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One Who Confronts Fear: Ch. 2

Deviation Actions

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From the Darkness



The Sei have proven to be a stubborn people, but they are not beyond seeing reason. The great majority have fallen in line, but there are small numbers who have fled to the wilderness. I have already sent numerous squads out with the purpose of hunting those who have rejected the Way down and returning them to the life of slavery they have chosen.

— Report to Lord Tishnon, governor of Angvardi occupied Sei


Five Miles West of See Sei
Angvardi Province of Sei
October 30


Syler squinted in the setting sun as he scanned the scrub forest for signs of Lamastus. He stood up in the saddle, trusting on his hasuan mount, Ment'fa'haehl, to remain steady. It was growing late and he was worried that the Angvardi defector had already left. When he had set out from Thwrud almost a month ago, they had agreed that he would wait for Syler to catch up until the last day of October. Lamastus' early departure had been a necessary gamble, one that Syler dearly hoped paid off.

Bronwyn sat behind him, but her eyes weren't on the horizon. She was focused on her husband, and she wasn't entirely happy at what she saw. Worry was his constant companion now and was so unlike him. Even with the weight of living under the constant eyes of the Angvardi in Kubei, he had always found time to smile and enjoy at least a little of life. Now, he seemed driven with a sort of manic urgency that she had never seen before and it almost scared her.

Syler's leg had been injured in his duel with Lord Saekoris and he was unable to ride or walk until it healed. That, and the need to solidify his new rule in Thwrud, had forced him to delay for more than three weeks. Lamastus had offered to go ahead and infiltrate the Angvardi garrison in See Sei to gain access to the scribe's records. There, he hoped to find out where the Angvardi sent the single women of Sandrin, the village where Syler and his sister grew up.

Upon conquering Sei, the Angvardi had taken most of the single men and women and moved them to another location. There, they had been forced to marry strangers with the warning that if they did not produce a healthy child within a year, both would be enslaved. Syler and his friend, Havert, had been taken from the battlefield where they fought to the Kutii city of Kubei. Syler had been forced to marry Bronwyn just as Havert married Alltis. Syler and Bronwyn had come to love each other over time, but not all of the new couples felt that way. She knew that Syler was extremely fearful that his sister had ended up with a man who did not love her or treated her poorly.

When fleeing Kubei with a terribly wounded and cursed her, Syler had initially made for Sandrin. Growald and a small troop of resisting Seinari soldiers had intercepted him and informed him that all of the single women in Sandrin had already been taken away, but that he didn't know where to. It was Lamastus' job to discover where they had been taken so that Syler and the Krue with him could retrieve her and take her to safety.

The only problem is that now they needed to find him. They couldn't just light a huge fire and wait for him to approach because that would draw the attention of any Angvardi patrols. They had spread out in a wide line and began searching in pairs, hoping that he would see them and reveal himself.

"Do you think he is still here?" she whispered. "What if he was discovered and captured?"

Syler groaned and she knew that he still refused to consider that his friend might even be dead by now. The subject had come up more than once on their journey and each time, he changed the subject or even walked away. It wasn't that he didn't have a backup plan for if Lamastus failed to get the information. If Lamastus was unable to discover where Karusa had been taken, Syler and Growald, being the only two Sei among them, would enter the city. They would have to carefully ask around without rousing suspicion. If that didn't work, then they would rely on Growald's network of spies among the Seinari. If Syler didn't think much of the first plan, he definitely didn't give that last one much chance for success.

"He is here," Syler replied firmly. He always showed such trust in his friends. Normally, it was something that she loved about him, but at times such as this, it was frustrating. "Just keep your eye out."

They continued to search in silence for another hour, but it was getting too dark for much hope. The hasuan were perfectly capable of continuing in the darkness, but their riders wouldn't be able to see much and any attempt to light torches would draw unwanted attention. With the sun already well below the horizon and the sky dimming to a dark blue, Syler called off the search.

Bronwyn was glad that he wasn't going to press them into the night. As the sun had been dipping lower and lower, she had began to fear that he would do just that. She remained quiet behind him, but her arms were tightly wrapped around his waist to offer her support in what she knew was a difficult decision. "Maybe he had already set out to return to Subeleth," she speculated, trying to give him at least some hope.

