66 - Defense Part Two
"The indication of the induction of the blessing to distort the acquired property can be recognized by..." Gareth mumbles as he sits in the dim room leafing through one of the books. He feels like he's been stuck with his nose in these dusty old books for weeks. This last book is by far the hardest to understand. Some words, sentences and sometimes entire chapters are so complicated that he can't make much out of them. This last sentence is another example of that. The only thing he can tell from it is that it has to do with the extra skills that some legionaries have. He himself is an example of this, since he became a priest and therefore had to have the necessary skills to be able to forge the armor, among other things. Another example is Raidon with his quick insights on the battlefield, or Brandon with the ease with which he can manage a large location such as Centurion.
There must be an easier way, Gareth thinks. Until now, it hasn't been that complicated to read a manual. I don't think Raidon and Brandon had much trouble getting a higher rank. Maybe I should visit Brandon, he might have an insight about how to deal with these twisted books.
An hour later, Gareth and Brandon are in the building they claimed as a canteen. While enjoying a beer, the two can relax and discuss Gareth's difficulties. After Gareth explains what his problems are, Brandon responds:
"Okay, so you have a hard time learning for priesthood. That looks suspiciously like the problems that some team leaders report. From what I have been able to find about the promotions, there are a number of causes. First, you may have achieved the highest rank that's right for you, but we know that's not the case with you. Secondly, it may be that there are simply no positions available in the legion, we can hardly have a platoon with fifty sergeants of course, which is not the case at the moment. Thirdly, it may be that the information is too difficult for you, in other words that you lack something in the knowledge that you need to understand it. I suspect this is the case with you, you had to do a few things and know how to become a priest, right? Wasn't one of those things to utter some oath or some such? Maybe the intention is that you take those oaths first, and that you can only learn more afterwards?"
"Maybe you're right," Gareth doesn't seem convinced yet, "but I haven't come across anything that shows that those oaths should come first. That's not normally the way to do it, is it?"
"You might be mistaken, Gareth. When we joined the New Legion, we also had to speak a number of oaths. The people of the regular army had quite a lot of trouble with our manuals back then, while they were quite easy for us to understand. Perhaps it is only by speaking your new oaths that you will truly join the priesthood."
"If you put it like that, it actually sounds quite logical. I will immediately start looking for the oaths, then we can test your idea."
"Well, I'd drink my beer first if I were you. A few minutes of delay doesn't really matter one way or another."
That evening Gareth can be found in the large library. With the help of the acolytes, he has searched the smaller library in the sanctuary to find any books that held the oaths. Unfortunately, they can’t find anything. Gareth hopes that a copy of the book he needs might be found here in this huge library. However, this space is so huge that it can take weeks before he has found the right book.
For the seventh time, Gareth has found a book that looks promising. When he takes it to the librarian's book stand, he soon sees that this book is not the right one either.
"Damn, I wish Mithras would help find the right book. There is so much we have to rediscover that a little extra help would be welcome."
He hasn't ended that sentence or it starts to get a lot darker in the library. Gareth quickly looks to see if any of the candles have gone out, but they are all still burning.
"ALTHOUGH YOUR PRAYER COULD BE BETTER, I WILL FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT NEGLIGENCE THIS TIME, PRIEST OF ME. HOWEVER, NEXT TIME I EXPECT THE RESPECT THAT IS DUE."
Gareth is shocked when that thundering voice suddenly roars through the library. This is the first time Mithras has spoken to him personally, and the experience is jarring.
"Uhm, thank you Mithras, I will do my best to serve you to the best of my ability."
Slowly the darkness recedes, but not before Gareth sees a light shining at the end of the central corridor. By now he knows how Mithras offers his knowledge, so he quickly runs down the hall to the glowing book. Without taking the time to walk back to the book stand, Gareth opens the book on the ground while kneeling next to it. As soon as he opens the book, it falls open on the right page. At a glance, he sees that this is a list of exactly what oaths are to be spoken for each rank of the priesthood. When he quickly looks through it, he sees that the rest of the book is a whole manual for training new priests.
"I should have known," Gareth replied with a deep sigh, "all this time we've been struggling with random books, and it turns out there's just a manual here that explains everything."
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Then he rushes to the sanctuary to speak the three oaths. To be sure, he first takes the time to put on his armor, he does not want to offend Mithras again. In the sanctuary, he quickly begins to speak the three necessary oaths.
"With my strength I protect the weak."
"Death is just the beginning."
"I follow the command of Mithras above all else."
Moments later, a confident Gareth enters the blacksmith's shop. At a glance, the others see that something has changed. After speaking the oaths, Gareth was immediately promoted to captain-priest.
"Well boy," begins the old blacksmith Calvus, "now you can start blessing that pile of iron that we have prepared for you, I’d say that it is all in all about a hundred whole harnesses. Then the real work can begin, we still have several hundred young people to provide with appropriate pieces of old iron."
