“Excellent,” Lily said with a wide smile that showed off her long canines. Ronin didn’t know if he was more amazed at how white her teeth were, or how she avoided biting her tongue. “A syndicate. It perfectly encompasses all our different races nicely; don’t you think husband?” Ronin thought it was an ok name, but not perfect, as for being her husband... He was stopped from commenting by Owl two.
“Yes, it is adequate. Now, thanks to the new ship we need to adjust your security detail my lord.” He continued, moving right on to the next thing. “The ship can seat a total of eleven, two of which will be yourself and Samantha here, but who will take the other nine seats? I think it wise to keep your party at a level that allows for you to travel together at all times.”
“I agree,” Harken said with a nod. “You’re our overall military commander, my lord.” He continued, trying out the new title for the first time. “But you have people to command those forces for you. It seems clear from my observing you so far that you are a, lead from the front, kind of man. So, the people you have around you need to be able to keep up.” Ronin listened to the old bugbear and had to admit that he had a decent point. He didn’t enjoy large groups that he had to track and manage. He preferred the smaller groups and the missions that took them out to new places.
“Very well,” Ronin said with a nod. “K3 is an auto include, as well as Guts here as my personal chef. Who else would you all suggest?” He had a few ideas of his own of course, but he wanted to know what everyone else thought.
“It would only be proper for every race in our syndicate to be represented.” Unyielding oak said looking around the table as if daring anyone to contradict her. “The elves of my tribe have been reduced to near extinction, but we aren’t gone. My son will represent us on your team, my lord.” Ronin nodded; he hadn’t known she had a son, but he wouldn’t deny her the opportunity to represent her people.
“I will be on your guard detail as well.” Lily said with a smile, looking at Ronin in a way that made him feel like a rabbit before a fox. “I’m no longer a matriarch, and thus no longer am weighted down by responsibilities. In order to gain my position at my age however, my martial abilities are the best in my clan.”
“I’ll be by your side as well boss.” Sam said with a beaming smile, though the glint in her eye when she glanced at Lily was anything but pleasant. “I’m your pilot after all.” Lily didn’t seem to notice the glare, her eyes never leaving Ronin after she’d told him she’d join his guard.
“Would you two cut it out?” Elyria said, still reclining in her chair. “I swear, are all the women around here blind?... Well, whatever, you’re not getting rid of me regardless. Among other things, I haven’t found a good enough reason to kill you yet, White flame. So, don’t get too comfortable ladies.” She said with a laugh.
Neither Sam nor Lily reacted well to her outburst. Yet again, however, Owl two broke in before things could go too far off track.
“I see. So, that’s K3, Lily, Samantha, Guts, Hellebore, and Elyria. That leaves the three open positions. I will reserve one for Owl five, though I may have other missions for her. Frank will take one, he’s proven himself a capable man. For the last two, we’ll find another wood elf and bugbear to fill the roles.” Ronin had to think about two of the names before he remembered. Frank must mean Charles guard captain Frank, and Hellebore must be the name of Unyielding oak’s son.
“I have a few good men and women; I’ll submit their names to you for consideration.” Harken said to Owl two when he was finished.
“I will do the same,” Unyielding oak echoed right behind him, not willing to be outdone. Again, Ronin was grateful for how competitive the pair were being. If he could find a way to use that competitiveness…
“Excellent,” Owl two said having knocked another thing off his list. “That only leaves…”
“I don’t wish to interrupt the meeting, honored Owl two,” Unyielding oak said, cutting him off midsentence. “However, there is a matter I’d like to discuss before we adjourn this meeting.” Her face had darkened, and her posture had hunched in, it looked to Ronin like she was gearing herself up for a fight.
“By all means,” Ronin said before Owl two could comment. “What’s on your mind?” He really wanted to know what had the blunt elf looking so nervous.
“I don’t know how much you know about my people, my lord.” She began, looking Ronin squarely in the eye. “But elves have a special connection with nature. We… bond with nature in a way other races do not. Like our kin, the moon elves, we wood elves used to have a small wildcat species that we raised as companions… they were to us what the sparrows are to Elyria’s tribe… We lost them all to the locusts.” She said, pain evident in her face and voice.
