Chapter 39

For the second time, two great armies faced each other across a wide field. Tall grasses of autumn brown swayed and rustled in the breeze. The morning sunlight glinted from the polished shields and armor of the Imperial legions that lay just across the border atop a low hill. They would not advance. They stood as a bulwark and a dare. Lord Duric's eyes swept across their forward ranks, which had formed a significantly less broad front than Duric could command. It was an auspicious start, despite the enemy having the higher ground.

But only if he commanded it. Only if he ordered his men into battle. Only if he was willing to accept the deaths of men he barely knew, who would throw themselves into the fray for a personification that they had come to idealize, rather than the ideals themselves. They fought for him, Lord Duric, would-be Emperor, and not for the cause.

Once before, Duric had a similar choice. He had faced Imperial soldiers, staring them down, each side waiting for the other. It had been another place, further afield, but the similarities were uncanny. He half expected to see Amanda nearby were he to turn his head.

She would not be here this time to offer sage words of unexpected wisdom. This time, none were needed, as the path was clear. Duric did not like what was motivating his men, but he needed to take advantage of it. He needed to be a leader of men.

Lord Duric focused his eyes on the center of the enemy position. He reached to his waist and drew his sword. The slide of metal was deafening to his ears. He raised the sword high.

Behind him came more sounds of metal unleashed as each regiment commander raised his own sword in turn, relaying the signal that their Lord was to give. Before him, there was a brief low metallic rumble as the forward positions of the Imperial legion took a defensive stance in preparation of the first charge. Both sides now lay poised for history.

Lord Duric held the sword aloft, his hand rock-steady. There could be no nervousness, no hesitation. He must remain decisive and strong. He must be as much a symbol as a man.

"Hearts of men," he murmured to himself.

The sword whipped down, pointed straight at the Imperial legion.

"TO WAR!"

Men raised weapons high into the air and joined as one voice, a single cry of enthusiasm and war lust. The cry faded before a rolling thunder as men surged forward, the ground trembling before their advance. Soon the thunder was lost to cacophonous din as the two armies clashed in mighty collision atop the hill. First blood was drawn in moments, but the battle continued over the bodies of the dead and dying.

A knock came to the Lord Admiral's quarters. Vortas finished pulling on his cloak and adjusting the tie around his shoulders before he turned from the mirror. "Come!"

Sunlight spilled into the room as the door opened. Vortas squinted and had to wait until the door closed before he could see who it was. "Yes, Captain, what is it?"

"Did I hear your latest orders correctly, Admiral?" Boddas asked with a frown.

"Unless my adjunct is suddenly addled in the head, I would assume so, Captain."

"You wish us to pull into Port Gannus as soon as we arrive? That is hardly conducive to a proper deployment for bombardment. Unless you meant only the lighter, nonessential ships?"

Vortas shook his head, a hard look to his eyes. "The orders are exactly as I specified. You will anchor your fleet at Gannus and take on supply where needed. You are starting to run low anyway."

"With all due respect, my Lord, I should be the judge of that. This is my fleet, and I have my orders from the Emperor."

Vortas glowered. "You have your orders from the Emperor through me. I, therefore, will choose how to implement them."

"This is not a choice, it is a flagrant disregard for orders."

"Captain, I will not have you questioning my authority in this manner! There is no point to your original orders, as by now Lord Duric's armies have engaged Imperial legions."

Boddas paused, looking expectant. When nothing else was forthcoming, he shrugged and said, "So what?"

Vortas stepped forward. "Are you quite serious, Captain? You would still launch Mage-fire at Duric's armies?"

Boddas maintained a level gaze with the Lord Admiral. "Those are the Emperor's orders, my Lord. I intend to carry them out as he dictates."

"You risk striking our own men!"

Boddas smiled. "Not if I'm good."

"You are far too overconfident in your abilities, Captain."

"With all due respect, my Lord, you know nothing of the technical or tactical aspects of bombardment," Boddas said sharply. "With the right intelligence, I need only know the approximate area in which Duric's army lies. Bombardment can cover a wide area, Lord Admiral. Surely a good fraction of the volley will find its mark."

"And then we come to the cost of such an endeavor, of the great damage to peasant villages and farms. Oh, but I suppose they would be heroes to the empire. Martyrs to offer as proof of the Emperor's resolve!"

Boddas shook his head. "My Lord, I continue to be at a loss to understand why you insist on protecting the enemy."

