Chapter 40: Fornax Knows Best

The fighting may have been over, but Incursia wasn't any less tense. Esme trailed after the Titan as it mindlessly stomped through the streets, ignoring the bustle around it. She couldn't so easily look past it all, though. Usurpation soldiers were rushing everywhere, rounding up the panicked slaves or delivering supplies to the areas hit hardest by the brief battle. Dead Inlanders were carted off, and the wounded were either detained by security forces or ignored altogether.

"Looks like we missed out on the fun," one of Jade Squad's agents remarked as she followed somewhere behind Esme.

"None of this looks fun to me, Four," said another.

Jade-4 scoffed. "We haven't had any action since we stole the Bonemeal Cores. And I wasn't even part of the infiltration team, I was just there to wait for you all in the transport! I didn't get to fight those Inlanders who gave Tara so much trouble."

"But I was," answered Jade-2. At least he was recognizable, with his soft but focused tone. "And in case you forgot, Crimson Squad was wiped out, Marshal Orion died, and we nearly burned alive. I wouldn't call any of that exciting."

"It was necessary, though!" Jade-4 retorted. Esme could hear the impatience in her voice. "We struck a blow against the Inlanders, and we stole the Genesis Cores to keep us fed from right under their noses. Doesn't that make it all worth it, on top of the chance to one-up Tara?"

"We fought for a worthy cause," another agent told her. "But that doesn't mean we had to like every second of it."

A week prior, Esme might have found the remark comforting, while at the same time feeling a little ashamed of needing reassurance from an underling. She certainly didn't like every second of her involvement in the war, but her growing conflict over whether their cause even was worthy had made things even harder.

One part of her mind questioned if subjugating the Inlanders really was a necessity for the sake of giving those from the wastes better lives, when cooperation could have yielded so much. Another part viciously berated herself for daring to think such a thing. Her ancestors had been exiled, denied safety by Notch and betrayed by Herobrine. Humanity had been left to rot in the wastes, so of course there was no more sensible option than taking over the Inlands by force. Overseer Fornax had told her as such not long before she was assigned to lead Jade Squad, when the invasion had just begun. Whether she still believed it… well, that was what had been giving Esme a headache for some time.

Speaking of Fornax, the Titan eventually led them to where she was waiting at the eastern sector of Incursia. Esme could see a hard frown on her face as she approached- Fornax was looking at something down another street, something that clearly annoyed her. The expression softened ever so slightly when she noticed the Titan approaching, with Jade Squad right behind it.

"There you are," Fornax said. "I called the Titan here remotely using my book. As you can see, it followed the instruction without issue."

Esme quirked a brow. She hadn't summoned them out there just to demonstrate another capability of her invention, had she? "It's… impressive, to be sure. Can we assist you in, um, stabilizing the area? What happened here?"

The atmosphere of Incursia's inner sector had been tense, but out there in the epicenter of the riot things were much worse. Just standing in the middle of the street, trying not to look too hard at the various crumpled forms being carried away, was making Esme's skin crawl.

Fornax finally stopped inspecting the Titan and looked back at Esme, but before she could begin to explain her posture changed. She stood much straighter, and hastily issued a command. "Jade Squad, disperse and see what you can do to help get things back under control. Regroup at GCRB headquarters by this evening. Dame Esme, you are to stay here with me. Get moving!"

She clearly wouldn't give them any more time to process the abrupt orders. Esme, bewildered, just offered her team an apologetic glance as they split up. It was then that she was what had gotten Fornax so worked up- or, rather, who.

Surrounded by guards, yet not wearing any armor of her own, Commandant Green stuck out. The Industrial Division lacked a true uniform, but Esme had seen more than a few engineers wearing metallic green work clothes with sleeves ending just before the elbows, and the Commandant was dressed similarly. She was also wearing a hooded gray cloak, typical of those from the wastes, which draped off to one side of her lanky form. Her face was obscured by an iron mask with a green visor shaped like an X, similar to the pattern on Red's helmet, but her neatly groomed ash-blonde hair was visible, spilling out from behind the mask and filling her hood. Esme thought it was quite the contrast to Fornax: she had darker hair that was kept almost aggressively short, while her mask revealed at least part of her gaunt face.

