The Spirit of The Warrior: The Axton Empire book 1

by Ryan Copeland

  I’m not a spy or assassin, I’m a ranger. My duty is with my men, yet I am honor-bound to follow my father’s orders. His smile faded, and he grew grim at these thoughts. He knew he had to trust his father’s wisdom and orders, he realized. That was how he could keep the people safe now.

  The performers finished their furious, beautiful dance with a grand flourish. The crowd around them erupted into mighty cheers and applause. Tiberius smiled again and joined in the clapping and cries of “Bravo!” He lingered near the post before deciding he should join his men in the one place he was sure they would all congregate on their night off in the city, Nock Arrows pub. He tossed a few coins into the dancer’s open case and strolled away from the square as another group emerged to begin their own dance.

  He followed the cobblestone and steel roads around the maze-like city, astonished at the people that seemed to burst from every corner of the city. In his long time as a ranger, he had ventured to all their kingdoms on one errand or another. But to see all these people, hear all their competing accents and manners of speech at once? His heart grew full and proud.

  A few minutes later, he found himself at the entrance of Nock Arrows. A sizeable wooden pub lined with flags from each kingdom outside with the Imperial banner held the highest. He entered the pub and took it all in. Several of his rangers were drinking and singing along with the house band to some old tune about gallant warriors traipsing around and righting the wrongs of a long-gone era. He had been coming to Arrows since he first joined the Imperial army. It had become the rangers’ favorite hangout whenever they had the opportunity to visit the city. The walls were covered in crude painting and tapestries depicting victories over the Narzeth and dragons from long ago. The wood paneling was chipping and in need of repair, but it added a unique quality and ambiance to the place.

  In the corner, he saw his three friends engaged in some debate, no doubt about who slew how many enemies in the war. It was a morbid point of honor between Timothy and Zachary as to how many of the Narzeth they slew in battle. Tiberius and the other senior rangers never understood their strange fascination with this. War and killing wasn’t a game, but if it brought some levity to his men, he would allow it. But their conversation ended as soon as Timothy met eyes with his commander.

  The archer burst to his feet and roared over the room, “Hail! Tiberius!” A great echo rang over the place as every person present, ranger or otherwise, returned his call.

  Tiberius laughed and replied, “Hail, and well met! Rangers of the Axton Empire!” He had always made it a point to return greetings from his men, another lesson from his father. Soldiers of lower offices and ranks yearn to be acknowledged and praised by their commanders, and Tiberius never missed an opportunity to dole out his admiration.

  He made his way through the jam-packed pub, stopping here and there to exchange quick words with many of his men till he finally made his way to his three companions. He exchanged quick handshakes with the two young Rangers before they returned their debate. He held his handshake with Trevin just a little longer than what was allowed, but no one seemed to notice with everything going on around them. Or care.

  “Glad you could join us, sir. We were wondering how long His Majesty would keep you. Where is our young Mage?” Trevin said, returning back to formality. He, like his lover, yearned for more time together alone. But with the men around, he dared not betray his duty and feelings.

  Tiberius grabbed a fresh beer from the bar nearby and settled into his chair. “Not too terribly long, considering everything we had to say. Everything okay with the men?”

  “Nothing too out of the ordinary. These two idiots have been debating tactics and body counts, a few of the females broke some poor idiot’s nose who didn’t believe they were rangers. The other men have been singing and dancing like fools all night,” Trevin reported.

  “Oh! You should have seen the look on his face! Amanda was just enjoying her drink, and this fool dared to tell her she shouldn’t be bothering us. That she was too ugly and bald to be a proper wench, and she was better suited for his company than ours,” Zachary exclaimed, holding his side from laughter. “Quick as an arrow she, Freya, and Sara were on their feet and in his face with some choice words I had never heard a lady utter in my life. Next thing you know, WAM! An elbow right in his snout! He fell over bleeding like a pig and ran out with his tail between his legs!”

