The following weeks passed without much incident. Doctor Saxifrage simply accepted the fact that Tyrtain existed and was out there in the world. Once word got out, more and more elementalists began to show up at the encampment.
Elementalists poured in from all corners of Lustro. Once the place became overcrowded, they moved to the northern end of Braytons territory. Lady Till had to start talks with the baron of that territory to see whose jurisdiction they fell under. They decided that for the time being, the mages would be under the protection of Braytons, much like how Tilrey was.
Construction began on a proper town. Among its first settlers was a man named Drake Crayton. He established a church dedicated to the worship of Tyrtain and helped start up a proper school for younger mages. Drake had invited Chickadee to join him, but the little mage declined. All he wanted was to return to the barracks.
Mostly to escape the horrifying experiments of Doctor Saxifrage, but yeah, his friends were a good reason too, he supposed.
Chickadee went back to the barracks and began to live a normal life. The entrance exams were soon. Sybil and him were working on it together. The agility courses this year were going to be extra exciting.
They were planning on running through them today. Chickadee could hardly sleep the night before, as he had been writing up additional plans. They needed a backup in case the current agility tests were deemed to easy to pass run through.
He was still fogged up by sleep deprivation when Grimhawk’s staff knocked against the floor. It was unlikely that Grimhawk had shown up to ask him to do something. Putting the pillow over his head, Chickadee decided to grab another hour of sleep. The only reason he sat up again afterward was because Zaniyah had cried out from shock.
“Papa Grimhawk! What happened to you?!”
Chickadee leaned over the edge of the bed. It was Grimhawk, but he wasn’t injured or anything. He looked fine. More than fine, actually. Grimhawk appeared to be a young man in his early twenties.
The young Grimhawk tilted his head to the side. “I’m only counting four of you.”
Sybil looked around. “All of us are here.” She then hopped down from the side of her bed.
Grimhawk took a step back. He hadn’t sensed her at all. “Ah… I was warned about you.”
“It’s okay, Zani,” reassured Sybil. “This is Henry Grimhawk, Sir Grimhawk’s grandson. He was going to help us with the entrance exams, remember?”
“Oh right,” muttered Zaniyah. “That doesn’t explain why he has to show up at…” She fumbled for her watch. “It’s four in the morning!”
Henry frowned. Time didn’t matter much to him. It’s not like the sun held any value for a blind man.
Veximarl carefully climbed down from his bed and saluted. “Veximarl Tuton, sir. I’m the captain of this squad.”
Alton jumped down from his bed and put an arm about Sybil’s shoulders. Mostly to balance himself because he was still tired. “Alton Toval, leadership course. I’m serving as the temporary commander of our year.”
Sybil also saluted. “Sybil Twist, scout.” Alton gently elbowed her. “Err, I mean that I’m also in the leadership course. I transferred into it recently.”
Zaniyah was slow to join the others. “Zaniyah Krogastein, acolyte course,” she muttered wearily.
“Walter Cully. Prophet of Tyrtain. Savior of elementalists.” Chickadee saluted from the edge of his bed.
Alton’s face became strained. “You… You really shouldn’t introduce yourself like that.”
“Earned it,” replied Chickadee.
Henry smacked his staff into the ground again. “None of that matters. Get dressed. Whether it is dress uniform other otherwise, make it quick and make certain to be presentable. The army is passing through.”
Veximarl put his hand to his chest. “The army?”
“On it,” replied Sybil.
She made her way to the window and swung upwards towards the roof. From there, she hopped over to the rampart. Chickadee and Zaniyah weren’t that far behind her. The trio stared out into the fields outside of the barracks, absolutely flabbergasted by the sight.
“Whoa,” whispered Zaniyah.
Hundreds of soldiers were out in the fields. There had to be nearly a thousand of them. Horses, trebuchets, wagons of weapons and supplies… They were all heading westward. These were reinforcements for the war against the tainted beasts. If they were stopping by at this hour, then it meant that they were rushing to the frontlines. Something must have happened.
“But he can’t go!” Ivy was bawling her eyes out in the courtyard. “Just look at him!” She gestured to Moss. “He’s to skinny and useless! We can’t let Remi die!”
Gwyn gave her a look filled with sadness and sympathy. She didn’t say anything, choosing to hug Ivy instead.
“Why would he even want to go with them?” Zaniyah looked over at Sybil and Chickadee.
“Because they’ve conscripted the knights,” whispered Sybil. She looked over to Chickadee. “Chi!”
She ran forward and jumped off the edge of the rampart. Both of her friends followed and Chickadee caught them all with a simple wind spell. Sybil landed softly and ran towards the group. Where was Grimhawk? Where was Stonetoe? There were dozens of adults that she didn’t recognize.
Someone patted her shoulder. “See Blu after we’re gone,” whispered Dalkirk in her ear. He then walked past as though he hadn’t said anything.
“Mama Stonetoe!” Zaniyah started to jump up and down. “Mama Stonetoe! Over here!”
“Shut your mouth!” Stonetoe yelled back. He was standing with Till and Rowan. “Come this way!”
