Part 62

Greza rode back to the occupied city and went straight to her room. All she could think about was Verin dying from some Assassin’s blade. If this Assassin appeared, she’d kill him.

So many of the Victor’s Companions had appeared, all that was left was the Princess and the Assassin. But what if the Assassin was already here? It wouldn’t be until after the Victory that he’d make himself known. It could be anyone and if she ever found him, she would kill him before he could destroy Verin.

Onata knocked and let herself in without waiting for an answer.

“They said you were back. We’re having a meeting in the throne room,” Onata said as she walked in and looked around. “You’re much neater than I am.”

She wanted to tell Onata to go away because she couldn’t think of anything good to say and wasn’t in the mood for any of her jokes.

Onata paused and cocked her head to the side. The bells on her horns jingled.

“You alright?”

“I’m well enough.”

“You don’t look well enough.”

If she didn’t do something Onata would keep pestering her. So she slid her feet onto the floor and stood up.

“We have a meeting to go to,” Greza said.

“Wait, did something happen?”

“It’s nothing.”

Greza led the way to the meeting where all the Mercenary generals and captains were. There were about thirty of them with their most trusted assistants. As usual, Verin was in the center pointing at a bunch of maps with colored wooden pieces.

She took her place behind him and he gave her a quick nod and a warm smile.

For once that smile didn’t comfort her. Now when she saw his face she saw his death by an assassin.

Even worse was the thing she was trying not to think about: the Scourge. Verin turning into a tyrant was impossible. He was the Promised Victor. He was the blessed child that would grow up to save the world.

“Three armies?” Decaron asked in his overly dramatic manner.

But it did get her attention.

“That’s right,” Verin said. “The Empire’s sending three armies our way. We’re good but we can’t take on three at once.”

“Then we can’t allow them to meet up,” Decaron said.

“Clearly,” another general said.

“My Satyr scouts can destroy bridges, block passes and cut down trees,” the blonde woman general said. She was a large woman with her hair in several large braids. She usually stayed silent during the meetings and seemed content to go along with what the others said. Maybe she was just quiet.

We’ll need to send every scout we have to delay two armies,” Verin said. “We can take them if we face them one at a time. It might be one battle after another, but we can do it.”

He was sounding far more confident about this than she did. She wasn’t feeling confident about much at all at the moment.

They continued on to discuss the best place to face the enemy armies. The vast plains of the eastern provinces didn’t give them a lot of variety in their choices.

Greza tried to pay attention. This was important and she had to understand it. However, her mind kept wandering to that book written by a forgotten mad prophet. He had been right about everything. Was it possible that he was wrong about Verin?

*

It took two weeks for the first enemy army to arrive. They were supposed to have linked up with two other armies but due to the scout war that slowed them down, they missed their deadline and Verin’s armies attacked and routed the first army with little trouble. The Combined Army charged into the defending Imperial lines and they broke after two assaults. Their cavalry was chased off in the very beginning, leaving their flanks wide open.

Their spies reported that it was an enormous embarrassment in the Capitol and that the people were questioning their soldiers’ and generals’ ability to defend them. Their civic morale was at an all time low.

Also, two provinces were now in open rebellion. Their small armies weren’t a threat individually, but they denied those resources to the Imperials while adding strength to the Combined Army.

Their army was camped on the plains waiting for their scouts to report the position of the nearest enemy army.

The mercenary officers and generals were gathered around their fires. Verin was standing off to the side, lost in thought. She knew that expression well. He seemed to wear it more often these days.

She shook thoughts of him becoming a tyrant out of her head and approached him.

“What worries you, my Duke?”

“Rumors and hearsay.”

She took a few more steps closer so she could be right in front of him. He looked up from the ground and gave a half smile.

“Don’t worry about me, Grez. It’s my job to worry.”

“Mine as well.”

“I don’t understand why you believe in me. Yes, I know about your silly prophecy, but can’t you see that I’m nothing special?”

“No, I can’t see that.”

He was anything but ordinary. He was unlike any man she had ever known. He was the only man she cared about. If she could spend the rest of her life at his side, she could die filled with joy.

She loved him.

She had never been in love before, not even close to being so, but she knew that this is what it was.

She loved Duke Verin and knew perfectly well how ridiculous that was. He would never look at her with any degree of equality. She was just a soldier in his army.

Then she heard orders being shouted out in the camp and a few moments latter a soldier from one of the allied mercenary armies ran up to Verin and saluted.

“Duke, a…ambassador from the Empire is here and wishes to speak with you.”

“How many with him?”

“He has a whole entourage. Maybe thirty.”

“Not some local official then. Good. That means they’re taking us seriously.”

“Bring them up?”

“Only bring him and two others.”

“Yes, Duke.”

The messenger then ran off.

All over soldiers were coming from their fires to get a look. There wasn’t much else to do at night.

She hurried and found Onata near the kitchens and dragged her back. They took their places behind Verin who was sitting on a folding chair. There was another chair placed on the other side of the fire. A circle of officers and soldiers surrounded them a good fifty feet away.

She tried not to get distracted by wondering what an official from the Empire wanted. She was distracted enough as it was.

The crowd was parting to make way and soon the three men in bright robes covered in official seals of office appeared. They held staffs with the official seal of the Empire on top. It seemed so pompous and hollow.

The lead one, was the youngest. He was clean shaven and probably considered handsome, but he was nothing in comparison to Verin. His hair was in a neat tail and he had bright blue eyes that were almost startling in clarity. The other two had white and gray hair and beards, each longer than the other.

“Welcome to my camp. Have a seat if you would,” Verin said.

The young official nodded and took his seat. The two old men took positions behind him, mirroring Onata and her.

