I followed the path in the direction of the town for miles, yet I saw no sign of people. The vines grew thicker, and I had to cut through many of them with my dagger. The serrated side was perfect for ripping through thicker materials. Gods, I wanted to leave this life. The barely marked dirt path turned into a gravel road, which turned into a stone street. Though it was difficult at times to stay on the path, I continued onwards, fighting my way through the overgrown roads. After not much time, I found myself at the edge of the forest, with open fields in sight and… could it be? I looked towards the horizon and saw a house, then a several houses, then a town. It was beautiful. With civilisation not far I briskly walked in its direction, and I began to admire the gorgeous buildings. The styles of architecture which the buildings reflected were varied, creating a wonderful atmosphere of contemporary tradition. European medieval, abstract, Asian inspired; it seemed as though there was a house for each culture. I walked a tilled dirt path which was barely discernible from the surrounding grass. Were it not for the dimly glowing street lamps which lined the road, I likely would have missed it. I passed a larger house on a hill. It was supported by logs which framed the white walls. The roof was made of dark wooden planks, clearly taken from a different tree than the logs framing the walls. Many of the houses within this area were of similar style. The atmosphere of the town seemed lively and flourishing, though there was not a single person in sight. However, the structures appeared well maintained, so it could not have been long since hundreds of people walked these streets. Perhaps it was a holiday? I spotted one house in the village, which appeared different from the rest. It had been constructed by a dulled, dark wood similar to that which made up the roof of the previous house. The roof was composed of rough, unpolished stones. It was asymmetrical, with one seemingly random tower jotting out of the left side of the roof. Cautiously, I walked up to the house and peered inside through the window. The room which I was able to view seemed to take up the entire first floor. It was devoid of all decoration or fineries, being filled only by an assortment of random things lying on the polished stone floor, and one wooden box which stood against the far wall. I went to open the door, but found that it was unfortunately locked. A minor setback, however, I was able to fiddle with the lock using the tip of my dagger. It was trivial to crack open the door, as I had been forced to practice many times. Gods, has nothing changed? I entered the building, who’s ground floor was smaller than that of most classrooms I’d seen. I made my way towards the many chests laying in the middle of the room. They seemed to be made of soft wooden planks, held together with metal strips. I carefully opened on of the many chests, making sure to not damage the structure which seemed it could collapse at any moment. Inside the chests were a few strown about things such as wooden swords arrows and a notebook. Nothing of much value, but slightly concerning. I checked the insignia on the chest and my fears were confirmed.
“A hunter.” I thought. In that moment I heard the creaking of a door behind me. The sound of the door opening and shutting tore me from my thoughts. Without pausing for a moment, I drew my knife and turned around to face whoever was in front of me, but I was not prepared for what was to come. Infront of me stood a man of tall stature, wearing a black sweater which seemed to be slightly too large for him, though it was still clean cut. Over this sweater he wore a chest plate which seemed to be made of pure steel, with matching shoulder guards. All of the pieces were greatly dented, likely worn out. On the centre of the chest plate, where there should have been an insignia of the royal guard, there was nothing but an abstract design which continued far outside of the regular range for a royal insignia. “Worse than a hunter.” I thought. “A mercenary.” I would have scoffed at the man, had he not every advantage over me as well as a reason to attack. He had locked eyes with me and had put his hand on the sword sheath tied around his brown leather belt, which also bore no insignia. His expression was not calm or stern, yet it was not quite panicked either. He seemed to be in a state of shock that anyone would even consider breaking into his house and going through his things. A state of confusion and seemed to almost admire the audacity. We stood in this position for quite some time before he sharpened his look. He drew his sword from his sheath and took a guarding stance, causing me to stumble back. To be quite honest, I fully believed I was going to die in that moment. I had not a doubt in my mind that this man was fully capable of killing me in an instance, his advantages only increased by my weakened state.
“Please, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know anyone lived here, please.” I stuttered. It’s not my proudest moment, but I hope that anyone who hears of this can understand why it came to this. I had fallen back into the pile of chests in the room and was shielding my head with my arm, preparing for what I believed to be an inevitable strike. I heard the man hum to himself a single note, which seemed to calm the situation. I eased my arm from its defensive position and allowed me to look at the man once more. He had put his sword back in its sheath, much to my relief.
“Are you alright?” The man asked. I nodded but made no attempt to start a conversation with the man. I saw no reason to.
“Good.” He responded matter-of-factly. I cautiously stood up from the pile I had fallen into and supported myself on the edge of one of the chests. In most situations, I would have attempted to flee what I still perceived as a threat, though I made no attempt to do so. Afterall, I was still not in the best of shapes.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?” He asked, though we both knew the answer to this. I nodded quietly in response to his question.
“You seem it. I don’t think anyone who’s been here more than a day would even consider going near this place.” My fears were confirmed. A mercenary. A ruthless mercenary.
“What’s your name?” The man asked.
“Orion. Orion Montiér.” I responded, slowly marking any escape routes from the house.
“Hm” The man said. “I’ve heard that before.”
I tensed up for a moment but relaxed again as I noticed nothing was coming of it. I was still concerned that those who had heard of the goings on in the empire would have recognized the name, and attempted to take action against me, though this luckily did not occur.
“I don’t tend to tell people my name.” The man said. “The people call me by many names. The shadow demon, chaos incarnates, the black death, the eldritch horror…”
run, run, run  my thoughts said, but I was used to this.
“But mostly, I just go by Lyre.” He finished.
We sat there together for a while, not saying anything, but still leading a whole conversation. We didn’t need to speak, the silence said enough. I could not place it at the time, but something about this man who called himself Lyre was calming. He did not seem to want to force a conversation, which I was very pleased by. Though I had previously made an effort to understand why those I knew had such an innate obsession with constantly leading unnecessary small talk.
Suddenly, the door violently swung open and in ran a man, slightly shorter than the one who went by Lyre. He had golden brown hair with a single streak of white in it swooping to the right-hand side of his face. Could it be?
“LYRE YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT I JUST SAW!” He said, whereafter he turned to me, and his deminer shifted from chaotic and excited, to terrified. I locked eyes with Adrian, who seemed fearful at my reappearance. Lyre took it upon himself to introduce us.
“Orion.” He started. “This is-”
“Adrian.” I interrupted. “Adrian Walker.”
“You two… know each other?” Lyre asked, in a slightly concerned tone of voice.
“Unfortunately.” I responded, glaring at Adrian unblinkingly.
Lyre gave an understanding nod. Clearly this type of behaviour was not uncommon for Adrian, which did not surprise me.
“Orion, I didn’t mean to leave you there, I was going to come back I-”
“Save it.” I said coldly. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me.”
A sent a solemn look his way, though in truth, I understood why he would sacrifice me to save himself. We barely knew each other, and I could not have asked him to risk his life saving someone he barely knew. Still yet, I did not forgive him easily.
“So…” Lyre said. “What did he do this time?
“OI What do you mean this time ? I don’t mess up that often, give me a break.” Adrian shot back. I took note of how much more… talkative he was around Lyre than in the train. He had much more character and seemed much less confident and a lot more defensive. Maybe he wasn’t the great warrior persona he had pretended to be in the train back there. Maybe he wasn’t a mercenary after all…
“I’m just saying this sort of thing always happens when I leave you alone for even a few hours. I swear Adrian, your pride will be the death of us all.” Lyre responded, somewhat disappointed, somewhat unshaken. In fact, I noticed Lyre’s distinct personality seemed to be much like what Adrian had displayed on the train. Had he been mimicking Lyre?
§To be fair, they did make it here alive without my help.”
“Barely! I almost killed them myself, and they look half dead anyway. Didn’t your train arrive here two days ago?”
“Well maybe if you didn’t train me not to trust anyone, I wouldn’t have left them!”
“Ohh so it’s my fault is it? I was the one who left them for dead?”
“YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!”
“I know enough.”
“NO YOU DON’T!”
“Please, Adrian, just calm down and explain what-”
“WHY ARE YOU TAKING THEIR SIDE OVER MINE?”
“I’m not taking sides, Adrian why are you so upset?“

A loud ringing noise drowned out the noise of the two men’s argument. As I fell into my thoughts and glanced out the window, I noticed a bear running around the fields just outside of the house I was in. It had green eyes with a brown and beige pelt similar to the colour of coffee. It was mesmerising to watch as it happily walked across the grass, not a care in the world. I heard the men in front of me, but what they said was a mystery to me as much as to you. I watched the coffee bean coloured bear run around, enjoying its life. It was peaceful and a welcome distraction from the argument going on in front of me. Suddenly though, I noticed a child wandering around the area outside of the house. I figured that whoever raised the child would have thought them not to go near wild animals, but the child did anyway. Surely not, I thought, surely the child won’t be unthinking enough to-
And in that moment, the child approached the wild animal, stick in hand. They had poked the bear. It did not seem as though the child was aware that the bear, annoyed at having been disturbed, was preparing to lunge at them. I couldn’t help it; My instincts kicked in. I pushed the window open, though there were several sharp edges on it which sliced part of my sweater. I drew my dagger from the sheath on the back of my belt whilst running towards the child, who at this point had managed to irritate the bear which was now standing on its hind legs even more. I heard the two men from the house yelling after me, but I was not thinking. I saw a child in danger, logic had no play in it. I ran in between the child and the bear, putting my arm out to catch its claws, which, based off of the feeling of sharp blades digging into my arm, worked. I used the arm I had left to push my dagger into the bears neck, killing it in an instant. It fell to the ground with a crash that shook the trees, the claws that were in my arm being pulled out sharply. I stood there in shock for a moment before I felt a hand grabbing my right arm. I turned to look at who it was and found Lyre in a state of complete shock, with Adrian trailing behind him. Lyre firmly demanded I allow him to bandage the cuts left on my arm from the bear’s claws, though I assured him there was no need for that. It was strange seeing someone who I had read as similar to myself behaving in such a way. I looked to the child who seemed not to be scared by what just happened, but instead seemed excited.
“Wow! You killed it just like that! How did you do that? It just fell over! Are you a soldier? That’s a cool knife! can I hold it?!?!” It said. The child seemed to have endless energy, which was quite refreshing. We sat in the grass, which was still damp from morning dew, Lyre bandaging my arm, and, for the first time, I truly noticed the beauty of this place. Next to us stood a fountain around the height of most buildings. It seemed to depict nothing, but was instead a swirling concoction of designs that seemed to take inspiration from French abstract art. The water flowed from the top to the bottom and was then pumped back up through the central column of the fountain. The child continued to babble about the bear and knives, completely infatuated with the romanticized version of events they had created in their mind. She soon inquired once more about the knife which I was now busy cleaning the blood off of. She was curious to know every single detail about it; Where and when it had been made, who had made it, even if I had ever killed anyone with it. She expressed a desire to investigate the subject of fighting, despite her less than intimidating appearance suggesting otherwise. She stood at what seemed to be around 130 centimetres, though when I inquired about it, she adamantly claimed to be 132 and a half. She had a white button-down shirt which she had tucked into her olive green cotton trousers. Around her waist she wore what she called a “super warrior battle cloth”, which was in reality a red scarf made of the same cotton as her pants. Judging by the messy nature of her ebony brown hair, she had likely cut it herself. She had leaf green eyes with specks of yellow which surrounded the pupil, though she again adamantly claimed were pure green.
“If they’re speckled with anything, which they aren’t, it would be the blood of my enemies!” The child proclaimed whilst brandishing a stick towards the sky. Not even a wooden sword; A literal twig. I chuckled, but when she looked back at me, looking for approval, I smiled.
“I’m sure it is so.” I spoke.
The child continued to tell stories of how they had slain many fearsome warriors. I did not have the heart to tell them that warrior ants were not the same thing as soldiers. The simultaneous naivety and passion that a young child can feel for the art of fighting and war is shocking. It is easy to forget that they are too young to have been touched by conflict. I too, as I recalled, had had such a passion once a very long time ago. The child continued to converse with me about all of her trials and tribulations which she had valiantly overcome, not letting her stories be interrupted by even the bee which perched itself on her head. Eventually the one sided conversation was interrupted.
“I think it’s best you go back home, Carmen.” Lyre said with a stern yet calm voice.
“But I’m not even at the best part yet!” They shot back, with tears practically welling in their eyes at the thought of not being able to finish their story.
“Carmen, go home.” He restated, this time more assertively.
Carmen squinted her eyes to keep from crying, and walked sadly away along the path which I can only assume led to her house, dragging her stick behind herself. Lyre and I sat there in silence for a while, though it wasn’t awkward. I was completely enamoured by the beauty of the landscape. When I looked over at Lyre, he seemed deep in thought, his eyes focused on the patch of grass on which the bear had stood. He had told Adrian to carry it away as not to disturb the child whom he had identified as Carmen, though I doubt she would have been bothered by the dead bear judging by their enthusiasm towards the art of fighting. I calmly watched the sun slowly disappear over the ocean horizon. It was a sight to behold. Dozens of colours ranging from cool blues to warm oranges and speckled with pinks and purples danced around the glowing orb which moved further and further below the sea.
“Why did you do it?” The now familiar voice of Lyre asked.
“What?” I responded in a confused manner.
“Why did you do it? Why did you risk your life to save someone you don’t know? A child you don’t know?”
I thought on his question for a while. Why had I done it?
“I don’t know.” I eventually responded. “I saw a child in danger; Danger of which they were unaware. I could help them. I would lose less myself by stepping in than they would if I had not the heart to do it.”
Lyre seemed dissatisfied by this answer to say the least. He returned to staring down the baren patch of dirt where the bear had stood on its hind legs. I wondered how one could see someone in danger and not assist them. I pondered how mentally adapt one must be to resist the primal instinct to help children.
“It was insane you know.” He eventually stated. “To jump in front of a striking bear like that. To willingly let your arm be caught by its claws. It’s ridiculously dangerous. There must be a hundred better ways to go about that.”
He made a pause in his criticism of my handling and sighed. He looked first down at his feet, then up towards the setting sun, now dancing with every colour imaginable and even those not.
“But I suppose it was the only viable option, wasn’t it?”
We both looked to the horizon for quite some time. We didn’t say anything. We didn’t need to say anything. Silence was a far more expressive language anyways. As we took in the beauty of the evening sky, Adrian joined us, a lit lantern in his hand. Adrian looked at me with an emotion I could not quite place, though I assumed it to be his way of asking for forgiveness. I did not grace his plea with a look of forgiveness. Realizing the futility of his silent apology, he decided to talk instead. To my delight, he spoke not of the capability for betrayal which he had demonstrated.
“So, why did you come here? Here of all places.” He inquired as he sat himself on the grass. “I doubted anyone even knew of this place anymore.”
“Well, I suppose I just had to get away.” I responded. “Away from where I was, away from what I knew.”
“But why? And why come here?” He interjected.
“Adrian don’t pry.” Warned Lyre, clearly concerned that Adrian may strike a chord.
“No.” I stated. “It’s quite alright.”
The both of them turned to me, likely ready to hear a dramatic story of how I had felt abandon in my own home city, and how I heard of this place through an ancient scroll, or from a mystical wizard who told of the forgotten kingdom in the east. Instead, they got the truth.
“I didn’t mean to come here. You just made it sound interesting.” I explained as I looked at Adrian.
He chuckled awkwardly to himself as he tried to hide how ashamed he was to have revealed the existence of this place to an outsider. In truth, I hadn’t meant to embarrass him, though I was far from regretful, so I decided to quickly change the topic to avoid more of his awkward shenanigans.
“Anyways, my turn to ask the questions.” I said. “Where are all the people? There’s got to be at least fifty houses here, but not a single person to be seen side from you two and a child.”
Adrian chuckled and looked at Lyre, who was now annoyedly chewing on a blade of grass. He spat it out, both to speak and in disgust.
“Hunting season.” He coldly said.
I inquired as to why Lyre was so opposed to hunting, and he proceeded to provide a lengthy story of how it had been expected of him to become a hunter, but he despised the art, instead choosing to go the route of a mercenary. He explained that, ever since he had made this choice, he had always been compared to those of his peers who, to quote his belittling imitation of the dull populace “Were so incredibly successful, and oh, how wonderful! Their children would be fed once they settled down, and how brilliantly safe their profession was!”
“A horrid practice, comparing people.” I proclaimed. Noticing Lyre’s inquiring expression, I elaborated by explaining how I too was often compared to those of my peers who had more “independent“ professions.
“Which ones were it for you?” Lyre asked curiously.
I looked him dead in the eyes and coldly said: “Mercenaries.”
My answer was met with roaring laughter from Adrian, who appeared so easily entertained that he could not detect the growing tension between the two professional killers in front of him. We maintained unbreaking eye contact through the minute long laughing fit Adrian had. As the silence resumed, we continued to stare into each other’s eyes.
“Soldier?” Lyre asked.
“Commander.” I responded.
A cold silence fell over us. It was clear that Lyre had every advantage over me in that moment. I silently counted every possible escape route which I could use to exit the situation, should it come to that. I did not want to expect a conflict, but I would not be the one to ignore the possibility. Luckily, no battle came to be, and Lyre seemed to silently contain his resentment rather than airing his opinion. This was much to Adrian’s dismay, as he seemed to have been excitedly awaiting a fight between the two of us. He claimed he was certain I would not even be able to land even a single strike on Lyre or himself. I alleged that he was likely only partially correct in his assessment, though I did not challenge him, seeing as he had several possible weapons within reach, and I had not even a proper blade. The three of us continued to tell our stories; Why we were here, where we had come from, what had driven us to leave. Together we expressed our disdain for the clearly corrupt monarchy which held power over most of the empire.
“They have no say here, you know?” Lyre mentioned.
“How so?” I inquired, my interest peaked.
“They don’t know we exist, thus, their rule doesn’t apply. We govern ourselves.” He explained. “If they are ever to realize this province still exists, they may try to take our sovereignty, but, judging by the current state of the royal empire, I doubt they would be successful in their crusade.“
What an interesting thought. That this province, minuscule in size compared to the mighty empire, could hold its own.
“I sadly must agree.” I said unmitigatedly. “The state of the royal army has been in disarray for many a year.”
“I presume that’s why you left?” Lyre asked in a manner less than respectful.
“Not in full.” I explained. “It was rather the fall out of this that lead to my voluntary exile.”
He sat in silence, assumedly waiting for me to elaborate on this, but I was never very fond of these silent questions. For quite some time we remained there in the grass as night fell.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I’M going to bed.” Adrian proclaimed, clearly bored by the tacit conversation which spoke more words than an audible one ever could.
“Okay then, sleep well.” Lyre responded, not looking up from the patch of flowers which he was staring down.
It appeared Adrian had hoped to be asked to stay, but, realising that his hopes were not going to be fulfilled, he sighed and walked back towards where his house stood. I watched him trot down the path and turn left to a rather large house of painted white walls and sophisticated framed windows. He walked up a wooden staircase located along the western side of the house which curled around the corner to the northern face. It led to a rather modest door made of what seemed to be cedar wood strips bound together with metal and bolts.
“What a peculiar town this is.” I thought aloud. “It seems so diverse.”
Lyre turned to me with a curious look in his eyes.
“Oh?” He asked.
“Everywhere I turn there seems to be influence from another culture, another country, another walk of life. It’s truly incredible. Certainly much more diverse than the empire.”
Lyre turned back to the patch of blue flowers in front of us, with a peculiar all-knowing look in his eyes.
“Sometimes the best things in life are.” He stated. “Something may seem homogenous and one sided from afar,” He reached for the patch of blue flowers. “but if you search hard enough,” He ruffled the patch of blue flowers to unmask a small yellow daisy hidden beneath the larger bluebells. “you may find it’s more unique than you think.”
I thought on his words for a while. They were true after all.
“You’re right.” I said quietly. “I never truly looked for diversity. I simply accepted what I was told, and I never challenged it. Well... usually.”
This seemed to pique his curiosity, but there was not a chance in the world that I would explain what I had meant with this. It was too soon; The cut was too fresh. Or, more accurately, it was an older scar that had just been opened up once more. Nevertheless, only under the threat of death would I have elaborated. Instead, we sat together for quite some time until the moon was high in the sky. Soon, Lyre offered to guide me to a vacant house in which I could stay the night.
“You may find it’s more unique than you think.”
The worlds planted themselves in my mind as I pondered what I had missed by not seeking it out. Whose story had I not learned? What path had I not followed? What friends could I have helped?

Would I have?

The morning sun shone brightly on the rose-stained windowpane, painting the entirety of the room with a pleasantly warm pink tinge. I had already been awake for several hours before sunrise, but I had remained in the house, not wanting to wander through unknown land in darkness. I had searched the house from top to bottom, and had managed to find an old ebony guitar. It was horribly tuned, and the strings were old and rusted, but it still played well after I spent some time struggling to tune the strings back to a normal pitch. I sat next to a window which overlooked the small town, and flipped through the pages of sheet music which I had brought with me. I reached for the parchment which held a song whose name I had neglected to write down, though I still remembered it. “Make Peace With Thy Gods”; an older ballad which I had first heard whilst posted in the royal family’s castle. I still recalled the voice of the Emperor’s daughter singing the text. It was a war song meant to raise the spirits of soldiers and citizens alike. I softly played the song’s melody as I watched the wind blow through the grass just outside the window. How peculiar this climate was. It was the middle of November, yet, based off the weather, I’d have believed it to be spring. As I noticed the first signs of people outside in the village, I decided to prepare myself for the day. I went to my old worn-out maroon bag which I had brought with me and retrieved a few articles of clothing. A white button-down shirt which I had pressed just before leaving, loose brown pants which I had stitched myself before my time in the royal army, a cream white strip of fabric which I tied into a cascade scarf around my neck, and a maroon scarf I secured around my waist to act as a belt. As I walked to the door, I placed my dagger in the belt as I had seen many soldiers do in the army. It was a long time ago, but I would never forget my time there. I carefully tucked the knife just left of the sword sheath which was located at my side.
I walked out of the house, and for the first time breathed the fresh morning air of this peculiar town. It was crisp; Not cold yet still fresh. Not even slightly tainted by the smell of dust in the air, having not yet settled from battle. Gods, it will take a while, won’t it? I walked down the ploughed dirt path, trying my best to avoid eye contact with the locals who were now abundant in the fields of the town. I could tell they were looking in my direction, though I was not surprised by this. This town, though most certainly not baren, was far from overpopulated. I walked as though I could not see them, though still I was aware of their glaring eyes. I heard people whisper to one another and saw children act excited at the presence of a newcomer. There were quite a few people wandering the streets, in stark contrast to the previous day. As I silently continued down the path, I was stopped in my tracks by a familiar face; Adrian Walker.
“Orion!” He greeted, clearly trying to show to the townsfolk that I did indeed belong there. “I’m glad you’re doing better! Carmen was looking for you earlier, they just won’t stop talking about the bear you killed yesterday.”
He was a talented presenter, I’ll give him that. The people around us stopped staring judgmentally and began to show signs of admiration.
“Anyways, Lyre wanted to talk to you about something.”
He gestured for me to walk with him, which I could now do without the concern of being challenged by a local purely because of my status as an outsider.
“Thank you.” I whispered to him. He nodded in acknowledgement.
We made our way through the roads before turning right to reach the unmarked house. As we approached the house’s facade, I noticed that the hole I had left in the window was now covered by a tarp. I dearly hoped that Lyre would harbour no resentment for my destroying of his property. Once we reached the front door, Adrian kicked it open without much regard for discreteness or class.
“LYRE, THEY’RE HERE!” He yelled up the winding staircase. The man whom he had called emerged, though he didn’t bother to walk down. Instead, he decided to jump down the centre of the stairs as though it was nothing to him. He landed in a formation which doubtlessly confirmed his rigorous training as an assassin. He stood up and calmly walked towards us, a slight smile on his face.
“Orion. Good.” He said in a monotone voice. “Adrian, give us some privacy.”
Adrian seemingly wanted to protest, but nevertheless left us, leaving through the door he had just kicked down moments before. He mumbled a comment about going to the northern Isles to get some materials for a project, but I paid no attention to this. Lyre walked over to a corner of the room which contained a peculiar package. Lyre picked up the large, paper wrapped bundle and brought it over to me.
“This turned up at my door today.” He explained. “It was addressed to you.”
He placed it down on the floor in front of us, and I began to meticulously scan it.
“I know not of any package, nor should anyone know where I am…” I stated whilst searching for any identifying marks on the box. I noticed Lyre grow concerned by my statement, which I attributed to his strange paranoia. I had learned by now that it was a rare occurrence for anyone to realize this province existed, and Lyre seemed continuously obsessed with keeping it that way. I eventually noticed a tag attached to the paper. It was a thick scrap of parchment with a name written on it; William Collins.
I froze.
I couldn’t move, I couldn’t hear.
I was completely and utterly stunned.

How did he…
How could they…
Why would they have…
How…

I am unaware as to if these remained thoughts in my head, or if they were vocalized. Quite honestly, I don’t remember much of what transpired in those minutes. I heard Lyre’s voice utter something, but I was in a completely different world at that point. How, why, when, who… The thoughts relentlessly repeated themselves in my mind. I could see Lyre’s mouth moving, and I could hear the faintest traces of words, but the comprehension of these was beyond me. I must have stood there for minutes on end until I regained control of myself. I breathed in, then out, then in again. I tried to act as though nothing had happened, although I was still shaken by what I had seen. I explained it away as “An old friend”. Though my lie of omission was glaringly obvious, he did not press the matter. I went back over to the package, avoiding letting my eyes glance at the note. I carefully unwrapped the paper and inside I found an assortment of belongings which I had neglected to bring with me.
I quickly took note of the rapier sword which I had obtained so many years ago, made of a quality cut of steel. Placed under the sword, I found the shield which I had used during my time in the royal army, though I quickly noticed that the Empire’s coat of arms had been scratched, no, burned off. I looked over to Lyre, who grinned awkwardly to the floor.
“I may have peeked inside the package myself.” He admitted.
Lyre truly did have a distain for the royal army and the leadership of the Empire, which I greatly admired. Afterall, I myself had not often questioned the leadership for so many years. Though I shared his views on the ruling of the Empire, I could not say the same for his opinion of the royal army. I precisely placed the sword which I held so dearly in its sheath on the side of my belt. After doing so, I briskly placed the shield on the outside of my backpack for ease of transport, making certain that I could remove it at a moment’s notice. Gods, there it is again.
I thanked Lyre for the package and left his house, this time through the door instead of the window. The long risen sun now warmed the entirety of the village square, which was lively with children playing in the streets and parents going about their duties. I made my way through the winding paths and followed them to what appeared to be a park, the land covered in grass and flowers. The rather large spruce trees were engrained with what can only describe as tribal-like symbols, likely thought up by the town’s children. As I passed by, I heard a familiar voice call out for me.
“ORION! ORION MONTIÉR!” The voice yelled.
I instinctively grabbed for the handle of my sword, but relaxed my grip once I saw who was running towards me. It was Carmen, the young child who had been foolish enough to attempt to fight a bear.
“ORION THESE ARE MY FRIENDS!” Carmen shouted, seemingly unaware that I could hear her perfectly well, but then again, children are rarely aware of such things. She introduced me to her friends, who all seemed to share her infatuation with the art of fighting. They mimicked the behaviour which Carmen had displayed yesterday, pointing out my dagger, the shield tied to my backpack, the basket hilted sword which I carried with me, and anything else they took note of. I was hesitant at first to engage with the children, but the man who I assumed to be the guardian of at least some of them gave me an approving nod from the bench he sat at. I explained to them the basics of the art of sword fighting, the difference in material and how it affected the integrity of a sword, and even allowed them to attempt to hold my sword, which was nearly as long as they were tall. This naturally did not work very well, but it was entertaining to see them try. The passion and perseverance they displayed was… nice. Calming, in a way.
Eventually, though, I bid them adieu and continued my exploration of the town. After whining for quite some time, the children agreed to let me return to my wander only under the pretence that I would visit them again soon. I followed the path to the outskirts of the densely populated area, flora thrived wherever you gazed. I noticed that the further away from the centre of the village I got, the larger and more abstract the houses became. I passed houses which sprung towers from seemingly random places, and soon I encountered a particularly peculiar residence. It stood in the centre of a small, man-made lake, supported only by a wooden beam and four bridges that lead to the edge of the pond. It did not seem as though it should manage to be stable, yet still it was. I decided to inspect the house further. As I approached the building, I noticed that the few people who were still in the area were briskly walking away. This quite piqued my interest, while simultaneously concerning me. Once I had finally reached the other side of the lake, I found what had been causing such a stir; Infront of the lake stood a young lady, no older than I, wearing an incomplete suit of metal armour. It covered her arms, chest, and lower calves, yet she wore no helmet, which allowed her blonde hair to flow freely. Underneath the armour she wore a modest outfit of grey pants and a cyan blue sweater. The young lady had drawn her sword and stood in a defensive position. Infront of her stood a woman of average stature who seemed around the same age as the blonde lady. As I approached them more, I noted the woman’s black waistcoat which was tied over a blood red button down shirt. She wore form fitting black pants striped with white and a small black bowler hat. Her hair was cut shoulder length and fell over her right shoulder. I watched from a distance at first, just close enough to overhear their conversation.
“Don’t take another step closer.” The young lady said. She had an accent which I could not quite place. She spoke in British English, yet it was clearly not her first language. Perhaps she was from Beladon?
“I’m just saying what we both know, Hannah.” The waistcoat wearing woman retorted. So Hannah was the girl’s name. “You just can’t accept that sometimes there are certain things you can’t cha-”
“SHUT UP!” The lady shouted, tightening her grip on the sword. “Just leave me alone, I never did anything to you.”
The young lady’s opponent sighed, seemingly disappointed, and slowly approached the young lady. She jerked the handle of her sword forward, hitting the girl directly in the chest with it and knocking her backwards at least a meter from where she had stood. She chuckled, and it was at this point that I decided to intervene. I reached for the rapier in my sheath and, right as the attacker took a step towards the girl, I slid in between the two of them and used my sword to block the attack. I looked to the woman with intense concentration and locked eyes with her. She seemed shocked at my sudden appearance, and, for a moment, I saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. She wasted but a moment with this however, quickly allowing an overly confident expression to return to her face.
“Well who the hell are you now?” She asked, clearly annoyed.
“Step back, before I make you.” I responded, not giving her the pleasure of an answer. She briefly attempted to raise her sword, but, noticing that I was not backing down, let it fall to her side and reluctantly took a few steps back. I turned to the girl who had been knocked over, and offered her a hand. She seemed shaken and slightly injured from the fall, but generally unharmed. She looked me in the eyes and took my hand.
“Thank you…” She whispered, seemingly stunned that someone would risk their life for her. I noticed her look fearfully at the lady who had just tried to kill her.
“Is the house unlocked?” I asked her, which was met with a nod. I advised her to enter and lock it, while I “dealt with” the woman. I turned back to face my opponent, sword drawn and ready for battle. As I readied myself for a struggle, I noticed something out of the ordinary; A blade began to poke through the front of my assailant’s chest, drenched in blood. The woman grimaced and tried to grab at the tip of the blade with what strength she had left. As she began to lose consciousness, the tip of the sword was drawn back and out, and she fell to her knees, clenching her wound with one hand and supporting herself with another. Soon she fell limp to the ground, dead. I was in a state of shock. Despite my long time in the military, I had long been allowed to forget the brutality of executions such as this one. I glanced towards the person who had committed this murder, and saw Lyre standing behind him, sword still drawn. Sadly, I cannot say I was surprised.
“Don’t worry, she’ll come back.” Lyre said in a concerningly calm tone of voice. “People don’t truly die here.” He elaborated.
I loosened my grip on the rapier I held in my hands, and gazed confused at Lyre, who seemed oblivious to my lack of understanding. He gestured for me to follow him, which I did with slight, making sure to keep a hand on my rapier as I placed it back in its sheath. We walked past the crowd of gawking civilians and continued on the cobblestone path which led through the town square.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed the strange happenings in this town.” Lyre began, crossing his arms behind his back and clenching his hands, posture tall and confident. “It is more than just mere coincidence that this town defeated the Empire against all odds. This place has a devastating curse placed upon it, though some may consider it a blessing.”
We walked through the town square and out towards the edge of the city, where barely a single person wandered.
“Around a thousand years ago, a soldier came to this land seeking peace and prosperity. Freedom from the rule of the Empire. He founded this town and promised that it would stand for a thousand years.”
The man’s grip on his own hands began to tighten as he continued.
“He committed heinous acts against those who tried to take the land from him, all in the name of sovereignty and liberty. He trained the inhabitants of the village how to kill, and encouraged the towns children to fight as well. One day, he wandered upon a strange lady, who asked him what he sought after in his life. He explained his journey and what he had done to protect this land, and he claimed it was all for the greater good. The lady asked him what he wanted most overall, to which he responded, “May this town stand for a thousand years and may the people within it never fall!”. He meant it in the best of ways, yet the lady twisted his words, laying a permanent curse upon this land. Those within it will never fall. Not to age, not to brutality, not to anything. That man changed the world at twenty three, and he would never grow older than that, nor would anyone else in the village. They all stop aging at twenty f*cking three.”
The truth slowly made its way into my mind. I did not want to accept it, but I had to. They would all come back, again and again, never truly dying. They couldn’t, no matter how much they wanted to.
“That’s why I didn’t kill her, not truly.” Lyre continued. “She’ll come back. They always do.”
What a horrible fate. To be doomed to live and die and live once more, forever entrapped in the darkness of this mortal realm. Unable to leave.
“How long have you…” I asked quietly.
He looked to the ground, arms still tensely held behind his back. He seemed… troubled. Something in his demeaner changed, letting shine through a waterfall of emotions, if only for a moment. For the first and last time, I saw tears well up in his eyes, though he quickly blinked them away.
“I always was a fool to think I was exempt from the rules.” He said just above a whisper, his eyes still filled with tears.

I didn’t ask him any questions. I knew that I needed not understand the curse which he had let befall this land. Though I did not vocalize them, I still pondered many aspects of the strange curse. How was it known that no force could kill? Did this effect all who ever entered the land? Or did it only target those who were born here? I had no answers to these questions, and I would have to accept that. At least for now.
I allowed time to pass, as Lyre gathered the strength to put on a facade of calm, which he insisted was how he truly felt. I refrained from bringing the topic up again. To break the deafening silence, I told him that I would search for a plot of land to begin constructing a house on. At his confused glance, I explained to him that it was commonplace for everyone in the Empire to know at least the basics of such skills. With the current state of the Empire, entire towns being burned to the ground or blown to smithereens regularly, it was necessary for survival. In the house where I had stayed the night, I had found large bundles of wood and bags of stones, which I resolved to use. I made my way to the outskirts of the village and scouted out the area for viable land to build upon, when I saw something which caught my eye. It was a small land mass which lay only three metres from the coast, connected to it only by a raggedy and splintering bridge. Peculiarly, it was covered completely in snow despite it being quite warm. Though I could not place it, I felt myself drawn to this island, and so I carefully crossed the bridge which threatened to break at any moment.
The small enclave was just as serene as I had hoped it to be. There was no foliage aside for the grass which peaked through the thick layer of snow. I was right; The laws of nature truly did not apply here. I began marking out the perimeter of the house by drawing it in the snow with my boot. I was almost finished with the outline, when I stopped for just long enough to hear the crunching of snow behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks, which clearly alerted whoever was attempting to go undetected. I heard the swooshing sound of a blade being drawn, followed by a voice.
“Get up and turn around slowly.” It ordered.
I reached for my dagger but felt the cold metal of a sword against the back of my neck. I slowly put my hands on the sides of my head and rose to my feet. The voice was not familiar. It sounded somewhat reluctant, which was my only thread of hope.
“Slowly.” The voice repeated. I saw no opening to flee, nor a possibility to fight. I could but comply with the person’s demands.
“Drop the sword.” The voice instructed. I hesitated for a moment, which caused the person standing behind me increased the pressure of their sword on my neck. I detached the sheath from my person and let it fall to the ground. The cold metal on the back of my neck eased up slightly, before being removed from it completely.
“Turn around.” The voice said, which I gladly did. I hoped I would find someone much weaker than I, and perhaps someone I could take down even without my rapier. Sadly, this wish was not fulfilled. I turned to face the assailant, and found a young man of average stature with auburn brown hair decorated with a flower crown. His sword remained raised as his amber eyes stared deeply into mine. Over his cream white button down, he wore a simple green cape which billowed in the wind. He had a distinctive scar along his right cheek which appeared quite new.
“Deny everything. Just go along with it.” He whispered somewhat fearfully.
“I’m sorry?” I responded, quite confused.
“Deny everything and go along with it and I won’t hurt you.” He whispered back.
Though I was both confused and concerned by his request, I did as he instructed.
“Are you Orion Montiér?” He asked, raising his voice as though angered.
“Uh, no, I’ve never heard that name.” I replied, hoping that this was what he had meant.
“Have you ever met someone by the name of Genevieve Wylder?” He continued.
“I have not.”
“If I may ask, have you interfered in a fight which did not concern you in any way today?”
“Once more, I have not.”
The man sighed, lowered his sword and turned over his left shoulder. I followed his gaze and saw the woman who had been killed by Lyre watching us. Her arms were crossed in front of her, and she looked disappointedly at the man standing before me. Theo shrugged at her and she rolled her eyes in response before nodding. She walked off without uttering a word to either of us. The man sighed with relief and dropped his sword. I wasted not a moment. I reached to the ground and grabbed my rapier, taking a step back and raising it at the man. He jolted back and put his arm in front of his face.
“Woah, calm down, I can explain everything.” He pleaded.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“Please just, could you put the sword down, I really can’t focus with that.”
“I most certainly will not. You attacked me; I want answers. So who the hell are you?!” I shouted.
The man took a step back and began franticly scanning the ground with his eyes. Just as I was about to yell once more, he reached in his back pocket and threw something in the snow. Instinctively, I followed it with my eyes, only to realize that it was a mere rock. As I turned back to the man, I saw that he had somehow crossed the bridge and was standing on the mainland. How had he moved so quickly?
“I promise I’ll be back!” He yelled, though I could not make out whether this was a threat or a promise. With this statement, he was gone. He did not run, he merely… disappeared. He vanished as though he had never been there in the first place, the only evidence proving that he had being the marks left in the snow. Overwhelmed by confusion, I decided to simply start a fire and try to forget about the incident. I placed together some firewood, and struggled for a while to light it, though I soon was able to start a spark which spread to the branches.
I sat there for a while, allowing myself to recover from that encounter before deciding to continue building my soon to be house. As I placed down the foundation, I wondered about what the man had said. Would he truly be back tonight? I tried to brush it off, still not certain if it had been meant in a threatening way or not. A part of me longed for it to be a threat, just for the rush of a fight. The more reasonable part of me hoped for the opposite. It must have been around three in the afternoon. I had just successfully finished the foundation of the house, when I suddenly heard a voice coming from the bridge. I was caught off guard, but luckily it was not the voice of an enemy. It was the voice of the girls who had been attacked in the village. I turned around and saw her standing on the coast of the small landmass where the bridge met the ground.
“Hey.” She said quietly.
“Hello.” I said back.
She had taken off the set of armour which she had been wearing which allowed the colour of her cyan blue sweater to more easily show. She wore her blond hair down with two French braids coming together in the back. As I looked at her, I realized that she looked to be a few years younger than I had believed her to be. Possibly even still in her late teens. Her hands were behind her back, and she seemed slightly nervous to stand before me.
“I wanted to thank you.” She said, beginning to come further into the island’s land. “Genevieve is quite well known around here. She’s not horrible or anything, but… well, it takes all kinds.”
“It was not a problem.” I responded monotonously.
She briefly paused.
“Theo told me that Genevieve forced him to threaten you. Is that true?” She asked me.
So Theo was his name. Noted.
“Threaten is relative.” I replied.
“So he did.”
“Under your definition perhaps.”
“He’s not a danger, I promise. Genevieve just has some dirt on him.”
“Trust me, he was clearly not a threat.”
“Oh.” She said, looking to the ground. It appeared she felt embarrassed to be thanking me. I gestured for her to join me at the fire, which she did.
“What’s your name?” I asked, trying to lessen the tension between us.
“Hannah.” She answered. “What’s yours?”
“Orion.”
“You’re new here, aren’t you? I haven’t seen you before.”
“I arrived here yesterday.”
“I figured. No one who’s been here long would challenge Genevieve like that. Especially just for me.”
“How so?”
“Well, most people think I’m just too kind or too weak to be worth paying attention to.”
“That’s a silly thing to do. Kindness is what this Gods forsaken Empire needs more of.”
There was a pause once more as she stared at the ground.
“So, what happened when Theo came?” She eventually got up the courage to ask.
I recounted to her in detail the man’s, or rather Theo’s, attempt at interrogating me. I told her of his deception of the woman whom she referred to as Genevieve, and how she had simply shrugged and walked off.
“Wait, she was there?” Hannah interrupted.
“Well, yes. Is that relevant?” I asked.
“Ryan-”
“Orion.” I corrected.
“Right. Orion, if Genevieve knows where you are, she’ll almost certainly try to take care of you herself.”
We sat in silence for a moment, though Hannah was visibly terrified. She began to fidget with the sleeves of her sweater, seemingly deep in thought. Had she not been far too polite and reserved to do so, I have no doubt she would have called me a Gods damned fool for getting myself into such a situation as this. But alas, she was far too polite to. She soon stood up from beside the fire and grabbed my arm, pulling me in the direction of the bridge.
“Wait where are you-”
“We’re going to get Lyre.” She assertively stated. “I’m not letting you get killed on my account.”

We passed over the bridge which nearly broke under the strain of Hannah’s eager leaps. As soon as we made it across the bridge I began to run after her, not wanting to fail to follow her. We passed not through the village as I had expected, but instead took a shortcut to Lyre’s house around the edge of the town. I could hear her beginning to pant from exhaustion, but she was determined to get to Lyre as soon as possible. Eventually, I began to see the outline of his house on the horizon which grew larger as we approached it. Hannah walked up to the door and opened it in a much more civilized manner than Adrian had when we first came here together.
“Lyre!“ She yelled with what energy she had left, before falling to one knee, her breathing heavier than I had ever seen anyone’s. Lyre appeared from the top of the staircase sliding down the handrails. Hannah seemed half dead at this point, barely remaining conscious as she tried to regain her strength. I am to this day unaware as to why she would overexert herself for seemingly no reason, but I must say it concerned me. I considered for a moment that the Genevieve Wylder of whom she spoke was a true threat.
Lyre looked to Hannah, tilting his head in confusion. Hannah slowly gained enough strength to stand up with my help.
“Genevieve.” She muttered, still trying to slow her breathing “Theo, Genevieve, threat, Orion…” She paused for a moment to cough. “Help them.”
Lyre sighed as though inconvenienced by Hannah’s request.
“They can handle Genevieve, it’s not like she’s a trained killer. She’s average at best.” He said in a monotone voice with a hint of distain.
“But, you’ve seen Genevieve, you know what she can do!” Hannah exclaimed, slowly regaining her strength.
“Orion can hold their own against her, Hannah.” Lyre shot back. “Afterall, what Royal Commander wouldn’t.”
His tone could not have been more disdainful. With this comment it was made undeniably clear to me that Lyre had some sort of personal hatred for all those who had ever served in the royal army. Though I understood his animosity for the army, I still wished that he could see past my history and accept it. Nevertheless, I ignored the comment, not wanting to provoke the mercenary who stood before me. Hannah continued to argue with Lyre, not wanting to leave me unprotected against what she believed to be a threat, though I still doubted it was.
“Fine.” Lyre eventually agreed “I’ll be there, but I won’t step in unless it’s needed.”
I could see that Hannah was relieved, which I was glad of. As I was about to leave, however, she did the one thing I had hoped she would not. Hannah reached into the pockets of her pants and pulled out a small sack filled with what appeared to be gold coins. She charily handed them over to Lyre, who counted out the individual pieces before placing the pouch in one of the boxed which stood against the wall. It took me only moments to figure out what had just transpired.
“Gods damned mercenaries.” I thought, though I had the self-restraint to not say it out loud.
I had already known of Lyre’s less than honourable profession, but I still could not help but feel a sense of disgust witnessing the exchange. The thought of someone charging a friend, an ally, money just for such basic protection irked me. Seeing him go through with the transaction nearly brought me to drive a dagger straight through the wall which stood behind me. It infuriated me. Nevertheless, I managed to control myself.
“Well then.” Lyre said, gesturing for me to lead the way. The sun had already begun to set as we wandered back towards the island where I had laid out the framework for a house. As we walked, he explained to me the exact terms of his business. He clarified that he had no minimum price, but if his target offered more than the original payment, they could change the target to anyone, though, according to him, they most commonly chose whoever was the original client. A ruthless system, refined in its rules, brutal in its execution of them. As we reached the bridge, Lyre expressed an admirance for the broken down nature of the crossing. He seemed to enjoy the aged aesthetic of it, which for some reason did not surprise me. I continued to work on the foundation of the house as we waited for the woman apparently named Genevieve Wylder to arrive. Lyre sat atop the stone wall which I had laid, swinging his legs back and forth, which he seemed to enjoy. It was around one and a half metres tall, but barely the width of one or two large stones. Lyre insisted that it was wide enough to be safe to sit on, though I severely doubted this.
“Hey, about earlier. With the history and that…” Lyre began.
“It’s alright.” I stated. “I won’t tell anyone.”
Lyre smiled slightly and looked into the distance.
“I truly didn’t know that it would lead to a curse like this. I didn’t want to curse this land. I didn’t… I-”
“It’s okay.” I interrupted. “We’ve all made mistakes. Yours just happens to follow you.”
He faintly smiled, seemingly relieved to have finally told someone. Unfortunately, this pleasant atmosphere couldn’t last. We soon heard the sound of footsteps crossing the bridge. A slight mist had formed, but that didn’t stop us from seeing a figure step onto the snow covered grass. I slowly approached the woman, or Genevieve Wylder should I say. I firmly placed my hand on the hilt of my rapier and looked her dead in the eyes. Genevieve stopped in her tracks and looked up, but she was not gazing at me.
“Why is he here?” She asked, gesturing towards Lyre.
“Well if this is to be a civil discourse there shouldn’t be any concern, now should there?”
We now stood less than two metres apart, both ready for a duel, though, with the prospect of Lyre’s defence, Genevieve suddenly seemed far less inclined to engage. Lyre must truly have been known in this province. I took note of her nervous glances and slight weakness in her stance.
“Look, I’ll be gracious enough to forgive your defiance. I’ll be going then.” Genevieve stuttered, her eyes scanning the ground for a way past me. By this point I had managed to block off her only escape route by leading her closer to the house.
“You attacked that girl.” I accused. “Now why would you do that?”
“You don’t know anything about that!” Genevieve exclaimed with the temperament of a child throwing a fit.
“I’ll tell you why you attacked her. You’re not just someone who accidentally hurt someone once, you’re diabolical. You meant to hurt her, you wanted to hurt her.”
“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT!”
“I know enough.” I uttered as I drew my rapier from its sheath. My blade met hers as she narrowly blocked the attack. I advanced forward, forcing her to dodge the blade and, in the process, trip. She rose to her feet in the blink of an eye before blocking multiple swings with the edge of her longsword.
“Don’t do this, you’ll regret it!” She screamed, but I did not hear her words. I heard only the noise which blended everything I perceived into nothing but black, as tunnel vision slowly set in. I continued to force her to retreat further back whilst blocking her attempted attacks without fail. My vision was red. I saw nothing but just another enemy in front of me.
I took notice of Lyre’s sudden curiosity as he began to take interest in the transpiring duel. I don’t believe Lyre had imagined that I could overpower Genevieve Wylder. He shifted in his position, tilting his head as he noticed how to fight was playing out. I struck once more, this time hitting her square in the chest with the edge of my sword. Genevieve fell backwards as I approached her, raising my rapier above her head. She fruitlessly fumbled for her longsword, before realizing that it lay out of reach, far too distant. I placed the tip of my rapier carefully on her neck.
“You’ll regret this!” She argued, pushing her head to the ground to get as far away as possible from the blade. I met her pleas with no reply, simply humming a single note before pulling back the blade and thrusting it through her throat. Unexpectedly, there was no blood. I heard a faint scream for a fraction of a second before her body seemingly vanished into nothing but dust which was soon carried away by the wind, leaving behind only her sword and a small pouch of silver. I felt… I’m not quite sure what I felt. It was a confusing feeling; One that I had not felt in a very long time. It was the feeling of power, the feeling of strength that came with murder. It was the feeling of nothing, and everything. I was quiet. Even having taken out my anger and my frustration on her, nothing had changed. It was all still there. There was no tragic melody to accompany this feeling. There was no dramatic pause. Nothing changed, nothing… changed. I heard the sound of footsteps beside me as Lyre approached the carnage. He placed his gloved hand on my left should and looked down at the mark left in the snow by Genevieve.
“He’ll come back.” He promised.
“I killed him…” I whispered.
“He didn’t die.”
“I killed him. Right here.”
There was silence between us. I knew that Lyre believed the act to by nothing more than self-defence, but to me it was unforgivable. Perhaps she would return from the dead, but that changed nothing. I killed her all the same. It was not excusable by the mere fact that she would return. I had killed again. I had done what I had sworn never to do again. Nothing had changed, had it? Lyre walked me back to the village, claiming he feared for my safety. As we followed the path to the town square, I noticed people whispering in my presence. Rumours spread fast here, didn’t they?
“Orion,” Lyre began. “I should have told you this before, but I did not.”
“What is it?” I inquired.
“Genevieve may be hated by many, but she still has his allies. Usually blackmailed allies, but allies none the less. Allies who would do anything to preserve her honour.”
“I see.” I coldly responded, understanding what he meant.
“You may want to watch out for a while.” He continued. “Maybe you’ll get lucky, but it’s not worth the risk.”

After several days, and with the help of both Adrian and Hannah, I finally managed to complete the house which sat upon the ice-cold island. It was a modest cabin made of dark wood and stone, far from what would be considered luxury, but it was all I needed. I wished not for glory or for riches, I just wished for peace and serenity.
“It looks great, Orion!” Hannah excitedly claimed.
“Eh I guess it’s okay I guess.” Adrian added, clearly not wanting to seem as though he cared.
We all entered the house and considered the walls, Adrian pointing out how boring they looked. I concurred, and soon thought of what could decorate them. I reached for a small box which contained an assortment of swords which I had obtained from the village.
“Oh, I have an idea!” Hannah exclaimed while helping me arrange the various florettes and epées on the wall next to my broken-down violin. I invited her to share her idea, which she gladly did.
“What if you had a kind of housewarming party? I could invite some people from the town, and you could get to know them!”
I happily agreed to this idea. Afterall, I had been in this town for over a week and still, yet I knew no more than four of the inhabitants. I was not exactly known for my sociability, but even I would manage to survive this event. Hannah was ecstatic at the prospect of a party, and Adrian, though he refused to admit to caring for it, clearly was as well. Hannah left the house in a hurry, shouting that she would tell people of it, and Adrian soon followed her, though with a slightly calmer pace. I was left alone in the small house, which I did not much mind. The atmosphere was calm; A feeling which I had not experienced in quite some time. I walked over to the oil candle which Hannah had left for me. I struck a match against the stone floor and lit the wick of the candle. That evening I sat down at my desk which faced the sunset, and enjoyed the colour filled sky. I retrieved a piece of parchment, a quill, and ink from the drawer of the desk and sighed before placing the quill to the parchment.

