Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3 (150 page)

“Probably,” Vexin agreed, “But just in case, I want Dulcinea and the children sent to Karang.”

Bothmar nodded as he made his usual notes. “And Ranen?”

How Vexin wished that Methrym had not been so successful last year. If he had known then what this year would bring, he would have sat on Methrym personally to prevent him from crossing the border. He had been so pleased to hear of Talayan’s doom back then, but now all he felt was frustration and despair.

Vexin frowned as he went over his options. The first thing that came to mind was assassination, but the Dark Brothers had failed him more than once recently. He had ordered Lady Julia and the wizard Lucius killed to further his plans concerning Deva, but the assassins had failed on each occasion. The last time they sent a message to him stating they would not accept any further contracts against her. Keppel had offered to take care of the sorceress personally; he seemed to look upon the thing as a challenge, but Keppel was much too valuable to risk on. Besides, Deva was no longer a concern. Japura was the problem, more specifically prince Ranen. Did Talitha love the man, and if she did, would it be better to kill or capture him?

“Ranen has to be stopped and stopped hard,” Vexin said fiercely. “Send our fastest couriers with all the information we have regarding Ranen and his army. Methrym is to break off his attacks on Wakiza and march east. We can’t lose any more ground.”

Bothmar scribbled furiously.

“And Ranen?” Keppel said.

Vexin stared at the eastern section of the map and clenched his fists. “Kill him,” he said quietly.

* * *

14 ~ The Snake

Nisim lay awake listening to Leona’s breathing. It was a small thing he supposed, but lying here doing nothing would have been unimaginable to him not long ago. In Talitha’s palace, he would have been waiting for her to wake and use him, or he might have been working with his weights. In Talayan, he had briefly worked in a brothel before Mireya bought him. He wouldn’t have been to bed yet were he still there. Well not to sleep any way! Freedom was such a small word for something so huge. Freedom to do or not do whatever he wanted was something a slave had no business even dreaming about. Dreams were dangerous for a slave, dreams led to wrong thinking and error. Error led to beatings or worse… and he had seen worse. Oh yes he had seen worse all right.

Tanni was a friend who had died horribly because of him. He hated remembering that, but it was true. Mireya had learned that he cared for Tanni and had used the boy to hurt him. It was his fault, but Mireya hadn’t lived long enough to gloat about it. The night of Methrym’s sack of Talayan, he had killed her with the help of one of his friends. Naida had been Tanni’s lover for only a short time, but she had loved him dearly. When he died, Naida had vowed to kill Mireya. She used a poisoned dagger on her bodyguard and then used it on Mireya herself; he had helped with pleasure by holding the evil bitch down for the killing stroke. He wasn’t proud of that night’s work, but he would do it again. Mireya had been evil—sick in her head. She deserved the death she received and he would swear so before the God himself.

Nisim glanced toward the tent flap. The sun was barely up, but he decided to get dressed. Terriss was demanding when it came to being on time… he was demanding in all things. Methrym had dragged his army to Chalek just a few days ago, and had immediately called upon Terriss. The outcome of that meeting was to be discussed this morning, which was why he had to hurry.

He was careful not to wake Leona as he stepped outside. The whores and borderers were still living under canvas as they had been since arriving at Chalek. The lord here was not at all happy with having to feed thousands of borderers and freed slaves. Especially not when, in Lord Chalek’s eyes at least, they did nothing all day at his expense. Nisim knew Lord Chalek’s type very well. He was a weak man within himself, a coward and the worst kind of fool—a powerful one. It was little wonder that there was so much friction between him and Terriss. They were exact opposites. Unfortunately, that meant Terriss was powerless to better his people’s lot.

He ducked into a tent that Methrym used for his maps. Joz said it had belonged to a great War Leader named Barthan as if that explained its great size. Nisim had never heard of this Barthan, and had briefly wondered why the man wasn’t leading the army if he was so great. Terriss explained that his death had led to Methrym seizing control of the army, which in turn had led directly to the sack of Talayan and the freeing of the slaves. It was ironic really. Nisim and all his friends owed their freedom to an unknown Japuran assassin for killing Barthan.

