The Darkness of Dawn

by Braden Michael

  On horseback, they exited the confines of the camp in very short time. Alexey barely had time to observe the Winterguardsmen who looked up at him and the other horsemen. His horse was beside Anton’s and Viktor’s horses, with Petrenko just ahead of them. The Sergeant and the three volunteers trailed closely behind.

  The Rhoska Farm was farther away than Alexey had anticipated. His horse had maintained a steady pace for hours on end, and Petrenko ordered the group to set up a tent and sleep for the night. “We’re ten miles away,” Petrenko had told them.

  All of Alexey’s time was spent awake in his sleeping bag. Forbidden to fail… he reflected. I either steal from these people, or I get put to death and someone else will steal from them and eat the meat off my dead body.

  While the fears and anxieties raced through his mind, he simply clutched the Artifact, feeling soothed by its touch. I’m glad Viktor and Anton didn’t tell these men about what we found in the Forest. Anton was fast asleep while Viktor looked straight back at him, wide awake.

  “Alexey,” he whispered, careful no one else could hear. “Your father was a logistics operator?”

  Alexey closed his eyes and sighed. “Apparently.”

  “Volkov wants you to do the same type of thing.”

  “No shit,” Alexey said, hushed and snide.

  “Back at that farming village… You almost got yourself killed wanting to stop the Arch-Commander.”

  “I see you’re able to remember things,” Alexey replied curtly.

  “If you were willing to die to stop something like that, are you sure you want to do it for the rest of your service?”

  “Of course not,” Alexey admitted.

  “We don’t have to be a part of this,” Viktor told him.

  “And what do you propose, Viktor?”

  “I’m not proposing anything,” Viktor replied, trying to calm Alexey down. “I’m just saying—I am just—” Viktor closed his eyes then sighed.

  “What?”

  “I once said my other choice was worse, but now I’m walking back on that claim.”

  “Walking back?” Alexey replied, immensely confused.

  Viktor looked at the tent ceiling. “Just ask yourself what the alternatives are.”

  Alexey tried to think of a reply, but it never came. Viktor closed his eyes and began to breathe the deep breaths of a deep sleep.

  What is my alternative? Alexey could not find an answer to that question in his own mind. The Artifact could have the answer, however. He continued to clutch it, trying to decipher whatever it might tell him. The sensation it gave him had to be more than a simple sensation. The Artifacts were capable of affecting the minds of people, and the extent of their powers were completely unknown. I need to figure out what it’s capable of, what I’m now capable of.

  CH 29 – Black Eyes VIII

  The carriage was far too conspicuous for indefinite travel. A day in, Black Eyes dumped the headless bodies on the crossroads headed to Kaiyotan, but he headed to the rightward road towards Ashguard to keep the Headlanders off his trail. The three severed heads he had displayed on the road from the Furakuhold would set off the alarm of even the most incompetent soldier, and several hunting parties would scour the Headlands when they realized they had all been fooled.

  On day three, Black Eyes laid eyes upon a roadside building that appeared to be either an inn, a trader’s shop, or an alehouse. He figured it was a good place to ditch the carriage, but he needed to be extra cautious. The open road that was leading out of the country had little to no people in sight, but a building meant people, and people could mean danger. Soldiers would kill him on sight, but civilians could spread tales of his location unless he killed them all. He decided not to proceed towards the building just yet, but to scout it out first.

  Black Eyes rode the carriage into a small forested patch of land just behind the building, tied the horses to a nearby tree, and stopped behind the carriage’s cage. The Sapphire Prince was docile, still concealed by his bag-head.

  “I just wanted to say that you’re doing a good job,” Black Eyes said with strange sincerity. The Sapphire Prince flinched as he spoke. “You’ve been very good at keeping your fucking mouth shut, avoiding making sounds in general, and otherwise pissing me off. But, if you choose to break this trend, I’ll carve out your eyes. If you piss me off again after that, I’ll rob you of your hearing. Although, the idea of a blind and deaf man with no tongue greatly amuses me, that won’t become a reality if you continue to be a good little prisoner, understand?”

