Verron_Birth of a Nation

by Douglas Varnell

  Stevonich had been around, but nothing had prepared him for what he saw next. As he entered a town square, there were four people strapped into a rack and literally skinned alive. Everything else was perfectly in tack, but the victims were slowly dying. Their skin was being sold to the highest bidder. He heard a loud gong and soon the crowds began to head in the same direction. So he wouldn’t look conspicuous, he moved with the flow of people. They ended up in a huge courtyard in front of a large temple of some kind. There was a half-dressed female priestess standing on a high terrace surrounded by a dozen men in servant loincloths. Soon a man stepped forward and presented a small child to the priestess. The servants laid the child on an altar, said a few words over it and then slit her throat. Stevonich threw-up; so much for his cover. Before he could recover, there was a second child escorted to the altar, a young boy this time. The sacrifice was repeated. Evidently the people bought children, just like ancient cultures bought a lamb or a goat, to make their sacrifice to the goddess Nicci. People began to start looking at Stevonich and soon a woman began shouting in a strange language and pointing at him. Men with knives and swords and several of the big priestly servants began to surround him. There were just too many to fight and no place to run with fifty thousand devoted nut-jobs enjoying an evening worship service watching children get their throats cut; he did the only thing he could do, and prayed that this cheap plastic Casio worked. Just as a dozen armed men reached for him, he screamed Trapdoor into his wrist and fell through the stone courtyard directly into the Verron operations office. He hoped and prayed that Skiver had better luck.

  Skiver pretended to be mute anytime someone spoke to him, it was working pretty well while he was still in the city, no one wanted to upset a soldier with a broadsword, but as he approached the military compound near the ships it became harder to just simply ignore sentries and soldiers of higher rank. He did determine, by the level of activity and loading of the nearby ships, that whatever they planned would happen soon. Carts, filled with weapons and food, were passing him as they headed for the docks to be loaded. Large companies of armed and armored soldiers marched behind a cavalry of six legged horses, with both rider and mount covered in heavy steel and leather armor. Several times he heard the name Darsai being used in marching cadence or conversations. He concluded that the other kingdom was named after this planet or the planet was named for it. A large man slammed into Skiver and almost knocked him down. It did not take long for Skiver to figure out that this man outranked him and expected to be acknowledged. The soldier saw quickly that Skiver was not one of them, probably smelled to good. Without warning, the bigger man drew his sword and began to shout an alarm. Skiver quickly drew his sword, and in a flash ran it through the shouting man. Others around him backed up and allowed two dozen archers with drawn bows to surround him. Skiver decided he was about to find out if this little pager on his side worked. He charged the archers with a swinging sword. Two dozen arrows hit their target dead center, only to fall harmlessly to the ground or bounce off into some nearby innocent pedestrian. Skiver managed to kill at least a half dozen of the shocked archers, but knew the fast approaching hoard of 50 heavily armed soldiers was his cue to try out his watch. Just as they got to him he shouted Trapdoor and fell through the boards of the loading dock he was standing on. Instead of water, he hit the terrazzo floor of the operations center, about three feet from a very smelly Stevonich. He looked up into the face of Paul Verron and said, “You need to make a bunch more of these things. It’s like American Express; never leave home without it.”

  He reached for the little box attached to his side and asked, “Do I have to give it back?” Paul extended his hand that already held the Trapdoor device and forcefield from Stevonich. Smiling he replied, “Talk to Hunter and Vlad, maybe he can use you in his operation, then you’ll be issued one. You should be perfect master spies.” He looked at his watch and continued, “You lasted almost 3 ½ hours behind enemy lines. Maybe with a little work you’ll make it four.” Stevonich laughed, “If this is what spies go through all the time, please give me someone to shoot at. Besides, I like my body armor.” Both men did a complete debriefing to King Verron and General Zarman and explained the situation on Darsai. Paul hoped Hunter and Vlad had better luck than these two.

