Last Bastion

by Rachel Aaron

  "I am most happy to hear it," Gregory said, smiling. "I agree to your demand whole-heartedly. Thank you, Ranger Kayla. I cannot say how glad I am that sense has prevailed this day. Please accept my apologies for the conduct of my knights. I promise they will be held accountable, and I look forward to working with you and all players as Bastion's allies once again."

  He held out his hand as he finished. Then his face turned slightly red as he realized that being an eight-foot-tall man sitting on the back of a massive draft horse, he was far too high for even the remarkably tall Ranger to reach. Shaking his head in frustration, Gregory quickly slid off his horse to the ground. He still towered over Zen, but at least she could take his hand now. She did so without hesitation, grabbing the king's massive palm and shaking it firmly.

  "Just so there is no confusion," the king said as they shook, "you speak for all the players, yes? Not that I doubt your word, but I was under the impression that Roxxy commanded the forces here."

  "Roxxy is the guild leader," Zen explained. "But the Roughneck officers vote on all important decisions, and we voted for this." She smirked. "We're not a monarchy."

  That was a gutsy thing to say to a king, but Gregory actually looked relieved. James, however, did not like what he was reading between the lines. "Did Tina vote for the treaty?"

  "She voted," Zen said, her lovely face a steely mask. "But she lost. This is what we've decided." She nodded at her fellow officers. "Roxxy's going to have to learn to live with it."

  James shuddered, fur standing on end. No wonder his sister had been swearing up a storm. He still wasn't entirely certain how the Roughnecks' leadership structure worked, but he knew it took a unanimous vote by all of the class officers to override Tina. That meant SB had voted against her, too, which explained why the Assassin looked so gutted. That was good, though. SilentBlayde needed to stand up to Tina, especially since it seemed she'd voted against peace. That was a pretty horrific realization to have about one's sister, and James wasn't the only one who picked up on it.

  "So Roxxy did not want to join the new Forlorn Hope?" the king said nervously. "You forced it on her?"

  "Roxxy is stubborn," Zen said with a shrug. "But she keeps her promises."

  The king shifted nervously on the bloody bridge. "Are you certain of that?"

  For a moment, James didn't know what Gregory was talking about. Then it dawned on him. While they'd been talking here, Tina had gathered all the other Roughnecks and taken them inside the stone Trainers' Hall. This meant that, with the exception of James and the Roughneck officers, all of the players were now inside the buildings--the warded buildings.

  "James," Ar'Bati whispered, "didn't you say your sister was planning something with wind-fire powder?"

  James nodded slowly. Then he shook his head. "She wouldn't do that."

  "Are you sure?" Fangs growled. "I know you must defend her because she is your family, but we've all seen her savagery. She is not one who tolerates defiance. Now she's in there with her army while everyone who defied her is out here. Are you certain we can trust her?"

  James's mouth went dry. He wanted to say yes, of course they could trust Tina, but that was just his gut, his emotions. The cold, hard reality of the situation was that she'd voted against his offer of peace. James had no idea why, but it meant he couldn't ignore what Fangs was saying or how bad a position they were in if his brother was right. He wanted to believe in Tina, but she had a very bad habit of making rash decisions when she was angry, and he'd never seen her angrier than she'd been today. It felt like betrayal, but there was too much riding on this not to be sure. He had to ask.

  "Um," he said, clearing his throat. "I'm sure Tina will come out in just a second, but on the off-off chance she doesn't, what's the situation in there? Like, if she were to give an order, would the other players obey?"

  The Roughneck officers shared a nervous look.

  "There are two other guild leaders," the ichthyian Cleric, Anders, said slowly. "Technically, she'd need to get them on her side before any course of action could be decided, but honestly, that would only be a formality. CincoDeMurder and Assets command their own guilds, but Roxxy's always been the leader of Camp Comeback. Most of the players inside that building owe their lives to her. If she gave an order, I doubt they'd disobey. Especially since they know nothing of what's happened outside."

