Fourth Vector Ch. 13

"That should do it. You're all mine now. It's off to see the king with you now,foreigner."

The last word came out much like a curse word to the Andalucian warrior. Jack bowed his head, as he looked around the camp. How his fortune had changed since just last evening.

The frightening part was that it had all been done by his own will.

Jack turned to look back at the camp of his small army, still sheltered on the peninsula, the front lines looking so minuscule in the distance. He was so far away that he could barely make out the sight of theDestiny off the coast, although he knew the true reason for that. The enemy clans had been so threatened by the large ship that they had pulled back into the interior after the battle. He'd only reached their lines after about an hour of trekking through the sands.

Of course, that was after a night of both Abigail and Vera begging him not to do this, not to surrender himself to the forces of the Andalucian king. Their arguments were mixed with enough logic to give them weight, but it was only after he found counterarguments to their points that the emotion started—the tears and the pleas to stay. It hurt him to have to make them suffer in that way yet this was the only way to escape their current situation in Andalucia. It was one last gambit designed to see them through this ordeal before the weight of the opposition completely crushed them.

And the odds were heavily against his favor. Jack had no idea what Vertulis might do once they caught up with him. He just needed to be in front of the king for ten minutes, an audience of that length would suffice. However, if he was deemed expendable before then, this whole stratagem would fall apart. It wasn't a comforting thought that his entire mission, the life of Kat and even his own, rested on the whims of an erratic sovereign.

The binding around his hands was tied around the back of anotherSciavo, preventing an easy chance of escape. Jack slowly baked in the hot morning sun as the elite warriors prepared to depart, leaving the other clans to keep his forces penned against the coast while they delivered him to the king. Suddenly, his hands were yanked forward without warning and Jack almost landed face first into the sand, causing a hearty round of laughter from the nearbySciavo.

He pushed off the sand in front of him and followed them along tentatively. TheSciavo moved without many of the creature comforts of the other clans. They moved quickly as a force, their pace nearly double that of the clans. At first, Jack found it not hard to keep up with them as he had plenty of energy. However, they only gave him enough food to keep him on his feet, and as the next couple days slipped by, he found it harder and harder to match their pace.

They made their annoyance known in various ways. Several times when Jack could barely keep his eyes open, they would yank the rope and launch him into the sand. Most of the incidents would happen after nightfall though, when theSciavo stopped for resting. One guard in particular that watched over him had quite the cruel streak. Jack didn't have the privilege of sleeping in a tent, often left out in the sand wherever they had stopped for the night. The guard that was assigned to him for the first two nights would often wait until he'd just about fallen asleep before delivering a startling wake-up kick to the ribs.

The first few times it happened, Jack howled in pain yet it only seemed to make the situation worse. His cries of pain only disturbed the other nearbySciavo who were also trying to sleep, often taking their frustration out on him. After the first couple times it happened, Jack learned to muffle the pain and absorb the punishment. Surely it couldn't be much longer until they arrived in Septhada to the court of the king.

The only thing that got him through the day was the thought that at least hostilities seemed to have stopped since his surrender. He was lucky enough to listen to all sorts of snippets of conversation between the guards, most of them detailing the standoff with his forces on the coast. As long as they stayed put on the peninsula, they were safe behind the barrels of theDestiny's guns. Yet, Jack knew they couldn't stay there forever. Sooner or later, something would have to give.

In other quiet times, he thought mostly about the people in his life. Often about Abigail, or Kat, or even Vera. He hoped that Abigail and Vera would be able to forgive him for his decision, especially if it didn't work out the way he hoped. He hoped Kat was still doing well and still hanging on. More than ever, he felt the promise he made to free her. He just hoped it was one promise he could keep.

On the morning of the fourth day of travel, Jack became aware of theSciavo column stopping not long after they had started marching. He lifted his eyes to the northern horizon, seeing a small entourage in front of him, all dominated by a garish, black carriage right in the center. The size clearly indicated that someone important was inside.

Upon his noticing, the maliciousSciavo guard not far away from him started to laugh. "There's the king right there, foreigner. I hope you're ready to face your fate."

Jack gulped.I hope I'm ready too.

