I stared down at my hands in silence. I stood still for a long moment, as my brow furrowed in annoyance and confusion. I paused, a small grin spreading across my face, followed by irresistible laughter.
“Wr… Aurielle?” Tia asked cautiously while Renald looked at me as if I had gone crazy, “Are you ok?”
It was only after a few more seconds of laughter that I was finally able to reply. “Perfectly fine!” I shouted as my laughter came to a sudden stop. Sending a rock flying across the field with a hard kick, I scowled and sat down at the edge of the wagon.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Tia asked, “Even the great Immortal Calamity needs someone to talk to sometimes. You are still human, despite what others may say about you.”
I replied with a sigh, “What is there to talk about? This was always what I expected. The lines between me and Wren are starting to blur. Even asleep, her annoyingly naïve personality is bleeding through. She… no… I am upset about how that general died. The fear in his eyes… I should not care… but I do. It is only a matter of time before Wren and I completely merge into one. I am not sure who we will become the day that happens, but it will be something new…”
“Into one…” Tia whispered softly, “I see… You are slowly transforming into something you do not recognize and that scares you.”
“Ha! Scared? What a joke.” I replied flippantly, but despite my attitude, I felt it hard to look her in the eye as I spoke. “I knew the price when I decided to save Wren. Whatever happens, I am prepared for it.”
“Are you?” Tia asked looking down, “Then why do you look like someone facing execution. Why sacrifice yourself? Millions of people die every day. You of all people have seen more of death than anyone here. Why are you willing to risk losing your sense of self for my daughter, someone you did not even know? What makes her so special?”
I shook my head as I spoke, “Absolutely nothing. I have no idea why I was drawn to Wren that day in the void between life and death. I have no idea what possessed me to save her. I simply did what I thought was right, regardless of the consequences.”
Renald walked up, patting me on the shoulder. He had a big smile on his face as he talked, “You are braver than I am. I would be terrified if I was in your place right now, but change is not bad. All people change. Every day of our lives we grow, learn, and become something new. For you, it is just happening a bit faster. Whatever you and Wren become, we will always be here for you.”
Renald’s smile was infectious, and I stood up from the wagon with a grin. I was sure that if Wren were awake right now, she would be crying and hugging them, but even if the tinges of our personality had merged, I was not that sort of person. I would have to remember to share this memory with her later though. She was more worried about what we would become than I was after all.
I stretched my body languidly as I looked up at the bright blue sky and into the distant horizon. Despite my reservations, I felt that maybe these emotions were not so terrible at times like this.
“What will you do now?” Tia asked curiously.
I smiled as I turned back towards the family. “This may very well be the last time I truly get to be myself. I am going to make it a grand event worth remembering.”
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Through the eyes of the undead, I kept close tabs on the Avari forces. The general, whose name I learned was Halott, acted exactly as I ordered. He retreaded back towards Bastya Fortress at a somewhat sluggish pace, giving his men plenty of time to rest in between marching as if they were preparing for a sudden attack from General Arthur.
Meanwhile, the remaining seven undead under my control had been temporarily reassigned by the general to various support roles as 'punishment' after they failed to follow certain military protocols. With this single move, I was able to relocate my undead to where they needed to be without raising any suspicion or leaving a trail of dead bodies in my wake.
The hardest part was keeping the suspicion away from the general. The man had nearly a dozen tactical advisers constantly voicing their own opinions and following the general everywhere. Even now, they were pestering the general with their battle plans and tactic ideas.
“General Halott, we have been marching for nearly a day and entered Avari territory. General Arthur has been keeping his distance a few hours north of us. Meanwhile, General Hull’s army is nowhere to be seen. This would be the perfect opportunity for us to turn around and counterattack. If we can take out General Arthur before reinforcements arrive it would be a huge victory for us.”
A few of the other advisers agreed with the idea and pushed for a counter offense, even drawing up formations they could use to attack with. However, I had the general put a quick stop to these ideas as he spoke, “We will keep moving to Bastya Fortress. I have no intention of falling into General Arthur’s trap.”
“Trap?” one of the advisers asked. A man that General Halott remembered as Knight Okos
General Halott slowly nodded. “Obviously. He would never pursue us with so few troops. It must be a trap. Double the scouts. Find General Hull’s troops. Until we find them, do not bring up the idea of a counter-attack again.”
