Chapter 3
Turning Point
Looking around him all he could see was bodies, mutilated beyond recognition. Nonetheless, he could sense from his emotions they were people he once knew. At his knees lay a woman, lifeless and missing a leg from the knee down. Her neck was twisted backward, the stress from which colored the skin black and blue. Picking her up in his arms he felt the softness of her hair despite the rugged condition of her body. He noticed her cheek was wet, not from blood but from something else. This is when he realized he was crying. The indescribable pain in his heart throbbed like a knife had pierced it. His tears wouldn’t stop flowing as he looked up and spotted a dark figure who he couldn’t see very well, all he could tell was he hated him, hated him more than his body could contain. He could feel it boiling behind his eyes like lava spilling out in the form of hot tears steaming off his face. He placed the woman back on the ground as he rose to his feet staring down the unknown threat. Without speaking it dashed towards him ready to kill.
Maxith awoke from his nightmare covered in sweat and his heart beating out of his chest. The sudden leap to reality shocked him but was ultimately a huge relief. The profuse amount of sweat his body discharged during his dream left him dehydrated and thirsty. He decided to get some water before heading back to sleep, so he fumbled his way through the dark hallways. As he arrived in the kitchen he began to think about the dream, it was strange to have one so vivid and emotional.
Normally his dreams aren't very noteworthy he thought. "Everyone has nightmares every once in a while I guess," he spoke aloud to himself while rubbing some cold water on himself from a bucket. "Maybe I'm just stressed about becoming a captain with a war going on so close to our country. If my father joins the war I'd wind up at the head of battle in a couple of months after my birthday." The thought of being the cause of his comrade's deaths or being responsible for husbands and sons not returning home sickened him. How could he live with such a weight on his shoulders he thought, the idea of it began to give him a headache so he dismissed the thought and chugged down some more water.
Now rehydrated Maxith navigated the low-lit walkways once again, only this time Maxith noticed something a bit odd. Further down the hall one of the bedroom lights was on and the door was cracked open. As he approached he heard the sound of crying and grunting. The room he was approaching was Tyra's, 'Perhaps she's upset about something, I think I should check in on her,' Maxith thought to himself. As he reached the slightly ajar door he peaked inside first. Nothing could have prepared him for the horror he witnessed after his eye adjusted to the light.
A couple of feet from the door centered against the back wall of the room was Tyra's bed, and on it was Tyra and Maxith's father. Decimus was completely naked behind Tyra who was on all fours, her arms locked behind her back being held by his left hand. His right arm was outstretched forward gripping Tyra's hair from the top of her head forming a bunched-up fistful of messy blonde hair. Her maid uniform was half torn off exposing her breasts and lower half, with the rest scattered across the floor. The soft delicate skin of her breasts had been fondled forcefully and mistreated leaving them a rosy red. Her ass cheeks suffered the same affliction which had several bright red hand marks mixed with purplish blue bruises from slapping. You could hear the smack of his waist against her rear end from him forcing himself in and out of her. Worst of all was her face, the tears overflowing onto her cheekbones glossed over the big yellowish purple patch on the left half of her face. Her normally beautiful emerald green eyes were completely bloodshot, accompanied by a look of despair. The lips on her face quivered from terror and pain as spit dribbled out onto her scrunched-up, dimpling chin. Her eyebrows were furrowed and slanted downwards, this all combined with the snot running from her nose displayed a look of pure horror and disbelief. Maxith was frozen in his place, shook to his very core, his eyes were locked onto her chilling face. He tried to look away but couldn't. Through the tears and whimpers Tyra looked over and locked eyes with Maxith, he felt his heart drop further than it already had. A shiver ran up his spine like a ghost was staring into his soul as she yelled out to him, "Ple..ee..eease..." Tyra struggled to say between strokes and gasps of air from crying, "MAXiiiiith!! HELLLLLLLP!!!!!"