  The Sapphire Prince remained silent and motionless, his bag-head still aimed at Black Eyes.

  “I don’t expect you to say it aloud, you know.” Black Eyes chuckled. “But continue keeping me happy, and you should remain happy. Well, relatively happy.”

  Black Eyes chuckled once more, grabbed the Headland helm from his seat on the carriage, and began to walk out of the forest. He rehearsed a few words in the Sapphire Prince’s voice as he slipped the helm on and approached the building.

  The building was twenty feet tall and twenty feet wide; it was a perfect cube made of dark-gray stone and light-gray mortar. The front door was made of dark-brown wood, and a blue flag of the Headland Waterspear was sprawled just above it. Black Eyes opened the door to find a dozen civilians, farmers or merchants, seated at various wooden tables or benches. A makeshift bar occupied the left side of the room, with a few people sitting at the stools and an elderly Headland bartender. To the room’s right, the harp player atop the slightly-elevated platform stopped playing and looked straight at the supposed Sapphire Prince. The patrons inside immediately stopped conversing with one another and stared at their supposed Prince.

  “This place is closed. Unless you are the owner, it is time for you to get out. Now,” said Black Eyes, his Headland accent as convincing as ever.

  No one hesitated to comply. They quickly grabbed their belongings, placed their copper pieces at their tables, and rushed towards the exit. Within seconds, the supposed Sapphire Prince and the barkeep were the only souls that remained in the room.

  “You, uh… Y—Your G—Grace—” the barkeep stuttered. His voice was as weak as the thin wisps of gray hair on his head.

  Without speaking, Black Eyes grabbed a chair and dragged it over to the bar’s front door, wedging it into the door handle, rendering it inoperable.

  “Please,” the barkeep pleaded.

  “No need to grovel,” Black Eyes said in his regular voice.

  “Your… Grace?” The barkeep’s voice went from fearful to confused.

  “No need to call me that either,” said Black Eyes. He walked over to the barkeep while taking off his helm.

  Once the barkeep looked directly at Black Eyes’ face, he froze in place. Whether he froze from fear or absolute uncertainty, remained to be seen.

  “Tell me your name,” said Black Eyes.

  “S—Sato.”

  “Tell me, Sato...” Black Eyes placed the helm onto the bar. “What is your true opinion of the Yamamotos?”

  “Uh—I d—don’t—”

  “Don’t fear to be honest with me. While I may be wearing sapphire-encrusted armor, I am not a Yamamoto, so why be afraid to tell me the truth about them? Could it be you don’t like them?”

  Sato looked at Black Eyes, remaining silent and unable to move.

  “You don’t like them,” Black Eyes surmised. “Now, I would like to make a trade with you.” He began to undo the straps of his armor. “I will give you this armor, which must be worth thousands of gold pieces in sapphires alone, in exchange for some subtler clothing, and some fresh rope. Can you do that for me?”

  “Um, is there—is there anything in particular you want, sir?”

  Black Eyes placed the breastplate onto the counter then began to unlatch the shoulder pieces. “Something with less silk. Something that a common traveler might wear, and I would appreciate a hood.”

  “I will check upstairs,” said Sato.

  “
And I will join you.” Black Eyes placed the shoulder and leg pieces atop the counter.

  Sato shambled towards the back of the room, leading Black Eyes towards the staircase. Ten stone steps led to a small landing space, and ten more led up the opposite direction to the second floor. The upper floor was just as drab as the lower, but Black Eyes did not complain, seeing as drab décor meant fewer people would be inclined to visit, and the last thing he needed was more people. Several crates, barrels, and boxes were sprawled through the floor space in a highly unorganized manner, and three doors were opposite them.

  “An attic and rooms for guests?”

  “Yes sir,” Sato replied softly.

  “You sell those sapphires and you will be able to afford dozens of buildings, and a better harp player.”

  Sato walked up to a crate with the word Garments labeled on it. He slowly lifted the lid to reveal a mashed-up pile of various coats, shirts, and pants made of wool, cotton, or linen.

  “There should be rope in one of the crates to your left, sir,” Sato informed politely.

  “I look forward to seeing you open it,” Black Eyes said, folding his arms.

