As a gentle snow fell outside on City G’s main thoroughfare, a warm but somber proceeding continued into its third hour within St. Lucas cathedral, one of the largest spiritual buildings in Onasia. Inside the ancient structure, stained glass windows depicting the pilgrimages of Aurrian saints watched over the hundreds of attendees, many of them dressed in black.
The front row was filled with members of the war council, with Eden’s Burrow’s officials and youth squad directly behind them. It had been decided to spend the day sending General Rivia off as a friend and social revolutionary, instead of a military leader. Out of their uniforms for the day like everyone else, the child commanders looked like typical Aurrian children again, albeit ones saying goodbye to a beloved guardian.
Garder sat by the wall, near his sister and father, feigning calm and perhaps even some indifference while something dark brewed inside him. On the pulpit and into the last minutes of a long eulogy was Premier Kavinst, who had thankfully traded the investor-style bravado he usually employed around the Angels for something more personal and heartfelt.
“On Earth and Aurra, history has shown that our leaders rarely get to rest and see others continue their work. Those seen as radicals put their lives at greater and greater risk, and it always ends up as a numbers game by the end. The number of people out to end you, the days you may have left, how many followers you have that may give their lives to protect you… It isn’t surprising that we lost Jonan Rivia so suddenly. It’s surprising we had him as long as we did. That’s the nature of what we’re trying to accomplish.
“These, of course, are all of the logical things we tell ourselves and others in our grief. A cold, hard way of viewing these moments. But it is equally valid to shove all of that aside and let in the raw pain. And damn, can it hurt, no matter how many times in the past we’ve experienced it. But I can promise you this: when tomorrow comes, after all the words about Rivia are said, the Angels will survive and persist. I’ll help make sure of it. I’ve already authorized a new round of war bonds, featuring his portrait… And I believe that we’ll set records when they get sent out.”
“Of course, he ends it with talk of finance…” Shin sighed from her spot close to Milla. “But it’s expected. That’s just what he does.”
“I hope he’s right, though. We need funding,” Leovyn murmured, and then got up to take his place at the front to conclude the memorial.
“Garder,” Milla whispered as she looked over at him. “Are you doing okay? You’ve barely said a word all day.”
“I’m fine,” he answered, putting no effort into assuring her of it.
“Thank you for the perspective, Premier,” Leovyn said and tapped the rostrum with his palms as Kavinst returned to his seat. “To all of our speakers, thank you for your kind words, and the stories that you’ve shared. Colonel Osk… That was… Well, maybe the one tale I hadn’t heard about my friend over the years. I assume you saved it for a special occasion.”
From his seat, Osk smiled faintly in response.
“It was only a week okay today that Rivia gave his life trying to make a difference in the Guard’s recruitment efforts, and I’d like to take a moment to thank all of you simply for attending on such short notice, and the efforts of City security and our own for making this possible. Rivia continues to resist the Guard in spirit just by all of you giving us a few hours to speak of him and remember all he’s done for us.
“That said, I did notice a running theme among all of the speakers, many of which sought to assure the Angels and all of our supporters who will one day soon read a transcript of this memorial service. The fight will go on, this changes nothing, this will only inspire new leaders… All well intentioned, but not completely true. It does change things. Now, different people will author this war. And I want to remind you, that it isn’t just Rivia we’ll be fighting for out there. It never was.”
He turned to look at the dog tags that covered the wall behind the podium, surrounding a portrait of the Angel’s commander.
Leovyn faced the crowd again and continued, “We’ve lost one thousand, five hundred, and sixty people so far in our ongoing efforts to retake N. That we know of. Some of them no doubt old friends to a few of you. Rivia, or as I call him across lifetimes, Peter, is one of mine. We’ll see him again one day, there’s no doubt of that. We’ll share a better Aurra with him when next he pays us a visit. To history, we’ll reunite in a blink of an eye. But, until then… We have work to do. Let’s get to it. Thank you.”
Some of the lower officers towards the back rushed right out, as they had immediate military matters to attend to. The remaining mourners either milled about or left at a steadier pace, and after several minutes, their numbers had been cut in half. Garder longed for any sort of order at all so that he could leave as soon as possible, but Sasoire had been cruel by giving him the day off. He never liked such services; Verim’s was agony.
“I can’t believe he’s gone,” Lechi said as she joined the large group that had met with Leovyn at the front. She wiped away a few tears onto her black dress’s sleeve, adding, “I don’t know how much more tragedy N can take. First the school, and now…” She sighed and tried to compose herself some. “I still remember the day he first met with me.”
