Thraxas and the Oracle

Chapter Five

The makeshift couch proves satisfactory but I don’t manage to rest as long as I’d like. After what seems like a very short time I’m shaken awake by Anumaris. I glare at her angrily.

“Didn’t I instruct you I wasn’t to be disturbed?”

“No.”

“Well I meant to. Go away.”

“Commander Lisutaris is holding a meeting and you’re to go there immediately.”

“Dammit. What does she want?”

“To conduct the war, I suppose,” says Anumaris with what may be a touch of sarcasm.

I haul myself to my feet, a little unsteadily.

“You can’t go there looking like that,” says Anumaris.

“Like what?”

“Like a man who’s just crawled out of a tavern after ten flagons of ale.”

“Was it ten?”

“I don’t know! I was just guessing.”

“It’s probably accurate enough.”

“You stink of alcohol. Lisutaris specifically ordered you not to drink! And she told me to make sure you didn’t! You couldn’t even make it through one day.”

The young sorcerer seems rather agitated by all this. Quite unexpectedly, she points at me and speaks a few arcane words. I feel a sudden chill, and shiver.

“What was that? Did you just work a spell on me?”

“Yes. The minor tidying spell. Now you don’t smell of ale any more. And you look a bit neater. It will get you through the meeting.”

I’m sure it’s against army discipline for your subordinated to suddenly fire spells at you. On the other hand, it’s probably not such a bad thing. No point giving Lisutaris something to complain about.

“All right, let’s go.”

“I don’t think I’m invited,” says Anumaris.

“You’re coming as my assistant. Pay attention to everything in case I need you to repeat it later.”

In the short time since she was chosen as War Leader, Lisutaris, Mistress of the Sky, has efficiently organised her command structure. At the centre are just four people. Herself, as overall Commander and senior sorcerer, General Hemistos as infantry Commander, Bishop-General Ritari as cavalry Commander, and Lord Kalith-ar-Yil as Elvish Commander. These appointments are both practical and political. Each officer has a good reputation and plenty of experience of fighting, and between them they represent most of the troops who’ll make up the armies of the West. Hemistos is Samsarinan. Ritari is Niojan. We haven’t joined up with the Niojan army yet but Lisutaris summoned him early, wanting the Niojans to know that they had a senior man in an important position. Lord Kalith-ar-Yil, an Elf I’ve encountered on several occasions, is the most senior Elf in attendance, and has the loyalty of all the southern Elvish Isles.

There is one important nation missing from Lisutaris’s central command. As yet no there’s representative from Simnia. That could be a problem. Simnia has never liked Turai, and might be expected to chafe about a Turanian being War Leader. They’ll complain more if they feel they’re not represented at the heart of the command structure. I don’t know what Lisutaris plans to do about that. Whatever happens, Lisutaris’s position as War Leader seems secure. The young King of Samsarina supports her. The Elves wouldn’t support anyone else. The Niojans aren’t thought to be particularly happy about the appointment, particularly as Lisutaris is female, but they seem to have accepted the reality that there was no other candidate who could command enough support.

Beneath these central leadership figures are a number of other commanders. They have responsibility for important matters such as the fleet, which will be sailing along the coast, ready to support us when our route brings us closer to the sea. Then there’s the Commander with responsibility for provisions, another in charge of armaments, and another in charge of heavy equipment, our mounted crossbows and siege equipment and so on. It’s not as large as group as I might have expected, and from what I’ve seen, Lisutaris has things under tight control. She glances at me as I enter the room. “Captain Thraxas,” she murmurs.

“Commander Lisutaris.” I reply, politely. All the aforementioned commanders are here, as is Makri. Makri is admitted to all but the most secret meetings between the commanders. That’s quite a turnaround in fortune for the ragged, uncivilised gladiator who arrived in Turai only a few years ago, with no notion of how to behave in polite society. She could hardly use cutlery. It was fortunate for her that she ran into me. I taught her most of what she knows these days.

We listen while General Mexes, a Samsarinan in charge of armaments, gives a report on the number of spears, swords and shields now available to the army. It’s brief and to the point, as is the Elvish Admiral Arith’s summary of our naval strength. I’m generally impressed. Arrangements for moving and provisioning the large army seem to be going smoothly. It says a lot for Lisutaris’s powers of organisation and delegation. When each Commander has made their report, Lisutaris declares herself satisfied. “We’ll set off in twenty four hours. We should meet up with the Simnian army in six days.”

I’m not called on to speak during the meeting. Lisutaris hasn’t made it widely known that she suspects Deeziz the Unseen might be attempting to infiltrate our forces. My work has so far been carried out in secrecy. I presume that’s why she asks me stay behind when everyone else is dismissed.

“Storm Class Anumaris, stay behind as well.”

When the assorted generals file out I’m left with Lisutaris, Anumaris and Makri. Lisutaris looks at me for a moment, then turns to Anumaris.

“Nice tidying spell. You’ve almost made Thraxas presentable.”

“There was really no need for it,” I protest.

Lisutaris apparently has other things on her mind because she doesn’t pursue it. She hesitates for a few moment. “Thraxas, I’m going to need your help with a delicate matter. This mustn’t be spoken of to anyone else, is that clear?”

“Of course.” I wonder what sort of trouble Lisutaris has got herself into. Probably thazis-related. Lisutaris is a very heavy user of the drug and it’s caused problems before. I have noticed she’s been smoking less since becoming War Leader but it wouldn’t surprise me if she’d run out of the illegal substance and needed me to find some more.

“Have you heard of the Vitin Oracle?”

