A Coronation of Kings

by Samuel Stokes

  The envoy made excellent time, the soldiers in its vanguard clearing the street with force where necessary, driving the curious peasant folk back into their homes. A few got too close only to be hauled away by anxious guardsmen.

  The whole scene was watched with rapt attention by a small group huddled on a rooftop. Positioned as they were, they had a clear view overlooking the main concourse through the busy city. ‘Bit on edge isn’t they?’ Ezras laughed as a drunk was hauled out of the way and thrown unceremoniously into an alleyway.

  ‘Indeed they are. You were right, Tristan. Clearly they do not wish to be embarrassed a second time,’ Halmir chimed in.

  ‘Most certainly they do not,’ Tristan answered. ‘Two hundred foot soldiers would have been enough on its own, but if you look closely at the backstreets, there are dozens of soldiers playing at being peasants, just waiting for us.’

  ‘Playing at being peasants? What do you mean, Tristan?’ Ezras asked.

  ‘Take a look at those three lay bouts playing cards in the alley. What do you see?’

  ‘Three bored souls passing time. Why?’

  ‘Look closer,’ Tristan insisted.

  ‘Not sure what you are seeing that I am not,’ Ezras responded.

  ‘I see it!’ exclaimed Linea excitedly.’ They are all wearing the same boots.’

  ‘Exactly my love, and by my count there are at least two dozen such that we can see from here.’

  ‘Which means there are many more that we cannot,’ Halmir concluded. ‘You were right to leave the Mizumura in peace. We might have wandered into a trap.’

  ‘It would have been amusing to snatch another bride from under Falen’s nose, but whilst I’d have given my life to spare Linea that fate, if this Mizumuran princess is bent on marrying him, we ought to let her. From what Sven tells me, we might be better off with her around.’

  ‘How is that?’ Halmir asked, ‘I would have thought an alliance between the Mizumura and the Wolf to be extremely perilous to us all.’

  ‘It’s certainly is, but Sven insists that Hitomi of the Mizumura is like a tiala flower - beautiful to look on but beneath the petals, wicked thorns await. If we do not succeed in removing Gerwold, she almost certainly will.’

  ‘Hasten the day!’ Ezras laughed heartily.

  ‘Indeed. Alright everyone, time for us to be back below ground. Maneroo, if you would be so kind?’

  ‘With pleasure.’ The handsome yeoman responded. Drawing an arrow from his quiver, leaning over the rooftop, he let fly. The arrow sailed through the air and sunk deep into the roof of the carriage. A scream split the air, presumably from the princess, disturbed by the sudden appearance of the arrow head as it splintered through the roof of the carriage.

  ‘Right off we go,’ he said, shouldering his bow with a laugh. The group made their way down through the building. A popular inn on the city’s main thoroughfare, it was one of the guilds many clandestine operations. They made their way quickly through the kitchens. The serving staff looked away, trained to ignore their existence completely.

  Passing into the larder, they picked up the pace. Racing down a set of steps, they reached a wine cellar. As they ran quickly through the cavernous cellar, they could hear all hell breaking loose on the streets above them. Located in the far corner behind a large cask was a false floor. Prising up the trapdoor, Tristan motioned for them to enter the shadowy portal that led back into their safe haven. As Tristan entered the hole, he could hear the Wolf soldiers bursting through the inn’s door. Smiling, he lowered the trapdoor into place and descended into the darkness.

  *****

  The mood in the palace was palpable - word of the assassination attempt had reached the palace. The perpetrators continued to elude the search patrols and the Baron was furious. Servants and soldiers alike scurried quickly about to attend their duties, not wishing to draw any unwanted attention lest they incur the Baron’s ire.

  In the Baron’s council chambers, a furious Falen stomped angrily about. ‘How can we expect the Mizumura to side with us if we allow their princess to be slaughtered on our doorstep?’

  The Baron looked up, his usually impassive face showing visible signs of concern. ‘Our problems run deeper than that.’

  ‘What are you talking about? They could have killed her.’

