Two days had passed since the soldiers returned from beyond the walls of the border town of Oght. The day had been long, and the paperwork was getting worse by the day. Right now, Lenny and the general of the 4th Brigade were sharing various internal reports and reports from different brigades stationed beyond the wall. After the colossal attack on the city little just two weeks ago, the brigades and their generals had managed to stabilize the situation to a large extent.
"Thanks to the wizard and his runes, the recovery has exploded." Indeed, Dörk's contribution had helped speed up the stabilization process. Thus, soldiers who were already on the verge of recovery were being redeployed. And because of the heavy casualties and the loss of an entire battalion in terms of manpower, some had to be redeployed to different parts, trying to balance the numbers. This was a good way to cover the gaps, but it created gaps for the other brigades. Except for the 03rd brigade, which refused to receive or give, but only to redistribute its soldiers equally among the teams.
"So about 9 out of 10 soldiers are ready to be discharged from the infirmary. Those with more serious injuries are advancing in the recovery process... At the same time, due to the schedule, I was unable to inform you about the attack in the previous days. We have 9 dead and 6 wounded: bullet wounds, cuts, and moderate injuries."
"And in proportion to their number, a complete disaster. Eeh... Looks like we have to wait for that transport after all." Lenny agreed as he searched through the papers in his hand and handed over the one Nowak requested. "You're free to go, Lenny, and good night."
And his second in command just nodded back. "Thanks you sir. As well to you."
Minutes passed and Nowak had read the report twice. Perhaps Lenny would dismiss the incident as mere misfortune, but Nowak knew that would be beneath his intellect; after all, there was a reason he was among his seconds. This was simply the luck of the draw for his soldiers. They had intercepted a team of enemy scouts, further north of the city. Now Nowak was standing and looking out at the night beyond his window, imagining out of nowhere that his son was standing next to him. No, it was a memory, a déjà vu from the back of his mind because of another moment in the past similar to this one. And looking at the paper, this time his gaze falling on the name the stone building was named after.
"Well—something for something, I suppose."
Nowak had left the office, taking with him only the sword he had tied to his hip, and searched the building. "Damn, I sent Lenny away." The hallway was dimly lit by small lamps attached to the wall, but it was bright enough for him to find his way. Even though it was dark, I don't think it was even 7 o'clock. The cold mid-autumn air wasn't blowing very hard in the south, but night was falling like any other.
He didn't even have to say anything to his subordinates; the soldiers opened the garrison gate at his presence. It was quite against the rules for him to walk alone as a general, but the city was well protected, so there was no need for guards.
"General."
Parka. Coming from the direction he was walking, he appeared from around a corner with a soldier carrying a lamp. "Good to see you, officer. We haven't seen each other since this morning."
He just nodded in response. "It should be clear. You said that Limp and I should check the redistribution of soldiers in the process of discharge and those who are recovering."
Nowak was pleased with Parka. "I am happy to have officers like you. But I think it's time for you to retire for the night." As the two men walked away, they waved goodbye.
Parka could only accept the time off, proudly seeing the general's kindness in releasing him from his duties. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." The officer saluted the man as the distance between them grew and he disappeared from view around the turn of the corner. Nowak made his way through the city saluting guards now and then but in the end reaching his first destination-- the hospital.
Stepping under the lights of the corridor, the abandoned university now converted into a central infirmary for all the brigades, General Nowak climbed a familiar set of stairs located in the corner behind the room, aiming to reach the second floor, directly to the offices and laboratories used by the doctors. Before he could reach the intended floor, he came face to face with one of the wizards. "Good evening, General."
"Likewise." But Nowak was in a hurry, and the wizard could see that, so he didn't try to push the conversation further. Reaching the top of the stairs, he turned slightly to the right and in a few steps reached the lounge. He didn't even need to knock on the door; he was a general, after all, and could take anyone who dared to attract his attention. "Doctor Gin, are you here?"
"In the pantry." But it didn't take long for a doctor, suddenly the same age as the general, to appear in the room. His current salon was more of a laboratory where he and other doctors mixed medicines for the sick, but he still had a desk and chair left behind from the professors and students from its time along.
There was also a nice bed in the corner of the room. "Same old, same old today, General?" Gin broke the ice, readjusting his glasses and shaking hands with the general. Not as a courtesy, but just to check on him. "Looks like the swelling's gone down. Glad you took it easy when I told you to."
"Well, my parents always told me to listen to the doctors, to a certain extent, at least." he said with a shrug. Before Gin could continue, the general sat down in the chair next the desk, stretched out his legs, and settled into a relatively comfortable position. "How did you do this week, old friend?"
Gin didn't bother to walk around the desk and sit in his chair, opting instead to sit on the edge of it. "I'm glad you asked. For starters, we ran out of burn ointment. We would have been out two weeks ago if Dörk and his wizards hadn't come to the rescue." Nowak didn't interrupt, just continued to listen, memorize, and find solutions. Lenny had reported this earlier, but being present with Gin and talking to him allowed him to reach a middle ground solution. Luckily, he could bring more wizards, if possible to the hospital, as he had done throughout the city. "We have vodka if you want. Remember the distillery we found a month ago? We finally have something. Want a shot?"
