Tylywoch ~ 06 Specialisation
By Len Morgan
Finally, after a long expectant wait, the gathered crowd went silent, as the counsellors and committee entered the central arena, solemnly soberly and in single file, as the ceremony decreed.
“We
will call each student's name, followed by their allotted specialisation, you
are advised to listen carefully because they will not be repeated.”:
“GALEIN
– Healer, BRODEK – Warrior, SOREN – Intelligence, GORR – Warrior, UVALAN – Weapons Master, TURPO – Warrior, DANNE – Logistics, HILDI – Espionage, PLAVIN – Warrior, BRAN – Diplomat, MYNACH – Warrior.”
There
was a pause and some discussion amongst the trainers. Weilla stood dry-mouthed, her name had not
been called. She looked questioningly
at Galyx, who could only shrug…
“WEILLA – Generalist!” A surprised buzz went around the small group of villagers & friends still remaining in the hall. Weilla stood with a puzzled expression on her face, "GENERALIST?" ‘What sort of classification is that,’ she thought.
The others began to drift away, bubbling with excitement over their new found status, Weilla remained in the meeting area, bemused and uncertain as to what action to take. After a few moments, Galyx approached her. “I have spoken to the committee, it seems that you are not training in any particular field. You will receive continued but intensive training in all disciplines until your true vocation is revealed to us, you will then follow your new path whatever it may be. This does mean you will have to work much harder than the others, but as a concession, you will not be required to carry out Kebu duties. You will concentrate exclusively on your training. You may find others looking down on you because of what appears to be a slight on your character. Bare their foolishness with good grace, and be assured that it is an honour that has been bestowed on you, not a slight. You will appreciate this more fully as time passes.”
.-…-.
At specialisation, Aldor believed the term Generalist had been invented to increase his sense of not belonging. Now a ranking General, he’d long ago learned that this was not so. Instead of being responsible for himself and his quad, he found himself responsible for the commitment and well-being of the whole Clan, and answerable for their actions.
Early in his career during his time at court as captain of Emperor Daidan’s bodyguard, he’d developed a close bond and working relationship with the wile old man. From an early age, Aldor had displayed a talent for languages. He’d used this talent unashamedly in the service of his emperor, listening in on conversations between visiting delegations. He was able to raise his surveillance skills to a new level when he learned to 'lip read' from a man he’d helped and befriended. The man happened to be deaf but was able to amply repay his debt to Aldor by reading lips for him and eventually sharing his skills with the Tylywoch. Aldor was able to be a party to any conversation carried out in the open, within line of sight, for up to a quarter of a mile. His agents often use this as a fast effective means of communication in an emergency.
Because of political factions and secret alliances, the emperor was not always able to rely on the impartiality of his ministers or associates; many of whom were susceptible to bribery and corruption. Not so the Tylywoch who guarded him, he knew them to be completely incorruptible; which was why he came to rely so much on the 13th clan.
Emperor Daidan I had created the 13th Clan, five hundred years earlier, from his personal guard of fanatically loyal supporters, who were not necessarily from the Clan classes. The members of the 13th Clan were named ‘The Tylywoch’ (The Ravens), after his personal bodyguard of hand picked agents, many of whom came from the lowest and humblest of beginnings. He was later to add to this corps, trusted members of the intelligence service and assassins guilds. Others were enlisted from those marked for death; scum of the earth to whom he offered conditional pardons in return for their loyalty and the use of their skills and abilities in the name of the Empire. They were funded armed and trained by the very best. Many rose to high office, acting always as the ever vigilant eyes and ears of the Emperor. They swore a death pact to the Tylywoch and to the Jade throne, whoever held the office of Emperor had their unswerving allegiance. In the golden days of the empire, troops led by these warriors conquered the disputed heights of the Sabretooth range and, the poorer barren lands surrounding the empire. They were granted unofficial title to these lands, that nobody else wanted anyway. In return, they were charged to provide an unbroken lineage of Generals to protect the Empire from hostile neighbours, and the Emperor, now the Empress, from physical harm. So they took on the remit to protect the Empire and its Ruler from any form of attack. There were rumours that their very survival was dependent on ensuring that successive occupants of the Jade throne died of old age, and from natural causes. This had been successfully accomplished for more than 450 years. But, despite their unstinting loyalty and total vigilance, their position was still precarious.
Aldor was concerned, having discovered that the rumours were backed by written plans that had existed for over 300 years, to hunt down and exterminate every last Tylywoch man woman, and child in the event of their failure.
.-…-.
Winli watched, with bated breath. His mouth was dry. He licked his lips unconsciously as he marked his target; the old faded blue felt hat and jacket Aldor had been wearing, on his arrival in the Eternal City, two days earlier. The General would die for his sins, at the hands of Winli. He felt a sense of expectant elation welling up inside. In just a few heartbeats the accursed Aldor would be no more! His shining brow exuded a scent of triumph.
Jaffat of the 9th Clan, a member of the Surbatt, knew how hard the death of his brothers had hit Winli; he was counting on it. A year earlier, Aldor’s Tylywoch had pre-empted the purloining of a shipment of goods that would have kept Winli’s band of freebooters, and their families, in luxury for a year. All but Winli had perished to his undying shame. He’d witnessed the execution of his own brothers – inverted and hung by their ankles from a tree, their heads were split open like gourds - he'd been forced to witness the life leeching slowly from them, with the draining of their life's blood. The executions were carried out in the time-honoured way prescribed for felons, on the orders of, the General of Internal Security, General Aldor. Jaffat, Winli's patron, had been sympathetic even generous. He had financed the families, supporting them through the winter. He Promised to provide Winli with an opportunity to exact retribution on his tormentor. True to his word he had called on Winli two days earlier, taking him to witness the arrival of the Tylywoch, and to mark well the object of his hatred – General Aldor. He had provided the place for the ambush and the means of revenge – the bow and quiver of arrows.
He smoothly increased the tension on the bowstring until it touched his lips, a practice bead… He relaxed. The string had left a thin blue tell-tale line bisecting his tight lips. He smiled, satisfied with the weapon. Unconsciously wiping two sticky blue smudges, from his draw-string fingers, onto his shirt front. He breathed out then in again slowly, deeply, shaking his arms, relaxing his muscles. It wouldn’t do to take the shot with tension in his body. "Now," he thought, drawing the bow a second time adding a second blue line to his lips, parallel to the first; he was aware of neither. As he loosed the shaft, he felt both elation and triumphant suffuse his being. He knew in that instant it would fly true and the man in the blue felt hat and coat was dead. Tears of joy, escaped from his eyes, even as they blurred and his body relaxed a final time…
Aldor
turned the body over with his boot and saw the tell-tale marks of the slow-acting poison on his lips. ‘Blaqero’ he
thought, looking back towards the slumped body of Jaffat, in his blue jacket
and hat. He smiled mirthlessly, it was
a mistake to plot with a known felon in a public place, you never knew when
your conversation might be heard or seen by a competent reader of lips. But, officially Aldor was dead, which was
just perfect! Winli had finally served
the purpose for which he had been spared.
Setting a chain of events in motion, that would culminate in the final
destruction of the Surbatt, an organisation that had been a thorn in the flesh
of successive rulers of the Cheilin Empire, and their protectors.
(to be continued)
Copyright Len Morgan
Well done!
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