Fornax and Esme both saluted upon the Commandant's approach, and received a brief "at ease" a moment later. "Now then, what have I missed?" Green asked.

"The Ender Forge's leader is here. He arrived alone, and it seems he put down the rioters almost single-handedly. He also brought news of an upcoming attack on Incursia by the Inlanders- he and Commandant Red just left to discuss the matter further."

She mentioned it so casually that the significance of such news didn't even click for Esme until a few seconds later, and she had to stifle a gasp. Green appeared to take it in stride, and seemed more irritated that her fellow Commandant hadn't waited for her.

"An attack? Here? When? Who's coming for us? Have the Inlanders amassed an army big enough for that already?"

Questions spun through Esme's head like a whirlwind, but Green had shifted her focus to the Titan standing beside them. "I see you've brought the prototype out here. Have the modifications been implemented?"

Fornax nodded, not bothering to hide her very pleased smile. "Yes, Commandant. Overseer Pyxis and I have worked out nearly every error identified in the first trial runs. We believe one more successful field test is all we need before we can expand their production."

"I will discuss that with the two of you later," replied Green. "So… this Mouth of the Banished King has joined us in person? I thought we were to expect his entourage first. I cannot say I appreciate receiving no forewarning from him… you are certain of his value, Overseer?"

Esme thought she saw Fornax's collected expression flicker under scrutiny, but it held strong. "Absolutely. You, Commandant Red, and Commandant Blue- when she arrives- will not regret taking up this offer. Their spies have already alerted us to a coming attack, so I have no doubt they will prove useful further down the line as well."

As Fornax explained, Green's gaze turned to Esme. The young knight had gotten used to the heightened pressure that came with being near Red- as much as she could, anyway- but standing before the leader of her entire Division brought with it a much more harrowing sensation.

"So you say," Green replied. "Tell me, is this Dame Esme?"

"I-I am, Commandant," she forced out, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt.

"I understand you were among those who met the Ender Forge in person. Overseer Fornax clearly thinks highly of them, and their reputation within the Inlands seems well established. But I am curious, what do you make of these new allies?"

The pressure spiked, as did her pulse. She had to tell the Commandant what she thought of the arrangement? Fornax's attention was on her now as well, and Esme swore she could hear her voice in her head: "Don't let me down." But the last thing she wanted was to lie to a leader of the Usurpation, and the black-garbed devotees of a dead king weren't inspiring much in the way of confidence.

"I… can't deny their motivation," she said, "and their members can blend in with Inlanders better than we ever could. However… w-when we met under the cavern city of Tenebyss, Sir Ray and I were attacked by a dangerous creature in the tunnels that nearly killed us. We were accompanied by a group of Forge soldiers at the time, but they fled and left us to fend for ourselves." Esme swallowed, hoping Green would at least find her honest opinion reasonable. "I don't mean to be pessimistic, Commandant, but I am not sure how this partnership will play out in the long term. I have heard their goal is to wipe out the remnants of an old noble family, but beyond that I don't know what they could be planning."

In the corner of Esme's eye, she could see Fornax had looked away from her and was now staring at the Commandant.

"Well said," replied Green after few seconds of silent contemplation. "You make an excellent point, Dame Esme. Useful as they seem, I am still skeptical of their involvement in our affairs. Perhaps only time will tell if this is in our best interests. For now, I believe I should meet this Mouth of the Banished King for myself. You are both dismissed."

She and her guards marched off to find where Red had gone. When they were finally out of earshot, Esme allowed herself to let out a tiny sigh of relief.

"May I see your mask?" Fornax asked.

Confused, she lifted it off her face and handed it over. An instant later she was staggering, clutching at her cheek where pain had suddenly exploded. Blood trickled down the side of her face from the impact, leaking between her fingers. As her vision slowly regained focus, blurred by tears, she saw Fornax still had the mask raised as if ready to hit her with it again. "I'm disappointed with you, Dame Esme."

She could only sputter futilely, taking shallow breaths and failing to hide how badly it stung.

"I gave you the chance to speak to Commandant Green herself, and to reassure her that my idea to ally with the Ender Forge has gone off perfectly. And you used it to cast doubt on my plan, is that it?"

