Dodge: Serial 100

Liveta visits the grave of a dear friend.

Serial 100: Double dog

April 3rd, 33 S.D.        10:35        Capital City, Henron

    Liveta was no stranger to the sight of a graveyard. Generations of inter-clan conflict left Henron with plenty of cemeteries to fill. On more than a dozen occasions, she had put some of her own soldiers below, some of her dearest comrades. Time and again, she’d presented herself for funerals of the dead to the point where it all became routine. That was just the way life was in the Central Plains. Life always ended somewhere among the headstones. Today was no different.

    Crossing the rows, she scanned a sea of plots. All sorts of monuments, mementos, and markings identified those who had passed on. Some graves were spires of stone taller than she, artfully sculpted and imposing, enduring testaments meant to defy fate. Others adorned themselves in heaps of flowers now that spring had brought them to bloom. A number extolled the virtues of the deceased with exuberant epitaphs.

    “A woman forever standing above all grace and class.”

    “Father to us, Henron’s finest for all, and worst upon our enemies.”

    “Let no one speak his name without remembrance of his ultimate deed.”

    “All we ever gained was through her endless sacrifice.”

    Liveta had no right to judge the departed or what their loved ones thought of them. Even so, she couldn’t help but feel those words were inflated in some regard. Nostalgia for friends and family had a strange effect on people. Truths shifted; reality blurred. They recalled these lost souls more positively or favorably than they really were. But that was natural, wasn’t it? After all, the only things left behind were memories, and memories changed. As the years went by, how would she interpret the actions and choices he’d made?

    Softly, she stepped through the grass, nearing the southern wall of Capital City. Despite being within the gates, Liveta felt as if the streets, the buildings, and everyone therein were somehow distant from her. She couldn’t hear the bustle that ran constantly; only a brief breeze reached her ears every now and then. The guards atop the walls seemingly vanished from their posts. At that moment, it was just her lonesome self.

    She stopped and looked around before zeroing in on a freshly made grave. The sod had not yet settled. The patch of earth wore a distinctly lighter shade of green, looking paler than the rest of the land. Her careful eyes noticed the new masonry, finely cut stone yet untouched by nature’s elements. This was the spot, she knew it. Liveta stepped over to the tombstone, folding her arms as she halted in front of it.

    “There you are,” she said. “And here I am.”

    Her gaze fell upon the text etched onto the slab. “Govan Henron - 1042 to 1087. He served us as he saw fit.”

    His memorial went looking rather plain, appearing both ordinary and obscure. Liveta had chosen that herself. History would not be kind to the former Prime Lead. The future would brand him anything from a vicious warlord to a would-be tyrant. He had wielded the incredibly destructive serasword and had even decided to claim Heigon’s power in the end. At best, perhaps his name would fade eventually, centuries later. She didn’t want anyone to come here to mock or scorn him, so she’d avoided any arrangements that would have drawn attention. To the uninformed, it would be just another burial. She sighed aloud.

    “Good,” she said. I want it to just be us. I do not think anyone else in Henron understood you... I want to make sure you get the peace you deserve, so there is not much to this grave. But... I also want to make sure you get the recognition you deserve, as a fellow soldier, and as a companion. Maybe I am the only one who can do that now.”

    For a while, she shuffled from side-to-side before holding herself still. She looked up into the air, seeing nothing but endless blue. As her head turned back to the ground, she shook it twice.

    “No, I do not agree with the path you walked. You believed too strongly in Heigon and the ways he represented. For far too long our people have believed in leaders just like him. Not anymore. We needed someone with absolute authority in the beginning, when our clan was young. Not now though; the world is changing, bit by bit.” Liveta frowned for a moment.

    “You know, that was the last time I saw you, back in Navaran. I wanted to meet you again, before the end, but I do not think I could have done anything to stop you. You were always known for your cunning and resolve, though I suppose I found you somewhat stubborn... Still, to have seen you just once more before it came to this... that would have been nice, sa. I wonder what things would have looked like if you had just tried to see past your own sense of loyalty. That was your greatest quality and your only weakness. Loyalty was the reason I first followed you and the reason I stopped.”

    “Perhaps I should not blame you. We both fought for what we thought was right for Henron. Sa, the Ordinal Oath, a vow to serve the members of our clan. We took the same pledge, and see how different our results were. Nevertheless, that was your conviction, that the old customs were best. I know you; as long as you honestly thought it would be in Henron’s interests, you had no regret about what you did.” Liveta sighed yet again, brushing aside a stray lock of hair from her face.

    “We still do not know if Henron chose correctly. Who knows... Maybe what we are doing now will not succeed. Maybe we will be worse off than before. However, I will show you the same resolve you had. I shall make Henron strong, peaceful, and prosperous. I shall protect my people as Prime Lead and serve them with everything I can offer.” Liveta looked up and forward as she saluted.

