A Soldier Life - 319 - (edited and first half)

**318 was edited thsi afternoon. There is not much new below. The Castile POV was just edited, and the Konstantin portion below was in his POV chapter, and below is just from Castile's POV...The second half of this chapter is the Renna POV. It will let you know about the state of the Telhian Empire through her eyes.... It will probably be coming on Saturday. Plan to write a Town Builder and edit 5 World Sphere chapters between now and then

Chapter: 319 Book 5 Epilogue

Castile looked over the young mage on the bed. She was probably attractive under the gag and all the grime. She sighed as she pulled the short knife hidden on her hip and cut the cordage and leather straps binding her ankles but leaving the hands tied. Eryk had gone overboard with securing her, and she didn’t want to waste time unraveling the knots.

She wondered what he meant when he said he was rough with her but doubted he had abused the woman. It wasn’t in his nature, but then again, she had been wrong about many men in her lifetime. He also couldn’t escape fast enough from the room after depositing her—so maybe there was some guilt. It was still unfathomable to her that he could store people with his dimensional spell form. She guessed she was even now underestimating his size.

Next, she checked the bandage wrapped around her thigh. It was still wet with blood and hadn’t clotted completely. The mage poison must be new to the Hounds, as she had never heard of it, or perhaps it was a secret. Since they frequently hunted rogue mages, it made sense. She cleaned and put on a fresh dressing. Eryk said healing potions would be less effective until the poison cleared her body, so maybe after she awakened.

She left the gag on for now and moved to the writing desk with Selena’s pack. She started emptying it and laying out its contents. The woman had certainly taken a small fortune: stacks of gold and silver and two modest piles of jewelry. She searched the jewelry but didn’t find anything that excited her aetheric probes.

Returning to the bed, she pulled away the gag. Eryk could have used something a little less soiled. As she cleaned the woman’s face from the water pitcher in the room, some familiarity struck her. Maybe she had seen a younger version of Selene during her time as a mage commander. Then again, the First Citizens were all related in one way or another, so she could be confusing her with someone else.

A knock came at the door, and she found Lirkin standing there. On seeing the bound woman, he looked over at the bed questionably. Castile gave him a look that now was not the time for questions. Distracted, he asked, “I wanted to see if you wanted something to eat. I will need to go to the market.” By his expression, he clearly wanted to know who the woman was, and his eyes bulged at the fortune on the writing desk when he noticed it.

“Yes. Prepare something for the three of us.” Castile ignored giving him details as she didn’t have them all herself. “How has the hiring been going?”

Lirkin snapped his attention back to Castile. The two servers who had worked the inn and cleaned the rooms had left when the establishment was sold, so he sought replacements. He was seeking probably four servers/maids and one barkeep. Lirkin planned to do all the cooking himself. Lirkin found his voice, “I interviewed a dozen this morning. I'm glad Mateo and Benito had already left; some were quite comely, and they would have scared them off. I talked to the wood carver as well for the new sign.”

“Oh, have you decided on a name then?” Castile said, still ignoring the identity of the bound woman.

“Yes, Adrian’s Rest,” Lirkin said.

“Fitting,” Castile replied, smiling, her throat getting tight. Castile finally indicated the woman. “She should be up in a few hours. Perhaps while you are out you can get some simple clothes for our guest. You can use some of her coin. And draw her a bath when you have time, I need to keep an eye on her.”

Lirkin nodded obediently, took two golds from the desk, and left. His mentality was still stuck in not questioning his mage commander. That would change with time if she stayed with him. He was a good man, and they might become intimate in time. She still wanted a family, and maybe when she truly felt safe, she would seek his bed if she didn’t find another.

Selene had light auburn hair and a soft, oval face. Castile checked her eyes to make sure she was not faking being asleep, a lovely soft green. She wished she had been blessed with such looks. She found it disconcerting that both Viridia and Selene were so lovely. Did Eryk have some type of heroic disposition for rescuing beautiful women? She smirked to herself as he had, in a way, rescued her, so by that logic, she would be considered beautiful even though she knew it was far from the truth.

Castile closed her eyes and sent out her all-seeing eye, a habit she had in the legion of checking her surroundings periodically if she didn't have legionaries on guard. The aether burn had not lessened with the lessons from Elaro, but she could see that their effectiveness would come with more practice.

She searched the building and the stables, finding nothing but the old innkeepers packing a wagon in the small courtyard out back. Another three days, and they should have all their things moved. Castile searched Selene with her hands for weapons but guessed Eryk already had. She did find a thin knife strapped to her inner thigh and smirked, imagining if Eryk had found it, what his reaction might have been. It at least proved he had not abused her in that way. She also found another secreted pouch with twenty more gold coins and added them to the desk.

She thought about stripping the mage as she had pissed her undergarments but decided to let her wake on her own first. Many hours later, the Selene Greko stirred. Castile waited until she opened her eyes groggily and started to panic. “Calm yourself, Selene,” Castile soothed. “You are safe and in the company of friends. I will free your wrists once you are fully awake.”

