Ahzi never liked making this trip, but she always made sure to watch the lands as they scrolled past the Landships window. She considered it a civil duty. The verdant lands of the Wʉl province, tended to by the occasional honored [Cultivator], were especially beautiful at this time of year. They passed golden bushel after bushel of Aureate Wheat, enough to feed the nation and more.

At least for the moment.

Soon after, they passed the first crater. It was a small thing, the Landship likely could have passed over it with nary a bump. However, the burnt stalks around it as well as the diseased crops further beyond that told a different tale. Some few brave workers still operated here, even though there had been casualties amongst their number.

It wasn’t long until they passed another such crater and another. Soon, there was no green. Only dead yellows and brown. In the distance, just coming into view, was Ohsen Wʉl. The Great Bulwark of Wʉl.

Ahzi sucked in a breath and struggled to keep her expression dignified. Only a scant few cycles before, the fields had continued far beyond this point. The front was moving and at this speed …

She stiffened as she felt a hand close on her shoulder and knew that she had failed to keep her composure. Tempted as she was to keep the mask up, she instead put her hand on top of her companions. If she couldn’t be herself here, then she couldn’t relax anywhere.

“You couldn’t have changed any of this Princess,” said Syluv who brought another hand up to Ahzi’s other shoulder and began tracing comforting circles on her shoulder blades.

“I could have been here!” Ahzi gestured generally at the devastation. “Fighting for the motherland amongst my people. If I had been here … perhaps we wouldn’t have lost so much.” The last bit came out as a whisper.

“Come now Princess, you know that was never in the cards. The Queen needed you at her side. Ordered it even,” said Syluv, who began to dig deeper into her shoulders.

Ahzi snorted. “Oh please, she needed me? Mother? As if any of those Summer Orchids at court would dare defy her? I doubt any of them have even seen a battle outside of the arena. They would wilt the moment they met her gaze.”

Syluv's massage crept into her mid back and Ahzi made a soft groan of approval and felt tension drain away. That was the spot.

“I think, Princess, that the Queen needs you more than you think. The throne is a lonely seat and it’s not like your father's talents lie in that direction. One woman, however strong, cannot stand alone against the world.”

Ahzi tried to think of a good retort, but nothing immediately came to mind. After a good few minutes, in which she simply enjoyed the massage, she was forced to admit she didn’t have any good ones.

“Well, next time I am not going. As much as your words ring true, she is but one person. I cannot abandon our comrades again as next time …” Ahzi paused to take a deep breath. “Next time I wouldn’t have to travel to reach the front lines at all.”

Syluv hummed a quiet assent as she concluded the massage and walked forward to stand next to her.

“You are like the Rozenov Cactus Rose, Princess.” Ahzi blinked and tried to parse that statement before retorting:

“Dangerous to her enemies yet beautiful all the same?” Ahzi turned and favored Syluv with direct eye contact.

Usually, Syluv’s features were locked into one of professional nonchalance, but when they were alone it crept towards what Ahzi considered its natural state. Radiant and smiling which, when coupled with her less-than-average height, was quite adorable. It was unusual for a Naula, though that added to the charm in her opinion. Not that Ahzi had ever told that to her face, it would ruin her pride.

“Ah, the Princess has such a high opinion of herself. As she should. Alas, I was thinking ‘prickly’ more than anything else.” Syluv’s features took on an impish cast as Ahzi gasped.

“Take that back!” she demanded and Syluv shook her head and laughed. After a moment, Ahzi joined her.

Their laughter was interrupted a few moments later when there was a loud single knock at the door. Ahzi wasn’t surprised, she had felt the presence of their guest approaching for a good while with [One With The Realm]. By the looks of it, Syluv had also intuited that with her own lesser ability.

Ahzi smiled sadly at her friend, “Duty calls.” She schooled her face and posture into a form more befitting her station. Opposite her, Syluv was doing the same. Becoming her treasured attendant once again.

“Let our guest in if you would, Syluv.” As she began making her way over to the door of the bedroom, Syluv withdrew a fan from the depths of her [Treasury] and unfolded it in one smooth motion to cover her face. She resumed her previous position by the balcony and gazed off into the distance. The Landship had begun preparations for landing.

The door clicked open to admit Moeris, her other attendant. She didn’t need her ability to picture his grim and hard-edged face nor the fact that he had assumed a parade-perfect salute. Such habits were deeply ingrained into the man.

“Princess.” His voice was as flat and sharp as an unsheathed blade, not that she held it against him. She was pretty sure that he couldn’t help himself. He continued in his customary blunt manner, “We have arrived at the front. You are required.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Ahzi turned, using her fan to shield the lower parts of her face, and kept her eyes forward as if gazing at an unseen horizon. She swept past Moeris into the hallway and her two attendants followed in her wake.

“What is on the agenda today, Moeris?” She kept up a good pace, passing many portholes and a few workers who were tinkering with various knobs and levers. Without exception, each stood up and gave her a salute, left arm over the chest and one hand behind the back, and gave her their full attention until she was out of sight.

“First, we shall visit an infirmary. I am told that the assault last night on this part of the front was especially vicious and they are at capacity. I am sure a visit from you will raise morale amongst the troops.” There was the shuffling of paper as Moeris paged through a schedule.

