Page 14 of A Simple Truth (the Freckled Fate #2)

13

GIDEON

“ L ong time no see, Gideon Bellator.” Lachlan Byrningham’s deep voice echoed through the domed ceiling of the throne room as I marched across the deep green plush floors. His dark silver armor, similar to my own, reflected the warm light of the oil lamps around us. He adjusted his bright red cape as he rested his elbows on the armrests of the large, cushioned chair.

“Hello, Lachlan.” I pulled off my armored glove and shook the extended hand of my previously close friend. Lachlan ran his hands through his unkempt, shoulder-length black hair, then put his legs up on the table as he leaned back in his chair.

“So, how is the good ol’ North treating our dear Lord of Death ?” he purred, his eyes lighting up with wicked mischief.

“Judging by your looks, I’d say better than the South is treating you,” I replied, earning a meager chuckle from him as he scratched his slightly-overgrown beard.

“Can’t argue with you there. The South can be quite a bitch with that brutal nonstop sun and the desert storms. I am pretty sure my lungs are filled with red sand nowadays. But, at least in the South, we have the most beautiful women, the most giving too. Speaking of that,” he paused, his eyes roguishly narrowing at the reserved Orest who was standing a few steps behind the chair I now reclined in. “How is your dear cousin doing by the way?” He returned his cruel eyes back to me.

A threatening snarl escaped from Orest at his words, the sound earning a satisfied sneer from Lachlan.

“Zorianna is doing quite well, actually, thank you for checking.” I politely smiled, though my eyes flashed with warning.

Close. He was pushing it too close.

But Lachlan backed off as our heads turned to the swinging double doors. Another Destroyer general marched in, his gray cape flowing in his wake. He was well past his fifties, with well-trimmed silver hair and wrinkled skin highlighting his harsh features.

“Generals,” he groused.

“Hello, Andrias.” Lachlan nodded in a welcoming manner as he deliberately moved his feet slow off Andrias’s spot. “How is our dearest East doing at this trying time?” Lachlan amusingly sang out the question as Andrias plopped on the chair.

“Fuck off, Lachlan,” the newly arrived Destroyer general snarled at him, twisting his gray cape out of the way.

“Whoa, Andrias, is that a proper way to treat a dear friend and fellow general?” Lachlan theatrically bunched his brows together.

“You are a prick, Lachlan. I never liked you and never will. Not when you were first sworn in, and not now. If not for my respect for your father, I’d shove you back to the stables where you belong,” Andrias spat out, taking a sip of water from his flask.

“Oh, Andrias, as always, you’re not so keen on pleasantries. I might be a prick, but at least I don’t need my wife’s fortune to pay my soldiers,” Lachlan nonchalantly replied, aware of the deep mark those words took on Andrias as his face turned sour.

I couldn’t resist a sly smirk at that comment, just quick enough to let the slithering eyes of Lachlan notice the subtle approval. But he wasn’t the only one to spot the gesture, as Andrias bitterly added,

“Childish fools…Though Gideon, I am not surprised. You’ve always tended to like things that are not quite of age, haven’t you? Seems that preference crossed over even when picking your second.” He angrily glared towards Orest. I didn’t have to look back to know that my second held his head high, but Andrias continued,

“Can he even hold his dick to aim where to piss or does that not matter to you as long as you get to fuc—” I didn’t bother moving my hand as Andrias’s face turned bright red from my eyes landing on his. His lungs collapsed as he slowly suffocated, the fire within him dying alongside his brain cells. Andrias’s second rushed to help him, but Orest already held his sword to his neck. Andrias convulsed, clawing at the table, his face turning a dark shade of purple. I took an exasperated breath, gradually letting go of my hold on the general and letting him hungrily inhale just enough air to stay conscious. A sinister smile crept up my face as I watched panic dancing in his eyes.

“Andrias, Andrias, Andrias …” I tapped my fingers against the stained, oak tree table, considering. “Could you repeat what you said about my second? I was distracted for a minute. Childish as I am. ” The oldest general’s silver hair was now bright against his reddened face as his eyes puttered out while he still struggled. “That’s what I thought,” I said nonchalantly when nothing but the desperate rasps came out of his gaping mouth. Lastly, I released my hold on him. His face laced with such fuming rage that I was sure his hair was going to turn into flames.

