Chapter 6

The sounds of creaking axles and horse’s feet drowned out the birds as the carriage made its way through the forest. It was morning. Though the sun had risen, clouds in the east had blocked it. Mirage fidgeted with her fingers as she stared out from her cowl, past the other passengers and the coachman. Lokahn wasn’t far.

‘It’s been almost three years, and yet I don’t know what to expect.’

Riding with her were the Justitian Empire’s finest. Elite soldiers being redeployed into the war against the Draconists. They had decades of experience in between them, yet here they were, technically subordinate to Mirage, who hadn’t seen a second of true combat. She was well aware of this, and thus looked away. Attracting unwanted scorn by acting like a leader at this time was an awful idea.

Thus she said nothing, much like the elites. It had been a quiet ride for the past three days. No banter or small talk, mere dead silence from the moment they left the Core. One would expect the elites to be full of swagger from their many years of service, as Mirage had heard from a few of her tutors, but there was nothing of the sort in sight.

The carriage came over a tall hill, and the endless trees finally broke. A large lake lay to the south. Lake Limess. The boundary between Lokahn and Justitia for as long as man could remember. The river Vesting fed into the lake from the north. Once the carriage had crossed its mountain waters, they’d have crossed the border into Lokahn.

It wasn’t long before the river and bridge across it came into view. A large flag bearing the twin gavels wavered over the town of Vestgardi, and another over a small outpost, both on the other side of the river.

“Lady Mirage?”

Mirage poked her head up. “Y-yes?”

“We’re takin’ a stop here. Someone at the border wants to see you.”

“Okay.” She nodded, and let her cowl fall over her head once more.

Cold winds blew from the northern mountains as the carriage entered the Lokahnian borderland. As they stopped at the outpost, a bell high up on the main tower chimed to signal their arrival. Several of the guardsmen had taken notice of Mirage sitting in the back.

“She’s here!”

“Go get the Captain, quickly! She’s wanted to speak with her for many weeks now!”

Mirage bit her lip as the guardsmen made their way up the belltower. She hadn’t graduated for more than a week at this point, yet someone wanted her attention already. Why her over the other Vigilantes? What knowledge did she have to offer? Most of it came from dusty text books. ‘Plans never survive contact with the enemy’, they went. ‘Your powers are a gift from Justitia, use them wisely’, and so on.

She was still lacking experience, and found herself growing nervous as the elite soldiers either made their way to the outpost’s perimeter, or sauntered off to the barracks in search of a drink. She shook her head. The air was the combination of cold and cramped one wo

‘Welcome back to Lokahn, I guess… Out of all the things to happen first, it had to be this, hasn’t it? A fight would’ve been better. Maybe then I’d have less problems making a good impression in that case, ergh.’

Tapping her foot, Mirage eyed the door with an iron glare. ‘Never let an enemy smell weakness’, the textbook went. She let her hands rest on the hilts of the shortswords strapped to her belt, ready to draw them if needed be. Footsteps grew louder from the doorway of the belltower: each step was like a tremor, and she felt the shock creep up her. Three were about to come out. The whites in her eyes took on a slight yellow tint.

Moments later, a woman with short brown hair and an awful lot of golden stripes on the collar of her navy blue uniform casually walked out the door, two guardsmen accompanying her.

“Well look at who we have here, just who I’ve been looking for.”

Mirage gritted her teeth, drawing her swords slightly. “Who are you? And what is the meaning of this?” she asked, the tone of her voice filled with concern.

The captain took a few steps forward, her hands on her hips. She eyed Mirage with a confident, yet stern smile for a while. Mirage knew this gaze well. Judges were fond of it when it was time for a lecture. This woman was not a judge. Mirage’s grip tightened.

Instead of a lecture however, this woman threw her head back, and laughed.

“Hey. Easy now, easy now, missy. We’re on the same side, remember?”

Mirage’s grip on the handles weakened, before letting go of them altogether with an exasperated sigh. ‘Why do all first days have to be so stressful?’

