A pair of horses trotted down the forest path, followed by a group of marching soldiers. The chattering of woodpeckers filled the air as the birds returned from their winter migration while sunlight streamed past the trees, shining down on evergreen leaves and sprouting grass.
If it weren’t for the soldiers armed with swords and spears and shields, the scene would’ve been a picturesque image of spring.
After a while, the procession arrived at a small stream and halted. Small fish swam through the clear mountain water as the hundred or so guards scattered apart, boots thudding against the ground. Some went to set up tents and campfires, others went hunting and patrolling.
Klaes turned and spoke to the person on the other horse. “We’re almost to the mines. We’ll make camp for now and strike in the early morning.”
Calun nodded, face expressionless. The two of them got off their horses, one casually and the other awkwardly. Although the harness was of decent quality, the inside of his thighs had still been rubbed raw after several days of riding. The stinging dissipated as he used a bit of healing magic on himself.
Calun handed the reins to a nearby guard and followed Klaes into one of the larger tents that had just been set up. Inside, a folding table had already been set up, displaying a map of the various mines and tunnels in the region. Inwardly, he was a bit impressed by the soldiers' efficacy, though they were still a bit lacking when compared to automatons.
“We’ll be starting at the largest site first. Afterwards we’ll split into two groups and hit some of the smaller bases nearby.” Klaes pointed at a spot on the map. He paused and circled the campsite they were at. “At dusk we’ll return to camp and decide if it's necessary to clear out the mines that are farther away.”
It was a straightforward plan, but a bit too straightforward.
It left the enemy with too many options for setting up ambushes and traps. If he was on the bandit’s side, all he had to do was sacrifice some of his men as bait before destroying the wooden supports from the outside, trapping the soldiers under the rubble and starving them all to death.
In his judgment, it was preferable to smoke or starve the bandits out instead. It was the safest and most cost-effective course of action with time-consumption as its only downside.
Unfortunately, it was this type of ‘dishonorable’ plan that Klaes disliked the most, and Calun didn’t have confidence that he could persuade him otherwise. Though they were supposed to be working together, he wasn’t much more than a spectator thus far. The soldiers addressed him respectfully, but he knew that in a desperate situation, they would all opt to follow Klaes.
If Venice was the one with authority over the clerks in the city hall, then Klaes was the one with authority over the soldiers in the barracks.
“I’ll introduce you to the vice captain later,” Klaes spoke while studying the map. “He’s quite experienced, so I’ll send him with your group.”
Calun made a sound of acknowledgment, and the tent descended into an awkward silence. Even after Calun had 'arrived', he had sparsely talked to his brother. With him choosing to study indoors and Klaes running around outdoors there had been few chances for them to see each other. Occasionally they would exchange a sentence during family dinners, but that was all the interaction they had.
Klaes coughed to break the silence. “Calun. Do you… know how to use a sword?”
He didn’t.
After listening to a bit of Klaes’ eager and rambling explanation on how to wield a sword, he excused himself from the tent. Such a discussion was more suited for Leon than himself, who had little intention of participating in front-line combat.
From an outsider’s perspective, it didn’t look like he could even do physical labor, let alone fight. In this group of soldiers, Calun stood out like a dove among pigeons, further exaggerated by his unusual, but not rare, white hair.
According to the temple priest, white hair was symbolic of a pure faith. He made no comment on that statement.
When Calun was brought into the temple to find out the reason for his recovery, the priest claimed that it was due to the God of Light’s blessing. In the end, he had wasted an entire day listening to the priest prattling on about the Church of Light. Although it was boring, at least it seemed the priest wasn't a malicious person.
As he headed towards his own tent, Calun fiddled with the engraved dagger at his waist. He was aware of the not-so discreet glances thrown his way by the guards. It couldn’t be helped, though Calun was used to it by now.
Indeed, one looked like the son of a general, and one looked like a priest or the son of an official. In tumultuous times, it was natural for the soldiers to side with those that seemed more reliable. Only time would tell whether or not their decision was correct.
Once inside his own tent, Calun sat down and closed his eyes, face unreadable.
-
The skies were misty the next day, sun blocked by overcast clouds in the early morning and bringing a damp coldness. A group of soldiers walked quietly through the forest, figures obscured and marching muffled by the fog. After a while, the overgrown trees gave way to rolling hills as the soldiers slowly approached the edge of the forest. In the distance, several clearings could be seen, shoddy huts set up by the entrance of the mine.
In the front, riding a horse, Klaes wordlessly raised an arm, action accompanied by the sound of numerous swords unsheathing. Higher and higher it rose, as if reaching for the clouds.
And then, it fell. Like an executioner’s axe.
The soldiers began to charge forth, ground thudding and weapons raised.
Over at the bandit's base, the sentries noticed the incoming attack, and cries of alarm began to fill the air. One by one, the campfires were lit up, and a clump of ragged outlaws clumsily assembled on top of the hill. Some wielded daggers and swords, but many more held only shovels or pickaxes.
When the two forces met, it was like a hammer being brought down on a brittle plank. The plank broke into pieces, and wooden splinters scattered every which way. The sounds of screaming and clanging resounded in a deafening cacophony as bodies tumbled to the ground, forever devoid of life.
In the corner of his vision, Calun’s attention was caught by one of the men slipping away. Unlike the rest of the bandits that were wearing rags, this one had a leather cuirass as well as proper boots. Slowly, he raised his hand in that direction and a silver arrow shot out, striking the person squarely in the chest.
The body tumbled down the hillside, raising a small cloud of dust as it fell. The fleeing bandits showed fearful expressions and ran away even faster, ignoring the person that had just been hit.
Calun turned around and headed back to the bandit’s base. The sounds of fighting began to disperse around him as the battle quickly ended, heavily in their favor.
It would’ve been unusual if they didn’t win.
However, although there wasn’t yet a single death on their side, several of the soldiers had been hurt and were bandaging their injuries near the captives. Calun made his way over to them.
The injured soldiers raised their heads in surprise as their wounds they were tending to stopped bleeding and slowly closed on their own. When they looked up, they saw was a youth dressed in white and silver, a gentle smile on his face as the glow of healing magic flowed through his hands and covered their injuries.
The looks of confusion quickly turned into looks of gratitude as the soldiers stood up and saluted him.
“Our thanks, Lord Calun!”
Calun laughed while shaking his head. “No need for thanks. I'm merely doing my own part.”
By the time he finished healing all the non-trivial injuries, Calun was slightly out of breath. He raised his arm to his forehead and found that, even in the chilly spring air, he had begun to sweat.
Taking a gulp of cold water from the flask at his waist, he asked one of the guards where Klaes was, intending to inform him about the person he had shot down.
Calun found him overlooking the bandit’s supplies and waved to get his attention. Klaes turned to him and grinned, but his expression quickly turned into one of surprise.
He opened his mouth and shouted, “Calun!”
At the same time, a shadow flashed behind Calun and a sharp pain surged up from his shoulder. His right arm went limp, and when he turned to it, saw a patch of red spreading across his clothes.
He opened his mouth in surprise, but no sound came out. Silently, his body crumpled forwards.
