Chapter 243: Chapter 240: Rooted

The fourth day of the third cycle was not much different from the previous one. After spending the evening and night in the presence and under the guidance of Rairok, we began training with our new mentors early in the morning. Stella was perfecting her weapon skills along with her aura manipulation, and I was discovering myself to be a beast. She was sweating blood; I was enjoying being free.

Of course, it was not always fun and easy. Like the time Geran pulled out a piece of raw meat. I did end up putting it in my mouth, only to throw up the next moment. Yep, I couldn’t do it. It wasn’t the smell or the taste of the meat, both of which made me drool, but the texture of it in my mouth, the thought of what I was about to eat.

Me throwing up aside, a nagging feeling that while I was enjoying myself, Stella was growing stronger, and I was not, crept into my heart. Seriously, all I did was get in touch with my inner beasts. No working out, no combat training. When I asked about it, Vienlin told me that before I engage in any kind of combat, I must have my beasts firmly in hand. Not on a leash, but to know what to expect from them, from me, to be so in tune with myself that any reaction to a given situation would be natural to me and not a shock.

Understandable. In combat, it could cost me my life if my instincts react in a different way than I expected. In fact, I have found myself countless times in situations where my reason told me one thing and my instincts another. At the time, trying to decide between the two cost me time I didn’t have. Yet, even though I could see what they were trying to get across, to build a solid foundation first, I found it no less frustrating.

Nevertheless, the eve of the fourth day inevitably came, and with it the beginning of the end. As the sun, hidden behind dark clouds, sank below the horizon, plunging the landscape into darkness, the sound of the alarm horns rang through the encampment of Eleaden’s 3rd Army.

Stella and I had heard it twice before, twice while locked in cages. Knowing what was to come, more curious than ever, we did not retreat to Rairok for the evening, but stayed in the facilities of the 7th Rosicrucian Knight Order. This was clearly an emergency; according to the talk, the beasts were making a big push, and even though it was very bad news for the Eleaden 3rd Army, neither Stella nor I could stop ourselves from feeling elated. There was hope that despite our ‘unfitness’ to fight on the front lines, we might make it to the battlefield.

And unfit we were - more than we realized.

At least I was.

The moment the horns sounded and the whole encampment began to move, under the guise of excitement, a terror found its way into my heart. Nothing like that had happened to me in the Cages, but out here - perhaps because there was a chance that I might actually find myself on the battlefield - my body trembled. I could even feel cold beads of sweat running down my spine.

“Line up,” High Commander Ronnu shouted to the men and women who, at the sound of the horns, gathered in the clearing between the tents in no time. “Check your armor, your weapons, and make sure you have your supplies. We’re moving in haste to the northern teleportation platform.”

I didn’t even know they had those here, but it made so much sense. It allowed them to get on the battlefield quickly and likely retreat from it just as fast.

“Ma’am, this looks serious. Shouldn’t I come with you?” I heard Knight Commander Stouch say to Ronnu.

She put her hand on the man’s shoulder. “I need someone capable and who I trust here to take care of the rest of the Seventh in case . . . you know what.”

No explanation was necessary. In case they didn’t come back.

The tips of Stouch’s mustache twitched. “I cannot shake the feeling that I should be with you this time, ma’am.”

She chuckled, more to herself, just for a heartbeat, fear in her eyes. “I, on the other hand, feel that neither of us should go. No, stay here. It will give me peace of mind. That’s an order, Knight Commander.”

Stouch sighed, straightened, and saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”

Satisfied, Ronnu gave him a nod and turned back to her men. “Ready?”

The answer to her question was a nearly deafening roar from over a hundred knights, including Geran and Vienlin. They were all more than ready to charge the battlefield.

“Seventh, follow me,” Ronnu roared and took off, her knights close on her heels. I could have sworn she looked back at us before they disappeared between the tents, making sure we stayed. But it might as well have been my wishful thinking that kept me rooted to the ground so firmly that not even her command would move my feet. The cowardice of mine shocked me to the core.

A loud clap of hands snapped me out of my brooding. “Okay, everyone, would you mind lining up here?” boomed Stouch; for the small guy he was, he had a powerful voice, uncharacteristically brimming with authority.

“Come on, Korra,” Stella quipped and headed off to do as he said. I didn’t. Or rather, I couldn’t. My feet were still rooted to the spot.

