Chapter 27.1: The Two Weeks Journey Home - The First Three Days
Personal System Calendar: Year 0009, Days 1-14 Month IX: The Imperium
Imperial Calendar: Year 6854, 8th month, 1st to 14th Day
---
Days One Through Three
The first day of the return journey proved remarkably uneventful, following the same route they had traveled weeks earlier when approaching the capital. However, the expedition members quickly noticed that the journey felt considerably faster this time, though the reasons were not immediately obvious.
They teleported across vast distances within the first day and arrived at the capital city of Perlah by the second. This seemed to represent significant time savings compared to their initial journey, though it was difficult to determine whether the improvement was objective or merely perceptual.
Several factors might have contributed to the apparent acceleration. Familiarity with the route certainly helped; knowing what to expect reduced psychological stress and made the journey feel shorter. But there was also a practical difference that became evident once they discussed it among themselves.
"Does anyone else feel better after going through the portals this time?" Betty asked during a rest stop. "I barely felt nauseous at all."
"Same here," Adam confirmed. "Last time I thought I was going to vomit for hours. This time it was just a brief moment of disorientation."
The explanation came from Grand Captain Commander Alexander, who overheard their conversation. "The Grand Advisor provided you with specialized medicine before departure. It suppresses the negative effects of portal transition. We use it routinely for rapid deployment situations where soldiers need to remain combat-ready immediately after teleportation."
August felt grateful for Elder Solomon's foresight. The old wizard had anticipated their discomfort and taken steps to minimize it without making a show of his consideration. It was characteristic of his subtle approach to helping others.
They did not stop for extended rest in Perlah, choosing instead to continue marching through the city and heading directly toward the garrison where the next portal awaited. The plan was to rest properly only after reaching the garrison, taking advantage of their rapid recovery to maintain momentum.
The medicine proved remarkably effective. Where previously they had needed days to fully recover between portal jumps, now they felt almost immediately ready to continue. It made August wonder what other technological and magical advantages the Empire possessed that they took for granted but would seem miraculous to frontier settlements like theirs.
---
A Secret Conversation
A few days ago…..
While the expedition had been concluding their business in the capital, something significant had occurred in the background that none of the younger members knew about. Master Ben had been invited by his former teacher, Grand Advisor Solomon, for a private conversation that carried implications for the village's future.
The meeting had taken place in Solomon's private study, a room filled with books, maps, and artifacts collected over his extraordinarily long life. The Grand Advisor had poured them both wine from a bottle that predated the current Empire's founding, a vintage that had somehow survived millennia.
"Ben," Solomon had begun without preamble, "I hope you will keep a close watch on those young people in your village. I know the Emperor has made his decision regarding how to manage the relationship, but there are other voices that have been raised during our council discussions."
He had paused to sip his wine before continuing. "Voices that, while I do not believe their worst predictions will come true, should nonetheless be heard and considered. I have seen those youngsters taking their responsibilities seriously, but to prevent certain measures from ever becoming necessary, we need someone in the village who can serve as a guide. Someone we trust to observe their progress and development."
The Grand Advisor's expression had been serious but not unkind. "Would you be willing to serve in that capacity? To be, essentially, our eyes and ears in the village? Not as a spy, but as a trusted advisor who can provide an honest assessment of the situation?"
Master Ben had smiled at the request, recognizing that this moment had been inevitable. He smiled because at least it was he who was being asked to perform this role rather than someone cynical and unfamiliar with the village's culture. In essence, he would become the official monitor for the settlement, the first line of response if the concerns some councilors harbored ever manifested into reality.
The concerns were valid to a degree. August and his companions possessed considerable power, were independent of Imperial authority, and owed no formal allegiance to any kingdom or empire. Some councilors worried about what might happen if this growing power turned hostile or was corrupted by future influences.
"Do not worry, Master," Ben had replied. "I understand your concerns perfectly, and I have already been doing essentially what you are asking. I can see their potential, and I genuinely do not believe August and the others would intentionally harm the world. At least not without extreme provocation."
He had paused before adding a warning. "However, I hope the day never comes when outside forces decide to poke this sleeping bear and test their resolve. Because I have known them for some time now, and they are quite capable of meeting extremes with even greater extremes. Their sense of justice and protection for their community runs deep."
