Flame Captain Maximillian Maximus slammed his fist down on the campaign table. It was a solid oak affair, an old companion of his, and no stranger to such love taps; it weathered the blow with aplomb. Nonetheless the sound of it was enough to make everyone in the room jump (and in the adjacent one as well, which, it being an infirmary, prompted a round of resentful - if silent - frowns).
"Four of my scouts... gone! Vanished into the dunes! Twelve take this bloody desert!"
His words went without reply from the three standing before him. Outside, the winds rose once again as the sandstorm that had besieged the outpost for the past six bells howled its fury. The Captain glared at the door (and the storm, by proxy), and Corporal Joss leaned slightly aside as though concerned that the man's gaze might otherwise impale him.
At length, Captain Maximus sat down with a growl. The three that he'd come to privately consider his command staff relaxed, a little.
"Mage."
U'jakata jumped, blinked. He seemed distracted, but then he always did, of late. The discovery of the fates of the Drake girls - one dead, badly, the other virtually unresponsive - had been a blow to him. Same tribe, hardly a surprise. Probably neighbors, growing up.
"Yes, the Captain wishes?"
"Too bloody right he does. When is this Twelve-damned sandstorm going to end?"
"Ah. Yes, the news is good. The aethereal flux dissipates. Or, no, it changes. The sandstorm ends soon, though it may return, or other manifestations. I could say more if I were to look more closely."
"Forget it." He was not having his only on-staff arcane specialist blunder off into that. If the aetheryte broke down they were good as dead out here. "Just keep your ass inside. You can look around when it's over."
The mage nodded absently, muttering and looking away. Captain Maximus stifled a sigh. This is what came of dealing with Adventurers. Command ends up assuming you can get by with whatever you can scrounge up. The man WAS effective, if only he could be certain not to wander off to his death.
"Corporal."
A crisp salute. Joss was just as steady as before; the addition of a chevron of rank to his uniform had been a good call. Ordinarily Brune would be standing in his place, but the sergeant had earned Roof Guard Duty since letting the outpost's resident Firedrake climb onto a roof and gouge out a mess in the planking (sending some harebrained adventurer up after the beast, with a haunch of meat, hadn't helped matters) and that didn't change just because of a little sandstorm.
"Sir."
"Report."
"Supplies are holding steady, sir. Due to provisions brought in via aether, our warehouse could sustain the camp for a sennight before we'd have to withdraw. Morale is also steady. The Adventurers haven't been too big a distraction, aside from that one incident with the drake. There's more than enough water, and I'm told this storm won't change that." He looked to U'jakata for confirmation, who flicked an ear distractedly.
"Good. And the objective?"
"Preliminary scouting reports confirm the lay of the land to closely approximate the maps you were given, Captain. Unfortunately, we can't more closely confirm, because, ah..."
"Yes, the bloody patrol went missing."
The Captain cast his glare across the long room, to the farthest corner; there, manacled to her bed by one wrist and ankle, the prisoner laid curled up. Her eyes were open, bright points reflecting candle light. Not for the first time Maximillian wondered if the girl could properly hear them from over there. Most people wouldn't make out enough to listen in, but he'd learned not to underestimate miqo'te ears.
The girl disturbed him. Bad enough the enemy - for her presence proved there was an enemy, just like that Syndicate tart had claimed - was using children as fighters. But this one had eyes that did not belong on a girl so young. Bright eyes, yes, but bright with hate and fear, and dark intent. She never seemed to sleep, either, at least not for long.
He looked back to the corporal, and nodded. Then, he turned to the last of the trio.
"Miss Lorieux."
Frances smiled at him, a bit tiredly.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Status of the infirmary."
His civilian liaison-slash-field-commissioned Medical Lieutenant shrugged. "Oh, well. Supplies are adequate, though we could use some more sedatives. Too much conjury-induced repose risks aetherial saturation, as you know.." The girl adjusted her glasses, looking at her notebook. She looked a little older than her sixteen cycles, now; the desert had a way of ageing you. Or maybe it was the things she'd seen. "On that topic, Rienne should be over her illness in another two or three days, which is normal for aethersickness. We're lucky we don't have more cases, with the aetheryte so close, and the persistent wards... Mmm, private Emmis should be able to do light duty with his ankle by tomorrow morning, though I would avoid, um, forced marches or pitched battles."
"Teach him to try to kick a bloody firedrake. He's lucky it didn't barbecue his fool arse. Also teach him not to wave that damn gilded scabbard around like that, the ponce. Go on."
"Ahah.. yes, um. Miss U'niall attempted to walk today, but... she will need more time. We've erected a curtain between her and miss X'nikka. I wish I could move her to another building, but... she's not well enough to use the aetheryte, either. That is to say... mentally. I.. think she's afraid to go home. Without miss U'khenova."
"We don't have the capacity to care for an invalid here. U'odh Nunh has said they're sending out a party to recover her in person. It wasn't outright said, either, but it seems likely that this party will carry a dual purpose."
