“Together To The Future

  After an increasingly fraught round of discussions, delegates from both Ostia and Tarandium have reached a tentative agreement to create an oversight organisation called the Ostian-Tarandium Trade Union or OTTU to help facilitate greater cooperation between the cities. With the threat of increased Traxian aggression across the Trannoire and concerning reports of potential disruption to supply lines from Old Kyne. This agreement looks to be the first step in building a more united region with Zephyran representatives giving signals that they would be interested in future talks. Representative Elteria of the Ostian delegation reports that… ”

  - The Ostian Watcher, Second Page, “Regional News Segment”

  Ludvik nursed his half frozen fingers by the fireplace, merely grateful enough that he could rest easy while others would face the more perilous tasks. It wasn’t that he was a coward, or so he hoped. It was simply that his team had skillsets best suited for reconnaissance and observation, while others were far more martially trained. Not that his scouts couldn’t hold their own, far from it. In the time that they have been stationed at this key outpost, more than a handful of demons had appeared and subsequently handily dispatched.

  Though it did worry him. For in the recent weeks, their numbers had only increased. Soon, they’d need more than pike and bolt to fend them off. The walls of the outpost were sturdy, but they wouldn’t hold against any concentrated assault.

  They numbered only about a single company of scouts. Lightly armed and equipped more for mountaineering and mobility than for extended engagements. Their task was a simple but crucial one, keep watch on the Wolnik pass. A route through the Frostwinds that had been recently rediscovered by Volksgradian surveyors. The outpost overlooking it had been hastily built, a refurbished relic from a bygone age. The ancient stone tower was still structurally sound enough to serve as the main rally point and beacon to signal other military encampments. Walls and a barracks were quickly erected afterwards.

  Thankfully, Lord Commander Stepan had also assigned a small squadron of trained engineers to reinforce his position. Although they numbered only about a dozen, they had proven invaluable in helping fortify the outpost however much that they could. It wouldn’t do much, but it felt reassuring to the scouts quartered there, and that was all Ludvik could ask for.

  His left and right hands at this venture proved to be the newly arrived Sierzant Tomasz. A stern but experienced former member of Stepan’s Winged Knights with plenty of experience in fighting the demons. Then there was Sierzant Alicja, promoted after their last mission in service of being the vanguard of the Volksgradian knights. An outstanding scout and trusted subordinate, she helped handle the scouting that they would have to occasionally conduct, while Tomasz focused on ensuring their combat prowess was up to standard. Though he was no slouch in recon himself.

  A knock on the door echoed throughout the stonewalls, making absolutely certain that he could not pretend to have not heard it. The one downside to setting up his command post within the tower itself instead of one of the dozen odd more modern but wooden buildings that surrounded it. He put it down to the commanding view the tower held over the approaches to Wolnik Pass, and that the stone walls just made him feel that much safer than being lower down.

  “Come in.” He called out. Reluctantly hoisting himself from the fireplace to a standing position.

  The old door creaked open like the entrance to a decrepit estate. A familiar sound that he had gotten used to over the past weeks, but one that he still found to be thoroughly unenjoyable or suitable to human ears.

  “Kapitan!” Alicja immediately saluted.

  He returned a brief salute before gesturing towards the scattered chairs in the room, a remnant from the last tactical planning session.

  “Relax, take a seat and take your time. It’s not like we’re going anywhere anytime soon.” He grunted.

  Alicja found herself a chair with comfortable enough armrests before sitting down.

  “Urgent?” He asked.

  Alicja shook her head. A small sigh of relief escaped from him. They were far enough up in the mountains that unless luck was on their side, they were on their own. If his sierzant wasn’t panicked or worried, then it meant that things were calm enough so far, and that was alright with him.

  He motioned towards a kettle hanging near the fireplace, “Need some tea?”

  The sierzant nodded, “Would prefer a stiffer drink at this point.” She snickered.

  He laughed, “Unfortunately for you, your kapitan still does not permit himself drinking while he is on duty. So alas, no booze up here. But the boys in the mess should have some if you need it.”

  “You’re assigned to sit in a tower all day, why not rest a little?”

  “Force of habit.” He chuckled, “At least one of us should be prepared to take command in case things go wrong.”

  “What about Tomasz? He is usually pretty ready to leap into action.” Alicja suggested.

