Year 10, Day 1 / Captain
Winter swept the lands of Naton, but unlike the harsh, deadly cold of Northreach, its milder weather produced a charming atmosphere. The cozy wooden houses of its outlying villages, now covered with snow, had been adorned with lanterns and candles from the Holy Night, and the tall, multi-story buildings in its bustling capital had wreaths hung from windows and garlands strung above the streets and alleys. Though the festivities had ended nearly a month ago, many of the decorations remained firmly in place, giving some much needed respite from the ambience of dark days, snow, and cold.
Fort Estlev was no exception to this. Originally a small, forest village built on the lumber trade, it had rapidly expanded into a respectable town as an influx of retiring crusaders made it their home. It had also been the village Annika wanted to retire in, which was why the southern end of the settlement now hosted a small school of sorcerers – a school where Garret was in the midst of delivering a lecture.
"Remember! Every monster you find is your enemy! They could take the form of young women, older mothers, or even children, but you'll kill them all the same!"
He paced back and forth in front of his class of fifty or so students, delivering an oft-repeated, fiery conclusion to his lesson.
"Some of them will plead for their lives. Some of them will beg. Some might even be the twisted remains of friends or loved ones."
Stopping behind his lectern, Garret swept a hand for emphasis.
"But none of them can be allowed to live! I've repeated this many times, and I'm sure by now some of you are getting bored of it…"
He glanced at a pair of younger sorcerers in the front row, who looked like they were about to nod off. Catching his glare, they quickly straightened up and at least tried to pretend they were paying attention.
"But it is critical for you to take it to heart. If a soldier hesitates, we have thousands to take his place, but if you hesitate…"
He gestured to the student body.
"You're all we've got. As sorcerers, you're a rare breed, and you must conduct yourself such a way that the whole crusade can rely on you. You and our wizards are the only things that stand between the common soldiery and magical monsters, so you must be able to make those impossible decisions to save your comrades. Even if you're tested, it is imperative that you remain true to our cause and trust that it's all for the greater good."
He glanced out the window at the snow-covered forest. High noon. It was just about time for their exercises. Turning back to address the lecture hall, Garret clasped his hands behind his back.
"That's all for today's theory. Please see yourselves to the training ground. Mage-Sergeant Gallant will lead you in practical drills for the remainder of the day. Attention!"
The students scrambled up from their desks and saluted.
"Thank you, Captain!"
After Garret returned the salutes and received their collective thanks (the phrasing mandate by military tradition), he dismissed them. Slowly, the room emptied as his students left through the hall's rear doors, leaving Garret alone to gather his papers and reflect on the familiar tirade he'd long since become disillusioned with.
What the hell was he teaching these kids?
"That was a nice lecture. Well done, Captain."
A familiar voice cut through the silence, indicating Garret was not as along as he'd previously thought. A hither-to unnoticed man got up from his seat and strode down the aisle, towards him. After he'd finished organizing the pages of notes laid upon his lectern, Garret looked up, then smiled as he recognized the visitor.
"Rick! How long has it been?"
The man sprouted his own grin, and enthusiastically shook Garret's hand when it was offered.
"Probably five years at this point. I think you were still a lieutenant, last we met. Your new rank suits you, Captain."
"Eh, it was only a recent promotion. And knock it off with that 'Captain' crap. We've worked together too long for that to matter… By the way, haven't you been promoted? It's long overdue."
Rick winked.
"I turned them down. Commanding squads is what I'm good at, I have no desire to be put behind a desk."
"Well it wouldn't be all paperwork, right? I still deploy for missions."
The ranger pursed his lips and shook his head.
"You're a mage, your scarcity gives you that luxury. If we had more sorcerers, I'm sure our kings and heroes would be more than happy to stick you on paper-duty for years on end."
"I guess I should count myself lucky, then."
"Yeah, you really should…"
Suddenly Rick took on a more somber expression and looked Garret straight in the eye.
"By the way,… how are you doing, Garret?"
That question had been asked before. In fact, almost every time Rick dropped by, he brought it up, checking on Garret. Like many times prior, Garret shrugged and gave his standard response.
