One aspect of Cull’s early successes that warrants closer examination is his exceptional talent for recruitment, particularly his ability to bring influential figures into the fold of his cause. Much of the existing historiography has focused on the role of Cull’s cadre of fanatics, who were instrumental in his overt confrontations with the Heroes. Similarly, attention has been given to his calculated use of the enigmatic agents known as the Red and the Black, both in orchestrating the infamous Night of Fire and Blood and in their pivotal roles during the climactic confrontation with the Heroes. However, these analyses often neglect the broader infrastructure underpinning Cull’s ascendancy: the extensive network of covert sympathizers he cultivated over the years. This network, composed of individuals from various walks of life, proved indispensable to his ability to influence events from behind the scenes. Cull demonstrated an extraordinary proficiency in forging alliances and subverting loyalties, integrating key figures into his conspiracy with a precision that suggests a deep understanding of human motivations and vulnerabilities. Indeed, a review of accounts from the Heroes’ perspective reveals the extent of Cull’s success in this regard. It appears, almost hyperbolically, that every third prominent figure had some allegiance to Cull, whether overt or covert. This pervasive reach not only facilitated his manipulation of events but also compounded the challenges faced by those who sought to oppose him, underscoring the multifaceted strategies that defined his campaign for power. – Scholar Grel Tamar, excerpt from “Examination of the Traitor Cull”
RIN
Rin stormed into the Imperial Suite with Morelli and Pallus right behind them. The sitting room was completely empty. Even the servants were gone. A sudden wave of fear filled his connection with Illana, but he couldn’t tell where she was. She was alive. That fact allowed him to keep his sanity.
“What under the Protector’s gaze is going on, Pallus?” Rin asked, in a barely controlled tone.
“I don’t know. She was supposed to be here with Lady Sonya and her guard,” Pallus answered. Rin stormed towards Pallus, but the elf didn’t even look at him. Rin wasn’t sure if he was impressed or enraged further.
“Sweet Goddess,” Pallus said as the thought struck him. “They went to the Iron Room.”
“Where?”
“Lieutenant Vol must have taken Sonya and her highness to the Iron Room,” Pall answered.
“Why would they take them to this Iron Room?”
“It’s a fallback position if the Crystal Palace was ever under siege. A place the Guard could hold out.”
“Why would he take them there?”
“If there were more Purists than he felt his group could take on and keep the princess safe.”
“So, where is this Iron Room?” Rin asked. Pallus pointed at a part of the wall.
“I was wondering why the carpet was scuffed there,” Morelli said. “Secret door?”
“Yes,” Pallus answered, as he walked over to the wall. He eyed the young ranger cautiously. Facing the wall, Pall pushed in a pair of the crystal bricks. A segment of the wall melted away to reveal a small passageway. As the three stepped into the passage, the crystal bricks above them lit up just enough for them to see. After ten meters, the passage ended in a tight spiral staircase.
“The Iron Room is below. Follow me,” Pallus said as he strode quietly down the stairs.
“Protector’s blood, move!” Rin urged impatiently.
“Rin, if you are correct, it won’t do Sonya or the princess any good to rush into an ambush,” Pallus replied, with a touch of annoyance. Rin grimaced. Pallus was right, as usual. As the trio exited the staircase, Pallus led them down a side hall. At the end was a large steel door. A pair of Crystal guards stood at attention in front of the door.
“Open the door Devin,” Pallus ordered. The two guardsmen traded looks and Rin’s instincts screamed warning.
“Lord Pallus, would you please return to the Observatory?” Devin pleaded.
“I gave you an order guardsman,” Pallus said, gripping his sword hilt. Devin and the other guardsman drew their swords, but Pallus was already moving. He closed with the second guardsman and slammed the pommel of his sword into the man’s throat. Pallus slipped under Devin’s strike and drew his own sword. The ring of steel on steel filled the hallway as Pallus deflected the strike. Pallus rode the blade down and with a flick of the wrist, knocked Devin’s blade away. Without hesitating, Pallus drove his sword deep. Devin screamed in pain and tried to flail at his former commander. Pallus contemptuously batted aside the guardsman’s blade before slashing open the man’s throat with a single sweep of his own sword.
