Chapter 25

“YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!”

Sanctullator slammed his fist into the desk. The hairs on his neck stood upright, eyes glaring upon his audience. Facing him was the Military Council he had created, gazing back astonished and scared.

“You better have a damned good explanation, Bellona, unless you like swinging from a gallow !!”

Bellona folded her arms. “I told you, haven’t I? It’s the fault of that one moron I talked about earlier, whose fat arse I’ve already whipped until he couldn’t walk anymore. What else do you want me to do?”

“You wretched bitch, you!!” Eric stared red-eyed at Bellona, his cheeks shining in the light. “You were supposed to be leading, instead you fumbled around in the woods and let my men charge to their deaths!”

“Cry a little harder about it, fur-face! Maybe if your ‘oh so powerful men’ were actually competent, we wouldn’t be-”

“Excuses, excuses, excuses!! None of this finger pointing will help matters now, will it! If either of you try to shift the blame again, I’ll have both of you hanging in public tomorrow!” Sanctullator fell back into his chair, red-faced. All the hard work spent planning the raid had been for nothing.

Roderick fiddled the sleeves of his robe between his fingers. “Well, uh, your excellence. Do we know how to continue from here? Surely not everything is lost, is it?”

Sanctullator shook his head. No flash bomb, fifty men lost, no new intelligence…

A sigh later, he leaned his head against a hand. The raid had become a debacle. From the second they set foot beyond the gates of Westedge, things crumbled apart, like ancient buildings in a thunderstorm. The 37th got lost in the mountains, leaving the Mercs to face the dragons by themselves. Now, their lives, the flash bomb, all gone. All thanks to one idiot, who ‘insisted he knew the way’, according to Bellona.

“Your excellence?”

“Right…”

At a snail’s pace, Sanctullator grabbed a pencil, and forced himself back to his feet. Everyone in the room watched, their faces devoid of emotion. Perhaps the sluggishness had caught their attention, but they weren’t fools, and thus shied away from provoking Sanctullator any further.

“Let’s make everything clear first.” Sanctullator paused to sigh. “Agatha, please transcribe from me.”

Agatha sheepishly nodded. “Yes, your excellence.”

“Okay…” Sanctullator paced back and forth by his chair. “So... we’re down fifty men, likely our best. The Flash Bomb prototype is lost, and chances are strong the enemy knows of it now. Lastly, I’ve heard news of our Spectres vanishing in the wilderness.” He glanced at Bellona, who stared out the window in response.

“Let me guess, the dragons are hunting them down,” Eric grumbled, arms folded.

Sanctullator nodded. “Correct. About thirty percent have disappeared already. And I’m assuming that’s a conservative estimate. In short, our defeat has made them bold. Our control over those mountains was already weak, but if we don’t do something fast, this might just escalate into an outright disaster. And by fast, I mean now.”

Bellona slumped her arms over the table. “The abyss do you want us to do? Throw ourselves at that cave until we run out of men?”

“No…Just shut it and listen, you fool...” Sanctullator stared down at her. Bellona scoffed, leaned back, then threw her feet on the table. Her behaviour reeked of arrogance. Neither Eric nor Sanctullator had any of it, but an army of dragons couldn’t crack her ego, what chance did they have?

“Listen, I will request the Emperor to send elite legions our way. They’ll clear that place out, alright. At least they won’t be getting lost!” Sanctullator's eyes glinted with disdain., as they peered towards Bellona. “Anyway, that’s for another day. Right now, we need to make sure those beasts stay put in that wretched hole of theirs.”

Roderick shrugged. “Well, what do you think they might be up to?”

Sanctullator buried his fist back into the desk. Ink flew from their wells onto the wood, and sent Agatha flinching. A chill shivered up Roderick’s spine. “Fool! Didn’t I just say our position in the Occident is under assault? They’re going on the offensive! And barring whatever lads are sitting on their arses in Westedge right now, no one is there to stop them!”

“Okay, okay, I get it!” said Roderick, confused and frustrated. Eric lowered his head in sympathy. Roderick had been stressed and exhausted these past few days, and no one besides Eric had cared even a little.

“Good. Now, let’s get to work. I want our reinforcements organized and ready to march for Westedge as soon as possible. No delays, nothing. Whether it storms, or it snows, or cattle rains from the heavens, I don’t care. Every second we delay is one more second for the enemy. Got it?”

“Yes sir,” said everyone besides Bellona, who still dozed off. Sanctullator glared at the back of her head. Is that how you treat your superiors now? Well then.

“Good. Eric? You’re in charge of this. I know you have your hands full, but this is a critical moment. Your country needs you.”

Eric groaned uneasily. “Yes sir.” Sanctullator raised an eyebrow. He seems underwhelmed with his new position. I’ll ask him after we’re done. “Alright, then. Does anyone have objections?”

