The Circle within the
Empire
Empire
book 1
Praetorian
Part 1
By Jimmy Loong
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on it being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
Excerpts from Charles Dicken ‘ A tale of two cities’.
Praetorian
Prime Leader
Romus, Inner City and Personal Guard ( 24,000 men )
Remus, Outer City ( 24,000 men )
Rimua, Adminstration and Treasury ( 24,000 men )
Raihan, Punishment Division ( 24,000 men x 3 division plus mercenaries)
Senior Praetorian
Genus, blind in left eye and missing right hand
Silva; Romus’ favourite
Marius,
Emric
Ream; mute as vocal cords severed in a fight
Lords
Grand Lord Micha, 21st Grand Lord ( under the protection of the Praetorian )
Lord Giantus ( est 100,000 men )
Lord Mathis ( est 80,000 men ) /. Lord Micha
Lord Camlash ( est 30,000 men )
Lord Daken ( est 40,000 men ) / Prime Leader Romus
Lord Kimble ( est 30,000 men ) / Prime Leader Romus
Lord Nictin ( est 30,000 men ) / Lord Nicholas
Lord Pectin ( est 20,000 men )
Lord Julius ( est 30,000 men )
Lord Calig ( est 30,000 men )
Lord Mentos ( est 20,000 men )
Lord Loki ( est 20,000 men )
Lord Camlash Retainers
Domo, Personal Adviser of the Lord Camlash
Lieutenant Damai, Division Leader ( 150 men in his personal squad. )
Legionaire Signar
Lord Camlash Children
Master Conal
Mistress Camy
Mistress Kimi, wife of ‘Conal’, mother of Canaan.
Assigned Bodyguards
Shiven, High Mountain Monastery
Dina, Hidden Valley trained assassin
Outsiders
Braven, Leader ( est 20,000 men )
Lydia, woman warrior
Others
Claudia, Damai’s wife
Jeane, Domo’s daughter
Indexes
One moon cycle is the same as one calendar month
One season is the same as three calendar months
One completed season is the same as twelve calendar months
One man’s length/height/width is the same as six feet in length/height/width.
0
At the turn of the road, it will end at the small cottage which a newly lit fire is warming its walls. If one would to step in from the cold,it will be to move to the fire place as their stop before they say their greetings to whom the fire was lit by. This evening was no different from any of the others, as the rider who came in a fast gallop, jumped off the horse to come inside the cottage. Its not the comfort of the fire it seeks but the occupant of the cottage. They hugged each other to smooth the cold with the warm, and to envelope a feel of security as one always do at when one is with one’s love.
‘You are cold but not from the evening mist; bear me your news so I can understand your plight.’ The day did end with a heavy rain but that was before dusk begins. In place of it is now a heavy cover of mist which assisted by the cold southern winds, makes the forest an eerie cold place to be in at this time. But who has ever said that the events of the weather can stopped a traveler, be it one who is in urgent needs; the needs of knowing the other is departing soon.
‘Hush, my lover. The journey was not without its perils, as the patrols are out and so are the guards. I had to hide not one but twice in the forest trees, so that they can be on their way without alert of myself. I beg to see you once more, for your days are at the end.’ The comfort of the lips on the patched ones of her’s was a feeling she has longed for. She knew the time is near for them to be apart soon, but she hoped that this event of their meeting will be lengthy to the memories to come.
‘You know why I had to go. I cannot avoid the call of my Lord, although my heart bleeds for more time. Such are my duties as the Praetor, that none can sit above the duty of theirs to the Lord.’ His hearts may bleed but the head tells him the call is not be ignored, for the punishment of is more than pain in the body. Its the suffering of souls that he fears, not his but theirs.
‘Well, now you are here; I have a gift for you. A gift which will bring us together again, when we meet again.’ He held in his right hand, a little box which he hands to her. She took it and opened the box to reveal an amulet encased its in golden frame and within its is a red precious stone that emits an aura of strength. ‘Give it to our child and it will bring us together one day.’
