Iron Blooded

Twenty Six: Execution

Ser Robert did not go quietly.

He had it in his mind I think, that he would stand tall in the end. That he would hold his head high in defiance as the executioner read off his crimes.

He had been flogged already and his back was a mass of scars and torn flesh. Every soldier in the Kadian Army, save for those on sentry duty was in attendance. I stood among my men, shield planted in the ground and hands resting on its top.

Draxus and Hade stood to either side, an honor guard of sorts.

The executioner paused after each listed crime, giving Ser Robert time to process what it was he would be executed for. The Knight's face was stoic right up until the soldiers came to get him.

Men from Dacon's own regiment gripped him under the arms and began to drag him forward. It was then that his mask of stoicism slipped.

There were stages of a man facing his doom. First came the bluster, followed shortly by the anger. He cursed Lord Dacon as he passed him, he spat, he sneered and he swore. Then came the excuses.

So many reasons and none of them mattered a shit.

Hundreds of faces looked on, and most were cold and indifferent. Some were even openly hostile. Ser Robert's eyes searched them all, looking for someone, anyone who might be on his side.

The Knight blubbered like a baby as they dragged him unto the hastily made platform. Rough shorn boards tore at his pant legs as he tried to resist. He made appeals to the executioner who's face was a mask beneath his black hood.

He made appeals to Lord Blackthorne and when that didn't work he made appeals to Lord Dacon.

One of Dacon's Knights stepped forward and spat on him then. The glob of spit hit him in the face and trickled downwards towards his dishevled beard.

"You dare to speak to him?" She snarled "You traitor, you oath breaker. A clean death is too good for you."

Throughout it all Dacon showed little emotion. He sat in a chair beneath an awning, surrounded by his household guard. There was no trace of the gentle young man who had laughed and joked with me just yesterday.

Dacon was every inch the Count's Son as he looked on.

Ser Robert's body was chained to the platform, his head laid across the block. He fought so hard that it took several men to restrain him. As the executioner lined up his axe Ser Robert pissed himself.

I forced myself to watch the axe as it arced downwards. Blood sprayed and the head rolled across the platform, coming to rest facing away from the crowd.

The executioner bowed to the Lord.

"Is justice done to your satisfaction my Lord?" he asked Dacon. The Count's Son inclined his head once and the executioner began issuing orders for the removal of the body.

Ser Robert would get an unmarked grave. Such was the treatment for traitors. The crowd started to come alive but before the masses could move Lord Dacon stood from his chair.

"There is a matter which I wish to address," he said, striding forward.

His guards moved with him until he stood before the platform, hands clasped behind his back. He was wearing fine clothes in the colors of his household and new dark leather boots that reached his knees. His ornate sword was belted at his waist and he drew it in one fluid movement.

"Will of Blackbriar," he said, voice carrying. "step forward."

It was so unexpected that it took me a moment to register the meaning of the words.

"I- my Lord?" I said uncertainly. Lord Dacon's face was serious, his gaze intense.

"Step forward, soldier. That is an order."

I handed my shield to Hade and stepped forward, coming to stand before the Count's Son. Before him, I couldn't help but feel a little shabby, aware of the hundreds of eyes now on me.

Lord Dacon glanced over my shoulder towards where Lord Blackthrone stood. The Spear of the King gave a small imperceptible nod.

"Kneel," said Lord Dacon.

I knelt, unsure of what to make of this.

"Will of Blackbriar I, Lord Dacon of the noble house of Basset, hereby name you Ser William Blackbriar, Knight of the realm. You will uphold the honor of my household, your name, and the throne. Do you swear this oath forthwith?"

My stomach fluttered with nerves and I liked my lips, suddenly aware of the eyes on me.

"I do," I said.

Dacon inclined his head. Then he touched his sword to either of my shoulders.

"Arise, Knight of the realm. I welcome you to the fold, Ser William."

I stood in the presence of Nobility in another world, having just been Knighted by a Lord and all I could feel was shock.

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Then movement caught my eye. The 3rd Auxiliary stood with their hands clasped behind their backs. Gills stepped forward from among them and to my shock he placed a hand across his heart and bowed at the waist.

It wasn't customary to bow to a Knight but Gills honored me today. And he did it in plain view of the other companies. I saw men shift on their feet and heard the beginnings of muttered conversations.

The tides, it seemed, were shifting. And somehow I had just become a more powerful piece on the board. This would complicate things.

Lord Dacon sheathed his sword and held out a hand to me. Hesitantly I took it and we clasped forearms. He pulled me close, lowering his voice so that only I could hear.

"You have just shifted the balance of power Ser William," he said. "You are the first commoner in Kadian history to be Knighted by a Lord."

His eyes met mine.

"Welcome to the table."

***

Status updated:

Class: Soldier

Rank: Knight

Level: 17

New Trait activated.

Trait: Heavy Armor

Level: Bronze

My system window updated as I pulled my chainmail over my padded gambeson. A heavy armor trait might be useful if I could get my hands on a full set of plate. No easy task, and an expensive one.

I had gotten new boots since the Shadow Kin had seen fit to bite through mine, and they were still stiff and in need of breaking in. Still, they were good quality leather and the steel plates woven into the top provided a boost in armor.

I buckled Iron Fang to my waist next to my sword and tucked my helmet under my arm. Outside my tent, my men finished their meals. Jorgen stood so swiftly that he knocked his bowl of herb pheasant flying.