"Perhaps," replied her husband without much belief in his voice. "We will find a place to camp and then start trying to track him tomorrow."

"It will be okay, Syler. We will find him and then we will get Karusa." Syler didn't respond, but stared out at the dark shapes of rolling hills and scrubby trees and bush.

"I shouldn't have sent him out here alone," he muttered. "I fear that I may have sent him to his death, and I am not sure I want to bear that burden."

She frowned, though she knew he couldn't see it. "He is a soldier, Syler, and he wanted to help. He volunteered to come out here on his own and he knew the risks. You didn't force him to do anything."

With a slight sigh, he replied, "If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have been in this position in the first place."

"No, he would be among the Angvardi continuing to support Governor Uthas and his torture and tyranny," snapped Bronwyn angrily. "What happened to us was enough to snap him out of the blindness that tied him to that bastard of a man. Not all Angvardi are corrupted, I know, but too many of them are perfectly willing to follow men such as Uthas even though he orders them to do evil."

"And am I any better when I order executions or pass hard judgment on others?"
"Of course you are," she quickly responded. "You are not perfect, but you at least want to do what is good and right. You don't torture people, either. I can't say the same about Uthas."

Syler shook his head slowly. "I may not, but those who follow me do."

She blinked a few times at that and asked hesitantly, "What do you mean?"

This time, it was his whole body that shook slightly. "Nothing," he said dismissively. "I am tired and stressed. My mind is playing games with me and I should be more careful what comes out of my mouth."

Bronwyn opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when she heard the sound of an approaching rider. The cutting voice of Vekla interrupted Syler's vain search. "The Angvardi has failed you." She seemed pleased, not exactly a sentiment that would get far with Syler right now.

Vekla was dressed in the same black armor she almost always wore, highlighting her esteemed position among the sorceresses who had attained the Black. Her face was covered completely in dark blue war paint as it was whenever she thought there was even the remotest possibility of violence. Her long black hair was done up in a multitude of small braids that were all tied up with a piece of black leather to keep them out of her way while riding.

"So it may seem," he said flatly.

"You placed too much trust in him," the sorceress said smugly.

Feeling Syler tense in preparation for a confrontation, Bronwyn acted quickly and said, "We took too long in arriving. Tomorrow, we will start retracing our steps to catch up with him before he returns to Subeleth."

Vekla's mouth twisted in a smirk for a brief moment before she schooled her features. "Shall I give the order to look for a campsite?"

"I believe Sergeant Naedel can do that," said Syler harshly.

She didn't like that, but neither did she seem to want to fight her sworn lord. "As you command, bwet ley." Her hasuan twirled around to withdraw, but before she heeled the steed, Vekla turned and looked straight at Bronwyn. "We can only hope that no harm has come to Lamastus Fean of the Angvardi."

"Awww Mistress Vekla, I never knew you cared," a voice called out from the darkness in front of them.

As one, all three of their heads snapped toward the direction of the voice. There was a little rustling in the brush before a shadowy human figure began to take shape. Vekla lifted her palm and a small orb of greenish light emerged above it. She flicked her wrist and the light went out toward the figure.

Lamastus' curly black hair framed his grinning face as he swatted at the light. "No need to blind me here, sorceress." The light flickered and dimmed to nothingness after a few seconds.

"Lamastus!" cried Syler. He swung a leg over Ment'fa'haehl's back and jumped to the ground so he could rush to his friend.

Lamastus took the giant hug without flinching. "Good to see you too, my Lord Penion."

Syler released him and took a step back. "Don't you start with me on that," he said admonishingly. "It is 'Syler' and nothing but 'Syler' for you or I will throw you in the stockades. Did you get what you came for?"

With a smile, Lamastus said, "Of course." He tapped the tooled leather vambrace on both of his forearms. Bronwyn belatedly remembered that those were the signs of rank taken off of the body of the dead operative Governor Uthas had sent after her. She hadn't been conscious when that happened, but saw them in Thwrud at the dinner where they planned this venture out. "These things worked like a charm and got me what I needed. They took the women of Sandrin to some gods forsaken village called Sua Opeganeat. I have maps to get us there and back," he added as he patted the side of his chest.

