Chapter 9: Work & Plans
Perspective: Fristad/Fire
I swing the axe and ask myself how many times I've swung today, but I know I've lost count. I'm trying to keep score, so to speak, of the different parts of my job. Every day so far I haven't managed to keep track of the trees though. I always get too tired, so my goal is to get fit enough that I can keep count unbothered. My muscles ache every evening and every morning, but I power through and I'm feeling stronger all the time. These trees are like grindstones. The more I strike them the sharper I get.
The main score I've been able to keep, so far, has been how many trees I've cut down. Yesterday was fifty. The day before that was fifty-five - my record. Today, I plan to beat it, of course. It's only midday and I've cut down thirty. My shirt's leaning on the small of my back, scratchy and sodden. I'm on a roll. I'm feeling myself, beaming away and chuckling.
The only thing getting in my way is the fact that I'm leading a group. Several of them. In a few hours I have to go and check on the foragers and hunters, but for now overseeing the deforestation is top priority. There's about fifty sweaty workers cutting through the forested ridge around me. Brought together from across the worlds to work under some shepherd. There are worse fates. Morale is high and a few of them are singing and gradually the rest of us are picking up on the words. Something about creepers and wrecking.
"Timber!" I call. It crashes to the ground and two large-nosed, rectangular-headed villagers run in to separate it and collect the logs. Whenever they do so it breaks down into nicely-compacted cubes. Sadly, if they start from the bottom the tree falls over as you'd expect.
"Thirty-one," I mutter.
I swing the axe down to use as a cane. I look around and I see Steve, out of armour for a change, wandering through the woods with a bowl of stew in either hand. He talks to a green-eyed enderman, who offers a finger pointed in my direction.
Then, he's standing before me, and I have a bowl.
"Take an hour, lads." I call over the singing. "If I eat, you eat. Get to the canteen."
My tone is stoic and measured. I'm channeling my old friend Ironbrawn's tone when he used to tell people a mob had jumped the wall and he needed everyone to band together for a few minutes before we could all get back to our business. Mildly annoyed but with a hint of satisfaction and guilty amusement. It's a good impression.
As they file off Steve asks me, "Having fun?"
"Absolutely," I smile with conspiracy, "It's like shepherding a flock that never runs off, it's great!"
He laughs.
"It's always relaxing," Steve says, "You know what's not relaxing?"
He gestures over to the edge of the ridge and I understand. Fire wants this area cleared of trees to prevent the enemy from taking cover there. Kay wants to save on time and just set a few traps, maybe dig a tunnel out there for a counterattack. Guerilla-style. Fire won out as usual but he won't stop trying to get some variation of it approved.
"Oh, the discussions?" I ask, "Those are pretty stressful."
"I didn't even intend that," Steve snorts. "No, the not-relaxing thing is on the other side of the ridge Kay has chosen to die on."
We walk up to a rock and I see what he's talking about.
In the plains below are several divisions training. There's about five hundred who have signed on for combat duty out of roughly two-and-a-half thousand potentials. Understandably, people are hesitant. That prophecy only carries so much sway with people who just got burned out of their homes. They're mad, sure. Furious, even. But they're not dumb.
I see Tyron flying around a group of soldiers, correcting their posture as they hold poleaxes for the first time. Destiny and Rose are instructing a paltry group of magic-users on how to combine their powers with hand-to-hand. Most of them are healers by trade, but they need and want to fight on the front lines.
What Steve directs my eyes to is the figure of Kay jogging backwards at the head of about forty people. Warnado's floating along beside him cross-legged. Ever since the kid figured out how to do it he won't stop showing off. It's adorable. As for the column: they're all in practice armour and carrying wooden weaponry. I strain my ears to hear what he's yelling.
"Who are you?!"
"Fire's First Infantry!" the chorus groans back.
"What is your purpose?!"
"Topple the Tower!" They strain a little louder.
He stops jogging and holds up a hand. The procession jolts into place. One guy near the middle trips and scuffles back up.
"You're learning Jenkins!" Kay calls out jovially. "Fastest you're back on your feet yet!"
Laughter starts but before it can get going Kay roars "AD-VANCE! FOR-MATION!"
Warnado drops to his feet and his hands start to glow. A bunch of coloured scribbles form on the ground and the column jogs forward.
"They're names," Steve explained incredulously. "Colours are unit types. Skirmishers at the front, swords in the middle. Poleaxe at back."
The column breaks and bustles its way into place, with much criss-crossing of paths and last-minute changes. They settle.
"As you might have noticed," Kay calls out. "I made some changes to the register. Swap a few place-names around. This is not a mistake. You need to be able to adapt, and you rose to the occasion! Well done! Especially you Raphoe, excellent footwork. Couldn't be prouder. You're like a damned gazelle out there! And you, Fritz. Even you Jenkins..." And so on.