‘The amulet will protect the person,’ he continued; ‘and powers can be harnessed in, but only with the correct teaching of the master’s, or evil will prevail. If the later is to be, then the masses will suffer like what we saw sometime back.’
She could not asked more, as the there was an appearance of a light. The speck of light lit up to show an expression of a man with long white gray hair and beard, dressed in the colors of the Hall of the Lord. The young lovers stood back to stare at their new guest.
‘Hail thee, Genus. You are a flicker away from the Guards. They are outside now as I appear to you. I cannot bring both of you to safety, but one. Make your choice.’ The thought never crossed their mind, but the action was done swiftly by the figure in the light.
‘Genus, Claudia will be safe, and so will the child. But you must lived today and tomorrow. Then the circle can be complete. If you die, then all is lost.’
The light just as it appear was swept away by the smoke in the fire, along with it is the lady in question. Genus looked at his empty hands, a moment ago was holding her and now empty of any warmth except the flickering fire. He stooped up to pick up his amour and wore it like the proud Praetor he is . He stepped to the door and spoke a word of prayer before he open the latch of the door.
1
Empire
The Empire has existed from the beaches of Omark to the inner mountains of Hime, and stretched north the cold lands of Norin, and south to the warm airs of the Gulf of Nilin. If one will to ride across the empire, it will take about two full moon cycle from the North to the South and longer if from the beaches to the mountains. The empire was governed by twenty four Lords then, with one of them taking on the role of Grand Lord as it was from the first day the empire was found.
The first Grand Lord was to expand the empire to its current borders; and that took over a period of twenty complete seasons; a complete season is a cycle of four different seasons before it repeats itself. It stayed in its path for over another three hundred complete seasons, after a succession of the 16th Grand Lords before the Empire was threaten not by outside enemies, but by their own Lords when power become greed. The rebellion of the twenty three Lords became the First Succession War, and that civil war took two complete seasons to quell, with the appointment of the new 17th Grand Lord. The new 17th Grand Lord then formed the Praetorian Guards to ensure the safety of his own well being as he trusted not the army nor the other lords.
The Praetorian are the personal guards of the Grand Lord; they serve to protect the chosen Grand Lord, and if need be, the executor of the Grand Lord, who may have put the realm in chaos or mis-ruled. They are unquestionably the judge, jury and executioner. To date since that First Succession War, in the history of the empire, the Praetorians have removed only one Grand Lord before, which was the 20th Grand Lord, the predecessor of the current Grand Lord. That twentied one was found to be insane and tried to removed the powers of the Praetorian, but that was dealt with a late night visit by the Praetorian Guards. The next dawn break the head of the murdered Grand Lord was displayed in the Inner Circle Hall where the twenty three Lords of the realm assembled to squabble their rights. That day, the Inner Circle Hall was quiet when they viewed their number twenty three, soon formed factions and the squabble becomes intense show of strength and war; so started off the Second Succession War.
It took another two complete seasons for the war to end when the surviving Twelve Lords’ declared truce to end the war. The Lords who perish had their lands taken by the other Lords who now govern the new lands but it also brought about the new development in the Praetorian Guards; originally formed as a protective division for the Grand Lord, but now a force by its own that can rivaled some of the smaller Lords in terms of army size.
The Praetorian Guards has increased its influence and power since then, if not in the numbers to four division of a twenty four thousand personnel each, from an original number of eight thousand guards to protect the Grand Lord but also liberty in the influence of decision to the Grand Lord. The four division leader named then are called Prime Leader, and they co-shared their responsibility on their duties. The four Prime Leader are named Romus, Remus, Rimua and Raihan. They chose the name of given here; discarding their past when they ascended the position and so are their division named as such.
The Praetorian occupies the City of the Grand Lord, which also the main capital of the Empire. The Division of Romus handles the personal well being of the Grand Lord in the Inner Circle District; which is like a large palace with internal population of fifty thousand people, so big that its actually a small city where the Grand Lord lives in, alongside with his guards.
