Visions: Knights of Salucia - Book 1

by C. D. Espeseth

  Kai should have thought of this. This was a monumental change, and he had been so caught up in it all he hadn’t thought how Jachem was going to react. Blast it. “Sorry, sir!” Kai held up an apologetic hand to the driver. “Just … give us a minute.”

  “No, Kai. No, it’s too much. I want to go back to the church. They’ll break our things. I don’t know where I’ll put my guitar. Where is it going to go? Where do we sleep? Where will I put my things?” Jachem was visibly sweating now.

  “Look at me, look at me.” Kai gently put his hands up to Jachem’s head, using his palms to block out some of Jachem’s peripheral vision so Jachem had to focus on his face. “You know my face. I’m right here. I’ll be with you the whole time. Remember what we talked about last night?”

  “Yes,” Jachem said through quick breaths.

  Kai had his attention. He could fix this. He just had to go slow. He smiled reassuringly at his friend. “Repeat to me what we said.”

  “You said there would be a spot just as good for my guitar, and that we will practice the same songs, and that I can put my clothes in drawers, and that I can move the bed to the right side of the room. I asked about when I would need to get up, and you said it would depend on work but we could try to get your hours to be the same. You said that you would go over the new routines with me …” Jachem summarised the exact order of the conversation. It was an improvement over his old habit of repeating everything verbatim.

  Kai smiled. “That’s right.”

  Just then the carriage door opened and Princess Echinni stepped down.

  Kai was amazed she had actually come herself. He thought for a moment she was angry that they were delaying, but then he saw the concern on her face as she looked at Jachem.

  “I will have someone put your room any way you like. You can tell them just how you want it. A perfect place for everything you have,” Echinni said softly to Jachem.

  “You see,” Kai said, trying not to tear his gaze from his panicking friend to gawk at the stunningly beautiful princess on his right. “It will all be fine.” He could hear Jachem’s breathing slow slightly. “Now we are going to let this nice man put our things up on the carriage. He knows how to pack things as that is part of his job and this is his carriage. Our things will be safe. What you need to do is get up into the carriage and sit across from Yuna. Alright? You can do that, can’t you?”

  “Yes, I can do that. She’s not going to hurt me again, is she?” Jachem said, eying Yuna as if she might pick him up by the neck once more.

  “Well, that depends on whether you are going to run up behind her like a madman,” Kai smirked.

  “No. I’m just going to get into the carriage,” Jachem replied, once again not understanding Kai’s sarcasm.

  “Well, I’m sure Yuna won’t hurt you then,” Kai said, hoping the great warrior was in a cooperative mood.

  “She won’t. Come on, can you give me a hand up?” Echinni asked, smiling at Jachem.

  “Yes,” he replied, and finally he was settled into the carriage along with Echinni.

  “Thank you, Your Highness,” Kai whispered up to her. “You’ve had experience with this sort of thing before?”

  “There is a young girl studying at the Oratorio who can recite back any text she has ever read. She has some of the same anxieties Jachem does,” Echinni said. “You’re very good with him. He trusts you completely.”

  Kai shrugged. “Jachem is like a brother to me. I understand him in a way other people don’t. Jachem has a similar type of memory, except his is more for reading music or figuring out Jendar relics.”

  “Relics?” Echinni asked.

  “Oh yeah, Jachem has been invited to help out at the Artificium a few times. He’s even cracked a few of those puzzles the Jendar have on those glass tablet things,” Kai said with pride.

  “Really?” Echinni said. “I’m surprised the Chroniclers haven’t tried to enlist him.”

  “Oh, they’ve tried. They even gave him his own relic as a thank you for his help, but when I explain to him what the work would involve, he doesn’t seem that interested. That’s where all this started.” Kai waved at their musical instruments. “There was some sort of moving picture the relic showed, in which Jendar musicians were performing. Ever since, Jachem has been obsessed with music. That was about four years ago.”