*****

The blonde would still not pay attention to him.

No matter how long High Clan King Vertulis leered in the direction of the mobile pen of whores, she would still not look his way. He cleared his throat loudly, once more trying to draw her attention his way, and he got more angry when almost every other whore looked his way.

Ever since that blonde bitch had arrived in the harem, she'd been content to ignore him. Vertulis doubted that he'd ever held eye contact with her. She always seemed lost in her own world, a pitiful look worn prominently on her face. Vertulis had his suspicions why, none of which really mattered to him. All that did matter was making sure she was trained enough to be a capable whore for him. Even in his moment of annoyance, she was still looking quite sexy to him.

"Bazu," barked the king. "The blonde whore over there. Is her training complete? I'm about ready to sample her wares."

Bazu squawked about like he always did. "N-nearly ready, sire. She's proven to be most disagreeable though. She'll barely talk. She's a haughty one, that's for sure."

"I don't care," said Vertulis as he leered at her from his carriage. "Look at that body. That long, blonde hair and those hips. She's got a body for fucking, and I want her. If your men can't break her then maybe I can."

Bazu wiped sweat from his brow. "I can see if they can make her available tonight for you, Your Majesty?"

"Do it," said the king as he reclined in comfort. "I've waited too long to drive my cock through her warm, wet hole."

Bazu ran along to complete the order while Vertulis grinned to himself.Not too much longer until I get a chance to sample that blonde cunny. I'm looking forward to it.

For the next thirty minutes, Vertulis busied himself with matters of state until he became aware that his caravan had stopped moving around midmorning. The king peered ahead of the group, seeing several figures in the distance who were the reason for the delay.

"What's going on up there? Go find out," said the king to a nearbySciavo. The warrior soon bounded forward to join the ranks of his brethren in front of him, only bringing back news about ten minutes later.

"Your Majesty, it's Jack Easterbrook," said theSciavo, with an excited point.

Vertulis grinned. "It's about damn time they caught up to us. I've been expecting him. Prepare my tent. I want all the comforts of home ready for me before I receive the prisoner. Only send him in once you hear my signal."

TheSciavo nodded and quickly set about his tasks. Vertulis stepped out of the carriage to wait while a small army of servants set about putting up his travel tent, a grand affair that reached high into the sky, with many roomed partitions and a grand entrance hall, fitting of his royal presence. Even though he wasn't in his fortress, he still wanted to impress upon Easterbrook the majesty of his person and the insignificance of the foreigner's life. Especially one that had brought so much turmoil to Andalucia.

While Vertulis was pacing, he caught sight of Berimund not too far away from him and beckoned him over. "You must be pleased to know that Easterbrook has arrived. This is ending today one way or another."

Berimund grinned and bowed his head. "Such a fitting end for one who has caused so much trouble. I take it you still plan to end his life?"

Vertulis nodded. "I do. It won't be the mines for that one." The king stroked a very fine knife hanging from his robes. "Something quick and dirty. Fitting for his type."

Berimund smiled. "I'm glad we are on the same page with this."

"As am I, Berimund."

"May I be part of his presentation to you, Your Majesty? I'd very much like to see the end of this man."

"Rest assured, you'll get his head when I'm done with him," said Vertulis with a shake of the head. "But I'm afraid this is a state matter. It's already enough that I have one foreigner there, even if he is technically a clan chief. But I can't have any others."

Berimund looked temporarily dismayed but he recovered quickly. "I will await his head then when you are finished with him."

Vertulis patted him on the back. "Good man. I'll see to you afterwards."

In another half hour, the tent was fully raised, and Vertulis sat on a makeshift throne that he used exclusively for travel in his entrance hall while a small group ofSciavo brought forward the man who'd turned his island into a full war zone. Easterbrook was more tattered than the king remembered, his impressive uniform torn in several places and his flesh looking worn and dirty. Vertulis could tell from his eyes alone that he hadn't had proper sleep in days. He was a much less impressive man than the one that stood in his fortress almost two weeks ago.

