The Grey Chronicles Part One: New Declaration of An Old War

Chapter 4: It's Not Over Until the Fat Jarl Sings.

Phantom drop ship, Calypso Four, March of 8096 AL.

Salem sat in the copilot's seat beside Augustus, who was piloting the shuttle. Briarios and Soluna stood behind their chairs, all of them looked through the windshield with expressions of anger, horror, or a combination of the two.

The Empire's guidelines generally suggested a Jarl's office should be located in a small office building in the center of the capital city on any colonized world in that Jarl's star system, small being a relative term; they were usually slightly taller than most other buildings in the city, normally functioning as city hall. The "office" of Jarl Osmand of the Calypso system was a mansion that rivaled Salem's own. It towered over the rest of the buildings and was adorned with massive banners and murals depicting the man in regal gowns. It was visible from the base of the skyhook, almost twenty kilometers away.

Saying Salem was pissed would be putting it lightly; he was silently fuming. The capital city of Calypso Four was everything Machinae culture despised. The streets had none of the normal corporate advertising, only signs portraying the city's "Oberjarl," meaning King of Jarls. The walls were painted with murals of "His Holy Majesty, the Oberjarl."

On each street stood a shrine to the Oberjarl and banners declaring his power. Colonists stood in lines along the streets, bowing to the statues and leaving offerings of food and money at the shrines. Salem was disgusted at the thought that any Machinae would bow to another man, or that another man would brainwash his people in this way. Machinae society was nothing if not stubborn and proud; the Machinae people didn't revere anyone like this, save their gods. The respect and admiration of the masses was something that had to be fought for; this level of devotion just wasn't given willingly, not by the Machinae. The citizens here had been brainwashed, and somehow it had gone unnoticed by the other colonies.

At each new offense Salem let a low rumble comparable to a growl slip past his lips. His jaw dropped as they flew past a banner; "Your Holy Majesty is the one, true God. All other gods are falsehoods, worship of the heathen gods is punishable by death."

"How are they not rioting in the streets?" Briarios asked, his voice barely more than a whisper, "Why would the people worship him like this? Why would they worship anyone like this?"

"I don't know," Salem shook his head, he almost smiled to himself as they passed the blasphemous banner, "But I'm glad your mother isn't here, she'd rip Rott's head off before I had the chance to question him."

As they approached the palace a landing pad extended to meet them, they flew in and landed without incident. Salem unbuckled his seat restraints and stood, grumbling as he shoved past his son and daughter and out of the open rear hatch of the drop ship. Soluna and Briarios followed their father as he stomped his way toward the large, solid oak doors that resembled those on his own castle. Augustus stayed behind to guard the ship; Salem was sure their visit would end violently, they'd need a quick escape. The first thing Salem saw as he slammed the doors open was a colossal elevator flanked by two golden fountains spraying what appeared to be molten silver. Statues of the self-proclaimed god stared down at them as they crossed a marble floor veined with gold. Their footsteps echoed throughout what appeared to be a throne room, a woman who appeared to be Osmand's secretary crossed the room hurriedly from a door across from the elevator. She was flanked by guards.

"Your majesty," the woman said as she walked up to them, "His Highness will be with you momentarily, he's just finishing up-"

"No, I think he'll see me immediately," Salem scoffed as he walked past her towards the elevator.

"I'm sorry but you can't go up there-" She paused, stopping mid-sentence; it was obvious he wouldn't be kept from his goal. She motioned to the guards, but they barely managed to raise their weapons before Soluna and Briarios pounced; the siblings attacked, Soluna wrapping her arm around a guard's throat and choking him until unconsciousness while Briarios ripped the rifle from the other man's hands and beat him over the head with it. Each of the guards slumped to the ground, leaving the secretary looking very surprised and very afraid as the siblings followed their father onto the elevator. The moment Soluna and Briarios were in the lift, Salem smashed his fist into the button marked "Oberjarl's Office," shattering the crystal button. The doors closed and the elevator moved quickly, ascending the tower in only a minute.