two will be coming soon though!
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