  “Hmm.” Echinni looked distant for a moment. “Well, it would seem the pair of you have quite an interesting history. Let’s get on our way and you can fill me in on the details as we ride.”

  Kai got the distinct impression that the Princess Echinni was nervous for some reason. Her eyes kept darting around as if she was expecting someone to pop out from around the next corner.

  “Are you alright, Princess?” he asked.

  “Fine,” she replied with a quick glance behind the carriage, and then back at him, seeming to realise that she must look a bit suspicious. “We just have a lot to do today,” she said smiling.

  “Alright,” Kai said as he jumped up into the carriage. He couldn’t quite believe it as he watched Echinni sit down across from him. This was actually going to happen.

  As she sat, he got a whiff of her heady perfume, which made him smile. A smile which immediately dissolved, once he opened his eyes and saw Yuna glaring at him. She was so big she had to hunch over while she sat. Her shoulders were nearly at the roof, which made her look like some sort of predatory bird.

  Kai coughed nervously and looked at Jachem, who already had his relic out and was walking his fingers across the surface. The image of a man singing on stage played across the relic’s flat face.

  “We are going to be just like these people,” Jachem told the group, and Kai recognised the comment as his friend’s acceptance of Echinni and Yuna.

  Echinni and Yuna watched spellbound as Jachem shared the magic of the Jendar relic with everyone in the carriage. The dark interior came alive with dancing images which Jachem directed with intricate moves of his fingers. They all watched the performance from thousands of years ago which had inspired Jachem to become a musician.

  Kai was about to tell them Jachem had never shown anyone his ability with the relic other than himself and Chronicler Talbot, but then decided he didn’t want to break the spell his friend had woven over all of them. He watched the show absently, as he thought about just how much his life had changed in the last day – all thanks to the beautiful, young, kind-hearted woman who sat across from him. She was a woman who loved music, who commanded attention and adoration, who had a voice purer than an angel’s, and who accepted his strange adopted brother as if it was nothing, when so many would dismiss Jachem as strange and annoying.

  Kai continued to steal glances at the Princess while she and Yuna watched in wonder what Jachem could do with the Jendar relic. With each passing moment Kai felt a warm glow growing inside him, and it was then he decided that Hanson had been right.

  He was doomed.

  23 - Onlookers - Jonah

  Multiple organised religions have taken root within two generations of those who survived Kali’s first sweep.

  The variety of beliefs is incredible, and, as always, there are those who forcibly espouse their version of the truth above all others.

  I’m not certain how I feel about this.

  On the one hand, there will most likely be fanatics who rise to power and will commit egregious acts of horror in the name of their faith, which can lead to very skewed worldviews. On the other hand, reverence is much of what was missing from the world when I decided to act. Reverence of some sort will be absolutely vital for this to work, and institutionalised reverence might be a control measure that is needed.

  Time will tell.

  Yet … they cannot take too much time.

  Kali is watching.

  - Journal of Robert Mannford, Day 233 Year 54

  Jonah felt the golden spring sunlight beat down upon his face and it made him smile as he and Branson walked down the market street. Sandstone cobbles r
olled along underfoot as the pair passed below ropes decorated with multicoloured flags strung between the stalls on either side of them. Men and women holding parasols or wearing wide hats bobbed through the crowd, creating a rainbow of constant motion.

  Branson grunted angrily beside him. Someone had jostled the grizzled veteran and was now getting a glare from hard eyes.

  The culprit, a young boy, wilted under his gaze as the boy’s eyes registered the insignia on Branson’s tunic. The boy said in their common dialect: “Sorry, sir. My apologies, won’t happen ag –”

  “Bah, on your way, pup! Get!” Branson growled in Euran Imperial as he spat on the ground in the boy’s wake; his white beard had narrowly escaped his own spittle.

  “Ease up, old-timer,” Jonah said. Jonah had recognised some of the boy’s words. His lessons had begun to pay off. “He was trying to apologise. I’m sure even you must have had a childhood, terrorising your house mothers all the while no doubt.”