"… I'm fine. It never gets easier; I just get better at dealing with it."
Annika… How many years had it been now? Almost ten... Despite the passing of time, Garret found his heart was stubborn to mend. She still showed up in his dreams from time to time, young as ever, even as Garret's own body began to show signs of age.
He'd tried to move on, of course. Annika wouldn't have wanted him agonizing over her for decades, but… every partner he'd been assigned since then had been missing something. He never found someone he'd clicked with as well as her, and all it did was bring her memory up. He eventually settled on just working alone. Officers had that privilege. That let him stay effective, but as he'd said… it never really got easier.
Like clockwork, Rick asked if there was anything he could do to help, but though he appreciated the gesture, Garret turned him down and changed the subject.
"So what brings you here, Rick? The rangers get an assignment nearby?"
"No, actually, I'm on the road and happened to be passing through. Thought I'd stop in for a visit. How's the school doing?"
"It's good. I think I've finally gotten used to teaching, and we're growing rapidly. I even managed to recruit a few other veterans to help with running practicals. It's still small, but we're starting to make a name for ourselves."
Part of the reason for that, Garret neglected to mention, was the reputation he'd developed in the early years as a particularly bloodthirsty instructor. Then and, to a lesser extent, now, he'd instilled similarly strong anti-mamono views in his students. This was something that many of the more militant noble houses from surrounding nations looked favourably upon, and that reputation had won him their support… and shackled him. Now, even if he wanted to preach a softer line, he couldn't, lest he risk alienating his patrons…
"That's fantastic."
"Yeah, I'd like to think we're doing well."
"Have you been training your students for crusading too?"
Garret shrugged.
"Only little. Once a year, we work with the local garrison to organize a mock battle, but I've focused more on cultivating their magic. And swordsmanship for when that fails."
"Well that's probably better than most mage colleges… but I'd suggest you shift your focus to soldiery for the near future."
Garret sighed when he heard that. He'd known Rick long enough to understand that when he made a suggestion, it was because he knew something.
"… and why would you suggest that, Rick?"
The man's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"I'm glad you asked! Purification of the captured demon realm has gone faster than anyone expected, and the purge squads report fewer mamono than ever hiding within our borders."
He took a step closer and lowered his voice to an excited whisper.
"There's rumors of a new crusade being planned."
"Another crusade?"
Rick nodded, eyes still gleaming.
"Yeah, a big one. Unprecedented in size."
"How big are we talking?"
"The main armies from every Order nation will be involved."
"Goddess…"
Garret did a mental count of how large a force that would be… There were dozens of allied nations out there, many even bigger than Naton. Such a monumental force being gathered for a single operation could only mean one thing.
"They're planning on striking at the demon lord, aren't they?"
The ranger snapped his fingers, then continued in a hushed tone.
"Bingo. …but you didn't hear it from me. I think they're trying to keep things low-profile, it's still at least a year out."
"I see… Yeah, they'd have to. Thanks for the tip, Rick."
"No problem. I'll leave what to do with this information up to you. Use it as you see fit."
With the main topic dealt with, conversation between the two devolved into meaningless pleasantries and catching up on past events. Eventually, though, Rick had to continue his travels, and Garret had to tend to other duties. Bidding each other farewell, the two friends went their separate ways.
That night, Garret's dreams set him beside a campfire deep within the wilderness. As he stared into the flames, someone sat down behind him and the two leaned against each other, back to back. It was Annika, in her human form this time.
"Another crusade, Garret?"
"It sounds like it…"
His partner sighed, sadly. Though this apparition never mocked him, her concerns and worries were always apparent.
"Will you go?"
"I don't think I'll have a choice."
She paused for a moment, as if unsure of whether she should say what was on her mind.
"You could run."
Now it was Garret's turn to sigh. That might be the easiest way out, but…
"No… No I couldn't. I've been fighting for so long, I've got to see this through."
"Do you really?"
Sensing her coming plea, Garret hardened his heart and steeled himself.
"Don't try to stop me, Annika…"
"I just don't want you to…"
Annika trailed off, dejected, and the crackling of the fire filled the gap in their conversation. After a few minutes, she spoke again.
