Chapter Fifteen: First Move
Lord Fernando arrived at the Temple of Izanagi—or Tumeken, depending on which civilization you asked—barely five minutes after he received the summons of the Shogun himself.
The Centralian Praetor requested for Althos to accompany him—as centurion of the Silver Arrow's marines, the Praetor felt that he, too, deserved to be present at meetings of the senior warriors under the command of the Shogun.
"I do hope they're planning the bloody assault on the capital, already," Althos grumbled as he made his way through the woods to the Ainu temple, alongside his superior. "If we try to keep the men cooped up here without women for much longer…"
"Curious things, the minds of men, are they not?" Lord Fernando mused. "The world stands on the brink of destruction, yet the men can still occupy their thoughts with their lust for cunt. I do miss being a young man…"
Lord Fernando, to be fair, wasn't exactly an old man. He was in his mid-forties; not old enough to be considered a senior citizen, but also not young enough to still be in his prime.
"Have you any family, Praetor?" the naval centurion asked.
"I do," Lord Fernando nodded slowly. "My wife, Aurelia, resides with my son in our estate. We live in the Iuveni Province, just south of Tethys. We have our own orchards, you see, and…" Lord Fernando realized that he was beginning to lose track of what he was saying, and he quickly stopped himself. He mentally berated himself for discussing his personal life with a subordinate. "It would appear that your men are not the only ones afflicted with homesickness."
"It would appear that way," Althos agreed, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
The two Centralians arrived at the Temple of Izanagi shortly afterwards. After removing their boots and touching the feet of the small golden statue of Izanagi set in a niche next to the entrance, they ducked inside.
The interior of the temple was illuminated by four flickering torches at each corner of the space. At the front of the temple was the altar—a solid gold likeness of the Sun God's visage and symbol—with two bronze braziers of fire burning on either side, adding to the illumination of the temple's interior.
The room itself was somewhat stuffy, and it smelled of incense. Though he wouldn't dare voice such an opinion, Fernando believed the temple could use some better ventilation.
Kneeling in front of the altar was the Shogun himself, dressed in his common brown robes. His katana lay on the floor in front of him. Upon the Centralians' arrival, he straightened up and turned around to greet them.
Also present in the temple were two other Ainu. The one both Fernando and Althos recognized was the samurai Niten—who was the Shogun's closest equivalent to the Centralian military's Optio, or 'second-in-command'. The other Ainu present in the temple was Rei—he was an older man, well into his sixties or seventies, dressed in yellowish-white robes. He was also the leader of the Shogun's shamans—the Ainu equivalent, more or less, to the Centralian Paladins.
"I thank you for your timely arrival, Praetor Iulus," the Shogun gave the Praetor and the naval centurion a respectful bow, using Lord Fernando's formal title and name. The two Centralians returned the bow. Lord Fernando was feeling the slightest bit apprehensive—the Shogun's manner was somewhat stiffer than normal.
"Bad news?" the Centralian Praetor inquired, taking a seat on one of the stone benches.
"Your perception does you credit," the Shogun grinned mirthlessly. "Though, unfortunately, it changes nothing. My scouts returned from Oēn an hour ago, with news of the capital city. I was going to call you here this time tomorrow to begin planning the assault on Kātayō, with the scouts' reports in mind, but… I fear things have changed."
"The Emperor and the Marshal have managed to mobilize our entire fleet," Niten continued, picking up where his superior had left off. "Our original plan for a two-pronged land and sea attack is no longer feasible with the Kātayō Harbor completely blocked off."
"So we must attack the city solely by land?" Althos frowned. "I cannot say I fancy the idea."
"Nor can I," the Praetor had to agree with his subordinate. "With the harbor secure, the city's defenders could hold off a land-based army almost indefinitely."
"Now you see the problem," the Shogun's expression did not change.
"The Daimyos sympathetic to your cause…do they remain sympathetic?" Lord Fernando asked the Shogun.
