Chapter six

Blood and pride

City of Kathelet. One week after Serra's meeting. The weary traveler Inn. Guest rooms, second floor.

A small halo of blue energy crackled from the Serra's staff, engulfing Lyn's battered and exhausted body like a blanket. Currently, the young Sacaean girl was currently resting on the small bed of one of the booked rooms her group received from the innkeeper. It was a modest accommodation, one single room with a bed, a drawer, a small armchair and a window that looked to the outside. Everything was made of simple wood and devoid of any decoration, just how Martok liked it. Of course, such trivialities were out of the general's mind. All He could care right now was looking the new doctor, Serra, at work and trying to understand just what was that strange light ushered by the petite healer.

There was no tri-corder ready to use, so Martok was left only with his own speculation, but there was clearly something soothing about this strange energy. Some kind of positive charge that relieved anyone who looked at it of any ounce of stress and fatigue. It certainly did wonders for Lyn, because Martok saw her pupil's eyes regain a modicum of strength and her limbs immediately stopped shacking from the pain. This strange therapy lasted for almost two minutes, minutes used by Serra to heal her new Lady of any bruise and wound suffered under Martok's daily training.

In the end Martok still had no idea of just what in Khaless name had happened, but its efficiency could not be denied. So efficient that Martok looked at the petite healer with newfound respect. It clearly beat any Klingon medical procedure he knew and maybe even the ones of the federation!

Then again, mused the Klingon, it was not that difficult to be gentler and more efficient than a Klingon doctor.

"I am done." said Serra finally. "How do you feel, Lady Lyndis."

Lyn slowly raised herself from the bed, flexing her arms and legs, testing them warily as if she feared that they would have fallen over if she made any sharp movement.

Satisfied with the result, she turned toward Serra and smiled

"Much better Serra. Thanks!"

"Instead of thanking me." scowled the girl "Stop this absurd training regime at once! Do you have any idea how scared I was when that ridged brute banged at my door like a beast, your unmoving body on his arms, and ordered me -ORDERED ME! The gall!- to heal you? Without even explaining what happened?!"

Martok snorted lightly. Yes, maybe it was still too early to improve Lyn's training regime in the way he did today; reaching the city with a bruised girl fainted on his arms and a pegasus rider too scared to even speak without caring to explain to the guards what just happened had not been a good idea either.

"Martok'aj is a bit….brutal, I will admit this. But he is a great warrior and trainer. I refuse to stop him." weakly answered Lyn "I appreciate the concern thought."

"You don't need to impose such straining on your body, My Lady!" rebutted Serra exasperated. Her face now reminded Martok of a Ferengi that had just been robbed of all his latinum.

"You are a lady from a noble house, for Elimine's sake! What you need to learn is court etiquette, dancing, singing, court demeanor and, most important of all, the art of gossiping. Not dragging yourself in the mud."

-Yes no thank you.- grimaced Martok on his mind. Judging by Lyn's disgusted face her pupil was in the same page. Thankfully.

"I will pass for now, Serra. Speaking of something else, has Kent returned from his trip?"

"Not yet." huffed Serra, still annoyed that someone had the gall to not listen to her advice. "But you should not fret yourself Lady Lyndis. The Marquess of Khatelet is an old ally of your family. He will surely help our endeavor."

-If he is a man of honor- thought Martok grimly. Like everyone else in the group, Martok knew the reason of this halt: the city where they were currently lodging was the capital of one of the noble houses residing inside this planet. This house, Araphen house, apparently had close ties with the Caelin house and Kent suggested to ask for their help in the hope to receive supplies and soldiers for their journey.

Lyn had eagerly accepted, alongside most of the group. Martok on the other hand was not pleased: asking a noble family for help was never a good idea in his opinion, not even if said house is one with close ties with yours. It make you look weak, incapable of defeating your own enemies, a fresh prey.

Still, it was Lyn's decision to make, and he accepted it.

"Let's hope so. Where is Florina?" then asked Lyn worried. "She trained with me this morning."

"Inside the stable with her pegasus." replied Serra "The poor thing. Erk told me that she was so terrified when she come back that she could not even speak with me! Her Pegasus is helping her regaining some form of composure." Serra incinerate Martok with her eyes "I assume we have to thank you for this, right?"

"Also training, and she allowed me to do so."

The answer did not sit well for the young healer. She had just opened her mouth to protest when another person entered inside the room, without ever knocking. Kent.

"Great." muttered Serra "Even the knights are forgetting common courtesy."

