Death Dealers

A Higher Calling

Esrea woke slowly, her head ached and it felt like she had run for miles with no water. Why wasn’t she regenerating, she had learned that skill before she became a woman. The tent smelled different, like a man and she was in a bed, not a cot. She opened her eyes. Purple silks made the ceiling of the tent. She sat up slowly taking in the surroundings. Gareth slept on a cot...no it was the man that looked like Gareth. She didn’t remember if she had gotten his name.

“Why am I in your tent?” She asked groggily.

The man raised up on his elbow and looked at her. “The camp was in shambles, but my zone had been untouched. I thought it would do you good to get proper rest.”

“While I applaud your chivalry, do you think it proper to have a married woman in your tent?”

He chuckled. “Are you of the Empire or Shoon? No one would have thought anything of me sharing your bed. We are of close enough rank.” He replied.

She lifted up her covers to assure that she was still clothed. Good, he hadn’t had her stripped. “What was the damage?” She asked.

The man sat up on the cot. “We lost a little over a thousand people. It would have been more if not for you. Most of our losses were camp followers. At least most of them weren’t the w****s, we need them for moral.” He paused as if weighing something. “We weren’t the only camp to get attacked. The Frankans didn’t do as well. I understand that they lost a third of their numbers.”

She grimaced slightly. “Did I really command the emperor?”

The man smiled. “Yes, I’ve never seen anyone speak to my father that way. He took it well. In fact, I think he respects you for it.”

“Father? Your father is the Emperor, but you said I was of equal rank.”

The man bowed his head slightly. “I’m Targoth of House Kilmora, you are no longer in your parent's household, you are my half-brother’s wife, the wife of a Candidate.”

“I need to speak with your father.” She said as she slid out of bed. I also need a suit of armor delivered from the death dealers, and a body servant, one of your w****s would work.”

He arched an eyebrow at her. “I’m accepting my higher calling.” She replied to the unasked question.

“Might I make a suggestion?”

She nodded. “Battle robes. While you are a skilled fighter, I believe the advisory role is best suited to your calling. You could also claim dominion over the healers.” He said.

“Make it so.”

He stuck his head out of the tent and had a short conversation with someone. He turned to her. “You understand the ritual?”

“I had to accept the robes of my office. Nudity doesn’t bother me, sharing my husband or him sharing me, that is a different matter.”

“You will only face the grand council, if you are going to claim what I believe you are, then you will need the support of the Magi and the Hand, but I will also speak for you. I stood with you last night.”

***

Thirty minutes later she strolled into the pavilion of the high council. Her rank got her in, but she hoped the merits of her arguments would keep her there. The conversation stopped when she entered. The emperor looked up. He expected her and even knew part of the request she’d make, but this had to be done in view of the court.

She reached up and removed the clasp that held her healer robes on her without a word she knelt picked them up and carried them to the feet of the arch healer. “I can no longer wear the robes of my office, I must fulfill a higher calling. The emperor lifted his hand and a servant draped the robes of house Kilorma over her. “A daughter of my house requests a new calling, I’ll not demean her by requiring her to beg unclothed. Until her new calling is confirmed these robes shall be hers.”

She hadn’t expected this boon. It was a sign of favoritism and it gave her hope. Her eyes met those of the master healer. “I beg you to remember the merits that gained me this calling.”

She turned to the emperor. “I am the wife of Candidate Gareth of Kilorma, formally of the healers. The truth is, your supreme highness, I am more than a healer. I am a protector. I am also the voice of my husband.” She glanced at the Chief of the Hand of the Emperor and he nodded, he accepted her. Her eyes moved to the wizard, she had a thoughtful expression on her face.

“I am a wizard, though I haven’t trained with them, I am the vault. My husband and I are the only true candidate for the throne. We bow to the current emperor, but we are the new order. I am his voice in the south, I claim my place on this council as the hand, the magi, the healers, and Kilorma and I claim the title of High protector of the new empire.”

The tent was silent for a moment then the Hand of the Empire spoke. “The Death Dealers support the one true candidate and recognize Esrea of Kilorma as the voice of her husband including matters that deal with our guild. We name her a sub-commander and will place a squad at her disposal.”

