The Pool And The Pedestal (Book 2)

by Daniel McHugh

  “From the outside, it looks like a gigantic block.” continued Ader. “But it is merely a shell. Most of the land the Hold sits upon comprises the training grounds. You glimpsed them a moment ago. The Hold is simply a box, although a very sturdy box, that surrounds the grounds.

  This shell houses all that is needed to keep the training of the troops underway. There are five stories above ground and three below. There are enough billets here to house the General Staff, all of their attendants and one thousand recruits. The Hold houses a fully functioning stables and has a larder able to supply all here for at least a year. There is a well in the yard, so they enjoy an ample supply of fresh water.

  No windows look out to the city. There is no need. The inner rooms of this corridor all contain windows looking into the training yard and each of the five stories has an open balcony which surrounds the yard. Unfortunately, the outer rooms have no windows for protective reasons. Normally recruits are housed in such austere quarters, but apparently this is all Brelg could find for us.”

  The group halted in front of a heavy, wooden door. Their escort lifted a thick iron latch and the door swung in to reveal a dark, sparsely furnished room. The escort lifted a torch from an iron ring attached to the wall. He entered the room and lit a pair of candles set on a rough hewn, wooden table.

  “These are the quarters reserved for the corporals of the recruit class.” stated the escort. “Sergeant Brelg has yet to chose from among the men, so they will be available for a few more days. An extra cot has been added to this room and the following two rooms are yours as well.”

  Kael looked about the room. A bunk bed lay wedged in a dark corner. A small cot extended from its end. A few woolen blankets were stacked on each bed. Other than the table and chairs, these were the only furnishings in the small granite box.

  “Perhaps I was wrong.” frowned Eidyn squinting in the darkness. “Perhaps the Zodrians have finally combined beauty with functionality.”

  Kael and Flair chuckled and Manfir frowned at the Elven prince.

  “This is a palace compared to sleeping on the frigid, rocky hills at the foot of the Scythtar Mountains.” stated Manfir. “We try to prepare the recruits for the harsh life they are about to endure. Hopefully, this training makes that life last a little longer than it might without such preparation.”

  Eidyn nodded and bowed.

  “I will be happy to take the cot.” smiled Flair.

  “Then I will stay here as well.” added Kael smiling toward Flair. “We make a good team.”

  “No, I will take the cot as an apology for my rudeness. You two can share the bunk.” said Eidyn.

  “My Lord Ader and I have much to discuss.” interjected Teeg. “We will take the next room down the hallway.”

  The room went quiet. The entire group turned and stared at Granu and Manfir. A scowl crept across the Zodrian prince’s face. Granu remained expressionless. Kael felt the need to diffuse the situation.

  “I will switch and bunk with...” began Kael.

  “Manfir.” rumbled Granu cutting off Kael. “I would appreciate the use of the bottom bunk. My leg makes climbing .... difficult.”

  Manfir’s scowl deepened, but he nodded at the giant.

  “It is yours.” replied Manfir. “I give you the lower bed out of self preservation. Zodrian carpenters are expert craftsman, but under your girth I fear the bunk would collapse and crush me in my sleep.”

  Granu raised an eyebrow at the Zodrian.

  “So, you intend to sleep while an armed Keltaran warrior lies a few feet beneath you?” questioned Granu.

  “Like a baby.” returned Manfir and he spun and stepped from the room into the hallway.

  Granu shared a smile with the remainder of the group.

  “We shall see.” laughed the giant and he limped into the hallway following Manfir.

  Ader and Teeg made their leave shortly thereafter. The three young men were left alone in their room and discussed their trip thus far. Flair’s silence had lasted through most of the journey, but he came alive during this discussion. The encounter with Tepi and the appearance of the “fox” and his counterparts fascinated him. Eidyn and Kael agreed to let Flair in on all they discovered. Kael recounted the happenings in the “Rusty Nail”. He noticed Eidyn’s eyes narrow and the Elven prince became somber. As Kael finished the story, he heard a knock on the door.

  “Come in.” said Eidyn.

  The door swung open and Kael’s eyes went wide upon the sight of Brelg standing in the door’s framework.