"Apology for my sudden intrusion, Lady Lyndis, but I have heartening news." quickly announced the young chevalier. "I spoke with the Marquess of Araphen and he is proving willingly to meet you inside his court. The Marquess is an old friend of Lady Madeleine and Lord Hausen, so I am sure he will immediately recognize you."

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Lyn "Finally something to smile about. Let's go then."

"Ehi!" protested Serra in exasperation "I told you to stay put for at least two hours!"

"I will be fine!" replied Lyn quickly already halfway outside the door "Do not worry."

Two seconds later the room was empty, leaving the poor healer alone with her brooding

"Maybe joining her small band of mercenaries was not a great idea after all." grumbled Serra annoyed


Outside of the inn

"Be careful when talking with a lord of a house, Lady Lyndis. There is a certain code of conduct that you need to follow, even when you are among your equals. Remember to let him speak first, and do the small bowing gesture that I showed you."

"Yes I will. Do not fret Kent."

"Also make sure to be respectful and polite. The court of a lord is not like the council of a tribe. A mistake could get you into severe trouble."

"I will be fine Kent. Stop it!"

"But… Lady Lyndis."

"Just. Stop. It!"

They were only in four: Lyn, Martok, Kent and Sain. It had been Kent's decision, to approach the court of this house with only her lady and a small number of warriors, partially to avoid any misunderstanding by coming with a small army behind their back but mostly because Lyn's group could be considered motley at best, and Kent wanted to give a good impression. Martok was the exception simply because Lyn refused to go without him.

The road toward the castle was short, and Kent used what little time he had to instruct Lyn about how to behave with the nobility; the gestures, the accepted words, the not accepted words, the timing, stuff like that.

Needless to say, as a young warrior that lived for years inside a tribe, Lyn found all of this very annoying, something that kept amusing Martok to no end.

-Welcome to the world of politics!- snickered the old general understanding all too well what Lyn was feeling right now -Where every smile hides a knife and every word may spark a war.- As a general of the Empire and head of a noble house Martok was, unfortunately, keenly aware of all the plotting and underhanded moves connected to the world of the rich and powerful. He hated all of this, as any self respecting Klingon warrior inside the empire but, knowing that a single misplaced word might spark an internal war that could last for entire generations, he quickly learned to endure and smile, no matter what he truly thought about that nest of insane Targs that was the Klingon council.

He only hoped that Lyn would also be quick to learn this lesson.

The castle itself was an imposing figure: a tall, majestic construction of stone and timber built exactly at the center of the city overwhelmed its surroundings with his impressive bulk. Four rectangular towers placed at each end of the perimeter linked together a five meters tall, stone wall that looked more than ready to withstand eve the fiercest assault. At the center of said construction the roof of what looked like a small palace mad of marble and wood rose like some kind of mythical beast of old. The main entrance of the caste was a massive, two meters tall wooden drawbridge kept in place by metal chains. Guards armed with spears and bows were stationed on the parapets, ready to fire against anyone who dared to attack their master's home. All in all, an imposing figure, if a bit rusty for the Klingon's eyes. One worthy of a noble house.

"So this is how the leaders of the sedentary people live." murmured Lyn in awe. It was an understandable statement: Lyn came from a nomad tribe, one used to live in tents. She was not stranger to the concepts of towns and hamlets like Bulgar or Kathelet, but a castle is far more than a simple house.

"It is so….closed! Don't they feel blocked and restrained inside a house of pure stone? What if"

Then, all of a sudden, the roof of one tower suddenly exploded. One second before Lyn was quietly chatting with her friends, moving toward the castle, and a second later something coming from the inside of the castle destroyed the tower placed at their right with a massive roar. Kent and Sain's horses panicked and whined, desperate to escape from the thundering storm they just witnessed and their riders barely managed to maintain their composure. The burning residues of what was once a fully functional tower quickly collapsed on the roofs of many neighbor houses, their thatched roofs quickly lighting on under the flame of the embers. In less than a minute the fire spread like a living beast, hungrily devouring houses and people. Panic spread like wild fire and desperate masses of humanity quickly flooded through the main streets carrying buckets of water or whatever possession they could save from the fire.

"W...what? What happened?"

Lyn's body was shacking, her ears still ringing for the explosion and her brain still failing to understand the magnitude of what had just happened.

Behind her Martok, the only one still relatively stable, reacted out of pure instinct.