"The peasants are not the enemy! The Noble Lords are!"

"If they give free passage to Duric's armies, and willingly supply them, that makes them the enemy. Especially if the Emperor decrees it."

Lord Admiral Vortas was aghast. It went against everything he had been taught. This was a barbaric use of the navy. Yet he realized he was fighting a losing battle. The Captain of the Second Fleet had given him similar grief. All the younger Fleet Captains had been appointed to their positions by the current Emperor. They likely all shared similar political views.

Vortas understood now, and cursed himself for not seeing this sooner. Z'haas had been slowly usurping tactical control of the navy from the Lord Admirals. To these new Captains, the Charter was little more than an aging piece of parchment, and the Emperor's word was law.

Captain Boddas folded his hands before him. "You can, of course, relieve me of duty and take command of this Fleet yourself. That is your prerogative."

Vortas glared at the Fleet Captain. He had no doubt now that Boddas would carry out the bombardment orders if the Lord Admiral were absent. Now Vortas had to choose which madness to stop.

Vortas turned away. "You have your orders, and I expect them to be carried out," he said tonelessly.

Boddas nodded once. "And do you intend to sail for the Second Fleet, my Lord?"

Vortas turned. His eyes were ice. "Yes, by dawn tomorrow. I will take the Reassurance. Her Mage-fire guns are ineffective for inland bombardment."

Boddas smiled. "Very well, my Lord. I will inform her captain at once." He left the Lord Admiral's quarters without waiting for a formal dismissal.

Vortas let out a windy sigh. He grabbed the rum gourd and splashed some into a goblet. He raised it to his lips and paused, swirling the liquor about.

"If history goes against the expectations of the Emperor," he muttered to himself. "At least there will be no blood on my hands."

"My Lord, I must protest this action most strenuously! Why was I not informed before you began your retreat?"

Rithas gave the haughty Farview image of Commander Foron an irritated glance. If he had to do it over again, he would not have promoted the adjunct. Foron had let success go to his head. Now he was quite insufferable. "For the final time, Commander, you will cease to call this a retreat. This is a redeployment by order of the Emperor to protect the Imperial lands."

"This is ludicrous, my Lord! The Emperor cannot possibly expect you to return in time to be of any serious assistance, not when you have come this far into the northern lands."

"Nevertheless, the Emperor was quite adamant and would not be dissuaded."

Foron sighed dramatically and threw up his hands, seeming to turn and walk away from the Farview. The Farviewing spell kept the image focused on him, making it appear as if he were walking in place but going nowhere.

"If you are concerned about supply, Commander, I suggest you halt your advance and consolidate your gains. I have already expressed to you my concern about the sparsity of the garrisons you are leaving behind."

Foron faced Rithas again. "I would not have that problem if your legion played a larger role in this campaign! I thought all of our plans earlier when I was your adjunct meant..."

"The plan was for my legion to be a mobile supply and command center. I apprised you of that soon after I promoted you."

"And with all due respect, my Lord, I now question the merits of that plan. Your retreat ... excuse me, your redeployment ... now leaves me in a bind. I must now wait to establish a traditional supply line from Imperial lands before I can continue."

"Then so be it, Commander," declared Rithas, his anger rising. "You will cease complaining about things that you have no control over."

"What of more military support, my Lord? Even if I do create a new line of supply, I cannot carry this campaign to its conclusion with only one legion. I will be stretched too thin by the time I reach the heart of the northern provinces."

"I will attempt to direct the returning legions from Talrad Pass to your command."

"That will take at least a full moon to reach my position and establish their supply!"

"Nevertheless, we will work with what we have. I cannot change the Emperor's mind, and I will remind you that the ultimate responsibility for Imperial defense is his."

"Perhaps I shall contact the Emperor myself."

Rithas frowned. "Do that, Commander, and I will see it as insubordination."

"I beg your pardon, my Lord?"

"I will not repeat myself. You have your orders, and I have mine. We each need only to carry them out. You may not be an adjunct any longer, but you are still subject to my authority. Start acting as such."

Rithas slashed the air with his hand. The shocked image of Foron vanished.

"You are taking a large risk, my Lord."

Rithas turned towards his adjunct. "Am I?"

The adjunct Dollas stepped further into the tent. "Commander Foron has powerful friends at Imperial court."

"He is also very mindful of keeping his new rank," said Rithas. "He will grumble and complain, but he will do as he is told."