“This is an unexpected honor. What may I do for you gentlemen?” Verin asked.

“Duke Verin, I am Barilus Togasha. May we dispense with the pleasantries?” The young official asked.

“I’d be glad to, but I must say that that’s not very ambassadorial of you. Shouldn’t you be smiling and acting nice?”

“Not to honorless barbarians.”

“At least we’re being honest.”

“I’ve come to demand the cessation of your raids on our western borders. Your savagery and wanton murder will not go unpunished.”

Verin sat back and cast a confused glance at Greza and then at Tempest.

“I don’t follow,” Verin said.

“And here I thought we were being honest,” Barilus said.

“What western raids? As you can see, we’re still stuck here in the east. I have no forces in the west.”

“The western border provinces are some of our weakest but most loyal. They’d be easy pickings for a small diversionary force.”

“There’s nothing out there but dried wasteland. What would I want with those?”

Verin waved his hand as if to dismiss the issue but Barilus leaned forward.

“No, you listen to me, peasant Duke. Five towns had been slaughtered leaving no survivors to tell the story. The news that sent me here out of my warm palace was that Dynastak, the largest border city, was burnt to the ground with everyone in it.”

“You can’t expect me to believe that an entire city was destroyed with no witnesses.”

“There were witnesses. A group of hunters saw the whole thing from a distance”

“What did they see? I can tell you right now that it wasn’t us.”

“They said they saw an army of horsemen, so many that the dust cloud filled the horizon.”

Verin let out a long breath and then theatrically looked around.

“You know, I know we’ve been destroying your armies like we were fighting little girls, but there’s not that many of us. We’re mostly from poor countries that don’t use a lot of horses because they’re too expensive and take up too much space. We’re heavy infantry because that’s what we’re forced to be. If I could field an army of numberless horsemen, I would. But I can’t so I don’t.”

“I have your word, your sacred word that these raids are not your doing?”

“Absolutely. They must be a rebel nobleman because its not me and there’s nothing out there in the wastes.”

Unless there was.

Greza cracked her knuckles as she thought. A numberless host of destructive enemy from no where. No one had explored what was past the Wasteland.

She leaned over and whispered into Onata’s ear.

“The Great Enemy.”

Onata had been reading the sacred book and her brow furrowed.

“From the prophecy?”

“Who else could it be?”

Varlius cleared his throat and spoke up.

“It seems your two companions have something interesting to say.”

Verin turned around and raised an eyebrow.

“We were just…it’s not important,” Greza said.

“No, please, let us hear.” Barilus said.

Verin shrugged and waved his hand for her to speak.

“It’s just from the prophecy, my Duke.”

Verin rolled his eyes.

“Prophecy?” Barilus asked.

“It’s a silly idea they got from their dead religion.”

“I would like to hear them, if you would humor me,” Barilus said.

“Well, Grez, you opened your mouth. Time to step up and speak.”

Varilus’ face was an unreadable wooden mask. They both sat there, watching her and waiting. Such attention was always as comfortable as being trapped out in a hail storm.

“Ambassador, me and my companion here are followers of the Path of Light,” Greza said. Varilus’s mask slipped and for a moment he seemed genuinely surprised. “According the prophecy of the Promised Victor, there will rise a threat that would destroy the Empire if not stopped by the Victor.”

“See?” Verin said. “It’s silly. Let’s move on.”

Barilus held up his hand.

“You are followers of the Path of Light?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you believe the prophecy. Wasn’t it already proven to be false?”

“Greza, that’s enough. Let’s move on to something important,” Verin said.

Barilus shot a glance to Verin.

“You’re invading my homeland and I’m not trying to kill you at the moment. The least you could do is permit me to hear this woman’s story.”

Verin threw his hands in the air.

“Please go on,” Barilus said.

“Well, we believe the Victor did not die. He was kidnapped and raised as a slave. He does not know who he is but I do. He is alive and fulfilling his divine mission. I also believe that these raids are the first wave of the Great Enemy that will come and threaten the existence of the Empire. Only the Victor can save us.”

Her voice had been clearer than she could have hoped for and she didn’t feel like a total idiot.

“See? Ridiculous, isn’t it?” Verin said.

Barilus smiled.

“I find it fascinating. I suppose the next question is obvious. Who do you believe to be the Lost Victor?”

She looked around at the hundreds of people standing around the fire. Soldiers from every army and officers were all listening to her at that moment. This was meant to be. She only had to have the courage to speak the truth.”

“Duke Verin is the Lost Victor. At his side are the Raven and the Bull. He has united the most powerful army on the continent in time to meet the threat that could destroy us all. The prophecy is true and here he is.”

She waved a hand at Verin and held her gaze on Barilus to judge his reaction.

The crowd was silent.

Barilus sat there with his hand on his chin, moving his gaze between her and Verin and back again.

Hushed whispers began spreading through the crowd and soon the roar of debate was sweeping through the army.

“And you don’t believe this?” Barilus asked Verin.

“Not a word.”

Barilus looked to Greza.

“And what is your name?”

“Greza.”

“Just Greza?”

“Just Greza.”

“I will remember you. This has been far more fascinating than I had imagined.”  He stood up and brushed his robes off. “I believe that these attacks are not your doing. We will send further word within the next day or two. Our armies will not attack you in that time. May I ask for a two day break in fighting?”

“You have two days,” Verin said.

Barilus thanked them and left with his men.

Verin turned to Greza.

“That was odd, Grez. I don’t know if I should be furious or if I should be laughing. I think you just convinced half our men that I’m some prophesied hero.”

“The evidence fits.”

“It’s too early to tell if I could use this to my advantage or not. I really hope this doesn’t backfire into my face.”