Illumination: Act 2 (5/23/13)

>Out in the training grounds of the palace in the dawn’s light, the harsh peal of steel on steel rings out in brutal notes. A small crowd of griffin soldiers watch anxiously as the combatants clash over and over, each a hair’s breadth away from crippling the other with each violent meeting.    

>Two blades collide in a shower of sparks. One is thin, quick and held in a tense hand. The other is wide, powerful, and in the grip of powerful talons.

>At once, the swords disconnect and their owners jump back, both wanting a reprieve.

>Colonel Reeni stands at one side, her gallowglass longsword held in one set of talons as she takes a few deep breaths.

>On the other side is you. Shirtless, sweat covered, and gulping air.

>Last night you were told that the Vähemmän, the lesser lords, the ones who will decide your claim to the throne, were arriving early. Months early, in fact.

>It went against everything you had planned. There is still so much you have to do, but it looks like fate had an ace up its sleeve.

>There is not much that can truly peeve you, but such a huge upheaval of everything you had carefully laid out was one of them. So you did what anyone else would have done.

>You blew off some steam.      

>The lovely young maid you pulled from her duties the night before is probably still passed out in your bed.

>But even after that, you woke up still feeling ill-tempered. Luckily, Reeni was off her topside duties and up for a spar to rid you of the rest of your frustration    

>You struggle not to pant as you adjust the rapier-like weapon in your sweaty hand. Reeni was formidable even before she came under your command. The harsh Unohdettu training you forced on all of the griffons loyal to you had only made her that much more frightful in combat.

>The worst, however, is simply how she carries herself: with utter confidence and assurance in her own power. If you weren’t her lord, you might have been frightened.

>She recovers first, and in an impressive display of balance, raises herself onto her hind legs with her wings splayed out for stability.

>In an instant, she’s upon you, her sword flashing in a deadly, head-cleaving arc.

>You don’t think, just react as the world slows to a crawl.

>A flick of your thin weapon deflects Reeni’s lethal steel and you lash out at her eyes in return.

>Faster than what is natural, her longsword is in front of your swipe. The pair of blades meet in a resounding ring.

>She plants her free talon on the flat of her gallowglass and with a growl, brutally bashes you with the side of the sword.

>You let out a grunt as you backpedal from the rib cracking blow.

>She wastes no time and goes back on the offensive.

>Slash, parry, parry, feint, parry, slash, stab, slash, parry, stab, feint...

>You had taken up the art of melee combat shortly after arriving in this world and did just as you would with everything else you do: strive to perfect it.

>But even with all your diligent training and skill, you can still feel that you are losing ground against the griffon colonel.

>The baleful dance is watched closely by the surrounding soldiers, all of them not daring to take their eyes off of the combat for fear of missing something. After all, it’s not everyday you see two renowned figures locked in such an intense skirmish.

>Stab, parry, parry, slash, parry, lock, struggle, disengage, feint, parry, sidestep, parry...

>Reeni takes her sword in both talons and hacks at your head with all her considerable might.

>”Rrrrraaahhh!”    

“Damn!” you curse quietly under your breath as you duck under an arc of gleaming silver.

>You deflect another blow to the side, making her sword slide off yours with a metallic screech before you hop backwards and assess everything.

>Your heart is pounding in your ears, your lungs burn from complying to your body’s demands, and your limbs are shaky and weak.

>A glance at Reeni makes the situation even more hopeless. Her breathing is deep, but nowhere near as bad as yours. Her sword is still held firmly and ready for attack. Her eyes remain on yours rather than scanning your body, telling you that she already knows where you are weak.

>It’s obvious, you’re not going to win. But you refuse to simply give up.

>With every bit of power you have left in your body, you make a final charge on the griffin.

>Everything slows down even further, letting you take in everything.

>The watching soldier’s eyes widening.

>The fluttering wings of a bird in the distance.

>The slow breaths that your opponent takes.

>The minute clouds of dust that your feet kick up.

>Surging adrenaline in your veins, it’s a wonderful feeling that you’ve been without for quite some time.

>Reeni raises her gallowglass, bringing it to the side in preparation for a titanic strike.

>The muscles in her legs ripple before she shoots forward, making the ground under her paws buckle from the unearthly strength. Her wings flap in tune with her steps, speeding her up to a blur.