“When he told you about the team he was putting together?” Milla replied. “He wanted an animalect to see if the demon could be spoken to… You and Garder didn’t exactly hit it off at first,” she murmured wistfully.
Garder let out a grunt and looked toward one of the windows.
Norria spoke up, “My time with him in the Fragmented Dimension was brief, however long it might’ve seemed to everyone outside, but I won’t forget our talks. He was wise, the most empathetic person I’ve ever met. He seemed far away from anyone that could wage global warfare.”
Tess added, “The refugees from City I have been flooding us with letters of gratitude for what he did in stopping the avalanche so many years ago. He was already a heroic man long before the war started.”
Harken, who looked out of his element in a suit, turned to Xavier. “Holden, you can’t keep blaming yourself for what happened. Easy to see you haven’t gotten much sleep recently. Don’t despair a glorious death.”
“From everything you’ve told us, it was a hopeless situation from the moment you arrived,” Daschel said. “I… actually have a theory about what happened, though today may not be the appropriate time to share it.”
Simon looked over at Shiloh and his niece Nym, both equally quiet as they leaned back against one of the walls and observed everyone else.
He then commented, “I don’t think this many Angels have been together since the accord signing five years ago. It does make me nervous.”
“Nice of the erasers to not show up,” Corus grumbled.
“You know how they are. They never attend services.”
“If the Guard was going to try something, they’d have done it already,” Osk assured everyone, his son at his side. He crossed his arms and added, “I think my brief stint as acting commander is about to end. Leovyn just told me that he plans to announce a successor at the meeting tonight.”
“I can’t see him appointing himself,” Rayna said, and withdrew into herself a bit. “It always feels like everything moves too fast…”
“Garder?” Xavier murmured. “You’ve been unusually quiet.”
He exhaled and replied, “I’m not good with funerals.”
“I don’t think most people are, but still… You could’ve said a few words. You knew Rivia well. He believed in you.”
“… Everyone else said what needed to be said. Please let me deal with this in my own way. I don’t want to… be angry today.”
“Just as long as you’re taking care of yourself. He’d want you to.”
Within an hour, the war council had met in their City G conference room, which was close to the cathedral. Leovyn gazed out at the snow still falling around the metropolis as everyone settled into the seats. Given the necessity of the gathering, no one had time to change their attire.
“What I’m about to tell all of you can’t leave this room anytime soon,” Leovyn began and turned to the others. “There were a few things that he was very secretive about, things he would only tell his closest friends across lifetimes. When he met with me a few months back, he started going into his old spiel about the ‘absurd nature of mortality.’ With him, I knew what that usually meant. He believed his time was running out again.”
“Then, you’re saying…” Shin hesitated. “He went to M knowing he likely wouldn’t come back. Sacrificing himself for one last big cause.”
“I figured as much…” Daschel muttered.
“But why?” Xavier asked. “Evirtide may be in open rebellion, but he knew his value as a leader was worth far more than the result.”
“He was sick,” Leovyn admitted, a grimace on his face, like he had just violated Rivia’s trust. “Maybe he still had years, or just a few months. Regardless, he began to think about his end goals, what he wanted to accomplish with his remaining time. He knew he couldn’t pull a Hold loophole to regenerate—it doesn’t work with terminal illness; it just comes right back with you. I don’t think he would’ve attempted it if he could.”
“And he thought that… dying in front of M’s students would be the best, last use of his life?” Garder muttered.
“To be honest, he actually did think he might’ve still had a chance to talk some sense into Quinlin. I believe that, once he realized he was past the point of no return, the next best thing would be to upset the students.”
“Which may have worked,” Jaraphim said. “The Guard still hasn’t regained control of the school, and it added fuel to a fire that N, its killed governor, and Hescuro already tossed a dried forest into.”
“J’s news blackout has lasted five days now,” Nym added. “What little has leaked out suggests that open rebellion is moments from erupting. Murdering an opposition leader in an arena at a school had consequences.”
Some of Garder’s rage leaked, and he exclaimed towards the young commanders, “You kids barely even got to know Rivia. Don’t turn his entire life into some tactical maneuver. God… damn it…”
“Garder, don’t,” Leovyn urged him.
“I had my issues with him, but the moment he regains my trust, he…” He took a moment to swallow his anger. “Sorry. I just don’t…”
“We know,” Sasoire said. “And this isn’t easy for any of us.”
“Anyway…” Leovyn took a letter from his pocket. “I received this piece of mail this morning, from one of the pretorians.”
“You brought that garbage into a council meeting?” Garder replied.
“It’s from Kae,” Leovyn explained and skimmed the letter before folding it back up. “She apologizes for what happened to Rivia, and disagrees with it. She had respect for him as a military commander.”