“You—” his rasp, strained voice sounded. Andrias angrily got up from his seat, his hand going directly for his sword.

“What? No respect for my father?” My eyes provoked him as I leaned back in the chair, letting silver flames dance on my fingertips, observing, as both Lachlan and Andrias cautiously stared at the flames.

“No, your father was a dick and he got what he deserved,” Andrias heatedly argued, his hand tight around the hilt of his large sword.

“You are indeed lucky I agree with that statement.” I casually smiled as our eyes silently exchanged dares. Andrias’s second unsheathed his sword just a bit, failing to do it quietly as the little noise echoed off the stone walls.

Pathetic idiot.

“Don’t embarrass yourself, old man.” Lachlan deviously grinned, enjoying this little quarrel. But I stared deep in the hazel eyes of Andrias, baiting him.

He begrudgingly sat back down, taking another deep breath.

How disappointing.

“Maybe next time?” I taunted him, letting the little fires disappear, secretly contemplating just how much of an inconvenience it would be for me to burn the prick now.

“Generals, welcome! I am glad all of you could make it on such short notice. I hope the journey was not too harsh for those of you traveling from afar.” The Commanding general, Hosam’s voice sounded through the room, his figure appearing a second later, promptly followed by the last general, Servos. Both taking a seat at the table.

“As I mentioned in my letter, there are a few things we must address. But first, let’s hear the reports. General Byrningham.” Hosam gestured for him to begin.

Lachlan cleared his throat, straightening in his seat.

“The South territory has been quite calm, sir. We have identified a few new Magic Wielders hideouts that have escaped the initial sweep, the non-cooperative executed immediately, and the other ones passed off per instructions. The tithes have also been gathered from the all the lords and delivered to the treasury. There was an issue with the trade routes at one point, but we have killed off those attempting to profit off the Queen.”

“Thank you.” The commanding general nodded. “General Ikory.” He motioned to Andrias to go next.

“The East has been slammed with winter storms, so we’ve been cooped up for the past couple months. However, I’ve met with all the ruling lords, and they have paid the tributes to the Queen. We have also completed some of the work for the strongholds in preparation for the coming events,” Andrias reported.

“Thank you,” Hosam continued, “General Bellator.”

I took a quick glance at the four armored generals sitting at the table, their eyes locked on me.

“The North has been tranquil as usual, so I’ve spent most of my time creating strongholds in the West. With the completion of the bridge over the Dniar River, we established a much shorter route from the Western Fork and the Rock Quarries. However, I am sure many of you are facing similar issues—there have been increased rumors of the Rebels across the whole territory. We’ve eradicated any sympathizers, however, it has been a rising concern, given the circumstances.”

“Thank you, General Bellator, the Queen appreciates your efforts in accommodating her requests in a timely manner.” Hosam’s wise eyes softly wrinkled as he gave me another look, this time of the trusted advisor and mentor that he once was for me, and I returned the gesture. “At last, General Servos. Please tell us of the Capital.”

“Well, what’s happening in Svitar is not a secret to anyone. The pesky Rebels have made a direct attack on the Capital. They’ve blown up a building, they’ve killed off plenty of the Royalty, including the Baroness and her entire family in the attack. They went as far as killing quite a few Destroyers in the process.” At those words, Servos’s nostrils flared. “We did capture three of the Rebels, though two of them managed to escape. It was a rogue Royal Captain of the Guard that stayed back. It seems that he led the attack. And while that might have explained how he had access to the castle, we’ve yet to understand how they managed to blow up the entire damn roof of the ballroom and go unnoticed.” Servos’s aged mouth frowned as his face was imbued with bitterness.

“The Destroyers are being killed by Rebels now?! Hosam, this is getting out of control!” Andrias loudly protested.

“Perhaps, you need to train your soldiers better. Or have they gotten used to lavish city living?” Lachlan’s mocking voice rumbled through the tense air. “Please tell me you at least found magic traces in the air? Though, still embarrassing, nonetheless.” Lachlan rubbed the side of his head, giving me a look.

“For your information, General Byrningham , my soldiers were all well trained and each one of them was a great fighter, and now, a great loss for my armies,” Servos hissed. “Whoever killed them was very skilled and very well trained, especially against Destroyers. And considering the state of their bodies, they took quite a lot of pleasure in killing them too.”