“Are you done playing with them?” Rin asked.
“You could have taken that one,” Pallus observed, pointing his sword at Devin as the man gasped and bled out.
“I’m not going to shoot at a man standing in front of a big metal door.”
“What’s the problem with that?” Pall asked, pulling a heavy key from Devin’s belt pouch.
“I’ll explain the concept of a ricochet after Illana and Sasha are safe,” Rin said.
“Stop calling her Sasha,” Pall said, “Her name is Sonya. You’re not helping her be who she needs to be.”
“What under the Protector’s Gaze does that mean?”
“Just stop calling her Sasha, Rin.” The iron door slid into the wall revealing a long curving hallway. Three elves in Crystal Guard tabards and holding long halberds sprinted into view.
“Well, now. Who under the Goddess are you three?” Pallus asked, in a mocking tone. Rin took that as a cue, shouldered his rifle, and shot the center elf. In the blink of an eye, Pallus was between the other two elves. Two quick slashes and both were lying in pools of their own blood.
“Are you going to take all day reloading that thing?” Pallus asked, as he nonchalantly walked down the hallway. Rin and Morelli trotted up next to him.
“Those three weren’t part of the princess’s guard?” Morelli asked.
“Those three weren’t even in the Crystal Guard,” Pall answered. “I fear Lieutenant Vol is a traitor and staffed the princess’s guards with fellow conspirators.”
“Brilliant deduction, Pallus. Someday you could be a patrol constable,” Rin retorted.
“Which of us killed more traitors in the last few minutes?” Pallus replied, coolly, “And did so without deafening us and alerting our opponents?”
“Are you two always like this?” Morelli asked. Before Rin could reply, a half-dozen elves in heavy armor clanked into view. The armored elves drew their swords and formed a semi-circle.
“Work the left,” Pallus ordered. Rin snapped his rifle to his shoulder and shot the far-left elf as Pallus charged the next in line, ducked under the elf’s slash, and cut open the inside of the man’s thigh. The next tried to flank Pallus, but Morelli touched off of his grapegun. The elf slumped to the ground bleeding from a dozen holes. Pallus stepped into the fourth and severed his arm before kicking the man’s legs out from under him. Pallus was about to take on the fifth man when a red blur savaged the elf with a flurry of stabs. Sasha turned her fury and knives on the last elf, who just gaped as Sasha skewered him with a long, thin dagger.
“It’s good to see you relatively unharmed,” Pallus said. Her dress was torn and blood-spattered. A nasty bruise was forming on her right cheek and her wrists were raw and bloody. She looked ready to kill the next Purist they came across.
“Your guards have no clue how to bind prisoners,” Sasha said.
“I’m no longer sure they are my guards.”
“Whoever they are, they fortunately don’t know how to properly search their prisoners either.”
“Glad to see you’re back in form, Sasha,” Rin said, handing her a sword.
“Did you have to let everyone know you were coming with that thing?” Sasha asked, pointing at the rifle.
“It made sense at the time.”
“How many are with Princess Illana?” Pallus asked.
“About a dozen or so more,” Sasha answered, unlatching the breast plate from a guard. “Pallus, help me with this.” He carefully draped the plate over and tightened it into place.
“I was worried about you,” Pallus said as he ratcheted down the fastenings on the breast plate.
“I’m fine, Pallus. Just a little worse for wear,” Sasha answered. She looked up at him. “You’re not going to do something stupid like telling me to stay here or go back to the Imperial Suite?”
“Why would I do that? You’re too good of a warrior and too stubborn of a woman,” Pallus answered, “Would you try and be a bit careful since you don’t have your normal armor and sword?”
