The previous forty years had been the worst of it. Never before had their enemies committed such atrocities in the attempt to win the war for their side. The General stood looking out at the remains of his army and smiled. It was not a mirthful smile, but a bittersweet one. An outward sign of the mixed feelings of horror and joy he felt inside him. He had led them to victory, and yet had failed them utterly.
Of the seven companies he had brought into this last battle, nearly a million men and women, only five hundred had survived. Five hundred were all that was left of what they had called the Remnant Army. They truly were a remnant now.
“It’s not your fault.” A voice called to him from several meters behind.
“I should have protected them better.” He replied. “I shouldn’t have been so overconfident.”
“You did what you had to do.” The voice drew nearer.
“I sent them to their deaths.” He said. “All of them.”
“They knew the sacrifices that had to be made. They trusted you, and they trusted the Lord, He has them now. They’re home.” A slender hand rested on his shoulder.
He tore his gaze away from the distant ruins of the giant war machines he had commanded, and looked to the speaker. He regarded her for a moment, thinking about how completely different she looked without the heavy armor and twin energy pistols she had always wore. She had been the consummate warrior and soldier, skilled, loyal and trustworthy, it was no great wonder that she had risen to the second highest rank in the entire army and second in command by his side for all these years. Looking at her now, with her long auburn hair brushed out and her knowing blue eyes piercing his own, he saw a woman, not a soldier. In that moment, something changed in him. He felt an aching tightness in his chest that he never thought he would ever feel. A shiver of adrenaline coursed through him and he smiled. This was a genuine smile, the first that he could remember. He put his arm around her and looked back out over the devastation with a new mind. His thoughts were no longer on the war in the past, but the peace in the future.
Many centuries later a similar, but younger pair of eyes looked out at the same view. These eyes had never seen war, and knew nearly nothing of the battles that the ancient General had fought and won. Once golden with fields and dotted with cities, the distant valley was now but charred earth and covered with the broken hulks of downed skyships…the remains of the final battle in which the fate of the world was decided. No one living remembered it as it was, or the names of the destroyed cities. Jared lifted his eyes from the ruin of the valley to the far distant hills which bordered the other side of the valley. He wondered if any people yet lived on the far side of the valley and if they ever had a mind to look across to see the tall range of mountains he now stood atop.
But suddenly, even as the thought entered his mind, he saw a light flash on those distant hills nearly right across from where he stood. There had been no mistaking it, faint as it was. He stared unblinking at the spot hoping to see the flash once again. But all he saw was the sun drawing nearer to the distant hills. I was nearing supper, and as if on cue the soft warm tone of a horn sounded below and behind him in Vale where he and his parents lived. He sighed and with one last look to the distant hills, he turned and began the descent to his home.
He pushed the door open and shrugged off his long coat, setting it atop his walking stick and propping the stick against the wall.
“Late again, Jared.” His father scowled at him. “I had half a mind to feed your meal to the dog, but your mother prevailed on me.”
Jared bowed his head gracefully. ‘I am sorry, father, I found myself at the Peak again.” He turned and smiled at his mother. “My stomach thanks you for saving my food, mother.”
“The Peak!” His father grumbled as he sat at the table and took his fork to his food. “You would see more in the books of learning than in looking at that old graveyard. Do you intend to waste your brain watching the Dead?”
Jared smiled inwardly; this was the daily supper conversation in his home. “Today I saw something, father. A flash of light on the far hills.”
The middle aged man’s scowl deepened. “A trick of the sunset, no doubt. Put no thought to it.”
Noticing the sudden change in his father’s expression, he decided to press the matter. “But it was not yet sunset when I saw it. Do you think that some may yet live on the Far Side?”
His father closed his hand into a fist. “No one lives there between the Darkness and the Sea. No one. Is that clear? In the Old Battles the whole land was laid waste from the roots of these mountains to the Sea.”
Jared slumped in his chair. “It is clear, father.”
