by Alan Mundle
As their blood painted the cabin deck, Torbin looked at the Regent. The disinterested look on her face burned Torbin's soul. 'That was murder!' he shouted.
Canara looked at his with amusement. 'That was protocol, Commander, something which your authority here sorely lacks. Now, have your people remove these things, and we will discuss what will happen next.'
Torbin marched towards her so close his face nearly touched hers. The First drew their swords, but Canara raised a hand to stop them. 'I'll tell you what will happen next, Regent. After your Dwarves clean up your mess, you and I are going to go down to the Griftin's chamber, alone.'
'And why by the Great Rock would I ever think about taking orders from a whelp like you and leave my guard behind?'
'Because if you don't, I swear by Sapphire and all the other gods that will hear me, I will activate the prison's final measure. Surely you know what that will do.'
The Regent regarded him coldly before smiling at him. 'You are clearly a dedicated Dwarf, Commander. You hold the safety of your men above all. I don't truly believe you would sacrifice them just to stop me.'
'By now everyone knows what you're capable of, or soon will. My team will know that you don't intend to depart here without seeing them all ruined or dead. They would sooner see me end you than let them be so dishonoured. So with all respected, Regent, get your Imperial rump to the chamber with me. Now.'
She stood still, watching him. When she finally believed the earnest in his eyes, she turned to her Major. 'Remain here and attend to things. The Commander and I must talk.'
Both of them made to leave. Torbin looked at Dalara, but the young Scholar couldn't meet his eyes and look down at the deck plate. Soraba made to accompany him, but Torbin warned her off with a look that said not this time, but be ready.
They made their way through the corridors, workers bowing in the Regent's presence. Torbin couldn't blame them. She was the next best thing to the Empress, her right hand in the whole world. There was even a part in the back of the Commander's mind that said you’re bloody insane? But he couldn't listen to that part anymore. The situation was not only about his survival, but everyone's.
They arrived in the chamber. The sight of the Griftin was enough to make even Canara stop in awe. The sensation was quickly replaced by fear as Torbin saw her subconscious hand movement to the hilt of her sword. She looked around the chamber to the team of guards that had been assigned by Tenabin to replace those of the First that had been permanently relieved of duty.
'I must confess Commander that, for a mid-born Scholar, you are remarkably intelligent.'
Torbin knew she also meant, for a male, too. 'Your Excellency honours me.'
'Yes, bringing me here in the company of your Dwarves and in the presence of a creature that is cable of reading my mind and only responds to you. Most impressive. I owe Dalara an apology for not heeding her report on your capabilities.'
Her words struck him like a blow to the head. 'I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. A 'professor' sent to help me would almost certainly be one of yours if the Empress's letter came from you. And it did come from you, didn't it?'
It was more of a statement than a question, but Canara simply stared at him. 'Dalara is my Second, and yes, her report did find its way to me, and I thought her judgement of you to be an exaggeration by a young Scholar who has always had a naïve romantic view on life. But you are only half right Commander. Much to my utter disgust, the Empress's letter to you was genuine. Your family will indeed meet Her Grace, but I assure you, it will not be as Her guests. I have sent orders to BlueStone City. A contingent of First Warriors have been dispatched to your dwelling to-'
'Where is my family?' demanded Torbin. He was long past caring about propriety. He wanted answers.
'As I said, they are guests of the Empire… in the Imperial dungeons, that is.'
Torbin's fists tightened. He wanted her dead, the hilt of his sword pressed up to her armour. And all the time, he was aware of the Griftin watching them.
'Do not act so surprised. Your conduct has led you to this point, all because of a selfish desire for honour and glory. The Empress was determined to meet your family with honours, but I put a stop to that. The family of dishonourable scum should not be praised by the people and certainly not in the presence of Her Grace. I will have them brought before Her in the manner in which they deserve, and She will come to see the wisdom of my actions.' She looked at the creature for a moment before returning to Torbin. 'And while I do not deny the significance of your find here, the Empire will decide how best to deal with this creature and from this moment on-'
'She means to kill me.' The Griftins message tunnelled into Torbin's head, blocking out the Regent's words. 'She means to kill us both. You know this.'
