Titans - March of Progress

Niall strode confidently down the corridor nodding to the men and women whom he recognized and acknowledging those that he did not with a simple smile. Of all the people he passed, they each offered him either a smart salute, or a slight nod. But never did they scowl or show distaste and condescension. Niall attributed this to his huge popularity which had carried him through the ranks of the military. It seemed to him that mixed noble and commoner’s blood meant nothing to his superiors when they looked at his achievements, as well as his talent for command. Not to mention the respect he garnered from the soldiers serving under him.

Striding past a trio of young female officers, Niall smirked at them, recognizing them all. He winked at one of them whom he knew far better than the other two, which caused the woman to blush furiously and turn away. Grinning, Niall made a point of stopping and turning, to watch the trio walk down the hallway. Being popular among the common soldiers had its benefits. Turning back, Niall looked to a door at the end of the hallway that was flanked by two armed guards.

He stared hard at the door, a vivid memory rushing into his mind’s eye. It had been beyond those doors, in the command center, that only a week ago, he had been given the highest honor a soldier could obtain. In a grand ceremony, the Princess, his Commander, had bestowed on him a knighthood and named him her personal Knight of Honor. To many nobles in the homeland, it had supposedly caused a great uproar. They had been angry and resentful that the son of a low noble and commoner had been bestowed such a title. But as an experienced leader of men and a talented commander, Niall's overwhelming number of supporters had quashed the dissent from the nobles in the homeland. The military was after all, largely commoner based. His only regret was that it had not been done back in the homeland, in a far more lavish ceremony that his father would have been able to attend. But alas, war did not always allow for such excursions back home.

Niall sucked in a nervous breath, steeling himself. He may have been made a knight, but that was just his most recent achievement and award, on a long list. The education he had received had helped him enormously in his career and had afforded him many opportunities to prove himself. As arguably one of the most skilled Captains in the fleet Niall had received many medals and had been personally acknowledged by the princess on many occasions. Despite all that though, he still felt a flutter of nervousness when standing shoulder to shoulder with all of Princess Phidel's high command as their equal.

At first it had been hard to get noticed by those very commanders in the massive battles fought against the Federation in the eastern Kratsch Empire, but as the battles had turned into localized skirmishes, his abilities had surfaced and he had steadily been given more and more responsibility within the armed forces, eventually leading his own missions and commanding flotilla's of small ships. And now here he was, almost at the pinnacle of what he could achieve, and all at a young age of just twenty-four. Such a quick rise was basically unprecedented. But as Phidel had indicated multiple times, people were promoted based on merit, not blood in her command.

Realizing the guards were staring at him expectantly, Niall let out a shuddering breath, clearing his mind as he approached them, both instantly straightening up and saluting him. The senior soldier opened the door for him and stepped into the room first, his voice loud and clear as he announced Niall's arrival.

"Sir Belford, Knight of Honor of Her Highness, Princess Phidel".

Feeling a flutter of fear and trepidation in his guts, Niall stepped forward and walked into the large and exquisitely furnished room. At his appearance Niall was applauded by the occupants and he smirked somewhat, feeling his nervousness slip away before turning to face his smiling Princess who held out a hand for him. Niall knelt and kissed her proffered hand as he looked up at the woman. Two years his senior, the princess was as tall as Niall with a head of lustrous, pale gold and bright blue eyes. Her face was angular with high cheekbones and a thin jaw. She looked nothing like her elder brothers, instead taking her appearance from her mother, the emperor’s second wife who had been lauded as a great and elegant beauty. Niall had quickly become completely devoted to her like many others and would do whatever she asked of him with little to no complaint. Standing, Niall accepted her silent praise and smiled softly at her, lost in her glow.

As the applause died down and the room’s occupants stood by quietly, Phidel spoke up in her commanding tone, her blue eyes locked on Niall with a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips somewhat mischievously.

"Sir Belford. I was most pleased to have heard of your successful capture of Kernow and its ruling class. With this great success the enemy's strength in this region has been greatly depleted, and our campaign can take a momentous step forward" Phidel spoke out, her voice level and yet betraying a slight sense of amusement.

She turned then and swept her hand free of Niall's so that she may gesture to the command table, set out much like a chess board with its myriad of pieces. Indicating a gap in the circle of people ringing the display, Phidel bade her Knight to join her and the other commanders. Taking up his position in the indicated spot, Niall surveyed the table, his eyes wandering over its detailed surface. On it was a map of the western Federation where Phidel’s forces were currently campaigning. The map was complete with terrain features such as the mountains, forests, rivers and major settlements, as well as numerous markers and tokens representing regiments and garrisons. The newest additions upon the table were those of the infantry regiment’s Niall had left in the city of Kernow to clean up the damage and to hold it against any counter offensive.

