Steel and Mana-Chapter 405 – Visiting Khulman (3)

After weeks of travel, they finally passed by the last abandoned town in the Dead Lands, heading to a region under the rule of the Khulman Empire. Beyond that point stretched the vast steppes, a sea of golden grass dotted by black stone outcroppings and wandering hordes of livestock animals. The sky was clear, cloudless, and sunny, warm enough to enjoy the middle of spring but not hot enough to start sweating as if it were summer already.

Bakhi halted at one point, along with his people, as they dismounted and pressed one gloved hand to the soil. The ritual was personal, not religious, but something they clearly did after returning from a long expedition, alive and well.

"You're not in Markoth anymore," he said aloud, though it wasn't clear whether he was speaking to himself or Lancelot, who sat on his horse close by. Then, after a short pause, he added without looking up at him, "Mind your tongue. And your eyes."

Lancelot said nothing in response, only smiling, gently raising a hand and stopping Pion from a retort. Instead of arguing, he simply took in the landscape, surprised that there was no actual wall or checkpoint. But, as Bakhi already explained while traveling, the Khulman borders were flat and ran a long line between other territories. It was not possible to establish a choke point, so instead, their swift riders were constantly traveling around the land, sweeping the borders throughout the year.

Seeing how the Avalonians ignored his little provocation, he couldn't help but sigh deep inside. He had seen a monster be slaughtered by just six soldiers. But they were in Khulman now. He couldn't let them think they could do anything. He had to show them that a Khulman's spine was just as straight as theirs, without actually offending them enough to ruin it all.

And that was the main problem. How will the others react to the justified arrogance of their guests?

Just as he was thinking about that, he saw dust rise on the horizon. A Khulman patrol approached them, made up of a dozen riders in lacquered lamellar, each bearing curved sabers and bows—the standard set of border patrolling troops. Their horses were wiry and lean, bred for endurance on their long trips, and their tack was decorated with bronze plates engraved with the symbols of the Border Clans, serving their Kahn as the first guardians of Khulman.

"Let me do the talking," Bakhi said, standing up as the commander approached them and raised a hand, signaling the others to halt.

"Of course." Lancelot smiled, looking on curiously while Pion rode up next to him to be extra safe.

"You are entering Khulman territory!" The new arrivals' commander announced. "Dismount! All of you! State your purpose."

"That's enough," Bakhi yelled back, his tone authoritative. "They are with me."

"Are they?" The commander looked past him directly at Lancelot and then at the clearly dangerous, skull-faced warriors next to him. They were... something he had never seen before, but he was not about to be intimidated. Or at least not about to show it. "He," the man pointed at Lancelot, "must dismount to speak. We do not look up to guests."

The silence that followed stretched long, making Bakhi also look back over his shoulder, thinking about how to solve this issue. Though, he was curious how Lancelot would handle it himself. Young people used to be somewhat irrational, as they should be. Their blood was still hot at that age.

Watching, Pion made no movement, of course. The rest of the guards didn't even twitch. No one in black armor responded to the order, causing the air to thicken. In the end, it was Lancelot who finally raised one hand and eventually dismounted. Only then did Pion and the others follow his lead, fluidly and in unison, as though they were sharing one mind.

So far... so good, Bakhi thought, and felt the shifting of the Khulman riders' posture, a subtle unease caused by the movements of the Avalonians. Warriors recognized death when they saw it, and the ones behind him could dish it out in spades. Still, the new arrivals were just like Bakhi and his men... they would die before showing it.

"Good day to you, horseman." Lancelot stepped forward, one hand on the hilt of his sword, "I am Lancelot of Avalon, son of our Sovereign. We are now the guardians of the Kingdom of Markoth and also the force that now stands guard in the mountains. I come to speak with your... Kahn. We are not here to conquer; you have my word for it."

"I never heard of this... Avalon. But I do know of Markoth, of the kingdom that should be no more." The commander looked him up and down while answering. "You say Markoth still exists?"

"It does indeed." Lancelot nodded.

"And now it is yours? And you still say you are not here to conquer? Yet... You bring armed soldiers."

"Heh," Lancelot chuckled, with his free hand pointing at the other riders. "So do you."

"..." The commander said nothing more, knowing that a verbal duel would lead nowhere, so he only turned and gestured. "You will follow us to Fort Kirhaan. There, we will host you until a letter is sent and a decision is made."

"If you say so, it shall be so." Lancelot nodded but also added with a clear voice, making sure they heard it, "But we have our duty. If you want to waste time... we will simply leave. And none of you can stop us from doing so."