  Timothy downed what had to be his tenth beer judging by the flagons that were piled near him. “They aren’t ladies. They are Imperial Rangers with an honor greater than any other ‘man’!” He stood quickly and mounted his chair, towering over the assembled crowd. “Citizens of the empire! Raise your glasses high for Amanda, Freya, and Sara! Warriors, protectors, and true ladies of the rangers! HAIL!”

  Shouts of praise echoed around the room as all those seated shot to their feet again with raised glasses and returned the cry of, “Hail!” The three women remained standing and bowed to Timothy in response, a lasting gaze between the youngest, Freya, and Timothy.

  “How long have you been dying to do that?” Zachary asked as Timothy returned to his seat.

  “Spur of the moment. Grand gestures and all that.”

  “You know fraternizing is forbidden, right?” Zachary reminded him. Tiberius and Trevin quickly turned eyes to each other at these words. Fraternizing between the junior enlisted and the sergeants was indeed forbidden. But the attraction between comrades was a natural thing. Long nights in the wild and the uncertainty of death draws people together in strange ways indeed.

  “I know, I know. And I would never do anything. But still…” he trailed off, lost in some secret thought.

  “Anyways, what came of your audience with the emperor?” Trevin asked, changing the subject.

  Tiberius grew quiet at Trevin’s question, thinking best how to break the news to not only his sergeants but to his friends and his lover. “It wasn’t just the emperor, Trevin. Damian was there too.”

  “The High Sorcerer was there?” Timothy said with a raised eyebrow. The mention of such a powerful and magical person was enough to draw his attention away from comparing body counts and staring at Freya to hear what had happened.

  “Yes. We told them what had happened in Childers. They were very shocked to hear what had happened to be sure, but in the end, they decided we needed to go back and continue searching for this supposed dwarven outpost.”

  “Brilliant!” Timothy exclaimed. “When do we leave?”

  Tiberius took a deep drink of his dark beer. “That’s the problem, my friend. The rangers are not going. Just me. Me and Michael and one other that the emperor has yet to choose.”

  His comrades looked defeated and were beginning to start volunteering when Tiberius raised his hand. “Don’t protest. This order is straight from His Majesty. A whole contingent of rangers traveling north would cause a lot of undue attention. He feels that I should be the one to go with Michael on this expedition. Besides, you all will have to continue your patrols in the wild.”

  Trevin stared at Tiberius for many heavy moments, not wanting to give away his concern and growing sorrow. At last, he asked, “When do you leave, sir?”

  “Tomorrow morning, my friends. We depart from the docks shortly after sunrise.”

  The silence between the four men was louder than all the noise of the crowded tavern. None of the men made eye contact with one another except for Trevin. He stared long and deep into Tiberius’s eyes, searching his soul and mind for some reassurance. He didn’t need to use his Sight to realize all Tiberius spoke was true, he just didn’t want to believe it.

  He and Tiberius had never been separated for longer than a few days since their service to the rangers had begun. In his heart, he knew he was bound to Tiberius and Tiberius to him. And while that thought gave him some comfort, he feared for him alone out in the wild. His emotions were growing stronger than he anticipated and he quickly broke the silence, “What will you have us do, sir?”

  T
iberius eyed Trevin with a knowing look. “After the men’s three-day pass is over, make for the garrison. We must continue recruiting and training and get back to our normal patrolling as soon as possible. I fear there is some evil conspiring against our empire, and we must stand ready to fight it once it is known.”

  “Very well, sir. You can count on the three of us to see it done.”

  “I know I can, First Sergeant. You and these two idiots are the best men I have. I know you will all make me proud in my absence.”

  Tiberius ordered another beer and decided to get up and visit with his men around the room. Many of them were delighted to be in the presence of their fabled commander, especially in such an informal and relaxed setting. Some of the newer ones remained hesitant to engage their leader in conversation, still stuck in their ways from service in the Imperial Military. Nevertheless, Tiberius made his way to each table and spent time with them.

