“Not right now, but yes,” I admitted. “You’re here for a reason, it’s just not your time. Now that I understand that better, I intend to include you in my inner circle, so that when the time does come, you will be ready to take your place with me.”
That might have sounded quite obnoxious under other circumstances—under normal, human circumstances. But I was Sintári, and I was finally coming to terms with that fact. I needed my Tári, and they needed me; sometimes, they might come to me too soon. Even if I couldn’t make them part of my life at the time, I had to accept them in those instances, not push them away. Saibra had understood that before I had, all I did was confirm what she already knew.
“I will be ready, Empress,” a very rare smile graced her lips before she left me to walk on ahead.
Without any more surprises for me to reveal, our other days of rest were less eventful. But during the second week of our travels, the first of our scouts returned to report on their efforts to undermine the nobles of Hygan and Zonnia.
They had been able to spread word of my promise of freedom from the tyranny of their nobility, and there had even been some initial response from the common folk, but the nobles had immediately instituted reprisals against anyone who spoke out against them, brutally crushing the opposition I’d hoped to inspire under the heavy heels of their boots. It was disheartening to hear, but Saibra spoke up when she saw my mood turn sour.
“This will work against them,” she proclaimed confidently. “The lords are relatively few in number, and rule over vast lands. They don’t have the means to truly control their people. Their power derives from the ability to intimidate their subjects, and the fact that the people have nowhere else to go. You have given them an option they never had before—to simply leave and start over elsewhere. I think you may find the next reports much more to your liking, Empress.”
“She makes an interesting point,” Venna mused. “It won’t be easy for them to relocate to a new Realm, but faced with the choice of increasing oppression at home, I can see how many might decide to leave now that they have the choice.”
Before my Empire, migration between the Realms was uncommon, mostly due to the suspicions they held towards each other, but my Empire welcomed anyone who wished to join, and the common folk of the horse lands finally had the ability to simply walk away from those who’d callously ruled over them for so long.
“I know I would,” Ella added almost reluctantly.
I hadn’t only included Saibra in my confidences, but Ella as well. Both had become fixtures in my council meetings, and although she wasn’t quite comfortable with the role, Ella had begun to offer her insights as well, albeit hesitantly.
“I hope the three of you are right,” I replied, considering what each had said. “If we can disrupt things enough, it will make our task all the easier.”
They were indeed correct, and just as Saibra predicted, the next of Khorim’s scouts who returned to us reported that despite the increasingly brutal nature of the lords’ reprisals, the common folk had begun to flee the horse lands. Fields had been left untended, and entire herds of livestock were led away by those who had abandoned their former masters. Líann’s scheme had borne fruit; the only question left was if it would have enough time to ripen before we arrived.
After our third week on the road we stopped just north of the borders of Eória, and the Army made camp on the low, rolling plains that led into Hygan. From that point on, we could be set upon by our enemy’s forces at any moment, and Evans decided to remain camped there for a few days to ensure that the Army was completely rested and ready for what was to come.
Being so close to our enemy’s territory, we set a rigorous watch. Although our own scouts reported no sighting of them, the lords of Hygan had to be aware of our presence on their doorstep. The movements of such a large and powerful army were not something that could simply pass unnoticed.
Despite the increasing tension of the looming conflict, I found myself in an oddly peaceful frame of mind—I had no doubt about the eventual outcome of this war, and deep inside, my darkness craved it. Weeks had passed since I’d last been able to release my shadows, and they’d built up over that time into a rising pit of blackness. But I was so close to being able to truly set them loose that they no longer sought their freedom. My darkness had become content to wait for me to let it truly run wild.
I actually began to enjoy the few days that we sat encamped on our enemy’s doorstep, taunting them with our mere presence. The cool breezes that brushed over the land made camping in the open quite pleasant, and without any sign of the horse lord’s vaunted cavalry, there seemed to be no reason not to take advantage of the respite.
That was precisely what I was doing when I heard a commotion outside my tent one evening. A few indistinct noises were immediately followed by the ring of an alert in my head, and I stepped outside to investigate.
Once I strode out into the cool night air, I walked to the side of my tent where the disturbance had come from. One of my own soldiers lay on the ground, in a dark pool of blood that matched the crimson cape draped across her back. Saibra stood over the corpse, one of the blades in her hand painted red with the blood of the fallen soldier.
I couldn’t believe what my eyes seemed to be telling me, but neither could I ignore it—Saibra had killed one of our own, and I needed to know why she’d betrayed me before I took her life.
I was no match for her with my blades and there was no time for me to draw my bow, so I advanced on her with dark orbs in the palms of my hands. Saibra was completely calm as she stood facing me—the look in her eyes spoke to me of an acceptance with what she’d done, and there was no trace of anger or hatred.
“What happened here?” I asked her simply.
“She came for you,” Saibra replied coolly. “Her name was Moiren, and we worked together for a time, but she never learned how to truly sneak up on someone.”
“An assassin?” I asked, with sudden comprehension.
“And a fairly good one at that,” Saibra responded in confirmation.
