The scene before me was something that would haunt my dreams. The homes the Karrs dwelled in were little more than pig pens. In fact, some I wouldn't even keep pigs in. The children I saw before they fled into their hovels were barely clothed. Their ribs were visible through their skin.
Where were the clothes? Where was the food? Why were these people living in abject poverty when, only a few kilometers away, you had a village of thriving people?
It reminded me of Cove Village before we began seriously trading with them. Not the small amount they were getting before with their illegal trades with Melnon. I had heard they were doing better now that they could send their surplus to us and get essential goods in return. This, though? These were my people, my responsibility.
Then, the horror show ramped up as the few women who had been tending small gardens lined up along the streets and prostrated themselves. Every man, woman, and child who was currently in the village took the same position. Even a couple of pregnant women were doing so.
I just stared, my mind trying to process this all. Finally, Jeffery was shoved out of the carriage and fell on his face. Draves came out after him.
Jeffery quickly got to his feet, brushing himself off. Putting on the mask of a perfect politician, he said, “I am shocked, My Lord. These people are even worse than I thought. Your father so generously gave them this land, and this is what they have done with it. At least they have learned respect over-”
I have not punched anyone since I was a freshman in high school. It was Jimmy Davis after he made a crude comment about my sister. I am embarrassed to admit it felt good. I am even more ashamed to admit that hearing the crunch of Jeffery's nose as my fist collided with his face felt ten times better.
He dropped like a puppet with its string. “You filthy piece of crap. How dare you try and lie to me,” I roared as I kicked him. “You think I don’t see what’s going on here? You know how I treat my people. I would think that after our first meeting, you would have come back here and tried to clean up what has happened here.”
“Captian, wipe him off and take him into my carriage. I want him interrogated.”
“Jeffery, I am going to go and speak with these people. Then, I will be back for Captain Draves’s report. If I feel you are lying, I will interrogate the nice people of Cofi. For every lie I uncover, I will have one of your fingers chopped off. Ten lies, and then I will hang you. You have seen my mercy. Now you will see my wrath! Take him away, Captain.”
I turned away from the weasel. My anger melted away, replaced by pity and a bit of self-loathing. I have been in this world for almost four months, and if I had bothered to come here earlier, I could have stopped this. I had been too wrapped up in my own life. Worrying about paper, concrete, and taking trips to the beach instead of looking after my people.
I stood there, not knowing what to say. Looking at these people made me want to cry. They had heard me yelling at Jeffrey, and still, they hadn't moved. What had they been subjected to to make them so completely subservient? This type of behavior didn't happen without training. How often and who did this to them?
I took a deep breath and said what came to my heart. “People of the Village of Karr, please stand up. I have come to free you from those who have oppressed you. I do not know how this started, but I promise I will not rest until I uncover what has been going on.
“As your Baron, I should have known everything that was going on in my barony. The only excuse I can give is that the barony was thrust upon me suddenly. I promise you I will do my best to fix what I can. I need to speak with whoever is in charge.”
Most lifted their heads but did not dare move. Their faces displayed a myriad of emotions, ranging from hopeful to confused. I tried not to step out of my role as Baron, but it was a struggle. I needed their respect. I waited until, finally, a lady in her forties stood. She hid her nervousness behind steely eyes.
“We greet thee, Master. I am Velma. Chief Victor is with the men mining the chalk.”
That confused me. “Is this done often?”
Now, it was Velma’s turn to be surprised. “All men must mine one day in five, My Lord.”
“And where does this chalk go?”
“It is delivered to the south waystation. Where it is taken from there, I do not know.”
“Do the men of Cofi participate in the mining?”
“No, My Lord, the peacekeepers are only there to watch over our men.”
“How many men of Cofi guard the miners, Velma?”
“Usually three, sometimes four.”
"Are there any peacekeepers here in the village?"
"We have three today. They usually are in that building right there, but they fled towards the mine a few minutes before you arrived, Master," she said in a respectful tone. However, her words were tinged with hatred.
"OK, stop with the master thing. You are not slaves, and I am not your master. You are my people, and I am your baron. You were supposed to have the same rights as any of my people. I have no clue what is going on here. And I can't fix this without your help. So stop trying to pretend to be all meek when I can tell you are a strong woman. Speak to me as you would your chief. You may address me as My Lord, Lord Bicman, or Baron Bicman. Now, how many Men would you say are part of the entire Peacekeeping force?"
"There are twenty-two men, My Lord. I can give you names and descriptions."
