CHAPTER NINE

King’s Court, Calpurnican Empire

12th Month, 25th Day, 24th Year, The Quiet Age

Iskul’s ride with Talan was finally coming to a close when the gates of the capital city of the Empire came into view for the first time. The sheer size and magnitude of the city’s walls was extremely overwhelming. The entire structure was made of roman concrete and marble which caused it to shine in the light on the horizon from quite far away. The entire city was the size of a gigantic sprawling mountain and the walls seemed to go on for miles in either direction. Towers sprouted out of the wall every hundred feet or so, and Iskul could see that they were adorned in different types of siege weaponry. The contrast of the purple shingles on the tower with the clean white look the marble provided was a strangely beautiful sight. Iskul couldn’t help but think that whoever designed this should be extremely proud of themselves. Talan who was walking in front stopped for a moment and chuckled softly when he saw the look of shock on Iskul’s face.

“My face was pretty well the same the first time I saw the capital for myself with Pellan. Massive, isn’t it?”

“It’s the largest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh really? Be careful saying that around Sir Ferris, otherwise you’re going to hear something quite vulgar.”

“A dwarf making size jokes isn’t exactly an old concept.”

“Hah, I guess you’re right, it is quite common amongst their ilk. I would assume it’s simply a matter of overcompensation, but don’t you dare ever actually say that to one of them. Not unless you want to be cut in half.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. My father used to say, there’s no reason to throw more logs on a raging fire.”

“It sounds like he was a very wise man. I would have liked to meet him.”

“He was, and I think you two would have liked each other. When it came to the matters of the people he just kind of understood them, you know? I wish I could be a leader like him one day.”

“Admirable, but I wouldn’t worry too much about that. Lord Ilan believes that you possess certain skills that will make you a fine leader.”

“Really?”

“I have no reason to lie to you about that.” Talan’s honest response came off as strange to Iskul, but he decided not to press the man on the matter any further. “Now, where was I? Oh yes, I was telling you about the capital. Anyways; compared to some of the other places around the continent, this city isn’t particularly large, but it is the largest city by population in the northern hemisphere. Maybe one day you’ll get the chance to see the Kirili Mountains. The size of those peaks in comparison to this would have you shaking in your boots…” While Talan spoke, the many sights and sounds constantly distracted Iskul from the conversation. He had to mentally prompt himself to concentrate on listening a few times as his attention started to wander.

“You getting all of this?” Talan suddenly asked and Iskul snapped back to reality to give an affirming nod which Talan took as his cue to keep talking. “Now; here’s a few important points I need you to remember when we’re inside the walls of the capital. First; don’t ever start fights within the city walls. Two; Always treat city officials with respect, even when you feel like they don’t deserve it. Their word is law around here and getting on their bad side is an easy way to win a trip to the gallows or worse. Third and most importantly; Stay out of Sector Seven. If you can remember all of that, you shouldn’t have any problems.

“I’ll do my best to avoid any trouble.”

“Good lad. Welcome to King’s Court.”

∞

Iskul tried his best to remember everything Talan was telling him but the unfamiliar sights and sounds we’re extremely distracting. The outside of the capital already had more people around it than Iskul had ever seen in his life. With a little bit of effort, one could already hear the noise of what seemed like thousands of people congregated together from where they currently stood. A large see-through bubble draped over the entire city like a tarp. Iskul could feel his curiosity getting to him and he suddenly had several questions for his guide.

“Hey Talan, How many people live here?”

“About eight million, give or take.”

“That's insane..." Iskul couldn't even imagine what a crowd of that size would look like. "What’s that giant bubble thing that stretches over the city?”

“It’s a magical barrier meant to halt certain incantations and keep out unwanted guests.”

“What kind of guests? Isn’t that what the gates are for?”

“The city gates are great at preventing entry and during a siege are fundamentally crucial, but they wouldn’t do anything to stop the kind of threat I’m talking about. The guards who make up the capital security force are really more concerned with teleportation magic and telepaths. Controlling who gets in and out of the capital would be practically impossible if mages could freely warp individuals within the walls. Then there’s the matter of thieves, spies and preventing the spread of information. If one of them was able to get their hands on important knowledge it’s imperative that they can’t just transfer it out of the capital immediately with long-range communication magic.”

