THE ASSASSINS - SECTION 12

LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC - THE ASSASSINS - SECTION 12

Stark’s (Asger's) thoughts now flew to Kundrick, the frail boy who had always sat without stirring at the back of the room for the duration of each day's lesson.  From the beginning   Asger had taken a liking to this shy, well-behaved boy who had appeared so serious, so grown up.

01- KUNDRICK DUFO

Asger had frequently pressed on him small toys or rare sweets but each time, after a polite thank you, Kundrick had, with admirable reserve, held on to the item until after the classes had ended and he gained his father's permission to keep the trinket. 

When his father had been taken away in chains the little boy had stood stiffly by, hands clenched at his side, bravely resisting any tears.  Of course, he would remember such a remarkable little boy well.  But then the struggle against Zakhertan Yozdek changed everything.

So, this was what had become of Kundrick! Asger mused, seeing no reason to doubt this segment of Alec’s accounts and presently wondered if his esteemed tutor Sorgun Dufo had lived to see his son's great accomplishments.

"The time has long been ripe for an open confrontation on a major scale to topple this present evil regime, My Lord."  Alec had just then startled Asger from his brief reverie. "Now, when the general assault starts under the leadership of the rightful Prince, other scattered pockets of resistance will join in and swell the ranks of the main army.  With such numbers the insurgent force will become invincible.”

"For this to happen, however, the timely appearance of the prince is a requisite, and of course,” Alec pausing, grinned wryly, "this can only be accomplished with your Lordship's assistance.  You alone, Lord Shonne Gulbrand has told us, know the true Prince's whereabouts."  Alec burrowed his anxious stare into Stark (Asger) and waited with bated breath for his response.

As Asger (Stark) had listened, inwardly he had been burdened with serious quandary. Tempting as all Alec’s accounts were, caution would not allow Asger to take them at face value and lay his total trust in Alec.  Although Alec’s accounts were most elaborate, and precise and some of it had already been verified by his trustworthy contacts over the years; still a good portion of it was unconfirmed. Moreover, despite his claim, Alec and Duan have clearly not achieved this remarkable feat without the benefit of added support.  Somewhere waiting in the wings could be a militia poised to strike on cue.

The absence of any intel from Heaven’s Gate Temple, for an unusual length of time, meanwhile, had been another grave concern for Asger (Stark). Consequently, Asger could not tell with measure of certainty, had no way of knowing how much damaging info had already been (relayed) leaked.

There was only one recourse however, to uncovering this ploy, as dangerous as that may be; but then again, if he were to go along, he would be sending Svein to a certain perilous danger. Is Svein competent enough to overcome it?   If not now, when?  If only he (Asger) had not been burdened by the security and wellbeing of Teuquob and the twins; he would have gladly accompanied Svein on this escapade, till the truth unfolded.

In the end Asger (Stark) decided to proceed, albeit with caution, to the end of this most dangerous game.

Alec’s outward composure and sincerity lapsing (failing) temporarily, he with unease shifted his body; in truth, he was fast losing his patience. What more could he say or do to bring about the desired result? His head throbbed with all that exertion; he felt inexplicably fatigued, yet his stubborn nature would not allow him to yield to the temptation of sleep. Meanwhile, even though Asger had seemingly concurred with Alec's latest arguments concerning   the prince, his eagerly awaited disclosure of the whereabouts, maddeningly so, was not forthcoming.

 “You have claimed that the two of you had acted alone; but usurper’s spies are numerous, how can I be ascertained you were not shadowed, albeit unknowingly, to this region (and to this mountain)?” Asger eventually spoke up after his prolonged consideration, even though he knew what the answer would be.

“Duan was the very best in his profession; he would have flushed them out in no time. As it were, he left a bloody trail in his wake. But that aside,” Alec chewed his upper lip, as he considered, then quickly decided against mentioning   the murder of those two monks. But then he committed another grave error. “There was an incident, I failed to report, my Lord; it may or may not have any pertinence to your respective concern.”

 “Oh?” Asger waited to hear more.

“After our stay at the ‘Heaven’s Gate Temple’, we came under pernicious attack by unspecified group of assassins, Duan wiped them out of course, and I can say with measure of certainty, that there was no such incidence after that.” 

As Alec did not know why the falcons were felled, he’d decided not to touch on that subject.  “It might have been secret messages from Duan’s contacts. Who’s to know; now that the villain was dead?”

