Chapter Seven- A Force of One Squire
Soleil awoke the next morning to Jema's bell ringing wildly. He quickly dressed and flew up to the main deck to find Jema and the rest of the crew scurrying about.
"Jema, what's going on?" asked Soleil.
"We're arriving at Arimathea. They've sent a squire to inquire our business and we've been cleared to dock." Jema answered.
"Good. How can I help?"
"No need, sir. If it pleases you, you can wait at the helm with Captain Ralthas."
"Thank you, Jema."
He then calmly walked up to the helm deck and took his place next to Ralthas, who was at the time enjoying the cool air of daybreak.
"How long do we have until we arrive?" asked Soleil.
"Maybe a half an hour at the most, the winds are kind to us today." answered Ralthas.
"I need you to wear what you wear for battle, Ralthas. Get the men armed and armored as well when they have a moment."
"Soleil, what's going on?"
"It's the Empire. They know where we've sailed and more than likely have sent troops here to meet us."
"How did they find out?"
"I haven't the slightest idea."
"Maybe they razed the harbormaster into divulging that information."
"Possibly."
"Do they await our arrival, Sol?"
"I don't know, but odds are they'll have a scout waiting to run back to them. We need to be ready."
"Certainly. Jema!" shouted Ralthas to his first mate.
"Yes, Captain?" he answered.
"Get Marek, Althalos, Ulrich, and Alcinus battle ready, we may see Imperials when we arrive."
"Yes, Captain. I will have Hadrian join them."
"Good. When able, get at the very least weapons for the rest of the men, we don't know how many there will be."
"Right away, Captain. Merek, Althalos, Ulrich, and Alcinus, you lot with me! Hadrian, you as well, let's move!" shouted Jema.
"Think that oughta be enough, Sol?" asked Ralthas.
"They're Imperials, Ralthas, it might not be. The Empire isn't afraid to send one hundred men just to kill a man."
"Good point. We'll be ready. I'm heading below to prepare, hold the wheel just like this, keep it straight."
"Ok, Ralthas. Wake up Vex, if she isn't already awake, while you're down there." said Soleil as he disappeared into the cabin.
"I'm right here, Sol." said Vex as she climbed up the side of the ship.
"I need you to be ready for battle, Imperials await at Arimathea." replied Soleil.
"You told me last night." laughed Vex.
"Perhaps I did." said Soleil, returning her laugh. "Forgive me, I had a lot on my mind last night, Vex."
"I know, as did I. Let's just get off of this damn ship and we'll talk about it over a good meal."
"Sounds like a plan to me."
"Good. I'm going to be up in the crow's nest if and when things start. It'll give me the best vantage point as an archer."
"So I finally get to see your archery skills, eh?"
"Should they come, yes."
"Good to know you're on my side."
"Soleil, before anything happens, I just want to thank you for telling me last night. Though I already knew, it was good to hear it from the horse's mouth."
"Of course, Vex. If anything, it'll give us both something more to fight for."
"Like each other." said Vex as she smiled.
For such a fearsome warrior, Vex's smile mystified Soleil. It was as though when she smiled, she became a normal woman, and he became a normal man.
The city grew ever larger in front of them, until after nearly twenty minutes, a shout came from the crow's nest.
"Captain, the harbormaster awaits you at the landing!" he yelled.
Ralthas, who had since returned from the cabin below, waved his acknowledgement to him.
Within minutes, they had docked and moored, and the harbormaster came aboard.
"May I speak with the Captain of this vessel?" he shouted over the commotion.
"I am the Captain, good sir. Ralthas, Captain of the Veritas." replied Ralthas as he pushed between the crewmembers.
"The Veritas. Is there a Soleil De Minuit of The Order of The Lionheart aboard?"
"That's me, sir." said Soleil as he too made his way to the front, a puzzled look adorning his face.
"Imperials are here for you, sir. They arrived 2 nights ago."
"How many of them?"
"Soleil! We've got a runner!" shouted Vex from the crow's nest.
"Leave him be, we'll be ready for them!" Soleil shouted back. "Ralthas, get the men at arms, they'll be here soon."
"Right away." said Ralthas as he walked away shouting orders to the crew.
"Harbormaster, I would suggest clearing as many people as possible from the dock. The Imperials fight nasty, I wouldn't want anyone to be hurt."
"Are you sure they will fight you?" he asked.
"I am certain."
Soleil, Vex, and the Veritas' crew stood together on the city dock, lined up from shoulder to shoulder, with Soleil, Vex, and Ralthas, standing before them. They awaited the arrival of what very well could've been an entire Imperial battalion. But instead, they were surprised to see their greeting.
A single Imperial soldier walked alone down the dock towards them, stopping around twenty feet from Soleil.
"Soleil De Minuit of The Order of The Lionheart, your companions and yourself are responsible for the unwarranted death of seven Imperial soldiers and their leaders, Colonel Fernando Alonso and Captain Azrael Tiberius. What say you?" he said.