“Hold on a second! If long-range communication magic exists, why in the maker’s name did we have to come all the way out here?”

“For several reasons actually. Communication magic can only be used by mind mages and telepaths. If you don’t have a mage who possesses those abilities it simply can’t be done. No such person existed in Koga. We might have been able to go to a third party mage to send a message for us, but there are risks involved with doing so. The main one being that communication spells are a type of magic that’s highly susceptible to being tampered with by other mages. Besides, Lord Ilan always said that any information is far too valuable a resource to be trusted to a method so prone to external threats like espionage. No, he’s always preferred to trust the old ways of communication. Far less can go wrong.”

“That…makes a lot of sense, actually.” Iskul couldn’t help but be impressed with how much thought the lord had put into the matter. ‘Ilan has to be the most careful person I’ve ever met, but he has managed to survive… I need to be able to strategize like that.’ he thought to himself.

Beyond the gates, he could see large ornate buildings and statues with intricate detailing or gilded elements. The entire city gave off a feeling of luxury that made Iskul feel rather small and uncomfortable. Talan on the other hand, had clearly been to the city many times and was expertly weaving his way between the foot traffic at a speed that Iskul desperately tried to keep up with. They moved through large throngs of people who were trying to get to their different occupations around the capital. Eventually Talan lead Iskul to the end of a line-up that was for people actually entering the city. The two men casually waited for their turn to be interviewed while eating a light snack of dried fruits that Talan had packed. The other people who were in line looked rather ragged or tired, and Iskul turned to ask Talan why.

“Refugees, most likely.”

“Refugees?”

“Yes, people who have fled their homes for a variety of reasons like war, famine or a lack of resources. They have left all of their possessions behind in hopes of finding a better future for themselves and their loved ones. There has actually been a mass exodus of people coming from the southern regions in recent years, too.”

“Any reason why?”

“It’s most likely some sort of change within the Saladinian Empire. The old king named Sertan passed a while ago and his son Ersani has taken over that country. Rumors would suggest that he’s a violent sociopath who would work his own mother to death if it made financial sense.”

Iskul pondered this for a moment when the gate guard waved at them, indicating that it was their turn to approach. Talan told Iskul to wait here before confidently striding up to the man and placed a letter in his hand. The two of them exchanged pleasantries for a few seconds and when asked something by Talan the guard pointed around the corner behind him. Talan proceeded to fill out some paperwork and was eventually got some documents back from a man behind the counter. Talan thanked the man before carefully slipping some coins into the guard’s hand as a thank you and made his way back to Iskul.

“So?”

“The Emperor is apparently rather busy at the moment, so we won’t be able to have an audience with him until later. There’s an inn nearby where we can leave the horses and find a room. It should be just on the next street past the one we are currently on. Take ten Caps, that’ll be enough money to get us what we need. Why don’t you head over there for now and wait to be summoned by his majesty while I take care of some important matters for Minister Pellan. I shouldn’t be longer than an hour. Also you’ll need this,” Talan said as he handed over one of the pieces of paper he was just given to Iskul.

“This document is your visa for entering the city. It provides us with access to the capital for one month exactly. After that we’ll have to get them renewed if we wish to stay longer.”

“You have to pay for access?”

“It’s their way of making sure visitor’s actually contribute to the city and aren’t just freeloading on the services or infrastructure that a larger community provides. If you get caught by a guard without them you will be tossed out of the capital and there will be nothing I can do to help you. It’s actually something Sir Pellan had been trying to implement in Koga but Lord Ilan was against it for some reason. Just make sure that you don’t lose them.”

Iskul nodded his confirmation to Talan before taking the two horses in the direction of the inn. As he walked, the sights, sounds and smells of the city overwhelmed Iskul. It was absolutely amazing to him how many people could be crammed into such a little space. There was more people on one street in this city than he had ever seen in his entire life. Iskul could see various different races amongst the individuals who were packed in like fish in a barrel, and he pondered if it was really okay to have some many clashing ideologies in one place. Despite that, from what he could see the people appeared to be quite content and seemed to get along fine. He passed a Nor’ Eastern Stall selling cod on a stick and couldn’t help but reminisce about fishing back in Kerrigan. While he was lost in thought, Iskul stumbled on the uneven cobblestone road. ‘I need to watch where I’m going,’ he thought to himself as he shook the happy memories from his mind and continued onward.