  He stopped when he reached the ladies’ table near the back of the bar. The three women were on their feet to greet their commander, who raised a hand to have them sit down. “There’s no need for that, ladies. I wanted to come hear what you all thought of our little company.”

  “I am beyond honored to be here, sir,” Amanda answered. Though her head was as shaved as the rest, her youth and beauty shined through, nevertheless. “I saw how the men fought during the war and was envious of their skill. But when I heard you had opened your ranks up to us, I was the first to volunteer.”

  “Nay! Hold your tongue, lest the gods strike you dead!” Freya exclaimed, her hazel sharp eyes growing wild and angry. “I was the first to volunteer for commander Tiberius! And I challenge any man or woman here who dare call me a liar!”

  Tiberius laughed hard and loud at her threats. “Peace, daughter! Peace!” he said in the words of her home kingdom. “No one shall question thine honor!”

  Freya gave a hearty laugh in reply before toasting her own mug of dark beer with Tiberius and downing it in one gulp. I can see why Timothy is so taken with her, he thought. She is fire turned human. He stood from their table, bowed, and left to continue his visits around the room.

  As the night wore on, more and more of the rangers began leaving the pub and heading for the Imperial Army barracks they occupied when they were in the city. Timothy and Zachary remained passed out at the table, as usual, without a bother to the pub owners. Only Tiberius and Trevin stayed awake, chatting about what to do with the rangers while Tiberius was away. Though they longed to say more to each other, they dared not speak their thoughts aloud.

  Love is the death of duty; Tiberius had heard someone much smarter than him say long ago. It was true then, and it held true today.

  After many hours, a small beam of light began to shine through the windows of the pub. The morning was here at last. With a smile, Tiberius slammed his hand hard on the table and jolted the pair of sleeping rangers awake. “Time to get up, you lazy asses!” he said, laughing at their shocked, tired expressions. “Don’t sleep away your time off! Get up and go have some fun that doesn’t involve drinking and women.”

  “What kind of fun is that?” Timothy asked, rubbing his eyes and stretching. “Are you leaving us?”

  “I think I need to,” Tiberius replied. “I have to meet with the emperor and Michael soon, and I need to clear my head before then.”

  Timothy and Zachary stood and hugged their commander. No matter their rank and position, they were brothers first and foremost, and they desired to bid their commander farewell and good luck. Trevin, however, remained seated, staring off into the distance. Tiberius felt a little hurt that he had not risen to see him off. He knew Trevin was as hurt and sad as he was at their departure but wished more than anything to feel his lover’s embrace one last time.

  He pushed these thoughts down and said to the two Rangers before him, “If fortune favors us, I’ll see you all at the garrison before long. Farewell!” And with that, Tiberius left the pub.

  He walked slowly, thinking about how Trevin had disregarded him. Perhaps the pain was too much? Or maybe he was shutting him off out of fear of losing him? Either way, a sharp pang of sadness sprung up in his heart.

  “Ti, wait!” a familiar voice called out from behind. The sudden informal use of his name made him turn at once and saw Trevin jogging towards him. He had never heard Trevin call him anything other than sir or commander. Rarely did he use his full name, and he had never used his abbreviated name. Trevin rushed to him and embraced him as he had never embraced someone before.

  Tiberius stood shocked for a moment before closing his eyes and returning the hug. It was sweet oblivion, and one he never wanted to escape from. All the hurt and sadness he had felt mere moments before were gone now, replaced by a deep yearning to put aside his duty and stay here forever. After a moment, Trevin pulled away and placed Tiberius’s hand on his chest.

  “I had not the courage to tell you this before, but hear me now,” he said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “I am yours now and always. Until the seas dry and the skies fall. Until the gods of creation come to wipe us away.”

  Those were the words of Trevin’s home in the Zelinka Kingdom. Words spoken between the betrothed, and the only words he had ever wanted to say to Tiberius since the first time they laid eyes on each other.

