Chapter 01: The Scarlet Moon Empire
“There they go! You ready, Tir?!”
Tir, sitting on one of the rocks scattered about the meadow, smelling how the wind and the grass mixed together, raised his face towards the voice that leapt out at him from the forest a little ways away.
“You bet I am!”
Tir stood as he answered, retying his green bandana around his head, grasping tight a black staff as tall as himself. Trampling the grass underneath, he stood and readied his breathing.
“Look, look! There they are!”
The voice in the woods grew closer.He tightened his grip on the staff. His heart raced. Thinking to himself, ‘I’ll definitely bring one down, I definitely will…’, Tir faced the dense woods.
“Go!!”
Just as he shouted, several wild rabbits came leaping out of the thicket, scattering leaves. Tir began to run nimbly, his black hair and red clothes swaying, and as he closed the gap between them, took aim at the closest rabbit. As the wild rabbit drew near, the rustle of its movement in the grass became audible.
“Hah!”
Tir grasped the staff in his left hand and quickly swung it. With a whoosh, a sound so sharp one might think they could hear it cut the very air itself, he sent the pliant staff flying out in front of him. The shock of impact shot through his arm and a gray mass of rabbit was sent tumbling back into the thicket. He stopped, and in a minute would check the thicket for signs of life. The rabbit wouldn’t be able to escape from that thicket.
“All right! We did it!”, Tir yelled loudly, without thinking.
Then he took a deep breath, facing the sky with eyes closed. The rays of the sun basked his face in warmth. Perhaps because he had chased these rabbits with all his might, or perhaps he was simply thinking to himself about what he had accomplished. Tir suddenly turned to look at the imperial capital, Gregminster, which towered beyond the meadow. Doing so brought to mind how the decision to do this hunt today had come about. This was a very special day for Tir. Because once it was evening, he’d be able to accompany his father to have an audience with the Scarlet Moon Empire emperor. Tir knew all about Emperor Barbarossa Rugner - his bravery for the nation, his confidence and skill at politics because his father, Teo McDohl, was the general of the Imperial Forces.
Every time Tir had heard stories about the emperor from his father, he had always thought he’d like to meet the emperor just once. And today that wish would come true! Just thinking about it made his heart race. But not just with happiness… because the original point of today’s audience was Teo’s official appointment to defend the northern region. His father, the only one he held in higher esteem than the emperor, had only just returned, but tomorrow would once again depart. He had thought about what he wanted to do to congratulate his father. Whereupon his best friend Ted had said, “We’re gonna celebrate your first audience with the emperor and pray for Lord Teo’s safety, so we’re definitely having a feast tonight!”
And so Tir and Ted had come to the forest on the outskirts of Gregminster to hunt for food for the feast. Tir had first met Ted about two years ago. Ted lost his parents seven years ago in the Succession Wars and had wandered from place to place as a war orphan. Teo, who had been departing for the front, had adopted him and brought him back to Gregminster. Ted had refused to live in Teo’s mansion, so he was given a small house in the neighborhood, where he began to live. The reason he gave for his refusal was that he had suffered an injury during the war that left burn scars on his right hand which he didn’t want other people to see. Aside from the leather glove he always wore to cover his right hand, Ted was a very ordinary and exceptionally cheerful young lad and so soon became good friends with the brother-less Tir.
Because he had seen so many places and experienced so many things, he had also learned many things. They were both fourteen and before they knew it they found they had become the best of friends. At the rustle of something pushing its way through the grass, Tir returned to his senses. Just as Tir thought he glimpsed a green vest through the foliage, Ted, the owner of the voice that had chased the rabbits through the woods earlier came out of the thicket and towards the meadow.
“Get over here, Ted!”
“Didja do it?”
Ted’s light brown eyes lit up at the sound of excitement in Tir’s voice and he came running over, leaves still sitting in his chestnut-brown hair. Tir pushed his way through the grass with his staff and showed Ted the rabbit he had just brought down.
“I was right on the mark! Look, there it is!”
“Awesome, it’s huge!”
Ted shouted with glee as he lifted the fat, plump body, holding it by the ears.
“Just as you’d expect from the son of the invincible General Teo. You’re the best with the staff there is!”
“Oh, knock it off! That’s too much. I can’t even begin to compare to father.”
It embarrassed him for some reason, so Tir unconsciously avoided comparing himself to his father.
“It’s all thanks to you chasing the rabbit to such a good spot. This victory is both of ours!”
“Heheh, that’s for sure!”
They exchanged glances.
“We’re dinin’ fine on rabbit stew tonight!”
“Rabbit’s not bad roasted whole, either!
‘Cuz it’s freshly caught, it’s gonna taste great!”
“Man, I can’t wait to eat it!”
Ted made a show of licking his lips, making Tir laugh. His laughter was infectious, and for a little while the meadow echoed with the cheerful sound of their laughter. That was when everything went wrong.
“Huh?”
Tir stared at Ted blankly. The feet of the rabbit hanging in Ted’s grasp twitched. Ted looked at Tir, puzzled.
“Tir, you didn’t—”
Twitch.
“Ahh!!”
The rabbit suddenly began to struggle, kicked Ted in the chest with its hind legs, shook free of his grasp, and took off like a shot towards the forest.* Ted took the hit from the revived rabbit and was so surprised at the ferocity of the attack that he was sent sprawling on his butt and into the grass.
Dumbfounded, Tir watched the gray furball disappear off into the forest. And so things were completely turned around. Tir sighed and stared at the ground.
“What the hell was that about, Tir?!”
Ted’s voice floated over at the level of Tir’s feet. Tir turned and helped Ted up, scratching his head through his bandana in puzzlement.
“Huh. That’s weird… I aimed for its vitals correctly, so it should have worked…”
Tir had previously taken lessons in bojutsu, the art of the staff, from an elderly man named Kai. As might be expected from General Teo’s son, he picked it up quickly, hungrily learning everything from the basics to the secret techniques.
“You say you hit it in its vitals, but I guess rabbits and humans are totally different, huh? Either way, it’s pointless unless you strike the final blow, right?”
Tir didn’t notice until Ted said it. When he confirmed the rabbit was down, he hadn’t struck the final blow. No, he hadn’t be able to do it. Tir sighed once again.
