Escana

by J. R. Karlsson

  'Colonel,' Garth finally cut across him, silencing the man immediately. 'You claimed to have a briefing for the conflict we will be entering. Show me it.'

  Mayer nodded, all smiles at the prospect of performing a duty for a man of Garth's standing. He pulled out a wooden cylinder and carefully opened it, revealing a large canvas map with familiar markings on it.

  The terrain was a mixture of open desert and mountainous regions, it didn't take Garth long to notice fundamental flaws in the positioning of a number of troops. According to Mayer the army had been split into smaller and more mobile groups with their own separate command but lacing any centralised leadership. Apparently that was where General Garth was to come into play.

  He considered asking Mayer about the opposition they faced that could destroy armour so thoroughly. He had a feeling the man would be clueless and he already suspected he knew what was causing it.

  It didn't take long for the irritating Colonel to slip back into his laughs and smiles routine. It was going to be a very long journey.

  63

  Alissandra

  The familiar rapping on her chamber door signalled the return of Eli from his wanderings. She silently wondered to herself whether the boy would have anything enlightening she could use.

  He ran in with a sob and leapt on the divan, burying his head into her chest and shaking. She didn't even need to ask what had happened, the Emperor himself had paid her young servant a visit.

  For reasons unknown to her, the Emperor took great satisfaction in tormenting Eli, who seemed to be mortally afraid of the man for reasons she could never establish. Pushing the boy any further could break him so she decided not to risk it, her previous attempts had resulted in nothing but incoherent babbling.

  She patted his head and made shushing noises, he wasn't going to get a song from her today with so many watchful ears and eyes.

  Slowing the patting motions as his breathing steadied, she carefully picked him up and set him on the divan. Adjusting her dress and eyeing herself in the mirror, she proceeded out into the hallway.

  Eli wouldn't be useful now for another day or two until he recovered from the latest shock of running into the Emperor. The boy had a habit of squeaking and running from the man at the slightest sight of him. She couldn't imagine the trauma her sweet boy must go through every time the man had him forcefully brought to the throne room to convey a simple message. Alissandra was beginning to think that the torture of her servant was more important to him than the message delivered.

  She took her time ascending the marble steps, carrying her bulk at a dignified pace. His Imperial majesty could wait, though she was under no illusion that she was being watched every step of the way.

  To a newcomer the magnificence of Upper Levanin would be almost overwhelming, to Alissandra it blurred into a nothingness as her mind busied itself with the potential reasons for her being called forth by the Emperor. Even she didn't get summoned with any regularity, making each appearance quite the event.

  She stopped at the threshold, surprised to see that her feet had carried her there so effectively. The boy standing at the gate knocked a gentle rhythm upon it and the sound of locks winding down resounded from within.

  The throne room wasn't vast but there was no doubting its purpose. Set in the central point of Upper Levanin, the walls were cut of the same pure white marble as the steps and impressive-looking heavy pillars supported the ceiling. A further flight of stairs gleamed from the light that poured primarily toward the Emperor. If he seemed put out by the excessive illumination he didn't show it, it bathed him in a whiteness that made him seem almost god-like in aspect. No doubt a design feature of the original architects.

  'You encountered trouble in Urial,' the Emperor said, his plain spoken nature not fooling Alissandra for an instant.

  She bowed low to him then, prostrating herself before his power. 'Emperor Veran, I am at your service.'

  He bid her rise with a simple but contemptuous flick of his wrist. 'Yes, yes. We've both heard that old lie many times. Your spy should have informed you of the happenings in Urial, tell me all you know.'

  The man was insufferable. With most people Alissandra could pick and choose what she wanted to say with consummate ease. A different face and a different tone for each person, fooling any number of people into believing what was convenient for her. With the Emperor things were different, she had no idea how the man was aware of her every move. There was no spy network in existence that could acquire the information he seemed to possess. Why he called her to counsel at all was beyond her, given that he seemed to know everything she did already. She felt naked and threatened by the honesty she had to display before him.

  'The city unrest continued to grow, led in part by a former council member known as Falarus and a group of mercenaries calling themselves the Black Quail. Kelgrimm would have lost control of the situation entirely had he not contracted the services of a member of The Six who happened to be passing through the area.'

  Veran smiled at her misinformation, seeing it for what it was. She hated that smile and the patronising implications it brought.

  'You know as well as I do that one of The Six does not simply pass through an area. His appearance there was quite intentional. You are also holding back information from me, I will not ask you again. Tell me all you know.'

  She blanched at the tone of his voice, she wasn't intimidated by anyone but something intangible in those words sent shivers down her spine.

  'You are correct. I have not been entirely honest with you, there was another factor causing unrest amongst the populace. Another talent outside our previous understanding subdued El... Subdued the member of The Six.'

  Veran's amusement was starting to subside, she felt a strange coldness as he gazed upon her, unable to tell what was behind those pale hazel eyes.

  'Say his name,' he said.

  She gritted her teeth, oh how she loathed this man. 'El-Vador. The subdued member of The Six was El-Vador. Outside a sewer pipe on the outskirts of Urial.'

