The cut on Alec’s back hurt, but he tried not to think about it. The man in front of him balanced on the balls of his feet and held his sword loosely. It swayed back and forth as he tried to find an opening in Alec’s defense. The competition had grown more formidable as his health and skill had recovered. This was the first opponent to land a blow, and it was a good one. He felt the warm flow of blood and the familiar light-headedness that came with blood loss. This needed to end quickly. The man struck out with a thrust, and Alec deflected his blade. He spun as the man went past and swiped a cut at his back. The sword felt heavy in his hands, and the cut went low. It tore a gash along the man’s thigh, and he collapsed. Alec was reminded of all the occasions luck had played a more significant role than skill. He didn’t hesitate, though. He followed the slash with a lunging thrust into the back of the man’s neck. Blood poured from the wound as the man choked on the life-sustaining fluid. Applause rang out from the courtyard.

“Very good,” Taian shouted. “You are improving quickly.”

“This is a waste,” Alec said, walking over to Taian. “That man was a good fighter, he might have been useful.”

Alec was beyond fearing Taian now. If his master wanted him dead, then so be it. All this killing disgusted him. He didn’t mind the murder itself, he had killed many men, some women too. It was the pointlessness of it all. There were other ways to train and regain his strength. Although killing held no discomfort for him, he always had a reason for it. He tossed the blade on the ground and started removing his armor.

“You overstep yourself,” Taian said. “It is for me to decide who is useful. It is also for me to decide who is not.”

“Yes, yes,” Alec said impatiently. “I’ve heard this all before, but you still haven’t told me the point behind this.”

Taian shifted a little at his tone. “I surmise you no longer fear me,” he said. “You suppose the worst I can do now is kill you or perhaps that you are too valuable to be killed? Allow me to dissuade you of that notion.”

A faint light appeared around one of the stones on his necklace. Alec felt a heavy pain in his chest, and his heart began to beat slower. He clutched at his chest and toppled over. He could not draw breath.

“You have only experienced the faintest inkling of what I can do to you,” Taian said. “I can keep you alive indefinitely in this state. No break from the pain, always struggling to breathe, yet always continuing to try. There is so much worse that I can do to you than kill you.”

Taian let the silence stretch for an eternity. At last, the light faded, and Alec could breathe once more. The pain in chest subsided, and he stood shakily. It seemed there was more to fear after all.

“Forgive me, master,” he croaked.

Taian leaned closer. “I do not forgive,” he said menacingly. “Jonathan will see to your wound, you will have no healing from me today.”

He had forgotten about the cut on his back in the midst of nearly dying. Now that he was thinking about it, though, the pain of it made up for lost time. Jonathan moved to him, carrying a large roll of thick bandages. He removed Alec’s shirt and cleaned the wound. Without any warning, he began to stitch. Alec could not decide if the stitches or the cut hurt more. When Jonathan was finished, he wrapped his entire torso in the bandages.

“That man is insane,” Alec whispered.

“Most assuredly,” Jonathan replied. “He is also intolerant. Both of failure and dissent. I would watch to whom you speak when impugning him.”

The statement gave him goosebumps. There had to be a plan behind this. He needed to learn to control his temper, or he would never find out what it was. Jonathan finished wrapping him up, and he put his shirt back on. It felt tight over the heavy bandages, and he wriggled around to find a more comfortable fit. It was no use. With slow, weary steps, he went to his rooms. Jonathan, as always, allowed him to leave unhindered.

He opened the door and was immediately waylaid. Two men jumped out at him. He dove forward between them and sprung to his feet. He grabbed at his hip only to find no comfortable hilt waiting for his hand. Dammit, he thought, he had left his sword behind in his anger. He looked desperately around for anything he might use as a weapon. He spotted a coat stand and snatched it up. It would have to do. His assailers were recovering from the shock of having their attack thwarted. They both held long knives, almost short swords. They advanced.

The coat stand was unbalanced and difficult to wield, but he managed to strike one of the men as he approached. The other used the opening to close and drove his blade into Alec’s forearm. The blade struck the bone and lodged itself there. He reflexively yanked his arm back and tore the knife from the man’s hand. Not that it increased his odds much. It was still two hands to one. They grappled one another, tumbling over the furniture in their attempt to gain the upper hand. They rolled a few times on the floor, and his attacker managed the topmost position when they came to a stop. He placed his two large hands around Alec’s throat. His vision was fading from lack of oxygen, and he knew he was going to die. About time, he thought. Then, the man was limp. He rolled him off and got to his knees. Taian was standing at the door, holding his sword negligently.