"I… I d-didn't… she a-asked me what I-"

Fornax's stare was firm, and even behind her mask Esme could feel her glowering. "Are you trying to make me look bad in front of the Commandant, Dame Esme? Are you not convinced of my plan's brilliance?"

"O-Overseer, please, I-"

"I saved you from the wastes. I kept you alive, and I made you my right hand when I saw how resourceful you could be. You know I don't like to be let down by those I see promise in. So, what makes you think you can question MY integrity?"

Esme hiccuped. "I didn't mean to, Overseer… I-I was just…"

"I expect better from you in front of the Commandant. Is this how you repay someone who's kept you safe?"

She stared at the ground, blinking tears out of her eyes and trying to steady her breaths. "N… no, Overseer… forgive me…"

Fornax dropped Esme's mask at her feet. "That's what I thought. Go find your squad and get to work sorting things out here. I'll have another task for you once you've learned to show a little gratitude."

Without another word she marched off, only stopping to pick up a dropped iron sword. That left Esme alone to shakily wipe her eyes and don the mask again, before setting out to locate Jade Squad.

The strike had left a dent in the side of her mask, and she found it didn't fit comfortably anymore.

Ray didn't want to be left alone with his thoughts for too long.

As instructed, he'd made his way back to the GCRB compound. On the way to Staging, he had passed a small lounge where other Industrial workers were on break, and stopped by only to take a few vegetables from the chest of food provided to them. None of the Far Landers paid him any mind, just as he kept his eyes on the floor to avoid interacting with anyone- his head was too foggy for that. He did hear a few excitedly talking about how the failed uprising would send a message to any Inlanders daring to defy the Usurpation, and it occurred that nobody else there had actually been in the thick of the riot. Ray left the room at a brisk pace, and found his way back to Staging in uncomfortable silence.

He bit into a carrot, aware that it was likely grown thanks to his efforts in Luxmouth. With the twin Bonemeal Cores growing enough crops in a day to comfortably feed most of Incursia, strict rationing was a thing of the past. The shortages were made up for by local farming efforts, namely using the Inland slaves to grow and harvest food for their new masters. Perhaps when the Reestablishment Division finally joined forces with the main army, they and the Industrial Division would collaborate to find an even more efficient means of crop production.

"And to think this all happened because I fought Blake under that tree… then came the Illagers, and the raid, and the mission to Luxmouth…"

He wondered where Tara had been taken. Was she locked away, or had Crux found another use for her? The incident in Luxmouth couldn't be taken lightly, not when it had ended in the death of a Usurper Marshal.

A treacherous thought crept into his mind: "But she hadn't meant to do that."

She'd lashed out at the Countess in uncharacteristic anger, and had presumed she could handle the power of two Genesis Cores at once. Both decisions were unwise, given the circumstance, yet Ray couldn't deny that he also hadn't known what would happen if one had multiple Cores bound. He had no clue she would lose control over herself in such a way, and obviously she didn't know either. Tara was many things, and above all she was principled. She'd never have willingly killed Orion for no reason.

When he was entrusted with the light Grass Core, he'd been advised to only use it and not to bind a second one to himself. Fornax had been explicit on that part, but she hadn't said much about why the limit was necessary. He'd just assumed it was dangerous- rightfully so- and hadn't questioned the order.

"Was it our fault for not asking more? Or should our leaders have been clearer with us?"

He tried to shoo the questions away, thinking back to the rationale he'd followed for years: Fornax knew best, and whatever she said, went. She had taken him in and kept him alive, so wasn't loyalty the least he could offer in return? But Ray couldn't entirely convince himself. He'd become resistant to that logic, and the distinct knowledge of that was unsettling. Worse still, under orders simply to wait in Staging, he was left alone and struggled to reconcile his conflicting thoughts.

Fornax arrived some time later, and he stood to salute her when she entered. She replied by holding out a curved iron sword to him. "I believe you dropped this. Take better care of your belongings."

Feeling a little awkward, he took it from her and put it in his inventory. "My apologies, Overseer. Did you wish to speak to me?"

"I did." She pulled up one of the oak chairs from the briefing room's table. "Have a seat, Sir Ray."