  “Normally, I don’t knock on doors in the Hold, but I make exceptions for guests.” smiled Kael’s father.

  Brelg swept into the room and threw his arms out toward the boy. Kael hesitated. Recent events flooded his mind. Seeing his father elated him, but images of his mother and Aemmon crowded that joy. Kael’s happiness crumbled as sorrow, doubt and guilt burst through his emotions.

  “F ... Father.” whispered Kael.

  Brelg read the confusion in his son’s face

  “Come here, boy.” growled the old soldier as he wrapped his son in his arms and pulled him close.

  Tears flowed from Kael’s eyes and he squeezed them shut and let himself be supported by the strong embrace of his father.

  Eidyn cleared his throat.

  “We need to consult with Manfir concerning rations. We’ll leave you to your reunion.”

  Eidyn bowed to the father and son and left the room accompanied by Flair. As the door closed, Brelg put a cupped hand under Kael’s chin and lifted his face. He looked into his son’s eyes.

  “You are all that I have left, my boy. Promise me that you will take care of yourself.”

  “I will.... father.” said Kael dropping his head.

  Brelg moved his hands to Kael’s shoulders and stepped back from the boy. Kael hesitantly looked up. The father searched the son’s eyes.

  “Kael, don’t stumble upon the word “father”. I’m not certain what you were told while we were apart, but I see doubt in your eyes. Never doubt that you are my son and your mother and I loved you from the first day we saw you.”

  The old soldier drew the boy in once more and they began to weep.

  “Don’t let revelations from a distant past drive a wedge between us.” whispered Brelg. “My love for you has never been stronger. We’re all that is left of my beautiful family. No matter what you were told, remember that I am your father.”

  “Thank you.” Kael whispered back and he held his father tightly.

  A knock sounded upon the door and it slowly opened. Ader stepped into the room. Brelg scowled at the Seraph. Ader’s eyes studied the stonework on the floor of the chamber.

  “Greetings, old friend.” he muttered.

  Brelg’s hands bunched into tight fists at his side. He bowed lightly and clenched his teeth.

  “The day and the time of the telling were to be of my choosing!” seethed Brelg. “It had been decided.”

  “Events forced my hand.” stated Ader.

  Brelg tensed.

  “You promised us. We would be the ones to tell him. She counted on it. She didn’t want him hurt.” said Brelg.

  Ader glanced to Kael then back to Brelg.

  “I didn’t promise, I swore to you I would try to keep it as you asked. I could not. The boy was in turmoil. Too much was happening. Doubt entered his mind and he needed answers. I gave him some.”

  “Your answers filled him with doubt about us! Who we were! Why we were involved! Were we just players in the game?” growled Brelg. “You filled him with doubt about her!”

  Ader glanced at Kael once more and then smiled to Brelg.

  “He never doubted her. Confusion over the details maybe, but I’ve seen his thoughts. He never doubted her love.”

  Brelg turned to Kael and the boy nodded.

  “He’s right, father. Seeing you again made me realize one thing. I’m Kael Brelgson, no matter what they tell me.”

  Brelg grabbed Kael once more in hi
s bear hug.

  “And I will always be your proud father.” said Brelg. “She loved you both so much.”

  The pair embraced for a moment longer then Brelg turned to Ader.

  “I’ve done what my Creator asked of me.” stated Brelg. “But I grow weary with the weight of my struggles.”

  “Patience my friend. The time is nigh when all will be decided.” returned Ader.

  “Can’t the decision be made without us?” pleaded Brelg. “ I’ve lost half of my family. I dread the future.”

  “Your life has been filled with both great sorrow and great joy, my friend. You were called upon and you answered. You are blessed in the eyes of Avra. However, now is the boy’s time. He must answer his own call. It is not for you or I to decide his path. Only Kael can determine what is best for Kael.”

  A weariness crept over Brelg’s face. His father’s exhaustioned distressed Kael.

  “You knew from the first morn I laid the boy in Yanwin’s arms. I told you then and I repeat it now. He is yours to love and be loved by, but one day he is to be called. He will decide what to do then.” continued Ader.

