Malspire (6 page)

"Malspire," said Duke Ajorion Ardalrion, forcing a quick smile.

"Father. I hope you are well?" My father looked tired, even haggard and thinner than the last time I had seen him. He was still strongly built but age was catching up with him.

"I am, kind of you to ask. How is the Navy treating you?" Ajorian asked, pinching the bridge of his strong nose. I thought of the lashing. "Have you found your sea legs?" Standing in the shadows of the room, the lord had not noticed or chose to ignore the bruises on my face.

"The Navy is good for me. It would seem that I was born with sea legs."

"Good." said the lord followed by a silence filled only by the sound of the “Old Man”. I always felt my father's discomfort in my presence. The duke was trying to be civil but I knew that I was not wanted. My mother had given her last breath giving birth to me, and my father had always resented me for this, although he had never said so directly.

The Lady Ardalrion had been young and beautiful when Ajorion Ardalrion had married her. I had only ever seen my mother in portraits. The staff said she was full of life, kind and generous. When she became pregnant there were celebrations and news sent far and wide to rejoice in the fact that Lord Ardalrion would soon have an heir. Then came the trouble. I did not know the full details and father never spoke of it, but from what we two brothers could surmise, a servant woman had tried to poison our mother. Why? We did not know, although there was talk of cults and blood magic. It had weakened my mother so much that she did not have the strength to give birth to us twins and survive. I had heard that I came into the world screaming like a banshee, clawing for the warmth of my dying mother's womb.

Ajorion was quiet. Was he thinking of his lost wife too?

"I hear the beastmen are pressing hard on the eastern shores," I said, trying to find a subject we could perhaps discuss. It was a rare thing for the two of us to have a conversation, but I always felt that I should try. I had no particular love for my father, but felt duty bound to at least be polite. All I really wanted was to find Ajator.

"They are. They seem to be endless, coming from the Outer Oceans, attacking our shores. A damned strain on our resources. You know what they do when they make landfall?"

"No. Or at least I presumed they were looking for lands to settle? Food, resource?"

"Ha! I wish that were the case. No, they move inland and kill anyone and everything they find. They keep going until they are hunted down or starve themselves to death. They eat their own just to keep going!"

I considered this. In all of nature, there was one law that all men, beast, bird and fish obeyed and that was the law of survival. The Church of Creation often talked of how the gods create so there can be survival. Create, survive, die - the natural cycle of the universe. Even the dark powers seem to follow this law, but killing until killed is insane. There is no reason for it. Only the mad would break the law of survival.

"Why? Are they mad? What is the reason? They must have some purpose."

Lord Ardalrion raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders. "Mad? Probably. Something is driving them though, but they're not human. They look part human, part beast, but even an animal would not eat its own. The Emperor suspects a greater power at work."

"Or an illness perhaps?"

"Perhaps, but if that is the case the disease is spreading. The northern tribes have been pushing south into Imperial lands. One report spoke of trolls joining them. Trolls!"

"Trolls fighting alongside men? There was nothing in the paper about this."

"Of course not. Organised too. Tribes are joining one another to stage larger and larger raids. The Emperor has decided to keep this news from the masses for now." Ajorion leant back. His chair creaked. "The Empire is threatened on three fronts, Malspire. The rebellion is spreading. Thank the gods we managed to hold onto the port of Umuron or it would simply be impossible to gain back the western colonies."

"Surely a focussed effort by the Navy would finish them off," I said, having often wondered at the lack of strength shown by the Navy in regards to the rebellion.

"How naive," said my father. "Do you have any idea how much it costs to run the Navy? We are borrowing heavily as it is just to keep the wolves at bay. The Guild of Sea Merchants are always happy to lend us more but every penny they lend the Empire is another link added to the chain they have round our necks. Soon we shall all be the slaves of the blasted guild. No, the Emperor will not allow that. We must make do."

"I thought the Emperor had a large stake in the guild?"

"As do I, but an empire is not run by a group of shareholders. It is run by an emperor and his lords. The Guild of Sea Merchants has its uses to us all, but it grows too powerful and influential."

"I see."

"And to top it all off, that damned cult is spreading like wildfire, preaching the end of days, infecting the Empire like a rotting plague."

"The Black Cult?"

"Yes. Now they are insane!"

The Black Cult or Cult of Sciorl was an ancient order of secretive villains, as far as I could tell, intent on the destruction of everything. Chaos was their goal and the end of the world, the prize, although I was not so avers to the idea. The world was a cruel and bitter place and perhaps it was time for a new start, I had to admit. The group was different to the dark gods and their evil followers in that the dark powers simply wanted control whereas the Black Cult wanted death. Again - madness. "They worship the black god, Sciorl don't they?"

"The Destroyer, yes. Religion, Malspire!" said Lord Ardalrion, shaking his head but said no more. The Navy was my father's life, made of solid wood, hard men, rules and regulations, discipline and order. Religion was a mystery to both myself and Ajorion, there to be respected and honoured but of little use when it comes to the tides and navigation and tactics and logistics. In general the Ardalrions acknowledged the gods and dutifully prayed and donated when required, but otherwise lived by more practical philosophies.

After another short silence, I then said, "I was hoping to find Ajator here."

"He is in the city. Not staying here though. You'll probably find him at the barracks... You're a Ardalrion, Malspire," the Duke added now wanting to discuss another subject. "You do realise that the name means something don't you?"

"Of course. I'm second in line to the duchy."

"Exactly," said Ajorion who did not look too pleased about it. "I have had reports."

"Reports?" I knew that Crosp had been sending reports back to the Naval Office. The captain had no qualms about telling me so.

