Kingdom Come: Ch 10

Fortunately for me, I’d been leveling Acrobatics pretty hard. With Leap of Faith kicking in, I had three seconds of time dilation to line up. I hit the ground like a parkour master: knees soft, hands down, then a high-speed roll over the shoulder. I tumbled a few more times than I expected, but carried it through to an awkward superhero crouch not too far from Ignas. His quazi fluffed its feathers and hissed.

“Well now. That was quite the entrance.” The Volod had switched out his usual rogue’s getup for fine ornamental plate, a long scarlet cloak, and an officer’s saber. His helmet had a backswept crest of feathers. “Is Her Holiness still worked up after the appearance of the other dragons?”

“Uhh... sure.” I dusted myself off, and side-eyed Karalti as she winged around the plaza, bellowing and flaming innocent flagpoles. “Let’s say that. Am I the first arrival?”

“You’re early, but Rin is already here.” Ignas gestured toward the largest of the airships. I glanced around until I spotted the Mercurions, plural. Rin and Ebisa were embracing out of the lights, sheltered by the mounting tower and gangplank. Ebisa had her mask raised. I saw the King’s Blade tenderly tuck a lock of Rin’s hair behind one of her winglets, saying something to her that made her nod, then giggle. The laughter only lasted for a moment. Rin buried her face against Ebisa’s chest, and the taller Mercurion pulled her into a protective hug.

“They’ve gotten close.” I turned away, not wanting to intrude on them any more than I already had.

“They have. Mercurions love like any other creature - only with the awareness that the time they have together is so much shorter than it is for us humans.” Ignas smiled, a little sadly. “Though now I’m well past my prime, I assume the same applies for me.”

I fell in beside him. “Are you serious? Dude, you’re a catch. You’ll find the right lady at the right time, I’m sure of it.”

“Well, the lovely princess I was once engaged to probably still believes I bugger Meewfolk. We’re currently trying to reestablish diplomatic relations, but who knows?” A tiny smile jerked the corner of Ignas’ lips. “Anyway, enough of that. It’s fortunate you arrived early: I have some things for you. Items, and advice. can you call Karalti to you?”

Items? Advice? “Sure. Give me a second. Karalti? Can you join us?” 

The dragon uttered a short shrieking cry as I called her, but she turned around and flew straight for us. There was a great leathery rasp as Karalti folded her wings, dropped my broken pack to the ground, then fell the last few feet to the ground beside me. She was breathing hard, chest flexing like a bellows. 

Ignas’ quazi pranced a couple of steps back, honking with fear. Ignas checked the reins, halting it before it spooked too bad. “Which would you like first?”

“Stuff first,” I said. “Otherwise I’ll be wondering what items you’re holding onto while you’re trying to teach me shit.”

“Honest, at least.” The Volod gave me a chipped, toothy smile and then tilted his head to concentrate on something I couldn’t see. 

[Ignas Corvinus would like to trade.]

That was interesting. NPCs only seemed to open these trade windows in one of two instances - when they were giving me something immaterial, or when they were displaying an inventory. Curious, I accepted.

Ignas’s halo-like Corona whirled, and then another bunch of notifications appeared:

[You received a Raven Suit!]

[You received a Raven Helm!]

[You received Cossack Harness!]

[You received Fine Cloak!]

[You have received Royal Dragon Saddle!]

[You received Fine Saddlebags]

My eyes widened. Holy fuck. While Ignas watched indulgently, I navigated to my Inventory to check the new items.

Raven Suit

Armor purpose-made for wearing while flying an aerial mount. Light, tough, and flexible, it bears the raven crest of House Corvinus.

Raven Helm

A Mercurion-crafted helm, enchanted to allow you to see through the solid visor.

Cossack Harness

A four-point flight harness used to attach yourself to the quick-release points on your saddle and prevent falls. It can also hold pouches and weapons.

Royal Dragon Saddle

Built for speed and comfort, this enchanted saddle boosts your mount’s flight speed and stamina by reducing drag.

Fine Saddlebags

Increases carrying capacity to 120.

Fine Cloak 

Looks impressive and keeps you warm. It has pockets!

“Ignas... this is amazing.” I equipped the entire Raven Suit. The bodysuit fit like a second skin: dark leather and steel armor that was decorative and functional at the same time, worked with silver crow skull buttons. It moved and breathed better than any motorcycle racing suit I’d ever worn.

The black steel helmet was something else. It was long, with a backswept crest of sharp metal feathers tipped in red. The aerodynamic visor was made of obsidian. The volcanic glass that crawled with traceries of red light that pulsed in a mirrored geometric pattern from top to bottom. Like other Mercurion-style gear, there were no eye holes, nose holes, or apparent way to see or breathe. 

