Ferrus stepped onto the middle raised platform, intending an announcement.
"I, Ferrus Malleus, Paladin Lord of the knight order, Ferrum Aquila, bring my judgement." He spoke loudly, catching the attention of the expeditioners.
"As the voice of the emperor, emissary of the church, I have assessed the situation and have made a decision. Due to the unexpected events and casualties, I declare this forward expedition a failure. All expeditioners are to temporarily hold this fortification until reinforcements arrive. They will take over further operations." He declared, to the dismay of many.
Though saddening, the truth of the matter is clear. They have failed to properly defend their garrison, have taken multiple casualties, injuries, and they hold a person of unknown identity and purpose. They have not completely failed, and Frostburrow can still be retaken – they, however, will not be here to witness it so. A dishonor of great magnitude, but staying here would only prove to be a hindrance to the expedition as a whole. So with sorrowful expression, they chose to accept that they have to pull back.
Ferrus stepped off the platform, calling Julius to him.
"My lord!"
"Reinforcements arrive at noon, we leave the exact moment they arrive. Tell the others to pack their bags and prepare for departure."
"With haste, my lord!"
Ferrus walked into a tent, knight captains from various orders, except Julius and another captain who perished in battle, gathered around a rectangular table, arguing.
"We should execute her! She brought those demons here!" One captain demanded, his face furled in anger. Other captains agreed with an understanding nod.
"We don't know that!" Another slammed the table at the ridiculous demand.
"How do we explain this to Lord Verendus…" One knight worried, mumbling to himself.
He stood in for their captain who had not made it. Ferrus, hearing their pleas, chimed in.
"Verendus will understand your circumstances. He will come seeking retribution, and rightfully so. I and Saintess Minah will personally conduct the investigation with guaranteed thoroughness. Should we find her guilty, I will see that she is brought upon Verendus for persecution." Ferrus interjected, satisfying the captains.
Verendus, Paladin Lord of the knight order, "Venerable Hand", and the overseer of the law within the empire. He is a fair, and just man, but he is ruthless to those who had done him, and his order, wrong.
Ferrus places a crystal into the middle of a circular hole carved into the table. The crystal projected a three dimensional hologram of the surrounding landscape, catching the attention of everyone present, their focus, undivided.
'Now, let's see where they came from…"
…
Minah was in one of the tents with Ophelia. She had been taking care of her, using magic to clean her off, before she changed clothes. She hands her a bowl of hot soup she had made, passing a handful of bread.
Ophelia had been silent the entire time Minah wasn't present. And in the few moments that she did speak, she would frequently stutter, or slur her words. It was as if she had only just recently returned to civilization, her social skills were severely lacking. It was not as if she was an infant in an adult's body, but she definitely did not seem to have been able to converse with anyone for a long time. Minah had asked her a couple of questions in between their small interactions. She was willing to converse, but she would sometimes stare blankly, stay silent, or completely evade the question. To the social Minah, it seemed like Ophelia hated her. She sat next to her, pouting at the thought.
"Thank you…" Ophelia said in a soft, relaxed tone, giving her a slight smile, showing great sincerity.
Minah's mood improved quite a bit after she heard her thanks. Now that she's engaged in a few conversations with her, she had realized that Ophelia had actually been quite polite. She was soft-spoken, nigh emotionless, but calm. She had an air of blissful innocence around her – unlike the verbal recounts of the expeditioners they had questioned. Even Julius was perturbed by her presence.
"There's no need for thanks. Do you truly not know how you ended up all the way here in the Frostlands?" Minah began talking casually, both hands behind her, supporting her weight as she leaned back, swaying her feet.
"I don't know how I got here. My memory has been hazy ever since I last woke up in the tent."
Ophelia had finally begun to open up, her sentences becoming longer, more confident, more articulate in her speech. This was the opportunity Minah had been waiting for. She took the chance to ask another question.
"If you don't know how you got here, then do you know where you last were? What do you remember?" She asked, not necessarily expecting an answer.
"I- ugh…" Ophelia winced, shrinking back into her body as if she just had a sudden headache.
"Take it easy, you don't have to force yourself. You can tell me to stop asking if you want to take a break. You don't have to say anything." Minah said worryingly, like a mother comforting her child, regretting her question.
"I'm fine… I remember myself at the academy."
"Which academy?" Minah's curiosity grew, her ears perked as she finally got closer to a deeper understanding of the young lady in front of her.
…
Ophelia took a long pause, Minah waiting patiently.
"Vitalis academy."
Minah shifted from her seat, deep in thought. It took her a second before her head gave her what she was looking for. An epiphany hit her.
"You're the girl that went missing three years ago? The one from the welcome party!"
Three years… Three long years had gone by since she had disappeared. The revelation completely stunned Ophelia, dropping the bowl of soup she had cradled in her hands. She squeezed the bread in pure rage, turning it to mush.
Minah saw her atmosphere change in mere seconds, the contrast was unnerving. Her body involuntarily shifted a few inches away from her, giving her space. She was a saintess, one of the highest ranking people in the empire she served. Yet here she was, feeling proper fear for the first time in a long while. She was confident of her ability to restrain Ophelia should she lose control, but she was unsure if she would be able to do so unscathed. The fear, albeit temporary – was true.
Ophelia turned to Minah whose guard was up, clenching a golden staff in her hand, holding it close to her body.
"Could you please tell me more?" She asked, her face, filled with immense sadness.
Minah nodded.