By the time the trio made it through the crowd, Alton and Veximarl had shown up. Sybil’s suspicions were true. The knights had been conscripted. Only Blu, Grimhawk, Marjoram, and Buttonweed were staying behind. Since Henry was blind, the army hadn’t wanted him. He only traveled with them as far as Braytons so that he could take over as one of the weapon masters.
Everyone else had no choice but to pack up and leave. There wasn’t enough time to panic about classes or exams. All any of them knew was that their mentors would be gone.
“What should we do, sir?” Veximarl looked about. He was nervous. The future had suddenly become unpredictable and he didn’t take comfort in that.
“Don’t worry,” replied Stonetoe. “You’re all practically in the second year now. The only task I have for you all is to look after Nita for me and don’t cause too much trouble for her. She’s going to have a lot on her mind now that I won’t be around to distract her.”
“But, sir…” Veximarl’s voice trailed off.
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“He’s worried that you’re going to die,” clarified Alton.
Stonetoe laughed loudly. “I’ll be fine! I’ve got a lot of family in the army and they won’t let me get a dangerous post. As for Moss and Oceans, Dalkirk has got a lot of clout among our superiors. He’ll make sure they’ll stay safe.”
The group stood there in awkward silence. They didn’t know what to say. All of it was happening to suddenly. Zaniyah was halfway to charging back to the room so she could fetch her axe and join her knight. It was only because Sybil took ahold of her hand that she didn’t go anywhere.
Veximarl tensed up for a moment before he spoke up. “We wish you the best of luck in your mission, sir.”
“This ain’t a mission, kid, this is war,” he replied. Stonetoe then sighed heavily as despair washed over his squad. “Listen… This is the best advice I can give you, alright? Perk your ears up and pay attention.
All of us have got problems buried deep in here.” Stonetoe held his hand against his chest. “They ain’t wounds that heal quickly nor are they wounds you can ignore. You have to work on them and it ain’t quick work. Not a day, not a week, nor a month. Sometimes it takes years of perseverance.
Even if you spend all that time reflecting on yourself, you might not notice all the scars you carry. All you got is each other. Talk to each other. Take care of each other. No matter what happens, you’ve got to be there for one another. Friendship is a lifeline commitment. Don’t do anything to jeopardize it.”
“... Yes, sir,” they mumbled as a group.
“Good. I’ll see you all when I get back. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make out with my wife.” He began to walk away from the group. “Move, Dandy!” He shouted as he waved his arm off to the side. Brushing past Marjoram, he swept up Till and began to kiss her deeply.
Zaniyah pouted. “I mean… I guess that’s kind of sweet that he loves her so much, but… It’s also kind of gross? … Ow!” Alton had slapped her shoulder.
“Come on,” he said. “They’re going to be heading out soon. Let’s make sure everyone’s had a chance to say goodbye.”
Within the hour, the army was gone. Though only a handful had left, the barracks was oddly empty. Sybil was left flooded with doubt. She wondered if Rosethorn was right… That Buttonweed had planned for this to happen and that Till was slowly losing control of the barracks.
Everyone was moving on to their morning chores but Sybil made her way up to the infirmary. She didn’t know why Dalkirk wanted her to visit Blu. Maybe something had happened, or there was some conspiracy at play that she didn’t understand.
Beat was sitting next to Anais’ bed. He had been visiting her every morning before he went to sleep. Now he was attempting to distract her from the fact that Moss was gone. Anais was still restricted to her bed for most of the day, as she stumbled very easily, and she had to read out loud every day in order to work on her communication skills.
She had grown tired of the children’s books that Blu had been supplying her. They made her feel stupid. The copper dreadfuls that Beat had collected were easy to read and full of ultra-violent or sexual content. Through crude, they were much better than anything else that was available. Beat had carried her downstairs so she could say goodbye to Moss, he then brought her back and was listening to her read a book.
Blu was standing next to the infirmary window. She had been frozen in place since the army first arrived. Normally she would scold the content that Beat brought Anais, but she didn’t have the energy to do so today.
“Doctor Blu?” Sybil hesitated by the door. Blu turned around. Her eyes had swollen up from her crying so much. “... I-I… That is, uh, Sir Dalkirk… He, uh… He told me to see you?”
Blu wiped her face with her sleeve. “Of course,” she muttered. “Please come see me in my office.”
She called it an office, but it was a private patient room that had been converted into Blu’s residence. The room was covered in medical artwork and bookshelves, with a desk, a small bed, and a couch. Once the two had entered, Blu closed the door behind Sybil.
Blu then broke down. She clung onto Sybil tightly as she sobbed her eyes out. Her teeth were clenched, as she didn’t want anyone past the door to hear her. Sybil was stunned. She hesitantly hugged Blu until the doctor was ready to talk.
“I-I’m sorry,” she whispered in Sybil’s ear.
“It’s f-fine,” replied Sybil.
“But is it true?” Blu pulled away and wiped at her face again. “Are you really Lydia’s daughter?”