The captain patted herself on her right hip, drawing attention to her own blade holstered there. She came up to Mirage with a smug smile and bouncy steps, the kind of body language Mirage specifically learned to never show: Some may interpret it as arrogance and act accordingly.

“Come on now, that’s no way to come home, is it?” the captain said.

Mirage folded her arms. “I haven’t got much to celebrate, do I? The whole reason I’m even back here is thanks to that death cult.”

Her breaths grew uneasier by the second. She clenched her fist with enough force to crumple paper. The air surrounding her cooled off with the rhythm of her heartbeat: The guardsmen accompanying the captain backed off, as did those who had come to watch over Mirage when she arrived. Some even took their weapons into their hands. Mirage’s breaths hissed between her gritted teeth. Only the captain had yet to back off; on the contrary, she braved the cold to lay a hand on Mirage’s shoulder.

“Hey. Easy now, sister.”

Mirage opened her eyes; a faint yellow glow vanished from the whites. “My apologies…” she whispered.

“Don’t apologise,” the captain said. “Not to brag, but I know an awful lot about you. If I were you, I’d be beyond pissed off. I’d tear half this forest down with my bare hands.” She turned her head towards her men. “Guys, calm down, yeah? Nothing to worry about here.”

The men stood down. “Aye, captain Bellona.” With a salute, they went back to their positions around the outposts’ perimeter. Keeping their eyes peeled was critical: You never knew when the enemy could strike, especially when said enemy was capable of flying.

The captain grinned at the ease with which the troops under her thumb moved. “Well now… Mirage, it was, wasn’t it.”

Mirage idled for a moment, before tepidly bowing. “Yes. You knew it already.”

“‘Twas written in the documents, no surprises there,” the captain said. “The name’s Bellona, as you can hear. Normally everyone calls me captain like they should, but you can call me Bellona. Consider it a privilege,” she said with a wafer thin smile.

Mirage hummed a dull note back to affirm, not approve. Bellona had that kind of aura around her that made it hard to approach her for questions. No wonder the men stationed around here obeyed at the drop of a hat. Mirage couldn’t help but wonder if the role she would play would cause her to end up the same way, a shiver going down her spine as she did.

Captain Bellona put her hand in front of her mouth and cleared her throat in a manner that not even the sick would resort to. “Now now, let’s go and find somewhere more private to have a little talk, yes? Just the two of us.”

Mirage bit her lip. “I’m supposed to get to the Citadel as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, yeah, that’ll come later. You look stressed out, young lady. Like your head’s still buried in the books, for Justitia’s sake. ‘S no way to fight a war, and I know how to fight a war alright. There’s a reason why this part of Justitia has had next to zero thuggery over the past year. I killed ‘em all.”

“Alright, alright, I understand,” Mirage sighed after placing a hand on her neck. I still have a lot to learn, I guess. No book’s going to prepare you for dealing with people like this. Does experience help, though… doesn’t look like it either. Ugh, I’m doomed.

“I’ll tell you all about it some time. First though, let’s just get out of this crappy cold weather now, yes? No place to talk. Come.”

Bellona motioned for Mirage to follow, which she reluctantly did. Mirage was taken behind the barracks and over a hill. To her left was the town of Vestgardi, its rustic chimneys releasing thin trails of smoke into the atmosphere. The roosters had long shut up: there were a few people on the gravel roads with woven baskets in their hand, some others were gathered by the door of a brick church at the far edge of town. Mirage looked away. Bunch of late risers out here, she told herself. ‘Must be all that Justitian culture spilling over.

They arrived at a stone rampart, separating a small brick building from the rest of the world. Bellona’s private lot, Mirage thought. She eyed the guards atop the wall with suspicion. They held their musket rifles as if expecting an attack, yet let Bellona and Mirage in without a salute. The captain wasted no time in throwing the door open; Mirage followed behind with silent footsteps.

But greeting her upon entry was a sight she’d had been hoping to delay for far longer.

“That…!”

