by J. Thorn
The Serpent King looked at one or two lord majors as he delivered the sentence. They shuddered from his accusatory gaze.
“Have my servants pack your belongings in my caravan. You will ride with me, Lord Major Shane, and Lord Major Lellan.”
Grumblings of jealousy and envy stirred around the fire, but none of the lord majors dared to express their feelings.
“I would be honored, my Lord. Shall my two sons join us?”
“If they are your sons, I would ride with them into the fires of hell.”
Chapter 56
“I must see the chief medicinal magistrate, now.”
“Sir, you will need to file the official paperwork before I can even let you in this building.”
“Do you want to die?” The sentry ignored the question, so the doctor took another approach. “A plague spreads in the One World. If it hits Risenachen, there won’t be enough vultures to feast on the spoiled flesh of the dead.”
“Most government officials rode with the coalition. They left a skeleton crew to run the city. It could take days to determine whether or not the magistrate is here.”
“Who do I need to see to track him down?”
The sentry rubbed his peppered stubble and looked the doctor in the eye. “Let me check the Ministry of Health’s main office. There might be a bureaucrat in there who can help you.” He turned away from the doctor and entered the building.
Another sentry stood on the other side, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. He stared right through the nervous, twitching doctor. The first guard returned with a worried look on his face.
“They do not know if the magistrate left with the coalition.”
“Can you escort me inside? I’m not asking for free rein. If I do something that endangers the public, put a sword in my heart.”
“Follow me.”
The two men arrived at a room deep within the building. The door held a sign, which read “Chief Medicinal Magistrate.” The guard knocked. He continued slamming his fist into the door when the doctor touched his arm.
“He is not there,” the doctor said.
“Why is this so urgent?”
The doctor knew the guard could get him into places that he could not get into alone. He thought about how much to share with the guard in order to secure his help and decided to put all of his cards on the table. “Sit, please.”
The two men sat in an alcove that functioned as a waiting room.
“A great plague spreads. I was on my way to Risenachen to help a client when a lone villager intercepted me. He insisted I come to his village and see what happened. According to him, he returned after a few days hunting in the forest to the scene.”
“What scene?”
“Sickness. All the members of the tribe slept on cots inside a dark building. As soon as I entered, I knew death stalked us. The people exhibited the same symptoms. Fever and delirium racked their bodies. But even more frightening was what this plague did to them. Their flesh swelled and turned red. Blisters formed near the eyes and mouths, oozing pus. The bodies of those close to death wore pustules on the entire body. They did not look human.”
The sentry sat, listening to the doctor’s tale.
“This disease seems to rot a person alive. I have never seen something so hideous in all my life.”
“Is this the news you need to deliver to the magistrate?”
“I think the survival of Risenachen and the One World depends on it.”
***
“You have seen this with your own eyes?”
“Yes. If it comes to Risenachen, many will die.”
The magistrate rolled his eyes, annoyed by the intrusion. His guard had strict orders not to disturb him when he was with his mistress, and yet he brought the doctor anyway. The magistrate would make sure the guard paid for his mistake.
“May we meet in the ministry at midday?”
“Sir, I don’t think we can afford to wait that long.”
A tall, slender woman climbed out from under the linen on the magistrate’s cot. Her dark hair moved with each step, giving the men glimpses of her naked breasts. She walked near the door and bent down to pick up one of her undergarments. The doctor felt stirrings as he watched the exhibition unfold in front of him. He forgot about the crisis for a moment. The magistrate’s mistress enjoyed the men’s eyes on her, but decided to attend to her morning ritual.
“That is not the kind of woman you leave in your cot. If this is not what you say it is, you’ll never see the Sun God over Risenachen again.”
The doctor looked at his feet. He nodded to the magistrate as the door shut.
“He will be out in a few moments. You saw her. She will empty him in no time.” The guard winked at the doctor, but he did not appreciate the humor. He hoped the magistrate would pass up the temptations of his mistress so they could get to work. Before the two men could shuffle to the steps, the magistrate shut the door behind him, and the doctor breathed a sigh of relief.
“I will summon my staff, and they will meet us at the ministry. Many left with the coalition on the march to the capital, so we will need to work with those who remain. I do not see any other option.”
The activity in the ministry stunned the doctor. He had not seen people in the corridors on his first visit. But after the chief medicinal magistrate sent the bulletin out to the department, the building came alive with doctors. The magistrate led the doctor and the guard to a spacious auditorium in the lower level of the ministry. Ivory towers supported a mezzanine on each side of the stage. Years of use had polished the armrests of the dark chairs to a light beige shine. The smell of tobacco leaf clung to the heavy cloth curtains on the walls. A man on the stage could address an audience of thousands. The design of the auditorium made it one of the best in all of Risenachen. The three men stepped on the stage and prepared a podium. As they did, doctors filed into the seats.
“What do I say?” asked the doctor.
“You tell them what you told me. Give them every detail from the moment the villager met you at the crossroads until the time you arrived in Risenachen.”
“Will they believe me?”
