A Skeleton and a Lich

by Michael Chatfield

  Su nodded, feeling a series of complex emotions. “Well, I hope that the order doesn’t come. Burying sons and daughters is harder than anything I know of.”

  ***

  “Commander,” Legionnaire Raul said by way of greeting to Tysien as she walked up onto the wall for her early morning stroll.

  “Any issues?”

  “None through the night,” Raul said respectfully. They had worked together in Skalafell, getting to know each other closely.

  Tysien was devoted to her legion and made sure she knew what was going on at all times. “The enemy make any moves?” Tysien took out a spyglass and looked across at the opposing fortresses.

  “Moving troops and supplies but nothing else. Do we know when this might be kicking off, or if it will?” Raul asked.

  Tysien lowered her spyglass, her face tight. “There is word that the Church of Light has brought their affirmation units and saints.”

  Raul’s expression turned dark as he spat over the wall. “Those affirmation units are nothing but greedy, bloodthirsty criminals given power and the right to practice their debauched ways on other people from Dena.”

  Tysien’s anger built within her, thinking on the scenes she had seen after the affirmation units had passed through, ‘cleansing’ and making sure that the people of towns and villages ‘atoned for their sins of the flesh.’

  It didn’t matter to them whether the town surrendered or not. No leader was able to stop them. Even the human generals fear what they might do if they report on them badly to the Church of Light.

  Her mind turned along a new path.

  Though we are not clean of these sins either. When there might be people who came from those villages and cities that lead a unit to get revenge, their crimes are no less.

  Tysien looked at the parapet, lost in her thoughts.

  Who is right in the end? Who is the victim? Are we both just killing one another for the sake of killing?

  “Seems that there will be new supplies coming in a few days. Heard there might be some fresh fruit,” Raul said, trying to distract her as he saw the expression on her face.

  “I’ll trust it when I see it,” Tysien said in a sarcastic voice, making Raul crack a smile and chuckle.

  “Ain’t that the truth.”

  “Let me know if you need anything. You know where to find me.”

  “Yes, Commander,” Raul said.

  Tysien headed back down the stairs, her mind filled with different thoughts. I wonder if Letanya is over there. I wonder what happened to her, for her to become the way she is now.

  Tysien’s thinking had changed since she had been punished by Anthony’s bound clan spirit.

  “No matter what or why, I’ll do my duty. I’ll look after my people and see that as many of them make it through this war as possible.”

  She reached the bottom of the stairs and walked across the space between the outer wall and the living and training areas.

  Supplies were stacked up against the wall. Trebuchets and ranged weaponry were prepared but unloaded on the stone rooftops. Squads moved around in groups; their faces were hard and expressionless, but she could see the cocktail of emotions in their eyes.

  The leaders of the squads nodded to her in greeting. Saluting wasn’t allowed on the battlefield.

  Feeling the weight of her command, she hunched her shoulders and kept walking.

  ***

  General Hugo Fysher was an older man, reaching well past his middle age and reaching his old age. Gray and white weaved into his black hair.

  He bent over the map, studying it. Messengers arrived, passing information to the map attendants, who shifted troop markers around as new units arrived on either side of the line.

  The line extended from the mountain range in the north to the Deepwood in the south. Fortresses lined the mountain passes and ran along the Deepwood, to make sure that the beast kin couldn’t flank them.

  General Fysher had another name, a nickname: the Jade General. He wore a green armor that seemed to shine in the light. If one was to look closely, they would see a familiar apparently swimming through his armor lazily. When those eyes looked at someone, it felt as if their soul were being laid bare.

  “It looks like the legion has moved up in force with current tensions. They are using civilian traders to reinforce their supply lines. We don’t know the situation along the Deepwood border on the Selenus side, but we have secured our own borders. General Volkov is commanding that front.

  “On our side of the line, we have reinforced the mountain passes. We have forty-seven fortresses that are garrisoned and prepared by the Seventh and Eighth Armies. The Third, Fifth, and Sixth Radal Armies are all prepared to attack or react as needed. The aim will be to engage them in a defensive battle and use the paths that we have created or discovered through the mountains to attack. Once the fighting has started, we will slowly start shifting forces secretly from across Radal to the mountain range and pass through there. Once the army is established there, we will go all out attacking the beast kin border armies, locking them into combat with us as our army within the mountain pass clears the beast kin passes from behind, allowing us to move the First, Second, and Ninth Army to drive right into the heart of Selenus.”

  People looked at the map, impressed by the plan that the Jade General and the other leaders of the military had come up with.

  Creating paths through the mountain range took a considerable amount of time and resources but they had never heard of it.

  It showed that this plan had been thought up a long time ago and remained secret for as long as possible.

  A man coughed in the back of the room. Everyone looked over to see Bryce Woods. He wore a simple and stained robe, and looked like nothing more than a simple and humble older man, with a soft smile on his face and a full, white, bushy beard.

  General Fysher looked at the man. He’d seen that same gentle smile as he tortured and killed his enemies, freeing them from their sins. One dangerous and psychotic individual.

