Shadow Kingdom

by N. A. Oberheide

  Shadow Kingdom

  N.A. Oberheide

  Copyright © 2019 by N.A. Oberheide

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Awakening

  The Call

  Blood Wake

  Road to Perdition

  Something Ends

  Something Begins

  Remember My Family

  New Beginnings

  Awakening

  Ding-ding! Ding-ding! Naurus looked up, slightly irritated but he knew he had to abandon his book for now. The bell ringing in the distance signaled muster call, and he was now at the Age of Enlistment for his mandatory service in The Astranian Royal Forces. The city-state of the Kingdom of Astrania had a long and proud tradition of mandatory military service, with all able-bodied men and women mustered in to serve. The vast majority landed in the Great Flotilla of The Immortal King, as the kingdom was largely seafaring and protected well against incursions by being situated at the coastal base of an expansive mountain range.

  Naurus scrambled to get all his equipment on to be ready for inspection and his first official day of duty in the Naval Infantry where he was assigned as per his muster papers. His cadet uniform was a simple affair: A thickly collared, royal blue jacket beset with polished bronze buttons stacked up the center. Accenting this was red piping around the front center edge, collar, and cuffs, representing the sacrifices of the ancestors that came before them. These ‘battle jackets’ as they were lovingly called by their bearers were really more of a service uniform. They were woven of cloth and reinforced with leather panels inside to better protect against cuts from an opponent’s blade. This was worn over top of grey loosely fitting pants which were bloused into the tops of thick, black leather boots.

  With that all squared away, he looped his baldric through the shoulder straps on his jacket and fastened his falchion into its scabbard. The wide, straight blade was made of a simple alloy sourced from mountain ores called Aeronite giving it a characteristic matte black hue. It was not the most aesthetic appearance, but that alloy was the only cheap way to forge a blade that wouldn’t be quickly eaten by the salty sea mist. It was held by a two wooden grip plates pinned in place, ending in a small pommel. There was a clip point on the end of the blade. The sword bore no markings or engravings, that instead coming with time in service and only earned through one’s feats and accomplishments in service of his kingdom. The blade had a wide and straight cross-guard, which ensured the blade is both balanced and capable of protecting the owner's hands against any sliding sword. The cross-guard was capped by small spheres on each side, which was common on many weapons until greater decorum was earned.

  He looked in the mirror, realizing that even in his most clean and well pressed of uniform he would stand out in the muster rows. He was of no abnormal physical proportions, standing about six feet tall with a husky build. However, his hair was starkly white, contrasting strangely with his crimson colored eyes. This was unusual for his common race lineage, and his parents were lax to tell him much about their past or distant relatives citing bad blood in the family tree. Naurus was always eager to dig into the history of Astrania and his lineage, but the schooling they received largely glossed over what he really wanted to learn. Astrania was a formerly great empire that once was ruler of the Ever-Reaching Waters. Now that was little more than a distant memory only coddled away in ancient tomes for most people in the kingdom, but tradition lived on and he had his part to play now.

  He bid his parents a quick goodbye and was on his way out. He briskly made his way between shops, houses, and food carts on his way to the staging grounds, his muster papers in hand. Nerves began to build up as he made his way closer to the shore, the unmistakable ocean mist tickling his nostrils as it rode the inland breeze towards the mountains.

  As he drew closer to the grounds, he noticed all the other cadets suddenly funneling in off side streets and alleys, all converging onto the main road towards the quay where the grounds were situated. He finally saw what he was looking for off in the distance: The Kings Standard, the flag under which all were to gather from here on until Age of Discharge as it was seen fit for every muster call. The flag was a pointed affair, with history as old as the King himself it was said. It was a rectangular standard bearing the three horizontal bars representing their honor, duty, and sacrifice. Crimson red was on top, in the middle a royal blue which was sat on top of pitch black with crest of the Immortal King being centered in this. The standard consisted of an eagle holding a sword in front of a castle, representing the guardianship of tradition and honor for as long as the King still reigned over his dominion.