The Division of Remus handles the larger city of the Outer Circle with the population of three hundred fifty thousand people also named as The Great Grand City. The Division of Rimua which is also housed in the Outer Circle covers the administrative of the empire, including its peace in the cities and also the Lord and their army. In every Lord’s city is an office of the Administrative Division of Praetorian. They are responsible for the collection of the Lords’ levy from the Lords’ to manage and sustain this large force.
The last Division of Raihan is the punishment division; mostly stationed at the frontiers and waged wars with the Lord’s army, against any invading neighbors or quell any rebelling army factions. Such are the roles and responsibility of the Praetorian Guards.
The Praetorian can be recognised by their golden breast plate which they wear over their black tunic that reaches the top of their knees. On their breast plate is their emblem of the striking eagle with an axe on it talons. Mercy is by edge of the axe who fights the Praetorian Guards.
Among the surviving twelve lords, there is Lord Camlash, a major Lord in the Empire, and also an influence and adviser to the Grand Lord, including the previous one. Lord Camlash has been a long serving Lord and servant of the empire for many years now. He is the fourth in the line of descendants after his great grandfather started a coup to capture the seat with the help of some lords. Since then his family has ruled as Lords, and he intends to see it continue. In his time, he has survived three assassinations and four mutiny; all put down by him personally. Lord Camlash holds the key to the secrets of the many Grand Lord’s secret and he turns it well to suit his position; an asset his father passed to him as it was by his father’s father. He also learned the ways to built more in his own secrets that even some Lord pledged to him not out of respect but fear of exposure.
As for Lord Camlash, he pledges to no other Lords, nor to any alliance, but he known as the kingmaker of both. His only weakness is also his strength; both his legs was removed in the last 2nd Succession War but he has influenced the appointment of the new Grand Lord, thus won the privilege of getting himself under the Grand Lord and the protection of the Praetorian then.
The 21st Grand Lord Lord Micha; an elderly man but wise in ruling since he ascended the seat sixteen repeated seasons ago. He was well supported by the Lord Camlash then, but soon left the influence of that lord to be his own. This set the Lord Camlash very upset as the man whom he promoted is now independent of his thoughts. What Lord Camlash did not bargain for was the loyalty buildup between the new Grand Lord and his Praetorian Guards. That relationship made the Grand Lord more powerful than the other lords, but Lord Camlash still holds the influence on most of the other Lords.
Soon Lord Camlash formed his own alliance, with the assistance of seven Lords, whose pledge of warriors and funds can make him powerful to challenge the Grand Lord. In reciprocation, the Grand Lord moved his personal protection more under the Praetorian. His previous army was absorbed by his cousin, Lord Mathis and Giantus, making them very powerful Lords. But since there was no rebellion or war To date, this was the thing to do although minor spats and diplomatic rows that was reported to the Inner Circle Hall on occasions which the Lords can be pacified on by negotiation or intimidations.
As all Lords seemed to be split in power over the empire; none would confront the other in open, but behind the words and messages of hidden threats. No Lords is safe from assassination but no one owns up to any killings or contract issued. One of the foremost assassins are from the Hidden Schools, which consist of six major ones.
The split in power also proves to the equilibrium that balance the power in the Lords’. It now has entered the sixteen complete seasons of the new Grand Lord, and peace still prevails over most of the empire. There are some spots that battle still rages, which the Praetorian and the Lords’ army joint effort to control.
Shiven
During the break of dawn, the courtyard will be filled with shouts and movements of over a hundred young disciples of the school, all dressed in the gray loosely tied knee length tunic with a sash around the waist to hold in place. Their foot claddings are the tight lashed cloths with wooden sandals. The disciples are all exercising with different weapons during the initial training and eventually they will majored in one only. As can be seen this morning, the preferred weapon is the the ‘bo’ or long staff with an iron clad ends for the deadly kill impact. But there are some who prefers the ‘nuncaks’; a set of short sticks. They are all trained under the watchful eyes of their master coach, which is their master of the fighting arts. There on the side of the courtyard will sit the twelve master with skills in the different from of fighting arts and weapons. These master observed the students as they go through the motions and exercise. There on the side to the right is a senior class which the students trained ion their own without any masters. These are the senior students which awaits the arrival of their new master to appoint them as personal guards. These senior students are may under go further training to be coached personally by the masters’ on the finer points of the art while they wait for their new master. This is to keep them on the level expected of the school disciple. Each exercise will go on till the sun reached it zenith and the courtyard will then be empty of any movements except that of the leaves which will fall onto the ground.