Sybil hesitantly nodded her head.
“Come have a seat.” She gestured to her desk. Blu then needed a moment to compose herself once they both sat down. “Dalkirk,” she said, “that is to say… Banner.” Blu nodded to herself. “Banner wanted me to give you this.”
Blu reached into her desk and pulled out an ornate book. It was a little beaten up and burnt around the edges. She held it out for Sybil to take. Sybil carefully examined it. The inside was odd. It appeared to be a novel if held properly, but Blu told her to turn it upside and twist a decoration on the cover. Suddenly the inside had turned from novel to handwritten journal.
Pages upon pages of handwriting, yet the very first page held a crude sketch of Sybil. She couldn’t have been older than two or three, but Sybil recognized the dress. It had to be her. The handwriting was also familiar. This book belonged to Lydia.
“... How?” Sybil didn’t know why Blu would have this.
Blu smiled sadly. “It’s Lydia journal… From the war.” She looked down at the book. “Banner told me that he received her journal when he decided to become a mentor here. Lydia asked him to give you it once you graduated.”
“I hadn’t even decided to be a knight then,” replied Sybil. She must have been four or five by the time Lydia had come back.
“Your mother knew you well.” Blu pulled out three more books from her desk. “I am giving you these as well. Lydia told us to document our journey, because our stories were important. I don’t know how much Lydia told you about the war, but we were there together. Your mother, Banner, Herald, and myself.”
Sybil couldn’t believe it. “But I only know of the interviews after the war.” If there were journals, they would’ve been published. Dozens of journals of soldiers were kept as part of accurate historical keeping of the war. Wouldn’t these be among those?
Blu rested her hand on the journals. “There are secrets in here that are best left unrecorded. Banner told me that you know about Iath’s vessels. Is that correct?” Sybil nodded. “Herald was one of those vessels. For Iath’s safety, his existence must be kept secret. As for myself… I was there when Cornelius died.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I couldn’t do anything to save him.”
“... I’m sorry.”
“All of us performed regrettable acts during the war. If the truth were to be revealed, they would no doubt seek to silence us,” whispered Blu.
“But why? All of you are heroes.”
Blu shook her head. “I will warn you now that Cornelius’ assassination was orchestrated by those of the Violet Region. He was not murdered by members of the Clay Region. They merely claimed responsibility for his attack and used that to start a war.”
Sybil was stunned. “Why would they do that?”
“I do not know… My efforts to find the truth were also wasted. My hands are as bloody as they come, Sybil… In the end, all of us were unclean. We knew the truth and yet had to remain silent in order to prevent another war. The reason why I did not go back to Grand Temple is that I fear of what will happen to me if someone realizes that I know the truth.
That fear is how we ended up where we are. Banner’s grief made him throw away his name. I can never return to my home. Lydia, for the safety of those she loved, avoided nobility. She chose to leave in peace when she could’ve had riches.
Lydia… She was quite the mysterious woman. I admire her so much... When I heard the news of her death, I was truly heartbroken. Yet Banner, he always believed that her death had something to do with the war. He’s now worried that the conscription is somehow a ploy to get him killed and that I will soon be next.
We didn’t have long to talk about it, but we agreed that you may be thrown into our problems. Duchess Elbellziara’s involvement is enough to let us know that there are eyes watching you. Who knows who else is watching from the shadows? I ask that you use these journals to arm yourself, Sybil. Knowledge is your greatest ally. Please know that I will do everything I can to help you, but I cannot always be there. You are going to have to use your own instincts to find out who your allies and enemies are.”
Sybil’s hands tightened around Lydia’s journal. “Do you know anything about Lydia’s death? Did Sir Dalkirk say anything? Did he look into it?”
Blu stared down at her desk. “No,” she whispered. “He didn’t want to draw any attention to either us or you. That’s why he had chosen to stay silent until the last possible moment.”
“Oh...” Sybil stood up. She picked up all the journals and clung them to her chest. “... Thank you, Doctor Blu.”
“You’re welcome, Sybil. I know that it may be difficult to carry on with your day after this, but I ask that you try,” she said. Blu also stood up so that she could hug Sybil again. She began to whisper in her ear, “Lydia would be so proud of you. Always remember that.”
Sybil didn’t feel like Lydia would be proud. Her mother would likely have a lot to say about her daughter’s ill choices… But she didn’t want those thoughts to worry Blu. She excused herself quickly and ran back into the dorms. Once there, she messaged Alton to tell him that she wouldn’t be at either morning chores or the class meeting.
She climbed up into her bed and buried herself into a journal. This is what Sybil had wanted this entire, wasn’t it? A way to understand who her mother truly was. Was she always the happy woman of her memories, or was there some dark secret to her past? The more that Sybil had learned about Lydia, the more it seemed like the woman she had known was merely a mask that Lydia wore.
Sybil touched her cheek. Masks, huh? She knew a thing or two about always wearing one. Maybe her and Lydia were more alike than she knew. They had spent so much time being someone else that they had forgotten who they truly were, and neither of them seemed to care much about it.