A tall, black-haired man who looked to be in his thirties sat in front of a desk reading a pile of reports. He glanced briefly outside his window but, seeing nothing of particular interest, he returned his gaze to the crane that was just unfolding while he tapped his fingers on the oakwood desk.

“30th Day of Fire, A.F. 2997

Scout Report

Imperial Legion Vagaris

Initial scouting of the Faron’s Crossing region shows extensive swarmling incursion. Wyldling Wave reported to Rumiga City, confirming.

Centurion K. D. Garron

3rd Cohort, Legion Vagaris”

“30th Day of Fire, A.F. 2997

Scout Report

Imperial Legion Vagaris

Wyldling Wave has been dispersed, confirmed with local militia. Proceeding with mop-up operations.

Initial encounters, 578 swarmlings, 25 Wanderers. All eliminated and Chaos dust and shards recovered.

Centurion K. D. Garron

3rd Cohort, Legion Vagaris”

“31st Day of Fire, A.F. 2997

…

Liberated Faron’s Crossing. Extensive damage to infrastructure.

Injured: 235

Dead: 15

Liberated Sonsa. Extensive damage to infrastructure. Extensive damage to crop fields.

Injured: 105

Dead: 3

Northwold destroyed.

Injured: 23

Dead: 300

Shillogu Outpost destroyed.

Injured: 23

Dead: 30

Militia company relocated to Faron’s Crossing. Pending investigation of events in Shillogu Woods and relations with Avos Shillogu.

Liberated Cierra. Minor damage to infrastructure. Minor damage to crop fields.

Centurion K. D. Garron

3rd Cohort, Legion Vagaris”

Legate Jiro Finley Segawa tapped his fingers hard on the desk. The local militia had been blindsided and the number of casualties and destruction should not have happened.

‘Faron’s Crossing and the surrounding villages had retired legionnaires, for the Ancestors' sake,’ Jiro thought furiously. ‘Where were those swarm fodder veterans and how could they have let this happen?’

Jiro picked at the other reports, detailing efforts on reconstruction and recovery. About half of the injured needed only a supply of dust tonics to recover but the other half would need other remedies. Especially those who suffered various crippling injuries.

The room shook and Jiro held the papers down to prevent them from scattering though a couple of leaves fluttered out of the pile and scattered around the office. Clicking his tongue in frustration, he glared as the door opened to let in a slender, black-haired woman wearing Legion Vagaris’ formal uniform: a red coat with tails, form-fitting across the torso while flaring at the hips, white trousers with a single blue stripe running down the outer side which disappeared into mid-calf black boots. The insignia on her left breast was a silver tree and a crow denoting her rank as Tribunus, second-in-command to the Legate.

“What news, Maruko?” he asked wearily.

Maruko Haru Manuela gave him a flat look before stooping down to pick the loose reports. She plopped them on the table.

“We’ll arrive in Faron’s Crossing in an hour,” she answered. “There are several anomalous incidents. We need to get to the bottom of it. Otherwise, Imperial Command will give us a black mark.”

Jiro nodded. “I know. We will leave for the Watchtower compound as soon as the Green Swan docks in the town. Who is the commander for the militia?”

Maruko rolled her eyes to the upper left for a moment. “Former Centurion Davar. Retired nearly twenty years ago from this very Legion.”

Jiro frowned. “Virgil? Hmm, he should have been able to quell this Wave with ease. What happened?”

Maruko handed him another report. Jiro scanned the paper then leaned back on his chair with a deep sigh. “Missing in action? With three Knights and an Imperial Inquisitor too. His second-in-command?”

“At the Watchtower. A locally promoted Knight by the name of Theo Rani Stuart.”

“Set an appointment.”

Maruko nodded.

“How was the Wave stopped if Virgil Davar wasn’t here?”

Maruko sighed and handed over another report. Jiro’s eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline as he read.

“You’re telling me a bunch of fresh cadets--no, children fresh off the Atavism Ritual, managed to attune to the Anima Telum and used it to defeat the Will?” Jiro frowned. “This isn’t a theatre play. What really happened?”

“That’s the official report,” Maruko said. “The cadet in question,” she stared at his eyes pointedly, “Yuriko Davar, is still unconscious from straining her Anima. Her teammates gave their testimonies. They were in Shillogu Woods when the Wave happened and were part of the pre-enrollment training camp for the Rumigan Academies.”

