Rising to Fall

Chapter 5-8

Sorry about the quick week-long break there, I was falling behind on both my assignments and homework. I'll get out as many updates as I can over the next two weeks but since I have four assignments.... we'll see.

Moving on.

The air around the Capital is solemn for the following days. Along the beach near the Capital, dozens of metres back from the sand, a long row of dirt about as wide as a human was tall had been dug out and then replaced, forming a low mound. Each of the dead had been buried according to their army with the Benjas first, then Dead Army, the Doods, the Kippers, the Sky Army, the Sorcerers and then the Stars. Only three Sky Army recruits had been buried, Adam being laid at rest in between them. The casualties among the Doods and the Dead Army were the largest.

The Squid warriors, although they had been the enemy, had fought well when they were certain to lose. The bodies of their fallen had been buried on the other side of the Capital, in the dirt near the river. They were not laid neatly side by side and their armour had been stripped from them.

The camps of the Guardian's armies and the Benjas spill out around the Capital, many of those present not wanting to remain in the city for long periods of time. The remaining Sky Army recruits are placed in the middle of the Benja camp, a medical tent set up right next to them. Several of them required severe medical attention and more than a few had disappeared. Mitch easily guessed what happened to them but their bodies couldn't be found.

"Sir."

General Mitchell glances up from where he is waxing a new string for his bow, sitting on the stool placed just outside his tent. The Benja warrior standing in front of him has his upper left arm bandaged but other than that, he looks no worse for wear.

"The General of the Sorcerers needs you," the warriors says. "He said something about an important meeting."

"Did he happen to say where?" Mitch asks, laying aside the bowstring.

"A room in the Capital's castle, he wasn't specific."

"Alright, thanks." Mitch rises from the stool, his left hand instinctively drifting across the handle of his dagger.

He strides out of the Benja camp, walking through the Capital's gate for the first time since several months ago, when he had come to first figure out the truth behind the Squids. If he had known that it would have all led up to this, he probably would have played his cards differently, but there's no point in thinking about it now.

The Capital lies silent as he walks through it, the streets barren. Some buildings bear the signs of the battle that had happened; burn marks on buildings, unexplained nicks and the occasional shell of wooden frames and paint where an explosion had come a bit too close.

Mitch's hand runs along the railings as he goes up the steps that lead into the castle. At the top he glances back to the central courtyard below, briefly wondering what caused the yellow stain mark on the stone that he hadn't seen previously before pushing open the castle doors. Two Dead Army warriors stand at guard in the entrance hall and upon recognising the Benja General, one points down a corridor.

"They're waiting for you up the stairs to your left sir, second door you come across," he says.

Mitch nods a thanks and followed the warrior's directions, coming up to a sturdy wooden door that was unlocked. He enters, instantly noting that he is the last one to arrive, a feeling that he is really not fond of. Ty, Ian, Quentin, Jason and Seto are waiting for him, their conversation cutting off as soon as Mitch opens the door. Commanders Jack, Cassandra, Jordan and Kali are also present.

"Lock the door, will you Mitch?" Ty says. "This topic's kinda private."

Mitch frowns a little but did as Ty had asked, coming up to the table and taking a seat with the rest of them afterwards. "What's up?"

"Apparently we have a bit of a problem," Jason says. "And we need your help to come up with a solution."

"I'm going to take a stab and say it involves the Amulet."

"Here's the thing," Commander Jordan says, laying his hands on the table, speaking to everyone present. "The Sky Army had two jobs: protect the Amulet, and keep the Squids down. As you can tell, we've sucked at both over the past 12 years. A lot of us thought that we could rise up and do it again, but now..."

"We can't do it again," Commander Jack says, shaking his head a little. "We're too small to keep the Squids at bay and if anyone comes for the Piece, we won't be able to protect it from them. It'll take us decades to get back to even a quarter of the size we were. That's just too long."

"So what are you suggesting?" Seto asks.

Commander Jack looks right at Mitch. "Adam trusted you enough to give you the Amulet to protect it. If he can trust you enough to give you the Piece, then he must have wanted you to be the Guardian of it if anything happened to us."

"You're suggesting that Mitch becomes a Guardian?" Ty asks, both eyebrows raised.

Jack shrugs. "He's got the army for it. He seems like a decent bloke too, and when we first met him, he was lying to the Squids to try and find us. I'd trust him."

"Why are you always so negative about everything?" Ian asks Ty.

"Hey, I get a lot of Squid attacks where I'm based," he defends. "Well, used to, they kinda died down over the past few years. But either way, we don't know how many Pieces the Squids have, and I'm not risking one falling into their hands because we told someone who wasn't capable to look after it."

Now it's Mitch's turn to raise both of his eyebrows. "You think my army's not capable?"

Ty waves a tired hand. "You know what I mean."

"I'm with Commander Jack on this once," Jason says. "The Sky Army isn't in a position to protect the Piece. I think Mitch should become a Guardian, as well as his army. I mean, he's already looked after a Piece of a while now."

"I agree," Quentin says. He glances at Seto. "If you think he's able."

Seto grins a little. "The Squids aren't getting even close to the Amulet if Mitch has it. I trust him."

Mitch flicks his gaze between each of the Generals, not fully understanding what's happening but able to get the general gist. "Alright, but what's going to happen to you guys?" he asks the Sky Army Commanders.

Jack, Kali and Jordan all look to Cassandra, who rolls her eyes before speaking. "I had an idea that our army could combine with yours, General Mitchell. After all, you did spend some time training us and we would bolster your army's numbers a little, as well as our Commanders able to offer you some advice in the way of protecting the Piece."

"Sounds good," Mitch says with a nod.

"Everyone settled then?" Ian asks, looking around at everyone nodding. "Alright. Congrats Mitch, you're a Guardian. And now we'll probably never see each other again."

"Yeah, it's a sad reality," Quentin mutters, going to the door.

"Wait, what?" Mitch asks, standing up. "Why?"

Seto shakes his head a little, a grin coming onto his face. "Oh boy, I've got so much to explain to you."

I should really get out of the habit of make all of my books have an explaination chapter at the end. It's just boring.

Bai!