Chapter 30 - Patrol

Serday, 33rd of Qinto, 312 S.F.

Dear Bianca,

How are you? I hope this letter finds you well. I’ve been thinking about you. Currently, I’ve been continuing my patrols as a knight. It has been going well. Lately, we’ve been having some issues. It seems Earthens have been getting ahold of Ficium weapons. We are unsure as to how it is happening but it’s beginning to become unsustainable. I hope you are keeping safe, in these trying times.

I’ve thought about what had happened the last time we spoke and I think it would be good if we talked it over some fresh redberries. I’m sure you would enjoy them.

Tetsuo set down the pencil and sighed. He tore out the paper from the notebook, crumpled and threw it to the ground. He picked up his pencil and started again.

Bianca,

It’s been weeks since I’ve heard anything about you. That damn knight won’t even give me a chance to talk to you. I just want to see you again. Please.

Tetsuo looked at the page with disgust. He tore it out and placed it in his lantern watching it burn. He picked up his pencil and started again.

I’m sorry. I want to tell you but I can’t. I’m doing this for your sake, and I wish you would just understand that. I know I’ve said it before but this time I mean it. It’s better that you don’t know any of the things I’m dealing with, and yeah I know we’ve talked about it before, but this time is different. It’s different. Please believe me. I’m sorry for everything so please, just I’ll tell you all of it. The mass graves in Remes, the death threats from who I thought was one of my closest allies. I’ll tell you that this was caused by some old man's ancient search for immortality and we were just a side effect. Even if they kill me, I’ll tell you all of it. Please just come home and I’ll tell you all of it.

Tetsuo wiped the tears from his eyes, and tore the page out again. The page joined the other in the lantern as he began to prepare for his daily patrol.

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Four weapons clattered onto the wooden table. A knife, two swords, and a spear. All of them were Ficium, with the fourth being unsealed. Eleanor looked around the makeshift tent the Alvanian knights had established as an outpost. Satisfied, she turned to Tetsuo, as a small stone rose and quickly zipped at him, stopping right before it struck his eye. “You haven’t told anyone that Ficium can be unsealed, correct?”

Tetsuo remained unfazed. “As I had said before. If I said something, then my wife would still love me.”

“And you didn’t leave any evidence of it anywhere?”

“If you’re that worried about it, just kill me.”

Eleanor looked at Tetsuo dejectedly. The rock clattered to the ground.

“Go back to your patrol, knight.” Eleanor turned and walked away, a strong gust of wind blowing into Tetsuo’s face. He sighed and began leaving the encampment.

As frustrating as it was, Eleanor was right about Ficium weapons. Despite Tetsuo’s efforts to prevent it, someone had begun distributing Ficium within Tervana, while spreading rumors regarding the sealing sigil on all Ficium tools. Once Earthens had learnt they were being given limited weaker versions of what they could have had, they revolted, and shortly after unsealed weapons began appearing within Tervana to match the demand. Earthen rebels took advantage of how Alvania underestimated them, and were able to overtake many squads, launch a legitimate offensive against the kingdom. Rumors were still circulating that this would escalate into a full blown civil war.

To counteract the growing threat of Earthen’s in Tervana, the knights of Alvania were forced to establish temporary outposts and increase the presence of knights here. Naturally, as a resident of Tervana, Tetsuo was expected to step up and lead the suppression efforts. After the past few weeks of patrols while attempting to manage rebels, Tetsuo was unsure if they could still prevent a civil war. Rather it seems like it had already begun.

He walked down the street with the ‘TV’ at the side of the road monitoring for suspicious behavior. While the old streets were filled with drunkards and desperation, they now remained completely empty, devoid of life. Doors were locked, windows were boarded up, and the only sound that remained was the sound of distant Alvanian tents flapping in the wind.

A sharp metallic ringing caught Tetsuo’s attention. Another guided his attention to an alley where the noise was coming from. He ran to it to see that two Alvanian knights were harassing what seemed to be an Earthen couple. One knight struck the man’s back with the back end of his spear. The Earthen man attempted to shield his wife covering her from the blows. The other knight laughed.

“The kingdom should have let us take care of Tervana years ago. This place is an eyesore, and no good could come from keeping a bunch of anomalies in the kingdom.”

Tetsuo sighed and walked into the alley. He turned the ring finger segment of his gauntlet, and balled his hand into a fist. A billow of icy wind expanded out from the spike protruding from the gauntlet, whipping at the two knights. The output was much higher now since Eleanor had unsealed the combinations on the glove for him. It was the least she could do given how much he had lost because of her.

“That cold–! Is it her?”

“It can’t be! Wasn’t she guarding the–”

The knights squinted and saw Tetsuo.

“Oh, it’s him.”

The other knight responded. “Makes sense. Earthens gotta look out for each other, right?” The two knights glared at the couple before making their way towards Tetsuo. The larger of the two stood in front of Tetsuo and looked down at him.

“Remember, you’re a knight of Alvania. Don’t go siding with this rebel trash. Last thing I need is a knife in the back from some Earthen traitor.” He spit at the floor in front of Tetsuo, before walking past him out of the alley. The other knight began to follow.

“Leave the knights, if you know what's good for you.”

Tetsuo ignored their offer and unclenched his fist, dissipating the icy winds. He looked at the Earthen couple holding each other, legs trembling.

“Keep each other safe, alright”

The man glared at Tetsuo. Shakily he took a step forward. “Aren’t you Earthen too?!”

“Honey, please!” The woman tried to pull him back, before turning to address Tetsuo. “I’m sorry, he must still be shaken up…”

“You! You have the training, you have the strength! You even have a Ficium weapon! They treat you like crap and you're still working for that Alvanian scum?!”

Tetsuo sighed and began to move on his way.

“You coward!”

“Honey, that’s enough! He saved us!”

“We wouldn’t have needed to be saved if he had sided with his people and joined the Earthen rebellion!”

Tetsuo left the alley and returned to his regular patrol of the empty streets of Tervana. A civil war hardly mattered to him. He may have remained a knight but it was just a means of earning sivs to survive until the next day. Tervana, Alvania, Remes, all of it could burn for all he cared. Why would he care about the kingdom which had ripped him from his wife.