Emblems of Power

by C L Patterson

  “Who?” the Captain roared as he released his grip.

  “The Council members. We had them and we had them good.”

  “What do you mean, had them good?”

  “We knew about their secrets,” Beroan continued, as if not hearing the Captain. “We knew what they were planning and they paid good money to make sure secrets stayed secret.”

  “What are you talking about!” the Captain yelled.

  “Councilors Steran, Simmons, Kevyn and Aleal are destroying their caravans by hiring nomads. We were going to expose them, but saw a better opportunity by holding them ransom. They were to pay me, Aldair and Thuane a handsome amount. We knew that chaos would come of it so we stored grain, stored supplies, everything, and kept all the records for the transactions here. It’s all worthless now.”

  “And the private shipments between you and Aldair, what was in them? Money?”

  Beoran laughed and looked back at the burning school.

  “Money is worthless to us. We teach our students that same principle. Money’s value is determined by confidence, perception, and the goods that back it.”

  “Jewels?” the Captain asked. Beoran shook his head. “Spices?” Beoran shook his head a second time. “What then?”

  “Contracts!” Beoran was about to smile, but frowned and kicked the ground. “For not exposing the council, we were to be given a full monopoly on the transport business for all of Tessír. Those contracts needed to come from the Capital and kept safe to hold them to. Mine was in my coat pocket, which is now burning.”

  “And what of Aldair, and Thuane?” the Captain asked. “Were they promised contracts as well?” Beoran nodded.

  Ulryck and Deakon ran up to the Captain, panting.

  “We informed Lieutenant Nuevon sir,” Ulryck said. “He said that help is on the way.” The Captain nodded to the two boys. The Captain turned back to Beoran.

  “Guards, take Beoran to the Gate. Inform the Gate Master that the duration of his duty will be determined on a later date. Then inform Lieutenant Nuevon that both Aldair and Thuane are to be brought to Noiknaer immediately for interrogation.”

  Beoran smiled and shook his head.

  “It doesn’t matter what you do to us, the damage has already been done. The Council is moving against the people. There is so much more you don’t know.”

  “I know enough.” The Captain said waved his hand, dismissing Beoran. Ulryck and Deakon took him by the arms and began to walk him to the gates.

  Quickly, the Captain set to helping the others put out the fire. On his third trip, other guards arrived with buckets and attempted to relieve the Captain.

  “I’m fine,” he snapped. “Get some other buckets and let’s put this out quickly.”

  It took most of the night before the fire was put out and the structure was reduced to steaming black charcoal. The desks, papers, stairwell, floors and everything else inside was destroyed. Beoran’s iron coat rack had fallen through the floor. The jacket had burned in the fire and with it, the contract of a promised monopoly. Sweaty, hot, and covered in the smell of smoke, the Guard marched back to the fountain, filled their buckets and poured the water over their heads.

  Once back at the Barracks, the students and the guard were given orders by the Captain to stretch for fifteen minutes and then take the night off. Training exercises, lectures, or any other type of study was suspended. Both the Recruits and the Guard gave out an audible sigh of relief.

  The Captain stretched with the Guard, but stayed close to Lieutenant Nuevon.

  “Where has Lieutenant Tavely been? I haven’t heard from him lately,” Nuevon asked.

  “He’s been escorting other routes, switching out guards at the different cities. I believe he is coming up from Anteperil soon.” The Captain groaned as he stretched his arm above and over his head, releasing some of the tension in his side. “We have to remove the council members. I just got a confession from Beoran that some of the council members are betraying the trade routes to nomadic tribes.” Nuevon stopped stretching and stared at the Captain.

  “The recruits told me,” Nuevon said. “What proof do you have about the council though?”

  “Just a man’s confession and willingness to be sent to the Gate, all the other evidence was burned in the fire.”

