I wait nervously in the hallway to be called into court, to stand trial for what happened in the south. For it falling into slave hands.
I missed the palace’s architecture. Its marble walls, beautifully sculptured statues, and masterful paintings. It is good to see the Empire’s beauty again, but it does not matter anymore.
I feel more frustration at seeming to take the blame for all of the Commanders failures. It should be the General’s fault if things go badly. If he has survived.
I am not the first Commander to enter the courtroom to be judged, and I can’t stand the wait. To wait for my failure to be reviewed by people who weren’t there to witness the slaughter. But maybe I do deserve it. I lost Tundo and ordered the webgate to be destroyed so it doesn’t fall into Dog hands.
Could I have done anything better? I should’ve made a plan that factored in Thorn not arriving. I could’ve planned a better defence so it wouldn’t come to this. I could have done better. I threw away so many lives. And all of it for nothing.
Huson sits next to me, wearing his white ceremonial uniform.
‘What do you want, Huson?’ I ask him with contempt. I don’t want him next to me; frankly I couldn’t care less what that colonist has to say to me.
‘I want to see how you are holding up.’
‘I’m waiting for the court to decide my fate for the disaster that is Tundo. Do you think I am holding up at all?’
Huson shrugs. ‘We held on the best we could. Your defence plan saved a lot of lives. I think the court will pardon you for your efforts.’
‘Don’t lie to me! I lost too many men. I failed the city and the people who followed me. I burned the city to the ground and destroyed one of the last remaining artefacts of the Forgotten Era. I don’t deserve the rank of Commander, not after what happened. Not after what I lost.’
Huson sighs. ‘You may believe that. You have lost the city to your enemy, but trust me, even the best Commanders will have their setbacks.’
I turn away from him. I don’t want to hear his foolish attempt to not make my failure look bad.
‘But as Hannah once said to me,’ Huson quotes. ‘Volas always has a plan and even if he makes a mistake or fails. He will always find a way out of it to achieve the impossible.’
‘She said that?’
Huson smiles. ‘She always believed in your abilities to lead. You’re not a good fighter, but you are a good Commander. Moreover, a brave man.’
Huson brings out a trinket of Malilinia and offers it to me. ‘I never thanked you for saving me or my Outriders at the crossing. You could have left us to die, but you ran onto the battlefield to order us to retreat. You saved us, and I am forever in your debt.’
I struggle to say something or even look at him.
Hannah always believed in me, even when I were horrible to my closest allies. Even if I was horrible to you, Huson.
‘I think it’s best I head off. I’ll see you on the other side.’ Huson places the trinket next to me as he stands up.
‘I am sorry I’ve treated you poorly, Huson.’
Huson turns to look at me.
‘I was wrong about you and the Outriders, about everything. But you have performed better than I ever imagined. I was never a good Commander to you Huson. I hope the next Commander you serve is fair to you and your men.’
Huson smirks, almost taken aback, ‘No Volas, you will forever be the best Commander I served under.’ Huson heads off as the man from the courtroom calls me in.
I make my way to the centre of the room as shadowy figures gaze upon me.
The Empress sits on her throne, casting her judgement upon me while wearing a remarkable dress of blue and white.
In front of her throne, is a pool of blood. The blood of previous Commanders and officers that were involved in the war of the south.
I sigh as I await my fate. A fate that I deserve.
Benston reads from a scroll. ‘Commander Volas Regali. We have called you here today about the defence and fall of the south and the Crystal Kingdom. We will judge whether if you are efficient enough to continue your service for our majesty, and innocent in the fall of the south. Do you understand?’
‘I do.’
Benston passes a document to the Empress. She glances at me a few times as she reads the record.
‘You are an interesting person, Volas. Seeing how the war went compared to how you performed and conducted yourself in the war room. You have made yourself a reputation. Why is that?’
The figures wait for my answer as they write on their papers.
‘I had problems with General Earl’s leadership. His handling of the Dog threat was a disaster. He would lie on his reports and give me orders that would threaten my city. I strongly believed at the time he was a threat to the security of our nation and the safety of the south.’
She reads the document. ‘It also says here that you led your troops to fight the Dogs at Lash Crossing. Why?’
‘I needed to weaken them before they reached the city.’
She leans forward. ‘Was it a success?’
‘Yes.’
The figures write on their papers furiously as they whisper to each other, casting their shadowy judgement on me.
The Empress reads the document aloud. ‘Volas instructed us which buildings to burn down in case the Dogs breached the walls. He gave us further instructions on what is acceptable to destroy and what is not.’ She puts the document down. ‘Is this true, Volas? Did you allow your men to burn my city to the ground when the Dogs entered it?’
‘Yes. So we could force the Dogs to go down a desirable route, so fighting them would be more manageable. This was only done as a last resort, in case backup didn’t arrive on time.’
‘Who was meant to help relieve your city?’
‘Commander Thorn, your highness. He agreed to help me and my city. I believed he and I could kick the Dogs out the eastern part of the island. We had the capability to do it. He just didn’t turn up.’
‘Do you know why he didn’t turn up?’
I falter, looking up at her. Explaining the whole situation to her will make me look weaker than I am, but I don’t think it matters, it is best I tell them the truth.
‘I don’t know. I never heard from him or from his army. I don’t know if he is alive or not.’
She hands the document back the Benston. ‘We have read and reviewed the actions of everyone who were involved in defending my Empire, and I will admit I am far from impressed by the results. The slaves have broken free, and I have lost half of my island. But from the reports, you are one of the few Commanders who had any success against the Dogs. Why is that? How are you capable of attacking them and almost succeeding?’
‘I was trained to be a Commander, your highness. It is my duty to succeed.’
She looks at her subordinates. ‘You may cast your votes.’
Benston walks up to the figures, placing their papers into a hat. Once he has taken all of their votes. He counts them in front of the Empress and whispers the results to her.
‘Commander Volas Regali, please kneel before your Empress,’ she orders.
I march to her to kneel in front of her. My heart races as I bow to my Empress. My pants soaking up the blood of previous Commanders who were judged.
I stop myself from shaking as she pulls out a sword decorated with jewels and gold, with a dragon etched onto its blade.
‘The court and I have decided. In this time of war, I hereby request your service once again.’ She taps the blade onto my shoulders.
‘As the Empire of Cinaris has been driven to war, our people threatened once again, I hereby declare you General of the Cinaris Army.’
The weight on my shoulders doubles as my eyes widen in shock. General. She made me a General!
‘Volas Regali, will you accept the task before you? Will you accept your role as defender of your Empire and leader of my armies?’
I take a deep breath as emotion rushes over me. This is my chance to strike back at them, to strike back at the Dogs.
I look up, directly into the Empress’s eyes, my heart fuming with wrath for what the Dogs have done.
‘I will.’