  ‘Yes, they could have, and yet they didn’t. Why pass up the opportunity to cripple our relationship with the Mizumura? First, the harvest is torched by men wearing our own colors, and now this attempt on the princess’s life. Twice in one day they have hindered us. We must be wary of these brigands. They are either incredibly stupid or wily beyond reckoning. Either of which could cause us great strife as we move against King’s Court.’

  There was a creaking noise as the heavy doors to the council chamber swung open. The Lady of the Mizumura swept through them flanked by her attendants. Throwing her arms around Falen, she sobbed into his shoulder ‘They tried to kill me... just then on the streets...’

  ‘We know, Milady,’ Gerwold replied, cutting her off abruptly. ‘Rest assured that we are searching for them as we speak. When we find out who was fool enough to try such a thing, we will have them executed.’

  ‘You do not know their identity, Milords?’ the lady questioned timidly. ‘The Mizumura have known their identity for some time. We’ve suffered their depredations for months now.’

  ‘You have?’ queried Falen.

  ‘Ever since Falen first visited our courts, they have plagued us,’ the princess sobbed for effect.

  ‘Then tell us at once, that justice may be done upon them,’ the Baron demanded, rising from his gilded chair.

  ‘Milord, it is a most sensitive matter perhaps best discussed in private.’

  The Baron raised an eyebrow but acquiesced. Addressing the few guards and attendants in the hall he shouted, ‘Leave us!’Lady Hitomi gestured for her guards to depart also and within a few moments the hall was empty except for the three of them. The oak doors swung shut heavily leaving the vast chamber unusually empty.

  With the three of them alone, all airs and graces were dispensed with. Gerwold fixed the young Mizumuran princess with a stare and demanded, ‘What do you know that my court could not hear?’

  Hitomi drew in a deep breath before responding. ‘The forces that tried to kill me and vex you throughout your domain have been plaguing the Mizumura also. It began when Falen first visited Mizumura. They have plundered our trade, damaged our commerce and stir up dissensions amongst our people. We were so tired of their depredations we infiltrated their organization. Several of our spies now serve within their ranks. They were given orders to deduce the identity of the leader of this Guild of Thieves so that we might deal with him permanently.

  For months our agents have laboured fruitlessly isolated from the leadership of the Guild, but recently they were able to identify and sketch a likeness of the leader of the Guild. Upon learning that this rogue was leaving the safety of his stronghold they organized an ambush for them.’

  The Baron listened with rapt attention, ‘What became of them?’

  ‘Our agents were slaughtered to a man,’ the princess answered abruptly.

  ‘How many were there?’

  ‘Five. Our agents lay in wait for them on the road to Fordham. When they failed to report we went in search of them. We found their bodies in the woods by the highway.’

  ‘What manner of devil can survive and kill five armed men who have the advantage of surprise?’ the Baron pondered, his concern rising steadily as the princess continued.

  ‘We struggled over the same question, so we had our agent send us a copy of the likeness. We recognized him at once, as will you.’

  ‘Who is it?’ the Baron demanded.

  The princess slipped the parchment from her pouch and handed it to the Baron. ‘It’s Tristan Listar.’

  ‘Impossible, he perished years ago,’

  ‘I assure you, Gerwold, the heir to Listar is alive and well.’

  Whirlin
g to face Falen, he bellowed, ‘You assured me they were both dead. You dare lie to me?’

  ‘I killed Marcus myself,’ Falen answered hastily. ‘But the whelp was nowhere to be found. We presumed he perished when we torched the manor as no one could have survived that blaze.’

  ‘Clearly he did and now the Listarii legacy continues to plague us!’ Gerwold’s voice rose to a shout. ‘Do you know the damage this will cause? If people knew that we were responsible for the Listarii purge, the consequences could be catastrophic. Worse yet, should they learn that one of that blasted lineage survived... the other great families will rally behind Marcus’s memory and all will be lost. We must be there only choice. ‘The Baron’s voice betrayed his depth of emotion, as years of careful planning now teetered on the brink of destruction.

  The lady of the Mizumura spoke next, ‘I don’t care if he’s a peasant or a prince, this attempt on my life cannot be countenanced. The Mizumura will stand with you, but you must avenge this insult to my life and honor.’