  Upon getting down to the parade grounds, he looked down the shore to see a sight which had always awed him, even as a child. The shore line curved inward and gently upward towards the volcanic peak at the other end of the bay. All up and down this coastline, hundreds of ships and tens of thousands of citizens answering the call of duty formed up in neat and tight rows as far as the eye could see. This wasn’t a typical drill day, nay it was the annual Ides of Enlistment wherein every new cadet officially started their training and duty in service of the kingdom. Naurus found himself a bit lost as to which row he should be situated in as the enlistment papers didn’t specify that. In his case, he would serve as part of a crew of a hundred enlisted, ten rows wide by ten deep in formation on the parade grounds. One crew was generally enough for one small to medium ship, with a fifty of those ships forming a fleet, and ten fleets being the current state of the Great Flotilla. Auxiliary, support, and merchant mariners made up a fair number of these ships. Placement was made based on a rough assessment of skills and aptitudes shown during schooling, with favoritism and elitism bearing on it just as much. Naurus took his papers to the nearest officer he could find on the grounds to try to figure out where he was supposed to be. The deep blue waist sash and embossed helmets made officers easy to find.

  “Excuse me sirrah!” Naurus started, “I’m unsure of my deck placement, could you take a look at my papers and tell me where I’m to be?”

  The tall, wiry officer looked down, scanned the document and pointed to a nearby row that was forming up. “Right there with the cannoneers, cadet. Now form up, you’re about to be late!” The officer said gruffly.

  Naurus made his way over the rows that were forming and found an open spot. Nerves started to creep up, but he looked down the coast line at the immaculate rows of thousands upon thousands also there for the first time, and instead of watching from a distance as a child he was now a part of it like his parents and ancestors before him. Soon, the crew was fully formed, and every cadet was in their place. No sooner did that take place than the great horns were sounded by the officer cadre to signal for silence and attention. At the foot of the parade ground was a stone dais where the commodore would address them. Each commodore was assigned chief responsibility of a crew, with lieutenants and petty officers under them serving as their liaisons, enforcers, and command staff on the ships. The commodores would report up to the fleet lord, who then reported to the flotilla admiral who was a personal and trusted advisor to the King himself.

  Everyone looked up to see a thickly built woman as tall as a horse and nearly as wide step up onto the dais. Her golden colored skin and long verdant hair were a dead giveaway that she was from the Transcendent Races, an amalgamation of magicker infused dwarves and elves that interbred before the fall of the empire. They made up most of entire officer cadre given their size, strength, and connection to magicka which the common race seemed to lack. The blood red sash over the waist of her ornate double-breasted frock coat bespoke her high rank.

  “ATTENTION!” she bellowed out, her voice surprisingly loud given the distance between her and the crew.

  Every cadet stood to at
tention and snapped their heels down in unison, creating a roar that filled the air.

  “I am Commodore Morra, you are now under my charge. All cadets are to stand to while your lieutenants will come down the rows making sure your papers and uniform are in order.”

  The officers made their way down the rows quickly and efficiently. The one who came to Naurus gave him a double take, focusing on his eyes and hair. This made him a bit uncomfortable, but it was normal at this point for him to stand out in ways that weren’t always comfortable. Now that the crew was in order and papers squared away, the first order was to be issued. Everyone knew what this was since childhood, so it was mainly a formality at this point.

  “Cadets…make ready!” Morra started. This meant stand straight, right hand on blade, left hand on sheath. “Present arms!”