As if suddenly having a change of heart, Jared’s father put his hand on his son’s arm. “It is no use putting thought to the enemies of our ancestors; we must live in the present. And make our descendants stronger than ourselves.” With this last statement his father held his eyes with the loving gaze only a father could give.
“I understand, father.” He replied, then, changing the subject, he said, “How did things fare here in Vale today?”
“As well as can be hoped.” His mother replied. “The Leaders are deciding about a wall to be built around the outer boundaries of Vale. It will be meant for protection.”
Jared simply nodded. The Leaders were always coming up with new things to discuss. Not that they ever did anything. They would discuss one thing until they decided it was implausible, and then find a new subject to discuss. “Anything new about?”
“The Northern People sent a messenger to the Leaders, but nothing was overheard on why he was sent.” She told him.
Jared’s eyes brightened at the mention of the messenger, and he was suddenly regretful that he’d spent so long on the Peak. The Northern Peoples’ stories were quite exciting for it seems that among them there are ones who keep some record of the happenings of the past. The past was a subject of great interest to Jared. As it had been since the first time he climbed the Peak and looked out at the desolation of the vast Valley.
But such learning was staunchly opposed by his parents, who wished him to grow into a strong and influential Valeman. But so far they had only succeeded in making him into a dreamer of dreams and a seeker of adventure. Of the population of Vale, no other had those traits. And stories told in Vale of such daydreamers and adventurers, whether true or false, would invariably end tragically. Jared knew they were only tales to keep young children from wandering into the forests, but somehow he felt that his parents actually believed them.
Presently, he finished his food and excused himself from the table, telling his parents that he would go for a walk in the town. He donned his coat, but left the walking stick there, having no need of it. He stepped out into the cool evening breeze and turned toward the center of town. He had a mind to seek out the Northern Messenger and hear of his errand; surely he would rest here before returning north.
He neared the village hostel and saw that just one room was in use. Usually it sat empty, there were never outside visitors to Vale. He went in and told the Keeper to announce him to the Messenger. The Keeper, an older man with white hair nodded and pressed a button on the counter. There was a hiss of static as the awkward device, one of the token few pieces of technology scattered around vale, struggled to cooperate. “Honored Northern Messenger, you have a caller.” He spoke into the microphone.
Then as if out of a dream, a young woman came into the lounge. Jared stood dumbstruck, never had he seen such beauty before. Never had he expected the messenger to be a woman, let alone a very beautiful young woman no older than himself. She crossed her arms across her chest. “Has my caller come just to stare?”
Shocked out of his reverie, Jared could barely speak his name. “I…I am Jared, of Vale. Greetings, from my town to yours.”
She smirked. “That is about all your Leaders had to say to me as well.”
Sensing the jest in her tone, he replied, “Perhaps they too were taken by your beauty.”
Her eyebrows went up and she blushed. “I suspect it had more to do with the fact that I interrupted their discussions.”
“I suspect their discussions could stand a few more interruptions.” He replied dryly.
She gestured to the sparse seating area. “Will you sit? You seem heavy with questions.”
Not catching the joke, he quickly moved to take a seat across a low table from her. “I do indeed have questions, though you may find me wearisome before five minutes go by.”
“Such curiosity, it seems, is out of place here in Vale.”
“My home and I differ on many things.” He answered. “If it is no great mystery, what was your errand here, if I may ask?”
“You may.” She smiled at him. “I was sent here to discuss with your Leaders a thing which we have observed in the North.”
“Lights in the West?” He asked a little too eagerly.
She regarded him with surprise. “Then you have seen them here? Your leaders would have no talk of the West.”
“Today, not two hours ago. What does it mean?”
“We in the North do not know either. Some, though, suspect danger renewed from the ancient times.”
Jared was now leaning forward on the edge of his seat. “The ancient times? Then you believe there are some yet living in the Western hills?”
“We in the North have suspected this for some time.”
Jared’s eyes widened in thought as he leaned back in the chair. After a few moments of silence Jared spoke up. “I suppose it would be too much to ask that you were knowledgeable in the Old Stories.”