>Even against you of all people, her expression hardens, making her eyes flinty enough to give even the most seasoned fighter pause.

>In a split second, you’re hardly a meter away from her.

>You swing faster than what can be seen.       

>WHHHHERRRR!

>She does too.

>WHHHHEEERRR!

>CRRASHH!

>The weapons connect and yours shatters in a burst of glimmering shrapnel.

>Before you know it, a cold sensation settles on your sweat-soaked shoulder. Idly, you wish you could have the cool sensation over the rest of your body.

>You tiredly look over and find the tip of Reeni’s sword resting there, ready to slice out your throat.

>Everything is silent.

>”I think this one goes to me. Do you yield, Lord Anon?” she asks simply.

>You take a deep breath to steady your out-of-control heart and just nod in response.

>The watching soldiers erupt into applause and cheering at the end of the intense match, all of them thrilled to have born witness to it.

>Dropping the now useless hilt of what was your thin sword, you motion for one of the idle troops to bring you your dress shirt, tie, and coat where you left them hanging on the doorknob to a small armory building.

>Once he gives you the articles of clothing, you and Reeni slowly begin to walk back to the palace as the soldiers get back to training.  

“I have to say, Reeni, you’ve certainly earned your place within the Dominion’s military,” you tell her while debating on whether you should put your discarded clothes on while still coated in sweat.

>Going shirtless back to your room isn’t going to hurt anyone.

>The griffon hen smiles at the compliment. “Thank you, sir! You’re certainly a challenge yourself. The learning curve for close combat is usually much harsher. How do you overcome that?”

>With a low chuckle, you wonder if you should tell her that humans are a race born and bred for violence.

>She doesn’t need to know...

“I just put as much diligence and effort as I can into what I do. It’s far from pleasant most of the time, but the results are well worth it.”

>She slowly nods in agreement as you enter into the palace. The cool air of the huge stone building washes over you and makes your body tingle pleasantly.

>A glance down both sides of the hallway you and the Unohdettu lieutenant are essentially alone, meaning you can talk about more sensitive things with some caution.

“So, what’s the status of the VIP preparations? I don’t want my first impression on the  Vähemmän to be anything but spectacular.”

>”They should be ready. If I recall correctly, then Lord Raskas of the South should the first to arrive,” Reeni recites after a moment of thought.

>At least something is going right. Of all the Vähemmän, Raskas is the most corrupt and easy to bribe. The fat, orange-plumed griffin inherited his position from his father, who was just as debauched and lazy. All of his languid and poor upbringing as a ruler would make it easy to lure him, and by proxy, his impressive wealth and forces right into your pocket.

>You let your lips rise into a small smile. It’s always nice to have an easy victory.

“Excellent. What of the unicorn I talked to?” you ask, idly hoping that she was a worthwhile investment.

>It would be a shame if you had to put her down when such an opportunity only rarely comes by.

>Reeni frowns. “Trixie?” she asks. “She was released into the custody of the archivists and was granted access to the first floor the royal library’s restricted section. She’s been agreeable... for the most part.”

>You look at the colonel with a raised eyebrow as you feel your smile begin to die.

“For the most part?”

>Reeni runs her talons through her windswept crest feathers and sighs. “Although she’s had no qualms about being given access to the restricted section, she’s adamant that she doesn’t need to train the skills she acquires from the the magic tomes we have. So she’s learning, but she’ll never be of any use with how weak all of the spells are.”

>That’s not good, not at all. At this point, you can’t afford to have investments that aren’t at least going to break even on costs. Looks like you my have to do something about the situation.

“I’ll deal with that...” you mutter quietly, already brainstorming the best method. “What of the reconnaissance teams? Did they have anything to report?”

>”If I recall correctly, then the team sent to the Minos Isles has reported mostly positive news. They managed to scrounge up the blueprints to a few parts of the minotaur magic-fusion engine, which will make replicating it considerably easier. The scouts also got a rough estimate on minotaur forces and the direction their economy should take in the coming months.”

>You nod, signaling Reeni to continue.

