"Dare I ask why your face is that way, vir?"
I am certain the innocent expression I was trying to cultivate failed to overcome the fat lip, black eye, and broken nose. Avunculus was in fine form as he dressed me down. He let that comment sit a while, then picked up the night log. Custors worked the walls here in Radixium, the streets as well. One of the few towns that demanded that aid as part of our rent on land in or nearby. My fellow custodi did not appreciate the riot I started in toasting Sir Basil's memory.
The local Thieves Guild even went so far as demanding my head, via an executioner's block. Not that enough of them were able to lift a knife this morning, let alone slide it into my back. More due to Ringelius and my new friend Dzhino.
"Let's go over the charges again, shall we, viri?" Dux Mattio glanced at the parchments on his desk. "Opened the gate after dark, contrary to orders. Allowed entry after dark through that gate. Exited the city by unauthorized means. Instigated a fight. Property damage in said fight. Instigated a riot on the streets. And, my favorite here, drew a weapon on a citizen of the city."
He let it all sit, acting like I would correct him. While I had that kind of urge, at the moment, the fat lip limited my ability to respond coherently. Nor did I want him to see the broken tooth. Damaging Custodi property would be added then. I hate that we get treated like slaves, even while free. It is understandable if the injury prohibits doing your assigned duties.
My silence was not sitting well with him. "Fine. For a moment, forget I am your commanding officer, and tell your uncle...."
"Sir, if I do that, Avia will hear the tale. I like my ears attached to my head." Ringelius laughed at that comment. Laid out on a bench, arm in a sling and not facing a disciplinary action, he could afford that.humor. I was looking at losing that first command, if not my career.
The Dux did not relax as he said he would. A ploy, and I fell for it. "Lost my right to remain silent?"
A faint smile. "Yes, you did. Not a bad stonewall until then. Remember, your grandmother will get invoked a lot, as she is in service, though among the diplomats." He winked at me. "Sit, tell the tale. I won't be too hard, Fair, but not harsh as some are agitating for."
Now Norbanus, standing next to me spoke. "I take it you mean those fools from the Left Hand."
That comment provoked laughter from the two veterans in chair along the other wall of the office.
"I think the Dux is more worried about the demand to have you executed, viri." Keth leaned his chair back, holding a cold rag to the eye that was turning a deep coppery red around it. "The Centuria Sinistra would be glad to abandon Radixium, and all Amoeni Terrai, given an excuse. The locals will still be here, causing him problems after that."
Rico merely snorted over that issue. I was learning the old spearman was a tough nut to crack, as the saying goes. Somewhere out in the brawl, those two joined our side, luckily.
"I may no longer have any jurisdiction over you two, but don't tempt me to recall you to duty to stand charges with the boy." Avunclus's expression spoke the seriousness of the charges. "As you have broken silence, you might as well tell the tale, Custor."
Rolling my shoulders reminded me of the knife wound above my right wing stub. Looking around, I could tell the tale would come out in a light not good for me, judging by everyone's injuries and moods. "I cannot prove it, sir, but I think the local thieves set up Sir Basil to be slain. We know that he was outside their ranks, not appreciated, and many here were jealous of his success. Especially at evading the law when caught."
The Dux shook his head. "We are not sure he is dead, Billenius."
"I am, sir." Meeting his eyes, tinged green from a lack of sleep, reminded me of rest I also missed. Unlike most my kinfolk, I prefer a few turns of the sand glasses a day sleep, not a few each hebdoma. "The young dyermo in the outer office found his corpse, at least judging by the equipment he salvaged from it." I hoped Avunclus would forget this part later, looting a corpse is a sin and violation of our laws, even if the event took place outside the borders we kept up.
"And you know this by what?" The momentary levity left him. Now he acted as the local Questor, the other hat he wore here, investigating the crime.
What little air I'd managed to bring into my lungs without pain left me fast. He wanted confirmation of some action to discharge me. "Sir Basil was not just a legend to me, sir. He was my informant." Being dead, I felt Sergei would not mind that coming to light.
That at last got a word from Rico. "Legitimate contact, Mattinius." Leaning forward, bandaged forearm on knees as his left hand sought to keep his spear off the ground, disturbed by his movement. He met the glare the Dux tossed him with one of his own. "Hell, we all have shady friends, Matt. Don't make me mention your contacts in the criminal worlds. Boy cultivated a good one. You never let a death of a good source go unavenged, you might delay it, but never forego it entirely." After a brief pause, the old legionairre said something unexpected. "Never told him about that affair in Chiga, have you?"
