Chapter 5 is alive! With this, we can finally transition into the rest of the narrative, but that narrative came into some rough waters this week!
I was working on Chapter 11, getting halfway like I stated last week, till I had an unfortunate brainwave. Unfortunate in the sense that it was all to do with the chapter I'd just previously written! While I can't state what the idea was (not know anyway), I can say it involved more than just editing a few lines. This took an entire week to put right but I do think the story is all the better for it, now I just have to re-sync chapter 11 up to what I wrote, and not get any more bright ideas about earlier chapters...that can't be sorted out during editing of course!
As hinted at last time, there is no new pictures accompanying this chapter. Might try to get one done for next week...definitely need a couple for the chapter after mind. Watch this space.
Brennan and Riz's new story continues, albeit more slowly than I would have liked but I have more confirmation that where I want to submit it too is open till the end of May so fingers crossed I can get it to them in time.
Speaking of that dynamic duo, looks like Riz has a new costume to try out! Let's have a look..
The Comic Tales of Brennan and Riz
Ninja Riz, Ninja Riz! Getting himself into a tizz! This strip didn't quite turn out how I wanted. Something was definitely lost in the process between thinking of the idea and drawing it.
In case it's not super clear, Brennan caught Riz in a spotlight in the last panel. The more you know!
Short Diversions: Avalon Tales Chapter 5
As the time comes for Isabelle to finally meet the two soldiers in her command, the operation can finally begin...
Avalon Tales Chapter Index
Chapter 5
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Chapter 5: Assignment
The corridors that Isabelle found herself in now were vastly different from the ones she left when she went into Rei’s lab. Now there was a sense of frantic energy as everyone rushed to make their final preparations before the mission began. Whereas before she got some comments aimed in her general direction, here, no one paid her any attention. If they saw her, they didn’t register it and treated her as just something in their periphery. She was able to move in and out of the personnel rushing, till she collided with someone else.
“Ow!” Marie said, rubbing her back. “I knew I needed to find you, but I wasn’t expecting to literally run into you!”
“I’m sorry, it’s hard to manoeuvre here and keep track of what's ahead, especially if you’re moving the wrong way to everyone else,” Isabelle held her hand out towards Marie, who grabbed it willingly. “Are you okay?”
“I’ve been through much worse when I used to be out on the field, so don’t worry about it. Anyway!” Marie finished dusting herself off and seemed to re-energize herself ”Ramona asked me to come and tell you that you’re to meet your team in the garage, and that you should go and get all your gear ready now.” She said it all with a smile.
“Okay, understood, not that there’s much to get ready as that was one of the first things I did when I clocked in this morning,” Isabelle admitted.
“Had a feeling you’d say that,” Marie said with a laugh, I’ll walk with you to the lockers, I’ll treat it as a little break. Think I deserve that much!”
“I’d say, Robyn tells me off for how many hours I put in to this place, but you must easily do more. Doesn’t your family life suffer at all for it?” Isabelle said as the pair started walking.
“It’s true that I work a lot, but I work a lot in bursts. I still get time to be with my family. Plus, it’s different now that Terry’s older. I used to worry about him before he found his friends, and I know they’re all good kids, especially that Elessa! She’s got a good head on her shoulders. Oh, there I go, going off track again. At least you get to see Robyn here and outside of work.”
“I guess we do, though I know some of the comments we get when we do dare to spend time together between missions.”
“Don’t listen to them, there’s nothing wrong with either of you. Really, they should be putting that time and energy they spend poking into your business on better things like their actual jobs here. I swear some of the things I’ve read on mission logs, there’s soldiers here that need their heads banging together.”
“Robyn keeps threatening to do that,” Isabelle pointed out.
“So she should! If either of you two were my daughter, I’d be proud of how you’ve come along, especially within the organisation,” Marie swung her arms out to make a gesture, and nearly knocked another soldier off their feet. “Sorry about that!” She called back.
“Nothing gets you down does it?” Isabelle asked, going directly for her demeanour.
