The Dark Lord Cecil

by Wade Adrian

  “And what if I decline? What if I storm right past you with all my horses? Ride right on in like a stampede, destroying everything and everyone in my way?”

  “Well that would be terribly rude. And in being terribly rude you’d be making friendly negotiations a tad more difficult. You also seem to be overlooking the fact that our forces are basically immortal. You think you can win with a bit of shock and awe? Knock us down, we get back up. We don’t need sleep. We don’t need food. You can’t starve us out or throw plague ridden corpses in. We are the glorious end of all mankind, and we’re not the least bit intimidated by you or your flea ridden beasts of burden, and by that I mean both the horses and their skin sack riders.” Murray hopped up and landed on the railing, sword in hand and pointed square into the face of the lead rider, Mr. Big shot himself. “So come, join us. We’re always hiring and we could really use more excavators and sword arms. You’ll only truly know our glory once you’ve left that disgusting meat suit behind.” He gave them his best grin, lots of teeth. Which was pretty much how he always looked.

  The skeletons waiting on the balcony pointed crude spears out towards the riders, and the skeletons that lined the path gnashed their teeth and waved their arms menacingly.

  Trying to intimidate walking and talking skeletons. The nerve of some people.

  The rider’s eyes focused on the tip of the sword that was nearly touching his nose. “I think you might be right. It would be rude.” A smile sprouted on his stupid face. “And I prefer to think we’ll be fast friends.”

  Muireach lead them down a series of dusty stone hallways. The place had a serious tomb vibe, whether they were going for that or not.

  Redding walked along behind him casually. He’d brought along the scout, Mitch, and the fat little scholar whose name escaped him. He’d ditched his colorful robe in favor of a drab hooded affair. Apparently he was not well liked in some circles, and those circles were rumored to be in this very tower. Still, he was the expert opinion on the matter, so getting information first hand was best. Mitch had proven himself an asset in information gathering. His colleagues had produced more, true, but both of them might well be compromised within the walls.

  It felt… strange to walk around in public without his armor. They’d been marching around the east end of Greater Azul for weeks now and he didn’t dare leave his tent without it. He wouldn’t have dared here, except that he knew Gomer had accepted and walked back out.

  Which meant those within were weak, but he needed to see just how weak for himself. His plans for this place and this force required them to bend, not break. Gentle pressure would need to be applied, at least until breaking was required. Still, it would take a careful hand for everything to proceed properly, but they’d pressured foolish neutral parties before to great success.

  The skeleton stopped at a set of very new looking doors. The varnish didn’t seem dry. “I don’t know if you have any manners, but mind them if you do. And I’ll correct you if you don’t.” His bony hand lay on the hilt of his sword. “Do I make myself clear?”

  Redding smiled. “Oh, perfectly. It’s almost like I can see right through you.” In more ways than one, the bony braggart.

  Muireach narrowed his red eyes at Redding, but turned and opened the doors dutifully.

  The room within was dark, stray shafts of light entering from windows that were mostly covered with heavy black curtains. They were the same color as the banners draped around the place almost haphazardly. Allegiance was obvious, but the desire to appear prim and proper was absent.

  A few candles were burning here and there but not enough to really help. They wanted it dim, and it was dim.

  If that was supposed to hide all the skeletons milling around, they had failed. They stood in places, sat in others, and lounged in a few. All empty eye sockets turned to them when the door opened.

  At the back of the room, towards the center, sat the throne. A giant chair made out of bone. Its top was lined with skulls, some of which seemed to be moving about. The back extended well above the man slouching in the seat. A black crown inset with softly glowing red gems sat upon his head.

  A second red eyed skeleton stood beside the chair, and a young blond woman decked out in black with a red shawl stood on the other side.

  Just as he had been told they would.

  Redding smiled.

  22

  Cecil tried to keep a bored expression on his face. It wasn’t easy with the man grinning at him. This was no place for smiles. They had gone out of their way to make this a place of frowns.

  It was easy for him to frown. He didn’t want to be here, and he’d stubbed his toe twice already in the dark. Stupid drapes.