Dear Evalina,

It has been many a week since I left the city to seek asylum elsewhere. For my sudden absence, I apologize. Still yet, I’m certain you may understand the direness of my situation. I will not waste your time recounting that which you already know, though I would still like to inquire about the state of our home. Have the flowers in our garden yet bloomed? Have the soldiers yet come to search your home for any traces which may lead them to me? Whether they have already or are yet to, do not fret. I have left not one clue to my whereabouts in our home nor anywhere else. I myself know not my exact location. I find myself in a province east of our home, which lays untouched by the Empire’s might. The province seems to have yet managed to claim independence whilst flying undetected through time. It is not a typical province as you may imagine, but one with very strange properties. I would attempt to explain to you the strange circumstances of this town, but I do not wish to trouble you with fanciful tales, nor provide any hint to my whereabouts, be it the case that the guard has intercepted your mail. I have grown quite close to several people of importance within the confides of this province, which has no doubt eased my transition to living here. I wish one day to join you once more my love, yet it is growing increasingly likely that, were I to attempt a return, this would be unsuccessful. I dearly hope that you may receive this letter, to have at least some memory of myself.
I wish you the world, and may prosperity and fortune fill your days. I yearn to hear from you soon.
Yours forever faithfully,

Orion Montiér

I finished the letter with my signature, though I could not help but recoil somewhat as I gazed down at the name written on the parchment. My signature had, just as most, been designed by an advisory council instead of by my own hand. It, among many things, served as a constant reminder of how every facet of my being had been crafted to fit the empire’s wishes. It was nothing but a sickly reminder of what had once been. My dear Evalina had always claimed that my past did not define my present, but I could not help but feel as though it did. She had always had such an air of compassion and care. She possessed the ability to light up a room simply by existing in it. It was a talent of hers. Gods, I truly did miss her dearly. I rolled up the piece of parchment and wrapped it with a thin red ribbon, tying a bow with the ends. Though I knew that I had no true way of delivering the letter to her, I vowed to find one even if it was the last thing I did. I would not let my dear Evalina believe I had died, or worse, been caught.
The sun was setting upon the horizon as the last of the candle wick began to burn out. Soon enough, the fire was extinguished, and the sun had left the night sky to rest. I sat for a moment, simply enjoying the natural yet infinite beauty of the night sky. It was, after all, far more enjoyable than to look up at yet another ash filled sky from the Empire’s crowded and dirty streets. I watched as many a star appeared in the heavens, seemingly joining each other in a carefully choregraphed dance. The dark sky was a beautiful, velvety navy blue; So nearly black, but still shining with a hint of blue. I laid my head down on the wooden desk and smiled as I gazed up at the stars in their ever twinkling dance. I felt peace.
The next day began quite abruptly, as I was awoken by the sound of someone banging on my door. I instinctively grabbed for my dagger, making sure it was in my grasp before opening the large dark door. Infront of it, to my surprise, was a familiar face. Though not a stranger, it was not someone whom I had expected ever to see again. Infront of me stood Theo, the man who had attacked me a few days ago. Well, the man who had tried to attack me. I supposed that he had meant it truthfully when he had said he would return. Though I hated to admit it, I was glad to know that he was unharmed. The gods only knew what Genevieve could have done to him, should she have seen through his fake interrogation.
“Hello.” He said.
“Morning.” I responded, still not fully conscious despite the sun’s glow already lighting up the floorboards of my house. Adjusting the cascade scarf around my neck, I remembered that I had fallen asleep abruptly, never having changed out of my daywear.
“Can I uhm…” He began. “Can I come in?“
I turned to my side to allow enough room for the traveller to enter. Theo seemed somewhat on edge, though he was clearly here off his own accords. Were he not, he likely would have already disclosed that to me as he had last time. I closed the door behind him and followed him into the small but comfortable living area. He sat down on the cushioned chair which stood against the southern wall, and I pulled out my desk’s stool to sit near him. He fidgeted with the hem of his button down shirt which he was wearing underneath a light green cloak. I watched in silence as he meticulously frayed the edges of the sleeve while looking at nothing in particular. I inquired about why he wore a coat in such warm weather, as it seemed incomprehensible to me. I had barely felt more than a light breeze in the past few days. He stated that the temperature had begun to cool once more, as it tends to do. He explained that while weather changes tend to be less dramatic here, they did still occur.
“So, why are you here?” I asked, sat upright in my chair.
“Me? Oh well, it’s nothing.“ He lied. “I just…”
“You just what?” I interjected. “Why would you even want to be around me? I threatened to kill you, and I did kill your employer.”
This statement seemed to puzzle the man, who had clearly been here long enough to be used to the immortal life. He looked at my regretful disposition and seemed to understand why I felt as I did.
“You didn’t truly kill her.” He said. “You just-”
“But I did!” I shouted, tears slowly starting to well in my eyes. “Everyone keeps saying it’s okay because she came back, but it isn’t. I killed her, and I would have you. I wanted to, I needed to… I had to take it out on you and that… whatever the f*ck her name was. That’s not-” I clenched the fabric of my pants as I grew increasingly tense.
“No, you didn’t.” He claimed. “It’s normal, it’s not that big a deal, truly.” He reached out his hand and placed it on mine, which was clenching the fabric of my pants.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He said, leaning closer in. His deep green eyes which faded into brown near the centre of his iris met mine, and I saw for the first time a smile on his face. It was not a grin of malice, nor a plotting smile, it was just… nice. It was comforting. One of the few genuine smiles I’d seen since I’d left. I laughed slightly as I wiped the tears from my eyes.
“I’m sorry.” I quietly said, still regaining my calm and perpetually collected outward appearance. He did not respond, but, based on the calm look on his face, I could tell that he accepted my apology. We sat together for a while, which is when I noticed that Theo was quite the conversationalist. We spoke about our mutual interest in sword fighting, our music tastes, and eventually our homes.
“So where are you from yourself?” I inquired.
“Me? Oh, I was born here.” He replied.
“How long ago was that?” I asked, perhaps inconsiderately, but alas, I was new to this strange system of aging.
“Oh, I don’t truly know.” He responded. “We don’t keep track here, you know? It’d get a bit hard to remember for some folks.”
“Right.“
“But, I know I’ve not yet passed 23.” He continued. “My pop said I’ve still got room to change. Says I’ve barely passed 19, so probably around that. Then again, he tends to get things mixed up now.”
His voice was incredibly calming in this setting. He seemed youthful and happy, quite the contrary to what I had seen during our confrontation just a few paces away from where we were now.
“And you?” He asked. “I mean, you haven’t been here long, so you probably still know how old you are.”
“I believe I turned 20 a few weeks ago.”
“You believe?”
“Well… the place I’m from isn’t exactly in the best of situations at the moment. I didn’t have time to think about it properly.”
“Oh…” He said, looking at me concernedly.
“It’s alright.” I said. “I’m here now, that’s behind me.”
We sat in silence for a moment or two. Theo lay on the small bed which I should have slept in last night, his feet up against the wall and his arms crossed behind his head. I still sat on the chair near my desk, though I had since moved it to the window to be closer to him.
“Well I think you’ll like it here.” Theo exclaimed. “I mean, I do.”
I chuckled and looked towards Theo, who was smiling at me. I couldn’t help but smile back at him. I was a stranger to this feeling of safety, of comfort. It was not forced or fake, it was genuine and enjoyable. We spoke for what must have been hours until Theo told me that he had to leave. I walked him to the door, where we said our goodbyes.
“Hey, I’ll see you at the house party right?” I asked rhetorically.
“Truly? Hannah said you wouldn’t want me there.” He responded, looking somewhat ashamed.
I laughed and said: “I’ll see you then.”
I watched him descend the steps which led up to my door and looked on happily as he smiled to himself as he followed back the footprints which he had left in the snow. I don’t know what befell me, but I could not help but smile. I was overcome by this strange sense of joy which followed me as I readied myself for the day. I was just about to leave for the village, when I gazed upon my rapier which still hung against the wall. Until today I had never left without it, as I had had reason to fear an attack, but today I felt not the need to defend myself or others with my sword. I instead opted to place my dagger in its holder and leave the rapier hanging on the wall. In normal circumstances I would not have even dreamed of leaving without it, but something was new; Something was different.
Theo was right. The weather was significantly colder than it had been just yesterday. Unfortunately, I had no coat with me, so I set off to find tailor within the village. As I approached the city square, I noticed that somewhere a guitar player had begun performing. It was a familiar tune. The notes to the song appeared in my mind as I followed along to the player plucking the accompanying chords. I stood there in tranquillity, unable to help but smile at the calm music. I peeked over the side of the man’s music stand to read the title of the piece. “Cafe 1930“. A peculiar name, but a familiar one. As she finished the sombre melody, the crowd which had slowly gathered around the musician erupted into applause. Though it was a decent performance, there was no doubt about it, I could not help but feel as though the crowd’s reaction was slightly over the top. It appeared as though they were devoid of music within this town. The crowd soon dissipated, and I turned to the guitar player to my left, who was now packing away her instrument in a black case. I noticed a small violin lying next to the guitar, untouched.
“Excuse me, do you mind if I try out your violin for a moment?” I asked the man cautiously.
“Oh. Yes, of course.” She replied, grinning.
I picked up the instrument, considering its wonderfully crafted nature, before lifting it up to my neck. I was about to place the horse hair bow onto the strings, when I heard a gut wrenching scream from down the road.
“OOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOONNNNN“
I grabbed for my dagger, but soon realized it was only Carmen, as I should have expected. I was tackled to the ground by the small child, who was enthusiastically panting.
“ORION THAT LOOKS SO COOL! YOU PLAY MUSIC? WHAT INSTRUMENT IS THAT? IS THAT A FUTE? MY DAD SAYS FLUTES ARE COOL! BUT HIS FLUTES ARE ALL LONG AND HAVE WEIRD HOLES. CAN I TRY YOUR COOL WIDE FLUTE WITH STRINGS????“ Carmen belted.
They were such an enthusiastic child; it truly shouldn’t have surprised me that they would show interest in everything they came across. I heard the guitar player laugh as I scrambled back to my feet, which seemed to amuse Carmen.
“She seems to have taken a liking to you.” The guitar player said with a smile across her face.
“That she has.” I responded, trying to pull the grass from my hair.
Carmen grabbed onto the sleeve of my shirt, and refused to let go, though she could barely reach it.
“I’m Holly by the way.” The guitar player said.
“Orion.” I responded politely, reaching my hand out as a greeting. The guitar player chuckled somewhat, but shook my hand none the less as not to be rude.
“Anyways, you’re new here right?” Holly inquired. “I saw you the other day while you were walking through the town. I hear you gave Genevieve quite a scare too.”
“Yes. I was then still unaware of how death works here .” I retorted. “It’s not something commonly known.”
“You get used to it.” Holly brushed off.
I looked towards her and, perhaps out of curiosity, perhaps out of confusion, tried to figure out whether or not she had past the aging barrier set all those years ago.
“I can lend you some books on it if you like. It might help explain some things.” She offered. “I know it can be difficult to get used to this town. It certainly took me ages.”
“You’re not from here?” I asked.
“Oh Gods, no. I’m from the Empire’s capital, just like you.” She explained. How had she known that?
“How did you-”
“Your brooch. It’s the military’s coat of arms, right?”
“Oh, I suppose I forgot to take that off.”
“Nono, it’s quite all right. I haven’t seen anything like it in ages. I was just a Cadet, so I usually only saw the bronze ones, nothing like this.”
She was right in noticing that mine was quite different than that of the Cadettes. It was a gilded metal decorated with jewel shards. In the centre of it lay the coat of arms, who’s details were raised to create the illusion of depth. It depicted two broadswords crossed in the centre with an olive leaf crown encircling the depiction. It was beautiful, but the many tricks I had learned to remove bloodstains from it tainted my admiration.
“What rank we’re you?” Holly asked, looking up from the brooch to meet my eyes.
“I was a Commander.” I responded solemnly.
“Oh. I see.”
Holly seemed to be new to the province as well, judging by her knowledge on the current state of the Empire. We spoke for a while about our previous life in the Empire, and I was able to estimate that Holly had likely left for this province around five years ago. It was a strange conversation to have. While I was in the army, I had often been taught that those of lower ranks were lesser than us; That we should look down upon them. Yet here I was, standing before someone of the lowest rank, having a normal conversation.
She spoke of her reason for leaving the Empire, which was a tragic yet all too familiar tale. She had fallen in love with another Cadet. The army had banned many expressions of individuality and freedom, but none more than love. Because of this, she and her lover, whom she referred to as Theophania, were forced to flee the Empire.
“I think you two would get along quite well.” She claimed. “You seem to have the same passion as she.”
“How so?” I inquired. To this I received no response. Holly merely looked down and smiled.
“It was nice meeting you, Orion.” She said, before grabbing her guitar case and leaving. I thought on what Holly had meant for a moment, but unfortunately when Carmen was around, there was not much time to ponder.
“ORION I WANT TO FIGHT BUT MY BROTHER WON’T TEACH ME, WILL YOU TEACH ME????” She “asked”. I tried to explain to her that it was far too dangerous for someone of their age to attempt to use a sword, siting all possible injuries she could sustain from it.
“Okay so I’ll use a not real sword then!” She adamantly argued. Reluctantly, I told them to wait for me at the field where I had met them at near the woods, which she excitedly did.

After grabbing a dulled down sword from my house, I began to head in the direction of the field. As I trotted through the roads, I noticed that the village was unusually crowded on this day. It seemed as though every person in the village was out running errands, speaking with friends, walking pets. I took notice of one person who was hanging a flowery wreath upon every door they came across. Upon further inspection, I recognized this mysterious person as Theo. He himself was wearing a flower crown of similar nature. Before passing by him, I waved to him.
“I like your flower crown. It looks good on you.” I told him. He smiled and thanked my somewhat nervously.
As I approached the forest, I felt something, or perhaps I heard something. I could not see it, and I was only half certain I had not imagined it, but it nonetheless unsettled me. I stopped in my tracks as I scanned my peripheral vision for any sight of what had caused this strange sense that something was wrong. The tension was thick, but alas, I saw nothing, so I warily continued. With every step I looked to the side to find what I believed to be following me. That was when I felt it.
A sharp jab to the side tore me from my focus as I grabbed for my rapier. I looked around in all directions, yet I found no one. I now hastily continued down the path, keeping my rapier drawn and at the ready as a precaution. Just as I could see the field not far ahead, it appeared once more. A mysterious force threw me to the ground as I moved my sword in front of myself, yet again there was no one there. I urgently sprinted towards where Carmen was waiting, ignoring all else.
“Orion! Can we start now?!?” Carmen happily asked, oblivious to what danger was undoubtedly close to us.
“Not now, we have to go.” I responded.
“But-”
“Now.” I said once more. “I need you to go to the village right now, okay? Just find people.”
Carmen pouted, but begrudgingly nodded and started to make her way towards the village, though she was clearly still annoyed that we could not commence our training. I turned around and this time saw footprints in the dirt. I knelt down to inspect them, tracing the indents with my right hand. It seemed as though the prints stopped right in front of me, but there was no sign of what or who had made them.
“Well, you truly care for that child, don’t you.” A voice rung out. I couldn’t place it, but I knew the voice. I knew that gods damned voice. I turned around to see before of me a man dressed in a grey cloak hanging over a dark shirt with olive green slacks and a brown belt tied around his waist and hung from his shoulder to the bottom of his chest. His hood was hanging behind his head, showing his face. He had striking grey eyes which, along with his devilish grin, seemed to see right through me.
“Such a shame it has to end like this, but I can’t help you now.” The man said.
“Identify yourself.” I ordered, to which the man chuckled.
“Do you truly not remember me? Well, that’s just sad.” He stated.
With what seemed to be a thousand voices, he muttered.
“Now draw your gods damned weapon Orion Montiér.”
Those words pierced through my thoughts as easily as a sword through flesh. How could he know my name? Who was he even? Without much hesitation, the man launched himself at me, our swords meeting and beginning a bloody dance. Blades flashed as I began to push the man back, but he was matching my every hit. I thrust my rapier forwards, but the man dodged fluidly before swinging his sword in an arc that would have taken my life had I not ducked at just the right moment. I felt the breeze from the blade pass over me, but I had no time to recover. From there, the man launched his offensive, striking from above, but I managed to just barely throw my wrist up to catch the blow with my wrist guards. I dug my heels into the ground and jumped out of the way, causing the man to stumble forwards. I’d hoped that he would fall and I would be able to end this matter once and for all, but instead, the man swung again, our blades meeting with a violent crash.
“I do not know who you are, but I do not wish to fight you.” I spoke as the man pushed his blade against mine.
“It’s not like I’m yearning to kill you either, but you brought this upon yourself.” He retaliated.
Over the clatter of metal, I could just barely make out the sound of footsteps quickly approaching. At first few, then many. Out of my peripheral vision I saw a crowd of at least a dozen people the field, led on by none other than Carmen themself. They quickly surrounded the area, keeping a precautionary distance from the fight. I heard someone… Adrian perhaps? He yelled out something, though I did not quite hear it. By the time I returned my focus to the enemy in front of me, there was a sword flying towards me from my right. I quickly slid to the left, causing my opponent to stumble for just a moment, though this was a short-lived victory. He turned around to face me once more with what must have been superhuman speed. His attacks grew more aggressive, and his smug expression turned to a frustrated one tainted with something similar to regret. His advances soon caused me to fall to the ground, dropping my sword just out of reach.
“I truly am sorry about this. I guess they changed you.” The man said, as he pulled his blade back before crashing it down upon me. I placed my arm out in front of myself to brace for the killing blow.

But it never came.

I opened my eyes to see in front of me the shocked expression of my opponent, who was slowly and cautiously backing away. I turned to the side and saw the village people equally as fearful and cautious. Only then did I see why I was still alive. Clenched in my hand a circular shield like any other with one key exception; This shield was translucent and was coloured with a red tinge unlike any other. It seemed to have manifested itself spontaneously, yet I had no idea how this had happened. I opened my hand as I scrambled to my knees, the impossible shield falling to the ground and shattering into a thousand pieces before disappearing entirely. I stared wide eyed at where the manifestation had fallen just moments before.
“That’s impossible…” I whispered, not moving my eyes from the ground.
“Allinari!” Someone from the crowd shouted, pointing in my direction.
The crowd began to erupt into shouting.
“Kill them!”
“Get away!”
“Get out of here you monster!”
I understood their anger about as much as I understood anything that had just occurred; Not at all. All I understood in that moment was that a fearful and furious crowd was encircling me, and they did not have the best of intentions. I backed up warily, trying to explain that I didn’t know what had happen, but to no avail. I picked up my rapier and was about to reluctantly fight my way through the crowd, but then, I saw something. Someone. From the back of the crowd, a young man began to desperately push his way through. It was Theo. Theo? He ran with an expression on his face that told me he knew something I did not. He was soon beside me, placing his right hand on my shoulder and using his left to hold my right hand.
“We need to go. Now.” He whispered, and that we did. Without warning, the grassy plains and crowds of people disappeared and were replaced by white void, the only indicator that I had not died being Theo’s hand still clenching mine. Before long I felt ground beneath my feet once more. I looked around and saw that we were in a different place. We were on the overhang of a cliff filled with brightly coloured flowers and small trees. Looking over the cliff, I saw nothing but beautiful hills painted by the vibrance of the flora which spanned as far the eye could see.
“How did you…” I began to ask, but did not finish.
“That was a bit too close a call for my taste.” Theo exclaimed as he walked towards the edge of the cliff, sitting down and letting his legs dangle over the abyss.
“What did you just do?” I quietly asked, still in shock.
“Seriously? No one’s explained this to you yet?” Theo inquired, half annoyed, half confused.
“What?“ I asked, sitting down next to him on the overhang. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I assume you already know of the curse. People usually find out about that relatively soon.”
“Of course.”
“Well… how do I explain this… it doesn’t affect everyone the same way.”
“How so?“
Theo sighed and smiled into the distance.
“You see, most people when they are born or otherwise enter this province are cursed only by immortality. Nothing else.”
“And the rest?“
“Well, some people have an… unwanted side effect.”
“I see.”
“Some people develop abilities thought impossible, such as teleportation in my case.”
“Are there others?”
“Of course. Hundreds.”
“Why wasn’t I told of this before? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Well, as you may have noticed, the people here don’t take too kindly to people like us.”
I went silent for a moment. If I had been told this only a few months ago, I wouldn’t have believed a word of it. But now, with immortality and invisible provinces, I was far more willing to accept it. My entire world view was being torn apart at the seams and I could do nothing but watch as it frayed more and more. Logic had no meaning anymore; It was but a fool’s attempt to rationalize the irrational.
“What’s it like to die?” I eventually asked.
“What do you mean?” Theo responded, quite confused by the question.
“What’s it like? How does it feel? What do you see?”
“Well… I don’t truly think I can describe it. It’s not painful. It’s more of a lack of everything. It’s like you just disappear for a bit and then wake up. Sometimes you’re gone for longer, sometimes you wake up somewhere completely different, sometimes it’s near instant.”
This answer did not truly satisfy my curiosity, but I could not have asked for more. Unless…
“I mean, I can show you if you like.” Theo offered.
“I’m sorry?”
“I can show you what it’s like to die.”
He was clearly unaware of how odd the offer seemed to anyone who had not spent their whole life within this strange province. Despite this, I agreed to it, as my interest was too overwhelming to ignore. At Theo’s request, we stepped closer into the field, far from the cliff. I placed my rapier and dagger neatly in the field, not wanting for them to be damaged. Theo assured me it would not hurt horribly, though I barely believed him. I had been nearly fatally injured before, but I could assume this was an infinitely worse experience. He drew his sword from its sheath and held it in his right hand. Though all my instincts told me to run, I managed to resist the urge. Theo placed his left arm out to support me once I fell, which was both frightening, and comforting. I knew that to him the offer to kill someone to satisfy their curiosity seemed normal, however I was still completely terrified by the idea of it. He began counting down from five, and on two I felt the cold piercing of metal through my back. It was a feeling like no other. I gasped for air, but never breathed. I soon felt myself falling to the ground, slowed only by Theo’s left arm holding me against him and slowly lowering me to the ground. It did not take long for me to lose sight of the world. It all began fading away as a colour indescribably beautiful appeared. It was the darkest black there was, yet it still contained every colour imaginable and even those not. The plane which formed around me was endless and formless.
“You cannot stay here.” I heard a voice warn.
“I…”
Before I could answer, I found myself in another plane, this one familiar. It was a bustling city state filled with simple townsfolk and patrolling soldiers. I gazed upon the twisting stone paths upon which shepherds led their animals to gods know where. It was home. It was the Empire.
“Orion?” I heard a voice say. "Orion is everything alright?”
I turned and saw her… Evalina.
“Orion are you alright?” She asked once more.
“Yes. Yes, it’s fine.” I answered.
“Good, I was worried there for a moment.” She responded, her voice ringing out like a bell. “Well, come inside already will you. You’ll freeze do death out here, I swear.”
I happily did.
“I’ve missed you.” She mentioned softly. “You’ve spent so much time on watch duty recently. I’ve hardly gotten a chance to see you.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
Evalina went to the kitchen, bringing back the tea kettle and pouring it into two porcelain mugs, one of which she placed before me. She took a sip of it and looked to me, smiling as she so loved to.
“Has James responded to my request yet?” She asked curiously. “I truly hope he does. It’s been almost unbearable, I swear.”
“Not yet. He said he doesn’t know if it would make it through the court. He claims it’s too liberal to ever even be considered.” I answered, without looking up from the tea.
“Bullsh*t.”  Evalina mumbled, which shocked me, as she rarely swore. “He just doesn’t want any reforms to be made.”
“I know. I wish I could do something more.”
“You’re doing all you can my love, I know that.”
“Maybe if we’d followed through on William’s plan-”
“That was the right call and you know it.”
We paused for a moment, leaving the room silent. William’s plot to overthrow the Emperor was always a point of contention between the two of us. I took a sip of the tea, and looked at it intensely. Why was there no trace of colour in the water?
“Is something wrong?” Evalina asked me.
I observed the cup itself and noticed there was no pattern or colour to that either. I looked up and to the left out the window; There was snow outside. It was winter. William hadn’t proposed his plan yet.
“Orion?”
I looked back to the transparent tea, and, when purposefully turned over the cup which had near no shape, the liquid did not leave the cup, instead staying trapped in it.
“You’re not real.” I said, looking up from my tea cup.
“What do you mean?” Evalina said, seemingly confused.
“You’re not truly here. I’m not truly here.”
“…”
“I can’t be here.” I said.
“You want me to be real.” She claimed.
“I do. But… you aren’t.”
Evaline smiled.
“You knew no one could respond to it, didn’t you.”
“What?”
“That letter you wrote for me. It was beautiful. But you knew it would never arrive. You knew I couldn’t respond.”
“I did.”
“And why is that.”
…
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to say it. “Death” was a word my lips no longer knew the shape of. “Gone” a word too distant to speak.
“They were quick if it helps.”
“I shouldn’t have left you. I should never have left you to be killed.”
“You did what you had to do.”
I did not respond to this. I could not speak a single word, not that it would have mattered if I could.
“Now it’s time for you to go. You can’t leave him waiting for too long. He’ll get worried.”
I nodded and, before leaving, I heard her say one last thing.
“Orion!“ She shouted. “Don’t wait too long to tell him, please.”
“What?”
With those last words, she faded into nothingness as the entire world dissipated, leaving only the impossibly black colour which itself soon melted away as I opened my eyes.
I awoke on the ground, lying surrounded by red poppies.
“Orion!2 I heard Theo yell. He sounded worried. Why was he worried? As my eyes adjusted to the light once more, I noticed that night had long fallen.
“Orion, I’m so sorry, I don’t know what happened, it shouldn’t have taken that long.” He explained. I looked up to him and saw that he was nearly in tears. His face was red. Had he been crying? Why had he been crying?
“Gods, I’ve got a wicked headache. How long was I out for?” I asked as I sat up on the grass.
“It must’ve been around 5 hours.” Theo claimed. “I was so worried. I thought… I thought it went wrong.”
I cracked a smile. I was glad to see Theo’s face once more, no matter how little I could ignore the familiar look of concern in his eyes. I wrapped my arms tightly around Theo. It was not something I would usually do, but his eyes showed how much he needed it. He was tense for a moment, then loosened.
“Who did you see?” Theo eventually asked.
“Pardon?”
“It was your first time. Every time someone first dies, they see someone they’ve lost. Who did you see?”
“Oh… I…” I stuttered. “I saw my lover, Evalina.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. I’m glad she’s at peace now, no longer paying for my mistakes.”
We spoke for a while under the night sky, which is where I learned that Theo had escaped the death sentence during his ventures into the Empire several times. He had been imprisoned for the illegal distribution of grain to peasants, and was sentenced to hang, but had simply teleported away whilst no guards were watching. Hearing his story, I realized that I had heard of such an escapee. Stories of an undocumented teenager leaving sacks of allegedly stolen goods at the door steps of the poor before disappearing without a trace. It had caused quite the stir in the Empire, as people questioned the royal guard’s ability to properly do their job. I was impressed by this, which Theo seemed to be happy about. Conversation with him was easy. There was no tension or fear, it was simply comfortable. I would have stayed sitting in that spot underneath the sky forever if only he had kept talking. Gods only know that in that moment I would have done anything for Theo.

At some point we must have fallen asleep, as I awoke the following morning and saw Theo walking around in the field, picking flowers which he expertly wove into a crown.
“Oh, good morning!” He smiled as he noticed me.
“Good morning.” I replied, walking over to him to watch his craftsmanship.
“Do you make all of your wreaths here?” I asked as he plucked a daffodil to weave into the crown.
“I do. I find it more peaceful than anywhere else.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, where are we?”
“We’re just outside of the province. Walk a bit to the north, follow the river through the forest, climb the mountain, and you’re here.”
He knelt down and picked a bouquet of rhododendrons from the grass.
“There. That looks about right. What do you think?” He asked me as he proudly displayed his work.
“It’s beautiful.” I answered, at a loss for words. It was far from beautiful. It was the most entrancing work of art I had ever seen.
“Thank you! I have to make a new one every other day since the flowers don’t last too long.”
“Understandable.”
He took off the wreath of marigolds which he had been wearing and placed the rhododendron and daffodil crown upon his head.
“Are you ready?” Theo asked, looking to me.
“Yes, I believe so.” I responded. I was smiling. I could not remember the last time I had smiled like this.
Theo placed one hand on my shoulder, and the other one in my hand, just as he had done to bring the both of us here. I felt the same strange feeling of flying for just a moment as we began to reappear in the village square. Some people stopped to gaze judgementally at us, though most merely ignored us. As we stood up from the grass, Theo walked in front of me and pulled something from a pocket.
“Here.” He said. “You should have this.”
He handed me a brooch made of what seemed to be copper and gold. It depicted nothing but a simple coat of arms with a vertical stripe through the centre.
“It’s to identify other Allinaries.” He claimed. “Only the other Allinari and supporters know about them. That way you’ll know who you can tell about it.”
This symbol, however simple it may have seemed to others, was to me a true testament to how much Theo trusted me. I thought back and realized I had seen the pin several times before. Hannah had been wearing one of these brooches when we first met. Theo had had on a necklace this whole time. I wondered if I had met anyone else who wore such a pin without noticing.
“Here, let me help you.” Theo offered. He pinned the brooch just left of the Empire’s which I still wore, though far less proudly than I used to. He smiled as he did so, clearly happy to be able to give someone else the pin. Once he had finished placing the pin on my cream white button-down shirt, I placed my hands in his and let them hang down in between us. I smiled at him, and he returned it.
“Theo I…” I began to say, before being quite rudely interrupted by the sound of someone shouting. Without a second thought, Theo and I looked in the direction of the scream, though, as I grabbed my rapier, I noticed that there was no one in sight. I felt as though something was wrong, however, before I could share these concerns with Theo, he had already begun to run in the direction of the scream. I shouted after him to stop, but to no avail. With no other option, I cautiously followed him into the cluster of houses where the scream had come from. As we slowed our paces, I raised my rapier into a defensive position in anticipation of an attack. Theo shouted into the empty streets, asking the person who had screamed where they were, but the only response we received was a cloaked figure emerging from between two houses. It was a trap.
“Theo run!” I shouted, pushing myself in front of him, sword drawn.
Alas, we were too late in our realization. Theo grabbed his longsword, not wanting to leave my side, however much I pled with him to run. Before my eyes, the silhouette of a person appeared for a split second before vanishing. I heard Theo scream from behind me. As I was about to turn around to help him, I suddenly felt the cold metal of a knife pressed against my throat, as the voice of a man told me to drop my sword, which I promptly did. I saw Theo try to divert the man, but unfortunately, he was forced to drop his weapon in the same way by another figure. We were forced to our knees by these unknown people and had our hands tied together with rope. The two people placed fabric over our mouths and pulled us to our feet once more, demanding we comply without attempting to run or scream.
They dragged us along a vastly undeveloped path which seemed to lead into nowhere. Several times I attempted to lock eyes with Theo, though when I glanced over towards him, he seemed so deep in thought and fear that nothing could break his focus. As we continued down the path and into the nearby forest, it became glaringly apparent that our return was not likely. Realizing this, I stopped dead in my tracks, forcing the person behind me to stumble, though unfortunately not to let go of me. I strained against the person’s grip, but to no avail. With a swift hilt to the side from the attacker, my one and only attempt to escape was quickly failed. Soon enough, we came to what appeared to be our destination. It was a door which opened into a hill, hollowed out and built up to be a home. The door appeared old and warped, with metal doorknobs which barely worked. We were dragged inside of the house where I noticed it’s emptiness. There were chairs and tables, but nothing else. In the corner of the room, I saw a fireplace which burned with a bright yellow and red flame. Theo and I were placed next to what appeared to be a pipe of some sort and were tied to it with the same rope which bound our hands. I did not see who the men were, as they wore brown cloaks to cover their identity.
“You know, it’s a shame.” One of the men said. “You truly seemed like a good person, Orion.”
I knew him.
I knew his voice.
Who was it?
Gods why can’t I remember?
“And you Theo, hiding that for all this time? My, that must have been difficult. Such a shame it all lead to nothing.”
I looked to Theo, who seemed petrified with fear. He tried to shift from his restraints, but was unable.
“Oh Theo, you know that won’t work.” The same man said as he approached him. He placed his gloved finger on Theo’s chin and tilted it upward towards his. I tried to scream through the fabric which covered my mouth but could not. I tried to yell for him to leave Theo alone, for someone to help, for the man to unmask himself, but I was unable.
“Oh, we’ve been looking for you for quite some time you know.” The man continued. “The great leader of the outcasts, the one who represents the unrepresented. How pitiful it all seems now.”
Theo was shaking, pressing himself against the wooden wall as though he may just slip into it, never to be seen again. Gods, why couldn’t I do anything? Why couldn’t I help him? I shifted my torso slightly and reached out my leg and kicked the man in his shin. He now turned towards me.
“You know what you prick,” He began to loudly say. “maybe I should’ve just killed you where you stood. I’ve had many chances, you know.”
He began to draw his sword, but was interrupted by the other man, who cleared his throat, suggesting that they were wasting time. Reluctantly, he placed his sword back and turned towards the fireplace. He grabbed a stick and briefly held it in the fire, before turning back to us.
“Have fun.” He grinned, before dropping the stick and leaving the house along with the other unidentified person. With them having left, I began to take in my surroundings. It was made near entirely of different woods, with only the ceiling being built from what looked to be stone. The pipe we had been chained to was old and rusted, which I saw as an escape possibility. I was soon able to hook the fabric which covered my mouth on a nail which protruded from the pipe. With a strong pull I tore the fabric in two, allowing me to speak once more.
“Theo. Theo are you okay?” I asked, but he did not respond.
“We’re gonna get out of here.” I claimed, though I could already smell the fumes from the spreading fire. I carefully pulled my dagger from the back of my belt, making sure not to drop it.
“Just try to stay calm, I’ll get us out of here.” I said as I began to slice through the rope.
The fire had begun to fill the room, creating intense heat which singed the tips of my hair. The dagger which I held nearly burned my hands as I continued to vigorously cut at the rope. Finally, the cord split, and I was able to make my way over to Theo, who had begun to lose consciousness. I swiftly began cutting through his rope, though I could feel the fire beginning to scorch my clothes. Once I had split the rope, I placed Theo’s arm over my back, supporting him enough for us to make our way out of the room.
The door.
Oh gods no.
The door was locked.
I kicked against it as hard as possible, but it barely moved.
“Gods damnit, open you hunk of wood.”
I am unaware as to if I said these words out loud, or if they remained as thoughts in my head, but it did not matter. No one was listening anyways.
With nothing left to do, and the oxygen in my body quickly depleting, I fell to the floor and placed my arms around Theo as the fire began to envelope the room. What a cruel death I thought as I began to lose consciousness. As the world began to fade away, I heard a voice, then a noise as the door beside me was kicked down. A figure which I could barely make out in the smoke grabbed the two of us and dragged us out of the burning house. It must have been mere minutes, but it felt like hours as I sat, propped against a hill, slowly breathing in and out. Eventually, I managed to discern the two figures who had saved both mine and Theo’s life. One of the two was a familiar face; Hannah. She seemed terrified, scared for both of our lives.
“Orion?” She nearly cried. “Orion can you heard me? Blink twice if you can hear me.”
I turned my head to look her in the eyes and blinked twice, barely able to do even that. Hannah seemed overjoyed at the fact that I was alive. She turned away and shouted for someone.
“Adel! Adel, they’re alive!” She shouted. I followed her gaze and saw someone wearing a black button-down shirt with a red sash around her waist standing next to Theo. Remarkably, he seemed to be completely fine aside from his scorched clothes. He was even able to run over after hearing Hannah’s call.
The strange person who Hannah had identified as “Adel” placed her hand on my head and closed her eyes.
Must be another one of the “outcasts”  I thought. A strange orange and red mist began to appear from where the person had placed her hand. Soon, as the colour faded, I felt a surge of strength pulse throughout my body, as I leaned forward and coughed out what seemed to be soot. Theo, who was nervously pacing behind the strange woman, quickly rushed forward to embrace me.
“I thought you were gone.” He said. “I thought you wouldn’t come back, gods I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have let that happen.”
“It’s alright.” I responded. “It wasn’t your fault after all.”
I smiled at Theo which seemed to calm him. He truly had feared for my life quite a bit, which confused me. Looking up at the sky, I noticed and pointed out the large grey clouds looming overhead. They seemed to be encircling the area, preparing to rain down upon us. Adel, who’s name I soon found out was in fact Adeline, offered to take us back to her house to avoid the incoming storm. With Theo insisting on staying close by my side, we began to walk back to the village through the winding and now cold forest road.
We trotted through the empty streets, completely silent. It was oddly calming to see the usually crowded city square abandoned. As individual raindrops began to fall from the sky onto my head, I considered what I was to do. I had come to this province to escape tribalism and hatred, yet here I stood, having nearly died multiple times because of it. I had found not an oasis of peace, but merely a different version of my troubles. I wondered if it would be best for me to simply leave this town and move onwards until I found refuge in another country, dangers be damned. No, the likelihood of my being recaptured and tried as a traitor was too great. There was not a chance I would make it out of the Empire alive. Seeking perfection we will always come up short, and this town may be the closest I can get to perfection.
“Are you alright?” Adeline suddenly asked. The question took me by surprise, as it was not one I had heard often. I nodded, but she continued to seem concerned for me.
“Come on, you almost died there, and you’ve probably never died before. There’s no chance you’re just okay.” She pressed on.
“What does it matter to you?” I sneered, quite uncomfortable with the question.
“Wow, you really are new here. People still don’t tend to give a sh*t about others around them in the Empire, do they?”
“Not commonly.”
“You remind me of someone I knew back when I was still in the Empire.” She stated, a smile creeping onto her face. “You’ve got the same taciturn deminer. I swear, the kid there never spoke. I hope they had an okay life.”
“Interesting.”
“I bet you’re not like that though. You don’t seem as stuck up as a lot of those people. They must’ve put you through hell for keeping your morals, ey?”
“Odd, you remind me of someone I knew once as well.”
“How so?”
“You don’t know when to shut the hell up.”
Nora seemed upset at this comment, quieting down somewhat after that. I did not mean to hurt her feelings, but sometimes it cannot be avoided.
We soon reached the house which Adeline claimed to be hers. It was a modest house to say the least; Likely one of the smallest I had ever seen. It was not connected to the main village in any way, completely isolated. It was a small cottage in the middle of a field of blue and yellow flowers, clearly well kept. A river flowed beside the house which was seemingly the only ways she had of knowing where the village was. Adeline happily led us inside, where an oil lamp burned, giving the room a comfortable orange warmth. A yellow knitted carpet lay in the centre of the room, which was covered in dog hairs. The front wall consisted mostly of windows to allow a view of the vegetable garden where I saw a dog laying.
“Charlie! Are you home?” Adeline shouted through the house as she walked in. Soon, a short figure emerged from a nearby door which I had not noticed. They wore a yellow sweater, and jeans overalls which were held together with aluminium buttons. The person, whom Adeline had identified as Charlie, was covered in dirt and grass from head to toe. They had dark brown, curly hair which fell over their ears in a bob cut.
“Hi, yes, I’m here.” Charlie stated as they brushed the dirt from their overalls. “Oh, guests! Hi Theo, Hannah.”
As I heard their voice, I froze for a moment. I knew them. The person who stood before me was not merely some commoner, but the daughter of the Emperor; Charlie Feyre.
“Oh, and you must be Orion! Theo’s been speaking of you for quite some time.” They said with a smile, seemingly oblivious to the state of shock I was in.
“I… you’re Charlie Feyre, aren’t you?” I stuttered as I regained focus.
“Well yes, I suppose so.” They agreed. “But how did you know my surname?”
I was prepared to ask hundreds of questions, but Theo interrupted me before I could even begin, happily answering Charlie Feyre’s question for me.
“Orion here used to work as a Commander in the royal army. You may have met them before.” He cheerfully explained, taking pride in my title
“Ohh, you’re that Orion then.” Charlie exclaimed. “Yes, I do remember you, Orion Montiér, right?”
“Yes, that’s…” I mumbled, “They said that you had died. They said you were killed by rebels. How are you here?”
“Well, you know why they’re like there. They do tend to fabricate such stories to preserve the family name.” Charlie said as they made their way to the windowsill where they deposited a flowerpot containing a single blue cornflower.
“Of course.” I responded.
Nora soon began explaining to Charlie what had occurred, recounting the near-death experiences both Theo and I had endured at the hands of those unknown assailants.
“Oh dear, another attack? That must be the fourth one this week, I swear.” Charlie unhappily commented. “Truly, someone had ought to do something about those.”
“We’d never get the support, you know that.” Hannah interjected, sitting down on a purple cushion lying on the floor. “They’ve killed hundreds. It’s not like as soon as a few insignificant Allinaries take a stand they’ll behave kindly.”
“We’ve tried before, it all went up in flames. Figuratively and literally.” Theo added.
“But it almost worked!” Charlie mentioned.
“Yes, before dozens of people lost their lives!” Adeline retaliated.
“I know, I’m sorry that happened to them.” Charlie continued to argue. “But we could have just-”
“What we need is more people.” Hannah commented.
“Let’s just leave this topic alone. It’s not like it’s getting us anywhere.” Theo stated, taking a seat on the floor next to the others, in which I soon joined him.
“We can’t leave this topic Theo, it’s too important!” Charlie shot back.
“What’s important is staying alive. We both know about the-” Hannah began but was cut off.
“There’s no way that can happen. It’s just a rumour.” Adeline sternly said.
I wondered what they meant, but it did not seem like the right moment to ask. Their abrupt change in tone seemed to indicate that.
“It could still happen! Just because there’s no proof as to what causes it doesn’t mean it’s not real!” Theo argued.
“Don’t talk to me about what can and can’t happen. I would know!” Adeline yelled.
“You don’t know! You don’t know everything. If it weren’t for Charlie’s research, you and gods only know how many other people would be dead!” Theo shouted at Adeline.
“Guys please calm down.” Charlie asked, though they were ignored.
“Forget it. Thanks for helping us, Adeline, but I’m leaving.” Theo stated as he walked towards the door. I considered following him, but soon realised it would be disrespectful of me to leave the people who saved my life.
“I’m sorry you had to see that, Orion.” Charlie calmly said as Adeline stormed out of the house as well. “They don’t mean to hurt each other, truly. They just…”
“They just don’t know when to stop.” I finished for them.
“I suppose so.” Charlie agreed.
“How did you… how are you alive?” I somewhat ignorantly asked.
“Do you remember the spring festival.”
“Of course. Hundreds were executed. It was a bloodbath. So many people were killed there.”
Many at my own hands.
“I took the chaos as my opportunity to flee. I ran to the nearest train in disguise and travelled as far as I could.”
“I see.”
“I know I should have stayed and fought, but I was young, naïve, and scared.”
“I understand.”
Charlie Feyre had likely only been around twelve years old when the spring festival happened. It was a massacre. Revolutionaries attacking during a festival and the royal guard fighting back as hard. I had been caught in the crossfire, known by the revolutionaries as one of them, and by the royal guard as the same. I had been forced to kill many of my own that day, and I would never forget it. At my long silence, Charlie decided to change the topic, offering to take me to their library. I gladly accepted, curious to see what sort of books would be available in this isolated province.
“Please do forgive me if this is invasive,” I began to ask as we walked towards where the library assumedly lay. “but are you also… different?”
“You mean if I’m an Allinari? Well, yes, I am.” Charlie answered.
“Is that what they call us? Allinari?”
“Yes, that is what most people use to refer to us as.”
“And what exactly…”
“Soul reading.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I can sense a person’s thoughts in a way. It’s similar to smelling scents. You can tell if something smells good or bad, but you can’t immediately say why.”
“Interesting.” I replied. “You’ve had a lot of time to think of how to explain it, haven’t you.”
“Yes, yes I have.”
“Is that why you trusted me so easily?”
“In part. Though, I also doubted Theo would be foolish enough to fall allow someone whom he did not trust to come here. When you arrived here and I was able to see the colour of your thoughts, it only strengthened my belief that you do not intend to cause harm to myself or anyone else for that matter.”
Charlie opened a large door which led to a spiral staircase, descending into darkness. They struck a match and lit a lantern which they carried with them down the stairs which wound around a solid stone column. The halls were dark, but the light of the lantern lit up the barren walls enough to see a few metres ahead of our eyes. As we approached the end of the winding staircase, I placed my foot on a clay floor which had been stained grey. The walls were filled to the brim with bookshelves holding countless pieces of literature. Where there weren’t books, there lay scrolls of parchment. Where those were not, there were poems. The sheer amount of information in this room was astonishingly vast. I gazed through the decorated halls which were garnered in gilded floral trimming.
“This is the library.” Charlie said as they hung the lantern on a hook which stuck out from the wall.
“It’s incredible.” I responded, still in awe of the room.
“It’s old.” They said, seemingly indifferent to the beauty of the room we were in.
“I’ll be back in a moment. You may look around the shelves if you like.” They offered, which I happily did.
Charlie disappeared in the darkness of the hallways, and I perused the shelves of this great library. I found many books written by notable people I had heard of within the Empire. Works of fiction by David Likerbon, poems by Dolhun, factual works by Julius Franks, and the wonderfully hateful letters between Thomas Hearne and Alexander Pope. I picked up a particularly interesting book from one of the many shelves, which had no title, no author, and no cover art. It was a simple leather-bound book with pages marked noticeably by the years. I opened the book to the first page and read the text which had been handwritten in the centre of the page.
“Prosperity in Death” I read. “By… Eryn Laurent?” I had never heard of this author, which was strange to me. It must have been the only book in this entire library whose author I had not heard of. Not only that, but the title was also familiar to me either. Had this book been written from within the province? Suddenly I heard a voice ring out from the other side of the room.
“Ah, I see you’ve found that one already.” The voice said. It was Charlie Feyre, who had returned from wherever they had been. They had brought with them a book of dark green colour with silver embellishments, but upon seeing the open book in front of me, placed it to the side in favour of explaining the book I had in my hands.
“I wanted to show it to you at some point, but I figure we might as well do it now seeing as you’ve already found it.” They stated, taking the book from my hands and placing it on a table which stood in the middle of the room.
“Eryn Laurent was a sorceress from a few hundred years back. She decided that the predicament of this province was an interesting thing to look into.” Charlie explained. “Of course she couldn’t help herself, and she added on to the curse. She added a clause that would make death possible in one way and one way only, but no one’s quite sure what it is. Everyone has their theories of course, but there’s no proof of anything.”
“I see.” I responded, fascinated by this new piece of information. “What theories are there?”
“Too many too name, but some are more credible than others.” Charlie answered. “Nora believes that if they try to heal someone who has died the person will remain dead permanently. Theo firmly believes this spell is a hoax, nothing more than a work of fiction.” They continued. Well, that explained his willingness to show me what death was like, and his worry when it seemingly took longer than normal.
“I have my own theories of course.” Charlie added on, to which I inquired.
“I believe that one can only die at the hands of a friend.” They said.
I laughed, though I quickly regretted this.
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that theory has no leg to stand on.” I explained.
“How so?”
“If that were the case I would have already passed.”
“Oh?”
“Theo offered to show me what death was like at my request.” I elaborated. “Were your theory true, I would not be here listening to it.”
“Oh, I see. Good to know.” They awkwardly stuttered, clearly somewhat embarrassed.
We continued to look through the book, with them explaining the meaning of each line of text, and how they believed it tied back to the spell. Eventually we got to a page which was written in a strange language, which I identified as Pylgerian; A language with a unique writing system spoken by many people in the northern region of the Empire. Charlie asked if I would be able to translate it, as they had never learned to read or write Pylgerian despite being a noble themselves. I obliged, and began noting down the translation on a spare sheet of parchment. As we continued to read, more and more of the empirical script began to turn up, which I continued to translate and write down.
As it began to appear as though this translation would take more time than we had, Charlie offered to let me borrow the book to continue my translation, which I agreed to do. They walked back over to the stone wall where they had hung their copper lantern, and picked it from the hook to light up the staircase as we ascended them once more. Once we had remerged on the ground floor of Charlie and Adeline’s house, they bid me farewell, and asked that I give their regards to Theo, which I assured them I would do. As they closed the door behind me, I bid their mailbox goodbye as well, and followed the river which flowed not far from their house back towards the village. It was dark, but lanterns which were placed along the riverbank led me in the correct direction through the evening sky. I clutched the leather-bound book in my left hand as I passed through fields of flowers, flipping through the pages occasionally. It was a confusing text. It clearly stated that the author had added on to the curse by creating a single way to die, but it gave few hints as to what it was. Was this just the game of some witch, or was there more to this? As I continued to read through the anecdotes of this mysterious Eryn, I noticed a pattern in their writing; No matter what the sentence was composed of, one of the words would always be related to mourning. Distantly and obscurely, but still always relating back to it. I supposed the Author had created this spell out of grief or loneliness, but what did it mean? Could the repeated use of sadness as a motive be a clue? I did not know, but I was determined to find out. Suddenly, I felt not ground beneath my feet, but air. The river had at some point twisted in front of me without my noticing. I nearly fell headfirst into the river, were it not for a mysterious person who grabbed the back of my collar to keep me above the water’s surface.
“You should probably try not drowning to death.” The person said. “I hear it’s a lot more pleasant.”
I knew the voice, I had heard it before, I knew I had. I caught my balance and turned to face the person who stood behind me, who I instantly recognized. It was the man who had duelled me and who had somehow known my name.
“Y’alright there?” He asked, to which I nodded, dumbfounded. Why would he save me if he had wanted me dead? “Sorry about earlier, by the way. Lyre nearly killed me for it, if that makes it better. I thought you were out to get me.”
I took a single step back, still not fully trusting this man for obvious reasons. It was at this point that I noticed a small bronze pin on the odd man’s lapel. It was the emblem of the Allinaries and their allies.
“I noticed your shield. Sorry for not getting you out of that situation, but I still didn’t trust you at that point.”
“I see.” I responded.
“Can you manifest other things?”
“You’re just going right to the questions then, aren’t you?” I sarcastically asked. “No desire to comment on why you tried to kill me?”
“Well, that one’d be a bit difficult to explain.”
“The floor is yours.”
The man did not reply directly, simply placing both of his hands in his pockets and seemingly staring right through me for a moment before refocusing with a smile.
“Is something funny?” I asked him.
“Nothing, just… remembering.”
His response confused me somewhat, but his lack of visible weapons lead me to believe that he was not a threat to my safety.
“Anyways,” The strange man continued. “I’ve answered one of your questions, now you answer mine. Can you manifest other things besides the shield?”
I sighed defeatedly. It was like trying to reason with a petulant child.
“Most likely, but I haven’t tried.”
“Well go on then, make a sword for me why don’t you.”
I stared blankly at the man, making it quite clear that I would not “make a sword why don’t you”. The man laughed it off, but was clearly somewhat embarrassed.
“Well, I suppose it’s my turn to ask a question. So how do you know my name, and why did you want me dead?”
The man chuckled sadly to himself and began to answer my question.
“So you truly don’t remember me, do you?”
Never mind.
“No, I’m afraid I don’t.”
“That’s a shame. I know Evalina certainly would have.”
My breathing halted for a moment, his words ringing throughout my mind. I turned and glared at him with a look of terror, confusion and anger. How did he know her? How did he know her?
“What? I’m just saying that she’d remember me. I thought you would too, but I guess sometimes-”
Without missing a beat I drew my dagger and tackled him to the ground. I pinned him to the dirt and placed the knife to his neck
“Who the f*ck are you.” I solemnly asked.
“Hey hey hey, Orion relax.”
“Answer me!” I shouted.
“Just calm down, let’s talk this through, just-”
“ANSWER ME YOU INSUFFERABLE-”
“William!” He finally answered. I eased my hold on his neck, letting him sit up. He paused for just a moment.
“William Collins.” He finished. “We’ve been friends for ages.”
“Will…” I stuttered, shocked that my friend was not only alive, but here. “I thought you were dead.”
“I might as well have been.”
“…”
“You don’t have to-”
“Why did you try to kill me?” I finally asked.
“I…” William slowly said. “I saw your brooches, I thought you were still with the army. I thought you were sent to find me, to bring me back there.”
“I would never do that. I would’ve died before I gave you up.”
I looked down at my hands which had been seconds away from killing my oldest friend.
“I… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what I was doing…” I stuttered
“No, it’s not your fault. I shouldn’t have brought up Evalina.” Will responded. He was apologetic, far from the person who had tried to kill me on the battlefield. Will had always been impulsive and quick to judge, but him having almost killed me caused me to believe that something had changed him. He was not the same person whom I had befriended in my childhood and gone to war with side by side.
William placed his arm around me and assured me he was alright. I did not respond, but I was certain that at this point William was be used to my less than talkative attitude. We sat in silence together for a while, with the calm silence overlayed only by the sound of our breathing.
“I don’t live in the village.” He eventually mentioned. “I never trusted anyone here, so I just hid in the woods.”
Well, that explained why no one recognized him.
“But why wouldn’t you contact me?” I asked him, hoping for an answer which would satisfy the feeling of abandonment growing in my chest.
“You know as well as I that sending a letter would have been impossible.” He shot back. We were both bitter, but we cared for each other, whether we wanted to admit it or not.
“I’m not going to be around here for long.” He eventually added.
“What? Are you planning on going back to the Empire? That’s insane!” I retorted presumptuously.
“No. I know going to the Empire means death or worse, but I can’t be here for much longer.”
There was a long silence between us. We had been friends for longer than time itself, but still this rift between us would not be so easy to fix. One can break something in two seconds, but it can take forever to fix it. We may have had forever, but it seemed William had no intention of using this eternity.
“I understand.” I quietly responded as I gazed intensely at the grass.
I could tell William was concerned for me, as he always had been. He offered to walk me home as the sky was quite dark at this point, which I agreed to. As we arrived at my doorsteps, I invited him to join me at the party which Hannah had planned for two weeks from then, though he denied the offer, which I understood. We said our farewells before parting ways, with him leaving for wherever it was he had lived since he had left the Empire a few months ago. I watched him walk away from me for as long as I could make out his figure.
I locked my door after Will had left and walked over to the desk where I had laid out a piece of parchment. I began to dip the red feathered quill in the pot of ink, though I placed it back in its holder before writing a single character. The night had fallen, and my hopes with it.
The hours faded to days, faded to weeks. It’s hard to grasp the concept of time when no matter how much of it you lose, it’s still less than a fraction of the infinite time you have left. It must have been dozens of times I would sit at my desk, writing declarations which no one would hear, only to forget to meet my basic needs for long enough that I would soon find myself slipping from my desk, only to wake up moments later knowing I had died. Other days I would simply sit on the edge of my seat wondering how much blood I could lose before waking up once more in the same spot I always did after death. Ever since my encounter with Charlie Feyre, I had surrounded myself with all information I could gather on the Allinaries. I saw it as my duty as an Allinari with political experience, as a newcomer yet to prove myself, and as a friend. Not a day went by in which I would not spend near every waking hour researching the discrimination of Allinaries within the province, trying to find a reason for it. However, no matter how many books I read, no matter how many townsfolk I asked for their opinions on the matter, no matter how many times I woke up on the floor, blood dripping from my own dagger, no matter how many times I’d silently black out only to wake up in the same spot on the floor as always, I still was no closer to figuring out why. Eventually I forced myself to write it off as human nature to hate those different to us, though I only forced myself to drop the topic after Theo had begun regularly checking on me to see to it that I wasn’t overexerting myself. Though I knew he wanted only to make sure I was alright, and that he would not pass judgement if I were to tell him the extent of my research, I did not want to worry him. I would do anything on earth to keep from troubling him. Gods only know the lengths I would go to protect him. But I knew I couldn’t just give up. I was so close to a breakthrough, I was sure of it. Somehow I could figure out how to unite the people of the province and end this useless fight. Maybe if I just-
“What do you think?”
I looked up from my parchment and found Theo had been speaking to me. How long had we been speaking for?
“Pardon?” I asked, confused as to what we had been speaking of.
“I figured you’d zoned out.” Theo responded light-heartedly. “I was asking if you wanted to come to the Allinari meeting tonight? I know you’ve been working your arse off to be able to help the cause, so I figured you might want to join us tonight.”
An invitation. Nothing more. I had no obligation to accept, nor was there any ill intention behind it. So why was I suddenly so worried?
“Yes, I’d be delighted to.” I responded eventually.
“Great! I’ll tell Charlie you accepted! Orion, you’ll love it, I promise. It’s just a bunch of people who all agree on at least one thing, it’s truly… Orion?”
Confused as to why he had interrupted himself, I looked up.
“Are you okay Orion?” He asked.
“Of course I am. Why do you ask?”
“You’re shaking.” He said quietly.
I looked down at my hand still placed next to my quill and saw that he was indeed right. I was shaking. Why was I shaking? I quickly pulled my sleeve over my hand and clenched it tightly with my other. Gods only know what I would do to keep anything worrying from Theo.
“Are you sure?” Theo inquired further. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
I dismissed his worries, adamantly claiming that I was fine. Once he left, I unclenched my hand and looked down on it. Why had I been shaking?
That night, as I closed the buttons on my long black felt cape, I noticed something peculiar. I glanced out the window and saw a figure not too far from my house. I couldn’t recognize any distinct features on the figure, I could not even tell if it was human or not, all I could see was that it was outside, and was standing still. Too still. This caused me to decide to place my rapier in its sheath instead of relying solely on my dagger to defend myself should it come to a battle. I cautiously opened the door of my house, making sure to be aware of any sudden movement. I grabbed the lantern off of my front porch and briskly made my way across the bridge to the mainland. Despite the darkness, I was able to quickly make my way to Charlie Feyre’s home where the meeting would take place. I noticed nothing out of the ordinary around me, still yet I kept my right hand firmly on the hilt of my rapier.
“Orion!” I heard a voice cry out from behind me. Instinctually, I began pulling my rapier from its sheath, though I soon realized the person who had shouted was no threat; It was Adeline. I waved to her, not sure as to how she would react to my presence.
“It’s good to see you!” They said joyously. “I thought you’d managed to die somehow. Where have you been?”
“Oh, just… reading.” I said, not wanting to go into detail.
“Right.” Adeline snickered, clearly knowing I was hiding something. “Well, I think you’ll truly like this meeting. People’ve been talking about you a whole lot. Theo’s definitely put a good word in for you ya know?”
Nora somehow managed to have a constant talkative attitude, which I struggled to understand. She was quite literally everything I aimed not to be, though I refrained from letting them know this. As we entered Charlie’s house, she continued her monologue.
“Speaking of Theo, how’s he been?” She asked.
“I think you’d know that better than I.”
“Oh?” She grinned. “I doubt that.”
I considered asking her what her strange tone meant, but resolved to ignore it, begrudgingly answering her question.
“He’s been well.”
“That’s good, that’s good. And how have you been?”
“I’ve been well too.”
“Yeah, yeah, but I meant you two.”  Adeline clarified, an audible grin in her voice.
“I’m sorry?” I said, somewhat confused.
“Aw come on, it’s obvious you two have a thing for each other.”
I stopped in my tracks and stared at her for a moment.
“I will stab you through the head with a mailbox right here in this garden, witnesses be damned.”
She laughed at my threat and walked past me to the entrance of the house, all the while telling me of stories of past meetings, and how this would be special in some way.
“You’re going to love this I mean seriously. It will be the coolest thing ever. I mean they’re always cool you know, but this one…”
She paused for a moment to my surprise, as I was unaware she possessed the capacity for silence. For all I knew she eternally spoke, never ceasing her endless noise and conversation. I knew I should be kinder and more forgiving to the person who had saved me from near death, and that I was, but I could also not ignore her inability to know when to cease her talking even for just a split second. Come to think of it, why had she stopped talking? I gave her an inquiring look, which she seemed to pick up on.
“I see you brought your sword with you.” She said, quieter than usual.
I nodded, not knowing how else to respond.
“Anticipating a fight, are we?”
What a provocative statement. She knew not if I had a legitimate reason or not to carry a weapon on my person, yet she had the audacity to claim I planned to incite violence.
“No, I simply have it on me at all times. Preparedness is not always negative.”
“If you say so.” She dismissed.
We entered the house together, with Adeline holding the door open for me to enter through. I thanked her for the act, which she overdramatically accepted. It took me longer than I would like to admit to realize that she had been mocking me. I had always noticed her near inability to take anything seriously lest it be a life or death situation. In some ways it was entertaining to see her mocking every aspect of not only my, but everyone’s character. She seemed eternally curious as to every detail of people’s lives, be they willing to give her said details or not. We waited in the living room of the house for a while, as Adeline claimed she not sure if Theo would want to guide me around himself. We waited, and waited, and waited some more. At some point Adeline grew so bored that she simply grabbed the lantern off the side of the wall and walked towards the door which opened into the ground. It led down a tunnel which was carved out from the dirt and supported by wooden logs and structures. When we reached the end of this system of tunnels, Adeline placed the lantern on a shelf which was nailed to the wall. The room we entered was a modest display. It was a medium sized room built out of unpolished stones, the floor made of long wooden planks laid across the ground. There were lanterns hanging seemingly everywhere, lighting up the room in a fire-like orange colour. Following Adeline, I walked further into the room and took in the countless wooden seats made of cheap scrap wood. At the front of these benches was a stage built from the same wood, a lectern at the front with a few pieces of parchment which I could just make out. Some people were already sitting on the benches and speaking to each other. As we walked past them, many stopped to look at us, or more specifically, at me. Knowing that to many of them I was a new face, it did not surprise me. Within the crowd however, I noticed one familiar face; Theo.
It was pleasant to see him once more. It had not been long since we had last seen each other, but a part of me had still missed him dearly. However, Adeline left no time for me to greet him, ushering me past him and to the front row to sit next to her.
“You’ll love this, I promise.” She whispered in my ear.
I shrugged, not wanting to explain how little I tended to enjoy such gatherings.
“You don’t even have to say anything if you don’t want to, you can just be silent like you always are.” She grinned.
Though I knew she had intended it to be an insult, I took the words as a compliment. I had been taught that to be sophisticated was to not speak unless necessary. Though I had been trying to change my habits in recent times, the idea still remained etched in my mind. From behind us, I quietly listened to the conversations of others who assumed I could not hear them.
“Who the hell is that?” One person whispered to another.
“I don’t know, someone who just came here from the Empire I think.” They responded in a hushed tone.
My gods, what an astute observation. It’s almost as though new people in a province surrounded by the Empire tend to originate from the Empire. My, how fascinating.
“Doesn’t matter as long as they keep their mouth shut. From what I hear they barely even know left from right.”
“Wouldn’t surprise me.”
And it wouldn’t surprise me if you could not so much as speak a single eloquent sentence you self-centred imbecile.
I chose not to verbally acknowledge the comments, however satisfying it would have been to. Instead, I simply watched silently as a short brown haired girl, who I soon recognized to be Charlie, walked onto the stage and up to the lectern, clearing their throat before speaking.
“Thank you all for coming today.” They began loudly.
“I know that for many of you, coming here every time we meet is a great risk, and I appreciate it. As not to waste your time, we’ll get straight into today’s topics.”
They were very well spoken, as I noticed. Clearly a product of the royal family.
“As you may know, tensions in the city have been rising. The conservatives are growing in number day by day, and violence against the Allinaries is becoming more common. We have to do something about this.”
From within the crowd, someone began to speak.
“I’ve been saying we should wage war for ages now, I think it’s time we finally consider it.”
Several people within the crowd nodded in agreement at the comment. The lack of resistance to this suggestion sickened me.
“I mean, we have nothing to lose by trying, right? Hear me out.”
The man spoke very frantically, as if he was nervous to state his plan.
“We start planning here and now, then, when the time is right, we strike. If we do this well, we could defeat the conservatives in mere weeks!”
He was disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. What was worse, the crowd seemed to, in large part, support this idea. It was too much.
“Are you out of your mind?” I found myself saying. People began to turn heads as they noticed someone, they considered a foreigner.
“Remind me who you are?” The man asked.
“None of your business I don’t think.” I responded coldly.
“Waging war may be the only way to preserve our kind!” The strange man shot back.
“And what about all we’d lose in the process? Houses? Lives? Welfare? Freedom?”
The man’s expression soon twisted to something similar to annoyance.
“Have you even considered the possibility if we fight, we may not win?” I continued.
“Sometimes war is necessary! This is one of those times!”
“My friend, you know nothing of war. The closest to it you’ve come is chasing stray cats away from your crops.”
“Where do you get off being all holier-than-thou?” Who the hell invited you anyway? You’re probably just trying to sabotage this. This is our best shot!”
“Let them speak.” A new voice spoke from somewhere in the crowd.
I turned to the noise to see a man rising from his seat. He wore a white cloak with golden accents, the hood placed over his dirty blond hair. Around his neck hung a bandana with a unique white embroidered pattern on it. With his arms folded behind his back, he walked slowly towards the man who had suggested war. As he did so, the crowd fell silent. He confidently made his way to the other man and looked down at him, barely an inch from his face. The cloak wearing man was near the same height as the person he stood before, still yet, he gave off such an air of confidence that he might as well have been seven feet tall.
“You may try to forget what happened last time you tried that, Greyson, but I won’t be so kind to your image.” The cloaked man said. He did not have a loud voice; He spoke in a hushed voice which held all the power of a shout. The man whom he had called Greyson backed away and sat down in his seat.
“Charlie, I think you know as well as I that war would mean downfall at the moment. What we need is more people. We need a revolution.”
He did not wait for a response, simply walking back and resuming his sitting position.
Charlie and the rest of the gathering debated the cloaked man’s suggestion for a while, and eventually came to the conclusion that he was correct. A revolution must occur. Charlie ended the meeting by saying that all those who were able to should attempt to recruit more members to the cause.
As people began to pile out of the room, I approached Charlie as they were stepping down from the stage.
“Orion, I’m glad you came!” They exclaimed. “Did you enjoy it?”
“Yes.” I responded. “It was quite pleasant.”
“Aw, I’m glad you liked it.”
“I did have one question, however.”
“What’s that?”
“That man who wore the white cloak, who was he?”
“Oh, that was Nick. Nick Clyves.”
What a strange name that was.
“He’s not an Allinari himself, but he’s Theo’s friend.” Charlie added.
They asked why I was curious, but I brushed off the question. In truth, I did not know why I had been so curious about the man. Still yet, I had gotten the information I had sought. With that, I followed Adeline and Charlie out of the room and up the winding tunnel system until we reached the top, where I bid them farewell for the night. As I walked home, I considered what the man had said.
Remember what happened last time you tried that
Had war been waged before?

