Kaalé was a city that prided itself upon its beauty and the wealth that allowed such beauty to flourish. The Royal Family of Kaalmoore had enough gold in its coffers to run the entire realm on its own, but added to that were the monies donated by the House of Diathanos and the contributions made by the Merchant Guild of Kaalé. The donations made by both parties allowed each to have a say in the way the city was governed. Thankfully, the King’s Law was paramount to all others. Otherwise, the city would be torn apart by trade profit or religious zealotry.
Glancing up to his right, Sajiix saw the massive square block of Borgam Keep. The three-storied fortress was surrounded by a high thick wall that protected the outbuildings. An ancient iron gate that stood along the southern wall was the only entrance into the courtyard. The Keep was the oldest structure in Kaalé, having been built as the first home for the royal bloodline. It was constructed long before the discovery of steelstone, making the fortress look even older than the newer buildings that surrounded it. The greenish-gray stones were still strong, however; a testament to the Bornosian stone artisans that helped create it.
Across the wide avenue to the south stood the compound for the House of Diathanos; a gleaming collection of silver-white buildings comprised of a crystal-domed temple and two towers of differing heights. A massive wall of shining steelstone surrounded the compound in a diamond shape with squat, sturdy towers guarding each compass point. Two portcullises of stark black metal were built within each tower, allowing for both ease of traffic and reliable defense.
Sajiix paused for a moment, taking in the glowing majesty of the temple grounds and the ageing fortress of the Knights of Kaalé. For a moment, the heavy clouds parted, allowing sunlight to stream down and shine upon the Church of Light in a halo of divine inspiration. The spectacle made the Keep look even more sullen and decrepit. The Magi sensed an omen of future events. An omen substantiated by an order for him to halt by a group of four armored warriors marching from the marketplace.
Sajiix turned and cursed his ill-fortune. The four men approaching were not the fair and judicial Knights of Kaalé. These were paladins of the church – the Palidiamos from the House of Diathanos; warriors charged with the sole duty of protecting the high temple and the sanctity of all that is good and pure in the world. They were trained rigorously in the ways of combat, educated by the highest echelon of savants, and formed to uphold the strict views of the church. They were deadly not only because of their battle prowess, but also because of their narrow view of what separated ‘good’ from ‘evil’ or light from dark.
The four moved with a purpose in reaching him. Sajiix surmised that his open stroll through the market had come at a price. The Magi kept his hands visible, not wanting to give the paladins any reason to delay his visit with the Master Knight. The Palidiamos had a penchant for bullying Magi – especially those that walked the path between light and dark. The men marched in a two-by- two configuration, with the front pair moving with their hands grasping the hilts of their sheathed blades.
Their armor was impressive. Pure steel etched with the passages of the Luminous (the book of Diathanos) and blessed with diamond dust for added protection. This armor covered their chests, back, shoulders, legs, arms, and hands, giving them an ethereal look from the faintly shining dust. Helmets of the same metal protected their heads, the ridged edges crowing their brows, but left open from their eyes down to their chins. Their metal boots rang clearly upon the cobblestones of the street, each of them marching in unison as they came upon the Magi. All four faced him when they stopped and all of their hands rested upon their white leather scabbards; their hands twitching, eager to wield their swords.
Without a greeting, one of the paladins stepped forward, regarding Sajiix as though he was the god of darkness come in the form of a man. “You were witnessed exiting the former establishment known as the Dragons’ Tale Inn and seen crossing the nearby marketplace. Have you any proprietorship towards the tavern?”
Sajiix inwardly cursed the old man in the alley before he spoke. “My apologies,” Sajiix said with a small bow. “It has been many years since I have come to Kaalé and I did not know the tavern was closed.”
Cold brown eyes stared hard. “Arcane magic of teleportation within the city is forbidden by the King. Have you registered yourself?”
“Registered?”
“All Magi are required to sign the register within Borgam Keep and list their name, order, and business within the city,” the paladin finished crisply.
