"Next!" Roared Trask Two-Swords as the fourteenth volunteer filed out.
Deville massaged his brow wearily. It had been a long day. The School
of Red Mask's was a travesty. The reports on its progress that he'd read before
his arrival in Pavis had been pure fabrication. Deville had been forced to ask
Hrothmir to break all the fingers and toes of the Chief Magician in charge until
he'd confessed to "confiscating" the funds allocated to the School. No training
had been done either as he'd spending most if his time and all the stolen money
on purchasing young boys to satiate his warped desires.
Deville had ordered him tortured for a week before allowing him the mercy of crucifiction. He'd only done it that quickly because the headquarters staff had complained about the endless screams.
Oh well, he thought, you can't win them all. He looked up and composed his face, ready for the next applicant. Deville was working overtime to make up for his predecessors failures. He'd been interviewing Red Mask applicants all day now and the results had been favourable to date.
The man who came in to Deville's office had to duck through the doorway. He was several inches taller than Hrothmir and though not as broadly built, he was still immense comparied to most men. His skin was black and dry looking, he wore hard leathers that gave off a strong animal musk.
"Greetings Agimori, may your Hunt be hard and rewarding." Said Deville in
accented but legible Praxian. He switched to Pavic. "Your name?"
The Agimori scanned the room slowly. "Buimfasa is my calling Red man." He said in good Pavic. His face looked like it was carved from basalt it was so hard and unmovable.
"What do you wish to achieve here Buimfasa?"
"I want to see Red Folk magics and know how to use them and beat them.
Then maybe I can kill you all to avenge my Koos who fell at Moonbroth." He said
tonelessly.
Deville grinned widely. "Oh is that all? Well how marvellous! I like your nerve sir, but do you have the might to back it up?" Deville didn't wait for an answer he simply raised his hand and unleashed an amplified disruption at Buimfasa.
The Agimori endured the magical attack like a rock and resisted the spell successfully. His composure remained unaffected.
"Yes, you'll do. Give him a billet Trask, if he wants one, and sign him
up. He'll get he chance to learn our magic alright!" Deville laughed a barking
laugh.
Trask nodded and led the Agimori out of the room. The tall man neither bowed nor acknowledged the incident. His phlegmatism appealed to Deville in a emotive way. Stubborn, he thought. Just like me. He smiled.
"Idiot! I told you to wait!" The Blackfang hissed.
Nolon bowed even lower. "We would have killed him but for the
intervention of the Orlanthi my Lord. My plan worked."
The Blackfang glowered for a moment then struck Nolon hard across the face. "You will obey me in future, you will obey me utterly. Do you understand?"
Nolon ignored the pain of his loosened teeth. "Yes Lord." He muttered. The Blackfang moved around the room, pacing like a trapped panther. Hewas known for such activity when lost in thought. Nolon kept silent, fearing a further outbreak of violence.
"This can be used to our advantage." He said finally.
"How so my Lord?"
"Deville is a man of honour. Its one of his more irritating qualities.
Its also one of his greatest weaknesses. I know Deville, he will feel honour
bound to repay his debt to Sharpsword."
"I do not see how this will help us sir." Said a puzzled Nolon.
"No, you wouldn't. Think, fool! Sharpsword is a known Free. If we can
use him as a lure then Deville's fate will be sealed. If he helps a Free he
implicates himself for treason, assuming he is not killed in the process of
course."
"A masterful plan Lord, shall I call off the Jaw and his men?"
"No, they may well suceed and save us the trouble. They should be moving
in soon. I'll have to put in an appearance in New Pavis. Carry on the training
with the new group but increase the intensity of the practice combats."
"There will be a higher rate of fatalities my lord. Is that wise?"
Nolon felt concerned, casualties among the new men were very high. The training
was already very ardous and deadly, any more would strain them to the limits.
"Of course! We will weed out the weak. Only the strong can join the
Brotherhood and the Elites. I will not tolerate failure again Darkwalker,
remember that."
Nolon bowed to cover the fear on his face as the Blackfang left to resume his other life. Nolon once bragged of being afraid of nothing but the Blackfang put a chill in his bones like no other man he'd ever met. He wouldn't fail again. He hated the feeling of fear and repeated failure would only bring a heavy payment in terror. I will not fail, I will not fail he repeated to himself, like a mantra to push back the darkness.
"Whats you're problem Deville? You've killed half of the Empire's men in town yet you haven't killed a single Orlanthi? You afraid of them of something?" Radak goaded. He'd been standing in Deville's office presenting him with a report on current rebel activity and the Bison tribe raids against the Northern forts when he'd finally let his irritation get the better of him.
Deville looked up from his reading, a frown decorated his brow. "I haven't had cause to as yet Centurion." The stress he placed on Radaks rank caused the mans scowling face to go a shade redder. He's so easy, thought Deville. Pull the strings and he jerks like a puppet. "If they become a problem, then I shall act."
"Hmmph, sounds to me like you like the Wind-sucking bastards!'