“Who can say? If they take this threat to heart, and you are wrong, a bit of work is wasted. If they shrug off your story and you are right, thousands will die.”
The magistrate stepped up behind the podium. He tapped the top of it with his knuckle, settling the crowd into their seats. A group of men stood behind the podium; the doctor surmised that they were the magistrate’s advisors. Although he was told many doctors had accompanied the coalition on the march, thousands sat in the auditorium, a testament to the size and scale of Risenachen.
“My fellow members of the Ministry of Health, I thank you for coming to this gathering on such short notice. A major medical emergency has been brought to my attention. I hope you realize that my actions today are born of precaution. As you are about to hear, lives are in danger.” He stepped down and motioned the doctor to step up. The Magistrate dispensed with any type of formal introduction and relayed the events in his own words.
“Good doctor, did you touch any of the infected?” asked a portly man towards the front.
“No. I made very certain not to touch any of the victims.” Another doctor asked, “Where is the lone survivor?”
“The last time I saw him he walked back into the dwelling of the sick, prepared to move beyond the Region of the Dead.”
A ragged cough shook the doctor. His hands gripped the top of the podium. He spilled water as he tried to get a mug to his lips, but no amount satisfied his thirst. The doctor felt an itchy cough brewing in his throat and forced it down.
“The symptoms, as best as you can tell?” came another question from the body of doctors.
The magistrate saw the doctor struggle to remain composed, and whispered into his ear. The guard escorted the doctor off the stage. “It appears our colleague is shaken from the retelling of his horrid tale. He needs a moment to collect himself.
He shared his findings with me, and I would be happy to field your questions.”
The members of the ministry generated a dozen questions that the magistrate did his best to answer.
The guard escorted the doctor to a privy. Although he stood on the other side of the door, he heard the doctor’s muffled moans. A wet, deep cough consumed the man, stopping long enough for him to vomit. The guard felt a cold sensation creeping up his spine. He ran from his post and through the halls of the ministry until he stood in his own dwelling.
The next morning, he tried to get up from the cot but could not. The room became fuzzy as his eyes swelled shut. Fever ran ragged through him. The guard babbled and made incoherent noises. Thoughts of childhood mixed with memories of past lovers. Sweat poured from his skin. Pustules rose around his eyes, mouth, and genitals. Some burst open, filling the room with the stench of death.
Chapter 57
The two men sat in darkness. The Lady of the Light danced with the Star of the North over the expansive sky. Light bands of clouds twisted their way in and out of each other, passing down and beyond the horizon. Dancing fires dotted the flat land as far as one could see, dispersing the aromas of cooked duck and other fowl. The night wind carried taunts and songs of the men in camp.
“What is he doing?”
“Meeting with the tribal leader. It’s custom. None refused us yet.”
“Why aren’t we there?”
“Do we need to be?”
“We’re lord majors, are we not?”
Shane pushed his hand through his hair and took another drag from the pipe. “Yes, we are.”
“Where are the other lord majors?”
“Sitting at the meeting.”
Lellan nodded. He picked up a forked branch and poked the glowing embers. Bursts of flame moved throughout, setting the end of his branch on fire. The dry climate of the plains made wood susceptible to ignition.
“What are you saying?”
“I’m not saying anything. I’m asking you questions.”
“He knows what he’s doing. I have seen his power.”
“So have I.”
“Then shut your fucking mouth before I put my sword through your throat.”
“Why does this talk anger you, Shane of Gisanti?” Lellan knew his sarcastic address would raise Shane’s ire.
“Because I’m trying to smoke and you won’t shut up.”
“I’ve seen you in battle, and I’ve seen you with the Angels of Darkness. You are a leader of men.”
“I am.”
“Yes, under his command.”
“You served the Serpent King aboard the vessel when the One World was nothing but a speck on the Great Sea. Have you seen what I’ve seen? Have you forgotten the great power of darkness that he channels?”
“No, I haven’t. He is indeed powerful, that I don’t deny. But he doesn’t respect you.”
“I am his supreme commander, a lord major, and I ride with the Serpent King to annihilate the People of the Sun.”
“Yet he cannot take you with him to a simple meeting with a primitive tribal elder?”
Shane did not respond.
“He continues to hand you his seconds after he takes what he desires from Ri and Gishwan.”
Shane flew at Lellan’s neck. He slammed the back of his head off the ground with a loud smack. Before he placed the flat edge of the dagger against the man’s throat, Shane whispered into his ear, “If you so much as think Gishwan’s name again, I will cut your head off.”
Lellan’s eyes glassed over, but he regained his thoughts. “He does not respect you. He holds you back and you refuse to admit it. Killing me will not change that.”
The idea registered deep in Shane’s mind, but he continued to hold the dagger to Lellan’s throat.
“My head aches. Get your smelly ass off me.”
The trance broke from Shane. He stepped off Lellan and pulled him up by his collar, brushing dirt off and handing him a mug.