"I just don't want to see you suffer. What will you do if something happens to your friends?"
"Like what happened to you?"
"Yeah… Or you find more children… or civilians…"
Garret looked up at the stars twinkling overhead, then back to the dancing flames. Though thinking of that sent chills down his spine, there was only one answer Garret could give. He had to stay the course. He couldn't run off. His deeds had to be worth something in the end.
"… I'll do what I have to do… it's all I can…"
Year 10, Day 2
Rick's suggestions had merit. If a new crusade was coming, Garret's sorcerers would benefit from practical education… but that meant a lot of extra paperwork. Trying to plan radical changes to his curriculum was difficult under normal circumstances, but now Garret had to deal with the wonders of bureaucracy.
Evidently The Order looked down on circles of devastatingly powerful magicians traipsing around the countryside on their own, doing Goddess-knows-what. The nobles wanted to know where they'd be and what they were doing, and those reports fell to the man in charge – Garret. Rick was right. This part of being an officer really did suck.
Of course, while he was working on these letters, the day-to-day runnings of the school still demanded his attention, and always took priority. That was the reason he had yet to make any progress the next day, as a situation had arisen that required his attention. A pair of students, boyfriend and girlfriend, had gotten exceptionally close over the months they'd been here. That alone would have been fine (and possibly even encouraged), but when it escalated into sneaking into the opposite gender's dorms late at night, Garret had to step in.
Sex outside of marriage or partnership was extremely taboo in The Order. First and foremost, it was a sin, but secondly, without the protective magics they'd get during their first crusade, it ran the risk of pregnancy. As such, Garret had pulled them into his office, and spent the last hour giving a particularly stern lecture about 'proper' behavior and the virtues of abstinence. Once he finished, he sighed and sat back down behind his desk, addressing the two students before him, who now hung their heads in shame.
"… I trust I've made myself clear?"
"Yes, sir…"
"Good. If your love is strong, you'll get the chance to be together soon, but until then, you need to keep yourselves. Licentiousness is not something I will tolerate in my school. Dismissed."
The pair saluted, then left, leaving Garret to wonder I they'd actually taken his instructions to heart. He'd been a teenager before, so he knew what they were going through, but they still had a responsibility to themselves and their God to flee temptation… or so the scriptures had told them. He just hoped they'd make the right choice. His mood darkened, Garret set his papers aside for now and decided to go for a walk. They'd still be there when he came back.
… Unfortunately, it turned out his day was about to get even worse. While superstitions claimed that bad news rode on ravens' wings, here, it arrived on something bigger. Just as Garret stepped out into the snow and turned to close the door, he was chilled by a frigid blast of air as a harpy landed behind him.
"Captain Fax? You've got mail!~"
Green eyes. Vermillion wings. A white tunic. Seeing those familiar colours, Garret was suddenly assaulted by flashbacks of loss from long ago. Annika. He whirled around and magic crackled as two blazing lances exploded into being. He very nearly lost control and killed the monster on the spot, only managing to stop his spears from firing at the last possible second. Seeing Garret's spells, his shaking body, and his eyes filled with anger to a point of near madness, the harpy dropped to the ground and groveled, begging for her life.
"A letter! I just have a letter!"
Garret glared at her, still planted in a combat stance, but after a few agonizingly long seconds, he came to his senses and the visions faded. His spears fizzled, then winked out of existence as he released his magic and relaxed a little. Still on the ground, the harpy dared to steal a glance up and, when it seemed the imminent threat of death was over, heaved a sigh of relief. Now he had the chance to really look at his visitor.
The harpy, indeed, had green eyes, red-orange wings that matched her hair, and white clothes, but unlike Annika, her outfit was much loser, lighter (as far as winter outfits went), and came with a bulky messenger bag covered in additional pouches. Really, once he got past the initial similarities of colour, the two looked very different.
Her frame was much more slender, and her hair, swept back into a messy pony tail rather than his late partner's braid. Still different was her tunic, which had been emblazoned with a large, golden cross, signaling her allegiance to The Order, unlike Annika's, which were always plain and buried under plate armour.
