Hope in the Shadows

by Umut Ersezer

  That didn’t mean he couldn’t indulge himself a little though, he was the high commander after all. Shala poured a glass of deep red wine for Trajan. She was a petite young woman in her late twenties, with soft features. She had blonde hair with light violet eyes, which Trajan found to be enchanting. She wore a simple violet sleeveless dress of cotton with brown leather shoes. Trajan had requested she wear violet to highlight her eyes.

  Trajan’s feelings towards her had been increasingly confusing. He was a man of duty and ambition, he had never entertained the idea of settling down to build a family with a wife, but this woman was playing havoc with his usual focus on work.

  He hadn’t made his feelings known, he couldn’t. There was a garrison to command, but he was growing increasingly possessive of her. When he caught sight of her speaking with other men, regardless of circumstance, a spark would ignite a flame of anger within him. He found himself quelling this fire more often of late.

  Shala had joined Trajan about six months ago, she was seeking work outside of her farming village to the south.

  Many people left the villages for the larger towns and cities looking for more opportunities for scholarly learning and develop a more lucrative trade skill by way of apprenticeship.

  She wanted to be a part of something bigger than her village. It was a chance encounter between the two when Trajan bumped into her on the streets of Erystin, the capital of Dritura. He had knocked her clean over and immediately sought to make amends.

  What Shala didn’t know was that Trajan was in Erystin for the very purpose of seeking an assistant to help him with the insurmountable mound of paperwork that commanders had to endure. Shala’s village had a school where all children could learn how to read, write and calculate arithmetic.

  Schools within villages were still a new concept but were becoming more familiar with time. It was certainly advantageous to have a population that could read and write. Most soldiers could not and lacked the attention to detail required for this kind of work.

  Upon learning of Shala’s abilities, Trajan decided to hire her, and she has been with him ever since. She relished the opportunity to work for a commander, during a time of war no less. She didn’t fear it but instead was excited by it, these experiences were just so different from what she was used to growing up in a village.

  Their interactions at times bordered on beyond the professional, Trajan found himself touching her arm in conversation or staring for just a second too long. Shala made no indication that his attention was unwelcome but did not encourage it either, for she was fearful of where it could lead. The two of them, although occupied the same space, lived in very different worlds.

  Trajan took a sip of the wine and instructed Shala “bring me the communication orb.”

  Shala fetched the orb from the cabinet against the wall and handed it to Trajan. It was a spherical shiny grey metal with no apparent markings.

  It was polished smooth, with no imperfections upon its surface. Trajan held it up in front of his face and pressed an unseen button. The metal surface liquefied but did not run off the sphere. It was like looking at the surface of a soap bubble. Then a face appeared in it, General Brite.

  “High Commander Trajan, it is good to see you,” said Brite.

  “You too general. I want to inform you that the latest batch of wagons has arrived. I believe this is my last allocation. I will begin training them immediately and readying my forces for the assault,” Trajan reported.

  “Excellent. Yes, it is indeed your last allocation, so do your best with what you have. There are a small number of carriages yet to arrive at the other garrisons, but they are close as I understand it from the other generals. I will inform the king of your situation. For the time being, do not press forward with an assault until instructed, we will pool our forces together, and the king will give the final order to advance,” said Brite.

  “Understood general. I wish to also report that commander Bhogh came into contact with the darkspawn further inland. It is a new behaviour that we have not seen until now,” said Trajan,

  “Yes, I’ve have heard multiple reports of such an encounter, commander Bhogh is not the only one, unfortunately. There have also been reports that these darkspawn have decimated several villages. It is troubling, indeed. The generals and I are hypothesising that they are attempting to limit our recruiting of the land. It begs another question where one must ask how do they know we are doing such a thing if that is indeed their intention. Ironically, it seems by forcibly recruiting these people, we have saved their lives, at least for the short term,” Brite said with a laugh. “Oh, I do appreciate irony commander.”

  “Indeed, commander Brite. Do I have your support to extend our patrols and scouts deeper into Dritura?” asked Trajan.

  “Yes, we will be stretched thin, but I suppose we have grown used to that these days. I will advise the other generals to also do the same. Hopefully, with a shared burden, we can maintain the security of our lands. Have your scouts in the west reported anything of worth? asked Brite.

  “No general, since we have been sending them deeper into enemy territory, none have returned. The darkspawn seem to originate somewhere in the Pointed Forest, but none that enter to gather intelligence, return. We know nothing of what is occurring in the forest, which is most troublesome. We would be launching an assault blind, not knowing what is waiting for us. The forest also nullifies our arches and ballistae and favours the stampede of the darkspawn attack,” said Trajan.

  “Yes, the king is aware of this. He has suggested we burn the forest to the ground, it will hopefully flush the darkspawn into the open for us to slaughter them. It is not ideal, but in the long term, the forest will recover. I tend to agree with this action at this stage, but we will see if there are any further developments.”

  “Understood general,” said Trajan

  “Is there anything else to report commander? asked Brite

  “No, sir.”

