“They started this and then headed off,” one said.
“Your sentences have been passed out. Go and carry them out,” the goblin judge said. With a wave of his hand, the bandits all started jogging in different directions.
“What’s happening? I can’t control my body!” one yelled.
All I can think of is the other bandit camps I know of. Why would they want me to go there?
***
“Don’t we need to be there for the sentencing?” Aila asked Anthony.
“Nope,” Anthony said.
“Once you call up Guardian’s Judgment, a Guardian can take the place of his race’s ancestor, or they can veto and allow someone else to take the role. This way, a Guardian can call down judgment and continue fighting if they need to.” Claire filled in the rest.
Anthony started to whistle a happy ditty as he rode ahead.
Aila moved closer to Claire. “So what about that thing, searching out others who have committed crimes?”
“Did he teach you anything?” Claire seemed to read her mind and she shook her head. “Of course he didn’t. Well, when you call down Guardian’s Judgment, the Guardian’s Bindings—yes, their naming scheme is pretty damn simple—can be used to root out corruption. With the Agents of Chaos, it was hard to find one person, let alone many of them. We used Guardian’s Judgment to convict the guilty party, then we would let them go, have them search out the others that they thought were guilty as well. When they did, then the bindings would activate and Guardian’s Judgment would occur once again.”
“I thought that a Guardian needs to be there to call down Guardian’s Judgment?”
“No, it just really needs a host, someone to acknowledge that there is a bad person in the area and then, using their power and the power of Dena, they can enact judgment once again. People are the key to starting a judgment. That is it.”
“So how come there are no people with bindings now? There had to be people with the bindings in the war, right?” Aila asked.
“Yes, but the Drafeng themselves cannot be affected by the bindings. We can get the truth from them and pull information, but the bindings will be consumed by them and turned into power. It is part of the reason that we kill them usually. In the years after the war, the Church of Light and the Agents of Chaos led a purge, killing those who had Guardian’s Bindings, turned popular opinion, said that they were the minions of the Lord of Light. They erased others with their own power. They must have had hundreds of convicted criminals on their side right from the start. They used contracts and their chaotic power to bind them, making them commit crimes again. Now there are few or no bindings remaining.”
“What about the bindings that were placed on people with Anthony’s actions?” Aila asked.
“With the bandits, they will spread across Radal, contacting every group that they know, charging them. Corruption is rampant within Radal so the bindings and Guardian’s Judgments will spread like wildfire.” Claire smiled. “The Agents of Chaos wanted to corrupt Dena, turn people on each other. They did well, but it is now kindling for the Guardians to reassert control over.”
Aila rode in silence for some time. “Can it really reach that far?”
“It can, and farther. Ascen wasn’t the capital of humans in the past. It was the headquarters of the Guardians. There were people from all races who visited. Though its position was important. It rests on the key ley line of Dena—the source of all power within the world. When it was controlled by the Guardians, we reached across the world.”
“Well, have the Drafeng won then? They control the power of Dena?”
“They control the headquarters and probably have a lot of their people inside, but a few Drafeng aren’t enough to control the ley line. They would need to build a massive converting tower and it would take decades or centuries for them to draw out the power of Dena, consuming it all and powering their people. As soon as they do, though, they’ll release chaotic power across Dena and people will know that something is wrong.”
“Well, what are they doing then?” Aila asked.
“The tower is linked to the Guardian fires. The Drafeng are master manipulators of power. They were able to remove the wills of the Dena ancestors and use the power of the ley lines to create saints. Saints are essentially Guardian-powered fighters, but they have power without any strings attached to it.”
“How have the beast kin lasted so long if they don’t have saints then?”
“Humans are weaker than the beast kin when it comes to war. You might have heard that most of the humans don’t get powerful familiars. There are a few of them that like fighting, but once their master is killed, it can take centuries for them to reform and find another master. If they don’t get stronger than they were before, then they will be much weaker the next time they reform, until they reach the point where they are destroyed and wiped out. The beast kin are naturally stronger with their bodies and they have their clan spirits.
“Most people think that spirits and familiars are similar. Very wrong. Familiars, for the most part, operate on a servant and master relationship. They use their master’s power to get stronger. They carry out their bidding.
“Familiars can also be forced to submit, but only the weaker members. The beast kin cannot make the spirits submit. It would be like trying to kill your ancestor. The spirits pick which of the clan they want to give their power to. They work in harmony with the beast kin—the ancestor teaching the younger generation, lending them their power in battle. Spirits gain power from the clan’s sacrifices or the host’s power. When defeated in battle, the spirits are greatly weakened, but they will recover with time in their clan’s sacred land, the power of tributes increasing their strength.”
“So there are lots of humans with crappy familiars and limited power, but then the weakest of the beast kin is stronger than them, though it takes more time to groom them?” Aila said.
