by Matt Wilk
“Don’t know how you broke the radial, or how we’ll fix it. Good show Matthius. You left us without a shadow of doubt. You are not guilty at all, just lacking in any and all forms of luck. I truly am sorry about your girl.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence, sir Bratley. Am I still your favorite tall?”
“Oh- by far, by far! Do be safe out there. Take care of yourself as well, Monster Hunter.”
Major Swiftblade nodded down at Bratley and walked back towards the crowd of beggars. My face flushed red again, wondering how many of them had heard what transpired. I did not see the underpriest but kept an eye out for his assassins. No matter how terrible the council had been, I had passed their tests. From then on, my life’s worth would be decided by my own actions. As it stood, they did not yet trust me so much as to let me know where I might be tomorrow.
We followed the catwalk as far north as it lasted and turned left into town where the water pipe shot vertically up the remainder of the mountain. The rock face showed that faded but uniform block pattern. There was another battle tower hiding beneath the surface and if anyone took the city I’m sure the flow of water would have been easily cut off. The winding slope was filled with carts, so we took the foot path. The amount of cargo moving in and out was supported by a walled off dock being worked by hundreds of men wearing the silver swirl implants. Here in the capitol, the people could not afford to risk employing civilian longshoremen, they were all on the official governing body’s payroll- likely the Logistical Operations Division. The UNF side of the lake had an expansive merchant’s dock, both on land and along the boardwalk. The wooden piers stretched out a hundred paces easy, allowing for multiple cargo ships to load or unload on each side.
“Senjay! Over here, Senjay. Hey, I thought I’d never see you again.”
“Right away I know you got into some trouble in there.”
He put his arm around me and spun me to survey the eastern expanse whilst biting his lip and staring sideways around me.
“Mush mouth, mush mouth. Shush. Mush mouth…”
“Don’t worry, they have a separate ramp for armored escorts. Just leave the boy so there’s no more trouble.”
“Matthius.”
“Sir.”
I spun around too quickly and Major Swiftblade looked at me cross for eavesdropping. Senjay looked off in several other directions, pretending to be confused and unawares.
“Stay here. Do not get into any more trouble.”
“What?”
He held up his hand and I gave up on explaining myself. After living in a murder filled hell for a decade, Major Swiftblade just wanted some peace and quiet. Only once we had left did it occur to me that he must have been put through a similar test. I was not the only one whom had been forced to relive the worst moments of their life, and his nightmares were surely much worse.
“Yea, called it mate. What happened? Come on, spill it.”
“Firstly, it weren’t me.”
Senjay was always easy to talk to and he made a joke of everything I said. He even went so far as to claim he was jealous of me for getting all the attention. According to him, the briefing was over so quickly there was only enough time to be yelled at once for engaging the princess with improper conversation. Neither he nor Lazarus had had their minds invaded by the king himself.
“Bit too late now, I’m afraid.”
“No worries brother. They already had a problem with the things that I said to her. I couldn’t imagine granting them access to what I thought about her.”
“Ha!”
Our laughter went unnoticed in all the noise, and pier nine was the loudest area by far. The Lokah of pier ten were a flashy and dangerous looking buffer between us and the holy lands They were also having more fun and moving more cargo than their cousins stationed at pier one. The middle of the docks showed the melting pot of nationalities supporting the merchants. But pier nine was naught but the most giant Cairan men with a mix of accents from all across the union and the world. Once they had finished poking fun at our ridiculous turtle costumes, they left us alone. Lucky for us, considering most of them could have been born of the same House as Daaron.
“Who’s that you nodded to?”
“That was Sergeant Senta, first class and commanding and all that. He recognized the Talon from Ulfbar.”
“Lucky to be out here, must have left Ulfbar just in time. Speaking of which, where do you think you’ll end up? I mean, when it’s all over.”
“I don’t rightly know. Embraun’s just a temporary hub for everyone who aint the first born son of a lord. It’s all royal blood, hard labor, and then get out of town before you can have any fun at all.”
“No fun? You say no fun but you mean no trouble.”