"Well, Jack Easterbrook. What a different set of circumstances we find ourselves under, hmm?" Vertulis couldn't help but let out a lingering leer, watching as the foreigner's eyes settled on him finally. This was almost cruel. He liked to kill men in their prime, especially when they were at their strongest. Yet it was clear that Easterbrook was severely weakened. It wouldn't make his death as satisfying, making the moment bittersweet for the king.

"What, nothing to say now? No quips? You disappoint me, Jack," taunted the king. "I was hoping your capture would at least make for some entertainment."

"What do you want from me?" asked Jack with a cough. "I'm here now. The war is over. You can enslave me now if you want, but the only reason I did this was to stop the fighting."

"Oh, but the fighting has stopped. There's no more of it now," said Vertulis. "But I think it was just a matter of time until all the clans crushed you. You couldn't stand up to them for very long, despite how much you tried. I think your surrender only forestalled the inevitable."

To his annoyance, Jack shrugged. "It matters not to me now. If other lives can be saved by the sacrifice of mine, so be it."

Vertulis could have almost laughed at that statement. "Oh, but they won't be saved. I fully plan to crush what remains of your pathetic army even after today. The clans that you've taken will get new clan chiefs, and what remains of your forces will be ground to dust."

Jack's eyes flashed with anger. "For what purpose? It's me you wanted, and you got me. Leave the rest of them out of it."

"I consider it retribution for all the trouble you've caused me," sneered Vertulis. "This doesn't just end with you today, but with anyone who thinks they can sow dissension in my land."

Vertulis hopped off his throne and approached his prisoner, taking a few circles around his prey. The fewSciavo around him pushed away, giving the king a wide berth to tease his toy before he killed him. Easterbrook barely noticed his movements, only fixing his eyes on him when he crossed his front. How easy it would be to plunge his knife through his back and take the last breath from his lungs.

"I had originally intended to throw you into the mines," said Vertulis as he continued to walk. "You wouldn't last long there. No one ever does. Then at least you could be somewhat useful to me. You could make me richer while you worked away the rest of your life. But fate has brought me to a different path, and as a consequence, a different path for you as well. It serves me no purpose to keep you alive. I wish you dead for the trouble you've caused me as well as my allies as well."

"Allies?" muttered Jack. "What allies?"

Vertulis grinned. "My Swabian allies of course. Surely you knew of my involvement with them, didn't you? Who else in the world could keep up with our rapid demand for slaves? They bring in slaves for me, and I pay them with gold that the slaves mine. Many of those payments get reinvested back in Andalucia, making me and my clan chiefs quite rich. It's a wonderful little arrangement, but you had to threaten that."

"I had a feeling this went deeper than just my arrival," said Jack weakly. "You've been targeting me since the moment I arrived in Andalucia."

Vertulis pursed his lips. "Not entirely, but once we got word from our allies of who you were, it was easy to make the decision. You see, Jack, my kingdom has enough cockroaches in it. Sometimes I think there's as many of those as there are grains of sand. And this is one that I'd like to be rid of myself."

Vertulis stopped in front of Jack and pulled the knife out of the scabbard at his side. Casting a glance at theSciavo near him, he gestured for them all to back up. "Step away from him. He's no threat to anyone now. I want to savor this kill."

All but one of theSciavo moved away from Easterbrook, and several of them left the tent as he commanded. The one that remained close to Easterbrook's side earned a scowl from Vertulis, and he vowed to deal with this man after the foreigner was dead.

As Vertulis stalked his prey, Easterbrook's eyes drifted away from his, closing in that moment to await the plunge of the knife. It was over for him now. He'd finally accepted his own impending death. All that remained was the blow to come.

Easterbrook was going to die.

*****

Jack closed his eyes, waiting for the slip of the knife between his ribs. He could almost hear the king's breath as he drifted closer, wondering if this was truly the end. Instead, the next thing he heard was a gasp from the king.

Vertulis had shuffled back from Jack at the last second as theSciavo next to him had unsheathed his wicked-looking sword and held it aloft.

"What the hell are you doing?" barked Vertulis as he pulled away. Jack looked over as theSciavo walked calmly over to Jack, cutting the rope that bound his wrists. Jack pulled it away freely as a look of steely determination filled his eyes. TheSciavo then placed the blade into Jack's hands, his grip settling against the handle.

