Delios

It was a sign from the gods. It had to be.

The great sage Bel’Sara arrived in Riadnos only one day after the news of an Assanaten force. Delios glanced toward Rehala’s Mount, towering northwest of the city. A column of smoke had started to rise during the night. More signs. Will you protect us in the coming storm, goddess?

Delios marched through the streets, escorted by a group of warriors. He wore his bronze breastplate, his hand resting on the hilt of the short sword strapped to his hip. Worried looks followed him every step. The populous was nervous. He kept his expression calm and made sure not to rush. To feel safe, the people needed to see that their leaders were in control. Of themselves and fate. His father had spoken those words many times. Delios wished that the anax was here now.

He suppressed a sigh.

The last time an army had traveled north to threaten the city he had been barely six years old. Too young and locked away in the palace, he had barely any memories of the event. His older brother had been allowed to accompany his father on daily inspections through the city at the time. People had remembered that, talking about Dorios as if he had stood with them in the fighting. Not that he had been old enough to hold a shield at ten.

Dorios had been a born fighter. The brothers had the same teachers and received the same lessons and arms training. But Delios had never relished it like Dorios. Fighting, commanding, the camaraderie of warriors, all seemed to come naturally to him.

The group rounded the corner to the street that led to Riadnos’ northern gate when Bel’Sara appeared right in front of him. Delios could hear his men running into each other when he suddenly stopped. He didn’t turn around, ignoring the muffled curses.

“Mistress Bel’Sara, I welcome you to Riadnos,” Delios said, bowing to the famous magi. “I came to escort you to the palace.”

Bel’Sara tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re glad to see me? That’s a bad sign,” she said. “Common folk have been saying for centuries that the arrival of a sage is a bad omen. I arrive at places all the time. In my experience, the bad omen is people looking relieved to see me.”

Having met mistress Bel’Sara before, Delios decided it best to ignore her quirks. “We are indeed glad about your arrival. I pray Rehala herself sent you. Please!” He gestured to one of the warriors to take the sage’s horse.

“I know where it is,” Bel’Sara murmured to herself, handing the reins over to the man. “I have been here before.”

The two walked next to each other, climbing the streets up to the palace hill. After a couple of steps, there was a slight commotion behind them. A horse neighed and one of the men cursed.

“You can come with me or go with the horses!”  Bel’Sara spoke in a loud voice, without slowing down or turning around. “I don’t mind either way, but by my side, it will be more interesting.”

Glancing over his shoulder, Delios noticed Bel’Sara’s companion, a young woman in the garb of the horse nomads, reluctantly handover her horse to his men. But not before grabbing her weapons and saddle bag. Luckily, the men were smart enough not to interfere with her. The last thing he needed right now was to offend the sage.

“You came from the south, mistress?” he asked, turning his attention back to the sage.

“We didn’t come by ship,” Bel’Sara said, rolling her eyes.

“Right, of course.”

Riadnos lay on the northeastern tip of the continent, at the end of the Golden Road. To the east stretched endless mountain ranges while to the west and north was the sea.

“Have you heard about the fall of Piro?” he asked, making another attempt.

“We left, the day the Assanaten breached the wall.”

“Then you must have traveled fast. We only received word from a merchant's vessel a couple of days ago. My father ordered Ajaxos to prepare the garrisons and set off to inspect the mountain forts.”

“Memnostis always disliked ships,” Bel’Sara said.

“Ahem.” Delios cleared his throat to hide the smile. The anax’s weak sea legs were the worst-kept secret in all of Riadnos. Since a galley was the quickest transport between the sea wall forts and the city, Memnostis preferred to send his first warrior whenever he could find an excuse.

“With old Ajaxos manning the sea wall and your father in the mountains, I assume your brother is ruling the city?” Bel’Sara asked.

The question sobered Delios’ mood immediately. “…I am,” he said. “Dorios is dead. Ajaxos lies dying. The healers told me he wouldn’t see the morning. Of course, he’s too stubborn to let them be right.”

