Reign of Phyre

by Nicholas Cooper

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  Through the sacrifice of the Sons of the Phoenix we live in peace. We do so on the promise that one day we will free the homeland and repay our debt tenfold. Euphyre invicta!

  Oath of Soldiers

  Arys

  He had slept in. There were no gulls squawking at each other to tell him dawn had arrived. Sharya certainly couldn’t be considered a morning person, he noticed, looking over at her sprawled out on his bed. That would explain how he had ended up on the floor. He looked out his window and saw rain. No more than a drizzle, to be exact, but it looked like it had rained harder overnight. He was already late, so he would have to forego breakfast. He quickly washed his face, put on his armour and, just for today, he’d wear a coat over the top. The wind combined with the rain would not make today a pleasurable experience.

  He arrived outside the field overseeing construction and saw none of his men. Odd, considering he was nearly two hours late. A voice behind him called his name and threw him something that he caught before he knew what it was. Bread. Breakfast. That must be Jarren. Beaten again, though today was entirely his fault. Last night was worth it though, and the thought made his stomach flutter a little.

  “So, where are my men?” he said before biting into the loaf. It was still warm from the oven despite the dampening rain.

  “Nairel sent them to load the ships, Captain.”

  He put the bread inside his coat and raised his arm to shield his eyes from the rain. It was turning out to be a shocker of a day. “What? Does that mean the Legatii have already made a decision?” Damn, he should have been up at dawn. It was too important of a day to have been late.

  “Can we continue this under some shelter, Captain?” said Jarren who was already making his way into one of the tents, the intensifying rain smothering drowning out the conversation.

  They entered the tent and were greeted with a profound sense of dry. Jarren grabbed a cloth from the table in the centre and wiped himself down before throwing it to Arys.

  “Where’s your sense of hierarchy, soldier?”

  “I prefer to save it for wartime, Captain, lest it get old.”

  “Guess I’ll call it even then, for the bread. You said they’ve had their meeting already?”

  “Yes captain. They didn’t want to wait around too long, on account of the weather.” That made sense. They’d already be behind in their work today as it is.

  “So out with it already. What was their decision?”

  “Oh, you’ll like this. You’re to be made Chief of Operations of the heartland forces.”

  Arys had elected not to have a mouthful of bread when Jarren answered his question. He had learnt that from his visit to the princess. It allowed him to appear a little less surprised. “Chief of Operations?”

  “Don’t get a big head or anything. You’ll pull rank on the common soldier, but you’re still under the command of the Legatii. Legatus Weymar and Legatus Yuran will be heading over with you. My guess is you’ll be working closely with Primus Euryet. You’ll be in charge of logistics, training the men, salaries, fortifications and the like.”

  “I’d put salaries under logistics, personally. So, two Legatii are heading over? That’s a lot of men. Has it really begun?”

  “Aye, you’re not wrong. This is where we take back what was ours. Weymar has three thousand under his command, and Yuran has two. You’re to meet up with whatever Euryet has left. But, and listen carefully here…Vinrael is not under the Euphyre flag. It is a rebel-held large town that at the moment exists due to Karzarki reluctance to commit a force of Khasari to. There is too much instability in the eastern provinces for them to assault the town without exposing their supply lines and being cut off from their western territories.”

  “So, Vinrael is under rebel control and not direct control by Primus Euryet?” That was concerning.

  “I said it is not under the Euphyre flag. When we land in the heartland, we are not soldiers of Euphyre. We are Sons of the Phoenix.”

  “I’m missing something here. The Sons are fighting for us.”

  “They are. But Karzark doesn’t know that. When you think of rebels, you think of bands that operate individually, with no united command, no single flag to rally behind. To the enemy, rebels are a problem that will need to be dealt with at some time but isn’t pressing. Yes, they might link up; hence the need to act, but it is not an army at their doorstep.”

  “But they know the Sons of the Phoenix are more than just bands of rebels. They’d have to know there is a command structure.”

