Dodge: Serial 73

At last, the Wolf arrives at Capital City. However, Heigon remains a formidable force.

Serial 73: Spring tide

March 18th, 33 S.D.        10:49        Capital City, Henron

    Fortified by high stone walls, Capital City stood against the plains, casting its imposing silhouette across the land. Various soldiers took up watch positions along the perimeter. Walking atop pathways built into the city’s barrier, they patrolled back and forth in sweeps. From their spots, they could see for kilometers; anything that approached the city would instantly come to their attention. So it was that morning that one pair of scouts observed a most peculiar disturbance.

    “Se?” a large bearded man said, holding up binoculars to his eyes. Intently, he leaned forward, pushing his stomach over the railing. “Se? Se? What is this now?” he wondered aloud. A younger solider came over with a rifle slung over his shoulder.

    “Hey, get any closer and you are liable to fall right off the edge.”

    The man with the beard didn’t seem to hear the other. “Shrieks, what on the Continent is that?” he asked.

    “Hey, if you are not going to share what is so interesting, I might just kick you off myself.”

    “No, wait a minute. Come here and have a look.”

    “Hmmmph....” the other grumbled. “I left my binoculars back at the outpost. Guess this will have to do.” The younger one brought his rifle upright, aligning it with the distance.

    “Sa... sa... Where is it now?” he demanded, peering down the gun’s scope.

    “Do I have to tell you? You are supposed to be the sniper...”

    “Shut up and tell me, big guy.... Oh, wait! No, ignore that. There it is.” For a while, they trained their sights on the incoming flashes of light. With each passing second, they grew noticably brighter.

    “Whoa!” said the sharpshooter. “Look how fast it is rolling in! What the...”

    “Get it together, kid! Take a closer gander now. You recognize that face? On the right?”

    “That is... no way...” the young one breathed, pulling himself away.

    “It really is our old girl. And she even got herself a fancy escort.”

    “But they put her up in Navaran...”

    “Sa, but I reckon she had a bit of help getting out. See that one in the lead? I never got a good clear look at her before myself, but from all the stories, it has to be her. You know what this all means, sa?”

    “It can only mean one thing,” said the sharpshooter, tossing his rifle onto his shoulder. “It is just as our Range Lead explained. Everything is going exactly to plan.” They laughed, grinning widely at one another, throwing an arm over the other in a show of camaraderie.

    “I am sure the rest will see them as well,” said the older soldier. “But we ought to report in anyway.”

    “Sa. With this, we have practically won, but... there is still so much left to fight for.

    Both men momentarily glanced behind them, towards the center of the city. A singular structure rose above the lesser buildings, the grand domain of Heigon Henron. There, like a palace, the leader of Henron issued decrees and judgments. But how much longer would that last?

    “Come on,” said the bearded soldier. “This revolution is not going to happen if we just stay here.”



    Soon, the city was but meters before Losha, Liveta, and Alant. They halted in front of the steep facades, idling while they contemplated their next move.

    “Was it really such a good idea to come up so openly?” Alant asked the two women. “Perhaps I should have come in advance, alone. I could have gauged the situation ahead of time.”

    “I suspect you had planned on sneaking in?” Liveta asked. “These prison clothes certainly give us all away, so I presume you would not simply stroll past the gates.”

    “Sa, I would have had to use more covert means. I know a passage or two that would have been handy...”

    “What is all this talk for?” Losha smiled slyly. “It is far too late for any of that. We have announced our presence. We need only see what they choose to do with us.”

    “I wonder if everything went as expected,” Liveta mumbled as she shifted about on her horse.

    “We will know soon enough,” Losha nodded.

    “Indeed. I mean, we are just standing here,” Alant said. “Something will happen to us. We just do not know if it will be favorable or not.”

    “We are exposed, so it better be favorable,” Liveta remarked. “That is what you are betting on, correct, Losha?”

    The serialist shook her head. “I am not betting on anything. I will deal with whatever comes our way.” Suddenly she looked up. “And here it comes.”

    Over the walls, dozens of ropes fell, unfurling quickly to the ground. In the following moment, no fewer than 50 soldiers rapidly rappelled down the sides of the city. Zipping along, they held various weapons in hand. Upon landing, they encircled Losha and her companions. Altogether, these forces managed to completely surround the trio in a matter of seconds.

    “State your name and purpose!” a Field Lead cried, stepping forward and raising her sword. She wore a face mask like everyone else.

    “I am Losha Holvate, the Wolf of Sventa. Beside me are Alant and Core Lead Liveta. We have come here to set Henron on a new path. The question I pose to you is whether you will stand in our way or not. If you are opposed to our goal, there is nothing left for us to do but fight.”