Maxith pulled away from the door and backed up as if he wasn't seen, or maybe it was cause he wished he wasn't. Decimus immediately loosened his grip on her hair and covered her mouth with his hand rearing her head back to force her to be quiet. "Leave us alone boy, must I remind you of what happened last time!?" Decimus' voice boomed from behind the door outlined in yellow light piercing the darkness of the hallway.
Maxith remembered a similar situation when he was just nine years old. Decimus had forced himself on a house slave and Maxith had seen then too. Of course he told his mother what he’d seen. This sent her into a rage knowing her husband had been so careless. Later that night he heard them yelling and arguing, his mother threatening to expose what he had done to all of the country. Suddenly the arguing stopped.
Relieved that his parents came to an understanding he left his room to go visit them, wanting to be comforted now that everything was better. Upon entering their room he saw his mother's body on the floor surrounded by a pool of blood. A dagger had been forced into her chest right around where her heart would be. Maxith looked up to see his father standing above her lifeless corpse, staring at it. Turning to spot Maxith he approached and loomed over him like some kind of giant, "Look at what you caused child! Their blood is on your hands!”
'Their blood?' Maxith thought, not understanding. Looking behind his father in the dark corner he spotted the house slave he’d defiled. Lying face down the back of her head was caved in from a blunt force. This had clearly happened earlier, not just now. Maxith began to sweat, his heart raced, and he became dizzy. He couldn't breathe normally anymore, gasping in and out trying to get ahold of the air but it was like he couldn't get a grip. "All because you couldn't keep your MOUTH SHUT!!" Decimus screamed. He then slammed the door shut in Maxith's face. Now alone he stumbled back to his room, barely able to stand anymore and shaking from the fear implanted within him. Immediately upon entering the room he collapsed to the floor balling up into a fetal position and blacked out.
"Maxith!!" Decimus boomed from behind the door waking Maxith back up to reality, "Do you remember!!?"
"Yes Father," Maxith responded in a shrinking tone. As he turned to continue walking down the hallway he heard the wet slapping continue with muffled sounds of Tyra trying to shout. Grabbing his wrist he tried to plant himself in the moment to avoid reliving the past. Unable to do so Tyra’s distorted face flashed in his mind. Entering his room he plopped onto his bed and began to cry. He tried to think of something else, anything else, but all that came to mind was Tyra, Novius, and himself growing up together. Their happy memories of play sword fighting while Tyra watched, going to the beach on hot summer days when they were just twelve, and them sharing secret meals in the kitchen at night after sneaking into the castle.
Father would never allow anyone of the lower class into the castle unless they were a slave like Tyra. Maxith couldn't understand how his father could be such a despicable person, or why his mother chose to be with a man like that. He wished his mother had chosen someone else, that he could have been born under another father, like Novius, maybe then he could be happy. Maxith fell back asleep and dreamed of just that, being born in a lower-class family and growing up with Novius as if they were brothers by relation, inseparable, and capable of conquering the world together.
Upon waking up the next morning the first thing Maxith thought of was Tyra. He immediately sprang out of bed to go check on her and try his best to comfort her. Once he opened his door Emerson was already there waiting for him, “Bring your training gear, your father wants to speak with you before we start today.” Confused as to why training was starting so early he grabbed his gear and departed to go speak to his father.
Arriving in the same living room as the day before his father immediately spoke before Maxith could, “Do not say a word Maxith, I am having this meeting with you to update you, not to hear you speak,” He said demandingly, “Firstly we will be making you captain of your new division immediately, your birthday is too far away. Secondly, we will be assisting in the war against the Kadince region, the Sintia Nobles have given me an offer I cannot refuse. You will be leading your division into battle to bring us victory and make yourself a respected captain, Emerson has the details. Lastly, Emerson leave the room for a moment.”