Ronin glanced at Elyria, half expecting her to make some sort of jab at her kins pain. To his surprise, her face looked as grave as he’d ever seen it.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Ronin said with a dip of his head, “What is it that you want from us?” He sympathized with her, but he didn’t see what it had to do with this meeting.
“Lord Ronin,” she said, squaring her shoulders. “We saw the white goats being butchered for food when we came in. I’ve since sent out a few scouts to discreetly observe them in the fields… I know that it’s a poor time to ask such a question, with the food problems we are facing, but, I would request that the goats stop being harvested for food and given to my people. I would have them become our replacement for the wildcats we lost.”
That was a bit of a shock. Ronin hadn’t known what to expect there but an elf asking for those huge, horse-sized shaggy furred goats wasn’t it. In the books he’d read on elves they’d been all about beauty and elegance. He’d read about dwarves riding goats into battle, but elves? Well, he supposed these goats were actually large enough and strong enough to carry an elf on their backs, but…
“What do you think, Owl two?” He asked, turning to his assistant. “We’ve done a number on their population already, are there even enough to recover the species at this point?” Ronin didn’t really mind if the elves took them. It would keep them from going extinct in the valley if nothing else. He actually liked the goats; they reminded him of his first day in this world. He’d asked the town’s people to tan the hide from his first group kill. In the attack he’d forgotten about it, but Emil had it delivered to him afterwards. It was on the bed he rarely used. A memento of Owl three.
“I know you’re fond of the goats my lord,” Owl two said. His words caused a flicker of concern to cross Unyielding oak’s face. “So, I’ve been doing my best to control the number of them we’ve killed. Apart from some poaching after the refugees arrived their numbers are solid.” Both Harken and Unyielding oak winced at the pointed reminder of their people already breaking their new lord’s rules. “Elves have a way with animal husbandry though.” Owl two continued, “how about this; you can take control of the goat population. But in return, you help us bring our population of chickens and rabbits up, and help train our people how to care for them properly?”
“Done.” Unyielding oak said without hesitation. “I hadn’t realized lord Ronin was partial to the goats. I assure you we will take good care of them.” Again, Ronin was a little annoyed that Owl two had made the decision, but he had asked for his opinion. Besides, Ronin would have just given them over. At least Owl two had gotten something for them. He made a mental note about that, never give anything away for free when someone would be willing and eager to pay for it.
“Good,” Ronin said with a smile. “I look forward to seeing what you can do with them.” His mind wandered a little then, and he saw himself and his party adventuring through the mountains using giant goat mounts. Perhaps someday, just for the fun of it, but he had a gunship now. No way was he traveling by goat when he could go by air instead.
“Very well,” Owl two said. “Then there is just one more matter before we set out on our tasks.” Ronin couldn’t read his tone, but he could read Benjamin’s expression. It had hardened while Owl two was speaking, and Ronin suspected trouble.
“What is it?” He asked, trying to control his expression.
“Lord Ronin, since the refugees… No, they are our citizens now. Since our new citizens arrived, several of them have caused trouble. There have been the poachers who killed our goats and some dinosaurs against orders. However, that isn’t all. We’ve also had several instances of theft, fighting and murder. Also, we’ve detained men for, inappropriate actions against our goblin population. Specifically, the females.” At Owl two’s words, everyone at the table bristled.
“Who?” Unyielding oak demanded. “Was it my people? If so, I can assure you…”
“Lord Ronin, I hadn’t heard about this, I will handle it immediately…” Harken said simultaneously.
“Animals.” Lily chimed in, looking ready to kill.
Ronin looked at Guts and Elyria, neither of whom had spoken. Guts looked angry, but his expression also told Ronin that he had faith that Ronin would deal with the problem. Elyria’s expression on the other hand, was as unreadable as ever. He was beginning to associate that expression with her testing him.
“Thank you, Owl two.” Ronin said, taking a deep breath. “What actions have been taken against these individuals?” He wanted to know what actions Owl two had already taken before he announced anything of his own.
“Everyone caught doing something I suspected was against your wishes has been detained and collared. I’ve locked them up in the damaged ship previously occupied by the trogs, with orders to sit still and wait.” Ronin nodded at that; he couldn’t argue with that course of action.