"Are you aware of the fate that befell the last man who said those words to me?" asked Soleil. "Are you aware that I cleaved him, as my compatriot here put it, from head to dick on the deck of this ship?"
"I am aware of those things, sir. However, I am just a messenger from the Empire. To be more specific, a messenger from the Exalted One, Emperor Castroneves himself."
"Yet you approach me as though you intend to arrest me, squire."
"I am no squire, traitor." the man yelled.
"And I am no traitor, squire. What business do you have with me?"
"The Emperor has sent me to ask for your surrender. Should you refuse, I am to deliver a message to you."
"Well, I think you can see by the disposition of myself and my compatriots, I have no intention of surrendering, and surely not to a force of one squire."
"Then a message you shall receive." said the squire as he unrolled a small scroll. "Soleil De Minuit of The Order of The Lionheart, you have murdered my men, and to make matters worse, you've murdered some of my best leaders. I regret not being able to see your head on my plate as I did with your pathetic brothers, although I must thank you for dispatching General Tiberius' son. I was growing tired of his reckless manner. Those who have taken up arms with him are free to leave without penalty, but I warn you, should you continue to support the traitor, you will suffer the same fate he does."
The squire paused to see if anyone would leave, however not a soul moved.
"Upon my messenger's return, should you not surrender, I will dispatch General Tiberius and one thousand of my finest men to destroy you. I will send my Praetorians to wipe you from the face of this world, and they will destroy all that stands in their path. Rest assured gentlemen, the lives of thousands lay in your hands." he finished, then returned the scroll to his pack.
He stood watching those before him, as if waiting for an expected response.
"Well, what say you lot?" asked the squire.
"We say you'd better get back on your boat and sail home, squire." answered Althalos, followed by a loud cheer from the rest of the crew.
"Oh, I will, dogs. I will sail straight home and inform the Exalted One of your wishes, and when he sends his Praetorians, I hope to be on the ship that returns here! I will rape every woman I can get my hands on along our warpath. I will cut out the tongues of any child who makes more than a whimper when we enslave…"
The squire stopped suddenly as an arrow ripped through his eye, fired from above. As Soleil peered upwards, he saw Vex, posted in her crow's nest, just as she promised.
"You can't tell me that wasn't an evil man, Sol!" she shouted.
"I was just getting ready to end it, myself!" replied Soleil with a smile as he examined the now dead squire. An arrow lay perfectly centered in his eye socket.
"Told you I was a good shot, Sol!" she shouted.
"I never doubted you, Vex. I don't suppose you'd come down from there so we can quit shouting?" Soleil yelled.
Vex nodded and started down the riggings as the harbormaster once again made his way to them.
"Quite the display, gentlemen." he said sarcastically.
"Be thankful there weren't more of them. you could've easily told us there was only a squire and his assistant." fired Ralthas.
"I don't typically handle docking matters unless I see sails as large as those on the horizon. Quite the ship, Captain."
"Thank you, sir. Now if you don't mind, me mates and I would like to head to market. After disposing of our mess, of course." replied Ralthas.
"Right."
"Ralthas, you get the men off of the ship and checked into the town inn. Vex and I will meet you there shortly." said Soleil.
"Where are you two going?" asked Ralthas.
"To find this man's friend. I have a message I would like sent to the Emperor."
After asking the townsfolk, they had narrowed the man's location down to the pub, and they headed that way.
"So, what're you gonna say to him, Sol?" asked Vex.
"Still working on that one." replied Soleil.
They walked in and immediately spotted him sitting in a booth halfway across the pub. He got up and ran, but Vex was quick to give chase. She leapt onto the tabletops, merely grazing each one as she glided across the room and then came slamming down onto the man's back. Soleil caught up and slammed him against the wall.
"Do you know who I am, friend?" shouted Soleil as he got right into the man's face.
He nodded frantically as tears welled up in his eyes.
"Then you know exactly what I'm capable of, so listen close. Your friend, the squire, is dead. Dead as fried chicken. So now, you, are gonna sail back home to your Emperor and deliver HIM a message for me." Soleil continued as he slammed two gold pieces into his hands. "Tell your Emperor that I've killed a Captain, and now a Colonel. Next time, send a General."
As he finished, he tossed the man toward the door and he fled for his life. They stood and watched with smiles on their faces, and then walked to the door themselves.
"Why did you give him two gold pieces?" asked Vex.
"I'm not going to leave a man in his state stranded. His friend was clearly the one who carried the gold, and what's left of that is surely in the hands of our fair comrades by now. Did you see the way he shook with fear?" answered Soleil.
"Just like the Imperial soldiers when we left Alrischa." said Vex.
"Exactly. He didn't deserve anything more than what I gave him."
"So, are you really wanting the Empire to send its General?"
"I have a plan for that, Vex. The Emperor is a very egotistical man. He meant what he said about sending the General and his Praetorians, we will use that against him."
