"To the Last Syllable of Recorded Time"
-Chapter 1: Arma Virumque Cano-
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Perverse nostalgia set in as Caesar rode by ranks of soldiers, sharpening swords and polishing armor. There was comfort in these familiar sounds and sights, really; he had been born to this, raised to this very act of surveying the mustered men.
Perhaps it was a blessing that he caught a flash of white before he could become too self-absorbed. A flunkyish sort announced his presence, then that of the Lady Chris Lightfellow, Silver Maiden and the captain of the Knights of Zexen. Caesar had already slid from his horse and trotted over to clasp her hand before all her titles had been announced.
"It's good to see you again," Chris said.
"A distinct delight," Caesar responded. "Honestly, milady, I'd like to know how you do it. You haven't aged a day."
She gave a vague smile at his joke. "Oh, I don't know. I think I'm going gray," she retorted calmly. "You look well. How's the idle life been treating you?"
"Simply delightfully, thank you. I've been doing some reading, doing some thinking, furthering my plans for world domination..." She didn't laugh, and Caesar cleared his throat. "Alas, Apple put my plans on hold."
"Ah, yes. Where is she now?"
"Oh – she'll be here in a while. She had a rendezvous with some of the border scouts."
Chris nodded. "Right. Well, the command tent's this way, so..."
Caesar was glad of the excuse to put an end to the idle chatter. Honestly, he had great respect for Chris as a commander and as a person, but she had always seemed to dislike him. Rather put a damper on any prospects regarding friendship.
By contrast, the moment he stepped into the sparsely-furnished command tent, Hugo leaped up and seized him in a hug.
"By the spirits!" exclaimed the young man. "It took you long enough to get here."
Caesar laughed at the enthusiastic greeting as he pounded Hugo's back. "Entirely Apple's fault, I can assure you, because she is not, indeed, here." The two pulled apart and appraised one another. Hugo was taller, now, and more mature, more developed, but he still looked shy of adulthood.
"How were your...studies?" Hugo asked. He shot a knowing smile at the strategist.
"Absolutely fantastic," Caesar replied. "Let me tell you, some of the chambermaids they keep in the Outlands are really worth an extensive study. There was this one – " Then Chris walked past them into the tent, and Caesar feigned a sudden cough. She shot him an amused glance.
"I am a soldier," she pointed out.
"Funny you should bring that up, because I really want to change the subject," Caesar said. "So, how about that upcoming war?"
"We theoretically have a chance," Chris said. She sat in one of the chairs arranged about the table in the center of the tent. Hugo sat opposite her, looking rather uncomfortable; in the Zexen camp, evidently, they went by Zexen furnishings.
"All we need is a strategist of unparalleled intrinsic genius..." Caesar said mock-thoughtfully, taking his own seat.
Hugo grinned. Chris looked as though she wanted desperately to roll her eyes. "Instead, we get you," the former retorted.
"Sir! You wound me!" Caesar placed a hand over his heart.
"What we really need is the Flame Champion," Chris interrupted.
"What we really need is Lilly Pendragon," Caesar shot back. "Care to lay bets on which one's going to be more elusive?"
"It's sort of strange," Hugo said thoughtfully. "I mean, her father never got this worried about her before..."
"It takes a fairly overprotective parent to start a war in response to you not sending a letter." Caesar paused and chewed his lip. "Just out of curiosity – and bear in mind that I'm not going to judge you on the basis of your answer, because I think you're both darling people – did you kidnap Lilly Pendragon?"
"No," Hugo replied. Chris just shot Caesar a look.
"Okay, then – why don't you just open your borders to Tinto? Let inside a small – "
"Absolutely not!" Hugo cried.
"Allow them to search our nation? As though we were some – some – child, accused of stealing petty change, and now Mother is searching for the tin soldier that wasn't there before? It's preposterous."
"We'll never allow them dominion over us! They're our lands. If they want power over them, they'll have to take that power from our bleeding corpses."
"Absolutely. If we allow them this – "
"All right! I was just throwing the idea out there," Caesar replied, forcing a laugh. "Damn your nationalism. So. You have sent out expeditionary forces searching for the both of them, correct?"
"We sent..."
"Watari."
"Yes. Thank you. We sent Watari to search for Lilly."
"It only cost us half a million potch, too," Hugo said.
"Duke and his group are looking for Geddoe."
"How did you manage that?"
"Money, again. They were in the area, so...Zexen is going to be bankrupt before the end of the war if we don't stop hiring mercenaries."
"Of course, we paid just as much as you did," Hugo said.
"Of course," Chris agreed.
"Anyway – it's pretty clear that we're going to have to at least hold off Tinto's forces. Obviously, once Lilly is found, we won't have to worry about Tinto as an aggressor any more, so we don't really need to counterattack, just to defend ourselves. Apple gave me some rough figures..."
"The Karaya clan is offering seven thousand warriors. The Lizard clan has twelve thousand, the Duck clan another six thousand. Alma Kinan is offering three thousand. The Safir clan has expressed desire to not become involved, but if absolutely necessary, they can muster two thousand. Chisha has offered support."
"Where's your camp?"
"About three miles east of here."
"And the Zexen forces?"
"We have five thousand cavalry immediately available to us, with fifteen thousand infantry and about three thousand specialists. If absolutely necessary," Chris added, "we could potentially begin conscription, and that would give us another ten thousand or so before the year is out. More, later on. But with elections soon, I'm not sure how willing the Council would be to approve that."
"Think you could convince them?"
"Honestly, I don't know. Depends on how bad things get."
"Well. On the other end of the spectrum, I've heard this ridiculous rumor that Tinto has raised the largest army ever seen in these parts."
"How odd. I've heard the very same." Chris tapped an armored finger on the tabletop. "By all appearances, the President is not nearly so concerned about his reelection as the Council."
"They're draftees?" At her nod, Caesar shrugged. "Well, that's something. How long has Lilly been missing?"
"The Goddess only knows."
"Well, how long ago did you hear about it?"
"Two months," Hugo said. "Maybe a bit more. We sent Apple out for you almost immediately after the President announced his intentions. That was – what – a month ago?"
"About a month, yes."
"Good God. They've been sent out with a month of training? What're they supposed to fight us with, pitchforks? When did Gustav start treating his people so callously?"
"Since his daughter got kidnapped," Hugo said.
"Or killed," Chris added. Hugo looked sick, but nodded.
"Or just failed to write home. Goddamn. Any idea on the chances of anyone helping them?"
"Pretty slim without proof," Hugo said.
"Any idea on the chances of anyone helping us?"
"Kamaro."
Caesar managed to suppress the urge to make a snide comment on their military prowess. "Anyone else?"
"Not unless we make a desperate appeal..." Chris trailed off, and Caesar stared at her.
"To whom?"
She looked uncomfortable. "No one. Never mind."
Caesar looked at her a moment, but decided to let it go. "Well, okay. I'm tired and smelly, and rather doubt that I'll come up with anything particularly brilliant right now, but what say you we meet again tomorrow?" At their nods, he stood. Just before he left, though:
"Caesar, do you think you'll be able to...do this? Pull it off?" Hugo's question was unsettlingly plaintive.
"Oh, sure," Caesar said. "We've seen worse things and won. This'll be easy."
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I would just like to apologize to humanity for this chapter and the babies that it's killed, and to assure you that from now on, the suck will generally be below the level at which it can pull paint off of walls.