An old wooden sign that said ‘The Loaded Boulder’ hung over the doorway and marked the entrance to the inn. Iskul went to the back to ty the horses up in the stable and got them something to drink. He could hear what sounded like a large number of people enjoying themselves from the open windows on the outer terrace. Iskul wiped the dust off of himself and entered.

The inn was packed with patrons who were all extremely drunk and noisy. A group of masked women stood near the bar, flashing all sorts of looks at the men who came over to speak to them. Mercenaries with clothing and armor from the southern regions were packed tightly into one corner around a table having a good time. A beast-man and dwarf we’re playing some sort of strange drinking game Iskul had never seen before that involved a large number of glasses that had been set up in front of each player. A divider was placed between them on the table, and the men quickly moved their glasses around while the other can’t see. The soldiers in the room we’re so enraptured that they all shouted over each other out of excitement or inebriation. Iskul grabbed a seat at an empty table and tried watching a couple rounds but couldn’t understand what was going on.

“Hey lad! I’ve never seen you around these parts, are you new here?”

“Yes, it’s my first time in the capital. Anything I should know?”

“Well, the city is split up into several numbered districts. This area that we’re in now is called District Two. It’s a civilian district; so there isn’t a ton around amenities-wise, but there are a few points of interest around that ya should be mindful of. The square outside is the center of the district and is where the main market is located. That’s where I like to go for supplies n’ goods n’ the like. There’s a saddle maker nearby who is famous throughout the empire for his work. There’s also an apothecary n’ a church that is just a short walk north of us if you’re looking for potions or for some quick healing. If ya need to have your armor and weapons sorted, there’s a great blacksmith about two blocks east o’ here as well. Lastly; the way station for material, item and passenger transport is two districts over in District four.”

“Thank you for the information. I’m sorry to keep bothering you but can you tell me what those men are playing?”

“When you’re the owner of an establishment, it’s never a bother to talk to customers, lad. So, you’ve never seen a game o’ Fake Formations? I’m surprised, considering the fact that it’s pretty popular here. I guess it must not be played wherever you’re from. It started as a drinking game that the Saladinian Mercenaries used to settle disputes between officers. It’s pretty stupid, if ya ask me. You really haven’t seen it before, eh?”

“No I haven’t sir, can you explain the rules?”

“Sure, Kid.” He said as he carefully filled his pipe. “Basically, it’s a betting game where someone challenges another and makes a bet. If accepted, the two players then sit opposite each other with a set number of glasses in front of them. They each get a bottle of water, a bottle of Bog Berry Juice and a bottle of Cact-Piss.”

“I’m sorry sir, but I don’t think I heard that properly. Did you say Cact-Piss?”

“Aye that’s right, Cact-Piss. It’s an extremely strong alcoholic liquid found in the southern deserts that’s extracted from a plant called the Shifting Cacti. When you drain the liquid it starts of as yellow, hence the name. Eventually the liquid ferments over time and turns clear. It also has virtually no smell. You can barely tell the difference between it and water without tasting it. Awfully bitter stuff. A few sips are strong enough to knock out a fully-grown Minotauren.”

“You must be joking.”

“I would never joke about alcohol, lad. Ever. Anyways, each player fills a third of the shot cups with Cact-Piss while the others get filled with water. Each glass is then topped with Bog Berry Juice which floats at the top due to the juice’s consistency. The color of the juice perfectly hides whatever liquid is underneath. Pick the wrong glass and you’re in for a nasty surprise.”

“Okay, so they all look the same and are indistinguishable from each other.”