Sajiix felt his anger rising. He never had much love for the Palidiamos, but their numbers were always regulated to just a few within the larger temples around the realms. Their natural ability to combat the dark warriors of the Necronyx was useful in of itself, but their unwavering faith and unswerving loyalty bred rigid laws and beliefs - such as the ones now unfairly targeted at Magi.
“Since when has the House of Diathanos been allowed to impose and enforce their beliefs upon the people of Kaalé?” He tried to keep his voice from sounding too defiant, but it was one of Sajiix’s many flaws in his personality. He simply despised anyone telling him what he could or could not do.
“Since King Jalled made it Law,” the paladin growled.
Sajiix resigned with a sigh. “I see. Then I shall continue my way to Borgam Keep and sign this register. My business will be concluded within a few hours.”
“We shall escort you to the Keep,” the paladin stated with a tone that allowed for no disagreement.
Sajiix bowed once more and turned back along his path. The Magi had not taken three steps when the paladins’ booted feet clacked atop the cobblestones behind him.
Inwardly, Sajiix was seething. How could King Jalled allow this to happen? His past dealings with the Lord of Kaalmoore never told him that the King was a follower of the Diamond faith, nor did he harbor any misgivings toward the Magi. Secondly, how could Sir Greeve let this occur? Granted, he was only a Master Knight, but he held much sway over the King’s advisors and many of the Guilds that were housed in the city.
Sajiix began to see the danger as he approached the main gate of the fortress. Borgam Keep had always been the official headquarters of the Knights of Kaalé – the famed army of Kaalmoore. From here, the Master Knight would see to the day-to-day operations of the city, administering judgments considered too petty for the King’s attention, and dispatch regiments of knights throughout the lands of Kaalmoore. The Keep is where the city guard (known in rank as First Knights) is housed while off-duty. On a daily basis, dozens of squads of silver-armored knights moved in and out of the massive gate.
To Sajiix’s astonishment, the gate was guarded by a squad of paladins.
The Magi’s steps nearly faltered, but he recovered quickly. He was ordered to stop as a paladin informed the gate guard that Sajiix was here to register. The warrior also embellished the Magi’s infraction of teleporting and trespassing.
“I was unaware of these new laws,” Sajiix told them with a truculent tone.
“Ignorance of the law is not an excuse to break it,” said the listening gate guard. The man was obviously some sort of higher rank as he was older than those that surrounded him and displayed black dyed epaulettes that decorated his shoulder armor. “However,” he continued, “as long as you comply with the registration process, I’m sure these misunderstandings can be overlooked.”
So, that was it. Sajiix pondered whether or not these laws truly existed. This whole situation was designed with the simple plan of making him register – telling them why he was snooping about Kaalé.
“The register is just beyond the main doors of the Keep,” the officer told Sajiix, gesturing behind the open gate toward two wide doors of banded oak.
Sajiix thanked him, but then paused. “Where may I find Master Knight Sivim Greeve?” He heard two paladins chuckle behind him, but the officer’s face remained impassive, his eyes looking upon the Magi with unconcealed scorn.
“Master Knight Greeve is currently s
kulking about upstairs.” Sajiix could not miss the scorn slithering out from the paladin’s lips when he mentioned Greeve’s title.
The Magi thanked him again and walked beyond the thick steel bars of the main gate and into the cobblestoned courtyard of Borgam Keep. The crenellated stone curtain that surrounded the fortress also encompassed the outbuildings essential to the operation of the military structure. A long, low stable constructed of simple stained pine lined the west wall, while on the east side stood a pair of dark smithing stalls, their forge fires unlit. The double doors before him were gigantic and crafted from thick oak. A dozen men with a battering ram would have trouble breaching these doors once they were shut and barricaded.
