by Jeremy Dwyer
The archers – except for the elite and special operations troops temporarily training with them – were drinkers of the waters of the Lujladia Ocean for the power to bend light. These waters were used in practice, to as to simulate actual battlefield conditions. They did not all have equal innate potential to use the waters, and their performance varied considerably, ranging from perfect accuracy to the inability to hit anything that wasn’t standing still.
The bow fighting troops simply practiced their techniques on small game animals, which were then used as food for the troops. Hundreds of thousands (100000) of small deer, elk, wolves and bears were slaughtered in this training exercise.
The elite and special operations troops were drinkers of the waters of the Medathero Ocean, so as to help them think through more difficult situations and be more adaptive. They were trained intensely in different forms of combat, but not expected to achieve the same levels of performance as those more dedicated to that specific form.
The training schedule went on for only one hundred eight (108) days before the troops became immensely worn down. The grumbling grew to where Serafina could no longer ignore it.
“There’s no time for more rest, unless you want your combat skills to fail so that you lose the war and die. Then, you can rest forever. Are you that weak and pathetic? Is that what you want?” General Serafina said.
However, the fatigue was too great, mistakes were getting made and accuracy and performance were dropping.
“You need to focus! I work you hard and then give you rest. The enemy will not give you rest. She will strike and strike again, until you are dead! If you fight fiercely, you will defeat her and the battle will end sooner,” General Serafina said to the troops, in response to their lower performance.
After another nine (9) days of this training schedule, the troops began to talk among themselves about a mutiny. Many were conscripted, and never wanted to be in the military in the first place. Word began to spread of a way out, and someone mentioned an old tradition to escape forced military service called the “Mutiny Pledge.” A great many troops stole parchment scrolls from the palace and wrote on them a copy of this pledge, and signed their names to it:
Our lives belong to us; we shall not fight for your want or need.
Our blood is not yours to spill, to wage your wars of greed.
To weaken you, your supplies we shall waste.
The enemy scouts we shall inform, so they can find you with haste.
Your missions we shall work against, so your purpose is defeated.
From your throne of arrogance, you shall be unseated.
Your most despised enemy, we shall join out of spite.
You shall be denied even your rest at night.
Against you in every way we shall turn.
You command only the willing; or your kingdom shall burn.
The parchment scrolls were placed outside the palace, and General Serafina found the scrolls. She read the pledge and was horrified. On counting, were three hundred fifteen (315) such scrolls, each listing out twelve hundred (1200) names of troops, for a total of three hundred seventy-eight thousand (378000) personnel threatening mutiny.
Judith also noted this mutiny pledge and was quite familiar with mention of it and its wording, although it was rarely used.
General Serafina brought these signed scrolls to the war room inside the palace where Lavakara was waiting. Judith followed her.
“Supreme Commander, there is a mutiny underway. The troops have signed a pledge refusing to serve us and threatening to join the enemy and sabotage our efforts,” General Serafina said.
“How many have the signed the pledge?” Lavakara asked.
“Three hundred seventy-eight thousand (378000) troops,” General Serafina said.
“How do you plan to address this? What needs to be done, in your estimation, General?” Lavakara asked.
“We need to execute them for this mutiny, and set an example!” General Serafina said.
“No. Many of these troops were conscripted. That makes them a weak link, who will fail in crucial missions at key moments. Only a willing and strong warrior can be relied upon. Conscripts are worse than useless,” Lavakara said.
“Large numbers are needed in a large war. Some goals can only be achieved by overwhelming an enemy who can’t handle an onslaught,” General Serafina said.
“Your thinking is incorrect. A small, yet strong army can wipe out your large armies in large numbers. The widespread deaths will utterly destroy morale,” Lavakara said.
“You want to allow this mutiny?” General Serafina asked.
“Yes,” Lavakara answered.
“When some take the easy way out, others will follow. Soon, you’ll have no army at all,” General Serafina said.
“Those who wish to leave would serve us best by leaving now,” Lavakara said.
“I resign. I cannot be an effective general and lead an army into battle if I don’t have sufficient troops and I don’t even have the authority to punish the deserters,” General Serafina said.
“What if I compelled you to stay? Wouldn’t you still be a great general?” Lavakara asked.
“A general leads troops. You’re letting my troops leave. How can I be effective?” General Serafina asked.
“Do you mean that I can’t force you to stay and be effective?” Lavakara asked.
“No, I can’t be effective, because I can’t use troops that I don’t have,” General Serafina said.
“And the troops can’t use strength, speed, energy and focus that they don’t have. Your actions are only supporting my position: if I forced you stay, you would fail me, just as forcing the troops to stay would make them fail you. Good riddance to you. I’m pleased that you’re leaving,” Lavakara said.
“Fight this war yourself!” Serafina said. She removed her military gear with the Ihalik markings and then she left the palace, walking past her troops, without any words. She made her way to a distant port town in Ihalik, to make her own plans against the approaching enemy.
