Fate of an Empire (Talurian Empire Trilogy Book 1) (7 page)

Thrump. Thrump.
Thrump…

Thrump. Thrump
Thrump…

Thrump. Thrump.
Thrump…

The large, Kitamite
warrior repeatedly rolled his three fingers against the lacquered wood of his
table. The only unscathed piece of furniture in the burnt out building. His
eyes darted between the organized chaos of charts and maps before him.

“Commander,
did you not hear me?” The smiling young man asked. His eyes gaining intensity
as his grin grew. “Ceth? The fires have been lit, and the men have set up the
tents. This cover of smoke and clouds was a great idea!”

Ceth slowly
raised his eyes to the lanky soldier standing before him, flattening his
mustache with two fingers. “You've done well, Dageros. I’m grateful your father
sent you along.” He dropped his gaze back to the charts, still searching for his
next revelation. “How are you feeling?” He casually tossed out the question.

“Well, I
should be able to keep this going till my brother is done.” Dageros started
pacing back and forth. “It’s strange really. I haven’t felt this way before.
Well, yes, it is certainly the largest amount of copies I’ve held at once, but
I underestimated the alien feelings I am experiencing.”

“Mmhmm…”

“And! Not to
mention…” Dageros squinted his eyes, peering out through the doorway into the
lifeless streets of Hillsford proper. “They are a tad creepy, only responding
to the most basic of orders—unable to do anything that would require the
slightest amount of physical or mental competency. Nevertheless, I feel like I
should be watching out for a treacherous one among the bunch.”

“Interesting…”
Ceth took to his feet.  His armor clinking against itself. He grabbed a nearby
pencil and proceeded to draw a triangle north of Hillsford, followed by three
smaller ones, off to the east. 

Ceth
straightened, looked his markings over, and nodded to himself. “Well, Dag, they
are products of your own self…”

Dageros
laughed. “That is what scares me!”

Ceth grunted.
“Hopefully, we won’t need anything more complex from them. Our group of forty
looks like an army of thousands! Let’s pray to that god of yours, Dar’jaal,
that the Talurians don’t realize everything is just a clever trick. I can’t
lose the rest of my Kitamite brethren!”

The Kitamite
leader motioned for Dageros to follow him outside.

The young man
clasped Ceth’s shoulder. “Thanks for half-listening.”

Ceth winked
back. “You’re half-welcome.”

The two moved
out of the building. Ceth grabbed his helmet by the door.

“Go double
check that no one has seen Kaillum’s signal.” The Kitamite leader lowered his
faceplate. “That brother of yours tends to wait until the last minute!”

“Right.” Dag
nodded and took off at a run through the campsite while Ceth continued on
toward the frontline.

“Sir!”

Ceth turned
the opposite direction to find a soldier running toward him.

The soldier
slid to a halt, holding up his finger. “Sorry sir,” He doubled over in front of
Commander, trying to catch his breath.

“Take your
time, boy.”

He shook his
head. “I apologize, Sir, but there is
no
time. A scout from the northern
Talurian campsite just rode into the city.” He stopped again, wiping his brow
with the back of his hand. “Something is terribly wrong. He was practically in
shock, talking like a lunatic, saying a man made of shadows, with eyes of
blood, fell from the sky upon the Talurians. He barely got out ahead of the
retreating army.”

The soldier
made another pause. “Sir, the Talurians are running back to Hillsford, and
they’ll be here by morning.”

Thandril flew
over the valley that separated the campsite of the north from Hillsford. The
land obstacle made the relatively short distance into an all day, roundabout journey
for someone on foot.

He slowed,
circling in the air, halting his travels in surprise.

The Talurian
army marched in his direction, torchlight showing the long caravan along the
road, making toward Hillsford. He dove to the ground, changing his form as he
landed. Dirt and gravel whirled around him.

“What is going
on?” He lurched forward, questioning the first soldier he saw.

