Chapter 29: General Sir!
Riley luxuriated in the feeling of having had a full night’s sleep.
With a stretch, she yawned and scanned around. Like much of the castle she had seen, their room was spartan. No art adorned the walls, nor was there any hint of paint or color. The grey slab floors were the same color as the grey slab walls and grey slab ceilings.
Their bed had a predictably grey blanket with a mattress that felt as if it were stuffed with straw, which suited her fine.
Before the foot of the bed was a rough-hewn chest, and to her right was a window that looked out on other tenement-style buildings, offering no real view of the parade grounds or the world below.
“But at least we have a window this time, three in fact,” she said to herself.
Tobias was busy in the next room, working through his sword forms and going through a type of moving meditation. She could feel each swipe and jab through their connection.
Form 1, Form 2, Form 3.... It was his favorite way to start the day, which inspired her to seek her calm.
Hopping off the bed and working herself into a convenient corner, she sat up on her hindpaws, folding her forepaws into an inverted V before closing her eyes.
Breathe in, breathe out, don’t control, watch... She whispered within before finding her rhythm as her world quieted.
Thoughts bubbled to the surface, no humanity, Westphalia, but she let them float by like flotsam on a river.
Particles began to light within her inner vision, slowly at first, until she had a picture of the space around her made out of dancing motes of light and interwoven bands of various colors forming walls and furniture.
Out in the distance, a fierce light glowed like a lighthouse, pulling bands of ether, twisting into gossamer helices streaming toward it.
The Ghostlight Tower!
How can the world be so beautiful and so ugly at the same time?
The question stuck in her mental river, forcing her to refocus.
Some questions just didn’t seem to have an answer...
Distantly, she felt Tobias finish his sword practice, and then, a closeness drew her focus.
With building curiosity, she opened her eyes only to see Tobias sitting across from her, legs crossed and hands draped over his knees, sitting on their bedroll.
His eyes opened in concert with hers as a smile chased across his face, “Good morning.”
The sound of his actual voice felt startling as his lips moved. Still, her ears flattened as she cocked her head and projected her words, “Good morning. How was practice?”
“Centering, yours?” He replied, stretching.
“Centering,” Riley echoed with a nod, “The same things as always bubbled up, though.”
“We should check in with Sparky. It’s been a few days, and the prompts have been quiet,” Tobias' eyes were serious as he focused in on Riley.
“She has been quiet,” Riley admitted, looking up for prompts, noticing for the first time there hadn’t been any.
The wisp form of her construct appeared in their shared vision, 'It's been chill, and these things will keep. You’re still recovering from the soul burn.'
“Is that all it is?” Tobias prompted as Riley’s unease tossed her stomach into somersaults.
'You two are also hella reckless. I don’t want you to kill yourselves because you got a cool new power,' Sparky replied, blinking blue, which felt to Riley like concern.
“We got a cool new power?” She asked, offering the question like an olive branch.
'No. Your growth is hampered by that shard you absorbed. What part of ‘your souls have undergone serious trauma’ is a hard concept to grasp?' Sparky admonished.
“How bad is bad? We don't we have a timer, or anything. Could this be permanent? ” Tobias worried.
''You'll be fine if you let yourselves heal. Try to avoid any more fights with dragons, and if you do, pull from the ether, not your selves. Now let a girl rest. I'm enjoying the quiet.' Sparky began to fade, almost as if dematerializing, only for a timer to appear.
"She's definitely got your sass down," Tobias grinned.
"Totally," Riley glowered within.
Their eyes both ticked up toward the health bar in their overlay, in perfect mimicry of the other.
Soul Burn: Estimated time to full healing is 48hr 32min.
'Ciao for now!' Sparky replied, her voice drifting like a ghostly echo across their shared connection.
"You're still uncomf...” Tobias began.
“It's a hard dynamic for me to come to terms with, but I’m trying. I was nice!” Riley interrupted, taking the defensive.
“You were trying, but that might be why she’s being so quiet. Same thing as with that old debuff, Prompt Brevity,” Tobias pushed.
“I know,” Riley looked down, feeling lost, “But I’m getting more ok with it. There’s just a lot of changes in my world right now, and that’s kinda saying a lot.”
“And you’ve been thinking about Westphalia a lot,” Tobias added.
“Yeah, and how badly the bronze are treated, and well, people in general here. I’ve got all this power, but I still feel powerless. It’s weird, and I don’t like it,” Riley’s ears drooped.
“I don’t like it either, but we do the best we can. We might have power, but we don’t have a lot of opportunity,” Tobias countered.
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“There you go, being all cool and logical,” Riley grumped.
Tobias threw up his hands, “Saving the kingdom is one thing. Saving the world is another.”
Riley grumbled and decided to change the subject.
“So, breakfast? You’re still too skinny.”
She pointed a paw towards visible ribs and a muscled yet bony physique that was usually hidden by his armor.
Tobias shrugged, “You live off fruit, and I live off jerky. It’s not like you’re plump. Though Gods know how you avoid it,”
Teasingly, he poked her in the ribs.