Bronwyn was just as eager to get off the towering hasuan as Syler had been, but she was having a bit of a problem doing so. Hasuan who had been trained for war refused to accept the command of any who was not an experienced warrior. If anyone tried to handle their reins except a warrior or someone who handled them as a pony, they would react quite violently. It was okay for a non-warrior to ride on one as long as there was a warrior at the reins. It was one of the small oddities about the animals that not even their Kruish trainers could unravel.

As she was not a warrior, Bronwyn was now stuck on top of Ment'fa'haehl without Syler there to placate the creature's temperament. "Um, Syler," she said hesitantly as the mare began to stop her hooves in agitation.

Vekla, seeing her predicament, snarled and pulled her mount close enough to grab Ment'fa'haehl's reins while muttering a curse beneath her breath. A bit louder, she said, "Kathosel gradak."

"He may be impatient," replied Bronwyn evenly, "but he has good reason to be."

Vekla didn't look convinced. "He should not have left you, it is dangerous."

Syler, belatedly realizing what he did, ran back to help her down. "You are right," he said to Vekla. "In my haste, I forgot that hasuan are not like horses." That got a sniff of indignation from Vekla, but she did nod in acceptance of his contrite words.

Once she was safely down on the ground, Syler hugged her briefly and said, "I am sorry, I won't leave you stuck like that again."

In the meantime, Lamastus approached Vekla's black mount and said in a cocky voice, "So, did you miss me, mistress sorceress?"

Vekla glared daggers down at him and shot back, "It is only for the sake of bwet ley'os fadeas that I sought you."

Rather than be offended, Lamastus smiled and patted her hasuan's nose while ignoring the frown on her face. "See, I knew that you cared. You probably dreamed of me every night, didn't you?"

Even Bronwyn could tell that Vekla didn't quite know how to respond to this. She wasn't used to people who treated her like this and didn't display a healthy degree of respect or fear. That this mere guardsman wasn't the least bit afraid of her definitely put her in an uncomfortable situation.

Vekla was, if anything, resourceful and quick on her feet. She may have hesitated at the surprising turn, but she recovered quickly. "My dreams of you only were of the ways by which I plan on killing you."

"I knew it! You do dream about me!" Even in the dark, Bronwyn could see him wink up at the sorceress. "Just give it a few more days and you won't be able to resist my charms."

"Did you ever know of the charm I once made that could cause a man's brain to boil and spill out of his ears?" she shot back. "I believe I can still remember how to craft such a piece."

Lamastus didn't even hesitate. "At least you acknowledge that I possess brains enough to be worth melting. If you truly viewed me as beneath you, I wouldn't even get that much."

"Have you no sense about you, Angvardi! I am a Sorceress of the Black, not some Haresu tramp." Her voice rose in anger and lightning began to crackle between her fingertips. "You should be on your knees before me, begging for my mercy and praying to your heathen gods to accept your soul when I send you to them!"

"Vekla!" said Syler in a firm and most displeased voice.

Lamastus chuckled as he lifted his hand up to forestall any further response from Syler. His voice had lost the playful teasing he had been using and had returned to a serious tone. "No, that is quite good. I can respect a woman who is honest." His eyes met Vekla's. "You don't like me, that is clear. You serve Syler in your way just as I serve him in my own way. As long as you remember that we both serve Syler and that he needs both of our skills, I trust that you won't act on your dislike of me."

Vekla snorted and kicked her heels to urge her mount away and into the night. "I will collect the others," she called out behind her.

"You shouldn't antagonize her," Syler warned. "I am her sworn lord and am immune to magic, but you are not. Push her hard enough and she may very well decide to roast you regardless to what I may order."

Lamastus shrugged, "That is where half the fun comes into it. People like Vekla don't respect anything but might and strength. I can't hope to match her magical skills, and from what those who escorted me out of Subeleth told me, she is pretty good with a blade. I have no doubt that the two of us are going to be seeing a lot of each other in the future while working with you. Unless I want to be regarded as a subordinate, I need to establish that I am unafraid of her and to engage her in one battle that I am pretty confident I can win in."

