NOVEL NEXT 137. A Promise In Motion
Tucker stood before the teleportation platform and scratched the back of his head, brushing the short hazel hair to the side. Alongside him was Alex, who was speaking to the technician in a voice barely above a whisper. He couldn't make out their conversation, nor was there a need to. Today was the day they went back to the Order, and seeing how it was just the two of them, it seemed like no one else decided to join their cause.
He couldn't help but force a weak smile before shaking his head. Part of him wondered if he expected too much, hoping that at least one of his men would answer the call. But after everything they've been through, he couldn't blame them. What happened at the bastion was something he wished no one had to experience. They watched as their friends bled out on the blood-soaked roads. Climbing over the bodies of people they once knew.
The bastion's ground had long turned to mud before the rain had even fallen. From the blood, sweat, and tears of those who once lived. Trampled beneath the armored boots of men who yearned for the war to end as the scent of iron filled their lungs like rust corroding a pipe.
Tucker's hands trembled as he tightly clenched them into a fist. Even without his men, his goal remained the same. It would have eased his mind to know that someone he could trust was watching his back. And as this thought crossed his mind, Tucker couldn't help but laugh.
This must have been how Owl felt.
He thought, stepping closer to the steel platform with a faint smirk.
Funny how everything comes full circle.
Tucker glanced at Alex, who gave a stern nod. Everything was ready for them to depart, and with a single word, the technicians would begin the process for their return. He stared around the capital once more, admiring the intricate designs that filled the grand chamber. Hundreds of Everheart banners were fluttering in the wind, swaying with the breeze.
The sun radiated beyond the horizon, casting long shadows from the base of the proud Gothic arches that towered over them. Yet, just as Alex was about to give the word for the technicians to begin their operation, a heavy thud entered their ears from the far chamber.
"Did you ever manage to get in contact with Ray?" Tucker asked.
Alex chuckled before shaking his head. "No, that man seems to have a talent for slipping away."
"I'm not surprised," Tucker replied. "He's known for being hard to catch—"
"Wait!" the voice cried out, hurling a heavy green bag over the ground. "Fuck! Why are there so many stairs?!"
Alex's eyes shifted to the red-haired man before shifting to Tucker. He raised a brow. "Is that...?"
Tucker nodded with a grin. "It is, I knew he would show up at the last possible second. He's done it before."
"Ah, shit…" Ray slouched over while gasping for air. "Who in their right mind designed this platform up forty flights of stairs!"
Tucker walked closer to Ray. "Glad to see you could make it."
"Oh, don't even get me started, Commander." Ray held out his hand and pointed to the sky. "I have a bone to pick with you too! Outta all the damn platforms you could have picked, it had to be this one!"
"It was the only one that would take us back to the Order in one go," Tucker replied. "How did you even get access to this platform?"
Ray smirked as if he had been waiting for this question. "That was pretty easy, believe it or not. All I had to do was say I was a watchman who had survived the Stafford massacre. I even showed my medal and badge to prove it. From there, it was just a matter of climbing these goddamn stairs. Hell, it wouldn't have been so damn bad if it weren't for this shit I had to bring."
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"What did you bring?" Tucker glanced at the bag as Ray slid it towards him.
"It's not a bomb if that's what you're thinking."
"The thought didn't cross my mind until now."
Ray crawled over and opened the knapsack with a tired groan, causing Tucker to widen his eyes in surprise. He maintained his grin and pulled out a sword unlike anything Tucker had ever seen before. "It's something the other guys went through the trouble of making."
"Making?" Tucker tilted his head as Ray placed it in his hands.
"Yep, you heard me. The guys scrounged up whatever money they had to gather the materials, and Thomas, our local master blacksmith, worked day and night to get it done."
Tucker stared at the sword resting in the black and green scabbard. Its design resembled leaves of a long-forgotten forest, flowing softly in the breeze. With a gentle pull, the blade slid from its cover, revealing a clean, dark surface that seemed to dim the world around it.
"I've never seen anything like this."
