Last Bastion

by Rachel Aaron

  "Well, when you put it that way..."

  James stepped forward and hugged Flameboyant, making the red-haired elf jump.

  "Stay safe," James said. "When this is all over, let's go drinking or something."

  Flameboyant hugged him tight. "You too, James," he whispered. "Don't die, okay?"

  James promised he would not, and the elf walked away, his arms piled high with blankets for the lowbie camp.

  It was several more hours before James managed to return to the Naturalist Lodge to crash for the night. He managed to sleep until dawn, but the king was up bright and early the next morning, as were all the clan heads, Gray Fang, the captains of the garrison and the City Guard, the high priest Raffestain, and the Arch-Sorcerer. By the time James had emptied his bladder, the lodge was overflowing with concerned-looking old people. He was wondering what good he'd be to all of this when Gray Fang grabbed him by a sleeve.

  "James," she said sharply. "The meeting is about to begin. Since this will decide everyone's fate, we'll need the players' leaders to attend as well. Go and fetch them here, and be polite."

  "Yes, ma'am," James said and ran off, leaving the room full of old cats shaking hands with Bastion bigwigs.

  Running through town in the warm morning, he saw a new collection of tents set up down by the lakeshore that was packed to bursting with knights and soldiers. The Bastion civilian refugees were there as well, camped out as far from the players as possible. The positioning bothered him, but that kind of hate didn't just go away. It would take time to mend the wounds Malakai had made, but the fact that the heads of Bastion wanted the players at their meeting was a good start, so James picked up the pace, dropping to all fours as he raced to the edge of town, where Tina and the others were encamped.

  When he got to the tent city filled with his fellow players, though, James realized he had no idea which one belonged to Tina. He tried poking his head into a few, but this turned out to be a terrible idea when he stumbled on two people sleeping naked on their spread-out blankets, arms and legs tangled together.

  Blushing so hard he was amazed his fur didn't start smoking, James jumped back and started scanning the camp for someone else who could just tell him where Tina was and save him the embarrassment of walking in on any more naked shenanigans. Unfortunately, no one was up this early. James was beginning to despair when he spotted Tina's off-tank, Frank, heading for the outhouses.

  "Frank!" he cried, running over. "Man, am I glad to see you."

  "Good morning to you, too, James," Frank said with a grin. "You a fellow early riser?"

  "No, but the king is," James said, lowering his voice. "We have a situation. Do you know which tent is Tina's?"

  Frank's expression turned grim. "Son, it's best if you just stop right there. Not that I'd ever speak ill of your sister, but it's a stupid man who steps into that wolverine's den."

  "She'll be more pissed if I leave her out," James said. "But I guess I don't technically have to have her. I just need someone who can speak on behalf of the players."

  "Then why don't ya take SilentBlayde?" Frank suggested, his eyes suspiciously sly. "He's the Roughnecks' second-in-command, and frankly, you'd be doing the poor boy a favor."

  James winced at the mention of SB's name. He still had no idea what had happened between him and Tina, but he didn't think he'd make it better by bringing the Assassin with him to the meeting. Also, their last encounter hadn't exactly been friendly. But he still didn't know where Tina was, and Frank was already shoving him toward a lone acacia tree at the edge of camp with a dark shape hunched in its branches.

  "Thanks for taking care of him," Frank said, slapping James on the back. "I gotta wizz something fierce. Go talk SB down and give him a task to take his mind off things. You'll be doing us all a solid."

  Before James could object, the knight vanished into the outhouse and began to noisily relieve himself. Left with no other options, James sighed and walked over to the base of the sandy-barked tree.

  "Harut--" He stopped. SB didn't like to be called by his real name anymore. "Blayde?" he tried instead. "You up there?"

  No answer.

  Shaking his head, James flexed his claws and started climbing. He found the elf sitting on the topmost branch, staring out at the endless waving grass.

  "SB?" James said, waving his hand in front of his friend's face. "You awake?"

