Day 166 / Spiral
"Yo, Garret! … How you doing, man? You managing?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Eric had come to visit when he'd been posted as a solo guard, but Garret's curt reply made it clear he wasn't in the mood for chatting.
"Ah…"
There was a moment of awkward silence before Eric commented on the assignment.
"Guards are supposed to work in pairs."
They both knew the reason for that anomaly…
"Yeah. Yeah they are."
The conversation ran dry again as Garret stared out into the night, not even bothering to look at his visitor. Eric sighed, then set his shield against a rock and took a seat.
"I'll stick around then."
"If you want."
The hours passed with nary a word as Garret stood there, fixated on his job, while Eric sat behind him. Slowly, the regret of being so sharp with his replies crept up on Garret. He was being kind of a dick to Eric, who didn't have to have come visit him, nor volunteer to help with guard duty. A short while later, Garret glanced up at the moon, then to the bright, skyward spark that marked their Valkyrie (performing her own patrols), and sighed, slumping his shoulders. He trudged over and took a seat on the rock beside Eric, who moved to make a space.
"… Sorry, Eric. I'm just stressed right now."
His friend gave a weak smile and nodded.
"I can tell… I'd probably be the same way if Aisha…"
He trailed off, but they both knew what he was going to say. The possibility of losing a partner was not a pleasant thought for anyone. If it was any other monster, she'd probably be fine. Annika was a strong woman, she'd have managed, but… The only monsters he'd seen attacking were greater succubi… If she was taken by them and hadn't been recovered more than a day later…
"It doesn't matter."
Forcing himself not to think about the most-likely outcome, Garret tried to stay positive, even if he didn't believe his own words.
"We'll save her. Annika will be fine. If the Chief Goddess could protect me, she can protect her, right?"
… But if she could protect Annika, why couldn't she have protected the crusade? Or maybe she helped, but it wasn't enough…
"I hope so, Garret. Aisha and I will pray for her too."
"Yeah… thanks."
The conversation ended with that, and the two spent most of the guard shift sitting in silence. Once, Garret glanced over at his armoured friend, noting that despite the silence, concern was still plainly written on his face.
"I'll be fine, Eric."
The man smiled.
"Good. But I'm still sticking around 'til the end of this shift."
And that, Garret was happy to hear. Though few words were spoken, it was still nice to have someone there, just for the company and silent support. Briefly, he wondered if this kind of friendship and camaraderie existed within monster society. Probably not… There, every emotional wound was probably treated by inserting a penis…
For the next three days, the crusade paused to lick its wounds. While Garret understood the need to treat the injured and reorganize, the delay frustrated him to no end. Annika was still missing, and her chances of survival were dropping by the day. To keep himself busy, and to look for her, he volunteered for every patrol or scouting mission he could find. There were so many that he ended up working himself to near exhaustion, but he had to be sure. Maybe she hadn't been taken! Maybe she'd been wounded and left behind. Maybe she'd just been unable to crawl to the crusade herself, and he'd have to drag her back.
… Maybe she was already dead.
Garret forced the thought from his mind as he headed out again, another group of makeshift scouts in tow. It didn't matter! What mattered was doing everything he could until it was confirmed one way or another. If there was even a sliver of a chance of helping her, he had to take it. He owed her that much…
Day 170
The next morning, their Valkyrie informed the crusade of their orders directly, rather than going through officers and squad leaders. They would be advancing to take the town. This announcement nearly triggered a mutiny, with protestations about the state of their supplies, their losses, and the overwhelming force arrayed against them, all being raised by the various, angry soldiers standing before her. To say Brynhild didn't take this well was an understatement. Her aura of power, ever present around her, flared, and her spear flashed with brilliant divine light.
"My orders are not a suggestion."
The sheer force her presence emanated sucked the breath from nearby soldiers, and staggered the rest as they were buffeted by invisible shockwaves. From one doubter to the next, Brynhild focused an icy glare. If looks could kill, Garret had no doubt they'd have been slain thrice over.
"Lukas may have tolerated soldiers quitting, but I will not. All of you knew what you signed up for, and now you will fulfil your duties. Deserters and traitors will-"
Though she didn't yell, Brynild asserted her commands with unrelenting authority. And somehow the calmness made her even scarier. Despite her composed presentation, though, it was obvious that the insubordination had infuriated her, as evidenced by her having to catch herself before she said something that went too far. The unspoken threat hung over the soldiers, silencing all-
"Well, where's Lukas now? We can't fight those monsters without a hero!"
