Jackal Among Snakes
chapter-71

At the top of a ridge, five horsemen stared out across the moonlit grassy fields. Their faces were wrapped in simple brown cloths, and baggy burlap concealed steel armor. The shade from a mountain behind hid them from sight. The one at the highest point of the ridge, evidently being followed by the others, was of formidable stature and had bright blue eyes. His helmet dangled from his horse’s saddle, bound by a rope.

Their eyes stayed locked on a castle. It was a simple thing—a pentagonal stone fort built atop a hill, with a simple yet spacious keep in the center. Knights roamed the ramparts, bearing torches or magic lamps even despite the abundant moonlight. It overlooked a town. The place was quite poor, most of the houses being shanty wood or packed straw.

“To think that a vassal of House Parbon lies so close to Elbraille,” their blue-eyed leader said.

“My prince, there should be no issue in passing,” one of the other horsemen spoke. “There are no night patrols, and even us royal knights can pass as mercenaries when bearing steel and burlap.”

“I know,” replied Induen, tone dismissive. “They seem… lax, don’t they?”

“The knights, prince?” one of the royal guards asked.

“Yes,” returned Induen, tone pensive. “The most they deal with is probably the average village ruffian. A peaceful existence.” Induen extended a hand out. “They watch over this dank hovel, polishing their armor and passing day by day. They might deal with minor disputes, or they might be called to war elsewhere, but here? Dreadfully boring.”

The royal knights remained silent, leaving their prince to his thoughts.

“It would be best if someone let them know they are truly at war.” Induen reached down, retrieving his helmet off his horse’s saddle. He unwrapped the cloth around his head, and then put the helmet on. “It would be better if that person were me.”

“My prince… we are only five,” one of the royal knights said concernedly.

“Rest easy,” Induen assured, voice calm. “Someone told me I should be less impulsive, and so I thought for a long while atop this ridge. Perhaps she was right. But Elbraille needs a demonstration, and my enemies need to know fear.” Induen urged his horse onwards, descending down the hill they were on. The knights followed without hesitation—such was their duty.

When they neared the village, Induen slowed their horses into a steady trot, scanning the village. He roamed without purpose, it seemed, but the footfalls upon the gray autumn grass were soundless and none of the sleeping villagers roused at their presence.

After a time of wandering, Induen brought his horse to a stop in front of a place where straw roofs were abundant. His eyes roamed for a long moment, and then he nodded. “Enter quietly. Secure all the residents the same way.”

The royal knights dismounted wordlessly, walking around the perimeter of the house. Induen watched from the outside, still on horseback, as his men signaled each other and entered simultaneously through the house’s entrances. A brief scuffle could be heard within alongside a muffled scream. Something ceramic broke within. After some time had passed, Induen came down and moved into the house.

The royal knights had the four residents of the home arrayed on the floor, muffled by sheets and clothing likely taken from the house. Two were children, and the other two were their parents. Induen stepped forward kneeling down.

“I’m going to remove your gag,” Induen said, voice passive. “Scream, I’ll butcher your children.”

He reached down and pulled the cloth out of the man’s mouth. At once, the man began begging incomprehensibly, the most common word being ‘please.’

“Stop talking,” Induen said, grabbing the man’s hair. “Answer my question. Under what circumstances do the castle gates open?”

“T-t-they open when the lord leaves, when the knights go on patrol, whenever the lord is travelling,” the man babbled frantically.

“When else?” Induen shook the man’s head. “Use this thing I’m holding.”

“To help the villagers, to put out fires, to—”

“Fire. A good idea. Enough,” Induen said, releasing the man’s head. He stood up, nodding. “You want your children to live?”

“Yes! Yes, I do!” the man shouted at once, and the woman beside him writhed, screaming blocked by her gag.

“Good.” Induen pointed to his men. “Take the children outside.” Induen kneeled again. “If you want your children to live… once this place sets aflame, scream for help. Scream like your life depends on it. But mention me or my men, I’ll kill your children myself. Understood?”

The man started crying, but he nodded frantically. “Don’t kill them. Don’t. Please. I beg of you!”

Induen came to his feet. “Then do as I say.”

With the children in tow, the royal knights left the building alongside Induen, mounting their horses once more. The prince held his hand out and a spell matrix swirled in the air. After a second, a geyser of flame erupted forth, immediately consuming the entire home and some of the ones closest to it. Their horses, not expecting such a sudden appearance of fire, reared and rushed away without the consent of their riders. Induen surrendered himself to where the horse led him, and before long they were far from the village.

Induen raised his hand and a bit of green light burst from his hand like a firework. The scattered light drifted down like green embers, and as they fell, they gave the animals a sudden and profound serenity. Behind them, the flames started to spread out of control, the straw a natural accelerant and the wood a tremendous source of fuel. It was not long before the corner of the village was consumed in flames. People rushed out of their homes, burning and screaming. Loudest were the screams of the house they’d left.

The royal knights were somewhat uneased by the display of wanton arson, but Induen remained calm with his breathing steady beneath his helmet.

“They… they opened the gate, prince Induen.” One of the royal knights pointed. True to his observation, the gate had opened, and a great many riders rushed out.

“Release those two, then,” Induen gestured towards the children, who kicked and screamed. “Such a big fire. They’ll need all of their mages to quell this…”

As though prophesied by his words, some of the riders came to the flames and began casting water magic. It brought a smile to Induen’s face beneath his helmet, and he urged his horse onwards after leaving behind a simple directive for his escort.

“Circle around opposite me. Kill the mages. Once done, wait for me. We’ll head for the castle.”