She gave him a tight lipped smile. “I have not been schooled in histories.” When she saw the disappointment on his face, she added. “Though all of us in the North know the stories.”
He leaned forward once more. “Please, I wish more than anything to know.”
She nodded. “Very well.” She sat straighter in her chair. “This, at least, is known to all of the citizens of the North: There were two great armies that fought there in the Valley between the western hills and the eastern mountains. The army that came from the west were the Haraquin, and the army that came from the east called themselves the Remnant. So large were the armies that the battle went on for months before it ended.”
“Who won the battle?” Jared asked.
“The Remnant.” She told him. “However, the details seem to have been lost with time, what is known is that the remaining five hundred or so came to these mountains and constructed three cities.”
“Five hundred?” Jared asked. “How big were the armies to start with?”
“There were nearly a million soldiers in the Remnant Army, it can only be assumed that the Haraquin had an equal or greater number. With the soldiers were hundreds of thousands of fighting aircraft which still litter the Dead Valley, even after nearly a thousand years. And still nothing grows there.”
“So, we are descended from the Remnant Army?”
She smiled evenly. “Yes, we are.”
He stared with unseeing eyes as his imagination drew images in his mind of battles with airships and armies a million strong. Suddenly a question came to his mind. “What was the battle about? Why were the armies fighting?”
She looked at him sympathetically. “That is something I do not know. I think the knowledge is lost.”
He frowned, then shook his head. “Well I am grateful for the story, nonetheless. More than you might guess. It has been a long curiosity of mine to know of the past.”
“It was a pleasure to share my knowledge with you. Curiosity is an uncommon thing in Vale.” She paused. “But I must rest now. I am to travel further south tomorrow.”
“The third city?” Jared asked.
“Yes, though they are even more insular than the people of Vale. And I am to discuss these lights in the west with them as I tried to do here.” She stood.
Jared stood as well. “And you will be traveling back North after that?”
“Yes.”
“Then I will await your return…” He trailed off.
“You may call me Esther.”
“Esther.” He repeated.
“And I will look forward to returning here, Jared.” She inclined her head.
He bowed to her. “Until we meet again, then.”
She smiled at him and left the lounge. He let out a breath that felt like he’d been holding for hours. He stood there for several minutes until a gruff sounding voice interrupted his thoughts.
“Have you need of a room?” It was the Keeper.
“No, sir.”
‘Then leave.”
“Very well.” With a flourish, he turned and walked back to his home.
During the next several weeks, Jared continued to watch for the flashes of light in the west. He wondered if anyone from the North knew what these flashes might mean. They were concerned enough to send a messenger to see if others were seeing the same thing. One night as he descended the mountain to his home, he heard a sharp noise and when he looked up, he saw something flying in the air trailing fire and smoke. It began to fall toward the center of Vale and the fire went out. It fell slowly and when it landed, all was quiet. Jared imagined the people of Vale looking out of their doors at the thing which fell out of the sky.
He hurried down to his home and made sure that his parents were fine. He then went out to see what it was that fell. He came up to it and saw what appeared to be a long metal cylinder painted red, pointed at one end and with short fins or wings at the opposite end. A trail of smoke drifted from the winged end. He didn’t like the look of the thing. He heard a faint ticking from it and he knelt down to take a better look.
“You! Step away from that!” A man’s voice yelled.
Jared looked up and saw a middle aged man in a strange uniform with some sort of device in his hand. He stepped back, watching the man. The man rushed to the red cylinder, knelt beside it and placed the device in his hand onto it. There was a loud high pitched whine and then there was no sound at all. The man sighed heavily and slumped to the ground.
“What is it?” Jared asked him.
“Something I hoped never to see in my lifetime.” The man looked up at him. “It’s a missile. A weapon sent from the West to destroy you and all of Vale.”
“Destroy us? Why?”
