Mindbender

by David A. Wells

  With the gates open, Kai’Gorn was vulnerable. Talia’s forces stormed through and systematically worked to take the walls and fortifications surrounding the city without venturing into the city itself. They took and held the perimeter wall and maintained a cordon around the city to prevent any enemy soldiers from escaping. For three days the city burned and the people fled.

  Small bands of soldiers tried to organize resistance against General Talia’s forces. They were dispatched quickly and without difficulty. There was little organization left within the burning city and a great deal of panic. Once the fires died and the population had mostly fled the destruction, Talia’s forces began moving into the city itself. They worked methodically to search out any enemy still present and any survivors who hadn’t had the good sense to flee.

  The place was in ruins. Over half of the wood buildings had burned to the ground and those that remained were scorched. General Talia walked through his conquest with a mixture of sadness and resolve. He understood war and knew the consequences as well as anyone, but he still had a heavy heart for the destruction he’d wrought. Most of the people living here were victims, first of Magistrate Cain’s tyranny and then of the forces from Andalia. He knew that rule under Alexander would yield a much better life for those who survived but that didn’t help the dead.

  General Talia did his best to avoid harming the civilians but was ruthless with any soldier who didn’t lay down arms and surrender. Some of the enemy went into hiding and tried to mount an insurgency but their numbers were few, and with the majority of the population contained in the massive refugee camp outside the city walls, the enemy soldiers were easy to find. By week’s end, the city was secure and the docks and keep were under General Talia’s control. Kai’Gorn had sustained heavy damage. The stone structures still stood and the docks had survived the fires, but nearly a third of the wooden buildings were lost and almost everything else was damaged to one degree or another.

  Talia set about the work of rebuilding and invited the people to return to the homes that still stood. For those who were without shelter, he opened the barracks of the Kai’Gorn military while his troops camped outside the walls. After some semblance of order was reestablished, he started assembling crews for the ships still in the harbor. Many of the sailors were happy to have the opportunity to work, even if it meant crewing on warships.

  Talia sent the half legion of Rangers north to Southport with word of his victory and of its cost. He requested that Kevin send lumber, nails, paint, and food south for the people of Kai’Gorn. He knew that the best way to create loyalty was to help these people rebuild their lives.

  Once he knew how many of Kai’Gorn’s population had survived, and once he had thoroughly scouted the surrounding area for any other threats, he sent two legions north under the command of General Fabian to report to Regent Alaric and seek further orders from General Valentine. Two legions would be more than enough men to hold Kai’Gorn and man the warships. Besides, every extra mouth to feed was an additional burden on the severely damaged economy of the local area.

  General Talia stood on the battlements of the keep and looked south toward Andalia. He started making plans for moving his forces across the channel to the enemy lands in the distance. He didn’t know if he would be called on to make such a voyage, but he was a general officer—he made plans for any possible course of action that might be required of him.

  Chapter 12

  Kevin stood on the battlements of Southport Keep, looking down on the docks below. The shipwright guild had just declared a strike. It had been two weeks since Alexander and Isabel had sailed away, and Kevin found himself preoccupied with his little sister. He knew Alexander would do everything in his power to protect her, but he was still worried about her.

  The nightmare of trying to govern a city-state that didn’t want to be governed was starting to take its toll on him. He idly wondered how things were going for Erik and Duane. He suspected Erik was dealing with some of the same problems he was facing in Southport. But Duane was in the field commanding a legion in pursuit of Elred Rake in the north; at least he had people who would actually follow his orders.

  “We could hang a few of them,” Lieutenant LaChance said. He was a big man, easily six and a half feet tall and weighing over two hundred and fifty pounds. His jaw was square, his shoulders were broad, and his ordinary brown hair was unruly and slightly longer than it should have been. Kevin’s Second, Lieutenant Tanner was leading half of his legion in the south of Ruatha, fighting Kai’Gorn under the command of General Talia. LaChance was serving as his Second for the time being.

  “The thought crossed my mind,” Kevin said.

  He’d spent the past two weeks skirmishing with the petty nobles about all manner of things. It seemed that every day they had some new complaint or dispute that required his urgent and immediate attention. Most of the issues they brought forward seemed like simple matters that could easily be resolved with a little compromise and common sense, but the petty nobles seemed to lack the ability for either.

  Kevin was tired and frustrated. For the first week he had let the situation rule him. He tried to address every demand made by a city administrator or petty noble with fairness and justice, but he quickly realized they were playing a game with him and he didn’t know the rules. His solution was to change the rules, a solution that proved most unpopular among those at court. Southport was a thoroughly corrupt place where the previous Regent had played one faction against another with favors and privileges in exchange for support and loyalty.

  It was a place where merit and genuine value was scorned in favor of wealth granted by the Regent. At first it was totally perplexing to Kevin. He had spent his life in a place where things were most often exactly as they appeared, where a person’s word was worthy of trust and where you could count on others to do the right thing given the chance.

