Iron Blooded

The sun finally breaks the horizon, bathing the city in a soft yellow glow. Mist and steam drifted towards the sky as the water mage did his work on the remnants of the burning city.

The siege is over.

But the battle within Ceris had only begun.

My men drag away the corpses of Orks, piling them into carts to be burned. The people of Ceris watch with dazed expressions as we perform the grim work.

Among them, I see Markus’s wife. She stood tall, her hair in a tight bun and her expression fierce. When her eyes fell on me her face softened just an inch.

“Ser William,” she said. “I believe I speak for all of Ceris when I thank you for what you and your men have done for us. Many soldiers would have fled in the face of such odds. But you and yours did not, and for that, you have more than my thanks.”

She hesitated for a moment, eyes flickering towards the people. There were a few encouraging smiles thrown her way, and only her husband, Markus, seemed to disapprove.

“You have our loyalty,” she said suddenly. The proclamation caught me off guard. I was saved from conjuring a response from thin air when she continued, her face determined.

“There is a rumor that you mean to start your own Company in the Kadian Army. If this is true, then I, and others like me would like to pledge ourselves to your service.”

I was stunned to momentary silence. I could feel the weight of eyes on me - not only that of the villagers but those of my men, and of Blackthorne himself.

The Lord stood with his hands resting atop his mythic great sword, waiting for my response.

His expression showed no sign of anger but I had learned early that Lord Blackthorne was a hard man to read.

I would need to measure my next words carefully.

“I thank you,” I said. “For your loyalty and for your offer of commitment. But I must admit I lack the funds to sustain a full company. You and your families would be better off within Ceris-“

“Pardon me Ser William,” said a man I didn’t recognize. He was older, with a thick beard and a sun-tanned face. But the set of his shoulders was determined.

I quickly scanned his stats.

Class: Gaurdsman

Rank: Veteran Gaurd

Class: 28

“We understand the cost of war, all of us.” He said, his voice carrying to those around.

“We may not have been soldiers at campaign. But there are among us some retired guardsmen that still have fight in us. There is not much left for us here in the city. Many homes were burned, and livelihoods lost. We would, if you will allow it, join you and your men. We can sustain ourselves and our families for the first few months, and after that, we should be able to claim supplies. What say you?”

I ran my tongue over my dry lips as I thought. The decision was difficult, and yet.. I could see the merit in it.

After a few minutes of consideration, I posed a counter-question.

“Very well,” I said. “Let’s say I accept your offer. You would require equipment and basic travel necessities like tents and food provisions. Additionally, I would need a quartermaster to keep track of the inflow of monster materials and drops.”

Markus stepped forward, his eyes glittering in a way that I didn’t like.

“I am.. er.. at least I was a merchant of trade and goods within the city. I would be happy to take the post and lend my experience to your cause.”

Draxus shifted beside me, and I could sense his unease.

“Markus,” I said. “We meet again. Tell me, do you have any experience with bookkeeping and ledger work?”

Markus licked his lips, his expression eager.

“Of course Ser Knight,” he said. “I have been in the business of trade for over a decade.”

But I hadn’t been looking at Markus. I had been watching his wife. I saw her minute flinch, saw her look down at his words.

An honest person, then. Married to this man? I resisted the urge to sigh.

“Very good.” I was acutely aware of the eyes on me as I continued.

“Tell me, what is the value of Kadian Silver in the southern isles?”

Markus blinked, his face twitching slightly. He smiled uncertainly.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he said, nervously. “The value of silver is-“

“Do you know the answer?” I interrupted him, gazing past him towards his wife. Her lips had curved upward ever so slightly and at my question, her eyes rose to meet mine.

“I believe so, Ser William. In the Southern Isles silver is abundant, as the King owns many silver mines. If you were going to purchase something from the isles here in Kadia, and I’d advise against it, it would be wiser to use Gold marks, or Bronze Pennies if you possess them.”

I smiled and she returned my smile, shy. Markus was staring between the two of us, brows furrowed in confusion.

“Why would you advise against it?” I asked.

The woman blinked.

“Ser?”

“You said you would advise against buying goods from the isles here in Kadia. Why?”

She nodded.