“I can assure you Duan, with his conceit, felt no need for any backup; he tolerated my presence only just, perhaps it amused him to have me tag along. Even so, I sensed that he planned to do away with me no sooner than he’d accomplished his task. Furthermore, I venture a guess, the subterranean tunnel in all these years has been an effective deterrent, has it not? So yes, I can say with measure of certainty, that there has not been any breach (violation) to your respective security.” 

Unaware of his grave blunder Alec again stressed.  “I would like nothing better than to spend couple days recovering my Lord, but my conscience would not permit me. Time has come for the swift, effective action, as we are finally in position to do so now.  I again wish to remind you, my Lord, of the urgency of our situation and the serious consequences should Zakhertan  Yozdek's men reach the Prince first!”

Asger (Stark), bearing a strange expression, turned his sharp eyes to Alec and dourly asked, "So, that is your most immediate desire is it, to learn of the prince’s whereabouts?"

"May I trouble you to do so, my Lord?” Alec replied anxiously with a nod and then cast a quick glance at Svein who had his head down and seemingly was lost in deep contemplation.

By his reluctance, he is confirming my suspicions to be true; but how could this be?  After all, was not this youth by his own admission at the tavern, a good four-year senior to the lost Prince?

 Upon a second reflection, a wry smile registered on his lips. Fool the truth has been staring at you in the face all along, only you were too blinded to see it.

Despite his arrogance, a failing of his, he had to concede, the ingested potions had dulled his senses somewhat. Unbidden, anger gripped his heart, and he further admonished himself, thinking he could have spared himself all this affront difficulty and debasing.

Alec again snuck appraising glances at Svein as if seeing him for the very first time. But then, I would have missed out on this golden opportunity of meeting Lord Asger.  He then consoled himself.

He knows yet insists on playing this farce to the end. Asger was suddenly overcome with fatigue.  He had his own Demons to conquer. Blasted medicines…I wish I had not taken them earlier; no anecdote would wipe away the adverse effects till morrow.

“It is rather late, how about we retire for the night, and tomorrow at first light we can continue where we’d left off.” Asger, for the time being putting aside his misgivings, outwardly proposed.

Svein absently nodded, as he was sorting things out in his head.

Alec bit his lip to constrain his outburst. Stubborn old fox what further proof can I furnish to win your trust; oh, have it your way, I do feel rather exhausted, and a brief respite will do me good.  

Alec, on the outset appearing most agreeable, bid his good night to the two and watched them close the barn door securely behind them.

He had every intention of, after a brief rest, doing some reconnaissance; but no sooner that he reclined (tilted back) his body in his makeshift bed on the floor, than against his will, he immediately fell into deep, deep slumber.

                                                               ~

 

(END OF SECTION 12)

 

 

THE ASSASSINS - SECTION 9

 LEGEND OF NEVETSECNUAC - THE ASSASSINS - SECTION 9

Pressed upon to drink more tea, Alec happily complied and with his earlier inhibitions gradually ebbing (diminishing, fading) he now rattled on: "However, this was not the case at the start, my Lord. The disastrous outcome of the insurgents' initial campaigns had nearly stemmed the tide of this now massive resistance.  The first set of uprisings was led by San Jarl, perhaps you know of him, sir?” Alec paused to receive the answer, but Asger barely remembered the name.

 "He was a close associate of my father.  He first led his followers to stage armed resistance in his hometown district of Noran, in the fifth year of Zakhertan Yozdek's reign. 

01- ZAKHERTAN YOZDEK

Unfortunately, their initial swift victory over the provincial government's forces had given them a false sense of competence; for they were in no way ready to next engage the crack troops dispatched from the capital under the command of General Ang.”

“Though the rebel forces carried an inexhaustible will and courage they nevertheless were disastrously out matched in skill and weaponry. In the subsequent struggle San was killed in action and his entire force brutally annihilated. When the news of another rebellious outbreak reached the capital, the returning   General was then directed to cross the Lug River to the west and wipe them out also.  This he also did with ease.”

"The few that escaped merged two years later with the forces of yet another uprising at the border province… A…, Yes, this rebellion took place in Arkon province… Hmm, just for a spell, I seemed to have lost my train of thought. Forgive me, my Lord; for I must be tired…My head is clouding.” So, saying, Alec sipped more tea, believing it would refresh him.