  Everything in the court of Southport was the opposite. It took a few days but Kevin soon discovered that every promise made to him by a courtier, administrator, or petty noble was nothing but fluff. When he attempted to hold them to anything, they denied, weaseled, and outright lied to avoid fulfilling their commitments. It was almost as if they resented him for reneging on some unspoken promise to them.

  When he sat down with a couple of the city administrators and questioned them about the pathological dishonesty of the nobles and the courtiers, they stonewalled him at first. They hemmed and hawed, trying to avoid any concrete or substantive answers. Finally, Kevin lost his temper, threw the table over and drew his sword. The administrators very suddenly realized they were in a far different arena than the one they were accustomed to.

  When Administrator Crandall explained Kevin’s misunderstanding, it was all he could do to sheath his sword in its scabbard instead of the administrator. Apparently, everyone at court expected some type of bribe for everything they were asked to do. When Kevin hadn’t taken them aside and offered a purse of gold or granted a special privilege, they thought he was taking advantage of them. In short, everybody in Southport who worked for the government expected some form of payoff before they were willing to do their job.

  After some thought, he called the courtiers, administrators, and petty nobles in for a council meeting. They were all a little disconcerted by the full company of Rangers lining the walls of the council chamber. Kevin knew he wasn’t going to make any friends but he decided he didn’t care. The systemic corruption of the Southport government was the reason Isabel had been poisoned. Their willingness to compromise on any principle if the price was right was a problem that he had to address if he was going to live up to Alexander’s trust.

  He explained that anyone employed by the government of Southport who was found to have accepted a bribe would lose their job and face trial. If found guilty, they would lose all of their property except the shirt on their back and they would be put to work at hard labor for a period of one year to pay restitution for their crime.

  They wer
e stunned. A few chose to continue with their corrupt ways. Kevin was only too happy to make examples of them. They found themselves employed as scullions working to keep the floors of Southport Keep clean. After that, most of the city employees became very diligent about their work and were much more honest in their dealings. But now he found himself at odds with the trade guilds.

  He had assessed the situation in the south of Ruatha and realized very quickly that General Talia would shut down the port at Kai’Gorn. When he did, the Andalians would look for another port to land their troops. That meant they would either come to Southport and attempt to take the city or they would bypass it and attempt to land at Northport. Either way, naval power would decide the day.

  Kevin took inventory of the Southport treasury and found that he had ample gold at his disposal. The late Regent Landon had hoarded as much treasure as he could. Kevin intended to buy a navy with it. He thought the shipwright trade guild would be happy with the expanded shipyards he proposed but they saw it as an opportunity.

  They demanded that their wages be doubled. When Kevin refused, they stopped working. He thought the example he’d made of the city workers would convince the people of Southport that he was serious. Apparently, he was wrong.

  “Set up a meeting with the masters of the trade guilds,” Kevin told his Second as he looked down at the idle docks.

  “Right away,” LaChance said before striding off to make the arrangements.

  A couple of hours later, Kevin sat at the head of the table as the guild masters entered the council room. There were almost a dozen of them. Each was well dressed and clearly ate well. It looked like it had been quite some time since any of them had actually plied his trade. Kevin waited patiently while they found their seats.

  Once all were seated but before Kevin could speak, the master of the shipwright guild started making demands. “I’m Shipwright Guild Master Daley. We want three times our previous wage to build your navy for you. Take it or leave it.” He was a sturdy man with grey stubble and stringy grey hair. At one time he had been powerful, with broad shoulders and a barrel chest, but now he was more portly than powerful. He punctuated his demand with a scowl.

  Kevin schooled his demeanor. He’d learned that showing anger to these kinds of people would quickly turn them into simpering victims who demanded concessions for being put upon.

  “Your wages are already twice that of the average worker in Southport,” Kevin said calmly.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Daley said defiantly. “We’re the only ones who can build your ships for you. The way I hear it, you need those ships, so you’ll meet our price.” He put his index finger on the table for emphasis. “And I expect your answer right now or the price will go up to four times the going rate.”

  Kevin regarded him coolly and then looked to the rest of the guild masters. “Do the rest of you feel the same way?”

  They nodded all around. A big man with a full beard of reddish-brown hair spoke next. “I’m Lumberjack Guild Master Garver. We all understand the urgency of the situation and we have to do what’s best for those we represent. This is a rare opportunity for us to do better for our own.”

  “I see,” Kevin said. “You do realize we’re at war.”

  “Who cares,” Daley said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s Landon, you, or Phane who rules us—everyone needs stuff built.” He smiled like he was springing a trap. “Difference is, if Phane takes Southport, you and your Rangers will all be killed. We’ll just have to renegotiate.”

  Kevin remained calm in spite of the twitch he felt in his sword arm. He turned to Administrator Crandall who sat in a chair along the wall. “What was that you told me about the trade guild charters?”

  Crandall stood up, looking a bit nervous, but he answered with the smoothness of someone who lies for a living. “The trade guilds are granted charter by the Regent.”

  “And what does that charter entail?” Kevin asked. He saw the nervous looks of several of the guild masters at this line of questioning.

