#milich

Chapter 18: Surpassing Sorrow 

How long has it been since Gremio stopped speaking? 

It was impossible to tell how much time passed while they sat in the dark, stagnant passage leading to the dungeons, intently waiting for help. 

Only once did one of the guards come to the first of the two doors. They heard him open it and his voice rose in a shriek that was abruptly cut off. The spores must have spread out into the passage and devoured him and all the other guards. 

Luckily, there was a storehouse one floor down that held a stock of emergency rations and candles. They could hold out for a little while. But, after a time, those too dwindled to almost nothing. 

Sigh...

Sitting in the silence and the dark, one of them sighed. 

How many times had Tir heard that sound? How many times had he sighed? 

Violent spasms of pain shot through the back of his right hand but he paid them no heed. His first priority was finding a way out. He couldn’t believe that Gremio was dead. He didn’t want to believe. So he desperately hunted for a way to escape.

But it didn’t matter how he racked his brains or how closely he searched every nook and cranny of the dungeon by the light of the candle—no escape route was forthcoming. He sighed deeply. 

“Just calm down, Tir.” Viktor said, in a voice meant to soothe. “If ya run around like that, you’ll just waste all yer energy. Looks like the guard got done in by those damn spores too, so nothin’ we can do now but just sit tight.”

“Yeah... guess you’re right...” 

“There’s no way anybody is gonna wander into this prison in the middle of nowhere...” Flik muttered dejectedly.  “Never mind come all the way down this dark passageway and just happen to pull that lever on the wall.” 

“I’m sure we’ll manage somehow, though...” Tir replied automatically, his voice somber. “Master Liukan, this prison doesn’t have air vents or anything like that, does it? Maybe we could get out that way...”

“I don’t know, lad, but I suppose it doesn’t,” croaked Liukan hoarsely. “Soniere was built expressly to prevent any kind of escape—to stop prisoners from having even a shred of hope.” 

“I see...” 

In the darkness, Tir sighed again.

Then Cleo whispered, “Is that...?”

Everyone listened closely. 

Tap... tap...

They could hear the faint sound of footsteps on the other side of the doors. 

Hope flared in their chests. 

Immediately after came the sound of someone in the room drawing in a deep gulp of breath to get ready to shout. 

“HEEEY—mgh?!” Viktor began to roar, but Flik clapped his hand over his mouth to cut him off. 

“What if it’s an imperial soldier, you dumbass?!”

Given that they were in an imperial prison, the probability did seem rather high. 

The flame of hope flickering in their breast began wavering just a little. 

“I’ll take what I can get! Or what, you wanna stay locked up in here forever?!” Viktor shot back, irritated. 

They all heard the sound of steel scraping against leather. Viktor had drawn his sword from its sheath on his back. 

“I agree,” Tir nodded, tightening his grip on his staff. “It’s better than running out of food and starving to death h—” Tir stopped mid-sentence, suddenly filled with dread. 

Once we open that door, we’ll know for sure whether Gremio is still alive or not.

“That’s true,” allowed Flik, drawing his sword as well. “Then I guess we’d better get ready for a fight.”

Tir walked halfway toward the door but faltered, indecisive. Three of them pressed their ears to the metal door, listening and waiting to see what the owner of those footsteps would do next. The first pair was then joined by several other sets of footsteps. 

“Sounds like there’s a whole team of them...” Flik murmured. 

Tir had Liukan and Cleo evacuate down the passageway in case the worst came to pass. He, Viktor, and Flik kept their ears pressed to the door, each one holding their weapon of choice tight. 

The footsteps slowly drew closer and then stopped in front of the door. A man’s voice rumbled on the other side of the door, bewildered. 

“These are Gremio’s things...”

It’s Mathiu!!

“Mathiu!!” Tir shouted in relief. 

Viktor and Flik pounded on the door with the hilts of their swords, yelling. 

“Hey, Mr. Tactician! Get us outta here!”

“We’re in here!”

“What in the world happened?” Mathiu asked, confusion plain in his voice.

“Forget about that, just pull the damn lever!” Viktor cried. “It’s right next to ya!”

“You mean this one?”

They heard the creak of the lever being pulled down. The door opened. Candlelight flooded the passageway, illuminating Mathiu, flanked by several soldiers. 