    The Field Lead hummed respectfully at Losha as she sheathed her sword. On cue, the other soldiers drew down as well. “Precisely what we wanted to hear,” she said. She pulled her mask away. “Ver Holvate, it is a pleasure to have you on our side. We hope to count on you as a firm ally.”

    “I take it the order stationed here has abandoned Ano and Heigon?” Liveta asked.

    “Sa. Except for a few loyalist contingents that is. I apologize for the show. We had to be certain it was you and that we were on the same page.” The Field Lead turned around to the city and waved at the gate. Someone over there on top of the wall spied the signal, and within instants the massive doors began to open. “The battle is not yet over. In fact, it really has not even started.

    “What do you mean?” Alant asked. “If most of Ano’s order turned, only a handful remain. Govan is out of these lands for the time being. We should have little trouble seizing the city.”

    “Unfortunately, there is a problem. If you all would follow me; there is someone who wants to speak with you.” The Field Lead started to turn back to the city, but she looked at Liveta. “...Core Lead Liveta?” she asked slowly.

    “Sa? What is it?”

    “It is good to have you back,” the Field Lead saluted, smiling. The rest of the soldiers gave the Core Lead their regards in the same manner. Liveta could but look stunned, taken aback by the gesture. She returned the salute after a bit.

    “It is an honor to be back.”

    “Ano is gone, Liveta,” Losha said. “And these people look like they could use an experienced officer.”

    “I suppose I have no choice,” the Core Lead chuckled.

    They were lead by the soldiers to the city’s entrance. In the street, an elderly man stood there; his personal guard hovered nearby. Immediately, he took note of the new arrivals and hastily shuffled towards them.

    “Splendid, you all made it. Such impeccable timing,” he said, nodding at Losha and company.

    “We came as fast as I could push us,” Losha replied. “I am eager to see this war put to an end.”

    The old man touched his chin thoughtfully as he looked up at Losha. “Tell me, do you refer to our war with Sventa... or the coming battle between those still aligned with Heigon?”

    “To me, they are one in the same. War is war, and where I can halt it, I shall.”

    “Sa, sa! Well spoken, Ver Holvate. I can see why we chose to reach out to you of all people. I was skeptical of the plan to bring you to Capital City, but it seems like our agent has filled you in.” He gazed at Alant for a while before moving on. “So, you truly wish to help us, Ver Holvate?”

    “You are correct, Ver...?”

    “Albolt.”

    “Minister Albolt is the man responsible for the coup,” said the female Field Lead. “He gathered many like-minded people, came up with a framework for a new Henron, and galvanized Ano’s order to defy Heigon.”

    “Please,” Albolt said, sheepishly turning to the side, concealing his smile. “I am just someone who wanted to see something good happen to Henron for a change. All I did was meet with people in the shadows.”

    “But we are no longer working in the dark,” Liveta pointed out.

    “Sa, quite so, Core Lead,” Albolt agreed. “Well, most of us anyway.”

    “What do you mean?”

    “You can ask your godson when you next see him,” he winked. Liveta seemingly stopped breathing for a moment. Her mouth moved as if to form words, yet she refrained from questioning him.

    “Sa, I suppose I will do that.”

    “Pardon the short introductions, everyone, but we still have a situation on our hands,” Albolt said. “We may have this portion of the army under our control, but the city is not yet ours.”

    “Ver Albolt,” Liveta began. “Do you mean to say...” As her voice trailed off, her eyes wandered ahead, further into the city, all the way up to Heigon’s court, the seat of Henron power. Albolt turned around and looked at the ornate complex too.

    “Sa...” he sighed. “We still have to deal with him.”



    Later, in one of the military offices in Capital City, Losha found herself walking down a hall towards an open room. Accompanied by Alant, they went side-by-side on their way. Both had changed into different clothes that had been loaned to them. Alant still carried the pistol Losha had stolen for him, but now he had a proper holster. He also wore a rounded cap commonly used among hunters. Upon entering the room, they instantly noted Liveta’s presence. The Core Lead had assumed a uniform befitting of her status as an officer.

    “Welcome, you two,” she said with a nod. “Let us waste no time.”

    Together they moved to a table. A handful of Field Leads crowded over a document of some sort. Additionally, Albolt stood by, along with a young man Losha did not recognize. The group pointed to various pieces of the article before them, muttering in hushed tones amongst themselves. As Losha approached, they stopped and looked up.

