Cry Havoc, and Let Slip the Dogs of War

Unending BE - episode 3122

"Yeah, I can get you into the Palace," Joab was saying, "but if you want to see the Emperor, is it wise to sneak into his throne room?"
"I feel more confident explaining to the Emperor once we're inside, than trying to explain to the guards while we're still outside." Cabron explained.
"All right, I get it. Let's go."
It was nearing dusk as the five of them approached the Imperial Palace. Watchfires without number illuminated the Palace, making the marble gleam as it did under sunlight.
"What do we hope to find in the home of king-man?" Absalom asked, not taking his eyes off the Palace.
"Well," Jim started, "the plan is to tell the Emperor what is going on, and ask for military help."
"Good luck, Sky Man," Absalom said.
"Sky man?" Jim asked.
"You not from here, you from sky."
"Joab," Cabron started, "where do we get in?"
"There's a tunnel under the wall on the west side," Joab answered.
"Let's go," Deanna ordered.
"Um, Cabron, once we get inside, it will be very light. No shadows. We can sneak in, but we can't sneak around inside,"Joab stated.
"Hmmm...,"Cabron thought for a moment, looking at Absalom,"...can you look more like a traditional wizard, and less like an Earth Man?"
"I thought you might ask, so I bring pointy wizardy hat for disguise, I not talk, either."
"Good idea, we want to look foreign, but if we act too foreign we may get arrested. Lord Jim can pass for a Knight, Lady Deanna will be our scholar, and I should do well as a ranger."
"What about me?" Joab asked.
"You'll be yourself," Cabron answered him, "a grungy urchin who led us through the city."
"Lord Cabron, you really know how to hit a guy," Joab bantered.
Everything went according to plan, they found the tunnel, and after crawling through it, walked through the Palace courts like a traveling entourage. The plan didn't last long, though.
"Alarm! Alarm! All guards to the Throne Room, quickly!" shouted a sentinel from the tower.
"What the...." Joab asked as every guard in the Palace raced to the Throne Room proper. There was much confusin and noise as swords leapt from scabbards and mailed feet ran on stones.
"Let's go, this could be serious," Cabron ordered. The five of them ran with the last of the guards into the Throne Room, where they saw the Emperor, resplendent in his robes of state, holding audience with a tall figure robed in black.
"Dek...!" Deanna shouted in alarm.
"Quiet!" Cabron hissed, covering her mouth. "Don't give us away to him."
And so the small party got a look a Dekalamon. He was covered head to toe in black robes, very intimidating, one could only assume he stood six foot four easily. "What do you say, Emperor?" he was asking.
The figure on the throne was equally impressive. Emperor Dal Rearden XXVI lived up to his ancestors. The Rearden family forged the Empire nearly 2000 years ago, banding together nearly twenty warring clans into one nobility, the combined power of which covered the entire continent. After 2000 years the fact that there were once completely separate clans faded, now many saw that they were merely separate noble families. Dal Rearden was the culmination of the fifth Rearden dynasty. His grey-shot beard belied his age, but no one doubted his strength, always riding at the head of his army, still full of vigor and increasing wisdom. Now he faced evil. Normally he fought with honor, to win. Now, he felt he must fight like an animal, to survive.
"You will surrender twenty-five virgins of noble birth to me, as well as ten thousand gold crowns, before the end of the week," Dekalamon said.
"You must be joking," Dal Rearden said.
"I do not joke. You will fulfill my demands, or great suffering will come on your land."
"You will leave my audience chamber or I will throw you out," the Emperor countered.
Dekalamon disappeared for a moment, then reappeared right in the Emperor's face, "You would not be able. You will give me your answer in ten minutes." He then disappeared.
"Your majesty, what do we do?" one official asked.
"That is no wizard, that is a demon." another stated.
"But a demon wouldn't ask for gold, would he?" someone asked.
"Your Majesty, the soverignity of the Empire cannot be compromised," one advisor said, "you must refuse him and fight."
"I intend to," Dal Rearden said.
"But how do you contend with a daemon?" a jittery guard asked.
"He is not a demon," Cabron spoke up, "he is a wizard. A very powerful wizard. A very wise, and cunning wizard. A very...human wizard. He is immune to age. For 3000 years I have watched him. He is not immune to steel."
"3000 years?" Dal Rearden asked. "It is not possible, that would mean you outdate the Empire. Who are you?"
"I am Count Cabron, a nobleman of the Northlands during the Old Monarchy. I am a ghost, a myth, a man ruined by Dekalamon.....a man going to repay Dekalamon. I and my party have witnessed firsthand the ruin he has brought on the Northlands. The wizard, Absalom, goes with me to contend with him. The thief, Joab, has pledged his aid. The knight you see with me, Lord Jim, is an avatar from the gods to help us win. We can defeat him. We will defeat him. We ask for your help."
"A most diverse party, Count. But your speech is unneccesary. Anyone who threatens the Empire will face the Empire's wrath."
"Don't let the Count mislead you, Your Imperial Majesty," said Dekalamon's voice from out of nowhere, "it would be safer to annoy a wolverine than to trifle with me, my bite is more painful." A black mist coalesced into the form of Dekalamon right beside Cabron, in front of the Emperor. "Will you accept my demands?"
"And do not let your confidence mislead you, wizard," Dal Rearden said, rising from his throne, "it would be safer to play with a hornet's nest than to threaten the Empire. We are more numerous, and our stingers are larger. I do not accept your demands, now leave."
"So be it, Rearden." Dekalamon glanced over at Cabron, who was studying him, "And you, washed up, finished, what do you want?"
"A rematch," Cabron said simply.
"Very well. You've all made your choice. If you want a war, I will be happy to oblige. You may want to pray to Lord Abbadon to make himself ready. The carnage will be historic. I leave you to make your preparations, and I leave you with a demonstration of my power." Dekalamon then left in his cloud of black mist.
"What demonstration?" Joab asked.
He was soon answered. One of the torches on the wall started to burn black flames, and a bolt of darkness leapt from it and struck Dal Rearden. Nothing seemed to happen at first, but then everyone noticed that he was growing shorter, his grey hair was lightening and lengthening, his waist was narrowing, his chest was expanding. It was not long until the Emperor was fully transformed into a buxom, twenty year old wench, with royal robes hanging off her.
"Your Imperial Majesty," Cabron said.
The new Empress looked herself over. The confusion in her eyes soon turned to anger and determination, the same emotions that blazed in Deanna. "That does it," she said. "Surely the Empire will help us now."
"Convene the military council," the Empress said, "and send word throughout the Empire, a war is on. Everyone who swings a sword, casts a spell, or even cares to come along will be paid to join the campaign. And send in healers to see if this can be reversed," she said finally.
"I go with him," said Absalom.
"Well, Lord Jim, it appears as though we have an army with us," Deanna observed.
"Maybe we can win after all," Jim conceded. "Lord Jim, it won't be long now," Cabron said, joining them at the back of the audience chamber, "one week at the most, and the Imperial Legions will march north."
"So what now, Cabron?" Joab asked.
"We wait for the Emperor to move, and we move with him, unless you have something else in mind?"

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Jimbo Shakespeare, Will's brother

Sun Jul 26 15:46:01 1998