Of Armor and Bone: Chapter 33

“I’ve assembled you all here today to address a great violation of our treaty.” Charlstine addressed the room. The great hall had been filled with various people who inhabited the city, those magi who had journeyed to live in the city of Arkyan during the creation of the Order. “This circumstance was created through a loophole, something existing errant of the terms we put in place for both the Kingdom of Xiandol and the Empire of Tulefore. Mr. Chin of Xiandol, would you care to explain?”

Chin stood up from his seat beside the Arcanus. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat as silently as possible as the many sets of eyes around the room turned to him. He straightened his back and began to dictate. “I arrived here three days ago from my nation’s front at the base of the mount to mediate, as you know, an affair regarding the possible use of dark magic. However, it seems our current situation is now caused plainly not by dark magic, but by the use of the magic we hold ourselves. That magic that is now in the hands of normal men.”

A few murmurs traveled around the room, heads turning and whispering amongst each other. Charlstine waived her hands side to side, quieting the audience once again. “Understand that those without mage blood could never measure up to the powers that we hold,” She began, pontificating, “but alas, with our limited numbers, we were the ones who became subservient. Though under the guise of a symbiotic relationship, those resources that we have long offered normal men could never be equally repaid. Still, they ask for more, forcing us to offer our powers for their use. My… our predecessors… once attempted to share our volatile energies with normal men. Through magical metallurgy, we could infuse those powers into tool for them to use. What do they create? Weapons of war!”

Several low boos echoed through the chamber. Chin glanced back at the Tuleforian Commander leaning apathetically back against the wall beside the door. He looked back to the Arcanus, who blinked at him as if expecting him to continue.

Chin licked his lips and offered his explanation. “Xiandolan magi have succeeded in forging more of these… tools… pieces of armor, and weapons… using the life force of our brethren.”

Charlstine slapped the palms of her hands down on the stone tabletop, interrupting. “We were forced to weed out many of those we called family in order to bring strength and stability to this organization we call the Order. And now, they continue to defy our tenets by living in these armaments now marching upon this land.”

More murmurs echoed between the seated magi. Charlstine waived back at Silvus to bring him forward to the table. Chin cleared his throat a second time, this time more loudly. “Yesterday, no doubt, some witnessed the unprovoked attack by a… man in such a suit of armor, invading this fair town. Unfortunately, that is only a taste of what is currently out there.”

“Sir Silvus of Tulefore,” Charlstine said, “please tell us what you encountered.”

Silvus placed himself at the edge of the table and scanned the room for a brief moment. “Yesterday, the Tuleforian settlement fell to Xiandol by a small concentrated group of soldiers. Following a previous attack by an even smaller group, we had done as much we could have to prepare and fortify, yet no amount of planning would have been able to repel such a ruthless assault. A few of my men and I escaped with our lives, but many more fell. The army fights without fatigue, without hunger, or empathy for those they fell in battle. I know that many of you here have abandoned your ties to the Empire, or men like me, but if and when they march on Tulefore city, I fear for the lives of my countrymen!”Continue reading “The Meeting of the Magi”

Of Armor and Bone: Chapter 32

The rain fell heavily over the gray-brown matted grass of the Tuleforian plains. Mud flew up behind Shiloh’s horse as he skidded the animals through the growing puddles. Zethurus blinked as the drops of water flew in his face, his grip on the reins struggling as his hands grew numb in the cold.

Underneath him, Shiloh could heard the horse breathing raggedly, its feet finding it hard to garner traction in the mud. He was soaked to the bone, the cold clothes clinging to his body. The rain was blinding, and the road ahead seemed to blur into the distance.

The horse suddenly tumbled, sending Shiloh sailing into the mud ahead of him. As he reorientated himself, he looked back at the animal struggling on the ground, its front leg bent at an unnatural angle. Zethurus crept slowly back down the road, his brow covered with his hand.

“I think it’s lost.” The mage called out, his eyes barely able to look upon the injured animal.

Shiloh slid forward, his knees dragging through the mud. He fumbled with his cold hands with the handle of the knife sheathed behind his back. The horse shuddered as he approached, its breath coming in heavy waves as it tried fruitlessly to roll itself back over. He gently held the knife to the animals taut throat and slowly slid the blade into its windpipe and jugular.

The warm blood stung his icy hands as the animal finally took its last breath. The crimson liquid soaked into Shiloh’s pants as he rubbed the blade against the side of his leg to clean it. “Damn it.” He said, whispering under his breath.

“Get on, we’ve got to get out of this weather.” Zethurus said, offering his hand down from the horse.

Shiloh wiped the wash of rain from his face and peered up at the mage before taking his hand without a word. As Zethurus continued back down at road at a more manageable pace, Shiloh looked back behind them at the darkness of night slowly encroaching. The orange sun rays glared through the streams of rain falling perpendicular to the ground.