  Hunter and Vlad exited their gateway to the backside of the ridge near a small village. They didn’t especially want to steel from the poor, but they couldn’t exactly walk around in dark gray commando gear. They managed to find some slightly damp clothing that fit hanging on the clothes line behind two different cottages. The pants were a bit short on both of them but whoever owned them was about the same build. They stashed their clothing under some bushes and covered them with leaves. Both kept only two items, their forcefield and the 3 foot double-edged swords Paul had given them when they were promoted. These were the first to be made exclusively from Verron Steel and manufactured by citizens of Verron. They may have been Klelta and learned their skills while living there, but both the steel smiths declared it was better quality than even Klelta Steel. These were not ornate, dress-up kinds of swords. They were designed to be used. They did keep their boots; there was no way to wear the shoes they found. There was no left or right and they didn’t consist of much more than a thin sheet of leather.

  It was dark when they dropped off Skiver and Stevonich, but due to time zones across miles of ocean, it was just starting to turn light by the time they were dressed and beginning to move away from the village. The two of them followed the top of the ridge for a few miles looking for a good path to follow to the valley on the Castle side of the ridge. As they approached a narrow pass, Vlad noticed something that didn’t look just right in a tree overlooking the pass. His eyes immediately drifted across the pass to another tall tree on the steep slope of the adjacent ridge. He quietly halted Hunter and pointed out what he saw. Vlad did not know about Hunter’s new eyes and implant, and gave him questioning looks when he said, “I see them both. They are carrying steel cross-bows and I don’t think they are hunting deer.” Hunter began to look around and carefully followed the path leading back toward the Castle. Vlad could not see the approaching horsemen who had just left the Castle, but Hunter could clearly see a beautiful white creature surrounded by a dozen soldiers moving along the trail. There were two scouts out ahead of the pack slowly checking the woods on both sides of the road. Hunter knew they would never see the men in the trees. It was an obvious ambush.

  Neither Vlad nor Hunter knew who were the good-guys, and who was the bad, but an ambush was not usually what good guys did, and as he recalled, this kingdom did not have cross-bow technology. He didn’t want to do anything too flashy or it would be seen, but he needed to stop these men. He reached down and picked up two good sized rocks from the path. He carefully threw one with each arm and directed their path telekinetically. With and impact to the head at over 100 mph, if the rocks didn’t kill the two men, then the fall from the tall trees to the floor of the pass below certainly did. Vlad shook his head and smiled saying, “American baseball pitchers make millions and can’t do that. How do you?” Hunter looked dead serious as he answered, “I cheat. That’s why King Verron will not allow any of the Guard to participate in competitive sports. We just don’t play fair.” Vlad laughed and told him, “You sound like U.S.S.R Olympians. What’s a little cheating going to hurt?”

  They made their way down the steep ridge and were in the process of dragging the bodies of the two would-be assassins into a shallow ravine when they heard the sound of the approaching scouts. The scouts were actually very good and their mounts much lighter footed than Earth horses. When they looked up from the ravine, the two scouts were pointing their already drawn bows at the two strangers throwing cross-bows into the ravine atop the dead bodies. Vlad smiled at the fact he had never been surprised before by an enemy sneaking up on him, and made a mental note to learn how they did it, later. Before either could say a word two arrows were released. The expression on the arche
r’s faces was total shock as one arrow bounced harmlessly off Vlad and the other was caught mid-air by Hunter, who promptly broke it in half. They were in the process of quickly stringing another arrow when they found themselves falling from their saddles to the ground. Hunter had hurled a burst of wind that knocked them from their creatures. They were very good soldiers. Almost as quickly as they hit the ground, both were on their feet with a long sword prepared for battle. Vlad and Hunter both stood like they could care less if they were attacked, and didn’t even move when the two men charged forward. Just as the swordsmen swung a killing blow, Hunter and Vlad did an almost imperceptible side step and arm parry as they stepped inside the heavy sword, quickly knocking the two men unconscious with hard left hooks to the chin. They carefully laid the two men clear of the road and retrieved their horses, tying them to a nearby tree. When they finished, they stood in the middle of the path of the oncoming riders, soon to arrive.

