Ive been informed that the position of the King Under the Mountains is that since only dwarves own property, only dwarves can be stolen from. Im afraid that if you insist on getting your family jewels back, my lord, we will have to buy them.

Official state missive from Cygnus of Liesse, ambassador to the Kingdom Under

9th of Majwa, Ater

I strode through the doorway, black cloak trailing behind me and assorted minions following suit. Id kept the entourage light for this one: Ratface was a must, since he was the one who knew the details, Hakram was my designated loomer and Robber rounded up the gang by somehow managing to look like he was skulking in broad daylight. Commissioner Rashids office was larger than should have been strictly necessary for a man of his position, though I supposed there were plenty of old grandiose buildings to go around in Ater. The olive-skinned mans eyes immediately flicked to his guards when we entered, the lot of them casually dropping their hands towards their swords. Ater City Guard, not legionaries. While the Supply Commissioner was directly associated with the Legions, he was technically part of the Imperial bureaucracy. Good ol Rashid had, therefore, been given his position through the Court. That probably explained why the moment Black had left the city Id received a missive informing me that due to unforeseen shortages the Commissioners Office would be unable to provide me with the promised supplies. Fucking Heiress. She wasnt even in Praes anymore and she was still managing to piss me off.

Lady Squire, the middle-aged Taghreb greeted me with a pleasant smile. An unexpected pleasure. What can I do for you?

He didnt even bother to point out that Id shown up without an appointment. His secretary had tried to, but Id told Hakram to show the man his teeth and suddenly the schedule had been clear for the afternoon. Funny how these things went.

Commissioner Rashid, I replied just as pleasantly. I came to confirm that the Fifteenth Legions rations would be delivered on time. Just a formality, really.

The commissioner let out a saddened sigh. It almost seemed genuine.

You must not have received my missive, he decided. It is unfortunate, my Lady, but the supplies you were supposed to receive were lost in transit. Theyre halfway to Thalassina by now.

Mhm. Now, was he telling the truth about that or was it only his excuse for whatever petty bastardry Heiress had cooked up? If the supplies werent actually in the city this was going to get complicated real fast.

Be assured that the next shipment well receive has already been earmarked for the Fifteenth, he assured me.

And when, I smiled, will this shipment be arriving?

By the end of the month, should there be no trouble on the road, Rashid replied.

Ah, I murmured. That really is unfortunate.

Something like relief flickered through the Taghrebs eyes but it was short-lived. I reached for my Name and it coiled around my arm almost eagerly, strands of shadow weaving themselves into a spear that I threw at the Commissioner without missing a beat. The impact splintered the chair behind the man and sent him spinning across the room until he landed in an ungainly sprawl of official robes. I heard three swords leave their scabbards behind me and idly glanced at Rashids guards. The Soninke woman in charge of them had her hand raised.

Hold, she called out. Get your hand off that fucking sword, Mubasa. Were not fighting godsdamned legionaries.

Huh, I mused. Thats surprisingly sensible of you

Sergeant Jaha, she provided. Ill be frank, maam Id rather not get involved in this, if thats a possibility.

Jaha, you traitorous bitch, the Commissioner wheezed out.

The Soninke rolled her eyes.

The bribes were nice, Rashid, she replied, but Im not going to fight the girl who set half a city on fire for a measly thirty denarii. It wouldnt even cover my funeral.

Eyeing her carefully, I decided after a heartbeat that she wasnt heading out to get reinforcements.

You are excused, Sergeant, I allowed.

Jaha let out a shaky breath, saluted and sharply smacked the back of a young boys head when he tried to linger and glare at Hakram. Considering that my adjutant was the tallest orc Id met so far, the sight of a scrawny boy in cheap armour trying to intimidate him was more than a little absurd.

You appear to be getting something of a reputation, Hakram noted wryly.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

I keep telling people Im not actually the one who used goblinfire but for some reason they think Im playing coy, I told him.

Ratface snorted. When a villain up and tells you theyre not responsible for something, that doesnt usually mean they didnt do it.