Figuring there was no better time to have an honest talk with her about what he'd been going through, he did as told. She didn't sit with him, instead pacing about the map of the badlands while not really focusing on it. "I noticed you standing off to the side while the Mouth of the Banished King was introducing himself. You looked dazed, and you didn't seem to realize you'd left your sword behind. Were you caught up in the riot?"

He nodded.

"I see. And the slaves, they were coming right for your position by the gate. What did you do?"

"Sir Damian of the Expansion Division was killed when he challenged the one who'd taken a Genesis Core," he explained, "and the rest of his men and I were badly outnumbered. The Inlanders were demanding we open the gate for them to escape… so I did. That was when the, er, 'Mouth' appeared."

Fornax briefly laughed. "And then he wiped them out. But I see what you were planning: you would comply to make them lower their guard, and once they were past the city walls you'd lock the gates again, trapping them outside until our reinforcements could arrive unimpeded. Clever, very clever…"

Such a thought hadn't crossed his mind whatsoever, but he didn't say anything.

"It sounds like you had things well in hand- certainly better than Sir Damian did. So why did you look so shaken when I found you?"

He couldn't stay silent this time. "It was… while I watched the Ender Forge's leader fight. I'm no stranger to violence, Overseer, but this… this was the first time I've ever seen so many people…"

She stopped pacing, and looked over her shoulder at him. "You've killed monsters by the score. Even Illagers have fallen to your blades, according to your reports. But just seeing the deaths of Inlander humans or villagers is where you draw the line?"

Ray winced. The slaughter had occurred almost too quickly for him to process, but he could still hear the chaos and terror wrought by the Mouth in the back of his mind. Battle cries, panicked shouts, screams, all cut off abruptly by the towering man in black armor as he made his way through them with inhuman efficiency.

"It didn't feel the same, and I'm not sure why," he replied. "Monsters are monsters, and maybe I was just able to convince myself there was no alternative but to fight when faced with Illagers. But the slaves… I could almost see part of myself in them. They were desperate to survive, just like I was. They would fight their hardest because they didn't have much else to lose.

Fornax looked away from him, and let out a soft sigh. "You empathized with them."

"I'm afraid there's something wrong with me, Overseer. Lately, I've been feeling confused and frustrated about all of this- the war, myself, everything. I don't know what the problem is, or what I've been doing wrong, and I don't know how to make it feel any better. The Usurpation Army has given me everything I have, but I'm worried that my connection to the cause is slipping away."

It was risky to admit, and more than he had admitted to anyone in a while. Ray didn't usually open up so much, especially not to her. For a moment he worried he'd said too much: Fornax's posture had stiffened, and only then did she turn to face him.

"I've rounded up plenty of lost lambs from the wastes," she remarked, "but you were the only one without a name, and to whom I gave one. Would you like to know the meaning behind it?"

This wasn't the reaction he'd expected, and he didn't see how it was relevant, but she was right- he was curious. He nodded, and leaned forward a bit in the chair.

"When I found you, you were fighting that beast alone. And you killed it in that beam of light, proving you could be strong. But you were also scared, as any wanderer would be. So, our fateful meeting in that haven, where I saw the potential in you and decided to take you under my wing, must have been the happiest moment in your life."

Well, she wasn't wrong. He'd lived a miserable life before then, and joining her little band in the fledgling Usurpation Army was a turning point for him, but she sounded oddly proud of herself.

"In a sense, the two of us crossing paths under that bright haven was your first… ray of sunshine."

He blinked. That was it? His name, such a central part of his identity, was based on a pun? The revelation didn't make him upset, or angry, or disappointed. Just… strange.

Fornax must have picked up on his bewilderment, because she smirked. "There's more to it than just the weather. It's because sunshine is something you lack, Sir Ray. You've always been moody, or uptight. And although you're no slouch when it comes to killing monsters, I was worried how actually taking part in the war would affect someone like you. You're not the type to enjoy conquest, are you?"

Baffling as her question was, he could understand the meaning behind it. The fierce anger which had driven him when pursuing Blake, or when infiltrating Luxmouth, had long since died down, and the more he engaged with the war afterwards- spending time with Red, meeting the Ender Forge, facing down a desperate mob- the less comfortable Ray felt.