“Davar? Virgil’s?”

Maruko nodded. “I believe so.”

“The Anima Telum? Where is it?”

“It is in the custody of the Temple.”

Jiro’s eyes narrowed. “They are preparing to send it to Rumiga city?”

Maruko nodded. “Standard procedure.”

“Well, we can examine it ourselves,” Jiro said decisively.

“Understood.”

“Anything else of note?”

“The instructors of the camp reported that the Will of the Wave was a Telurian noble.”

Jiro jumped to his feet. “Where’s the report?”

“Here.” Maruko gave it to him with a slight smile. Jiro snatched the paper off her hands with a glare. He scanned the report quickly before slamming his hand on the desk.

“He’s not a Telurian!” Jiro growled. “He sounds more Asheron than anything else. More than one court is involved in this? Or one court trying to frame another?”

“Who knows?” Maruko shrugged. “Only one noble appeared, as unusual as it is for them to appear here in Rumiga. The Chaos Sea around the plane isn’t that easy to navigate.”

“It was attempting to create a Chaos Spring by subverting the Avos? Hmmm. It was stopped by the Anima Telum.” He continued reading the report. “I wonder how she survived the attempt.”

Maruko shook her head. “We’re not sure yet. Well, she should awaken in the next couple of days, sooner if we help her along.”

“No, let her rest. If her Anima is injured, time is the better healer.”

“Too soon to tell anyway. Let me see her so I can make a proper diagnosis.”

The room shuddered again. Maruko shifted her weight easily but Jiro slammed a palm on the desk to keep himself from falling over.

“Chaos. Who’s piloting this badly?”

“Ahh,” but before Maruko could say anything, Jiro marched past her and threw open the door. He marched through the short hallway, climbed a couple of ladders and eventually emerged on the bridge. The officers inside saluted when Jiro entered.

“Legate on deck!”

“At ease.”

When they returned to their tasks, Jiro walked up to the viewports, beholding the scene of white clouds sweeping past.

The Green Swan, a frigate class airship though one built only to travel within a plane, was a hundred paces long and about forty wide. The wingspan was more than its length; they needed all the power the Radiant Sun could give to remain aloft. It could also carry an entire cohort of the legion, a thousand men and women, each at least a Journeyman in Anima strength.

Not that this current battle group consisted of one homogenous cohort. Half of the first and another half of the third cohort of Legion Vagaris were on board.

“What’s with the shaking?” he growled.

“Pardon, Legate,” the captain of the Green Swan offered, “but the wind currents were strange. We had to make some course changes but were still affected. We are nearing our destination, however.”

“Good to know.”

Maruko had followed him to the bridge but remained silent. In a few minutes, the Green Swan began descending. Jiro’s ears popped with the increasing pressure which he eased by yawning widely. His second-in-command discreetly yawned into her palm.

They docked just outside of the town. Most of the houses were intact, though their yards were hopelessly trampled. The flat-roofed design was made as convenient redoubts for marksmen. Most of the city lamps were burnt out or broken. The light from the lamps emitted a Draining Domain that sapped a Wyldlings’ Protective Field and was a frequent defensive infrastructure used in frontier towns. Too bad none of the villages could afford it.

“Send five Centuries to the Watchtower,” Jiro commanded.

In short order, they were on their way. The Watchtower was still surrounded, courtesy of the Gemheart artefact. The current manpower also could not deal with the overflow. Swarmlings and Wanderers left to their devices eventually tainted the land with free Chaos. It wasn’t immediately fatal but it would twist anything that lived inside it from the birds, animals to the insects and worms.

Jiro didn’t want to see a report wherein a hapless farmer was eaten by an earthworm twisted into a monstrosity that only wanted to convert everything around it to freshly turned dirt.

“Let’s head to the temple. I want to see the Anima Telum and its bearer.”

“This way then,” Maruko said.

An honour guard of twenty, led by a couple of Decani, surrounded Jiro and Maruko as they made their way through town. The roads twisted and turned, all stained in blue blood and blackened circles. Some of the cobblestones had even liquified from intense heat.

Jiro and his escorts ignored the damage, focusing instead on the survivors. Some were listlessly sitting on their front porches, some were weeping. Still, others were grimly starting to rebuild, sweeping the detritus into designated trash zones.

