Chapter 78 – Why You Have a Staff

In Solis 460, Soulsdei, the 8th of Heptamen:

Dear Diary,

I've been too exhausted to write much lately. I was in bed for nearly two full days after we killed Neclord, so I wasn't privy to any of the negotiating going on. Apparently Shu arrived the afternoon after Tinto was liberated and started working on the deal. Georg Prime will be given command of the contingent from Tinto. Also, Jess and Hauser have decided to join us, so the New State Army will emerge from this adventure stronger all around.

I haven't had time to speak much with Viktor. He's been very subdued since the fight, and I don't know whether he's trying to absorb the reality of it or if there is something deeper going on. His desire to kill Neclord predates my knowing him. Maybe his wanderlust has finally been satisfied now that the vampire is dead.

We left Tinto City two days ago and are now back in the village of Tigermouth. The residents will be glad to see us leave, I think. Even now, they believe that we brought this trouble to them. Well, in a way, I'm glad to leave them behind too. Now we must turn our attention back to liberating the rest of Jowston and trying to end this war.

Hours later, Flik was riding eastward, near the head of his cavalry, with the rest of the army trailed out behind him. The pace was easy since there was no pressing need to race to anyone's rescue. The day was pleasant, so much that Flik wondered if he was dragging the cool air of Tinto down onto the plains. The only thing breaking his good mood was the incessant questions.

"So then, after that, what did Neclord say?"

The questioner was Marlowe, who'd been promoted in the aftermath of Neclord's death and attached to the army as Gustav's representative. Flik had been mildly amused watching as the young man attempted to stay in the saddle while wearing his dress gown. He obviously had little experience with horses and was settling into a vaguely sidesaddle position. Flik was less amused that he'd become the target of this man's quest to document the whole Neclord incident.

"I don't really remember," Flik answered, not making eye contact. "He said something about not dying there." He shook his head. "I was more worried about what Neclord was going to do, not what he was saying."

"That's very interesting," Marlowe replied. "You see, Viktor said Neclord shouted 'scum!' and Kahn said that Neclord talked about living forever. Very interesting indeed. Well, what happened next?"

Flik wanted to tell Marlowe to go bother someone else. He was just too polite to utter those words. "Neclord attacked us then."

"Yes, yes, I know that." Marlowe sounded annoyed. "How exactly did Neclord attack?"

"I don't really remember. It's all kind of hazy at that point." The worst part about the answer was that it was entirely true. Flik had no clear recollection of the battle from the moment it started until Neclord began begging for his life.

"Were you hurt?" This was Nina, who was riding on Flik's other side. She'd started pestering Flik for details the instant he'd returned to Drakemouth and reunited with his men. He'd offered her none then and he had the suspicion that she'd turned Marlowe's attention his way just to get the details.

More than that, her particular question triggered a buzzing sensation in his legs. It wasn't painful. It was more like thousands of light pinpoints pricking down on his skin. He had been hurt. He'd been hurt pretty badly, but Riou had healed him. What would've happened had Riou not been there? It wasn't a question worth dwelling on, but the thought sent a cold chill down his spine.

"I got a little beat up, but Riou healed me. It wasn't really important."

Nina frowned, and Flik knew that his words hadn't reassured her. Meanwhile, Marlowe continued with his questioning. "Right, so when is your next clear memory? When did you know that Neclord was defeated?"

Flik sighed and steeled himself for more hours in Marlowe's company. Eventually Marlowe was either satisfied or ran out of patience, and he turned his horse around to ride back towards the middle of the column. Nina remained up with Flik, but she decided not to ask any other questions, which was a relief.

Later in the afternoon, with the forests and marshes to the east a green smudge on the horizon, Flik sent out his scouts to find an appropriate camping ground for the night. This was easier said than done, for the addition of the Tinto forces made the marching column nearly ten thousand men strong. Still, a well-watered location was found, and Flik and his men spent the late afternoon guiding individual units into the growing camp.