"An attack!" he bellowed. He quickly raised his sword and looked at every shadow created by the fire like he expected to see an army of killers sprung up from the void.

"Lyn, we need to go away from here." he shouted. Lyn barely listened to him, her eyes still glassy and unfocused

"Lyn! Snap it out! This is"

"Are you Lady Lyndis?" asked a voice near them. Hearing her full name manage to send some conscience back to the girl. She wobbly turned toward the voice, her speech still weak and unsure

"Y..yes. Who calls me?"

The person who spoke was a young man in his thirties, his face and body completely covered by a brown cape and black dress. Martok could only distinguish a faint smile hidden behind the fabric but the moment he saw the figure he knew that this man meant trouble.

"Death."

Faster than a snake, the man jumped at the couple like a predator, one knife in each hand and many more strapped on his chest belt. Martok reacted immediately and charged at the assassin, but the man was ready for him and dodged the lumbering Klingon with a finesse that surprised the old general. Martok tumbled down, betrayed by the eagerness of his own attack, leaving the assassin free to charge at his target. Lyn

The girl understood the danger and tried to draw her sword from her scabbard, but she was still dazed and confused, and the assassin was too quickly for her panicked attempts.

The twin blades collided with Lyn's cape, shredding it alongside pieces of her skin and making the girl scream in pain. Weakened hand left the grip on the sword and the assassin raised his twin blades, ready to give the final strike.

"No!" shouted Martok. The Klingon raced toward the girl, trying to stop the assassin. It would have never be able to reach them in time, but he still tried.

The knife was so close to Lyn's throat now. So, so close.

And right in that moment an arrow coming from nowhere hit the assassin in the back, digging deeply inside the killer's spine and stopping him from giving the finishing blow.

The assassin screamed and reeled under the blow, his hand immediately losing every ounce of strength. Rough hand ripped his body away from Lyn and Martok finished what the mysterious archer began by snapping the assassin's neck like a twig.

"Lady Lyndis! You are alright!" shouted Kent next to them. It appeared that both him and his companion had finally managed to calm down their mounts and come to their rescue.

"No thanks to us!" replied grimly Martok while pointing at the arrow lodged inside the assassin's corpse "Whoever launched this arrow is the true savior of Lyn."

"I'm alright Kent." said Lyn weakly "Just dizzy by all of this." The girl looked at the corpse of her would be assassin with caution, as if she expected to rise him from the grave to kill her. Her eyes were particularly drawn by the arrow shaft

"That arrow….it look"

"It is mine." said another voice next to them. A strong, young yet commanding voice.

Martok, Kent and Sain immediately turned toward the newest target, their weapons drawn and ready.

In front of them, illuminated by the light of the fire, there was a mounted warrior, but one completely different from Kent and Sain. No armor adorned his toned body, instead draped by layers and layers of richly colored robes so similar to the ones used by Lyn. Around his chest a sash indicating some kind of military grade was draped like a second skin. A bandana covered his green-colored hairs and two eyes of the same, vibrant color looked at the small group with suspicion. A short bow rested on her hands, another arrow ready to fly and his brown horse, smaller but more spirited than the ones used by Lyn's friends, looked more than ready to charge at them.

"Who are you?!" asked Kent with menacing tone but the young man refused to answer, being happy to simply appraise the situation. His eyes scanned the small group, looking at their weapons, their resolve, their willingness to fight.

He was more than ready to kill them if necessary. That one was clear as the sun.

-Like a true, veteran warrior.- thought Martok grimly -This one is dangerous.-

"My soldiers." finally said "Told me that a plains woman was being attacked by a ridged beast. It appear that they were wrong."

It did not take a genius to understand what he meant with these words.

"No!" quickly answered Lyn "Martok would never attack me! But it is true that I am from Sacae. I am Lyn, of the Lorca Clan."

"The Lorca?" asked the boy showing a modicum of surprise "There were survivors? No matter now! Leave, Lyn of the Lorca. Do not waste the life I just saved."

"Wait!" shouted the girl "What is happening to the castle?"

"Is being attacked." replied the warrior as a matter of fact "As the captain of the guards, is my duty to kill the marauders that dared to du such a thing, like the one that attacked you."

"I see...then we will help you."

Martok huffed loudly, half expecting this kind of answer. Her pupil possessed after all the annoying habit of feeling guilty about literally everything that happened around her.

"Why?" asked the Sacaean warrior simply "This is not your war."

"Because these people...the ones that attacked the castle, they are probably after me. It is my fault if they attacked the castle, I have to make amend."

