Tipping the Scales

32

Anselet yawned. He often found the war council tedious – laborious at best. Nothing really got achieved unless he spoke; no actions of any meaning were decided unless he chose to voice his support. He had to be in attendance for the major meetings, of course, otherwise the fools may do something foolish. He felt like a supervisor of children. More often than not, nothing of note was accomplished.

He was sitting in on one such council when he noticed a messenger slip in through the door, bearing the insignia of a circular set of red teeth on his chest. The Blooded Fang, now there's a group of people I can actually trust to get things done.

"Excuse me, officers," Anselet cut in, smiling apologetically, "I have business of major importance to attend to." He rose from his chair at the head of the table and everyone else followed suit, out of respect. "Please, carry on your discussion but don't stray from the topic at hand; we still have much to debate."

Anselet nodded to his top officers who bowed as he walked by, before striding purposefully out the door with the messenger.

"News from Caldara?" Anselet asked once outside.

The messenger shook his head. "News of Lukas Musgrave."

"Not here," Anselet said quickly, ushering the messenger away from the war council's room. He led him to a back room of no real importance – a location he often used for conversations concerning the running of a kingdom. "Now, speak."

"We have conducted a thorough search into the ruined town of Merton where Lukas hails from – who lived there and why it was a key location in the war."

"Hmm yes I remember something about a Merton, but I can't put my finger on it" Anselet said. "Do go on."

"It was being used by Ferlandian revolutionaries who were conspiring with non-human forces from the Central Forest."

Anselet's face soured. "Yes, I remember now. A particularly troubling insurgency. I believe Commander Tobias led his troop and secured the town."

"Along with an older section of the Blooded Fang," the messenger nodded. "The non-humans attempted to aid the revolutionaries, but we crushed their resistance and razed the town to the ground."

"None of this is ground-breaking, what of Lukas Musgrave?"

"It was believed that Pether Lockwood lived in Merton, and took his last stand there."

The blood drained from Anselet's face. "The most wanted man in Ferlandia," he said under his breath.

"From our understanding, he fathered two children. We found the body of one – the other was unaccounted for. We could account for every other member of the village but that child."

Anselet began to pace up and down the small room, running a thousand thoughts through his head and he scratched at his beard. He considered the likelihoods, from unlikely possibilities to worst case scenarios. He weighed up risks and fabricated solutions, as it was his job to do so. After a few minutes, he stopped and turned to the messenger.

"You're sure Lockwood lived in Merton?"

"Yes."

"ThenLukas is Pether's son," Anselet said. He let that sink in for a moment but hismind didn't allow him to rest – it automatically searched for answers, whirredaway at the varying possibilities and their outcomes. There was only one thatensured the ongoing success of Ferlandia for certain. "Send word to The Leech,inform him of Lukas' true identity."

"Anything else, my lord?"

"Yes," Anselet selected a piece of parchment from a shelf and scribbled a note before sealing it with his official seal. "Give this to Apollo. It is an order for the execution of Lukas Lockwood."