Amidst the bustle, Flik had time to look up and notice a Winger gliding down out of the sky, heading for the center of the camp. Flik briefly wondered what message he might be bringing, but then focused on more pressing matters, like making sure the horses were properly tethered. He'd almost forgotten the Winger entirely when one of Shu's aides appeared, calling his name.

Flik turned his horse around as the man ran up. "I'm here. What can I help you with?" In truth, setting up the camp was boring work, but an unexpected disaster might portend more excitement than Flik wanted.

The aide bowed, but kept his tone low, "Lord Riou desires to speak with you urgently."

Flik fought the frown off his face. He had no sense that something had gone wrong, but his soldier's instincts told him to worry. "Take me to him."

He followed the aide towards the center of the camp, where Shu had set up the large administrative tents. When he was led into the nearest one, it didn't surprise him that Riou, Nanami, and Shu were waiting for him. What did surprise him was that they had all of their personal effects packed up. They all looked worried, particularly Shu, who was frowning.

"What's going on?" Flik asked. His heart rate was picking up. He could hear the tension in his voice.

"We're going back to Dunan Castle immediately," Shu announced. "Our scouts have learned that the Highland Army has decamped from Muse and is on the move. I need to be able to assess the threat and plan the appropriate countermeasures, which I obviously cannot do from here."

"You're going to ride back to Dunan through the night?" Flik shook his head. "Isn't that a little dangerous, Shu? Wouldn't it be better to wait until daylight to push your horse?"

Shu smiled grimly. "I intend to be back in Dunan tonight, not tomorrow or the day after. We can't afford to let the Highlanders get that many marches ahead of us."

Flik was momentarily stunned by the absurdity of Shu's comment. "How are you going to?" Then he remembered that the idea wasn't so absurd. Riou was holding two things in his hands: a bound scroll and a small mirror. Flik recognized the mirror; it was one part of the Blinking Mirror. With it, Riou and a small number of companions could teleport instantly back to Dunan Castle.

"I get it." Flik nodded to Riou. "You're going to take Shu back." His eyes suddenly widened in alarm. "Who's going to be in charge of this army?"

"You," Riou answered. He stepped forward and presented Flik with the scroll. "Here are your official orders, signed by me and Shu. I know you'll do a good job, Flik."

With all eyes on him, Flik couldn't show any hesitation, though he regarded the scroll as if it were a burning coal. As he accepted the commission, he took a deep breath, almost feeling the weight settling on his shoulders. He'd commanded military units for many years, but he'd never been entrusted with an army before. Belatedly he realized that Shu was speaking.

"-make full use of my staff to help you organize the march. I need you to get these men to Dunan Castle with all possible speed, hopefully within two days. Depending on how circumstances develop, it is possible that the rest of the New State Army will be in the field at that time. If so, there will be orders regarding your deployment waiting for you when you arrive. I will attempt to keep in communication by sending members of the Winghorde to you on a daily basis." Shu paused, then stuck out his hand. "Good luck, Flik."

Flik was still very numb. He accepted Shu's handshake mechanically. When that was done, Shu turned back to Riou and said, "Let's be on our way."

Riou held up the Blinking Mirror. Flik had seen the tool in use before, but never when he wasn't one of the people being transported. He braced himself for a flash of light, but there was none. Instead, Riou, Nanami, and Shu simply vanished. Flik blinked a couple of times to confirm it, half expecting them to still be there. They weren't. He was alone in the room.

He wasn't alone in the tent. Beyond another partition, someone coughed. Flik could hear scribbling too, and people moving about. Ignoring that, he undid the string binding his orders and studied them. There wasn't much more to them than what Shu had said. He looked over the words a couple more times. He felt he ought to do something, but he had no idea what it was.

When Flik finally set down the papers, he saw that someone had entered the room. He was short, stout, and had thinning brown hair. He was watching Flik patiently, as if expecting an order, making him feel uncomfortable. One of Shu's clerks, Flik decided. The knowledge didn't help Flik any, so he swallowed his nervousness and asked, "May I help you with something?"

The clerk bobbed his head. "Begging your pardon, General Flik, but I was just about to send runners to summon the captains. With your permission, of course."

