Fan Fiction ❯ Shielded in Broken Armours ❯ Part 1: Song of the Nightingale ( Chapter 2 )
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.30.2004 | Updated On: 11.30.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 4.5K | Visits: 193 | Status: Completed
by Alice Montrose
completed July 31, 2004
Chapter Two
Ignis returned to their camp at a loss. Naturally, he'd already been prepared for this answer. But finding himself in front of a fight that he could no longer hope to prevent was no easy thing, especially for him. He had been trained for such occasions, yet the gloom of the event had taken hold of him.
He made sure no Angelian rider followed him on his way back. He tried to go over the details of the battle that was meant to happen later that day, but he found he could not focus. In fact, the only thing that came to his mind was the enemy general.
Rumours had been true. He was in his prime, no more than thirty in Ignis' opinion. Yet, he had seemed a man of experience in various domains, and great intelligence. He had even managed to guess the fact he was Dreak. The mistrust of his king was uncalled for.
Ignis recalled the general's well-built body, made obvious by the fact he hadn't worn any armour during their meeting. He was slightly shorter than Ignis, still his conduct inspired respect and even admiration. But what astonished him most was the man's attitude. It was open and friendly, and he had encountered no problem in reading his emotions by looking at the expressions on his face. The large green eyes held no secret, and became of a darker shade when something seemed to trouble the general. The generous mouth was more then seductive, and Ignis had had a hard time trying not to jump up and kiss the man. The aquiline nose, high brow and cheekbones only added to the man's charm.
And that luxuriant golden mane falling to the general's shoulders... Ignis had rarely seen blond hair before, his people being usually dark in both locks and complexion. There were exceptions, himself included, but never before had he seen that golden colour. Needless to say, the result had been more than pleasing.
He reached the camp hidden in the woods in no time at all, dismounted and steered his horse towards his tent, aware his own general was waiting for the news he carried. He gave the reins to his young attendant, and stepped through the heavy silk curtain serving as a door.
He was still deep in thought, when a cheerful voice met him. "We're going to fight them, right?"
He lifted his head to see Tempesta Neri-Lokh leaning on the wooden table. Her dark uniform and hair made her almost invisible in the shadows. He confirmed, but with no pleasure at all.
The woman frowned. She left her place and approached, putting a delicate hand on his shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?" she asked. Her dark eyes flashed. "If those bastards dared hurt you..."
"I'm alright," he cut her out. "But I had still hoped it would not go this far."
She looked up at him. "Ignis, there's nothing else we can do. Should we fail to protect our land, there will be nothing else left for us. We will be little more than slaves. Is that what you want?"
It was his turn to frown. He may have been young, but a strong sense of preserving his country had been inspirited in him since a tender age. His father had been particularly strict on the mater.
He shook his head. "Of course it's not! I'm just a bit tired, that's all. I'm going to lie down for a while."
"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked again, touching her other hand to his forehead.
"I'm fine."
It wasn't true. He was anything but fine. The massacre that would follow, the thought of killing those who were actually their brothers, even if they didn't admit to it... The place would be soaked with blood for more than a generation. So many lives wasted...
But it wasn't just that, was it? Ignis would have a hard time accepting what the real reason was.
Someone shook him out of his thoughts. It was, of course, Tempesta, who looked really worried now. She pulled him closer, starting to take off his armour. "Why won't you tell me what's troubling you?"
He sighed. There was no way to get out of it. Except if he ordered her to leave; but that would assure her he was indeed hiding something, and she would resent him for weeks to come.
Ignis blushed. "It's General Zain-Reil... I think I like him."
"Like him?" Tempesta eyed him, and then chuckled. "Well, I suppose you can like him all you want, as long as you keep in mind his position." Her gaze darkened when she saw Ignis blush even deeper. "Ignis, please say you are not trying to tell me you are attracted to the Angelian High Commander."
Finding himself at a loss for words, Ignis simply nodded, keeping his eyes downcast as if he were guilty of some catastrophe he couldn't control.
