Firstborn: Return of the heir

One could use a single word to describe what was appearing from beyond the line of the horizon. Majesty. Just the top of the wall that could be seen from Saulus’s position was enough to induce a feeling of respect in anyone. Daring to approach this ancient structure already felt like blasphemy against ancient gods.

Even though, according to his official background, Saulus originated from the nearby area, the young general didn’t show any respect for the sanctity of those historical remains. Leaning over the head of his horse, he only hurried his mount even more. Today, he had no time to admire what humans were once capable of doing.

“Sir, we are almost there. Do you want to enter through the city or…?”

Shouting his question in order to force his voice through the clamour of the running horses, Rylas pointed his hand at the distant city growing closer by the minute. Raising his sight from the road in front of them, Saulus cast his gaze as far as his eyesight would allow.

“The city.”

Shaking his head a moment later, he had to cough for a bit to clear the dust that had flown into his throat. Turning his sight towards the settlement the two of them neared, Saulus suddenly pulled back his mount, quickly decelerating to a calm step.

“I will have to move both legions. I can’t just sneak my way in, no matter how much easier that would be.”

Saulus was a simple soldier no more. Various medals decorating his breast were the best proof of that. As much as he despised it, the young man had no other choice but to play by the rules of the game.

That was also the main reason behind slowing down. Even though every minute counted now, Saulus couldn’t just parade into the city right off the road!

Soon, the true nightmare of being an official began. Stepping through the gate, he assumed the look of the mighty general he was. But instead of looking high above the heads of the common guards, Saulus preferred a more human approach.

“How is the service, soldier?”

Jumping down from his horse right in front of the guard, Saulus still made sure to flash his insignia. An effortless act that could potentially prevent the inexperienced soldier from throwing himself against his own general.

“Day like every other day, chief. Nothing extraordinary has happened since your departure, sir!”

Smashing his fist against his forehead, the relatively young man saluted to the highest officer of the local legions. Even though there was no strict subordinate reaction between the two of them, this simple city guard didn’t dare take meeting with the legend casually. And Saulus was respectful towards the officers of all formations.

“Good. Ring the bell, for I have returned. Additionally, send word to the camps. I need them to enact the fourth procedure.”

Hearing the words of his general, no matter how inexperienced he was, the young guard whitened. His face instantly drained all the color away, indicating how even this simple young soldier could understand the importance of this order.

“Right away, sir.”

Saving all the doubts and questions to himself, the soldier saluted once again before leaving with a grave look on his face. It wasn’t common for the legion’s commander to invoke the general orders. Thankfully, in Saulus’s army, discipline reigned supreme. And that poor city guard had to be aware of this fact.

“We need to move as well.”

Turning his head, Saulus informed Rylas while throwing a saddle on top of a fresh horse. Jumping on top of his mount, he accepted a coat made out of gryphon’s fur, which Rylas passed to him. Even though nowadays these animals were rare, no matter how old their skin was, it was said to remain forever in a peak state. This was the only reason for a general from a backwards household like Retesia to afford the cost of owning one.

With both of them ready, Saulus didn’t dare waste any more time. While it would take time for the word to spread and pull all the loyal legionaries to the camp, he still had to take part in the makeshift parade… It all started when a random passerby, a serf carrying a stack of wood to a nearby market, saw Saulus’s coat. There wasn’t any need to confirm that serf’s guess by looking at the general’s face, as there was only one person in the entire country privy to wearing this exact piece of clothing!

“Hooray!”

“Long live general!”

“The general has returned!”

The shouts only grew in intensity and volume as the pair of veterans rode through the main street of the city. More people shouting meant more people noticing something was happening. This in turn led to even more people shouting and the vicious circle quickly turning the entire city into a mess. With citizens coming out of their houses and workshops, the main street quickly turned into a voluntary parade that Saulus had no way of avoiding.

Several mothers reached out with their kids on their outstretched hands, asking for the general’s blessing. Nodding his head to the people that came to celebrate his return, Saulus couldn’t stop his smile from turning bitter.

For Firstborns’ sake, what kind of a blessing can a soldier like me give? A sudden wave of doubt shrouded Saulus’s face, clearly putting the general in a foul mood. The current situation was the perfect outcome of many years of scheming against the patriarch. Yet, Saulus always felt the sting on his soul because of the methods he often used and how they would lead to many tragedies that his desired result would require in sacrifice.

“General brought bad news!”

It didn’t take long for someone in the crowd to notice this abrupt change of Saulus’s expression. It took even less time for this new information to spread.

Although revealing his feelings like that was a fatal mistake, in this current situation, it thankfully didn’t matter all that much. Soon enough, everyone would know what the reason was behind the young general’s visit to the city anyway.

Wasting over two hours on forcing their way through the crowded main road of the city seemed like a great loss, but it was something that Saulus learned to accept. When managing huge groups of people in the field, nothing would happen on time. Growing mature enough to accept the reality of the constant delays was the absolute baseline for anyone aspiring to be a commander, not to speak about becoming a general.

“Capital is great and all, but nothing beats returning home.”

In contrast to how stiff and clearly anxious Rylas was during the unofficial parade, once the duo crossed the border of the camp, his disposition changed. Before Saulus could react to his words in any way, the first officer was already running towards the signaling tower to make sure the bells were rung.

A moment later, Rylas appeared back in front of his superior, saluting by smashing his fist against the side of his forehead.

“Sir, the first legion is fully present, the second legion is still gathering.”

That was to be expected. The first legion was the only officially recognized army in Saulus’s hands. As such, it was made out of veterans alone. With that said, it was no surprise that the second legion, populated mostly by fresh recruits, would fall behind their preceding unit.

Thankfully, he never expected for the entire army to gather so fast.

“Good. Announce my arrival. I’m their general, even if passing them bad news is a sour pill for me to swallow.”