by Rosie Scott
“The million things was an estimated guess, but it was also an educated one,” I warned him.
The god chuckled heartily. “I have all the time in the world.”
“Let's discuss salary,” I suggested.
“One million gold per day,” Chance replied immediately.
“Get out.”
Chance laughed but stood up facetiously to follow the order. When he plopped back down, he said, “I asked Azazel about what the others are getting. He mentioned land, homes, and businesses. Other than salary, of course. Is this offer extended to me?”
“It is.”
Chance pondered this. “I would like places to stay in every city. I'd really love to found a settlement. Azazel said you offered this to him, as well.”
“Done and done,” I agreed.
Chance raised his eyebrows, and the golden loop on his right one glinted in the light. “Well, if I have all that, the salary I'll negotiate for will start lower. Ten grand per year?”
“You might as well keep working for free,” I mused, and he laughed.
“Is that too high or too low?”
“It seems awful low,” I replied honestly.
“If I'm happy, I have need of little,” Chance said. “If I don't have to pay rent and am kept busy, I don't foresee needing more than that for a while.”
“You've already worked hard for a year,” I pointed out. “We'll start you out at twelve.” I reached a hand out, and Chance took it. As we shook, I added, “Copper. Pieces, not thousands.”
Chance chuckled. “I've been swindled!”
I grinned and pulled back my hand. “I'll ask Azazel to write something up that's official. We'll get it signed before I leave for Sera.”
“When is that?” Chance questioned.
“The new year,” I replied, before a lengthy sigh. “Holter is currently on a mission in the north recruiting volunteers for our army in French. Considering that goes well, he will try the same in Kilgor. We plan on stopping at Kilgor when we pass it sometime around mid-New Moon.”
“And taking it over?” Chance asked.
“If necessary, but the populace in the towns closest to Sera are my sympathizers,” I explained. “Besides, I've been to Kilgor. It's a nice town, but small. Intimidation by my army alone could get them to fold.”
“I pray everything goes well for you,” Chance said, appearing contemplative. “I've never known another god I could talk to this easily. In the years following your victory, I hope we can spend more time together. I know your friendships grew from circumstances much different from ours, but maybe we'll find things to do together outside of work.”
My heart warmed with his openness. “Even working with you has been fruitful and entertaining, Chance. If you ever see or hear that we're all going out for drinks, I invite you no questions asked. When I send you to work on Narangar after the war, perhaps I'll come with you.”
Chance's face brightened. “Sounds like a plan.”
Forty-two
66th of New Moon, 432
Holter's missions to French and Kilgor in late-431 were successful. Both settlements were teeming with supporters who agreed to gather in Kilgor to join my army for the last battle in exchange for magical education or healing. Even if we lost the war, I already realized some of my goals. Magical freedom had spread too far in Chairel to be easily revoked. Many humans were predisposed to necromancy, and due to their malleable natures, many were life mages as well. Thus, the populations of life and death dual casters were highest among humans. Given humans were the weakest race in terms of lifespans, they were understandably ecstatic about seeking immortality to become competitive with other races. Human mages of all elements were willing to fight for their new freedoms. The world of Arrayis was on an irreversible track to a new age.
Because humans were my most ardent supporters, it was surprising to see Kilgor's large wooden gate closed and guarded when we arrived there in New Moon. I second-guessed my decision not to leave Comercio until the new year, for it was possible Terran had imprisoned my supporters and secured the town.
I halted my army just south of Kilgor's gate at the fork of Caravaneer Road. Fifteen years ago, the wooden wall before me had seemed intimidating, and I'd wanted to get lost behind it while on the run from Sirius's men. After having a hand in so many city takeovers, however, this barrier posed no challenge to me.
Kilgor's gate was closed, but due to the dirt road's indents from trade caravans, it was entirely possible for someone to crawl beneath and to the other side. A handful of guards in mercenary attire gathered at the crack between the doors. A warm breeze blew by, capturing our attention for only a moment before the murmur of the town picked up again behind the walls.
