Rise Of Myth: Heir To Valor

Nearly two hours into the luncheon, many of the guests began to politely take their leave or otherwise slip out unnoticed. Some guests were already unaccounted for, having retired to private rooms for discussion.

Val had observed stoically as Harken said enough for a hundred. Even just watching him ingratiate himself among the nobles gave Val a slight touch of fatigue. As Harken predicted, few paid much attention to him beyond the unpleasant lord of the Kaltwazer house. Knowing they still had an entire night of banquets, high society entertainment, and even a dance caused Val to grow restless. Aside from the formal wear, the absent weight of Tyrfing on his back caused him further discomfort.

A pleasant and impossibly energized man in an ironically white suite strolled over, speaking in a low voice. "So, about what you expected?"

"Yeah, over the last couple of hours, I've felt my debt to you fading by the minute."

Harken chuckled. "It's not so bad every now and then. But your mood seems more than simply bored."

"Mm... What do you know about House Kaltwazer?"

Harken turned to look at Val with a curious expression. "Hmm. Fairly average house, not much by way of accolades. They have more or less gotten by just maintaining their position. A tragic couple of deaths in their family a few weeks ago, I heard. Young Kaltwazer was thrown into the position of head of household, and I understand he often looks like he's drowning in his duties. Nothing too unusual, I would not be surprised if it was a ploy by a rival house, Middenweald perhaps."

"He does not seem thrilled about answering the Elves' call."

"That is true, in fact, he's one of the most prominent in at least that regard. Spineless coward, if you ask me, spent most of his time here trying to dampen the urgency of the summons."

Val wore a brooding look. "Yeah, not entirely sure, but there's something not right about him."

"Specifically?"

"Well... We must be almost a thousand miles from the nearest coast, and unless there's a cologne here titled 'Stale Ocean Spray,' this Kaltwazer guy reeks of the same smell as the Draug soldiers I fought. Saltwater, sulfur, and dead fish... He looks entirely human, though, no clouded eyes, and his hands were warm enough."

Harken's smile straightened slightly. "...Really? I can understand your mood now. His house controls lands further west of here, but they have no part in any fishing business, a few mines, and otherwise farming villages. It may be nothing, but it's little trouble to dig up some information on his recent activities. The houses all spy on each other, and many of them owe me favors."

"Can you? If nothing else, maybe some dirt to shut him up."

"My thoughts, as well. Anyway, we should get going. It's barely a few hours until we are expected at the castle for the banquet—"

Val's face brightened slightly. "Great, I'll head back to the embassy, get out of these clothes for a bit, and finish my daily practice."

Harken's smile returned, a mischievous look in his eyes. "Actually... We have been invited to meet with Duke Aurmayne. He insisted I bring you along, he's quite excited to meet you. In fact, he's nearly sick to his stomach with envy over your experience fighting the Draug."

Val's relief immediately vanished from his face. "This... Would be the very same Duke who is our strongest ally...? General commanding around a tenth of the Aurulian armies?"

"The very same, with him alone on our side, unless the Emperor outright prohibits involvement, we can probably leave with eighty thousand pledged to our cause. Many houses would happily hop on his wagon."

Val g.r.o.a.n.e.d."Sigh... Fine..."

Following Harken out to their coach, Val resigned himself to another bumpy ride across the city. Surprisingly, after a short time, they were riding out of one of the gates. After nearly half an hour, they caught up to a couple of other carriages, following them in a sort of convoy procession. Eventually, they came upon another large estate that looked like a small, wealthy town in and of itself. Golden fields of wheat and rich farmlands surrounded the town, with a large mansion in the center.

"This is the place?" Val asked as he peered around. People were walking around, busying themselves with work. While they definitely looked like laborers and not nobles, they all looked strong and healthy. There were no signs of poverty anywhere.

Harken nodded. "Indeed, the Aurmayne family and their vassals primarily reside here."

"No castle?"

"Believe me, the mansion is a stronghold in its own right. Only the Emperor is allowed castle fortifications."

"Right, always gotta watch out for rebellion, huh?"

As they approached the mansion, Val began to notice the guards patrolling the grounds. Curiously, there were no religious motifs or adornments anywhere, not even a church. The guards all appeared well equipped and disciplined, marching with their heads held high. The mansion itself was enormous, and Val began to understand what Harken meant by a stronghold. Had it been in a different shape, it would have been closer to a castle or fortress, with sturdy stone masonry showcased across the structure.

They came to a stop in another circular roundabout with the other carriages as a dozen or so people were led out and into the mansion through heavy double doors. Harken and Val followed closely behind, the guards seemed to recognize Harken, giving him a nod but otherwise ignoring Val.

A deep, loud voice called out to them as they entered through the doors. "Ah! Harken! I was beginning to wonder if you were too busy for my company."

Harken chuckled. "Of course, I always have time for old friends."

A large man with almost white hair strolled over, still dressed well, but he had discarded his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. By his blonde hair beginning to take on a white color, he appeared in his fifties. Judging by his lack of a protruding gut and the musculature of his exposed forearms, the man appeared in top shape. A still somewhat blonde beard was trimmed short on his grizzled face, with a pair of deep-set gray eyes.

Harken motioned to Val before speaking. "May I present Duke Kristoff Aurmayne, lord of the Aurmayne house and High General of the Aurulian Army, second only to the Emperor."