  Maybe having lived on Lepcis all his life had made him oblivious to something, looking at Jarren’s face. “Yes, true. However, they don’t know that the Euphyrian royal line lives. They don’t know about Lepcis. Why? They’ve never consolidated control of the eastern coast. That’s thanks to the Sons. Instead, they are slowly integrating the western provinces into their core and will slowly consume the east. They decided on that approach when the cost to pacify the east was too high. Time is on their side. Therefore,” he elongated the word, “so long as we are just rebels, and have the Sons as a buffer between our borders, we can establish a foothold without meeting an army on the beach. The moment they hear word of the Euphyre flag being planted, they will come.”

  Ah, it clicked together finally. Why had that been so hard?

  “I see. I take it I have my work cut out for me then.”

  “The last thing is, you know of the oath of the Khasari are bound to - to avoid combat with what they consider non-combatants. That is, you are not in armour that screams Euphyre. A rebel is free to walk around, their tattoos for everyone to see, so long as they don’t attack anyone. You walk around in Euphyrian steel, you’re not going to get very far, and you’ll likely acquire their undivided attention.”

  The tent flap opened, letting in a gust of cold air. They both turned to see Nairel standing in front of them. “And the other thing. Princess Vaelynna is coming too.”

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  The surviving text of the letter to Emperor Rastex Talexes Yalece Rhasphyre provides us with an insight into the founding of Rulven. Unfortunately, the letter has aged poorly, and the damaged accounts could quite possibly be forever lost to us. We do not know what year the city was founded, for example, though it was once evident in the letter. What we do know, however, is that “mountains to the east provide natural…” defences, and that part of the returning army from presumably Galaces was garrisoned in the new city, either as the founding inhabitants, or as defenders of families who had been “settled from the north” to work the fertile grasslands. My humble opinion has me inclined to hold the belief that injured soldiers unable to continue were resigned to the new city. Crucially, however, and with great personal anguish, the context of the army presumably (mistranslation is not above me) returning from the west raises several questions about the established chronology of Yelia and Cerenean history. The text mentions Yelia physically attached to the marching army. This much is certain – ancient Parasen language distinguishes between physical presence and spiritual presence through the use of two separate verbs. If the founding of the city is dated as far back as Yelia’s physical presence in Cerenea, then it must be assumed that the dual entities of Parasen and Galaces had not yet existed as a divided, hostile realm. Naturally then, questions are raised as to why there was, first, a need of such an army big enough to be recorded in a letter describing the foundation of Rulven, and second, why they would be “returning” from the west. Furthermore, the oldest Citadel (at least according to the oral histories of the far north), now lost in the midst of sandsea of Desari cannot predate Rulven by more than a few decades, if the account of Yelia being present in the army is accurate. The cost of raising two Citadels nearly simultaneously seems like a task beyond what a newly established empire could reasonably endure. Unfortunately, the letter does not provide us with any insight in regard to the chronology, nor any other uncove
red documents. All we can say with a high degree of certainty is that Rulven’s location was important in the decision to found the city, chosen for its fertile ground and balkward against the west due to its mountainous eastern defences, and that it was possibly raised as a new home for injured or retiring soldiers.

  Faln Tem Darnyth, Rulven (incomplete), excerpt from The Rulven Letter, Library of Yalea Aranth

  Rhen

  It was more than unfair. She’d been here less than a day. She was way more dangerous than he was, yet she was welcomed to the Elsgard.

  It wasn’t like he particularly wanted to be part of the Elsgard. He understood very little of what they actually did or what mission they were currently on. Only that he was their prisoner and he was to lead them to the Dawn Shield and that they did not mess around. He had the scars to prove it.

  He also knew that Reilek didn’t mess around, and they all probably would have died if it wasn’t for the tiny fact that Reisch stopped an arrow mid-flight and reversed its course. He had been thinking about that, trying to make sense of it. Nothing came to mind other than the fact that Magick exists, and that he would need to come to terms with that.