Today, the courtyard is not filled with the disciples practicing but they are all lined up in rows, while the twelve masters are seen on in the front. They are all facing a single person who stands at the front; dressed like them except he has the looks of a young man. The young man takes a bow to the assembled masters and received a bow in return from them. The young man then take up the ‘bo’ ie. the long staff with his right hand, and a small bundle in his left. He walked across the courtyard to the main heavy door that is the entrance to the Monastery; the same one he walked in twelve complete seasons ago. Today, that door is his entrance to a whole new world that he will live in for the rest of his life. He has spent over ten complete seasons in the monastery; living the way of the Warrior Monks of the High Mountain, but today he is a Warrior Monk of the High Mountain. His placement in the new world was handed to him after the dusk call for food, and his blessing to go was given at dawn today. Its the privileged of the Warrior Monks to be call for duty with their new masters. Their duty is to serve to protect the master’s until their death or expulsion from the duty. The master’s can be any person who needs the protection for their lives, and the dues are paid to secure their services to the Monastery. Once the warrior is assigned, they are taken care of by their new master on their basic needs and they lived or die for their master. This is considered the highest esteem duty they can hoped for.
The monks will be sold off in the duties of servitude to the army or others, with a negotiated price based on their skills , for there is many buyers of such services as the monks are revered in the arts of war. If the warrior outlived their worthiness,be it maim or age, then their master’s can banished them to the Outer Land as Wandering Monks to serve their useful lives as free warriors to any master or faction as their wish is to die in battle. The thing the Monks feared most is the natural death or worse sickness death as this is not what they are destined for. Sometimes if there is no battle to be fought, they will fight among themselves.
Such is the way of life for the Monks Warriors.
I am called Shiven, as that was name given to me by the Master’s. I was send to the Monastery at the age of three completed season by my mother, left there since then. At the age of five completed season, my training begins with time spent in learning all the needed arts from the different masters’ but I enjoyed most is the reading class where we try to work solutions to the issue. It can be a diplomatic or even domestic issues, but the I life the challenge to question the solution adapted. I was taught by one of the learning master then, called Montero, that there is no shame in learning, and if that can avert a fight, then its good to learn. Most of time we learned to fight and defend with our weapon; maim or kill but I find inner peace when I can avert an attack by arguing on logic and reasoning. But that is not shared by most of my peers who will prefer to crack my skull than understand my skills. In the process of learning to defend myself, I find I learn more on the techniques of offence also.
One of our daily ritual is keeping silence unless spoken to, or during practice, we are allowed to use vocals to announce our attack. So most free time, with my reading, I spent time also on writing. But the master of the library confiscated my writings saying that I cannot express myself in writing as I am to be monk warrior soon.
Soon my time came for my departure from the monastery as bidders for our skills come to the monastery to pay for our services. I was approach twice before but my master declined them the service. He only agreed to me only at this time, although I heard the price of paid was minimal for my level. I am ever curious but I am to obey the laws of the Warrior. My only belonging now is my ‘bo’ and two sets of clothes.
Lord Camlash
‘I asked for an assassin warrior and they send me you. You sure you are to the task, young lady.’ I viewed the timid looking young lady clad in the drab of black which is the color of the assassin school. I paid well this time, asking for one of their best, as I have a need of one which can kill and protect me too. The old masters must be mad to send me one suited to be my bride, or more for my son, Conal.
Without a word or an expression, he saw her moved as if in a dance routine. It was truly flawless in motions, without seeing how she swing her body, and letting off the dagger; it was soon embedded in the body of the scorpion inches away from the guard at the doorway.
’I have my abilities which even the best of yours cannot meet. The shell does not show the agility of the body. Just as the cover of the fruit does not tell if its poisoned or sweet.’’