The man
dropped to the ground in fear, “Please, spare me!”

Thandril
pulled him to his feet. “I am on
your
side! Calm yourself. Where are
Captains Arteus and Barolas?”

Before the
soldier could answer, a rider galloped over. “The men are shaken up enough as
is without you coming in here with your exploding, light show.”

He turned to
see a bloodied Arteus sitting atop the horse.

Thandril let
go of the soldier. “What happened? What forced you from your position?” He
studied the Captain’s condition with a mixture of curiosity and surprise.

“I don’t know
if you’d believe me.” Arteus rubbed the back of his neck.

“Try me.”

Arteus jumped
from his mount. “Alright, let’s talk away from the troops.”

The two moved
from the gathering crowd. The Captain proceeded to recount the story of their
attack and subsequent retreat, including the death of his long-time friend and
comrade, and the impossible power they witnessed from the stranger in the sky.

“It was
something from a nightmare.”

Thandril nodded
his head in understanding and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I am
going to see this for myself. You must continue on to Hillsford. Whoever this
man was, he was telling the truth. Any minute now, the General might lose the Keep,
and everyone inside will be slaughtered.”

“But Thandril,
you can’t go—” Arteus was cut off as the druid jumped into the air, transformed
into a falcon, and shot off into the clouds.

Arteus shook
his head as Thandril flew out of sight. “Well, you heard him! The General is in
trouble! Let’s move!”

*
* *

Thandril
crouched down behind a large rock outcrop.

He had flown
to the former Talurian campsite and immediately sensed the evil, unnatural aura
that permeated the air. An eerie silence and the lack of life sickened his
senses. The campsite, set up along the torn down fortress, was gone. A few
ripped tents and many bodies littered the ground.

He slowly
moved from the cover of the rock, not seeing anything to hide from. The utter
absence of life was haunting. The sounds of nature were muted. The sounds of
the night that he had grown up around were gone. He fumbled down a gravelly
hillside, almost losing his footing. The closer he moved toward the campsite,
the darker the sky became. A shadow rested in front of the moon, blocking the
light.

He noticed the
edge of a wide crevasse in what would have been the center of the camp. He
inched closer. An ethereal voice invaded his mind, making the hair on his neck
stand up.

“I have no
quarrel with you, Thandril.”

He thought the
shadows were moving amongst the trees bordering the campground, but could not
be sure. The mind is darkness’ biggest trickster.

“Who are you?”
Thandril shouted.

“You will
know, in time.”

Wind blew up
out of nowhere and whirled around him. He felt cold touches on his face and
arms like ghostly fingers gently pawing at him.

“You are
important. You must protect the boy and his father.”

Thandril sensed
emotion behind the voice.

“I fear you
are the only one who can. The invaders of Hillsford are manipulating you. There
are merely forty of them inside the town. Two of them have powerful magic, one
which can duplicate himself.”

“Yes, I know the
one. I chased him from the Keep a night ago.”

“Yes…”
the voice hissed, “
He is making thousands of copies of himself and putting
them all around the city to mislead you.”

“You just want
me to go back and tell Saris it is okay to attack?”

“No. Your
army will be there soon; they can deal with those outside the Keep. More
importantly, you must go back and look for the other magic user. He has already
infiltrated your forces. He has the power to change his appearance into any
other man, woman, or child. You must find him and stop him from killing Saris
and the baby. Be watchful and do not lose focus. Pay attention to everyone.”

Thandril shook
his head. “Why should I trust you?”

“Why
shouldn’t you?”

“You killed
our people!”

“I tried
without. They wouldn’t listen! I had to make them listen. Don’t make me force
my hand with you…”

For a moment,
silence rung through Thandril’s head, then with a loud crack,
“Now go!”

The night sky
opened and stars peered down. Nature’s sounds began to sing, and Thandril
sensed he was once again alone.

A knock came
on the door, and a soldier hurried into the room.