Ben had then made his own request. "So I also hope that a small garrison of Imperial troops could be sent to the village for regular rotation. Not as occupiers, but as partners in maintaining security. This would help prevent misunderstandings and demonstrate the Empire's genuine commitment to the protectorate relationship. I believe your agreement to serve as their protector will make such a deployment realistic."
Solomon had nodded thoughtfully. "That can be arranged. A modest garrison, perhaps two hundred soldiers, rotating every six months? Enough to provide meaningful support but not so much as to seem like an occupation force?"
"That would be ideal," Ben had confirmed.
The conversation had concluded with mutual understanding. Master Ben would continue his role in the village, now with formal recognition as the Empire's trusted observer. The Empire would demonstrate its commitment through the garrison deployment. And everyone would hope that the worst fears expressed in the council chambers never came to pass.
---
The Road Home
Back in the present, the caravan continued rolling along the paved Imperial highways that connected major regions and cities outside the Capital Region. The quality of these roads was remarkable compared to the forest paths they were accustomed to, wide enough for multiple wagons to travel side by side and maintained to standards that prevented most weather-related deterioration.
The wildlife they encountered proved markedly different from what they faced in the Great Forest of Lonelywood. The beasts here were more docile, weaker, and far more open to potential domestication than their truly wild counterparts in the ancient forests.
August observed this difference with interest, recognizing implications for the village's future development. If they could capture and breed some of these more tractable beasts, they might develop herds that could serve as food sources or working animals without the constant danger posed by forest predators.
The hunting along the road was almost trivially easy. The presence of Rexy and Kirpy alone was enough to terrify most local beasts into either fleeing or freezing in place. Even the normally aggressive Butabears seemed to recognize that Rexy represented a completely different category of predator, something closer to the legendary dragons of the Great Caldera of Arkanus than to ordinary wolves.
Kirpy's presence in the sky amplified this effect. The Mighty Peregrine Eagle soared overhead, his keen eyes scanning the road for potential threats. His species held legendary status not just among humans but among beasts as well. Lesser creatures simply chose to avoid any area where such a predator hunted.
This natural deterrent made the journey remarkably peaceful. Enemies who might have considered ambushing the caravan took one look at the bonded beasts and decided that survival was more important than whatever they might have gained from an attack. Those few who did not recognize the danger quickly found themselves dealt with before they could pose a genuine threat.
Erik and Bren deserved recognition as the unsung heroes of this leg of the journey. Erik's bond with Rexy provided ground-level security that caught threats the Dragonguard might have missed. Bren's connection with Kirpy offered aerial reconnaissance that made ambushes essentially impossible. Between them, they created a security perimeter that rivaled what much larger military formations might achieve.
Despite August's Personal System still displaying error messages and preventing their normal instant communication through the party chat, they had adapted well. They reported their observations during the scheduled stops for meals and rest, maintaining effective coordination through more traditional verbal communication.
---
The Rebel Threat
As they progressed through days two and three, a more serious concern emerged: evidence of rebel activity. The remnants of Fresco's Revenge, the cult-like organization formed by survivors of the destroyed Fresco League, had been active along these roads. They targeted Imperial infrastructure, ambushed military convoys, and conducted terrorist attacks against civilian populations.
The expedition encountered several sites where rebels had attempted to establish ambush points or plant devices that were designed to damage roads and bridges. The Dragonguard took direct action against these threats, methodically destroying rebel positions and eliminating hostile forces with brutal efficiency.
August and his team provided intelligence, spotting suspicious activity or hidden threats that the Dragonguard might have initially missed. But they deliberately refrained from participating directly in the combat. This was a conscious decision based on practical and political considerations.
"We are on foreign land," August had explained to his companions. "If we kill Imperial citizens, even rebels, it could create diplomatic complications later. Better to let the Dragonguard handle it. They have legal authority here that we do not possess."
This represented a more sophisticated understanding of politics than August would have demonstrated months earlier. His time in the capital, his conversations with Emperor Janus and Grand Advisor Solomon, had educated him about the complexities of operating in civilized territories rather than the frontier wilderness he was accustomed to.