“Because merchants from the Isles tend to overprice their goods. They are verbose people, outgoing and friendly. But they are expert salesmen, and never to be underestimated. Should you negotiate with one, I would recommend you know your price before you begin.”

“Kara what nonsense.. is.. what..” muttered Markus, his face a mask of irritation.

“You must forgive my wife Ser William. She is but a woman and not well versed in these things.”

I ignored him.

“Kara is it?” I asked. The woman nodded clasping her hands before her.

“Kara Donvier Ser William.”

“It’s Will.” I nodded to her. “I name you Quarter master and head of supplies. Go with Jorgen,” I gestured to him. “And seek out a Lieutenant named Giller. Tell him I sent you, and why.”

“I…” Markus was struggling to comprehend this sudden turn of events.

“Ser William, you cannot be serious. A woman as a Quarter Master?”

I turned my cold gaze on him.

“I do not suffer fools, Markus Donvier. That is your name, is it not? The name you took from your wife’s family. Their heritage is well known in Ceris I hear. So a man must come to wonder why a woman such as her is married to a worm like you. I cannot imagine it was by choice.”

Markus flushed a deep crimson and Kato barked a laugh.

Kara’s eyes widened in surprise but she didn’t contradict me. Instead, she turned and followed Jorgen back down the Main Street, her youngest child in tow.

The merchant had the wisdom to step back into the crowd, keeping his head low. But I could see the anger smoldering in his eyes and wondered if I hadn’t just made a mistake.

“Watch him,” I murmured to Hade. “I have a feeling he might be trouble.”

***

“We meet again, Captain,” called Draxus from beside me. His head was craned back, eyes fixed on the man now standing on the wall looking down.

The Captain’s face was stoic. He stared down from his group of soldiers, dislike evident on his face.

“I thought I made myself clear, Soldier. I have orders that the gate remains closed. Spare us your threats and tend to your own wounded.”

He made to turn away.

Lord Blackthorne stepped forward black cape swirling around him.

“I see,” he boomed. The soldier's eyes widened.

“And would you turn me away?”

The Captain’s throat bobbed, and he turned his head as if speaking to someone.

“My Lord,” he said, clapping a fist over his chest and bowing his head.

“I must beg your pardon. But I am but a soldier, and my Lord and Master have given me no uncertain orders. The gate must remain closed.”

“Lord and master,” Blackthorne’s lip curled.

“Is that what he calls himself now? Captain, I will not ask again. I am a Lord, and appointed Spear of the King by the Crowned Prince of Kadia. You dare to defy the will of the God King?”

The Captain’s eyes bulged slightly, his tongue darting across his lips like a lizard.

“My Lord Blackthorne,” he said in placating tones. “You must understand-“

Lord Blackthorne turned away meeting my gaze and nodded at me.

“I’ve heard enough. Break it down.” He said.

My men stepped towards the wooden door set beside the portcullis. It was thick and reinforced, but it would lead to the guard house.

I raised a hand, signaling to my men who clutched a heavy wooden beam. Sweat glistened on their necks and brows as they hoisted the wood up and forward. The Captain watched all this with wide eyes.

“My Lord Blackthorne!” He shouted, alarm evident in his voice.

“I cannot allow.. you are not sanctioned to… this is treason.”

“You dare speak to me of treason!,” Lord Blackthorne's voice was a rumble, its magical amplification carrying it across the courtyard and beyond.

“You and your master who stood by and watched your city burn? Flee now, captain. For if I or mine get our hands on you, your men will find yourselves swinging from the noose before the night is out!”

The rage in his voice surprised me, but I felt it mirrored in my own chest. The Lord Governor had played the part.

Had lured us under false pretenses and when the time came to make good on his promises, he hid with his court inside the House of Refuge. All while his people died, and Ceris burned.

The heavy beam struck the door with a resounding crash, and it shuttered on thick iron hinges.

“Again!” I called.

The Captain’s eyes were wide, and for the first time, I saw real fear in them.

“Stop!” He tried. Several of the archers along the wall drew their bows, aiming them at lord Blackthorne.

His own bowmen, carefully hidden among the surrounding rooftops dropped them within seconds. I saw a crossbow bolt take a man in the throat, his body tumbling backward off the wall with a heavy crash.