The commander glanced at Bakhi once, who subtly nodded, making the leader of the border patrol narrow his eyes. Still, he said nothing as they all remounted their horses. Pion followed Lancelot's lead, ignoring the patrol commander as thoroughly as if he were wind-blown dust. It was intentional, and both he and Bakhi felt it. The latter watched the stiffening of shoulders among the Khulman riders, the insult scraping against their pride, but none of them dared address the armored warriors directly. Luckily, they were trained man, and if their commander remained silent, so did they.

As the column moved, Temuj rode up to his leader.

"They won't tolerate this," he muttered to Bakhi. "That display back there? Ignoring the commander? Not good."

"Mind games," Bakhi replied, whispering, "I am a bit surprised that, as young as the kid is, he knows how to play a warrior's diplomacy."

"I do hope you are right... If he has the same attitude for higher-ranking clans and their chiefs... this can get ugly."

"We will see." Bakhi shrugged, shaking his head, "But this is our home. We can't show weakness, nor can we back down."

"This is why I volunteered to be a scout... I hate politics."

"Me too. Me too..."

With a sigh, Bakhi looked toward the front, where Lancelot rode casually. Pion was just behind him, and the soldiers were guarding him, being in the middle of a Khulman sandwich while riding.

...

....

.....

Fort Kirhaan came into view by dusk. It was carved partially into the ground itself, partially built from dark timber and stone, brought here from somewhere else. Its towers were painted in red and ash-gray clan colors by the same group that 'welcomed' them into Khulman, being under the control of the clan responsible for this part of the Empire. While they neared the place, watchers lined the walls, bows, and spears in hand, while trained hawks were circling above them, sometimes recalled by a sharp whistle, making them dive down from the skies.

At the gate, the Khulman commander finally halted his horse and turned towards Lancelot directly.

"You will enter as guests. Make sure that your weapons remain sheathed or experience the wrath of our people and our arrows in your backs."

Bakhi turned immediately toward Lancelot, heart thudding a good amount faster, but the prince nodded only once. Still, no one responded to the commander out loud. But that was okay... As long as his request was obeyed. Bakhi saw the commander's brow twitch a little and that a flicker of fury was glowing behind the eyes, but as a good soldier, he ignored it. For now.

As the gates opened, even before they crossed its threshold, Bakhi knew something else was happening than him bringing guests. He noticed the faces inside the fort, people who were not part of the local clans, because he knew them. Other riders had also returned. More than one, in fact. The open courtyard within the fort bustled with scouts coming and going, unloading items they had brought back, and reporting to their superiors. Walking up to the familiar faces, one of the returning groups hailed him immediately. It was Captain Ardu from the eastern provinces, serving in the Kahn's scouting troops just as long as Bakhi was. His face was pale, his shoulder hastily bandaged... He looked older than he had when the hundred riders were sent out to seek out what happened in the Dead Lands this winter.

"You made it back?" Ardu called, crossing the courtyard quickly, holding onto his hand, "Good... Good!

"What happened to you?" Bakhi asked as they clasped arms.

"Monsters did... but... you...?" Ardu's eyes flicked over his shoulder, straight to the Avalonians. "Who in the name of the Kahn are they?" he murmured.

"Later," Bakhi said quickly. "I need to do my report to the local chief first."

"Yeah," Ardu shrugged, "Do that... He can attach your report to mine and send it back to Kahn as fast as possible. I do hope yours is better than ours. From the squads that were sent to the northeast, three are known to be dead. Two remain unaccounted. I was lucky to come back because monsters still wander around like prowling wolves... And there are huge ones. I lost two good men... I had to sacrifice them so the rest of the group could retreat."

"Damn it..." Bakhi exhaled, remembering how the Avalonians dealt with a monster while his comrades died to them.

"I advised the Kahn in my report to ready the army. The winter's silence may just be the delay before an actual storm," he continued. "But, seeing you returned, maybe we have some good news? Was the road to Markoth empty?"

"More than empty," Bakhi hesitated, "It belongs to someone else now."

Before Ardu could question further, a shout rang from the inner wall. A signal horn followed. The fort commander was arriving to receive reports after being notified of the coming of 'guests.'

"Go." Ardu patted his shoulder, "We can talk later."

"Mhm." Bakhi nodded and hurried back to his men. "Ready your statements. And stay silent unless spoken to. This goes to you, too." He looked at not Lancelot, but Pion... and then twitched his mouth. "On second thought... please speak when spoken to."

