XII

“Any word from the scouts?” Adrian asked, eyeing the group of men that were currently standing and waiting on the road a good forty feet away, with their horses behind them another twenty feet, making it amply clear that they were waiting to be approached. Adrian looked them up and down, the scout had been right, they were white coats, soldiers of Kurtz, here to deliver some sort of message. It was rather worrisome that they were so lightly provisioned, none of their mounts seemed to have anything in the way of packs or food, which meant the soldiers were within short riding distance of support, and perhaps that support was of a full army.

For all Adrian knew they could be up against 40,000 troops stationed just around the corner within seeing distance. Well, perhaps not seeing, as even a blind man could have seen such a force that large if it was on the move.

There were three of them, two of whom were wearing the uniforms of officers in the Kurtz army which consisted of white cavalry pants tucked into black boots that rose to knee height studded on the side with a row of silver buttons. The armor they wore was more fluted than the plate that Helheim soldiers wore, but functionally just the same. It consisted of a banded iron three-quarters plate and an openfaced helm that depending on rank would have different color plumage for easy identification in battle. One of the men held the Kurtz banner and Adrian cursed himself for not thinking to provision them with one from Helheim but there was nothing for it. The third man was not armored save for a breastplate over a long coat that had no sleeves. His arms were well-defined both in muscle and in the tell-tale tattoo marks that ran their lengths. If this went poorly then this would become a mage duel long before the first pistol was drawn.

“No sir,” Torin said unhappily, “that squad should have reported in an hour ago,” he eyed the white coats with disgust. “What are your orders, sir?” Adrian didn't answer, he simply dismounted and helped Isi off of the mount. “Sir?”

“Dismount, we are going to see what this is all about,” Helheim and Kurtz might not be friends, but they were currently not at war, thanks in part to the treaties that both empires had agreed to. Adrian heard the three other men dismount and he held up his hand. “Torin, you and Isi will be joining me, everyone else must stay behind,” he said.

“Sir?” Torin asked, confused.

“It would be improper for us to approach with more people than they have,” he said, looking down at Isi who was in her borrowed armor. It fit her well enough and like his own, it was three-quarters plate, this meant that unlike Torin’s it also had protection on the thighs and arms. She looked so small in the armor, but he knew better than to think she was not dangerous, despite the rather cute look about her.

“Yes sir,” Torin said after a pause, “Yackob you stay here with the horses,” he handed his reins to the Lineman as did everyone else. Using the horse as cover to block the Kurtz soldiers and mage’s view Adrian pulled out his reagents, licked two fingers on his left hand, and pressed the first into the Nitre, and the second into the Sulfur. He concentrated and pre-cast the spell, hoping the distance and the fact that it was daytime hid the light of his sorcery. The cooling burn ate away at the reagents and he felt the spell fall into place, like a name that he needed to remember and had to keep on his mind or he would lose it forever. He loosened his sword in the scabbard, unclipping the leather thong that held it in place across the quillons, at this range it would be blade and spell work, there wouldn't be time to reload a standard voltlock after the first shot. “Ready?” he asked, and he received three nods in confirmation. “Alright, let's go see what we can learn.” he turned on his heels and led the way to the apparent neutral ground where the Kurtz empire officers waited for them. Adrian felt odd wearing his plate again, The last time he had done in a potentially hostile act had been roughly five years ago when he had surrendered the keep he had held for Helheim. Then as now, the armor didn't quite fit right. The months of sieges had left him malnourished and thin then, and the years in the labor camp had done little to allow him to fill back out. Even now that he had been a free man for some time his own reflection still looked gaunt.

It was hot and stifling, and it didn't fit comfortably on him as it once had, but it was the image he needed to present, and it was quite good at protecting him from attacks. He smiled at the line of his thinking and stopped around twenty paces away from them, Isi at his side practically growling at them. Clearly, she hated the Kurtz men as much as Adrian did, no surprise there…

Adrian’s back snapped straighter, a feat that a few seconds ago he would have thought impossible. A shock ran through him and he felt his muscles quiver slightly. He had no idea if it was rage that caused this or else fear, old and remembered. He knew that mage, his smirking visage had been branded into his mind and had become synonyms with the words cruelty and arrogance.

Alian von Harus, Mage Heirarch of Kurtz looked back at him with a look of confusion on his face. He had clearly recognized that he knew Adrain but was having a deal of trouble placing him. That in and of itself was one of the worst insults the man could have leveled at Adrian, that he had been of no consequence not even worthy of remembrance. The man blinked, the iris of his eyes almost being swallowed whole by the black for an instant as recognition seemed to hit him before his gaze once again focused on Adrian.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Well this is a surprise, a surprise indeed!” he said in such a jovial manner as he stepped forward his arms wide apart. He was not coming forward for a hug as it might appear but had his arms and fingers spread to show that he was not about to cast any magic. The movements and gestures of the Kurtz mages were drilled into them relentlessly and with one as skilled as this man even allowing him to keep his hands down by his side was a risk.