“Yeah… you really are kind in the strangest ways. Well, there’s nothin’ wrong with that, but…” Ted looked at the forest.
“Aw, tonight’s fine feast… our rabbit stew…”
“Don’t blame yourself, Ted. It’s all my fault. Yeesh…”
Dejected, Tir didn’t say any more.
They’d worked so hard, thinking they could make father and everyone happy, but…
“Well, can’t be helped, yeah? We’ll just catch ourselves another. But are you doin’ okay on time?”
He clapped Tir’s shoulder as if to comfort him, and jerked his own chin towards the sky. Tir looked up at the sky and the sun that had risen high into it without his noticing.
“If you don’t hurry up and get back, you’re gonna be late for your audience with the emperor.”
“Woah, you’re right! Sorry Ted, I’ll head back to the mansion before you!”
“All right. I guess it’d just be payback - an added bonus - for me if you’re late,
but as a rule, it’s a bad idea to keep Lord Teo waiting.”
“Now there’s a ‘bonus’ I don’t need!”, Tir said, grinning.
“What are you gonna do, Ted?”
“I’ll take my time heading back. See ya, Tir!”
Ted flashed a smile at Tir.
“Hey, I’ve never wanted anything more in my whole life. After you get back from the audience, tell me all about it! You’ll do it, right?”
“Yeah, I said I would!”
“Just wanted to make sure. I’m looking forward to it, you know!
The two crossed clenched fists in farewell and Tir raced back to Gregminster. Tir’s chest swelled in anticipation of today’s big event - the Emperor awaited him in the castle! Tir ran through the meadow for some time, and finally arrived at the castle walls surrounding the imperial capital, Gregminster. Gregminster was a large town, encompassing both the castle and the castle town. Shops stood along the road that cut through the center of the town and the houses of those who worked in the castle and the town clustered together along the side streets. The main road ran straight through the gardens and over the moat to the towering castle itself. The castle was so large, you could even see it over the city walls from outside of town. Once a month, a huge market was held in the town’s central park, and today just happened to be that day. Tir slipped past the city walls and into the street crowded with people, turned at the corner before the park, and dove towards the stone mansion that stood at the side of the castle moat. Next to the the entrance was an elm tree. Tir stood beneath it and looked up at the sky, checking the time. The sun was no longer full in the sky; the shadows of the townspeople and the buildings had begun to grow longer.
“This is bad!”
Slightly flustered, Tir opened the mansion door.
“Ahh! Young Master! Where in the world WHERE you?!”
Gremio greeted Tir with something like a shriek. Three soldiers roomed free-of-charge at Tir’s house - that is, at Teo’s mansion. Gremio was one of them.
He was a slender, blonde, gentle and sensitive man whose specialty was making stew, but when called to battle, he turned into an axe-wielding warrior. Perhaps his gentle nature came from the fact that it was he who had watched over and cared for Tir when, as a child, he lost his mother to an illness.
“Uh, well, I…” Tir mumbled. It was a secret from everyone that he and Ted had gone hunting together.
“Don’t you mumble at me! If you don’t hurry, you won’t make it in time for your audience! Lord Teo is already ready to go. Hurry up, Young Master! Go on!”
“Okay, okay, I get it, Gremio!”
While speaking, Tir obediently went up to the second floor. Though it made him uneasy that Gremio still treated him like a child, every time he saw the scar on Gremio’s cheek that he’d gotten protecting Tir, he could never find it in his heart to oppose Gremio. Tir ran to the end of the hallway and paused in front of his room. Just as placed his hand on the doorknob, a deep, calm voice rumbled behind him.
“You’re back, Tir?”
Tir turned and his field of vision was filled with none other than the master of the house, Teo. The military fame he’d gained in the Succession Wars as a loyal retainer to the emperor had made Teo one of the five Imperial Generals under Emperor Barbarossa. Tir, still young at the time, may not have actually ever seen his father in action, but he still held great pride in his father’s accomplishments and necessity to the Empire.
“Sorry, dad, I had to take care of an errand… I’ll be ready in a minute so just hold on!”
All of a sudden, Tir remembered Ted’s words: ‘Lord Teo isn’t someone you keep waiting!’ and, flustered, turned the doorknob.
“How you are now will have to do. The Emperor may be strict, but there’s no need to fear him. He’s got more to worry about than the way you’re dressed.”
Teo didn’t usually wear his armor around the house, but today, for the occasion of an audience with an emperor, he was clad in brilliant silver armor. Moving effortlessly in his heavy-looking armor, Teo placed his hand on his bewildered son’s head.
“It’s fine to let him see you as you always are. Look, just this is preparation enough.”
Teo picked off some grass that had been stuck to Tir’s bandana and let the wind outside the window at the end of the hallway take it. Looking down at Tir, he grinned.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Yes, sir!”
Teo descended the staircase, his amber cape billowing. Tir followed after him, his heart leaping so much over his audience at the castle that he had already forgotten his error during the hunt. Gremio saw them off and Tir and Teo went out into the town together.
The market tents set up in the park and alleyways fluttered in the evening breeze and the fountain in the center of the park sparkled in the sunlight. It certainly was a bustling castle town at the moment, but up until a few years it had been nothing but a pile of ruins thanks to the war. Right now he was going to have an audience with the very emperor that had rebuilt this town so splendidly. Tir’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding. What if the emperor spoke to him? What would he say in reply? His head was filled with such thoughts.
They crossed the drawbridge stretching over the moat and passed through the meticulously maintained castle gardens. People turned their heads to stare or stole sidelong glances at the famous Teo. They entered the hall on the first floor and a servant wearing gorgeous clothes greeted them.
“Hello, Lord Teo. We’ve been expecting you. His Majesty is already in the audience chamber. This way, please…”
Climbing the staircase, Tir felt like he was climbing to the heavens. A huge door came into view at the top of the stairs. The door, adorned with extravagant carvings, slowly opened. There he was, at the end of a long red carpet spread across the floor of the hall. The Golden Emperor who founded the Red Moon Empire, Barbarossa Rugner.
“I hope you are in good health, Your Majesty.”