Tempesta drew in a deep breath, hoping to find enough patience in dealing with this new complication. "You can't be serious! He's our enemy, remember?"
"Of course I remember. But I think there's so much more to him than that. It would be a pity to have him killed. He looks like a man of honour."
"He would have us killed," she tried again. His armour finally came off, and he felt relieved.
"No he wouldn't. He made it clear his hands were tied. Apparently, the War Council takes all the decisions, and he merely follows their orders," he told her. "And their leader strikes me as a complete bastard. Lord Kelan was the name, if I remember well."
"Kelan Loreh-Ven, the Angelian king's chief advisor. I should have known he was behind this," Tempesta murmured, but he managed to hear the hateful tone in her voice as she spoke those words.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they won't see what's coming until it's too late. Now go see if everything's ready. And wake me up when it's time."
She nodded and bowed slightly - court etiquette, he noted; though they were the best of friends and he cared little for such things. Ignis resented the gesture a little, because it reminded him of his position.
Tempesta withdrew, but turned on her tracks and peaked back in through the curtain. "Is this attraction mutual, at least?"
Mutual? He stared at her, caught off guard. He thought about it a little, then shot her his most cruel smile. "By the looks of it... I would say yes, very much so."
She laughed as she left the tent, for good this time. Ignis tossed himself on the plush pillows serving him as a bed and dozed off soon after.
Marzio stared as the Demon made his way across their lines. He thought of the huge risks that the man had taken to make sure his sovereign's message had been delivered. He might have been killed. Or worse.
'Such bravery,' he told himself. 'Yet he values life like no one I've ever met. A strange person, this young Dreak.'
Just then, his Second-in-Command and the small escort returned to report his orders had been carried out to the letter. No Angelian scout had followed the enemy emissary.
The general returned to the relative privacy of his tent, beckoning for Ceni to follow him. He settled himself in his chair again, feeling a little relieved. "And what did you think of him?" he asked.
"An exceptional man," Captain Ceni Mah-Kel replied. "He didn't even flinch while waiting for you to come greet him outside. Highborn, probably; and he certainly has what it takes to command. Around 40, I suppose..."
"More like 25," Marzio corrected his friend, taking delight in having him stare at him in disbelief. "Yes, my friend, he is that young. I wish I could say it comes as a surprise, but with the Demons being the warrior people that they are..."
"But Marzio," Ceni protested, "I am not lying when I tell you this - had he given me an order, I would have followed it without a second thought."
The general nodded. "I know; I felt the same way. So, what shall we do now? We know that the Demons know our exact location, and I am sure they are watching our every move." He rubbed his temples pensively. "Maybe now the Glorious War Council will think twice before rejecting my suggestions." He knew he had to inform them of the situation, but he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"At least now you can start taking your part more seriously," Ceni told him, leaning on the table.
"And exactly what is that supposed to mean?" Marzio shot back.
"The men are loyal to you, not the Council. You're the High Commander - act like it!"
"Learn from your enemy," Marzio whispered. "Maybe it's time to give Kelan a lesson in military procedures," he spoke out loud, looking his Second-in-Command in the eyes. "Tell the men to break camp and prepare for battle. We may not know when the Demons will attack, but we might as well be ready to greet them properly when they do. And my guess is it will happen soon."
"Is that what the emissary told you?"
He smiled. "Among other things." He kept to himself the attraction he had felt for the Demon officer, and hoped it did not show in his voice when he spoke of the man. Perhaps it wouldn't if he focused on the obvious. "They don't want this fight any more then we do, Ceni. He was so sad about it, even if it meant showing me this weakness."
"Interesting," the captain told him. "I'm off then. Kelan will probably show up in a couple of minutes, to find out what the Prince of Demonis had to say about us invading his country. You should've seen the look on his face after you entered the tent. I thought he would choke on the spot."
"How sad he didn't," Marzio muttered. "Make sure everybody's ready," he added in a strong voice. "As of this moment, we are officially at war."
