by Pirateaba
Trey nodded as he saw Orthenon trace possible routes that avoided the massive Zeikhal desert. As far as Trey understood the world, it was vast. He had never been good at geography, but Teres told him that the Zeikhal desert was probably twice as large as the Sahara in total. He couldn’t imagine that.
“So Takahatres is crossing that? Isn’t that…bad?”
Trey felt like an idiot for asking the obvious, but he didn’t understand.
“Not to his tribe.”
Orthenon smiled at Trey. Perhaps it had been a good question after all? The man showed Trey where Takahatres had been.
“His tribe is nomadic, and used to crossing the deserts. Moreover, they move quickly. They can skirt the outer regions and make use of oases. They will be fine. But as to your main question—Takahatres believes, as do I, that he can attack the Emperor of Sands without being cornered by his armies.”
“So he’s going to fight a guerilla war.”
The tall man paused. He always seemed a bit surprised when Trey and Teres knew something without him explaining, for all that he knew they were from another world.
“Correct. He will raid villages, destroy cities—and attack any army he believes he can rout with few casualties. He is adept at such maneuvers.”
“But the Emperor will send armies after him, right? He wouldn’t just ignore that.”
“True. But Takahatres’ people, the Garuda, are known for their speed. Flying and hiding, they could easily escape most pursuit. And there is another factor to consider. Takahatres’ tribe is far superior to any one conventional army. With him leading them, they could fight two armies at once. Catching him will be no easy matter and will occupy the Emperor of Sands for a long period of time. And while that is so…”
“We’ll attack?”
It was strange, saying we. But Orthenon nodded as if it were only natural to include them.
“In theory. I have advised my King—and would like you to do the same if he thinks otherwise—of striking nearby nations first. We must recover strength before doing battle with a vast empire.”
“But we are at war, aren’t we? Flos—I mean, King Flos said—”
“Oh yes.”
Orthenon’s voice was quiet as he traced the lands of the Emperor of Sands. He did not look so friendly then.
“We are at war. But we must be prudent and sensible in a war of vengeance. We must gather our strength, and my lord Flos knows this.”
“Is that why he hasn’t left yet?”
Trey blurted the words out before he could think twice about saying them. He’d been wondering—Teres had been wondering that very thing for days now. Ever since Flos had declared it.
The [Steward] paused, and looked at the twins. He seemed conflicted. When he spoke, it was not with his usual surety.
“I—believe so. I do not have to tell you what the Emperor of Sands did was unforgivable. There will be no peace until he and his entire empire is brought to justice. But as to my King—you are right. I would expect him to ride forth, regardless of the danger. I was prepared to stop him, but he—”
“Why didn’t he go?”
Orthenon had no answer. He looked back at the map.
“Perhaps it is caution that stays his hand. A King must think of his realm, and it is dangerous to go forth without preparation. That is what I believe.”
“The city is being repaired quickly. I should think it would only be a month before everything’s repaired.”
“Yes. A month. Perhaps sooner, if all continues to go well.”
Orthenon nodded in agreement, but he looked troubled as he did. Trey exchanged a glance with Teres, and they had the same thought.
“What will we be doing?”
Orthenon paused.
“You will accompany my King, and assist him as you are able. For now, I believe you will simply follow and observe. Your…presence matters to my lord Flos. Just by being by his side, you fulfill your roles.”
“Is that all?”
Teres stared at the man. Orthenon shook his head.
“Your duties are unclear as of yet. But you must have faith in your [King].”
He stared at the twins. The twins stared back, waiting for more. But that was all there was to it. After a moment Orthenon turned back to the map.
“Enough. I am here to teach you, and so I shall. We have little time left in any case. I taught you of the peoples of Chadrar, did I not? Teres, repeat for me the native inhabitants of this continent and their specialties. Trey, you will point out where they live on the map as she does…”
—-
“Caution? Hah! That is an answer Orthenon would give. But it’s not why my lord hasn’t ridden off already.”
Mars was the second stop for the twins that day. She stood in the dusty training grounds as men and women sparred or trained by themselves. She was wearing a light, elegant tunic, unarmored save for the shield in one hand and sword in the other.
It was a sight to behold Mars the Illusionist. She looked like a champion out of stories, and she was one. But Trey had a hard time staring at her face. Perhaps it was the lack of armor, but he couldn’t help staring at her bare chest.
At her breasts. They were large. Trey stared at them, realized he was staring, and looked at Mars’ face, flushing. But every so often his eyes would slide back down. He couldn’t help it, even when Teres kicked him in the side.
Mars laughed at Trey when she noticed, which made him turn bright red.
“Don’t stare so, Trey. If your eyes aren’t on my sword, you’ll live to regret it. Now, I’m told neither of you has held a sword before, true?”
The two nodded. Trey gingerly eyed the two swords Mars had planted in the ground. They weren’t sharp, at least, he didn’t think so, but they weren’t exactly blunt either.
“Go on, take one each. I’ll test you with axes and other arms, but swords are what I know.”
