A Magic of Dawn

Jan ca’Ostheim

The vanguard of the army was still a day or more away under the direction of the a’offiziers, but Jan rode ahead of the troops with Archigos Karrol and Starkkapitan ca’Damont, as well as several of the Firenzcian chevarittai.

He’d not been in Nessantico in fifteen years, not since Firenzcia had last come to the Holdings’ aid against the Tehuantin. He’d forgotten how magnificent the city looked. They’d halted on the crest of the last hill along the Avi a’Firenzcia, where they could see Nessantico laid out before them on either side of the glittering expanse of the A’Sele. When he’d last glimpsed Nessantico, it had been cloaked in fire and ruin, nearly destroyed. The city had rebuilt itself anew. The domes of the temples were golden, the white spires of the Kraljica’s Palais seemed to nearly prick the clouds from the Isle a’Kralji, and the city utterly filled the flat hollow that held it. Even tarnished and threatened, the city was magnificent.

“It is a stunning sight, isn’t it, my Hirzg?” Archigos Karrol said. The Archigos, with his bent spine, couldn’t ride a horse, but he’d descended from his carriage to take in the scene, standing on the road next to Jan’s stallion. “But I still prefer Brezno and our terraces.”

Jan wasn’t certain that he entirely agreed. Yes, Brezno had its beauties as a city, and there were vistas on approach that made a traveler stop and gaze, but this… There was a power here, somehow. Maybe it came from the multitudes of people here, thousands more than Brezno held. Maybe it was a product of the long history of the city, which had seen empires rise and fall, which had become the seat of the greatest empire ever seen, at least on this side of the Strettosei. Even Jan felt the tug of it. This will be yours soon enough. All of it… If you can save it now.

“Look,” Starkkapitan ca’Damont said, pointing. “The Avi’s crowded with people at the Eastern Gate. The evacuation’s already begun. The Tehuantin must be close.” He leaned forward on the saddle of his horse, peering down at the vista in front of them. “I wonder if they’re coming from the North Bank, the South, or both. If we can engage them before they reach the city itself, we should. Without the war-teni, especially, we need to keep them from the city.” Ca’Damont cast a venomous glance at Archigos Karrol, but the man seemed to be staring down at the road.

“There will be war-teni from the temples here,” Archigos Karrol said. “You will have the war-teni you need.”

“Let’s hope so,” ca’Damont answered curtly. “But it seems they’d rather follow Morel than you.”

“We’ll find out what the situation is soon enough,” Jan said quickly, interrupting the response that Archigos Karrol started to make. “Archigos, if you’ll return to your carriage, we’ll ride on. If we make good time, we could be within the walls by Third Call.”

As Archigos Karrol, helped by the quartet of his aide tenis, climbed slowly back to his carriage seat, Jan stared westward toward the city, and especially to the Isle a’Kralji and the palais. He wondered if his matarh was there, and how she felt about his impending arrival. He wondered if she both dreaded and looked forward to it all at once, contradictorily.

As he did.

“Let’s go,” he said to the others, waving his hand. “The city awaits us.”

They entered along the Avi a’Firenzcia, proceeding slowly toward the Eastern Gate of the city. The city was beginning to evacuate, the road clogged with people and carts, most of them moving away from Nessantico. The people were largely women with children, along with some elderly men-conspicuously absent were able-bodied men; Jan assumed that the Garde Kralji and Garde Civile were pressing them into service of the defense of the city. The houses and buildings along the Avi became more numerous and set closer to the main road as they approached, until they were moving between tightly-packed houses even though they were still outside the city walls proper. Someone had alerted the authorities; as they moved on, suddenly the citizenry was pausing to stop and cheer, and people were peering at them from windows and balconies, waving their hands and producing battered and ancient banners in the Firenzcian colors of black and silver-banners that had evidently been moldering in chests for years. Jan could see many of them looking eastward along the Avi as if expecting to see the army immediately following them, then looking back to them in puzzlement.

He heard his name being called out, greeting him as if he had already liberated the city. “Hirzg Jan! Hirzg Jan!” The chevarittai with him smiled, but they also closed ranks around him protectively, and they watched the houses and the growing crowds carefully for any signs of trouble.

Too many of them had fought against Holdings troops. Too many of them had felt the enmity of the Holdings to the Coalition. Like Jan, they wondered what the real thoughts were behind the cheers.

By the time they could see the the ancient gates looming ahead of them, the crowds had grown even larger, filling either side of the street. There were people waving from atop the remnants of the old city walls, and every window and balcony was filled. Starkkapitan ca’ Damont leaned over toward Jan. “You’d think the Tehuantin were already running back across the sea.”

Jan shrugged. “I think they’re remembering that when I last brought the army here, we came after the Tehuantin had already taken the city. They’re hoping that this means they’re saved. Though judging by the faces ahead of us, some people are less convinced of that.”

