START OF BOOK 2 - SORRY ABOUT HAVING TO TAKE DOWN CHAPTERS 9-58 due to the AMAZON KINDLE UNLIMTED TRACT I DIDNT UAND. THEY WILL BE BACK UP ON MAY 8th WHEN THE TRACT EXPIRES

  Chapter 59 Politics of the Empire

  elius’ men moved out to serve as a s as we moved into the woodnds. I moved close enough to overhear elius and Konstantin talking at the rear. “…ot seriously think this failure is the fault of Castile. The Duke’s army was to attack as soon as the Bartiradia up camp outside the gates.”

  elius had a softer voice than Konstantin, and I straio hear, “That is why I was sent, as a favor, Konstantin. My three best squads of Legion Hounds are here, and Duchess Veronica has called a Ducal Tribunal so Octavian ot hand out punishment to Castile on the spot.”

  Konstantin argued, “That makes no sehe city only fell a day ago! How could a Tribunal have been called and yion Hounds be here already…” His voice had started loudly and faded at the end.

  elius firmed Konstantin’s thoughts, “The Duke’s army was never going to reach Macha until it fell into Bartiradian hands. That is why Baron Hephestus abahe city to join the army. He is in Duke Tiberious’s pocket and was aware of the pn.”

  “And Gregor and Durandus?” Konstantin asked softly, seeing the bigger picture.

  “Gregor is not well-liked but arently just a disposable pie the board. When Durandus insulted Duke Santino by not marrying his daughter and paying for her First Citizenship, he sealed his fate. Before we learned Durandus was killed, Duchess Veronica thought I would also be resg him as well.” elius walked past me as he moved toward the front of the formation.

  I moved back, pnning to talk with Konstantin, but elius spun and talked loudly as he walked, “We dispersed a gnoll camp on our trek through the woods. They should not bother roup but be o. These woods also used to be the home to a herd of taurs. No sightings i two years, but that means very little.” With his warning done, he moved off to join the s. For an old man, he moved with surprising grace.

  I was not the only one seeking expnations from Konstantin. Castile and Delmar had fallen back to walk with him. I ended up in front of the trio. Konstantin started with, “That is elius. He trains the Legion Hounds for the eastern part of the Empire. I was trained by and worked for him as a Hound.”

  Castile stated, “Why did he not have me killed immediately?”

  It was a moment before Konstantin spoke, “He is here at the dire of Duchess Veronica. I think she is a new duchess, one of the Emperor’s many great-granddaughters.”

  It was quiet for a few minutes, and as much as I wao ask a question, I remained silent. Delmar asked, “The Ducal Tribunal?”

  Castile answered him, “I am assuming the Hounds are here to protect me from Duke Octavian and Duke Tiberius until a formal Tribunal of Dukes.”

  Konstantin answered, “elious did not say where or wheribunal will be held. If I know him, though, he has a pn to exclude Octavian from the Tribunal. I’m not sure what favors this Duchess Veronica has given for his help. elious’ help is never given freely.”

  Castile hissed, “If he mao exclude Octavian from the Tribunal, I will give him my firstborn.”

  Delmar asked quietly, “So we are just going to go along with this?”

  Konstantin answered in a casual tone, “If we attack the Legion Hounds, the Emperor will seimes this number after us. It is best to follow politely. Besides, almost everyone is injured.” Adrian was meandering back to the group now. He was also in obvious pain, his arm still in a sling and walking on a broken ankle. We were not moving slowly, so you had to admire his pain tolerance.

  Castile sounded angry, “They could have given us a few simple healing potions, at least.”

  Konstantin barked a loud ugh that had a few heads turn. He said versationally, “I was a Hound at one point in my service to the Emperor. You never make your quarry stronger. Rest assured, they will get us to our destination even if they o put their lives on the line.”

  Castile moved past me with Delmar. Adrian hobbled behind them. It gave me a ce to walk with Konstantin. He opehe versation, “You look to be in fair dition, Eryk.”

  I went with Castile’s expnation for my healing, “Castile gave me a simple healing potion to hold for her. I was supposed to use it on her if she was incapacitated.”

  “Did she now? And you used it on yourself?” Konstantin remarked with some skepticism in his voice.

  “Yes, after my tumble dowairs,” I responded smoothly. I tried to turn the versation, “What is a Ducal Tribunal?”

  Konstantin grunted, “There are sixteen Dukes who trol the sixteen provinces outside of the Imperial Province, which is the Emperor’s Seat. The Dukes are the higher w, and three of them sit in judgment of any mage or First Citizen. The three members of a Ducal Tribunal are assigned by the Emperor himself. Whatever game Duchess Veronica is pying at, it is dangerous. She is in charge of the Sobral Provihe and smallest provin the Empire. If I remember correctly, it has a modest city on a river, and that is it.”

  “Is the Duchess an ally of Castile?” I asked.

  “Not that I am aware of. But if she is opposing Octavian, then there will be a reprisal for her a,” Konstantin mulled. He then looked at me, “The politics of the Empire are more deadly than the Bartiradian Army. My advice to you is to stay as far aossible.”

  We walked for a while. I asked, “Why does Castile not flee the Empire?”

