“The strength of a mage and the size of their reservoir of mana can generally be separated into four ranks: Initiate, Apprentice, Adept, Master. A similar method for classifying monsters and beasts exists, D, C, B, A. There exists no way to go beyond the final tier except for the dread night spawn.”— A Scientific Treatise on Mages.
Western Barracks of the Cross-Borders Army, Castera, Kingdom of Ilsylvania. Day -21.
Tyree’s arms ached and her lungs burned. She was pushing herself too hard and she knew it, but she wanted the pain of over exertion. No, she needed it as a distraction from her anger and frustration.
Two days ago, she had seen Aliyah and their daughters off with their friend, Rhoda, to Pella. The plan had been for her to finish her final week of guard duty before riding Felt to catch up with them.
But that had changed when she’d come back on base. A message had circulated that morning announcing her entire regiment’s rotation to three month reserve had been halted pending further orders. And this morning, she’d received a letter stating her extended leave request had been revoked.
Her trip with her family to see her old adventuring group had been pulled out from under her feet. And worst of all, no explanation had been given as to why.
Just thinking of the letter sitting on her desk in her quarters reignited the embers of anger she had just barely managed to stamp out with exercise. Tyree lashed out with a sword spell, her blade a flurry of movement.
Sudden, sharp pain shot up Tyree’s arm, bringing her back to reality. Captain Tarik Kronos stood with his shield raised in a defensive position, the telltale mist-like yellow glow of a recently used weapon spell still lingered on his shield.
“Easy, Lieutenant. That one felt a little personal.”
Tyree studied the six scratches she’d left in his shield. They were deep cuts, but not so deep as to have hurt Kronos underneath; a feat they both knew she was more than capable of doing, even with the dull training sword in her hand.
Tyree lowered her weapon with the blade pointed behind her and Kronos did the same with his broadsword, signaling the end to their sparring match. The two stepped off the training platform and turned it over to a pair of privates who had been waiting patiently for their turn.
Tyree braced herself for the conversation she knew was coming by taking a deep breath as Kronos ushered her aside.
“Why did you join the Cross-Borders Army?” Kronos asked as he placed sword and shield on his armor’s back mounts.
Tyree started to answer, but Kronos cut her off.
“I know you’re going to rattle off something about civic duty and patriotism, but I know you’re history. You’ve advanced quickly through the ranks, due in no small part to having been a life-long adventurer before signing on. That line of work can pay well—did pay well for you. Why give all that up to become a soldier in the guard?”
“Adventuring only paid well because it was a dangerous profession, but it’s getting harder and harder to get the big scores. And they’ve basically industrialized the magic dungeons that need a Guardian to enter. It takes months of repeat dives to earn what used to take one. And new, unexplored regular ruins and dungeons are becoming rarer and rarer. My wife kept telling me I needed less dangerous work after our twins were born.”
“And signing up for the army was your answer?” Kronos raised an eyebrow.
“Aliyah never properly defined ‘less dangerous’ for me.” Tyree forced a dry laugh and Kronos snorted.
“Tyressa, I get it. You’re pissed. So am I. So is everyone else in our battalion who was looking forward to this rotation for months. But joining the army, and especially being an officer, requires you to keep a level head. The people serving under you will look to you when things go south. They need to see their leadership has things under control. And that includes not using their superior’s shield to blow off steam.”
Tyree took the rebuke with a single, silent nod. He was right, but his words did nothing to cool her boiling anger at the situation.
“Get yourself cleaned up. You look as rough as the number you did on my shield.”
That got a genuine smile to creep onto Tyree’s lips. “Will do, Captain.”
“And check in with Caleb and Shai. The orders should have gone out this morning, but remind them of our meeting tonight. And make sure you get those pins to them beforehand.”
A box had arrived at Tyree’s quarters with what she had assumed to be her new rank insignias and uniform. Kronos was being promoted to Major over their regiment and Tyree was assuming his position as Captain. She wasn’t being assigned to lead his former battalion, but was instead being given her own. Tyree had chosen both Caleb and Shai to lead two of the four companies she was being allotted. But all that wasn’t supposed to occur until after their return from reserve.
Tyree voiced that concern.
“Yes, I wanted to tell you personally. After what happened a few nights ago, some timelines have been moved. My promotion to Major is effective tomorrow. You will get more information tonight. For now, just make sure you three are wearing those new rank insignias at the meeting.”
Tyree gave a nod and turned to leave. The sun was still high overhead and she knew exactly where she’d find Caleb.
***
A patch of sandy blond hair in a sea of dark hair gave Caleb Tahn away. The Riellen native’s back was towards Tyree as he sat at a table with seven other soldiers. Each of them bore the red insignia of a hawk holding an arrow in one set of talons and a bow in the other on the backs of their uniforms. The insignia of the exclusive 17th Ranger Company, known as the Sanguine Hawks.