  “Tomasz…” He hummed while pouring out some tea and passed a cup over, the steaming liquid giving him some much needed extra warmth against the cold mountains. Alicja appreciated it as much, the sierzant eagerly using it to warm her fingers.

  “Competent, knowledgeable, and professional combatant at melee and ranged warfare. Not a bad pick.” She mumbled as she greedily stole a sip, recoiling immediately afterwards from the sudden heat.

  “True. But he comes from the calvary, the winged knights to boot. Too eager for action. I’d wager that he would likely intercept a patrol by himself if the situation came down to it. And we’d figure out something was wrong after he died. That’s why.”

  “A grim assessment.”

  “Quite. At the very least, he keeps the lads drilled and alert while he’s here. That’s all I can ask.” He grumbled as he poured himself a cup.

  He then gingerly shuffled back to his desk by the window. Though the glass was thick, he could still feel the cold seep through and nip at his back as he sat back down.

  “Goddess and Lord of Life, spare us from this damnable chill at least.” He cursed.

  “Too much office work, Kapitan. You should join us on the field more often.” Alicja teased.

  “Ugh, if only it were that easy. Lord Stepan’s runners come every other week, no fixed time. Usually while most of you lot are ranging. Someone has to write the report.”

  “Tsk, shame. The lads miss you, no angry looking officer barking orders at them. Just me or Tomasz.”

  “And the two of you do a damned fine job keeping them in line.”

  “Tak, but it’s not the same, eh? Everyone’s also getting antsy. We’re meant to be recon, scouts. Not some watchtower squatters.” She grunted.

  Ludvik let out a chuckle and took a sip from his tea. The warmth it provided flowing through his body immediately.

  “Different kind of war now. We know where they are, beyond the mountains, in them. We just need to make sure they don’t breach the pass without anyone knowing. Hells, you were there. The amount of demons that clustered that field. Imagine them moving on Volksgrad. We’d be swept aside if we weren’t ready for it.”

  “Tch.”

  Ludvik then drummed his fingers on the table before tapping it to get Alicja’s attention.

  “Speaking of demons, what report were you going to give me?”

  Alicja’s cheery expression died on her face. A frown replacing where the cheeky looking grin had once been.

  “Right. Here.” Alicja pulled a few half crumpled papers from her coat.

  Ludvik cleared a part of his desk and began assembling the jumble into a somewhat legible format. Scrawled handwriting and lines. Odd looking scribbles and abbreviated phrases. Some he recognized, others he didn’t. The more he organized it, the more a picture began to form.

  Trails, woods, little crevasses between the mountain passes. That much he could ascertain from what he was seeing. He could determine where the outpost was, where the main camp was further down the mountainside. It was all a little rough, but that was the nature of doing a sketch like this in the field. In that respect, he was almost impressed.

  What he didn’t appreciate however, was that alongside Wolnik pass, it would appear that the scouts were sketching another. He didn’t speak, just looked up at his sierzant. Given Alicja’s unflustered expression, he had a sinking feeling about the news that he was about to hear.

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  “It’s what you think, Kapitan. Tomasz’s squad think they’ve found signs of a new break in the snow.”

  “Cause?” He demanded, adopting a more serious tone as befitting his station.

  “Unsure yet. Little to no activity so it wasn’t an urgent concern. But he and the others went to investigate. My squad came back so I could inform you and also gather some more combat kit.”

  He let the silence hang, examining the crude sketches more carefully. If there was the potential for more paths to open up during the snowmelt, be it from natural causes or otherwise. They needed to be prepared. But scrambling resources around and alarming command for no reason wouldn’t be helpful either. They needed to be certain.

  “Damned hells. Anything else?”

  Alicja shook her head, “Not at the moment, sir.”

  “Are you planning on heading back?”

  “At least to make sure the others are alright.”

  “Fine. Take your squad and another one from the guard roster. I’ll make do with a skeleton crew here, but better safe than sorry. Your new objective is to verify the existence of this new pass, forcefully or quietly. Assist Tomasz if he needs it, but we must know about if new ways are forming. Rozumat?”

  “Tak. I get it.”

  “Make sure you make it back once you confirm it. Lord Stepan will need to know if it’s true.”

  “Tak, Ludvik. No need to worry so much.”

  “I’ll rest very well once you tell me the two of you were hallucinating and this new path is just a dream. Now go get what you need. Ah, and tell Januz to come see me, if you bump into him. Dismissed.”