  His blue eyes were open, but that didn't necessarily mean anyone was home inside. He certainly looked shell-shocked. Even though his face was half-hidden by his mask, he looked utterly exhausted, and he was still dressed in his dirty, bloody armor. The Haruto James knew was a neat freak of the first order, but SB didn't even look like he'd been down to the lake to sluice off.

  "Hey," James said, clinging to the tree trunk since he didn't trust that branch with the weight of both of them. "I need your help. Can you come down?"

  "What's the point?" SilentBlayde replied quietly. "I've ruined everything."

  James sighed. "I'm sure it's not--"

  "It is," SB said sharply, then he put his head in his hands. "You were right," he whispered. "I am a horrible person. I had everything. I had a miracle, and I destroyed it all." His voice began to tremble. "There's nothing left for me in this world anymore."

  James went still. He'd heard words like those before, in a different place from a different person. This time, though, he knew to take them seriously.

  "I don't think you're horrible," he said gently, easing himself onto the branch despite the way it creaked. "I'm not even mad at you anymore, so why don't you tell me what happened."

  SB dropped his hands with a bleak sigh. "She was wrong," he whispered. "And I voted against her because of it."

  "Are you talking about the Forlorn Hope?"

  SilentBlayde nodded. "She thought we were stupid to work with the king, that it would be easier to just burn them all and save ourselves. But she hadn't seen what I'd seen. She didn't know what that fire would really do, who it would hurt. I did." He clenched his bloody gloves tight. "I did it for her."

  James was sure Tina hadn't seen it that way, but something about this still rang false. "Is that why she blew up at you?" he asked skeptically. "I mean, I'm sure she was angry, but Tina's not the sort to stop talking to someone just because they disagree with her. All the other officers voted against her as well, and she's still talking to them. Did something else happen?"

  SB hunched his shoulders and slid a little farther down the branch, which was answer enough.

  "You know," James said, pinching the bridge of his nose, "this feels a lot like the last time she stopped talking to you."

  SilentBlayde curled up even tighter at the mention of the old incident, and James winced. Bingo.

  "You want to tell me what's going on?"

  "No," whispered the sad ball SB had rolled himself into.

  "I think it would help," James said encouragingly. "I know you hate it when people pry into your private life, but you broke my sister's heart one day and never told anyone why. Now it looks like you've done it again, but you seem to be the one suffering, so maybe this is a good time to just let it out."

  SilentBlayde shook his head frantically. "I can't."

  "Why not?" James asked. "We're trapped in an alternate universe in our alternate egos. We don't know why we're here or if we'll ever be able to get back home. Whatever secret you're carrying, there's no way it can reach you here. What if, instead of letting your past ruin your future, you just told Tina the truth?"

  SB peeked over his folded arms to give James the bitterest look he'd ever seen. "Can you tell Tina the real reason you failed out of college?"

  James looked down at the ground, instantly defeated. "Of course not," he muttered. "I wish I'd never told you."

  "There you go," SB said, staring back out at the grass. "Some things stick with us no matter where we go. Even in another world, even with another name, there's no running from what's inside." He dropped his head back to his arms with a shudder.
"Just leave me alone."

  He sounded so hopeless, James's heart broke for him, but he didn't know how to fix things. He didn't know if this could be fixed, but there was absolutely no way he was leaving SB alone right now.

  "You're coming with me," James said firmly, grabbing his arm. "I need you to represent the Roughnecks at a war meeting."

  "I don't care."

  "You should," James said sharply. "I know things look bad right now, but Tina's not going to be mad at you forever. I cooked her with lightning yesterday, and she's already forgiven me. She'll forgive you too if you give her a chance, but if we don't get our game together, there won't be time for that, 'cause we're all going to be dead. So if you want a second chance, come down and help me make one."

  He finished with an encouraging smile, but SilentBlayde just scooted farther down the branch, which was starting to dip dangerously.

  "That's it," James said, moving back to the main trunk. "You're coming with me. No more brooding in trees."