"I haven't lost sight of the ultimate goal," he replied, choosing his words carefully. "I still want the people of the wastes to have better lives, and I think the Inlands are the solution. But… I'm not sure where I fit into the Usurpation anymore. I feel lost, Overseer."

Ray held his breath. By some stretch of the imagination, he'd just admitted to wanting to give up as a soldier- at least, that was how he assumed most Usurpers would hear it. Such a thought would earn him ridicule at best, or at worst… well, he still had the occasional nightmare of being banished to the wastes. Saying it to Fornax, his immediate superior, was about as direct a path to demotion as he could have taken.

But when she spoke again, her voice was gentle. "I see. You're not cut out for the life of a soldier… yet you still want to help us. I understand, Sir Ray."

Relief swept over him. "Thank you, Overseer. I'm glad you do."

"Being a soldier isn't easy, and not everyone is up to the task. But don't you worry… we'll find another way for you to make yourself useful. In fact, I might have a job for you very soon, one that will get you out of the city."

Ray looked up, confused. "Will that be necessary?"

"If there truly is an attack coming, then I don't want you to be here for it," she said. "Better for you to be away from the fighting, serving the Usurpation from a distance. You can even hold onto the light Grass Core. But in the meantime, consider yourself off-duty until I have more information for you. Take some more time to rest; you must still be shaken from the riot. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have something to discuss with our new allies. Dismissed."

With that she walked out, leaving him alone again. This time, now that he was reassured she understood his inner turmoil, he felt a little better about himself. Whatever she had in mind, it would be an improvement over plunging into yet another battle, and he could still do his best work to support the Far Landers.

The door to the prison block opened, and in stepped a few Inland slaves escorted by Usurpation troopers. Tara, seated in the corner of her cell with a half-eaten piece of cold pork, didn't look up at them. She wondered what had happened; she'd heard thunder before, an unusual sound in a place as dry as the badlands. Then came the sound of hurried footsteps outside the prison, and not long after the bustle died down. Now there were more and more cells in the block being filled with weary-looking Inlanders. A familiar set of heavy footsteps came after this latest batch, and her heart sank when Marshal Crux entered the room. It plummeted when she looked right at Tara's cell.

"I hope you haven't gotten too comfortable in there, because we'll need the space soon. Tomorrow, you'll be joining my platoon and standing guard in the Nether. You've spent plenty of time there, haven't you?"

A few of the troopers accompanying her snickered. Tara forced her icy visage back on- she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of looking annoyed. "I have, Marshal."

"Good, then you won't have trouble adjusting to the conditions. First thing in the morning, you'll report to Expansion Defense Squad 1 with me, and we'll see about getting you some of your confiscated items back."

"Thank you, Marshal Crux," she deadpanned.

"I'd better hear some more spirit from you when you get there. You'll be working with me for as long as it takes to melt you down a little, Ice Queen."

Crux about-faced and left, followed by her peons. At least the Inlanders they'd locked up weren't paying Tara any attention, nor were the few guards left to watch over them.

There was one benefit to her isolation in that cold, dusty cell. Tara had used the time to think, reflecting on the mission in Luxmouth. There was a notable gap in what she could recall: she didn't forget things easily, but it was as if a section of her memory had been cleanly removed from the moment she bound the light Bonemeal Core to herself, to when she awoke in their transport afterwards, being tied up with a length of grass by Sir Ray. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember any part of her outburst of power from the two light Genesis Cores, least of all what she'd done to Marshal Orion.

But she was aware of something. When she'd been given the light Ice Core, a pair of unidentified voices in her head discussed the feeling of crisp, cool water. When she took the light Bonemeal Core, the same two voices mentioned plants, and how fertile the Inlands were. Tara didn't know what the sensations were supposed to mean, but even after both Cores had been removed from her it was clear that something lingered. Not their powers, and not the heightened sense of environmental awareness that came with having one bound.

No, what she could still vividly envision was a message, one she had not mentioned to anyone else. One she suspected offered more insight into the Genesis Cores' very natures than any information collected thus far. One that, in her mind, sounded exactly like one of the voices she'd heard from the artifacts.

"I am broken."