“Did we forget something?” He asked. He tossed the sword to the floor. “I only teach this lesson once.”

Without elaborating on the lesson, he left, leaving Alec gasping for air. Alec looked at the knife protruding from his arm. He needed to remove it, but there was no one to help. He cringed at the thought of doing it himself, then screamed when he yanked it free. Blood began to ooze immediately. He took that as a good sign. His arm hurt severely, but the blade did not seem to have hit any large vessels. He dragged himself to his bedroom and pulled the sheet free from the bed. Using the knife, he cut a long section and wrapped it as best he could around the wound. He was right-handed and, damn it all if the blade hadn’t struck his right arm. He scrambled onto the bed and collapsed into a dreamless sleep.

He woke the next morning in agony. His back and arm throbbed painfully, and his stomach chimed in with a loud gurgle. He shambled to the main room to find the bodies had been removed. His usual breakfast was laid out, and he sat to eat. It was awkward using the utensils with his left hand, but he soldiered on. He hoped he was wrong, but if events progressed per usual, there should be a knock at his door any moment. He wasn’t wrong. Jonathan strolled in after a perfunctory knock and surveyed him critically.

“You do not look well,” he said. “It is fortunate for you that Taian has removed your sparring from the schedule today. He is waiting for you in the courtyard.”

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Alec groaned. He wondered what other damnable things he was going to be doing today if sparring had been removed. There was no point delaying, though. He swallowed the last of his milk and left the room. As promised, Taian was waiting for him. He was sitting at the table, and large maps covered it entirely. Taian did not wait for him to sit before speaking.

“I find myself in a unique position,” he said, not looking up. “I require your assistance.”

Alec looked at the maps. They appeared to be maps of Dilis, and of one town in particular. It wasn’t a very detailed map, but it was evident at a glance that it was of Prail.

“What can I do for you, master?” He asked.

“I need information. Information that you are perfectly suited to provide.” Taian said softly. “So much in need, in fact, that I have postponed your duels for the day.” He looked up at last. “A good thing, too, from the look of it.”

“I will tell you what I can,” Alec said carefully.

“I know you will,” Taian said with his usual rasp. “Tell me, what defenses does Prail possess?”

“Defenses, master?” Alec asked, confused.

“Yes, defenses. You were in the army, surely you understand the concept.”

“Of course,” Alec replied quickly, “it’s just that Prail doesn’t have any defenses. Apart from the river, I suppose.”

“I grow weary of dragging the information from you. If the river is a defense, then I want to know about it. How may it be crossed and where?”

“Well,” Alec said hesitantly, “if you are coming from the north, there are three places it may be crossed on foot.” He pointed to the large map of Dilis. “Here and here are bridges. The east bridge is little more than a footpath, but the west bridge is large enough for two wagons abreast to cross.”

“And the third?”

He pointed to the map again. “Here, in the delta, where it empties into the ocean. There is a shallow ford, which runs almost a mile wide. In the spring, though, the rains widen it substantially, and the currents grow swift.”

“Are the bridges guarded?” Taian asked, tapping the map.

“Not since the last war with Ard. There isn’t much out that way except farms.” Alec couldn’t be sure, but he was hopeful that his master was planning an assault on Prail. He was more optimistic that he would be able to participate. He still owed Aedon.

“What of these towns scattered about in the east?” Taian asked, pointing to several dots.

“Typical small farm towns mostly. There are two or three mining camps that could be called towns, and one defensive outpost that is still occupied as far as I’m aware.” He pointed to a large dot on the map.

“Do any of these towns have names?”

Alec surveyed the map again. “The eastern plains are fairly barren. Most of these towns are barely big enough to be called such. The locals probably have names for them, but I don’t know all of them.” He traced his fingers along the map and stopped at a point on the north side of the river. “This one is called Boughten. It sits along the road that runs south into Prail, and the west bridge.”

“Very well. What about men? Does Prail boast a large population of soldiers?”

“A few,” Alec said. “You know about Aedon, and he has a friend Sean. They are the only true soldiers left there. Most of the other men are militia trained, though.”

Taian looked fixedly at the map. “You were magistrate there, how many conscripts were you bound to send should the need arise?”

Alec didn’t hesitate. “Forty-one in the case of civil duty, sixty in the case of war.”