  Fortunately they’d had plenty of time to make preparations. There had been some serious feet dragging on the part of Mr. Giggles over there, and his party.

  Murray cleared his throat and stood as tall as he could. “My lord and ladies, and most especially my Dark Lord,” he bowed low, sweeping his hat off before standing and plopping it back on his head. “This guy won’t tell me his name. He just keeps saying his hair is reddening. Which is kind of odd, right? I’ve heard of hair graying, but never reddening.”

  Lady Aldora’s face drew down into a frown. “Herr is a local way of saying Mister amongst the people of Rojo. Redding is his name, my lord.” She turned to Cecil at the end. She had probably wanted to yell at Murray but they weren’t supposed to fight in front of company. Manners and all that.

  It sounded like she had heard of him, and that raised a mountain of questions, but Cecil managed to simply nod, as if that was all just barely interesting enough for him to stay awake. Which was only partly true.

  They had run out of tea the day before. His eyes were still scratchy.

  Redding inclined his head to them. “I come with only the warmest greetings from the land of Rojo, my most gracious hosts.”

  Lady Aldora continued to frown. Cecil didn’t quite understand why. He seemed like an okay sort. Friendly, anyway. Gomer had been rather blunt.

  Egerton grunted from his place beside the throne. “You march on our tower, and tell us it’s a warm greeting?”

  “My sincerest apologies, Lord Egerton, yes? You mistake my actions. I did not bring this force to conquer, or even to posture. I am offering them to you. Or, more accurately, to the Dark Lord.”

  That got Cecil’s eyebrow to creep up.

  Lady Aldora’s face faded to a neutral mask. She was his diplomat, but he had no idea what was going on in her head.

  Egerton scoffed. “I find that difficult to believe.”

  “Your tower and its occupants are a thorn in the side of Greater Azul. I pride myself on also being a thorn in the side of Greater Azul. Together we are like a beautiful rose, wondrous to behold yet terrible to encounter.”

  So, they were from confirmed to be from Rojo, the people wandering across the eastern border so brazenly. Gomer wanted Cecil to send skeletons to fight them, and the very next day they showed up with troops to help him against Gomer.

  Cecil tilted his head slightly. “I have no intention of crossing swords with anyone.” Egerton and Lady Aldora no doubt continued to disagree, but they wouldn’t question him openly. And both seemed to be less than thrilled about having this guy under their roof.

  Redding smiled. Again. “My men will be delighted to hear it. Yet I have scout reports, which I will happily share, showing all the eyes General Gomer still has on you. He is merely waiting for a sign of a weakness, a crack in the armor, then he will send everything he has. I’m sure you see how safeguarding you benefits me. And a union of forces benefits us both. I am willing to make the first move to seal this union. Consider it done, and in good faith.”

  Cecil bit his tongue a bit to keep his face steady. He wanted to frown. The man finagled his way into the door and didn’t seem like he was planning to leave, regardless of what anyone had to say. Kicking him out would be tantamount to telling him where to shove it, a move that would ea
rn a straight up enemy rather than the merely looming potential enemy that was General Gomer.

  He didn’t see a way out of this. This wasn’t his field. Fields were his field. This was all way over his head, and glances at Egerton and Lady Aldora got him nothing. Both seemed just as caught as him.

  Cecil shrugged one shoulder a little, trying to maintain his disinterested look. “I have little interest in matters of Greater Azul, or of Rojo. But I recognize that such matters exist around me. You believe Gomer intends to harass me and you wish to stand in his way. I won’t stop you. In fact, I’m sure the living within this tower will be grateful for the aid.”

  Redding bowed again. “Delighted to hear it. I will put my scouts at your disposal, and I suggest we hold a meeting that you might know all that we have discovered.”

  He had no doubt “discovered” things that painted him as Cecil’s only friend against a terrible world. It fit the bill. But it wasn’t like he had grounds to disagree.

  “Of course.” Cecil waved absently to Egerton. “I place this matter in your capable hands.”