“Lord Tir, are you injured? You were late returning, so I gathered together these soldiers to come look for you... what the devil is going on? We didn’t see a single imperial soldier on our way in.”

But Tir wasn’t able to answer his questions. Like a stone sinking unwillingly to dark depths, his gaze fell to the floor. Strewn upon the cold flagstones were Gremio’s green cloak, his blue sweater, and his axe, the handle wrapped in a white cloth. 

Without any warning, he began to sob. It had finally hit him that Gremio had really and truly died. He had pushed his sorrow away by searching for a way to escape, the whole time believing deep in his heart... 

When we get this door open, Gremio will be waiting on the other side. He’ll smile and say, “Are you all right, young master?”

But Gremio was nowhere to be seen. The wavering light of the candle only illuminated his cape, with no one there to wear it, and his axe, with no one there to hold it. 

“Gremio...”

Tir dropped to his knees blindly. His tears fell on the green cloak like giant raindrops. 

Cleo hugged him. “Lord Tir...”

Finally, he managed to stand up again. 

“We gotta get outta here,” said Viktor. “Tir needs to rest.”

It seemed Mathiu had gathered Gremio had died from seeing his possessions on the ground. His gaze lingered on the floor for a moment, but then he raised his eyes and stared hard at Tir. 

“Lord Tir... I’ll keep this short. Remember that you are the leader of the Liberation Army.”

But so great was his grief that Tir couldn’t respond to Mathiu or even walk toward him. Tears rushed in as if they could fill the gaping and endless abyss that stretched between the mementos of the man spread across the flagstones, grown cold, and all the warm memories he had given Tir.

---

Tir and the others returned to the Garan checkpoint and began preparations to capture Scarleticia Castle. They sent for reinforcements; Lorelai and Ruby. 

In what seemed like no time at all, the Liberation Army’s ranks were bolstered by volunteers pouring in from what felt like every street corner.  

In the town of Teien a shipwright named Gen and an odd inventor by the name of Kamandol joined. So did the magician Hellion, who could use magic to send people back to headquarters instantly, and the martial artist-in-training, Eikei. 

Apparently a majority of the townspeople in Antei were not happy with Milich, for many more joined the army. The new members included Qlon, a young boy knowledgeable about local geography, Chapman, the proprietor of an armor shop, a dancer named Mina, the rune master Jeane, and the young woman Esmeralda who appeared to come from an aristocratic family.  

Tesla and Kimberly, the masterminds behind the forged decree from Milich, had already thrown in their hats with the liberation army. In Rikon they were joined by the young witch Lotte, an appraiser named Jabba, and the musketeer Clive, who used one of those fabled ‘guns’ as a weapon. Some also traveled all the way to the Garan checkpoint to join forces, such as the martial artist Kai, who had heard of Tir’s achievements, and a hunter by the name of Quincy. 

Tir and the others were weary from their long travels and heavy with sorrow after losing Gremio. The news that Liukan had finished creating an antidote was like a balm to their souls.  

“If you apply this potion to a bandana and tie it around your mouth, you should suffer no ill effects from the pollen.”

A barrel of the stuff and enough bandanas were delivered to each and every unit. 

Mathiu informed Tir that preparations were nearing completion. Tir gave orders with a heavy heart. As he watched Mathiu and the others prepare for the oncoming battle, he thought over Gremio’s final words. 

Gremio asked me to keep up the fight until the very end. It doesn't matter how sad I am or how hard I think, nothing is going to bring him back. 

But there is one way to make sure his sacrifice has not been in vain: win this battle.

“Okay!” He put on a brave face. “Let’s take down Scarletia Castle!”

They had managed to gather together many of the Liberation Army soldiers that had been hiding out in various towns, swelling their ranks to nearly ten thousand strong. Many of the troops and the units camped out in the fields voluntarily.

With astonishing swiftness, Cleo and Pahn somehow arranged for all the soldiers to wear mourning bands. Sometimes Mathiu had to get Viktor’s unit to slow down when their pace exceeded the others. Flik’s unit simply marched across the fields in silence. In those moments, seeing everyone honor Gremio in their own ways, Tir realized he was not alone in his sorrow.

For Gremio, for all those we’ve lost along the way and for everyone here now—we have to win this battle, Tir vowed silently to himself as he sat atop his steed, clutching his staff. 

