Threads of Vengeance

Part 1 Chapter 10

Syral

Maya and Proahn watched as the gates of Syral slowly rose. Proahn turned to her.

“It could be a trap,” he said.

“Could be,” She agreed, raising the horn to her lips.

A single, loud sound reverberated through the battlefield, drowning out cries of pain and anger. Every unit charged through the open gate at the sound. Maya climbed upon her horse and set it galloping towards the gates, enjoying the cold wind that hit her face. Proahn gave a cry of frustration before following after her.

No sounds of fighting was heard as Maya approached the city. When she entered, she was greeted by the sight of bodies lining the gate and walls. Elephants with chains tied around them, attempted to pull down the gates of the castle that stood proudly at the centre of the city.

“Daarva's breath!” swore Proahn as he caught up to her. "What happened here?"

A man walked up to them, dragging another in chains. He attempted an awkward bow and thrust the man in chains forward. The man stumbled and fell.

“This is captain Vahlan, the leader of Syral guards. A symbol of good faith your majesty,” he said in the sing song Cerurian accent.

“And who are you?” she asked, studying the man. He was completely ordinary to look at. He was on the extreme side of ordinary. There was no distinguishing feature apart from his accent. You couldn't pick him out of a hundred men, even if you had known him all your life.

“I'm called Namir,” he said. "The man who delivers Syral to you!"

“Cobra?” asked Proahn, frowning.

“The very same,” Namir replied with a small smile.

“Thwaithor,” spat the man in the chains spat at Namir, who casually kicked the man causing him to fall onto the ground once more.

“You will be rewarded well,” she told him, knowing that, that was the reply he was awaiting.

She heard a loud thud and looked towards the direction the sound had come from. The castle gate lay on the floor. She grinned inwardly and nodded to Proahn. He followed her as she headed to the castle. The man, Namir followed at a distance, dragging Captain Vahlan.

“You know of him?” she asked Proahn quietly.

He nodded. “Half Cerurian, half Megarese and a completely nasty piece of work. There's a reason I didn't hire him even though he is also known to be very skilled. They say he would kill his mother for the right price. I've also heard he wields a crystal. I don't know how much of that is true, though.”

A soldier approached them and bowed low. “Rizal is missing your majesty. We found only his wife trying to run”

“Detain her, I'm on my way there,” she instructed.

She was greeted by the sight of a woman in chains. Her long brown hair was dishevelled and face was tear marked.

“Mercy, please, I did not want this” the woman cried upon seeing Maya.

Maya coldly looked at her. "Where's your husband? I'll spare you if you tell me."

"I-I don't know! He went somewhere with his guards and never returned!"

“Leave her for the crows. And cut off the legs so she can't escape.”The woman wept and screamed, hurling profanities at Maya.

She ignored her and turned to a nearby soldier. “Where's Rizal?”

He shook his head. “We can't find him anywhere your majesty.”

“Maybe the captain knows something, bring him here,” Proahn told him.

The man returned in a short while, followed by Namir and Vahlan.

“This man wouldn' let him go” he shot an accusatory glare at Namir. “Kept sayin' somethin’ bout a reward.”

“Be patient, you'll get your reward soon, but for now I need to borrow him,” Maya told Namir. Turning to the soldier she said, “ask the soldiers to gather. I will address them soon.”

Namir thought for a minute and then kicked Vahlan who fell at Maya's feet. She waited till he got onto his feet. “Where's Rizal?” she asked softly.

He spat at her. “There's nothing you can do thoo make me thalk.” He raised an arm showing a hand with missing fingers.

“I've already suffered the worsth from your brother,in the greath war, I do noth fear pain”

“Proahn,” she said. He nodded and disappeared for a while. When he returned, he was followed by a number of children. A soldier brought in a table and placed a butcher's knife, hinged upon it on one end.

“Line the kids in front of the table” she instructed.

“You're going to thorture kids? You crazy bitch,” spat Vahlan.

“Of course not,” replied Maya sweetly. “I will never torture little kids. I don't know about you though!”

Proahn grabbed the hand of the first boy in the line and shackled to the table. Positioning the hinged knife properly, he nodded to Vahlan. “Please, go ahead.” he said.

Vahlan did not move. The boy looked to be on the verge of tears.

“Go ahead, Vahlan. Cut off his hand. I don't have all day. There are nearly a dozen children here and several hundred below in the city. We have to go through them all!” she smiled. “Or perhaps he needs a bit of incentive, Proahn?”

"How about we kill the children's parents if he does not cut," suggested Proahn.

“Please, don'th make me do this.” whispered Vahlan,

"You can just tell Rizal's location then," said Maya

He closed his eyes and pushed the knife down. A spurt of blood appeared and the hand separated at the wrist. The boy burst into tears.

"I can'th do this anymore," Vahlan said, eyes brimming with tears. "I'll tell you where Rizal wenth if you promise to spare me."

"I promise" said Maya.

Vahlan hesitated for a moment and then spoke, "He's in the sewers. There's a secret passage in his bedroom. Behind the portrait there's a small lever..."

Maya nodded and set off towards the castle gate. Proahn walked up to her. “What do we do with those prisoners?” he asked.

“Let them go. And as for the crippled child, take him as a stable boy. He will probably die in the streets as a cripple if not.

“He might try to kill you in the future,” said Proahn with a frown. She simply shrugged and walked up to her army waiting for her speech.

She faced them, all standing in neat, straight rows. “Syral, is now ours,” she said. Though she did not speak very loudly, her voice carried to even the farthest men.

Cheers erupted from them. She waited patiently till it settled down before continuing. “and, since Syral is once more part of the empire, any man found pillaging or raping will be punished by the laws of the empire. That, is all. Dismissed.”

She turned and headed into the castle. It was time for her to hunt a sewer rat.