  “Thank you, my lord.” Egerton bowed low before strolling across the room. “I am sure we will have very productive talks, Master Redding.”

  “No doubt.” Redding nodded at Egerton, but his eyes returned to Cecil. “If you wish, my lord, I can station my people within the walls to ensure your safety.”

  Cecil was almost sure the assassin had been one of his. Lady Aldora had suspected them since she heard they were so close, and Cecil saw no reason to disagree. He had the means where Gomer did not. Did he have reason? There was no way to tell… yet.

  But he still didn’t want Redding’s people walking around his tower with knives. Or even without them. It was a long way down. He couldn’t stay on the ground floor forever, and that would just mean assassins had to be more creative. “I don’t believe that will be necessary, for now. As you can see, the place still needs work. I would be remiss if some harm came to a friend by a loose piece of masonry or a rotted out support beam. We’ll keep working on it. The occasional accident barely slows my followers down.”

  Redding’s smile faded to one that seemed almost painted on. There was nothing happy about his eyes. “My lord is correct, of course. I will leave a small detachment just the same, so that they may signal the rest of my people should they be needed. We’re already establishing a camp just beyond the grounds being excavated.”

  Egerton tilted his head a bit. “We may be moving that direction. Lets have a look, it might be best to relocate before you’re dug in.”

  Cecil couldn’t tell if Egerton was being genuine or trying to delay them getting comfortable. Not having a face and missing most of one’s body made them difficult to read.

  Redding bowed low. “I look forward to our future meetings, Dark Lord Cecil.”

  “Indeed.” Cecil pulled the crown lower, covering his eyes. He hoped it looked intimidating. He really just wanted to be done with all of this, and it seemed like a good way to convey that “in character.”

  He heard the doors open and close again before he peeked out from under the edge of the crown.

  Redding and his lieutenants were gone, along with Egerton. Murray locked the door. “Yeesh.”

  Cecil rubbed at his neck. Stupid heavy crown. “Okay, I don’t like that guy.”

  Murray nodded as he crossed the room. “Slimey. So nice about how he insists everything is done. Maybe he should be ‘Cesspool,’ name was never good for you anyway, boss.”

  Lady Aldora waved her hands. “Light.”

  Skeletons moved to obey, uncovering the so recently covered windows. The place still looked like a bit of a wreck when you could actually see it. Darkening the room and stationing skeletons in front of the rubbles had been a last minute ideas.

  Murray chuckled as light poured into the room. “That’s not usually how the Dark part is supposed to work.”

  Lady Aldora scowled at him. “If you’ve got better ideas, feel free to share. I’m growing weary of your flippant tongue.”

  Murray opened his jaw wide. “What tongue?”

  Cecil sighed. “Stop it. There are plenty of enemies outside, lets try to be civil in here, okay?”

  Murray rolled his eyes, but Lady Aldora nodded. “You’re right, we have bigger concerns.”

  The skeleton scoffed. “They get bigger?”

  “Did you tell him Egerton’s name?”

  Murray’s eyes cut back and forth a few times. “Uhh… nope. He rode up and asked which I was. He knew both names.”

  She nodded. “Which means he knows a great deal. Egerton and Muireach-”

  “Murray.” He sighed.

  “-are the most difficult names to come by here. I am well known as the daughter of Lord Yale Thorn, and Cecil’s name is tied to this location now, but no one outside these walls should know you, Murray.”

  His bony shoulders slumped. “Well, that kind of confirms he got spies in.”

  Cecil rubbed at the bridge of his nose. “And that he doesn’t care that we know that. And now he’s stationed some more here to be our new best friends.”

  Lady Aldora nodded. “Indeed. We will be wise to limit their movements and ensure they are all accounted for at all times.”

  “Because that won’t look suspicious.”

  She frowned a little. “Cecil, doing anything less will give him reason to attack you now. You must show him you suspect him, or he will take you for a fool.”

  “Did I ever mention I don’t like all of this political nonsense? I feel like I mentioned it.”

  “Regardless, you’re part of it.”

