This story is part of the Wanderer series.
The camp restlessly toiled under the bright, cloudless sky. The air was saturated by the clacking of hammers, men shouting instructions, and the occasional firing of a cannon.
Miyako watched a pair of soldiers carrying upon their shoulders a large log. Though she appeared observant, her gaze was detached, aimlessly following whatever came into her view. With one arm crossing her crossed lap, the other propping up her chin, she leaned against the arm of her seat, a campaign chair reserved for the highest ranking officials of the military. Her chair along with her small stature looked awkward in the middle of the dusty construction grounds, flattened by moons of the army’s presence. Her solitude made her stand out even more, given the large empty perimeter the men kept out of.
From nearby, Miyako noticed a distinguishable presence. The strong signature of a Wanderer, tens of meters behind her. However, she made no motion, not bothering to investigate it, keeping her cheek rested in her palm.
Minutes later, from behind her, Katsuo and another lightly armored individual with spectacles approached where she sat. They rounded her side, plainly announcing their presence for her to see, coming to a stop in front of her. Seeing the lightly armored mage finally roused Miyako to raise her head.
The mage clasped his hands together in front of the princess. “It’s been a while, Your Highness.”
Smiling, she straightened up in her chair, setting both hands on her lap. “You look well, Jin.”
With the formalities out of the way, the mage unclasped his hands, keeping his modest smile. Katsuo, on the other hand, simply crossed his arms, eyes wandering off to the side as he wore a puzzled look.
“What are you doing down here, sitting amongst the soldiers?”
Miyako looked at him blankly. “Would it not strengthen their morale to see me in their midst?”
“Strengthen?” he scoffed with a bit of a chuckle. “More like frighten.”
He briefly flicked his chin towards his shoulder, motioning in the direction of the toiling men, none of which met her gaze.
“They find it intimidating. Especially since these are imperial soldiers, not Xin soldiers.”
Miyako let out a defeated sigh, sulking back into her chair and dipping her eyes to the side. “Of course.”
Jin smiled. “At the very least, there is no better motivator than the princess’ supervision.”
With a blink, Miyako raised her gaze again. “What are the soldiers building?”
“Towers,” Katsuo answered.
She subtly furrowed her forehead. “More?”
The fire mage simply shrugged. “Ask the colonel, not me. Just wants them to look busy, is what I’m guessing. I haven’t seen the camp this active in ages.”
Dropping his arms, Katsuo took a step to the side, indicating his disinterest in the conversation.
“In any case, I have orders to attend to,” he gruffly stated to Jin. “Now that you’ve found her, I will return to them.”
“Very well. Thank you for your assistance.”
He grunted a reply, leaving the two of them.
Jin watched Katsuo as he sauntered off, while Miyako kept her gaze on the scholar, waiting patiently for him to begin.
“How fares your studies?” he eventually asked, finishing the words before his gaze made its way back to the princess.
“Poorly,” she admitted, suppressing another sigh. “The duties of my standing spare me no effort to dedicate to my research of advanced magic. It seems as if at every turn, there is something else in the empire that beckons for my attention.”
Jin tempered his smile, granting her an emphatic gaze. “Such is the duty of the princess. I do not envy the responsibilities you must bear.”
“What about your own?” Miyako pivoted. “I trust you had ample opportunities.”
“Not as of late, with the direct fighting coming to a stall and no diseases plaguing the army, thank the moon. The infirmary has seen little need for my presence. Nevertheless, I made strides elsewhere.”
Her curiosity piqued. “Hm? What else have you been working on?”
“Nothing overly exciting. I have taken an interest in the flora and fauna of the region. Particularly, in regards to what medicines the flora may be used for.”
Leaning on her chair again, she brought a thumb and index up to her chin. “I did not give a second thought to what plant resources these arid lands could offer.” Slightly lifting her chin, she closed her fingers underneath. “And? What are your findings?”
“Why not see for yourself?” Smiling, the mage tapped the side of his head, right in line with his eyes.
The princess briefly paused, then dropped her chin deeper into her hand, concealing her mouth with her knuckles. “Not here, out in the open camp. The laborers would go mad if they happened to glance our direction.”