“Since you asked so nicely.”
“We need to move before they kill Illana,” Rin said.
“Vol is not going to kill Illana,” Sasha said. “He needs to take Princess Illana to the Acolytes for purification.”
“That’s not what Ela said,” Rin replied. Sasha froze as she was strapping on a pair of bracers.
“What do you mean ‘that’s not what Ela said?’” Sasha asked.
“Ela’s the Edess Kul. She’s one of the Acolytes.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I saw her last night. She told me I needed to get back to Illana before her people killed her.”
“Let’s not let them,” Sasha said, picking up a sword. The four walked down the corridor. After another twenty meters, they came to a dead elf with several stab wounds.
“Your handiwork?” Rin asked Sasha. She nodded.
“They didn’t find the dagger strapped to the inside of my thigh,” Sasha answered.
“Why there?” Morelli asked.
“I’ve been forced to wear dresses and gowns for the last ten years. It’s the only place I can stash a proper weapon.”
“I’ve never seen you carrying there,” Pallus said.
“It’s not like you were looking that hard at the time,” Sasha answered. Pallus uncharacteristically blushed.
“How do you walk so naturally with a blade strapped there?” Morelli asked.
“Practice.” Sasha turned to Rin, “Just so you know, I taught Illana how to carry one there as well.”
“I’ve never seen her carry one there,” Rin said, “At the moment, I just wish she had something more than just a dagger.”
“I think I have a spare box pistol I could give her when we’re done here,” Morelli said. “I think it’s just the right size for her hand. I won it from a prostitute back in Marei City in a dice game.”
“Why would you even consider giving the princess something you received from a prostitute?”
“Why not? She said she used it on more than one of her customers that got too frisky.” Pallus stared at Morelli for a long moment before continuing down the hallway.
The Iron Room was a large circular room some twenty meters across. The normal crystal walls were sheathed in sheets of burnished steel. Light globes at regular intervals along the wall bathed the room in soft light. At the far end of the room, Illana was sitting on a smaller version of the Imperial throne. She looked unharmed – thank the Protector. He felt her anger burning in their connection. Lieutenant Vol was standing at Illana’s left in full scale mail. Five more crouched in front of the throne behind heavy tower shields with crossbows. To the right and left sides of the room were half-dozen strong teams of guardsmen. Rin stepped in front of his friends and trained his rifle on Vol. Pallus, Sasha, and Morelli fell in on his flanks.
“Drop your weapons and surrender,” Vol said, “Even you are not fast enough to take out five crossbowmen before they cut you down, Hero Acciaio.”
“You might be surprised.”
“Do you want to make Princess Illana watch you die after the two of you have just reunited? If you surrender, I will ensure you stay with the princess until we hand all of you over to the Acolytes.” Rin lowered the rifle and locked eyes with Illana. He felt her confidence and her trust.
“Fine, Vol,” Rin said, letting his rifle clatter on the ground. As Vol and his troops relaxed, Rin’s hands dropped to his side and flicked his duster aside. The revolver was in Rin’s hand before his mind registered the weight. He kept the revolver at his waist and held down the trigger as his other hand repeatedly slammed down on the hammer spur. The Iron Room reverberated with sound as Rin gunned down the five crossbowmen in one stream of gunfire. All five elves were lying on the ground without having fired a single bolt.
Morelli touched off his grapegun as Sasha and Pall attacked. Rin spun towards one of the guardsmen just in time to sidestep the elf’s slash. Rin cursed as the elf quickly recovered and attacked again. He didn’t have time for this. He needed to get to Illana. Rin stepped into the elf’s lunge, letting the blade bounce off his duster’s thick denim. Rin’s shoulder flashed with pain, but Rin ignored it. Rin pistol-whipped him with the barrel of the revolver. The elf’s eyes rolled up into his head before slumping to the ground.