Six days after they began their march, they arrived at a point where they could see Scarletia Castle. It was early morning and the world was still dark. 

Last time the troops had been exhausted after attacking the Garan checkpoint. This time, though, Mathiu had kept the march to a very strict schedule and had made sure everyone would be well rested for the big day. 

The giant rose ‘Antoinette’ still swayed on the balcony. However, the imperial army was nowhere to be seen—convinced, perhaps, that Tir remained trapped in Soniere prison. 

It was the ideal opportunity to launch a surprise attack. Gazing at the castle across the field, Mathiu spoke. 

“Are you ready, Lord Tir?”

“I am. Let’s topple that castle.” 

“Of course, sir.”

Mathiu ordered his subordinate to wave the flag and give the marching order. The first to move were Kirkis, Ruby, and Lorelai, leading the team of archers. 

Tir had been imagining they would all just charge right in, so he had to ask. 

“What’s our strategy this time, Mathiu?”

“There’s a one-in-a-million chance it will actually work, but I have come up with a plan to counter Milich’s pollen. With Master Liukan’s antidote in hand, we have no need to fear the pollen. Let us watch and see what happens, my lord.” 

Even while he answered Tir’s question, three more units galloped toward the castle. They stopped a short distance away from the imperial troops outside the castle. From far away, Tir saw tiny sparks flicker into being around each soldier. The sparks grew into flames, transferred to the tips of the soldier’s arrows. 

“I see...” murmured Tir. “Attacking with fire, huh?”

“Now, everyone—FIRE!”

On Kirkis’ command, the troops shot a volley of fire-arrows at the imperial army. 

Some of the arrows hit the enemy soldier’s tents, while others pierced the fence that stretched around their encampment. The early morning breeze fed the flames and within moments the entire camp was ablaze. The soldiers who had been sleeping in their tents ran about in panic. 

Mathiu called back Kirkis’ group and sent out Viktor, Flik, and Humphrey’s units. Viktor leapt into the fray—straight into the middle of the enemy camp. 

“Outta the way!”

The imperial soldiers scattered in every direction. Viktor slashed at them wildly, occasionally making contact and bringing one down. 

Flik brought down the soldiers who fled to the right and Humphrey took care of the ones who ran to the left. The camp was filled with the screams of the imperial soldiers. 

Milich appeared at the balcony, still dressed in his nightgown. 

“I wondered what was going on, but it’s just you all again... seems the last two beatings weren’t enough. You never learn from your mistakes, do you? You just keep coming back, like the roaches you are.”

“So ya show yer face at last, ya frilly bastard!” Viktor shook his sword at the general. “Call us whatever ya like now, ‘cuz yer not gonna be able to say much after we chop off yer head!”

Milich sneered. He turned and disappeared into his room, then reappeared on the balcony with his saber at his hip. “Try as many times as you like. The outcome will be the same.”

Milich walked up to Antoinette. 

Flik turned in his direction and shouted, “Talk about not learning from the past—you’re the one-trick pony here!”

Milich snorted and caressed the giant rose lovingly. “I’ll make you realize just how foolish you are. Now, Antoinette!”

The petals shook and pollen whirled into the sky. 

The liberation army soldiers all had bandanas tied around their mouths to protect against the pollen. And then... 

“Wh-what is going on?!” shrieked Milich, shocked. 

Tir’s eyes widened in astonishment. 

As the pollen began to float into the air, the rising heat from the burning camp pushed it further up into the dawn sky, where it dispersed. 

“So that’s it...” Tir breathed, as it finally dawned on him why Mathiu had chosen to use fire. 

“Now, Lord Tir.” The tactician cautioned. “It would be best if you put a bandana over your mouth and nose to protect yourself. While I can’t vouch for the safety of the enemy camp, it is possible that some of the pollen may drift in our direction.”

Tir nodded, doing as the older man said. 

Mathiu gave more orders to Kirkis’ unit, this time to attack Scarleticia Castle itself with the fire arrows. 

“Noo! Stop!” Milich wailed from the balcony, heartbroken. “My darling Antoinette!”

The inner courtyard, the balcony, the giant rose—all burst into flames. 

