Utopia Falling, page 11
Terrified horses.
The harrowing sounds of anguish filled the narrow passage as death reverberated inside The Stand.
The Comforts of Home
Hensdale: 27th day of the Salmon Moon
Reyne
Reyne looked about his bedchamber, unsure how long he had been out or how he got there. The front door to the dwelling appeared ajar, as seen through his own open bedroom door. Sunlight crawled along the walls, giving off enough light for Reyne to guess afternoon in Hensdale on the Feast of Teth had arrived.
His thoughts, though, were interrupted. His head was ready to explode. Reyne lowered both hands to the sides of his temples and let out a tremendous groan. Nausea overtook him and he heaved. With nothing in his stomach, save a few alphen nuts, nothing came up except pain. With determination, he pushed through the miasma.
He wasn’t certain if he was alone. How the hell did I get here? Where’s Daedyn? Anybody?
He reached for the compulsory lume crystal jar set atop the sturdy yet petite side table. Reyne spotted the washbasin with the promise of cool water on the wood dresser. He glanced at his reflection in the small mirror propped against the treestone wall. A single maple-wood dresser, made by his father, stood in the corner.
Reyne looked at the washbasin. The cool water might be refreshing. Anything to get rid of this pain.
He swung his feet over the side of the bed. Looking down, his boots were still on. His feet were hot in the calf-high leather coverings. He pulled them off, one at a time, followed by his thin wool socks in need of a good washing. He planted both feet on the coolness of the treestone floor.
Ahhhh, that is good. He wiggled his toes.
Standing slowly and continuing to let the cold surface soothe his hot soles, he moved from the bed and stumbled across the spartan room to the small washbasin. He plunged both hands, palms up, into the water. Reyne’s hands delighted in the coolness. He raised them, cupped together, and slapped the liquid prize on his face. Silvery wetness caressed his skin. Refreshed, his face reacted, almost as well as his feet, at the relief. Water splashed over the back of his neck and he rubbed. There, he found it. A tiny bump on the back of his neck.
His hand stopped moving.
Pressing his index finger over the small pimple-like bump he just now discovered. Bug bite?
Reyne strode through the short hallway between his room and the front door. Daedyn and Reyne both grew up in the house they once shared with their parents. Since their deaths, the brothers now called it their own.
He stepped through the heavy open door, reaching his hands to the lintel above. He stopped there. His hands caressed the bottom of the lintel. As was customary for inside walls, artisans stripped treestone timbers of bark and smoothed the surface once set in place. The hue treestone treated timbers gave off, in the light of day, resembled the natural tan color of untreated ironwood, though a shade darker. Reyne’s hand rode each upright timber, jumping from one to the next until his hand landed on the front door. The sensual habit spoke to his soul, comforting him. It told him, you’re home, you’re safe.
Reyne looked about. Daedyn was nowhere to be seen. Nobody was anywhere to be seen, but, why was the door open?
He looked out over the alphen orchard, scanning for a sign, any sign of anyone. He still didn’t know how he ended up in his bed. The last thing he recalled was resting on the bench back at the market square.
How long ago was that?
A shadow or something out of the corner of his vision grabbed his attention. Someone was there. But the pain didn’t let go of its firm grip on him, making it hard for him to give attention to the moving object. With every bit of concentration, with every bit of strength, he raised his head long enough to see the old beggar from the market square coming through the last line of trees along the edge of the grove. Moving fast with purpose and…
Heading straight for him.
Sovereigns Always Get Their Way
Teth: 27th day of the Salmon Moon
Derr
Sounds of the stampede faded from Derr as the horses thundered further away with each passing moment. How far down the forested passageway the outcry of death would carry, Derr was uncertain, but relatively sure not far enough to reach either end.
Dead men.
Dead women.
Shattered lume crystals.
Fallen swords.
Broken spears.
All of it scattered everywhere across the landscape of death. By the faint glow from crushed lume, Derr, alone with his friend Rotti, looked over the carnage.
