The Inheritor of Light

Vassals (Part Two)

"You'll want to go inside, up the stairs and then to the left. That hallway leads to the palace garrison. You should be able to find the general in there easily enough."

Calius turned around and saluted. "Thank you very much for your help." She spun on her heels and hurried forward with renewed vigor.

The two great palace doors were made of solid oak timber, reinforced with steel slats along it vertically. Calius was almost afraid to touch the looming doors. However, she summoned forth her courage and pushed one open. Inside, she found a nicely furnished antechamber that led into a grand staircase.

Servants bustled about, running to-and-fro across the vast room. Calius continued forwards, up the stairs and turned left down the corridor. From here, a number of passages split off from the hall she walked down. A number of small windows near the top of the left wall let in a trickle of sunlight which illuminated her path. Soon, the hallway made a right turn, deeper into the palace. Calius dutifully followed it, hoping that she would not get lost.

She hadn't gone too far before the windows disappeared and the soft glow of lamplight became the only illuminators. A number of paintings hung on the walls here. Some were portraits of stern faces with domineering looks, others were landscapes of the wilderness or cities, and a few were of grand battles and conflicts. Calius did her best to admire the pieces without making it too obvious to any passerby that she was new.

The farther in she traveled, the more watchmen and soldiers she began to see. It was obvious she had reached the palace garrison. A "T" intersection appeared before her, with the left hall stretching a long way off. Down it, Calius could see an assortment of people walking between various rooms. Some wore armor, others were dressed more casually.

Calius almost turned down that way, but not before she took a look straight ahead. There, far at the end of the hall was an open door. Through that doorway was a desk. Sitting behind that desk, slumped back in his chair, was a man. Something in Calius told her that he was one she was there to meet. She straightened herself and headed for the opening.

As she drew closer, Calius got a better look in the room. A bright lamp illuminated the piles of papers scattered around the desk. Behind the desk, sat a red-haired man dressed in a gray jacket and green shirt. He was reclining in his chair with his head leaned back and eyes closed. He didn't show any sign of moving as Calius entered the room.

"Dederic, just drop the forms off. I'll be with them in a minute," the man suddenly said, waving his hand without disturbing his position.

Calius looked around her, unsure of what to do.

The man sighed and started to straighten himself. "Are you deaf, Dederic? The least you could do is spare a—oh, you're not Dederic," he said as he opened his eyes.

"No, sir. I am Watchman Calius of Nuuls. I was sent for by General Riald." Calius straightened her back and saluted.

The man put a hand to his chin. "Calius, Calius, Calius," he mumbled to himself. "Ah, that's right." He searched through the papers on his desk for a moment until he triumphantly held one up. "That's right!" He set it down before him. "Close the door, and please stop saluting. I'm afraid you'll strain a muscle if you keep on like that."

Calius closed the door and did her best to stand at ease.

The man interlaced his fingers on his desk. "As you've most likely guessed, I am General Riald of the City Garrison. I apologize for mistaking you for one of my men. As you can see," he waved his hand over the desk, "being a general involves a lot more paperwork than you might think. Still, I am happy to have you finally here. I've been eager to meet you since Major Fredrick returned with his report."

"If I might ask where the Major is, sir?"

Riald pulled in his lower lip, "Sadly, I was forced to dispatch him not a fortnight ago to another town. However, he did speak very highly of you, which is why I called you here. He also wanted me to tell you that he regrets not being able to help you get settled in, but he did say something about taking you out for a pint once he returned."

"That seems like the Major." Calius furrowed her brow. "Might I ask why I am here, exactly, sir?"

Riald smiled. "You showed quite a bit of ingenuity in tracking down your brother's murderers and exposing the corruption within Nuuls' Watch. The Major also described how you were instrumental in the apprehension of the culprits. That's something I like to hear. It's not often I find eager watchmen who can maneuver their way through an investigation like you did. Most of the time they either couldn't find their way out of a sack, or they're too legalistic and inflexible to be of any use. You've managed to avoid both of those major pitfalls, so you get my special attention. Now, what I am about to tell you is rather sensitive. I'd like it not to go beyond these walls, do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. As you've undoubtedly noticed, Cerenzi is much larger than Nuuls, or most any other town in Milzoc for that matter. Within the last decade, the city has grown quite a bit, bringing in all manner of people and commerce. However, along with all that splendor, another thing has been on the rise: crime. The worst of it is murder. For the last year or so, the number of homicides has almost doubled. We can hardly go two weeks without another body turning up." Riald locked eyes with Calius. "So, I have decided to put together a special squad to concentrate on this issue. The thing is, I need someone to lead it, and you're the person I've chosen."

Calius shook her head. "Sir, I'm not—"

"It's not a request." Riald waved his hand. "You've already been officially transferred and assigned to the squad. From this day forward, you are officially a sergeant of the Cerenzi City Watch. You'll be staying in the garrison here on the palace grounds. I'm certain one of your subordinates will be able to show you where that is." He placed his hand on a small stack of papers. "Now, I already have a case for you, but before I give you it, I want you to meet your team."

A knock came at the door.

Riald sighed "Of all the, what is it?"

The door opened and a man peaked his head in. "Excuse me, General, but there's something going on."

"Dederic, what does that mean?"

"It's the Trivarans, sir. They running around like chickens without heads."

Riald stood up and grabbed his sword. "I wonder what has them so wound up. Dederic, you grab some men and take a look around the palace. I'll head to the gate to see if anything is happening there."

"Sir."

Riald followed Dederic out the door, leaving Calius standing there. "Uh, I suppose I'll wait here then?"