Martok sighted quietly at this. He had called that.

-Lyn, if the warriors of one house are so foolish to allow a small group of killers to infiltrate their home and set it on fire without no one noticing, then they deserve to die.-

Grumbled Martok to himself.

"...Fine." conceded the warrior "I accept your help, Lyn of the Lorca tribe. I am Rath, of the Kutolah tribe. Our tribes may be different, but I will gladly accept the help of a warrior from Sacae. There are three levers inside the castle, right inside the throne room. Levers coated with yellow paint. If you find them, trigger them. Me and my soldiers can do the rest after that."

"Thank you Rath. A thousand blessing upon you."

"And a thousand curses upon your enemy."

Rath then moved away from them, galloping toward the houses. To gather more people to fight the fire or round up the sentries placed outside the city, Martok had no idea and could not care right now. All he knew was that another battle was incoming and needed to be ready, in case another would be killer decided to make a move.

"Kent, Sain, gather our group and inform them about our current predicament. Me and Martok will look for a way to enter inside the castle."

"Yes Lady Lyndis." answered Kent. He was not happy about all of this, but he still obeyed. They quickly galloped toward the inn, leaving the duo alone.

"So." asked Martok when they were alone "Want to tell me how are we supposed to enter inside this burning castle if the main door is still firmly shut?"

"My father" answered Lyn "Worked inside a castle like this one during his youth as a scout and messenger. It is how he met my mother. In his stories he always told me that castles like this possess secondary doors used by servants and messengers. We need to find one of those doors."

"Fair enough." murmured Martok. They both began circling the castle, looking for any door or contraption that could help them enter inside the castle. It was a dangerous job: the flames were still expanding and more than once they risked being engulfed by burning debris or destroyed pillars. They even met other thugs during their research, lancers or axe wielders, but this time they were ready and simply cut them down with ease.

After ten minutes of research, they finally found it: a small, metal door, barely as tall as Lyndis and placed on the most eastern part of the castle. Sealed, shut and impenetrable.

"Damnit!" cursed Lyn under her breath "Locked! And by the look of it battering it down is not an option."

"Maybe we can look for another one." supplied Martok

"Or maybe you need the help of a thief." said a third voice behind them.

Immediately Lyn and Martok turned around with weapons drawn. It was the third time that someone managed to sneak behind them without anyone of them noticing. It was getting quite annoying.

This time the interloper was a young man dressed with a red cape and a green traveler's garb. His short, blonde hair adorned a youthful face and his brown eyes glinted with both intelligence and amusement. A short sword was strapped on his back and attached to his belt rested an array of what looked primitive looking lock picks.

"Greeting sers. My name is Matthew. I am a professional in….acquiring things." the boy presented himself with a ridiculous bow not caring in the slightest that two swords were now aimed at his neck.

"We do not need the help of a thief!" replied Lyn curtly

"Oh really? Then how are you supposed to open that door eh!? With thought and prayers?"

Lyn bit her lips in exasperation but she had no witty remarks this time

"And why would you help us?"

Asked Martok instead. The boy, Matthew, smiled lightly

"Because you are far more interesting than the other guys of course! So, interested? I will ever lower the wages for you!"

Martok's mind wandered off back to Deep Space Nine for some seconds. The way the boy talked, the quick remarks followed by the dangerous intelligence glinting inside his eyes. There was someone else back at that station that possessed the same qualities, a certain Cardassian tailor, and this was not good.

-If this boy if only half as dangerous as that Cardassian, then it will be like having a ticking time bomb next to us.- reasoned Martok -But not having him on our side would be even worse!-

"Fine, you are hired!" said Lyn

"Wonderful! Now, if you do not mind." Matthew immediately began to work. He took the lock pics from her belt and started tinkering with the locked door all while Lyn and Martok covered his back.

One minute later and the door opened itself with a small, clacking sound.

"All done! I will go forward if you do not mind, dear customers. Looking for potential targets and other stuff. See ya."

"Wait! The palace is still burning!" cried Lyn, but the boy simply ignored her and moved inside the castle like a shadow, nimbly disappearing in the shadow in less than a second, so quiet that neither Martok nor Lyn could hear his footsteps

"Gone. I cannot say I am sad to not see him." grumbled Martok "So, what do we do?"