“That helmet can amplify your voice somewhat,” Ignas said. “Officers of the Royal Wings use helmets similar to this one.”

“You can really see through these?” Bewildered, I pulled it on and blinked a couple of times. From the inside, it was like I wasn’t wearing a helmet at all. Even better, it seemed to have some kind of synergy with my HUD. There was a new tab on my sidebar. When I swiped it in, the flight controls I normally only saw when Karalti and I were in the air appeared. Not only that, but there were more tools. A compass. An altometer. Wind speed and direction. “Holy shitballs. Dude, this is seriously amazing gear. Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” Ignas inclined his head. “We need to win this campaign, Hector.”

“Hell yeah we do.” I reached back, and found a notch just big enough to pull my braids through. “This gear is fuckin’ badass.”

Just then, my HUD began to chime: the morning alarm I’d set to wake up in time for the expedition. the The gates across the parade ground opened, and soldiers began to pour in, marching in orderly ranks. Ignas straightened in his saddle.

“What about me?” Karalti leaned forward, flickering her wings and cheeping like an overgrown chick begging for food. “You got some things for me?”

“Yup.” I equipped her new saddle. Her old one had served her well, but it was pretty basic: especially compared to this beast. The Royal Saddle was a huge step up in quality. It was long, narrow, with a short swallowtail cantle that hugged and was bolted to the holes drilled in Karalti’s dorsal spines. It was sculpted around her shoulders, with handles and tie points. The black leather looked almost wet, but when I vaulted up onto her back, I found the reverse was actually true. It was actually rough to the touch, with enough friction to catch and stop my gloves when I pressed down and tried to slide it along.

“Sandsquid leather,” Ignas called out. “Helps a rider keep his seat. My own saddle is made of the same material.”

“It’s comfy!” Karalti stood up tall, shrugging her wingshoulders, then rotating her arms. “I love it!”

I clapped her on the knee as she settled back down into her normal stance. “So, how about that advice?”

Ignas nodded, turning to face the troops as they fell into place. “Indeed. I foresee a day where you, Suri, and even Rin may have to command troops, and I feel it is important that the three of you understand how to do so. Do you want to learn?”

“Absolutely.” I reached up to adjust my new helmet.

[You have gained access to the Mass Combat System]

[You earned a new feat: Commander in Training]

Ignas motioned with a hand. “Take a look at your new menu, and I’ll walk you through the options.”

I did so, calling up the HUD. My eyes widened as the new menu unfolded. It was easily the most complex I’d seen in Archemi so far, made more confusing because all of the circles, tables, and slots were blank. They were all labeled. The only field with any data was the Renown table, which listed my Renown in Ilia and Vlachia.

“Your reputation is the foundation of your ability to command soldiers,” Ignas said. “Your effectiveness as a leader begins and ends with the quality of your character. Fame or infamy, it doesn’t really matter. You can lead through fear or through inspiration, or a mixture of both. Regardless of what idealists would like to claim, soldiers who fear their commander as their god are as reliable as those who worship them. The strength of the units you can effectively command depends on your Will, your level, and your renown. Any fool can temporarily bolster a force or direct troops, but to lead, you must be worthy of following.”

“You will note there are two main sub-menus,” he continued. “The first sub-menu is your Army information. If or when that menu is ever populated, you will be able to see all of your Companies at a glance. Armies are formed of Legions, Companies, Units, individuals. If you select a Company and break it down, you will be able to see the units contained within that Company. If you look out over the formation, you’ll see what I mean.”

The Volod gestured out over the Legion assembling in orderly rows on the Parade Ground. A thousand soldiers and specialists, give or take. Now that he mentioned it, I was able to identify ten companies within that gathering thousand - each company was a complete unit, containing troops and their support. Nearly all of the assembled were infantry, but there was a company of sappers - battlefield engineers - and a company split between aerial infantry and mounted riflemen. When I focused on them, I got their unit name: the 2nd Dragoon Company (Thunderbolts). Each company flew its own banner alongside the royal Black and Red, the banner which united the legion into a cohesive whole. With the Mass Combat window open, the system highlighted the different units within each company. Knights of the Red Star, Vlachian Elementalists, Nightstalkers Assassins... each unit gained a collective colored aura as I focused on them.

“If you were in command of these troops, you would be able to drill down to the Unit level using this menu,” Ignas said. “You can monitor injuries and deaths, track individual and company HP by percentage, keep an eye on ammunition and emergencies. Much of a commander’s duties boils down to putting out fires, metaphorically and literally. Now, head over to the Individuals menu.”

