Yay, thankyou to my reviewers, I'm really glad you like the story so far. This one was really long and I didn't intend it to be but that's good right?...
Anyway I'll just let you read it instead of rabbiting on here. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: The usual....
FLAWLESS EVIL
Birth of an Empire
Reece stood in the town square as the sun rose over the sea to the east. In the early morning light his white countenance was stained with orange, making him appear as if he were a spirit of fire. A crowd had gathered, though the townsfolk mostly huddled around the outside and watched while holding children back, only some of the warriors with their halberds or battle axes strode the square without apparent fear.
In front of Reece rose the Town Hall, an impressive building by the standards of these people, though in truth nothing spectacular. It was solid stone like all the buildings around here and sported an iron gate similar to the one on the outer wall.
There was a loud clang and the two guards by the door stood to attention, rapping the base of their halberds against the masonry. As the doors opened an aging man, clearly once an impressive figure but now withered, in chain mail armour with fine furs and a battle axe hanging from his waist, stepped out and descended the three steps into the town square stopping about five metres short of the necromancer.
Carefully the man looked Reece up and down as if assessing him, despite the chill of the morning Reece wore no warm clothes and indeed not even a complete set of clothes at all. The old man however did not seem surprised, merely wary of the strange boy and his bells.
"Traditionally my subjects and visitors to this northern realm bow before me, yet you make no effort to show obeisance, state your purpose or I will have you thrown out of our town to freeze." The man's eyes bored into Reece's but he merely grinned.
Looking around the square for a moment before returning his attention to the man he said, "And who are you that you should have the authority to threaten me? Perhaps you think yourself king in this northern land?"
The 'king' laughed, "'Who am I?' you ask? I am the king of this northern land, or did you jest in ignorance? Little more than I would expect from a boy. Now tell me, why are you here?" His voice grew harsh on the last words but the necromancer did not flinch.
"Did I not already say? I swear I told your guards I was here to be your saviour," the boy paused and looked around momentarily before speaking again with an almost offhand tone, "oh and how can you be king if the king rules in Belisaere?"
Among the crowd mutterings started up and the kings gaze grew frosty. "Silence!" he cried, "The king rules in Belisaere and I rule the northern lands under him, I am still king here for as much as you need to care."
Reece's face cracked with a sinister grin and he turned to face the people, "Do you not see that your king is a fool? You who are the greatest warrior people? You are the berserkers of the north and yet you hide here behind your stone walls with a man who claims to be king and yet does nothing more than sit in his throne and grow older."
The necromancer spoke with the voice of youth but it was no less inspiring and no less powerful than it would have been from any of the great kings and speakers of the past. "You as a people deserve to be the rulers, to be the rulers who would straddle the world with your greatness and drive the dead back to their realm. Yet you are still here, a small almost forgotten people, barely known except a few travellers and in legends of greater battles and past times."
From the crowd there was now a few cries of "Here, here!" though there were also mutterings of dissent as well. Who was this pale boy who should berate them so?
Spinning to face the 'king', who was now angry but somewhat bewildered by all of this, he pointed his finger, "You are the failure to your people, you could have done something but instead you stood by and did nothing as another generation passed into obscurity." Reece was guessing now, gambling that his evaluation of the people was right. Though when there were a few more cries and shouts he figured he was indeed correct.
The king was outraged, spluttering he almost spoke to counter Reece's accusations but Reece stopped him. "But," he said, quite suddenly holding everyone in the grip of silence that only a great speaker can do, "you can be redeemed."
The crowd seemed to hold its breath and the 'king' frowned. "Let me lead you, give over your service to me and I will make your people the greatest power, I shall make you king of the entire world, never will your people pass into obscurity."
The 'king' was stunned; he could neither reply nor even quite comprehend exactly what had been said, the crowd however, began to cheer, and some of the warriors took to rapping the bases of their halberds against the cobbles. Finally the gears of the old kings brain turned over and he realised he'd been had. If he refused either the necromancer would kill him or his own people would dethrone him. Silently he bowed his head and reached out his hand to the pale boy, gesturing that he should enter the Town Hall with him. As they ascended the steps he wordlessly offered up a prayer to the gods that he had not just done a terrible, terrible thing.
***
The group were heading north, Sabriel and Touchstone in the lead with Lirael and Nick just behind them. Sameth was sulking in the rear with only Mogget for company, he was unhappy after Sabriel had told him that he was to stay behind at High Bridge while the rest of them moved on elsewhere.
"How come I have to stay behind while they go off up north to find this guy? I can look after myself." Stubbornly he flicked another bit of leaf at his horses head, being only a bit of leaf it didn't actually achieve anything but it made him feel better. He had broken off a small branch of leaves nearly half an hour ago and proceeded to shred almost half of the leaves so far.
"Stop whining boy, I'm sure your parents know what's best, besides they had a perfectly good reason," said Mogget, his big cat eyes boring into the back of Sameth's head.
"I'm to stay at high Bridge, call in the garrisons and make sure that the villages and towns in the central area are secure against renewed attacks from the Dead, I know and it makes perfect sense, but why me! Surely a general or an officer can be left to do that?" Sulkily he pelted another fragment of leaf at his horse's head which fell harmlessly to the ground.
"Look, if you're going to be king you just have to get used to the fact that sometimes generals and officers can't be trusted with that sort of responsibility," unsheathing a claw he poked Sameth in the back to ensure he had his attention, "You've also got to get used to the fact that sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to."
Shifting his position in his carry-basket he muttered, "If you don't like it take it up with your mother, I'm trying to sleep here."
Sameth sighed, even without little Ranna tinkling around his neck Mogget still seemed to sleep more than any normal cat should. Pelting another fragment of leaf at his horses head he broke the quiet again, "Why should I talk to Mum? It was Dad that told me I was staying at High Bridge."
Mogget opened one eye and focused his gaze on Sameth as the prince turned in his saddle, "Perhaps you should talk to him then."
"No, you know as well as I do that my father was the one that told me so why did you say to ask Mum?" He looked at Mogget suspiciously.
"I don't know, perhaps I just like her better, goodnight."
"Mogget, no answer my question… damn it Mogget!" but Mogget was quite completely asleep.
Muttering about stupid cats Sameth turned back around in his saddle and kicked his horse so that she closed the gap between him and the rest of the group before returning to his leaf shredding.
Another fragment of leaf fell harmlessly to the ground.
Woot! I got ya didn't I? You're all thinking necromancer is going to kill someone and then... he didn't! Muahahah! ... anyways I promise Reece will actually do some Necromancy in the next chapter. Not sure what yet but he'll do something.
I hope you liked the Sameth POV for this one as well, I figured Sabriel wouldn't work so well here so I swapped, I hope it was ok...
Anyways please Review, you know that little button down the bottom? Well actually it's a big button now but you get my point, I just love to hear what people think! Criticism is welcome as well as long as it's constructive. (Seriously I would like you to criticise it if you can. I'm here to get better after all!) :D