The Darkness of Dawn

by Braden Michael

  “Soldiers from every army on the planet do horrible things every day, and they don’t all get up and kill their officers, so why did you?”

  “Because it felt good to watch my spear run through his neck,” Viktor replied, almost regretting the admission.

  “You had a personal vendetta, didn’t you?” Black Eyes asked.

  “I did.”

  Black Eyes smirked subtly while nodding. “I understand that better than anyone.”

  “How would you?” Viktor asked, crossing his arms.

  “When I was twelve years old, my twin sister was murdered and gang-raped by the men that left me unconscious in a pool of my own parents’ blood. It felt good to cut them all down with my dagger, then castrate the last one and make him grovel.”

  Viktor looked at Black Eyes in silence, blank-faced.

  “That same man is the one who condemned me to this cell,” Black Eyes seethed.

  “Same one?” Viktor perked an eyebrow up curiously.

  “The Archon… the scumbag that runs this terrible place is the same person that murdered my sister. I castrated and left that fucker alive, only to see him here, alive! I would castrate him a thousand more times, flay his skin to the bone over weeks, boil him in oil, and inflict the most horrible things conceivable on that man thousands upon thousands of times, and it would still not be enough to satisfy my vendetta. That is why I understand better than anyone.”

  Viktor looked at Black Eyes, mouth agape, his eyes awestruck. “I don’t know how to respond to that.”

  Black Eyes began walking back to the corner of his cell. He stopped immediately upon hearing Viktor’s voice.

  “Wait. About your eyes…”

  “What. About. Them.” Black Eyes slowly walked back to the bars, glaring.

  “I’ve seen it in other people before. When I was in the Frozen Forest for the Rite, my friend found an Artifact, and it turned many recruits motionless, giving them the exact same eye color as yours…” Viktor said, almost excited by an apparent realization.

  “You found an Artifact?” Black Eyes asked.

  “Unfortunately, yes,” Viktor said solemnly.

  “I’ve seen firsthand what Artifacts can do. I was at a village near Steeltower when it turned every single villager into feral creatures that attacked anything in sight, including me.”

  “Artifacts can do that too?”

  “So it would seem. I’m afraid to find out the full extent of their—”

  “BLACK EYES!” a furious voice echoed from down the hall, out of sight.

  Black Eyes and Viktor backed away from their respective cell doors, startled. A collection of footsteps pattering down the hall continuously grew louder while armor clanked. Within seconds, six Bargemen walked directly in front of Black Eyes’ cell with evil grins.

  “The fuck you want?” Black Eyes scoffed.

  “Open his cell.”

  Black Eyes’ face grew concerned as the gate door began to open, and the Bargemen poured in, encircling him, maintaining their evil grins.

  “Answer me!” Black Eyes shouted.

  “We got orders, freak.”

  “Orders!?” Black Eyes asked.

  “Even though the Archon gave us the orders, I’d still do this for fun,” said a different Bargeman, who unsheathed his dagger.

  Without warning, some of the Bargemen seized Black Eyes. His tugs and twists and other attempts to resist proved futile. His heavy breathing turned into desperate screams as the Bargeman’s blade entered him.

  CH 44 – Vaishalla X

  After parting amicably with her younger brother and cremating their mother, father, and siblings, Vai departed from Arrowstone, heading eastward. If the Emberland messenger was to be believed, the only hope to end the war was to join forces with the Firelord, but she knew very little about him; only stories.

  Many spoke about the new Emberland Emperor as a fierce warrior, ruthless warlord, or a cunning commander, but Vai was incredibly doubtful of the legitimacy of these stories since similar stories were circulated about her late husband. But, regardless of what the Firelord truly was like, she had no viable alternative to brokering an alliance with him.

  Vai was currently unmarried, Asher was currently unmarried, and both were similarly aged, so marriage was the most rational option, Vai believed. But would Asher see marriage as beneficial? Would he want to agree to it? Due to her first marriage, she understood how terrible a bad marriage could be. If the many stories about Asher were true, then would he even be a good husband? Or would he be even worse than Peter? Vai was terrified of what may go wrong, but she knew it was her only option if she were to survive the current crisis.