“Heh.” Bellona removed her feet from the desk, and corrected her posture. “All this talkin’ about an emergency, yet I’m never brought up once. Guess it’s no big deal after all.”

Sanctullator rolled his eyes, and slumped back in his chair. “What is it, you? Just spit it out.”

Bellona shrugged. “What’s my part in all this? You’re seriously putting the idiot with that scraggy hobo beard in charge over me?”

Eric jumped from his seat. “Listen you-”

“Quiet, quiet, we’re not starting this again,” yelled Sanctullator. Eric bit his lips, and fell silent. Okay… now to find a decent excuse. Justitia guide me.

“I was thinking we need to spruce things up. Your leadership has been excellent, yes - After that sham of a raid though, I’m not leaving anything up to chance. I hope you understand, Bellona,” Sanctullator said.

All Bellona replied with was a smug, condescending grin. One glimpse of that disgusting face was enough to make the kindest people daydream of burying their fist into it. Sanctullator sighed. “Say it already.”

Bellona wheezed into laughter. “Really, what is there to say? Deep down, I think everyone here knows what’ll happen with him in charge. In the end, you shouldn’t be surprised.”

“Don’t be surprised? Enough with the pedantries, get to the point,” Sanctullator said.

With another scoff, Bellona continued. “Didn’t think you’d miss it. Whatever. Not that surprising, actually, now that I think about it. In case you haven’t noticed it yet, that boy’s one emotional wreck. Can’t keep a cool head at all when it comes to the enemy. It’s always friends this, family that with him.” She leaned back in her chair, hands on the back of her head. “And I think you know better than anyone why that’s bad news.”

Sanctullator was speechless, and took his time to conjure up a competent rebuttal. Bellona kept his eyes on him, arrogant as ever, and Eric glared at her as if he were a rogue hiding in a roadside bush, ready to pounce and make off with her valuables. Agatha busied herself wrapping up another sheet of parchment, and Roderick stared out the window, longing with an empty expression.

“Whatever. He’s slain a dragon, so I’m sure he’s capable of leading when it counts.” Sanctullator folded his arms, and leaned forwards. “Furthermore, didn’t you want a new regiment you could boss around? I can organise that for you, if you’d like.”

“Yes!” Bellona threw her arms in the air. “Finally! I was getting sick of having no regiment. Better hurry up organizing, if I were you.”

“Then it’s settled.” Enjoy your run-down border post, bitch. “Alright, we’re finished for the day. Eric, I’d like to discuss a few things with you still. Everyone else is free to leave.”

* * *

As the others got up to leave, Eric tapped his fingers on the table. Like stray cats they ran, happy and re-energized after they had managed to put up with their daily dose of Stefan Sanctullator’s ego. Alas, he wasn’t among them.

Eric bit at his cheeks. None of this sat well with him. Whenever Sanctullator ordered you to stay behind, it never ended well. He’d been exhausted since learning of the raiding party’s fate, and all he longed for was to pass out in his bed, away from this room, away from the grump’s bloodshot stare.

“Right, Eric… during the meeting just now, something about you just didn’t feel right. Ever have those moments, when someone’s talking and you know there’s more to it than they’re letting on? You feel it in your bones, yes?” Sanctullator said.

Eric’s eyes shifted back and forth between Sanctullator and the windows. Alas, freedom was as distant to him as the clouds in the blue heavens. “I don’t know about that, sir. To be honest, I don’t see what you’re getting at,” he said.

Sanctullator shrugged. “Perhaps my reflexes were mistaken. But I doubt it. Anyway, I couldn't help but notice you giving off this exhaustive impression when I assigned you to lead the reinforcements. Why is that??”

“Didn’t sleep very well last night, I guess.” Eric sighed. Here’s to hoping he buys that… ugh, come on, you bastard, let me go already.

“Perhaps. Perhaps.” Sanctullator tapped his feet. “But I don’t believe that. Rather, I think something’s the matter, and I’m about to find out. So tell me, is there something wrong?”

Eric shook his head. “Not at all, not at all,” he said. “I’m perfectly fine, sir.” As luck would have it, his lie was revealed by a sudden twitch from his cheek muscles.

Sanctullator scratched his chin, eyes glued to Eric’s cheek. “For someone who slept well, you're acting a little strange. It's not just a little lazy spell, there's more to it. And after what Bellona said just now, I wanted to make sure if you’re up for the task and all.”

Eric bit his cheek. “I guarantee you, sir, there’s nothing wrong with me. You shouldn’t believe her. I want those dragons dead more than anyone, and that’s what’s going to happen with me in charge.”

“Alright then. That’s all I needed to know. Off with you.”

Without so much as a goodbye, Eric left the room. The sooner that grump was out his sight, the better. He avoided spilling the beans on his emotions, thank Justitia.

* * *

“There, that’s that. Hopefully Stefan can appreciate my penmanship.”