  He rolled his eyes but nodded before taking the crown off. “Oh, I know. So what do we do now?”

  “I would suggest a preemptive move to establish dominance.”

  Cecil almost laughed, but he was too tired and it came out as a squeak. “Oww. This chair is pointy. Don’t make me laugh.”

  “It was not meant in jest.”

  He rubbed at his temples. A headache was coming on.

  “But…” she shrugged a bit. “If you prefer not, then all we can do is what we are already doing, growing stronger by the hour. But we will need to be cautious, as there is a point at which we will be beyond challenge, and both Gomer and Redding know this. They won’t wait forever.”

  Murray rubbed at his chin. “Is there a third despot coming by soon? I think we’re getting better at this shtick.”

  “While that was in jest…” Lady Aldora cut her eyes to Murray for a moment before turning them back to Cecil, “it would actually be helpful. As it stands each is eying the other and us. And we sit and do nothing. While our inaction is due to a desire for peaceful resolution, they simply won’t see it that way. They think we’re up to something, and that we’re so good at hiding it they can’t find it. The longer they go without being able to uncover some devious plan on our end, the more nervous they will become.”

  Cecil groaned softly as he leaned over the arm of the chair. “I can’t even do nothing properly.”

  “It’s not your fault, they don’t know how to approach someone like you.”

  Murray chuckled. “Power mad people see everyone else as power mad, boss.”

  Lady Aldora nodded. “Precisely. Especially true for anyone they feel the need to waste niceties on.”

  Cecil’s arms hung over the arm of the chair as he rested his chin on it. “Well that’s stupid.”

  “That’s normal.” Lady Aldora shook her head. “They aren’t going to change.”

  Cecil sat back up in the chair. “Wait, you said there’s a point at which they can’t possibly beat us. So, that’s what we need to get to. Then they’ll leave us alone?”

  “Then it is a waste of manpower to attempt to fight us. Not exactly the same. At that point they will most likely attempt to employ siege weaponry and tactics, but that won’t work either. With so few actual mouths to feed and stone tunnels underground we can last for ages. And you already set up a means to ke
ep us supplied by back channels, whether you realized you were doing it or not.”

  “That’s a long way to say ‘yes.’ “

  Her face scrunched up a bit. “I was trying to be thorough. Yes, there is a point at which they are no longer a threat. But as I said, they know this and will plan to keep us from reaching it.”

  “By looking for how we are being sneaky about getting there.” Cecil nodded. “Except we aren’t. But they don’t know that.” He pointed at Murray. “You think you can whip up something pointless but devious looking out where we’re excavating and be sneaky about getting it done?”

  The skeleton blinked. “Umm… maybe? I mean, this place has a sordid history, sure. There’s probably something other than the Crown of Command waiting in the ruins. I doubt any of it is comparable. The scholars might know more.”

  Cecil smiled. “Great. It doesn’t need to be anything important, just something shiny. Go talk to them.”

  Murray snapped a salute and took off at a jog.

  Lady Aldora watched Cecil with a tilted head. “That’s actually rather clever.”

  “You said they won’t change. So I do what they expect, even if it doesn’t matter. Buys us time, and time is all we need, right?”

  “Quite clever.” Her face was hard to read. Somehow it felt less like a compliment and more like she was surprised… and not exactly pleased about it. Like she was adding a new variable to a math problem.

  She was, after all, exactly the type of person they were facing. Which kind of did mean there were three. He was just lucky she was on his side. He needed all the help he could get.

  23

  Redding walked his horse back toward his camp, adjusting his gauntlets all the while. The design made them close fitting and finicky to get just right…

  The speed was for Egerton’s sake. He didn’t have a horse, and the horses didn’t seem to tolerate the pile of bones enough to let him on one. Probably poke it with his pelvis if he tried to ride one anyway anyway.

  Redding was, of course, no fool. Egerton was along to take note of his forces and their overall preparedness and likelihood of making trouble for him and his master. However, the game Redding was playing had only just begun. Getting in close was essential. People didn’t let their enemies close no matter what old folksy wisdom said on the matter.