In that same instant, Viktor and his unit broke through the gate and poured into the inner courtyard. Imperial soldiers flew out of the castle, armed to the teeth. 

Just as Viktor’s unit crossed swords with the imperials, Flik and Humphrey’s groups rushed into the courtyard right on their heels. Pahn, Cleo, and Lepant’s units were all outside the castle. They attacked, over and over, until the imperial forces were nearly decimated. Victory was at hand. 

Unable to bear it any longer, Tir turned to Mathiu. 

“Mathiu...” 

Seeing the look in Tir’s eyes, Mathiu said only, “All right, m’lord. Just be careful.”

“Thank you, Mathiu!” 

Tir kicked his horse into a gallop. Gripping his staff tight, he charged toward the enemy camp. He tore the bandana off his face and slipped through the gate, joining Viktor and the others. Together they took down the ranks of enemy soldiers and pressed on toward the balcony where the Flower General Milich Oppenheimer awaited. 

ーーー

Anger coursing through his body, Tir leapt out onto the balcony.

“Prepare yourself, General Milich!”

But Milich was in no condition to reply with his usual snark, much less draw his weapon. His saber had been flung aside and the general lay collapsed, face down, on the floor of the balcony. 

“Was he hit by a stray arrow?” Cleo mused aloud as she joined Tir on the balcony.

But no arrows pockmarked the balcony, and there was no blood upon the floor.

“Naw, this is just like him. Classic Milich. He’s just playin’ dead like a damned possum so we’ll get close and he can jump up and shank us, ain’t he?”

Viktor strode up next to Tir and, staying a safe distance away from the man lying prone on the floor, prodded him with his sword. But the general did not stir. They stood and regarded him in silence as the smoke from the flames below wafted by. 

What in the world happened to Milich?

“No, it can’t be...” Tir muttered, an awful, sinking realization forming in the pit of his belly. 

His gaze was drawn to the general’s arm, splayed on the floor next to the saber he had dropped. The glove he wore over his right hand when wielding his saber was now a charred, smoking ruin. 

Turning his head to his comrades behind him, Tir asked quietly, “did anyone see a flash of light from the balcony?”

“I saw it,” confirmed Lepant, who had come running in behind them. “A bright light shot out from the balcony toward the northeast.”

“We were all in the castle, so we didn’t see it...”

Tir crouched next to Milich and removed the man’s glove. 

“Ya don’t mean...”

Viktor didn’t need to complete his sentence, as they all saw how the traces of a rune were hideously burnt into the back of the general’s hand. 

Milich stirred, groaning.

“Urgh...”

Tir gently set the general’s hand back on the floor and stood, clutching his staff in both hands. 

Milich rose to his elbows and looked around groggily. “Wh-what the devil is going on...? You’re Tir, Teo’s son... why are you here? And why is my castle burning?”

“Milich, you bastard!” Viktor roared, raising his sword over the general’s head. “It’s time to pay the piper!”

“We’ve gotta take revenge for Gremio!” Pahn cried, his claws gleaming. 

“I agree. Prepare yourself, Milich.” Cleo joined the two men. 

“Gremio? Revenge?” Milich gazed around in confusion at everyone brandishing their weapons at him. “What’s all this about?”

“General, do you remember the events of the past few days?” Tir asked. 

“Now that you mention it...” A bewildered look slowly crept into Milich’s eyes. “I can’t even recall... what I ate for breakfast today. Did I water the plants? My memories are all fuzzy and jumbled...”

“General Milich...” Tir’s voice shook. “Was that rune on your right hand a gift from Lady Windy, perhaps?”

“Ohh, what has become of my beautiful skin...?” Milich moaned softly, noticing the state of his hand for the first time. “Yes, that’s right... Windy gave me a “Green Rune” she said would help me grow plants for my garden.”

“Damn... Windy...!”

Tir looked to the heavens. 

So this is the work of the Black Rune yet again...

Viktor growled impatiently behind him. “Get outta the way, Tir!” 

Tir slowly turned to his friends behind him and saw Viktor, Cleo, and Pahn all glaring ferociously at Milich. Looking at them all ready to fight, Tir was hit by a wave of sorrow and loneliness. Gremio should have been there with them, smiling gently as he always did. 

