Chương 128: Chapter 127- The Brother

Darian's POV Darian Emberholdt rode in the van of a host of warriors, the thunder of hundreds of ridgeback claws tearing into the road behind him, as they galloped at a furious pace. He was riding at the front of a reinforced battalion, the most the Imperial army could muster at an early notice on the distant frontier, but far more than a patrol company. It would be enough. His eyes narrowed as he glared at the path before him. If it wasn't enough, he would make sure it was enough.

It had been nearly a week since the beacon for Emerald Grove had been lit, sending the detachment stationed at Ashford into turmoil. The Captain of the garrison was a well known and seasoned veteran, not the kind to jump at shadows, so if he had lit his beacon the town was likely in dire need of assistance.

Darian had jumped at the chance to have his company lead the response force, he had to practically beg the regimental commander for the opportunity, and the man nearly refused him until he had explained that his sister had been out on her first patrol in the area. She was half the reason he had chosen Ashford as his first posting after the academy anyways, even if he knew she had Lady Blackhall as her minder for the mission he couldn't help but worry.

Especially since if I know Astra I'll find her in the middle of it. The battalion had only taken a single day to march, and another to reach Theron's watch, but when they arrived the local guard Captain had been surprised to see them, since no word of anything unusual had arrived yet. His mind drifted back to the conversation as he rode." I am sorry that I have nothing to report, my Lord.

True we usually don't go more than a few days without traders from Emerald Grove, but they have closed their gates before for beast attacks from the reach, and the traders usually arrive a couple days later with stories of some massive boar being killed out on the plains." Darian had grunted in frustration at the man, " Really? Nothing unusual at all?"

There was no army garrison in Theron's Watch since the city had no fracture, but he had tried to remind himself that the man was still well respected, not a political creature like so many that he had had to deal with in the capital, Count Ebonclast ran a tight ship. The man paused for a second, lost in thought as he drummed his fingers on the table between them a couple times before speaking, " Well yes, but not for Emerald Grove."

He chuckled at the look Darian had given him while holding up a placating hand, " I am not trying to deceive you my Lord, I'm just not sure if it's relevant?" Darian shrugged, "Point taken, I shall decide for myself. The Captain leaned forward over the table and spoke in a low voice," It's Whittenburg… It has been over a week since we last received any travelers from that town. Long enough that I have considered sending a messenger of my own even if it is not my place to do so."

The Captain cocked his head as Darian rose to leave immediately, " Then we take the road through Whittenburg." A warm breeze swept across the road brought him back to the present as it stirred his hair and brought the scent of pine and wildflowers, the pleasant scents jarring against the emotions roiling inside him. The scene he had found at Whittenburg had been bad enough, but the report from Baron Grunveldt had been horrifying.

Pride warred with the anxious tension in his heart, pride at the tale of Astra's valiant stand pushing back the monster tide, and fear at her facing whatever monsters were responsible for it alone. For all her strength and talent she was still young, and had not yet been exposed to the darker side of this world, and it was not hard to imagine her response to such atrocities. The situation had improved, yes they had stopped the tides, but the reports of what had come a day later were mixed and confusing.

There were tales of an unnatural storm on the horizon, and some kind of enormous beam of light that split the sky sending ripples down the ring above. Most of the observers had disagreed on the color and shape, but the pair of mages he had interrogated had told him that they had felt an immense surge of mana coming from that direction, and they had been even more worried about the silence that had followed.

When the battalion had left the town, the Baron was putting a weapon in the hand of everyone with the strength to hold one, and as Darian had left, racing across the fields, the top of the town's walls had been packed with fearful citizens, determined to protect their home. The Baron's final words had haunted Darian for half a day since as his men rode through the night at a breakneck pace." I do not know if it means they won or lost, all I know is that if they failed there may be another Great Breach coming…

and may the Ancients watch over us all if that day comes." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Another Great Breach… if the old gods are still out there I hope they are watching, we could use a little help this time." My Lord! We found something in the treeline ahead!"

Darian snapped out of his reverie as one of the scouts approached, turning at a gesture as he urged his mount to follow the man, racing ahead of the formation as a horn called to slow their pace. As he rounded a bend Darian slowed to halt as they came across the site of a large battle against an entrenched position.

His gaze raced across the scene, taking in the entire hillside swiftly as his eyes darted from place to place, trenches, a bunker in the trees, burned and battle scarred trees studded with arrows, their fletchings pointing away from the road. An ambush, likely opening with ranged fire, support mages clustered in the bunker at the crest of the hill. His eyes fell to a neat line of bodies arranged next to the road, with care taken to straighten the limbs and leave the fallen with a sense of dignity.