"Traitor," boomed Vertulis as he shuffled back from them. "I'll have both of your heads for this! Guards!"

In response to such an allegation, theSciavo simply shrugged and went to remove his protective head covering. As he unwrapped the fabric from his flesh, the long-familiar face of another man came into view.

Throwing the fabric on the floor, Greg let out a grin of approval. "Damn, that thing was hot."

Vertulis had turned pale. "Trickery! You've tricked my guards."

Greg shrugged. "It wasn't that hard. YourSciavo keep themselves so wrapped up that it wasn't hard for us to steal the robes off a dead man and slip into the procession. I'll admit, it was hard to get into guard duty near Jack here, but well worth it once I was there. Sorry for all those kicks to the ribs, Jack."

Jack started to chuckle as he brandished the sword. "No apologies needed." He then pressed forward to the king.

"Guards! Come back in here at once!" squeaked Vertulis as he waved his sword around.

"You handle him," said Greg while pulling out his sidearm. "I'll take care of the otherSciavo."

As the sounds of gunfire began to echo throughout the tent, Jack approached the now wild-eyed king. Vertulis finally stopped retreating as a final look of rage appeared on his face. "I'll have you drawn and quartered for this trick! Everyone in Andalucia will know the fate of Jack Easterbrook and how he tried to deceive his king." Vertulis then lashed out with a flourish of his sword.

Jack parried the king's thrust easily, remembering his time spent with the sword in Sorella. However, Jack was no novice this time around, and Vertulis was no Daimanos. Despite all his perceived prowess with the weapon, the king couldn't help but swish it around like a helpless boy just learning the art of swordsmanship.

The soft years of kingship had stripped the king of most of his combat prowess.

"It's time for us to end this," said Jack quietly as he performed a quick slash with his wrist, only doubling back at the right moment. It caught Vertulis completely off guard and the blade quickly slashed against the king's dark-colored robes.

Vertulis let out a mighty howl, only audible between Greg's rapid firing. His wounded side now exposed and lacking strength to parry the next blow, the Javan commander slipped his sword a few inches below Vertulis' left breast, not stopping until the king's mouth fell open. Vertulis turned nearly white as he started to shake, the blade pulling free only with difficulty. The king clutched his wound with confusion as his fingers became stained with his blood. With one last look at Jack, Vertulis fell to the ground, dead upon arrival.

The magnitude of his death couldn't have been felt more instantly. Jack had barely turned around to look at Greg before the marine's firing completely stopped. TheSciavo guards who had been attacking up until that moment had ceased all movement, their eyes plastered to the fallen king. As one body, they assumed their knees in front of him, their heads soon touching the ground in front of them in a position that Jack was well-familiar with.

"High Clan King, it is our pleasure to serve you," said the hollow-mouthedSciavo who had just been attacking them a moment before.

Jack turned to look back at the fallen king, his blood now pooling underneath his body. They'd done it. Vertulis was dead.

Greg seemed to echo his thoughts. "Is it over now? Are we safe?"

In an answer to his question, all the former servants of the king appeared in that partition of the tent, many of them piling in where they could find room. Jack looked around to see all sorts of pages, envoys,Sciavo guards, and others assuming their knees in front of him and cast him their allegiance.

"I think so," whispered Jack. "This is unreal."

"A prayer of good fortune to your health, High Clan King," said one young woman as she grabbed Jack's hand, placing a kiss against his skin. Others grabbed at the remains of his tattered uniform, many of them acting as if they'd never been in such a presence before.

"It's true. I always knew it to be true. You're theTur'hava," said one of the sentries, his cheeks glistening with tears as he grabbed Jack's hands.

"TheTur'hava lives! TheTur'hava has come to fix Andalucian society!" yelled another nearby man.

"Bless theTur'hava!" screamed several nearby girls.

"I guess this means you're stuck with that funny title," whispered Greg out of the side of his mouth.

Jack grinned. "I guess so. But I'm more amazed that this little gambit worked. Never had I thought we'd actually get close enough to kill Vertulis."