Ceni took his leave and the High Commander was left alone with his thoughts. He wondered who the Demon was, and what his position in the army was. If one was to trust the young man's words, then it would be pretty high. That could only mean he had started training at an early age, and since they would not entrust just about anybody with such a perilous mission he probably was a pretty good warrior... And he was Dreak, which of course changed everything. Marzio felt the Goddess Seleh favoured him that day - no person he knew of had had the chance to meet a Dreak face to face and live to tell the tale.
But what could Marzio make of the Demon's latter comment? Why would the man want to let him live? He was, after all, the enemy. 'A respected enemy,' he noted with just a hint of delight. The Demons held him in some regard, probably even feared him a little. It was an advantage he would use.
Meris Ignis. Marzio would have liked to meet him again, even if it was on the battlefield. He would make an honourable opponent, at least...
The thought made him remember the dagger the young man had given him. He lunged and picked it up from the hard mattress. He tested the steel blade with his forefinger - it was razor-sharp and drew blood. Marzio flinched. Had the Dreak sent to assassinate him, he would probably be long dead by now.
He wrapped the blade in his handkerchief and curiously studied the design on the hilt. It was of very fine craftsmanship, and made of ebony wood. Very expensive. He noted with surprise it represented a human shape, with carefully sculptured feathered wings folding around it protectively. And, where blade met hilt, the golden crest of the Royal Family of Demonis.
Marzio's heart skipped a beat as a thought occurred to him. What if Ignis was...?
'Don't be ridiculous! There's no way the Prince would have come in person; it would be a most irresponsible act. And he has not given any signs of being a fool thus far,' he tried to calm himself. Naturally, Ignis' demeanour, impeccable manners and artful speech had marked him as a man of noble origins from the moment Marzio had lay eyes on him. But that didn't necessarily mean he was in any way related to the House of Sagni-Dor, let alone being the Prince of Demonis himself.
'They're probably just trying to scare us,' the general concluded. The Prince gave him the dagger, as some sort of present for me. He wouldn't bother to deliver it himself. It would be insane to try something like this.
'Insane, but when no one knows your name or what you look like...'
The general closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. He took a deep breath and tried to banish this sudden incertitude from his mind, and find of a suitable way to break the 'good' news to the Lords of the Council.
The mists surrounding him parted to reveal a large doorframe. He stepped into the darkness on the other side.
The old woman was there, as usual. Her long white hair and piercing teal eyes were the only things he could make out in the darkness. She spoke, unsurprisingly straightforward, her voice sending chills down his spine.
"You have met someone of great importance today. Someone who will play a great role in your future. Both your people and his endanger his life. But his part is not over yet." She looked him in the eyes. "Did I ever misguide you, child?" He shook his head in denial. "Then take my word. Protect him. He must not die today, do you understand? If he does, your destiny will not be accomplished. War and terror will reign again for thousand years."
All the four Angelian lords were in the council tent, seated at their ornate table on their comfortable settees. Marzio noted scornfully their furniture and wardrobe probably took up three entire transport wagons, and yet the things had no real utility. A waste of storage space.
"How could you let him get away?" Kelan yelled at Marzio the minute he entered. His face was red with fury, his eyes swelled and his gestures chaotic. "Do you realize how much information we could have got from him? Their positions, their contingent, their strategies!" He kept gesticulating as the general fought back a headache. It wasn't even noon yet.
Marzio chose not to take the bait. He posted himself in front of the man and said in a calm and controlled voice, "If you keep shouting, you'll never learn what he had to say to me."
"To you? You're nothing here! You only carry out our orders. We take the important decisions."
Marzio answered with an ironic smile on his lips, "You might want to remind the men that, Lord Kelan. Or, better, why don't you order them into battle yourself?"
Kelan paled. He had never been in the army, and was completely unaccustomed to military hierarchy and procedures. The only reason he was there was because his wife was the King's mistress. At her husband's suggestion, of course.
