Chapter 11: Reputation
2015 Words
::Dom's POV::
A week or so has passed. I haven't been keeping up with the times because everything just felt so stagnant. But, I knew that I had to make a move because on a game of chess the enemy has made his move. A cowardly one at that, but now I've captured one of his knights.
But my queen...
My queen was next to another king.
Fuck!
I hated that daily reminder that Ryanna was trapped at Nihon.
"Lord Dom," Leo entered my tent, "We are awaiting your orders."
Ah, yes. After liberating the hesitant citizens, Leo and I have devised a plan to infiltrate the Viking's newly acquired territory nearby. I have warned the citizens of the Northern Capital that with mutual enemies on the coastline so near, they may have to build better defenses in case the Vikings sought out the opportunity.
And knowing them, they will not seize a day!
"Prepare the horses," I looked away, "It's about time to make our next move."
I moved the king piece on the war map. I was risking a lot, doing this with just Leo and I. But, I believe that it was more efficient and safe this way, considering that the men had done their due diligence and had to return home after protecting the capital. Leo and I have sparred daily and his strength and skills were just slightly less than mine. And that was impressive. His strong point was his stamina. He was able to control his breathing while executing defense and offense.
I was just better than him though.
"Yes, Lord Dom," he humbly bowed and exited.
I sat down and looked at the pieces of war on the map. I had rooks, pawns, bishops... which was technically Tyrion, a king, but no queen.
A queen may move however she likes, but without the king it was game over. But without his queen, the king would become more vulnerable.
Ryanna...
I dreamt of her almost every night. We were back on the beach, kissing and holding each other. We studied each other's bodies and tested our stamina. Her soft small hands explored over my chest and I heaved for more. But, every damn time I would get close to tasting her I would be woken up by that f*****g Leo!
Cockblock at its worst!
I shook away that fantasy, the faster I get this over with the nearer I will get to her.
I couldn't help but bite my lip, and boy do I want to be near her.
I exited the tent and stroked Merwin on his snout, "You've been quite the stud Merwin, maybe soon you won't be used for war and have the perk of becoming a horse in the stables."
As if he understood, Merwin whinnied and stood on his back hooves in denial.
"I'm just joking," I patted his shoulder, "You and I ride together."
"The soldiers are in their stationed positions. The winds are in our favor today. The Viking's hounds won't be able to sniff us out that easily due to the wind coming from the sea. It may change in a few days so we better get going," Leo mounted a pinto-colored horse.
We set off into the horizon. I looked back but without any second thought. Tyrion would have disapproved of this reckless move, but we were running out of time. I had to save her!
The scenery was fading from the capital. From a successful and thriving city, just a few miles out there were massive camps of poverty. Poor farmers who were taxed beyond financial stability were living in broken-down sheds and ripped cow skin tents.
"I did not realize," Leo whispered.
"You haven't been out of your fancy dorms, huh?" I asked.
"The king definitely sold us a dream for sure," he reigned his horse into a trot, "But this is ridiculous. These are still our people!"
"This is nothing compared to what the north has done to the southern borders," I followed his pace, "That bastard only spared these lives because he was able to profit from it."
I continued forward, but Leo stopped.
Merwin came to a halt and I turned back at him, "What are you doing?"
"Listen up!" he made his voice boom, "The capital has been liberated. There is no need for further taxation on your crops. Please recuperate and join the citizens of the city."
I lifted an eyebrow but folded my arms. This was going to be interesting.
"Wait," a farmer pointed, "Aren't you one of the King's royal guards? How dare you try to trick us into more debt! He sent you here to collect from us!"
Another chimed in, "Yeah! And liberated? Isn't that Lord Dom, from the southern borders? We were conquered?!"
The other farmers began to chime in agreement, but they were scowling at us. One threw a rock at Leo and missed by a few inches.
"Get out of here with your lies and nonsense! In this lifetime there will not be a harvest of happiness for people like us. Because of selfish ranks like you!"
Leo's face was dumbfounded and I caught a rock that was thrown at me. I crushed it and glared at the farmers.
"I have no interest on however you view the ruling of Jerard," I deepened my threat, "But, if you try to spit in my direction, I will make sure your crops are fed with your bodies."
That seemed to intimidate the farmers and they backed off. I turned away and continued on my journey. Leo caught up and was silent for a while. I sighed.
"Sometimes people are too traumatized for change. You can't go ladeeda and expect nothing to backfire."
He looked down, "But, you just threatened them, and they backed off."
"Because they see me as the Lord of the Savages. Something that was rumored and masked to create my reputation," I looked at him, "Sometimes it's not what life throws at you, it's what you do with it."