"We go inside. Kent and the others will soon be behind us."


castle's interior. 13 minutes later

Unlike the nearest towers, the interior of the palace was mostly fine. It had only been hit by the bang of the explosions and the walls, built to last with stones and bricks, managed to absorb most of the impact. Still, the toppled furnitures and broken pieces that littered the place proved that endured didn't mean unscathed.

No servants of the castle was found by either Lyn or Martok during their research. None alive at least. On the other hand they found plenty of assassin lurking on the shadow inside the main hall, all trying to kill them but this time without much success. Armed mostly with knives and short swords, these assassins were ambush predators, adept at killing their targets with quick, efficient attacks; they were not used to drawn out, close and personal fights fights and they paid for this.

They hacked and slashed for what felt like hours, killing any enemy inside the mansion. Five died under Lyn's and Martok's blade, and the others quickly lost their stomach to fight. The few cloaked figures ran away from them, all the gold in Elibe not enough to make them stand and fight. They took one of the many doors of the main hall and ran for their life. This only gave them some more seconds of life, because both Lyn and Martok quickly heard screams of pain in the distance, followed by the sound of weapon hacking at raw flesh.

"Wow! You really did a number of them!"

Said a familiar voice behind Lyn. Still hyper charged of adrenaline, the girl pivoted and swung the Mani Katti at the source of the voice and almost cut Matthew in two.

"Ehi! Watch where you aim!"

"And you stop appearing behind me you moron!" Snapped Lyn back "Maybe you didn't noticed but this place is chock full of killers!"

"Not anymore, at least not in this wing of the castle after all this mess. I bring notices and a gift."

"Notices?" asked Martok

"Yup! The guards of the castle are regaining some semblance of control and your little party has been allowed inside the inner part of the castle. They are busy mopping up the remaining enemies. About that yellow lever I overheard, one has been triggered by one of your friend, that over dour guy in red armor. Yes Rath let them in and they are killing everything that does not wear a guard's uniform. I pressed the second one but the third one is at the center of the castle and guarded by a mean looking bastard. A man in full knight armor, your swords will not even dent him."

"Don't judge us so weak!" snapped Lyn's back to the thief, talking more about her sword rather than her own power. Matthew raised his hands in mock defeat

"No need to be aggressive, dear patron. Have I already told you that I come with gifts right?" the boy grabbed something strapped on his back and showed it to Lyn and Martok. It was a sword, but different from the ones so commonly seen in Elibe. The blade was shorter than usual, but far thicker and heavier; it slightly curved inward on the top and Martok could see many hooks and barbs lodged inside the blade. All in all this gave the weapon a wicked looking shape, something that Martok immediately appreciated.

"What is that thing?" asked Lyn curios "And where does it come from?"

"This, Lady Lyndis, is an armourslayer." proudly announced Matthew "Hit a knight with this beauty with enough strength and his armor will break down like frail glass. About where does it come from weeeell…. I took it from the castle's armories."

"You stole it?!" asked Lyn scandalized

"Yes, I stole it and I know! Stealing is baaaaaad!" huffed Matthew annoyed "But you cannot be that blunt and rigid if you want to survive in Elibe. You must be ready to use every advantage at your disposal if you want to win. This is an ironclad rule! If you still feel bad think about it as an advanced payment for saving the marquess."

"He is right." grudgingly conceded Martok "Stealing might not be honorable, but in battle nothing is more honorable than victory."

Lyn was not fine with all of this. Anyone could read this in her eyes, but the wisdom behind both Martok and Matthew's words wrestled for dominance inside her mind against years of principle ingrained by generations of nomads.

"Only that sword." conceded the girl in end. She ripped the words from her mouth and it was clear that this small concession had costed her dearly. "I see you with anything else, I am gonna denounce you myself!"

Matthew smirked and rolled his eyes, but refused to comment.

"I will take this." Martok grabbed the armourslayer and weighted on his hands. Far heavier and bulkier, but Martok could feel the sheer destructive power behind the metal.

"Yes, this will suffice."

"Warn the rest of my friends. Tell them to meet us inside the throne room. We will be here."

"Got it boss. Try to not get yourself killed."


Throne room. 3 minutes later.

"Die already!" roared a male voice in the still air of the throne room. Lyn ducked for cover and barely avoided the spear end of his massive enemy. The steel tip crashed on a ruined chair placed next to the girl, breaking it to thousands of splinters. Martok tried to use this occasion to attack but the armored knight quickly raised the spear and barely avoided the Klingon's head.