  Kael looked nervously between Ader and Brelg.

  “Don’t worry, father. Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m not leaving you again. You can finish up your business here and we can go home.” stated Kael hopefully.

  Brelg halfheartedly smiled at the boy. He reached out and put a hand on Kael’s shoulder.

  “I’m afraid that’s not true, son.” said Brelg. “My business here will take a lot longer than you think. When it’s over, I’m not sure I’ll be going home.”

  “What .... what are you talking about?” said Kael frantically. “Let’s get our things together and go. Why must we stay here? Why can’t we forget all this and go back to “The King’s Service”?”

  “Because that is precisely what I am in Kael, the king’s service. I am a part of this Kael. I cannot stand idly by.” replied Brelg.

  “Why not?!” questioned Kael. “Why do we need to get involved?! What does one man matter in this conflict?”

  Brelg cleared his throat. The soldier in him returned. He set his jaw as his back went ramrod straight.

  “What have I taught you?!” exclaimed Brelg. “Are we to run from this? Are we to hide while others fight for us? One day there will be no one left to fight for us, Kael. What then? Do we wait in Kelky until the Ulrog arrive? Do we lay down in front of them and let it end?! I am a Zodrian! I still have some fight in these old bones, and enough in this old head of mine to show them what a man of Avra can accomplish! Add this one man of Avra to others and we will become a force to be reckoned with!

  The Deceiver looks for us to be disheartened. The Lord of Chaos hopes his seeds of uncertainty have been sown deep. I see it in the eyes of the recruits as the dead return from the front. I see it in the eyes of the people as their children go hungry while we try to get supplies to the Guard. I see it in the eyes of the court and King Macin himself, as our calls for reinforcements from the South go unanswered. Now is the time for people to step forward. To sacrifice all and show others the way. This is what He called me for all those years ago, Kael. This is what your father was born to do!”

  Kael hung his head.

  “I’m sorry. You’re right.” muttered the boy.

  Brelg hesitated, then smiled at his son.

  “Besides, I’m a bigger part of this than you know. It seems your grandfather, the king, decided to make me some sort of duke or earl in my long absence from the Capitol. I’m not sure which. I was supposed to command an entire army of militia in support of the Guard.”

  “But you rejected my father’s offer.” came a voice from the doorway.

  Manfir stood leaning against the doorjamb.

  “Apparently, Sergeant Brelg feels he would do a greater good training an army rather than commanding it.” continued the prince.

  “I’ve never been good at the overall plan.” replied Brelg smiling. “I’ve only been successful at the battlefield level. Find me a trouble spot and ask me to fix it. That’s where I thrive.”

  Manfir stepped into the room and Brelg extended a hand toward the prince. Manfir advanced and threw his arms into a tight embrace around the old soldier.

  “No more secrets brother.” whispered Manfir into Brelg’s ear. “We have lost much together. Now is the time to regain our kinship.”

  “Well met, my prince.” replied Brelg.

  The pair broke from their embrace and stepped apart.

  “I believe Rin’s time on this world is over.” smiled Manfir. “The enemy thought the heirs of Zodra and Astel went missing from this world. Perhaps our emergence will cause Izgra some consternation. At the very least, it feels good to wear the proper name in public again.”

  “I suggest we keep the Astelan heir under wraps for a short time longer.” stated Ader.

  Manfir nodded and turned back to Brelg.

  “Where is Cefiz?” asked Manfir.

  Brelg scowled and looked to the floor.

  “He is probably in the kitchens with the cooks and the serving girls.” grumbled Brelg.

  Manfir clenched his teeth and appeared angry. Kael was puzzled.

  “Cefiz is always at home in the kitchen.” smiled Kael.

  “We shall see.” muttered Manfir. “Brelg, what of this Colonel Udas, this ‘Hero of Rimdar Pass’?”

  “I’ve learned very little.” replied Brelg. “The story regarding Rimdar has been retold by his men so many times there are fifty versions.”

  “A great battle?” questioned Manfir.