Nowak just took a deep breath. "Hit me."
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Several minutes passed, but the general still hadn't finished the small glass poured for him. "So.. new rune scrolls for your beds, right?"
Gin nodded, now banging his glass on the desk as a sign he'd finished his drink. "Half of them are already spoiled. So if Dörk can make more, it would be phenomenal for everyone. Anyway, where did you find these people? I haven't asked you that yet."
Nowak's attitude was becoming sleepy, but without answering, he downed the rest of the alcohol in his glass. "A poster left at the guild in the capital and Qelgran. But it's not really worth paying other soldiers, or archers, or snipers, or whatever, you know? So I agreed with a bunch of wizard. Better than any other option..."
"Or elves," Gin said bitterly.
"Oh, come on, Gin. You had a fling with her, and that's it. The whole thing went up in smoke in the morning." Nowak waved his hands dismissively. "And you were drunk!"
Gin could only laugh. "It's always fun to remember, isn't it?" But his smile was waning, still on his lips but his eyes had changed. Now... the memory wasn't so funny anymore. It was Lip's birthday. He had just turned 19. Gin had seen what he had done, Nowak remembered.
"It was his birthday." Nowak confirmed Gin's fears, his emotional wound hardening his face. "Ah... I can't. I CAN'T!" He shouted. "Every time I go to bed—I don't sleep. I think I'm dying of exhaustion staring at the ceiling and passing out..."
Gin now pulled up a chair next to his friend. "I believe you, yes, I believe you." Gin slapped the general on the shoulder and took another swig of vodka straight from the bottle. After passing it to Nowak but the man refused.
"I didn't even tell his mother. Gin, how can I do that?" he whispered to his friend, his voice catching in his throat with every word.
The doctor just nodded his head. "I can go to the capital if you want. Through the portal. I'm sure I'll get permission. I can come with you, at least for a day."
"No, Gin, we can't. I'm not the only one who has suffered losses; some soldiers came together with brothers and will return alone or none at all. I have to stay. Every day until it's done. But.. can you... can you write it for me?"
Gin leaned back, a little self-conscious. Yes, he had to write letters to the families of the deceased, not during the war but when he was a simple doctor at the hospital, explaining a few small things, but writing to Kylida about Lip? The doctor felt a knot forming in his stomach, surely from the vodka plus Nowak's request, but he knew he would carry this knot for a few days, so why not get it over with quickly.
A few minutes passed. Then a few more, until Gin put down his pen and folded the letter. "I tried to make it as good as I can." He reached over to Nowak to hand the letter but he denied it.
"It's.. it's ok. I trust you Gin."
He understood the man and shot nothing back because he couldn't. "I'll send it... By bird in the morning." To which the general gave his approval. And then there was a knock at the door.
"Doctor, are you there?" someone asked, opening the door slightly just to make their voice heard more easily. One of the male nurses who worked on the floor.
"Sure, what's the problem?" The man in the white coat entered, unexpectedly seeing the general, greeting him without a second thought and straightening his posture for his two seniors.
"Sorry to bother you—" but the general showed no sign of being upset, dismissing the man's worries with his hand alone. "One of the soldiers wounded few days ago, died from infection. We found him a minute ago."
"What? How did we miss that?"
"I think he died in his sleep, sir."
Both medical professionals wasted their last breath on the dead man. "Yes, take him to the morgue then. And write down his name."
Nowak's chair creaked as he stood up, interrupting the two. "I think I'll get back to work. See you later, mates." He left the hospital behind, now walking through the city at night, too dark to walk without a flashlight, which he had borrowed from the most generous hospital. He reached the wizards' cul-de-sac, stopping at the first house with the lights on.
His knocking on the door caused someone to stir inside. "Yes?" one of the wizards, Cecil, answered with half opening the door. "Oh, General." He swung the door fully open, somewhat stumbling at the sight of the man in armor and red. "How—how can I help you?"
"Sorry for the unexpected visit. I was at the hospital, talking to a friend, and he needs help tonight. Dörk's scrolls seem to be running on empty, you know what I mean." His voice was friendly. Not angry, not nervous, not impatient. Just making a small request—a subtle order.
"Sure—just a minute, and I'll bring some of the guys."
"Perfect, perfect," the general nodded to the magical man. His foot twitched to step down the stairs to leave, but he remembered. "And please tell me—which house is Dörk staying in, if you don't mind."
The wizard poked his head over the threshold of the house. "Go to the end, and it's the small one with the red roof. You can't miss it." He did not close the door, but just left around the room took to gather his things strewn around: his table, bed, even a chair... But General Nowak had decided it was unimportant at the moment, so he had made a beeline for the wizard's house.
