Soft snow blanketed most of the bridge that separated Arakiel’s army from the town of Maduts’ Crossing all the way across the Moli which stretched over at least a hundred meters here. In light of this, the stone bridge that consisted of multiple arches made from solid blocks of stone was most likely a one-of-a-kind construction on this minor plane and he doubted that the inhabitants had managed to create it without magic. Some Water Alterators alongside Earth and Nature Enchanters had undoubtedly contributed most of the heavy lifting to built the foundation and supports on the riverbed. The Moli was quite an active river, especially with all the snow that had fallen lately.
Nonetheless, the bridge with its roughly three to four meters in width was an even worse choke point than Arakiel had initially feared.
The fog that had sheltered his troops for the past days had dissipated for the most part now that the sun had reared its head for the first time in this new year. It wasn’t warm by any means and the river itself added to the cold and moist air, but he – just like his soldiers – were fine. They had used up quite a bit of firewood, but the partisans had had supplies of their own which had fallen into the Smokeless Host’s hand.
Across the bridge, he spotted a tall gatehouse with two towers and slightly shorter walls made of solid stone by the looks of it. The duchy’s capital city appeared well defended and the defenders were already on the walls, waiting for their foe’s arrival.
Just now, he could make out over three dozen defenders looking back at him. He asked Aurora whether she could make out any people of importance, which she affirmed. There was a small gathering around a man and woman wearing a crown similar to the other dukes. Judging by their luxurious blue-green attire, they might just be Duke Madut and his wife.
It was to be expected, yet it still complicated matters quite a bit.
Arakiel asked for a first impression of his commanding staff even if they had discussed this scenario quite intensely lately. Aisha and Akili advised against storming immediately and instead getting a lay of the land. Basam ibun Zaki, Shahar and the captain of the scouts suggested they use the prisoners they made over the past days to draw the enemy out as a frontal assault might succeed, but it would cause devastating losses, especially as the enemy’s Water Evokers could just call upon the river to assail them.
From what they had learned, it might be a possibility as his sons had described Duke Madut as a fairly prideful and caring man. Torturing his beloved subjects might rile him enough to forego rational thinking and so far, this was the course of action Arakiel found most likely.
It was then that someone who had rarely if ever spoken up during such a meeting made a proposal. Mellia lightly cleared her throat and then suggested in her lovingly sonorous voice, although her way of speaking still held a heavy accent. She had never used a language card, after all. “You could challenge the duke’s honor by invoking the realm’s custom of Pruning.”
Most eyes turned to the short girl hidden beneath the white hooded cloak who kept quiet for nearly all the time.
“Pruning, Lady Mellia?” Aisha asked doubtfully, never having heard the term – something she most likely shared with just about everyone else.
“It is a means by which any kin of the royal family can settle grievances with another kin,” Mellia went on to outline. “It is used for matters of honor, usually.”
“And how exactly would that help us, little nature sorceress?” Basam queried in a rather dismissive tone, which caused an immediate reprimand by Arakiel.
“You will show my sister proper respect, Commander Basam!”
The warrior sniffed lightly, but he corrected his earlier words nonetheless. “Of course, Lord Executor. Now then, ‘Lady’ Mellia… what are you trying to say?”
“Spare me your co… anger, Basam ibun Zaki,” Mellia went on to return in a cordial manner, slightly struggling with the vocabulary. Nonetheless, she went on. “Given Nyanna’s and Alannah’s ancestry, they could challenge Duke Mardut to settle the issue of Queen Ceara’s disappearance.”
The commanding staff’s eyes widened at her seemingly bringing up random issues, with Arakiel requesting his sister to further outline her way of thinking. “Mellia… what do you mean?”
“Duke Mardut is a brother of Queen Fodhla, who is rumored to have been involved in Queen Ceara’s disappearance.”
“How do you know that?” Arakiel inquired.
He could well-imagine his sister giving him a smug smile at the moment. “I’ve spoken to Finna.”
“And how, Lady Mellia, would this help us? Please do elaborate.” Akili carefully queried this time. Unlike Basam, the jinnum not only treated Arakiel’s sister with the utmost politeness, it occasionally bordered on reverence.
