Chapter 5 – March Duty
"A march?" I asked as I read the note to the gathering 7th platoon, "Doesn't sound too hard."
"A dip into nature would be good for everyone." Wrys added.
"Is everyone here yet? We must get to the gate soon." Katarina asked as she scanned over the group.
"Everyone but Princess Caeda is here." Rody answered, "She wasn't able to make it."
"That's alright. Since we're all here, let's start walking out." Katarina motioned for everyone to follow her. I walked beside her while everyone else walked at their own pace.
"Will you be alright with walking the entirety of the march? I'm sure Blazemane won't mind the extra weight." I asked Katarina.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." She looked distracted as she answered me. I didn't want to interfere with her emotions so I decided not to question her about it. We walked in dead silence until we arrived at the gate.
"Commander Glacia of the 7th platoon! It's about time you got here. We were about to leave without you." Jagen shouted at us from the gate. As soon as we got out into the sunlight and retrieved our horses, every platoon was given the order to follow the path given to them. "Each path has a village that you must receive a token from. This is to prevent cheating. Good luck. I'll see you all tonight."
"I've heard there are squads of knights waiting to attack us out there!" I overheard another platoon say, "There must be some sort of catch." The platoon left shortly afterward.
"Alright everyone, let's start!" I announced to my platoon.
"Yeah! Let's go!" Luke excitedly exclaimed. We started our march on a high note. We passed by the thick forest located outside the castle and startled birds flew over our heads. Soon the castle was out of sight and the only thing we could see was the forest and the path ahead of us. I did a majority of the navigation with the map in my hands. It wasn't long before we came across a bend in the road.
"Alright, if we just go through this forest instead, we can get to the village in half the time!" I told everyone. They nodded in agreement and we began wading through the ocean of leaves and bushes, avoiding the occasional tree trunk or boulder. We trekked through the foliage until the sun shone brightly directly overhead. We were still wading through the thick forest.
"It sure is nice and peaceful in this forest." Luke commented.
"Yeah…" I responded, distracted by the open map in my hands.
"Just walking around here makes me feel… rejuvenated." He continued.
"Same here." I said while still distracted by the map.
"Oh, by the way. We're lost aren't we?"
"Well, uh…" I stalled, "Yes… yes we are."
"Come on, Glacia the Terrible! Wasn't this supposed to be a shortcut?"
"Ah… I'm sorry. I was so certain this was the way…" I looked at the map, retracing our steps over and over again.
"Look, we shouldn't fight over this. Let's work together and find our way back to the main path." Rody suggested, "Let me take a look at that." I handed the map over to him.
"Odd, I don't find this place familiar at all." Gordin said, looking around at the trees, "I've been around Altea several times, how can I not recognize where we are?"
"Let's try walking this way." Rody pointed in front of him, "I need to find landmarks to figure out where we are."
"Argh, we're totally behind everyone else. Altean Knights, lost in Altea. Sir Jagen is going to kill us…" Luke said in a frustrated tone.
"I… I'm so sorry for putting us in this situation…" I apologized.
"It's alright. We'll make in time, don't worry." She said. I bent over to check on Blazemane. She was indifferent about the situation and continued to make her way over bushes and around trees, stopping every once in a while to sniff the ground.
"Ah!" Katarina suddenly yelled.
"What's wrong?" I asked instinctively. She pointed to her right. "I think… over there…" she slowly walked closer to the area in question. "That village! It's under attack!"
"We've got to act fast!" I said. I was about to whip Blazemane into action when Luke held me back.
"Are you crazy? We're lost and late!" Luke held onto my arm.
"Well we can't just leave them!" I looked him right in the eyes as I spoke. He must have heard the conviction in my voice as he immediately let go of me.
"I… No, you're right. We can't." he said with a hint of regret in his voice.
"Katarina, you got a plan?" I asked her. She was watching the village intently.
"Unfortunately we'll have to improvise this time. This is unknown territory for me, I can't accurately lay out a plan." She said, still watching the village.
"Alright then, we'll attack in groups. Sir Gordin, stay with Ryan and Wrys and provide support." I told Gordin. He gave me a quick nod and gathered his team together. "Luke, Rody. You two are with me. Katarina, stay somewhere safe." The two cavaliers gathered around me and Katarina took shelter behind a nearby tree.
"Glacia," she said, "stay safe."
"You have my word." I reassured her. She seemed extremely worried, but she didn't make an effort to stop me.
"Where will we start?" Rody asked with a concerned look.
"Let's start from the outside and work our way in." I said, "I'll take the far side, you two split up on this side."
"On it!" Luke said before sprinting towards the village. Rody hesitated for a while before deciding to run off as well.
"Let's go Blazey." I stroked her neck and she whinnied before taking off. The wind blew fiercely as we blazed through the forest and into the clearing. Soon I had a clear visual of the bandits attacking the village, but they also had a visual of me. Blazemane decided to attack one of the bandits and made a sharp turn towards them. I unsheathed my blade and slashed the bandit as Blazemane ran by. I heard him release a cry of pain before hitting the ground with a loud thud. I scanned the destroyed village for survivors and noticed something out of place. I grabbed the reins and directed Blazemane towards a destroyed house. I noticed a strange figure, but it slipped behind the rubble and disappeared before I could get a good look. Strange, I thought to myself as I directed Blazemane around the destroyed building, I thought I caught a glimpse of a green mask. I decided to ignore it and shifted my focus to fighting off the bandits.