Flik tried to make his mind work. Why would he want to summon the other captains? His eyes drifted back to his orders, lying on the table where he'd placed them. Of course, he had to tell them that he was now in charge. "Go ahead," Flik replied.

The clerk nodded. "As you say, general." He disappeared beyond a partition. A moment later, four younger men dashed out of the tent, each heading in a different direction.

While waiting, Flik mentally went over what he was going to say to the captains. He hadn't decided on anything when Viktor suddenly said, "What's up, Flik? Where's Riou at?"

A sharp spike of surprise ran up Flik's spine. Viktor had been the first to arrive, and was wearing a look halfway between concern and jocularity. Flik sighed and let himself relax slightly. "He and Shu had to leave; Highland's up to something and Shu wanted to be back at the castle. They've left me in charge." He gestured to the orders. Viktor picked them up and scanned them.

While Viktor was going over the orders, the other captains arrived. Georg Prime radiated the easy professionalism of a soldier who'd seen countless campaigns, while Gijimu still looked the part of the wild man of the mountains. Last to appear was Ridley, though this was excusable, as he continued to limp from his injuries. When they were all gathered, Flik quickly explained the situation. No one had any complaints; no one challenged Flik's right to lead.

After hearing the status reports from each of the four men, Flik dismissed them. Viktor hung back as the others left, a huge grin on his face. "Congratulations, Flik! Looks like Shu's got big plans for you."

Flik shook his head. "I hope not. I don't want all this responsibility. I just want to get these men to Dunan and be done with it." Bending over, he placed his hands on either side of the table, staring at Shu's orders, which lay on top of it.

Viktor walked up next to Flik, catching his attention. "He trusts you, Flik," he said seriously. "I trust you. The army's getting bigger. Neither Riou nor Shu can be everywhere at once. They're going to need generals to help them, people who can take independent command at a moment's notice."

Flik stood up and paced away from the table, keeping his face away from Viktor. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for it, though. Remember what happened the last time I tried to lead an army?"

Viktor put his hand gently on Flik's shoulder. "Don't worry about Scarleticia. You won't make that kind of mistake again. Just focus on bringing our men home, that's all."

"Yeah." Flik nodded, feeling more sure of himself. "That's what Odessa would say too; accomplish the task at hand."

Viktor turned to go, waving as he did so. "That's the attitude." He stood in the flap, framed by the hazy light of a campfire. When he spoke again, his tone was serious. "Also, if you ever, ever ask me to call you 'sir,' I'll make sure to beat the swelling out of your head. Got it?"

Flik laughed. "I hear you." Viktor chuckled and walked away, presumably for bed.

Flik might've done so as well, but as soon as Viktor was gone, the little clerk reappeared. As before, he didn't speak first, but stood there, waiting for Flik's acknowledgement. "Is there something else I need to do?"

The clerk's tone was polite but firm. "I was thinking that you will need to make an arrangement for your own company. Somebody will need to lead your men while you lead the army."

Flik almost countered that he could lead both at once, but he knew better. Even so, it felt as though he were giving up a cherished possession as he said, "Get me Rossgard. If anyone deserves it, it's him."

By the time Rossgard arrived, news of Flik's promotion had spread throughout the camp. When the senior sergeant entered, a small crowd of Flik's men hung back, beyond the entrance to the tent. Rossgard took his own promotion stoically, but cracked a smile when Flik concluded, "Don't get too used to it. I'll be back with you guys in a couple of days."

When Rossgard left, most of the crowd followed him, but Tengaar, Hix, and Nina remained behind. Flik understood their reason. They followed him, not his unit. In a way, he was relieved, because he knew he'd need some aides he trusted. With a smile, he said, "Collect your stuff and come back here. I'll need the three of you with me." He shrugged his shoulders tiredly. "And if you could get my stuff too. Somehow I don't think I'm going to have the time to get back to my own tent."

Both Tengaar and Nina looked relieved by his answer, but it was Hix who answered for them, "Thank you, Sir Flik. We're all very happy for you." He and the two girls left, full of high spirits.