“Correct. The player that has accepted the challenge gets to go first and decides if they will be playing with 3, 6, 9, 12, or 15 cups. A divider is placed between them on the table and the players hide their glasses in whatever order they’d like while the other can’t see. When both players are ready, the divider is removed revealing your opponent’s arrangement. Each person then takes a turn guessing and making his opponent drink from one of their glasses, hoping that they make the person drink the hidden Cact-Piss trap until one person gives up or faints. Each cup is refilled with straight Cact-Piss after being pulled and is returned to its original position, so you have to remember which ones you’ve called out or you’re in big trouble. That’s hard to do when you’re totally inebriated.”

“Interesting mix of strategy, tolerance and luck.”

“I guess you could say that. These fools are playing a game with a 9-cup formation. I’m the owner of this little establishment, by the way. Just call me Lorne.”

“I’m Iskul.”

Iskul thanked Lorne for his explanation and ordered a drink before watching the rest of the game play out. The mercenary dwarf was covered in a cold sweat and swallowed nervously after looking at the remaining four cups. The beast-man he was facing was barely holding himself together but somehow was still sitting up right. The beast-man reached for the glass at the left end of the front row of cups and the crowd gasped in anticipation. He hesitated, and then picked the glass next to the one he was originally looking at. The dwarf started to sweat nervously as he picked up the cup the beast-man had chosen for him. He stared down at the liquid in his hand like it was a glass of the vilest poison known to man. The cries of drink from the amused crowd only got louder and louder as the dwarf visibly panicked. The dwarf bravely downed the liquid as fast as he could while everybody in the crowd watched silently in anticipation. He slammed the cup down and raised his arm in the air in a show of celebration, which caused the audience to roar.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Suddenly the dwarfs’ eyes went wide and he gagged while foam appeared from the mouth. He started to hyperventilate and his complexion went wickedly pale. His whole body began to shake uncontrollably before he dropped to the ground, completely unconscious. The rest of the crowd went absolutely nuts. People in the crowd rushed the beast-man to congratulate him on his victory. Judging from the reactions of those watching, Iskul figured that quite a few soldiers and even a couple knights must have been betting on the game too while they watched. Some of them counted the new coins they had acquired from their less lucky compatriots while other’s seemed to pound their drinks out of frustration. ‘They clearly like to have some fun,’ Iskul thought to himself.

An argument caught his attention on the other side of the room. Two men had gotten quite heated when one of them refused to pay his bet on the last round. The man who had won was demanding that the loser pay up his share and things had escalated to the point where they we’re about to come to blows. Suddenly, the loser reached towards the sword on his belt. Iskul tried to stand to shout out a warning, but Lorne moved twice as fast as he could. Before the man even had a hand on his blade’s handle, Lorne had slammed his head into a table and had a dagger to his throat. The man swallowed nervously, and was so scared he was shaking.

“Careful, friend. If you keep moving like that, you’ll cut your own damn throat and then I’ll have a bloody mess to clean up anyway.” Lorne said and the man let out a small yelp but did exactly as he was told.

“Now that you’ve regained you senses, d’ya remember the one rule of this place? Bad behavior will not be tolerated. What I just saw wasn’t the way patrons of this establishment are expected to condone themselves while on my property. Do I make myself clear?”

The man shook his in agreement violently to show that he got the message. A dark stain slowly appeared on his trousers and a puddle appeared underneath him. The crowd seemed to be enjoying the show and were laughing hysterically at the man.

“Are you fucking kidding me? What did I just say about making a mess, you miserable blubbering baby!” Lorne shouted. He struck the man with his elbow right in the center of the back of his head. The man moaned and collapsed. Lorne then proceeded to drag his unconscious form out back and tossed him into the alley.

Iskul was stunned and couldn’t help but overhear the beast-man who had won the round of Cact-Piss say something to his friend.

“You see that? You’ve got to be pretty stupid to try something in Lightning Lorne’s bar.”

“Lightning Lorne? Who’s that?” Iskul interrupted.

“What? You’ve never heard of Lightning Lorne? Do you live under a rock or something?”

“Well, sort of. I am from the North-east.”

“Even so. It’s a name you should definitely know, kid. After all, he’s one of the heroes of The Second Offensive.”