  A horrible silence fell over the bridge as the fish-man's words sank in. Tina was inside a warded building with two thousand players who didn't know that peace was on the table. She was their hero, their great general. She could tell them anything, and they'd believe her.

  "She wouldn't do it," SB said, but his voice was shaking.

  Zen's was not. "She won't do it," the Ranger said firmly. "I've butted heads with Roxxy plenty of times. She's stubborn and reckless, and she needs to work on her temper, but she's not a liar. She already said she'd accepted our decision, and I believe her. She's just in there telling the others what's happened, exactly as she said she was going to. She'll come out when she's done. I know it."

  The certainty in her voice made James feel like a horrible brother. He should have been the first to defend Tina, not the first to doubt her. He was about to throw his voice in with Zen's when Trainers' Hall's enormous doors opened, and Tina stepped into the sunlight. She was flanked by two other players, a tall human Berserker in bloodred armor and a golden-haired elf wearing what appeared to be a designer suit. These must be the other guild leaders, James realized, and they were not alone. Players of all levels were now streaming out into the sunlight, grinning and laughing and cheering in relief as they stepped out into the open air.

  "See?" Zen said, lifting her chin at the king. "I told you."

  "And I am ashamed to have doubted," Gregory replied.

  So was James. He was almost dizzy with relief at the sight of Tina leading the others across the sundered battlefield. She still looked terrifyingly angry, but her weapons were sheathed, and more importantly, she was here. She was out in the open, coming toward him with the others in peace, which meant he'd done it.

  "We stopped the war," he said breathlessly.

  "We did it!" Fangs cheered at the same time, grabbing James in a bruising hug. "Wait until our father learns of this!"

  James was grinning so hard his face hurt. He even gave the king a thumbs-up, which the monarch returned enthusiastically. The Roughnecks were cheering as well, waving excitedly to the rest of their guild as the player group surged onto the bridge. The only one who didn't look over the moon was SB, but James would find out what had happened to him later. Right now, his focus was on his sister as she strode up the hill.

  The jubilant crowd parted before her as she stepped onto the bridge, their happy shouts falling silent. Even the king shifted nervously as Roxxy approached, pulling himself straight to look her in the eyes, which was probably the only time Gregory had ever had to do so. James tried to smile at her, but his sister's face was a stony mask as she lifted her hand and dropped something at the king's feet.

  It took James a horribly long time to realize the bloody cylinder of metal was a man. Not just any man. It was Captain Malakai. The tall elf was wrapped up like a mummy with chains that ran from his nose to his toes. He seemed to be conscious, but he couldn't move or speak through all the metal the players had lashed around him. He was still giving it his best try, wiggling like a caught fish on the bloody stones, when Tina planted her massive boot on his chest and flattened him back onto the ground.

  "I believe this belongs to you."

  King Gregory's eyes widened with horror. "I..." He stopped to clear his throat. "Thank you for not killing him. Despite his present crimes, Captain Malakai has long been a loyal servant of Bastion. What will it take to convince you to return him to us?"

  That was a dangerously open-ended question. James fully expected Tina to go for the throat and demand the moon, but Tina didn't even seem interested in the king. She just looked tired and ready to be done with all of this.<
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  "I want unfettered access to a living portal keeper," she said wearily. "Also, keep this asshole away from us. I'm not fighting him again."

  She stomped on Malakai as she finished, causing the elf captain to scream what was obviously profanity through his multiple gags.

  Wincing at the display, King Gregory nodded. "A fair request. I agree to it. I shall see to it personally that my portal keepers are made available to you as soon as is safe."

  Tina nodded back and kicked Malakai forward, rolling him across the bloody pavement to the king's feet. The captain stopped with another muffled scream of rage, but his voice fell silent when he saw King Gregory looming over him.

  "Captain Malakai," the king said, his voice shaking with anger and sadness. "You stand accused of conspiracy to conceal the massacre of innocents at Founder's Square, of disobeying sovereign orders, of conducting unlawful executions in the name of Bastion, of attempting to murder and torture children, of carrying out unjust punishments, and of leading the Royal Knights down a path of dishonor and degradation. What do you have to say for yourself?"