  ‘I am in agreement, Princess. We must deal with this swiftly and decisively. We will gather our strength and strike quickly before Tristan can undermine us further,’ the Baron resolved grimly.

  Falen was next to speak, ‘Speaking of the rebels, My Lady, it seems you know a great deal. Your agents have clearly been more successful than our own. What can you tell us?’

  ‘Our agents inform us that they operate in the sewers beneath Belnair. They have expanded the original catacombs considerably and have fortified them. They will not easily be moved.’

  Gerwold weighed this new intelligence carefully before continuing, ‘We cannot allow them to continue wreaking havoc from within our walls. They have kidnapped, plundered, pillaged our stores and fired our fields. If we march on King’s Court without cutting out this cancer we could lose the city entirely.

  They must be dealt with before they can gather any additional strength. Tomorrow, we will storm the sewers in force and root them out. Hitomi, if you have the means of reaching your agents, do so. See what they can do to assist us.’

  ‘It will be done, Baron. If you will excuse me, Milords, I must speak with my attendants and send word to our agents.’

  The Baron’s manners returned, ‘Of course, Milady. I am sorry that your time in Belnair has begun in such a manner. We have looked forward to your visit for some time and eagerly anticipate showing you the city’s splendor in due course.’

  ‘You are most kind, Baron. I look forward to it.’ With that, the Lady of the Mizumura gave a short bow, before sweeping out of the room.

  *****

  The evening was passed with exuberant celebrations. The day’s raids were a tremendous success. Great swathes of crops had been fired and the town was in disarray as the Wolf continued to turn Belnair inside out. The guild reveled in their victory, carousing until the early hours of the morning.

  As dawn broke, there was stillness in the guild, the usual hum of activity dampened by the evening’s festivities, Tristan moved purposefully through the quiet halls heading towards the training halls. There were a few early risers already there working up a sweat as they trained furiously. Tristan made his way to his lockbox and drew a key from a pouch on his belt.

  As he slid the key into the lock he heard furious footfalls as a messenger tore into the hall. ‘The Wolf are coming! The sentinels have spotted them as they breached the Eastern Sewers.’

  Tristan left the armoury and darted back into the training hall. The runner’s face showed great relief at finding Tristan. Gasping for breath, he repeated himself, ‘Tristan, they ... are coming ... thousands of them... eastern sewer.’

  Raising his voice, Tristan shouted to the others in the hall, ‘Rouse the others! Take your weapons with you! Assemble our men and have them report to the armoury at once. As soon as they are armed, direct them to the eastern entrances.’ Turning to a pair of nearby combatants, he continued, ‘Find the council at once. Tell them what we know. Have them gather at the eastern entrances to lead the men.’ Lastly, he turned back to the exhausted runner. ‘Do you know Ezras?’

  ‘Of course. Everyone knows Ezras.’

  ‘Find him at once. After last night, he will be dozing somewhere near the banquet hall. Find him and tell him this message. Tristan says it is time. Unleash Hell!’

  ‘Unleash Hell! Understood. I’ll find him at once.’ The hall emptied as the guild’s warriors hastened to defend their home.

  Tristan’s mind drifted back to the Wolf raid that had shattered his world. ‘They will not find us unprepared today,’ he said to himself, as he returned to his lockbox. Fastening a leather undercoat over his tunic, Tristan reached into the box and drew out a bright steel breastplate. The eastern star of the Listarii dominated the chest plate. The ancestral armour of the Listarii had protected his family for generations. He had thought it destroyed in the fireball that had consumed his father. He was surprised and relieved when Halmir had presented the restored armour to him. It gave him great comfort as he fastened it in place and headed out into the halls to confront the coming threat.

  Chapter 22

  The messenger tore through the underground stronghold, exhausted and breathing heavily. He made his way into the banquet hall. Many of the guild were still rousing from their slumber as a horn call echoed through the guild. Spotting his quarry lying in a heap on one of the tables, the errand runner made his way over.