‘Interesting, truly a marvel,’ the Lord speaks again. ‘I know not many assassins who can move their voice at will. I can hear you well and see your sharp point, young assassin, even though your lips do not move. Truly a great feat for one so young, yet not unexpected from the school. I can see your senses are well developed despite your age. I will accept you in to the service, but not so for me. I have decided that you can be a good one for my daughter, Camy, as she is need of someone her age to speak to and also to protect her. What is your name, young assassin of the Hidden Arts?’
‘I hear your name, but here you will be known as Dina, the silent one. Send her to my daughter, and bring me in the others.’ The servants usher the little lady with the new name of Dina to her new quarters and also to her new master.
That day I have six of the best guards that money can secured. I just replaced his daughter’s last guard with a new one, although she is a young lady, but she shown good skills. There was need to replace the last four who perished in their work over the last month, but that can wait. I believe that the guards are for my personal safety and the children. Like the the Grand Lord, no one is assured of his safety in the realm, although the Lord fear the assassins, I knows they may not strike without a reason; if they do, make sure they are dead first before me.
Its also a matter of convenience that I has to take care of today. Lord Kimble has send forth his marriage proposal for his daughter to to marry the son of mine. The young daughter of the Lord is to safeguard the alliance of the two Lord’s but is also a luggage that Lord Kimble wants to let loose off. The young couple will be a mismatched as my son is a literary artist where his favourite is the old books and poems, while the lady in question precedes her as she confers with the Elders in conference uninvited and dabble in the martial arts as unlike that of a lady. But this marriage proposal comes with the benefit of having a hostage in the hall of mine, which can be used to pressure the old Lord Kimble. Or it can be the other way, such are the ways of how diplomatic activity can be moved.
Grand Lord
If one will look at the view which the Grand Lord is doing now, its like the view of the hawk soaring at the skies, ever watchful of the surroundings for any unusual movements or sights. If there is, the flight of the hawk will soar down on it with precision aided by its visual which can magnify the cause of the flight. If that cause is unimportant, the hawk can moved its gliding movement to upwards with the ease of its wings riding on the swift currents of the wind around. That was the view from the High Tower of the Inner Circle. Nothing that I cannot see nor evade my attention in my city from this tower. Its truly a marvelous contraption that Marvin did for me; a hawk’s eye scope. But its cumbersome size of a fully grown man makes it a permanent structure on the window edge. But there are four of it facing all four directions of the Inner Circle.
The Inner Circle is a city by itself surrounded by deep moat and high steep wall and with entries at eight points. The steep wall is manned by the Praetorian Guards that the inner sanctum population is without harm. Its population counts last stands at fifty thousand people excluding the guards, inclusive of the servants and dignitaries not excluding some hostage of certain Lords, well served by division of twenty four thousand heavily armed men. It may seems to be a overload on the guards, but they cover a ground that takes almost an hour by horse to travel across. All the building are built in a hexagonal design from the the Tower of the Inner Circle as its center which housed me, the Grand Lord. The tower is as high as a hundred fifty man;s height with a base of fifty man’s length, but its taper to the top where my chamber is. Its not the design of the building which intrigue the people on the Inner Circle, its the design of its streets and corridors which inter twined into a series of maze for one who is not familiar with the route. Along thee routes are heavy gates, numbering not less than two hundred I was told, which will close to any person except the Praetorian Guards that themselves during an emergency. It was designed in such that way that any invading army or intruder will be lost within a short period in their movement, and held in check by these walls. The Praetorian Guards trained themselves on a daily basis to move on these streets and knowing every turn and curve by familiarity so that if the need arise they can do it with ease. Even the servants and occupants of the city travels only a small part of their area of abode to avoid getting lost in the maze.
The Tower of the Inner Circle is a high tower with four sides; which its height of over a hundred fifty mans’ height and a base that cover the length of fifty mans’ length across. Its entered in by the adjoining Inner Palace of the Grand Lord which is a building of two levels where the servants and guards stays. This inner Palace is like the outer rim of the Tower. On the Tower, there are no windows on the Tower except small openings large enough for the archers to shoot from. The Tower comprises ten levels which end at the top which my inner chamber is housed. No one has ever tried to scale the walls of the Tower except a selected personal guards trained to do so in case of emergency. Some rumors that spread said the Tower housed the hostages of the empire or treasures of the empire is kept here too. But no one will know except the myself and my personal Praetorian guards.