Once I turned, I noticed two of them running towards me with axes raised above their heads. Blazemane reared before launching herself towards the bandits. Her hooves landed on the shoulders of one of the bandits, knocking him down. Blazemane maneuvered herself swiftly around the other bandit and I landed a deep slash on the side of his chest with my sword. I glanced over to the other side of the village to check on the rest of the team. I noticed Gordin and his companions hunkered behind a broken wall firing arrow after arrow. Luke was everywhere at once, but doing quite well. Rody, however, was not doing as well as the others. He got dismounted and was blocking the blade of an axe with his lance.
I was about to sprint to him when I noticed someone coming out of the forest on my right. "Hey! Who are you? You don't look like one of the bandits." I asked him as I rode towards him.
"Your hair… I gather you're the commanding officer?" he asked. I nodded in response. "Very well, I shall join your fight. The name's Merric, a mage from Khadein. Your orders, please!" I was taken aback by how quickly he decided to join the battle, but I didn't hesitate to give him a role.
"Please, stay close to me and provide support with your magic." I told him. He nodded in agreement and I returned to fighting the bandits. Blazemane neighed before breaking into a sprint across the village. Luke and the others were too far from Rody to notice his struggle. His horse had hidden himself in the forest and Rody was left to fend for himself.
"Gahahaha, just die already!" the bandit laughed as he broke through Rody's defensive stance. Rody staggered back a few steps before regaining his balance. Before he could raise his lance, the bandit's axe was already coming down on him. I heard a scorching sound fly by me and the bandit erupted in flames. I turned to see Merric run past me with another fireball ready. Excited for a quick victory, Blazemane ran straight for the bandit. Just as he was able to extinguish the fire on his clothes, I ran by him with my sword outstretched. Blazemane turned around and I saw the bandit fall to the ground. Luke ran over to us and Rody went into the forest to retrieve his horse.
"Is that all of them?" Luke asked me.
"Ye-yes. That was the last of them." I hesitated a little when I answered his question as I had just remembered about the green mask I had a glimpse of during the battle. The rest of the platoon began to gather around us and check on each other's conditions. The platoon gathered the rescued villagers and ensured they were safe before allowing them to return to their homes. Wrys worked efficiently, healing all of the villagers' injuries. I was too distracted to participate and stared out at the destroyed buildings, hoping that strange figure would reveal itself once again. I was brought back into the group's conversation when Katarina spoke to me.
"Um, Glacia?" she asked, "Sir Merric would like a word with you." I dismounted Blazemane to properly speak with him. He was standing there, watching me with a gentle smile. The wind ruffled his rich, green hair and his deep, blue robe. His robe was adorned with golden designs and white cuffs. Underneath, he had a blue-green tunic on with beige pants and tall, brown boots. On his waist were several belts and satchels that carried his various tomes. His gentle, green eyes reminded me of a calm breeze blowing across an empty plain.
"I apologize for my abruptness on the battlefield. Please, allow me to make a proper introduction." Merric said and stepped closer to me, "I am Merric, a wind mage from Khadein and a close friend to Prince Marth. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"I'm Commander Glacia of the 7th platoon. It is such an honor to meet you Sir Merric." I said.
"Prince Marth had summoned me to help train the new knights, but I seem to be rather lost," Merric said as he looked around, "Would it be alright if you would show me the way to the castle?"
"O-oh…," my face flushed with embarrassment, "it just happens that we're lost as well."
"Oh dear. Do you happen to have a map by any chance?"
"I do, it's uh…" I said, searching Blazemane's packs.
"I have it, Sir Merric." Rody interrupted my frantic search and handed the map to Merric. Merric opened it up and immediately knew where we were.
"Alright, our best bet is to go in this direction. There won't be a path for a while." Merric pointed in a direction close to the direction we came from.
"Don't we need some sort of token, Glacia?" Katarina asked softly.
"Don't worry about it," Merric said after folding up the map, "I can talk to Jagen about what happened. He'll understand." He handed the folded map to me and began to walk in the direction he pointed out. Slowly, we followed him. Before I left the area, I gave the ruined village one last glance. I scanned the area for a while before I caught another glimpse of the green mask again. Odd, I thought, was that a horn I saw?
"Come on Glacia, don't get left behind!" Rody shouted.
"Coming!" I shouted back. Blazemane quickly caught up to the group and began our journey back to the castle. For the entire trip, I was preoccupied with my sighting of the green mask. I wonder if that was what Sir Cain had seen many nights ago, I thought, and I wonder if Sir Jagen was right.
The sun began to set once we arrived at the path we had left earlier in the day. Our horses appreciated the luxury of not having to step over bushes and those who were on foot appreciated it just as much. Our journey back to the castle ended once the moon was shining brightly overhead. Before Jagen could say anything, Merric ran up to him. They spoke for a few minutes before Jagen nodded and led Merric inside. Merric motioned for us to come in before walking away.