Both Martok and Lyn backed away slightly, their breath ragged but their grip on their weapons still steady. They had both underestimated the enemy in front of them: they had expected to fight against a poorly trained brute, a bandit that somehow managed to scrounge a set of heavy armor from somewhere and used it to feel invincible; instead what they found inside the throne room was a full-fledged and fully trained knight, armed with a steel spear spear and more than able to keep both of them at bay.

"Lord Lungdren will shower me with gold in exchange of your heads!"

The only thing that saved them from an untimely demise was the knight's own armor. It weighted him down so much that they both managed to escape from his clutches before it was too late, but now they were locked in a standstill.

"Our heads are fine where they stand. Yours, on the other hand, will soon roll on the ground." snarled Lyn back

Roaring like a beast, Lyn charged the knight once again, the Mani Katti glinting like a dying star and ready to drawn blood. The knight smiled at this; a savage, bloody smile.

"Stupid, untrained whelp." he snickered under his half helmet

The knight easily blocked the blade with the aft of his spear and locked the weapon under his left armored glove. Unexpectedly for the knight, the Mani Katti cut deep into the metal, drawing blood and making the knight flinch in pain but he still refused to let it go. Lyn tried to dislodge the sword away from the Knight's iron grip but it was too late. The knight's right fist hit Lyn's face like storm. Dazed and bloodied, the girl spatted a mouthful of blood escaping from her cut lips. She fell, her mind reeling under the hit and her vision clouded by the savage blow.

The knight smiled savagely and raised his spear to finish her, but right into that moment Martok took his chance and attacked. The armourslayer dug deep inside the knight's armor and his right shoulder, cutting it with ease. Blood sprouted from the wound and the enemy cried in pain, but refused to relent. With a snarling sound, the knight grabbed Martok's sword and shortened the distance in a second, head butting him with the steel helmet placed on his head.

Metal hit the ridges of the Klingon and for the first time the old general fell under such an ironically familiar attack, his body smashing on the ground.

"And stay put." snarled the knight still wincing in pain "Now bitch, time to die!"

The spear aimed at Lyn's heart once again, the knight thrusted it with its remaining strength. It moved slowly, his wielder weakened by the blood loss, but still deadly, and Lyn was still recovering.

Lyn instinctively rolled away from from danger and the spear hit the floor with an audible thud. Annoyed, the knight kept stabbing over and over until Lyn, her face still marred and covered with blood, stopped dodging the point and grabbed the shaft of the spear with both hands, stopping it on its track.

"Oh! Wanna play bitch?" spat the knight "Fine."

The knight started pushing toward the girl's chest, aiming at the girl's heart and using all its strength he could muster. He laughed and jeered at the girl's attempt, seeing it as futile.

How could a simple female myrmidon hope to defeat a knight into a strength contest after all?

The knight's smile disappeared into a surprised scowl when his spear refused to budge from Lyn's desperate grip.

It had been almost a month since Martok had began training Lyn's body. One month of grueling training where the girl's muscles had been strained and tested every single day into the extreme with any possible kind of exercise. Running, weight lifting, squatting, every possible exercise had been utilized by the old general with the purpose of whipping her pupil into shape and now, finally, the girl saw the first fruits of her labor.

The muscles hiding inside Lyn's arms tensed and flexed like living things, straining under the pressure of the much bigger and tougher knight but refusing to budge even for a second. The spear shaft buckled and groaned under the pressure and behind the helmet the knight looked at her prey with what could only be called amazement.

"No! How….just how?!" he shouted enraged. Completely flabbergasted, despite all his effort, he saw the girl beneath him moving the pointy end of his spear away from her chest; it was a slow and painful slog, but Lyn never wavered, on the contrary!

A bit away from them, Martok slowly raised back from the floor, his ridged forehead still bleeding heavily but apart from that uninjured. He quickly grabbed the armourslayer and moved toward the knight, but he could not suppress a grin while moving: he saw Lyn stopping the spear with her bare hands, the way her muscles rippled and fought. Only one month and she was already showing promise. He felt pride swelling his chest.

"No!" cried the knight in fear. He saw the Klingon slowly moving toward him and tried to wrench the spear away but Lyn refused to break the grip. Martok smiled cruelly at this and raised the armourslayer, ready to kill the knight.

Then, all of a sudden, a bolt of pure fire passed next to Martok's face and hit the knight square in the chest.

The knight screamed as he had never did before, the armor he wore melting under the magic fire. He left the grip on the useless spear and desperately tried to somehow stop the flames that now hungrily devoured his body, but in vain.