    “Just watch me, my friend.”



    Earlier the next morning, hours before daylight broke, Capital City was thrown into a sort of panic. Throughout the darkness, points of light dotted the streets, floating up and down quickly. With them, the trample of hurried footsteps and shouts could be heard. In the background, bells clanged urgently.

    “Did you find anything, Field Lead?” a soldier asked, running up to a group.

    “No, nothing yet,” the officer replied, sweeping a lantern down an alley.

    “Shrieks, where could they be?” said another.

    “The gates and all are sealed, per order of Core Lead Kal.”

    “So they have to be in the capital. Hey, you, you, and you, check over there; the rest of you keep stalking with me. Clear this area, top-to-bottom. Move!”

    The squad dispersed, searching in different directions. As they abandoned the area, two shadows crept from behind a pile of crates near a large building. Crouching while they slid into the open, they wasted no time scurrying for cover. Together, the two dark figures advanced towards the remains of Heigon’s court. With a brief turn, they swung into the court’s gates. Here they were much less exposed thanks to the walls, but the lot itself virtually stood empty. Only the garden offered limited space for hiding. Their intent was to escape Capital City altogether however, not conceal themselves.

    “Shrieks,” Doctor Sansat breathed. “They really did tear down this place.”

    “Who cares?” hissed Ano Taksat, the former Core Lead. “Let us just get out of here. Are you certain this will work?”

    “Of course. The river plugs directly into the court. That was how Losha overran it, by controlling the water and flooding us.”

    “Do not speak of that witch’s name!” Ano said harshly, seething for a moment.

    “Calm down, or we will get caught,” Sansat whispered tensely. “It is already a miracle we managed to free ourselves and elude them so far. Now, come!” The two walked over to the foundation of the court.

    “Sa, where is it?” Ano asked.

    “It certainly will not be large,” Sansat replied. “There! I wager we can find it around this spot.”

    Most of the court was now nothing more than flat ground, however, some sections went below. The place had never had a proper basement, but select portions lead to small spaces beneath the main level. Though neither of them had any sort of lamp handy, Sansat spied a set of stairs in the clear starlight.

    “Alright, let us go,” Ano agreed. The pair climbed down and found themselves stuck in a black pit. “What exactly are we looking for? I mean, will we know it when we find it?”

    “The primary well for the court should be somewhere nearby. It ought to be fairly damp still. We will know it when we feel it. Listen for it too. Something might be dripping.”

    Blindly, they fumbled around, feeling their hands upon every surface. After a minute or two finding nothing, Ano grumbled lowly, cursing their poor fortune.

    “Ksh. I do not think anything is here. Maybe this is the wrong room.”

    “Do you know where the well in the court was?” Sansat asked.

    “No. I never had a reason to know. That is for the staff to deal with. What about you?”

    “I have only the faintest clue... Wait, what is this?” Sansat thumped something with his fist; it sounded like wood.

    “A door?” Ano wondered. “Let us at least open and investigate.” Sansat groped about for the handle and pushed it forward. Immediately, the smell of water was strong.

    “I think this is it,” Sansat said as he entered. He waved his arms ahead of himself until he touched upon a large, circular set of bricks. “Indeed, this is it,” he confirmed.

    “So, how exactly do we get out from here?”

    “We jump down the well and crawl out the duct leading to the river. They should have cut off the water during the demolition, and the well should have been drained. That is standard practice for Henron construction.”

    “Wait a moment,” the ex-officer blurted. “If the water is cut off, how can we use the well’s duct? It will be sealed from the river. And even if we did open it from our side, we would just drown shortly thereafter.”

    “There are two auxiliary ducts that take in additional water when the river reaches a certain height. Normally, they do not fill up unless we get some pretty hefty weather. Those have no seals. Only the court has those kind of ducts; I guess it was to ensure that the people here could get more than regular folks. Anyway, we will use them. They branch off, so they should be easy to find.”

    “Alright, but is it safe to drop down this hole? Maybe we should use get something to use first?” Ano aksed. “Neither of us can see a damned thing; as far as we know, it drops straight to the earth’s core.”

    Sansat rummaged around the floor and found a rock. He dropped it in, noting the time it took to hear it crash. “Hmm... roughly one-third a second, so approximately three meters give or take.”

    “I do not know how you concluded that,” Ano admitted. “But enough talk; let us just do it.”

    Carefully, both men lowered themselves into the well, dangling from their arms as they held on to the edge. Breathing in deeply, they let go, falling towards what seemed an abyss. They hit the moist ground, a smooth floor of water-worn stonework. Sansat and Ano fell backwards from the impact; neither of them was used to this sort of physical activity, so naturally they stumbled and collapsed.

    “Guff!” Sansat said as he felt his legs getting sore. “All right over here,” he winced. They felt around for an opening and found a little passage that was one meter in width and height.