Delios tried to speak in a neutral tone. Until his father’s return, the whole city was looking to him for leadership. He couldn’t allow himself to feel. Not now.

“How?”

Delios studied the seemingly middle-aged woman walking next to him from the corner of his eyes. A dirty cloak over sensible travel clothes. No jewelry, no symbols decorating her garments. Without the staff, nobody would recognize her as a person that made rulers lean forward to listen when she spoke.

“A clash with an Assanaten magi,” Delios said. “Half of Ajaxos body was burned. Dorios and most of the galley’s crew died in the confrontation.”

That got the magi’s attention. For a heartbeat, her eyes widened.

Interesting, Delios thought. Magi were hard to read. Especially with the seers, it was always a guess if you told them something they already knew. He had met the sage several times before and even received lessons from her on occasion. Never had he seen anything like a genuine surprise from her. And this might not be either, he thought, reminding himself of the nature of magi.

“Tell me what happened,” mistress Bel’Sara said.

Delios nodded. “A priest at the temple of Rehala had a vision during the nightly prayer the night before last. In his vision he stood at the shore of the lake, hearing cries coming over the water. Beginning at the horizon the water turned a red-like color.” Delios made a short pause, allowing the sage to inject a question. Bel’Sara just stared ahead, listening intently.

“When this was reported to Ajaxos, he decided to take a gally up the lakes. Dorios insisted on accompanying him.” Delios continued to report what they had learned from the survivors. When he finished, they had reached the gate of the palace wall.

Built from big limestone blogs over many years, it made Riadnos’ religious and administrative heart an impregnable hill fortress. Even if the Assanaten could breach both the seawall and the city wall, taking the palace would be a bloodbath. Delios hoped it would never come to that. During the last war, Saggab’s warriors had barely made it past the seawall before they were turned back.

“The Assanaten’s single-minded determination and aggression is amazing as always,” Bel’Sara said. “I would like to talk to the messengers you mentioned.” 

“We’re on our way there now,” Delios said, pointing to a building ahead. “I assumed you would want to meet with your brethren as quickly as possible.”

The sage stopped dead in her tracks and her head whipped around to him. “What?” she almost shouted, startling Delios.

“Your brethren? We didn’t recognize him, but he is definitely a magi. He carried a staff and….” Delios stopped himself before describing the legendary sages’ manners as weird. Hastily searching his mind for more appropriate phrasing, he glanced back to the warrior.

The men had followed them at a respectful distance. Bel’Sara’s intense reaction had everybody startled. Only the nomad girl watched them with impassive eyes.

“A staff doesn’t make a sage of the Circle of Nemki! It doesn’t even make a magi!” The woman’s stare pierced Delios with an intensity he had never seen in her. Not even the anax could exert this much mental pressure.

“No, but…but the symbols on the staff,” he stuttered, pointing at the sign of status in Bel’Sara’s hand. “Like yours, it had the symbol of Nemki. And all kinds of others. It was of a wood, darker than this one.”

The pressure lifted as Bel’Sara turned her gaze away. She gated at the house up ahead but her eyes were unfocused.

“I can’t feel him,” she murmured. “Did he give a name?”

“Ah… I only met him for a moment. They were all completely exhausted from being chased by the Assanaten for days.” Realizing that he wasn’t answering the sage’s question, Delios turned to his men. “Eudoras!”

“Yes, Delios?” The leader of ten ran up to them immediately.

“Eudoras, you escorted our guests from the harbor, yesterday,” Delios said. “Did the master introduce himself to you?”

Eudoras shook his head. “The sage? He didn’t talk much except warn us about the Assanaten. From all the people rescued from that boat, he was the only one still alive or conscious.”

Delios already wanted to turn away when Eudoras’ face brightened. “He gave a name to the crewmen. What was it again…?”