Iskul was surprised but after seeing Lorne in action he knew better than to question it. He watched the rest of the drama unfold before inquiring with Lorne into the price of renting two rooms for the night. They agreed on a sum that seemed pretty fair to Iskul so he slipped a few kels into Lorne’s hand and went up to his room. After a while a woman came up with a small meal of soup with ale and a hunk of stale bread. He thanked her for the meal and went back to quietly resting. Eventually there was a knock at Iskul’s door.

“Come in.” He yelled loudly and Talan briskly entered.

“Sorry about that, things took a little bit longer than expected. They’re ready for us in the castle now. You’ll need to put these on.” Talan said as he held up a frilly tailored suit with a matching pair of pants.

“You must be kidding.”

“We’ve known each other for a month now. You should know by now that this isn’t something I’d ever joke about.”

∞

A group of knights we’re waiting for us outside the inn to take us to the castle with horses and a royal carriage. As he walked, Iskul tried to pull at the tight embroidery of the fancy clothes he was wearing. He couldn’t imagine why anyone would want to wear something so ridiculously tight and uncomfortable but apparently that was the style of the inner Empire. Talan could see how uncomfortable I was and shot me a smile as we boarded the carriage. The castle was located directly in the center of the city in between the financial and judicial districts. Iskul rode in silence most of the way and looked out the window to see what the inner parts of the city were like. The people closer to the center we’re clearly better off than the rest as pretty well all of them were dressed well and seemed to hold more status than the working class he had seen around the inn. A few of the wealthier individuals in the street had a small group of people in chains who followed them as well. When Iskul asked Talan about the prisoners he had furrowed his brow and gotten rather quiet before telling him.

“Slaves.” Talan muttered and it was all he had to say for Iskul to understand what they had been looking at.

“I thought slavery was illegal in the Empire?”

“It’s illegal to force a citizen into slavery, yes. But most of these people here have chosen to sell themselves to become slaves or are not considered citizens of the Empire. In big places like this there just isn’t enough food or money to go around, unfortunately. They may have also been forcibly taken from another country or may not be recognized as a civilized race which would mean technically you could do whatever you want to them.”

“That’s messed up. Do the people who live here really have no other options?”

Talan didn’t answer him and looked down at his feet, which was all Iskul needed to know.

When they arrived at the castle finally, the carriage was directed into a tunnel that took them to a hidden entrance underneath the building. The two men disembarked from the carriage and walked through a hallway to where another team of guards had been waiting to escort them further in. After surrendering the weapons, the soldiers formed a circle around Talan and Iskul before marching them up a set of stairs to a waiting area outside the main audience chamber. They waited a moment for the leader of the men to announce their arrival before entering.

As they got inside, Iskul took a moment to look around him. The audience chamber was filled with several powerful people of different ranks and positions. Iskul had been given a crash course by Talan on the different organizations that would be present during the meeting, but seeing the large assembly of people who had actually gathered to hear the Emperor speak was still a shock to him. If Iskul had to guess, the room had easily over five thousand people in it. Talan leaned over during a lull briefly explained the politics of the inner court so Iskul wouldn’t be at a complete loss. “In essence, the varying regions of the Empire send ambassadors to the capital to make requests that are either granted or dismissed. A vote is normally held and the court makes a decision about a given problem. Unfortunately, the varying opinions and personal feelings of the different people present often play a bigger part then they should,” Talan explained.

The minister’s we’re dressed in robes of and stretched out in chairs that circled around the chamber in a sea of color. There were representatives from each of the fifty-five regions as well as the various guilds and important merchant companies. He spotted the black robes of the magic guild; the royal purple robes of the nobility, the white robes of the Legion of Light, the blue robes of the different regional ambassadors and the red robes of the Calpurnican royal army. Every important person who was in the city at the time was currently present. Iskul tried not to think about how important they all seemed and pushed down his feelings of inadequacy. The audience chamber was still in a guffaw over the last topic of discussion and many of the ministers we’re whispering to each other about something that Iskul figured must have been important.

Talan and Iskul walked to a circle that was outlined in the middle of the chamber and knelt respectfully. Iskul couldn’t help but peek at the knight standing at the front and was surprised to see that the man was staring at him as well. He broke away his eye contact out of embarrassment and the two men finally stood after the right amount of time had passed.