The group had been sharing a laugh when Tyree called Caleb’s name. The young man stood and snapped to attention as the rest of his table set their dining utensils down.
“Lieutenant Pearce, what can I do for you?” Caleb was shorter than Tyree by about a head and had a boyish face that contrasted strongly with his bowman’s physique. Tyree wondered if she had looked so much like a kid when she had entered her twenties.
“At ease.” Tyree waved a dismissive hand.
Caleb visibly relaxed as his table went back to their meals. Though she was coming up on her sixth year in the army, Tyree still didn’t care for all the pomp and circumstance.
“I’m only stopping by to remind you of our meeting tonight. You and Shai need to meet outside my quarters thirty minutes before.”
“I got the orders this morning, I’ll be there, LT,” Caleb replied. With a little nudging from the woman at his right, he added, “Any idea what our reserve halt’s about? Think it might have something to do with Diurne lighting up the way it did? You see it?”
“I don’t think you’ll find anyone who didn’t see it. Had half my neighborhood outside watching, but—”
The woman who had nudged Caleb cut in. “Rumor has it it’s because all the guardians in the city disappeared. Vanished without a trace since Diurne briefly became a second Solaire.”
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The Guardians in the city disappeared? That was news to Tyree. Castera typically had a couple hundred Guardians inside the city and even more along the outskirts at any given time. They kept to themselves, but could be counted on to keep the local monster populations in check. If they had all disappeared, it would make sense that the king would want to shore up Ilsylvania’s defenses in their absence.
But Tyree wasn’t about to start speculating on that with those under her command. She might hate the army’s formality, but she still had tact.
“I didn’t get any word from on high and you know I don’t like to gossip. You all really shouldn’t either if you’d like to hold command positions some day.” Tyree kept her stern expression on the group for only a second before she started laughing good-naturedly with them.
Tyree turned to Caleb. “I have to track down Shai. See you tonight.”
“See you tonight, LT.” Caleb gave a salute and returned to his food as Tyree walked past his table.
***
Shai was an earth mage who dabbled in healing. The half-Serethi woman could typically be found at Castera’s new free to anyone healing clinic run by the army. Spearheaded by House Ilvari, one of the six governing Great Houses under King Hael, it was just one of several new social programs established since King Hael’s ascendance to the crown. It saw hundreds of patients a day and was one of the most advanced of its kind.
In Tyree’s opinion, gathering all the healers in one spot where they had access to the resources they needed to care for the people had been a real boon for the city. Her own family had benefited greatly from the service many times. Aliyah might be a strong alchemist with a few healing spells of her own, but twins hellbent on imitating the stories of adventure Aliyah and Tyree told them had stressed her wife’s skills to the limit.
Smiling as she thought of her family, Tyree stepped into the clinic. A hive of activity; there was an uphill battle raging between the staff and the sick. The clinic had apparently run out of rooms and beds as many people were lying in blankets on the floor, medics running between them.
A short man in uniform shuffled past Tyree and she called out. “Excuse me! Excuse me, sir!”
The man stopped and turned to Tyree. He had a ragged, haggard look with eyes so bloodshot, Tyree wondered if he was one of the staff or a patient.
“I’m very busy, what do you need?” He finished the sentence with a barely stifled yawn.
Tyree glanced around quickly. He wasn’t the only one who looked like they would fall asleep on their feet.
“Official army business. I’m looking for a woman named Shai, she’s a healer here?”
“The blind elf? Down that hall, last door on the left.”
Elf. He’d said the word with derision. Not wanting this battle, Tyree instead followed his pointing hand. She looked back and the man was already a dozen paces away.
Just inside the last door on the left, a large wolfhound lay on the ground. The dog’s head perked up as Tyree entered.
“Hello, Koda.” Tyree bent down and scratched behind her ears.
Koda rumbled a yawn of deep content.
Further in the room, Shai and her aide stood at the sound of Tyree’s voice. “Good afternoon, Lieutenant.”
“Take your breather. I just came from out there, I can see you’re swamped.”
Shai raised a shaking hand to the girl, who set down her notebook and pulled two small bags from a larger bag tucked behind them. She set one in Shai’s lap and took the other for herself.
Shai opened the bag, revealing a bowl of something that smelled savory. “This is the first break my scribe and I have had since coming in this morning. The illness in the farming communities has made its way into the city and the sick are piling up. It’s to the point where we’re sending away those who were able to walk here. Myself and a few others have been busy taking care of those patients not sick with this illness.”
“It’s even worse up north. A friend of ours came down from Pella asking Aliyah for help.”
Shai took a spoonful of her meal and swallowed it. “Ah, that’s right, your wife’s a mage and a healer. We could have really used her here. This disease has proven most resistant to basic healing spells and the best we’re managing is comforting the sick while their bodies fight off the infection themselves.”
“The Serethi have been hit hardest. That’s why Aliyah was so adamant about going.”