"Ser William," he said. "We're at your command."

I arched a brow, fighting to keep the smile from my face.

"You don't have to call me Ser, you know."

Jorgen frowned, his face serious.

"Of course I do. You are a sanctioned Knight, which makes you one of the highest ranking men in the company, right beside Lieutenant Gills."

I sighed.

"Can't anything be simple?"

"The simple answer is no," Gills stepped into the light of the cook fire, his hair slightly disheveled. Moments later I noticed Vera step out of the same tent, a self-satisfied smile on her face.

"The burden of command weighs heavily on you I see," said Kato, slurping a spoon of pheasant.

"I'm glad you volunteered to lead latrine duty," said Gills. Scribbling a note on his parchment.

Draxus snorted.

"He already smells bad enough, why make it worse?"

"Have jokes now, do you?" Asked a much more sober Kato.

I turned to Gills as the two of them bickered in the background.

"My men and I will take watch tonight," I said. "Which quadrant of the camp are we covering?"

Gills considered this, pulling at the hairs of his beard.

"We have enough men on for rear watch tonight, but I was asked by Lord Blackthorne to send a few more soldiers to patrol the South Eastern perimeter. Apparently, they could use the assistance."

I nodded and gathered my men. I had thirteen soldiers under my command, and all of them were now armed and equipped properly. I had already made a list of additional supplies, upgrades, and equipment that could be used to better supply my men.

Additionally, I would make it a point to ask Bjorn about Trait specialties. If my soldiers were able to level up and gain trait mastery, it would change the course of how we fought on the battlefield.

I turned to see Astrid, her recurve bow in one hand and quiver in the other.

"I'm to patrol with you tonight, Ser William," she said. I rubbed the back of my neck and pulled my helmet on.

"Can we please stop with all the Ser?"

"I'm afraid not. Knights are always referred to by their title. It is a rank, and that rank is often earned in the heart of battle and bestowed by one of Noble blood."

"At least call me Will," I muttered as I walked past. My men rose from the fire, handing off their empty bowls and cutlery to Vera and thanking her for the meal. It was a bit of a ritual in the 3rd, and some men were even superstitious about it.

"Eating Vera's food gives you a boost of stats," Insisted Kato one night.

"Or at the very least it provides a placebo, which is just as good."

We made our way through the encampment to a place where the mobile defenses had been stood up. Crude wooden blockades had been erected near the gap in the palisade wall.

Four soldiers stood on guard and the one with the crossbow hailed us.

"Ser William," he said, and I sighed inwardly. "You're a welcome sight. My boys and I were meant to stand watch tonight but between the recent bout of food poisoning, and the losses at the battle we've been stretched thin."

"Aye. There was a… running bet among some of the men to see if harvested Monster meat was edible. A foolish endeavor I know, but what can you do?"

He sighed wearily.

"Needless to say they've learned a valuable lesson and will be shitting their brains out for the foreseeable future."

"Unfortunate, that."

Jorgen stayed close by while I sent Hade and four others to walk a parallel patrol pattern. The other men I set at intervals, with a lookout mounted on the raised platform behind the palisade.

The watch was largely uneventful. Several mounted messengers checked in and out of the camp gate. At one point a drunk soldier had wandered over to one of the staked torches and pissed on it until it went out.

This earned him a cuffing from his sergeant and a forced apology. The sentry watched the man walk away, bemused.

"I swear the discipline is always the first to go in times of war." He murmured.

"Have you seen many campaigns?" I asked.

"Oh aye. I served under Lord Blackthorne back before he inherited his fathers titles. A good man, a solid leader. I've followed him ever since."

Draxus approached from the inside of the camp, carrying with him a large water skin. He refilled our canteens and I thanked him.

"Have you seen Vera?" he asked. "Gills was asking for her earlier, but she wasn't in camp. I thought she might have gone to get the morning supplies early."

I glanced up at the stars.

"This early?"

Draxus shrugged.

"Was worth a guess. She could have gone to the stream to bathe before the men wake up. If you see her let her know Gills is looking for her."

I sipped from my canteen, watching as Draxus walked away. The night was long, and the sound of snoring men could be heard. A cooking fire crackled nearby.

I frowned, unable to shake the feeling that something was off.

"Jorgen," I want you to do something for me. Jorgen, who had been trying not to nod off standing up, suddenly sprung to attention.

"Anything Ser William," he said, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes.

I gestured with my chin.

"I want you to survey Ser Connel's men and see if a man named York is around. If the sentries question you just tell them that you have a message for him, and leave before they return."

Jorgen looked confused but to his credit, he didn't hesitate for long. The spearman jogged off into the night and I waited, leaning against a barricade. Several long minutes passed and I found myself shifting on my feet, nerves tingling.

Finally, Jorgen strode back into the light of the torches.

"Sorry Ser William, but I couldn't get ahold of him. Camp guards say he went out for a piss earlier and hasn't returned."

I swore.

"How much earlier?" I asked.

Jorgen looked confused.

"I don't know Ser, I didn't ask."

The Sentry glanced over at me.

"Everything alright Ser William."

I forced myself to maintain my calm as I turned to him and nodded.

"My men will stay here," I said. "Hade and Jorgen will accompany me while I attend to a.... private matter. Will eleven men be enough?"

The Sentry nodded.

"More than enough. But Ser William If you don't mind me asking, what's…"

I turned and was already striding away.