Finally the Emperor entered the hallway and most of the ministers stopped their conversations. He was an older man and Iskul guessed that he must have been over fifty in years. The Emperor was well kept with long rust-red hair and a pointy beard that matched. He wore a tasteful silk robe adorned in jewelry that had the colors of the Calpurnican Empire; red, purple and white. His crown was an intricate mix of sterling silver, gold and platinum with rubies placed in sockets that were distributed equally around the circumference. He had an air about him that seemed truly majestic to Iskul. ‘That’s a man who commands respect,’ he thought to himself as he waited for the meeting to begin.

The Emperor waited for the guards to finish their introductions and the crowd anxiously grew quiet. A man blew a trumpet behind the emperor and everyone rose. One of the ministers who had a hand embroidered on his robe stepped into the middle of the room before saying, “Please rise for his excellence; Marxis Calpurnica, The 12th Emperor of Calpurnica and the voice of the people. Long live the emperor!”

“And may the empire never fall.” The entire audience rumbled in response before returning to their seats.

“Thank you as always, Sir Galvain. I apologize to you gentlemen, a scathing report has just come from our scouts who monitor Okrakron that has everyone on edge. The orcs seem to be moving their forces in large-scale numbers and we don’t exactly know why at the moment.” The Emperor said to the two men before signalling for Talan to begin.

“There is no need to apologize, your highness. It’s an honor just to be able to exchange words and have any of your time at all.”

The Emperor nodded respectfully at him and continued, “My personal guard have stated that you have brought a message written by Lord Ilan for me. Please share whatever information you have with us.”

“Yes, your highness. My name is Talan Da Ville and I am a soldier under the command of Ilan Koga. The man next to me is Iskul Huranjin, a peasant from a small village in our region. As you all know, Koga is located on the edge of the Empire and directly across the Violet River from The Forsaken Lands. We are here because evidence was discovered of a large-scale monster invasion at our region’s border. Iskul’s village was recently attacked and wiped out by this same group of monsters I just mentioned. If Iskul hadn’t lived through the ordeal we wouldn’t even have been aware of this.” There sound of gasping filled the room and a few of the ministers’ jaw’s dropped. Talan began to regale the audience with Iskul’s tale as he slowly walked around the room. Judging from their eyes and the look on their faces it was apparent that he had all of the minister’s attention. Iskul couldn’t help but be impressed with the man’s level of showmanship. ‘In another life Talan would have made a great storyteller,’ Iskul thought to himself.

“In summary, my superiors believe that the region of Koga is about to be invaded based off what information we have gathered. My lord is requesting the immediate aid and support of the Calpurnican Royal Army to remove this threat. Lord Ilan has also prepared this sealed note that I was instructed to give to your highness.” Talan gave the note to a nearby guard who in turn promptly handed it to the Emperor. Marxis took the document and opened it carefully. His lips moved slightly as he read through the letter, and his eyes widened dramatically for an instant when he got to the end of the note. He finished and stared at Iskul momentarily and was about to say something but there was a sudden outburst from the gallery.

“Preposterous!” A well-dressed man yelled from a chair behind the Emperor and Talan’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. The man who spoke then stepped into the center and introduced himself to the crowd but he really didn’t have to. This man was the second son of the Emperor, Marcellus Calpurnica.

“The Royal Army is not the toy of some two-bit lord who can’t defend his own weaker region. The hero of The Second Offensive isn’t so pathetic that he needs our help, is he?” Marcellus spat out rather venomously.

Marcellus’ words clearly angered Talan but he regained his composure and smiled at the young man before continuing. “It is our estimation that the enemy forces must exceed our number of available soldiers. As I’m sure you’re aware, this is most likely what it would take to make the population of a village of Iskul’s size disappear completely without a trace.” The implication that Marcellus didn’t know better visibly frustrated the man and he grit his teeth at Talan. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted from behind him and instead muttered whatever he was going to say under his breath. Emperor Marxis placed his hand on his chin in reflection for a moment before again turning to the audience.

“What about the Legion of Light? Does the church have anything to add?”