Emerson turned and walked out the door shutting it behind him. “The girl, Tyra… she has been taken care of. Do not come to me asking anything or try and tell me off, you know exactly what will await you if you do,” he said in a very matter-of-fact tone. At this moment Maxith’s heart dropped and a million thoughts began flashing through his mind. “Emerson you can come bac-” Decimus began but was interrupted by Maxith bolting out the door past Emerson.
Running as fast as he could back toward Tyra’s room his mind raced, ‘What did he mean by dealt with? Surely he’s just sending her away, right? Right?’ Entering the hallway of last night's events he stopped dead in his tracks seeing her door already wide open. All of Tyra’s belongings were being carried out by the house slaves, Maxith approached in disbelief. One of the house slaves walked up to Maxith, “I’m sorry for your loss Prince, we all know you were close to her, a heart attack at her age is just so unfortunate.”
Maxith’s mind shut down finding out what happened to Tyra. His father had her killed and disposed of her to prevent any rumors or defamation of face. He used her and played Maxith like nothing. ‘He lied... he did it anyways... maybe I could have stopped it... it's my fault again,’ These were the thoughts floating around in Maxith’s head for an eternity.
Suddenly a cold splash of water awoke Maxith from his suspended animation, “There now he’s awake. We’ve waited long enough, we need to hold our end of the bargain.” Maxith opened his eyes to see his father leaving the room. He looked over to see a doctor by his side with a worried look on his face. “Are you ok Prince? I’m sorry, you weren’t supposed to be woken up like that, your father wouldn’t listen to me anymore.”
“What happened?” Maxith asked. “Well, it appears you went into a temporary vegetative state from stress. We waited several days for you to wake up but you never did, and now that the siege is a couple of days away your father wanted you awake now.” The doctor replied.
“Siege? What are you talking about?”
Emerson walked in sporting his usual military attire with medals on his chest, his bald black head reflected the sunlight coming through the window. “We’re invading the Kadince region two days from now with the Sintia army,” Emerson began, “You will be the man leading our forces into enemy territory.”
“What the hell?! How am I supposed to do that? I haven’t even been to war before!” Maxith said rejecting the idea of charging headfirst into battle so soon. “Doc is he good to go?” Emerson asked.
“Well yes… but Id like to check a few thi-”
“Let's go kid, you have some prepping to do,” Emerson stated as he turned and left the room expecting Maxith to follow. Worried about this sudden information being sprung on him he hopped out of bed and followed, leaving the doctor behind. "Where are we going?" Maxith pleaded trying to get a handle on his mess of a life. "We're going to the strategy room,” Emerson answered as they approached a room full of maps and books. In the center was a large wooden table meant for laying maps on.
Already on the table was a map of the western continent, where the Opik Empire resided. Bordering them was the Kadince region to the northwest. The Sintia region consumed the southwest coast of the continent, these two countries also bordered each other and were currently at war for land. The Kandince empire always hogged resources like oil and fresh water with the massive lake in the middle of their country.
Looking to take more from the Sintia people below them they had begun invading their land. With this in mind, the Kadince region was clearly at an advantage having more resources and was the expected winner. “The soon-to-be-clear victory of the Kadince region involves us more than you think Maxith,” Emerson informed, “not if, when, they win Kadince will be the entire west coast and even some of the south. This could pincer off a large section of our territory should they choose to invade us next. Showing their greed by taking Sintia soil, we would be fools to assume they won’t invade us after. This is simply preventing a larger war and creating a bigger ally of our neighboring country.”
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"Wouldn't they invade Lorta before us then since they would be between us and them at that point?"
"Lorta is a colony of ours, just because they have their own country doesn't mean they're fully independent. They trade with us and are used as a buffer between our main country and those on the west coast. In return for these things we provide them protection in case of war and resource trade from the Eastern continent."
"What do you mean 'Used as a buffer'?"
"To protect our own mainland country from other major powers who could invade us Decimus establishes good relations with our two main neighboring countries. With Lorta to our west, we can't be invaded from that side without them being invaded first."
"But we share a small section of our border with the Kadince region here," Maxith said pointing at the map, "Couldn’t they just invade us from there?"