Aurora had once claimed that Akili had taken a fancy in Mellia, but Arakiel hadn’t seen it yet despite the Fire Evoker’s unusual antics. Nonetheless, his aurea let out a soft giggle right next to him.
“Not only is the challenged honor-bound to accept, he would also lose all that honor if you were to win. You could strip the duke of all his credibility in front of his people.” Mellia went on to outline in a slower, thoughtful tone as she seemed highly intent on getting the words right.
“Is there a downside?” Arakiel queried, not exactly opposed the idea just yet. It was certainly something worth discussing.
“Other than you losing? You could not settle the grievance again.” His little sister replied and that kind of changed everything. Not the former, but the latter part.
“They’re forced to accept it, Lady Mellia?” Ezekiel chimed in, only having listened so far.
“That is true.” She affirmed and it clicked for Arakiel, although not in a way that his little sister might suspect.
“While this is excellent information,” He began to say with notable approval. “I doubt I will make use of it now.”
“Why not?” Mellia asked flat-out.
Arakiel affectionately patted her on the head while giving his little sister an uplifting smile. “It might just come in handy at another time.”
“So what else do you propose then, Arakiel?” Ezekiel queried as he was most likely not following his line of thinking, which was fine. The thoughts which were beginning to form a chain of events was still somewhat far out.
Instead, he pivoted back to his initial plan which he had mulled over for the past week ever since it became undeniable that his army was being expected; in last three days, the plan had more or less taken shape despite him being somewhat unhappy with it.
“Nothing much, really. For now, we stick to the plan and since we have two of the duke’s sons, we should make use of them,” Arakiel outlined and then added with some ambiguity. “First, we try to parley in earnest and when that most likely fails, we’ll show them just why the Smokeless Host should be feared.”
“I fully approve of this decision, Lord Executor!” Basam exclaimed while giving him a satisfied nod. He had been, unsurprisingly, the one to introduce the idea.
“What doth thee plan, brother mine?” Mellia asked with heavy disappointment and some curiosity, having switched back to the lingua kalans. “Must thou spill more blood?”
“I’m afraid so, Mellia.” Arakiel admitted. He gave her a slightly rueful smile. “It is just how things are and will be. Maybe they listen to reason – and if they don’t…”
Then, he turned to the rest of advisors, asking once again. “Any further suggestions? I’m open to everything right now.”
“I think the Middles have made it very clear how they wish to greet us,” Akili said, his red eyes gleaming with gleeful anticipation. “I say we greet them in return.”
“I agree,” Aisha affirmed. “Traversing the river and splitting our forces would’ve been foolish. The Smokeless Host is well-adjusted to one another at this point. All we need to do is forcing the Middles out of their hiding hole.”
“It’s a shame this river is so large. We could just burn the entire city down,” Akili lamented with a sigh, shaking his head slightly.
“We are supposed to capture Maduts’ Crossing, not raze it,” Ezekiel objected and Arakiel agreed. “We went over this, didn’t we?”
“And I say we can make our father see reason. What will we do if they don’t bite?” The male jinnum queried, asked quite rightfully.
“They will come out,” Basam promised. “Let us treat these Middle dogs with the respect they deserve and they will come. We’ll make sure of that.”
At that point, Arakiel’s seraphim addressed him, asking. “Are you fine with this, my Lord?”
He returned her gaze and, with a heavy heart, nodded. “I will speak with the duke first and see if he is a man of reason. Otherwise, there is no other way I’m afraid. The enemy is in a well-defended position and we cannot circumvent it unless we circle around all the way south – it’ll take months.”
“Are you really fine with what you intend to do?” She asked again, but his doubts no longer held sway over him.
“The Middles are all combatants. They tried to attack our retinue and destroy our supplies–” He began, but Aurora interrupted him.
“You don’t have to justify it to me,”
“I know, because you don’t care.” Arakiel returned, stated.
She gave him a smile, responding softly. “That is not true, my Lord. I would welcome these people accepting you as their rightful ruler, but I don’t think they’re worth all the anguish that you intend to cause yourself.”
Arakiel’s rueful smiled intensified. “I just don’t like to see women suffer, that’s all.”
