That Which He'd Left Behind

“And I’ve heard all I will from either of you of this Divine forsaken war."

After observing Divine Fire in use for the first time King Ulius requests further demonstration. He, Lord Andion, and Captain Tullius convene while they allow Andion’s men to prepare.

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Tullius was the last of the three to be greeted by the cupbearer, as he should’ve been. He politely placed his hand above his cup, despite his own thirst, as both his lord and his king had before him.

“Your Grace, I can assure -”

“My boys are gone. Enough with the chivalry.” Ulius leaned across the table and squeezed Tullius’ wrist.

“Ulius, I can assure you that you’ve never seen anything like this.” The man Tullius remembered was a titan, and if grip were an indicator, such was still the case.

Lord Andion chimed in. “He’s right, Ulius. What we’ve happened upon is going to change the dynamic of this war.”

The king looked from Tullius to Andion, from Andion to Tullius, and began to laugh uncontrollably.

“I’ve heard all I will of this Divine forsaken war.” Ulius wore a smile that neither man could rebuff.

Tullius was transported back to the last time he’d seen his friend like this. Commander Ulius sat at the front of the lists on the road back from Giot. The proud, yet battered, war hero who’d just led a successful siege against the empire wanted little more than to be with his men. The role of leader had already worn thin on Ulius, he longed for the companionship only soldiers could share.

Ulius walked over to the wall on the far side of the room and stood before a row of decorative halberds. With shafts made of ivory and dulled blades made of pure gold, the garnet fixed to the pommel was striking to see in the light of midday sun. The king pulled one down with two hands and held it, the pointy end forward, as if he were preparing to gore a man. The thing looked small in his hands as Ulius pulled it back and held it at attention.

“The days we spent marching for the sake of marching. Do either of you remember old man Rund? The dorbel hated it when you’d let yours lean this way or that as you’d march, Melchior. Do you remember what he’d say to you?” The king chortled while he mimed his words.

“He’d like to say that I was as likely to jam the thing up the next man’s ass, Divine forgive me, as I was to ward off a man ahorse.” Andion said.

“Ha! Divine bless the man.” Ulius added.

Weapon in hand, Ulius approached the large open archway that led from this staging area to the ludus. The training ground itself stretched out as far as one could see; a series of fields of various sizes set atop this relatively flat section of the mountain. The way he stood there, it was as if the king was imagining a time where everything that lie before him here at the edge of his kingdom would one day be a part of it.

After a brief silence, horns sounded in the yard. Unmoved, Ulius carried on “may the Divine bless you, old friend…”

At that, Tullius knew he’d misread the look; Ulius wasn’t thinking of something yet to be had, he was reminiscing on that which he'd left behind.