Shut up, Tribune, I muttered. Dont give me lip in front of the Commissioner, itll make us look unprofessional.

As if on cue, Rashid moaned and got on his knees. He was being somewhat melodramatic about this, I felt: Id hit him with the weakest version of that power I knew. The one Black had taught me punched through plate as well as an actual spear. Robber scuttled across the room in the blink of an eye and kicked the Taghreb back down.

Now now, Commissioner, the goblin captain purred. None of that. Its a nice clean floor, nothing wrong with it.

I slowly took off my gloves and put them down on the mans desk, taking a few careful steps until I stood looking down on him.

As you may have deduced, I have some objections to the timeline youve given me, I spoke calmly. The Fifteenth is moving out tomorrow, and the rations we have at the moment will only take us as far as Summerholm.

You dare assault a duly appointed official of the Tower? Rashid hissed. Ill see you hanged for this.

I sighed. Funny story, Rashid. May I call you Rashid?

No, he replied immediately.

Youre hurting my feelings, Rashid, I told him. You should probably be careful about that. But as I was saying, funny story. Before he left, my teacher delivered a ridiculously large pile of papers at the Fifteenths headquarters. Among those was a form called the Nihilis Report.

The Commissioner paled and I smiled thinly.

Im honestly not sure whats more screwed up about this, I mused. That the Empire has a designated form for killing off bureaucrats, or that they expect me to fill it in triplicate.

Killing me wont get you the supplies, Rashid said after a moment, managing to get back his composure well, as much composure as man could have while lying on the ground anyway. Youd still need the proper documentation with the Imperial seal on it.

Well get to that in a moment, I assured him, crouching by his side. I have a question for you first. When Heiress got to you, was it blackmail or bribery?

I could see the denial on his face but before he could get out a word I laid a finger on his lips. He seemed deeply offended by the act, but I could have cared less. The continued patronizing slights were keeping him off balance and I needed him that way if he was going to buy what I was selling.

Now before you say anything, Rashid, I said. I just want you to know something: when I met the Lone Swordsman, he had a Name trick he used. It allowed him to pick up on when people were lying. Guess what was the first thing I asked my teacher to show me?

I did not, in fact, know the Swordsmans trick. Black had been unable to replicate it, though he was good enough at reading people that it made no real difference. I wasnt nearly there yet, but so far I was managing to even out by lying like a Mercantis chariot salesman.

Bribery, the commissioner admitted through gritted teeth.

I sighed. Youre not making this easy on me, Rashid, I told him. Blackmail I could have sympathized with, at least.

I would have done it for free, uchaffe, he sneered.

Oh you really shouldnt have said that, Ratface winced.

You ever notice how its always the Taghreb who go for the racial slurs? I mused. Its about time we got to the part about the seal, I think. Supply Tribune Ratface over there has the documents all ready for you. All they need a little melted wax and for you to make the impression.

And how do you think youll make me do that, Callowan? the commissioner laughed, having pumped the depths of his panic and found something vaguely resembling a spine. Torture? You dont have that in you. Why dont you just walk out of here and save yourself more embarrassment.

I patted his shoulder gently.

Youre right, I dont do torture, I agreed. Even now, I think its barbaric.

I got up to my feet.

Allow me to introduce Captain Robber, I said. Hes a horrible green barbarian.

The goblin grinned malevolently at me, yellow eyes filled with glee. He enjoyed theatrics like this to a thoroughly unhealthy degree.

You say the nicest things, Boss, he replied.

I returned my attention to Rashid, whose face had frozen.

Theres an old story in Callow, I told the commissioner in a casual tone. Its about a fisherman who catches a magic fish in his net and finds it can talk. It offers him three wishes if he lets it go. Theres a formula to it, like in all the stories: the fisherman has to close his eyes and say his wish out loud.

I picked up my gloves and gingerly put them on.

Heres what Im going to do, Commissioner Rashid. Im going to say my wish out loud and leave you in this room with Robber.

My eyes turned cold.

I get the feeling that, when I come back, therell be seal on those papers, I finished.