  Konstantin grunted and poi the men making their way around us in the woods, “The Hounds will always find you.”

  “How did you bee a Hound?” I asked, watg the men flitter among the trees.

  “Ied are we?” He chuckled. “Well, two things are needed. You o plete legionary training, and you have to have a useful spell form.”

  “So I qualify?” I asked him. We were approag a clearing ahead, and Konstantin’s eyes were on it.

  “I suppose you do,” he said, distracted. “It is not as plush as you think it is. The Hounds track dows, mages, men, and sometimes children. They are the attack dogs of the Emperor. This,” he motioo our escort, “is out of character for them, and I am curious how Duchess Veronica sent the best of them to secure Castile.”

  We ehe clearing, and it looked like a campsite. There were two small shelters, and inside, foul-smelling bodies covered in fur and blood. I walked with Konstantin for a closer look. “These are gnolls. Do you have them in Tsinga?”

  “We do, but I have never seen one before,” I replied, iing the dead creatures. They had arrow wounds, throats were slit, bellies were cut open, arails pulled out. They were vaguely humanoid but definitely most beast-like, hyena men.

  Konstantin looked into the other shelter and grunted before walking on. I looked inside as well. Puppies…no, baby gnolls all ruthlessly sughtered. I moved to catch up with Konstantin. He waved his hand back, “That is what the Legion Hounds do best. I am sure if they were not tasked with bringing in Castile, they would have tracked down the rest of the pack. Gnolls are a sce.”

  “Is that what you did? Hunted monsters?” I asked him. Brutus had moved beside us to listen.

  “No, I was the monster. I hunted mostly soldiers for deserting their posts. Some legionaries for failing to do their duty. And a few regur men as well. Highwaymen and other criminals. If a Hound is ing for you, the trial is already over,” he said hollowly.

  Brutus asked, “Why did you leave?”

  Konstantin smirked, “I didn’t. I was recruited into the service of someone else. There are not many ways to leave the Hounds.” He poi elious far ahead, “To leave, you o be reassigned by your ander or plete your tenured service. Someoiated with elious on my behalf.”

  The sound of bow shots from deep to the right sounded, and everyone paused to listen. Konstantin unshouldered his bow a into the woods. We all waited for ten minutes before Konstantiurned. roup was moving again, but Konstantin was at the front talking with Castile. Word assed back that the Hounds had entered a giant spider and dispatched it.

  Mateo joined Brutus and I. We broke out some ed rations. Mateo had gotten all of his soaked wheripped in the reservoir. I gave him one of my meals from Fvius’ pack. As we fihe meal, we reached another clearing. This time, it was a wide, packed dirt road biseg the forest.

  elius was talking with Castile, and soon, we were walking down the road. The pace had increased, and Adrian was grunting with every step to keep pace. The forest finally faded into open fields of wheat. It was te evening, and a dozen men came charging toward us on the road, their horses raising a cloud of dust behind them.

  We had remai roup’s rear and could not hear the exge with the riders wearing the army’s regur uniform. It did not matter as the riders rode away ba the dire they came from after a quick exge. Delmar turo us, “Legionnaires! Form ranks four abreast at the front!”

  We scrambled to obey, and in a few heartbeats, we had a four-by-five bloen. Castile, Delmar, and Adrian walked into the front as we began a march. I was i row, and soon, all twenty of us had synched our steps as we tinued down the road. We passed by a few fields, and a ly arraent city appeared over a small hill. Mounted sentries were on top of the surrounding hills.

  The tent city was still being formed as they must have retly stopped here for the quickly approag night. The tent city had fttened a farmer’s wheat field, but I doubted the farmer had pined. We held our s high and walked through the soldiers, getting people to pause and stare. A few rger tents were flying a mage fg above them and surrounded by other men in legion armor. ion Hound escort evaporated into the tent city, leaving us to march aloheir duty to deliver us over.

  The rows of tents seemed to go on forever as we marched deeper into the encampment. We finally reached the ter of the camp. A rge white tent was erected here. Delmar ordered us to halt and wait at attention. I had not expected to wait long.

  I was wrong. The sun had set, and we remai attention in the humid early night. I wao ask a question or even just get a drink but was too afraid to be the first person to do so. And that was how we remaihroughout the night, statues outside the a as the Duke’s army tiheir business.

  The rich blue moon lit the camp, and we soon fought to keep our eyes open. I felt pity for the injured men, especially Adrian, who shifted ever so slowly at the front of our blo his broken ankle.

  We were all still standing when the hint of dawed the sky. Some of us had swayed during the night, somehow finding the ability to sleep while standing for short periods. But none of us fell. The a fp suddenly flew back, and a man in a General’s dress exited the tent. He walked past us, not saying a word. Shortly after, another maed the tent. He was tall with sharp features in the low light and hard jet-bck hair. He had on legionnaire armor, only it was not leather but steel. He looked at all of us heavy on our feet, smiled ruefully, and announced, “Castile, so good to see you again. You look well. Why don’t you e in so we talk.” I immediately did not like the man; he just had that air about him.

  Castile stumbled on her first step befaining her bance. She told Delmar, “Get everyoo the legion healers.” And then she was gone io front Duke Octavian.

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