I. This is the direct sequel to Touch O' Luck
II) It serves as a prologue to the Old Realms series.
It will be a superior reading experience
to start this story from the beginning
Please give it a good rating if you liked it, it will help the story reach a much bigger audience:)
Chapter specific maps of the realms
Shed thee fool thy life’s doom ‘n glum
In a lover’s eyes devoid of fault
Dance naked in the sounds of the drum
Rejoice in summer’s white sands of salt
Wit the girls of Aegium
The girls of Aegium
Risqué very popular Bard song
Unknown date
Lord Storm Nattas
Divine diversion
Storm burst into his house weirded out from the encounter. He walked down the dark hall and found Sudi sleeping in the kitchen. Nattas woke him up and asked for something to eat, intent on getting as much rest as possible to have an early start the next day.
Murmuring under his breath, the badly maimed from the poison lackey brought him a plate of boiled potatoes and rise.
“What’s this? Animal food?” Storm asked none too pleased. “Just put a saddle on me and call me a mule!”
“The cook had his mother sick chief,” Sudi explained with a yawn. “Plus we thought you ain’t coming back after it got late.”
“That’s fucking ominous,” Storm commented. He tasted a cold potato. “Bring the salt here and a piece of cheese.”
“You want any wine?” Sudi asked looking about the dark kitchen.
“I had enough of that,” Storm snapped. “And put a light on for fuck’s sake! I might start chewing on my hand here!”
“What did the lords say?” Sudi asked bringing a candle holder on the table.
“They don’t a want a war with the High King.”
“Will they get one?”
Storm smacked his lips. “It’s a mess.”
“What does the king think?” Sudi probed with another yawn.
“He’s worried about Lucius. He might have started the war already.”
“With what army?”
“Sudi, some people are good at losing armies, others are good at creating them,” he paused to chew some on the tasteless potato and not enjoying it, he just swallowed it. “Get me some wine, before I choke myself to death.”
“Maja has a bottle up,” Sudi informed him.
“You know it’d be better to keep her away from the kitchen,” Storm commented and got up. “Just saying, the girl is a walking murder.”
“Where are you going?” Sudi asked seeing him getting ready to leave.
“I need to talk to her. There was a man here, I didn’t know,” Storm explained.
“Didn’t see anyone,” Sudi said and rubbed his decrepit face. “Then again I’d dozed off for a bit.”
“You know, I’m not really sure why I’m keeping you around,” Storm commented.
“You don’t have any friends’ boss,” Sudi deadpanned. “We’re all that you got for company.”
“If the last face I saw was yours,” Storm retorted very frustrated. “Then I’m fucked.”
The Gods listening in found it very amusing.
Storm climbed the stairs leaving Secundus with Sudi and found Maja sitting on his office’s comfortable armchair deep in thought. She had that thing in her hands. It looked like a tiny wooden flute.
He sat on the chair across from her and reached for a goblet that had wine in it. There was another in front of the woman. Storm tasted the wine to wash the taste of mud and potato from his mouth with a grimace.
“Who is Larn?” He asked Maja and she raised her blond head to look at him. Maja appeared deflated, or aged. Perhaps the spell wears off after a while, Storm thought with a leer. Or expires like milk and sours.
“You talked to him?”
“He wished me a good night’s rest,” Storm commented. “Perceptive on his part, but still the man is a fuckin’ weirdo. A close friend?”
“What did Barlow say?” Maja asked dodging like a pro and Storm sat back on his seat. He was too tired to play games with her.
“I told you,” he replied. “Then again, you keep asking me about him. So perhaps, there’s something I need to know?”
“We might have a problem.”
“Girl, this is not the day I want to hear about more problems. I have a pile of crap in my arms and no place to drop it.”
Maja puffed her cheeks out and got up. She walked to the window and stared outside through the curtains.
“Right,” Storm said slapping his thighs and stood up himself. “I need to get a bit of sleep before the morning. The King will depart and I need to get as much information as I can about a ton of matters.”
“Why did he ask you to remain here?” Maja asked, still staring outside.
“I wouldn’t have been allowed to talk with the Kings present and all the High Lords. It’s one thing to get a word out when in your King’s Council, a different beast to stick your head out in a Conference. The dangers are multiplied, since each King has a lot of tall people with sharp blades at the near. A good chop at the neck and you’ll never speak again.”
“What’s the real reason?” Maja insisted.
Storm cleared his throat and then sat back on the chair. He had some more of the wine, feeling exhausted.