“Sir, one of
our patrols spotted the Talurian army. They stopped just before the northern
ridge. They haven’t made camp so we can assume their rest is brief.”

Ceth leaned
back in his chair, scanning the burnt-out room that he had made into his
temporary command center, absently thinking. He stroked his mustache. “Four or
five hours, I would say…” He twisted up the ends of his facial hair, then
snapped back to focusing on the soldier before him. “Find me Dageros and,
without giving away what we are doing, make ready our departure.”

The soldier
bowed and left the Kitamite Commander alone in the room.

He shifted the
maps around on his desk and pulled forward one filled with many notations and
movement reports.

They should
be here in two weeks. What chance do they have if we fail? Can they overrun
this city with General Saris still alive, and his army fortified inside the Keep?

A rapid knocking
once again fell on his door. Dag entered without being called in, “Sir? Are you
leaving? We haven’t heard or seen anything from my brother.” He slammed his
fists down on the desk. “We can’t leave him in there! This mission isn’t
finished!”

Ceth stood
from his seat and looked the young man hard in the eyes. “You will
not
speak to me in that manner.”

Dag’s eyes
shimmered. “I will speak to you however I please,” he said defiantly, “Do you
not remember who is royalty here? You are Kitamite, and I am of Merkadia, but
do not be confused…” Dag crossed his arms, “You exist independently of our
great kingdom because we let you! General Vyker will be here expecting to find one
dead Talurian General and an army sitting on their asses up north.”

Dag took a
step closer to the large Commander, “Now… We will wait for Kaillum to give the
signal, then ignite the flame barrels, as planned. If we have to run with the
Talurian army on our heels, so be it!”

Ceth looked
down at Dag and said coolly, “I am leaving with my men. You can do whatever you
want. I have known you for years, but today, you act like a fool. You have
strained the alliance with our people. Now get out of my face.”

Dageros
lingered for a moment, fighting the urge to lash out at the military leader.
“Gah!” He threw his hands in the air and left the building.
What are you
doing in there, Brother?

*
* *

Kaillum pushed
through the crowd of people, trying to make up for lost time.

He entered the
Keep alongside the last group of Talurian soldiers before the gates were sealed.
When they arrived, they were quickly moved to the garrison’s infirmary for a checkup,
and had to remain there, until ordered back to duty. He didn’t have an
opportunity to duck out of the group on the way in there, and even less of an
opportunity once inside the barracks. He played along, but that ended up
getting him three assignments, before getting dismissed.

Now, he had a
mission to complete.

He still
looked like himself, save a slight change to hide the ridge along the center of
his forehead, a strange bodily trait that he shared with his brother, and,
until he started using his powers more significantly, his eyes would remain
dull and normal-looking.

He made his
way past the commissary and then through the food hall, pushing through the
crowd of people buying up any remaining supplies.

I should be
done and gone by now. Where are the General’s chambers?

People were
lined up everywhere, getting fed and staking out space for their family. Many
looked sick from the smoky air and all of them were covered with soot. He was thankful
for the bath he had received in the soldiers’ infirmary.

While staring
off into the endless crowd, a little girl reached up and touched his hand,
“Sir, are we safe? Do those bad men outside want to hurt us?”

Kaillum
stopped and looked down at the girl. She was maybe eight or nine, and her
tattered clothes and unkempt hair made evident of a rough life on the streets.

“What is your
name little girl?” He asked kneeling down to her level.

“Kari,” she
smiled.

He couldn’t
help but smile back, “Well, hello, Kari. My name is Kail.” The name he had given
back at the barracks.

“And no,
nothing will happen to you. I promise.”

“You can’t
promise her anything! Her parents promised her they would be back someday! And
where are they? Took off in a fancy-dandy carriage and never returned.” A
rough, old voice griped from a pile of dirty blankets behind the girl. An
elderly man threw back his covers. “I can protect her just fine. Now go! Shoo!”

