This young officer exhibits exceptional potential, the likes of which are rarely encountered in the service. It is through her superior command and tactical acumen alone that this battalion has emerged intact from the recent engagements with the Kingdom Hussars. Lieutenant Ela Madrigal demonstrates an almost uncanny knack for maneuvering the enemy into positions of great disadvantage. This strategic brilliance has afforded her troops the opportunity to vanquish the foe piecemeal or, when circumstances have demanded, to execute a masterful withdrawal in good order. I am unequivocally persuaded of her merits and do most earnestly recommend her advancement to the rank of senior lieutenant. Furthermore, it is my firm conviction that her appointment to my staff would be a boon to our shared cause and an asset of the first order. – Colonel Rael Parn, commander of the Black Rocks Battalion, three days before his death
PALLUS
Princess Illana stormed into the Golden Observatory with Sonya, Pallus, Morelli, and Rin in tow. General Lopanes and his staff snapped to attention, but they shared confused and uneasy looks. Colonel Umbretti, the senior Republican liaison officer, was the only one in the room who looked unperturbed by the sudden appearance of the princess.
“Your highness, I thought you’d taken ill. I’m very pleased to see you’re feeling well enough to join us,” General Lopanes said, walking up to Princess Illana. Rin moved next to the princess, staring at the general with murder in his eyes.
“I believe the rangers were tasked with scouting for the army. Perhaps you should see to that,” General Lopanes said in a dismissive tone.
“The Purists infiltrated my personal guard. The Heroes here as well as Ranger Morelli stopped them before they harmed me,” the princess said.
“Your highness, you can’t believe that the Purists infiltrated the Capitol Army,” General Lopanes protested. “We’ve been out of the city for training for the past several weeks.”
“General, as of right now, everyone who has not proved themselves to me is under suspicion,” Princess Illana said. “I will directly observe your actions to ensure that my city is being properly defended.”
“I understand your highness, but if you insist on being here, perhaps we should also invite the Chancellor and the Suprema,” General Lopanes said.
“If you want to fetch your patron and his partner, then feel free to do so,” the princess said. “You will tell me what is happening in my city now.” The general looked confused as to whether he should be indignant, angry, or frightened by the princess. Pallus walked between the two of them.
“You, inform the Chancellor that his presence is needed,” Pallus ordered one of the junior staff officers. He pointed to another. “You, go ask the Suprema. General, how is the army progressing against the Purists? Do you need the assistance of the volunteers? I’m afraid we’re standing down the Crystal Guard until we can ascertain if there are other traitors among them.” The intervention gave General Lopanes a chance to get his feet back under him. As the son of his patron, Pallus was a desperately needed bridge between the Chancellor and the infuriated princess.
“If you will join me at the viewing crystals?” General Lopanes said, motioning to the large amethysts. “Upon the Capitol Army’s attack, we routed them back through a good segment of the outer city, but they found their backbones and set up a fierce defense at Blom Square.” Pallus swept the crystal across the current battle lines. Most of the Capitol Army was in the square pouring fire into the Purists’ defenses. The Purists clustered their musketeers behind breastworks stretched across the Boulevard of Light. Spear and sword armed Purists kept the Capitol Army from flanking through the side streets. How had they thrown that up so damned fast? It wasn’t there when Rin dragged him off to go rescue Sonya and the princess.
“What are those?” Princess Illana asked, pointing at the center Purist tower. The lattice-work wooden structures reached fifty feet. At least the one in the main Purist camp and the western tower managed to reach that height. The eastern one was burning.
“We don’t know, your highness,” General Lopanes answered.
“I asked Kurt to investigate them,” Pallus asked. “It looks like he took down–” Pallus’s voice died as he saw the smoldering wreck floating in Lisandra Bay. Pallus looked back at Colonel Umbretti. The human gave Pallus a grim nod of his head.
“What’s the matter, Pallus?” Rin asked.
“I asked him to investigate those towers,” Pallus answered. “The fastest way to get to the Purist lines was across the bay on a Republican ship.”
“Sweet Goddess,” Princess Illana breathed, as she saw the wreckage of the Silk Trader. “What happened? How did they do that?”
“We don’t know, your highness,” Colonel Umbretti said, “One moment, the Trader was unleashing its broadside against that tower, and the next it exploded in fire.” The colonel turned to Rin. “I’m sorry, sergeant, but I doubt there were any survivors.” Princess Illana grabbed Rin in a fierce hug and murmured softly to him. He stroked her hair but didn’t show any emotion.