  Sato closed his eyes, sighed, then continued to sift through the garment crate. Black Eyes kept his hand on the handle of his sword and stood vigilantly.

  Sato is the only living person who knows the truth. Do I need to kill him too? The prospect was highly unappealing, but it was an option, albeit a drastic one, that he could not rule out.

  Black Eyes patiently watched as Sato grabbed various pieces of clothing and laid them out atop the crate beside him. After a few minutes of work, Sato shambled over to the rope crate, retrieving the item as slowly as he had everything else until, finally, the rope and clothes were ready for him. Sato turned around and looked at him as he picked through the items, the old barkeep remaining frozen and unsure.

  “Would you rather clean up the dishes your customers so rudely left downstairs or watch me change?” Black Eyes asked sarcastically.

  Sato hesitated, but acknowledged what Black Eyes said and scampered down the stairs to the lower floor.

  Black Eyes stripped down to his underwear. Sweat had ruined the silk of the shirt and pants, leaving an awful stench that made him cringe. Weeks without a bath. And to think that most people live like that…

  Sato had left him a pair of brown wool pants, a white cotton undershirt, and a wool and leather hooded coat. He put the clothing on one article at a time. The pants fit his legs loosely but that was not a problem the fleece belt straps could not fix. The shirt was snug, and the coat sat comfortable over his torso. Pouches were sewn about the coat, and Black Eyes found a few arrowheads in one of them. A hunter’s coat, he surmised. Black Eyes’ sword belt fit snugly around his waist. He decided to keep the Sapphire Prince’s uniquely curved sword, deciding it was worth the sacrifice in conspicuity.

  Once fully dressed, he grabbed the rope and tied it around the top of his left shoulder and beneath his right underarm. He then proceeded down the steps to the lower floor. Sato was doing as he was told, cleaning out dishes from the bar counter and the tables. He looked up as soon as Black Eyes entered the room.

  “I trust everything is to your need?” Sato asked.

  “More or less.” Black Eyes walked toward the counter, where the armor was still sprawled out. “Since you have been honest and helpful, I’ll offer you a little advice. The Emberlands will receive word of how your Prince murdered their Emperor, so the Emberland Army will invade and occupy your country any day now. So, sell that armor to them. Be sure to mention my name. You do know my name, right?”

  “Black Eyes,” Sato said fearfully.

  “Only the smart ones know who I am.” Black Eyes patted Sato on the shoulder kindly. “I think this goes without saying: you may know who Black Eyes is but he was never in your shop. Not so far as the Headlanders know, correct?”

  “Correct.”

  Black Eyes nodded, satisfied. “Farewell, Sato.”

  “Farewell to you, sir.”

  Feeling comfortable and weightless in his new outfit, Black Eyes jogged towards the door, dislodged the chair, and left the building. He kept his jogging pace back to the carriage.

  Right where I left it. Good, Black Eyes thought with great relief. The carriage was still tied to the tree, the horses remained still, and his prisoner was still stuck in the back of the cage.

  “Hideki!” Black Eyes called out. The Sapphire Prince flinched when he heard the call. “I would like to inform you that you no longer get to ride in that cozy little castle of yours. From now on, I’ll be on horseback and you’ll have this rope tied around your neck!” His voice was sarcastically cheerful. “If you don’t want to be choked, you’ll have to keep pace with me!”

  Black Eyes climbed into the cage, beginning to undo the rope that kept his prisoner attached to the bar. As soon as the Sapphire Prince’s hands were free, he punched Black Eyes in the throat. Startled, but mostly unhurt, he grabbed the Sapphire Prince in response and threw him belly-up onto the cage’s floor, digging his right knee into several broken ribs.

  The Sapphire Prince screamed in pitiful agony, but his cries were distorted by his tongue-free mouth. Black Eyes continued to dig his knee deeper, making him scream even more intensely.

  “You were being so good up until now!” Black Eyes ripped the bag off the Sapphire Prince’s head, drew his dagger, and held the end of the blade up to his right eye.

  The Sapphire Prince squirmed, and uttered whatever unintelligible pleas he could. Black Eyes took the bag he had once worn and stuffed it into his mouth.