“I can’t let it, I’ve got everyone to keep on top of as part of my role,as head of admin, and well, just making sure everyone is alright.”
Hearing Marie say that made Isabelle think back to previous times, and how she always made time for her, even when she was a simple squire. There had been bad missions, those days where things just never worked out. Marie had been there for all of them and then some. If Isabelle saw Ramona as a big-sister stand in, then Marie was the mother.
“You okay there? I know it’s not the mission in your head, not this one anyway. I’ve seen all the paperwork and it is a very basic job, the sort I would do when I was on the front lines.”
“No, it’s not that…I was just remembering things.”
“Good things I hope, besides, you should be focusing on the present, or at the very least, looking to the future. I can just see you running this place you know.”
“Is that because my dad does now?” Isabelle asked, this was a comment she got a lot, though not said in Marie’s cheery manner.
“No, because of the dedication you’re already showing. No one else comes in several hours early before a briefing, I can tell you that much.”
“Haven’t we already established that you also came in on a long shift just to make sure things were sorted?” Isabelle retorted with a raised eyebrow. Part of her was happy that Marie was going down her hard work route, but at the same time, she wanted to be a bit cheeky.
“I’ve got no interest in running this place, I’m happy where I am. Plus those hours? Don’t think I could trust Gabe or Terry that long on their own! I would have no problem serving under you though,” Marie offered a salute. “Even though we are both the same rank currently.”
“Knight Major…I thought my dad would actually be pleased for me when I told him that I got the promotion on the back of Ramona’s recommendation.”
“And mine, I put in a good word too, as did someone else…Can’t remember who at the moment.”
“You did? Why? If I’m terrible at this, that’ll affect you too.”
“Except you’re not terrible at this? Trust me, my little bell, you’re doing great, now tell me, future Lord Commander, what’s the first thing you’d change about this dreary place?”
Isabelle looked round at the hallways as they walked, and the drab walls were covered with paintings that looked like they’ve hung there since they were painted at some point in the seventeenth century. This had been the decision of Ramona’s predecessor, who thought it would be a good look for some reason, but it made the place look old and dark.
“Me? I’d modernise this place, with more clean colours, and lots of directions.”
“You mean so I won’t have to keep pointing out to the new squires where things are when I find them lost and confused? That’d be a revolution that I’d vote for!”
“Well, you’ll be waiting a while. I doubt I’ll be able to get higher in the ranks while my father is in charge. I swear he’s doing everything he can to block me. I’m just lucky to have Ramona in my corner,” Isabelle admitted.
“From what I’ve heard, and from the scant conversations I’ve ever had with him…I believe that he thinks he’s doing all this to protect you…” Marie examined Isabelle’s non-believing face. “You’ve heard that before haven’t you?”
“It’s okay, it’s a common theory and I can understand, but…” She trailed off, unsure of how to answer. “My practical experience begs to differ, I’m afraid.”
“Sadly being a family counsellor isn’t one of my skills. Still, if you ever need to talk about anything, absolutely anything, I’m only ever a phone call away, unless we’re in work, and then I’m sure we’ll bump into each other.”
“Literally you mean.”
Marie laughed as she heard that.
“I guess I do that a lot don’t I!” Both her and Isabelle shared a giggle with that, though Isabelle realised where they were.
“The lockers are just down there. I’ll let you go wherever it is you’re needed now. Don’t worry, you don’t have to babysit me now,” Isabelle offered Marie a salute.
“Yes, I better let you get back to what you do best,” Marie returned the salute.
“Remember what I said earlier, once you’re finished, both you and Robyn can come and find me, I’ll put the kettle on. It’s a promise, okay?”
“Definitely.”
With that, Marie went on her way, her slow walk turning into a quick jog once she realised that she was running late once more. Isabelle watched her go before turning to the matter at hand.