… almost all criticism. Brynhild's malevolent gaze locked onto the man who dared to speak up, her stare so intense, the ranger's bravery fled him and he visibly shook.
"Lukas is recovering from our previous battle, so I will command in his stead. My power will be more than sufficient for the coming operation – the city has already been evacuated, and the monsters, fled."
A murmur of confusion swept through the ranks. The enemy had retreated? After that battle? Garret could scarcely believe it. Maybe it was a trap.
"Your orders are to occupy the city, root out any stragglers, and then fortify it against future incursion. Does anyone have any questions?"
… After how she had responded to the protestations against attacking, no one dared to speak up.
"Good. Squad leaders, officers, I have more instructions to give to you. The rest of you may return to your duties."
"So we're just… walking straight in."
In reality, it was a little more complicated than that, but not by much. They had to secure the gates, then areas of interest within the city (while, oddly enough, explicitly avoiding the harbour), but the summary given by one of Garret's squad members was reasonably accurate.
"… Pretty much. We need to make sure there's no one hiding in the city and search for traps, but if all goes well… yeah. We just walk in and take it."
Garret glanced over his four remaining soldiers, noting their expressions. None of them looked like they quite believed it would be that easy.
"So we're helping to clear the city center… and we aren't allowed to go near the harbour. Anything else, Mr. Fax?"
Garret wished he knew more, but that was all the information Brynhild had given him.
"No, that's it."
"We're not getting merged with another squad?"
"No..."
Apparently, neither Brynhild nor their officers felt the need to reorganize the crusade before what they thought would be a simple occupation. His soldiers didn't look happy about that, though, and Garret had to agree. Despite his feelings, he tried to reassure them.
"We'll stick together and go slowly. We'll make it through. Together."
The approach to the town was ominous, and not just from the stormy skies looming overhead. Everyone was quiet, and there were no cheerful marching songs being sung by their spell singers this time. Even the forests they traversed seemed to be empty, with no signs of feral or plant mamono to be found. Garret didn't like this…
When they freed themselves from the forests and began marching across the fields surrounding the port city, Garret examined their target and the tiny, outlying hamlets scattered about. All of them were deserted. There were no lights in the houses, no families working the farms, and no soldier mamono patrolling the city walls. The gates themselves had been swung wide-open, almost invitingly, but Garret couldn't shake the imagery of jaws from his mind. He kept imagining the doors and portcullis as a great mouth that would slam shut once they were inside, to swallow the army.
High above them, the bright spark that was Brynhild dutifully guided them forward, seemingly without fear or concern. Garret tried to use that sight as reassurance. Domineering and legalistic she may be, he had no reason to think she was stupid or suicidal. She had to have planned for contingencies… right?
Once inside the walls, Garret kept an eye out for anything that might indicate a trap, but spotted nothing. As they moved from house to house, all they found were deserted rooms and emptied stores. The air bore no strange magical energies or spores, the rooftops sheltered no predatory monsters, and only pristine water flowed from the city's fountains and wells. It really was like everyone had just gotten up and left. With nothing stopping them, Garret continued to direct his squad forward, following the rest of The Order.
At the central plaza, a grand, almost cathedral-like building towered over the soldiers, who scurried about, clearing the area. When Garret saw it, dread filled him. The dark, weathered stone that composed its ornate walls, and the purple, tinted glass that had been fitted into its windows meshed together to create an unsettling appearance. Grey, black and purple… those were the colours of the demon lord (at least, as portrayed by The Order). If anything was going to go wrong, it was going to happen in there. Such a monument to their enemy signified nothing good.
Garret froze as he stared at it, struggling with what to do. If Annika had been taken anywhere in the city, he bet it would be there, but… it seemed other squads had wanted to give the place a wide berth too. If they charged in, they'd be the first through the doors… and only had five soldiers to face what was inside.
"Be careful, everyone. I don't like the look of this building."
He had to try. She'd been missing for so long, he didn't know how much longer she could last. Even an hour's delay could make the difference. With unusual recklessness, Garret ordered his squad forward, then swallowed his fear and joined them in pushing open the massive, oak doors at its base. Annika had pulled him out of the fire so many times before, he had to repay the favour. Even if it was just searching everywhere he could.