“And so on, saying nothing…”
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“She ends it by adding that ‘now is the time to come to the table.’ She sees us as leaderless and crippled, as if this somehow happened by complete surprise and without contingency. I think we may soon show the entire Guard that we remain in fighting shape.
“Everyone, as you know, the Guard is on the move. They’re amassing troops at the ports of L and R. We think they’re about to launch a second full strength invasion of Onasia, and while I don’t doubt that we could survive it, a second wave of damage to the continent’s Cities is something I do not want Aurra’s people to go through.
“Having said that… I met with the new supreme commander in private this morning to discuss a possible new bold strategy that I don’t think Rivia, conservative as he could be sometimes, would ever follow.”
“You already named a new commander, without us?” Shin asked.
Garder laughed. “If it’s you, old man, or Daschel, I don’t even…”
“You know I’ll never be up for leading the Angels,” Leovyn reminded his son. “And a council vote was unneeded. This was Rivia’s last request. I’d think the majority of you, if not all, would agree with his choice. I was surprised at first, as well… But when I gave it some thought… Well, why don’t I just let her say it herself? Captain Nolland.”
Garder stayed quiet but watched with wide eyes as the others murmured to each other and his sister stood over the table.
“I was… shocked, at first,” she said to everyone. “But Rivia wrote about making me his successor quite adamantly.”
“General Milla, then?” Daschel took a moment to think about it. “So, a queen leading both sides. But there’s more to it than that. Your ideas and plans have always had a high rate of success and return.”
“Congratulations, Ms. Nolland,” Sasoire said, and initiated a round of similar remarks from most of the others. “Rivia must’ve seen the potential of fresh blood for the next steps. As much as he did for us, I imagine he had to have been feeling tired towards the end.”
“He was getting frustrated that we’ve seemingly been stuck fighting in Onasia,” Leovyn added. “But he seldom made any big, risky moves in the last few years. I’m sure that my daughter will make for an excellent new leader, and I believe she’s already formulated a new course of action.”
“Is this really happening…?” Garder remarked, under his breath.
“What do you have in mind?” Menin asked.
“I don’t have visual aids—yet—but…” She took a breath. “The Guard is weak in Onasia at the moment. That’s why they’re sending a second wave. Their forces have been decimated in N, they’ll want to reinforce their people in E, and they’re losing control in J and X. And meanwhile, Xidona and most of W’s government has pledged to give us safe harbor at their ports, and with N’s harbor recaptured, we can begin launching and refueling our ships there, as well.
“So… Once the Guard starts sending troop ships our way, I say we take them by surprise and assault Mightoria from two coasts. W’s fleet escorts our majority air power to H, and N’s ships go to P. We take both Cities, if only briefly, and then immediately move onto B in a pincer strike.”
Everyone in the council looked at one another, a few of them thinking that perhaps they had misheard or misunderstood.
“You… You want to restart a campaign in Mightoria?” Tabi replied. “I mean… What kind of timetable would we be looking at?”
“I would hardly call it a campaign. And, two months at most, total. After we begin moving in a week. We have a real shot at hitting the capital in just six weeks and ending this war. I know how radical it sounds…”
“I’ve worked the logistics, roughly,” Leovyn interjected. “And it really is possible. The Guard has its hands full, and they’d never expect us to do something this extreme, especially not after just losing Rivia.”
“I’ve been thinking about this strategy on and off for years,” Milla continued. “Our forces that attack P might even be able to press on and slip by the Guard’s division in M, before they could go south to respond. H’s coastal defense towers are formidable, but we now know the Mezik’s alchemagi missiles work. It would be her time to shine.”
“Mm. I like the sound of all this,” Viktor commented.
“But it’s reckless,” Masayuki argued. “We would need nearly all of our remaining men to strike both Cities at once. We’d be leaving Onasia undefended. Every City on the continent could be under Guard control within weeks. And yet… on the Guard’s side…”
“Their forces on Mightoria could be cut in half shortly,” Daschel said. “Not including the draftees being trained in L. If we hit them hard enough, they may be forced to order their invasion ships to turn around to defend their mainland. It’s a gamble, and we’ll need to stay up all night just to determine the feasibility, but if this pays off, it could be fatal.”
Tabi replied, “Since I grew up in City P and know the lay of the land, I could lead our invasion there. Hell, I’m actually getting excited.”
“There’s one major problem, though,” Leovyn said, cooling some of the enthusiasm. “Even if we capture B, we have no easy way into the capital. We no longer have the codes for the Shangri-La Gate.”