  “Me? Nah, I was born with whiskers and a knife in hand. Fight-ready as soon as I popped out: kicked the midwife, and was on my way.” Branson’s face showed no hint of a lie. Possibly a reason the old buzzard was so good at card games.

  “Must have been a tough birth for your Lady Mother,” Jonah said as he watched the elaborate parasol twist in the young woman’s hand in front of them.

  “Ha! You said it, Jonah. All of us from Clan Delagoth are the same: ornery as they come and just as soon spit in your eye as knuckle a forehead. You should see when our Lady Mother calls a reunion. It all kicks off then.” Branson’s dark face lit up with the memories.

  “I can only imagine,” Jonah replied, not hiding his grimace.

  Shops selling everything imaginable were huddled together, almost on top of each other. Food of the sort and smell he had never experienced before, right beside religious relics and trinkets whose use Jonah could not even guess at.

  Some had even begun selling Dawn-inspired tokens aimed at the Imperial Army. “Send some home to loved ones,” they cried from their stalls. Who had ever heard of such things?

  Overtopping all the markets, between the gaps in the hanging shades soared the spires of churches. Everywhere you looked was a spire or domed roof rising towards the heavens. Many had different religious symbols announcing the faith within at their zeniths, showing a certain tolerance of religious worship which Jonah was glad to see, despite the Singer faith clearly being in the majority here in the city

  The churches amazed him. The skill and labour which had gone into each and every building was nothing short of miraculous. It was easy to feel the holiness of Dawn, and easy to understand why this Hierophant accepted occupation so easily. War machines would destroy in a few days what must have taken centuries to build.

  “Crazy bunch, ain’t they?” Branson said to him as they passed a vendor trying to sell some sort of melon. “If I buy a melon, I damn well want it to taste of something other than water. That is if the name of it holds true. What’s the point in that?”

  “It does look nice though. That lovely pink flesh inside looks like it would be delicious on a day like today.” Jonah observed several young children crowding around the vendor’s red and green fruit. The poor woman behind the stall seemed to have her hands full trying to keep all the little urchins from scampering off with pilfered pieces.

  Then it occurred to him that Branson had actually understood the vendor. “I didn’t know you were actually trying to learn the language.”

  “Languages come in handy, Jonah. Besides,” Branson tapped himself on the chest, “this old goat has more tricks up his sleeve than meets the eye.”

  Jonah didn’t doubt that. “Have they fixed the wall yet?” He knew Branson had been out to the exterior wall this morning; while also being too good at cards, Branson was a dab hand at masonry and had decided to use some of his off time to help out repairing the wall.

  “Oh, we’ve done better than repair it, sonny. Made it better, stronger.” Branson’s chin lifted slightly with pride. “I’d say that section is probably twice the strength it was before our engineers taught the local masons their special mix of reinforced mortar.”

  “Great news. This city is special. They knew it already and we felt it as soon as we arrived. This city could be the jewel of the Empire on this new continent.” Jonah said, and then pointed. “The cathedral is going up fast.” Layers of soaring scaffolding were crawling with both Euran engineers and Dawnish citizens.

  “Lots of things happen quickly when the Prince personally funds the project and puts his best engineers on the job. He’s smart, that Prince of ours. It’s said that their Hierophant had been wanting a cathedral greater than all the others, taller than all the others, ever since he was proclaimed holy leader nearly forty years ago. The Prince had his architects draw up plans right away, and the Hierophant looked like he would have a heart attack when the Prince told him he could make any modifications he wanted and could have it made within a few years.”

  “That’ll get the religious leaders over to the Prince’s side pretty quick I’d imagine,” Jonah said.

  “Lining people’s pockets and stroking their ambitions usually makes you some pretty quick friends,” Branson nodded.

  Jonah sighed. It was good to stop marching for a time. Dawn was exactly what everyone had needed. A respite from killing, and a chance for them to focus on the true work of the empire: building, growing and enriching. Everyone in the army had a secondary skill to their martial one, allowing the Imperial army to remain extremely effective and productive at times of peace.