The beam struck the door again, this time with a splinter of wood. We were making progress, however slow.

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“Again!”

It took three more strikes of the heavy beam for the door to finally give way. Wood splintered, metal hinges tore from the stone, and the door fell inwards.

My men and Lord Blackthornes poured into the breach and there was a brief skirmish as the gatehouse was taken. Minutes later, the portcullis began to rise.

Blackthorne’s face was cold as he turned to me.

“Kill any resistance you encounter. Capture if you can but spare no one. These are traitors' Will. Not soldiers.”

I nodded, grimacing as I readied myself for battle. As the metal gate rose I followed the tide of men forward, flanked to either side by Kato, Hade, and Draxus.

What I saw left me numb.

Bodies littered the ground inside the wall. Men, women, children, soldiers there was no discrimination. They lay in puddles of blood, propped against the sides of buildings, or draped over rooftops.

Dead. And all of them without eyes.

“What the fuck,” whispered Kato. Lord Blackthorne’s eyes were chips of ice as he turned towards the steps that led to the battles.

“Fetch me the Captain,” he said. “Kill the others.”

His soldiers sprang to obey. The clash on the wall didn’t last long. Minutes after its end, the Captain was dragged down the stone steps by the back of his neck, and thrown at Lord Blackthorne's feet.

As the man gazed up at the face of his death, I saw tears leaking out of the corners of his bloodshot eyes.

“Why?” Growled Blackthorne, his voice trembling with barely concealed fury.

“There was no choice,” the man said, head shaking from side to side.

“He sees through our eyes. Don’t you understand? The Lord Governor knows. He alone understands. The master speaks through him. For that is his mandate. He is-“

Lord Blackthorne brought Dawnbringer down on the soldier's head. The body spit in two, spraying a fountain of blood to either side.

The swarm of flies, which had been feasting on the bodies only moments before, rose and descended on their new target.

My stomach lurched but I clenched my teeth against the wave of sickness that washed over me. The bodies had been dead since we left the palace.

But there hadn’t been any signs then, had there? My mind was racing and it was only Blackthorne’s presence that steadied me.

“William,” he said and I looked at him. “We have to get to the House of Refuge. There may be survivors there, though I doubt it. If the Lord Governor is attempting a summoning…” his jaw clenched.

“Then we stop it at any cost. Listen to me, once we enter that palace we stop for nothing or no one. Trust your instincts, and guard your mind. Promise me this.”

I swallowed, nodding. Then I drew air into my lungs and hardened my heart. There would be no mercy today - not for those who deserved none.

I let out the breath and with it any inhibitions. Then I follow Lord Blackthorne past the bodies and up the steps towards the Dome of the Palace.

The silence is eerie.

As one we ascended the stone steps towards the palace doors. They stood ajar and within was nothing but darkness.

There was a scream from somewhere within. A howl of agony unlike any other. And the voice of a woman.

Lord Blackthorne gestured for his men to open the door. The soldiers sprang forward, gripping the edges and swinging the heavy doors open on creaking hinges.

A gust of air struck me. It smelled of rot and decay.

My sword and shield were raised and as I stepped inside my eyes adjusted to the lack of light.

Xandria stood over the corpse of a guard, wiping one of her Mythic daggers on his tunic. At the sight of us, she turned.

Her eyes were wild, her face sprayed with blood.

“Finally,” she rasped. It sounded as if she had been shouting. The man, presumably the one who had screamed, now slumped lifelessly to the floor.

Xandria was accompanied by her two Darkblades, each of which stood silent guard, their swords out and low. They dripped with fresh blood, the light beyond the doors reflecting in their soulless masks.

“You took your sweet time Hadrian,” said Xandria conversationally.

Lord Blackthorne didn’t answer, nor did he lower his sword.

“What have you found?” He asked her. The Inquisitor's eyes flashed with irritation.

“Corruption,” she said. “Code Black. I wasn’t certain before, but now,” she gestured around at the hall. “Well, can there really be any doubt?”

“It’s him?” Asked Blackthorne. “You’re certain?”

Xandria’s eyebrows rose and she laughed, a hoarse cruel sound.

“That old fat fuck? Dear throne no. It’s her, Blackthorne. The Mind Mage. It was her from the beginning I suspect.. but then, what can one expect if they allow a wolf into their home?”