“Why did you run, that time?” Shiloh sighed, placing his forehead against Zethurus’ back. He could feel the man’s slight warmth, even through the wet clothes.

“Instinct… no.” Zethurus wavered. “I just ran for my life.”

“Survival is an instinct.”

“I wasn’t worried about surviving. Looking back, death seemed as if it would have been preferable.” The mage muttered, his voice battling the sound of the rainfall.

“Lady Kiaren was ready to kill you herself.” Shiloh joked, the humor falling flat.

“I engaged that man foolishly. Out of self defense, yes, but… also because I felt like I could prove something with my powers. Like the treaty had sealed their usefulness. But then he managed to wound me, and I blacked out. When I came to, he was on the ground, and I could feel nothing but the throbbing of the wound on my arm, and the disgusting feeling of dark energy running through my veins.”

“What was it like?”

“Like things crawling inside me.” Zethurus said, sputtering through the water soaking him.

“You don’t know how you felled Mandabus, then? Penetrated that impenetrable armor?”

“I have a notion, but there’s no way I could replicate it.”

“The power he held must have… I don’t know how to say it… resonated?” Shiloh asked.

“It seems so. Though, at the time, I had to wonder if it had come solely from myself.”

“That’s why you ran, then?”

“Yes.” Zethurus answered as he leaned into the gust of wind and sideways rain. “Acting as I did, even to protect myself, my people… likely the Order would have judged my harshly.”

In the distance, the pointed buildings of Tulefore city began to peek up from the horizon, their dark shadows hiding beneath the cover of clouds just in front of the setting sun. The horse began to find better traction upon the roughly paved road and the tufts of dead grass between the stones.

Shiloh could feel his strength failing as the cold and hunger began to gnaw away at him. He shivered as Zethurus urged the tired horse on. In the dull refection of the wet stones, he could see the faint lights of the buildings in the distance forming star bursts in his blurry vision. The metal horseshoes underfoot of the animal began to clack loudly as they passed under the city gate. The sound was broken up by the splashing of the rhythmic loud footfalls into the puddles around the city streets.

As the road began to climb upwards, Shiloh could feel himself being pulled back. He could barely hear his own teeth chattering loudly, despite the vibration rattling his skull. The horse was yanked to a stop suddenly, and he could hear Zethurus talking to someone. A glance at the person’s feet revealed a guards thin armored boots. Zethurus yanked at Shiloh’s shoulder to sit him up straight before the horse began to continue down the path, more slowly this time. “Hold on, we’ll get warm soon.”

“They come bearing news from the front.” The guard beside them called out. Zethurus slid off from the back of the horse, nearly taking Shiloh with him. The prodding joints of the guards’ gloves broke his fall. “Get this man by the fire.”Continue reading “The Cold Road Home”

Of Armor and Bone: Chapter 29

Boughlin slowly guided his horse through the ruins of the settlement. Among the fallen men with their blood soaking into the earth were their destroyed tents and bedding, some having been placed upon old piles of ash. The new captain slowly urged the animal to stop before sliding off beside Kensley and Scarborough, offering their prise.

“What do we have here?” He asked, looking down at Kiaren. She stood rigidly in Scarborough’s grasp, her mouth gagged with a ratty cloth.

“I believe she is the commanding officer here.” Kensley noted.

“Was.” Boughlin corrected. “She was the commanding officer here. This settlement belongs to Xiandol now.” Kiaren struggled within the thin man’s grasp, her kicks fruitlessly pounding back against the hard shin plates of Scarborough’s armor. “Why have you brought her to me?” The Captain asked.

Kensley leaned the sword in his grip forward, its bare point sticking into the dirt. “This was wielded by her. Unique, isn’t it? I doubt you would be able to lift it, Sir.” The Lieutenant said, taking the hilt in his grasp with great effort. “It seems it is enchanted.”

“Like your own?” Boughlin asked.

“Perhaps… not.” Kensley replied. “It does not feel the same as the one I wield.”

“We shall have Mr. Chin examine it when he returns from Arkyan.” The Captain said. “You may dispose of the woman.”

“You don’t want to keep her as a bargaining piece, sir?” Kensley stopped Boughlin as he was ready to turn away. “Despite the dirt from the battlefield, she appears fair. Likely someone from a high class.”

“For what end would we require diplomacy?” Boughlin huffed. “We have an unstoppable army beside us.”

“Edrian may have other orders he wishes to carry out besides just killing everything from here to Tulefore city.” Kensley asserted.

Boughlin scoffed and grabbed at the reins of his horse. “Tie her up in some place where she won’t be in the way. Tuck the sword away some place as well.” The Captain slowly guided his horse back towards the gate, where the army had stopped to rearrange their formations.Continue reading “The Occupation”