Nights and days had passed, each spent hiking through a gradually warming landscape dominated by temperate forests—not too dissimilar from the trees near the Marius Mountains but considerably more humid. They were connected without interruption, after all, less than a half-century earlier. It was mild enough that after a day of marching, their jackets and boots were traded in for short-sleeved shirts and light leather shoes. Despite passing by numerous towns and small cities which were not a totally foreign sight for the predominantly northern travel party, the Anbieter decided to set up tents away from them so as to minimise attention drawn to them. However, with slave transportation to Mars or Titan having been significantly reduced since Emperor Halsten had succeeded to the throne, the sight of them was fairly uncommon and would solicit the eyes of curious southern villagers regardless.
Finally, as fields of wheat and pastures of cattle became closer together and larger the further they travelled south, they knew they were close. These were indications that they were approaching a large urban area and a week after they had first entered the south, they gazed upon a floating sign at the left of the now multi-laned road confirming that they were just about at their destination. Although this outer area of Shargara was still predominantly rural, concentrations of tall, metal buildings of white and grey could be seen in the distance—the city centre of Shargara. From that sign it was no more than a 20-minute drive on the vehicles they had seen Titanians zip past them on.
However, the impressive manor built from a similar white stone as the local southern Yeupisian homes was only about 10 minutes away on foot. A narrow-paved road, which differed from the wide magnetic strip originating from the border post that it jutted away from, was surrounded by 500 acres of agricultural land, groupings of small houses, and the manor house itself. Although technically the entire city was under the Linden family name, the Anbieter only had these lands with which to do as he personally wished.
“After two years,” he breathed. “My beautiful home awaits me.”
“Your house has felt so lonely since you left,” Paridi, who had known the Anbieter since his childhood said, wrapping her hand around the lanky Titanian’s bicep. “It missed you, too.”
“I’ll only get to enjoy it for a few days,” he sighed, slowing down slightly as he could he gazed at about a dozen people standing at the front entrance to his house, all southerners. “Thank you so much for taking care of it, Paridi.”
“There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for ya, Master Egon.” she smiled.
He commanded his convoy to stop, and Rask instructed his porters to unbind the Black Shield. Thankfully, this would be the last time they would have to be tied to one another by their wrists. Even though they undid them each night prior to eating their one meal and going to bed, this final undoing was a breath of fresh air. Of course, this respite was only temporary. Four days from then, they would be at war.
As the Anbieter reunited with his employees who faithfully remained to take care of his home during his absence, Jay had emerged with Aulis trailing just behind him.
“You must be Jayant.” Marquess Rask said as he saw the man, extending his arm out.
“Yes, I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marquess.” he said, grasping the man’s hand. Rask, unfamiliar with Terran ways of greeting, was initially puzzled when Jay took his hand instead of his elbow but was quickly able to squeeze it back with a shake.
“On Titan, we do as the Titanians do. Here, I guess it wouldn’t be farfetched to say I do as the Terrans do.” Rask smiled.
“I like your thinking, my friend. By the way, the man behind me is Aulis Bakken of the Free Army. I’m sure the Anbi—Baron Linden has mentioned him already to you, but he is one of our key allies in this project.”
Aulis was eager to get the greeting done with, so he extended his hand as soon as Jay had moved aside for him.
Great, another Titanian. I already had to put up with these cheery little southerners for days, and now this? I need to get this over with.
“Well, I prefer to use the term ‘strategic partner’. Just call me Aulis,” he said as the Marquess tightly gripped his hand and shook it, before Aulis initiated the letting go. “Good to meet you, Mr…”
“Rask. Likewise, you may call me Niklas.” He said with a smile.
“By the way, how many bodies can you get on the front line for us?” Aulis suddenly asked, impatient. He was restless and had to know how many volunteers from Mars.
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“Oh,” Rask chuckled. “Well… we agreed with certainty that 2,000 of my volunteers would come down and ambush the conference on our signal. Terran-Titanian descendants, just like most people on Mars. They’re good people. Depending on how hard and fast the Empire hits back… I can secure up to 5,000 more if my anti-imperial allies feel that protecting Mars won’t make them too busy.”
“Those are numbers I like, Niklas.” Aulis admitted.
“Anyways,” Jay said. “Let’s get y’all inside. I know how tough that journey is. Come and give your feet some rest, we have food ready, and we’ll show you your temporary lodgings. Later tonight, Baron Linden and we will get together to acquaint you with a map of the network of tunnels below this property. More than enough space to hide and escape through should we need it.”
