TRONDHEIM SAGEN: Earth Shattering

by Andreas Hennen

  "Uncle! I treated King Godwin, a bad wound, but fortunately it will heal in time. Now I will go to the Healing Master to find out about the condition of your son."

  "My beloved niece, don't call him that!" answered Armillus in a thin of voice.

  His niece gently rebuked him:

  "My King, he's still my only cousin and he'll always be your son," but the King didn't like that, and he jumped up angrily, frightening Delia and making her take a couple of steps back.

  The Sovereign glared at her harshly. His veins pulsed so much blood that his heartbeat could be seen in his temples. He raised his hand and pointing to his niece, spoke slowly in a firm voice:

  "You, my niece, do not know what you say. You do not know what it is like to be betrayed by a son!" He stopped speaking and placed both hands heavily on the table, tinkling the crystal lid of the wine jug. The old man bent his shaking head down and said: "I am Armillus Polux, General of the Steel Ring, Great Minister of Imperial Finances, Regent on the Tartaros and of the city of Kitan, Guardian of the Citadel and last of my lineage!" That said he fell onto the wooden chair, which creaked under the weight of the Sovereign.

  The King of Kitan turned his absent gaze to Godwin with his bandaged head, silent next to Holaf, who almost completely obscured the light filtering through the green door. A frightened and unbelieving Delia couldn't look at anyone apart from her uncle, who said in a resigned tone of voice:

  "Delia, my dear girl, last ray of sunshine in my life, you might go to the servants and ask them to bring us food. Our guests will be hungry.

  "Yes!" was the only reply given by the girl, after hearing her uncle repudiate, in a most decided way, his only son.

  The girl stepped out of the room quickly, almost as if she wanted to escape, a retreat so sudden that she bumped into King Holaf and the young page behind him. King Armillus, seeing the gracelessness of his niece, immediately apologized lovingly:

  "Forgive her, she's young and still struggling to understand the truth of all that has happened. Having lost her parents at an early age, she clung to me and to that traitor with all her strength, and now she is afraid, feeling the world break up under her feet."

  "There is nothing to excuse, we understand the situation!" High replied, stopping a second to calculate the words and concluding: "I would never have imagined such a tragedy. My heart overflows with sincere sorrow for your misfortunes, my dear friend!" No one else commented on what the God-Slayer said.

  The Lord of Kitan sat at the head of a rectangular table with rounded corners. The sheen of the green stone reflected the jug of the wine and the four glasses, two of which were still untouched. The heavy stone top rested on supports in the shape of angels, made to hold the table top with their wings. The angels were finely inlaid, with details of each single feather, showing extraordinary skill.

  "My Kings, please forgive me for being so distracted!" exclaimed Armillus with renewed vigour. He stood up and went on: "Please, kindly sit down at my table. In this same room generations of the Polux family decided matters and summed up situations that changed the fate of men and Emperors!" The host interrupted his story and waited for Godwin and Holaf to take their places before concluding: "First my grandfather and then my father with their trusted followers in this room decided their actions to defend the Empire and the Emperor. Now it just seems to be up to us. The torch has been placed in our hands by the will of fate," he sat down and noisily pulled his chair to the table.

  Holaf, who didn't like to beat about the bush, but preferred to get to the heart of the matter quickly, asked impetuously:

  "My King, what questions require the attention of the Kings?"

  Armillus pulled his chair closer to the table, sat there with his elbows on the table, and began his story:

  "I have always considered myself to be a prudent man, and as such during the course of my reign, I have increased the already widespread network of informers available to the crown of Kitan." He was interrupted by a slight knock on the door, to which the King asked: "Who dares knock and break a private conference?"

  "My Lord, excuse the disturbance, we are the servants bringing food," a woman's voice replied. She sounded not so young.

  "Come in, we're hungry!" exclaimed the good King, rubbing his hands, anticipating the delicacies coming from his own kitchen.