Only days after his appointment as Phidel's Knight, Niall had been given command of a strike force, and under Phidel's order, had launched a night attack on the Capitol of the nation of Seirei. After he had annihilated the enemy sky fleet above the city, it had quickly capitulated to his forces and Niall's soldiers now held the ruling elite of the nation captive, including the Prime Minister and a few foreign diplomats.

Before the attack, Phidel's forces had been in the area for five months following their withdrawal from the Kratsch front and were now fighting a war of skirmishes against the young Commander Clovis who had so far proven to be a dangerous opponent. The man was well known as a daring and reckless commander. Incredibly unpredictable as he was, he so far had surprised Imperial forces many times in the last few months. Yet Clovis had not been reckless enough to compromise his forces in a pitched battle and that was why he continued to evade Phidel’s forces, in a frustrating game of cat and mouse.

Since Phidel and her command had arrived in the territory, she had been in a stalemate with Clovis, but as Imperial commanders on the Kratsch front hammered the Federation forces, more and more soldiers and airships had been taken from Clovis to reinforce the east, leaving him over extended and undermanned. The long war had left both powers drained of military might and the Federation leaders had sought peace terms twice, even willing to cede land, but Emperor Alden had replied, ‘Why get given what I can take’.

Looking down at the map again, Niall smiled as he took note of the changing positions of many regiments and garrisons. The capture of Kernow showed a turning point in the war and Niall was optimistic for future campaigns as the frontlines would be significantly changed now, opening new avenues to advance.

Leaning over the table Phidel placed a new marker on the map, above the city of Pagua, their current headquarters, causing Niall to refocus his attention.

"While you were gone Sir Belford, we received word that a large naval fleet of ships under the command of Admiral Raus left the North Sea and are currently on their way here. Your friend Major Barlow is leading a force of sky-sloops, tracking and hampering the fleet on its advance. The last report we received from him was that Commander Clovis had joined the fleet with over half of his sky-fleet. Further reports indicate they will be here within two days at the very least, depending on the wind" Phidel stated, leaning forward and planting both hands down on the table, splaying them out.

Niall swore inwardly to himself at the news. The last thing they needed was an assault on the city of Pagua. It was not only the headquarters of the campaign, but as it was on the coast it was also the center of their supply line from the empire. Losing the city would mean the loss of the campaign.

"What measures have been taken to strengthen our position?" Niall queried suddenly, feeling odd to ask the question. He wished he had not spoken practically right as the words left his mouth. An uncomfortable silence ensued for a few moments before to his surprise, Phidel spoke up to answer his question, her voice level and even.

"I have the army increasing the fortifications on the beach as we speak, and as you no doubt noticed on your way in, I have already gathered my sky fleet not far from the city. I cannot risk sending out another force to outflank the enemy fleet. Nor can I send the few ships I have out to sea to fight a foe that outnumbers them so. It will be a pitched battle here" the princess said as she placed a slender finger on top of the token representing the city of Pagua on the map.

Nodding, Niall wondered at the decision. Phidel had long ago become known as one who disliked taking risks. She was a straightforward tactician and always followed the same set of guidelines when engaging the enemy. She was orthodox and easy to read. She was by far a defensive leader, always preferring to bunker down and let the enemy batter themselves to death on her defenses. And due to that, she had been openly criticized in the past by commanders and nobles who thought there was no honor in such maneuvers.

Regardless, Phidel was still a capable commander, and as she had grown up on the battlefields of the Kratsch Empire, she had learned not to ignore her advisors who had only wished the best for her. After her defeat at the hands of General Commander Brach, she had suffered a massive loss of confidence and would have crumbled completely if not for her elder brother Prince Bradley who had reinforced her in the eastern city of Liguad and raised her spirits significantly.

Niall pursed his lips as the meeting dragged on for another hour, various commanders making suggestions and criticizing others. Niall stood by his princess who seemed content to let her officers speak and only offered the occasional comment as she seemed to think more on the greater picture. Niall stood silently too, listening to those around him, only speaking when asked for his opinion. Even if he was Phidel's Knight, he had only been recently appointed to the position, and regularly deferred to the more experienced officers among Phidel's staff. Besides, his experience lay in fighting in the air, not fortifying a city.

