by H. M. Clarke
Then not long after came the Time of Troubles when Myrcea’s Kings began to war with each other over land and other petty things. Aileach was disgusted at this behavior and gathered an army to himself to battle against the other Kings. A battle he won. This conflict thrust Aileach into position to become Myrcea’s first High King. He became the first Dragoncaester.
Aileach’s Place then became known as Aileach’s Palace as the keep expanded to take up the official offices and duties that now were the High King’s to administer.
The community around grew and became known as Kaldor, The Capital as it became the largest center for business and trade in Mrycea.
Many generations have come and gone, and many changes and improvements have been made to Aileach Palace. Also, the town around its walls has now expanded and grown to be one of the largest cities on the continent.
The Palace itself was built in between the meeting of two rivers, which formed a protective V around the rear of the structure. Spread out before the unprotected side was the city of Kaldor which ranged from elegant living districts, too markets and trade districts and to urban agricultural districts. Interspersed between these were the houses of the middle-class and of the poor.
The prisoner escort and caravan was passed through the main gates and the Tribunal soldiers lead the column through the crowded wide main street towards the central square where the Hall of Justice for the Aequitas Tribunal was located. Dagan and the Blackwatch escort rode behind the prison wagons; the Magi all holding rune lit staves as they boosted the shielding around the wagons. It was during this change over that the brothers Osega made their unobtrusive exit and disappeared into the bowels of the city.
The buildings on either side of the thoroughfare started off as well to do shop fronts, selling food, goods and luxury items which held up several stories of living area and private apartments made of wood and covered in plaster. As they traveled down the street, these buildings gave way to larger, high walled private villas decorated in a mix of plaster and marble.
Dagan glanced back down the line and nodded to Kathryn. Kathryn leaned over her horse and tapped Ashe on the shoulder, and the two riders slowly dropped from the back of the line to unobtrusively leave the column. They were leaving to report to the Knight’s Commander of the Blackwatch here in Kaldor and then to disappear back out of the city and to start searching for any signs of trouble. It also took Kathryn out of the city and away from the political viper’s nest that Kaldor could be. She will be safer outside the city walls than within them.
Horses, carts and pedestrians parted before the column as soon as the royal blue cloaks of the Tribunal were sighted and people lined the road to watch them pass. The citizens were curious as to who-or what- was held in the wagons and escorted by so many. This street, the Via Triumphalis, ran from the main gates–the Porta Fontinalis- to the Forum where the city’s, and the country’s, administrative buildings were based. The most impressive monument on the northern edge of the Forum was the Hall of Justice, the home of the Aequitas Tribunal, where a larger than life statue of Marcus Flamen, the first Lord Tribune, guarded the approach. Its eyes were cleverly made to make those entering the hall feel the gaze of the Tribunal upon them.
The caravan did not go to this entrance, however. Instead they passed through the forum and down a small street that ran alongside the Tribunal complex and were admitted through a sally port to the rear where the Tribunal Watch House was located. The Blackwatch Constables were then officially relieved of their charges and Dagan gave the Brookhaven group instructions to report to the Kaldor Barracks and wait for him there. Donal looked like he was going to object, but Banar shoved him hard in the ribs with an elbow in warning and they went quietly with the rest of the Brookhaven contingent to the Kaldor Blackwatch Barracks.
Dagan then handed over his paperwork to the Officer of the Watch and the prisoners were checked and confirmed then, since they were still under the sleep charms, carried into their new accommodation in the Watch House. Dagan cautioned the watch officer to keep an eye out for Janin if he was to wake-the Menfau’s minds magic can work on Tribunal officers just as well as Blackwatch.
Once the caravan had been cleared and everyone secured, Dagan was left to report to his superior.
◆◆◆
Dagan stood waiting outside the heavy oak door, his left hand hooked comfortably within the leather loop of his staff.
Signifiers and Optius that passed him in the corridor either gave him a startled glance or acknowledged him with a reverent nod of the head. The lower ranks of want-a-be Magisters. They either made it or became administrators.
Dagan just stared back at them, occasionally nodding to someone he recognized or knew.
Itching at his neck made him tug at the black wool toga he now wore with purple and gray running along its edge to denote his Tribunal rank. Most of these people would never have seen his like before. He smiled inwardly at their confusion.
The door next to him opened, and he turned to see a young man wearing the toga of someone of junior optio rank dressed in black with a rope dyed blue tied about his waist in intricate knot work.
“Magister, he will see you now.” The man stepped out into the corridor to let Dagan through and then followed him into the room.
The room was a large office that was spartanly decorated. There was a large oak desk, three wooden chairs, two bookcases filled with books and scrolls and hanging on the wall behind the desk was a painted yellow fist shooting three fireballs on a blue diamond carved in blackwood. The symbol of the Aequitas Tribunal.
