All the Dust that Falls

Chapter 183: Escort Quest

Chapter 183: Escort Quest

The city was not as desperate as we feared. Compared to the sea of undead we faced before, this scattered group was nothing. Only a handful of guards manned the walls, occasionally firing arrows or throwing spears down at the zombies. There were so few of the things that they were not even able to pile up close to the walls. It seemed the only thing they were really doing was preventing the city from easily reinforcing the rest of the province.

All in all, it didn't seem like I was needed here. Before getting to the city, I turned around to return to Arthur. I wasn't going to be very productive hanging around here. Better to let the commander know that they were fine and give him time to plan ahead.

As I flew back, I scanned the forest but didn't bother moving at the same speeds as before. Without an imminent threat at hand, I simply couldn’t rationalize making such a mess. Even if it was only a matter of time.

Coming to a rest near Arthur, I quickly grabbed a fresh stone from the ground and printed out my findings in a quick scrawl. He skimmed over them and nodded. "I'm worried. I think this might be a trap. It seems unlikely that they would leave the most populated part of the province alone when they need the troops. Their commander isn't stupid, so it's possible that they are waiting for us to approach, for a pincer or something."

I hadn't considered that. That would be a clever thing to do. However, it was one of the first occasions where these tactics didn’t relate easily to cleaning. I tried to figure out how to make the connection. Was there any case when, while cleaning, I would benefit from not being nearby or visible when a mess is made?

If a mess was made during a meal, it was better if I was there to clean it up immediately. If I wasn't nearby, the mess would just stay messy longer. But then, in this analogy, would the mess not be made at all if I were nearby? But that would be good, right?

If that were the case, then I wouldn't have to then clean it up. I guess this might be more about catching the mess maker than anything. What if someone knew they weren't supposed to make messes but continually did it anyways? What if they derived some sort of sick pleasure from spilling dirt everywhere?

Okay, maybe if they knew they weren't allowed, they would be corrected. If they continued to do so, they would endeavor to make messes where they weren't seen. That sounded like some dastardly plot, but if that was the case, then I would have to be not around for them to make a mess. Then I could catch them. Okay. Okay. Wait. No, that still doesn’t make sense. Why wouldn't I just stay around them so they couldn't make messes?

Hmm. My processors were whirring now. Okay, maybe there was some other sort of analogy where this could work with cleaning. I’d need to figure it out. Hmm. Hmm, hmm, hmm. Nothing. I'd have to see how Arthur played this out. But this definitely was different from waiting for a maker to reveal himself in order to capture them. That could make sense. This would be the mess maker waiting for me to clean up, then appearing to… be captured?

Would this be like if someone wanted to stop me from cleaning up messes? That would make sense. So, if someone wanted to stop me from cleaning, someone so evil that he wouldn't want me to clean up any messes. He would make a small mess, wait for me to come to clean it up, and then… flip me upside down! Or something. Then I couldn't clean up any more of his messes.

I paused. Oh, that made sense. It was dastardly and wicked to be sure, and I could still deal with a threat like that. But I think I’m on the right track.

Okay. I need to start being better and more careful about checking my blind spots when cleaning. I didn't realize such evil people existed, but clearly, whoever Arthur thought controlled the undead was despicable.

I came back from my musings to find Arthur surrounded by the scout captains. He was giving them instructions.Right as I looked over, he waved them away, and they each cantered off toward their squads and disappeared into the forest.

I assumed they would be watching our backs and making sure we would have warning enough if we did get attacked from behind like Arthur predicted. Perhaps that was something where I could step in. If they were about to be overwhelmed, it would be best if I prevented that from happening. Maybe I could also help the scouts to check the surrounding area or keep them safe.

I wrote a quick query to Arthur on my tablet. He skimmed it and nodded. "Yes, I figured that it would be helpful if you could watch the scout's backs. If they miss anything, let me know. But try to not point out to them where the enemy is. With your help, this victory is most likely assured. And, well, I want to minimize the amount of losses possible, both from civilians and our company. I do think this is a valuable training exercise. Very rarely do we have a god on overwatch preventing anything from truly getting out of hand."

—

Bee was ecstatic as she ran to the gate. It had been a long couple of days, mostly filled with constant work and preparations. But even so, she had been waking up early to help guide the Nighty Knights through learning how to use their powers properly and safely.

Soon she would have help. A lot more work, as well, but also help.

She hadn't realized how much she had relied on Tony and Susan for the day-to-day workings of the castle. Mary and Trent kept the food in hand and the people, for the most part, were well taken care of. That didn't mean they kept everyone occupied though, and idle hands meant Bee was asked a lot of questions. Plus, without Void around to train the kids, they had dedicated themselves to her personal protection.