  The simultaneous roar of thousands upon thousands of swords being drawn and held straight up gave way to a deafening silence. Naurus peeked over to see down the coast line, just to get a glimpse of the river of black blades making its way down the bay, such a fearsome sight gave him chills. Morra drew her bastard sword. Its brightly shining blade was almost blinding in the midday light. Runic engravings ran up the fuller and the filigreed, twisted cross guard capped with eagle heads on both sides spoke volumes about her combat record and loyalty to the kingdom. It did look somewhat ceremonial but certainly was more than capable of cleaving a man in two should the need arise. Now it was time for the Immortal Invocation, a swearing in ceremony that was the official start of duty in the cadet's service. “Cadets, repeat after me!” The cadets all recited line by line the invocation:

  “I will always watch out for my brothers and sisters.

  I will always remain vigilant for enemies of the King, both foreign and domestic.

  I will always sacrifice what is needed for the greater good.

  My sword is my word, and my word is my blood.”

  With the invocation over, now was time for the Joining of Blood, wherein every cadet was obligated to draw blood from their palm using the tip of their blade. Naurus winced but gritted his teeth through the cold sting of the tip of his blade cutting a shallow laceration through the meat of his palm. A quick squeeze of his fist finished the deal, with his blood dripping onto the ground in front of him. The pale stone ground was seemingly permanently stained in neat rows because of this age-old tradition, his blood now being the most recent stain on top of where all those before him once bled. Morra sheathed her sword with a flash of movement, a showy collection of looted gems and small coins hanging off the pommel whipping around in response. This was the signal for the crew to sheath their blades as well, as the officer cadre moved quickly down the rows handing out pale cloths to wrap around the palms to stifle any further bleeding. These were referred to as ‘blood tokens’ and were considered good luck by many. These were often kept and used as headbands or arm cuffs in the years of service.

  The first fortnight of training was largely learning ceremony, drilling, prize rules, and administrative minutiae. The end of this particular stretch of training always fell on the Blood Moon Equinox, a changing of the season which was marked with the rising of a dull red moon, said to be stained with the blood of collective sacrifice. The kingdom used this occasion to enjoy a day and two nights of revelry and feast, indeed it was a needed break from training which was far from over. Even more importantly, it was the time of the year when the Immortal King himself addressed his people directly, which often was the only time of the year most of the population ever really saw him. On the eve of the Blood Moon, training was adjourned and Naurus went to find his friend Talfin. This was basically his only close friend, they had known each other since early schooling due to their unique oddities which made them stand out and bond together. Indeed, Naurus didn’t easily trust anyone who wasn’t noticeably different or ostracized from the rest of the common race, which made for few friends to be had. He made his way through the now disorganized mess of citizen soldiers intermingling and chattering about the State of Address from the King as soon as the sun set.

  He finally spotted Talfin, which wasn’t particularly hard given his messy, burnt orange hair with a matching beard and ash colored skin.

  "Talf! Come hither!" Naurus shouted out. Talfin turned his short, stocky body around and his black beady eyes lit up as he saw his dear friend.

  "Let’s get outta here, this damned rabble be drivin’ me mad!" Talfin replied, struggling to be heard among the din of the crowds they were in.

  Talfin and Naurus made the short walk away from the drilling grounds, walking side by side. "So Talf, have they told you where you're going to be stationed besides the feed trough?" Naurus asked wryly.

  Talfin chortled, "Hah! I'm goin’ into the shore battery division. Where be they puttin' ye, 'asides the invalids house?" He shot back.

  They shared a chuckle, these stabs at each other were a welcome reprieve from the prejudices that they usually encountered from those they stood out from.

  "No Talf, I'll be out there on the waves with the cannoneers. I don’t know which ship just yet though. Any of them will do as long as it brings me as far as the wind will take me from you!"