Selene’s mouth was dry and hoarse as she tried to speak, so Castile gave her water so she could wet her tongue and throat. Her voice was uncertain as she recalled events and took in the room. “Where am I?”

“Gramney, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Manch. You are in Adrian’s Rest, an inn in the city.” Castile said levelly and gave her more water.

“How did I get here?” Selene asked as she regained more alertness.

Castile couldn’t help but chuckle a little. “A mutual friend smuggled you out of the Empire. Don’t worry, according to him, they are certain you are dead.” Selene tried to sit up, and Castile helped her. Her eyes focused on her wealth on the table. Castile put her at ease, “It is all yours. Lirkin took some coins to get you some fresh clothes and food. But I have not touched a thing. If anything is missing, it is because he gave it to your legionnaires.”

Confusion and realization played across her face, “Helena and Sylvia live? Are they here as well?” Hope was in her voice.

“I don’t know if they still live. Your abductor left them alive, though.” Castile replied. “I am Mage Castile Duval, ex-mage commander of the Empire.”

Selene eyes focused on Castile. It looked like she was still fighting the oblivion pills effect. “Ex-mage commander?”

Castile didn’t know how to break the news softly, so just said it. “The Emperor is dead. Rumor is Duke Octavian is maneuvering for the throne and is close to seizing it.”

“Good! He killed my parents!” Selene said angrily, and the tendon in her neck bulged.

Castile observed her flaring anger for a moment before talking more calmly, “The Emperor was too addled to order the death of your parents. According to the man who rescued you, it was Centurion Sergius of the Western Hounds and Duke Octavian who plotted to gain your family's mines.”

Castile studied her reaction for a long time as she processed the news. Confusion, disbelief, and then anger passed through the woman’s face. “I knew Duke Octavian was involved but I thought it was at the direction of the Emperor. He was angry with my father after rejecting his son’s marriage proposal to me.”

Seeing she had gained an understanding of the situation, Castile cut the bonds on her wrists. “What do you plan to do now? You are far from the Empire, and Empire is being squeezed from all sides.”

In a deep, serious voice, Selene responded, “Whatever I can to make Octavian suffer the fate of my parents.”

“We are of the same mind then. It is best if we bide our time in secret and listen for news from the Empire. Acting prematurely will reveal our presence to Octavian. The Empire may collapse on its own; from what little I have heard, there is a goblin army in the south, Caliphate orcs in the west, and the Esenhem elves in the east.” Castile said, reassuringly.

Castile didn’t know why she couldn’t let it be. She could live in peaceful obscurity in the Grand Duchy, but she had too many debts to repay. Most of her legionnaires had died needlessly for the whims of the First Citizens. She needed time to recover herself, but it felt good to be one on the offensive instead of constantly on the defensive.

Lirkin’s footsteps sounded in the hallway, and he knocked, “A bath is poured, and food will be ready in an hour. Clean, used clothes are in the bath.”

“Thank you,” Castile said in a dismissive tone. Lirkin walked away. She turned to Selene, “Now, Selene, it will take time to build some trust, but you must not tell anyone how you arrived in Gramney…” The impressionable young mage could be molded into an asset and ally…

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Castile was sitting with Viridia Janus in the small apartment behind Adrian’s Rest. This was where Castile lived now, Lirkin having taken one of the inn rooms and having seduced his barkeep. She wasn’t a bad woman for him, a widow with two boys who worked the stables at the inn. She was slightly jealous of how easily he had fallen into the life of an innkeeper. Castile was having trouble letting go of the Empire.

“How is the burn today?” Viridia asked, concerned.

“Same. The exercises are working, but it is going to take time. Maybe in a year,” Castile said softly. The woman offered a sympathetic look. “Did Selene leave?”

Viridia nodded, “They left this morning to hire more guards for the olive orchards. I have faith that Selene, will handle the meddlers.” Viridia had been doing everything she could to gain control over her fractured husband’s Empire. The olive orchards were especially important to her, not just for the wealth they would bring but also because they spat in the face of Emperor Octavius, who now controlled the Telhian Empire’s monopoly on olives and olive oil.

In just another two years, her orchards would begin fruiting. Then, she could start encroaching on the Empire’s profits. Viridia seemed to think hurting the Empire financially was the best recourse. Selene Grecko, the ex-First Citizen Mage, wanted to take the fight to them, but they didn’t have an army, although Selene was training as hard as any legionnaire.

Castile had seen the Empire’s rusty workings from within, and she wanted to hasten its demise from afar. Her hope was for the Empire to collapse on itself without the citizens suffering needlessly. “I wanted to talk about our agents in the Empire,” Castile said while sipping cold wine. Viridia rolled her emerald eyes at her. It had taken Castile weeks to convince Viridia to sponsor a fledgling spy network. Castile knew they needed to act quickly before their relationships faded. There were very few people who they could trust with the knowledge the three women were alive and living in the Duchy of Manch.