“Ah… What used to be called the Door to Heaven for millennia,” Tess thought aloud. “The gateway to A, the only means we have of getting in on foot. I didn’t expect any Angel to have the entry code.”
“Rivia did. It was the other of his most closely guarded secrets. He had this grand vision when he was younger of leading a march through the entry as shocked Guardsmen looked on after he unlocked the gate.”
“What is it?” Simon wondered. “Literally some kind of password?”
“Basically, yes, actually,” Osk answered. “It gets changed once a generation, unless it’s knowingly compromised. We aren’t sure how Rivia managed to acquire it, even while being a trusted Guardsman himself.”
“Those doors were designed to take punishment,” Leovyn said. “But from far older weaponry. Once—if—we arrive at the welcome mat, we’ll just have to blow it open with as much firepower as it takes.”
“Wendell is returning to F in the morning to try and make more progress with their military,” Shin reminded. “Trying to get them to lend us a few fortresses. But between the Mezik and Rosely, we should be able to tear down the gate. Of course, B’s defenses will have to be dealt with first.”
Not knowing what he could contribute, or what he was really even still doing there, Garder got up and left the meeting. Hardly anyone even seemed to notice, aside from Milla. She followed him a moment later, the war council too busy formulating to pay her departure any mind.
“Garder,” she said as she met him out in the well-lit hallway. “All right. Tell me what’s on your mind. I can’t… Look, this isn’t going to work if any of us are distracted or aren’t at their best. What’s bothering you?”
He leaned up against the wall and grumbled, “This is ridiculous. I mean… You’re the general now? You lead the Angels?”
“Who do you think it should be? I tried turning down the position at first, but then Dad started listing all these reasons for it.”
“I’m not making some judgment call here. I know he never wanted to lead. I feel the same way. Viktor, Osk… Maybe even Tabi—those were the only others in the running. But it’s you.” He looked at her. “Doesn’t that bother you? You could send me to my death one day.”
“That would be the last I’d want.”
“You’re a brilliant strategist and fighter, Milla. No doubt. I just… I don’t know. It’s not only that this happening so fast, it’s also… Don’t you think we’re leaving something hanging here? Latest word from M is that the pretorians are still at the school. But they could leave any day. Shouldn’t we, you know, go there and get some justice for Rivia?”
“It’s too dangerous. And there would be concerns about collateral damage with the students—many of whom may attack us. And I’d be concerned with the stories coming out about Angels assaulting a school.”
“Keep the Guard the bad guys. Make it so they’re the ones that attack academies. There’s that public opinion side of things again.”
“Tell me what’s on your mind.”
“I keep thinking about what Xavier told us, about how it all happened, and what Phisa said. It’s so sickeningly typical how pretorians act. Always full of themselves, self-righteous, not even willing to listen…”
“Can you really say that most of us are any better?”
“We have the ideal to be. That has to count for something.”
“Garder. I’m not going to coddle you about this anymore. I’m worried, and I want you to see a counselor. You aren’t handling things, and you need help. It’s not your fault, you know. Caeden and the war have done things to me, as well. But you have to talk about it.”
“Is that just your professional opinion, or an order?” He took a breath and added, “I’m fine. The last week has been crazy. That’s all.”
“Of course, I can promote you, find you a place off the frontlines. We could always use another strategist.”
“I don’t think Dad or the others would have it. The battlefield’s where I belong, where I can do the most good. Besides… We both know I’m not ‘emotionally stable’ enough for that kind of position.”
“But…”
“Come on. It’s true. If I haven’t lost my mind yet, I certainly would while sitting behind a desk. Out there, at least I can manage my emotions.”
“Just take care of yourself. So many people care about you.”
“Yeah. I will.”
“Are you staying up with us, to share some ideas?”
“Nah. Sounds like a good way to honor the previous general, but I think I’m going to get some rest. Tell me what you come up with.”
“All right. See you in the morning, then.”
Milla gave him a parting nod, and headed back in.
But Garder didn’t find his temporary room and go to bed. Instead, he headed to the nearest Angel armory. He was losing his appetite for sleep.
At three in the morning, as most of the war council at the top of the tower continued into the quiet hours, Gregory Hekens finally left the meeting and went to his room, figuring he had contributed everything—and what little he could—for the first night of planning.
Exhausted, and with his jacket on his arm, he opened his door and went inside one of the many hotel rooms that housed the building’s visiting officers. It was dark inside for only a moment before the lights flicked on.
Frightened, he looked around and quickly noticed Garder, standing in the corner and partially covered in lightweight, dark gray armor.
“Mr. Nolland? W-what are you doing here? I… I don’t have a summary of the meeting for you yet, if that’s what you’re after.”
