Chapter 55 – Hearts of Her People
They scrambled down a slope of dirt and loose rocks, making for the road to the bandits' fort. Flik felt a pebble bounce under the arch of his foot, but there was no time to take the boot off and fish the offending stone out. The slope bottomed out, then climbed back up the raised bank of the road. Suddenly they were on the hard-packed surface, sprinting towards the gates.
Stallion immediately raced out to the lead, his blue ponytail trailing behind him like a streamer. Next was Oulan, her powerful body glistening in the summer sun. Nanami, fueled by emotion, had the third place, and showed no signs of flagging as they drew near the fort. Flik found himself solidly in the pack, alongside Riou, Gremio, and Tir. He took a deep breath and picked up his pace, telling himself he wasn't racing anyone. Viktor was behind them. Flik could hear him chugging along. Sheena and Simone were last, though Flik didn't look to see how far back they were.
Horns blared on the cliff overhead. Flik guessed that meant the lookouts had spotted them. He drew his sword as the gates to the fort opened. Ahead, Stallion had stopped to string his bow. Oulan and Nanami began to slow.
Even before the gates were fully open, men spilled out. For a moment, Flik feared that the bandits would catch them all strung out, then he saw that the enemy wasn't interested in fighting them. These men were in flight, abandoning their arms and armor as they ran from something within the wooden walls. Many of them simply tumbled off the bank of the road, picked themselves up, and started straight up the ridgeline. The only bandits coming at Flik and the others were running blindly. One powerful punch from Oulan convinced those particular bandits to look where they were going.
When the first group of bandits had cleared beyond them, Flik could see that the gate stood unguarded. He heard fighting within, not to mention flames crackling. Tir started the charge again, lunging past Oulan, Nanami, and Stallion. Flik wiped the sweat out of his eyes and ran forward, marveling at the energy of youth.
Several wooden barracks stood past the gates. There were bandits here, but they were busy fighting among themselves, each man trying to get hold of anything of value before fleeing. Tir ignored these men and they in turn ignored the invaders. Beyond the barracks was a mustering field of packed dirt. Fallen men lay strewn over the ground, and in their midst was the cause of the disorder.
It was enough to make Tir stop, and Flik didn't blame him. The monster's form was like a caterpillar, save that it must've weighed somewhere on the order of several tons. Its flesh was green with purple and yellow spots and divided into pulsing segments. The tallest point of its arched back was at least a foot over Flik's head.
"Looks tough," Viktor observed. "What now?"
"Spread out," Tir commanded. "We'll see how much it likes the Soul Eater."
Nanami screamed, "Ko!" Then, before anyone could react, she charged directly at the monster. Flik's gaze swung from Nanami to her target. Ko was lying, unresponsive, beneath the pincers of the bug's maw.
Tir had been raising his hand to use his rune, but paused in mid chant. Nanami's rush put her much too close to the monster to use a rune with such wide-ranging effects. The monster seemed to look up as Nanami bore down on it, swinging her rod furiously. It bounced harmlessly off the bug's head, but she pivoted and brought it down again, and a third time.
Before Nanami could strike a fourth time, the caterpillar lunged at her, pincers working. Several men, including Flik, ran to rescue her, but Tir got there first, bashing the end of his staff onto the monster's head, momentarily driving it down into the turf. Riou grabbed Nanami from behind and pulled her out of danger. Oulan dove in from the side and snatched Ko, gathering the child into her arms.
The caterpillar wasn't subdued for long, nearly tripping Tir as it shifted its head back and forth to free itself from the pin. Gremio chopped at the head with his axe, but had to stagger back to avoid being bashed. Flik launched a bolt of lightning at the monster, to try and stun it. Though the electricity made several black scores on the thing's back, the attack failed to stop it.
An arrow flitted by Flik, then another. Stallion had launched both. They plunged into the soft hide of the caterpillar, but neither stopped it. Freed rushed at it from one side, stabbing with his blade. The monster's flank heaved in response, nearly crushing Freed under its bulk. Viktor, meanwhile, had circled around to the rear of the beast and now came at it with the Star Dragon Sword. The sword bit into the monster's side, carving off chunks of flesh, but his blade became stuck after the fourth strike.
As Viktor struggled to free his sword, the monster countered by emitting a spray of yellow droplets into the air. Several of these struck Flik, instantly numbing the exposed skin on his cheek. The numbness began to spread out from those points, but he was more worried about Viktor, who'd taken the brunt of the attack. Viktor, having pulled his weapon out, stumbled away from the caterpillar and collapsed down to his knees.
"Nanami!" Tir shouted. "Heal us now!"
