[Chapter 9 - Betrayer]

Fanfare heralded his arrival.

I was sat by the window when it sounded, having woken only half an hour earlier from that turbulent dream.

Despite the late morning chill, the city was alive with the chatter of people and traffic.

Wagons crowded the main street, escorting cargo in and out of the city walls, whilst the thudding of horseshoes on cobblestone accompanied each and every one.

All this layered over a percussive din of hammers on metal, ringing from numerous buildings I could only assume were blacksmiths.

The twins on the other hand snored on obliviously.

They seemed almost dead to the world, a state disturbed only by the blaring of trumpets which jolted them awake.

“What the fuck.” Roxas startled, her bewilderment swiftly transitioning into a glare.

“Hnnnnn.” Ante was less comprehensible, his half-asleep eyes drifting towards the open window beside me.

I hid a smile as I gazed out at the city gate.

The guards were now yelling, gesturing frantically as they scurried around in an obvious hurry.

The traffic and people shifted quickly too, many of the latter making space for the former as they trundled onto the pavement.

Soon enough, the city doors were pulled inwards with a groaning of the hinge, accompanied by the rustling of metal as the portcullises were brought to their full height.

The procession followed immediately after.

Rows upon rows of romanic soldiers, all bearing a spear and shield, marched down the main street in two double-filed columns.

Between them lay the litters, hoisted aloft by unarmed legionaries, within which lay the bodies of the Atreian elite.

They rested against beds of flowers, their swords and shields placed upon their chest in an arrangement of respect.

And at the corner of each one stood banners of blue, among which stood soldiers sporting tubae and cornucum. The raucous trumpet sound of the former lay down a base for which the latter layered over.

Together the army marched down in unison, watched by the people who crowded upon the pavements to their sides.

At their head however, led the old man from my dream.

His face bore the same solemn sadness it had worn upon his sighting of Nemetus, softening his features as he sat atop his horse.

“Who is he?” I directed my question to the twins, now standing by the window with me. All traces of sleep were gone from their face, their drowsiness replaced by rapt attention at the sight.

“The lord of Northgaard.” Roxas replied. “Warden of Highrock, Breaker of the Norn Tribes.”

Consul Italus Provenius. The voice interrupted her, sounding again with that same unnerving rasp. Betrayer of your brother.

***

“Eight sets of Atreiian armour, eleven steel swords, three iron shields and four bows”. The woman shuffled through the equipment as she spoke, moving them across her counter as she laid them out. “The rest of this is junk.”

I glanced at the plate she had placed before me.

Embossed upon gold were the letters “XXXVI”.

A tally, one that had been engraved next to her “Smithing” category.

[Level 36]

If I was to compare it to earthen standards, a mark of thirty indicated the ability of a working professional.

Above fifty made them an expert of their craft, and anything over eighty placed them as a master.

Exceeding a hundred was almost unheard of, there had been few people in all of Arithea’s recorded history who had reached such an achievement.

All had been members of a hero’s party.

Parties, such as my brother’s.

It was fortunate however that Northgaard was a city rife with blacksmiths and armourers.

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That likely owed itself to the purpose behind the city’s construction in the first place.

“The Wall Atlea mountains stretch across this entire continent.” Ante had said, his words muffled by the food he had stuffed into his mouth. “They’re like a roof at the top of the known world.” He indicated to the map he bought, one I had requested he find for me.

Near the top spanned a ridge of mountains, covering the entire length of the map.

“And beyond them are wild lands.” Roxas had joined in, her tone darker than her brother’s. “They’re an… unexplored frontier. Home to monsters.” Her words hung heavy in the air, and she paused for a moment before continuing, “We’re lucky the mountains kill anything that tries to cross them.”

I had looked back down at the mountain again, drawn in that neat form onto the browned paper.

In its entire length, there was only one gap, only one pass which enabled safe travel through them.

The same pass that Northgaard now occupied.

The city was hence both a gateway… and a dam.

“Mercenaries and adventurers come here seeking fame.” Roxas carried on, “Soldiers too, either assigned here as watch ‘cause of their military service, or as scout patrols for some noble’s political ambition.”

Such conflicts therefore demanded arms and armour.

And with arms and armour, came profit.

I snapped my attention back to the gold plate that lay in front.

The stats it showed could not be faked, Vin had assured me of this.

The levels of the individual could only be gauged by ancient artifacts, housed within shrines that were dotted across the world.

Forged by the elves of High Iridia. I could make out the smirk in his voice, a smile I could not see but could hear without issue. An act of benevolence they said. One decreed by their gods.

He had become more talkative since his awakening that morning, but his words matched the records my brother had left.

