I found a large cloth tent erected behind the platform at the edge of the plowed clearing. Two men stood watch at the door, each armored in the all-too-recognizable armor of Virram’s guard. As we watched, one of the men turned and pushed through the tent flap, and I struggled to push my mana ahead to follow him. He stopped at a waist-high table and said a few silent words to the tent’s owner, then turned and left. I waited, frozen in anticipation, until a familiar figure entered my Detection and sent a sickening rush through my stomach.
Val.
The King’s Shield was dressed in her usual scale armor, though it was significantly more battered and stained than when we had last seen it. The namesake shield strapped to her arm was as flawless as the first day I had laid eyes on it, but the mana stored within it was shockingly dim. Val stood at the tent flap, staring straight into the fabric with her hard, inscrutable eyes. She took a deep breath, then stepped forward and exited the tent.
“Damnit Val, don’t do it,” I cursed, struggling to my feet. Lia and I were already sprinting through the snow as we watched Val make her way towards the raised platform.
I felt a small pulse of reassurance through our mental link. We’ll make it in time.
I measured the distance to our destination over and over as we ran, hoping for a different conclusion with each repeated attempt. Val paused at the edge of the platform and looked out over the sea of faces watching her, then stepped up and raised her shield in a silencing gesture. No, I thought bitterly, we won’t.
***
20. PERSPECTIVE
I scratched at an odd prickling sensation at the base of my skull and took a deep breath. My strength is their strength. My resolve is their resolve. What I give to them now must carry them through the night to come. Do not falter. I looked over the faces of the men and women assembled before me and knew that many of them would never see the light of day again. On my orders, they will die. By what right do I send them to their deaths?
I took the final step onto the podium and raised my right arm above my head. Dancing lights flitted across the assembled onlookers as the sputtering braziers reflected off of my upraised shield. My symbol. My namesake. My authority. While the perfectly polished outer surface of the shield faced the crowd, I stared at the intricate system of gears and levers attached to my hand. My failure. My shame. The intrusive thoughts began to prickle at the edge of my mind, and I shook away the feeling as I lowered my arm. No. My strength is their strength now.
“Men and women of Kaldan,” I shouted, projecting my voice to the very back of the assembly with a practiced power. “I stand before you tonight in awe of your bravery. You have answered the call to action with strength, courage, and selfless conviction. You have assembled to stem the tide of darkness encroaching on our lands, though this was never your duty. Those who pledged to keep this country safe from all evils have forsaken their oaths. You have taken their places; not by obligation, but by choice. By witness of the Primes, I swear that each and every one of you is more honorable than any knight I have ever met.”
The crowd rippled as the armored men and women nodded their heads in agreement. “You know what awaits us within Shadowmine. You have seen them with your own eyes; many of you have lost friends, neighbors, and loved ones to the unholy beasts known as Serathids.” A low murmur rumbled through the crowd as the shared pain of Kaldan echoed in each of their chests. “But you also know this: Serathids can be killed. You have seen this with your own eyes as well.” Enthusiastic shouts of “Holy Shield!” and “Commander Sesaude!” called back at me.
During the hard march north from Yoria, we had encountered a solitary Serathid only a day’s journey out from the capital. The majority of the volunteer army was made up of refugees from the northern towns of Kaldan, where the beasts had wandered unopposed for weeks. Fearing that any losses would permanently discourage the newly assembled force, I had faced it alone, taking only a minor wound to my left forearm for the effort. The boost in morale at seeing the Serathid fall was so powerful that we reached the mine an entire day ahead of schedule, despite the terrible traveling conditions on the unkempt roads.
I raised my shield above my head again, and the crowd gradually grew quiet once more. “I cannot say for certain what we will face within the mine. Only the dead hold those secrets. But, prepared or not, our objective remains the same: Eliminate the Serathid threat, or, if the enemy force proves too powerful, collapse Shadowmine permanently.” The contingency plan was not one I relished. The vast majority of Kaldan’s usable ores and gemstones came from the single network of mines beneath the twin mountains, so sealing it would devastate the country for years to come. I will pay any cost to save this country. I owe them that, at least.
“If we are to succeed tonight, I will need the help