After some seconds of desperate wailing, he fell on the ground. Dead.

"Apologies for the delay." said the reason of this grisly demise. It was Erk, and behind them there was the rest of the group.

"We came as fast as we could."

"The help is appreciated." answered Lyn to the young mage. The girl quickly grabbed her sword back and moved toward the center of the throne room

"Now, let's find this damn lever and be done with this mess."


2 hours later. Throne room

The marquess of Khatelet was a very unimpressive man, at least in Martok's opinion. An old man on his fifties, his slumped physique and slightly hunched back revealed to the general's only eye the image of a man more used to the pleasures of the court rather that the sound of battle. Draped in rich, colored garments and precious jewelry, nothing in his persona showed any shred of strength or power. Only his eyes were interesting: still young and inquisitive despite the old age, the eyes of a political animal that managed to thrive in life thanks to quick thinkings and wit.

All in all, a delusion for Martok.

"Finally we have dealt with these pests. Good job as always Rath."

The marquess showered Rath with praises, praises that the young nomad accepted with a stoic face

"I thank you for your words, marquess, but in truth I am not the only one to praise. This lady and their companions helped me greatly this day."

The marquess's eyes drifted toward Lyn's small group, now currently kneeling in front of her. Barring Martok of course; the old Klingon was simply waiting from a distance.

"Ah yes! Them." said the marquess with neutral voice "So you are Madelyn's daughter, and the reason your uncle sent these assassins inside my house. You made quite a mess, young girl."

Lyn's gaze changed as one of guilt and regret, but said nothing.

"I wanted to help the daughter of Lady Madeleine in reclaiming the throne of Caelin, but now that I see you…. I changed my mind. I withdrawn my help."

"What?!" shouted Kent flabbergasted. "My lord! You gave me your words"

"Kent. Your name is Kent, right? When you told me about Madeleine's daughter, you forgot a very important detail. You never told me that the heir of Caelin has been tainted with the blood of the Sacaeans!"

That sparked a reaction: Lyn's eyes bulged from her body as if someone had just hit her with a war hammer, while Kent looked absolutely horrified by the marquess's reaction and Sain more than ready to pommel the man into oblivion. Even Rath looked troubled, but the best reaction come from Martok.

The moment the old general heard the marquess saying that he was withdrawing his words, a literal fire burst inside the Klingon's heart. If there is one thing that unify every single Klingon in the empire, be it a farmer, a warrior or a noble, is honor. In the name of honor, a Klingon warrior fight to the death against the enemies of the empire, no matter the odds. In the name of honor, any Klingon of every class do his damned best to fulfill his task, no matter how demanding it is. In the name of honor, every Klingon of every age always always keep his word, no matter how much will cost to do so.

And now this wizened old crow had the gall to publicly withdraw his word in front of everyone!? In front of Him?!

"How dare you!" shouted Sain enraged, but Kent stopped him

"Your friend is quite indisciplined, boy. Keep him on a better leash would you?"

"My lord please, reconsider this! With your help we can" pleaded Kent only to be stopped

"I heard that the current lord of Caelin is quite ill. Should we really burden lord Hausen with this half Sacaean mongrel?" replied the marquess with a small smile "Better to save him for seeing such a sorry spectacle, don't you think?"

"You…." whispered Martok. He quietly unholstered part of his sword, ready to kill the filth.

"Enough!" shouted Lyn all of a sudden. Contrary of what Martok had expected, her gaze was marred with tears. On the contrary: a cold fury was resting inside the girl's eyes, rattling and asking to be freed. "I had enough of this charade! Kent, Sain, we are leaving."

"Leaving!? I haven't given the right to move, young savage."

"I am no savage!" Snarled Lyn back with such ferocity that the marquess immediately stopped talking "My name is Lyndis! My parents are Hassar of the Lorca and Madeleine of Caelin. I am proud of having their blood in my veins, and I refuse to accept any form of help coming from a short sighted fool like you."

"You dare!" shouted the marquess. The old man moved toward the girl with the intention of slapping her, only to be stopped by a screeching sound.

Martok's sword was three inches out already, and the look of pure hate inside his only eye was more than enough to stop the marquess on his tracks.

"Vas vIH chenmoH 'ej oH' Qav!" snarled Martok. The words were intelligible, but the meaning was clear for everyone.

Don't. Fuck. With. Us.

The old man hurriedly turned toward his captain, Rath, but the young man simply stood still, refusing to make a move.

