The High King: A Tale of Alus (3 page)

Casmus, a small town centered on the road that passed through it, was the most commercial town of the area. This was where the local farming community met to meet their needs. There was a blacksmith, a few shops carrying both their needs and a few wants and a large inn with white siding fronting the packed dirt street. Little more than a dozen buildings made it the biggest town around.

The sounds of metal and wood clattering against each other could be heard in the air outside of a large wooden barn well before they even entered it. The whole trip over to Stephen's barn at the south end of the small, town of Casmus had been spent by Simon trying to convince his younger sibling to return home. The shepherd Janus simply watched the exchange and kept his opinions to himself as he waited for Gerid to finally lose his temper. He knew the younger man well enough to know that he would and also knew that Simon was his employer so anything the young man said would only end with him in trouble with one or the other.

As they were about to enter the barn, Gerid finally turned around and let his brother have it. "Enough, Simon! We're here now. If you want to know why Stephen is arranging these training sessions, then go and talk to him. I have nothing to say to you that I have not already said and I have a lot of men waiting for me to teach them. So leave me alone already!" the young man complained before stomping off to greet several men that had left the shadow of the barn to meet with him.

Simon watched as the others greeted and spoke with Gerid. They gave the man a hero’s welcome tinged with the easy respect of friendship. Their manner surprised him. He wondered what exactly his brother had done to warrant such complete admiration from these other men. Was it the stories of his fighting the soldiers of Merrick? It was possible, but this rapport seemed built on more than just stories.

As he watched the men beginning to break up into sparring pairs both inside the barn on its wooden floor and outside in the grass, Simon made his way to one of the benches surrounding the fighting area. He guessed that the furniture had been brought from Stephen's inn, which was built closer to the road for ease of travelers while the barn could serve as a stable or storage for the inn or farm. The barn and a small, separate stable were set far enough behind the inn to make them more secure for those that chose the White Horse. Simon noted that the quality was quite nice considering that they were made for the first floor of a tavern. He figured that Stephen must be doing well. The inn would bring a good income especially on such a well traveled road. That led him to question just why a respectable business man would be conducting sparring sessions, which could cause King Merrick's anger to be turned towards him. From what Simon had heard about the lord's evil moods, it would not be a very wise thing to test.

Simon was still caught up in his thoughts, when a man moved in front of him causing him to look up. He blinked into the light cast by the doorway and the sunlight as it dropped in the west.

"I noticed that you have brought your sword, Master Aramathea. Would you care to spar with me for a little while?"

Simon looked at the man's face uncertainly. He had never met this man before and wondered at his seeming familiarity before Simon asked, "Do I know you, sir?"

The man chuckled and shook his head with a smile still on his face, "Probably not, I would guess. I saw you enter with Gerid and Janus and based on your resemblance to Gerid, I made an educated guess. Your brother has spoken of you often enough and I figured that you would wind up here eventually.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. My name is Stephen Tarsis. I own the inn and this building as well, of course," Stephen stated as he extended a hand to be shaken.

Simon frowned, "So you are the man who has started to begin a rebellion. I'm guessing from your words that Gerid has already been talked into your camp."

"No, no, no," Stephen pleaded with his hands acting as if to hold Simon's words back. "This is not planned as a rebellion, Master Aramathea. We simply have gathered here to learn to protect ourselves. Your brother chose to help us train. If Lord Merrick continues on as he is however, I am afraid of the troubles that will occur in our land. Those who were once barely eking out a living before, are on the verge of starvation after these new taxes. Most of these men are good honest people and will do what they can, even if they need to borrow if their pride can take that. Others will finally be pushed too far. They are the ones that we are preparing and arming ourselves for here."