Teo, who had entered the room ahead of Tir, kneeled respectfully. Flustered, Tir did the same.
“Good of you to come, Teo. We last met at your departure half a year ago.”
Barbarossa’s voice echoed through the hall.
Tir was more than a little surprised when he heard his voice. The emperor’s voice, even deeper than his father’s, calmed Tir. Tir had never heard a voice with such presence before.
His appearance was just as Teo’s stories had described and put his voice to shame. His eyes, set in his finely chiseled features, gleamed with a prodigious light and the moustache above his lip and his beard brimmed with majesty. Tir saw Barbarossa was wearing the gold armor that had earned him the name ‘Golden Emperor’ and was overwhelmed by the magnificence of his personage.
Tir had advanced towards the throne and knelt with Teo, fidgeting slightly, his body strained to the point of bursting by his nerves. Last night Gremio had told Tir that those who weren’t exchanging words with the emperor must remain kneeling, so, still kneeling, Tir lifted his head.
“How are you, Teo? Have things not changed since then?”
“No, sir. We’re still the same as when we fought together in the Succession War - neither our swords nor our armies have grown rusty.”
“Promising words. Don’t you agree, Windy?”
Windy was the name of the Court Magician employed by the Empire. It was rumored that Windy had won Barbarossa’s favor due to her resemblance to his late wife, Claudia.
From the left-hand side of the throne, a woman’s voice rang out clear as a bell.
“Yes. Words just as one would expect from a great general.”
Tir raised his head and stole a glance at the woman named Windy. She was achingly beautiful.
Teo and Barbarossa resumed their conversation.
“Teo, you are aware of the unrest growing in the north.”
“We’ve received information that the Jowston City-States are actively amassing troops. It seems certain they intend to invade our territory.”
“Indeed. How about it, Teo? Will you accept your summons to the north? If you go, our enemies will think twice before carelessly attacking us.”
“You speak too highly of me… thank you, sir.”
“My beloved sword Prakk has protected me with its good fortune on countless occasions. I bequeath it to you. Carry it with you.”
“This is too great an honor, sir… I will, without fail, live up to Your Majesty’s expectations.”
So saying, Teo rose and went to Barbarossa’s side. Suddenly, Tir’s heart was filled with a feeling of hopelessness. Father accepting His Majesty’s command meant the audience was drawing to an end. He’d stayed kneeling the whole time, but His Majesty hadn’t said a single word to him. But then…
“Teo, who is this?”, Barbarossa’s voice rumbled.
“This is my son, Tir McDohl. He’s still a mischievous kid, but I hope that someday he’ll be of use to Your Majesty, so I brought him along.”
Teo’s words stunned Tir. What was he saying?!
“Well met. Raise your head, Tir.”
Following His Majesty’s orders, Tir timidly raised his head.
“Hoho! What a fine countenance. I’d expect no less from Teo’s son.” Barbarossa smiled.
“Y-yes, sir, I’m much obliged, sir…”
“What do you say? While Teo’s away protecting the northern regions, will you lend me your strength and protect the Empire in your father’s stead?”
“O-of course, it would be an honor!”
“Perfect. We’re in need of an Imperial Guard. How about starting tomorrow?”
Tir was so happy he could hardly speak. Just the honor of His Majesty speaking to him alone would have made him happy enough - he had never expected to be invited to join the Imperial Guard and become one of the emperor’s personal bodyguards!
“What a cute young man. He must be nervous in front of you, Your Majesty.”
Windy stepped in and saved Tir, who had been stunned into silence. He had been determined not to be nervous, but for some reason his body had frozen up so he couldn’t speak. He knew it was disgraceful, but he had been so caught up thinking about being unable to say anything in reply that no words had come out.
“Tir? How about it?”
When Tir turned and saw his father’s smiling face, his nerves finally unwound. Tir straightened his back and, although they were the very same words father had just uttered, said to the Emperor:
“Y-yes sir! Without fail, I will live up to your Majesty’s expectations!
“I expect just as great achievements from you as your father.”
Teo bowed deeply to Barbarossa, who was smiling in apparent satisfaction.
“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. Now I can head north without worrying.”
“Indeed. Come back safely, Teo!”
With those words, the audience ended.
Tir followed his father out of the audience chamber.
He was so happy he didn’t even remember where they walked after that as they returned to the mansion.
“W-welcome back, Young Master!”
Hearing Gremio’s worried voice greet them at the entrance, Tir finally returned to his senses.
“H-h-how was it? Did everything go well? You didn’t make any mistakes in front of His Majesty, did you? Ohh, I’ve been so worried!”
Since he was too embarrassed to tell Gremio that he had been stiff from nervousness and wasn’t able to utter a word, Tir just vaguely replied, “Well, yeah… it went okay, you know?”
Behind him, Teo grinned happily.
“Sheesh, Gremio, you’re obsessed with Tir.”
Startled, Gremio turned his head.
“You’re here too, Lord Teo?!”
“Yes, I am!” Teo replied, astonished.
“At any rate, I’ll be leaving Tir in your care again, Gremio.”
“Uh… yes, of course, but why the sudden formality?”
To Gremio, who didn’t understand the meaning behind Teo’s words, Tir said:
“Listen to this, Gremio! At the audience with the Emperor, I was chosen to be in the Imperial Guard! Isn’t that awesome?!”
“What?! Really?! So all our our hard work taking care of you has paid off… Of course, we’ll face any trials from here on out together as well. We’ll go with you! Won’t that be nice?”
“Huh? But, uh…”
“It’s fine, Tir”, Teo said with a smile and began climbing the stairs.
“You still need their help. We’ll just inform your commanding officer that your three servants are also joining the Imperial Guard.”
“The Young Master is safe in my hands, Lord Teo! I’ll protect the him with my life!
Gremio saluted Teo’s retreating figure. But Tir pouted.
“Yeesh, Gremio’s such a busybody….”
The truth was, until this moment, Tir had been thinking that doing an amazing job at being an Imperial Guard all by himself would prove to Gremio that he wasn’t a child any more. Tir rolled his eyes as he looked at Gremio. Then he noticed that Gremio was holding a large ladle.
“Gremio!” Tir cried in reflex.