Dollas considered. "My Lord, may I make an observation?"

Rithas paused, then nodded once.

"It seems to me that the Emperor believes that you were intended to be in a reserve mode all along."

The Lord General smiled. "You must tell me when you developed this wondrous ability to read minds."

The young man shook his head. "No, my Lord, nothing of the sort. It simply fits from everything that has happened over the past moon. It's as if he did not know that you were participating in the incursion to the extent that we have."

Rithas chuckled. "So will you now threaten me with taking your issue up with the Emperor directly as the Commander did?"

Dollas smiled humorlessly. "Me? I am but a lowly adjunct, my Lord. Perhaps you are thinking of others in my clan. But I do find it interesting. Just like I found the rather large amount of supplies that we carry to be interesting."

"So noted. Please, do not hesitate to share these 'interesting' things with me in the future. Perhaps they will eventually amount to something. That will be all."

Dollas lingered for a moment, then left.

Rithas sighed and began to break down his tent in preparation for the morning march. It did not matter now. Suspicions would remain just that. There would be no proof. He could hold this together long enough to reach the Palace. Once he was there, everything else would be moot. If needed, he could quietly and quickly take any internal dissenters out of the way at the final candlemark. Then it would be only he and the men under his command. They would not waver, so long as they continued to receive food, shelter, and platinum.

Evella glanced towards the back room as she came alongside Lanno. "It's nearly sunset," she said, her voice soft but tinged with anxiety. "Will Vanlo be closing up soon?"

Lanno turned to her and smiled. "Getting a little impatient?"

Evella let out a husky sigh. "It's been midday since ... um, you know..."

Lanno thought it endearing that she still blushed faintly when she tried to talk about sex, no matter how ardently she did the act. He slipped an arm around her waist. Evella shivered as he drew her close. "I'm sure it will be soon. Just hang in there. Maybe the fact that you lasted the whole afternoon means it's finally wearing off."

Evella shook her head. "No, it's still rather strong. I'm..." She glanced behind her briefly, her blush deepening. Her legs shifted. "My undergarment is soaked, Lanno," she whispered.

Lanno took a slow breath through his nose and let it go as his manhood stirred. "Well, we'll take care of that very shortly."

Evella smiled faintly. "Thank you, Lanno, you've been very good to me."

"I hope you've at least been enjoying our trysts together, Evella. I mean, I want it to be pleasant for you, at least."

"Oh, yes, it has been, very much so. I-I look forward to it." She squirmed, and her nipples rose and swelled against her blouse. Her breathing became a soft pant.

Lanno couldn't help but smile. He was growing used to this arrangement. He still hoped that the effects would wear off, and he was mystified as to why they had not, but he was definitely beginning to enjoy it.

Sometimes he still felt guilty. Sometimes it was guilt over abandoning Amanda. It had affected their friendship. She acted with little more than professional courtesy towards him.

"Lanno," came a voice from behind him.

Lanno smiled at Evella. "See, here we go." He turned around. "Yes, Vanlo, we were just waiting for word from you to start closing up."

"You can do that in a few moments. I wish to speak with you first."

"Oh, okay. What's up?"

"Alone, please, if you do not mind."

Lanno hesitated, glancing back at Evella. "Oh, um, could I come by your quarters a little later instead, Vanlo?"

"This cannot wait. Please send Evella on her way and come into the back room." Vanlo turned on his heel and disappeared before Lanno could get in another word.

"What in hellfire was that about?" Lanno muttered with a small frown. He turned to Evella. "I'm really sorry about this. Will you be okay without me for a little while longer?"

"I think so, Lanno, but please don't be long."

"I'll try. I'll see you shortly."

Evella nodded reluctantly and headed out.

Lanno watched her go, then strolled into the back room. "So what's so important, Vanlo?"

Vanlo leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. "Lanno, have you been keeping careful watch on Evella's condition?"

"Yes, of course I have. Why?"

"Is she making any progress whatsoever?"

Lanno absently rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it's kind of hard to tell. I mean, she's so enthusiastic about sex that I don't know whether it's the herb or just that she picked up a liking for it in general."

Vanlo sighed. "I fear you are not looking at this objectively."

Lanno frowned. "Vanlo, I care about her, and I want to see her shake this thing off. But maybe Freya gave her such a large dose that it's having a hard time letting loose of her."

