A Soldier's Life - 183 - Corruption

Chapter 183: The Empire’s Corruption

Even with the men still exhausted, they were strapping on their armor, getting ready to join me. I was fully rested and slightly surprised I had slept nearly five hours with the ring active. My companions were grumbling and making obsequious remarks regarding the First Citizen’s greed.

The grumbling and noise of activity were stopped when Castile appeared in the doorway with Adrian, “Stop! I will be the only one going with Eryk.” Everyone went silent to face Castile in a nightshirt, and she motioned for me to join her. I moved into the hallway with Adrian and Castile. She held out her hand expectantly to Adrian, “Do you have the audience request?”

Adrian handed Castile a heavy parchment, and she crumbled it after reading it. She stared straight ahead, thinking. Already in his armor, Konstantin came into the hallway, “Castile, I think I have a solution. Give me an hour.”

Castile’s eyes focused on Konstantin, and silent communication passed between them. “Go!” She hissed, not liking whatever aid he was offering but accepting it. Konstantin belted his blade and took off at a jog.

I watched the old scout jog away, wondering what that was about. Adrian broke the stressful moment, “Why is Count Cato requesting an audience with Eryk?”

“Count Cassius Cato is going to request Eryk into his service,” Castile said, irritated.

“Just send him a letter saying I decline, problem solved.” I shrugged, thinking this situation was not as bad as I had thought.

Castile shook her head mournfully, “It is not that easy. They are clearly after the amulet if First Citizen Boris is involved. Foolish to put his name on the request, alerting us, but he is an arrogant pixie prick. My guess is Count Cato is going to make you a tempting offer to join his service. Then force you to turn over the amulet.” She locked her eyes on mine and added seriously, “Or just kill you for it. I am guessing that is the fate First Citizen Boris has for you after you embarrassed him in the duel.”

My past sins were coming to haunt me. I should have accidentally killed him. “I could give you the amulet to hold,” I offered. That was the last thing I wanted. The scorpion room had my dreamscape library and the people I had created. Even hidden behind a wall, Castile would eventually find it if she used the amulet every night.

Castile laughed mirthfully, “I have too many favors I owe myself. That amulet would be called on to pay any number of debts. Unbelievably, it is safer with you.”

Adrian offered a possibility, “We only have twelve men, Castile. The minimum for a mage company. Deny his request outright.”

“It is a weak argument but one that I planned to use. Do you know anything about Count Cassius Cato? I think his Citadel is in the city of Pambarel. He must have fled to his villa in the Capital when Esenhem took the isle of Amatalhos.” Castile waited for Adrian’s reply.

The nobles of the Telhian Empire were divided into Dukes, Counts, Barons, and First Citizens. Dukes ran entire provinces and had substantial power. Counts ran the large cities and reported to the province’s Duke. Barons ran regions within the provinces with small cities and towns and drove the economy of the Empire.

Adrian shrugged helplessly, “I don’t know the Count. Pambarel is a coastal city. I am guessing he made a decision for self-preservation between the orcs and the elves likely to invade the mainland.”

Castile was in night clothes that hugged her thin frame. Her health had suffered with us in Caelora, and she had not recovered fully. “You can’t refuse the summons of a First Citizen, so we have to go, Eryk. Hopefully, Konstantin’s plan is viable.” She grimaced slightly.

Adrian asked, concerned, “What do you want me to tell the soldiers waiting to escort Eryk.”

Castile thought and smirked, looking at me, “Tell them Eryk is bathing. He doesn’t want to be dirty for his audience. It will be an hour or so.”

Adrian grinned, nodding, and headed to the lobby to delay our departure. Castile snapped her fingers, “With me, Eryk.” I followed Castile to her room down the hall. She began changing into her clean travel clothes. As she changed, I averted my eyes. She asked, “If you want this all to go away, you can just give away the amulet. Even if Konstantin succeeds, there will be others seeking your artifact.”

Castile was right. It was also an invaluable tool that I was underutilizing. “I don’t want to give it up,” I admitted. Castile nodded, accepting my decision, and she finished dressing, ready to accompany me.

