The onward march of dusk had the day mostly retreated down the horizon line by the time they arrived at the palisade of the settlement. The palisade was stark-white, made from the trees that came from the white forest. In addition to the wall, a grisly perimeter of sharpened stakes ringed the base, each one covered in gore, jutting outward like broken bones. They were joined by the two Hospitallers at the barricade, who mechanically aimed their rifles at her. They only lowered their guns after a short exchange of pleasantries with Haldane, whereafter the two Hospitallers shuffled the barricade aside and shouted for the gate to be opened. As Haldane’s men pushed the cart through the perimeter and up the dirt road, a familiar odour wafted out from the gate that reminded her of the rotten wheat field. It was the distinct smell of death and decay, not quite fresh like a newly slaughtered pig, nor too old like a carcass tanned under the sun. It stank up every inch of ground, though. The place was more of a butcher shop than a settlement.

Like many of the frontier settlements, all the homes and buildings in Limbardo were arranged around the long, rectangular Common House situated at the center. The curtains on the surrounding buildings were closed. Vacant, though not wholly. The Hospitallers had taken residency in some of the homes. One man was sharpening his bayonet. Another was on a porch, puffing warily on his pipe. Pyrik waved the smoke from her face as they walked past. During times of crisis like the one this town found themselves in, the settlers would retreat to the Common House where it was more defendable, and well supplied since it also doubled as the general store. The streets were empty except for a few Hospitallers on patrol, who were lighting the kerosene lamps. The lights tried to wash out the oncoming night as far as the glow could reach, yet corridors of shadows and a pervasive grim mood still remained.

“Take the cart to the stable and get some rest. You’ll all need it if my plan goes accordingly,” Haldane said to the other men as he gestured for Pyrik to follow. “Come on. The captain’s at the Common House.”

Another perimeter of sharpened stakes surrounded the Common House, however, the ones here were more weathered from assault than those planted outside. Most of the stakes had their ends broken off, discarded in a pile. By the kerosene light, a group of Hospitallers were whittling away at the replacements with their axes. There appeared to be stakes in the windows as well, though upon coming up to the Common House, she saw they were muskets. And the settlers who held them had eyes red with worry and a complexion pale with fear. The situation with the rinderpest at Ruckersville was a mild prick from a rose thorn compared to the spear through the gut in Limbardo.

Before stepping into the Common House, Pyrik expected more settlers to be packed into the building. The condition for settling the frontier was that the land was settled by a family. There were roughly fourteen buildings by her reckoning, and most of them had to be homes.

At least fifty settlers have to be crammed in there.

Haldane opened the double doors.

More Hospitaller-red coloured the large room than the earthly colours that settlers wore. There were about a couple dozen settlers, at most. Other than the few adults posted at the windows, the majority of the settlement’s inhabitants inside were children clustered at the center sleeping on the floor. Sorrow metastasized as a lump in Pyrik’s throat as she wondered how many of the children were now orphans.

“The settlers managed to get a rider to our outpost when the beasts attacked,” Haldane whispered to her ear. “A week later, by the time our company arrived, forty of the original fifty-six survived, though the number went down to twenty-one after those overcome with infection were eliminated. So please mind your gaze. They’re not as used to loss as we are.”

Pyrik took care not to agitate any whiny floorboards while she followed Haldane through the room. It had to have been difficult for the children to finally fall asleep. She was grateful that none were roused awake when she reached the flight of stairs down into the basement.

Each step echoed. Their descent was guided by a string of kerosene lamps hanging along the wall. Amorphous mumbles and noises ricocheted up the stairs with increasing intensity until she saw the full extent of the conspiracy. Silent amongst the jumble of voices, a man clad in captain’s regalia—imperial-issued pauldrons, chestplate and tassets fitted over the hooded overcoat—shadowed over the table while Hospitallers buzzed around counting, moving boxes and barrels, and scratching their pencils against paper. The bandage on his head was bloodied on one side, and his crumpled armet sat next to a map laid out on the table. His dark brown hair was clean cut yet untidied, like how the claw marks had defaced his ornately-patterned armour. The man was clean-shaven, though. Focused. He stared at the map as if trying to get it to catch fire through sheer force of will.

Haldane clicked his heels together and saluted. “Captain Cutter.”

Cutter's cold grey eyes slid up and lingered on Pyrik before panning to Haldane. His stare burned with immense disapproval. “Why is this person here?” he asked while striding toward him.

“She’s a Jaeger, sir. I brought her in to help break the—”

Cutter hurled a fist against Haldane’s jaw, laying him flat on the dirt floor. “I expressly told you not to allow anyone in or out of Limbardo, Hospitaller. You disobeyed a direct order, and unnecessarily endangered another child. You know the price of insubordination, do you not?” He made his way over to his subordinate. His hand curled around the grip of the saber at his hip. A glimpse of steel snuck out from the scabbard. Pyrik was afraid the soldier might be executed, until Cutter decided to stay his hand at the last moment, shaking his head instead. “Your help isn’t needed here, Jaeger.”

