The surviving soldiers shared their largest tent for the night. It was an odd arrangement, all their sleeping mats laid out so close to one another. But after the recent events, no one wanted to be alone. Even if none of them said it out loud. They woke before the sun crested the horizon, nevermind risen above the mountains.
Wolfram insisted on leaving before they'd had time to prepare breakfast. Celeste packed him a few extra supplies for his travels, and he left for the north. He was their ally in all this, so feeding him seemed like the least she could do. But even were he their enemy, she wasn't sure she would have the strength to leave him out in the cold.
It was a grim task they had ahead of them, but the men had a determination in them as they set out. They marked spaces for bodies that indicated which company they had been in. While others focused on the trenches, Celeste went to collect bodies from the final charge. She had the physical stamina for the long walk. Plus, she didn't think she had the emotional stamina for dealing with the trenches.
She walked through the mess of human and horse corpses for a while before she found who she was looking for. She was impressed. Pesaro's body, half crushed by his fallen steed, was right at the front of the charge. There were several bullet wounds in his chest. The blood on his uniform had gone brown, making it blend with the mud he'd been smeared in.
Celeste examined his face for a while. It looked surprisingly calm. She wondered if she stared into that blank expression long enough if she might understand why he did this. Why he let his army die and ignore the magic help he had. She felt vindicated, but any satisfaction that brought only made her more guilty, as the pain of it all dragged down on her stomach.
As she shifted the horse off him, she noticed a pendant around his neck. Out of curiosity, she delicately picked it up, clicking it open. Inside were two pencil sketches. One of a woman who looked about his age. The other was of a young man who had a remarkable resemblance. She tried to compare, but his face didn't look like it had any more anyway. She tucked the pendant back into his uniform and hefted his body up over her shoulder.
They had been working for a few hours when the riders arrived. They approached from the west, resplendent in their green uniforms. It was only as she saw their approach that she noticed how filthy all of her men's uniforms had become, and her own. The riders didn't dismount or approach, merely formed up a hundred metres from the remains of the camp. Celeste considered approaching them, only for a trio of them to dismount and march over.
Their leader was evident. His uniform was adorned with stripes and medals, marking him out. He stood shockingly tall. It took a long look before Celeste realised he was a wizard. His skin was a stony grey, and his neck felt long, as though he was peering over you, even though she was sure it was in proportion. She began to feel cheated. Why had she just been scarred, why didn't she get to be taller?
“Greetings, Captain. I take it you're the last officer remaining?” The leader asked.
Celeste nodded. “I wasn't here when the massacre happened, but I was serving under Pesaro.”
“Ah, so you're the only one of his wizards that survived as well.” The leader sighed, before motioning for her to follow him. “Come, we should talk in private for a moment. I need to lay out the current situation to you quickly.”
She hesitated for a moment, before he lead her into the large tent. He moved to crouch on the ground, spreading out some papers he'd brought with him. There were a few maps which he'd marked in various places.
“I am Brigadier Quintino Tosetti. And you are?” He asked, not looking up at her.
“Celeste,” She paused before adding. “Captain Celeste, not that that means much right now.”
“Why ever not?” Tosetti asked as he looked up at her. It was strange. Even as he stared directly at her, she had a feeling like he was looking right through her.
“Well, my superior is dead. The Ofprovians are currently marching south. What is there to be Captain of?”
“If we lose our faith in ourselves at the first stumble, what good is it to believe in our nation?” He said quickly. “I will admit, we aren't in a good position. I have about five hundred cavalrymen that were supposed to reinforce General Pesaro. A rider reached us yesterday with news of what happened here. With all other leadership dead, I will take command and see if we can't turn this whole battle around.”
“The battle is over,” She said bluntly. “You just said you only have five hundred men. They had thousands. And they have a head start on us.”
“Yes, they have around eight thousand men, my intelligence suggests. Plus, a reasonable contingent of wizards, as their victory here proves. And they are possibly already two day's march south of us.”
“Then what can you do? There's no way a force leaving the capital could get there in time to stop them.”
“On the contrary, I think it would be possible to reinforce the position in time, though there are no men to do so. Instead, we will work with what we have.” He spoke rapidly, though with a clarity of purpose. He seemed to have planned every word he had to say years in advance.
“And what do we have?” She asked, sighing.