“Y-yes, Young Master?!”
“What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Stew, but wh-… oh my! The stew!”
Gremio dashed to the kitchen as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Standing there talking, he had completely forgotten about the stew.
Thinking Gremio could handle the cooking and that he’d go to his room, Tir placed his hand on the stair banister. As he did so, Gremio’s voice came floating out of the kitchen.
“Oh, that’s right, Young Master - Ted’s here!”
“What?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”
Tir flew up the stairs in a single leap and rushed to his room. The best friend he had parted ways with earlier now sat waiting on his bed with a huge grin on his face.
“Ted! You’re here!”
“Yep! Welcome back, Tir. How’d the audience go?”
“Something amazing happened!”
Tir proudly told Ted how he had been selected to join the Imperial Guard. As he was telling the story, Ted’s eyes slowly grew wider and wider in surprise and joy.
“Cool! That is so cool! This is the birth of Imperial Guard Tir McDohl! Next you gotta aim for squad leader, or even general!”
“Aw, knock it off! You’re getting ahead of yourself. It hasn’t even been decided where I’ll be assigned to yet. Plus…”
“Plus?” Ted peered into Tir’s eyes with evident interest.
“It wasn’t just me who was enlisted. Um…”
“What do you mean?”
“Gremio and the others are enlisting with me!”
“Ah, so that’s it. Hmm…”
Suddenly Ted crossed his arms solemnly and smirked at Tir.
“Hey, Tir, we’re best buddies, yeah?”
“O-of course! But you can’t - ”
Tir knew in a flash what Ted wanted to ask.
“Can’t what? Take me with you too! Come on, I’ve never wanted anything more in my whole life!”
“But…”, Tir stalled for a moment, but Gremio and Cleo were going too, after all. It didn’t matter how many people ended up going.
“All right, Ted. Let’s go together.”
“Woohoo! Now I can finally pay back Lord Teo for taking me in!”
Tir was surprised to hear him say this. Since Ted got carried away easily, Tir hadn’t thought he’d talk about anything but wanting to join the Imperial Guard. Ashamed, he realized he had misread Ted. He would say it once more to Ted. Wholeheartedly, this time.
“Let’s give it our all, Ted.”
“Yeah!”
They looked each other in the eye and bumped their fists together.
Tir’s hands were bare and Ted’s, as always, were gloved.
Then they heard Gremio’s voice call down the hallway from the dining room:
“Young Master, Ted, dinner’s ready!”
“Okay!”
They looked at each other and smiled one more time, then they dashed out of the bedroom to the dining room.
Teo and the others sat at the long table. Gremio’s special stew and freshly baked bread were laid out on top of the pure white tablecloth. Cleo, a female soldier who employed throwing daggers, turned and asked with a kind smile, “How did the audience go, Young Master?”
He had heard that in one battle she had single-handedly disposed of the countless enemy cavalry harassing her allies. But though she was a great warrior, Cleo never wore her weapons in the house, and was just like an older sister to Tir and the other two.
Next to her was the martial artist Pahn who, unable to take his eyes off the stew, exclaimed, “ooh, pulling out all the stops tonight, huh? This is makin’ my stomach rumble!” He had been a soldier on the enemy side in the Succession War but, won over by General Teo’s charm, he switched sides and has worked for Teo ever since. Though he was a man bursting with courage, he was an unbelievable glutton, and to Tir he was like a bumbling older brother.
Tir and Ted took their seats too and waited for Gremio to finish pouring the wine. At last, Gremio set the wine bottle on the table and he, too, quietly took his seat.
“Well then, Lord Teo…”
At Gremio’s words, Teo cleared his throat once and, his mouth set in a serious line, said, “Harumph. Lend me your ears, everyone. Tomorrow morning I must depart for the north. From then on, Tir will be in charge of this household.”
Teo suddenly looked at Tir, who was seated across from him. Tir sat up straighter in response. Perhaps reassured, Teo continued speaking, looking around at everyone.
“I hope everyone will work together to lend their strength to Tir. Gremio.”
“Yes, sir?”
“You’re the one who has attended to Tir since he was a child. It’s thanks to you Tir has grown so well even without his mother. You have my gratitude!”
“Oh my, that’s… I only did what anyone would do, and being able to assist the Young Master has been a real pleasure for me, so…”
Teo next turned his gaze to the two sitting across from Gremio.
“Cleo, Pahn. My son is still young. Lend him your strength and protect him for me.”
“Just leave it to us, Lord Teo!” said Pahn proudly.
“As long as I’m by his side, I bet the Young Master could even take on the monster of Toran Lake -”
“All right, that’s enough, Pahn”, Cleo butted in.
“You know there’s no such thing, don’t you? Yeesh, you get carried away so easily…”
“Hey, I was just showing Lord Teo how I’m overflowing with fighting spirit!”
“Have you forgotten that Lord Teo always say fighting spirit isn’t the only thing that wins wars?”
Pahn couldn’t argue with that.
Last, Teo turned to Ted, who was chuckling at this exchange.
“Ted, I hope you will always be good friends with Tir.”
Ted, naturally, smiled mischievously.
“Of course. That’s my plan, whether or not Tir likes it!”
Still sitting straight, Tir replied, “Yeah, of course!”
Teo smiled in satisfaction and picked up his glass.
“The food will get cold at this rate. Let’s raise our glasses.”
Seeing that everyone had taken their glass in hand, Teo said in a voice filled with dignity,
“Congratulations to my son and to the Empire!”
“Congratulations!”
Everyone emptied their glasses and an enjoyable dinner began in earnest. Words and jokes spoken between bites flew back and forth across the table. Tir carved into his heart the few words his father spoke and couldn’t help laughing at the jokes Ted and Pahn threw back and forth. Everyone’s hearts were filled with joy and their stomachs with good food. As the night deepened, the dinner came to a close.
Tir got into bed that night feeling happier than he ever had before. He was happy about joining the Imperial Guard, of course, but today he’d been reminded again just how lucky he was to live surrounded by wonderful people.
Tir slipped into a peaceful sleep holding tight his present happiness and dreaming of his new life that would begin tomorrow.
CHAPTER 01 END
Chapter 01: The Scarlet Moon Empire
“There they go! You ready, Tir?!”
