AGNOMAKHOS
by Ulquiorra9000
Chapter 17
For just a moment, Teilos considered leaving a note on his desk explaining his thoughts, but he decided against it. He stood in his office in Fourth Battalion's barracks, fists clenched as he stared down at the reports scattered on his desk. Crickets chirped outside his window and oil lanterns glowed on the ceiling, giving the place a calm air. But Teilos didn't feel that way tonight.
More arrests, and now a few civilian deaths. Stubborn bastards like Kulla can't see it, but we've failed the people, Teilos raged. Only moments ago, he had received these field reports from his captains, confirming the worst. The Reverent Army was out of control and the council no longer seemed to give a damn about justice and security.
From here, Teilos could hear the chatter of his fellows from beyond the office door, and Teilos wondered how many of his men secretly regretted their actions. As the colonel, Teilos had some freedom to express his distaste for the Army, but that wasn't enough anymore. He clenched his fists. The time's come. There's no going back.
After putting on a cloak to hide his armor,Teilos swept a hand across his desk and scattered the papers, spitefully watching them litter the floor. Then, he shut off his lamps and unlocked his office window, creaking the glass panes outward. Without a backwards glance, he climbed out the window and landed easily on the barracks' back lawn. Then, he sprinted into the city street and tried to look at home in the evening crowds.
Here and now, Teilos couldn't do much. But once the rebellion attacked again in force (and he was certain they would), he'd help set Meletis back on course.
It's just what I do.
*o*o*o*o*
"He's gone, you say?"
Kulla folded his arms as Mino, captain of platoon three, stood breathlessly in his office's doorway in First Battalion's barracks. Clearly, the boy had run here with this news, and Kulla didn't blame him.
"Yes, colonel," Mino huffed. "It's confirmed: colonel Teilos has deserted the Reverent Army, wherabouts unknown. He didn't even leave a note!"
Such a child, to think such things, Kulla thought, but he couldn't blame Mino for being upset. "I see. Thank you for seeing me. Go back to your platoon while the other colonels and I decide what to do about this."
"Understood, sir." His agitation clear on his face, Mino turned and walked off, his blue-trimmed cape billowing behind him.
However, there was only one person Kulla wanted to see right now. Mulos and Pierra couldn't help him right now, but one other could.
*o*o*o*o*
"Good evening, Kulla. I did not expect you," Elias said mildly as Kulla approached him in Second Battalion's barracks temple. The bald, blue-robed colonel sat in the center, surrounded by candles on saucers. Mosaics dedicated to gods and long-dead heroes covered the walls, but Kulla ignored them.
"I apologize. I should have sent word," Kulla said.
"It's nothing. We've all been under stress lately, and after what happened to Olivia, I understand if you're distracted. I'm very sorry."
"That is kind of you. May I join you?"
"Please."
Kulla walked over and sat cross-legged next to Elias, wondering just how the other man stayed so tranquil all the time. He said nothing, unsure how to voice the thoughts swirling in his mind. He felt even more exhausted than usual.
Elias closed his eyes, still as a statue. "How can I help you, Kulla? I can tell you're very troubled."
"Olivia is recovering, and my battalion stands ready," Kulla said flatly. "I have everything under control. I merely came here to find the calm necessary to carry on."
Elias chuckled. "Please, Kulla, no need for that. I know that you feel lost and angry, even if you won't admit it. It's important to know that it is all right to feel this way. Whatever your rank and reputation, you are entitled to human needs and fears."
Kulla sighed. "When Alex was court-martialed, I believed that that was the end of it. Justice was served. But now? He fights for the rebellion, and now Teilos is gone, too. What does this mean for the Reverent Army? For this city?"
"I believe that Alex may have had a point," Elias said mildly. "There is a difference between guarding the people and becoming the threat that they rebel against. We have crossed that line. I can say that for certain at this point."
Kulla made an exasperated noise. "Are you suggesting I follow Alex's and Teilos' footsteps and abandon the Army?"
"No, no. I suggest that you not abandon the people," Elias said. "For many years, the council's will and the good of this city were one and the same. Now, the lines blur. Not even Jaina, the sun champion, is sure where to stand."
"Without the council, where would we be? Chaos would ensue! The council's will guides as after the tyranny of Agnomakhos in centuries past."
"That's just it: Agnomakhos. The rebels were clever to choose that name. It reminds us of what happens when freedom and the collective will is lost. If Perisophia rules at the expense of others, has she not inherited the spirit of the archon tyrant?"
Kulla's heart sank. "Impossible..."