>”The team sent to Equestria reports numerous successes. They have what should be a fairly accurate estimate on the Equestrian forces and economy, information on numerous important individuals, locations of interest noted, copies of several important documents, and notes for prime sabotage points. They’ve detected little to no misinformation during the mission and should return within the week.”

“Very nice. I’m not sure if the scouts are especially talented or if Equestria has really sunken so low with their security. Either way, they will be rewarded for their fine service. Continue.”

>”Yes sir. Continuing on, the scouts sent to the changeling wastes were unable to approach without putting themselves in undue danger, so they observed from a distance. They have notes on the changeling’s mysterious abilities and a very rough estimate on their forces.” The griffon hen’s voice takes a slightly saddened tone as she carries on, “The scouts were discovered approximately one week into their mission. Although they managed to kill all of the aggressors and hide the bodies, one scout, Ruoskia, I think is his name, was given a debilitating injury. He was brought back to Koti Sydämemme and treated. Shortly after, he was honorably discharged and having his memories modified.”

>Ah. It’s always unpleasant to hear of one of your own being injured in the line of duty. He must’ve known the risks, however, so you can’t say that it upsets you much.

“Sad. He and his family have my regards,” you comment halfheartedly. “What about the last team?”

>”Something to note, the reconnaissance team sent to the Canine Republic capital are Chief and Boris’ kid, Erio.”

>Why in the world is Chief, an Unohdettu lieutenant, out on grunt work like a reconnaissance mission? And why is Boris’ brat out there with him?”

>Seeing the darkening look on your face, Reeni speaks up. “Sir? If I may offer my thoughts on this?”

“Speak.”   

>”It seems to me like Boris may have asked Chief to go on the mission with his son. He’s always been against Erio joining us,” she offers. This is one of the reasons you brought her on board: the good head on her shoulders.

>The satisfaction of picking a good lieutenant quickly fades, however, in favor of irritation.

“Reeni, I believe that Chief is significantly more valuable than a rookie. His strategic genius has pulled us out of more than one problem. I can’t help but find myself unamused.”

>You narrow your eyes and quietly growl in displeasure.

“Tell Boris that due to everything moving apace, that I’m postponing my inspection of my commissions until a later date. Also tell him that if this potential debacle is indeed his fault, then he and I will have words,” you say crossly, the underlying threat in your speech as plain as day.

>The colonel gulps and nods quickly as she subtly edges away.  

>You and her walk for several minutes to an elevator and enter it before Reeni works up the courage to continue speaking.

>”I know that you are displeased with the situation, my lord, but do you still wish to hear what they have to report?” she asks as the elevator lurches and begins to rise.

“Go ahead.”

>She holds a balled up talon in front of her beak and clears her throat. “Right. As expected, they stayed just outside the city limits and observe from a distance due to the usual D-dog hostility. We’re getting conflicting reports from both of them. The one from Chief indicates that the dogs are rather idle at the moment and that there is nothing worth pursuing. The other from Erio says otherwise, that the dogs are planning on taking some sort of military action against a currently unspecified faction. We have reason to believe that he may be exaggerating.”

>Oh wonderful, simply divine! The rookie thinks that he can accomplish something by making up stories. He’ll definitely get a reprimand for such behavior.

>”All and all, they have nothing else that we don’t already know. We expect them to arrive back at headquarters within the week.”

>You sigh and rub your temples.

“I suppose that there is more good news than bad, so I’m willing to take that.”

>The elevator stops on your floor, before the cage like doors open with a nasty squeak.

>You walk out and turn to the griffin still in the elevator.

“I have to go clean up and prepare for the summit, so I suppose this is farewell for now. Keep me up-to-date on anything you believe to be important when you can,” you order as you begin walking back to your quarters.

>You get a “Yes sir!” from behind you before the elevator doors squeak shut and begin moving, likely taking the colonel back to the soldier barracks.

>Unlike on the lower floors, you pass several griffons who give you odd looks for walking around shirtless. It’s not surprising, however, since you’ve almost always been fully clothed in front of others since taking residence here.

>Walking into your quarters, you find the room tidied up, the bed made, and the sullied sheets on it changed.

>Looks like that maid woke up and decided to clean. How nice of her.

>You drop the shirt and coat still in your arms onto the bed and make your way to the bathroom for a hot shower.

>Who knew that running a country could be so trying?