‘Damn it, move!’ I urged my legs and body to get going, not wishing anyone to notice my hesitation. But my fucking body refused to obey, as if still gripped by fear at the thought of taking part in the battle. It baffled me and took me entirely off guard. After all, I had faced the mossbears, Esudein, felt the fury of the northern eagles, and stood up to Miros. Then why now? Why the mere thought . . . ?

That was when it hit me.

There was no beast, no enemy to face, just the unknown and my thoughts. A mixture of horrific images of wars on Earth and my own experiences. Nothing my beast instincts could help me with. On the one hand, I was surprised and somewhat happy about how much I was leaning on them without realizing it, on the other hand I was panicking. What the hell was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to . . . ?

Stella’s hand landed on my shoulder. She came back. “You all right?”

Her voice reaching my ears was like a spell. Whatever was holding me in place shattered, and I took a step. Relief washed over me.

“Yeah, I am,” I lied.

“You’re sure. You look kind of pale.”

“I-I’ll tell you later, all right?” I gestured with my wing at the people lined up in front of Stouch. Only the two of us were missing.

“At last,” Stouch growled as soon as we lined up.

“Sorry, sir. My fault.”

He frowned at me, smoothed his mustache and straightened up. “Next time, make sure to be faster . . .”

For the rest of his speech, I didn’t pay much attention. The way I froze was still on my mind. It bothered me. I couldn’t stay rooted to the spot every time it came to heading to the battlefield. If only because that was where we needed to go. I had to find a way to make sure it never happened to me again. Or better yet, ask someone.

Only who? Stella, my squad leader? She seemed unfazed by the whole situation. But I doubted she had more battlefield experience than me. Rairok? He didn’t strike me as the battle-hardened type. Perhaps Geran and Vienlin might help in the next cycle. I could take a few jibes from them for that. I could take a few jabs from them. Or Traina. She was supposed to be a guide, after all.

“That’s all! Dismissed!” Stouch boomed at the end of his speech about staying on high alert until further notice. There was more; I just couldn’t bring myself to give him my full attention, no matter how much heart he put into it.

“What now?” I asked Stella, having no idea what that meant for us.

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She shrugged. “Same as the others, I guess.”

Yeah, the old tried-and-true tactic when you were at your wit’s end, follow the crowd. Not that it was the smartest thing to do, but we were so green here, all we knew was what kind of tents were where - where to eat, where to chill.

“All right,” I agreed, and like her, I joined the flow. “Did they give you your swords back yet?”

Stupid question. I didn’t see any on her and nothing that could be spatial storage. However, in view of the impending doom, even I felt rather naked without some kind of armor.

“Does it matter?”

So, the answer was no.

Which didn’t mean she was wrong. As far as we knew, the battle had not reached the encampment, at least not in the days the Echo spanned.

“I suppose not. Still, I’d feel better with some armor on.”

“Tell me about it,” Stella groaned, showing some frustration with the whole situation for the first time. “It would be enough if . . .”

“Hey, you two, wait!” My ears twitched at the voice of the Knight Commander somewhere behind us. It almost sounded like it was meant for us, but it couldn’t be . . .

“Hey, Eichenralkes, hold it.”

Okay, I was wrong.

“Yes, sir?” Stella asked as we stopped and turned on our heels to face him.

“Walk with me for a moment,” he bade us to follow him, and we did.

“I’m going to be honest with you. I want to make sure we’re on the same page.”

“Sir?”

Did he doubt us, our - loyalty? In the spirit of honesty, I had to admit it wasn’t all that surprising.

“You have only been with us for two days, and it takes more than that to bond with an order of knights. I’m well aware of that, and I don’t expect you to be ready to lay down your lives here at our side when the time comes. But . . .” he paused, glancing at us while smoothing his mustache. His eyes lingered on me longer than was comfortable. “Should you decide to make good on your claim that you want to join the fight, I expect you to do so with full awareness of what your eventual defection might cost others.”

Their lives.

“Sir, we are not going to defect,” Stella defended us.

“Actions speak louder than words,” he said, his eyes falling on me again. It was now more than clear to me what he was referring to. He had noticed my earlier hesitation.