"Crosp doesn't think much of you. I can't say I blame him. Look at you! The Undertaker! Clean yourself up boy, trim that hair. To be an officer, you have to look the part and act the part. Stand tall."

I did not answer.

"Well?"

"Well what, father? I will never measure up to Ajator's standards even if I tried. I am sorry if my appearance displeases you."

"Damn your black soul boy! As an Ardalrion, you will make an effort. You are the son of a lord admiral."

"I am that. I shall clean myself up," I said reluctantly. I was in no mood for a fight with the duke.

"See that you do. That damned Crosp is starting to annoy me, but he is right!"

***

I left my father to seek out my brother picking up Willan on the way who I found stuffing his mouth with bread and fish. I was keen to find Ajator.

On route, I considered Ajator; he was the perfect officer. I was unkempt, where my twin was pristine in his naval uniform with its thick cloth in rich blues and gold and bicorn hat. I had taken to wearing an older style, wide brimmed tricorne hat, and long coat waxed and worked to a near black with cheap buttons, yet well made. Made to last the rigors of the sea, wind and rain. I wore comfortable and serviceable clothing while Ajator wore what was expected of the son of a lord admiral.

“Frilly fool,” I would tease Ajator who would then laugh, agreeing with a shrug of his broad shoulders.

I did not find Ajator that night, but the next morning Ajator found me instead, standing not far from the Sea Huntress where the ship was taking on supplies. About us men were busy loading the ship, with carts trundling past, gulls scavenging dropped food and women calling to the sailors to come and spend a little money. A rat dared anyone to hit it by standing atop a barrel sniffing the sea air. A cat was crouched low, creeping up on it. A ship’s bell chimed and a drunk sat singing under the eaves of a tavern, singing the Lost Maid of the Far Shores song. He would stop every so often to great passers-by with a "good mornin' to ya, sir."

“It was an honest fight, brother.”

“Who did it?” Ajator asked, tensing.

“It doesn't matter. I gave as good as I got,” I grunted.

“He gave you a black eye.” said Ajator, relaxing a little when he saw my flippant disregard for the hurt. It did hurt.

“Aye. It's true. It was one of the crew. A huge man called Jodlin. Lost all his teeth already, but I broke his nose.”

“One of the crew struck an officer?”

“I dropped rank for the evening,” I pointed out. For a second Ajator looked shocked, but then smiled, obviously realising that he might have done the same.

“We had a fight, we gave each other a beating. No harm done,” I said, rubbing my cheek which still ached from Jodlin’s crushing right fist.

“And what did Captain Crosp say when he saw your face?”

“I told him I fell down some stairs, to which he remarked that I was always falling down stairs.”

Ajator laughed, at which point, Jodlin appeared on deck and smiled a toothless grin when he saw me.

“Stop grinning you gormless idiot and get back to work, Mister Jodlin!” I scowled. Jodlin knuckled his forehead and wondered off, still grinning.

Ajator, bemused, said, “The man’s a monster!”

“Not too bright either, but when the time comes for a proper fight, I'm pleased we can call upon his services. As long as he isn't too drunk.”

Then Captain Crosp appeared on deck looking stiff and stuffed up in his finest clothing, hands held behind his back. He was doing his rounds and pointedly ignored me although he nodded at Ajator.

“That bastard’s a mean one,” I said in darker tones.

“You shouldn’t speak like that about your captain.”

“No? What’s the admiral like then?”

Ajator thought about this. “A little stiff perhaps,” he smiled.

How my brother could lift my mood. Even I would smile in Ajator’s company which would make the crew stop and stare as though something were wrong.

"How goes the fight against the beastmen?" I asked, changing the subject.

"A deadlock, it would seem."

Ajator had recently been fighting the beastmen invaders in the east. I had never seen one but I had read about the creatures in the papers. It seems they are men, but so twisted in shape and barbaric in nature that they could just as easily be compared to rabid dogs as human beings. Some even had the heads of animals it was said.

"Is it true they eat the flesh of men? Father says so." I had always wondered what that would taste like. Biting my own fingernails does not count.

"I believe so," said Ajator. "To be honest we've never been that close to them. We've sent a few of their crude vessels to the bottom of the ocean but I've never been close enough to study one or observe their eating habits. Next time I see them, I shall take notes for you, Mal."

"Could you?" I said, rising to the game of sarcasm. "Perhaps interview a few for the Gazette?"

Ajator punched my shoulder. It hurt. "How about the rebellion?" he then asked.

I thought for a moment. "Another deadlock I would say. We travel the seas as messengers and hunters mostly. We've had a few fights but nothing worth bragging about. The Empire is weak, Ajator."

"What? How can you say that?"

"Father said as much. There aren't enough ships. Not enough men. The seas are too big for us to hunt them down, their ports too well defended for a strike at their heart. We just keep them in check, but we can't stamp them out. We need the full fleet."

"These invaders can't go on forever losing men and ships. When they dry up, the full Ardalrion Navy will come down upon the rebels and then we'll see who's weak," Ajator said with a stubborn certainty.

"I hope so. I would like to see an end to this fight. It feels wrong to be at war with men so like ourselves. They were Imperial settlers not long ago, ploughing a piece of civilisation out of those barbarian lands. I think I would rather be fending off the beastmen or pirates. Perhaps even the Sea Lords of the Free States."

"We shall be captains soon enough, Mal. Then we can strike at them, you and me. We'll show them how the House of Ardalrion are the finest masters of the Inner Ocean."

"I would like that. I like the sea. I like the ships and the men," I said, extracting my pipe. "You know when we were children at the castle? I was not sure about going to sea."

"I remember. I told you, you'd like it."