Avunclus face told more of the tale than his evasion. "No. Never intended to speak about it again, you old reprobate."
Family gossip came to my mind. When I was still a boy, Avunculus suffered some set back in his career, which led to demotions, a transfer home then to a hardship posting somewhere none spoke of, followed by a rough time climbing back to his former rank, and a fight to ever command numeni again. This event, it appeared, paralleled my own here, somehow.
"Two rain seasons ago, you lost your source. This mess came from that, I take it?" The Dux avoided any further comments on the matter in his past.
"Yes, sir." This time, I felt the need to stay formal. "Word came to him of a family issue he needed to deal with. As this word arrived amid the mess of the jewel thefts and death of the guild master here in town, I tried warning him it might be a trap." The old ache rose, losing a friend to rashness, not that I am any less guilty of such actions to defend my own kith and kin.
Avunclus sat quietly now. Eyes closed, head tilted back a bit. "Yes. I remember that period. Bloody time in the River Ward then, all those murders and stabbings." Silence for a few, as he recalled the information once provided by my friend. "Sir Basil. Perfidio, Billenius. I never guessed you had him as your source. I figured it to be some young thief who wanted out of the guild. As to his being dead, that I doubt."
I dislike admitting to certain abilities I possess, as most with them wind up in monasteriies or temples, secluded away from life. "I cannot, Avunculus. His shade follows the young dyermo. They were brothers."
Norbanus stirred a bit, finally speaking. "Gods. Your donum..."
The elbow I tossed to my cousin's ribs was not fast enough to forestall a new line of questioning.
"Donum?" Avunculus leaned forward over his desk. "You saw this, with the sight? Auras or fate, Custor?"
Silence as a tactic against a commander is not always effective. My dislike of my gifts from the gods is well known, but I do use them, just not as others believe a seer should. Outside, the campii came to life slowly. I heard the brays of onagerum, screeches the desert lizards called (need a name!), and the lowing of the oxen used by some to move across the plains in wagons. I did not wish to answer this question, especially to a member of the gens who supported my resistance to entering the temples as a flamens and augur.
Rescue arrived with a knock on the door.
"Permission to enter?" The Praetor Emeritus, now the Triari, opened the door softly.
"You never need ask that, Nerva. Maybe you can convince my fili patri to talk of the visions he seems reluctant to share." With that, Partuus laid matter of my silence before a court I could not be silent before. The Triarium are the sacred order of spearmen who guard the temples and priests of our people. The Triari is the head, and thus a priest in his own right. One must answer a priest about visions and what your donum have shown you.
Luckily, the Triari had yet to ask himself.
"Visions? The boy is not talking about them again?" His steps were slow, age and injuries suffered over an age of service taking their toll on a once firm stride. "Not a wise idea, vir. Have you not paid enough prices in your life to learn such yet?"
I have a bad habit of making a half sneer when shamed. That let the air hit the tooth, which turned the whole gesture into a wince of pain.
Patruus found that somewhat funny. "Did I forget the damage to Custodi property charge?"
There was no way I was going to win this match now.
"Just snippets of visions. But yes, my aura sight told me the ghost following the dyermo was Sir Basil, same aura, dimmed by death to a shade." Shifting my feet, I moved from attention to a more natural stance. "Before he left, I tried to warn him of the visions. He chose to ignore them." I glanced to the Triari. "We spoke of those visions Praetor."
That classical face, hawk nose and all looked shocked. "Last time I passed through this town. Yes." Now worry creased his brow. "Not a solid dream to base feelings on. He is off the hook for that, Mattio. He understood the visions better than I. How much matches what happened?"
Now I found myself having to betray some confidences Dzhino gave over drinks. Luckily, it was all speculation. "The mother was indeed dead. He was found in a ruined building, but the dyermo has no idea how his brother got there or what the building was in the past."
"Nor do we have records left from the days of contact before the dyermo retreated beneath the earth." The Triari nodded sagely. "Boy did better than I, and the temples gave me much more training on dream and vision interpretations. Let that ride, for now. There are cases of augurs being called by the gods to be amongst the people, not locked away."
