Black Rim

by B A Fleming

  “Even at the potential loss of hundreds of men?”

  Birger nodded to Casperi. “War is full of sacrifices.”

  Birger looked back toward Vasa as it disappeared into the hills and the valley wall.

  “Lord Trajunus had suggested to father that someone other than the Imperial Palace is benefitting from trade with us,” mentioned Birger in a lowered voice. Both had agreed on several occasions that their Morean friends had been less than beneficial.

  “You mean someone is stealing from Hardular?” asked Casperi, slightly confused.

  “Not necessarily stealing, just not buying through the correct channels, and I think the death of Emperor Lethos is part of this.”

  Casperi frowned.

  “There seems to be another battle brewing within the walls of Corone,” suggested Birger.

  “There always is, my friend,” offered Casperi. “It is a place of constant struggle for power. One that Lethos treaded carefully, although, unfortunately, not careful enough. I hope that Trajunus can reach there before his mother is also dispatched.”

  “I also hope that this is one aspect of Morean culture that doesn’t affect the corridors of Vasa,” said Birger, concerned.

  Casperi smiled.

  “I doubt anyone in your family would allow it.”

  “Our family,” jibed Birger. “Brother.”

  They could hear the commotion towards the front of the ship and made their way towards the noise. Casperi smiled as he found the source. Soze was yelling at Nathe as he jumped forward towards him. The Swordmaster sidestepping the large swipes of the imposing man. The mercenary was deft at blocking and parrying, so ensued a fairly even battle between the pair. Casperi smiled as he walked towards them.

  “Why is this brute mercenary so loyal to your sister?” quizzed Birger.

  “Oh, that, yes. Took me a while to work it out as well,” replied Casperi. “Seems he lost his wife and daughter to sickness some time ago when he was away lumbering. He was at a loss and became a mercenary to escape Bhagshau. He still dislikes the place. Seems he imagines our Princess to be how he wished his daughter would turn out. Smitten with fathers’ love so to say.”

  Birger looked at Soze. He was certainly more loyal than most of his own guards.

  “Best not to wear him out Nathe,” laughed Casperi, as the two turned to look towards him.

  Thais had walked away minutes before, now sitting down in the galley, rolling the arrows in her hand that she had made with the help of the royal fletcher. Casperi found her studying the metal heads.

  “There is so much magic in these,” she observed.

  He drew his blade before sitting across from her. Thais had not had any time to look at it closely at the castle when Thomas had arrived. It glowed in her eyes.

  “Wow!” gasped Casperi.

  “I think these are not only magical, but we could use them to fight magic creatures,” observed Casperi as Thais ran a finger down the blade.

  “I imagine you’re right. Do you think we could kill Dralan with these?”

  Casperi smiled at Thais.

  “You’ve got the skills, sis. I just need to help you to get close enough.”

  She nodded in return.

  Chapter 14

  King Daikin sat on a chair near the docks. A large group of soldiers and staff stood near him, including several of his sons, the Catheridge royals, and Commander Vuvic. He wanted to let the remaining soldiers head up to the castle and get organized before they joined the battle. Four of the Warang were still to be found and the castle invaders had achieved their objective as most of the troops within the castle had had a restless sleep, waiting for a knife to the throat or sword through their back.

  The King listened to the briefing whilst he waited his turn to move up to the castle. Less than ten men had died during the night inside the walls as the streets remained relatively abandoned.

  Legati Caius was left to organize the first troops, as platoons and reserves took up their positions in the streets and along the ramparts.

  Some protection from the dragon had been developed overnight, but moreso doorways had been cleared or removed to allow soldiers better cover. The royal group made their way across the square as chaos broke out on two sides of the castle. Canute struggled out from his bed to greet his father once the King had entered the castle walls. A few minutes later Lord Polan rode into view. King Daikin and Duke Hacon watched him approach. He looked pale and troubled. They turned to glance at him and then to each other. Both wondered if they would see him again after this battle.

  Ten minutes later a suite of royals stood around the command table as the battle ensued outside. They could hear the catapults launching their contents at the passing dragon, captains calling out in several directions to defend or attack various adversary movements.

  Lord Polan stood talking to King Daikin. The two had been friends for most of their lives. As much as Edward had tried to break them, they had at least respected each other.

  “There comes a point in your life when you realize that each visit you make to a far-off place will be your last,” mused Lord Polan. “After this battle, I will visit with you, to celebrate the days that we have shared, old friend.”

  “That would be a pleasure. I feel sadness that you feel this way, old friend. I believe that you have many more summers ahead of you. Speaking of a long life, how fairs Lady Mary?”

  “Not so well. She has been revitalized by the movement of your son in our hallways, but she strains with even the simplest of days. The poison has hung on her like a ghost. What of your Queen?”

  “Still recovering as well. She is strong. Do you believe that Mary will make a full recovery?”

  “Yes, I am hopeful in time. She rests for much of the day.”

  “As does Cassiopeia, although our daughter brewed a potion that saw marked improvement overnight. I will ask Lapse to make the same for Lady Mary when we return.”