I dismissed the orbs I’d been keeping hidden within the folds of my cloak, and stepped closer to examine the body. In doing so, I left myself completely open to Saibra’s blades, as a demonstration of the faith I had in her.
The assassin was dressed as one of my own, and I had no idea what might have given her away to Saibra, but as I pressed my hand against her body, the loot menu popped up, revealing not only the disguise she’d likely killed one of my soldiers to obtain, but a piece of parchment and coin purse as well. I took both before rising again.
I took everything else as well, leaving the assassin in only her own scant undergarments. Not only was I not going to let her continue to defile the uniform she’d stolen, but her body was also destined for a rather quick disposal.
‘Bane,’ I called to him. ‘I’ve got dinner for you.’
I laced my words with thoughts and images of the body in front of me, and Bane’s reply came back to me tinged with the unmistakable notes of his hunger.
Thank you, Sintári. I am coming to you now.
‘It’s not mine, it’s Saibra’s,’ I answered Bane’s unasked question when he landed near me.
I understand, Sintári. It will still serve me.
He grasped the body in just one of his powerful claws before launching himself into the night sky and carrying it away almost effortlessly.
“He’s going to eat it,” Saibra stated bluntly.
I had come to appreciate Saibra’s keen observations and candor, but that fact was not one I wanted to be made public.
“That,” I glared at her. “Is not for anyone else to know.”
“I understand,” she replied. “Although, I think you might want to reconsider at some point. Letting your enemies know that they may wind up as dragon fodder could be quite… intimidating.”
“Perhaps, but for now I’d prefer that you tell me how Moiren was able to get so close to me.”
> “Why, I let her, of course,” Saibra replied with just a hint of a smirk. “I gave her an opening I knew she couldn’t resist, and then made her pay for choosing the obvious path.”
“You set her up?”
“Yes, I suppose I did,” she actually smiled. “Although I had no idea it would be her who fell into my trap. I convinced Ella to let me set a wide perimeter around your tent. Something that looked good, but not too difficult for a professional to slip past. Then, I simply waited for her to take the bait.”
“Me being the bait,” I noted dryly.
“Yes, you were,” Saibra replied without hesitation. “I will make sure to tighten your security and you should also place some traps around your tent as well. Future threats will only become more serious from now on.”
“How comforting,” I rolled my eyes at her.
Saibra only responded by calling in my guards and closing the perimeter around my tent, pulling them nearly against the canvas walls, and within clear sight of one another. She then began an organized search of the entire camp, not only to find the soldier Moiren had killed, but to search for any possible accomplices.
Despite her thorough efforts, no trace of either was found, and it was only after a full roll call that we discovered who the missing soldier was; a young elf named Treí who’d come to us from Olóra. Even after a second search, we never discovered his body, and we could only surmise that Moiren had found some unique way to dispose of him.
During the initial search, Tási returned to me. She’d been away, tending to her duties when Saibra thwarted the attempt on my life. Tási was quite upset with herself for not being there and vowed to stay by my side from then on.
“No, Tási,” I rejected her promise. “I need you to take care of your responsibilities. You’re not one of my guards—I already have plenty of those.”
“Obviously not,” she shot back. “Or the killer wouldn’t have gotten so close to you.”
“I told you, that was Saibra’s plan,” I replied to her. “You need to let your people do their jobs.”
“You put me in charge of your security,” she reminded me. “Protecting you is my job!”
“Well, sure, but you can’t be with me all the time,” I struggled to come up with a response.
“Why not?” She challenged me.
“You know perfectly well why you can’t be with me all the time, Tási,” I replied to her pointedly. “Do you really want to know exactly when those times are and how long they last? Just say the word, and I’ll fill you in on all the details.”
It wasn’t exactly fair for me to make that point to her so bluntly, but she hadn’t left me much choice. During the entire trip, I’d only been with Venna on two occasions, and seen Ella just once, but even that would have been more than Tási would have wanted to know. Her defeated look made me feel horrible about what I’d said, but when she finally relented, I pulled her into bed to lay with me.
“I can protect myself, Tási,” I soothed her as I ran my fingers through her hair. “The guards are all around us, and I’ve put traps down as well. No one’s going to get to me.”
I tried to do for her what Nentai had done for me once, to sooth away her worries and set her mind at rest. I focused myself on calmness and peace and sent those thoughts to her in tiny tendrils with every stroke of my fingers through her hair. After only a few short moments, I felt Tási’s body relax and lean against me, and only a short while later, she was sleeping peacefully with her head nestled against my chest. I had no idea if my efforts would have the same effect on her as Nentai’s had on me, but I was relieved to know that I at least had a way to calm her and put her to rest, as she had so often done for me.
While Tási snored softly beside me, I pulled up the notification I’d received when Saibra killed her former colleague.
Boon, Saibra’s Oath – Saibra’s kills belong to you now, and you will receive full credit for every life she takes in your name. In addition to XP credit, you have also received a 1% bonus you may apply to any armor or weapon skill that you currently possess. However, this bonus may not be used to raise any skill above 60%.
