The Warrior and The Wren, No. 23

Chronicle 23

“The Fall of Aetheris: Part 5”

The doors exploded inward.

The sound echoed through the chamber.

Zas barely had time to understand what he was seeing.

A broad courtyard.

Makeshift tents.

Armed Curgarden soldiers.

…and...

Elara.

Chained upright and naked to heavy wooden posts.

Her dress was thrown asunder.

Her face streaked with dirt and tears.

Eldred splayed himself across her body.

His arms wrapped around her.

Refusing to let go.

Several soldiers had already tried pulling him away.

None had succeeded.

Forman stood over them.

His patience had clearly ended.

"I said..."

"...MOVE!"

Eldred looked up.

"No."

"You don't understand."

"I don't care."

Forman pointed toward Elara.

"She'll stand in the square."

"The whole kingdom will see what becomes of tyrants."

Elara shook her head violently.

"My father is gone."

"I am not him."

Forman laughed.

"You're his blood."

"The people deserve to see the King's daughter where she belongs."

Eldred tightened his grip.

"She didn't do this!"

"Neither did thousands of our people."

Forman's face hardened.

"You've made your choice."

He drew a long knife.

"If you won't move..."

"...I'll carve you off."

Elara screamed.

"No!"

Eldred never moved.

"You'll have to kill me."

Forman stepped forward.

The knife descended-

A blur of steel crossed the courtyard.

CRACK!

The curved blade of Zas' scythe smashed into Forman's wrist.

Bone cracked.

The knife flew from his hand.

Forman collapsed to one knee, clutching his shattered wrist.

The entire courtyard froze.

Only for an instant.

Then-

"THE BLUE SHIELD!"

Chaos erupted.

Soldiers rushed from every direction.

Azamat met the first with the haft of his axe, knocking one man sprawling before driving another backward with a shoulder charge.

Zas flowed through the attackers.

His scythe never stopped moving.

Not wild.

Not angry.

Every movement deliberate.

One weapon knocked aside.

Another fighter disarmed.

A third swept from his feet.

The first wave broke against them.

More soldiers rushed forward.

Only to hesitate.

The two warriors refused to give them a clean opening.

Several minutes later...

Both sides finally found themselves separated by several metres.

The courtyard had fallen strangely quiet again.

Forman had regained his feet.

His wounded wrist hung uselessly at his side.

He stared at Zas with open disbelief.

"You."

"You came here to save her?"

Zas's eyes never left him.

"I came here to save people."

Forman gestured furiously toward Elara.

"She is the daughter of Havin!"

"I know."

"Her family humiliated us!"

"They ruled us!"

"They terrorized us!"

"The people deserve to see her displayed before them."

"The people deserve justice."

Eldred looked up through tear-filled eyes.

"This isn't justice."

Forman ignored him.

"We're showing the kingdom that the House of Havin is finished!"

Zas finally spoke.

His voice was calm.

Cold.

"From what I have seen..."

"...your conduct differs very little from the kingdom you claim to have overthrown."

Murmurs spread among the nearby soldiers.

Forman's expression darkened.

"Don't compare us to them."

"Then stop behaving like them."

Silence.

Zas continued.

"I watched King Havin abandon justice for control."

"I watched innocent people suffer."

He looked directly at Elara.

"…and now..."

"...I find you preparing to punish another innocent for the crimes of someone else."

Forman spat onto the stone.

"She wears his blood."

"She carries none of his guilt."

Forman laughed bitterly.

"That's easy for you to say."

"No."

Zas rested the butt of the scythe against the ground.

"It is difficult."

"It is precisely because it is difficult..."

"...that it is right."

He took one slow step forward.

"Forman."

"You will answer for what I have seen here."

"You may surrender peacefully."

He raised the scythe once more.

"Or..."

"...we may settle the matter the hard way."

The courtyard became utterly silent.

No one moved.

Not even the wind.

Everyone waited to see what Forman would choose.

---

The training ring was unusually quiet.

Only the dull thump of boots against canvas echoed through the gym.

Joanna circled.

Carly circled with her.

Neither woman seemed interested in locking up just yet.

Carly watched Joanna carefully.

Finally she lowered her hands.

"...Okay."

Joanna blinked.

"What?"

"What happened to you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Yes, you do."

Carly leaned against the ropes.

"For the last week you've barely smiled."

"You've been distracted."

"You've been somewhere else."

"…but today..."

She pointed at Joanna.

"...you're joking."

"You're humming."

"You actually laughed when Marcy fell over that medicine ball."

Joanna couldn't help smiling.