“We have five hundred men and horses, whatever supplies you have left, and we have two wizards. Defensive battles are always easier, of course. And now we have lost the dead weight that was Pesaro, we can fight at our full capacity. Now, they will probably have taken any papers he had or destroyed them, so you'll have to tell me directly, what are your abilities?”
Celeste froze up for a moment, not enjoying being put on the spot, before gathering her response. “I can remove the effect of gravity in an area around me.”
“Useful. What is the area of this effect?” He said, looking thoughtful.
“It's in a sort of cylinder around me. I can make it bigger or smaller, though it increases the amount it empowers my spirit exponentially.”
“Okay, so you can maintain it in a small area around you? Use the effect on people with you?”
“Yes, I can do it. I was using it to lighten a cart on the way up here.”
Tosetti threw his head back in a laugh. “That is amazing. Pesaro truly refused to utilise you correctly. But you will be easy to use correctly. In fact, I couldn't have found a more perfect wizard for the job, I believe. What are your other abilities?”
“I can create small bubbles of vacuum where I point. When they collapse they pull air around them in. And I can create a fire replica of myself that stands behind me and copies my movements.” She listed quickly.
Tosetti nodded. “The vacuums are a weird but versatile ability. The fire would mostly be a good intimidation tactic, unless you're fighting another wizard. And soothing I guess would be something like cold and wind?”
“And earth, yes.”
“Does a mountain count as earth? Would climbing one help to soothe you?” His eyes focused intently on Celeste. Or, rather, he focused on the space where she was.
“Yes, it does have some effect.” She lookied at him curiously. For a few moments, he seemed to be thinking very intensely, ignoring her completely. Then, he nodded and looked back at his maps.
“Here is the situation as I see it. The Ofprovians have a force heading directly for our productive capital. If they reach there, they will likely engage a large scale bombardment, destroying our ability to manufacture weapons and effectively ending this war. The only force close enough to act in time, aside from a few military police, is us.” He looked back at her. “I take it you studied at some academy. Tricapon?”
“Yes, I did...how did you know?”
“It's the type of place that would take a peasant girl. Did you study much in the way of tactics?”
“I can't say I did,” She said, a little embarrassed.
“There are good reasons we shouldn't automatically make wizards officers. But, no one cares what I say. So then, we have at most a month before the army reaches Gloriocitta at a marching pace. What is the one thing they'll need to be able to make it there?”
Celeste took a moment to realise he wanted an answer from her, and a few moments more to think of an answer. “They need to eat. And they'll need food for several thousand.”
“Exactly. As soon as I received word of this battle, I sent a bird south. Hopefully, the soldiers along the route will receive my message and obey, taking all civilians along the route up to the plateaus and taking any carriable food stores with them. Everything else will have to be destroyed. We are fortunate, I believe, that this defeat should come so early in the season. There will be little to be scavenged from the ground. And the harvests can still happen later in the year.”
“Wait, you're destroying our food? Why?” Celeste asked, shocked by the insanity of the statement.
“I doubt they will have brought enough food with them. They will be intending to raid our stores along the way. This cuts off one source of supplies. The other option would be having food brought in on supply lines. We need to cut off the supply lines to ensure the army is left starving.” He traced his finger along the map in front of him before pointing at her. “Where are they going to send their supply line?”
“Along the road. Where else would you send it?”
“Wrong. If they wanted to send it along here, they would have left men to hold the battlefield, wouldn't they? Unless they want to dedicate more men this deep into our territory, they won't have a large escort. Plus, once we've reinforced this location, it would be hard for them to break through again. They only won this battle because of their artillery. We'd kill any force they sent before they set that up.”
“Then they'd take it up and over the plateaus,” She said simply, it was the only other option.
“Wrong again. Their intelligence on the layout of the plateaus is vastly incomplete. Even our own surveys are inadequate.”
“Well, then there is nowhere else. Unless they have a wizard who could fly supplies over our heads.”
“You're in the right direction,” Tosetti said with a smile. “It's the most obvious thing around.”
Celeste paused for a moment before shaking her head. “The Taoan mountains are impassable. There's no way they could use them like that.”
“Impossible to cross for a military convoy, yes, but the low land foothills, well they would be perfect. There's plenty of ridges you could travel along that would keep you relatively out of sight. Plus, the snows up there would be very easy to manipulate for a lot of water wizards. We know they have one, after all.”
Celeste felt the heat of anger rise in her at that. If it showed on her face, Tosetti didn't notice. “So, you want to send me up there to cut off their supply lines.” She spoke slowly, picking up her pace as she saw his plan in her mind. “Up a mountain, where it's windy and cold.”