When they were gone, Flik sank back into a folding chair and closed his eyes. "I'm not being roped into this," he whispered to himself. "It's only temporary. I'll be back leading my men in no time at all." There was a rustling of papers behind him. Without stirring, Flik irritably asked, "What do you want?" He regretted the tone instantly. Quickly standing up, Flik opened his eyes, faced the clerk and apologized. "I'm sorry. It's been a long day."

The clerk was carrying a thick stack of papers, but somehow managed to pull off a respectable bow. "There is nothing to apologize for, General Flik. I understand how difficult it is to have an unexpected responsibility thrust upon you in a matter of hours." He placed the papers on the table with an audible thunk. "These are the movement orders that the clerks have written up for tomorrow. Please go over them and see if they are to your liking."

Flik leafed through the first couple of pages. As a unit commander, he'd been on the receiving end of these during his previous campaigns, so he generally knew what to look for. He heard the clerk bustling about, and then the room filled with artificial light. Flik glanced up to see him fiddling with an oil lamp. "You know, I never did catch your name," Flik spoke.

"The name is Kuno, General Flik." He sketched out a brief bow, offering no other information.

Rubbing at the headache forming between his eyes, Flik said, "Just call me sir, if you must. There's no need to get pretentious about my rank."

"As you wish, sir."

When Flik was done with the papers, he was finally able to go to bed. He felt uncomfortable sleeping in either Shu or Riou's bed, so Kuno had a cot brought out for him. As he lay back, trying to ignore his headache, he could hear at least some of the clerks continuing their work in the next room.

Morning brought its own series of tribulations to Flik. He awoke and promptly forgot where he was. He stumbled around for a few moments, wondering why his tent had gotten so large overnight. Then he remembered where he was and what he was supposed to do. To his frustration, he found that there was really very little he could do to speed things along.

"I want to be with my men," Flik mumbled around a piece of toast.

Kuno coughed discretely. "I'm sure we can trust Rossgard to do his job well. That's why you put him in the position, yes?"

Flik grimaced and took a drink of coffee – one of the perks of generalship – before continuing the conversation. "They're still my men. I'm not going to stop thinking of them that way."

"Well, if that's the way the general feels about it, I'm sure we can find some time to ride with them during the march. Of course, you will want to inspect all of the units. It wouldn't do for you to monopolize your time with just one unit."

"I suppose I'm up for a lot of riding," Flik answered, but he was smiling. He wasn't ever going to become the sort of general who'd spend his days sitting behind a desk.

Thus, when the army was ready to break camp, Flik was on his horse at the head of his men. He was tempted to draw his sword and give the command, but he restrained himself and nodded to Rossgard.

"Deploy scouts and flankers!" Rossgard ordered. Men and horses began to move. The first line of cavalry started down the road at a trot, fanning out in front of the army. Rossgard drew his sword to give the second command. "Forward at a walk! Look smart for the general!"

The mercenaries responded by drawing their swords in a glittering wave and giving Flik a cheer as they rode by him. Flik felt his heart surge seeing the pride in their faces. Even though most of them were men who hadn't been present at the start of the war, he still felt attached to them. He felt his eyes watering and ducked his head briefly to wipe at his face. All the dust the horses were kicking up must've been getting to him.

When his men were past, Viktor strode forward at the head of a long line of infantry. "We're not going to be outdone by some wimpy cavalry, are we?" Viktor roared. "Let's hear it! Give the general a cheer!" The infantry pumped their spears in the morning sun, shouting loudly enough to drown out Viktor's laughter, but Flik could see his friend's mirth.

Whether by design or complete spontaneity, Georg Prime also exhorted his men in a loud voice, saying, "Let them hear this army coming from Dunan! Let them hear your voices in Highland, men!" Finally Gijimu appeared, no less eager to pick up the challenge. "Shout, men of Tinto!" the former bandit commanded, brandishing an axe. "No man's got stronger lungs than a Tinto man! Let the general hear it!"

When all were past and all that remained were the teamsters and handlers for the supply train, Flik rubbed his ears and turned to Kuno. "I'm tempted to think that Viktor put them all up to this. What now?"