The two twins gingerly took hold of a sword each. Trey pulled his from the ground with some effort. He was surprised that the sword wasn’t that heavy—he vaguely remembered hearing they were supposed to be hard to lift.
Teres frowned at her blade. She whispered to Trey as she showed him how easy it was for her to lift it.
“I thought swords were really heavy.”
“Heavy? Hah! What good is a heavy sword?”
Mars had heard them. She smiled as she showed them how to grip the swords properly in their hands.
“A sword has to be light and useful. You won’t see many swords heavier than five pounds, not unless you’re fighting a Minotaur or someone who specializes in such things. Like warhammers, I suppose. What, do you two fancy using one of those?”
“No…”
Trey went stiff as Mars went behind him to correct his posture. Teres was glaring at him, but Mars ignored Trey’s awkwardness.
“Alright then, try and strike me.”
“You? But you’re not wearing any armor!”
“And if I was, you’d still not hit me. I have a shield and a sword. And I’m a [Vanguard]—if you two could touch me with a sword, I’d run myself through in an instant. Or ask what level you two are.”
Mars laughed as she beckoned Trey and Teres to strike at her. They did, gingerly, and then with more and more vigour as they realized they really couldn’t hit her. Even with Trey on one side and Teres on the other. Even when they timed their attacks at the same time.
Six minutes later, Mars was standing without a scratch on her, and some of the people in the training grounds were laughing at Trey and Teres, who could barely lift their arms. The female warrior had flawlessly blocked or parried or simply dodged every thrust and strike they’d made.
“Not bad. Perhaps you two might be cut out for the [Warrior] class. For now, let’s switch to another weapon. Come on, lift those arms. We can talk when you’re done.”
When they were done and lying on the ground, Mars sat with them, letting the two gulp water as she spoke.
“I don’
t know why my King hasn’t ordered me to war. But I think it’s because he’s waiting until he is ready for it.”
“Ready?”
Trey raised his head, trying not to gulp water down and throw up. Again. Mars nodded, looking pensive.
“I haven’t seen him on the training grounds. And my lord Flos was never one to shirk practice. It has been ten years, and perhaps he wishes to regain his skill before he rides out. A [King] must be strong, to lead his armies.”
“Shouldn’t King stay at the back? I mean, it’s dangerous, right?”
Mars turned and smiled at Trey.
“Not him. My lord Flos has always lead the charge. When you see him on the battlefield, you will know. Have faith. He will order us to battle soon, and then you’ll see why I’m one of the Seven.”
“But what will we do?”
Trey asked pensively. Mars shrugged.
“Whatever he asks of you. You are sworn to him, as am I. We are companions, in that sense. We are the swords of our lord. When he calls, we must be ready.”
She smiled then, and the twins found they couldn’t ask her anything else. They left the training grounds, unsure of what to make of what they’d been told. Trey and Teres stumbled down the corridors, massaging their sore arms.
“She always seems so loud. And happy.”
Trey confided in Teres as they walked. She turned and glared at him.
“Pervert.”
“What?”
He stared at her. She glared. He slowly flushed.
“I couldn’t help it!”
“So could! You’re disgusting!”
“I’m not!”
“Are too!”
As the two began to argue, they started to lapse into a way of speaking unique to the two of them. Teres and Trey knew each other so well, they could complete each other sentences at times. So they didn’t bother to finish theirs when speaking with each other.
“Not my fault—”
“Eyes up here! You’re as blatant as—”
“Shut it! You don’t understand—”
“Dog’s bollocks I don’t. Just because I don’t have a thing swinging down—”
“Shut up!”
“You shut up! Besides…they’re fake.”
“What?”
Trey paused. Teres nodded.
“They’re fake. I’m sure of it.”
“How do you know? Did you touch—”
She glared at him.
“No, but they don’t move right.”
“How can you tell—”
“I’m a girl! I know how they’re supposed to move.”
“Oh. Right.”
Trey thought about this as they walked down the corridor. He thought of Mars. Then his mental image focused, as it were.
“They’re really fake?”
“Yep.”
Teres nodded decisively. Trey sighed.
“Aw.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Pillock.”
This might have started another fight, but a low voice interrupted the two.
“Your King awaits you.”
Trey turned, and promptly forgot every other part of the female body. Four eyes were staring at him, and a mouth full of sharp teeth was curved up. It was…reminiscent of a smile.
Gazi the Omniscient, or Lady Pathseeker, or the half-Gazer that terrified the piss out of Trey and Teres, smiled at the twins as they froze up in the hall. She smiled wider.
“He is in his room. Hurry or you will make him wait.”
“We—we will, Lady Gazi. Thank you for telling us.”
“He asked me to.”
Gazi said it simply. She stared at Trey and Teres. They stared back. They had four eyes between them, but since Gazi had four eyes as well it was an equal staring contest. Trey’s gaze was fixed on the center of Gazi’s face.
She had one central eye and four peripheral ones. And virtually no nose. But Trey had never seen her central eye—it was injured. Apparently, a girl from his world had actually poked it out. Trey had no idea who would dare to do that—he wondered what kind of maniac would even try.