We had brought fifteen of the BDF with us. Seven regular guards and eight of the militia. I thought Draves was being paranoid about our trip to the beach, but it appears we were fortunate he had. I turned to the nearest guard. “Quin, take the four guards and six of the trainees and have someone lead you to where they are mining chalk as fast as you can. If you find resistance from the Cofi peacekeepers, you have permission to kill them. Any who do not resist subdue. I will follow behind in the carriage. Go!”
He bowed and began to gather his men. I wish we had brought more than pack mules and the carriage for this trip. We could have ridden down the first three before they alarmed the ones at the mine. I had thought about staying here and waiting for their return, but if more of the Cofi bullyboys came, I didn't want to be overpowered. That would suck. They could kill the small group of us and blame it on the Karr.
"My Lord, your carriage won't fit on the trail."
Looks like we are all going on foot, then.
"Captain, bring the headman out."
Draves pushed Jeffery out of the carriage and stepped out afterward.
"Is he guilty?"
It is rare for Draves to show emotion, but on this occasion, he was glaring at the man. He turned to me and nodded.
"Tie him up, gag him, and throw him in a hut, Captain. Velma, you are in charge of making sure he doesn't escape and nobody kills him. If he is bruised when I get back, it will be overlooked."
Within five minutes, we were on our way to the mine.
As we walked, Draves explained the brief amount he had learned before I interrupted things. He had been taskmaster over the people of Karr for over twenty years. The people of Cofi were aware of it, but most did not know the extent of it. No one not authorized by Jeffery was allowed to go to the village. Draves gritted his teeth when he told me that the Cofi were in on it.
Draves had heard about the peacekeeping force when he first arrived in the, but they had been put in place by the Steward of Bicman, and Jeffery was in charge of them. Because they were outside of his chain of command, he had always kept his nose out of it.
"So, did he mention the chalk?"
"The chalk?
"Apparently, one day in five, the People of Karr are made to work the chalk mines. Apparently, they are shipping it south."
"This is very bad," Draves said gravely.
"I agree. Depending on how many people are involved in this, we could have an uprising. This is corruption that reaches all the way up to the steward. If my father had been involved, there would have been no reason to keep it secret."
"I am glad you see that."
"But we cannot be lenient on this one either. This is slavery. We need to get with Benjamin and figure out the exact law on slavery and the punishment for practicing it. We do not need this leak. I would hate to have this stain on my barony."
"My Lord, why are we going to the mine as well? Twelve against six should be good."
"Unless there are more. Murphy's Law and all that. But my main concern was us. I didn't want the rest of the peacekeeping force to get the jump on us while our forces were split. We were seen heading to the Village of Karr, so they might try organizing something. They could kill us and blame it on the Karr."
"Village of Karr?"
"That is just what I am calling it in my head."
"A wise decision, My Lord."
"It happens." I grinned
After that, we started to walk in silence. Our pace was almost a jog, but I had to pace myself. I am glad I did because it was probably about three Kilometers to the mines. When we got there, there were seven men on the ground. One of them was one of the recruits, and the rest were peacekeepers.
Quinn is holding a bandage on the side of our guy on the ground. "Report, Quinn."
"Yes, My Lord, we came upon them as they were grouping up. All of them had swords. We told them to lay down their weapons, but they refused. This young man got overly eager and charged them. Fortunately, they weren't very skilled with their weapons, and he will be fine as soon as the bleeding stops and we get some bandages on him. Fortunately, we have plenty of those."
"Where in the world did they get swords?"
"Some of them are alive. You may question them."
"We'll question everyone back in the village. Let's tie up their wrists and get them back."
"My Lord," called out one of the guards. We found some slavers' chains we can use."
Slavers chains! Perfect. This day just keeps getting better. "Fine, let's get everyone rounded up. I know we have a wounded man, so we will leave two behind with him. Let's move people. I don't want to leave the people of Karr alone for too long."
Due to the prisoners in chains, the trip back was much slower. Suddenly, some of my men surged ahead of the group. I was in the middle of everyone, so I didn't see what was going on until I was able to start jogging towards the village. My men at the lead started shouting, and there were angry shouts in response. I came upon the scene where six of my men were surrounding a group of men from Cofi.
As I came up on the group, one of my guards said, "My Lord, we caught these men harassing the people of this village."
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
I strode up and addressed the men. "What are you doing here?"