“It came as a shock,” he admitted crooking his mouth. “I’m still trying to figure this one out.”
“What did Barlow say?” Maja asked, returning to her favorite topic.
“Who is Larn?” Storm dodged.
Maja turned to look at him. “It is better not to know.”
“Was it the plan to kill the kids?” Storm asked, going another way.
“Why return on this matter Storm?” She complained and he banged the empty goblet on the table breaking it.
“Because it’s fucking important!” He growled, a cut in his hand bleeding. Storm used a hankie to staunch it. “Because it matters Maja.”
She pressed her lips tight, the freckles popping out of her pale skin.
“It happened, let it go Storm,’ Maja finally said.
“You missed?” He asked her.
“I wasn’t on the Scorpio.”
“Your pupils were.”
“No. It was a… bigger job than this.”
“You need a bunch of killers to murder a couple of kids you’re right,” he mocked her. “Who was the real target?”
Maja sighed.
“I can’t tell you. Focus on your own plan,” she advised him.
“I can’t focus on anything Maja, if I don’t know who I’m fighting.”
“Yet, you’ve taken out the Priests.”
“They were involved. The Est Ravn, Kelholt and a painted man, the latter dead.”
Maja frowned, but said nothing.
“Should I go after them?” Storm asked.
“I can’t make out the contracts for you,” she replied.
“That’s a load of crap,” Storm admonished her. “You can do anything you want, don’t give me this religious bullshit Maja. You are a god darn killer!”
“I’m a tool Storm, a weapon. You’re the one that does the killing.”
“Haha,” Storm sniggered and shook his head. “Girl, you enjoy it. I do it out of necessity. Barlow wanted a ship by the way.”
She stood back and crossed her arms on her chest.
“A ship? For what?”
“He didn’t say. I didn’t ask. It wasn’t that kind of conversation,” Storm explained. “Maybe he has a side gig to make ends meet. Perhaps you should pay the man more.”
“Queen Miranda was the target,” Maja said, a deep crease on her forehead. “The King after that.”
“After what?”
“After everyone ran towards her. That knight got in the way. The Scorpio is not an accurate weapon, even from an expert.”
“You’ve brought an expert?” Storm reached for the bottle of Flauegran. “Sit down,” he told the assassin. “So it was an accident? A fluke?”
Maja nodded and went to sit on his chair.
“Does it remove the mark, if you kill the wrong target?” He asked her.
“If the client agrees,” Maja said. “Else it doesn’t.”
“The Est Ravn,” Storm chanced.
“Again. No.”
“So at the client’s order, or if he accepts, you have to drop the contract,” Storm asserted, circling back to his previous query.
“Also if the client dies,” Maja said through her teeth.
Ah.
“Which of the two happened?” Storm asked, but she wasn’t going to tell him anymore.
“That’s enough Storm,” Maja said. “You sent a bird to Riverdor the moment you make your decision. Now I must prepare for the journey.”
“How will I know, if you succeed?” Lord Nattas asked.
Maja glared at him and Storm realized it was a thoughtless query. Lack of sleep can turn even a wise man right stupid. All it takes is enough time.
Faustus Ligur, Prefect of the First Cohort of the First Legion, one of several changes that had happened after King Davenport had ordered Prefect Placus Durio to get his own Cohort pulled out, ordered the men forward. Prefect Ligur had replaced Prefect Crito who was sent to Anorum to take over the newly baptized 3rd Cohort. The 3rd had been christened 2nd Cohort under Prefect Proclus Sula, the Lord of Demames cousin. This lessened version of the Legion was commanded by Sir Deimos Alden and with his father, Lord Treasurer Doris following the King, it made it three Aldens making the journey.
The now re-christened First Cohort of the Second Legion had followed in turn King Davenport’s entourage and for a while the three Cohorts would travel together, stay side by side and return from the same road.
Abrakas willing and not deciding to have us all arse-fucked for the fun of it.
Lord Nattas sighed, crooking his mouth to keep in a yawn and watched from the Guardtower the long columns of armoured men departing the now empty and dismantled Legion camp. Not much was left of it anyway and looters would plunder anything of value soon enough.
He could see the King’s carriage and some of the other lords’ colors, but soon a dust cloud would rise over the northern route leaving the city and cover both men and animals. The Conference of Lords that had been delayed repeatedly, as almost everyone and their mother had asked for more time, would take place in two months’ time give or take some days, in Riverdor. Lord Nattas climbed the stairs down, murmured something to the saluting guard and walked outside. He’d managed to install Captain Betto as commander of the Alden’s City Guard and now the access to some parts of the city had become easier.
