Deadlock

It had been a little over a week and Mirk had not made an appearance, Yuji couldn’t help feeling the absence of his only ally making things even more complicated to navigate. However, he managed to get on somehow and was even rewarded with the news that the Marquees of Illus had broken the engagement between his daughter, Lady Dagney, and Lord Till, the third son of the Margrave of Gloam. The margrave was furious and spent the last two days storming about it.

Yuji had met again with the knights under his command. It was agreed that Sirs Reginalt, Hildebald, and their collective group of subordinates would assist with those of Lord Dain’s command to retrieve the escort party from Nocturn and bring them back to Bastion Fortress. The way they were taking would be the quickest, three weeks in total. The margrave was responsible for providing all that the escort party would need when they departed from the fortress. There would be no necessity for them to travel heavy on the way to retrieve the Centauri Seren so they would be able to be more creative in their consideration of appropriate terrain.

Yuji had assured the three knights that he would utilize this time to present his argument to the margrave as he had promised and attempt to negotiate a safer route back to the capital. The party left three days after Mirk’s disappearance and had been gone for five days in total. In that time, he had gathered copious evidence, taking statements from the inner vanguard and inner guard, researching the forest in detail, and had discussed what he would say to the margrave with Sir Euric, who though skeptical, didn’t give the impression of total pessimism.

A sour smile, his back to the door of the margrave’s chamber, Yuji put in a harrowing effort to control his feelings. It had all gone terribly wrong. He had decided that a private conference would be best to make it appear as if he were being reasonable considering Lord Till’s brother’s station and position, and that there would also be no current benefit to a publicly meeting over the matter as Lord Dain had all the support. He presented the evidence in detailed totality, not only was it the longest possible choice compared with all the others, but also the most dangerous for sheer inability to patrol such a large and torturous area. He concluded with the difficulties that would be expected that time of year with the terrain and then stood back waiting for the margrave to review the material.

“Do you think you can fool me so easily?” The margrave, in a single gesture, had pushed all the statements, maps, and other materials Yuji had painstaking gathered onto the floor. “Get out.”

“But, my lord, if you review the materials, you’ll see…”

“Maybe you should have spent more time pleasing Lady Dagney and securing the only thing you are useful for as opposed to attempting to present a load of drivel to subvert Lord Dain, your own kin, who deserves your loyalty and whose service has proven his decisiveness.”

The comment stung.

“My lord, it isn’t my intention to make Lord Dain look foolish, I am only worried that the intelligence he is receiving about the forest and its perils is skewed and will lead to something unfortunate. He is a member of the Outer Guard; he spends most of his time along the border we share with Yewnguard. I and my men are far more accustomed to Gloam Forest and…”

The margrave’s thick fist pounded the desk cutting him short. “Enough. I don’t want to hear anymore. We’re done here, collect your things and go.”

“But my lord…”

“Do you wish to be removed from your position, is that what you seek?”

Yuji was aware that Lord Till was put in charge of the Inner Vanguard so he might meet his untimely end in a way that exempted them from having to get their hands dirty. After all, it was very difficult to kill someone with an immunity to poisons and so long as that poison resistant person was mildly astute, they might be able to avoid other dangers as well. But Lord Till’s position in the vanguard was also the only thing providing him with any importance or autonomy, even his position as the Centauri Seren’s guard was more in name then anything. There was no benefit to continuing with the margrave. The white flag had to be raised.

“Forgive me my lord, I’ve overstepped.” Humiliated he gathered the documents that the margrave so expressively decorated the floor with and left the room seething.

What kind of father could be such a stupid lump of flesh? He doesn’t even know how to think passed his preferences. Trying to sabotage Lord Dain, ha.

He made his way to the library where he returned the books he had collected, tossing the other papers in the large fireplace that warmed the open shelves. Depressed by this wayward adventure he walked aimlessly for several minutes trying to imagine a way to explain the situation to Sir Euric.

“Are you lost my lord?” A familiar voice asked from not far ahead of him.

Raising his eyes, Yuji was greeted with the sight of the man who had stood beside the margravine the day at court when he had been saved by the Centauri Seren. Nothing had changed in those short months, that pompous smile and goading stare just as unpleasant as he remembered.