‘Its been a some time since I climbed up the Tower, Prefect Romus. Perhaps I should do it one of these days.’ I am not feeling well and I need to sit on one of the main chair in my other chamber inside the Inner Palace, while addressing the Prefect. My health has been poor lately and I am now in the care of the physicians here.
Prefect Romus is a man of small build but agile in movement from his training and skills. He has outclassed many men of bigger build in the free form of fighting and also in the weapon arts. He is nicknamed the ‘Wolf’ for he hunts relentlessly and his pack of personal guards follow him like a pack of docile servants.
‘Fear not, Grand Lord. As we speak the Hawk’s Eye is in the good hands of Senior Praetorian Ream. Nothing evades the attention of the Ream and if there is any misplaced loyalty, the matter will be resolved.
‘I fear not for I know you are here to ensure all is done by the law. But I yearn for those trips un the stairs that I can feel the free air. But now let us speak on the matter which dealt our heart much pain. How is Lord Camlash? Is he plotting anything which I am to know of.’
‘Lord Camlash is busy with the arrangement of his son to Lord Kimble’s daughter. So other than that, there are no untoward incidents. I have arranged for a gift to be sent on that day to the wedding on your behalf.’ Prefect Romus is not without the knowledge of diplomacy and he sets in motion the plans that can allow him better control on both Lord’s.
‘Please do, Prefect Romus. I trust your judgment on the gift. Bear me news on the skirmish at the borders of Hime. I hear the Outsiders are fierce warriors and we taken some toll on our end. Are the Frontier Army in on this? After all, we are protecting their rear end on the borders.’
I heard of the Outsiders, who roams the open land and high ranges. They used to be small hordes of peasants and bandits, but now are a force of organized united army under the leadership of their leader Braven. Braven has done when generations has failed to do; unite the Outsiders into a major force. But the Outsiders are not big enough to take on the Empire so they hit out at the outpost to test their strength and loot them of their food and weapons. If this Outsider is not curbed soon, they could one day fight on equal terms with the Empire.
‘Yes, Grand Lord. We have control on the frontiers now with us assisting the Frontier Army. Even Lord Camlash acknowledged our presence is needed plus he fears for the Outsiders more than we; its his border they skirmish on most.’
‘Be on your guard, Prefect Romus. Lord Camlash is not without a plan in any fight. Go now. I can feel my illness coming up again. I need the physician quick.’ With a wave of my hand, the Prefect Romus and his personal guards exit from the chamber, while physician rushed to the bedside to administrate me. Truly I am tired and need more rest, but the burden of the empire lies on my shoulder.
Prefect Romus
‘I stand for no one who does not respect me as equal.’ I threw the cup of wine and slammed my hand on the table to express my anger at the way the Grand Lord treats me today. Sitting before me ares the personal guards of mine; four Praetorian; Silva, Marius, Emric and Ream. The five of us has come up in the ranks together, and they pledged their lives to me over many battles and fights. These four are also my personal friends and confidante of the inner secrets. Except for Ream whose vocal cords was severed in a battle, the rest of them joined me in the condemnation of the Grand Lord.
‘Your gift has arrived today. Shall I forward it to Lord Camlash. Its takes three days to deliver it, and the wedding is on the fourth day.’ This was conveyed by Silva, his second most trusted friend.
‘Do it, Make sure the gift arrived safely. I do not want to see my gold spend in waste on some path in the route there.’ They all shared a good laugh on that, but Silva was quick to add; ‘I am sending over Praetorian Genus to protect it. The old man can do that job or die in the process. For that, I have also arranged some surprises.’
More laughter filled the room, and the seal of approval was given by my nod of the head.
