Geomancer's Bell [https://i.imgur.com/Qy8sxwk.png]

"Is... that a bell?"

Iulia watched Theokritos remove the trinket and hand it to Blasius, the small child shaking it and letting it dink on the ground harmlessly. Diaras leaned back in his chair with a sigh, whilst Euria leaned over and gently brushed her son's head.

"That's a geomancy bell, isn't it?" Euria questioned, looking up at Theo with a frown. "You didn't really-"

"It's okay, Euria." Theokritos reached into his own pocket, unfastening his strap and removing his breastplate before tossing its clapper onto the wooden surface. "I didn't practice magic but I've seen one of these before. My mom told me to never shake one with the clapper in. Thankfully, the man who was selling it removed the clapper after showing me it worked by lifting a small stone."

His wife sighed in relief, turning her attention back onto little Blasius. The twin brothers jealously reached for the bell, but instead, their father reached down and plucked them loose. As expected, Theokritos was pleasantly enthusiastic she didn't question its cost. Diaras had helped him buy it in exchange for them babysitting their kids over the weekend. Magic came in so many forms but the Empire's only dedicated order was that of the geomancers. Other mages from distant pedigrees existed like his mother, yet all of them had training abroad.

Yet his son didn't have that future; the bell could maybe inspire him to be a bard or musician, but Theokritos knew that his son likely wouldn't be too better off in size. Compared to other kids he was looking like he'd end up short like his father but at least in better shape. If they were lucky, the geomancer bell would become more than merely for show.

"Next year, he'll turn three. Iulia and you did a fine job raising him and the twins, but we all know they'll undergo their magical capacity test, Euria." Theokritos patted his tunic down, finally setting his spear down and standing to stretch. "Uuugh... the point is, maybe this will give him a chance. I mean, my mother had talent in a few types. I never really showed any talent in them, but if he has a chance to use magic, don't we owe it to him to give him the chance?"

"I think it's sweet," Iulia chimes. She turns, smiling at Euria. "Although, aren't geomancers normally girls?"

Theokritos visibly flinched, causing the two women to burst into laughter. Diaras' smirk told him that he knew full well that the bell was more for girls than boys. The young man's face burned nearly an entire minute of embarrassed silence before Theokritos grabbed his cuirass and weapon, wrapping the straps around the spear and hoisting them up.

"Yeah, yeah; laugh it up. Let me put up my armor and we'll get started on dinner for everyone."

"Take your time, milady-partner!" Diaras called after him, rising up and hoisting his sons higher. Both of them laughed and pulled on their father's beard whilst the dinking bell-on-dirt sounded behind them. Whether or not he liked it, he was stuck with the overconfident oaf.

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"Rollcall; sound-off!"

The guardsmen ahead of Theokritos all straightened their backs, each one bringing their fist to their cuirass. Four new recruits who had joined up last month had been assigned to Diaras and him, where they would form a new squad for the village's defense. Two years had gone by rather quickly in the peacetime lull and earlier this year his promotion had given Theben a reason to trust them. Even now, though, the sword on his hip and the buckler were foreign.

Diaras paced in front of the guardsmen, his helmet now replaced with one of proper iron. Last year, both of his boys had failed to test for magical properties... but they were detected to be able to utilize something befitting of their stock: Combat Arts. Such a thing was common in Houses and dynasties that became knights, ultimately securing him the backing to not only advance in rank to Sergeant of the Guard but to wear a poncho around his shoulders bearing the Artiosi crimson red. With his goatee's beard now rather thick, he struck the exact image of an upstart noble.

"Theokritos," Diaras asked, looking over his shoulder with a smirk. "I don't know if our recruits are pulling their weight today. I heard that Recruit Palux dropped his spear on patrol; what do you believe an adequate punishment?"

Theokritos hesitated, yet ultimately looked at the smug man; he had been lost in thinking and didn't instantly picture the situation at hand. Whilst Diaras seemed to be blossoming in his role, Theo was merely glad to have a happy wife, healthy son, and to be getting the slightly better pay.

"I think hearing you should have been enough to punish him, Diaras."

Theokritos walked over and stood in front of the recruit, reaching out and grabbing his shoulder. Palux was sixteen and looking to work to help his home; even though he was almost as tall as Theokritos, the boy was wiry and nervous as he had been years ago when he returned to Burolo.

"Recruit, have you learned your lesson?"

Palux nodded but Diaras crossed his arms, forcing the boy to nod more feverishly and finally speak. "Y-Yes, Guardsman Theokritos!"