  He had also arrived at the conclusion that mentioning this to anyone would exponentially increase the likelihood of him experiencing death after leading them to the Dawn Shield. This was even after he accounted for the fact that witnessing it himself was alone more than enough to guarantee it. So, he had to keep his thoughts to himself and try to make sense of it alone.

  That made for an incoming night of uncomfortable conversation with Kiern. They had found a run-down inn just after the rain had started again. Reisch had not needed any persuasion to rest for the night, even if there was another hour or so of sunlight to continue travelling to. The owner had refused to accommodate them at first. A few days ago, they were told, a band of Sons had stayed the night and as they left, they had informed him that his two pigs were needed at their camp further west. They were only allowed after Bairn promised that he would go hunting for the man and bring back several days’ worth of food.

  Reisch had told Kiern and Rhen that he was to ask Levi some more questions about the Black Wolves, and that Bairn would join him once he returned from hunting in the forest. Levi seemed content with the Elsgard, he said, but they would take extra caution watching over her until they reached Rulven. And so Rhen had been cursed with another night by Kiern’s side.

  “Merciful Yelia, she really got you good, didn’t she?” said Rhen, looking at Kiern’s face as he lit a fire outside their room. “Your whole left side is a mess.”

  “It was the right. You know it. Don’t push your luck lest you find yourself pushed into this fire.” came the reply with some hurt pride.

  “She could have killed us all, so don’t feel bad. If she wanted to slap you silly she would have done it whether you would have tried to fight it off or not.”

  “Hah. If the Commander hadn’t just welcomed her to the Elsgard I think she would have found herself with a swollen jaw, not me.”

  Rhen laughed. “If you say so.” There was zero doubt in his mind that woman would murder them all in her sleep if she wanted to. She still could, a concerned inner voice warned him. “That would also have been a terrible decision to make, were you the Commander – which I imagine you’d have to be to have the authority to do so.”

  Kiern scoffed. “Oh, of course this sort of behaviour would be beneath our most esteemed prisoner, wouldn’t it? Look, it wasn’t my idea to punish you that way, but if you left unchecked…”

  “No,” Rhen interrupted, “I mean it would be a dumb decision to make because she would refuse to tell you anything about Reilek, and if you tried to force her I’m sure she’d have a trick up her sleeve when you made the wrong move. Or, she would simply give you the wrong information if all that failed. There is nothing you could do to compel her to speak truthfully.”

  “I think you’d fi-,” Kiern sighed, “Alright, you have a point. It might not be a good idea. Even if I was in a position to do so, I probably wouldn’t do that. I might lose a hand if I brought it within biting distance.”

  Rhen let out a genuine laugh for the first time in a long time. “You’d have a hand to match mine.” He watched Kiern’s face to gauge his reaction. He laughed along, but it was withdrawn and short.

  “May Yelia make the rest of our journey injury-free.” He added, “Are you hungry, Karzarki?”

  “I could eat.” He hadn’t been that hungry until it was brought up just now. His stomach rumbled, alerted to the news.

  “Well, unlucky. We were supposed to be in Rulven by tonight, so all we have are some nuts from the innkeeper.” He gave a handful to Rhen before cracking one and eating it.

  “Kiern, you idiot. You don’t eat them raw. You roast them. How long have you been in Euphyria again?” It was common knowledge, or so he thought.

  “It tastes fine. What are you, an expert on Euparyen nuts? You going to tell me the complete history of this particular nut?”

  “Would you like me to?”

  “Go on then, smart-arse.” Rhen was sure Kiern thought he was bluffing.

  “It’s called a kriel and it is from the southern tip of Yukonia. They were sent as a gift to the Rhasphyre emperor hundreds of years ago. Several trees were planted in the emperor’s court. They were a delicacy that fetched a high price for the Yukonians. They roasted them before they were traded to ensure that clever traders wouldn’t plant their own. It was only to the emperor who had a particular fondness for them that they sent healthy seeds to plant his own trees, with the promise that it would remain only in his court.”