  “I don’t want you to make a single peep. You are going to learn this lesson as silently as you can manage.”

  Black Eyes used his left hand to grab the Sapphire Prince, squishing the left side of his head into the floor. He slowly moved the point of the blade towards the eye, the Sapphire Prince screaming and begging with all his might, muffled by the linen bag in his mouth. An uncomfortable squishing sound emanated from the eye as the blade entered it like a stake into dirt. Rivers of red tears began to run from the point of entry, coloring the blade with the mark of suffering. The Sapphire Prince’s screams reached a climax, then shortly began to die down as he grew accustomed to the pain. Once he was relatively silent, Black Eyes pulled the dagger out in an instant, reigniting the screams, and making the red rivers form red floods. Black Eyes ripped a piece of linen off the Sapphire Prince’s undershirt and fashioned it into both a bandage and a blindfold. The flow of red had slowed greatly but had not yet stopped. Once the Sapphire Prince’s screams died down yet again, Black Eyes tore the linen bag out from his mouth and secured it over his head once more.

  “Since I am a man of mercy, I will only take one eye.” Black Eyes leaned down to speak directly into the Sapphire Prince’s ear. “If you want to avoid another incident such as this, do not dare piss me off again. Nod if you comply.”

  The Sapphire Prince continued to cry and mumble, but stiffly nodded his head. Hints of red began to stain the bag over his head.

  Black Eyes used Sato’s rope to secure the Sapphire Prince’s wrists behind his back, then did the same for the neck. He then hopped out of the cage while dragging the prisoner, throwing him into the dirt.

  “Get up!” Black Eyes calmly commanded.

  Black Eyes grabbed the Sapphire Prince by the arm and hoisted him to his feet. He double-checked the rope around his neck to make sure it was tied snugly, then walked over to the horses, dragging his prisoner by the rope.

  Black Eyes approached the horses and pondered his next decision carefully. Which one should I ride, and which should I eat?

  “Come here, your Grace!” Black Eyes yanked the Sapphire Prince to him, tore the bag off his head, and lifted the blindfold bandage off his good eye.

  Black Eyes fiercely grabbed the Sapphire Prince’s neck and pointed his head toward the two horses.

  “I can’t decide. Which one will feed us, and which one will drag you along
?”

  Black Eyes squeezed his neck, and the Sapphire Prince replied with more nondescript grunts and moans.

  “I’m no horse expert, and from what I hear you love the animals. I remember you saying so on the road to the home you invited us into.” Black Eyes squeezed harder still, making the Sapphire Prince groan even more painfully. “Nod at the horse that you think’ll be better suited for forests and jungles.”

  With his only remaining eye, the Sapphire Prince carefully studied the look of both horses. He shifted from one to another, back and forth, until he settled on the one to the right, and stiffly nodded at it.

  Black Eyes quickly darted in front of the Sapphire Prince, baring his teeth and seething. “You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?”

  The Sapphire Prince was frozen still by fear. His eye widened as Black Eyes seethed into his face inches away.

  Black Eyes laughed and backed away from him. “I don’t trust you yet, so I think I’ll just do the exact opposite.”

  Black Eyes drew his curved sword and cut it upwards into the horse’s neck, cleanly decapitating it. The severed head flopped to the ground, followed shortly by the rest of the animal’s body. The other horse began to clamper nervously, making frightened noises and quick breaths, appearing to yearn for an escape. The animal was still secured to the carriage, so it remained locked in place.

  “Shhhhh.” Black Eyes ran his hand gently across the animal’s neck and back. “Don’t worry about me. I am not gonna hurt you. You should be worried about my prisoner, he was the one that wanted to kill you and eat you.” He turned around and glared at the Sapphire Prince, shaking his head disapprovingly and facetiously.

  Once all the supplies were ready, Black Eyes tied the Sapphire Prince’s neck rope to the horse’s back leg, freed the animal from its restraints, and climbed atop it. He kicked the horse modestly and the horse began a light trot. The Sapphire Prince was yanked by the neck and subsequently forced to keep up.