The following days came and passed quicker than imaginable, and before I knew it, I was being dragged around by Theo to prepare for the party. I had been kicked out of my house by Hannah an hour before, as she wanted to prepare the festivities without my seeing them. Theo had brought me to his house to make sure I was well prepared for the interactions of that night. He gave to me a black frock suit with red accents to wear to the party, claiming he did not want me to look too casual. Before we left that evening, I made sure to take the Empire’s brooch from my shirt and pin it to the frock suit. Together, we began to make our way through the town all the way to the little frozen island upon which my house stood. It had been made quite festive, and a sign had been laid against the bridge, inviting the guests in. Theo and I entered, only to find that we were not the first to arrive. Several guests, including Charlie, Adeline, and even Lyre himself had already arrived. The basement which Adrian had insisted I build larger than the house itself was decorated beautifully with a tabled lined with food. It was a sight to behold; Hannah had truly outdone herself.
“You’re here!“ I suddenly heard Hannah yell.
“Yes, that I am.” I responded, excited to see Hannah once more.
“I’m glad you’re here! Can I introduce you to everyone?” she offered, to which I agreed.
She pulled me by the arm across the room, to a lady who was wearing an olive-green dress decorated with floral fineries.
“This is Theophania! Theophania, this is Orion!” Hannah enthusiastically exclaimed.
“Hi.“ Theophania answered. “I believe I’ve heard of you. I’m carmen’s mother.”
“Ah, it’s lovely to finally meet the mother of such an energetic child.” I responded, bowing my head somewhat, placing my left hand behind my back and my right on my chest.
“Oh please, you need not bow. We are equals after all.”
“Apologies. I was unaware that it was not customary in this province.”
“Ah, so you’re from the Empire then?”
“Yes, from Veredonia.”
“Interesting. I’m certain you’re glad to have left that life, no?”
“Of course, but it is quite difficult adjusting to a simpler existence.”
“I can imagine.”
“Yes, yes, very difficult. Moving on to the next person!” Hannah interjected as normal conversation began to evolve. “Anyways, there’s more people to meet, come along!“
And just like that I excused myself from Theophania’s presence to follow Hannah, who was pulling me by the sleeve. She brought me over to an older man who wore large, circular glasses without lenses. He wore a simple overcoat, and it appeared he had not bother to shave that day.
“Orion, this is James Currier!” Hannah introduced. “James, Orion’s new here, they used to work in the military!”
“Interesting.” James said. “You know, you may want to consider reading more than doing those things yourself.”
“I’ll leave you two to it, I’m going to go fetch Theo a drink.” Hannah said, excusing herself and leaving my trapped in this dull conversation.
“As I was saying I feel like today’s youth have just gotten to rallied up in being ‘free’ and ‘active’ and have forgotten about the things that truly matter such as reading and listening to others, don’t you think?”
“Mhm.” I answered
“Yes, personally I am great at listening and engaging with others, I do it for fun constantly. Social interaction is all that matters. I am one of the best conversationalists you will find here, you know.”
“Of cour-”
“Anyways, I’m a librarian down the road the building is quite interesting you should visit it. It has brilliant books you know.”
He continued this mind numbingly boring conversation for what felt like ages, as I began to drift into my subconscious, only kept awake by the classical music which was being played to lighten the mood.
“Excuse me, Mr. Currier.” A voice suddenly broke through the silence. “I’m afraid I must borrow your conversational partner for a moment.”
Though the Welsh accent rung familiar, I looked towards them to see someone I didn’t recognize. He was a man of average stature with dark brown hair. His eyes were a deep autumn brown shade with vague purple streaks. He wore a respectable frock suit with violet accents which decorated the seams of the suit. From his right ear hung an amethyst Crystal, which he seemed to have attached to an ear pin.
“Shall we?” He asked, reaching out his hand which was covered in a white satin glove.
“Of course.” I responded, glad to leave the conversation no matter what for. The man, James Currier, seemed not moved at all by my leaving. In fact, he seemed somewhat ignorant to it, as he continued to speak to empty air as the strange Welshman escorted me from his presence.
“Thank you.” I said quietly as we walked to the other end of the room.
“No worries. You seemed like you were dying there.” The Welshman responded. “I’m Auden, by the way. Auden Guillebeaux.”
“Orion Montiér.” I answered, noting the aristocratic name of the man.
“Ah another franco, you must be from the Empire’s centre then, right?”
“Yes, from Veredonia.”
“Oh, my apologies. I heard of what happened there.”
“Thank you, the situation is indeed quite drab there.”
“I used to live in Bywthyn. I left when war broke out there.”
“Around three years ago then?”
“Yes, must’ve been around that long ago I suppose.”
“They took the province of Bywthyn not too long after the war begun. It’s still under military control, the oppression is quite bad.”
“I see. I figured they’d take control of the city soon enough, but I didn’t realize they were still stationed there.”
“They’ve had to quell many rebellions in recent years. Bywthyn comparatively got off easily.”
“I see.”
“So, do you know of anyone else from that province who made it here?”
“Yes, I travelled with my friend. She’s from the northern region of Bywthyn where the rebellions broke out first. We fled together from the south.”
“Oh? I was part of the squadron that took down many of the rebellions in the north. I may well have seen your friend before without knowing.”
“Odd to think about. I didn’t think of you as the military type.”
“Yes, I don’t think many people do.”
“So my assumption was right then. You’re wearing a longer frock to hide a sword, correct?”
I chuckled, impressed by the man’s keen mind. I briefly lifted the left side of the frock to reveal my rapier, before letting it fall to my side once more. Auden smiled and took a sip of his drink before tilting his head somewhat.
“You’re an Allinari, aren’t you?” He asked after swallowing his drink.
“Yes. How did you know?”
“The bronze pin.”
“Ah, right. I forgot about that.”
“It’s easy to forget.”
“It shouldn’t be.”
“And still it is.”
“Curious.”
“Truly.”
As we continued to speak with each other, I soon noticed a familiar face across the now quite full room. It was Adrian Walker himself. Despite having shown disinterest in this affair, he had decided to attend anyways, which I greatly appreciated. I excused myself from my conversation with Auden and made my way over to Adrian.
“Adrian, what a pleasant surprise to see you here.” I smiled as I approached him.
“Happy to be here.” He answered. “It looks like you got quite the turnout.”
“Yes, it seems Hannah invited nearly everyone she knows.” I responded.
“She does do that, doesn’t she?” Adrian laughed.
“I thought you were working at the local farm this evening?”
“Well, I may have made that up to avoid coming here. But Hannah made it sound so enticing.”
“Understandable. Is it what you expected?”
“Oh yes. Lots of food, lots of talking, lots and lots of people. In fact, I’d say you’ve got at least one person from every province of the Empire here.” Adrian eventually noted.
“Oh?”
“Well migration has been up recently. It would surprise me if we didn’t.”
Suddenly, I heard Theo’s voice emerge from the crowd.
“Orion.” He began. “What are you doing talking to this bastard? Get away from him!”
I had already found out that Theo had contempt for a few people here including Adrian, but something about his purely hateful and furious tone concerned me. There was something more to it.
“What do you mean? It’s just Adrian.” I responded, looking to him with concerned eyes.
“This asshole’s one of the biggest Anti-Allinarists there is!”
I fell silent. I turned back to Adrian in disbelief, desperately scanning his coat for that small bronze pin, but to no avail. Theo was right. The room went quiet as people began to notice the confrontation. Theo walked up to me and grabbed my arm, not pulling me away, but being ready to at a moment’s notice. From the corner of my eye, I saw Auden standing in front of Hannah protectively,  and Charlie Feyre seemingly pleading with Adeline to do something.
“It was you…” I whispered, slowly coming to the realization.
“What?” Adrian stuttered as he began to back up.
“It was you who kidnapped us.” I continued, pulling my arm out from Theo’s grip.
Images of the event flashed before my eyes before quickly vanishing. The tightness of the rope, the feeling of cold metal against my neck. I took a step forward.
“It was you who locked us in that building.”
I could practically feel the heat of the fire again. I smelled the suffocating stench of smoke as I felt it scorching my lungs once more. I took another step forward.
“You tried to kill me.” I finally said.
“Orion, don’t do anything you’ll regret. You’re wrong about this.” Adrian frantically advised.
“Not only that. You tried to finish us off; To singe what was left. You know about the spell as well as I.”
I reached for my sword as I saw Adrian do the same.
“Orion, please don’t.” I heard Charlie plead from behind me.
I swiftly drew my sword to meet Adrian’s. Our blades crashed against each other, the room shaking from the impact. It was my first duel with Adrian, and I quickly noticed how skilful he was. Judging by how often he could be found around Lyre, I figured he had been trained by him. Adrian stepped forward, blade swinging in a mock offense, an experimental probe into motion. I launched straight into the attack. Left, right, I twisted away, jumped back, closed in for the attack again and then reversed once more. Barely avoiding Adrian's quick parry, I slipped in on his other side for a feint, and as he dodged the attack and responded, I took his downswing on my angled blade, sending it skidding away. Amidst wild shouting from the onlookers, our blades met at shoulder height, leaving barely an inch between our faces. Our duel began to incite chaos in the crowd. Pro-Allinarists fought against Anti-Allinarists in a bloody battle which quickly took over the entirety of the room leaving nowhere to hide. Adrian skilfully blocked my advances, though only barely blocking some of the more tactical swings. As we continued our exchange it became more and more difficult to block Adrian’s practiced and brutal attacks. As our swords crashed together once more, I looked not to Adrian, but to my left hand. It was not even a million to one chance, but I had to do something.
Come on you freaky witchcraft, work your magic already
Though slowly and only with much concentration, a glowing mist began to appear around my arm. I felt Adrian’s stance soften as he too watched it form a translucent red shield which soon hardened into a solid object. Before I could even breathe a sigh of relief, I was forced to use it to block Adrian’s brutal swing aimed at my head. Despite my best efforts, I was soon forced to my knees by the weight of the sword being driven into my shield.
“Allinari bastard.” He sneered through his teeth.
“Still better than a murderer.” I spat in retort.
From amidst the chaos and bloodshed, I heard Auden’s voice shout. I turned in the direction of the noise to see that he had lost his weapon in battle, a man now pinning him to the wall with a dagger to his neck.
“Heads up Auden!” I shouted as I threw my sword in his direction to hopefully assist him.
With some sort of invisible force, Auden seemed to pull the sword towards himself and into his hand.
“Figures.” I thought happily as I turned back to face Adrian.
Still but barely holding up the weight of Adrian’s sword, I reached out and clenched my hand, hoping for that day’s second miracle. It soon came in the form of a translucent red longsword manifesting itself in my hand. I pushed back against Adrian’s sword with my shield, and stood once more to face him. A sudden pulse of strength filled my body as I held the sword in my hand.
“Why would you do such a thing?” I yelled as I thrust my longsword forward. “Why would you try to kill me? I barely even know you!”
“You’re all just a bunch of devilish people with god complexes. Someone had to protect everyone else from you monsters. You’re freaks of nature!” He shot back. He had left an opening. It only takes one mistake, one error, one opening left unprotected.
“I only see one monster here.” I sneered as I threw a deadly shot into Adrian’s chest. He fell to his knees and gasped for air as I pulled the sword back. He grabbed at the wound in his chest before quietly falling to the ground and disappearing, leaving only his sword and his bag behind. Without missing a beat, I turned around to find Theo, but my path was blocked by a person who I recognised all too well; Lyre. He appeared furious, the grip on his sword so tense that it nearly blocked the blood flow to his fingers.
“Lyre… I didn’t--”
He grabbed me by the collar and tossed me against the staircase. My shield and sword instantly disappearing upon impact. I quickly returned to my feet, not ready to die quite yet.
“Lyre wait!” I shouted.
He put his sword up to my neck as he looked me dead in the eyes.
“I should kill you for what you did.” He said angrily. “Not only that, I should kill everyone here to protect them from themselves.”
“Lyre, you don’t have to do that.” I responded pleadingly.
Lyre stopped for a moment locking eyes with me, trying his best to blame me. Afterall, someone had to be to blame for the fighting that had erupted here. It may well have been my fault, and I did not regret it, but a part of Lyre in that moment thought of forgiveness, and that part was stronger than all else. Eventually, he breathed out a sigh and silently lowered his sword.
“I should probably do something about this whole fight thing before they manage to accidentally kill someone permanently.” He mentioned as he looked back to the crowd.
Turning away from me, Lyre grabbed his sword with both hands, raising it above his head before crashing it down onto the stone floor of the room. A deafeningly loud bang which rung throughout the room. The crowd, loud as could be just a moment before, fell into near complete silence. Even those who were engaged in duels looked to Lyre and soon dropped their weapons to the floor, not wanting to agitate the man. Lyre said not a single word, but instead gestured for the crowd to exit the house out onto the field, which they immediately did. The wounded who were unable to leave were… euthanised by Lyre, though I managed to keep him from doing this to Theo, who had received a long cut down his leg. I knew from my own experience that, though one did come back from it, dying was no pleasant experience. I helped Theo to his feet and held him up as he limped up the stairs and out of the house. Most of the people had made their way over the bridge and to the mainland, likely believing it to be more secure. Though Lyre’s authority kept the crowd from erupting into battle once more, it did not stop them from arguing with each other. I listened as they shouted the most horrid of things, barely able to contain their desire to kill. Theo and I watched from a distance, as it seemed as though Lyre’s looming presence would not be enough to stop another fight from breaking out.
“Theo, I’m sorry I let this happen.” I said, holding my head in my hands. “I shouldn’t have fought him, I shouldn’t have put you and everyone else at risk like that.”
Theo insisted that it was not my fault, that I had had no choice, but I was unable to believe his words. We were soon joined on the steps of my house by Auden, who had managed to defend against his attacker. He tossed my rapier back to me as he sat down next to Theo. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to say anything. Both of us had seen bloody battles, and both of us had hoped never to see one again. We sat together and watched as the people began to reach for their weapons once more. Just as Lyre reached for his sword to keep the peace, a voice emerged from the chaos.
“STOP!” It yelled. I recognized the man’s voice; It was William. He was standing upon a large rock in the middle of the crowd.
“Will?” I thought out loud.
“Do you know him?” Auden asked, somewhat concerned.
“Yes, yes I do.”
I sensed something was wrong. I placed Theo’s arm over my shoulders and walked closer to the crowd which had somewhat calmed down at the sound of William’s interjection.
“Through my trials I have come across information long sought after!” He shouted.
“Will what are you doing?” I sneered under my breath, quite worried for the safety of my friend. He had said he would not be around for much longer, is this that he had meant?
“I know how one may die permanently!” He yelled.
I stood, unable to move at the shock. He raised a dagger high into the sky.
“Death is not such a simple thing after all. The willingness to live on alone may give one the strength to continue no matter the circumstances. To finally die, one must simply lose this willingness.” He finally said, plunging the dagger into his chest.
“NO!” I shouted. “WILL PLEASE NO!”
I let go of Theo as I pushed through the shocked crowd, leaving both Auden and Theo behind. I jumped onto the large rock where Will had stood just moments before. I knelt down next to him and lifted his head up in my hand.
“Will, please, don’t go.” I whimpered as I saw his eyes start to drift. “You’re all I have. Please.”
He coughed and smiled crookedly.
“Orion Montiér.” He laughed quietly. “You’re the one good thing to come out of the Empire. Don’t throw that away, alright?”
“Will, don’t leave me. You can’t. You’re going to come back, understood? That’s an order.”
He didn’t respond, he just looked away, blinking slower than time itself.
“I’ll miss you… Orion Montiér.” He quietly mumbled as he closed his eyes. His arms fell limp as a tear began to roll down my cheek.
“Will? Will, please come back. Please.” I whispered desperately.
I would have stayed there for years, pleading for him to come back. But no matter my efforts, it was to no avail. His body stayed in my arms, limp and dead. The crowd was taken aback, and soon began to disperse into the town once more, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
“Orion, I’m so sorry.” Theo softly spoke as he was helped over to the rock by Auden. I felt Theo place his arms tightly around me as I succumbed to the feeling of dread. There was no dramatic underscoring, there was no rain, there was no sudden darkness. It was just another day, just another death. I had thought I had grown used to the death of those I held close, but alas, I had not.

Time passed slowly after that. There was not a single person who had not been shaken by the death of William. He had likely been the first ever person to die permanently in the province, so, though he was unknown to most, he was mourned by all. “He gave his life to save us from eternity” they all claimed. They hailed him as a martyr, but they knew nothing. They did not deserve to mourn his passing.
“To finally die, one must simply lose this willingness.” He had said. One must truly want to die. What a twisted, demented mind would have cast such a spell. To make the only semblance of hope be such tragedy.
I did not speak to anyone for days on end after the death occurred, partially because of the loss, partially because of the ongoing protests by the Allinaries and their allies. I contacted not Charlie, Auden, Hannah, or even Theo. I had no desire to speak to them, and to remind myself of the friend I once had. Lyre had attempted to speak to me on several occasions, but they were futile attempts. A thousand years ago Lyre caused this land to be cursed, and now my closest and only friend was dead. I did not intend to speak to the man who indirectly caused William’s death. One day, likely around a week after the party, I was disturbed by a knock at my door. When I went to see who had made the sound, I saw a letter slipped under my door. It read:

To whom it may concern,

on the eighth of June, a sermon is to be held in honour of William J. Collins, who has recently passed. The ceremony shall be held at four in the afternoon on the plaza where he spent his final moments. We invite all who receive this letter to join us in honouring his memory, and encourage those who are affected by the death of this man to use this as an opportunity to mourn his passing.

Signed, Auden Guillebeaux

Attached to the bottom of the letter was another smaller piece of parchment.

Orion,
you were the only one who knew him. Would you speak at the sermon?
Best wishes
Auden

I glanced to the calendar which hung on my wall, which I used to try and keep track of time, a feat not easy in this place. I had been here for 22 weeks and five days. Nearly fourteen million seconds spent in this hell hole and still I was not sure whether of not it was better than the Empire I had fled from. Shelfing the question for another day, I noticed that the eighth of June was the very next day. I had not attended a funeral in quite some time, and I had hoped to keep it so. Still, for William I could make an exception. For him I would always have made an exception. He was… no, used to be my world. The only reason I ever considered not attending it for a fraction of a second, was the fact that the Allinari rebellion had begun publicly protesting. I had never been a fan of such rallies, my past of being forced to terminate them certainly not helping, and I knew they would likely try to use the funeral as part of their agenda. I pulled up a chair and sat down at my desk to write a speech to hold at the funeral. Though words would be unable to describe William, I nonetheless tried my best to write something worthy of his memory.
For hours I sat and pondered and wrote and discarded. No words writable could describe William, no sentence able to tell his story. And how could it have? How can one take a life, a real, human life, and sum it up in paragraph?  I knew it to be impossible, still I forced myself to settle for a short, far from perfect speech. I placed my quill down and smiled down at the parchment. My eyes scanning the words, I couldn’t help but wish that William could have read them as well. I knew logically that his death had not been my fault, but as I stood up from my chair, the accusation rang through my mind yet again. Your fault
All your fault
I wished so dearly that I could have stopped him; That I could have restrained him, and maybe even saved him from himself. Perhaps if I had fled with him all that time ago he would not have succumbed to such madness. Alas, no matter how much I wished, hoped, and prayed, William Collins was dead. Dead by his own hand, labelled not a tragedy, but a martyr. What a sick and twisted legacy. I could almost hear his voice whisper as I blew out the candle on my desk. I as good as felt his hands on mine as I adjusted the rapier on my wall. But he was not there, for he was dead.

The following day, I made sure to wake early to prepare myself for the funeral. I dawned a white frock suit decorated with golden embroidery and trimming. A traditional outfit for funerals. In the Empire, it had always been customary to wear symbols of wealth and success, such as the brooches and medals I had been awarded. Fortunately, near all of those ornaments were now at the bottom of Lake Cecilia. All but the brooch symbolizing my rank in the army. I, as always, placed my rapier in its sheath hidden behind my suit, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice. Before leaving for the sermon, I made sure to grab the rolled up parchment as well as my tricorn hat. I had always hated the hat, but it was a symbol of respect which I would not forgo. William deserved every last drop of respect this gods forsaken province had to offer, and I would be dammed if I did not contribute to that. The town, now covered entirely in a thick blanket of snow, seemed still as ever, aside from one exception; A crowd was gathering around a makeshift platform which had been built around the rock where William had died. Hundreds of the village’s inhabitants were stood around the platform, quietly whispering to each other. I slowly made my way to the crowd, the snow crunching loudly beneath my feet. Some of the cold snow managed to enter my boots, soaking my feet in icy cold water.
A considerably sized crowd had already gathered by the time I arrived. Several people of importance, such as Lyre, Adeline, Charlie, Theo and Adrian, were amongst them. However very many of these people I did not recognize, though this should not have come as a surprise to me. I knew that despite my best efforts to integrate myself into this odd society, there would always be so much and so many that I did not know. I made my way through the densely packed group and over to Theo and Charlie, making sure to completely avoid Adrian who did the same.
“Hello.” I said to the two of them.
“Hello to you as well.” Theo responded, though Charlie stayed quiet.
I had come to realize that Charlie was a very empathetic person, her ability only enhancing it. It took no genius to realize how much a permanent death such as this one affected them. As I spoke with Theo and gave my best efforts to calm Charlie, I soon noticed Auden approaching the top of the podium where a small lectern stood. He hit the side of his glass with a knife to bring attention to his area. The crowd fell silent and turned in his direction, which prompted him to lay down the glass and place his knife in his back pocket, much in the way that I so often carried my dagger.
“Distinguished guests.” He began. “As I am certain you are aware, this town has recently suffered a great loss. In inexplicable circumstances, a man has managed to die. He discovered the method to die, and realised the unimaginable grief such relief was cloaked in. He had been strong for long enough, and he decided once and for all to die. William Collins was no doubt incredible person, and, though he was a stranger to most if not all of us, he will surely not be forgotten any time soon.
His words were as refined and polite as one could expect of someone speaking of a stranger. It was kind, yet not unique.
“As I myself unfortunately never had the chance to know William, I would like to ask the one person who did to speak. Orion Montiér, if you would.”
He looked towards me, as if to say he knew the grievances which the speech would cause me, yet still pleading with me to speak. I accepted his request, beginning to make my way through the crowd and up the steps of the platform which had been constructed. As I walked towards the podium I felt as though I was back in the moment; I could practically see William on the ground and feel his shallow breaths against my skin. I knew he was gone, yet it felt as though he was still right there. Once I had reached the lectern, I grabbed for the parchment which was tucked in my belt, and unrolled it on to the podium. I felt my heartrate quicken as I realized just how many people whom I did not know the intentions of were gathered here. I was all too well aware that the Allinaries had advanced their revolution, gaining many enemies in the process. With Auden having found himself unable to be the sole bearer of the blame, he had elected me his right hand man to lessen the strain. I stood at the podium, silently awaiting a politically charged attack from the crowd which never came. I quietly ran my hands over the words written on the parchment and cleared my throat, prepared to speak to the crowd.

“It was not long ago.” I began. “The rain was pouring down onto the village below as hundreds of people gathered around a triumphant man walking along a path of rock and dead soil. The people cheered as he moved alongside dozens of soldiers who were escorting him to a palace down the road. Cries of joy and happiness, of fear and contempt, yet somehow of hope rang loudly through the air. The man being escorted to the palace was a captain, and the soon to be leader of the land he stood in. His eyes held secrets and wisdom which the cheering populace would never come to know. The crowd was forcibly held back by the guards as he approached the doors to the palace, where he would be meeting with the Emperor himself.
As the clock struck mid-day, the captain reached the entrance of the castle; Perfectly on time as the emperor required of all. Without so much as a knock, the door was opened by two armed guards in glistening suits of iron and chainmail. Spears in hand, they made a clear path for the man to enter without being solemnly, knowing his death likely awaited him. The crowd lining the streets let out one more cheer as the doors shut behind the guards, leaving the city quiet once more. The crowd began to scatter, one by one people would leave and return to their regular errands. However, many remained to see how it would end and how the captain would proceed.
Having entered the estate, the man was escorted along the hallways of the palace. He walked along the cold marble floors lined with red carpets and decorated with gold tassels, which seemed as though they went on forever. After ascending multiple floors and walking along hallways for what seemed to be eons, he finally reached the councillor’s court. Anxiously, he awaited the opening of the doors that would lead him to either his beginning, or his end. He looked upon the delicately engraved images of lions and birds in the door in an attempt to distract himself, however futile the attempt was. Finally, after twenty minutes of waiting, the doors were opened to him by another guard. Inside, there were around least fifteen other men and women sitting in birch wood chairs decorated with red silk cushions. The councillors sat around a large, dark table covered in an emerald green tablecloth embroidered with gold thread. Above them hung a chandelier that appeared to be larger than a full-grown ox, made of beautifully cut crystals which the captain could only gasp at. Though mesmerized by the pure and captivating beauty of this hall, the captain remained determined to follow through with his objective. Silently, he walked to the centre of the room where he faced the most feared man in the entire realm: The Emperor. Behind him, a curious ten year old poked her head around the side of the throne to get a glimpse of what was happening. As the captain stood before this man, he couldn’t help but notice that, for a feared man, he was awfully frail; A full eighty years of age, his silver hair had been all but lost to time. Still, the captain knew that this man was not to be underestimated. As he looked upon the emperor, the faces of the thousands of victims flashed before his eyes.
“You are?” The Emperor demanded, as if affronted by the captain’s mere presence.
The captain introduced himself, stating his name and rank in the army.
“And why have you requested a presence with me?” The man inquired.
The captain took a deep breath, preparing himself for what was to come. He glanced around at the stern looks of the dozen or so men and women around him, ready to have him executed the moment he stepped out of line. Still yet, he knew he was on a mission, and he was ready to give his life for it. “One last breath” he thought as he prepared to speak.

“I, on behalf of my province, am here to bring a declaration to your attention.” He swiftly pulled a scroll of paper out from his concealed pocket and unrolled it. “The province of Verdonia hereby declares itself free, separate and emancipated from the great Empire. The people of the state of Verdonia have found great injustice being inflicted upon them by the Empire and have unanimously come to the decision to act against it. The joint revolution of the people of Verdonia shall aim to create freedom and peace within the land.”
There was silence. The room feel quiet, as the people within stared at the man who had just declared a war whilst standing surrounded by his enemies. For minutes there was no noise, no breath, no sound at all. The only one brave enough to break the silence was the Emperor. He looked to his guards and waved them over. Though he fought valiantly against it, the captain was dragged away by both of his arms to the prison. It was only with the help of foreign diplomats bribed by one of the captain’s friends that he was acquitted for his crimes. Not willing to endure such a fate yet again, the rebellion was forced to abandon their plan.” I finished.
There was a long silence in the crowd, no one daring to break it.
“That captain,” I began. “Was Captain William Collins. A friend to all and an enemy to none but the worst of humanity. He was forced to flee his homeland years later after he was once again charged with treason.”
I paused for a moment to regain my focus.
“Captain William Collins did not fall to the Empire, and he gave his life to help us escape the curse of this province.”
The crowd began to whisper amongst itself.
“We the people cannot let his death be in vain. We cannot let ourselves be divided by trivial things, and we cannot allow ourselves to be oppressed by our own family; By our own friends.”
The crowd erupted into cheers as I continued my speech. I knew it had been made my duty to make a difference in this land. If that meant speaking words not my own, then so be it.
“Join us, and let us fight!”
They grew louder.
“Join us, and let us unite this land once and for all under harmony!”
Louder once more.
“Join us to fight for the freedom of your brothers, your sisters, your children and your friends.”
The crowd burst in to celebration as those who supported the rebellion cheered and those who did not quietly began retreating, fearing their being outnumbered. Though proclaiming such calls to war disgusted me to my very core, I knew that it was what I had to do.
“Those who give up to live another day never truly will!”
Williams words felt sour in my mouth. They had never been meant to be used so. I felt sick knowing what violence I had insighted in the name of sanity. The crowd raised their arms and repeated the phrase, swearing allegiance to the rebellion.
“On behalf of the Allinaries,” Auden shouted over the crowd. “let us reclaim the freedoms which are rightfully ours!”
The crowd cheered louder than ever, their voices echoing through my mind. Auden shouted something which I did not hear. It was but a muffled scream amongst a hundred others. Before I had a chance to ponder what he had said, Auden was pulling me by the arm off the platform and to the coast line. Dozens of medium sized wooden boats waited at the shore, the sound of the crowd following us giving away what they were to be used for. He instructed me to board the boat with him and see the work that the rebellion had done. As we sailed across the sea, I soon saw an island appear on the horizon. It was not far from the mainland, the sea being the only thing separating it. I saw that a small stretch of land even connected the two, if only barely. We docked on the beach of the island, the boats being tied to wooden posts with rope. Auden excitedly pushed through the crowd, taking me with him.
“This my friend,” He began. “Is New Veredonia!”
He spoke the words as if they were those of the gods themselves. His passion audible in every nuance of his voice. I looked upon the island proclaimed as New Veredonia which gave him such hope, finding it green and vast with many trees encircling the area which had been felled. In this area stood a large stone church, a flag swaying on the highest tower. Surrounding it were many tents, barely holding their own weight yet somehow not giving in. A few farms could also be seen which gave life to the town.
“We can’t stay on the Mainland anymore, Orion.” Auden told me quietly. “Not if we want a chance of freedom. This must be our new home.”

I was in awe of the city which had been built up by the rebellion in such short time. The pure passion that they all must have had to be able to accomplish something so impossible mesmerized me. Auden led me to the centre of the camp, where a tent somewhat larger than all the others had been set up. Inside the tent I found a wooden table upon which laid a map of the land with small figures placed upon it. The moment my eyes caught sight of it my heart sank; I knew exactly what that was.
“What is this supposed to be, Auden?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“This is our battle plan. Here, let me walk you through it.” He responded, clearly not noticing my contempt of his strategy.
“So, if we wait until they attack us first, they’ll have the advantage, so we will move our soldiers to-”
“No.” I firmly stated.
“I’m sorry?” Auden asked, somewhat confused.
I was furious, enraged, seething. Still, I managed to keep my voice calm.
“We are not starting a war against our own people.” I reaffirmed.
Auden glared at me for a moment, a look in his eyes which I could not quite place. It was near anger, but lacking the edge. It was confusion, but too self-assured. It was disbelief, but not quite.
“Orion, this is our only chance. You know that.” He said, unwilling to believe that I would take such a stance on the matter.
“I stand by my statement. We aren’t going to be make a war out of this.” I said once more, now nearly shouting.
“Orion, do you care more for them than you do for us?!”
“Of course not Auden, but this is ridiculous. You can’t possibly think this a good idea!”
“Everyone worth protecting is on our side!”
“And what about the children?! What about those who didn’t have a choice in which side they were on?!”
“We won’t hurt any children!”
“You can’t know that!”
“This is for the better Orion!”
“Have you even considered the damages to our own people?!”
“They’re willing to do it. They all know the risks!”
“And what about their families? Are they prepared to lose their husbands? Wives? Parents? Children?”
“We won’t hurt our own people Orion, you know that!”
“You can’t promise that!”
“We can’t protect everything! Sacrifices are-”
“Don’t you speak to me of sacrifices, Auden! You know nothing of the sort!”
I quickly stormed out of the tent, my white frock suit noticeably longer as it caught the wind. I was not more than a few meters from the tent when I felt a hand grab onto my wrist.
“Orion, you can’t leave. These people are depending on you.”
“Let go of my arm, Auden.” I calmly ordered.
A few people in the town turned their heads at the commotion, wanting to see what was happening.
“Look at the people you’re abandoning to save who?! Some traitorous conservatives?!”
“Step away Auden.”
“You know this is right, so what if we can’t protect everyone?!”
“I said, step back!” I shouted.
I drew my rapier from its sheath and used the back of the hilt to push Auden away, tripping him in the process. He fell to the ground and reached one arm out to bock what he believed would be another attack.
“I know this is hard for you, and I know you need time, but just consider it. This may be the only way to save our people.”
I looked at him for a moment, before backing away in disbelief of my own actions. I looked around at the many people who were staring at the scene, and I began to run. I ran from the town and from the felled area. Within minutes, I came to the edge the forest. Its large trees had kept the snow from falling, leaving the ground green as ever. I walked through the forest and soon came to a cliff which offered a view of the Mainland, so close yet so distant. In my mind I could almost see the others plotting their attack on our people. On my people. Somewhere inside, I knew that Auden was right. Still I was unwilling to lead yet another army into battle to die. I did not know what I was to do; There was no right decision. I fell to my knees in defeat. I sat on that cliffside and watched the tides.