I did so, and to my surprise, there were already a couple of entries there. Ignas was at the top of the list, and Ebisa just underneath it. To my surprise, there were a few familiar faces in there already. Kira and Owen, the healers from Lyrensgrove. Sergeant Blackwin, from the Eyrie. Rutha, though she was grayed out. Both Ebisa and Ignas had icons which, when I hovered over them, told me that they were ‘Unrecruitable (Ally)’.

“The Individuals menu tracks your relationships with relevant heroic characters.” Ignas motioned to himself with a wry smile. “Individuals are important in warfare, even if the brunt of the conflict rests on the army. Heroes have special abilities and talents, such as Ebisa’s talents as an assassin and strategist, or my gifts for diplomatic relations and espionage. Heroes are the ones who fire up the troops, improving morale and helping them fight when they otherwise might give up. They can also lead companies or units into battle, conveying unique buffs on their allies or debuffs on their enemies.”

“Holy shit.” I scratched my head, but found only metal. Helmet. Right.

“Some individuals cannot be commanded without you attaining a certain amount of renown. They will heed your call based on your fame,” Ignas continued. “Others must be won over by performing boons for them, such as quests. Still others can be directly recruited into your service. Heroes can typically be assigned to lead specific units that mesh well with their skills. Ebisa would be wasted if I tried to make her lead a unit of cavalry, but she is the ideal leader for a team of siege-breakers, stealing into a castle to open it from the inside.”

“Right.” Fascinated, I had a look at Sergeant Blackwin’s profile. It was fairly sparse, but there were fields for details that could be filled in. Her Unit Type, Leadership Skill, Weapons, Armor, and Special Abilities. Her Recruitment Status was listed as ‘Uncontacted’. She also had a Rank. Sergeant Blackwin was a ‘Rank B+ Infantry Commander’. Ignas and Ebisa also had Ranks: Ebisa was a Rank A Assassin (Nightstalkers Faction Commander), Ignas a Rank S National Leader (Nightstalkers Faction Commander). Kira and Owen were Rank C Healers (Kingsmen Faction). “I’m guessing that the Rank is like an aggregate of influence and ability?”

“Correct. If you choose to take up the Leadership, Command and Strategy skills, you will be able to break Ranks down into charts that show you the breakdown. As a rule of thumb, though, the higher the rank, the more suited that person is to leadership.” He nodded. “Once you reach Myszno and begin your localized quests, this information and these options will make more sense. But for now, we must turn our attention to the send-off. My officers approach, as does the Lady Suri.”

Sure enough, Suri was headed for us, coming up out of the tunnel and gate that Ignas and his posse had used the day before. She cut a striking figure on Cutthroat, dressed in her mismatched armor, her axes belted to her hips, her oversized sword strapped over her back. She’d gotten spiked leather barding for the hookwing, who was as ugly and ill-tempered as she’d ever been. Suri could do something I had never been able to, though: she could ride Cutthroat without a muzzle. The hulking dinosaur snapped and snarled at anything in her path, but she didn’t lunge at them uncontrollably.

“One question for you before you go,” I asked him. “If you had one piece of advice for a would-be barbarian commander, what would it be?”

Ignas snorted, but thought about it for a second. “The pieces of advice are numerous. But of them all, I’d suggest you train your mind. I see you and Suri and Karalti running all over the castle, training and redeeming quests, but I’ve yet to either of you with your heads buried in a book.”

“Oh.” My face got hot enough that I was glad I was wearing my new helmet. “Yeah, I’m kind of dumb.”

“Ugh, this again.” Karalti huffed.

“And if you did nothing but read and write, you’d be extremely well educated, but flabby. You know through your exercise that improvement is merely an issue of time and discipline.” Ignas twirled a hand, the Vlachian shrug. “Assuming Karhad isn’t burned to the ground, you will have access to the Karhad Archives and the library at Egbolt Castle after your victory. Gods willing, they are intact. We can assume the undead, unlike some human armies, do not need to burn books for fuel. The Archives reputedly hold some grand, ancient lore.” 

“Yeah...” Chastened, I stroked the side of Karalti’s neck. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”

Ignas nodded. “My father raised me to believe that discipline is the foundation of everything good in life, including love. Despite his treatment of me, I still believe that. It is why I stand here today, preparing to address these men, while my brother’s ashes rot in the bottom of the ocean. You, Karalti and Suri are strong, but as Lucien demonstrated yesterday, strength of mind is as important as strength of body when it comes to dealing with tyrants.”