"She looked ridiculous."

"She did."

Carly smiled too.

"…but that's not my point."

Her expression softened.

"...Did Zas come home?"

The smile faded.

"No."

"You've heard from him?"

Joanna shook her head.

"I still don't know where he is."

"I still don't know if he's safe."

"I still wake up wondering whether today's the day someone knocks on my door."

Carly frowned.

"Then..."

"...why do you seem so much lighter?"

Joanna rested her forearms on the top rope.

She was quiet for several seconds.

"You remember when I met him?"

"The wrestling show in Mingora?"

Carly nodded.

"You wanted him to train you."

"I wanted him to fix everything I was doing wrong."

A quiet laugh escaped Joanna.

"And he tried."

"No..."

"He succeeded."

"…but not because I was talented."

"Because he refused to quit."

She looked down at the canvas.

"I'd throw a hold."

"'Again.'"

"I'd throw it again."

"'Again.'"

"I'd finally think I got it."

"He'd move one of my feet two inches."

"'Again.'"

Carly chuckled.

"Sounds like him."

"He spent hours with me."

"Hours."

"He refined everything."

"My balance."

"My timing."

"My breathing."

"My posture."

"My grip."

"He kept going until I got it right."

Joanna looked toward the empty rows of training equipment.

"Then I watched him do the same thing with everyone else."

"He never gave up on anybody."

"If someone wanted to learn..."

"...he stayed."

"As long as it took."

Carly folded her arms.

"So..."

"So I realized something."

Joanna looked back at her.

"He never gave up on me."

Her voice became quieter.

"So giving up on him..."

"...doesn't feel right."

Carly remained silent.

"When I start wondering whether he'll call..."

"I stop."

"…and instead..."

"I send him something."

Carly blinked.

"...Like what?"

"A meme."

"A funny video."

"A cute dog."

"A dinosaur."

Carly laughed.

"A dinosaur?"

"He likes dinosaurs."

Joanna playfully smirked.

"Sometimes I’ll send him stuff only for his eyes."

"Oh you little rascal."

“You know it.”

They both laughed. Joanna continued.

"So I send him things."

"Not because I expect an answer."

"…but because one day..."

"...he'll open his phone."

"…and he'll know someone was thinking about him."

She smiled faintly.

"Sometimes he even reads them."

"He just can't answer."

"So I know..."

"...sometimes..."

"...he's still there."

Carly nodded slowly.

"…and if this keeps going?"

Joanna exhaled.

"I don't know."

"I honestly don't."

"I don't know whether I can keep doing this forever."

"I don't know whether I've finally accepted it..."

"...or whether I'm just pretending everything's okay."

She looked across the empty gym.

"…but I do know this."

"He believed in me long before I believed in myself."

She looked back at Carly.

"So..."

"...until he gives up on me..."

"I'm not giving up on him."

Silence settled over the ring.

Then Carly climbed through the ropes.

She stood in front of Joanna.

Without saying a word...

...she pulled her into a hug.

Joanna hugged her back.

Neither woman spoke.

They didn't need to.

---

No one moved.

The courtyard had become deathly still.

Forman's breathing grew heavier.

His wounded wrist trembled as blood dripped steadily onto the stone beneath him.

Zas never lowered the scythe.

"You will answer for what I have seen here."

"You may surrender peacefully."

"...or we may settle the matter the hard way."

Forman swallowed.

He looked around.

His soldiers looked back at him.

Waiting.

Expecting.

His mouth opened.

Then closed again.

"I..."

He glanced toward the palace.

Toward the city beyond.

Toward the chained princess.

Toward Eldred.

His confidence had vanished.

"I..."

Zas waited.

Patiently.

Then-

A quiet vibration came from inside his jacket.

Both men looked at each other.

The sound seemed almost absurd amid the silence.

Zas slowly reached into his pocket.

Several soldiers instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.

Instead...

...he withdrew his phone.

One notification.

Joanna ❤️

A faint smile crossed his face.

Barely noticeable.

Gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket without opening the message.

Azamat caught the expression.

"...Joanna?"

Zas gave the slightest nod.

"Later."

His attention returned immediately to Forman.

"Where is King Havin?"

Forman hesitated.

"I..."

"I don't know."

"You do."

"I don't."

"You are lying."

"I'm not!"

"You are."

The certainty in Zas' voice unsettled several nearby soldiers.

There was no anger.

No accusation.

Only confidence.

Forman forced a laugh.

"You have no authority here."

Slowly...

...without taking his eyes off Forman...

Zas reached inside his coat.