“Exactly. You could take a small group of heavily armed men who could move like unarmed scouts. Up there, you will be fighting in your element, basically impossible to become consumed. I have a few men I would suggest-”
She cut in. “Could I bring the men who travelled here with me? Obviously, if they're willing.”
“Their willingness is meaningless compared to an order of their commander. But if you know them, you will likely fight together better.” He stood back to his full height, clapping his hands together. “It is decided then. I will help outfit you with enough ordinance to blow one of those mountains up and then it is up to you to watch the mountain passes.”
“What are you going to be doing?” She asked, realising he'd said nothing about his plans beyond starving the enemy.
“My men will ride south as well. If we go via the plateaus we can stay out of the Ofprovians' way and lay a trap for them.”
“There's no way for you to get those horses up there though,” Celeste, slightly confused by this. What was his magic?
Tosetti chuckled. He raised his hand, seeming to examine the palm before closing it into a fist. “I have ways to get this done. I need a piece of clothing from you or one of your men, something you've worn, that will have your scent. I will send word to you when my job is done and I have a rendezvous location for us.”
“What about the survivors?” She asked suddenly.
“I'm not ordering you to leave survivors.”
His words chilled her, but Celeste shook her head. “No, I mean, from the massacre. I had them working to clean up the bodies.”
Tosetti considered for a moment before nodding. “It is important that that gets done. And I don't have any extra horses for them. They will stay, finish your orders. It looks good for both of us if I'm not going around overruling your orders.”
Celeste gathered her four men up and explained to them, as best she could, the current plan. “It's going to be dangerous up there. And really cold. I won't order you up there, the work here is important too. But I do trust you all, I think.”
“Aside from the cold, it doesn't sound so bad,” Julius said. “I mean, supply convoys aren't so difficult to attack, right?”
“There is probably going to be at least one wizard to deal with,” She pointed out.
“And we've already seen you take down one wizard.”
Celeste nodded at that, not adding who she feared it was that she might face.
“Well, I will stand with you, Captain,” Teo said, shooting her a wink. “If you need help then I am happy to stand by your side.”
“I think we all are,” Felipe said, glancing between the others who all nodded.
Celeste felt a small smile spreading on her face. “I'm much happier to have you working with me than being ordered to kill me.”
They went through the cart they had delivered to find what extra armaments had been delivered. The Brigadier sent one of his munitions experts to look over the weapons and help them pick out their supplies. Teo and Julius ended up with packed overflowing with explosives and gunpowder, while Filipe and Uberto were left to carry more mundane supplies. Celeste took a heavy bag of munitions herself. The men picked up new rifles as well as pistols. Since she still hadn't learned how they worked, Celeste simply picked up a second cavalry sabre, feeling more prepared for whatever came their way.
Next, they had to get used to moving in zero gravity. Celeste had years of practice moving without gravity. The men had none, so it was a steep learning curve. It became clear that their heavy packs still created movement problems. Their increased mass still meant that they had more momentum. Once they started floating away, it was more difficult to get them to stop.
But they were impressive learners. Within an hour, they felt ready enough to set off. As a final precaution, they tied a rope around everyone's waists and attached themselves together. It meant they had to move in unison, but it would make rescuing any of them from floating away much easier.
And so, they set off east, marching in a tight formation around Celeste. The Taoan foothills weren't so high up, at least not compared to the mountains themselves, but there were no clear routes up. Celeste was taken back to her first day at Tricapon as they leapt up the side of the mountain.
The ridge they found themselves on certainly would have sheltered them from the view of any traveller below. It did nothing to shelter them from the wind, however. Winds rushed across from the Esset Sea all the way to them unhindered it seemed. They were about level with the nearest plateau to them, but this somehow felt colder than Celeste was used to. She had heard that there was something of a microclimate over the mountains.
Having reached the snowy ridges of the foothills, they had to decide what to do next. Standing on the mountainside, watching for a supply train, didn't seem very fun. Moreover, it seemed like a great way to die from exposure. They trekked higher until they found an opening in the rock. The small cave wasn't perfect, but it kept them out of the wind and left them with a good view of the ridge below them. If Tosetti was right, this would be the place to watch.
Celeste had to make a trip back down the mountain, which was much quicker when she was alone, to bring them wood for a fire. In the cave, huddled around the fire, the cold wasn't so bad.
