The weather was bleak, as small rain
drops fell to the ground causing the only noise perhaps in the streets of the
capitol. Hawkbound citadel. The streets were empty, the chimneys of huts
roaring. The forges rumbling, the smog was dense, the streets muddy. A convoy
made its way to the central market, after that towards the Redtooth Castle, the
home of the king. In the back of the convoy a short but sturdy man rides his
horse, with a nicely trimmed beard and mustache, small eyes and a balding head
of bright red hair, Vickagon, commander of the king’s army. Next to him a slim
figure with a cloak above his head to shield him from the rain, only bright
green eyes and a tortured beard pierce through the darkness beneath the
headpiece, exposing the face of the keeper, Jacobialis. In front of them march
a company of 20 men armed to the teeth, they themselves coated in full set of
iron.
“Last
time I was here, flower leaves were falling from the towers welcoming us” said
Vickagon” you think the old man is mad at us because we’re late?”
“No
my friend” said Jacobialis after clearing his throat” it is just you who have
been away for so long, you do not notice the decay of the royal family’s name”
“Hah,
you talk as if you’ve seen the horrors of war” he turned his head to Jacobialis”
you merely saw what the consequence is of us losing the war, what it could
mean, your blade has yet to feast on Morgantin blood, you only carry it for
show, hoping you’ll strike a score in the old town, maybe get yourself a nice
wench, aye?” he smiled at him.
“
Long are the days gone old friend, the days when I could have carried on my
seed, now I merely wish to serve his majesty, make this land safe once more” he
said with a comforting tone.
“Aye,
and the profits aren’t that bad either” he raised his eyebrows with a cynical
tone of voice.
“My
apologies but I do not remember the privilege of pillaging native lands being
referred to as profit, rather thievery”
“In
times like these, I don’t think there is telling them apart sometimes, I don’t
practice Morgantin tactics my friend, but no one said I cannot strike the enemy
with his own blade”
“Tell
me, if you steal from the rich or from the poor, are you any less of a thief? “he
made a slight smirk.
“Oh
really, says the one who’s pay comes from taxes and profits from the royal
coffers”
They smiled at each other as the
convoy proceeded thru the front gate of the castle. Guards stood both sides of
the front gates, sporting royal armor with purple scarfs around their full iron
helmets with only two holes drilled in them, tall shields with the insignia “Bengintor
halarath” ( Bengintor prevails in the old tongue ), towards the main entrance
four more royal guards accompany them. Two of the guards pull the door to open
it towards the outside. They dismount and proceed inside. In the entrance hall
a long hallway with glass windows standing twenty meters tall with the
Bengintor seal, the hawk encircled by a snake on both sides, perfectly crafted
with colored crystals. The entire inside of the castle shines bright yellow as
if a pharaoh’s palace. Light shines only from the yellow colored glass in the
main hall, a circle shaped room at the end of the long hallway. Inside a
hexagon shaped table with six chairs on each side, one for the king, one for
his wife, three for his council and the last one for the seer.
In the middle across the hallway
sits the king, Davidiatin the great. Next to him his wife , Jillsara, covered
in a transparent red cloth hanging from her head to her toes, perfectly enclosing
the entire body and face with her deep blue eyes piercing through, on the other
side the seer, Masoniahir wearing nothing but a robe to cover his whole body,
no shoes, nothing but the thick ragged piece of material encircling it, with a
bald shaved head, a young man in his twenties. On the right side to the king
stands his councilor, Jebsahir, dressed in what a wealthy man of Hawkbound
Citadel would wear.
“ My
apologies my Lord” said Jacobialis as he and Vickagon stood in salute with
their hand on their chest in a fist” the weather slowed us down near the
entrance of the Citadel.
“
You’re just lucky I have more important matters at hand that require my
attention to bother myself with your incompetence” the King said with an
expression of pure pessimism” take a sit, Jebsahir will inform you on the
matter at hand briefly and we can continue”
Jebsahir
stood from his chair as both men sat” as you all know rations have continued to
decline over the past year to a level nearly thirteen percent less from the
past harvest, a result of trade route raids by natives, thieves from inside the
citadel, administrative inefficiency and most prominently the flour smuggling
trade” he said with a smile reminding himself and the rest for a brief of his
own flour smuggling past” but all of these account for maybe one sixth of the
shortage, where is the rest you ask, lack of Green Satin, and why the shortage
you ask since we already own all the mines and we can cut trade as we please,
lack of workforce, a rampant plague is spreading thru the southern territories
and has so far killed approximately over thirty thousand people and continues
to spread through the colonies thru unknown sources, we don’t know how its
transmitted and unlike the pestilence before it this one seems to have a
slightly different effect, more psychological than physical”
Jacobialis appeared interested, but
did not want to seem passionate so refrained until a more appropriate moment to
speak.
“ So
far the only news we have is that it started from the southeast shores in
smaller villages but has now moved on to mining settlements in the general
south”
“I
want all trade in that area monitored day and night, no one gets in or out of
those villages, we will wait for more information then I will decide whether to
purge them” said the King.
“It
will be done my Lord” said Jacobialis and turned his head to Jebsahir” tell me
council have there been any reports of survivors of the sickness to speak of
their experience?”
“The
plague is fatal I’m afraid once it enters the body, or mind be it”
“Yes,
and so far have any men from the guard had any contact with them?”