“Yea, and the only way to pass the wall and properly stretch the legs is to apply for a license to mercenary. Look it, here they come now.”
There were three of them, oafs if I had ever seen one. The Lokah guard did not seem too pleased about them taking the stairs, but were more than happy to assist them in getting out of their tower. The biggest pushed a young guard back through the door and slammed it closed on himself from the outside. It was not my first time witnessing a brute do what a brute does. However, their laughter was rooted in more than just a brash sense of humor, they were White Coal.
Miners from birth, and naught but a bright white caveman skin to show for it. Bald heads, bare arms, and enhanced by the same powerful silver rings as everyone else. Just like Tram, they had too much of that power diverted into feeding their own egos.
“Notice they got swords? Not even all the guards got a license to carry in town.”
“We are not going to end up like them.”
“You think so? They haven’t got a single rule…matey.”
“Lazarus wouldn’t allow it. And, they’re not pirates- just fools. We have a purpose. We serve the people in accordance with a higher code of honor. I feel sorry for whomever hired these men on. I would not trust them to have my back.”
Senjay nodded with a sour look on his face. We would not have appeared any friendlier, as we were standing there with our arms folded squinting against the water’s glare of the random rays of sunlight. Sergeant Senta finished his round up the length of the pier and pointed out at us.
“You two look like trouble out here. Who’s the little boy?”
“Matthius sir, newly reformed Commando.”
“Is he going to be alright? Ugh, officers- get younger every year.”
“Got company Sarge.”
Sergeant Senta did not return my salute, and even seemed offended. Senjay led his glance over to the mercenary group. They were wandering closer to the border wall amongst the merchants and their many wares. As the decent folk checked their cargo and payed up for transportation fees, the rowdy bunch was pilfering whatever took their fancy.
“That’s a practiced move their sir-uh, Sergeant. You see the big one causing a scene, number two forms a wall of stupidity, and no one sees the last thief make his move.”
“Alright junior, he can stay. Corporal!”
The corporal sped down the pier to belay his whispered command. Senta led all the men on pier nine in a change of uniform. They downgraded to shirtless and celebrated by shouting hilarious insults at one another. The sudden explosion of noise was impossible to ignore, and the foolhardy mercs fell for the most dangerous trap I had ever seen. Even Sergeant Senta, at my height and with the many decades he must have put in to climbing the union ranks, was at least three feet wide. The silver swirls transformed men into such dangerous things. I understood why the hilts, in particular, were reserved only for officers. Better to have only one Bloodaxe.
“Oh, I see. You thought I wanted you to salute me, but we aren’t even lieutenants yet.”
“No, you are not.”
He spoke short but I was right. Both he and Senjay were rolling their shoulders back. I kept trying to speak calmly. As Major Swiftblade said, provocation is a fool’s erra
nd.
“Yep. Hasn’t been a Commando in the union since the Bloodaxe was locked up. Peace has that effect. Most of the standing armies are just for show as it is. Once we get this alliance down south with the Zonyans, it’ll be all about that navy. Sorry bub. First Commandoes in a long time, and you will likely be the last.”
Sergeant Senta spoke plainly. I found it refreshing. His leadership was clearly hard earned and well respected. Most of the Lokah who were not busy on the final pier downgraded their uniforms as well, gathering closer to us on the boardwalk. At the first hint of a fight, some let down their long manes, and some wrapped their hair up into a top knot. The corporal returned with his shirt off, wearing a head wrap, flexing and calling out for attention. The ruse had already worked, and we backed away to watch it happen. I did not think for one moment that I need be involved. Sergeant Senta took care of his own, and this was likely not the first time some cocky mercs would earn a thorough beating. The implants would quickly heal their bodies, just not their egos.
“Will, put your shirt on and fetch the Lieutenant.”
“Aw, boss man?”
“Don’t talk back. Move dammit. All of you get back to work.”
“That’s right boy, put your shirt on and move it along.”
The smallest of them spoke with a familiar voice. I did not recognize his face, but I did catch the bag of stolen goods he had hidden under his overhanging belly. Corporal Will saw it as well.