In some ways, I understood Orion’s hatred for war and their desire to gain freedom without battle. Though Orion and I were similar in more ways than one, we had experienced far different things which had shaped our views of war. We had grown up in the same empire, but in different worlds. Still, I also believed that they knew how impossible such a wish was. I watched them slowly back away before turning and running in the direction of the forest. I scrambled back to my feet, sure that they would come back. I brushed the dirt off of my coat and walked over to one of the farms which was being worked by a friend of mine; Greyson. I called to him and waved him over. He quickly ran to me and asked me what I required. Even if most people thought Greyson to be overly formal, I trusted that man to the end of the earth and back. I had to confide in someone what had just happened, and he was the only one I could trust. He was studios, loyal, and a bloody good strategist. I informed him of Orion’s dismay at our tactics and asked him if he believed they would return to continue to lead. He said it was undeterminable, though I’m sure in truth he knew the answer. I stated to him that I believed they would return, but that we may have to find a new leader for the rebellion. Greyson instantly suggested that I should lead the rebellion in Orion’s absence. I laughed at first, before realizing that he was in fact not joking. It was a ridiculous suggestion. Gods only knows how quickly the public would have realized I was a rubbish leader. I may have been a good liar, but pretending to lead was something even I was incapable of. Greyson argued that my ability to deceive would come in handy, should the people begin to riot. He was most certainly correct in thinking me able to lie to the public without batting an eye. Even Orion, who was quite observational and would notice even the slightest of changes in deminer and movement, had been fooled by me. Nevertheless, I told Greyson that should Orion not return, we would hold an election for the next leader. He sighed and agreed to this suggestion, adding that he hoped for Orion’s safe return, quote: “Lest one of the foolish populaces should be given a position of power”. Greyson was not very fond of what he called peasants, and firmly believed that everyone had a place in society, and that those less fortunate than he and I belonged far away. He was not selfish in any way, he was quite altruistic in fact, but he had been raised to believe that the poor and common folk were lesser beings. Despite his distasteful comment, I left him to his work and decided to begin gathering supplies for the war. I had already noted down the names and talents of all inhabitants of New Veredonia over the age of fourteen. I figured this would assist me in dividing the people into groups based on their skills and talents. I looked down at the paper in my hands which listed all of the positions we needed filled; Weapon smiths, Farmers, Carpenters, Spies…
It was not a very long list but finding the right people to occupy these positions would surely be difficult. I knew I wasn’t the best person to take on such a responsibility, or perhaps I simply hoped this to avoid having to deal with it. I thought of asking Theo to assist me in this task, but I knew he had other responsibilities to tend to than to help me with paperwork. I eventually put the list aside, not caring enough to deal with it in that moment. I swore I would return to it soon, though a part of me knew I would not. Instead of facing the daunting task of setting up an army, I decided to make my way through the town and see how the preparations were coming along. I always found people far more interesting than data anyways. I waved happily to the farmers who were leading their livestock through the streets, gave a smile to the carpenters who were beginning to plan housing, and chatted with some of the towns children who were playing in the fields. As the children were trying to convince me to fence with them, something piercing cut through the noise. I a sudden scream, followed by a loud crashing sound. Immediately alerted to the noise, I ran in the direction of where it had come from. I turned the corner and looked upon the blacksmithing station where a lady had been working on making weapons. Just in front of the anvil, I saw the man who I had put in charge of the weapons station standing over a younger lady. The man was holding the lady by her neck and had thrown her to the floor. He held his other hand out in a fist, clearly about to strike. I did not hesitate even for a moment. I ran over to the man and tackled him off of the woman. I threw him to the ground face first and forcibly pulled his arms behind him. He tried to struggle at first, but I made quick work of this. Several members of the provisory guard had already made their way to the area, and stood prepared to arrest the man, which I allowed them to do. I stood back to my feet and dusted off my violet and black coat. I turned back to the young lady who had been attacked and offered her a hand. Her hair was an unnatural shade of dusty pink, and her clothes were clearly from the northern region of Bywthyn. She wore an olive-green apron over several white petticoats stained by tea and soot. She thanked me as I helped her to her feet. Diane Bevan, this lady, had been my friend since before I fled the Empire. We had first met during a riot when she had helped me to flee the violence. She herself was injured in the process, but she always refused to admit to it. I paused to speak with her for a moment, asking how long she thought it would take to make enough weapons for the war. She claimed she couldn’t give an answer, which I understood. I thanked her anyways and went on my way, waving goodbye to her as I left.
The whole town was bustling with life; farmers carried harvests alongside children playing in the fields with toy swords. All the people who had joined this rebellion had a reason to fight, a reason to want to live. Whether it be for themselves or for someone else, they all wanted this above all else. This sense of desire, of wanting to fight, of needing to fight, it was incredible. I happily trotted along the mostly empty plains, greeting every passer-by I saw. I can’t say I was happy about what we would undoubtedly lose in the war, however I found it in my heart to forget. Once I had reached near the tent where I had set up my battle plan, I was stopped by a friend of mine; Charlie Feyre. She was wearing a white button-down shirt and an amber coloured skirt with two pockets on either side. Charlie had always had a distain for clothing without pockets. She claimed it was inconvenient and an affront to the working people. I asked her what I could help her with, at which she looked to her left and right before asking to speak with me in private. I offered to take her inside the tent to speak, though she adamantly refused this, claiming it too close to everyone else. Instead, she led me down to the river, far away from the town. I asked her what she wished to speak of, to which she sighed. She explained to me that she was noticing a strange feeling emanating from the town. She claimed she couldn’t place where it was coming from, but that it was intense and getting stronger. When I asked her what sort of feeling it was, she told of horrible things; Betrayal, hatred, and bloodlust. Not knowing what to say, I thanked her for the information. She warned me to be careful, and said she would keep trying to track down who it was coming from. She bid me adieu and left me at the river bank. I had far too many things to worry about in that moment, Charlie’s soul reading only adding to it. I resolved to allow them to continue investigating, unable to handle yet another problem that was my duty to solve. I made my way back to the town and to my tent, where I began peeling back the curtain of the tent, where I heard the sound of someone moving one of the wooden pieces along the map inside. Peering into the tent I saw none other than Orion themselves, who had seemingly returned from their self-imposed exile.

“Orion, you’re back?” Auden asked, with a hint of shock in his voice.
“Yes, I thought things over,” I responded. “and I’ve decided you’re right. We can’t avoid war forever.”
Auden seemed satisfied at my revelation, and for a moment it seemed as though he was eager to tell me off for not believing him, however this expression quickly faded and was replaced by the utmost concentration as he gazed upon the board which I had rearranged.
“I see you’ve changed some things on the board.” He inquired, stepping closer to the board.
“I figured since we have an advantage over the others, we may as well use it.”
“Elaborate?”
“You see, the Mainland doesn’t know what’s happening yet. We can use that to our advantage. If we launch a surprise attack, they’ll have no shot. That is, unless they already intend to attack first.”
Auden seemed intrigued.
“I’ve also devised a plan to infiltrate the Mainland and gather information. I may well need for you to gather some specific people to assist me in this.”
“Of course.” Auden nodded.
“In the meantime, I will continue seeing to the battle plans. There is much to do and only gods know when the others will strike.”
“Unfortunately, we have reason to believe it will not be very long from now before they attack.”
“I see.” I muttered quietly. “Would you be able to gather, let’s see… Theo, Charlie, and that Nick Clyves guy?”
Auden nodded and gave me a mocking salute, before leaving the tent to find the three people. I sighed, the acts of planning a war and giving orders exhausting me to my very core. I had hoped to never have to do such a thing again, but I suppose you can’t always get what you hope for. I leaned against the edge of the table and hid my head in my arms, wishing I would wake up and find myself in a place which knew neither war nor violence. I closed my eyes for a moment, a memory flashing before my eyes for just a fraction of a second; A memory of a child who ran up to me and introduced himself as William, and of the peace I found with him. I jumped back away from the table, the memory of what once was too painful to remember.
“Careful there, you almost ran into me.” An annoyed voice said.
I turned over my shoulder to find who had spoken the words, finding Genevieve Wylder standing before me, a slight grin plastered on her face. She was not wearing the blood red button down and black waistcoat which I had last seen her in, instead dawning a red silk robe tied at the waist with a gilded cord.
“What do you want?” I asked, instinctively placing a hand on my sheath.
“Oh please, don’t reach for that. I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Bold assumption that you could.”
“Willing to bet?”
“I am in fact.”
Genevieve contorted her face for a fraction of a second before allowing her arrogant smirk to return.
“I’m simply here to give you a word of warning.” She softly said as though it was the kindest of statements.
“Is that so?”
“It is.”
“And what warning do you wish to deliver?”
She began to strut forward as she spoke.
“I know you think you’re righteous and morally superior, but heed my warning, you are far from it. Continue down this path and your life will go up in flames.” She claimed.
Stopping just beside my ear, she quietly whispered to me.
“If you go through with this, he’ll die.” She uttered.
“What do you mean by that? Who will die?”
As I turned to confront her, I found nothing but empty space. She was gone.
“How is that…” I began to ask, but stopped as I heard Auden enter the tent.
“I’ve found them. Is… something wrong?” He inquired.
I blinked and looked away from the spot where Genevieve Wylder had stood just moments before, looking to Auden.
“It’s nothing.”
“Alright, well, I’ll leave you four to it.” Auden said as he pushed the entrance to the tent out of his way and exited.
“What’s this about then?” Nick asked, seemingly disinterested.
“Show some respect!” Theo shouted at him, elbowing him in the side.
Nick was a very confident person, a mercenary as I had learned. He still worse the same white coat which he had the first day I saw him. I had since learned of his murderous tendencies, which, while it made me constantly vigilant around him, made him an excellent killer. Theo always spoke fondly of Nick, telling stories of how often the man had saved him from certain death. While it had surprised me that Theo enjoyed the presence of such a person, I was happy to know that someone was looking out for Theo. I gathered myself and walked around the planning table to speak to the group.
“As you all know, we are on the verge of a war.” I began. “A war which could change our lives forever. I’ve called you all here today, because we need a regiment which can infiltrate the enemy’s ranks and obtain information.”
“But why us?” Charlie asked.
“Charlie, you’re a skilled empath, your soul reading ability only enhancing that. You can read the intentions of the enemy to make sure they don’t realize that you’re spies.”
I turned to Theo.
“Theo, you are a skilled informant, as well as a trustable face. Pair that with your ability to teleport, and you’ve made yourself a force to be reconned with.”
Finally, I looked towards Nick.
“Nick, you are undeniably one of the most skilled fighters amongst our ranks, rivalling even warriors like Lyre. On top of this you are, though you may deny it, a pathological liar and manipulator without a strong sense of morality or inherent desire to help those in need.”
Nick cleared his throat, but did not dispel the accusations.
“When used in the right situations, you are a valuable resource.”
I gestured for the three to gather around the table to look at the map.
“You three will infiltrate the Mainlands without drawing any, and I mean any, unwanted attention towards yourselves. Theo, you are to teleport there with Charlie and Nick. Your job is to obtain as much information as possible about the Mainland’s plans. It is dangerous, and you may be captured, but I believe it is necessary.“
“And what happens if we’re caught?” Theo asked, clearly concerned.
I sighed and gazed downwards.
“Odds are they’ll kill you after drawing every last ounce of information out of you by any means necessary.”
Theo and Charlie looked at me with a blank expression, as though to ask me what on earth I was thinking. Nick, however seemed quite calm despite the possibility of torture and death.
“So we just go there, get information and we’re done?” He asked.
“Essentially, yes.” I confirmed.
“Alright then. We’ll leave tomorrow.” He grumbled, as though the mission was not worth his time.
I bid them farewell and wished them the best of luck. It was not an easy thing to do, sending Theo and Charlie into a warzone. Still, I knew I had no choice. I only hoped I would see them again.
I awoke the next morning to find that I had fallen asleep at the planning table, my head resting on the map. The sunlight peaked through the gaps in the tent, though it was not the brightness that had woken me; It was the screaming. For a moment I simply lay there, too dazed to realize what I was hearing, though I soon recognized that terrified noise. I sprinted as fast I could out of the tent and in the direction of the noise, sword drawn. It seemed as though I had not been the only one to hear the scream, as several people were also trying to find the source of the noise. I turned the corner into the town square, and found the answer; It was Hannah. She was lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood, a stab wound in her chest. I ran to her and held her in my arms.
“Hannah?” I whispered. “Hannah who did this?”
She coughed and gasped for air, but managed a response.
“He went to the docks.”
With those words she closed her eyes, her body fading away into nothingness. I found solace only in the fact that she would come back, and that I would find whoever had done this to her. Blood-soaked and furious, I ran towards the docks. Some civilians tried to ask me what had happened, but I was too focused to respond. I finally made it to the shores, but, much to my dismay, I couldn’t see anyone.
“Is there anyone there?” I shouted, hoping that the perpetrator was simply hiding.
“So we meet again.” A voice said. Adrian’s voice.
I turned to my left and saw the man leaning against a stone tower, hand gripping a longsword.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him, drawing my rapier for protection.
“Oh you know, just looking around.” He replied.
“No, we aren’t doing any of this just looking around  bullsh*t. What are you doing here?”
He grimaced and pushed himself away from the tower with his arm.
“Well fine, if you really want to get to the point.” He mumbled as he took a few steps forward. “I came here to dissuade you from even trying this whole war thing.”
“Dissuade me how?”
“Well, I’ve already killed Hannah. Who’s to say I don’t intend on doing more?”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Wouldn’t I? How do you expect to know that?”
He took a few more steps forward as he spoke, causing me to back away.
“Don’t come closer.” I warned him.
“Maybe I haven’t made my intentions clear. If you don’t think I’d kill, maybe I just need to prove myself.”
With his right hand he grabbed me by the collar, with his left he pulled his sword back, preparing to launch it into my chest.
“Take this as a warning.”
As I closed my eyes to brace for the impact, I felt his hand let go of my shirt. I opened my eyes to look at what had caused him to stop, and found a sword in his abdomen. He looked down at the fatal wound and whispered a quiet “God damnit” before falling to the ground and fading away into dust and into nothingness. I looked back to where Adrian had stood just moments before, and found Nick wiping the blood off of his blade.
“I uh… thank you.” I stumbled. “How did you know to come here?”
“Theo.” He monotonely answered. “He wouldn’t shut up about finding you.”
“I see.”
Nick was not one for compassion. He was caring, I had no doubt about that, but he would rather die than show it. He continued to vigorously polish his blade with his sleeve. It seemed a stubborn bit of blood was clinging to it.
“So, do you always clean your sword like that?”
“No, I’m just doing this cause it’s Adrian’s blood.”
Though he answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, I was unable to tell if he was serious or not. I was about to turn away to leave, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move. I looked back and saw a figure running up behind Nick, sword drawn. There was no time to warn him. For a moment, I didn’t think, I only acted. I pushed Nick out of the way, the blade being pushed through my lungs instead of his. Instantly, I felt the overwhelming pain of such an injury. I gasped for air, but never could. The warm metallic taste of blood was all I knew as I watched Nick jump up from his feet and chase down the attacker. I closed my eyes and fell to the ground.
It was gone.
It was nothing.
There was light, yet it was the darkest of all colours.
It was the brightest colour ever imaginable, yet still as dark as night itself.
It was a funny sight.
Strange, but somehow familiar.
Were I not so dazed, I would have stopped to wonder how such colours were even possible. I looked to my left and saw a small dog walking towards me. It wore a green collar.
I knelt down to pet it, and it stretched its head out to meet my hand.
It was… pleasant.
I felt the nothingness around me fade away, as it was replaced by the smell of air, the sound of leaves being blown around, and the feeling of grass beneath my feet. With a sudden gasp, I sat up straight, the taste of iron still ever present in my mouth. I looked around to take in my surroundings, and found that I was inside a tent. It was not the planning tent where I had been planning the war, it was a normal, residential one. I slowly rose to my feet and looked around. It was a spacious tent, a wooden bench standing in one of the corners. It took but a single glance at the flower crown which lay on the ground to figure out who lived in this tent.
“Theo?” I asked into the darkness.
I received no response, only silence. I slowly walked around the room, seeing if anyone was there.
“Have you gone mad?!” I suddenly heard someone yell from behind me. “Where the hell were you?”
I turned around and saw Theo standing, the skin around his eyes red as could be, and mud on his clothes. He had been crying. Why had he been crying?
“Hello.” I greeted him. “Are you alright? You seem… upset.”
“You were gone all day. I thought you were gone for good!” He whispered.
“Ah, I see. I didn’t realize it’s been that long.”
“Well of course you didn’t, you were dead.”
“Right.”
Theo sat down on the wooden bench which stood in the corner of the room, and I joined him there.
“Nick wishes to speak with you.” Theo sighed. “He says he may have important information.”
“I see.”
“I can show you where his tent is if you like.”
“That’s quite alright. I know where it is.”
“Alright…but… promise you’ll come back this time, okay?”
“I promise.”

I bid farewell from Theo and left the tent to find Nick. I did not know Nick well, but I did know that he didn’t give up information easily. If he was willing to share what he found with me, it must truly have been important. I reached his tent soon and without problem. I was about to knock on the curtain which functioned at a door, before quickly realizing how useless that would have been. Instead, I knocked on the wooden posts which held the fabric in place. A faint “You don’t have to knock, it’s a f*cking tent” echoed from within the residence, assuring me that I could enter. I pushed away the fabric and found Nick sitting on the ground, polishing his sword yet again.
“Adrian’s blood?” I asked.
“Adrian’s blood.” He confirmed.
He gestured for me to sit down next to him, which I did.
“Well, I suppose we might as well get right to the point.” Nick sighed.
“You said you had information?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.
“No, I just felt like calling you here in the middle of the f*cking night. Yes, I have information. Vital information, even.”
“Do go on.”
“Well, after you, you know, died, I chased down that attacker. It was Genevieve Wylder, who’d have thought. I swear, that psychopath can’t keep from murdering someone for a single day. And that’s coming from a literal psychopath!”
“Did you kill her?”
“No. She was too fast. I chased her down as long as I could, but she led me into a trap. A group of soldiers surrounded me, thinking they could just capture me and mine me for information. Yeah, didn’t go quite as planned for them.”
“Go on.”
“Well, I decided that it may be interesting to see what they were doing before killing each and every one of them.”
“And?”
“They brought me to the Mainland and to some sort of weird military base. Loads of soldiers. They tried to interrogate me, asking my name and all that sh*t, so I may have sort of accidentally forgotten to make a fake identity and just gave my actual name.”
“You… you idiot.”
“Yeah, okay, no need to rub it in. Not exactly my proudest moment. So, they asked lots about our plans and whatever, all that boring sh*t. Of course I told them nothing, and then they tried to stab me in the f*cking leg!”
“Tried to?”
“Tried to. I was there to get information out of them, not to become an amputee. Let’s just say they’re down a few regiments now.”
“Okay, good to know.”
“But that’s not the information I wanted to give you. I wanted to tell you about what I saw.”
“What did you see?”
“I saw some guy, clearly from out of town. He was wearing a brooch like yours. That one you said was from the army. He had that exact pin. He called himself Benedict Lenoir, said he was from Veredonia like you. He came in at one point and asked a load of questions about our leadership. I didn’t give anything up of course, but before he left, I heard him whisper something to the guards. He said something like this has Orion written all over it or some sh*t like that. So anyways, as you know then I… hey, are you okay?”
“What?”
“Are you alright? You’re crying.”
I put my hand to my face and noticed that the Nick was in fact correct; I had begun to cry. It was a strange feeling, as I couldn’t even remember the last time I had cried. I wiped the tears away and looked back to Nick.
 “I’m fine.” I assured him. “Allergies, probably.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m certain. Please, as you were.”
“Right, well, that was it. Genevieve Wylder, weird Empire guy, mass murder.”
“Right. Thank you. I’ll be off then.”
“You do that.”
I bid him adieu and hastily pushed away the curtains to exit the residence. As I left the tent, I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, desperately trying to claw out hat part of my eyes had allowed tears to flow. Why had I been crying? I tried not to give it much thought, as I had bigger issues to worry about. Afterall, there was a war incoming, and nothing was more important than that. I had enough to busy myself with that I may forget what had transpired. Walking along the paths of the town, I admired the progress that had been made. Several houses were already in the process of being built, and a few were even complete. Still, no matter how inspiring the passion of all our citizens was, it was impossible to ignore the fact that they were only fuelled by fear. Fear of that which they did not know, and fear that now they or their loved ones may die if they lost hope. I felt a few raindrops fall from the sky onto my head as I walked through the roads, though roads was a bold word to use to describe the barely marked dirt roads which connected the houses and buildings. I walked briskly along the paths, hoping that I may make it home before the rain inevitably began to pour down in buckets, the leaves crunching beneath my feet. Several people stopped and greeted me with a salute, though I insisted there was no need for such formality. However, most of them, I could tell, believed it to be a test of their loyalty, and would inevitably continue to greet me in such a way. I kept telling myself that they meant no harm in it, but I still despised the action with every fibre of my being. To me, it was nothing more than a cold and unkind reminder that I was nothing but a military leader; Nothing but a murderer. It was a reminder of the Empire, a reminder of the royal guard, a reminder of all those countless soldiers who had fallen at my hand. It was the thought that after all those years of fighting, and all these months of atoning, I could oh so easily slip back into the role which the Empire had told me I should desire. It was the implication that I had not changed, that I was still the same person I had been in the Empire; taciturn, radical, and violent. Despite this, I knew that those who considered me their leader now meant none of this, and so I attempted to swallow my distain for it, saluting back, all the while supressing the urge to rip my hand clean off of my arm. I wasn’t meant for this life. I knew I wasn’t. Never would I have wanted to be involved in such violence nor such brutal and heartless bloodshed, but, unfortunately, I had never had a choice in the matter. The very moment my tutor had noticed the smallest bit of potential in my fighting ability, it was all already over. It took only that to get me enrolled in the training program. But that was behind me now. All I knew was that these people were depending on me, and far be it from me to deny them such hope, however fleeting it may have been. I marched on down the road which seemed to go on forever, leaves still crunching beneath my feet.
“Orion?” A voice asked.
I quickly turned around, though the voice did not sound threatening in the slightest. I found that behind me stood Charlie Feyre wearing a quite naturally coloured green button down with an autumn brown sweater vest over it. I glanced up at her face, and saw that she seemed quite concerned, ger eyes looking up at me with a mixture of sadness, confusion, and fear.
“Charlie, are you alright?” I asked, quickly walking towards her to check if she was hurt.
“I could ask you the same.” She responded, not moving. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry?” I replied, very confused at her sudden worry for me.
“You heard me.”
“I’m fine.”
The question had taken me by surprise. It was not a common one for me to hear. I suppose it was by my own doing that I was not asked that question very often. Oftentimes I would respond to the simple question with a dismissive remark, other times I would not even acknowledge the question, instead opting to glare at the person until they changed the subject. But something about the way that Charlie had asked it made it impossible for me to act hateful towards the question or towards the person who had asked it. I’m fine I had said. What a lousy response to such a question.
“You’re lying to me Orion.” She claimed, not coldly, but not exactly warmly either. “I know you are.”
“I don’t know what you’re on about.” I replied. “I’d tell you if I wasn’t fine.”
“Well that’s a joke.” She scoffed.
“I’m sorry?”
“You never tell anyone the truth when it comes to that, you know that as well as I do.”
“That’s a bold statement to make.”
“You’re forgetting I can see other’s feelings.”
“Well, I guess you must be wrong this one time.”
I had no true way to get out of this confrontation. I knew Charlie was rarely if ever wrong about her readings. Surely I could not convince her that she was wrong about this one.
“Orion…”
There was a certain tinge to her voice which made it sound as though she was moments away from screaming.
“Whatever, I don’t have to entertain your speculations about myself.”
I turned to leave, knowing full well it was the only way to avoid the question. Before I had a chance to take the first step, I felt a hand close around my wrist, grabbing on to keep me from leaving. A piercing sense of fear shot through my arm, travelling up and down over and over again. I flinched and tensed up at the touch, which caused Charlie to promptly let go.
“I’m sorry, I…”
“It’s fine, it’s alright Charlie.”
“Orion do you want to-”
“No.”
Charlie stared at me, tears nearly welling in her eyes.
“I’m sorry… I… I didn’t mean to yell, I just-”
“If you insist, I’ll drop it.”
“I… thank you.”
What was that?
That wasn’t me.
I never stuttered, I never stumbled over my words like that. I never let myself be that vulnerable in front of anyone. Almost anyone. What on earth was that? My mind began to quickly race, not stopping for anything at all. It continued down a path that seemed to lead nowhere until it reached the only solution to get itself out of the situation.
“I think you, Theo and Nick should set off for that mission.”
The words felt foreign in my mouth and felt morbidly wrong leaving it.
“What?”
“The mission that we spoke of yesterday. I think now is the right time to follow through on it.”
“Alright, I’ll let them know. Tonight?” They asked.
“Tonight.” I repeated.
She nodded and turned around to leave, though not before glancing yet again at where she had grasped my arm. Charlie always knew, even if you didn’t want her to. It was simply who she was. I watched them walk down the path and turn left before sighing and relaxing my shoulders which had become so tense I feared they may never lower again. Gods damnit, I still hadn’t changed, had I? With a suddenly very heavy heart, I forced my mind to erase the encounter from its memory. I had neither the time nor the desire to process it, what it meant, and think of whom Charlie may tell. I straightened my posture and did my absolute best impression of someone in a good state of mind. Afterall, there was always more to do.

The evening air was much colder the next day, which I noticed more than I would have liked as I made my way through the forest. The sun had hid behind grey clouds all day, and the wind blew with a considerable force. I had resolved to wear a maroon coloured cloak over my usual attire, though Theo commented that he believed I was still too exposed to the elements. Because of this, he had given to me a pair of white gloves embroidered with silver thread. He had proudly told me that he had sewn them himself with materials left over from unclaimed packages at “y lloches”, a sort of post office for the remains of the deceased. He himself would often wear an olive green cloak with golden accents along the seam. Along with this, he usually wore black wool gloved which he claimed still allowed him complete mobility of his hands. Despite this constant cold, as I walked, I noticed that the flowers and trees seemed untouched by the sudden frost. “Peculiar.” I thought out loud. “Truly peculiar.”
“I agree, it is quite strange indeed.” A voice said.
I turned over my shoulder to see Auden standing not far behind me, wearing a deep violet cloak embroidered with black runes, which certainly had some meaning, though I asked not for what it was. The cloak buttoned up in the centre with silver clasps; Simple, yet elegant. His elbows resting on the railing, he stood leaning against the bridge which led over a small creak.
“One moment it’s warm, the next the coldest of colds humanly imaginable.” He continued.
“Hello yourself.” I greeted him while I walked towards the bridge he was leaning against. “What exactly are you doing out here?”
“I could ask you the same. You usually don’t wander out of the town. Are you feeling alright?”
He was right, though it puzzled me that he had noticed it. I knew Auden and I were similar in more ways than one, but that even his analytical thinking matched my own was shocking.
“I just set two of my friends and Nick off on a mission that may kill them. How do you think I’m feeling?”
“That’s understandable.”
I placed my arms folded on the railing of the bridge, taking in the beauty of the creek just below. Auden joined me, placing one arm haphazardly on the railing, and with the other, propping his head up. He looked to me, then to the creek as well.
“Charlie’s told you?” I asked, or more accurately, stated.
“I suppose one could phrase it as such, yes.”
“They don’t know what they’re talking about.”
“Quite a bold statement considering you don’t know what they’ve told me.”
“I can guess as to what.”
Auden did not reply, simply looked back at me, then back to the creek once again. It seemed as though that was how he refocused; Gazing upon the flowing water.
“That’s not what I came here for anyway.” Auden eventually said.
“Oh?”
“Do you truly think that little of me?” He said, pulling back from the edge of the bridge and standing up, glaring down at me. I did not respond, but simply continued to stare down at the flowing water which carried dozens of leaves with it down the stream. I heard Auden sigh behind me, not an upset sigh or a disappointed one; Simply a sigh.
“No, I know it would be pointless. If you don’t want to talk to me, I know full well you won’t.” He finished.
He turned around and pushed himself away from the edge of the bridge before reaching into his pocket and pulling something out.
“Here.” He suddenly said after minutes of silence. “I want you to have this.”
He handed me a locket which bore the initials “C.H.”.
“Who’s C.H.?” I asked him.
“Oh… a uhm… old friend. Never mind that.” He replied.
The locket was of circular shape and made of what appeared to be pure gold, with a metal chain threaded through it. The locket had an opening with two latches and a lock, though Auden warned me never to open it.
“If you did, it would most likely break.”
“I’m sorry?”
Auden then explained to me that it was a locket he himself had crafted while in the Empire. He proudly told a story of how a friend of his, a witch, blessed the locket with a spell which would give its wearer hope and joy. He explained to me that he had been saving it for someone who truly needed it. Ignoring his implied concern for my wellbeing, I thanked him enthusiastically. I could but stare deeply into the captivating shimmer which caught the light so perfectly. It was beautiful. Truly, beautiful. I heard Auden say something, perhaps of the locket, with an audible smile in his voice, however the words themselves escape me.

The ground around us partially turned to powder as we appeared on the edge of the city. It had not been my best teleportation, as Nick very quickly let me know, but I did not care much. I brushed the dust off of my cloak and checked to see if Charlie was okay. In most circumstances I would have also asked Nick if he was alright, but it was very clear to me that he was in no way in need of help. To him, I believe, this mission was little more than an opportunity to practice his skills. His skills being manipulation and deception. Not necessarily bad if used in the right context, but he had a track record. The grass truly was soft here, it was green too. Far different from that at New Veredonia, which was now often iced over.
“You should probably take your cloaks off if you like not seeming like a foreigner and getting murdered.” Nick suggested, which I agreed to. He wasn’t irritated, he just liked to mock others a lot more than most people. I could tell Charlie was uncomfortable lying about her identity, but I assured her that Nick and I could handle the talking.
“What? I’m not nervous or anything I just… you know?” She said. And I did know. I always knew what Charlie meant, even if she wasn’t the best at explaining it. She was completely fine with doing the mission and she would rather die than turn back now, but she was scared of failing the team. Not failing herself and dying, but jeopardizing our safety. She wanted only to help, and she realized that her inability to lie properly was difficult to deal with, but she would gladly do anything to make up for that fact. She didn’t want to be a burden. A few more words than she had used, but the same meaning. She still had the same desire to do good as anyone else, despite her difficulty communicating it.
“Alright, now that we’re here, let’s get down to business.” Nick stated. “Let’s be completely honest, I’m the most competent out of all of you, so I’ll take charge of this mission.”
I opened my mouth to object, then realized he was not wrong. Nick undoubtably had the most experience on such missions out of all of us. From what he had told me of his time in the Empire, he used to work for the Redena Mafia until he was forcibly moved to Cerelia for his own protection, though I doubt the officials that had given that order had any idea that it was in fact the lives of others in the province they had been protecting.
“Okay. Here’s what we’ll say.” He continued. “We’re three new refugees from the Empire. Theo, you and Charlie look similar enough to be thought siblings. I’m a friend you brought along.”
“Won’t people recognize us?” Charlie asked worriedly. She seemed on edge. I hoped she would manage to keep it together.
“As long as we stay away from people we know, we should be alright. Afterall, no offense Charlie, but you and your tiny shed in the middle of f*cking nowhere weren’t exactly a celebrity no matter what sort of lineage you may come from.”
Charlie winced at the comment but said nothing. She was too polite to say anything. I asked Nick if we would not have an issue with people recognizing me, as I was relatively well known, which he thought on for a moment.
“Here, take this.” He said, handing me an olive green bandana. I asked him what it was for, to which he responded: “You’re mute now, congratulations. Wear that over your mouth.”
I objected for a moment, but Nick insisted it was the only viable option. I must admit, he was likely right.
“Good. Then, we all ready? Doesn’t really matter if you aren’t, we’re going now either way.”
We started to walk in the direction of the town, though I noticed Charlie stop for a moment.
“Hey.” I said. “It’s going to be alright.”
“I hope it will be. The gods only know how much I hope it will be.”
I reached down and grabbed her hand tightly.
“It’s going to be alright.” I repeated. And it would be. It would be because Nick was here, and Nick never lost. And it would be because Orion was back at New Veredonia, and Orion would never let us lose. And it would be because Charlie was here, and I would never let Charlie lose.

We walked together for a good while before being discovered. A young townsman spotted us exiting the woods and came to our aid. Nick had had Charlie pretend to have injured herself in order to garner sympathy. When Charlie had begun attempting to act injured, Nick had claimed that she was doing and excellent job if she wanted to die. He had always had a very dry sense of humour, but I could tell the stress was getting to him. As Charlie continued to try her best, Nick walked up next to her and quickly drove the hilt of his sword into her side. From then on, we did not have an issue with Charlie failing to look injured. The strange man brought us to the city to have Charlie looked at. He showed great concern, as Charlie, despite being of age, still looked much like a young child. She was not very tall for her age, and her face still held the faint traces of childhood. With Nick playing the part of the friend concerned for Charlie’s safety, we managed to successfully gain in this man, who identified himself as Cam, a valuable resource. I found it quite hard to maintain my act of mutism, though I would only under the threat of death have admitted that to Nick, who would have certainly used it to mock my talkative personality. The man, Cam, invited us to stay at his home temporarily. We were incredibly lucky to have managed to gain access to the mainland’s community this easily. We gladly followed the man to his home, and even convinced him that Charlie was well enough to join us. As we entered his house, we realized we had been even luckier than we had thought. The walls were decorated with propaganda from the mainland, and a wall of medals implied that the man was of relatively high rank in the mainland’s military. The man spoke of how wonderful this province was, and that we had made the right decision to join it. He preached the might of its military and the unity and strength of the army. I watched as Nick forced a smile on his face as he was obliged to agree with all the claims Cam made of the army. I could practically hear his thoughts screaming “I will kill you the moment you stop being useful to us you backstabbing, feudalist bastard” . It was quite entertaining to see him force himself to play the part of a caring and respectful guest, and I likely would have attempted to think of a whole host of ways in which I would never let him live it down, were it not for the dangerous situation we were in. Cam helped Charlie lay down on the faded blue sofa which stood against the northern wall of the house. I sat myself next to her to avoid accidentally letting slip a single word. I placed my hand on her and gave her comforting look, assuring her that we would be okay. Though I would never dare question Orion’s strategies, I did worry much for Charlie. She was simply not cut out for this sort of mission. Eventually, Cam excused himself, claiming he had work he must attend to, and adding that we could make ourselves comfortable. He left the house, closing the door behind him and, as soon as we were certain he was out of earshot, Nick gave us a signal that we could drop our act. I quickly tore the bandana from my mouth and tossed it onto the floor in hatred.
“So?” Nick asked, looking to Charlie.
“He’s genuine, as far as I can tell. At the very least he’s happy to have us around here.” Charlie responded.
“Good, that’s good.” Nick said, pacing around the room. “At least we haven’t walked right into a trap yet.”
We stood in the room in silence for several minutes, before the quiet was interrupted by Nick’s sudden idea.
“Theo go look in his office.”
I glanced up at him, and asked: “What?”
“You heard me. Go look in his office. Simple as that.”
“But why?”
“Gods Theo, do I have to spell it out for you? Documents! State secrets! Information! War plans!”
Nick was clearly somewhat irritated, though I figured this was from the pressure being put on him. I did not question him further, instead looking for the man’s office which I found two doors over in a corner of the house which had a lovely view of the piazza just outside. Though I loved the sight, I had to close the curtains to not arouse suspicion from anyone who may have been looking. I scanned through the papers strewn over his wooden desk, and unfortunately found nothing of interest. However, when I looked inside the drawers, I noticed one of them was locked. From the top of the desk, I grabbed a letter opener and attempted to pick or break the lock; Whichever came first. Soon enough, the lock sprung open. Alas, it seemed it had broken in two. This would make it far more difficult to hide from the man when he returned. I pulled the drawer open and grabbed from inside a dark wooden box which had yet another lock. Opting against breaking yet another lock, I took the box and returned to Nick to get his opinion on it.
“This is… interesting.” Nick said. I knew then and still know now that he rarely if ever displayed enthusiasm, lest he was on the battlefield. This box was clearly of great interest to him. Unlike me, Nick managed to carefully pick open the lock with not the letter opener, but with a special tool it seemed he had brought with him specially for this sort of situation. It sprung open, and within it we found dozens of letters, papers and orders written by someone who’s handwriting I instantly recognized as Adrian’s.
“Gods this is a lot.”
“What do we do?” I asked, worried of what our next course of action should be.
“We wait.” Nick explained.
“What? Why the hell would we wait? We’ve got what we need!”
“Yes, but we could find out more.”
“Are you kidding?”
“No, you know full well what I’m like when I’m joking, Theo.”
I sighed, and realized that my arguing was futile. Nick would not listen to me no matter what, and Charlie wouldn’t even dare begin to argue with Nick. With that in mind, I placed the letter opener back on the man’s desk and watched as Nick put all of the documents and letters in a brown drawstring pouch attached to a cord of leather which was placed over his shoulder.
“Well, we should probably set ourselves up the guest room ey?” Nick asked. I nodded silently. Nick pulled his leather bag closer to his person and opened the door which led into the guest room. I picked the bandana up off the floor and annoyedly placed it back over my mouth and nose. I looked at Charlie once more, who was sleeping peacefully on the couch. I smiled and picked her up in my arms to carry her into the guest room where I placed her charily on the bed so that she could continue to rest. Nick was looking through the papers, being completely absorbed by their contents. Were I not very aware of the likely deadly outcome of interrupting Nick, I would have asked him what they contained. On Nick’s suggestion, I began to list several ways out of the house, should our plot be discovered.
“Hey, Nick?” I asked.
“What?” He responded, somewhat annoyed.
“We’re gonna be okay, right?”
He did not answer for a moment, but soon looked back at me and said: “If you even so much as entertain the idea that we won’t, I’ll smash your head through that window right here and now.”
It was his way of caring, I knew it was.
As the day continued to pass, we eventually heard the man return from his outing. He briefly came in to check on us, to which Nick fibbed that we had spent our time reading the books he had placed in his guest room which contained information of the province. While he was speaking with the man, I placed my hand on Charlie’s. She was still fast asleep, and, as I felt her hand on mine, I began to wonder if the part of a brother I was meant to play was truly so far from the truth. I had known Charlie since she’d come to the province, and we had practically grown up together. I still remembered the little girl I had found feeding my goat Frederick while I was playing in the garden. In some ways, I did feel as though I was her brother. Soon enough, the man left, leaving us to our own business once more. He closed the door behind him, and we listened to his footsteps, soon noticing that he was pacing the living room floor. Concerned, Nick gazed through the keyhole in the door to get a glamps of the man.
“He’s checking his things. He’s checking for anything out of place.”
His words rung through my head like a shot. We were f*cked. I quickly shook Charlie awake, who was dazed, but quickly became alert once she sensed the fear in us. Nick told us that he would act as though we were planning to visit the town, so that we could leave the house before he found his desk in disarray. However, when he tried to open the door, he was unable to.
“Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t, sh*t.” He whispered under his breath. “He’s locked us in. The f*cker’s locked us in!”
We franticly looked around the room for another way out as we heard the man’s footsteps grow nearer to his office. There was a single window in the room, and before I could even think of how to open it, Nick was using the back of his knife to try and break the glass. We heard a doorknob turn as the man entered his study. Within seconds, the sound of papers scattering filled our ears. Nick managed to break open the window just in time. Charlie was the first to jump out of the hole, then I followed as we began to hear the sound of the door being unlocked. Nick jumped through the window and grabbed the both of us. As we ran through the city, we heard the man, now outside of his house, scream.
“SPIES!” He shouted while pointing at us.
A crowd began to form behind us as we looked for a place to go. Nick briefly considered his surroundings, before whispering under his breath.
“I’m sorry for this.”
I was confused for a second, but, before I had time to consider what he had meant, he passed his leather bag on to Charlie, before pushing them to the ground and placing his sword up against their neck.
“Stay back you f*cking bastard!” He shouted. Charlies eyes were full of tears, but I knew she would be able to see that Nick meant no harm to her. A few armed members of the crowd came forward to come to Charlie’s aid. As they did so, Nick and I backed away and began to run.
“They’ll be in safe hands. We’ll come back for them.” He promised as we ran. Within minutes we found ourselves in the city centre near the fountain. We were surrounded. From within the crowd, I saw two distinct figures emerge. Adrian and Lyre, standing side by side. One seeming more reluctant than the other.
“You’ve got some nerve you know.” Adrian began to say. “Nick, honestly, did you truly think this would work out for you?”
Nick grabbed his sword tighter at the words.
“And Theo, hanging around with a known mercenary? I thought you hated the kind.”
I unsheathed my longsword in response.
“No matter, it’ll end the same for you either way.”
The pair approached us, and it seemed as though the crowd had no intention of joining in on the fight. This was a fight of honour. Adrian struck first, dealing a near perfect blow which I barely managed to block with my metal wrist guards, the impact creating sparks. I retaliated with a quick lunge towards his abdomen, barely missing my target and stumbling forward. Adrian used the opportunity to knock me to the ground with his arm. I placed my left arm out in front of me to block yet another blow which he sent my way. As Adrian prepared to attack yet again, I pulled my legs closer to my body before kicking upwards to push Adrian away. I looked to Nick for a second, to see him struggling in a duel against Lyre, all the while still managing to taunt him. As I locked eyes with him, he grinned and tossed his shield to me, which I caught out of the air. Though I worried for his safety fighting against the most skilled assassin in the province, and likely the Empire, I had not the time to contemplate it. Afterall, second place stood right in front of me. Shield in hand, I struck at Adrian once more, aiming for his left arm. He recovered from the blow quickly, twisting around to cover himself with his shield. I met his sword with my own, and, for the first time, locked eyes with him. His eyes were full of fury and twisted passion. A grin across his face, he pushed against my blade, driving me backwards into the ground in the process. I retreated my blade for a moment to strike at him once more. Again, and again and again. Within minutes, out of breath and exhausted, I fell to my knees, the bandana which Nick had given me sliding down my face and around my neck. Adrian laughed.
“Is that all you’ve got then?”
I grew angry at his interjection and, without thinking, ran forwards to meet his blade once more, this time pushing back against his.
“Not until you’re dead on the ground.” I replied through my teeth.
As Adrian began to lose his foothold against my blade, I heard a scream come from behind me. No, not so much a scream as a vocalization of shock. I turned and saw that Nick had fallen to the ground, his sword lying out of reach. Lyre stood over him, ready to end his life in one fatal blow.
“Nick!” I shouted and began to run towards him. Before I could reach him however, I felt someone grab me from behind, placing one hand over my mouth and using the other to restrain me, Adrian held me back from my friend; From Nick. I heard Adrian call upon two soldiers to tie my hands, which they gladly did. Within mere seconds I found myself being held back by the two soldiers, hands bound by rope behind my back. Helpless to assist, I watched as Adrian approached Nick, to which Lyre lowered his sword and allowed the leader of the mainlands to approach my closest friend.
“Gods please, let him win.” I whispered.
Adrian ushered two guards to assist him, which they did by dragging Nick to his feet and placing a sword to the back of his neck.
“Oh my oh my, how the mighty have fallen.” Adrian began. “You know Nick, I truly had high hopes for you. You were always such a passionate type, even if you were on the enemy’s side. I respected you once.”
Nick said nothing in retaliation, only spitting at Adrian’s feet. Adrian grimaced but did not otherwise acknowledge the insult.
“A shame it has to end like this. I guess there is one way you could be let free though.”
Nick did not grace his suggestion with a response.
“I suppose if you comply, we could even set your friend over there free.”
Then he looked up. He actually looked up at Adrian; The man he hated more than death itself.
“And what would that be?” He asked him.
“First of all, I just want one thing of you. Kneel.”
“I beg your f*cking pardon?”
“You heard me. Kneel.”
“Not a chance.”
“Kneel, or the flowery one over there dies.”
Nick looked to me, before turning back to face Adrian. He slowly and reluctantly knelt down before the man he hated most. Seeing Nick bow down to Adrian in such a way made me realize how dire the situation truly was.
“Lovely. Not so mighty and arrogant now are we?” Adrian taunted. “Tell me, how does it feel knowing you’ve lost?”
Nick looked up at Adrian with his eyes, not a word leaving his mouth.
“Fine then, don’t talk. I have no need to hear you anyways. So, back to that one tiny favour that I’ll ask of you in exchange for your freedom. It’s a simple request, truly. The papers.”
Nick began to laugh, first a chuckle, then a full on fit.
“Pfff, you truly think I’d do that?”
Adrian looked shocked at his reaction.
“Oh come now Adrian, you’re smarter than that. I know full well whatever you do to Theo, he’ll be fine. Hell, if it wasn’t for me, he’d already have killed you.”
No, this was all wrong. Nick was never sentimental, even in near death situations. I’d fought alongside Nick when odds were much worse than this. Not once had he been sentimental. What was he planning?
“Hell, I’m probably the only reason he hasn’t killed those two soldiers. He figures he could save me if he plays along.”
No. What was he doing?
Adrian looked confused for a moment. Even Adrian knew that something was wrong. Not letting himself seem less than all powerful, Adrian crouched down to Nick’s level and placed a dagger to his neck.
“I still hold the power here, Clyves.” Adrian warned.
“This was a pretty f*cking stupid plan, really.” Nick continued. “You should know full well I’d never let myself be a burden to him.”
What the hell was he doing?
“And you should know just as well I lost my patience for this sh*t ages ago.”
With that, he grabbed the dagger from Adrian’s hand and drew it across his neck himself.
“NO!” I screamed. I was blind to all around me. I strained against the soldiers’ grasps and was soon able to free myself and run to Nick.
“No, no, no, no, Nick please!”
I was too late.
He was gone.
I heard Adrian hear something, but I did not know what it was. I could not care less. All I could focus on was Nick.
“Nick, please wake up. Nick please.”
He looked so happy, almost like he was just asleep. Not asleep. Not asleep. No, no, no, no.
From the corner of my eye I saw Charlie running towards me. Before the guards could drag her away, she grabbed onto my hand. I shed a tear as I brought us back to New Veredonia, Nick in my arms.

“Here, why don’t you let me walk you back.” Auden suggested calmly.
I was hesitant to accept his offer, but alas, I knew he was right to suggest I return. The sun had nearly set, and, in this strange climate, temperatures would soon fall below freezing. As Auden led me through the fields and back to the town, I truly appreciated the beauty of the area. It was gorgeous, untouched by people until we had come. Much of the land was still free rain for nature, and I intended to keep it as such.
“Do you ever wonder about it?” Auden suddenly asked.
“About what?” I responded, somewhat confused.
“About it all; Why we’re here. I mean hell, we’ll be here for a while, so what’s the point in it all?”
I thought on his question for a while, not quite sure how to respond. It was a baffling question, and not one I could easily find an answer to.
“I’m sorry. I suppose I get somewhat nihilistic occasionally.” Auden eventually said, brushing off his previous remark.
I allowed him to do so, as in truth, I had no interest in discussing philosophy on such a pleasant evening. It had never been my favourite topic, and I was certainly not going to let it taint this serene moment. As we grew nearer to the town, Auden noted that the sun was nearly below the horizon. It was strange for this time of year, or at least, for the time of year it should have been.
“We aren’t too far.” Auden remarked.
I agreed with him, as I was able to see the markings of the road. The barely existent dirt path turned into a gravel path, which turned into a stone road. We had finally entered the town once more.
As Auden began to bid me adieu, we heard a loud rushing noise, followed by the feeling of a strong wind blowing in all directions. I turned towards where the noise had come from, and saw Theo, Charlie and Nick reappearing. I was overjoyed to see Theo return safely. But something was wrong.
“Oh, Theo’s back!” Auden joyously said.
“They aren’t supposed to be back yet.” I mentioned before running towards the three of them. Theo was kneeling on the ground, Charlie clearly shaken and kneeling as well. I soon reached them, but it was far worse than I could have imagined. It was Nick. He was lying in Theo’s arms, dead. He had died. Nick had died. Oh Gods no.
“Theo, Theo hey, it’s me.” I said, placing my arm around him.
He said nothing, he just continued to wail at the corpse of what used to be his closest friend. Oh, Gods what do I do. I opted not to say anything more, as I figured it would simply worsen the situation. I placed my left arm around Theo and held him as he mourned. Soon enough, he placed his arms around me as well, embracing me and leaning his head against my shoulder.
I don’t know how long we stayed like that. Perhaps minutes, perhaps hours; It did not matter. I would not be the first one to let go, even if it killed me. Within that time period, Theo let but a few words escape his mouth.
“Adrian…” He whispered through his tears.
That bastard. That sick, miserable bastard. I was going to kill him next time I saw him. No, that was too merciful an end for him. I would lock him in a room for eternity. I would singe his soul the same way he tried to singe Theo and mine’s. I would murder that twisted, sadistic dictator as many times as it took for him to stop coming back. I cared not for the consequences of my actions. All I cared about was that Adrian had hurt Theo, and for that he would pay.
After what could have been eternity, Theo loosened his grasp on me and sat up to meet my gaze. He looked… numb. The only sign that he was barely holding himself together were his eyes, which displayed his emotions for all to see.
“Charlie… you should check on her.” He whispered.
“It’s alright, she’s fine.” I softly replied. “I’m here with you.”
“Please, check on her.”
I nodded and slowly let go of him as though he may collapse and fade into nothingness at the slightest disturbance. Charlie was sat against a tree near the road where Theo had reappeared. Her eyes were glossy and distant.
“He only ever wanted what was best. He didn’t deserve that.” She muttered. I sat down next to her and held her hand with mine. She looked off into the distance, as if she could see something I could not.
“He’s in a better place now, I suppose.” She added.
I sat there with her, looking off at the sky in silence for a while. The stars were bright that evening. I wished that each and every one of them would go dark out of respect for the fallen warrior who had given his life to save our nation.
“Orion?” Charlie eventually asked. I turned my head to her in response.
“I assume you’ve seen people die before, right? As in… really die.”
“Yes, I have.” More than I would like to admit.
“Does it get easier?”
“No.” I answered. “It never gets easy. You can learn to separate yourself from it, but it’s always difficult.”
She sighed heavily at my response and placed both her hands in her lap. She reached for a leather bag which she had been clenching as if it was the most important thing in the universe to her. She opened the bag and grabbed a few stacks of paper from within it.
“We still have the documents.” She explained as she handed them over.
I took them in my hands and flipped through the pages.
“It’s sort of strange.” She remarked. “Nick died for those. He gave his life so we could keep them.”
I didn’t know what to say. I quietly thanked her for her sacrifice as I stood up.
“It was not my sacrifice that saved the mission.” She claimed.
She was right in a way. It had been Nick’s sacrifice which had let them return home, but I knew Charlie had sacrificed a great deal as well. I knew it must not have come easily to her to let someone die, no matter how short a time she had known the person.
With the documents in hand, I made my way back to Theo, who was now, with Auden’s assistance, walking to the healer’s hospitalia. I joined them as they walked and placed my arm on Theo’s back. Both to support him as he limped, as well as to provide the simple comfort I could. I knew as well as anyone there that it would not be so easy to help him, but I could not but try my best.

It took several days for Theo to recover physically from his encounter. He managed to survive, but every time I had went to visit him in the hospitalia, he seemed so separated from his surroundings. He seemed so lost. I could not quite place what he was thinking about all of those times, but his mind was clearly somewhere else. The healers claimed that his condition was not so much physical as it was mental.
“He needs time to heal from what he witnessed. Unfortunately, no amount of our work can help him with that.” One of them had said.
I had personally requested Adeline, now one of the most skilled healers, be assigned to his care, but unfortunately, she claimed the same thing. Knowing this and knowing how little Theo would let himself grieve if I was present, I let him be for the most part. It was difficult to leave him alone in that room, though I knew it was for the best. Gods, he seemed so lost.
I attempted to distract myself from it by focusing all of my energy on extracting every piece of information from the documents that had been retrieved. They were barely legible, but I was able to decipher many of them. Most of the documents were letters between the man they had been stolen from, and several high ranking officials. However, what shocked me most were the personal files of the soldiers. Many of them were listed as being ten years old, or barely above it. It was disgusting to know that our enemies were conscripting children to fight their war. Children who knew not what they were doing, children who knew not what they would face if battle were to happen. These children weren’t murderers, they weren’t killers, they were just kids who wanted to be respected. Kids who wanted to belong. I was appalled by the audacity Adrian must have to support such a thing, and that Lyre must have not to do anything about it. Then it dawned on me. Frantically, I searched through the alphabetized files of soldiers, praying to the Gods I would not find what I feared I might. A, B, C, D, E… and there it was.