I walked ahead of my men and closed the distance to the gate, the spell we'd gotten from Raphael prepared in one hand in case I needed it. Our army was absurdly quiet for a group of tens of thousands of people as it waited for developments.
“I am Kai Sera,” I announced to the guards. By the looks on their faces, it was already obvious. “I come to you without hostility to ask for the status and loyalty of Kilgor.”
All at once, the guards lowered themselves to one knee. The woman at the center of the group lifted her face to give me eye contact as she replied, “Kilgor is loyal to you, my lady, and we welcome your arrival.”
I glanced back at my friends with a mixture of relief and satisfaction. As we waited for Kilgor's gate to open and orders were shouted for our men to make camp on the plains, Calder sauntered over and said cheerfully, “And that, kids, is how you take a town without lifting a finger.”
The people of Kilgor were jubilant and anxious. Their support of me was evidently fervent by the questions thrown my way as I entered the town for the first time in many years. Was it true Arturian Kilgor was my biological father? What were the secrets of immortality? Had my magic shaped the land of multiple countries? What had Glacia looked like? Could I tell which elements one would wield just by glancing their way, and if so, could I please predict their predispositions? Did I want a temple built in Kilgor, or would the Seran University be the place to worship me once I sat on the throne of Chairel?
The recruits from French and Kilgor gathered in the main road's roundabout almost like a sign of respect, for the statue of my biological father towered above them all at its center. These men and women were young and raring to follow me to war. It was the last chance they could volunteer to be a part, and since I was only one battle away from victory, the risk was low.
As our armies settled out on the plains, I spent my time meeting and talking with those who sought to follow me. Out of everyone I met, one person stuck out to me the most.
He was human and appeared young, with creamy skin and striking cerulean eyes. Greasy black hair hung before his shadowed face in streaks, the ends unevenly cut. Though he wore dark but worn armored leggings, his torso and head remained unprotected. He was a few inches below six feet tall, with a limber body type that only boasted extra muscle in his upper arms. A looped bladed weapon hung from his right hip, jingling as he came to a stop before me.
I held out a hand in friendly greeting. The other man took it, seeming oddly fascinated by the simple gesture.
“I already know magic,” he said to me, his voice low but confident.
“Necromancy?” I questioned pointedly, noting his dark hair and intimidating features.
One side of his mouth raised in satisfaction. “Yes.”
“What is your name?”
His piercing blue eyes scanned over the other Renegades behind me and lingered on Cerin, connecting my legend with my lover's looks before deciding I was trustworthy. “Axenus Rhun.”
“How old are you, Axenus?” I questioned next. “Have you been in hiding?”
Axenus lowered his right hand to his belt. With a tug, the looped weapon separated from its holster. He held it as it slowly unraveled like chain links. After a few seconds, I could tell it was a whip unlike any o
ther I'd seen, for it was made of multiple linked blades. Axenus took one blade nearest the handle to his opposite wrist, slicing with gusto at his veins as if attempting suicide. It spilled no blood. Instead, it barely tore the epidermis as if the blade had merely given him a paper cut.
“Old enough,” Axenus said, his gaze unflinching as he returned the whip to his belt.
I noticed his refusal to answer my pointed questions, so I tried approaching them from different angles. “How long did it take your skin to strengthen?”
“It happens over time,” Axenus replied. “I only noticed when a mercenary sent to kill me tried to impale me on his pike back in the days of the Metal Conflict.”
“The Metal Conflict was over one hundred years ago,” I pointed out.
“Yes.” Axenus hesitated a moment before adding, “I was born in 231. Celebrated my two hundredth birthday last year. Alone and in the Hydrin Forest, but it was a celebration nonetheless.”
“Happy belated birthday,” I offered. When Axenus smiled, I went on, “You want to fight for me.”