… Annika…
Drawing these comparisons brought back far too many unpleasant memories, so Garret tried to push them from his mind. The harpy had to have had a reason for coming, and he suddenly recalled what she'd screamed while begging.
A letter. Right.
"Well then, lets have it."
Still staring at the quivering bird-woman with a cold gaze, Garret tapped his foot impatiently as she scrambled to her feet. After taking a second to check that she hadn't dropped anything, the messenger bird shifted the postbag to her front and presented it, clasping it between her wings.
"It's uh… in pouch number three."
And so it was. Undoing the buckle much too small for someone without hands to manipulate, Garret found a sealed letter, marked with the yellow wax of a priority message, and impressed with the signet ring of a familiar noble house. He sighed, guessing what it meant before he even opened it. Today wasn't getting any better.
"Thanks… now fuck off."
Already itching to get away from him, the harpy wasted no time in launching herself into the sky and hurrying to her next delivery, leaving Garret alone to resume his interrupted stroll. The letter, like his paperwork, could wait.
Like the centaurs of the plains, harpies were one of the few 'lucky' types of monsters found docile and 'pure' enough to be inducted into The Order. Granted, their membership wasn't exactly by choice. When the soldiers sent to purge the captured lands happened upon a harpy rookery, the powers that be wasted no time in seizing the opportunity. An ultimatum was issued – the monsters would serve The Order unquestioningly, or die. No doubt finding a limited life better than the sword, most readily accepted, and were now being used to ferry important letters, parcels, and other deliveries that would have previously required wizards to exhaust themselves to teleport.
It was this delivery service that had brought Lord Tilst's letter to Garret's door. One of the most generous donors to the sorcerer's school, he was a man Garret had no intention of angering. As such, rather than blowing off the letter, which summoned him to the man's castle, Garret sighed and resigned himself to his fate. He could handle a couple nights of politicking and sycophancy if that meant securing more funding for his school. Thankfully, the chosen date was a ways off, landing on the end of the month. He wouldn't need to make travel preparations either, since the lord would be sending his court magician to retrieve him. Apparently, he was well liked enough to justify travel via teleportation.
Year 10, Day 17
Three days later, Garret finally finished his reports, and by ten days thereafter, he'd pulled the necessary favours to get the city guard on board with his plan. Of course, it had been a mess of rushed organization and planning, owing to his now-limited timetable, but though he'd only mustered half the resources he wanted, he still had enough to make a decent exercise. On the fifteenth day since receiving his letter, Garret stood in front of the town with his entire school, several squads of guardsmen, and a handful of priests organized and ready to march.
"Welcome, everyone. This mock crusade is going to be spanning the next five days, so I hope you've brought your winter gear and sleeping bags. Now, everyone grab yourself a partner. You've got thirty seconds. Go."
As the soldiers and sorcerers scrambled to group themselves with their friends, Garret walked over to a cart full of supplies he'd requisitioned and flipped down the rear gate. Inside, were satchels full of whatever rations his sergeants had managed to scrounge, surplus tents, and assorted camping equipment. Once the time was up, he motioned to the closest pair to come forward and get their gear.
"You'll be working and camping with your partner for the duration of this exercise, so organize amongst yourselves who is carrying what. Just because you're partners for now, though, does not grant you the privileges of a partnership on a proper crusade. I expect each of you to abide by The Order's moral standards, despite sharing a tent."
As he said this, Garret glanced at the pair of mages he'd lectured in his office previously. As expected, they'd wasted no time naming each other as their partners. This exercise was going to be valuable experience for those unaccustomed to military life, but it would also be a test of morals. The Order had no need for dissolute soldiers amongst its ranks, and he hoped, for their sake, they would manage to pass. Once the gear had been distributed, he ordered everyone to reform their ranks, and a minute later, got them marching.
Given the snow, purposeful lack of wagons, and the inexperience of the 'crusaders', they didn't cover much ground during the first day. Only made it halfway to the plains by the time the sun hung low in the sky, everyone was tired and longed to set up camp. When Garret found a suitable clearing, however, he instead called them to attention and had them split off into groups for sparing or spell practice. An attack could come at any time, he shouted, so they would need to be able to fight, even if they'd just marched a full day.