“We can’t trust anyone from Telha,” Viridia groaned again. Castile thought she hated sending so much gold for possibly no gain.

Castile prepared the same argument again, “Viridia, we need agents in Telha. They only need to keep us apprised of what is happening.” Castile said patiently.

“But why a duchess?” Viridia bemoaned again. She had a hatred of all First Citizens.

Castile calmed. She had grown to like Duchess Veronica in her time in Sobral. The Duchess was a good woman and the only one left alive from Antonia Segreto’s network. “Duchess Veronica has no love for Emperor Octavius. I am surprised she has not been supplanted, but I suspect it is because Sobral Province has nothing of value,” Castile said patiently.

A little exasperated, Viridia lamented the cost, “Still, 2,000 gold?! That is nearly half of our budget.”

Castile explained for the umpteenth time, “She needs the gold to stabilize her lands and resist the pressures of the new Emperor.”

Something caught her eye. The door to the kitchen was kicked open. No one should be in the house. She cursed as the pain of aether burn flared as her shadow chains extended. If it was just one assassin, she could handle it. Her chains halted the attacker, constricting him. Castile was shocked by the scruffy gray-bearded face before her. She thought he was dead. Was he here to kill her?

“I am not here to kill you,” Konstantin wheezed out. She studied him and looked into the kitchen, seeing he was alone. She slowly released him but did not let her guard down. When he could breath easy, he asked, “Burnt?”

Castile’s face tried to remain impassive. How much had he heard? Whose side was Konstantin on now? “I didn’t recognize you for a moment. How did you find us? Did Zyna tell you where we were going?”

“Zyna is dead,” Konstantin said deadpan, his aged face betraying a hint of sorrow.

“I know, but she told Ignis to come here. I assumed she might have mentioned it to you as well,” Castile said, her voice heavy. Konstantin rubbed his sore chest, moving to sit down. His eyes were fixated on Viridia. She must have her artifact active by the glossy look in Konstantin’s eyes.

Konstantin shifted uneasily under Viridia’s smile. He licked his lips and coughed. “No, I found a pair of legionnaires who knew Eryk, and he hinted to come here. Was a bitch getting through Bartiradia, but we arrived this morning.”

Viridia brightened excitedly, “Sylvia and Helena? Are they here in the city? Selene will be excited to see them.”

“Yes,” he nodded. “They are searching the city. Selene Greko? Eryk, didn’t kill her?”

“Kill her?” Castile couldn’t help but laugh. “He brought her here and dumped her in my lap!”

Konstantin’s face twisted into uncertainty as he processed the content of her words. He asked, confused, “What? When? Eryk is dead.”

Castile stopped laughing but grinned madly, Eryk had that effect of you. “Dead? You should know better by now. He arrived in Gramney before us! Took an Adventurer’s Guild ship to Esenhem and portaled from the Elven lands here.”

Konstantin looked like he had been slapped. He whispered, “Alive.” He rubbed his face, but his eyes betrayed his happiness. “Where is the boy, then? " he choked out.

Viridia stood, realizing her presence wasn’t needed at the reunion. “I will go and tell Selene her legionnaires have arrived. I think it will be fun to see their shock.” She winked at Konstantin, who shifted uncomfortably. Castile looked back and forth between the two; she knew Viridia well, and it was clear she had some interest in the grizzled veteran. Perhaps she could push them together. It would be a way to tie Konstantin’s loyalty to them. Besides, Viridia bemoaned constantly that the only men who desired her in the city wanted her for her wealth and businesses. She smiled brightly, addressing Konstantin as much as Castile, “We can talk tomorrow after I take my children to the academy for classes.”

Konstantin watched Viridia leave with intensity. Castile needed to play this openly. Trying to deceive Konstantin would only end poorly. “Be careful around her. She wears a few artifacts to influence men to her will.”

Konstantin shook his head and hissed under his breath, “Knew it had to be something like that.”

“It only magnifies their underlying desire. It does not create it,” she said, breaking into a full smile. “That is Viridia Janus. Eryk rescued her and her children from Centurion Sergius’ blade. But Sergius killed her husband, Merchant Milo Janus.” A thread of hope rose in him, but he quickly pushed it down. A beauty like that would not be interested in a grizzled man like him.

“I killed that spawn of Cerberus.” Konstantin spat. Castile jumped for joy internally. That act should make Viridia extremely grateful to Konstantin.

“Actually, I was the one who killed him,” a voice came from the backroom. Castile jumped, and Konstantin indicated that she should remain calm.

“Gilda, you didn’t leave our packs unattended?” Konstantin motioned for a young woman to sit. He then introduced her. “This is Gilda, Antonia Segreto’s poisoner.”

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