The Aeterna Empire

Chapter 7 - Fleeing the Capital

Abhdan was dead.

I didn't have to see it. I knew it in my heart as well as if I had witnessed it. Caius and he had never met eye to eye and if the old man hadn't kept up with us he would have been trampled.

We fled the city that night. A captain of the wall's night watch, a Numerenari, was loyal enough to Fereren to change the patrols on an outer wall and give us place to escape. We used rope and bed linen and clothing and anything else we could gather to descend the wall and make way for cover of bushes and trees.

"Will you guide us this night?" I asked him. "We will have need of your protection."

"If only, my king, but my charge is with the people. The Night Blood have slept long with the sun out and I must be vigilant now, more than ever, as they wake. Something disturbs them, agitates them."

I nodded in understanding. The Numer's charge was a sacred one. It was wishful thinking a Sleepless One would ever leave their post.

"Would your guild offer me aid, were I to go to them?"

"I don't know." The man admitted sadly. "Our calling is beyond politics and wars. Yet, even so, this conquerer from the west is agitating the sleepers. If the guild has survived Ire's fall, they may offer aid in so far as restoring balance. The best you can hope for is to hire one to watch for the usual fare."

He dropped a sack at my feet and opened it briefly. Inside were a number of coiled reeds soaked in animal fat, and a flint to light them. I took one in my hand and inspected it.

"Take this. The Numer wards should keep them back this night... and if the night goes on longer as the days have, then it should last you until the next city."

"Thank you." I took the sack onto my back. It weighed little, but I struggled still as the torture would take time to overcome. Fereren stood by the edge of the wall waiting for me, to help lower me. His attention constantly gazed about in search. "You have given me more than you think, and knowing you have made an enemy of my brother. I will never forget this. I hope he never learns of this."

"Think nothing of it, my lord. You go fight your enemy, I will fight mine."

He bowed and took a step back into the shadows, disappearing from sight.

I returned to Fereren. In my state, he took me in a big hug and descended the wall with me in his arms. As soon as my feet touched the ground he released me and I fell, struggling to catch my breath. Even just holding onto him drained me. He gave a quick shout, and moments later the rope fell around us, cut. He took it into his arms and hauled me to my feet.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about that embarrassing display."

I chuckled. "You're more likely to embellish and claim you held me in your arms like a newlywed woman."

"More likely." He agreed with a laugh. "Now come, we have to catch up with the others!"

Together we fled after the rest of our group. The wards were rationed among us and lit. Much as one might fear being found by my brother's hunters, it was equally likely another foe might catch us. The former we could evade, the latter we could only ward against.

With each ward lasting about four hours, and there being many of us, we might just last the journey with how many provided. We huddled together and distributed the lights to those around the edges. Moving became slow to keep formation but we could not risk a fracture. On schedule, as the wards burnt out, we lit a fresh batch, and were pleased to find there was enough for a third. Thankfully we found light in the distance of a city's Numer wards and would not need them. Selling the remaining wards was enough to buy us enough for a small portion of bread, water, and one home willing to take us in to hide.

The city was grateful for the few wards we could provide as the night extended on past its usual eight hours into twelve, and they had to go into their reserves.

The sun lit, and so we had to rise. Caius would not tarry any longer than the night. The Night Blood would not keep him any longer. We rushed to the next city, and then a second before we decided it was time for proper rest. A commoner's home accepted us without pay, and offered everything they could. A few had seen us and so my companions were wary and stood vigilant at the windows to keep watch.

Fereren looked out at the distant city. A large trade city stood just over the hill and down the road. A fair number of travelers went down the road through this village to there, many of them Ire fleeing the war. Among them were soldiers questioning the passerby about a group of travelers.

"As if isn't bad enough a group big as ours is hard to miss, we are the only ones heading west. Caius will not be far behind."

"Then you should hurry north while you still can." Feren turns away from the window to look at me questioningly. "Take the ministers and guards. We will need something to rebuild when this is over. I will continue west. I see no reason Caius would continue past the border."

"No." Fereren moved from the window to directly in front of me and looked firmly down. I met his resolve with my own. Before, my resolve had never matched his. Before, I had never had the weight of the dead on my shoulders. Now I bear the living on one and the dead on another. "My army is just north-west. With it-"

I challenged him, "We can do what? Fight five armies and the Aeterna? No. The Ire are disbanded and need unification. A task to which you will be unsuited. The South Ire and Soran have made no stance on the war, Kes' new king is unreliable, and Cynn has... nothing."

"And you think to unite them?! They will not accept a Kes-Blood as king!"

"Perhaps not as king, but at least as a voice of reason." I explain. I lay out my plan. "I need you to march north across the wall and prepare. Gather at Turris Solis. I will do what I can for Ire and if they will join with us, I would have them go north into the sea and meet with you."

As I give my instructions, I stand and gather my belongings. My strength is returning for now, enough to make the journey to the trade city and find anyone desperate enough to head west. 

I finish explaining my thoughts, "Kes... we can do nothing for. Better to leave Kes united under a ruthless king on a single front than to drive us to civil war at our darkest hour. Take care of the ministers. We will need them when we retake everything."

I put what little we have into a bag. Fereren watches me, silently taking it in. Finally he whispers, "You're serious. You would go alone at your most dire?"

"I would have us do what we are best suited for." I reply. I sigh and reach for my friend. He lets me hold him by the neck and bring our foreheads close. "I started this fight alone. It has not been as fruitful as I might have hoped, but I will still return to Ire with more than I started. Do not give up, my friend. You are my hope. Tell my sun-child I owe him a long visit."

"You better pay up soon, too. We need someone to... watch him and give us a break for once." He choked. "As you will, my king."

I hold him a moment longer, wanting to hold onto his assurance and strength, before I release him and make way out the door. I enter the crowd and march up the hill. As I reach its peak, I turn to see my companions leaving as well, their destination different than my own. I breathe in and out, settle my nerves, and turn my back to Kes. Ire, and the Aeterna, lay before me.

The city proved to be full of caravans, far more than expected. Every house was emptying itself, every store selling its remaining wares, every bank securing transport, and every cart filled. The Ire to flee this far found no security, but could only secure it further north and north-east, and so assembled caravans of their own. The problem proved to be not merely finding a caravan, but one crazy enough to go west.

It took some time, but I was able to find a caravan going west and willing to take me on. It was a group of mercenaries and merchants. Their aim was the promise of wealth in the rapidly growing Empire, and so my soul told me they would be my enemy one day, but for today, so long as I kept my intentions close to my heart, they could prove to be my ally.