“I will do what I can, but I do not have much power when it comes to the First Citizens. Konstantin’s Praetorian Master is not a First Citizen either. So I don’t know what she thinks she can do. Your best recourse may be to sell it and get what you can for it.” Castile advised seriously. “Otherwise, you will always be looking over your shoulder for First Citizen Boris Angella’s retribution.”

My blood started to boil at the helplessness I was feeling. I tried to calm down, “Why is Justin Cicero on the audience request?”

“Boris Angella and him are friends. I learned that from Duchess Veronica. Count Cato is Boris’ Uncle. At least, I think that is correct. They are related somehow, like every First Citizen. They probably solicited his help to put weight behind the request. If we had time, we could summon Duchess Veronica to the Capital, but there is no portal in Sobral, and it would take her weeks to get here.” Castile sat on her bed, patiently fixing her hair into a bun.

Adrian came up fifteen minutes later, “They are getting aggravated.”

Castile nodded and stood, “Wet your hair, Eryk. Adrian, tell them we are coming.”

I went to a pitcher nearby and sniffed it before using it to wet my hair. That done, I stood, and Castile walked slowly downstairs with me. Six soldiers waited in the lobby of the Legion Hall with a very irate-looking Magistrate in pristine white robes. I was guessing the Magistrate was here to make this official. Adrian nodded to Castile as the soldiers boxed us in and escorted us out of the Hall to the villa.

We couldn’t talk openly but walked slowly, forcing the impatient Magistrate to walk at our pace. Castile asked, “Why is an Imperial Magistrate assigned to escort a lowly legionnaire to a summons by a Count?”

The Magistrate looked constipated, “Two First Citizens have accused your legionnaire of stealing from them. The Count is supporting their claims.” Castile missed a step, and I started to have flashbacks of how I had been forced into joining the Legion when I arrived in the world.

Castile calmly asked, “Which First Citizens and which items are they claiming he has stolen.”

The Magistrate slowed and pulled out a scroll and slowed while he read it. “First Citizen Justin Cicero claims legionnaire Eryk Marko was tasked with carrying his adventuring gear and retained it rather than having it sent to his estate. First Citizen Boris Angella claims you unjustly took his family’s sword in combat and are in possession of an artifact that rightly belongs to him.”

Castile processed the words, “We should go to a Truthseeker to clear this up. The First Citizen lost his family’s blade in a fair contest. He has no right to the artifact. Whatever the value of the equipment Justin Cicero claims, I will pay double for his trouble.”

The Magistrate was obviously not happy about the use of his time but continued on. “There is already a Truthseeker at the villa. This will all be cleared up shortly. If your legionnaire is innocent, he will be on his way in short order.”

Castile cursed under her breath and whispered to me, “I doubt they are going to limit their questions. Most likely, the Truthseeker is an ally of Count.” She addressed the Magistrate, “Can my legionnaire get a Magistrate to represent him?”

The Magistrate rolled his eyes, “If he is found guilty, we can proceed with a formal trial if you wish, mage commander.” That seemed to silence Castile as we walked to the upper city. The tightly packed row of villas outside the Imperial Palace walls looked like the nobles were squeezing their secondary residences in the capital together in order to get as close to the palace as possible.

Some villas had a pair of legionnaires outside, and some had house guards. We stopped at a villa a good distance from the walls of the palace grounds. This seemed to indicate the Count didn’t have a lot of standing within the Empire. We climbed the steps and passed two more guards flanking the door. The lead guard of our escort took us to the back of the villa.

The outside of the villa had not been impressive, but the interior was extravagant, with polished marble and colorful paintings. We entered a formal dining room. Boris and Justin were seated smugly, flanking an older man at the head of the table. The familiar white and gold robes of an Imperial Truthseeker stood behind the Count.

The Truthseeker was a woman with age lines on her impassive face. The fact that she was not seated at the table was sending alarm bells in my mind. She was standing in deference to the Count. All six guards remained, moving to stand along the room's walls, blocking an easy exit for us.