  As the riders rounded a bend, it was easy to note the man in shinny armor riding the only white mount in the group. The dozen or so heavily armed knights or bodyguards surrounding him came to a halt about fifty feet from Hunter and Vlad. Four stayed behind close to their obvious ruler and eight rode forward to surround Vlad and Hunter, with swords draw and ready for action. Hunter casually walked over to the ravine and picked-up one of the cross-bows and then lifted one of the dead men so the soldiers could see his face. Some of the soldiers had a look of contempt on their face; the man in shiny armor looked perfectly calm at the sight of these two assassins. Hunter threw the cross-bow back in the ravine and walked back toward the leader, ignoring the eight soldiers. They immediately dismounted and tightened the circle around the two intruders. Vlad and Hunter smiled at each other and walked toward the leader and his four guards, ignoring the eight surrounding them. They got exactly what they expected. They all eight attacked, ready to kill the strangers. These men were really very good and if they had not been fighting a Russian Spetsnaz with 300% enhancement and a member of the Dragon Guard they would have been lethal. Hunter had no desire to injure or harm any of the men. In a flurry of fists and steel, Vlad and Hunter disarmed the eight men and left them lying on the ground, embarrassed, maybe even bruised, but not injured.

  Hunter walked forward to the tight circle around their leader and stuck the eight swords in the ground before them. He had no idea what language to use, but knew English would be a waste of time. So far the worlds on the Xhondar exploration list had some understanding of Xhondarian. He spoke in very slow Xhondarian and hoped some of what he said made sense. He used pointing and hand gestures to emphasis what he was trying to say. As he spoke his first words, he pointed to the two dead men and the trees on either side of the pass, as he explained, “My name in Hunter, we found these two men in those trees waiting to kill you. We were clearing the path for you when your men, he pointed to the two men slowly regaining consciousness, thought we may be a danger to you. We didn’t want to hurt anyone, so we took their weapons just like we did your other men.” Once again he pointed to himself and said, “I am Hunter and this is Vladimir. We are here to help not harm you and your people.”

  The man on the white horse removed his headgear and dismounted the creature he rode. He was as tall as Hunter and heavier, about 35 or 40 years old and handsome, with black curly hair, green eyes and an athletic face. His remaining body guards cautioned him to stay back, but he began to walk toward Hunter and Vlad. The remaining eight soldiers scrabbled to regain their weapons and encircled the two strangers again. Hunter could tell by the look on the man’s face that he was amused by the futility of their efforts. In a language that was part Xhondarian and part something else, he spoke to Hunter and Vlad, saying, “I am King Darsai.” He pointed to the men in the ditch and continued, “These are Niccaros, from across the great sea. They have tried to kill me before. Thank you for what you did.” Hunter and Vlad bent at the waist to indicate respect and to acknowledge his gratitude.” He walked over to look down at the men in the ravine, spoke to one of his men and he quickly scrambled down into the ditch and retrieved the cross-bow, immediately handing it to King Darsai. He looked at it with curiosity, not completely comprehending how it worked. Vlad approached the King and held out his hand for the cross-bow. The King looked at the two men wearing three foot swords that had just taken out his guards without ever using them, sighed and handed the bow to Vlad. Vlad looked it over carefully and then did a small demonstration for the King and his men. He first reached over and picked-up one of the long-bows he had taken from the two scouts, nocked an arrow, drew till the head of the arrow was just barely in front of the shaft and shot the arrow into a tree about 10 inches in diameter. The arrow went an easy two to three inches into the hard tree. He then picked up the cross-bow and placed a bolt in the weapon and cranked it into a firing position. He aimed at the same tree and fired. The bolt head came out the other side of the tree. He took a bolt that was still in his hand and gently tapped it against the Kings armor. The King knew immediately that these men had saved his life. His armor would have done him no good against that kind of force.