Some of the tension in his chest eased as he ran his eyes across the heads of the fallen, not catching sight of any of the familiar red curls he was searching for. A slight smile crossed his face as Darian considered the scene, the kindness being shown to a devious opponent who ambushed her men from the cover of the woods practically sang of the way she thought, always showing grace to others even when they wronged her.

The voice of his executive officer came from beside him as she pulled her back alongside his, asking in a low voice, " Darian, did you want to stop here and search?" He shook his head, " No. We do not stop until we find her." She turned and pumped her fist into the air in a pattern before pointing down the road, and a horn sounded in the distance, calling for the battalion to ride double time once more.

"... by the Ancients…" The battalion had just crossed through the treeline into the estate's valley, and the sight that greeted them was alarming. The vineyards around the castle had been torn open, an enormous crater in the ground open to the sky, partially bisecting one portion of the castle wall that collapsed into the earth and stone pit below.

The evidence of a massive explosion could be seen as fencing and foliage had fallen outwards in a ring around the crater, and several of the fields now contained large boulders that had been tossed free and scattered about the valley. Murmurs and raised hands pointing upwards drew Darian's gaze to the sky as he gasped at a sight he had never seen before, as something hung in the air high above the castle. … Some kind of fracture? A small one, or one not fully formed?

I have never seen one that did not touch the ground before… A curl of grey white drifted past the pane of shattered and distorted air, and Darian eyes followed it downwards as he spotted the drifting pillars of smoke coming from the courtyard of the distant castle." Lord Emberholdt. Your orders?" Darian tore his gaze away for the castle to look over at Lysette and point, " We make for the keep."

As the battalion approached the castle Darian glanced around at the scene, confused at what he was seeing. Clearly a heavy battle had taken place, evidenced by the massive hole that had been in the portcullis, the edges clearly melted and a small mound of slag that had been piled to the edge of the pathway, but there were civilians everywhere.

A group of children ran past the battalion out into a patch of grass outside, while a handful of them stopped and stared at the mounted warriors as they rode past, one little boy stopping to give them a salute before running off to join his friends. A squad of soldiers was working on the gate, a few men taking down one damaged door as another group was carrying a repaired one over to be fitted to the hinges.

Neat lines of awning stood across the courtyard sheltering rows of cots from the midday sun as injured men and women rested beneath them, the occasional healer's assistant drifting up and down the aisles. Campfires were scattered across the courtyard with clumps of refugees sitting beside them, and while more than a few were quiet, looking into the fire with haunted stares, more than a few were speaking back and forth with an unexpected cheer given their worn and tattered clothing.

Many of the fires sported large pots, some groups of refugees were taking boiling water and washing soiled clothing, as others tended a neat row of cookfires at the back while a tall man watched over them, directing their efforts. The normal banners of house Whitten had been torn down, the smoldering pile of burnt cloth in one corner of the yard looking suspiciously the right size for a collection of banners, and a single solitary banner hung above the door to the main estate.

Far too small for the placement, the banner was clearly meant to be hung on a portable standard, but it brought a smile to his face all the same as he saw the Emberholdt crest, roughly embroidered to match Astra's personal crest, waving in the breeze filling the air with the soft sound of rustling cloth and quiet cracks that underpinned the low sounds of the bustling activity all around them.

His company came to a halt in the center of the courtyard, as the rest of the battalion filed into the courtyard behind them. A short woman with dark hair left the cook station and gave him a jaunty wave before darting into the main keep, as a few uniformed soldiers came forward offering to guide them to a place to stable their mounts.

A few more approached, but as the short woman returned back out the front door of the keep he walked straight past them, his gaze fixed on the figure that exited the wide open doors for he had eyes for nothing else. His sister strode into the courtyard, looking tired but smiling, her armor bearing quite a few more scars than it had the last time he had seen her.

She was accompanied by a tall young man, and a small wyvern of all things, and her group was flanked by a pair of guards, but he paid them no mind as the fist around his heart finally eased as he caught sight of Astra. A smile bloomed on his face as hers brightened at the sight of him as she came to a halt, drawing heels together to slam one fist to her breastplate in a salute as she spoke." A fine sight you make Captain Emberholdt, we were…"

Her words were cut off as he stepped forward and Darian drew her into an embrace hugging her tight to his chest for a long moment, only speaking a single word." Astra."