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Slowly the last guests trickle in. Just a little longer and then Empress Alyena can also enter her own birthday party.
Despite her previous objections, Alyena has nevertheless succumbed to the arguments of her ministers. A ball, especially one in honor of her birthday, will probably do a lot of good for the morale of her nobles.
Suddenly, the time is there. "And now our empress and guest of honor of the ball, Empress Alyena!"
Somewhat nervously, Alyena enters the room in her brilliant blue dress. As soon as she comes into view, the whole hall starts clapping and cheering exuberantly. It looks like a circus in here, thinks the young empress.
As soon as she stands in front of her throne, she shouts, "Let the party begin!" With that, the greatest attention on her also seems to slacken. Only a few young men seem to have glued their eyes to her. One in particular keeps staring at her, and he is the first to approach her to ask her to dance.
"My name is Bras Vaughan, may I have this dance of yours."
Alyena knows more about this young captain than he knows. So she knows that this young man is the same captain who treated the New Legion so badly. Since he was relieved of his post there, the captain has been given some insignificant duties. The only reason the man still serves in the army at all is the great influence of his father. Recently he has been given a unit to prove himself once more, but that too is a rather insignificant appointment. If Alyena remembers correctly, it is one of the old forts that guards one of the passes to the ice plains. They have not been used in years, but Alyena decided some time ago that they need to be refurbished.
When the dance ends a little later, Alyena is asked to dance by the next young man, and then another. That's how it goes all evening. Only by occasionally using the excuse of a drink does she manage to get a rest.
Then it seems to be Bras Vaughan's turn again to ask her to dance. Quite unexpectedly, however, he asks: "Would you like to take a breath of fresh air on the balcony?"
"Yes please, I could use a break after all the dancing." Alyena has to laugh about this herself. It is not often that she is moving so intensively for such an extensive time.
While they walk towards the balcony, Bras takes two glasses of wine from a passing server, giving one of them to Alyena. Gratefully she accepts the wine, being parched from all the dancing.
"Your guard doesn't have to follow us all the time, does he?" Bras asks when he sees captain Cervik following them, and when Alyena agrees: "After all, that man is not of the high nobility, his family could almost be called merchants. Maybe you should see if a better man can become the captain of your housekeeper. I myself would not turn down such a position."
"Captain Cervik has always served me very well. I don't think I'm ready to replace him."
"But maybe you could think about having a second person take over some of his tasks?"
"I don't know... that might be possible."
"My father is one of the most important noblemen in the country, and also one of the richest. Maybe we can arrange for him to help you out with some things?"
"That would be very nice! Your father is usually the one who criticizes my decisions the most."
"Oh, I know very well how to deal with my father. Together we could handle him just fine, and so could all the other nobles. What do you say? You and I together against the rest?"
"That doesn’t sound too bad."
"I would like to hear a yes or a no Alyena, afterwards we shall tell the nobles in the other room. Then they will change their tune. So are we together?"
Just as Alyena is about to answer, Captain Cervik storms onto the balcony. "What are you doing here?! Your Majesty, I think it is time for you to withdraw. It looks like you have already consumed quite a lot of alcohol. And this young gentleman should be ashamed to try to take advantage of that. So get out of here!"
"Who do you think you are! The Empress and I have a get-together, and she has just chosen me to rule alongside her! So be careful what you say, country bumpkin!"
"Now that's enough, I heard very well what you were up to, but the Empress didn't promise you anything. So don’t you get anything in your head!" Captain Cervik grabs Bras Vaughan by the neck, and drags him off the balcony. With a final move, he pushes him into the ballroom. He then turns to Alyena.
"Your Majesty, it's time to leave."
On Alyena's face, anger and shame compete for the loudest.
"Cervik, what are you doing! Bras was just trying to help me with his father!"
"Your Majesty, you really drank too much. Otherwise, you would have immediately seen through the young man's intentions."
"Intentions! He wanted to help me!"
"He wanted you to tell everyone here that you are together. With that, you would have promised to take him as your husband. And if I heard correctly what he was just trying to get you to say is that you would take him as an equal. With that, he would become emperor as soon as you got married. How much power do you think you would have as a woman with him by your side and his father standing behind him?"
Alyena is quickly starting to sober up thanks to the harsh words of the normally quiet captain. However, before she can answer, General Colling walks onto the balcony.
"Empress, I need to speak to you urgently. And did I see that spawn of a Voughan being removed hard handed? Did he mess something up again?"
"General," Alyena replies, "I am not in the mood right now to cross words with you. But yes, young gentleman Vaughan has ridiculed himself again. Tell me what you want now, so I can withdraw."
"It's about the New Legion. They are planning something again, because after my warriors came back to the border garrisons, most of those guys withdrew! And no one can tell me where they're going!"