They were the only ones who remained standing. They stood in silence, looking over the horrific carnage of what were once human bodies.
With cold dispatch, Derr studied every detail. He always studied every detail. It was only death. Some were the men and woman of the KCG, which gave him pause.
Hanging from his neck, the green, soft-toned light from the lume crystal provided enough support for their eyes to make out the extent of the slaughter.
His entire unit, every one of them, dead.
Skulls crushed. Legs exhibited more qualities of pounded steaks than human body parts. Faces rendered flat, appearing two dimensional against the gray mass of scattered brain tissue sprawled about The Stand’s passage floor. Tattered remains of KCG uniforms clung to, or driven into, raw flesh provided the only discernable way to identify which side the dead gave their lives.
Dark soil on the forest floor obscured the blood that splashed everywhere. In a small way and without the perforce ritual of the Temple of Life, the Cycle of Return took what it was owed.
Derr spoke first, “Rotti, look at the clothing on the dead bodies of the assailants. It’s common. They all appear to be commoners, or they hid their origins by trading for standard garb off-street scum. These faces are too badly mangled to make out any identifiable features.”
Derr kicked away a detached arm. “Looks more like a club than an arm. No detectable markings to help identify these broken bodies. Can’t tell most apart. Can’t make out man or woman.”
“I got nothing,” Derr confessed to Tomelai. “Yet.”
“Among the broken, bloody bodies, the nondescript clothing, and the shattered weapons, it’s going to be tough figuring out who these people were,” Tomelai said.
“The KCG will find out who was responsible. We’ll take every step necessary to piece it together. My team’ll studied this mess of dead bodies for answers.”
The two survivors walked through the dead, inspecting each carefully. Derr stopped. “Quiet, I heard something.”
Tomelai froze in place.
“Listen, over there. Someone’s still alive.”
Derr and Tomelai walked over to the survivor, who was from their own KCG. Her body was badly broken, much of her flesh pounded into raw meat. A wonder she remained alive given the looks of her. The flesh of the woman’s face was half torn away, from a hoof that came down and scraped skin and muscle away from her skull. One eye hung loosely from its socket, still attached by a tangle of nerves anchored somewhere inside her head. Her legs were both crushed at the thighs, and blood was freely flowing where her crotch had once been. A barely perceptible sound gurgled from somewhere in the remains of her throat.
Derr looked up at Tomelai and pursed his lips. “That, I’m guessing, was once Lieutenant Richelle.”
Turning to the dying KCG compatriot, Derr said, “You served well and with honor, Lieutenant Richelle. May the Community of Life welcome your life force into His world for you to join the Circle of Life.” He didn’t believe in the Temple of Life’s faith, but somewhere back in his mind, he remembered Richelle did. For her, he said the words.
Owing to Derr’s sense of duty, he slipped his sword into what remained of Richelle’s chest. It was a rare moment of heartfelt compassion from Derr. The woman didn’t deserve to die in slow agony. Even if she couldn’t speak, her misery was obvious, as was her relief at being released from pain. His blade eased through her heart. Derr owed at least that much to Richelle.
“Goodbye, my friend.”
Tomelai said nothing.
The two continued their walking inspection.
Tomelai noticed movement off to his right. He pointed. “Look over there; something moved.”
Derr walked over to the man and, looking down at him, said, “He’s one of theirs.”
As for the lone assailant still alive, Richelle had fared much better. The man was writhing in agony. With what could have been hands, he grasped at his crushed windpipe; the man was shallowly gulping for air from the hole in his throat with every breath. His mouth didn’t move. Derr considered the once human-looking chest and suspected the assassin’s right lung hung loosely from what remained of his rib cage. A small wonder breathing was possible, even with great difficulty. Less of a wonder was the obvious intense agony the exposed lung delivered at the cost of its continued use.
Tomelai looked at what was once a man and said, “Well, at least I think he still has hands.”