    “This is it,” Ano announced.

    “Perfect. We will have to crawl. I hope you are not afraid of small, dark places.”

    “Ksh! We have no choice even if I were,” Ano said. “Wanted men may not ask for anything but whatever fate gives us.”

    Ever imagining that soldiers were on their trail, Sansat and Ano got on their hands and knees and started moving up the duct. The plumbing itself proved easy enough to navigate; it was a straight line to the river at a gentle, nigh unnoticeable incline. Sansat pressed his body to the left; eventually another track would open up to the auxiliary duct. For what seemed about a quarter of an hour, they steadily progressed.

    “How much further, do you think?” Ano asked.

    “Patience, Ano. In a few minutes, to be sure.”

    True to that prediction, Sansat felt the duct widen as it split into three. The one straight ahead led to the main water gate, but the others on either side offered them an exit.

    “This way,” Sansat said as they turned. Now they began to hear the sound of running water ahead. On the auxiliary duct, the slope grew more defined. Luckily for the two fugitives, no water had flowed down this way in quite a while; they were in no danger of sliding or losing their grip. As they came closer and closer to the end, however, they could practically taste the wetness in the air. All of a sudden, Sansat’s hand fell into emptiness as he tried to plant it in front of himself. Reaching down, he felt liquid swimming past his fingers.

    “We are here. We made it,” Sansat announced. Ano came up beside the doctor.

    “Sa. So these are the water gates below the city? There should be a path we can walk on above us. But how do we get to it? There is nothing but water here.”

    “Hmm...” Sansat paused. “Either we jump in and swim downstream out of the capital, or we try to find someway to hoist ourselves up.”

    “You must be out of your mind!” Ano exclaimed. “We will drown if we plunge in.”

    “Alright then. We need to get up on the walkway.” Sansat poked his head out and rolled on his back. He examined everything around, pressing his palms on their surroundings. As it turned out, there was a short metal maintenance ladder just off to the side. He grabbed it and picked himself away from the river. Ano did the same, though it took him longer due to his age. At last, here they stood in the tunnel, the same space Losha had earlier used to inundate the court.

    “Look down there,” Sansat said. “It is faint, but that speck of light is our chance at freedom.”

    “Then what are we waiting for?” Ano grumbled. “Come on!” he shuffled past the doctor, impatiently taking the lead. However, after only a few short steps, the bleak, cavernous passage below the city suddenly became bright. The walls and ceiling turned red as something loudly hissed to life.

    Sansat and Ano turned around together, glanced over their shoulders rigidly. Behind them, a figure stood off at some distance, holding a flare up in hand like a torch. His face looked at them, yet the harsh light obscured his identity. He had not come alone; several shadows stretched around him, taking form as the flare illuminated them. They were dogs. They sniffed the air quickly before slinking low and growling. The figure made a clicking noise with his tongue, and on this command the hounds launched forward.

    “Run!” Sansat shouted. “Run now!”

    The two dashed off, scrambling up against each other as they rushed. Soon they were pumping all their limbs furiously, charging down the narrow walkway. The dogs began barking wildly, snapping off cries as they gave chase. Not to be outdone, the figure pursued as well, keeping pace with his animals. With his free hand, he pulled out a knife and whipping it. All at once, Sansat yelled in pain as his right calve exploded in pain.

    “Agh!” he roared as the blade at into his flesh. The blow crippled him in an instant, throwing him to the ground as his legs gave way. To his horror, he lost all balance and plummeted straight into the river. His body disappeared in the water with a crash. Ano spared only a passing moment to look back at his accomplice, but no more than that. He continued his own escape. The years were catching up to the old officer though. Ano felt himself tiring; his muscles started to cramp. It was impossible for him to outrun anyone. One of the dogs leaped and latched onto his back, tackling him. As Ano fell, another pulled at his leg, and yet another grabbed his arm.

    “Ah! Shrieks! Gnnh, ghh! Get off me!” he roared, feebly trying to rise. Under their combined weight, however, Ano was trapped by these beasts. He persisted in his struggle nevertheless, squirming along the ground as the aggressive hounds attacked him. Before they could cause Ano any serious harm, their master whistled once. Retreating, the hunters jumped off their target and returned to the figure’s shadow.

    “Sa, sa. Look what we have here,” Koter said, smiling. “Have not seen you in a while, Core Lead.”

    “Koter!” Ano sputtered, rolling over on his back, propping himself up. “A-after me, are you now?” he asked, trying his best to smirk, yet he merely curled his lips in fear.

    “That is what I do, after all. Tracking is my specialty. And honestly, you were not hard to find. Where else would you find a rat?” Koter laughed. Ano made no response. His mind was working desperately.

