Back home and finally feeling like my old self again. With the help of the clerics, my strength has returned and I feel I am ready for anything now. We made our post mission report and were given our leave. I worry for the people of Rhuelgard, and have requested that troops be sent to secure the area. I am afraid we may have stirred up a hornets nest, and I would hate for those poor people to bear the brunt of any retalliation. They have already suffered enough.
We are off duty for the time being, and I have already spent much of my time in the church praying for guidance. I feel like all the influances around me may be effecting my judgement. I must stay ever vigilant as to not disgrace the uniform I wear and everything I must represent. I know everyone looks at me with a cautious eye, not knowing what to think, so I must never give them any reason to doubt me and my convictions. Once I have given my offerings to Aesia, I head back out into the fray.
I can see nothing has changed within the group as I enter the Crystal Lake Tavern to get something to eat. It is noontime and Gerard and Sandra are already working on their pints. Gerard is drinking out of his prized mug. I found that mug in the cavern with the spiders and gave it to him after he took a shine to it. I am glad he accepted it. Perhaps things are not as bad as I think.
Lt. Grumms sits down at our table, joining us for our noontime meal. It seems strange to see him out of uniform. He has informed us that he has taken up the offer of retirement from the Legion. He has been with The Red Legion since the its inception, and I will miss him as a commander. He always treated me like an equal, and I will not forget that. The lieutenant has one last order to give us: to report to our new commanding officer, Commander Karl Bissel.
We all arrive at about the same time and prepare to meet our new commander. I only hope for the sakes of my comrads that he is as relaxed as the lieutenant was. I enter the office and stand at attention, ready to recieve orders from my new commander. My companions are not so forthcoming, and just lounge around the office like they own the place. Commander Bissel pays no attention to us until I tell everyone to straighten up and look like a proper military unit should. This does not go over well, but I cannot be easy on them all the time. Finally, realizing things will get no better, Bissel adresses us.
The commander has heard much about us, and seems to believe us to be the worst of what the army has to offer. However we have proven ourselves worthy of greater responsibility with our performance in Rhuelgard. So in order to show us how happy he is at having us under his command, we are all (save Adrianna) promoted to Corpral, and promptly sent to indefinite guard duty on the south side of town. Guard duty. No greater bore for a true soldier.
Day turns into night as we patrol along the walls of the south side. Nothing ever happens on the south side, so even having six guards seems rediculous. I keep out my crossbow, because swords have a very limited range, and are little good when on the city walls. Everything seems to be as usual when I hear a commotion tward the ladder.
It seems someone has spotted something down in the dark of the city, heading toward a weapons locker. Gerard is already down the ladder, charging headlong into the unknown. We all make haste down the ladder and begin to fan out and search the area. I hear Gerard cry out as I turn the corner of a building and begin to run to his call. I run into the path of four speeding bolts. Luckily only one of the bolts strikes true and I am able to continue my charge.
I can see them clearly now. There are five men, all dressed for stealth, and four of them have crossbows ready in a practiced fighting position. The other seems to be opening the lock on the storehouse door. The melee insues and several of the rouges are brought down, hard. We all seemed to realize that we should not kill these men... we need at least one for questioning. I try to subdue one, but Gerard caves his skull before I can knock him out. Only two left alive and one of them has trapped himself inside the weapons locker. Easy prey.
Adrianna and I manage to corner the suspect in the back corner of the storehouse. She distracts him while I knock him out with the hilt of my sword. I am sure that will hurt when he wakes up. More noises from outside and I realize it is reinforcements. They take the suspect int custody and drag him off for questioning. We are congratulated and relieved from our post for the night. Just then Commander Bissel arrives already double talking.
Bissel has convinced the army that he knew about tonights raid, and he had us placed here not as punishment, but as a force to stop them. He is stealing our glory! We risk our lives and he steps in to bring us down. Everyone is infuriated at his trechery, but there is nothing we can do. Who would believe us if we called him out? Nobody, that's who! All we can do is go off and have a drink to celebrate our victory, and wash the bad taste left in our mouths by this whole thing.
The life of a soldier is an unappreciated one.
Soldiers spill blood. Commanders get glory. |
