A tale of magicians, magick and a lost boy. By saying this is a fantasy I don't really need to stress that it is a work of fiction. Set in a nameless land, maybe even a nameless world, our rules and conventions do not apply here.
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All that day they set to the task of organising the impromptu gathering, carts with food and ale were carried up to the headland. Tables were borrowed, a great pile of wood was manhandled over the grassland and up to the appointed place. The priests who had opened shelters were asked to bring as many as possible with them that night. Dancers and musicians quickly found and hired. And as the day grew dim they saw they had been blessed with a warm pleasant summer's evening for it all. Great sides of meat were being turned on spits as the first people arrived, after being given a tour of the newly completed wing of the orphanage. Pressed into service Thomas stood on a table and told the crowd the hopes for the building they could see standing before further down the hillside, of his hopes for the futures of the children that would pass through it in years to come. Not a word of dissent about the misery of people's lives was spoken by him that night. The Grand Duke may not have been there, but some of his intelligencers undoubtedly were stood among the listening crowd. A series of races had been ran by the children over the time before he spoke to them, each winner was now set to race all the others to be given the prize of setting aflame the giant bonfire stood on the edge of the headland. Everyone there that night ate and drank until there stomachs could hold no more, all around was the sight of happy well fed children. A fair number of them taking to lying on the grass sleeping contentedly as the night grew late, to be picked up and gently carried to a cart that would carry them back down to the city. Courting couples slipped away into the darkness to find a quiet spot. And, as people drifted away that night, a lot of men slipped unseen into the grounds of the empty house to gather for their work the following night. Every member of the household had been involved in the night's festivities, and Jacob sent all the servants back down to their beds in his large carriage. Following them in the small carriage was Jacob and the three children. On that ride down he made a promise to himself, come what may Jamil was far too clever to lose when they left this city, he would be coming home with them if he desired to, and with his love of Tancred Jacob didn't think it would be a hard choice for the boy.
The household was late to break fast that next morning. Sarah, having seen her new challenge, was serving them distractedly. No doubt she was already making plans for what supplies she would be filling the huge pantrys with. After they made ready Jacob took the two boys into the city. He intended to do little more than sense the mood in the streets that day. It was clear the deep air of unhappiness and anger was still much about after the news of the new measures announced by the Grand Duke. The little celebration up on the hilltop had done little to change that, and indeed changing that anger had not been the purpose for it being quickly organised. Seeing nothing alarming they made a return home and took an early evening meal, telling Sarah he would be out that evening and the boys would be accompanying him he told her they wouldn't be needing her for any task. Her plans to sit making enormous lists would not be fulfilled when she, along with the rest of the city, slipped into a magicked sleep later that evening. When Joshua had taken them into the city earlier that day he then took the carriage up to the orphanage, releasing the horses to graze with the other two in the paddock. He then returned to the house, and when he collected them used the small plain carriage. It was this small carriage he used, as the sun dropped in the sky, to take Jacob and the boys to the orphanage. The six horses would be used by riders carrying messages and instructions between the various groups of mercenaries through the night. As the horses were saddled Zachary took a set of strong leather overshoes he had fashioned for each horse and strapped them over the metal horseshoes of each animal. He had thought of the idea as a way of quietening the sound of galloping hooves that may bring people out of their homes to see what was happening. Jacob did not have the heart to tell him nobody would be waking from their magicked rest that night. The whole city would sleep through the noise of a marching band passing their windows. Zachary's role that night was to take charge of the main constable house in the city, once it had been secured by the mercenary force. Tancred and Jamil would be going with him and carry instructions as needed on two of the horses. The story had been spread through the force that in all the places they were to secure, and seize men, the water and food had been drugged by a strong sleeping draught. That the task would have required a group far in excess of any that had been assembled was not questioned by any. The story had been reinforced very firmly by Jacob's spelling. Jard had arranged with the leader of the shore group for a second, much smaller, signal fire to be lit at the same point on the clifftop for him to see, having moved much closer to the land after the previous night's signal fire, he would need to see that small signal before he finally committed his vessels to the harbour. When it became time for that fire to be lit Jacob said he would go up and light it, for he also expected to see a few signals from men who had been checking various points to ensure that all were asleep. Of course there were no men, and no signals to be seen. But when Jacob stood on that high point over the city he drew a tremendous amount of power and directed it towards the city spread out before him. Magick, he often said to the very small number of people who knew of his abilities, is like a muscle, if not used it gets lazy inside you. The effort taken to cast that magick left him weary, he had had no call to use such an amount for a long time. Taking the torch he had carried up the hillside with him he set it upright in the ground, and sent a tiny flame into it, then lay down to rest for a short while, and regain strength. Events could move along quite happily without him for a little time now.