  He reached down to yank the chains away from Malakai's face. The captain glared at him the whole time, practically spitting in rage as the king removed the gags from his mouth.

  "I have only sought to protect the people of Bastion!" he snarled when he could speak again. "To slay evil and to punish the wicked is my duty as a knight. If I disobeyed you, it was only because you were too weak and cowardly to do what must be done. I would have saved this city."

  "Your hate has done more damage to Bastion than the players ever could," the king said furiously. "Your actions today have opened wounds that will take lifetimes to heal! Your quest for personal vengeance led my knights down a path of vengeance and blood no atonement can ever wash clean."

  "I led them to justice," Malakai hissed. "We fought for Bastion. While you cowered in the palace, we died fighting the player demons! How dare you call yourself king?"

  Gregory closed his eyes with a sad sigh. "I'm sorry, Malakai," he said quietly. "You are right. I was cowering, and in my weakness, I allowed you to do this. I permitted this sickness of hate to consume you all, and our country has paid the price. But I will not let my people down any longer." He shook his head and looked back at his knights. "Take him away, Sir Townsend."

  Malakai began to shout curses as the leader of the king's veteran knights leaned down and grabbed him by the chains around his chest. The other knights hurried to help, shoving the gag back into Malakai's mouth to stop the mad captain's stream of abuse as they dragged him away.

  With a heavy sigh, Gregory turned and followed. James did, too, as did Tina and everyone else. They crowded onto the bridge a few steps behind the king as Gregory marched back across the water to the plaza on the other side, where all the knights--those who were still alive, anyway--had gathered.

  The army watched in silence as their captain was dragged away. Several of the men looked angry as he passed, but far more looked ashamed, staring stricken at their boots as the king stepped up to stand in front of them.

  "You all know what has happened today," the king said, his booming voice heavy and sad as it echoed across the silent plaza. "Though you were following Captain Malakai's orders, you have all acted in a manner that flies in the face of everything it means to be a knight. By harming the innocent and killing for personal vendettas in Bastion's name, you have brought shame on our kingdom and violated your sacred oaths. Nothing can undo the damage that was done this day, but these crimes must have an answer. Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that I hereby strip every man here of his title and position. If you wish to reclaim your honor as a citizen of Bastion, you may serve alongside the players fighting the undead in the new Forlorn Hope, but never again shall you be knights. The title of 'sir' is reserved only for those whose honor and valor are incorruptible. I, too, share the shame of this, and I promise to help you fight and protect Bastion until a new generation of knights can rise to take up the burden we are no longer worthy of carrying."

  The silence that followed that pronouncement was so heavy, James worried they would all be crushed. No one said a word as, one by one, the solders reached up and ripped the golden medals bearing the sunburst of Bastion--the seal of knighthood--from their tabards. These were passed forward and eventually gathered in buckets by the officers. When every knight had given up his insignia, the final pot was brought to the king by Sir Samuel Gardner, the soldier who'd nearly run the king over when they'd arrived and the first to confess the Royal Knights' crimes to the king.

  "Sir Samuel," the king said, looking with surprise at the bare spot on the knight's chest where his insignia should have been. "I already absolved you of your sins in return for your truthful statements. You may keep your title."

  "Thank you, Your Majesty," Sir Samuel said solemnly. "But I cannot. Not even the Sun can burn away the guilt I feel over how I've behaved these last few days. I wish to join my comrades in the Forlorn Hope, if you will allow it."

  Gregory's shoulders slumped. "As you wish," he said. "I'll not deny a man his honor."

  Sir Samuel bowed his head. Then to James's astonishment, the former knight turned to Tina.

  It took her a second to notice. Despite standing directly behind the king, she hadn't actually been paying attention. She'd been standing with her head down, staring at the back of her shield like she was trying to burn a hole through it. She only looked up when Zen elbowed her, raising a copper eyebrow in confusion as the former Sir Samuel dropped to his knees.