"How so?"
"We raise an army. We raise an army of righteous warriors and we take the fight to them."
"Really, Sol?"
"Absolutely. When the General and his sheep show here, we'll already have sailed, headed for the Imperial capital. Then once we're there, we take the Emperor."
"As in kill him? That's pretty ambitious, Sol."
"The Emperor is essentially Heironeous' mortal enemy. All he does is roam around the continent slaughtering all those who will not bow to him. He will die by my blade."
"The ultimate vengeance."
"The only vengeance, Vex. The only one that I will accept."
After exploring the town market for a while and purchasing various supplies and warmer clothing, Soleil and Vex headed for the inn atop the highest hill in the city. Arimathea was a coastal town in two parts, one at the shore of the Deralian sea, the other situated on a rolling bluff, high above.
When they arrived, they found the sailors happily chatting away in the inn's cantina, swinging mugs surely filled to the rim with ice cold mead over plates full of finely prepared meals. It forced a smile to Soleil's face, seeing these tired and sea weary sailors blissfully soaking in their opportunity to be men once again. Their presence drew the attention of Ralthas, who sauntered drunkenly over to meet them at the door.
"Soleil! Vex! The lads and I are having a wonderful time here in...in Westhaven!" exclaimed Ralthas.
"Arimathea." corrected Vex.
"Yeah that one. It's so nice to see the boys having good fun for once." said Ralthas. "So, what's the plan then?"
"Well, the plan is to enjoy the night, then tomorrow, set off for the Lumina Temple first thing in the morning." answered Soleil.
"What, all of us?"
"Indeed. Heironeous would like each of them, including yourself, to be blessed by the Archclerics of the temple. I'd like to get moving early, no telling how much time we'll take there."
"Right-o, well I'd best get this lot into bed then!"
"I'll come to wake you when I awaken myself."
"When will that be?"
"Daybreak."
"Oh, shit. Alright lads! Everybody up and up to your rooms! Early start tomorrow!" shouted Ralthas to his men.
Soleil smiled to Vex and held out his arm, motioning to the one clean table left in the whole of the cantina.
"Now, how about that meal we promised each other?" he said.
"As much as I would love to, I really must turn in for the night, Sol. I'm exhausted." replied Vex with a tired smile. "I'm sorry, Sol."
"Ah, not to worry!" said Soleil, still smiling. "Would you like me to walk you up?"
"That won't be necessary, Soleil, but thank you. Why don't you stay here and get a good meal in your stomach?"
"That does sound like a great idea indeed."
"In that case, until the morning, Soleil."
"Goodnight, Vex."
"Goodnight, Soleil De Minuit." said Vex, and leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. "Well, well, well, the holy warrior can blush."
"Call it a chink in my armor." said Soleil with a laugh.
"There's an armorsmith down the road a piece." said Vex with the wink of an eye as she walked out the door.
Soleil smiled and felt the warmth of his face, undoubtedly from the blush she had referenced. He walked up to the bar and knocked to get the bar steward's attention.
"How much do I owe you for the hospitality, ma'am?" he asked.
"You're the Lionheart, right? From Darimar?" she asked in return.
"Yes I am, madam. Soleil De Minuit."
"Tonight is on us, Mister De Minuit. And before you contest, I insist."
"Our thanks, madam. To what do I owe such kindness?"
"Your friend, the talkative one, told me that you were from up north. Told me a lot actually."
"I apologize for my friends unending chatting." said Soleil with a laugh.
"Not a problem, he's an interesting character. Anyways, he told me of your objective, and I felt it necessary to help. So, tonight, the house welcomes you with its own pocket. You're in room twelve."
"I thank you for all of your hospitality, madam."
"Don't mention it." she said as she slapped two gold pieces on the counter. "An offering for Heironeous, if you don't mind doing me that favor when you head off to Lumina tomorrow."
"It would be my pleasure, ma'am. If you wouldn't mind, could you wake me at daybreak tomorrow morning?"
"Absolutely. Rest well, sir."
"You as well." said Soleil as he bowed his thanks and headed for the door.
Soleil slipped quietly into his room, found the bed in the dark and flopped down to it tiredly.
"Soleil, what are you doing in my room?" asked a voice.
Soleil jumped off of the bed, nearly startled out of his own skin.
"Vex? Why are YOU in MY room?" he asked.
"This is my room, Sol." she replied with a laugh.
"The barsteward told me this was my room." said Soleil with clear confusion in his voice.
"Well, we can sort this out tomorrow, Soleil. Best get some rest."
"I'll sleep in this chair, Vex." he said as he walked to the other side of the room.
"You don't need to, Sol. Besides, that chair will surely be too uncomfortable to sleep in."
"No no, it's fine. It would be improper of me, though I thank you." he said as he sat down and got comfortable.
"Well, if you're sure. Goodnight again, Sol."
"Goodnight."
Soleil pulled his hood over his head and drifted off to sleep with a heavy sigh.