“Of course.” Rask said. “Please, lead the way.”
The long entrance hall was the first and largest room, easily capable of holding up to three hundred seated people. Two staircases, one at each back corner led up to the second floor. The hall was lined with 10 doors, leading to a kitchen, dining room, storage rooms, a couple of servants’ quarters and a drawing room to entertain guests. The upper floor with a similar number of rooms consisted of quarters for the now functionally extinct Linden family, as well as several more servant’s quarters and bathrooms. The house would certainly not accommodate the over 1000 people brought by the Baron and Marquis, but the tunnels underneath and between its walls could, even if they weren’t very comfortable.
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Dinner had been prepared, a meal consisting of typical but delicious southern Yeupisian cuisine. The tunnels below the home housed hundreds of Black Shield and Free Army soldiers, chatting with one another side-by-side while they ate. The older Free Army soldiers imparted some of their wisdom into the younger Black Shield soldiers. Despite the differences in mentality and generation, they were confident that their combined power along with the Anti-Imperial Volunteers who would soon arrive would be the start of the end of Titan’s caging of their home. This would be the last enjoyment that many of them would experience.
Leon had just finished a small, friendly conversation with a Free Army medic who claimed he’d treated Kallista Laine on numerous occasions. He was eager to finish the last couple bites of his southern-made curry rice and chicken. As the flavorful aromas melted away in his mouth, he remembered that someone was missing out on the delicious meal.
She hasn’t left the room Jay allowed her to stay in until the day comes. I need to go check on her.
He took his plate and utensils and climbed out of the tunnel, jumping out of a hole in the wall that was covered by a painting of the Anbieter’s parents. He handed the plate and utensils to one of the southern servants waiting by it, receiving it with a kind of humility and kindness that was rare in the north. He asked the servant to fix up a fresh plate for him.
He walked up the stairs to the upper floor, where he ended up at the middle of a hallway. He took a left and went down to the end where the room his secret patient was using was. He knocked at the door three times. About five seconds later, his request to enter was met by the door opening a crack. Through it, he could see Vi’s eyes peering as she stood close to the other side of the door.
“Could I come in?” he asked softly, speaking the way he did with all of his patients.
Vi responded wordlessly by opening the door about halfway, giving him room to go inside. The curtains were closed, and the room was unlit. Vi’s rucksack was still full except for the rations she had brought, rations that the Anbieter ordered her to bring. The small portions were all she had eaten since left the base in the north, and indeed, all she had consumed since she arrived at the Anbieter’s mansion.
“Has Master asked you to check up on me?” Vi asked. Despite not wearing her Black Shield mask, she wrapped her face with strips of gauze, making her appear like a mummy. Leon had no clue as to why she took such lengths to concealing her identity, but he wasn’t one to ask. “Oh, wait. He doesn’t know about my injury.”
“I came here myself,” Leon said, setting the meal on a bedside table. “I noticed that you haven’t come around to eat with us, and those rations won’t make you full. I guess you don’t like eating around others, so I decided to bring you something fresh and warm. I won’t bother you more than I need to, so I’ll head out. Leave your plate and utensils at the door and a servant will come and take them.”
“…does Master not want to see me?” she asked as Leon was almost out the door.
“Oh,” Leon stopped. “I’m sure he’d love to, but he’s just come back after a long journey, and he has many more things to do. We don’t want to bother him, right?”
“Bother him…?” Vi repeated Leon’s words. “Bother him. No, I would never bother Master. It would pain me greatly to inconvenience him. If I were to ever do that… there will have been no point in him finding me so long ago…”
Leon furrowed his brow with inquisitiveness.
“I’m sorry, but… what exactly is your connection to the boss, if you don’t mind me asking?”
I know she’s my patient, but I have to know. One of the five strongest soldiers of our group… yet we know nothing about her.
“Master saved my life, and I owe it to him.” she said to his surprise. This was the most straightforward answer she’d given him.
“He saved you? From whom, or what?”
“From the people who ruined my face.” she said, pointing to the gauze on her with the pointer fingers of both hands.
“I… I see. I’m very sorry you had to suffer through that.”
She must be hiding scars. But from what?
Vi once again returned to her eerie, mysterious silence, not acknowledging Leon’s empathy. She gazed at the food that he brought in, and he took this as a sign that she wanted to eat it alone and in peace.
“I’ll leave you to eat, then. Good night.” he said, leaving quickly.
“Thank you, Leon.” he heard her mutter as he closed the door.