Of course, he didn’t react. Pion simply adjusted a strap on his gauntlet and looked nowhere in particular, but at least he was kind enough not to wear his helmet, allowing others to see his face and read his stoic expression.

With that, Bakhi could do nothing but take a deep breath and lead them into the fortress proper.

The fort’s command hall was circular and high-ceilinged; its walls were marked with banners and preserved monster hides, trophies of skirmishes. A sign that Khulman could kill monsters. The fort's leader was also the local, ruling clan's chief, someone whom Bakhi introduced to Lancelot as Commander Vekhon. Meeting him in person, he was a barrel-chested man with fading grey hair and a scar splitting his lower lip, missing a small part of it and allowing his teeth to show behind. He stood with his arms crossed, beginning to recite the information that he knew Bakhi would want to hear first thing after returning.

"East: monsters sighted creeping downwards. North-east: once again, monster-infested." Vekhon grunted. "So... The tide hasn't gone missing in the winter. It's simply focusing on the northeast of the land. I do hope your news is better."

"It is." Bakhi stepped forward, slapping his chest and performing a warrior's bow. "Bakhi, Second Scout Wing. We traveled through the Dead Land, straight to the North. We even reached the outskirts of Markoth, where we encountered no monsters. None. Not tracks. Not droppings. Nothing."

The moment he spoke, a ripple of disbelief passed through the room, many eyes flicking towards Lancelot and the rest, drawing quick conclusions.

"And then?" Vekhon frowned.

"We entered the old Markoth..."

"Markoth is gone," Vekhon said with a hand wave, making Bakhi shake his head.

"No, Commander. It's very much alive. Rebuilt. Fortified."

That statement stopped the room cold.

"That city burned," Vekhon said slowly. "It was overrun. Or are you saying you brought ghosts back as guests?"

"Kind of." Bakhi nodded, allowing himself a smile. "More like specters from a land named... Avalon."

It was clear that the name meant nothing to the people present.

"Avalon?"

"Yes," Bakhi gestured behind him, and, as if practiced, Lancelot stepped forward and gave a slight nod to the people present before speaking up.

"I am Lancelot of Avalon," he said. "Third son of the Sovereign. I come in peace as an envoy now that our countries seem to have become neighbors. These soldiers, you see behind me, are my escort."

"..." Vekhon studied him first, his dark eyes trying to pierce Lancelot's gaze. Then, it moved to Pion, standing behind him. "You seem confident if you decide to conquer Markoth."

"We didn't conquer." Lancelot shrugged, shaking his head. "They asked for help; we provided it. They asked for protection... and we provided that, too. It is that simple."

"Protection?" The commander’s tone hardened, clearly thinking Lancelot was speaking out of place and out of ignorance. "Protection..." He repeated as he turned to Pion. "And you? Will you answer for your prince?"

But... there was nothing. Pion did not move, did not blink, his eyes only glancing at him once before he moved away, back to one of the guards inside the room. It was then that Vekhon’s expression shifted, finally recognizing that the six soldiers' stances were in a ready position, aimed towards the key points so they could spring into action and protect this... Lancelot, before anyone else could make a move.

"Are they mute?" Vekhon asked, snorting loudly.

"No, of course not," Lancelot answered calmly. "They are simply disciplined. They were put under my command, so they obeyed me. Not strangers."

Listening to him, Bakhi held his breath. There it was...

"Oh?" Vekhon straightened at once. "We are Khulman. You enter our lands without a herald, without request, and expect deference?"

"I don't know what you call it." Lancelot didn't step back; he simply tilted his head a little. "We expect you to understand. We came openly, not by night or in secrecy. We sent no sneaky riders into your land, no spies to snoop around. I walked into your lands under the sun and sky and followed the lead of your riders. Not that it matters, really. We are here to see the Khulman Empire's Kahn. Are you that person? Because if not... then we have nothing to speak of."

A dangerous silence fell into the room at once, and the soldiers along the wall tensed their muscles. One moved subtly, resting a hand on his hilt, just to see Pion turn his head towards him the moment his fingers touched the sword.

That look alone...

The warrior stepped back involuntarily.

And Bakhi saw it... So did Vekhon.

"We will... notify the capital," the commander said at last, not wanting to play with the Kahn's name now that it had been evoked. "Until then, you will remain here."

"Do that." Lancelot inclined his head. "We can wait."

Seeing the situation slowly being diffused, Bakhi let out a stifled breath. This part was over... for now. But he knew he would have to answer some private questions today, and he did not look forward to that.