Haldane sat up and spat out a glob of blood. “You’re making a mistake. It’s too reckless to burn down the forest.”

“He’s right,” Pyrik said, “you can’t know how many beasts are in that forest. There could dozens, or there could be hundreds. There’s simply no way of knowing.”

“Doesn’t matter how many of those beasts are in there. The fire set around the perimeter will eat the forest from the outside in. Total annihilation,” Cutter said with a mantle of venom in his voice.

Pyrik shook her head. “Perhaps, though it’s no guarantee. The forest has some level of sentience. It may try to stop the fire and unleash all the beasts somehow. Doom the rest of the settlers.”

“And spread the illness,” Haldane added.

The captain pinched the bridge of his nose, tired. “It’s a risk that we’ll have to take, unfortunately. The protection of the settlers is our top priority now, and you know the forest can’t be studied.”

“Well, actually, it can be. Tell him, Pyrik.”

“I saw a crow in the red forest.”

“Did you see the crow display any actions indicative of full cognitive faculties? Flying? Cawing? Anything?”

“It stared at me.”

“Ah. It stared at you.”

“I assure you that it did… with full cognitive faculties.”

Cutter scoffed. “Don’t take me as a fool for your silly jests. No animal has ever been found to withstand the forest’s effects, and seeing one stupid crow proves nothing.”

“Perhaps,” Haldane said. “But she carried me out of the red forest when I succumbed to its effects. I saw it with my own eyes! Normal, unaffected. I saw it, and Potash can vouch that the Jaeger here saved me.” Cutter stared, trying to dissect which part was the lie though he remained silent. Haldane continued. “All I ask is to give me some more time. If I can find out the source of the crow’s immunity, we can finally get boots in the forest, assess the number of enemy forces, and hunt down the beasts without resorting to kerosene. I know this is a risk as well, but it’s a chance to resolve this mess in a way without potentially spreading this illness across the empire. It’s our duty to try.”

Cutter tapped the pommel of his saber slowly, thinking. He glanced at his crumpled helmet on the table, then at his men in the basement.

Haldane turned to his fellow Hospitallers, then his expression was overcome with uncertainty. The thing was, the Hospitallers were devoted to the safeguard of the empire as well as researching the supernatural. Only when the enemy was understood could it be properly defeated, though from looking around the room, it was readily apparent from the many hateful faces aimed at Pyrik and Haldane, these men had no desire to understand anything beyond how much kerosene was needed to raze the forest to an ashy oblivion. Not only did Cutter have a duty to the settlers, but also to his men as well.

Haldane spat out a glob of blood, and stood as tall as a defiant oak in a blizzard. “‘May the fire burn the way, and may the light guide our path forward.’ That is our sacred creed. Fire alone destroys, light alone affects no change. The saber on your hip only carves beasts, a waste of flesh if my instruments can’t gather knowledge from its body. I know we’ve many brothers, captain, but we mustn’t let vengeance cloud our judgement. Shake our faith! We are bound by our creed, the memory of our brothers, to try and understand this strange forest and the beasts within it. Especially now that now is a possible way to study it. This time will be different. I assure you there will be results.”

“And if none still arises?”

“May the fire burn the way.”

Cutter sucked air through his teeth as he eyed his subordinate like a cat, wondering whether to devour or spare the supplicating little mouse. The captain did not shy away from flippantly shedding blood. He tapped on his saber once more, meditating on those choice words. Then he deliberated with a long, exhausted sigh.

“I owe you my life, Haldane, though that is not the reason for my decision. I will allow you to pursue your investigation because I too remember the Hospitaller’s creed. Our creed,” Cutter said loudly, clearly, addressing everyone in the room. “It protects us from blindly acting like savages. However, it is us who protect the settlers here, not our creed. Black powder and steel and the men who use them kill beasts, not uttered phrases. If nothing comes of your investigation, then it will be fire and ash. And if you disobey another one of my direct orders, don’t think for a moment that I won’t execute you for insubordination. Understand?”

“I understand.”

Cutter indulged in a small, fleeting smile that went unnoticed by everyone except for Haldane and Pyrik.

Suddenly, the bell tolled and its fateful sound rang throughout the Common House. The soldiers galvanized to action, grabbing their rifles and helmets at one wall before hurrying up the stairs.

“I pray you fight well, Jaeger,” Cutter said. Calmly, as though retrieving a boom to do some chores, he strolled over to grab a rifle and slung it over one shoulder. “Welcome to Limbardo.”