  An elderly woman dressed in brown with a clean white apron entered the room, followed by a host of young pages. Each servant carried glossy dishes, adorned with engravings of all kinds, which delighted the eyes of guests. The dishes overflowed with delicacies. Aromas of spices soon filled the room, followed by scents of roasted game, fresh vegetables and attractive soups. Another wine was added to the one already in the room, which was in fact almost empty. Every type of delicious food was laid on the green table, under the eyes of the four Kings. Given the position of the sun and the grumbling of their stomachs, they were in an ideal position to appreciate what was offered. Each page, having laid down his heavy burden, gave a deep bow and slipped quickly over the threshold. Only the elderly woman took a long time to take her departure. King Armillus encouraged her to leave saying:

  "Thank you, my dear, go now, if we need you again, we will call for you!"

  The woman, who had a white handkerchief over her hair smiled, closed her old wrinkled eyes, bowed deeply, and then vanished as quickly, as she had arrived, closing the door to put them at their ease.

  "Well! I would say lunchtime has come!" exclaimed Armillus, strangely satisfied. The King of Kitan, addressing Godwin, asked him: "Mighty champion, would you do me the honour of filling your plate with any delicacy that you fancy?"

  "Certainly, King Armillus!" Righteous answered, quick and ready. He stood up, took a plate, and courteously addressed the host, "What may I serve you?"

  "Whatever you like, Lord of the South, I rely on your good taste!" replied the King of Kitan.

  Godwin put a generous portion of game stew on the plate, accompanied by polenta and gave it to the Sovereign in mourning.

  "Excellent choice, dear Godwin! The deer is my favourite, and those animals live in large numbers the high forests," explained Armillus, starting to eat the dish. After enjoying a large bite of each food offered him, said: "Well, having now you have dispelled your doubts about the possibility of poisoned food, serve yourselves and eat until you can eat no more, my guests!"

  King Armillus did not linger for a moment, putting another generous spoonful into his mouth. High felt accused and defended himself:

  "My King, we had no doubts about your hospitality!" he said, even though in his heart the idea of poisoned food had come to him several times.

  Armillus, ignoring protocols, answered his mouth full:

  "There some doubt may have been in my heart, but I preferred to show you the purity and frankness of my hospitality. The best way to do this was to eat dishes at random, chosen by the who recently did his best to bring down that traitor Horos," Armillus drank a sip of wine and then resumed the speech: "My King, to avoid all misunderstandings I want to affirm that we are still allies!" and looking at High with sad eyes Armillus said: "As well as being allies, we are good friends!"

  High gave a nod of approval and raised a glass in honour of his host. Armillus answered the toast immediately, raising his own glass and taking the floor:

  "The duel doesn't change anything, whether my heart is weeping or not, Horos had to be stopped, that is certain. He was not a worthy heir to the throne of Kitan!" The old King put food back into his mouth, and was satisfied to see that his guests did not linger in serving themselves.

  High was the first to recall them to serious questions. After allowing a couple of courteous exchanges, on minor issues which renewed the good humour of Armillus.

  "When we concluded the restricted council, His Imperial Majesty failed to note something regarding the plains bordering the Throne of the Titans. He said that these places are becoming increasingly dangerous, especially at night, do you know anything about th
is?" asked High, looking at the King of Kitan.

  "What the Emperor says is true!" Armillus answered, settling himself and clearing his throat with a cough, before speaking again, "as I was telling you, I have a remarkable network of informants, all over the Empire. Obviously, except for the Volcano Island, in those lands I do not have informants, as they are always discovered. The north is also another very difficult terrain for me, since the inhabitants are very close to the flag of Trondheim, and you cannot gain any information.

  King Armillus turned directly to Holaf:

  "You are not only a great soldier, it seems, but also a very good King. Everyone loves you and no one is willing to spy on the movements of your troops, not even with truly remarkable compensation.

  Holaf, proud of his subjects, lifted his cup saying loudly:

  "Skål to the people of the North!" and drinking a plentiful gulp of wine, he thumped his glass on the table, risking a breakage.

