Chapter 4

A continuation of Dion's Tale, and I am actually posting a longer work on friday as I had planned. Next Friday will be a continuation of Dusdane's tale but will focus mostly on Freah.

The walk was uneventful, mainly it allowed Dion to think. Always thoughtful, that was the way of the Wraith. No action without consequence, every person was a potential domino in a cascade that could save or end nations. Faecon may be sitting at a focal point. His possibly going rogue could very easily upset balance. His knowledge of operations spanning the many worlds was enough to make Dion sweat a little. Years of work, years of subtly advising and influencing the various governments around the Many Worlds, could all potentially be ruined by knowledge that various key people in those governments were in fact Wraiths. Backlash against Elayne would be swift and brutal, but this was the gamble they had to play. On one hand they did not have much of an army to stop another world’s armies, they learned that from the Garrenians. On the other the subtle games they played had the potential to utterly destroy Elayne, but what choice did they have. Sprinting across the knife’s edge, careful not to fall, that was the way he knew, every action with consequence.

It took him many days to finally reach the city. He came to a large gate made of thick oak, it was slightly ajar. Two men in mail armor lay on the ground, fresh blood spreading across the ground. Dion stopped in his tracks and looked over the landscape long and hard, and then he noticed a horse and cart riding fast from a fair distance towards the gate. Foolish way to sneak something in, thought Dion. Then he saw them, three Judges, they stepped out from the gate. All three stood in the blackish crystal armor that trademarked the Judges. Armor hard as diamond that few weapons could break, yet allowing a maneuverability impossible for armor that thick, a gift from the Old Ones. One was clearly older than the other two with scars running down his face, two across his right cheek one over his left eye. The young ones were hardly more than boys, fresh out of the training, Dion guessed.

It was clear they had seen Dion, so he made no attempt to hide. Where was there to hide?

“Greetings,” Dion said and let out a smile. The Judges did not return his pleasantry. The young ones looked at each other, then to the older one.

The Elder Judge kept his eyes set on Dion. “He has seen us, he must die,” he said to the younger ones. The younger judges drew swords out of side sheaths and began advancing on Dion.

Dion held up with hands, palm open towards the two. “I have seen nothing, a fever took my eyes when I was younger.” He said with a calm smile.

The Elder Judge said nothing, the two young ones continued advancing. Dion continued, “I have no allegiance to Fortyne, you have nothing to worry about me. I can be blind for you if you like and this way you don’t have to dispose of a third body.”

“So you are a coward as well, the least you could do is meet your end honorably.”

Damn Judges, so hard set in their honor that they wouldn’t even let Dion go when even when it was better for them.

“I am just efficient, didn’t want to cause you more trouble. I find bloodshed distasteful and messy and often time consuming. You ever try strangling a man to death?” Dion said the smile fading from his face and his hands lowering.

The Elder Judge raised an eyebrow.

“I’ll take it you haven’t. Well let me explain, even when you stop the bloodflow to the head and a man’s vision goes black he still has several moments of panicked thrashing that he can make. Often a man on the edge of death is at his strongest.” Dion said and the two young Judges slowed in their advance. Good, he thought, at least the young ones can scare. “This of course is a noble thing but it makes it so much less efficient than well placed knife. Though even butchering a man with many stabs still requires that he bleed slowly out.”

The two young ones nearly stopped their advance, Dion noticed one’s hand was shaking. The Elder growled at the two. “Stop his incessant yammering!”

Dion looked at the two boys, “but you know all about that right? You’ve killed men, right?”

One sneered at Dion, “Of course!”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Said Dion smiling again.

The first of the two charged, a little too eager to prove himself. His weight all forward so when he swung his blade downward he found nothing to hit. Dion shifted his weight to the side crouching low to the ground and extending the other leg. The boy stumbled over the outstretched leg and landed face first. Dion pulled the outstretched leg in, standing up. He then shifted his weight the other foot spinning around. He raised his free foot into the air and it came down in an arc onto the neck of the Young Judge. Dion hit the back neck plate of the armor but the force was enough to dig the plate into spine. He brought the foot back up and landed a series of brutal stomps onto the boy. The second boy started to step back. The Elder Judge drew his sword, whether to kill Dion or keep the other boy from running, Dion didn’t know but it cause the first boy to stop his retreat.

