Moral Stand (Aether’s Revival Book 7)

Through weeks of routine patrols, they were attacked only once by a bane beast swarm. Bane rabbits weren’t the cute cuddle-bunnies most might think of; instead, they were rage-filled beasts. Bone spikes dotted their joints, and their teeth were razor sharp. What made this fight particularly problematic was the sheer number of them.

When the last bane rabbit had finally fallen, several men sported various injuries with one needing salve to close the hole in his cheek. None of them died, and they were again thankful for their magi knowing where and when they were going to be attacked. Some of their coats needed to be patched, but not badly enough to deprive them of their cold-weather gear.

Gregory collected the carcasses, counting as he went. Fifty rabbits would be too much for either butcher to handle alone, so he’d split it over the two towns. He’d use half of the cores to infuse the jerky, and keep the other half.

The bane rabbit attack was the only problem they had during their patrols. The injured man had healed up, thankful to be able to eat again and not be on liquids and soft foods forever. They’d be reaching Icelake tomorrow, and the entire unit was looking forward to hot baths.

~*~*~

Gregory considered what the future was going to be— he had a couple of paths to take that wouldn’t mean a slaughter. The fact that today might be a bloodbath still made him sad. There was nothing he could do about the confrontation coming, but he could plan for what happened after.

When breakfast ended, he called his officers to him. The men were getting ready for the Peaceful Fist, but they paid attention to what was happening; Gregory only called meetings right after breakfast when there was going to be an attack.

“What’s the future tell you, sir?” Davis asked.

“Eurtiks… angry eurtiks…” Gregory said softly. “Their village was raided recently. They’ve been looking for the slavers, but instead, they’ll find us. There’s a chance we don’t end up slaughtering them, but I’ll need you to make sure the men hold firm. A few of the eurtik get very belligerent while I’m talking to the leader of the band.”

“The men will hold, sir,” Milton said.

“They’ve dealt with a lot. They’ll be fine,” Townson agreed.

“It’s not directed at them,” Gregory corrected. “Their comments are directed fully at me.”

“I’ll keep a firm hand on my men, sir,” Glasson said. “They’d be the most likely to respond to that.”

“Mine wouldn’t be far behind,” Bunson added.

“Thank you,” Gregory told the two sergeants. “Donald, stones get thrown at your men. That’s the main reason things go badly. Let them know that, as long as they angle slightly, it won’t hurt them at all.”

“Yes, sir,” Howard Donald nodded.

“My talk should defuse the situation, but even that isn’t clear cut… it gives me a chance to do something I was going to do at the end of the year. Say your goodbyes to Thera— I’ll be breaking her rune to show my intentions.”

All six men went still before Davis asked, “You mean to kill her… or set her free, sir?”

“Kill her?! What?! No! The other one!” Gregory said, shocked.

“Is that possible, sir…?” Glasson asked softly, his eyes wide.

“Yes. It isn’t talked about, but one of Lighthand’s journals covered how to do it. The men need to understand that she ‘dies.’ After today, the story is that she grabbed her rune during our scuffle with the eurtik who will have attacked, then broke and fled. We didn’t chase them— I took an arrow that made us stop long enough that they got away.”

The six men shared a glance. “Sir, we’re behind you,” Davis told him. “You know that doing this is treason, right?”

Gregory met Davis’ eyes, then shook his head. “No, it’s not. There’s no law saying that freeing a slave is a crime. It’s only a crime for them to be free in the empire. I’ve studied the laws extensively. People who have freed slaves are ostracized and shunned. In cases of the army, any commander is soon removed from command or sent on a suicide mission. That’s why the practice stopped. Eurtik used to be able to earn their freedom, normally through valorous action, like saving the magi’s life.”

“It doesn’t matter if it is treason or not,” Glasson said. “He’s kept us alive and shown us that we aren’t disposable. Never heard of a magi like Gregory before we met him. Sir, even if you march on the capital, I’m with you, as are my men.”

The others voiced their support as well, leaving just Davis as the only one who hadn’t spoken. Davis exhaled, shaking his head. “We’re all mad… you know that, right? I never thought I’d see the day when a full unit would state they’d stand behind their magi over even the divine.” Davis drew himself up, standing to attention as he saluted. “Sir, we are yours to command.” His other hand came up to tap his medallion. “Honor, duty, death, sir. Our honor is our duty, and our duty is guarding your life, even if it means our deaths, sir.”

Gregory closed his eyes— his resonance had told him how solid his men were as they spoke. “I will do my best to ensure that we all see old age. Today marks one of the many things that will cause us problems in the north. Thank you for believing in me.”

“Honor, duty, death,” the five sergeants said in unison, having come to attention.