Riley swatted his hands, “Turns out terror and running for your life is good cardio.”
Tobias patted his empty stomach, “When Humbert drops by, maybe he can direct us to a tavern on the grounds? I miss the Hidden Blade. They loaded you down for a few coppers.”
“And free refills on your tea,” Riley prompted.
“Yeah, it was nice,” Tobias looked out of the one window in their bedroom to be rewarded with a lovely view of the wall of the building next door.
“I doubt there’s anything like that here. This place would give the Spartans a run for their money,” Riley stretched.
“But they still have to feed people,” Tobias countered, producing two spears of tenganut and offering one out to Riley.
“Thank you,” she said, taking it between her front paws and nibbling it down, “You have a point. Maybe they have a cafeteria where they dispense nutrient paste or something.”
She felt him reach hard for her side of the connection before chuckling, “Maybe.”
A distant knock echoed off the spartan walls, causing Tobias to produce his pocket watch from his inventory.
His brow furrowed, “If that’s Humbert, he’s early.”
Sending away his pocket watch, he pulled an undershirt next and worked it on as Riley followed him into the main room before stopping, keeping herself out of sightline for the door.
Tobias looked back towards her and nodded before opening it slowly.
“General Ecbert, sir,” Tobias stood at attention before turning to stand beside the door, allowing him in.
He strode in, eyes darting towards Riley as he took up the center of the room, “It smells like a training room in here.”
“I was just going over my sword forms, sir,” Tobias explained, shutting the door.
“Diligence is a good practice. What’s your status? Are you fully equipped?” He rubbed at his chin, much the same way Tobias did.
“We’re waiting on my armor. It’s a custom job,” Riley explained, doing her best to imitate attention, sitting up stiffly on her hind paws.
“That would be Ranger Edith’s domain then. Time frame?” He asked as if strategizing.
“Three days,” they both said in unison.
“Understood,” He produced a folded and sealed piece of paper and set it down on their table, “I have your orders. You’re to be detailed back to Calaria and serve out of the capital. You’ll receive the normal payment of a gold each month, plus any bounties on whatever monsters you take down. Your primary mission will remain unchanged. The Strongest of All wants you hunting Chadrick, so that is what you will be doing. You’ll meet with your direct report later this afternoon. We’re bringing him in.”
“Permission to speak, sir?” Tobias asked.
Ecbert seemed to chew on the question before spitting out, “Proceed.”
Taking out a chair from the table, he sat it against the wall before sitting down in it.
“Most likely our hunt will involve travel and other expenses. We may have need of the dragon service. May I ask how that’s handled, sir?” Tobias asked.
“Your official orders also come with a requisition authorization with the royal seal. You’ll be able to billet in any barracks in the land and supply out of local stores. Use a tavern or inn at your discretion, and reasonable expenses will be considered and reimbursed,” There was a strange glint in his eye as he spoke, a lurking yet gleeful menace.
‘He’s gone from asshole to officer robot,’ Riley noted over their shared connection.
“And we’re being exiled. We always knew we were going to be on the hunt, but he’s cutting us out. We’re being specially detailed. I think we’re being managed,” Tobias whispered back to her alone.
“Thank you, sir,” he finally said aloud.
“Uh, General, may I speak?” Riley asked, holding up her paw.
“It’s General, sir,” he glowered, his eyes narrowing with a familiar hate.
“Sorry, uh... General, sir, may I...” she began.
“Spit it out,” He snapped.
“Can we take Humbert? We can house him in Astor Hall, and if we give him a Com Crystal, he can act as a liaison. You’d almost never have to see us,” Riley offered like an olive branch.
“And there you go, trying to save the world again,” Tobias mused between them.
Ecbert’s eyes lit up before rubbing at his chin again, “I will allow it.”
“Thanks, General, sir,” Riley slowed down those two particular words as if making sure they were heard.
Ecbert frowned.
“That will be all,” He stiffened as he stood and went to make his way out.
“Just one more question, General, sir,” Tobias prompted.
“Be quick about it!” Ecbert snapped as if his magnanimity was on a time limit.
“With all due respect, we weren’t raised here, nor do we know the grounds. How will we be returning to the castle? Should we make our way back to the portal we came through?” Tobias asked.
“You’ll deploy from here. I will escort you myself in three days as I have business in the Ashenrealm. Be ready,” Ecbert snarled before storming out.
“He really hates us, but he’s trying to hide it,” Riley said, her worry strumming between the two of them.
“He does, and that worries me, but at least we’re going home,” Tobias said, reaching for the bright side.
Striding over to the table, he broke the seal and began scanning over their official orders.
His eyes went wide, “Riley, these orders come directly from the throne, the Strongest of All, not the General.”
“So that’s why he’s pissed. They’re riding roughshod over him,” Riley’s ears perked as she put it together.
“And that’s probably just for starters, more politics,” Tobias agreed as he read through it all again.
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