{"id":115,"date":"2012-05-04T07:42:22","date_gmt":"2012-05-04T11:42:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/?p=115"},"modified":"2012-05-04T07:42:22","modified_gmt":"2012-05-04T11:42:22","slug":"zervakan-free-fantasy-novel-chapter-7","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/?p=115","title":{"rendered":"ZERVAKAN – Free Fantasy Novel – Chapter 7"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\"\"<\/a>
Cover by TJ Lomas.<\/a>\n<\/div>\n
\nI’m posting a chapter from my latest fantasy novel for free every Monday and Friday (click Zervakan<\/a> above for a synopsis and to start from the beginning). It’s in a “pre-published state,” meaning you might find the occasional spelling\/grammar mistake. If you do, please leave a comment below or email me at robsteiner01 [at] gmail [dot] com.<\/p>\n

If you’re uncomfortable getting something for nothing, you can hit the PayPal Donate<\/a> button in the Tip Jar section to the right. If you donate more than $3, I’ll send you a non-DRM ebook once the book is published (summer 2012). If you donate more than $20, I’ll send you a printed copy.<\/p>\n

Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it!<\/em>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ZERVAKAN<\/h1>\n

by Rob Steiner<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chapter 7<\/h2>\n

Karak Frost sipped his green tea loudly, prompting a look of annoyance from Echol Dyer across the eches<\/em> board.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak raised an eyebrow and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sorry, does that bother you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You know it does,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Echol growled, and then turned his attention back to the board.\u00c2\u00a0 A fine sheen of sweat glistened on his brow and above his lip.\u00c2\u00a0 Echol was in quite the dire situation\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhe was down three pieces and about to loose four hundred han<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Not to mention his life.<\/p>\n

Six of Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s men sat around the table, some fingering their daggers, waiting for the order to slit Echol\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s throat.\u00c2\u00a0 But much to their credit, and to Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pride in them, they controlled their fury and only stared at Echol with cool eyes.\u00c2\u00a0 It was more than Echol deserved for his betrayal.\u00c2\u00a0 He was lucky Karak didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t cut off his manhood right now, but Karak was a fair man and was giving Echol the chance he did not deserve\u00e2\u20ac\u201ddefeat Karak in eches<\/em>, and he would live.\u00c2\u00a0 Lose, and….<\/p>\n

Karak slurped his tea again, drawing another scowl from Echol.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak smiled, set his cup down.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My apologies.\u00c2\u00a0 I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know why I keep doing that.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Echol looked back at the board for a few moments, and then his face brightened.\u00c2\u00a0 He moved a piece triumphantly and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Mate in two, which earns me back the four hundred han<\/em> I lost plus two hundred for the mate.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak looked at the board, studied it for a moment.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Why you beat me, Echol.\u00c2\u00a0 I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think you had it in you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers on his broad chest, affecting a look of disappointment.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well, Echol, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a man of my word.\u00c2\u00a0 You will live.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak turned to his captain, a large brute of a Gahallian named Castle.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Give Mr. Dyer his two hundred han<\/em>, castrate him, and then let him go.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Echol\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes bulged satisfactorily.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Two of Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s men seized Echol in iron grips, preventing him from getting any fool notions of escape in his fool brain.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Wait,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153strike that.\u00c2\u00a0 Castrate him first, then give him his two hundred, and then let him go.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153No!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Echol screamed.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You said you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d\u00e2\u20ac\u201d\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlet you live if you beat me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to do.\u00c2\u00a0 Believe me, Echol, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re getting off easy here.\u00c2\u00a0 Not only did you take a bribe from the constables and turn over one of my brothels, but you raped two of my whores.\u00c2\u00a0 Now betrayal for money I can understand.\u00c2\u00a0 Mercy, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve done it myself.\u00c2\u00a0 But rape…well, Echol.\u00c2\u00a0 I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t abide rapists, even whore rapists.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak said to Castle, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Tell Doc to make sure he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t bleed to death.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Castle nodded, then motioned the other two men to take the screaming, crying Echol into the back room where Dr. Huror was waiting with a dull scalpel.<\/p>\n