The Ainu military leader nodded once. "The Daimyos sympathetic to our cause are ready to march on a moment's notice, each with their own forces of samurai…though I will not give such an order until we have a chance at victory."
The Praetor arched an eyebrow in surprise. "How positively Centralian of you."
Niten pursed his lips at that remark, but kept silent. A little humor wasn't all that harmful, the veteran samurai reasoned with himself.
"It is the Ainu custom to succeed, or die trying; always has been, always will be," the Shogun sighed. "No retreat, no turning back, no surrender. But when the Emperor's life hangs in the balance, anything less than total victory is unacceptable. And if I wager everything on a full frontal attack on the city walls, total victory will prove to be an elusive prize."
"Perhaps…" Lord Fernando murmured, ideas beginning to swirl around in his mind. He absent-mindedly started to stroke his beard before catching himself and lowering his hands back to his sides. "…or perhaps not."
"I will admit, our samurai may be superior fighters, but the subtleties of tactical warfare were never one of our strengths," the Shogun confessed, sitting down in front of the altar once more, facing the Centralian Praetor and the naval centurion. "I consider this a task better suited for Centralians, whose armies operate based on tactics and coordination even between its lowest-ranking soldiers. I welcome any ideas you may have."
"I may have an idea," Lord Fernando nodded. "Less of a detailed plan, at the moment…just an idea."
"Let us all join the circle and discuss, then," the Shogun, gestured for the others to join him in front of the altar. Lord Fernando and Centurio Althos sat opposite the Shogun, while Niten and Rei sat on either side of their leader. Normally, there would be pillows to sit upon, rather than the earthen 'floor', but this conclave had been rather impromptu.
"When you mentioned our only possibility of attack being a frontal assault on the city walls…something sprang to mind," the Praetor began. "When training for the legions, our soldiers partake in many exercises and drills. One of these exercises is Aquila Capta—capture the eagle. In this exercise, two opposing forces are put in an area of varying terrain, with their respective standards—which are wooden eagles, hence the name—planted in defensible locations. The objective is not to defeat the opposing force…it is simply to steal the opponent's aquila and bring it back to your own hill."
The Shogun frowned. "I do not follow," he stated.
"My point is that, in this scenario, the Marshal's forces—those who would be defending the city walls—are the opposing force…but the Emperor is the aquila," Lord Fernando explained. "Whether we win or lose against the opposing force does not matter—all that matters is the eagle. You have an army ready to march, Shogun—I say you give the order. Mass your army on Oēn; attack the city walls. Such an attack has no real chance of success, so do your best to prolong it, and make it appear as if you are throwing everything you have at the walls…as any self-respecting Ainu samurai would do."
"You propose a diversion?" Niten arched an eyebrow.
Lord Fernando grinned. "It is one of the oldest and most overused tricks in the book…but sometimes simple is better. Niten, you were able to get a small force of your own samurai into the Imperial Palace in order to liberate me… What I propose is that we do the exact same thing. While your armies hammer the walls and draw the attention of the defenders, we can get a smaller strike force—several of your samurai and your shamans, as well as Althos and his men…and Cicero, my paladin. We can storm the palace, subdue the Emperor, and break Zamorak's hold over him."
There was silence for a few good minutes as the other assembled leaders assessed and pondered the Praetor's seat-of-his-pants plan. Lord Fernando had thought of it in a few minutes' time, so it wasn't anywhere near perfect…but it was still something to work with.
With the news of the harbor being blocked off, having something to work with period was a good start.
"It will not work," Niten finally declared. "I was able to infiltrate the palace with a dozen samurai—what you are proposing would require a much larger force. Take me and my samurai, add Rei and his shamans, account for your own soldiers and your mage…you would be looking at a force of forty to fifty men. That is quite different from a dozen, and half of them would be your pale-skinned, round-eyed folk. You would be noticed. It will not work."
Lord Fernando considered this for a few moments, but wasn't quite ready to give up on his idea just yet. "Then we infiltrate Kātayō days, weeks ahead of schedule. We go in groups of three or four—only one or two Centralians per group—and we scatter ourselves around the capital city. When the Shogun's attack begins, we meet at a rendezvous point…and take things from there."