The interior of the building was cloaked with darkness, lit only by shafts of tinted sunlight filtering through the windows. Thankfully, Garret's spells and the torch sconces in the walls (once set aflame) provided some welcome illumination. Passing through a double set of doors, Garret's squad found themselves in a long meeting (or dining?) hall, furnished with a massive table and dozens of luxuriously padded chairs positioned at regular intervals. Though Garret had feared it, there mercifully was no ambush or trap here, and they were able to pass through the room without incident.
Hurrying his men along, for the polished, marble floors caused their footsteps to echo and give away their position, Garret quickly directed them to check the nearby rooms. Most were well furnished, but unimportant. Servants' quarters, writing rooms, and an exceedingly well equipped kitchen were all found, but ultimately irrelevant to their goals. Of more interest was the library they stumbled across.
While it seemed that every tome of value had been removed from the library's vast array of shelves, there were still secrets that could be found here. For instance, while most of the shelves were empty, some common books remained. It was amongst a pile of these that Garret found a much newer volume of one he'd studied during his college days. Simply titled 'Sorcery', the primer had been published by a long-lost collective of mages. Garret had been under the impression that the 3rd had been the last edition published before their authors disappeared, but here, he spotted one marked '7th'. Strange… plucking it from the shelf, he stuffed it into a bag for safekeeping.
The final room they searched on this floor was a massive, magical workshop that spanned almost the entire rear of the building. Here, pipes and machinery were scattered in every direction, and while all critical pieces had been removed, there were still scraps of armour or broken swords laid out on tables, indicating some sort of artificing. Someone must have been working on enchantments for military gear here, Garret reasoned.
The pipes in the ceiling seemed of similar style to the ones he saw in Aleksy's manor, with sockets for focusing crystals of their own. Perhaps this was where the energy for the enchantments came from, Garret reasoned, but there was one key difference here. Rather than gathering energy from a leyline fissure, these pipes bent downwards and ended in midair. Beneath each lay a bed, with padded restraints dangling from its corners. Garret shuddered to think about what kind of 'harvesting' had been going on.
"… Alright, we're clear. Let's check the upper floors and basement."
The complete emptiness of the ground floor eased the group's minds, and they headed to the spiral staircase a little less nervous. The upper floors of the towering structure turned out to be mostly bedrooms and living quarters, again, all opulently furnished, but devoid of life or treasures. Searching them took valuable time, however, and when they climbed back down, other soldiers had already begun to filter in, heading down into the basement. The lack of shouts or combat indicated that it too was safe and empty, but still, more out of curiosity than anything else, Garret ordered his squad after them.
Beneath the building lay a multi-floor maze of damp hallways and prisoner's cells. Oddly enough, while the beds within the cells looked extremely comfortable by prison standards, probably of higher quality than most in The Order's barracks, the walls and doors showed signs of prolonged neglect. Stained bars, or dents in wooden doors indicated that at one point there had been a significant amount of rust and rot present, but none of that remained. It was almost like it had been abandoned at one point, and only cleaned up at the last minute. Weird…
The only notable underground room they found after a half hour's searching was an alchemy lab on the first level. Like the workshop above, none of the sensitive equipment remained, just shelves with empty flasks, tongs, and the occasional, mismatched pestle and mortar. Stained tables were pushed against every wall for work and storage, but the centerpiece of the room was a large, circular pool, easily large enough to fit a person.
Having seen the beds with restraints in the upstairs workshop, Garret thought the worst upon spotting it. Thankfully, when he and his soldiers took a closer look, they found no signs of chains or bindings. At least it didn't seem like it was for human experimentation… probably. It did look like it had been recently used, however, as evidenced by droplets of luminescent, green liquid that clung to it's walls and lingered in minute cracks. He made sure not to let anyone touch it, just in case.
With the search complete, Garret and his team headed back to the plaza to help clear the remainder of the city. The fear he had felt was now all but gone, fading as the hours went on uninterrupted by traps or ambushes. With all going according to plan, the crusade occupied the town and quickly manned its walls, shoring up its defenses in case a counter-attack came… but the expected battle never occured.