“It is something we in the North have long feared. The ancient enemies of the Remnant have awakened once more to make war.”
“Who are you?” Jared asked.
The man stood up. “I am Benjamin, of Syere, the North City.”
“You know Esther?”
“Have you any news of her?”
“She passed through here on an errand to seek information about the flashes of light in the west. She spoke to me of her errand then went further south.”
“Oh no.”
“What’s wrong?”
“She was to return to us several days ago. She was not supposed to travel further south. It is dangerous.”
“Dangerous?”
“Yes. The people of the south do not trust others, and do not suffer trespassers, especially from our city.”
“What might they do to her?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t leave her there.”
“Would you take my help?” Jared asked the man, knowing full well this meant leaving Vale behind, perhaps forever.
Benjamin regarded him with a bit of surprise. “Gladly boy, gladly. We should leave soon, but the Valelings have their customs, you would say good bye to your family before leaving, yes?”
“I would.” Jared replied. “I can leave with you at first light tomorrow.”
“Excellent, I shall meet you at the South Gate at first light, then.”
It was not a pleasant evening with Jared’s parents. They did not understand why he had to leave Vale, and them, behind. His father, when informed of the near destruction of Vale by the missile and Benjamin’s saving them all, promptly informed Jared that it was probably all a big hoax and meant to trick the people of Vale to leave allowing the Northerners to take over the city. His mother was slightly more supportive, though no less insistent that he stay. In the laws of Vale, if a man left Vale of his own volition, his return would be subject to the decision of the Leaders. It was not guaranteed that he would be allowed to return if he left.
However, Jared’s mind was made up and they would not sway him. He awoke from a deep sleep well before first light with his stomach in knots the way a person feels when they know they are in for a long journey. Swinging his legs over the edge of his bed, he saw his parents standing in the doorway. His father was holding a bundle in his arms.
“We want you to have these things for your journey.” His father told him.
The items themselves were foreign to him, but he guessed what they were. Weapons and armor. He took the items one by one and his father helped him put them on correctly. The armor suit itself was a brilliant white that caught even the dim light and reflected it around the room. There was an energy pistol that sat ready in a holster on his right hip and a large knife sheathed on his left forearm. The last thing was a long, curved sword.
“This is the Blade of Coulter.” His father handed it to him. “This has been passed down through the generations father to son since the Great War and has spilled no blood in all that time. But it seems its time has now come. Draw it.”
Jared pulled it out of its sheath. Its bright blade had an electric sheen to it and it seemed to vibrate and hum softly in his hand. He stared at his shimmering reflection in the blade for a moment. Then he looked at his father. “How will I know how to use it?”
“Remember the motions of your exercises and it will come to you.” His father told him. Jared promptly dropped into a stance with the sword hilt in a two handed grip with the blade straight in front of him. “Motion three five.” His father ordered softly.
Jared moved the blade in a precise semi-circular motion as though to ward off some unseen attack from overhead and coming around underneath to strike low at the invisible opponent. “You see? When you find yourself in danger, just remember the movements.”
“I see.” Jared told him as he sheathed the sword and let his father help him affix it to the belt included with his armor. It was nearly first light and after a tearful goodbye to his parents, he pulled on his long coat over the armor and took up his staff and headed to the South Gate.
Benjamin was leaning against the gate wall and a smile grew on his face when he saw Jared. “My my, I didn’t know anything still existed! Expecting a battle, then?”
Jared grinned. “My father always told me it was better to be safe than to be sorry.”
Benjamin nodded then tilted his head to the side. “You have not told me your name, boy.”
“Jared Coulter.”
Benjamin fell silent and his eyes widened. “Coulter?” He asked with a quiet voice.
“What, is there something wrong?”
“No. No Jared, it’s nothing.” Benjamin reassured him. “I’m just happy to have your help.”