Surname: Fechner
Name: Carmen
Age: 9 years 2 months
Height: 130 centimetres
Hair colour: Brown
Eye colour: Green

Those bastards. Those bastards, letting childlike Carmen join the military at just nine years old. I would kill whoever approved such a file. Out of frustration, or perhaps just to forget about it, I threw the file to the wall. No, not just the one. The entire bag of files found itself thrown against the wall of the building I was inside of, the white paper crashing against the blue walls made darker by the time of day. I looked down at my hand which had thrown it. It was shaking. I was shaking. Why was I shaking? I stumbled back until I too met the wall and slid down it. Placing my head in the bend of my elbows which I crossed over my knees, I sat. I don’t know for how long I sat like that, I only knew that by the time I moved once again, the blue walls were illuminated once more by the light of morning.
Originally, I had intended to stay in that position for longer, but unfortunately, I heard a knock at the door. Brushing the dust from my pants, I clambered to my feet and went to the wooden door to twist the metal handle. I could barely unlock the door before it violently swung open by the hand of whoever stood on the other side of it. As I looked through the now wide open door, I saw Auden. He was standing directly in front of the door, however he was not alone. He was accompanied by two armed guards who did not look familiar to me.
“Orion.” He said in a serious tone, counter to how he usually spoke. “We need to talk, now.”
I did not question this, immediately welcoming him into the house and pulling out a chair at the military board. He entered, hands firmly behind his back, and it was at this point that I noticed how tense he looked. In fact, it seemed as though he was sweating.
“Is everything alright?” I asked him, clearly knowing the answer to this.
“I’m afraid not.” Auden responded. He was now sitting at the table, and was fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve.
“I’m sorry, may I have a pencil?” He asked.
I obliged to this, and grabbed a pencil from the other end of the table.
“Thank you.” He said as I handed him the pencil. “As I was saying.”
He began to tap something on the table as he spoke. I could not tell at first if this was simple fidgeting, or if there was something more to it.
“I’m afraid to say that the documents you received were falsified.”
I heard his words, but it was not what I was focused on. Auden was not looking at me, but down at his right hand which was frantically tapping the table with the pencil in a purposeful manner.
“What?” I responded to his clearly forced statement. One long, four short, a pause, then another short followed by a long, a short and two long.
“Yes. I’m afraid the person they were stolen from was aware of the impending attack and faked the documents.”
A short, a long, another short and another long followed by a pause and yet another short.
“So they’re unusable, correct?” I asked rhetorically.
“Yes, they are. There’s no point in using any of the information you’ve gained from it, as it is likely a trap.”
A short, two long, a pause and then another short and another long, followed by a pause and a long. After another pause came a long followed by a short, another long and another short. A pause, then four short. Another pause and two. Yet another pause, a long and a short, followed by a pause, two long and one short.

They are watching

“I understand.” I responded. “I suppose we must speak once more tonight of this. I shall inform the others.”
“Thank you.” He replied.

With that, the two soldiers I knew now to be those of the enemy as well as Auden departed. I knew I would see him again soon. Something was not right. I was well aware that, had he wanted to, Auden could have easily overpowered both of the guards on his own, let alone with my assistance. No, something was terribly wrong. I would find Auden again that evening, but for now I had to focus. I considered all possible reasons Auden could have let himself be forced into giving a false statement like that. In the end I came to a few conclusions. Possibly, the enemy had managed to take someone hostage, maybe they had threatened Auden, perhaps Auden had pretended to be a spy for the other side without my knowledge. None of these were good news, as they all meant the same thing: Something was going to happen, and soon. War was approaching quicker than we had hoped, and the enemy had the upper hand. Briskly, I rose from my seat at the strategy board to inspect it further. While we were speaking, Auden had scribbled something on the board with his pencil, which I quickly went to examine. Upon looking at it, I immediately recognized it as Pylgerian; The language spoken by much of the Empire’s aristocracy. I translated it in my mind, and was shocked at the contents of the message written in the ancient language.

They are at the northern hills. Hundreds of soldiers. Meet me at the bridge tonight.

Auden’s unmistakable handwriting etched into the board was possibly more worrying than the encounter itself. I now had no way to deny the imminent danger we were in. I looked back to the tactical board, searching for the northern hills Auden had written of. As expected, they were north of the settlement, but not very far away. A few days travel at most. I took the wooden figure used to represent the invading army, and placed it behind the hills. For hours I stood there, moving a piece every now and then, carefully considering my options. I calculated the amount of time it would take for the invading army to cross the river, considering they likely had large supply trains as well as possible cavalry. I considered whether or not they would be able to cross the hills with their army, or if they would need to take the longer route around them. I briefly considered how long they would have to pause to rest during their travels, taking into account that they had made soldiers out of children, but I quickly realized that had they already lost their morals to the point of forcing children to the battlefield, they would likely not take their needs into consideration. At the end of my thoughts, I came to the conclusion that we had three to five days before the army arrived. Three to five days to organize our fleet. Three to five days to decide a fate which may affect us for thousands of years. Ideally, I would have spent those three to five days standing at the tactical board, but I knew the army would need my assistance to be trained.
That evening, when the sun had set, I began to make my way over to the bridge which Auden had asked me to meet him at. It was a colder night, which forced me to button my cloak tight around my person, the brooch I had pinned to it nearly being blown away in the wind. Before long, forcing my way through the icy cold, I made it to the somewhat calmer bridge, which stood illuminated by warm yellow lanterns. On the bridge stood Auden, his arms lying limply on the overhang of the bridge and his head gazing downwards. I quickly made my way towards him as the wind began to calm.
“Hello there!” I shouted through the noise of the wild winds around us. He did not respond, but instead turned to me, and waved his hand in the air. I joined his side at the bridge, and, without wasting any time, we began to speak.
“I assume you found my message?” Auden asked, certainly knowing the answer to this.
“Yes, I did.” I responded, wishing Auden would get on with it and tell me what was happening.
“I discovered their army while I was out hunting with a few of the soldiers. I had them hide in the bushes, as not to be found out and for their horses to be killed.”
“I see.”
“I rode over to the settlement and tried to remain hidden, but alas, I failed in doing so.”

I likely could have done a better job at hiding. Maybe I had wanted to be found in one way or another. Afterall, I would get a better view of the camp from inside of it. I would have attempted to kill the two soldiers, but, before I knew it, both my sword and dagger had been seized and my horse slaughtered with my own blade. I tried to escape the soldiers grasp, but unfortunately failed to do so. With the combined effort of the two soldiers, they managed to drag me back to their campsite, and place me in what they claimed to be an interrogation chamber, but what was in truth just the centre of their camp. I was sat on a wooden tree stump and my arms were untied by the man. I heard the other one of the soldiers call him Philip. The two of them stood in front of me, as a crowd began to form around us. They had already taken notice of me being dragged in, but now they truly realised that something was about to happen. The two soldiers standing in front of me began to ask questions.
“So, what’s your name and rank?” The lady asked. Her partner addressed her as Josephine, which I took note of.
“My name is Oliver Green.” I replied, not stirring at all. “I’m an army Cadet recruited approximately five days ago. I was tasked with-”
“Bullsh*t.” The other soldier laughed. “You seriously want us to think that you’re a Cadet? With that uniform? You can’t be serious.”
“Well, I’m afraid I am serious good sir.” I responded, looking him dead in the eyes.
“What’s your number?”
“Five seven three zero.” I replied, hoping to the gods that such a number would be believable. Afterall, our army did not use serial numbers for the soldiers, but mentioning this would have likely made me even more suspicious to the soldiers.
The man chuckled for another moment, then cracked his knuckles. Before I knew it, he grabbed me by the collar and hoisted me into the air.
“Listen here buddy, we know full well you aren’t who you say you are. So, either you tell us who you truly are, or things are going to get difficult for you.”
With that, he loosened his grip on my shirt and dropped me to the ground, where I nearly hit my head on the tree stump. Had there not been a crowd around us, I would have attempted to either fight my way out, or to run. However, there was in fact a crowd around us, and I had no opportunity to safely exit the situation.
“So tell us again;” The man restated, placing his sword to my neck. “Who are you and what’s your rank?”
I did not respond, just gazed up at the man and grinned.
“What the f*ck’s so funny?” The soldier asked, pushing his blade harder on my neck. I smiled for a second before responding.
“You’ve got no damn idea what you’re doing, and honestly, that’s bloody hilarious. You think you’ve got me all figured out, don’t you?”
The man wasted no time in responding to this accusation with a sharp kick to the side.
“I know one thing, and that’s that you’re lying to us you bastard. Now I’ll ask you one more time. Who the hell are you?”
I would have continued to adamantly claim I was an Oliver Green who does not exist, were it not for one soldier amongst the crowd. One very short, very energetic soldier.
“Auden?” The voice said. Carmen’s voice.
Many of the army recruits amongst the crowd turned to Carmen, who had made their way to the front of them all.
“Do you know this traitor?” The male soldier said, retreating his blade from my neck.
“That’s Auden! Auden Guillebeaux! He’s friends with my dad!” Carmen shouted. “Why are you hurting him?”
The soldier looked back to me, as I was now attempting to return to my feet. I gazed up at him as I shook from the effort.
“Do you know anything about this traitor? Do you know his rank in the rebel army from your father?”
I knew that Carmen’s father had joined our side, but I was neither aware that Carmen remained with her mother, nor that she was still in contact with her father. Gods damnit, she had no idea what she was doing.
“He’s a Commander! Just, please, leave him alone!” Carmen belted.
The soldier grinned, then gave a signal to those standing around Carmen. She was dragged back kicking and screaming. I wish I could have helped her, but, for now, I could do nothing but watch.
“Well then, I suppose I’ve found your true identity now. My, my, the esteemed Auden Guillebeaux right at my feet. I suppose I should be honoured.” The male soldier said. I had not seen it happen, but it seemed as though the female soldier who had been called Josephine had joined Carmen.
“I now see why you were so adamant about being an Oliver Green, Commander.”
He sneered the words as though it was a curse, letting each syllable slide through his gritted teeth individually. I stared back into his eyes with a grin.
2And you, sir?” I asked. The soldier was clearly of low rank, a senior Cadet at best. His grin turned to a frown as I said the words. I already figured I would not be lucky enough as to leave this place without at least a black eye, so it came as no surprise to me when I felt the sting of his fist being thrown into my face. I stumbled to my side for a moment, before being lifted up by my collar once more.
“Listen here Auden Guillebeaux. Your rebel friends may give a sh*t about your prestigious name and shiny rank, but all I care about is the information you have. So, what’ll it be? Your knowledge or your life?”
I stopped for a moment, realizing he may not yet know that death was not permanent. I decided to use this to my advantage.
“Oh, you think I fear that? I’ve been here far longer than you, and I intend to stay longer than you as well, Cadet.”
The soldier seemed to have seen through my bluff of courage. He smiled, took a step back and let me fall to my feet on the ground once more.
“Is that so?”
I panicked as I realized my bluff may not have been as good as I had intended.
“What’s wrong? Nothing to say?”
I did not respond.
“My, how the mighty have fallen Commander Hollows.”
“Don’t call me that.” I sneered. Within the province, it was common knowledge that I had changed my name upon moving to it, however, most people had the common sense not to bring it up. The audacity of the man to address me as such was such a petty thing for me to snap at, but, alas, I was prideful.
“What’s wrong? Are you scared by your past actions Commander Hollows?”
“Say that again and-“
He stepped forward and gripped the collar of my shirt once more before responding.
“And what? Are you going to kill me? The great Auden Hollows is to kill a mere soldier?”
I did not hesitate for a moment. I quickly scanned the crowd with my eyes for anyone not paying close attention to their weapons. Quickly I laid my eyes on a tall Cadet with short blond hair and brown eyes, who’s focus was on a peculiar rock he was staring down. Without hesitation, I stretched my arm out and pulled the sword the five metres through the air it needed to land safely in my grip. The crowd gasped, both in shock and in disgust at an Allinari being amongst them. The soldier looked horrified and terrified for a moment. All the time I needed. I grabbed his arm and pushed it to the left, forcing him to drop his grip on my collar completely. I steadied my stance as he stumbled for a moment before catching his balance. I swung at him, but, before I could land a killing blow, he met my sword with his own. He straightened his stance and gazed me in the eyes.
“You Allinari bastards.” He simply said. I grinned, and resumed my entourage of blows. Within seconds I had pushed him back significantly. Within a few seconds more I had pinned him to the ground. A few seconds more, and he had dropped his sword whilst trying to defend himself. A second more and I had lifted my sword to deliver a killing blow. But then, a second too early, a longsword’s blade blocked my attack. I looked up, and saw Lyre standing mere inches from me, fire in his eyes, though he did not show it.
“Auden.” He greeted.
“Lyre.” I responded.
It took but a few seconds of eye contact to convince me it would be in my best interest not to attempt to fight Lyre. It was widely known that no one had yet to beat Lyre in a duel, despite propaganda claiming Adrian had defeated him. From what I had heard, Adrian was forced to publicly dispel these myths, under Lyre’s threat of leaving his side. I dropped my sword to the ground and placed my hands at either side of my head. Lyre looked at me with his usual stone-faced expression, revealing neither emotions nor feelings. He cleared his throat as several soldiers tied my hands behind my back with a rope.
“Thank you, Cadet Sterand, for your “honourable” intentions.” Lyre sarcastically said to the man who’s life he had saved. “But I’m afraid we have regulations for a reason, good sir, and, though you may have done it for your own noble pursuits, your breaking them does not help. You may also want to read a book or two, as you seem to not understand the basics of death in this province.”
Cadet Philip Sterand made no attempt to defend his actions, simply dusted off his uniform and saluted, saying: “Sir, yes sir!”
I was dragged away by the soldier tasked with tying my hands, but did not miss the opportunity to grin back at the Cadet who now stood embarrassed in front of his commander. I was brought to a simple black tent which was held up by several sticks. Inside, I was sat in a chair, and was bound to it. I sat in wait for several minutes, before being joined by Lyre. He sat across from me, a table in between us. As was usual for Lyre, he did not waste time in pleasantries.
“Auden, let’s just get into it.” He began. “You know that you were spying on us, I know that you were spying on us, let’s talk.”
“What’s there to say? You know full well what I was doing.”
There was truly no point in trying to deceive Lyre. He would always know.
“Look, if I tell you to go back home and promise not to tell anyone what you saw, we both know that won’t work. Besides, I may want to use this as an opportunity of sorts.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that Carmen is here with us, correct?”
I paused. I knew most of the conservatives were like this, but not Lyre. Lyre had morals. Lyre wasn’t a brute like this.
“Lyre, you can’t be serious!” I nearly shouted.
“Come now Auden, war is war. You know that as well as I.”
I was shocked. It was unbelievable.
“What do you want from me?”
“Simple. I want for you to go back, accompanied by a soldier or two of course, and I want you to tell Orion that the documents stolen last week were faked, and that their information is useless.”
It was not an awful request.
“And if I don’t?”
“Well, death may not be permanent, but we can certainly give Carmen a hard time.”
Bastard. Gods damned bastard.

“And, well, you know the rest.” Auden finished.
His tale shocked me more than I can describe. I had heard rumours that Lyre was leading the opposing army, but this confirmation still took me by surprise.
“I know it was stupid to try to scout it out, but at least we know that Lyre’s their Commander. And Carmen will be safe.”
“Carmen will be safe.” I repeated solemnly.
I told Auden of what I had found in the documents. The files of soldiers, dates and locations of planned attacks, letters between Adrian and the person the documents were stolen from. He seemed interested by this, and expressed a desire to see them for himself, which I agreed to. I told him also of my calculations, and the dire situation we were in. He agreed that we would need to begin training the army the next day.
“We need someone to lead them.” Auden claimed, and looked to me.
I looked back at him for a moment, before realizing what his expression meant.
“You can’t be serious!” I shot at him. He knew of my desire to leave my past behind, and I had figured he of all people should understand.
“Orion, please, I can only do so much myself.” He plead.
“It’s not going to happen!” I nearly yelled.
“Orion, be reasonable.”
“I am being reasonable. You, however, are being ridiculous!”
“You’re the most qualified person to do it!”
“It’s a no.”
I turned to walk away from Auden, but as I did so, I felt his gloved hand grip mine. I turned back around to him, and found his eyes fixated on me. His violet-red frock suit and cloak blew to his right in the wind and his hair followed. His autumn brown eyes with specks of purple in them looking deeply into mine, I truly realized how much he wanted to help the people of New Veredonia. I saw how greatly he wanted to win this war for the Allinari. I saw him. I sighed and lowered my arm.
“Alright.” I said to him. He seemed overjoyed. “On one condition.”
“What’s that?” He asked.
“You have to help me train my power.”
Auden smiled. He smiled. Gods, I hadn’t seen him smile in so long. In that moment I knew I had made the right decision. Afterall, I knew it would not be the same as back there. And if a General they needed, a General they would get.
“Should we start now?” Auden asked excitedly. I agreed to starting that evening, as I could tell how dearly he wanted to teach me. Auden’s power may have been far different from my own, but he still seemed to know much about all types of powers. We walked into the vast open fields just north of the bridge, and Auden began to walk me through it.
“Before we start, I need for you to close your eyes.” He said.
“It’s pitch black out, isn’t that close enough?”
“Sadly not. Now, go on.”
Reluctantly, I did as he said, closing my eyes and standing silently in the field. For a moment it felt somewhat unsteady on my feet, but I was soon able to find new balance.
“Now, I want you to picture something simple; Something you can imagine very easily. It can be anything, as long as you can see it fully in your mind.”
In my mind, I began to picture the dagger which lay in its sheath at the back of my belt. I could see it all; The blade, the woodwork, the engraved words.
“Good. Now put both of your hands out in front of you and open your eyes, but keep the image in your mind.”
It was somewhat difficult to do, but I managed to keep a somewhat decent image of the dagger in my mind’s eye.
“Now place that image of the object in between your hands. I need you to see it, for then there it shall be.”
I tried to follow Auden’s vague instructions, however strange they may have seemed. Despite all odds, as I did so, a small red cloud began to form in my hands.
“Good! That’s good! Keep imagining the image!” Auden shouted happily as he saw the cloud form. However, I could not live up to his hopes, as I was unable to produce any sort of object from this cloud. Within seconds, it faded away into nothing. Auden sighed at this, but did not allow me to become discouraged.
“It’s okay, it takes a while. Let’s try again!” He said, and try again we did. We tried for what may as well have been all of the five days we had left. Over and over again, managing to create a cloud of red mist, nearly forming a solid object, only for it to all fall apart into nothingness. At one point, the cloud came close to turning into something resembling an object, however, it stopped short of fully taking form. It shattered into dust just as it always had done.
“It’s alright.” Auden sighed after this attempt. “You came close, and we still have more time. We can continue this tomorrow if you like.”
I agreed, as I did take note of the fact that the moon at this point had reached its peak, and would soon begin to take shelter over the horizon to make room for the steadily approaching sun.
Auden claimed that the route to his house was quite similar to mine, and thus offered to walk with me. It was pleasant to be in his company, for once not speaking of war or of fighting. We were just talking. Such a simple thing, but still so wonderful. I mentioned that Theo would be discharged from the hospitalia the next day, and that he had claimed he would love to help set up the army. Auden expressed his opinion that Theo was not yet fit to engage in such combat, but he also made known that he would not get in my way should I choose to allow him to do so. After that, we walked in silence for a while, but it was not the usual calm silence that I felt with Auden. There was some sort of tension in the air, and Auden seemed very deep in thought.
“Where’s your mind gone?” I asked him eventually.
“Somewhere unpleasant.” He sternly answered.
“How so?”
“You wouldn’t want to know, trust me.”
“Bold claim to make, do go on.”
“Do you truly want to know?”
“Well, yes, see, that’s why I’m asking.”
Auden stopped dead in his tracks, his arms still tense and his eyes looking down at the dirt path beneath his feet as though it would disappear if he took his eyes off of it for even a second.
“I know how you could learn to use your power to its fullest.” He claimed, though he did not seem enthused at the statement.
“But, that’s good is it not?”
“It is decidedly not.”
There was a long pause as Auden seemed absorbed by his own thoughts.
“I’m sorry.” He eventually mumbled.
Before I had even the time to ask him why he had apologized, he drew his sword from his sheath and began to swing at me with precision untold.
“Auden?!” I shouted as I narrowly dodged an attack. I fell forwards to avoid its path and rolled over my shoulder, returning to my feet behind him. He lunged once more, but now I was prepared. I parried his attack with my rapier several times in a row. I did not attempt to retaliate, and I stayed purely defensive. As he continued his entourage, I could feel myself being forced backwards by his blade.
“Auden, please, did I do something wrong?!” I shouted over the sound of metal clashing together. He didn’t respond to this, simply continued his swings. Lunge after lunge, swing after swing; We were evenly matched. However, he still had one advantage; He was willing to attack. After some time, I gave up trying to reason with him, accepting that he would not cease his attack. He lunged at me once more, which I narrowly dodged by sliding to my left, though I was not yet safe. With terrifying speed, he lunged once more, this time pushing me off balance and forcing me to stumble backwards to the ground, my back hitting against a tree. I turned my head to gauge my surroundings, finding that he had nearly pushed me back over the side of a cliff. The only reason I had not yet fallen to my death was the tree which grew sideways along the overhang of the cliffside.
“Auden?” I asked once more, my voice audibly shaking.
He did not respond, just drew back his sword to strike. I looked around to attempt to find where my rapier had fallen, hoping to still be able to defend against his attacks, but to no avai. My sword was nowhere in sight, and it looked as though it may have fallen over the cliff. It did not matter. Either way, Auden would win. I had not the heart to fight one of the first people I was able to call friend. As I saw him begin to thrust his sword in my direction, I put out my hand in instinct to block his attack with a sword which I did not have. I closed my eyes. One, two, three. But there was no impact. I opened my eyes and found Auden’s sword had been blocked by a sword which looked as though it was made of red glass.
“It worked!” Auden cried, a smile on his face.
He took a step back and dropped his sword to his side. He was grinning; Not with malice, but with joy.
“Have you gone mental?!”I shouted at him as I carefully rose from the tree, my grip still firmly on the clear red blade.
“It worked, didn’t it? And it’s not like anyone died!” Auden shot back, still clearly pleased with what he thought was genius. I approached him as his voice began to shift from ecstatic to somewhat worried.
“Your powers are more easily accessible when strong emotions are in play, it was the best way to get you to use your power.” He explained as I walked still closer.
“Have you ANY idea how stupid that was?!” I shouted at him as he began to grow even more concerned.
“But I knew you’d understand, or I thought you would. It was for the greater good, it’s not like you would have died permanently or anything!” He exclaimed.
I did not respond to his statement at first, just softened my gaze somewhat as he said this. I sighed and walked forward on the path, hoping to reach the town soon. Auden followed me, incessantly apologizing as he came to his senses. In some ways, I understood why Auden had done such a thing. As much as I hate to admit it, I likely would have done the same. Despite my telling him I forgave him, he still felt the need to express how deeply he regretted his actions. Excuse after excuse and explanation after explanation came from his mouth as we walked. Soon enough, I could already see the edge of the city.
“But you do understand why I did it, right?” He asked, seeking validation.
“I do. You’ve asked that several times now, Auden.” I responded coldly.
“I know, but you know it was for the greater good in the end. I wasn’t risking much, it’s not like you would have died forever or anything.”
I did not respond to this. I couldn’t properly.
“Right.” I eventually said. For a moment I saw Auden’s eyes fill with confusion, quickly followed by shock and realization. He stopped dead in his tracks.
“Orion, you wouldn’t have died, right?” He asked, his expression changing.
“Of course not, that’s ridiculous.”
“Then why did you sigh?”
“What?”
“Why did you sigh. When I said you wouldn’t have died permanently, you sighed.”
“Did I? My, maybe that’s because you nearly killed me, and I’m relieved that you didn’t.”
“Orion, you know as well as I that that’s not why you sighed.”
I continued walking, Auden following by my side. The town so very close now.
“You know I wouldn’t have wanted to hurt you.”
“Well, you sure did pretend to want me dead quite well then.”
“But you wouldn’t have died, right?” He interjected.
“Drop it, Auden.” I firmly said.
“No, this is important Orion.” He said, rushing before me to hinder me from walking further into the town.
“Drop it.” I restated.
“Orion, please, just tell me. Give me an answer gods damnit.”
I could tell some of the soldiers out on night patrol were listening in, which unsettled me somewhat.
“Leave it be Auden.”
It looked as though Auden was about to ask once more, but, fortunately, he was interrupted. Two captains from the patrol team had seen the conflict and had decided to defuse the situation, before one of us ended up killing the other, which had begun to seem more and more likely by the minute.
“Is this man bothering you, General?” One of the two Captains asked.
The two of them stood on either side of me, ever so slightly in front of me, both to block possible attacks from Auden, as well as to block those coming from me.
“No, he’s simply not thinking straight.” I said, not losing eye contact with Auden.
I could tell he was somewhat hurt by my not giving him an answer, but I knew he would come to terms with it. He was a smart man, he would not let such a simple thing tear him apart. Auden turned to leave, but not before I began to see an expression I could not place form on his face. Was it sadness, was it fear? I was not certain. The two captains both took a step back and saluted to me before returning to their teams. Repressing my hatred for it, I saluted back and went on my way as well. I despised the act more than I despised hell and the Empire. Despite that, I made no attempt to rid New Veredonia of salutations, as I knew it would neither work, nor be well received.

The next day was not as windy as it had been the day before; A perfect day to begin training the recruits. Auden had long ago sent out conscription notices to all those eligible to join the army, which ended up being more than we had expected. With my cloak buttoned shut, I walked through the streets to the patch of land where we had set up our training area. Several times as I walked, I had to grab my hood and pull it over my head again. It was not horribly windy, but there was still quite the breeze. Soon, I could see the camp just over the hills, and it was a sight to behold. There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of people there, all standing patiently. Many were speaking with each other, likely discussing the circumstances. As I approached them, some began to turn heads, though they were polite enough to act as though they had not. I passed through them, course set for the eastern end of the camp where Auden and Theo were already standing in wait.
“Orion, nice of you to join us!” Theo happily said. I was quite glad to see he was doing better. I cannot imagine the grief he had been dealing with. He was such a kind soul. He did not deserve that.
“Orion.” Auden acknowledged. I sensed his cold tone instantly.
I knew he was upset that I had not opened up to him, but I intended to speak with him at some point that day. This was not the right time to be quarrelling amongst ourselves. I gave them both a nod of acknowledgement and took my place in between the two of them. Though Auden was by far the better public speaker, able to use his articulative nature to convince a crowd of near anything, we had long ago agreed that it would be far better for the General to deliver the speech to the army. Though at the time we decided this, I was not yet been aware that it would be I who would fill that role, I was not one to go back on my word.
“Shall I begin?” I asked, turning to Auden for his confirmation. He gave me a nod before looking forward at the crowd once more. It was at this point only that I noticed his anxious posture; His arms were both behind his back, his hands clenching each other tightly. His shoulders looked so tense that I feared they may collapse in on themselves. Most often, Auden was quite calm, and seeing him visibly stressed was more concerning than I can express. This caused me to turn to Theo as well to gauge his feelings regarding the situation at hand. Luckily, Theo seemed his usual self. He was clearly excited to be part of something, though he made an honest effort to appear as cold and professional as someone like him could ever hope to be. He still wore a flower crown as he so loved to do, though, I believe this may have actually helped him to seem more intimidating. It took confidence to stand before an army with a crown of flowers on your head. I tried to ignore Auden’s nervosity, and continued as planned. I took a step forward and drew my sword from its sheath. Letting the blade crash onto the hard rocky surface below, helped by my force, and creating a loud ringing noise which echoed throughout the camp. It did not take a second blow to gain the attention of the crowd, who promptly turned to face me, and attempted to act as organized as they could.
“Distinguished citizens.” I began. “As you are likely aware, our country and our people are under attack.”
I did not speak loudly, instead commanding silence with the authority of a normal speaking tone. “As citizens able and willing, you have been brought here to fight for your country and to protect those around you. This will not be easy, but I have full confidence in your abilities. We have five days to turn you from average people to soldiers; Five days until the invading army strikes. As your allinaric abilities or lack thereof have already been recorded, you will be separated into two groups based on these. One group will train with Commander Guillebeaux and the other with Commander Prolunder.”
I heard a chuckle within the group coming from someone near the front of them. It did not take very long for me to find its origin. I walked towards the soldier in question as the rest of the recruits remained in formation, curious as to what would happen to the unruly soldier. After briskly scanning the man’s outfit for his information, I looked him dead in the eyes.
“Cadet Gilding, what seems to be the issue?” I asked, not breaking eye contact. The man was significantly taller than I, but he still failed to intimidate. He ceased his giggling for a moment to meet my gaze. He somewhat straightened his form before replying, making sure to exaggerate the height difference by looking down with only his eyes.
“I’m just saying, do you truly think it’s a good idea to have Theo train anyone?”
“Are you implying something, Cadet?” I asked coldly.
“Well I think that’s obvious, General.”
I stared the man down for a moment in disbelief. He truly was unthinking. Were it under different circumstances, I may have even admired his audacity and his innate arrogance.
“Well then, you should have no issue proving your accusation. Please, do step forwards.”
He gladly walked out of the crowd and stood before them all. Theo grinned for a split second, assumedly happy to be able to duel such a foolish recruit. The Cadet scoffed at me as he walked by, clearly blindly confident in his abilities. I began to count them down.
“One.”
They took their stances, Theo’s clearly far more refined than his opponent’s.
“Two.”
They drew their weapons, the arrogant Cadet growing worried. I believe he may never have actually seen Theo fight.
“Three.”
They began to duel, Theo gaining the upper hand within split seconds. As I had expected, it took no more than a few offensive attacks from Theo to throw the man to the ground, his sword far too distant to reach. Theo placed his longsword to the man’s neck as he pressed his head closer to the ground in a feeble attempt to avoid the blade.
“Go on.” Theo said, a smile across his face. “Apologise.”
The Cadet began to profusely apologise, and Theo pulled his blade from the man’s neck. Satisfied with his victory, he took a step back to allow the man to return to his feet and placed his sword back in its sheath. The man pathetically scrambled to his feet, his uniform now covered in grass and dirt.
“Well then Cadet, I suggest you resume your formation.” I mockingly said. I could already hear the crowd beginning to snicker at his failure. He shamefully walked back to his position, thoroughly disheartened.
“Assuming no one else would like to challenge the Commander, I suggest we carry on. Time is of the essence after all.”
I separated the hundreds of people into their two groups as I had planned. Those least experienced would go with Theo, as he was likely the best at teaching those who knew nothing, and those who had fought in an army before would go with Auden. Before we did this, however, we brought them all to the same training field to gauge their abilities and strengths. Afterall, we needed to scout out potential Captains. An obstacle course which had been set up by several volunteers would be their challenge. I stood on the side lines as Auden shouted orders at the Cadets. He was quite good at it too, having a perfect balance of intimidation and motivation. I had opted out of doing it myself, as I worried I would slip back into old tendencies should I assume such a position. As time marched on, I separated the group into two squadrons. The more experienced ones were able to rest for a moment, as Auden was still in dispose. As this all continued, I watched from the side, looking for any trace of potential in the recruits.
“Quite the turn out, ey?” A voice said from my right. I turned to it and found a recruit from Auden’s squadron approaching me, his uniform lazily buttoned and not well kept. Clearly a uniform which he had received a long time ago.
“I suppose one could view it as such.” I responded, looking the man up and down.
“Apologies, where are my manners, I’m Greyson. Greyson Dividier.” He said, reaching out a hand to shake mine.
“I’ve heard that name before.” I said, purposefully not taking his hand. “You know Auden, don’t you?”
“I figured he must’ve mentioned me at some point.” Greyson responded, a slight smile across his face.
“We met at an Allinari meeting as well.” I claimed, looking away from him and onto the training field once more. It seemed as though the recruits were being taught basic fighting skills.
“Ah. Yes. That.”
“You didn’t make an awfully good impression then. I suppose that’s why you’re trying to make up for it now?”
“You suppose correctly.”
He had a distinct accent which I recognized as being from north-western Bywthyn, near Beladon. The man was likely a slave owner, as many from that region of Bywthyn were. The slave loving Contrastorians had spread their beliefs to that province long before my time.
“A noble effort.” I said, though I did not fully believe that Greyson Dividier was worth any form of redemption. Despite this, I tolerated him standing next to me for a while, leaning against a tree while watching the group of recruits duel each other to practice using swords. As one pair of two women began their duel, I heard Greyson sneer something under his breath. I turned to him.
“Is something bothering you?” I asked.
Greyson sighed before responding.
“It’s not normal for women to fight.”
I looked at him for a moment before shooting back: “No, it’s not normal for someone to be as stupid as they are tall, but, alas, here you stand.”
Greyson was silent after that. He was clearly aware that he had ruined any chance he had of making up for his previous behaviour. I did not acknowledge his existence next to me after that, and simply waited for him to decide to leave the scene, which he soon did, being called back to training with the rest of the recruits.
In the time Greyson had stood by my side, I had already identified several possible candidates for Captains. A woman with an unnatural shade of pink hair who wore an olive green hair cloth to keep her unruly strands of hair out of her eyes. Her uniform was buttoned sophisticatedly up to the top and she kept a very professionally solemn expression on her face, though her caring nature was obvious to anyone who knew how to spot it. During the team exercises she thrived, creating order within her group and managing to finish second, despite her squadron being made mostly of beginners. According to Auden’s list, the lady’s name was Diane Bevan; A refugee from Bywthyn. The chart claimed her allinaric ability was healing. Another very promising candidate was a young man with light blond wavy hair who seemed to brim with excitement at every opportunity to lead. He could not have been more than sixteen he was quite excited to have an opportunity to prove himself. His uniform was somewhat torn, which I had seen happen during the obstacle course. He had been climbing one of the ropes, when he let one hand go from the rope to help pull another soldier up. As a result, he fell from the rope, though he was luckily caught by a cadet a bit further down and helped back up. I checked the list once more, and found the boy. His name was Alex Rose, and he had just reached sixteen. He was born in the province and his allinaric ability was an unnatural endurance. A third option was someone I had been observing from the beginning, though not for a good reason. He was of slightly taller than average stature and had neglected to wear his uniform at first, instead having to be given one at the camp. His hair was a dark shade of brown and he had dyed individual strands of it different shades of blue. He had been wearing glasses, though he had neglected to retrieve them when he lost them during an exercise. According to the chart, his name was Owen Hestinger, an escaped slave from Contrastoria. He was without allinaric ability, though this clearly did not affect his strength and valuable status as a naturally gifted fighter. I believed he would make a good captain, not only because of his skills, but also because he had displayed his ability to command the respect of his fellow soldiers.
I noted down the names Diane Bevan, Alex Rose, and Owen Hestinger. I had seen a few others with equally valuable skills, but there was something about these three that I could not quite place; Something promising. A burning passion for what they did. I placed my piece of parchment and quill back in my worn out maroon bag and laid it on the ground next to me. I spent the next while watching Auden and Theo attempt to motivate the new recruits who were falling quite far behind those with experience. It was completely understandable that they struggled, but unfortunately, we would soon have to hold them all to the same standards. We did not have enough time to teach them slowly.
It seemed as though they were beginning the one on one competitions now. It had been a brilliant idea on Auden’s part to add these, as they were wonderfully effective motivators. The soldiers were lined up in pairs of two to wait their turns. The first few pairs went through the course with nothing very noteworthy. Most of them had average times and traversed the obstacles with equally average skill. Then, the first interesting pair finally came; Diane Bevan and Owen Hestinger. I had specifically asked Auden to pair these two together, as I was quite curious to see which of them would be able to get through the course faster.
“Three!” Auden shouted to them as they readied themselves for the first hurtle.
“Two!”
Their eyes fixated on the obstacle.
“One!”
Their tension was visible.
“Go!”
And they went. Over the first hurtle, to the bars. By the time Owen reached the wall, it had already become clear who would likely win this match up. Diane was clever and agile, but had struggled immensely at the platform. She stumbled somewhat after jumping from it, which caused her to lose a significant amount of time. The race finished as expected, with Owen reaching the top of the rope before Diane even had a chance to attempt to climb it. I noted down the results of it, though I pondered whether or not it had been a fair match up at all. A few more pairs came with varying results, though nothing very interesting came of it. The most interest-peaking part of it was that one of the Cadets attempted to use his teleportation ability to cheat the course, which Auden spent the next five to ten minutes shouting at him for. Afterall, we had made it very clear that the entire course must be passed through. Of course, this meant that no one wanted to race against the Cadet who’s ability was unnatural speed, but alas, someone had to do it. However, as I continued to watch on, one pair emerged which peaked my interest; Alex Rose was to face off against Greyson Dividier. The two of them assumed their position, and I instantly recognized Alex’s fear. I’m certain he too was aware that this was not the fairest of pairs. Greyson was an experienced fighter, and a skilled one at that, and Alex was only a child who had barely ever done more than hunt. Still, Alex did not complain. Auden began to count them down, and I decided to quickly go through the files I had received. It listed Greyson’s ability as non-existent, but something about that seemed off. Greyson did not fit the usual profile of someone within the army without allinaric ability. He was a successful mercenary and, with his competition able to harness unnatural abilities which he allegedly did not possess, this seemed… wrong. I decided to watch them and to step in if Greyson decided to step out of line. The race started, and I kept a close eye on Greyson as the two of them passed through the course. Alex was surprisingly able to keep up with his opponent, even passing him ever so slightly at certain points of the race. I was very surprised at this, as was Greyson. They got to the bars they would have to climb to reach the platform, and I noticed how frantic Greyson began to get as Alex nearly passed him several times. I could only imagine how embarrassed he must have been at the thought of being beaten by a child. Suddenly, as they reached the platform, I saw Alex fall to his knees out of nowhere. He did not fall from the platform, but he was stunned. I began to shift my position as I heard Auden call to him, but get no response. Even from far away, I could see how distant Alex’s gaze had become. Something was terribly wrong. I now began to run over to the platform, sliding under the obstacles and quickly pulling myself up the ladder to reach him.
“Alex? Alex talk to me bud!” I could hear Theo shout from below. Behind me I heard Auden climb up the platform to join me.
“He’s just a child.” I whispered to Auden, who nodded in response.
“Alex, can you hear me?” I asked, placing my hand on his back. He didn’t move an inch, even as his breathing grew heavier, and I noticed that his skin was strangely warm to the touch, even for the amount of energy he was exerting. I shifted in front of him to meet his eyes. They were so fixated on the ground ahead of him it looked as though he saw something I did not.
“Alex?” Auden asked, trying to seem as calm as possible.
“She’s there…” He whimpered, barely being able to make a sound.
“Who? Who is there Alex?” I asked him.
“Allia…she’s right there.”
Auden looked to me, concerned.
“Allia was his sister.” He whispered to me. Was.
“Alex where are you?” Auden asked, moving me out of the way to be in front of Alex.
“I…”
“Look at me, Alex, where are you?”
“Training field.” He muttered.
“Look at my eyes Alex, just look at my eyes. You’re going to be okay.”
He slowly looked up from the ground and met Auden’s eyes. His breathing slowed, and it took not much longer for him to refocus, and we were soon able to get him down from the platform. He was escorted from the training site by Theo, who Auden and I both agreed was the best equipped to calm him.
“Where’s Greyson?” I asked Auden, not looking up from the ground.
“Why?” He responded, confused.
“Where is he?” I demanded once more.
“He’s over on the benches. He didn’t notice Alex’s condition at first.”
“Auden something’s not right.” I said as I jumped from the edge of the platform and back down to the earth.
“Oh?”
“Greyson. It says he doesn’t have an ability, but how do you explain his military achievements then? Do you not think it somewhat strange that a man without any abilities next to hundreds with them would be able to rise the ranks that quickly?”
Auden paused for a second before responding.
“Orion, this is my friend you’re talking about. I suggest you choose your words carefully.”
“I’m not saying he did that to Alex, but do you not think it’s an awfully big coincidence? Right as Alex would have taken the lead, he conveniently collapses with seemingly no cause?”
“His sister jumped from a cliff, you don’t think that might have been cause enough?”
“Auden, I’m only asking you to consider my theory.”
“No. Not a chance in hell.”
I sighed. There was no point in pursuing the argument, as I saw Auden would not change his mind without hard evidence. And so, I dropped the subject.
“We should continue the races.” I said to him. “There’s no point in wasting the rest of the day. We’ve still got several hours of sunlight.”
Auden agreed, and so, the races continued, though I did not pay attention to them this time. My mind was somewhere else.

“What do you say?” A voice suddenly spoke, breaking the silence and brining me back to reality. It was Auden.
“I’m sorry?” I replied looking to him.
“I figured you were zoned out. The Cadets want to see us race. You up for it?”
I chuckled.
“Always.”
We had Theo count us down as we assumed our starting positions.
“Three!” He shouted. We assumed our near kneeling positions and I considered the best route through the course.
“Two!”
I figured if I could manage it in one smooth motion, I would have an advantage.
“One!”
Left arm up to jump the log, and…
“Go!”
And we were off. Within seconds we were both over the log and had traversed the bar. We were neck in neck and as we jumped from the next log onto the bars, I noticed Auden’s unblinking focus. He was clearly trying his hardest, so I decided it would be only fair if I did the same. Onto the platform and off within the same second. We barely noticed the obstacles in front of us, we only saw the goal. It was quite fun to race against Auden, as it was an actual challenge. We got to the wall, where I noticed Auden struggle somewhat. Using this as my opportunity, I quickly dropped off the other side of it and made it to the log hurtles. The first one was behind me quicker than I saw it, then came the taller one which required not much more time. Four hurtles, one after the other, and I noticed Auden gaining on me slowly but surely. Tied once more, we both made it to the ropes. I could hear the crowd growing louder, and I locked eyes with Auden, who was smiling. We both struggled up the rope as fast as we could, though Auden was somewhat ahead of me. As I continued up the rope, I heard the crowd gasp. For a second, I heard a loud whooshing noise, and I instantly recognized that Auden had slipped and was falling from the rope. I reached out one hand, which he was able to grab hold of in the nick of time.
“Come round here often?” I asked him, laughing.
“F*ck off mate.” He responded, chuckling as well.
He grabbed hold of the rope and made it the rest of the way up the rope, though not before I had already reached it and had begun sliding down the rope once more. The crowd cheered as Auden and I descended the rope, and Theo came to give us our score.
“Well Cadets, it seems as though your time was the best we’ve had today, though I cannot ignore that blatant disregard for the rules at the end, Cadet Montiér. Saving another recruit? By the gods, you’ll be discharged for this.”
We laughed as Auden and I walked arm in arm back to the camp. The sun had already begun to set, and we knew it would not be long before it became pitch black. We assigned the Cadets their tents, and, with that, the first day of five was over.
“We’ll be lucky if we make it.” I said to Auden as we both sat at the cliffside. It was a lush green colour with flowers near everywhere. A wonderful sight, and, were it not for the circumstances, I may have even stopped to appreciate it.
“We’ll be alright, Orion.” He responded, sitting down next to me.

I awoke on the same cliff side lying next to Auden. It seemed as though we had both neglected to return to out tents that night, though I supposed this would not be an issue. I gently shook Auden awake and told him that we had to attend to our duties. Though Auden insisted the now official Captains could handle the training themselves, I claimed that we would supervise them to assist them when lost. I had to practically drag him to camp, but I did manage to get him to stand up straight when the Cadets began to salute to us.
“Ah, our for a morning stroll, are we?” Theo grinned. “It’s alright, I gave them their instructions for the day. They’ll be fine.”
Theo could instantly see through us, and knew that we had barely just woken up, but it did not seem to bother him. The gods only knew that that man barely had the capability for contempt. It was a calm day, and the breeze blew through his golden brown hair beautifully. I couldn’t help but smile at him.
“Auden, Charlie asked to see you. They’re in tent twelve.” Theo explained. Auden nodded to this and made his way there. I now stood by Theo’s side alone in the near baren field. I listened as the Soldiers set off on their training and felt the earth shake beneath my feet as hundreds of soldiers began to march off. Theo stood in front of me with an expression I cannot describe. It was as dark as terror and as strong as anger. It seemed as though his cheery display just moments earlier had been a simple facade. He was tense. Too tense. Something was wrong.
“Theo?” I asked him. His eyes made it seem as though his mind was an entire plain of reality away from me.
“Orion, something’s not right.”
“Did something happen?”
My mind was running through all the possibilities of what could have made Theo feel like this.
“I…”
He had begun to shake. Something was very wrong. Before I could ask him anything more, ask him what was wrong, ask him what had happened, he rushed forward into my arms. I was shocked for a moment, not being able to register what had happened, but soon I was able to feel his arms around me, and I embraced him, holding him gently. He was shaking, but not saying a word. He didn’t need to say a word. I understood. Theo wasn’t made for this in the slightest. He was a fighter, sure, and he duelled with friends for fun, but a war was something else. I held him in my arms, and I knew I would never be the first to let go. I would be there for him for as long as he needed. I would have stayed there with him for hours, days, weeks. A few moments later, Theo pulled away and looked down at the ground.
“I’m sorry, I just… it’s been a lot.” He said, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.
“It’s alright, I understand.”
On Theo’s request, we did not speak of that again. I understood his stress, and I would not go against my word. I spent the day supervising the captains who had taken over training their divisions. Both Diane Bevan and Owen Hestinger seemed to have no issue with this, as they were likely more experienced, but little Alex Rose did need assistance at some points. He was energetic and thus had no issue in motivating his group, but he did struggle to explain himself using words, rather than gestures. I helped him by giving him a few useful keywords to use, and assisting him in learning how to turn one’s thought process into words. It would take time for him to grow used to such a position, but I was confident he would be a perfect fit for the job. Diane was somewhat better at leading, though she had her own fallacies. She was at some points a bit too harsh with her squadron, leading them to doubt her leadership. I attempted to explain to her how to command respect without causing fear, but I could only hope she would understand it. Owen was by far the best at his job. He required barely any assistance, and overall seemed more experienced than I could have imagined. None of his soldiers stepped out of line, but not out of fear, but out of respect.
Content with my decisions to appoint the three of them, I left them to their duties, and continued with my own. I must have spent most of my day in my tent looking over battle plans, revising them ever so slightly, and noting them down. That night I planned to invite all three of the captains as well as Auden and Theo into the planning tent to go over the battle plans. I ceased my pondering only when interrupted by someone knocking on the wooden post of my tent.
“You may enter.” I said to the empty air, not moving my gaze from the board. I was meticulously considering the painted wooden figure which represented our second squadron, led by Diane. I had a thought in mind, but it was difficult to translate it into understandable plans.
“Hello, Orion? I wanted to-”
I raised a finger to whomever the voice had come from. I continued to ponder the piece, before moving it slightly to the west of the board, and shuffling a few other pieces around to account for this change. Then and only then did I look up from the board to meet the gaze of whoever stood in front of me. The figure was quite small, barely that of a child. For a moment I believed a child from the town had made their way to the camps to see the action, but then I recognized the child’s face.
“Carmen…?” I asked, not believing my eyes.
“Yeah?” They responded, tilting their head somewhat to the side.
They were wearing a green uniform with black and gold embellishments. They had no weapon on them, but they were holding a stick in their right hand.
“Gods, Carmen, you’re safe.” I shakily said as I made my way around the table and to them, kneeling down once I had done so.
“How did you get here?”
“I walked. They were being mean to me, and I missed my dad.”
Thank the gods no one in our army had had the heart to kill a child, even if they were wearing an enemy uniform.
“Carmen, are you hurt? Did anyone follow you?”
“No, I’m okay. I don’t think anyone followed me. I just wanted to see you and my dad!”
Her time in the army had changed her. She was no longer loud, she was no longer smiling ear to ear. They had changed, but not for the better. Ten year olds shouldn’t have to stop smiling to fit in.
“Okay. Okay. Come with me Carmen, let’s go find your father.”
I grabbed her by the hand and walked her out of the tent. As the army soldiers had already long returned from their duties, several of them stopped and stared at their General walking hand in hand with a child wearing the enemy uniform. I shot them scolding gazes, but I could tell Carmen sensed that she was not fitting in properly.
“Can I get one of your uniforms? They’re prettier.”
“No, Carmen, you aren’t going to be fighting.”
I would not let her fight, no matter how much I knew she wanted to. We made our way over to tent number twenty eight, where Carmen’s father resided. I knocked on the wooden post and waited for a response.
“Yes?” His voice said from inside.
“Cadet Fechner, I must speak with you.”
He opened the tent curtains promptly and began a noble salute, before he saw Carmen. For a moment he was stunned; I don’t think he had expected to ever see his daughter again. His eyes widened as he looked at her, hand still raised in the air, and then the tears began to flow. He dropped to his knees and embraced her. I could hear him quietly repeating her name out loud, apologising, welcoming her, telling of how much he had missed her.
“I’ll leave you two to it.” I said to the father, smiling. “I suggest you find her some new clothes, as those won’t do them any good here.”
The father nodded with tears streaming down his face, and I took this as my queue to leave. Many of the soldiers around us had noticed the father reuniting with his daughter, but luckily, they had the decency not to interrupt him. I could only imagine the relief that that man must have been feeling. The strain of having been separated from a loved one, believing wholeheartedly that they would die, and then being reunited with them; It must have been such a mix of emotions. As I continued to make my way back to my tent from theirs, I felt a warm tear run down the left side of my face. It was neither the first nor the last, but it was welcome. Knowing Carmen was safe was more of a relief than I could ever explain in words. I felt such a sensation of boundless ease that I nearly forgot that we were on the verge of war. But alas, the cogs of life keep turning through grief and through joy. Just as I was about to re-enter my tent, I heard a voice call out my name. No, not my name, my title.
“General! General Montiér!” It called. I flinched at the words, having hoped I would never hear such a title again. Still yet, I turned to the sound. It was little Alex Rose, back with his squadron. I had taken note of the fact that they had not yet returned, so it was quite the relief to know that they had not gotten lost or died.
“General, I… I need to speak with you.” He said. His voice was quite panicky and frantic.
“What’s happened, are you alright?” I asked him, gesturing for him to enter the tent, though he did not.
“No, no it’s not alright. I don’t have time.”
“Alex, what’s happened.”
“They’re here. Their army, they’re here.”
I froze instantly. I felt neither the space around me nor the feelings within me. Gods, they were already here? It could have been hours, though more likely only seconds that I spent in that state before moving once again. I heard and saw the soldiers shift in surprise at Alex’s declaration, many of them whispering amongst each other. From the corner of my eye, I saw Auden and Charlie, the former clearly much calmer than the latter.
“How long?” I asked him, still in a state of shock.
“I’d say we’ve got until tomorrow at best.” He responded, clearly equally shaken.
I took a deep breath in and out, and looked at the soldiers before me, all ready to give their lives to fight for our people. I steadied my posture and deeply breathed in and out once more.
“Listen up!” I shouted. “Cadets, assemble yourself into your squadrons. Captain Rose, Bevan, and Hestinger, meet me inside. Auden, Theo, that goes for you as well.”
The cadets saluted and shouted, “Sir yes sir!” before running off to sort themselves into their teams. The captains wordlessly entered my tent, and Theo and Auden nodded understandingly, following them in. Before pushing open the draping curtains to my tent, I breathed in the crisp air, knowing I may not get to enjoy it for much longer. I drew the curtain to the side, entered through the fabric and walked to the far end of the table around which the rest of the people I had called in stood.
“I intended to explain this plan to you tonight, but, seeing as at that point we may be dead, I supposed we may want to move that to now.” I said as I assumed my position at the head of the table. Auden stood on the opposite side, staring intensely at the board, seemingly considering it in great detail. To my left stood Theo and to my right were the three Captains all on the same side of the board.
“This may be our final day, so I implore you to pay attention now, lest your ignorance be your downfall.” I said, reaching out for one of the wooden pieces. It was quite difficult to explain to them how such a board functioned, but I was somewhat practiced in the art.

