“Commander, this isn’t really necessary. They saved our lives,” Su said.
“So you have said. I will need a full report. I hope that you can have it to my office within the next day,” Tysien said.
Su looked as if he wanted to say more, but he figured that it wasn’t going to change anything.
“Yes, Commander,” Su said with a dejected look on his face. He looked at the armored knight Anthony and his companions with an apologetic look.
The other members of the caravan looked annoyed as well, but they had the presence of mind to not voice their thoughts.
Her guards moved around Anthony and his companions, a gnome and an elf.
Are they all part of his cover? Do they know anything or not?
Anthony and his group followed after her as they were herded by her guards.
They moved over the hills and left the convoy behind.
Anthony and his companions talked. The gnome was nervous. The elf seemed as if she were on a sightseeing tour, acting as though everything were fine.
Anthony, on the other hand, seemed bored.
“I spy, with my little eye, something that begins with...T!”
“Tree?” the elf said in a tired voice.
“Nicely done! Your turn!”
“Pick something a little harder next time,” the elf complained.
“All right, Miss Big Brains!” Anthony snorted and elbowed the air to his side, giving the guard there a look as if they knew what he meant.
They snarled at him and lowered their hands to their weapons.
“Doesn’t make you bigger, threatening violence. Just means you’re trying to compensate. Don’t threaten violence, just attack—doesn’t give them the time to react,” Anthony said, disapprovingly.
Tysien looked back, her eyes carrying a hidden threat. The tension around their group increased, making one feel stifled.
“I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with S,” the elf said.
Anthony looked ahead. “Skalafell?”
“Correct.”
They had crested a large hill. A plains stretched out ahead of them. Skalafell was a large city, with some eight hundred thousand residents. A river ran along it, providing shipping for the canals that ran up to the northeast, where Norlund lay, and then cut to the east and the west. East was the front lines; west was more cities and villages and then the coast.
On the road leading to the southeast, the road that they were on, one could see an entire legion moving out, forty thousand beast kin and five thousand bedar, with a long trailing supporting caravan following behind them.
They toted their colors high for the Skalafell legion, showing off each cohort’s own flag.
Tysien’s eyes drifted to the east where the camp lay, back from the river so it would be hard to be attacked from it, but close enough to receive and send supplies to the front lines. They had their own roads that curved around Skalafell to move troops if needed.
The camp was dull grays and browns, contrasting against the white walls and red roofing tiles of Skalafell. Boats raised their masts to catch the wind as they headed down the large locks, or drew them in as they got close to the city. One would need to know Skalafell well to see that the ships were all leaving or stopping in the middle of the river, away from the Skalafell docks.
While the city shone in the light, Tysien couldn’t hear the familiar noise of work in the distance. Her heart felt heavy as they continued on, passing the legion marching down the road with grim looks on their faces.
Chapter: Skalafell’s Secret
They headed toward the camp, passing one legion as another could be seen getting ready. There were carriages of supplies being pulled together and the leaders were yelling out to get everything in motion.
They crossed the river over a wooden drawbridge and then went up the hill into the camp.
“Camp Leader Jaclu wants to see you,” one of the guards at the gate said.
Tysien nodded and looked behind her. “Take them to the holding cells.” She urged her bedar forward into the camp. She moved through the open areas that were now filled with carts and members of the legion preparing to move out.
She reached the tallest building in the camp, riding with one foot as her bedar slowed down. She dropped off, handing her reins to the waiting guard in one fluid motion as she stepped forward, passing between the stone walls and heavyset wooden door.
She went up the stairs in the building, missing messengers who were rushing between rooms inside the building or passing orders to the people outside of the building’s walls.
She reached out to knock on a door as it opened before her. A messenger dodged around her in a panic; then, seeing who it was, their face seemed to turn white.
She already ignored them and walked into the room.
“Commander Tysien!” Jaclu, the jaguar kin camp leader raised herself to her full height. She wasn’t as tall as Tysien, but there was a power in her onyx eyes that made even Tysien tremble slightly.
“Reporting as ordered!” She rendered a salute and dropped to a knee.
“Reporting as you were found. We have a plague rampaging in Skalafell and we have to move out our forces so that they don’t catch it as well and what were you doing?”
“I was moving with the departing legion to make sure that there were no issues as commanded, but there was a caravan coming toward Skalafell. They had an elf, a gnome, and a human among them.”
Jaclu’s eyes thinned as her ears lay lower along her head. “Did they have their papers?”
“They did,” Tysien said, quickly speaking as she saw the change in Jaclu’s eyes. “I thought it would be best that I bring them back here to question them and find out the validity of those papers. We were just hit with a plague—it is strange that there was a human found among them.”
Jaclu turned to one of the messengers standing along the wall, not daring to move so it was easy to think of them as furniture.
“Bring them to me.” Jaclu walked over to her desk.
The messenger saluted and ran out of the room at their top speed.