The Count smiled cruelly, “Mage Castile, your reputation precedes you. I only requested the presence of your foreign legionnaire. The charges are quite serious. I would be willing to dismiss them if he agrees to a term of service in my household.”

Castile clenched her fists, “He will answer your questions, and we will be on our way. He has not stolen anything from these First Citizens.” Justin made to talk, but the Count looked him down, and he remained silent.

The Truthseeker took the queue and asked, “Do you wear the black blade of House Angella on your hip, legionnaire?”

I looked to Castile, who was staring at the Truthseeker, her eyes showing only fiery. I answered the Truthseeker, “No, the blade is mine.”

The Truthseeker shook her head slowly in disappointment, “He lies.”

Castile gritted her teeth, “There was no spell form. She is not discerning the truth.”

The Count smiled broadly, “Are you questioning the integrity of an Imperial Truthseeker?” The Magistrate had sat next to grinning Justin Cicero, and my heart began to sink. This whole thing was a shame inquisition. It didn’t matter if I told the truth. Even if we eventually got before Truthseekers, who were not corrupt, I was guessing this little session was designed to get both the runic blade and amulet, and then I would never see either again.

Castile seemed to sense a trap. She pulled herself back and considered her response. I looked at the soldiers in the room. They all had their hands hovering near their blades, ready to react. I was guessing the Count, Truthseeker, and maybe the Magistrate had access to a few spell forms. I had no choice but to follow Castile’s lead.

Castile addressed the Truthseeker, “Are you Selena Cato? Count Cato’s sister?”

The Truthseeker’s eyebrow went up in surprise, “I am surprised you know of me. I am flattered, Mage Castile.” She wore a thin smile.

I wanted to wipe the smug smile on the Truthseeker’s face and then remove the heads of the grinning Justin and Boris. My hand drifted to my hip, and the guards tensed. The First Citizens just smiled, maybe expecting my reaction—a reason to kill me now and speed this along. A commotion back in the villa had a pair of guards leave the room. Had the company come to rescue us?

A few moments later, a very angry woman yelled, “Move out of my way. Do not dare to touch my robes.” High Mage Zyna came storming into the room. Her dark blue robes rode around her like flowing waves. Castile’s shock only matched the Count’s own disbelief.

The Count stood and bowed, “Chancellor Zyna. What brings you to my humble villa.”

The fire mage looked angry as she surveyed everyone present. Her eyes narrowed at both the Truthseeker and the Magistrate. She quickly puzzled out what was happening. She addressed, “I heard my legionnaire bodyguard was summoned to answer for crimes without notifying me.”

The Count stumbled, “You are mistaken, Chancellor. This legionnaire is in the service of Mage Castile.”

Zyna tersely countered him, “You are mistaken. She transferred him to my service when I joined her to hunt Traeliorn Kelran. I NEVER RETURNED HIS SERVICE BACK TO HER. HE IS MINE.”

She relaxed and smiled, going from belligerent to sweet in a blink of an eye. “You can check the official records to confirm it.” High Mage Zyna took the seat at the other end of the table and crossed her left leg over the right. “I can wait.”

The Truthseeker was the first to gain enough courage to talk. “We are only questioning the veracity of the legionnaire’s claim to his possessions.”

“Proceed then,” Zyna said with a hard smile as she slammed a black Sphere on the table, leaving a dent in the expensive-looking surface. It was the same sphere that the Truthseeker had produced during my questioning after Macha.

The Truthseeker seemed uncertain but finally asked, “Legionnaire, do you have a dreamscape amulet in your possession?” The sphere on the table glowed, and I assumed it allowed Zyna to make sure the Truthseeker was actually using her magic.

“He does not,” Zyna said patiently and held out her hand to me. “It is my dreamscape amulet, and he was holding it for me.” Her palm was face up, and I thought she wanted me to hand her the dreamscape amulet. I looked to Castile for direction, and she gave me a slight but uncertain nod. She was just as much in the dark as what was going on. Reluctantly, I produced the amulet and placed it in her hand. It disappeared into her pocket. “Anything else?” Zyna’s expression was smug, as if she had just won a victory.