He showed all
the signs of a street beggar, although it was obvious in appearance that the
man was related to the little girl.

“I’m sorry,
sir. I didn’t mean to—”

“Eh!” The old
man threw his hands in the air. “Oh, it’s fine… it’s fine. Kari, go stand in
line for more soup. You need the nourishment, and they are handing out seconds
to the small children.”

Kari ran off
with a smile on her face, waving goodbye to Kaillum.

“Again, I am
sorry to interfere with you and your granddaughter.” He bowed to the man and
went on his way.

As he walked
off, he heard the man grumble, “At least you stopped to give her a minute of
your time… More than any of the other soldiers.”

*
* *

Eyes, may
you see clearly.

Feet, may
you move sure and swift.

Sword, may
you strike with fury.

Shield, may
you hold true.

The order
came and, without hesitation, he was charging at the fortress.

Surrounded
by his comrades, his friends, and his brother…Rurik shouted out a blood-curdling
war cry, pulling his shield from his back as he ran toward the Kilgarian
soldiers. He looked to his left and saw Klaric and, to his right, Aamin, his
little brother—proud soldiers of the Talurian army, willingly risking their
lives for Emperor Tymedious and their great Empire.

A rain of
arrows fell from the sky. Rurik dropped to his knees, thrusting his shield
overhead.

Through a
gritty smile, Rurik said to his brother, “So is this what you thought it would
be like to fight alongside your big brother?”

An arrow
tip stabbed through Rurik’s shield nearly digging into his shoulder.

Aamin let
out a nervous laugh, motioning up at his thicker, sturdier tower shield.
“Nothing a good shield can’t stop.”

The last
arrow hit the ground and, in unison, the group was back to a sprint.

They leapt
over the barricades and came down on the enemy with fury. Swords cutting flesh
and bone, spears flying, trampled Kilgarian men lying dead under the weight of
the deadly Talurian infantry.

Within
minutes, the battle outside the gates of the fortress was over. Rurik and his
men hid for cover underneath the overhang of the perimeter walls, waiting for
the bombardment of siege weapons.

“Rurik! We
took them in minutes!” shouted Klaric, waving his sword in the air in
celebration.

Aamin let
out a laugh. “Damn! That was invigorating! No wonder you guys get the girls
with all these stories!” That made the men around laugh and slap Rurik’s
younger brother on the back.

“Now you
have tasted blood. No going back! Women and war… all a good soldier needs”
roared an old veteran.

Rurik
nudged Aamin, smiling underneath his helmet, “good job...”

“Brother!” Rurik
lurched forward, hunching himself on his elbows. He was in his cot. Someone was
knocking on his door, loudly.

“Coming…
coming.” He sighed

He jumped to
his feet and reached for his sword and shield. His hands were clammy, tunic damp
with sweat. 

I was
dreaming...How long had I been asleep?

“Sir?” a voice
came from outside his door.

“I’m coming
damn it!” Rurik yelled as he unlatched the handle. “What is the matter?”

The soldier at
the door promptly saluted. It was Galro, the man who had been on patrol with
him and Klaric. “I am very sorry, sir. We didn’t want to wake you… but we need
you down in the courtyard. It seems that some of the soldiers have found a
small cache of spiced summer ale inside the barracks. They are causing a scene and,
well, they won’t listen to anyone. Klaric is among them and says he will only
stop if you come down and have a drink with him. We can’t really subdue them
with force, they may do something stupid.”

Galro
grimaced. “They are quite drunk, Sir.”

Rurik sighed
and dropped his head backward. “
Okay
.” He blew out hard before settling
his gaze back on the private. “Thank you for getting me. Go back to whatever
you were doing. I will tend to my men.”

The soldier
saluted again and left Rurik standing alone in the doorway.

*
* *

Kaillum
reached a long, heavily guarded ramp leading to a private wing of the Keep.

This had to
be where Saris was staying.