“I know you aint talking to my corporal like that. I must have had the sun in my eye. I must have misheard you. Why don’t you just keep moving so there aren’t any more misunderstandings?”
“Well, actually…”
The leader of the bunch was the only one who had gone bald naturally. He was more confident than the rest and he stepped forward to meet any and all challengers.
“You got it all wrong bub. That’s not what he was saying at all.”
“That’s good news, now move it along.”
“Afraid I can’t do that. Least not ‘til you apologize for misrepresenting my mates, you ugly black Opa.”
“You’re right, I am sorry- for your mother.”
Everyone within earshot called out about the man’s poor mother, and worse, how he had always disappointed her. Senjay and I could not contain our laughter, and the outnumbered party was more than happy to shift their attentions over to the two of us.
“You keep laughing along with them Swillian. Meanwhile, the massacre at Nubia was the one and only thing the empire ever done right. What do you think boys?”
He was not the first man to connect me to the genocide, but it was the first time anyone dared mention it in a positive light. His men cackled and gathered closer behind him to show their support. I saw Corporal Will approaching from the west side of the docks with the Majors Talon and Swiftblade, so I grit my teeth and stayed out of trouble as best I could. However, Senjay did not feel so inclined. I had no choice to back his move.
“The three of you are no more than common thieves. Hand over what you got to the big Sarge in charge before he orders me to break your teeth.”
“There you go again, misrepresenting my mates.”
“Careful boss, that’s the son of Omar Stonefist. I remember him from Ulfbar.”
“Is that right? Well, we’re truly honored then. Aint we boys? To be face to face with the knockout king his self, only to see him reborn as this sweet little twig. Your father would be ashamed of you, working for the UNF, all official like. Just look at your uniform, like a frail little turtle. You wouldn’t make enough soup for the lot of us.”
The more he spoke, the more Senjay trembled with a fury. His left fist instinctively turned outward in preparation for the dangerous uppercut he would soon deliver. Unfortunately for them, their master’s monologue went on for too long. Will was in position behind them, and Major Talon had heard enough to boil her blood.
“You, fat man. Look at me. Shut your mouth. Leave my sight.”
Most of the dock workers had slowed to watch the situation unfold. Then they even egged it on, rooting for Major Talon. They stuck to repeating the most gruesome tale of her once having cut a man in half with a butter knife during the pirate wars, suggesting that they would be next.
“Who gave you permission to speak, girl?”
Senjay was so angry he spit, and it landed right on the fool’s face. Will used the distraction to snatch the bag of stolen goods. The thief cried out in a familiar tone, and was too slow. The bag was tossed to Sergeant Senta, who then tossed it over his shoulder. A Lokah man caught the bag and carried it across the border, daring them chase after him.
“My, my, what has become of you? You’re not even a thug for hire. Nothing but a lowly thief nowadays. What was your silly posh name again? Clarence, wasn’t it?”
The mention of his name flooded the air with laughter and cat-calls, as well as flooding his face with blood. Without the day’s take to keep hidden, they had no more reason to back down than we did. It was customary in Ulfbar to send the smallest out first in a fight, keeping the biggest brawlers in reserve just in case. Out of instinct, I moved in several paces before stopping abruptly, and turning to Major Swiftblade.
“Sir, may I?”
He was tired of fighting for everything, but understood that I was only getting started. He looked at Clarence, and back to me, and then slowly nodded his approval. The guard turned mercenary turned thief was not a natural born fighter. A three-mealer from the House of Tonney, it was likely his first fight. Before he could turn his head back to me I had closed the gap between us.
Just like Lazarus, I led with a heavy right. I followed with another and another until he had no choice but to hide his head and try a tackle. I wrapped my arm around his neck but could not reach around my shells for the full choke. He seized the opportunity to push until I was on my back. He fooled around so much that I laughed at him, and shrugged at Major Swiftblade.
“Hold that arm still. No, leave it on your shoulder, now pull your knee up.”