Theokritos met his nod and smiled. "Good lad." He let his hand fall, stepping back beside his partner. "All of you must remember to never drop your spear while on patrol; while Burolo is peaceful, these lessons were taught to Captain Theben when he was in the capital before most of us were walking or born. Keeping our attention high and our diligence thorough will be required to keep the city safe, understood?"

Palux and the others nodded, pushing their fists out and then bringing them back. It was so formal that it almost made Theokritos burst out with laughter. Diaras' chuckle showed how little restraint the man had, yet he ultimately waved the quartet off before looking toward the tower down the road.

"I hope we never have to use that thing now that it's complete; even if it can hold the entire village inside, it'd be a living hell trying to hold it with the newer guys all being so..."

His friend's words failed him, so Theokritos answered. "Young?"

"Yes," Diaras snapped and smirked, bumping his elbow off Theo's buckler. "That's why your Martell dynasty'll end up getting far, partner. Theokritos the Quick-Thinker!"

"I'm not a quick-thinker, I just have the patience for actually analyzing things. Unless you learn that skill, Diaras, you're not going to get any other promotions."

The taller man rolled his eyes but Theokritos didn't back down; he grabbed the man's helmet and pushed, shaking it just enough to get Diaras glaring at him.

"I'm serious," Theo sighed. "Your sons have a lot of potential but don't you worry about how you'll be able to pay for them? I mean, aren't things tight after last year's incidents?"

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Artiosi and Martell had once been rumored to be nearing a merger but that rumor fell apart after the ceremony last year; where Diaras' sons showed such promise, the rest of his siblings who had kids all popped out without any true talents. Neighbors all wondered what it'd do for the Artiosi family once they started competing for the right to their parents' possessions. That uncertainty in-turn brought other farmers to push their trade and muscle a lot of the buyers for the extra produce that Diaras' parents were producing. If it wasn't for their merchant efforts diversifying beyond it, his funds may have cut much sooner.

Yet in that poorness came a gap; guesses about engagements between Blasius and Flori turned sour after a few months ago when Diaras' two brothers tried to take from Theokritos' winter wood-supply. As close as he and Diaras were, his brothers had nearly been cut down by him and Euria after they caught the thieves. Bad blood boiling between him and the duo nearly turned into another fight last month, but his and Diaras' word cleared the record and the mayor set the two working in the nearby woods.

"I guess if it comes to that I'd sell my brothers into slavery for causing all of it." Diaras' tone hinted how serious he was. "You don't need to worry; I get the point."

"I hope so." Theokritos wanted to say more but the two of them couldn't risk getting any pesky rumors stirring again. Although they were outside the barracks, anything more might draw the gossips out of the square and fishing for trouble.

Blasius had done well on his test, after all; he scored well enough that it was possible for him to grow his mana pool. That was enough to receive chances to become a geomancer or potentially get a foreign education. Their location, though, meant it was likely to never go beyond using earth magic. Getting the best for his son also wasn't his sole priority; spending everything on the boy would mean that he'd be in trouble with Euria. Last winter, his wife had played a trick on him one night and got herself knocked up. Her pregnancy had only been verified a few days ago by Hanba, yet it didn't stop the ex-adventurer from pinning the blame solely on him.

"... How do you and Iulia deal with having so many kids, Diaras?"

Diaras, father of five, merely looked at Theokritos with confusion. "Why? You and Euria aren't planning to have more are you? Things are so peaceful that I doubt you'll be getting any further promotions. Aren't things tight enough as-is for you two with Blasius?"

"Given you'll hear about it in a few days? No, they aren't... but they might get tight with our second on the way."

"Oh yeah?" Diaras abandoned his confusion with pride, wrapping his free arm around Theo's shoulders. "You're going to bring another little runt into the world, huh? That's good! You're making a real woman out of Euria! Adventurer to mother, no one would believe it!"

Telling Diaras off was reserved for his wife, so instead, Theokritos ignored it. "Truth be told, I'm more worried about the reports we'd heard. The frontier is getting busy again... and given how long it's been since we had a bandit attack..."

"We're fine." The black-haired man said it so confidently that most might assume he was speaking factually.

"So you say," Theokritos answered. "But you and I both know that Theben hadn't brought any new guards in until recently. Why would the Captain choose now over anytime sooner? We'd never heard rumors like this two years ago... but now he's pushing us to drill them."

"Whatever you say, Theokritos. All I know is that we shouldn't-"

"Sergeant Diaras, we need your help in Old End!"

