Part Nine

"We're-" began Takashi, but he checked himself.
"Go on!" General Tacitus fumed.
Hideoshi spoke up.
"It is not the custom, among our people where we come from, for the younger brother to speak before the elder in the name of his brethren or family in formal circumstances. I hope you, good sirs, will understand this."
"We understand," replied the Fairies.
"We," continued Hideoshi, clinching his fists at times to ease his pain, "are from the Illyvitch Mountain Chain to the far east. Takashi and I are brothers, and there is one other at home, Toru, for he is but nine years old."
"And your ancestors? Who were they?"
"Our ancestors were from various peoples, but our forefather Varrus' mother came from this region long ago, sometime in the third millennium by our reckoning."
"Varrus," whispered Lord Anomijah Miron. Aloud, he said:
"Do you have any accounts-"
A lieutenant from Third Company dashed in, shouting "Scouts report that a massive force of karician soldiers is marching towards Valash! They'll be here in a day!"
"And I," said Emperor Dietrich,"will depart, though my soldiers will stay under the command of Lord Anomijah Miron."
General Tacitus, flustered and red-faced at the news, shouted to the lieutenant,"Order your men, and tell the other officers to tell their men to move into the city and repair that breach if you can! And, how many are in this force?"
"About a hundred thousand, sir."
"Okay! Get moving!"
"Yes, sir!" Replied the quaking lieutenant, who saluted, then rushed away.
Another officer, this time a major from the Fifth Company, thrust himself into the tent. He saluted General Tacitus, then said:
"Sir, our spies just reported that the Karician army has decided to halt, so they'll be here in a day and a half actually."
"Then go and do what I've just ordered! Make those Valashians help too!" Boomed the general.
Emperor Dietrich turned to leave, but halted, and turned round. He looked at his men, and they nodded their heads. Then he spoke to General Tacitus.
"You will need every able bodied man you can get to repulse this attack. My men and I will heal your wounded, then I will take my leave."
The Fairies went to the wounded and touched them, healing them instantly. Emperor Dietrich strode up to Hideoshi, looked into his deep green eyes, then at his wound, and asked, "How were you wounded?"
"I slew the thunderbird whose carcass lies in the city," said Hideoshi, who felt renewed strength pulsing through his body.
"Slew a thunder bird, and lives, though he is mortal," whispered Emperor Dietrich, though Hideoshi, Nevsky, and Takashi heard him. "Or," he continued, glancing at Hideoshi's eyes, "is there something more there?"
He then departed with his men, while the formerly wounded arose and stretched themselves, before leaving to pack up camp.
In the hustle that followed, Hideoshi and Takashi clung together for hours, setting up beds, carrying supplies, and checking inventory for hours, until it was well into the night and a measure of calm had replaced the bustling noise. Then, Takashi, glancing around, exclaimed, "Where's Nevsky?"
"Let's find him," sighed Hideoshi.
Through narrow streets darkened by shadow in the dark blue of a winter night when a full moon shines they hunted for Nevsky, finally entering a tavern.
They did not see him in the throng on the upper level, but, descending into the basement, in a dim, narrow corner they saw him, hunched over a table. Several large pewter tankards stood on the table, filled with whiskey, and a dirty, crumpled letter. Above them, the ceiling loomed low, barely missing the tops of their heads.
"What are you DOING!" Hideoshi shouted indignantly.
Nevsky, without raising his head, whined, "Leave me."
Takashi glared, then said, "Let's leave him! Let him be miserable with himself!"
"No, I'm not leaving!" Said Hideoshi, who wondered in his mind, "Why am I doing this?"
"Nevsky, what's the matter?" He asked.
"Don't you-have you ever thought that it's more terrifying to live at times then to die?"
"Yes, but-but-life is so good that, despite terror and pain, we must fight for it! Can't you see that! But you must! That's why you're drinking now, because you can feel that life is a marvellous good, even if you want to feel otherwise, and you, in terror of that thought, want to cling to life all the same, and it's tearing you apart. But, stop your drinking AT ONCE and tell me what's wrong!"
Nevsky trembled, but he raised his head, and said, "See that-" pointing to the letter. "They-all my relatives, near and distant-are dead. I won't be writing to Aunt Olga to tell her that Ivan's dead."
"Oh. I'm sorry."
"It's not like you killed them. But-I-I'm alone, alone!"
Nevsky turned towards them, then rushed to Hideoshi and seized his coat with both hands, his face red and streaked with a sudden onslaught of tears.
"Don't leave me!" He cried.