They were open now, however, as Sajiix crossed the threshold into the cool, cavernous entry hall. Two short corridors on either side of the Magi led to a single, sturdy door which, as memory served, allowed entry into the Keep’s interior. A wood-beamed ceiling opened up into a squared hall that reached up to the ancient stone-tiled roof. A floor of smoothed granite coordinated with the greenish/gray walls to give the place a rather rustic look. Carved trunks of old trees formed the skeletal support for the hall, crisscrossing the walls and corners of the room. A stone dais was raised toward the rear of the room with an exquisitely made desk of Emeryvale oak standing in the center. One high-backed chair of the same stained wood stood empty behind it. This was the judicial seat of the Master Knight. Here he would sit and regulate any dispute one had within the city walls or the farmlands that clustered near the southern edge of the city.
In front of the judicial bench was a long table of plain wood with a thick book and an inkwell at its center. Guarding the book was an aged priest wearing soft white robes of his station. Unlike the paladins and clerics of Diathanos, the priests were more attuned to the scholarly aspects of their religion. As Sajiix reached the table, the priest opened the tome to a bookmarked page and gestured to a long, blue-feathered quill. The priest said nothing as Sajiix took the quill, but he held the Magi in his gaze. It was a blank stare, no emotion or recognition. Sajiix felt like a bug in that stare; a thing to either ignore or step on.
Sajiix concentrated on the book, scanning some of the other names near the top of the current page. One name he did recognize – Faen Saan, a Ruby Magi he often talked to at the Arcanum. According to the register, Faen had visited Kaalé eight days ago and was still listed as in the city. A dark ‘x’ was slashed near the end of his name, as were some of the other names on this page. A sudden sense of malice crept over Sajiix as he scanned the page in further detail.
“Please sign here,” the old priest demanded, pointing underneath the last name on the page. Sajiix stared angrily at the priest, but he noted the two paladins standing guard nearby who were also watching him. Heaving a sigh, Sajiix signed his name, listed Sivim Greeve as his contact within the city and scrawled the date on the right margin of the page.
The old priest produced a pouch of sand from within his white robes and sprinkled some on the page. Blowing upon the drying ink, he slammed the book shut, ending Sajiix’s examination of its contents.
“An acquaintance of mine was listed in that book as still being within the city walls,” Sajiix said calmly. “May I inquire as to where I might find him?”
“We do not know the exact locations of the visiting Magi,” the priest replied coldly.
I’ll wager you do, Sajiix thought. “May I ask what the mark is for next to his name?”
“You may ask all you wish, but you will not receive an answer,” the priest said with the same impassiveness.
Sajiix nodded and turned to exit the hall, all the while trying to keep his ire from surging forth. Faen Saan had been expected to return to the Arcanum two days ago and, as of Sajiix’s leaving, had not yet returned. What did the red ‘X’ mean next to his name? Was he being held prisoner? Was he dead? Trouble was brewing in Kaalé and no Magi could claim to be safe. Sajiix cast a backward glance to find the old priest and the two paladins watching him with shrewd eyes of repugnance. Not a single Magi was safe here, not even the famous Sajiix Mirhaan.
8
The trio of clergy continued to stare at Sajiix as he turned away. The Magi was quite unaccustomed to being treated with such disdain and it irritated him to the point of taking action. Thoughts of a quick shadow spell to erase all that was written in the registry came to mind, but Sajiix knew that he had to finish Arathim’s request to warn the King to begin his search for whom ever had stolen the Purestone diamond. And the fastest way to reach the King was through Master Knight Sivim Greeve.
Walking beyond one of the side hallway doors, Sajiix reached a spiral stone staircase that extended up to the other two levels. The second floor of the Keep consisted of the barracks for the knights stationed in Kaalé. The third floor held officer’s quarters and Greeve’s own personal room. Sajiix knew the layout of the Keep quite well considering his past contributions to the city and to the Knights. He was quite shocked, then, when he reached the second floor and heard absolute silence.
On any normal day, the boisterous chattering of dozens of men could be heard as the Knights of Kaalé lived their off-duty lives. The smell of sweat, leather, and the moisture in the air from the steam baths all added to the experience. Now there was nothing – as if the knights didn’t exist.