"Possible. I have avoided voicing these thoughts to avoid trouble, but I think them," Elias said firmly. "Kulla, I do not expect you to agree with me. But I cannot lie to you."
Protecting the city... fighting for the people... the council's will... Wait. There is a way! Kulla sprang to his feet. "Perhaps there is a middle ground. Yes. Destroying hundreds of lives will not repair this city, but neither will casting out the council. Should we clash with Agnomakhos again, I will be ready. I will be the colonel that Meletis needs."
"Wonderful."
Kulla could tell that Elias meant it. Encouraged, Kulla stalked out of the temple and back to his barracks to rest. He definitely had to sleep on this.
*o*o*o*o*
"Wow, that thing's heavy."
Alex sat in a large carriage with six fellow rebels, drawn by four chestnut-colored horses. He sat in the back, turning to stare in awe at the mana collection dish. Three feet wide, made of steel, and covered in arcane etchings, it rested in the carriage's rear cargo hold, and by itself, it strained the horses. Probably because of how heavily enchanted it is. A modern marvel, indeed!
"Shouldn't be much longer now," the driver announced. "The workshop town is about an hour away."
Alex sighed with relief. His team had picked up the dish from a magic-based workshop, and during the entire trip, tension had clenched Alex's stomach. Only a small team was viable for this mission, and Alex felt vulnerable so far from his city home. He had heard tales of Jaina's adventures all over the world in a carriage, but Alex didn't have much taste for it.
The workshop town was nestled in a vast forest, and as the carriage ascended a hill, the forest's towering pine trees came into view in the far distance. Somewhere in that forest, Alex had been told, Valerie's machine stood hidden. Alex grinned at the thought of it. I can't wait to see it in person!
However, the rattle of another carriage's wheels interrupted Alex's daydreaming. He and the others sat up, alert. "There! Incoming!" a rebel swordsman warned.
It's Fifth Battalion! They must be on patrol. Alex recognized the symbol on the carriage that now bore down on his, and the burly state of the hoplites inside was further proof. Alex turned to his fellows. "Watch out. Fifth Battalion doesn't have many mages, but their hoplites are fierce. Some say that they don't feel pain, just rage."
"We'll see," the swordsman commented, unsheathing his scimitar. The other rebels prepared their weapons and magic as the carriage's driver halted reigned in his horses. With the heavy mana dish in the back, there was no outrunning the Fifth Battalion patrol.
The patrol carriage's horses skidded to a halt and the hoplites eagerly sprang out of it, sprinting toward the carriage to surround it. Alex dismounted his own carriage with the others, sizing up his enemy. Six men, and no captain. Lucky for us. Still, each hoplite looked tough enough to be a captain in the other platoons, and had a wide variety of weapons typical of Fifth Battalion.
"Back us up, will you?" The swordsman twirled his blades as he and four others advanced on the hoplites, so Alex and one other mage prepared their magic. Alex reminded himself why he was here: to complete Valerie's machine and take the fight to the council of Twelve. If these Fifth Battalion goons got their hands on the mana dish, the civil war was as good as lost! Fury at the thought of defeat burned in Alex's mind, and his fists caught fire. His red mana aura swelled, heating the air around him.
"Raaaaaaah!" Unafraid of Alex's fiery display, the hoplites charged with scimitars, flails, and clubs raised high. The five rebels charged to meet them, counting on magical support to even the odds.
Alex grinned and shot out a hand. He had learned a few new tricks from fighting Pierra, and now was a good time to test them. Searing-hot air flowed around Alex's arm and arced over the rebels, then blew across the hoplites. The burly, armored men stumbled back, buffeted by the hot air.
Yes! Alex marveled as the rebels landed a few surprise blows. Blood soaked the ground as swords raked the hoplites' armor, carving into their vulnerable spots. Meanwhile, the other rebel mage conjured his white mana and encased the rebels in thin cases of mana armor, pearly white.
The hoplites recovered faster than Alex expected. Clearly aggravated, they shattered the magical armor with swings of their flails and swords. Shards of mana armor scattered to the grass and vanished in puffs of smoke. Desperate, the rebels raised their weapons and blocked the hoplites' heavy blows, but Alex could tell that they wouldn't last long.
"Scatter!" Alex hollered.
Just in time, the rebels dove out of the way. His red mana seething on his hands, Alex crouched into an offensive stance and jabbed his fists out, one after the other. Small but intense fireballs shot through the air, and two caught a club-wielding hoplite in the chest. The man howled and stumbled back, his armor and flesh charred and smoking. He limped back to the carriage for cover, cursing.
Encouraged, the rebels swarmed over another hoplite, raking him with repeated blows. They fell back, though, when another hoplite slashed his sword and cleaved right into a rebel. The man shouted and collapsed, blood pooling everywhere.