Niten frowned and muttered something to the Shogun in rapid-fire Kurigana. They had a brief conversation, and Rei quickly joined in. Lord Fernando exchanged a brief glance with Althos, displeasure at being left out of the conversation evident in his eyes for a split-second.
Then Niten turned back to the Praetor and said, "There are a thousand ways such a plan could go wrong…but what you propose is worth attempting."
"Except for another problem," the Shogun interjected. "Your entire plan is one of diversion…hinging on the defenders being completely distracted by my assault on the city walls. I am afraid such an attack would not have the desired effect. You see, it does not take very much to defend the walls of Kātayō from a frontal assault—the defenders know as well as I do that such an attack will be doomed to failure; as such, it will not keep them focused on the walls."
"If this were to work, we would need to make the defenders truly think that our breaking through the city walls is a possibility," Niten built off what his superior had already said. "But I don't see how we can accomplish this; not with the forces we have at our command."
Lord Fernando asked the Shogun what kinds of siege equipment he would have at his disposal. He learned from the Ainu military commander that they would be going up against the walls with little more than common battering rams and a few catapults.
The Praetor shook his head slightly—lightly enough so that the gesture wouldn't be noticed by his Ainu counterparts. Lord Fernando knew that the Ainu were a warring race—rebellious Daimyos constantly fought one another for land and power—but he had no idea how they could fight a real war with the tactics they normally employed.
The Praetor then considered the fact that the Ainu—to his knowledge, at least—had probably never stood united against a common enemy in the past. Many of their conflicts had been fighting to expand provincial borders at neighbors' expenses, or strife over the Imperial throne.
The Ainu also resided on an archipelago of five giant islands, along with dozens, hundreds of smaller ones—they were insulated from the rest of Gielinor by the oceans that surrounded them. The Centralian Army, by contrast, had to deal with the constant threat of the Wilderness to the north, as well as monster activity beyond the River Salve to the east—the Ainu never had to deal with such issues, negating any real need for them to have a strong, centralized military.
Even as the Praetor settled back and started to brainstorm, Althos spoke up.
"I think I may have a solution to that problem," the naval centurion declared. "I believe it will make the defenders treat the Shogun's attack as a serious threat if we can pull it off…though I fear it will not be a popular solution."
"Please, share it," Niten gestured for Althos to continue. The naval centurion went on to explain his solution to the latest problem; how to make sure the assault on the city walls would force the defenders to focus all of their concentration on the Shogun.
After Althos was finished explaining himself, the three Ainu leaders seemed to have been satisfied. The Shogun raised an eyebrow to Lord Fernando. "Praetor Iulus, does this course of action sit well with you?"
"I will have to speak with Captain Harcourt, the Navarch of the Silver Arrow," the Praetor replied. "And I agree with Althos when he says it will not be popular with the men… But popularity holds no precedence over effectiveness. We shall proceed accordingly."
The Shogun gave a single nod. "It is decided, then. I will send word to the Daimyos sympathetic to my cause, and our combined armies shall arrive on Oēn in a fortnight. You, Praetor, and your men shall go with Niten and Rei to Nogura before Izanagi's brilliance rises on the morrow. If your plan of infiltration is to work, you must reach Kātayō long before my army arrives."
The two Centralians rose to their feet and exchanged bows with the three Ainu leaders. "I shall inform my men of our plans immediately," Lord Fernando assured the Shogun. "If any man is not ready, it will not be due to ignorance."
"Go, then," the Shogun nodded to them. "And may the Sun smile upon you. Niten will come to collect you when it is time for you to depart."
"Shogun," Lord Fernando bowed one last time, then turned on his heel and walked out of the temple.
The Praetor and the naval centurion made their way through the forest, back the way they had come. The temple had been situated at the top of a hill—the hill itself wasn't really visible because it was covered with trees.
"Well, it would seem the die has been cast," Althos remarked as the woods began to start thinning out, revealing the meadows that Kakusa re ta's village was situated in. "There is no turning back, now."
