War of Dawn

Chapter 13: A Knight's Challenge

Date: 1003 After Dawn, September 24th

It's two thirty in the morning of the fourth day of Hilda's assignment to Outpost #12 and while the evening patrols are out, she and her peers are sound asleep. Their own patrol is set to begin at seven. The past couple of days have seen even less excitement than the first one. As before, she'd been sent with Owen and Paula to patrol sections of the Arctic Archipelago.

Due to the distance of the Atrium in Melville to other islands, however, the Valnr influence hadn't spread that farther. On the positive side, no encounters with the enemy also meant no reason for arguments between Hilda and Owen – granted, being on patrol means they have to be on constant alert and that leaves little room for chit-chat.

Breakfast and dinner time were about the highlight of these days, with Owen having essentially taken up position as the head chef. His food does wonders for morale and he's risen to the status of a local celebrity with the other Scions. Hilda figures he could probably stage a coup, if he wanted to.

Michael probably wouldn't mind, either, as he shares in everyone's breakfast and has become just as taken with Owen's fine food. While the outpost's leader has nigh unlimited authority towards the people assigned, he's shown to be as down-to-earth as the generals in Valarheim.

Everyone's gone to bed early and with a full stomach, which is good as their sleep is interrupted when the barracks' door is kicked wide open.

"Wake up, people! We have a situation! Everyone gather outside!" yells Michael before heading back out.

All Scions immediately jump off their bunks, the loud sound of rushing steps along the wooden floor flooding the barracks. Everyone quickly grabs whatever clothing and shoes are handy before donning their gear and setting outside. The Scions line themselves up by a large pyre set at the center of the outpost to light everything up.

"You guys know what's going on?" Hilda quietly asks Owen and Paula, right beside her.

"Not at all... judging by Lord Michael's tone, however, it ought to be significant," he answers, trying to look around in hopes of spotting anything.

"Look, someone's incoming through the Gate Crystal," Paula whispers, nodding towards the glowing crystal.

"Scions! Atten-shun!" Michael yells, eliciting all present Scions to salute reflexively. The reason for all this becomes clear as soon as the portal opens: Vanessa, Alexandra and Ragnar are coming in, fully equipped for combat. Vanessa is wearing the same studded leather armor as before, while Alexandra and Ragnar both don Alterium breastplates, reinforced with chainmail which runs down their waists, cuisses and a pair of pauldrons and gauntlets.

"Well, you were right. I doubt we'd be getting three generals in here for something small," Hilda answers, her eyebrows frowning at the unusual sight.

"But it does not look like they're the only ones," Owen points as another pair of Novitiates of Holfores, like Paula, arrive – a man and a woman around their age.

Paula's eyebrows raise as soon as she sees who it is and her expression crumples with clear worry. "This might be more complicated than we think..."

"Do you know them?" Owen asks.

"Amit Thakral and Josette André... the three of us train together."

The pair accompanies Ragnar and Alexandra as they speak to Michael and call other local Scions into their respective teams. Taking a look at them, Hilda has a difficult time believing that they're Paula's comrades. There's something weird about those guys, she thinks. Amit, an Indian man of short, wavy black hair, copper skin, wide eyebrows and amber colored eyes, bears himself... for lack of a better comparison, like a Valnr Drone. Hilda sees no emotion in his face whatsoever, empty and impassive as if he is made of stone.