None of them spoke. I turned to two citizens kneeling on the ground. It was a pair of middle-aged women. “Are these four members of the peacekeepers?”
“Yes, My Lord,” one of the women said while still looking down.
I turned to my men. “Tie them up. We have ten more men to go, as well as the Cofi Guard. Leave two men here to watch over the prisoners while we continue on to Cofi."
"Yes, My Lord," Draves said.
As we walked the path, Thomas, one of my militiamen, said, "My Lord, If we all go into the village to arrest these people, won't they flee or fight?"
"A good point. Do you have a way around the problem?" I said.
"What if one of us goes and gets them to come towards us? Tell the Cofi Guard that we have suppressed an uprising, and we would like just a few more men there to watch everyone. They will come unprepared, and we will surround those who come. That way, we won't be trying to round them all up at once. Once the Cofi guards are captured, we could round the others up from the fields or wherever they are working. I doubt they will have their weapons with them."
"Not a bad idea. What do you think, Captain?"
It is a sound plan. "Thomas, do you think you can pull it off?"
"I'll get them here, sir."
Once again, I was surprised when the plan went off without a hitch. The phrase 'A plan never survives contact with the enemy' is not a catch all. The Cofi Guard and two of the peacekeepers fell right into our trap. I promised leniency for their crimes if they threw down their weapons. After we brought them back to the village of Karr, the rest of my troops went on to Cofi. I made an announcement that any of the peacekeepers who stepped forward would be shown mercy for their crimes against the barony, while those who fled would be considered enemies of Falmoren.
Seven of the remaining men came forward, but the eighth fled the fields as soon as word reached them. Many of the people in Cofi looked shocked, as if they had no idea why their peacekeepers would be in trouble.
I had a lot of time to think of how to fix this as my men were gathering up people. How was I supposed to integrate everyone together? We had blood lost on both sides. We had one of the groups put into slavery. And Cofi was not going to be pleased that I arrested some of their own. I had an idea, but I wasn't sure whether or not it would do any good. Heck, it might do more harm than good, but I had to try something.
I told Draves to have his men spread the word that I would be giving a speech the next morning in the village of Karr. I expected all the people of Cofi who could attend to be there.
I meant for the word to spread only to the village of Cofi, but when I got up in the morning and stepped outside the house I was provided with, people from my other villages had already started to pour in. They must have gotten up way before sunrise. Some might have even started their journey as soon as they heard the word the day before. Apparently, everyone wanted to hear me speak.
I had spent the evening before speaking with the people of Karr, hearing about their lives and the things they had gone through. I wanted a clear understanding before I spoke in the morning. At first, I felt this place was like Bay Village, but I began to feel it was more like a concentration camp. The more I heard, the angrier I got. That didn't even include the information I found out from Draves and his men.
I found that Benjamin and Mathew had arrived last night sometime after I went to bed. When I found out how crowded it would be, I erected a platform from which I could speak. All morning, I watched as people came into the village, looking at the pathetic state of the place and its people. Looks of shock and disgust filled many of the faces. Some, if not most, may have been from disgust for the people of Karr, not those who put them in this state. I hoped to change that.
I stood upon a platform just outside of the village. I looked out at a crowd of no less than five hundred people. More people were still flooding in. I don't know if I was more worried that my voice wouldn't carry far enough or the fact that both Mathew and Jacklyn would be writing down my words.
My palms were extremely sweaty, and I had to keep reminding myself why I was there. I was trying to end racial tensions, which almost made me laugh. In my old world, that had never happened on a large scale. Everyone wants to feel special. One poem that I read while trying to find my philosophy for life was 'The Cold Within.' It's a great poem about how people justify their hate or disregard for others, proof that the human mind can justify anything.
I took a deep breath and began. "People of Falmoren. My People of Bicman. I have gathered you here to witness a tragedy of human pride and greed. I can see by the faces of many that you were unaware that a place such as this even existed in our barony. This is what remains of the village of Karr. Many years ago, before my father was even a baron, the headman of Cofi conspired with the old steward before Ronald to separate and enslave the original inhabitants of this land. Under the king's law, there shall be no slaves in the kingdom."
Now, it was time to mix truth with some exaggerations.
"When Lenord the First found the land which is now known as Bicman, they brought a large army. The people of Karr defended their land but soon realized that they could not fight against the might of Falmoren. As part of the peace accord, the people of Karr would join the Kingdom of Falmoren as peasants. The village of Cofi and Kerisi became part of the Polman Barony. Due to the fact that only a few of the Karr were left after the battle, they gave up Kerisi, and all moved to Cofi. Later, My Grandfather was given the land for his service to the late king. Many people were sent with my grandfather. Those were your parents and grandparents.