He found the tent a little crowded, but there was room to move forward if carefully. After taking a moment to locate Terriss and Joz he made his way over to them. He felt like the odd one out at this gathering, which of course he was. He was pure blood Japuran and not even a soldier like the others. Joz was the soldier and his captain. He refused to call Joz the prince of whores as some of Methrym’s people had begun to do, but they were right in one thing. Joz led them and had a right to be here; Terriss did as well.

But why am I here?

He knew why. His friends had wanted him to lead them because of his foolish and risky actions in the battle for Talayan, but he had refused them their wish. He didn’t want anything to do with killing Japurans. Although he was a slave, he was still a Japuran in his deepest heart, but his friends weren’t happy with his refusal. They had insisted that if he wouldn’t lead them to war as Joz did, he would at least represent them in matters not pertaining to the war. Methrym was as bad. He had bargained for his help with planning his battles, but so far all Nisim had done was confirm information on Talitha’s strike leaders and princes when he knew anything. He had tried to get out of it but it was no use.

“Well?” Joz said as he reached him.

“Well what?” Nisim said and nodded to Terriss who returned the greeting with a nod of his own.

“Come on, Nisim, she
is
my sister!”

He sighed. “You know I like her Joz, but I’m just not ready to take a wife.”

“But she’s perfect for you! You said yourself that you like her, and I know she likes you. She’s good in bed, and she even knows how to cook that fiery stuff you like so much. What more could you want?”

All of that was true. Leona was a trained whore as Nisim himself was, so they had that in common. They knew how to please each other, and yes, he loved her pentach. He had always liked it very hot and she made it just right but…

He did not love her.

Nisim sighed again. “She is wonderful Joz, but I do not love her.”

“You could learn to,” Joz said solemnly.

“I don’t know. Sometimes I think that if I try a little harder… but then I remember and I know it won’t happen.”

“You are a good friend, Nisim,” Joz said shaking his head in pity. “But you’re also the world’s greatest fool. You were a slave in her palace, less than nothing in her eyes, and yet you pine like a lovesick fool. Talitha is Matriarch of Japura for the God’s sake! Even if she wasn’t, she has a consort now!”

He
was
a fool, he knew it, but it did no good! “You’re right. I know you’re right, but I can’t change how I feel.”

Joz put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I feel sorry for you. Truly I do, but Leona deserves better than someone who thinks of another woman constantly. It’s not right leading her on like that.”

“I’ll tell her,” he said dreading the thought, but Joz was right, she did deserve better than him—much better.

* * *

“Why now when I’m so close!” Methrym glared at the messenger.

Keppel gave him a cold hard smile. “I will tell you War Leader. You have made such a pitiful mess of this war to date that Talitha felt she could get away with sending a second army to hit Tanjor.”

Methrym slapped a hand to his sword, but before he could reveal a fraction of its length, a knife appeared at his throat.

“
Yessss
,” Keppel hissed. “That’s right, let it drop.”

He released his hilt and the sword dropped back into its sheath with a quiet snick. He licked his lips as a bead of blood welled and slid down his neck. He looked into Keppel’s eyes and shivered. He saw his death within them.

“Who…” he squeaked. He tried to relieve the pressure upon his neck by stepping back a pace but Keppel would have none of it. The assassin moved with him and more blood trickled.

He tried again. “Who is my replacement to be? I would strongly suggest Lorenz. Soren would likely lose this army.”

Keppel frowned. “I’m not here for you,” he said stepping away and making the dagger disappear.

Methrym urgently needed to use the latrine tent, but as Keppel moved away the need fled to be replaced by another. He snatched his sword free so he might go down fighting. He knew the Snake would best him sword or no sword, but he felt better with it in his hand.

“I’m not here for you,” Keppel said again. “You are ordered to break off from Wakiza immediately and march to engage Ranen’s army in the east. I have my own task, which does not concern you. I will travel with you a while then leave to attend to it.”