"Yes, of course." She sounded as though she were still trying to catch her breath, but a cool mist of water replaced the deadening haze of the monster, bringing feeling back to Flik's face. He ran forward to grab Viktor and pull him away. Viktor recovered his feet after a few seconds.
Nanami's healing mist cleared away, leaving the battlefield in an uneasy stalemate. "Any ideas as to what we do now?" Flik asked.
"We've got Ko," Nanami answered. "Let's run."
"No," Tir replied. "I'm not leaving this thing alive and able to attack Banner Village." He raised his hand and the air around the caterpillar flashed into a vortex of red and black, distorting and ripping the monster. Flik shuddered, feeling the pull of the void. Goosebumps rose on the skin of his wrist.
But even the Soul Eater wasn't enough to bring it down. Jerking spasmodically and oozing from its wounds, the caterpillar lumbered towards Tir. A wall of light blazed into existence between it and Tir, driving it back. Riou, his right hand held aloft, walked forward, moving the wall as he did so. The caterpillar gave ground, swinging its head back and forth.
"Good work," Nanami cheered, clapping her hands. "We've got it on the run."
"I'm don't know how much longer I can maintain this," Riou responded and took a hasty breath.
"Young master, we should regroup and think of a better way to attack it," Gremio suggested.
"For goodness sake," a new voice rumbled. It was the Star Dragon Sword, shaking violently in Viktor's hands. "The weak point is the monstrosity's mouth. All you've got to do is stick your sword between those pincers and up into the brain. Here, I'll do it for you." The sword began to drag Viktor towards the caterpillar.
"No you don't!" Viktor reaffirmed his grip on his weapon and planted his feet firmly on the ground. "Thank you for sharing that vital piece of info after we started the fight, but even I'm not crazy enough to willingly throw myself into the mouth of an enemy."
Riou's wall of light winked away as he fell unsteadily to his knees. Oulan jumped in and grabbed him as the caterpillar started advancing again. Flik sent another bolt of lightning crashing into the creature to permit Oulan to get Riou safely back. The monster didn't even flinch as the electricity raced along its skin.
"We'll have to attack it together," Tir declared. "Distract it by attacking from several directions and then one of you with a sword…jam it into the thing's mouth."
"Are you asking for volunteers on that mission?" Flik asked. Still, somebody would have to do that. He brought his sword up.
"For friendship!" Simone cried, racing right past Flik. Before Flik could react, Sheena had also sped by, his father's long blade, Kirinji, drawn. Flik realized that they had just caught up to the fight and had no idea of what to do.
"Stop!" Tir ordered. This had the effect of causing Simone to trip over himself, followed quickly by Sheena tripping over Simone. Sheena's sword slipped out of his grip, spun gracefully in the air, and flew right through the caterpillar's pincers and into its mouth. The beast shuddered as the sword drove in nearly to the hilt.
Flik held his breath. Except for the distant sound of fire crackling, everything was quiet. "Is it…dead?" Nanami whispered.
Nobody was brave enough to go forward and find out. Eventually, Stallion fired another arrow into it and, when the caterpillar didn't react, this was sufficient proof for the exhausted warriors to claim victory. Sheena cautiously crept up to the corpse and worked at pulling his sword out. Flik joined the others around the still form of Ko.
"He's hardly breathing," Nanami said. "I don't think my water rune will be enough."
"What about you, Riou?" Tir asked. "Have you got enough energy left to try and heal him?"
"Maybe," Riou answered. His hands trembled as he placed them over Ko and invoked the Bright Shield. The Rune responded, and the boy's body glowed with warm light. When the light dissipated, his breathing was stronger, but he remained unconscious. "That's the best I can do," Riou gasped.
"He must've been poisoned earlier," Freed observed. "We need to get him to a specialist like Huan."
Flik almost shook his head. Going to Huan would mean turning around and abandoning the mission to Toran. He didn't want the boy to die. How could one weigh one life against the war and come up with the right answer? He looked to Riou, watching as the leader of the New State Army pondered impossible choices.
"Young master, what about doctor Liukan?" Gremio suddenly offered. "If we could get Ko to Toran, we might be able to enlist his aid."
"Can we keep him stable that long?" Oulan asked. "Any doctors in Toran are still a long way off."
"I'll do it," Nanami replied, biting her lower lip. "I won't let him die! Not here!"
"I'll help too," Riou offered.
Tir nodded. "Okay. Let's see if we can't make a litter for him. Stallion, find us a path to a border post. I know there's got to be one around here somewhere."
In fifteen minutes, they'd jury-rigged a littler for Ko. Viktor and Flik got the first shift bearing the child as they departed, this time taking the road as it wound out of the artificial valley. Once they were back in the forest, the going became markedly more difficult. They had only put a few miles between them and the fort when the approaching sunset finally forced them to stop.