“All was at peace until twenty-five years ago. Jeffery had been recently appointed as the new headman, and in his greed and pride, he began to require more taxes from the descendants of Karr. Petitions were made to my grandfather, but he allowed the steward to handle all complaints. Rather than disciplining Jeffery, he conspired with him to steal the taxes. They split the excess tax between the two of them and spread lies about the descendants of Karr."
“After the people of Karr's taxes had doubled, the people of Karr rebelled and tried to flee. They were chased down and slaughtered until only a small portion remained. More lies were spread about how the Karr and they were forced to build this pitiful excuse for a village, all while being oppressed. The peacekeepers were created. Paid for by the slave labor of the Karr.
“When the old steward retired, Ronald took his place and received the old steward's portion. He created a plan to further enslave the people by making the men work one day in five at the chalk mine. This is why the people hiding in their homes are in such a wretched state and live in a state of starvation. They have no time to fix their houses or store extra food. More and more of them are dying each year.
“Peacekeepers were allowed to come in and steal whatever they wanted. Living like locusts off of my people.
“Hatred for these people was born of lies told by a few to blind us. Not only did they rob from my family but also from all of my people. Jeffery and the peacekeepers were selling the Chalk illegally. If what they stole from me had been paid in taxes, then more of the grain we produced could have been kept. You suffered for their greed. You suffered because they told you some of my people were evil."
Angry murmurs filled the crowd. Off to the side of me, I had Jeffery, the peacekeepers, and the Cofi Guard all tied up and kneeling. I had them in washed and cleaned clothes. I didn't want them to look pathetic so that some might pity them. I wanted them dressed in their best clothes so that people saw them for what they were. People who had taken advantage of my citizens and were better off for it. I saw some people up front picking up rocks. But before it could turn into a stoning, I continued.
"I do not tell you this to incite you against the people of Cofi. Many of them were ignorant of the crimes being committed. Citizens were told to stay away from this slave camp. Only the thieving peacekeepers were allowed to come here. Those involved will have justice brought upon them in a legal manner.
“I brought you here so you could understand my future actions. Can you imagine what it would be like to be in the people of Karr's situation? All they want is relief from the burden that has been put unjustly upon their backs."
I looked out at the crowd. I knew my little speech would not end the prejudice. Also, I wasn't some great orator who could move people with my words. I only hoped my actions might help these people. I would lead by example.
"Citizens of Falmoren, People of Bicman. I have strived to be a just ruler. I am striving to lift the burdens that seem heavy on your back. I seek the prosperity of all of us. I hope that my actions thus far have reflected that.
“My people, as I have gotten to know you, I have been impressed with your unity and devotion to each other. I want you to join me in raising up our fellow citizens. These people live in homes not fit for livestock. Their fields need watering because they have not had time to do it all. If any of you can donate time to help me as I try to help these people. I know food is scarce until harvest, but any donations could save the lives of our people. If each of us gave a handful of grain, think of the difference we could make.
“I will be here for the next few days working side by side with any who can spare time. Thank you, my people. Let us show the world what it means to be Bicman. Any who wish to help or donate to this cause, please get with my stewards and they will guide you to the appropriate location."
It didn't take long to devise a plan of action, and we were flooded with people wanting to help. May had brought food with them, not knowing when they would be returning home. Instead of eating it themselves, they gave it to the donation pile before leaving. I, along with some other men, got to work fixing homes' fences and other things. Women helped in gardens.
Over the next five days, we worked hard. I moved my home base to Cofi. Edward stayed with me, and we had runner boys deliver messages back and forth to Benjamin. It was a sort of an organized chaos. It was amazing to watch as the people of Bicman came together. I had to admit I did not expect such a response. By the end of the five days, everyone in Karr had clothing. Some of it was just sewn together from scraps from around the Barony, but there were no longer kids with only fragments of clothing covering their privates.
The people of Karr could not believe their change of fate. I heard whispers about waking from an endless nightmare or that their gods had finally heard their cries.
This is how I found out that there were actually different religious beliefs in this world. I knew that the people of Falmoren and the Southern Kingdoms all believed in the Endless One, but apparently, the Karr came from a land where there were multiple gods. There was a Father God and his Children. No one worshiped the Father God. Only his children were allowed to commune with him. So they sent their prayers through the children of the Father. It seemed somewhat like the Catholics praying to saints. But unlike Catholics who also pray directly to their God, the Karr did not think of the Father as their God. He was the power that the children drew upon.