    “Well, there she is,” said the young man, gazing at her directly. He didn’t look to be any older than her brother, Harle. “How good of you to join us, Ver Losha Holvate Sventa.” He moved forward and bowed.

    “Sa... I suppose it is alright to simply call me Losha... or Wolf. That name seems to have taken.” In kind, she bowed as well.

    “It must admit, you are far less intimidating in appearance and person than the reports would have me believe,” he said with a laugh. “But only the best know how to hide their fangs.”

    “Digressing,” Albolt said, waving a hand at the table. “The matter of our greatest interest.”

    “Sa, sa... Let us keep personal chat to a minimum. I am Tibil Henron, Heigon’s only son. We could use your help dealing with father.”

    They came to the table and saw a map of Capital City. The diagram had several red marks drawn over it. Sections here and there were circled, routes were carefully highlighted, and dozens of X’s spread themselves out.

    “I have just arrived myself. What is the condition of Heigon’s court?” Liveta asked.

    “Sa, as you can see,” Albolt began, “we are trying to bring Heigon to surrender. Obviously there is a notable amount of resistance on his end.”

    “Although Ano’s soldiers have largely declared their allegiance to our new order, a number of father’s supporters have holed themselves up here, in the Capital Court.” Tibil tapped the sprawling building at the center of the map. They’d circled its circumference boldly. “It has only been a few hours, but they have managed to barricade the area very thoroughly.”

    “We certainly have the upper-hand when it comes to numbers,” Liveta said, leaning over the cartography. “I would say we ought to storm the place, however, the fact that you have not tells me something is amiss.”

    “I would like to give father some time to consider his position, but there is more,” Tibil sighed. “The entire court is rigged. They really took Ano’s examples to heart. We suspect they have laid heavy amounts of explosives around themselves.”

    “Are they mad?” Liveta asked aloud as she frowned severely.

    “They are desperate, sure enough,” Albolt said. “Desperate, but calculating. The whole city could go ablaze with one blast. Even if we could handle the fires, we would lose a lot of good soldiers. That says nothing of the civilians. It may seem odd, what with all the troops in and around Capital City, but this place is home to ordinary folks you know.”

    “In short,” Losha surmised, “You would have a crisis on your hands the moment you try to approach them. They realize they would take themselves out if they detonate, but they also see it will do our side considerable harm.”

    “Shrieks,” Alant said, folding his arms and shaking his head. “They are practically holding Capital City by the balls. It is not as if we could let them blow up; it is just too costly. And waiting them out is not viable either.”

    “Indeed,” Tibil murmured. “Ideally, I would like to do everything with the least amount of causalities, for both sides. Though this is an uprising, it need not be bloody. For far too long, ours has been a history steeped in gruesome struggles. We have to try to operate differently here, for the sake of Henron’s future. Besides, they are still members of this clan all the same.”

    Losha looked at Tibil, curiously glancing up at the fledgling leader. His words echoed of her own in a sense. Were there really others who saw the way Astens lived, the terrible way they all acted? Was this man really willing to stand against the very traditions of bloodshed that had shaped the Central Plains for centuries?

    “Is something the matter, Losha?” asked Tibil, noticing her stare out the corner of his eye.

    “No, nothing,” she said. Liveta pondered over the map as the mindset of a commander started coming back to her.

    “So, they have explosives all around the courts. However, since these are their lives on the line, I doubt it will be the first measure they reach for. If they can, they will want to hold out, especially Heigon. Let us not forget that Govan is going to return once news of this meets his ear. They will want to survive until the other half of our army comes to the rescue. The bombs will be a last resort, but we should be able to strike first without fear, to a degree”

    “The issue of that, Core Lead,” spoke one of the Field Leads, “is how to make the first move, and what exactly that ought to be.”

    “It would be wonderful if we could take out these bombs, or even capture Heigon,” Liveta said. “But realistically, I do not think those are valid options.”

    “Why not?” Losha asked. Everyone turned to her as if she had said something childish. “Sa, you all do remember why it is you sought my help? I am a serialist. If there is a way to do it, all you have to do is ask; the rest can be left to me.”

    “Please, do not mistake us, Losha,” Tibil said. “It is just that we do not know the extent of your abilities. We would not want to ask something... outrageous or farfetched.”

    “And I can assure you, I can always come up with a solution. Now, what would an ideal operation look like?”