  They shared another laugh as they looked out onto the Great Bay. The sunset contrasted against the expansive network of jetties that jutted out in the bay, serving both functional and defensive purposes. On these ends of these jetties were massive shore batteries of mortared stone, some much newer than others, and yet others showing scars of old battles. They bristled with cannons and mortars although they were somewhat in disuse nowadays. Naurus had heard the folk tales of heroism and great strife in the past, with few enemies ever making it to the shores. Catboats and ketches made their way into the docks, quickly unloading their catch of the day and carting it up the shore to be delivered fresh for the nights feast. As Talfin and Naurus joked around, they caught sight of a war sloop off in the distance, but as it came closer they noticed the various holes and jagged rips in the sails. Longshoremen scrambled to the pier to get the mooring secured and the gangplank in place. The sides of the sloop were punctuated with holes and splintering all up and down the gunwale. The gundeck was much the same story, bearing larger more jagged holes peppering the ship from stern to bow. Various enlisted offloaded from the ship, some on their own power and others carried by their brothers in arms.

  Following them was an unmistakable sight: stretchers carried by two men with a drape of burlap covering the bodies underneath. Naurus struggled to remember the last time he saw a ship come in this roughed up and with such casualties. A lump grew in his throat, but he swallowed it down as the first of the battle-weary group passed by them. Some of their battle jackets bore various cuts and the blood of friend and foe alike, some of their buttons now a crimson hue as well. Naurus overheard some discontented murmuring among the group, but clearly heard a more boastful voice among the others: "Curved swords...can you believe it? They have curved swords!"

  Naurus and Talfin looked at each other simultaneously, puzzled and speechless by such a weird sounding weapon. It was then they realized they were completely alone out there, just staring at the procession of the bloody and battered up the shore. Some of the men shot them dirty looks, even those with only one eye to task. One older and well weathered senior sailor made sure the two gawkers heard his piece as he passed them. He bore them a stone-cold look under a bloodied headband.

  "What are ye staring at, ya bilge rats?" he growled loudly.

  "Uh, nothing sir. Just enjoyin' the sunset is all!" Talfin piped up. He and Naurus exchanged nervous glances as the man paused in his march.

  "Ya think this is pretty, do ye? Ya two freaks will have the wake of your ship painted in your blood if you believe all the snot they teach ya out here on the grounds. Now ye best run along to yer ma and da before you get hurt." Came his gravelly reply.

  Naurus and Talfin weren't sure what to make of the vague threat but decided it would be best to walk away and find some space at the n
earby Vehoapt Market Plaza. Quite a crowd had already gathered there, all congregating around the eternal flame at the plaza. It was the size of a house, placed here long ago to represent the search for progress and knowledge the people of this region are known for. Every plaza in the city featured this, both for its magicka powered never-ending warmth and for more ceremonial purposes as was to be done soon. In the distance, horns sounded, getting progressively louder as they passed from the northernmost Kings District all the way down to the Lowlands, where Naurus and Talfin currently stood.

  This portended that the Kings’ speech was imminent, as everyone was to report to the nearest one of the dozens of plazas throughout the city. Soon after, a low rumbling started, a familiar feeling to all those in attendance. The otherwise unremarkable eternal flames started dancing and flickering, soon towering up and being wholly replaced by the avatar of the Immortal King himself. Draped in well fitted brocade robes and a sharovary to match, the otherwise middle-aged looking man sure looked the piece.

  The avatar started animating to life, his salt and pepper side parted hair and sapphire blue eyes emanating a warmth that matched the clean-cut smile. A bellowing clear of this throat hushed the few noisy parts of the crowd, therein starting his address:

  “My loyal and dear subjects, today marks another year of prosperity in our kingdom. I enjoin you all to celebrate the Blood Moon Equinox tonight! Join with your friends, family, and neighbors in a celebration of another year of health and wealth to come. The enemies of our kingdom will be quashed with no mercy, I as your King will make sure of that. To all the cadets who have completed their first phase of training, I congratulate you on your success and wish you much more to come. You make your ancestors proud and I trust you will continue to do so. The coffers of the treasury are brimming, and soon we shall retake the empire that is rightfully ours. I endear all subjects to keep an ear out for seditious talk, for the tongue is an unruly evil that no man can tame. I bid you all a great night of fantastic revelry, feast, and drink. Farewell!”