PreCursive

  After Grey’s impromptu speech to the troops, our caravan was quickly escorted into the town proper. The gates weren’t quite shut behind us, but the rge guard tihat osted seemed to be a pretty firm reminder not to bother us. Onside, tag caravan of former sves was desded upon by the townsfolk at the request of Grey. A good amount of them had gathered iown square to greet him. I guess he retty well-liked in his hometown.

  As I watched the people that I had helped save get escorted away by the people of Hollow Hill to get fussed over, I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. I felt a little guilty about it, but I was incredibly relieved that I was no longer in any way responsible for looking after the former sves of Addersfield. Now the work of getting them ba their feet didn’t depend on the efforts of some kind of…homeless interpary strandee.

  Wow.

  I sure didn’t like thinking of my situation in those terms. Moving on.

  Ohe people of the caravan had been sorted out, that just left what I had beeally referring to as ‘my group’ along with the people from the Order. In other words, me, Azarus, Grey, Sylvia, Walter, Rachel, Van, and Gren. Fade was sitting at my feet as well, silently our antics. I could tell that Grey was already being urged to step away into some kind of closed-door meeting. The huge guy in the red pte mail had left after exging some quiet words with Grey, along with a number of other Order people. Illuvia had stuck around though, presumably to keep an eye ourned Headmaster. Speaking of…

  Grey cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the group. He smiled at us. “Well! So our journey es to an end. Mr. Freelith,” He said to Gren. “As promised, you will be pensated for uaking such a perilous task. I’ll make sure that one of the Order treasurers seeks you out. Mr. Belluci, Ms. Fergusson and Mr. Meyers, I’m afraid that I don’t know what your current pns are?”

  Rachel and Walter exged gnces while Van stepped up, looking more fident in himself than I had seen since before our escape. He bowed slightly to Grey. “I will be leaving with Mert Freelith once he has restocked, Headmaster. I’ve spoken to him, and he has agreed to take me on as an apprentice.”

  I started in surprise. This was the first I had heard about this. Judging by the look on Azarus’s face, it was for him too. “You…sure, Van?” He asked hesitatingly.

  Vandimar Belluci turo face Azarus with a mencholy smile. “I’m sure, Lord Azarus. I’m afraid that the life of a revolutionary simply wouldn’t suit me. This isn’t goodbye, my friend. Only until we meet again.” He stepped forward aended his arm to Azarus.

  Azarus took a deep breath and then gripped Van’s forearm. “Safe travels, Van.”

  “You as well, my lord,” Van said with shiny eyes.

  Gren stepped up as well. “Don’t you worry, Azarus. I’ll keep an eye on this soft-hands. Maybe teach him a thing or two as well.”

  Azarus huffed a ugh, while Van faked e, ying a hand on his chest. “Keep an eye on yourself, too. Got the feeling Principality nds are gon real chaotic soon.”

  With the dwarves ing up, Rachel and Walter stepped forward to approach Grey and I. “Ah…H-headmaster,” Walter stuttered, before stopping. He took a deep breath before trying again. “Headmaster, I’d like to ask for…a favor.”

  “Of course, Mr. Meyers,” Grey said with a raised eyebrow. “Ask away.”

  “I…don’t have anyone anymore,” Walter said, eyes downcast. “My family was all k-killed by those elves. I don’t have any other retives. I don’t have any money. I don’t even really have many levels or much skill in Professio. But…even still…I have a favor to ask you.” He raised his eyes to meet Grey’s, surprisingly resolute. “Will you let me attend your Academy? I think…that way I have an actual future.”

  Grey smiled widely at Walter. “I would be absolutely delighted to admit you, Mr. Meyers. I think that’s a wonderful idea. Don’t worry about the tuition, I’ll make sure that it’s taken care of. You provisionally sider yourself a first-year student at the Academy of Mystic Arts,” His smile took a wry edge. “Well, ohe current situation in the Kingdom has bee with.”

  I stepped forward and cpped Walter on the shoulder. “grats, Walter! Don’t let all the homework keep you down, eh?”

  “I’d say the same thing to you, Nathan,” I heard Grey say to me. I turo face him in surprise. My mentor had a mischievous smile on his aged face. “As my apprentice, ohis flict has been resolved, I io enroll you as well.”

  I blinked in surprise. Before I could say anything, Azarus cleared his throat loudly. Looked like he had finished his goodbyes to the other dwarves. Grey rolled his eyes. “Yes, Azarus, there is a pce for you as well. I’ll make sure you’re enrolled wheime es. The Academy weles peoples of all species.”

  Azarus stepped back, satisfied.

  Meanwhile, Grey turo face Rachel. “And you, Ms. Fergusson? Did you have a request of me? Perhaps you would like to enroll in the Academy as well?”

  “Nay,” Rachel said, shaking her head She crossed her arms, unbothered to be talking to such a powerful person. “Schoolin’ ain’t fer me. I was wonderin’ if ye needed a cook.”