There were others there, but Isabelle tuned them all out as she made her way to her locker, and quickly got all the gear she needed, not that there was much other than changing her uniform for her combat fatigues. In fact the biggest item she was missing now was her body armour, which she’d get on route to the garage. Normally, she made sure to place all non-combat essentials back in the locker, a sort of exchange but there was always one exception. A heart shaped locket that Robyn had given her for their 2nd anniversary. It was one of those that split in half vertically, allowing a picture on each side. On one half, was a heavily cropped photo of the pair, while the other, was a picture of Isabelle’s mother, Diana. Robyn had copied that photograph in secret for the sole purpose of using it in this locket, not wanting to damage an original. Isabelle often supposed that she should keep this safe as well, having almost lost it a couple of times in high risk demonic encounters, but she shook that notion away, always wanting to be reminded of what she was protecting.
She left the locker room just as quickly as she entered, and stopped by the armory to get her body armour, which fit tightly over her combat fatigues. She got her side arms and checked them thoroughly, before attaching the sword that Rei had given her, alongside its sheath. This was something that turned a few heads, swords weren’t the standard armament for those under Knight Master rank. Even as the murmurs caught Isabelle’s ears she brushed them off as she always did, there was no time to dwell on them, not while there was work to do. Leaving the armoury, she made straight for the garage. As she went, the personnel around her were now similarly armed, and she imagined what the scene would look like for the support staff that were watching as the preparation unfolded. For them, it would have stopped looking like the beginnings of any ordinary mission, and would have looked more like a full scale invasion.
Upon entering the garage, Isabelle spotted her new squad mates almost immediately as they waited for her. There were two of them, setting them up as a team of three, as per the mission plans. Forty eight personnel, all split into sixteen teams of three, another facet of the plan that made no sense when focused on, as the teams were going to be stepping on each other’s toes in the small area that was Highdale’s only industrial estate, not to mention how suspicious it was going to be to the locals. Isabelle could only hope that some sort of sense would come once everything was complete, which wouldn’t take too long given the area they were working in. Nonetheless, Isabelle vowed that no screw up would come from her end.
Taking a deep breath, Isabelle calmed herself and walked over to the two squires she’d be working with, the pair giving an immediate salute as she neared.
“Squire Kenner! Ma’am!” Issac said in the stiffest manner possible.
“Squire Dodson! Ma’am!” Jessica repeated the same greeting.
An awkward silence fell on them, as Isabelle recalled that these two hadn’t seen any actual combat, and in normal circumstances, a purge mission was an unfair one to simply throw them into. She became aware that the two Squires were waiting for her to say something as they stood there, anxiety written on their faces.
“At ease,” Isabelle said, finally. The two squires became a little more relaxed though both were still tense. “While I’ve not gone over your records in great detail. The fact that you’re both here, means I can trust you’re capable of getting the job done…I’d much prefer you having other field experience instead of this, but we do what we must.”
“I have field experience, just not within Avalon,” Jessica said, raising her hand. “I was stationed at an RAF base in Europe when we were attacked by…those things.”
This comment had Isabelle going back to the file quickly. From the lack of detail given for the pair, she had assumed that they had come up from one of the noble families, but clearly this wasn’t the case.
“I’m the same actually, I was transferred from the army. Had only been out of basic training a few months before they attacked us. Me and the other survivors were told we had to come here. Well, I was sent here, don’t know where they all ended up,” Issac offered his own experiences, that tallied up with Jessica’s.
“I wasn’t aware, I’m sorry,” Isabelle said, she hadn’t been mistaken,despite quickly skimming over the information, what they had described hadn’t been present, as though it wasn’t anything important that she should have known about. She made a mental note to chase it up with whoever prepared these documents, but as it stood, there was little time.
“Let’s start again,” she took a deep breath, allowing things to settle before addressing the Squires one more time. “I’m looking forward to working with you both, and I have trust in your capabilities. This may be your first mission, but if you follow my lead, then I’m sure you’ll both serve with distinction.” She thought she’d managed to compose herself fairly well. Her earnest demeanour had certainly allowed the pair to relax a bit more, but it was short lived as Cade Anderson approached them, tapping a clip board as he did.