  An hour after dawn raids had begun Thais and Casperi watched the black dragon make a run along the castle walls. Nathe, Soze, Gameard and Aryz Coun stood with them.

  “Be gods, that bastard will be hard to kill now,” said Gameard, grumbling under his beard as he examined the sword that Gathun had procured for him.

  “That looks like the sword of a Vasa guardsman,” observed Nathe, smiling at him.

  “I wouldn’t know,” replied Gameard with a smile.

  “Mine is getting a bit old,” mentioned Soze, looking him up and down at a glance. “Would you mind procuring one for me?”

  “I’m sure that the house of Catheridge could give you a new blade, if you wish,” offered Thais with a smile. Casperi stood, now examining his own blade, that glinted slightly in the sunlight.

  “Maybe that one,” chuckled Soze, pointing to the Black Rim. Casperi stood, slicing the blade through the air. Several of the others laughed. Nathe half glanced at the dragon. It was far enough away to not be a concern for the moment.

  King Daikin, Lord Polan, Crixus and Hacon, and an assortment of others stood around the table. Four messages had been received during the past hour, outlining troop positions and size of forces.

  Canute leaned towards his father, demonstrating that he was keen to lead his troops back into the battle.

  King Daikin outlined the forces they had available to them, and their current locations. The Moreans preferred open field battles whereas the Hardular were more used to smaller sized battles. Only Tharkomad was not represented, the duchy still struggling to rebuild their garrison from the recent invasion.

  Lord Boru had been informed of the Narthal invasion with instructions to strengthen their patrols and await further instructions. King Daikin had provided Daak with a special message for Boru about their other new neighbors. He setup a small garrison in the Dark Forest to monitor movement in the district, part of which had been opened up to new Morean settlement farms during the past summer.

  Although Lord Polan was formally in charge of Caitawalaan
troops, he would remain within the castle walls, directing Halsten to supervise his troops. The young prince had impressed his men and the duchy had welcomed him since his marriage to Princess Vivi.

  There were unsubstantiated rumors of a royal pregnancy, although Vivi, Carin, nor Anna, who still remained with them, denied these.

  Norman had led the small contingent of Catheridge troops to Anil, where they would remain until called upon. Commander Frin ensured that they were well provisioned and ready to move, although with a small contingent of his own men already in the battle. Most of the Anil soldiers had already made their way down to the city and were now under the charge of Legati Caius.

  Hacon manned part of the walls, with Vuvic and Crixus looking after other sections. The Morean garrison had been severely depleted by the middle of the second day and the Vasa and Caitawalaan’s filed in to take their place. They put together a battle strategy.

  Thais, Casperi, Aryz Coun, Soze and Gameard made their way up to the inner wall to assess the action. Nathe had attended the command table on his Princes’ behalf. Thais stared deeply at the dragon with a piercing gaze like none that even her brother had ever seen. She started chanting, letting out a large pulse as the others distractedly talked.

  “Thais, no!” yelled Casperi as the blue bolt of energy shot through the air, striking the dragon in the shoulder, in front of his left wing. Arthung tumbled, crashing into the roof of a two-storey house then across three other one-storey buildings, bouncing momentarily off the pebbles as he squashed five Narthal soldiers before launching away from the battle back towards his camp. Arthung looked back toward the castle as he flew away, searching for the source of the magic.

  The nearby castle soldiers cheered as Casperi dragged Thais down the stairs as the others joined in.

  “Well, unplanned, but it worked,” observed Gameard. Casperi frowned.

  “What were you doing? Did you think you could kill him?” gasped Casperi.

  “I’m not sure. He didn’t seem as hurt as I’d hoped,” replied Thais.

  *****

  Dralan woke some four hours after he had returned from the battle. Manchur sat next to him.

  “Concubines are easier to deal with,” the older brother commented as the young warrior woke. A large bruise on his left shoulder had blackened quickly.

  “She wanted to test me,” replied Dralan, still half asleep and now aching.

  “I would think that she wants to kill you. Well, at least I imagine that to be from what happened here before.”

  “I think you are right.”

  “Then are you willing to kill her?” Manchur looked directly at him. “Father said to ask you this if the time came.”

  Dralan laid back and thought a moment. He was hurt. Yes, he had previously tried to kill the girl, but carried guilt with that decision. Now he must try to kill her again, and this time it would not be easy. She knew he was coming, and he was now a much larger target than her.

  “Yes,” he turned to look at Manchur. “I won’t be able to claim this valley until we do.”

  “Then you need to get back into battle as soon as possible. My men leave in an hour and I want you to join us in the last battle of the day.”

  Ocolan had successfully led the first attack of the day, and Basan and Wudi now threw their troops into the Bhagshau streets.

  The morning battles had seen more Hardular troops arrive and their strategy had improved overnight. Some of the invaders had reached the wall, and now Manchur planned a sunset attack to take the advantage before the new Hardular troops had become settled.

  *****

  Gameard strolled down an alley in the eastern sector of Bhagshau. As usual, his pretext for following Narthal soldiers held ulterior motives. A young man appeared out of a shadow. This section of the city ran down closest to the docks and was well known for ruffians and considered the poorer quarter of the city. The brothels often hid within the darkness, several streets from the square, with another group further down near the docks, and rows of dodgy taverns and traders in-between.