The chief of the Magi stepped forward. “We respect boldness, and no claim can be more bold. We recognize Esrea of Kilorma as the voice of her husband as the true candidate for the throne. We support the claim of Protector of the new empire and welcome our badge on her lapel.”

The others stepped up one by one. Finally, the emperor nodded. “I recognize you as the voice of your husband and as Protector. I will not refute your claim as true candidate, but await the responses of the others that are named.” He held out his hand. “Don the robes of your new office and join the council.”

Once again she threw off the robes and was dressed in battle robes with hard leather armor over them. She turned and bowed to the council as a whole then to the emperor. “Your supreme Highness, I implore you to allow me to send an envoy to the Frankans. I wish to offer them succor and a threat. She nodded to Targoth and he opened the flap to the tent. The huge elemental was kneeling in the distance.

“The Frankans and Lyrons will bow to the empire, but the question is how. If we force them to kneel they will rebel in a generation. They suffered an attack as we did and they didn’t have the vault to defend them. Let me send them aid and a warning. It is better to join the vault than to fight it.” She paused. “The vault and the empire are now one, who can stand before us?”

The emperor nodded slowly. “Know that with each success you gain fame, but failure can lead to destruction.” He stated.

***

Agnosh watched Esrea leave the tent. He was so proud of her. She had followed the prophecy nearly word for word without guidance. He glanced at the high council, they knew this also. He had instructed Constance to train her in high prophecy but knew that they hadn’t covered the contemporary events. It wasn’t time for that yet.

“Things are progressing rapidly. We may have less time than we assumed. I’ll return to Friasha.” He glanced at his son. “Defend her.”

Targoth saluted and turned to leave.

“Targoth, whatever she asks of you, do it as if I asked it of you.” His son nodded, going over the command in his mind. “Father, I would not hesitate to follow such a request from her, but I would balk at it coming from you.”

The council chuckled, following the line of the order.

“Son, you cannot lead her on, that would be disastrous.” He stated.

His son nodded again. He was a good soldier, but he wasn’t Gareth. The emperor turned, “Prepare my escort, it is time for me to return to the capital.” He commanded.

***

She rode under a flag of truce. Beside her, six members of the vault guard rode in full battle gear. Jax was at her left. The symbol of the vault was on their lapels and their cuffs. She wore the crown of an official emissary. Four months ago she wouldn’t have dreamed she’d be in this position, but it felt right. The earth trembled as the huge elemental trudged along on a parallel path. Fifty healers and twenty guards rode with her including four berserkers and a squad of death dealers.

This was a humanitarian mission, but the elemental and the death squad were a necessary threat. The real danger was the six vault guard and Jax. She still wasn’t sure if she could take part in the actual fighting, but she had freed herself from the obligation to stand aside. She hoped that in this case, it would not be necessary. She truly wanted to aid the Frankan and it was more than her healer instincts telling her this. This was a tactical decision.

The arch healer rode up beside her. If she hadn’t placed a limit on the healers, every one of them would have followed her. “I wanted to inform you that the guild is proud of you. We will always consider you a part of the order and it will do the Empire good to have a healer on the throne.” The man paused. “I also wished to let you know that the trial was a necessary procedure that we hated to follow. We never had any intention of kicking you from the guild, but such an act had to be investigated to keep others from following the example.”

“As my marines would say, That is water to the stern. I do thank you though. It means a lot.” She replied.

“This act of aid proves you are still one of us.” The man stated.

She nodded. “Thank you, I want to heal, but if I can prevent others from being hurt, it serves the same purpose.”

The man’s eyes went to the elemental. “And if you can’t, you limit your casualties to the enemy. It is tactical.” He nodded and allowed his horse to fall behind hers.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead. Her eyes scanned the horizon trying to find the camp. They should be getting close.

Something caught her attention. To the southeast, a lone rider approached. She signaled a stop and waited. A moment later she noted that it wasn’t a single rider. A line of about two hundred men was forming. She nodded to Jax and Targoth and they nudged their mounts forward with her. Her six vault guards followed closely.

She sent a mental command to the elemental and it stopped and saluted her. This was very intentional, she wanted them to know that the elemental was under her direct control. It was time to make an agreement or destroy an enemy. She didn’t look at her guards, she trusted them to do what was needed. She also knew that the rest of the vault...her husband would support her.