 It entirely escaped him that both Svein and Asger had circumspectly emptied part of their tea aside and purposely neglected to refill it.

“The region had first suffered flash floods then had a prolonged period of severe drought.  The parched land would not yield a single blade of wild grass, let alone a kernel of grain. 

The masses starved.  Able bodied men, too impoverished even to flee boiled tree bark for soup and dug up wild roots to keep themselves and their families alive.  Yet, the provincial government continued to ruthlessly oppress people and extracted heavy taxes and rent from them, instead of sending the sought-after relief.” Alec shook his head in utter dismay.

“Countless numbers were forced to sell their children into slavery in order to meet these demands.  Such pressures on the part of the local government naturally precipitated righteous indignation (fury) and the resulting insurrectionist army quickly grew to become a force of a quarter of a million men.  Once more the capital dispatched troops to give aid and to suppress these widespread revolts but this time they were under the leadership of another general, one less able and talented than Ang. Ang you see,” Alec sneered, “despite his impeccable record of countless victories, had become a target of jealousy and resentment and, as a result of a trumped up charge, by then had already lost his head.”

"The fortunate outcome of this turn of events gave the rebel forces the brief advantage of victory.  During their occupation of these vital areas, they raided the existing (provincial) government granaries and distributed the stored food freely to the needy masses, winning   them further support for their cause.”

“But then local government agents cleverly sowed seeds of dissension among the rebel leaders and caused them to break up.  With each fighting independently of the other they one by one succumbed to defeat.  All of them, save for a few and Nuer, perished.  In the final skirmish with the reinforced government forces, at one desperate stand, Nuer along with some sixty able bodied men successfully broke through the encirclement and fled to disappear in the marshes. This heroic group came to be known as “61 Defiant”, eventually sought refuge at Lord Shonne Gulbrand's secret mountain retreat in the adjacent province, whereupon they established a more serious underground resistance movement.”

“Unfortunately, the subsequent reprisals against the insurgents' families were most bitter.  Old folks, wives, sisters, children of all ages, all relatives that were left behind, once gathered up, they were then inhumanely, mercilessly all thrown into deep pits and buried alive.”

“Their heart-rending cries haunted the soldiers who had been ordered to carry out this gruesome deed, for days thereafter.  However, the officials were unmoved, and they passed a further decree (ruling, law) to burn and level the homes of all the suspected villagers and other such collaborators as a means of weakening the insurgents’ resolve or altogether deterring any such future uprisings.” Grinding his teeth, Alec continued, "Instead, this genocide, these atrocities only strengthened the determination of those who had gone into hiding and they vowed to avenge all who had been murdered and to fight harder still to the bitter end, till they were rid of this evil regime.  In less than a year's time, having amassed a strong militia, they rose up again and marched right across the border to stage yet another uprising.  Unfortunately, after Nuer was killed in an early skirmish, his followers were quickly trounced (routed).”

"The next rebellion, which arose in the Rue District, failed also because vital information concerning   the plan of attack was leaked to the central government by turncoats.  The result was the capture of the entire rebel force in an ambush.  All the 100,000 men lost their lives by decapitation in a two weeklong public execution.  Blood flowed like a river to dye the surrounding plain, and the sickening smell of death lingered on the air for weeks afterwards.  Their leader, Carr Elof, after being forced to witness all this, was taken to the capital in heavy chains.  There, after heavy torture and a mock trial, he was accorded the prescribed sentence of the law and, in the public market, was slowly put to death by ‘Thousand cuts.’"

Alec groaned, as flames of rage similarly seared both Asger's and Svein's hearts.

With a shrug of his shoulders, Alec resumed, "But he became a martyr to the public, because, right up to the point when his tongue was cut out, Carr Elof continued to loudly revile Zakhertan and his corrupt government."  This said, Alec relapsed into brooding.

 Svein could not resist heaving a sigh, and Asger simply shook his head.

"For a long time afterwards nothing much happened, then, just as Zakhertan was congratulating himself on having rooted out all the troublesome elements in the nation, another much larger, more fearsome and better organized insurrectionist army resurfaced under the leadership of Kade, Shon, Doje and Jary to challenge(contest) Zakhertan's authority and his government’s right to rule!"