Cold was creeping up my spine at her words. The Mind Mage.. the one I had spoken to at the party. Violet, had been her name.

A muscle ticked in Lord Blackthorne's jaw. He turned, boots squeaking on the polished granite.

“Where?” He asked Xandria. The Lady Inquisitor smirked.

“The Throne room, where else?”

Lord Blackthorne nodded to his men.

“Form up,” he said. “We end this here and now. None leaves that throne room alive.”

“Yes, my Lord!”

Echoed off the halls.

“Will,” Blackthorne turned to me. “Take point with me.”

I did as I was bidden, exchanging looks with Draxus and Kato as we took our places. What lay beyond those doors, we couldn’t know.

Yet we would face it together, like men.

Xandria let out another bitter laugh.

“You would bring him with you?” She asked, eyeing me coolly. “Knowing what he might be?”

I frowned and opened my mouth to ask what she meant but Lord Blackthorne waved a hand.

“I trust William,” he said. “More so than I trust you, or your thrice blasted Inquisition. So far your investigation has been less than useless. Gone are the days when the Inquisition had the power to root out the festering disease and cut it out like a cancer. Now you all wait for the Army to do the dirty work for you, and never mind the consequences.”

Xandria stuck her tongue in her cheek, her expression calculated.

“Hard to do when the rot comes from within.”

At her words, one of her Darkblades jerked his head towards her. Xandria paled and the blood drained from her face. Her lips twitched and trembled slightly before she turned away.

Lord Blackthorne didn’t miss it. His frown deepened and something flashed across his face. Anger? Regret?

But then he blinked, and the mask of the cold Lord had returned.

“Do not hesitate,” he called to his men. “For you stand with me. And our enemies will fall at our boots.”

Then at his signal, the second set of doors were yanked open.

No guards rushed to meet us. No secret army waited within.

The throne room was strangely empty and our boots echoed off the walls.

At the head of the room sat the Lord Governor himself. He was a robust man, large jowls spilling over the color of his doublet. His pudgy hands gripped the arms of his guilted chair, and he blinked at us as if he had never seen us before.

“Lord Blackthorne?” He asked, his voice halting. Beedy eyes darted between the Lord, myself, and the soldiers behind us.

“What is this!” He snapped, chair creaking as he sat forward.

“You dare to draw weapons in my presence? This is an act of war, Blackthorne and I will not tolerate it. Guards!”

“Your guards are dead,” said Lord Blackthorne. His voice was surprisingly calm, but beneath the surface I sensed his anger lurking.

“Dead?” The Lord Governor’s bushy brows met and he shook his head, jowls quivering.

“That’s not possible,” he muttered. “Is this a coup? You wish to take my place as Lord of Ceris do you? Well, you’ll be disappointed. The God King would never sanction such a thing.”

The Lady Inquisitor’s laugh rang through the chamber. Her heeled boots clicked as she strode past Blackthorne.

“Do not speak his Radiant Majesty’s title, you fucking heretical pig. Look at you, lounging in your own filth. Unable to see that you were disposed of months ago. You don’t rule here, and you never really have. Not since you allowed IT into your home.”

The Lord Governor bristled, eyes brimming with anger.

“You dare!” He shrieked, slapping the arm of his chair.

“The Inquisition has no foothold here. I could have you whipped for your insolence, woman. Remember your place, and remember it well!”

Xandria yawned.

“Take him,” she said to her Darkblades.

Lord Blackthorne reacted in surprise but before he could protest, the Darkblades stepped forward. Their black cloaks swirled around them, undulating like liquid.

Their silver blades were raised before them and from behind their masks came a chant. An ominous sound that filled me at once with wonder and dread.

Light burst forth, rippling down their blades and casting a glow across the granite tile. They advanced as one, and the Lord Governor shrank back with a shriek.

But not before a shadow stepped to his side.

“Ah,” said a voice that carried through the hall. “The Inquisition. You truly are parasites and persistent ones at that.”

Violet stood behind the gilded chair, her arms resting atop it. Her chin was propped on her arms, and her smile was coy. There was no fear in her and that alone was enough to give me pause.