Over the next few days, soldiers patrolled the area, finding no signs of any monsters in their immediate vicinity, and the troop's moral began to recover. They'd made it. They'd completed their mission and the crusade had been a success. Despite the happy atmosphere, Garret found himself slipping into melancholy. They still hadn't found Annika… She was never coming back, was she?
Day 172
As temporary lodgings, until the resettlement of the city began, troops were assigned houses to bunk in, providing them with a much needed respite from sleeping in tents, on rocks, or in the dirt. Garret had been lucky enough to get one of the nicer looking ones, but that fact barely registered. He ended up spending most of his time laying about in the bedroom. This day was no exception, but eventually, a knock at the door forced him to his feet. Eric had come calling.
"Hey, Garret… You ok?"
He shrugged.
"Yeah… I'm fine."
"… You-"
Eric seemed like he was about to say 'you don't look fine', but Garret's glare cut that off. They both knew the reason for his current state.
"… If you want to talk about it, we're here for you, you know."
Garret just shook his head.
"Thanks Eric, but I think I just need to be alone for a while."
With that, he shut the door, refastened the deadbolt, and trudged across the room to flop back down on the bed. He didn't feel like moving much today.
Day 173
The following morning, another batch of patrols were sent out, and when he heard them marching through the street, Garret rushed to join them. He hadn't had breakfast (what was the point?), but they weren't going too far, so his lack of stamina wouldn't slow them. As expected, though, the soldiers found nothing. They swept through empty fields, re-checked empty farmhouses, and explored empty groves, before returning to the city empty handed.
As he trudged back towards 'his' house, Garret's stomach growled. Lunch time was almost over, but he could probably grab a meal if he hurried to the mess tents in the city center. Shifting his course, he headed that way, but bumped into another departing squad.
"Ah, sorry… Wait, are you guys heading out?"
"Yeah. We're about to start a short-range patrol."
Food could wait.
"I'm coming with you.
Weak from lack of sustenance, Garret drug his feet as he shuffled towards the mess tents for dinner. With the conclusion of another, uneventful scouting mission, he had to force himself to get something to eat, lest he risk passing out.
Eric and Aisha were nowhere to be found in the crowd of soldiers eating dinner, but Garret didn't really mind… they probably had their own mission, and he still would rather be left alone. Thankfully, with the crusade's objective completed, the administration of their officers had slackened a little. If it hadn't, Garret's missing partner situation would likely have become known amongst the higher ups, and he really didn't think he could deal with them at the moment…
Speaking of things he couldn't handle, after he'd gotten his meal, Garret found himself increasingly irritated and saddened by the people around him. Happy couples, groups of friends and smatterings of soldiers, all in good spirits, had a terrible effect on Garret's mental state as he poked away at his meal. He couldn't stay here. Not when they kept reminding him of what he lost… Grabbing his plate, he stood up from the table and headed back to his house. He'd eat there and return his dishes later… Maybe…
Day 174
Someone banging at his door woke Garret the next day.
"Garreeet~ I know you're in there, open up!"
Aisha… Garret glanced at the light streaming through his window. It was probably close to noon, but he didn't feel like getting out of bed. He threw the sheets over his head and tried to muffle the noise until she eventually gave up. He'd eventually drag himself outside to get some food, but that wasn't for a long time, and almost immediately after, he headed right back indoors.
Day 175
Another day, another worthless patrol… This time, when he got back, Rick was the one to intercept him.
"Hey, Garret! You just finished up, too? Wanna get a bite to eat?"
Not really… Garret shook his head and began to trudge away.
"Sorry, Rick, not today."
Rick didn't let him go quite so easily, though, and grabbed his arm.
"Garret, look… I'm sorry about what happened. It can't feel good, but… we're your friends. We want to try and help you through this. If you can't talk to us, at least go see a priest?"
A priest… that wouldn't help. If he told a priest, they'd bring it to the officers, and then he'd likely be removed from any combat missions going forward. No, he could handle this on his own. He didn't need their help. He didn't need anybody…
"Don't worry about me… I'll manage. I just need some time, that's all."
Garret tried to leave, but Rick's grip, while not painfully tight, was unbreakable. In fact, he barely moved at all, when Garret shook his arm.
"I'll be drinking with Eric and Aisha tonight. Why don't you join us?"
"Let me go, Rick."
His friend complied without complaint, though he still made one last attempt to sway him.