The older man’s tone didn’t invite further inquiry, so Jared let it be. They began their trek south without delay, beginning by following an ancient trail which wound its way up to a level ridge that stretched for several miles southward. Jared found the arms and armor to be light and they didn’t restrict his movements at all as he walked. Indeed, it seemed that his step felt lighter as soon as he’d put on the armor, he felt stronger and faster too.
“Jared.” Benjamin’s vice came from behind him.
He turned to see what he wanted. “Yes?”
“I was wondering about your armor. TunCar suits like that were said to have certain…qualities. Do you feel any different from before?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, they were said to give the wearer more strength, speed and reflexes.”
“How?”
“Well, I don’t know.” Benjamin replied. “Some bio-mechanical interface of some kind I would say.” He grinned. “There are a lot of researchers in my land who would die to take that suit apart and find out how it works…but…do you feel any different?”
“Actually, I do feel slightly different, stronger and faster, like you said.”
Benjamin shook his head, still grinning. “It’s still functional, I don’t believe it.”
“My father said these things were from the Old War.”
“Your father was right. TunCar suits were standard among the Remnant forces, but I have never before seen a full suit in working order.”
“You’ve seen these before?”
“Oh, of course, in our museum. We in Syere have many technologies mostly derived from what was left over from the War, though it is used for less destructive things. But we have never been able to replicate the technology for TunCar suits.”
“Well, I’d be happy to let them borrow this when I’m done with it.”
“They would be very grateful.” Benjamin replied, and then looked up at the sky. “It’s getting dark, we should make camp.”
It took the two men several days to come to the Southerners’ land. Jared was surprised to see a massive stone wall with a small solid metal gate carved into it where the ancient trail apparently met the wall. There were no guards at the gate, so Jared and Benjamin walked up to it and knocked. The response was fast.
Almost immediately two hidden doors on either side of the gate opened and a tall, heavily built man came out of each. If their grim faces and menacing stance weren’t enough, the short spears they held poised under the visitors’ chins told them that they’d made a mistake.
The gate opened slowly and they watched as a very tall man came out to “greet” them. The man’s dark eyes surveyed them for several long moments. Jared thought he saw a spark of surprise when the man saw his armor.
“You’ve come for your woman.” The man said, looking squarely at Benjamin. “But now you are under our laws just as she, and you must now face the same judgment.” He then turned his gaze at Jared and waved his hand at his enforcer to lower the spear under his chin. “You, however, must come before the Elders at once and make your business known. These must truly be great times if the General’s People have returned.” Jared was about to ask what he meant when the man suddenly turned and went back through the gate. The guards motioned with their spears to follow.
It was still a few miles before they came to a city of wood and stone buildings, not dissimilar from those in Vale, but the architecture was rougher, less refined, and there seemed to be no real order to the layout of the city. Everywhere Jared looked he saw people young and old sparring each other with wooden staffs and swords; it seemed to be the only thing these people did. All of them were very fit; every man had arms bigger than Jared had ever seen. As they neared the center of the city, working their way around houses and larger buildings, Jared began to notice something odd. The people seemed to be stopping whatever they were doing and facing them and putting their hands up to their foreheads, palm down. This went on for several minutes until one of the guards spoke to Jared.
“They honor you.” He told him. “Will you not salute?”
The thought struck him like lightning. Of course! He chided himself, remembering back to the earliest teachings; he put his hand to his forehead and began saluting them back. Soon after he began saluting the people, he began to hear cheers, he turned to look behind him and saw a mass of people following them, cheering. He couldn’t really make out what they were cheering about, he simply smiled and continued saluting.
The saluting went on for a few more minutes until they came to a large white stone building. Several tall men and women stood at the base of a wide stair that went up to the entrance, they saluted and Jared repeated the gesture for them. One of them, the apparent leader, raised a long staff and all the people fell silent.
“Only foul happenings can be the cause of a union of the Three.” The man announced. “You Sir, your name and rank?”
It took Jared a moment to realize he was being spoken to. “My name is Jared Coulter…but I have no rank.”