By the time Garret released them, most of the inexperienced or younger sorcerers had trouble moving at all, though the veterans of the town guard faired much better. All the monotype pairs who'd voluntarily composed themselves of magicians quickly learned the benefit of working with someone who was more accustomed to physical exertion. They would likely not repeat this mistake in the future, as they watched the soldiers from the more diverse pairs do the lion's share of the work.
Year 10, Day 18
The next day was more of the same. Garret's sergeants woke the students and guards early, and after a quick meal of dried meat and bread, they were off to trudge through the snow again. As before, they marched until near exhaustion, then were instructed to draw swords and spar. This time, though, they'd just made it to the grasslands, and the chilling wind sweeping across the plains brought its own challenges.
While the guardsmen had stamina to do the physical labour of setting up camp, they found it nearly impossible to start cook fires with the wind and, even when shielded, had difficulty stoking the flames hot enough… unless they had a flame sorcerer to light it… or an earth sorcerer to make a kiln… or an ice sorcerer to make an igloo… or a lightning sorcerer to… actually, scratch that. The pairs with lightning sorcerers were SOL. But while they were miserable and relied on the charity of others, everyone else got another lesson on the necessity of having a diversity of talents within a partnership.
Year 10, Day 19
On the third day, as planned with Garret's sergeants, the crusade was split in two, much to the confusion of the rank and file. When the second half departed, Garret briefed the remaining half on what was about to happen – A small hamlet, nearly a mile away, would be the site of a mock battle. His half of the troops would attack it, and the other half would defend it.
"I want to emphasize, though... non-lethal spells only!" Garret shouted as he addressed the sorcerers of his group.
"You've all trained with practice swords as well, so rely on those. Use spells to disorient, dazzle, or distract, but if I see the priests tending to wounds caused by spell-fire, there will be hell to pay. Understood?"
A collective 'Yes, sir!' was given in response, and with that, Garret left his sergeants to organize the troops into squads and plan their strategy. Ordinarily, as the officer in charge, he'd be the one doing the strategizing, but since there were two opposing forces and only one officer, he left that to his NCOs. Fostering independence and improvisation could only be a good thing, or so his reasoning went.
With equally sized and equipped sides, and a restriction placed on magic, the balance of the battle was significantly tilted in the defender's favour. While Garret watched some impressive tricks and displays of bravery that allowed the attackers to capture one of the three houses, they suffered heavy casualties, and by the end, the entire attacking team was laying in the snow. The defenders, who had augmented their home field advantage with clever use of the terrain and improvised barricades, handily won the day.
That had gone faster than expected, but even if it hadn't been a fair fight, Garret still counted the exercise as a success. Mistakes had been made on both sides that allowed ground to be gained and lost, and gaps in certain soldiers' abilities had been revealed. Everyone had a lot to work on, but every improvement was a step closer to perfection. Happy with the day's results, Garret let the troops camp amongst the buildings at an earlier hour than usual, allowing them to rest up for the long trek home.
Unfortunately, while the military tests and training had been a success, the test of morals had been less than perfect… most of the students were fine, but the sergeants on watch during previous nights had reported a handful of incidents involving 'beasts with two backs', 'chimney sweeping', 'biblical knowledge' and other such colourful euphanisms.
Unsurprisingly, one especially passionate couple had been amongst that number. Despite being warned by a sergeant once, Garret caught them in the act later that night, no doubt 'celebrating' their victory as members of the defending team. With three strikes against them, Garret didn't even bother stopping them. The next day, he simply called them out and informed them they were to report to his office the morning after their return. He'd deal with them once everyone was back home, safe.
Year 10, Day 22
"You'll have to fuck a little quieter if you want to avoid our notice."
The pair standing before his desk blushed, both from the embarrassment and shame of being caught. Garret tapped his fingers on the wooden surface, letting that comment stew for a bit, before folding his hands and continuing.
"I believe I already had to warn you about this once before."