  “May the gods watch over us all,” said Brite as he turned off his communication sphere.

  Shala had been off to the side out of view, listening. Trajan often forgot she was there during sensitive conversations, she was always around and overheard many things. Trajan stopped bothering to ask her to remove herself, the simple fact was he enjoyed her company, and it was inconsequential considering she was not in a position to have any impact in decision making. Trajan stood up from his desk and handed the sphere to Shala, their eyes locked for seconds too long. Shala took the sphere and placed it back into the cupboard, ensuring to lock it.

  “Shala, please process the documentation for the new recruits of today. Be sure to record where they have been brought from. Some of them may be about to be faced with some…unfavourable news. It could cause trouble, I wish to avoid it as long as I can, creating a distance of time between now and when they find out. The training should help them cope and focus their grief favourably for me,” said Trajan.

  “I see commander, but will they not blame you regardless?” Shala asked.

  “They may, but as long as they obey and fight, it is not my concern where they place their blame. It will be up to me to harness the pain for when the time comes.”

  Shala gave a reassuring nod as she walked away to attend her duties.

  Trajan stepped out into the sun looking upon his garrison, his men, he would win this war and rise to the rank of general. Perhaps even king, he thought to himself.

  ** Chapter 12 **

  The Warrior Games – Part 1

  Four Years Ago…

  Trajan walked through the grand archway of Erystin, surrounded by tall watchtowers and thick walls of stone that encircled the massive city. King Hastam wanted his new city to be as magnificent as The City of Kings in Ozos. It always felt majestic walking into the capital city of Dritura, leaving Trajan with a sense of awe.

  Vast sections of the city were still under construction, but one could visualise what the future would look like. The streets wer
e wide and paved into neat rows and columns where homes, taverns, shops and offices were continually being built up with timber and stone along its edges.

  This had been the first location settled and developed by King Hastam in his push into the land of Dritura twenty or so years ago. He was now on a steady path of expansion throughout the land. The eshin stood no chance against the might of the human military. They were forced to either assimilate into the newly claimed territory or leave their lands.

  There were reports of atrocities committed against the eshin, but rumours were quickly squashed by the royal police. Any caught speaking of such things were quickly removed from the public eye. Reappearing days or weeks later proclaiming to understand the error of their previous ways. The eshin were a proud, peaceful people, resisting little, instead, packing up and moving to the south into the lands of Ethya. It was unclear if King Hastam would go on to claim the entire land of Dritura, but for now, he didn’t voice such plans to his generals.

  The land of Nni was a much more attractive path for expansion as it was blessed with riches in gems and metals. The dwarves living in these lands, however, were fully capable of harnessing these riches and would pose a much more significant opposition to Hastam. Conquering Nni would be very costly for the kingdom. There was talk of trade being a more viable option within the military.

  Trajan sensed a lack of appetite from the generals to invade Nni, but he became excited at the idea. He joined the army seeking challenges and glory, and although he had risen to the rank of captain during the Driturian invasion for his loyal service, the eshin had not satiated his thirst for battle.

  He found himself challenging other soldiers, his fellow captains and even commanders to duels. He would bet with gold, jewellery, weapons, armour and anything else his opponents would agree to. He had amassed riches which he held in the Erystin bank, but with a growing reputation, he found that his challenges were more frequently than not, being declined.

  Once a year in the City of Kings and now in Erystin, the king held the Warrior Games. Spectators would come in from all across the lands to view the spectacle. The city became a hive of energy and excitement, it was the highlight of the year for most.

  Merchants loved the increase in tourism since it gave them an opportunity to line their pockets with gold and silver. Anyone could compete for the glory of being the sole winner against tens of the most highly trained warriors in the land. The risk for serious injury was high, which is what made the spectacle so riveting. The winner’s reward for conquering the games was priceless. A full set of black plate armour, custom smithed to perfectly fit.

  The master smith would fuse gems of power into the plate, darkening the steel and providing the wearer with a boost in fighting performance to match the might of the gods. An additional prize was a ruby infused sword, allowing the wielder to command fire itself. Winning also often unlocked an accelerated path through the military if the competitor was a soldier, which most were. Winning would bring favourable reputation and a demonstration of ability on a world stage which caught the eye of the king and his generals.

  The condition for accepting the prizes, however, was a pledge, a lifetime of service to the crown for the security and prosperity of the kingdom.

  Trajan walked to the north of the city, where he had commissioned builders to construct his new home. It would be the first time since he had run away from home when he was a child, that he would live in a house he could call his own. Trajan dared dream of starting a family here but would quickly push the thought from his mind. Another part of him dreamed of more ambitious actions, he dared to fantasise about ruling the city itself.

  For now, constructing a home close to the palace, where he could keep an eye on it to keep him focussed would do. He saw winning the Warrior Games as a stepping stone towards turning that fantasy into reality, and he would do whatever it took.