  Grey blinked slowly at her. “Ah…I suppose. I would be happy to hire you on as part of my personal kit staff. You’ve certainly demonstrated enough skill, managing the caravan kit. However, the majority of said staff is currently in the capital. You… tinue apanying us until your employment be finalized.”

  Rachel nodded, satisfied. “Good enough fer me.”

  ………………………………………

  After that, I made sure to give my own goodbyes to Gren and Van. I wasn’t very close with either of them, but I still appreciated their help these past few weeks. Both of them csped my forearm and wished me well. I did the same.

  With our business settled, Illuvia informed us that a meeting had been called to brief Grey on the war situation. Someologetically, she said that only members of Grey’s retinue could follow him into the meeting, meaning that Walter and Rachel would have to sit it out. They didn’t seem to mind. Hell, Walter had been happy to look after Fade while I was busy iower.

  I didn’t think a military headquarters would appreciate the presence of an animal, no matter how cute he was.

  Illuvia led roup up through the small town of Hollow Hill to what arently Grey’s wizard tower. He told me on the walk up there that he hadn’t actually been born iower, but had built it turies ago as a retreat. Sometimes, he told me, he just wao get away from his responsibilities and rex. It was also apparently where he had done most of his inal experiments iing the Sculpted. Sylvia was ‘born’ in that tower.

  Thankfully for my opinion of Grey, the facade wasravagantly decorated. The tower was mostly pioretg high into the sky, with a eted battlement at the top. It was rge though. Much rger than I would expee person to need. Holy, it looked more like a slice of a castle.

  As Illuvia led us ihe tower, I saw that it wasn’t very ostentatious inside as well. Rather it seemed like it would normally seem dht homey. I say normally, because evetom floor which mostly seemed to fun as aryway was absolutely packed. Tables were haphazardly shoved against the circur walls, where clerks and soldiers were p over part. On one wall, a rge map of what must be the ti, or perhaps the world of Vereden, io the stone. Wherever there weren’t piles of paper though, there were supplies. Crates and boxes and bags dotted every st free space avaible. There was a low, tense uoo the chatter that filled the air ihe tower.

  Grey wandered over to one of the bags and ope. I peeked over his shoulder to get a look myself. I seemed like the burp bag was filled with flrey looked up and raised an eyebrow at Sylvia.

  She shrugged. “I told them that they could use the bottom floors of the tower how they saw fit.”

  Grey snorted before closing the bag. “Are they…?” He trailed off, direg a question to Illuvia.

  She dipped her furry head. “The sed floor has been temporarily verted to a war room, Grand Marshal.”

  “Temporarily verted,” Grey muttered to himself, before shaking his head. He started making his way through the chaos of the ground floor, with Sylvia, Azarus, Illuvia, and myself following him. Well, and Venix. Gng back, I found that he was still following us silently.

  That guy was surprisingly unobtrusive for being a giant ant person.

  The personnel on the ground floor were too busy to pay any attention to us, so we reached the staircase set along one wall without being accosted pretty easily. Climbing up it, I found that the war room was an accurate depi.

  The sed floor was dominated by a huge circur table that y in the ter of it. On that table were more maps, reports, and scraps of part than I could t. I’d give them this, though. It did seem more ahan downstairs.

  Arranged around the table were a…lot of chairs. Most of them were filled. In fact, I’d say that the war room retty goddamn packed in general. I guess most of the important people had been notified of Grey’s return.

  As we stepped off of the nding onto the floor, dozens of eyes fell on our party. The people sitting down hastily stood up. My step nearly stuttered at the attention, but Grey didn’t seem to care at all. He just calmly started making his way to the biggest chair that was arranged around the table. The huge guy from earlier in the red pte was standing up from a chair o the one Grey was beelining to. I tried to follow his example, making sure to follow in his footsteps. Illuvia faded into the crowd of people, while Venix merely lingered he entrance of the room. As Grey reached the chair, Sylvia moved around to stand on the right and slightly behind the chair. I followed her example, deg to stand off to the left and behind Grey, while Azarus stood o me.

  Grey let go of his staff. It didn’t fall over, instead h in an upright positioo him. Slowly, my mentor lowered into the chair with a sigh of satisfa. “Ahh,” He said aloud into the dead silent room, closing his eyes in pleasure. “There’s nothing quite like sitting in your own chair after a long journey, isn’t there?” Opening his eyes, Grey swept them across the room and the people in it. “Please, my friends. Be seated. Let us not waste any time. Marshal Leopold, if you would be so kind as to update me oate of the Uprising?”

  One by ohe important-looking people lowered bato their chairs, some more opulent than others. The only person who didn’t was the huge guy ie. I’m guessing this was ‘Marshal Leopold’.

  Said Marshal lowered his head in Grey’s dire. “As you wish, Grand Marshal,” He said in a deep, rumbling voice.

  “The Uprising is failing.”