"I hope not; this thing was insanely expensive and took everyone's salaries," Ray pointed out. "It's better than black iron and steel weapons."
"Yeah, but what exactly is this?" Tucker asked.
"It's a lumenite blade," Alex said, drawing their attention. "One that seems to be expertly crafted by a master blacksmith. Though if that sword took everyone's salary, then I'm afraid you've got played, or your friend here is exaggerating."
"Shhh!" Ray held his finger before his mouth and glared at Alex, who shrugged. "This blasted old man…"
Tucker chuckled, watching as Ray grumbled in displeasure. "Have some respect; he's not just some blasted old man. He's Salamander."
"Bullshit, why would Salamander be… here…" Ray's words slowly trailed off as he caught sight of a small lizard wagging its tail back and forth. His eyes narrowed at the smooth scales that radiated a gentle warmth before examining the old man's appearance inch by inch. Slowly, his head turned to Tucker, watching as his friend revealed a wide smirk that caused his jaw to nearly drop.
"That's right, my mentor."
"No way."
"If you had asked me a few months ago, I would've denied it, but I am indeed his mentor." Alex stood beside Tucker and patted his shoulder. "The lad's a bit rough around the edges, but after hearing his accomplishments at the bastion, it's safe to say he's become a pretty damn good watchman."
Ray immediately stood at attention and saluted Alex as the old man drew closer. "It's an honor to meet you, Salamander. I've heard many tales of your feats."
"There's no need for formalities. I saw your file from Tucker and heard you served with him at the bastion." Alex held out his hand. "It's good to know that we'll have another reliable set of hands on our side."
Ray couldn't help but smile as the corners of his lips curled up. "You give me too much credit."
"It's hard to believe you were calling Alex a blasted old man just a moment ago," Tucker said with a subtle grin.
"To be fair, he did kinda ruin the moment," Ray countered. "But if he's here, then I take it most of your team is here as well?"
"Most? All of us are here."
"Oh, that's great news. Are they on the platform?"
"No, you're looking at the team right now."
Ray narrowed his eyes, drifting between Tucker and Alex. "You…you can't be serious. It's just the three of us?"
"Indeed," Alex replied.
"Against the entire Emerald Tower?" Ray asked once again to confirm.
"Well, for now… yes," Tucker answered.
Ray slowly shook his head. "You guys are fucking insane."
"Perhaps, but what do you say? Are you in?"
"Of course! Overwhelming odds with a survival rate close to zero? Sounds like my kind of party." Ray grinned before picking up the bag. "Besides, I don't really want to walk back down those stairs, so I'll just take this chance to head back to the Order as well."
Both of them watched as Ray strolled down the stone path leading to the platform with flabbergasted expressions. Tucker held onto the blade at a loss for words. He had expected Ray to run away after hearing the news, but instead watched as the young watchman stepped onto the steel platform.
"You guys coming?" he shouted.
Alex glanced at Tucker while raising a brow. "Your friend has courage."
"Maybe a bit too much." Tucker let out a small chuckle before walking down the path. "We'll have a lot of things we need to prepare."
"It's a tedious process, but it's better to be well prepared than dead."
Both of them headed towards the platform and stood beside Ray, who was waiting to return. Yet as Tucker met his eyes, a hint of anger lingered within his comrade's gaze. One that was more than meets the eye. The memory of rain hitting his bloodstained hands surfaced, and despite Ray's eager demeanor, they both knew what was at stake.
"Commander." Ray's voice came out low, one that only the two of them could hear. The runes on the platform pulsed with mana, the color of the skies, releasing a hum that was steady and soft—yet somehow, to Tucker, it was drowned out beneath the weight of that single word.
"Yes?" Tucker replied.
"We're gonna end this war, right?"
"We will."
"And the Emerald Tower?"
"Buried deep within the ground."
Ray nodded at his words, for that was all he needed to hear. The rage hidden in the calmness of the watchman's composure was something Tucker would never forget. A promise had formed between the two, one that followed them from the ruins of the bastion.