“If I want to feel like garbage in the morning, I’d prefer to do it with through mug and pipe instead of by splitting my skull on a rock,” Lellan said, and Shane smiled. “Listen, Shane. Think about what I said. I would follow you into the lair of the Dark One. You fight to conquer. Sometimes I feel like he has other motives, some that don’t make sense to me.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling. Yet, somehow his actions tend to work out. He does not falter or stumble with anything, which worries me.”
“Where is he from?”
“Raised somewhere near the Village of Concothy, as best I know.”
“Do you know anything about his family or upbringing?”
“All I was told fell from his own lips. He told me stories on the voyage to the One World that would make you cry.”
“Are they true?”
“It doesn’t matter. He commands powers beyond our reckoning. If I am his second-in-command and must take women after him, so be it.” Shane looked into the fire when he spoke his words, his eyes searching the red embers.
“How many others have been promised to share the throne of the One World after we destroy the enemy?”
“A few, that I can remember.”
“How many of them has he sent beyond the Region of the Dead?”
Shane looked up at the Star of the North and wondered if it had moved since the beginning of time. “All, that I know of.”
Lellan nodded again, punctuating his point.
***
With the first light of the Sun God, the coalition forces packed up camp. Zona and his reluctant clan marched with the Serpent King’s caravan. When Lellan saw this, he threw a quick look at Shane, who held his gaze and then turned to his duties as a lord major.
The two figures in black robes floated through the camp and to a covered cart. Most of the lord majors marching towards the front of the coalition forces recognized them. They knew better than to speak of dark agents or engage them in conversation.
Shane pulled his steed even with the Serpent King while he spoke to the tribal leader who joined the coalition. Zona asked the Serpent King questions about the length of the march, and about his intelligence on the warriors recruited by the Empire. Shane did his best to eavesdrop on the conversation, but could not hear much over the hooves of their horses.
“Sir, my orders?”
“Same as they’ve been, Lord Major Shane.”
“What do we have planned for these primitive men?”
The Serpent King knew Shane directed the insult at Zona and took the bait anyway. “You mean Lord Major Zona?”
Shane rolled his eyes and nodded. “In title.”
“Like you.”
“I’ve earned my title through the spilling of blood. What has he done to earn his, other than make a pledge to you?”
The Serpent King thought before responding to Shane. His jealousy could be very useful if channeled in the right way. “Nothing. You have stood by my side since you boarded the ship in the Eastern Kingdoms. You have killed for me, without question. Zona may be a lord major in title, but you are one of the heart.”
Shane’s chest puffed out. His narrow eyes flitted in Zona’s direction. “His path is too easy.”
“It is necessary. If we are going to defeat the tyrants, we have to raise the ones they have beaten. The downtrodden masses must be able to look the People of the Sun in the eye. If they do not feel as though they are equal to their former master, we will not taste victory.”
Shane exhaled and took a swig from his mug. He unfurled fists that hung like sandbags at his side. Fuck Lellan, he thought. “I understand, my lord. Sometimes a simple conversation can fill in gaps and correct assumptions.”
“You’d do well to avoid simple conversations and assumptions, as both can get you into precarious situations.”
“As you wish, my lord.”
***
In the course of one day, following the lead of the Sun God, the coalition forces crept closer to the capital. The barren landscape
of the great plain gave way to deciduous forest, and fresh pine resin chased away the stench of the marching army. The fine needles of the eternal giants lodged themselves into the sandals of the soldiers, forcing their careful navigation of the woods. Brooks crawled through the leafy underbrush, serenading the warriors with their song.
The regiments marched towards the Empire and away from the Great Sea. The distance inland and rise in elevation changed the landscape in dramatic ways. When the coalition forces decided to set up camp for the second and final night, they found themselves deep in an ancient forest of the One World. The flames of a thousand campfires flickered and danced through the hanging branches, as if the Sun God had set amongst the trees.
Chapter 58
Machek selected his most trusted subordinates for the journey. He knew the infidels edged closer, and he expected to meet them near the wall of the capital. Because of this, the weapons cache weighed more than the food supplies. Each Jaguar Knight dressed in full battle armor. A horse pulled a weapons cart loaded with additional battle-axes, spears, swords, and other instruments of war.
The sentries opened the gate to allow Machek’s envoy to leave the capital. Machek led the group, with his Jaguar Knights following. The twelve men and supplies paused outside the gate as Machek turned and looked into the eyes of the chief elder, stationed on one of the turrets. Their eyes met and locked before the elder turned and disappeared from his perch.
“Jaguar Knights, we ride out of the capital to meet the encroaching infidels! We might return on our shields, so take a last look at your beloved capital. Burn that into your minds along with memories of family, friends, and lovers. If you go beyond the Region of the Dead, hold on to those remembrances as you cross over.”
***
“Machek,” said Desi as the envoy penetrated the forest, the capital disappearing behind the horizon.
Machek had not spoken a word since they left the gate. “Yes,” he replied.
“Why am I here? You command more valiant and tested warriors than I.”
“You are one of my oldest and most trusted friends. I will need you when the infidels begin their trickery of words.”