He's done for. Trying to ignore the sight, Alex bared his teeth and kicked out a foot. A jet of flame issued forth and caught another hoplite, this time in the leg. The man dropped his flail in pain and limped away like the first one, clutching his deep wounds.
"Back off, all of you!" Alex warned the hoplites. He poised his hands to strike again. "The rebellion is not to be trifled with! Go back to Fifth Battalion's barracks and tell Mulos and the others that we're coming! You guys like a fair fight, don't you?"
One of the hoplites pointed at Alex with his scimitar. "You're Alex, ain't ya? The mage who got kicked out of First Battalion? Mulos told us 'bout ya."
"That's right. Without mage support, you can't deal with my fire," Alex said boldly. His heart raced. "You're not ready for this. Save some lives and go back to the city. Don't waste all our time."
The hoplites hesitated, glaring at Alex with fury. Then, reluctantly, they shuffled back to their carriage. "You're all dead meat!" a hoplite shouted. "Colonel Mulos ain't afraid of a punk like you!"
With that, the driver whipped his horses into a frenzy and the carriage sped off down the road. Alex powered down his mana and cleared his throat. "Patrol guidelines dictate scoutng information, not fighting," he told his fellows. "Even for Fifth Battalion. I'm sure that a search-and-destroy force will be sent here soon, so we'd better start our invasion before then. We've been spotted. There's not much time."
The others nodded. "Then get on board," the carriage driver told him curtly. "This mana dish is the final piece for the machine. Once it's installed, our invasion can begin."
After helping dig a shallow grave for his fallen comrade, Alex eagerly climbed into the carriage with the others and they set off for the forest.
*o*o*o*o*
"So that's it. By the gods..."
Even seeing the blueprints hadn't prepared Alex for this. He stood with fellow rebels and mechanics in the forest bordering the workshop town, craning his neck to stare at Valerie's pet project. Built of well-crafted wooden parts, it had a pod-like body standing on four curvy, insectoid legs, the whole thing probably twelve meters tall and maybe sixteen long. It even had a round head attached to a short neck, and as Alex watched, workers used ropes and pulleys in the trees to hoist the heavy mana dish up to the machine's head.
What was more, Alex saw several seats built into the machine's body, five per side. Were they for passengers? Alex asked Dakly, the chief engineer.
"Valerie and her men designed this thing perfectly," Dakly said proudly. He, too, watched his men lift the mana dish to the head assembly. "Archers sit in those seats to provide cover fire. You know, since it would be easy to flank the vehicle and damage its legs. The vehicle's height provides a great vantage point for on-board archers."
"Oh." Alex watched as the mana dish was laboriously fitted into the head. "So, I'm guessing that mages sit in the head and fuel the dish?"
"Right. Then, the head fires a concentrated beam from its nose to destroy its target," Dakly said. "It's intended as a siege weapon, to carve holes into walls and break through defensive formations. Perfect for Meletis' outer wall and the city hall."
Alex nodded. Meletis was famed for its defenses, and although the Shadow League had certainly broken through five years ago, doing so again would be no mean feat. With the mercenaries, hundreds of soldiers, and this machine, Valerie truly stood a chance of victory. "I can't wait to see it in motion."
"You will," Dakly said eagerly. "This evening, we make our move. Valerie sent me a messenger bird today, telling me that her other agents are prepared to do their part. And I'll do mine."
Oh, right. Elsa will confuse the oracles and draw attention away from our invasion, Alex recalled. Well, all the better!
"All set!" a worker called down.
"Then it's time for the trial run," Dakly said. "Everyone ready?"
Alex backed away as everyone got into place. Using scaffolding built into the trees, rebel agents manned their positions in the machine, including all ten archers. There was a great sense of anticipation in the air.
Then, it happened. Magically-powered ropes, pulleys, and levers in the machine's body and legs came to life, and the massive vehicle lifted its front left foot and took a tentative step. Alex could see its four-toed feet pressing into the earth and wondered how much pressure it was exerting. Enough to crush someone, definitely!
Another step, and another. Cautiously at first, then more briskly, the operators in the head urged their machine onwards. It broke into a trot, its movements fluid and animal-like. It pressed through the forest and toward open air, shuddering the ground with every step. Branches snapped off as the machine brushed past nearby trees with its bulk. Birds scattered into the air in fright.
Dakly slapped Alex on the back. "There you go, kid. Go out there and help keep that machine safe during the siege. Best of luck out there."
Alex couldn't help an excited grin. "Absolutely. And thanks."