Several soldiers raised their weapons.

Instead...

...he withdrew a leather credential wallet.

He opened it.

Inside rested the diplomatic identification of the Order of the Blue Shield.

"The Treaty of Ctesiphon recognizes members of the Order of the Blue Shield as accredited diplomatic representatives."

He turned the wallet just enough for Forman to read it.

"Under that treaty..."

"...I possess the authority to detain individuals whose actions constitute a threat to the Peace until they can be surrendered to the appropriate civil authorities."

He closed the wallet.

"It is my intention to exercise that authority."

He looked directly into Forman's eyes.

"If King Havin yet lives..."

"...then he will answer for his own crimes."

"If he does not..."

"...and you bear responsibility..."

"...then you will answer for those as well."

He took one deliberate step forward.

"You are under arrest."

For a heartbeat...

...it appeared Forman might surrender.

Instead-

One of the Curgarden soldiers rushed from Zas' blind side.

"NOW!"

Azamat shouted.

"ZAS!"

Without even looking-

Zas spun the shaft of the scythe behind him.

The heavy wooden haft struck the charging soldier squarely across the jaw.

The man crashed onto the stone floor.

A second soldier lunged immediately after him.

This time Zas moved differently.

His left hand released the scythe.

His right drew the pistol from his belt.

One shot.

The report echoed across the ruined courtyard.

The attacker collapsed where he stood.

Silence returned.

Smoke drifted lazily from the barrel.

Zas lowered the pistol.

His eyes swept across the assembled rebels.

His voice remained perfectly calm.

"...Has everyone finished making poor decisions?"

No one answered.

Not a single soldier moved.

Even Forman remained frozen.

For the first time since the Blue Shield had entered the courtyard...

...the Curgarden began to understand exactly who they were facing.

The silence lingered.

No one moved.

Then Zas sighed.

"I believe we've reached the limits of what two people can reasonably accomplish."

Azamat couldn't help smiling.

"I was wondering when you were going to admit that."

Zas reached into his pocket once more.

He withdrew his phone.

Another vibration.

He glanced at the screen.

A second message from Joanna.

This time...

...he laughed.

Azamat raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Cute lizardfolk."

"Again?"

"Again."

He slipped the phone away.

The smile disappeared almost instantly.

His thumb moved across the screen.

Several quick presses.

Then he held the phone beside his face.

"This is Blue Shield diplomatic representative Zasaramel."

"I am invoking Article Nine of the Treaty of Ctesiphon."

He slowly turned, allowing the camera to capture the courtyard.

"I have detained armed combatants responsible for crimes against civilians."

"I require immediate Peace enforcement assistance."

He paused.

"There are multiple prisoners."

"One injured commander."

"Several civilian victims."

"I will maintain the scene until relieved."

The call ended.

Nothing happened.

For several seconds.

Then...

A distant mechanical hum.

Heads turned upward.

Something descended through the broken roof.

Small.

White.

Triangular.

Blue lights pulsed softly beneath it.

The drone stopped several metres above the courtyard.

A calm electronic voice echoed across the chamber.

"Peace Enforcement."

"Incident recording initiated."

Blue lights swept across the courtyard.

Every face.

Every weapon.

Every body.

Every prisoner.

The drone spoke again.

"Combatants are ordered to disarm."

"Failure to comply may result in the use of force."

Several soldiers slowly placed their weapons on the ground.

Others followed.

One man did not.

Instead-

He lunged toward Zas with a raised spear.

The drone reacted before anyone else.

A sharp crack split the air.

The soldier collapsed instantly.

Silence returned.

The electronic voice never changed.

"Lethal threat neutralized."

"Continue disarming."

No one argued after that.

Azamat exhaled.

"...Well."

"...That certainly sped things up."

For the next several minutes...

...the two Blue Shield warriors moved methodically through the courtyard.

Plastic restraint ties replaced swords.

One prisoner after another.

Hands secured.

Weapons collected.

The drone hovered silently overhead.

Watching.

Recording.

Waiting.

Eventually the final prisoner sat restrained against the palace wall.

Azamat looked around.

"So..."

"...now what?"

Zas checked his phone once more.

"The nearest Peace response team is several hours away."

Azamat sighed.

"We're babysitting."

"It would appear so."

Azamat found a piece of fallen masonry and sat down.

"I've had worse assignments."

"So have I."

The two men settled into the long wait.

Above them...

The Peace drone continued its silent vigil.

Recording everything.

Making certain...

...that when justice finally arrived...

...there would be no dispute over what had happened that day.