This time, three sets of eyes wandered over to the prisoner. U'jakata still did not look her way, nor at U'niall. He twitched, and looked at nothing, instead. Frances cleared her throat, and continued.
"Miss.. X'nikka is still far from healed; her injuries were very extensive, and most people would not be recovering at all. But.. she is. Nonetheless, she cannot walk to any real degree, let alone try to escape."
Not for the first time, she gave the Captain a reproving look for his decision to manacle the girl, and not for the first time, he ignored it. This was one subject not open to debate.
"Very good. You all have your duties. Dis-"
"Ah!!"
Heads snapped around, as everyone turned to look at the infirmary's final occupant, who had just started from a doze. Curled up in the corner like she was, of a size with the Lynx tribe teen despite having three years on her, Garri was easy to overlook.. except..
"Th-they.."
Frances hiked up her skirts and rushed to Garri's side, helping the smaller girl rise. Despite comparable ages, there was more than a fulm between their full heights.
"Garri?"
"They're.. coming. They're getting ready. They're gonna come attack."
"Who, Garri?"
"Them."
Her arm flung out, without looking, pointing at X'nikka. The Lynx tribe girl was sitting up now, staring at Garri with those mismatched orange and yellow eyes. The Captain turned, and looked at U'jakata. The miqo'te was also looking at her, intently.
"Mage."
"Yes, Captain."
"Is she.."
"An Echo-bearer, yes." The mage seemed calm, almost unnaturally so, as he continued to watch the Keeper girl be helped to a bed by her friend. "I suspected it since hearing of her visions. Dedicated a number of focii to monitor aethereal wavelengths, and.." He produced a tiny crystal from his sleeves. It was glowing bright white, enough to obscure the runes on the surface. "Hydaelyn's light is unmistakable."
The Flame Captain narrowed his eyes, and went back to looking at the girl. A gawky, coltish thing, years of being a rat on the cruel streets of his home city not so easily scrubbed off, even by the cares of her friend. Hard to imagine someone less likely to be a chosen of the Mother Crystal.
Or maybe not. There was a defiance about her, that he liked. A toughness. And that stunt she pulled with the Amalj'aa... over a score of the damn 'catlizards' dead, and the only casualties a few Adventurers injured. Altogether quite a fine night, despite the trouble. Scrappy girl. Gutsy.
And an Echo-bearer.
"Alright. So, they're coming for us."
It explained the missing scouts. Four days out, said the maps. They would need a wider screen of riders. Reinforcements. Fortifications... He turned to look at Joss, who looked determined, and U'jakata, who looked... vengeful. They met his gaze.
Flame Captain Maximillian Maximus smiled, his mustache curling ferociously with it.
"Good."
"Four of my scouts... gone! Vanished into the dunes! Twelve take this bloody desert!"
His words went without reply from the three standing before him. Outside, the winds rose once again as the sandstorm that had besieged the outpost for the past six bells howled its fury. The Captain glared at the door (and the storm, by proxy), and Corporal Joss leaned slightly aside as though concerned that the man's gaze might otherwise impale him.
At length, Captain Maximus sat down with a growl. The three that he'd come to privately consider his command staff relaxed, a little.
"Mage."
U'jakata jumped, blinked. He seemed distracted, but then he always did, of late. The discovery of the fates of the Drake girls - one dead, badly, the other virtually unresponsive - had been a blow to him. Same tribe, hardly a surprise. Probably neighbors, growing up.
"Yes, the Captain wishes?"
"Too bloody right he does. When is this Twelve-damned sandstorm going to end?"
"Ah. Yes, the news is good. The aethereal flux dissipates. Or, no, it changes. The sandstorm ends soon, though it may return, or other manifestations. I could say more if I were to look more closely."
"Forget it." He was not having his only on-staff arcane specialist blunder off into that. If the aetheryte broke down they were good as dead out here. "Just keep your ass inside. You can look around when it's over."
The mage nodded absently, muttering and looking away. Captain Maximus stifled a sigh. This is what came of dealing with Adventurers. Command ends up assuming you can get by with whatever you can scrounge up. The man WAS effective, if only he could be certain not to wander off to his death.
"Corporal."
A crisp salute. Joss was just as steady as before; the addition of a chevron of rank to his uniform had been a good call. Ordinarily Brune would be standing in his place, but the sergeant had earned Roof Guard Duty since letting the outpost's resident Firedrake climb onto a roof and gouge out a mess in the planking (sending some harebrained adventurer up after the beast, with a haunch of meat, hadn't helped matters) and that didn't change just because of a little sandstorm.
"Sir."
"Report."
"Supplies are holding steady, sir. Due to provisions brought in via aether, our warehouse could sustain the camp for a sennight before we'd have to withdraw. Morale is also steady. The Adventurers haven't been too big a distraction, aside from that one incident with the drake. There's more than enough water, and I'm told this storm won't change that." He looked to U'jakata for confirmation, who flicked an ear distractedly.
"Good. And the objective?"
"Preliminary scouting reports confirm the lay of the land to closely approximate the maps you were given, Captain. Unfortunately, we can't more closely confirm, because, ah..."
