Elysium: A tale of Discord & Chaos

Part 03: Commander Alphonse

Docked at the harbor of Alfheim, the new ship looked out of place, even to Elven eyes. The first of its kind, the "Dauntless; mark I" had an unusual design developed by visionaries, astronomers, and explorers. Unlike the giant hawk-head silhouette of a Magitech Navy warliner, this exploration ship had expanded-range engines, living cabins, and enlarged cargo holds for supplies on long voyages far outside Evaria, to push the edge of knowledge.

After the Elemental War, the Fae Emperor had given their race a new vision, to explore the unknown, to expand the Empire's comfortable boundaries that had stood unchanged for millennia. Commander Alphonse, of the Evarian Army, knew the Dauntless would be only the first of many such quests.

Curiosity, ambition, and exploration were not common to the Elven psyche. This drive to seek answers to questions that had never before been asked was clearly a human thing. Alphonse, and all Elves, had to adjust to so many changes in recent years...

The Commander's carriage arrived at the dock facility where the final engineering touches were being applied to the Dauntless. Teams of heavy-suited worker Dwarves floated around like beetles, using manipulator arms to remove the construction frames and nudge it down from the hull.

Alphonse stopped the carriage outside the well-lit receiving grounds and stepped out onto the polished deck. His hair was kept in a neat topknot. His short tunic was tied at his waist with a dark turquoise sash that contrasted the pale skin. Glittering rank insignia adorned his chest. For this formal meeting with Captain Leonard before the Dauntless departs, he wanted to be worthy of the Evarian pride, the billion line Ancient texts of Elysium.

Yes, history would be made here.

The halfbreed Leonard, who had been given command of the ship, marched forward to greet him. He was a young man with a proud demeanor and creamy features that clearly revealed his partial human heritage. A product of the secret Evarian breeding program, he was the son of the human priest Luna and the legendary Evarian Commander Caesar- the predecessor of Alphonse.

At twenty-eight, Leonard was young for his rank of Captain, but he had a sharp mind and the ability to make swift and accurate decisions. Because of his mixed lineage, he also had a knack for seeing things in a different perspective- an advantage in his role, since the Army suffered from adherence to long- established ways.

Leonard pressed a fist to his chest in a gesture of respect. "Welcome aboard my ship, Commander. I hope it meets with your approval." Alphonse gave the young officer a nod. "You inspected the ship? Drilled your crew? Interviewed your engineers? And it all meets with your approval?"

"More than I can say, Commander."

He gave a brief nod. "You are the captain of the Dauntless, as such your approval holds more value than mine"

The two men took a lift to the command center. The dome that formed the ceiling of the bridge gave the commander a sense of the universe around him- the starry field, the glare of sunlight, the swiftly moving ships and Magicraft with drawing the last pieces of framework.

Proud of his experimental ship, Leonard rattled off a summary of the crew complement, the sophisticated technical equipment, the variety of probe Magitech that could be dispatched when needed, and- important for the Evarian soul- groups of artist dwarves, elven singers, and especially scholars who recorded history.

When Commander Alphonse and Leonard arrived in the command center, Professor Argus awaited them. The scholar was a tall, imposing man, dressed in a shimmering gray robe marked with runes. The expressive face was able to shift coloration like a chameleon to add flavor and emotion to the stories he told. He lifted both hands in greeting.

"Commander Alphonse, this is the greatest quest in our recent history! More significant than Commander Xenon's rescue of the human generation ships and his first journey to Arcadia. Or Captain Khan's encounter with-" The tall Scholar caught himself and bowed. "The Dauntless will be a light that shines into the emptiness between the lands of Elysium. It is time for our people to go beyond what was to what can be."

Alphonse was surprised by the upbeat attitude of Argus, for the man had been stodgy in the past, especially upset when the human scholar Victor Stein had pointed out errors or omissions in the Ancient texts. "Captain Leonard will lead you to points unknown. I have complete faith in him."

Leonard bowed, struggling to accept the praise with good grace. Alphonse had groomed the young officer, training and mentoring him as he moved up through the ranks. Though he was a halfbreed, it didn't hurt that his mother was the consort of the Fae Emperor, or that his father was the greatest military leader Evaria has ever known. "I can only hope to do great work of my own, in my father's name. I am... humbled by my own heritage, the weight of responsibility. The Dauntless is so important."

Alphonse knew that Commander Caesar had been a greater commander than he himself would ever be- everyone on Evaria was aware of that. "I was just a young Captain when I was thrust into this position as Commander. I wasn't ready for it either, and I also felt humbled." He lowered his voice as he confessed, "But no one was more ready than I was, and so the job fell to me. If you had not volunteered to command the Dauntless, Captain Leonard, I would have assigned you to the task."

The young officer's eyes were shining; his breathing was fast, his excitement plain. "When I saw the opportunity, how could I not seize it? The chance to go outside the Empire, to see what's out there?"

A signal on the command center announced that the rest of the docking structures had been moved away. The engines were fully loaded with Mana and ready to sail.

Leonard turned to face him. "The Fae Emperor has prepared a departure celebration in the palace, and you will join me. The people will cheer the launch of this great quest." He lowered his voice and added wistfully, "I only wish I were going out there with you."