Tir, sitting on one of the rocks scattered about the meadow, smelling how the wind and the grass mixed together, raised his face towards the voice that leapt out at him from the forest a little ways away.
“You bet I am!”
Tir stood as he answered, retying his green bandana around his head, grasping tight a black staff as tall as himself. Trampling the grass underneath, he stood and readied his breathing.
“Look, look! There they are!”
The voice in the woods grew closer.He tightened his grip on the staff. His heart raced. Thinking to himself, ‘I’ll definitely bring one down, I definitely will…’, Tir faced the dense woods.
“Go!!”
Just as he shouted, several wild rabbits came leaping out of the thicket, scattering leaves. Tir began to run nimbly, his black hair and red clothes swaying, and as he closed the gap between them, took aim at the closest rabbit. As the wild rabbit drew near, the rustle of its movement in the grass became audible.
“Hah!”
Tir grasped the staff in his left hand and quickly swung it. With a whoosh, a sound so sharp one might think they could hear it cut the very air itself, he sent the pliant staff flying out in front of him. The shock of impact shot through his arm and a gray mass of rabbit was sent tumbling back into the thicket. He stopped, and in a minute would check the thicket for signs of life. The rabbit wouldn’t be able to escape from that thicket.
“All right! We did it!”, Tir yelled loudly, without thinking.
Then he took a deep breath, facing the sky with eyes closed. The rays of the sun basked his face in warmth. Perhaps because he had chased these rabbits with all his might, or perhaps he was simply thinking to himself about what he had accomplished. Tir suddenly turned to look at the imperial capital, Gregminster, which towered beyond the meadow. Doing so brought to mind how the decision to do this hunt today had come about. This was a very special day for Tir. Because once it was evening, he’d be able to accompany his father to have an audience with the Scarlet Moon Empire emperor. Tir knew all about Emperor Barbarossa Rugner - his bravery for the nation, his confidence and skill at politics because his father, Teo McDohl, was the general of the Imperial Forces.
Every time Tir had heard stories about the emperor from his father, he had always thought he’d like to meet the emperor just once. And today that wish would come true! Just thinking about it made his heart race. But not just with happiness… because the original point of today’s audience was Teo’s official appointment to defend the northern region. His father, the only one he held in higher esteem than the emperor, had only just returned, but tomorrow would once again depart. He had thought about what he wanted to do to congratulate his father. Whereupon his best friend Ted had said, “We’re gonna celebrate your first audience with the emperor and pray for Lord Teo’s safety, so we’re definitely having a feast tonight!”
And so Tir and Ted had come to the forest on the outskirts of Gregminster to hunt for food for the feast. Tir had first met Ted about two years ago. Ted lost his parents seven years ago in the Succession Wars and had wandered from place to place as a war orphan. Teo, who had been departing for the front, had adopted him and brought him back to Gregminster. Ted had refused to live in Teo’s mansion, so he was given a small house in the neighborhood, where he began to live. The reason he gave for his refusal was that he had suffered an injury during the war that left burn scars on his right hand which he didn’t want other people to see. Aside from the leather glove he always wore to cover his right hand, Ted was a very ordinary and exceptionally cheerful young lad and so soon became good friends with the brother-less Tir.
Because he had seen so many places and experienced so many things, he had also learned many things. They were both fourteen and before they knew it they found they had become the best of friends. At the rustle of something pushing its way through the grass, Tir returned to his senses. Just as Tir thought he glimpsed a green vest through the foliage, Ted, the owner of the voice that had chased the rabbits through the woods earlier came out of the thicket and towards the meadow.
“Get over here, Ted!”
“Didja do it?”
Ted’s light brown eyes lit up at the sound of excitement in Tir’s voice and he came running over, leaves still sitting in his chestnut-brown hair. Tir pushed his way through the grass with his staff and showed Ted the rabbit he had just brought down.
“I was right on the mark! Look, there it is!”
“Awesome, it’s huge!”
Ted shouted with glee as he lifted the fat, plump body, holding it by the ears.
“Just as you’d expect from the son of the invincible General Teo. You’re the best with the staff there is!”
“Oh, knock it off! That’s too much. I can’t even begin to compare to father.”
It embarrassed him for some reason, so Tir unconsciously avoided comparing himself to his father.
“It’s all thanks to you chasing the rabbit to such a good spot. This victory is both of ours!”
“Heheh, that’s for sure!”
They exchanged glances.
“We’re dinin’ fine on rabbit stew tonight!”
“Rabbit’s not bad roasted whole, either!
‘Cuz it’s freshly caught, it’s gonna taste great!”
“Man, I can’t wait to eat it!”
Ted made a show of licking his lips, making Tir laugh. His laughter was infectious, and for a little while the meadow echoed with the cheerful sound of their laughter. That was when everything went wrong.
“Huh?”
Tir stared at Ted blankly. The feet of the rabbit hanging in Ted’s grasp twitched. Ted looked at Tir, puzzled.
“Tir, you didn’t—”
Twitch.
“Ahh!!”
The rabbit suddenly began to struggle, kicked Ted in the chest with its hind legs, shook free of his grasp, and took off like a shot towards the forest.* Ted took the hit from the revived rabbit and was so surprised at the ferocity of the attack that he was sent sprawling on his butt and into the grass.
Dumbfounded, Tir watched the gray furball disappear off into the forest. And so things were completely turned around. Tir sighed and stared at the ground.
“What the hell was that about, Tir?!”
Ted’s voice floated over at the level of Tir’s feet. Tir turned and helped Ted up, scratching his head through his bandana in puzzlement.
“Huh. That’s weird… I aimed for its vitals correctly, so it should have worked…”
Tir had previously taken lessons in bojutsu, the art of the staff, from an elderly man named Kai. As might be expected from General Teo’s son, he picked it up quickly, hungrily learning everything from the basics to the secret techniques.
“You say you hit it in its vitals, but I guess rabbits and humans are totally different, huh? Either way, it’s pointless unless you strike the final blow, right?”
Tir didn’t notice until Ted said it. When he confirmed the rabbit was down, he hadn’t struck the final blow. No, he hadn’t be able to do it. Tir sighed once again.
