Amelia tried not to overreact to the armor and weapons being thrust on them. The drake armor was of incredible quality. She had worn nothing like it. When they sized her up in one of the sets, she couldn’t believe how flexible and soft it felt on the inside. The interlocking scales moved freely, like a linen shirt. The helmet felt oppressive, but she knew the protection was worth the tradeoff.
Her heart sank when she thought of Rico. If he could have only made it long enough to get a set of armor like this. She didn’t know if it would have saved him, but it might have and the thought haunted her. She again vowed to herself to become stronger at any cost. Never again would she feel this way.
The weapons room was what really took her breath away. The amount of swords, spears, hammers and axes on display was mind-boggling. She was standing next to Alton when Quain explained that many were recovered from old wars and trade with other tribes. The type of infused metal and vigilant smiths kept the weapons from ruining over time. Thoiri smiths and crafters were proudly showing off their work like farmers at the market.
She found a sword that resembled the size of her previous weapon and tested it out with a few swings. The balance was perfect and the blade itself was visually striking. It was four feet long, with designs carved into the metal. A large alta stone adorned the pommel and a cross guard was present to protect her hands from down swipes. She knew at once this one was for her.
The captain was using two swords to perfect but Amelia didn’t feel drawn to that style. He used two shorter swords, and his speed and strength allowed him to blur between opponents and utilize them. She preferred a longer and thicker blade and traded quick strikes for heavy blows meant to destabilize her foe. The display was full of sheaths, so she searched for one that fit the sword and then picked up a small shield that could be attached to her gauntlet.
She gave the rest of the team a quick order to head to the weapons section when they were finished getting measured. Every blade and blade hopeful was to find a blade, and every shield needed one long spear and three short spears. Utility roles could pick to preference as long as they could handle it. It would take two days per Quain to fit the armor, which gave them two days to drill with the new weapons.
Filling the alta stone reservoirs would tap their company out several times over. She tried asking the Thoiri left behind but struggled with the language gap. Hopefully, they could provide some help. They had already done so much to help the beleaguered company that she dared not press for more. She infused half of her core into the sword and ordered anyone capable of doing the same to their weapons.
It took the rest of the afternoon in the armory. She assumed it was afternoon, anyway. There was no reliable way to tell time down here and their mana powered time pieces required vision of the sun or moon to use. When they finished, she asked to be led to the mess hall where they ate but refrained from drinking. Tomorrow would be an intense day of drills, and she needed them to be in top shape.
—
The next morning came early as Alton rolled out of his bed. Jonah was sleeping fitfully, so Alton dressed and exited in silence. His new sword joined Fang on his hips and Alton reached out to the still half full alta stone. The reservoir contained inside the stone was massive. Easily the largest Alton had ever experienced. Before going to bed last night, he emptied his core into the stone.
His core was still down to around one third full despite the full night’s rest. The larger his core got, the longer it took to refill on its own. He headed to the training room and started his kata alone. There was no way to tell the time down this far. The Thoiri seemed unbothered about it. His body felt strong as he stretched and cycled.
Wolf company filtered in bit by bit and joined him in their morning routine. Amelia was the first one in and took her position at his side. He smiled at her dedication and knew she blamed herself for Rico’s death. Some grief had to be handled over time. He knew that all too well. They stretched in silence.
Once a majority were done with the morning routine, he asked Amelia to call the company to attention. The newer members were adjusting and snapped to attention just after his own team. He waited a moment for everyone to settle before speaking.
“Today I will join a few of the Thoiri in scouting out the passage that leads closest to Kitsu. I have been told to expect to be gone for two full days. While I am gone, you will drill from the time you rise until the time you drop to incorporate your new brothers and sisters, as well as the new weaponry. When your armor is ready, I expect you to practice in that as well. Lews and the Thoiri healers will be available if needed, no holding back.
Amelia, you will also lead two hundred Thoiri youth in our drills to the best of your ability. They will serve as our escort and relief force when we travel to Kitsu. The goal is to acclimate them to our fighting style, not train them to be Agorran soldiers. The extra numbers will allow you to replicate some of the larger scale drills from the academy. I know you will do me proud.”
“Yes, sir!” The company answered with gusto.
Alton took his leave and traveled back to the room he shared with Jonah. The older man was awake now and seated in a chair near the foot of his bed. His head was buried in a scroll from the collection given to him by Quain. Alton smiled at the familiar sight that easily could have been from a decade ago.
“Jonah.” Alton said as he entered.
“Alton. You are to leave this morning?” Jonah asked.
“I will. Thuklu says that it will take two days to reach the closest point to Kitsu and return. There should be no danger, but you know how that goes.” Alton chuckled.
“With you? I fully expect you to fight a high tier fiend and a small army. I will, of course, stay here and continue to learn about the Thoiri. This information is fascinating. They are far more advanced than us in many ways. This knowledge could change all of Agorra. If we survive to bring it back.” Jonah replied glumly.
“That’s the spirit, Jonah,” Alton smirked. “My only ask is that you take Lews and Letty under your wing and teach them as much as you can. We can’t rely on this knowledge in only one head. Teach them everything that you know and have discovered until you run out of time. Letty is a fast learner, and she is fascinated with all things mana.”