  If the message was to be believed, then Vai’s army was to rendezvous with Asher’s army a hundred of miles north of Habwaken at the crossroads by Sturgeon, a Headland town beside a vast open plain. Since Asher’s conquest of the Furakuhold, the city was now under his domain.

  Very few in Vai’s army were inclined to believe that Asher had conquered the infamous Furakuhold with only seven hundred men, but then again, many Emberlanders might not be inclined to believe Vai had defeated an army thrice the size of her own outside Robinsport.

  Multiple days into the march, the army set up camp outside a small town named Kaigo. Most of the residents were happy to provide food, water, and various other goods to the army.

  Vai, Archard, and Adrian trotted around the camp on horseback, witnessing the soldiers spending their time singing around fires, sparring, drinking, and enjoying their time with the Kaigoan prostitutes who offered their services.

  “Do all armies bring prostitutes into their camps?” Vai asked.

  “Prostitutes are often better at finding armies than scouts are,” Archard began, chuckling, “but so long as they aren’t Midland spies, it’s my opinion that we let the men enjoy their night. They fought bravely and have displayed incredible loyalty.”

  “I agree. But if any of these women do turn out to be enemy spies, decorate Kaigo’s brothel with their heads.”

  “Yes, your Majesty.” Archard nodded and trotted away.

  “Do you think it likely that Howell would send prostitute-spies into our camps?” Adrian inquired.

  “From what I’ve heard about him, he has no limits to what he’d do. The question is, does he have enough power and influence to purchase Headland whores to work as his spies?” said Vai.

  “It’d be foolish to underestimate any opponent. That’s what King Hiroshi did with you,” said Adrian.

  Briefly reflecting on the Battle of Robinsport, Vai half-heartedly chuckled. “Let the men enjoy themselves while we set camp here. But go make sure they keep their lips tight around these women.”

  “Your Majesty! A message for you!” A Rockman came running up to Vai with a note in hand.

  Vai held out her hand, and the soldier handed her the note then scurried away. She unfurled the note and began reading. I, Emperor Asher Miller, have left the newly seized Furakuhold and regrouped with my army. We now head straight for the city of Sturgeon. I look forward to working with your Empire in bringing down Chairman Howell and his murderous regime.

  “The Firelord is on his way to Sturgeon,” said Vai.

  “So, we meet with the Emberlanders, then what?” Adrian asked.

  Vai sighed then looked at the horizon uncertainly. “Supposedly, we join forces, then defeat Howell.”

  “You seem hesitant,” Adrian said, concerned.

  “I don’t know much about this Firelord, if the stories about him and his accomplishments are true. And the only real way to guarantee an alliance is through marriage, so far as I can see.”

  “You have to marry him?” Adrian asked, disappointed.

  “No, but I have to plan for what comes after the war, and a marriage would guarantee that we can avoid conflicts following Howell’s defeat.”

  “If we can even defeat Howell,” said Adrian.

  “Howell won’t be an easy fight, but it’s one we’ll win if A
sher and I cooperate, and we can guarantee that cooperation if we marry.”

  “I understand,” Adrian said, somewhat gloomily.

  “Are you jealous, Adrian?” Vai joked.

  “No, it’s not—it’s not that, I, uh—”

  “I haven’t forgotten us, Adrian.” Vai moved close to Adrian and looked at him reassuringly.

  “That’s not what concerns me. I don’t know this Firelord either, but I’ve talked to many of the people here at Kaigo. Their town was flooded with refugees from raids carried out by the Emberlands, by Asher. If he’s the type to attack civilians… I don’t want you to marry someone bad again,” Adrian said, increasingly worried.

  Vai smiled sweetly, appreciative of his concern. “If he does end up being bad, or dangerous, I’ll want you by my side to protect me. I count you among the very few people I trust, Adrian.”

  Adrian looked at her, still seeming uncertain.

  “Well, we won’t be able to know the Firelord or who he really is unless we meet him. Make sure the army knows we begin marching towards Sturgeon at dawn.”

