A War Against Magic: Blocking the Roads[OPEN]

[Lord Seeker Lambert]

The day dawned quickly. Thin bars of pale sunlight flickered through the leaves and branches, glimmered from the moist rocks and created small, disorderly spots of light all around the campsite, small beacons of light among large bastions of shadow. The winds hadn't rose yet - they were slow to rise here, often unruly and unpredictable in their movement, but light breezes occasionally stirred the tent flaps and fluttered the streamers, if only lightly and rarely. Now and then you could hear shouting from the outside, or the clanking of the pots and kettles, or the scurrying of servants and marching of soldiers. The Seeker stood from his bed, brown eyes scanning the large tent, brown hair still shaggy.

Julian Valette laughed as the sunlight settled on his cheeks, warming them pleasantly; a cool breeze from the outside penetrated through the tent flaps and brushed his hair. He bent smilingly towards an open chest right next to his bed, delicately picking up every piece of armor from the new, iron-strapped chest that wore the Order's emblem engraved on its hull. He placed the suit of armor on the neatly made bed and began the process of carefully putting on every layer of protection, one on top of another, until he had put on the surprisingly flexible harness. Finally he took a white cloak from the chest, pulling it over himself to cover his breastplate, still spotless from the last time he had cleaned it. Dusting the cloak from its stay in the chest, he delightfully noticed the Seekers' Eye and the Sun embroidered on its chest. He did not hesitate as he grabbed his blade and scabbard from the desk, both very neatly decorated with hair-thin embroideries and engravings, not enough to hurt either one's deadliness, but just enough to allow them a degree of style. Julian liked style.

Laboriously he began to brush his hair and cut off the night's grow of beard that had appeared on his chin; he liked to appear tidy and innocent. Well, only fools took him for an innocent man - the quality of his eyes assured that, their hard, relentless stare scaring away most common folk. Even most of the nobles flinched under that stare, but he had met some that hadn't. Well, he couldn't intimidate everyone with just the way he looked. He could also say "boo" or something similar to it, and then every noble would start running. Fast.

As he was finishing his morning rituals, a commotion rose from outside. Julian washed his face hastily, and having checked that every piece of his equipment was where it should be, he went to see what was causing all the bustling.

Several templars stood by the entrance, pointing at something he could not quite see. A particularly large rock was blocking his vision.

"...the Lord Seeker! It's the Lord Seeker!", someone exclaimed, instantly followed by an uproar of murmuring and shouting. Julian waved the men to quiet down, but his order was ignored as though he weren't there. Well, if it really was the Lord Seeker - what was he doing down here, anyway? - he'd receive a proper welcome, not a bunch of apes staring at their meal.

"Quiet down! Quiet down, I said! If it's the Lord Seeker, we better show him we're a proper unit, not a bunch of tribesmen from the Gamordan Peaks!", he shouted, but he had to repeat it several times before it brought full silence to the camp. Finally his officers realized their duty; as the Lord Seeker - it really was him! - approached the camp, men began to form into ranks. Three thousand men in this camp, and several hundred of them out on the roads to keep up the road blocks. Finally the Lord Seeker drew rein, only inches from Julian's nose.

"I trust that everything is going well, Seeker?," he said, his tone cool and composed, and his eyes seemed to weigh him. Again. He had grown used to that feeling, over time; you had to, if you served under men like the Lord Seeker. A great man.

"Everything is going well, Lord Seeker," he confirmed, quickly suppressing a satisfied smile. The Lord Seeker's mouth quirked as though he was smelling something bad, but in an instant it was gone.

"...always too eager...", he heard him mutter under his breath, but before Julian could express his shock, the Lord Seeker pressed on as though he had said nothing.

"You are an exceptional commander, young Julian, but you are too eager for battle. Take this as your first test in becoming a better commander: succeed with patience, fail with eagerness to do battle. This is a test of patience and logistics over anything else, Seeker: pass it, and your status will raise in my eyes."

"I would be honored, Lord Seeker," Julian managed to murmur. What a man! He told him what to do, to him, the most promising student that had ever graduated from the War Academy in the Fortress of the Seekers? He supposed that the man had experience, though. Perhaps he should take his advice, for now. But he would not let an opportunity pass to capture mages.

"Best you be honored, Seeker. Now I shall bid you farewell, as I must continue on my check of your camp and the road blocks. Walk in the Light, Seeker." the Lord Seeker said. It had a final sense to it.

"Walk in the Light, Lord Seeker." Julian managed to answer, recalling the age-old formalities just in time. Such formalities were annoying, always in your way blocking a thing or another. That's what they were; nuisances, obstacles. They should be abolished and forgotten. Perhaps he could have an influence on that.

Julian looked at the Lord Seeker's receding back, until it disappeared behind another rock, and then set into motion a chain of commands that sent two units of crossbowmen scouting to the northwest, their sole purpose to capture any mages left in the area. Suddenly, he felt more determined than ever. The mages had to be shattered.