“Xandria!” Called Lord Blackthorne, all formality forgotten. It was too late.

One of the DarkBlades shifted and his foot froze misstep. The pause was sudden, as was his sudden stillness.

In the wake of Blackthorne’s shout, the room was silent. I raised my sword, shifting my grip and readying myself to charge the woman now standing behind the chair.

That’s when it happened. The Darkblade jerked suddenly, the movement unnatural and violent. Then light emanating from his blade went out.

His arm jerked upwards and the fingers twisted, snapping like splintered wood. The man tried to scream but was unable to, held in place as blood poured from beneath his mask.

Violet’s lips drew into a wide grin and she spread her arms to either side.

The Darkblade’s mask crumpled inwards with a sound like a crushed can.

A blast of energy was released followed by a scream so loud and piercing that it rattled my very soul. My hands flew to my head as my vision flickered.

A psychic scream. Dear god, I’d just witnessed the death of a Mind Mage.

“G-“ Xandria had taken a sudden step forward, but just as fast she stopped in place, eyes wide with panic. Lord Blackthorne moved quickly, raising DawnBringer over his head and calling forth a strike of power.

That arc of golden power dissipated by the time it reached the throne.

Violet snorted.

“You are all but spent, Hadrian Blackthorne,” she said, biting her lip in amusement.

“A shame. I would have preferred not to kill you. But these things can’t be helped.”

She threw out an arm and made a sudden twisting motion. The soldier next to Blackthorne's head exploded.

“Fuck,” shouted Draxus, diving to the side in a clatter of armor. “Don’t let her focus on you.”

The soldiers reeled in uncertainty. Blackthorne shouted orders but that was lost in the chaos as more soldiers began to seize, convulsing as blood sprayed from their eyes and mouth.

“Charge the throne!” I shouted. “To me!”

My men rallied as best they could. Blood mist filled the air, thick and metallic. I saw Lord Blackthorne charge forward, Dawnbringer raised. A blast of Psychic energy sent him skidding backward, only barely able to keep his feet.

She shouldn’t be this strong. I tried to scan her level but I was repelled, the force enough to make my vision shudder.

Growling, I grabbed the spear from one of the panicked soldiers, the man blinking in surprise. Then I cocked back my arm and threw it.

The spear clattered harmlessly off the wall near Violet's head but it was enough to draw her attention. Her eyes flicked sideways towards the noise and I acted. Shedding my shield I sprinted towards the throne, sword raised for a two-handed strike.

I ascended the steps to the dais, roaring as I brought my blade to bear. Violet jerked in surprise, her eyes widening when she saw me.

Then of its own accord, my body froze. I strained, teeth bared as I fought the invisible force that now held me. I might as well have fought a stone wall.

Violet grinned viciously, satisfaction written in every line of her face.

“Now now, Ser William,” she crooned. “That’s no way to treat a lady.”

Only my eyes could move. I glared at her, anger blazing through them as I tried to convey my fury. My killing intent.

Violet waved a hand and a soldier that had charged with me collapsed in a spray of blood.

I made a sound in my throat, half howl, have bellow. My men, she was killing my men. And I was helpless.

Suddenly the Lord Governor let out a sound. It would have been impossible to hear over the noise if I weren’t standing only feet away.

The man jerked, far quivering as his eyes bulged. Violent’s unnaturally wide smile made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

“Oh,” she said softly, her eyes rolling back in ecstasy. “He’s ready.”

Ready? And then as I watched, the Lord Governer began to change.

His bulging eyes popped so far out that they tumbled from his face, held in place by strings of nerve.

His mouth, open in a scream was forced wide. A dark clawed hand forced its way out, gripping the side of his jaws and forcing them wider until they cracked.

His skin stretched like a grotesque balloon, splitting at the seams and weeping crimson blood. From the pile of meat and viscera, climbed a creature.

It stepped from the skin of the Lord Governor like a man might discard clothing.

It was tall, with long limbs and a skull made entirely of metal. Its eyes were black holes, and its body.. its dark body seemed to be an imagination of faces. Skin stretched, mouths, open in screams. The creature smiled as it saw me staring, revealing two rows of sharp white teeth.

Then, it winked out of existence.