  Armillus resumed his explanation of the facts:

  "For many months now the flow of information has been decreasing, from the West it has completely stopped. In the city of Catacomb it seems, my informants were dismembered and hung on the walls of the fort of Terminus Est without even a proper burial." He stopped for a moment to reflect and resumed: "The same fate awaited the spies sent to Old Tumulus, but with different methods. Certainly Abadon is not inclined to reveal what he is plotting in the dark shadow of the Thousand Gates!"

  "I apologise for the interruption, my King, but Sire Grigor is responsible for these cities. Did he have the decency to report at least to you, regarding what is really going on?" Godwin asked alarmed.

  Armillus became gloomy and answered in a severe tone of voice:

  "King Grigor is an idiot, and not even a valid General! He is firmly convinced that there is a price for everyone, and he pays enemies as well as spies. He sees money as the only way to have even a minimum of control over anyone. But in reality, it is a long time since King Grigor controlled anyone. The good Armillus took a draught of wine to cool his throat, as he still had much to tell: "My dear Kings, you should know the truth about the King of the Kings of the West. For at least a year I have not been able to speak to their Lords. From what emerges, only the fidelity of Sire Moses Welles, Lord of Rent, and King Evandre Owen, master of Ontar, can be trusted. These two gentlemen are the only ones to make frequent visits to Abovemountain. None of the other monarchs of the west ever visit."

  "So in the West the situation is much more serious than we have been made to believe. I would go so far as to say it is catastrophic!" Godwin exclaimed just before drowning his worries in a large mouthful of wine.

  "Do we know how many Kings of the West are still faithful to the Emperor?"Holaf asked Armillus, who, shaking his disconsolate head, answered:

  "It would seem very few, Layton Colt, Lord of the city of Wexsex, is loyal to the Emperor, but not to King Grigor!"

  "So, we have Grigor in government over such a vast area only with the support of two nobles!" High specified.

  "And such wonderful allies they are, the ones at our disposal! Sire Moses of Rent is called the Poet, while Ewandre is called the Surly, but the most appropriate nickname would be the Blockhead. These two are commanded by Grigor, who is known to all of us sadly for his limited skills in command. The fate of the West depends on them. Apart from one King who is loyal to the Emperor to whom I have no objection, of the other ten banners of the West we know nothing at all!" Holaf had just given a clear summary of the critical situation in the west. The image, created in the minds of every King present, appealed to none of them.

  "And what do we know about Earth or Bios?" Godwin asked, less and less happy about the situation.

  "I was not sure of what news has come from either of the two cities you asked me about!" answered Armillus, who had been eating, as if there were no tomorrow.

  "In my heart I find it hard to believe the betrayal of Titus Bolton. He is not a man to turn his back on the Emperor. After all, he is an abbot, he will must have some kind of fidelity in his blood," Godwin replied. Shaking his head, he added: "I had no intention of stopping there, but the situation has become so disturbed as to require it. I will ask for an audience with the Abbot of the Fortress, the Monastery of Terra, on my way home. After consulting with him, I will send you a hawk messenger to inform each of you about what I discover.

  "Won’t that be risky, going first, without having credible information?" asked cautious High.

  "What do we know about Terra?" Godwin asked the King of Kitan.

  Armillus promptly retorted:

  "I have no bad news, but nothing good either. News is not as frequent as before. If I were to guess, I would hazard saying that in Terra nothing particular is happening, there is no risk of insurrection or betrayal.

  "So it's decided, I'll stop at Terra!" exclaimed in conclusion Godwin.

  "I will try to send an emissary to Bios in order to untangle the problem of their loyalty and find out for which side they fly their flag," the thoughtful King Armillus proposed.

  "To have the Golden Library of Bios and Terra on one's side would be of vital importance in a probable scenario of war!" High exclaimed. He then asked Armillus: "But in all this chaos, what blame can be laid at Grigor's door for unleashing battles that destroy the peaceful west?"

  "I‘m not completely aware of his position, but I also invited him to this meeting today to discuss and help us, but, as you can see, he hasn’t presented himself!" Armillus stopped for a very unpleasant moment shaking his head before resuming: "The plain below the Throne is full of cutthroats, intent on assaulting the helpless and people in small groups. I often send whole platoons to guard the plain, but with little result. The few prisoners captured seem bewitched, resisting the most brutal torture without calling us to stop."

