Fisco, Freyya, and Haalfrin
Haalfrin is still running about futilely when he finally reaches the surface... only to find a dead, blue dragon corpse draped over one of the walls and a carpet of dead Hawks strewn all over the front of the fortress, like dropped rice.
'Aw,' Haalfrin thinks in disappointment, 'I recognize that dragon. He's one of the boys who escaped Fheldin's palace. What a pity that his freedom was so short-lived.'
The dragon slayer looks up and sees a flock of Hawks flying back up to the breach in the mountain – led by a green dragon. He looks down again and sees dozens of dead Threshold soldiers in immediate view, as well as lines upon lines of Hawks holding out their arms and being handcuffed.
His expression slowly falls in disappointment, and he trudges back to his clinic.
---------------------
After making his way back to the clinic, he smells thick blood, and he sees dozens of corpses around his room and another line of surrendering Hawks being led away.
Feeling immense disappointment, he walks back into his room and sees a blood-covered nurse with her arms on her hips. She glares at Haalfrin, "You idiot! Look at those legs of yours – sorry, that leg! Get back in bed and stop making my life harder!"
"…Yes ma'am."
All around Haalfrin are patients with fresh wounds and bandages. One of them has a brand new eye patch and appears to be in pain. Other than being in a bit more pain than before, they seem to be just the same as before – sitting on their beds and chatting like normal.
"These people aren't normal...," Haalfrin remarks, "and neither am I."
'Perhaps being surrounded by Death Aura all the time has made these people desensitized to death and pain.' This is the second time he's thought this.
Once he's done staring at his fellow bunk mates, he goes back to his cot and lays back down on his bed. He rolls onto his side just in time to see Freyya pass through the hallway with her black lantern in hand.
He waves her down, and she stops in her tracks and pivots her head toward him. "Oh!?" she shouts out as she runs over with her soul lantern swaying around.
Freyya runs up to his bed and puts one hand on the edge of the bed frame. With the other hand, she materializes a box that has the familiar smell of cake. "Oh! I haven't seen you in a while!"
Haalfrin just nods at this awkwardly. "Yeah... How were you?"
"Oh, life's the same, as usual. Anyway, tell me about your life. We didn't have the chance to chat last time."
---------------------
While Haalfrin happily chats away with Freyya, many of the other patients and nurses are staring at Haalfrin talking "to thin air" with twitching eyes.
Doctor Balri pulls out a notepad and writes down on Haalfrin's medical record, "Needs treatment for brain injury."
Just after she puts the notebook away, they all hear loud boots clicking down the hallway. Moments later, a tall figure comes through the empty doorway and steps over the fallen door (which still hasn't been fixed yet).
"Pardon me, doctor," the man apologizes for his intrusion.
Doctor Balri looks over and widens her eyes. She solutes stiffly, "Commander Fisco!"
"Drop the formality. I'm not in uniform right now, which means I'm not on duty. I'm just here to have a quick chat with our dragon slayer."
Fisco then walks up to Haalfrin, who is busy talking to "thin air". He erects a barrier around them that blocks sight and sound, pulls up a stool, then plops his tired butt down.
"Is this the Crow goddess?" Fisco asks. "I don't believe we've ever been formally introduced."
Freyya and Haalfrin both look at him in surprise. "You... can see me?" Freyya asks incredulously. She then furrows her eyebrows and adds, "No, the likelihood of having two people in the same generation being compatible with Death aura on the same world is far too unlikely to ever happen."
Haalfrin leans forward and says, "Well, Freyya, he can manipulate Death Aura. I've seen it. No point in wondering anymore."
Freyya shakes her head and says to Fisco, "... Is it your Yiir Name? It has to be."
Fisco looks down for a moment and thoughtfully replies with another question – this time to Haalfrin, "Were you born in the Alasta Kingdom?"
"...Yes?" Haalfrin answers back slowly.
Fisco breathes a little heavily hearing this, and he asks one final question. "When did you get your power to manipulate Death Aura?"
Haalfrin looks up and counts on his fingers. Seeing him mentally lost in the dark & foreboding forest of Math, Freyya answers for him, "800 years for the Pit, 100 for your apprenticeship with Kalastros, and maybe 80-90 years for your life as a raider. Another 73 years for your life with Tayna, years for your trips to the arena, and another 11 for your tutoring job at the Vanteri's."
"Yes!" Haalfrin snaps, "almost 1,100 years ago!"
Fisco looks off into the distance pensively. After thinking a few moments, Fisco abruptly changes the subject. "Well, I can see that you're good friends with a goddess. That's actually surprising."
The commander glances at the cake Haalfrin is eating, which still reeks of Death Aura. "Do you usually bring him cake?"