Syler looked unconvinced. "And what is that?"

"Banter, of course. She may be more than a match for me on the battlefield, but I wager that I can take her to task by talking circles around her."

Bronwyn was curious now, "Why do you care at all about what she thinks of you?"

"Ahh my dear Lady Bronwyn," he said with a flourishing bow. He gently took her hand and kissed it before continuing. "I care because she is a powerful person, an important person and I need to learn how to handle her." He shrugged. "Take Growald, for example. That is a man who responds to nothing but brute force. He runs on emotion and spite with no intent on changing his ways. He is also too stubborn to accept defeat through force, which makes him difficult. He doesn't like me and never will because I am an Angvardi. Since I cannot gain his respect by beating him in force and I can never win him as a friend through any amount of words, I will not waste my time trying to court him.

"But Vekla is not like Growald. She may hate me because of where I was born, but she is also practical. She is smart enough to know that Syler will need friends if he is to survive so she is open to forming alliances even with those she may dislike as long as they are loyal to Syler. Like Growald, she respects only those who are strong. Unlike Growald, she is smart enough to realize that brute force is not the only strength. I cannot defeat her in pure strength, not with that magic she wields. I can only defeat her in spirit, to show her that I am not afraid nor that I will be some sort of pathetic sycophant to be pushed around and tossed aside."

Syler's eyes were narrowed and a frown burned the corners of his mouth downward. "You gathered all that from one night?"

Lamastus chuckled. "We travelled with Growald for a while and he isn't too hard to figure. Vekla was a little more complex, but I have seen her type before. Not a sorceress, mind you, but people with power. You would be amazed at what you see as a guard."

Syler still didn't look convinced. "What makes you think she has power?"

The Angvardi adopted a hurt expression, though Bronwyn was sure it was mostly for show. "Please, Syler, my friend, do not wound me so. She is a sorceress, the daughter of the former clan lord, and she is a warlord. That woman was born to wield power and knows how to do so quite well. Besides, we were all there when she laid down the law in the Inthadaeka and forced the nobles to bow before you."

"Why would you care at all about being her friend?" asked Bronwyn.

Lamastus smiled. "Not friend, my lady. Ally. If I am not mistaken, she has already began to influence your husband's decisions and exercise her power among the elite of Thwrud." He glanced over where Syler was still frowning. He didn't respond, but just stood there looking unhappy.

At the confirming silence, Lamastus nodded and continued. "I don't fancy myself as a politician, but neither do I want to spend the rest of my life as a mere guardsman. As an Angvardi, I need all the allies I can get because being friends with Syler isn't sufficient to keep my skin intact if things start going the way I think they will. Vekla has a part to play in Syler's life, that much is clear by the enchanted pendant she wears. Even more relevant, Syler is my friend and he is someone who I believe will be the salvation of us all when the Coming Darkness arrives. If he is that important and she will be important to him, I want to make sure I am not tossed aside by her. If I can get at least some of her respect, then perhaps she will keep me informed of things that she or her eyes and ears discover. Anything that makes my life easier will allow me to watch out for and protect your husband better."

She arched her brows in surprise. There was nothing she could finger as being wrong with his assessment. It was almost creepy at how well he had read the situation, especially since he had been absent for the last three weeks of happenings in Thwrud. "You seem to have thought that over a good deal."

"Why not? It Hours and hours of standing guard over vain politicians with nothing better to do tends to lead to two types of people: the dullards and the observant. I find daydreaming or staring endless at a blank wall to be a complete waste of life. While standing there or even patrolling the streets, I keep my eyes and ears open and hear whatever I can. Then, at night, I think about what was significant about everything I saw that day. Working on the puzzle of what was going to happen in Syler's court occupied many cold nights here alone in the wilderness. Besides, it wasn't like I had anything else to do while waiting for all of you to show up."

"Sorry about that," Syler said, trying to change the subject. He was clearly uncomfortable at all of this talk of politics and intrigue, especially since it centered on him. "There was a lot of work to do and my leg kept giving me fits."

Lamastus dismissed the apology and accepted the change in subject with a single wave of his hand. "Speaking of that, how is your leg now? You don't seem to be having any problems with it."