Torbin tried his best to keep looking at the Regent while communing with the Griftin, forming words in his mind. 'I know.'
'I would prefer not to die, Child of the Rock. Let me end her. You can tell your superiors any story of your choosing. Please, don't let her do this.'
'It is not so easy to kill a Regent, to do so is the height of dishonour. But I will not let her kill you. I swear it.'
'... and so, you will carry out my orders, or by the Great Rock, you will never see your family again.'
Torbin didn't know all that Canara said when the communion ended, but he got the picture. Everything was at stake, and a plan quickly formulated in his mind. It was risky. It could all go wrong, but it was the only way out he could see. He focused on Canara and saluted.
'I obey, my Regent.'
CHAPTER 16
EXPOSURE
Darkness was all Rafarin could sense. As he tried to recall who he was, muffled sounds started to register in his mind. The noises began to increase in frequency, and it felt as if he were being held. Not just held, but shaken. Light began to enter his eyes, and slowly, the noises became voices. He knew them. They were his wives.
'By the Great Rock, Rafarin, waken, oh please, waken!!!'
His eyes opened and he found himself staring into the faces of Anessa and Jisara. As his vision began to focus, he realised that not only were both wives distraught, they were also in chains. And he could tell from the way they were shaking him, that he was too.
He started to look around and noticed that he was both laying down and moving. He turned his head and found that he was in a small moving cell. He lunged forward and grabbed the bars of his cage. A throbbing pain in his head brought it all crashing back to him. He had been in a meeting with the other Noble Scholars, planning curriculums for the coming academic year when the doors of their chamber crashed open. Guards wearing the emblems of the Empire came in and called for Rafarin, presenting an order for his arrest. Rafarin didn't know what to do or think. When he had a second to process what was going on, he thought there must have been a mistake, and tried to reminded them of who he was and the recent fame of his House. Whatever effect he thought this might have, it didn't stop two of the Warriors from marching on Rafarin and seizing him. The other Nobles in the chamber protested, but the guards had no intention of being stopped in their duty. They manacled Rafarin and pulled him out of the city Court. They dragged him through the streets in full view of the public. They took him back to his House. It was in flames. His eyes desperately started scanning the area looking for some sign of his family, anything that could give him a glimmer of hope. All he could find was the slain bodies of the guards so recently put in his family's service and a crowd of neighbours and strangers gawking at the blaze before them. Then, near the front of the House, he managed to spot a couple of his sons, Jorvin and Kackrin putting up a struggle with more Imperial guards, but not having much luck against their superior skill. As his captors brought him closer, he found all of the females grouped in chains, supporting each other in anguish and tears. All of them were being herded into the cages of which they now occupied. Rafarin tired, again and again, to protest his innocence but the guards finally took the butt of an axe
and clobbered him over the head. The last thing he remembered thinking before the blackness happened was, Why? I've been so careful.
The blow he suffered must have been a grievous one to have come back to the world and found that they had travelled all the way to Mordabinn, which was at least a day's journey, even on the fastest train. But here they were, in the sight of the commoners and Nobles of the most magnificent city in the world, defeated and humiliated for all to see. He saw the faces of males, females and Dwarflings all peering in at them. His first instinct was to try to hide his face but soon considered that it was futile. The damage was done a long time ago. He looked within his cage at his wives. Tears streamed down Anessa's face and looked as if they had for a long time. Jisara, however, was silent, looking almost catatonic with fear. He looked back in the direction the guards were taking them and saw two more cages in tow. The closet one contained his husband and their sons with all the daughters in the last one, all of whom were in the same shameful condition. Everyone was looking as pained as he was. The sons were angry and thumped on the bars, daring for a guard to get what was coming to them. The females huddled together, trying in vain to hide as much of themselves as was possible. Rafarin's heart broke at his family's pain.