Judith recorded Serafina’s resignation and their conversation into her book. She actually agreed with the mutiny pledge in that it gave freedom to choose – no one should be forced to serve in any capacity. However, that was judgment, which was forbidden by the Chronicler’s Oath, so she said nothing. She also doubted Lavakara’s intentions with respect to the military training. She had heard of his penchant for stealing the bodies of other warriors, and she suspected that he was looking for prey among the troops.
~~~
Lavakara considered his concept of a perfect warrior, and how he would be strong, swift, agile and dedicated. If the ability was present, but the dedication was not, then such a person had no place in war. The lack of will diminished the abilities, rather than focusing them to their maximum levels. Hence, before he took control of the body of a new warrior, he assessed their willingness. Combatants that avoided a fight without clear and valid reason for doing so were often doing so out of fear, which suggested that they may be conscripted. Perhaps they had thoughts of returning to a family or to a chosen profession of interest outside of the battlefield. He avoided possessing their bodies, as they would not be finely tuned because their minds were not in cooperation with their combat mission.
Lavakara knew that these are the combatants who can never be allowed into a crucial position, for they will fail, and a critical combat mission will likely fail due to their holding back. He strove to eliminate such persons from the battlefield. Far better that such as these were left to follow their own pursuits than be forced into a position for which they were ill-suited. Hence, Lavakara thought, this is why the mutiny pledge was designed and written, and its words had survived for these eleven (11) millennia, exactly as Lavakara had conceived of and written them so long ago.
CHAPTER 31: Compassion and Folly
In the continent of Baradaxa, in the Port of Kemalorin, Sebastian stood in his private room on board his ship.
; He thought back to how he had given substantial funding to the architect, Fantine, to procure the crystals needed to design the crystal archways which protected the multitudes of vulnerable people from the many burning suns of the inferno. Her numerous experiments to develop the structures consumed considerable resources, which she had depended on him to provide. The resulting designs were then copied throughout the world. Sebastian felt that he had as much to do with enabling this lifesaving work, by his wealth, as she did, by her mind.
Yet, Sebastian felt that Fantine had received too much credit. When the Jenaldej Prince Emerond came to seek out her architectural skills, he did not give Sebastian proper credit for funding the architect to get to where she did. Her name was elevated for her skills. He was still forbidden from setting foot in their land. He felt betrayed.
Sebastian wondered how it could be that others would come to know who he was, and how great that he was. He had enormous wealth, and had been generous to so many, considering the many millions (1000000) of lives saved from the inferno by the architecture whose design and development he had funded. He needed to teach the world how to appreciate him if his own name was to be elevated.
~~~
East of the Port of Kemalorin was a farming town under the control of the old trouble-making fool known as Alistair. He was seventeen hundred eighty-six (1786) years old and was a drinker of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean which gave him this longevity. Yet, he only appeared to be fifty (50) years old. And he acted much younger, and often without wisdom.
Alistair was the mayor, but exercised no real control over the people. Many of them were drinkers of the waters of the Gradaken Ocean and had been trained by Romana. Thus, they were skilled farmers and the fields of their farms produced excellent crops of wheat and rice. The farm had grown considerably, and was a noteworthy success in the southwestern regions of Baradaxa. The previously nomadic and homeless peoples who worked the farm lands were diligent and produced a surplus of their crops, and so they sold them to nearby towns, and their town prospered.
As long as Alistair did nothing, the people of his town didn’t even notice, because they worked so hard, and he didn’t lift a finger to help them. Alistair was merely the owner, and had considerable wealth in his bank account. He took twenty (20) percent of the farming profits from the people, as that was the customary rate. Even customary mayors, however, did something for their town. Alistair spent the money to build a mansion and throw lavish parties therein, during which drunken guests caroused and fought and otherwise brought infamy. Dangerous persons – attracted by the decadence of the infamous parties – were often seen in the town. These included pirates, slave traders and dishonest merchants without a shred of decency. They came for the parties and stayed to assess the value of the farm town, which had grown considerably.
One of the slave traders even had his eye on a woman and her two (2) sons who worked in the farm town, and thought they may be worth ensnaring and being sold. One night, after everyone in Alistair’s mansion was drunk and sleeping, this slave trader made his way into the small town around it and found the woman and her sons and held a sword to them, demanding their surrender. They weren’t seen again, and the next morning, questions were asked and a decision was made to confront the so-called mayor.
A search party was sent out to the west, toward the Port of Kemalorin, where it was assumed that they might have gone if they were captured to be taken out to sea and sold.
Four (4) farm town men approached the mansion of the mayor, and Alistair answered the door. He was clearly disheveled after a night of revelry. His coat was visibly torn from a rapier fight with a dancer.
“How may I help you?” Alistair asked. He was not drunk, but not entirely focused, either.