Syler couldn't stop himself from looking down at his left leg where Lord Saekoris' blade had cut down to the bone. "It has its good days and its bad days. I don't let the pain slow me down."

"Wounds like that take time to heal, my friend."

"Not if you can have someone use magic on you," muttered Syler with a bit of bitterness.

Lamastus clasped Syler's shoulder and said, "Well, I would think that a few weeks of hobbling around is better than being roasted by that fireball that Mistress Vekla send hurling my way on our first encounter. I still owe you for that, by the way."
Syler harrumphed, but he couldn't stop a small grin from softening his face. "Well, if you do your best to keep politics away from me, I will consider that debt repaid in full."

"Oh my friend, you can't be thinking like that this early in the dance. You have not even begun to learn the steps to the Dance of Intrigue."

Bronwyn chuckled. "You seem to think yourself a master of the Dance, and here I had always thought of you as a guardsman who was better with a sword than with words."

Shaking his head vigorously, Lamastus said, "I don't claim to be a master of it, but I am not completely unlearned in its ways. I am, however, a quick study and I think we will all benefit from that fact in the coming months."

Syler sighed and took the Ment'fa'haehl's reins in hand. "Well, Lamastus, you dance a dangerous dance if you want to tangle with Vekla. I think it only fair to warn you: she and I have not been exactly on the friendliest of terms of late." He climbed atop the hasuan and secured the reins to the pommel so he could help his wife. He reached down and helped Bronwyn get up. It was no easy task trying to mount a beast as tall as a hasuan and she was not sure she could have done it without his help.

Once she was settled in a somewhat comfortable position behind him, Bronwyn heard the sound of the others approaching through the darkness. As soon as they were together, they could find a suitable place to camp and start making plans for their next step. That would put Syler much more at ease and perhaps clear up some of the constant worry that plagued him.

If Lamastus heard them, he didn't pause his conversation for it. "Well, then it might be even more important that I manage to get on favorable terms with her just in case she decides to turn on you."

"She is too loyal for that," said Syler dismissively. "If she is anything, she is too stubborn to be anything but undyingly loyal to me. It is one of the things I admire most about her because it can be said of so few others around me."

"'Nobody is beyond reproach and nobody is incorruptible,'" Lamastus quoted. "You can't afford to think like that, especially around people who are angry with you and probably have their own agendas. You killed her father, for the gods' sake."

"In her own, strange way," Syler responded, "she thinks that was entirely necessary. We have spoken about it and she bears me no ill will."

Bronwyn wasn't so sure about that. The Angvardi killed her father and she still hated them. Even though he wasn't the one who did it, there were times when she looked at Lamastus and felt that same hatred flowing through her veins. Vekla was a warrior, there was no way that she could completely bury her feelings about what Syler did to her father.

Lamastus eyes met hers and she knew that he felt the same way. "As you say, Syler. You have known her longer than I have."

"Yes, though that doesn't mean I am always right. If you think you can handle her, then she is all yours. It would be nice to have someone hounding her after all the times she has been after me."

Adbaek arrived first, though his friend Fenkrasko wasn't far behind. Both held small lanterns that had angled sides to deflect the light downward and minimize the amount that could be seen at a distance. Adbaek took one look at Lamastus and asked, "Kota fos graneth, daush?" This is him?

"Pasu," replied Bronwyn. "Kota fos Lamastus Fean se Angvard, najhaat torleias se Inthaley Penion." Yes, this is Lamastus, a loyal friend of Syler.

The two Krue didn't seem impressed, but he didn't react too negatively. Lamastus met their glares without flinching. He smirked a little at Fenkrasko's ornate and gaudy black and red armor. Seeing them together, even if Fenkrasko was sitting nearly three yards higher than Lamastus, Bronwyn couldn't help but notice how well used Lamastus' armor was. "Seem like hardy lads. They might be good in a scrap, but only if the fancy boy here is willing to muss his pretty armor," he said with bemusement. Bronwyn rolled her eyes at his brazen attitude. Taunting Vekla was one thing, but messing with a bunch of warriors like these was going to get him many bruises and broken bones.