  The King started commanding his guards and four of them immediately climbed into the ravine and drug out the two dead men. They placed them across the back of the mounts ridden by the scouts. Two of the Kings guards took hold of the reigns. The King then had two other men give their mounts to Vlad and Hunter. As soon as they mounted, the group took the return path back to the Castle with the two dead in tow; four men it seemed would be walking home. Hunter estimated it to be no more than a mile. No doubt it was intended to embarrass them for having their weapons taken. Vlad had only ridden a horse once in his life and didn’t much like it then. These mounts were much more spirited than a horse, but also extremely smooth to ride on. Hunter of course lived part-time on his mother and step-fathers ranch and had been riding since he was able to walk, a part of having a step-father who was from Oklahoma and a father from Mississippi. It was a requirement in both cultures to be able to ride a horse. They rode in silence as they traveled the road back to the castle. The gates were thrown open and a huge crowd was gathered on both sides of the street to see the two strangers with the King and the two dead bodies in tow behind. The King stopped in the middle of a small square and in his language said, “There is a traitor among us. These two, pointing to the dead men, were sent by Niccaros to kill me. Someone had to tell when and where I would be for them to be waiting in ambush. I will know who told them before sunset tonight and someone will become very wealthy. These men, pointing to Hunter and Vlad, saved the King’s life. They will now be guests in my kingdom. They are brave men. Treat them well.”

  With that he continued through the city to the gates of his palace, where he was greeted by two of the most beautiful women Hunter had ever seen. One was as tall as the king and close to his own age, she had long straight brown hair down to her waist, big brown eyes and a heart shaped face. She was introduced as Queen Darsai. The other woman was introduced as the King’s sister, Princess Tiffanis. She was about 20 years old, strawberry blond hair, clear blue eyes and a smile that radiated charm and confidence. From the look she was giving Hunter, she liked what she saw as much as Hunter liked what he saw.

  The King turned to his wife and sister, speaking to them in their own tongue. The two women then had a quiet discussion and soon Princess Tiffanis stepped forward and spoke in perfect Xhondarian, “The royal family prepares our men for war and ruling, we prepare our women in diplomacy, culture and philosophy. The men learn math and science, we learn medicine and music. It has been so for thousands of years. I speak the tongue of the Niccaros, Darsai, and the ancients. Where did you learn the Ancient tongue?” Hunter gave her his most radiant smile and replied, “Where I come from there are many who use it as their common tongue. I learned it from them.” She looked cautiously at Hunter and Vlad and asked, “And where is this land where the Ancient tongue is spoken by many?” Hunter knew better than to say too much, so he answered, “It i
s very far away from here. In my travel to your land I saw the Niccaros preparing for war. I believe they are preparing for war with you.” Tiffanis turned to her brother and his wife and repeated what Hunter had said. They had a good laugh and over what she told them and spoke a few more words to her before she turned back to Hunter, saying, “That is not possible. The Niccaros live far from here across the great sea. Only a few venture so far and come here by following the coast around the ocean’s edge. These two would have taken years to get here from Niccaros.”

  Hunter and Vlad looked at each other and Vlad stepped forward, saying, “Do you have paper and pen?” The Princess summoned a servant, who returned a few minutes later with a scroll of paper and a quill pen. Vlad carefully drew a picture of a sailing ship much like the ones being built by the Niccaros. He showed them the picture with small figures of men on board to indicate the size of the ships. He then told them, “The Niccaros have built thousands of these; more than one man can count. They are coming across the sea to invade Darsai.” The King’s face turned ashen and he actually began to shake with anger. In a loud voice he began to shout at his wife and the surrounding soldiers and what appeared to be his advisors. He was not a happy man and everyone in his presence was cowering to his shouts.

  After several minutes of this, he calmed down and all that remained in the room were his wife, his sister, the King, Hunter, Vlad, an older man in uniform and some skinny old man in what looked like an advisor’s or wizard’s gown. The King directed them to his large study and offered them a seat. The Queen shouted to some servants and soon, bread and cheese and some kind of ale was brought into the room and set on a table in front of their guests. Hunter just realized he was starving and Vlad must have been drooling at the smell of the sweet ale. They both helped themselves to some food, but were cautious to barely sip the ale. The King struggled with his mastery of the Xhondarian tongue, but managed a few words when needed. He looked at Hunter and asked, “You said you came to help. You are a man who does things I have never seen, but even you can’t defeat an entire army. If what you say is true, my Kingdom will be destroyed. We are a small country and have little use for an army. I have no more than 5000 soldiers at my command. Some of the other nobles have small armies, but all of them together would be half the size of mine. We are a country of farmers, hunters and fishermen. There has never been a war fought in our land. No one in my command has seen battle.”