Feeling the sage’s eyes on his back, Delios glared at the unlucky warrior with impatience. “Yes?”

After a moment of musing, Eudoras snapped his fingers. “Mar’Doug. Master Mar’Doug!”

DeliosIt was a sign from the gods. It had to be.The great sage Bel'Sara arrived in Riadnos only one day after the news of an Assanaten force. Delios glanced toward Rehala's Mount, towering northwest of the city. A column of smoke had started to rise during the night. More signs. Will you protect us in the coming storm, goddess?Delios marched through the streets, escorted by a group of warriors. He wore his bronze breastplate, his hand resting on the hilt of the short sword strapped to his hip. Worried looks followed him every step. The populous was nervous. He kept his expression calm and made sure not to rush. To feel safe, the people needed to see that their leaders were in control. Of themselves and fate. His father had spoken those words many times. Delios wished that the anax was here now.He suppressed a sigh.The last time an army had traveled north to threaten the city he had been barely six years old. Too young and locked away in the palace, he had barely any memories of the event. His older brother had been allowed to accompany his father on daily inspections through the city at the time. People had remembered that, talking about Dorios as if he had stood with them in the fighting. Not that he had been old enough to hold a shield at ten.Dorios had been a born fighter. The brothers had the same teachers and received the same lessons and arms training. But Delios had never relished it like Dorios. Fighting, commanding, the camaraderie of warriors, all seemed to come naturally to him.The group rounded the corner to the street that led to Riadnos' northern gate when Bel'Sara appeared right in front of him. Delios could hear his men running into each other when he suddenly stopped. He didn't turn around, ignoring the muffled curses.Mistress Bel'Sara, I welcome you to Riadnos, Delios said, bowing to the famous magi. I came to escort you to the palace.Bel'Sara tilted her head to the side, raising an eyebrow.You're glad to see me? That's a bad sign, she said. Common folk have been saying for centuries that the arrival of a sage is a bad omen. I arrive at places all the time. In my experience, the bad omen is people looking relieved to see me.Having met mistress Bel'Sara before, Delios decided it best to ignore her quirks. We are indeed glad about your arrival. I pray Rehala herself sent you. Please! He gestured to one of the warriors to take the sage's horse.I know where it is, Bel'Sara murmured to herself, handing the reins over to the man. I have been here before.The two walked next to each other, climbing the streets up to the palace hill. After a couple of steps, there was a slight commotion behind them. A horse neighed and one of the men cursed.You can come with me or go with the horses! Bel'Sara spoke in a loud voice, without slowing down or turning around. I don't mind either way, but by my side, it will be more interesting.Glancing over his shoulder, Delios noticed Bel'Sara's companion, a young woman in the garb of the horse nomads, reluctantly handover her horse to his men. But not before grabbing her weapons and saddle bag. Luckily, the men were smart enough not to interfere with her. The last thing he needed right now was to offend the sage.You came from the south, mistress? he asked, turning his attention back to the sage.We didn't come by ship, Bel'Sara said, rolling her eyes.Right, of course.Riadnos lay on the northeastern tip of the continent, at the end of the Golden Road. To the east stretched endless mountain ranges while to the west and north was the sea.Have you heard about the fall of Piro? he asked, making another attempt.We left, the day the Assanaten breached the wall.Then you must have traveled fast. We only received word from a merchant's vessel a couple of days ago. My father ordered Ajaxos to prepare the garrisons and set off to inspect the mountain forts.Memnostis always disliked ships, Bel'Sara said.Ahem. Delios cleared his throat to hide the smile. The anax's weak sea legs were the worst-kept secret in all of Riadnos. Since a galley was the quickest transport between the sea wall forts and the city, Memnostis preferred to send his first warrior whenever he could find an excuse.With old Ajaxos manning the sea wall and your father in the mountains, I assume your brother is ruling the city? Bel'Sara asked.The question sobered