  The comatose form of the rowdy leader was a less than promising sight. He shook him violently, but Ezras did little more than roll over. ‘Ezras, you drunken lout! Wake up!’ Still no response. Searching around, the messenger located a pitcher of water. Sizing Ezras up, he paused. Under different circumstances, he’d have been more than content to allow the merry councilman to sleep it off, but Tristan had been explicit in his directions. Without further hesitation, he hurled the pitcher of water at Ezras’s face.

  Suddenly, there was a symphony of motion as the cool water collided with the sleeping drunkard, waking him at once. Now wide awake and furious, he shouted, ‘What in the hell’s is going on here? Let a man to sleep.’ Angrily, he attempted to spring from the table. However, in his intoxicated state he rolled gracelessly to the floor with a loud thump.

  Hearing the horn call reverberate through the guild, he clamped his hands over his ears. The messenger yanked a hand away and shouted, ‘We are under assault! The Wolf are upon us and Tristan needs your help! Wake up you lout!’Tristan said to unleash Hell.’

  ‘Unleash Hell?’ Ezras’s eyes focused on the exhausted messenger, his mood suddenly serious. ‘You are sure those were his precise words? It wasn’t ring a bell? Or gee you smell? Which you do by the way. Have you been swimming in a sweat pit?’

  ‘You’re no picture of beauty yourself, Ezras, and yes I am positive that is precisely what he said.’

  ‘Then follow me, boy. This is a job for two.’ Ezras clambered to his feet, remarkably composed for someone who moments ago had been completely comatose. He gestured for the runner to follow as he led him out of the hall. Ezras passed quickly through the halls as throngs of guild warriors and workers went about their business preparing for the coming assault.

  Ezras rounded another corner and entered a doorway. Realising he was alone, he turned to find the runner still standing in the entranceway.‘What are you waiting for, lad? In you come.’ The runner pointed to the sign next to the door as he responded, ‘You need help in the latrine? Whatever you plan to do in there, I’m sure you have it covered on your own. I’ll wait here for you to finish and we can be about our business after.’

  ‘Our business is in there, you idiot! Now shake a leg!’

  Reluctantly, the messenger followed Ezras into the latrines. The drunkard made his way past the stalls to a cupboard at the end of the passage, lifting a key from a pouch at his waist as he went. Reaching the door, he slipped the key into the lock. It was well oiled and turned easily. Pulling the door outward, the errand runner looked on in surprise. As the door swu
ng open, it revealed a ladder disappearing into a passageway above. ‘I’d always thought this was a broom cupboard!’ the runner said in surprise.

  Ezras chortled, ‘Most do, my young friend. The best secrets are hidden in plain sight.’

  Leading the way, Ezras ploughed into the space, ascending the ladder with surprising ease for one of his girth. The runner followed a little more cautiously into the narrow space. Upon reaching the top of the ladder, the passage opened into a large chamber with a number of narrow channels carved into the floor.

  Along the far wall a dozen of the largest casks he’d ever seen lined the wall. ‘Ezras, this is no time for a drink. We have work to do,’ the runner responded gruffly, presuming Ezras was yet again indulging in his favorite pastime.

  Ezras wandered over to the first cask and fiddled with the tap for a moment. A strange, oily, black liquid shot out of the cask and struck the channel in the floor. The liquid flowed along the channel until it disappeared through a hole in the far wall.

  Ezras turned to the surprised runner. ‘Even I wouldn’t drink this brew, my young friend. It’d put more than hair on your chest, and it will certainly have a most unpleasant side effect for our visitors. Ezras paused to show the runner how to work the fitting and together they were quickly able to open the remaining casks.

  Soon a veritable torrent of the black substance was pouring down the channel system. ‘Right. These should take care of the eastern approaches. We have one more set for the western sewers and we’ll be ready when Tristan gives the signal. ’Ezras took off down the ladder with the errand runner right behind him, now thoroughly intrigued.

  *****

  The three figures gathered together in a bunkroom on the western side of the catacombs. They had not been together in some months, avoiding each other so as not to arouse suspicion. The leader spoke first. ‘Our lady has need of us,’ holding out a piece of parchment for the others to examine. The message had been left at a dead drop the evening before.