"Just think about it, ok? It's not good to lock yourself away like that."
"Maybe…"
Rick's words stuck with Garret as he lay there, sprawled on his bed. Though his initial instinct was to reject the offer, the idea slowly gnawed away at him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad… maybe it'd help get his mind off things. Dimly, Garret knew he couldn't stay locked away, depressed and mourning, forever, but he still was having trouble pulling himself out of his downward spiral. Maybe this would help. Talking with A-… her always made him feel better, maybe a night with his friends would do the same. … But maybe it would make it worse.
"Garret? Are you in there?"
A soft voice and a knock came from the door. After a bit of hesitation, Garret pushed himself off the bed, then walked over and opened the door, revealing a very worried looking Aisha. There was no rhyme or sing-song voice from her this time.
"Hey… Are you-"
He cut her off. He'd answered this question before.
"I'm fine."
That response caused her to avert her gaze, unsure as to how to approach someone she knew was hurting.
"Ah… Um, Eric and I are going to be drinking tonight. I thought you might like to join us?"
"Yeah, Rick told me about that…"
Garret stopped for a moment, trying to conjure some willpower. He really didn't want to go, but…
"Sure."
He had to do something. Might as well start now. The mention of Rick, though, seemed to confuse Aisha, judging by her puzzled expression.
"Rick?"
"Yeah."
"Huh, I haven't seen him at all today. Maybe Eric told him."
A second later, she waved the topic away.
"It doesn't matter, but that's right! We should invite him too! We'll start in an hour. Do you know the way to our house?"
He didn't, but Aisha was more than happy to give him directions. Pleased that he had decided to come, when she finished, she gave him a quick wave, then hurried off, her hat's plume-feather bobbing in the breeze. After she'd left, Garret sighed, then closed the door and sat down in one of the chairs his sparsely furnished room contained. He just had to mentally prepare himself… he could manage that, couldn't he?
Almost an hour later, Garret was still sitting there when a knock came at the door. He considered ignoring it as he slumped there, eyes unfocused, but a second rapping stirred him to action.
"Rick…"
The cheerful ranger was once again there to pester him.
"I wondered if you'd still be here. Come on, Garret, it's rude to keep your friends waiting~. … You are coming, right?"
He shrugged.
"Yeah… Yeah, I'll show up… Just gathering myself."
Rick nodded, like Aisha, happy to hear that. His mannerisms betrayed an undercurrent of unease, though, and he kept looking around.
"Is something wrong?"
Rick quickly regained focus and shook his head without breaking his cheerful smile.
"No, no. Just got a lot on my mind right now."
He looked over his shoulder one more time, before nodding.
"Right. Well. I'm out of time, I've got to take care of some stuff… And you're running out of it too, Garret. You'd better hurry, else you'll be late."
With a wave, his friend strolled away, leaving Garret alone again. He would go… Eventually… But despite Rick's discouragement towards tardiness, he was still having trouble drumming up motivation.
Minutes ticked by, then an hour, before Garret finally pulled himself together. Despite what he had promised his friends, he was very late. He hoped it wouldn't be a problem, but knowing how Eric and Aisha were, their drinking would extend long into the night. He could still make it.
Slowly, he pushed himself out of the chair he'd been rooted to. A quick glance out the window showed that the sun had set, and twilight had settled over the city. Unfortunate, but that didn't matter… he could light his way with a spell. He was about to head out when a sudden pounding at his door caused Garret to jump. Who could that be?
Red hair. Green eyes. A stained and sweaty, white gambeson.
"Garret!"
When he opened the door, he scarcely had time to register who he was looking at before Annika dove at him. She tackled him to the floor and forced her lips against his for a passionate kiss. Stunned as he was, it took a moment for him to reciprocate, but once he'd finally realized what was happening, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.
After what seemed like forever, Annika broke away, leaving him gasping for breath.
"Annika! I thought you were… gone!"
She wrapped her own arms around him in turn, resting her head on his chest as the two cuddled.
"I thought so too, Garret… I'm so sorry I made you worry."
"It's been more than a week… I thought I'd never see you again. How did you esc-"
He was cut off when something spooked his partner. Annika suddenly twisted to look back out the open door, then rolled off of him, scrambling upright. A second later, she pulled him from the ground as well, up into her embrace.