Delios' mood immediately. I am, he said. Dorios is dead. Ajaxos lies dying. The healers told me he wouldn't see the morning. Of course, he's too stubborn to let them be right.Delios tried to speak in a neutral tone. Until his father's return, the whole city was looking to him for leadership. He couldn't allow himself to feel. Not now.How?Delios studied the seemingly middle-aged woman walking next to him from the corner of his eyes. A dirty cloak over sensible travel clothes. No jewelry, no symbols decorating her garments. Without the staff, nobody would recognize her as a person that made rulers lean forward to listen when she spoke.A clash with an Assanaten magi, Delios said. Half of Ajaxos body was burned. Dorios and most of the galley's crew died in the confrontation.That got the magi's attention. For a heartbeat, her eyes widened.Interesting, Delios thought. Magi were hard to read. Especially with the seers, it was always a guess if you told them something they already knew. He had met the sage several times before and even received lessons from her on occasion. Never had he seen anything like a genuine surprise from her. And this might not be either, he thought, reminding himself of the nature of magi.Tell me what happened, mistress Bel'Sara said.Delios nodded. A priest at the temple of Rehala had a vision during the nightly prayer the night before last. In his vision he stood at the shore of the lake, hearing cries coming over the water. Beginning at the horizon the water turned a red-like color. Delios made a short pause, allowing the sage to inject a question. Bel'Sara just stared ahead, listening intently.When this was reported to Ajaxos, he decided to take a gally up the lakes. Dorios insisted on accompanying him. Delios continued to report what they had learned from the survivors. When he finished, they had reached the gate of the palace wall.Built from big limestone blogs over many years, it made Riadnos' religious and administrative heart an impregnable hill fortress. Even if the Assanaten could breach both the seawall and the city wall, taking the palace would be a bloodbath. Delios hoped it would never come to that. During the last war, Saggab's warriors had barely made it past the seawall before they were turned back.The Assanaten's single-minded determination and aggression is amazing as always, Bel'Sara said. I would like to talk to the messengers you mentioned.We're on our way there now, Delios said, pointing to a building ahead. I assumed you would want to meet with your brethren as quickly as possible.The sage stopped dead in her tracks and her head whipped around to him. What? she almost shouted, startling Delios.Your brethren? We didn't recognize him, but he is definitely a magi. He carried a staff and. Delios stopped himself before describing the legendary sages' manners as weird. Hastily searching his mind for more appropriate phrasing, he glanced back to the warrior.The men had followed them at a respectful distance. Bel'Sara's intense reaction had everybody startled. Only the nomad girl watched them with impassive eyes.A staff doesn't make a sage of the Circle of Nemki! It doesn't even make a magi! The woman's stare pierced Delios with an intensity he had never seen in her. Not even the anax could exert this much mental pressure.No, butbut the symbols on the staff, he stuttered, pointing at the sign of status in Bel'Sara's hand. Like yours, it had the symbol of Nemki. And all kinds of others. It was of a wood, darker than this one.The pressure lifted as Bel'Sara turned her gaze away. She gated at the house up ahead but her eyes were unfocused.I can't feel him, she murmured. Did he give a name?Ah I only met him for a moment. They were all completely exhausted from being chased by the Assanaten for days. Realizing that he wasn't answering the sage's question, Delios turned to his men. Eudoras!Yes, Delios? The leader of ten ran up to them immediately.Eudoras, you escorted our guests from the harbor, yesterday, Delios said. Did the master introduce himself to you?Eudoras shook his head. The sage? He didn't talk much except warn us about the Assanaten. From all the people rescued from that boat, he was the only one still alive or conscious.Delios already wanted to turn away when Eudoras' face brightened. He gave a name to the crewmen. What was it again?Feeling the sage's eyes on his back, Delios glared at the unlucky warrior with impatience. Yes?After a moment of musing, Eudoras snapped his fingers. Mar'Doug. Master Mar'Doug!