The Vitalis Chronicles: Tomb of the Relequim (24 page)

“
Yes, forgive me.” She turned to the two newcomers. “This is Shill, the master of my family bodyguard. He served my father before me. And these are Ardin Vitalis and Cid, who claims to be Captain of the Old Guard.”

“
Cid?” Shill seemed to disbelieve his ears. “Captain Cid, who carries the Cleaver?”

“
Aye–”

The five men lowered themselves to a knee before the Fisherman could say anything more. Heads bowed, the soldiers each put one hand on the ground. Their foreheads touched their upright knees in respect.

“
Shill?” Rain seemed as confused as anyone. “What are you doing?”

He didn't move or raise his head, but responded dutifully. “Cid the Cleaver, Highness. It was he who saved your father in the battle of the Valley of Albentine. You're in the presence of a man to whom many of us owe our lives. I should have recognized his armor and blade.”

Ardin turned to look at the Fisherman with a renewed sense of awe. Who was he? And who were these people that seemed so like his own? They were nothing like what he expected. “Albentine?” he asked. “I thought that place was a fantasy...”

“
Aye lad,” the Fisherman said quietly. “That it has become, merely a tale. Few remember half what passed here.”

“
And Krakador? That can't be real too.”

The Fisherman just nodded before he turned to Rain. This time it was he who knelt.

“
Then you must be of the Renault Clan. Forgive me for assuming your father was any ordinary man. We are in your service.”

This was all quickly becoming too much for Ardin. Kneeling and being in someone's service... what was he stepping into? Who were these people? He felt like he was on the outside of some grand history looking in.

“
You may stand, Cid.” She said calmly. She seemed unfazed by the gesture. “As may the rest of you. Forgive me as well for thinking you to be anyone other than who you claimed. I appreciate your
service, but I'm afraid I don't even know you.”

“
Highness,” Shill interjected. “This man served under the Magi during the Liberation. He has taken oaths to protect the Magi and mankind.”

“
I've heard the stories, Shill.” She turned apologetically to Cid. “But I can't accept your service in any case, Captain. You are already in the service of your oaths. I can assume that you've been sent by someone else, and I won't stand in the way of your duties.”

Cid bowed once more. “I thank you for your wisdom and understanding.”

Ardin still couldn't get his head around the formalities or all of the new names. It was pushing him beyond uncomfortable. Even Cid's even tone was strange in comparison to his usual jovial gruffness. Ardin suddenly felt insignificant in the face of a much larger world.

“
We'd like to come with you if'n we may,” Cid continued. “There's little we know of yer situation
and much we should like to learn.”

“
Of course.” She smiled, letting the formality drop by the wayside. It made Ardin feel a bit more comfortable. “We will help you in any way that we can.”

She looked at Ardin sideways for a moment. Her gaze unsettled him, and he looked at the ground before she turned to walk through her bodyguard. Beyond them, through the trees, Ardin could make out a large group of men and women being shepherded together. The remaining men from the ambush party were handing out clothing to the mostly naked mass. They received shabby shirts and trousers at best. Something was better than nothing. Clothing provided dignity if nothing else, and dignity was something Ardin could see these people hadn't been permitted for a long time.

“
I wouldn't expect much in the way of support,” she continued as they got closer. “We're stretched thin as it is and our efforts to free the captives have left us even fewer fighting men.”

Each person knelt or touched their forehead as she passed, whether or not she paid them any heed. Ardin was starting to wonder more about her too. He seemed to have wandered into a world he knew nothing about twice over, but having all of these new faces made him the most uncomfortable. His nerves began to set themselves on edge, though he wasn't sure why.

After inspecting the group and ordering some of the released captives to help carry stretchers, she turned back to the Fisherman.
“
We can house and feed you and provide a base of operations. Though I
don't know how long we'll stay in one place. You'll be free to come and go in our territory, and we'll give you whatever information we have to share.”

“
How about translators?” the Fisherman asked. “We could use one if we're to stay in the east.”

“
You won't find much need for them, I fear. Most of the Thranish people were wiped out during
the 'peace' that followed the victory at Krakador. Sadly, between dragons and Theo, they were hunted
down and exterminated.”

The Fisherman paled at the news. “He didn't... I mean I always knew he was a bigot but...”

“
He finally managed to raise enough support. They've been all but exterminated. The Southrons remain uninvolved save in commerce as usual. What Truans remain in the east are as like speak the common tongue as not.”

“
And Theo?”

“
Well... he paved the way for darker things.”

Ardin caught the weight of things, even if he didn't fully understand. He wondered if those big monsters had been the darker things she was referring to, or if there was worse. The Fisherman stroked his beard as he stared blankly at the ground. Ardin finally thought to take advantage of the silence when a soldier ran up and saluted.

“
Highness, we're ready to move.”

“
Finally, that took too long.”

“
Sorry, your Highness. We had a stubborn few that refused to stop bleeding. Right now everyone should be stable enough to move.”

“
How many did we lose?”

“
Miraculously, only four died,” Shill answered from behind. “But we have ten injured, two of which probably won't make it back to camp.”

“
Who?”

“
Crin and Thros. Both took nasty blows to the head.”

“
God...”

“
There are always risks.”

“
We could have done better, Shill. This is possibly the worst result of any skirmish we've had... we are tiring of this I know, but we could have done much better.”

“
Yes, Highness.”

She rubbed her forehead for a moment before sighing and looking back at her captain.

“
Get us out of here Shill. You were right. We don't want to be anywhere near this place come
evenfall.”

“
Agreed, Highness.” And with that he wheeled away and started barking orders. They were moving west within minutes.