Induen led the charge back towards the village. Their calmed horses showed no fear towards the flames. The riders from the castle, spellcaster or no, were too distracted by the fires to see others bearing a different uniform weaving in their ranks. Induen drew his sword, rushing past a few mounted knights to stab a spellcaster in the chest. The man was pushed back, caught on his stirrup, and Induen pulled free his blade cleanly. The enchanted blade left a cauterized wound.

Though a great many knights saw what occurred and attempted to intercept Induen, the prince merely raised his hand and conjured another geyser of flame. He waved his hand as the spell hurtled forth, creating a cone of fire. What few of the castle’s knights not hit by the spell had difficulty controlling their horses, and Induen continued unperturbed.

When Induen reached the second lightly armored spellcaster, the woman had already been alerted to his presence. As Induen approached, she held her hand out and conjured a spell. At once, spears of ice hurtled up from the ground forming a makeshift barricade of pikes. The horse could not cease its charge, and Induen abandoned it, jumping into the air. It impaled itself on the ice, and Induen landed nimbly on the other side.

The woman cast lightning magic at Induen, but it slipped off his enchanted armor. The prince rushed forth, stabbing towards her gut. Though the spellcaster conjured a ward, it broke when met with the enchanted blade. Induen pierced her stomach and she cried out painfully. He grabbed her arm and mercilessly pulled her from horseback, dispatching her with a stomp to the neck. Without a moment’s pause for breath, he remounted and calmed the horse with a spell. He led the animal around the growing flames, where ahead his royal knights had cleared a path for themselves.

When Induen sped past them out of the village and into the open plains, the royal knights disengaged, following after him. Induen looked back, watching for more traces of magic, but the royal knights were brutally effective killers and Induen did not watch for long.

They sped across the plains, the knights of the castle torn between dealing with the flames and dealing with the intruders. The villagers of the unaffected portion of the town emerged from the homes, trying to aid with quelling the flame using dirt and water to little effect.

Induen and the royal knights entered the castle’s open portcullis, the gateman evidently unprepared to shut the gate. Ahead of them, a set of wide stairs led to the main keep. Induen dismounted, and then yelled out to the knights.

“One of you, go up the walls and find the mechanism for the gate. Make sure it remains open. The rest of you, stop the pursuers from entering.”

Leaving with those words, Induen left the horse there and ascended up the stairs leading to the keep. Ahead, two men worked to shut the massive wooden doors of the keep, but Induen stepped forward and pushed them away. They scattered to the ground, and Induen made short work of them with two simple stabs. They were left with smoldering holes in their chests.

Induen proceeded into the keep, trampling on the velvet carpet without much care. Blood still dripped from his blade for a time. Three knights rushed down the stairs ahead, each bearing a metal kite shield with a dog on the front and a simple broadsword. They jogged across the carpet, and then stood across Induen warily. He towered over the three of them.

The prince stepped off the carpet and knelt down, taking it in his hand. He pulled it mightily, and though it eventually tore, one of the knights did stumble. Induen tossed the velvet carpet at them and rushed forth. He grabbed the first’s shield and thrust at his visor. The man managed to pull his head aside, but Induen kicked his knees and the man stumbled. With a push, the knight was sent a great distance away.

Without pause, Induen stepped forward and stabbed the one who’d fallen earlier in the neck, dispatching him. The last knight still on both feet stepped forward and thrust. Induen swatted the blade up with the back of his gauntlet, incautious on account of his enchanted armor. He pulled his blade free of the fallen knight’s neck and stepped forward with a straight kick in one fluid motion. The metal boot clanged against the metal shield, echoing out in a deafening ring across the hall.

“Annoying,” Induen muttered. The two knights came to stand side-by-side, shields at the ready.

The prince held a hand out and sent forth a spell. A bolt of lightning struck one’s shield, and the man spasmed and fell to the floor. Induen decisively severed his head. The other backed away in fear. Induen walked forward casually, then dropped down and swept the knight’s legs. The knight fell, dropping his sword. Induen stabbed him in the visor. His struggles ceased immediately.

“That shouldn’t have been that hard.” Induen pulled free his blade, and then ascended up the stairs.

Once at the top, he was greeted by a sorry sight. The lord of the castle had not had time to put on his armor—he wore naught but gauntlets, a helmet, and boots. His weapon was a halberd. Induen could tell the halberd had been taken from a wall mount, for the thing lay littered on the floor. The lord waited in the middle of the hallway, and behind, Induen could see a decadent bed.

“This ends here!” the lord said, a middle-aged man with fiery red hair. He was probably a cadet branch of House Parbon, the prince suspected.

Induen removed his helmet with one hand and stepped forward slowly. The lord stepped forward, thrusting at Induen with considerable skill. The prince, though, side-stepped it easily, and caught the haft of the halberd in the crook of his arm. He slammed his helmet against the lord’s face, and the man released the weapon, falling back dazed.

After dropping his helmet, Induen grabbed the lord’s leg and pulled him up the hallway, the man barely offering any resistance on account of the blow to his head. Before long, Induen entered the man’s bedroom. He looked around and saw a woman cowering with a child in her arms. Induen tossed the man on the bed, and he scrambled vainly away, face bleeding.

Induen raised his blade, pointing it at the woman. “Let this be a lesson to you… this is what occurs when you oppose Induen of Vasquer,” he said harshly, emphasizing his name.

He stabbed the lord. The woman screamed, and the child cried. Induen smiled. He turned on his heel, retrieving his bloodied helmet. He put it back over his head. Only then did he pull out his blade. He walked out the door slowly. There, two of his knights came rushing up.

“My prince,” one greeted. “The pursuers chasing are all dead. The remainder are dealing with the fire. What now?”

“We leave,” Induen said. “Few nobles will forget the lesson I taught here today. None are safe, not even Parbon’s own.”