"You are training to fight starving, desperate people?"
"Of course not!" the man replied slightly alarmed by Simon's perception of things. "We would surely join with them."
"But you just said that you weren't doing this to start a rebellion..."
"Yes, I did, but should an uprising start then we will join the cause that is most just. At this moment, I would definitely say that I would support those being starved to death by Merrick."
"You're insane," Simon replied as he crossed his arms defiantly.
"Why? Just because I can see the tyrant that Merrick has become? If the poor are the first to be destroyed by these taxes, how much longer will it take before we of moderate wealth are reduced to poverty as well do you think? I have a nice inn and stables. I own some farm land. I do make a nice living, Master Aramathea, but even I am beginning to feel the effects of King Merrick's demands. He is doing it excessively and unnecessarily. His army doesn't require the amounts that he is taking. Why does he even need an army of such size, the kingdoms surrounding Marshalla have been living in peace with us for over a century now. The pirates aren't that large a threat either. If you can justify his reasons, Master Aramathea, then perhaps I will change my opinions and send these people away."
The two men stood staring at each other for several moments, neither knowing what more to say. Neither seemed willing to push the conversation further. Finally, Stephen ended the tension between them as he smiled and said, "Well, you're here now. Why don't you come join me in a sparring session, while we think of ways of persuading each other? I hear from your brother that you have trained as well, perhaps you can teach me something that your brother has not."
Simon nodded thinking on Stephen's words and followed the man to an open area of grass in front of the barn.

King Merrick had brought Kar'esh and his winged warriors to one of the highest towers of Grimnal Castle. There were many rooms in this tower, but the most important was the top floor where Merrick had his most cherished of sanctuaries. It was a series of rooms occupying the entire floor filled with artwork and tapestries all dedicated to scenes of war. The room had once been his father’s study. Now they stood within and faced southwards from the balcony across the rolling hills of Marshalla. The cliffs that dropped into the North Sea and helped defend the impressive castle lay on the eastern side of tower and could be seen if one craned their necks in that direction from the balcony. Besides the art and tapestries, the series of rooms were also filled with a library of books greater than any other on North Continent. The vizier was also certain that Merrick had barely bothered to even scratch the surface of the wondrous tomes despite his father’s attempt at education. They were merely remnants of more humane and studious rulers, like Merrick's deceased father, Monrer.

Kar'esh and his minions were like minded apparently as they roamed throughout the various rooms only interested in the weaponry found there. They too cared little for the books of this world's past. Krulir sidled up to his lord sitting in a stuffed, leather chair watching the winged creatures in amusement. "My lord?" the vizier spoke softly.

"Yes, vizier?" the lord asked without removing his gaze from the monsters that he had brought to this world. He watched them like a child with a new set of toys from over crossed fingers which were bracing his bearded chin.

"Is it truly wise to have brought these demons into the castle? We don't really know their
temperaments. They could turn against us at any moment and their powers seem great."

The eyes of the lord turned for a moment on the vizier. He was frowning slightly, "You doubt me? You talk of wisdom and yet you unwisely question me? You may be vizier, and often your particular wisdom is needed on certain matters, but just because I use your knowledge for my benefit, don't you ever deign to question my wisdom, Krulir."

"I apologize, m' lord. I would never willingly question you. I was merely expressing my fears, though I know little of the circumstance of these creatures before me."

"Do not fear, Krulir," Merrick charged
unwaveringly. "I wouldn't have brought them over without making certain that I had a way of controlling these beasts. If you have been unable to guess at it, I shall tell you. From what I have been told, their world has been getting much hotter of late. My sorcerers have been talking with Kar'esh and his people for months now. Their crops are drying up and wilting. Animals are dying that they need to eat. In other words, their world is dying. We worked out a plan with them. Kar'esh and a score of his warriors have come through to work for me to defeat my enemies. When they are fully crushed and these creatures have earned my trust, then I've promised to bring more of their people to our world."

