by Jez Cajiao
“I’m not doing that…” I started to say, but he cut me off.
“And that’s a good thing. Believe me, that’s not what I’m asking you to do, but the people are conditioned to expect… certain things from a lord. If you tell them not to show you respect, they won’t, and then you’re on a slippery slope…”
“Whoa, I’m not saying don’t respect me…” I protested as we all shuffled to the side to allow a Golem to stomp past along one of the wider internal corridors, its arms full of wood.
“No, I get that, but you are asking them to talk to you as an equal, and frankly, they’re not.” He slowed to a halt in the corridor. “We’ve just met, and this is a bit hard to say, Jax, but because of our roles and where we stand, with the world against us, it honestly needs to be said. You deserve respect from these people. You’ve rescued them. You need to accept it.”
“I… I will.” I nodded thoughtfully, stopping myself before I could apologize. “I can see where you’re coming from, Romanus, and thanks for having the balls to say it. In my… land, we are taught that we are all equal, and that no man should demand respect from others. It’s a bit of a change here.”
“I can understand that, and your land sounds very strange. Hopefully, you’ll tell me about it sometime… but you need to forget that now. You are Lord Jax, the Ruler of Dravith, and one day, the Empire. You need to be that man. I thank you for the right to call you by your first name, but please consider my words… and take them as advice freely offered, not as a criticism.”
“I will,” I said, trying not to take it personally. I’d been damn well doing my best to be the big boss already, as well as getting along with people. It wasn’t easy, but he had a point.
We crossed two corridors and bypassed the main stairwells, as they were full of stored gear and people running everywhere. Instead, we used a series of small ladders to climb the four stories to the main deck, stepping out into a steady wind that cut across the island.
I gazed in amazement at the deck rolling out on all sides. The bridge was an entire raised section to our left, located in the middle of the deck, with bare boards covering most of the surfaces which they’d hastily made safe against the constant breeze during flight. The main deck itself, though, was a patchwork of completion.
Some were almost finished, solid and clean, while other sections were cordoned off or entirely missing, with openings dropping all the way to the lower decks. There were mounting sections for masts, and two great trees, obviously planned to be those masts, were strapped to the deck on the starboard side. Despite those, the ship would clearly be entirely engine powered for a while.
Amongst the various groups that scurried here and there, I caught sight of my team, looking out over the island, and I strode over to join them.
Rinko had already rounded up most of those who had made the Skyking raid such a success, with the exception of Hellenica and Augustus. If I was right, the Legionnaire would seize the opportunity to go and get her personally, if given the chance.
I clapped my fist to my chest, acknowledging the crisp salutes of the Legionnaires, and the hasty, sloppy salutes of Lydia’s squad as they tried to imitate them.
“Damn, it’s good to see you all,” I said cheerfully, getting smiles and laughs in return. Lydia stepped forward, nodding to me.
“We’re glad to see you, too, believe me. That last arrow scared the shit out of us…” she said, looking me over carefully, to make sure I was all right, as I did the same to her. Lydia had changed since I’d first recruited her to fight for the Tower. The freed slave, who’d been scared and determined that I was going to try to take advantage of her somehow, had grown from a half-starved, raw-boned woman into a warrior that filled her armor and intimidated people with far higher levels.
Now, she was tall, heavily muscled, and grim. She rarely seemed to smile, but when she did, it was clear and honest, from the heart, and it transformed her appearance entirely. She was the ‘Tank’ of our little group, wearing heavily patched armor we’d looted from a heavy guardsman that had died assaulting the tower and carried a mace and shield. She was brave and steadfast, and I knew I’d struck gold when I’d managed to somehow win her loyalty. With her stood the rest of her squad, a team that had been with me since leaving the Great Tower. Jian was a short, dark-haired man that loved to dual wield, with a pair of silvery Drow-made scythes on either hip, and a pair of matching swords on his back. He was a quiet man, but the last few weeks of constant battles had shaped him to be a deadly opponent for anyone who crossed him.