"Of course!" Freyya answers proudly. "We only get to see each other after a battle, so it's nice to bring something to celebrate the occasion."
Hearing this, Fisco tears up a little on the inside. He recalls how he had looked at the surveillance magic during the battle and saw Haalfrin frantically grab a weapon and run about looking for a way up.
Remembering this, Fisco comes to a certain conclusion. 'He must have desperately wanted to find the battle because he couldn't wait to talk to the beautiful goddess.' *sniff sniff* 'That's so touching.'
Of course, he's only thinking this, so he startles them both when he abruptly takes ahold of Freyya's hand and says, "Take good care of him. He's one of my men, you see."
Haalfrin doesn't know what Fisco means by this, but Freyya does. She gets embarrassed and says, "I-idiot." Coughing, she stands up and announces that she has to get back to work.
In a cloud of darkness, she disappeared once more.
Haalfrin turns to Fisco and asks in a less friendly tone this time, "Did you come here to say something important to me? Any orders?"
"No... I think I saw everything I needed to see." With that, Fisco just walks away, leaving a baffled Haalfrin behind.
---------------------
On the way back to his office, Fisco walked slowly with his eyes in one place but his mind in another place else entirely. 'Hm... The dragon slayer... no, Haalfrin... He has a strong enough Fate to be entangled with a goddess... that explains a few things...'
---------------------
Finally, after 15 long years spent (sort of) obediently in bed, Haalfrin is done rehabilitating his body.
Truth be told, his leg had grown out in 10 years, but it took another 5 for the doctor to allow him to actually use his restored limb again – something about connecting the new hunk of flesh to his soul and making it officially part of his body. After the soul business, he also had some physical therapy in order to get the new limb at the same fitness level as his other leg.
When Doctor Balri comes to him with the "all clear", she says, "I have a verbal message from the Commander. He said he has an important mission for you, and that you're to report to his office to hear the details."
Haalfrin obediently shows up at Fisco's office, and he sees 1 other person here – a middle-aged man in a 2nd class Captain's uniform. Haalfrin can sense that the man has enough mana to be a 3rd gate mage.
Commander Fisco motions for the two of them to be at ease, then he points at Haalfrin. "This is Haalfrin – our resident dragon slayer. You may have been put in charge of this mission, but Haalfrin is a 5th gate mage. Show him that due respect."
Fisco then points at the other soldier in the room. "Haalfrin, this is Jay. I have an assignment for you and Jay's team. I know you're pretty strong, but Captain Jay has a lot more experience out in the field. You follow his lead. Understood?"
"...Sure...," Haalfrin sighs. 'I guess I finally have to go out on missions. Oh joy.' He looks down at his new leg. 'At least I get to go out and stretch my limbs.'
Nodding in satisfaction, the commander puts away the papers stacked up on his desk, then he looks back up and addresses them.
"As you both know, I have a mission for you. In case you were wondering," Fisco looks at Haalfrin, "I'd normally just send a letter or an officer to give you an assignment, but I called you here, alone to my office because this is to remain strictly confidential."
Slowly, Fisco pushes forward a drawing of a middle-aged Hawk Clansmen. "This is Elder Tala - 1 of 2 grand elders of all the Hawk tribes. He's the chief voice advocating for war between us and the Hawk clans. After 15 years of peace, the Hawks are preparing to attack yet again."
"Question!" Haalfrin raises his hand, "From what I saw from the last battle, aren't the Hawks fairly ineffectual in their attacks against the Threshold? Is war with the Hawks what we're really worried about?"
"Ha…," the commander laughs sarcastically, "That's something you don't understand about the Rehkin. They're highly emotional creatures - far more than us humans, anyway. Even if it means sacrificing everything, they'll never give up on attacking the fortress, so long as people like Elder Tala are there to rile them up and keep them angry. No amount of defeats will ever get them to stop attacking us."
"Plus," Fisco continues, "the Hawks have been calming down over the centuries. I've been sure to not antagonize them first. Some of the Hawk elders have seen my efforts to extend peace between us, and I want those Hawk elders to have a louder voice in their clans."
"So," the commander continues, "I need you, and Jay's troupe to assassinate Elder Tala. Also, I don't want any suspicion of foul play… That means so no knifings in dark alleyways - nothing. I want it to be an accident. Understood?"
Haalfrin and Jay both solute. "Yes sir!"
Fisco nods in satisfaction. "Another thing to remember for this mission. It's better to let the target live than to let him become a martyr. If you're not absolutely sure about averting suspicion, then don't kill him. Am I clear?"
There is silence.
"Good. You're all dismissed. Prepare to leave in the morning. There's an interracial clan meeting in a few weeks, and I want you all there for the happy occasion."