  Veran nodded, urging her to fill the silence with the rest of what she knew. If any of this was news to him he gave no impression of it.

  'There is one other matter,' she said. 'My spy fell deathly ill at the hands of a second rogue talent, her reports suggest that it was in league with the first rogue talent.'

  As if carefully giving her words consideration, the Emperor stared at her with that same blank expression. 'You are mistaken,' he finally said. 'The rogue talents subdued each other in the council chambers, they are at odds.'

  She was taken aback by his clear admission, Veran gave her nothing to work with at the best of times, why was he offering her this to chew over?

  'I tell you this because you would eventually discover they are in captivity and on their way to the remote desert outpost in the Sah'kel desert. I do not want that transport waylaid, do you understand me?'

  The Emperor had made himself very clear, in unveiling part of his knowledge and plans to Alissandra he was holding her directly responsible for their success. Should she attempt anything he would find her culpable and execute her. Even if she was not at fault for the transport getting waylaid he would probably end her, she needed to make sure that remained safe.

  'There will be a time and a place for your machinations, Alissandra. The fate of the Empire is finely balanced on a crux and your excessive meddling in those affairs would only end badly for all concerned. You are dismissed.'

  She turned then and made for the door, waiting for his voice to call out as it always did.

  'Alissandra?'

  She turned and deliberately, willing herself not to let her thoughts slip and betray her. 'Yes, your Imperial majesty?'

  He rapped his knuckles absent-mindedly against the arm of the throne, scattering flakes of marble across the room. 'I know you plot against El-Vador, it is not a concern of my Empire so long as his tasks are completed. I wish you luck in your effort and I hope you make him suffer.'<
br />
  She wasn't sure what unsettled her more as she gracefully fled from the building. The idea that one of her schemes was Imperially endorsed or that the Emperor knew even her darkest secrets.

  64

  Jakob

  He was finally himself again, whatever that was in the world he'd been put back into.

  It had all felt like a fever dream, as if he were staring through the misted eyes of another he couldn't quite influence or control. He had seen snatches of action, though the events in Kelgrimm's chamber remained entirely unclear to him. He remembered tall buildings blurred around the edges as they rushed by him during his escape. There had been a conflict and he knew there was a pivotal role that he had played in averting that. As with most things he wasn't meant to ruminate on, his head hurt the more he tried to recall.

  The steady trundle of the cage wheels had been strangely soothing as he sat there staring out the bars. For reasons unknown to him Jimmy seemed entirely distant to him, ordinarily he wouldn't care but again that niggling sensation came back to grasp at his attention and insist that he make an effort to speak with him.

  This was made difficult by the strange man that Jimmy seemed to accompany. Jakob didn't think the cage was the best place to meet new friends so he could only assume that it was a previous encounter in Urial that had brought the two together, possibly during his unconscious spell.

  They had stared at each other for some time. Jakob couldn't help but feel the stranger had gotten more out of that than he had.

  It was an instant sense of dislike he felt for the man, not an unbidden murderous one like that he harboured for Gooseman but it was there all the same. He hadn't heard a single word spoken by the stranger and Jimmy's lack of efforts to communicate beyond their brief confrontation meant he was largely in the dark. Something had to be done about that.

  Standing up brought the attention of all the eyes of the cage upon him, as if they were expecting him to make a move or announce something to the occupants. When he started to make his way closer to Jimmy they paid no more attention to him, everyone was on edge in this stifled captivity.

  'Mind if I sit here?' Jakob asked.

  Jimmy looked up at him briefly and shrugged.

  Undeterred, Jakob settled himself down next to him and stared out of the cage. 'Enjoying the scenery?'

  Jimmy didn't deign to look at him. 'Are you going to tell me what happened back there?'

  'You mean back in Urial after gaining my consciousness?'

  The young man nodded, staring at the passing road as if it were the greatest conundrum he had encountered.

  'I have an admission to make to you, I hope in doing so you can bring yourself to be civil with me and stop sulking.'

  If he had heard the words he offered no sign, his petulance was beginning to become grating but Jakob refused to get angry at him. 'I honestly have little recollection from the last while. I had glimpses of it but not enough to know any more than you do about what happened after we parted, I'm sorry.'

  Jimmy turned incredulously to him, at least he had provoked a response from him if nothing else. 'You expect me to believe that you were possessed by some mysterious spirit beyond your control for the exact period of time that I wanted to know what you were doing?'

  He nodded. 'When you put it like that, it sounds all-too convenient, doesn't it?'

  This brought a sigh from him. 'Jakob, after what I've seen if you want to tell me you've been possessed by some evil spirit then I'll believe you.'

  Jakob wasn't expecting that, what had Jimmy been exposed to over his time unconscious that had so radically altered his attitude? Tearing one cell door off its hinges wasn't enough to convince someone of the supernatural.

  The brief acknowledgement was all he needed, there was one other matter that needed discussed. 'You never introduced me to your new friend.'