"We have nothing else to say." finished Lyn coldly "Good day, marquess."

Lyn and her small retinue moved away from the throne room. No guards tried to stop them, a simple look from Rath's stony gaze more than enough to keep them in their tracks. The marquess shouted, of course; he accused his captain and his guards of treason, of disobedience and betrayal and threatened to personally hang them all, but they still let them go. Their loyalty toward Rath must have been complete, mused Martok, and the old warrior hoped that the young Sacaean would not have to suffer for this.

Still, Rath had proved in these hours to be capable of taking care of himself.

They quickly left the castle, the marquess's words still ringing in their ears.


Outside Kathelet. 1 hour later

"I am sorry for all of this, Lady Lyndis. I had no idea the marquess of Kathelet was so….arrogant. Please punish me as you see fit."

"Kent, you were only trying to help. It is not your fault."

"But because of me you"

"Kent. Drop it."

The knight lowered his eyes and stopped speaking, still feeling ashamed for everything that had happened inside the castle.

"Oooh, stop with those puppy eyes, little knight." intruded Serra with her usual fashion "For what you have told me, that marquess was an absolute disgrace! All this blabbering about Sacaeans and blood and poison was utter nonsense. Just smile and forget it! Besides, scowling does not help your looks."

"Yes yes, this is all fair and good, but can we address the bear in the room?" asked Will to the group "Who is this blonde guy and why is still with us."

Truth to be told, now that they were once again back on the road, their group counted now another person, the young thief that helped them inside the castle.

He had been so quiet that even Florina failed to notice him for some time. Truly an incredible achievement!

"Name's Matthew, handsome, and I have been hired by Lady Lyndis as a thief and spy. Pleasure to meet you."

"We hired you only for one mission. We still haven't decided if we want to keep inside the group or not." added Martok. Matthew gave them a blatantly false expression

"Oh come on! Have you seen how I managed to sneak through all of these assassins? How I found your little group and warned them about the danger? I am good and you need me, and I already like you people. Is a perfect match!"

"Martok, is alright." smirked Lyn, happy to have even the slightest diversion after that particular discussion. Martok could see in her pupil's eyes: the marquess's words had cut deeply inside her, scarring her soul. What if her grandfather rejected her because of her father's inheritance? What if she was rejected by her own house?

These were the thoughts now resting inside Lyn's eyes, and Martok feared for the worst for her. Back at home, problems like this one tended to end in blood. A lot of blood. Here, Martok was not so sure.

"Someone is coming." warned them Dorcas quietly, stopping everyone in their tracks

"What? A group sent by that bastard of the lord of Khatelet?" snarled Sain "I swear I am gonna kill them myself if they dare try to hurt us!"

"It is not a group. Just a knight….wait! He is the nomad."

"Rath?" asked Lyn. Now this was a surprise!

Effectively, the young nomad was the one galloping toward them. He looked as stoic as they had left him back at the castle, but the captain's sash was gone from his chest, replaced by a pair of agate earrings locked on his earlobes.

He quickly reached the group that had decided to stop for him.

"Lyn of the Lorca. Thanks Father sky I found you!"

Said the boy simply. Lyn raised her eyebrows quizzically.

"You were looking for me? The marquess sent you?" asked Lyn. Rath scoffed at this

"The marquess cannot order me anymore. I renounced my services and left him after knowing what he truly think of our people. Now I wish to join you, Lady of Caelin."

"Me?!" Lyn clearly had not expected this. And no one else inside the expedition judging by their faces "Wait, lady? How do you?"

"My soldiers and the townspeople talked to me. Through them I quickly learned much, and now you confirmed the rest. Your cause is just and I wish to help you, if you allow me. Here!" the boy handed to her a bag bristling with gold coins "My gift to you, even if you refuse my services."

"But...but this" Lyn looked flabbergasted at the purse now in her hands, literally bristling with gold coins "This is so much! How could i"

"This is a gift, Lady Lyndis, and a gift cannot be returned." replied the boy plainly. Martok smiled lightly at this. A true warrior this one, just as he had suspected.

"Rath….i….i" Lyn was on the verge of shedding tears of joy now. She plugged the sack on her belt and offered to the mounted warrior her shaky hand.

"I accept your service, Rath of the Kutolah!" she said to the boy "Welcome to the legion."

Done. Cannot believe I managed to finish it. Hope is decent

Next one my favorite: The twins's chapter

Vas vIH chenmoH 'ej oH' Qav = make a single move and it will be your last