Reborn From the Cosmos

Miniarc-Villains-13

Samuel wasn’t surprised to find the camp in one piece after exiting the tent. The ominous clouds of smoke had dissipated and there was nothing of note in the distance. A crowd of acolytes surrounded the tent, but none of the stern faces seemed worried. Every subtle sign said that the danger, if it existed in the first place, had passed.

No expression was sterner than Alyssa’s scowl. The redhead waited for him to emerge with crossed arms and narrowed eyes. Green, just like Cecilia’s, though they were darker. A brooding green, if such a thing were possible.

“Did you have a good nap?” she hissed once the tent’s flap closed behind him.

Truthfully, falling asleep was embarrassing. Samuel was confident that there was no danger and he felt perfectly safe with Ewan around, but dozing off in the middle of a crisis, even a perceived one, didn’t look good. Despite his feelings, it wasn’t her place to point it out. “It was adequate,” he snarked back.

“Please explain the situation in detail,” Ewan interrupted before their disagreement cold escalate.

“Cheh. It’s a situation alright. I’ll skip to the relevant parts. Someone, or more likely someones, set off three small bombs in the camp. They were barely more than sparks. A couple tents caught fire but that didn’t do anything either. The real damage came from people panicking. It’s taken hours to calm them down.

“The people responsible got away. Before you say anything, I want to see you catch a handful of people in a crowd of hundreds all trying to flee and fight at the same time. Though, it’s not all bad news. We’ve secured the road, checking it for any traps and assigning extra hands to keep it clear. The prince can go at his leisure.”

“Good.”

“It is…something.” The knight matched Alyssa’s intensity as he stared her down. “But far from acceptable. Rebels have conducted an attack on the citizens of this kingdom and endangered the life of the prince—”

“One of those is an exaggeration.”

“—and your response is to shrug your shoulders and hope they don’t do it again? To run away? I expect more from the elites of the Hall.”

Alyssa scoffed. “The elites? The elites want nothing to do with this cesspool. The people here are desperate children who signed up for good intentions and a quick coin with no idea what they were really getting into. Shame on them for not performing to your standards.”

“If you cannot handle the job, perhaps you should be replaced.”

“Are you offering? Cause I’d love to hand you this shit heap. Just as soon as you march your knightly ass up to the Hall and bring back orders from the Grandmaster because I don’t answer to you. And I don’t like you. All you lily-assed capital bastards are all the same, throwing your nonexistent weight around.”

“Boss, please.”

An unassuming man with dark hair and a plain face stepped forward, putting a hand on Alyssa’s shoulder. His most distinctive feature was his height but despite it, he didn’t give the impression of looking down on anyone. If Samuel had to describe him in one word, it would be meek. Or, if he were being charitable, friendly.

“No one’s happy about this, but arguing with each other isn’t going to help. We have less than a hundred people trying to keep order over thousands. No one’s cooperating with us, criminal or not. Worse, these aren’t the usual thugs and bandits. These are trained professionals: hunters, alchemists, craftsmen. Some of the best the city had to offer with nothing to lose and a whole lot of reasons to be angry. They’re capable and they’re organized.”

“Very organized,” Alyssa continued, visibly forcing down her ire. “Smart, capable, and well-informed. The bombs were distractions. Once all our forces were preoccupied handling the chaos in the camp, they hit our food stores, cleaned us out.”

“Food is the most important thing in a crisis,” Ewan said. “Nothing motivates people like an empty stomach. It’ll ensure the loyalty of the rebels and entice others to join them.”

“It’ll also inconvenience us. The camp was already rationing. Forget finding the idiots who did this. Our most pressing problem is going to be keeping people fed.”

“The worrying part is that no acolytes were harmed,” the plain man added. “Not that I wish they were. It’s just—”

“If they were, the Hall would have fallen on these idiots like a hammer,” Alyssa interrupted, biting out the words. “Casters are a selfish bunch but these kids have friends and family on that rock. Not even the shittiest instructor is going to sit by and do nothing if their students are being slaughtered while trying to do good. But they can easily turn their gaze away from the commoners. Saints’ blessed asses, there were plenty who disagreed with helping the refugees in the first place and have been fighting the drain on the Hall’s resources. They’re going to fight all the harder to shut us down now.”

“I see. They wouldn’t abide a threat to themselves but so long as it’s someone else’s problem, they’re content to leave things be.” Ewan nodded gravely. “I agree. That is a course of action that requires a firm understanding of people, an intellectual mind, and foresight. Abilities far beyond the average criminal.”