“Yeah… you really are kind in the strangest ways. Well, there’s nothin’ wrong with that, but…” Ted looked at the forest.
“Aw, tonight’s fine feast… our rabbit stew…”
“Don’t blame yourself, Ted. It’s all my fault. Yeesh…”
Dejected, Tir didn’t say any more.
They’d worked so hard, thinking they could make father and everyone happy, but…
“Well, can’t be helped, yeah? We’ll just catch ourselves another. But are you doin’ okay on time?”
He clapped Tir’s shoulder as if to comfort him, and jerked his own chin towards the sky. Tir looked up at the sky and the sun that had risen high into it without his noticing.
“If you don’t hurry up and get back, you’re gonna be late for your audience with the emperor.”
“Woah, you’re right! Sorry Ted, I’ll head back to the mansion before you!”
“All right. I guess it’d just be payback - an added bonus - for me if you’re late,
but as a rule, it’s a bad idea to keep Lord Teo waiting.”
“Now there’s a ‘bonus’ I don’t need!”, Tir said, grinning.
“What are you gonna do, Ted?”
“I’ll take my time heading back. See ya, Tir!”
Ted flashed a smile at Tir.
“Hey, I’ve never wanted anything more in my whole life. After you get back from the audience, tell me all about it! You’ll do it, right?”
“Yeah, I said I would!”
“Just wanted to make sure. I’m looking forward to it, you know!
The two crossed clenched fists in farewell and Tir raced back to Gregminster. Tir’s chest swelled in anticipation of today’s big event - the Emperor awaited him in the castle! Tir ran through the meadow for some time, and finally arrived at the castle walls surrounding the imperial capital, Gregminster. Gregminster was a large town, encompassing both the castle and the castle town. Shops stood along the road that cut through the center of the town and the houses of those who worked in the castle and the town clustered together along the side streets. The main road ran straight through the gardens and over the moat to the towering castle itself. The castle was so large, you could even see it over the city walls from outside of town. Once a month, a huge market was held in the town’s central park, and today just happened to be that day. Tir slipped past the city walls and into the street crowded with people, turned at the corner before the park, and dove towards the stone mansion that stood at the side of the castle moat. Next to the the entrance was an elm tree. Tir stood beneath it and looked up at the sky, checking the time. The sun was no longer full in the sky; the shadows of the townspeople and the buildings had begun to grow longer.
“This is bad!”
Slightly flustered, Tir opened the mansion door.
“Ahh! Young Master! Where in the world WHERE you?!”
Gremio greeted Tir with something like a shriek. Three soldiers roomed free-of-charge at Tir’s house - that is, at Teo’s mansion. Gremio was one of them.
He was a slender, blonde, gentle and sensitive man whose specialty was making stew, but when called to battle, he turned into an axe-wielding warrior. Perhaps his gentle nature came from the fact that it was he who had watched over and cared for Tir when, as a child, he lost his mother to an illness.
“Uh, well, I…” Tir mumbled. It was a secret from everyone that he and Ted had gone hunting together.
“Don’t you mumble at me! If you don’t hurry, you won’t make it in time for your audience! Lord Teo is already ready to go. Hurry up, Young Master! Go on!”
“Okay, okay, I get it, Gremio!”
While speaking, Tir obediently went up to the second floor. Though it made him uneasy that Gremio still treated him like a child, every time he saw the scar on Gremio’s cheek that he’d gotten protecting Tir, he could never find it in his heart to oppose Gremio. Tir ran to the end of the hallway and paused in front of his room. Just as placed his hand on the doorknob, a deep, calm voice rumbled behind him.
“You’re back, Tir?”
Tir turned and his field of vision was filled with none other than the master of the house, Teo. The military fame he’d gained in the Succession Wars as a loyal retainer to the emperor had made Teo one of the five Imperial Generals under Emperor Barbarossa. Tir, still young at the time, may not have actually ever seen his father in action, but he still held great pride in his father’s accomplishments and necessity to the Empire.
“Sorry, dad, I had to take care of an errand… I’ll be ready in a minute so just hold on!”
All of a sudden, Tir remembered Ted’s words: ‘Lord Teo isn’t someone you keep waiting!’ and, flustered, turned the doorknob.
“How you are now will have to do. The Emperor may be strict, but there’s no need to fear him. He’s got more to worry about than the way you’re dressed.”
Teo didn’t usually wear his armor around the house, but today, for the occasion of an audience with an emperor, he was clad in brilliant silver armor. Moving effortlessly in his heavy-looking armor, Teo placed his hand on his bewildered son’s head.
“It’s fine to let him see you as you always are. Look, just this is preparation enough.”
Teo picked off some grass that had been stuck to Tir’s bandana and let the wind outside the window at the end of the hallway take it. Looking down at Tir, he grinned.
“Well then, shall we go?”
“Yes, sir!”
Teo descended the staircase, his amber cape billowing. Tir followed after him, his heart leaping so much over his audience at the castle that he had already forgotten his error during the hunt. Gremio saw them off and Tir and Teo went out into the town together.
The market tents set up in the park and alleyways fluttered in the evening breeze and the fountain in the center of the park sparkled in the sunlight. It certainly was a bustling castle town at the moment, but up until a few years it had been nothing but a pile of ruins thanks to the war. Right now he was going to have an audience with the very emperor that had rebuilt this town so splendidly. Tir’s heart wouldn’t stop pounding. What if the emperor spoke to him? What would he say in reply? His head was filled with such thoughts.
They crossed the drawbridge stretching over the moat and passed through the meticulously maintained castle gardens. People turned their heads to stare or stole sidelong glances at the famous Teo. They entered the hall on the first floor and a servant wearing gorgeous clothes greeted them.
“Hello, Lord Teo. We’ve been expecting you. His Majesty is already in the audience chamber. This way, please…”
Climbing the staircase, Tir felt like he was climbing to the heavens. A huge door came into view at the top of the stairs. The door, adorned with extravagant carvings, slowly opened. There he was, at the end of a long red carpet spread across the floor of the hall. The Golden Emperor who founded the Red Moon Empire, Barbarossa Rugner.
“I hope you are in good health, Your Majesty.”