Rashids eyes flickered to Robber.

Hes just a goblin, he sneered, though I could see the fear in his eyes.

Hes a goblin Ive been told keeps a jar full of eyeballs in his knapsack. Ill be honest with you, Rashid: at this point Im a little afraid to ask whose they are.

The goblin captains brows rose. How do you even Hakram, you gossipy bitch.

The tall orc scratched his chin unrepentantly. I dont get why people keep telling me things, he admitted.

I cleared my throat. That aside, I think were done here. I smiled at the Commissioner. Ill see you in a bell, Rashid. Robber, try not to make too much of a mess. I dont know what they pay the cleaning staff around here but its definitely not enough to deal with that.

I hummed the first few notes of an old Laure tavern song under my breath and turned to leave. One, two, three, four-

Wait!

Oh, good. I had no real intention of having anyone tortured, so if hed called that bluff I would have had to take another angle. I turned to face the Commissioner, smile still present. He was watching Robber unroll what seemed to be a set of sappers tools on his desk, eyes gone white with terror.

Do you have something to tell me, Commissioner? I asked.

Just give me the damn papers, Callowan, he hissed. Ill seal them.

I motioned for Ratface to bring the paperwork forward while Robber allowed the man to get back on his feet. The goblin was pouting, the sight of that arguably the most horrifying thing Id seen in a fortnight. In a matter of moments, the melted wax was on the requisition form and the Commissioner pressed down the Imperial seal. The Fifteenths supplies for the march were secured.

Now if youd done that to begin with, I pointed out, there would have been no need for any of this unpleasantness.

Just get out, you smug Wallerspawn, he replied tiredly. You have what you want.

I frowned, watching Ratface slip the papers in his scroll case from the corner of my eye.

Thats twice, you know, I noted.

The bureaucrat frowned. What are you talking about?

Twice youve used a racial epithet while referring to me, I clarified. I like to think Im a patient woman, Rashid-

Ratface snorted, loudly.

- but I only have so much tolerance for that kind of tomfoolery, I finished, ignoring him. Adjutant, break two of that mans fingers.

Aye aye, maam, Hakram grunted, moving forward.

You- you cant, Rashid stammered out. You already have what you-

This isnt about you, Commissioner, I told him calmly. Its not personal, anyhow. What Im doing is teaching the Imperial bureaucracy to mind its tongue around me. I dont expect you to stop being racist, Im not that presumptuous. But I do expect you to be polite. I think youll remember that, should we ever meet again.

The black cloak swirled around me as I sharply turned and made for the doorway, ignoring the sound of someones thumb being broken immediately followed by a hoarse scream.

By the time we got back to the Fifteenths headquarters, Noon Bell was about to ring.

When Id first learned that it was illegal for a legion to be posted inside the capital, Id half-expected to end up camping in the Wasteland. Preferably with ramparts built and a constant full watch, because there was some nasty stuff out there. Thankfully, it wasnt the first time that one of the Legions had to be headquartered close to Ater without breaking the law: there were a handful of semi-permanent encampments a mile to the north of the city. Theyd been, Hakram had informed me, where the Empire usually mustered its armies for an invasion of Callow. The irony in a Laurean girl being in command of one of those felt delicious. Stone walls with overlooking watchtowers came into sight long before even my Name-sight was able to make out the legionaries manning them. The walk was a long one but Id decline to take Zombie along, preferring to remain on foot like the rest of my companions.

I dont get why Treacherous was so popular, I told Ratface as we neared the gates. I mean, he betrayed pretty much everyone that ever dealt with him.

Admittedly he was quite insane, the Taghreb tribune agreed. But as far as Dread Emperors go he was one of the better ones.

I dont recall him actually accomplishing anything, I replied. And after something like the War of Thirteen Tyrants and One there must have been a lot of rebuilding to do.

Its the same reason westerners are fond of Bards, Hakram gravelled. He was hilariously ineffective.

He managed to betray a villain called the Betrayer, Squire, Ratface grinned. You have to hand it to him: he might have had only one trick but he was great at it.