“Of course. I've spent so long being hunted like an animal. I miss...” Axenus trailed off and frowned beneath greasy bangs. “I miss human interaction. Skeletons make good company, but they do not speak.”
“Then I welcome you. I have spells to teach you that can strengthen you further.”
Axenus lifted an eyebrow. “I already know magic.”
“Perhaps, but I have learned rare death spells over the years with various origins. I will teach them to you.” I stared into his cerulean eyes and added, “Do me a favor.” When he said nothing, I went on, “Lift your hand and try summoning creatius la agua.”
Axenus did as I asked, and soon water collected in a magical barrier. The necromancer appeared baffled and intrigued.
“As I surmised,” I announced happily. “You are a dual caster. Those beautiful blue eyes were your giveaway, friend.”
“Thank you,” Axenus said, his dark hair dangling over his face. “It seems I am not too old to learn new things.”
Despite knowing many necromancers, Axenus fascinated me. It was the first time I'd met a human who had successfully used death magic to prolong his lifespan like Valerius the Undying once had. This supporter of mine was living proof of the future I foresaw under my rule, and such a future was finally in reach.
We would only stay in Kilgor for a few days before moving on to Sera. My quick capture of it ensured our men didn't need time to heal from battle, and while the towns had gathered recruits, there weren't enough to require weeks of training. I authorized plans for trade between Kilgor and Comercio and set up a few traders with Chance's information to establish a connection. Otherwise, my only concern with Kilgor was using its supplies to refresh my men and planning for our attack on Sera.
All of my allies except for Hades and Marcus gathered in the top floor of a tavern whose owner was ecstatic to lend it to us if it meant she could advertise such a historic event had taken place there. As we planned for the last battle of the war, she kept us refreshed with food and beverages. The pub was nice, but we'd had to push together many tables so all of us could sit and talk. Being in such a humble place reminded me of my own origins and just how far I'd come. The magnitude of the power I'd gained and the victories I'd claimed could not be overstated. Nonetheless, nostalgia saddened me, for this was the last time I would be with all my friends at once planning for a battle in the greatest war of our world's history.
“Here we are,” Calder said directly across the table from me, leaning back in his chair until it tipped and crossing his worn boots on the table as he relaxed.
“Here we are,” I agreed, leaning forward and slapping at his boots. “Get your feet off the table, hooligan. Let's show this tavern some respect, yeah?”
Calder smirked and did as I asked. He then dramatically slumped down in his seat until he seemed shorter than most. I felt him nudge his boots onto my lap under the table. “I want to put my feet up,” he excused himself, grinning at my raised eyebrow.
“The king of the underground, everyone,” I announced dryly, provoking laughter from a few. I let Calder rest his feet on me as I went on, “Let's discuss Sera.”
“Shouldn't we wait for Mr. Death?” Hasani asked, speaking of Hades.
“I couldn't find him,” Azazel replied. “You know how he is. Even if Hades is in Kilgor, he wants no part of this.”
Hasani shrugged, and Maggie piped up, “We don't want 'im here, neither.”
I leaned forward to catch Holter's eye. “Some of you know Holter flew ahead and scouted out Sera during our trek here. Why don't you update everyone on Sera's status?”
Holter shook the dark hair from his face and cleared his throat. “Sera's guard towers are manned and troops patrol its walls. The gates open sparingly. I found no sign of ambush units anywhere, only unaffiliated orcs in the nearby mountains. The good news is that between Sera's reinforcements to the other settlements over the years and Terran's massive assault of Comercio, they've exhausted their men. Their defense force is much smaller than expected. The other good news is that those forces are mostly on and around Sera's wall, which will be absolutely destroyed by Maggie's cannons.”
“What's the bad news?” Zephyr asked.
“There isn't any,” Holter replied. “Sera is ripe for the taking.”
“If it weren't for Maggie's cannons, we'd have more to worry about,” Azazel explained. “Getting through Sera's wall has always been the most intimidating prospect about it. If they planned on bombarding us with attacks when we file through the gate, we can avoid it. Hot oil? We're avoiding it.”