 Alec's voice had just then boomed, fueled with the surging enthusiasm that had swelled his chest.  He apologetically smiled and bit the corner of his lip to check his zeal.

"This radical force had the strongest backing of Lord Gulbrand who had enlisted into its ranks the banished civil and military officials. With their implementation of sound military strategy and tactical maneuvering, the virtually unstoppable rebel army quickly seized large territories in Fukken, Lonar, Tarak and Buker provinces. “

“To suppress them Zakhertan Yozdek's Defense department had to marshal more than seven million cash for military hardware and expenses and then mobilize forces from five provinces to the tune of 650,000 troops. Moreover, the central government adopted stronger measures of crushing the sporadic resistance.  Suspected collaborator's houses were systematically demolished or burnt to the ground, in many instances slaying all the occupants in it. “

“Meanwhile, most able-bodied farmers were taken from their fields, displaced from their villages and forced into slave labor in remote border fortifications and castles. The women and children left behind to till and harvest, under strict scrutiny journeyed each morning   to their fields and returned only at night for scant respite.

 At the first sign of any trouble gongs and bells sounded to recall everyone into the walled village square after which the gates of the stockade surrounding the village would be securely bolted.  Any left outside was fired upon by archers or put to the sword.  With such measures the government hoped to sever the least link between the farmers and the insurgents.”

"In other areas they made good use of the provincially controlled militia, who were incorporated into the regular army from the Capital to fight the rebels.  Thus, they were able to, on short notice; mobilize a large force from adjoining   provinces for the effort...  These measures, in addition to the planting of spies, offering timely amnesties, tempting bribes of various kinds, as well as sowing dissension among the suspected leaders, inevitably brought about the sure downfall of any lethal uprisings.” 

“The last bastion of staunch resistance- after several months of continuous fighting, in the final confrontation what came to be known as the “Flakanut Hill”, only half of the freedom fighters were able to break through of the fiery encirclement to retreat to safety.  The remaining   bunch refusing to surrender had continued to fight to the bitter end until they were all consumed by the searing flames.  Their death was not in vain however, for they had forced also a vast number of the government’ forces to accompany them to their deaths.”

"Three- and one-half years later, in the seventeenth year of Zakhertan Yozdek's reign, two more uprisings erupted, one led by Doje and Jary, the other by Kundrick Dufo.  Falling into an ambush at Fenzu pass, Doje was killed in action and Jary was taken prisoner.  Jary was tortured for days, then barely alive, he was hung up at the north city gates for the carrion birds to feed on.  He died an agonizing death at their beaks and claws."  Alec's face contorted in bitter disgust and, as if still seeing the grotesque figure before his burning eyes, gave an involuntary shudder. 

“All was not lost however, the scant few who had escaped death, managed to catch up with Kundrick Dufo's army and they re-emerged in Buo province to take the government's mountain stronghold at Decan pass."

 

Stark (Asger) was quite impressed with Alec’s apparent resilience.  The drug was designed to reduce his inhibitions, yet Alec had stuck to his narrative with amazing equanimity. At the outset, Stark (Asger) nodded his head regardless of the veracity of this remarkable blending of facts.  Conveniently also, all these supposed rebellious activities had taken place at the opposite end of Wenjenkun, so far removed from this segment of the Empire.

"Kundrick Dufo is courteous to his officers and good to his men, so his just reputation has earned him their undying loyalty.  Each, without a moment's hesitation, would lay their lives on the line for him.  A seasoned campaigner, he is utterly fearless in the face of the enemy and has always fought in the forefront of each battle.  When his army retreats, which is rare, he is the last one to cross over to safety.  Reportedly, each time the army encamped, and new wells were dug, he drank only after his men had had their fill, and ate what they ate, however unpalatable.  The spoils of war and rewards of conquest he has always divided equally among the men, enjoying no personal privilege. That is why to this day, my Lord, the insurgent, loyalist army under his great leadership has remained undefeated and has become the most formidable force to contend with.  They have, with increasing frequency, engaged the Yozdek government's forces, the latest two, at Zenro Pass and Koniko, being particularly successful, with heavy casualties being inflicted upon the enemy ranks."  Alec cleared his throat and smiled wryly, confessing, "This last bit of news, of course, was acquired through hearsay.  Still, I have no reason to doubt its validity."

 

(END OF SECTION 9)