    “An ideal operation?” Liveta repeated. “Well, aside from Heigon giving up this instant, we would first neutralize all of the explosives. Teams would move in at these entry points at the court’s gates. We would secure positions around the court estate before storming in through points A through C, F, and H. That place itself is half-manor, half-fort, so we would have to clear every room and every one of its four floors. We would engage them quickly once the bombs had been disposed of, a blitz to ensure minimal reaction time on their side. This is, of course, impractical given they would know of our movements in advance, and we have no idea how many bombs they have and where. So, Losha, what would you do to amend these circumstances?”

    Losha folded her arms, lightly drumming her fingers on her elbow. For a moment, she closed her eyes. “Let me see...” she paused. “Alright, we need to deal with those pesky bombs... Do you happen to know what they are using?”

    “It should be standard dynamite,” offered a Field Lead.

    “And that will not work if it gets damp, correct?”

    “Sa.”

    Losha stood there thoughtfully for a while. “Hmm... Excuse me, Field Lead,” she turned to another officer. “May I see your canteen?”

    “Mine? Well, certainly.” He gave it to her, but rather than taking hold of it, Losha cast a kinetic series around it, levitating it in the air. By this same series, she unscrewed the cap without ever touching it. Suddenly the container glowed blue. From the top, water flowed out in a stream, rising like a spout as it collected itself in a ball. Everyone in the room widened their eyes at the sight.

    “Excellent,” Losha grinned to herself. “As a liquid, it is not so different from controlling snow or ice. As I figured, it just requires more attention. That will do then.” She squeezed and flexed her fingers, changing the water’s shape accordingly. With a wave of her hand, the water returned to the canteen, orderly pouring back into the case without having lost a single droplet. Floating away, the canteen went towards the same Field Lead.

    “If I may ask,” queried the Core Lead, “what exactly do you have in mind?”

    “Something very wet. Now... Do you have any other layouts of the city? Particularly your water supply and how it runs through here?”

    “Sa, it should be right here,” said a Field Lead, unrolling another sheet onto the table. Losha examined it as someone explained everything.

    “This river runs along the south-eastern side, cutting through Capital City; it serves to feed most of the city’s water needs. Many areas upstream have man-made run-offs that filter into the city from below via gates. The run-offs essentially plug into these wells and reserves. These lines show the routes they take into the city.”

    “Perfect. Capital Court has at least 7 direct lines. That will be more than what I need.”

    “So you have a plan then?” Tibil asked.

    “Sa. It is quite simple really. I am going to flush them out.”

    “What do you mean, Losha?” Liveta wondered with a slight frown, to which Losha just laughed lightly.

    “I mean exactly what I just said.” She came close to the map, inspecting it under stern scrutiny. “Here. I need to be here to do it. This is the main gate? Sa, it is not far from Capital Court either.”

    “While this is great to see you so involved with a plan of attack, Losha, perhaps you could fill in the rest of us about it?” Alant said.

    “What? Is it not clear yet?” Losha asked. “We do not have the luxury of time, so I cannot afford to repeat myself.” She turned and faced the door.

    “Have your people on standby just outside Capital Court. Make sure your movements go unnoticed; there should be plenty of buildings to obscure yourselves. When I give you the signal in about 30 minutes, that will be the time to strike. By then I will have handled everything.”

    “H-hold on a minute, Wolf,” Albolt said, raising a hand up as Losha began to walk away. “What will be the signal?”

    She tossed her head back at them as she passed through the door-frame, smiling. “When it rains.”

Author's Note

In the reaches of Aste, deep within the grasslands of the Central Plains, 14 warring clans mount constant warfare against one another. Through endless bloodshed, the people are forever rooted in a cycle of conflict. Returning to the place she once called home, Losha leaves Palostrol to go back to her family. Yet in their embrace she finds a world teetering on the brink of devestation. As King's words echo through her mind, she must decide if serialization holds the answers to peace. But are the consequences of failure are worth it? The path of the Continent's greatest struggle has only just begun. The Age of Serialization starts now.

The next installment comes June 3rd, 2015. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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* Heigon is character that has been much talked about during the past 50 serials or so, but he's never once made an appearance. He's supposed to be the Big Bad of this story arc, right? Well there's more to the story than that. Expect to see him soon, but in what role?

* Of course nothing is ever that straightforward. Bombs. Lots of bombs. It seems the Henron love their bombs. Ano used them extensively, and Suvla was fond of attaching them to her arrows. It's just mind-blowing how explosive these people can be.

* What exactly is Losha planning? It's certainly big. She may come off as a little strange at the end of this serial, but she really meant what she'd told everyone. She's going to flush them out. How exactly, well, we'll see next week ;)

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Any feedback is welcome. Just writing because I like it. Always wanted to make a weekly series, so I'm doing it.