Behind the desk sat a man who looked to be in his late sixties. Dagan knew him to be older. Pepper-brown hair cut close to his scalp and a clean-shaven strong jaw stared quietly at Dagan as he stood by the door. Dressed in a tight fitting scarlet robe edged in purple, he looked thin and aesthetic.
Dagan stepped to the front of the desk and bowed. The man held out his right hand, upon which was a ring that bore the Seal of the order. Dagan bent and brushed his lips gently against the ring, feeling the image of the fist against his lips. Straightening up, Dagan invited himself to sit in one of the wooden chairs.
Raising a hand, the old man signaled the young optio to leave the room. The man waited until the door was closed before speaking.
“I see you are still not wearing your Magister’s ring.” The man set the papers he was reading to one side as he spoke.
“At least I am wearing the toga this time.”
They sat in silence for a moment until Dagan stated. “We have a problem.”
Praefect Balesir, Head of the circuit Magisters of central Myrcea, leaned forward, an unreadable expression on his face.
“What has happened?”
Dagan reached into his belt pouch and took out a folded piece of cloth. He held it in his hand a moment before tossing the object on the desk in front of Balesir.
The Praefect stared at it before carefully unfolding the cloth to reveal the staff head inside.
Balesir looked sharply at Dagan upon sight of the broken staff tip.
“I took that staff from Ben Henly several days ago after we captured him trying to free the prisoners we were escorting.”
“You got this from Henly?” Balesir asked as he carefully picked the staff head up by its band to examine it.
“Yes, Your Grace. We ran into a company of his people when we traveled through the monument crossways. He told me that he and his men were targeting me directly with the intent of keeping me from Kaldor.”
“Did he now. Was that all he told you?” Balesir placed the Staff head carefully back onto its cloth.
“There were over forty of them, but the Blackwatch and the Tribunal were able to protect the wagons.”
“Forty? He had a group of forty? They have never traveled in groups larger than fifteen when they have shown themselves before.”
“I know, Your Grace. But this time they did. The sedition looks to be spreading. This group was not just made up
of unregistered Magi. Henly was trained in the school at Tibor, and I battled a mage who definitely studied at Kaldor Elum.”
“This is worrying, and the fact that they had a Menfau in their ranks… and are able to get their hands on a relic from the vaults… This makes The Brotherhood a lot more dangerous than what the King Regent believes.”
“Aileach’s Staff should not be in the hands of Henly. Which makes his claim that he has a master within the Tribunal pure fact.”
“Hmmm. Where is the staff itself?” Balesir asked, gesturing at the staff head resting on its cloth.
“It is safe. I did not think it wise if I just carried it in.”
“Until we determine who this ‘Master’ is, it’s best if you keep it hidden.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Hmmm. How are you adjusting to your new role as a Blackwatch Constable?”
Dagan shrugged. “So far it has not been much of a burden. I just have to get used to never being alone.”
“Right, the Pairing. You’ve been Paired with a woman, haven’t you?”
“You know very well that I have. I told you about her in my report.”
“Is she alright?” Balesir poured himself some wine from a small decanter on the table. Dagan shook his head when offered a glass.
“As far as I can tell she is. She and the other Constables with me are trustworthy.”
Balesir arched an eyebrow and took a small sip from his glass.
Placing the glass carefully on the table, the Praefect causally changed the subject.
“We received a message from our office at Evenstar yesterday and it might be coincidence that its news relates to some of the information you sent to me. Sister Asada was found dead. Her broken body had been found outside the main doors to the abbey. She had the mark of The Brotherhood carved into her forehead.”
Dagan rocked back in his chair. The shock of the news etched clearly on his face.
“Do you think they knew who Asada was?” Dagan asked.
“If they did not, they would certainly do now.”
“Poor woman.” Dagan murmured.
The questioning of the Brotherhood was hard, using a combination of torture and kindness to draw out the information they need. Dagan had seen their victims before.
“She was a strong woman and a good Tribunal agent. No one could withstand what she went through. Now she is with Bellus.” The Praefect placed a closed fist over his heart in the traditional blessing.
“That gives us confirmation that Kathryn Weaver is someone they seek. Do you have any idea why?”
“No. Asada never mentioned anything in her reports about her. If she thought her that important, she would not have let her into the Blackwatch.”
“She has no magic, but she is pig headed, stubborn and reckless.”
“Sounds a lot like someone I know.” Balesir picked up his glass and took another sip of his wine, while staring at Dagan across its rim.
“There is another thing, Your Grace.”
“Yes?”
“Ever since the Pairing, I have had a sense growing inside of me. It’s hard to explain.”
Balesir sat patiently and waited for Dagan to continue.
Dagan furrowed his brow in thought as he spoke.
“I know exactly where Kathryn is, at this moment she is sitting on her horse in the courtyard of the Blackwatch Barracks. And I cannot stand to be far from her for long.”
“That is your duty,” Balesir replied.