"Yes, the bloody patrol went missing."
The Captain cast his glare across the long room, to the farthest corner; there, manacled to her bed by one wrist and ankle, the prisoner laid curled up. Her eyes were open, bright points reflecting candle light. Not for the first time Maximillian wondered if the girl could properly hear them from over there. Most people wouldn't make out enough to listen in, but he'd learned not to underestimate miqo'te ears.
The girl disturbed him. Bad enough the enemy - for her presence proved there was an enemy, just like that Syndicate tart had claimed - was using children as fighters. But this one had eyes that did not belong on a girl so young. Bright eyes, yes, but bright with hate and fear, and dark intent. She never seemed to sleep, either, at least not for long.
He looked back to the corporal, and nodded. Then, he turned to the last of the trio.
"Miss Lorieux."
Frances smiled at him, a bit tiredly.
"Yes, Captain?"
"Status of the infirmary."
His civilian liaison-slash-field-commissioned Medical Lieutenant shrugged. "Oh, well. Supplies are adequate, though we could use some more sedatives. Too much conjury-induced repose risks aetherial saturation, as you know.." The girl adjusted her glasses, looking at her notebook. She looked a little older than her sixteen cycles, now; the desert had a way of ageing you. Or maybe it was the things she'd seen. "On that topic, Rienne should be over her illness in another two or three days, which is normal for aethersickness. We're lucky we don't have more cases, with the aetheryte so close, and the persistent wards... Mmm, private Emmis should be able to do light duty with his ankle by tomorrow morning, though I would avoid, um, forced marches or pitched battles."
"Teach him to try to kick a bloody firedrake. He's lucky it didn't barbecue his fool arse. Also teach him not to wave that damn gilded scabbard around like that, the ponce. Go on."
"Ahah.. yes, um. Miss U'niall attempted to walk today, but... she will need more time. We've erected a curtain between her and miss X'nikka. I wish I could move her to another building, but... she's not well enough to use the aetheryte, either. That is to say... mentally. I.. think she's afraid to go home. Without miss U'khenova."
"We don't have the capacity to care for an invalid here. U'odh Nunh has said they're sending out a party to recover her in person. It wasn't outright said, either, but it seems likely that this party will carry a dual purpose."
This time, three sets of eyes wandered over to the prisoner. U'jakata still did not look her way, nor at U'niall. He twitched, and looked at nothing, instead. Frances cleared her throat, and continued.
"Miss.. X'nikka is still far from healed; her injuries were very extensive, and most people would not be recovering at all. But.. she is. Nonetheless, she cannot walk to any real degree, let alone try to escape."
Not for the first time, she gave the Captain a reproving look for his decision to manacle the girl, and not for the first time, he ignored it. This was one subject not open to debate.
"Very good. You all have your duties. Dis-"
"Ah!!"
Heads snapped around, as everyone turned to look at the infirmary's final occupant, who had just started from a doze. Curled up in the corner like she was, of a size with the Lynx tribe teen despite having three years on her, Garri was easy to overlook.. except..
"Th-they.."
Frances hiked up her skirts and rushed to Garri's side, helping the smaller girl rise. Despite comparable ages, there was more than a fulm between their full heights.
"Garri?"
"They're.. coming. They're getting ready. They're gonna come attack."
"Who, Garri?"
"Them."
Her arm flung out, without looking, pointing at X'nikka. The Lynx tribe girl was sitting up now, staring at Garri with those mismatched orange and yellow eyes. The Captain turned, and looked at U'jakata. The miqo'te was also looking at her, intently.
"Mage."
"Yes, Captain."
"Is she.."
"An Echo-bearer, yes." The mage seemed calm, almost unnaturally so, as he continued to watch the Keeper girl be helped to a bed by her friend. "I suspected it since hearing of her visions. Dedicated a number of focii to monitor aethereal wavelengths, and.." He produced a tiny crystal from his sleeves. It was glowing bright white, enough to obscure the runes on the surface. "Hydaelyn's light is unmistakable."
The Flame Captain narrowed his eyes, and went back to looking at the girl. A gawky, coltish thing, years of being a rat on the cruel streets of his home city not so easily scrubbed off, even by the cares of her friend. Hard to imagine someone less likely to be a chosen of the Mother Crystal.
Or maybe not. There was a defiance about her, that he liked. A toughness. And that stunt she pulled with the Amalj'aa... over a score of the damn 'catlizards' dead, and the only casualties a few Adventurers injured. Altogether quite a fine night, despite the trouble. Scrappy girl. Gutsy.
And an Echo-bearer.
"Alright. So, they're coming for us."
It explained the missing scouts. Four days out, said the maps. They would need a wider screen of riders. Reinforcements. Fortifications... He turned to look at Joss, who looked determined, and U'jakata, who looked... vengeful. They met his gaze.
Flame Captain Maximillian Maximus smiled, his mustache curling ferociously with it.
"Good."
![[Image: MBLxxyE.gif]](http://i.imgur.com/MBLxxyE.gif)