"I do." Said Deville shortly
"What!?" He glared angrily at Deville's smile. "They're the enemies of
the Empire Deville. For our armies to conquer, we have to nail 'em all up. Its
the only way. I _know_ Heartlander, believe me, I know. I was at Grizzley Peak
in the phalanx, I was at Runegate and Boldhome. I've seen these hairy bastards
fight and they won't give up. Ever! What greater threat is there to the Empire
than that?" Radaks uncharacteristically long speech left him looking a bit
surprised at himself.
"Radak, I was once like you, I loved simple action and the chance to
fight the Emperor's foes but the long years of service have jaded my faith in
the peoples of the Empire, though I still believe in the Empire itself, and the
Goddess of course." Radak looked perplexed at the dichotomy so Deville
continued. "You see only the military perspective Radak. I see that and all the
other sides to our power. Frankly I'm often disgusted."
"What are you trying to say Deville?" Radak was surprised at the sudden
weariness that came over a face he'd only ever seen wearing a sneering smile
underneath reptilian eyes.
Deville collected himself visibly, throwing of his melancholy with a rabid grin. "Open you're eyes Radak and see for a change. Its all there for the viewing. Oh, nothing obvious but a quick mind can piece it together, recognise the pattern."
"Pattern?! What in the Hells are you on about Deville?" He's gone mad
thought Radak.
"Everywhere I look our heirarchies are riddles with decadence and
corruption. The soldiers like you don't notice while we keep winning but watch
closely if we ever lose." Deville locked his eyes with Radak. He was clearly
worried and must have had his own experiences. Maybe, just maybe, he could be
an asset. Deville decided to make the effort.
Radak scowled at himself for allowing defeatist thoughts to enter his mind. "We won't lose. Every defeat just makes us stronger Deville. We wax and wane like the Moon herself but at every cycle the tide of our conquests lies further out than it did before. Why should that end?"
"You weren't there when Euglyptus ate himself to death. You weren't
there when Jomes Wulf fought a war with peltasts when a Phalanx was fifteen
Keymiles down the road but refused to move in support because its commander
considered Jomes "common". I fought the Telmori too and I saw a lot of good men
die because they lacked that aid." Deville said bitterly. He remembered well
the men who had died hard on the shield wall, each in his place, holding back
the terrifying attacks of the wolfmen and their brothers. The allied Orlanthi
had died as well as any Lunar trooper and had earned his effusive praise, though
after the campaign those brave men didn't even get payed fully. He'd used his
own meagre funds to make up the difference.
"Aye, I've heard of that happening myself. At the Building Wall our
right wing refused to aid the center. Some whispered afterwards that the
commanders had a private dispute over a young Tribune and his affections. I
didn't believe that then and I don't believe it now. Nobody is that foolish!"
"Believe it Radak!" Snapped Deville. "That story is just one of hundreds
I've heard from men much like yourself. Riddling the core of the Empire is an
insanity that threatens to bring us down. Our Provincial army is starved of
funds while Satraps in the Heartlands throw revels that light up the sky and
last for seasons. They spend the value of small countries on gladitorial
contests or in paying for Dart Competitors like me, before I knew better, while
all that protects what is good in the Empire is left to whither like a rotted
tree branch. Young nobles hear about the wars as a distant amusement though
nobody is interested because its "out of fashion". Instead they indulge in
chaotic rituals which excite with their illicitness but they are ignorant of the
deadly evils they foster. To be honest, I don't think they'd care, even if they
weren't ignorant. This decay is what you and I struggle to protect Radak.
Sometimes I ask myself: is it worth it?"
Radak looked slightly stunned at the lengthy, spite-filled outburst. "I didn't know it was that bad, what is to be done about it?"
"Done? I do all that can be done Radak. I root them out, I kill and I
kill, I torture and I maim. I destroy the corrupt and the selfish wherever I go
but is it enough? I am but one man and every year the enormity of my task grows
more apparent." Deville sighed.
"You're hated already Deville. I cannot say I like you interefering in
my juristiction but you have done more in a week than I've seen done in a year
of working through the normal channels. You've got balls, I'll give you that!"
Deville laughed shortly. "Perhaps so. Sometimes I think its just plain stupidity making me brave. Hate me if you like Radak, I don't need your love, but understand that what I do, I do for the Empire and for what I believe is right. If you know that about me then we can get along I think."
Radak nodded slowly. "I believe you. I don't like you Deville but at least you are true to your vow of service, as I am, and that I can respect. Because of that, I'll give you a warning and some advice: Never be alone Deville, the word is that you are a marked man. I can't give you details but the feeling is there. Be careful, they may try again."
Deville chuckled. "If I had a Wheel for every time "they" had tried to kill me, I'd be sitting in Glamour eating sugared eels!"
"You're tough, real tough, but no-ones unkillable Deville. A man needs
friends in this life and you don't seem to make them easily!" With that, Radak
nodded a bow and left.
Deville pondered his words for a while then re-read the Overeers letter once more. Its time to set things in motion, he thought.
Martin Laurie (More to follow before the New Year).
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