-Callia-
As we reached the gates to the outer city, most of the men let themselves collapse in relief behind friendly walls. The long run leading into a brief but intense fight before breaking away into another extended run would’ve completely wiped me out previously, but the surge in my stamina had trivialized the comparison. Looking over my stats now, my vitality has gone from a clear weakness to my greatest strength. I'm better suited as an endurance tank than an agility fighter. My internal contemplation of stat distribution is interrupted as the men around me snap back to attention. The High Priest strides over to the group as the last man to return, having acted as the rearguard in our withdrawal. He calls the paladins to relax and signals me to follow him as he passes through the gatehouse and back into the city.
“Excellent work on the front. You possess an impressive array of masteries: kicking, punching, martial arts, archery, and even spearmanship.” The undertone to his compliment made me narrow my eyes at him briefly. I picked up on his emotions, a faint feeling of guilt, combined with admiration but overshadowed heavily by determination. My guess was the compliment was genuine, but it was a statement preceding a difficult request. “I have a task that I need you to handle, but it won’t be easy. As you can see, most of the men are exhausted after launching that attack, which makes now the perfect time for the enemy to seize the city’s stockpile and turn the situation back against us.” I nod along as I start to get an understanding of what he wants.
“Before we attacked, I informed the allied captains at the other main gates to secure and hide their food, which means the only valid target is our granary. Denying them the food is easy, but instead I plan to give an opening. If they want to transport food in the quantities they need, Isolan, the warden of the vaults and a master of space magic, will have to act personally.” My hand rubs my chin thoughtfully. It wasn’t hard to picture who they were talking about. It was the space mage who was able to seal and shield the vault. I could see why Norold wanted to be rid of the man in the grand scheme of things. He was at the very least a threat on the tactical level that required careful planning around. Still, it was that very value that made me question if they would really risk him in such a risky move. He must’ve seen the question on my face before I could even ask it.
“With our resistance as hasty as it is, moving things just visibly enough for plans to leak is almost easier than assuring absolute silence. The plan is relatively simple: we will tail along with the convoy if they act, then I will confront his escorts along with the paladins who are strong enough to fight again. You will wait for an opportunity to remove Isolan and signal our withdrawal.” As he finished the general summary of the plan, he carefully unstrapped the warhorn that had signaled our previous retreat and set it in my hands. As I gripped the horn, the difference in how my help was requested settled on me. Before I was given a choice, but now it was clear this was an order. I had already made my choice in accompanying the men in the fields. Still, this was too big to back out of. I suspect the part of me that always dove headfirst into trouble without regard for the scale was acting up again, but then again this wasn’t quite the same.
I fall in step behind Norold as he leads the way to gather the rest of the team. There is a pair of familiar figures standing central in the group; Galen and Nokin both turn as they notice our arrival. Nokin’s eyes shifted back and forth nervously like he was waiting for one of the paladins around him to jump out and stab him. However, the most important thing I saw was the bundle of equipment that Nokin was clutching to his chest. I ignore the two leaders greeting each other and beeline right for the goods. I stop right in front of Nokin and hold out my hand expectantly.
“Thanks for holding on to my gear.” I made sure to lace my words with excessive quantities of sarcasm and sweetness. He doesn’t hesitate in the slightest, tossing the weapons into my arms. While I promptly strapped my gear back to my armor, Nokin snorted derisively.
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“Next time don’t be in such haste to run off with someone with a black record of obedience to evil.” I could see him glaring over at Norold, but I wasn’t interested in the crazy man’s nonsense. I let a bit of condescension creep into my voice as I vented my unresolved feelings about my extra-long sleeping arrangement.
“Right, instead I should just wait in a beaten-down room for years on end, assuming everyone is a double or triple agent and that nobody can come to realize they have made a mistake.” I can tell my words hit a sore spot as he flinches when I call out his years of waiting. I softened up a bit as I continued my statement. “We are all human, which means that we will make mistakes. Don’t judge someone by their ignorance but by how they act when given the truth.” I probably had no moral ground to make such broad and absolute statements, but it was a moral truth that felt right to me. As I finished strapping my weapons back in place, I noticed the others moving to follow Norold and Galen.
“Regardless of our mistakes, we stand together now.” I held up my hand, and Nokin firmly grasped it. The paranoia in his eyes faded, filled with determination and appreciation. I couldn’t help the smile that crept up my lips. “Be careful out there, old man. I’d like to see everyone again after we’ve won.”
“All my life I’ve waited for this moment. I suppose I shouldn’t be too upset now that my long-held wish is finally in motion. It’s been a long time since my blood has pumped quite like this.” I gave a wide predatory smile to the old man that he shared with me before turning away and working my way through the paladins to catch up with the head of the formation. It didn’t take long for our formation to get led into an abandoned church. Well, it wasn’t quite abandoned, but it was in a state of long-term deterioration. It’s easy to see none of the paladins present are happy with the state of the building, but nobody says anything since more pressing matters are at hand. Most of the men settle in quietly in the space below, while a select few are led into the bell tower. I take a moment to appreciate the view over the roofs of the city with the others before Norold speaks up.
“The convoy will begin in the warehouse there.” He points off into the distance, and I watch as he traces the route that just happens to be perfectly visible from the bell tower the whole way. “We’ll wait in the church and engage as soon as you spot them.” He continued, though this part was directed at the scouts who entered the tower with me. “Paladin Callia, as an experienced huntress, I’ll trust you can plan out your positioning for the ambush.” I gave the others a salute before jumping from the tower, lightly dispersing my impact on the roof. With swift, silent strides, I closed the distance to the warehouse, maneuvering from rooftop to rooftop before settling quietly in a house near the route. I smiled a bit as an old skill that hadn’t had a chance to shine recently finally got put back to use: Instinct Tracking. I knew my target; now I just needed to follow along at a distance while waiting for my prey.
The warehouse doors slid open, and the men pulling the massive food-stuffed carts set off down the streets. I blended in along the alleys of the neighboring streets, letting my body slide from shadow to shadow. The carts slowly worked their way uphill as the large escort of normal guards watched every angle with weapons drawn, ready for trouble. Should they make it to the outer wall of the citadel, it would be easy to move it without interference from the central tower. I noticed the light of the tower fading rapidly far too early for a normal day cycle. I glanced towards the inner tower's great light and confirmed that it was being forcefully rotated to make it night early. Just as darkness sets in, my skill finally succeeds in locking on to my target; he was here.
I looked upward and couldn't help but snort. Seeing my prey, I had to ask myself, "What was the point of redirecting the central light if you were going to ride the floating platforms straight to your objective?" In total, a strike force of ten paladins accompanied by around twenty vault guards floated over in the most obvious fashion imaginable. However, despite the arrogance of their arrival, I couldn't help the chill running up my spine as I saw the familiar duo I had fought against to reclaim my freedom. Seeing how many they sent, I had to reconsider if it was arrogance or simply an understanding that quiet was never an option.
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