“Just sit tight. Fetch me in like twenty minutes.”
“Uh…okay.” Ashlynde murmured back as I left Basil wrapped around her by the fire.
The trip back to the homeland had been uneventful. The seas were calm and the winds had been fair. We would soon be in the capital again. Thus, this might be the last chance I get to be with Alisson for a while.
I slipped into his tent where he slept soundly. You can sleep so peacefully because you know I’m guarding you…Well, I guess right now I’m not doing a very faithful job of it. I crawled atop Alisson in his sheets, and rested my head against his chest, nuzzling him.
We’ve made our plans. Alisson will work his magic to get placed in the 56th. They’re a battalion of soldiers that have been dishonored in some way or another; But are too skilled to simply have executed; so, they repent by being sent into extremely hazardous conditions. Using this position, Alisson will get attached to an army, and then somehow steer it into Irine. In the mean time, me and Ashlynde have our own assignment. It’ll be the first time I’ll be acting on my own to get something done.
For now though…
I nuzzled my cheek against Alisson’s chest.
I want to savor my time with him.
“Pst…Master…It’s been a while since you left.”
I heard Ashylnde whisper from outside the tent.
“Give me another five.” I whispered back angrily at the interruption. I needed the time to put my clothes back on anyway.
…
The legal proceedings were a farce. False allegations upon false actions and false confessions. Alisson didn’t even need to see Sidonia in person. The bureaucracy recommended the penal battalion as a solution to Alisson’s troubles; a way to let the political situation forgot about the scandal. Alisson held a paper in his hands penned by Sidonia as we walked to the 56th’s barracks.
He had been demoted, and command of the 51st had been placed in Daventdale’s capable hands. A piece of Alisson disliked having to throw away his command and his spotless track record, his shining legacy, but they were such unimportant things. His friends had all advised him of how easy it would be to sweep this non-issue under the rug, to just deny everything and be exonerated. He didn’t take their advice.
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He had stayed far away from the apprentices and Celis to avoid dragging them close to the Rolaign, close to Sidonia. Marenix was residing in the Nuam keep, and Celis and Ashlynde had their own task. He had tapped Lady Salchyon to take Marenix under her wing while Alisson was with the 56th.
Alisson sighed and prepared himself as he stepped through the doors to the 56th’s barracks; The ones they called the Blackened Platoon.
A circle of men stood in a dark room wearing brown cloaks. In the center there was one with a black cloak. “So, he arrives.”
The one with the black cloak stepped forward to Alisson. “These accommodations are temporary, but sin is eternal. Your name and your deeds matter not to me.” He handed Alisson a similar large cloak as the rest of the men had, which shielded their faces and made them appear as phantoms.
“You will not speak. You are a newcomer, but these are my brothers; their lives matter to me – Yours does not.”
“That makes two of us.” Alisson muttered as he wound the cloak around him, and descended the veil that marked him as a dishonored warrior.
“You will lose your poetic retorts come our first mission. The Lady has seen to graciously expedite our outing because of your arrival, newcomer.”
Sidonia. She must know something. Alisson’s fist clenched.
“Come hither and I will brief you.”
Alisson joined the circle of 56th. A magical display of lights formed in the center of the room showing a map of the world.
“There exists a land known as Sabasa. Andestine has moved and discovered its existence. To avoid unnecessary loses, our navy has withdrawn their blockade. Andestine has invaded Sabasa. We are to head to Sabasa and repel the invaders.”
Alisson was immediately beset by a dozen questions. “How did Andestine find them? Why are they there? Why are we going to their aid?”
Alisson asked, almost indignant. The 56th were silent until the leader responded,
“Count not the number of doubts and questions you have. Count only the number of Andestinians you kill. Our Lady has ordered it, there is no further explanation necessary.”
Alisson clicked his tongue. He should’ve expected such treatment in a penal battalion.
“There is a great tunnel under the sea that connects our nation to the isle of Sabasa. We will be the screening element of a larger convoy. The tunnel has not been used in many years, we do not know what is in it. Once we reach Sabasa, we are to await further instructions.”
Sabasa. The island of chivalrous dogs. The place where Alisson might find a slime. It may be under expedited and unusual circumstance, but he stood to gain, even if this mission was irrelevant to the entire point of being in this battalion.
“What of our deployments after this mission? Are we not attached to an army?”
Again they responded with silence, until the leader spoke, “Silence, brother.”
Alisson frowned and averted his gaze. He supposed that he’d have to hope that the circumstances aligned better in the future. Still, this wasn’t a useless exercise. Perhaps he could go AWOL from the 56th while in Sabasa, and search for what he needed on his own.
So, sent to a foreign place with no clues as to what he was accomplishing or what he was doing there, Alisson settled in to the 56th.
***