Stallion had arrived to make a report. "My eyes spotted ships on the river, coming up from the south. There is some sort of way station along the bank of the river, probably about another day's march, seeing as we are burdened."
"Good," Tir said. "I don't think we're going to lose Ko, at least, not yet. My Rune is strangely quiet on the matter."
"That's a good sign, right?" Viktor asked.
"I…don't know," Tir answered. "All that means is that the Soul Eater isn't showing me Ko's death. That's all."
Flik looked from Tir over to Nanami, who was hovering over Ko and using her water rune to keep him from fading back towards death. Riou walked over to her to help, but she glared at him sharply, refusing to allow him to ease her burden. As Flik watched, he thought he saw desperation reflecting in her eyes. For just a moment, he was aware that her whole demeanor appeared brittle, but she shook her head and seemed to recover her strength.
They took the watch by pairs. Viktor and Flik, having carried Ko thus far, drew the last watch of the night. As Flik stretched out to rest, he focused on Nanami sitting by Ko, her face set in concentration. Then he rolled over and closed his eyes. When Freed woke him to change the watch, Nanami was still there.
"Has she slept at all?" Flik whispered to Freed.
"I don't know. She was awake when I began my watch."
Viktor had also noticed Nanami. He was less circumspect than Flik about voicing his opinions, though. He walked over to her and asked, "Why don't you get some rest, Nanami? Flik and I can watch Ko for the rest of the night."
"No!" Her vehemence startled Flik. "No, he might slip away while I'm resting. I've got to do it. I have to be on guard at all times. I would never forgive myself if he died because of my weakness." Flik thought her eyes moved slightly, to look at her brother, but it might've been a trick of the firelight.
Viktor shrugged. "Have it your way." He and Flik took up positions at opposite ends of the camp. Under normal circumstances, they might've conversed quietly, but Nanami's presence made that impossible. Instead, Flik spent the watch peering into the southern trees, trying to listen for any suspicious noises over the sound of the rushing river. The Blue Moon, which was over to the west, cast its light eerily into the breaks in the leaves.
Eventually the sun heralded the beginning of the new day, and the travelers quickly broke camp. Once again Stallion disappeared into the foliage ahead of them, while Sheena and Freed were recruited to carry the litter. The trek was downhill this day, heading back towards the Dunan River. Flik could hear the water crashing over a series of falls.
They'd not gone too far before Nanami suddenly staggered and fainted, rolling down the slope before anyone could stop her. Riou immediately went after her, half running and half sliding to catch up. Flik also started down the hill, along with Viktor, Tir, and Gremio. Nanami had come to rest against the trunk of a tree and wasn't moving.
Riou shook his sister, panic in his voice. "Nanami, hey, Nanami, wake up! What's wrong?" He placed his hand on her forehead, and the Bright Shield Rune began to shine.
Before he could complete the chant, Gremio reached out to pull his hand away. "She is not injured, so there is nothing your Rune can do. She is merely exhausted. What she needs is rest."
Oulan was called upon to carry Nanami. The redhead did this without complaint, effortlessly cradling Nanami in her muscular arms. Riou remained with Oulan as the march continued, constantly looking at his sister's face. Several times the bodyguard had to remind Riou to keep his eyes on the path, lest he walk into any trees.
Around noon, the course they were on led them to the banks of the Dunan River. Stallion was waiting for them at a clearing. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw Nanami, but he recovered himself and said, "The border post is still many hours south of here. You may want to stop and eat, in order to recover your strength." Tir nodded.
As they sat down to eat, Nanami finally came awake. "What happened?" she asked wearily. "Is Ko all right?"
She tried to sit up, only to be embraced fiercely by Riou. "You suddenly fell," he said. "You went right down a hill and didn't move. I thought you'd been injured somehow."
Nanami laughed weakly. "Silly brother, I can't get injured. I've got to keep looking after everyone."
"You won't be looking after anyone if you don't get enough rest," Tir declared. "I should've ordered you to sleep last night."
Flik decided that she showed remarkable sense in looking abashed. She didn't even protest when Oulan picked her up when they started off again. In this manner they journeyed south along the bank of the river until the sun was off in the west. By that time, Flik was soaked with sweat. It had been another hot day, and he'd taken his turns carrying Ko's litter.
Stallion emerged from out of the forest with a warning. "There's a post with Toran border guards half a mile south of here. I spotted their leader. It's Varkas."
Flik recalled the bandit who'd joined the Liberation Army during the war two years ago. Varkas was a proud man who'd led his brigands with the discipline of a general.
"Let's press on," Tir said. "Riou, Sheena, when we get there, you'll have to do the talking. I'd still rather not announce my presence, not unless I have to." He and Gremio pulled out long, hooded cloaks and put them on. They did a good job hiding their faces, but Flik knew they'd also be conspicuous. On the other hand, given the crowd they were travelling with, maybe they'd simply be mistaken for a pair of servants.