 He walked up
the causeway with an air of importance, passing a handful of guards that
obviously held back from questioning his presence. He gave them a quick nod and
nothing more.

What man of
rank needs to explain himself?

After walking
through a maze of winding hallways, he found himself at a door being guarded by
six soldiers. The same number of Saris’ personal guard.
If I was on time,
Dag would’ve made this easy. Damn replacements.

“Who are you?”
one asked bluntly, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword.

“I was sent to
run orders to the General. I have urgent news.” Kaillum stood straight and
authoritative.

The guard
glanced at another, then back at Kaillum, “The only men allowed inside this
door are Corporal Kaster and the slave boy. What was his name? Oh, yes, Gleb.
Harmite names are so boring and they always sound sad.” He laughed, and the
others joined in. “So, if you are not one of them, you better turn around and
walk away before I think of a reason to interrogate you.”

“Very well, I
will be back with the Corporal.”

“Oh, you do
that.” He laughed, “And you can wait out here while he goes inside.”

Kaillum turned
and walked away, leaving the guards to laugh over their unintelligent attempts
at making snide remarks.

Kaster or
Gleb… I can do that…But where to find them? All I need is a quick glimpse.

He judged it
to be three hours before sunrise.

The fires were
starting to die down around the city and the smoke was beginning to thin. With
the morning light, the Talurians would see through their façade and the mission
would be a failure. Kaillum needed to find one of those men, quickly.

Upon reaching
the courtyard, he ran headfirst into a crowd assembled outside the commissary.

Had there
been rioting?
He heard rations were dwindling, but there should still be
enough for the better part of a week.

Kaillum pushed
through the people, noticing they were intently watching some commotion amongst
a group of three drunken men.

“We are all
going to die here!” one of them yelled out.

“We were in
the battle up north. They have come for revenge!” said another, pointing to the
crowd, “And you will pay for our savagery!”

The three were
still in uniform and were leaning on their weapons, using them to steady
themselves. Six other, sober soldiers had fanned out around the three, waiting
for a chance to arrest them without the risk of inadvertently injuring anyone.

The crowd
split to let in another soldier. This man carried a higher rank, noted by a
different insignia on the shoulder of his uniform.

“Ah! Rurik!
You have come to have a drink! It took you long enough!” laughed the most
boisterous of the three.

“Klaric!” the
officer yelled, “You fool! What are you doing? Put down your weapons, and those
damn drinks.”

“But I’m
grieving!” He responded with a grin. “You should try it!”

“My god man!”
Rurik started, “You tarnish my brother’s memory with this crude display of
drunken misconduct. You don’t grieve now; you are just dishonoring him and
making a fool of yourself!”

The crowd was
silent, and Klaric’s smart grin fell from his face. Before anyone said another word,
a soldier butted in through the crowd, to Rurik’s side.

“Corporal—”
The soldier lowered his voice, holding it just above a whisper.

“Could this
be Kaster?”
Kaillum, edging closer, straining to hear the conversation.

“—one of the
soldiers patrolling the eastern wall spotted a small group of men, maybe thirty
or more, headed toward the gates of the city. They looked to be leaving.”

That sounds
like Ceth’s group. What had happened since he infiltrated the Talurian Keep? Was
Dageros leaving with them? I need to do something, quick.

 “So what is
he saying?” Klaric finally spoke, belching out a foul, nauseous smelling odor.

“Quiet,” Rurik
said with a disgusted look on his face. “Guards, take these three men to the
barracks and confine them to quarters. I don’t care if you have to hurt them to
accomplish it.”

Kaillum
stepped back and moved away from the group.

Change of
plans. If they are leaving, I don’t have time to sneak back, kill the general,
and find a way out. They must assume I failed. I need to signal them first
then, in the commotion, find and kill the general…Hopefully, that man was
Rurik.

*
* *

Rurik motioned
for Galro to follow. They walked away from the dispersing crowd.