Two groups of men saw that flame appear in the night above them. The men in the orphanage courtyard, making their way quietly down through the city to the docks. And those out on the sea, watching the shore as their vessels moved towards it. The horses were walked down with the men, allowing them time to get used to the strangeness of the leather over their hooves. When they arrived at the docks a warehouse was opened, keys supplied by the trading house, and they disappeared inside to await the rest of the force. Confidence among the men was already high, for they had seen no patrols of the night watch on their silent march. Three men were sent to the dockside with shielded lanterns to guide Jard's vessels, for two of them it meant a careful trip across the deck of a ship already tied to the dock. And as Jard's first vessel bumped quietly against the dockside Jacob, high up on the headland, rose from his rest ready to be about the city starting the many tasks he had set himself that night. The speed with which he needed to move through the city, silent and unseen, had dictated his decision to send the two boys far away with Zachary. It would not be a frail old man who ran swiftly from place to place, making sure there was an open door at each. There were armouries to unlock, and cells in constable houses to be left with keys handily placed in locks. The lesser villians gathered up in that moonlit sweep would awake secured behind bars, at a loss to what had happened. His first task though was the most important of them all, ensuring the Grand Duke and his two vicious sons were safely gone from the city.
As each ship tied up men climbed quietly across to the deck of the other ship and crossed to shore. Following a lantern they entered the warehouse, and quietly greeted the men who had been in the city for a time. Those men all stood apart from each other, and as the warehouse filled with men they formed into platoon sized groups. The men of the shore party would lead and navigate each group through the city they had taken weeks to become familiar with. Each route had been carefully worked out so there need be no unnecessary crossing of paths, and as little wasted marching as possible. Jard stood atop a large crate, gave his men a quiet speech of encouragement and sent them out on their night's work. Another opened crate had been placed by the warehouse doors, and as the men left they were all handed a lightweight coat of bright yellow to wear. No chances were being taken of one group mistaking another in the darkness, the results could mean injury or death. The two boys and Zachary, wearing those coats also, went along with the platoon taking charge of the main constable house. All of those constables houses were, of course, easy to take charge of, having an open door already for people to enter at all hours of the day. They were soon made safe with all the clubs of the constables gathered and put safe. The boots of the men found sleeping soundly removed and put in an empty room, for men without boots have little desire to fight. For most constables waking and being told of the new order in place, this would be the biggest handicap, finding their own boots. One of Jard's quartermasters stood with Zachary that night, marking long lists as reports came in of tasks completed. Jacob, arriving at the Grand Duke's palace before the allocated platoon, set to securing the barracks of the palace guard and the armouries nearby. He then made his way into the palace and found the private rooms of the Grand Duke. Laughing heartily when he came across the whole family sat at a lavishly laden dining table, he lifted the sleeping head of the Grand Duke from the plate of food which it had fell into, and left him sitting bolt upright with gravy congealing on his face. Hearing the sound of the arriving men he showed himself at a window, calling them up to the room. The Grand Duke and his council were to be taken immediately onboard one of Jard's ships, them clapped in irons and held in the brig. There would be no public trial for those men, That ship would be making the final voyage to ever set sail from this city to the slave lands with them. Once all the council were also taken aboard the ship would move away from the dockside, and stand a league or so out on the water. The master of the ship would be given a further instruction that no two of them were to be sold at the same time, ensuring that they had no other, known to him, in captivity alongside them who would work together towards escape. Once those men had took charge of the Grand Duke and his sons Jacob left to continue his tasks.
Tancred and Jamil had a grand time that night, galloping between one place and another they saw much more of the actions than near anyone else. If the story of that work were ever to be written then it would be those two who could furnish more than any. But that story would never be, Jacob's part was not to be told, and Jard would not have his name spoken in the city. Throughout his time there he was simply called Sir or Captain John by his men. The name painted on the sterns of his ships changed from place to place, for a mercenary force relies on it's anonymity as much as it's fighting prowess. It would not do for his role to become known, that knowledge could deter other potential hirers after this work was done. Those fighting men had never had such easy work, the taking of a city without a weapon being raised. The days of organisation, the weeks of footsore trekking around the city, all was well worth the effort. As the night went on it became clear that they would be stood enjoying a well earned meal and ale well before the dawn broke in the skies.
