Chapter 20: Considerations
Personal System Calendar: Year 0009, Days 28 Month VI: The Imperium
Imperial Calendar: Year 6854, 6th month, 28th Day
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Rejection
Before August could formulate his reply, the women of his household did something entirely unexpected. They stepped forward as one, positioning themselves between August and the towering figures of the Dragonguard. It was Theressa who took the lead, moving to the forefront and effectively shielding August from the hulking warriors who towered over them all.
"Excuse me if I sound rude," Theressa said, her voice steady and clear despite the intimidating presence before her, "but as the attending healer for our patient here, I cannot allow him to travel. Not yet."
She paused, ensuring she had everyone's attention before continuing. "First, he has only recently recovered from injuries that would have otherwise killed a normal man. What you see before you is merely his physical and outward state. Internally, there is still healing that needs to occur. On behalf of August, and in my capacity as his healer, I will not permit him to leave the premises of this village until he has completely recovered."
The statement hung in the air like a thrown gauntlet. The soldiers present, both Imperial regulars and village defenders, felt their blood run cold. Even Baroness Hilda, a woman who had faced down charging cavalry and stood firm before raging beasts, felt apprehension tighten in her chest.
The bravery and boldness of this woman was extraordinary. Most people would have trembled in fear when facing the Dragonguard, warriors whose mere presence could break the will of lesser individuals. But Theressa stood tall, even though the Dragonguard's heights were nearly double her own. Her chin was raised, her shoulders back, her stance that of someone who would not be moved regardless of threats or consequences.
The audacity of directly refusing an Imperial summons, essentially telling the Emperor that his timeline was inconvenient, felt almost insulting to the majesty of the throne itself. The Dragonguard escorts clearly thought so. Their hands moved toward their weapons, the subtle shift in posture that preceded violence. The temperature seemed to drop as killing intent radiated from the elite warriors.
August's own hand moved instinctively toward his weapon. He could feel his combat instincts engaging, his body preparing for a fight he desperately did not want but would not back down from if necessary. Around him, other village defenders were making similar preparations, recognizing that they might be moments away from a conflict that could destroy everything they had built.
But Grand Captain Commander Lex Draconis held up one hand, a simple gesture that froze his subordinates mid-motion. The killing intent evaporated as quickly as it had appeared, the warriors returning to their neutral stance with disciplined precision.
"It is true," the Grand Captain Commander said calmly, as if the tense moment had never occurred, "that we are ordered to escort August Finn at his most convenient time. Then it is what we shall do. We will remain here in the village until such time as he decides to depart for the capital."
The relief that washed over the assembled crowd was almost tangible. Faces that had started to pale with fear now flushed with returning blood flow. August himself felt his heart rate beginning to slow from its combat-ready tempo. He had been genuinely concerned when he saw those Dragonguard warriors move toward their weapons. For a moment, violence had seemed inevitable.
Thankfully, their commander was not as inflexible as his subordinates. The man clearly understood nuance and context in ways that pure warriors sometimes did not. He recognized that healing concerns were legitimate and that forcing a recently injured man to undertake a long journey would be counterproductive.
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The Letter
It was then that August opened the letter that had been addressed to him. The parchment was of exceptional quality, smooth to the touch but with a subtle texture that spoke of careful craftsmanship. Multiple seals adorned it, each one bearing magical authentication that could not be forged.
He read the contents aloud, ensuring everyone present could hear the exact wording:
"To August Finn, Lord of Maya Village,
By the grace and authority of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Janus Cornwall, Sovereign of the Elms-Arkanus Empire, The Grand Protector and Sovereign Guardian of the Elms-Arkanus Empire, the Last Son of Arkanus, and The Last True Dragon Rider, you are hereby formally invited to attend His Majesty in the Imperial Capital of Aethelgard.
This invitation is extended in recognition of your service to the Empire and your remarkable achievements in defense of the realm. His Majesty wishes to meet you personally and discuss matters of mutual interest and potential benefit.
You may bring a small retinue of your choosing, not to exceed twenty individuals. Transportation and accommodation will be provided at imperial expense. Your safety and that of your companions is guaranteed by imperial decree.
Please respond at your earliest convenience, indicating your acceptance and preferred timing for this meeting.
By order of His Imperial Majesty,
Grand Advisor and Elder Solomon Brand Elmsvale from the House of Elms, First Counselor to the Throne"
The phrase "at your earliest convenience" carried significant weight. It confirmed what Grand Captain Commander Lex had just stated: the timing was, to a degree, August's to determine. This relieved whatever tension remained in the air, the crowd relaxing as they realized that immediate departure was not being demanded.
Chief Red Peerce, Theressa's husband and a man known for his diplomatic skills, moved to further ease the situation. "Very well, Sir Lex. We will find appropriate accommodations for you and your men within the village, though we must apologize in advance. Currently, we remain on high alert against the beast invaders, so our hospitality may be somewhat constrained by security requirements."