Mounted on the wall straight from the entrance was the head of a large red dragon. Mirage immediately drew one of her swords, the other not far behind. The sound of the swords sliding out their hilts was sharp, like a blacksmith striking metal. Captain Bellona laughed at seeing Mirage get into a fighting stance, her eyes even taking on that golden glare.

“C’mon, you can see he’s dead, right?”

Mirage gazed into the eyes of the beast. A whirlwind of emotions had whipped up inside of her. Everything from fear, to confidence in her training, to the anger she’d been harbouring for the past few years, it all raged inside of her. Like storms out at sea, summoning waves and tearing down whatever ships were caught in their path, no distinctions drawn. She’d lost everything to these creatures. They were one and all the same. The colour, the horns, the vague glimmer of humanity in those blue eyes, whether they killed through deception or to plain rip and tear: None of it mattered. They were all monsters. .

It was a surreal experience for Mirage to finally stand face to face with one of the creatures responsible for destroying her life. No textbook could truly prepare her for the viciousness laid bare on this demon’s snout: Even in death, there was no mistaking it. Her life, her family, everything she held dear had been destroyed by these beasts, and those who pledged allegiance to them. The enemies of humanity. Mirage’s grip on her swords tightened, and the glow in her eyes intensified. The swords too were glowing now. Bellona was impressed.

“Damn. The passion, the passion! No wonder the empire’s putting so much hope in you Vigilantes!” she laughed.

Mirage glanced at her from the corner of her eye as she put her swords back on her belt, blowing air tiredly through her nose. “It’s all I have.”

“And you’ll have so much more when this is all said and done,” Bellona said, “Come, have a seat. You want some tea?”

“...I guess,” Mirage sat down.

“Black, redberry, green, mint, lemon or-”

“Redberry, please.”

Bellona left Mirage twiddling her thumbs, then came back a few minutes later with two glasses shaped like vials, the kind an alchemist would use in the fairy stories. Both had a brown, reddish liquid that steamed up the room in them. Bellona put her hand around one and raised it to her lips, taking a large sip from it. Mirage only got to the first step. The warmth of the tea was good enough for now.

“Something wrong with the tea?” Bellona leaned forward. The smell of berries and mint had taken over the room already. Mirage shook her head.

“It’s fine.”

“You look concerned.”

Mirage sighed, her attention dawdling off to the twin gaveled flag hanging behind the captain. “Hard to believe that this is who I am now. A ‘Vigilante’. I still don’t get that name, to be honest with you.”

“That’s what you’re officially called,” Bellona said as she took a large sip, then stirred it around in her mouth for a little while. The sound was unappetising. “The Lokahnian Vigilantes.”

“Don’t vigilantes work alone?” Mirage asked.

“You work beyond the reach of the law,” Bellona replied with a smug wink and smile in tow. “If you ask me, it’s the perfect name. The youth of Lokahn, so outraged by the cult ravaging their world that they take up arms to put it to justice, by any means necessary. No more governing and waging war by rules, we’re done playing around. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Mirage raised an eyebrow. “How so? We’re only doing what we have to do.” ‘And I’m sure of it. There’s nothing I missed in my studies, nothing.’

Bellona simply smiled back at her. “You’ll operate in ways no ordinary Justitian ever could, not even in the wildest dreams of the absolute finest. You aren’t bound by laws or rules of any kind. Ironic, given what we believe, no?”

The captain shoved her glass of tea aside and got up. She wandered over the creaking floorboards to a map of the Lokahnian frontier, which hung on the wall behind Mirage. She placed her hand over the blue splotch representing Lake Limess, and dragged it westward over farms and forests, cities and settlements alike with the motion of a scythe.

“But this, this is perfect, Mirage. Do you know how long we’ve struggled, all because we oh so desperately clung to those dear values? Onto morality? Even though our enemy has no morality? You know full well. You’ve seen the death and destruction for yourself. That fool Sanctullator is far too stubborn to think otherwise, but let me tell you something. We won’t win this war that way.”

“What do you mean?” Mirage asked, biting her nails. Her glass of tea gave her a cold stare.