Never before had Jared seen so many people, so incredibly dumbstruck, all at once. “You own the name of Coulter, yet you claim no rank?” The leader asked, thoroughly confused.
Another of them spoke up then. “This weakling is the Heir of Coulter?”
“Silence, allow him to speak.” The leader reprimanded.
Jared had the sinking suspicion that these people thought he was someone else. “I don’t claim any rank, I am a Student of Vale.”
“Very well, Jared Coulter, Student of Vale. What is your business here? You travel with this Northerner?” He gestured distastefully at Benjamin.
“Yes, he and I have the same business. He is searching for their messenger and I offered my assistance.”
“By our laws, they are trespassers and so they are our prisoners until they come with an appeasement.” The leader said this last word threateningly at Benjamin.
“I have brought an appeasement.” Benjamin announced.
“You may bring it forward.” The leader told him.
Benjamin took a small wooden box out of his pack and handed it gingerly to the leader. The leader opened the box and when he saw what was inside it, he looked up at Benjamin sharply. “Such an appeasement has never been brought before any leader of our people. What is the purpose of this?”
“I had hoped that it would buy us an audience with you.” Benjamin replied.
The leader seemed to consider for a moment. “So be it, bring the messenger.” He spoke to the head guard who had first greeted them. The man left and returned shortly with Esther following behind. She seemed calm and unhurt, but her uniform was dirty and scuffed in places. She held herself with a dignified air, her chin held up and her shoulders squared. Once again, Jared was struck by her beauty. She was led up to them and took her place beside Benjamin, who put his arm around her shoulders.
“Hello Father.” She hugged him back. She looked at Jared up and down taking in his armor. She smiled and nodded approvingly. “Hello Jared.”
His response was cut off by the leader, who apparently did not wish to have northerners in his city any longer than absolutely necessary. “We will convene now for your audience, follow us.” They were led into the large building which was composed of one large room that appeared to Jared much like the Chamber of Leaders back in Vale. However, there were no chairs, just raised platforms upon which you had to stand if you wanted to be heard. The leaders each took one of several platforms which were arranged in a semicircle around a large central platform where Benjamin and Esther were made to stand. It didn’t appear that Jared was invited to the discussion as he was relegated to a position to the rear of the room. He stood quietly and listened as they began. It appeared that these southerners did not stand on ceremony as the discussion began with no introduction.
“What is your purpose?” The leader asked calmly and evenly.
“The Haraquin have risen.” Benjamin announced frankly.
The Southerners all appeared to grow more imposing and a strange darkness filled their eyes. They each turned their gaze to Jared, then back at the Northerners. “The Time has come, then.” The leader said softly. “We have long prepared for this.”
Just then, there was a loud thunderclap that echoed over and over through the mountain valleys. It drifted off to a low rumble and when it ceased, the gathering looked at each other uncertainly. Benjamin turned to Jared with a look in his eye that gave him the worst feeling he’d ever had. The missile in Vale had exploded.
“We must mobilize.” The leader announced loudly. “You Northerners must go back to your city and make ready. Our Captain must stay here where his armies can look to him and find hope.”
“No.” Benjamin retorted. “Their hope must come from Above. Our Captain must come with us so that we can prepare him for the coming war.”
“The Engineers were ever the thorn in our sides. He will stay.”
Jared saw that it would soon come to blows if something were not done. He stepped forward. “Enough. We are allies, not enemies.” He told them. “Now, who is this Captain you speak of, and why does he not have a say in where he goes?”
Esther pinned him with a proud stare. “It’s you Jared. You are Our Captain.” She smiled. “And you most definitely have a say in where you go.”
“There’s got to be some mistake…” Jared told them.
Benjamin stepped closer. “It’s no mistake, Jared. You are directly descended from the Great General Coulter, the man who led the Remnant Army to victory in the Last Battle. His armor is what you’re wearing now, and the sword he bore, the one at your side, is the very symbol of victory which has become the flags of our three cities.”
Jared’s eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. Even in his most far-fetched dreams he had never imagined this.
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