“Very well.” The scholar began to reach a hand back to his sack, but stopped short of opening it. “Perhaps we shall preserve our discussion for a time solitude affords us her presence. As you know, I do better in writing than I do on the podium.”
Miyako did her best to hide her disappointment, knowing she may not have the opportunity to speak with Jin before she left the frontier again. “Very well,” she echoed.
Falling silent, Jin looked down at his bag, a simple cloth sack containing two books, bandages, and various medicines. Musing for a bit, he slipped his hand off of it, moving on.
“What grants us your presence here on the southern frontier? Is the army shifting its strategy?”
Miyako, whose gaze wandered away while the scholar was contemplating, returned to Jin once more. “I had matters to attend to at the front. I thought it worthwhile to stay until General Asahi arrives.”
“Ah, so the Great General is returning.”
The princess seemed distracted. “Yes… Though… It’s strange, however. Asahi should have arrived by now.”
“When did the general set off?”
“A week or two ago, perhaps.”
“That is not too long ago.”
“Uncle’s convoy is often expeditious. It is also guarded by experienced veterans to keep itself lean.”
Jin briefly lifted a hand, offering his palm to the sky. “Mayhap a horse sprained an ankle somewhere along the way.”
“Perhaps the royal mages due to escort him beyond the border were not all in attendance when he arrived.”
“Perhaps.”
Looking outwards, towards the sun-baked outer ruins of the besieged city, she pondered some more. “Once he returns, the army’s strategy may change, hopefully for the better.”
The scholar’s gaze deepened.
“The colonel and I are in agreement: we cannot linger our main forces here any longer, or we will not reach Callistus before the winter. I am sure General Asahi would agree.”
As a thunderous bang echoed in the distance, her stare drew back, watching the legions of men laboring to no end while making no advances towards the city.
“Surely, both sides know we are delaying the inevitable. Katsuo and I intend to make that clear to them: Their position is untenable. They must surrender, or face harsher consequences.”
“Thus an escalation is in order.”
“A warning of what is to come,” she clarified. “If they do not bend by the time Asahi arrives, then yes, we will have to escalate.”
“Let us hope it does not come down to such. Desperate men are wont to turn to desperate measures, becoming unpredictable in nature.”
The mage gazed down as he lifted a hand, slowly and lightly closing a fist.
“Like picking up a snake. Helpless it may be, yet it can still bite back.”
Miyako eyed him for a few seconds before returning to the horizon. “Yes. Though, I have little reason to believe the city has the strength to commit to any meaningful counteroffensive.”
Jin raised his head. “I agree with your assessment, Your Highness… but, I cannot suppress a lingering feeling there is more to our besieged opponent’s strategy than they are revealing, for they have held on this long.”
Lifting her head, she stood up from her chair and stepped down from it. “Do what they will, and we shall do the same. Whoever rises above the other shall dictate history.”
On the ground once more, the princess walked forward, keeping her eyes locked in the distance, coming to a stop a dozen steps from where she sat. Jin, now flanking her, turned where he stood and stared into the distance with her.
“Such is the reality of war,” said Jin, his voice becoming low and somber. “And the reality of this world.”
Taking a deep breath in, Miyako straightened, and crossed her arms to grasp them. She went silent for a moment, sharing the mage’s sentiment.
“It seems as if… at every step of our quest, there is a war we must fight.”
“Consensus is an elusive maiden.”
“Yes,” Miyako lamented. “But, we cannot balk at a fight. If we are to unite the continent and cease these endless wars, we must have the fangs to do so.”
The wind picked up as she spoke, kicking up dust from the camp grounds.
“There are guiding stars we must protect,” Jin remarked with a poetic hum to his tone.
“Yes,” she agreed with a bit of a chuckle. “You could put it that way.”
“Such is the promise I made to myself when I joined the royal mages.”
“A promise to your mother, is it?” she assumed.
Jin raised his chin, staring into the deep blue sky. “Not just her. My first child.”
Turning her head towards him, Miyako’s expression slightly widened upon hearing this.
“And in the coming years, if fortune permits, the number of stars will only grow.”
Seeing the smile on his face, she could not help but break a smile as well. Breathing out, she turned to the sky with him.
“I am happy for you.”
The mage chuckled. “I am honored to hear those words from you, Your Highness. Truly.”