A much louder echo followed them, making Gregory look at the unit. Everyone, even Barny, Dot, Polka, and surprisingly, Thera, had all come to attention. Swallowing back the emotion he felt, Gregory stood tall as he saluted his officers, then his men.

“No Peaceful Fist today,” Gregory said. “Your sergeants will explain why. Thera, a moment, please?”

Thera came his way at a fast walk while the officers dispersed. “Gregory? Did I do something wrong?”

Gregory summoned two chairs. “Sit, please, and no, you did nothing wrong.”

Thera took a seat. Her face was scrunched up, trying to place why she’d been called over.

“One of the reasons I bought your rune from Chainer was to do something specific… I wasn’t going to broach this until it was time for us to leave the area, but today affords an opportunity.”

Thera felt worry start to grow in her chest.

“We’re going to be beset by eurtik looking for the slavers who raided their village.”

Thera bowed her head. “Oh no…”

“A few people get injured, but there’s the chance no one dies today. Moreover, no one needs to be enslaved, either.”

Thera’s head snapped up. She’d known Gregory was opposed to slavery, but how could he not enslave those who attacked him if he didn’t kill them?

“I want you with me when I talk to the leader of their group. I’m going to break your rune to show my intentions to him.”

Thera’s mouth opened soundlessly, the words hanging in her mind.

“You’ll be free to go back north, to be reunited with your family. I want you to go. You should never have been enslaved. None of the eurtik should be, but you, specifically. You came to save your sister— family is precious. Go home, reclaim your life, and live the life your sister would’ve wanted you to have.”

“W-what?” Thera was confused; the hope of being free was too much. She couldn’t believe he was being serious. Even Gregory couldn’t possibly mean to go so far as to free her. It would end his rise as a magi if it ever came out.

“I’m going to free you to prove my intentions.”

“No!” Thera said, her eyes wide. “You’ll be broken if you do this. You can’t throw away the good you do, just for me.”

Gregory held up a hand, waiting for her to calm enough so he could talk. “You’ll ‘die’ today…” He went on to explain his plan to her.

Thera was still worried, but she bowed her head. “Very well, Gregory. I’ll pray to Aether that you’re right. You’re a bright spot in the darkness of the empire. I would rather die a thousand times than for me to be the reason you’re snuffed out.”

“Thank you, Thera. Go say your goodbyes to the sisters and gather your personal things. Put them in the wagon so you can take them later.”

Thera stood, then bowed deeply to him. “I’ll tell my family. Your name will be known, Gregory Pettit.”

“I’ll just be happy to see you free.”

Thera hurried away, leaving Gregory sitting there.

“Greg, may I?” Rafiq asked, taking a seat.

“Always, Rafiq. What can I do for you?”

“I am requesting to ride in the wagon,” Rafiq said seriously. “I do not feel well, and as such, I doubt I’ll be able to record today’s events.”

Gregory blinked at Rafiq for a few seconds before he bowed from his seat. “Thank you. We’ll move things around.”

Rafiq stood up, grabbing Gregory’s shoulder. “Sarinia is right about you. What you do today is something I never thought I would see in my lifetime. I will pray all day that you can do this again on a far grander scale in the future.”

Gregory closed his eyes, swallowing the lump in his throat. He just nodded, unable to form the words of gratitude he felt. He coughed, his voice rough, “Ask the other three to come here, please?”

Barny, Polka, and Dot went over to him a minute later. Gregory gave them all a strained smile, which they returned with bright smiles of their own.

“You’re really going to free her, sir?” Barny asked.

“Yes. I asked you three to come over here so I could offer—”

“No,” Dot cut him off firmly.

“Dot, I—”

“No, sir. I promised Basal. I’ll not be freed and lose out on loving him in a few years. I might be a slave, but my rune is held by you. If I must be a slave, at least it’s to the man who would see me as a person. Please don’t break my rune and make me go north.”

Gregory stared at the impassioned woman, trying to find the words to argue with her.

“Sir, I’m with my sister,” Polka said. “The idea of being free terrifies me, honestly. I’ve come to appreciate being here, where I’m cared for and given more than most slaves will ever know. You even let Barny and I have a relationship. Please don’t break my rune, sir.”

“I get to cook, have someone I care about, and you make sure I’m safe. I’ll decline,” Barny added.

Gregory stared at the trio of eurtiks, confused, but also touched. “I… okay. I will never let your rune pass to another unless you ask me to do so. You’ve given me your lives to safeguard, and I’ll do my very best to manage that.”

They all bowed to him.

Gregory exhaled as he stood up. “Go say your goodbyes to Thera. She was only with us for a short time, but I know she called you all friends.”