The Truthseeker looked to the Count for direction, but he was stunned by the Zyna’s appearance. “There is the matter of First Citizen’s equipment.” A large gold coin was tossed on the table and rolled toward the Count. No one moved as it stopped and spun in place in front of Justin.

“More than fair compensation for equipment he most likely abandoned,” Zyna said flatly.

The Truthseeker was looking for help from the others, but no one aided her and I think they were afraid of Chancellor Zyna. The Truthseeker meekly started to speak, “The runic weapons of the Angella family…”

Castile interrupted, “Legionnaire Eryk won the two runic weapons in combat, and Duchess Veronica confirmed the results of the duel herself. You can confirm with her with a message sending. The third blade was lost in the under city of Caelora—you can go claim it yourself.” The veins on Boris Angella’s neck and forehead bulged in anger as he saw everything slipping away.

“It appears all the charges have not been found valid, Magistrate Dominic Cato. You will have the charges dismissed and logged as found less, and note that the matter is closed.” We had to wait while the Magistrate produced and signed the prepared papers. It was clear they were fearful of the High Fire Mage. High Mage Zyna confirmed the documents and took them with her as she stood.

She paused in the doorway, looking directly at me, “Come legionnaire, you are still in my service.”

I looked to Castile, who seemed at a loss, but we both moved with Zyna, her blue robes flowing in front of us. When we reached the street, Zyna slowed down and took a comfortable walk. Castile asked, “Why are you a Chancellor, and what is going on?”

Zyna’s wise face smiled as people moved out of her way as we walked, giving us a wide birth. “I am the new Chancellor of the Mage’s War College and report directly to the Emperor.”

“You returned to the Mage College? But why did you help us?” Castile pressed.

“A mutual friend asked me to intercede,” Zyna said haughtily. I assumed she was referring to Konstantin. I guess the old man had come through, and I would have to thank him, but I still had lost the dreamscape amulet. We followed Zyna as she walked, the press of people parting like the Red Sea as we proceeded to an impressive building just outside of the imperial palace walls.

Legionnaires in polished armor guarded the gates, and they bowed to Zyna as we climbed the steps. It didn’t take me long to realize that this impressive structure was the Mage College. We climbed pearly white marble floors while young men and women in robes rushed up and down the stairs. We proceeded deep into the massive College with impressive high ceilings and wide hallways.

We climbed a large circular staircase ascending a large tower on the corner of the campus. As we climbed the steps, Zyna finally spoke, “I am going to retain your services, legionnaire. You will serve as my bodyguard while I am stuck as Chancellor of the War College.”

Castile objected weakly, “Eryk is an important member of my company, Chancellor Zyna.”

“Do not worry. I have a porter in mind to replace him.” We reached a landing, and Zyna looked down the corridor, slightly confused. “I think my chambers are this way.” She walked a little uncertainly and stopped at a wide, dark blue door. “It has been a while since I used these stairs,” she smiled, opening the door.

Inside was a large, comfortable common room with couches. Near a tall window was a familiar man in red leather-resin armor. Konstantin was staring down out the window and slowly turned as we entered the room. He gave me a small reassuring nod.

“You really need to have someone clean your chambers,” a dark-haired woman with streaks of gray sat in a comfortable seat, ran her finger across the surface of the end table, and showed the layer of dust on it.

“I just took over the Chancellorship last night, Antonia. This suite has not been used in decades.” Zyna said with a note of exasperation.

The seated woman must be Antonia Segreto, Konstantin’s Praetorian master. She cleaned her finger on the cushion, “Yes, well, I can send you a few maids.”

“No need. I will find some mage aspirants in need of discipline to clean the apartment,” Zyna replied with a smile. She moved to sit across from Antonia, causing a cloud of dust to puff into the air.

Antonia shrugged, and her focus turned to me. She seemed to be considering me for a long time until I started to feel uncomfortable. Her next words did not assuage my discomfort, “So this is the other worlder?”

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