“Then, you shall meet with General Omnū to discuss the Queen's orders and your … place in them.” A tinge of disapproval leaked into his voice in that pause, which didn’t surprise her. Moeris was her mother's creature through and through. “After that, it was left up to your discretion.”

Ahzi’s step hitched, a crack in her otherwise flawless facade. Fortunately, with her attributes, it would likely be imperceptible to everyone except her attendants.

“That’s unusually generous of Mother,” she said carefully. By this point, they had reached the staircase to the top deck and began to ascend.

“Would you have followed them if they didn’t send you to the front lines?” She stayed quiet and Moeris seemed to take it as a tacit emission and continued, “Consider it a test of your judgment.”

Or she was just tired of me disobeying her orders so publicly, Ahzi mused. Either way, it was a welcome reprieve.

“I shall endeavor to make the Queen proud,” she said carefully. She could have sworn she heard a snort from Moeris’s direction but subsequent scanning of his visage revealed nothing. She must have imagined that, as she had never seen him crack even a smile.

She stopped at the top of the ramp for a moment and surveyed her surroundings. The dock had been built into the side of an artificial dirt mound that was large enough that it offered complete protection to its inhabitants from stray shots. Aside from that, it just was an open dirt field where the Landships could set down.

Theirs was not the only Landship docked, though it certainly was the largest. There were about half a dozen others. All except for one were cargo haulers and that one exception was a sleek courier craft. None looked in great condition, all had rends in the plating that had been patched over with scrap metal and one even had its wind manifold in pieces.

As for the camp, it looked much the same as it always did. Row upon and row of tents, once dyed in the heraldry of Verune and now too travel worn to tell. Around its perimeter stood a twenty-foot-tall transmuted stone wall, as per military code.

In the distance, she could smell the scent of freshly spilled blood and, much closer, the rusty stench of old wounds paired with the acrid tinge of herbs. Following her nose, she saw an especially large tent from which she could see green-robed healers entering and exiting. That would likely be the aforementioned infirmary.

Well, best to get this over with.

The crew had already lowered the ramp, as they were well familiar with her desire for haste. A greeting contingent had gathered at the bottom and Ahzi moved to meet them. All saluted and one well-dressed young woman, her livery indicated that she was a Major, stepped forward.

“First Princess Ahzi, it is our —”

She cut the woman off with one raised hand, then waved the greeting party to the side.

“Walk with me,” she commanded and waited for them to file behind her before setting off for the healer's tent. “Except you,” Azhi said while inclining her fan at the representative and then waited for the women to hasten beside her. “Major?” She trailed off questioningly.

“Sovah Tal, your majesty.” Said the Major, taking a place just to her side and slightly behind.

“Major Tal, brief me on the current conditions at the front.”

There was a pause and Ahzi could see indecision peaking through cracks in the women's front as she visibly contemplated how to respond. “Your Highness, I am sure that General Omnū could provide a much better —”

“But I do not want General Omnū's opinion, I want yours. Give it to me straight soldier.” Her commanding tone seemed to strike a chord in Tal, who seemed to give the question some genuine thought.

“It’s bad, your Highness,” she said quietly. “We’ve been losing ground every day, there are no mid-ranks left, and our remaining high ranks are forced to fight defensively. After all, if we lose another …”

Major Tal trailed off and gave her a meaningful look. Ahzi hummed to herself as she considered her words. It was about what she expected, though some weak part of her had hoped that things had changed since her departure.

It was the crux of the issue and none save her, the Queen, and the common soldiery seemed to acknowledge it. Azhi had some ideas about how to alleviate the issue, but General Omnū refused to even see the problem. If it wasn't for the man's other skills and his class, then she would have demanded he be removed.

Seeing the healer's tent approaching, Ahzi decided she should probably focus on her immediate task. She spread her enhanced senses into the tent and was immediately shocked at what she had found inside. It was just about bursting with patients, far more than she had ever seen in her time at the front. It wasn't just the number of wounded that was unusual, but the degree. Amputated limbs were common, and some more resembled tallow candles than anything human.

“Just what happened in the attack last night?” Ahzi demanded and then reproached herself as Major Tal paled. She reigned in the effects of [Voice of the Empire], but it was too late and words began flowing out of the women.

“It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen Princess. The number of Synergic spells that night,” the major shook her head, an expression of genuine amazement passing over it. “It just about turned night into day. The amount of mana that must have been used … well it's safe to say that the Ahsmati won't put on a show like that for a while. It certainly drained our mages. Why they were just about throwing themselves at us! They wouldn’t back —”

“Stop. You are babbling Major.” This time Ahzi intentionally put some power into her voice and the Major's jaw froze mid-speech.

Mother would be disappointed in me.

Major Tal found her voice again and said, “I am so sorry Princess, I —”

“Do not worry yourself about it,” she commanded and the Major nodded, then fell silent.

By this point, they had reached the tent and a pair of guards at the entrance lifted the flap. Sensing the condition of those inside through a skill was one thing, but seeing them with her own eyes was quite another. There was a constant chorus of pained groans, the reek of sweat and blood, and the occasional glow of healing magic.

Noise which quieted down as all eyes found her.