The unknown assailant’s shin had been crushed. His foot connected only by a thin strip of skin stretched from his pulverized ankle. But just barely.
Derr was content to let him die slowly. He deserved to writhe in pain forever if left to Druin Derr. It wasn’t. Tomelai’s sword came down hard on the man’s neck, biting deep. Blood pulsed from the dying man’s neck and throat. His neck spit blood for several moments. His throat gurgled, then stopped.
Derr looked up at Tomelai, puzzled. Tomelai just shrugged. Derr was furious, but he didn’t let it show. He was sure Tomelai cared little if he was livid. Calming his tone, Derr said, “We should’ve let him wither in pain, Rotti. He’d be dead soon enough.”
“We are the only two survivors once again, Drew,” Tomelai said in a cold, emotionless tone. The Chancellor showed little concern for the dead men and women. Even his own, who’d been sacrificed by Derr for the Chancellor’s benefit. “What do you suggest now?”
Derr knew his friend all too well. Tomelai’s concern for others, outside those he let in, was nonexistent. In public, he was good at hiding it. They weren’t in public.
“I can’t just walk into Teth with the Captain of the KCG by my side.” Appearances were always important to the Chancellor.
“Men died for you, and all you can fucking think about is how it’s going to look if you just walk into Teth with one man at your side!” was what Derr wanted to say. What he wanted to shout. What he did say, however, “A second unit of KCG will be the first to arrive. The main body of your processions should be through a little while after that.”
“I’d like to change the plan,” Tomelai stated. Derr understood it as an order.
“What do you suggest, Rotti?”
“We meet up with the second KCG unit. Get this mess cleared out. Bag whatever you want to take, and then I wait with the second KCG unit on the far side just before we exit. I’ll wait there for the rest of our procession to catch up. We all exit The Stand together.”
“The KCG I sent ahead this morning to clear everyone from that side of the passage will be, or should be, at the other end, holding off all traffic. No one is getting into the passage from the city’s side. Unless these bodies here dispatched our advance team somehow.”
Tomelai just looked at him.
Sovereigns always get their way. He’d get what he wanted. As Chancellor, he always got what he wanted in the end. Derr stayed silent for a moment, just short enough to avoid pissing off Tomelai. “I’ll make it work.” Druin Derr couldn’t have said anything else to satisfy his friend.
“Our men will get this cleaned up before the main body of your entourage gets here. We placed a rear-guard protection unit just inside The Gate where we entered. Didn’t want anyone following us from behind. They’ll be along in a few minutes. All part of the plan. The KCG is experienced at cleaning and removal in situations like these. Something we both appreciate all too well. It’s not our first rodeo.”
They both stood in silence before Derr spoke up again. “And our people at the other end should be able to round up the horses before they show up riderless.” Derr kept his eyes looking down.
The Chancellor offered a concern, “But I’m going to guess the Teth guards will not want The Gate to stay closed for too long.”
“We paid them well,” Derr said before continuing. “I made sure no one will get through The Gate on either side until I give the order for the Teth guards to release the crowds. Shouldn’t take too long. Our men will be along soon. In the meantime, we can press into the shadows and wait. Safely.”
Derr and Tomelai backed up against the massive trunks of two nearby sequoias. Derr placed the dark cloth over the lume crystal hanging around his neck. The two men faded into the darkness, consumed by the surrounding trees.
Chancellor Tomelai and Captain Derr had survived. His people, all dead, but his Chancellor remained alive. He did his job. Among the dead were loyal men and women of the KCG, who’d followed his orders without regard for their own safety because they trusted Derr and because they were dedicated to their sworn duty to protect Chancellor Tomelai.
Derr said, “A second attack in the aftermath of the first is a possibility. But it makes no sense. They expected to succeed here. They sent their entire force inside. Somehow, they bypassed the city-side of The Gate. Found a way to bypass our advance team. Found a way to kill the lights. I don’t get how they did it, how they pulled it off, but they did.”