Fenkrasko didn't know what was said, but he did catch the attitude and wanted to know. "Neith haelin gran kodanin?" What did he say?

Bronwyn hesitated in the translation because she didn't want to cause any further problems. "Gran tevaltueth nuath junmash o dhal yus." He admires your strength and armor. It was exactly the complete truth, but in a way, Lamastus did admire the armor's finery itself even if he thought it was mostly for show than practicality.

The Kruish warrior nodded in acceptance at her translation, entirely missing the look Lamastus gave her when it was clear to him that she had not accurately translated his insult. He smiled mockingly at the Krue and gave the men a sloppy salute with two fingers to his temple. The Krue seemed satisfied and turned their attention back to Syler who remained silent throughout the exchange.

Their lord sat up atop Ment'fa'haehl and gazed out into the near darkness where the sounds of others approaching could be heard. Even though Bronwyn knew he couldn't speak their language and they couldn't speak his, she didn't think he would have said anything even if that were different. His jaw was set and his eyes were distant, almost glazed over in thought, a sight all too common for him these days.

The others arrived in small groups until all but Sergeant Naedel had joined them. Delmonor explained that, after receiving word that Lamastus had been located, he was out looking for a suitable place for them to camp. Syler acknowledged that with the slightest of nods, nothing more. While they waited, Lamastus went back out into the scrub to gather his own meager supplies and horse.

It didn't take too long before the old officer approached the rest of them and led them all back to a small hollow that would provide enough cover for small cooking fires. Once they broke camp, Lamastus was eager to get into the thick of things.

He didn't seem much worse for wear considering he had been camping out alone for a week and a half after having found the information needed and leaving the city. Now that they were settled down, Syler began querying his friend more closely than before. Lamastus waved off any of Syler's concerns about difficulties by saying that the two operative vambraces had all but cleared the way for him to find out where the women from Sandrin had been taken without too any questions asked. Nobody wanted to get in the way of an operative who could kill anyone for any reason at any time if he felt his mission justified it.

Bronwyn busied herself in unpacking her and Syler's saddlebag when she heard a string of curses and the sound of swords being drawn. She gasped and grabbed for the dagger on her belt, fearing an attack. As soon as she looked around, she realized that it wasn't an attack from outside, but rather a confrontation between Lamastus and several of the Krue.

"Well," muttered Syler with resignation in his voice, "that didn't take long."

She followed him as he rushed over there and shouted, "What is going on here? Put away your weapons now!"

The Krue, whom Bronwyn recognized as Fenkrasko, Adbaek, and a bare chested Wrendak hesitated only a moment before complying, but Lamastus didn't. "Lamastus," said Syler, "that means you, too."

"Sorry, friend," he replied. "They are trying to kill my horse and I am not about to let them."

"What?" exclaimed Bronwyn. "That can't be right." She switched to Kruish and translated Lamastus' accusation to the Krue. Others began to join them, wanting to see what the fracas was about, but they stayed out of it.

It took a minute, but Bronwyn finally got the whole story. When they stopped with their explanations, Syler looked at her expectantly. "Well?" he asked. "Tell me that Lamastus is wrong."

She shook her head and said, "No, he isn't. They were trying to kill the horse, but not out of spite." Lamastus scoffed, but she silenced any further outburst with a glare. "They told me that, since there is a hasuan for Lamastus and that any horse would only slow them down, that it was best to slaughter the horse here so we could have some fresh meat. It is either that or leave it behind, something they view as a waste when it is perfectly good meat."

"They want to eat my horse?" cried Lamastus with bulging eyes. "What kind of people are these?"

Bronwyn frowned at him. "What do you mean? Horseflesh is quite good if properly cooked."

"You eat horse?" gaped Lamastus. "Do you not have any sense of what is proper food? Next you will tell me that it is okay to eat something like rats or hawks."

"That is just stilly," she replied. "Of course it is not proper to eat hawks." He relaxed a little, but she wasn't finished. "Hawk meat is only meant for the Spirit guides."

Even Syler shuddered a bit at that, but it was Lamastus who cried out, "What is wrong with you people? Just because it is meat doesn't mean you have to eat it!"