He sighed. “I’ll apologize for my hasty judgment. These are not normal saboteurs. However, that abnormality makes it more important that they are stopped. Threats such as these do not become easier to remove with time. They cannot be allowed to fester.”

“Yeah, sure. But we need people trained to do that. People prepared to put their lives on the line. Soldiers. It’s a miracle these kids haven’t already run off but they can’t do this and they shouldn’t.”Nôv(el)B\\jnn

“…I can send a report to the capital but it will be weeks before reinforcements arrive. In the meantime, there are two royal knights and a squadron of soldiers in the capital. I have them assist you but they will be under my command and their activities will be restricted to investigating the rebels.”

“Fuck. Can’t say I don’t want more but I’ll take what I can get. If they need anything, come find me or Lane.”

The man, Lane, waved. “If you’ve got a few moments, I can give you a quick briefing. Nothing solid, but we’ve got a few ideas and rumors we’re working off of.”

“That would be good. Your highness—”

“I’m going to the hospital.”

The knight seemed troubled. Samuel could easily imagine what was going through his mind; he couldn’t leave the prince alone, but he was also interested in the briefing. Without an imminent threat to their lives, Samuel was once again his superior.

“I’ll follow,” Lane offered, ending Ewan’s dilemma. The knight had too much control to let his relief show but Samuel knew him well enough to know the gesture raised his estimation of Lane considerably.

“That’s decided. Let’s go.”

Samuel didn’t wait for either man to respond before walking off. His certainty that the spectacle was nothing more than a prank had been shaken by the revelation that the rebels had penetrated the heart of the camp. If their goal was to sow chaos, sabotaging the hospital was a good way to accomplish it.

He moved as quickly as decorum would allow. Admiringly, the acolytes within were still tending to their patients. Cecilia wasn’t amongst them. A few pointed questions directed him around the back of the tent. A quiet corner had been made from stacked crates and raised earth.

He found the source of his affection seated between two others on a bench made of packed earth, her face turned to a young man. Samuel’s brows twitched as he took in sight of her hand resting on his shoulder. He thought that he kept his emotions off his face but his dissatisfaction seeped int his body language, tightening his shoulders and balling his fists. It drew the attention of the small group and they quieted when they realized who was among them.

Cecilia was one of the last to notice him. Not for the first time, Samuel wished he had the mental affinity and the loose morals to use it with impunity. He wanted to know what lurked behind her trained expressions. Normally, the doubt was a quiet voice he needed no effort to ignore but suddenly, it was a struggle not to think too much about her relieved smile.”

“Your highness! I’m glad to see you in good health.”

“Thank you. It’s a relief that everyone is alright,” the prince said while raising his voice for the group to hear. It was a small bit of theatre, the caring prince concerned about the people. Most ignored it. He didn’t hear the few muttered responses as Cecilia discretely pulled him away.

Once they were far enough that a whisper wouldn’t be easily overheard, her beaming smile waned, trading size for warmth. Samuel wondered if it was a natural transition or an actress putting away a mask with practiced ease.

“Forgive me. I would have been here sooner but…”

“There’s no need to explain. Ewan would be a failure of an escort if he allowed you to put yourself in danger.” She looked over his shoulder and waved at the knight standing a respectful distance away, chatting with Lane.

“I was sure there was no danger, else I would have insisted.”

“Thank you, but your insistence would have amounted to nothing.” The words stung but he couldn’t deny them. “The thought is enough, but if you insist on feeling guilty, there is something you can do to make it up to me.”

Despite his bitter feelings, Samuel chuckled. “What is that?”

“I was hoping for a ride to the Hall. The troublemakers destroyed the wagons that ferried the acolytes. There’s the option to spend the night but I don’t fancy sharing a bedroll with a stranger.” Her hand alighted on his shoulder, much like it had on her colleague earlier. Was she always so physical? He didn’t think so. “Don’t worry if it’s an imposition.”

“No such thing. Rather, it’d be my pleasure.” It was a relief to see that her charitable work wasn’t pushing her down the road of a saint. Samuel was far from a perfect man and doubted he could live up to such ideals. What she called selfishness only elevated her charm in his eyes…usually. Today, his love was bittersweet.

“Great. Can I beg a few moments to say goodbyes?”

“Take all the time you need.”