  Jonah and Branson reached the bottom of the street, which opened up into a plaza. One of the more prolific styles of church dominated the end of the street and served as its focal point. A crowd had gathered around the central feature of the plaza, a raised bed filled with enormous plants.

  A big man with blond hair stood near the back of the crowd and waved for them to join him. It was Fin of course.

  Jonah heard a sigh beside him as Branson commented, “Well, I had a few moments where I was actually enjoying myself there. We better go see what this is about or he’s sure to cause some sort of trouble.”

  Secretly Jonah knew that Branson actually was quite fond of Fin. They joined their comrade-in-arms at the edge of the crowd.

  “So what’s all this then?” Branson demanded of Fin.

  “Don’t know yet, but people look excited,” Fin said easily as he watched over nearly every head in the crowd.

  “Hungry, are we?” Jonah asked with a smile, pointing to the sack of chewed green melon rinds at his feet.

  Fin grinned at the remnants. “The melons are delicious, but I didn’t eat all these. I’ve made more than a few friends.” Fin pointed at the horde of children running around the crowd with slightly pink dyed lips.

  “You spawn quickly don’t you,” Branson said, rubbing his chin. “You part frog or something?” A little toddler pushed through Branson’s legs squealing as a larger boy chased him, but was cut off by the back of Branson’s thighs. “Get off!” Branson grunted, but Jonah saw the hint of a smile the veteran was trying to hide.

  “So you’ve got all these little runts hyper on melon juice have you?” Branson growled. “Their minders will love you when you send them back all wound up like that.” He nodded at the sack at Fin’s feet. “Why are you saving the rinds anyways?”

  “Good for compost of course.” Fin shook his head as if everyone should know that. “You can have my last few pieces if you want, but you’ll have to be quick!” Fin roared playfully at a little child who had attempted to snatch one of the wedges off his plate.

  The dirty-looking child laughed as she bounced away waving her hands, only to come right back to Fin. The big man handed down one of the wedges happily once she had stopped and asked politely for a piece. “That’s better, little one. You need to ask politely now don’t you?” he instructed in what seemed to Jonah like fluent Salucian.

  “Where did all these kids come
from? Where’s their Clan Parent, or whatever the equivalent is over here, and why are they filthy?” Jonah asked curiously as his eyes followed another of the seemingly unattended children. There had to be nearly two dozen of them milling about the square.

  “They don’t have anyone looking after them.” Fin’s voice took on a sad tone, before he looked up to see the shock on Jonah’s face. “I know! Crazy isn’t it. Apparently they have so many children over here they are allowed to run free. Like this little guy! Come here, you!” Fin switched back into Salucian as he bellowed and then chased after a small boy who had stolen his last piece of melon. Jonah couldn’t tell who had the bigger smile, Fin or the boy. He shook his head in admiration.

  If the Empire had a thousand more like Fin, there would be no need for a war. They could simply let the army of Fins loose and the whole continent would be charmed into submission.

  Branson nudged Jonah in the ribs as he watched Fin play with his new group of happy adopted children. “How is it that that big oaf can already speak the local language like he was born to it?”

  “I’m surprised you don’t know,” Jonah said. “Fin was training to become a logistics officer before he joined the army. You know what they’re like. Logistics officers need to speak just about every clan’s language, the way they travel about like they do.”

  Jonah watched with a smile as the children seemed to have Fin pinned beneath him and were attempting to tickle him to death, before Fin roared theatrically and slowly stood up with eyes wide, pretending to be some sort of monster. Dozens of children scattered, shrieking in mock terror. The eruption of noise drew more than few angry looks from those at the front of the crowd.

  “Apparently Fin was a natural. Gifted when it came to languages.” Jonah stood on his tiptoes to try and see over the heads in front of him. “What is everyone waiting for? What kind of plants are these that they can draw a crowd?” he continued.