  “Captain,” Nuevon said softly. “With all respect sir, I think you should look at the situation again. A man, a very smart man, just lost everything he owns. I don’t think the syndicate is one to sell off assets to support one of their members. He wants food, drink and a safe place to sleep at night. Why not gate duty?”

  “He mentioned specific contracts between him, Aldair, Thuane, and the Capital that revolved around the betrayal. I need you to go to Linnouse and bring Aldair and Thuane to me for questioning. Before you leave, make sure you stop by my desk. I have a letter I want personally delivered to Aldair prior to his arrest.”

  “I will sir. By the way, did you ever catch the people that started the fire?”

  “No. It was a group of kids with masks and torches, older than most of the students, but not men.”

  “So all you have to go on is an age range?” Nuevon asked, stretching his right arm in front of his body. “And are you expecting to catch these boys?” The Captain shook his head.

  “No, and I don’t intend to try. I have been trying to find out who is behind the betrayal of the routes, and now I am about to put my hands around them. I have a confession!”

  “A confession yes, but from an emotionally unstable individual who frankly doesn’t have much credibility. What I am saying is wait to do anything until you interrogate Aldair and Thuane. The other question is why did a group of boys burn down a syndicate school?”

  “I want you to find that out. I don’t have time to focus on another tangent. I need to put an end to the betrayed caravan routes. As soon as that is done, people will stop dying in the streets.”

  As the guards were stretching, the stable boy came running in.

  “Fire… boys… masks… hay… horses gone,” he yelled between breaths. The Captain ran out to the stalls, followed by Nuevon and the rest of the Guard. The wooden structure was being eaten by red and orange flames. One of the masked boys threw his torch at the Captain and ran down Outer road. The Captain dodged it easily and ran after him. Nuevon was right behind him followed by Deakon and Ulryck.

  The masked boys were quick enough to stay just ahead of the Captain and his lieutenant. The boys bowled over people and knocked over carts, attempting to delay their pursuers, but the Captain and Nuevon stayed on them, dodging around people, and jumping over the debris. One of the boys looked back and waved his hand. The Captain, Nuevon and the recruits were jerked backwards, as if they had been caught in a wave. The Captain and Nuevon recovered and kept their footing, but the other two were knocked to the ground. They got up quickly and started running again.

  “What was that?” Nuevon asked.

  “Exactly what I needed to know,” the Captain said. Each time the Captain and Nuevon came close to catching the boys, one of the boys would throw his arm back, attempting to knock back the Captain and his lieutenant with the invisible force. The boys would slow considerably each time they looked back and waved their arms.

  The masked boys turned down South Road and headed for the Tangle. Deakon, Ulryck, and Nuevon were each able to catch one of the members before the other two disappeared into the wooden labyrinth, each still holding a torch.

  “Hold them hard. Don’t let them move,” ordered the Captain as he disappeared between two wooden structures. Nuevon said something, but the Captain couldn’t hear what it was. The two boys ran deeper into the Tangle, banging against the wooden houses and ladders. Boards, ladders, and makeshift structures fell over, slowing the Captain considerably as he maneuvered around planks of nailed wood and clouds of sand. He listened to the two boys running ahead of him and frowned as they split off. When he arrived at a crossroads, he h
esitated for a second, looked in both directions, and then ran left.

  The west side of the Tangle eventually met up with the standard dwellings and side roads, and wasn’t far from Market Street. The Captain and his guard chased and many criminals into the Tangle. He lost many, but those he did catch tried to make their way back to Market Street and disappear in the crowd.

  The Captain ran, glancing down at the sand-covered ground for fresh tracks, but found none. He listened for someone banging against structures, smelled for a hint of smoke, and watched for any quick movement. A man came out from one of the small alleyways on the right. He was covered in sweat and sand and had a slight limp. He looked up when he saw the Captain and pointed to where he just came from.

  “He went that way,” the man said. He looked familiar. He wore a red coat with missing buttons. As the Captain ran towards him, he noticed the syndicate ring on his hand.