“Pretty much. And then the saints balance things out. Give the humans an advantage.” Claire rode for some time as Aila digested everything. “Though the humans don’t know what they’ve given up yet. When they become saints, they do gain the power of Dena but inside, the power of chaos is converting them. Their thoughts become more erratic and they become more devout to the Church of Light. It wouldn’t take much for the Drafeng to convert them into powerful chaotic beasts—mindless killing machines that seek only to consume and follow the Drafeng’s orders.”
“So what are we going to do?” Aila asked.
“We’ll break into the tower. We’ll kill the Drafeng there and then we’ll set things right. Take back control over the ley lines and restart the Guardian’s fires across Dena,” Claire said, her voice filled with rare emotion.
***
After some time traveling the dirt path, Anthony dropped back to Claire, who was in the rear of their group.
“You know that they’re going to figure out soon that the Guardians are back,” Claire said.
“I know you would have done the same.”
“I wish I was as sure as you. I’ve seen so very much in this world, but I have waited. Waited for the time when chaos is about to come back to start fighting back.”
“Why wait till the very end?”
“There were no Guardians left, just me. I built up people’s strength in the dark, I understood what the chaos agents were doing. I only had one shot to wake everyone up. I didn’t want to mess it up so I needed to gather power.” Claire looked away, ashamed, or hiding something.
Anthony reached out and touched her hand with his armored gauntlet. “I’m here now. Let my shoulders take on some of the weight.”
They rode in silence for some time.
“We’ll reach Ascen in five days,” Claire said.
“At least we’ll be ready for it,” Anthony said.
“I hope we will.”
Chapter: Moving Pieces
Tamarra looked at the maps around the room. There were generals and admirals, as well
as leaders of the judiciary.
I guess I should be calling them liaisons to the Guardians.
A secretary walked in and passed Tamarra a letter.
She picked it up and looked at the symbol on it. It was from the human emperor. Cracking the seal, she read the contents inside.
“Emperor Midros sends a decree. He says that the war between Selenus and Radal cannot continue. He asks that we join in on his side or else he will cut off all trade and he will see us as an enemy,” Tamarra said.
There was a stir in the room.
“Thoughts? Admiral Raye?”
“Selenus and Radal have the biggest navies, but they aren’t as strong as ours. Even if they want to threaten us, they need to guard against each other in their ports, to the south and to the north. They will only have a third, maybe less, of their force to attack us with. They are powerful on the battlefield but in the seas, I am sure that the alliance will hold its own. If they are to land, then it will be a much harder battle.”
The generals in the room nodded in agreement. They were island people.
“The elves have also remained neutral. They have said that they will support us, and I have promised that we will support them if they need it. At this time, I believe we should make it clear that we are neutral toward the war front. Also, offer that we will be taking in refugees,” Tamarra said.
This created a bigger stir in the room.
“How can we be sure that they aren’t spies?” General Mohjus asked.
“That is the job of the judges.” Tamarra looked at the Guardians and judge leaders in the room. “Are you sure that you can assess all of the people coming in and make sure to separate out those who wish to harm the alliance and those who have good intentions?”
“We believe so, High Judge,” Julie, a dwarf, said. The others agreed with her.
“Very well. Then we will draw in as many people as possible. Also, we will step up all of our fighting forces, regular and reserves, while we begin training any and all who wish to join the military. Again, the judges will be on hand to verify and check those applicants and will assist in training as they have before, overseeing and being a neutral third party for people to talk to and raise issues with.”
“What about trading?” Raye asked.
“People and the goods that they transport that are coming in will be inspected before they reach the harbor. We don’t want to check them as they’re inside our harbors and then they make a move,” Tamarra said.
One of the generals made to open their mouths and then closed it
They would dare attack us if they could clear us out. The humans see us as nothing more than a secondary annoying island to their own lands. The beast kin tolerate us and treat us as if we’re beggars. Both sides hate us but they can’t win against our navy.
“Those of our people who wish to trade with the other lands are welcome to do so, but advise them that piracy will probably increase in these times of war,” Tamarra said.
Chapter: Ascen
Tommie and the rest of the party looked up the large hill to Ascen that the city stood on. To the west, there was a large lake that flowed out to the northeastern lands of Radal. To the north, there were wild forests and remote fortresses; to the south were the plains where Radal’s food was grown and harvested to feed the people.
Tommie felt out of place, looking at the capital of humanity. There were humans riding around on expensive and high-class horses and carriages.
The slaves were working out in the fields and moving down streets that were designated for them. In the middle of the city, atop the hill, there was the Church of Light’s cathedral.
It reached up thirty stories into the sky, made of polished stone that shone in the rising sun, making it look golden. The last several floors formed into three peaks that stuck up into the sky. A white light glowed in its base of each spire, filling those three peaks with light.
There were messenger birds and aerial riders coming in and leaving from the top of the cathedral to administer to the congregation.
Across from the cathedral, there was an opulent palace, where the human emperor ruled.
