Sergun's Mission Page 17

  The column of men and Galls left Northtown before dawn the riders proudly flying the banners of Tharne. A third were cavalry while the remainder were mounted infantry and engineers. Supply wagons formed the rear with scouts ahead in several directions. Sergun rode at the head with Kall and felt confident with such a force of men with him. The location of the marsh where Thos Eren’s body lay was only six days from Northtown. He hoped no one else was determined to find the ring or interfere with their advance. Though they were entering Raider lands they rarely approached so far south in large numbers as there wasn’t enough game to sustain them. It would need a much larger force of Raiders to threaten them. He thought the prospect unlikely. Accompanying the men and Galls were also a select number of black-clad horsemen. All looked pristine and wore the emblem of Tharne. They rode at the back of the troops and were well armed with handguns, swords, and spears. Their uniform colour was unknown to Sergun. Kall explained such men were few in number but were the new elite troops normally guarding high ranking officers.

  Looking back towards Northtown, Sergun wondered how many more times he’d leave his lands behind in service of the government. He’d written a letter to his wife but there was no time to visit her. In protecting Tharne he was ensuring the safety of his people in the future. Weakness from his state would only be rewarded with attacks. No more would be asked of him if they found the mysterious oracle. Could he trust the Minister not to send him on yet another errand? He hoped so. He served in the military for near twenty years the first time.

  ‘This is more like it my friend after this mission let’s hope an army of a hundred thousand marches on the Keratha and puts them to our swords, arrows, and guns,’ Kall said.

  ‘You want us to fight everyone on the world.’

  ‘Securing peace for our people, Treaties are made for breaking. Paper rules for paper gods. Steel rules the battlefield and decides our future.’

  ‘Spoken like a general.’

  Kall smiled proudly. ‘I want our lands to be safe. No point having an army sitting in their barracks all day!’

  The scouts reported nothing unusual in the forests ahead and they passed safely through before midday. Midway through the afternoon they came to a plain with good visibility. The ground was damp and there was no dust to show their presence. They camped before darkness and set up defensive positions on all sides. They lit many fires, posted guards and sent out scouts.

  Sergun felt safer than on the first journey across the Raiders’ lands. The spirit among the troops was one of excitement. They hadn’t moved in force beyond their borders before in such numbers since the last war. Sergun knew most of the men were not veterans of combat but many of their NCOs were and he was confident in them.

  He shared a tent with Kall and was used to his company now. Grer joined them for an evening drink. ‘Have you heard of the oracle before?’ Sergun asked.

  ‘No.’

  ‘I’m told it’s something that aided us long ago.’

  ‘I’m curious to find out what but it’s just fun to be with you again.’

  ‘I feel safe and happy to have you with us.’

  ‘We’ll stay with you until you return home. You lead us to exciting places and the safety of you is important to me.’

  ‘As is yours to me. It’s excellent for old friends to be reunited like this.’

  They had two drinks of Sah wine and walked around the perimeter before sleeping. The guards were alert and all were excited to be moving north into enemy lands. The scouts returned and no one was missing during the morning count. They encountered distant riders two days later but were unable to catch them. The next day they came to the swamp where they killed Thos Eren. Engineers part drained the pool, and by the following day had located his remains and retrieved the treasure.

  Jannesse was joyous at the safe retrieval of the ring. Once washed it was an intricate gold ring with a large dull red jewel. ‘I had to be here, Lord Chromosol’s son was so excited to have found it. In honour of his memory, we’ll fulfill our destiny.’

  ‘Are you sure it has special qualities?’ Said Sergun.

  ‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘Only one special quality and it’ll lead us to the oracle.’

  She appeared deep in thought.

  ‘Which direction shall we go then my lady?’

  ‘Southwest.’

  ‘I’ll keep the ring for now,’ said Sergun. ‘ Let’s see if it’s working and find the secret then.’

  ‘Yes, for the sake of our future and so the lives of your men and Thear were not wasted. It’ll be exciting to find it.’

  ‘I thought you might have had enough excitement recently?’ Sergun suggested.

  ‘Not yet, I get bored easily. Though not so bored I ever want to get captured again!’

  Sergun kept the ring on his finger and rode up to Kall. His friend was in a good mood, smiling more than previously. ‘This is the life, being in the army and riding with many fine troops.’

  ‘It’s comforting,’ Sergun admitted.

  ‘I didn’t suspect I’d be coming back here,’ Kall said.

  ‘Nor me.’

  ‘What is it we’re looking for now?’

  ‘It’s a secret, don’t ask.’

  ‘Will wine loosen your lips?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Decent food perhaps?’

  ‘No, but the officer’s cook is good.’

  ‘Better than biscuits!’

  ‘Indeed, is this going to be another long expedition across the world?’

  ‘I hope not. Mysteries aren’t my ideal mission.’

  ‘At least we move south again, closer to home. This mission won’t take us as far north as we were. If there’s to be trouble they’ll come to us.’ Sergun said confidently.

  ‘We’ll crush them this time. We’ve got four hundred archers and I’d like to see the Raiders get through our storm of arrows.’