  "I cannot speak for my fellows," Samuel said to the ground in front of her. "But I wish to say for my own sake how sorry I am for how we have acted. We were slaves to our anger, but nothing justifies the cruelty we've inflicted. I cannot apologize to the dead, but as the leader of the players in Bastion, I hope you will hear me in their stead."

  He said that with his heart in his throat. Behind him in the plaza, many of the other disgraced knights nodded, their faces pinched as they fought not to cry. But as much as Tina clearly wanted to tell them to go fuck themselves, she wasn't actually made of stone, and in the end, all she could do was sigh. "Yeah, well, we got a little out of hand too," she confessed, running a gauntleted hand through her bloody copper hair. "Um, consider it heard, and good luck to all of us in the Forlorn Hope."

  James let out a tense breath as Samuel ducked his head before her one last time and rose to return to the mass of former knights. He was hoping that would be that when someone shoved his way out of the crowd and started marching toward the king--several someones. A whole segment of the knights had broken away from the others and was marching forward, and at their head was a man James recognized. It was Sir Dan, the knight who'd yelled at the king earlier, and his badge was still on his chest.

  "You have no right to take the knighthood from us, you coward king!" he yelled, ripping his badge off and throwing it at Gregory's feet. "We quit! We swore our oaths to Bastion, and we'll never serve a man who would allow those demons to live among us!"

  Gregory flinched as the tiny brass disk bounced off his boot, and James's hand went to his staff. Many of the former knights were reaching for their weapons as well, but the king held up his hand.

  "The airing of grievances is the sacred right of every citizen of Bastion," Gregory said slowly. "Does this mean you will not be participating in the Forlorn Hope, Mr. Dan?"

  Dan bared his teeth with a snarl. "Not on your life."

  "What about the rest of you?" the king asked, looking out over the men who'd followed Dan up. "Do you agree?"

  The others nodded, their faces curled in snarls, and Gregory shook his head. "Then you are all exiled instead," he announced firmly. "Every knight who fought here today shares the same guilt. If you will not fight to obtain forgiveness, then you must leave. Bastion's protection is only for those who honor the law."

  "We wouldn't want to live in a kingdom that lets them be citizens," Dan spat, glaring at Tina and James before turning aro
und with a wave of his hand. "Let's go, everyone."

  Gregory scowled as the former knight led his group away, his face growing more and more dire with every man who peeled off the group to join them. In the end, there were almost a hundred who chose to follow Dan into exile rather than stay and fight alongside players. It was only a fraction of the whole, but it was still a lot more than James had expected.

  "I fear that we'll meet them again as bandits," Gregory said quietly as the men filed out of the plaza. "Execution would have been more prudent, but I couldn't bring myself to kill them. It's my fault this happened. I was the one who let things get so out of control."

  "It's not your fault," James said firmly. "They're not children, Your Majesty. 'Just following orders' isn't an excuse in my world, either. These men made these decisions themselves. It's their responsibility to pay the price for their actions."

  The king sighed. "You say that, but we were all so abused by the Nightmare. If I'd come out on that first day instead of hiding, how different would things be? I didn't hate the players. I could have stopped this."

  "'Would' and 'could' are a quick way to drive yourself crazy," James said. "Believe me. I know. I've been there. But we can't--"

  The world lurched sideways.

  Scrambling to keep his feet, James quickly realized that wasn't actually what had happened. The ground was still where it had always been, but the force pulling him toward it was swinging crazily in all directions. He could actually feel gravity moving through him in chaotic waves, and he wasn't the only one. Everyone else--the king, the players, the soldiers--looked just as confused and nauseous, frantically grabbing the bridge, the lampposts, each other, or anything that might be stable as they tried to fight the unnatural forces crashing through them.

  "What the hell is that?"

  "Your Majesty!" someone yelled in a booming voice. James's head snapped up just in time to see the stocky captain of the city guard ride hell-bent into the plaza. Armored men dove out of the way as the captain thundered past, pulled to a stop in front of the bridge, and dismounted so fast he practically threw himself at the ground at the king's feet.