“I am only half-Serethi, but I worry. I was told full-blooded Serethi were the most susceptible. I hope your wife and kids remain healthy.”
A loud crash in the hallway made everyone in the room jump. Everyone except Koda, who merely raised her head in disinterest before laying back down.
“I believe that’s our cue to wrap up our break. I will see you and Caleb tonight.” Shai returned to her meal.
“Good luck out here.” Tyree turned and gave Koda another rub on the back before leaving.
Out in the hall, a cart lay on its side with medical supplies and shattered potion bottles around it. The contents of the bottles created a mixture that steamed and bubbled softly. An older man with a fluffy white beard stood sheepishly while two medics worked to clean up the mess. Tyree stepped cautiously by them and headed out the door, making for her quarters.
***
The rank of Lieutenant afforded Tyree with many perks, chief among them was her own private quarters on base. She rarely ever used the unit as it was unsuited to the task of housing a family. But she’d spent the last couple nights here to get away from her empty house.
Tyree pulled a small white stone from her bag and muttered an incantation. Several larger white stones around the room flared to life, filling the dark, windowless apartment with just enough light to see by.
Tyree sat down at her kitchen table and let out a long sigh. She wondered the same thing she always wondered when her work life cut into the time she was supposed to be spending with her family: was it even worth it?
She had tried early on when Alyx and Lynn were born to settle down into a more peaceful life, a retirement life. They certainly didn’t need the money adventuring had brought in; the earnings from their last dungeon dive twelve years ago had given them enough that Aliyah and their daughters would live modestly for a long time after Tyree was gone.
But Tyree had been driven stir crazy. She had been a student of the sword since a young age and an adventurer for nearly as long. The drive to be active, to explore, and to use her sword skills was baked into her very core.
That was why she had joined the army and ensured she was always on the exterior patrol when she was on the city guard rotation. It wasn’t glamorous, but the patrols netted her with some excitement here and there as she fought goblins and other monsters to keep the roads between Castera and her subject cities safe.
They had initially wanted to settle down near Pella, but had chosen Castera because of the access to schools and magic training for their daughters in addition to Tyree being able to advance her career in the guard.
But Tyree wondered if perhaps it was time to re-examine. She was under no obligation to renew her service with the army, perhaps Pella could become a permanent place for them to stay. She could always join the guard patrols up there, but more importantly, she’d be able to spend more time with her family and friends.
Tyree stood, resolving herself to bring up this conversation with Aliyah when she returned from Pella. Right now, however, she desperately needed a shower and a meal.
***
Two knocks at the door told Tyree her meal of the last of her reheated beef and lamb stew was over. She looked into the bowl and saw she had barely even nibbled at it. She placed the leftovers back in her icebox.
Tyree walked over to the door and picked up three small boxes from the stack that had been left for her. They were distinguished from the others in that these three already had the names of the people Tyree had chosen to serve under her as two of her company leaders. The other two would be given to those assigned to her based on the needs of the battalion.
“Thanks for getting here early. I have something I’m supposed to give to you.” Tyree handed Caleb and Shai the boxes containing their new rank insignias.
Caleb held the box to his ear and shook it. “What are these?”
“This was supposed to wait until after we returned from reserve, but you’ve both been promoted. Congratulations,” Tyree answered.
Shai opened her box and rubbed her hands along the wooden tablet that had been carved for her to read. “I’m being made Lieutenant over the Sabertooth Company.”
Composed mostly of healers and medics, Sabertooth Company was the one principally running the new healing clinic. Her position would largely be administrative, but Tyree knew Shai saw the clinic as her baby.
Caleb held up his Lieutenant’s badge, then frowned as he looked back inside the box. “I know this pin. The 9th? We’re being placed in the 9th Battalion? Why them? Why not the 7th or the 8th?”
Tyree opened her own box and looked inside, pulling out the pin which represented the 9th, a red and gold 9 stylized in the same manner as that of the Guardian guild chiefly responsible for slaying Azeban, North Remembers.
The 9th Forward Strike Battalion had been an all-volunteer battalion assembled to clear the way into Hell’s Mouth alongside the Guardians of North Remembers nearly a hundred years ago. They had fought bravely, but the entire battalion had been slaughtered to the last man. Ilsylvania’s king at the time had the battalion decommissioned to honor them. Why was she being made Captain over that battalion?
“You’d think it’d be bad luck to bring back that battalion of all battalions,” Caleb continued.
Shai pulled out her own 9th Battalion pin and placed it on her uniform. “I think King Hael intends it as a statement. Given the 9th’s strong ties to the Guardians, he could be saying that Ilsylvania means to stand by them no matter what has happened to them. And who better to lead the 9th than an Adventurer who spent her whole life among Guardians? I think it’s a poetic gesture.”
Caleb shook his head. “Poetry won’t save us from another Azeban.”