It was hard to focus on following orders while fighting a man, no matter how eager I was to learn from a true master. Once I had my knee raised as far as it could go, I prompted him for the next bit of instruction.
“Kick through. You made a hole, now kick through!”
With my leg curled around the back of his neck, Clarence charged forward. We slid on the shell until it had lodged itself in a wooden cargo container. In the bounce back, I managed to wrap my left leg under his right arm. I was inching his head off at the neck and he was still fighting.
“Yea, you’ve got it. Just spin him around. Grab behind the elbow.”
I had Clarence by the right arm but he had heard enough to pull at my left knee to keep from giving me control of his elbow.
“Last chance thief. Give it up.”
“You’ve got nothing boy.”
I let go of his arm completely and he dug his elbow into my belly repeatedly. I did not know how Major Swiftblade would have preferred I handle him from there, but I decided to treat Clarence the way he acted- without mercy. While he was trying to break my floating ribs, I had snuck two fingers in his mouth. He tried to bite down, but it was too late. When I ripped at his cheek, the rest of his body followed. There would be no pulling my leg off his throat. That’s when his new boss decided to enter the fray. He popped me one good time in the teeth to judge the distance and then sent a flurry of blows down on me. I tried to dodge, turn, duck and block, but he was winning. That’s when Clarence turned blue and went limp.
“Keep trying, White Coal. There’s one down already!”
“And that’s two!”
Senjay knocked the third man out cold, and to thunderous applause from the still thickening crowd. I let go of Clarence before he died, and fully blocked with my gauntlets long enough to catch my breath. My face and head suffered from going unguarded, while I rolled into the fool’s knees with my shell and sunk an elbow into his toes. He howled, pausing to hold his
foot. Senjay did not hesitate, leaping from the top of my shell and knocking him stiff with one left hook. Everyone was on their feet, chanting and cheering for the new knockout king.
“So very, very sloppy.”
Major Swiftblade helped me to my feet. His face proved that he was not impressed. None of the mercs stayed down long. One by one, the silver swirls healed their wounds. They all shook from the head down, reawakening and blinking out at each other. Once awake, they ashamedly ran off without another word.
“Do you think I need some practice sir? You could always teach me.”
“Teach you to fight? With that temper? I think not.”
“That Clarence went dirty first thing. Lucky his mates were busy watching or you would have been swarmed. You had best learn your limits little one.”
“Yes Sergeant. Thank you for trying to avoid the situation all together.”
“I succeeded, too. You threw the first punch, remember?”
Sergeant Senta went to retrieve the stolen goods. No one bothered with calling the guard to collect the mercenaries. Major Swiftblade decided to ignore their escape as well, and hurried me to say goodbye to Senjay for the second time. I was grateful he did not try to tackle me again. The fight had him beaming. Not only was it an easy win for him, but he had taken one more step towards earning respect from Major Talon.
“Hey mate, you better practice against a tree or something. That was sloppy indeed.”
“Well, thanks for coming to my rescue. Couldn’t have done it without you, sire.”
“That’s right boy-o, bow to the knockout king. Next time I see’s you, I bet the princess is chomping at the bit to get her hands on me.”
“Ha! If you see Lazarus out there, let him know I said you’ve gone completely mad.”
Saying goodbye to Senjay was even harder the second time. He and Major Talon were headed south to clear up the border with Zonya and aid in some sort of negotiations. It was even worse to think Lazarus was already so far gone, and yet, neither of us even knew in which general direction. My head hung as low as my heart on our walk across the docks. After a few piers, no one was even aware of the fight amongst all the noise and commotion. My mouth was still bleeding from the inside when we reached the cart. I went for some water and thought about how disgusting it would be to spit up a mouth full of blood on the pavement. Without the faintest clue as to where I was headed, nor what I would be doing there, I decided I needed every drop of blood my body had left. So, just in case, I swallowed that mouthful of blood, and immediately wished I hadn’t. But, vomiting it back up would have been even worse. I left the city bruised, clueless, hungry, and with a massive tummy ache.