  Fysher was always vigilant when dealing with those from the Church of Light.

  “Oh, sorry to interrupt.” Woods laughed, putting his hand to his chest in apology.

  Even knowing it was all an act, the others in the room—generals and leaders of thousands—smiled and made it clear that it was completely fine.

  “I do have a few points to make, if I could, General?” Bryce’s smile widened as he looked at Fysher.

  Inwardly, he ground his teeth. Officially, the church was only here to act as support, though they were clearly taking control in different ways. Most of the officers and those in higher ranks were Church of Light followers. The church made sure to treat them with the utmost respect.

  “Please.” General Fysher indicated for Woods to speak. We haven’t even fought and they’ve taken control. If we win, they’ll make it because the church was there. If we lose, then it will all fall on to me.

  Bryce stepped up and walked to the table. Everyone made room for him and his saints.

  Fysher saw a familiar face. His eyebrows knit together as he stared at the saint to Woods’s right, who sneered right back at him.

  Major Rae, that nut job I had manning the south and who started taking control of cities with his subordinates to increase his power and cleanse the south of deceivers? What does Bryce have planned?

  “While we must focus out, we must be aware of the diseases within,” Woods said in a serious voice, making a few of the officers pale as they nodded and agreed with Woods.

  Fysher felt uneasy. The church had done it before where they had purged units and armies of officers who allied with the forces of darkness. They offered testimonies from the convicted.

  Anyone would admit to going against the church to stop being tortured or to see their friends and families survive; of course they were able to get their ‘evidence.’ If they purge my command, then we’ll already be half dead before the beast kin even attack us!

  “I would l
ike to present to you Saint Rae. He has been accepted into the ranks of saints through his devotions to the church and to the people of Radal. To protect our lands, he sent out his own commanders to root out those among the dirtied villages and towns that are cesspools of corruption and crime, with people who have come into our lands illegally, or are not human and spread their corrupted beliefs. These people need to understand that this is the land of Radal, made by humans and for humans. We will not accept others!”

  This got some agreement from the crowd of officers.

  “Saint Rae sent down a trusted subordinate to secure the safety of a border city that had potential spies and connections to the elves. The elves have stood by, watching our wars, looking for an opportunity to attack us for years. They wish nothing more than to come across our borders, to take what is ours, kill our families and rape our people. We will not let them.”

  Woods tapped on the table to emphasize his point.

  He looked at General Fysher.

  “We must take control back from these brutal people and free our own. Laisa has rebelled. Their corruption knows no bounds. They have turned on Radal and the human race. We need to return and assert control back over the village!

  “Would it not be right to get rid of this threat to our rear?” Woods said, getting acknowledgment on his side.

  He wants me to agree to allow a unit from the army to slaughter a human village. Does he not know how people will react? How will they think with the army’s first move to destroy a village on our side instead of even attacking the enemy? If I go against the church, it splits the military. If I go with it, I can never get away from them. I need their support and their saints in the fight ahead. I have been kept updated on Laisa. Led by goblins, the people are united and better than before. All of the people have a voice and have increased in prosperity. Even the intelligence agents tell me that the village isn’t a threat to stability, just wishing to maintain neutrality.

  General Fysher felt as if he had cut out a piece of his flesh.

  “Of course we should remove this disease. Though, I only have soldiers. I believe that a representative from the church to guide would be for the best.” General Fysher looked at Woods.

  With the church leading this genocide, then it will be hard for people to pin it on us and the military. We need to have the people’s support. There are already talks of uprisings and we have famines before the war has started. If we lose their support, our rear lines will be on fire. Don’t they care? Do they think the Lord of Light will just give us food?

  “The other races will never learn,” Letanya, the other saint said. She was still young, in her early twenties. When she was but a teenager, she had led forces of the church and the army across the border, acting as a spy and then turning the towns and cities inside out. It had gained her the position of saint as she ruthlessly killed any and all beast kin she could find. “I’ll lead the cleansing.”

  Woods looked to her and patted her shoulder. “The church could not ask for a more devoted daughter.”

  His eyes fell on Fysher and he saw the darkness in his eyes.

  Fysher had passed, but Woods had effectively taken command of the entire force along the line’s border.

  Chapter: New Haven Harbor

  It had taken five days to enact a Guardian Tribunal, adding new judges to the ranks of the Guardians. They had dropped below the southern tip of Ilsal and rode the currents and the wind northeast toward Radal.

  “Remember to keep your hoods up the entire time. Humans are not allowed to roam freely here,” Claire said.

  They all nodded. Claire and Anthony held Tommie’s hand. With his smaller stature and his cloak, it was easier to hide him as a child.

  They walked down the gangplank to the dock, where people were moving goods to and from the warehouses along the shore.

  Anthony scanned the area. He saw Ramona and her cubs with Damien and Claire’s mounts. Damien had a mount that looked close to a bear while Claire’s looked close to a tiger.

  They got on their mounts and headed into the harbor.