"Ah… we're finally back! Back at last!" Luke shouted in celebration.
"What an adventure that was." Gordin commented.
"It was fun though! I got to watch your archery!" Ryan exclaimed. They soon erupted into an intense exchange of compliments and comments.
"I'm glad everyone made it back without any injuries…" Wrys added as he watched the brothers. After a short period of exchanging stories, everyone started to walk back into the castle, one by one. I was the last one to come inside. As I made Blazemane comfortable in her stable, my mind was still distracted.
"Glacia?" Katarina tapped my shoulder to get my attention, "Is something wrong? You seem more distracted than usual today."
"I… I saw something strange during our battle today." I admitted, "Did you see it? Someone or something wearing a strange green mask? I didn't count it amongst the dead, it's a little worrying…"
"A green mask..? I'm sorry, I don't think I saw anything like that." Katarina put her hand on my shoulder, "It's okay though. We did beat them in the end. Come on, let's go find something to eat. You'll feel better after a nice meal."
"I guess you're right. Let's go." I closed Blazemane's stable door and followed her into the mess hall. I grabbed a bowl of soup and Katarina took a simple ham sandwich. We sat down at an empty table and reflected on our days in Altea Castle. We had flashbacks to the first days in our living quarters and the struggles of the first few combat tests.
"Jeorge was spectacular during that battle. So spectacular I was a little worried he would best you." She admitted before eating her last bite of sandwich.
"To be honest, I did bite off a bit more than I could chew." I giggled at my own mistakes.
"Well, I think you did wonderfully."
"The best part was probably when Luke ran into the wall!" I said, replaying the events in my mind. We both laughed as we dug into our minds for more funny stories to remember.
"I'm so glad I met you, Glacia" Katarina said once she stopped laughing.
"I'm glad I ran into you the way I did." I grabbed a nearby empty cup, "Cheers to another successful battle?" She picked up an empty cup as well.
"Hehe, to another successful battle." She giggled and we clinked the cups together. As I put the cup down, I noticed that my worries had disappeared. I hadn't been able to relax as much as I did in weeks. I heard footsteps nearby and looked up to see Jagen standing in front of me.
"Commander Glacia, Katarina. Report to the throne room immediately. Prince Marth would like a word with you." He said and promptly left afterward.
"Oh… do you think it has to do with the village we saved?" Katarina asked once Jagen had disappeared from sight.
"I have a feeling it is." I replied, "Don't worry. I can handle it." Katarina looked at me with a fearful expression.
"I really hope so…" she said as she cleaned up our table. After she had returned the dishes to their designated area, we began our walk towards the throne room. As we got closer to the heart of the castle, the hallways became more grandiose. The windows became wider, allowing more sunlight to brighten the intricate details of the doorways. Soon, we reached a large room with a blue rug that was almost as large. The rug was decorated with gold details on its edges and its center. A smaller, rectangular rug with a similar design led up to a door that mimicked the design on the rugs.
"This must be it." I said, nervously. I had always dreamed of speaking to Prince Marth in person, but it had never crossed my mind that such an event would be so nerve racking. Katarina was just as nervous as I was, if not more. I took a deep breath and pushed the heavy doors open.
The first thing I noticed was how long it was. The walls and windows were more ornate than the ones we had passed by in the hallways. The floor was tiled and a long rug ran from the doorway to the throne itself. Pillars lined the walls. Prince Marth was waiting for us at the end of the room. The throne kept with the motif of golden accents on a rich blue color. Its size dwarfed Marth in comparison. With Katarina close by my side, we walked down the carpet pathway and stood in front of him. His small, golden tiara glistened as it sat on top of his blue hair. His flowing ocean blue cape covered up his breastplate and shoulder armor which was decorated with gold details. A large red gem held the cape together. His shirt was a bright blue with golden borders which flowed down to his legs. He had brown boots on with a gold clamp that went under the sole and over the foot. He greeted us with a gentle smile as his blue eyes watched us.
"Commander Glacia and Katarina of the 7th platoon, reporting as ordered, sire." I said.
"Please, calm yourselves. You weren't summoned here for a reprimand." He said, possibly sensing the panic that was building in Katarina, "About the incident at the village. As ruler, my duty is to protect my people and I am truly grateful for what you did."
"We're honored to be of service."
"I've heard from Jagen that you two have been exemplary in combat. I've seen your skills and I agree wholeheartedly with him. Should the two of you pass your test, I'd love it if you would become my Royal Guards." His offer took me by surprise, "Stories tell of me as a great hero, but it is not so. I can only do so much on my own. I need people I can trust, those who can support and guide me."
"And you believe that we are fit for such an esteemed duty?"
"Yes, I believe so. I want you to be my Royal Guard, but don't feel obliged to accept the role. I won't think ill of you if you decline. There is no need for an immediate response. Please think it over carefully."
"Of course. Thank you for the opportunity, sire." I said before he dismissed us. As Katarina and I walked down the hallway towards our rooms, my mind was filled with thoughts of accepting Prince Marth's offer.