“We believe Terran's men never found the cannons in Comercio,” I added. “Which means, essentially, that he doesn't expect us to have them. Our cannons will be a surprise. We can lower Sera's morale just by unveiling them.”
“Hi, Terran!” Maggie exclaimed, before mimicking an explosion with both hands. “Boom!”
A few of us chuckled at her enthusiasm. “Thank you for your demonstration, Maggie,” I offered.
“Anytime, love,” she replied joyously. “I'm still mad that his friend disintegrated my leg, is all.”
“Your new leg is better,” Nyx reminded her, kicking the prosthetic with her own boot.
“Still doesn't have steam propulsion,” I pointed out.
Nyx raised her eyebrows in jest. “True.”
“The cannon bombardment of the wall comes first,” Uriel said. “Are we going to target one area of the wall or more?”
“We have the shells to target more than one section,” I replied, pushing the rough map I'd drawn of Sera down the table toward the Sentinels. Uriel and Cyrus studied it as I continued, “Sera's wall extends out from the mountain in a large half-circle. We won't have to file down our army here. Let's target two sections of the wall and infiltrate the city through both. Our top priority should be avoiding the destruction of the homes and farms on the plains just outside Sera. I doubt they've invited those civilians into the city walls. Sera is biased toward the wealthy, and they will rely on the lower class to produce food to bolster their reserves in case of a siege.”
“Given the mountain Sera sits on, I doubt this wall is all one level,” Cyrus surmised, running a finger around the rounded line on the parchment.
“It's not,” I agreed. “I marked the areas of the wall where it levels with the plains on either side. We should target between them. The gated sections are obviously closest to larger main streets where our armies will have greater maneuverability, and there are two gates.”
“How convenient,” Dax mused.
“After bombarding the wall, their army should be frazzled,” Azazel said. “We hope that by cutting off the forces on the wall from the upper city, we can inspire surrender. Sera is cornered. We've taken the rest of Chairel and it has no remaining allies. Their men likely feel trapped and hopeless. Once we're on the other side of those walls, they might admit defeat.”
“Which leaves on
ly your wonderful family, Kai,” Zephyr concluded with an edge of sarcasm. “It sounds like you'll want us to secure the forces on the city's exterior so you can focus on royalty.”
“Precisely,” I agreed.
“We need to figure out how to split our armies,” Hasani suggested.
“I will enter from the left break with Dax,” Cyrus spoke up, circling the area on the map with a finger. “I want Uriel and Zephyr to act as support on the right. Marcus's unit can go either way, but I think it's best if we separate the giants from Calder's beastmen. We need brute force that can intimidate on either side.”
“Agreed,” Calder said. “Take Marcus on your side, Cyrus. I plan on spreading my infantry to both sides under your leadership. I'll enter the right break to be closer to Kai.”
“How'd you know which side I want to breach?” I asked.
“Azazel told me,” Calder replied, readjusting his heavy boots on my lap. My legs had long ago went numb from the lack of circulation. “You were right next to me in Quellden, love. I might not be able to be by your side in Sera, but I want to be as close to you as possible. It'll be a monumental day for you.”
“Aren't you a sweetheart?” I teased, patting his boot under the table.
“Where are you going, Rek?” Hasani asked, leaning over the table to catch the god's eye.
“I go where Kai needs me to go,” Rek replied simply.
“You want him with you?” I asked Hasani, noting his interest.
“If I could,” Hasani said. “Most of my remaining men are arbalests. Rek could be a bloody distraction that my men can support.”
“Rek, you'll follow Hasani,” I decided. The god nodded once.
“What about you?” Hasani asked.
“I'll go with the right unit behind the rest of you,” I replied. “Once the armies before me have the defense force on the wall taken care of, I will lead my men past them and to the Seran University. If I don't find Terran in battle, I will focus on Sirius. If any of you see Terran, alert me and I will pursue him.”