“It will be nice to have more students again.” Jonah answered with a smile.
Alton took his leave and moved back to the training room. He was interrupted halfway there by Thuklu and re-routed to a different passage that would lead them to the outer section of Thornwur. Thuklu was joined by nine other Thoiri scouts that would accompany them. They raided a small pile of provisions for food and water and then were off with no fanfare.
Amelia scratched her head at the assembled Thoiri. How was she supposed to drill two hundred youths that only knew cave to cave combat in the ways of Agorra? They were in the same training room as before, though it was far more crowded with this many people. She split the Thoiri up among the original Wolf team to spread the load.
Roughly thirty Thoiri went to each member, and she began a series of simple drills. They practiced forming a shield wall and breaking a shield wall. Advancing as a unit and defending against an advance. She had them simulate charges and how to receive charges. It felt like barely organized chaos.
After the simple movement drills, they started a series of capture the flag style games intended to practice moving as a group. Amelia held herself out of the drills, and it gave her time to think. Alton tasked her with selecting two corporals for the new company. As little as she wanted to replace Rico, she knew the leadership structure had to be functional before their next engagement.
Miser would be an obvious choice with how he took control of the infantry during the days up in the cave. Heat filled her cheeks when she thought of his brother, Nelson. He would be disappointed as the brothers were in constant competition, but Nelson showed little initiative for leading. It wouldn’t serve them well to have both shields as corporals, since they would often be in the same spot at the same time.
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Prian was her leading choice for the second spot. He had a good feel for the remaining scouts, was strong with a blade and a quick thinker. It would balance the company out with a scout, shield, and blade. She thumbed her new sword in and out of its sheath while she thought. If the company expanded in the future, Letty could lead a mage corps and Lews if they picked up more healers. They had to survive the coming ordeals before that future could appear.
When all the flags were captured, she had the aggressors and defenders switch places and go again against a different group. The results were mixed. The tribe was used to fighting in small numbers and in small confines. No amount of quick coaching was going to change their ancestral style. She hoped the captain would understand. It took three hours for every unit to capture a flag before they moved on.
She had two sides mass in a group of one hundred each and then simulate a large scale battle. This was all theoretical for her from the academy. As a striker, she had barely participated in a real battle unless you counted plugging the gap against the mindless in the Third Army camp. Her studious nature paid off as she remembered her teachings.
Once the large-scale battle was over, she set up sparring ladders for each group and then the fun part started. Wolf company would all be practicing with their new weapons. Lews and Thoiri healers were on hand off to the side where Jonah was teaching. Amelia pulled her new sword out and infused it with mana. She was still amazed that she reached the fourth tier and could infuse. The sword glowed a soft blue, and she felt it in her mind, like it was part of her arm. She closed her eyes and visualized her core, a field of grass blowing softly in the wind, calm and stable.
Sparring ladders always followed the same ranking system. It was a good way to promote internal growth. For their team, it was Letty and Lews facing off in the first round. Neither focused on one-on-one fighting, but training for it still mattered. Enhancing with mana allowed them to fight above a common soldier’s level, regardless.
The fight lasted almost a minute before Letty scored a last hit to win three to two. She lost the next round against Nelson three nothing. Nelson went on to defeat Miser in an upset of the previous ladder, three to two. Amelia grinned as she watched the twins argue over what counted as a hit and what didn’t. When they settled down, Nelson faced off against Prian.
The fight was close, but Prian was just too fast for Nelson and won three to one. Amelia took her place in the circle and waited for Prian to recover and signal that he was ready. She closed her eyes and reached down to her core, and felt it tense in anticipation. Prian was able to infuse as well and had selected a thin sword with an ornate hilt. It suited his style well.
The two of them met in the middle and slapped blades before backing off. Amelia bent her knees and readied herself as Nelson counted them down.
Three.
Two.
One.
Amelia exploded forward with an aggressive overhead slash. Prian parried it and backed off to create room. She surged and closed the gap, not allowed him out of her reach. She battered against his defenses, mana infused blades singing in the air. He tried to recover with a kick at her angle and she stepped over it and locked his arm against her chest, bringing her sword around from the back and tapped him.
They reset and met again in a flash. Prian was surging and meeting her strikes with his own defenses. She was too fast and strong for him to go on the offensive, and he had to settle with blocking and dodging. A missed back step caught him off balance and she punished it with a rapid slash to his midsection. She had to pull up to avoid hurting him and got a stronger hit in than she wanted. He winced but waved her concern off and reset.
The third clash ended with Prian scoring against her left thigh on a clever riposte. The fourth saw the spar end as Amelia snaked her sword around his guard and traded a hit for a hit to end. She smiled and accepted his concession. A round of claps met her, and she gave a dramatic bow in response. A pang of sorrow crossed her heart at who would normally wait for her at the end of the ladder. At least Alton wasn’t here to beat her effortlessly this time.
Wolf company had a great time watching the Thoiri sparring ladders. The excitable youths broke out into arguments as often as spars. Their fighting style was put to use well in the one-on-one combat. It took far longer than Amelia intended before the winner was finally crowned. During the down time, she and the others who could infuse took turns filling their alta stones.
