Prelude

Ka’de sat slack jawed and watched under drooping eyelids the men consume a feast at his call. Grey hair splayed out from underneath his black cap. To his right Bantoah sat erect, a statue, while everyone else used their hands to consume pig. His fork and knife and napkin looked nearly as clean as when he started. His long black, gold, and red hair was made into a bun and a long scar split his cheek from his eye to the bottom of his jaw.

Serving women in low cut, flowing, white dresses stood ready, just outside of the firelight with pitchers of beer and wine, keeping everyone’s glasses full. Identical serving women brought in more food and freshly baked bread and the men consumed. With their eyes, the women and their stomachs the food.

There were thirteen men, including Ka’de, but not Bantoah. On Ka’de’s plate was a piece of flat bread and meat he had only picked at. The girl who served him had a golden choker necklace, the only servant who wore anything other than her white dress.

Candles sat ensconced in the walls at the perimeter of the room and cold moonlight came in through the windows. The men slowed down their eating and started talking to one another. Ka’de motioned to his man.

“Do any of you wish to know why you are here?” Bantoah asked over the raucous conversation. “My Ame, to enjoy our conversation and reward us for conquering the barbarians!” The man at the furthest chair from Ka’de all but shouted. The men banged their fists on the table. All the silverware and cups rattled. Bantoah smiled and his scar changed bent out of shape from a straight line. “Not for what you have done, but what you will do.” Bantoah asked. They all stared back at him. The silence stretched on until a man belched. Bantoah glared at that man and then at a nod from Ka’de went on. “It is time for us to crush the menace of the council cities under our heel. For Ka’de to take what is rightfully his.” There was a long pause while Bantoah looked to each of them. “Ka’de will lead us to glory as he did your fathers. And their fathers. And as his father did your ancestors. A line of gods goes before us to unite the the broken lands that they’d be united again. Only do what he commands. Renew fealties brothers,” Bantoah knelt in front of Ka’de and presented his blade hilt first to Ka’de. “Ame, my sword, my blood, my all.”

Everyone at the table moved to kneeling and repeated his words. Ka’de looked out and though half closed eyes half snarled and half smiled. For the first time that these men had seen, Ka’de nodded at each of them. After accepting each of their fealties, he stood up and left the room.

In his chambers he stood up straight, his eyes were still hooded, but not as much as they had in the dining hall.

The room was cut stone, with a bed as a center piece.

A fireplace sat empty, despite the cold. A blood red rug covered the lion’s share of the floor. Opposite the fireplace, was full with bookshelves and near his bed was a desk more than two arm spans wide in each direction.

He opened a book sitting on a stand by itself.

It had loosely tied pages together inside two large pieces of oiled wood. He ran over his hand prophecies from the last age that he had gathered over the last decades. Fealty from kings, from those more powerful than kings. He ran his hand over the vellum that held his blood in the pages. Only the barest trickle.

“I will finish what you started. I will finish it.”