The pair turned their heads toward the call from a distant guardsman but Diaras was the first one to move; his larger shield was easy to use to bump anyone out of the way as he barreled on, grabbing the hilt of his sword precautionarily. Fights weren't uncommon but Diaras was often called in to help break them up due to his size; over the years, the pair of them had kept the peace more than any other team of guards. Yet rushing ahead was also problematic for the sergeant; where he was skilled for drilling young guardsmen, Diaras completely had forgotten about them. Their recruits looked to the sergeant for leadership but in his absence, Theokritos leaped into action and rushed out between them and the buffoon.

"Recruits, follow me! We're going to assist Sergeant Diaras!"

They all nervously nodded, waiting until Theo turned about and pushed onward. They were green but had been instructed well enough for how the guards operated in a fight. They would use their spears mainly to intimidate and deny criminals escape routes whilst the better armed and trained guards used their shields and fists to suppress. Stabbing with the spears or the elite guards using their blades was reserved for the most extreme of fights; in his entire time as a guard, the only time he had pulled any form of blade had been back with Euria years ago. Now, however, as he raced into Burolo's aptly named Old End district, he noticed Diaras reached for his sword immediately. Theokritos felt time seem to slow, looking beyond the man and spotting the source of trouble.

Two older villagers, women, and a pair of bisected guards lay on the ground bleeding... and over them stood a one-armed swordsman. Such a sight might have screamed bandits or deserter but Diaras had known it before even asking, which meant that another rumor floating about in the wake of bandit activity was true. Among the cutthroats of the frontier, there was one who had hailed from the capital and served as a knight. All of the recruits audibly halted as they too realized what their elders had, yet Theokritos didn't turn his back on the person that lay ahead.

Instead, he pulled his sword and thought of Euria, Blasius, and their still-to-be-born child.

"Summon Captain Theben," Theokritos shouted, just as the swordsman turned and met Diaras' blade.

The pair of them were shoved backward, yet the one-armed man didn't lose his footing. Instead, he masterfully backed up, letting the larger guardsman almost stumble and be pulled back. His blade flicked, dancing over the top of Diaras sword and knocking it diagonally against the stone floor. Blood flashed in an arc as the man cut his blade up Diaras' face; its tip had caught Theo's partner in the brow, leaving a proper cut but missing his eye and not going deep enough to strike bone.

The recruits didn't reply so once more Theokritos shouted. "Summon him now!"

He dropped his old spear, reaching his hand out and grabbing the swordsman's wrist before muscling his way between the pair; he took the one-armed soldier tumbling, only for him to get thrown clear a moment later. It bought Diaras enough time to collect his thoughts and re-steady, whilst Theokritos was sent rolling across the floor and into the injured women. The swordsman merely stood upright mid-tumble with the help of his still-held blade. It was a skillful maneuver... a Combat Art known as Balance.

Diaras grabbed Theokritos with his shield arm's hand, hoisting him up while keeping his attention fully on the man. The blood oozing down his face didn't obscure his eye, thankfully, due to how angular his foreheads brows and eye sockets were.

"Is that really him, Theokritos?" Diaras' voice lacked any friendly tone; it was laced with pain, yet full threat one would expect from a sergeant.

"Yes," Theo blurted, shakily but rapidly rising to his feet. "I mean, h-he almost took your-"

"I know. All the more reason we can't let our guard down."

The still-silent swordsman turned his attention to the pair, grinning beneath his lengthy raven-black hair. Despite the stub of his lost arm ending just beneath the shoulder, his ability made them very unlikely to win. All their fights before this had been spars with Theben or the occasional drunk. Theokritos slipped his shortsword free and took it in both hands, his buckler granting him a considerable amount of freedom for combat posture. Euria had taught him using a longer sword and Theben had ensured that the hilt was long enough for hand-and-a-half fighting... yet he could hardly believe his training for bandits was getting tested by the worst possible situation.

"We just need to hold out until Theben arrives. If we can do that... then Death Raven Vandyke dies here."

Diaras nodded but the eerie assailant took the name with a scowl. Unlike them, Raven Vandyke had been a noble knight who killed a local lord; the punishment had been intended as death, yet it took his arm and he cut his way eastward before they could recapture him. His voice had been lost, evident from glimpses beyond his leather coat's raised-collar.

"They should have given him the rope instead of the sword," Diaras muttered.

Theokritos couldn't agree more. "Good luck, Diaras. If I die, look after my wife and kids."

The gruesome truth was that sharing that line needed saying. He knew that for all their trouble, Diaras would keep his word even if he and Euria didn't get along. His partner raised his shield and set his blade low and beneath his hip; a defensive stance.

"I'd ask you to keep Iulia safe but I'm not going to die here. Let's go, Theokritos!"