“Well?”
Gazi’s words made the two twins start walking. But to their extreme dissatisfaction she walked with them.
Neither one of them understood Gazi. She was a hero in the eyes of the people of Reim, and Flos and his vassals treated her with respect. But Trey knew that Orthenon didn’t exactly like Gazi, and he was sure that she and Mars didn’t get along. Only…he didn’t know what Gazi really did.
Orthenon managed things. Mars fought in the army. But Gazi…she was a [Scout], but why would a [Scout] be one of the King’s Seven?
“Um, Lady Gazi.”
“Yes?”
The half-Gazer turned to look at Trey, still smiling. The saliva dried up in Trey’s mouth. Oh yes, there was one more thing. He was quite sure that Gazi didn’t like how close he and Teres were to Flos.
But he had to ask. He’d asked Mars and Orthenon, so Trey forced his mouth to work.
“Do you…know why King Flos hasn’t ordered us to war yet? I mean, he’s not even assembled the army.”
Gazi’s smile vanished. She stared at him with one of her eyes as the other one fixed on Teres and two more looked ahead and behind her. Trey shuddered as the fourth eye rolled back in its socket. When Gazi spoke, it was calmly.
“I do not know.”
“You don’t?”
The twins stared at her. Gazi shrugged slightly, the rust-brown scale armor moving smoothly with her shoulders.
“I do not pretend to understand my lord’s thoughts. He is a mystery to me, no matter how often I have watched his actions. If you wish to know his thoughts, you must listen to his words, not any others.”
“Except he never explains anything.”
Teres said that with an uncharacteristic scowl. Trey glanced at her and saw his sister’s face was set, and her eyes were flashing with annoyance. He privately understood her feelings; they were being shuffled around again, like every day, really. Flos told them what to do, and they did it, usually without even thinking to ask why or argue. He didn’t like it, but Trey felt strongly about voicing his objections in Gazi’s presence. Because she might object. Strongly.
“If my lord has no answers for you, perhaps it is because you have never asked. You have a chance now. Here we are.”
She halted. Trey realized they’d come to Flos’ door. Gazi smiled and turned. Had she just wanted to walk them over? She whispered to them before she left.
“But if are to ask him…do it now. I have waited a long time for my lord to awaken. And I do not like waiting longer.”
She left, and Trey looked into Teres’ pale face. He didn’t know if that was a threat, a warning, or just her way of encouraging him. But he did know one thing, and that was that he never wanted to meet a full Gazer if they were all like Gazi.
Trey knocked on Flos’ door. He heard a booming voice at once.
“Enter.”
The twins cautiously opened the door, knowing that the eyes of the other servants in the hall were fixed covetously on their backs. As personal servants to the King, Trey and Teres had some invisible ranking that put them just below the King’s Seven in the eyes of the servants. As children, or at least, not full adults, they were also constantly instructed by everyone to be on their best behavior to the King, and their actions were monitored by everyone in the palace.
“So. Have you learned much from Mars and Orthenon?”
Flos turned from his dresser. Trey and Teres jumped. It was she who replied as he stared around Flos’ room. He had never been in here. The room was grand and plain. Grand because everything in it was meant for a king. Plain, because there were no paintings on the wall, no decorations—just a dresser, a closet, a bed and Flos himself. It did not look like the room that had been lived in for ten years.
“We learned more about other continents, my King. And Mars tested our ability to fight. She says we might make dec
ent warriors if we practice at it.”
“Good. I am not certain that is the best class for the two of you to take, but it is worth considering if you have the aptitude.”
Flos sighed as he regarded the twins. He didn’t look tired, but he did look…less intense than normal. That was unusual, because it was only midday and Trey had known Flos to work late into the night and rise hours later with energy to spare.
“Is everything alright, my…liege?”
The [King] waved a huge hand at Trey.
“When we are not in public setting you need not address me with titles. Actually…you need not address me so in a public setting either. I have told my Seven and Orthenon the same, but they refuse to listen. But in your world, it is not common to speak to others in such a way, is it?”
“Yeah, but we don’t speak to the Queen.”
Trey pointed that out. Flos smiled.
“But your Queen should have those who speak to her as a person, not as a monarch. It is not always pleasant, to be a [King] at all times.”
He sighed, and turned back to his dresser, picking something up. Trey saw Flos turn back with a broach in his hands, a bright yellow gem set with violet ones around the gold rim.
“Perhaps that is why I keep the two of you close. Disregarding your knowledge of your world…I crave those who will treat me not as a King, but as something else. What, I do not know. Regardless. Tell me, have you often ventured outside my palace walls?”
“No.”
The two chorused as once. Teres clarified.
“We don’t often go out. But we’ve walked through the city a few times.”
There wasn’t actually much to see. There was lots to do, and so they’d accompanied Flos in rebuilding a house, or seeing to some minor emergency or other. But the people had flocked around him. In the times when he wasn’t there, people were always busy. It was just crumbling buildings and worn down stone as far as Trey was concerned.
“Well, I suppose today will be instructive. You see, Teres, Trey, I desire something of you.”