"Chief?!"
Rosalinde's tone carried a mixture of frustration and eager anticipation. Her brows furrowed and her hands balled up tightly as she ignored the stares from a few villagers watching from the sidelines.
The dark elf had been searching high and low for him since the early morning. After Vilta was liberated and retaken, the Resistance was able to rally and form a proper base of operations, setting up shop within the village.
Now with the first major success against Zenoira under their belt, there was a palpable buzz throughout Vilta. Soldiers were busy unloading supplies from wagons, setting up defenses and fortifications, and going over weapons and gear.
Rebuilding the neglected town was the top priority. And the residents, grateful to have been saved by the Resistance, were lending a hand where they could. With hope renewed and morale at an all-time high, it seemed as if everything was falling into place for them.
"Master Chief?!" The elf was growing more irritated that her companion was proving difficult to find, and she did NOT like the prospect of him vanishing without saying anything to her. "Where are you?"
In the village stables, she called out his name for a third time as she peeked between each stall. "Chief?!"
In the center of the village
"Chief?!"
The barracks
"Master Chief?"
The tavern
"Chief?"
Garden
"Chief?"
The local blacksmith's shop
"Master Chief?"
Letting out a frustrated sigh, the dark elf huffed and continued her search for her star knight. She had no clue as to why he was being so difficult to find, surely the giant man couldn't be that hard to locate, could he?
She'd attended any important meetings and done all the things expected of an augur. Now? She was just going about her business, trying to enjoy the brief reprieve she'd earned from the past several days of stress and hard living.
The oracle just wanted a few minutes alone with him. Was that too much to ask?!
Grumbling to herself and walking towards the outskirts of Vilta, she noticed a few of the men were preparing their horses. Getting ready to ride back to Pikkimp to restock supplies and bring back some much-needed reinforcements to bolster Vilta's defense in the event Zenoira launched any kind of counter-offensive.
Her heeled sandals clacked lightly as she stepped upon the stone path, her curious eyes scanning for any sign of the armored giant.
The men all turned and greeted her politely, each bowing respectfully. "Ter Rosalinde," they said in unison. She nodded and greeted them back with a kind voice and gentle smile. "Good day to you, everyone."
One of the men, an older human, stepped forward with a light bow, "Ter Rosalinde, may we be of any assistance to you?"
She shook her head gently and clasped her hands in front of her, giving the man a sincere smile, "I am well, thank you. But I was hoping to find Master Chief... I take it he isn't here?" she mused.
The soldier blinked a bit, then nodded once before turning towards his comrades, "He and Commander Lhinalagos set out an hour ago into the forest to set up a few traps and snares."
Rosalinde's eyes widened and she turned in that direction, "Thank you." Before walking swiftly away.
"Of course, Ter Rosalinde!" The elder soldier called back with a wave. As he watched the Oracle go off in search of the Spartan.
Easily digging into the earth with his powerful hands, the Chief pulled out clump after clump of soil, digging up a pit deep enough for a magick mine to lay safely inside.
Standing up and nodding to himself, the spartan wiped the dirt from his hands and stepped aside to let Lhinalagos do his part.
"Celesti-ah Master Chief..." The Commander corrected himself just in time. Rosalinde had made it clear that her star knight wanted to be referred to as Chief or Spartan.
The elf placed the magick mine down into the freshly dug hole, "You truly believe Zenoira forces will come through this way?"
"It's one of the few heavily forested areas that can shield them from prying eyes," Chief remarked back. His mind going over several different scenarios and plans of action. "They'll most likely try and move in from the shadows, and then attack."
The elven commander didn't say anything but quietly set the mine down and began burying it with soil, patting the surface to hide its existence. "If you think this is the best way to stop them, then I won't protest."
Standing up and dusting himself off, the commander looked over at the Master Chief, "I'll have to inform the men not to stray too close to this side of the forest, lest they risk losing life or limb."
Chief gave a nod in agreement, as a pair of hands reached out from behind him and grabbed the spartan by his armored biceps. A soft yet playful feminine voice giggling in amusement.
"I've finally caught you!" The augur teased, her ruby-red eyes twinkling playfully as she looked up at the spartan.
The two men turned about and stared in surprise; Lhinalagos's face broke out into a small grin, "My lady." He hastily bowed in greeting.
