They
walked through the city wondering how it could be so empty. The old imperial
setting was still just about recognisable by the shape and size of the buildings
but it had been brutally altered by the Tlaxacans. The ordinary houses and
shops had been turned into a warren of barracks and armouries. No-one had lived
there who had not been connected with Whitecloak’s army and the place still
smelt of oil, fire and molten metal. However, in the middle of these
preparations for war the inhabitants had apparently all left, with no sign of a
struggle, no blood and no bodies.
Von Eisen had had the whole city searched and
eventually they had found a few wounded human soldiers who had been unable to
move. He had them interrogated and they explained, quite readily, that the
creatures that they called, in their tongue, Yaxcuan, the ‘green eyes’, had
come to the city and started to sing. The kinaam slaves that they still had
with them, numbering about one thousand, all stopped obeying orders and had made
their way towards the main gate. Then a
strange old, elf had come to the gate and ordered everyone to leave, stating
that he acted by order of the Emperor Pallatian. A great fear had come over the
few remaining humans inside the city, abandoned as they had been by their
slaves, and they had fled, leaving only their invalids behind. The kinaam had
also left, going out to greet the Yaxcuans as if as long lost siblings – and all
of the kinaam’s eyes had turned green.
The Crimson flame knights rapidly filled the
city, but felt distinctly uneasy. The spoor of the Tlaxacans were everywhere and
the areas where the slave kinaam had been herded and corralled, where they had
been flogged and manacled, were clearly visible. Von Eisen’s first task had
been to clear away as much of the structures that had been added on to the
imperial city by the enemy as possible. He had hoped that these activities
would raise the morale of his men, but this didn’t happen rapidly, as the other
aura, that of the green-eyed Yaxcuan, seemed even stronger than the kinaam. This aura made them feel that
they were in the wrong place, that they were trespassing and made them want to
go home.
Three
days after they had taken the city, the Baron and Balliwick met in the main
hall of the old imperial palace, a building that had been used by the Tlaxacans
as a drill hall. All around them the knights were taking out the furniture and
fittings and burning them on a huge bonfire. The knights gave their two leaders
a wide berth – they had all noticed a growing tension between the two men and
feared both of them, particularly when they were angry.
Von Eisen stood stock still while Balliwick
circled round him.
‘We can’t stay for long here’ said Balliwick,
‘it’s a foul place and it’s only a staging post. I recommend that we move on
before the week’s end’
The grandmaster folded his arms and scowled.
‘We need to regroup and establish our own
defensive position here. That will take several weeks. As for the place seeming
foul –you can see how quickly we are removing the detritus of the enemy – soon
it will be sweet again’
‘But that is not the only thing that is foul
about the city – can you not smell that other kinaam smell – the weird residue
of those green-eyed abominations?’
Von
Eisen rather pointedly smelled the air.
‘I smell nothing except the stench of our
enemy, and that is easily washed away. You are creating problems where I think
none exist’
‘Are you not concerned about the green-eyed
beasts?’ asked Balliwick, shivering slightly, ‘are they clearly not our enemies
as well? And may they not be more dangerous with their witchcraft?’
Von Eisen stared into Balliwick’s face. His
gaze was steady, while, for once, Balliwick’s seemed to flicker and sway.
‘I smell no evil but that of the Tlaxacans. I
cannot say what the green-eyed creatures are, or who it was that came and
ordered the White Devil’s men away, but they are not necessarily evil, whatever
you might think. They did not fight us and they seem content to leave the city
in our hands, at least for the time being. How do you know that they are not
agents of the empire?’
‘I think you are mistaken’ said Balliwick,
‘and I think it is a mistake to underestimate such evil… It is unnatural and
unsavoury. As for their connection to the empire, if an emperor would consort
with such creatures, then he is gravely mistaken’
Von Eisen took a step back as if his advisor
had struck him. He stepped forward again, a look of intense anger on his face.
‘It is not up to us to decide what is right
or wrong for the Emperor. I am shocked to hear you say such a thing… and it is,
I am afraid to say, not for the first time’
Balliwick tensed and then smiled, but there
was still a tremor ticking in his face.
‘Of course, my lord’ he said, ‘that is not
what I meant at all. I was simply suggesting that at such a distance the
emperor might be distracted or mistaken, or, more likely, that the green-eyes
are lying about their connection with the empire. They are also clearly led by
a crazed elf, who pretends to be proconsul’
Von Eisen relaxed slightly and unfolded his
arms.
‘It is, of course, possible that the
green-eyed kinaam are evil by nature, but they did not ally with the other
Tlaxacans and they have not harmed us in any way. In addition, we cannot be
sure that this elf who calls himself Bellis is not the real proconsul. I
suggest, however, that we leave these things to a time when the emperor can
decide them…’
Balliwick interrupted him.
‘Remember the plan – you are to be joint
rulers – an Emperor in the West and a king in the East! Monurbis is in your
sphere of influence – you are ruler and so you should act according to your
will’
Von Eisen nodded as if remembering something
very important.
‘Yes, “the King under the Emperor, but not
inferior to the emperor” – that is what you have always said. I must act in
place of his majesty for the time being, particularly if he is long delayed’
‘Yes, you must’ said Balliwick slowly and
gravely, ‘and that means acting quickly, so as not to give the enemy time to
regroup. I propose that we send the first scouts out into Eddorre tomorrow and
the main army in four or five days time.’
Von Eisen folded his arms again and frowned,
thoughtfully
‘I am torn’ admitted the Baron, ‘between your
wise advice and my internal counsel of caution. I know that time is of the
essence, but we must establish a strong defensive position here, and that
cannot happen overnight’
Balliwick slipped back into his old urbane
manner. It was clear, even to the grandmaster, that he really wanted something.
‘Can I just suggest, my lord’ he said, ‘that
you send a sizeable scouting party out soon…’
‘That I can agree’ confirmed von Eisen, gripping
Balliwick by the shoulder, ‘and we should not argue, my old friend, as our aims
are identical, if not always our methods’
Balliwick’s face softened and he nodded in
agreement. He bowed and then looked up like a puppy admiring his master.
‘And my lord – can I ask you a benefice to
add to the many you have bestowed on me so far…’
Von Eisen laughed, thinking that he knew
exactly what Balliwick wanted.
‘You can lead the scouting party, if that is
your desire…’
Balliwick bowed again, and when he looked up,
the Baron half suspected that he saw relief on the Ethian’s face.
‘Thank you, my lord – you are most gracious’
Von Eisen sniffed the air again – all he
could smell was the wood smoke from the bonfire burning outside the palace. He
sensed nothing else in the air of the city now, but it was clear that something
was making his advisor suffer – he looked pasty and drawn, and the Baron
wondered if he were getting any sleep.
‘I am sorry that you find the city so
oppressive’
Balliwick looked as though he was about to
deny this, but he stopped himself.
‘I would prefer to be away doing something
useful’ he said simply, ‘I feel the force of evil very strongly here, and I
would prefer to put several leagues between the green-eyed monsters and me. Is
that acceptable, my lord?’
Von Eisen let go of Balliwick’s shoulder and
then grasped his hand very tightly.
‘Of course – your comfort and health is vital
for our cause. You may leave in the morning with a number of the troops who
feel as you do. I estimate that will be
five thousand or so – it should be enough. We will discuss the details in the
morning’
Balliwick retreated backwards for a few steps
and then turned and left at a rapid pace.
Von Eisen considered the gutted interior of
the hall and began to imagine it, redecorated in all its imperial glory once
more, and on the long wall at the far end, a majestic portrait of the King of
Eddorre.
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