  “Thanks Leudoy,” the Captain said as he ran past him, going deeper into the Tangle. Small puffs of sand lingered in the air from where planks of wood and other building materials were knocked over. The buildings and dwellings that were built above ground blocked out the stars and moonlight. The path curved and twisted, taking a northwest direction.

  The Captain ran, following the path as best he could, and then he caught site of an orange glow. He ran around the corner and there was one of the boys holding a torch next to a lean-to structure. The flames licked the house, but did not ignite the dry wood.

  “Another step and this whole place burns up,” the boy said in a deep muffled growl. He wore a brown cloth around his face, hiding all of his features except his blue eyes and blond hair.

  “You would willingly endanger your own life, my life, and the lives of those who live here, in order to escape?” the Captain asked. The boy was silent, but pulled the torch back slightly from the building. “Why did you burn down the Three Brother’s school? What do you gain from that?” The boy looked down at this torch and placed it closer to the building again.

  “Quiet,” he said. “Just walk away and nothing will happen.”

  “Just tell me,” the Captain said softly, “why did you burn down the school. If you give me that, I will walk away. I will pretend this never happened.” The boy looked down at the torch again, but held it closer to the building. “If you start another fire, you will die. You don’t want that. You’re young and have a whole life ahead of you. I just want to know why.”

  “Protection and food,” the young man looked down at the ground and shook his head. “The others and I were promised that our families would be fed and that no harm would come to them in the coming uprising if we did what we were told. That included trying to kill your student, Kosai.”

  The Captain scowled at the boy, took a deep breath, and calmed himself.

  “And who told you to do this? Who promised you food and protection?”

  “Teacher Theo,” he said. “Even if I die, my family will be fed. My mother will have food. My sisters won’t cry at night. My father won’t have to beg in the streets or go to Linnouse to work in the mines. I have to do this.”

  “No! Don’t!” the Captain called, but it was too late. The young man tossed the torch into the wooden structure, smiled and sat down. The building went up in fire immediately. “You fool!” yelled the Captain. People poured out the buildings. “Let’s get out of here,” he ordered. The boy shook his head.

  “It’s no use. The fire is going to spread quickly. You and I are going to die.” The Captain shook his head, picked up the boy with his good arm and head butted him, knocking him out immediately. The Captain threw him over his shoulder and ran out of the Tangle, following the people that lived there. As he ran with the crowd, he noticed Mearto running against the flow. When she saw the Captain, she pointed to the side of the pathway. The Captain moved over and met with her.

  “Are you okay?” She asked.

  “I’m fine,” the Captain said. “This boy and four others started fires in the city. They burned down the Three Brothers School, attempted to burn down the Barracks, and this one,” the Captain pointed to the boy over his shoulder, “started the fire we are running from.”

  “Stay here and wait for me,” Mearto said. “I’ll fix this.” The Captain watched her run towards the fire, and in a few minutes, the orange glow disappeared. The smell of smoke crawled through the Tangle. When Mearto returned, her hands were shaky and she looked slightly pale.

  “We really could have used your help earlier,” the Captain said grudgingly.

  “I would have helped, but I hoped to catch that boy before he could do any more harm. When I saw the boys heading out, and found it was for ‘disciplinary reasons’, something didn’t set right with me, that was when I followed them. They set fire to the syndicate school and took off, vanishing in Market Street. I caught back up with them just outside the Barracks and chased them off. I figured they were headed to the Tangle, so tried to cut them off by running through the dwellings.”

  “I am glad you’re here anyway,” the Captain said. “My lieutenant and a couple recruits have three others. One got away. He went east a while back and is probably headed back to your school.”

  “I will bring him to you then. What are you going to do with Shàn and the others?” she said, pointing at the boy.

  “I haven’t decided yet. Gate duty seems fitting, but not enough, and I am worried that they might use a few tricks that they learned from your school to escape.”

  “Cursing him as Nameless is too harsh, and he is too young,” Mearto said.