"… Yes, sir…"
"One of the sergeants caught you as well. Did you think they wouldn't report to me?"
"… No, sir…"
Garret leaned back and let out an exhasperated sigh, disappointed and frustrated in equal parts.
"Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
In response to that, he received the usual smattering of apologies about how they were sorry, how they had a moment (or three) of weakness, and how they would do better in the future. Unsurprisingly, Garret had heard them all before, not that there was much they could say to change what he was about to do.
"Well, I hope you do. It would be a shame to fail two schools in a row."
The duo's eyes widened in shock as Garret called for the NCO who'd escorted them to him.
"Mage-Sergeant Gallant."
"Sir!"
"Get them out of here. Make sure they've packed their bags and are on their way home before tomorrow night. I won't tolerate hedonists in my unit or my school."
The man nodded, then saluted and held the door open for Garret's now-ex pupils.
"But Sir, we-"
"No buts. You had your chance... Three of them, in fact."
With that last protestation, the pair deflated, and slowly shuffled out the door. It was always sad to cut students from the school, but it had to be done. If he couldn't trust them to control themselves on a practice exercise, how could he trust them in battle? And they were sinners. That was a point that would be emphasized quite heavily in any reports priests would see, even if it took a back seat to more pragmatic concerns. Sinners had no place in an army of the righteous.
Year 10, Day 27
BangBangBang!
On the day of his supposed meeting, Garret was woken early by the sound of knocking at his house's front door. When he crawled out of bed to open it, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he was greeted by a very nervous looking harpy. When he didn't immediately conjure deadly magic in response, she shakily held out her bag.
"Um… I-I've got a letter for you. Priority. It's in the first pouch."
Her fear was understandable. Not only had Garret nearly killed her on an impulse when they last met, he had the right to finish the job. Ordinary soldiers were forbidden from using a harpy's services or even interacting with them to a meaningful extent, but officers, who used them to ferry messages, had the right to execute them on the spot. It could be for suspected treachery, failing to make delivery, or just because the officer felt like it, but whatever the reason, harpies soon found they could never feel totally safe.
Of course, most officers of sound mind were loath to eliminate those who made messaging so much easier, but the life of a monster was worthless to The Order. They were allowed to live because of the benefits they brought, but at any minute, that privilege could be revoked. Perhapse the fear was designed to keep them in line, but regardless, no one would bat an eye if a bird or two were lost.
"… Thanks. Now scram."
But though he thought their induction was madness, like what he'd seen with the centaurs, Garret stayed his blade. He almost sympathized with their unenviable situation, but he buried those thoughts and retrieved the letter, before shooing her away. They were just monsters after all, right?
Despite being marked as a priority delivery, and therefore, costing a significant amount, the contents of the message were surprisingly mundane. It just informed him that his summons had been delayed, and Morgan le Blanc (the court magician who would teleport him) would arrive tomorrow instead of this evening. That could have been sent normally, a day in advance, there was no need to spend the money for a priority courier. The unnecessary expenditure left Garret scratching his head. It didn't make sense... unless Lord Tilst had forgotten until the last minute... or maybe he was rich enough to not have to care, and couldn't be bothered to wait. Oh well. That mystery would be solved another day, for now, Garret had other duties to attend to.
Author's Notes: Alright, so not much happened in this chapter and it's shorter than usual. That sucks, but it did have a purpose, namely, helping to build the world a little, and also setting up the events of future chapters. The next one probably isn't going to be terribly exciting either, but I need a solid foundation to build upon, lest events start popping out of nowhere. I'll do my best to condense everything down and avoid turning it into too much of a slog, but it might be a little while before we get back into the fun stuff.
One thing I want to draw attention to, though, is the scene with Garret having to warn, and later, fire, two of his students. Eri criticized The Order in her own monologue, with one of her points being that you're not allowed to do what you want with your own body. I wanted to make some of her points show up in places the audience would witness them because, if they didn't, her monologue would fall very flat. If you never see the problems (real or perceived) that she brings up, her motivations and characterization suffer for it.
That's all I've got for now. I hope y'all had a merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Until next time, Sayonara!