As the Emperor asked an older man stood near the back of the crowd of the important religious figures to speak. He was completely bald with a long pointy beard and was covered from head to toe in different holy symbols that adorned his skin in white paint. “Only one thing, your highness.”

“You have the floor Archbishop Drin.”

The old man respectfully nodded back at Marxis and cleared his throat so everyone could hear him. “Your excellence, I apologize but I must ask you something. Can we really trust these two men? How do we know that they haven’t been tainted by the darkness? This could easily be a trap meant to throw the Empire into chaos.” He paused briefly to let the gravitas of his words sink in before continuing, “We should condemn these vagrants to ensure their lies don’t spread amongst the populace any further.”

Iskul almost screamed at the man but Talan shot him a knowing look and he forced himself to calm down. The old man gave them a wicked smile that made Iskul’s blood boil. ‘I should have known these holy assholes where going to be a problem,’ Iskul glumly thought to himself.

“This isn’t the time to fight amongst ourselves. There’s a chance that whatever it is that is attacking Koga could spread further into the Empire if gone unchecked. We must act before the impact of this situation grows to a point that is uncontrollable.” Many of the ministers nodded at this and Iskul looked to see who had been brave enough to speak.

Marxis’ eldest son Maximus slowly stepped forward into the middle of the room so everyone present could actually see him. “Lord Koga has always been an honest man, one who fought side by side with my Father to stop the darkness from spreading over twenty years ago. We all know how he acted bravely during the Battle of Yuger Canyon and managed to slay a Demon Lord, something no living person other than himself can claim. If he is the one asking us for help we must make it a top priority. There shouldn’t be any debate on this topic. We should vote to send troops as soon as we possibly can.”

The young man had made an excellent point and there were cries of agreement from the gallery which only seemed to make Marcellus angrier. Marxis looked down at his sons and said, “This isn’t the time for either of you to be fighting over the royal succession.” He then gestured for the two young princes to return to their seats and rubbed his beard thoughtfully. A hand shot up from the crowd and Sir Galvain called upon the man to stand.

“If this was a real threat how come I haven’t heard anything or seen any signs of an incoming invasion? I am the lord of the next neighboring county inward, after all. Can you explain why we haven’t had any encounters with fleeing civilians from Koga either?”

“Princess Mary do you have anything to add?” The emperor calmly stated before turning to look at a beautiful young woman with white hair and light blue eyes.

“If that is the case Baron Nygard, I can only assume that some sort of physical or physiological barrier is preventing the people from fleeing towards Nygardia. It’s also possible that the monsters are herding the survivors in a different direction. Just because you don’t see them doesn’t mean it isn’t happening or that the danger isn’t present.” While she spoke her entire concentration was focused on Iskul. The colour of her eyes really made her pupils stand out, which only amplified the iciness of her stare. Everything about her gave Iskul the chills.

“What about me pops? Don’t ya want to know what I think?” One of his other daughter’s quickly added but went back to being silent as she became the meeting halls’ center of attention. She had a sweet smile and long brown hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. Her childish personality seemed very out of place to Iskul and he wondered why she would have been brought to the meeting in the first place. A few minister’s laughed at the exchange and some of the tension seemed to evaporate from the room. The Emperor gave her a disapproving look and a few minister’s chuckled to themselves at the exchange. Some of the tension seemed to evaporate from around the room, which Iskul was grateful for. The emperor sighed before he went back to addressing the crowd. “We will now take a vote to decide how the Calpurnican Empire will act in this instance. All those in favor of sending aid?”

A large number of hands went up all over the audience and it was clear without a doubt that this was the majority. Marcellus and the archbishop known as Drin didn’t raise their hands which really didn’t surprise Iskul in the slightest. They wouldn’t need to see who was opposed to bring this vote to a close. The Emperor waited for the room to get quiet before continuing, “Very well. We will deploy the 3rd Royal Army to the North-East as reinforcements for Lord Ilan. We will need to send a rapid response team first with teleport magic who should be able to provide immediate assistance to Koga. Get the supply caravans arranged as fast as possible. We will also need to send the navy with the nearest battleship stationed in Heart Lake. Tell them to sail up the Violet and check on the situation in the other border territories of Carmine, Bright Bog and Wilkney. Lastly, I would like the scouting regiment to go as well and investigate the surrounding area so we can figure out exactly what is happening. Please make the proper arrangements, Galvin.”

