Fleas - Songs of the Gnolls I

SHATTERED TIES 6.1

Darent, Lorent's son, had not inherited his fascination with the word. Throughout the journey, he said little more than was necessary. He rarely looked him in the eye and only answered questions with yes or no. The only one to whom he showed a different attitude was Fleas. He looked at him out of the corner of his eye with some disgust. But as the days went by, he had grown closer to him. It must have been because he liked watching him draw.

Fleas felt invaded by the scent of the meadow flowers. He sneezed constantly and his eyes watered. The small blue and purple flowers were beautiful, they looked like little bells that the fairies used to call their own. And the butterflies, happy in spite of the winter, flew away as the wagon passed, like dry leaves that filled the air and turned it orange. Fleas would have liked to draw them, but he could not do them justice with his charcoal.

One day, in the distance, a city came into view. Its walls, studded with sapphires, shone with a blue intensity that was beyond description. All around, a water-filled moat blocked the way for outsiders. When they saw Dannke from the wall, they sounded trumpets and the gate came down, forming a bridge to be crossed. The guards filled the drawbridge, forming two ranks. They raised their spears and banners as they advanced. Dannke dismounted Surly and walked to where two subjects in beautiful blue armor were waiting for him. Fleas, his squire, jumped down from the wagon and ran to his side. For a moment, the guards were confused, but Dannke made them understand with a simple sign that he was not dangerous.

"Your journey has been... auspicious as far as I can see," said one of the knights, the oldest. Though a bit younger than Dannke.

"It was. May I present Pulgas, my squire. He is a savannah hyaenid."

Fleas bowed.

"So these are the creatures of the savannah," said the other, analyzing him with a raised eyebrow. He had a golden mane like a young lion, and eyes even bluer than the sapphire of the ramparts. "And who is him?"

"Oh, I brought the son of Lorent, the lord of Lea Beranta. Excuse me, Breist, it's been a hard day and I'd like to talk to Kris and Yolti."

Breist, the golden-haired lion, shook his head.

"I heard they both went to war, along with several others. Halkat, the Bloody Terror, has also given most of his forces to the defense, but in return he is pressing for Her Majesty to accept his hand.

"Wait a minute, war? Has the Solar Kingdom breached the wall?"

The two knights looked at each other.

"We have much to discuss," said the elder.

*

Dannke wanted to rest, but the urgency of the war merited an immediate audience with the Empress. She received them, along with her cohort of advisors. The throne on which she sat was made of thousands of gems from every corner of the world. Some colored, some white, some transparent. Some opaque, some crystalline. With the sun's rays streaming through the window, the throne radiated light in all directions. It was impossible to see it without irritating the eyes. The empress was no less precious or hard than those gems. She had a broad nose that did not spoil the symmetry of her face, but rather enhanced it. Her forty-five winters were hidden behind a mask of white and red powder. But there was one thing she shared with Dannke: dark circles under her eyes. She couldn't get rid of them even with all the make-up powder.

"Bastard knight," she said without a hint of warmth or empathy, "what was the result of your quest?"

"Your Majesty. Both Turquena and Lea Beranta support your name. In the case of Turquena it was easy, but Lorent demanded something more. I present Darent, firstborn son of Lorent and future Emperor of Les Iuria."