  The journey ended with them coming to virgin forest. A hundred men and Galls accompanied Sergun deeper into the forest in the direction the orb gave. Jannesse was forced to remain with the main party as Sergun would not be held responsible for her being captured again if enemies lurked in the forest. Grer was confident no one had been through the area recently. After a day and a half of laborious movement, they came to a lake. The orb shone brightly at the water’s edge. Sergun viewed the area with caution. Swamp lions and whipmen both liked water. They would need to get engineers to build boats and perhaps dam up part of the lake and drain it. Guards were posted around the perimeter and helped to cut down trees around the lake shore. They sent men back to tell their troops to build a good camp and cut a better path through the forest to their position. Speed was important.

  Sergun took his turn to help chop down trees. It was hard going as the trunks were several times thicker than a man’s body. There was a yell from the lakefront and he turned to witness the head of a swamp lion close to the shore. The wide head held a nasty set of teeth and a jaw easily capable of ripping a man’s arm or leg off. The soldier retreated from the shore and held a spear in front of him.

  Swamp lions hunted both individually and in packs. A single one wasn’t likely to attack a party of people but a pack had several times killed many people. The areas in Tharne where they still were dangerous were well known and found mainly in the deserted border areas of the north.

  It was dark by the time more soldiers appeared. Many fires were lit and a perimeter established. Whipmen were notorious creatures for the silent approach at night. The thought of limbs being torn off or being eaten made Sergun shudder.

  He was woken from his sleep by axes and saws at work. He was upset at being disturbed but realised the engineers were right, and the sooner they recovered the oracle the better and if it meant working at night so be it. When he got back to Northtown he would have a good sleep.

  Daylight showed better the progress made by the relentless work of the engineers and soldiers. Via boats they made they sunk nets around the part of the
lake where the orb shone the most to keep out any dangerous creatures. The explosions Sergun heard during the night were from small explosives dropped into the water to kill off anything close by as the engineers did not want to swim in a threatening lake at night and risk being attacked or eaten.

  Jannesse was at the camp in the morning. She looked bright and cheerful. She told Sergun that Kall agreed she would be safer at the site of the orb. She reminded him of Yurul in her hair and age. But while Yurul was sweet innocence, Jannesse struck him as experienced and dangerous. She was trouble and petulant. ‘I hear progress has been made.’ She said, brushing her hair back from her face.

  ‘Yes, but enemy scouts spotted us several days ago. We don’t know how many they will send against us. Good haste my lady otherwise we may not live to see our homes again,’ Sergun said. ‘I’m not sure anywhere outside Tharne is truly safe.’

  ‘I understand. From my experiences of other lands I long to be home as well. Not one minute longer away from home than is necessary, but we must retrieve the oracle. It’s our goal here. The oracle is a precious artefact and may be very valuable. You will be even more famous than before if you help find this!’

  Sergun no longer wanted to be famous. He was settled into his home life. He nodded and continued to oversee the work and talk with the commanders. A mission to locate an ancient artefact wasn’t one he had led before. As a commander, it was his goal to achieve the mission with as little loss of life as possible. He warned Jannesse not to step near the boundaries of the camp because of wild creatures.

  29. The Ancient Artefact

  Thirty members of the Minister’s elite personal guard were detailed with the expedition. The Captain of the elite unit was taller than Sergun and powerfully built. All of the Minister’s guards wore black uniforms from their boots to their helmets. The Captain was handsome with a tanned face but a cold expression. ‘Only yourself and Jannesse are permitted to come close. Absolutely no-one else.’

  The elite soldiers did not mix with the rest of the men and were viewed with a mixture of dislike and lack of trust. They certainly looked tough. Sergun wondered how well they would fair against the enemy.

  The guards erected a tent around the dig and no one was permitted within fifty metres. ‘Captain if we’re under attack will your troops form up at the wall with the others?’ Sergun asked.

  ‘Our priority is the oracle sir. If we’re unable to save it then we’re instructed to ensure it does not fall into enemy hands. Once the aim is achieved we’ll assist the rest of the troops in any way possible.’

  Sergun reluctantly accepted the Captain’s word but wasn’t used to having men or Galls who were not under his control. Did the oracle really exist? Hunters and explorers sometimes found artefacts and uncovered treasure but he was sure many failed and no one heard of them. He wondered which this was to be. In ancient myths, there was the talk of flying machines, lightning which struck from them and magicians who could uproot trees, destroy buildings with their command and even level mountains. No such actions had been witnessed in Sergun’s lifetime by anyone reliable.

  He walked around the barricade talking to the men and Galls. Distant clouds were not blowing their way and there were no reports of enemy scouts. He hoped their target was found before the enemy arrived in any number. Being trapped in the forest near the lake with only one good route out wasn’t attractive.