—-
The scouting party moved swiftly down the tunnels leading out of the main living complex of Thornwur. Thuklu was a man of few words, so Alton just paced himself with the group and focused on cycling to recover his core. His new armor wasn’t ready, so he was still wearing a freshly cleaned version of his standard striker uniform. The mana glyphs were a mess and wouldn’t hold for much abuse.
He was wearing a new pair of boots made from some fiend and the comfort was incredible. His footsteps were silent despite the gear increasing his weight, thanks to clever glyphs. These hallways looked to be storage rooms or abandoned. Manalights still provided light but were spaced out farther and farther, leaving gaps of darkness.
They reached a long hallway with no doors and kill holes carved all throughout. It ended in a thick stone door guarded by four Thoiri. Though confused at first, they recognized Thuklu and traded a few words between them. When they were satisfied, they opened the massive door and let the party through.
“Now out of Thornwur territory. Wild beyond. We check tunnels every year, no more. Be on guard, always. Ulgarath minions and other fiends.” Thuklu said to both him and the surrounding scouts.
The group continued at a steady jog through the potentially hostile territory. No manalights were present in these tunnels, instead the lead pair pulled out a set and lit them. They traveled in a loose formation of two a piece spread out by ten or so feet. The tunnels down here were only seven or eight feet wide and eight feet tall. A stark contrast to the larger tunnels and hallways inside the Thornwur dwelling. Alton checked his core and found it over half full now.
Every intersection, they stopped and Thuklu pulled out a map of the area. From what Alton gathered, this side of the mountain was seldom used and most traffic to the neighboring clan flowed the opposite direction. Alton activated his manasight on a whim and found glyphs carved in to the walls but inert. He tried to ask Thuklu about them.
“From long ago. Tribe bigger and spread. No longer.” Was all he got in response.
After what felt like an hour of transversing the tunnel system, the pair before them stopped and motioned for all to stop. Thuklu walked up to speak with them. After a brief conversation, he motioned Alton forward and pointed out a slime trail hidden next to the wall. Thuklu and Alton knelt down to get a closer look.
“Made by fiend. Lucero. Big and slow, slime is poison. Careful.” Thuklu said.
They continued on down the tunnel until a scratching sound could be heard. One of the Thoiri scouts threw a manalight ahead and revealed a large black mass writhing on the floor. Alton shuddered in disgust at the sight of the tangled mass. The scouts behind them passed forward long spears and Thuklu and one other infused them. They advanced slowly and began to stab in at the fiend. It took several hits, but the fiend died without a fight.
“Scavenger. Nasty. Eat other beasts.” Thuklu said with a grimace.
The smell up close was offensive to Altons nose, and the group had to carefully step around the fiend’s corpse and avoid the slimy acid. They retrieved the manalight and moved further down the tunnel. Another scratching sound could be heard, and Alton readied himself for another of the disgusting Lucero. Thuklu, however, dropped his pack and readied his sword with a serious expression.
“Morwarls. Fast and thick hide. Sharp fang. Do not get bit,” Thuklu said.
Alton pulled both Fang and Fury from their sheaths and infused them with a minimal amount of mana. Both swords took the familiar blue glow and Alton caught the scouts watching him from the corner of his eyes. He stepped forward to stand next to Thuklu and dropped into a combat stance. The scratching sound intensified, coming from different angles and sources.
He didn’t have to wait long before the fiends crossed the tossed manalight. They were massive beetles. At least a foot tall and a foot long, they looked like something out of a child's nightmare. Two long antennae formed on the crown of their heads and vicious pincers on both sides of the mouth. They chittered loudly in the confined space and barreled forward towards the group.
Alton circulated and swung both swords in a low arc. The hide proved little resistance as he sliced through the first two. He sat back on his heels to keep his balance and watched dozens of the foul fiends cross the light. Alton wanted to keep the older Thoiri leader safe, as well as his young charges, so he leapt forward and sliced the miniature horde apart. It reminded him of fighting the mindless in the pen.
They pressed on through the complex system of tunnels that wove deep beneath the earth. Alton was amazed that this was all down here and his people knew nothing about it. The tribes of Eludite and Agorra were busy for the last thousand years, of that there was no doubt. They ran into more packs of Morwarls and a few more Lucero, but handled the fiends without issue.
Thuklu announced they reached the halfway point, and the group took a break. They passed around dried meat from the drake, which was surprisingly tasty, and water skins. Thuklu drank the mushroom wine from a large skin hidden in his pack. Alton accepted a sip and rested against the tunnel wall. His core was up near three-fourths after cycling while moving. He closed his eyes and cycled aggressively during the break. The ambient mana was high this far down.
“Concerning only meet weak fiends. Something kill stronger. Hope not find it.” One of Thuklu’s scouts said to the older man.
Thuklu only grunted in response. Recent experience told Alton that if there was a stronger fiend down here, they would undoubtedly find them. His eagerness to test himself warred with his practicality to avoid danger. His core danced as he drew in the mana and Alton watched his pulsing nodes in thought while they rested.