  Jimmy looked over at The Hermit, who sat with his back against the cage silently watching the assorted men. 'He's not a friend exactly, I owe him my life though. We met in the Black Quail, a now defunct underground movement brought about to cause a rebellion against Kelgrimm in Urial. We almost succeeded, but for the intervention of...' Jimmy faltered then, taking a moment to steady his breathing. 'He's known simply as The Hermit. He doesn't speak and with his actions of late I'm not entirely sure whose side he's on. That's why I'm keeping my distance.' He waved his hand at the space between them, if The Hermit noticed the movement he didn't respond. Jakob felt that the space between potential enemies was meaningless with nowhere to run.

  'Is he dangerous?'

  Jimmy laughed, as if Jakob had cracked an unexpectedly amusing joke. 'He's one of the most lethal people I've ever seen, the thought of him not being on our side terrifies me.'

  Jakob nodded. 'Only one way to sort that then. Stay here.'

  He rose again to another assortment of suspicious glances his way, more people seemed put out at his movements than previously. The walk toward the man Jimmy called The Hermit seemed overly long considering the cramped conditions of the cage. Jakob fought the sinking feeling in his stomach and tried to push aside how lethal Jimmy considered the man. 'Are you are the one known as The Hermit?'

  The Hermit nodded, beckoning Jakob be seated next to him. Jakob felt the urge to refuse the request but given the undue attention he was causing himself he begrudgingly settled himself on the uncomfortable cage floor once again.

  'I have a few brief questions to ask you.'

  The Hermit beckoned that he continue, though he seemed on guard.

  'What is your relationship with Jimmy?'

  He shook his head sadly at that, pointing at his mouth.

  'He told me you couldn't speak, I just wanted to catch you out.' Jakob couldn't think why he'd just said that to someone so dangerous.

  The Hermit saw the funny side of it, exhaling from his nose in what must have been his version of a laugh.

  'Are you on Jimmy's side? He seems undecided as to where your loyalties lie.'

  A nod at that. Jakob couldn't tell whether it was in recognition of Jimmy's distrust or an admission of loyalty. He found it hard to believe that this man had the purest of intentions at heart.

  'Are you on my side?'

  The Hermit shrugged, indicating that he didn't know which 'side' Jakob was on. This response wasn't exactly filling him with confidence, he assumed that being with Jimmy would preclude any issues, if this man was telling the truth that is.

  'Are we going to have a problem with you?'

  Again the words seemed to come out of nowhere, as if oblivious to Jimmy's warnings and spurred on by Jakob's dislike of the man.

  A shake of the head, was that a touch of sadness he saw there? For some reason Jakob was finding it harder to tell.

  'Do you know where they have taken Ella?'

  A guard rapped the bars between where they sat with his spear. 'No talking,' he grunted.

  Questions would have to be answered later.

  65

  Ella

  She stared up at the night sky as if seeing it for the first time. The clouds gathered in strange forms obscuring the stars from sight. They were perched on a strange cliff overlooking an indeterminable landscape, she had no idea why he had brought her here.

  'This was my home,' the stranger said, looking out amongst the desolate rock and clearly seeing something entirely different.

  Ella strained her eyes but the darkness offered her no clue as to what he was talking about. 'I see no houses.'

  A bitter-sweet laugh rang in her head in response. 'There have been no houses in a very long time. Nor was there ever any abode that you would consider a structure fit to live within. I felt that I should show you this locale all the same, regard it as a symbolic gesture.'

  The wind whipped around her feet, threatening to catch her off balance, in response the stranger waved his hand vaguely and it stilled into nothingness.

  'Who are you?' she asked.

  He turned to face her, the odd contours of his
face impossible to read in the poor light. 'I am known as El-Vador to those few that have ever seen me. Though that title is simply what I am called by the unfortunate inhabitants of these remnants, not who I am. Who I am is what I shall be attempting to show you in our travels together. What is your name?'

  She had heard Jimmy speak briefly of some terrible and powerful creature, whatever this was that had taken her from Urial had also known Jimmy. Had this common bond between them been the reason for his apprehending her?

  'My name is Ella. Why have you taken me here?' she asked.

  El-Vador stifled a sigh, as if trying to be patient with her. 'I suppose that is the next logical question and I shouldn't belittle you for it, to cut to the heart of the matter in such direct language is a most human aspect. I find your language difficult to articulate my thoughts with in such a fashion, there's a multitudinous lexicon provided to each individual yet they seem to regard me as positively incoherent should I engage them with more than the very basics of their own speech. This would be an aside to you and one close to baffling you as any given others have been so I shall attempt your directness. You are probably curious as to my relationship with your friend and my reasons for not having him join us, are you not?'

  Ella blinked, the words had come streaming into her ears at a great speed and yet she found herself understanding what the creature was implying.

  'Your own language is not native to those you are forced to be accompany, you have divined our language not through observation but through study of scripture. Access to such text in this era is a priceless commodity afforded to few and the extended lexicon that you speak of is doled out to the privileged alone to set them apart.' She dared to edge closer to him then, trying to study his face for any sign of a reaction. 'I believe that you were in conflict with my friend and that your kidnapping of me was retribution for a previous slight.'