CHAPTER I
"The Witness, the Spy, and the Prisoner"
Leena knelt in front of the grave at Cape Howl and placed a small bouquet of flowers at the base of the headstone. She kissed her fingers and gently touched the cold granite. "Happy eighteenth, Serge," she said softly. The light wind blowing in from Zenan picked up and she shuddered. She brushed a few stray hairs from her eyes and began her walk back to Arni.
The village was abuzz with activity and people were scrambling in the direction of the Commons. A small crowd had gathered in front of the chief's house and the chief himself had stepped up onto a makeshift podium in preparation for an announcement. As Leena ventured closer she picked up stray bits of conversation mingled among the panicked ramblings of a severely agitated swarm.
"An invasion, you say?" someone wailed, "You can't be serious?"
"…occupied again!" exclaimed another villager, "My son-in-law just arrived from Termina with…"
She made her way to the front of the podium and stood reticent as the chief struggled to quiet the assembly. Eventually the cacophony died down and the village leader cleared his throat and began:
"I'm sure all of you already have some inkling of what's going on." He paused briefly and cleared his throat again. "This morning two of our fishing boats returned to Arni with news that a small squadron of Porre warships has anchored off the coast of Guldove." A mighty groan rose from the gathering, but the chief ignored it and continued, "Kiripa, one of the fishermen, also saw troops landing on the island."
"We're next, I tell you!" a voice shuddered from the mass of villagers.
"Why are we still talking about this? We must tell Lord Viper!" another stammered.
The chief raised his hands in a bid for silence. "A messenger has already been dispatched north. We can do little but wait. But bear in mind that the last time Porre came to the islands they did no harm to the archipelago's inhabitants. We can hope that this will be the case once again."
There was a brief escalation of murmurs but gradually the people began to disperse. Leena bit her lower lip and frowned. "Guldove?" she mumbled, "Of all places…how remarkably odd."
The evening was calm as Leena sat on the soft sand. The moon was out and its ghostly countenance reflected off the mirror-like surface of the El Nido Sea. She looked out into the watery vastness in silence and sighed softly. "What's to become of us?" she pondered, "What will happen if Porre overruns El Nido? Will we suffer the same fate of the mainlanders?" She shook her head and stood up. Leena made a face and cursed to herself when she felt coarse grains of sand in her shoes. She spied a small boulder hidden within a cage of coral and hobbled toward it. She settled on the rock and just as she was about to remove her footwear a vivid explosion of radiance erupted from on the beach. She toppled backward onto the sand and struck her elbow on a piece of coral. A jet of pain shot up her arm and she winced as blood began to pour. The glow slowly subsided and she people speaking.
"Captain Fipps, sir! I believe we're back, sir!"
"Brilliant observation, Wendell," someone presumably named Fipps growled. "Leave the boy here for now. Gipper! You stand guard and make sure he doesn't wake up and wander away! If he does, Gods help you I'll…"
"Yes, sir, Captain Fipps, sir!" the one named Gipper replied. "I'll do just that, sir! Not let him wake up and wander away, sir!"
"Wendell, Windell, and Fred, you three follow me!" the man named Fipps ordered.
"Sir, yes sir!" the three soldiers acknowledged.
Leena slowly peered over the boulder after a short amount of time had elapsed. The light from the full moon was luminescent enough to allow her to see a good fifty yards from her position. She saw a tall man in military uniform standing over a limp body. The soldier was armed and she could hear him mumbling to himself. She could see the figure lying on the sand well enough to make out his mode of dress.
"A red kerchief on his head," she observed, "what looks like a vest of some sort, blue shorts, and…" She squinted at the motionless form. "Purple socks? Red? Pink?" She paused. "Why does that seem so familiar?"
Voices could again be heard coming from afar.
"They're back!" Leena gasped and quickly ducked behind the boulder.
"Okay, Gipper," one of the men soldiers yelled, "he's still here, right?"
"Yes, sir, Captain Fipps, sir! The boy is still here!"
"Windell! Help Gipper with the fellow!"
The soldier named Windell loudly acknowledged the order in some slurred dialect.
Leena summoned up her courage and quietly took another peek. The boy on the beach was now being unceremoniously dragged away by two soldiers. The officer named Fipps was wildly gesticulating and muttering orders to the remaining men.
"Porre!" she fumed, "It has got to be Porre! That poor boy must have been kidnapped!" She shifted her injured elbow slightly. "Stupid wound!" She returned her gaze to the activity on the beach and bit her lip.