  “The absolute opposite.” returned Brelg. “Two men scouted a new supply route. A Keltaran Hammer unit set upon them. The stories say they fought valiantly and one man fell. Udas took a nearly fatal wound yet somehow managed to escape, treat himself, and make it back to the Zodrian lines.”

  “What would a single Hammer unit be doing all they way over by the Rimdar? They would be exposed to one of our only strong points!” exclaimed Manfir. “It makes no sense.’”

  “It doesn’t need to make sense to a people starved for good news and heroics.” replied Brelg. “The people embraced the pair and praise them in the streets.”

  “Well, I hope the General Staff doesn’t praise them.” said Manfir. “Two men on a scouting mission near the Scythtar is shear idiocy. What unfortunate soldier did Colonel Udas get killed?”

  “He didn’t travel with a subordinate. He journeyed with a superior officer.” stated Brelg.

  “What?!” exclaimed Manfir. “This Udas appears to fit the role of a simpleton, but what member of our officer’s corps decided to perform such a feat of stupidity?”

  “The corps lost a member of the General Staff. Apparently, General Ellow fell to a Keltaran battle ax.” stated Brelg.

  Manfir turned and eyed Ader. The Guide raised an eyebrow.

  “This raises many more questions than it answers.” said Ader. “What has Ellow been doing these many years Brelg?”

  “The men loyal to me claim he quickly disappeared into obscurity after his betrayal of Yanwin’s letter.” began Brelg. “King Macin is loath to admit mistakes and hates frequent reminders of his failings. Ellow was such a reminder. The commander of the supply corps realized how his presence irritated the king. Ellow stayed out of sight and Macin held no reason to remove him from his post.

  Ellow continued to keep the front supplied, albeit at the bare minimum. The staff tried in vain to determine if Ellow or his troops diverted contraband once more. Either the snake and his ilk found an ingenious way to hide their black market, or the nation truly is unable to support this war.”

  “How does Udas figure in this?” asked Manfir.

  “Udas functioned as Ellow’s second in command. He saw to the daily operations of the river wharfs and has as much knowledge as Ellow concerning the supply chain.” relayed Brelg. “It seems that upon his return from the front, he assumed control of all of Ellow’s duties. Macin allowed it, seeing no one mor
e suited to take control of the situation. Pressure is on the king to promote him to the General Staff, a position the colonel vies for. A certain segment of the population turned the fool into a hero and he laps it up like a pig at the trough.

  Macin bridles at the suggestion. Ellow was the first supply officer ever made a general, and those memories are not fond ones for the king. I’ve heard that he swears not to make the same mistake twice, but the people cheer Udas and his troops as they move through the streets. Macin is desperate to raise the city’s morale and his resistance to the idea falters. Udas’s supply troops are using their popularity to their advantage. They parade through the crowded streets without saluting other units. They seize many of the important security stations here in the city.”

  “That explains why Sergeant Deling moved to the Southern gate.” stated Ader.

  “Udas claimed he wanted to control the North gate so he could verify the departure of the supply wagons and their cargo. An accusation surfaced that some of the supplies collected for the troops never left the city. Somehow, they circulated back into the Capitol itself at inflated prices.“ said Brelg. “Udas’s troops secured the gate and sent Deling to the South. Macin and the General Staff were too preoccupied with the front to care which of the home units monitored the gate.”

  “I don’t like it.” snarled Manfir. “Who’s in charge of the Guard? These supply troops are not trained for combat. They are not Guard regulars. They are men rejected by the Hold. Ulrog don’t stand on our door today but I certainly don’t want Udas and his supply units in charge when they do.”

  “My sentiments exactly.” replied Brelg. “However, I don’t occupy the standing or possess the time to do anything about it.”

  “Perhaps I can do something about it.” smiled Ader. “I’ve something at work right now that may take care of this problem for us.”

  “Go on.” prompted Manfir.

  Ader hesitated as he thought it over.

  “You will know if and when it accomplishes its task.” smiled Ader.

  “More secrets?” said Kael and he narrowed his eyes at the Seraph.

  “But Kael, some of my secrets afford me such pleasure. You must allow me to keep a few of them.” responded Ader in a false pout.