My ears and wings dropped in shame. “I don’t know what happened, sir. I have fought both beasts and men many times stronger than myself. I have faced beasts stronger than Rairok, some that even wanted to kill me, and I didn’t back down . . .” It came out as if the floodgates had opened - all my pent-up frustration at being rooted to the ground at the mere thought of going into battle.

Stouch stood there, eyes wide. Me spilling the beans had obviously taken him no less by surprise than Stella. To his credit, the man collected himself quickly and nodded with a smile hidden beneath his mustache. “I see. You’re one of those who need to see the enemy and get cold feet when you can’t imagine who you’re facing. It may surprise you, but it’s not uncommon among rookies who have only had the honor of facing beasts in dungeons, the wilderness, or opponents on the training grounds. I’m afraid there’s not much I can do to help. For any description of what awaits you on the battlefield cannot convey the real thing. It’s better to see for yourself.”

Not exactly the advice I was hoping for. If only because it looked like it would be a while before Stella and I got to see the battlefield. “I must say, sir. I’d like to do something before we get to the front.”

He pondered. “Then my advice is to try to simplify the picture of the battlefield in your head. Forget about the thousands of beasts. Just think about the few you’ll have to deal with. With your strength, Grey, and the same goes for you, Palemoon, it’ll only be one or two at a time at best. Now listen, if it comes to that, and that’s a big IF, don’t try to fight more than one at a time,” he said, placing great emphasis on fighting one or two opponents at most before stopping in front of the tent. The armory. “Here we are. Let’s get you ready.”

There, under the direction of the Order’s armor and weapon master, we were fitted with armor. Stella in, shall we say, medium-weight plate armor that looked easy to move in, and me in leather armor that could adapt to both of my forms. Honestly, like just about every tool of this era, the armor was a world away from anything I knew. The amount of detail that went into what I thought was ordinary armor was staggering, not to mention the quality of the materials and the number of runes and enchantments in it. Even I, someone who was just dabbling in being a mage, could feel the mana coursing through it.

In addition to the remarkable armor, I was also given a belt and two daggers, just in case. I tried in vain to explain that the only blade I knew how to use was a kitchen knife. A shortcoming for which both Stouch and the weapon master severely criticized me, and one of the reasons for the daggers. This brought my thoughts back to my early days in Castiana, when I was in the care of Nila Tenderfire at City Hall, trying to find a suitable weapon for me. What did she recommend? A two-handed battleaxe or a two-handed greatsword, right? That or a short sword with a forearm shield. Well, except for close combat, which was what I ended up with.

Anyway, my problems and shortcomings aside, Stella was assigned a nifty pair of swords and a spear. No spatial tool for her either, so she had to carry the new swords the old-fashioned way on her hips - the spear, then on her back.

We were ready; the question was what to do next. And according to Stouch, just that, be ready and wait. My not-so-great common sense told me that we should be on the palisades, where the battle would actually take place if the beast broke through the lines. It turned out that those of the Seventh left behind, including the two of us, were something like backups of actual defender’s backups.

Not that the battle concerned us. As I said in this echo, the beasts had not reached the encampment. And if they ever did, it seemed destined to remain unknown to us. Unfortunately, not even Traiana could tell us more about it, for her memories did not extend beyond this part of the past. And so, no wiser and not really knowing what to do, which was the worst part of it, we ended up in the mess-tent like most ‘backups’ waiting.

Even with what little we knew, the general mood got under our skin. The tension, the silence as everyone was quiet, lost in their thoughts. And then there were the explosions, somewhere in the distance, cutting through the pouring rain that pounded on the tent’ flaps.

“Is it just me, or is the rain getting heavier?” Stella asked what was on my mind. It hadn’t been the case in previous cycles, and I assumed it wasn’t the case now. But I couldn’t help nodding. The rain just seemed to be pouring down so damn hard.

“The blasts are getting louder, too,” I whispered. Despite the rain, they were, I could swear - that, or it was just another trick of my mind. Given the tense circumstances, it wouldn’t be too surprising.

And so we waited there, in the company of others, for the end of a cycle that seemed like it would never come this time around. Nevertheless, just as the rain was the same, so was the flow of time. Therefore, when noon rolled around on the fifth day and the twilight of the cycle dawned, Stella and I found ourselves out of armor, all messed up, high on a cliff, five days prior to Traiana’s great battle.

 

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