Experience gained – You have gained 990 XP.
If that’s what Raithe had done by transferring Saibra’s oath to me, I was tempted to set her loose on anyone I even thought was my enemy. Her kills were almost more valuable to me than my own. In fact, they might have been even more so. Full XP credit, plus a bonus to my proficiencies? Even with the limitation, the boon was incredibly powerful, which only made sense, seeing as it had come from a God.
I was already damn good with my bow, and my competitive nature made me desperate to be able to compete against Saibra’s skill with her blades, so I put the bonus I’d received into my Two-Handed Skill. I figured that would benefit both blades I wielded, at least indirectly, rather than just one of them.
In spite of the attempt on my life that night, with my guards close by, the traps I’d set around my tent, and Tási in my arms, I was able to fall asleep easily once I’d tended to that single notification.
After breakfast the next morning, I opened my Inventory and gave the armor and uniform I’d recovered to Rhia. As usual, I picked her out to run my errands and sent her off to take the gear to the quartermaster. I also noticed the parchment and coin purse I’d forgotten about the night before and took them out as well.
The purse was nearly empty, and I handed it off to Saibra as a modest reward. The parchment was far more informative, however, putting a price of 200 Talons on my head. Gilfri’s assassins had failed, and I saw no reason why the horse lords’ efforts would be any more successful, so I passed it along to Saibra as well.
“Impressive,” she said after examining the note. “They must truly fear you to offer this much.”
“I trust you’ll see that no one ever collects that bounty,” I stared at her meaningfully.
“They won’t even get close to you, Empress,” she replied with the barest hint of a smile.
The rest of that day was spent in preparation for the next, when we would break camp and make the last stretch of our march to Hygan. The entire camp was a busy hive of activity. Everything non-essential was packed away, and in light of the events the night before, all of the watches were increased.
Our march northwards the next day began early in the morning, and by noon, we’d begun to see the first signs of the chaos that lay ahead of us. Large caravans of commoners fled southward in droves, hurrying away from the mayhem they’d left behind.
Khorim’s expert interrogators carefully interviewed the fleeing refuges, and we learned that Líann’s propaganda campaign had not only borne fruit; it had destroyed Hygan completely.
The horse lords had been forced from their strongholds, as the people not only fled their oppressors, but also sabotaged what they’d left behind. In an effort to strike back at those who’d trodden upon them for so long, the food stores and water supplies had been tainted and poisoned. The nobles of Hygan had been driven from their homes and fortresses and sought refuge with their allies in Zonnia. Thanks to Líann, Hygan had been defeated before we’d even set foot in their lands.
Few remained in Hygan’s cities, but as we drew closer to the first of them, a delegation was sent out to meet us. Although the nobles that sought to speak with us rode in on their warhorses, they wore none of their heavy armor and appeared to be unarmed. So, after they’d dismounted and were thoroughly searched, I granted them an audience.
All five—three men and two women—appeared quite nervous as they were led through my Army and past my guards before being brought to stand before me. They stared in amazement as I sat casually in front of them in a plush chair, with Bane curled on the ground beside me and my companions, in their God-forged gear, arrayed all around.
“One of you may speak, and I will judge you all by the words that they utter,” I dictated my terms to them.
When a man stepped forward, I cast See Truth on him, and waved casually in his direction
, giving him leave to begin.
“Empress,” he began awkwardly. “Please do not judge us by what our fellow lords have done. We counseled against their rash actions, but our voices were outnumbered. The few of us you see are all that remains of the city’s nobility, and we are desperately trying to save the lives of those who have not fled.”
“Have you read the Charter I offered to your Realm?”
“Yes, Empress, I have.”
“If I made you King, would you sign it? Can I count on you to uphold its terms and be my ally?”
His words not only sounded earnest but flowed in hues of blue as he spoke them. If he was the sort of man he seemed to be, the people of Hygan would need his strength if the Realm was to recover from the catastrophe that the horse lords had wrought upon their own people.
“I’ve dreamt of turning Hygan into the sort of Realm your Charter describes for longer than I can remember, Empress,” he replied nervously. “But even now, I lack the forces necessary to make that happen.”
“Forgive me, your Majesty,” I smiled at him broadly. “Did you not notice the Army you just walked through?”
Understanding flashed across his eyes, and just to make sure things were clear, I spelled it out for him.
“Once you sign the Imperial Charter, I will loan you a portion of my Army so that you may restore order to your Kingdom,” I explained. “They will follow your commands, but if you order them to violate the terms of my Charter in any way, they will turn on you. Immediately.”
“When you have reestablished order, my Army will leave you to govern as you see fit,” I concluded. “In accordance with the terms of the Charter you signed, of course.”
“Empress,” he held my gaze as he replied. “I understand your need for clarity, but you have no cause to doubt me—I will sign your Charter today, right now if you wish, and be faithful to its terms even without the threat of your reprisals.”
“Then it seems you and I have reached an understanding, your Majesty,” I said as I rose from my chair. “Let us formalize our agreement so that you can discuss your military needs with my First Marshal.”
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