Patruus nodded. "Very well, Nerva. I shall take your word."
"I would be curious as to his current visions, though"
Here, I had to speak before uncle could. "This being my first crossing of shadow, I cannot say which are nightmares or visions." Dredging my memories of the past weeks, I found only one that stood out. "I have one that strongly echoes. The only one so far to repeat. A hanging, but the noose breaks, followed by footsteps into the Dunes as the shadow covers the land." The Dunes are the largest and most dangerous area of the Desert of the Shifting Grey Sands. A place of sands and winds few enter willingly. Less than a handful of that few have returned to tell tales of the place during my time of service.
Norbanus shifted suddenly beside me, breaking his parade ground stance. "Viri, there is a hanging slated for just before the shadow falls. A human, for necromancy."
"Gorlot. Yes. I remember that case." The eyes meeting mine now were those of commander not relative. "That is a bit of information I could have used during sentencing. The humans do not understand the power the Shadow grants to the Ars Nox. That vision may have turned the sentencing."
Now I stood uneasily. My donum are not as reliable as most think. "I distrust this vision. It was as if I was the one tracking the fugitive. But my patrol is nowhere near the Dunes."
Silence met that comment for a bit. Only Ringelius showed no signs of worry over this vision. Norbanus shifted his feet uneasily, not a good sign from a legionnaire used to standing still for long periods of time. Even Patruus failed to meet my gaze now, looking out the window over the muster grounds. Fingers of sand fell from the blue first glass of the horarium on the Dux's desk. The yellow sand of the fading hour stood nearly ready to turn over. Even for our kindred, this was a long contemplation of the issue.
No longer able to wait, I at last defended one of my actions. "Keeping the others with the dyermo out held more repercussions. The Eyes and Ears of the Tsar rode with him."
That brought Keth's chair back to the ground. "I thought I recognized that hammer saving your head." His laugh was loud. "No, keeping Garzog and Jaochim outside the walls at night would create a nightmare in relations with the Karleekie, Dux. The boy made a good call there."
Patruus grunted, still looking out the window. "That is the least of the issues. The riot and call for his head are more worrisome."
"Actually, Bill had the whole mess defused before I lifted my tankard and toasted the local guild as a pack of amateurs and pathetic cutpurses." Ringelius deep voice takes many by surprise. Not just in what he says, but the elven words coming naturally in the tones and cadences of a dwarf.
Both the Triari and Rico chuckled at that comment. Rico gave his advice. "Seems you have a confession there, Mattio. Better take that troublemaker to the council and let him face the charges."
"And, not being in the service, you can say Bill's efforts were more to keep the damages down not spread the mess." When I took a look at him, my patraelis winked. "After all, I'm a known disaster when it comes to dealing with folks. They'll buy it. I have enough to pay the damages. Maybe." For the first time in a while, he looked ashamed. "Unless they want me to rebuild that rat hole. I was the one who tossed the lantern."
"I think we will keep silent on that, Ringelius. Most believe Grazon started the fire. Given his reputation, and long list of crimes unpunished for, I say let him accept the responsibility." The Dux rose, no longer my uncle, once more the leader of the catavernae. "But, Billenius, you will take a punishment. Marius gets your command, you take his run west with messages. Even if it places you by the Dunes. I trust the gods and the visions, even if you do not."
Lost my first command, before I even started. "Yes, Vir."
"Choose five to ride with you, Billenius. You still get a command. Antonius is available, and despite his gens, I recommend you take Drinius as well. Other than that, its up to you." Those choices were orders to choose, not hints at who to accept.
"Yes, Vir. I promised the dyermo boy a post with us, wrangling the pack animals."
"Out of your pay. The toast was the issue, not the fight. If I show you have a fine or loss of wealth, it will go better in council." He looked us over over again. "But, I think you go the north route, not the south. I would prefer the Tres Triconis be separated for a while, lest I see more charges and damage bills arrive on my table."
We nodded, Norbanus off without reprimand, myself already feeling the loss of my pastry monies for the next few greater moons, and Ringelius grinning. He enjoys being in a court over altercations like last night. Says the attention makes up for all the things folks overlook him for on account of his size.
"Dismissed, Viri. Ringelius, back here at noon so I can take you before the council."
The three of us left our elders to discuss anything, happy to be off so light.
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