He was overcome with memories of Gremio. Tears flowed from his eyes. His hands, gripping his staff, began to tremble in frustration. Thinking of Gremio, his anger toward Milich grew and grew until there was no escape from it. 

But, strangely, even as his resentment toward the general grew, so did his heart overflow with memories of Gremio’s gentle smile. The feelings of bitter resentment threatened to overwhelm him. 

“Gh...”

Not knowing what to do, he turned back to Milich. 

At that moment, Kirkis joined them on the balcony and called his name plaintively. 

“Lord Tir...” 

His voice jarred Tir’s memory back to that day atop the roof of Pannu Yakuta and the words Gremio had spoken then. 

Killing another out of hatred will only lead to more hate. Those of us fighting under the flag of the Liberation Army must not make the mistake of taking the path of hatred. 

Gremio’s words sunk in and made him realize what he had been about to do. 

I am the leader of the Liberation Army, and I was just about to kill a man out of pure hatred.

“Tir, MOVE!” bellowed Viktor again, and stepped forward to shoulder past him to Milich. But Tir raised his staff to block the bigger man’s way forward. Viktor’s scowl deepened.  

“What the hell are ya doin’, Tir?!”, he growled. “We gotta get our revenge on the bastard, don’t we? Even if it was the Black Rune and he don’t know he did it, that don’t change the fact it’s him what killed Gremio, does it?!

“I know that, but...”

Tir’s heart was filled with frustration, but he thought of Gremio’s words—how they couldn’t judge Milich based on something he had done under the Black Rune’s influence. 

Killing Milich here will not honor Gremio’s wishes. That is the one thing I do not want to do. I will stand by Gremio.

“Tir, I mean it! Get out of my way!” Viktor rumbled menacingly once more, but Tir did not lower his staff. 

“Viktor, Cleo, Pahn... we cannot blame General Milich for his actions. I can’t forgive him for what he’s done, either, but... we are not fighting in order to kill others, or to get revenge for ourselves.”

His head bowed, tears dripping down his cheeks. Tir didn’t wipe them away. He kept speaking. 

“We have won this battle. We have honored Gremio’s memory. Gremio, who died for the Liberation Army. If we go any further and take life needlessly, it would only sadden Gremio.” 

Cleo let out the breath she had been holding and lowered her daggers. “I understand, Lord Tir. You have suffered more deeply than any of us. If that is your wish, we can hardly go against it.” 

Listening to her, Pahn nodded, and lowered his weapon as well. But Viktor ground his teeth in frustration. “Tir, I understand what yer sayin’ but... I can’t go along with that!”

Viktor waved his sword angrily. The huge bear of a man seemed close to tears. Flik stepped forward to stand by his side. “That’s enough, Viktor. We follow our leader’s orders.”

“Leader, you say!”

Viktor locked eyes with Flik for a long moment that seemed to stretch on. Then he heaved a great sigh and lowered his sword.  

Tir wiped away his tears, looked around at everyone, then turned to Milich and declared with pride, “General Milich. The Liberation Army has won this battle. We do not want to take any more lives than we already have. Please surrender.”

“The Liberation Army? You’re...?”

Milich’s gaze dropped to the ground and he fell silent, thinking. After some time, he looked back up at Tir. 

“I have also seen the state of this country... The court magician, Windy—she looks just like the emperor’s late wife, doesn’t she? But Windy is nothing like Lady Claudia. She harbors evil in her heart. His Majesty must be stopped.” 

Milich kneeled in front of Tir. For such a proud general to bow his head to Tir indicated the sincerity of his surrender. 

“Lord Tir, please allow me, Milich Oppenheimer, to join the Liberation Army.”

“I accept your offer, General Milich. You must do all in your power to help achieve the Liberation Army’s goals.”

Milich raised his head respectfully. “Thank you, sir.”

Just then someone hailed him from the still-burning gardens. 

“Lord Tir!”

Mathiu galloped forward on his horse, beating back the flames. 

“What’s wrong?!” Tir yelled back, panicked. 

Stallion, who should have been at the castle headquarters, raced in behind Mathiu. 

Has something happened to our base?

Tir called to his tactician once again. 

“What’s going on?!”

Mathiu’s reply shocked everyone to their cores. 

“The Goran Checkpoint is under attack by the Imperial Army! We must march back with all haste!”