The little man looked somewhat ridiculous mounted on a shaggy pony, but he was also seriousness as he answered, "If you so desire, sir, you may ride up alongside the men for a while. I don't anticipate that there will be any major problems immediately."

"You think we'll run into trouble?"

Kuno quirked an eyebrow. "There is always something, sir. That's why you have a staff."

It wasn't long before that prediction came true. The road quickly descended down into the forests and swamps of eastern Two Rivers. When Flik had marched his men west to Riou's aid, the way had been dry and dusty. In the interim, a storm had come along, and now thousands of tiny rivulets crossed the road, turning it into a muddy stew.

Soon enough, the legs of Flik's horse were covered with mud, not to mention his own legs. At least he was mounted. He spent much of the day watching the thousands of infantry slogging their way forward. When the temperature and humidity rose in the afternoon, men started falling out of the column.

There was also a steady stream of reports from the rear of the column. Supply wagons were sticking in the muck, some of them breaking axles. Flik rode back to find twenty Tinto men manhandling one off the road. It tumbled down into a ditch, coming to rest on its side in the midst of a clump of cattails. Meanwhile, Kuno sent out runners to call in the wainwrights to repair the wagons that could be salvaged.

Late in the afternoon, as they were riding towards the head of the column, Flik leaned over towards Kuno and said, "You know, I feel like I haven't really done anything. It seems like you're the one taking care of all the problems."

Kuno shrugged. "Begging your pardon, sir, but it wouldn't be wise to bog you down with decisions that can be easily made. Rest assured that when something of major import comes along, I will refer it to your judgement."

As if on cue, someone down the line started shouting, "General Flik! General Flik!" Flik looked up in time to see one of the scouts riding towards him, his horse kicking up clods of mud.

Flik dodged one such clod and replied, "I'm here. What's the matter?"

The messenger saluted and gave his report. "The scouts have reached the bridge over the Granias. It is blocked against us!"

The muscles around Flik's stomach contracted in a spike of fear. He started to guide his horse forward. The messenger, Kuno, and the rest of his staff fell in behind him. "Is it the Highland Army?" Flik asked. "What are their numbers?"

The messenger hesitated and Flik glanced over to see his embarrassed expression. "It's just one, General." Flik snapped his head further around, but before he could say anything, the messenger continued, "You'll understand when you see him! He's this huge black knight, with spikes and horns, and that voice!" The scout shivered before resuming in a hushed tone. "General, if I didn't know better, I'd say that the Blade of Order stood before the entire army. The wind didn't even touch his cape!"

Flik paused to digest the information. As there were many True Runes, there were also many images of Death. The Reaper at the Last Harvest and the Confessor of Souls with his deep cowl were two of them. The Blade of Order was another personification, Death's dark knight with his crimson blade. Legends spoke of meeting him at crossroads and bridges, abandoned castles and deep caverns. Wherever met, he was relentless in pursuit, never abandoning his quarry. Some legends told of thwarting him by placing a silver shield over the lintel of a house's entrance.

Shaking his head, Flik urged his horse forward again. Blade of Order or not, the description was familiar to him, especially the bit about the cape not moving. It stirred memories of two years ago. "I'll meet with him," Flik declared.

They trotted onward, passing the mass of men struggling through the mud, and came in sight of the Granias and the viaduct over it. The river was running faster as a result of the rains, the water foaming as it flowed around the arches of the bridge. Rossgard had formed up the scouts at the foot of the bridge. The men looked tense, but ready for action if commanded to fight. The black knight waited patiently a hundred yards down the span.

Rossgard looked almost sheepish as Flik approached. "It seems a little silly, an army being stopped by only a single man. Give the order and we will sweep him off the bridge." He glanced nervously towards the black knight. "Still, if we could resolve things peacefully, that would be better for us all, I think."

Flik also watched the knight. "Has he done or said anything?"

"When I arrived, I rode a bit out onto the bridge. The knight spoke these words to me: 'If you dread not the embrace of death, come forward and stand before me.'" Rossgard shook his head. "I've ridden beside you into battle many times, Sir Flik, but I can't say that I wanted to go any further after hearing those words."