“Kurt’s dead?” asked a weak voice from the stairwell. Marteen staggered into the Observatory with help from Selene and Robar. His shirt was gone, and his chest was covered in bandages. Red splotches where the blood seeped through gave Marteen the look of someone stricken with pox.
“What are you doing here?” Sonya snarled at Marteen before looking up at Selene. “Why did you bring him here?”
“We didn’t bring him here. He came here all on his own. It was either come with the stubborn bastard or let him kill himself by going alone,” Selene answered.
“Sonya, is Kurt dead?” Marteen asked.
“We don’t know,” Rin answered. “I can still feel him in the medallion, but I can’t see how he survived that.” Pallus recoiled from Rin’s matter of fact tone. Rin was always the most passionate of them, even when he was being an idiot. This calm Rin worried Pallus.
“First Ela, now Kurt,” Marteen said, collapsing to the floor. His face was a mixture of fury and sadness. Sonya and Selene were by his side. Robar looked at wife with an impassive face, but there was anger behind the man’s eyes. Pallus was sure his own mirrored Robar’s. Of all the pain Marteen put both women through, why did they always rush back to him the moment he showed any vulnerability?
“Ela’s not dead, Marteen” Rin said.
“What are you talking about?”
“Ela was not killed by the Purists,” Rin said. “She joined them. She’s the Edess Kul.”
“You’re lying!” Marteen bellowed. He tried to stand up, but Sonya and Selene managed to force the swordmaster back to the ground. “It’s impossible! Ela wouldn’t do something like this! She wouldn’t kill so many innocent people!”
“She tried to kill me. Or don’t you remember that night?” Princess Illana asked, coolly. Marteen stared at the princess as if she just slapped him. Sonya and Selene glared at the princess. Pallus cleared his throat and waited as everyone looked over at him.
“Marteen, this battle feels like one of Ela’s traps on a much larger scale,” Pallus said, “Jevin always said Ela was the best tactician he’d ever seen.” Pallus turned to General Lopanes.
“Sir, I recommend we bring the rest of the Capitol Army through the gates as fast as possible. We’ll need them to deal with whatever Ela springs on us.”
“Yes, of course,” General Lopanes said, “Major Hikoy, get through the gate and tell Colonel Malliey to execute Case Dark.” The major saluted and sprinted out of the room.
“Case Dark?” Princess Illana asked.
“It’s a plan to quickly mass the Capitol Army back into Lisandra as well as any Frontier Army or noble levies we can get our hands on,” the general explained. The old elf looked over at Colonel Umbretti and smiled. “We planned it in case of an invasion from one of the human nations.”
“I will politely not comment,” Colonel Umbretti said.
“General! The towers!” shouted a lieutenant. Everyone looked out at the towers. Pallus didn’t see anything.
“Why are they glowing?” Princess Illana breathed. Pallus looked harder at the center tower. Yes, there was a very faint glow surrounding the tower. The lieutenant must have very good eyes to pick it out.
“What are you talking about?” Rin asked.
“Rin, can’t you see the glow?” Princess Illana asked, “It’s almost as bright as the sun.” Rin shook his head.
“Your highness, I only see a very faint glow around the towers,” Pallus said. Several of the others agreed. The humans and one of the staff officers couldn’t see the glow.
“Interesting,” Robar said.
THROOM!
Pallus heard just an instant of the incredible sound before his hearing was reduced to ringing. It was worse than when Rin fired off his damned guns. For a moment, Pallus thought he was blind as well, until Rin struck one of those new matchsticks. The small flame lit up the Observatory. Pallus felt relieved that he wasn’t blind when he realized the Observatory was completely dark – in the middle of the day.
Then came the screaming. As lamps were lit, Pallus saw Selene on the floor screaming and thrashing, her dark eyes filled with terror. Sonya and Marteen were by her side trying to soothe her. Pallus saw their lips moving, but their voices were too low to hear. Robar, to Pallus’s surprise, was not next to his wife. Instead, he was walking around the Observatory studying the walls. Everyone, from the veteran army officers to the lowly stewards, looked somewhere between scared and uneasy. Even the humans looked worried.
“And the trap is sprung,” Pallus said.