Praetor Genus
The ride to the edge of the border is through thick forest and high ranges, with every turn you might faced a bandit or worse a pack of wolves. The local army has built in small outpost along the roads but there is little they can do as some of them are the contributing bandits themselves. Today at Outpost Nine, I sit at the doorway, wiping away at the sword which is attached to my right stub for a hand. I am dressed in the amour of the Senior Praetor, and I just killed four Frontier Army soldiers. They thought that a crippled Praetorian will be an easy target but they did not bargain for the would be victim to attached in a deadly sword on his stub of the arm. The fight was brief but it yield a better result; a cache of dried food which can feed some families on the road. As I wiped my sword clean of the defiling blood, I saw the lone figure riding on a mule coming up the road. The figure was that of a young man dressed in gray, and has a long stick tied on his back.
‘Hello there. Is this Outpost Nine?’ asked the young timid man, from his saddle on the mule. ‘I need to be there before noon to meet a messenger.’
‘This is Outpost Nine, and as for me, I am Senior Praetorian Genus. Are you from the Monastery? Show me your papers.’ The papers was removed from the saddle and given to me. The young man alighted from the mule to proceed into the outpost, but was stopped by me. ‘There is nothing there for you. They are all dead.’
‘I know, which is why I need to be there. Their bodies need to be buried before the wolves comes out.’ The young man put out his hand out to make his way in, but I blocked him again. In a series of movement of the arms and legs the I finds himself on the ground, with the young man standing over me and one leg on my sword hand.
‘They taught you well, monk.’
‘Not as good as you could. I can see my life is in your hands now.’ The young monk can feel the sharp edge of my short hunting knife at his right side of his ribs. I normally keep it in my right sleeve for easy access.
‘You learn this well when you are in the fight for your lives most of the time. Do your deeds for them. I can wait here.’
The dead bodies was stacked up and burnt with the woods collected from the fallen twigs. As the dead ceremony was carried out, the young monk was saying some final prayer rites. Soon we were on our way with the horses of the Frontier Army and one mule carrying some food.
‘You have a name, Monk. Mine is Genus, 2nd Party of the Division of Romus.’ I looked at the young monk who now rides his borrowed horse minus the saddle. The monk did said he preferred to ride bareback like in the Monastery.
‘My name is Shriven’ late of the Warrior Monks of High Mountain. I am a disciple of Master Montero, and also Master Shen of the ‘bo’. Now I am to be assigned to my new master under the Lord Camlash. Pray tell me of this Lord Camlash. We in the monastery knows little of the outside world.’
So begins the tale telling by myself to an attentive young monk. Well, it passed their time fast as we had a long journey ahead. Plus the many stops to distribute the food we got from the outpost.
Shiven
It was the day rides before we reached the outskirt of Lord’s Camlash city when we encountered a damsel in distress. She was running towards us on the well trodden path to Lord Camlash’s grounds. She was chased by three men dressed in the amour of the mercenaries. Suddenly she tripped and fell on the road, and one of them mean was almost upon her, when a shadow was to seen to come from behind the man. The next moment the man was lying on the ground next to the fallen lady; with a dagger at the back of his neck.
The two remaining men stopped in their track to turned around to faced their new threat of an attacker. It was a young lady armed with a dagger in each hand. The two warriors charged at her with their drawn sword, but they met was a dagger on the back of their neck when the young lady leap over them with ease to land those daggers. The young lady killer saw us and reached for tunic to bring up two more daggers. I raised my hand in prayer to show her we meant no harm. She looked at the Praetorian who sits still in his saddle not moving a muscle. The young killer then turned back to the lady in distress and helped her up. I seen those moves before. They are arts of the other schools from the valleys, where daggers are their preferred weapon unlike mine which was the long staff. Sometime back, an entourage of theirs came to demonstrate their arts to the Monastery and we even had some students who learned their techniques. They are more trained to be assassins than bodyguards like us.
Soon the two ladies are in front of us. Both me and Genus dismount to meet the two ladies. Its seems that both of them are young and one is obviously the mistress. We both bowed our heads when we were presented to the ladies, introduced as Mistress Camy and her guard. Mistress Camy is a young lady of my age, and so is the young guard. Its seems that they were on their way back to the city when they were ambushed by some wandering bandits. There were eight of them and they demanded the capture of the mistress to claim some ransom. Mistress Camy was asked to run for the city by her guard, but she ended up running in the opposite way. The young protector fought her way thru five bandits and pursue the remaining three who was tailing her mistress. The last of the events was as seen by us just now.