"They'll swim to Porre if I want them to do so, let alone walk to Termina!" the officer seethed, "And the both of you had better smarten up!"
The two men being berated snapped a crisp salute and clicked their heels. The officer named Fipps grumbled and stormed off, followed closely by the soldiers.
After a moment, Leena heaved a sigh of relief and leaned on the boulder. She remained seated for ten minutes before rising to her feet. Clutching her injured elbow, she slowly tiptoed to the path and cautiously listened for the soldiers. Having satisfied herself that they were no longer there, she ran back to the village.
* * * *
General Viper listened intently as the young man from Arni continued to issue forth a stream of nearly incoherent babble. The youth seemed extremely agitated and the riotous flailing of his arms added to his state of confusion. He had arrived at the manor half an hour ago, thoroughly exhausted and on the verge of collapse from fatigue. After having been plied with food and drink, the adolescent revealed that he had grave news to report to the general.
"Slow down," Viper instructed, "I can barely understand you. Take a deep breath and start again."
The messenger paused to collect his breath and his faculties. He wiped his brow and said, "My Lord Viper, two fishermen from my village spotted a group of ships from Porre yesterday morning."
"Where were they?" the General entreated.
"Anchored outside Guldove, Milord. One of the fishermen also mentioned that soldiers were being dispatched to the island."
Viper furrowed his brow in thought. After a moment of silence he called to one of his dragoon guards. "Arrange safe transport for this young man back to Arni." He looked at the boy and said, "I thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. Godspeed and may your journey home be safe." The youth bowed and was escorted out. The General turned to another guardsman. "Inform the Lieutenant that I would like to meet with him in my study at once." The dragoon saluted in acknowledgement and left the room.
Glenn shuffled through the stack of papers with disgust. He glanced at the neat pile of forms that occupied the corner of his desk and groaned. "Requisitions, new recruits, requisitions, new recruits, and more requisitions!" he muttered. "It never ends. I'm drowning in paper." He opened a top drawer and shoved the sheets inside. Without thinking twice, he shut the drawer, leaned back in his chair and looked up.
"The ceiling looks rather captivating to-day," Glenn mumbled. He absentmindedly fingered the lieutenant's insignia on his collar. The promotion was an unexpected one. He had written the officer's examination and, in his infinite capacity for pessimism, managed to convince himself that he had failed the thing miserably. Dario and Karsh, on the other hand, knew better and when they informed the then-Private that he was in line for a promotion, the young knight fainted dead away. As a result of the impromptu collapse, he became the object of the four Deva's merciless barbs for an entire month. He had taken it all astride and even laughed at the matter, nevertheless, he had silently reproached himself for having done such a thing, even if it had been involuntary.
"Sir?"
A voice shattered Glenn's reminiscence, causing him to take his eyes off the whitewashed planks of the office ceiling.
"Yes?"
A dragoon private stood in front of his desk, his right hand at his temple in a salute. "I'm sorry, Sir. But I tried knocking and there was no response."
"No, that's quite alright," Glenn replied, "What can I do for you, Private?"
"Lord Viper wishes to meet with you in his study, Sir."
"At this moment?"
"Yes, Sir. At this moment."
Glenn nodded in affirmation and rose from his desk. He fastened his cuirass and tucked his officer's plumed helm under his arm. The Private waited patiently while the Lieutenant sheathed the twin Einlanzer swords in his scabbards. Glenn winked at the guard. "By the time I'm in full dress armor I'll scarcely be able to move a muscle!" he quipped. The Private suppressed a smile and opened the door.
A faint knock sounded at the entrance to the General's library. Viper glanced up from the text he was reading and gruffly called out, "Enter." The wooden portal swung open to reveal a helmeted guardsman. The old man smiled and motioned for him to draw nearer. "Come in, Lieutenant," he beckoned, "come in."
Glenn stepped across the threshold and saluted the general. "You wish to see me, sir?"
"Yes, Lieutenant, indeed I do," the General answered. He motioned to a chair, "At ease and please take a seat. We have much to discuss."
Glenn removed his helmet and sat down before the general.
"Glenn," Viper began, "It has come to my attention that your new position doesn't seem to offer a whole lot in terms of outdoor activities."
"No, sir," he replied.
"And I'd imagine that at times it can be mind-numbingly boring too, yes?"
"Yes, sir." Glenn grimaced. "I mean, no sir! I mean, I am extremely grateful for your lordship's kindness in promoting me, sir!"