"They could but they wouldn't get far, the mountains would create a bottleneck preventing them from pushing far into our mainland and ultimately causing more deaths on their side than ours for such little gain."
“Well, if we’re sieging in a few days what's our plan, surely we have one right?”
“Of course we do, just how little do you think of Lord Decimus,” Emerson said slightly irritated by Maxith’s pestering, “The river of Caliburn is the only connection to the Great Kadince Lake from outside of the Kadince region. The plan is to surround the two outposts guarding the connection of the river and the lake. Simultaneously we will have our navy push into the lake on our ships, our job will be to ensure none of them escape by boat as we pass through, while those on foot by the outposts also leave no survivors. This will guarantee nobody escapes to warn any other outposts or the capital.”
“What do you mean ‘our job’? Shouldn’t the Sintia navy be joining us as well or are we simply fighting their war for them?”
“Silence and listen Maxith, you get too excited, see Decimus’ plan to the end and you’ll understand how good it is. Sintia's forces will be focused on their north border with the Kadince region, they will be fighting them all along it spreading both sides' forces thin. This will seem like a bad move from the Sintia army because normally it would end in their loss from their lack of overall manpower, but with us pushing in from the lake we will be capable of ending the war from the inside while they distract the main forces. Now the lake is too big to watch from the shore, as long as we stay in the middle we won't be spotted. The assassin group will be the first of our forces to approach the capital city Bhrunum. Equipped with a small boat built for speed they'll approach at an angle to prevent a direct line of sight. Once at the south entrance to the cove, they will eliminate the guards there and move inland on foot towards the castle which is situated on a cliff, this is where the king of the Kadince region resides. The main force of our army will approach from the same side of the cove once it's cleared and sail right into the cove docking area and invade at the point closest to the castle. The goal here is to cut off the entrance to the castle isolating the king from his troops at the outpost to the northwest. From there the assassination group will arrive at the castle and invade it while the second group holds off their forces from the northwest. Once inside they will assassinate the King, effectively winning the war."
"You mean to tell me he plans to run headfirst into enemy territory? That's suicide!"
"Realistically we take minimum risk compared to the Sintia army Maxith. Their job to delay the majority of their troops until the job is done up north is asking for a lot considering all of the Kandince forces will be concentrated at the border because they are technically only at war with Sintia. Since we will be on the inside of the country, near the middle, we will be against a minimum amount of their troops. Once we kill the king we will take his head to show to the remaining troops, most will surrender. From there we'll pincer down south and flank their forces at the border finishing off the rest of their military power.”
"Emerson this is ridiculous, we are taking a huge risk of losing hundreds of good men going behind enemy lines for this."
"Maxith, war is not without loss, a soldier has committed his life to defending his country and what it stands for so his family and brethren can lead peaceful lives. Go tell your soon-to-be people that you wish to wait for the enemy to attack us, for blood to be spilled on our soil, and for innocents to die before you take action to guard their lives. I promise you they would not speak of you as a man fit to be king. Soldiers are meant to be sent into battle, they train for days like this, to take action and to protect," Emerson slams his hands on the table while shouting now, "And they are not to be forgotten just because they die!"
Emerson's face was filled with passion clearly remembering memories of battle, of his comrades dying beside him, "You will be there not only to lead them into battle and fight with them but to remind them what they fight for, to inspire them to do what seems like suicide and come out the other side a hero. You will do this not because you are stronger than them or braver than them, but because you too are afraid. You cannot inspire a man without understanding how he feels in the first place. You can speak to his heart because you too feel the same fear and worry they do." This struck a cord somewhere deep in Maxith making him realize what it means to lead his people, what it is to protect his country. "You're right," Maxith said with a faraway look in his eyes, "What's next for us to prepare?" Emerson was satisfied having felt a change in Maxith, he began to remember why he wanted to be the one to prepare Maxith to be a king in the first place, "We leave for Meresk Tomorrow."