They took it in turns staying away from the fire and watching the ridge. Their shifts weren't too long. If your fingers froze up then you wouldn't be able to fight effectively. So, they sat together sharing stories. They quickly ran out of folktales to share, even if there were plenty of highland tales that Teo had yet to hear. Instead, they spoke of their childhoods.
Celeste found herself keeping quiet, even while she happily drank in the knowledge of her men. Childhood felt so distant even while she was at school. The school was barely a month ago. Well, teaching had ended a while ago. But after seeing the massacre...Everything felt a little more distant. Maybe that was just an effect of sitting on the side of a mountain.
Remembering the faces of the dead though, that kept her strong through the bitter cold. She knew who she was fighting for. If the war was lost now, all those men gave their lives for nothing. If their religion was wiped out, then it was all for nothing. She couldn't imagine anything worse than that right now.
It took a day for waiting before they saw the supply train. Celeste was sat on watch, eyeing the ridge below them with her eyeglass. She struggled to keep herself from looking down at the battlefield far below. From here she could see a long way along the battle line, wondering what further suffering was there. She focused on her task again once she saw motion. It was hard to make out in the dark, but a single lantern casting an orange glow against the blue snow was obvious.
As she squinted at it, she could make out that the supply train was merely a single cart. Well, not a cart. It looked more like a modified boat. Crates were loaded on and tied tight. She could make out a couple of soldiers riding along. And stood on top, arms a blur of motion, was the wizard directing it.
“Get your guns,” She ordered, reaching back to grab her own swords, slipping them onto her belt. “We've got to go right now.”
“I think I've got this,” Said Teo, pulling a small bundle out of his pack. He came to the mouth of the cave and looked down for a moment before nodding. “I said I was going to make the use of all these munitions they gave us. This fuse should do.” As he spoke, he attached a string to the bundle. He lit it from the fire and went to lob it down the mountain.
It was only as he was in the process of throwing it that Celeste realised, he was throwing lit explosives right at Melanie. She wasn't sure if a wizard could survive a blast like that. Or if Teo would time this correctly at all. But she panicked.
“No, wait!” She cried out, reaching to grab his arm a few seconds too late.
“Was that not right? Are they allies?” He said, suddenly looking very guilty.
“I'm going down. Get ready to support me,” She snapped at them before hurling herself down the mountain.
She initially tried to release gravity and jump, but the strong wind caught on her uniform and held her back. So instead, she ran through the snow. Luckily it was unstable, which is an odd sentiment to have when throwing yourself down the side of a mountain. But the instability meant it hadn't formed too thick, only even coming up to the top of her boots.
She barrelled down, her eyes fixed on the bundle of explosives, the single dot of the burning fuse all she had to follow. It was fire. And fire needed air. She raised her hand, trying to create a vacuum. She missed. As the vacuum collapsed, it dragged the bundle backwards. With the extra speed from the wind, it now whizzed towards her.
You idiot!
She caught it, glanced at the fuse and saw how much it was burning down. Her panic only intensified.
Throw it away already!
She did as she was told and threw it with all her strength. It was just in time too. As the bundle reached the apex of its arc, it exploded. A huge billow of fire appeared in the air. Celeste raised her arm to shield herself from the wave of heat, glancing down to see the mountainside illuminated. Fire glistened in Melanie's blue eyes as she looked up to see it.
Melanie was fast to act. She slowed her boat and motioned to her soldiers to hopped off, guns in hand. There were actually six of them, Celeste realised. Melanie turned the boat around, heading for the edge of the ridge.
Celeste wasted no time in pursuing her. She continued down the hill, drawing her swords. The soldier's ahead of her began to level their guns at her. She threw her arms back in rage and fire exploded behind her. They all jumped in surprise and she used her shock to bound over them, just about clearing them with the wind pulling on her. What did it want from her now?
She kept the fire blazing as she sprinted towards Melanie. The other woman had reached the edge and clearly realised she couldn't go further, instead pulling the boat to the side. She was physically pulling on it to stop it from falling off. She finished pulling up and calmly turned to face Celeste.
Celeste was bathed in orange, the roaring flames behind her sharing in her rage. She felt ridiculous, like she was a child having a tantrum, as she looked into Melanie's calm blue eyes.
“I really don't want to fight you, Celeste,” Melanie called calmly over the sound of the wind.
“Well, then I will just kill you. You deserve it for what you've done.”