    “I do not have to be caught, you know. I could just disappear. As long as they never found my body, just say I drowned. Really, what good will it do to put me on trial? The new government will find me guilty of anything they accuse me of, and then I will spend the last, what would it be, 10 or 12 years of my life a prisoner? What would that accomplish? If I were to leave Henron, I would be absolutely harmless, insignificant to everyone. The clan would be rid of me, and I can live at peace somewhere else. All you have to do is ignore your orders. I heard about your role as a double agent; you are quite used to listening to one side, but doing as you please in secret, sa?”

    Koter cocked an eyebrow as he snickered and shook his head. “Ano... You know nothing do you?” At the tone of Koter’s voice, the Core Lead felt sweat race across his body as electric dread ran up and down his spine. His color faded ever so slightly.

    “I have no orders. I am not really supposed to be here. Just out for a little stroll. I came after you because you disgust me. Your escape from the brig is now my perfect opportunity to do this myself.” Instead of a knife, Koter pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Ano. The other gasped and slid back half a meter.

    “N-no! Do not shoot! Wait!” he pleaded, raising an arm.

    “Too late. I have been waiting for this for a while now. This world has had enough of you. Sa, but one more thing, before I forget. I guess you should know, at any rate,” he chuckled. “I was never a double agent at all.”

    “No...?”

    “No.”

    “You...” Ano said, squinting and pointing at the Field Lead. “You were never working for Sventa or Henron, were you? But then who...?”

    “Let us just say I work for a king.” A single shot echoed loudly, and then silence.

    As Koter holstered his firearm, the dogs behind him howled longly. Stepping over Ano’s bleeding corpse, avoiding puss and bits of brain matter, Koter made his way to the exit where the river left Capital City. With the flare still in hand, he took a look at the fields beyond the gates. He could see the expansive grasslands angling down at a slight degree. Though he scanned the water and its banks, he saw no visible trace of Doctor Sansat. He stared long and hard into the open as his fingers stroked the handle of his prized knife, the one with engravings. After a while, he huffed briefly in satisfaction and turned away.

Author's Note

In the reaches of Aste, deep within the grasslands of the Central Plains, 14 warring clans mount constant warfare against one another. Through endless bloodshed, the people are forever rooted in a cycle of conflict. Returning to the place she once called home, Losha leaves Palostrol to go back to her family. Yet in their embrace she finds a world teetering on the brink of devestation. As King's words echo through her mind, she must decide if serialization holds the answers to peace. But are the consequences of failure are worth it? The path of the Continent's greatest struggle has only just begun. The Age of Serialization starts now.

The next installment comes December 2nd, 2015. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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* Although Govan served as the primary antagonist for most of this arc, he is not a total villian in that sense. Though he perpetuated the war more than anyone else, he honestly believed it was for the best interests of Henron. In a way, he cannot be blamed since Govan and the rest of the clan were apparently tricked by Heigon's imposter and Duke's covert actions. He was a key pawn for the enigmatic serialist. Even so, he fought to the bitter end to protect the brutal regime that had controlled Henron for the past few centuries. At the end, though his actions were wrong, he felt he was serving his people.

* One thing that needs to be explained is the date on Govan's grave. The world in which Dodge takes place has several different calendar systems in effect at this time. The Asten calendar is based on the approximate date when the first major clans appeared on the Central Plains. It is also seen as a time when the Asten language became dominant over other locally spoken tongues and when history in that area switched from oral to written records. The current Asten year is 1087 A.S. The Gandian calendar is based off the founding of a large empire that once held considerable power on the eastern side of the Continent. Currently, they view the year as 2924 G.S. A third system is used by serialists from Palostrol (and Dodge as a whole), the Serialized Date system. This marks Master Eltin's break from Nabel Viska and exposing the world to serialization. It marks the first time serialization was taught without Nabel's authority. Unlike the Asten and Gandian systems, the S.D. system starts count at 0 S.D., so it's been 33 years since Sambur began his teachings. Although only used by Losha and company now, it eventually becomes the default calendar of the Continent, due to the growth and importance serialization comes to play in the world.

* Ano was arrested shortly after the coup in Capital City, while Sansat was arrested after the Battle of the Tafren Plains. Ano's misdeeds throughout the fighting made him a war criminal, and Sansat was being considered in thats same category for his role with serastone. They were both being held in Capital City. Navaran, Henron's central prison, suffered heavy damages thanks to Losha on the same day as the coup, so that place was no good to house prisoners.

* Here we see Koter revealing more about his nature and intents. He kills Ano (and apparently Sansat???) without much regard for either. He also sheds light on his true affiliation. What were his goals during the war? What exactly is he up to? What is his connection to the other players? The next serial will drop even more hints, and after that, the next arc begins pronto!

* 100 serials already? Wow. Well, 101 actually (started from zero) ;)

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Any feedback is welcome. Just writing because I like it. Always wanted to make a weekly series, so I'm doing it.