He nodded toward where the blue-and-gold banner of the Holdings waved in the middle of the Avi just under the ramparts of the city gate. One of the group there wore the livery of the Kraljica’s staff; the rest seemed to be a contingent of chevarittai and-judging by the fancy bashtas of two or three-members of the Council of Ca’.

If the citizens were smiling, they were not. They were entirely grim-faced and solemn. Jan found himself somehow disappointed that Allesandra herself wasn’t there, though he knew that-had the Kraljica deigned to visit Brezno-he would have done the same, would have let her come to him.

Jan felt keenly now the loss of his aide Rance, who would have been riding alongside him and who would have been able to identify many of the people waiting for them. “Do you know them?” Jan asked ca’Damont, leaning toward the Starkkapitan. “Is that Matarh’s aide? What’s his name? Talbot ci’Noel or something like that…”

“Talbot ci’Noel it is, I believe,” ca’Damont answered. “And that’s probably him. The other ones…” He shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t know any of the councillors other than Vajica ca’Pallo, and she’s not present. I’m sorry, Hirzg.” Jan saw his eyes narrow then. “That man behind ci’Noel, dressed Magyarian style. I would swear that’s Erik ca’Vikej, that traitor Stor’s son. Look at that smirk on his face-this could be a trap, Hirzg.”

Ca’Damont’s hand had gone to his sword hilt, and Jan touched his arm. “Not now,” he told the Starkkapitan. “Matarh wouldn’t be that obvious. Let’s get the lay of the land first.”

The aide ci’Noel stepped forward with the councillors as Jan reached them, his chevarittai moving aside to let Jan be the first to enter the city. The aide bowed low; the councillors less so. “Hirzg Jan,” he said. “I welcome you again to Nessantico after far too long an absence. Kraljica Allesandra sends her greetings and her gratitude, and she awaits you at the palais. If you will permit us to escort you to her…”

“Thank you, Vajiki ci’Noel,” Jan answered, pleased when the man nodded in acknowledgment-the name was either right or close enough. “And Councillors and Chevarittai,” he said to the others. He ignored ca’Vikej. It would have been better to have called a few of the councillors and chevarittai out by name, but instead he simply inclined his head to them. “This is Starkkapitan ca’Damont of the Garde Civile, and-” He had heard the carriage door open, and glanced back to see the Archigos being helped down. “Archigos Karrol,” he finished.

Ci’Noel inclined his head to ca’Damont, but significantly did not give Archigos Karrol the sign of Cenzi. Instead, he bowed to him as he might to anyone. Jan remembered then that his matarh’s aide was one of the Numetodo. Archigos Karrol was frowning, his hands halfway up to his bowed forehead to return the the expected sign. The councillors and chevarittai, however, did clasp their hands to forehead, and the Archigos returned their gesture perfunctorily, with a visible scowl. “Welcome, Starkkapitan,” ci’Noel said. “I’m certain that Commandant ca’Talin will welcome your arrival and your advice; he will be waiting at the palais also. Archigos, you’re welcome as well, especially since A’Teni ca’Paim’s death has left the Faithful here bereft of leadership. I know Commandant ca’Talin is desperate for the help of your war-teni.”

Ci’Noel said that last with a trace of a smile, and Jan realized that he probably suspected how few war-teni had followed the Archigos. The Archigos sniffed audibly. “I will be going to the Archigos’ Temple immediately to take up residence there and see what needs to be done,” he said to the aide. “I assume someone will guide us to the easiest way there.”

“Certainly, Archigos,” ci’Noel answered, “as soon as you’ve seen the Kraljica. She has asked that you be present at the meeting also.”

“It’s been a long ride,” the Archigos answered, “and as you can see, I’m not as young as others here…”

“The Kraljica expects your presence first, ” ci’Noel interrupted, and that brought up the Archigos’ head to glare at the man. “I’m certain the Hirzg understands the importance of state precedents, and has explained them to you.”

He’s taken lessons from Matarh… Jan almost smiled at the clever impertinence of the man. “The Archigos will undoubtedly want to hear the latest regarding Nico Morel,” Jan agreed, and Karrol’s glare now turned to him. “So he can make the best decision regarding Morel’s fate and that of his followers.”

“Indeed,” ci’Noel said, nodding vigorously before the Archigos could object. “There is news there that I’m sure she’s waiting to tell you.” He bowed again. “If you’ll follow me, Hirzg Jan. The citizenry, as you can see, are waiting to give you their own welcome.”

With that, one of the chevarittai led a horse forward and ci’Noel pulled himself onto the saddle. He nodded his head to Jan and tugged at the reins, turning his horse to continue westward.

The populace cheered as they proceeded under the arch of the gate and into Nessantico.