As Karak began putting the eches<\/em> pieces back into their ornately carved box, Primas Maed stood up from the chair in which he was sitting behind Karak and helped with the pieces.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You let him win,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Primas said, grinning.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Even I could see the \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcmistake\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 you made.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153What is the one thing a serial rapist values more than his life?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Primas raised an eyebrow.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Ah.\u00c2\u00a0 Fitting.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Echol\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s muffled shrieks began from behind two doors and a thick basement wall.<\/p>\n

Echol had cost Karak more than just the revenue from a single brothel.\u00c2\u00a0 He had cost Karak the respect of the Klahdera Overlords, many of whom wanted Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s throat slit just for the fact that he was a Wilder, a man of the southern Wild Kingdoms, a mindless barbarian who did not have the brains to run the Klahdera\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s operations in Calaman.\u00c2\u00a0 Only Overlord Silek, Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sponsor, had protected him thus far.\u00c2\u00a0 Would this debacle cost Karak even Silek\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s support?\u00c2\u00a0 If it did, Karak might find himself floating face down in Lake Maximohr in much worse condition than Echol.<\/p>\n

Though Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office was in the basement of a tavern in what many considered the seedier side of Calaman, he saw no reason for the basement to look like a basement.\u00c2\u00a0 Ornate tapestries of wondrous landscapes lined every inch of the walls.\u00c2\u00a0 Beneath them were carved chairs and tables from the finest carpenters in Levaken.\u00c2\u00a0 And the stone floors were lined with intricately patterned rugs from Mazumdahr (just because the Compact had enemies didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean Karak had to forgo the simple pleasures in life).<\/p>\n

Which reminded him…<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Is that Mazumdahri gentleman still waiting to see me?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak asked.<\/p>\n

Primas nodded, browsing the newspaper on Karek\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s desk.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I suppose so.\u00c2\u00a0 Or at least he was the last time I was upstairs.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak gave Primas the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Look,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d which always seemed to move Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s men into action.\u00c2\u00a0 It worked.\u00c2\u00a0 Primus stood, heading toward the stairs leading up to the tavern.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll go see if he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still here.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak set the eches<\/em> box on top of one of the Levaken tables near his desk.\u00c2\u00a0 He went to the body-length mirror beneath the one window in his office, and inspected his clothing and hair.\u00c2\u00a0 Silek once told him that appearance was everything when it came to making business deals.\u00c2\u00a0 If you looked like a beggar, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d make deals like a beggar.\u00c2\u00a0 When you looked like a lord, you made the other man make deals like a beggar.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fine blue silk coat had not a wrinkle on it, nor did his black breeches.\u00c2\u00a0 His black boots shone like polished onyx, and his oiled blond hair and trimmed beard had a similar sheen.\u00c2\u00a0 Whatever this Mazumdahri man wanted, Karak was prepared to make him pay for it.<\/p>\n

Primas soon returned with the Mazumdahri gentleman.\u00c2\u00a0 The man was tall, thin, and without the long beard traditionally worn by Mazumdahri men.\u00c2\u00a0 His blond hair\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwith more gray than blond around the temples\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwas pulled back in a pony tail as was the Compact fashion of the day.\u00c2\u00a0 The man wore a decent maroon coat, though not as finely woven as Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s.\u00c2\u00a0 He had a weathered face that seemed timeless.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak could not determine if it was an old face or a middle-aged one that had seen too much excitement.<\/p>\n

The man looked more like a native of the Wild Kingdoms than a Mazumdahri.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak supposed he wouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to go advertising who he was, especially in a country with which his native land was technically at war.\u00c2\u00a0 Yes, this man was trying to fit in, which meant the business was illicit.\u00c2\u00a0 More the better from Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s point of view\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit meant larger profits.<\/p>\n

Karak motioned to a chair in front of his large desk.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Please sit, mister…?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Call me Crane,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the Mazumdahri said, without a hint of an accent.\u00c2\u00a0 Crane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s voice was deep, steady, without emotion, and his eyes held Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gaze easily.<\/p>\n

Crane sat in the chair and crossed his legs casually.\u00c2\u00a0 Primas sat in the other chair next to Crane, while Karak sat on the ornately carved mahogany throne behind his desk.\u00c2\u00a0 The throne was a two hundred-year-old relic from one of the Wild Kingdoms in the south.\u00c2\u00a0 Legend said that every king who sat in this chair had to kill the king before him to attain it.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak liked that legend.\u00c2\u00a0 It reminded him of how things were done in the Klahdera.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153So,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said, folding his arms, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been trying to meet with me for the past three days.\u00c2\u00a0 You must have a rock solid streak of patience to wait that long to see a humble tavern owner.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Crane smirked.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We both know you are no \u00e2\u20ac\u02dchumble tavern owner.\u00e2\u20ac\u2122\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak looked at Primas, said to him, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153What else could I be?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