The forest along the riverbank gave way to another cleared area. Inevitably there was a small tent village around the post, filled with refugees who could go no further. As they walked towards the guardhouse, Flik could hear Sheena muttering to himself.
When they got to the guardhouse itself, Flik recognized Varkas immediately. His green turban, black breastplate, and red cape were all striking, but what really set him apart was the stern set to his face. Even his brown mustache seemed to be frowning in disapproval.
"Is that you, Sheena? Are you returning to beg your father for more money, or perhaps you've finally grown tired of the wandering life?"
Sheena marched straight forward to meet Varkas' glare. "My father needs to play a more active role in the war to the north. The least he can do is let these refugees into Toran. In fact, I order it. Varkas, open the gates."
Varkas shook his head. "Sorry, kid, but throwing a tantrum isn't going to get you anything. Your dad would certainly agree with me on that one."
"A…tantrum?" Sheena shouted. "I'll show you a tantrum!"
"That's enough," Riou interjected. "Sheena, focus on what we need to do."
Varkas' eyes shifted over towards Riou at the sound of his voice. Then he looked up and noted Viktor, Flik, and Stallion. "So, there's more to this than simply a lazy son trying to return home. Would one of you care to explain?"
"I'm Riou, leader of the New State Army, fighting against Highland. I wish to enter into negotiations with the Toran Republic for the purpose of forging an alliance."
"Also, we need to get a doctor for this injured boy," Nanami added.
Varkas pondered the news, eventually looking to Viktor and Flik. "You two, you're men of honor. You're serving under him?"
"To the end," Viktor replied. Flik nodded.
"The President has sent word; any delegation from the New State Army is to be escorted directly to Gregminster. While you are in the Toran Republic, you must remain in my custody. Is that acceptable?"
"Yes," Riou said.
"Good." Varkas motioned to the guards at the gate. "Let's get them all in here. We can have the unit surgeon look at the boy and the rest of you can get some food and rest. I'll have one of the boats stand by to take us all down the river in the morning."
They passed into the guardhouse without difficulty. Gremio and Tir, still in their hooded cloaks, lifted Ko's litter and were admitted without any fuss. The interior of the barracks was extremely orderly. Soldiers quickly relived Gremio and Tir of the litter and rushed the boy off to the infirmary. Nanami followed them in, refusing to let Ko out of her sight.
For the rest, Varkas showed them to the guest rooms. Tir and Gremio disappeared into one. Viktor and Flik decided to eat rather than rest. Varkas ate with them, and peppered them with questions about their activities after the fall of Gregminster. Then he turned to the question of Riou.
"The boy seems to have some mettle in him. He took control of Sheena quickly enough, though that isn't too difficult. But, does he have the will to see this through to the end? President Lepant's not going to commit forces if he doesn't think Riou can finish the war."
"We're doing well enough," Viktor countered. "Riou's held his own so far."
"Not so well that you don't need more help. Otherwise, why would you be here?" Varkas' eyes narrowed. "Reports from up the river say that you haven't met Luca Blight in battle yet. How does Riou compare to the new king of Highland?"
Neither Viktor nor Flik answered immediately. Flik knew that there was no physical comparison. Likewise, Riou probably didn't have Luca's skill in leading men in battle. "It's hard to explain our faith in Riou," Flik said. "He cares for his people and listens to their advice. He's got the advantage on Luca there."
Varkas swallowed a piece of bread that he'd been chewing. "Let me tell you this. A lot of people in the Republic don't like Jowston. The City-States have always been viewed as divided, treacherous, and feckless from our side of the border. On the other hand, many people admire Highland greatly- for its military tradition, for its legacy of valorous generals, and for its centralized government. I myself have heard enough about Luca Blight to know that he must be stopped, but the further south you go, the fewer people you'll find who share my view."
Flik was aghast. "Are you saying Lepant won't support him?"
"I'm certain the President will lend Riou as much support- moral and physical- as he is able. However, the age of the Empire is past. If Riou truly wishes aid from the Republic, he must win the hearts of her people."
Viktor suddenly laughed. "If that's all he has to do, then we'll have all the help we need. I have faith in him."
"He's won plenty of other people to his side," Flik noted. "I think he'll do the same here."
Varkas stared at the two of them, a gaze that was hard and cold. Flik knew the former bandit wasn't afraid of death. He'd once been tried, condemned, and then rescued in the process of the sentence being carried out. Thus, Flik was surprised when Varkas replied, "He'd better. For all of our sakes, he'd better. If Luca Blight isn't stopped soon, he'll be the end of everything the Liberation Army wanted to build."