“We’re not going to win if we’re oh so obsessed with ‘reputations’ and ‘honor’, all these silly concepts we cling onto against the absolute dregs of the world,” Bellona explained.

“But that is what the Justitians stand for, isn’t it?” Mirage asked.

A smile appeared on Bellona’s lips. “Oh yes… on paper, we sure do. But this is different. When we’re up against literal demons, it’s time to set the principles aside and get real. Some problems require putting a sword through someone’s gut. Like this one.” She tapped her fingers on the map.

Mirage sighed. “I don’t know… this, this seems extreme to me.”

“Extreme or extinct. Pick your poison.”

Her body feeling noticeably cooler, Mirage leaned her head against one hand, slowly sipping from her glass with the other. The tea slid down her throat, its warmth a curet against the chill. She felt pushed into a corner. Was there no other way to settle this? To abandon law would mean total war, and she shuddered at the thought. All she had seen before was a taste of war. The difference between a boreal forest and a scorching desert.

“I don’t know.”

The floorboards creaked. Mirage felt a hand on her shoulder. Her head snapped around, only to see the captain looming over her head.

“I never said it was going to be an easy choice. I’ve been devoted to Justitia’s teachings all my life. Yet here we are.” Bellona rubbed Mirage’s shoulder as if to reassure her. “If you want, I could help you out. None of this moves me anymore. I can help you see it from my perspective, if you want.”

Mirage bit her lip, and breathed in deep. Deep down, she knew she was in way over her head here. She may have the strength, and all the education in the world, but there was so much more out there. No great feat was ever accomplished alone.

“Yes. I, I would appreciate it,” Mirage answered. She wasn’t sure of herself, but there was no turning back. Not with Bellona looming over her shoulders. This didn’t have to necessarily be awful, either. After all, who could last through the chaos of war alone?

Bellona patted her on the shoulder. “Glad to hear you’re of sound mind, Mirage. You’re a strong, strong girl, but you’re still just that A girl. I’ll make you into a woman even the fiercest beast of a man would shake in his boots over. I’ve got plenty of experience in that field, trust me,” she said with a smug smile. Mirage gulped.

‘I can see that…’

“So then. I take it you’re planning to leave for the Citadel sometime in the afternoon, correct?” Bellona asked.

Mirage nodded. “Yes, that is the plan, alright. The elites I’m with are on a timetable.”

“Are you on a timetable as well?”

“I guess so. Granted, no one has given me a strict deadline to get there-”

“Why don't you stay here for a while, then? I’d like to get to know you a little better.”

Belona’s face hovered mere inches away from Mirage’s. She felt her hair waver from the captain’s breathd. Mirage gritted her teeth while keeping her mouth closed. It was like Bellona was actively trying to make her feel uneasy.

“Is… is there anything you’d gain from that? I’m not that interesting, to be honest with you.”

Bellona raised an eyebrow. “Odd. You want me to be your mentor, don’t you?”

“Yes, I did say that,” Mirage said, scratching at an itch on her forearm.

“Wouldn’t it help for me to know more about you, then? It is hard to train someone if you do not know the person on a more personal level, I feel.” Bellona tilted her head. “Well, except through brutal discipline, but that’s not the healthiest approach, so…”

“Y-yes, I understand,” Mirage blurted out. ‘I’ve had that approach used on me already. No more.’

Bellona smiled. “Much better, isn’t it?” she said. The more she spoke, the more Bellona felt creeped out by her laugh. It wasn’t a joyous one to look at, not in the slightest. There was something sinister lurking behind it. Or so she taught. Of course it wasn’t right to judge books by their cover, that was the road to misery, so her mother had said. But this was different.

“We’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with each other. That fool Sanctullator can wait another day.”

“What about the front?” Mirage asked. “The general-”

Bellona dismissed her with a wave. “Don’t worry about that. Stefan would’ve found a way to waste a day regardless. If anything, he may get off his fat arse this time. It’s not like it leaves his chair that often.”

Mirage rolled her eyes. “If you say so.” Did something happen between these two?