"The fact of the matter is, Lanno, that she appeared to be getting better for a time after I first administered the counter-agent. Then it appeared as if the effect had resurged. This makes little sense. The effects of such an herb would decrease over time once her body began to flush it from her system. It would not increase."

"But what if Freya fed her so much that it left a permanent impression? Some sex-related salves do the same thing."

"In that case, the effects would be steady-state. And again, hers decreased, and then increased."

"Well, then, I don't know!" Lanno declared, throwing his hands up and slapping them against his sides. "She's had so many damn potions and draughts poured into her that maybe one is reacting with the other."

Vanlo steepled his fingers. "It is a very outside chance, but it is in the realm of possibility. But I do not think that is the case here."

"So what is it?"

Vanlo stood up. "Come with me."

Lanno shook his head behind Vanlo's back as he followed. Vanlo approached the cabinets where most of the herbs and other ingredients were kept. He opened one and withdrew an herb pouch and tossed it to Lanno. "Open it."

Lanno did as he was told. He peered inside. "Okay, so?"

"I am nearly out of that." Vanlo reached into the cabinet and withdrew another pouch and a vial. "As I am these. These ingredients together would make a crude form of the sexual enhancement additive."

Lanno frowned. "You better not be implying what I think you are, Vanlo."

"The fact that you see it as well means that the evidence is rather compelling."

Lanno threw the pouch down on the counter. He yanked open a drawer and pulled out a set of parchments, all written in Evella's very neat script. He thumbed through them until he came to the one he wanted and withdrew it. He scanned down the page and then slapped the back of his hand against it.

"Here." He turned it around for Vanlo to see. "See the inventory entry? Exactly what you have in this pouch. I'll bet the same is true for the other two as well. You simply misremembered how much you had."

"I am quite sure that I have not. Consider how much I have been using these ingredients in my research. I would recall how much I had left."

"Then you're just looking for excuses to find fault with Evella!"

"She, unfortunately, is quite capable of providing those faults herself."

Lanno threw down the parchment and stepped away. "I've had enough of this."

Vanlo turned. "Lanno, please..."

Lanno spun around. "No, I've had it, Vanlo! It's not bad enough she had all this happen to her, you have to find excuses to stop her from trying to get back to some semblance of normalcy!"

Vanlo stepped forward, the anger flashing in his eyes giving Lanno pause. "No, Lanno, I am the one that has had it. I have had it with your emotionalism and your lack of patience. If you would wait just one moment before you go off in an unwarranted tirade, you will hear exactly what my concerns are, rather than assuming my motivations from the start."

Lanno was so shocked by the sharpness of the rebuke that he did not reply immediately.

Vanlo took advantage of Lanno's momentary speechlessness. "I will not judge her on her appropriation of my ingredients and falsification of my records. I have a far more immediate concern."

Lanno folded his arms. "All right. What is it?"

"I told you that the ingredients she used makes a crude form of the enhancement drug. It is crude because it could have adverse long-term side-effects without the proper stabilization agent added."

Lanno's anger faded and was quickly replaced with concern. Vanlo never made specious claims of concern over someone else's health no matter how angry he was. "So what could it do to her?"

"It could leave her with permanent lingering effects on the part of her nervous system associated with sexual function. Erratic nerve impulses could trigger spontaneous orgasm at odd times, even if she is not physically aroused. She may be left with lingering mental effects as well, such as lack of inhibition in social situations not conducive to open sexual display."

Lanno's eyes widened. "But ... well ... wait a minute, Vanlo, this assumes that she's even taking this stuff, and I still don't believe that."

"I know your heart will prevent you from believing it, Lanno, but I need your head to believe it. The part of you that is a Healer dedicated to the health of others needs to believe it."

"Look, why would she even want to take this stuff in the first place? I mean..." He trailed off. He already knew the answer.

"Lanno, if she insists on taking this drug in order to remain sexually active, or to please you, I will not necessarily stop her.

"I am not making her take this!"

"I know, and I never once suspected you would. I am talking about her perspective, and I must respect that. A Healer can decide only so much on behalf of a patient. We cannot force good decisions upon them."

"But we can't let her keep taking this stuff, not if it may have these nasty side-effects."

Vanlo nodded in earnest. "Yes, but she could instead take a properly stabilized version that will give her what she wants, though perhaps not as intense as she is feeling now. I will need to procure the extra ingredient, as I am out of it at the moment."