As they left the room walking in stride together Maxith asked, "Will I be the head of the assassination group?"
"No, you must be with your men holding strong against the enemy forces approaching the castle. Someone a bit more... capable is leading the assassination." Emerson stated feeling unsure about how to approach the subject. "Who?" Maxith inquired. "Novius," Emerson said not knowing how else to say it. "What? Why? He's not even part of the military, did you seriously draft him right after his girlfriend died?" Maxith said trying to shame Emerson out of it. "This is not a decision made by me Maxith, your father is the one who calls the shots, remember? He said we needed someone with battle experience who would ensure the job wouldn't get botched. If the castle raid group fails so does the whole mission. If we don't kill the king and end the battle as planned, everyone will die, including Sintia's people."
"Why don't you lead them in? You're a strong fighter."
"I'm leading my division alongside yours because of your inexperience. If you fail to overcome the stress of battle I will be there to control your division as well. You may not like this situation but it is how it's going to be. Novius will be fine, he is plenty prepared for an operation like this. Apart from me he probably has more deadly battle experience than anyone else in our military thanks to his renown. He quite literally dances with death for a living, making him the most level-headed choice we’ve got. If I were you I'd be more worried about yourself considering your lack of battle experience."
"Right," Maxith said understanding the situation. As bad as he felt for Novius, Maxith knew he needed to rise to the occasion and prepare himself mentally for the raid. 'Novius can take care of himself, he's stronger than I am,' Maxith thought to himself.
As the next morning approached the military forces were prepared to leave for Meresk. Horse-drawn carriages carrying soldiers behind would bring the small army to their destination before nightfall. Maxith and Emerson lead the march on their own horses as they were sent off by cheering town folk ranging from the wealthy to the poor, glad to have their strong young men to protect them from the outside dangers of the world. Seeing this Maxith confirmed what he had learned the day before about what it meant to be a ruler of a country. People look to you for the protection of their lives of peace and prosperity, it is your job to make the hard decisions and foresee the events of the future and prevent the hard times for your people.
Additionally, young ladies were cheering for Maxith specifically, wishing him good luck in the battle and telling him to come back to them safely. As a prince, Maxith of course had women trying to woo him all the time, not just because of his standing as the next ruler of the country but also because he took after his mother in the looks department. His short brown hair was accented by his amber-colored eyes. He had a bright smile fitting of a prince which rested on his strong jawline and bold chin. This combined with his large stature and his position as the prince made him sought after bachelor.
Sadly for these potential wives, Maxith wasn't looking to get involved with something like that quite yet. He felt it was more important to learn how to take care of his country and its people at the moment, something like relationships could wait. The massive steel gates slowly opened, creating an exit in the colossal walls surrounding the capital city named Ventium. Maxith looked at the dirt road outside as they departed thinking of how it would bring them to a place of war, suffering, and death. Emerson looked over once again and noticed the faraway look in Maxith's eyes as he stared downward. He decided to leave him with his thoughts, there would be time to speak later.
Hours on the road took a toll on the group, everyone was hungry and dragging their feet. Looking ahead Emerson decided now was a good time to rest their men. He turned and yelled, "STOP! NOW IS THE TIME TO EAT, YOU WON'T GET ANOTHER CHANCE UNTIL MERESK, SO DO IT NOW!" The marching and horse hoofs halted and the sound of rummaging through crates and bags for food consumed the surrounding area. Emerson looked over to Maxith, "I know you have plenty on your mind but don't forget about the others around you," he said while looking back to Novius. Maxith remembered he hasn't had a chance to speak with Novius since the tavern, he dreaded the thought of speaking to him knowing how he had a slight involvement in Tyra's death.