The captain shook her head. “Anyhow. There’s something I want to see right this second, actually. I’d like to see your strength for myself.”

“R-right now?” Mirage said, her eyes shifting around the room as if looking for a way out.

“Of course,” Bellona said. “No shortage of reports and various other crap telling me what the Vigilantes are capable of. Since you’re here, why not give me a demonstration? I always like seeing what I’m dealing with.”

Mirage tepidly nodded. “If… if you say so.”

“Are we nervous now?”

“N-no.”

Bellona laughed. “Yeah right, you’re not. Your breath’s shaky, you’re stuttering, you’ve barely drank any tea. But you’re not nervous. Right.”

Mirage sighed as she got out of the chair. “Okay. You’ve got me.”

“T’is okay. This is your first time showing anyone for real, isn’t it? First day’s always the hardest. But it hardens you. Prepares you against the crap comin’ your way,” Bellona said. “Just so you know, it won’t be sparring or any crap like that. Just a quick demonstration, that's all.”

* * *

The captain escorted Mirage out the office, leaving the tea behind to simmer and get cold. Mirage glanced back at the dragon’s head as the door was closed behind her, breathing in relief when it fell out of sight.

‘It’s only a dead one, nothing to worry about, yet here I am. Worrying anyway.’

The relief wouldn’t last, for Bellona took Mirage to the edge of the woods nearby. There, they stopped. Mirage breathed in deep. Bellona was not the kind to reveal her hand easily. The lack of preparation wasn’t making things easy on Mirage, either. Just what had she gotten herself into?

Bellona put her hand on Mirage’s shoulder, and pointed to the trees in the distance. “Alright then. Why don’t you show me what you can do to that tree over there?”

Mirage shiftily eyed the bases of the trees, then glanced at Bellona as if she was about to perform surgery on her. “...Anything in specific?”

“Nope. Just show me something good, that’s all,” Bellona said, then leaned close to Mirage’s ear. “You can show me something good, right?”

“O-of course I can,” Mirage replied. As Bellona stepped backwards, she reached for her swords, and breathed in deep.

Come on, you can do this. You did everything right before, you can do it now as well… let’s go.

Her eyes glowed yellow, as she directed her energy towards her weapons. She eyed the tree ahead much like hawks eye mice, a killer instinct welling up inside of her. She thought of the village, of her mother, her brother. She thought of the blaze that destroyed them all. It was as if the world had given away, and she was back there in the village. The trees were gone. There were only monsters ahead of her. Them.

With a cry, she sprang forward like a cheetah, swinging both blades through the air. A crackle thundered as beams of light shot forward, searing through the wind like the blades did up to the trees ahead. They both struck into one in the shape of a cross, ripping and tearing the wood apart with a force beyond this world. The tree above tipped and fell into the others, branches and leaves breaking off as they were slammed against their brethren. Mirage rose back to her feet without the slightest trace of exhaustion, the glow in her eyes fierce as a blast furnace.

‘...is that good enough?’

A slight smile on her face, Mirage looked over her shoulder to see Bellona stare right back, her mouth hanging open in clear shock. Even the musketmen further back were taken in by her performance.

“Justitia almighty…”

Mirage let the glow fade from her eyes, and put her swords back on her belt. “That went well, didn’t it?”

Bellona’s stunned gaze melted away into a chuckle, then evolved into blatant laughter as she ran a few steps ahead. She turned back to Mirage with pride beaming off her, as if she had been the one to fire the attack.

“You know, when I read the reports, I could hardly believe it. Not even an adult, yet capable of magic feats beyond words. This is a game changer right here, Mirage. You know that, right?”

“I’ve been told it would be. That’s why I’m here, isn’t it? That’s what my purpose is,” Mirage said with a shrug.

Bellona nodded. “It most certainly is now, if it wasn’t already. Hohohoho… those mongrels have no clue what they’re facing now! You’re going to make dragon filet out of ‘em… can’t wait.”

Mirage’s lips curled into a smile. “Dragon filet?” That doesn’t sound so bad, actually.