Realizing he was gaining ground, Marzio delivered the second blow. "Were you informed we're breaking camp?"
"I believe your Second-in-Command mentioned it to us," Lord Angus told him. "However, we have not discussed it and..."
"... and you have more important things to do with your time." The general smiled. 'All right, time for the breaking news.' "It appears our invasion has been anticipated. The Demons know why we are here. Prince Sagni-Dor kindly informs us that, should we not decide to retreat, they will attack us."
Lord Angus stared at him in disbelief. The man was not stupid, and he was by far the most open-minded of the four. Kelan and the other two were an entirely different story, however.
The chief advisor snorted. "If you're so well-informed, tell us, when will they do it? Or did that bastard forget to mention it, perchance?"
"I believe the exact word he used was 'imminent'. So I suggest you start packing. Unless of course, you want to stay behind and allow yourselves to be captured."
The Lords Angus and Gettik scrambled on their feet and left the tent immediately. Lord Elssi lingered for a short while, but, after seeing the looks on the other two's faces, he decided to take his leave as well.
Kelan kept staring at Marzio, rage getting hold of the older man. "You... You... idiot!" he screamed. "How dare you order me around?! Do you have any idea who I am?"
"You mean you ever gave me a chance to forget?" Marzio shot back.
"I give orders; you follow them. You had no authority to receive that Demon, or allow him to go back and inform his compatriots of our positions. Who do you think you are, to disobey your King's orders?"
"Your orders, not the King's. You ask who I am. I am the High Commander of the Army. I decide what is best for the safety of my men. I also decide our actions during war." Marzio was getting angry himself, and shot all the venom he had swallowed back into the man's face. "You, on the other hand, seem determined to lead us all to a certain death. You have no knowledge of the art of war, and of the rules one must follow. This is not the King's Court, where everybody tries to stab everybody else behind their backs! This is a battlefield. And everybody must act in consequence."
If the old man had anything to say, he was too surprised to do it. Eyes wide, he stared open-mouthed at the General, not believing what he was hearing. Marzio was not a violent man and did not lose his temper very easily; thus far he had put up with Kelan's pretences in order to be left alone to do his job properly. However, he was not about to stand by and watch his men getting slaughtered because of an old bastard's desire to look good in the eyes of King Teh-Kai.
"The Demons were aware of our positions from the moment we crossed the border. And they are damned well prepared to greet us properly. I, for one, am not planning on just standing there and waiting for them to butcher us. And the next time you're planning on insulting a Royal Emissary the way you did this morning, you might want to keep in mind you're thus offending the Prince of Demonis himself. That affront will not go unpunished."
Kelan still glared at Marzio, his body trembling with rage. He finally made for the entrance, but not before shooting the general a hateful glance. "Nor will yours, I can assure you." Then he left the tent abruptly.
Marzio leaned on the desk frame and took his head in one hand. He took a deep breath, then another. Slowly, inner tranquillity returned to him.
"I'm impressed." Ceni's voice was full of reverence. He stood at the entrance, looking calmly at Marzio.
The general smiled ruefully. "How long have you been standing there?"
"Since Lord Angus asked me to make sure you won't hurt anybody. He looked scared, too. I can see why."
He nodded. "You heard it, then."
"Me and half the army." The captain seemed genuinely amused. "But I must admit it was a very original way of informing the Lords we're leaving this place."
Marzio laughed. "Just as soon as they finish packing, of course. Is everything in good order?" He stood up and made for the opening of the large tent.
"As good as it can be, considering the haste." He followed his commander outside. "The Demon wouldn't have betrayed his people, would he?"
Marzio shook his head. "Not even under torture. It's how they are trained." Suddenly, something came back to him. He stopped and turned around to face the younger man. "Ceni, can you tell me how exactly was he able to sneak a dagger into my tent?"
The captain was dumbfounded. "A dagger?!"