“Please proceed to your designated transport, you’ll have time to talk about the mission and other matters on route. We’re running behind the agreed schedule,” he said in his monotone way.
Isabelle felt his clinical like eyes, so readily obeyed, he had a point after all. Issac and Jesscia followed her lead as they went to their transport, which was a converted van, the sort a tradesperson would be seen darting round in. Despite its appearances, it had been reinforced, a thin layer of Saviour Metal had been applied under the normal framework, and the inside had been fitted like a roll cage, which increased its safety though it made for a cramped travelling space. Isabelle had ridden in one many times, but she wasn’t sure about her squires, but while they looked a bit uncomfortable, they didn’t complain. The seats were arranged on the sides of the van, though due to the modifications to it, there wasn’t a lot of space between them. Everyone stored what weapons they could under their seat, while Isabelle had to hold onto her sword. Due to their size, they could never hold many, six at the most inside and two up front including the driver. As it turned out, she was sharing her transport with Ramona and two other Knights who she recognised as Lori Fern and Warren Allan. Unlike her pair, she knew those two had definitely come from the noble houses, but were well regarded Knights of Avalon all the same.
“I assumed you’d be riding up with Rainer and his team?” Isabelle asked, calling to Ramona who was sitting directly opposite her.
“No, He’s up front with his second in command, and with the stuffy Knight Inquisitor as his third. I feel sorry for the other team that got stuck in there with him,” Ramona nonchalantly replied.
“Knight Master! Can you really talk about the Master of Arms like that?” Jessica asked meekly, even raising her arm.
“You can tell your new here, I don’t really go for all that pomp and circumstances like everyone else,” Ramona explained. “I mean, I’m not saying we’re going to go full casual, just don’t take the mick with it? Princess! Back me up on this!” Ramona threw the comment to Isabelle, who wasn’t expecting to be pulled back into the conversation.
“Oh, no, she’s never been one to go with the excessive title use. It was the first thing she drilled into me when I first arrived as a Squire. She was only a Knight Captain then,” Isabelle replied.
“You were such a baby chick,” Ramona giggled. “So different from now. Hopefully that change will run off on these two,” she gestured to Issac and Jessica. “I want everyone under my command to not be robots who follow orders without thinking. If I wanted that, I’d get our resident mad scientist to work something out.”
“I don’t think Rei likes it when you refer to her like that,” Isabelle replied.
“Then she needs to stop reinforcing the image.”
Isabelle couldn’t argue against that.
“Ma’am?” Jessica asked, turning to Isabelle. “Is there some pre-mission prep we should be doing while on route?”
“We normally do a checklist when we’re within five minutes of the target area. However, Highdale is still some distance away, so if I were you, I’d focus on getting into the right state of mind; Our one and only goal tonight is to purge the demons where we find them. We all need to be vigilant.”
“Any ideas on how to do that? I mean, no matter what has already happened, the idea that we’re going against demons is always hard to grapple with.”
“I get what you mean, except that this is our reality. I don’t think anyone here wouldn’t wish for the ignorance of not knowing what’s truly going on out there. What normally works for me, is I try to focus on what I’m fighting for. The reason I put myself through all this.”
Isabelle caught Ramona watching her as she was talking, clearly curious about what was going to come out of her mouth.
“And what is that? If I’m not over stepping my bounds, ma’am?”
“That I want to protect, like my mother before me,” Isabelle replied, allowing her eyes to close as she thought back to that time, her younger self sitting on the bed, while her mother prepared herself for work.
“That is why I fight,” she added.
“You never disappoint, princess,” Ramona said affectionately, proud with her answer.
Both Issac and Jessica fell silent, thinking about what Isabelle said, and with that, they all stopped talking, allowing a somber mood to filter through the transport, as they sped to their destination.
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Next Chapter (not live yet)
That's it for this week! It'll be another in-between installment next time, but I'll try and see if I have anything interesting to say!
Till then...
Keep on writing!
Peter James Martin
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