The duke laughed, taking Harken's outstretched hand in a firm grip while clapping him on the shoulder. "Enough, please, spare me the pretense for the scant few hours we have till we must return to more stifling company. Titles and veiled words spoil the good company of those with whom you've stood shoulder-to-shoulder. You must be Valtyr, Harken here was kind enough to fascinate me with tales of your valor, it is a great p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you."

Val held a stoic look, hiding his uncertainty about how to actually behave towards the duke. "It's an honor to meet you, it sounds like you've heard the embellished version."

"Ha! Humility among the Black Dogs? Harken, are you and your family growing as old as I?"

"Please, I'm still barely fifty and pleased as ever to boast our accomplishments. Ninety long years seem to have taken a toll on your senses, old friend."

*Ninety years?!* Val struggled to hide his surprise, instead, he quickly glanced around. He could believe mid-sixties with an incredible workout regimen, but Val struggled with the notion of ninety. He had learned that human longevity benefited greatly from magic, but seen few good examples. Val had guessed Harken to be in his late thirties, fifty was not too much of a stretch.

"Perhaps, but my sword arm remains the same. Come, let's not stand uncomfortably in the foyer." Duke Aurmayne glanced around, almost nervously before continuing. "If we hang around here, we're likely to lose what little time we have to ourselves."

Val followed the pair through the mansion until eventually coming upon a large courtyard where a pair of soldiers were dueling with swords, under supervision. It seemed a training session was going on, judging by the instructor refereeing and the other soldiers observing the bout carefully. A few soldiers noticed the duke and almost motioned before refocusing on the bout. Val noticed the Duke cast a stern glare for a moment before returning to his jovial self. One of the two duelists suddenly seemed energized and skillfully disarmed his opponents in the next few moves, bringing the duel to a close.

With the duel over, all of the soldiers, along with the instructor, turned in unison and saluted the Duke by placing a tightly closed fist over their c.h.e.s.t. Duke Aurmayne waved them dismissively, gesturing for them to resume their training.

"The strawberry blonde one seems quite skilled." Val remarked flatly, watching the next pair of soldiers salute each other as they prepared to duel.

The Duke grunted. "You think so? One of my sons, the youngest, actually. He has a long way to go, but he's got more balls than any of his siblings and the only one with the discipline to keep up his training."

Harken smirked. "Your high standards are going to cost you your retirement, you know."

"Bah, I'll retire with a sword in hand, peace has dulled our claws. If any of my sons wish to take my place, they'll do so properly and put me down themselves." 

The Duke called for a servant, instructing him to bring over some light refreshments as the three of them took a seat at a table on the perimeter of the courtyard. 

Harken took on a serious demeanor. "So, what do you think of the Elves' summons?"

Duke Aurmayne sighed. "Let's not beat around the bush, you mean to ask what I think of this impending war. To be honest, were it not for your personal testimony, I would have dismissed the entire thing as horseshit. I looked into it myself after I received your letter. We have some records of the First Draug War, but it predates even the founding of our nation. Coupled with the trade disruption to the North, I can believe it. Some of my own soldiers were on the escorts that vanished, they would never betray me, and I struggle to believe they could be so cleanly wiped out by anything that wasn't truly dangerous."

Val chose his words carefully. "Isn't Aurulia currently entangled with the Barren Worlders to the South?"

"Hmph. I honestly don't understand why. We have little interest in the land down there. Deserts, swamps, hot jungles, and the damned Tenochs is all there is. That said, the lower houses are always looking to expand, and that's the only uncontested land left for them to claim. They were the ones who started this nonsense, claiming they were attacked and suffering invasion from Barren World soldiers. I've seen the reports, told the Emperor myself that we should integrate them into the Empire. They lack magic, but they have some curious inventions that make Dwarven tech look like children's toys. If the Dwarves take advantage of the situation and open relations first, we'll be on the backfoot in the neverending trade war."

Val raised an eyebrow. "You want to conquer them?"

"Preferably not, if they can't be joined under Aurulian rule peacefully, an alliance will suffice as well. As I understand it, they're not doing so well and could use a strong ally right now. However it happens we need them to fall under our protection. Marching on them is just begging the Dwarves to take them in and hoard their science and technology within their walls."

Val looked thoughtful for a moment, though he noticed Harken cast him a knowing look. He still was not sure what Harken's game was, but the mercenary lord seemed just as friendly with the Aurulians as he was with the Kar Lodihr Dwarves. Val suspected that Harken was trying to prevent either Kar Lodihr or Aurulia from gaining exclusive access to Barren World technology.

The Duke suddenly slapped his hand on the table. "Enough about our petty politics, though. I'll have more than enough of that tonight. Valtyr, how's your sword arm?"

Val looked up from his thoughts in mild alarm. "Huh? Good enough, I suppose."

A wide grin appeared on the Duke's face. "Good enough, eh? Must be something terrifying if Harken trusts you enough to travel unarmed, to say nothing of selecting a 'bodyguard.' I'd be personally honored if you would show me some of those skills that cut down scores of these fabled ocean-dwellers."

"Uh... I don't have anything other than this suit to—" Val noticed the servant returning, pushing a cart and holding a folded shirt and leather trousers that he would bet good money fit him just fine. Val cast a dirty glance at Harken, who feigned ignorance and accepted a drink from the servant.

Still grinning, the Duke motioned to the clothes. "If I know Harken, he has expensive taste, even I would not suggest so senselessly ruining fine clothes."