“You’re worrying too much, Lord Executor.” Basam ibun Zaki objected and then lightly patted him on the shoulder. “Not only don’t these Middle females deserve your infinite mercy, they’re also very eager to accept their place as bought flesh after a few days of–”
Mellia interrupted the commander in a surprisingly harsh voice. “Spare us your… details, Basam. “They’re like this because they don’t have any other…” She seemed to struggle with the word, eventually ending on “…option.”
“Lady Mellia,” Akili began in a most respectful tone. “That statement is not true. We give every prisoner a chance to end their life honorably before they are led onto the stage. Every piece of white flesh has rejected that offer.”
“Would you kill yourself, Lord… Jinnum?” Mellia asked him and although Arakiel had known about Mellia’s distaste for his army’s actions, he was honestly quite surprised to address it right now.
Was it her way of telling him that he was about to cross a line – just like Aurora had done?
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“Of course not – it is a most shameful action that stains my bloodline with sin!” Akili responded in the meantime, sounding slightly offended by the mere question.
“Then why should it be different for them?” Mellia pointed out while Basam gave the answer.
“Middles have no honor… ‘Lady’ Mellia. They only seek to eat and breed like animals. No person of honor would deny their neighbors food, even if they were considered an enemy.”
Arakiel briefly looked around, but the Smokeless Host’s soldiers were gathered in their respective banners and regiments, ready to get into combat any moment.
On the opposite side, the duke and his men hadn’t yet acted in any discernible way.
They were probably discussing options just like Arakiel and his staff were.
Mellia had fallen silent, choosing to have no further part in the debate and his advisors and commanders went back and forth for a little longer until Arakiel agreed to go through with the initial plan. Whatever happened, they wouldn’t be killing any defenseless women just yet.
He reached for Aurora’s hand and found it quickly. Squeezing it, he ordered the two sons of the duke to be brought forth.
Four warriors of the Smokeless Host escorted the two bruised men in their twenties. Both were gagged and their hands clasped in a yoke with the fingers tied together since they were both mages and it had taken a bit of effort to fatigue them out, yet his men had managed to in the end.
They glared at him with one half hatred and one half fear and from what he heard and saw, their interrogation had been rather intense, not to say brutal.
He notified his men to remain ready to assist him at a moment’s notice and although he had initially wanted to go alone, Aurora ended up insisting she accompany him.
Given that he had six dawnshards, a fairly respectable amount of her soulfire and a bit of potential albeit expensive backup thanks to Sultan Zimraan, he found it impossible to deny her.
He motioned the two young men to follow him and then slowly headed across the slightly stone bridge that consisted of ten shallow arches.
His actions caused an immediate reaction on the defenders’ side, with people scrambling about while some began to ready arrows and the like.
The footing on the bridge was… okay. Most of the snow had remained, but the constant moisture from the river below had made it quite soggy. Beneath, the stones felt quite slippery, however. Fighting here was akin to accepting the inevitability of one’s fall. The duke would need to be an absolute fool if he sought to attack across this bridge.
Arakiel, Aurora and the two men stopped at about half the way at which point he raised his left hand. He briefly took on Aurora’s aspect while his mind focused on a specific sigil.
A small rune of gold at around shoulder-height. He grabbed it and pulled it towards his throat, after which he dropped the aspect immediately. His prisoners’ eyes widened, but it might be entirely possible that the duke hadn’t noticed. It had been about two to three seconds at most.
Arakiel spoke up in a voice that should overpower the rather loud river underneath him, shouting. “Duke Madut! I am Arakiel il Kalanaar, Executor Djinni of Sultan Zimraan! Meet me face to face, I intend to parley!”
One of the two prisoners muffled something, but Arakiel paid him no mind.
He switched to the lingua kalans, adding quietly. “My love – if the duke does not come alone, I need you to give me a swiftness enchant.”
“Of course, my beloved. But he will come, he has recognized our guests.” Aurora returned, her eyes on the tall, blonde duke who looked over towards him a little more, and then turned around.
Arakiel heard noises coming from the gate and a bit later, the heavy reinforced wooden double door opened. The duke stepped outside onto the bridge alongside a woman in relatively extravagant clothes. Their truly fancy coats could hide all sorts of weapons, but he wasn’t too concerned.