I could easily tell how stressed Orion was by the situation. They had confided within me that they were afraid that, should they themselves be forced to engage in the war, they may slip back into old habits. I had promised them that I would not let them lose themselves, but I realized only now that I may not be able to help them as much as I wished to. They took their time explaining what each of the pieces meant, and how they would move along the battlefield to flank the enemy and destroy their troops, but I could not pay much attention to this. I wasn’t supposed to be there. I shouldn’t have been there. I was a decent fighter, sure, maybe not a half bad strategist, but I was no leader. I should never have been given the responsibilities of a Commander. I was already worried enough that I would lose Orion to their instincts and their past, thus I was in no condition to assume such a role. Regardless, I tried my best to listen in to what Orion said, though I failed in most ways. They had said something about my fleet moving over the east side of the mountains to flank the enemy from behind, whilst the other two would block the front. Wait, had that been a question?
“So?” They asked me.
“I’m sorry?” I responded, fearfully.
“Do you have any clue what I just asked you.” They responded, their expression twisting to a frustrated one.
“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t I-”
“Gods damnit Theo, pay attention for once! This could save your life!” They shouted at me. As the words left their mouth, I instantly saw regret move across their face.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout.” They explained. “I asked if you knew how to navigate to the eastern hills.”
“Oh. Yes. Yes, I do.” I responded.
The pressure was clearly getting to them as well. I wished more than anything in that moment that I could just help them. Alas, my wishes were not so easily obtained, and they remained mere hopes. After Orion had finished explaining the battle plans to us, they made sure we understood them, though they seemingly trusted that Auden and I had understood, instead quizzing only the three captains on the plans, and making sure they had paid attention. I wished so much that I had only listened more, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not in the slightest focus. They bid us adieu and wished us the best of luck for the following day. I tried to approach them before they left, but I was unable to, as they quickly walked through the curtains hanging over the entrance to the tent without so much as a glance backwards. Their arms were placed tensely behind their back and their posture was somehow even stiffer. It did not take a genius to be able to note that something had changed in them, and that the likely culprit of this was the suddenly very close war. I sighed, and accepted the fact that I would not be able to assist them very easily. They were usually already quite closed off as is, and in such a state, I could not expect them to allow me to help them.
“We’ll make it through this.” Auden said, having not shifted his gaze from the board. “We have no choice in the matter.”

I left the tent, still internally screaming at myself for having yelled at Theo in such a manner.
“Gods damnit.” I thought. “Can’t I do anything right?”
I did not hear Auden or Theo exit from behind me, so I could but assume they were going over the plan once more. This comforted me somewhat, as I had very early on picked up on the fact that Theo had been unable to follow what I had explained. I fully intended to give him my sincerest apologies as soon as humanly possible, but unfortunately, I had not the time for this at the moment. I sat myself down on the grass of the hill which overlooked the calm town below. Diane had offered to inform the people living below of the imminent invasion, which I happily let her do. I had a feeling that, especially in such a time as this, I would not be able to deliver the news in a very sympathetic manner. Alex and Owen had left to join the rest of the soldiers, which I was glad they willingly did without my needing to order them to do so. I was now completely alone in the field, which should have been calm, but it was bittersweet. Somehow the quiet serenity of the evening was tainted by my thoughts, ever determined to make me believe what I had been told for so many years. I had managed to go so long without reverting back to who I used to be, and this would be what broke me? A war I waged myself? They say those who live by the blade will die by the blade, and I was inclined to believe that I was no exception to this. I felt the grass gently fall against my ankles as I sat and thought to myself.
“Then again, they say as well that the pen is mightier than the sword, so mayhaps some phrases aren’t as true as they are made out to be.” I figured silently as I watched the evening sky. The colours twisted in peculiar ways which reminded me of a dream like state. It was such a perfect sight, and I managed to find some semblance of peace. Even the eternal ringing of voices in my mind seemed to cease.

Without warning, I suddenly felt an arm wrap around my neck from behind me, pulling backwards. I reached for the arm to try and pull it away, but was unable to. The person standing behind me quickly began to pull upwards with their arm, dragging me along with it. I gasped for air, but found that the grip around my neck was too tight to breathe. Half on my feet, half in the air, I felt around for my dagger. I struggled to find it, my oxygen quickly running out. With just moments to spare, I felt the wooden handle and drew it from its sheath. I promptly pushed the dagger back, hoping to hit anything, which I managed to. I stumbled forward as the unknown attacker lost grip of me. I heard nothing from my opponent, as I fell to my knees and began to cough violently. The only thing I heard was the sound of who I assumed to be Auden and Theo running from the tent to see what the noise had been.
“Orion? Orion are you alright?” Auden frantically asked as he slid to his knees next to me, placing one arm on my back and the using the other to support himself on the ground. I tried to breathe deeply before responding.
“Yes. I’m alright.” I shakily said, still catching my breath. “Someone’s here.”
Auden nodded in understanding and looked back at Theo, seemingly telling him to stay with me while he set off in search of the perpetrator, which he promptly did. I slowly calmed my breathing once more as Theo assisted me in returning to my feet. I thanked him, though I also assured him that I did not require such assistance. Nevertheless, he insisted on staying by my side in case another such attacker were to appear. I placed my dagger back in its sheath and made sure my rapier was at the ready, Theo keeping a look out as though it was the most important thing in the world. Eventually, we decided that there would be no point in waiting longer, and that our time would be better spent searching for Auden. Theo and I both kept a firm grasp on our swords as we slowly passed through the fields and forests in an attempt to find Auden or the perpetrator. It was a cold and somewhat damp forest, which did not make it any more pleasant to search through. Every branch we pushed aside would soak us as if affronted by our presence, which caused us to avoid doing so. Together we paced the forest, calling out for Auden periodically. Occasionally we could have sworn we had heard footsteps behind us, though every time we turned to find nothing but empty woods.
“Auden!” Theo screamed once more, placing one hand on the side of his mouth as he did so. It was not so much that we worried Auden would find himself in danger in the woods, it was that we figured he may not return until he found the perpetrator.
“Maybe we should just return to the army and let Auden come to us.” Theo panted as he slowly began to lose his confidence in our ability to find Auden.
“Just a bit longer. He can’t have gone that far.” I asserted, still believing Auden may never return if we let him leave alone like that.
“Orion, it’s not like he hasn’t done this before. He’ll be back plenty soon.” Theo restated, taking a step closer.
“I’m not leaving here without Auden.” I firmly acclaimed once more.
“Orion, the camp isn’t all that far. He’ll be fine. He’s used to this environment, he practically thrives in it.”
“I’m not having another person just get taken from me!” I screamed loudly, my stance weakening somewhat. After a moment of silence, I put my hand to my face and noticed there were a few stray tears. I vigorously wiped them away before turning to Theo once more.
“Taken from us. I’m not letting someone get taken from us.”
There was a long moment of silence between Theo and I as he gazed, stunned, into my eyes. After what felt like ages, his expression softened as he gave me an understanding sigh.
“It’s okay. I’ll go back to the army and wait for you two there.” He uttered softly. Still unable to register what had transpired, I simply looked at him and nodded. He responded with a faint, somewhat forced smile, before turning from me and heading in the direction of the training field where the army was located. As he left, my inner monologue began to provide me with every reason as to why my shouting was the beginning of the end for my sanity. I had grown used to this tedious voice, but it hadn’t been this painfully loud in quite a while, and thus, it began to seep over into my thinking. Who’s to say? Maybe it was foreshadowing. With these thoughts infecting my mind, I continued through the forest, periodically shouting Auden’s name and receiving no response but the faint rustling of leaves whose cause I could not place. After a short amount of time, I gave up on my futile attempts to find Auden, the thoughts surrounding me and drowning out every reasonable idea. I sat down on a large rock which lay on the ground, providing a dry place to sit. My arms crossed over my legs, I stared blankly at the ground. I was the most aware I had ever been, still everything felt as though I was experiencing it through the eyes of someone else. As though I was but an onlooker in my own life. I would likely have stayed there for eternity, had my thoughts not been interrupted by a sudden and violent noise echoing throughout the trees. It was the sound of someone screaming. A child screaming. Carmen? With that abrupt realization, I jumped to my feet, the intrusive thoughts leaving my mind which drove them away with a sudden sense of purpose. Without a second thought I ran in the direction the scream had come from, drawing my rapier from its sheath in the process. I felt neither the cold water soaking my clothes, nor the sharp stones beneath my feet. I felt only a sense of duty towards Carmen, praying I wasn’t too late. I soon reached the edge of the forest where the soldiers had been training. Infront of me were gathered around five of the men and women who had given up their security to fight in the war, all displaying varying expressions of shock, terror, anger and panic. They stood in a half circle around the other element which horrified me. In the centre of the soldiers stood Carmen, shouting and kicking against someone who was holding her back. The figure had wrapped one arm around Carmen’s neck and was pulling her close, and in the other hand they held a sword pressed to Carmen’s neck. I gazed up at the face of the person holding her hostage, and was unfortunately not surprised. Greyson had always seemed suspicious to me, and this was the undoubted confirmation that he was not what he claimed to be. I locked eyes with him, making my presence very known.
“Let go of them.” I coldly asserted.
“Why should I?” He replied, a grin widening across his face.
“She’s only a child Greyson, let go of her.” I said once more, taking a single step closer to him. Upon my doing so, he tightened his grip on Carmen, causing me to stop dead in my tracks.
“If she’s old enough to fight for this cause, she’s old enough to die for it.” He exclaimed as he held the sword closer to their chest.
I considered my options. If I moved closer, he would undoubtably kill Carmen. If I did nothing, he likely would as well.
“Afterall,” He began. “this is what you wanted.”
“What the hell do you mean?” I asked, still looking for any way I could attack quickly enough to save Carmen.
“You’re the one who wanted to start a war this whole time. You’re the one who was willing to disregard those who would lose their lives to it.” He explained. “I’m just showing you what you forced everyone to go through.”
I froze as the words entered my mind and festered within it.
“Greyson, you don’t have to take it out on Carmen. She didn’t do anything!”
“I know. But some sacrifices must be made, right? That’s what I was told so many times. Necessary casualties, unavoidable tragedies, facts of life.”
“You don’t know what you’re doing. Please, just let go of her and we can-”
“I know exactly what I’m doing!” He deafeningly shouted, his grip tightening once more. “And I’m not backing down now.”
With these final words he lowered the sword from Carmen’s neck before throwing it back it into their abdomen. I froze for an agonizingly long moment as my mind failed to register what had happened. As soon as I regained my control of my body I ran towards Carmen, whom Greyson had let fall to the ground as he backed away, satisfied with what he had done. I slid on my knees as I neared Carmen’s body which was lying limp on the ground, their chest only rising occasionally and irregularly.
“Carmen? Carmen, please stay with me.” I  stammered as I placed their head in my hands. Not like this. Not again. No, no, no. Carmen didn’t respond verbally, just softly smiled as she gazed into my eyes unblinkingly. As a tear fell from my face to hers, she opened her mouth to speak.
“It’s okay Orion. I’m not afraid.” She said, smiling all the while.
“Carmen, please, don’t say that.” I responded frantically.
“It’s okay. I’m willing to die for this. I’m okay with it.” They reaffirmed.
“Carmen, please, you don’t have to die here.”
Carmen stopped for a moment, shifting their gaze to the side before meeting my eyes once more.
“You know, I always knew I wouldn’t be a warrior like I wanted to be. I know I’m too young for that.”
“You can still grow older. Please, Carmen.”
“But I can still be brave like this. I’ll leave so you can win.” They mumbled as their words echoed through my mind. I held them closer to me as I felt their breathing grow slower, until their eyes closed for the very last time and I felt her final breath on my neck. I placed her now motionless body to the ground and stared at her expression. She died as she lived; With a broad smile across her face. She hadn’t deserved to die like that.
“It’s a shame isn’t it.” I heard Greyson chide from behind me. “Had you not done this, they wouldn’t have had to pay the price for your little war.”
Without turning my head, I rose from my kneeling position to my feet and clenched my fists as I listened to the voice of the man who had killed an innocent child who wanted nothing more than to help and to be of service. I heard the five or so soldiers begin to frantically run back to what I can only assume to have been the camp to find more assistance. I grabbed the hilt of my rapier, still without moving my gaze from the single point on the ground on which I had fixated it.
“What’s wrong?” Greyson snickered. “This is no different than what you’ve put so many through.”
With a tense yet fluid motion I turned around, lunging forward at Greyson with my sword, though it was quickly met by his own. I parried his advance, though he quickly began an entourage of blows, all of which I was barely able to block. After a passé attack from my opponent, I was able to land a hit on him, pushing him back somewhat. Before he was able to recover from this, I repeatedly sent several attacks in his direction, of which he was only able to deflect one. I stepped back for a moment after his parry, in which time he was able to ready his stance once more. Our blades met as we pushed back against each other.
“You’re a monster.” I sneered at him.
“No more than you.” He retorted.
“I never claimed the contrary.” I stated.
We separated once more, neither of us able to overpower the other. I lunged forward, striking him down to his knees and throwing his sword quite a distance from his body. We both breathed deeply as I retrieved his sword to make sure he could not return it to his grasp.
“I’m going to kill you.” I assured him. “I’m going to kill you as many times as it takes.”
Greyson did not cower, unfortunately, simply grinned even wider. Right as I had drawn back my sword to finish Greyson off, I heard someone call out from the edge of the forest. It was Theo and Auden, who had apparently been found by the group of soldiers. I felt a tear roll down the side of my face as the two of them ran frantically in my direction, swords drawn and ready to attack. It was going to be okay. I wasn’t alone anymore. However, that feeling of security would not last long, as I felt Greyson’s sword leaving my grip, quickly followed by the familiar swishing sound of metal swinging through the air. I was struck by his sword in the chest, which threw my backwards and knocked my sword from my grip in the process. Time slowed for a short moment as I saw both Greyson placing his sword to my neck, and Theo and Auden’s expressions shifting from anger to concern as they noticed the suddenly dire situation.
“Don’t take another step closer.” Greyson firmly stated. “You know they won’t make it.”
He was right, as much as I hated to admit it. In all likelihood, I would not return should I lose my life. I watched as Theo placed his arm out in front of Auden to keep him from advancing. Auden’s emotions were hard to place in that moment, though I can only imagine the levels of betrayal he must have been feeling. His close friend had turned out to be working against him the entire time; It was almost poetic.
“Grey… why?” He stuttered, his eyes fixated on Greyson.
“An eye for an eye, Auden. You of all people should understand.” Greyson shot back, tightening his grip on my arms.
“You don’t have to do this! It’s not going to bring her back…” Auden tried to reason.
“Oh I know, but at least I can make them regret having ever started this gods damned war!” Greyson shouted, a clear sadness in his voice. “Besides, it’s not like I’m going to kill them. I’m just having a bit of fun here.”
“Grey, please.”
“Afterall, I didn’t hide my ability for this long to not have a bit of fun with it.”
I felt a cold sting through my head, as though a bucket of freezing water had been poured over me. My vision began to fade to black as the world around me turned to nothingness.

I felt the warm sun shine on my face as I awoke once more. I had not quite overslept, but I was very close to it. With this in mind, I quickly made my way to the cabinet to grab my things. My black trousers which were one of the only style of pants approved by the army, and thus were one of the only ones I wore. A white button down shirt which was quite popular within Veredonia, and which I wore quite often, and my belt, which in reality was simply a maroon linen cloth which I would tie around my waist. Next, I retrieved my dagger and its leather sheath. I had such a strangely sentimental attachment to that dagger, though in reality the only thing about it that was unique was the metal it was made from. I supposed it must have been the fact that William had made it from scratch for me, which must have taken him ages. He truly was the best of friends I could have asked for, and I would value anything he made for me, no matter what it was. I placed the dagger on my belt and searched through the closet once more to find the final thing I needed; My uniform. Though I had a slight distain for its design, I always felt as though I belonged when I wore it. It was made up of a stiff, light blue vest which was to be worn over the white button down. The other element was a darker blue cloak which was to be hung over the right shoulder. This was embellished with gilded cords which hung from the side of it. The gloves which I retrieved from the closet as well bore a similar design, all be it made of leather, not fabric. The final element, the navy blue suit coat, bore both the Empire’s coat of arms, as well as a pin which displayed my rank in the army. At this time, it was still the six sided star which represented the title of Captain, yet soon it would be replaced by the title of Commander which was represented by a crown of olive leaves with a single star in the centre. I put the jacket on and buttoned it, which I had to intensely focus on as not to break the buttons, as I still had the same uniform which I had been given at sixteen. It was quite worn in, but I had been told that I would receive a new uniform along with my new title. After tying my brown shoes to my feet, I made my way down the staircase to greet Evalina as I did on most days.
“Good morning!” I happily exclaimed as I saw her writing concentratedly on a piece of parchment with the quill which I had gifted her. She briefly uttered something one could have interpreted as a hello. I walked to the table at which she sat and glanced at the piece of parchment.
“Still working on that letter for the council?” I asked, reading over the first few lines of newly written text.
“Yes. They rejected the last copy, so I’m planning on delivering this one anonymously.” She replied, not looking up from the paper.
“Gods, truly? You think they’d have learned just a bit of open mindedness at this point.” I sighed annoyedly as I turned away to grab my rapier from its display.
“You know, they probably won’t pay much attention to it if you do it anonymously.” I added as I fiddled with the hilt of the rapier.
“I know, but what else can I do?” She sighed.
“You could deliver it in my name.” I suggested.
“Are you insane? Do you have any idea of the backlash you’d receive if James found out you supported this cause?”
“Well yes, but you’re more important to me than some stupid position in an army. Besides, James can’t do much on his own.”
“If you’re sure, then I’ll do that. Thank you, Ri.”
I was glad to have been able to help her with her letter. However arranged our marriage may have been, I still cared deeply for her, and I’d watched her work on it for months on end. At this point, I would give anything to make it easier for her. Unfortunately, I could not liberalize the Empire myself. The most I could do was let her sign it in my name. I bid her adieu as I left our house to attend my ceremony. Evalina had expressed to me that she wished to be able to join me, but she feared that if she were to, she may end up strangling James with her own bare hands. I understood that she did not wish to see him, and I did not blame her for it. I assured her that it would not be too exciting anyways, and that I would be back in no time at all.
As expected, the ceremony was nothing but many of the high ranking officials of the Empire’s council reading a declaration of my achievements, which was clearly no different to the speech which was read at every ceremony like it. The hours long ceremonies were always a carbon copy of the last, the only difference being the names. I was presented with a new uniform as well as tricorn hat which, as I held it, made me feel a sense of belonging. I may have hated the army and all it stood for at this point, but a part of me was still left that wanted nothing more than to be part of something like this; Something bigger than myself. After skilfully avoiding any talks of politics or the quelling of the many rebellions within Veredonia and the other provinces, I made my way back to Evalina. Though I had attempted to be as quick as possible, the ceremony had taken far too long, and by the time I returned, the sun had already begun to set.
“And, was it as expected?” Evalina asked as I entered through the door.
“All that and more.” I sarcastically replied. “Apparently, I am to help quell another rebellion in a few days’ time.”
“How wonderful.” She joked in a monotone voice.
I assured her that, if possible, I would avoid such duties. Though I did not mind them myself, I knew she did with a burning passion, and for her I would move mountains to avoid them.
“But tell me, how did the letter go?” I asked as I sat down next to her at the table. “Have you delivered it yet?”
“Yes, I have. I signed it in your name and left it in the mailbox of the council. With any luck they will have already seen it at this point.”
“That’s fantastic!” I exclaimed with a smile on my face.
“I hope it is. I just worry for you.” Evalina confessed. “It’s one thing to have such a letter come from me, it’s another for it to come from you.”
“I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“If you say so.”
The next day arrived quicker than expected. As I arose once more to attend to my daily duties, I wondered if my superiors would have already been informed of the letter. I dawned my new uniform proudly, and attempted not to worry about such things, though the thoughts didn’t leave my mind. On my way to the courtyard where the army waited, William came to me wearing his usual barely dress code compliant uniform.
“Why hello there Commander Montiér! Fancy seeing you here.” He joked as he began to walk by my side.
“Captain Collins.” I jokingly greeted him in response.
“You headed to the same camp, or have people of your rank got more refined places to be?”
“Luckily I’m not wrapped up in the court politics.”
“Yet.”
I acknowledged that he was likely right. I could not go long without being forced to engage in such matters. Before my time in the army, I had on occasion served as an advisor to the Emperor. Had it not been for my family’s high standing in Veredonian society, I likely could have avoided such unpleasantries. Still, I had learned much while I had worked in the castle. As we entered the courtyard to meet with the rest of the soldiers, I noticed strange behaviours from some of the people around us. Many of them began to whisper amongst each other or point at William and I, though, under closer inspection, it was revealed that it was in fact only me who they were pointing at.
“This may be a good time to mention that I had Evalina deliver the letter in my name.” I whispered under my breath to William.
“Well that would explain the tension.” He replied in a hushed voice.
As all of the recruits began to line up for James to give his rundown of the day, I noticed the tension even more. Luckily, this was soon interrupted by James’ less than quiet voice.
“Alright, listen up soldiers! We’ve got quite the extensive plan for today. Division one, you’ll be patrolling the outer walls today. Division two, you’re going to start making your way to Cerelia to deal with the riots there. Division three, Orion, that’s your division, you’re going to be pacifying a group of radicals in the north-west of Veredonia.” He ordered.
I was somewhat disappointed to hear that I would have to deal with yet another riot, yet I was unfortunately not surprised. However, James’ next statement did come as a shock to me.
“In fact, while we’re on the subject, why don’t I address you.” He said as he made his way to me. “Commander Montiér, I’m certain you know what this is about?”
I was not entirely certain, but if there was one thing I had learned in my time in the army, and it was to never say no to James.
“Sir yes sir!” I replied to his question.
“Then I’m certain you’ll forgive me.”
Before I had even a moment to question his words, I found myself falling backwards to the ground, James having driven his shoe into my gut to knock me off balance. Before I could register exactly what had happened, I found the tip of a familiar estoc sword dangerously close to my throat.
“Commander, I nearly admire your audacity, but let me tell you: Your title means nothing to me. So take it from me, you had better repent your little letter before others who are less merciful than I hear of it. Understood?”
I pressed my head closer to the ground to avoid my throat being punctured by the sword and uttered the phrase I knew he wished to hear.
“Sir yes sir.”
He stepped back which allowed me to scramble to my feet with the assistance of William who stood at my right hand side. What had been in that letter?
“Now that we’ve taken care of that, you may attend to your duties.” He finished his speech.
It was supposed to be a proud day for me; I had finally achieved my title. I was one of just a few dozen in the entire Empire, but the pride I should have felt was tainted by the confusion I experienced. As my division marched on to north-western Veredonia to quell the riots, I noticed how many people, radical and not, stopped either to praise or to shout. Some of them saluted in my direction, which concerned me more than I can express. News spread like wild fire in the Empire, and most people in the city of Veredonia likely already knew of the letter. The battle in Veredonia was the fifth of the month, three of which I had been forced to quell myself. It was never a pleasant experience fighting against those which in truth I supported, but, unfortunately, I could not risk being found out. At least, I could not risk being found out more than I already had been.
As soon as I was able to, I gave the order to return to the city centre, claiming there were next to no people left to pacify, which was closer to the truth than I would have wished. With weapons stained by the blood of my allies, I led my men back to the centre of the city. After the day had passed and the soldiers were dismissed, a colleague of mine who’s name I’d forgotten frantically pulled me aside.
“Orion, have you gone completely mental?” He asked in a panicked voice.
“I was never sane.” I jokingly responded.
“This is no time for jokes, Orion. Have you any idea the weight of your actions? That letter could get you killed, damnit.”
“Look, to be completely honest, I stand by what I’ve said. If it gets me killed, so be it.” I replied. In truth I had next to no idea what the letter contained, but if Evalina had written it, I stood by it.
“Gods damnit Orion.” My colleague who’s name I’d forgotten sighed.
I waved goodbye to him and continued on my way back home. The streets at this hour were lined mostly by regular people who were returning from their day at the market, the hunting grounds, possibly even the castle if they were lucky. The bumpy stone roads which had been there for more time than I could ever fully comprehend led to nearly everywhere within the city. As I came to a section of the road which twisted slightly to the right, I was stopped by a civilian who, to my deep concern, was carrying a longsword. I realized within the same second I had seen the man’s weapon that I had left my rapier at the castle to be cleaned.
“You…” The civilian said, gripping his sword tighter and placing it in an attack ready position.
“Sir, drop your weapon and back away.” I firmly asserted as we had been trained to do. Though few with real power decided to follow the code of conduct when dealing with civilians, I would not break it to save my life. I still had that much self-respect.
“You’re a traitor, you know that? A f*cking traitor!” He shouted. Several onlookers took note of the conflict arising and kept a safe distance, fearing the outcome of this conflict. It was at this point common knowledge within the Empire that I had a track record of quick battles and even quicker victories.
“Sir, drop your weapon and back away now.” I restated, not showing a trace of fear in my words, though in truth I was quite concerned.
“This Empire would be better off without people like you!” He said as he drew back his sword. Not wasting a second, I crouched down and allowed for his attack to narrowly miss me. Before he could attack once more, I used my right leg to knock him off balance which sent him flying to the floor just as I rose back to my standing position. His sword fell to his side, which I pushed away with my foot, as not to let him return it to his grasp. Within seconds, two soldiers who had been notified showed up to what they had expected to be a battlefield, but which was in truth just a civilian lying pathetically on the pavement. They arrested him and brought him back to the courtyard, presumably to be “dealt with” as they so often put it, though I knew he would likely never be heard from again. The onlookers continued on their way, trying to act as though they had not been watching every moment of the occurrence. I hoped that these conflicts would stop, that I could just go about my daily routine again without the risk of being stopped in the streets, though unfortunately I knew I would not have this luxury. When I arrived home, I found Evalina hunched over a letter which bore the seal of the Empire. I had long ago taught Evalina how to read and write Latin script, as this was not common in the slightest for women of the Empire, be they aristocracy or not. Despite, she still struggled with reading and often blamed herself for this. I joined her to help, but soon noticed that the letter was written in Pylgerian; A Gaelic language spoken by many aristocratic people in the northern and central region of the Empire. I explained this to her, which somewhat kept her from blaming herself, as she had never learned Pylgerian. I of course had taught her basic phrases such as yes, no, hello, goodbye, and I love you, but she was far from fluent. I offered to translate the letter, which she agreed to let me do. I grabbed the letter and began to translate as I read.

To Commander and Soldier Orion A. Montiér,

Dear sir, we hope this letter finds you in good health. We, the senate, have reviewed your letter which was delivered to us approximately one day ago, and have considered your suggestions. However, we must inform you that the claims and allegations you made defy the values of our great nation and its leader, as I am certain you are aware. If and when this letter is brought to court, I can assure you that you will be found guilty of treason.
Still yet, we have found peculiarities in your letter. Both the suggestions and allegations made as well as the language used suggest that this letter may have been forged. We have cross compared this letter with many of your works and have concluded that it is unlikely that this letter was in fact written by you. With this in mind, we highly suggest that you cooperate with us in finding and trying the traitor who forged this letter in your name. We also ask that you publicly denounce the statements made, as to make certain that you have no involvement in this and other recent treacherous activities.
We eagerly await your response.
Signed,
Frederique Ravon on behalf of the empirical senate

I looked up from the letter to see Evalina’s horrified expression.
“They’re going to kill us. They’re going to kill the both of us, aren’t they?” She stated more than asked.
“No, Eva, I’m not going to let that happen.”
“You have to denounce it.”
“What?”
“You have to do as they said, that way only one of us has to die.”
“Eva don’t say that. I’m not going to.”
“You have to!”
“They won’t kill me Eva, they would kill you.”
“They will kill you.”
We paused for a moment, seemingly going in circles with our discussion.
“Eva, what was in that letter?”
Evalina took a moment to calm herself before answering the question.
“Well it contained the usual plea for equality and…”
“And?”
“And it claimed that the Empire was based on a throne of lies and that the army protecting it was just as flawed.”
I paused for a moment. I could not register what she had said. Now I fully understood the weight of the letter and what could potentially happen to the both of us.
“I’m not going to refute it.” I firmly asserted.
“What?”
“I’m not going to. If I do, you’ll be lucky if they kill you.”
“Ri, please, you have to.”
“No. No I don’t.”
Evalina continued for a while to plead with me to refute the claims in the letter and to give all the information I had to the council, but I still adamantly refused to do so. Neither of us rested well that night. Both the fear of what was to come as well as the constant sound of rioters in the street destroyed any possibility of a calm night. Though, at least for now, we were safe and we were together. Suddenly a crashing noise came from downstairs as we heard the sound of the door being broken down. Assuming one of the rioters had decided to turn their peaceful protest to a violent one, I jumped out from the bed and grabbed my longsword from the windowsill. Unfortunately, I had not yet retrieved my rapier from the court, though I had luckily forgotten to organize my things last night, including having not placed my longsword sword on the mantel piece where it usually resided. It was only as I did this that I noticed I had slept in my clothes, though I had taken off my uniform and instead worn my usual white button down, brown pants and scarf tied around my waist. I did not have much time to consider this however, as I heard the intruders violently searching through our belongings, which Evalina evidently heard as well, rising to her feet within seconds. I instructed her to stay in the room and hide, though she refused to do so, which did not surprise me. I slowly crept down the stairs with Evalina following behind me. My longsword drawn and at the ready, I reached the bottom stair, where I found everything suddenly silent. The noise which had been deafening just a moment prior ceased completely. It was quiet. Too quiet.
“Eva, go back upstairs.” I began to say, though, before she could even protest this, I jumped in front of her to block a sudden attack. This made clear to her that it was no longer safe, and she returned back up the stairs before anyone saw her. With all of my might I pushed back against the sword which had met mine, though I barely managed to do so, which both confused and concerned me. Who must this person have been to possess such skill? Our swords separated for a moment as I turned my back away from the stairs to get a better angle on my attacker, though this was a futile attempt. I could not see the face of the person, as the candles were not lit, but I could tell that whoever it was was quite a skilled fighter. I parried several advances from my opponent before attempting to lunge at him myself. I narrowly missed, stumbling forwards and to the right as the man was able to knock my sword from my hand. With no other options, I resorted to drawing the dagger which William had made for me from its sheath and brandishing it at my attacker. I attempted to drive the dagger into the intruders abdomen, using the cover of darkness as my ally, though I soon realized that the man in front of me was wearing armour. Realizing I would not be able to win in this manner, I changed my target to the head, though I was unable to reach this, the man grabbing my wrist and the dagger inches before it reached his face. Having had neither time to prepare, nor knowledge that I would be facing a skilled fighter, I had no other options to escape the situation without putting Evalina in danger.
“Hands behind your head Commander.” The voice of the intruder said, which I reluctantly did. As he walked over to the candle which stood on the nearby table, he kept his sword close to my neck, assumedly to not allow me to escape. After the candle was lit, I for the first time saw the man’s face. As expected, he was a member of the royal army, wearing his uniform and armour for extra protection. The weapon I had been fighting against was a smallsword which was polished clean. Though, what shocked me most was the face of the person who held it. After a quick glance, I was instantly able to identify the man as Captain Elliot Forstner; A colleague of mine who should have received the title of Commander alongside me, but due to “suspicious circumstances” as the Empire put it, had not.
“Listen Commander, I’m not here to talk, I’ll make that clear.” He stated. I would have answered this statement, but I felt the circumstances did not call for it.
“Once a traitor, always a traitor. I’m certain you feel the same.”
He paced the floor as he spoke which continuously put me on edge. He sighed for a moment before abruptly reaching for my neck and pinning me against the wall.
“So you truly think that little of us, do you?” He asked as he stared into my eyes. I struggled to push the arm from my neck, though it was a futile attempt. He let go after a moment, which caused me to fall to the floor. Using his boot, he kicked me over onto my side as I tried to return to my feet.
“Get the f*ck up.” He said, drawing his sword once more. “I don’t want to hear one more word against the Empire from you again, clear?”
I nodded silently. He lowered his sword briefly, which made me believe he would finally leave, though unfortunately he was not quite done yet. Before turning to exist the house, he reached out his fist and punched me to the floor yet again. I did not see him leave, but I heard as the door slammed behind him. In the same moment, I could hear Evalina frantically running down the stairs calling my name. She knelt down next to me and tried to shake me back to consciousness.
“Orion?” She whispered.
“Orion, please wake up.”
“Ri, please.”
“Orion?”
“Orion.”
“Orion!”

I once again felt the cold rush through my head as I heard Theo call out my name. Theo?
“Orion, please.” He whimpered at my side where I could have sworn Evalina had stood just moments prior. I looked up at him to confirm that it was indeed he who knelt at my side, which it was. Once he saw that I was able to turn my gaze to him, he seemed to have a feeling of relief wash over him. I slowly sat up, trying my best to appear as though I was not taken aback in the slightest, though in truth, it had felt as though I had just spent days in a past which was far gone.
“How long was I out for?” I asked Theo as I looked down at my hand which was shaking.
“Maybe a minute?” He replied softly.
“So much in a minute.” I thought, though I refrained from saying this aloud, as I figured it would unnecessarily distress Theo. Refocusing myself and taking in my surroundings once more, my gaze fell upon Auden, who stood in between Greyson and I.
“Stay. The f*ck. Away from them.” He sternly said.
“They’re a traitor, Auden! Be reasonable, please.” Greyson pleaded.
“I am being reasonable. Step away.” Auden restated.
“Think of all of the lives they’ve ruined! Think about Carmen!”
“You killed Carmen.” Auden shot back. “You killed Carmen.”
“I had to! It was the only way to show everyone what comes of war!”
“You didn’t “have to do” sh*t! She was just a kid! She had nothing to do with this!”
“Auden, I had no choice. Some deaths are just necessary.”
“Shut your mouth. Just shut your gods damned mouth!” Auden yelled, closing his eyes.
Seeing Auden like this, it was strange. We truly were so similar. I had seen him laugh, cry, and spend hours at a time trying to figure out how to do the right thing. I had seen myself in him many times, but I had not known that even in anger, he and I were so similar.
“Auden. I’m sorry. I know I’ve messed up, but it doesn’t have to have been for nothing. Just help me finish what I’ve started. We can save so many people from their deaths.”
Auden paused for a moment as he gazed at Greyson. I could only imagine what was going through his mind in that moment. The amount of betrayal he must have been feeling was beyond my understanding. I had forced such feelings from my mind ages ago. I grabbed Theo’s wrist and gestured for us to leave, believing a conflict between Auden and Greyson was imminent.
“I don’t want to hurt you.” Auden weakly uttered as he looked to Greyson.
“And I don’t want to hurt you either.” He agreed. From the corner of my eye, I saw as Greyson reached a hand out to Auden, seemingly as a truce. Theo and I were now far enough away that we would be safe should a fight erupt. Auden loosened the grip he had on his sword. He placed it back in its sheath and reached out a hand to shake Greyson’s Hand.
“But I won’t let you destroy everything we’ve worked for.” Auden suddenly stated, twisting Greyson’s arm over it and causing him to stumble. Auden once again drew his sword which made a loud and distinct whooshing noise as it swung into the air. I would have intervened and assisted Auden in his endeavour, but I knew full well that this was a battle of honour to him. He was not going to let his friend betray him like this that easily. Instead, I merely watched as Greyson pathetically defended himself against Auden. The battle was not long, but it was fierce. They both fought valiantly against the other, blocking advance after advance. However, in the end, Auden overpowered his friend and sent him flying against a tree where he hit the back of his head. As he gasped for air, Auden steadily approached him, sword drawn at his side.
“Auden, it’s not too late. We can still-”
Auden did not let him finish. Without hesitation he plunged his sword deep into Greyson’s chest, piercing the tree on the other side of it. For a moment you could almost hear Greyson’s shocked screams. However, in the same instance they sounded, they were gone once more. I instinctively shielded my face with my left arm, but when I looked once more, there was nothing but a sword stuck in a tree with faint traces of blood strown about. The field was silent once more. The wind seemed to be still again for a moment. Seeing Auden stare unmovingly at the blade stuck in the maple tree which had lost several leaves to the force of the impact, I walked over to him to be there for him. I gently reached for his hand with mine, which caused him to tense up for a moment before relaxing again. We simply stood there together for a while, watching as the fear and confusion faded.
“Auden?” I eventually asked.
He did not reply, simply tilted his head to his right hand side for a moment before stepping forward and retrieving the sword from its wooden prison. Studying it for a moment, he soon placed it in the sheath from which it had been drawn. He stepped back once again, still looking at the hole in the tree, which had been left by the blade.
“We should move out to the battlefield.“ He eventually said after turning his head to mine. I nodded to him, understanding that he was likely correct. I did not say anything. I did not need to say anything. The silence was loud enough on its own.

Once the troops had organised themselves, I began leading them to the hills where the battle was to take place. Knowing that many of them would give their lives for this cause was a terrifying prospect. Though I knew most of them would return to fight again, some may not be quite so fortunate, and many of them may come to face a different fate. Maybe they would be captured by the enemy, maybe they would lose someone they cared for, or maybe they may simply lose themselves, the eternal cycle of dying and living and dying once more stealing away any hope or sanity they had left. Nevertheless, I could not do anything to change the possibility of this, and it did not bother me immensely. After all, I had often before put soldier’s lives on the line and sacrificed them at a moment’s notice. Afterall, what’s a pawn to a king? Theo by my side and Auden having chosen to scout out the area as we approached it, I was completely prepared for what was to come. As we marched, I noticed sudden, unexplainable changes in the weather and the surroundings. The wind would be wailing and nearly throwing us to the ground one minute, and would be nearly non-existent the next. Mayhaps I was simply paranoid, but I could not shake the feeling that the grass seemed to change ever so slightly its shade of green, going from a faded, almost brown to a bright spring green without warning. I tried to ignore these changes, but they were somewhat haunting. Eventually, we arrived at the fields where we were to meet our opponents. Auden made his way to us as well, claiming that the adversarial army was not yet in sight. This visibly relieved many of the soldiers who had feared we might have ended up fighting a battle for which we had no plans.
Looking to the sun and seeing how near it was to hiding away behind the horizon, I figured they would wait through the night and begin their assault the next day. I gave a signal to Auden who promptly ordered the troops to set up their camps. I refrained from giving most orders myself as I feared my current state may seep over into my words. Perhaps I would simply fail to command respect, perhaps I would lose my temper. Either way, I did not wish to find out. For now, my only jobs were to control the army through Auden and to prepare myself for the following day. Afterall, he would not always be by my side, and I could not rely on him to speak for me in all instances. As the soldiers began to tend to their duties, I made my way to the top of one of the hills which was close by. I sat down on the warm grass, my legs propped up in front of me. I let the wind blow through my hair and cloak as I breathed in the crisp air. It was not unpleasant, though I cannot say it was springlike as I would have hoped it to be. There were already clouds forming in the sky which seemed as though they almost certainly contained rain.
“Pity about the weather.” I heard a voice say from beside me. Theo’s voice. I looked to my left to see Theo standing on the hill with his usual white button down, green scarf tied around his waist, and a white flower crown on his head.
“Mind if I join you?” He asked. I nodded and he softly sat down next to me, placing his arm around my back. For a moment we simply sat in silence and watched the soldiers below.
“I’m sorry about what happened to Carmen.” Theo eventually uttered, breaking the silence. “She didn’t deserve that, and it couldn’t have been easy for you to watch.”
“I’m fine. Carmen’s the one who’s dead.” I retorted, looking to the grass instead of meeting his gaze. From my peripheral vision I was able to make out as Theo tilted his head somewhat.
“You know, it would be okay if you weren’t okay. We all know how much you cared for Carmen.” He said, his eyes still fixated on me. I did not reply, simply tightening the grasp I had on the grass and pulling a few blades of it from the ground.
“So,” Theo continued. “how are you then?”
His words felt like knives piercing through my flesh. They resonated in my mind and allowed for no silence. Though I tried to fight it, I could feel as tears welled up in my eyes and began to trickle down my face. I went to wipe them away as quickly as possible, but Theo was quicker, placing my hand gently in his and looking me in the eyes. My body did not feel my own at all, it felt so alien as to make me wonder if I was even there.
“Theo, are you shaking?” I asked, noticing that the hand he had placed mine in felt as though it was trembling.
“No, you are.” He replied. He was not angry nor disappointed, nor upset. In fact, he seemed to have a bittersweet smile on his face as he continued to stare lovingly into my eyes.
“I’m sorry.” I said.
“You don’t have to be.” He responded. “You’ve been strong for everyone else, you get to be weak now too.”
And for a while we simply sat there together. Hands intertwined and Theo’s head on my shoulder.
“Theo?” I eventually asked after a long moment of silence.
“Yes?” He replied, tilting his head somewhat to look up to me.
“You know, I think I love you. I think I can love you.”
Theo smiled. He just smiled.
“I think I love you too.”
Theo had an audible smile as he spoke. I had previously noticed that it was quite easy to tell, even when not looking at him, if he was smiling or not. He spoke with a certain light floating tone to his voice when happy, but still with a certain grounded confidence. He did not stutter when smiling. In fact, he had the most cheerful and carefree voice I’ve ever heard. His tone tended to rise at the end before dropping down again, indicating the end of his sentence. It was always comforting to hear his smiling voice. It gave me a strange sense of calming infatuation every time it graced my ears. As we sat there together, he shifted to laying his head on my lap while looking up to the sky. I had absolutely no problem with the arrangement, as it meant I could gaze into his eyes once again. For just a moment, just a fleeting second, I felt okay. I felt as though I was alright now. With Theo here, it was almost as if nothing bad could ever happen again. Though in my mind I knew this wasn’t true, my heart was absolutely smitten. By nightfall, Theo and I had returned down the hills to the camp which had been set up by the soldiers. A fire crackled in the middle of it, and several dozen white tents filled the land. As we walked through the maze of tents, I saw a young soldier sharpening her sword on a grindstone. I saw a group of soldiers sitting with each other, talking and laughing together as I had never seen those on a battlefield do. There was a young boy, Alex Rose, who was sitting alone on a large rock near a campfire which he had presumably lit himself. He was quite quiet. Concerningly so. I told Theo I would meet him in our tent later and walked over to the boy. His gaze was fixated on the flames coming from the sticks which were lit ablaze. His expression seemed troubled.
“Hello Alex.” I said to him as I jumped up onto the boulder with him, placing a hand on his back. He briefly straightened his posture at the touch before relaxing his pose once more.
“Hello.” He replied. It was out of the ordinary for Alex to be this quiet and this… formal. He was usually bouncing off the walls, happily talking to others or playing the flute which he had brought with him on that first training day. He was not often this silent.
“Are you alright?” I asked him quietly. I could feel a shiver move through his body at the words. I moved slightly closer to him to offer him some comfort.
“You know,” I began. “I used to feel the same way you did about this sort of thing.”
Alex turned his head to my in surprise.
“You did?” He asked.
“Yes, I did. In fact, I still don’t care for it too much. If I had the choice, I would choose to be anywhere but here right now.”
“But you’re always so in control of it all. I’m just some kid that got lucky.” Alex stated as he let his gaze fall to the flames again.
“I always seem to be in control of it all.” I corrected.
“What?”
“Alex, no one’s ever truly always in control. You haven’t seen it, but even I have moments where I feel just like you do right now.”
“Oh…”
“You’re not weak for feeling this way. You’re stronger than you know.”
“But then why can’t I just be a good leader for once damnit.”
“Alex, you’re doing the best you can.”
“Then why isn’t it enough!?” He shouted. It was silent for a moment. I could tell that most of the camp had likely heard it, as, for a fleeting second, all was still. No chatting, no singing, no sharpening of tools.
“It is enough.” I said. “You are enough.”

The next day came quicker than I would have wished. I had stayed there with Alex for quite some time. He was just a kid, he shouldn’t have had to deal with that. Maybe it was an instinct, maybe it was just what I wished someone had done for me at that age. Whatever it was that willed me to stay with him, it was successful. After what had felt like hours, I had bid him goodnight and joined Theo in our tent. I was glad he had managed to rest that night. While Auden and I may have been experienced in wars and the pointless bloodshed that went along with it, Theo had, somewhat luckily, never been forced to experience such things. I worried for him in a way. When I awoke, he was already gone from the tent. I quickly dawned my outfit which consisted of a white button down, loose black pants, a leather belt tied around my waist and of course, my uniform. It had been designed by a seamstress in the village, who had previously worked for the court of the emperor. She had designed a uniform for every rank in our army and all of them were equally stunning. The one which she had specified for the General consisted of several pieces of clothing. A sleeveless vest made of a dark red fabric, the edges lined with a brown cord, which fastened at the front with two leather clasps. Over the left shoulder of it were two gilded cords which attached at the top of the shoulder and a the left side of the top clasp. A tricorn hat made of the same red material, the edges lined with the very same gilded cord which hung from my shoulder. A muted red cloth, which was attached on the inside of one of the corners, hung over the brim of the hat. Along with this, I wore my usual wrist and hand guards, and beige boots. It did not have any pins symbolising some pointless achievement nor a coat of arms, which I quite liked. I placed my rapier in its sheath as I always did, and walked through the tent’s curtains. Surely it would not be long before the attack would come. I walked to Auden’s tent where he was patiently waiting, sitting on the grass just outside of it. I gave him a nod, and he rose to his feet.
“I suggest I deliver this speech, as to give them confidence in us.” I whispered in his ear.
“I agree.” He replied.
Together we walked to the centre of the camp where there was a larger rock. I jumped onto it and looked over the camp for a moment, before raising my rapier to the sky and crashing it down onto the rock. The sound of the impact echoed throughout the camp and caught the attention of every soldier. They began to gather around the centre of the camp, prepared to hear the orders.
“Alright soldiers.” I began. I commanded respect from them once again not in volume, but in stern calmness. “As you are aware, we will be moving out today to meet the army. I will not lie to you, it is likely they have already begun to approach, and it is even more likely most of you will die at least once. As we have discussed before, if you find yourself to be lost once you return, use your compasses to find the camp.” One of the inhabitants of our village had designed a compass which would stay with a person even through death. “On the battlefield, it is not every man for themselves. You will follow the orders of your division’s leader word for word. You will follow my orders, you will follow the orders of your division’s commander, be it Guillebeaux or Prolunder. You will follow the orders of your squadron’s captain, be it Rose, Hestinger or Bevan. Is that clear?”
The entirety of the crowd raised their right hands to their temples in an almost synchronised manner, and shouted “Sir yes sir!”
“Good. We will leave in a few moments. Get your weapons, assemble into your divisions and be ready.”
As the crowd saluted once more and began to disperse, I stepped down from the boulder and re-joined Auden, who seemed somewhat troubled.
“Orion, we need to talk.” I heard him say in a hushed voice.
“What of?” I replied, curious as to why he was being this secretive.
“Not here. Follow me.” He said in the same whisper-like voice. He began to make his way to the outskirts of the camp and I followed him.
“Now will you tell me what you wished to discuss?” I asked him. He looked off into the distance for a moment before looking at me once more.
“We never did truly get to talk about that day.” He casually stated.
“Which one? I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but there have been quite a few days in the time I’ve known you.”
“Remember the first day I began to help you train your allinaric ability?”
“Ah, yes, that day. The day you nearly killed me?”
“Yes I suppose you could phrase it like that.”
“What of that day did you wish to speak of?”
He did not reply, merely looked at me with an emotion I could not place.
“I think you know the answer to that as well as I.” He eventually said.
And I did.
“I am in no way doubting your leadership,” He continued. “I do however doubt it would be best for this army to be led by one of the few people who may not return from death.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You heard me.”
I had no clue as to what I was meant to say. I trusted Auden, the gods only know I trusted Auden, but I wondered only where on earth he had found such audacity.
“Elaborate, would you.”
“Orion…”
I paused for a long moment, trying to find the right words. After quite some time, I looked up to Auden and our gazes met.
“Auden, I respect your authority and your friendship, but no matter what you say, I will be leading this army. You’ve dragged me into this sh*t hole, and you aren’t getting rid of me that easily. I may die, but does that truly matter in the grand scheme of things?”
“Yes. Yes, it does.” Auden replied quietly. “But I will respect your decision.” He finished.
I gave him a nod of acknowledgment before turning around to walk back to the camp. Auden stayed behind for a while before following me. By the time I returned to the camp, all of the hundreds of soldiers were standing in an organised fashion. Each squadron separated by a small gap from the others and by a larger gap from other divisions. I had Auden lead the troops’ march over the hills, as I was far too focused on memorising the landmarks and looking for terrain which could be used to our advantage. As we began to reach the top of the hill, I suddenly heard a strange noise. I turned to Auden who apparently had heard the same thing. He halted the troops to silence their steps. After he did so, I was able to clearly make out the distant footsteps of the opposing army. I peered over the top of the hill and saw the soldiers. After a moment of quiet contemplation, I gave a signal to our troops to retreat by a few paces and called upon our archers. I returned to my feet and looked to the two dozen or so soldiers holding bows. Signalling to them once more, they lined up along the highest point of the hill and began to draw back their quivers. They aimed at their targets in the valley of the hills. I looked in the same direction. There were hundreds if not thousands of soldiers in their army. We were likely outnumbered around three to one, but I had seen worse odds in my time. I took a moment to ponder what my next words would cause. One word, “fire”, and a war filled with so much needless bloodshed would begin. Just one word, and I could change the lives of gods only know how many people. For a fleeting second, I considered not giving the order at all, though, in the end, that little voice in my mind which never ceased to criticise my every action caused me to decide otherwise. I assumed my position next to the archers and grabbed my own bow and arrow. One. I drew back my quiver and aimed. Two. I took a deep breath in and out. Three.
“Fire!” I shouted and released the tension in my bow. The dozens of arrows began to rain down upon the army which, as soon as they noticed them, began to scatter. Our army began to charge down the hill, led by Auden, Theo and myself. Soon I noticed that the ground beneath us was soft enough to slide down with both feet on the ground and one hand on the hill behind me for stability. Reaching the valley, I drew my rapier and instantly noticed the magnitude of our predicament. We were not outnumbered three to one. We were not even outnumbered four to one. There must have been five soldiers for each one of ours. I looked behind me to see that the two divisions had already separated and had begun to try to flank the enemy from behind. It was chaos. It was a bloodbath. The dust was kicked up by the force of the thousands of feet running upon it, making it nearly impossible to see. Auden and I had specifically decided that I would join neither of the divisions, instead stalking the battle field for any one enemy so foolish as to wander alone, and for any small group of our soldiers who were in danger. Within mere minutes I had already found several stragglers of the enemy army, who I promptly dealt with. The blade of my rapier felt heavier than ever, but I carried it still. Over the deafening sound of metal clashing together and of people falling limp to the ground, I somehow was able to make out the distinctive sound of a cry for help. I turned to the noise and saw a young man pinned to the ground by a lone soldier. Without thinking I ran to the young man’s aid as I watched his adversary draw back his sword. Before the man even had the chance to begin to strike, I had plunged my rapier straight through his chest. He struggled to breath for a moment before collapsing to the ground and simultaneously fading to nothing. I looked to the young man on the ground who seemed to be in a state of shock.
“On your feet then.” I said as I reached out a hand. The young man stood up, but did not accept my hand. Deciding to not waste time thinking about it, I resumed my position on the battle field. The noise was unimaginably loud. The brief pauses between swords crashing together were filled by the screams of both enemies and allies.
“What a waste of people’s lives.” I mumbled under my breath.