Viper grinned. "Take heart, my boy for I, too, was once a Lieutenant. And to be frank, I know what you're going through. More often than not, as an officer, the majority of your battles are waged with pen, paper, and quartermaster generals," the old man chortled gaily as he shut his book. "However, I have an assignment for you that will involve some traveling. Tell me, are you well acquainted with the fishing village of Arni and its immediate environs?"
"Not very well, sir," Glenn said, "But I vaguely recall having been there before." He halted briefly to gather his thoughts. "I just can't for the life of me remember when I was in the area."
"That's quite alright. The locals are very friendly and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to aid you. In any case, knowing why you'll be going there will probably be most useful. We have a bit of a situation brewing. This morning a messenger from Arni arrived at the manor with some rather unsettling news. It seems that warships from the Republic of Porre have anchored off the coast of Guldove and even as we speak, enemy troops are occupying the village and its surrounding terrain."
"Porre, sir?" Glenn said with ounce of surprise.
Viper nodded. "The Republic's ambassador and military attaché are to meet with me later this evening. I am sure there is a logical explanation for this unwarranted aggression, but just to be safe, four regiments of the dragoons are on alert and the Devas have been told to prepare for the worst."
"I shall do my duty to aid in the overthrow of Porre's militaristic plans, sir!" the young officer declared.
"I am confident that you will," General Viper said. "Your assignment, however, will not involve full scale battle; at least, not if you can avoid it. That is not to say that what you'll be doing is any less dangerous. If Porre's intention is to conquer the archipelago they will no doubt have agents sprinkled throughout the islands. A slip could mean disaster for many of our brave citizens and soldiers in the event of hostilities. You can also be sure that the first strike against us will most likely come in the form of an attack on our chain of command. If my knowledge of history serves me correctly, Porre gained an upper hand against the Kingdom of Guardia by assassinating top military personnel before the full scale invasion. You must therefore keep your eyes and ears open, Glenn."
"Yes, sir!"
"Excellent. You'll set off for Arni incognito as a traveling merchant early tomorrow morning. We cannot afford to draw attention to our actions. Not when there is so much ambiguity. If those fishermen spotted the ships, it stands to reason that those ships might have seen the fishermen. In the event that Porre's spies catch wind of an Acacian officer snooping around, things could get difficult. In any case, once you're there you must make contact with the two fishermen. They might have missed some details of vital importance. Luccia will provide you with some sketches she made of Porre ships the last time they were here. Knowing what kind of vessels and how many there are may give us a clearer indication of their motives."
"Understood, sir."
"Good luck. If you uncover anything new dispatch a runner back to the manor immediately. And if at all possible, request that the messenger be the lad that delivered the news this morning. He's the only one we can trust at this time."
Glenn rose from the chair and smartly saluted Viper. "Yes, sir!" He then turned on his heels and marched out of the study, closing the heavy wooden door behind him as he left.
* * * *
The gentle rocking was far from comforting. Though he had been on numerous expeditions with some of the village fishermen, Serge had never before traveled on a ship in a half-conscious state. The dull throb that seized his temples, coupled with the swaying of the vessel thoroughly nauseated him. Through the dim haze that clouded his eyes, he could see that he was being kept in a cell of some sort. Across from the entrance to the barred compartment he could barely make out the silhouette of a man. Serge groaned as he tried to get onto his feet but his knees buckled and he collapsed.
"Poor fisherboy have a headache?" the figure in front of him said in a mocking tone.
Serge could see the form bend to pick up something and ostensibly walk toward him, though his vision was not clear enough for him tell. He heard a brief click and the iron door swung open, its rusty hinges crying out in remonstration. The mystery man seized Serge's right hand and roughly pushed a goblet into his open palm.
"Drink this," he said, "It'll make you feel better and lessen the likelihood that I'll have to clean up your vomit on my shift."
Serge placed the cup to his lips and slowly swallowed the liquid. As each drop slid down his throat he could feel his head getting lighter. When the contents of the goblet had been drained, he felt utterly spent. He slurred some words at the guard that kept watch over him and soon fell into a deep slumber.
The man across from the cell watched as the boy slowly lost consciousness. He snorted and pocketed the phial of sleeping draught. "Can't give me work if you're not awake," he growled.
* * * *
A Quick Note From Dixxy:
Hello everyone- I certainly hope that you're enjoying Soulblighter-2's unfinished masterpiece, The Porre Affair.
I would like to take a moment to announce that Alba Aulbath will be working with me on completing the project. We're still working out the details on how the collaboration will work, but just know that she, too, is going to be working on completing this wonderful project.
~Dixxy