Towards the end of the first day of travel I was left stunned. Julius, Hailey, and Rias had similar expressions on their faces.
Following a similar route that we had taken into Aestori territory, we expected about three days of traversing the forest before we'd cross the Nariyn River, and into the Southern Plains—basically the outskirts of our newly claimed territory.
But with an hour left of today's budgeted travel time, we'd managed to already arrive at that border line.
"H-how?" Hailey's voice cracked as she stared at the water rushing past.
Julius was staring at a map in his lap. He looked up at the open plains ahead, and then back to the map. After a triple check, he finally folded it up and slipped it back into his bag.
"There's no doubt about it, there is no way for us to have accidentally come out somewhere else. We've made a three day journey in a single day."
I sought an explanation from Aisling.
"It's a passive skill most of the officers in the Knights have. Champions beyond a junior grade are required to develop the it, otherwise we don't allow them to lead other knights."
"A passive skill? I don't think I'm following, It didn't feel like we were moving faster than normal? Wouldn't the horses get exhausted quicker if that were the case, or shouldn't we be able to notice the change in velocity?"
"I'm not sure I can explain it in a meaningful way since it is a skill granted by our God. The skill is called FOREST-STRIDING and it allows nearby raid members to move swiftly through dense forests. A similar skill, FLATLANDS-STRIDING, is held by some of our order. Though it's less common than the former."
"Wait, then why did it take so long to get to Umbraedomis? We were traveling in a party with you—or do you not…"
Aisling shifted uncomfortably in her saddle and cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Not all the Aestori can develop the skill. There are a small percentage of us who can gain neither striding ability. It happens occasionally, and it's nothing to be ashamed of."
"I'll, uh, keep that in mind. Sorry for asking—Wait, doesn't that mean we'll reach Tolin tomorrow evening?"
"We'll likely see the rooftops of the city before the sun begins to set."
We crossed the river and set up camp out in the open plains. The size of the encampment dwarfed the handful of times we made camp with the Divisionals on our way to Tolin.
After the commotion died down I found a spot outside of our tent and asked a pair of guardsmen to set up a campfire for us.
Akari hadn't left my side all day, and she snuggled up close under a blanket. Hails and Rias found their way over to me after half an hour and joined in for body warmth as the sun set and the cold night air settled in.
The crackle of dirt being crushed underfoot behind us alerted me to Julius' arrival, and he placed some more wood on the fire. Sparks flew in the air and the satisfying snap of charred logs set me at ease.
"It's funny." he said while falling backwards onto the ground.
"Hmm?"
I barely acknowledged him, struggling to keep awake.
"This is the opposite of what I've ever experienced when traveling with the Divisionals. Even in some of the more specialized smaller divisions, humans to elves are one-hundred to one."
"Heh. Yeah, and we're about one-thousand to one here. Elves to humans. You're right, that is funny."
The bundle of wood Julius brought was burnt to the last log, and eventually the fire was just embers. The warmth began to die down, and we shuffled into the tent to bundle up with as many blankets as we could scrounge up.
Back in Tolin by tomorrow. I wonder how the city has been since we left.
-✵-
Red-clay tiles came into view just over the horizon a little after noon, and within the hour the walls and towers around the city became clear enough to make out the shapes of guardsmen running hurriedly across the city ramparts.
Above the main towers flew large imperial banners that hadn't been there when we left. Someone must have found them holed up in the Citadel's storage rooms.
The faint holler of unintelligible shouting could be heard as we progressed closer to the city's main gate.
The gatehouse to the city proper was sealed. Though its size once held an air of intimidation, having just come from the elven city—our defenses seemed second-rate.
A minor contingent of divisional soldiers waited for us before the gates, nervously griping at the handles of their weapon's.
"Stand down, Pearson. Sound the call that the Empress has returned." Julius rode ahead of us, calling out to the apparent leader of the small force.
"Ah—Commander Julius, Sir! Welcome back to Tolin. You heard the Commander, head back and get the entryway prepared."
Knight Murphy Pearson gave her orders in her usual austere raspy voice.
I rode up next to Julius and gave my hellos to Pearson, "Aeko isn't with you? You two are usually posted together."
"Welcome home, Command—err, Empress," Pearson snapped into a crisp salute, "Aeko is currently handling a situation with the Captain, otherwise you would've been spot on. She was called away about three hours ago for something important… Uhm, if I may ask, what's the situation with the child sleeping behind you?"
Akari's tiny frame was wrapped in an over-sized cloak, in part to keep the sun off her face as she slept as well as hide her interesting features from prying eyes once we'd made it through Tolin. Even after resting all night the jostling of horse-riding was exhausting her at a terrible rate, and so she was still snoozing against my back soundly.
I reached around and gently patted her head.
"Do you like kids, Pearson? This little one is in my care for the time being, her name is Akari."
"Acknowledged. And the large force behind you are soldiers from the Aestori village, I presume? There sure are a lot more of them then I expected. Did their whole village come back with you?"
After a throwing a sly glance at Mei, I motioned at the massive army, "That, is the First Aestori Divisional Core. And it is only about a third of the Aestori forces."
"Just a third!?"
"Empress!" "Commander!"
Two knights bobbed into view from beyond the gatehouse's smaller entryway. Alistaire and Soren came running towards us.
"Lieutenants."
"Good to see you both, looks like everyone managed to keep the city from burning down while we were absent." I teased.
Both boys shared nervous looks with each other and Alistaire stepped closer.
"We've got somewhat of a 'city-on-fire' level situation brewing at the moment. Luke was pretty sure you were returning so he sent us ahead to escort you and fill you in… on the… way?"
As he spoke, Alistaire's words trailed into a question. He eyed the sleepy girl tucked behind me and gave me quite the confused expression.