“So, sixty men at least militia trained?” Taian asked.

“Yes, master,” Alec replied quickly.

“Very well,” Taian said while standing. “You will have four days to recover, and then we begin anew.”

The four days passed quickly. Much too fast, Alec thought. He made sure to use his arm as much as possible to avoid the muscles stiffening. It was arduous and agonizing. He spent much of that effort trying to discover a way to wield his sword effectively. The wound made his hand weak, and he could not get a firm grip. He went so far as to try using it left-handed. That was no use either. He could only hope the skill of the competition deteriorated as quickly as his health had. He doubted it, though.

When Jonathan knocked on the fifth day, he was dressed and waiting by the door. The pleased look on Jonathan’s face when he saw him chaffed. Taian he had to please, but that this man took pleasure at his obeisance was difficult to reconcile. He held his tongue, though. The thought of getting even with Aedon had reenergized him, and no amount of groveling was too much so long as he got that chance. He left the room and turned toward the courtyard only to find that Jonathan was going to the other way. It piqued his interest. To this point, he had only seen the one large room when he first arrived, the dungeon, his rooms, and the courtyard. The thought of seeing more of his master’s abode invigorated him even more.

He followed Jonathon through winding halls and down several flights of stairs. He would never have guessed they had been so high up. By the time they arrived at a set of large double doors, he was utterly exhausted. The doors opened, and Jonathan led him into the open air, his back protesting every step. He was back in the smog-filled town. He gagged and coughed and wiped the tears from his stinging eyes. The oppressive heat was still present, and he undid the buttons on his overcoat. Jonathan kept walking, unfazed by the environment. He wanted to learn that trick.

They walked beyond the palisade, which was now as much stone as wood, and into a large field. As soon as they passed the walls, the air cleared. He rushed to button his coat back up as the biting winter air assaulted him. Taian was standing some distance off in front of a large group of armed soldiers. They were aligned in ordered ranks and stood perfectly at attention. Their uniforms were a stark contrast to the traditionally evil black one would expect. The trousers and coats were blue, and they were accented with grey belts and lapels. The swords they wore were sheathed in highly polished brown leather, and the hilts gleamed in the sunlight. The uniforms weren’t what attracted the eye, however. Each one of them had a stone embedded in his forehead. Even from this distance, he could see them glittering and reflecting the abundant light.

“These are my Zombi,” Taian said without preamble as they approached. “They are the troops that will spearhead my assault on the south. They are also the troops that will aid you in regaining control over Prail.”

Now that Alec was close enough, he could see the faces of the front rank. They were emotionless, and their eyes seemed dead. Their looks frightened him. Jonathan yelled a sharp, “Present!” In unison, they drew their swords and held them forward at a forty-five-degree angle, points to the sky. The sound of so many weapons being drawn at once was deafening. As impressive as the display was, he could still not take his eyes off the gems.

“What’s with the stones in their heads,” he asked.

“A gift from one of my brethren,” Taian said. “They connect each soldier to my power. Nothing short of an instantly mortal wound will finish them. It is an absolute wonder that we never thought of it in my time.”

“That’s handy,” Alec said, impressed.

“Yes, it is,” Taian said. “You will take fifty of these men and waylay your old home.”

“That is a formidable force, master, but it won’t be as easy as waltzing in and taking control. There is a lot of ground to cover, and we will eventually be spotted. Once Cathair is aware of us, Jillian will mobilize the entire army against us.”

Taian surveyed his troops. “Yes, I suppose you will be spotted. It is for you, then, to ensure that Cathair does not become aware of you.”

Alec whistled. “We can keep to the wild for much of the journey, but we will come to some towns. Let’s not forget about Boughten, either. We will have to travel through there if we are to use the west bridge. Short of killing every man, woman, and child we encounter, I don’t see how it can be done.”

“Well then,” Taian said, “I would say that you have your work cut out for you. Make no mistake, I want that town under my control. I will not accept failure this time.”

“Wouldn’t it be better, master, if you took the town yourself? Surely they could not hope to stand against you.” Alec asked, hopefully.

“No, Alec,” Taian said coldly. “I have other plans elsewhere. If I knew the stone was there, then perhaps, but I cannot abandon my other endeavors on a mere chance. You will seize control of this town, and you will locate my stone.”

“Of course, master,” Alec said.

“I am glad we have an understanding. You have a week to prepare and, Alec, if you fail me again, be sure you die in doing so. If you don’t, you will live to regret it.”