"Garret, my love, I don't have much time. There's a hamlet with a windmill outside the walls. I need you to meet me there, alright?"
Her sudden command confused Garret, and he hurriedly tried to question her.
"Wait, what do you-"
"I'll explain everything once you make it there! Now go! Run!"
She shoved him backwards, then sprinted out of the house. Garret tried to follow, but the second she was out of sight, a deafening 'boom' stunned him and shattered the windows, forcing him to shield his face from shards of glass. Ears ringing, it took a moment for Garret to regain his orientation, but when he made his way outside, he saw no trace of his partner. Concerned soldiers poked their heads out of doors or examined the windows along the street, all of which had been shattered, but there was no sign of Annika. It was like she'd just disappeared.
Annika… What's going on?
The knowledge that his partner was alive, coupled with the urgency of her request, wiped away Garret's remaining lethargy. Running as fast as he could, he sprinted through the city, heading towards the gates. Halfway there, he nearly crashed into Rick, who was still armed and armoured, despite supposedly having been partying.
"Ack! Sorry Rick, I-"
"Can't talk, Garret! I've got to go!"
Without waiting, the man ran off on his own, sprinting through the streets with the same urgency as Garret's flight. Bewildered, Garret stood there as he watched the man's hurried departure. That was two people who were acting strangely tonight… from experience, he knew there was nothing good that could come of that…
As the gate came into view, Garret forced himself to stop and skidded to a halt. Though feelings of hope and longing flowed through him, and his desperation to be reunited with his partner were plain to see, his paranoia finally managed to overpower his blind optimism.
Everyone was acting strange, he'd seen this play out before… the infested wizards, the matango-women in his dream,… Catherine… people acting out of character always heralded unpleasant surprises, and the sudden, inexplicable return of his partner made it even more suspicious. Garret prayed that he was wrong about this, that everything would make sense in the end, that there was nothing to worry about… but he still grabbed several of the soldiers he spotted milling about, and got them to accompany him. If it turned out to be nothing, Annika would understand… but if it wasn't… he didn't want to think about that.
The gate guards didn't think anything of a group of soldiers leaving just after sundown. They probably chalked it up to a patrol heading out, and didn't ask questions. That, and the lack of monsters around the town meant their journey to the specified hamlet went without incident. The ease of travel didn't help Garret's nerves, though, as he considered their approach. The farm fields offered no concealment, so if anyone was in windmill, they might be spotted. At least the darkness would shroud them until they got in close… provided no one up there had better night vision than a human…
"Hide behind those buildings, alright? It's probably nothing, but if you hear anything strange or I shout for guards,… I'll need your help."
As they approached, Garret whispered this command to his men (he'd explained the situation on their way over), and pointed them to the outlying structures. Once they'd hustled off, he slowly pressed forward, flicking his gaze between the dark windows, doors and rooftops of the area. When he turned a corner, he found himself at the crossroads the hamlet was centered around, and there, standing in the middle of them, was a very fidgety Annika.
"Garret!"
Her eyes lit up as she spotted him, and she spread her arms, beaconing him into a hug. Despite his unease, Garret was more than happy to reciprocate. They ran to each other, embraced and held each other close, falling silent as they focused on enjoying the moment of their reunion. After a time, though, Garret had to get his answers.
"What's gotten into you, Annika? Why did we have to meet out here?"
In response, Annika tightened her grip on him.
"Garret, do you trust me?"
That was an easy answer. They'd worked together for years, even before starting a relationship, and stuck to each other through thick and thin.
"Of course I do!"
"… I had to get you away from there… I needed to get you out of The Order."
That wasn't a reassuring answer…
"… But why? Annika, the crusade is over. We were going to retire together."
"That's not good enough…"
She shook her head as she clung to him.
"Garret, you've seen what The Order does. You've had nightmares from what they made you do… me too… Any job we do is just going to be helping that one way or another, it doesn't matter if we become civilians."
The mention of her own nightmares came as a shock to Garret. He hadn't heard anything from her about that! … Had she been trying to be strong for him as well? Had he been so focused on his own problems he'd missed something? Suddenly awash with guilty for his failure as a partner, he hurriedly apologized.
"Annika, I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't know you were having those as well…"
"It's fine… it's fine… I know how to make them go away. Yours too."