“I also got some news on the caravan. They said that there were cultists on the road from here to Enni, that they were saved by two people. I talked to the leader of the twelfth legion. I told him to investigate the place that the caravan talked about,” Tysien said.
“Yet the first thing you report to me is a human who has papers, not the fact that there might be a cult working in our backyard. If this plague is the work of anyone, then it would need to be carried out by a group of people, like a cult. Not like three people. Are the gnome or elf enslaved?”
“Not that I know of. There were no markings on them or collars to show that they were.” Tysien sensed her argument was falling apart, not because it wasn’t valid, but because Jaclu was asking the wrong questions and leading her to the wrong answers.
“Do you have their papers?” Jaclu sat down and raised her hand.
Tysien stepped forward and pulled out the papers that she had tucked into her armor.
Jaclu took the papers and looked them over. “I served with Etheras. He is a good man. He wouldn’t give these papers to anyone, even if his life was under threat.” Jaclu put the papers on her desk. “Now, about these cultists—what did the elder of the caravan say?”
“They said that they were poisoned, some kind of sleeping concoction was added to their food. A new person joined their crew, a scout. It looks like there might have been something fishy that happened with their previous scout. They woke up in some kind of ritual; it drew power out of people and then poured it into others. The cultists said that they were part of a chaotic cult. There was a man who was glowing different lights.” Tysien paused as she saw recognition in Jaclu’s eyes.
“The Agents of Chaos followers,” Jaclu said.
“Yes,” Tysien said.
Jaclu sighed. “When I was a young trainee, I was part of the Kreas camp. When the mutiny happened, there wer
e people in their ranks saying that they were followers of the Agents of Chaos. They used magic to blind people, to bring them into illusions. They would fight their allies with a smile on their face. People said that it was a mutiny but it was the cultists. They were hunted down. We thought that they were all dead, but then there has been more and more rumors of them in the last couple of years and signs of them here and there in different ways. If there is a fight or strange happenings, it is either an anomaly or people who follow the Agents of Chaos. They say that the Agents of Chaos are not from Dena; they are coming to change the balance of power, and they are powerful. The ones with the glowing changing power within their bodies are incredibly strong and can twist nature itself and stain Dena when they use their power, changing their very bodies and what they are.” Jaclu’s eyes focused once again as she seemed to realize just where she was and what she was doing.
“Take anything that is related with them seriously,” Jaclu said, looking at Tysien deeply.
“Yes, Camp Leader,” Tysien said.
“Tell Commander Yisnus to investigate the ritual site reported by the caravan with a group of intermediaries.”
A messenger stepped out and saluted. They ran out of the door, right into a Gnome, Elf and a Knight who had to dodge to the side to make way for the messenger.
“Damn, this place is busy,” the knight muttered.
Tysien raised her guard seeing the human knight.
“Come in,” Jaclu said.
The door opened. Tysien’s guards were there with the gnome, the elf, and the human between them.
“Morning, Camp Leader—well, more of an afternoon here. So, when did the plague start?” The knight walked into the room.
“Who told you about the plague?” Jaclu asked.
“You did, just now. I thought that people are looking at the city as if there is something to fear. The ports are closed and there are no people leaving the city. Looks like there are groups of guards around the entrances into the city. So if you’re not keeping people out—you would have kept the legions here to defend it—then you must be keeping something in. Usually sickness, or some kind of rebellion. No news of friction in Skalafell, so...” The man shrugged. “Plague.”
“It seems like you’re rather observant...” Jaclu paused, waiting for the man to fill in his name.
“Anthony. This is Aila Wranoris and Tommie, son of Todd. Really big t lovers—the letter, not the drink. Do you drink tea?” Anthony asked.
“Once in a while,” Tommie started when Jaclu frowned. “B-but you know, I am really thinking that I should drink more of it. Lots of health benefits, I’ve heard, you know!” he said with an ingratiating smile.
“What is your reason for being here?” Jaclu asked Anthony.
“A grand adventure. You see, it started in the north—”
“We got a task from the high elves. We need to head to Ilsal. We’re passing through to one of the port towns to get a boat to the islands.” Aila cut him off.
“Any other plans?”
“I was wondering what your plan is to deal with the plague. I don’t see any of your healers going in there,” Anthony asked.
“Anthony,” Aila said in a warning tone.
“What? It’s just a question. The way it looks, they’re just closing off the city and hoping for the best,” Anthony said.
“I’d suggest that you continue on your trip.” Jaclu held out the papers for Tysien.
She took them and passed them to Aila.
“Thank you,” Aila said.
Jaclu waved to the guards and they moved aside. The trio looked around and started to leave.
“The Agents of Chaos,” Jaclu said in a light voice.
Anthony’s demeanor changed as he looked back at Jaclu. “Was this their doing?”
“I’m not sure. Do you think so?” Jaclu’s eyes locked onto him.
“It’s possible. Where there is one rat, there will be others. It is clear that they have some strength in this area to try to capture a convoy that is travelling from a frontline town to a city with a legion training camp outside of it.”