  “Of course, Vai.”

  The next morning, the army promptly departed Kaigo and began their march to Sturgeon. After several days, they reached their destination, promptly setting up camp just outside the walls. Surprisingly, the city sounded off their war horns and lit the braziers when they set eyes on the approaching Rockland army. The Headland flag stood tall at various points along the battlements.

  “They think we’re laying siege to them?” Vai asked.

  “It would appear so. Shall we send a messenger to inform them of the truth?” Archard inquired.

  “Will they believe the truth? That our army is camped outside their walls to wait for another army, and that we definitely aren’t attacking them? And if the city has a Headland garrison, maybe we should attack them,” said Vai.

  “The Headland Army’s gotta be depleted by now. I doubt they have enough men to protect the city from our host, let alone Asher’s,” Archard pointed out.

  Vai’s face lit up with certainty. “That’s what we’ll do then. We’ll wait for the Emberland host to arrive, they ought to surrender then.”

  “Shall I prepare for the siege in the meantime anyway? Better to have our equipment set up just in case,” said Archard.

  “If it’s not too big a hassle, then by all means,” said Vai.

  Lord Archard nodded, then promptly trotted away on his horse to give commands to the army. “Set up camp outside enemy arrow range! We’ll dig trenches along our flanks and start assembling siege towers! Move!”

  The ground rumbled as the army stampeded to their various destinations, eager to carry out their orders. Vai followed them farther down the plain, where they promptly began setting up their apparent siege.

  Before too long, the army was appropriately organized, and hundreds of soldiers had begun building siege towers. Vai found Archard by a collection of infantrymen.

  “Archard, would it be possible for me to speak with the garrison’s commander?”

  “Speak with?” Archard furrowed his brow, uncertain.

  “Can you get word to the garrison that I’d like to set up a parley with their commanding officer?” Vai asked.

  “I can, yes. But, are you certain you want to do that?”

  “Yes,” Vai stated stiffly.

  “Then I’ll do it. But I’ll need you to follow me so I can take you to the right spot and guide you through the parley. We need to do this cautiously and safely because it could go terribly wrong.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t.”

  Archard called forth one of the men, who quickly presented himself. He passed on Vai’s order, and the soldier promptly dashed away. Archard then led Vai to the road leading out of the city’s main gate through the two divisions of the army.

  Archard, Vai, and Adrian stood in a straight line, staring down at the gate and the walls around it. The enemy soldiers atop the walls ran throughout the ramparts, carrying various defensive supplies such as arrows, torches, and stones.

  “Their commander will get word soon. We must simply stand here and be patient. We’ll know if he accepts the parley when the men on the walls stop moving about and the gates open.”

  “Then what?” Vai asked.

  “The commander will walk out of the gate and you’ll go to greet him. The enemy soldiers may aim their bows at you, but it’s just for deterrence. From there you can say what you need to say to him,” said Archard.

  They continued waiting. Several minutes passed until the movement of the garrisoned soldiers began to slow down, eventually coming to a full stop. The gate slowly opened, and a single blue-armored man came walking out. Archard nodded at Vai, and she began walking forward. The man’s armor was unmistakably that of a Headlander, and he looked to be just beyond middle-aged. The man stopped just beyond the awning of the gateway and Vai continued forward to meet him. When she reached him, he stood stiffly with his arms behind his back in a confident manner. He was much taller than Vai, looming over her and studying her intently. She offered her own formidable glare in response.

  Just as Archard had told her, the men atop the walls had their bows ready and aimed down at her, a fact she forced herself to ignore.

  For a few moments Vai and the officer remained silent, neither of them seeming willing to break the silence, until the commanding officer gave in.

  “Empress Vaishalla. I am Colonel Litou. Pleased to meet you.”

  “Let’s avoid all the niceties, Colonel Litou, and just get straight to business,” said Vai impatiently.

  “Of course. Then tell me why you offered parley.”

  “Surely you’re aware of the fate of King Hiroshi and Prince Hideki?” Vai asked confidently.