  As was the custom in Zelinka, Tiberius placed his hand behind Trevin’s neck, pulled their foreheads together, and said, “I am yours. Now and until the strength of our empire collapses. Until the seas wash us away, and we join The Warrior in all his glory.” These were the words of the empire. These were his words, and he meant every one of them.

  They stood in the street, heads pressed against one another, chuckling to themselves. After a few moments, Tiberius said, “When this is over, and we are no longer bound to our duty, I’m going to buy you a cottage. A grand cottage with a grander garden that we can lie around in and reflect back on this moment.”

  “I would like that very much, Ti.”

  Somewhere in the distance, bells started to chime. It was time for the city to reawaken and begin the festivities anew. They broke their grasp but continued to stare at each other until, at last, they spoke the only words that mattered in the whole world to them. The only words men like them needed to hear at the start of a journey. The words of their people.

  “The Spirit of The Warrior will always be with you,” they said in quiet unison. And with that, Tiberius turned and departed his lover.

  Trevin lingered on, watching Tiberius until he disappeared around the corner at the end of the street. He turned to see Zachary and Timothy standing at the tavern’s doors, hands over their hearts like adolescent girls, great fake sobs emitting from their throats.

  “Oh, my gods! That was so adorable!” Timothy exclaimed.

  “Why didn’t you tell that poor soul you love him?” Zachary asked in between great fits of laughter. “I love you with all my heart! If I don’t see you soon, I’m going to die!”

  Trevin could only reply, “Shut up and buy me a damn drink.”

  The two men burst into great cheers at Trevin’s words. Now was the time for revelry and relaxation. Now, it was the time to enjoy their downtime the only way three seasoned veterans of the Imperial army knew how. The three reentered Nock Arrows and began their second day of leave with beer and mead and flowing wine.

  Chapter 10

  The Journey North

  Tiberius began to steel his mind and heart from the distractions of love as he walked to the docks. His parting time with Trevin had done much to raise his spirits in the face of the impending journey north. Now that the hour was here, his training and discipline compelled him to bury the memory deep. As he walked, he began formulating a plan for their journey north. He knew their road north would be a long one, and perhaps random to anyone watching for their departure. But that would be the whole point and would serve a greater purpose in concealing their journey.

  He arrived at the docks near the mansion shortly after ei
ght. There he found his young companion sitting alone half asleep with his meagerly packed bag nearby. Guess he decided to go out and drink the night away as well, Tiberius thought, with a small chuckle. He’ll acclimate quickly to the lack of sleep, just as all men pressed upon a mission do. He lightly kicked Michael’s foot, rousing the Mage from whatever deep sleep he might have been in.

  Michael shot awake and covered the rising sun with his hands. “Good morning, my friend. I take it you had a late night of merriment?” Tiberius asked, sitting next to the Mage and retrieving his pipe.

  Michael rubbed his sleepy eyes and began to stand. “For me, no, sir. Though you smell a little like you had a long night for yourself.”

  “Not too much, I’m afraid,” Tiberius replied with a smile. “But I had to spend some time with my men before I’m off on this damned journey. How about you, what were you doing if not enjoying some last comforts before we take to the road?”

  “I spent the night in the Citadel agonizing over what to bring for the trip. In the end, I just threw some clothes and a few books in my bag. I couldn’t sleep even if I wanted to.”

  “Why is that? A young man like yourself on the eve of a journey in the wild should have gotten all the sleep you could stand.”

  “Master Nightowl promoted me to Mage last night,” Michael replied, the memory drawing renewed energy into his tired body. “And, he gave me this.” slowly, he pulled out the ebony and ivory wand from within his robes to Tiberius’s astonishment.

  Tiberius rejoiced and clapped Michael’s back at the news of his advancement to full mage. Michael then began recounting the whole of last night’s events in his small stone room to Tiberius, who sat back enjoying the pipe and the excitement that poured out of the Mage like a waterfall. He examined the wand with much of his own wonder when he asked to see it, and chuckled at the thought of drunken Damian Nightowl offering advice to the impressionable young boy.