Magic, Dark Lords, and Other Lies From The Empire

Chapter 2

The rest of the sermon proceeded as normal, or at least I think it did. I was finding it hard to focus after the execution. It's not like it was the first time I had seen one, but I hadn't gone to see one in years. I felt...strange...but I forced the feeling away. This wasn't the time or the place to unpack it.

Once the sermon ended, the crowd began to disperse slowly. Many took the time to hang around and talk, while others sought to return home to sleep for the day. A few had just woken up and were now heading off to work. Everything seemed completely normal; as if a man hadn't just been killed.

I saw a few of my friends from the academy, but aside from saying hello I didn't bother speaking to them. More than anything else I just wanted to get home so I could eat and get ready for bed.

Mother was, of course, speaking with a group of other parents from our neighborhood while Father and I stood nearby.

"I was worried when I didn't see you three before us!" one of them told Mother. "I was convinced that your husband must have had an accident in the forge."

"Better not let him hear you say that. But no, we were just...a little held up."

I did my best to pay attention to the idle conversation, but the strange feeling from earlier kept distracting me.

"You can go."

I almost jumped as Father spoke under his breath. He wasn't looking at me, I don't think anyone besides me even noticed him speak.

"It would be impolite," I whispered back.

"Perhaps, but you are tired and...distracted."

I glanced at Father, thinking that he had noticed how unsettled the execution had made me, but I quickly realized that he was just referring to how hungry I was. "Are you sure?" I asked.

He glanced at me, "G-"

"Gammiz!" A loud voice called out, silencing the conversation Mother was having and making Father stiffen. I followed the sound of the voice and was shocked to see the paladin commander walking over to us. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

"Commander Laqbeka." Father said, bowing deeply.

"Stand! It's been too long old friend," the paladin said, smiling warmly as he roughly put his hand on Father's shoulder. His hood was still up, but now that he was closer I could see a bit of silvery hair framing his face.

"Father, you know a paladin commander!?" I asked with starry eyes.

"Yes, me and your father fought together during the siege of Wisfe Svep. He was a splendid soldier." his smile fell for a moment. "And he could have been a splendid paladin as well."

My eyes widened. While I have never considered Father an ordinary man, the idea that he could have been a paladin was unbelievable. They held some of the empire's highest authority and were responsible for facing even the deadliest threats. The stories told about the paladin orders were the stuff of legends.

"You have your way to serve Z'kyd'qa, and I have mine," Father said brusquely.

"I know," Commander Osgoqu said, his smile returning. "And I do not mean to downplay the work you do. I just wonder about what could have been." He took his hand off Father's shoulder and turned to me and Mother. "But enough about the past, introduce me to these two!"

"Hello commander, I'm Akay, Gammiz's wife. And this is our daughter, Xara."

"Hello, sir!" I said a little too forcefully.

The commander chuckled. "A pleasure to meet you both. Especially you ma'am." He gestured toward Father. "I always wondered who would be able to get through to this awkward newt."