  "Are you deaf?" the elf growled. "I said leave me a--"

  James kicked the tree branch. With SilentBlayde sitting so far out on the edge already, one good whack was all it took. The moment his foot touched it, the branch snapped in half, and SB went toppling backward to the ground, where he crashed gracelessly into a bush, confirming James's suspicions.

  "Well, well," James said, hopping down to grab SilentBlayde by his collar. "Looks like someone spent all night sulking instead of sleeping and is now too tired to stop me."

  "Let me go!" SB yelled, struggling feebly.

  "No," James said, dragging the elf behind him as he turned back toward the lodge. "I have work to do. Maybe you'll help me with it, maybe you won't, but like hell am I leaving you here alone."

  SilentBlayde fought for a few more seconds, then he just seemed to give up, going limp in defeat as James dragged him across the dusty field. "Why do you care?" he muttered. "I thought we weren't friends anymore."

  "You're the only one who said that," James replied. "But if it makes you feel better, knowing you voted against Tina for the Forlorn Hope is better than any apology you could have offered. I couldn't ask for better proof that you've stopped being her yes-man. Now if you'll just say you're sorry for trying to kill me, we'll be square."

  "I am sorry, James," SilentBlayde said in a small voice. "More than you'll ever know. I was desperate and stupid, and I am ashamed of my actions. I hope you can forgive me."

  "Apology accepted," James said, lifting the Assassin out of the dirt. "Can you walk now, or do I have to keep dragging you?"

  "I can walk," SB said tiredly.

  James set the elf back on his feet, though he didn't let go. SB didn't comment on the hand James kept on his wrist. He just quietly brushed the dirt and dust off his armor, wincing when this only served to reveal more blood.

  "I'm what the cat's dragged in today, I'm afraid," he muttered, reaching up to straighten his mask.

  "Meow," James said.

  The joking sound came out painfully close to an actual meow, and James slapped his hands over his mouth in horror. SB stared at him for a moment, then he burst out laughing, falling back into the dirt as he pointed at James and cackled. A few seconds later, James joined in, doubling over as they both laughed and laughed, drawing curses and thrown rocks from the still-sleeping players around them.

  "Oh man," James said when he finally got ahold of himself. "I think we've been through too much. We're starting to lose our marbles here."

  "What do you mean, 'starting?'" SB said, getting back to his feet. "We've been like this for a while now."

  James couldn't argue with that.

  "So," the Assassin said, brushing his hands over his filthy clothes one more time before giving up. "What's this about a war meeting?"

  "Oh crap!" James glanced at the sky, which was much lighter than it should have been. Getting SB had taken way longer than he'd anticipated, which meant the king and all the clan heads might be waiting for them right now. That was not a comfortable thought, so James grabbed SB and booked it, dragging the elf all the way back through Windy Lake and up the steps to the Naturalist Lodge.

  When he burst through the curtained door, an entire room full of the most important people on the continent stopped talking to look at him. He was trying to think of what to say when someone barked, "Where's Roxxy?"

  "She's still sleeping," James said, yanking SB up beside him. "This is SilentBlayde, FFO's top Assassin and second-in-command of the Roughnecks. He'll be handling things until Roxxy's back on her feet."

  This announcement was followed by a long, tense silence. As it stretched, James realized just how nuts he sounded. The exhausted elf at his side was caked in dirt and dried blood. His eyes were ringed with deep dark circles, and he smelled of ash and death. He looked more like a bandit than a respected second-in-command. James was frantically searching for something to say when SB cleared his throat.

  "I apologize for my appearance," he said, his silvery voice as smooth as ever as he bowed from the waist. "I've had a lot to take care of since we fled Bastion."

  That was a bald-faced lie, but it seemed to work.

  "Not all of us are so lucky as to be pampered kings," King Gregory said sympathetically, waving at the open space beside him in the circle around the fire. "Thank you for making time for us. Please sit."

  SB walked over and sat beside the king, though it turned into more of a plop as his exhausted legs gave out and dropped him on the pillow. James sat down next to him, squeezing himself into the space between Gregory and his friend. When they were both seated, the old jubatus who'd been talking when they entered stood back up and resumed.