  It took them a further day to dig the oracle out. The men were in good spirits and there were many rumours as to the nature of their mission. Natural curiosity, some saying it was a great treasure, others that it would be a beautiful goddess who would grant their desires. Sergun grinned at the idea of a beautiful woman being hidden in the swamp for so long. That would be a miracle he’d love to see. The smell of sweat, wood burning, and cooking meat mingled in the air. Sergun disliked not being honest with the men. He understood the reasons for such duplicity but wished he could be truthful. It would be good to establish a base nearby. The government wanted the oracle but did not want to expand their territory too far.

  Sergun entered the tent which covered the site of the dig. It was approaching dusk outside and lanterns were present. ‘How’s progress, Captain?’

  ‘We’ve uncovered the artefact, and are being careful not to damage it. It’s perhaps priceless and we must be patient.’

  ‘There have been enemy scouts sighted twice in the last day. It’s dangerous and the sooner we leave the safer for us all.’ Sergun said.

  ‘Sir, I understand and wish for us all to return to Tharne with both the artefact and our lives. Our engineers will be working through the whole night until it is uncovered and safe.’

  Not wholly satisfied Sergun watched the engineers carefully digging in the poor light. He wondered if perhaps what was beneath had been buried for a good reason. Perhaps it was dangerous and was hidden so no one could be threatened? They would likely find out by the next day. He wasn’t sure who the scouts were working for. He thought it could only be the City of Dreams or Raiders. The sooner they left the area and arrived back at Northtown the better.

  Sergun approached the tent in the morning. Jannesse was in good spirits and bobbed from one foot to the other. It was humid within the tent and sounded like the work was completed. ‘General, I would like you to meet the oracle.’

  A person didn’t normally meet an object. Perhaps it was a slip of her tongue. There was a look of triumphalism on her face. ‘You are sworn to secrecy.’

  He nodded.

  ‘The Captain of the guard knows what this is but no one but you and me outside of the security team can be permitted this knowledge. At least not now. Follow me.’

  She led him into the inner tent, past two black-clad armed guards who saluted. Torches provided illumination. Inside the inner tent stood the Captain of the guard and two men. Jannesse spoke softly but firmly and said, ‘Captain, please leave us for a while. I’ve words to say in private.’

  The Captain nodded and led the two guards out of the tent. In front of Sergun was a series of wooden slats forming a platform with steps up. What lay on the table was hidden by cloth. Jannesse walked up the steps and pulled back the material. Sergun followed. On the platform was a table with a pristine black box large enough to contain a dozen bottles. The box shone slightly as if it was polished but he looked around for the oracle. The treasure could not be very large.

  ‘Oracle, present are myself and General Sergun Arash. He rescued me from slavery, helped find the orb and led an army to recover you.’

  ‘Greetings General Sergun. Thank you for all you have done. I am the oracle and the sooner we leave this place the better it is for all of us.’

  The voice appeared to be coming from the box. Sergun hesitated, unused to speaking to any creature except for his horse, dog or people. He looked around. He felt puzzled but unafraid. ‘Why’s it better we leave soon?’

  ‘I can see beyond this place and to the north of the forest, and there are thousands of men on horseback approaching. They look to be twenty kilometres distant.’

  ‘Jannesse, how soon can we leave this place and move back to our main forces?’

  ‘The oracle is secure, we can leave now.’

  ‘None of us will be secure until we get back to Northtown,’ Sergun replied.

  ‘Oracle, how long did you lie in this swamp?’

  ‘For three hundred and five years, one hundred and three days.’

  Sergun frowned and shuddered at such a length of time. It was several times the span of a man’s whole life. ‘What manner of creature are you? From another realm?’

  ‘I am alive but I’m not a man. This box you see protects me and allows me to communicate in ways beyond speech. I’m from the same world as you.’

  ‘Are you a demon creature from beyond?’

  Jannesse snorted. Sergun glared at her.

  ‘Sergun I’m alive but no demon. I’ll assist you and only ask for my safety in return. Look at me now and I will show you a map of where we
lie.’

  Sergun watched in astonishment as if the outside of the box was liquid and someone was painting a picture at a furiously fast pace. He understood it was a map of the area in greater detail than he’d seen before. A red dot signified their position in the swamp. The map moved down and to the left and the Tharne forces were visible. Sergun could not understand how it was possible. Only a bird could have such height. The view moved further north across the plains until a large herd of beasts appeared with riders. Such detail was better than a scout and quicker. He was curious how the oracle could display such information but to travel back to Northtown as quickly as possible was their current aim. With so many enemies approaching unnecessary talk would waste lives.

  Sergun said, ‘Oracle we’ll depart quickly.’

  They stepped from the raised platform and Jannesse said, ‘impressive isn’t it? It knows much and can help our kingdom greatly.

  ‘Very useful,’ he agreed. ‘Can you arrange with the Captain for us to depart back to the main camp as a matter of urgency. I think he trusts you more than me.’

  Jannesse smiled and walked towards the Captain. Sergun stepped back up to the oracle’s platform and said, ‘oracle, we’ll leave soon, is there anything else you can do to help us now?’

  ‘I can do little from here. You’re a warrior of your people?’

  He agreed he was.

  ‘Your level of knowledge I’m not sure of. Will you write down what I will show on the box.’