The adviser nodded before starting to discuss new plans. “General, what are your plans for when we arrive at Bastya Fortress? I was thinking we could set up camp on the south side of the crossing. That way we can avoid a drawn-out siege and keep supply lines open to the south.”
Again, I had the general strike down this idea. “I have no intention of letting my men fight outside the walls while General Izmos sits nice and comfy in his castle. Make sure he lets us in. Threaten him if you have to.”
“But general… Would the fortress have enough supplies to support so many of us through a siege? I do not think General Izmos is prepared for a sudden influx of ten thousand troops.”
“It will be fine. General Arthur does not have the supplies for a siege either. All that will happen is a starring contest between our two armies, maybe a small skirmish or two, before opening negotiations. I doubt General Arthur really wants bloodshed, otherwise, he would not have let us retreat like this.”
“You have a point…” The advisor said slowly considering what the general said. Suddenly he paused as he looked at the general. “Sir, are you feeling alright? You seem much less… energetic than normal.”
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I felt a cold sweat run down my back as the advisor questioned the general. I quickly made the general reply, “I am feeling a bit under the weather ever since the failed assassination on me this morning. I still find it hard to believe one of my own knights would turn on me like that.”
“Yes… Sir Kar’s actions were… unbelievable. I have known the man for years. I would never have suspected he could do something like that. We are currently investigating whether or not he was under the influence of someone’s innate talent or maybe something worse from within the mists. What we have found so far is… odd. There was no blood in his body at all. there was no rot, or rigor mortis hours later. Once we get back to Bastya we can do a more in-depth analysis. I recommend we check everyone that came out with him just in case. You should see a doctor as well sir, just I case something from inside the mist is infectious and drove him crazy.”
“We can worry about that after we are safely behind stone walls. Until then, keep up the good work. Also, relay to the men that they should hurry and finish their meals. We resume our march in fifteen.”
The advisor saluted before hurrying to relay the generals’ orders. Ten thousand men scarfed down their meals in a hurry as the general moved through the troops.
Back in my own body, I clenched my fists while thinking of a way to delay the overly diligent adviser. I had hoped that during the pressing march, nobody would have the time to examine the body of my former undead. It seemed I had underestimated the skill of the officers in the Avari forces. This advisor Okos was too careful for his own good.
Just one more day… I just needed one more day. Then, nobody would be able to stop the fall of Bastya Fortress.
Two hours later, the Avari troops arrived at the fortress. One hour after that, the sun was beginning to set when General Arthur and I saw the walls in person. The dull brownish-grey stone of the mighty fortress stood in contrast to the bright red heugh of the sky. The iron spikes that decorated the walls glinted dangerously in the light. If my plans failed, I had no doubt our heads would be decorating those spikes. Everything depended on our actions these next twenty-four hours.
A small bird flew over, landing on my shoulder. I unconsciously reached over and patted Sylvie’s small head, ruffling her feathers playfully.
“The War glyph underground has been sabotaged,” I said, looking towards the general, “It took a while for Sylvie here to sneak in, but enough of the runes have been scratched up that it should take them a day or two to fix everything.”
General Arthur smiled brightly. “Finally, this day has come! I always hated this turtle shell. I tried takin’ it once ye know, but I had to fall back when their reinforcements arrived. While I completed my mission and distracted the enemy forces, I really wished I could have taken the fortress too.”
“Tomorrow your wish will come true.” I said, returning his smile, “This is when the fun begins.”
The general nodded. “Are you sure you want to be the one to deliver my ultimatum? While it is taboo to kill the messenger… it is not exactly uncommon.”
I laughed as I stretched my arms out wide. “It is only fun if I am there to witness it myself! Seeing everything through the eyes of an undead is not nearly as satisfying.”
“I think I am starting to understand why you have died so many times despite being so powerful.”
I shrugged. “This is also the best way to make sure I bring Donte back alive. Wren would never let me hear the end of it if I did not go personally and something happens to him.” I turned around to see Tia, Renald, and Charly behind me. Wren’s family had protested my plan to go personally, but after a long conversation, I managed to convince them otherwise. “I will be back soon,” I said with a big smile.