  “Yes, I am.”

  Vai began pacing around the Colonel, a cocky grin plastered on her face. “The boy Yamamoto gets captured by the Emberlands, the father Yamamoto suffers a stunning defeat at the Robinsport, and the Furakuhold has fallen.”

  “What’s your point?” The Colonel crossed his arms across his chest, scowling.

  “Most of the Headland’s military is gone. Surely you cannot have many men in the garrison of this city? If my army were to mount a true siege, the city would fall in no time. I’m sure you know this,” said Vai.

  “I do?” the Colonel asked stiffly.

  “I offer you the chance to surrender, Colonel. You’ve yet to commit any crimes against the Rocklands, so if you surrender the city, you and all your men will be offered life.”

  “You think I’ll surrender meekly to you?” the Colonel seethed.

  “Oh, are you prideful, Colonel? Why would you choose to die needlessly?” Vai asked, then crossed her arms.

  “Because you’re a traitor, Kashin. I will not be remembered as the coward who surrendered to a fucking traitor,” the Colonel said, spit spraying through his bared teeth.

  Vai glanced back up furiously at the men aiming bows at her, but tempered her rage, then looked back at the Colonel with a satisfied grin. “So, you won’t surrender to a traitor, no matter the size of their army?”

  “Not. A. Chance.”

  “But you would surrender to, say, forty thousand Emberlanders?”

  The Colonel’s eyes widened at Vai’s words and he remained both silent and awestruck as she continued to pace around him.

  “No response? Shall I take that as a yes?” Vai asked.

  The Colonel glared at Vai. “I don’t see forty thousand Emberlanders.”

  Off in the distance, many horses whinnied, faintly echoing into the air. The sound of a rumbling stampede faintly echoed as well, both sounds slowly yet progressively gaining in volume second after second. Vai turned around to see many of her soldiers looking towards the sounds as well, either confused, scared, or excited.

  Vai turned back to see the Colonel’s face wrought with concern. “You do hear them?”

  The Colonel offered no response, continuing to gape at the horizon, the rumblin
g now much deeper and the horse whinnies more pronounced, still getting louder by the moment.

  For a moment, the horizon seemed to rise, until Vai realized it was an army, the Emberland Army. Thousands of mounted soldiers riding bulky horses descended upon the city. The sight and sound of them frightened Vai, and seemed to terrify the Colonel, given his meek expression. The city’s war horns were sounded but were drowned out by the massive sound of the encroaching army.

  The Emberlanders now much closer, Vai noticed the heavy armor plating on all the horses. The infamous Armored Cavalry, she realized. Vai sighed in relief as they began to slow down, coming to a grand stop. The rumbling dissipated, and the horses barely made a peep. The Emberlanders and Rockmen stared one another down. There must be tens of thousands of these Armored horsemen, Vai realized. The sight of the Emberland Army was an incredibly intimidating one, and she was relieved not to be their enemy.

  The Emberland Army slowly began to part deeper in. Eventually, two men on foot walked into the open, out of the cavalry line. One man was beyond middle-aged, while the other appeared much younger. That’s him… Asher, she realized.

  Vai started to feel nervous: not the giddy type of nervous, but rather an extreme uncertainty. The young Firelord continued walking alongside the older man, and the pair reached Adrian and Archard. The four men found one another looking at the other side in a contentious yet non-hostile manner. They were all out of Vai’s earshot, but she could see Archard speaking directly to the Firelord, whose face grew increasingly impatient as Archard refused to step aside.

  “Your Majesty?” Vai called out.

  Every person in the vicinity turned their heads from the four men to Vai. The four men immediately stopped facing one another and turned towards Vai. When the Firelord saw Vai, he subtly smiled, his face now one of excitement. Vai reciprocated the smile. He’s not so bad to look at, she thought. Archard and Adrian reluctantly stepped aside, and Asher walked right past them, straight at Vai.

  He stopped just before her, and the two rulers looked at one another. She noticed the fierceness of his green eyes, and his war-weary face, with shadows under his eyes and a modest beard.