  The streets were alive with tourists exploring the city and finding accommodation in taverns, the unlucky or frugal ones camping in the city outskirts. Countless merchants selling all manner of wares and services called out to potential customers to browse their best-priced goods.

  No matter where Trajan went, every merchant seemed to have the best prices compared to the others, and fierce competition drove them to haggle and bargain with customers.

  They, in their own way, were in a duel for the prize of riches or poverty. People in the cities always dressed in their more elegant clothes, wanting to show off their social position in this newly evolving society in Erystin.

  Fine linens and leather in the form of dresses and jackets, pants that were tailored to fit with highly polished boots and shoes paraded the streets. Clothing in cities was rarely the working brown and grey you would see people working the lands wear; instead, there was a full spectrum of vibrant colours that caught the eye.

  There were the beggars as well, on every second street corner, each seemed to have laid claim to their own territory, pleading with passers-by to share their wealth. Most were ignored.

  The newly constructed buildings towered over Trajan, some of them being three or four storeys high. Most of the merchant stalls and buildings mounted flags of all colours and brand logos off their front walls to flap in the breeze, catching the eye of potential customers.

  Trajan approached his piece of land, being within the city walls and close proximity to the palace, it was amongst the most expensive of all the lands in the kingdom. All land was owned by the kingdom treasury until privately bought.

  He could see the construction team busy erecting his two storey home. It had a combination of timber and red brick for its exterior with large windows that would allow ample light to illuminate the inside. It had two pillars of white polished stone blocks to hold up the second storey balcony and frame the timber door entrance in a grand and elegant fashion.

  He approached Hic, asking “how goes the construction master-builder?”

  “Captain Trajan! It is good to see you once again, sir. The construction goes to plan with no issues. This will be my finest work, captain, I’m delighted to add it to my portfolio.”

  “I should hope so Hic, I dread the thought of the weight in gold I’m spending on it.”

  “I will make sure it’s worth it captain, it will be a home that will bring you peace and rest between campaigns. You will not be disappointed and don’t mind the gold, it will appreciate tenfold with time,” reassured Hic while wearing a toothy smile.

  “Thank you. Is there a change to the expected completion date? I grow tired of renting.”

  “No, sir, we are on schedule to have it ready for you within a year.”

  “Money back guarantee?” Trajan joked.

  “Haha doesn’t quite work that way, sir, but we will do everything within our power to have it ready for you in time.”

  “Thank you Hic,” Trajan said, concluding the conversation.

  He turned the other way heading to his temporary dwelling, it was a modest room in a lower economic part of the city, but Trajan thought it wise to conserve his funds until the completion of his new home. The landlord was happy to provide a below market rental rate for Trajan as he liked the idea of having a captain living within one of his buildings.

  Trajan climbed a set of stairs leading to the second storey, walked down the hall and unlocked his front door with his metal key. It was a dark and dingy room but would suffice for the duration of the competition.

  Tomorrow was registration day for the warriors, with the competition starting the day after. Trajan would rest and practice within his room, preparing his mind and body for the gruelling combat that was to come.

  **

  The iron gates in front of him were raised with the sound of metal grinding on stone. The cheers from the crowd roared into the corridors where the warriors waited for their match. It was the very first of the entire competition.

  The opening display always had some pressure to entertain and get the games off to a good start. Trajan’s hea
rt was racing with adrenaline, the excitement of battle in front of a cheering crowd was intoxicating. For the first time, he stepped out into the arena, the crowd grew even louder, shaking the arena with their excitement.

  All around him, in stands that reached into the sky, onlookers cheered for the spectacle to come. The energy around the arena was impalpable, Trajan felt overwhelmed, this environment was so different from the duelling yards of garrisons and towns.

  He had watched from the stands before, but being in the middle of the cheers with the circular arena surrounding him left him in a state of wonderment he wasn’t able to prepare for. He couldn’t allow himself to remain in this state however or he would lose his very first encounter. To be knocked out in the first round was unthinkable.

  He turned to the king who sat in the bottom row closest to the action, surrounded by some of his generals and black plated guards. He held up his dulled competition sword to the king, in a show of giving thanks and respect for the privilege of competing.

  He dared to visualise himself sitting in the king’s position up there, just for a second, dared to wonder what it would be like, but pushed the thought out of his mind. He gripped his wooden shield and sword tightly waiting with anticipation for his contender to step into the arena.

  The warriors could only wield dulled weapons. These were still dangerous as the edge of the swords and bulk of the shields could potentially break bones, cut and puncture skin but without the risk of slicing off limbs or heads as would be the case with real swords. These were the best warriors in the land, and they were valuable additions to the army, their lives wouldn’t be wasted in games.

  The dulled weapons also allowed the fighters to take more risk, resulting in more entertaining and fluid combat, there was more emphasis on attack, rather than the defence of one’s life.

  There were still instances of private duels with sharpened swords when generals, commanders and the royal police were absent, that would indeed result in grievous injury or death, but they weren’t officially recognised in rankings or condoned for that matter, some participants were punished even.