  The harbor was covered in a low fog, making it hard to look around and see others. Anthony heard chains in the distance and whimpering as a whip cracked out.

  He started to move his mana, ready to strike.

  Claire came up next to him. “We need to get to Ascen. We can’t be discovered here.”

  Anthony looked at her and retracted his mana. As the fog cleared, they could see lines of slaves being moved toward the ships. They were all different races, including humans. They wore rags and were beaten and weak, with dull eyes as they moved forward. Only the crack of the whip changed their eyes to fear.

  They passed, Damien leading the group.

  “Slavery was abolished in the first year of the Guardians being created,” Anthony said in a low voice to Claire.

  “It was, but it came back. The humans needed a labor force to work their fields and their cities. It reduced the races in their eyes to that of something less than human. It divides the people: those who wish to abolish it once again and those who use it constantly. Other races will fight with everything they have not to be captured because they’ll be turned into slaves. No one cares what happens to them once they have been bought.” Claire’s eyes flashed as she gripped her reins tighter.

  Anthony fought his instinct to charge down and cut those chains off and cleanse the city of slavers and the darkness that hid within the harbor town.

  They continued through the city and to the main gates.

  “Halt! Where are you going? Transport is restricted within Radal.” A guard blocked their way through the gate.

  “We’re on a pilgrimage to the Church of Light in Ascen,” Damien said.

  “To Ascen? There are a number of bandits in this area,” the guard said. “It makes for hard work to protect everyone, don’t you think?”

  There was a flash of silver as Damien passed the man a small pouch.

  “I hope this can ease the burden.”

  The man weighed the bag in his hand and smiled as he put it away in his vest. “That’ll do nicely. Watch out for trouble on your way.” The guard moved to the side. Anthony didn’t miss how he looked at Aila and Claire, the dark hunger in his eyes.

  They passed through the gates and headed out in the early morning fog toward Ascen.

  They passed a fair distance, going past the fields where there were slaves already starting their day’s work.

  Anthony looked back to the wall, seeing a light stop flashing. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he said in a raised voice. “Be ready for an ambush.”

  Black smoke trailed off his hand, falling on the ground and shooting off in different directions.

  Everyone had their weapons ready as they pushed forward.

  “There are a group of bandits up ahead at the curve in the road. They’ve put a log across it. They seem to be waiting for you,” Solomon said in Anthony’s ear.

  “Bandits? Love a good bandit bashing,” Anthony said.

  ***

  Arlo shifted again, trying to get comfortable.

  “Will you stop moving around,” Five Fingers growled.

  “Sorry.” Arlo winced.

  Five Fingers continued to look at the road, checking her arrows behind her head, thinking of how to draw and fire them.

  She thought she heard a branch breaking behind them. “Will you be quiet back there!” she hissed-yelled.

  They were wise enough to not talk back.

  “Not a morning person, I see,” a voice she hadn’t heard before remarked.

  She turned to find a knight standing there. She could see through his helmet he was so close, seeing the skeleton head with glowing fires in his eyes.

  “A nap should do you well!”

  She fell over and started trying to backpedal. He grabbed her foot and Arlo’s foot, dragging them closer.

  How the hell did he get so close!

  The fist smashed into her face and darknes
s surrounded her.

  She came to a bit later. Looking around, she appeared to be in a courtroom. She looked at the people to her left. They were mostly unconscious still. The ones to her right were pale, looking at the ground, unable to look anyone in the eyes.

  “Autumn Dramaer, you stand accused of banditry. Are there any other crimes you would wish to admit to?”

  “I killed some people—about fourteen, I think. I tortured one. I have stolen more times than I can count. I have cheated people out of money as well.” Five Fingers looked at the people sitting in front of her in horror.

  How can they make me speak the truth?

  They rapid-fired questions at her, pulling everything that they could from her. At the end of it, she could only let her head fall down in shame. She had forgotten some of the crimes she had committed; now, hearing them all listed out, she was confronted with them all once again.

  She felt the eyes of these people burning into her, people from all of the races. Looking at them, she felt a reverence for them in her bones.

  “As punishment for your crimes, you will be bound. You will not be allowed to harm anyone, including yourself. You may only fight in the defense of yourself or others around you. You will hunt out other bandits and meet with them. Once you have searched out all the corrupt individuals you know, anyone who could possibly have committed a crime, you will then become a guide for caravans. You will take them across the lands. You will only accept payment in the form of enough for food for guiding the caravans, and one day off in the destination. You will take the longest routes and you will learn other routes as you do so. You will wander these routes if you do not find a caravan. You will do so for sixty years, upon which you will report to a Guardian.”

  A hammer fell and purple light formed into chains around her hands and sunk into her skin. She tried to get the chains away from her hands but she was unable to stop them. They fused into her skin and she felt compelled to carry out what she had been punished with.

  She was compelled off the stage as another bandit was picked up and stood in front of the judges.

  “Where are the people we were supposed to attack?” Autumn asked the others who had been sentenced.