That was a foreboding statement if ever he heard one. Cautiously, Garret asked for elaboration.
"What do you have in mind?"
Annika froze for a moment, sensing his unease, seemingly unsure of herself, before replying with measured words.
"Garret, I… You know I was captured by monsters. When I was gone, I… I got to see how they live. Who they are."
Garret felt a wetness at his shoulder as Annika wiped away a tear.
"They aren't the demons The Order says they are. The ones who captured me were good, kind souls… and we've been doing terrible things to them. Garret, we need to help them. I want us to join them. It's the only way we'll be able to live with ourselves."
Defection. Treachery. Betrayal. Garret couldn't honestly say he'd never entertained such thoughts, especially during his darkest hours, but… he couldn't quite believe what he'd heard Annika just say. She'd been the one to encourage him! She was the one saying that even with all the brutality they'd inflicted, they were still helping people. She'd been the one to claim she didn't want to be transformed, yet was now championing a course of action where that would be inevitable. And the nightmares… She'd been absent for the worst atrocities of the war, and he'd been having them since the beginning. Was he really so blind that he wouldn't have noticed anything wrong? Over the span of months?
Those inconsistencies, coupled with her being lost in monster territory for over a week, lead Garret to a pair of deeply unwelcome questions: What if she was lying? And what if she was already in the process of turning into a monster?
At his hesitation, Annika looked up at him with pleading eyes.
"Garret, don't you trust me?"
At this point, he didn't know. Pushing away from the hug, he held her at arm's length, and replied with as calm of a voice he could muster.
"Annika… tell me what happened to you."
Author's Notes: Well that was a fucking lie… I'm still riding the rails here, there and everywhere (#GotTheVax so no danger when travelling, at least), but it turns out if you've got time to write stories, you've got time to write code. Such is life in a startup.
Alright, there weren't many events in this chapter, mostly just setting up for the next one, but I did take a crack at describing Garret's depression from having lost his girlfriend. This, I wasn't (and still am not) sure about how to properly do. On one hand, I wish I could have shown the downward spiral over a longer period of time, because in this chapter, it goes 'hope of reunion - depression from loss - optimism renewed - paranoid reunion' in the span of 5k words. That seems too short and rushed. On the other hand, I've got a timeline to work with here (both in terms of story events and my own limited spare time), so I didn't want to waste chapters on filler just to pad that out.
I don't like how I did this, but I think it was the best choice given the current state of the plot. If I were to rewrite this story, I'd try to restructure some things so that we had a mission or two with Annika missing, but then again, I also wanted to give Annika a sizable presence in the story so that people would feel it when she disappeared. Can't have her get kidnapped too early.
Aaaaagh.
I could agonize over this for hours (and probably will), but that's something I'll keep in mind for future writing, it's not important for this story anymore. Here, I think I did the best I could with how the current plot is planned out. Hopefully it didn't turn out too poorly.
Uh, ok... What else to talk about? We've got more setup for future events, a few hints for far future events, more characterization… Oh right! Reviews!
Thanks, Fish on Land, for the criticism about my dialogue organization. I, personally, hate dialogue tags. In my writing philosophy, I think that the person who is saying the lines should be self-evident (or at least deducible from the context), without the need for tags. The fact that this has been unclear in certain parts indicates a failing on my behalf. I'll try to keep an eye out for that in the future. Thanks!
Thanks as well, Gamzo, for your input about the army stuff. This is sorta bleeding into the lore of my world, which I'll mention in later chapters when it's more relevant. I was planning on doing that whole 'each nation specializes on a certain type of warfare' thing, with Naton/Northreach doing infantry, others do naval stuff, siege weapons, cavalry, etc. This will get brought up in Act 3. Thanks for the suggestions, though. It gave me a few good ideas for how I could write the battles in the final portions of this story.
Thanks to everyone else for who reviewed, for your theories, impressions, wishes, etc. I'd really love to address them, but they're all related to spoilers for future chapters. And that annoys me. Gah.
... I just spent over 500 words -jacking off my own ego-, I MEAN WRITING LITERARY ANALYSIS. I'd better call it here before things get out of control. Once again, thank you all for reading. I'll try to hurry the next chapter along so we can get this plot thread wrapped up, but with how busy I'm about to be, who knows when that'll come. With that, I'm out, and…
Until next time, Sayonara!