He starts a round of applause, then teleports ahead of the group and orders another kilometer's run. Memory of the source of his power throws me off axis… But then it passes and I'm just grateful to be free of that damned book. It's finally met its match in Kay. They're perfect for each other.
"He's been at that with them for the last three hours," Steve shakes his head incredulously and sits back on the rock. "It's insane."
I join him on the rock and take a spoonful of the soup. It's weirdly spicy. I feel my hair lift.
"Redstone again?" I say flatly.
He's done this to me and others intermittently over the last few days. Some recipe of his brother's.
"Yep," Steve grins, "I'm going to keep doing it until it catches on."
"Dream on," I laugh, "I don't hate it, but this is not catching on. You're also getting such a static-slap when I'm done."
"I knew the cost going in. I can take it," he growls in mock steeliness.
We joke back and forth in between spoonfuls until Steve points out that Kay has stopped jogging. His column, while still keeping their pace, has changed course. At the same time, Tyron's great lattice of battle-stances is crumbling. Destiny and Rose's two-dozen becomes at best a baker's dozen and dwindles further. They're all running off toward one hill, at the top of which is…
"No way," I breathe.
A man in rags crowns the hill, pulsing violently in response to his own volume. I can't make out what he's saying but even at this distance I can hear the muffled roaring of opaque predictions. The Prophet, for whom this congregation first gathered, has returned.
I hear a warping sound followed by footsteps. Steve and I turn around, not sure what to expect. I grab my axe and spin it back up.
I see a man in a turquoise shirt and jeans almost identical to Steve's. A stone sword at his side, stubble about his chin, and a brown leather cloak about his shoulder, the stranger approaches. His face is impatient and he keeps squeezing his thumbs until they crack.
"Right," he concludes before he's even started. "Pleasure to meet you both. Lovely weather and all that. Need to talk to Fire, or whoever ended up in charge. Where is he?"
I almost don't respond due to the sheer rudeness, but the confusion is what really stops me. My friend seems just as stuck and after a shared glance we're no closer to an answer. He huffs. He contorts his mouth into a grin. He heaves up his eyebrows. Holds out a hand in greeting.
"I'm Steve, by the way, what are your names?"
"Hi Steve," we respond in a slightly ridiculous unison.
Fire watched as Steve drew the route the patrol would take onto the map. The entire leadership was gathered around the table, even Warnado and Amanda being allowed in.
"The Entity's been having trouble with some lapis smugglers called the Jackals," Steve muttered, so intent on the information he barely seemed to realise he was in the room. "They've been getting too close to its territory and using its portals without permission. Small-time group but they've killed enough mercenaries for it to start sending out heavier patrols. In particular, I've received word that one particularly large patrol is going out tomorrow. A patrol with several officers and, importantly, a captain."
"Which one?" called Destiny from the corner. She was stoking the fire. Anger and anticipation flared in her eyes as she stabbed forth with the poker.
"Uncertain," said Steve. "But it's an opportunity for you to capture someone who might know something about the Entity's plan. I've been following him for years and all I know is that he likes to collect oddities, conquer the odd civilisation, and he really likes those crystals Steve 2 has on him."
"How did you know about those? Also, if anyone's Steve 2, it's you. I was here first," said Steve Brine, scowling.
"I have my ways," Steve 2 smiled acidly. "And you weren't."
Fire studied the route closely. If they were going to attack they had to be prepared to deal with around fifty troops, most of which would be well trained and experienced. There would be at least a couple of mages and endermen so they had to account for that too.
Fire pointed at a valley in a dense forest the patrol route went through. "I think this is our spot. The valley slims down into almost a canyon there. There isn't much room in the canyon, they'll have to be in loose formation. We cut into some of the trees and chop them down fully once they're below. The falling logs should take out a good amount of them. Additionally we trigger a controlled rockslide at the entrance of the canyon, cutting off their escape path. After the surprise attack they'll scramble to the other side, which is where we set up our ambush proper: Archers and mages hit them from the sides to take out a couple more, by then they'll have lost most organization. We'll set up a ditch with wooden stakes if they try to flee forwards. If they flee backwards we have them cornered and wear them down from range. Does this sound good to everyone?"
"Trench sounds risky," Kay cut in flatly, not looking at Fire and fixing his eyes square on the map. "Someone could come across the engineers and scuttle the whole operation. They might simply not retreat where we want them to. Introduces too many unneeded variables, and the troops are too new to do that quietly."
Fire nodded. "True. I was mostly thinking about using fast builders with pre-sharpened sticks to set up the trenches but I suppose we don't have the required military infrastructure and discipline for a smooth operation yet. I trust your judgement on the state of our troops."