At that moment, Echol screamed again.\u00c2\u00a0 Though still muffled, the sound was louder than the noise of the crowd upstairs.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak stared into Crane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes, saw no hint of fear or shock at the sound.<\/p>\n

A challenge,<\/em> Karak thought.<\/p>\n

Crane took the black riding gloves off his hands and casually draped them over his crossed legs.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My sources tell me, Mr. Frost, that you are a man of your word.\u00c2\u00a0 That when you say you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to do something, you do it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak feigned embarrassment.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Well.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m honored to know that I have a good reputation among your sources.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153They also say you know how to get things done…discretely.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The privacy of my customers is most important to me.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153And they say you are good at avoiding legal entanglements,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Crane said, ignoring Echol\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s continuing screams.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Damnable lies,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m a legitimate business man who runs a successful, legal<\/em> tavern.\u00c2\u00a0 Just who are these sources of yours?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Crane reached into his coat, and Karak heard the clicking of a small revolver in Primas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand, the barrel pressed against Crane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s temple.\u00c2\u00a0 Crane smiled, slowly pulled a bag out of a pocket inside his coat, then placed the bag on Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s desk.\u00c2\u00a0 He leaned back in his chair, and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Perhaps that will ease your conscience.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak made no motion to the bag.\u00c2\u00a0 He knew from the clinking that it held many large coins, and if they were Compact coins, the bag was worth over 10,000 han<\/em>.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak stood up from his throne, walked around the desk, and leaned against it facing Crane.\u00c2\u00a0 The older blond-haired man regarded him with cold gray eyes.<\/p>\n

Karak nodded to Primas, who lowered the revolver, but held it on his lap pointed at Crane.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Who are you and why are you here?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak asked quietly.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Enough games.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I have a large crate that I need to bring into the city,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Crane said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153With the war on, all incoming shipments are closely inspected.\u00c2\u00a0 And items the size of mine will attract undue attention from the Calaman customs officers.\u00c2\u00a0 My employer would like to avoid that.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been told you are someone who could help him.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t answer my first question,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I represent certain interests that would like to remain anonymous.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak snorted.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yes, I figured that one out on my own.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Then Karak walked over to the potted ficus tree standing beneath a small, barred window, the only source of sunlight in Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s basement office.\u00c2\u00a0 He inspected the soil and saw that it needed watering.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak liked the tree because it did not require a lot of light to thrive.\u00c2\u00a0 Just like him.<\/p>\n

As Karak poked the soil with a hand rake to aerate it, he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You have to see this from my perspective, Mr. Crane.\u00c2\u00a0 I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know you.\u00c2\u00a0 I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never heard of you.\u00c2\u00a0 You could be Shadarlak for all I know.\u00c2\u00a0 Why should I trust you?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Crane sighed, then closed his eyes.\u00c2\u00a0 He kept them closed and his brow furrowed as if he was growing more angry by the moment.\u00c2\u00a0 He began to mutter something under his breath, and Karak glanced at Primas, who shrugged.<\/p>\n

Then Crane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes fluttered open.\u00c2\u00a0 They were completely black.<\/p>\n

Crane turned his head to the ficus next to Karak and muttered a few words in a strange language that sounded more like grunts and whispers than words.<\/p>\n

Karak heard a moist cracking sound come from the tree.\u00c2\u00a0 The trunk had burst open, and black pus-like ooze flowed from the wound.\u00c2\u00a0 The pus climbed up the trunk as if it were alive, quickly covering the branches and green leaves.\u00c2\u00a0 The branches turned a sickly yellow, and purple veins pulsed within them.\u00c2\u00a0 The leaves twisted into red, uneven shapes, with throbbing thorns at the edges.\u00c2\u00a0 And they began to move.<\/p>\n