Sitting back in his chair, Ronin pinched the bridge of his nose again. Digging his finger and thumb into his eyes to relieve the stress headache that was threatening to overwhelm him. The others waited for him to think in silence, something he was grateful for.
“Ok,” he said at last. “What was stolen?” He decided to start with an easy one.
“Food, my lord.” Owl two answered promptly.
“Food.” Ronin repeated, “I suppose the goats were killed because the men were hungry as well?” He asked with a raised brow. At Owl two’s affirming nod, he said “very well, I can understand and even accept that. They had been starved half to death when we’d arrived, I’d want to eat too when food became available. Cross check their names with the ones I had noted down on the trip back for fighting. If none of the names match, then let them go with a warning.” He didn’t want to set a precedent of tyranny on the first day of his syndicate.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
“Very well, and the others?” Owl two asked. Ronin looked around the room and saw a few nods and shrugs at his decision. Not too bad then.
“The murder, what were the circumstances?” He asked next.
“The victim tried to steal food from the killer, it didn’t end well for him.” Benjamin answered this time, causing Ronin to raise a brow at him in question. “I was there for the incident my lord.” He said by way of answer. “The girl’s human sir and under twenty, from what I saw, it was self-defense.” Benjamin was implanted with a parasite drone, so his loyalty couldn’t be questioned. In addition, he was a career military man who understood violence.
“Very well,” Ronin said with a nod. “Then take her into your forces. If she’s that willing to kill, I don’t want her left to her own devices. Teach her how to control herself and direct her towards our enemies.” Again, more nods. Except for unyielding oak, she clearly didn’t think the punishment was harsh enough for the crime. Ronin understood where she was coming from and didn’t mention it.
“Were the goblins harmed?” Ronin asked at last, getting to the delicate issue. A large chunk of his inner circle were women. They were all such skilled fighters that it was almost comical thinking about someone pulling something like that on them. The goblin women of the worker class were different, however. They were small, weak, and helpless. Depending on strong males to survive.
“Their fine, my lord.” Sam answered, leaning forward. “I’ve been working closely with the goblins for the child raising program, so Owl two gave them to me to look after… honestly, the act of procreation is so commonplace among their kind that they weren’t traumatized at all. They stayed with me for a few hours to ‘have a meal’ then let me know that they had to get back to work in the fields.” She shrugged, clearly not happy about what had happened but also unwilling to lie about the condition of her charges.
“Thank you, Sam.” Ronin said with a nod. “Still, the victims ‘don’t really care’ isn’t good enough for me.” He looked back at Benjamín and Owl two, “Kill them.” he said coldly.
“Think that’s appropriate?” Elyria asked, her face still unreadable. Ronin turned to her and looked her in the eye, before turning to each of his people in turn.
“I want the White flame syndicate to be a safe place for its citizens.” He said, voice even. “Stealing food and defending oneself is understandable if not condonable. However, there can be no excuse for this kind of activity. The men weren’t under the influence of any mind-altering substances, since we didn’t provide them with any. They didn’t do it because they were hungry, or for fear of their safety. No, there was no excuse but evil in that action and I won’t have evil cropping up in my city. So, kill them.”
“Very well my lord.” Owl two said, but ronin’s eyes were fixed on Elyria. He was looking her in the eye, daring her to challenge his decision. He was disappointed, however, she only gave him a slight nod, before looking away again.
“With that out of the way, I have a few assignments for everyone. Please complete them as quickly as possible. We will meet again this time tomorrow to further discuss the state of our syndicate.” After speaking, Owl two turned to Ronin. “I will have the execution set up for tomorrow my lord. Someone will call you when its time for you to execute the prisoners.”
“Me?” Ronin asked with a bit of shock. He hadn’t planned on making a big public production out of it. He’d just expected Owl two to just have them shot and disposed of. Like what Ronin assumed he’d done with the trogs.
“Yes, my lord.” The android said with a nod, “this will be the quickest way to show your people that you will protect them, as well as show those who would violate your laws what awaits them.” Looking around at his other advisers he saw them all nodding along with owl two’s words.
“Alright then,” he said squaring his shoulders. He’d ordered them to be killed after all. It wouldn’t be right to just expect someone else to carry the burden of delivering that sentence.