The Grand Captain Commander nodded his acceptance. "We require no special accommodations, Chief Peerce. Simple quarters and basic provisions will suffice. We are soldiers, not nobles seeking luxury."
August stepped forward, the letter still in his hand. "Captain Lex, I will come to you by the end of next month with my formal reply. Will that be acceptable?"
"It will suffice," the Grand Captain Commander replied. "We will await your decision."
With that understanding established, the crowd began to disperse. Everyone returned to their work, activities that had been halted by this sudden and dramatic arrival. The Dragonguard were escorted toward the area where the Imperial forces had established their camp, a section of the village that had been designated for military personnel.
August watched them go, his mind already turning over the implications of the invitation. The Emperor himself wanted to meet him. The reasons could be numerous: recognition of his achievements, recruitment into Imperial service, assessment of potential threat, or something else entirely. Without more information, speculation was pointless, but he could not help wondering what awaited him in the capital.
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Team Expansion
As night approached, August sent word to every member of Talon One, requesting their presence for an important meeting. He had made a decision about recruiting new members to their rather small group, and he wanted to discuss the practicalities with those who would be most affected.
He also needed to ask about the party system and whether it had been affected by the system error. The party system was integrated with his Personal System, providing benefits to all members through their connection to him. If his System was malfunctioning, theirs might be as well.
They gathered at a familiar campsite, a clearing in the forest just far enough from the village to provide privacy but close enough to reach quickly if an emergency arose. It was a place they had used for secret training sessions and team discussions since the early days of Talon One's formation.
Everyone brought food and drinks, transforming the meeting into something resembling a social gathering. There was laughter and conversation as people arrived, the kind of easy camaraderie that only developed between individuals who had fought and bled together.
The attendees represented both the combat core of Talon One and their support personnel:
From the combat unit: August Finn, Erik Rubbard, Adam Peerce, Bren Anglewood, Milo Stone, Angeline Ross, Betty Snow, and Isabel Peerce.
From support: Hiraya and Adarna, who had become Adam's two partners in both the romantic and professional sense. Their relationship was unconventional by some standards, but it worked for them, and no one in Talon One judged.
There was also Nina Simone, Bren's partner, an apprentice merchant and accountant-in-training. She was not yet an official member of Talon One, but tonight that would change. August planned to designate her as a key personnel member under the support group, specifically handling their finances and economic planning.
Nothing had really changed among the team despite the fact that most members were now in romantic relationships with their peers. August and Angeline's bond continued to grow stronger. Erik and Isabel had become inseparable. Milo and Betty were clearly devoted to each other. Only Bren had chosen a partner from outside their immediate circle, but Nina had proven herself trustworthy and capable, earning everyone's respect.
As they gathered under the stars, away from the bustling noise of the village, they began with a meal. Food was shared, drinks poured, and for a while, they simply enjoyed each other's company. They complimented each other's skills and recent performances in battle, recounting specific moments of heroism or clever tactical decisions.
Then they moved to the actual agenda.
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Future Planning for Growth
"Well, I believe we are all present," August began, setting down his cup and adopting a more serious tone. "So first, I think we should discuss expanding our group's numbers. Currently, we operate as a specialized unit, which has served us well. However, from what we witnessed during the beast war, this approach leaves us greatly exhausted when fighting extended campaigns. We need a second team that can help fill those operational gaps."
He paused, making eye contact with each person present. "But this is a decision that affects all of you. I need to hear your input before we make any commitments. What do you think about this proposal?"
The questions came rapid-fire, everyone suddenly engaged with the implications:
"How would we distribute the numbers? Would it be double our current size?"
"Would the new team be entirely separate, or would we mix new members with veterans for training and cohesion?"
"Should it be a completely new group led by someone else, or an expansion of the existing Talon One structure?"
"What criteria would we use for selecting new members? Combat ability alone, or do we consider other factors like personality and values?"
"Who would be responsible for training them? We are all still developing our own skills."
"How frequently would we recruit? Is this a one-time expansion or an ongoing process?"
A lot more questions were thrown into the air, creating a chaotic but productive discussion. They debated different approaches, considering advantages and disadvantages of various organizational structures. Some suggestions were immediately rejected, others were refined through collaborative input, and a few sparked entirely new ideas.
They agreed to disagree on several points, recognizing that consensus was not always possible or even desirable. But through the discussion, they developed a framework for how they would accept new members, how frequently recruitment would occur, what requirements candidates would need to meet, and who would oversee the training process.
After considerable debate, they settled on several key decisions:
They would recruit a second team of equal size to the current combat unit, approximately eight to ten members, creating a total combat force of sixteen to eighteen warriors.