Storm intended to completely reverse Magister Gordian’s anti-Naossis measures and restore the City’s brothels to full working order. People, he thought stopping for his eyes to adjust to the morning winter sun. Need to have access to pleasure activities, be it cunt, cock, or horse for coin. Otherwise they just might start wondering, why the fuck they’re doing what they’re told by a bunch of villains with fancy titles.
“Who do we have in Caspo O’ Bor?” He asked Sudi, the man was stooped over one of Storm’s old canes looking ten years older. While he’d survived Maja’s poison, it didn’t appear Sudi had much life left in him.
“I’ll have to check chief,” Sudi replied, looking miserable under the sun.
“See if a ship we own left the port and its destination. Or cargo if it’s possible. You’ll find the contract in my locked drawer,” Storm ordered him.
“When do you want this?” Sudi asked and Lord Nattas groaned.
“Today. By morrow at the most.”
“What’s important about it?”
“My daughter seems to worry about a colleague of hers,” Storm explained. “Or employee. Why the fuck do you care? Anything from Utnas?”
“Nah, not many birds arrive from Rida these days. The news are scarce. We might have to hire some more unsavory characters for that. But with Titus gone, I don’t have his contacts.”
Dead of night… light a light… at Talons, the headless corpse of Titus gasped and Storm recoiled shivering all over.
“What manner of contacts did he have?” He snapped angry at Sudi for bringing his dead associate into the conversation.
“The buccaneering kind chief. They have eyes and ears on every port.”
Lord Nattas rolled his eyes at the hyperbole and threw in one of his own. “As do the thieves. How about trying them instead?”
“Milord, Lady Nattas has departed for her vacation,” Secundus announced the moment he entered his house. Storm stopped with a frown, trying to put two and two together.
Ah.
“Good Mister Sorex, anything else?” He finally said.
“A missive came from the palace.”
“Who is it from?”
“The man didn’t say,” Secundus droned.
“How do you know he came from the palace?”
“Last time he brought me a missive, milord went there,” Secundus elucidated earning a sneer from Storm.
“When?”
“After the change of the guard, Milord. The last of the day,” Secundus replied.
Oh fuck.
“Can we stop a bird carrying a missive from reaching Scaldingport?” He asked. Storm had forgotten to deal with the Queen’s ‘request’. “It might have a bit of a head start.”
A day?
“Why, it depends milord. How much time are we talking about? Then there’s the distance, elevation of course—”
“I wasn’t talking about shooting it down with arrows for crying out loud!” Storm hissed and Secundus frowned.
“I thought the query academic.”
“When I seek such type of queries answered, I direct them at scholars Mister Sorex,” Storm said sourly.
“Quite right milord. Now missives are relayed from spot to spot, or they make it directly to their destination, if the availability is there. Of course you need to bring birds with you, like Sir Lucius had,” Secundus seemed to be an expert on the matter.
Had Lord Ruud left birds for the Royals to use?
“I don’t know that,” he was forced to admit reluctantly. “Where’s the next stop to change carriers?”
“Sabertooth Castle. I can delay it, unless it has a Royal seal on it,” Secundus explained and Storm groaned inwardly. “But we may have less than a day anyway. When was the message sent?”
For fuck’s sake. Let’s hope Miranda forgets about it.
“Just leave it,” Storm grunted. “Is the cook here?”
“On leave still milord. His poor mother passed…”
Storm raised a hand to stop him. He couldn’t lose valuable time dwelling on the personnel’s minutiae.
“I’ll head across the street to the Bakery, grab something to eat that is fit for people,” Lord Nattas said and turned around and walked out of his house again.
Only the King of Lesia’s records of the Conference of Lords remain today, if rumors are true. Some primary or secondary accounts may exist, but are kept under lock and key, even forgotten in the years since. The historian must rely on his personal observations and memory of the events, important people’s words and missives exchanged.
Lord Ruud De Weer of Scaldingport ordered Jeremy’s return to Regia under a heavy escort of men-at-arms. Lord Sula of Demames, who was to make the journey with King Alistair Alden, returned to his city and raised a force of two thousand probably following the King’s orders.