Karak jumped away from the tree, the hand rake up and ready to defend himself.\u00c2\u00a0 Crane laughed, and Karak saw that the man\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s eyes had returned to their icy gray.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Can a Shadarlak do that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak looked at Primas, who was still pointing his revolver at Crane, but staring wide-mouthed at the transformed tree.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Primas,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Show this man out of my tavern.\u00c2\u00a0 And don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t let him back in again.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Primas blinked as if coming out of a dream, then pointed the revolver at Crane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s head.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153You heard Mr. Frost.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Crane smiled, and then stood.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I understand this is all difficult to take in.\u00c2\u00a0 I will return tomorrow when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve had a chance to sort this out.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak tried holding back his anger, but he snarled at the Mazumdahri.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Did you hear what I said?\u00c2\u00a0 I said I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to see you again.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Crane reached into his jacket, pulled out another bag of coins and threw them on the desk next to the first bag.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are you sure, Mr. Frost?\u00c2\u00a0 Consider this compensation for your time…and your tree.\u00c2\u00a0 Keep the han<\/em>, but think about what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve told you.\u00c2\u00a0 There is more\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmuch more\u00e2\u20ac\u201dif you decide to take my job offer.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak eyed the second bag, guessing it held roughly the same as the first.\u00c2\u00a0 Twenty thousand han<\/em> just to think about a job.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak did not like the feel of this, not at all.\u00c2\u00a0 This strange witch-man had just turned his ficus into a writhing mass of…well, a writhing mass.\u00c2\u00a0 And now he gave Karak twenty thousand han<\/em> just to think about a job offer.\u00c2\u00a0 This was not right at all.<\/p>\n

But twenty thousand was more than he made in a year running this tavern.\u00c2\u00a0 And it would more than make up for the loss of his brothel.\u00c2\u00a0 If there was more where that came from for smuggling one crate…<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153All right,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll think on it.\u00c2\u00a0 But on one condition.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Crane signed.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153As if twenty thousand han<\/em> was not condition enough…\u00c2\u00a0 All right, Mr. Frost, what is your condition<\/em>.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Kill that thing.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Crane smiled.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s already dead.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Then he stood from his chair, put his gloves and hat on, and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I will return tomorrow at noon.\u00c2\u00a0 Please have an answer for me by then.\u00c2\u00a0 I will show myself out, thank you.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Crane opened the door to Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office and shut it with a quiet click.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak looked at Primas, who stared at him wide-eyed, then Karak shouted, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Castle, get in here!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Castle came lumbering in, wiping blood from his hands with a small rag.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My lord?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Come with me,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak growled.<\/p>\n

He rushed through a door at the back of his office and up the outer fire escape stairs to his second-floor apartment above the tavern.\u00c2\u00a0 He strode through the apartment, decorated in the same fashion as his basement office, and threw open the double-glass doors to the balcony above the street.\u00c2\u00a0 The air was cool and fresh compared to the nauseating stench in the basement coming from the plant Crane had bewitched.\u00c2\u00a0 Merchants along the narrow alley had already set up their wares for the day, shouting out deals and sales to passers-by, many of whom looked like they couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t afford what the merchants were selling.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak leaned on the railing of his balcony, watching the street below him.\u00c2\u00a0 Crane exited the tavern and turned left, walking at a leisurely pace.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153That man in the maroon suit,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said to Castle.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Follow him.\u00c2\u00a0 I want to know where he goes and what he does for the rest of the day.\u00c2\u00a0 Move!\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

For a large man, Castle could move rather quickly.\u00c2\u00a0 He charged out of Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s apartment and was on the street in seconds.\u00c2\u00a0 He slowed to the same pace Crane used, keeping to an unnoticeable distance.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak stared after them for minutes as Crane stopped now and then to inspect some item.\u00c2\u00a0 Castle stopped as well, picking up something from one of the street vendors and briefly haggling over the price.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak smiled.\u00c2\u00a0 Castle was not only the toughest of his lieutenants, but among the smartest.\u00c2\u00a0 A useful combination in this business.<\/p>\n

Karak walked back downstairs to his office.\u00c2\u00a0 Primas was inspecting the writhing plant\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfrom a safe distance\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich seemed to be disintegrating into a gray puddle of pulp by the moment.\u00c2\u00a0 After another minute or two, the tree was nothing more than ashes in a pot of dead soil.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153How did he do that?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Primas asked, still staring at the tree.<\/p>\n

