Fate of an Empire (Book One)

Chapter 4 - War Plans

"We Talurians are not cowards! Why don't we march now and cut through the rest of Kilgar?" said one of the men, anger accentuating the scar below his eye, "We can kill the remaining forces and make our way to Targa's border!"

"Are you serious? You want to keep going?" started another, "If we don't do this carefully we will lose the war. We have significant intelligence that suggests the entire island taking up arms against us. They'll slip behind our lines and cut out our heart."

The tent was filled with men waving their fists, shouting, and cursing at each other. The officers had caught word of the possible diplomatic meetings amongst the other tribes.

"He is right. Thandril should be back shortly and will no doubt confirm the accuracy of the rumors. My house will not march," said a different man, moving toward his comrade's side to show support.

Five tables were set up inside the tent, all facing inward. This mimicked the way the central section of the capital city was structured—the trueblood houses. General Saris sat at the back of the tent, slightly away from the circle, between his two, regular standing Captains, Arteus and Barolas.

Saris slammed his fist on the heavy wooden table, silencing the men. "Commanders, you must control yourselves! I barely consider you men, at best adolescent boys. Though from what I've seen this week, you're acting as if fresh off your mother's teat. How can we get anything decided with all this childish bickering?"

Mouths dropped, shocked at the manner in which Saris had addressed them. Some of the men had to be pleaded with by their entourage to not lash out at their leader. Everyone knew they would pay for it later if something was said in contradiction.

These were the eldest sons from each of the five great Houses of Taluria. During times of war, they would be given the title of Honor Guard Commander, to represent their House on the battlefield.

All graciously accepted the title, except for Drakken of House Bloodborne; the young man had sent a senior House member to occupy his position. Saris thought him a coward, in any case, so when the replacement showed up at training camp, he did not waste another thought on him.

The General cleared his throat, "I have fought alongside each of your fathers when they were your age—when they were the Honor Guard Commanders of your houses." He pointed around the room. "This display you make in my tent this morning would bring shame to them, and houses' legacies."

The room was silent.

"We are going to wait for Thandril before we take even a single step from this spot. Ready your troops. If I see any of you start to move north, I will personally deliver your head back to your father in a beautiful box, maybe with a ribbon of your House's color—to give it a unique touch."

They all nodded their understanding. Few could talk to these men in this direct fashion, but Saris was one of them.

The rank Saris held was outside the political sphere of the Houses. He came from High Council, a long-lived family, and one of the original to form Taluria. Since named General, he was not considered a member of High Council—one of few offices held by someone, not within their own house. The only others were Chancellor, Overseer, and the Emperor himself. These four positions made up the Inner Circle. They were the final word on matters of the empire.

Before they could start arguing again, a rider ducked in through the tent flap and whispered to the Harmite slave at the door, who, in turn, raised his hand to get Saris' attention.

Saris sighed and rolled his hand in the air, permitting the rider to approach.

"Sir!" He saluted the General and then the other officers around the circle. "I have word from Hillsford that your wife has gone into labor. The physician said if you ride out immediately, you should be able to make it in time for the birth."

The small town of Hillsford was located right inside the border of the Talurian Empire and had been an important staging area used in the attack on the Kilgarian fortress. The General's pregnant wife had stayed there due to being near the end of her third trimester.

"Alright..." Saris slowly stood from his seat and motioned for the messenger to leave. He turned to his horsemaster. "Is my mount ready?"

"Yes, sir. I sent a runner to the stables the second I saw the messenger coming, in case there was a need," the man bowed and left the tent to check on its arrival.

Saris leaned down on the table in front of him. "Well, gentlemen, we will determine our next move when I return."

He started walking toward the tent's opening. His private guards quickly moved from the surrounding walls and fell into place around him. He suddenly stopped and turned to his Captains. "When Thandril shows up, tell him to meet me in Hillsford."

Nodding to himself, he left the room.

"Where is my horse?" He yelled as he exited the tent, spitting his words at the horsemaster.

It was time to meet his baby.

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