Teo, who had entered the room ahead of Tir, kneeled respectfully. Flustered, Tir did the same.
“Good of you to come, Teo. We last met at your departure half a year ago.”
Barbarossa’s voice echoed through the hall.
Tir was more than a little surprised when he heard his voice. The emperor’s voice, even deeper than his father’s, calmed Tir. Tir had never heard a voice with such presence before.
His appearance was just as Teo’s stories had described and put his voice to shame. His eyes, set in his finely chiseled features, gleamed with a prodigious light and the moustache above his lip and his beard brimmed with majesty. Tir saw Barbarossa was wearing the gold armor that had earned him the name ‘Golden Emperor’ and was overwhelmed by the magnificence of his personage.
Tir had advanced towards the throne and knelt with Teo, fidgeting slightly, his body strained to the point of bursting by his nerves. Last night Gremio had told Tir that those who weren’t exchanging words with the emperor must remain kneeling, so, still kneeling, Tir lifted his head.
“How are you, Teo? Have things not changed since then?”
“No, sir. We’re still the same as when we fought together in the Succession War - neither our swords nor our armies have grown rusty.”
“Promising words. Don’t you agree, Windy?”
Windy was the name of the Court Magician employed by the Empire. It was rumored that Windy had won Barbarossa’s favor due to her resemblance to his late wife, Claudia.
From the left-hand side of the throne, a woman’s voice rang out clear as a bell.
“Yes. Words just as one would expect from a great general.”
Tir raised his head and stole a glance at the woman named Windy. She was achingly beautiful.
Teo and Barbarossa resumed their conversation.
“Teo, you are aware of the unrest growing in the north.”
“We’ve received information that the Jowston City-States are actively amassing troops. It seems certain they intend to invade our territory.”
“Indeed. How about it, Teo? Will you accept your summons to the north? If you go, our enemies will think twice before carelessly attacking us.”
“You speak too highly of me… thank you, sir.”
“My beloved sword Prakk has protected me with its good fortune on countless occasions. I bequeath it to you. Carry it with you.”
“This is too great an honor, sir… I will, without fail, live up to Your Majesty’s expectations.”
So saying, Teo rose and went to Barbarossa’s side. Suddenly, Tir’s heart was filled with a feeling of hopelessness. Father accepting His Majesty’s command meant the audience was drawing to an end. He’d stayed kneeling the whole time, but His Majesty hadn’t said a single word to him. But then…
“Teo, who is this?”, Barbarossa’s voice rumbled.
“This is my son, Tir McDohl. He’s still a mischievous kid, but I hope that someday he’ll be of use to Your Majesty, so I brought him along.”
Teo’s words stunned Tir. What was he saying?!
“Well met. Raise your head, Tir.”
Following His Majesty’s orders, Tir timidly raised his head.
“Hoho! What a fine countenance. I’d expect no less from Teo’s son.” Barbarossa smiled.
“Y-yes, sir, I’m much obliged, sir…”
“What do you say? While Teo’s away protecting the northern regions, will you lend me your strength and protect the Empire in your father’s stead?”
“O-of course, it would be an honor!”
“Perfect. We’re in need of an Imperial Guard. How about starting tomorrow?”
Tir was so happy he could hardly speak. Just the honor of His Majesty speaking to him alone would have made him happy enough - he had never expected to be invited to join the Imperial Guard and become one of the emperor’s personal bodyguards!
“What a cute young man. He must be nervous in front of you, Your Majesty.”
Windy stepped in and saved Tir, who had been stunned into silence. He had been determined not to be nervous, but for some reason his body had frozen up so he couldn’t speak. He knew it was disgraceful, but he had been so caught up thinking about being unable to say anything in reply that no words had come out.
“Tir? How about it?”
When Tir turned and saw his father’s smiling face, his nerves finally unwound. Tir straightened his back and, although they were the very same words father had just uttered, said to the Emperor:
“Y-yes sir! Without fail, I will live up to your Majesty’s expectations!
“I expect just as great achievements from you as your father.”
Teo bowed deeply to Barbarossa, who was smiling in apparent satisfaction.
“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. Now I can head north without worrying.”
“Indeed. Come back safely, Teo!”
With those words, the audience ended.
Tir followed his father out of the audience chamber.
He was so happy he didn’t even remember where they walked after that as they returned to the mansion.
“W-welcome back, Young Master!”
Hearing Gremio’s worried voice greet them at the entrance, Tir finally returned to his senses.
“H-h-how was it? Did everything go well? You didn’t make any mistakes in front of His Majesty, did you? Ohh, I’ve been so worried!”
Since he was too embarrassed to tell Gremio that he had been stiff from nervousness and wasn’t able to utter a word, Tir just vaguely replied, “Well, yeah… it went okay, you know?”
Behind him, Teo grinned happily.
“Sheesh, Gremio, you’re obsessed with Tir.”
Startled, Gremio turned his head.
“You’re here too, Lord Teo?!”
“Yes, I am!” Teo replied, astonished.
“At any rate, I’ll be leaving Tir in your care again, Gremio.”
“Uh… yes, of course, but why the sudden formality?”
To Gremio, who didn’t understand the meaning behind Teo’s words, Tir said:
“Listen to this, Gremio! At the audience with the Emperor, I was chosen to be in the Imperial Guard! Isn’t that awesome?!”
“What?! Really?! So all our our hard work taking care of you has paid off… Of course, we’ll face any trials from here on out together as well. We’ll go with you! Won’t that be nice?”
“Huh? But, uh…”
“It’s fine, Tir”, Teo said with a smile and began climbing the stairs.
“You still need their help. We’ll just inform your commanding officer that your three servants are also joining the Imperial Guard.”
“The Young Master is safe in my hands, Lord Teo! I’ll protect the him with my life!
Gremio saluted Teo’s retreating figure. But Tir pouted.
“Yeesh, Gremio’s such a busybody….”
The truth was, until this moment, Tir had been thinking that doing an amazing job at being an Imperial Guard all by himself would prove to Gremio that he wasn’t a child any more. Tir rolled his eyes as he looked at Gremio. Then he noticed that Gremio was holding a large ladle.
“Gremio!” Tir cried in reflex.