"There never was," Lord Fernando grunted, striding out into the tall grass, heading straight toward the village. "The moment the King told me to secure an alliance with the Ainu, there was no turning back."
The two Centralians passed by several samurai who were practicing some form of meditative, internal martial arts. They stood in the tall grass, making slow, smooth, flowing gestures with their hands, arms, and feet. As he observed them, the Praetor guessed that such a form of martial arts was more for healthy and meditative purposes, rather than for actual combat.
"Centurion," Lord Fernando turned to Althos once they reached the village. "Gather the men, tell them of our plans, and make sure they are ready to leave by sunset."
"Your will, my hands. Praetor," Althos clasped a fist to his heart in a salute. Lord Fernando returned the gesture, and the naval centurion went on his way.
Lord Fernando made his way through the village, exchanging quick words of greeting with several of the snowy-haired elders. He bowed to any samurai he happened to walk past, as well. He continued on through the rest of the village until he crossed through to the fields on the other side, where the other Centralians had set up camp.
The Praetor walked up to the tent of the Silver Arrow's Paladin, who Lord Fernando had insisted accompany the marines from Nogura to Kakusa re ta. "Cicero!" the Centralian politician called into the small cloth structure. "I would have words."
There was a rustling noise from within, and Cicero drew back the flap of his tent, stepping out into the early evening sunlight. "Praetor," he gave the customary salute to his superior, which Lord Fernando promptly returned. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Lord Fernando gave a faint, half-grin. "You are aware of what is expected of you in the future? Concerning the Sun Emperor?"
Cicero's own smile faded. "I am," he replied. "Though it will be a difficult endeavor. Exorcism is a nasty enough affair when common spirits or demons are involved—I have been asked to expel the taint of a God."
"You will not be alone," Lord Fernando assured the Paladin. "The Ainu shamans will be with you every step of the way. You, however, must be the one to enter the Sun Emperor's mind; the Ainu themselves will not lift a finger against him."
"Yes, this has been explained to me by Althos several times," the Paladin said evenly. "By Saradomin's everlasting light, it shall be done."
"That is what I like to hear," Lord Fernando nodded. "I remind you of this now because I have come to inform you that we are packing up and heading back to Nogura before dawn's first light tomorrow. And from there…we sail for the Ainu capital."
The Paladin's smile gradually returned. "I'll be ready."
The Praetor held his fist to his heart once more in a salute to the Paladin. "Vires et Honestas."
"Strength and Honor," the Paladin returned the gesture and mantra before retiring into his tent, presumably to gather his equipment for the coming march.
Lord Fernando did likewise. He spent his nights in a small, cloth tent at the edge of the Centralian encampment. He laid out his armor, his runite gladius, and his flintlock pistol, as well as the small pouch of ammunition and black powder for that last weapon.
With nothing else to occupy his time, the Praetor spread out his thin bedroll and went to sleep.
Before he'd become the de facto right hand of King Osman, Lord Fernando had served as a cohort centurion in Legio III Iuvenis—the III Iuvenian Legion. One of the first lessons he had learned during his legionary days was that one could never get too much sleep. On the rare occasion when he was not on watch, in battle, or occupying himself with duties involving the sustainment and operation of his unit…he had most likely been sleeping.
He did not remember any of his dreams when he was roused before dawn the next morning. Varro—Centurio Althos's optio—poked his head into the small tent and nudged the Praetor awake. "It's an hour before first light, sir," the marine reported as he withdrew. "The Shogun requests our departure."
"Gratias," the Praetor thanked the Optio as he sat up. He quickly set about slipping into his armor, which took him less than ten minutes. He strapped his sword and pistol to his waist and stepped outside into the crisp, foggy Itoan morning.
The Praetor collapsed his tent and rolled it up with his bedroll. He then took two small lengths of rope and tied it all together in a neat bundle before hoisting it onto his back, using the rope bindings like shoulder straps.