Barely containing the urge to skip in excitement, I separated from the army and walked towards the entrance to the fortress. The steel spikes that littered the path did nothing to damper the smile on my face. I even started humming a song until it was interrupted by one of the guards on the wall shouting down at me.
“State your business here or we will open fire!”
Smile still on my face I replied to the guard, “I am a messenger from General Arthur, here to see General Izmos. Let me pass.”
“They sent a kid?” I heard the guard remark in surprise before ordering the gate to be opened.
Large iron bars were slowly raised as the sound of a crank echoed from behind the stone wall. As the massive doors to the gatehouse were opened, I saw more than a hundred soldiers looking at me with confusion despite their drawn weapons.
The soldier in front was decorated with a familiar golden mark on his armor that I recognized as a captain’s insignia. He spoke with a commanding shout, “You will follow me. General Izmos will hear General Arthur’s demands.”
I nodded as more than twenty soldiers moved to surround me. Their armor clanked with every step as I was escorted down the familiar path to the fortress built into the side of the rock cliff.
There were so many soldiers present, the escort could barely even squeeze through. While they were safely behind the walls, General Izmos had not let a single one of the fleeing soldiers into his keep yet. Through my connection with General Halott, I knew the Izmos was absolutely furious that he brought enemies to his doorstep without even trying to fight them. Meanwhile, I had General Halott fake outrage about inciting a war during what should have been a time for the nations to work together. The two of them were still arguing even after two hours.
I was marched past the waiting army and through the giant metal doors at the front of the fortress. The familiar sight of the spiked bars that made up the twisting passageway reminded me of just how devious General Izmos really was. This was not a defense any sane person would put in their front entranceway. More than a hundred soldiers armed with bows and spears eyed me suspiciously from the other side of the bars as I was escorted into the inner workings of the fortress. It was not long before I was in front of a nondescript wooden door.
I could hear angry shouting from the other side, and the soldiers escorting me hesitated to knock. Shaking my head, I stepped forward. Much to the dismay of my escort, I swung open the door without announcing myself and sauntered in.
Both generals stopped arguing as they turned towards me as I entered the room. Without waiting for an invitation, I walked up to the familiar battered wooden table, pulled out a chair, and sat down. I placed both my feet on the table as I leaned back in the chair, instantly earning a scowl from General Izmos.
“Hello again General Izmos,” I said with a grin.
“I know you?” the elderly general replied, furrowing his bushy brow, “Yes, yes, you are the Ventus child. What are you doing here? Why did my men let you pass?”
“I am here to deliver General Arthur’s ultimatum.”
“You? He sent you? Did General Arthur think I would be kind just because you are a child? Well, go on, go on. What is General Arthur’s message for us?”
I grinned, earning another scowl from the general as I dragged out the time before replying. “Our demands are simple. You are to immediately and completely surrender command of this fortress to us. Do so, and nobody has to die. Refuse… and we will level this slab of rock until nothing is left.”
General Izmos started shaking as his face began to turn a deep red under the mane of shaggy white hair. “Arrogant! Impudent! Insolent little brat! I have defended this fortress for decades. Does General Arthur really think I will surrender just because he brought five thousand troops? No, no, no, something does not add up here. Where are the rest of the Novus troops? Tell me this instant child!”
I shrugged before placing my hands behind my head. “I am just the messenger. How would I know anything involving troop movements?”
“No, no, no, you are no messenger. You are too confident for that. Why are you really here child?”
I leaned forward as my casual meaner disappeared. I glared at the general as I spoke, “your men took someone of mine. I am here to get him back. Return him unharmed and I might not kill you.”
“Conceited little brat!” General Izmos shouted, “Do you really think that General Arthur can protect you? Give me one reason I should not have you executed right now!”
General Halott cleared his throat at this moment. “This girl is the child of two of General Arthur’s strongest knights. She could be a useful bargaining chip if this siege drags on…”
“You think I don’t know that!” General Izmos shouted, “Men take her to the dungeon. Do not be afraid to rough her up a bit. Teach her how to respect her elders, but do not kill her or do any permanent damage.”
Two soldiers grabbed my shoulders as I was forcibly lifted from my chair. Before they could escort me out of the room, however, I smiled at General Izmos. “You have made a poor choice today general. Let us hope you get the opportunity to regret it.”