He felt fairly confident in being able to hold out until Akili, Aisha and Shahar backed him up.
“If you make any move at all, I will kill you without second thought,” Arakiel warned his prisoners and when both had nodded, the duke and his presumably wife were halfway there.
They moved over the snow with an ease that betrayed years of experience and a certain control over their own body, the kind of control that trained fighters exhibited.
Nonetheless, he put on a smile and kept his hands off of his scimitar while lightly adjusting his grey winter coat. Next to him, Aurora stuck out like a sore thumb with her scarlet gossamer dress and her tri-colored wrap that swayed quite notably in the wind. The bits of exposed flesh on her arms and hips made him want to taste her again, but he quickly turned in order to focus on the real issues.
Aurora was just too damn desirable, too tempting, too delectable.
He lightly scratched his beard and let out a slight chuckle after which he once again straightened his back. When Aurora asked him if something was wrong, he merely noted that he had just thought of something nice, something nice that included her.
She gave him a kiss on his cheek in response at which point his mind truly focused onto the matter at hand.
He wasn’t nervous, but a bit tense nonetheless.
From now on, any minor movements by his opposites could indicate an attack.
Sharpening his mind, Arakiel waited for another few seconds.
The duke and his consort stopped some ten meters away, allowing him another quick glance.
Duke Mardut was tall, taller than Arakiel. He had tamed his long blonde hair into a ponytail and his beard was surprisingly long and full. The green eyes spoke of King Cahir’s ancestry and overall, Arakiel would consider him a handsome man in his early thirties even if he expected the man to be much older and although the coat hid most of his physique, he had rather broad shoulders and was most likely fairly muscular.
Definitely a fighter’s physique.
His consort was almost as tall as him, had dark brown hair and brown eyes. A few freckles showed on her rather slim face, but her cheekbones were fairly high and noticeable, giving her a rather arrogant appearance. Her shoulders seemed fairly broad for a woman and he had no doubt that she in top shape physically. Mentally, perhaps not so much.
Both Middle nobles appraised him, but the hostility in their eyes – especially that of the presumed duchess – was palpable; quite understandable, given the way their children looked.
When they looked over Aurora, however, hatred gave way to confusion and then wariness – a lot of wariness. This was honestly the response that most people should have when they spotted the winged immortal, but it was far less common than Arakiel would’ve imagined.
Sure, people looked at her all the time, but with awe and wonder, not with wariness and suspicion.
“Duke Madut, I assume?” Arakiel opened the parley in a loud but polite voice. “I am Arakiel, this is my aurea, Aurora.”
The river beneath them was truly quite loud given how heavily the water crashed against the bridge’s piers.
“You assume correctly, henchman of the Desert Devils.” Duke Mardut returned, shouted. His voice contained authority and barely suppressed anger.
“I have come to parley with you,” Arakiel laid out and then slightly stepped aside to give the couple a better look. “These two young men tried to attack and kill unarmed members of my retinue in addition to instigating lots of citizenry to commit arson – and not just any. They wanted to burn our supplies, doing what you Middles do best. Try to starve the proud sons and daughters of the Holy Transcended’s chosen people.”
The duke’s expression darkened notably, as did that of the presumed-duchess. The duke hadn’t introduced her, after all.
“They are defending their soil and subjects – as they should! I see no crime in eradicating you filthy rats that seek to exploit a lapse in judgment by the venerable Queen Fodhla and King Cahir!” The duke returned, continuing his rather antagonistic stance.
“And here I intended to negotiate with you, Duke Madut – but all I’m hearing is vitriol. Could be it be that you are not interested in seeing your sons survive despite having committed such heinous crimes against my army?” Arakiel asked and let out a small, visible sigh while lightly shaking his head.
“You cretin!” The duchess cried out, making a step forward but her husband reached for her. “Return my sons to me right this instant or I will see you castrated and paraded all the way back to the Three Rivers! Maybe Queen Fodhla will find some entertainment in a vile foreigner like you!”