The buildings rose like pillars supporting the heavens. Four tall towers rested in each of the corners as the emperor’s palace and compound remained within like a sleeping dragon. All other buildings within the compound and the city were lower than the palace’s graceful sweeping roof with its rounded tiles. Greenery filled the grounds, making one feel relaxed and refreshed.
The other buildings in the capital all tried to emulate the curves of the emperor’s palace and the lines of the Church of Light’s citadel.
“They weren’t able to cut the Guardian eye out of the building, so they covered it over with stone and plaster,” Claire said.
“Defacing our house—we should teach them better manners,” Anthony said as they veered off the main road into Ascen.
“Where are we going?” Aila asked.
“A different way,” Claire said.
“The city is still down there?” Anthony asked.
“Yup,” Claire said.
“Anyone want to help me connect the dots?” Aila asked.
“This used to be the capital of the gnomes. It was a brilliant city. The best gnomes from all around called it their holy place. All of the other races came here if they wanted to increase their knowledge on alchemy, smithing, and enchanting. Even the elves even sent people over. They were the ones who tapped into the ley line first. They shared the power with the others, though, and were master traders, allowing them to bargain their way through the tough times and get the assistance of their allies. There was an issue with the formation that controlled the city’s power and corrupted mana started to fill the area. The automatons that the gnomes made to run the city started to come alive.”
“Might have been a really powerful and pissed-off necro,” Claire said from ahead.
Tommie listened to every word. He had heard of this before in tales and legends. “What was it called?”
“I’m not sure. Claire?” Damien looked ahead.
“Ashmere, the gnome holy land,” Claire said.
The hairs on the back of Tommie’s neck rose.
“Ascen was a mix of Ashmere, from before, and central. This became the center of Dena and of the people. We created a capital here that had people from all races and all backgrounds. It rested on the bones of our ancestors. Wonder why there is a massive hill in the middle of an otherwise flat area?” Claire turned and looked at them. Her eyes fell on Tommie.
“When Ashmere fell, the creations from the city tore through Dena. It took the people working together, the first time all of the races operated as one, to push back the machines, destroying them and cleansing Ashmere. They sealed the capital until the Guardians came across it, led by our ancestors. With the people of Dena, we created Ascen. I think that the first Guardian leader just forgot to add in the d to Ascend. That guy’s penmanship was horrible!”
“He was half blind,” Claire said.
“And probably half legible, in his mind. I swear, he had secretaries there to just decipher his words!”
Claire built herself up and then let out a sigh. “Yeah, actually, that is probably true. We rarely get any normal people as the leader of the Guardians.” Claire shrugged.
“Keeps it exciting, though! He might have been half blind but he kept on escaping his guards all the time and dressing up as a regular Guardian and taking on jobs all over the place.” Anthony laughed.
“Well, he thought that others didn’t know who he was. Wasn’t really hard to track a battle scarred Dwarf bard with a mechanical fake eye. Bard’s have an almost impossible time keeping their mouths shut anyway. Trust me that eye wasn’t just for decoration, could see better than someone with four eyes.” Claire said.
“What? No... Really?”
“Gave the guards a few days off before they went to go and find him. Why do you think that he would be fighting off dragons, or an insurgen
cy every time he went off? It was great for the random Guardian locations—had someone high powered to clear out the area. Set an example for the other Guardians to go out and clear the rosters in different faraway lands. You never noticed how they always mentioned the people who went to the frigid north, or the deserts and the crappy places to carry out their duties?” Claire asked.
“Well, what about the time we went to the north to deal with that ice troll incident?”
“Oh, I knew full well that it would get us on the board. You had been bugging me for months. They really did need our help and it would get you off my ass about getting on the board, because it was so damn cold up there.”
“You used the board against me?” Anthony asked, aghast.
“Ahh, they’re so cute when they’re dumb.” Claire pat his head and looked at Aila, who snorted. Damien looked away, coughing as he admired his landscape.
Tommie cracked a smile, his eyes shining, excited to see Ashmere, a place of gnome legends.
***
“Why are we going through the sewage pipe? Again?” Anthony complained.
“This is not what I pictured.” Tommie looked at the pipe that connected to a river that ran into the big lake to the northeast of Ascen.
“Well, come on,” Claire said. She used some magic to cut a lock and open the door.
“Always into the pipes. Have to be all sneaky—never just go in through the front door,” Anthony complained to himself.
Damien looked at Anthony and Tommie.
“He had a bad time with a berg in Norland,” Tommie said. They had left their mounts in the forest. He checked his gear—his backpack of knickknacks and the short sword on his waist.
“We don’t talk about that!” Anthony said as he reached the entrance to the pipe.
“Keep it down,” Claire hissed and pushed him inside.
“I couldn’t get the smell out of my clothes for a week,” Aila complained, following them.
“You were also tied to the back of the ship—” Tommie cut his words off as he saw Aila’s hand on one of her blades, her eyes staring into his soul.
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