Ardin and the Fisherman took up a position off to the left and towards the rear of the group. For that, Ardin was glad. He didn't feel comfortable with these people and all of their ritual, the kneeling and saluting and titles. It seemed odd to him. They looked like beggars in their rags, yet they acted like members of some royal court from one of his brother's stories. He and the Fisherman walked in silence for some time. Eventually his questions clamored too loudly in his head to be kept to himself any longer.

“
Who are these people? And what are all those things you were talking about? You seem to know
a lot about what's going on.”

“
You need to keep yer power hidd'n fer now, lad.”

“
What?”

“
Yer power, you need to keep it hidd'n.” His tone was deep, conspiratorial. “I saw you use yer fire on that creature, and while I think some of them did too, I doubt they reckon it to you. At least the talk I heard seems to point to the monster having some dark magic. People tend to see what they
expect. Let them continue to think it.”

“
Why? I thought they were friends.”

“
They may be, lad. But some ain't. I can guarantee you that. The enemy is bound to have agents amongst 'em. Maybe even so high up as the captain.”

“
Shill?”

“
Aye, lad. He's a good old dog, but you'd best not trust anyone in this lot. Not even the young Renault girl herself. I saw how she was lookin' at ye, and I don't like it. You'd do well not to tip yer hand too early. Even havin' her see what she saw may have been too much. Even if we can trust 'em, there's no knowing who they'd wind up talkin' to.”

As if on cue, Shill wandered over to join them.

“
Cid,” he said. “It's been a long time. I doubt you remember me.”

“
Nonsense,” Cid said. “You were in the King's bodyguard back when we was first here. I remember you well enough, though the years ain't been so kind to you as they has to me.” The old men chuckled. Ardin squirmed a little on the inside. “What are you doing so far east, Shill? You're nearly to the coast.”

“
We've been freeing slaves and burning what camps we can find. The enemy's reach doesn't extend much farther south than this.” He spat at the mention of the Demon. “We've been trying to stay far enough out of his territory to keep most real threats at a distance. We've been operating more as a raiding party than anything.”

“
Not drivin' deep, then?”

“
We aren't sure what we would find. Few scouts we send ever return, so we stick to the borders for fear of our blindness.”

“
And the Queen? I'm assumin' that's what Rain is as you're here with her.”

“
Not truly, though she takes the role on well enough. Rendin lives and holds the title of King in his father's stead. But he's been sick this past year. Seeing as she's the one in real danger I stick with her. It's what he wants in any case. She's the only heir left to claim the throne if he dies.”

“
Then why is she out raidin' with you?”

“
You may not have had a chance to get to know the King very well, but he liked his children ready for battle. And since she was never in line for the throne to begin with, she got to fight more than would have otherwise been allowed.” He laughed to think about it. “Now that she has a taste of it she won't give it up.”

“
She's young.”

“
True enough, but wise. The Renault blood is strong. I figure their clan will rule this whole continent someday. And what about your boy here, what's your name again son?”

“
Vitalis, sir. Ardin Vitalis.”

“
That's right. A bit strange that you'd be bringing a boy along to such a strenuous fight, Cid.”

“
He's my 'pprentice. I figured I should pass on what little I know before I can't pass piss on my own.”

Shill laughed. Ardin caught a wary glance from the Fisherman. The message was clear. Shut up.

“
If anyone should be as lucky as you, young Ardin.” Shill slapped him on the back. “There are many good men who would have gladly died to learn from the Cleaver. You know he earned that title on the day that I met him?”

“
Oh God.” The Fisherman rolled his eyes. “Don't go gettin' into old stories.”

“I thought 'Cleaver' was the name of your sword.” Ardin said.

“Y
ou see, Ardin.” Shill ignored the Fisherman's protests. “I was serving in the King's personal bodyguard, and the Renaults are known for fighting their own battles. So we, being their protection, are as much a fighting unit as we are bodyguards. Not a bunch of fat, pampered security folk are we. We're the real stuff, boy. In order to serve in my unit, a fresh recruit has to have served in the army for five years and have tallied upwards of thirty kills.”

“
Oh good, for a second there I thought you might boast on about me.”

“
I'm getting to you, just you wait. Now we're not to be trifled with, you see? We kill monsters like you've seen here and eat 'em for supper. Well, only when we're hungry somethin' fierce.” He
grinned, revealing a few gaps where teeth used to live.

“
But the point is we've never been beat. Never in the last three hundred years has a King of Islenda fallen
under our watch. Even when the Demon turned on us and started enslaving the people, we never lost
one.

“
Now, on that day, when I first met your Cid here, we were fighting the greatest battle of our lives. The war with the Demon was being waged on two fronts: our own, which was a long-standing war we were very much losing, and the east. That was being fought by the invading Magi.

“
The old snake may have been sandwiched, but had us cornered good. There was but one free city left, that being our capital, Islenda.”

“
I thought it was Illenda,” the Fisherman interjected.

“
Some pronounce the 's,' some don't. Stop interrupting, you codger. Islenda, you see, is the most beautiful city in the world. The White Citadel of the Western Kingdom... glaciers above feed us water year round, and the waterfalls... boy, you'll see it one day. And you'll never want to leave.

“
Now, we weren't about to fight the battle on our walls. There would be no winning a siege, see? Because even though Islenda was made to withstand a dozen sieges, the Demon's armies have no real breaking point of which to speak.

“
Most besieging armies grow weak over time. Winter will set in and the soldiers will get sick. Food supplies will run short. Morale will drop. Something will always keep them from winning out if they can't break through the walls. That is, of course, assuming they're besieging a well supplied, well
fortified city. Which Islenda is.