But he had to stay focused. He examined their surroundings and saw that they had been brought to The King's Pass, the great courtyard that served as the gateway between the Imperial palace and the rest of Mordabinn City. Rafarin had never been there before, but every Dwarven child knew the legend written on these walls over the centuries. This place, more of an arena than a passageway, was built during the founding of the city by the great Kings of old. It was a place that had long been a bridge between the Dwarven Nobility and the common folk and continued to be, even in modern days. Rafarin couldn't help but marvel at what he saw. The excellent craftsmanship of his people was at its peak here. The walls were adorned in bright jewels, as were the statues that stood high of Dwarves that had shaped their civilisation. The most dominant feature of the landscape was the statute faces looking down upon their people. Rafarin found the eyes of the Great King Darvadin, the Last King and the most famous Dwarf that founded the Empire and its Nations. Though awed by his magnificence, he found himself unable to meet the eyes of the great Dwarf. He had been brought to this sacred place of honour in disgrace.
As he looked down at his feet, the whole courtyard fell silent. The absence of noise drew everyone's attention, and Rafarin looked up to see waves of Dwarves dropping to their knees. As the closest folk followed suit, he soon saw why. A procession in gold-plated armour approached them. All breath left Rafarin as he saw who was coming, and he bayed the other members of his family to bow with the crowd. Empress Darina walked among her people in shinning white-gold armour, her Royal stature taking the breath away from those who looked up for a glimpse of her. Rafarin was no coward. If he had come here under better circumstances, he would be more than willing, eager in fact, to steal a glance at the most powerful Dwarf in the world.
The Empress locked eyes on Rafarin, considering him. He never felt as exposed as he did at that moment. He heard her approach while continuing to kneel with his head to the ground. He listened to the clanking of her armour and that of her Regents and their guards. When the clanking stopped, he knew that she was within a metre of him, considering him and his family. Both his wives, despite their best efforts, were in tears. Rafarin looked back at them and found that they had both taken to covering their faces with their hands, wet drops leaking down to the cage floor.
'Look at Us.' The voice, both firm and gentle passed like a harsh winter wind, but he obeyed. He craned his neck up to peer through the cell bars and right at Empress Darina. 'You are Rafarin, Son of Ordasin?'
For a brief moment, Rafarin wanted to lie, but he knew that wouldn't get him or his family anywhere. 'Yes, my Empress.'
'Hmmm.' She looked into his eyes. Rafarin, like any other Dwarf, knew it was taboo for any Dwarf to look at a sovereign for too long, but she had bid him do so and did his best to keep a stern gaze. Weakness now would kill his family. 'You certainly don't have the look of traitors, good Dwarf. We confess Our experience of such people is limited. The irony of your situation is not lost on Us, that your son helped to build the very prison where you will spend the rest of your days. It’s a shame, We were looking forward to that dinner with the Imperial Court and your family.' She turned around, having seen she wanted to see, returning to the safety of her Regents, one of whom started to approach the family. ‘Let the people know that Torbin, Son of Rafarin has committed high treason in his station as Commander of Void Prison. The penalty for such an act is the incarceration of the whole living bloodline and the stripping of all Nobility and possessions.
If ever there was time to act, Rafarin knew it was now. 'My Empress, what proof do you have that my son has committed the crimes for which we all must suffer?'
The courtyard fell silent for a moment until one of the guards approached Rafarin’s cage and sent the butt of his spear into his side. 'Silence worm, no one speaks to the Empress unless she is addressing them!'
Rafarin doubled up on receiving the blow, but he was determined to stay strong. 'You’re Grace has received reports from the prison confirming the guilt of Torbin, but you have yet to see proof of any kind-'
Two guards sent more blows against Rafarin to silence him, but he knew that he had managed to get all the words he needed across when the Empress turned around and looked back at him and slowly to the rest of Her subjects. Rafarin could tell as she cast her eyes over the crowd that she was calculating the consequences of his words and that she had to answer for the sake of her honour.