“It shall be done, your excellence.”

“Good. Now moving on to the letter you’ve brought me, can I assume that everything written here is the truth?”

Talan tried to decipher Marxis’ meaning and he took his time to come up with an answer. “I do not know the contents of the letter myself, your highness. I have always known Lord Koga to be an honest and reasonable man if that’s what you mean.”

Marxis regarded Talan temporarily before changing the target of his inquiry to Iskul. “The letter I just read states that you have come to the capital of your own volition. Is that correct Iskul?”

“Ah-yes, your majesty that’s right.”

“I see. Well, first off I would like to thank you for going out of your way to bring us this information. There aren’t many people who could have been able to get away from a situation like that cleanly. You have accomplished a great service for the Empire and normally in such cases you would be rewarded for your efforts. Unfortunately, you aren’t a normal person and this isn’t a normal circumstance.”

“I’m sorry your majesty, I’m afraid I don’t understand. How am I different from anyone else?” Iskul replied.

The room grew quiet and judging from the look on the ministers faces they didn’t seem to know where the Emperor was going with this either. ‘I didn’t do it for recognition,’ Iskul had wanted to say but thought better of it. The way that the Emperor had phrased his last sentence made him very nervous.

“Let me follow your inquiry with another question that I want you to answer as honestly as you can. Do you know who your father is?”

The entire crowd’s gaze shifted to him and Iskul felt himself starting to sweat. Iskul wasn’t sure why he had asked so he told the Emperor the truth. “Sort of, your excellence. My father passed when I was little and my mother raised me. From what I have heard, he was an extremely strong man who was larger than life and well-liked by the other villagers. Eventually he was made into the chief of Kerrigan before he and his crew vanished in a terrible storm. He died when I was eight. His name was Uskan.”

“Interesting. Did you know that ‘Uskan’ is the Adballan word for beast? It was also the nickname that the Adballan forces gave to one of their greatest warriors during the second offensive. I know this because I was lucky enough to have the pleasure of meeting and serving with this man myself.” The Emperor said confidently. He paused for a moment and Iskul wondered if he had lost his train of thought, but he realized the Emperor was reminiscing about something in his past. Marxis patiently looked around the crowd before continuing, “It pains me to tell you this, but your father’s actual name was Iskar.”

Suddenly the crowd broke into an uproar. People stood up and shouted insults or pointed in Iskul’s direction. A few ministers even threw things at him. ‘What’s with everyone all the sudden? Are they all nuts?’ Iskul thought. He turned to look at Talan but the man had visibly separated himself from Iskul and from his expression seemed to be just as mad as everyone else. Iskul didn’t understand what was happening and guards all over the room desperately tried to calm the people down to no avail. Eventually the madness subsided when the Emperor cleared his throat and order returned to the small court room.

“I’m sorry for asking, but who is this Iskar and why does everyone hate him so much?”

“By any chance have you ever heard of The Night of Silence?” The Emperor asked over the commotion.

“I’ve heard of it, but I don’t really know anything about it.” Iskul said while sidestepping an over-ripe tomato that had been thrown from the upper balcony.

“Liar!” Someone shouted and the crowd broke out into calamity again.

“He should be punished!”

“Devil offspring!”

“Execute him!”

The Emperor watched the scene unfold in front of him and calmly quieted the audience before continuing with his inquiry.

“Well you should have, considering it’s what the age was named after. The Night of Silence was when my father, the last Emperor Mars was assassinated and my sister, a Calpurnican Princess named Madeline, was also kidnapped. It’s considered to be the darkest day in our Empire’s history.”

“Okay…but what does that have to do with me?”

“As Lord Koga says in the letter, it seems that you aren’t aware of the man’s true identity. Hurajin is also not your real last name. The person who was responsible for that event twenty years ago was your father Iskar Farzhin, otherwise known as Iskar the Rotten.”

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