Arriving at the main constable house, once his work was done, Jacob asked for a message to be taken to Jard, asking him to also make his way there. As far as all knew, the frail elderly merchant had spent the last hours safely out of harm's way at the orphanage, though Tancred, suspecting otherwise, said nothing. He knew from all the lists that little remained to be done, and Jard could easily come away from his group and leave them to cast off from the dockside with the brig full of prisoners. It was time to speak to the Major. It was also time for Zachary to leave for the house and rouse Thomas and Simon then bring them back to the constable house, despite their hopes to be included in the night's work they had been left out of the takeover. Jacob stressing on them the importance of them being keeping safe to stand before the people the following day and announce the news. They were not fighting men he had told them, they, like he, should leave the trained men to go about their work. While waiting for them to arrive he slipped quietly into the Major's room. Once the door was closed behind him he took charge of the Major's sleeping mind, and seeded into him the full plans of the coup, right the way back from the beginning. In every way he left out the parts of himself and the trading house. The Major would awaken knowing all that had gone on, and believing himself to have been an active part of the planning and execution of events. When Thomas and Simon arrived he took a similar action, making them believe they had known all along the part played throughout all the planning by the trading master had in fact been the role of the Major, working with them and remaining completely out of sight to anyone except their own small group. In this way he ensured the future safety of the secret activities of the trading house, and the orphanage. The needs of the king's intelligence service in the city would now change, there would be no longer an enemy to watch here. But to have a base outside their own lands was far too valuable an asset to let go. Men could work for Jacob's homeland from here without ever being looked on as spies for the King. And the announcement of this city's role in the world, later that day by the new leadership, would start that process off. As for the trading master and Zachary, they would slip into obscurity where they needed to be.
In due course, as the platoons completed the night's work, then gathered at whichever constable house they had been told go to, they rested to await the next phase of their work. All the men marked for arrest were securely locked away in bulging cells. A group of them would be going to the city gaol, with Sir Samuel's replacement who was currently sitting in a cell with the others. He was to be given a stark choice by the Major when awakened. Comply with the new order or join the men in Jard's brig for transportation to the slave block. In due course he would be replaced, but for now he would work under the supervision of one of Jard's lieutenants. Over the next days the gaol records would be studied, and all those being unfairly held would be released back to their families. And a much more humane regime would be set into place for the rest of the men serving a sentence in the gaol. No more beatings, no more starvaton diets, adequate clothing for all would all be the new way forward. A similar move would take place through the Grand Duke's military force. A great deal of them were conscripted into service for minor transgressions of the harsh laws of the city, the most common being debt. All conscripts would be released from service that day, their sentences quashed. At a stroke it reduced the military strength to less than half, the rest remaining without leadership or weaponry, and many of those would likely slip away with the conscripts, once it became known there was no option but to comply with the orders of the well armed professional force that was now in charge.
Jacob gathered the boys and Zachary to him now and instructed them to leave for the house before the Major woke, he was not to see any of them being part of the work done. Once they left he slipped back to the Major's room, having forgotten to spell the Major so the magicked constables and night's watch men sleeping in all the constables houses would awake at his shout. Getting careless with all the fun I'm having, he told himself, and thought of the Major shouting away unable to get men to wake up. When the Major came out to join Simon and Thomas shortly afterwards he acted exactly as they now expected him to have done, and along with Captain Jard they left to make their way around all the constables houses of the city, waking sleeping men and announcing the new order. That morning all constables were given the tasks of going around the city, two unarmed constables with two of Jard's men in the bright yellow coats, and telling all citizens to make their way to the city arena at noon to hear great and important news. In all there were over one hundred groups of those men touring all parts of the city that morning, reaching as many people as possible. Once that task had been completed Jard and the brothers visited a number of churches, telling the priests of the events of the night, and asking them to join a temporary council to administer the city for a short time ahead. Needless to say they were the priests who had opened shelters, the ones Jacob had found honest and working for the good of people. Zachary finding himself with little to do for a few hours made his way home, the magick would be wearing off the people around the city about now, and they would awaken as normal shortly. His most important task when he arrived home was preventing Sarah fainting when he told her the news of what had happened during the night. He asked her could she provide tea and refreshments for a group who would be coming to hold a meeting hosted by Simon and Thomas in the library of the house. It would be the first meeting of the new city council.
When all the men had arrived at the house Thomas asked Jacob if he, as someone not involved in the coup, would sit in the meeting and take a written record of the discussions and decisions. This had been arranged between the two beforehand, and so he readily agreed. Much of the business brought up was spelled into the minds of the assembled group by Jacob, sitting quietly behind them. They expected a great crowd would be heading for the city arena that morning so ensured they broke up the meeting in ample time to make their way there as well.