“I need you to bring me somewhere, Mr. Mayor,” Garder said in a tone that made it an order. “Relax. You won’t get in trouble for it.”
“At this hour? Where could you possibly want to go?”
Garder produced a demirriage scroll from his coat pocket, and tossed it to the hotel room floor where it rolled out and began to charge under the lights. Hekens, notorious for fearing the transportation method, already looked quite nervous—and Garder’s behavior wasn’t helping.
But his guest spoke calmly, “You’re worried about your son, aren’t you? I haven’t been the only one suffering sleepless nights.”
“I don’t know what you’re…”
“It’s another one of those secrets among the council that I happen to have found out on my own. You two aren’t on the best of terms right now. So much so that, despite your insistence not to, he went to Evirtide to pursue his goal of becoming an alchemagist. Of course, he had to falsify his identity as to not be associated with an Angel supporter.”
Hekens swallowed his guilt and replied, “Y-yes… It’s true. And it’s been rough on me ever since the stories about the school started getting out. But there was nothing I could do… A-are you… planning on pulling him out of there? I knew it was an impossible request, so I never…”
“I’m not going there to search every room to find the little punk—but I might still give him a better chance to escape on his own.”
“H-how? What are you going to do?”
Garder took his belt off of Heken’s bed, who hadn’t even noticed it prior. Attached were two sheaths, an alchemagi blade in each of them. Once Garder had tightened and buckled the belt, he provided an answer.
“I’m done holding back and being patient. I’m going to kill every pretorian and guardsman still in that school.”
“What? By yourself?”
“It’s time they pay for Rivia, and N, and Hescuro, and so much else. I don’t care about protocols, or chain of command, or, hell, I don’t think I’m past committing a few war crimes at this point. I’m just being honest with you, Gregory. You’re intelligent, well-versed in history and negotiation, but ultimately, usually spineless in direct confrontation. I know you won’t resist. There’s a good chance you’ll even willingly help me.”
“I worry about Jeremi, but if I help you commit some atrocity…”
Garder let out an angry sigh and replied, “You and Milla go on and on about this. Guardfall might’ve been a band of barbarians who swung around clubs and maces to bring out primal fear about the savage old ways in their enemies, but at least they were never soft on them.”
“Is that what you think our entire opposition to the Guard represents? You want us to be just as bad as they’ve been? We can’t lose our sense of humanity, Mr. Nolland. The ways we fight matter, and—”
Garder, seemingly towering over Hekens, cut him off, “Ah, there it is. Your argumentative side, that needs to always be right. That’s one of the reasons you drove both your kid and your wife away, isn’t it? I know you have fresh enough memories of the academy. You went there together as a family, just before she suspiciously died. I need that mental image of yours.”
Hekens stepped back, and reluctantly replied, “Jeremi… showed promise as an alchemagist. She wanted to let him see the school when he was five, but I disagreed with sending him so far from home, and I had my own reservations about the Guard and their grip on Evirtide. It’s true that we were fighting often by then, but… I never did anything to hurt her.”
“I don’t care about your spousal failings. Just take me there.”
“I…” Hekens sighed and shook his head, now feeling quite afraid and intimidated. “I didn’t go in the school. I refused. I just waited outside.”
Garder let out an agitated grunt, thought for a moment, and then said, “Good enough. You’re the only means I have. I wouldn’t make Xavier revisit the place so soon. I’m sorry for being forceful, but I must insist.”
“You can’t just walk in through the front door. You’re going to get yourself killed! I know you want revenge, but this isn’t…”
The carriage finished forming, and Hekens turned to look. He then felt a tightness on his wrist, and looked down to see that Garder was nearly crushing it—as he gave him a cold gaze. The former mayor felt helpless.
Off in the west and across the ocean, night was falling on City M. Six Guardsmen stood outside the school’s large front door, having just taken their shift. Their breath visible, they rubbed their hands to keep them warm. The building was quieter than it had been over the last few days, with many of the students now under control, although tension still remained.
While they made idle banter and joked about some of the recent punishments they had handed down onto unruly teenagers, a demirriage suddenly appeared on the stone tiles at the bottom of the steps. The area illuminated only by a few dozen torches, the carriage began to fade quickly. One figure stepped out, while the other, in a panic, hurriedly slammed his palm on the invisible button and disappeared with the mythical transport.
“Identify yourself!” the highest-ranking of the lot commanded as his men readied their rifles and blades. “Stay right there—don’t move!”
As the three swordsmen advanced down the stairs, Garder reached for the active alchemagi blade and took up a ready stance. With three fingers at his right and a weapon on his left, he couldn’t help but grin.