Alian von Harus was not a small man. He stood a full head taller than Adrian, and despite his gray hair that he had pulled back and tied in a plate as well as the gray in his great bushy mustache he was not a small man either. For a man of his late fifties, he was much more heavily muscled than most men in their primes, though, with his tall frame, he carried it well and did not look overly bulky. When he smiled a duelist's scar twisted on his face the lines catching shadows and giving that side of his face an almost skull-like appearance.

“And here I thought you were still a guest of our Imperial hospitality.” Adrian moved forward, the effort of not casting burning under his skin. He could do it, he could cast here and end the man, end him once and for all. He took a deep breath and fought it down, there would be a time and a place but here for this moment, they were not formally at war.

Yet.

“Unfortunately I found your Majesty's accommodations lacking,” Adrian said, standing in a straight parade rest, mostly to keep his itching hands clasped behind his back so he didn't attempt to use them for something else. They needed information, and while he wanted nothing more than to cast the spell he had prepared and watch the man burn for all he was worth he resisted the temptation. “I decided it was high time I came home.”

“I see, unfortunate that,” Harus said sneering down at Adrian. “It would have been safer for you to have stayed there I think.”

“I see you two are acquainted,” one of the two officers who had waited with Alian von Harus spoke up, both of them had moved forward to overhear the words he and Adrian had been exchanging. “Would you like to introduce us Sir Harus?” he asked, brushing his hand across the dagger goatee that he sported and looking at Adrian much more closely.

“Of course, where are my manners,” Harus bowed gracefully toward both Adrian and the two men. “Lord Commander Hallans, Commander Jutrude, it is my pleasure to make you known to Adrian Von-tori, Eldest son of the great Adrianus Von-tori, and the former commander of the keep at Maarion.”

“Maarion?” the second and younger officer asked looking as though he was casting back in his memory for an event. “Was that not the keep you took for his majesty some five or six years ago?”

“Indeed it was,” Harus said with another twisted smile. “And quite the battle it was, Adrian here held it for what six or seven months?” Adrian didn't answer him and Harus chucked to himself. “A more tenacious and stubborn foe I have rarely come across. Tell me, how is your hand?” The aforementioned hand spasmed but he tightened his other fingers around it and said nothing.

“His hand?” the older of the two men asked.

“Yes, but that is a matter to discuss another day,” he turned back to Adrian. “I still have your sword displayed on my wall, I have never had the opportunity to take a man’s sword twice.” The smile this time was hungry, there was no mocking in it, and he was being honest. This was a man who wanted nothing more than to fight, to fight anything, and had simply found that devotion to his emperor was the most convenient way to satisfy those cravings.

“Well, perhaps it shan't have to come to all of that.” The older officer said before turning towards Adrian. “We have come to inform you that this land is now under Kurtz's occupation,” Adrian felt his eyebrows raise at this and the man knowing what he was thinking went on speaking. “Yes I know, it is your duty to resist us and all that, but honestly man, we know this is a small outpost, there is no hope of you holding out, you would only die here and accomplish nothing.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “We will even allow you to retreat in good order, give you say a day or so before we march on the area, what say you? Hmmm?” He held out his gloved hand and Adrian looked down at it and stifled a chuckle. Though judging by how the man reddened in the face he had not done a very good job of stifling it.

“As I said, stubborn,” Harus laughed. “Good lad, good, I am glad to see that the camps did not break that spirit of yours, and I must say that I am also glad it is you and not Koplin that is in charge here,” Adrian narrowed his eyes at the mention of the former commander of the garrison. “From the reports we had I don't think he would have been a very exciting foe.”

“Likely not,” Adrian said with a nod. “Are we done here?”

“Yes I suspect we are,” Harus laughed again. “Oh this is nostalgic Adrian, I say that the land is mine, you say it's not, we fight, and I get another blade for my collection.” his grin turned feral. “Im looking forward to it.”

“Very well, are we to take it then that you are choosing not to surrender the garrison?” The older officer asked.

“Yes sir, you are to take it as such,” Adrian said formally nodding his head.

“Very well, I will give you time to reconsider, but do not expect this mercy to last.” He said, “The next time we see each other will either be on the field of battle or else it’s abattoir.” He proffered Adrian a courteous bow and with that, the three men moved away towards the Kurtz Linemen they had left holding their reins…