Holding his hand was Miren, his partner, or lover, at least. She was the youngest of the group, not even twenty yet, and had started to train as a hunter in her old village, before she’d been taken as a slave. I’d inherited her when I’d killed the slavers and had promptly freed her and her companions. She was a slight half elven girl with long blonde hair, which she typically wore braided. and she had settled into her position as a ranged fighter with alacrity, her Drow-made bow helping to improve her shots.
Standing next to her was her fellow ranged death dealer, Stephanos. Where she was short, he was tall and thickly muscled, but the pair of them were inseparable, at least when she wasn’t jumping Jian’s bones, anyway.
Arrin, the mage for our little party, chatted quietly with the others. He’d been practicing at every opportunity since I’d given him his first Spellbook, and now, after only a few weeks, he’d leveled and invested his points to make himself into the kind of war-mage that would have a job in almost any fighting or adventuring force I could imagine, if not for the fact that he was a crazy adrenaline junkie. Yen and Tang stood at attention as they waited, two of the first three Legionnaires to swear to me, both elven scouts. With them, standing proudly while his ‘wing’ flew overhead, was the Alkyon, Amaat. He was a birdman; specifically, he looked like a humanoid eagle, and he’d seized control of several dozen of his race that had been enthralled to the Skyking, physically beating most of them into submission. Now they followed the Legionnaire, and he carried himself with a pride that had been missing when he, Yen, and Tang had sworn to me in the Smuggler’s Path under the city.
There, he’d been just another member of the Legion, a highly skilled member of the Praetoria, the Legion’s elite, but his body had been weakened by a lifetime of poor food and nutrition before signing up.
When I’d healed him, using the spell that Oracle had helped me to create, we’d straightened crooked limbs and regrown feathers long lost. He’d transformed from a poor example of his species, who’d risen through the ranks through sheer bloody determination, to an Adonis-like specimen. To display his fathomless gratitude, he’d set out to beat all those who opposed me into the ground.
The result was that now he ruled his own wing of Alkyon, and he had integrated any Djinn flyers that weren’t healers. Even the dozen or so lesser Imps that had come along could be seen wheeling around in the formation above us.
Next to the group, leaning against a handy wooden brace, was Barrett, the former ship’s first officer of the first Airship I’d captured… well, the Airship I’d damaged and sent crashing to its doom, but… meh, semantics.
Barrett was human, apparently, but he was short enough that he’d pass as a beardless dwarf easier than a human. Despite being a particularly fugly guy, he’d previously dated Joya, the huge, heavily muscled caravan guard who was currently towering over him as she stood nearby. She worked for Mal, or had until recently, so seeing her with the rest of the group was a surprise.
Mistress Nerin, the Great Tower’s official healer, glared at me while adjusting her bandoliers of bags. She was clothed in a long grey dress, two belts running from shoulder to opposite hip on either side, and attached to them were dozens of bags.
Leaning against the railing and looking like he’d be comfortable on the edge of a razorblade, stood Nigret, a Trigara. He was a heavily armored feline humanoid with white fur, and while he was new to our group, he was also a lethal ex-arena fighter w
ho had sworn to follow me when I agreed not to kill him.
Lastly, the Legion contingent gathered in around us. Rinko, Plas, Denny, and Grizz I knew, having talked to them over the last few days, and there were two others with them that I recognized, although I didn’t know their names.
“Are we only missing Hellenica and Augustus?” I asked, searching around, and got a variety of nods, affirmatives, and a single call of ‘Gnomes rule!’ from somewhere at the back.
I ignored that. As far as I knew, we didn’t have any gnomes with us, so it must have been a hallucination brought on by overwork, stress, and an excess of being stabbed lately.
“Right, then. I’ll sort out Hellenica and Augustus later, as wherever they are right now, I’ll bet not being interrupted is more important to them…” I started, getting a round of laughs and sniggers.