I rolled my eyes. Id be a little more impressed if hed ruled longer than a decade. That kind of stupidity is why you dont put the comic relief in charge.

Youve got to respect that kind of an exit, though, Robber mused. I mean, poisoning himself and pinning it on over a hundred different people? Man knew how to leave the stage.

Every nation had its folk figures, when it came down to it. In Callow the most popular was probably Elizabeth Alban, the Queen of Blades whod had so many storied tacked onto her name that it was chronologically impossible for her to have lived through all of them but there were plenty of heroes with colourful legends attached to them. I just had a hard time understanding why the likes of Dread Emperor Treacherous had made the cut here in Praes.

I would have thought rulers like Triumphant-

I paused when all three of my companions pressed a knuckle to their forehead and murmured may she never return.

All right, I frowned. Whats that about? This isnt the first time I see people do this when shes mentioned.

Ratface grimaced. You know how Praesi dont really have prayers?

I raised an eyebrow. It had taken a while for me to get used to the idea that there was no organized religion for the Gods Below, after being raised on weekly sermons at the House of Light. Relationships with the Hellgods were a deeply personal matter, rarely more widespread than a family having a common shrine. Occasionally cults popped up, but Black had told me the Tower made a point of stomping those out. Not because of religious intolerance, hed explained, but because they had a history of breaking the Imperial restrictions on human sacrifice. It was a little distressing to consider that in any case the Imperial bureaucracy could be the lesser Evil.

Sure, I grunted.

This is a prayer, Catherine. As close as we get, anyway, Hakram gravelled. Whenever her name is spoken, anyone whos not a fool petitions the Gods Below to make sure she never manages to return to Creation.

My frown deepened, though a part of me was mildly amused when I remembered that Black had never used the prayer when referring to the Empress.

Is that considered likely? I finally asked.

Robber chuckled. You tell me, Boss. When she croaked it several of her Legions went down with her. Odds are they ended up in the same place. The old girl conquered more with less.

Huh. Well, that was definitely making it onto the list of things I was asking my teacher about next time he scryed. It wasnt like there wasnt a precedent for a mortal taking over one of the Hells, though mortal was a bit of a misnomer when it came to the Dead King. I made a mental note of bringing up the subject as soon as possible while the encampments gates opened in front of us. The handful of legionaries on the watchtowers flanking it saluted as we went by and I replied with a nod, face carefully blank. Even months after the Fifteenth had been raised, I was still surprised to see Callowans in Legion armour whenever I came across them. And I came across them often: nearly half of my forces came from the recruitment camps in Callow, some of them having even been transferred from other Legions when my own was officially formed.

I wouldnt have believed it was a coincidence even if Black hadnt outright admitted hed arranged it.

Why my teacher had arranged that remained unclear. The Knight never did anything without half a dozen reasons, most of them known only to himself. Id originally thought he was doing me a favour, but integrating Callowans into the Fifteenth had proved something of a challenge. Altercations had between soldiers had been common place during the first few weeks, though Juniper had come down hard on the troublemakers and managed to put a stop to it. Racial tensions, unfortunately, still ran high. Id expected they would come mostly from more conservative Soninke and Taghreb elements but my fellow Callowans had turned out just as bad. It made sense, in a twisted way. The more respectable sorts werent the kind of people who signed up for a term of service in the Legions of Terror. The core of my Callowan recruits was made up of thieves and murderers whod avoided the noose by volunteering for service, and few of them were actually pleased to be here.

Things had come very close to a general brawl when the goblin elements of the Fifteenth had launched into a spree of borderline vicious pranks targeting the newcomers. It was, Pickler had later told me, tradition in the Legions. A hazing ritual meant to make fresh recruits earn their membership in the ranks. The Callowans had seen them as personal attacks instead, and several legionaries goblins and humans alike had ended up in a healers tent when tempers rose. The only good thing to come out of it was that all the wounded had insisted theyd ended up with broken bones through training accidents instead of admitting theyd been fighting, falling back on common mistrust of authority when the time to hand out sanctions had come. Id spent more than one evening discussing the subject with my Legate, but Juniper was largely unworried. She believed that the Fifteenth would come together after its first major engagement, regardless of prior tensions.