The arrangement worked well. Talon One would spot threats and report them to Grand Captain Commander Alexander, who would deploy his warriors to eliminate the danger. It was a shared responsibility that allowed the expedition to contribute meaningfully while avoiding potential political entanglements.
Grand Captain Commander Alexander appreciated their approach. "Many visitors to our lands either refuse to help at all or try to take matters into their own hands without understanding the legal implications. You have found a good balance. Your intelligence is valuable, and leaving the actual fighting to us is diplomatically wise."
This collaboration continued throughout the second and third days, with the expedition identifying and the Dragonguard eliminating several rebel cells that had been operating near or along the highway. By the time they reached the garrison, the Dragonguard warriors wore their enemies' blood on their armor, testament to the violence that had occurred in places the civilians never saw.
---
Witnessing Professional Violence
August and his team found the Dragonguard's casual relationship with killing somewhat unsettling, despite their own combat experience and having seen it before, it doesn't mean it wasn't unnerving. Sure they
may have killed beasts regularly and had fought human bandits when necessary. But there was a qualitative difference between the violence they had engaged in and what they witnessed from the elite warriors of the Empire.
The Dragonguard treated killing with the same emotional weight as breathing. There was no hesitation, no visible regret, no psychological processing required. They identified enemies of the Empire and eliminated them with mechanical efficiency, then moved on to the next task without apparent concern.
"It is terrifying," Angeline whispered to August during one rest stop, after watching Dragonguard warriors clean blood from their weapons with the same casual attention others might give to washing dishes. "How can they be so calm about it?"
"Training," Master Ben said, having overheard her comment. "And time. These warriors have been killing for decades, some for centuries. Death becomes normalized when you experience it constantly. It is both a strength and a potential weakness."
He elaborated, ensuring the younger people understood. "Their lack of emotional response makes them extraordinarily effective in combat. They do not hesitate, do not second-guess themselves, do not suffer from psychological wounds that would cripple others. But it also means they have lost something of their humanity. They are weapons first and people second."
August understood the warning implicit in Master Ben's words. This was a cautionary tale about what they might become if they were not careful. Power and violence, normalized over time, could erode the empathy and moral consideration that made a person human rather than merely a killer.
"We should be careful not to become like that," August said quietly. "Our violence should always be reluctant, a last resort chosen when other options have failed. The day we start treating killing casually is the day we lose something important."
His companions nodded in agreement, recognizing the wisdom in maintaining their emotional connection to the weight of their actions.
---
Arrival at the Garrison
They arrived at the garrison as evening approached on the third day. The facility was buzzing with activity, soldiers conducting their endless duties while support personnel managed logistics and maintenance.
One of the garrison commanders, a stern woman named Lieutenant Colonel Patricia Rabori-Panthera, a branch of the House of Panthera, greeted them professionally and arranged quarters for the night. She noted the blood on the Dragonguard armor without comment, clearly accustomed to such sights.
"The rebels have been increasingly active," she informed Grand Captain Commander Alexander. "Your elimination of those cells will help, but they continue to recruit from among the disaffected and ideologically committed. It is like fighting a hydra; cut off one head and two more would grow elsewhere."
"Then we will keep cutting until they run out of heads," Alexander replied grimly. "His Majesty has no patience for these remnants. They will be destroyed completely, no matter how long it takes."
The expedition spent the night in relative comfort, their bodies recovering from three days of travel. Though they had the physical capability to continue immediately, their animals needed rest. The draft horses that pulled their mobile home, Adrianne, required proper care despite their enhanced breeding and magical augmentation. The Dragonguard war beasts similarly needed time to rest and feed properly.
August used the evening to check on all the members of his team, ensuring everyone was handling the journey well both physically and emotionally. He found them in good spirits despite the intensity of what they had witnessed.
"Three days down," Erik said with a grin. "How many more to go?"
"If the pace holds, perhaps another week to reach the Town of Bob, then a few more days through the forest to home," August replied. "We are having a good time, hopefully it stays that way."
They settled in for the night, knowing that tomorrow they would make the second portal jump and continue their journey toward the Great Forest of Lonelywood and the village that awaited their return.
The journey home was progressing well, but August could not shake the feeling that something significant was waiting for them. Whether that premonition represented genuine intuition or mere anxiety, only time would reveal.