After a time, Phidel raised her hands and clapped once, silencing any talk immediately. She smiled brightly at her officers before speaking.

"I think this is enough talk for now. Let us adjourn and gather more information. Return to your respective commands and make ready. Return here this afternoon for updates" she stated, her bright smile being replaced by a much grimmer one. As the various officers nodded and broke off, Phidel turned and walked off out of the room even as she motioned for Niall to join her in the hallway.

As Niall came into step beside her, he waited for Phidel to speak, and as they were now alone, she turned to him, a smile on her face as she addressed him by his first name.

"Niall, some new bodyguards arrived for me yesterday. I'd like for you to meet the whole group as soon as you can, as you will sometimes have to work quite closely with them" she stated before turning away and walking further down the corridor.

Niall nodded as he started after the princess, his expression tightening to one of displeasure as he sunk into his thoughts for a moment. Following his appointment as Phidel's Knight of Honor, Niall had immediately gone on campaign, and as such had not yet met with the small group of men and women that were responsible for the princess' safety whenever she left the headquarters. The entire group was made up of elite casters from the famous tower of Laegor back in the homeland and were said to be incredibly powerful. Truthfully, Niall had been avoiding them. Ever since he had been drafted into Phidel's personal forces, he had tried to have as little contact with casters as he could, as they often reminded him of his younger brother Sain, who had held such promise as a caster.

Thinking of his brother made him think of his father Regas back in Rindai and his mood lightened considerably. Regas had been hit hard by Sain’s death and had tried to kill himself. It had been a dark time for Niall's father, and he would not have survived had a nurse not taken him in. Now his father was living decently, and was proud of his remaining son's accomplishments. Niall shook his head to clear his thoughts and exhaled, focusing himself on the situation before him.

Realizing that Phidel was looking back at him with a frown, Niall stopped walking and bowed to her.

"Yes, Your Highness. I will go see them right away" he promised before straightening up and smiling at the woman. He stepped away then as Phidel just stared and then nodded back to him, silent as she studied him. Then she simply turned and kept walking and disappeared around a corner that Niall knew led to the mess hall. Niall just sighed and turned away also, heading in a different direction to his liege.

It did not take long for Niall's feet to take him to a section of the headquarters that housed a makeshift gym. The building had once been an education center and many of its area's had been converted by the army in the early days of the occupation. Everything still looked rough and ready, but it did the job. Pushing past a set of double doors, he walked into what must have once been a basketball court but was now home to a variety of training equipment, and open areas.

The place was empty of people all but for a corner of the court where there was a small group of people huddled around a makeshift sparring ring. Niall started towards the group, his stride long and confident as he surveyed the group of Laegor guards. As he closed in on them, Niall heard a collection of loud bangs and felt slight tremors beneath his feet. From glimpses among the group, he could see a duo fighting. Not wanting to get any closer Niall came to a halt and waited, just watching.

After a short time, one of the spectators looked up and saw Niall, and the man shouted a command, causing the combatants to cease their actions, and to turn and stare in Niall's direction. The man that had given the order pushed through the on looking crowd and strode resolutely up to Niall, a look of annoyance on his face. The man stopped in front of Niall, planted his feet firmly on the ground and simply extended his hand towards Niall before speaking.

"So, you finally deign to come down here and meet us Sir Belford" stated the man in a rough and straight forward manner. The way he spoke seemed to match his visage. The man had rough, weathered features, short hair smartly cut and a well kept short beard. Both his hair and beard looked to have been brown, but was heavily streaked in salt and pepper strands. He was well built and stocky, and looked like he might be able to fell an ox with a single punch.

Grasping the man’s hand Niall smiled somewhat forcibly as they shook hands, his own hand feeling like it was being crushed by the other man.

"I am sorry it took me so long to do so. As soon as I moved into Her Highness' inner circle, I was run off my feet with work. However, I am surprised you recognize me as I do not believe we have previously met" Niall stated as their hands parted. Niall shifted his hands behind his back, grasping them even as his right hand throbbed painfully. That was one hell of a handshake. He just looked at the other man now, trying to block out the pain and sense of discomfort.

"Just because we haven't met doesn't mean I haven't seen you. I make it my business to know everyone that encounters her Highness. Names Mark, I lead the Laegor here" stated the man before letting out a soft chuckle and turning back towards his group of subordinates. The man clasped his hands firmly behind his back and started walking, no doubt assuming that Niall would follow.