"To be perfectly honest," Kay raised his jade-green eyes and met Fire's, seizing the opening. "I don't think we should be sending any of them out into the field for this one."
"What?" Steve 2 laughed bitterly. "So, I give you a Tower patrol, a possible insight into the Entity's plan and a shot at an actual, tangible victory against the Entity and you're chickening out? I could just take the Prophet and go, you know?"
"I don't think that's exactly what he said." Interjected Shadow who had been watching from the sidelines so far.
"Thank you Shadow, you are correct," Kay nodded. "I actually do have a suggestion. We, the leadership, go in on our own."
There was a shocked silence. Fristad went white. Warnado's mouth dropped open and his glowing red eyes widened. Kay capitalised on it.
"We keep the plan mostly as is. The rockslide is good. Falling logs are good. The Book and I have even cooked up a way to get the archers involved without putting them art risk. I summon two openings - one in the enemy lines, the other in front of our archers miles away - the archers fire through and our enemy is substantially weakened. Could even use a portal to separate an officer from the rest of the pack. I'd have to get closer, though, for something that precise.
"The enemy would be totally disoriented. The big issue would be the Endlings and any mages they may have with them, but the grunts would be in chaos. I'd like to see how dangerous a giant is with a boulder on his knee and arrows pin-cushioning his chest.
"Additionally, we'd be showing our forces that their safety is paramount to us. That we're going to fight this war as smart as we are going to fight it hard. Any casualties would be immediate martyrs. A propaganda victory no matter what. Any questions?"
Tyron tilted his head, his ears pricking up at Kir's invisible voice.
"What's the general composition of a patrol this size?" he asked, turning to Steve.
"Normally," Steve 2 began with reluctant modesty. "You could expect about fifty humans. However, ever since someone started a prison break on her watch and then tazed her, the Ender's kind of freaking out. She really needs a victory to stop the Entity dissolving her organs, so she's donating a lot of troops to efforts like this. I'd estimate about forty humans, ten of the Ender's finest, two officers, some mages and a captain. Maybe a giant or two mixed in with the humans."
"Those are not good odds," Tyron muttered.
"You kidding?!" Warnado shouted. "Last time we faced more than five of the Ender's dunk squad David-"
Amanda promptly elbowed him in the ribs, for which everyone was grateful. Fristad looked like he was going to throw up. Jennifer put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed back and forth. Silence drifted like fog through the room until Destiny spoke up.
"Do it," she said with determination. "I want a rematch against those guys and like Kay said, something something propaganda victory."
Astro cleared his throat before wearily intervening: "What she means to say is that we've learned a lot since then, and will be better able to fight them. Something something, propaganda victory."
"The mages can be dealt with using our secret weapon, magic neutralizing splash potions. Ideally they'd die in the alpha strike but we can't rely on that. If everyone carries one or two of those potions we should be able to suppress most of the threat coming from the mages. The endermen do still remain a problem."
"I could focus the scattershot arrow-portal attack on them," Kay offered. "Likely wouldn't kill as many as if it were targeting the humans, but it's a higher priority target. I can testify that they don't react as quickly if they can't see where the shot is coming from, and we'd at the very least injure a few. We'd also have the commander with us this time, and he is quite the beast in combat as I recall."
He showed his palms in magnanimous deference to Fire. He got the impression from Kay's little smirk that this was meant to be a slight, but it was a valid point.
Fire said: "Overall we have three general choices. One is not doing anything, which keeps us precisely where we are, looking for an edge. One is sending the troops, which we agree will most likely get them killed, if they do succeed they will do so with heavy losses and most likely they won't get much out of it. If we go there ourselves we directly put our lives on the line but we also stand to gain a lot. I can imagine that we could take a captive if we play our cards right. We are the rebels here, which means we lose by default unless we do something. As usual, anyone not in agreement is free to stay at the shelter."
"I'm in," concluded Destiny without hesitation.
"Me too," said Fristad, regaining some colour. "I'm not much of a fighter but I'll damn well be there."
Astro didn't look up from the map, but he nodded with pursed lips and gave a stiff thumbs-up.
With a sigh, Tyron drew Kir from its sheath and raised it above his head, before chuckling out: "For the revolution!"
This sped up the process drastically, with the Brines, Warnado, Amanda and Shadow all drawing weapons and joining in the toast. Even Lucy called out "for the revolution" in solidarity. Soon the entire room bar the Prophet's bodyguard was raising a weapon and chanting in the name of glorious revolution.
Steve 2 stroked his stubble.
"You might just be what we've been looking for after all." And then he was gone.
It took exactly ten seconds for Kay to start ranting about what a dick he was. Fire didn't disagree.