"Ah... good morning, Lhinalagos," She nodded back to him with an appreciative smile. "I trust all is well?"
"Yes! Most certainly, milady." He replied in earnest, standing upright, a cheerful look on his face.
"I am glad to hear it..." She turned her head slightly to look at Chief, her eyes narrowing on him as she tapped his breastplate with a finger. "You were hard to find today, you know?"
Chief didn't reply immediately. Instead, his gaze flicked from her, then to Lhinalagos and back, before turning about to face the dark elf. "I've been preparing for a counterattack," he remarked stoically.
Rosalinde let out an exaggerated huff of air while puffing her cheeks out in annoyance, "Yes yes..." her tone light and playful. "I've heard what you two are up to," she looked at them both, her expression turning more serious. "We're trying to ensure Zenoira won't be able to move on Vilta anytime soon."
Lhinalagos nodded once before walking off, motioning for Chief and Rosalinde to follow him, "The town has been abuzz with activity ever since our triumph." he remarked as the trio headed back towards the village, passing by a few sentries stationed by the entrance, "Morale hasn't been this high in a long time..." he mused.
Rosalinde gave a small shrug and placed her hands behind her back, clasping them together, "We've not scored a victory like this since the early days of the war," she regarded both the Commander and Master Chief, her tone becoming somber. "Our forces had suffered greatly, and it seemed as though Zenoira would overrun all of Fevira."
Chief listened but said nothing, allowing the two to continue speaking. "Now that you're here though..." she smiled softly as she looked up at the Spartan, "things are starting to turn around. We've got a chance now, a real chance at taking back our country..."
Her eyes shined with hope as she gazed at her partner. The Master Chief still said nothing, but his mind was hard at work, already formulating plans and strategies for their next steps. If they were to retake Fevira from Zenoira's hands, they'd have to strike fast. Hit them where it hurt, cripple the supply lines and reinforcements.
"The road to victory will be long." The elven archer spoke out in a firm, yet calm tone, "We should begin on deciding what our next course of action is."
Rosalinde nodded in agreement, her eyes staring off into the distance thoughtfully, "You're right... We'll need to make preparations, and gather as many allies as possible."
"I suggest continuing the southeastern route, we could make our way towards Yanis and then from there to Rokkuros," Lhinalagos pointed out. "Having one of the main border routes to Cornia under our control will prove invaluable later on down the road."
"That's all well and good, but the southern front won't be undefended..." Rosalinde remarked with a frown. "I've heard Zenora slavers were operating within that region..."
Chief stopped walking and stared down at the two natives, "The slavers are our biggest threat?" He asked bluntly.
Both Lhinalagos and Rosalinde looked at each other before shaking their heads, "No, in terms of skill or strength, I wouldn't consider them such." Lhinalagos spoke out, "However, taking those who'd join our cause as slaves will no doubt cripple our chances of bolstering our ranks."
Rosalinde added, "Plus, I've no doubt the slavers will bring their spoils back to Zenoira to serve as labor for the Empire; they'll be able to resupply and re-equip faster if we let their operation continue."
Chief took in everything they said and mulled it over. "Then our objective is clear," he stated plainly. "We take out their operation, and prevent more slaves from falling into Zenoira's hands."
Jogging a bit ahead, Lhinalagos turned about and faced them. "I'll double-check our defenses between Pikkimp and Vilta in case our enemies try a surprise attack." With that said he sprinted away, heading back towards the fort.
"That Lhinalagos is quite the hard worker," Rosalinde chirped and mused to herself. Her gaze returned to Chief once more, a warm smile gracing her features, "Shall we get something to eat? Brunch perhaps?"
Slight irritation bubbled up within Rosalinde, her partially eaten Velvety omelette sitting on the table in front of her. She frowned at the spartan who sat across from her with no meal but maps and documents scattered on his side of the table.
"When I said let's have brunch together, I meant for both of us to eat something," she chided and pouted at her armored partner with a huff.
The dark elf was hoping she'd finally see what was underneath his helmet, maybe get a glimpse of his true face and share a nice moment between the two...
But no... Instead of enjoying their brief respite in peace, the Master Chief instead had insisted they go over battle plans, tactics, and what the next move would be for their campaign against Zenoira.
"I told you I'm not hungry right now," Chief spoke plainly as he continued to read and sort through the various papers spread before him. "I'll eat when I get the chance."