“What I've done?” Melanie asked, almost looking confused.
“Don't play dumb with me, I know it was you that massacred our men. I'm not going to let you get away with that.” Celeste tightened the grip on her swords. The cold bit into her fingers, but she had to ignore it.
Melanie looked down for a moment, nodding. “I simply did my duty. Yes, I flooded that trench. But I did not fire the artillery, I did not lead the reckless charge into enemy fire. I didn't start the war.”
“You are still responsible. They were...” Celeste felt her voice catching in her throat. “They were just doing their duty too.”
“And I am sorry that we were enemies. But I must follow my orders.”
“What for? Why would you do something so wrong?” Celeste cried out.
Melanie sighed. “You know why I have to do this. I fight for my people, just as you do. And if I hadn't followed my orders, think how many of our soldiers would have died in the battle. I saved as many as I condemned.”
“They were protecting their homes. Their nation.”
“Do you think your men are the only ones in the right? That we don't have a nation to protect?”
“That's not the same. You started this war, the Ofprovians are the aggressors.”
“Maybe so, but that doesn't mean the men don't believe in what they fight for. I suppose you never did learn about war. Despite its intentions, you never treated Tricapon as the military academy that it is.”
“Tristan never wanted to train people for war,” Celeste shot back.
“It doesn't matter what he wanted. The school's foundations weren't his to control.”
Just as the war wasn't theirs to control, Melanie's unspoken meaning rang out clearly to Celeste. She could see the truth of it. But it didn't quiet the rage burning inside her, and behind her.
“He couldn't get me my books, no matter how much he wanted.” Melanie's voice took on a mournful note.
Celeste wanted to say something back. The nights studying al-Rahim screamed in her mind, seeking a voice. But she was cut off as Melanie glanced around her.
“I will be off now,” She said quickly, hopping back onto the boat.
“You're not getting away!” Celeste cried out, taking a step forwards.
“I am. I know you too well. I can't fight you up here, but I can run. And if you chase me, you'll have you leave your men.”
Celeste turned around with a start, only now realising gunshots had been sounding behind her. Her men look unharmed, but they were currently huddled behind a rocky outcrop, the six Ofprovian's closing in, their bayonets glistening in the moonlight.
Kill her. She must die.
“And you'd leave your own men behind?” She called, considering her options for a moment and realising Melanie was correct, of course.
“I understand acceptable losses. I will mourn them. All of them.” And with that, Melanie swept up the snow below her as began to move her boat.
Do not allow her to leave. Kill her now. Bring her head to your leaders, get the power they can offer.
Celeste took one last look at her. She wore her Ofrpovian uniform as neatly as her school uniform, her headscarf tucked in so carefully. Her motions were as efficient as ever. She was the perfect soldier, Celeste realised.
“If you deliver those, you'll be killed. We have an ambush waiting for your army,” Celeste called.
Melanie looked back with a smile. “If your victory was assured, you wouldn't be here to stop me. But nice try at a bluff.” She turned and sped off along the mountainside.
Celeste returned her attention to the matter at hand. Without gravity and with the wind at her back, she moved faster than she thought possible. The soldiers heard her coming, probably tipped off by the roaring fire behind her. They raised their guns to fire and she slammed her feet into the nearest one, sending him flying backwards into the snow.
Slaughter them. Let them feel your power.
The next lunged at her with his bayonet. She evaded his blade and threw her own up, letting the flaming replicas tear through him. Spurred on by the exhilaration, she leapt at the next one, plunging her swords into his chest.
Blood stained the snow. She was about to move to the next man, when she saw them lifting their fallen comrade out of the snow. They lowered their guns as though hoping they might act as some shield against her rage. Suddenly the reality of everything came back to her. The faces fallen in the grass.
What are you waiting for? Now is the time to finish them.
She kept the fire blazing behind her but lowered her swords. She saw her own men coming around the rocks, guns raised.
“Don't shoot!” She commanded them, before switching to Ofprovian. She spoke it as clearly as she could, trying not to sound like she was rehearsing tenses in the classroom. “Your mission is failed and your commander is gone. No more of you need to die. Lay down your weapons and I will return you down below so you can return north. Is this acceptable to you?”
It wasn't like there was much in the way of choice, but the men nodded at her. She motioned and they threw their guns into the snow. She put her swords away, unable to help looking down as she did to see the bodies at her feet. She would make sure all of them could make it home, even if she had made sure not all of them would make it back alive.