The High King sent the Knights of the Royal Guard and a force of three thousand down the lakes to Eagle Nest’s Castle of the Granlake Marshes, not to be confused with the city of Eaglesnest built on the Northwatch Plateau thousands of kilometers away. They were to gather there and wait for word either to return, or cross the Mudriver Bridge into Scaldingport, the river running from Granlake to Forestfort and then Riverdor, not to be confused again with the Midriver Bridge of Lud River up in the North.
The orange and black Hydra banners of the Second Foot under its Commander Sir Marc Est Ravn marched through the Crimson Forest, crossed Chinos River almost at its sources and reached Riverdor from its north not often used approach. Seven out of the ten Regiments, or two thirds according to other sources, made the journey from Midlanor. The other three regiments would cross the Shallow Sea after they had gathered at Farvor and Pastelor earlier that month. They would land at Ri Yue-Tu in the Spring of 190 NC to start the High King’s and Midlanor’s bloody ‘two years’ campaign against the Khan.
The ‘Landings at Ri Yue Tu’ being the first amphibious assault of the war and while a tactical victory, now it is regarded as a strategic blunder.
They did leave the Khanate without a working port for a full year almost, so perhaps one mustn’t judge an operation’s worth with the benefit of hindsight. Considering how everything turned out, no one could have predicted the future, though some who already possessed the necessary knowledge perhaps should have suspected more, but were drown in a sea of their own vices and small agenda’s.
As vilified Minister of Silence Lord Storm Nattas mentioned in a letter.
‘There’s agony about what is happening in the North, a fear of the Golden Throne’s response and what is in the mind of our Lesia neighbors. That is us my friend, I won’t dwell on details about the other affair. The Khan dreads another attack from the Second Foot, though he has won emphatically in Raoz, taken Rida and Altarin. He just lost a frozen piece of land no one really wants, perhaps a couple of kilometers of rocky desert, yet he stands in bewilderment -cock in hand- as he has strangely run out of working ports in the Shallow Sea. Why, an astute man would argue this is but divine diversion and the real menace might come from another direction.’
Hours later Nattas carriage stopped at an alley near the central square and Storm climbed down followed by Secundus and Sudi.
“Wait here,” He told the balding lackey. “But keep your eyes open.”
“For what?” Sudi probed and sat on the steps of the carriage.
Storm sighed. “Listen, I know you’ve struggled lately. Do I need to hire a new guy?”
“I’m fine boss,” Sudi said. “You got Sirio anyway.”
“Well, he’s not exactly cut for your kind of work.”
“Nobody is. Don’t worry, I’ll be back in form soon,” Sudi reassured him. Storm felt a rare bout of remorse and grimaced.
“You had Maja figured out from the start,” he finally said. “I was wrong there, almost killed us both. Your idea with the Dottore saved me basically.”
“Boss you knew they were trying to kill you when the rest of us didn’t much believed it,” Sudi replied.
“Hmm, there is that of course,” Storm agreed. “They were after the Queen in their attack on the wedding by the way.”
Sudi narrowed his eyes. “The Queen.”
“Aye, the king after her,” Storm told him. “The knight that took that first bolt ruined their plans.”
“Who told ye that boss?” Sudi asked.
“She did. Why?”
“Do you believe her?”
“I think she’s telling the truth for the most part.”
Sudi grimaced, used a finger to dig at a gap in his teeth. “I’m not feeling it.”
Storm stood back and looked at him. Secundus had started pacing nervously back and forth behind him.
“Give me your reasoning,” he finally said.
“I’m not saying she’s lying, but firing into a table full of people to hit one woman, or a child wit a Scorpio is ridiculous, if it’s your goal.”
Storm glanced at the pacing back and forth Secundus. “She did say it was a fluke, despite using an expert allegedly.”
“It’s not a precision weapon boss and it can’t be, expert or not. Her story is flawed, or she doesn’t know what happened.”
Storm smacked his lips and looked at his soft leather boots.
“So you’re saying?”
“There was no target. They just wanted to cause mayhem. Take anyone out at random,” Sudi elucidated.
“Why use the Guild?” Storm asked.
Sudi shrugged his shoulders. “Secrecy, access to the Guardtower. Why not go after her again? Maja came after you a second time.”
“The client terminated the contract,” Storm murmured.
“Out of guilt? Or decency? Haha,” Sudi laughed and there were more gums in that mouth than teeth. “Nah, they had what they wanted is all.”
“What happened to the bodies of the insurgents?” Storm asked deep in thought.