"Since you are here Sir Belford, please come and watch us train. We would be honored to have you do so" Mark requested, his tone suggesting it was more of an order than a request. Niall just frowned, not exactly feeling like he had a choice.

So not wanting to refuse the somewhat intimidating Mark, Niall followed the man as Mark walked back to the group and yelled a command to resume. Mark moved over to the wall of the court some short distance away and casually leant against it, his arms being folded over his chest. Niall followed suit and rested back against the wall, his own hands pushing into the pockets of his trousers as he watched the fight resume.

"The two fighting are our newest recruits, Anthony Mier and Rella Sader. They both arrived yesterday from the homeland and I am currently inspecting their magical talents, seeing what they need to improve on and such" Mark stated, getting a conversation underway.

Watching the battle restart before him, Niall saw that the young man and woman sparring were not fighting as he expected casters to fight. With his experience of magic, Niall thought they would throw blasts of magic at each other or use elemental magic as he had seen casters do in war, but these two were fighting as a trained soldier would, throwing punches, kick's, and various other melee attacks. Confused, Niall furrowed his brow.

"What are they doing Mark. Just attacking each other like a normal person would. Don't casters usually, you know, fling magic around? Not punch each other" he asked with confusion blanketed on his face. He turned his gaze to look at Mark who had a mischievous grin on his face. The brawny man just chuckled and turned his gaze back to his charges.

"Sir Belford. We are bodyguards. Not soldiers. We have very different talents. When you are protecting someone, the last thing you want to do is start throwing magical energy around. If a stray bolt of energy doesn't hit your charge, it is almost certain flying bits of debris will" Mark stated, enlightening Niall, a slight smile on his face. The older man turned his gaze back to Niall before continuing to speak.

"In the modern era, most casters only train their minds, so when they run out of magical energy which often happens especially in protracted battles, they are as vulnerable as any other human being. The Laegor School trains casters to be specialized in hand to hand combat and melee weaponry whilst using magic to strengthen their bodies. By doing that, casters can become incredibly dangerous in close quarter combat. The Laegor School has a long history of providing bodyguards to many private organizations, as well as the noble families of the homeland. And due to their evident skill in martial arts, these bodyguards are the best the Laegor School currently has to offer from their graduates. And only the best for Her Highness" the man let out, his voice even and level, as if he was teaching a student in class. It reminded Niall of his classes at the academy.

Niall watched the fight as Mark finished speaking, thinking that the man’s words made a sort of sense to him. He remembered Sain trying to explain the basics of magic to him many years ago and smiled at the fond memory.

"That does make sense I suppose. Truthfully, it never really occurred to me that magic could be used in such a way. I will admit that my knowledge of magic is rather lacking however" Niall admitted, his eyes following the movements of the two fighting. He could see shimmers of energy around them and the occasional flash as a magic cloaked limb collided with the other fighters own magic barrier.

"The majority of people actually know very little about what magic can be used for" Mark stated, seemingly dismissing Niall's concession, his own eyes locked on the fighters as well as he judged them.

"As it is, magical knowledge is sadly lacking compared to the tales of the past. There are many legends about casters that could wipe mountains off the map and create oceans out of a desert" Mark murmured softly before turning to look at Niall, a hard look briefly flashing over his features.

"And of course you know little about magic. You are not a caster, so would not know its workings or inner circle teachings. That’s why people train in the towers back in the Empire" Mark stated and pushed off the wall as he watched the female fighter knock the male one on his ass. Mark smiled grimly and turned to Niall, his hand being proffered for a handshake once more.

"Well Sir Belford, I am sure you are a busy man with many things to do, especially considering the battle looming in the distance. I will let you move on as I have work to do also" Mark stated, his expression betraying no feeling.

Niall smiled grimly and pushed off the wall also, taking Marks hand in his own once more for that crushing handshake.

"Yes, you are right on that Mark. I have much to prepare. It was good to finally meet you, and I suspect we will have much to do with one another in the future" Niall said, his voice flat as he flicked his gaze back to the fighters. He smiled grimly as he saw the young woman attempting to choke the young man as they now wrestled on the ground.

"I will be off then" he stated releasing Marks hand and turning on his heel to walk away. The entire time it took him to cross the basketball court, he could feel the eyes of those casters boring into his back, and it made him damned uncomfortable. The moment he pushed through the double doors to leave the court behind, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders and realized he had been tensed up the whole time. He scowled and just kept walking, feeling that he may have left a bad first impression.