“Stop!” Vol yelled. All battle ceased. Satisfied he had everyone’s attention, Vol stepped down off the dais. The elf pointed at Rin.
“You act like the princess’s champion, so why not prove it? Let’s you and I finish this in the traditional way. Single combat.” Rin glanced up at the princess. Illana gave Rin a predatory smile, which warmed and chilled him at the same time.
“Fine, but let’s hurry this up,” Rin said. As soon as the words were out of Rin’s mouth, Vol charged. The elf moved fast in the heavy armor. Rin snatched his rifle off the ground, but Vol was on him before Rin could bring the weapon to bear. Vol slashed down, forcing Rin to block with the rifle. The wood stock splintered as the sword bit deep. Rin ducked under Vol’s next swing and shoved the rifle butt into the elf’s midsection. The elf gasped and backed up a few steps. Rin dropped his rifle and drew his scimitar.
“You are going to fight me with your sword?” Vol asked, with a malicious amusement in his voice, “I’ve been trained by both Heroes Parn and Madrigal. Do you really think you have a chance against me?”
“Can we get this over with? Illana’s giving me her impatient look again.” Vol’s face went puce with indignation at Rin’s nonchalant tone. Rin barely managed to knock the Vol’s slashing blade away. Rin let himself be pushed back as he watched Vol’s pattern. Elven sword work was a set of patterns – dances – that worked to anticipate and overwhelm an opponent’s defenses. Most elven swordfighters knew three or four different dances. Masters may have a dozen in their repertoires. Marteen was so fearsome because he knew nearly fifty different forms and could switch between any of those patterns fluidly and flawlessly. Marteen taught Rin several during their time on Kurt’s farm. Not that he planned on using any of those.
Rin stepped into Vol’s attack with a pair of lightning parries. The sudden attack forced Vol to shift dances. In that fraction of a second, Rin drove in hard. He pushed Vol’s blade away with his own and stepped up into Vol’s face. The elf was so shocked at the breach of traditional dueling etiquette he never saw Rin draw his knife. Rin drove the knife into Vol’s side. Vol blinked at the unexpected pain. Rin twisted the knife before yanking it out and punching Vol in the throat with the handguard. Vol stumbled back. His sword clattered to the ground as Vol grabbed at his neck desperate to breathe. The room went still as everyone watched Vol flop and thrash as he slowly suffocated. Rin ignored Vol and casually reloaded his revolver.
“At least finish him so he can be at peace,” Pallus said
“I don’t owe that traitor a damned thing. Not even a quick death.”
“You are a barbarian.” With one fast sweep of his sword, Pallus slit Vol’s neck. Vol went still as his blood pooled around him.
“The rest of you, drop your weapons,” Sasha ordered, having to shout for everyone to hear her. The remaining guardsmen let their weapons fall to the floor. Sasha motioned for the prisoners to line up against the wall.
“Morelli, bind them,” Pallus ordered. The younger ranger walked up to the Purists and touched off his grapegun. Three fell to the ground as Morelli drew his revolver. The last five prisoners died in a quick series of gunshots. Pallus and Sasha stared at the dead in shock, but Rin didn’t feel any of that from Illana.
“Are you insane?” Pallus screamed at Morelli. “Even in the Republic, they don’t just execute prisoners without a trial!”
“They were traitors and fanatics in league with the forces laying siege to the city. We have no duty to keep them alive, much less try them,” Rin said.
Illana stood up and walked down to Rin. She gently caressed his cheek. All the panic and rage he was fight since confronting Ela evaporated at her touch. She was safe. He could feel whatever was between him thrum with pleasure. Illana pulled Rin’s head down to hers and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek.
“I knew you would come,” Illana said. Her warm eyes suddenly turned stormy. She pointed at the bodies against the wall.
“Do not do something like that again without asking me. Murdering prisoners goes against Imperial law. I cannot be seen flouting that.”
“I understand, your highness.”
“Good, now escort me back to the Observatory. We are taking back my city.”