New members would train initially with veteran Talon One members, learning not just combat skills but the team's philosophy and coordination methods.
Recruitment would occur on an as-needed basis rather than on a fixed schedule, ensuring they only brought in people when they could properly integrate them.
Candidates would need to demonstrate not just combat ability but also loyalty to the village, willingness to work as part of a team, and alignment with Talon One's core values.
Training would be a shared responsibility, with different veteran members specializing in teaching different aspects of combat and teamwork.
Finally, August made the announcement about Nina. "Before we conclude, I want to officially appoint Nina Simone as head of our financial support group. She will manage our resources, maintain our accounts, and handle economic planning for the team. Nina, welcome to Talon One officially."
Nina looked both pleased and slightly overwhelmed. "Thank you, August. I will do my best to ensure our finances are properly managed."
There was applause and congratulations, the official recognition of something that had been developing naturally over the past months.
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The System Problem
But before they could dismiss the session, August remembered the most important question he needed to ask. "Right, I almost forgot. Before we leave, I need to ask all of you something. Have you lost functionality with the party system chat? Like, are you seeing a system error message?"
The others paused, considering the question. In truth, they had all been so busy with village recovery efforts that they had not checked the party system recently. They accessed it now, each person focusing inward on the interface that connected them through August's Personal System.
One by one, they confirmed what August had suspected. "Yes, I am seeing the error message," Erik said.
"Same here," Isabel added.
"Mine shows [SYSTEM ERROR] as well," Adam confirmed.
August felt both relieved and concerned. Relieved that he was not experiencing a unique problem, but concerned that the malfunction extended to everyone connected to his System.
"Gus, what is happening?" Angeline asked. "This did not appear before, did it?"
"No," August replied. "I discovered it when I woke up. It left me quite concerned, but with everything else happening, I honestly forgot about it until now."
Milo raised a practical concern. "Will this affect our long-range communication? We use the party chat frequently, especially when we are separated during operations."
The question sobered everyone. The party system chat had become integral to their coordination. Being able to communicate instantly across distances, share information without others overhearing, and coordinate tactics in real-time had given them significant tactical advantages. Losing that capability would be a serious setback.
"I honestly do not know what is causing this," August admitted. "I am as confused as all of you."
"Can you still access the buffs the party system provides?" Betty asked. "Maybe it is just the communication features that are affected?"
Everyone took a moment to assess their own status. The party system provided various bonuses: shared experience from kills, slight increases to coordination when fighting together, and enhanced recovery when resting near August and an increase on their stats.
"I do not feel any different," Bren reported. "There is no noticeable drop in strength or capability. The buffs seem to still be active."
"Same here," others confirmed. "We still feel the same enhancement we always had."
August felt a wave of relief. Whatever was wrong with his Personal System, at least the passive benefits were still functioning. The communication features being offline was inconvenient, but it would not cripple them.
"Alright," he said, "for now, we will have to work around the communication issue. Use signal flags, messenger birds, or runners for coordination until the system comes back online. I will try to figure out what is wrong and hopefully find a way to fix it."
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Evening's End
With that understanding, they dismissed their meeting and prepared to head home for the night. The fire they had built was carefully extinguished, and everyone gathered their belongings.
Rexy, Erik's bonded Grimfang beast, had been waiting patiently at the edge of the clearing. Erik and Isabel climbed onto her back, the massive creature easily carrying both riders. They waved goodbye as Rexy trotted off toward their home, her legs carrying her with surprising grace despite her bulk.
The others departed on foot, walking in pairs or small groups. The night was pleasant, the air cool but not cold, the stars shining brilliantly overhead. Conversation continued as they walked, but the tone was more casual now, the serious business concluded.
Kirpy, Bren's bonded Peregrine Eagle, was notably absent from the gathering. "Kirpy is taking care of his mate," Bren explained when someone asked. "They just had their first hatchling. He barely leaves the nest except to hunt."
"That is sweet," Betty said. "Maybe we should visit them soon, bring some food to help out."
"Kirpy would appreciate that," Bren agreed. "Being a new parent is exhausting, even for raptors."
August and Angeline walked together, hand in hand, enjoying the comfortable silence that came from being with someone who understood you completely. They did not need to fill every moment with conversation.
As they approached the village gates, August looked back at the stars one more time. Tomorrow would bring new challenges: dealing with the Dragonguard's presence, preparing for an eventual journey to the capital, managing the expansion of Talon One, and somehow resolving the System error.
But tonight, surrounded by friends and loved ones, with the village safe behind its walls and the immediate crisis passed, August allowed himself a moment of contentment. They had survived. They had grown stronger. And whatever came next, they would face it together.
The night drew to a close, and the village settled into the peaceful rhythm of sleep, guards maintaining their vigilant watch while others rested, preparing for whatever challenges the new day would bring.