The kids insisted that she always have at least two of the older Nighty Knights following her around as a security detail. At least two. She put her foot down when the number climbed to eight. They really needed something else to do. The rest were constantly training or generally getting in the way of everyone with their antics.

But that would all change today. Susan and Tony were back, along with the thousands of refugees. It was something she had been waiting for for a very long time. The gate was already winched open, the guards and Nighty Knights having cleared the few straggling undead away from the walls each morning. So that wasn't an issue either. Bee could see the column appearing from the forest seemingly intact, thankfully. As they came into view, she took off running out the gate. She slowed to a walk as soon as people caught sight of her, so she could approach with more dignity.

Tony didn't have the same restraint, though. He dashed forward from the column, leaving a chagrined Susan behind. When he reached Bee, he picked her up in a bear hug and spun her around before dropping her on her feet. ”Bee, good to see you. You wouldn't believe how much fun we had making it the rest of the way through the forest. This Captain Major is something else! He’s giving Susan a run for her money."

Bee thumped Tony's chest, trying to break away from the bear hug. "Let go of me, you oaf!"

He laughed, but set her down. "Where is everyone?" He called out, looking toward the gate. Sure enough, his siblings were all running out to meet him, closely followed by Mary and Trent.

It was as though he had been gone for months/ Bee couldn't help but be a tiny bit jealous as Tony went to go greet his real family. As much as they had taken her in and made her feel welcome, it still wasn't the same.

The Nighty Knight guards she left behind at the gate, along with everyone else, soon caught up with her and formed a square around her. Their heads swiveled about, warily watching the newcomers. She just put her head in her hands. The “honor guard” didn’t exactly make a great first impression. Sighing, she walked over to go greet Susan and Captain Major in as professional of a manner as possible.

Captain Major gave her a casual salute while Susan just smiled and waved. The two of them walked forward to greet her, and the Nighty Knights gave them sidelong glances before parting to let them pass. The four children moved a few feet away, forming a box, keeping even the adults of the new visitors well away from the small meeting the three of them were having.

"How did everything go?" Bee asked the pair. They shared a look that she couldn’t fully understand. It was almost as if they were trying to get on the same page, but couldn't agree.

Susan was the first to respond. "It went just fine. We made good progress."

Captain Major closed his mouth and nodded, but Bee gave him a look until he inclined his head slightly.”Some things… could have gone better.”

Susan snorted and shook her head. Bee wasn't quite sure what to make of it. Both of these people, in her opinion, were exceedingly competent at their professions. Still, if they disagreed on something, she'd have to get the full story out of them. And probably Tony as well.

"It seems like this might be a problem," she said slowly, trying to air any grievances out sooner rather than later.

But both Susan and Captain Major shook their heads. "No, no, no, no problem, Miss Bee. There's always room to improve. But-"

Bee let them continue giving platitudes for a few moments before they moved on. Freed from her initial duties, she started to greet the refugees around her as they flowed past. Many of them she knew by name now. Checking in, she ensured that the children had made it alright and that any injuries she had helped mend were fully healed.

Everyone was happy to greet her, even if the Nighty Knights got some curious looks. Most simply seemed weary. The sight of the castle and the promise of a hot meal rejuvenated spirits though. She sure hoped Mary was ready. So far, their preparations had been going smoothly enough. But whether or not they had the kitchen capacity to feed everyone was questionable.

With this amount of people, the castle would soon be stretched to its limits, maybe even a bit over them. So far, no one would have to set up tents on the grounds, but finding everyone their own bed would be impossible. Some people would have to double up. Hopefully, the number of families would make that just fine. But her other concern was the throughput of the kitchens. They'd have to conscript some workers or refugees as cooks if they wanted things to go smoothly from here on out.

As she talked to everyone, they filled her in on what had happened during the trip. It gave her a sense of the group dynamic. Apparently, the scouts from the castle and the soldiers from Caleb had a bit of a rivalry going on where they would each keep watch in redundant patterns.

The soldiers insisted on scouting themselves because of their better training, while the scouts insisted on taking over because they claimed the soldiers made too much noise. The soldiers didn't quite trust the scouts’ reports and vice versa. All in all, it was relatively polite and contained issue, but still was a nuisance.

Apparently, the only reason things had stayed with a lid on them was Tony's soothing presence. He managed to talk things out with Susan and Captain Major, mostly keeping them from being constantly at each other's throats. Bee wasn't quite sure what their issue was. Still, it would be really obnoxious if her defense commander couldn't get along with the man in charge of a literal army now stationed in her castle. Well, Void's Castle. Bee had to remind herself that she was just the mouthpiece.