"I'll go up there," Flik replied. "Somebody's got to find out what he wants, or else this whole army's going to be stuck in place." He started his horse forward. After a moment's delay, Rossgard followed him up onto the bridge.

The dark knight was just as he'd been described. He was encased in heavy black armor with a spike on each shoulder and a pair of sharp red horns on the helmet. The visor was partly down, obscuring his eyes, but leaving his nose and bare chin visible. Both he and his gray horse were huge. Flik guessed that the dark knight was easily a head taller than he was. As Flik got closer, he could feel a sense of foreboding rising in him. It seemed to radiate out from the dark knight, like heat shimmers off a road. Rossgard's horse began to whinny and dance, falling further behind Flik.

Flik and Rossgard approached to within thirty yards when the knight's helmet abruptly shifted, focusing fully on the two of them. His mouth moved and he spoke in a voice that turned the fine summer day chilly. "If you dread not the embrace of death, come forward and stand before me."

"Pesmerga, is that you?" Flik asked. This man, or someone very much like him, had served in the Liberation Army two years ago. Come to think of it, Flik wasn't sure that Pesmerga was human. He swallowed and urged his horse forward once again.

The black knight reached down, pulling a large broadsword free of its scabbard. It was almost a relief to see that the blade wasn't blood red. Still, Flik drew his own sword. "Pesmerga, what are you doing here?"

A blade clattered to the ground behind Flik. He turned slightly, trying to keep Pesmerga in his line of sight while looking back. Rossgard had dropped his sword and was trying to control his horse, which was bucking and kicking. After a moment, Rossgard turned his mount sideways, but didn't reach down to retrieve his weapon. Instead, he pulled his bow off his back and started stringing it. "I…I'll support you from here, Sir Flik. I may not be able to go forward, but I sure as hell won't go back!"

Flik nodded. "Cover me, in case he tries something. I'm counting on you, Rossgard." He turned his full attention back to approaching Pesmerga. It felt like he was riding into an incredible headwind, one which threatened to blow him back off his seat. Within twenty yards, his horse began to dance, stepping right and left as often as stepping forward. Flik leaned in, trying to will both himself and the animal onward.

At ten yards, he could go no farther. He was close enough to see just the hint of red from one of Pesmerga's eyes before the dark knight shifted his head. Pesmerga's mouth opened again, his voice forming a question this time. "Do you serve the one who must overturn the old to make way for the new?"

Flik could detect no sign that Pesmerga recognized him. He swallowed several times, finding his voice, and answered as best he could. "I serve Lord Riou, leader of the New State Army. We're fighting against-"

Pesmerga cut him off, this time with a command. "I wish to meet with Lord Riou. Take me to him."

Flik's horse started dancing again, turning almost completely away before Flik mastered him. "Lord Riou isn't here," Flik said over his shoulder. "He's gone ahead to Dunan Castle." He pointed off to the north, on the east bank of the river.

Pesmerga's helmet slowly came around, making no noise, until he was looking where Flik was pointing. "I shall meet with him, for we share a common enemy." He started to turn his horse, but then both he and his mount disappeared, as if they had become like the edge of a piece of paper and had slipped between the rays of light.

Flik shook himself, recovering his bearings. Rossgard was riding towards him, regarding him apprehensively. "What should we do about…that?" he asked.

"I don't think there is much we can do about Pesmerga, if that's who he was. I only hope I made the right decision in telling him where Riou is." Flik wiped his forehead; he was covered in sweat, though a minute ago he'd felt like he was shaking with chills. "Get your men across the river, Rossgard. We'll camp on the other side this night."

Rossgard saluted. "Yes, sir!"

Flik was still mounted in the middle of the bridge, watching as the scouts flowed by him, when Kuno and the rest of the staff caught up to him. When the little man was within earshot, Flik smiled and said, "I suppose that was one of those major decisions that only I can make, right?"

Kuno dabbed his head with a handkerchief before answering, "Well, I'm not sure that we have anyone on staff who could've handled that level of trouble."