The Silver Sheen Chronicle - Emblems of Power

by C.L. Patterson

  Aldair and Thuane stood in shackles outside the Captain’s office, with four guards surrounding them. Each guard was in full dress and armed with a long spear. Aldair, already tall and pale, had purple bags under his eyes and his proud tall posture was bent with guilt. Thuane’s arrogant, distant smile was replaced with a frown. Sweat speckled his forehead and upper lip even though the morning air was slightly cool. The door to the Captain’s office opened and a guard came out.

  “Enter,” the guard said. The guards turned on their heels and escorted Aldair and Thuane into the office. There were two chairs. The Captain sat in his chair with a note in front of him.

  “Sit,” the Captain ordered calmly, gesturing to the chairs. The two were taken by the arms and forced to sit by the guards. “It seems during our last meeting that I was asking the both of you the wrong questions, and I blame myself. You two, and your friend Beoran, would have been the richest men in the country, possibly in all history.”

  “What do you mean?” Thuane asked nervously. Aldair shot him a cold glance.

  “Beoran has explained the whole thing to me. How he received the contract from the Council on the monopoly of trade routes, contracting a portion of the government contract to transport a comparatively small amount of goods, hiding the letters in the grain stores and cloth. It was all very clever.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Thuane said again. Aldair shook his head but the Captain disregarded it. “You have no proof of it. Say that there was a contract. It would have been burnt in the fire.”

  “As well as everything else,” Aldair said. “Don’t you get it? I may still have the entire inventory on record, and you may have all the finances penned down in your school, but all of the contracts, all of our agreements, everything from wagon manufacturers, to suon breeders, are gone.”

  “And we can rebuild,” Thuane said. “We have the resources. You just give up to easily. It was quite the tragedy to see Beoran’s life go up in smoke, but I don’t think this has been the most difficult trial the Three Brothers have faced.”

  “Beoran confessed. He told the Captain everything. You heard it right out of his mouth!” Aldair shouted, his pale face turning read.

  “I don’t believe him. Beoran was confused, desperate too. I think he would say anything to ensure his next meal, not that it would do him good to go without a few meals if you know what I mean.” Thuane patted his belly and laughed nervously.

  “Guards, release Aldair for a moment,” the Captain said. The guard to Aldair’s right took a key from his belt and inserted it into Aldair’s right shackle and then his left. “Now Aldair, I believe you have something for me.”

  Aldair reached in his shirt and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to the Captain. The Captain unfolded it, held it in front of him and began to read aloud.

  “‘Aldair, the contracts have just been finalized with the Council and it seems our threat worked as well as could be expected.’” The Captain paused and looked at Thuane. Thuane was growing pale.

  “Anyone could have written that,” he said. The Captain continued reading.

  “‘They are expecting the uprising to be soon, and after it has failed, we will have full access to all trade routes and transport services. There is a group within our company that is planning on breaking off, but we will deal with them as we have with the others. Beoran has the contract, and each council member has sealed it in their own blood with the mark of the Dueling Serpents. Congratulations Aldair. To our fortune and success, signed Thuane.’ Oh, and it is signed with the same Serpent mark in blood. May I see your thumb?”

  One of the guards turned Thuane’s hand upwards, showing a scab in the center of his thumb.

  “Do you remember that letter?” Aldair asked Thuane. He turned to the Captain. “Councilor Steran, Councilor Simmons, Councilor Kevyn, and Councilor Aleal were the ones we worked with in organizing the monopoly.”

  Thuane was silent and pale; his hands shook slightly on the armrests.

  “Before Lieutenant Nuevon left for Linnouse,” the Captain said, “I gave him a letter addressed to Aldair. He was ordered to give it to him on his arrival and that Aldair should come quietly. In that letter, I promised him that if he would provide evidence that the Three Brothers knew of the Syndicate’s uprising, and donated the excess inventory to supporting the people of Noiknaer, all would be forgiven. I chose Aldair over you because I knew, from his character and understanding of the situation, that I would have his full cooperation, while you, Thuane, I knew would deny everything.”

  “How dare you!” Thuane yelled. “You swore to be loyal to the Three Brothers. You signed a pact in blood, your own blood.”