The only business the Snake ever had was assassinating people at Vexin’s order. Methrym belatedly realised he had been given a reprieve and sheathed his sword. What the guards thought they were doing letting the assassin by them he didn’t know—not that they could have stopped him, but they should at least have tried! Keppel had entered his tent at sunrise without a by your leave, and given his ruinous orders. Now it seemed he had
business
with someone nearby. It didn’t take a genius to realise that someone was going to die soon. Why not Wakiza? The Strike Leader had been hurt by his losses in the valley; one more battle and he would be done for, but these orders to break off were tantamount to giving him a second chance!

“If I…
when
I follow these orders, Wakiza will regroup and reinforce! He’s vulnerable now curse it!”

“You listen to me,” Keppel said. “If we lose Tanjor, we lose everything! The lords are mobilising, but if Tanjor is lost it’s certain they will pull Vexin down and with him the empire.”

“All right, I can see the concern, but surely I have time to hit Wakiza first. I swear to you that one strike will finish him!”

“You have your orders,” Keppel said unmoved.

“What about this; you assassinate Wakiza while I take care of this new army. With luck, his forces will retreat in confusion. At the very least it will make them less a threat.”

Keppel frowned. “I have no orders regarding Wakiza.”

That wasn’t a no, Methrym realised in excitement. “Think about it. Vexin hasn’t ordered you not to kill him—has he?”

“I will think on it.”

“But—”

“That is all I will say on this,” Keppel said cutting him off. “Perhaps something can be done, perhaps not. Either way you have your orders.”

He backed off. He had planted the seed of an idea; he would have to hope it flowered into action. “I have a meeting to attend. Would you care to accompany me?” he asked hoping for a demurral.

“I will,” Keppel said and waited for Methrym to lead the way.

Crossing the camp with Keppel one step behind him was not an experience Methrym was eager to repeat. He could feel Keppel, as if an aura of malice radiated from him. He had never felt anything like it. He knew the man was staring at him—without looking he knew. He entered the tent and was relieved to have others near at hand. Whether for protection or to dilute Keppel’s stare he was uncertain. All the usual faces were present. He had asked Nisim to attend as the representative of the whores because he had planned to use his war band against Wakiza. He was the closest thing to a leader they had. Joz was supposedly their captain, but Nisim really led his people whether he was willing to admit it or not. Soren and Lorenz were standing at the front next to the map table talking when Methrym came in. Lorenz’s eyes widened when he saw Keppel. Soren was oblivious. Methrym quickly shook his head when Lorenz dropped a hand to his sword hilt.

“You have loyal men, but to whom are they loyal? That’s the question,” Keppel said.

“No question,” he rebutted. “They’re loyal to me and through me to Vexin.”

“I see,” Keppel said without revealing his opinion of the arrangement. “What of the two Japurans? They are pure blood.”

“The tall one is Joz. He’s captain for the whores. The shorter one is Nisim. He represents their other interests.”

“A slave who would be lord.”

“Not at all. He fought at Talayan to free the slaves; he’s respected because of that. He refused the captaincy and would have refused his current position but his people wouldn’t let him.”

“It would be well for me to get to know him. Popular leaders are dangerous.”

Methrym doubted Nisim was a danger. Terriss now; he was a different proposition altogether. Terriss was more than dangerous, but not in a political sense. He would make an excellent war leader or even an assassin. Keppel had already taken note of Terriss and his position within the tent. How he knew of him was anyone’s guess but he obviously did. The Snake was afraid of nothing, everyone knew that, but he was also far from a foolish man as he demonstrated by giving Terriss a wide berth. The crowd quieted as Keppel and Methrym stepped to the fore and turned to face them.

“The war is off!” he said eliciting laughter from all sides. “Seriously, I have new orders to break off from Wakiza and march east. I’ll need the men ready to go—”

“This is madness!” Soren yelled. “We have Wakiza right where we want—”

“Are you refusing?” Keppel said quietly.

“No I—” Soren broke of worriedly.

“Good. Your emperor expects this army to move, and it will move. He expects you to destroy the Japuran threat in the east, this you will also do,” Keppel said then in a dangerous voice, “Do we all understand?” he said with eyes boring into Soren.

Soren nodded nervously as did most of those present in the tent. Terriss had a look of speculation on his face, Joz and Nisim looked bewildered—they didn’t know who and what Keppel was.