“You all fought with me for the good of Dravith and the Great Tower. While I know that, officially, it was either your damn job, or you were already sworn to me, it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be rewarded for that. Each and every one of you went above and beyond what you could have expected I’d ask of you, so here’s a little something as a thank you.” I pulled out a pouch, asking them to gather round.
I took my time, thanking them individually, referencing an instance when I’d seen them show bravery, and I handed them a single Platinum coin. Knowing that Platinum was worth a thousand gold was one thing, but seeing the faces of my people as they held what was undoubtably the most money they’d ever seen in their hand, in a single coin, was worth it, beyond a doubt.
“There will be more in the future, but I doubt there will be a windfall like this again. When we return to the Tower, I’ll start to pay wages; that seems reasonable, after all. So, thank you for all you’ve done,” I said, smiling at them and getting a shocked cheer in response.
“Now, I need a few volunteers…” I began, and I was swamped as everyone stepped forward, including Joya, who’d basically been there just because she was holding Barrett’s hand in a death grip, and Mistress Nerin, who glowered at me while mumbling something about ‘damn fool will get himself killed if I don’t…’
“Whoa, honestly, guys, this is serious!” I protested, raising my hands to call for quiet. “We’re aboard the ‘Sunken City’ at the minute, and Jenae has informed me that there are some spells we need that have been buried somewhere below. I’m going to lead a team, including some Legionnaires, down there to get them. We don’t know what there is, or where it’s hidden, though …”
Again, they all volunteered, and I grinned at them, trying to hide the proud tears as I looked around.
“Okay, okay!” I shook my head, resigned to having to choose. “I’ll shout when the time comes, but it won’t be until tomorrow at the earliest. I need to meet the locals first. Lydia, keep your team close; I need a word. Now all you other buggers, go get back to whatever you were doing.” I gestured their dismissal and began to turn when I heard a cough from Romanus.
“You have something to add, Prefect?” I asked him curiously.
“No, Lord Jax.” He shook his head. “And please, forgive me for my counsel earlier. What I said was true, and I meant to help you, but I see from your actions here, that these people, both yours and mine, already love you. That’s a rare thing for a commander to earn, that level of devotion,” he said seriously. “My impression was based on incomplete knowledge of you, and for that, I apologize. And you know you could have given them a single copper piece, and they’d have been thankful, don’t you?”
“I do, but I gained that money thanks to them, so they deserve a share,” I explained.
“Oh, I agree, and believe me, serving a lord who pays in gold and platinum, rather than back handed compliments or daggers in the back, is appreciated.”
Chapter Five
I grinned at Romanus, then relaxed as the others wandered away. My small team that had come with me from the Tower gathered around, and I called out to Barrett as he passed.
“Barrett, mate, your sister and her little one okay?” He smiled, nodding in clear gratitude.
“They are, thank you, Jax; as are Orin’s family. They’ve asked to meet you and thank you personally at some point?”
“Sure, but it’s not necessary,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “As things stand, though, we’re going to be here for the next few days on the Sunken City. I know you volunteered to come explore, but I need you here, man. You’ve got a gift with people, with getting them to follow your instructions. I need you to do manage the refugees, which means you’re in charge of them. Make sure they’re organized and fed, they have room to stretch their legs, and they don’t cover the ship in shit, because I’ve no idea where we would find toilets for that many people right now. This is Romanus. He leads the Legion, so work with him, okay?”
“Of course, Jax, and thank you for your confidence,” Barrett said simply, nodding deferentially to Romanus before leading Joya off the deck and deeper into the ship.
I turned around cautiously, looking back and forth, then moved to the side of the deck and peered over the edge, before sighing and speaking up.
“Okay Bane, I give in. Where the hell are you?” I asked plaintively, and I nearly shat myself when he spoke, predictably, from right behind me.
“Here, Jax.” His voice was filled with the deep thrummm of amusement I’d learned to expect from his race.