The king rose from his high backed comfortable chair. He clapped a heavy hand upon Krulir's shoulder, before moving around the desk towards the stone skinned warriors. "Perhaps it is time to see these gargoyles begin working off their debt, eh, Krulir?" Merrick crossed over to Kar'esh, the gargoyle leader, who now stood examining a large mace on the balcony. "Kar'esh!" the king shouted with exuberance. The winged warrior looked down at the lord (with what the vizier thought was a look of disdain, though the creature’s facial expressions were hard to read for a human). My friend how would you and your warriors like to get out and stretch your wings a bit, while doing a favor for me?" The gargoyle stood silently awaiting Merrick's point. Realizing that the creature would not share in small talk, the lord went on, "I have a pair of soldiers hidden outside of a farm in that direction," Merrick pointed roughly southward from the balcony's vantage. The sun was beginning to set now and they could make out the first of the city's lanterns being lit below the castle. "My enemy has hidden himself within that farmstead. I would like for you to fly there and destroy all who live there. The men I have there will be lighting torches to guide your flight."

The gargoyle leader nodded, "As you wish. Would you have us go now?"
"Yes, Kar'esh," he answered with a dark smile of contentment. Noticing the mace clutched in one large, clawed hand, he added, "You may use any weapons that you find here, if you like, my friend. I'll see you after your safe return," Merrick finished and walked away from the creature as he retreated back into the warmth of the castle lights.
Krulir stood back and watched as the gargoyles stepped one by one onto the balcony following their leader's call. Kar'esh spread his wings as well and leapt from the landing with mace in hand. The score of warriors were all in flight with various pieces of weaponry that they had gathered earlier. The vizier stepped to the balcony as the final gargoyle disappeared over its edge. Watching their powerful wings carry them over the castle walls and out over the city, Krulir shook his head worriedly. "Merrick has made a pact with demons, I know it. No good can come of this certainly," he said quietly under his breath.
The sky continued to darken and the creatures faded into the evening air.

Simon stood with the others on the White Horse Inn's porch watching as the evening sky steadily darkened. When the men had finally broken up from their sparring, most went back to their nearby farms and homes. Stephen had insisted the brothers remain for dinner, however, offered a nice spread thanks to the inn’s kitchen cook. They had accepted the meal offer, if somewhat reluctantly on Simon's part. After spending most of the day with the man and talking with him, the elder brother actually had to admit that he liked the innkeeper.

"It's a nice view, isn't it?" Stephen spoke over the pipe that he now had in his mouth as an after dinner relaxer. A small cloud of smoke left his mouth with each of his words. Simon watched as the gray cloud wafted slowly upwards and away towards the horizon in the west. To his vision, it soon mingled with another even darker cloud that was actually far off in the distance.

As Simon noticed the second formation, it took him a moment to realize it was unusually dark and rising from the ground. "Look!" he said pointing it out to everyone, "there must be a fire blazing."

Janus nodded calmly before unease started to cross into his face, "It lies in the west, Master Simon. You don't think that it is near to your home, do you? It is coming from that direction, I'm afraid," he said climbing to his feet to try and look over the hills between him and the smoke. He held onto the spindled column supporting the center of the overhanging porch roof and attempted to pull himself up high enough to actually make out its origin.

Simon frowned worriedly. He tried to judge the distance and direction that the billows came from and wondered how close it was to the inn.

Gerid stood calmly. "Even if it is not, it's too close to our home. It could be the Laurels to the south also. We need to go and find out, if we can help one way or the other." He turned to their host, "Sorry, Stephen, we will need to be going as quickly as possible. Thank you for your hospitality just the same."

"No need to be so formal, my friend. A fire is no small matter, even when it is a small one in these hills and meadows." He clapped a hand across Gerid's back and leaned in worriedly, "Maybe I had better come to help you. I think that some of my neighbors would be willing to come help as well."

"No, no, we don't know that it is anything really," Simon started, though worry was still taking root despite his strong front.

"Nonsense, Simon. We should all work together to look out for each other if our lord will not. If a fire gets out of control at this time of year, everyone will wind up suffering from it as well," Stephen insisted. "Go on ahead. I'll alert my neighbors and we'll be there right behind you.