  The two of them dipped their heads in acknowledgement. There was no need for formalities. There was a task at hand and they would need to take care of it. Ludvik just hoped that this wasn’t the beginning of more bad news to come.

  Volksgradians who served on the northern frontier had to be like the Frostwinds themselves. Harsh, hardy, and ever changing. Across the snowy paths and jagged stone edifices, the mountains themselves were a foe to be overcome. Yet they were the daring few who not only took up such a challenge, but thrived in the hostile environment.

  Standing opposite them, a horde of incalculable strength, just waiting to cast the mountains down and flood the lands beneath in blood. The fools of Volksgrad would try to stop them, to buy the world and their people more time. Fools like Alicja. Though now that she was here, she just wanted to have things go smoothly and go home. Although she doubted things would ever end that pleasantly.

  She had a squad and a half counting on her. Fifteen odd souls in comparison to the thousands that would follow if they made a mistake. But she trusted in them just as they trusted her.

  Agile, prepared, and armed, they knew their duties and their limits. Find Tomasz, determine the position of this new opening.

  “Staggered column. Keep your eyes to the flanks.” She ordered.

  “Mam!” The others acknowledged and split.

  They proceeded through the dense snow in a zigzagged column, each scout a few paces from the one in front and behind them to maximize their coverage as they advanced.

  Lightly armored in thick furs and leathers to help them maintain speed but stay warm. They were also all equipped with a plethora of self defence close combat weapons. Though none would profess to match an expert swordsmen, they could hold their own. Unlike their Meltonian counterparts, they also carried a larger amount of crossbows than only bows. Though for herself, she stuck with the bow because she was better with it, and that she noticed some of the others struggle with maintenance of mechanisms that often froze or suffered from moisture. Whatever the case, they were about as prepared as they could be.

  A low rumbling in the snow stirred the Frostwinds. The shaking was so imperceptible at first that none of the scouts picked up on it. It was only when the lead scout started looking around did Alicja hold up a fist to halt the column, the soldiers then all starting to notice the snow as a faint dust began sifting off of them. It was like the land was coming to life, and Alicja had a bad feeling about it.

  Trees rustled as they shook from the rumble. The thin layer of snow occasionally giving way to collapsing snowbanks, only prevented from escalating into an avalanche from venerable mountain rocks breaking the falling cascade. Worst however, was the sense that all of this was unnatural. Similar to the aftershocks of an earthquake, but far too abrupt and sudden. They would need to hurry.

  “Kapral Pitor, take Dobran, Hekoz and Czebira. You four, range far, range fast. We’ll carry the extra, find out what happened and wait for us at the rally point!” She called out.

  “Tak, Sierzant!” The Kapral saluted and started rushing forwards.

  He was followed by her three best scouts, the group sprinting, or whatever the equivalent of that could be possible within the thick snow.

  The others continued following her, the larger nature of the remaining group moving noticeably slower than the lead elements in order to act as both a stopgap and fall back unit should there be trouble. They also began hauling excess packs and supplies that the other scouts had dropped. There was also now a palpable tension in the air, a sense of deep set unease that permeated the group.

  She stretched out her arm and motioned upwards. The other scouts wordlessly began drawing their bows or crossbows. They didn’t have their arrows or bolts loaded just yet, but it was better to be half ready than completely unready. Cautiously, they continued their trek up the mountains.

  Unfortunately for her, it didn’t take long before her efforts paid off. As the group drew closer to where the purported breach might’ve been. The distant familiar snap of a crossbow being shot echoed down the mountain.

  She immediately mimed drawing an arrow and the rest of the column fell into battle formation behind her. With renewed swiftness, the fleet footed scouts hurried to join their colleagues. What she saw chilled her even more than the mountains could.

  Where there had once been what they thought was part of a mountain was gone. Replaced instead by what felt like a deep gash across the land. But judging by the rocky ridges that surrounded this new ‘pass’ she was hit with another realization. The ground hadn’t given way, only snow had disappeared. It meant that there had been enough snow there to mask the divot between the ridge lines. And that, based on the fast approaching lights from beyond the other ridge, an opening that had been known to someone else even before the scouts had an inkling of its existence.