The question echoed Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thoughts.\u00c2\u00a0 But then his eye caught the bags of han<\/em> still sitting on his desk.\u00c2\u00a0 He went to them and emptied them onto his desk blotter.\u00c2\u00a0 As he suspected, twenty thousand han<\/em> glittered back at him.\u00c2\u00a0 Just for thinking about Crane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s offer.<\/p>\n

And what<\/em> was Crane?\u00c2\u00a0 How did he…do whatever he did to the ficus?\u00c2\u00a0 Karak had seen and done many twisted things in his fifteen years among the Klahdera, but none compared to what he just witnessed.\u00c2\u00a0 If he started telling people about what he saw, his enemies in the Klahdera would use this as the excuse they needed to eliminate him.\u00c2\u00a0 He had embarrassed many of the Overlords by out-performing their groomed Gahallian prot\u00c3\u00a9g\u00c3\u00a9s.\u00c2\u00a0 They would say that Karak was a supernaturalist barbarian who could not be trusted as the Klahdera family\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Lord of Calaman,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d a highly prestigious position among the Recindia-wide Klahdera.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We tell no one of what happened here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Karak said to Primas.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you understand?\u00c2\u00a0 No one.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Primas nodded with an expression saying he would rather forget he ever saw Mr. Crane.\u00c2\u00a0 Then he looked at Karak and asked, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Do you think Crane has anything to do with the rings in the sky?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Primas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand went to the Ahura medallion beneath his shirt.\u00c2\u00a0 Though Primas was Gahallian, his family had been in one of the numerous Ahura cults that sprang up every now and then in the Gahall countryside.\u00c2\u00a0 Primas had left the cult when he was a teen and came to Calaman to earn his way.\u00c2\u00a0 Though Primas had abandoned the cult, Karak sometimes wondered if he had abandoned its beliefs.<\/p>\n

Karak laughed.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Primas.\u00c2\u00a0 And here I thought you were a good Pathist.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Strange things have happened ever since those rings appeared,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Primas said, still staring at the dead plant.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Not just the storm, but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve heard rumors that people have been found in the gutters…changed.\u00c2\u00a0 Like your tree.\u00c2\u00a0 Strange cries and moans from dark alleys, and clawed shadows reach for the unwary.\u00c2\u00a0 I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe any of it either.\u00c2\u00a0 Until now.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak sat down at his desk, staring at the gold.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We need this job, Primas.\u00c2\u00a0 After the debacle with Echol, the Overlords need one excuse to have me and<\/em> you feeding the sharks in the Gebremeden.\u00c2\u00a0 If this employer of Crane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s is willing to pay us twenty thousand han<\/em> just to think about a job, imagine what he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll pay if we take the job?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Primas still looked uncomfortable.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153My Lord, I say we forget this job.\u00c2\u00a0 Nothing good can come of it.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak sighed.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If we take this job, the money we make will strengthen Silek\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s ability to support us.\u00c2\u00a0 It will show that we can<\/em> run Calaman better than one of those snot-nosed legacy Lords the Overlords have wanted to appoint ever since we took over.\u00c2\u00a0 Mercy knows Echol\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s betrayal hurt us.\u00c2\u00a0 But if we can give the Overlords the han<\/em> we earn from Crane…well, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll see that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re still useful.\u00c2\u00a0 And the only way we survive is if we are useful.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak knew he did not need to persuade Primas to follow his wishes.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak was the Klahdera Lord of Calaman, and a simple order was enough to get Primas to do anything.\u00c2\u00a0 But Karak new that true leaders not only had the obedience of their men, but their faith.<\/p>\n

Primas met Karak\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s gaze, and declared, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I understand what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s at stake, my Lord.\u00c2\u00a0 And I will not lie to you that I have great reservations about this.\u00c2\u00a0 But as always, your will is my will.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Karak stared at Primas a moment longer, gauging the man\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strength.\u00c2\u00a0 Karak found it satisfactory, and nodded.\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u0153We will take this job that Crane has offered.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

Staring at the tree, Karak said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But Mercy knows I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like it any more than you do.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cover by TJ Lomas. I’m posting a chapter from my latest fantasy novel for free every Monday and Friday (click Zervakan above for a synopsis and to start from the beginning). It’s in a “pre-published state,” meaning you might find the occasional spelling\/grammar mistake. If you do, please leave a comment below or email me […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,28,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-free-stuff","category-novels","category-zervakan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=115"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robsteinerauthor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}