Earthbreaker's Promise
Chapter 5 - Tiller

Tiller’s mind was racing as he gently placed the piece of old parchment on the table and blew the dust from its surface. Soon after his army started to occupy the surrounding area, the Beldala, a tribe of natives, had shared song, dance and stories with the soldiers for a brief time. After the parties ended, they had tried to convince Tiller to leave the Others in peace. When they realized their efforts were wasted they planned their departure, mentioning that they had no desire to witness the coming tragedy. They said that the Others who lived in the mountain had been kind to them for hundreds of generations, their people trading back and forth. The day they moved on, one of the elders had left Tiller with several scrolls and a few parting words, “Great care, Commander. Mountain means danger for all. Vault is failing.”

At the time, he had ignored the scroll, thinking it was no more than a trinket and a show of appreciation. He had planned to open it when he returned home. As for the elder’s words, Tiller knew there was danger so he had dismissed them. And a vault? A vault meant nothing to him but treasures he didn’t care for. Now, having read the scroll half a dozen times since Arlington began his march, Tiller felt like a fool.

“They weren’t warning us about the Others.” Tiller muttered. “They were warning us about the mountain itself.”

“What was that sir?” His steward, Lawson, asked from his spot on the floor where he was whittling a small piece of wood. The boy had come into the tent during Tiller’s second read through. Without speaking, he had pointed Lawson to a corner of the tent and the boy had sat there silently ever since. Long enough that the rough piece of wood he had started with was starting to take shape, although Tiller didn’t know what it was. Nor did he care right in that moment.

Tiller paced back and forth, hands folded behind his back. “If this threat really does exist. Then our mission has just become much more dire.”

Lawson looked up at him, brows drawn together. “What threat? Do you mean the Earthbreaker? A myth cannot be too much of a threat.”

“Even if she does exist, this is worse.” Tiller said with a grimace.

The boy’s eyes widened and he put down his instruments. “What could be worse?”

Tiller gently picked up the scroll and placed it in Lawson’s hands. “Read here while I think. And be careful with that!” He snapped when Lawson rubbed a finger against the drawings on the page.

While Lawson read, Tiller let his thoughts drift. Is it too late to call for Arlington to turn his troops around? They may have already stumbled upon this Vault and opened it, not knowing.

“...of Keeper is passed down from queen to queen.” Lawson was saying, slowly translating. “Using the power of Ultimate Domain, the Queen shall keep the Vault secured. For the denizens inside always seek to escape. If the world is to survive, the Void must never be allowed to go free.”

“Commander, what are the Void?” Lawson asked and received a look from Tiller that said he was seconds away from being on the receiving end of a trident. “Right. I’ll just keep reading then.”

Lawson mumbled as he skimmed over the next few entries. Tiller knew when he had reached the section that brought about his own worries. The boy held his breath and looked to Tiller, as if asking for confirmation on what he was reading.

“Is-” Lawson paused. “Is that truly possible Commander? That these, Void, not only existed before creation...but that some of them are now here on Earth? Imprisoned in a stone pillar. And could they really escape?”

“The Beldala elder tried to warn me but I didn’t listen.” Tiller said “Let me ask you something as well boy. How long ago was it that we thought Others were myths? If this is a bluff, it is not one we can afford to call.”

A commotion from outside caught Tiller’s attention. “So the Void mean to-” Lawson started but Tiller held a hand up to him and moved to look outside. Squinting into the sunlight he saw the soldiers fussing about a figure on the ground.

“What is the meaning of this!? Are you all a bunch of children!?” Tiller yelled, striding from his tent. Instantly, the crowd of soldiers retreated from the figure and fell into columns.

Tiller stopped in front of the man who sat slumped on the ground, head hanging, his body covered in red gore. The stained, yellow band around the man’s shoulder marked him as a scout. What Tiller wanted to know was whose squad he belonged to.

“State your full name and your commanding officer.” He barked.

The man coughed and spat blood onto the green grass beneath him. “Abraham Winchester, sir.” He managed, voice rough. “Formerly under Arlington Meadecroft.”

It took all of Tiller’s considerable willpower not to react, even as he felt the questioning glances from the soldiers land on him.

“Formerly?” He prompted.

“I said what I meant...sir.”

“Then pretend I didn’t hear you, soldier, and say it clearly for me.”

“Arlington is dead. Along with his co-leaders Nicholas and Erik.”

“And the rest of their soldiers?”

“Dead. All of them are dead commander. For most, even their bodies are gone.”

Tiller felt his teeth grinding together. “How?”

A larger crowd had gathered during their short conversation. Even with Tiller’s imposing presence a few whispers were springing up here and there. Whispers that slowed as Abraham spoke again.

“Earthbreaker.” He said, voice quiet, and the name seemed to detonate among the gathered men. Conversation ceased. Gasps rang out. And Tiller froze as his fear became reality.

“She exists.” Abraham continued, glancing up for the first time. His eyes held the ghosts Tiller had seen in the eyes of many soldiers, but never one so young. “And she killed them all. We were fools to come here, Commander. The Others have claws, fangs, strength, speed, some even magic….”

“But the Queen.” Abraham chuckled, a tinge of madness in the sound. “She is power!” He yelled and fell silent.

Tiller looked at the faces of the army around him, and he wasn’t pleased with what he saw. Some showed worry, a few showed outright fear, but in the eyes of the majority was nothing but hatred and a thirst for revenge. Many among the soldiers shared Arlington’s views that Others were abominations. Those faces especially watched Tiller, waiting for the call to arms they expected him to give.

I have no time to spread about the things I just learned. Or to request reinforcements from the King. We must make do with what we have and hope that it will be enough.

Tiller took a deep breath and from the corner of his eye he saw Lawson peeking from the tent. The boy obviously wondered how he would handle this. So Tiller would do what he did best. He would lead.

“You’ve all heard what has happened.” He shouted, making sure his voice would carry. “One thousand good men died this day. They were our countrymen, our friends, our family.”

“But their deaths were not in vain!” He made eye contact with those closest to him. “We held back because we did not know everything our enemy could bring to bear. Well now we do. Their Queen is the pinnacle of their strength. Kill her, and the castle is ours. Kill her, and we have won! We will return home to our loved ones, comfortable in the knowledge that we have guaranteed their continued safety!”

An incoherent cry started among the soldiers and continued building until even Tiller himself felt his blood heat. He raised his arms to quiet the men and they complied, at least somewhat.

“But first! Our fallen allies will be given a proper burial. I refuse to march towards victory over the bodies of our brothers.” Another cry rose up, this one of agreement. “Go! Prepare the army to march!” Tiller called and headed towards his own horse.

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I’ve bought myself a bit of extra time. Hopefully something will come to me on the way. The Others and their kingdom would soon fall, of that he had no doubt. Now it was up to him to decide how to handle the Vault when that happened.

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