  Soon, the answer revealed to her all the same. Getting closer to where the kapral and his detachment were posted up at, she could see into the opening below. A few twisted ice spires now stretched nakedly towards the sky, their presence helping her form an image in her mind. One that terrified her regarding the fate of her people. They weren’t opening another passage, trying to build a bridge. Freezing their way upwards to create a structure. But then…

  “Piotr, report!” She screamed.

  “Sierzant! Demons! There were a few wandering around and we engaged. But this…” He motioned to where the supposed bridge was, “Something fell.”

  “I can see that.” She growled, “Firing positions, take out anything that moves!” She quickly gave her orders.

  The team obeyed, the reunited squad now stretching out their formation a bit more with their numbers replenished. Kapral Piotr dutifully scurried over to her, the scout ready to give his report.

  “I heard bolts, was that yours?” She asked.

  “It was. We saw a demon, it was looking for something below, that’s why we think something fell.”

  He gestured and guided her attention to where a misshapen humanoid now law crumbled into a blackened ball in the snow. The only sign that it had been alive was the two bolts and arrow that now stuck out of its still corpse.

  “Tomasz’s squad?” She posed the next question.

  Piotr shook his head.

  “Negative, sierzant. No sign.”

  Alicja muttered a small string of curses before turning towards two of the lead scouts.

  “Hekoz, Czebira, you two have the best eyes. Look around. Rest of you, ready!”

  The scouts scattered to take cover behind trees, rocks, and what ragged terrain there was. Their eyes focused on the other side of the newly formed ravine. The two scouts in question tepidly peaked their head downwards, trying to scan through snow, ice, and stone to ascertain if there were any signs of the second squadron.

  Over the other side, the lights drew closer and closer as wet squelches echoed louder and louder. Alicja readied her own bow and nocked an arrow. Steadying her breathing as she got ready to draw.

  Her assumptions had been a bit off. There was no torch bearer. Rather, the charred humanoid shape was merely glowing, wreathed in a blanket of nondescript flame. A blackened mass in the fire, it plodded along like some amalgamation of flammable slime shaped to be a person. Behind it, a handful of shadows followed along, their cries and snarls tampered by the crackle of the flames and the squelches of the slime’s footsteps. Goddess, what is that thing?

  The creature seemed to stare at her for a moment, its amorphous blackened form turning towards where she was. At least she thought that was what it was doing. A flame covered tendril began pushing itself out of the creature, fiery black slime like liquid dripping onto the snow below before sizzling away to leave behind a brackish pool of liquid.

  “Sierzant. By your command.” Pitor whispered, the man’s crossbow already pointed across the ravine.

  Though it was but a whisper, his voice seemed to be the loudest thing around against the wall of guttural grunts, groans and snarls from the other side.

  Provoked, disturbed, or simply filled with a desire to kill, the creature began splitting itself open. At first the scouts were baffled, merely watching it tear itself in two, then the central opening bonded together to create a strange cylindrical mass of slime. It then opened, and roared.

  An inhuman and unholy noise escaped from it, the cry of which reverberated up and down this section of the Frostwinds.

  The mountain itself seemed to respond. Unlike the unnatural rumbling of before. This time, the shaking she felt was almost nauseating. For it was familiar and spelled danger. It was a very guttural, animalistic cry. One that was calling for help. Which means there’s more nearby that we aren’t seeing, shit. It was a distraction!

  “One volley, back to the outpost! Double time!” She roared.

  Before she even finished her sentence, most of the others already let loose. A wave of bolts and arrows slamming into the strange monster and the horde behind it. Shadowy figures fell here and there, but the inflamed slime remained motionless. The projectiles that did reach it getting stuck in its goopy body before burning into soot and ash with only the metallic tip remaining. Damn, nothing we can do from here.

  “We still don’t see any signs!” Czebira cried in alarm.

  “Too late! We’ll trust in them to get out of trouble themselves, now move!” Alicja hauled the distressed scout away from the edge, pulling her back and thrusting her back towards the group.

  Most of them had begun a chaotic if still controlled descent back down the mountain. She could hear it more clearly even when her heart now drowned out most other noises. The cracking of branches, the heavy snap from something larger trying to rush down the mountain, like them.

  She cursed herself for imagining the possibility in the first place. For now it has become reality. The monsters had already crossed the Frostwinds in force. They were now on their side of the mountain. Ludvik had to know, they had just become the front line.