Kings and Pawns

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I was awakened by a loud pounding on the door. I groaned, silently cursing whom ever it was to the firey pits of Hades. A female voice sounded outside the door.

"Commander Jerric," she said urgently, "You are being summoned by the Emperor. He requests your presence at once, Sir."

I rolled out of bed, stood, and stretched. the joints in my shoulders and neck popped. I mentally noted the stiffness in me left shoulder from yesterday's training session; the recruits were learning quickly. i walked to the door and opened it. Kye, the only female in the group of the Emperor's personal guards, stood there. Her short brown hair bobbed as she gave me a curt nod, a sign of respect for a superior officer.

"Sir," she said, "the Emperor needs you immediately in the throne room. Commander Caliet and Commander Colin have also been summoned."

"Thank you soldier, tell the Emperor that I'm on my way."

She nodded again and turned on her heel.

After i dressed in my uniform, i left my apartment. I walked through the Council Compound, a collection of apartments within the palace walls that housed the council members, and paused at the central council courtyard when i heard a door open and close. It was my friend, Caliet, the archery instructor. She hurried toward me. Her short blonde hair was damp and ruffled, suggesting a recent wash. Her green eyes were wide awake.

"What's this about, Jer?" she asked me, "It's too dadblasted early for this. If I hadn't already been awake, this would have made me down right cross."

"I don't know what it's about," I told her, "but I'm sure we will find out soon."

She fell into step beside me.

"And what do you mean already awake?" I asked.

"I was waxing a couple new bow strings. I have a training session at dawn; the recruits are practicing low-light shooting this morning."

"How are they progressing?"

I wondered if she was also experiencing the welcomed challenge of taking the lessons to a more advanced level. the recruits, 25 talented students hand picked from the royal training academy, were only months away from joining the regiment of the Emperor's personal guards. I had given each of them their swordsmanship evaluation yesterday, the reason for my sore shoulder, and was pleased by their skills. Tommorow they would begin a more advanced program.

"They are doing well, especially the youngest girl, Katelyn. She can empty a quiver faster than any of the others with deadly accuracy. Only two are above her level."

I nodded. I kew the girl. She hadn't done too well in the first stage of sword training, for she was too small to handle a long sword properly, but once we had moved on, her skills had surfaced. she was small, but she was clever and fast. She struck quickly and efficently, always on the offensive, always studying her opponent, finding and exploiting weaknesses, small and quiet, but a force to be reckoned with.

Another apartment door near the compound exit opened and Colin, the head battle strategist, appeared almost having to duck to pass under the door frame. He looked ragged, as if he hadn't slep at all. He waited for us to reach him, and we walked out of the courtyard together.

"Do you know what all of this is  about?" Caliet asked him.

His face looked grave as he asnswered, "I do, there is trouble brewing to the west. One of our caravans was attacked by soldiers from Andraya. We received the news last evening. I've been with the Emperor since then, fromulating a plan."