  “And who is going to conduct the punishment. It was an arrangement between the three of us. Beoran has already betrayed us and is at the Gates as we speak. You will be there soon while I will be assisting the Captain in maintaining order.” Aldair turned to the Captain and bowed low. “Thank you, Captain. I am in your service.”

  “Good. Where are your grain stores? Are they here in Noiknaer?”

  “Some are here in Noiknaer in our distribution center, others are in Linnouse, but most is in Port Rasmú.”

  “Do what you can to get as much grain here as fast as you can. Perhaps the enticement of food will subdue the people.” Aldair bowed again and left with two guards escorting him. “You two,” he said pointing to the guards that were over Thuane. “Take him to the Gates. Then go tell Nuevon that we need him and twenty senior guardsmen to meet in full dress out front immediately. Twenty is just enough to raise suspicion, but not alarm. We’re going to pay a visit to the Council immediately.”

  The two guards saluted and pulled Thuane out of his chair and shoved him into a march. Thuane scowled but said nothing as walked out of the office.

  Kosai’s sword was in a box behind his desk. He opened the box and held the curved blade in his right hand, and unsheathed it with his left. His arm was still in a cast from his encounter with the Dark One. He could not grip the handle firmly enough and he winced as he swung it gently in front of him. His arm twitched in pain and the blade began to shake slightly. Cautiously, he switched the blade to his right hand and the sheath to his left, sheathed the blade and placed it on his left side.

  The Guard organized quickly and stood in a four-by-five block with Nuevon in front. All stood at attention when the Captain walked down the stairs. Each guard held a spear in their right hand, a saber on their left hip and a shield on their back. Their torsos were protected with a white padded shirt and chainmail. The Captain took his place at the front of the Guard and turned to address the group.

  “Today, we are removing a portion of the council from power. We have discovered that they are the reason many of our own caravans have failed, and by extension, why many of the people have died from starvation. Resistance is not expected. We will march to the Gate and then turn on West Road. We will march south to Market Street, changing formation to two by ten, and then spread again to four by five when we reach the Pavilion. We will then break back into the two by ten once inside the Capitol building. When we are close to the Council room, the ten more senior members will break off and make their way to the Council seating area. The rest of you will line up behind me. Understood?”

  “Yes sir,” the guards said.

  The Captain led the march and the guards followed every order, held tight formation in every turn, changed formation in an instant when needed. The crowd in Market Street pushed themselves up against the walls and fell silent as the guard passed. Such a formal march was only done when the city was under attack and with more members of the guard.

  Once in the Capital building, Nuevon led the ten senior members to the seating area of the Council room. The other ten stayed in a straight line and followed the Captain to the main entrance of the council room. He nodded to the two guards at the door. They pushed the two doors aside and ran in behind the Captain, taking formation. Once insid
e, Hemmel stepped in formation as well. The thirteen guards that were with the Captain stood in a line behind him, and then ten more senior members stood behind the council members. Luckily, only the council members occupied the room, the rest of the chairs void of the respective representatives.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Councilor Steran yelled, standing in front of her chair. The guard behind her put his hand on her shoulder and forced her to sit.

  “This council has thieves among it. They have stolen life from the city and killed many. No one would have expected it. On the charges of genocide, I am placing the following individuals under arrest: Councilor Steran, Councilor Simmons, Councilor Kevyn, and Councilor Aleal. They will be escorted to the Gates immediately to await their trial and punishment.”

  “Captain,” Councilor Rodrick stood. “Though I do not particularly care for Steran and her associates, I must ask as the head of this council, what evidence do you have to support your claim?”

  “I have confession from all three head members of the Three Brothers. They knew that the council ordered the trade routes to be compromised and blackmailed members of this council for a monopoly on the trade routes. They have been arrested and are carrying out their sentences working at the Gates. Your punishment,” he said looking directly at Simmons, “will be much quicker and much more severe.”

  “How were you planning on giving them a monopoly?” Rodrick asked Steran. “Do you think we would just lie down and let that measure pass?”

  “No,” a dark, crackling, rumbling voice said. A black haze quickly settled in the room. The Captain grabbed his left arm, instantly recognizing the voice. “I expected you to die.”

  From the right side of the Council, the Dark One appeared. The guard lifted their spears, but didn’t move. The Dark One pointed his club at Rodrick. Black flames shot out and encapsulated him, but did not die down. They jumped from Rodrick, to Evaan, and then to Nicóla. There were no screams, only the sound of sizzling skin and muscle.