“A woman and her two (2) sons disappeared from the town last night. We believe they were captured by a slave trader – a man who was seen coming out of this house,” the first farm town man said.
“Oh dear. That sounds dreadful. Sent out a search party, at once,” Alistair said, with an air of disapproval, but it was less than convincing. He was bothered, slightly, but only slightly.
“We already did. Some dangerous persons have come this way as of late. We’re just trying to make our way in this life, working these farms. There are families here, and your visitors have put them in danger. We fear for the woman and her sons. Something has to change,” the first farm town man said.
“Yes. Something has to change. You have to find this woman and her sons,” Alistair said.
“You are the mayor. What can you do to help us?” the second farm town man asked.
“I can send out another search party,” Alistair said, not knowing what else to say.
“Maybe you should be part of it,” the third farm town man said.
Alistair thought about this and said: “Why, of course. I will look for her, myself.”
“If you don’t mind, we’ll go with you,” the fourth farm town man said.
The four (4) farm town men and Alistair made their way along a road, heading west, toward the Port of Kemalorin. When they arrived at the port, they saw many ships and sailors there, as it was a busy port town. There were many crystal archways in a field outside the town – the ones that had been built to protect people from the burning suns of the inferno – and they were still in use by the visitors to the port to shield themselves. There were more such archways in various areas within the town, as well. The inferno was near its peak strength, and the crystal archways were as important – and as effective – as ever.
~~~
Sebastian drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from his vial in order to energize himself, so that he would be sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others. He then left his ship and entered the port town to survey all of the work that he had financed. Sebastian admired the crystal archways because they reflected his beneficence, despite the fact that he hadn’t designed or built them. He was the money behind them, but not the mind. Yet, he wanted the credit, and the glory.
He saw a group of five (5) men walking toward the ships. As they got closer, he recognized one of them as the infamous Alistair, the fool’s fool, who had lived for centuries, and caused nothing but trouble. This was a disgusting man, Sebastian thought, and he had no redeeming virtues.
The four (4) other men in the group looked angry, and Sebastian could hear them arguing.
~~~
“This woman will be subjected to abuse, and her sons will fare no better, at the hands of a slave trader. These drunken parties have to stop. All they do is attract the worst sorts, who have no respect for decency. Don’t you understand, mister mayor?” the first angry man said to Alistair.
“If you did nothing, and just sat there collecting your pay for doing nothing, you would be a far better mayor. But you’ve made life dangerous. You set up this farming town, and it grew and thrived, and then you turned it into a hunting ground for these friends of yours to prey upon the weak,” the second angry man said to Alistair.
~~~
Sebastian heard these things, and understood immediately what was happening. He read their minds to be sure, and saw a need to help, which was an opportunity to be appreciated.
“Might I be of service to you gentlemen?” Sebastian asked.
“Who might you be?” the first angry man asked.
“How can you help us?” the second angry man asked.
Alistair knew who Sebastian was, but said nothing.
“It sounds as if your farming town has encountered some serious difficulties, and your mayor is not able to address your concerns,” Sebastian said.
“We were nomadic peoples, and we moved into the land and cultivated it, at his invitation,” the first angry man said.
“We were trained to farm, and the harvest was rich. The woman who trained us had us take the Gradaken waters, so all the produce is better, and grows more quickly,” the second angry man said.
“The town has a surplus, which we sell. The profit
s go partly to our mayor, who does nothing but he hosts lavish parties, known for their wild drunkenness. These parties bring dangerous guests,” the first angry man said.
“One of those guests was a slave trader, and abducted a woman and her two (2) sons. We’re looking for them, and think they may have been brought here and taken by ship,” the second angry man said.
Sebastian was reading their thoughts to see how true this was. He read Alistair and was able to determine who the slave trader was that he knew, and the name of this monster, which was Gerwulf.
“Your town needs a new mayor. First, however, we have some business to take care of. Follow me,” Sebastian said.
Sebastian drank anew of the waters of the Elanatin Ocean from his vial to energize himself yet again. He probed the minds of those around him, and his innate potential for doing so was quite high, so the reading was very clear. He searched for people by their names, which was something in the thoughts of all people, if a telepath knew how and where to look. Sebastian did know, and he found a man named Gerwulf in the pub of one of the inns of the port town.
“I believed you will find your slave trader in here, drinking alone,” Sebastian said.
The four (4) angry farm town men and Alistair followed Sebastian into the pub, and a very surly man, with a sword by his side, large muscles and a yellow beard and mustache was sitting at a round table and drinking alone. There were only a few other men in the pub, but each was seated near another, so they didn’t fit Sebastian’s description. It was clear to the four (4) farm town men and Alistair who they should be looking for.
“Ask him where she is,” Sebastian said, quietly, to Alistair.
“So, old friend, how are you?” Alistair asked the yellow-bearded man.