  “The guild charter gives the guild the right to select who may work in a given trade, train workers in that trade, negotiate wages for guild members, and require dues from workers in that trade be paid to the trade guild for their services.” Crandall spoke like he was reading from a book, without inflection or emotion.

  “And you say that these charters are granted by the Regent?” Kevin asked calmly.

  “Um, yes,” Crandall said.

  “So the Regent can revoke them,” Kevin said.

  “Well, um, yes, but there is no precedent for such a thing,” Crandall said.

  “I guess we’ll just have to change that,” Kevin said as he turned back to a table filled with now furious or terrified guild masters. He surveyed them calmly for a long moment. “What’s it going to be? Will you do your work for the going rate or will I take your charters and dismantle your guilds?”

  Daley stood up almost apoplectic. “You can’t do that! We’re the only ones who know how to build ships. Hire all the unskilled labor you like—without our expertise, your navy will sink. It’s four times the going rate for you now!” Daley faced him as though trying to stare down his own reflection.

  Kevin didn’t flinch. “The shipwright guild’s charter is hereby revoked. If you or any of your people interfere with the building of my navy, cause damage to property, or engage in any kind of violence, your actions will be met with swift justice.”

  Daley leaned in with a look of rage contorting his face as he screamed at Kevin, “You’re going to regret this!” Then he stormed out of the council room.

  “Have we settled the matter, gentlemen?” Kevin asked the remaining trade guild masters.

  A few looked like they wanted to protest but they held their tongues. The anger was palpable as they filed out of the room.

  Administrator Crandall cleared his throat. “I believe that was a mistake. They are liable to strike until you are removed as Regent—or worse.”

  “Are you suggesting that they would resort to violence?” Kevin asked.

  “It’s certainly within the realm of possibility,” Crandall said. “Regent Landon took payment from each of them in exchange for letting them have control over the workers in their trade. They will resist such an abrupt change in the status quo.”

  “The sooner people in this city understand that the days of bribery and corruption are over, the better,” Kevin said. “These people seem to need an example, so I intend to give them one.”

  Kevin instructed LaChance to increase patrols and place the Rangers and city guard on alert. He also doubled the number of Rangers guarding the docks and the shipyard. He hoped the shipwrights would come around and be willing to work whether they were represented by a guild or not, but he suspected there would be some trouble before that happened.

  He wasn’t disappointed. Early the next morning he was roused from his bed by the fire brigade’s bells. By the time he made it to the keep wall overlooking the docks, the shipyard was on fire and there was a pitched battle between the Rangers and a mob of guild members.

  The members of the fire brigade were doing their best to avoid the fighting and to put out the burning buildings, but the battle was hindering their efforts. Kevin saw at a glance that although his Rangers were easily outnumbered three to one, they were holding formation and standing their ground between the rioting mob and the remaining buildings that made up the shipyard.

  Kevin thought about the duty of a regent for a moment. He thought about what Alexander had charged him with and his resolve hardened. The men rioting on the docks had resorted to violence because they didn’t get their way. They were threatening the future of Southport and Ruatha. They had made a decision to violate the law. Choices had consequences.

  LaChance trotted up beside Kevin with a squad of Rangers in tow. “Looks like they decided to make trouble instead of build ships,” he said.

  “Their loss,” Kevin said with a mixture of sadness and anger. “Assemble three hundre
d Rangers on horseback and move into the shipyard. Arrest every single one of those men. Kill anyone who offers resistance.”

  “Understood,” LaChance said before trotting off toward the barracks.

  Kevin watched the battle unfold. He wanted to be in the middle of the fight leading his men, but he was the Regent, for the moment anyway, and that meant sending others to do the fighting.

  The Rangers were well organized and disciplined. They formed a wall of shields and spears with half their force while the remaining force took positions atop the buildings and sent arrows into the rioters. The mob made several attempts to break through the Rangers’ defenses but was repelled by a barrage of well-placed arrows at each attempt.

  Crandall appeared beside Kevin. “Oh dear. You must bow to their demands to end the violence,” he said with just a hint of panic.

  Kevin turned a glare on the professional administrator. “Those men have chosen violence instead of reason. They will be met with the same.” Kevin bored into him with an angry glare. “I will not be intimidated and I will not be blackmailed. I offered those men work at a good wage and they responded by setting the shipyard on fire. Now they will pay the consequences of their poor choices.”

  He turned back to look at the battle just as a column of Rangers on horseback came thundering down the docks. With precision timing, the front force of Rangers holding the rioters at bay opened a gap in their defenses just big enough for the charging column to drive through. They split the mob in half with their charge and broke the spirit of the rioters.

  What had been an angry push to set fire to the rest of the docks was now a mad rush to escape the wrath of the Rangers. But the rioters soon found that the exits were all occupied by platoon-strength forces. Some of the rioters threw down their weapons and sought refuge along the walls of buildings out of the path of the mounted Rangers. Others tried to fight. They fell quickly.