  It wasn't the meeting James had hoped for. He'd been eager for an actual plan, but since no one here actually knew each other beyond basic reputation, the "war meeting" ended up being mostly introductions, stating of positions, and mutual bemoaning about how little information everyone had. There was also a great deal of time spent talking about how to feed everyone.

  This turned out to be quite the problem. Unlike the well-prepared players of Camp Comeback, who still had their prepackaged rations, the armies and citizens of Bastion had come through the portal with nothing but what was in their pockets. Supplying so many on such short notice was no easy task, and all the clan heads had different ideas as to how it could be accomplished. They were still bickering about it when Gregory leaned over.

  "James," he whispered, glancing pointedly at Thunder Paw, who'd spent most of the meeting listening politely and being glared at by the jubatus. "What can you tell me of the gnolls? I'm only familiar with them as a threat to the kingdom. I know very little concerning them as potential allies, and the jubatus aren't a good source of information for obvious reasons."

  James smiled. He'd wanted to bring this up with the king anyway. "They're good people," he said earnestly. "The gnolls care immensely for family and pack. They're also very clever and as tough as nails in a fight. You couldn't ask for more tenacious allies."

  Gregory nodded. "Excellent. What are their needs? Specifically, what of Bastion's now extremely limited resources could I offer that would tempt them into an alliance?"

  "You're in luck on that score," James said. "They want legitimacy. Their ancestors came to the savanna as refugees and were immediately branded as bandits. We've cleared that up somewhat, but after so many years of bad blood, peace is still very fragile in the savanna." He glanced at the circle of angry old cat-people, who were now growling at each other like lions. "Frankly, I'm amazed the alliance hasn't blown up already."

  "I can work with that," the king said, then he stood up, an action James got the impression Gregory had been avoiding the whole meeting.

  The room went quiet as the Holy King rose to his full height. James tried to catch Thunder Paw's eye to give the old Naturalist a hint that something was coming his way, but it was a no-go. All the eyes in the room, including Thunder Paw's lone remaining good one, were locked on the king.


  "Chieftain Thunder Paw," Gregory said, his voice deep and respectful. "Your people still have outlaw status in Bastion, and I know there is much to be sorted out here between Windy Lake and the Grand Pack. That said, since our arrival, I've seen you acting steadfastly as our ally, despite our history. I am most humbled and impressed by your wisdom and generosity, and I would like to make you an offer."

  Thunder Paw bowed as much as an old, hunched hyena-man could, but this seemed mostly a cover to let him flick his one good eye at James, who gave him a thumbs-up.

  "We would gladly hear your offer, great king," said Thunder Paw.

  "Excellent," Gregory replied, pulling a battered scroll from the satchel at his belt. "It's called the Forlorn Hope..."

  ***

  The meeting broke up shortly after that. Thunder Paw wanted to discuss the Forlorn Hope with his pack, and everyone else was frantic to put the logistics they'd nearly come to blows over into practice. James was about to slip away as well when the king touched his shoulder.

  "James, SilentBlayde, if you could stay a moment."

  When the lodge had emptied of even Gray Fang, the towering king turned and offered them the scroll he'd just showed Thunder Paw to SilentBlayde. "It's already signed," he said at SilentBlayde's confused look. "Please tell Roxxy and all the other players that your Forlorn Hope contract has been met in full. As promised, I hereby pardon all players of past crimes and formally recognize them as citizens of Bastion."

  By the time he finished, SB's eyes were huge above his mask. "Thank you, Your Highness," he said, bowing with what appeared to be true sincerity. "This means a great deal to all of us. To me, especially."

  "I'm glad to hear it," Gregory said, smiling. "Bastion needs heroes now more than ever." With that, the king's smile fell. "It pains me to ask, but can I count on the Roughnecks for the coming battles? I have heard that you are mercenaries. Now that our previous arrangement is concluded, I was hoping I might hire you to continue to defend us against the Once King."