Dion stepped forward letting one hand fall to his side and a knife fall into it. He hurled the knife into the second young judge who didn’t see it coming. He fell to the ground the knife protruding out of his exposed head.

Dion moved at the Elder Judge he raised his blade in front of him so that if Dion charged he would impale himself. Dion charged pulling two new knives free from their sheaths but at the last moment moved to the side, but the Elder had changed his stance and the blade now stood between Dion and the Elder again. Dion stepped back and feinted from a different direction and found the point of the blade warding him off. The Elder’s form was exact and precise, everything Dion had been told to expect from a well-trained Judge.

Dion stepped back. “I take you didn’t train these two.”

The Elder Judge took one step forward and swung horizontally at Dion. Dion hopped back absorbing a small amount of the attack with his knives. Before he could counter the Elder’s blade was between them again and the Elder was circling.

“Because if you trained them you should be a little ashamed. I expected more from Judges.” Dion said ducking to the side from another swing. He stabbed low but the Elder changed the grip on his sword and swung it down deflecting the knife. The knife was knocked from Dion’s hand. Dion moved with the blow and rolled away. The agile Wraith came up on his feet and spun to deflect a strike with his offhand knife. He took his free hand to grab the Elder’s wrist and try to swing the blade to the ground.

Dion quickly realized the error of this and the muscled Judge shouldered him off sending him on his back into the ground. The blade was coming down on Dion but he rolled to the side and landed a kick into the back of the Judge’s knee. Dion sprang to his feet but the Judge had gained his footing again and was standing blade first at Dion.

Dion paced as he circled the Elder, they looked each other over. A slight smile was creeping over the Elder Judge’s face. Dion’s face had dropped considerably. Dust and dirt covered his face now and his coats was torn in several places. Dion wasn’t liking the odds here. He couldn’t get in this guy’s head. He was calm, reserved, everything was trained to respond reflexively. He was stronger. Thankfully he wasn’t faster, but in the end Dion had to admit he wasn’t faster either. Dion was barely holding his own, this battle would likely be won by who was more determined, and Dion didn’t like the idea of testing his determination against that of a Maeden Judge.

The gate swung open and the cart drew nearer. A man in a long yellow coat stepped through the gate and behind him stood twenty armed men. Ten stood armed with sword and shield, ten with rifles. The Arbitrator ordered the riflemen to fire on the Judge. Crystals on the rifles hummed and a bluish spark sent a small shards of crystal at the Judge. The impacts send the Judge sprawling as the cart drew near. The Arbitrator raised his hand and charged the cart with his foot soldiers. The cart began to turn away. The Judge stood up and more bruised than injured and took off running to the cart. He grabbed onto the back as it began to take off at high speed. Arrows flew out of the back and hit two of the soldiers charging it. Others raised their shields in time. Another volley of crystal flew from the rifles at the cart. The Judge shielded his men with his body. Arrows fired back once again and the infantry fell back. They wouldn’t be able to catch up.

Dion lay down as soon as the riflemen appeared. The Arbitrator approached him.

“You dead?” the man said.

Dion stood up slowly pulling the hood of his coat over most of his face as he stood. “I am all right.”

“The sound of your blithering alerted the guards.” The Arbitrator said with a smirk.

“What were they doing here?”

“Trying to sneak in. We have created a perimeter to help regulate visitation.”

“May I enter?” Dion asked.

The Arbitrator leaned in closer, Dion stepped back. “That depends on your business. It is clear to me you are no friend of Maedus, but they are not our only enemies.”

“I am not your enemy, I am only here to find someone.”

“Faecon is expecting you.”

For once Dion, was speechless.

The Arbitrator smiled, “I am Arbitrator Dylan. Faecon said he expected someone to be checking up on him soon. And only another Wraith would stand toe to toe with an experienced Judge like that.” Dylan raised up his hand and knocked the hood off the stunned Dion. “You aren’t dealing with some brainless peasant, so you can stop the mystery man act.”

Dion collected himself. This made things more complicated. Now he and Faecon were representatives of Elayne, not regular citizens, and it seems Faecon is actively working with the Fortyne Arbitrators. Dion didn’t know if he was a traitor or a superior acting on orders Dion didn’t even know about.

Dylan turned away and walked towards his men giving orders to pick up the wounded. He turned back to Dion. “Come with me,” he began walking to the gate. “And that is not a request.”