Personally, I thought that a large part of the problem came from the fact that there were no Callowan officers higher in rank than sergeant. Unfortunately there was no quick solution to this: the only people from the Kingdom whod gone through the War College were Deoraithe, and none of them had stuck around to serve in the Legions afterwards. I couldnt very well appoint a legionary from the ranks to a lieutenantship just for being Callowan when I had actually qualified candidates from other backgrounds available to me. Battle casualties will allow for field promotions, unpleasant as that thought is. Well see if any distinguish themselves enough to warrant a rise up the ranks. Robber peeled off from the group a few moments after we entered, returning to his company, but both Hakram and Ratface followed me to the walled bastion serving as the Fifteenths centre of operations.

As my adjutant Hakram was, officially, serving as my liaison to the legion. Practically speaking, hed mostly ended up getting me up to date on reports and handling the bulk of the paperwork that kept flowing in my direction. Supply Tribune Ratface, on the other hand was part of Junipers General Staff. He served as the head of the Fifteenths supply and logistics. It was apparently custom to refer to an officer in his position as the Quartermaster, though it wasnt his official title. The pair of orcs former Rat Company, both of them posted at the bastions door saluted as we passed by, ushering us into the room where most of the Fifteenths senior officers were already assembled. A handful of old tapestries covered roughly-hewn walls, their colours long faded though they were kept scrupulously clean of dust. The large stone table that was the centrepiece of the room was covered by a map of southern Callow, iron figurines placed where the Sixth and Ninth legions were positioned as of the last dispatches. Four copper knights had been set in the spots where skirmishes between the Dukes forces and the Legions had already erupted.

Legate Juniper stopped speaking the moment we entered, turning her gaze onto me. The three other people in the room did the same after a heartbeat. Commander Hune was of about average height, for an ogre, which still meant she had to hunch over uncomfortably to avoid hitting her head onto the ceiling. The patient cleverness in her eyes contrasted with the brutish cast of her face, a hint at the sharp mind that lay beneath it. Hune Egeldotir had been the captain of Tiger Company, back in the College, and shed come highly recommended to me by both Juniper and Hakram. Next to her, tapping his fingers against the stone, stood Commander Nauk. He sent a cheerful grin my way, pushing one of the knight figures half an inch forward when Juniper wasnt looking. Oh, thats going to drive her crazy when she notices it. Nauk was, I reflected, a bit of a bastard. But he was my bastard, and that made all the difference.

If the orc commander was my creature, though, then there was no denying that Staff Tribune Aisha Bishara was Junipers. Getting the Taghreb former captain on her staff had been, so far, the only favour my Legate had asked of me. Id made a point of seeing it done: the deeper in my debt Juniper was, the better. Besides, she was too much of a professional to make the request if she didnt think the Fifteenth would benefit from it. Id kicked up the request to Black, and within two bells Scribes bureaucratic wizardry had seen to it that Aisha was one of mine.

Lady Squire, Juniper gravelled. I take it all went well?

I repressed a twitch at the formal address she insisted on keeping using. In some ways Id preferred it when she constantly insulted me, mostly because the interaction felt more honest. But since the very moment the Fifteenth had been officially formed, shed turned horribly formal on me and no amount of telling her to do otherwise had managed to break her of the habit.

Well, I mused. Im not getting invited to any social occasions for the foreseeable future but we have the papers.

Commander Nauk barked out a laugh, elbowing Aisha in the sides she eyed him like hed just spit on a silk dress and quietly stepped on his foot. His steel-capped boots were thick enough he didnt even notice.

Gave them the old Callow treatment, did you? the orc snickered.

Is it really the original Callow treatment if nothing explodes, though? Ratface wondered.

Whoever gave you the impression youre funny has a place waiting in the worst Hell, Quartermaster, Juniper grunted. When are we getting the rations?