“There
were many plagued upon my arrival in Hollowshores my Lord” he turned to the
king”
but
rest assured it has been a month since my return and everything is under
control”
“I
was not referring to you council” continued Jacobialis” I was asking whether
any of the men have actually communicated with them so we can gather some more
information about what the locals know about this, you only spoke to the Chief
of the settlement there not the common, may I remind you the chief has almost
no contact with the natives, it is the common who trade with them and know
their tongues, it is across the realm like this”
“ The
common are just stock Jacobialis, cattle” said in a bitter voice Vickagon” if
we were to take the word of a common over that of a chief and use information
from the natives for our own uses, we are not only blasphemous but we’d be
braking the Emerald sea contract whether for military or peaceful purposes”
“I
understand your concern although plagues like this have a chance to start a
tumbling from one segment of our civilization to the top, we cannot afford to
refrain from pushing the limits where possible without being discovered”
“ The
Emerald sea contract is the basis of both civilizations and the peace of the
continent” spoke the king with a slight pause” we cannot afford to have a
justification on our name over a few common deaths, I will need another
solution”
“ I
am not talking just about the lost population my Lord, I am also talking about
using this as a sword”
“
Have you gone blind to your greed Jacobialis” said Vickagon with a fierce look
on his face” I will not let my men near a weapon that causes decay, not after
the incident on the western crossing”
“
Again you misunderstand me I am not speaking of spreading the plague, no no, my
intentions are in assuming the control of the intellect of the enemy, this
plague, it’s one of a kind my Lord” he said turning towards the king and
speaking passionately” imagine attacking the enemy without him even knowing it,
no document forging or deceit or even all out lie can surpass the power of mind
control, I speak from experience, although mine was of sedatives this is
completely in the shadows”
“Hmm”
Davidiatin holds his chin as his beard goes thru his fingers” what say you
Jebsahir, you still haven’t expressed your thinking on the issue”
“My
thinking my Lord ?” he turned towards the king with an open mouth and a pause”
well, I suggest simply to do nothing, at least for the while of course, the
royal stores of food are full, a few common dead here and there make no
difference, we have enough to feed the army and care for the royal family for
at least ten years, with these harvests maybe even the next sixty to seventy years, my concern is merely
that of defense, I would suggest Vickagon to purge at least the nearly dead
villages just to make sure of any infected survivors as for the mines, they
continue at full operation, as I said this thing will be probably forgotten at
10 years time at best”
“So
you are saying let plague run rampant on our mining complex”
“For
a short time my Lord”
Davidiatin
paused for a second” seal off all trade with Hollowshores mines, continue to
stockpile crystals but don’t take them out yet, not until the disease has
passed, let them die out then we move in to clean the place”
“Your
will be done my Sovereign” said Vickagon” I shall send out a missionary the
next morning”
“Jacobilais,
cut off all caravans, convoys and traders heading to those areas but as
instructed keep the mines operational, Jebsahir, cut out all transcripts of
this from the records, may it show nowhere that the royal family intervened,
may it show that the plague receded by itself before we could reach the
infected areas. Councilmen I believe it is not necessary to say this meeting
never happened, you all have your orders. Now please allow me to consult my
seer alone. You are dismissed, the emperor guide you.”
“Emperor
guide you my Sovereign” one by one said as they exited to the hallway.
The room was left empty only the
King, his wife and the seer.
“Darling
could you give us a moment alone” said the king to his wife” we need to discuss
private matters of business”
“Certainly
my love” she nodded, stood up and wnt towards the door on the left side of the
room leading to the royal resting chambers wing.
“Come
Masoniahir, walk with me” said the king, the seer stood up in a slow motion as
if he were dying old man, they continued to walk through the other which led to the bridge leading to
the guard quarters. The windows were merely bars of iron in the form of a an “X”
“I trust your council most of all, your word stands above any other in the room
we were just in a moment ago, what does the hand of the emperors wisdom have to
say about this whole plague matter”
“The
plague appears to be spreading at a threatening pace Sire, nothing like we’ve
come across before” he spoke as his throat became ever more dry” perhaps your
decision was most excellent, while profits may sore in the coming days, we
cannot afford this to reach imperial shores, and as it was with Stone-nails and
Iron-shoulder the Holy Emperor would surely have done the same thing, were he here
and in your seat.”
“You
approve of my decision then to isolate this area even at the high death count
of commoners?”
“Yes
Sire”
“
Good then, by the approval of the Holy Emperor whose authority you represent in
my domain, all will proceed as previously discussed, now for one more matter I
require your, advice let us say, strictly personal”
“I am
sent here to aid in council Sire, however things that are not within my hands I
cannot assist with”
“Then
you know what I ask of you” he smiled at him.
“It
is blatantly evident Sire, you are not the first nor the last to come asking of
this”
“So
you say there are others in my inner circle with this predicament”
“Not
just in your inner circle Sire, it is a dilemma of all mankind that neither my
alchemical, historical or medicinal knowledge can solve, you are not the first
whose spouse has hardship producing an heir nor the last”
“…What
do you suggest?” he pulled his head down with a worrisome grimace.
“When
all practical fails, the only thing is left up to time to do its work….and of
course the guidance of the emperor. Worry not Sire you are in peace times and
still of good age, ask this of me when the need is urgent, until then…well all
I can suggest is keep on business as usual” he smiled leaving his pure gold
teeth show thru the scaly skin of his lips” now my old body aches Sire, if you
do not need me any more I wish to retire to my chambers”
“Proceed
Masoniahir, thank you as always”
“My
will to serve Sire” he said turning back, nodding then exiting back to the
meeting room and out the long hallway.