  Even with battles going on less than five hundred paces away, the poor quarter contained more strays and bandits than true paying customers. Most of the inns were compiled of rough wooden benches and tables in dark rooms.

  The less wealthy mercenaries, those looking to stay low, and men disowned by their wives, tended to wander the streets that were filled with pickpockets and other unsightly characters. Most of these men were under the Gameard’s command, and the enscripted belt he wore, along with four others of the Tullav that joined him as he entered the third inn, signaled that he was one of those who could be the Mordare.

  “Mordare. What do we do?” quietly asked the boy that greeted the group at the door.

  “Hide the important stuff in the deep sewer storage. Bring the barrels up. Nobody does nothing until I say otherwise,” answered the man next to Gameard.

  The boy nodded and turned, looking at another person in the shadows across from him.

  “That means you as well,” added Gameard to Gathun, sitting with a group of others at a table. The men conducted a few more minutes of business. Three men, including Gameard left the inn as two others walked into a backroom where Gathun followed them. Not long after, Gameard appeared from a dark corner within the castle walls. Thais turned to look at him.

  “Causing mischief again?” she quizzed, almost unemotionally. As close as she had become to the man, she still couldn’t piece together his life beyond her castle walls.

  “Would King Daikin like some oil barrels for his catapults?” he replied. Thais smiled. She trusted him. “Come with me!”

  *****

  The court of Corone remained in turmoil. Word had reached Aggelos of Trajunus heading home. He spoke with several of his allies as the Chancellor kept the senate going until the late Emperor Lethos could be laid in state. More hidden conversations had occurred since the death of the Emperor than the month before.

  Narthal agents in the Corone court feverously moved between Corone, Agrippa, and the border. They had managed to escape the increased patrols for the most part, although the occasional agent had been caught and executed. They had slowed trade, already informed of the upcoming events.

  Several minor merchants disappeared in the day following the death of Lethos. A special agent of Koguryo was also killed.

  He had incited the northern merchants and played his part in the dethroning, now seen as having served his purpose.

  Trade with the Paragandi had continued as if nothing was amiss. Their distant trading partners were far enough away to have no relevance in the matters of the Empire of Morea. Lethos had been tempted on several occasions to send an army to the small island nation, but without any hint of attack coming from them, his enemies had nothing to bargain with in that enterprise. Besides, the commodities bought from the islanders were unable to be sourced from anywhere else.

  Malena had quickly fell into favor in the court of Corone with sons of rich merchants, many of whom were merchants themselves and a few were legionnaires. Between herself and her mother they chose their liaisons based on the favor they thought each could yield.

  Isabella quickly developed a friendship and sometimes affair with the young nephew of Aggelos, Grechous. He was able to advise her on favorable associations and the not so favorable. The pair took their places in hidden meetings, awaiting Aggelos to gain more power before promoting themselves more obviously.

  *****

  Trajunus and his men headed south of Mountay, along the back roads. By lunchtime they arrived at another homestead and by sunset two more families were left without sons and mothers, their daughters bound and gagged, though unharmed. Only those servants that tried to attack the Brotherhood soldiers were dealt with. Most farm workers had ran into the woods or fields to hide from the slaughters. Without hesitation, the Salararius dealt their punishments to the families of the merchants that had opposed Emperor Lethos.

  Trajunus cleaned his blade as
the party made camp in the barn of the final household. Zador had cut the neck of a goat and he prepared the beast on a makeshift campfire in the courtyard with Lentulus. The family and servants laid dead within the house, as Thannon, collecting wood, absently looked across at the young merchant daughter who had come of age during the past summer. He wandered over to her, playing with her blonde, shoulder length hair, as he stroked her neck, sliding his fingers down over her faded house toga.

  Thannon chuckled as he fondled her, the girl struggling as best she could, trying to call out for help through the cloth. He bent down a kiss her neck, then let out a yell next to her ear as he was pushed up against the wall she leaned against.

  “Ah, fuck!” he screamed, as a hand pushed deeply into the center of his spine and a blade sliced down the cords of his triceps.

  “We leave the girl alone,” almost whispered Trajunus to him from behind.

  “I was just having fun with her, my liege.”

  “You were raising my ire. Collect the wood and tend the fire for the rest of the night and you may get to see the dawn.”

  Trajunus stepped back, as Thannon frustratedly leaned off her, bowing and apologizing.

  “Bring water and food for the girl,” Trajunus called out to no-one in particular. She was at the point of tears again, after witnessing the slaughter of her family an hour earlier. Thannon wrapped a cloth around his arm as he returned to gathering wood. Thargus nodded to his Despotate and took up post ten paces from the girl.

  Chapter 15

  A Narthal soldier stabbed upwards in a curling swing as he climbed up the ladder. Nathe, Thais and Soze were fighting further along the wall and Gameard had vanished, as he tended to do, on some sort of errand.

  Casperi had dispatched three others, but the forcefulness of the movement caused him to move away. He felt his left foot get stuck on a body behind him, resulting in him tripping backward onto the ground.