Humans and elves within the tavern glanced at the pair occasionally, mostly due to their curiosity and fascination at seeing the armored man sitting next to their oracle.
The spartan could feel their eyes boring into him from time to time, but he ignored them; more focused on his task of planning.
Rosalinde frowned once more at his stubborn refusal and leaned back in her chair, "I don't understand how you can be so focused all the time..." she grumbled in a light tone. Her ruby eyes glanced away from him. "You should learn to relax, take a break, and enjoy yourself..."
Chief didn't reply and continued his work, his mind fully engrossed with the maps and reports, his mind running through various strategies and scenarios. It was his duty to ensure their side won the war. The quicker and more efficient he could accomplish this, the sooner he'd find a way back home.
Spooning a mouthful of food into her lips, Rosalinde chewed slowly as she glanced about the tavern; her gaze lingering on the other patrons within the establishment.
Most were Resistance soldiers, taking a well-deserved rest or break. Others were simply locals who'd been liberated by their forces.
Perhaps the Master Chief was shy around crowds? The thought brought an impish smile to her lips, her head turning back to regard him, the idea of the big scary man being nervous around people sounded cute and endearing to her...
"Rosalinde?"
Blinking and sitting upright at his call, she perked up a bit and took a sip of water, swallowing what remained of her food. It wasn't often that he said her name out loud, "Yes?" She chirped in a sweet tone, "Do you require something?"
Pushing a map towards her, he spoke "Lhinalagos mentioned the town of Rokkuros being where we should push for." He tapped on a spot on the map. "However, the path from Yanis to Rokkuros is blocked by cliffs and rough terrain." his finger traced along a path to illustrate his point.
Rosalinde nodded her head, understanding where he was coming from, "Correct; however, if my memory serves me right, there should be a small pass here..." She trailed her finger down to a town in-between that territory and tapped it lightly, "The town of Kiulkukka."
"Kiulkukka?" Chief questioned, his eyes staring at the name and location.
"Mhm," She replied, her red orbs glancing up at him, "I've been there before when I was younger; there's a passage between some mountains that can be traversed by foot." She pointed to a few lines on the map. "It connects to another town, Siltakulya, which in turn leads right to Rokkuros!"
She smiled softly and sat back once more with her arms crossed, "We should be able to reach Rokkuros easily enough if we go through Kiulkukka's passage, bypassing all the mountains and other difficult terrain."
Studying the location, the Master Chief mentally mapped out their route and what it would take for them to reach Rokkuros from their current location. "Moving heavy equipment like wagons through that kind of area would be a problem..." He muttered to himself.
"Which is probably the reason Zenoira hasn't committed much of its forces towards Yanis or Kiulkukka." The dark elf remarked with a shrug, "I doubt they want to risk sending soldiers down the pass."
Chief gave a nod and looked at her, "What about Rokkuros? You said it's another border town?"
Rosalinde bobbed her head up and down in agreement as she took another spoonful of her omelette, "Yes! I'm not certain how large of a garrison is there; but with the harbor town of Voinikola just a few miles out from Rokkuros," she tapped on the coastal village, "The Zenoirans no doubt have quite a bit of supplies and troops stationed there." Her eyes flicked up to stare at him, "The Rokkuros side of the terrain will be quite more challenging compared to the Yanis or Kiulkukka areas..."
Taking it all in, Chief leaned back and crossed his arms. Rosalinde could practically feel the gears in his head turning as if she could watch him formulate plans and strategies...
His face suddenly turned to the tavern's entrance as several people came through the doorway, Lhinalagos among them.
"My lady," he bowed his head slightly to her and then to the Master Chief. "We're ready."
Chief nodded and stood up, "Then let's go." His voice echoed out as he began making way for the door.
Rosalinde gave a huff and quickly finished what remained of her brunch, standing up with haste to catch up to him. Jogging lightly behind him, she called out, "Wait! Slow down! We need to pack some supplies first!" Her feet clacked along the wooden floorboards as she hurriedly tried to keep up with the supersoldier's long strides.
Author's Notes: If you're unfamiliar with Unicorn Overlord, Rosalinde is known for being a bold and flirtatious character who isn't shy about expressing her interest.
As for updates, I'll aim to deliver one more chapter before the year ends, where Mandarin, Celeste, and Gammel will make their debut.