They walked for several longstrides to get to the town centre. A longstride from the centre, there was a clear line between what was damaged and what was left untouched. He could see where the stone was etched with tiny exposed runescript on the surface.

Here, the populace had a more optimistic air. The residences near the centre were undamaged, though the residents themselves were just as grim-faced. There were more militia roaming the streets here. They saluted with a fist to heart when they saw the legion uniforms, though their stiff expressions hid anger and resentment. After all, why didn’t the Legion come earlier to save them?

Jiro shook his head though he dearly wanted to tell them that the militia’s job was to protect the citizenry and the Legion was to be the Empire’s spear. At this time, however, they wouldn’t appreciate the reminder. Maruko walked beside him stoically, though he knew that she, too, would have loved to harangue them for their attitudes.

The Temple was easy to spot. Aside from being the most garish building in the town square, it was also bustling with people. The Temple was a makeshift hospital in these times as the town didn’t warrant a dedicated facility and the only town clinic would be swamped.

The attendants by the main entrance let them through without a word, though it was true of any who entered. One of the legionnaires caught an attendant walking by and inquired where the Celebrant was. The young woman flushed at the contact but placidly led them deeper into the compound and into an opulent office.

An elderly looking man was seated behind a desk, rubbing his eyes with his palms. He looked up when they entered, noticing immediately the legionnaires. His eyes darted to Jiro’s insignia before jerking up to his face. The man, Elder Ramus if Jiro wasn’t mistaken, lurched to his feet and gave a short bow.

“Legate. It is an honour to receive you in this Temple. How may I serve?”

“Legate Jiro Segawa at your service.” Jiro gave a small nod of the head. “I’m here for the Anima Telum.”Elder Ramus’ eyes narrowed slightly before he caught himself. Jiro noticed anyway and snorted. “All artefacts are the property of the Empire, Elder,” he said flatly.

“Of course, I meant no disrespect.” Elder Ramus said quickly though his forehead started sweating.

“Good that we’re clear on that,” Jiro continued. “I will need to inspect the artefact and the bearer. Please lead us to where you are keeping it.”

“Yes, Legate. They are in the same place.”

Jiro blinked in surprise. “And the reason?”

“The Anima Telum cannot be handled without the bearer’s permission, not easily anyway. When we did manage to sequester it, the next day it somehow reappeared at her side.”

“I see. A full attunement?”

“I cannot say. Miss Davar is still unconscious and cannot answer our questions. We have chosen not to forcefully examine her Anima considering her condition.”

“I see. Let us be on our way.”

“Of course.”

Elder Ramus escorted them down a series of hallways before they stopped in front of a nondescript door. He knocked and entered before anyone could answer.

Jiro gestured to his escort to remain outside but motioned for Maruko to join him. She moved in to enter even before he gave her any signals.

A tall young man stood up from the bedside as soon as the door was open, concern and curiosity warring on his face. There was another young man inside and, from the resemblance, they were probably brothers. A dark-haired young woman with a pixie cut was seated on the bench but she shot to her feet when they saw Jiro’s uniform.

The two men and the woman snapped a salute.

“At ease.”

Jiro’s eyes were immediately drawn to a golden greatsword placed at the foot of the bed. He frowned since he didn’t immediately recognise it. Maruko hummed to herself and tapped her lips.

“It is an old one,” she said finally.

“I don’t recognise it either.”

The two of them stared at the Anima Telum, not moving in the slightest to touch it. Finally, after spending a couple of minutes in brown study, he shifted his gaze to the bearer and his heart skipped a beat.

The girl on the bed was incredibly beautiful, even stuck in a plain sack of a gown they used for patients, though that wasn’t the reason for his shock. Her skin had a subtle radiant glow and, if he was a betting man, he would wager that her eyes were a deep blue the same colour as a Wyldling’s.

He could also make out, through the corner of his eyes, a faint line that connected the girl’s core to the Anima Telum. He shook his head. There would be no point to taking the artefact away or even trying to.

“How is she?” he asked idly.

“Her Anima is recovering from its overexposure to the Chaos Stream. She should regain consciousness in a day or two,” Elder Ramus said.

“I see.” Jiro nodded to the two men then turned on his heels and left. Once outside, he turned to the Elder. “What is her full name?”

Elder Ramus returned his gaze with an amused look. “Yuriko Mishala Davar.”

Jiro nodded while Maruko gasped. Well, things either became simpler or they were far more complex than he thought.