“Good. Then for the rest of today, I want you to walk around and see your people. See them and let them see you. A lot has changed since you left to check out the locust threat and you should become familiar with what is happening here. After you’re done, return to your tent. You and your wives have to settle a few matters to make everything official by their customs.”
“Right, the submission by wrestling thing.” He said, glancing over at Lily who was giving him a wicked smile. He got a bad feeling, looking at her grinning face. So, he decided to deal with it the best way he knew how, ignoring it. “Ok,” he said to Owl two, “guess I’ll be on my way then.” Turning to the rest of his people he bid them a good day, and turning to Lily, he bid her goodbye until later.
“My lord,” Owl two called out before he exited the tent. Turning around Ronin looked at his assistant questioningly. “You wanted these,” he said holding out a leather pouch. With a laugh, Ronin took the pouch and flipped it open. It was a deck of cards, but they were different than his ‘people of the valley’ deck. The back of these cards were black, with grey and then white flames at their tips and read ‘White flame syndicate.’ Shaking his head as to how the android had known what name they would choose; Ronin flipped the top card over to view what it held. He laughed out loud when he saw the figure, it was the locust queen he’d captured with the drone parasite. He’d left her to recover and hunt locusts on the outskirts of the swarm.
“Thank you, Owl two.” Ronin said switching the deck out for his old one and handing it over. “You know you’re going to have to switch everyone’s out now, don’t you?”
“Of course, my lord.” The android said with a bow. “I was gratified to see how effective the game was at bringing you and Karr’s squad together. Show them off, I will have more prepared by dinner time. Here, for k3.” He said handing over another set, from a box he’d had under the table.
“Where too?” K3 asked when he exited the command tent. Ronin looked around the inside of the cave. Where they’d landed was nearly devoid of people, and the hard sided tents they’d set up. There was only the command tent, the leadership tents, the drop pod, and a bunch of Kaldarr scrap metal. The rat experiments were also set up here, Ronin assumed that was to keep the people from eating them. His eyes paused when they passed the Kaldarr armored suits, still standing in rows like metal terracotta soldiers.
“Remind me to have an armor gallery erected at some point,” he said to K3. “I think it would be fun to look back at all the different sets we’ve seen along our travels.” After seeing his bodyguard’s nod, he continued by answering his question. “We’re going to make a round of the camp.” He said, heading towards the south tunnel. He didn’t know how it had happened, but that was the one everyone used the most. “I need to check on the people. Oh yea,” He added with a grin. “Owl two made us a new game. Here’s your deck.”
“Understood,” K3 said with a nod, taking the deck and falling in line behind him. Ronin glanced back at him, deciding he should take in his guard too. He was a towering eight feet of muscle and steel, looking a little strange as he switched out the tiny, to him, cards from his belt. His armor was black enameled steel with dark grey, then light grey flames licking up towards his full faced helmet, they were lighter than standard armor yet still darker than Ronin’s own flames. K3 generally kept his helmet on, looking like a fully armored medieval knight ready for battle at any time.
The enhanced Kaldarr warrior also carried a large equipment harness, loaded with gear. A mark V railgun slung across his back and a pair of pistols belted at his waist. One was a non-lethal II the other a Kaldarr revolver equivalent. He rounded his armament off with the massive seven-foot slab of inch thick steel that served him as a tower shield and his giant war hammer that he held slung over his shoulder most of the time. The man screamed intimidation.
“What’s up boss?” He asked when he noticed Ronin taking him in.
“Nothing,” Ronin said with a chuckle. “Just excited to play a game with the new cards is all.” He added by way of explanation. Turning his head to watch where he was going, Ronin entered the southern tunnel.
It was the same as it had been, except that the floor had seen a lot more traffic. Looking up, he saw the ceiling mounted turret still in place where Owl four had put it when they’d first landed. That brought back memories, and he smiled sadly as they exited into the sunlight.
The area around the cave had been cleared of trees and was now filled with the wooden framed dinosaur tent houses. Ronin counted close to fifty of them, and he wondered where they’d all come from. There hadn’t been many more than that in the village, and he’d seen most of the tents still there during his fly over. In between the larger tents were smaller ones. These were made from a variety of materials and hadn’t been put up with any thought behind their placement. Ronin assumed these were tents the refugees had brought with them.