Marzio shrugged and smiled. "Make sure that doesn't happen again." He left it at that, although he knew it was not that easy for his Second-in-Command. The High Commander's security was his task, after all.
The sea of tents had been replaced by a myriad of agitated soldiers and servants. His own tent had been dismantled, and his battle horse saddled. Ceni's mount stood near, ready as well.
His friend was agitated, and somewhat ashamed. He waited patiently for the man to finally say what was on his tongue.
"General..." Ceni finally tried. "I am terribly sorry. It was my mistake. I take full responsibility."
He nodded. "I don't think punishing you or your men will be a good idea, under the circumstances." Earlier, he had replaced his own dagger with the one the Demon had given him. It was a practical thing to do, because the thing was sharper than any weapon he had used before. He took it out of now, and handed it to Ceni. "What do you make of the crest?"
Ceni studied it carefully, then looked back at Marzio. "The Royal House of Demonis. The Demon didn't try to use this, I hope!"
"No, it was more like a gift." A faint smile crossed his lips. "Do you think it could have been him?"
The officer gazed at him. "You think their Prince risked his life to come and talk to you in person? Marzio..."
"Crazy, I know." He shrugged. "It was just a hypothesis. We'll probably find out soon, anyway. I have no doubt they will attack us as soon as the opportunity presents itself."
"Depending on how fast the emissary gets back to their camp. Any idea on the strategy they might employ?"
Marzio had long considered it, and had come to the only evident conclusion. "If they try it today, they will most likely try to block our way south. Unfortunately, we don't know how many they will be, or where their main effectives are stationed. They might have expected us to cross the Mauri further up- or down-river, and that would offer us some advantage until we find out what they're playing at. At any rate, right now we have to move fast and get out of this place and onto open plain as long as we still can."
Ignis awoke with a sharp cry. He felt a hand on his shoulder and hastily pushed it way. He looked around him in panic.
"Ignis!" Tempesta exclaimed. She gripped his arm with both hands, in reassurance. "It's just me. You have nothing to worry about."
He sighed and put his palm over hers, holding on tight. He was still a little dizzy. "Don't do this again. You scared the hell out of me."
"You were having another nightmare, and started babbling nonsense. What was I supposed to do, stand by and watch?" Tempesta retorted. "Besides, you're the one who asked me to wake you up when we're ready to go."
Relaxing a little, he stood up refusing her help and looked around for his armour. Like any warrior, he preferred a simple, unadorned one to the one his rank forced him to wear during ceremonies. That one weighed considerably more, and hindered his movements. Not to mention it would make him a certain mark in the eyes of the enemy.
Ignis pondered whether his attendant was anywhere near by. Just then, the boy showed up with his shield and sword, ready to help him prepare for battle. As he did, Ignis found it fit to ask his friend what was happening in the Angelian camp.
"Last time I heard, they were still packing," she laughed. "Of course, we cannot let them leave the party like this. Captain Alisi-Feit's regiment is ready to take its positions. The cavalry already did, and are impatiently waiting for the order to attack."
"And why, pray I tell, aren't you with them yet?" Ignis said looking at her while his attendant buckled up his breastplate.
She smiled again. "Just giving your lordship a last word of advice?!"
"I swear, you're worse than my mother ever was!" he growled. There were times when Tempesta could be extremely annoying.
"Yes, but she never had to make sure you wouldn't get killed. Or deal with any other details of her son's personality."
He braced his sword and picked up the polished helmet. "Alright, I shall mercifully spare you any further 'details' and say we can go now." He left the tent and jumped on his stallion.
She mounted as well, looking really intimidating in the saddle, all geared up and ready to fight her way out of hell if necessary. "You ready?" she asked.
"As ready as I will ever be," he replied. "Let's go. And remember, my dear General: Marzio Zain-Reil is not to be killed. He's much more valuable alive." He urged his horse on.
"Alive and naked and in your bed!" she shouted after him.
Ignis managed to laugh, for the last time before the great battle that would decide all their future. The Sorceress had been right again. It was his destiny.