They believed that their gods had abandoned them because they fled the Northland. That was an interesting story in and of itself. Apparently, giants had invaded their lands and were taking the Karr as slaves. Many got on boats and fled south, braving the sea in a desperate hope to find new lands. Many were lost at sea because their ships were terrible. I was really curious to know if there were actual giants in this world.
From what this generation of Karrians knew of their history, the Karr seemed to be in the early stages of the Bronze Age. I have no clue how they managed to build a ship at all.
I was also excited to find out that the Karr did have their own language, but it was more primitive than the common tongue of this continent. No wonder they were easily conquered.
I had been walking around the village inspecting the work when a particular plant in a garden stood out to me. I turned to a woman in the garden and said, "Excuse me, is that a red cabbage?"
The woman, shocked to be addressed by me, placed her head in the dirt and said, "Forgive me, Descended, but we call it a purple cabbage. But if you wish for it to be called a red cabbage, thus it shall be called."
I rolled my eyes. This was really getting bothersome. The Karr believed that some people descended from the heavens to intercede on behalf of their people. Unlike the Chosen of the Endless One, whom the people respected but weren't supernatural, the Descended were worshiped. I think the difference was in how the Falmorens viewed the Endless One. He had priests and other stuff but was not really worshiped—kind of a casual God.
Being Descended was so much worse than being a chosen one. Chosen to help people I could handle, being divine though, yeah, that ain't happening.
"I am not some being sent from the gods." I said exasperatedly, "I will call it a purple cabbage."
It didn't matter anyway because it was mostly magenta.
More importantly, was the fact that, if it was red cabbage, then I remember using it in chemistry class. We tore off a bunch of pieces and put them in a plastic bag. Then we added some water and squashed it all up, turning the water the color of the cabbage.
Ok, now I just have to remember what we used it for, I thought to myself. I know we added lemon juice and milk to different cups, so…
I snapped my fingers. PH, It had to be a pH tester. Well, that's cool and all, but what use was it going to be for me? Could I… Wait, I wonder if we could test the soil with it? Did I even know if the soil had to be basic, neutral, or acidic? How would I even change it if it was? I guess that was something for someone else to figure out. I would have to show some people the experiment and then let them play around with it.
Right now I just needed to get away from these people. The more I stayed and helped out, the more divine they thought I was. It was time to resume my trip to the coast.
John of the Mit Trading House
The road had been long and hard, but fortunately, it had been hassle-free. The squad of six mercenaries I had brought along had made sure the bandits stayed away. At least no bandits showed up to bother us, so I assume they did their job. As we entered the village proper, I waved down a child who was about ten or so. The boy was filthy, but he looked a lot better than the children south of the Nore. But that was only because he looked happier than the dour children of those villages.
"Excuse me, child. I was wondering if you could direct me to the knight in charge of this village."
He smiled up at me. "No knight, just a head man. Are you a knight?" He said, looking wonderingly at me and the men who were traveling with me.
I smiled back. "No, just a trader."
This got me a confused look. "Where is your wagon?"
"Well, this trip is different. I am here to see my cousin."
His eyes went wide. "I don't know anyone who has a cousin outside of our barony."
I really enjoyed talking to kids. They were always so excitable. I hoped my next statement wouldn't cause him to run away in fear, "Actually, my cousin is the regent. I guess that also makes the baron my cousin, too."
"The baron! Wow! You are so lucky. The regent is our baron now. I wish I were related to my baron. He is so cool."
So Amos was now the baron. He must have disposed of his nephew. I couldn't say I was surprised. From everything I had heard, he was a scoundrel. This poor kid must have been told that the boy died of natural causes. I had promised my parents I would be polite, but if I saw that unholy swine right now, I am sure I wouldn't be able to keep the disgust off my face. My spiraling thoughts were interrupted by the boy.
"So, you are related to both Lord Amos and Lord Aaron? You are so lucky.”
This confused me. "The child is alive?"
"Of course he is alive. Emily, the knight protector, saved him. She is amazing. If I were older, I would marry her. She killed the assassin and saved our baron!" The boy said excitedly.
What the heck was a knight protector? And what was all this about an assassination? I think I need to find someone more reliable than this boy to speak with. This kid was clearly off his rocker.