It’s been a while since I could converse so freely, pup. Let me enjoy this to its fullest.

His amusement was clear, and he continued nonetheless.

Those relics can’t be destroyed, let alone copied.

And that was why they had survived, no matter what turmoil the world had again found itself in.

Not that that stopped people from trying. His glee was more obvious now.

I ignored him.

“You’re lucky the republic is in dire times right now.” The blacksmith had stopped rummaging from beneath her counter, sitting up to now glower at me with a stern gaze as she gestured at the equipment I had brought in. “Most of this is legion property. Old models. If it weren’t for the war, not only would it not sell but they might even have your head.”

The suspicion in her eyes was clear, her gaze searching my face for any sign of a reaction. “Especially if its seller didn’t even have identification.”

Her gazed hovered for a moment longer, and then she sighed and waved it away. “But Atreia needs metal desperately, and I’m sure I can melt it down.”

She dropped a large pouch onto the table, the metal inside thudding as it hit the wood.

“Eight hundred Atreii. That’s the best I can do.”

And with that it was sold. Everything we had brought.

The wolf’s remarks sounded in my brain again as I left the store behind.

Not the best price for it. He murmured smugly.

Not that I had much of a choice. I snapped back. I’m glad it even sold.

I pondered my choices again as I made my way back through the blacksmith quarter. Despite the piercing clash of hammers on steel that rung around me, I was too lost in thought to pay it any attention.

Regardless of our complaints, eight hundred Atreii was a much better price than what I had expected, and that at least resolved most of our immediate financial concerns.

Identification however was a much more pressing matter.

Not only would it allow for continued residence in the city, but it also helped to throw the inquisitors off my trail.

It was even more of an issue now that Italus had arrived, as with him it no doubt meant that the inquisitors were here too, scrounging Northgaard in order to track me down.

It would therefore be only a matter of time before our paths crossed, and I doubted that would spell any good for me.

The same thoughts still weighed heavy on my mind as I sat at the table of the inn. The twins seemed wholly unbothered, eagerly devouring their food opposite me without a care in the world.

With the inquisitors now in Northgaard, I would not stay hidden in this inn for much longer.

My change of clothes would prevent me from being spotted immediately in a crowd, but if the tracking magic was anything to go by then it would only be a matter of time before they found me.

And if I did not have any identification to show…

My eyebrows furrowed at the thought.

I did not fancy my chances against five heavily armoured inquisitors, especially if I was to take the twins’ safety into account.

I looked up at them at the thought.

While I had been hesitant to accept company, I was now thankful for their presence.

They had grown on me, and they had made my life here much comfier and relaxed.

But that also made my choice now much more difficult.

My fingers strummed the counter as I formulated the plan in my mind.

The republic lacked soldiers.

Italus’ elites now lay dead in a Solarii ambush, to be buried sooner rather than later.

And I needed identification, any form of employment which would take myself and the twins in, and could vouch for my identity.

The words of the table nearby confirmed my thoughts.

“The incident at Silvermine. Are they really sending out another expedition?”

“They have no choice, that place is a literal goldmine.”

“Fuck sake.” A thud sounded as he threw his tankard to the table. “Better hope they throw some poor recruits at it than expect us to deal with that mess.”

Three Atreiian soldiers, hunched over the table to our side.

They did little to hush their words, all engaged in rapt conversation which normally would have blended in with the incessant chatter in the background.

They must have come here with the procession, the armour they still wore suggesting that.

I turned my attention back to the twins, my question lingering at the tip of my tongue.

I knew they were bound to me by oath, but I was not going to force them to join me.

To bring children with me on my path afterall, it would be sickening to even consider back in my world.

But here I had no choice.

And here, I was no longer in my world.

“The legion. I will be joining the legion.”

The twins looked up as I spoke.

Ante’s eyes widened at my words, while Roxas glowered slightly but said nothing.

“You want us to enlist with you?”

“We need identity documents. Northgaard will not keep us otherwise.” I said nothing of the inquisitors, nor did I tell them of my goal. Revealing either would only raise their suspicions towards me.

Still I turned to look at the twins.

“It is your choice. Just like following me has always been your choice. You do not have to follow, but I must join the legion.”

“We don’t have a choice,” Roxas snarled, “just like we told you before.”

Ante swung his head between us, a look of panic evident as he flailed his arms awkwardly.

Roxas glowered at me for a moment longer, and then sighed.

“But you’re right, the legion gives us the best choice. Especially for the branded.” She looked up at me again, a coldness evident in her next words. “But make sure you protect us.”

Hmmmm. The wolf smirked a hum.

I ignored it, my gaze focused on Ante and Roxas, mustering as much sincerity as I could before I spoke.

“I swear it.”