“They burned them all in a big pile,” Sudi replied. “Hey, why cause mayhem though that’s the tricky part.”
“Stop the alliance,” Storm said.
“That points to the Khan,” Sudi suggested.
“Kelholt would never work with the Khan, nor would the Est Ravn. I just don’t see it,” Storm puffed out exasperated. “Something else is going on. If Maja didn’t know the real objective and the Priests were duped to get the blame…”
“Then what they wanted was more than breaking up the marriage,” Sudi replied. “They wanted Regia learning about the plot and perhaps get all worked up about it.”
Who are you going to blame next? King Alistair had asked him.
“The painted man,” Storm murmured.
“Boss?”
“There was a weird guy amidst the dead insurgents. Gordian mentioned someone also,” Storm said, but was interrupted by Secundus.
“It’s time milord,” Secundus said. “You better hurry.”
The Queen smiled seeing his expression and Storm gulped down nervously. The temperature inside her quarters warmer than expected.
“I had them lit the fireplace,” she explained and got up from the small rosewood table, the summer stola she wore totally inappropriate for the city of Alden, or the time of year. The light coming from the many lit candles illustrating her golden hair and a lot of other more risqué parts of her. “Alden is a cold city. Do you know whence the name came?”
“Of the city, your grace?” Storm asked looking at the fireplace, sweat beads appearing on his forehead.
“Aldenus was the surname our ancestors had,” Miranda explained. “When they arrived at the rich fields next to the Blacktiger Forest they asked a wandering hunter what the place was called. He said, this is where all tiger dens are. There were a lot more tigers back then. When they heard the term it stuck to them. Like an omen. All dens. The name of the city they created became a family. Each place has its people. We are not the same.”
Storm nodded. “It makes sense.”
“Does it? We don’t like chilly nights Storm,” Miranda added and offered him a gold goblet, adorned with red rubies. “We love the light and wine. The summer festivals and dancing.”
We girls of Aegium, was her meaning.
Like the silly song the whores sing.
He heard it again, the thousand teasing whispers of his youth, all accents and a mixture of heady female scents, perfume and rivers of alcohol.
Shed thee fool thy life’s doom ‘n glum
In a lover’s eyes devoid of fault
Dance naked in the sounds of the drum
Rejoice in summer’s white sands of salt
Wit the girls of Aegium
Storm stared at his goblet hesitantly. Being preoccupied with the mystery of the elusive men, or women that were behind the murders hadn’t given him the time to prepare for the Queen of Regia being tipsy and in a certain mood.
“You get to be my attendant for the night,” Miranda said and pointed at the bottles left on a wooden cart. “Wine, oh servant of Abrakas,” she added chuckling.
Storm cleared his throat and stared at the closed doors behind him.
“Lord Nattas?” Miranda queried, blue-silver eyes sparkling.
God darn it, Storm cursed and walked towards the cart. He grabbed a bottle and brought it back to her. Miranda was sitting on the chair next to the small table, her legs crossed. She wore no shoes. The left leg being on top, moving back and forth, the stola’s split ever growing. Storm, his hands shaking, poured as much wine inside their goblets as outside.
“It’s my wine, so I forgive you,” Miranda said, looking him over her goblet. “Bottom’s up.”
Shite.
The taste hadn’t improved since the last time he had it. Strong and syrupy, it burned down his throat. Storm almost choked, started coughing tears in his eyes, the Queen looking at him amused.
“I might have,” Storm croaked, “Some information—” But she stopped him, before he could finish.
“Have you found the culprits?” Miranda asked, putting her goblet down after she drained it.
“Not yet, your grace,” he admitted, his heart racing.
“Then if I can’t have my vengeance,” Miranda had told him. “I’d like to be amused, Lord Nattas. Do you know why they called the festival ‘Naossis indiscretion’?”
She turned into a diaphanous fish and went into the sea, Storm thought. Seduced Abrakas and gotten herself pregnant. Birthed two twins, half human and half fish. The gods got mad with her and tossed the babies into the sea to get rid of them.
But Abrakas kept them and turned them against their mother’s people.
Not exactly a happy tale, but people tend to not read the bad parts.
“It’s a cautionary story,” Storm had replied treading carefully and the young woman sighed from somewhere deep inside her. Never had Lord Nattas heard a more sensual sound.
“Just give me the pleasurable parts Storm,” Miranda husked, a wicked grin on her luscious lips, as if she could read his mind.
There was only one kind of pleasure Storm could offer her at that late hour.
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