Soren had been focused on the bundled figure since they arrived, and was now looking at me for an explanation as well.
"Too long of a story to tell if there is an emergency. I'll explain in detail later, but for now just know she's under my protection. What's going on? Pearson said Luke had pulled Aeko away for something, is that the same thing?"
"Yeah, Knight Monroe is still with him providing healing support."
"Healing support!? Is there another intruder in the city?"
"Ehh. Let's talk and move." Alistaire suggested in a hushed tone, "We've got an outpost just past the gate where we're handling the situation."
I left the drowsy-headed Akari with Rias, and asked Pearson to handle getting the Aestori soldiers rations while we resolved whatever crisis was going on. Aisling had already begun having the soldiers break camp, so they would be fine to wait a few more hours for us to start getting proper lodging sorted out.
The basics I understood from Alistaire's rapid-fire rundown was that a faction of dissidents had begun to form under the Minister of State, Ridwan Bashir. But before Minister Bashir could begin doing anything of note, Luke had agents infiltrate the meetings and headed off potential recruitment targets with the help of Primarch Karina and the Church's backing.
Once the scheme had been exposed, Bashir fled with the remaining few members and holed themselves up in a refurbished office building near the center of the market district.
The Order of the Scarlet Wing set up a small center of operations in a still abandoned building a block away and had surrounded the would-be traitors.
We arrived at the OSW's base and I was greeted by Waystrider Tomin, the ranger who'd assisted me during the bandit raid turned ambush.
Tomin ushered us inside and closed the door. Seated on a makeshift bench were three of the ministers who'd traveled to Tolin with us, Jacob Hay, Hannah Fuller, and Yuji Tsuki.
He lifted a finger up behind his ear and informed someone of our arrival.
"Captain, Her Majesty has arrived at the FOB–of course, sir, I'll tell her right away." He motioned towards his ear and then at mine. "Captain asks that you tune in through the communirune."
The light shocking sensation of the rune energizing sent a sharp jolt through my neck. I focused on contacting Luke and the familiar background static crackled in my ear.
Luke's voice came in loud and clear.
"I'm glad to hear you've returned safely, unfortunately the state of the city is just one small issue away from the pristine condition I was hoping to return it to you in."
"Don't be so dramatic, Luke. The only ones to blame here are the traitors who desired to take the city for themselves. Honestly, only a few months have passed since the factions in Axio betrayed us, how Bashir could even consider a plan as foolish as this defies any conventional logic."
There was a spike in the static noise and Julius joined in the conversation.
"Foolish indeed. What options are on the table to resolve this?"
"At present, we've got the complex completely surrounded. I have more than enough force to overwhelm them if needed. Waystriders are at the ready, as well as a number of paladins and other spell-casters. We haven't been able to establish communications with Bashir and his gang, but even without knowing the Empress has returned I don't think it's likely he'll agree to bargain."
"Hmmm," I started, "Who else is involved, and to what extent?"
"The two consulars, Liam Byrant and Yenifer Lewis. A Knight-Lieutenant Cadrin, and a few of his underlings."
"Cadrin? I don't recall that name. Is he one of your guys?"
"Negative. He's a Second Division officer who got caught up with our retreat from Axio. Seemed like a nice enough guy, but never really found his footing under Hailey's command."
The mention of the Second Division pulled me out of focus and I told Luke to standby. I muted the communirune and motioned for Tomin.
"You were Second Division, did you know this Cadrin person?"
"Not at all actually. I assume he was probably in a different raiding branch than I was—but as far as I know, other than the little clique he associates with, none of the other Second Division members made it out of Axio. The unit's garrison was city-center, just under Central Spire. They would've had to have made it past both the Renaultian and Maarin districts to get out of the city. Only reason I got caught up with the refugee group was because I was returning from a personal leave of absence."
I glanced around the room and caught the eyes of the sitting ministers. Not able to shake the suspicious feeling I had, I motioned Tomin and Julius towards a side room.
The light static returned as I unmuted and connected back to Luke.
"Luke, do you remember when and where you picked up the Ministers and Consulate members? Did they already have divisional soldiers with them?"
"Hang on, give me a sec' to think."
"…"
Five minutes of silence passed. The only noise was the ever present static and the sound of two men breathing nearby.
…
"Luke?"
"Sorry, Your Majesty. I'm here. Hanna says she's certain they had armed guards when we came across them in the city, and that Cadrin was the party's lead."
Julius and Tomin had strained looks on their face. If they were thinking the same as me right now…
Minister Bashir and Lieutenant Cadrin have been colluding even before the coup in Axio.
There was no reason for soldiers of the central government's divisional core to be escorting key members that far from the city-center unless they knew what the Renaultians had planned ahead of time.
Julius must have sensed the blood-rage coming off me and came to the same conclusion.
"There's no way to know for certain they had anything to do with your father's death. Airis—hey, listen to me, okay? I don't think they're surrendering without a fight, so we'll probably never find out anything."
"I don't care about those traitorous scumbags. We've got the other ministers in the room next door. If there was any collusion between the Republics, we'll get it out of them at the Citadel."
"Airis…"
I glared at Julius, "Take them to the cell block. I'm leaving the OSW in charge of investigating this matter to its fullest."
"I—" He faltered. "By your command, I'll take those under suspicion into custody."
Julius left the room, and a loud commotion broke out. The remaining ministers shouted in shock as the divisionals in the room executed Julius' orders and apprehended them.
Luke's voice crackled in over the static, "What are my orders, Empress?"
"I refuse to entertain the weak-willed and treasonous filth tainted by the Renaultians. Clean it up—but capture Bashir. I want to speak with him."
"…It'll be done."