I spun around and glared at him, searching the area, and trying to figure out how the hell he’d hidden himself there, but try as I might, it made no sense to me.
“You’re an asshole,” I said to him, and he replied as I’d taught him:
“Takes one to know one.”
“I wish I hadn’t taught you to shit-talk…” I muttered, shaking my head. Sighing, I scanned the deck. Now that the rest had left us, we were down to the two Legionnaires who were on guard for me, Romanus, and Lydia’s squad of five. I contemplated the small group, the seven of us, that were survivors of the journey from the Great Tower. “I know it’s been a harder trip than we were hoping for,” I admitted, meeting their gazes, noting the battered armor, the bloodstained clothing, and the weary looks in their eyes. “So if any of you want to take a step back after this, I’ll understand. As things stand now, I need you for the next few days, at least. You’re all outfitted with armor that we cobbled together, bits of gear we’ve looted from practically half the land, at this rate.” The mismatching, battered, and scruffy group that stood with me was mute testament to the fact.
“My own’s not much better; even my damn belt is falling apart, so…” I said, glancing over at Romanus, who nodded to a trio of men led by a single woman as they walked out onto the deck from below. “So…” I repeated, “I’ve asked Romanus to send up his armorers. They won’t have time to make us gear from scratch, obviously, but they’re highly skilled, and as such, I’m hoping they can alter some existing gear to give us at least a bit more protection than we currently have?” I turned my hopeful attention to the four armorers.
The woman was the first half orc I’d seen yet, or at least I assumed she was, judging from the size of her. She stood nearly seven feet tall, with arms that made my thighs look scrawny. Her black hair was twisted into a myriad of dreadlocks and tied back, and apart from the slightly protruding lower jaw, tusks, and green-tinted skin, I’d have pinned her as simply a massive human woman back on earth.
“Lord Jax… it will be an honor to serve you,” she said, clapping a massive fist to her chest in salute. “Me and mine stand ready.”
“Excellent!” I smiled gratefully. “What’s your name?” I asked, remembering at the last second that it was considered rude to cast spells, even ‘Identify’ ones, on people you weren’t actively fighting.
“Thornapple,” she offered, nodding her head in greeting, then gesturing to each of her companions in turn. “This is Manny, Terr, and Oloutai.”
“Then it’s great to meet you… Thornapple,” I said, wondering at the name. “My
team and I are going into the Sunken City tomorrow, so any armor you could fit us with would be gratefully appreciated.”
“Tomorrow?” she asked apprehensively. “My lord, we will do our best, but even with all of us working around the clock, there is no way we could do our best work to armor even one of you fully in that time. I mean…”
“I know,” I said, cutting her off. “I don’t mean for you to make us unique armor fitted to our individual specifications, but do you have spares, perhaps, that you could alter to fit us? Or replacements for the most ruined sections we have? Essentially, we have spent our time fighting, and never had the chance to gain a cohesive set of gear. As you can see, we’ve made do with whatever we could scrounge.” I gestured at my team’s ragged state, ending with my own sorry gear.
“I can see that, my lord.” She smiled with ease, now that she knew we didn’t expect wonders. “As for available armor, we do have spares; few, as we haven’t set the forge up yet, and we have limited supplies, but we have enough to outfit your group and to replace the damaged pieces that the Legion has returned over the last few days. First, I need to know about you and what you need, though. Judging from your armor, you are a front-line fighter?”
“I am,” I confirmed. “I’m most comfortable being mobile, flowing back and forth with the battle, as opposed to being at the back, though sometimes, I function as a tank.”
“A ‘tank’?” Thornapple asked, lifting one eyebrow.
“Me,” Lydia said, stepping forward. “I be th’ tank for our party. It means I be needin’ heavy armor, and solid. I tend t’ pull as many in towards me as possible, getting’ hit and dishin’ out th’ pain, while lettin’ the others take ‘em out.”