Sajiix quickened his steps up to the third floor, his mind reeling from the implications of the missing warriors. He reached Greeve’s quarters a bit out of breath, but the growing dread he sensed overpowered any other concern. He rapped his knuckles quickly upon the stained wooden door. After a few moments, the door opened, revealing a thin, haggard-looking man with closely cropped iron-gray hair. The man’s blue eyes widened as he recognized the Magi before him.
Sajiix felt a tight grip upon his arm as he was yanked inside the room. Sivim Greeve, dressed in a tattered version of his formal officer’s uniform, shoved Sajiix against the door, pressing his face close to the Magi.
“Sajiix Mirhan,” Greeve whispered. “What are you doing here? Do you realize the danger you have placed yourself into?”
“Actually, no,” Sajiix replied curtly. “What has happened here? Where are the knights?”
Greeve snorted and looked beyond the Magi to the empty hallway beyond. Staring for a few seconds longer than necessary, Greeve quickly shut the door and regarded Sajiix with a forlorn gaze. “The knights no longer walk the streets of Kaalé. They have been moved to the borders of the realm.”
“Why would the King allow this?”
“The King no longer rules his Kingdom. Chancellor Tevic and the House of Diathanos rule this city now. And they have decreed that no Magi shall walk in their city without sufficient cause. Which makes me wonder what your cause might be,” Greeve said with a forced chuckle.
Sajiix could hardly contain his astonishment. The man before him was not the same man he knew five years ago. Back then, Sivim Greeve was a robust man in his middle fifties, confident in his leadership, and friend to the King. The Sivim Greeve that stood before him was broken. The Master Knight seemed to be wasting away, his eyes were sunken with purplish black circles underneath; his usual closely shorn hair was unkempt; his face was a minefield of stubbly gray patches. His gray and black uniform was frayed and wrinkled, from the pants tucked into his dusty riding boots, to the collar of his gray shoulder cape.
“You should leave the city immediately,” Greeve whispered and then turned to face the large glass window that dominated the small room, staring silently at the city before him.
“For the love of the Shadow Queen, what happened here, Sivim?”
Greeve turned as though ready to tell the tale, but then paused as if he changed his mind. He moved to his desk and fell into the chair behind it, his eyes darting back and forth. His gaze swept around the small office, lingering on one wall adorned with ceremonial weapons, then upon another lined with rows of books. The knight seemed to be wrestling with himself over how to continue. It seemed his former sel
f won the battle as he leaned forward in a conspiratorial manner.
“Chancellor Tevic has taken control of Kaalé,” was all he said.
Sajiix recalled the information the Arcanum had over this recently appointed Chancellor for the House of Diathanos. In three years, Vius Tevic climbed from the rank of Bishop to Chancellor and was able to catapult the church of light into a major political player in Kaalé. Tevic’s ambition and power were well known to the Elementai; however, it seemed even Arathim Bey underestimated the leader of House Diathanos.
“He started building up the Palidiamos,” Greeve continued. “He recruited clerics of light from everywhere, urging them to pledge their lives to the church. Then he began pushing the other temples out of the city and rallied the people to House Diathanos. He began helping the poor who flocked to him…”
Sajiix began to see the logic. “Tevic gains the will of the people and ousts the other religions and then he set his sights on the Royal Family?”
“Prince Torvis has discovered the God of Light,” Greeve said with a sardonic tone.
“So, King Jalled is under duress from House Diathanos? That would explain…”
“No!” Greeve said urgently. “King Jalled is an avid and open believer in the dogma of Diathanos. He always has been. Tevic has only fanned the flames of the King’s devotion, allowing him to rise in his own power.”
“So, Tevic creates an army of paladins, convinces the King to keep the knights on patrol away from the city, thus allowing his own men to control what happens in the streets of the most powerful city in Kaalmoore.” Sajiix shuddered at the thought. For a House to have access to resources as vast as Kaalé’s own – the exports, imports, harbor, informational network, and labor force – made that House a dangerous one.
Rage of the Diamond's Eye (The Guildsmen Series Book 1) Page 8