Dusting off her hands, Agatha laid her transcription onto Sanctullator’s desk. The ruby in her ring sparkled in the brilliant chandelier light, as she stared proud at her work. A job well done. With a smile, she headed back for her own office.

“OW!”

As she left the study, she bumped into someone, and staggered backwards onto the floor. “Owowow, my poor back…” she whimpered, stroking her sides.

“Watch where you’re going, you nasty old wench!”

Agatha opened her eyes to Captain Bellona picking herself off the floor. She sighed, and tried to apologize. “I’m sorry, Bellona…”

“Yeah, you better be! Do you think this is a joke?” said Bellona, dusting off her uniform. “Damn you, everytime I’m in a good mood, you show up. Everytime!”

“Hey, watch your tongue, you wretched sham of a captain!” Agatha raised her voice. “This is no manner for addressing a baroness serving under his majesty!”

“I’ll consider it when you watch you step, you idiot!” Pouting and groaning, she ran off, leaving Agatha to curse her behind her back.

As Agatha tended to her aches, she spotted a scrap of paper lying upon the floor, and picked it up. A message had been written on it.

To do :

Secure new regiment

Convince Sanctullator of Miller’s wrongdoing - Important, he’ll kill me otherwise.

Agatha’s eyes widened. She stuffed the note in her pocket, and hurried back to her office, smiling over her newfound weapon.

* * *

After descending the stairs, Eric sauntered his way to the grand vestibule. The red carpet lay stretched out, from throne to door, beautiful and dusty as ever. Memories of his first visit here with Victor and William at his side lingered. A soft lamenting sound rolled out of his throat. The times were so innocent back then.

As his gaze fell towards the door, it met with those of a hollow-eyed figure. “Hello, Eric…”

“Roderick…”

The two men walked up to one another. “Is everything okay?” asked Eric.

“No.” Roderick let out a heavy sigh. “I’m tired. I want to go back home. I miss my studies... I never wanted to get caught up in a war.”

“Oh.” Eric lowered his head. He had hoped Roderick would’ve been able to cheer him up, but the mage had been caught in an all too familiar melancholic spell. “Why though, if I may ask? The war’s getting worse, and we really need your help right now. If you come with me-”

“Eric…” Roderick eyed him as if he had finished burning a village to the ground. “I’ve said already, I never asked for this. I’m a student of the arcane, not a military strategist. What can I possibly offer that others cannot? Just let me go home already. I miss my college, and my friends.”

Eric froze. Roderick’s longing for home was akin to his own. He pressed further. “But… why can’t you leave? Aren’t the carriages heading eastwards still rolling? he asked.

“Yes, but…” Roderick’s face tensed up. “Sanctullator’s forcing me to stay. He’s threatened me with expulsion from the academy if I were to leave. Given his standing, I believe it’s not just a bluff. You know what happened to that soldier who supposedly was responsible for getting the 37th lost, right?”

“I don’t, actually.”

Roderick groaned, and turned away. “He had them executed, Eric.”

Chills rose up Eric’s spine. “Is that true?” he asked. Why did no one tell me anything about this?

“It happened in secret. He was led to a private room, where he was run through with a spear. And yes, Sanctullator approved of it, on Bellona’s insistence. He called it a ‘fitting punishment for failure’.”

Eric bit his cheeks. “I guess… there’s some merit to his decision. Cruel, sure, but not as cruel as what will happen if the dragons win. After both of my friends have been eaten by those abominations, nothing is going too far.” Deep down, he didn’t second guess his words. After all, Roderick had seen the destruction the dragons wrought with his own eyes, and what had become of his friends.

“Eric… you’re going too far.”

“What?”

Roderick pressed his hands against his sides. “He was just a common soldier, trying to make due. And you don’t see the problem of killing him all willy-nilly?”

“N-no!” Eric raised his hand, “I didn’t mean-”

“I know exactly what you mean. Justitia almighty, Eric. I didn’t think you’d turn out like this. Killing someone for an honest mistake. You really need to have a look at yourself.”

“But you had no problem with brutal measures, did you?” Eric said, trying to earn Roderick’s support. Nothing but revenge mattered, no matter whose toes he had to step on. His surrogate parents, his friends, they had to be avenged, there had to be justice. By any means necessary, no matter how cruel. Roderick had to see this.

For some time, Roderick stared dumbfounded at him, speechless. “...I think it’s time for me to return to my chambers,” he said belated. “I’ve got too much work on my schedule right now.” As he finished speaking, he set a foot towards the door.

“Wait, do you want to-”

“Not right now,”

“No, don’t go ye-” The door slammed shut with a loud thud. Eric was all alone in the vestibule, head craned down towards the floor. I’m sure he’ll… tell me some other time…

But deep down, he knew the door wasn’t the sole thing Roderick had closed on him.