It was frightfully loud. For quite some time I had had the privilege of not being forced to engage in war, which I had greatly enjoyed. I had grown used to my comfortable existence of not having to endure the screams of enemies as I ruthlessly murdered them. Still, in my heart, I knew this was where I was meant to be; Fighting for what I believed in. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Theo leading his division up a hill to attack another section of the enemy’s army. I stood my ground with my division for what felt like centuries, though it had in fact been nowhere near that long. In a brief moment where I was without an adversary, I ran to Diane who was not far from me. I gave her the order to bring her forces into the woods and to launch an attack from there. She gave me a stern nod of acknowledgment and shouted something which I could not hear, though I can only assume it was an order, as, soon, dozens of soldiers began to follow her. Foolishly, many of the enemy army believed these soldiers were retreating, and followed them. I smiled to myself, knowing those who were unthinking enough to follow them would likely die. I turned my attention back to the battlefield, just in time to dodge an attack from a soldier wielding a claymore sword in his right hand. I retaliated with an advance from my broadsword, which he unfortunately blocked. He attempted to attack once more, though I dodged these with ease. I was quickly able to sweep him off his legs and plunge my sword through his chest. As I did so, however, I felt an arm from behind me grab around my neck. I tried to attack my adversary, but soon lost grip of my sword. As I could not see it, I was unable to summon it to my hand. With nothing else to do, I brought my legs forward and kicked back against my adversary’s knees. She stumbled just long enough for me to escape her grasp, however, I was still unable to find my sword. Right as the soldier was about to land a killing blow, I heard a familiar voice shout from the crowd.
“Leave him be!” It said. I turned to where the noise had come from and saw Lyre standing, sword firmly in hand. He did not have to repeat himself, as no one ever dared question Lyre’s command. The soldier begrudgingly backed off and began to search for another innocent person to attack. I returned to my feet and tried to look for Lyre once more, but was unable to. I could only assume he was taking on three men at once as I searched for him. Wasting no time, I returned to my division and attempted to push back the enemy forces.

Though I was exhausted, I tried not to show it. I knew my troops needed someone to look up to and to trust, so I attempted to look as confident as possible. I had known before and I knew then that I was never meant for this. I was not meant for warfare. The only thing that kept me from running from this war was that Orion was here, and Orion would never let anything happen to me. And Auden was here, and Auden never lost. And though Lyre was here too, and Lyre never lost either, I knew Lyre’s loyalty to Adrian’s cause was barely existent. Knowing these things, I had the strength I needed to continue. I had intended to lead my soldiers all the way up the hill and to send attacks down at the enemy army, but unfortunately, I would soon prove unable to do so. I suddenly heard a strange noise come from just beside me, though no one stood there who could have made such a noise. I halted the troops with a signal, waiting to see what or who had made that noise. I certainly got my answer. From within the bushes, dozens if not hundreds of soldiers charged. With barely enough time to respond, I ordered my division to scatter. We were vastly outnumbered, and I saw no way in which we could have won this battle. My soldiers began to run up the hill in the same direction we had been marching. I ran with them, though I was by far not the fastest amongst them. As we hurriedly sprinted up the hill, I heard someone scream behind me. I turned to the noise and saw Charlie who had tripped and seemed unable to return to their feet. Before I even began to assist her, I saw Hannah come to her aid. With her help, she was able to stand up, though she could barely walk, having seemingly injured herself. I began to continue up the hill, believing Hannah could handle the situation, but I soon turned around once more, thinking it would be better to make sure they were alright. This time I heard a man’s voice telling them to drop their weapons. It was Adrian Walker himself. His soldiers had encircled the two of them, weapons drawn, with Adrian standing directly in front of Charlie and Hannah. As I ran to them to intervene, I heard Hannah shout at Adrian to let them leave, which was met by Adrian’s laughs. This man; The man who had murdered my closest friend. I would end his life if it was the last thing I did. I drew my sword and slid in between a gap in the soldier’s circle. I jumped in between Adrian and Hannah, my sword in a defensive position.
“Well, well, well, who do we have here?” Adrian mocked.
“Step away.” I firmly stated.
“And why would I do that now? You think you scare me?” He sarcastically asked.
“Step. Away.” I restated.
“Theo, I suggest you stay out of this. That is, unless you want these two to end up like Nick.” He taunted.
That was the final straw for me. Without thinking, I swung my sword at him, wilfully ignorant of the fact that I had no chance of winning. Even if I somehow defeated Adrian, there were at least a dozen soldiers encircling me, and even more not far from here. Within seconds, Adrian knocked my sword from my hand and put his to my neck.
“You done playing god now?” He asked, clearly annoyed at my attempt. I did not grace him with a response. Adrian gave a silent order to his soldiers, two of which entered the circle to grab Hannah and Charlie to restrain them. Hannah fought against the soldier, but was soon knocked unconscious by her adversary for her troubles. Charlie did not put up a fight, knowing she could not win. I reached out a hand and moved to help them, but I felt my arm being grabbed by Adrian.
“You know you can’t help them Theo.” He said, grinning. “You’ve been here before, haven’t you?”
Despite my best efforts I felt a tear rolling down my cheek.
“Aw, something wrong Theo?” Adrian asked mockingly. He was smiling. I knew he was smiling. I tried to move away, but he reached for my other hand and pulled them both in front of me. I was mere inches from his face looking up at him.
“You tried so hard, didn’t you? But I think you know deep down you can’t do anything right. Orion was a fool for putting their trust in you.”
Before I could muster up enough courage to shout at him, to yell, to say something, to say anything at all, Adrian threw me back into the grass.
“Well, this has been nice. But it’s time to end it.”
I would have fought back, but I saw no point in it. I braced myself for the blade which I saw him lift in the air to come crashing down. I heard the unmistakable sound of a blade cutting through air, but I never felt it come down upon me. I eventually opened my eyes, and saw Auden pushing back against Adrian’s blade with his own.
“Pleasure meeting you, Adrian.” He grinned as he pushed back against Adrian’s sword until he forced him to stumble backwards. “Now kindly f*ck off.” Auden finished. While Auden sent attack after attack in Adrian’s direction, I returned to my feet to free Hannah and Charlie from their captors. I would not let another friend die for me. To my surprise however, the soldiers who had been holding them were nowhere to be seen. In fact, it seemed that all of the soldiers had dispersed.
“Cowards.” I thought to myself as a grin spread across my face. I walked over to Charlie who was holding Hannah, still unconscious, in her arms.
“We need to get her to Adeline.” Charlie whimpered, tears streaming down her face. I placed a hand on her shoulder and assured them Hannah would be okay. I took Hannah in my arms and had Charlie hold my hand.
“Three,” I began to count down. “two,” I felt Charlie’s grip tighten. “one.” And with that we were back in the camp. It was not a bad teleportation if I dare say so myself. There were several healers awaiting the injured. I handed Hannah to them and told them to let Charlie stay with her. Before Charlie had a chance to retort, I was gone once more and on the battlefield. I landed on my knee with one foot on the ground. I swiftly returned to my feet and grabbed my sword from its sheath. I turned to my left where I saw Auden standing over Adrian, ready to end his life with a swift cut.
“Wait! Auden, you don’t have to do this!” Adrian pathetically cried. Auden’s stern and furious expression was unmoving.
“Killing me won’t make Greyson care about you.” Adrian added. Manipulation truly was his strong suit, wasn’t it? Auden’s stance and expression softened for a fraction of a second. Just long enough for Adrian. He quickly kicked Auden’s arm away from him and began to run down the hill. However, before he had the chance to escape, I appeared before him. Adrian’s distain for Allinari was blatantly clear. His expression twisted from arrogant to disgusted, but it only made me want to kill him even more.

I briefly turned to my right, only to see three silhouettes standing on the hill. I could barely make out who they were, but Theo’s flower crown was unmistakable even from a distane. And who was that standing in front of him? In that moment I realised exactly who it was. Anger and fear filled my mind as I began to sprint to the hill to confront the man who had caused this all. The man who had caused Carmen to die, the man who had murdered Theo’s closest friend, the man who had threatened the lives of so many for something they could not control. I ran up the hill faster than I had known I could. As I did so, I saw Adrian grab for his blade, but Theo was faster, drawing his sword and lunging at him with it. Adrian, the coward that he was, stumbled back and began to run to his right. I was just in time. I slid in front of his path, blocking it. He looked at me with an emotion I could not place. Before he had time enough to run again, I drew my rapier and placed the tip of it to his neck. He began to slowly back away, but Auden and Theo were already approaching him.
“You don’t want to do this.” Adrian stuttered. I knew full well that he posed a significant threat to any one of us alone, but with all three of us here, he would find it difficult to win. Nevertheless, as I took two steps forward and lunged at him with my rapier, he drew his sword and parried my attack. Just as he did, Auden jumped in, landing a strike on his right shoulder. He clenched at the wound in pain, but soon refocused to face us. Despite being wounded, he was able to successfully block many of Auden and my attacks. I eventually managed to land a blow directly in his gut. It did not pierce through his tunic, but it was forceful enough to throw him backwards onto the ground.
“Wait!” He shouted as I approached him.
“It’s over Adrian. You’ve lost.” I retorted as I held my sword firmly at my side. Adrian gave me a stark look before shifting somewhat
“Any last words before I end this gods damned war?” I asked, prepared to kill him right there. Adrian grinned.
“Yeah, I’ve got some.” He mumbled. With those words he jumped up and grabbed my own dagger from my belt. Before I had a chance to react, he threw the knife in Theo’s direction. I screamed his name, but alas, it was in vain. I knew Adrian would escape if I left his side, but I cared more for Theo than I could anything else. I ran to him and caught him in my arms as he collapsed. The dagger had pierced his left shoulder deeply. Theo tried to grab at the wound, but flinched in pain at the movement. Auden soon ran over as well, realising it was better to simply let Adrian leave.
“Theo?” I whispered. He did not respond, just smiled. I could tell he was barely conscious, but I still did not give up hope. I looked to Auden for an idea or advice, but his expression was as shocked and hopeless as my own.
“I’ll be fine.” Theo quietly mumbled while breathing heavily. “You know I will.”
I did not want to let go of him, but, as I felt his weight begin to fade with his body, I knew I could not hold him forever. And like that, he was nothing more than a bloody knife in the grass.
“He’ll be back.” Auden quietly stated. I knew he was right, but it didn’t lessen the fact that he had died. I had let him die. Gods damnit, could I not do anything right? Still, I knew I could not help him by simply kneeling here. I arose from my position and scanned the landscape for where Adrian had run off to.
“He went that way.” Auden claimed, gesturing to a somewhat ruffled patch of underbrush near the forest. I nodded and began running in that direction. I could hear Auden attempting to follow me, but his footsteps soon grew quieter. I realised then, that we had likely become separated, but it did not matter. I would kill Adrian myself if I had to. After making my way through dense trees and bushes alike, I eventually came to a clearing. It was a relatively quiet stretch of land with a quite significant distance to the rest of the battle. It was empty, aside from one man of average stature with golden brown hair containing one streak of white which swooped to the right hand side of his face. He seemed startled at my reappearance and somewhat annoyed.
“Are you planning on running away again or can we finally finish this?” I sarcastically asked.
Adrian seemed as though he had finally accepted that he could not escape. He slowly began approaching me, sword in hand. I grabbed my rapier and stood my ground, prepared for his attack. I locked eyes with him, wishing to make him regret having ever crossed me; Having ever crossed Theo. We stood there for a long moment, neither of us making the first move. Eventually, I could not hold myself back anymore. I lunged towards him with my rapier held out in front of me. He stepped to his right just in time to dodge it. I would make him wish he had never instigated this war. As I steadied my stance once more, Adrian aimed his sword and began to push it in my direction. I raised my rapier and parried his attack with the blade. The arrogance, the ability to ignore all those around him. After a moment in which we both pressed against each other’s swords with our own in an attempt to disarm the other, I was able to push his blade to the side. However, he was unfortunately able to keep his grip on it. He stumbled to the side, but I was already preparing to strike at him once more with the steel of my sword. I could begin to feel that I was losing myself, still yet, I was unable to stop myself from spiralling. He was hit by my rapier, but sadly only hard enough to cut through part of his leather tunic. He looked shocked for a split second, as though he realised his victory was not a guarantee. Within the blink of an eye however, his furious expression returned to his face. I would end him right here, right now. I thrust my rapier forward, its blade meeting his. And so, it continued; I attacked, but he parried each blow. The sound of the metal clashing together drowned out every other noise. Even my thoughts, which were for once fixated on a single thing, were nearly inaudible over the clatter.
“Just give up already.” I uttered, though the words were not my own.
“Not till you’re dead.” He sneered through his teeth. The words echoed through my head, growing in volume. I drew my sword back for a split second, my eyes staring deeply into his. I took a brief moment to consider my surroundings. Were it not for the circumstances, it would have been a lovely field. The clearing was surrounded by trees and was truly secluded from the rest of the countryside. Unfortunately, I did not have much time to admire the nature around me. I returned my focus to Adrian and began to count. One. I lunged forward, aiming for his side. Two. He jumped away from the attack and I narrowly missed him. Three. I stumbled forward as Adrian prepared his sword once more. Four. I felt the cold sting of metal cut through the skin of my face just below my left eye. It only took one mistake. I fell to the ground on my side. I frantically began to search the ground for my rapier, but the point of a sword held mere millimetres from my neck quickly caused me to cease my movement. Adrian smiled as he placed his foot on my rapier and slid it towards himself.
“What a shame.” He began to say, almost snickering. “You truly thought you could win, didn’t you?”
My breathing quickened as I realised, I had no clear way to safely exit this situation.
“You tried hard, I’ll give you that.” Adrian continued, still maintaining eye contact with me. He was not about to let me escape.
“But in the end, that doesn’t truly matter does it?” He rhetorically asked. “You Allinaries are all the same. No grip on reality.”
He grinned for a second and looked at me with those same eyes which had met mine that first day on the train. Who would have thought we’d end up here?
“Well, it’s been nice.” He jokingly said, before raising his sword high above his head and sending it hurtling down directly at me. I knew there was nothing I could do. I raised my left arm out in front of my head, hoping, praying that it would work. I closed my eyes tight. For a moment, it seemed as though the world was quiet. I heard no sound, no screams, no death. It was calm. I wondered if I had already died. However, the silence was soon broken by an ear shattering bang which rang out through the trees. I opened my eyes and saw a transparent red shield in my hand, Adrian’s blade having cracked it somewhat. I looked up to Adrian who’s expression was a twisted combination of fear, shock and anger. He stumbled back in momentary confusion, giving me enough time to return to my feet. I held out my right hand and focused on all that Auden had showed me. Slowly, I felt something solid materialise in my hand, which soon took the form of a translucent red broadsword. Adrian’s emotion turned from confusion to terror as he realised, he may in fact have to try somewhat to kill me. I lunged forward and attacked with my sword, throwing him backward. He swiftly retaliated with a hit from the side, which I was narrowly able to dodge. I raised my sword above me before letting it swoop down, the sound of the blade cutting through wind drowning out all other noise. It found its target, however, did not manage to kill him. Adrian barely managed to parry the attack and push my sword to the side. Before I had the chance to throw another blow his way, he began to sprint away to the other side of the clearing. Realising I would not be able to catch up to him in time, I reached for my dagger. I hoped to the gods that it would not fail me now. I reached my arm back and aimed, before throwing it forward and letting it leave my grip. This man, the man who had caused so much suffering, he would die by my closest friend’s blade. It reached him. I saw as the blade pieced through his leather tunic and as he fell to the ground. I ran towards him to make sure he would not return to his feet. When I reached him, I noted that the dagger had pierced his side. I smiled for a moment, satisfied with knowing that he who had killed so many would finally suffer a death. I breathed deeply and quickly in an attempt to catch my breath. We were both exhausted. I began to slowly walk away, still smiling to myself. I would find Auden, and it would be alright. I would be able to be treated for my now numerous injuries, and it would be alright. I would see Theo again, and it would be alright. As I walked, I heard Adrian grunt in pain for a moment, quickly followed by the sound of a knife flying through air. Mere split seconds later I felt the cold sting of metal in my right shoulder. I fell to one knee and grabbed at where I had felt the sharp pain. When I returned my left hand in front of me, it was covered in blood and grasping the familiar chestnut wood handle.
“If I’m going down, you’re coming down with me.” Adrian laughed. “And I know only one of us is coming back.”
I could hear the strain in his voice as he spoke. It would not be long. I knew that rumours of my mortality had spread throughout New Veredonia, but I had hoped they would not have reached our enemy. I chuckled to myself as I collapsed onto the grass, blood slowly seeping into the earth around me. As I lay there looking up at the sky, I wondered if I truly wouldn’t return. Afterall, there was no real proof of it. Though I clung to the hope that I would return to see Theo once more, I knew in my heart that I had given up. It would take more than a brush with death for me to regain what I had lost long ago. I was done fighting, and it was going to be alright.
“You know,” I heard Adrian struggle to say, gasping for air even as he spoke. “that first day on the train, you actually scared me a bit. I thought you were someone I should fear.”
Of course. He could not even let me die in peace.
“And when those… those soldiers from the army came, I… I thought you’d have had to have been someone, someone pretty important. And, well, you and I both know there’s only one way to be important in the Empire.”
He chuckled to himself, coughing as he did so
“But now, now I know you’re just, just a… a person who got lucky in all the… the wrong ways.”
I thought of Evalina. What would she have said if she were there? I tried to picture her, but soon realised I no longer remembered her face. When I tried to imagine her, she was but a disembodied, ghostly figure. It wore the same clothes as she had, but it was not her. I thought that here would not be such a bad place to die. I knew Theo was back at the camp and Auden would surely be able to win this battle even without me. If Adrian died, the army would lose hope. Our troops had more than one leader. My eyelids began to grow heavier, and I slowly closed them. I knew I shouldn’t have, but closing them somehow relieved some of the pain. It would all be over soon. As my breathing began to slow and I felt an overwhelming sense of calm wash over me, I heard the sound of footsteps in the distance. I heard two voices frantically talking amongst each other. They were speaking of me, and they were speaking of Adrian. I did not hear much, but I could ascertain that they were searching for us.
“Help.” I said, for I could not scream. I was lying on my right side as I tried to shout for help, so I tried to return myself to a sitting position. I pushed myself up with both of my arms, but was only able to hold my torso upright for a few agonising seconds before collapsing back to the ground.
“They won’t find you here.” Adrian smiled, and he was likely right. There was too large an area to search for them to find us lying here. Even if they did, they would likely be too late. Just as I began to lose hope, I heard a voice shout from the other side of the field.
“Over there!” The voice yelled. Auden’s voice. He ran to my side and helped to support me somewhat as he applied pressure to the gash in my shoulder where my dagger had pierced.
“Orion? Hey, Orion, are you still with me?” He hastily asked. I nodded slowly, opening my eyes just enough to see him. I could feel that there was blood on my clothes, on my hands and somewhat on my face. It was a horrid feeling. But Auden was here now, and I would be alright. I briefly looked to Adrian who seemed to be close to a death, his confident expression now twisted to one of hatred. Auden began to reach for his sword, but was stopped by the other person who had accompanied him.
“Auden, he’s not worth the effort.” The voice said. I was confused for a moment, the voice sounding familiar yet strange. I tilted my head upwards and to the side to see the person; Lyre. He wore a metal piece of armour over his grey sweater and bore a cape which was pinned over his right shoulder. Lyre began to walk towards Adrian who seemed to believe Lyre would help him. Adrian reached out a hand, but Lyre did not move a single muscle to help him.
“You truly are incompetent. I just stayed because you paid me.” Lyre coldly said before turning his back on Adrian once more.
By the time Auden had helped me to my feet, the grass where Adrian had been lying was baren aside from a few blood stains and a small sack of what appeared to be silver, which Lyre gladly took. He carefully considered it before placing it in his pocket and turning to us.
“Unfortunately, I still have to pretend as though I admire Adrian if we want this plan to work, Auden.” Lyre mentioned as he looked in the direction of the battlefield.
“I understand. Good luck.” Auden responded.
“I won’t need it.” Lyre annoyedly said. “But thank you.” He added, not wanting to seem rude. With that he began to run back to the battleground.
Auden placed my arm over his shoulders and helped me walk through the fields and forest. I knew my survival was still not certain, but it somehow did not worry me as much now that I was no longer alone.
“So, what was that with Lyre? Did you bribe him?” I strained to ask.
“Gods no. I could never afford more than Adrian. I may be well off, but Adrian’s got the whole province behind him.” Auden retorted.
“Then what?” I asked in response. Auden did not reply to this and, when I turned my head to look at him, I noticed he was blushing. I decided not to pry into what had happened, leaving the decision of whether or not to speak of it up to him. We continued to struggle through the hills until we made it to the battlefield healers. There were a few of them, four specifically, all of them having been trained by Adeline. Auden insisted on staying by my side while they worked on me. I attempted to convince him it would be a better use of his time to return to the battlefield, but he insisted on staying. Luckily, the process did not take long. As my wounds were common battle injuries, they were quickly treated by the healers. Though I had not yet regained my full strength, I insisted on joining Auden in the fight. He seemed sceptical of my ability to fight, but did not challenge it. Word spread quickly on the battlefield, I knew that much. By the time Auden and I began to run together to the frontlines, many of the opposing army had already begun to retreat, having heard of Adrian’s death. Without much effort, we were able to drive them back, killing many in the process. They fled over the hills and though the trees, into the caves and forests.

I stood on the top of a hill with hundreds of soldiers beside me, ready to slaughter all of the retreating army at my word. I signalled for them to stand down, believing we had inflicted enough damages onto their troops. Auden gave the order to return to the camps, both to have the wounded treated and to reunite the living with their families. I turned around and looked to our legion slowly trotting down the hill, some barely able to walk. They were wounded, they had lost much, but they were singing. They were celebrating. To them, this had been a victory and thus, something worth commemorating. I stood atop that same hill and gazed at the many dead bodies of the enemy army. So many of them had not returned. I fell to my knees as I realised the true magnitude of devastation which this battle caused. Auden sat down next to me.
“It is a nice place.” He claimed. “But I don’t think here is the best place to stay.”
I knew that he was likely right, but I could barely bring myself to move. The weight of what had just happened, of what I had just done, it kept me from returning to my feet. I heard Auden sigh behind me, but it was a quiet sound compared to my thoughts which loudly chanted of all the wrongdoings that had occurred. It was not an uncommon occurrence for them to shout of something until I believed it myself, but it was different this time. Everything they claimed, each and every word, it was true. Every young person they recounted who had died at my hand; It had happened, and many of them had not come back. Every soldier who wanted nothing more than to prove themselves as worthy, but who had met a bitter end at the hands of those whom I had trained; They existed. Or perhaps, had existed. All which had occurred, it was all real, and it all led back to me. It was my fault that so many had lost their lives here. I felt my arms begin to shake as I grasped and clenched the grass beside my knees. I felt a warm and steady hand being placed gently on my back as Auden knelt down next to me. He did not say a word. He did not need to. Silence was a fascinating language with many dialects and accents. Sometimes it was lost in translation, but it was a wonderful language, and Auden was fluent in it.
“It’s okay.” He quietly said, his voice just above a whisper. My grip on the grass tightened until the blades began to give way and slip out from the earth. I reached for more, knowing no way to release my pent up energy without bringing someone to the verge of death than taking it out on the grass below. Despite my best efforts, I soon felt a drop of water begin to roll down my face. It was the first of many. I gasped for air before tears began streaming down my face uncontrollably.
“Hey.” I heard Auden whisper as he swiftly shifted onto one knee to face me. He placed his hands on my shoulders and looked at me, though my head was tilted towards the ground.
“Hey, it’s okay.” He said. “You’re safe, it’s okay.”
For a short moment there was silence between us as the wind passed by. It was a hollow, all-consuming noise. The gust was strong enough to cause the trees not far from us to nearly collapse.
“You’re going to be alright. This is not your fault.”
I would not question Auden’s claims out loud, but I knew he was wrong. This was undoubtedly my fault and mine alone. It was I who had led our army into the fight, it was I who had trained the soldiers who had killed on this battlefield. This was my doing, and no amount of words could change that. I gasped for air once more, the cold oxygen stinging as it entered my airways and flowed down into my lungs. My eyes began to burn from the tears and my hands started to ache at the strain of clenching the grass. I slowly loosened my grip on the green blades and relaxed the tension in my shoulders.
“It’s going to be alright.” Auden calmly uttered.

The march back to the town was cheerful. It shouldn’t have been, but it was. Auden and I trotted side by side in silence, a stark contrast to the cheering soldiers, him stealing occasional glances. He was searching for a way to help, I knew he was, but in this moment, there was no such way. Though I was the one leading our army back to the town, I was not truly there. Physically I was walking the path which would lead to our desired location, but my mind was not present. It registered neither the feeling of the soft grass beneath my feet, nor the stinging of wounds I had sustained in the battle. I wanted only for everything to return to what it was before. I wished that I had never left the Empire, I wished I had never allowed Evalina to write that letter, I wished I had never allowed myself to come so close to tranquillity knowing it could be torn apart so easily. Still yet, I knew my wishes could not be true. They were but desires in my mind; Hopes with no possibility of realisation.
“Theo will be excited to see you again.” Auden quietly said, trying to break the silence. I did not reply, merely let out a hum of acknowledgment and continued to gaze at the ground below as we walked.
It was dark by the time we arrived back at the village. Many soldiers said their goodbyes and began to head to their houses to see their families and triumphantly celebrate their victory. Not long after we had reached the town, only the three Captains, Auden, and I stood there in the grass on the outskirts of the settlement for which an uncountable amount of people had given their life. I looked upon the houses who’s windows lit up the paths of this passion project. After a minute or so, I sighed and turned over my shoulder to face the three captains. Owen Hestinger stood tall and proud, his arms crossed behind his back and his eyes relaxed. Diane Bevan was caringly holding the hand of Alex Rose, who seemed just as absent as I. His eyes were wide and fixed upon the ground beneath his feet. His arms hung loosely against his body and it looked as though he may simply deflate and sink into the ground at any moment.
“You are dismissed.” I solemnly stated.
Owen Hestinger, clearly having no issue in killing, saluted and began marching off in the direction of what I assumed to be his home. I turned to Diane Bevan who sent a sidelong glance of scorn in Auden’s direction, before turning her attention to me.
“Thank you, General.” She gently replied before making her way down the dirt path whilst holding Alex Rose’s hand who still did not emerge from his trancelike state. And then it was only Auden and I up on that hill. For a fleeting moment, there was a sense of utmost calm between us as we merely existed together. The simplicity of the silence and the calm which threatened to break at any moment was all consuming. I had felt this strange sense of serenity many times before. Were it not for the fact that it was always proceeded by calamities, I may have indeed even enjoyed the feeling. Unfortunately, however, this strange sensation could never exist without tragedy. I took a deep breath of the cold evening air which blew through the surrounding area and threatened to knock the sleeping ladybug which I had become entranced by from its blade of grass. I eventually shifted my gaze from the ground to the stars which hung in the velvety black night sky. Auden followed suit, tilting his head somewhat as he focused his eyes on the heavens above.
“Ah!” He soon exclaimed as he gestured towards a constellation in the night sky. “There’s Bellatrix and Betelgeuse up there, so that must be Orion.”
He quietly chuckled at his own joke, though I felt him look to me for approval.
“Yes, I noticed.” I agreed.
“Well... yes, I mean… I figured… it’s Orion… like…. you know.” Auden stuttered in response.
He turned away for a moment and began to say something, then stopped.
“Orion, I… you know that what happened out there wasn’t your fault, right?” He asked, though he likely knew the answer. “It was I who forced you to lead them and who declared this war in the first place. You aren’t to blame.”
I did not reply.
“Orion?”
I allowed myself to become enamoured by the stars which shone so brightly in the sky that night.
“Orion, you do know it’s not your fault, right?”
“Would you just stop for one gods damned second, Auden? You can’t keep making excuses for my actions just because I’m your friend. This was my fault. I led them into battle, I killed so many of our enemy, I did this. Even if whatever fate bullsh*t you’re on about is true, I still did those things.” I shot back.
Auden looked at me for a moment. He just looked at me.
“I won’t press the matter.” He quietly stated as he looked off into the distance once more.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. I had come here to leave this life behind, not to go on living it. This was supposed to be my salvation, not my end. It wasn’t fair; I had done what I was supposed to. Why could I not just have a home where I needed not kill another person. I breathed deeply as I tried to calm myself again, not wanting Auden to worry for me, though I knew he would regardless.
I could have stayed there for eternity. The gods only know I would have. Unfortunately, Auden was not about to let me remain on that hill for all time. Not long after I had managed to once again begin acting as though I was in control of myself, Auden suggested we find Theo and celebrate our victory. “A victory” he hailed it, but it was far from a victorious occasion. I did not believe that the murder of innocent people was even close to any definition of victory. Auden and I trotted side by side along the paths of the town which were bathed in a gorgeous orange light by the street lanterns. I quite liked the colours that they created, though I had always felt as though I would prefer the colour to be just slightly more yellow. Theo’s house was one of the first which had been built, as he personally had done much of the work required to create this town. It was a medium sized home near the forest. It had been built out of many rocks which varied significantly in size. This gave the walls a somewhat uneven appearance, but I did not mind this. The roof was a simple one composed of dark wooden planks which had been nailed into a skeleton of supporting beams inside the attic of the house. In the centre of the roof was a small stone chimney which connected to the fireplace inside. I had installed that fireplace for Theo after he had mentioned that the cold bothered him somewhat. The front face of the house had two windows which were on either side of a very simple door. Auden walked up to the front of the house first and gestured for me to follow, which I reluctantly did. I expected him to knock on the door as most people would, but Auden, never predictable as he was, simply kicked open the door and pranced in.
“Theo! Mate, we’re here!” He shouted as I followed him inside.
I briefly heard an excited gasp coming from somewhere in the house, followed by a gust of wind. Less than a second later, Theo appeared before us, an eager smile on his face. Before I had even the time to greet him, I felt his arms close around me in a loving embrace as he buried his head in my shirt.
“Orion, I’m so sorry I let you down. I’m so glad you’re okay. Did you win? Please tell me you won.” Theo frantically uttered.
“We won.” I replied, his smile spreading to my face.
Theo eventually pulled away to offer the two of us some tea, to which I happily agreed. He led us into the kitchen where he placed a kettle of water over the fire to boil. Auden took it upon himself to tell the story of our triumph, as he put it, to Theo, who dutifully pretended to be interested in the exact manner in which Auden had killed people.
“And then he just died right there! It was like he just realised his incompetence and gave up.” Auden excitedly told.
Theo politely laughed at Auden’s vulgar description of the entire battle, not wanting to spoil his pride. I took a sip of the tea which Theo had made. It was an herbal tea made with freshly grown peppermint, lavender and camomile; Theo’s own creation.
“You never did answer my question, Auden.” I mentioned during a pause in the conversation.
“Hm?” Auden replied inquisitively.
“Why was Lyre helping you?”
“I’m sorry, what? Lyre?” Theo interjected with both confusion and fear in his voice. “What do you mean he was helping you?
“Ah, well, yes, I suppose I should explain that.” Auden admitted. “I didn’t bribe him, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“Well, he is a mercenary, and you aren’t exactly poor, Aud.” Theo stated.
“I still doubt he could afford to outbid Adrian.” I added.
“Like I said, I didn’t. It’s a bit more… complicated than that.”
“Well go on then.” I asked him.
“You see, Lyre and I have been… as some may put it, courting, for quite some time.”
I watched Theo choke on the tea which was in his mouth as he heard those words.
“YOU WHAT?” Theo shouted once he was able to breath once more.
“How long?” I asked, completely shocked.
“I’m not certain. Longer than you’ve been here, Orion, that’s for sure.” Auden replied as he took another sip from his tea.
Theo got up from his seat and ran over to Auden to give him a hug.
“I’m so happy for you Aud.” He said.
Auden looked over to me with tears nearly welling in his eyes.
“Orion, I know you don’t trust him, but he’s not a bad person. He’s done some bad things, sure, but haven’t we all?”
I considered his words for a moment, weighing their truth.
“I’m glad that you’re happy, Auden.” I eventually sighed, forcing a smile.
I would never question Auden’s judgement of character, but I knew that Lyre had a history of betrayal. It may as well have been his personal hobby. However, my respect for Auden outweighed my distrust of Lyre. At least in this moment. Theo returned to his seat and began to ask every question that came to his mind. When they had begun courting, if they were intending on marrying, how serious the relationship was, how they were dealing with the war; The list goes on. Auden answered some of these, but often danced around the answer, not wanting to give away too much information.
“I’m so glad you were finally able to move on from…” Theo began to say. “well, let’s not make this sad. What I’m saying is I’m just really happy for you.”
I considered his words and wondered what he had meant by “move on”. From what he had told me, Auden had never been in a serious relationship. I assumed Theo had been referencing some other form of loss and tried to ignore the odd remark, but it still occupied my mind.
I enjoyed sitting there with Auden and Theo, speaking of everything that came to mind. It was simple, and it was calming. I was almost able to forget everything that had happened that day. I loved Theo, and that was all I could think about, and I hadn’t had as good a friend as Auden since... well, as Theo put it, let’s not make this sad.
The conversation was mostly between Theo and Auden, as I was not exactly talkative. Luckily, though, they were completely content for me to merely exist with them whilst they spoke. Eventually Theo excused himself, saying he needed to tend to his sheep. He added that he would be back as soon as possible, but, knowing Theo, it would likely be quite some time. For a while, Auden and I sat in silence, enjoying the quiet calm between us.
“What did Theo mean by move on?” I eventually got up the courage to ask.
“I’m sorry?” Auden replied, not in an annoyed tone, more a soft inquisition.
“When he was still talking about you and Lyre. He said something about being glad you could move on. What did he mean by that?” I explained.
“Ah, yes, you don’t know about that.”  He nervously stated before taking another sip from his tea.
“Would you mind elaborating?”
“Well, I suppose we have time.”
Auden turned to be and took a deep breath before continuing.
“I wasn’t exactly honest with you about having never been in a serious relationship.” He clarified. “I was actually in a quite committed one for three years or so.”
“I see.”
“His name was Chester Hollows, and I loved him.”
“Past tense?”
“Hard to maintain a relationship with someone who’s dead.”
“I understand. I’m sorry.”
“Well, things happen. He was an amazing person and we experienced so much together. Parties, balls, exams, a terrorist attack, riots… you get the idea.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, how did he die?”
“Killed. By the Empire’s goons.”
“Bastards.”
“Agreed.”
Auden stopped to take another sip of his tea.
“You really loved him, didn’t you?” I asked.
“I married him, I sure hope I loved him.”
There was a silence between the two of us for a while. It was not tense, it was merely quiet.
“What about you? You’ve mentioned a few people and I know you were married off, but you’ve never spoken of your partner. What were they like?” Auden eventually asked.
“Evalina Lenoir. She was my wife for several years.”
“Lenoir? But that’s-“
“They were siblings. Benedict Lenoir and Evalina.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“Trust me, I know.”
“But anyways, how was Evalina? You always spoke so fondly of her, so I’m assuming she was a better person than Benedict?”
“She was lovely. Were it not for the circumstances of our marriage, I may have even wanted to be her husband.”
“How old were you when you were married off to her?”
“Seventeen.”
“Gods, I’m sorry. That’s young even for the Empire.”
“Well, you know why.”
“Yes, unfortunately, I do.”
“Well, I suppose there’s no point focusing on the past. We can’t change it.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
For a moment there was silence between us as we waited for Theo’s return. Apparently his sheep really did need something from him. Theo had found that sheep several months ago when we first came to New Veredonia. He named it Juniper and gave it a yellow collar. He treated that sheep as if it were his own child, and I fully believed he would die for it.
“I’m back!” I heard Theo’s voice cheerfully shout as he turned the corner to enter the kitchen. “Juniper just needed some food and water.”
We greeted him and he returned to his seat next to me. I observed him as he anxiously tapped at the table with his left hand. I wondered what he was nervous about.
“Something wrong, Theo?” I asked eventually.
“No, no, nothing’s wrong, just… Orion, can I ask you something?” He replied.
I looked to Auden who merely shrugged.
“Of course.” I answered, shifting my gaze back to Theo.
He took a deep breath and looked to me before continuing to speak.
“Orion, this whole thing… this war thing. It’s really… nerve-racking. Not just because it’s a war, and war tends to do that, but I’m afraid of losing. Losing you, I suppose.”
“Oh?”
“And it’s not something that’s gone away.”
He took another deep breath and paused for a moment.
“Orion, if one or both of us die in this war, I want to know we meant something. I want to know we were something.”
I tilted my head, not being certain what he meant. Theo stood up from his chair and walked to my side before gently taking my hand. He got down on one knee and looked up at me.
“Orion, will you marry me?” He asked.
“I…”
I didn’t know what to say. I barely knew what to feel.
“You don’t have to answer now if you don’t-”
“Yes.” I said. “Yes, I will.”

Weeks passed and not much changed. Theo and I began preparations for our wedding, Auden and I perpetually argued about how to lead New Veredonia, and life was halfway normal. I dragged myself out of bed and prepared myself for the new day. After I dawned my clothes, I made my way to the entryway where I saw a single letter stuck halfway under the door. I went over to it and opened the letter.

To General Orion Montiér,

I formally invite thee to join us in the New Veredonia Church to discuss a matter of utmost importance with several other people of importance. The meeting will take place on this, the fifteenth of June, at three in the afternoon. Please bring with you parchment as well as a quill. Ink will be supplied by the church.
Regards,
Auden Guillebeaux

“A person of importance” they had dubbed me, it appeared. I reluctantly prepared my parchment and quill to attend this meeting. I understood why the meeting had been called, especially since we were not yet sure if Adrian’s army would attack once more, though we hoped not. I decided that I would attempt to have a leader for New Veredonia elected, as I had only agreed to lead them during the period of crisis. I was no ruler, I knew that. Auden was a far better fit for the role, as were no doubt dozens of other people in the city. Whoever it would end up being, I would do my best to assist them. I made my way to the church later that day, passing by many people as I did so. Most of them were going about their regular routine; Bringing wood to their homes to heat and cook, heading to their place of work, gardening, and so on. However, some of the people were dealing with something far more difficult. I knew that the battle had claimed many lives, but based on the amount of mourners, I had underestimated the total number of casualties. I tried to ignore the overwhelming feeling of guilt, but I was largely unsuccessful.
The New Veredonia Church had long served as a pseudo-courthouse. We had never had the resources necessary to construct a large enough building to serve as a courthouse, so we’d merely given the church a second purpose. The door was unlocked when I arrived, allowing me to enter the stone structure. It had changed quite a bit since the last time I had been inside of it. The floor was now lined with a purple carpet which replaced the dark red one which used to lay in its place. The stained glass windows had finally been completed which allowed colourful light to flood the building. The large meeting table which stood in the centre of the main hall was decorated with a tablecloth of similar colour to the carpets, the one difference being the embroidered flowers which gave the cloth a regal appearance. I allowed my attention to shift to the person who already sat at the meeting table. It took a moment for me to recognize his face, but I was soon able to identify him.
“Lyre…” I said just above a whisper.
“Orion, pleasure to see you again.” Lyre replied, barely stirring from his position at the table. For a moment I merely stood there in shock, not knowing what to say or do. Eventually, Lyre rose from his seat and began to slowly walk towards me.
“Don’t you f*cking come near me.” I ordered as I drew my rapier from its sheath and held it in a defensive position.
“Orion I’m not going to hurt you.” He solemnly replied.
“Drop your weapon and step away.” I stated. Strange, I thought I’d long forgotten those words. As it turned out, they were still what I turned to in such a situation.
“Strange choice of words. I don’t have a weapon.”
“I… you’re Lyre, you always have a weapon.”
“That’s a fair point.”
“I mean it.”
“Orion, I know you don’t trust me, but I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Is that what you told all those people on the battlefield?”
“You know I had to do that.”
“I know you wanted to do that.”
His expression sharpened for a moment as he listened to my accusation.
“Orion, you have no reason not to trust me. I’m not going to kill you.”
“I have a right not to trust you.”
“Just put your damn sword down and let me explain.”
“Make me then! Go on!”
“Orion I’m not your enemy!” He shouted.
I had never heard Lyre raise his voice, let alone shout. It was a strange experience, truly. It seemed so unnatural for him. Most of his threatening personality came from his perpetual calm and aura of control. I relaxed my tension for a moment as I allowed his words to echo through my mind. I could tell he had not been mad, merely having matched my own tone.
“I’m sorry.” He eventually sighed. “I shouldn’t have shouted. Just… just let’s talk.”
Cautiously, I lowered my sword as I took a step in Lyre’s direction. He walked over to a chair tucked underneath the brim of the table and pulled it out, gesturing for me to take a seat, which I warily did. He sat across from myself and placed both of his elbows on the surface on the table, leaning his head against the fist he made with his hands.
“No need to be so tense, it’s not like I’m going to grab your sword from over the table and stab it through your back just below your left shoulder blade in the time it takes you to blink leaving you to bleed out on the floor for someone else to find.” He said in a monotone voice.
“…”
“That was a joke.” He added.
I half heartedly laughed at his joke, trying desperately to convince myself that it had been just that.
“Anyways, there’s a reason I faked that letter. I-”
“You faked Auden’s signature?”
“Well, no, that was his signature, but I changed the stated time.”
“Why would you bother with that?”
“I needed to talk to you.”
“Figures. What did you need to talk about?”
“Orion, look. I know you hate me, and I don’t blame you. I’ve lied, stolen, killed, kidnapped, assisted in murder…”
“I get the idea.”
“Tortured, interrogated, threatened…”
“You can stop, I get the image.”
“Embezzled, spied, betrayed…”
“Lyre, you can stop.”
“Mislead, most likely committed several war crimes, I spat in someone’s tea…”
“Lyre seriously, you can… wait you what?”
“I spat in someone’s tea. Adrian’s.”
“Why did you spit in Adrian’s tea?”
“Eh, he was being a dick. Back to what I was saying, your hatred of me is justified, but it is inevitable that our paths will cross in the future, so it would be beneficial if we were to move past that.”
“I do not hate you, Lyre.” I asserted.
“You… don’t?”
“I do not. Yes, I have reason to, but I do not hate you.”
“How so?”
“I’m not entirely certain. Perhaps it is that Auden trusts you, possibly that you seem to have some sense of morality despite your outward deminer, or possibly… possibly because I admire you in some way or another.”
“Truly?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I appreciate your open mindedness.”
“I would not define it as open mindedness, it’s more akin to sensibility. Your occupation is not who you are, it is simply what you had to do to survive.”
“You don’t want to be defined by your occupation, do you?”
I sighed and looked to the ground before quietly replying.
“We are speaking of you, not of myself.” I refuted adamantly.
“Of course.” Lyre accepted.
There was a slight pause in the conversation as I watched Lyre seemingly gathering his words.
“I wanted to speak with you because there’s no way we will be able to avoid each other, and it is for the best that we do not fight amongst ourselves. We are still at war, and infighting is nothing but a hindrance to our victory.” He explained.
“I concur.”
“So are you willing to work with me?”
“I suppose I have no choice in the matter.”
Lyre and I waited silently in the hall for the original time of the meeting to come. I asked Lyre who had been invited to the gathering, but he claimed to not know whom Auden had summoned.
“I know I saw a letter addressed to Diane Bevan, but that figures. The two are practically inseparable.” He mocked as he played with the knife which he had brought with him. It was a steel balisong made of somewhat rusted metal. It was clearly quite old based on the many stains and dents which it had sustained. I curiously watched him meticulously twirl the knife in his hands as if it was nothing.
Not long after, the first person arrived in the hall. It was Auden. He pushed open the door and closed it behind himself before turning around. He looked to Lyre, then to me, then to Lyre again.
“Do I even want to know?” He asked.
“Doubt it.” Lyre replied.
“That’s fair.”
He was carrying several books under his right arm, and, as he began to walk over to the table and pull out a chair, I noticed he was wearing round reading glasses. He sat down at the head of the table and began flipping through one of the books which he had brought with him.
“Are we not going to address the glasses or…?” Lyre snickered.
“A man can wear glasses when needed, can’t he?” Auden sneered back.
Both Lyre and I were taken aback by his hostility. Auden was not usually aggressive nor did he have a short fuse. It was concerning to say the least. Soon after Auden’s arrival, several more people began to turn up. Diane Bevan, Charlie Feyre, Adeline, and Owen Hestinger. Most of the choices made sense; Charlie Feyre had a keen understanding of behaviour and psychology, Adeline was our best Healer, and Owen Hestinger was by far the best soldier we had. However, I could not help but notice that Diane Bevan had no real reason to be here besides being Auden’s friend. Nevertheless, I did not pursue it. Auden cleared his throat and waited for the room to fall silent, which it soon did.
“Welcome. Thank you all for joining me on such short notice.” He began. He paused for a moment and took a sip of the tea which he had brought with him. He looked up and continued. “We are under attack.”
A confusion broke out in the hall as people whispered to each other. We had all been under the impression that the war was as good as over.
“But how on earth could the Mainland’s army recover from that battle?” I asked.
“They haven’t.” Auden replied.
The room fell silent again as people keenly listened to Auden’s words.
“As you all know, I am in charge of patrol reconnaissance, meaning I am constantly observing both enemy territory and our own. It is not the army that is planning to attack, it is the people. The civilians have begun to wage their own war. You may have noticed it in the form of sudden, unexplainable food shortages or missing livestock or supplies. Little by little, the enemy’s citizens are destroying us.”
“What should we intend to do about this?” Owen Hestinger solemnly asked.
“That is exactly why I’ve called all of you here.” Auden stated. “We have to figure out what we can realistically do to stop these attacks.”
“What’s stopping us from just attacking them?” Diane Bevan inquired.
“It seems they strike alone or in small groups under the cover of night. There’s no way to distinguish them from our own civilians and they attack in such small numbers that it would be nearly impossible to stop them.” Auden explained.
“We could launch a counter strike. Attack the Mainland and devastate them enough to keep them from returning.” Owen Hestinger suggested.
“Have you lost any and all sense of morality? No. There are innocent men, women and children there. We are not going to massacre them.”
There was a moment of silence as I felt some eyes begin to turn to Lyre and I.
“We could station guards outside of farms and storage units. Make it harder for them to cause damages.” I suggested.
“Too many farms, too few guards.” Lyre interjected. “We could mandate all supplied be delivered to one or two locations and station guards outside of those.”
“No one would agree to that.” I negated. “We could however increase night time patrol in the village.”
“Same issue as before, it’s too much ground to cover.” Lyre sighed.
After a moment of silence, Lyre looked up from the table.
“How did you find out about this Auden?” He asked.
“We spotted a few small campsites in the woods while on regular patrol.” Auden replied.
“Why not strike there? There won’t be any children or innocent people there. We can attack a few and scare the others into retreating.” Lyre asserted.
“But think of how many will die. Are we really willing to sacrifice their lives for a bit of grain?” Adeline asked.
“It’s us or them. Either we starve or they die.” Lyre claimed.
“We could live. We’d just have to be careful.” Adeline retorted.
“Are you willing to bet the lives of all your friends and family on that?”
Adeline quietly stood up and leaned over the table to look Lyre directly in the eyes.
“Yes. Yes I am.”
Charlie grabbed at Adeline’s shirt and pulled them back to their seat.
“Not now, Adeline.” Charlie whispered in their ear. Adeline shook Charlie’s Hand from their sleeve and turned back to Lyre.
“And why the hell should we trust you anyway? Just a second ago you were helping them plot to kill us all. Hell, you probably helped them plan this didn’t you?”
“I did no such thing.” Lyre quietly replied.
“And what’s with the sudden change of heart? Did you suddenly just decide to join us? Were you just bored?”
“The reasons behind my decision do not concern you.” Lyre said in a somewhat louder voice.
“You know what I think?” Adeline continued.
“Adeline, stop.” Charlie pled.
“I think you just want more notches on your belt.” Adeline shouted. “I think you just want to experience the thrill of killing even more innocent people. I think you’re just a cold blooded, egotistical, murderous lunatic!”
“That’s enough!” Charlie shouted while grabbing at Adeline’s wrist.
“You stay out of this, Charlie!” Lyre nearly shouted.
The room fell silent, the thundering crash of Lyre’s words forcing the air from everyone’s lungs. Lyre quietly and slowly walked around the table with his hands behind his back. We all watched silently as he approached Adeline and faced her, less than ten centimetres between the two. For a moment he just stared her in the eyes.
“My past and my thoughts are of no concern to you.” He quietly yet sharply spoke. “All that is relevant to you now is who and what I am choosing to be in this present moment. I have lived a thousand lifetimes and I intend to live a thousand more. What I’ve done in those past thousand lifetimes is beyond your comprehension and always will be. All you need know is that I am trying to help you, and that you are currently standing in the way of that. If you truly care about your family and friends, stop interfering. Are we clear?”
Adeline nodded silently.
“Good.”
Lyre stepped back while maintaining eye contact with Adeline. He smiled, before suddenly punching her square in the nose. As Auden jumped from his seat to help Adeline, Lyre silently walked back to his seat in the same manner in which he had left.
After tensions had settled somewhat between Adeline and Lyre, Auden spoke once more.
“Before we dismiss, are there any other matters which any of you would like to discuss?”
“Yes, actually.” I answered. “When are you finally going to hold those elections, you’ve kept promising me you would?”
“Ah, yes, well, soon.” Auden avoided.
“You said that last time. And the time before that. And also, the time before that.”
“Well, wouldn’t you agree that we are still in a state of crisis?”
“Auden, you can’t keep this up forever.”
“Watch me.”
I looked him in the eyes, and he cheekily grinned back at me.
“Well, it seems you’ve gathered all important members of the council here already. Why don’t we just hold a quick vote?”
“Orion, that’s not how-”
“Stop lying to yourself. You never intended for this place to be a direct democracy.”
Auden began to blush as he shamefully realized he could not refute the claims. I walked over to him and placed an arm around his shoulders.
“So, let’s get to it then. I’m slightly unhinged and very unwilling to take power. You have no idea about my past or my intentions for the future, and some may argue that electing me would be worse than anarchy. Now, Auden however, is someone you know and trust. He’s proven himself as a skilled conversationalist and leader, and he has impeccable problem solving skills. Most of you have known him far longer than you have me and I don’t think I know a single person in this town who doesn’t like him. He has a history of loyalty and bravery, and he’s quite the fighter too. So, who wants me?”
No hands were raised apart from Owen Hestinger, who kept his hand up despite judging eyes.
“And who think Auden should lead?”
All remaining people raised their hands, officially electing Auden as the new leader of New Veredonia.
“Well then, guess that’s settled.” I said as I patted Auden on the back and returned to my seat.
“Well I… if there aren’t any more… I… meeting dismissed.” Auden stuttered, clearly flustered.
I rose from my seat and began to gather the few belongings which I had brought with me. As I was leaving, Lyre stopped me in my tracks.
“So...” He said
“So.” I replied.
“Not going to say anything about that or…?”
I was silent for a moment before replying.
“That was a good punch.”
“I meant anything negative. I mean, I punched your friend.”
“Your stance could use a bit of work.”
After exchanging these few words with Lyre, I continued leaving the hall. At this point most everyone had left aside from Lyre and me. I pushed open the doors of the church and stepped outside, only to find Auden waiting for me.
“Hello.” He greeted.
“Hello to you as well.” I replied.
For a moment there was absolute silent between us as Auden looked into my eyes and I looked back.
“All those kind things you said about me back there.” Auden eventually muttered. “Do you really think that of me?”
“Of course I do. You’re my friend.”
“Thank you, Orion.” Auden quietly said.
I began to leave and visit Theo, but I turned around before I went very far.
“I’ll see you and Lyre at the wedding, correct?”
“You actually want him there?” Auden asked, clearly surprised.
“Well, there’s no you without him, I know that full well.”
“I’d have thought you’d rather I not be there than he show up.”
“Are you kidding? You’re my best man.”
I continued down the dirt path before Auden had enough time to object. He had invented the narrative in his mind that because he and Lyre were involved with each other, I hated him by proxy. Though I had tried many times to explain to him that this was not the case, he continued to fear my abandoning him.I never had liked wearing frocks. I had always found the coats too tight and the cascade scarfs too extravagant. Despite my hatred of them, Theo would not allow me to get married in anything other than a frock. However, he had offered me an array of colours to choose form. So, there I stood on the day of my wedding in a light blue frock suit, waiting for the Minister to call us. The wedding was being held just outside the New Veredonia Church, as it had a beautiful courtyard filled to the brim with flowers of all kinds. Though I found it stupid, Theo had insisted that it was bad luck for us to see each other before our wedding. Because of this, the two of us prepared ourselves in separate rooms of the church while the wedding was being prepared just outside. Auden had taken in upon himself to organise most of it. He had decided on the colour scheme, the seating, the food; Everything.
“Orion?” I heard a voice call from the door. I looked over my shoulder and saw Charlie standing in the doorway.
“Hello Charlie.” I greeted.
“My god, you’re actually wearing a frock. Who did Theo have to hold hostage to get you to do that?” Charlie joked.
I gestured for her to sit down on the cushioned chair that had been placed in the room.
“I was just adjusting the scarf.” I stated. “Do you need something?”
“No, I just came to see how you were doing.”
“I’m doing quite well, thank you.”
“Are you certain? I mean, it’s been a lot recently. Auden’s coronation, the raids getting more frequent, and now this. It’s just a lot, and I wouldn’t judge you if you were stressed.”
Auden’s coronation had been quite the event. The entire town had showed up there. Some were able to fit inside the church, but most merely waited outside to cheer as their new King walked past them. Lyre had been offered the title of Noble Consort, but had respectfully declined. He claimed that it was not his place to obtain any titles. I chose to focus more on the more positive events instead of the raids.
“Well, yes, the attacks have been occupying me, but there’s no reason that will keep me from enjoying today.”
“If you say so.” Charlie shrugged. “Oh, by the way, the Minister sent me to fetch you. He wants you at the altar already.”
“Alright. You lead the way.”
I followed Charlie down the stairs of the church and into the courtyard. It was truly beautiful; Blue and violet flowers decorated the white chairs lining the path to the altar.
“Auden’s really outdone himself, hasn’t he?”
“He really cares about you two.”
I walked up to the altar which had been adorned with many flowers as well. The Minister was a kind older gentlemen named Rico whom I had met long before the war broke out. He was one of the few people I knew who’s first language was Latin, with his second being English. I always enjoyed speaking to him, as it meant a chance to dust off my Latin which, while rusty, was not too bad. However, today, he insisted on speaking to me in English, claiming he would need it for the ceremony. He explained to me that the guests would be let in and seated in approximately twenty minutes, at which point the ceremony would begin as planned. He instructed me to wait in the chamber just left of the entrance to the courtyard. I thanked him and followed Charlie to said chamber.