“You should watch your tongue, Lady Duchess,” Aurora admonished in a sonorous voice that came across as utterly innocent. “My beloved Lord doesn’t respond well to such threats,” she warned.
“I’m not sure what you are you overgrown chicken, but don’t even pretend to play nice with me!” The woman hissed back, her stance indicating she was about to jump them.
“Relax, dear.” The duke said quietly yet Arakiel heard it despite the river’s noise, if barely.
“You wish to parley, don’t you?” The duke went on, adding. “So hear my offer. You and your girl here will follow me. I will imprison you and treat you with some respect, at least. Then, I will personally march you to the royal capital where Queen Fodhla will judge you.”
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind adding you two to her collection,” the woman added with venom in her voice. “Think about it, you rat. You’ll get to keep your pitiful third leg a little longer!”
“I can assure you that my Lord’s member is easily capable of…” Aurora began, but Arakiel raised his hand to have her stop, which she did.
“Do we intend to just throw insults at one another for a while or should we try to save lives here? Because this is what this is about – preserving your and my men’s lives.” Arakiel reminded and this argument seemed to work on the duke, not so much the duchess.
“Very well… ‘Executor Djinni’.” The broad-shouldered blonde man responded. “Let’s hear your ‘parley’ then.”
“In return for of your captured subjects – including your sons – I demand that you and all your nobles leave Maduts’ Crossing. Basically, I’m giving you the option to withdraw and save your combatants’ lives. As long as the citizens of your city play nice, there will be no assaults or murder.”
The duke looked him over and then his eyes turned towards his sons. “What if I refuse?”
“Then I will line the Moli’s banks with your people where they will suffer for a long time and we’ll make sure to amplify their screams and pleas. Your sons first and foremost, of course.” Arakiel answered as calmly as he could while still ensuring that the man heard him.
The duchess was about to go into a fit of rage again, but the duke shut her down. “You demand that I leave my city to your mercy?” He asked to clarify.
“Exactly,” Arakiel affirmed. “Your people withdraw and no blood will be spilled. What you do then is no concern to me.”
The tall blonde man began to softly stroke his chin while his green eyes tried to discern what Arakiel was thinking. He would find nothing.
Most surprisingly, the man actually thought about the proposal.
“Husband, Madut dear – you cannot possibly…!” The duchess began yet Duke Madut raised his hand, telling her remain quiet.
“And I get all your prisoners?” Duke Madut queried.
“Everyone we caught in your demesne. 194 people in total.” Arakiel laid out as he met the duke’s gaze head on. If the duke sought to find deceit, he would find none.
“How would the exchange happen?”
“You get one of your sons in the beginning to show my goodwill – then we gradually move in while you move out likewise. My people are well disciplined and will send the prisoners in groups of 25 after you.” Arakiel laid out. “I have no interest in a bloodbath and so far, my army has only retaliated when we were attacked with deceit.”
“I heard that Duchess Scitath is alive,” Duke Madut suddenly asked.
“She and her entire family surrendered. As a result, only a few people died in the annexation of Scitathswood.” Arakiel returned and judging by the way the duke’s eyebrow raised, he had just ‘gleamed’ some important intel.
“I am willing to accept this deal on one condition,” the duke then said and Arakiel had to keep very calm and very quiet to not let show his surprise.
“What condition?” He asked quickly.
“I want custody of the duchess and her family. They are kin.” Duke Madut demanded.
“She’s still in Scitathswood.” Arakiel answered straight away.
“My Lord speaks the truth,” Aurora added with a smile.
“You left one of your most valuable prisoners behind!?” The duke exclaimed and his surprise only heightened when he couldn’t detect any deceit.
“Very well, then allow me to demand something else, Executor Djinni.” The duke said, followed up.
“Speak.”
“I want you to enter a communion and speak to Queen Fodhla once the deal is done and we both have proven that we can at least trust each other’s word.”
“Why should I speak to her?”
“I think you will find that my Queen is a very reasonable woman.”
A slight smile hushed across Arakiel’s lips after a brief pause,
“Deal.”
He stepped forward and held out his hand, just like the duke did.
Up the last moment, he expected Duke Madut to attack him, but instead, they actually shook hands.
“A deal it is, then.”