“Y-yes, Young Master?!”
“What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Stew, but wh-… oh my! The stew!”
Gremio dashed to the kitchen as soon as the words were out of his mouth. Standing there talking, he had completely forgotten about the stew.
Thinking Gremio could handle the cooking and that he’d go to his room, Tir placed his hand on the stair banister. As he did so, Gremio’s voice came floating out of the kitchen.
“Oh, that’s right, Young Master - Ted’s here!”
“What?! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?!”
Tir flew up the stairs in a single leap and rushed to his room. The best friend he had parted ways with earlier now sat waiting on his bed with a huge grin on his face.
“Ted! You’re here!”
“Yep! Welcome back, Tir. How’d the audience go?”
“Something amazing happened!”
Tir proudly told Ted how he had been selected to join the Imperial Guard. As he was telling the story, Ted’s eyes slowly grew wider and wider in surprise and joy.
“Cool! That is so cool! This is the birth of Imperial Guard Tir McDohl! Next you gotta aim for squad leader, or even general!”
“Aw, knock it off! You’re getting ahead of yourself. It hasn’t even been decided where I’ll be assigned to yet. Plus…”
“Plus?” Ted peered into Tir’s eyes with evident interest.
“It wasn’t just me who was enlisted. Um…”
“What do you mean?”
“Gremio and the others are enlisting with me!”
“Ah, so that’s it. Hmm…”
Suddenly Ted crossed his arms solemnly and smirked at Tir.
“Hey, Tir, we’re best buddies, yeah?”
“O-of course! But you can’t - ”
Tir knew in a flash what Ted wanted to ask.
“Can’t what? Take me with you too! Come on, I’ve never wanted anything more in my whole life!”
“But…”, Tir stalled for a moment, but Gremio and Cleo were going too, after all. It didn’t matter how many people ended up going.
“All right, Ted. Let’s go together.”
“Woohoo! Now I can finally pay back Lord Teo for taking me in!”
Tir was surprised to hear him say this. Since Ted got carried away easily, Tir hadn’t thought he’d talk about anything but wanting to join the Imperial Guard. Ashamed, he realized he had misread Ted. He would say it once more to Ted. Wholeheartedly, this time.
“Let’s give it our all, Ted.”
“Yeah!”
They looked each other in the eye and bumped their fists together.
Tir’s hands were bare and Ted’s, as always, were gloved.
Then they heard Gremio’s voice call down the hallway from the dining room:
“Young Master, Ted, dinner’s ready!”
“Okay!”
They looked at each other and smiled one more time, then they dashed out of the bedroom to the dining room.
Teo and the others sat at the long table. Gremio’s special stew and freshly baked bread were laid out on top of the pure white tablecloth. Cleo, a female soldier who employed throwing daggers, turned and asked with a kind smile, “How did the audience go, Young Master?”
He had heard that in one battle she had single-handedly disposed of the countless enemy cavalry harassing her allies. But though she was a great warrior, Cleo never wore her weapons in the house, and was just like an older sister to Tir and the other two.
Next to her was the martial artist Pahn who, unable to take his eyes off the stew, exclaimed, “ooh, pulling out all the stops tonight, huh? This is makin’ my stomach rumble!” He had been a soldier on the enemy side in the Succession War but, won over by General Teo’s charm, he switched sides and has worked for Teo ever since. Though he was a man bursting with courage, he was an unbelievable glutton, and to Tir he was like a bumbling older brother.
Tir and Ted took their seats too and waited for Gremio to finish pouring the wine. At last, Gremio set the wine bottle on the table and he, too, quietly took his seat.
“Well then, Lord Teo…”
At Gremio’s words, Teo cleared his throat once and, his mouth set in a serious line, said, “Harumph. Lend me your ears, everyone. Tomorrow morning I must depart for the north. From then on, Tir will be in charge of this household.”
Teo suddenly looked at Tir, who was seated across from him. Tir sat up straighter in response. Perhaps reassured, Teo continued speaking, looking around at everyone.
“I hope everyone will work together to lend their strength to Tir. Gremio.”
“Yes, sir?”
“You’re the one who has attended to Tir since he was a child. It’s thanks to you Tir has grown so well even without his mother. You have my gratitude!”
“Oh my, that’s… I only did what anyone would do, and being able to assist the Young Master has been a real pleasure for me, so…”
Teo next turned his gaze to the two sitting across from Gremio.
“Cleo, Pahn. My son is still young. Lend him your strength and protect him for me.”
“Just leave it to us, Lord Teo!” said Pahn proudly.
“As long as I’m by his side, I bet the Young Master could even take on the monster of Toran Lake -”
“All right, that’s enough, Pahn”, Cleo butted in.
“You know there’s no such thing, don’t you? Yeesh, you get carried away so easily…”
“Hey, I was just showing Lord Teo how I’m overflowing with fighting spirit!”
“Have you forgotten that Lord Teo always say fighting spirit isn’t the only thing that wins wars?”
Pahn couldn’t argue with that.
Last, Teo turned to Ted, who was chuckling at this exchange.
“Ted, I hope you will always be good friends with Tir.”
Ted, naturally, smiled mischievously.
“Of course. That’s my plan, whether or not Tir likes it!”
Still sitting straight, Tir replied, “Yeah, of course!”
Teo smiled in satisfaction and picked up his glass.
“The food will get cold at this rate. Let’s raise our glasses.”
Seeing that everyone had taken their glass in hand, Teo said in a voice filled with dignity,
“Congratulations to my son and to the Empire!”
“Congratulations!”
Everyone emptied their glasses and an enjoyable dinner began in earnest. Words and jokes spoken between bites flew back and forth across the table. Tir carved into his heart the few words his father spoke and couldn’t help laughing at the jokes Ted and Pahn threw back and forth. Everyone’s hearts were filled with joy and their stomachs with good food. As the night deepened, the dinner came to a close.
Tir got into bed that night feeling happier than he ever had before. He was happy about joining the Imperial Guard, of course, but today he’d been reminded again just how lucky he was to live surrounded by wonderful people.
Tir slipped into a peaceful sleep holding tight his present happiness and dreaming of his new life that would begin tomorrow.
CHAPTER 01 END