  Kiern was silent for a few seconds. “Alright, that is interesting, I’ll give you that. If it was only for trade reasons though, who is to say that they’re not supposed to be eaten raw?”

  Rhen knocked one out of the fire with a stick. “Try this.” He threw it to Kiern. He cracked open the shell and blew on it a bit before biting into it.

  “Hmm. Alright, I concede. This does taste better.”

  “See? Is there anything that you Yaleans actually get right?”

  “Are you suggesting we should have cut out your tongue instead of breaking your hand?” Kiern said in a threatening tone.

  “Uh, no,” said Rhen, backing off a little bit. There were still some boundaries that his position was unable to overcome.

  “So why can you find these kriel everywhere now? If they were so precious to the Yukonians, wouldn’t they be upset that they lost their monopoly?”

  “Once the last emperor was overthrown by Karzark, the seeds were distributed throughout the south-west. Some say as a gesture of goodwill, others as an…act of humiliation even though it would be lost on anyone not from the court. I personally think it was a kind of economic aid to the region Karzark controlled. They could sell to the Karzarki homeland since the roasted nuts would not perish in the journey, and further east, where they could find buyers.”

  Kiern spat out the kriel. “I see. So, I have Karzark’s conquest at the behest of the Sin to thank.”

  “It’s a nut. I’ll eat the rest if you’re not going to.”

  “Trust a Karzarki to think nothing of-”

  Rhen could see where this was heading. “Stop. Don’t. We’re not going to argue over a bloody nut. We’ve got a long way to go before we get to the Dawn Shield. I’ve accepted my fate. I’m going to be stuck with you lot until I get you there. That’s a big enough sacrifice, more than you need to ever make to me. I get that you weren’t behind breaking my hand. I won’t hold you responsible for that. I don’t want to have fight every bloody night between here and there. There’s nothing stopping us from being cordial except when you bring up the Wrath and the Sin. You’ve spent your whole life under the Wrath, and I the Sin. Heated arguments are not going to win either of us over to the other side. So, let’s not.” Rhen realised he was pointing the stick at Kiern. He lowered it. “Let’s make a deal to leave it out of our conversations where we
can. We can get along without that, somewhat.”

  Kiern maintained eye contact with Rhen for several seconds. No doubt he was thinking about losing face in front of his captive, having to be comfortable with a different creed. “Deal,” he finally said, “No guarantees, but I’ll try.”

  “Then eat this kriel, and the deal is sealed.” Rhen threw Kiern another nut from the fire.

  With significantly less enthusiasm as before, Kiern bit into the nut.

  Rhen had gone to bed that night more comfortable than before. He was still a captive against his will, but at least it would be a little more comfortable going forward. He was still heading in the right direction, too.

  He had wanted to press Kiern more about the details of his release. Would they simply leave him deep in rebel territory and march off without him? Would they escort him back to Rulven or somewhere else in the Euphyrian Territories? He wouldn’t ask about Magick, that’s for sure. Even though he knew that was a huge factor in getting released at all.

  But none of that even mattered until they reached the Dawn Shield. This girl from north of the Karzarki border, she…she was a match for the best of them, and Reisch had just let her join, freed of her bindings, and returned her weapons. That seemed like giving death an invitation.

  Oh well, what was it to him? He was just a prisoner, after all. Ah, except that he had fought against her and his current position in their party likely afforded him the same degree of mercy a hungry wolf affords a baby deer.

  Due to Reilek’s attack, it had taken them a day longer than expected to reach Rulven. The rain didn’t help. It had turned the roads into mud had bogged down their cart numerous times, and even when they were moving it was slow.

  Rhen’s first ‘test’ post-letter incident came when the first of the Khasari patrols from Rulven stopped them. The Elsgard made it clear to him that if he planned to betray them here, they would not hesitate to make his life a living hell. It was unnecessary given all that had recently transpired. His attitude towards his captives had softened after the ambush, where he had found out that the man responsible for Yaren’s death wasn’t in the Elsgard. Well, he was, but he wasn’t.