“No!” Roared Lord Blackthorne from somewhere. “Get-“

There was a flash of dark light and a burst of energy. The feeling of it made my flesh crawl, made me want to crawl beneath a log and never come out.

It was unnatural. It should not be. My teeth gritted so hard I thought they might shatter. I threw myself against the invisible wall that held me fast, as the screams of men dying filled my ears.

Violet watched me struggle with relish. She reached out a hand, stroking fingers along my face.

“For you, William I will end it soon. Don’t struggle. It will be better for everyone.”

Then I felt it. The foreign presence in my mind. The pressure was intense and immediate. Remembering my lessons from Lord Blackthorne I guarded myself against it, emptying my mind of all conscious thought.

I focused instead on my breathing. Steady, and unending. The shouts and clashes behind me tugged at my thoughts threatening to distract me. But I breathed in and out, pushing even that from my mind.

I felt the icy claws of the Mind Mage skittering across my inner defenses, searching for any weakness.

I must keep my calm. I must keep my-

“William!” The shout was enough to penetrate my concentration.

Draxus? Or had it been Kato. My fucking friends.. my men. I should be there.

Growling I thrust the thought away, but not before Violet had exploited my weakness as she slipped inside my mental defenses.

I retreated quickly, throwing up barriers of concentration as I went. Trying to slow her. But her presence in my mind was powerful. It was unlike anything I had experienced, even in when the Darkblade invaded my thoughts.

Pain lanced through my skull and I breathed hard through my nose as my eyes watered. There was a steady ache gathering behind my eyes.

I could feel Violet’s invasion, feel her pulling at my thoughts, ripping at them to get at me.

“Look at you,” said her voice in my mind. “So strong, so resilient. And yet you serve the wrong master. Your false God is nothing more than a shining vale of deceit.”

Her words echoed in my head as I retreated further and further into my mind. She pursued me with loving relentlessness, relishing the flashes of fear I knew she now felt.

“Pointless,” she whispered to me. “So pointless. But you peons are all the same. Marching to your deaths like cattle. Always on your knees for the slaughter.”

Rage ignited in me and I stopped my flight. Holding fast in the walls of my mind as she approached. I tried to shove back but was met only with pain. My nostrils flared, eyes bulging as the pressure built. Dear God, It hurt. But I couldn’t stop. Not now.

I shoved back against her and Violet let out a noise.

“There there,” she crooned, lips pouting. “Don’t cry.”

She had seen the tears leaking from the corners of my eyes and mistaken them for tears of sorrow.

“My eyes,” I whispered in my mind.

“What’s that?” Her voice was crooning, inviting as she tore down my defenses. Ripped apart what made me.

“My eyes,” I growled. “They’re stuck open.”

Violet laughed in my mind, the sound like a thousand crawling spiders.

“Where will you run?” She asked. “There is nowhere to go. And when I have you I’ll make you regret it.”

I threw a memory from my old life in front of her like a shield and she swept it easily aside.

“I know what you are,” she said “I am the same. Or was, once? An outworlder. Someone to be feared, and hated. That is the way of things, no?”

I didn’t respond. Suddenly I felt again. The air was cold and dark. My boots splashed as they struck water. It sloshed around my ankles as I froze in place inside my mind.

In a dark doorway, Violet stood, her eyes glowed red like that of a demon.

She advanced on me, holding out a hand and I felt an iron grip close around my throat. Somewhere outside of my mind, she had control. Or so she believed.

As I fought for air I saw Violet’s triumph reflected in her eyes. Her painted lips quirked as she held me fast.

“I wanted to spare you the torment,” she said. “But you had to make it hard.”

She punctuated the last word with a jab of mental pain that made me sag in her grip, falling to my knees. Cold dark water sloshed around me.

Violet’s eyes slid from mine to the water. Her smile faded slightly as she inspected her surroundings.

“A mind palace,” she said, expression thoughtful.

“From you? Well well William, you are so full of surprises.”

I coughed a response. Violet arched a brow.

“What? Speak up, darling.”

“Not me,” I said. Violet stared at me uncomprehending.

Then I looked down. And her gaze followed.

My reflection stared back at her as I panted for breath past the pain. Violet’s brows drew together as she studied it.

“What’s..” she said.

Then the me that wasn’t me, smiled.

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