  “Hold!” the Captain ordered.

  “Yes, hold,” the Dark One said bitterly and mockingly. Some of the senior guard members had begun to draw their swords, but stayed still at the Captain’s command.

  “These that remain have received a gift from me that only I can revoke. You cannot kill them as you cannot kill me. They are mine, Captain.”

  The Captain didn’t respond but stared up into the Dark One’s glowing, amber eyes.

  “You have other duties to attend to now Captain,” the Dark One said, walking in front of the Council members and guard. As he black flame died out only charred skeletons. He dumped the councilors’ bodies over the banister as he walked by them, the blackened bones disintegrating as they hit the white floor, leaving piles of ash. “As we speak, nomads are attacking the city. But that is not all. The people are rioting in the streets. The uprising has begun.” When he dumped the last dead body over the banister, he walked back over to Rodrick’s chair and sat. “You can do nothing here Captain.”

  “You planned this from the beginning,” the Captain said. “Take the food away and people revolt,” his voice grew louder, “when people revolt, people die, and you still kill those that stood in your way. Why?” he screamed. “What do you want with the city, or with us?”

  “I have a purpose for you yet. I want you to go calm the people and defend the city. And I swear to you Captain, that if you and your guard keep an oath of peace, that you will not rise against me or this council in anyway, and we seal it in our own blood… I will spare your son’s life.”

  “Kosai,” the Captain whispered. He looked down at the ground and then back at his guards. “Kosai will kill you. The Seer saw that.”

  “It could be that he will kill me, but the future is malleable, changeable, like water, and he may fail. Right now, your son is only an insect compared to my power.”

  “And that insect bit your arm, did he not.”

  The Dark One grabbed his wrist and glared down at the Captain. The Dark One changed into a dark plume of smoke and jetted down the floor, materialized and stood directly in front of the Captain.

  “That was only a mere lack in foresight,” the Dark One said forcefully and sharply, leaning towards the Captain. “If I wanted him dead, I could have easily killed him, just as I have killed these councilmen. I still have a purpose for him as I have a purpose for you. Will you agree to my oath?”

  “You will not harm the members of my guard. Swear to me that you will not harm them.”

  “They will suffer no harm by me or my subjects, though I shall not give them my gift.”

  “Then I swear it,” the Captain said.

  “As do I,” the Dark One said. He took a couple steps back and withdrew a syndicate ring from his pocket.

  “No, we will not make our oath with that,” the Captain drew Kosai’s blade, “but with this.” The Dark One snarled. “This blade will cut you, will it not?”

  “I placed my blood on that blade for his purposes, not yours. It will cut me,” he said coldly. The Captain handed the blade to one of his guards.

  “You will cut my hand, and then his,” the Captain said. The guard did not hesitate. He pulled the blade along the Captain’s right palm until his hand was filled with blood. The Dark One removed his spiked glove, revealing a black hand that was more of darkness and shadow than it was flesh. The Dark One growled as the blade sliced across his hand. His palm filled with a black liquid. The two shook hands with a firm grip. The Dark One held a firm gaze, his arm shaking from the cut of the blade. The Captain broke in a sweat as the black blood burned into his hand. Then they released.

  “It is done,” the Dark One said. The Captain did not reply. He rushed out of the Capital building with his guard closely behind him. The guard rushed to the pavilion and stopped. People screamed. The orange glow of fire and the black billowing smoke rose all around them. Deakon rushed down from Market Street and saluted the Captain when he reached him.

  “Nomads have scaled the gate. Members of the guard have organized patrols to beat them back, but the people are also revolting against us. We await your orders sir.”

  “Tell the guard to not kill the civilians,” the Captain said. “If they attack, knock them out.” The Captain looked over at the fires again. “Find the other recruits and get started putting out those fires.”

  Deakon saluted and ran off to the Barracks.

  “Lieutenant Nuevon. Get as many archers as you can on the roofs of the building surrounding the Gate. Then set up a secondary perimeter around them. The rest of you are with me.”

  The Captain ran towards the Gate, and looked at the School of the Faye as he passed by. The two beggars sat peacefully with their metal pans in front of them, chanting their incantations.

  “Good luck Kosai.”

  CHAPTER 25