'We received reports by Our best and most honourable Regent. She gave an account of the activities your son has performed during his duty. We have faith in the honesty of Regent Canara, as We have in all the others in Ourservice. We do not need to confirm her words, and We certainly don’t have to explain Ourselves to a family of traitors.’
She turned around again to leave, but Rafarin was not finished. 'But you do owe an explanation to the people, my Empress!' Once again, Darina stopped in her tracks and turned around to face him. 'For weeks now, the Empire has been keeping what is happening at Void Prison a secret. You have shipped guards and more supplies there than have ever been needed before since the beginning of its construction. At the same time, you send word to my House that Torbin had achieved great deeds that ascended him and the rest of his family to that of the Noble ranks. Again, the rest of the Nations nor we have been allowed any word on what could be happening in a place that, while being shunned by the Gods and the Great Rock, is only supposed to be concerned with holding the worst of our kind.' As Rafarin spoke, he became aware that the Regents surrounding the Empress had begun issuing silent commands to the generals of the guards, their orders quickly making their way to the front of the crowd. His time was fast running out. 'You say you trust the words of your Regent at Void Prison, but how can the rest of us have faith in her words when Your Grace refuses to explain to the rest of us what is happening out there!'
Rafarin had to stop. One of the guards near him and finally received the orders that were making their way down from the top. He unsheathed his sword and made for a deadly blow through the cage bars. Rafarin retreated to shield his wives from the attack. But it didn’t come. He heard a clash of metal loud enough to reverberate through the whole courtyard. When he looked back, he saw that another sword had intercepted that of the guard and still held it at bay from reaching the family. It was being held by a male Dwarf wearing light armour, with blond hair and beard tied with so many gold bracelets, he could only have been a Lord of the Empire. Rafarin watched as his would-be saviour swung his blade around to throw off the obviously stunned guard who didn’t anticipate meeting any opposition. The sound of swords clashing reverberated throughout the courtyard, stunning everyone, including the Empress into silence. But only for a moment.
'Lord Castin, by the Great Rock,
explain yourself, immediately!'
As the words left the Regent who had been giving the commands, Rafarin watched as Lord Castin put himself between the cages and the guards. He thought himself crazy for speaking against the Empire, but what this Lord was doing was nothing short of suicide. The Lord continued to hold his sword aloft in defence of Rafarin's family as he spoke.
'I believe the Empire was just about to explain itself to the people!'
The Empress herself stepped forward to address her people once more. 'Lord Castin, your actions risk granting you a worse fate than these traitors here. By what right do you interfere with these proceedings so violently?'
'The Code of Honour gives me the right to act, my Empress,' said Lord Castin. 'Rafarin here speaks the truth. Even if his son has committed the crimes reported against him, this does not excuse the conduct of the Empire against the people.' Rafarin's eyes joined that of the crowds that had all fallen on the Empress. It was clear to all that she was unsettled, probably never having been so publically challenged in all her three hundred years. But if Lord Castin had any guilt over this, it didn’t show, as he continued to speak. 'You have kept what his happening at the prison a secret from the common folk and both the Lords and Nobles of the Empire. Many of the families of sons and daughters who work at Void Prison or serve in its guard have been forbidden all news of what is happening there. We all agreed that no one sent to that place would be prevented from communicating with their homes while serving in a place so removed from the Great Rock. If these actions were not suspicious enough, those of your Regents could hardly be held as fool-proof when one, right here, just tried to silence a prisoner with cowardice.'
The guards made to move toward him, less than happy about being disgraced in front of their Empress. A loud crack halted them in their tracks. They looked back and saw that the Empress had plunged her sceptre into the ground so hard it split the marble beneath her. Rafarin saw the stare she gave to her guards, making him wish there was somewhere he could retreat to. Thankfully, Lord Castin wasn't finished. 'If the Empire cannot confirm or deny the actions that are happening at Void Prison, then this grand display of public humiliation insults both the honour of this family and that of the Empire.'