Saddened at the loss of his comrades, yet proud they’d sacrificed themselves to save the Chancellor, Derr didn’t feel guilt at the decision he’d made in the heat of battle, killing everyone on both sides except himself and Tomelai.
“Rotti, there wasn’t time to remount. Our team had to keep them engaged. If we broke off to gain the horses, everyone would’ve been cut down. It had to be that way.”
“You do not owe me any explanation, Drew. You did what had to be done.”
“I know. Just wanted you to know I only sacrificed everyone because it was the only option.”
“I never gave it a second’s thought.”
“You’ll see their families are taken care of.” Derr’s words came out more of a demand than as a question.
Without speaking, the Chancellor offered a slight nod in reply to Derr. His friend would do the right thing. The intimate trust Derr and Tomelai shared demanded nothing less.
Tomelai walked to one of the lightless sconces. Derr followed him with his eyes and spoke, “Rotti, let’s not relight any of the lanterns. I preferred to keep you in the shadows. We’re hard to see in the dark, and if I’m wrong and there are trailing assassins out there, better you stay in the dark while we wait for the second KCG unit to arrive. I’m aware you don’t always pay close attention when you and I review our plans. Trust me. They’ll be along soon.”
Tomelai didn’t reply but backed away from the sconce. The two returned to waiting in silence. Chancellor Tomelai trusted Derr. His men would be along soon.
In the faint light, Derr studied Tomelai. Perplexed at first by the look on the Chancellor’s face, his apparent lack of interest at his own dead, along with the Chancellor’s far-off stare, made Derr wonder about the man beside him. Derr wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, having faced certain death moments ago. And it hit him. Fuck me. Does he know something about this? And why did he kill the only one of them left alive?
Minimal light radiated from the small, broken shards of lume scattered among the broken bodies pierced the pervasive darkness. A tomb for the dead lumps of meat once human, the passage seemed more like a crypt than a tunnel. In near darkness, the two men quietly waited for the next wave of KCG to arrive. Dead bodies didn’t concern either man much. They had seen it all too many times. This wasn’t the first assassination attempt against Chancellor Tomelai in spite of what the Covenant demands.
Derr thought he had heard horses but couldn’t be sure.
Where did this assault start from? Had they hidden amongst the sequoias all night waiting? How did they snuff all the passage lanterns at the same time? He had a lot of questions and no answers. Yet.
“They should be along shortly,” he said to his Chancellor with a hint of suspicion taking shape in his mind.
Derr recalled discussing the KCG’s plans with Tomelai. Out of concern for his wife, Tomelai moved her to the head of the Adelle procession scheduled to follow shortly behind Tomelai’s group. He told Derr it served two purposes, her safety, and it put her out in front of the Adelle entourage.
But did it? Derr pondered. I should have seen it sooner.
When had he ever agreed to make a grand entrance without the First Lady on his arm? Shit, she was usually the main attraction. Everyone loves her. Him, not so much. The people of Teth tolerate him. Unless, of course, he experienced sincere concern for her safety. Fuck me! Derr had a lot to think about. He always had a lot to think about.
But why didn’t the other end of the passage stop the band of assailants from entering? They had to enter some other way. Could they have hidden their weapons along the passage in between the giant trees?
He turned his thoughts to the stampeding horses. Derr calmed his concerns. He had confidence in his team on the other end. The agents placed at the opposite end of The Stand would certainly recognize the Chancellor’s horse and gather all of them before they enter the city riderless. Of course, Derr considered his team might not be there any longer. Compromised? Dead? He didn’t expect so. He would have the answer soon enough.
Derr crossed his arms over his chest, bent one knee back and rested the sole of his boot against a trunk, and returned to watching. With his arms crossed, he was thinking. He had a lot to think about. He was always thinking when he was watching.
“Guess we now learned why everything has been so quiet and buttoned-up in Teth. Someone wanted us feeling safe enough to let our guard down,” Tomelai said while staring straight ahead.