Cecil was right, the house was the only one in the back of the street with a red roof. Classic design, a small window visible from the porch, a lamp hanging from the right doorframe and... a small bench against the wall. Yet it was beautifully crafted from the outside. And as he approached the door and the porch, he saw that it was not intended for humans, but the dimensions were more like for dwarves. The same was true of the door he had just knocked on.
Nowak's ears were good, as he heard a door opening and heavy footsteps on the floor. Hmm... I guess I found the wrong person...
And the door opened inward, the stone and blood construction appearing from behind it. He had no ill-disposition or good cheer on his face, but his eyes met Nowak's directly, as if they were staring at each other through the door even before someone would open it. "General." Nyx's voice echoed in Nowak's mind. "Hello. Any problems?"
Nowak paused briefly to analyze the golem. He was wearing a black top and the same pants he had probably worn when he first arrived in town. Other than that and his slightly unkempt hair, there was nothing else to comment on. He was just nice to look at, in the general's eyes. "Sorry, Miss Nyx... I'm looking for... your mentor. Is he around?"
Nyx hadn't been waiting at the door and simply stepped out of the hallway onto the porch with the man in front of him. "Sorry, no. These last two days... I've been sleeping a lot. But... the boys still gather at Jerry's place for meals or other mystical nonsense."
Nowak's eyebrows couldn't keep up with the rolling of his eyes. "Hmm... Down and more to go on the rabbit hole." At which Nyx couldn't help but give a humorous smile. General followed the golem the short distance... back to the upstart of the street, but the man leading thousands of soldiers across the city broke the silence. "Thank you, Nyx. You have good manners for a fiery young lady. And thank you... a lot... for the danger you took to save my troops."
His left shoulder jerked. "I had no problem.. But I don't really like fights like that. Wait—what does 'fiery' mean?" His bare feet had stopped on Jerry's porch, not particularly waiting for the general's response but just continuing. There was no light. And the door was locked. Nyx had checked the handle. "Jerry! Are you there?"
Awkward moments of silence passed, and still no answer. "Eh... forget it." Nowak's patience ran deeper than that, but waiting just to deliver a message was already annoying. "Just tell Dörk the hospital needs a few more healing scrolls. That's all for now."
"If I see him, sure." Nyx nodded toward the general. "Where are you going now?"
His eye contact with the golem wasn't on at the moment, trying to keep his air superior. "I... want us to go somewhere else."
That wasn't what the golem wanted to know. Or do. Nyx had only asked the general to tell Dörk where to go in case they wanted to talk. "What's the deal?" Nyx tried not to sound too harsh and the general did not said anything back. In his true sense, following orders was not on his list of pleasures. The Duke, yes, he remembers. For Nyx, you could say his body was giving off... hot iron for boiling blood. Every time, over and over again. Uh... if I could get my hands on him... digging my nails into his throat as I did with his wretched son... "Where are we going?" The golem had suppressed his wild instincts, allowing only a small smile to crack across his face at the image of the old man's death that had slipped into his mind and disappeared just as quickly—if he had a mind.
They both walked a little, Nowak still exuding confidence and firmness. After a few minutes, they reached the barracks but turned at the corner and arrived to the courtyard in front of a house where one of the soldiers was standing guard. He was already dead on his feet when the general made his presence known. "Sir..." he greeted him with both his hands and his voice, dry in fact, but his soul still lively in the presence of the general himself.
"Open it a little." The man was already about to open the door when Nowak nodded to Nyx to go on. Not very enthusiastic, but he followed without complaining as the general entered.
Inside... one of the armored rooms around the city. "Nyx... I can't thank you enough. I don't pay you, I don't clothe you, I don't keep you warm. All you did was bury my unfortunate men who died in the field, even if it was for your own needs..." The general took a few steps, searching among the weapons for something with his eyes. "Choose whatever you want, girl. These belong to dead men and no one will use them for a long time."
Nyx hadn't taken her eyes off the general, but now, at his offer, she glanced back and forth. "A friend said the same thing... But thanks a lot! Actually... I'd like to know if it's okay to have a firearm?" But Nyx hadn't seen anything around here.
Nowak nodded and scratched his beard at the golem's enthusiasm. "Um... sorry, but we can't really. We have guns, but we're low on gunpowder." Nyx looked through the shelves. Axes, long spears, javelins... halberds...
Wielding a halberd... both a spear and an axe, not bad...
"I'm not sure..." Nyx said. And he put the weapon back on the rack. "But armor, can I have some?"
"Hmm... Actually... Your mentor already discussed the idea and we came to an agreement. He and his band of wizards will build you one."
"They'll make me one? Really?" Nyx grabbed a handle before Nowak could finish surprising him, then pulled a mace from among the other weapons. The size seemed right for his height, four blunt flanges on the head and the full thing entirely adorned in black... With a wolf emblem on the tip of the hilt.
"I like this."