  “I’ll send them to the mines to work in Linnouse for a year. It is hard work, it is away from Theo, and I think it will teach them a lesson.” He looked down at the boy and shook his head. “Their minds are so impressionable. He said that Theo promised that his family would be protected and have food to eat in the revolt. The Council made promises to the Three Brothers that all transport contracts would be theirs after the uprising. One of my sister’s students at the Forge, his father is part of a group that is trying to organize it. There is too much momentum. Kosai needs to know about this.”

  “I agree. Let’s take Shàn with us to use as a witness against Theo as well as his friend, who probably made it back by now.” When the Captain met up with the lieutenant and the two recruits, he gave them specific orders to place the two boys in confinement at the Gate and to get orders for the three boys to work in the mines as soon as possible. Nuevon nodded, but before they left, Mearto placed her hand on each of the boys’ head, and one by one, they fell asleep.

  “They shouldn’t wake up until Linnouse,” she said. Ulryck was able to put one of the boys over his shoulder, and Nuevon hefted another boy with ease. Deakon had his captive over his shoulder but struggled to walk. Nuevon smiled and put the other boy over his other shoulder, leaving Deakon to walk beside them.

  Once the Captain and Mearto were at the School, she whispered to the two guards who were dressed like beggars. After some discussion, they motioned the Captain to follow her. She directed him to the conference room, left the room, and returned with all the Teachers, the Seer, and another boy. The other boy froze for a moment, seeing Shàn incapacitated in a chair and the Captain sitting next to him, and then looked down at the ground, staying close to Theo.

  Kosai was the last to enter. He yawned and nodded to the Captain and then took a seat next to him. A few other teachers stood while the Captain, Kosai, Shàn and the other boy sat at the table. When everyone was settled, Daius stood.

  “Captain, Mearto has told us that a group of our students were out at night, burning down buildings, including one of the syndicate schools, a portion of your Barracks, as well as an attempt to burn down the more impoverished south section of the city. Is that correct?”

  The Captain nodded.

  “Mearto has also told us the boy made an interesting confession. Would you care to elaborate on that?” the Seer said.

  “I’d rather he di
d,” the Captain said, gesturing to Shàn. A large oval welt was beginning to form on his forehead. “But considering his current condition, I think I will elaborate. He was with four others. Three of his friends were captured and are going to work in Linnouse for a year given their age and the confession. I am curious…” the Captain looked away from Daius and looked at the boy that sat across the table from him. “Would you like to explain what was promised?” he asked. His voice wasn’t arrogant, or menacing, but was like a gentle lure. Theo flinched slightly, but covered by scratching his neck. The boy was silent and wrung his hands together, as if he were trying to hold onto an oil covered ball.

  “Food and protection… for our families,” the boy said. “In exchange, we were to accept any order given to us by Theo.”

  “And were you out with your friends this evening, causing the mayhem?” the Head Teacher asked. The boy nodded. “And what say you against these accusations Theo?” Daius sat and held an open hand out to Theo. Theo stood and bowed slightly to the Head Teacher.

  “I will admit that I did take these boys out this evening, though it was for disciplinary reasons. They skipped too many of my classes. We were going to clean the streets-”

  “Liar,” the boy said. At the word ‘liar’, Shàn began to stir. He held his head with his hand, and yelled in panic when he realized where he was. He pointed at Theo.

  “He told us to do it, and to kill Kosai too. If we didn’t, he was going to kill our families. We had to!” Shàn said frantically, as if judgment had already been passed on him. He grabbed his head with both hands and leaned forward, groaning in pain.

  “These boys are the true liars. They escaped from my custody and I expected to find them in their bunks when I returned. I was wrong. I did not expect them to be so… so rebellious. I am truly sorry for my error.” He bowed low and sat down.

  “You know good and well what you told us to do,” the boy said. “You are the one who disturbed us during our study. You are the one who told us what to do. You promised our families safety. Now that you’ve turned on us, are you going to turn on our families?”