“Not at all.”

“Oh really? You seem very lost to me.” The window the man stood in front of backlight him just enough to cast a light shadow all over the front of him, making the micro shifts in his features difficult to track.

“If you have nothing more valuable to say Sarkis I’ll be on my way.” Yuji made a move to leave but the man shifted preventing him from passing.

“Your meeting with the margrave is all over the castle. There is not a person who isn’t talking about it from the least to the greatest.”

It’s nice to know gossip is the same wherever it’s spread.

“Is it out of the kindness of your heart that you’ve sought me out to tell me this?”

Yuji was having difficulties stemming his annoyance. The inability to see the wider picture, to put aside petty things like glory and partiality in preference to human lives and security was too much to bear while having to deal with someone he perceived as a bootlicker.

“I thought I might offer you some healthy advice, you see I hear the margrave offered you an alternative to having to support something you find objectionable.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, only that the margrave was kind enough to offer you the ability to abdicate your position if its terms were not appealing to you. As I see you lack your usual companion, I thought you might need aid in interpreting the situation.”

“And you were just the man for the job, huh?”

Those cobalt eyes flashed maliciously. “Just so. It is the duty of those in my position to be of service where I can.”

“And your sage advice would be what exactly?”

“That you should take the opportunity to bow out gracefully. After all it is expensive and difficult to teach someone how precious sleep can be for their health, and their inability to learn diligently can make the lives of others very difficult. It is possible that if you dedicated yourself to handling things amicably, the need for further education might not be necessary.”

Is he honestly suggesting that I should kill myself or something?

“And why do I need to be taught such a thing?”

“Well, my lord, the stage can only be occupied by one in a monolog.”

“And if I say I’m not interested in occupying that stage?”

Sarkis’ face shifted so inexplicably he almost appeared a totally different person. “People lie all the time my lord or worse… they change their minds.”

Yuji couldn’t help his own heavy sense of disgust.

“It sounds to me like even if I did bow out gracefully, as you put it, the leading actor might still think me a threat.”

“It’s possible. I can’t say it’s not. But at least you might be able to have a short moment of normality, a bit of happiness before the end comes at last.”

“Who can feel happy when they feel death breathing down their neck.”

“My lord, death is breathing down all our necks whether we can feel it or not.”

“Do not move!” A familiar voice called into his mind.

Yuji would have jumped out of his skin if he hadn’t braced himself. Nails penetrated the fabric covering his legs, the weight of something climbing him at an extraordinary pace pulling against the fabric. In a flash, Mirk was on his shoulder, hair up, snarling and growling, aura a chaos of blacks and reds. Sarkis put his hands up in a foppish gesture, his smile giving a few little uneasy shifts.

“It seems I am upsetting your companion, so I should push on. But you will consider my advice, won’t you, my lord?” Without waiting for an answer Sarkis disappeared, seemingly fading into the architecture.

Yuji took a deep breath not realizing how hard his heart was beating or how little he was breathing during their conversation. Looking to Mirk, who was still perched on his shoulder in a state of silence, he almost couldn’t get himself to believe his eyes.

Yuji thought of asking where he had been or saying thank you to him for showing up when he had. Looking at him, feeling him there, he felt an ache rise out of his chest. The world had seemed small and empty without his only friend, no matter how antagonistic he could be. There were a thousand things Yuji could have said, but what he settled on was very simple.

“It’s good to have you back.”

Mirk hesitated and then relaxed onto his shoulder, “Yes, I’m sure it is.”

Waiting a while before proceeding up the hall, so as not to find himself once again accidently in the company of Sarkis. Yuji allowed himself the luxury of appreciating the stillness and the feeling of the small being whose fast little heartbeat penetrated the fabric of the woolen tunic.

“So, tell me Yuji, did you really have evidence against Lady Dagney?”

“Not a thing.”

“Nothing at all!”

Yuji couldn’t help a low laugh at Mirk’s obvious shock, enjoying the sound of his voice.

“You know that the devil she serves will not be content and will not be so easy a foe?”

“Yes well, I guess it’s good you came back then.”

“I suppose it is.”