A pair of marines stamped out the remnants of a campfire from the night before joining the rest of their comrades in formation for inspection. Althos, their centurion, walked along the ranks, making sure each man had his armor properly equipped and his gear correctly stowed.
As the Praetor moved to join them, Althos gave him a salute and a brief nod. "The men are ready to march, Praetor."
Lord Fernando ordered Althos to hold position until their Ainu compatriots arrived. Within a couple minutes, a dozen shamans—led by Rei, their leader—along with a retinue of forty or fifty samurai arrived at the Centralian encampment. At their head was Niten, clad in his polished and lacquered maroon armor, his two katanas strapped to his back.
The Ainu commander regarded the assembled Centralians with a grudging respect for their tidiness and organization. "It would appear that gaijin are not heavy sleepers, after all," he mused. Clearly, he hadn't been expecting the foreigners to be ready to move so soon after he'd sent his message to the Praetor.
"Centralia is ready to march," the Praetor informed Niten, gesturing to the assembled marines. "By your leave, Niten-dono."
"We will leave Kakusa re ta and make our way down the slopes of Yamakajida," Niten declared. "I have sent word ahead, and there will be horses waiting for us in the village of Onura, which we will ride the rest of the way to Nogura. Enjoy the reprieve; when we land on Oēn, we will be marching all the way to Kātayō."
The high-ranking samurai barked a command. The samurai and shamans immediately fell into formation and set off down the winding road that led up to the rim of the caldera that formed Kakusa re ta. Niten traded a nod with Lord Fernando before jogging off and taking his rightful place at the head of the column.
Once the samurai and shamans passed by, Lord Fernando gave Althos a nod.
"Form marching column!" the centurion barked. The twenty-odd marines all raised their shields and headed onto the road, keeping in formation. Satisfied that everything was in order, the centurion gave the order to march. "Movete!"
The legionaries set off after their Ainu counterparts. Lord Fernando fondly remembered marching from his days in the legions. It was a sight to see when the march command was given, prompting roughly six thousand men at once to begin walking in time.
Of course, in battlefield conditions, centurions and legati would not worry about having the men marching in time—that was more for drills and parades. The purpose of a march was to keep a set pace—too fast, and the legion would burn itself out, rendering it useless. Too slow, and the legion would not arrive at its destination in time, also rendering it useless.
Lord Fernando placed his helmet over his head, tying the leather thong straps under his chin to secure it, as well as to hold the cheek plates firm over the sides of his face. He also had a heavy cloth facemask that covered his nose and mouth, but he only wore that in battle.
He took up position at the head of the much smaller Centralian column, alongside Althos and Cicero.
The Praetor looked up to the sky. Sunrise was still a little ways off; even though the skies to the east were now a navy blue, the majority of the heavens were still star-sprinkled black. Lord Fernando took in a deep breath through his nostrils, one side of his mouth curving up in a grin.
He did not enjoy marching into battle, or even battle itself…but he was relieved to finally be doing something. He had arrived in the Ainu Empire weeks ago, ignorant of the danger he ended up walking right into. He had been attacked, imprisoned, rescued, and taken to safety along with his men; all of it out of his control.
Now, for the first time, the Praetor was going on the offensive.
And it felt good.
Author's Note
Okay, my Halo story is finally completed, so I can now devote some of my time to continuing this story. After not really writing this story for several months, completing this chapter was pretty difficult...but I think it'll get easier from here on out. I've also had some time to really think about where I wanted this story to go, as well as work out some minor details about the universe itself.
I think the biggest issue was Centralia; when I started writing, I never had a real vision for it, other than it being a generic kingdom. But lately, I've decided to start portraying it almost like the Runescape equivalent of a Roman Empire. This makes sense to me; in Runescape, the Fifth Age is almost like the early Renaissance, the Fourth Age is like Dark Age of Europe...so the age before that could plausibly be the equivalent of our Roman Empire. For the Humans, at least.
Alright, I'll stop rambling, now. I just hope you guys haven't forgotten about this story!
-TheAmateur