"Hawks are the oracles of the Spirits," Bronwyn explained. "They are pathways to learning what the Spirits wish for us. The Spirit guides consume the flesh of hawks only when in a sacred circle seeking the guidance of our ancestors."

"This is true," said Mage Zago. "Even the Krue know this."

"I don't care!" exclaimed Lamastus. "You can eat whatever you want, but you are not going to eat my horse."

"Let them," said Syler solemnly.

"What!"

"I said to let them," he repeated. "We have no way to take the horse with us because we will be travelling to fast and far for one to keep up. That means we have to either leave it behind or eat it, and I for one would rather not waste resources."

"That is barbaric," said Lamastus.

"Why? Do your people not eat the flesh of a cow?" asked Zago.

"Yes, beef is a staple for us, but what does that have to do with this?" the Angvardi shot back.

"Well," the mage replied with a shrug, "meat is meat, is it not? As long as it is not the flesh of man, then it is acceptable. Some meat may have their proper time to eat such as hawk and salmon, but all meat is permissible to man to consume. The Spirits have willed it."

"You are disgusting," said Lamastus, but he was more frustrated than angry. "Don't bring the gods into this."

"Would you rather the horse be left in the wild to be picked up by an Angvardi patrol or die of exposure?" asked Syler.

For a moment, Lamastus looked like he would rather say yes than disagree, but then after a growl of anger, he sheathed his sword and threw his hands up. "Be it upon your own heads," he said. "Do what you want, just don't expect me to eat it." He stormed away from the gathering, though most of the eyes in camp were still upon him.

Vekla, who had until this point remained in the shadows, stepped into his path and quipped, "What is the problem, Angvardi? Afraid of a little meat?"

He arched a brow at the sorceress and replied evenly, "Don't you get started on me."

She gave him a bitter smile. "As you desire, Degal Tinzke."

Lamastus stiffened at her words and for a second, Bronwyn thought he would strike her. Instead, he bowed his head in acknowledgement and said with a fair amount of grace, "So I am."

The black haired woman seemed surprised at Lamastus' reaction, but didn't press her advantage and allowed him to retreat back to the other side of camp while his horse was butchered. With one last smirk, she returned to her bedroll.

"What a merry band we are," she heard Syler whisper under his breath. "This is going to be a lot of fun indeed."
This and all material related to the Master of Magic series is copywritten by me. Unless otherwise mentioned or you have explicit permission from me, you cannot use anything related for any purpose.

I ask that anyone who is reading this please take the time to comment with one thing they like and one thing they think I could do better (or made a mistake on). Pointing out what I do well helps me know to expand and continue those things. Showing me my mistakes not only allows me to fix them, but it allows me to work where I am weak so that I can become strong. I may not agree with you or change what is there, but I can promise you that I will heed and consider anything you put.

Aaannnddd here entereth Lamastus. It has been a while since we saw anything of him, but he has completed his mission and is back among Camp Syler for the time being. I enjoy the interplay between him and Vekla. It is very much a kitten taking swipes at a large dog because, without Syler's protection, Vekla could incinerate, flay, freeze, or otherwise horrifically kill him and he knows it. The thing is, he just doesn't care. As he explained, he knows he won't get anywhere with her by being a coward or submissive, and he needs to get on her good side or he will find himself constantly opposed by all Krue. If he can earn her support, the other Krue will fall in line out of fear or respect for her.



Related Links


One Who Masters Magic


One Who Masters Magic Prologue


One Who Confronts Fear


Prologue: An Equitable Treaty (has all chapter links)
~Part I: Rescue and Repercussions~
Ch. 1: Vision of Nineteen
© 2013 - 2024 Trivas
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Taggy-Baby's avatar
I like how cocky Lamastus is being with Velka. And I agree with him on the ‘eating horse’ issue. Maybe it is just because I have owned horses because I am the same with goats and sheep. Either way, I agree. Just nasty…

However, on the same note, I highly disagree with the butchering the horse thing. Again, I have owned horses, and it is hard for me to not think of my own horses in a situation like that… a pointless fear because how my horses have never been butchered… but that is all I could find in this chapter that I did not like… BUT that is entirely personal, and I doubt that other readers would have the same disagreement.