Theyll be in our stocks before nightfall, Ratface replied, thoroughly unoffended. I appear to have misremembered the actual number of soldiers in the Fifteenth, so well end up with some surplus.

There was a reason the handsome Taghreb was our Supply Tribune. He had a way of getting his hands on whatever we needed and a little more, no matter how much bureaucracy stood in his way. Id considered asking him exactly how he managed that, but a crate of Vale summer wine had appeared in my quarters before I could. How hed even known it was my favourite drink was a mystery, as was the way hed gotten his hands on it when Vale itself was currently one of the main strongholds of the rebellion.

Useful, Hune spoke mildly, her voice surprisingly delicate for a woman her size. We can trade with other Legions on the way to the front.

Discretion will be key, Aisha murmured. A certain amount of that is tolerated, but its technically against regulations.

Id made all of my senior officers aware of why exactly we needed to toe the line of Legion rules, at least in appearance. There was no telling where Heiress had friends just waiting to kick up a fuss.

Oh you know me, Ratface smiled. Discretion is my middle name.

Aisha rolled her eyes, not deigning to humour him further.

Well be ready to march tomorrow, Legate? Hakram gravelled, getting the conversation back on track before I needed to step in.

There should be no further issue, Juniper agreed. Well be off with dawn.

I hummed, rather pleased.

This will be the last staff meeting we have in this camp, then, I said. It feels like something that should be celebrated with drinks. Only the one cup, though, Ill have to get going soon.

Juniper frowned as Hakram passed her by to pick up a carafe of wine. You have another appointment?

I grimaced. Ive received summons to the Tower. The Empress requests that we have a talk.

A ripple of curiosity went through my officers.

Theres no court session tonight, so Im assuming it will be a private meeting? the Staff Tribune probed.

The message didnt specify, I replied. Just to be sure, Aisha, would there be an issue with my wearing armour? I dont actually own court dress.

The Taghreb aristocrat shook her head. If youre summoned in your station as the Squire, military apparel is appropriate. Youre a little young for the Empress usual tastes, anyhow.

I raised an eyebrow. I wasnt aware Malicia was inclined towards women.

Aisha shrugged. She hasnt added men to the Imperial seraglio since her ascension, so thats the current belief.

My eyes narrowed in distaste. She kept the seraglio? Weeping Heavens, she used to be a concubine. She should know better.

The Staff Tribune met my eyes unflinchingly. With all due respect, my Lady, your Callowan is showing. The Imperial seraglio is, above all, a political institution. Of course Malicia keeps one.

Im not seeing anything particularly political about keeping a stable of women to sleep with, Bishara, I replied flatly.

Thats because you think this is about sex, she replied bluntly. It isnt. Consorts only share a bed with a Tyrant if they wish to. High Lords and Ladies send relatives into the seraglio to openly back a ruler or curry influence. Traditionally its a way for an Emperor or Empress to install individuals of unsuitable background at Court without going through the bureaucracy.

Traditionally, Ratface repeated quietly. Lets not forget Nefarious, and he wasnt the first.

Keep your personal politics out of this, Hasan, Aisha retorted harshly. That Emperor Nefarious turned his seraglio in some sort of sordid sex dungeon was a sign hed lost the ability to rule, and he paid for it with his life.

I raised a hand. All right, thats enough. I wasnt aware there were nuances to this, or I obviously wouldnt have stuck my foot so forcefully in my mouth. I fully intend to continue this discussion at some point, Aisha, since it seems like a glaring hole in my political education. Nows not the moment, though.

Were leaving Ater behind tomorrow, Juniper spoke, stare sweeping across all the officers. We will be leaving politics with it.

It wasnt a question. We grabbed glasses and the wine was passed around, the harsh Wasteland red Hakram had fetched making the rounds. I raised my cup.

To the Fifteenth, I announced.

Nauk laughed.

We march West, once more, the tall orc quoted in Mthethwa.

Waging that same old war, we all echoed, cups clinking together.

It was just as well none of us had spoken the rest of the famous verse.

Onward to the fields of Callow,

Swift death and graves shallow.