He looked over to see Novius alone, eating some berries with a piece of bread. Dismounting his horse Maxith walked over to Novius who paid no mind to the tall figure approaching him. "The assassin in the flesh! Sooo scary," Maxith said sarcastically with a slight chuckle trying to ease the discomfort he felt inside. Novius said nothing as he picked apart his bread while sitting on the ground resting one elbow on his knee. "Hey listen man… I'm sorry about Tyra, I know how much she meant to you." Novius let out a depressed sigh, "Well I appreciate it," he then raised his head to look Maxith in the eyes, "I'm sure you woulda prevented it if you could've."
Meeting Novius' strong gaze along with that statement churned Maxith's stomach to its core causing him to look away, averting eye contact. "Yeah and sorry about you getting drafted, I was against the idea by the way... it was out of my control I guess," Maxith said while scratching the back of his head. He watched a group of soldiers a few yards away laughing and pushing each other around enjoying their lunch. Novius decided to stand up and said, "I suppose it gives me something to do and get me outta my house, besides I'll get to blow off some steam on those Kadince assholes."
"Hey, at least you'll get to say you killed a king!" Maxith said trying to make light of the shitty events of the past week. "Hah," Novius chuckled, "Yeah... I guess I will," he said confidently. Suddenly Emerson's deep voice boomed from the front of the formation, "PACK IT UP LADIES, TEA TIMES OVER! LET'S GET A MOVE ON!" While Maxith was turned back to look at Emerson shouting Novius shoved his fist into Maxith's chest and said, "C'mon big bad prince, we got a war to win," and walked back into the group of soldiers. Once remounted on his horse next to Emerson they began their advance again. "You talk some sweet love to your baby momma on your lunch date?" Emerson said poking fun at Maxith. "Yeah, I think he'll be alright, he's just going through a rough patch right now. Depression can be shitty."
"Good, keep your friends close while you still have them,” Emerson said more seriously, "He just needs some support from those who care for him right now."
They began approaching Meresk near nightfall, the open fields filled with short grass and cool winds slowly turned into a more wetland type of environment. Roots from the trees were more exposed than usual, slightly rising from the ground. Small ponds of water were scattered here and there with tall grass laid about. The overall humidity increased drastically the deeper they went, it got to the point where it felt as though they were breathing peanut butter it was so thick. Creatures lurking in the swamp didn't dare to approach the massive army of men for they were more used to singling out targets to avoid confrontation.
The appearance of the swamp meant they were finally in Lorta. Meresk was just within Lorta territory and lay right on a lake, meaning the city was big on fishing. They distributed a large majority of the fish supply to towns and cities north of them more landlocked in the middle of their respective countries. The trading money made off this allowed Meresk to be quite the nice little town for being in a swamp. Nearing Meresk jazz music could be heard, giving hint of a strong nightlife. Upon entering Maxith was impressed by the aura the village gave off. Plaster on the exterior of the buildings wasn't white like back home in Ventium, they were dyed bright neon colors like lime green, bright yellow, teal, and red. The window shutters were opposing colors to the walls, creating a funky look and giving different combinations to all the buildings. Lanterns with glass dyed in various colors lined the streets, enhancing the showiness of the town. All of this allowed for a very relaxed, fun, street-life type of vibe and the people partying out in the streets proved it. The street entertainers and dancers wore strange voodoo-like outfits including alligator tooth necklaces, oddly tall tophats, and purple suits.
Maxith looked over to Emerson as they navigated the city streets, "Where do we plan on sleeping?"
"Decimus sent a lone messenger on a horse ahead of us to tell the villages about our approach. He is offering them some of the spoils of war in return for lodging."
Nearing the hotels Emerson informed everyone that no partying was allowed tonight and everyone was expected to wake up early in the morning to continue marching. Maxith got to his room and plopped on the bed still able to hear the sounds of music and chatter from partying on the streets outside. Even with the shutters closed some of the neon colors of the streets seeped their way into the dark room emitting a melancholic essence. Maxith stared at the ceiling above him wondering how the future that lay ahead of him will unfold. Eventually, he fell asleep giving in to the tiredness from the long journey.