He stood there watching as the group that had been in the meeting trickled out behind him and started yelling orders. He watched Benjamin gather up the sergeants he still had in camp and begin to give them instructions. Likewise, Harken and Unyielding oak were doing the same thing to their own followers. Wind blew towards Ronin, carrying a variety of smells. He wrinkled his nose at them, turning his head around, looking for the source.
First, he saw a group of food corps goblins cooking in giant pots over several fires set up in a circle. He could smell the food being cooked along with the wood smoke. That wasn’t so bad, but he could also smell human, or humanoid at least, waste. Moving forward, his feet sank into the well-traveled path. The original grass had been completely turned up and nothing remained but a growing trough of muddy dirt.
“This place could use some cobble stone,” he muttered in annoyance, still following his nose. He wasn’t twenty feet from the nearest tent when he came upon the latrine pit. It was filled and had been poorly covered over with dirt. He continued forward to find a second and third pit that were still in use. In fact, there was a human man setting on a board suspended over one of the pits even now. This caused Ronin’s frown to deepen.
The caves he’d grown up in had been light on modesty, but even they’d known not to set up latrines so close to their living environments, lest it poison their water supply. Nodding to the man who was now sitting awkwardly on his board, Ronin turned away. Walking through the tents he met with and talked to several of the dejected looking people.
“Is it true that you’re working on getting us a whole new city?” One bedraggled looking bugbear asked, from his place on a fresh cut tree stump. There was a child sleeping in his arms, so Ronin didn’t begrudge the man not getting up at his approach.
“It is, for the child” he said with a smile, giving the man a piece of jerked iguanodon from his waist pack. “We’re working hard at readying our forces for the push. We’re working hard to get everyone fed first though.” Accepting the meat, the man bowed his head as Ronin continued on around the camp.
Meeting a group of soldiers on a break, Ronin pulled out his new deck and showed off his queen card. The men and women got excited right away, and asked when the new cards would become available. He’d been tempted to play a game right then and there, but these people were supposed to be training, so he just told them dinner time and bid them keep up the good work.
Later on, during his travels, he came across Hunter and her squad. They were enjoying a quick meal in the shade of a giant pink leaved tree. Not being able to resist, Ronin squatted down in front of the head scout and pulled out his new deck.
“Care for a rematch?” He asked with a sly grin on his face. The cruel smile that split her little green face was enough to make Ronin reconsider, but it was too late. He spent a comfortable hour with the scouts, loosing two games to Hunter before he called it quits and moved on. K3 patted him on the back consolingly. The goblin woman was vicious. Ronin would know better than to take her on again until he’d gotten in a bit more practice.
All in all, his trip around the tent city was a little disheartening. The ground was turned unto mud from the countless feet that had trodden on it. There were latrines too close and not dug deep enough, hungry people everywhere, not enough clothing or washing facilities to go around. That was a concern too, not the smell, though that was bad enough, but how unwashed bodies cramped together like this could attract bugs and disease.
He caught sight of Elyria and her two elven companions flying overhead as the light faded and he made his way back toward the caves. He also caught sight of Unyielding oak, working to calm an over excited goat she’d bound on a line. The wood elves gathered around her looked excited and as happy as he’d ever seen them. “Good,” he thought watching them work. “At least it isn’t all doom and gloom. Even in these hard times, there are rays of light.” He had to remind himself of that, as he walked through the empty cave towards his tent.
Leaving K3 outside, Ronin entered his tent alone to find all three of his bugbear wives waiting for him. All of them, even Vasylia wore the thin robes that could almost be seen through. They each had a different expression as well. Lily looked shy but excited, Vasylia looked uncomfortable, and Safie looked like she wanted to be anywhere else.
“Welcome home, my lord.” Lily said gesturing him inside. Her smile was predatory, and Ronin could only assume she was looking forward to the confrontation.
“Let’s just get this over with,” Vasylia said uncrossing her muscular arms and flexing her fists. She looked like she was hyping herself up to pummel him.
“Ugh, do I have too?” Safie asked from where she sulked, seated on the edge of Ronin’s desk.
Ronin sighed. He didn’t really know what this whole ‘fight to submission’ was all about, but he could already tell he wasn’t going to enjoy it.