“What do they want?” Jaclu asked.
“I think you know that already,” Anthony said.
“What do you think of them?”
“I think that there are many people who can be saved, but there are some who are too far gone.”
“And what happens to those people?”
“There’s nothing that can be done for them. Though it’s different for the people in the city. I hope that you help out the people in the city. It isn’t their fault that there is a plague,” Anthony said, changing the subject.
“We only have limited resources here. If our people get the plague, then how are they to fight?” Jaclu said.
Anthony let out a tired sigh. “Just what happened while I was gone—more scared of each other than willing to help their own.”
Tysien could just barely hear his whisper and she felt sadness in his words. She frowned slightly. He probably said it quietly so that I would hear it and then I would think that he could be trusted. I can’t let my guard down. I’ll make sure to watch him closely. He’s dangerous.
“Have a good day, Camp Leader Jaclu, Commander Tysien.” Anthony turned and the rest of his group joined him. His cloak moved behind him as he closed the door.
Jaclu was quiet for a moment. “Tysien, watch him. I don’t think that he is here to cause any issues but he’s strong and opinionated—that makes him dangerous.”
“Yes, Camp Leader,” Tysien said.
***
“So, what are we going to do now?” Aila asked.
“Well, we are about a week’s ride from the coast,” Tommie said.
“We’re going to help out the people of Skalafell,” Anthony said.
Aila nodded, as if she expected that answer.
“How?” Tommie asked.
“I’ll work to see if we can get the support of the traders outside of the city and try to get some support from the military,” Aila said.
“I’ll go into the city. It’s not like I can get sick anyway. Tommie, I’ll need you to make devices that stop people from contracting the plague—masks, soap, clean water,” Anthony said. “I want you to find out as much as you can about the plague, anything and everything. See what the soldiers think. See if there is anyone there who would be willing to help out, if in a non-official capacity.”
Tommie relaxed a bit and nodded.
“If the city is closed, how are you going to get inside?”
“Jump? Probably jump,” Anthony said.
Aila remained in the camp while Tommie headed opposite, to the lake where traders had put up some tents and some of the sailors who had been intending to head into Skalafell had moored their boats close to.
Anthony walked toward the city. Legionnaires acted as guards. Their expressions were grim and dark as they gave Anthony threatening looks.
How would you feel about standing guard over a city that might have people you know inside it and they’re suffering through a plague?
Anthony kept on walking. He moved up toward the city, circling it.
He took off at a run, crossing the ground quickly. He jumped upward and his fingers dug in the wall. He kept on running, using his initial momentum to get higher before he grabbed the top of the battlements and hauled himself up onto the walkway.
He crouched down. The walls were emptied. Inside the wall, he could see the city. Very few people moved on the streets. Most of them looked at one another with suspicion, with dark looks in their eyes as they scurried from place to place.
“Come on, Solomon. Let’s take a closer look.” Black mist wrapped up his leg and covered his entire body. He fell off the wall silently, falling into the shadows below as he flitted around the city, unseen and unheard.
He looked into windows and saw those who were able to, looking after those who were affected. Their skin was pale, their body covered in sweat as they fought an inner battl
e for survival.
“Poor bastards,” Anthony muttered. He kept moving past the windows, seeing families coming together, trying everything they could to help those affected. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, and grandparents: the plague didn’t care. It had spread like wildfire through the city.
“This is the doing of the gods! We must repent to seek salvation!”
“And then there are the people looking to take control of this or see it in a different light.” Anthony sighed as he saw people giving sacrifices to their household gods or to their clan spirits in an effort to help their loved ones. People offered cures: some were real and some weren’t. Others were taking advantage of the city being shut down. The guards and the city lord weren’t unaffected, so there were few patrols; most stores had been closed up and left alone as the people who owned and worked at them had gone home.
So these enterprising few were starting to look at breaking into different stores and looting what they could from them.
All of this fell into Anthony’s eyes or were whispered into his ear as Solomon’s shadows spread across the city, creating a net that would allow Anthony to know everything that happened.
“If this is the work of the Agents of Chaos, then we will be able to root them out, though they’re good at hiding. If it is just a plague, then I’ll have to work hard to make sure that law and order doesn’t break down and work to try to save as many people as possible.”
Solomon got his attention. He wasn’t capable of speech like Bruce yet but Anthony could understand what he meant.
Anthony, who had been hiding in an alleyway, stood and started to use the walls of the alleyway to get higher.
Dave’s golden light, looking like a serpent’s scaled body, wrapped around Anthony’s body as he jumped up. The golden power condensed on Anthony’s back, turning into a pair of golden glass-like wings. Anthony shot forward, using Dave’s enhancement to allow him to fly and glide for a short distance.
***
He heard a woman crying, sobbing and pleading for help.
Anthony ran across rooftops and glided between buildings, Skalafell blurring beneath him. He reached the lady who was crying out.
Death Knight Box Set Page 19