Leo pondered and then slowly nodded to the realization. We left the scarce farmland, and we galloped into the horizon. A few hours later we were traveling through some grasslands. The blades of grass danced in the wind, in unison, in rhythm.
I remember when I first took Ryanna away from the northern borders. The fields were just as scenic. I could tell she was enjoying it. That was until we came across the border guards.
She didn't have to see that, but it was a reminder of reality outside of her comfort zone. She was frightened at first, but she soon became a part of the culture. She was strong by heart, something I haven't had time to train. I began to wonder, do I have a strong heart? Or am I mistaking that for ambition?
"We should be there in an hour, we should set tent and wait for nightfall," Leo pointed at a nearby tree.
It was a bit away from the trail, but it was good enough to be hidden from passersby or a potential enemy.
I tied Merwin to a nearby branch and began unloading the supplies. Leo followed suit. I sparked a camp fire and Leo began stirring some rabbit stew in a pot over the flames.
Maybe this would be a good time to get to know him. At least, for now.
"You said that Freya was heading to Nihon," I sat down, "Any word?"
"Patience, my lord," he continued to stir, "Infiltrating into Nihon is one thing, but getting out? There might not be a possibility."
Dammit. In the dark yet again.
Leo continued, "But, I know she is okay."
"How can you guarantee? Besides 'knowing Kenji'."
Leo smiled, "Kenji would not hurt her, not with the knowledge of her being Dravon's daughter."
"I'm confused," I tilted my head, "What does that have to do?"
"Dravon used to be his royal guard," he answered, "He raised him until he was 4 years old."
"Did you know Dravon personally?" I was intrigued.
"Not really," he shrugged, "As a royal knight we studied the royal bloodline tree. I had to do some digging, but it seemed that the books excluded Dravon from its history."
"So Dravon was royal?" I asked.
"Correct," Leo nodded, "But that's not all."
The aroma of the rabbit stew filled my nostrils and I couldn't help applaud how delicious it smelled.
"Dravon was more than someone to Kenji."
I poured myself some soup and waited for him to resume.
Leo chuckled and turned away, "I can't believe you don't know."
"What do I not know?" I asked with a stern expression.
"That Dravon was also involved with your right of hand."
I almost spit out my stew!
"What?!"
Leo scratched the back of his neck, "It's not in the books about what their relationship was, but Dravon knew Tyrion."
"You better watch what you say boy," I warned, "I don't take false rumors of my men lightly."
Leo waved his hands in front of him, "That's not my intention at all, but you have to think about it... Where did Tyrion get his bird?"
"Karma?" I referred to the deceased crow.
"Nihon is well known for its exotic species of birds. Few men know that Kenji uses the birds as communication. Like I said before, he has a different approach to war tactics."
I wiped my mouth and looked at him perplexed.
He sipped a bit of his stew before going on, "C'mon, one cannot just acquire a trained crow in these lands."
"He raised Karma," I corrected.
"Or that's what he wants you to think," Leo took another sip, "How much do you know about your own right hand?"
"Apparently not as much as you?" I said in question.
"I'm not trying to mock you Lord Dom," he set his bowl down, "But were there any signs that related to anything I've mentioned?"
I groomed my stubbles with my fingers. My eyes widened when I realized!
His board!
It had formulas and medicine treatment blueprints for lupus. He had not met Ryanna beforehand, but he also had her name on it after he did. The papers of failed attempts on the ground, and overloaded bins. I couldn't help but think. Was he trying to help cure Dravon before he died? Was he cautious that his disease was hereditary and could have passed it to her? Was that the reason why he wasn't surprised about seeing her in the war chambers?
The puzzle pieces became visible, and I just had to put them together.
"I will take that as a yes," Leo gulped more stew.
I looked at him, "Well, I can't kill you now because you know too much that I don't."
"Just paying the toll to keep my soul," he lifted his bowl in cheers.
I reluctantly clinked with my bowl, and we sipped our meal away.
That night, as we gathered our belongings, I had to admit that I didn't know anything about anyone. I didn't know what Leo knew. I didn't know who Kenji was. I didn't know Tyrion's role in all of this, and most of all, I didn't know who Ryanna really was.
Dravon seemed to be a key piece, except he no longer exists in this world.
But, his legacy lives on. His influence seemed to educate different parts of the world. I was not surprised if he knew Freya at this point.
To be a man like Dravon, it must not have been easy. His calculations and pre-planning for his daughter's future were beyond understanding. I knew that Tyrion was not being harsh towards Ryanna. He was subliminally watching over her. Like he was in debt to Dravon. But if he had karma from Nihon, wouldn't that have made him my enemy? A spy?
I grew tense thinking about that possibility. My gut was sure that he wasn't a traitor and a part of me wanted to blame Leo. But, I can only blame myself... for not knowing.
- Writer