The ceremony was enchanting. Far too magical for me to describe in words. Once it had begun, I walked up the isle to the altar where I was to stand just left of the minister. Auden waited just behind me with the rings, and opposite of me was Charlie. Theo had asked her to his maid of honour, which she had happily accepted. Then, as the most angelic harp began to play a calm tune, Theo appeared from the church, and he was beautiful. He wore a white frock suit with gold embroidery on the cuffs of his sleeves. His hair was its usual slightly messy self, with the exception of one light blue rose which he had placed just above his left ear. He trotted down the isle with a bouquet of equally vibrant flowers in his hands, and he smiled. He smiled more radiantly than I had ever seen a person smile. A smile of true, fathomless love and happiness. I could not help but marvel as he walked by me and took his place at the altar. Auden gave me a pat on the back and whispered.
“Try not to blush too much yet, ey?”
The Minister began to read aloud the text which he had prepared. I’m certain it was a wonderful speech, however I barely heard a word of it. All of my focus was on Theo, and all of his on me. Fear was just a word and war was nothing but a distant echo. For once in my life, I truly and wholeheartedly felt safe. I allowed myself to get lost in Theo’s grass green eyes which shone so brightly in the afternoon sun. Were it not for the fact that I was listening carefully for those words, I may have missed the most important sentence of the entire event. But luckily for me, I had been listening for that exact phrase and was prepared with my answer. I briefly looked away from Theo and to the Minister, and let those immortal words leave my mouth.
“I do.”

The celebration following the ceremony was almost as magnificent. Theo and I danced to the sound of violins playing and harps joining in. Soon enough, more people had begun to dance with each other. Out of the corner of my eye, though, I saw that Auden was sitting alone at a table. It was very out of character for him to not be dancing, be he alone or not. I excused myself from Theo for a moment and walked over to Auden.
“Auden, is something the matter?” I asked him as I sat down left of him.
“What? No, no, I’m fine.” He replied, avoiding eye contact.
“Are you certain? Usually I’d expect you to be out there dancing.”
“Well, I suppose I just feel a bit out of it.”
“I see Lyre decided not to join you?”
“No, he did come. He left soon after, though.”
“How come?”
“Remember how Adeline was acting at that meeting a couple of weeks ago?”
“Of course.”
“Well someone else had a similar bone to pick.”
“Who was it? I’ll kick them out immediately! No one should be causing such arguments here.”
“Oh, trust me, I already took care of that.”
“Good.”
Auden’s eyes began to drift off once more, prompting me to ask him a question.
“Would you like to dance with Theo and I?”
“Gladly.” He chuckled in reply.

Auden, Theo, and I spent most of the evening together. We danced, we spoke, we laughed, we sat in silence. At one point, we convinced Auden to sing the text to a song which was being played by the violinists, which he did surprisingly well. Auden truly was a man of many talents. As the evening was coming to a close and the sun was beginning to set, I heard a voice call out from behind me.
“Orion!” It said.
I turned around and found Lyre standing behind me, slightly out of breath. I rose to greet him.
“Lyre! Nice of you to join us. Do you intend to stay?” I asked.
“No. Orion, may we speak in private?”
“Lyre, it’s my wedding day. Sit down, relax for once. Surely whatever this is can wait, no?”
“It cannot. We must speak.”
It was only with these words that I noticed the panicked expression on Lyre’s face.
“Theo, Auden, excuse us for a moment.” I whispered, before leading Lyre to a secluded room inside of the church. Lyre’s footsteps appeared franticly quick as we walked along the stone floor.
“Well then.” I said after closing the door behind us. “Of what do you wish to speak?”
“The raids.” He simply said.
“Oh gods, don’t remind me.” I replied.
“No, you don’t understand. They’re getting worse. Far worse. Worse than we could have ever theorised in the even the grimmest facets of our imagination.”
“I see. What’s happened?”
“They’ve killed. They killed an entire family of six.”
“Did they come back to life?”
“Yes, all except for the family dog.”
I began to pace the ground anxiously.
“No, no, no. This isn’t possible. We destroyed their camps. We burned it down. You were there! I was there! There was nothing left.”
“They came back, and with more numbers than before.”
There was a long moment of silence.
“What shall we intend to do about this?”
“We mustn’t tell anyone of this. It would cause a mass panic. That would only make things worse. I suggest we launch a counter attack; Threaten the Mainland and force them to retreat. I know you didn’t like that idea at first, but it seems it may be our only option.”
“I see.”
I should have objected, I normally would have, but something about this situation seemed to give truth to Lyre’s statement that this was the only option. I would have to accept the fact that I could not protect everyone. No matter how hard I tried, there would always be sacrifices, and I couldn’t help that.
“I’ll begin preparing the army. I will meet with you when needed.” Lyre asserted.
“I will see you then.” I replied.
Lyre gave me a nod and turned to leave through the door. I followed him, turning right to enter the courtyard once more instead of leaving the church. I re-joined Auden and Theo who were happily chatting away with the guests at a small circular table. I smiled, as I thought of how happy they were; How carefree they finally seemed after such a long battle. Theo glanced over at me and tapped Auden on the shoulder to alert him of my return.
“Is everything alright?” Theo asked worriedly.
“Yes, nothing serious. Don’t worry about it.”
While Theo smiled softly at my answer and simply turned back to his conversation, Auden gave me a knowing look. He clearly was aware that something was happening. I sat down at the table next to Auden, and the conversation continued, everyone returning to chatting about whatever it was they were speaking of. Everyone except for Auden.
“What’s going on? What’s really going on?” He whispered.
“I really shouldn’t speak of it.” I replied in an equally hushed tone.
“Alright, I won’t press it. But you can trust me, you know?”
“I know.”

That day was surprisingly cold for the time of year. Lyre had finally called me to the training site, assumedly to consult with me. A few weeks had passed since he had first told me of the dire situation, and I had still noticed not much of the raids, which both concerned and relieved me. Before leaving my and Theo’s house, I dawned a simple cloak to keep warm during the day. I had intended to leave before Theo awoke, but, unfortunately, he had already been awake for several hours by the time I began to leave. I had told him that I was off to meet with Auden for tea, which he luckily believed. It pained me unimaginably to lie to him, but if it meant protecting him from the horrors that were occurring, I would gladly do it again. As I walked along the road to the training field, a few drops of rain began to fall on my face. I looked up to the sky and saw that grey clouds were slowly approaching, though I maintained hope that these drops were not the beginning of a storm. As I approached the training area, I expected to see a group of soldiers already waiting, but instead, I found only Lyre.
“Good day.” He greeted.
“To you as well.” I replied. “I thought we would be gathering the army today?”
“Oh, no, I already took care of that last night. I merely needed you to approve the plans.”
“Ah.”
Lyre led me to a tent which he had seemingly assembled last night. It was a dark olive colour and was clearly marked by the years. I entered with him and found a simple coffee table inside with several rolls of parchment laid upon it. I sat down on a chair beside the table and to the right of Lyre. He began to walk me through the strategy which he had apparently developed over night. It was a brutal plan, and, from the moment I heard him explain it, I began to realise how many innocent people would suffer if we were to go through with his plan. I asked him if there was any way that we could minimise the damage, but he adamantly asserted that it was the only way. He explained in great detail to me how each individual target marked would lure some of the raiders back to the mainland. I tried not to think too hard about the unnecessary pain that we would be causing, as I agreed that it was the only way.
“So?” Lyre asked after finishing his presentation.
“I suppose… if you truly believe that this is the only way, then I approve.”
“Thank you. I will send the troops to the mainland tomorrow.”
I stood up to leave, but was quickly stopped by Lyre.
“Wait, before you go, would you like to have a cup of tea with me?” He asked kindly. I gratefully accepted, as I felt that this would lessen the weight of the lie which I had told Theo.
We spent most of the afternoon together in that tent, merely existing together. Occasionally one of us would begin a conversation which did sometimes last, but, altogether, we merely enjoyed each other’s presence. Eventually, I bid Lyre adieu, and began to head back to my and Theo’s home. Night had nearly fallen at this point, making navigation incredibly difficult. Unfortunately, the best sources of lighting I had access to were my own manifestations. Though the glow they gave off was dim, it was better than nothing. I carefully manifested a simple orb which shone with a small amount of dim red light. I had found that rudimentary shapes were the easiest thing to manifest, making them ideal for such scenarios. I held the orb out in front of myself and began to continue down the path. As I did so, however, I noticed something strange in the distance. I saw what appeared to be the shadow of a person running through the streets. Curious as to what who it was, and feeling it was my duty to help them should they need assistance, I began to follow the shadow as it sprinted through the town. After the first few minutes, I began to realise where this mysterious shadow was running to. We had entered the section of the town near the Rosen River; The farming district.
I began to run faster, now trying to stop the shadow before it could do any damage. I shouted for it to stop, but it did not listen. I continued to follow it through the streets for what felt like ages, ready to kill it on sight. Before I was able to reach it, however, the shadow ran into a barn and closed the door behind itself. It had become pitch black at that point, and I had nearly no chance of seeing the assailant inside the barn. Despite this, I decided to follow the person into the barn. I plied the door open and entered the barn. As I had suspected, it was impossible to see anything inside. I held out my orb in an attempt to locate the person, but I soon felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. I stumbled for a moment, not knowing what had hit me. Before I was able to turn around and face the person, I felt a hand grabbing at my wrist. I was able to ply my hand away, but not before the orb had disintegrated into nothingness.
“Oh sh*t.” I mumbled, before sustaining another sharp blow to the head. I fell to the ground, unable to move. I heard voices, but was unable to do anything. Soon, my vision faded to black as I was unable to fight the overwhelming sensation of tiredness.

I woke up in the forest, my hands tied around a tree. As I began to panic, I tried to undo the knot which bound my hands.
“That’s not going to work, General.” I heard a voice say. I turned to where it had come from and saw the silhouette of someone whom I did not recognise. He was wearing an olive green suit which appeared to resemble that of a soldier, though it was clearly of lower quality.
“That knot’s about as secure as it gets. Even you couldn’t undo it.” He finished.
“Who are you? Where are we?” I demanded.
“That’s not really important.” He claimed. “You should be asking why you’re here, but, since you’re too daft to get that far, I’ll just go ahead and answer it for you. You’re here, because I was sent to… “retrieve” you. Twice in fact. How crazy is that? Two separate people hired me to find you. Isn’t that something?”
“Do I know you?”
“Oh who’s to say. Knowing someone is relative. Anyways back to what I was saying. My job here is to find you, extract all information requested from you, and then… well, that depends on how this all goes.”
“No, I’m certain I know you.”
“Well of course you do! How on earth could you forget me? I sure as hell haven’t forgotten you.”
“What the hell do you mean.”
“We did share such great times together. That is, before you tried to have me killed.”
“No… it’s you.”
“Yes, now you’re getting it.”
“But… no, that can’t be. You were killed. William killed you. I saw it myself!”
“Ah, injuries can be deceiving. Some blood here, some broken bones there, but I lived. The Empire decided it would be best if I were put into witness protection. They sent me to Beladon. Beladon of all places! Do you know how ruddy awful that place is? All they do is farm, day in and day out!”
“Shut your mouth and get away from me.”
“Bit rude. You should be happy to see me! It’s been so, so long after all. Don’t you miss the times we shared?”
“You know full well I don’t miss you. You ruined my life you bloody f*cking asshole. Now get the f*ck back!”
“What’s wrong? Are you afraid of me?”
He knelt down to my level and looked me in the eyes.
“Oh, you are afraid of me, aren’t you? How cute.” He laughed.
“Get away.”
“No need to be so scared. I’m not the one to fear here. You’re the murderer, afterall.”
“Lenoir!” I heard another voice shout. “Stop being a f*cking creep and get on with it.”
“Right ma’am. Sorry ma’am.” Benedict said as he saluted the woman who emerged from the forest. She was lady of average height and build who dawned a red silk tunic which was tied at the waist with a length of cloth. She had brown, wavy, chin length hair. It was Genevieve Wylder. She calmly walked up to Benedict and looked him dead in the eyes despite being significantly shorter than him.
“Are we going to have a problem?”
“No ma’am.”
“Good. Go get Ambrose from the camps. She’s more competent that you’ll ever be. You are dismissed.”
Benedict pulled a grimace before turning westwards and marching off. The lady whom he had addressed as “ma’am” turned to look at me.
“You don’t seem like the type to be easily scared, General Montiér.” She claimed. She sat down in front of me and picked at the grass somewhat.
“So, go on, who is he?”
“I believe you know that already. He’s Benedict Lenoir.”
“Yeah, no, that’s not what I mean. Who is he to you?”
“That’s not relevant.”
“Who are you to say what is and isn’t relevant? You don’t even know why you’re here.”
“I’d rather die than tell you that.”

“Hm, well, very well, I suppose it’s not worth the effort to pry it out of you.”
She stood up and dusted off her tunic.
“Can I untie you, or are you just going to kill me?”
“I won’t.”
“Right, and I should trust that.”
“Well, you only live once, right?”
She stared at me blankly for a moment.
“General, we are both immortal, you do realise this, correct?”
“All the more reason to trust me.”
She stared at me once more, before shrugging and cutting the rope from my hands. I stood up slowly and rubbed at my wrists. The lady returned to stand in front of me. I quickly began to reach for my sword, but, before I was able to reach it, I felt a strange material close around my wrists. I looked down and saw a translucent purple substance which took the form of handcuffs. I looked up in astonishment.
“Gods, you’re… you’re like me.”
“Oh don’t flatter yourself General.” She said as she walked to the centre of the clearing. “You’re nothing like me.”
I was about to try to run, but I felt the arms of two people close around my wrists as I was pulled over to the rocks. I was sat across from the lady as the two unidentified people continued to hold me down.
“I’m certain you remember me, we had that altercation some time back.”
“I would barely dare to call it an altercation. It was more of an embarrassment to you and a chore to me.”
“Don’t try to get arrogant, Orion.”
“I’ll do as I please, thank you.”
I may not have been able to escape the situation, but I certainly wasn’t about to make it a pleasant one for Genevieve. She sighed before continuing.
“As has already been divulged to you, you are here to give us information.”
“Now why would I do that.”
“Because, from what I hear, you value your life.”
“I don’t give two sh*ts about my-”
“And you value Theo. Now, are you really willing to cause him suffering just to withhold some information?”
“No… Theo is safe. He’s back home.”
“Theo is currently with two of our best soldiers some ways away from here.”
I sighed and looked up to Genevieve Wylder.
“What do you want to know?”

I heard my door slam open with violence. I looked towards the entrance and saw Theo panting.
“Theo, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” I asked him as I approached. He was barely able to speak a single word through his quick breathing, but he managed to get out a few words.
“They tried to… I ran but… they said they… they have Orion.”
My blood froze. So few words with so much meaning. I grabbed Theo by the wrist and ran out the door. Together we hurried to the stables to mount our horses, and to get a few soldiers to come with us. I had no information as to the nature of these kidnappers, but if they were able to capture Orion and nearly do the same to Theo, they had to be a threat. In the end, five soldiers joined us as we rode away. Theo was unable to identify where the assailants had attempted to take him, so I decided to search the woods, thinking it the most probable hiding spot. One of the soldiers suggested splitting up, but I vetoed the idea. We had no idea who we were facing, and dividing our numbers would only make us easier to kill. Instead, I led the soldiers and Theo into the woods to search the areas where we had previously found raider camps. I figured that whoever was behind this was most likely affiliated with those groups, if not part of them. Thus, this was my best, and quite honestly, only idea. I hoped to the gods that wherever these people were, wherever Orion was, we would soon find it. Before it was too late

“Well,” Genevieve Wylder began. “I’ll preface this by saying that we already know of your plot to attack the Mainlands. In fact, we’ve already prepared for it by setting up defences everywhere we thought a likely target and arming our citizens.”
“I’m afraid I have absolutely no idea what you’re referencing.” I replied coldly.
“Come now, General. Only a fool wouldn’t know that all such missions must be approved by you personally.” She replied. “Oh! That’s right! You don’t know how I know that, do you?”
I was silent.
“Well, back to what I was saying, I would like to know the set dates, times, and locations of these attacks.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I’m not going to tell you that without proof that Theo is here.”
“Well I’m sorry, General, but this simply isn’t in your control.”
“I want proof.”

One of the soldiers pointed to the sky. I followed their hand with my eyes and spotted smoke rising upwards. A campfire. I turned my horse around and ordered Theo and the soldiers to do so as well. Wasting no time, we began to ride in the direction of the smoke, hoping for the best. The sound of the hooves hitting the ground echoed through the hills and forest violently.

“Fine.” Genevieve Wylder finally conceded. “You want proof? Here’s proof.”
She ushered one of her guards over to us and ordered something of him which I could not understand. The guard then pulled from his pocket a torn, contorted, yet still unmistakable flower crown. Theo’s flower crown. I stared blankly at it for some time. It could have been seconds, it could have been minutes. After a while, I looked up to the woman sat across from me.
“And if I tell you, you’ll let him go?”
“Naturally.”
“June third, ten in the evening, the western outskirts of the city. June fourth, two in the morning, the centre of the city. June fifth…”

From a distance I was able to hear the crackling of the campfire. I held a hand in the air to signal for the cavalry to stop in their tracks, which they dutifully did. As I listened closely, I could barely, just barely, hear Orion’s voice. I turned my head to try to hear where it was coming from. Finding the exact location, I pointed in the direction and ordered the soldiers to ride behind me as quickly as they could. I would not be too late. Not again. I had lost too many people in this war, and I was not about to lose another. Not Orion.

As I continued to divulge more and more information, I began to hear the sound of hooves approaching in the distance. I turned in the direction of the sound and saw the trees shake ever so slightly.
“General, continue.” The woman ordered, but I did not listen.
“General?” She asked, somewhat confused as I continued to stare in the direction of the noise.
“General!” She now shouted as she grabbed at my shirt.
A voice gave an order from the trees. A familiar voice. I shifted my gaze to the woman now mere centimetres from my face.
“You’re out of time.” I smiled.
Her furious expression slowly twisted into an empty stare as she realised what I had meant. She let go and began to walk over to one of the many soldiers to whisper something in his ear. We heard someone shout from the trees. Genevieve Wylder and the soldiers turned to the origin of the sound as Auden and several other soldiers burst through the thick flora, swords drawn. One of the guards panicked and put a knife to my neck, though, before long, I was able to escape his ineffective grasp. Genevieve Wylder’s manifestation which bound my wrists soon began to shatter as her focus shifted. In the same moment my hands were freed, I was able to draw my knife, though my sword was still nowhere to be found.
“How did you know?” I shouted to Auden as he began to tear through the guards.
“Theo.” He replied solemnly.
I was confused by his statement, but as I turned to my right, I saw Theo attacking one of Genevieve Wylder’s guards with rigor. His flower crown was missing, but he was alive and well. I smiled and continued to fight my way over to Genevieve Wylder, who was in the process of trying to flee. I grabbed her by the wrist and held her in place.
“Let go of me!” She yelled. I tightened my grip.
“Not so threatening now, are we?” I sarcastically asked.
“Orion!” I heard Auden shout sternly. He approached us, sword still drawn. I loosened my grip on her arm for just a second, which she took full advantage of. Within a moment, she was gone. I began to chase after her, but Auden stopped me.
“Leave her. There are more important things.” He said. I begrudgingly did not follow her.

The journey back to the village was silent. Even Theo, who was usually so talkative, did not speak a word. In fact, he seemed quite upset, which troubled me severely. I knew Theo, and I knew that he was never this quiet. I had rarely seen him mad, yet something told me that this was to be one of those times. When we arrived in New Veredonia, Auden offered to take the horses back to the stables himself so that Theo and I could recover. I thanked him and Theo and I walked down the road to our home. As I tried to hold his hand as we so often did, I felt him pull away and place his hand inside his pocket. The door to our house creaked open and we entered quietly. For a moment I contemplated the situation, before finally breaking the silence.
“Theo, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” I asked calmly.
“You said they had been taken care of.” He replied without turning to me.
“I’m sorry?”
“You said you had taken care of the raiders!” He shouted at me as he turned to face me.
“Theo, I thought we had. I only just found out about this. I-“
“LIAR!” He yelled. “I know you’ve known for weeks. I know you have!”
“Why would I lie about that?”
“Lyre told me today.” He stated. “I found out that we had just won a war but we still may all die, and I had to hear that from Lyre instead of from you! Do you know how difficult that was?!”
“Theo, I only meant to protect you.”
“You just didn’t want me to know that people were still dying. You didn’t want to protect me, you wanted to keep me blind sighted!”
“Theo…”
“I deserve to know these things Orion!” He yelled.
“Yes, you do, but please try to understand…”
“I’m done understanding! I’m your husband! You tell me things! That’s your gods damned job!”

Silence.

Piercing, unbearable silence.

Silence had never been so loud before.

“I trust you, Orion. I only wish you would trust me as well.”
“I’m sorry, Theo, truly I am. I wanted only for you to be safe.”
“That’s not your decision to make.”

I did not sleep that night. I doubt Theo did either, but I truly had no way to tell. I had decided to stay with Auden that night, thinking it better than provoking another argument with Theo. When I returned to my home that morning, I found a note lying on the kitchen table.

Went to the hills to think.
Don’t try to find me, please.
I’ll see you soon.
Best, Theo

It was Theo’s handwriting, no doubt about it. The hills were what we called the clearing that he had taken me to during one of our first encounters. In truth, it was more of a cliff than a hill. It was a field surrounded by cedar trees and covered in colourful flowers. The cliff looked over many hills covered in equally beautiful flora. When watching the sunset from that hill, it was impossible not to marvel at the colours one would see, which seemed brighter than the sun itself. Theo had told me that he always went there when he was feeling down or needed an escape. Ever since he had told me how to get there on my own, I used it as an escape as well. I knew that he would likely become even more upset if I were to look for him there, so I decided to follow his advice, and did not go to find him, as much as it pained me.

The time that Theo and I spent apart was torturous. It was bad enough that he was mad at me, what made it worse was that he was right: I had lied to him, and I had ordered all those attacks. Even if they had been cancelled, I was still to blame. Theo had always been against violence, and I knew how much it must have hurt him to hear that I myself had ordered those attacks; To hear that I had endorsed such brutality. It was my fault.
I went to the market that day to search for the ingredients for potato and vegetable soup. It was Theo’s favourite meal, at least, his favourite meal that I knew how to make. I searched the entire market for the ingredients I needed, but to no avail. Eventually I asked one of the stand attendants where I could find the items I required.
“Sorry, I haven’t seen any potatoes or onions here in ages.”
“Does no one grow them?” I asked.
“Of course we do, but they keep getting stolen.”
Apparently I had no idea of the true magnitude of the situation. It slowly became apparent to me that we could not go on like this. People would soon begin to starve if I allowed the raids to continue. I returned home, empty handed. I waited there for what felt like years, though what was more likely only hours, for Theo to return. I tried to collect my thoughts, but they were all with him.
Soon, but not soon enough, he returned. I ran to the door to embrace him, but something seemed off about him. He was certainly calmer than when I’d last seen him, but he seemed disconnected.
“Theo, I’m so sorry about what I did. You have every right to be angry, but please, forgive me. I promise I’ll be more honest. I-”
“It’s okay.” He monotonely responded.
“So, you aren’t mad?”
“Of course I am. But I have neither the energy nor the desire to express that right now. I just need some time.”
I would have preferred he yelled. I would have preferred he say horrible things about me. I would have preferred anything over what he chose to say. What struck me more than anything was how he spoke. He was speaking like me, and that was never a good sign.
“I see. I understand.” I replied.
Theo walked to the stairs and into our bedroom. I considered joining him that night, but I soon decided against it. I sat at our kitchen table considering his words for quite some time. It was early evening at this point, but it felt much later. I felt like I had aged a thousand years in the past few days, and I knew I would age a thousand more if I did nothing. And so, I sat there and I thought. I thought about what he had said to me. I thought about what I could do. Our people were suffering, and it was my duty to change that. I sat and pondered for a long time to try and find a solution to our troubles. Eventually, I realised that there was only one way. I would have to concede.

I wasted no time in thinking about it. I packed a small bag with all that I would need, put on my cloak, and began to make my way to my desired location; The Mainland. Luckily, it was not to be a long journey. As I left the house we had built here what felt like years ago, I decided to write a short note for Theo. I could have written it better, but I had no time to consider the quality of my writing at a time like this. Theo would not care for my grammatical errors or lack of eccentric vocabulary. I left the house and walked over the stables. I did not acknowledge the one guard who stood watch over the horses, simply walking past him and mountain one of the steeds without so much as a word. Though the trip was short, the terrain was far from ideal. Only slowly was I able to manoeuvre over the rocks and hills and sudden ditches. Still, I managed to arrive at the mainland within the hour. The city was somewhat empty, but not completely. There were still many people out who pointed and whispered that they believed to know who I was. I had pulled the hood of my cloak over my head, but some still recognised me. By some miracle, or perhaps the will of the gods themselves, I was able to avoid attack. The horse upon which I rode trotted proudly through the streets, and I soon made it to the city hall. I knew he would be there. A part of me prayed he would not, but I knew he was. A guard stood at the gates who attempted to block me way. It was not difficult to bypass him, however. I tried my best not to get any blood on the cape which Theo had made for me. I did not wish to stain his work in such a manner. I bound my horse to a wooden post outside the city hall, pushed open the gates, and entered silently. As expected, I found Adrian sat at a table reading what appeared to be a document of some kind.
“Adrian.” I greeted somewhat solemnly.
He turned his head to me in shock.
“I’ve come to negotiate, Adrian.” I asserted.
“Negotiate what?” Adrian asked. “You’ve already won, haven’t you.”
Before I replied, I heard someone open the door behind me.
“Orion, did you kill someone just to get in here slightly quicker?” Lyre asked sarcastically.
“How did you…” I began to question.
“I followed you. Please, do continue. I’m invested in this.” He replied.
I turned back to Adrian to answer.
“I know full well you have control over your people. Tell them to stop raiding our city.” I ordered.
“Assuming I have control over these raids, which I am not admitting to, why would I call them off?” Adrian asked.
I reached for the pouch which I had brought with me and placed it on the table behind which Adrian sat. He opened it slightly and gazed upon the gold inside.
“One hundred and twenty two gold pieces. Call of the raids.” I stated.
He silently peered into the bag, pulling one corner of the fabric away once more to see its contents. He tilted his head, considered it, and grinned before letting a calm look return to his face.
“This won’t suffice.”
“I’m sorry?” I nearly shouted in shock. “Have you any idea how much that’s worth?”
“Of course I do, but it’s not enough. You can pay me all you like, but there must be something else.”
“And what would that be?”
“Something that’s valuable to you. Something that you care about.”
He rose from his chair and began to walk towards me. His arms folded behind his back.
“Now I’m sure there’s many things you care about, but unfortunately it seems you haven’t brough any of them with you. That is, except for one.” He continued as he walked.
“I want your dagger.” He spoke. “That’s your only option.”
I normally would have denied his request. I would have most likely killed him for having the audacity to ask that of me. But this day was not normal for me. “That’s the only option?” I asked hopefully.
“The one and only.” He replied, enjoying every word of it.
I stopped for a moment, considering if it was truly worth it. To give up my dagger was to give up a part of myself. Was I really willing to give that away so easily? But then I remembered Theo, and I remembered that I would do anything for Theo. Even this. Reluctantly, I began to draw the dagger which had guided me for so many years. I warily read the words engrained in the wood again, the words which had guided me in battle for so very long. With a shaky hand, I passed it to Adrian. He raised it to his eyes and admired it for a moment.
“Lovely dagger.” He somewhat sarcastically said.
He walked back over to his desk and placed the knife on it. My gaze was fixed upon it, as I fought the urge to murder Adrian right then and there. He pulled something out of the drawer of his desk and placed it in his hand. I could not see what it was, but I tried my best to get a glimpse of it. My curiosity began to grow, but, as he raised the rock above his head, I realised what was to come. I watched, frozen, as the stone crashed down upon my dagger, shattering it completely. I stood in complete shock for a moment, not registering anything at all. I was prepared to tear him limb from limb. I cared not about the consequences. As I began to draw my rapier, I heard the door open again. I turned around and saw a young soldier enter the room. She was clearly quite confused at the sight of the three of us.
“I… uh… I have to… report…” She stuttered.
Lyre turned to her with a look that ordered the soldier to inform us of what she had been sent to say. She mumbled something so quietly that I was unable to hear it. Lyre, however, who was standing much closer to the soldier, was all too able to. His smile faded and gave way to a blank and terrified expression.
“Orion.” He said. “We have to go. Now.”

I would have asked what he had heard, but something in the way his voice broke somewhat as he spoke told me that it was not good. I needed not know the details, all I needed was to do as he had said. We mounted our horses and began to race back to New Veredonia. The wind was loud as crashed into my face from the speed at which we galloped back home, but I cared not. Something was wrong, and the least of my worries was the wind.

We could smell the fires before we saw them. The scent of ash and sulphur burning our noses as we approached, we could guess what awaited us. I had looked to Lyre as I had the realization, and saw his horrified expression. He knew as well as I what that smell meant. It was a horrid sight. Truly and unabashedly horrid. Everything was in flames. Everything. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t  be real. This couldn’t be real. We abandoned our horses outside of the city, leaving them in the forest. It was chaos. Pure, unadulterated chaos. I saw people running through the streets to escape the flames which engulphed the city. There lay dead bodies scattered across the town. Some seemed to have been stabbed, others burned, some drowned trying to escape the fires through the Rosen River. It wasn’t real. It couldn’t be real. It just couldn’t. It was impossible. My mind immediately went to Charlie, Auden, Theo, and Hannah. I had to find them. I didn’t know if Lyre was still behind me, and I could not have cared less. I began to run through the streets, trying desperately to find them. I heard an explosion go off in the distance. I did not know what it was, nor did I care. All I cared about was finding Charlie, Auden, Theo, and Hannah. The fires still raged in the city, the scent of burning flesh only making it worse. I heard animals yelp as they tried to escape their homes, unable to know what was happening. I called for Auden, for Theo, for Charlie, and for Hannah, but to no avail. They did not respond. Realizing that there was no one left in the city, I decided to look for survivors outside of it. I came to a small cave and, from within, I heard quiet whispering. I entered the cave, and, though some of the survivors held swords to me, thinking me an intruder, I ignored them, and they had not the heart to follow through with their threat of attack. They were wounded and terrified. They were not about to kill someone who wasn’t being violent. I saw Charlie sitting curled up in the corner, unblinking. I walked over to them.
“Charlie? What’s happened? Where is everyone?” I asked.
They did not respond. It was as if she was in another world. She only uttered one word.
“Hannah…” She whispered.
Then it hit me. Hannah wasn’t here. I looked around, and saw how few people were actually here. So many were gone. Dead. Forever. Hannah was truly gone. This couldn’t be real. I felt a hand on my right shoulder. Auden’s hand. I turned to him and saw the cold expression on his face. This was worse than I had thought.
“Orion…” Auden muttered. “Orion, it’s too late.”
“What the f*ck do you mean it’s too late.” I retorted.
“I mean, we’re too late. We can’t save anyone anymore.” He stated.
I looked around the cave at the few dozen people who had taken refuge there.
“These are all that survived. Some are still down there, but I doubt they’ll make it.” He sadly whispered. And then it hit me.
“Where’s Theo.” I asked.
“Orion…”
“WHERE IS HE!” I shouted as I grabbed Auden by the collar.
“I haven’t seen him!” He replied.
I let go of his collar and ran out of the cave. It seemed that Lyre had been waiting outside for me to return, but I paid no attention to him. He was the very least of my concerns. I began to sprint down the hill to the city. Nearly every building had been burned to the ground. There was no one left. Auden was right. Each and every one of the homes we had built was gone. Nothing but stone, ash, and the residual stench of death remained. I became disheartened as I realised I may not find Theo. Still, I continued to sprint through the streets. I refused to accept that he was gone. Eventually, I saw one structure still standing; The church. I ran as fast as I could to the church as the flames raged on around me. I kicked open the doors and hastily entered the building.
“Theo!?” I called. I received no reply but the echo of my own walls through the hall.
I ran through the empty church as I continued to call his name. He had to be here. If he wasn’t here, he was dead. And that couldn’t be true. He couldn’t be dead. Theo could not be dead. I came to a door which led into a small room. It was the chamber which we gave to those who were to spend multiple days in the church. I knew it very well, as I had stayed in it many times before. It contained a bed, a candle, a closet, and a small basin of water. I stared at the door for what felt like an eternity, my hand gently on the doorknob. I did not know what awaited me inside, and I feared that my suspicions may have been true. I hoped that Theo had locked himself inside this room. I prayed that he was inside, alive, and well. I begged that he was safe. Yet something in me knew that my hopes were unrealistic. In a moment of strength, I turned the handle clockwise and pushed the door open ever so slowly. I peered through the door and saw the candle lit, wax slowly dripping down the side of it. Relief flooded my body as I realised Theo was here; As I realised that he had lit that candle. I opened the door the rest of the way and froze. Inside, I found my nightmare. In the bed, which was usually empty, lay Theo. Sleeping. No, not sleeping. Not sleeping. This couldn’t be real. This couldn’t be true. He looked as though he was merely asleep. In his hands which were folded neatly over his chest, he held a dagger. No, no, no, no.
“No…” I shakily said as I my knees began to give out.
I heard Lyre enter behind me. He did not speak. I fell to my knees, my eyes refusing to look away as much as I wanted to.
“No, no, no.” I repeated. “This can’t be happening.”
I screamed. It was all I could do. He was gone. Theo was gone. Theo was gone, and I couldn’t do a thing. I felt Lyre’s arms close around me as I could do nothing but scream. Nothing but shout. There was nothing I could do. I was alone. Tears rolled down my face and fell onto the cold stone floor. A puddle accumulated below my face as I wept. I hadn’t been here for him. I should have been here for him. I called out for him, begging that he was just asleep. Hoping that he would open his eyes and smile down at me as he always had. I wished that it was nothing but a cruel joke he was playing on me. Still, I knew that he was dead. Truly and permanently dead. I felt Lyre’s grip slowly loosen as he allowed me to unsteadily return to my feet.
“Lyre. Leave.” I ordered.
“Orion-”
“Just leave!”
He did. I in silence. I blankly stared at the bed where Theo lay quietly. He truly looked as though he was asleep. I scanned the room for signs of who had done this to him. I could not accept that he had done this. I could not. Next to Theo was a piece of parchment with a few words scribbled on them. A poem. A poem he had written a long time ago. I knew it well. The phrases were etched into my mind permanently. With a choir of a thousand angelic voices, his words rung out like a melody. As I read the sentences written on the parchment, I could nearly hear his voice singing with them. I knew the words. I’d read them many times. Yet suddenly they took on a whole other meaning. The paper shook in my hands as tears rolled down my cheeks. I should have been there for him. It was my responsibility. I was to blame. I should have prevented all of this from happening. I shouldn’t have let this happen so easily.
“No…” I whispered under my breath one final time.

The fires continued to rage on throughout the village as I dissociatively trotted down the stone path. Based on the stark lack of attackers, despite their past presence being obvious, I assumed that our soldiers had taken most of them out. I should have been here. I would have killed them. I would have killed each and every one of them and I would have enjoyed it. The only sounds were the crackling of the fire and the occasional cry. I had no idea how many had died that day, nor did I care. I cared only for Theo. For Theo had died that day, and Theo was all I had cared about. I passed by a ruined house which I knew to have been Charlie’s. It had been turned to ash by the flames and the door had been kicked in. Further down the road was the home of little Alex Rose. It was demolished. The stone walls had collapsed in on themselves, destroying the interior. I turned to my right and saw Auden’s home scorched by fire and stained by blood. Knowing of Auden’s distaste for blood, I realized it was likely his own which he had lost whilst defending against the raiders. His sword lay next to the bloodstained wall, broken in half. I continued walking for minutes, hours, maybe even days. I truthfully do not know.
Eventually, I came to the hills and the cliff where Theo and I so often retreated. It reminded me so much of him. The colours which filled the sky were as vivid as ever. I gazed upon the rising sun as it danced through the sky. I remembered sitting here with Theo during one of my first days in this gods forsaken province. Back then it had seemed as though Theo was the most powerful being alive. It had seemed as though he was the sky, and he was the earth. I moved closer to the cliff, and I imagined Theo standing with me. I needed not say a word, for the wind carried our conversation with more ease than any noise ever could. As he let his hand move to mine, I felt as though there had never been anything before this, and as though there would never be anything after this. And he was the moon, and he was the sun. I looked to the sky filled with colours twisting and mixing into unimaginable shades, containing every colour knowable and those not. As I noticed him lay his head on my shoulder, I felt an overwhelming sense of love and caring. And he was desire and he was contentedness. I let my knees down on the soft and somewhat damp grass and sat back on my heels, with him still resting on my shoulder. As I felt the grass on my legs, all my worries seemed so small, every anxiety so insignificant. And he was fear and he was serenity. I wished that I had known that one day I would find someone like him. As a slight wind blew through my hair, I realised I was safe. And he was the quiet and he was the song. I wished that I had not waited so long. And he was life and he was death. I wished that I had listened more. And he was acceptance and he was grief. I wished he was still real. And he was loss and he was regret. I wished I was not up on that hill alone.
And then there was blame. Such a hateful word, “blame”. I blamed myself for not being there; For not being able to help him. I blamed Auden for not protecting Theo better. I blamed each and every one of the people who had allowed this to happen. And most ardently, I blamed the raiders who had done this. I blamed Adrian for allowing this to happen. I blamed those who lived in the mainland for supporting this. I blamed them. And somewhere, very deep inside myself, I supposed I blamed Theo as well. For not escaping, for not fighting, for not being able to hold on just a little longer. I blamed the world and I blamed the Empire. I blamed each flower that Theo had ever gently pulled the pedals off of to decide between two options. I blamed everyone and everything until blame was not even a word, or a concept; It was my entire reality. It wasn’t fair. I had finally allowed myself to find peace and to move on, and it had been torn away once more. This shouldn’t have happened. And now, now I sat on that cliff alone. It was all gone. Torn to shreds. There was nothing left that I could do. For a while, I merely basked in the light of the ever rising sun.
Then came the thoughts. No. Theo may have died, and I may have been too late to save him, but I was not too late to avenge him. I was not too late to tear the world of those who caused this apart. They deserved to experience what they had done to our city and to Theo. This was justice. This was destiny. And I would be the bringer of it.

And I would be the bringer of it.

I didn’t see Orion for days on end after the attack. I understood that they would need time to register what had happened, but I must admit I worried for them. It simply wasn’t like them to disappear like that. New Veredonia was beyond repair, I knew that much. We had no chance at rebuilding the city, nor was there a reason to. Most of its citizens had either deserted or were dead. Lyre stayed with me while I tried my best to assist those who had been injured in the battle. I comforted those who had lost family and friends, and I tended to the wounds of those physically harmed. Though many were still fearful of Lyre, it seemed that the tragedy had softened their opinion of him.
“Hubris.” I heard one lady murmur as I passed by. “His hubris caused this.”
I could not blame her. I was meant to be the protector of this village, but, when it had mattered, I had failed. I looked off into the distance and saw a figure walking along the other side of the river. It was Orion.
“Lyre.” I whispered as I pointed in their direction. He turned his head and soon saw who I was pointing at.
“We should follow them.” Lyre mumbled.
“We have to stay here. To help.” I replied.
“Auden, Orion is not stable right now and you know as well as I what they’re capable of. We need to follow them.” He snapped. And so we did.
The night had already begun to fall, and the sky grew darker by the minute. Lyre and I followed Orion discretely, believing that observing them to make sure they didn’t do anything stupid was better than confronting them. They walked upright and slowly, their arms crossed behind their back. It was as if they were in another world. They were not present, that was for certain. As they walked along the grass I heard them hum the melody of a song. At first I did not recognize the tune, but after a while of listening to the music, I realized what it was.
“Lyre. Get to the mainland now. Evacuate it.” I blankly said, not moving my eyes from Orion.
“Why?” He replied, somewhat confused.
“Well, they’re going to burn something to the ground, and it’s certainly not going to be New Veredonia.”
“Burn? Auden where is this coming from?”
“Just trust me, alright?”
Lyre nodded and began to make his way to the mainland, taking a different route than the one we were on. I slowly approached Orion, hoping to stop them.
“Orion?” I called to them. “Orion stop.”
They stopped and stood motionless for a moment, before turning around to face me. Their eyes were red from tears, yet their face was as expressionless as could be.
“It’s a good song. Make peace with thy God. You thought I wouldn’t recognise that?” I accusatorily asked.
“I was not aware of your following me.” They replied solemnly. Gods, they sounded just like they had the first day I’d met them.
“You disappeared for days.”
“I had places to be.”
“Orion, please, just talk to me. I’m worried about you. Let me help you.”
“What’s there to help? It’s all gone, Auden. All of it.” Their voice cracked slightly as they spoke, the only indication that they were still in there somewhere.
“But that doesn’t mean you have to kill them. Just try to understand-”
“I have been trying to understand for years. My entire life has been trying to understand, Auden. You have no idea what this meant to me. This place, you, Theo… You could never understand.”
“I do understand! Gods damnit Orion, we both lived in the Empire!”
“You did not live in the same way that I did! You have no idea what my world looks like!” They shouted.
Orion had never yelled in such a way. There was real heat behind their words. True anger.
“I’m not going to let you destroy the mainland. Justified or not, I won’t allow it.”
“Try and stop me.” They replied.
Regretfully, I began to draw my sword from its sheath. For a moment, Orion seemed as though the mere sight of me wielding a weapon against them was enough to stop them.
“You wouldn’t.” They eventually claimed.
I did not shift my gaze. They sighed and took a step closer to me, drawing their rapier.
“I’m sorry, I have to do this.” I whispered as they approached.
“You aren’t sorry. But you will be.” They asserted.

I didn’t mean to kill him, but I did not regret it. I knew he would come back, and he had been standing in the way. Certain casualties are unavoidable. I soon reached the mainland’s borders after crossing through the forest. I looked upon the nearly baren town below as I pondered how I would make them regret having ever gone through with this war. For a moment, I considered mercy. Afterall, it had only been a select few of the inhabitants who had attacked New Veredonia and ruthlessly murdered its citizens. Still, deep down I knew that this was what they deserved. In my left hand, I held a lit torch which I observed attentively. It burned bright as any fire would, but it felt special. It was the fire that would burn this gods damned town to the ground. I knelt down and touched the flame to a tree which would no doubt spread the flames to the next tree, and the next, until it reached the first house, and then the next. I watched as the fire grew and spread. It was beautiful. I smiled to myself. I slowly trotted into the town as the blaze attached itself to house after house, dutifully ravaging the village. I listened to the screams of those who ran from their homes to escape the burning heat, and to the pleas of those who were unable to escape. I kept telling myself that this was justice; That this was just their destiny. They were but pawns in the grand scheme of things. I chuckled to myself quietly before divulging into full blown laughter. The irony of it all was incredible, wasn’t it?
I reached into the brown leather sack which I had brought with me and retrieved from it a small intricately made explosive the size of a large apple. We had manufactured them as a last resort for the war, though we had not intended to use them. I figured that this would qualify as an appropriate situation for them to be used. Joyfully, I searched for the best place to light the first one. I spotted one house which seemed to be untouched by the fire. I smiled and lit the explosive before placing it in front of the home. The screams of the people who were taking refuge inside of it was music to my ears. I was glad I had hired the alchemists who had spent so long creating these bombs. They were likely dead now anyways, so there was no point in asking them how they would have used the explosives. It was my decision and mine alone. I was god here. I ran through the town, lighting and dropping bombs in the places which I felt could use a bit more destruction.
Eventually, I came to a large and asymmetrical house made of a dark wood; Lyre’s house. The place where it had all started. If only he had killed me then and there instead of sparing me. This all could have been avoided. I opened the door and walked to the centre of the house. I knelt down and placed a single explosive on the floor. I considered it for a moment, tilting my head slightly to the right, before striking a match and lighting the fuse. I walked out of the house, closing the door behind me as I did. It was what he deserved.
As I left, I spotted a group of people escaping a dense area of blazing houses. They were trying to form an orderly line in the panic to leave the area. I smiled as I tensed up my right hand and clenched it shut. I slowly lifted it from my side, summoning translucent red spikes from the ground which sped from the ground before me to the group of people, growing as they moved. I heard them shout and try to run. It was a wonderful sight.
I laughed to myself as I admired the chaos. The entire town was ablaze, with no house untouched. The screams of people only added to the blessed sound of the flames crackling as they tore through the walls of the buildings. It was utter bedlam, and I loved every moment of it. I could have stayed there for eternity, thriving in the panic and disorder. The fire was bright enough to light up the midnight sky with its sparks. It was as if there had been nothing before this and as if there would never be anything after this. I was the bringer of death and destruction; I was the righteous hand of the gods. I was the judge, jury, and executioner. The force of justice in one hand, and the iron fist of judgement in the other. Suddenly, I heard a voice shout from behind me in a way I had never heard before.
“Orion!” It commandingly yelled.
I turned to the sound and found Lyre standing but ten paces from me, his face stained by ash and a firm grip on his sword.
“What the f*ck have you done?” He asked in a shaky voice.
It was not like Lyre to act this way. I supposed I had managed to shock him in a way he had not expected.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” I asked with a grin plastered on my face.
“Orion, you’ve lost it.” He stated, his eyes wide.
“Don’t you just love the justice? This is what they all deserve.”
“No it isn’t. This isn’t like you.” He claimed. “This isn’t about justice, this is about Theo.”
The smile began to fade from my face at the comment. The firm grip Lyre had on his weapon softened somewhat as I walked up to him. I came close and looked up into his eyes.
“Kill me, Lyre.” I calmly requested.
“What?” He asked, shock filling his expression even more.
“Kill me, right here, right now.” I repeated.
“Orion…” Lyre uttered as he let his sword fall to his side.
“Kill me already!” I shouted. “I can’t come back from this. This is it for me!”
Lyre’s mind seemed to race at a thousand thoughts a second. I knew he was hesitant. Who wouldn’t have been? As he silently raised his sword and put it to my back, I looked at him once more. He seemed conflicted to say the least. He placed his left arm around me, assumedly to keep me from falling to the ground. I smiled as I felt the cold metal pierce my chest and exit it on the other side. The pain was strong, but it was no longer unfamiliar. I felt my thoughts begin to slow as blood filled my lungs. Soon my arms fell limp, followed by my legs. Lyre slowly kneeled to the ground while still supporting me with his arm. He retracted his sword as my breathing slowed. The taste of iron rich blood pooling in my throat warned me that I had not long. I looked at his eyes filled with tears once more, before closing mine for the final time. As I slowly faded away I saw the blackest of blacks, and the whitest of whites. Before my eyes I watched as every colour imaginable and even those not danced a carefully choreographed ballet. I smiled softly. I was finally at peace.