At the arena every seat was full long before the noon hour, with more spilling out on to the grassed area in front. In the centre of the grass a large open cart had been drawn up for the group to stand on. It was only with the help of the men in yellow coats that a path was cleared for them to get to the cart and mount the steps. Gradually the shouts for quiet spread as they saw the men stood up on the cart. Thomas's nervousness at addressing such a vast number needed to be gently soothed away by Jacob, stood a little way off from the crowd, the rest of the household all stood with him. From now on he was just another face in the crowd.
He spelled Thomas's voice as he started to speak and address the people of the city, so that every person in the arena heard his words. "The Grand Duke and his council were removed from power over you all last night, they are now held in irons aboard ship out on the sea" Upon hearing that the crowd exploded in rapturous cheers, and it was some minutes before he could continue. "We men on this platform before you, if you agree here today, will sit in a temporary council to administer the running of this city. I think you will know most of them" He then introduced each man, and spoke of his work in the city.
Leaving the Major and Captain Jard until last he then turned to them and said "These two men will together be administering the justice system of the city. They will be responsible for keeping the city safe and peaceful. And although we will make no new laws in the time we sit we will be repealing many of those cruel and unjust laws that have been forced on you until now. Firstly, the sending of people out of this city to be sold into slavery is immediately ended" At that news he was again unable to carry on until the cheering died down. "Also from this moment the punishment of execution will stop, no citizen of this city will be put to death. Every man held in that hell called a gaol will have their reasons for being there investigated as quickly as possible, and where they are found to be held wrongly they will be released immediately. All men conscripted into the former Grand Duke's forces are released from service from this time" at the news that husbands, fathers and sons were to come back to their families the cheering drowned him out again.
Finally he could continue. "The vast amounts of gold held by the Grand Duke and his evil ruling council has been confiscated, that gold is now to be looked on being owned by the city, and will be used to build a strong city where nobody will sleep in the street, and nobody will go hungry. I call on the large trading houses of the city to keep records of all food supplied to feed those in need, and their bills will be paid from the city treasury in due course"
At that, and on a little nod towards him from Jacob, the trade master shouted up from the crowd. "My house will willingly provide to you Thomas, and we will make no charge"
Jacob then directed his gaze towards a particularly greedy merchant stood near the trade master and pushed into his mind, that man also shouted "I will do the same as my friend, it will all be given to the city for free" He stood stunned to silence at the silliness of him shouting, but those words couldn't be taken back.
Thomas continued after repeating the two merchant's offers to the crowd "Over the next weeks you will hear all of the changes and things we do, our meetings will be held in public for any to sit and observe. As we do this work we will be asking some prominent business men from the city to sit with us on this council. All of us will only hold these positions until every man and woman has voted for a council to replace us and sit permanently. We intend that this election will be held by the first day of the summer festival. And that a permanent council will replace us on the first day of winter" A loud voice was then heard from high up on the seats calling "We want you to do it Thomas, you and Simon" The call was quickly repeated and taken up until the whole of the arena was shouting the the two brothers names over and over again.
Jacob felt Tancred punch him in the side and he turned to the boy with a look of innocence. "You did that in my father's voice" said Tancred.
Thomas brought his speech to an end by telling the people "One thing we have already decided to do immediately is to send emissaries to the lands that surround this state, to make them aware of what has taken place and to set our course for the future. From this day on this state has no hostile intent to any of our neighbours. We will live in peace with all people. And we will ask of them to send their envoys to us so long and happy friendships can start between our nations. And one of those emissaries we send will be my brother Simon, for as you all know he can charm the birds from the trees far better than anyone else. Finally people of this city you will be asked to choose for us a new name for this city, it will no longer be known by the name of the family that has been responsible for the years of misery. Let that name be lost and never spoken once we decide what we will go forward as.
When I announced at the start of these words that no ship would leave this land to carry men into slavery one ship had already left the land, and now stands out on the sea just a short way away. That ship will continue on the evening tide. The former Grand Duke and his council in chains aboard it will be taken to those slave lands, and there they will be branded and stand on the slave block so they know for the rest of their lives the punishment they exacted on so many others"
The cheers and joy of the people in that arena had never been known before in the unhappy city. It took most of the afternoon before the crowd, anxious to touch the men and give them their thanks, died away and the council managed to break away. It was a tired but happy group that assembled in the house that evening.
It was while sitting enjoying a glass of wine that Thomas said "The first land we need to speak to is our immediate neighbour. Their lands have been subjected to a great deal of aggression over the years. Simon you must go to speak with their King first"
Jacob looked towards him "As it happens I've met the King once or twice, do you think it would be a good idea if I went along with you and introduced you to him?" Jacob's promise to return Tancred to his parents by the end of the summer would be kept. But there would be a few surprises yet to come for Tancred and Jamil.