  "Did they appear unusual in any way?" asked High strangely very interested.

  "No, my King, they smelled worse than pigs when they came before me, even filthier than the animals themselves, but I could not see any particular signs, except for the resistance to pain," the good Sovereign of Kitan answered, taking his chin in his hand thoughtfully.

  "I suspect that the origin of all the evils of the West has come from two factors. The first irrefutable fact is the incompetence of Grigor, who never wants to fight, even when a battle is essential for survival. Years of permissive benevolence have brought us to the edge of the abyss, in which today we find ourselves, barely balanced on the edge," Armillus stated, as if he were haranguing an audience of the noble imperial counsellors of the High Tower. Words flowed like a river from those no longer young lips, and there was no way to negate the fine reasoning offered to his listeners.

  High interrupted with extreme politeness for a clarification:

  "Excuse me, dear King, I certainly agree with you on the first point, but I fear I have perhaps misunderstood the other one.

  Armillus stood quietly for a few moments, as if looking for the right words.

  "No, my dear diplomatic friend, you haven't misunderstood," Armillus replied in a serious tone of voice.

  "So, is the Emperor manoeuvred by Dicius?" the God-Slayer asked. He was very alarmed.

  "You've grasped the second problem, this is the only certainty about that slimy being. It was Dicius who suggested to the Emperor to suspend the patrols, carried out by the armies of the Steel Ring. He wished to save money for the imperial coffers." Armillus feeling involved in the matter, offended and obliged to specify, as he was responsible for that office: "There was nothing unusual about the imperial coffers at the time, nothing more than the usual stupid spending!"

  "How did all these robbers, thieves and cutthroats take over the land where they are now wandering freely?" Godwin asked feeling more and more disturbed at every revelation.

  "Lord of the South, the mind that commands them is unknown, sadly. We only know of their systematic action in striking at the imperial taxation caravans. Those disgusting thieves have good informant
s and learn about each expedition, no matter how secret it is. Organized in the light of the day or in the shadows of the night, few people are now able to escape from the co-ordinated assaults of the bandits," Armillus explained.

  Holaf noticed and pointed out a very precious and not very evident detail:

  "Dear Armillus, that these beasts dress up in the rags of brigands is not in question, maybe they use the same weapons as brigands, but the usual brigands do not co-ordinate this well. Never has more than one group of criminals collaborated in sharing profits with others.

  "You are right, King of the North, but this opens up some very disturbing scenarios and gives rise to a number of questions! Who is pulling the strings of these manoeuvres? What force moves Dicius and, consequently, the Emperor?

  The questions raised by Armillus caused a deep, gloomy silence in the room, where the four Kings were pensively sitting with unfocussed eyes. The host stood up and broke the silence, starting to march around the laid table.

  "I fear that the imperial authority is waning, too many bad decisions have been made, too many and too burdensome. Ask the Lord of Rost, who opposed the march of the High Guard of the Dragon against Catacomb and Old Tumulus! We would have waged war on those betrayers three winters ago now, if we hadn't been stopped," Armillus grumbled angrily.

  "The only authority that could stop a King of the plateau, apart from the people present here and the shiny personage who is absent should be the imperial will!" Holaf exclaimed.

  "That is not entirely correct, my Lord. It was the Emperor who has allowed the problem to continue, but it wasn't his own choice, and he was convinced by advice that came from the lips of Dicius," replied the good host.

  The revelation made the three guests groan, followed by surprised mumbling, but the time of surprises for the three King of Kings had not yet come to an end. The good father seemed totally recovered from the hard blow to his family. With considerable fervour Armillus added:

  "My Lords, another regrettable fact which has been kept quiet by all, to avoid gossip, rumours and further violence occurred when the villages in the plain of Beneathathrone and north of the plateau were attacked. Who preferred to stop the armies from moving rather than face the threat? The good Armillus stared with his big eyes that promised troubles. He watched the three Kings closely. They were all very surprised to learn the villages had been assaulted.