“No. It is not due to my sense of duty.” Dagan shrugged helplessly as he tried to explain himself. “It is as if… I know that something is about to happen with Kathryn and I have to be there when it does. It is like a compulsion. This is the best I can explain it.”
Balesir frowned.
“Can she read anything of your thoughts?”
“No,” Dagan said. “Only my emotion, nothing more.”
“Good. There are still some secrets that need to be kept within the Tribunal.” Balesir paused. “Do not think that Asada was killed, and your Pair is in danger because of you. Asada was taken days before you were even sent to Brookhaven.”
“So this might not have anything to do with Kathryn?” Dagan said in surprise. “Or, they may know something about her that we don’t?”
“I will pull Asada’s reports for the time Weaver was with her and go through them to see if there is any mention of her.”
Dagan paled but nodded his head once.
“I know, but why now?”
Folding the cloth back over the staff head, Balesir placed it in a small wooden box that was sitting on the desk in front of him.
“I will see what intelligence the Tribunal has gathered about the latest activities of the Brotherhood.” Balesir flicked the latch shut on the box. “I will send word to you when I am ready to speak to you again.”
Dagan stiffened at the curt dismissal.
“It was said to Knight Sergeant Kimba that the Blackwatch will try to gather information from their own intelligence service about the activities of the group around Brookhaven. I will send what information they receive on to you.”
Dagan rose from his chair and bent to kiss the ring that Balesir offered to him before turning to go.
“Dagan.”
Dagan turned as he reached the door.
“Yes, Your Grace?”
“Be careful.”
“Always, Your Grace,” Dagan said as he closed the door carefully behind him.
CHAPTER FIVE
Ryn had never been to Kaldor before and she had always thought that it was a large city. She had never believed any of the stories told of the capital; had always believed that people were boasting to or mocking her. She had always assumed that a city could never be bigger than that of Brookhaven. Now, looking across the endless rooftops from the outer walls of the Blackwatch Barracks, she now believed all their stories. And then some.
Ryn marveled that this much humanity could be found crammed together into one space. Her eyes were continuously drawn to the steeple and the domes that towered above the rest of Kaldor from the far side of the Palace. Ryn admired the way the sun struck the golden domes and spires and made the pink marble of the Cathedral shine like fire. Banar had told her that it was the Cathedral of Bellus.
It was the place where the heads of each Order of Bellus’s Choir reside and administer the church. It also housed the main academy for training to become a Priest or a Sister to enter one of the holy orders.
Dagan stood quietly beside her, staring out across the city, a stony expression on his face. He had shown up moments before and nearly scared the living daylights out of her.
“What are you and Ashe still doing here?”
Ryn had burned a little inside at Dagan’s tone and she jutted her chin out in defiance as she answered him. “A message was delivered to the Barracks last night by bird from Brookhaven instructing us to sit tight and await further orders, so The Knight Commander’s here have ordered us to stay within the city limits.”
“A message? Was there anything addressed to me?” He asked as she handed over the slip of rag paper for him to see what is said for himself.
Ryn shrugged. “If there were, they would have given it to you when you arrived, wouldn’t they?” She could not help the snarkiness in her tone.
Dagan frowned at her response but nodded. “True.”
“Speaking of birds,” Dagan looked up into the sky as he spoke and then checked the surrounding rooftops. “Where is Peck at the moment?”
“He says that he’s checking out the stables and keeping an eye on the horses. But he’s really there, looking for mice and rats. The grain and hay supposedly makes them taste better.”
“You will have to tell me the tale about how you became friends with a Nabolean crow.”
“I will, when you tell me the story about why you are a freelancer for the Tribunal.”
Dagan had turned away from her and directed his gaze out over the city.
/> “Have you been to Aileach’s Palace before?” Ryn cradled her head on her forearms as she leaned against the crenellations to better see down the fifty-foot drop from the outer wall.
“Yes, a long time ago,” Dagan replied. He was leaning causally against an upright, a hand hooked comfortably around his dagger hilt. He seemed unconcerned with his surroundings, but Ryn knew that his eyes would be darting everywhere.
Ryn turned her head slowly on her hands to look up at Dagan.
“And?”
Dagan must have been in one of his rare good moods because he answered her.
“I was young and came to seek service in the Church.”
“You wanted to be a Priest?” Ryn pushed herself away from her leaning position, disbelief plan on her face.
“Yes, I wanted to train to be a Priest,” Dagan tried not to smile at her reaction.
“I then became disillusioned and decided to travel and see more of the world.” The man turned to regard the steeples in the distance.
“What happened?” Ryn asked; this was the furthest that she had ever managed to get at Dagan’s past.
“I went on to do other things.”
Ryn looked carefully at Dagan’s face, the tone he used told her not to ask any more questions but, as usual, his face was unreadable.
“What are your plans for this afternoon?” Dagan asked as a change of subject.
“I thought that you might like to show me around Kaldor since you have been here before. We could have dinner at one of the eating houses, you can tell me tales of when you were young and handsome.”