‘Truly a warrior is built inside you, young protector. Your mistress may mount my horse while we accompany you on foot to your city.’ The Praetorian was not without words of praise for the young lady who kills with the dagger, and he asked if I can share the walking pace with him while the ladies ride to the city. I wanted to burned the bodies, but the safety of the ladies was more important so I nodded my consent and we walked towards the city. We passed the scene of the attack, and saw the dead bodies of the other bandits lying on the roadside. The young protector stopped at each body to retrieved her daggers which she cleaned before putting them into her tunic or hidden pockets. I was once told that these assassins carried no less than ten or twelve daggers on their person at any one time.
Our journey came soon to a halt when we were surrounded by armed men in armors which carries the sign of the Lord’s army. They were all carrying long spears and round shields. Their leader riding from behind came forth to bowed before the mistress and apologies for their delay. He is a tall muscular man with the officer helmet on his head. He is armed with a long broadsword and ride a black horse. But now he is on his knees to seek an apology for being late. It seems that he got news of the attack from a woodcutter who saw the fight from afar. The woodcutter ran to secured help from the nearest outpost which where he just arrived with his troops. Once alerted to the fight, they came as soon as they could. The mistress dismissed the leader and carried on her journey with us at her side. As I passed by the leader of the army pack, I can feel his angry stare at myself and Genus.
Lord Camlash
‘A gift for my son; a young monk of the High Mountain. Truly the Prime Leader Romus mock at my own security arrangement. I know its his laughter I hear here now, although he disguised the gift as from the Grand Lord. Nevertheless, I shall put this young monk to be my son’s protector, alongside with his four others I personally selected. One shall not look at any gift with contempt. Thank you, Praetorian.’
I seen that face before, but I cannot vouch it as age has eaten into my memories. But I know a face anyway, and this is one I remember seeing but no thoughts why I remember. I will do so in time.
‘Praetorian, I would required your presence here as observer to the wedding. This is not a request to you. This is my order, and I have send the message to your Prime. Your quarters are being arranged with the young monk for now. Go as I have other matters to discuss.’ The Praetorian and the young monk was send off to their quarters.
‘Pray tell me, child. Are you hurt in any way on your journey? I heard of the bandits attack and the bravery of your protector.’ I loved my daughter Camy and any harm befalling her would be mine to avenge.
‘No, father. Dina did her work well, and it was my fault we sneaked out of the city without the knowledge of the Lieutenant Damai’s knowledge. But he did come in time to rescue me.’ The poor lass is trying to protect her guards, especially Damai who was assigned to her like Dina.
‘Rest, my child’; as I signaled the servants to take my daughter and her protector away to their quarters. I then faced the Lieutenant who was to die for my daughter safety.
‘You failed in your duty, Damai. I would had your head but I owe your father much for his services to me. I asked then you picked five of your men as replacement for your death.’ The young lieutenant stood up to said something but decided to keep his speech to himself. He then stepped out of the Lord’s Hall, but he was halted at the doorway.
‘The next time this happens, it will be your children’s head I will take.’ Without a back glance, the lieutenant walked on out of the hall.
‘Domo, my adviser. Tell me what my memories failed me. Who is the Praetorian?’ I summoned my personal adviser, the man who foretell many of my triumphs and avert many of my disasters. Domo has been with me for over forty years with his acute senses; advising me on a lot of issues. Today he may be old and frail, but his mind is ever sharp.
‘I think your memories failed you now. The Praetorian is not known to you at all. He resembled a past but he is not of the past.’
‘Domo, as usual you lied to me. But I love you too much to kill you. Let it be, my memories will return one day.’ I ordered that the drinks and food be served as its the time to rejoice when you know your enemies are nearby and waiting for them to strike makes me hungry.
No comments:
Post a Comment