“Yes. Used to be a famous place, back when people consulted oracles. Before the True Church declared they were all sacrilegious.”

Lisutaris lights a small stick of Thazis. A flicker of disapproval flickers over Anumaris’s face but disappears quickly.

“Some people still consult the oracles,” says Lisutaris. “Even though the church condemned them.”

The True Church, dominant religion in the West, doesn’t like oracles. I don’t really know why. Probably because they had their roots in earlier religions. Anyway, they forbid their followers from consulting them. They have done for at least eighty years, and as the True Church has a lot of power, the oracles have mostly faded away. The Oracle at Vitin, sacred to the Goddess Vitina, was the most famous.

“We’ll be passing quite close to the Vitin Oracle just before we meet the Simnian army,” continues Lisutaris. “A few of my senior sorcerers would like to consult it. Obviously, it’s something that would have to be kept private. The True Church wouldn’t approve. That might create problems, particularly with Nioj.”

I’m sure it would. Niojans are all religious fanatics. Though we’re not due to meet up with their army for some days, their senior Commander, Bishop-General Ritari, is already here, along with Legate Apiroi, another high ranking diplomat. If they got wind of such a visit, there would be trouble. Angry messages would be sent back to their king, Lamachus, and there’s no telling what might happen then. It’s not only Nioj we’d have to worry about. The True Church doesn’t hold quite as much sway in other nations, but it is influential. Too influential for our War Leader to offend, at a time like this.

“Why do your sorcerers want to consult this oracle?” asks Makri, speaking for the first time. “Do they believe in it?”

“Well...” Lisutaris makes a depreciating gesture with her hand. “Not really. It’s more of a tradition. A sort of leftover from older times. The Sorcerers Guild did used to be quite strongly identified with the Goddess Vitina and her oracle. Sorcery’s roots still run deep into the past. There are a few members of the Guild who still hold a passing interest in the old religion.”

I’ve been waiting my turn to speak. “When you say 'A few members of the Guild still hold a passing interest in the old religion,' might it be more accurate to say that the Sorcerers Guild actually contains a large, well-organised group of devotees, including yourself?”

Our War Leader looks alarmed. “I wouldn’t put it like that.”

“Really? Even though you secretly led a delegation to the Oracle right after you were elected as Head of the Guild? A delegation which included young Anumaris here who, I notice, isn’t looking very surprised.”

Lisutaris’s eyes blaze. “How can you possibly know that?”

“I’ve been in your mansion in Turai. You shouldn’t leave private correspondence to other sorcerers lying about. Not on sensitive matters anyway.”

“I never left any private correspondence lying about!”

“Well you shouldn’t leave it in easily-accessible drawers.”

“How dare you examinethe contents of my private desk!”

“I’m an investigator. I get curious. Particularly when I’m kept waiting for hours because you’re busy doing your hair.”

Lisutaris shows signs of imminent eruption. Fortunately for me, she controls it, and lights another thazis stick instead.

“Is this true?” asks Makri.

“It is. And if it were known it would bring Lisutaris and the rest of her Guild into conflict with every church and bishop in the Western World.”

Lisutaris sighs. “Most of them, I suppose. They do tend to be intolerant. Especially the Niojans. Bishop-General Ritari would be down on me like a bad spell if he learned I was off to consult the oracle. The Niojans would probably withdraw their support from me as War Leader. I’m on fairly thin ice with them as it is.”

“The simplest solution would be not to go. Just leave the oracle alone.”

Lisutaris shakes her head. “That won’t satisfy my senior sorcerers. We’ve never gone to war without consulting the Goddess Vitina, and making the appropriate offering. It’s an important part of our beliefs, albeit a secret one. At least it was secret before you started rummaging through my private correspondence.”

“Do you actually believe in this oracle?” asks Makri, who’s sceptical about anything supernatural.

“It’s proved very accurate in the past. And helpful too. I intend to consult it. I need to do that without anyone knowing. That’s why I’m taking you into my confidence. Thraxas, I need you to help me slip away unnoticed, and if anyone does notice, I need a good cover story. That seems like something you could manage.”

“Certainly. If you’re set on it, it shouldn’t be too difficult. How far off our route is it?”

“About half a day’s ride. I’m planning on going with Ibella Hailstorm. She’s the head of the Abelasian Sorcerers Guild. They’re a small group but she’s powerful, and a specialist in the old religion. Coranius the Grinder will accompany us.”

“How is Coranius?”

“As anti-social as ever. He’s billeted on the far side of town, as far away from everyone as he can get. It’s still good to have him around.”

“I hear he arrived with Tirini Snake Smiter.”

Lisutaris looks troubled at the mention of Tirini’s name. “She’s in a bad way. The spell she used to get people out of Turai was too dangerous. She shouldn’t have done it.”

“It saved Gurd’s life.”

“I know. But it’s almost wrecked Tirini’s. She can hardly function. You can’t travel instantly through the magic space without some bad effects. I’m worried about her but I don’t have the time to devote to her that she needs. I’ve asked one of the Abelasian medical sorcerers, Saabril Eclipse, to look after her till she recovers.”

Lisutaris extinguishes her thazis stick. “Time to get back to work. Captain Thraxas, have you made any progress?”

“None, Commander,” I admit. “But I will.”

“I’m assigning two new recruits to your staff. Anumaris will introduce you. Make sure you’re ready to leave tomorrow.”

The meeting ends. I return to my office upstairs. In an ideal world I’d get back on the couch and go to sleep, but my world hasn’t been ideal for about thirty years and there’s no reason for it to start now. Almost immediately Anumaris ushers two people inside.

“Our new members of staff.”