I remained silent, listening carefully to the words that weren’t being said, though I couldn’t deny a bit of contentment that slithered inside the dark corners of my soul at their words.

It was indeed satisfying to slice their throats, watching them choke on their blood, only to then lower my hood and enjoy the terrifying look in their eyes as I let the silver flames flicker in my own eyes. Letting them see that the Lord of Death had come to collect their poor souls himself. Truly, it was more of an honor for a Destroyer to die from my hand than anything.

“There were no marks of magic, at least, nothing more than the usual level for Svitar, though the amount of carnation flowers we burned mid-winter didn’t go unnoticed by anyone,” Servos added, failing to keep the very adamant frustration out of his tone.

“So, humans are joining the Creators now. Is this really what you are saying, Servos?” Andrias barked.

“I have no explanation. We’ve burned every whisper of rumors but have come up empty handed. The little rats are hiding deep in their holes.”

“What I am trying to understand is what were they trying to accomplish? Send a message of some sort? Were you able to retrieve any information from the one you’ve captured?” I turned to face Servos.

“The Royal Guard got to him first, so we weren’t able to gather intel with our ways, and they’ve come up empty.”

“It’s nothing but a theatrical performance, to spook people, plant some unrest,” Andrias proclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

“If so, it was quite entertaining leaving Destroyers and Royals dead ,” Lachlan spat out, getting a rise out of the scorching stare from Andrias. This time, I ignored those two, as my eyes pinned the only one whose opinion truly mattered in this case, and it seemed that he had the same idea, as our eyes met.

“It seems we are still missing a big piece of this puzzle,” Hosam agreed. “But no doubt, Rebels will have to be dealt with before we launch the war with the elves.”

“Why doesn’t the Queen send her army of the dead to eliminate the vexatious insurgents?” Lachlan questioned as he crossed his arms.

“ Because ,” Servos started. “We need to know where to send those armies in order to kill them, and unless you know something we don’t, we’ve yet to discover where they have their base, if they even have one at all.”

“We can no longer deny that they’re organized after the Svitar incident. Perhaps even more than we thought before,” I added.

“Agreed. We’ve dealt with minor insurrections before. But this? An attack on a city, directly at the Royal castle? It was more than just a minor outburst,” Hosam supposed out loud.

“On my last visit to Lord Inadios, he mentioned that some of the sympathizers were rumored to be gathering their belongings for the journey North. Though Lady Eanaya has been keeping a good rule over the land, I’ve stationed a few of my own soldiers in many of the villages and towns. We’ve been monitoring any and all boat movements and other transports to see if that rumor has any value to it. So far, it has been fruitless.”

“The Queen has been dumping her cursed creatures in the North for the past twenty years. They roam free in that gods forgotten forest, so unless Rebels went there to die, save your soldiers' strength for something actually useful.” Andrias cast a venomous look towards me, still pissed about our earlier encounter.

“What we need is to send a message,” Servos declared. “One that will be heard across all of Esnox. To take a Destroyer’s life…They all will have to pay. And whoever they are, we need to draw them out.”

“Agreed! There is a town in Asford that had a minor protest last fall about the tithes going up. They’ve paid up, but they’d be an easy target,” Andrias arranged.

Consciously, I let my jaw muscle ease, though the tension that was building up in my muscles remained throughout the rest of my body.

“Where is it?” My eyes turned to Hosam. He was considering it. Disappointment chilled my blood, slowly turning my heart into ice.

“It’s northeast territory, but they have a port just a few miles from the town. We could be there in two days on the river if we send a small group,” Andrias replied.

Heavy silence loitered in the moment as the lives of thousands lingered in the air. The fate of innocents was being decided now.

“Do it,” Hosam ordered after a moment of contemplation. “The little cockroaches want to play dirty, let’s see what their next move is then,” he uttered, and I resisted the growing urge to turn them all to ash.

“I’ll go. It’s been a while since I spilled some innocent blood.” Lachlan chuckled, sending me a questioning look. “Bellator, want to relive the good old days?”

I accepted the challenge.

“Sure. My battalion will join the raid.”

“It’s settled then. Bellator and Byrningham will leave tonight.”