Fleas - Songs of the Gnolls I

INSTINCTS 3.7

Unlike the bastion they had visited in the city of the Great Wall, the castle of Turquena was an imperious structure, cared for like a work of art. Its beautifully carved tiles told stories of its people and of the sea. And of the creatures that lurked beneath the surface. Giant dragons that could devour ships in a single bite, snakes as long as the empire's borders, the mighty Leviathan that ruled over them all. And, of course, the beautiful mermaids that lure sailors to their doom. He had heard that they were half-fish women, but there they appeared as women with wings and birds' feet. Who knows.

The guards were aware of their arrival and sounded trumpets before opening the huge oak door with gold and silver leaf reflecting the sunlight. The little one was speechless. It was logical, he supposed, for he lived in the savannah and was unaware of the unparalleled human ability to beautify his own confinement.

A hue of blue and turquoise, obviously, flooded the throne room, which seemed almost submerged in the vast sea. The banners of the various noble houses were apparently floating on huge marble columns. In contrast to such a structure, and the imposing coral throne, stood a small boy with white hair, a round face, and flushed cheeks. Knight Dannke bowed. Fleas imitated him.

"Unusual animal to accompany you, old knight," the ruler remarked.

"He is a slave, my lord. A hyaenid of the savannah. Scorned by his own kind and sold in the city walls. And now he is my squire."

"Hyaenid? I see," his small legs swayed from the top of the throne, far off the ground. He jumped down and aproached, then looked at Fleas closely. The hyaenid did not move, did not take his eyes off the ground, as Dannke had taught him. "It is said that your species are savages, despicable creatures who have nothing rational about them."

Fleas murmured something between his teeth.

"What do you say? Speak freely."

"It is a lie," Fleas replied, calmly, but Dannke noticed his anger.

"Why do you say that? Is it not true that you devour each other, that you walk about naked and fornicate without shame?"

"We only devour the fallen so that their flesh and spirit may live among us. We do not despise our bodies as humans do, because we feel that there is no shame in obeying nature."

The ruler smiled.

"I stand speechless. I did not believe that a savage could utter such consistent and meaningful words," he jumped up and sat down on the throne. Dannke was amazed, the ruler looked like an adult trapped in a child's body. "Knight Dannke, I can imagine the reason for your arrival, but I would like to hear it from your lips."

Near Filgad, two men were watching. One of them was long, thin, young and emaciated. The other was older, broad, and thickly bearded. They must have been the advisors, the ones who really ruled.

"I come in the name of Her Majesty, the Empress, in the hope of reaffirming her rule. At this time, the loyalty of the other regents is wavering. This empire was founded on the blood of many innocents in the wars of conquest. Her Majesty wishes to prevent such a tragedy from happening again."

The tall one approached the child and spoke into his ear. Filgad measured the words.

"I imagine the price for such a peace is to mobilize our forces to Les Iuria and intimidate the pretenders. We would be exposed. And if that were not enough, whoever succeeded Her Majesty would retaliate against us."

"I know it is a risk, but I remind you that it is your duty."

"Duty? What could one who was born by neglect of duty know of that word? What can one who keeps alive a creature that should be exterminated know of duty? Your glory days are behind you, Dannke, far behind you. And don't get me wrong, even though I'm young, I know who you were and what you did for the Empire," he had calmed down a bit, but his white skin was still blushed. Old knight, what has the Empire done for us? Only levied heavy taxes and used our harbor for their benefit."

Dannke was nervous. He could afford to lose the alliance with the wall troops, for they served the sole function of keeping the savannah from eating them alive. A function they would fulfill no matter who ruled. But not Turquena. Much of the empire's wealth came from this city. The port was its link to the rest of the world, from the Seasonal Continent to the Misty Isles. Militarily, it was not fundamental, but economically, it was the true heart of the empire. Therefore, the small ruler had no interest in occupying the throne. He had more power in this palace.

The guards approached to lead them out. Dannke stood up and looked at the little boy with determination.

"It is true, the empire has done little for you. But I can change that."

The bearded advisor approached Filgad, the boy stopped him with a gesture and allowed Dannke to continue.

"You have lost several ships at sea. Not many, it is true, but not a fact to be ignored either."

"What is your proposal?"

"I will prevent any more ships from disappearing. I will find out what happened to them and prosecute those responsible."

"How will you do that?"

"I'm not sure yet, but you have my word that I will do so. And if I succeed, you must reaffirm your oath to the crown, to Her Majesty, the Empress."

The boy scratched his chin. He glanced sideways at the advisors, who nodded.

"I don't understand why a bastard would show such loyalty. If anything, it shouldn't be half loyalty. Anyway, not that I care. I accept your proposal. Everything you need will be at your disposal. But don't let another ship go missing, or I'll consider your mission a failure. Kriell, escort him to the guest quarters. And take his... squire to the kennel."

"Do not worry, my lord. My squire will sleep with me in the Mulatto Cat's Drop."

They were walking down the harbor street when Fleas, who was awfully quiet, asked:

"What is bastard?"

"I was born out of wedlock. I don't think you understand what that means. Men and women come together in a ceremony before they fornicate. Then we spend the rest of our lives together. And any children we have carry the father's last name. If you are born out of wedlock, you are a bastard. You have no family name, you can't inherit anything, you can't be noble."

"You're right, I don't understand. In our tribe what's important is what we do, not who our father was... Although it is important who our mother was, come to think of it. Maybe we are not so different.

The old knight smiled melancholically.

"It is true. We are both despised, but for different reasons. Steel cannot be forged without being heated and beaten. The more blows you take, the harder you become. In the end, we are the legitimate children of life, and those who have always had everything are the bastards."

The little one looked away. He didn't believe his words, because Dannke didn't believe them either. He looked down at his wrinkled hands. Certain blows don't harden metal, they break it. He had seen many brave warriors broken on the battlefield. Others, the ghosts of tragedy haunted them on those quiet nights when not even the crickets dared to chirp. That was what bound them together more than the scorn of others. If he could save the little one from his ghosts, perhaps there was hope for him as well.

"How naive of me," he thought.